"That guy is fast."
I muttered, already floating upward. On the rocky ground ahead, the Deathbane Wraith was racing wildly, weaving through the rubble with a speed that matched my own flight. I couldn't use too much power, for fear of alerting the Dark Banquet.
Judging by its behavior, the Deathbane Wraith seemed to want to lead me somewhere, always keeping a certain distance. When I sped up, it did too; when I slowed, it matched my pace.
I started to slow down, and sure enough, the Deathbane Wraith in front of me also reduced its speed.
I still couldn't figure out the Deathbane Wraith's intent, but I had no choice except to follow. We were already far from the city; the lights were almost out of sight.
Were we heading to the Shadowwood?
I looked at the Deathbane Wraith in front of me, a bit surprised. It turned its head, grinning with a white mouth—no eyes, just that stretched mouth smiling at me.
Gradually, I noticed the Deathbane Wraith was slowing down. It seemed we had arrived—a village. I stared in surprise as it stopped within the settlement. I drifted over and landed in front of it.
"What exactly are you?"
I asked, but the Deathbane Wraith just kept smiling, saying nothing. I wasn't sure if it could even understand, but I had to try.
This was an old, abandoned village; most things had weathered away and would crumble at a touch. The Deathbane Wraith grinned at me, and suddenly I noticed a disturbance around us. One by one, more Deathbane Wraiths leapt into the village from all directions. The one that brought me here walked over, reaching out a hand. I reached out as well. It touched my fingertip, then quickly pulled back, acting skittish and nervous.
I smiled gently, and immediately the Deathbane Wraith in front of me touched my hand again. The others drew closer, some tentatively reaching out to touch me before jumping away.
It was as if I were a wild beast and they were afraid of me. I noticed them whispering among themselves, as if communicating something.
"What are you, really? Can any of you speak? Tell me, please?"
I pressed on, but the Deathbane Wraiths either sat or crouched all around me, watching and studying me.
It had already been quite a while. I tried probing them with my Specter Web, but before it could even touch a Deathbane Wraith, they scattered like startled birds—so fast I couldn't catch a single one. All I could do was sit cross-legged and watch as they continued to observe and communicate among themselves.
I could only smile helplessly. It was getting late, and I needed to leave. There were still things to do—Basil Bertram had entrusted me with a seed, and I needed to find a place to bury it before morning, or it would be too late. This time, I planned to bury it at my house, inside the wall of my bedroom.
My home had already been thoroughly searched by the Dark Banquet. I floated up, and all the Deathbane Wraiths grinned, lifting their heads to watch me. I waved at them, and one by one, they waved back.
"Tomorrow night, then. I'll come by. Wait for me here."
With that, I sped up, turning into a streak of shadow as I flew toward the city. But in an instant, my eyes widened—a Deathbane Wraith was right beside me. It was the one I'd followed at first. It waved at me, grinning, but now its mouth began to move, as if it were speaking.