The song had grown to a chorus. All the afflicted sang in their hearts to the unheard music. The spell was cast, and they would remain entranced until either healed, or released from their bodies. The unliving phyrexis inside them cloyed at them, holding them in, but the music soothed all the pain, and erased the thoughts. It was the ultimate hypnogogic to the dead and dying. Balm for the afflicted. No matter how terrible the death, the passing would be painless and serene.
Weird released the music, and closed his mouth, but the chorus remained in the back of his mind. The vague realization that he would always hear it from now on stuck wit him but he didn't mind.
"What were you doing?" Demanded X. "The afflicted are just standing here, looking at you."
"They aren't looking at anything." Said weird, waving a hand in front of their faces, and illiciting no response. "But they hear the music."
He smiled. "The pied piper can't hold a candle to the tune death plays."
---
Udib wandered up the path, breathing hard, and coughing a pale crimson. He remembered the bursting fire in his side, and the changes tickling the back of his mind. His new friend weird had ripped his shirt off of him, then used some freakish magic on him. The elves from the tower had mentioned to him in passing that their former captor had used magic, and the appearance had matched the description, even the horrible, unbelievable pain.
His friend had told him was sorry before using it...
His last memory before fainting on the ground was his friend screaming in agony with his eyes rolled back, then laughing horrifically, and flying up into the sky.
Whatever weird had done to him though, it had killed the horror that had been gnawing at his side.
Rikod was gone.
He shuffled and staggered through the main gates, and stood incredulous at the sight he saw. Twisted, terrible mockeries of his friends and family were standing in a circle on the lawn. Weird was there... but he looked different. The terrible eyes he had earlier before flying away were gone, but the mysterious light he had used on him was blaring from his hands again.
He shuffled up into the throng....