Ch 74: Leave a warning behind - Part 1

Maric giggled, the sound chillingly at odds with the horror of the moment. "Sacred? Oh, healer, you're so naive. You speak of sacredness as though it has any place in a world like this. Isn't survival more important than your so-called holiness?"

The healer's resolve faltered, his grip on his staff loosening as he stared at the boy in disbelief. "You're... you're not human," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "You're all monsters."

Maric's smile widened, and he gave a mock bow. "Monsters? How rude. I prefer the term 'pragmatists.'"

The knight's body moved again, more fluidly this time, as though Maric was becoming better at controlling it. The healer cried out as the knight's hand closed around his staff, wrenching it from his grasp and tossing it aside. The healer stumbled back, his back hitting a tree as he realized there was no escape.

"Enough," Fenrir's voice cut through the clearing like a blade.