Chapter Ten: The Face in the Hand

The tall figure entered the city. The night was cold;no one was out. A few simple flakes of snow meandered down from the heavens.

THe man held out his hand to catch one, yet, as it neared it melted away.

His mouth was parched. Dired, cracked lips moved slowly,constantly.

A single watchman turned about the corner upon hearing the figure's fevered, yet softened mumbling.

"Who goes there? Ye drunk?"

The figure kept on mumbling, louder now, seemingly having a dbeate with himself.

The figure froze, his gray eyes narrowed to slits.

"What's yer business in Westerhaven?"

The guard extened his arm, letting his lantern give light to the scene.

The figure's visage was twisted and marred, burnt red, bloodshot eyes were directed towards the guard.

His left hand drew up from beneath the folds of his cloak.

The guard's head reached for his sword.

"I won't be havin' any business like that, ye hear? Get on home and there'll be no trouble."

The palm was laid open and bare.

"This is your last warning." He unsheathed his blood.

Two eyes formed in the paln, followed soon after by a slit that acted as a mouth.

The face in the hand spoke.

"Silence." The voice seemed to emanate form behond the guard, within the guard, and all around him. It was never more than a whisper.

The hand then seemed to speak the its bearer.

"Feed,I grw tired."

The man's hand drifted back within the billows of his wardrobe.

The guard plunged the tip of his bade into the figure.

His expression ranged first from shock, then dissappointment, and finally anger.

His hand reached for the blade and he pulled himself further into it.

The guard seemed glued to the blade. His mind was lost. He could even think to let go and run. All he could do was stand there, clutching his sword, mouth agape.

The figure pulled himslef ti the hilt and gripped the elbows of the watchmen. He squeezed with demonic might, taking some satisfaction as the man's joints snapped and the arms gave way. He take another step forward and turned a bit to the sie, preessing his face against the mans.

For the first time that night, the actual mouth of the figure spoke. for the first time it answered the guard. For the last time the guard had finished his watch.

The figure' jaws seemed to unhinged and his teeth sankk deep into the naked neck, clamping down, draining both life and soul from the soon emptied husk.