Time of the Necromancer: Chapter 18

The five of them road leaving a storm of dust in their wake. Whatever magic had been granted to them by the Free Lady cut the amount of distance they would have traveled by almost a full week. The warmth and heat of the desert were replaced by the cold dryness of the expanse that would lead them back into Noria. Two days into the ride and the mood had definitely soured.

Alistair and Alison both shuddered for more reasons than just the temperature. They both remembered the autumns in Noria. The changes in the colors of some of the leaves, the changes in the harvest, the warm fires at home and stews from their grandmothers. The beginning of the draft from the Norian army and how the pair of them did their best to conceal their magic. The constant fear of wondering if they’d finally been exposed.

After consulting their maps and reorienting themselves, they left a village before the sky began to darken. About an hour into the ride a cool breeze rolled across the air and carried the smell of rain with it. Ryza looked toward the sky and felt Shriek burrowing into her shirt as the first rumble of thunder echoed. She stared at the sky and could see the flashes of lightning in the clouds above.

 “Well Ryze, this wasn’t a part of the plan.”

“Worried about a little rain sister?” he smirked. “I didn’t take you to be so fragile.”

“Don’t be annoying Ryze,” she rolled her. “Look.”

She pointed at the clouds and there was another flash and this time a shape moved within it. A lanky shape that coiled within the clouds but faded away with the light. Ryze’s eyes narrowed at the sight and shook his head.

“What is that?” he mumbled.

“I don’t know.”

“Let’s get moving. We don’t need more trouble right now,” he scowled directing Coal to the side. The others followed suit as the wind picked up. Way out here there was no way to avoid the oncoming storm. Noria’s crags and fields wouldn’t give way to something safer any time soon.

Instead of a rumble, thunder clapped above their heads and their horses reacted strongly to the noise. And that’s when the first bolt of lightning struck at the ground near them. It exploded and they swerved away from it but more than just the lightning. There was magic residue in the air.

The four mages all looked at one another and then back to the sky but it was Orion whose eye caught the shadow. A tail flickering through the clouds above that was rapidly approaching. “What the fuck was that?” Orion shouted.

“A localized bolt of lightning,” Ryza replied. “One heavily charged with magic. Maybe we pissed off the Gods.”

“Or something worse,” Alison replied. The clouds were clear but she could feel it on the air. Not the charge of magic but the taint of something darker.

“What are you sensing?” Alistair asked riding to her side.

She hissed and tore her eyes away looking down at Blaze’s back. The horse stamped several times tossing his mane and doing his best to look back at her but she wasn’t making it easy. Pressing one hand against her eye she grunted and the other showed Penny’s influence on it.

“What do you see Penny?” Alistair asked carefully and the demon shook their head.

“Old. Dangerous.” They said and grit their teeth. “A demon.”

Ryza and Ryze both stared at them, both of their hollow silver eyes glowing. Ryza ran her hand across her body until she found Shriek. The rat scurried into her palm and shivered away despite her gentle hand. “What is she?” she asked the rat and then looked at her brother.

“A hybrid of a mage. But on our side,” he said but even he was apprehensive. “At least she is for the time being.”

“That fills me with so much confidence,” she replied but nodded.

They all looked toward the sky as the rain began to fall. The first few drops felt heavy and the next dozen or so were like rocks slamming into their faces. Alison’s eyes glowed to life and an umbrella of water spilled away from her head. The other four were not quite so lucky with handling the deluge. Alison started to channel another spell when the air shifted. The rain was coming down but suddenly reversed and now the air was all but dragging them into the sky.

“What kind of fresh hell is this?” Orion shouted when the air got strong enough to suck the construct into the air. Before they got far they halted, a glowing green hand wrapped around their ankle attached to a long chain of bones.

“Can’t let your friend get smashed to pieces,” Ryze said shaking his head.

“Come on brother. I’d love to see how much autonomy they’d maintain while in pieces.”

“Thanks you fucking necromancers. Now bring me down!” Orion shouted.

“We could leave you up there pretty easily Orion,” Ryza said. “Would make dealing with whatever this is that much easier.”

The wind picked up, roaring at them like a dozen angry beasts. Lightning flashed overhead striking just beyond them. The wind turned into a tall funnel going straight into the sky. They followed it up and again they saw the shape moving between the clouds.

Alistair shuddered and his eyes bled into red as he reached across his back. The broad sword came to life at his blood tinged fingertips. Drawing the sword in a well practiced movement Ryza glanced his way and snorted. “Good enthusiasm but against that it won’t be much use.”

“What do you mean?” he asked glancing over at her.

“It means that the thing in the clouds is way bigger than something a blood sword can put down,” Ryze said lifting his shovel from its back holster.

Lightning struck again this time within the funnel and dangerously close to them. Ryza’s horse bucked backward and she lost her grip on the reins. She grabbed onto its mane next to hold onto the animal and it didn’t calm down any better. “This is why I prefer dead horses!”

As if her prayers were answered another bolt came down and struck her horse. It exploded backward its blood vaporizing in seconds but the body parts flew into the funnel and up into the sky. Ryza crashed into the ground shoulder first coated in viscera.

