AN: Whew, better get this uploaded before the migraine sets in. Just one more chapter to go! This fic has been fun and interesting to write, so I hope it has been the same to read. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 12:

Despite the aches and pains, despite the heaviness in his limbs, Drayce felt comfortable. And warm. A place where he was safe. It would be so easy for him to go back to sleep. Yet, a nagging feeling was pulling him to wake up.

"Drayce?"

Not to mention a familiar voice calling to him.

It took all of Drayce's strength to force his eyes to open. He allowed his head to roll to the side, where a blurry figure appeared. Though his vision was impaired, he recognised the one next to him immediately. "Ash?'

"You're awake." Ashton sounded relieved. "How do you feel?"

With his eyesight clearing, Drayce furrowed his brow as he turned his attention to his surroundings. "Where-?"

"You're home now," Ashton interjected, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

His bed. In his room at the Crescentia. The room was dark, lit by a couple of candles and the moon through the windows.

Drayce lolled his head toward Ashton once more. "What happened? Did I make everyone worry again?"

"Shashi told us everything."

Shashi?

The memories of what occurred at the museum, the two smug men forcing Drayce to hand himself over to them under the threat of another wendigo attack. How he had to leave Shashi behind, unknowing if he could be used and threatened in another way. How he was shoved into a carriage and promptly knocked out to ensure his 'compliance'.

"Shashi?" Drayce sat up straight in bed. "Is he alright?"

"I'm right here. I'm fine."

Drayce looked over to the door of his room, where the very Sigil expert stood. He breathed a visible sigh of relief as Shashi walked into his room and moved toward the other side of his bed. "Ah, I'm glad. And the curator?"

Shashi sat down onto the edge of the bed, just like Ashton. "Egar is taking care of the museum."

Uttering a tired sigh, Drayce nodded his head before he took a moment to make himself comfortable being in a seated position. But as he placed some of his weight on his left arm, a streak of pain caused him to wince. And to immediately pull his hand back, to look down at it. Thick, white bandages wrapped tightly around his forearm greeted him, held in place with a small bobby pin.

Oh, right. He remembered now. Nukpana had stabbed him. Right through the arm. To get his blood, adding it to the cauldron.

Why he needed Drayce's blood specifically for the ritual to summon the dreaded Matchitehew's wraith, he had no idea. Terence had said it was because of Drayce's royal blood, which made him wonder if he had initially had his eye on young Ramus, only to realise that his security was too much of a hassle.

He was glad that Ramus wasn't dragged into the mess with him.

Still, Drayce's royal blood couldn't be the true reason. Though, he couldn't rule out the notion that they chose him to spite the Legendary Dragoon in some way.

"No permanent damage was done to your arm, thankfully," Ashton revealed, pulling Drayce from his jumbled musings. "Fiorello will want to keep an eye on it, however. He also wants you to take some medicine to ensure that it doesn't become infected."

Fair enough. Who knows what was on that knife. Kyrell must have done a good job cleaning the injury.

"Wait, Kyrell?" Drayce snapped his head up and looked straight at Ashton. "Where did he-?

"We don't know," Ashton said, shaking his head. "From what Blayke tells us, he literally handed you over to Zohar, told them where the cauldron could be found. And then left." He paused as a peculiar look of curiosity appeared on his face. "He was the one who protected you?"

Drayce nodded. "He was."

He…didn't want to think about what could have happened if Kyrell hadn't been there. Nukpana's fury upon realising that he had mistakenly summoned the spirit of Diandre instead of the dreaded Matchitehew was frightening. Furious was an understatement.

If…if Kyrell hadn't been there, he would have been left to deal with Nukpana's rage alone.

And if Raven wasn't…

Drayce abruptly shook his head and turned his gaze to the sigil specialist that sat on the edge of his bed. "Shashi?"

Shashi tilted his head to the side. "Yes, what is it?"

"Ravenous. It's real. I saw it."

Shashi reeled his head back in surprise, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes. He's Kyrell's partner," Drayce began. "He was the one that…defeated Nukpana and his followers. I don't know what happened exactly. His followers were scared off, I think. And Nukpana…he no longer exists, I assume."

If the legends about Ravenous were true.

