“You will tell me what I want to know, or I'll feed you to the snakes!” - Sicario, Grand Naga, Chief Assassin of Mendax

  The air grew dry and hot as Leo and Avella flew down the path. Leo sweated profusely and struggled to keep the moisture out of his eyes. Slowly but surely, they were heading on a decline. The adjacent river grew thinner and sparser too. Two ridges were starting to form on the horizon: the Great Ravene. Raveno was finally in sight. Several black clouds fluttered over the city. Leo realized they were ravens. It was to be expected; Raveno had a weird history with them.

  Legend said the founder of the city, a woman named Reva, had been lost in the arid foothills. She wandered for days after Maelim destroyed her caravan. A maxime raven came across her as she was nearing death from the blistering sun. It took pity on her and guided her to a great cave, where water flowed and shade was bountiful. This woman, Reva, created the foundations of what would become Raveno from there. Since that day, the city had an unnatural bond with the ravens. Leo eyed the flock warily; he knew they were mischievous and intelligent. The ravens could do whatever they wanted if they stayed out of their business.

  As Leo and Avella approached the outskirts of the city, structures protruded from the river, diverting it along a path away from the riverbed and the dunes. It was a canal, one of the incredible engineering feats of Raveno. The canal walls shimmered; the star-iron alloy suited this purpose well. In the distance, the actual river was little more than a bunch of bubbling lakes. The Great Ravene grew bigger and bigger, almost mountain-like in stature.

  They rode toward one of the two cliffsides, and shade overtook them. The cool air was relieving Leo’s sizzling skin. At the base, he could see some walls holding a similar shimmer. The city’s true nature revealed itself; many buildings were propped up, carved deep into the stone, stitching patterns of masonry that went out for miles, well protected from the blazing sun. Levels upon levels of these structures stood, going upward beyond what Leo could see. Long aqueducts snaked like rivers through the streets and throngs of buildings.

  Excellent and extensive metallic bridges connected these levels to the other side. It was too far to determine what was there, but Leo could hear the echoes of pick axes in rock and metal amidst the steam hissing from the forges.

  They passed a group of miners. Leo could feel the faintest taste of their wares, salt. They were salt miners. Several larger figures were amongst them, more true Nephilim. It made sense; their great strength was no doubt a valued commodity.

  Avella jolted awkwardly and cringed, bringing Leo to the moment.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Leo.

  “He isn’t here. This is bad.”

  “Could he be away on some other matter?”

  Avella grumbled impatiently. “He was here until a few seconds ago. He is so powerful that I could sense him. I could even feel his presence from Tressviae. Now he’s gone.”

  “Maybe he . . . teleported, was it?”

  “It’s possible, but he’s known to expect us since last night. Why would he leave?”

  Leo’s heart sank. He could barely keep up with her jargon, but he got the gist.

  “We must hurry then,” Leo said, gripping his sword. He had hoped things would go smoothly, but now it had seemed like wishful thinking.

  ………………..

  They rode swiftly up the levels. No one bothered them, and they got through the gates without incident. Avella told Leo that due to Maghi preferring their privacy, his abode was on one of the highest levels. This made them very secluded and usually would make them safer. Avella was racing fast. Leo could hardly keep sight of her.

  At last, they arrived at the Sanctum. Avella shook her head, and said, “This is definitely not good.”

  “How so?” asked Leo. It looked acceptable to him. It was similar to the temples, albeit less grand. The only real indicator of it being tied to the Godshards at all was a dome-like structure at the top, a common sight among their buildings.

  There were no visible signs of damage or someone breaking in. No blood splatters or bodies. By all accounts, everything looked fine.

  Avella sighed. “You don’t understand. You can see it. It should be hidden from your eyes.”

  Leo shrank back. “I see.”

  Avella dismounted and pressed her hand against the door. Strange lines and shapes activated and glowed before the door broke away in a circular motion. “The door was still locked.”

