FOREVER KNIGHTS: #13 Salvaging Souls
The Loyalties of Michaelmus

Old Michaelmus stood in the Wanted Man’s shadow watching her go. A smirk danced over his thin lips. His back straightened, and he appeared less fragile. Becoming a much younger man. Face twisting and resetting into the features of Matthew Murdoch. A peasant of LandingTown. He turned his hands over before him and witnessed the wrinkles thinning. A touch to his cheeks found the hanging jowls gone. Astounded it’d been so effortless for Radix to transform Matthew into the hapless form of Old Michaelmus.

Matthew sighed heavily.

When Meralee was no longer visible, he slowly turned and jumped at the sight before him. Matthew met the unrelenting gaze of the one he was growing to fear. Radix’s eyes shined black as a rat’s. He wore the ever-present gray cloak trimmed in white fur.

“Master Radix.”

Radix slapped him. Black ash burning the ground behind him. “You think me a fool?”

“No, sir.”

Radix tilted his head inhumanly. Jaw jerking sideways in irritation. Making the gray beard jump. “You want him to replace her. You don’t want my Cimmerii to get to her first. You reek of compassion for the girl.” Radix laughed hollowly. “You think her a mere girl. A pretty faced one, at that…You are mistaken. She is a danger to us all!”

“How could a woman be a threat to you, My Master?”

Radix scowled. “She sees things. She can sense my Cimmerii. She is beginning to sense her potential. And when she does, she could destroy all we have built!” Radix’s nose wrinkled in disgust before he continued. “She shall be one of my finest triumphs. A weapon for my army. Keep her away from that man.” Radix nodded toward the tavern.

“So, what am I to do?” Matthew was hesitant.

Radix was a blur of movement shoving Matthew’s shoulder to turn him. “Keep her from that!” His hissed. Pointing above.

Matthew peered around the corner and tilted to see rapid movement at a window on the upper level.

Lucien ejected from it and landed rolling. As he made contact with the ground there was an explosion of damp mist. Droplets splashed on Matthew’s face. And the mist became so dense that it was as impermeable as smoke.

Matthew’s breath whooshed from him as he blinked trying to see through it. A great gray wing sifted through the thick smog to cross into the sky. The wings were graceful, moving through the mist in soundless flight as a massive black shadow ascended. Matthew recognized it as the dark silhouette he’d seen back in LandingTown.

Radix fisted the hair at the back of Matthew’s head to make his gaze follow the creature when he wanted to cringe away. “Does that look like something the girl should partner with?” Radix growled. “It is time to decide your loyalties…Or who is more dangerous. I care not which motivates you.”

Matthew stared at where the image faded into the clouds. Gaze fixed and jaw hanging.

Radix’s gaze flared orange and his teeth were spined. Lips thinning back and eyes rolling into his head as he focused a moment. Knowing now precisely what to say. “That lovely trinket you acquired a pretty little bag of coin for came from him…And where there’s one, there’s more… All you need do is follow orders. Find the lair of the gray dragon.” Radix nodded upward. “Or acquire the proper bait to lure him.”

Radix made a contemptuous sound. Stalking away.

When Matthew finally turned to speak, Radix’s outline shimmered briefly before flickering out and disappearing. Gaze falling he saw the wide trail of black seared into the stones and dirt. A trail marking any path of Lord Radix.