Lagrev started laughing as the man limped towards him.

“It’s not funny. Kill them!” The Speaker grabbed Lagrev’s shirt.

The diplomat pulled his arm away and wove both arms, chanted something under his breath, then threw his arms towards the man.

Spikes rose up from the ground and came down from the ceiling like a giant mouth that was closing on us.

I tried to figure out how to get out of it, but while I was thinking, the man just touched one of the teeth and the whole thing broke down into dirt.

“Haven’t done that in a long time.” The man’s voice was raspy, like his throat was way too dry.

“Wha..?” Lagrev tried to speak but a rock the size of my head hit him in the back. He rolled across the floor and stopped in front of the wild man.

The man knelt down and put his hand over the Elf’s mouth. In a matter of seconds, Lagrev was nothing but a husk and the wild man looked a lot healthier.

“Did you just..?” I couldn’t believe what he’d just done.

The wild man stripped a piece of cloth off of Lagrev’s body and used it to tie up his hair. Then he took a dagger and cut off the hair. It was just under his ears, but it was a lot less wild.

“That’s so much better!” The man turned to look at Alessa and me. “Gravis? Is that you?”

“No father.” Alessa had tears running down her eyes. “This is his son, Sectum.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Lessy?” I flinched as he ran over and wrapped her up in a hug. “You’re so big!”

“How are you alive?” I was trying to figure out just what had happened. “Arkun said he killed you.”

“He tried.” King Keller Malus looked at the rubble. “He dropped a whole tower on top of me, but that couldn’t kill me.” He had a huge smile under all that blonde facial hair. “I’ve been eating bugs and rats while I tried to dig my way out of there.” He hugged my cousin again. “I’d hoped you were still alive.”

Alessa looked like she was too stunned to say anything and I was having trouble formulating words myself.

The Speaker, on the other hand, didn’t have a problem.

“It’s impossible! I saw you die!” The golden Elf tried to start climbing the stairs.

“No you don’t.” My uncle’s voice got hard and he let go of Alessa to dash across the ruins and grab the Speaker by the ankle and drag him back down the stairs. I could hear fighting going on upstairs, but I had no clue what was happening.

The Speaker was able to let out a single scream, then in a few moments he was also a husk.

”So. Much. Better!” The King dusted off his hands as he turned to the two guards.

“My King.” The uninjured guard knelt in front of my uncle and bowed his head.

The wounded one was scrambling to get up when my uncle put his hand on the other guard’s shoulder and pushed the dead guard over.

I found my words as he started humming as he walked towards the injured guard.

“Why did you kill him?” I ran over and was able to get in between the two.

“Ah, that’s right, you got hurt protecting my Lessy.”

My entire body went rigid as he put his hand on my shoulder and grabbed the guard with his other hand.

The Elf had enough time to gasp as all the wounds on my body vanished.

“Are you hurt baby?” My uncle looked at Alessa.

“I’m okay.” Her voice squeaked as she spoke.

“Okay baby.” The king started towards the stairs. “You should stay down here until I’m done.”

“Done?” I had a bad feeling I wasn’t going to like the answer to the question I was about to ask. “Done with what?”

“Exterminating the Elves.”