"Drayce." Ashton rested a hand on Drayce's shoulder, leaning forward slightly to look straight into his eyes. "What happened?"

Good question. Nothing he had to say was sure to ease Ashton's protective instincts, so best to just launch into it. "I'll start from when I woke up in the labyrinth."

He closed his eyes as he allowed the words to simply fall from his lips. He spoke of how Nukpana first appeared to him. How happy he was to see him. How his followers, dressed in their robes, did his bidding willingly, not a single threat of violence. How the Book of Shadows awoke and stared at him.

He explained the moment when the spirit of Chevell appeared, utterly furious at having his skull and amulet used in such a vile ritual. How Nukpana had dragged him toward the cauldron. And how he stabbed him through the arm.

He spoke of how Kyrell had appeared, boldly walking into the scene. How the black smoke turned a brilliant blue. How Kyrell had laughed and mocked Nukpana for the mistake of freeing the trapped soul of Diandre instead. He winced through the explanation of how Nukpana had screeched about someone called Sephtis, and how he was going to…possess Drayce in some manner.

He carefully retold how little Raven, the black blob that had willingly played fetch with Faelen and Nashoba had turned into Ravenous, causing the world to tremble at his mere presence.

And he spoke of how Kyrell had done whatever was necessary to ensure that he didn't witness the scene of Ravenous in battle.

He also told Ashton and Shashi what Kyrell had said to him. How he would never do anything to harm him.

After he finished explaining everything he knew and understood, Ashton's eyes narrowed slightly. "Sephtis…?"

"Book of Shadows." Shashi sighed and pressed his hand against his forehead in dismay. "Just as I had feared."

Drayce nodded, not surprised that Shashi knew of the tome. "Yeah, Nukpana had it. But where did he get it?"

"From what I understand, Terence was the one who discovered it. In the museum of all places." He uttered another sigh in pure exasperation. "Some blathering fool left the Book of Shadows at the museum. In the same building as the Blood Cauldron. Those two should have been sealed in separate locations."

That was a great oversight.

However, it had been about a thousand years. Memories fade, families who may have known about the Blood Cauldron, about the Book of Shadows, were replaced by descendants who didn't truly understand the horrors the two relics contained. Perhaps passed around, from family to family. Becoming lost and forgotten.

It was understandable.

Still, he needed to ensure that such a mistake didn't happen again.

"The tome is sentient. It likely fled when Ravenous appeared."

Shashi quickly turned to look at him, slightly alarmed. "Sentient?"

Drayce nodded his head grimly. "Yeah. There was an eye on the front cover. It…opened when Nukpana started the ritual."

He would never forget how chilling and cold that shiver that raced up his spine was when that bloodshot eye looked directly at him.

"What happened with everyone else?" Drayce asked, desperate to forget that dreaded tome. "Are they ok?"

"They're fine. They've returned to their rooms, under much protest, though I do imagine they're not getting much sleep," Shashi explained.

And Ashton added on to that. "After you were returned to us, Blayke led a team into the labyrinth to inspect the clearing Kyrell spoke off. They found the cauldron, and a wooden podium. But that was all. So, they alerted Egar, who in turn sent guards to secure the area. Egar wishes for you to return to the area and be the one to issue orders on what should be done with the cauldron."

Drayce blinked. "Me?" He uttered a sigh shortly after. "Makes sense, I guess."

What should he do with the cauldron? Returning it to the museum wasn't the best idea. But he felt that it was too dangerous to be held in the vaults of the Council Hall. Too close to Ramus. He couldn't, wouldn't risk having Ramus so close to such an abhorrent relic.

They may need to find a Shaman willing to help seal the cauldron away. Maybe Syrik could introduce him to one, as he seemed to have quite a few items that were blessed by shamans in his stock. As much as he was against damaging ancient artifacts, perhaps it would be best to destroy the cauldron or tome. Finding the latter won't be easy, though.

"The site. What did it look like?"

Shashi tilted his head to the side questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Drayce idly trailed his fingertips over the bandage on his arm, struggling to find the words. "When Ravenous appeared, Kyrell wouldn't allow me to…see, or hear what happened. Nukpana. Was he…still there?"

