The Court of Souls?

“In Hawaiian legend, Nightmarchers are the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors. On the nights of Kane, Ku, Lono, Akua, or on the nights of Kaloa they are said to come forth from their burial sites to march out to past battles or to other sacred places. They march at sunset and just before the sun rises. Anyone living near their path may hear chanting and marching, and must go inside to avoid notice. They might appear during the day if coming to escort a dying relative to the spirit world. Anyone looking upon or seen by the marchers will die unless a relative is within the marcher's ranks. Some people maintain that if you lie face down on the ground they will not see you.”

- The Journey to the Afterlife

***Dedessia, the Sea of Souls, Nurien***

***Shade***

“Feiran! Have you seen Quianna from Carissimi?” Antonius calls out to the two figures who are lingering in the hallway without a care in the world. They are Morello and Feiran from Imothep. And someone did a really fine job in healing Morello's injury. Upon drifting closer, I hide in the shade of a nearby potted plant.

“No. What makes you think that we have something to do with it?” Feiran barks back, but Morello raises a hand and looks up and down the corridor.

“Antonius, I respect you. But you have to understand that there are many strong groups involved in the current events. You shouldn't walk around like you always do and stick your nose into things which are not of your concern.”

“I walk around this world as I please. There is nobody who can tell me what to do.” Antonius answers with a stern voice. “And currently I want the girl with the beautiful eyelashes and the sweet voice back!”

Morello makes a dismissive gesture. “That's exactly your problem. You are too flimsy to be considered trustworthy by anyone. A year with one clan, a decade with another, then a sudden betrayal to the next. It's really hard to see your endgame in all of this. You are so strong, but you always play the underling to others. It's truly a mystery to me. You know the comings and goings of more than a dozen clans. If you wanted to, you could lead your own clan.”

Antonius straightens himself. “I simply stay true to my ideals. That's all. And you yourself should know that if you want as little trouble as possible, staying under the radar works best. Will you help me now? I really like the girl and bringing her back will get me some bonus points with my new clan. I want to avoid being treated like a potential spy and traitor.”

Morello snorts and shakes his head. “You are a potential spy and traitor. But one who stays true to his ideals. Where have you seen her the last time. Why are you so sure that we have her?”

“She wanted to refresh herself with Feiran's companion and a girl from Soistaat. That's why I came for you. Aren't you too, missing a person?” Antonius steps closer and to my astonishment his two counterparts step backwards. As if to keep a safe distance. “I would be really happy if you give her back. Otherwise I would have to... lose a few words about your... dealings.”

“I see.” Morello turns and looks down the corridor to think about something. “Do you promise me that you will never talk about what happens today? You get the girl and keep your mouth shut?”

“Morello, you can't cons-” Feiran interjects, but Morello raises a hand to shut him up. “Antonius may be many things, but he keeps his word. I've known him since he was little, and not once did a secret leave his lips. Not even when he was lodged for five years in a slaver's camp.”

Antonius squints his eyes, considering something. “I promise. All I want is Quianna back. Everything else shall not be my concern.”

What a sly fox. He seems to have an interesting history if he is really hopping between clans like Morello implied. When I first saw him I thought that he is just a minion for the rough jobs. No thinking involved. But it seems like there is much more to this character than meets the eye.

Maybe Antonius is even the one from whom I felt that fourth, strong energy signature. Back when I faced the combined forces of the alliance, there was a fourth strong opponent.

All other forces aside from Carissimi and Draconis just sent foot soldiers, cannon fodder. I wouldn't find it too surprising if the fourth person is Antonius.

Quianna seems to have a talent for trouble and being abducted. When she returns I'll propose to chain her up somewhere until she learns to defend herself.

“Follow me.” Morello turns around and gestures for the others to follow him. He walks down the corridor towards the private quarters. “You know that I am doing you a big favour?”

“I'll keep my promise, like I kept all the others.” Antonius answers. Then his eyes focus on Morello, an accusation in them. “Why are you still involving yourself with them?”

