And her little dog too!

It took some time, but we were taken down to the part of the ship used as staying quarters for 'customers' like us, seeking passage. We were given one of two small rooms, with quickly erected hammocks tied between supporting beams; rather than doors, there were curtains, with our curtain being a a torn section of an old sail, and the other having a splayed open grain sack, similar to my cloak. After we set down our packs, I was surveying the situation with our little group after they had learned of Cilla's... parentage. Ashes was trying her best to cheer up my silent guide, with Zana assiting her by doing funny tricks with her hat. Gabriella on the other hand... she was avoiding Cilla, an understandable act, seeing as the fuzzy girl's father was someone who had betrayed her brother and the other Chosen; resulting in Ariel's **** and ascension. I had made multiple attempts to diffuse the silence between the two on the way down into the ship, but naught came of it but both now avoiding me as well. Ariel, despite still being able to see from the top of Gabbie's staff, had made no comment.

I felt... isolated. Three of my companions refuse to speak to me, and the other two are too busy. I hold my coin closer like a child holding its favorite toy, swinging in my hammock. I miss them... the voices in my head. With them, I knew the path, I knew myself. Now what am I? An oddity at best, a scourge at worst...

My doubts are interrupted by the groans of a slick, calm voice reaching the other room. "Damn... I'm gonna be picking pebbles out of my teeth for weeks."

The smuggler seems to have been released, then. If he's half as much trouble as the Captain, I'll soak the wood of the ship with his blood... No! Stop that. Look at the coin, isn't it shiny...

Cilla seems to have calmed down some, as Ashes and Zana have come over to me for 'cheering up' sessions, the former saying. "Hey Monster-Butt. What's got you down in the dumps?"

I'd hold my tongue, but I'm currently **** to speak with someone...

I look to the two troubled members of group, saying. "Can we talk about something else..."

"Sure. What do you want to talk about." Zana asks, as she puts away a stuffed toy rabbit she had been pulling out of her hat to try and cheer up Cilla.

I think for a bit... ah, there's a good one.

"What was that weapon the guard had outside the Captain's Cabin?" I ask.

"A Krowtail-Smithsense Mark 12!" Zana replies almost feverishly, as if she had been holding in excitement at seeing the weird stick thing this whole time. "I almost fainted when I saw it..."

"What?" I ask again.

"A rifle, it was a rifle." Ashes says, patting Zana on the back. "Zana just... really likes firearms."

"Next question..." Pleads Zana, who hides her face under her hat as it gains a cherry hue.

Ok, how about...

"Who are the Mohun." I ask Ashes, whose expression moves from her usual sunny demeanor, to an even brighter variant of joy.

"Oh! Ok! Um... I'm not the best at explaining... Wait! I've got it!" Ashes dashes over to Cilla, and doing what Ashes does best.

Picking people up, and moving them against their will to see and or do something.

"You dolt! Put me down this instant!" Cilla shouts, kicking and flailing until she's place in front of me.

"Monster wants to know about the Mohun, and you like explaining things! Win-win!" Ashes exclaims, posing as if she had just won some sort of prize.

Looking as though she had just swallowed something quite bitter, our cloaked companion slumped over, and whisper-shouted. "Fiiine... now where to start..."

After some mental prep work, Cilla straighten out her back, crossing a leg over the other, and holding her hands in her lap; beginning her lesson. "The Mohun are an infamous tribe of the Ramzu desert, who reside in the Land of Bones, Sozis."

"Infamous?" I ask, confused as to how three of the nicest people I had met so far came from a 'infamous' tribe.

Cilla, clearly trying to dance around something, says. "They are known mostly for their 'less desirable' attributes... but their craftsmanship is the most valued in the land, so war outside of the obvious conflicts against the Dark has never been an issue. Mostly due to either other nations relying on their serves, or fearing their ever growing army."

The Artisan whispers to the Ranger. "Silly Cilly, you can say the part you're avoiding. I won't be mad or anything."

Ok, I wanted a conversation, but now I'm just confused again, and that is infuriating...

Cilla, relieved to hear Ashes words, says. "Ah, alright then. The Mohun are followers of the god Ishrom, and make use of vast and varying kinds of necromancy, be it for their crafts, or military purposes."

