That was really painful, even for someone like myself.

  At least the prick stopped to check on me.

  Or well, each part of me. My arms, legs, hands, feet, torso and even my head went flying in all directions from that crash.

  And what a weird carriage that person was driving... Doesn't have horses, bicorns, oxen, raptor dragons or anything, has a lot of lights in front, inside and in the back, and is entirely made of steel and glass. And what a thick steel, auch!

  At least my... Phylactery, as it is apparently called, is not broken or something, because apparently it is what keeps me alive. Or as alive as someone... Or something like me can be. And still firmly attached to my fairly stiff hair.

  Well... Time to rebuild.

  This hard surface I must guess is a road. My torso is all the way on the front of the steel carriage, while my head got sent flying to the back. At least the front and back of the thing illuminate enough to see around.

  My legs are near enough. Come on, come on, crawl to mama. Let's check... The right one has the foot still, the left one... Doesn't. And seems to be too far away.

  My hands and arms... Arms too far away but my left hand is there. Crawl here, please!

  ...

  Guess I’ll bite my right leg and drag myself to my torso. The hand will do as left foot for now. I have done worse.

  Hmph!– That muddy taste doesn't go away even with my thigh!

  Hmph...

  My torso! I can feel it! And my other feet, and arms! Come here... Torso, you can roll down to me.

  And my other hand too, I...

  Uh, feels...

  Hugged?

  Wait, the prick? Is grabbing my right hand! Release it! Grraaahhhrr!

  By the silhouette it looks like a human. Seems buff and tall, so I am guessing it is a man.

  ...? Instead of a right foot, he has something that reminded me of that loud and powerful iron thunder staff Senecé used to hunt animals or us with...

  Us?

  ...

  I felt all my nearby bodyparts shiver. If I had my body complete, I would have probably jumped back.

  I don't need to remember with details. The feeling is enough.

  ...

  The guy seems to be a bit confused with my parts moving on their own near him, and slowly forming the figure of a little pale-greenish girl.

  My head is still on the ground, but that and his weird iron foot didn't deter me from shouting:

  - "Hey, y– You! What are you doing with my hand!? Give it back now!"

  He was holding it with curiosity as it wiggled trying to get itself free, and now was looking at me strangely to my eyes, glancing a bit at my other extremities hard at work.

  ...? The light inside of the wheeled iron box helps me see more of the guy.

  ...What even is he? Besides the strange contraption below his right knee and his large size, he has a pretty colorful shoe in his left foot, some weird blue short pants, a... hammer head protruding from a sword sheath in his belt? Also a brown leather jacket with something like wool on the inside and a white shirt below with some text and drawings that I can't decipher.

  ...His face is really puzzling. Has pretty but disordered yellow curled short hair and no beard nor anything. Good jawline at least. His right eye is blue but the left one is... Yellow? And has clear burns, scars and mismatched skin tones in his face similar to mine or of the brothers I can remember... Like if also cobbled together with stitches!

  - "Hey, kid. Been ages since I have seen one of you around. Especially alone and... in control of themselves."

  As he said that, he squatted down, grabbed my right arm still on the ground, put my hand on it and placed the completed arm on my torso.

  Once done, he grabbed my head and started to move and examine it around as if it was a watermelon.

  - "And a very cute one, mind you. Your phylactery looks a bit crude, but I bet I could sell... I mean make it look better with some paint and jewels!... So it matches your pretty face. (Sí, eso, eso!)"

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  I felt... –How could I explain it?–

  - "Cut it! Put me down! Put me down! I swear I am gonna bite you! You're getting me all dizzy! Release me you freak!"

  He then spun my head to look me straight to the eyes:

  - "And very lousy too, for what I can noticeAUCH! (Cómo esta pendeja muerde tan fuerte por la mier...)"

  It also hurt me a lot. Like biting a tuna can. But the pain was worth it.

  After that he gave my head to my already reformed body as if it was some kind of luggage. He then winced, sucking on his deservedly marked left thumb. Well, back to my neck you go!

  —?

  - "Wait a minute. How did you know what language I spoke before I said anything?"

  He looked puzzled, and then he released the thumb from his mouth and hit his forehead with the palm of that hand. The breath he took was a bit longer than I expected for someone that looked eager to explain something.

  - "Oh, that... You are quite observant for being a little necromata girl, I will give you that."

  He then started giving himself airs of importance with things like standing upright, moving around in funny ways or touching his chest with the points of all the fingers of his right hand.

  - "This is because of one of my blessings given by our goddess of trade and commerce, Cyfoeth!... Or, well... our former... (no fue bonito cuando la volaron en peda... PERO NO TE DESACTIVES EN MEDIO DE LA EXPLICACIóN BENDICIóN DE MI...)"

  - "Former?"

  He really likes to take an awful long time to gather his thoughts, and if he deviates from the idea, he starts speaking his actual unintelligible tongue.

  ...