Rolling onto her back she looked at her chest and saw Shriek poking his head out carefully. She rubbed his head with her finger gently. “Great. Covered in guts but I’m not digging up corpses.”

Her eye glowed to life and she turned to stare to the sky. She could see through the clouds and see the shape moving plainly. She watched its body writhing, one long muscle, something like hair trailing from its head all the way down its back to the tip of a tail. “You seeing this Ryze?”

“Yeah I am,” he replied staring along with her. “It’s a demon alright.”

“Since when do demons do this?” Alistair asked covering his face as the wind raced around them faster. It whipped across his cheek and he felt it cut through the skin.

“Since demons got old,” Penny said taking over for Alison. With her eyes ringed with black but deep white. “There are demons born of old Calamities that have not been found. Not been killed. Not been enslaved. They’ve just grown more and more powerful until they become almost like natural phenomena.”

Orion stared at the demon possessed mage and asked, “So what we rolled the dice and got unlucky?”

Penny’s gaze whipped to him and they nodded, “That is exactly what we are saying.”

“That’s all well and good but how do we get rid of it?” Alistair asked.

“We do not,” Penny replied slowly. “Fighting that would not be wise for any of us to commit to.”

“So we let it tear us apart and then come down and eat us,” Orion asked sarcastically.

The rain suddenly came down in their funnel like a sheet. What didn’t hit them hit the funnel and was blown back toward them. Eaergo didn’t respond as per norm but Coal and Blaze were both shifting anxiously. They were one bolt away from spooking at this point.

“We show it that we aren’t easy prey. Force it to move on,” Penny shook their head. “Find another meal.”

“How do we do that?” Alistair asked.

Ryze nodded slowly already looking at Penny, “A show of force. You can do that I know.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s do it. Take the lead,” he told them waving the shovel slowly.

Penny nodded and raised their hand to the sky. The rain that poured around them came to a slow halt, going from a downpour to a very slow a deliberate drizzle. Closing their hand into a fist they brought it down and the clouds above them flashed with light.

Lightning flashed in the cloud and the shape thrashed within the cloud. Penny narrowed their eyes as another ball of red light exploded within the cloud and the wind howled louder in their ears. But there was more to it this time, in the echo of the wind there was another roar, a louder more guttural one.

Both Penny and Alistair shuddered under the noise because they knew that sound intimately. Ryza glanced at Shriek as the rat dove into her shirt and she pat the lump at her hip. Ryze and Orion though just stared at the sky as the lightning and red light continued to flash. And then they saw it.

The demon dove out of the sky riding the edges of the funnel, coiling across the wind air it. The air rippled and it made them wobble on their feet and almost fall. When the demon crashed into the ground the funnel exploded and Blaze and Coal both reared almost screaming. Orion and Ryza both fell to their knees. It was a massive snake, deep blue scales with an electric mane tracing down its back. Its eyes were yellow, one pale and the other vibrant.

It opened its mouth revealing a thin row of teeth across its jaw with two massive fangs. It rested at least twenty feet tall but length it was almost impossible to tell. Ryze stared at the demon his eye widened but his other, glowing one was narrowed and focused. Its yellow eyes focused on him and fast as a whip it lunged.

He shoved with his knees and Coal jumped to the side avoiding it and sprinting. As they ran he shoved his shovel into the ground leaving a large crack behind. Sprinkling bone shards down behind him they sparked to life, forming skeletons that dragged themselves from the ground. The demon looked at the paltry skeletons and swung its head quickly blowing them away into pieces.

Turning around it flexed its massive body and swung its tail at them. Ryza sliced the edge of her shovel through the air and made two large translucent spirit hands manifest. They grabbed it by the tail lifting it off the ground as the others scattered away from the demon. It hissed turning on her and its fangs flashed as lightning shot forth.

Both struck the ground and she was thrown backward. Orion moved quickly to catch her before she hit the ground. “Thanks. I’ll have to rethink using your body if you die.”

“Remind me to let you die next time,” they said shaking their head. They fired off a series of flaming shots that slammed into its side but the flames weren’t effective. It just made the demon more annoyed. “Well that’s encouraging.”

“Don’t worry. My brother and I might be able to do something.”

Alistair brought his bloodied great sword into the flank of the demon and the blade dug into the scales piercing more than a few. It thrashed in pain whirling around and lunging at him. Standing quickly, he jumped off Eargo to keep the horse safe. Its mouth closed around him as he was lifted off the ground but he kept his feet pressed against the lower flesh of its jaw and his sword locked between its fangs.

It hissed angrily and he stared at the fangs as they began to glow. “Penny! A little help would be nice!”

Before it could unleash its lightning, ice raced across its neck and head. Penny pointed both hands at the demon narrowing their eyes. It hissed thrashing trying to crack and break the ice but its body got more and more rigid. Alistair flexed with his sword dislodging it from the fangs and jumped free.

Sliding down the now frozen neck of the demon he got to the ground and ran to their side. Penny swung their arm the ice racing across the demon’s entire body. But before the ice could properly coat its body lightning crackled along with its scales and shattered the ice.

