Nightshade was waiting for them at the edge of the forest, a safe distance from the harpies' lair. "How did it go?" he asked in quite emotionless tone, not even flinching at the sight of Raviel carrying Tessa's bloodied body.

"We got it," Raviel simply stated. "Now restore her to life."

"First, that was not the deal we had. Second, I can't."

"Enough with your lies! She told me with her dying breath that you're the Viscount of Shadows."

Nightshade paused. Then he pushed away from the tree he was leaning against. "That is true. But I still can't. Unless you'd like her to rise as one of the undead?"

Raviel gritted his teeth. "You could have saved her...Why didn't you?!"

Nightshade turned away. "Do you or do you not want to hear about your brother? That was all our agreement was about." When there was no response, he looked at the elf from the corner of his eye. "I can arrange for her burial, if that's what's bothering you."

"I will do it myself."

The minstrel sighed. Then dark mist surrounded them all.

As the mist faded, they were met with a beautiful garden - despite its dark color scheme. Black walls surrounded the area on one side and a castle of similar rock on the other. There were walkways layered in obsidian and spotted brown granite. All around them grew bushes, some kinds of grasses or herbs and flowers of black and darker shades of blue and red. Everything was neatly in order, no doubt tended to every day.

"Choose whichever site you want for her grave. Here no beast or grave robber will ever disturb her." Ghostly figures appeared at Nightshade's side. "My servants will assist you with digging."

Raviel slowly nodded. "Thank you."

"Come, boy," Nightshade steered Saska towards the castle. "Let's leave him to say his goodbyes."

~*~*~

Saska remained cautious with every step in the hallways of the castle. It was just a second nature to him, even knowing there wasn't much he could do against someone as powerful as the Viscount of Shadows. Surrendering to the inevitable was one thing, but as long as there was even a sliver of hope, he would -never- just give up.

Nightshade was aware of the boy's every movement, but paid it no mind, to all appearances ignoring him completely. He headed to his bedroom without hesitation and stopped in front of a huge mirror on one wall.

Saska swallowed nervously. There was a person inside the mirror, standing but with his eyes closed like in deep sleep. His chest didn't move either, not even the slightest bit to prove he was breathing. His hair was dark gray in color, a little below his shoulders, yet his face bore not a single sign of age. His clothes were plain linen a shade lighter than his hair - pants, tunic and a short cloak accompanied by a pair of thin leather boots.

Nightshade laid one hand on the mirror's surface and closed his eyes. The image on the other side faded, somehow being...absorbed into the minstrel. Then he opened his eyes, now the color of dark amber, and smirked as he noticed the boy's expression. "What's the matter? Didn't you already know who I am?"

"Yeah, I knew. Doesn't mean I can't hate your guts." It wasn't really hate he felt at the pit of his stomach. It was fear. The presence of the Viscount of Shadows still terrified him beyond words for some reason.

"Really? That's a shame." He moved back to the doorway where Saska stood. "I like you. You turned out a lot more useful than I initially thought."

The boy didn't move.

"Shall we go wait for Raviel in the audience hall?" the Viscount asked conversationally. His fingers slowly traced Saska's jawline and, irrationally enough, the only thing the boy could pay any attention to was how his nails were uncut and cracked, a complete opposite of Nightshade's manicured ones. "Or would you rather spend more time with me in private? I'm sure there are a hundred questions you'd like to ask."

Saska shoved him away forcefully. "Stay away from me!"

There was fear in the boy's eyes, but also stubborn resistance. An alluring combination. Wherever there was resistance, there was always some way to break it. Some deal too good to refuse. "Tell me something, Saska. What would it take for you to betray Raviel? In addition to keeping your life, of course."

"Nothing you can offer." Not because Raviel technically owned him. Because the elf had given him a place to belong as an equal, had literally saved his soul no matter the effort or the risk involved. He wouldn't be so quick as to say there was nothing in the entire world he'd treasure more, but it would not be found in the Viscount's lies. "I'll just go wait for him at the entrance."

The Viscount let him go. Whether or not those two acknowledged it or not, they were already his pawns.

~*~*~

After Raviel had buried Tessa and stayed a moment to pay his respects, the Viscount's phantom servants led him to the audience hall. Saska joined him at the front door.

"Are you alright?" Raviel asked. The boy was uncharacteristically subdued.

"As well as I can be in this place," Saska only muttered. "Just get us out of here as quickly as possible."

The Viscount smiled, rose from his throne and walked to meet them half-way as the two entered the hall. "A pleasure to finally meet you without masks, Raviel."

