The trio glided amongst the clouds, Avess trying to be as careful as possible so as not to cause greater anxiety than he already had for Amorith. Ildor held on like he’d done this before, which he had, but Amorith clutched the spikes on Avess’s back with a tight grip.

Almost there. The village is just to the east.

“How did you find it?”

“Find what?” Amorith yelled back.

“I meant Avess. How did you find the village?”

I visited my dear wife to reflect on what you said earlier and on the dealings with the griffons. It is my sanctuary that none know of other than Etain. I go there when I seek wisdom and comfort. Being near Serva is my place to go. On my way back, I stubbornly flew within a storm. I tempted fate and was rewarded with lightning strikes that forced me to fall. I was injured and in human form, looking for help. I stumbled upon the village. A frightful place that was. When I left, I found another village where I learned the Magus were called back to Tregaron.

“What a fortuitous event that lightning was. Had you not been stubborn, then injured and fallen, you might not have discovered this anomaly.”

Fortuitous or not, something isn’t right.

“That I agree with.”

Soon Avess circled Nighthill, no smoke rising from any of the chimneys.

There it is. Let’s see what awaits us.

He dropped from the sky and landed gently on the village green. Amorith scrambled off his back as soon as they were on the ground, moving far from him.

“That is the scariest thing I’ve ever done!”

Ildor laughed. “That was nothing. Avess took great care with us. He’s been known to scare those who ride with him.”

I only did that to you once!

“Yes, but once was more than enough!”

A bright white light made the Magus cover their eyes and when it was gone, Avess stood in his human form with his ordinary brown robe.

“Lord Avess, why is it you’ve chosen such plain garb to adorn yourself? You’re the Dragon Lord! Why look as though you were a common beggar?” Ildor asked. “I’ve always wanted to know.”

Avess ran his hands along the brown wool robe, smoothing it out and straightening his back. “Humility. It reminds me I’m not any more special than a normal human. It reminds me we are all the same, no matter what our true selves are. If I were to parade around in garb like a noble or like the king in the south, how likely am I to get the trust of people? I don’t want them thinking horrible thoughts about me the moment they see me. I’d rather they discover that after meeting me.” He winked and let out a little laugh.

“Well said Lord Avess. Your logic is strong, I can’t refute that.”

“Lord Avess. Magus Ildor. What is that?” Amorith asked in a quaking voice. Avess followed her extended hand toward the far side of the village green.

“A gray-soul,” Ildor whispered. “By Deavos, I didn’t really think they existed.”

What may have been a man shambled toward them. His clothing was all gray and his skin had turned an almost exact shade of gray. His hair was unkempt and close in color to the rest of him. His eyes though. Avess noticed his dark black circles where his eyes were, except they were pits of blackness. The gray-soul gnashed his teeth and moved slowly toward them.

“That’s a gray-soul,” Ildor began, “a mark of the darkest magic ever known.”

“What do we do?” Amorith asked. “Is it dangerous? What exactly is it? Is that a man?”

“It was. Now? It’s a mindless being devoid of conscience,” Ildor replied.

“And quite dangerous indeed,” Avess added.

He moved toward it, hoping to get a sense of its creator or anything to help them figure out this riddle.

“Lord Avess, be careful!” Amorith cried.

He turned back to the two Magus. “Stay there. I can always shift to a dragon if needed.”

The gray-soul growled and Avess spun back to face it. The once-man now lurched forward, chomping the air as though trying to rip it to shreds.

“What did this to you?” Avess asked, knowing it had no faculty for reason or speech. “You poor man. Killed only to live like this. What a horrible fate.”

Avess moved closer and heard Amorith scream. He turned back to the Magus as a second gray-soul approached them.

“No!”

The stone around Ildor’s neck glowed and he created a wall of flame. The gray-soul marched through it like it wasn’t there, it’s gray clothes catching on fire. It made no sound of pain as its skin melted away on its arms. Amorith stood still, unable to move. Ildor pushed her away, but instead of moving, she fell down.

Behind him, Avess heard a footstep and turned in time to narrowly avoid the gray-soul trying to bite into his flesh. “Get away!” he cried. The gray-soul stumbled when it missed, but turned quickly at Avess who was too close to do anything but grab its arms to keep it back.

The two tumbled to the ground with the gray-soul landing on top of him. Thick black saliva dripped from its mouth onto his robe, the gray-soul attempting to rip into him with its rotten teeth, growling and hissing.

Avess created flames in his hands which caught the gray-soul on fire. Orange flames ran up its arms towards its face, but still it did not deter from its course. Snarling and snapping, it tried to bite into him, driven mad by a force more powerful than pain.

Avess pushed hard and the gray-soul man flew off him and landed in a bone breaking heap on the dark grass. Even with flames slowly dying out on its arms, the gray-soul tried reaching for him, his mouth snapping in his direction.

Avess chanced a quick look at the Magus and Ildor seemed to be holding his own for the moment. Then with a yell, Avess hurled a ball of flame at the gray-soul that incinerated the creature leaving only a pile of smoking ash.

