"Hold up a sec Scree..." Jen said, looking down to the little gargoyle-like rock creature that had accompanied her for all of her adventure through the realms. He was leading the way, but he came to a stop to accommodate his companion.
"What is it?" He asked curiously, watching as Jen shifted out of her Djinn Aspect back to a human. Casually, she wandered over to one of the broken pillars nearby and took a seat, fiddling with her shoe.
"I think there's a rock or somethin' stuck in my shoe..." She complained, tugging her foot free to reveal her sock-clad sole. She hung her shoe upside-down, tapping to try and get whatever was lodged inside - out.
"We're so close Jen! The fate of the realms hangs in the balance... And you're worried about a mere pebble?" Scree complained, strolling up to her.
"Could be one of your cousins..." She jested, earning a disgruntled groan from Scree as he scurried forward. He was made of stone... "I've had this thing in my shoe since you pulled me out of my body, It's bugging the crap out of me..."
"Well, You changed your entire outfit back in Aetha. Why didn't you bother then?" Scree chimed in.
"I forgot it was there... I felt it crack in the last fight or somethin'. It was wierd..." Jen complained, tugging off her sock. Maybe it was in there? She turned it upside-down, shaking it a bit... Not bothering to check the skin on the bottom of her foot. Mat's remains stained her skin, his body freshly crushed - He had survived this entire time, through four realms and almost to the completion of her journey before he slipped, crushed under the skin of her foot.
"Jen..." Scree said, seeing the red stain on her sole.
"What now? I swear I felt something..." She complained, sticking her hand in her sock to try and get whatever it was.
"I think I found my 'Cousin'." Scree said, pointing to the bottom of her foot.
Jen checked her sole, seeing the little red splat right below her big toe. It vaguely resembled a person, but she couldn't be sure. "Yuch, Is it a bug or something?"
"It looks like a person, but I could be wrong." Scree commented, taking a closer look before Jen casually wiped her finger through the remains and drug it along the stone pillar she sat on. Mat's little body disappeared in the dust as she slid her sock back onto her foot.
"Hold on here, I draw the line. It's just a funny bug, not a person. Come on fella, let's finish finding out what's wrong here..." Jen replied as she tugged her shoe back onto her foot, not looking back.
"As you insist." Scree replied, strolling forward with Jen in tow again.
"If it was a person, You really think it survived that long? I mean, We've done a lot. Swimming in ocean-worlds, fighting crazy shape-changers... How do you think it woulda' died?" She asked curiously.
"I'd imagine your foul human odor would have killed it LONG ago." Scree replied smugly.
"Hey... Not like we had much of a chance to shower on this little trip. Why do spirits sweat anyway?"