Saintess Summons Skeletons

“You’re finally awake,” Sofia called out, continuing her work on a life-sized Leverle statue. She had felt the princess’ mana stir behind her, however weak it was.

“Am I dead?”

Sofia stopped her sculpting and turned around, finding the ‘princess’ sitting up on the bone bed, staring at her. “I’ve been dead a few times and I can assure you this is not it.”

“Am I going to die?” Beatrice continued to ask, her voice betraying no emotions.

“Aren’t we all? You seem less lost than I thought you would be,” Sofia answered, turning back to work on her sculpture.

“I more or less understand the situation. I suppose it was only a matter of time after I took refuge in that city… What am I needed for, if not revenge?”

“Revenge?” Sofia repeated, her hands stopping for an instant, “Is there a reason why I should want revenge against you?”

“The arrest warrant?”

“Ah, so you really do understand who I am and your situation,” Sofia said, “That is going to make things much easier. Then, it’s very simple, I just have a few questions for you. As for what happens after that… We’ll see when we get there.”

Strangely, the princess sighed, kicking back on the bone bed. “I understand. I, Beatrice Aurelia Skyreach, will answer to the best of my ability… Or whatever it is that you want me to do. Thanks for the heal, by the way. Can I get some water? My throat is fucked.”

Sofia looked back, surprised at the princess’ sudden change of attitude.

“What? Am I not good enough of a princess for you? Well too bad, I’m not a princess anymore so this is what you get,” Beatrice said in a slightly hoarse voice, looking at Sofia while lounging on the bed.

“You’re really not scared of death, huh?”

“Right? What do I have to lose at this point? Already lost my kingdom to some freak god. Everything I’ve ever worked toward collapsed like a pile of cards. Had to run halfway across the continent to escape the church and the empire. And to top it all off I’m still stuck with this useless class and–” the princess’ long tirade was interrupted by a violent cough.

Sofia grabbed a bone cup and a waterstone, quickly producing some water for the princess. After downing it all in a single long gulp, the princess’ cough seemed to stop.

“Thanks again… Fuck. So pathetic and useless…”

“Not so pathetic and useless, I think. You did manage to escape and get here, didn’t you? That’s what I want to ask about. What happened in Skyreach, what you know about that god, the high priests, the heroes, and how you made it out.”

“What… That’s it? I mean, I can tell you, but most of that you really don’t need to hear from my mouth, do you?”

“Well, you’re already here. I’m sure your perspective on things will be interesting,” Sofia said, sitting on a bone chair next to the bed.

“If you say so. Where do you want me to start?”

“The time I got appointed as the saintess, I guess?”

After closing her eyes for a few seconds, the princess started recounting past events without much emotion.

“I learned of the previous Saintess’ death quite early. My spies in the church reported this on the day of, and you were chosen just a few weeks after that…”

Only two sentences in, Sofia already interrupted the princess. “You had spies in the church?”

“A handful. Your personal servant was one.”

“Irina?”

“That was it,” the princess nodded, “She was the first to notice you were gone that day, so she managed to leave and report before the church even found out. Or so we thought, back then. But I’m pretty sure it’s just that Scri–”

Beatrice was interrupted by Sofia’s aura locking her jaw in place.

“Don’t say that word here. You’re giving him a chance to look,” Sofia explained before letting her go.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I wasn’t aware of that. Tough, unsurprising. As I was saying, I am pretty sure that this god knew and let it happen. It let both you and Irina go. That must have served his interests somehow. The church summarily searched the capital afterward, making a show out of looking for you, but they never really gave chase.”

I was playing into his hands…

Sofia nodded along, it was new information that the church had never truly chased her at the start, but it certainly explained why they never caught up to her and Alith. And in the end, she had performed the Apostle ritual just as he had intended.

“What happened to Irina?” Sofia asked.

“Her cover was compromised and I couldn’t let it get traced back to me. She was dismissed with extra pay and forged papers for the Empire and the Laudell Theocracy. No news since.”

“She might still be alive? An unexpected surprise. What happened next?”

“The church played at being on high alert, while the king was kept busy by the war with the empire. We had a period of relative calm for a while, until a few months later the church began to look for you in earnest this time. I’m not sure what prompted the change. This is when the high priests bribed the king into issuing a royal decree for your arrest, among other things, and when we stopped hearing from the oracle altogether. Soon after that I suddenly lost contact with all my remaining spies in the church. That’s when I left. Had to poison my escort knights, they would have never let me escape. My spies were all low level commoners, like Irina, so they were of no help. I was a vagrant after that. You can guess the rest.”

