He lifted himself out of the gems and clacked his fleshless bones across the cavern to where the two humans lay cowering.
No, not cowering.
The two were sitting, propped against the wall, staring up at him with their little molten eyes, not even trembling. The charred chest bones that had been exposed just moments before were already covered with dark flesh, and the scars were vanishing from even that. Malygris snatched up one in each claw, then watched in amazement as their shattered hands and feet returned to their normal shape.
“What manner of human are you that heal like trolls?” he demanded.
“We are princes of Shade Enclave,” said the bronze-eyed one. “I am Clariburnus. My brother is Brennus.”
“Do you think your names matter to me? Your arrogance is insufferable!” Malygris squeezed the one that had called itself Clariburnus and was pleased to hear the crackle of breaking bones. He felt the body go limp in his hand, but that was the only way he knew the mammal was in pain. He swung his bony muzzle toward the one with the eyes of steel. “I asked what you are, not who.”
“We call ourselves Shadovar,” this one said. “In our tongue it means ‘of the shade.’ “
“Ah, then you are shades.” Malygris said. Shades were two-legged mammals that traded their souls for shadow essence. In the light of day, they seemed normal men, but as the light grew dim, they grew strong. “I understand now. I have met a few shades in my centuries.”
Curiosity satisfied, he tightened his grasp to crush themand felt his claws close on air. He sensed them emerging behind him and whirled around to find the steel-eyed one stepping from the shadows in front of his nest. The other, the one with the crushed body, lay in a hollow on top.
They were between him and his phylactery.
“Clariburnus and I are shades,” the one with steel eyes said. “But not all Shadovar are shades, and not all shades are Shadovar. A Shadovar is a citizen of Shade Enclave.”
“I see your game.” Malygris started forward, his great tail launching whole mountains of coins into the dark air as it flailed back and forth. “Try, then. One way or the other, I will take pleasure in the end.”
The steel-eyed oneBrennusraised his hand and said, “Stop. We’re not here to attack you, but you are done attacking us.”
Malygris stopped, not because the human commanded ithe hadn’tbut because he found himself snorting in laughter. “You threaten me?” Tiny forks of lightning began to dance around his nasal cavities. “Truly?”
“We are not threatening.” This from the crushed one, who had already healed enough to sit upright. “We came to talk.”
‘Talk?” Malygris settled onto his haunches and waved a claw at the floor before him. “Very well, you may present your gifts.”
The two humansShadovarglanced at each other, then Brennus said, “We bring you no gifts.”
“No gifts?” Malygris gasped. Even more interesting insulting, but interesting. “How can you beg without gifts? How can you grovel with nothing to offer?”
“We’re not here to beg,” Clariburnus said. He stood so soon after being crushedand limped down to stand beside his companion. “But Shade Enclave does have something offer.”
Malygris sensed Namirrha’s arrival within the lair and whirled toward the entrance. The necromancer, a balding and wrinkled figure even by mammal standards, was already well inside, striding down the golden aisle between Malygris’s carefully stacked chalices.
“You warmbloods!” he hissed. “Do you all think my lair yours for the entering?”
Namirrha made a show of appearing frightened, stopping to steeple his fingertips together and bow deeply. “A thousand pardons, Sacred One. I was informed that you have been hurling lightning about and thought you might be in need of assistance.”
The necromancer cast a meaningful eye at the Shadovar.
“You think I need the assistance of
No, not cowering.
The two were sitting, propped against the wall, staring up at him with their little molten eyes, not even trembling. The charred chest bones that had been exposed just moments before were already covered with dark flesh, and the scars were vanishing from even that. Malygris snatched up one in each claw, then watched in amazement as their shattered hands and feet returned to their normal shape.
“What manner of human are you that heal like trolls?” he demanded.
“We are princes of Shade Enclave,” said the bronze-eyed one. “I am Clariburnus. My brother is Brennus.”
“Do you think your names matter to me? Your arrogance is insufferable!” Malygris squeezed the one that had called itself Clariburnus and was pleased to hear the crackle of breaking bones. He felt the body go limp in his hand, but that was the only way he knew the mammal was in pain. He swung his bony muzzle toward the one with the eyes of steel. “I asked what you are, not who.”
“We call ourselves Shadovar,” this one said. “In our tongue it means ‘of the shade.’ “
“Ah, then you are shades.” Malygris said. Shades were two-legged mammals that traded their souls for shadow essence. In the light of day, they seemed normal men, but as the light grew dim, they grew strong. “I understand now. I have met a few shades in my centuries.”
Curiosity satisfied, he tightened his grasp to crush themand felt his claws close on air. He sensed them emerging behind him and whirled around to find the steel-eyed one stepping from the shadows in front of his nest. The other, the one with the crushed body, lay in a hollow on top.
They were between him and his phylactery.
“Clariburnus and I are shades,” the one with steel eyes said. “But not all Shadovar are shades, and not all shades are Shadovar. A Shadovar is a citizen of Shade Enclave.”
“I see your game.” Malygris started forward, his great tail launching whole mountains of coins into the dark air as it flailed back and forth. “Try, then. One way or the other, I will take pleasure in the end.”
The steel-eyed oneBrennusraised his hand and said, “Stop. We’re not here to attack you, but you are done attacking us.”
Malygris stopped, not because the human commanded ithe hadn’tbut because he found himself snorting in laughter. “You threaten me?” Tiny forks of lightning began to dance around his nasal cavities. “Truly?”
“We are not threatening.” This from the crushed one, who had already healed enough to sit upright. “We came to talk.”
‘Talk?” Malygris settled onto his haunches and waved a claw at the floor before him. “Very well, you may present your gifts.”
The two humansShadovarglanced at each other, then Brennus said, “We bring you no gifts.”
“No gifts?” Malygris gasped. Even more interesting insulting, but interesting. “How can you beg without gifts? How can you grovel with nothing to offer?”
“We’re not here to beg,” Clariburnus said. He stood so soon after being crushedand limped down to stand beside his companion. “But Shade Enclave does have something offer.”
Malygris sensed Namirrha’s arrival within the lair and whirled toward the entrance. The necromancer, a balding and wrinkled figure even by mammal standards, was already well inside, striding down the golden aisle between Malygris’s carefully stacked chalices.
“You warmbloods!” he hissed. “Do you all think my lair yours for the entering?”
Namirrha made a show of appearing frightened, stopping to steeple his fingertips together and bow deeply. “A thousand pardons, Sacred One. I was informed that you have been hurling lightning about and thought you might be in need of assistance.”
The necromancer cast a meaningful eye at the Shadovar.
“You think I need the assistance of
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