Redux Three

...wailing all around, whipping up the snow in a blinding fury. Moebius was glad he was accustomed to winters up in the mountains. He thought this as he ambled down the echoing halls of the Citadel, limping slightly. His wounds had healed, leaving vicious scars behind, but he was not completely well. Perhaps a pulled tendon, he wondered and continued his search for the other Guardian he had heard about, who was somewhere here. It was only a few weeks after what Janos liked to call 'the massacre' and so far, no one had seen through Moebius' cover. Of course, the complete lack of evidence of an invading army stirred up much suspicion, especially with Vorador but no one was likely to even think that Moebius had anything to do with it. How can one measly human slaughter a whole brood of vampires, after all?

The bodies had been disposed of, the mess had been cleaned up and he had even gone to Jadwiga's funeral. It had pained him to see her again, but he resolved to not feel remorse. He had done The Right Thing. Except when he saw Janos...her elder brother...imagine the gentle vampire's wrath if he found out! Moebius felt no fear at this thought, but a detached sense of curiosity. Janos had seen the remains of the unsavory blood trade and even if he didn't suspect the motive behind the murder, he knew she had broken the Covenant. This gave the newly instated Timestreamer a cold satisfaction.

He had to walk all the way to the rear of the Citadel, where it opened upon a vast view of the lake and the dazzling white tundra beyond. Moebius spied a dark figure sitting upon the steps, black against the snow. Silently, he strode closer, startling the other Guardian, the only other human who wasn't a servant, when he sat beside him. He jumped but did not acknowledge his visitor. He only continued to stare blankly out at the horizon.

Moebius could see that the other was younger, maybe fifteen or sixteen; a pale boy with feathery black hair who looked like he didn't eat enough. He was wrapped in a red robe too big for him and it only added to his gaunt appearance. For a long time, neither said anything and watched the snow pile up against the Citadel wall.

"You're going to want to leave soon," the other Guardian said in a disturbingly deep and sepulchral voice.

"What's your name?" Moebius asked, ignoring the warning.

"Mortanius. You're a Guardian too?" the boy replied.

"Yes. Of time, I'm told."

"Can you tell the future?"

"Sometimes."

Here the conversation paused and Moebius got the sense that the other Guardian was listening intently for something...but what could be heard over the screaming of the wind? Disturbed by the whole situation and put off by the boy's intense manner, Moebius decided he needed to speak up.

"So why should I want to leave soon?" he ventured.

"A few days ago I was sitting around thinking of home..." Mortanius replied gravely, "and I happened to think of my dog."

"So what?"

"I thought too hard. I felt the...the connection...so now he's coming here."

"Impressive," Moebius chuckled.

"My dog's been dead for three years."

For one of the few times in his life, Moebius was speechless. He followed Mortanius' gaze across the landscape and to his horror, saw a small black figure near the horizon, the only feature on the field of snow. For a frozen eternity, neither said anything, all the while watching the tiny dot grow larger and larger until it disappeared into the lake.

"You're not afraid?" Mortanius finally asked.

"It will be the first zombie dog I've ever seen," Moebius forced a laugh, "but no. I'm not afraid." He saw the hint of a smile on the youth's face. " I'll help you rebury him."

"Okay."

Moebius rose only once, to retrieve a shovel. An hour passed and when the monstrosity finally

emerged, he made Mortanius look away as he bashed in the creature's skull. Unfortunately the ground was too frozen to be broken up for a proper grave so they threw the carcass into the lake with great ceremony.

"Will you tell me something Moebius?" the Necromancer asked as they walked back to the warmth of the Citadel.

"Of course."

"Right now, everything is in the pits," Mortanius let out a haggard sigh, "I've seen and done horrible things. I don't know what's going on and I want to know if things will always be like this."

Moebius concentrated for a moment and then replied.

"Pretty much."

Laughing, they entered the Citadel. Compared to the blazing white outside, the foyer was murky and dark and hazy...he couldn't see...