The night settled over the marsh, heavy with damp air and the low drone of unseen creatures. The group made camp, trying to ignore the corpses floating in the marsh nearby. Crow had stripped the four local brutes of any valuables and left their bodies out to float in the dark water. Thalora seemed on high alert, watching Talus from the shelter of her hammock. She shivered and hugged herself tighter as if suddenly aware of the crisp chill of the night breeze.
A small flickering flame hung suspended in midair between them, casting jagged shadows across the reeds. Crow tugged off his soaking boots, causing his hammock to rock haphazardly.
"Looks like we have ourselves a change of plans. The local shot caller will be keeping an eye out for Thalora. So, we can't go back there. No big loss, I forget what the town's even called and we've met up with her anyway. Just means a bit of a longer trek before we can shrug off our loot. It ain't an all bad way of doing things. Might get us a better price for weapons and trinkets in a place without every grave rat trying to do the same thing," Crow said, breaking the silence. He grumbled under his breath to add more while scratching at his thick salt and pepper beard.. "I'm just going to have to resign myself to growing moss on my boots at this stage. Look, I'll grovel if you want, Thalora. Just dry me off before I start growing mushrooms."
"Oh? The great Crow, grave rat of the highest echelons and scavenger of the finest trash, felled by a little water?" Thalora said with a mocking sigh. "Tragic, really. I'll get to that in a minute after we establish our plan for tomorrow. We can head on over to the next town bordering the marsh. We can be there by next evening dusk at the latest. Now I'm once again of official Arcane Council business, I can secure us airship passage to the capital. All expenses included, of course."
" Haha. Thinking about getting drunk again already, Thalora? A couple of days' sobriety should do you some good," Crow said, interrupting her drifting thoughts.
"Just for that, you can stay wet for the night, Crow. It will do you a world of good. Can't be having you grow too comfortable with me, a Magi, now, can we?" Thalora snapped, crossing her arms and throwing his words right back at him. Crow didn't say a word, merely pouting his lips with exaggerated sadness.
Thalora rolled her eyes but finally relented under the pitiful expression, raising one hand and forming a glowing, vertical square in the air. The translucent shape pulsed a dull red as heat gathered inside. With a flick of her fingers, the structure spun once before dispersing into a warm wave of air that engulfed the camp.
A low bass hum rumbled beneath the spell, like distant embers stirring to life. The warmth spread out in a slow ripple, evaporating the moisture clinging to everyone's clothes. Crow sighed in relief as the last of the dampness left his skin, deeply massaging the sole of his foot.
"Ahh, you've got my gratitude, Thalora," Crow said, stretching out his legs in the hammock.
Talus, sitting a few feet away, observed the Magi cast her spell with mild interest. It was the first time he had ever experienced being dry in the Mortal Realm. The heat passed over his cool indifference. Strangely, he got the faintest impression that his body approved of the warmth. A Human might even call the feeling comfort.
"Don't get used to it." Thalora scoffed, leaning back in her hammock.
A brief silence settled over their camp. The marsh was alive with sound in comparison. Rippling water, distant croaks, the occasional splash of something moving beneath the surface to nibble on the floating bodies. Talus tilted his head, listening. The stillness of his posture was unnatural and unnerving to the others, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
"Humans waste so much time," Talos murmured.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Crow replied, glancing at him. He interrupted picking at his blackened fingernails with a dagger to look up. Talus vaguely gestured to Thalora, who was already starting to lightly daze off.
"If you Humans didn't need sleep, we would already be where we need to go."
"You saying you don't sleep?-Or, that you're not Human?" Crow chuckled. Talus did not answer, only watching the arcane light flicker across the stagnant water. The moment of quiet stretched, broken only by the occasional buzz of insects.
"These bugs are really starting to grate on my nerves," Thalora complained, stirring from sleep and slapping at her arm with a frustrated grunt.
She extended a hand and traced a spinning square in the air, infusing it with a bright yellow glow. A sharp, discordant hum like distant crackling static filled the air. The square pulsed once before breaking apart to scatter and disperse. The energy fanned out around her hammock in a barely visible web, emphasised by tiny arcs of light flickering like miniature lightning strikes.
The first mosquito that drifted into the radius met an immediate, sizzling end. The next was caught mid-flight by a crackling thread of energy. Flashes routinely illuminated Crow's face as he watched the light show with envy.
"Oh, so you get a bug zapper, but we're left to fend for ourselves?" Crow muttered, causing Thlora to smirk in satisfaction..
"Be thankful I'm letting you stay dry," Thalora retorted in a sleepy mumble, rolling over in her hammock. She ignored them to pull her cloak tighter around her and went back into the land of dreams.
Talus said nothing, he simply watched the marsh. His expression was unreadable as deep shadows reflected in his haunting violet eyes. A mosquito landed on his face, creepily crawling up his unreactive cheek and onto his unblinking eyeball. A moment later, something unperceived moved, and the insect was perfectly bisected in half, dropping into the water. One of his shade protectors slaughtered the tiny offending creature. A similar scene repeated itself, unnoticed by his companions. Insects that drew too close or dared touch his skin were summarily executed.