Jzhan fell beneath the horizon, Morlo knew. His strength increased with the gathering darkness. The light called Praesul, the far star or "public dancer" as mudurudu, the copper bloods called it. His hand twisted the key, releasing the spell sealing this new resting place. Normally, he slept nude on the mix of earth and his birthing blood. This time, necessity forced him into his fitful slumber clothed. Crafting the enchantment that bound the elven smith's bones and spirit as guardian for him cost far too much time.
Glancing down, his eyes noted soft purple fire. The glowing orb, crafted from crystal, that ruled the automata he created. Automata he hoped would rule the night. Already, they proved able to withstand the day. Which allowed him to walk under the sun, even if not in his own flesh.
Asakku, his folk called him. Abomination. Selling his kugshedu for power. Tossing aside all other virtues to expand his knowledge, blending necromancy with metal working. All sins, all beyond redemption.
He laughed, rising slowly. A necessity created by the warring wills of a small earth demon and his enslaved esemtu, the animated bones of the elf. Still the elf desired keeping him locked away, preventing the deaths of others. "You cannot help fighting, fool. You will never win, though. Your Girpadu are now locked by Dur-Anki! The bonds of heaven and earth." The bones obeyed, the skull turned on him as he rose. "Yes, now you hate. That is the bond of fire. You might break one bond, but not all of them."
Laughing the vampire climbed from his chest, admiring again the beauty of the craftsman's hand. "Splendid work. So perfect. So eloquently detailed. Even with that book I found by your desk, that translation left with your wife, your pride drove you to make your own doom." Turning, observing the closing chest, he noted the skull still watching him, jaw moving. "Yes, I entered your home. Be thankful. Your wife had another in the bed you share with her. A human. I did you a favor, avenging your honor, before seeing to your binding." Dusting off his clothes, he chuckled. "Yes, so perfect that your wife lay with that human slave boy, raised in your own household. I mingled their fate, leaving them free to rise without a lord."
Skeletal fingers curled into fists, still forcing the lid shut. Morlo almost admired the ability of the mudurdu, fighting iron enchantments to express its anger. The eyes blazed rich purple power, then died as the shedu within stopped fighting. Hints of emerald sparks danced before darkness claimed those sockets.
"So easy, you raising that boy as an elf, keeping his placenta, having kept your own yolk-sacs." The skull canted an inquisitive angle. "Yes, I found those jars, all three. How else could I bind one such as you, of the race unable to be enchanted or mesmerized." At the back of the wagon, as demanded, the door was unsecured from without. Opening it, he looked back once more. "Now to enlighten my dear old friend Salius that he shall transport me willingly." Laughing, he departed, leaving the door open. After a few moments, a soft maroon aura bathed the skeleton, until it lay back into the grooves the flesh it wore crafted to hold them.
The vampire walked brazen, looking up at the blood red sky, eternal dusty haze catching the last bits of Jzhun's radiance above. A fog preventing most stars showing until deepest night. Barely on the southern horizon, Sigu-Ud, the far star, dimmed by angle and dust, gave its soft purple glow. This being spring, the Necromancer's Star would ride that horizon for nigh half the dark night to come. A truly dark night, for the jzhun sailed amid the Abba-Anna, the bright sea in the heavens. It would hide as well during the eclipse to come, leaving her opposite, A-Aukuga, the dark waters, to rule the night. So near to perfect this passage came.
He smiled, this Gub-Gizzu, passing of the shadow, he would be free to walk most hours, bound down only by the Igi-Gun-Gun, the flashing eyes of the sky-rabbit. Glancing once more to his guiding star, the Sigu-Ud, he smiled. Public Dancer indeed, he thought.
Around him, voices hushed as dusk fell. Shalemtu-Shahar, this was his time, from the setting of Jzhun until it rose again. Hours of darkness, shadows and demons. He laughed, striding rapidly towards the bulk he knew so well from his last passage across this desert.
"Silim-ma Salius-mu!" His voice startled the lord of the caravans. Eyes of many turned to him, none friendly, for his grey cast skin marked him as of the drinker's of souls, the Nag-shedu in his folk's tongue, another, less fortunate name among the mudurdu.
"Hirudo! I might have known that chest to be your coffin, leech." Salio trembled with a rage the vampire savored the scent of.
"Yes. Once more, your own code of honor binds you to carry me. Admittedly, this was an underhanded way, but you surely recognized those servants as mine." Seeing the shock on the elf's face, Morlo laughed freely. "Oh, Salius. You have indeed become a fading star, walking into this Gub-Gizzu."
Two men stood with the Plaustri-Dom. "Ah, Morlo, my old friend. So good to see you."
"Raish. Tahath. So, we meet again. Seeking still to create the Knife of Flesh and Shadows?" Morlo smiled, knowing the assassins followed the same tenets he did.
The taller of the two smiled, as the shorter one squirmed a bit at that news being aired. "Yes, Morlo. You know this is the moment for its creation. And such a dagger for you and I to wield." The Domorushtuun raised both hands above him, towards Jzhan's last gleamings on the sky. "Soon, in the sands of earth and fire, it shall be finished, honed by the waters of the Seranarum, the great river of the forge. Quenched in those waters, polished with the grit and air by those waters." Hands dropped to his side, eyes meeting Morlo's. "Yes, we forge your weapon, from earth of the Last Arbiter's Stones."
