=Cor=

A girl.

On the other side of the clearing, about fifty paces away. She lies slumped against a tree, no more than fifteen cycles. Next to her, fidgets a Revenant. No, the Revenant, the one that dared to challenge Varith back in town. I can’t see what it was doing with its back to me.

Pulling shadows closer, I circle around the clearing. Creeping towards her. She has lustrous, golden hair, with hints of carmine. Her frame, small, childlike even and skin white enough to rival the gossamer spirit manifestations of those unlucky souls in the other world. Her posture is relaxed.

Her back has an unnatural bend in it which belies her languid posture. I am next to her now. I can see that the beautiful red in her hair comes from the blood splattered about her person, and continues to leak out of her orifices.

I sniff the air, looking for what I desire. I move even closer to the girl, until I’m up against the tree she is leaning against The tree obstructs the line of sign between the Revenant and I. Keeping the position of the Revenant firmly in my mind, I shifted around the tree, getting closer to the girl.

Nothing

She smells like nothing, like an inanimate object. The body was just a shell at this point, devoid of a consciousness. Yet it still breathed. Did the Revenant not fully drain her? Why didn’t he, and why is she still in one piece, unlike all the others?

Slowly I creep around the tree towards the back of the Revenant, the night flowing around me. Still eating, it fails to notice me. I watch, listening to it slurp wetly at its meal. I reach forward, still cloaked in darkness. My arm stretches, reaching through its shifting flesh until I almost touch its stationary core, a sorry imitation of a soul.

My hand slowly closes around the core. Before it can escape, I clamp my grip and yank fiercely, tearing it from the creature. The Revenant crumples, its flesh falling apart and pooling on the ground. I alternate my gaze between the lump of emotions in my hand and the now lifeless mound of meat. It's core starts to break down in my hand, being absorbed by my gloom clad. Shard by shard I absorb it, each filling me with energy.

It swirls through me, quieting the craving that has pushed me so far. Slowly, I arise from my crouch. After one last look at the girl’s supine form, I speed off towards the domicile Varith naively calls home. I’m barely able to make it before the predawn light rises over the tree tops, causing the shadows that cover me to fizzle and pull back under its harsh rays.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I clean myself of the filth that clings to me at the well.. After removing evidence of my escapades, I relax Varith’s body and recede into myself, relinquishing control. It is time for a long nap. Taking control of his body for so long, so completely had been tiring.

=Varith=

I sit up and let out a yawn.

“Hm?" The sun’s rays nearly blind me as it climbs up over the horizon.

[I’m outside? Did I sleepwalk?]

I turn my attention inward, intending to ask Cor what happened, but he is in a state of sleep. His conscious deeply buried.

[Didn’t even know he could sleep.]

I make my way inside, intending to change out of my nightclothes and cloak.

=Thirve’s Wraith=

“Come on, we gotta go now, orders from HQ.”

I groan as I raise myself off my bed while Thirve, my spirit, nags me.

“Alright, alright I got it, lay off a bit. You're loud.”

“I have to be to wake your sorry ass up.” The little bastard says, smirking.

“So what is it anyway, what could be so urgent?” Complaining as I threw on my clothes.

“There’s a Revenant in the Garten region that the bosses want tracked. Four Wraiths are assigned to track it, and we are one of them.”

That makes me hesitate, “Did you say four? For a single Revenant? Why can’t the local Wraith deal with it?

“They say he refuses to, doesn’t want to get near it, and yes, I did say four. Apparently this ones supposed to be a little special.”

“How so?”

“They didn’t say. Just told us to be careful.”

“Hmm”

“It seems like an emergency, so we’re going to hurry there. The other three are already waiting by the stables. They’ve planned to travel fast and be there by nightfall so get your ass up.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” I make my way outside, heading towards the stables.

“Apparently we’re not allowed to spirit walk within or through Reld.”

“What? The hell would they do that for?”

“I don’t know, but my bets on the Revenant we’re hunting.”

[/i]