“Because it is the smartest thing to do. We don't want any trouble on our small island. Causing their ire, causes trouble to us. So we try to fulfil their wishes,” Feiran grumbles.

“That also involves killing the couple from Soistaat and Equilibrium?” Antonius asks.

“That wasn't our job. We were just instructed with Takea's abduction. The mess in the corridor is on someone else's hands. But it is clear that our allies wish to keep Soistaat and Equilibrium occupied with each other. The relationship between the two clans was about to flourish because of their two love birds. It's hard to fight each other when two of their members are fucking each other.”

“And then a third request came in. We were to deal with that Quianna girl to keep you from leaving Draconis.” Morello reaches a private room. He steps inside and holds the door open for the others. Feiran and Antonius follow him into the dark room, while I slip in unnoticed. Inside I find Quianna and Takea unconscious on a bed. Morello's girlfriend and another woman are guarding her.

I think her name was Rhia? But didn't he announce her to be from Soistaat too? Why would she help with an attack on her own clan member?

The unknown, brown haired woman jumps into Feiran's arms. Her red skin is almost the colour of blood in the dim light. “We did as instructed and guarded our charges.”

“Why is he here!?” Rhia points at Antonius.

“He is here to get his girl back. And I owe him a debt.” Morello gestures for Rhia to get out of the way.

She seems unhappy about it, but she complies. “Our allies won't like this. Can't you see that they ordered us to eliminate his girl to keep him with Draconis? They don't want him to switch sides.”

“It was just a small wish on top. Their main concern was Takea. As long as we display her as ordered, everything is fine. Antonius, take your girl and go. Say that you found her unconscious in the garden area. I'll explain that she escaped through the window and you got her before we caught up. With that I will call all my debts to you fulfilled.” Morello gestures at the door.

Antonius hurries to retrieve Quianna. He shoots a disapproving glare at Rhia while passing her.

“What? Do you think that every member of Soistaat has to be interested in hugging our enemies? Once that peace lover is gone, we can finally continue where we left off,” Rhia barks.

Antonius hurries to the door. “Quianna doesn't know anything?”

“I took them out with a strong sleeping spell. As far as they are concerned, they simply passed out while they were on the toilet.” Feiran's girlfriend pokes Antonius's cheek.

Antonius nods and hurries out of the room, carrying Quianna.

When the door is closed behind him, Morello turns back to his underlings. “Rhia and I will go back to the festivities. You, prepare everything and make it look like Equilibrium did it. Since we won't complete our mission, we have to get that part right at least.”

He leaves together with Rhia and only Feiran with his mate stay behind. Both of them stare for a few seconds at the closed door. Then Feiran speaks. “What do you think, Mia?”

“I think that Morello has too many principles. Simply abandoning a part of the mission isn't what a leader should do. I don't know Antonius very well, but I know that I don't trust him,” Mia answers.

Then she wanders over to a table with a set of daggers. “Should we start now? Morello said that we have to do a good job. We have this set of daggers from Equilibruim's leader, but cutting her up will take some time. It has to look like torture. Soistaat will be enraged when they find their leader's daughter. One of these in her heart,” she raises one of the daggers and tests the point.

Feiran shakes his head. “We have three hours. How about using the time we have before it gets messy?” He opens his trousers and pulls a nearby chair into the centre of the room to sit down.

Mia bites her lower lip and returns the dagger to its place. Then she raises the skirt of her red dress and pulls down her black panties.

With the panties in her hands she sits down on top of Feiran, putting the panties on his head. For a while they kiss each other and fumble with their clothes. A few moments later she is hopping and moaning on top of him.

Watching them isn't very erotic. Especially with the unconscious Takea on the bed and knowing what they intend to do to her.

Normally I wouldn't care shit about Takea. She was annoying enough when she tried to gain information from me. But the fact that our hidden opponent is interested in keeping her clan stuck in a blood feud is enough for me.

If they want something, then I should do my best to stop it from happening.

