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The summer moon hung heavy in the sky illuminating the Seven Forks Battlefield cemetery. Here two hundred years ago was the last stand of the Lasgrin army against the armies of Tyradora during their final war with their neighbors. Here the ruthless and often savage Lasgrin army stood, and here many still lie. 85,000 headstones filled the vast field, probably more died and where never able to be identified. Altus Rhael
Mage Colonel 444th Lightbearer Battalion William set his lantern down and removed the black leather glove from his left hand. Underneath the glove was a bony white hand that looked more appropriate on a corpse rather than a living man. He placed his left hand on the grass in front of the headstone. He sharply inhaled as he felt the power pulsating from below him as the grass around his hand withered and turned black. He drew his hand back and carefully slipped the glove back on. Soon he would have the power of Altus Rhael, one of the bravest fire mages ever. Then they would all fear his name all across Andrakka. William placed a small stone on top of the grave and gently blew on it. Now in his eyes the stone glowed bright red that would make finding the tomb much easier to find in two nights when he would perform the ritual. William floated back over the wall and remounted his steed. He turned and rode back to the town of Seven Forks, now he would have to wait two days until Tuesday, the day the battle of Seven Forks was fought two hundred and seventy years ago. Then he would be able to draw Altus Rhael's magical essence into him and use Atlus' powers as if they were his own. William Eldon was a skilled necromancer, but he wasn't powerful. Necromancers aren't born with their power like other mages they learn how to absorb magic from the dead. This made them despised among mages and commoners alike. A Necromancer was easily identified by anyone with eyes, the more souls they consumed the more corpse like their bodies became. This made them a very secret society, they had to constantly stay alert for mage hunters and the like who could collect large bounties for their deaths from other mage clans who were enraged that a Necromancer had stolen their dead clan members' souls. As William crested the hill towards the town of Seven Forks he stopped. He was having that strange tingling feeling racing down his left leg again. He turned in his saddle and looked across the open rolling fields. There was no one out there but he couldn't shake the feeling. He stayed on top of the small hill for several minutes slowly surveying the land around him trying to spot anything. William nudged his horse and started for town once again. He wasn't able to shake the feeling of being watched until he was inside town. He rode his horse into the stable of the Two Moons Inn and stabled his horse himself. This inn didn't exactly have the best service but for two Silver Tyries he didn't exist. William entered into the dark smoky inn through the backdoor, in the main room loud shouts and the sounds of men fighting made the walls shake. He loved staying in these places, the foul smell of pipe smoke, blood and spilled beer, and the bar girls were often rather pliable for a few coins. William made his way up the backstairs and bumped into one of the prettier bar girls here. " Hello" she said, " do you wish my company tonight?" " Yes" said William, " I would like your company." He dropped a few Tyries in her hands and watched as she unlaced the top of her dress to let her ample charm burst out. William took her by the hand and led her up to Room 4. The serving girl slowly sank down on William's chest and sighed. He gently stroked her sweaty back with his bare hands. He liked this one, she was one of the few that didn't freak out when they saw his hands let alone touch her with them. " You are full of energy tonight" she remarked, " I've never gone four times before." " It was a good night" said William. " Good" she commented as she sat up, " will you be here tomorrow?" " I will be" he said. " Then I'll come by" she said slipping her dress back on. William watched her leave, maybe he would ask her to come with him when he leaves. She seems to understand him although she had no clue what he was doing here. He would give her the option, either she would come with or she wouldn't be in a position to tell anyone. William woke up around noon and ventured down to the dining room for something to eat. He didn't need to eat, his kind gained their energy from other sources but he liked to keep the illusion that he was normal, or at least as normal as a tall pale man could be. " Eldon" said the barkeeper, an old one eyed vetern, " a woman came in here looking for you this morning." " What did she look like?" asked William, the memories of the feeling of being watched last night came flooding back. " I didn't get a good look" said the barkeeper, " she was wearing a black cloak, she said he was looking for William Eldon. I didn't say you were here but I think she already knew." " Hm" said William, " warn me next time she comes in." " Certainly" said the barkeeper. William ate the less than stellar meal and then left the