Dance Macabre: Tales from a Cursed Land

V: Mystery of the Misty Island (5/6)

Just then Raviel ran to the square, followed by very out-of-breath dwarf. The crowd parted to let them pass.

"Saska!" The elf sounded worried. That idiot. He should worry about his own hide.

"Run away, you idiot!" Saska snapped at him. "They're sheltering a necromancer!"

Raviel's hand fell to his sword hilt. Before he could draw the blade, a small yet strong hand pressed on his arm.

"Davon? What is the meaning of this?" He looked at the dwarf who had promised to help him find the reason behind the disappearances.

"If you draw your sword now, they will tear you to pieces." He moved in front of Raviel to face the golden-haired elf. "Let the lad go, Thalassal. He's working for the Lady."

Thalassal snorted. "Impossible. He bears the mark of the Viscount of Shadows."

Now Davon cast a questioning look at Raviel.

The elf sighed. "I can explain that."

"That better be a damn good explanation," Davon muttered. "Or you're both as good as dead. Don't expect me to help anyone who works for the Viscount."

"As I see it, there is a simple solution to find out the truth," Thalassal spoke. "The dead can't hide anything from me." He laid his hand on the neck of the monstrous hound. "Unless someone objects?"

Raviel pushed the dwarf by his side away and drew his sword. "Over my dead body."

Thalassal turned his gaze to Raviel. "That can be arranged." Then he paused, studying the other elf carefully. "Haven't we met...Wait. Your eyes. Wasn't one of them yellow?"

Raviel froze. Was this some kind of trickery? Or could this kinsman really know something?

"No? My mistake then."

"My twin brother, Rachian, had one amber eye."

"Really? I can see the similarity. But that was not the name he went by. Do you know what it was?"

He could tell by the look in the eyes watching him that he was being tested. Thalassal wanted to catch him telling a lie. But what name could his brother have possibly chosen? "I don't know," he admitted.

"Nightwind."

Of course! "Then that would make me Stardancer."

Thalassal studied him a moment longer and chuckled. "Correct."

It was an old story told to children of Nightblade clan. Twin brothers, Nightwind and Stardancer, chase a mysterious maiden, Moonbeam, who only appears as moonlight hits the crystal spring. When they had been little, they had played out the story under starlight with their mother so many times.

"Now tell me," Thalassal continued, "What is your relation to this Outcast?"

"He's helping me look for my brother. Although it was not my plan, apparently I ended up buying him from the Viscount."

Thalassal nodded to the hound, and the beast moved away from Saska.

The boy instantly scampered to his feet and rushed to Raviel's side. "Don't trust a word he says," he hissed. "He reeks of the grave and is probably behind this all."

Thalassal scratched the hound's neck like it was nothing more than ordinary pet. "I am a necromancer, true, but that is a completely acceptable trade here. I wouldn't dream of leaving this island, as I'd probably be burned to death as soon as someone figured my talents out, though. As for being behind this all, I could suspect the same of you."