The sun was finally starting to rise, a half circle on the horizon. The air was already starting to warm up and the breeze that rolled across his shoulders was cool. The guard rotation was going to be coming through soon. They were used to him being here in the early mornings and usually ignored him.
Ryze kept his eyes closed thinking of one of the earliest lessons he’d had when his mother found out that he was a mage. ‘Pay attention Ryze. This is a lesson I’ll only teach once but it will define your life and if you’re lucky, you’re unlife as well’ She lectured after beating him again for his failures. ‘You are the conduit. The infinite force for what we call magic. It exists outside of this realm and yet overlaps with it. We mages serve as a conduit for that force. We may direct and shape it but we do not control it. It is both a weapon and a tool, a blessing and a curse. You must always be aware of the power that you have within you. And learn to use it properly.’
He started to stand and find breakfast for himself but something else caught him. Staring out toward the horizon he could see the shifting desert where the dunes began. They were usually flat but then began to flow into their massive hills. But now he could see a shape approaching the city.
His silver eye flared to life and he looked ahead. Where the black speck had been before it was now covered in a green glow. The shape may not have been that large but just seeing that alone made him tense. Hopping over the parapet he started running across the desert straight toward the shape.
As he got closer the glow got brighter and the shape got clearer. He licked his lips tasting the warming breeze. He could taste the flavor of magic from the figure that was approaching. Another necromancer. The only necromancers in this world were himself, his sister and the ouroboros. So, the odds were that this was a chance to gain information. And he was sorely lacking in that department.
Shaking his head slowly he pulled the shovel from off his back. Turning the weapon around quickly he stabbed it into the ground and felt the markings and runes on the shaft come to life from his own power. He threw both arms across the sand and it raced like a flame across a length of oil before fading back to sand.
As the rider finally got closer Ryze saw they were riding on a horse made of bone and had a cloak and hood over their face. The horse slowed to a stop at an urging from the rider. Ryze turned his shovel around, pointing it at the rider and scowled, “More Ouroboros. Didn’t think you’d be cocky enough to make a return visit so soon. Now let’s have a little chat just the two of us.”
The rider turned the horse slowly and looked at him properly. Taking their hood, they pulled it back and flashed a wide grin at him, “Well well. We came here seeking our student but we did not expect to find our young nephew here instead. Except he’s all grown up. Hello Ryze. We wondered if you even remember us.”
Ryze froze on the spot, his eyes widening to nearly fill his face. He finally clenched his jaw into a tight line, crouched, and leaped forward, “Vayne Krios. You’ve got a lot of nerve to show your face to me!”
Before Ryze could even get close a giant hand of bone manifested out of the air and snatched him like a ball. It turned and slammed him into the ground with a thud. Vayne opened his mouth to speak but the hand disintegrated into a fine powder and Ryze was back on his feet. He swung the shovel scooping up the power and sending a wave of skeleton arms at Vayne.
They sprouted from the ground like sunflowers eager to bask in the warmth of the necromancer. Vayne watched them like a careful researcher would observe a new species. Standing on the back of his horse he watched the hands climb its legs and body before jumping off its back.
While he was in the air Ryze jumped after him his shovel in mid swing. The skeleton arm manifested again blocking the blow. Ryze pulled himself forward and thrust with his arm. He watched the demon behind him act manifesting another skeleton arm to grab him. Ryze’s arm shot forward catching and tearing it out of the socket.
Turning in the air Ryze shoved hard with his shovel and sent Vayne into the ground first. Vayne landed on his feet like it were nothing and watched Ryze descend. He folded his arms and pointed at his nephew, “Well well. You’ve grown far more adept than we remembered. When last we met you were an aspiring apprentice. We’re sure your former master would be proud.”
“He’s dead,” Ryze told him scowling. “Just like you’ll soon be.”
“Oh? Do you think that you will be able to defeat us?” Vayne spread his arms slowly. “Show us little Ryze. Show us what you’ve learned in all these years. Let’s see if you’re truly the failure that Rebecca thinks you are.”
