Wholly Undead

Jack was the first to speak, once he regained his facilities, "Your evening tomb is much too small for me. Thankfully I don"t feel pain in this body."

Leslie thought this was an interesting statement, but changed the topic, "Do you still wonder if this is a dream?" She held onto Jack"s ribs, while staring into his flaming eyes.

"Actually... Yes, but I"ve decided whatever this is... I will treat it as it being real. Dream or not." Jack said seriously.

"I guess that"s the best I can get at the moment." Leslie smiled so that even Jack was memorized for a moment. He still thought from the first moment he had seen her, that she could of been a model or actress in his last life... A mega star.

"You know... We forgot to visit your mother."

"I didn"t tell her I was going to visit, but we really need to visit her, at least I need to." Leslie continued to smile, but one could see it was with weary.

"Let me sit up right, I still need to know what the "Shadow of Deagoth" is"

Leslie with some hesitation let go of Jack, while the ladder climbed up and sat back down where he was the previous night.

"Seriously though... How long have you been secret intelligence?"

"If you mean the Shadow of Deagoth... Your father appointed me to it." Leslie turned her face away from Jack, while she continued to lay in her evening tomb.

"My father?!" This was the first time Jack had heard anyone speak to him about having parents... He figured he didn"t have them... Orphan or lost in time?

"Yes. The first Holy Witch King. He found out I was an exiled Grimnight, when I first came here. After he over seen my training, he told me to work toward taking over the treasury of the kingdom. Of course I did, and he started giving me resources. I used them to cultivate the "Tome of the Banshee"s Wail" to Grand master level. "

"..." Jack continued listening, and didn"t have much to say. This was just unbelievable... How good of a cover she had, that all this time he had been with her, and didn"t know. From the way she spoke, even the last guy didn"t know she was secret intelligence.

"So... Using my cultivation, I eliminated a lot of threats within and without the kingdom." Leslie turned her head back to see Jack, who was just staring at hear with the flames dancing in his eyes.

A period of time pa.s.sed, and she couldn"t take the silence, "You don"t have anything else to say?"

"I"m just wondering how someone as ditsy as you can be secret intelligence."

"DITSY?!" Leslie screeched, as she say up and hit Jack on the side of his arm.

Word choice wasn"t the best here, but it was the only thing Jack could use to describe it.

"Maybe I should of used another word... I can"t help but look at your face, when it goes slack. Even during serious discussions or just you and me, I see you just stare off into s.p.a.ce."

"AH! That"s because so many undead are talking to me at once! Do you know how hard it is to decipher ten different conversations at once time in your head?!?" Leslie kept hitting Jack on the arm. This didn"t cause any discomfort to Jack physically, but he knew he made a mistake.

"I"m sorry. I didn"t know." Jack turned his head to look down at the floor.

Leslie stopped hitting Jack on the arm, and spoke up, "...That"s the second time you"ve said sorry. As long as I"ve known you, I"ve only heard you say it twice. Twice in the same week, and only to me."

"I didn"t mean to say it like that... Who is messaging you so much, so hard?"

"Ummm.... My hand maidens are more than just that. Many of my hand maidens don"t just work here in the palace, but are out and about collecting information, each of them are banshees as well. They aren"t as powerful as me, but they can go undetected if they want." Leslie confessed.

"How come I could see you then?"

"Because I didn"t know you were just going to invade my room... Ever heard of knocking?" Leslie said jokingly, but seriously.

"...Well... I didn"t think there were any secrets between us. Why didn"t you tell me this."

"Your father told me not to tell anyone, not even you."

"Then why did you just tell me?"

"...You asked me, duh! Also... How am I going to make you forget something like seeing that form." Leslie felt slightly depressed, knowing Jack had seen her ugly side.

"Leslie... You"re not ugly as a banshee... I like both looks on you. Don"t ever worry about that." Jack reached out and cupped her face, in the same way he had in her banshee form, minus the holy light on his hand.

"...Okay..." Leslie whispered.

"Jack..."

"Leslie..."

"No... I actually have a question."

"You always have questions. You ask me tons of questions. Haha" Jack laughed.

"I"m sorry... It"s a habit. I"m always the one asking things in my line of work." Leslie pressed against Jack"s hand that cradled her face.

"Well, what"s your question?"

"Do you really plan on marrying me?" Leslie asked.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Well... Princess Emily is a better match for you." Leslie said through gritted teeth. She had to acknowledge facts.

"You know... She said the same thing, haha."

"So you did speak to her?"

"Yes. She confirmed that she was here to be betrothed to me." Jack nodded.

"I could of told you that. I had already talked to her. She wants to become Queen and manage your harem, while putting me in my place." Leslie narrowed her eyes.

