Chapter 07: Concrete Bones

Concepita slowly started calming down after venting inside the safe confines of her mind. She then slowly stood up and put on a gas mask with a shattered left visor.

On the second floor of the building a small mercenary squad started slowly going up the old staircase and towards the quarter's of their leader. The young woman noticed their uniform steps and let out a silent sigh while she went to her chair, having to continue her act.

Her quarters were modest, with only a mattress for a bed along with a simple wooden desk and chair. The walls were made of concrete, with the corners darkening due to the mold that managed to grow in this abandoned place.

There was a single 'window', which was just a rectangular hole in the wall, with the outer edges of it having fallen off to the ground, making it look like a comically large bullet was shot at the building. The door leading to her quarters was almost completely rotten, making her believe she was given the worst room simply because of her nonsense backstory.

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The mercenary squad was dressed in garments similar to the one of their leader. They heard of the escapades of Concepita and how she managed to survive several encounters with government hit men, ventured deeper into The Rot deeper than anyone else and survived. And so when they heard that she was looking for people to escort her back into The Wound, where it was said she was born in, they jumped at the opportunity.

There were only six members, four men and two women, all around in their late twenties or early thirties. They were: Rosaria, Elizabetta, Giulio, Gasparo, Roberto and Amadeo.

They were all raised in the middle of Italy and either had military experience or had to train themselves in order to survive, taking any commission they could just to come back home with money.

Rosaria and Elizabetta were sisters and managed to survive by robbing men and sometimes women while evading the police. They had nimble, acrobatic bodies that allowed them to travel swiftly around buildings.

Giulio and Gasparo were once part of the mafia, being enforcers in charge of getting any debt owed to their gang. Giulio had a large and bulky body while Gasparo was the one that would 'convince' the debtors to pay. Giulio was much more liked than Gasparo because he would share some of his food with the others, stating that 'he was big enough already'. Gasparo was just an ass.

Roberto was a former doctor, having lost his medical license due to selling drugs in the alleys. He was quickly caught due to inexperience but his medical skills and general expertise are useful for people that cannot go to public healthcare clinics or hospitals. He sometimes tries to seduce the sisters but only

Amadeo was a former priest and came from a highly religious family. Nobody knew for sure why he got into this life but a priest was always useful to have. Many people feel immense guilt and shame over their actions so they come to him, tell him their sins and ask for forgiveness. His reputation within the squad is unique because he almost always tries to avoid the sister's and the Lady.

The rest of the members just assumed that was the reason why he was not a former priest anymore and got kicked out of his household, so they decided not to approach the topic.

One of the reasons why he managed to survive this long is that some people liked him, and that he was mute. Nobody heard him talk or let out a single sound, with some having seen him not even grunt when shot or stabbed. He was let into the squad because the other members knew and liked him.

The other reason is that he was well versed when it comes to ranged fighting. Any time he would have to defend himself, he would always aim for a shot to the head or heart and then quickly end the lives of his victims before praying for their salvation. He almost always wore gloves and preferred to perform his duties from a distance.

All of these battle-hardened individuals were standing in front of the closed door of rotting wood with slight unease. They were thankful for being able to join Concepita's squad, but they also understood that the dangers they would have to face wouldn't be small. Going to The Wound, while difficult, was not impossible.

There were smuggling operations, corrupt government members or soldiers that would turn a blind eye and many other things. What they were scared about was they had to go deeper than The Wound and into The Flesh.

Not much was known about it due to the danger and that the only people that survived going there were important researchers or soldiers that would not, or could not reveal what they saw inside.

There were a lot of stories written about Switzerland, but not even the most inquisitive of writers or reporters could get more than a few pieces of information. That it was a place where the skin of the land was torn off and only convulsing flesh was left, trying to fight the corruption caused by the battle above.

That the land bled an ocean of blood, that there were strange plants, mold and fungi made not out of plant matter, but instead strands of muscle tissue.

That it was a cut on the body of a God resting beneath the earth.

There were many more descriptions but they were all too fantastical to even be considered so they were ignored.

The first one to finally open the door was Amadeo, wearing his black leather gloves which had the faces of Death and War. He was the calmest out of all of them, but even he was slightly unsettled by the sound of the door when it was opened. A slither of wet wood-like flesh was heard, absorbing the dust that managed to collect on the floor.