  Leo dismounted and drew his sword. They looked tersely at each other and slowly stepped inside.

  They entered the Sanctum to find chaos and horror. Leo sucked in a breath through his teeth and took a step back. The place was ravaged; shattered vials and pieces of parchment were everywhere. There were scorch marks and broken glass. Shelves were toppled over and splintered.

  Worse by far were the bodies.

  There were bodies everywhere, mangled and thrown about. Their black acolyte robes were torn to shreds. The condition of the cadavers was worst of all. Some looked merely dead, but most looked sunken and dried out, little more than withered husks. Their eyes were grey and lifeless, and their bones cracked and brittle like a corpse left in the desert for too long.

  Avella had been right in the most horrifying way. Leo bent over to examine the bodies. They all had the same bite marks, deep gashes in the jugular, and claw marks on the shoulders. “Is the Mago among these poor souls?” asked Leo, fearing the worst. She shook her head. She entered another room, the doors broken and collapsed by the adjacent wall.

  He looked at the windows and doors. Yet again no signs of forced entry. Perhaps they teleported in somehow. The gashes rule out many things, including Maelim and spawns; Leo had no idea what had caused those marks. One of the corpses drew his attention. Leo was confused as to why. Then in another moment, it was clear.

  The corpse was moving.

  One of the non-husk-looking bodies began to ripple and shimmer. Then . . . it began to move. Its eyes opened, black as tar, and it rose awkwardly, like a puppet with a broken string. Its nose sniffed the air curiously. Then it turned toward Leo and gave a snarl. It was on its feet in moments, diving at him, arms out. Leo was quick and stabbed it through the torso. The wound didn’t seem to bother it, and it was still desperately reaching out to grab him. He swung his sword overhead and decapitated it with a swift clean blow. The corpse fell lifelessly as the head rolled away. The unlife left his eyes. The blackness faded away to normal as they stared at Leo. Its lips were undulating, struggling to pry themselves open. “Thank . . . you.”

  Leo blinked. Before he could even process what had happened, more movement got his attention. The rest of the corpses began to jitter to life similarly. There were at least a dozen of them.

  Leo’s face turned white. Avella was in the other room. He needed to protect her at all costs. He rushed inside the other room. It was the biggest room in the building. Star charts and constellations adorned the dome. There were even more bookshelves; all were toppled over and scattered. Pages were still fluttering like leaves in the fall. The walls were painted with scorch marks in zigzag patterns and melting ice crystals littered the floor.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Avella sat cross-legged, meditating, eyes glowing. “Maga Avalon!” She remained in her trance. Leo grabbed her by the shoulders. “Maga, we’re in trouble; wake up!” There was nothing; her glowing eyes stared back at him, but she wasn’t there.

  Leo could hear growls from the other room. He acted fast, heaving the broken door crudely against the door frame and propping up broken shelves and tables against the entry. Moments later, he could hear banging, the undead eager to get at the meal within. Leo’s barricade would not last long; it was already coming down. Leo glanced at Avella, still in her cerebral world.

  He was alone and the only thing keeping her safe. This was why he was here. Leo took a deep breath. So be it.

  At last, the creatures broke through. Leo strode forward, and with a clean swipe of his sword, he hacked the head off the closest one. He sliced the arms off another and kicked its body back. He tried to go for the head, but the quarters were cramped, and the undead kept coming. A tremendous overhead slash decapitated two at once.

  Yet more shuffled in, and Leo swung wildly to keep them from getting close. He couldn’t strike one down without exposing himself to three more. They were surrounding him fast. Leo’s breath quickened; everywhere he looked, he saw black-eyed death.

  Leo felt the heat first. Then he saw the light.

  A blazing yellow flame trailed from Avella’s hand, scorching the undead creatures. Leo ducked fast, narrowly missing the searing blast. Their heads exploded in a mess of skull bits and burning brain matter. He rolled away as the headless corpses thudded around him.

