374, 90th of the harvest season, Late afternoon, entrance to former bandit-controlled mine

  A cloaked figure walked through the forest, entering the clearing that was once the entrance to the bandit camp, an emaciated man following close behind. “This is where we were set up, three hunters came and they wi-” The cloaked figure extended out an arm holding up one spindly finger, the flesh hung loose over the hand like an oversized glove. The figure stopped at the entrance to the mine and inhaled deeply. The figure crouched down, scanning the entrance to the mine with eyes of milky white. They crouched down, inspecting the ground. Deep grooves in the very dirt littered the area, along with the viscera of multiple entities. The cloaked figure ran its spindly finger through the red liquid seeping out of the viscera and raised it to where its mouth would be. A ragged, chewed tongue exited broken, cold lips between jagged, yellowed teeth. The figure inhaled, and the emaciated man spoke, “What should we do?” The cloaked figure moved its hand out, gesturing silence once more. The cloaked figure craned their head at the emaciated man; two completely white eyes stared at him. The figure began to speak in a low, gurgling voice like nails on a chalkboard, said with exuberance, “He yet lives, how enthralling a man long thought gone is back within my reach.” The emaciated man spoke, “Wh-wh-what do we do now, boss?”

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  The cloaked figure craned its head upwards. The mana in the environment shifted the cloaked figure turned its head upwards to a tree. A man with black hair and a double-breasted coat opened to reveal a white shirt partially unbuttoned, he had a low trimmed and well-groomed beard and goatee, accented by eyes with crimson irises, he said, “Yo.” The cloaked figure exclaimed in its nightmarish voice, “Ahh, Solomon, to what do I owe the pleasure?” The man dropped down from the tree, landing on the fine layer of snow in formal shoes. “Nothing much, old man, just checking in on our deal,” the cloaked figure said in response. “All proceeds well.” Solomon turned around and walked towards the treeline, but stopped. He turned his head back and said, “You gonna eat that?” The cloaked figure said, “No.” Solomon shook his head in affirmation and snapped his fingers; a spectral blade cleaved the emaciated man in two, and a flaming red mouth opened beneath the feet of what was once the emaciated man.

  He turned back and walked towards the forest and said, “Thank you for the meal.” The figure kept their eyes trained on the man called Solomon, expecting them to keep walking, but he paused and turned back to look at the cloaked figure and scratched the back of their head and closed their eyes, and said, “I wouldn't if I were you, but be seeing you real soon regardless Marw.” he turned and walked into the forest this time disappearing the cloaked figure turned and walked back the direction in which they came