Tythos stood at the edge of the field, breathing in the cold heavy air. Fat snowflakes were falling, obscuring sight lines and muffling sounds. He stood, letting the snow accumulate in his hair and beard. He looked down at his hand, covered in blood. He wished it didn’t feel so familiar.

He was standing over the body of the first man. The first one he’d killed in ten years. He looked down at the man, dressed in the uniform of a king’s soldier. He bent and brushed the accumulating snow from the dead man’s coat. He stared at it for a long moment.

“Mmm, I smell blood,” said the nightmare.

“I thought you might come sniffing around. What took you so long?”

Tythos began rifling through the dead man’s pockets. The appearance of these soldiers didn’t make sense. Their orders didn’t make sense. There was something going on that he didn’t understand yet. He was going to have to have a long talk with Sigrun.

The creature entered Tythos’s awareness this time. He’d been enjoying the absence instead of worrying.

"What took me so long?" the Nightmare said. "That was short for a walkabout. My, but you are uncultured. Don't you know anything about what a walkabout is supposed to be?"

"No," said Tythos, "and I don't care. If you're back early, why are you back?"

"Well," said the Nightmare, "while I was out, I found some soldiers, and one of them had a head I took a shining to, and I was wondering if I could get you to come and kill them so I could eat them."

"He had a head," Tythos spoke slowly, "you took a shining to?"

The Nightmare nodded enthusiastically at this. Beginning to describe the features of the man’s head, Tythos waved him off.

The dead man’s pockets yielded a few coins, a small knife and cup and dice set. Tythos kept the coins and knife. He’d been hoping for papers, letters, orders or anything that offered a clue. He stood, dropping the cup of dice.

"Look, something you said has been bothering me," Tythos said, "and I want you to clear this up for me. You said that you consumed a scout."

The Nightmare nodded. "Yes, I did. What of it? He's mine."

"Uh-huh. I thought you had limitations to what you could consume."

The Nightmare huffed. "Well, of course I do have limitations, and you're unaware of most of them."

The Nightmare pointed at the dead man between them, and Tythos made a, go ahead, gesture.

A shadow engulfed the body and Tythos took several steps back. There was a soft squelching sound and blood sprayed across the ground where the body had been. The shadows flowed back toward Tythos and formed his hand. Tythos opened and closed it, his eyes on the bloodstained snow. He felt renewed, aches and fatigue leaving like he’d slept a full night.

"Yeah, talking details with you is dangerous," said Tythos.

"Oh, whatever, you're such a spoilsport," said the Nightmare.

"Let's talk about one detail," said Tythos.

"Okay, fine, I will keep it to one, but you really ought to know so much more," said the Nightmare.

"No," said Tythos. "Just tell me how you were able to consume a scout, but you could not consume the soldiers that you found, whose heads you like."

"No, only one of them had a head I liked," said the Nightmare.

"I don't care about that," said Tythos. "Just explain why you didn't eat them."

"No, I used the word consume—“

“I don't care."

“You’re wounded.”

Tythos glanced at his arm. He had a deep cut at the base of his shoulder. He grunted.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“I can work while I talk.”

“Then get to it.”

Black tendrils shot from the hand and began sewing the wound shut.

"Fine," huffed the Nightmare. "I'll explain it to you. I can only consume things that have lost the will to resist me."

"Uh-huh…”

“So, well, there is an exception," said the Nightmare.

The dark tendrils manifesting as dark thread broke away, the remainder retreating into the hand. Tythos examined the stitches for a moment.

"Alright, explain," said Tythos.

"Well, I can hold someone until they lose their will to resist me."

"You can hold someone," said Tythos. "Just one?"

The Nightmare nodded. "Just one."

"Okay. Spit him out."

"What?" said the Nightmare.

"Spit out the scout you are holding," said Tythos.

"He's mine," said the Nightmare.

"You can have him when I'm done,” said Tythos. “I just need to ask some questions."

The head of the creature manifested from the hand and looked at Tythos. It looked peevish for a moment, then a wicked grin spread across its face. "Fine," the Nightmare said, “If you insist.”

The mouth opened like that of a snake and disgorged a figure along with several gallons of a clear viscous liquid. Tythos jumped back to keep from getting splashed. An acrid acid stink rolled away from the spot, melting the snowfall caught in the vapor. The viscous bile was issuing a soft hissing sizzle, where it was in contact with the remains of the soldier. It was melting him and his clothes. Tythos could see parts of the man’s skull through his scalp.

