Warwielder - Book 1 of The Evernoth Odyssey

Chapter 17 - Prey

The Aethe'eyllum were visibly cowed when the tavern started rumbling and vibrating from the bestial growl inside the casket.

Elyne dropped back down to her seat by the bar while she remained fixated on the monster's eye. She had only met the beast once.

Once was enough.

"I...think," said the huntress while eyeing the Aethe'eyllum, "we've all calmed down. Yes?"

Vayam and his comrades showed no sign that they had heard her and continued staring back at the beastly glare. When the creature in the coffin suddenly blinked, Muta involuntarily gripped his axe more tightly.

The huntress noticed the gesture and addressed the Lektus. "Surely that axe is not needed."

Muta glanced at Elyne who returned his frown with an arched brow, prompting him to avert his gaze and look down at his weapon.

Then he lifted his face to meet the monster's blue-grey eye studying him from within the coffin.

"Muta."

After the young Eyllum turned to the Raecetor's voice, Vayam gestured Muta to lower his weapon. The young Lektus didn't respond at first and seemed dangerously close to disobeying his commander's order. Eventually, Muta capitulated and reluctantly lowered his axe and returned it to his muscled back.

Elyne nodded and turned to address the Merdem being strangled next to his open casket. "Praesal."

Vaspallas Praesal stood there frozen, showing no sign that he had heard the huntress while the glowing rope continued to tighten around his throat.

"Praesal?" Elyne repeated his name only to be met with more silence.

That was when the creature's eye shifted inside the coffin and disappeared from view, revealing a pitch abyss where the beast used to be. However, Elyne and the Aethe'eyllum only witnessed the abyss for a moment before they noticed movement inside the coffin. They could hear a wet, slimy noise and a low rumbling hum similar to the sound of deep breathing. Sounds that the huntress recognized.

"Praesal!" yelled Elyne.

In response to his name being called out, the rope around Praesal's throat suddenly unravelled itself and fell to the floor beside the coffin. At the same time, the doors to the casket swung shut, violently, severing the realm within from the huntress' tavern.

Now that the threat was seemingly gone, an awkward silence filled the room as Vaspallas Praesal staggered where he stood with heavy breaths.

The silence broke when Vayam spoke hesitantly into it. "Despite...the reports that you've received...there is more to the story than what you've heard."

Elyne didn't bother to respond. They had already wasted enough time and the huntress was almost certain that the Raecetor's excuses would have been convoluted at best. She also wanted to avoid another heated disagreement, lest it be resolved by Praesal's beast. Elyne didn't need that mess in her tavern. It was bad luck.

"Raj," she called while she fixed Vayam with a glare.

"Hm?" replied the human.

"Can you bring Tulu to me?"

When she was met with a silent pause, the huntress whipped around to see Raj frowning at her from the back corner.

"Now," Elyne growled through her tusks which elicited a raised eyebrow from the human.

With the huntress' face devoid of expression, a few seconds passed before Raj eventually capitulated and stood up from his seat. On his way to the exit, the human brushed past the three Aethe'eyllum and offered them a brief but brazen glance. Elyne could see the challenge in his eyes and opted to address Vayam before they noticed it.