  She helped him to his feet. “Are you alright?”

  “I’ll live.” Leo panted. “What were those things?”

  “I’m not sure. They reminded me of ghouls.”

  “I thought ghouls were only born from Benelim?”

  “Not anymore, it would seem. The point is, creatures like these are only the result of daemon magic.”

  Leo shuddered. “So more evidence.”

  “This is even worse than I could have imagined. Mago Aeneas is not here, as well as any other Shards. Whoever did this was not only able to break into a hidden Sanctum but was also able to capture a powerful Godshard and crush everyone else. I was not even able to deduce how this occurred at all.” She abruptly cringed again. “We have to get back to Tressviae!” Leo was back on his guard, and just when he thought he could take a breather.

  “What’s wrong now?”

  “I can feel his presence again. In Tressviae. He can tell us what happened.” Avella was already rushing out the door. Leo trailed after her.

  They exited the building to another troubling sight.

  “Where are Magnus and Rubert?” Avella walked around frantically, looking in all directions. All they could see were hoof prints. “This is not good, Leo; the sack was still in there. We just lost the dread-wasp leg!”

  “Did they get spooked?”

  “These were maxime; they don’t spook.”

  “They must have fled for a reason, then.”

  “What possible reason could they have to run off exactly?”

  “We were being followed,” Leo grumbled. “Those horses drew unwanted attention. Shadowy figures, I saw them in Ravensend.”

  Avella folded her arms. “And when were you going to tell me? That makes matters infinitely more—”

  “Complicated, I know. Ben told me.”

  “Who’s Ben?”

  “The Nephilim that saved my life and provided me a place to stay when you ran off inside the temple without a word.”

  “You were able to handle yourself.”

  “Thanks to a chance encounter with a complete stranger.”

  “I knew the Neph was there. You were fine.”

  Leo drew closer. “I didn’t know! That could have gone much differently.”

  “I knew it wouldn’t.”

  “How was I supposed to know that? How am I expected to do my job if you don’t talk to me? When those creatures attacked, I had no idea what you were doing or how long you would be in that trance. I tried to wake you! If you hadn’t come to in time, we would both be dead right now.”

  “You wouldn’t understand; you aren’t a Shard; you can’t see things as I do. But you don’t need to. You should just trust in my judgment. But you don’t; instead, you pester me with questions like a child.”

  “How in the name of Terra can you act with such confidence?”

  “Because I know my boundaries, and I have great experience. Through decades of learning and the size of my Shard.”

  Leo got in her face. He didn’t care who she was at this point or the fact she towered over him. “And yet, look what happened over there,” Leo pointed at the Sanctum. “If there is one thing this whole sorry affair has taught me, it is that you don’t know everything, You may have some of their powers, but you’re still human, not a God! So quit it with this wise, all-powerful act ’cause it’s false!”

  The two of them glared at each other. She turned and walked away in a huff. “Good luck getting back to Tressviae,” she said and then muttered something in the Old Tongue. Her body began to glow, and she disappeared. Teleportation, Leo thought. The sack was gone, so why not. He placed his head in his hands. He messed up. There was a time and place for that kind of talk, and this wasn’t it. He knew Augustino would not like this; he’d be lucky if he kept his rank.

  A loud clap of thunder rang out as Avella snapped violently back to where she had been standing. Leo’s ears were ringing. He dazedly walked over and helped her to her feet.

  “What happened?”

  “I can’t teleport. I’m blocked,” she said, taking his hand. “Something is disrupting the currents we use. We need to get back to Tressviae at all costs.”

  “What about the temple?”

  She closed her eyes. “I don’t sense any Shards; the daemons must have attacked there too.”