It slammed its tail into the ground and lightning crackled in the air before coming down on all of them. The silence was sudden, leaving only the rain to accompany them. Penny shook their head getting off the ground slowly. They looked at Blaze and the horse in question was moving but not standing yet. They turned their gaze onto the demon and they felt Alison’s anger inside them.

The demon hissed and the wind started to pick up again. Penny pressed their hands together and launched spears of ice at it. They skewered segments of its body, pinning it to the ground. But the lightning crackled in the air and it struck them in the chest blowing them away.

Alison hit the ground her eyes unfocused. Shaking her head back and forth she forced herself to her feet. The demon hissed shattering a few of the ice spears but it hadn’t regained its ability to use its full range of movement. But all it needed was its head as it snapped open its jaws and charged the lightning again.

Before it could unleash it three missiles of fire slammed into its jaw one after another. Finally its scales broke and jerked the demon’s head to the sky sending the lightning straight up. Orion stood over her reloading the weapon slowly and holding out their hand. “On your feet mage.”

“Thanks,” she replied taking the hand and stood.

The ground rumbled and she assumed it was because of the demon but felt the necrotic magic. On either side of the demon, she could see one of the necromancers. One translucent hand came out of the air mirrored by a skeletal one from the ground. They each grabbed a side of the demon and pinned it to the ground.  The demon’s screech pierced their ears but the necromancers didn’t break concentration.

Alison pulled herself off the ground and her eye morphed as Penny took control again. “This isn’t a fight you win easily,” they said their eyes narrowed sharply. “Leave us. If you stay We’ll make sure that you don’t leave this fight in one piece.”

The snake stared at them with wider eyes seeing Penny for what they were and then narrowed its eyes again. It stopped fighting the skeletons as much and its tongue flicked between its fangs. It took some time but finally the rain stopped. The winds died down and everything was calm. No one moved or even breathed. They just waited.

The demon tilted its head back and forth and flexed under the grip of the hands but Penny raised their hand, “You may let it go now. It doesn’t want to continue this fight.”

“How can you be sure of that?” Orion barked.

“Don’t argue Orion,” Ryza said and lowered her shovel slowly. Ryze did the same and the skeletons disappeared into a fine powder and the spirits into a magical mist. The snake flexed its body and then jumped. It leaped into the air slithering into the clouds leaving a trail of thunderous booms. They were able to watch it in the sky, a shadow beyond the clouds and then it was gone.

Penny took a shuddering breath and then fell to their knees relinquishing control back to Alison. She coughed a few times shuddering and felt a strong hand on her shoulder. Looking up at her brother she smiled and took his hand. Getting back up to a shaky standing position she looked around frantically. “Where is he? Where’s Blaze?”

But the horse in question came forward, limping slowly. She rushed to his side and pressed a hand against his flank. She felt the wound on him, a deep cut but not enough to stop him from walking. He tossed his head at her and she stroked it slowly kissed his forehead. “Good boy. You had us scared.”

. She touched the wound at his side again and he flinched. He whinnied his pain but she kept stroking his jaw. “Shh, it’s okay Blaze.” Her hand warmed against his flank and she rubbed the wound slowly. She kept going until the wound finally closed. She stumbled and started to fall but Blaze made sure to keep her up with his head.

Alistair did the same and looked at his sister, “Take a breather Alison. We all need a moment to catch our breath.”

Ryza walked over to one of the dead horses and stared at it. Its eyes were wide and mouth slack in some sort of dying bray. Shriek ran along her arm and rested at her shoulder, glad that things were finally over. “Shame. This was a nice horse when it was alive. I would’ve liked to get to know you then. But I can do something close enough.”

She brought around her shovel and pressed just the edge of the blade into its flank. Her eye flared to life for the barest of a second and enveloped the horse in its green glow. She looked toward the sky and saw wisps of strings floating around like scraps of paper. She ignored the majority of them and plucked one thin one above her head.

She dragged it down from the sky and pressed it against the horse’s flank. Pressing her hand into the still warm flesh she chanted and then the horse brayed loudly. It snorted and scrabbled and kicked against the ground. Ryza lurched backward as the horse got to its feet. It looked back and forth with dull green eyes.

Ryza smiled at her handiwork, “Hello there dead friend. You look so much better now. And with a spirit to boot. I don’t have to watch over you too closely.”

“So what now?” Orion asked joining them in the circle of the wreckage.

“We keep going,” Ryze said climbing onto Coal’s back and stroking her neck. The horse was still very spooked but she was listening to him.  “We can rest in shifts on the ride but we don’t have time to stop. Sorry.” He added grimacing.

“He’s got a bit of a one track mind huh?” Alison said and Alistair chuckled.

Alistair whistled softly and Eaergo made his way over to him calmly. He didn’t even nod in response to him. Just blinked a dark eye in his direction and swished his tail. Alistair rested a hand against his big neck, “Well met Eaergo.”

Once everyone was mounted on their respective horses Ryze raised a hand to the air. Despite the stillness of the air there was still a breeze to follow. Rotating around slowly he urged her forward and they started traveling again.