Dance Macabre: Tales from a Cursed Land

V: Mystery of the Misty Island (6/6)

Some time later they were hidden just outside the clearing with the stone slab. The mist had risen here too, but it was not nearly as thick as at the lake or in the town. And it was far too quiet. Why was nothing happening? Hadn't the culprit taken the bait?

Raviel couldn't help jumping a little as Thalassal laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to whisper, "Someone's coming."

Only now Raviel noticed that the hound had returned to its master's side. Then he could hear the hurried footsteps. Not even attempting to be silent, like running for their lives. Two people would be his guess. Both were light and swift, elves most likely. Or...

Saska? He tried to reach out, but couldn't sense anything. Maybe they should have practiced this a little more.

Thalassal prodded him again to pull his attention to the clearing. Two people emerged from the beaten path and stopped in the middle of the open area to catch their breaths. One of them was Saska. Another an elven woman. A pregnant elven woman.

"Raviel!" Saska called out.

The woman instantly hushed him, fear marking her features. "Don't yell! They'll find us!"

Raviel left his hiding place. "Saska, what's going on?"

The boy sighed in relief. "The townspeople are looking for us," he hastened to explain. "That necromancer told them we're to blame and should be burned. If not for Lene...something here, I would have been caught already."

"Lenethael," she offered. "I saw them gather on the streets with torches and whatever weapons they could find. I just couldn't watch Thalassal kill any more innocent people."

"And pray tell, Lenethael, what innocent people have I killed?" the necromancer in question asked, following Raviel. He had planned to stay in hiding until the situation was clear, but he was not about to let anyone turn his allies against him. "You have no right to spread lies about me just because I didn't return your feelings."

"Thalassal, I..." She seemed at loss for words. "She's gone now. Couldn't we try again? I have a wonderful gift for you too." She gently stroked her belly. "She's going to be so beautiful."

Raviel cast a sideways glance at Thalassal. "If you fathered her child, you should at the very least take responsibility."

Thalassal said nothing. Instead he took the bottle with white powder out, opened it and spoke a spell to call the spirits of the dead. Two wraiths, wispy creatures resembling human warriors in heavy armor, appeared to his side.

Raviel quickly moved to the side in order to keep both elves in his field of vision and drew his sword. "Thalassal, what is the meaning of this? What is your real goal?"

"Right now...to kill her. Don't get in my way."

Saska moved in front of Lenethael. "Because she's carrying your child?! That's insane!"

"It's not my child!" the necromancer snapped. "It's not even an elven child!"

Lenethael placed her hands on Saska's shoulders and moved behind him like he were a shield. "Please. Don't let him harm my baby."

Thalassal snarled. Fools, both of them! He should have picked his allies more carefully. But...although he had not thought about it before, he did have another ally. One that might make them see the truth. "Sasha! Do you really want to see your brother taken from you? If not, you better do something right now!"

At first absolutely nothing happened. Then Saska's body started glowing with faint, white light. An increasingly loud hum could be heard, until finally a white-hot brilliance split apart from the boy's chest. Sasha was most definitely angry.