After seeing the blood Sonnia felt uneasy. She wiped it off on her robes and looked out the hole in the house. The roots of the woman crept forward slowly, wearing her skin like armor remaining unphased by the injuries it faced. Sonnia slowly grabbed her staff and backed up a little. She dawned a fake smile. Behind her Gar’s worm could

  be seen wiggling about on the ground.

  “Yeah….i don’t know what to do about you.”

  Sonnia quickly put a hand on her chest and let her red mana seal her wounds. Still she felt the same sickly heat eating away at her. Then a spike lunged forward trying to pierce her abdomen. She fell to the ground to avoid narrowly dodging the spike as it stabbed the barrel. Bits of purple dust filled the room as it pulled back. Sonnia started glowing for a moment, her feverish temperature went down, she sighed out of relief and stood. More curiously the spike dropped to the ground like it went numb as if falling asleep. It dragged back more slowly. A wide smile that nearly engulfed Sonnia face formed.

  “I see. The dust feels good doesn't. Feeling delayed? Go ahead, have another puff!”

  Grabbing bits hands full of the dust, Sonnia ran forward to the writhing flesh. It tried shooting thorns at Sonnia. Each one hit her chest like a hornet sting seeping into her. Sonnia closed the distance grinning through the pain. The flesh tried one more attack. Shooting out black roots to tie down Sonnia, it reached and squeezed hard trying to break her bones. Sonnia used one handful of dust on it, she felt the roots immediately loosen up. Able to break through Sonnia continued running forward.

  The wriggling roots shook around while Sonnia punched a hole into its chest. Opening her palm the dust made the inside of the monster wiggle. It fell back going numb while shaking heavily. Without hesitation Sonnia moves around the inside of the beast feeling for the black rock. Once getting it in her palm Sonnia squeezed hard, feeling it turn to pebbles. She pulled out her fist watching the beast go limp after a small scream echoed in the air.

  After the fight was over Sonnia fell to the ground landing on her back. She looked back at Gar’s ruined house. Then at his dead body that laid limp.

  “You are pathetic. Leeching to the past like that and letting someone you love turn into this. She suffered and suffered. You only focused on yourself. Dumbass.”

  Letting out a gasp of breath she calls out weakly while raising her fist in the air.

  “Kaelithhhh carry me back please”

  She laughed a little and nodded her head. Hearing the demon's voice in her head.

  “If you summon me I can help you. You know the rules, Sonnia.”

  She frowned and rolled to her side.

  “Yeah yeah no staff no Kaelith. Then LETTTS go.”

  Slowly rising to her feet she started limping away. She was sweating heavily and each step felt like she was weighed down. The plants on the bodies seemed to be tilting away from Sonnia. She looked around and for her staff. Without it she felt off, almost naked. She needed to feel its warmth again. Closing her eyes she tried feeling if she was close or far from her staff while stumbling along the street.

  She felt the metal moving. She opened her eyes and frowned now trying to up her pace the best she can. Each step left a small trail of black blood.

  “If someone tries to take him from me I’ll kill them next.”

  She thought of Gar’s words now that she had some

  time to herself.

  “Freeg. If you knew, I went through this hell. Grrrrr He has to be wrong. She would be sick if Marm had it all. There’s no way around it, I’m sick….. this is stupid. All of this over a bath and wanting to sleep. I hate everyone. Chester better pay me a lot.”

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  She let out a small giggle thinking of the man and his chubby belly and nervous posture. Ahead she felt the staff’s presence getting closer like chum in the water she followed. Ahead of her the metal staff fell in front of her. She quickly darted her head up and saw a man sitting on the edge of a roof. Derrick looked down waving with a grin.

  “Hello Sonnia, cheers for living this long. I owe you another drink for all your troubles. I was going for a walk and saw Freeg by herself. She didn’t like you being alone so for a few copper pieces I offered my services.”

  He got up and climbed down the rough houses with ease. Then did a formal bow. Sonnia, now gripping her staff, looked at him with unease.

  “Homeless Derrick….how did you even get in here? Is there another Catacomb entrance?”

  Derrick patted her back, it felt damp and gross. He pulled out a dirty handkerchief and wiped it away. Sonnia stared at the petal on his chest as he talked.

  “Rich people have money to solve their problems. People like me have resources. I am an urban ranger of sorts. A wall doesn't impose a challenge on me. Right here you go eat up.”

  He pulled the petal from his necklace and offered it to Sonnia. Sonnia immediately smacked it away from his hand.

  “Those petals are the source you shouldn’t eat those, Derrick. I was told that by Gar, before I killed him. I fought the plague a lot today. His pawns and his wife. He is a despicable nasty man. I was happy to end him. Although now I’m dying. Today sucked, I’ve been stabbed and prodded too much, and I’m sick.”

  Derrick held out a bottle to her and smiled.

  “Drink, you’ve been through a lot. It’s a special brew, it’s pretty good. Relax some Sonnia.”