What the members of the squad then saw was a being of The Wound.

She was tall, almost too tall for a woman that was supposed to not be able to eat anything nutritious. Her body was obscured by a cloak not that different from the one the fallen priest was currently wearing, but yet he still felt like the two could not be compared with.

His cloak was ragged and torn in certain places, while in others it was mended by string and patches of unusable clothes. Almost all of the cloaks on his fellow members was the same, with the only difference being the design of the repairs and some of the materials, but Lady Concepita's cloak seemed off.

It was luscious and smooth like silk. There were no holes or signs of repair on it, making it look like the woman before them simply tore a piece of darkness and wrapped it around her body.

Her face was hidden behind a standard gas mask with a cracked visor. Behind the crack was a light grey eye which was surrounded by black to its left and an almost brown tan to the right. The eye was sharp and focused, almost like a shard of bone that was now looking at the world. Looking at him.

Amadeo tried to avert his gaze but the strands of crimson red hair caught his attention. They were covered in small pieces of mud, dust and other grime but all of this could not hide away their unnatural redness.

They looked like veins that still had blood in them even after getting ripped out of the body. They were tangled between each other and some even formed small balls that eerily resembled blood clots. While still uncomfortable, the fallen priest still felt more comfortable around her than the other members of the squad. He did not see her as another human of flesh and blood. For him, she was a being of rot and mold.

The other members of the squad were thinking similar things, besides the final part, but they all stopped when the muffled and coarse voice of their leader escaped the confines of the gas mask. It was dehydrated, like the air leaving her mouth went through a desert and then slammed against the polymer of mask.

-"Have all preparations been made?". The question seemed normal enough but there was a small hint of irritation hidden within. She was clearly irritated by their tardiness and the inconvenience they brought her.

Giulio wanted to explain that they had trouble getting the advance payment and the supplies due to the Mold Breakers along with the current situation of Florence but Gasparo quickly stopped the much larger man. Giulio was a bit more simpleminded than his partner but even he understood that such things were just excuses.

The large, well built man lowered his head and uttered a short apology before going silent yet again. He felt like a son that was scolded by his brother for saying something unreasonable to their mother. The ones that spoke after him were the sisters.

-"We have gained safe passage to Sector Epsilon, all we have to do is be at the designated location at 0400 hours in a week's time. The one giving us safe passage is a junior researcher that wishes for samples to get more experiments done, all that he asks is that we return with pieces of the mud, some fungi and if we can, a part of Bone Mold."

-"All of these besides the Bone Mold can be collected while we make pit stops in the Domes. We will be going through the less visited areas of Section Epsilon and then make a pit stop at Lugano before properly entering Section Delta."

The sisters said with confidence while carefully looking at their leader. For Rosaria and Elizabetta, Lady Concepita was a role model and one of the few people they respected. They only knew some of her stories before she came to Florence, which seemed far fetched and unbelievable, like a story written by an amateur writer.

But now that they are staring at her, their doubts were dispelled. Even when hidden behind the mask and cloak, the person before them still exuded an air of confidence and unknown power. The only reason why they even still believed she was human was the ever present bone grey eye that scrutinized each and every action of theirs.

She felt like an elder sister or mother, a strong person, not bound by her body.

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Concepita was staring at the two girls in front of her, they both looked almost the same age as her, she then sighed inwardly. She did not know why they were treating her with such reverence and respect, nor did she understand how they managed to find safe passage so easily.

The other members of her squad weren't less confusing to her either. She watched as a behemoth of a man almost seemed meek and pitiful when he tried to say something and was then reprimanded by his partner in crime.

The strange doctor was eyeing her a bit too intently before nervously trying to look in a different place. The tips of his ears were visible and seemed to show a slight red hue. She did not mind him stealing glances at her so long as he did not act on his desires, though she was confused on what exactly about her current appearance was appealing to him.

The only one that seemed normal was the odd priest. He was much more calm and was also the one that opened that disgusting door, maybe he was not impressed by her act? Based on the strange pictures on his boots and gloves, maybe he was just eccentric?

The pictures were of the Four Horsemen, two on his hands and two on his frankly well made boots. The ones on his hand were War and Death, a bit on the nose but she wasn't really one to talk with her impractical gas mask that had a cracked visor.