What? Is that supposed to be a bad thing? Using magic to protect yourself is normal, right?

Seeing my confusion, Ashes, unsure if I'm excepting of this sudden realization, says. "Yeah, we... uh... We use parts from monsters to make weapons; and we give away our bones to the army when we die so we can keep protecting people, even after ****. It's pretty cool... right? Right..."

"What exactly is necromancy, the only time I've heard of it was back when... Ariel found me." I say; while Ashes and Zana had been informed by Ariel before we left as to what I am, it was still a touchy subject for me, especially after the fire...

Cilla is about to say something, but Ashes interrupts, saying. "Oh, my Ma taught me this!"

Holding out her hands, Ashes says two utterances; 'Life Light' and 'Life Dark', with all present looking on in amazement as two small flames appear in our Artisan's hands, one black, and one white.

Ashes begins to speak, seemingly quoting her mother's exact words with a dull tone. "Each soul produces a kind of energy, which depends on their emotional state. A man whose wife tells him she bares his child, and cries with joy, will be overflowing with the Life of Light. A woman whose husband cheats on her with another, while she bares his child, will swell with the Life of Dark. But there is a third, fusion of the two; the Life of ****. Necromancy, the balance, the enlightenment."

She holds the flames together, and creates a sickly green flame, which lights the room with its ghostly glow; her words now simply the reminiscing for a time long ago. "This is necromancy, my child. This is your birthright."

The flame is out out, and Ashes starts shaking slightly. "Oof, I've got to practice making necroflame more often, that took it out of me."

"Ok... but what does necromancy do for an Artisan? How does it interact with the cosmic vibrations for magic?" I ask; while impressed at the lightshow and glad to know what this 'life energy' is, I don't see how this can be worked into weapons or armor.

"Oh..." She mutters, seemingly lost in thought, while Zana asks. "Well... Have you ever casted a spell with an element?"

I nod, remembering the use of my Assassin's Fist and Shadow Realm. "Yes, they were infused with dark."

"Well." Zana continues. "Most mages can't create from nothing, so they need what is called a 'Catalyst' to manipulate with their spell. Pyromancers carry ways of starting fires or torches, Hydrosists carry large containers of water, or work on ships like this one. Ash and her people use their necroflame in much the same way, infusing it into bones to make soldiers, working it into parts of monsters that have been turned into weapons. Ash, show him your Mom's sword."

While Ashes quickly goes through the huge pack containing her battle equipment, I get to thinking back to my fight with Sarmenti. The spells I used siphoned from the shadows of the men, and from the surrounding tree-line... so that was my 'Catalyst'.

"Found it!" Ashes calls out in joy.

She pulls out a weapon which seems to have been made from a massive insectoid creature's spine, which is topped by the clawed hand of some feral beast; both worked into the blade of a two-handed longsword, and coated in a plating of steel.

"Watch, this is what Zana was talking about." She says, brandishing the blade carefully in both hands.

The spinal sword lights up with that same green glow, writhing about and changing it's shape to Ashes desire, compacting down into a one-handed blade, the hand at it's tip pressing its fingers into a single tip skewer.

Gleeful in her handiwork, Ashes says. "See? You can make all kinds of neat stuff from monster parts! Like a whip from a giant scorpions tail, that's a classic. The necrotic power would keep the venom glands producing its crazy **** goo. The same goes for armor, making plating that moves around your body to absorb blows, while allowing good mobility with solid defense. It's why the armor I made is so simple; makes it easy to attach new parts I've made to replace the leather padding."

Suddenly, the voice of Ariel finally speaks up from Gabbie's staff. "Yeah, your dad used to use that cool skull hammer of his during the War, it would bite people and take off chunks of baddies when he bonk'd em with it! It was very gross, but also very cool."

Hearing a literal god praise her father's handiwork made the already gleaming Ashes positively shine with glee, as she danced to and fro; after safely placing her deadly weapon down, thank the gods.

"Ok, I think I get it now." I say; this chatter is easing Gabbie and Ariel, and Cilla's mostly back to normal... let's try...

"So, Zana, what kind of magic do you do?" I ask.

"Um... Ok. I guess if Ash showed off her stuff, I should do the same." She says, taking off her hat.

She shakes it a few times...

And an enormous 'Rifle' falls out.