Elam peered out from under the edge of his hood toward the robed boy sitting across from him. He sure doesn't look like he's possessed, he thought as he watched Kale wolf down his food. Glad it's him rather than me!
Dawn had come in Odem, but no one else was in the restaurant except for them. It was normal for farmers to eat at home in the mornings while doing chores and caring for their livestock. In the city it was just the opposite. People worked outside of the home and stopped along the way for their breakfast.
The Agonotti will be arriving soon, Elam thought as he looked down the main street toward the crowded market area. The Agonotti knew by now when to find the most people milling about in the streets and market day was certainly the time in these small towns.
"So when do the Agonotti show up to feed?" Kale asked quietly.
"It won't be very long. I want you to stay out of sight until I have Dirge face to face. If he spots you he may try to dematerialize before you can strike him down. You must get him by surprise while he is preoccupied arguing with me. He will no doubt want to know why I'm here."
"He won't know what hit him."
"Good. Now, after Dirge is dead, I will pretend to attack you. After some brief sword play to build it up well, I'll knock your weapon away then you will appear to attack me kinetically, knocking my sword away as well. Then I will pretend to attack you mentally, overcome you and kill you that way. There won't be any need for wounds to show the other Agonotti that I have killed you for striking down their leader."
"Neat and tidy, but how will you get me home?" Kale asked.
"How do you think I got here with my family years ago? I told you I have long range vessels at my disposal. I can get you back to Castai with no problem."
Kale sipped on his water after finishing the last of his food. Elam looked down the main road again at the people gathered in the market area. There were several hundred-all waiting for the Agonotti to pluck them away. Then he noticed a shadow, so ominous it threatened to blot out the sun. The dark veil moved steadily down the street and over the buildings.
"Something is wrong." Elam got up from the booth and headed out into the street where he could get a look at what was approaching. Usually when the Agonotti attacked, they comprised a cloud that rolled into a city or town-one or two hundred at best in number. This Agonotti cloud moving in over Odem was absolutely massive. It must have been a number in the thousands to be so large and so dense-full to the brim with the molecular structures of an army of Agonotti.
Kale stood beside Elam, in the street, gazing up at the monstrous cloud. "I have never seen anything like it," he said.
"Neither have I. They'll kill every living thing by attacking this way."
"Does this change our plan?"
Elam looked at the boy again. "Not at all, but if you fail to kill Dirge with your first strike we might not leave this place alive."
Kale did not reply. He remained focused on the massive vortex of terror moving in over the town. The civilians had noticed it by now. Chaos ensued. Most screamed at the top of their lungs and ran for cover anywhere they could find it.
"Go ahead and get away from me," Elam said. "We don't need to be seen together. Find a place where you can strike from quickly."
He had not even finished his instructions before the cloaked young man sped away and vanished within the crowd of screaming people. Elam removed his cloak to expose his garments underneath. People running by looked at him with a small measure of hope, recognizing him now as Lord Elam, the leader of the Guardians, but it wasn't enough to cause them to stop panicking.