[Complete] the Mana-Wilds (A Golarionite Odyssey) #2: Dreams of Water

Chapter 6

The Visitor Center became restive with Mujahidin activity upon Tutoria's succinct yet safe return from her doom-fated trek. Yet High Priestess had little time to enact any penitentiary actions upon the Neophyte Paladin regardless of how worthwhile her newly acquired intelligence of the Temple's unwanted occupants was. All attention now has been gazed upon the two, if both equally vulgar in their own respective rights, new arrivals.

First was an Otherworlder Man of rotting flesh who self-proclaims himself to be of a 'Ghoul'. Under traditional militant doctrines, he would have been smitten down by the first Championed Cleric. However, the Sarenite Clerics had cast their rending spells only to be left flabbergasted that the one called 'Raul' to chitter into a tickle if not be straightly aroused by the touch of Positive Energy being engorged into his body.

"Let my mind be clear of what I just heard, you just confessed that you are a 'Ghoul'. As our Ranger Guests here say?" High Priestess discerningly interrogated Raul Tejada. "You sure know how to drive my patience thin Navideh." She irritably glanced at the Bard. Of which she received a silent but confident huff from the azure-haired maiden.

"Si, I used to be all smooth-skinned just like you until some Atom Bombs dropped in my city. I was lucky to even be alive... but, I mean look at me. I may not be the prettiest gentleman on the block, but I am an honest man in a dishonest world." Raul Tejada answered as he leaned lazily over his chair as kicked his feet up by the table.

"High Priestess, I know of this man from where I live. You can trust him, just like how you trust Navideh." David vouched for the irradiated Ghoul.

"Ey, that's not a 'Ghoul' you're calling yourself sir. I think I remembered reading someone like you once in a book! Eh..." Tomos timed himself out for some distance as he scrambled through his head. "Some type of Fleshspawn right? You're body.

"Is that what you Gringos call us now?" Raul's eyes furrowed. "Drools, Ghouls, Lepers, Freaks now Fleshspawns? Ay Caramba... I can't believe I have lived for two hundred years long to hear all this shit." Raul sulked.

"You ought to start explaining to me what Sarenites have against 'Ghouls' in Golarion because Mister Tejada here is actually quite a hero back from Arizona and I would hate to see him be treated badly here at the Welcome Center." David shifted to the High Priestess. His stoic eyes displayed his candor to the doubtful Kamala and her fellow Mujahidin.

"To enlighten you, Outlander, Ghouls are these gaunt humanoids with pale and bruised skin. Very feral with the taste for the Flesh of other sentient folks." Kamala explained.

"Cannibals, David. With big sharp teeth and large pointy tipped ears." Tutoria summarized.

"Dios mio! Cannibals?! You think I am a Cannibal?!" Raul wretched, his emaciated and necro-like body shaking upon such a disgusting thought. He then proceeded to raise his hands onto his ears and caress them, showing them that they weren't indeed elongated without his notice, in fact... part of the flesh on his ear had chipped off. "I still prefer to eat some Roasted Mutfruit with Ant Nectar and Razorgrain Flakes... But I guess if you want me to eat some meat, you got any Iguana Bits? Running around the sewer all boiling rats is boring."

It didn't take much for the Sarenites in the room to be taken aback yet at the same time relieved by the Otherworlder's revulsion. Of how Raul winced at such a disgusting thought. One couldn't fabricate such a performance even if one tried. For all this necrotizing corpse of a man is saying, he is not the monster these Holy Paladins of Sarenrae have thought of him as.

"Navideh, again you and your starry-eyed mysteries continue to astound me..." the High Priestess rolled her eyes tiresomely. "You are free to avail yourself of the Welcome Center, Ro-Ouul. Please help yourself to what food we have. We may not have 'Ig-wanna' or this 'Razorfruit' you speak off, but we have some Flatbread and Hummus. I do say, your food is quite... eerie for my ears to imagine their taste."