inn. He had to gather a few ingredients in order to capture Altus Rhael on Tuesday. William casually slipped through the narrow alleys and side streets until he came to a door with several arcane symbols carved into the wooden front. These were secret symbols in the world of necromancy. The symbols translated out to Raven Seward Supplier. William carefully removed his glove and ran his fingers over the letters triggering the hidden locks until the door carefully swung open. William entered the dark and dank house and listened to the door close and lock behind him. " Greetings" came a dusty old voice, " what can Raven Seward do for you a fellow Necromancer?" " I need Heretic Bones, Hair of the Highwayman, and two crystal jars" said William. " Ah" wheezed Raven, still completely hidden in the shadows of the poorly lit room, " which one of the mages in our cemetery is going to be your pick?" " Altus Rhael" said William, " I'm planning to move north and fire magic will be an asset." " Hmm" said Raven, his decaying body shuffling about, " best to see the world while you can, or you'll end up like me." Raven finally appeared in the shaft of light cast through the small window in the door. Raven had to be four hundred years old by now, his body was grey and flaking, his eyes had sunk into his skull leaving only small glowing red dots in the empty cavities, his had mostly fallen out, leaving behind only a few wispy strands of long grey hair on his spotted scalp. " Fifteen Tyras" he said through yellowed teeth. William dropped the gold coins into the skeletal hand. This was complete and total robbery, but he wasn't going to argue with a necromancer this powerful. Raven produced the ingredients, " May Altus serve you well" he said. William exited the house and looked at his purchases in the light of day. The Heretic Bone had been pre-ground into a shiny white powder, the highwayman's hair was blonde, it would work. But the crystal jars were works of art, they glittered in the afternoon light casting a brilliant display of lights all across the tight courtyard. William slipped the supplies into his small satchel and returned to the inn. William locked the door and pulled the thin curtain, it was time to work. William pulled his saddle bags out from under the bed and removed four more glass jars containing other ingredients. He laid them out next to his washing bowel on the table. William first opened the virgin's blood, making sure to smell it first to ensure it hadn't spoiled and then poured most of the content into the bowel. He saved the last few drops for himself, one of his early soul captures had been a vampire mage and his taste for blood had never fully left William. Next came the Heretic Bone and swamp oil. The water in the bowl turned blackand thick. William set the bowel up on the empty jars and waved his hand underneath it. A flame appeared and began to heat the bowl. Normal fire would have set the cheap bowl on fire but not William's magic. The concoction in the bowl began to boil, thick bubbles slowly formed and lazily popped in it. William put in the child's eye tooth, and Moonglow Leaf. The thick liquid slowly turned from midnight black to a seething red. He emptied the contents into the two crystal jars and tied the lids close with Highwayman's Hair. This wasn't for Altus, this was insurance just in case his paranoia wasn't just anxiety. William made love to the bar girl again that night, this time with more vigor and excitement for tomorrow night was the big night. He didn't sleep that night, he just went over the incantations and inspected his soul stone that would absorb Altus and allow him to be transferred into William. At dusk the Remembrance Festival began in town. It was this time every year that the townsfolk would have a long precession through town and everyone would wear skull masks in the hopes of appeasing the cemetery ghosts. William took his skull mask out and slipped it on. He gathered up his supplies and slipped them inside his coat and exited the inn through the side. He wasn't going to try and ride out of town tonight, it would arouse too much suspicion. Tonight he would have to walk the two miles out to the battlefield. William was snaking his way through the crowd as they silently marched towards the huge church at the end of town. There offerings would be laid and prayers said for the dead. Then at midnight the festival would begin, ale would flow freely, and the town would celebrate the victory Tyradora claimed over Lasgrin. William didn't care, as these silly townsfolk would be drinking themselves into a stupor he would be absorbing the soul of Altus Rhael and making himself even more powerful. William felt the tingle run down his leg again as he made his way through the crowd. He looked over his shoulder and saw two people in long black cloaks and frightening skull masks. They were watching him, he could feel their eyes on him. Their frightening masks set them apart from the rest of the villages whose masks wore happy or funny expressions. William slipped away from the crowd and vaulted over a low wall of a common yard and started to run. He raced out the side gate of the yard and down an alley. He slipped into