Sofia continued to nod along. “So you don’t know much more about how that god took control of the country?”

Beatrice shook her head, “Only rumours. People talk of ghosts, divine souls, curses, parasites. Hard to tell from where I stand. If I knew more I would probably already be dead. Made the correct call to abandon everything and leave early, I truly believe that, but you see where it got me…”

“Alright… I hoped you would know more but it is what it is. What about the high priests?”

“Four high priests. One of them defected with his templars to the Primalakus Magic Academy very early on, around the time I left. I later heard about a high-priest killing himself, when I was hiding in the empire. Could be the same one. That’s it. I can give you their names and personality if you want, but that is about all I have. These old guys were very secretive about their skills, even within the church.”

Sofia tapped on Bookie at her side, summoning a skeleton with a thought.

The princess looked at the skeleton with curious eyes, “changed your mind, do I die now?” she asked, her voice calm.

“That’s the one who killed himself. Works for me now. Sadly not very talkative.”

“Oh… Now that you say it… I recognize that staff. Gerold Puretower. No wonder. He was the most agreeable of the four, and a specialized healer. He could have escaped like me but I suppose the shock of having his god turn against him might have been too much.”

That’s not quite what happened… But she doesn’t need to know the details.

“What about the heroes?”

“Ours, all dead, as far as I am aware,” Beatrice answered, her green eyes staring at Sofia without blinking.

Sofia felt a slight pang of sadness at the news. “So Izuka didn’t make it…”

“Wait! You know Izuka?! Is she alive?!” Beatrice cried out, jumping out of the bed and almost grabbing Sofia’s shoulders, stopped by the staff of the high priest skeleton barring the way at the last second.

Sofia mentally ordered the high priest skeleton to relax, it was not like the level 28 princess could hurt her anyway. She started searching her storage for a small wooden statuette of a fat raccoon with a straw hat. It was a present from Izuka, the archer hero she had met by chance in the jungle north of Skyreach, that was supposed to signify she was a friend to the other skyreach heroes. That same Izuka who had asked Sofia to spare her friend the kingdom’s princess, the same princess who was now expectantly looking at Sofia with trembling lips.

After a quick search, Sofia found it in her organized mess of a storage ring, and brought it out without a word.

Beatrice’s eyes went wide when she saw the sculpture, and she suddenly fell to her knees on the ground, tears silently rolling down her cheeks, but a smile on her face.

“It hasn’t crumbled…” the princess muttered through muted sobs, “Can you find her?”

“It would crumble if she dies?” Sofia asked.

Beatrice weakly nodded in response, visibly doing her best to repress her tears.

“Then I can probably find her,” Sofia answered. “But I’ve no time to do that kind of errand for free these days. She was friendly so I am glad she is alive, but that’s it.”

“I’ll work for you! I’ll– I’ll do what you want! Anything! Please!” the princess begged, prostrating in front of Sofia with her forehead against the ground.

“... Hmm… Well, you’re a Princess… I have a palace under construction that needs managing and decorating, I guess. Since you have experience with spies you could also be useful for that…”

“I’ll do it! I’ll be your decorator and butler and spymaster! I can do it all! Please! I just want to see Iz again! Not even– I- I just want to know she’s safe!” the princess pleaded.

“S- sure… Just… Stand up, will you? I don’t trust you that much, so… Just decorator is fine, for now. I’ll try to find Izuka, but I can’t promise you it’ll be quick, depending on where she is.”

“That’s fine! I can get to work right away!” Beatrice almost shouted, struggling to stand back up on shaking legs.

Sofia lightly pushed her with a single finger and the trembling princess fell back first on the bed.

“You’re barely able to stand, what right away?”

A bone table appeared near the bed, and Sofia casually stacked it up with food and water. “Eat up for now. I’ll get you a bath and some clothes, we can discuss the details and salary after that…”

“Salary?” the princess repeated weakly as she still lay flat on her back.

“Consider finding Izuka a sign-up bonus,” Sofia said with a shrug, a ghostly wooden hand pulling her down through the floor.

The more I do, the more things to do seem to pile up…