I don't know what came over me. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and when I saw the result...it was so worth it.
I was reveiwing some of my troops, my demon servants, the gorilla-bats. I had ten of them up in the tower for review. Each was armed with spear, shield, and helm, as these were my honor guard. If they were regular troop, they would be dual-wielding short swords. As I reviewed them, I noticed something.
Jade was staring at them. She sat there on the cushions, where she had sat almost impassively through everything I said or did since she got here unless addressed, staring curiously at my troops. Turning, I tried to figure out what it was about them that intruiged her.
I looked closely, and finally I saw it. But how could she remember, when she did not? If she was fate touched, could it be that some things did indeed bleed through, that association might bring more out?
I was too desperate to find out. Turning to the head of my honor guard - who was also the supreme commander of my troops, I whispered my orders to him. He looked at me strangely for a time, then nodded. Turning, he began to grunt to the troops, gesticulating and snorting as they spoke without words. At first the troops seemed reluctant - I can see why, since it would seem totally absurd to them - but then one of them gestured towards Jade, with a questioning grunt. The commander looked from me to Jade briefly, grinned, and nodded to the troop. The troops all began to chuckle knowingly. It somehow felt like I was the subject of their humor, but I couldn't figure out how.
The commander arranged them in two rows of five, with himself at the head in between the two rows. He banged his spear against his shield three times, signaling them. THen they began to march and chant.
"Oh ee oh! Eeoh, Um! Oh Ee Oh! Eeoh, Um!"
Jade suddenly giggled. I turned towards her. She was watching the formation, one hand over her mouth, holding in more laughter. On her face was a genuinely happy smile.
Something changed in me right then. I didn't know why, but I had to see her smile again, hear her laugh. Because it WAS her laugh. Something of who she was was still there, and I had a way to bring it out.
I proceeded to find ways to make her laugh, each more ridiculous and absurd than the last. My greatest success, though, was with the golem dance line. An entire line of golems, standing in a row, doing the Golem in synchronis. Then one of the golems had a minor malfunction, and started to shift its rythm randomly. The other golems tried to match the shifting rythm, each one attempting to match a different shift. In the end, I had a pile of golem parts and stone dust left.
Jade laughed so hard she cried, rolling on the floor. It filled me with such...warmth.
I don't know what has become of me, or what I will become because of this. But seeing her so happy...
Mother, what have I become?