Ryze snarled and spun his shovel, thrusting it into the sand. His hand tightened around the shaft and the purple glow of all of the runes on the weapon encapsulated his arm as well as his silver eye. Twisting the shovel, he looked toward the sky.
“I raised you from the dead. My will gives you life. I am the conduit to your existence. Now answer my call. Descend upon my enemy and annihilate him!” Raising the shovel to the sky he shouted, “Come!”
The magic shot into the sky as a solid beam of energy. It split it like a crack of thunder. Clouds began to form blocking out the rising sun and its rays. The wind picked up and lightning flashed in the sky above. Thunder rumbled again this time shaking the ground.
A screech split the sky, lightning illuminating a shadow. A giant bird its body coated in green and purple magic appeared. It circled around them, flapping its wings and creating booms of thunder. Ryze lowered his shovel and pointed at Vayne, “Kill him!”
It screeched in response diving right at Vayne. He watched the massive undead demon approach him and narrowed his eyes sharply. “Well well. That’s unexpected. We think we’re going to have some fun.”
He tapped his fingers against his arm and his demon manifested behind him. He flicked his chin upward and tapped his arm again. The demon opened its mouth and wailed. Ryze’s demon brought its talons up as a massive skeletal arm appeared in the air. Talons dug into the bone breaking chunks off and driving it toward the ground.
But the arm wasn’t floating on its own. First a shoulder and then the torso and the other arm. Finally, a head formed smooth, deep eyed and a wide mouth in a mocking grin. The skeleton rebuffed the demon and sent it flying back into the air. It came back down floating around Vayne like a bone guardian.
The demon screeched and rounded around flapping its wings. The clouds glowed and lightning arched racing to Vayne. The skeleton moved forward and covered him. Some of the bolts slammed into it and it roared in pain while others flew past him striking the ground just outside of the city.
It looped around again before descending onto Vayne charging another bolt of lightning. The skeleton was done playing defense and floated forward, thrusting both hands forward. Before either of them could connect with each other a cube of ice formed between them. It expanded outward striking at the skeleton’s arms and blowing back the bird.
“Not here!” Alison and Penny’s voice echoed together making the air rumble. “You will not turn this city into a battlefield!”
Icicles struck the ground in front of the necromancers forcing them both to call back their familiars or get skewered. Alison descended from the sky but she didn’t touch the ground. She floated a foot off the ground her eyes bled entirely black the veins pulsing around the edges. Her hands radiated cold air as she pointed at the two of them.
Vayne laughed and began to clap his hands together, “Well done our student. You’ve come very far indeed.”
“Don’t interfere with this Alison!” Ryze shouted taking a step forward but another icicle slammed into the ground at his feet. “You don’t know who he is.”
“We don’t care,” Alison said and her voice was just a notch above a snarl. “If you want to kill each other do it far away from our home.”
“We have no interest in fighting,” Vayne said holding their hands up to show he wasn’t armed. “In fact we came to speak to you Alison. And seeing you with Ryze confirms our suspicions. We have information that will prove useful to you both.”
Ryze swung his shovel and glowered, “What could you possibly have to share that any of us would value?”
He brushed back his hair and smirked, “The location of the Ouroboros. And how to get there.”
“How do you know that?” Alison asked finally coming down to the ground. She gave one more glare at Ryze who just scoffed. She walked over to Vayne and he shook his head pointing back at Ryze.
“Call off your zombie, nephew. We’d hate to let our guard down and suffer some sort of harm,” he said and the skeleton behind him raised its arms anticipating another attack.
The undead bird circled around them its wings flapping and sending another gust of wind past them. Ryze glared at his uncle, every fiber of his being and upbringing saying this was a bad idea. But in the back of his head, he could hear his friend’s voice. See Isaac’s face and he scowled.
“Fine,” grabbing the shovel with both hands he tapped it against the ground. The shovel flashed and the bird screeched before flying back into the clouds. Once it entered the clouds lightning flashed again and the sky cleared. It took a few minutes but the sun shone through the darkness again ushering in the dawn as it was supposed to be. Ryze’s shoulder’s slumped and he worked to not show the sudden exhaustion on his face.