  “We just need a couple of horses. Maybe we can sneak into the stables. The problem is . . .” Leo walked over to the ledge. In the far distance, he spotted the temple. The immense gothic structure could be seen even from their high altitude. It dwarfed the other buildings, colored in the black and green livery of Raveno. Thin wispy clouds hovered around the great domes that crowned the top. “It’s not too far as the crow flies, but it’ll probably take a while to get over there.”

  “No, that’s not a bad plan. I can work with that.” A glimmer entered Avella’s eyes. “Oh, I hope you’re not afraid of heights.” She began muttering in the Old Tongue.

  “What do you mean by—” Leo thought back to Venito, and how she’d flown away. Oh no. No, no, no, no. Leo felt a strange sensation all over his body, something enveloping his skin, something invisible and unknowable. “Maga Avalon, please no! Ahhh!”

  They shot into the air. Leo kept screaming, his arms flailing about, trying to get a purchase on something, anything! But there was nothing, and he didn’t need it. He was falling, and yet he wasn’t. His body was moving all right, but his skin was just along for the ride. Cold air caressed him, and his teeth chattered as they soared. The world was spinning, and the buildings below looked little better than bumps on the ground. He whimpered; maybe don’t look down. Look up. Up wasn’t any better; all he saw was a white rocky shelf, the great stone roof of the cliffside.

  How about straight ahead, then? They must be close since he could see the wispy black clouds. Then again, clouds don’t make croaking sounds.

  The ravens tilted their heads toward Leo. They looked just as confused as he was. Thankfully the terror ended as they landed gently on the ground. It was as smooth as polished marble—white, black, and green. Great aqueducts trailed along the edges, and terracotta buildings surrounded them.

  “Please don’t do that again,” begged Leo, taking a few steps to get his bearings.

  As he did, he noticed the plaza was empty. In the distance, Leo could see a large crowd of people. Curious and baffled peering heads, armed milizia keeping people away.

  Avella wasn’t paying attention; she was staring at the temple. There were gashes in the walls, claw marks. One of the domes had a gaping hole in it. Their worst fears were realized. But that wasn’t what gave them pause.

  Ravens surrounded the place. Many were larger than typical ravens, maxime ravens. Thousands of them in a great swarm. They were circling the temple.

  And they were staring directly at Leo and Avella.

  Leo gulped. They were enjoying a sumptuous feast of carrion in there, no doubt. Why should the ravens give them trouble? They were just there for the horses. They slowly walked to the temple, inching closer step by step. The ravens quickly noticed and started cawing loudly.

  Avella bowed. “Apologies for intruding. We just need to go to the stable.”

  “They’re just animals; not even maxime are that smart!”

  A maxime Raven, larger and sharper than the rest, fluttered onto her shoulder. She caressed its wing. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  The bird’s eye shimmered, and it made several loud croaks.

  “We cannot enter, they say. The Godshards are gone; they slaughtered the rest. They must stand guard; danger still lurks inside. They will keep the undead at bay.”

  “How do you know what they’re saying?”

  “Soulsight.”

  Ah, right. Leo looked back at the temple. It all made sense now. They weren’t feasting; they were fighting. They didn’t want the contagion to spread. “We just need a couple of horses. Can you tell your new friend that? Please?”

  The raven turned toward Leo, its eyes curious, and it fluttered to his shoulder. Leo tensed as it perched.

  Avella laid a hand on Leo’s other shoulder. “It’s okay; it’s not going to hurt you.” The boisterous bird croaked some more. “Unfortunately, we’re back where we started. They killed the horses too.” The raven croaked once more before gesturing away from the temple. “It wants us to go to the port?”

  Before they could ask it any more questions, the raven launched off Leo’s shoulder and resumed its vigil.

  “I don’t understand,” Avella grumbled, her voice weary. “Why does it want us to go to the port?”

  Leo scratched his head and said, “I’m not sure. Maybe it wants us to sail up the river?”

  “But no vessel could get us up there quick enough. We can’t drag this on for days and days!”

  Leo lit up. “No human vessel could, but what about a Benelim’s?”