Tangled Web, pt 4 of 4
Diederich bundled Oli, "Daydelis" now, up in sheets and blankets, tied him to his back, and used a hearth stone to return to Shattrath. He was fifteen minutes behind schedule, but that was close enough.
Matthias was waiting outside the West gate looking panicked.
"Where have you been?!" he hissed as soon as Diederich met up with him.
Diederich untied the bundle from his back and passed it to Matthias. Matthias took it, staring, and Diederich grabbed Matthias' mount's reins and led both of them into the forest. Matthias dismounted, laid the bundle on the ground, and quickly unwrapped it. He stared at the boy, inspected him, and then turned angry eyes on Diederich. Diederich's stomach turned. He must know it wasn't Daydelis after all. He must have seen Daydelis more recently than Diederich had bargained on...
"How did you kill him?" Matthias demanded.
"What?"
"How did you kill him? There isn't a scratch on him."
Diederich almost laughed with relief but kept his face stoic. That was a doubt much easier to handle.
"Disease. Death Knight thing. Killed him very quickly--"
"He'll know it wasn't me!" Matthias interrupted furiously. "I wanted him to know I did it, me!"
"Then do something mage-y, I don't care."
Matthias put his hands around the boy's throat, hummed some words, and fire cracked like lightning from his fingers. It flared up and seared part of the boy's face and shirt, and incinerated most of his throat, before just as quickly dying away.
"Do you think he'll still believe it's him with his face like that?" Matthias grimaced.
"I think it might help if I come with you," Diederich said, avoiding looking at the hideous thing Matthias had done to the boy.
Matthias looked up at Diederich and considered. "I don't want him to think this was your idea. You're not getting credit for this."
"We'll just tell him that all I did was lead you to him."
"What about Aurora? We should go back and kill her, too. Then he'd know for certain this is Daydelis."
"No."
"But--"
"No," Diederich repeated with a warning growl in his voice. "You've got my son, you're not getting my wife, too."
"I didn't get to have my wife," Matthias said darkly. "Why should you get to keep yours?"
"Because if you try it, I'll kill you. I'll take you and Daydelis to Father myself. Not only will I get all the credit for it, I'll do you one better by bringing him his heir and his next in line."
Matthias gaped. "Don't you dare."
"Keep away from Aurora."
"Fine. Let's just go."
He bundled "Daydelis" back up, opened a portal, and stepped through.
Diederich took a deep breath. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he was certain this wasn't just going to be a matter of walking in, dropping the body at Corinthiahn's feet, and walking back out. He mentally said goodbye to Ismae, Lainiram, Dariahn, and Tendaros, told them he loved them, and followed Matthias through the portal.
Matthias was waiting outside the West gate looking panicked.
"Where have you been?!" he hissed as soon as Diederich met up with him.
Diederich untied the bundle from his back and passed it to Matthias. Matthias took it, staring, and Diederich grabbed Matthias' mount's reins and led both of them into the forest. Matthias dismounted, laid the bundle on the ground, and quickly unwrapped it. He stared at the boy, inspected him, and then turned angry eyes on Diederich. Diederich's stomach turned. He must know it wasn't Daydelis after all. He must have seen Daydelis more recently than Diederich had bargained on...
"How did you kill him?" Matthias demanded.
"What?"
"How did you kill him? There isn't a scratch on him."
Diederich almost laughed with relief but kept his face stoic. That was a doubt much easier to handle.
"Disease. Death Knight thing. Killed him very quickly--"
"He'll know it wasn't me!" Matthias interrupted furiously. "I wanted him to know I did it, me!"
"Then do something mage-y, I don't care."
Matthias put his hands around the boy's throat, hummed some words, and fire cracked like lightning from his fingers. It flared up and seared part of the boy's face and shirt, and incinerated most of his throat, before just as quickly dying away.
"Do you think he'll still believe it's him with his face like that?" Matthias grimaced.
"I think it might help if I come with you," Diederich said, avoiding looking at the hideous thing Matthias had done to the boy.
Matthias looked up at Diederich and considered. "I don't want him to think this was your idea. You're not getting credit for this."
"We'll just tell him that all I did was lead you to him."
"What about Aurora? We should go back and kill her, too. Then he'd know for certain this is Daydelis."
"No."
"But--"
"No," Diederich repeated with a warning growl in his voice. "You've got my son, you're not getting my wife, too."
"I didn't get to have my wife," Matthias said darkly. "Why should you get to keep yours?"
"Because if you try it, I'll kill you. I'll take you and Daydelis to Father myself. Not only will I get all the credit for it, I'll do you one better by bringing him his heir and his next in line."
Matthias gaped. "Don't you dare."
"Keep away from Aurora."
"Fine. Let's just go."
He bundled "Daydelis" back up, opened a portal, and stepped through.
Diederich took a deep breath. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he was certain this wasn't just going to be a matter of walking in, dropping the body at Corinthiahn's feet, and walking back out. He mentally said goodbye to Ismae, Lainiram, Dariahn, and Tendaros, told them he loved them, and followed Matthias through the portal.