Dead Bodies for the Salvage

Tazi jumped the barrier from the road to the crater, thinking about how she used to be scared of blood. Being a small thing in a big world, sometimes you'd step on something that makes you scramble to higher ground. Nowadays her callouses were thicker and she could ignore the sticks and stones and dried blood as she crept through the ruined foliage with practiced ease.

She wished she'd been around to see this area get destroyed. The trees that were here last spring were more gone than not and from where the roots and weeds gave way to the ruin, the land was sloped like a meteor had struck it. Stone beneath what used to be the forest floor had been cracked, pulled up, and thrown around, leaving boulders and pits to navigate around. Nothing even tried to grow from the ground that was bleached a shocking white. This was no natural disaster – there was nothing natural about it. Someone other than Tazi might have been afraid.

The wreckage lay in the middle of nowhere, with no buildings to collapse, no homely valuables to be left behind, but Tazi knew better than to ignore it. Where there was destruction, there were people like her hoping to profit from it, and where there were people like that, there were corpses. Even as the unbalanced stones became difficult to walk across, the bloody trail was easy to follow, and at the centre of the crater lay four dead bodies.

She leapt from a stone onto stable ground. Her tail flicked back and forth, brushing up dust behind her as she crept forward to do a quick round of each body, confirming all were dead and that no traps were laid. Only then did she lower herself from the tips of her toes.

Most of the bodies were missing their most valuable possessions – watches and jewels and weapons were already out of the question. Their clothes were too big for Tazi to wear, but would sell fine enough if they were washed, bullet holes barely noticeable. As Tazi filled the empty space in her bag with anything that would turn a profit, she took in the way the bodies were laid out. Of the four of them, one lay separate. That one, she thought, had been abandoned by whoever it had been fighting with. They took out the other three and fled, leaving their dead buddy behind. As Tazi drew nearer to the last body, she finally took note of the axe firmly planted into its head.

Taking its handle, Tazi took another look at the body. It was covered with so much white dust that it looked like it could've been around when the destruction first hit. She could just barely see the blood clinging to its dark hair through it; Dry, so old it was black, even though none of its skin looked rotten, and with no rot, she could make out every scar wrapped around its face – strange scars in a spiralling pattern, split in two down its head by the wound. One leg of its pants was almost gone, just bloody shreds remaining, but the leg inside was pristine and decorated with the same scars. Her grip loosened on the axe, then tightened. If this was some kind of trap, she resolved, at least she'd get this axe out of it.

One tug. The weapon was in deep, right through the head and into the ground. A second tug. Tazi was very familiar with dead bodies, and this one was definitely not right. A third tug – and it came free, sending her stumbling back.

The axe was in great condition. Damaged by rain as if it had been left there a long time, sure. Permanently stained with blood, of course. But the blade was sharp and – she swung it – it felt great in her hands. "So you gotta ask," she said aloud, "Why anyone would leave this beauty behind?"

Maybe, she thought, turning away from it, there was nobody around to take the axe. Maybe this lone dead body had always been alone. That meant it'd taken out all three attackers by itself; And, yeah, come to think of it, the three were covered in bullet wounds and the one was not. The axe seemed to be the only fresh wound on its body at all, actually. Tazi found herself impressed that this dead fool had put up such a fight and got out with just one wound. "Well, not got out," she amended, then took a swing with the weapon, imitating the mortal blow. But if all that was true, who was the last one to plant the axe? There would have had to have been someone who got away to have struck the loner down for good. "But that just goes in a circle." Tazi turned the axe over in her hands. "Why leave it in?"

Behind her, the dead body groaned.

Tazi spun around, brandishing the axe. As if to ward her off, the corpse raised one of its arms the tiniest bit. Tazi found herself heeding, staying still, just staring – the wound she'd pulled the axe from was gone, replaced by fresh uniform scars, curving outwards along its forehead. And in a voice hoarse and hushed from disuse, the corpse said, "Please don't put that thing back into me."

Tazi gave it a point with the axe. "You were dead."

Its eyes moved upwards to the grey sky. "I know."

"So why aren't you now?"

The corpse's breath left it slowly. "No reason," it finally answered. "None. At. All."

Tazi lowered the weapon, but her grin just grew. "You sure you don't want me to axe you again? You seem kinda miserable."

"Let me think about that." Tazi let it be as it began moving its fingers, then its arms. It ran its hands over its new scars, each movement a stretch, pulling its expression into a pained grimace.

Tazi lowered herself into a crouch to get a better look. "Rigor mortis, huh? How long've you been dead?"

Its bleary eyes moved to her. "How long ago did this area...?"

"Heard tell of something weird in this area last season."

Its hands stopped moving, resting over its face, and it let out a moan. "I've decided. Hit me as hard as you can. Make sure the axe stays in or I'll just come back again."

Tazi's tail flickered. "I'm keeping the axe, actually."

"My gun's gone. Got anything else? One of those big rocks?" Tazi didn't reply, having no other weapon and letting the corpse think she'd never beat someone to death with a rock. "No, huh?" Its stiff fingers dug into its scalp. Tazi stayed where she was, watching its grip tighten then finally exhaust and let go.

"Something terrible happened here, huh?" said Tazi, with a thoughtful little tilt of her head.

The corpse was quiet for a very long time – for a moment, Tazi thought it had gone and died again, until she heard the whisper: "Just leave me alone."

With no intention to do so, she continued, "I know how you can get your mind off of it. I could use someone like you."

"I'd rather stay here until someone else kills me."

Tazi's smile became unkind. "Hey, I saved your life. You owe me."

"It wasn't a favour."

"What would be a favour, then? Do I have to buy you a drink? Enough drinks to make you forget whatever happened here?"

The corpse's hands slid away "I don't do debts."

"So instead you're going to stay here and rot for the rest of your long and miserable life?"

Tazi's laugh made the corpse's eyebrow twitch. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

"So how long do you think you can keep this up, huh?"

"I said, fuck off."

"You can pretend to be dead as much as you want. Not gonna help nothin' for you."

The corpse didn't say anything. For the first time, Tazi could see its chest pumping with deep breaths. Tazi's tail matched the rhythm, back and forth, counting the seconds until the last of her attention wore away.

She stood up. "Alright, well, if you're gonna act dead, I'll treat you like you're dead. So come on. Gimme your jacket." She took one step forward and the corpse flipped and went for her ankle – Tazi leaped back, just out of reach. The corpse dragged itself forward an inch before its muscles gave out, collapsing back into the dust. Tazi caught her breath, then exclaimed, "There we go! Somethin' to work with!"

"You have one last chance to leave me alone," it mumbled into the ground.

"Or what? C'mon, show me you can catch me!"

The corpse lay there for a moment, then moved its hands again – but not for Tazi, this time. In silence, it just reached up to brush dust from its hair. Its fingers caught in a knot and its hand gave up and fell, defeated.

Tazi held back her laugh this time. "The blood's dried. You need a shower."

Blowing out a low sigh, it closed its eyes.

"... I can get you a shower, you know. A shower, a bed, a hot meal... How's that for a favor?"

"Not enough for a life debt."

"Alright then, seeya never."

"... Wait. Help me up."

Grinning wide, Tazi stuck out the axe's handle. The corpse seized it with a grip so weak she had to take its wrist to pull it the rest of the way up. The corpse stood much taller than her, so when it started to sway, all Tazi could do to help it stay standing was tighten her hold on its arm. It groaned, "How far?"

"Ahh, I'm sure you can handle it."

"Fine. As long as it's away from here."

"Sure thing. You got a name, corpsey?"

"Yeah. It's Jess."

"Nice t' do business with you, Jess. I'm Tazi."