Shashi didn't immediately answer. He shared a brief glance with Ashton, the two sharing a silent conversation. Eventually, he turned his attention back to Drayce. And frowned. "…From what I understand, only the cauldron was discovered in the clearing. And a strange mark on the ground. As if something had been…scorched."

Scorched…

"I see." Drayce dropped his gaze down to the blankets folded over his lap. "Nukpana really is gone. For good."

Gone. Not just dead. Removed from existence. He couldn't fathom it. Completely incomprehensible. What kind of crimes had Nukpana committed? How many laws had he broken to earn such punishment? Was he truly irredeemable?

He sighed. Too late for him to muse about it now, he supposed.

Shashi pulled him out of his musings by gently patting his leg. "We'll work out what to do with the cauldron tomorrow. For now, there is someone who needs to speak with you."

Drayce blinked as both Shashi and Ashton took to their feet and moved toward the bed. He had assumed that Ashton would be lingering nearby to keep a very protective eye on him. He was the staunch caretaker of the guild, after all. And especially over him.

But as the two moved toward the door, and another figure stepped through a moment later, he immediately understood why.

"Zohar?" Drayce asked as the necromancer closed the door to his room. "Are you ok?"

Zohar turned away from the door, a lightly amused expression on his face. "That is a question that I should be asking you."

Ok, fair. But if there was anyone who was the most affected by recent events next to Drayce himself, it would be Zohar.

Drayce pulled back the blankets and slipped his legs out of bed. "My ailments are physical, mostly. But you seem to be struggling with something internally."

Zohar's expression stoic as he stared at him, and after a moment of silence, he uttered a sigh. "I feel as though I could have prevented this." He turned toward him; his eyes apologetic. "If…If I had been honest with you from the beginning…"

Drayce shook his head. "It's ok. I'm sorry. For being nosy. I just…"

They fell into an awkward silence after that, the two of them lost to their own thoughts. And feelings of guilt and self-reflection.

"Curiosity," Zohar said suddenly. "It is the trait of a treasure hunter."

Drayce had to smile. "There's no denying that."

Zohar walked over to him, to stand before him. And to gently take him by the chin so that he could look into his eyes. "What happened to you?"

For the second time that night, Drayce uttered a sigh before he quickly relayed what he had endured in the labyrinth. From start to finish, from the best of his recollection. He…left the part out about Ravenous, however. That was something that needed to be touched upon carefully.

After he was done, Zohar stood silently before him. Taking a few moments to fully understand and process everything he had revealed. And though his expression was stoic, Drayce would all but sense the guilt he felt.

"Does it bother you?" Drayce asked softly, unconsciously cradling his injured arm against his chest. "That Kyrell was the one who…?"

"A little," Zohar admitted. "I am quite abysmal at protection, it seems."

Again, Drayce shook his head, yet more vehemently this time. "It's not your fault. No one could have predicted something like this."

Zohar wasn't entirely convinced. "Perhaps," he said, dismissively, before he placed his hand upon Drayce's shoulder, once again looking into his eyes. "Is there something else?"

Drayce looked down at the floor for a moment. There was. Quite a few things, actually. Truthfully, he was reluctant to say anything more. What he had seen, what he had learnt would be utterly shocking to him. It didn't feel right just blurting it out.

But, if he wanted Zohar to be more open with him, it was his duty to be honest with him in return. It was only right.

"You know of Ravenous, don't you?"

Zohar appeared surprised, which was understandable. He didn't answer immediately either, likely musing silently about how much Drayce had learnt of the world of necromancy. Through interacting with other people.

"Of course," he finally answered, cautiously.

"So, Kyrell…" he hesitated again, truly at a loss for words. "Raven is Ravenous. And he is his companion wraith."

Zohar abruptly pulled back his hand and took a half step back, shock blatant on his face. "…What?"

His reaction wasn't surprising at all.

"I saw it. Saw him." Drayce quickly took a step forward, so he was the one who stood directly in front of Zohar. And he was the one who looked straight into his eyes. "But don't worry, he's not a threat to you or anything. He has no reason to. You haven't done anything wrong, right?"

Zohar shook his head, almost in disbelief. "How can you be so certain?"