Tythos’s eyes were watering and his nose and throat burned from the whiff he’d gotten of the stuff. He took a further step back.

“I thought you said he was alive—“

The melted soldier sat up. The man’s face had nearly completely melted away, revealing the skull underneath in patches. His eye sockets were empty except for the bile that dripped from them. The man’s jaw opened and he retched out some of the clear fluid. It spilled over his naked teeth, past missing lips. The flow ebbed and the melted man gasped in a breath, and screamed. It was a throat ripping shriek that rose and continued to rise in volume.

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Cursing, Tythos leapt forward and planted the knife he’d looted in the top of the soldier’s head. This shut him off like braining a pig. Tythos danced back, as his shoes started to smoke. Getting a good distance away, he let out a breath he’d been holding. Bending down, he ripped his shoes off.

“You can have him,” Tythos managed to choke out, before he started coughing.

Darkness shot from his hand and enveloped the mess. There was a soft squelch and dark blood sprayed across the scene. The shadows returned and Tythos managed to get his coughing under control.

“What the hell was that?”

“With the loosening of the bond constraints, some of my natural abilities have returned.”

“Congratulations. You’ve once again topped the list of the ten worst things I can imagine.”

“I do try to please… but why wasn’t I already on the top?”

“Don’t worry, you were already eight of my top ten, now you’re nine of the ten worst things I can imagine.”

“Oooh, what’s the other one?”

“Fuck you.”

“Pleeease?”

“Double fuck you. Which way were the soldiers you found?”

“Just give me a hint.”

Tythos looked down as his bare feet in the snow.

“Find me a soldier to kill with a pair of boots that fit me before I lose a toe and I’ll think about it.”

“You’re such a tease.” The creature blew a raspberry. “Northeast about a quarter mile, they were in the tree line on top of the ridge.”

Tythos took off running. His feet were numb before he reached the edge of the field. He cursed this development and pressed on.

“Farm life has been making me soft.”

***

Sigrun stood slowly from where she’d been kicked. She felt like she’d been kicked by a horse. She glanced at the retreating figure of Tythos and decided she’d give him some space. Winning the duel against him ten years back had been an ego boost, but after what she’d just seen, she had the gnawing suspicion he hadn’t been trying.

Bird was standing near the porch, staring at the grotesque tangle. If there was any chance he was going to act as hunter for her group, she needed him not to go into shock. She stepped up beside him.

“What have you gotten us tangled up in?” Bird asked again, not looking at her.

Sigrun eyed the intestines hanging from the sword in the wall, and almost said, “It could be worse.” She held her tongue. She missed her unit.

“Do you believe what this man just told us?” Sigrun asked.

Bird nodded, “He sounded like a man anxious to tell everything.”

Sigrun almost said, “You mean he spilled his guts?” Her mouth twitched and she looked away to keep bird from seeing her smile. What was wrong with her? She shook her head. This was no time for jokes. She cleared her throat and turned back.

Bird was eyeing her with a worried expression, “You okay?”

Sigrun tried to blank her mind before a joke could form. She stepped past Bird and tried to yank her sword out. It didn’t budge. She sighed and began to work it back and forth to free it. This made the dead man look like he was slowly shaking his head.

“Looks like he doesn’t like being pinned down,” Sigrun muttered.

“What?” Bird asked.

Sigrun’s face reddened and she kicked the sword off the dead man’s head and porch both. Her haste caused her to lose her balance and she stumbled back.

Bird caught her. Embarrassed, she shrugged out of his grip and walked to the edge of the house. She looked out into the falling snow, and took several deep breaths.

Bird approached from behind, scuffing his feet so she’d hear his approach. He thought she was fragile. She was trying not to laugh. She didn’t want to seem amused by the death, and have him think her a monster. She wasn’t amused. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to hold back the laughter. She blinked them back, furious at her body’s betrayal.

“You need to answer that question now.” Bird said.

Sigrun didn’t look at him. She nodded. She took several more deep breaths. “I think—“ her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. She turned to face Bird. She schooled her face into calm. “I think you’re right.”

“What were your orders, Sigrun?”

“My orders are to take Tythos to Thonos gap, and use the hand to secure an agreement between Tythos and the commanding officer upon arrival.”

Bird let out a low whistle. “You really stepped in it, didn’t you?”

Sigrun didn’t respond.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to deliver Tythos to Thonos gap.”