Vayne waited a few minutes after this and then motioned with his hand. The skeletal guardian faded away to dust. The trio came together and Alison regarded them with narrowed eyes but they didn’t make any more aggressive moves toward one another. So she made it her job to escort them into the city. The guards on duty were beyond spooked at the displays of magic but Alison managed to vouch for them on the promise that neither did anything like that again.
Vincent and Ryza were both waiting for them on the other side of the gate. Vincent rushed over to Alison’s side and she held her hands up to him smiling lightly, “We’re okay Vince.”
“Remember when I said since meeting you my life has gotten crazy?” he asked wrapping his arm around her tightly.
“We do not take the blame for this one,” she said leaning into his arm. “We were just breaking up a fight.”
He looked beyond her and stared at Vayne and narrowed his eyes, “Oh great it’s you again.”
“Really Alison, you kept this one around?” he mused.
“Yes master. Vincent is someone we care about greatly. Have it our way we will never let him go,” she said softly and Vincent smiled down at her.
Vayne nodded slowly, “You made more of an impression than we anticipated.”
“Glad to surprise,” he replied.
Ryza stood beside her brother who had put away the shovel but he was still walking as if expecting another fight. “That was quite the display brother. But who is that man to get such a reaction out of you? And why does he remind me of father?”
“Because he is our father’s older brother,” Ryze said tersely.
“That’s right. Our brother spirited away little Ryza before we had a chance to properly meet,” Vayne said. “You were a newborn when last we saw you. And now here you are all grown up.”
Ryza stared at her uncle and her first instinct was to scowl much like her brother was doing now. But the longer she stared the more she saw her father and it brought back feelings of loss that she had long since buried. So, she forced herself to look away from him and to Shriek who had taken up a position at her shoulder again.
“I know little one. He does look eerily like him. But his manner of speech and walk are so very different. He couldn’t pass for him ever. They must have been very different people in life. Or maybe I didn’t know much about my father at all.”
Ryze watched his sister, realizing that talking to her rat was how she got her thoughts in order. As odd as it felt to watch his sister do this it was somewhat comforting. Blissfully mundane in a sea of remnants of his past. “A word of advice,” he said to his sister. “Don’t trust Vayne. He was once one my teachers and a part of our mother’s circle. He was a cruel man then and I doubt much of that has changed since.”
“There’s only one way to find out, brother. We see what he has to say and judge accordingly,” she said. “After your display just now, I’m sure that we could take him together if we had to.”
That made him laugh and he took a deep breath finally relaxed, “I’d imagine so. There isn’t much we couldn’t do together.”
The five of them continued through the city and they ended up running into Morrigan. She had come, her hand on her sword and then pointed at the five of them, keeping one eye on Vayne. “I take it you were involved in that freak storm that just happened.”
“Partially,” Vayne said chuckling. “And we see you have changed as well since we last met. Well met Octavia. Your host is a strong one.”
Morrigan’s eyes flared to life and she glared at him popping her sword out of the sheathe slightly, “Watch your mouth Krios. Whatever reason you’re here, we don’t need you alive to get it. Necromancers are plentiful.”
“Mori please,” Alison desperately pleaded and then glared at Vayne. “Master we need to cooperate for at least a few hours. Can you not antagonize everyone you meet?”
“We don’t know what you mean.”
“Right,” Alison turned back to Morrigan. “How did you find us?”
“Aside from the blatant magical energy seeping off you? I still have two Harlequin in the city. Even with their number this low they are useful. Why is he here?”
“Master believes that he knows how to find Pride.”
She looked at the necromancer and back to Alison. “Krios isn’t one to just make baseless claims. I’ll find Ben, Al and the Zodiac. We’ll meet you at the same meeting room at the proving grounds.”
Ryza raised her hand and conjured the spiritual bat. Raising it to her face she looked at it as it stood up to look at her, “Go find our grumpy robotic friend for me.” It let out a soft screech and then took off.
They made their way to the proving grounds without much incident. People all over the city were spooked and kept to themselves. Some thought they were under attack. Some thought the calamity had started. The few mages that were wandering around however could sense the cause of the commotion but neither wanted to approach anyone in their group.
