Her dark skin glistened like ebony in the moonlight and her sharp teeth extended over her lips that were stained red. Was it blood? I don’t know. All I remember is, standing transfixed, looking at this ethereal being and wanting to connect. She stood 3 feet above my tall frame, with curly dark hair caressing her bare back. What are you doing in the Smashan? I asked her quietly. “Collecting material”, she said, as she rummaged through half burnt bodies. “Bones?”, I pressed on. She paused and looked at me. “Everything, little one. Every bit. I like to use the Life Juices from still warm bodies for shapeshifting. The thigh bone works well to call on other-worldly beings. The Spinal fluid works well as an elixir, while the spinal column itself can be stacked for spurts of energy. If you’re talented, you can intersperse different parts of spinal columns from differently accomplished individuals and create a stack that is self-sustaining. The Skull is quite useful for transferring skills from the dead to the living. I personally like fresh blood. Every part is useful, you need to know which parts work well…” She trailed off, lost in her search. She then turned and focused on me.
‘Angulimala didn’t take just any finger you know?” She smiled. Her teeth were stained yellow but her smile was beautiful. As she spoke about fingers, hers moved to a rhythm only she could hear. The finger bones can be shaved into picks or rubbed down to prayer beads, she said thoughtfully.
There is no body that is as useful as the Human body. Useful when alive. Useful when dead.
What a waste to burn it!