The ones on his boots, which were made of fine black leather, with shoelaces that were dyed a dark red, were Famine and.....

'Wasn't the fourth horseman pestilence? Why is conquest written beneath the picture? What's even the difference between war and conquest?'

The mercenary squad simply awaited her response while she just eyed the strange pictures on Amadeo's shoes. The young woman then slowly remembered her current circumstances and did a nervous cough in her head.

The priest looked visibly uncomfortable from her gaze, wondering if he had done something wrong. His eyes however were not the same as the medic's. It felt like he was looking at a statue or a bizarre life form instead of the young woman before him.

-"Very well, proceed to inform the people below of our impending departure and then start preparations. We will go by train and car" The young woman was quite pleased with how she both managed to regain her composure. The priest looked more comfortable but still had a slight unease due to the close proximity of his fellow mercenaries.

'Would it be awkward of if I asked Amadeo about the shoes? Wait I don't even know sign language.... Problems for later, right now I just want to eat something and then sleep.'

The mercenaries nodded silently and then slowly left her chambers. They had a weird expression but it she was sure that she didn't say anything weird. After a bit of waiting, the young woman then opened a compartment hidden inside the desk and then took out a loaf of hard bread, a jug of water and a small bar of chocolate.

'Time to spoil myself a bit' Concepita then giggled a bit under her mask and then slowly went to remove it so she could eat. Her battle against the tough fortress of the bread was about to begin!

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Elizabetta was walking down the stairs besides her sister, feeling tense about the meeting and wondering if she had said anything wrong. She was just about to ask something but she was interrupted by the inhuman sounds that came from behind the door they just left.

It was a mix of a cough and a laugh hidden under a mask. The quiet slither of rotten wood then followed by the rustle of aluminum. They stopped for just a moment and then continued walking down to the second floor, the inhuman sound etched deep into their hearts.

'How could she laugh like that? Is she happy that she is finally returning to her home? Will she suddenly become a monstrous being once her feet touch The Flesh?' Elizabetta felt a cold shiver run down her spine and then felt the hand of her sister wrap against hers.

The rest of the mercenaries were now feeling more motivated to show their usefulness to Lady Concepita, or as the weird leader of the revolutionary force called her-

-"Have you spoken with Lady Soul Mold? I hope that she finds our modest hideout to her liking. I have no doubt that she will bring about great change to the lands of Italy!" The revolutionary leader just said in an almost reverent tone. He was the one that managed to give them this residency free of charge while also providing them the mission and money for their excursion.

Amadeo gave the old man a look of disdain. He looked at the casual civilian clothing that the man wore, the light brown colored pants and the dull blue sweater that were too clean for someone that lived in this building. In this part of the country. The fallen priest resisted the urge to spit on the man before going out of the building, making the sign of the cross as he left, probably praying for the man's downfall.

Roberto took off his gas mask and met the 50 year old man's smile with one of his own, a smile that did not reach his closed eyes that slowly opened to reveal a subdued blue.

-"Sir Gioconda, was she not The Blood of God before? I wonder what brought the sudden change in name? And yes, she is quite pleased with the current situation. Why she was even laughing when we left. We will be leaving once the sun gets swallowed by the earth, I hope this is not an inconvenience."

Roberto spoke with a hidden annoyance in his voice due to him being delegated as the 'diplomat' while also being the medic. He did not quite like the old man, he reminded him of a patient that once said he took a vial of poison and proclaimed it was medicine, even getting enraged at the thought of him being wrong.

The old man did not respond for a few moments. His long greying beard that went to the base of his neck slowly moved as he opened his mouth to speak. His dark brown eyes never betraying his inner thoughts.

-"I apologize if the Lady is uncomfortable with such monikers. The younger members of our group come with such curious names while speaking of her and her deeds that it has become habit to use them. Fret not, your exodus only brings benefits for us, not to say that we did not enjoy your stay greatly." Gioconda let out a small hearty laugh when he finished speaking, his wrinkles getting accentuated even more.

Rosaria then looked over at a young lady that was eyeing them in the corner. She seemed embarrassed because of the remarks of the old man, trying to hide her slightly chubby face behind her hands. The girl was a strange sight for both Rosaria and Elizabetta. Their bodies, while lithe and strong, experienced the pains of hunger and this led to a slight dislike towards people with more flesh on their bones.