I float over to the set of daggers. There are four beautiful blades of various sizes and forms. I choose the longest blade and one of the small ones. The long one has the length of my forearm and a slightly curved blade with beautiful ornaments. I can also sense some kind of enchantment on it, but that doesn't concern me as long as it does the job. The small one isn't much more than a short, but sharp, claw.

While I inspected the daggers, Feiran and Mia entered their own, little world. He has his face buried between the mounds of her breasts and his muffled moans are his only contribution to the act. She is doing all the work, riding on top of him.

Manifesting myself behind Mia's back is almost boring. Ramming the blade through her spine, chest, and into Feiran's brain borderlines on butchery. They lost every sense of their surroundings. Why they feel so safe during a 'mission' is a mystery to me. Feiran's thought processes stop immediately while Mia opens her mouth to scream.

But the small claw wanders over her throat, cutting deep. A gurgling sound is all that escapes.

Then both of them are still... it was indeed butchery.

I feel their souls wander into me, being drawn in on their own by my power. But right now I have no time to deal with them. I have to create a suitable scene.

After a few moments I come up with a scenario.

Leaving Feiran and Mia pinned together on their chair, I return to the set of daggers and choose another one. The big one is still stuck in Mia's chest. Pulling it out would cause my sculpture to crumble.

How should I call it? 'Loving fools in their last embrace'? Or, 'Check for monsters before you fuck'?

Then I pull the table with the set of blades next to the bed with Takea. It has to look like the weapons are easy to reach from where she is lying.

By placing a hand on her forehead, I map the energies inside her and detect a strong sleeping spell. She wont wake up until the effect has worn off. Until then she is nothing more than a corpse. Otherwise she seems to be fine since I can find no curses or other enchantments. I can't find any injuries, but that will change soon.

I inspect the new blade. It is a straight one with the width of a finger and approximately fifteen centimetres in length. Then I run it across Takea's arm, creating a shallow cut. It has to be painful, but not life threatening.

She must look as if her captors just begun their torture session and decided to go for a fuck when they got aroused by their victim's pain.

After a few more cuts and stabs in non-vital places I deem my work as finished. I roll Takea over and add a few on her backside. Afterwards I roll her around, sullying the bed with her blood. I am so absorbed in my work that I almost forget to stop. If I overdo it, she will die of blood loss.

One of the drenched bedsheets is perfect for smearing Takea's blood on the hands of Feiran and Mia. Then I sprinkle a few droplets on their clothes. Perfect. It looks like they dirtied themselves during the job.

I place the straight blade, which I used to cut Takea, in Mia's hand. The fingers are already a little stiff, but I somehow manage it. The result looks a little cramped, but it will do. If a murder scene looks too perfect it is also suspicious.

Takea is another story. I roll her out of the bed and place one of her bloody hands on the table with the set of daggers. It looks like she reached up from the floor and grabbed the first weapon she touched.

Then I pull her to her feet and walk her like a doll over to the two corpses where I use her hand once more to plant a bloody hand-print on Mia's back.

To my knowledge the forensic methods of this world are limited to magic. So maybe they can check whose blood it is and call up a scrying spell to show them the past. But since I haven't activated my aura, I won't show up. The events will be blurry and unreliable at best. They will know that the equation is missing a variable, but without knowing who is missing, there is no chance to get an accurate picture.

From there, the journey continues to the door where I sully the handle with Takea's blood. Then I channel my mana through Takea's body, breaking the sleeping spell on her. She moans and her limp, slim form becomes active in my arms. So I turn the handle and push her outside.

She stumbles two steps onto the corridor and falls while I toss the small claw next to her. It is covered in Mia's blood. Hearing voices, I dive into the shadows and wait for her saviours to arrive.

I just have to make sure that they aren't from a problematic party. Two men and a woman show up first. But they don't seem to have an affiliation with the enemy, or are uninformed followers. One informs the others to stay put while he runs for help. The other two try their healing skills on Takea. It should be easy enough since I avoided doing permanent damage. Soon afterwards the scene is filled with people from various clans.

I highly doubt that Imothep will pull anything in front of so many witnesses, so I slip away and try to find my way to our private rooms.

There is a lot to think and talk about.

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