Time of the Necromancer: Chapter 36

Scorpio had been in worse places, that much was true but something about this was just making her jump at shadows. She wasn’t fond of the dark like her past selves had been. Combining that with the moldy scents of this dungeon didn’t help matters at all.

“Are you okay?” Alison asked looking back at her.

Scorpio stared at her and she wasn’t sure of her feelings toward that one either. Well it wasn’t Alison that she had issues with. It was the being inside of her. “I’m fine,” Scorpio said and focused on the path in front of her.

Alison frowned at the response but nodded and continued walking. She turned her head and the small will-o-the-wisp of light continued to illuminate their path. Above them she noticed a few glints of light glancing off the glass, almost like windows against the very tall ceiling. But whenever she tried to look through them, she couldn’t see anything beyond it. Alison led the way but she watched the way that Scorpio kept pace with her and also caught the way that she tried to hide her limp.

They walked together in silence for a long while but Alison made no effort to try and fill it. She closed her eyes and she felt the ember of her partner in her mind. Penny was sleeping as, but it was more like hibernating. Between creating the portal and fighting and this place they hadn’t had a chance to rest. Especially after she had relied on them so heavily.

But as they walked the demon began to stir inside her mind. Their eyes were open and they were seeing through Alison’s but they were not going to be taking control.

“This is place is terrible,” they said in her mind. “Let us be rid of this necromancer quickly.”

Alison chuckled and said, “Really? And here I was thinking of making this our new home.”

“I refuse.”

“Come on Penny. It has a charm to it.”

“You are. Teasing me.”

“Yes. You figured that out faster than normal.”

“I have been your companion this long yet learning all of your habits has not been a priority.”

“Don’t worry Penny. If we survive this I’ll teach you everything.”

Penny made a noise akin to grumbling but remained silent. Alison chuckled but slowed down to a crawl. She held her hand out and caught Scorpio’s attention slowing the girl down. She put a finger to her mouth and then pointed ahead of them. The tunnel of the dungeon had been made of simple dark stone with a rounded leaking ceiling.

There hadn’t been any other paths ahead, just a straight shot but there were certain sections that had gaps or holes. They had looked hand dug and were empty for the most part so they had ignored them. But this time Alison caught sight of a shadow lurking in one.

It was a person, slumped down in the hole. At first, she thought they were dead but eventually, she realized they were just sleeping. Under the castle. In this dimension.

“Stay close to us,” Alison said softly taking a step forward as the light bobbed near her shoulder.

“Who, or what, is that?” she asked sharply her hand going to her khopesh immediately.

Alison shook her head, “We don’t know. Let’s try not to find out. And be ready just in case it goes bad.”

Scorpio nodded and fully drew her sword. They walked forward Alison in front and as they got closer the light got brighter. The person in question was very very big. Their legs stuck out far and their head came up to Alison’s chest, even while laying down. He was wearing black leather pants but had nothing on hischest. He had large arms and a thick chest and stomach. But his face was hidden away by a black mask that covered his neck and went up to his nose. His head was bare and eyes shut.

Alison and Scorpio glanced at one another and they could hear him snoring. Scorpio raised her sword and Alison raised her hand quickly, shaking her head. Keeping a hand to her lips she pointed for them to keep going.

“Be wary Alison,” Penny said softly. “This man. He makes me uneasy. I don’t know why but we do not want to get involved with him.”

Scorpio and Alison made sure to step over the man’s legs. As they stepped over him Scorpio looked at the ground and saw that he had chains on his legs and then saw them on his arms as well. She couldn’t see where the chains went but if these people saw fit to chain this monster up then she wanted no part in it.

And then they both felt it. The ripple of magic far stronger than either of them raced across their bodies like a wave of electricity. Shuddering they both almost fell over but managed to catch themselves. Alison reached out to her companion steadying her and offered her a smile of reassurance.

But they both tensed when they heard it. A loud groan mixed in with a yawn. Both looked over their shoulders and watched as the mountain of a man began to stir. He sat up slowly and turn toward them. “What the hell are you doing down here?”

Both women paused on the other side of him, but before either could try to answer the question, they felt it. The field of magic suddenly made them feel exhausted. Alison grabbed her arm and blew them backward putting a lot of space between them.

The drain on them fell away suddenly and Alison stumbled falling over. Scorpio caught her and grunted but they managed to keep standing. She could see the man standing, just an inch or two shorter than the ceiling. He stretched and hit the ceiling with both fists hard,  “No one’s supposed to be down here.” He spoke slowly, almost mumbling through his words.

“What is that thing?” Scorpio asked sharply.

“That’s trouble. We didn’t see him but we’re sure he’s the reason that we couldn’t stop them in Noria. That draining feeling you felt? That’s his magic. Stay in it long enough and it’s going to turn you into dust.”

