The Reaper's Wicked Obsession

The person behind the curtain was a woman, not just any woman, but a mannfae.

Her long, golden blonde hair was fanned out on the sheets, hands placed together on her abdomen.

Her porcelain skin was beyond pale, and her lips were the same color.

These were all clear signs.

"She’s dead!" He declared in shock.

"This was a waste of time," Kraven growled, stepping forward.

"But..." Orric continued, his eyes scrutinizing her closely. "What wonder is this?" He added, baffled as he faced the two men who paused and awaited answers.

"How long has she been like this?

"Three moons and more."

"May the gods bless my soul," he said, sitting on the bed. "May I?" He asked, facing Kraven, he had a feeling he should before trying anything.

"You may," Kraven replied, arms folded. It was written all over his face, just how intolerant he was, and it took everything to wait for the skin weaver to diagnose without attempting to drag him out.

Orric released a sharp exhale, his hands moving in signs. "Why have you not buried her yet? I ask this not to be rude and doubt your decisions to keep her here."

Logi faced Kraven, and seeing how extremely concentrated he was, he chose to answer. "She’s a skin weaver."

Orric’s features paled in complexion. ’A mannfae capable of weaving?’

"There was a time she overused her abilities. She slept for a moon, so we thought—"

"Thought? Dear gods, she looks clearly dead."

"Something tells me you don’t believe that either," Kraven said.

"Anyone else would have buried her, but it seems you’re so gripped by denial you keep her in this room," Orric replied.

He shifted his gaze to Kraven in particular, deeply convinced this man was the reason this poor girl hadn’t been laid to rest.

Normally, he would have called him insane for doing such a brutal thing, he still thought him insane. However, his actions might have actually been meaningful to a point.

"A dead body would have reeked by now and begun decomposing. But this child shows nothing of that; she looks dead, and yet strangely her soul is still intact."

His red weave materialized from his fingertips and drifted into her forehead and the other onto her chest.

"How is this possible?" he murmured.

"What we need from you is a way to wake her up," Logi said.

"My weaves won’t do anything," Orric confessed, as he retreated his weaves, eyes sad.

He knew nothing of this girl, yet he felt sorry for her. This fate was worse than death. "Even if I tried to heal her condition, it wouldn’t have any effect. I can only prolong this state."

"What do you mean?" Kraven clutched his collar and forced the man to his feet. "Prolong what?"

"I see," Orric said sadly. "The other skin weavers couldn’t figure it out."

"What?!" Kraven seethed to his face.

"Her soul is within an empty shell. It’s only a matter of time until that flicker of life fades. I can only extend her time to a week, but after that, there’s nothing I can do. Daudi will come for her soul."

~♧~

Logi and Orric stepped outside the inn after the devastating news. But thanks to him, Isadora had little time.

Logi knew Kraven wouldn’t give up, despite this. He didn’t want to, either. But so far, it has been a long, exhausting battle.

He wanted Isadora to have her peace, and Orric’s diagnosis gave them the closure they needed, even though they wouldn’t admit it.

"Thank you, Orric," Logi said with a small smile on his lips.

"Of course, Logi. It’s the least I can do for an old friend."

"You were the last person we could turn to, even though it wasn’t the result we needed."

"The girl will die, Logi. I tell you this as a friend you once knew."

Logi swallowed hard. "I want to accept that truth, I really do."

"Then why haven’t you? Doing this will only hurt more . Daudi will come for her soul, and when that happens, she should be laid to rest," he reasoned.

He hoped he could appeal to Logi, who seemed to be in the right mind to make clear decisions.

"I want that too. I may be the only reasonable person because Kraven will not accept it, no matter what. I’ve seen the look in his eyes. He’s not willing to let go."

Orric exhaled sharply.

"Trust me, he’s not the only one who refused to let fate run its course." Logi’s eyes grew wistful as he thought of Marek. freewёbnoνel.com

"I want to be a better friend and tell him that, a week from now, we should lay her to rest. The gods have decided. But I’m not because no matter how reasonable I am, I refuse to believe I’ll lose her forever."

"What are you asking of me?"

"Please tell me if there is anything you have left out, anything at all that can help."

"Unfortunately, there is none."

"I lost someone. Someone very dear to me," Logi began.

Even now, he couldn’t get the image of a dead Marek out of his head. It was something that would live with him forever. "I can’t lose her either."

Orric nodded in understanding, looking up to the skies with his hands behind his back. "There is something, but it’s just a lost hope. I don’t want to say this, but I can’t bear this pitiful situation."

"What is it?" Logi asked desperately.

"There is someone called the Witch."

"The Witch?" Logi blinked, then huffed. "When I asked for help, I didn’t mean fairytales. She’s a myth!"

"A myth, yes. Because she wants to be."

"Are you saying she’s real?"

"Yes, and I have seen her. I don’t know what I saw, but I did," he said with a glimmer in his gray eyes, and it proved to Logi he wasn’t just making some random jest.

"When?"

"A hundred winters ago, when the Grim Isle was plagued with a disease. She was there."