"Honestly, you should of heard everything her and Neolith wants to give me just to have her become Queen. She can"t tell me why they want this so bad. One thing I can tell you."

"What"s that?"

"I believe... Well, I think she has had a terrible life."

"Are you kidding me? Every piece of information I have on her, is that she is a ent.i.tled spoiled overly educated adult-child. She"s received the best education, the best resources, and the best treatment." Leslie hissed. Leslie worked for everything she ever had, even The Holy Witch King"s favor she worked for herself.

"I"m not saying your wrong, but... I just have a feeling she"s pitiful." Jack said shaking his head.

"Is that what she wants you to think?"

"No... She put on a very hard front. Mark my words. That girl is abused, and sad."

"So you want to be the one to save the princess damsel in distress? That"s for heroes... You"re a villain. Hahaha." Leslie laughed, though if anyone in the kingdom would hear that The Holy Witch King was a villain, they would of started a riot from slandering His Grace"s name.

"And you told me Villain"s aren"t bad guys, but are just selfish. I want to save her because I"m selfish, and I like her."

"You... Like you?"

Jack turned his to look deeply at Leslie, "Yes. I like her, but I love you. There is a difference."

A sweetness spread throughout Leslie. Jack had already told her that he loved her, but that was only in response to her telling him. This was the first time he had said it of his own accord.

"Does that mean your going to reap with her too? You know I"m the jealous type." Leslie laughed.

Jack shook his head, "I can"t say I it will not happen one day, but that day isn"t today, nor is it tomorrow. One thing I know for sure though."

"And what"s that?"

"I will marry you first, before anyone else." Jack said resolutely.

"Jack..."

"Leslie..."

"I want to go another round..."

"I mean... I"m not opposed to it, but... Shouldn"t we get back to business today. I still need to speak to Boss Crag, and get with the people on the Bat Man a.s.sa.s.sin."

"I"ve already coordinated with the Bone Docs, and Alchemists working on the corpse. It is indeed authentic."

"Oh?" Jack stroked his chin bone.

"I"ve arranged most of the work today, let"s go again."

"Are you sure your not a succubus?" Jack asked seriously.

"No... I"m a banshee... Now come to me."

Jack was pulled back down again...

This was what Lucius warned Jack about the first time.

*******

Jade and her girls had been given rooms within the Holy Palace. This didn"t bother Jade, but this wasn"t the case for the girls she had brought from the brothel.

"Lady Jade... We can"t just stay here... This place... This is a holy place. Not a place for undead like us." Charlotte, a tall skeletal undead lady, said with a saddened voice.

"His Grace has already suggested that you girls become my hand maidens. Being my hand maidens would mean you serve me here in the palace. Just think you"re still working for me, but with a better job! Isn"t that what all of you have always wanted?" Jade was sitting in a large room, that was given to her. The palace contained many many rooms that were simply unoccupied. So it wasn"t a big deal to give each of the twenty girls Jade brought, along with her a room.

"Lady Jade... We"ve sinned, and now we are simply staying in the most holy of places in all of the underworld... You didn"t do what we did, you"re still without sin, unlike us." Another small zombie girl named Nikki, couldn"t help but point out.

"Ladies... I over seen the operation... If anyone is at more sin, it would be me. I let it happen."

All the girls sighed, "No, Lady Jade... You had no choice." one spoke up.

"Well you girls didn"t have a choice either..."

Twelve of the ladies were in fact forced into the job, by the Grimnight clan, but the others sold themselves to feed their families, or to get out of debt.

"Maybe, not all of us." Nikki forced a pained smile. "We are truly tainted. We can"t stay here or here. It"s only by His Grace that we were even permitted to be be here. We must leave as soon as possible." All the ladies nodded, and agreed with this sentiment.

Jade shook her head. She didn"t see the problem, then again... Jade Glowminer was not a pract.i.tioner of the Faith of Deagoth. It just so happened that these ladies were or use to practice the Faith of Deagoth.

"I know... We can have His Grace to speak to you. If anyone can make this right, it would be him." Jade was confident that His Grace would speak to her ladies. She had gotten very close to him, while they were traveling. Jade thought her daughter was very lucky to pick up such a husband. She wished... maybe she.... and him... Then she would dismiss the thought.

All the ladies shook their head. They had done "that" with anyone male or female, it didn"t matter. They were soiled ladies, their souls tainted with sin.

Charlotte sighed again, "We will do as her Lady wishes, and wait for His Grace..." They could only agree to see His Grace, though the prospect of being in the presence of the most powerful undead, and holy being in all the Underworld caused many of them to shake at the thought. They could only retire to their rooms to wait their lady to call to them.