Bird clucked his tongue, “Loyal to a fault, aren’t you?”

“I am the King’s man,” Sigrun replied.

Bird looked at the soldiers in the yard, “Even if the King has betrayed you?”

“It’s impossible to betray something you own. If the King wishes my death, he has but to ask for it.”

“Well goddamn, you’re serious, aren’t you?”

Sigrun looked him in the eye. Bird nodded.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I’ll act as hunter for your group until we reach Thonos Gap. What do you plan to do if we meet a group of the King’s soldiers with orders to kill us?”

“My orders are to deliver Tythos to Thonos Gap at all costs.”

Bird nodded, “You and I are going to get along just fine.”

A blood curdling scream rang out from the direction Tythos had gone. It had a wet tearing quality that spoke of horror and pain. Sigrun and Bird shot each other a look. The scream cut off abruptly.

“Do we… check it out?” Bird asked.

“We’re gonna have to,” Sigrun said.

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

***

Tythos slowed as he began climbing the bluff. This portion was a steep slope, heavily wooded despite the angle. He leaned against a tree, breathing hard. He was lightheaded.

“You let yourself get fat, old man,” Tythos muttered.

He pushed off the tree and began moving up the hill at a slower pace. There was less snow among the trees, but the undergrowth was an equal problem for his bare feet. He was trying to pick his way forward, but his feet being numb didn’t help. He was leaving a trail of bloody smudges on the damp leaf litter in his wake. He was lucky he was hunting men. The smell of his blood wouldn’t give him away.

Tythos paused again at the top of the bluff. He had not done much walking or running over the last decade. Not compared to when he was soldiering. He shook his head. If the men he was hunting saw him coming, they could just run and he’d never catch them.

He caught his breath again and opened his mouth until his ears popped. He listened to the forest sounds, and looked for any sign left behind by the men he was after. He didn’t hear anything. The forest was covered by the dense silence a heavy snowstorm brought. He looked up at the dark clouds overhead. A fat snowflake landed in his eye.

“I might’ve overdone it,” he muttered.

He blinked his eyes clear then scanned the forest floor for sign, or a trail, or… he really didn’t know what he was looking for.

“Damnit. I should have brought the hunter.”

Tythos had sent the nightmare off ahead to scout for him. This was how he’d handled situations like this in the past. Only, in the past he’d been able to maintain contact with the creature and even shift his senses into it for a while. It’d been a huge advantage, allowing him the sense of smell and hearing of an animal. The world had felt dulled since he had lost that. He thought he would be getting that back with his hand. He’d gotten something else instead. While the creature was off scouting, he didn’t have its voice in his head.

Tythos stood for a moment under the trees and breathed the air. He felt a sense of peace that had only existed when he was visiting farmer Sagget’s farm. Tythos smiled and began walking in the direction he thought most likely for the soldiers to be in. He felt a tug on his awareness. The creature merged its awareness with his.

“I found them.”

“Which way?” Tythos whispered. When their awareness was connected, the nightmare could hear Tythos however quietly he spoke. It could not hear his thoughts. He had tested this extensively. If it could, he was pretty sure he would no longer have his sanity.

“Further north.”

“North? There’s nothing out that direction.”

“There is now.”

“Shit. Reinforcements?”

“Yeees.”

“I knew I forgot to ask something. How many?”

“They’ve put down wards.”

“Wards? You mean you coudln’t get in their camp?”

“I couldn’t even see them anymore once they crossed the line.”

“Wow. I don’t even know how to do that. That’s not good. Wait, would it be possible to create a general ward that did that and also affected you?”

“As in a ward that generally kept out all transcorporeal entities, not limited to, but including little old meee?”

“What? Is that a stupid question?”

“Well, it’s theroetically possible, but anything with a soul that crossed the line would be discorporated.”

“And that’s bad?”

“Only if you want the things crossing the line to live.”

“Ah. So they warded against you specifically since the scouts crossed.”

“Yes.”

“And they did a better job of warding against you than I know how to do.”

“They do seem rather prepared.”

“Great. Now I’ve got more questions. Next time I’m torturing someone, remind me to be more thorough.”

“You tortured someone without me?”

“They tied up and executed the Gladwells. Made the mother watch, then did her last. I was maybe a minute too late to save her.”

“Oh. You’re going to kill them all, aren’t you?”

“Let’s put eyes on that camp. If they’ve discovered how to ward against human eyes I’m going to have more questions.”

***