Page 84 of Shardless

Taly saw the corners of Skye’s mouth twitch, but he never got a chance to respond. A shout from down below caught their attention.

“Shards,” Eula whispered, her eyes widening in horror.

Taly felt bile at the back of her throat, and she was grateful for the arm Skye had looped around her waist. Her knees felt weak, and she leaned against him, not fully trusting her legs to support her weight as she was forced to watch the nightmare unfolding on the field below.

The monster had become enraged once the shadow mages cornered it, and it gave a feral roar as it whipped its body about, throwing several of the Gate Watchers to the ground. One of its arms, a great giant mass of rotting flesh as thick as a tree trunk, grabbed a mage that was struggling to regain his feet. The creature lifted the Gate Watcher from the ground, and the man let out a shrill scream of pain. Then, bringing its arm back down in a blur of motion, the creature beat the mage’s body against the pavement of the square, up and down, over and over again.

A strangled cry erupted from the poor man’s throat as his bones were broken and shattered. Violet ripples of shadow magic began coiling in theair around the captured mage as he tried to heal his body, perhaps even bolster his strength as he and his comrades vainly tried to free him from the creature’s grip. Giving up, he pulled a dagger from his belt and began hacking away at the leather of his boot, vainly trying to wrench his foot free. But it was no use. The grotesque array of decaying limbs protruding from the monster’s distended body groped at the mage’s clothing and flesh, drawing him in nearer as it…

“Shards,” Taly whimpered. “What is it doing? No, no, no… This can’t be happening.”

Skye pulled her closer as the creature began to devour its captive.

A heavy silence fell over the rampart when the mage’s screams began to echo through the square. Even from here, Taly could see the sprays of warm blood spattering across the other shadow mages as the creature ripped off the man’s arms and legs one by one. The mouths of the dead, stolen heads scattered across the monster’s body split open, revealing rows upon rows of decayed, broken teeth. With a high-pitched yowl, it began to gnaw on the severed limbs, and bright rivulets of crimson blood dripped down its body as it shoveled fistfuls of muscle, skin, and bone into its gaping, lipless maws.

Taly released a broken sob. The man was still screaming. He was still alive. Skye’s grip on her waist bordered on painful at this point, but she didn’t care. If she looked up, she knew his face would be painted in the same portrait of stunned shock and horror that adorned the faces of every man and woman witnessing this gruesome scene.

The man’s screams abruptly stopped, and Taly’s ears rang in the resulting silence.

There was no sound except for the sickening crunch of bones as the beast consumed the last of the shadow mage. The other mages in the square were already backing up, their swords held in front of them.

“I… I don’t understand,” Eula stammered. “That was Lord Aryn. He was a highborn—that thing shouldn’t have been able to overpower him. What is that…monster?”

Skye didn’t answer. He just shook his head and muttered an unintelligible curse.

As they continued to watch, glowing violet veins of energy flickered to life beneath the beast’s waxy skin, and it gave a low groan as its body began to grow. Its skin stretched and tore open, and its arms were already reaching for the corpses of the fallen dead still scattered on the ground. It shoved the putrid flesh into the mouths of its many wailing heads, licking feverishly at the congealed blood that stained the pavement. Sometimes, it would grab a random severed body part off the ground and plunge it into its torso, adding to the gruesome collection of decaying limbs decorating its body. Moments later—be it a head, an arm, or a leg—the new appendage would start thrashing and writhing as the creature continued to feed.

Taly felt Skye start to tremble (or maybe that was her?) as the monster’s body grew before their eyes, incorporating more and more dead flesh into its rotted form until it was at least twice the size that it was before.

“It can scale the wall now,” Eula whispered. “It’s going to come for the compound next.”

“Yes,” Skye replied, his tone surprisingly even. “Yes, it can. And, it will.”

A low growl was carried on the wind as thecreature turned, a lumbering mass of putrefying flesh. Milky eyes swiveled to survey the remaining shadow mages that were now frantically fleeing across the field, their legs a blur as they pushed themselves to go faster.

As a chorus of screams ripped from the throats of a host of dead men rang out, the monster charged. Its massive legs were surprisingly spry, and it quickly began to gain on the line of retreating shadow mages.

Taly turned to Skye, her eyes searching his face as he watched the scene unfolding in the market square. “Tell me you have a plan, Skye. We have to help them!”

“Your orders, sire?” Eula asked, hiding her fear behind a mask of professionalism.

Skye just shook his head, a look of horror in his eyes. His reaction was mirrored by the other mages that lined the walls. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “I don’t know.”

Chapter 18

-A letter from High Priestess Melinoe of the Faerasanaa to Prior Keris of the Gravis Somni

The 30thday of the month Ares, during the 35,652ndyear of our Lady Raine

Prior Keris,

While I understand that you are very busy tending to the dreamers, I cannot stress how important it is that we all work together to overcome this tragedy. The death of Lord Draco Arrhichion has presented an unusual problem. It has been so long since a member of the highborn court has suffered the final death that we find ourselves unprepared to perform the proper funeral rites. Since the Gravis Somni have traditionally overseen the final interment, I believe that they are the ones that must now be called upon to organize the Night of Lamentationand the burial.

The priestesses of the Faerasanaa have already gone far beyond what is required of them by consecrating the body and arranging for the offerings. The death of a highborn, as well as a shadow mage, has caused significant unrest, and it is all my sisters and I can do right now to quell a city-wide panic. We do not have the time nor the capacity to oversee the interment process.

I should not have to remind you that it is your duty to serve not only the fey that have chosen to take the long sleep but also the dead. I am sending Sister Corienna to act as a liaison. She is a Master Sage regarding the philosophy of Moriah and life behind the veil, so please direct any questions you may have to her. If possible, I would like to start the mourning procession no later than the end of the week. The sooner we can start the funerary rites, the sooner the people will be able to move past this misfortune.

May the Shards bless you,

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