"Not a single lick of subtlety or thought of consequence. A wonder that the Elders haven't caught all of them already," Korvus said holding up a glass lantern. Rain fell around him, sputtering on the ground in droplets. The metal light source he held creaked back and forth with the wind.

Three dead bodies were illuminated in front of him. The corpses were mutilated and somewhat dissolved. He could see another in the corner ahead.

Korvus' frowned under the hood of his cloak and shook his head. His face carried an expression of disappointment and irritation.

"In fact, I wonder if the Elders already know and I'm just headed into some elaborate trap. It could explain the dead men before me. Some of those brats have Aethers truly fit for murderous purposes. They probably wouldn't have gone down without a fight," he muttered nudging one of the bodies with his boot.

[b][i]"But if that was the case you wouldn't be here would you Korvus?"[/i][/b] he thought.

He heard a caw above. He looked up and saw a flicker of movement. A raven circled above him.

Korvus sighed. 

[b][i]"Time to get on with this. I wonder what remains after two years,"[/i][/b] he thought.

He stepped around the corpses and brought up his free hand from a warm cloth pocket. Silver-colored rings glittered from his fingers. He waved his hand and twisted his fingers in elaborate and complex movements then moved it back under his cloak. Another light shone in the road ahead. He knew what it was. It was where they agreed to meet two years past. The Drabanon inn.

Behind him came the creaking sounds of wood being bent unnaturally. Tree roots sprung from the sides of the road. They wrapped around the corpses and dragged them under.

By the time the traveler was out of sight the bodies were gone and only cold wet dirt remained.