  It was a clear bottle with a pink liquid. Sonnia smiled and snatched the bottle and drank the whole drink, casting the bottle aside. A glow engulfed her and she felt body temperature start to drop. She felt normal, no more sweats. She savored the taste in her mouth. It had an off putting stale taste. Still she started walking normally.

  “What kind of alcohol is that? It’s got no kick but it made me feel good.”

  Derrick chuckled to himself.

  “It’s a potion my dear Sonnia. It’ll help you resist the ailment. As long as it’s early. Think of it as a gift. I can’t believe the cult was responsible for so much then, and now Gar the fool is dead.”

  Sonnia’s body tensed up as she stood still like she was debating on what to do. She stared at him with a cold stare.

  “There is a cure for it after all? How did you get it? Are you a bad man too?”

  Derrick though raised both hands and took a step back now frowning a little.

  “Now now now, don’t give me that look. We are friends. I rather not get on your bad side just yet after I helped you. This potion is very hard to make, it's not like I have 100 copies. The plague has no natural cure that I know of either. I did have a hunch about the petals, I never wanted to eat one personally.”

  Sonnia calmed down and closed her eyes thinking to herself.

  “Fine. Let’s go then, but act weird and I will cave in your skull. Let’s go, I need to go back and confront Freeg.”

  Derrick nods and they go off together towards the golem wall.

  “Sonnia I do have to say, you are a kill on sight if memory serves. You are tough but taking on a whole city might be a bit out of your pay grade. Even if you did kill everyone, well…it’s counter intuitive to what you’re being tasked with.”

  Approaching the wall he leaned against it and sat down waiting for her reaction.

  “What do you suggest then Derrick?”

  He grins and nods his head, taking off his hat and throwing it to the side. His hands glow a little.

  “I am a Thanomancer, I got my powers at the same age as everyone. I could’ve been more but I chose a different path.”

  He grinned at her

  “I have been blessed with a particular fancy ability from Veythe. I’ve never had a mind for combat. I’ve more so liked using my will o wisps for hiding and disguise.”

  A will o wisp popped up and flew at Sonnia. It felt like a rock to her face. She was about to go and assault the man out of anger but when she lifted her fist. Sonnia saw her hands were lighter tone. Now looking at her whole body she looked like a more older woman in Sonnia’s old robes.

  “Huh??? I’m so wrinkly, it’s soo weird.”

  Derrick laughed to himself amused.

  “Yes well I can’t choose the soul I summon, there are some rules to it. Your voice nor height changed. The moment you use any of your powers, your mana will bully the soul out and you’re back to normal. It will last a good bit of time, I’m not exactly weak when it comes to magic.”

  He takes off his jacket then his worn suit. Now down to his drawers he hands her clothes. His body was tone, not to muscular but taken care of. Not a poverty struck body. His wrist was bandaged heavily.

  “Your robes are a dead give away, they aren't style from the silent dominion. Mine will be better suited for over there. Stay safe Sonnia.”

  He manages to move the golem after holding a hand to it. It moves out of the way taking slowly heavy steps. After she crosses over the golem goes back into place and goes dormant. She looks behind and calls out in a curious voice.

  “Arnt you coming back Derrick?”

  Before walking off deeper into the quarantine zone he shouts back.

  “I’m on this side, might as well go sight seeing a bit. I’m curious how bad it is. I might find something useful. Good luck to you Sonnia.”

  She tilts her head curiously and starts going back into the city with a devious smile. She holds her staff and looks at hit and adjusts her posture. Now walking like she has a bad back.

  “AHHHH Ahhhh ahhhhhh.”

  She lowered the pitch of her voice to try and match what she imagined she looked like. Feeling her head she felt strands of hair not her bushy messy blonde hair she was used to having. Feeling more creeped out then intrigued at first she slowly walked forward into the open. A guard walked past her and for a brief moment she froze about ready to punch him down. Instead he walked past her like Sonnia was unknown.

  This made her grin evil while she giggled to herself.

  “This is gunna be so much fun, Derrick you are my new friend. Hehe.”

  She saw a group of people talking and decided to join them. Making her voice sound more rough and elderly.

  “Helloo, I am Son…Sonny. Sorry it's been a long day. I'm light headed. The sunlight has been doing numbers on my head. Ahem how have you all been.”

  One man eyes her with curiosity but nods.

  “Yes apparently the guards confiscated a cure and are gonna experiment on it. Sonny? Where do you come from? I haven't seen you before, we usually know eachother. Where do you come from?”

  Sonnia nodded and smiled while inside her head she was thinking hard to come up with a. Reply.

  “Ummm I’m from Lowmere, the second floor. I’m a noble. Im….Freegs grandma. I wanted to pay a visit and got distracted from all the commotions. Do you know where my sweet Freeg is? I returned from vacation not to long ago.”

  The group stared at her. Few with disgust. The man with a cautious look.

  “We didn't know she had any family left. From what I heard all of her family had passed away….who are you exactly miss?”