The young lady had a small softness to her arms and legs, with her belly also showing signs of fat. The sisters both sneered at the woman while Roberto gave off an indifferent look. Giulio was confused at the reaction of the sister's while Gasparo shared their sentiment, being almost as thin as the ladies as well.

The young lady noticed the gaze of the two sisters, let out a small gasp and then hid behind the corner yet again, her faded yellow dress fluttering a bit behind her.

-"Ah I see that you noticed my daughter, this makes it easier then. I hope that this is not too much of an inconvenience, but I would like for you to bring her on your exodus to The Rot." Gioconda said the last two words with some disdain, like how a pious priest would speak of Hell.

Both the young lady and the mercenaries stood confused for a few moments before Giulio asked in a bit of a worried tone.

-"Isn't it a bit cruel for us to take her there? She is not experienced with the land and she will most likely die, please sir, reconsider." Gasparo, for once, also agreed with his partner's sentiment towards the matter, but for a different reason.

-"She is also a burden for us. We would not be able to feed her, no offense. Our provisions were strictly procured to feed us for the journey and I doubt that the lass could handle the journey, or even worse, the dangers inside."

Both Rosaria and Elizabetta glared at the man for his rude comments. He was right, but even if the sisters disliked the woman, that did not make it alright for the short man to insult her in such a way.

The young lady in question, who clearly did not experience much conflict or danger, suddenly came out of her hiding spot and looked at her father with a look of confusion.

-"Papa, why are you even suggesting such a thing? I would not be able to survive The Rot even if these people decided to risk their lives for me, did I do something wrong for this to happen?" The dress trailed off behind her as she spoke, hoping that her father misspoke or had a lapse of judgement.

Gioconda simply passed her a glance and then explained, a small hint of annoyance being shown.

-"Sylvana, you have grown lazy after your mother left us. All you do is complain and give excuses, lounging around in your bed! You refuse to interact with the world, to move around or help with the matters of the movement! You have grown too accustomed to peace! I will not try to convince you because I am not asking, I am ordering you!" The old man suddenly flashed with anger at the end, further emphasizing the seriousness of what he just said.

Everyone was silent and processing what the man had just said. Rosaria and Elizabetta were torn between rage towards the man and confusion about the young lady's situation.

Roberto looked at the young lady and seemed to learn something but decided not to share, instead all he did was try and consider how he would bring this up to the Lady.

Gasparo was calming down Giulio before asking the old man, this time with some confusion and irritation mixed into his voice.

-"Sir while we are thankful for the accommodation and the advance payment, I do not see why we should agree to this arrangement. Even if you are willing to pay for her equipment and provisions, she would be nothing but a burden to us, with at best slowing us down and at worst, getting us killed." the short man then looked at the lady yet again and did not bother to hide his irritation and slight disgust towards her.

Gioconda simply stared at the short man and then answered, with the anger from his voice and face now replaced with his usual light smile and relaxed demeanor.

-"I am simply asking you out of convenience. If you refuse then I will simply ask the same of the next squad of mercenaries or simply send a squad of my own men and women. Do not get me wrong, young Sylvana, while lazy and not physically able still has her mind. She has information about The Rot and the Domes that we managed to procure from the Pig trough."

-"And why, pray tell, were we not given this information already or simply given someone more able bodied with the same knowledge?"

-"It is quite simple, she is the only one that knows this information. I gave her the documents long ago, made her commit them to memory and then burned the documents. While her body is diseased by laziness, her mind at the time was not yet plagued so I doubt she had forgotten."

Sylvana was confused by her father's statement, she then wanted to refute and to plead to not be led to her death but she was interrupted by Roberto, who was looking at the father and daughter before speaking in the same relaxed, slightly arrogant tone as before.

-"We accept this proposal. Prepare the provisions and equipment that she will need by the time we leave, I will go and inform The Lady." The young medic then slowly started walking towards the staircase, leaving the bewildered group behind him.

The sisters wanted to protest against this but were stopped by the remaining two members of the squad who decided to go to their quarters, dragging the two women along. Similarly, young Sylvana was also dragged back to her quarters by two of her father's men while pleading to not be led to her death, leaving small droplets of tears behind.

The old man simply sighed and sat down, looking at the young lady before slowly caressing his balding head.

-"It is for your own good, I will not lose you as well."