from his bag and returned to examining the body, still muttering something under his breath. Further examination revealed even more surprising injuries. The right side of the chest appeared to have been burnt by acid or frostbitten. Around the cuts on his abdomen were unusual discolorations ranging from bright yellow to iridescent green, and across the entire width of his back ran a gash resembling the claw mark of some huge beast.
‘I don’t know how he ended up here,’ Oxern finished, standing beside Darius. ‘Even just one of those wounds should have killed him, or at least incapacitated him.’ He sighed deeply and wiped his forehead.
‘Are you able to determine the cause of death?’ Rex had also joined them.
‘Pin it down to one with so many wounds?’ Shehed snorted. ‘Besides, I’ve only just had a look at him, and I’ve no experience with curses, poisons or unusual forms of magic. If it were just the wounds themselves, or some sort of illness, I might attempt a preliminary diagnosis. In this case, I won’t take the risk.’ He shook his head without taking his eyes off the corporal. ‘You’ll need a specialist in curses and magic. All I can say is that he died about a week ago.’ He looked at Darius, as if expecting questions from him. ‘About two or three days after that lad from the inn. I don’t see any similar injuries either, so I wouldn’t really link the two, but that’s your call.’
‘Is there anything else we should know?’ Bleist shifted his gaze to the body, already keen to end the conversation and leave the place. He felt as though he’d become so steeped in the stench of decay that he wouldn’t be able to wash it off for the next month.
‘You’ll need to be careful.’ The surgeon followed the colonel’s gaze. ‘I’ve no idea what might happen if a curse is still active. If you want to take him away from here, I’d advise casting protective spells over the body and placing it in a metal coffin, though the latter might