an exterior doorway of a cellar and cast a shadow spell. He watched as one of the people following him carefully walked past making sure to check door ways and alleys. But William's shadow spell was strong and he missed him. Thanks to his vampire mage for this spell, what was a little blood if he could conceal himself so well. William waited several minutes until he heard the church bells begin to ring. It was time for him to leave. He broke the shadow spell and began to walk once again. He left the town and started the two mile walk towards the Seven Forks Battlefield. It wasn't an easy walk, William never at any point in his life was an athlete, he believed beasts would do physical labor, it was never William's pursuit. As a result the walk took twice as long as William expected and he arrived at the high stone wall very tired. He stopped at the wall and spent several minutes catching his breath before floating over the wall into the cemetery. **************************
From the shadow of one of the large monuments that honored the military units that fought at the Battle Seven Forks Aurora Moonshadow and her partner Bethany Drake watched as their quarry gently floated over the wall. When the Rhael Clan had gotten word that William Eldon, a wanted Necromancer, had designs on absorbing the power of one of their greatest war heroes they called in Aurora and Bethany to ensure that he would never be able to enslave Altus' soul. Aurora and Bethany took the jobs that required facing foes that normal justice couldn't. A Necromancer like Eldon was a fine example. He was a criminal who sold his forbidden knowledge to the highest bidder. Assassination, mental terrorism, robbery, no crime was too petty as long as the pay was good. It had been a long chase, William was good at eluding pursuers but he didn't bet on these two. Aurora was known as the Silver Needle, a nickname she didn't care too much for but Bethany was right it made her sound mythic. Her name came from the 11 inch needles made from silver she used to eliminate her opponents. Aurora slipped on her needles from its place on her back and gently tested the razor sharp tip. They slipped off the skull masks they had worn in town and set them gently on the monument. Aurora looked over at Bethany, and nodded. After five years of working together the pair knew each other like a book. Aurora had saved Bethany from an angry mob that was intent on hanging Bethany for a murder she didn't commit. That wasn't to say she was innocence as fresh snow, she made her living as a thief of relics, antiques and other valuables. Her particular skills often served the pair well. They silently slipped between the huge monuments and small headstones as they moved in for the kill. Aurora readied her long needles and deftly threw it once she was within only four rows of headstones. William, by chance, had looked up from Altus' grave and saw something flash in the light of his lantern. He put his hand up just in time to be hit be the needle instead of his face. The long needle ripped through his hand, the silver began to burn like acid. Silver was a special weakness to people like William, and the pain was nearly blinding. William grabbed the needle with his glove, held firmly in his hand and wretched the needle from him. He leapt to his feet snarling like an animal, he saw the two women approaching, they were both clad in black cloaks, the bitch with the short black hair and the silver needles looked more dangerous than the shorter one with red hair. He knew it and he cursed himself for it, he had been followed. William reached inside his cloak and pulled out his back up plan, the two crystal jars. Aurora and Bethany leapt out of the way as William hurled the two crystal jars at them. They harmlessly smashed into two headstones and soaked into the ground. Before either Aurora or Bethany could move towards William their came a low menacing growl from under their feet. The ground split open and hands began to claw their way to the surface. Six dead soldiers slowly dragged themselves out of their graves. Their armour was rusted and broken, their skin was grey and flaking off, their teeth yellowed but still sharp. They stared at the two with blank milky white eyes and howled at them in hollow high pitched voices. Bethany raised one of her hand crossbows and fired a crossbow bolt straight into one of their eyes. The undead soldier rocked backwards and stood back up. He pulled the bolt out along with his eye. " Why isn't he dead?" asked Bethany, shocked that the undead soldier was alive. " They are controlled by Eldon" said Aurora, " they won't die until he does." Aurora kicked one of the soldiers in the face with the heavy heel of her black boot. The soldier's jaw snapped and one side broke free of the moldy flesh, broken teeth slivers flew in every which direction. It hung down giving the soldier a twisted smile before Aurora hacked the head off with her sword. A second soldier leapt on Aurora and tried to bite at her neck with his yellowed rotting teeth. Aurora smashed the pommel of her sword into his teeth smashing them into dust. She grabbed his long grey hair and flipped him off her back, making his spine crackle