Morlo felt his smile fade. "Last Arbiter? Truly? Does not other prophecies speak of a new line to come?"
Tahath hissed, apparently unaware of the other prophecies. "I told you, Raish. It was too good to be true." Casting his gaze sideways to the drinker of souls, he shook as he spoke. "There are prophets in all the peoples. Each speaking of their rise. So what prophecy denies us our place?"
Morlo waved his hands, softly answering so no others would think it more than an old rivalry renewed. "The greatest of the Arbiters is said to have spoken of the Blind-Who-Still-Sees lifting out some scion or descendant to rise as the new leader of the Usumgal."
"All the Usumgal, or just the Sharush?" Tahath's eyes bulged as he realized he spoke too much.
"That is the true question. Prophecies are so vague. I prefer to force them to my hand, much as Raish shall, I am sure." Morlo closed the distance between them all, grabbing the caravan master's arm. "You will not deny my passage, or those of my servants with your sister. Hear me, Salius. For you have a dark day ahead you must protect against."
Tearing his bicep free, the Mercator rubbed the rising bruise the undead beast's grip raised there already. "Nothing will stop me from breaking my word with scum like you, Hirudo."
"Yes, Insult me by naming me leech all you wish. But I leave an unmastered one behind in the city to rise soon. Keep me close, and you might be able to dispatch a fast rider back here, bearing news of their grave."
Eyes narrowing, shifting warily between his three most distasteful customers, the numen whispered. "Their grave? More than one?"
"See, already you have something from me. You know my pride. I am sure you will twist more from my words, perhaps enough to save the day. But if not, a true abomination shall rise. Not an Asakku, as my folk call me, but perhaps the most feared thing you mudurdu." He paused, sniffing deeply the fear stink boiling off the fat elf's flesh. "One of your own come back from the dead, clothed still in the flesh of their last life, not the next."
"You speak of the Animae Erere, the Erynes." Now rage began to heat Salius blood. His olive skin darkened, Morlo laughing as the elf controlled himself. "You dared that evil?"
Waving off the merchant lord, Morlo scowled. "There is little I do not dare, fool. Go, warn your city the curse I leave behind them waits. Perhaps they shall get lucky, and find that pitiful smith." Lips curling up, Morlo released one last tidbit. "Or the grave his wife and adopted human son lay in, still locked in forbidden lust they consumated as I drained their blood and bound their souls to undeath."
Decimus Urias Salius stormed off, seeking to digest this news. Perhaps spread it. The fear and anger would cloud his judgement, and that of those around him as it spread. Morlo smiled, turning to his allies.
"Dangerous. What if they find the graves." Raish met Morlo's eyes firmly. He embraced the darkness and evil. Tahath turned away from both, angry at the deception by his friend.
"Oh, I left many graves. Many to rise ten and three sunsets after my feasting on them." Smiling, he nodded at the raised eyebrow the assassin gave him. "Yes. Many. All easy to find. But the one I spoke of, that one I hid better than where the last jar of my birthing blood earth lies." Morlo laughed at the fierce grin the killer gave him.
"Very good. I admit, we still seek the flesh of the mountains." Raish shrugged. "But that will be found soon. The haruspix said I would find it after meeting you again."
"Lu-galgak, you should have been named. The reflective man, for your thoughts are deep." Morlo nodded to him.
"E-kur, house which is like the mountain. That is what the damned haruspice said." His glare ended the laughter. "I still say it could be one of our folk from the temples, those Lorsans who build ziggarut houses, or some dweller of a cave. He insists it is a stone banda-ugun." The word of their language for the dwarves let them all think long.
Morlo broke the silence. "We shall think it over. He could be right, but this is the place. That all prophecies say."
Raish, sobered, turned to his fried. "Tab-Tahath, I wronged you." Bowing his head, the assassin pressed right fist into his left palm before his chest. "We shall seek some counsel to confirm which it is. Forgive my arrogance. You are correct to doubt when all goes well." Smiling as he raised his face. "But let us also pray our foes' plans also suffer setbacks."
"You secured your passage already?" Inspecting his tunic once more for dust, the vampire used the motions to look for prey nearby. Several prospects noted his gaze, scampering for cover. More did not. Two returned his gaze openly, inviting his visit, perhaps.
"Yes. I worry he will back out though." Tahath spoke for Raish, who noted the surreptitious hunting of his friend, following his gaze, wondering if some fool would make odds on who succumbed to the undead in their midst.
"Salius is too honest for that. Prides himself on always holding a contract." One girl swooned under his gaze, another hustled away by a worried matron.
"He broke one two days ago. The Roshen let men out of their contracts, so he fired them all, no cause given." Raish noted the lips being licked, as the drinker of souls and blood followed the hurried hiding of the girl. He passed the information lightly, knowing the hunt did not truly distract his ally at this point. Later, things would be different. "Tasting that freedom, he may back out."
Morlo smiled. "No. Other friends of mine have arranged to back this fool into a financial corner. He needs every drachma and obol he can get. He may even squeeze vittles out, if he feels the need." Looking back to his allies, he nodded. "I think I shall see to my servants, ensure they did as told, then seek a meal."
"Forgive me, if I don't join your repast." Raish's laughter was light. Lives mattered little to one paid to end them.
Morlo tossed him a rude hand gesture, moving off to rest his mind before hunting.
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