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They’d been victorious over Zaere’s ‘elite’ the most vile-souled of the ghouls under Vessadial’s command – but then their own lives had been sundered when the power Anawyn used to bind their souls to their bodies was stolen from her by the lich.
Then, Vessadial had died. A few of the drowned men; even a few ghouls who hadn’t been their allies, managed to latch back onto life – this time drawing it directly from the elf, Anawyn. She had worked through the night, reviving those who’d allied themselves with her and a few others who had been her ‘friends.’
It was a little disturbing, having her in the tiny corner of his mind that used to be claimed by Vessadial. More disturbing still, though, was the long emptiness in his memory, stretching from his ‘death’ in the corridors to his reawakening through Anawyn’s magic. As he had suspected from his earlier immunity to divine fire, his soul had not returned to hell – he had memories enough of that from his first death and from Vessadial’s demonstration of the punishment disappointing minions earned themselves.
Elik’s claws clenched unconsciously on the ship’s rail, gouging the hard wood. If not hell, then had he been pulled back from reincarnation? Was some poor woman going to miscarry a child because his soul had been called back to his corpse? Did it matter?
In a fashion, reincarnation was a more horrible fate than hell itself. Loosing all of his memories, his identity, his self – being born again with a blank slate was a truer death than any he’d suffered so far. “I will not risk it again,” he whispered to himself. “Not until I know.”
After a final, long look at the hills concealing Vessadial’s castle, Elik turned on heel and made his way below decks. The bulk of the pirate ship’s holds had been converted to crew space: true pirates needed men to both fight and commandeer their victim’s vessels. The drowned men barely began to fill that many births, even with the handful of castle ghouls Anawyn revived accompanying them. And because of this, Elik had been able to lay claim to a small store room for his personal occupancy.
Most of the other undead were above deck, preparing to sail or bidding their own farewells to the damned isle that had enslaved them for so long. Most, but not all.
“Hello, Elik” Melae purred. “How does it feel to be the hero of the damned? Our noble liberator?”
Elik grunted a noncommittal reply and stepped around her, but she chuckled and followed.
“Still so standoffish. And here I’d hoped we could ally more openly, now.”
Her voice stirred memories Elik preferred to leave forgotten: unlike the strangled rasps of the other undead, Melae’s tones were smooth and sultry. Still, that was no fault of her own.
Elik stopped by the door to the room he’d claimed. He took just a moment to steel himself, and turned to face her.
She was beautiful. The glamours Vessadial had placed on her – the illusions Anawyn seemed to have decided to maintain – gave her the vibrant semblance of life. Of Zaere’s true followers, she had probably done the more to protect Anawyn from harm than any other – and despite the gratitude he felt for her, Elik wished fervently that she were anywhere else.
“What do you have in mind?” Elik grated out.
Melae leaned forward, pressing against him. Her fingers splayed over his chest, then wound their way up, her arms entwining about his neck. “Protection,” she murmured. “Zaere is gone. Vessadial is dead. And I am aware of the effect the enchantment s I bear have on others. I have no desire to be claimed again…so it behooves me to choose someone before another tries to make that choice for me.”
Elik grimaced, the withered flesh of his lips twisting despite themselves. Melae was soft, pressed against him. He could feel the warmth of her through his tattered jerkin. Lies, he thought to himself. It’s just the illusions working on my mind. I haven’t felt warmth since my first death. He stiffened and pushed her away. She let go reluctantly, disappointment clear on her face. Her real expression, Elik wondered or just the illusions filling in what I want to see? She seemed so small and frightened as she shrank back. Uncertain of her future. In need of protection.
Very, very much like Anawyn.
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