They arrived at the tent first and spread around the meeting table. Ryza and Ryze went to one corner setting their shovels down while Vincent and Alison stood together at another corner. They all made a point to position themselves between Vayne and Ryze. They were calm on the way over but no one was willing to trust that it would remain that way.
Orion was the first one to arrive accompanied by the bat which hung on their shoulder and repeatedly rubbed and licked their face. They had long since given up on making the creature stop. Ryza did her best to repress her giggling as she held her hand out. The bat flew back to her palm and settled on the opposite shoulder of Shriek.
“Oh a construct,” Vayne commented. “How quaint. Is it one of yours?”
“No. They’re a friend,” Ryza replied.
Orion walked to stand beside the necromancers they did know. “Where did you get this one?”
“He’s our uncle,” Ryza replied.
“A third one,” Orion let out a sigh. “This is going to be a treat. I feel it.”
It didn’t take much longer for the rest of them to join the tent. Benidict looked around and felt his shoulders brushing up against the others as he moved, “I’m glad you told the Harlequin to wait outside. I can’t imagine we’d have the space for many more in here.”
“Agreed,” Alistair said chuckling.
As Gemini entered, he pointed at Vayne, “You again!”
“What are you doing here?” Cancer asked the necromancer.
“We’re here to help you little Zodiac,” he said. “And we see that you four have grown since last we met.”
“That we have,” Scorpio said stepping forward to put her hands on the table. “We’re all here now. What do you have to say?”
“Assuming that you are all up to speed on the Ouroboros and their plan we’ll jump to the important part. Not too many days ago Pride visited our brother’s grave and stole his shovel.”
“Father’s grave?” Ryza repeated.
“The shovel? Is there something special about an old shovel?” Vincent asked.
“The shovel on its own no,” Vayne said. “But Pride is going to us it as a conduit. How many of the God’s hosts have been taken?”
“They took the Great Leader of Noria and the Free Lady,” Ryze folded his arms. “We don’t know what happened to the Speaker. As for the queen of Cerise it’s complicated.”
“They haven’t taken the Speaker,” Vayne said quickly. “We and these four were able to prevent that.” Gemini took a moment to look smug but his brother jabbed him hard. “As for Octavia. Well even we are unsure as to what that situation is.”
He looked at Morrigan and despite her annoyance she spoke, “I am the host to my Queen’s core. The Ouroboros took part of Her when they invaded the Cerisan castle but another part of Her resides inside of me. As long as I live, they will not be able to use all of Her power.”
“So, they only have two at the moment,” Vayne nodded. “Interesting.”
“What does our father’s shovel have to do with it?” Ryze asked.
Vayne looked at him and motioned toward his own shovel, “Our family’s shovels are used as conduits for our magic. A way to focus and enhance what we can do. But Rebecca plans to use it to rip the Gods from their hosts and, knowing her, into herself or one of the other Ouroboros members. And once they have that power, well enacting her plan is going to be child’s play.”
“So that means they’re going to go after the Speaker again?” Virgo asked.
“Potentially,” Vayne replied. “It’s what we would do.”
“Then how are we going to stop them? Every time we’ve gotten close to one of the Ouroboros they just disappear,” Vincent said his frustration getting to him.
“We go to them,” Benidict said folding his arms. “We attack them before they can launch into their next step.”
Scorpio shook her head, “That’s a sound idea but where are they?”
“Not in this dimension,” Vayne said and waved his hand toward the table. A pair of thin sheets appeared hovering right over one another. “They reside in a pocket dimension just outside this reality. It was called-“
“-The Necropolis,” Ryze finished.
Vayne looked at him and smiled, “Indeed.”
Cancer held up both his hands, “Assuming all of this is accurate, another dimension sounds like a hard sell. How are we even getting there?”
“Between our master and us we can find a way to teleport there,” Alison suggested.
“We can do one better,” Vayne said chuckling. “Taking our brother’s shovel will be Pride’s undoing. His shovel is like a beacon to us. We can sense it through dimensions and we can channel a portal directly there. We and Alison will create the portal. We will travel to the Necropolis and we will eliminate the Ouroboros at the source.”
The Harlequin Library 