"There are no markings on you," Drayce firmly pointed out. "When a necromancer commits a crime, breaks the rules of necromancy, the sin is written upon their skin, right? Even if you had committed a sin, it can be worked off through acts of redemption. So, you don't need to be worried."

Kyrell said that he would never do anything to harm him. And Drayce believed him. The sincerity, the determination in his voice and the gentleness of his touch as he carried him; he wasn't lying. There was no way anyone could be that deceptive.

And he knew that Drayce would never sit back and allow anyone to harm Zohar, or any of his guild, for any reason.

"I won't let anything happen," he added, pleadingly.

Zohar was understandably torn, conflicted between being fearful at the thought, the knowledge that Ravenous actually existed, to believing him in his assessment that he wasn't in any danger. It felt to Drayce that he truly wanted to believe him. He truly did.

But a seed of doubt wouldn't allow him to be comforted.

It wasn't a surprise, honestly. Zohar would know all the stories regarding Ravenous. He would have a much better idea what that being was capable of. It was understandable that he was hesitant and reluctant. It would take more than a few words from Drayce to reassure him.

Drayce dropped his gaze to the floor once more, unconsciously toying with the bandages around his arm. Tonight, probably wasn't the best time to ask Zohar a question that had been troubling him. Even more than the knowledge that the ancient god of Ravenous existed.

But…he was feeling needy.

"Zohar, Kyrell also told me that…" he hesitated again, his gaze still turned toward the floor. "That necromancers are usually born by the interference of others. Like…murder or sacrifice. You-?"

"Yes," Zohar interjected suddenly, surprisingly. "I was murdered some years ago."

Drayce snapped his head up, staring wide-eyed at Zohar as his breath suddenly hitched in his throat. He felt as though he had been punched in the chest. He must have looked as faint as he felt as Zohar suddenly reached out to wrap his arms around him, cradling him against his chest as he helped him to sit down on the edge of his bed.

Drayce grabbed at the collar of Zohar's jacket. "What? Who-?"

Zohar shook his head slowly. "I do not know."

"What?"

"Yes, I did not see my murderer's face," Zohar revealed as he pulled back, gently dislodging Drayce's grip on his clothing. Parting from him only so he could sit down next to him. "Hm. And here I am, aiding in murder investigations when I cannot solve my own."

Drayce pivoted from where his sat to look directly at Zohar once more. "That's…the reason why you endure these investigations, isn't it?"

"One of the reasons, yes."

Murdered. He was murdered. Someone…someone had…

"But, you-?"

"I'm alive," Zohar affirmed vehemently. "I died for several minutes, yes. But I returned. I made a soul pact with a wraith. With Theodore, who is an ancient ancestor of my lineage. I walk the thin line between life and death, but I am what you call alive."

Theodore was his ancestor? A family member…

Suddenly, Zohar took his hand in his, and gently guided him to rest his palm against the left side of his bare chest.

"See? My heart still beats, and the blood still flows through my veins."

Drayce stared at his hand pressed against Zohar's chest. He felt his warmth, the gentle pulse of his heartbeat against the palm of his hand. A heartbeat. The sound and the gentle pulse of life.

He pushed forward suddenly, to press himself against Zohar's chest, his head nuzzled under his chin. Zohar immediately wrapped his arms around him in return; one arm across his shoulders, the other around his waist. All encompassing. Warm and comforting.

"…Thank goodness," Drayce whispered, turning his head slightly to press his ear against his chest.

"Necromancers are…frightening beings, I suppose," Zohar said as he kept his arms around him. "It may have been best if you didn't know."

"No."

"Hm?" Zohar uttered in surprise.

Drayce pulled back from Zohar's chest, only enough to rest his hands against his chest and look straight at him. "No, I want to know. I want to know more. About you. I want to know you. As a person. Not a necromancer."

Once more, Zohar gazed at him silently, his expression unreadable. He sighed in defeated as he pulled him close again, resting his cheek atop of Drayce's head. "…I truly have no defence against you. It's frightening, how strong this is. This pull you have on me. For now, though, let's leave it be. You've seen and endured enough. I will be more forthcoming in the future."

"Ok," Drayce returned as he settled against Zohar's chest once more, feeling tired but content all of a sudden. "And I'll try to be a little more patient. Thank you."