  ... (I am starting to feel the urge to kick him)

  - "Let's not derail. It is better if I explain this blessings first: [TONGUE BRIDGE]. It lets me speak with anything that uses language! Is slow as a snail and gives me migraines, so I prefer actual talking, assuming you speak a language I know. Or if you speak, like, at all. You haven't moved your mouth once."

  ...

  Now I was the one causing the awkward silence. And that is assuming I had said anything out loud at all before.

  - "S... Spoke with my... I hav... Haven't? This has just been telepathy? Uhh... ugghhh..."

  That explained why I could scream at him when my head was detached from my body. How could I even say anything outside of clicking sounds without my lungs?

  Alright, I am just in one piece now. And with all parts in the correct positions.

  —"Ok... I... Am... Talk... ing... Tonguetwistertonguetwistertontwiguestertotewhistler... Yes, I am talking with my mouth now. Do you understand me?"

  ...

  "Oh no, don't say you don't speak my language, no please no No NO"

  ...

  "NO! Come on! Even I know that there are, like, 5 main languages to care about in all of the Ichorchate and–"

  He then just had the audacity to chuckle a bit. And then a lot. And then he just laughed out loud.

  —"BHAAHAHAJAHAHJAHA! GOT YOU GOOD, Yes, I speak Lithician too, don't worry... Hey, stop kicking, hehe, alright alright stop! Is gonna hurt you more than me... no, don't show me the teeth, no, no biting no bitiAU!, AUCH! ALRIGHT SORRY SORRY"

  After chasing him a bit around what he called a "Truck", we called a truce to explain from where each came from.

  "I come from the city state of Goldsilk to get some interesting stuff to trade back in Tornbricks east."

  He then tapped the strange boxes in the "pickup" of his truck. Didn't want to answer what they contained, even after I kicked him.

  "Well, I don't remember much of why I put myself on front of your 'truck'. I can recall running from someone called Senecé and having cast a 'Forget Me'-something spell on myself, if that clarifies anything..."

  "...No way you were able to cast a spell. Let alone one that complex and dangerous like "Forget Me Not"... AND ON YOURSELF!? How did you learned it?"

  I then showed him my dark green book, still a bit muddy and on me. He picked it

  —"Huh, you got a Standard Issue Field Spells book? Third edition! Wow!– Incredible! These things are rare nowadays. Might sell for a pretty penny– (No, acá es... Cyfoths, no?)... For quite the cyfoths. Well, thanks for reminding me of the most horrendous days of my life!".

  What an unsettling smile and tone.

  —"Well, you seem to be escaping from something dangerous and I seem to be looking for a travel partner and stuff that might sell well, otherwise that gang will pester me for that money to no end. So, I propose the following: Pinky promise of not selling you or your phylactery, but this book will be your 'transport fee'. Deal?"

  –While waving the book in front of me.

  Well, it isn't like my life would fare any better if I don't go. Best case? I get caught up by a bear, dragon or something.

  Worst case, she catches up to me.

  And then, is all over. I end just like 34. No second chances.

  ...

  If she is coming, this vehicle might be the only way to outrun her.

  ...

  I... I don't want to end like him.

  This is for your dream.

  ...

  At least this seat is very comfortable. This belt thing is a bit strange, but he was adamant on its usage.

  And BY ALIFAE THIS THING IS FAST.

  No wonder Concordia could fight the Gods back!

  Tornbricks is apparently also called "Old Andesittania" by the Ichorchate higher ups or "Sector DZ-38" by Concordian officials, and he also told me to use the appropriate name depending on who we met in the way.

  It brought back memories of when I was in Senecé's library cleaning and peeking into the fairytale books. One of them mentioned "Andesittania", but never figured that there was an "Old" version too. I might get the answer when I get there. Eventually.

  ...But I am feeling sleepy.

  My phylactery is running out? Or is it just that I really need to rest?

  ...No, I just need a nap. I can worry about the life juice tomorrow.

  He noted me getting sleepy and told me how to adjust the seat to recline it into a sort of uncomfortable bed.

  And I did.

  Ugh, there seems to be another row of seats filled to the brim with garbage behind us. More boxes, rubber ropes, weird Concordian artifacts, weirder magical artifacts, a bag? Some bottles, most of them empty and...

  Wait.

  A knight armor?

  Lacks parts and is filled with holes, but that helmet, those symbols... And the depictions I remember from those books!

  I couldn't wait to ask him:

  —"Wait... You, you... You’re—"

  —"I am what?" he replied.

  —"No, I am serious. You’re... no way. No way no way NO WAY!"—

  —"Nope, my name isn't 'No way.' But since we’re with names, what is yours?"—

  —"Oh, yeah— Uh... Right right right, we haven't... My– My name is... 20! A pleasure to... To meet–"

  And with a quirky smile and snarky voice, while even offering me a handshake:

  –"Fastblade of Caliderai, at your service. A pleasure to meet you, 20!".