“So, then what are we supposed to do about him?” she asked looking at her sword.

“We’ll tell you once we figure it out. For now, we run,” she turned around and started sprinting back the path that they’d come. Scorpio belted after her. She stole a glance behind her and saw that he was chasing them.

He lumbered forward slow at first but it was like a rock rolling downhill. He charged forward gaining speed and momentum each step leaving behind a pulse of magic. The moment Scorpio felt stamina dropping she own power flared to life.

Her tail unwrapped from around her waist and she grabbed Alison’s arm. She jumped, pulling them both out of the way as he barreled past them. They rolled colliding with the far wall and watched the man go sprinting into the distance. “Thanks for the save.”

“No problem. But running is out of the equation it seems.”

Before Alison could reply she stumbled backward and fell to the ground as Penny stood in front of her. The demon’s head was low and chest heaving but they turned and caught Alison before she hit the ground. Alison started floating again on instinct.

“Penny what are you doing?”

“Buying time.”

“No. You haven’t even recovered entirely.”

“It will be enough. Put some distance between yourself and him then recall me.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“We are running out of options.”

Alison glared at the demonic version of herself. She hated the cold certainty that they spoke with but knew they weren’t wrong.

“Well whatever we’re going to do we need to do it now. He’s got to be coming back soon.”

“Okay,” Alison said glaring at Penny again and finally sighing. “Be careful. Just prevent him from charging and don’t take risks. Work your way toward us while you do it.”

“I’ve already thought these things through,” they said nodding. “You will not be rid of me this easily.”

Alison blinked, “Was that a joke?” Penny cracked a smile and Alison just grinned. “I’m finally rubbing off on you.”

Penny turned around and started walking, “Go.”

Alison turned toward Scorpio and groaned, “Can you carry me? Floating like this isn’t fast. But trust me I’m lighter than I look.”

The light faded around Penny as they continued to walk but their eyes adjusted easily for the darkness until they were in almost pitch blackness. It didn’t take them long to find the behemoth of a necromancer. He had veered to the side and crashed into a wall. Now he turned to look at them and cracked his neck.

“Another one? Though there were only two.”

“You will only have to deal with me,” they said raising their hands. Penny glanced at the ground and saw the effect of the field a few inches away from them. It extended about ten feet away from him, maybe twelve.

He turned to face them and lunged. Penny hopped backward widening their eyes. He moved much faster than they had previously seen out of the monster. They thrust their hands forward sending a blast of ice at him. It covered him from head to toe and he paused mid step. They cut off the magic raising their fists satisfied.

But the ice began to crack and he took a step freeing one leg and then the other. He shuddered and the rest of the ice melted away as he charged forward. Penny entered his field and immediately they stumbled down to their knees. They swiped with their arm and a block of ice exploded out of the ground throwing him into the opposite wall taking his field with him. Stumbling back to their feet they rushed backward chucking blocks of ice as they went.

“Ouch. That hurts. Fighting you is tiring,” he said taking another block to the face.

He crouched low and punched the ground and Penny sensed the surge of magic that flowed toward them. But then it went past them, under their feet. They watched it and then were tossed forward from an explosion of force. Hitting the ground hard they looked over their shoulder and saw a tall zombie in tattered robes rise up. Hopping back to their feet they readied another shard of ice when they felt the field.

Stumbling they looked back at the necromancer but he was far away. They flashed back to Noria and realized it was coming from the zombie instead. It wasn’t as strong as the originals but it was still draining. They looked down at their hand and saw the skin starting to blacken.

Thrusting their hand forward a shard of ice left it and pierced through the zombie’s chest. They blew it backward and the icicle started to break away then stopped as a thin pole. Their hand was still scarred but it wasn’t continuing to decay.

“You killed my zombie. That’s not cool,” he said starting toward them again.

Shaking their head Penny thrust both their hands at the ground and sent ice racing across backward. Penny then turned the ground beneath their feet to ice and skated forward. They could hear him crunching through their ice and the timing between footfalls was shrinking. He was starting to charge. Turning around quickly they put ice along the ground and raised their hands creating a thick wall of it. He crashed through it and stumbled.

Penny nodded satisfied creating a spear of ice and skated backward. They took a slow breath and skid to a halt feeling new exhaustion. They hadn’t taken time to recover properly and overestimated how much they could legitimately get done. Or rather underestimated this new opponent.

Penny got off the ice and broke into another run putting the spear over their shoulder. They took a few steps forward when the ground shook and the space in front of them was engulfed with an explosion. They skid to a halt covering their face. The heat subsided but the ringing in their ears lingered.

Blinking through the brightness they watched Gemini flip backward as Cancer slid. He raised both his katars firing bullets of water but that didn’t stop the glowing man that burst through the rubble swinging his fists and just barely missing the twins. One of his fists slammed into the ground and the following explosion blew the twins away.