"I'm afraid the pleasure is completely one-sided," the elf replied icily. For someone who had just gotten one of his loyal servants killed the Viscount was way too cheerful for his liking. How soon before he'd become disposable? The moment he handed over the crystallized blood stolen from the harpies? "Tell me what you know, and we're both better off parting ways."

"Now don't be so quick to judge. I did not seek Tessa's death." He had not made any special effort to prevent it either, but he had hoped she would succeed. "Why not at least hear me out and try to see the big picture?"

"...Just tell me where my brother is."

"Not so fast." The Viscount held out his hand. "The crystal first. I'd very much hate it if you were to crush it."

Raviel reluctantly handed it over. Not that he had much choice at this point.

The Viscount gave the precious item to one of his servants still hovering in the room. "Guard this with your lives. Now leave us."

The creatures vanished instantly.

Then he returned to his throne and took a seat. "Your brother...I first made contact with him around...15 years ago. He was reaching out to this realm, and I quickly saw an opportunity to get out. He was a talented mage. He would have found a way if given enough time." He chuckled. "He was very hungry for power, too. Would have been very happy to help me in exchange for more magic. But then he became careless. Someone in charge in your world found out and banished him here."

"Are you saying he was serving you all along? I don't believe it."

"Believe what you will. But do tell me..." He looked from Raviel to Saska. "Why do you think one of his eyes changed color?"

No, that couldn't be. One of Saska's eyes had temporarily turned green just like his when they had been bonded. Yet his brother had had one amber eye permanently. And...so had that werewolf who had been told not to harm the silver vixen. Tessa.

It all made horrible kind of sense. "Alright. Go on. What happened after he came here?"

"I took him in, of course. Got him everything he needed to continue his research. Taught him many things he wanted to know. But you know something? Your brother was quite a backstabber. He was planning to leave without me once he completed his spell. I couldn't allow that to happen."

"So you killed him?"

"No. I told him that the bond tying me to the Outcasts would not allow me to leave this land. I didn't need to tell him that the same kind of bond between us prevented him from leaving." He leaned back. "I sent him to retrieve the most dangerous ingredient for the spell to break that connection, that crystal you brought back from the harpies. He didn't make it back. Although...had he succeeded, I would have severed our bond and left him behind. I don't like traitors."

"Why didn't you just retrieve it yourself? Why have so many died because of it?"

"No Dark Lord can enter the heart of another's domain. I literally can't go to the harpies' lair. If I could, it would have been easy to just kill their queen and take whatever I please."

Raviel's hands clenched into fists. "Did my brother finish the spell?"

The Viscount smiled. "If he had, do you think I would have bothered to even bring you to my castle? But I know you did finish it. So here's what we will do. I will sever my ties to the Outcasts, and then you will take us back to our original home."

"Why would I?"

"Hmm, you're a mage too. I could offer you centuries' worth of knowledge, also powers degreed 'forbidden'."

Raviel shook his head. "I don't want them. The only reason I became mage in the first place was to save my brother." He laid one hand on Saska's shoulder, "We will be leaving this realm. But you are not coming along."

"Is that so?" the Viscount drawled. "I think you missed one little detail in what I told you."

Saska gasped at the sudden sensation in his left eye. "You bastard..." he growled, anger and despair clashing in his voice. If there ever was a cruel trick, this was one.

"What's wrong?" Raviel asked, worried. Then he froze. No...

The boy's left eye had turned amber.

"I only said you're his new master. I never said I release him. So...either all go or all stay. Unless you're willing to kill him to break free."

"I get your point," Raviel sighed. "If you don't mind, we'd like to return to the outside world now."

"What?"

"You said that all leave or all stay. Then let it be that all stay in this realm. We'll find some place to live." He didn't really have anything waiting for him back home that would be worth abandoning his new companion - even less killing him.

"Hmph. And if it means something happens to the boy?"

"I believe then 'Nightshade' would appear to save the day. After all, if he dies, so does this indirect bond between you and me. And I believe you still harbor some hope you can make me change my mind. That's only possible if I'm within your reach."

"Fine." The Viscount waved his hand and the two disappeared from the room. Twins indeed. Raviel was just as cunning in the end as his brother, the noble and honorable appearance aside.

And the elf was right. He could not threaten the boy in any way. He could not lose this only thread of hope to get out of here, no matter how thin it was.

Well, at least not until another promising candidate appeared. He was practically immortal. He could wait. Whether that was for Raviel to change his mind or for another to take his place.

In the meantime, he just needed something to occupy his mind with, to stave off the boredom living forever brought. Some new kind of game.

He returned to the large mirror in his bedroom which once again flickered with countless fragments of lives. Now who would become his next pawns?

After all, people always wanted something only the Viscount of Shadows could give.