The Skeleton Duke seemed more like a scholar than a warrior or King. He had the same air as Dean Breichim, making it easy to overlook its near-Legendary power.
"Is it that obvious?" Annan asked.
Why did everyone except the Crimson Princess and her subordinates seem able to tell I wasn't a vampire?
"We're Undying. Our senses are sharper," the Skeleton Duke replied. "You don't have a vampire's scent."
"A human serving as an Envoy for the Vampire Clan. It seems you have another mission..."
"No. Lena and I are... friends. I want to help her."
"That explains it."
Explains what?
Sensing that another question would lead back to Sorcerers, Annan changed the subject. "Do you know what's happening outside?"
"Strange Tales City's corruption..."
"What happened to Strange Tales City?"
Since setting out, Annan had found that many things seemed connected to Strange Tales City.
"It used to be the Princess's territory. Then certain things happened, and Oddities began appearing in the city."
"What are Oddities?"
"Things we cannot understand."
"What do you mean by 'cannot understand'?"
"We can understand the logic behind magic by breaking Spells down. But we know nothing about Oddities. They are disorderly and chaotic, and breaking them down reveals nothing but a tangled mess."
"So the consciousness I saw was caused by that?" Annan asked thoughtfully.
The Skeleton Duke raised his head a second time. "What did you see?"
"A girl accompanied by a White Deer. She said she was the consciousness of the Forest and wanted to see it one last time."
A glimmer of remembrance stirred in the Skeleton Duke's flickering Soulfire. "We were neighbors for hundreds of years. Must it fade away too...?"
"Is that because of Strange Tales City as well?"
"Yes..."
Annan watched the Skeleton Duke finish drawing the Magic