Its once piercing blue eyes were now dull and glassy. The face had sunken inward, making the teeth appear larger, the lips drawn back and frozen in a permanent snarl.
It drew in a rattling breath and released another howl, lurching forward as its jaw unhinged. This time the sound was shrill and harrowing. Icy wind burst from its throat, as if the mountain itself, as if Morrigan, had claimed it. There was no person left inside that body.
I took several steps back, then turned on my heels and ran, Icecream not far behind.
In the following days, we made our way back toward the Fort. Icecream stopped at a marked point along the trail and said his goodbye. He pointed me in the direction of the nearest snow tunnel, assuring me I would reach it within the hour. He told me he could not follow me any farther.
Interviewing Morrigan was clearly not possible, but something grand and deeply complex is at work here. Today, I will rest. Tomorrow, I will review my findings with Frozen Boba, and with any luck, I will finally be able to go home.

Day 10 - Recouping

After going over my findings with Frozen Boba, I am on the train home. It’s one long ride straight to Paradise, where I will be greeted by my friends and family, and I cannot wait.
Boba congratulated me on my research, and together we have made new progress that may benefit Fort Blanket for years to come. When we reviewed the encounter with the false king, Boba explained that this phenomenon had only ever been rumored through word of mouth among guards and young couples traveling to stones lost to Morrigan.
They referred to the shambling husks as “ghouls.” When Morrigan claims a spawning stone, some have reported being attacked near that location by these creatures. We determined that the ghouls must be false kings who survived Morrigan’s attacks. We believe they were damaged so severely in the life-draining process that they have lost themselves, becoming walking husks.
Frozen Boba suspects this change may be permanent. Some guards have reported seeing the same ghouls over the course of years, always hostile and wandering near forbidden stones.