as he crashed into a headstone. The soldier spun his torso around and tried to grab at Aurora while his legs continued to kick in the opposite direction. Aurora turned and saw that the other four undead soldiers were surrounding Bethany. Bethany kicked one of the soldiers in the face knocking him back but before she could escape the soldiers, one soldier grabbed a firm hold on her red pony tail. Bethany shrieked as she was violently pulled her backwards knocking her to the ground. Bethany looked up at one of the soldiers as he slowly descended towards her, his yellowed teeth barred readying to bite. Bethany pulled her long dagger out and thrust up. The dagger slammed through the bottom of the soldier's jaw and drove into his face. The dagger pinned his mouth shut and made him stumble back trying to pry it free. Bethany pushed her feet into two soldiers and kicked them back as she leapt to her feet. She pulled another dagger out of her cloak when the third soldier threw her violently into one of the monuments. Bethany's head bounced off the sharp corner of the monument and fell over a headstone falling into a heap on the ground. As the soldier peered over the headstone a glass jar hit him in the face. The glass shattered and the green acid inside splattered over the soldier's face and began to eat the rotting flesh and shiny white bone away. Bethany got to her feet, blood running down the side of her head. Aurora reached Bethany's side and saw that the soldiers were back to their feet and were moving towards the pair, except for the headless soldier, he was busy attacking a tree. " Get Eldon" said Bethany, hurriedly wiping the blood out of her eye, " these guys are pushovers." Aurora nodded and leapt over the next row of headstones and made her way towards William. The soldiers rushed Bethany and overwhelmed her. Bethany and the soldiers crashed to the ground, Bethany hacking at the soldiers with her other large dagger. One soldier bit into her shoulder but Bethany discovered that the soldier's teeth had been knocked out by Aurora and only rotted gums pressed into her shoulder. Bethany continued to hack, bits and pieces flying off the soldiers but nothing seemed to deter their drive to devour her. William waved his hands over the three soul stones and watched them start to glow. William looked up that bitch was closing in too fast. His hands glowed bright blue and he began to throw small round balls of blue light towards her. Aurora ducked under a headstone as the blue energy balls exploded all around her. They destroyed the headstones around her, throwing jagged bits of stone all over. Aurora rolled to the left and hurled a piece of headstone towards Eldon. Eldon of course threw several energy balls at the stone, it was the perfect opening. Aurora rose to her feet and threw another of her needles with all her might. The needle flew straight and true and found its mark directly in Eldon's left eye. He screamed loudly and fell backwards. His thrashing legs knocked the soul stones out of their place. William could barely think through the white hot burning pain but he knew there would be other fire mages and other times. William got to his feet and ran. He stumbled and rolled down the hill. He got up and leapt at the wall, there was no way he could concentrate on a spell with this much pain. He gripped the top of the wall and started to pull himself up. But his fingers gave way and he slipped off the wall. Aurora watched as Eldon lost his grip and fell to the ground. On the way down his head hit one of the headstones and there was a loud snap, like the breaking of a large branch. He hit the ground, his limbs twitching uncontrollably for several moments before becoming still. Bethany suddenly shrieked when all five soldiers turned to dust above her. She pushed her way out of the mound of dust and rusted armour and got to her feet. She looked over at Aurora who was walking over the crest of the hill. She smirked at Bethany and walked over. " I think there is something on you" said Aurora, whipping the grey dust off Bethany. " Really" coughed Bethany, " I swear I'll never taste food right ever again, so you get him?" Aurora nodded, " He is by the wall" she said. " Let's get what we need and get" said Bethany, " I need to take a bath in the worse way." The pair walked to the base of the wall and saw Eldon's body. It was nothing but an empty shell, his skin withered and stretched across his bones. The souls of the mages he had consumed were free and this was all that remained. Aurora pulled her needle from his eye and wiped it clean on his cloak. Bethany removed his left pinky finger and the ring that was attached to it, that would be enough for the Rhael Clan to know he was dead. The pair slipped their masks back on and started back towards the town, Bethany slung her arm around her best friend's shoulders and playfully flicked some of the dust off her shoulder onto Aurora making both of the laugh. They were sore and bleeding, bruised and tired, but where filled with a satisfaction that this job was done. Both knew that tomorrow maybe the next day another job would cross their paths but at least until then they were servants only to themselves. |