XYAN

———

The sun was setting as we ventured into the forest where I remember first finding Gradient. It felt like forever ago, even though it's only been a few weeks.

Praxus and I easily phased through trees and bushes that humans would usually have to go around as we continued, leaving no sign of our passing through the woods. Soon enough, we found the place Gradient's spirit had laid for a full month before awakening in Limbo. I could still see the faint outline of the circle that was there while I had waited.

"This is it, I presume?" Praxus asked me.

"Yup," I said. Obviously, Richard had hidden Gradient's body well, for no one had found or disturbed his final resting place.

"Do we have to dig him up or what?" Praxus asked.

"I'm really not sure. Never really done this before."

We both just kinda stood there, not knowing what to do for a few minutes, before I finally decided,

"I think I have to possess his body and get it?"

"Worth a shot," Praxus shrugged.

I knelt down over where Gradient's body was buried and put my hand to the soil. Focusing all my energy under the ground, I closed my eyes.

———

I opened my eyes, and immediately slammed them shut. Right. I'm underground. There's dirt everywhere.

I'd never possessed a dead body before, and it was weird. The skin felt a lot thinner than a living humans, and I could tell there were places that bones were visible. The air was stale and musty, reminding me of how little oxygen there was.

Okay. Don't have much time.

I messed around blindly with my - well, Gradient's - fingers until I found what I was looking for. Clutching it tightly, I felt the area above me for soft spots. I found one quickly.

Then, after clawing at the dirt for a minute, I was finally able to breach the surface. My hand felt a shock of cool, autumn air as I placed the object down on the ground. I gratefully leapt out of the corpse and layer on the ground for a moment.

Praxus stood over me, looking down at me.

"You okay?" He asked, worried.

I sighed deeply.

"If we ever do this again," I said, "I am not going to be the one to do that part."

Praxus chuckled. "Well, hopefully this won't happen again."

He held out his hand. I took it, and he helped me to my feet. I looked back down at the ground at what I had fished from Gradient's grave.

A small, black ring with an amber imbedded at the top.

I picked it up, and showed it to Praxus.

"We have our totem."

———

OOOO THEY FOUND THE THING

459 words