Running to help the Magus, Avess was horrified to see Amorith underneath the gray-soul who had ripped her flesh with its teeth. She was bleeding profusely, screaming and thrashing on the ground. Ildor had tried pulling the gray-soul man from her, but only succeeded in tearing its gray skin, revealing thin gray muscles underneath.

“Flames Ildor! Use your flames!”

The Magus hurled a small flaming orb at the gray-soul, no doubt worried about hurting Amorith. Avess took a different approach and extended his hands, a stream of flame shooting out and catching the gray-soul on fire. It continued to try and tear into Amorith who had done little to move it from her.

Avess then rushed at the gray-soul, knocking it off her and forcing it to crumple on the ground. He jumped up and created an inferno that engulfed the gray-soul, incinerating it like the first one. When he was done, Amorith was twisting on the ground, whimpering and moaning in pain.

“Lord Avess, she’s in serious trouble.”

Avess joined the two Magus and instantly noticed what Ildor meant. Amorith had flesh hanging from her body, exposing the raw bone underneath. Her skin was slightly charred from Avess’s attack, and her blood flowed freely from her wounds.

“Can you heal her?”

“My skills in healing are not strong at all. I shall do what I can.”

Ildor’s stone glowed as he ran his hands above Amorith. Her eyes flashed open wide, then closed. Her breathing slowed and the blood didn’t flow as fast.

“She’ll need more than I can offer. What I’ve done may hold for now, but she’s in grave danger.”

“We all are. These shouldn’t exist! Whoever did this is a threat to not only the Drakku, but the Order as well. This is dangerous Ildor. Your Kull Naga must know of this.”

Amorith whimpered and shook slightly. Avess noticing her move her mouth to speak, though words wouldn’t come out.

“What is it? What are you trying to say?” Ildor asked.

“Magus,” she managed to reply. “Drakku. Danger. Curse.”

Her eyes rolled back into her head and she exhaled her last breath.

“No!” Ildor screamed. “No! This can’t be happening.”

Avess let the Magus grieve. It was a terrible circumstance and Amorith had paid the price for it. But what did her words mean? What was she saying when she said “curse?”

Avess searched around them, half expecting to see another gray-soul, but there were none. They were alone on the village green, surrounded by empty buildings and the echoes of Amorith’s death.

“Lord Avess, we don’t need to search this place,” Ildor said in a low voice. “It’s clear what happened here. These people were killed by the gray-souls or turned into them by whatever force did this.”

“An entire village of halflings?”

“This close to the Dragon Lands? I don’t see why not. Maybe not all of them, but enough to cause a problem. Poor Amorith. She didn’t deserve this.”

“No my friend, she certainly did not. No one does.”

Avess patted him on the shoulder, wanting to comfort his friend but not sure exactly what to do.

“Whatever is going on here, the Kull Naga must know about it. This cannot be the way of things. Amorith cannot have died for nothing. He must see the truth of it. Those rogue Magus must be dealt with. Look at this!” Ildor’s anger burned bright. A large vein bulged and throbbed on his forehead. Spit flew from his mouth. “Look at this Avess! We’re facing a terrible darkness! And the Kull does nothing but pander to this fringe group of Magus! Something has to be done!”

“My friend, I agree. Let your anger burn here, not in the presence of the Kull Naga. He may not be agreeable if you approach him like this.”

Ildor put his hands over his face, mumbling through them. “She didn’t have to die. This should not have been her fate. She deserved more. So much more.” He shook his head, wiping at tears on his cheek.

“I can take you back to Tregaron. Both of you. She should be buried among her people.”

Ildor removed his hands and nodded, his reddened face streaked with tears. “Thank you. It’s more than you need to do.”

“For a friend and for the Order, I offer my aid. Always.”

Avess glanced around, the dark buildings and empty homes the stuff of his concern the past few weeks since he was last there. It still bothered him how hollow it all felt within the village. He walked to the nearest home and knocked on the door. He felt foolish when he did, but if someone were still there, he didn’t want to barge in on their property. When convinced no one was inside, Avess entered and searched for something to cover Amorith. He found a rough wool blanket and carried it out, closing the door behind him.

Ildor was caressing Amorith’s cheek, whispering something Avess couldn’t hear.

“We can cover her, give her dignity in death.” He handed the blanket to Ildor who carefully wrapped it around her, tucking the edge under to secure the makeshift shroud.

Avess called his dragon form back, and in a blinding flash, he transformed into a large dragon.

I can carry her. You’ll have to cling to my back. I can have you there in a day, two at the most.

Ildor nodded, rising from next to Amorith. “Be gentle with her. I didn’t know her well, but from what I did know, she had such promise.”

Avess lowered his wing allowing Ildor an easier path to his back where he lazily grabbed hold of the spikes.

Hold tight, I don’t want to lose you too.

He felt Ildor grip harder. Avess gently picked up Amorith, cradling her body within his claws, and leapt into the air. His large wings flapped in the waning light of day and he set off for the east, heading for the Dragonback Mountains and eventually into Tregaron.