Ty stared after finding Todd in such good form and blurted out, "Weren’t you bleeding out on the floor just a while ago? How are you already back on your feet and fighting these strangers?"
Pausing momentarily with his large hands atop his head, Todd responded, "That was like... I don’t know, a month ago, maybe?"
"Yeah, your lazy self decided to sleep for an entire month. About time you decided to wake up," a soft but irksome voice chimed in, prompting Ty to swivel around to see who it was.
He looked around, found no one, and stared in confusion.
"Oi, here!" That’s when he heard the voice once again and found that it was coming from a lower height.
Looking down, he found a short girl sporting a blue hoodie and black leggings. Ty instantly recognized her and said, "You’re that little kid from the planet."
Amazed to see her alive and standing there, Ty remarked, "I’m shocked to see that you have survived.
Also, have you grown a bit taller since last month?" Ty placed his bony hand on her head, jesting, "I could’ve sworn you were only like 2ft tall," and chuckled softly.
"BAMMM!"
She blinked, and in the blink of an eye, Ty’s hand exploded into pieces with a swift motion.
As his hand slowly reformed, she said, "Sorry, sorry," with a hint of mischief in her voice.
"Fine, now that you are awake, everyone should stop worrying about it, I’ll go inform the Demon King that you’ve finally woken up," she continued before demanding, "Put some clothes on before meeting the Demon King.
A pile of bones still needs clothes before walking around all day."
She then directed Todd, "Go get him some garbs and make sure he makes it to the King’s throne room quickly," before hurrying away, a hint of red coloring her cheeks.
"So what’s up with her?" Ty inquired, watching her small retreating figure.
Todd shrugged, "She’s been like this since we got here, really. She woke up thinking she had died and had gone to hell, but when the Demon King showed her kindness and healed her injuries, she calmed down a bit.
Though the hand thing was sort of a problem, he went ahead and gave her a red hand."
Todd elaborated a bit as he continued, "He says it’s some type of special hand, but I simply call it Red," Todd shared, placing a hand on Ty’s shoulder. "But it’s good to see that you’ve woken up."
With a playful grin, Todd joked, "Just how much sleep does a skeleton need by the way?"
His eyes twinkled with mischief as Ty gave a mock groan, appreciating the humor amid the unusual circumstances the two found themselves in.
Todd then led Ty to find something suitable to wear for his audience in front of the Demon King.
As Todd guided him down the wide hallways of the Demon King’s castle, Ty took in the scale of his surroundings.
The walls were adorned with ancient, mystical runes, and the flickering torches were casting long shadows that danced across the stone floor.
Soon, they arrived at a large adorned door which Todd pushed open, revealing a room filled with garments, armors, and weapons.
In the center of the room stood a mannequin dressed in an outfit clearly meant for Ty.
The sight was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The attire before him was intricately crafted armor, black as night with red accents that emitted a faint glow in the low light of the room.
The meticulously adorned armor was laced with engravings that mirrored the mysterious runes that could be seen throughout the castle.
Ty approached the outfit, caught between awe and curiosity.
Being a skeleton, Ty had no inherent need for protection. However, the armor resonated with a strange power that piqued his interest.
Todd explained that the Demon King had personally commissioned this armor specifically for Ty, and was designed not only to complement the Demon King’s own attire but also to augment Ty’s innate abilities.
With Todd’s assistance, Ty donned the armor effortlessly.
It fit him perfectly, encasing his skeletal frame snugly, providing both protection and a sense of empowerment.
The helm was a masterpiece, designed to resemble a fearsome skull with red glowing eyes.
As Ty donned it, he felt power course through his body while the armor resonated with his burning soul.
Once fully clad in the armor, Ty took a moment to admire himself in a large mirror that stood against one wall.
The reflection that stared back was a fearsome skeleton knight, far removed from the mundane accountant he once was.
Pride warmed inside him alongside new resolve.
Todd, visibly pleased, clapped Ty on the back, his face beaming with approval as he remarked, "You look like you’re ready to take on the world," his voice filled with camaraderie and a hint of awe.
"Hmm."
Ty nodded, feeling a sense of preparedness, something he had never felt before. Together, they made their way towards the Demon King’s throne room.
While they were on their way, Ty spoke out, "I do have to say, this is quite the get-up, though."
"I was expecting some basic clothes or garb. And the way this fits my body as if I’ve worn it a dozen times over is really shocking."
Todd, a bit confused, just stared at Ty and asked, "Why is that shocking?"
"Because I’ve grown a bit since becoming a skeleton, and my body has sort of morphed. So, he must have started working on this after I returned," Ty explained.
"Then, that is quite surprising, and I guess I missed the change in your height since you still look short to me," Todd replied, giving a slight chuckle.
Walking up to the gates, Ty stated, "We will need to catch up soon and see how you’ve been since getting here."
"I’m sorry about your family and anyone else you might have been close with."
To Ty’s words, Todd looked at him, confused, before the sudden shock hit him that Ty had no idea what had happened since he had passed out.
Pushing the door open, two childish voices cheered out, "Daddy!!" as two small figures ran up to them.
The voices belonged to a pair of goblin children, a boy and a girl around three or four years old. They ran up and tried to climb over Todd, wearing garbs and holding rags they had been using for cleaning and polishing.
At the same time, the massive 40-foot-tall form of the Demon King loomed over three kneeling men, pulling Ty’s attention away from Todd and the children.