Chapter 6

Loud snoring reverberated across the wetland, Crow slept with complete disregard for the reservations he had expressed about Talus before sleeping. It seemed the idea of Talus being a shade was outweighed by the chance at a better life. For that, the man needed to trust the disguised Fae Monarch, like it or not. Talus shifted his perception, peering into the Mirror Realm around him.

His three attendants stood in an immobile perimeter around him, causing animals to instinctively give the sleeping hammocks a wide berth. Their ghostly, wraith-like figures were shrouded in what appeared to be tattered, flowing robes. Their skeletal forms were partially visible beneath the dark, ethereal fabric, giving them an eerie presence. Their faces were obscured by a white, featureless mask-like covering, with deep, hollow black eyes and a gaping maw that seemed to contain the void. Their figures appeared to be floating, their forms blending into the darkness of the shallow water as if emerging from shadow.

"Bring me the Radiant Blood Flower. I won't leave something so important in the hands of a careless mortal. Humans have become wise in their discernment of who they entrust the secrets of magic. They have learned from the Fae, a servitor should not have access to such power, lest none be left for their Monarch when circumstances become dire. If the Monarch should fall, then may a servitor advance ranks. Too many would result in a divide among the subjects, weakening all," Talus said, giving his eldritch servants a command. They silently bowed in acknowledgement, he could read their approval of his words in their subtle body language. Without the Ether, his servitors were all mute, unlike him, because they didn't possess a physical body capable of speech to compensate.

Talus didn't realise it, but Fae society operated similarly to the hierarchy of a bee colony, a central figure ruled the remainder of the hive, but without the responsibility of procreation. That happened among the servitor caste through mitosis. One of the greatest injustices wrought by Humanity to the Ether was how the imbalance made the entire Fae species infertile.

Faint distortions rippled in the air without disturbing the water surface as the three servitors moved to loom over the sleeping Crow. Two remained vigilant while the third reached inside his coat and retrieved the Radiant Blood Flower. Satisfied that the drunk man continued to sleep deeply, the three attendants crossed the short distance. The one holding in front lowered its head and reverently presented the flower in raised hands, rippling with ethereal tendrils. Talus took its offering, placing it inside his own loose shirt.

"Well done, my servants. Remain vigilant, we do not yet know what state the Magi are currently in since our exile. They may have grown in power, and it is wise to remain cautious," Talus praised. 

He lay back and closed his eyes, imitating the need for sleep to instead focus and process all the information he had observed during the day. Mainly, he wanted to decipher the secret of building a shard tower. The night quickly passed. 

The heat of the dawn sun on the marsh blanketed the wetland in a heavy morning fog. Crow stirred in his hammock, slowly sitting upright and clutching his temples with an audible groan.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have drank so much. I just needed to take the edge off things. It's an unnerving feeling to have nine Magi gathered in one place and breathing down our necks. I'd be happy if they stayed far, far away. How's your head feeling, lad?" Crow complained. He turned to look at Talus with dark bags under his eyes. "It pains me to look at you, man. Oh, to be young again, you ain't even look slightly ruffled. It's not fair."

Crow swung his feet over the side of the hammock. Inhaling deeply to mentally prepare himself, he slid forward, his still-undried boots splashing in the shallow water. Talus followed suit but without hesitation, mirroring his actions in packing up the temporary camp.

"I'm not looking forward to taking my boots off back on dry land. I can smell the swamp-rot already. You're all packed up even before me. Shards, you must have the constitution of a dragon," Crow exclaimed. Despite his hangover, his movements were still efficient and precise, hence his surprise.

"It's merely the reverse of what we did last night. Nothing extraordinary," Talus dismissed.

"Tell that to the countless grave rats currently dreading pulling themselves from their hammocks. We want to be gone before they even get a whiff of us. We will stick out like a sore thumb for leaving in the middle of a battle, even one where the Magi turn up to fix a shard tower. They'll know we have something good and will want to take it from us. Because I know I would," Crow replied.

"I understand. We must tread carefully around Human guile and deception," Talus stated matter-of-factly.

"You know, sometimes you make my skin crawl, lad. And this was one of those times," Crow said, a wry expression on his face. He abruptly waved dismissively, grabbed his tall pole and began walking. "I don't have the wits to think about that right now. Come on."

Talus remained impassive and started to follow. Only a couple of steps in, he could see a deep spot beneath the surface of the water. He reached out and grabbed Crow by his pack dragging him back. He was about to carelessly step into a hole large enough to completely submerge him before Talus intervened. His expression didn't show appreciation though, he glared at Talus in irritation, unable to see what he saw. 

Without a word, Talus grabbed the pole from Crow's limp grip and stabbed it into the location. It sank deeply into the water, causing Crow's eyes to widen at the enormity of the potentially life-threatening situation.

"Gulp, I guess you can have a turn taking the lead. No idea how you saw that and I'm not going to ask. After you, lad," Crow said, holding up a gesture indicating Talus to go in front.

"You are still useful to me. Steady yourself, lest I do it for you. That would not be an experience your mind would readily accept," Talus reprimanded. His unspoken threat was he would have his three unseen eldritch servitors drag the grave rat across the wetland until arriving at their destination.