Cancer flew toward them and Penny moved to catch him, then sank to their knees gasping for breath. He was covered in burns but he was already getting to his feet. Cancer turned toward them and then recoiled away seeing their face, “Alison?” he asked.

“The demon within her,” they replied. “It is good to know that you two are alive still.”

“Barely,” he said standing but Penny remained on the ground their eyes closed. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“I need to be reunited with Alison soon. But I think she’s close.”

Wrath took a step forward ready to go but paused. He turned around slowly and his eyes widened, “Sloth, you simple fuck. Of course, I have to put up with you down here.”

“Oh. Hey Wrath. What’re you doing down here?”

“Shut up moron,” he barked. “I’m already fucking mad.”

“What’s the story of that one over there?” Cancer asked quickly.

“He produces a field that drains your life from you the closer you are to it. Stay in it long enough and you’re going to die,” they said. “What about that one?”

“He’s on fire. Punches hard. That’s it,” Cancer stood over them. “Can you stand?”

Penny squinted, “Barely.”

“Alright this is going to be interesting,” his eyes went wide as Sloth started running at them.

Cancer raised his katars narrowing his eyes sharply, “Cancer Impact.” He fired bullet after bullet and watched them slam into Sloth but he just kept coming. “Okay that’s not working.”

Ice appeared under Sloth’s feet and this time he was thrown off the ground and into a nearby wall. He crumpled for a second, shaking his head back and forth. Cancer started to say something when an explosion echoed behind them.

Gemini flipped backward almost dropping his swords. He bounced against the ground and tried to get his footing again before being caught by an invisible hand. He looked over his shoulder and watched Scorpio sprinting toward them with Alison on her back her hand outstretched.

Gemini looked at them and wiped his brow letting his shoulders sag, “Glad to see you again.”

“Feelings mutual,” Scorpio said and glanced at Alison. “Why don’t we switch?”

“Sounds like a real plan,” Alison floated onto Gemini’s back and pointed toward his twin and Penny. “Bring me to them. And then we’ll handle that guy.”

Gemini nodded and sprinted at Wrath. Wrath quirked his eyebrow and charged at the pair of them. Wrath swung and Gemini stepped to the side and then jumped. Alison pushed with her magic and they flipped over him. Gemini slashed at his shoulder for good measure as they skidded back on the other side.

Penny stumbled forward and then embraced Alison fading into her. Alison shivered shutting her eyes and then took a step forward. “That feels very good,” she said softly. “We forgot what it’s like to not be whole.”

Gemini and Cancer both looked at them confused but heard Wrath screaming his frustration and could hear Sloth lumbering toward them “Alright now what’s the plan.”

“You two take on Sloth. Me and Scorpio are going to get rid of wrath,” Alison said.

“Sloth? Cool. Should be easier than that guy,” Gemini said taking a deep breath. He turned around pressing his shoulder against his brother. “What’s the deal on Sloth?”

“Apparently getting close is a no go,” Cancer said raising his katars and then thought for a second. “Though it gives me an idea.”

“Don’t get close huh?” Gemini scraped his swords together and then merged them. He pointed the sword at him and felt his power waking up. “I can do that. Gemini Tempest.”

In this place that had no fresh air suddenly the wind picked up and whistled. Gemini’s body faded away into his translucent state. Cancer raised his katars and crossed them in front of himself, “Protect Cancer.” Water rippled across his body like a thin layer of armor.

“What’s with the water?” Gemini asked.

“An idea. Let’s go to work,” he said and both of them charged forward.

Sloth looked at them perplexed but he raised his fists and swung at Cancer. Cancer felt the field the moment he got close to it and the water hovering around him began to bubble and evaporate. Cancer slid under the fist and spun around swinging his katars.

His blades dug into Sloth’s legs slicing deep. He didn’t fall down but he let out grunts of pain. The water shield faded away finally and Cancer leaped forward rolling away from Sloth. His skin felt like it was burnt but the wind whistled past and he turned to look at Sloth.

It was hard to tell exactly but he saw. His brother wasn’t just in the air, he was the air. Floating freely with no strings he swung at the necromancer with a blade of pure wind. He kept going like jousting through him and reforming on the opposite side for another attack. Sloth swatted and swung back and forth trying to stop the onslaught but it was like fighting a cloud.

Despite being in this form Gemini felt the field wearing on him, his vision blurring in exhaustion. Forcing himself to focus he shot forward again, swinging with all his might at the necromancer’s neck. His body faded back into normal and his sword manifested in his hand.

The diamond edged blade dug into his neck but it wasn’t enough. As he felt the decay start to set in Gemini felt tiny burst of power. He looked down and watched as bullets of water slammed into the blade of his sword. Little by little he felt it start to give and shouted as he gave another swing.

Suddenly he was rolling across the floor, Sloth’s head rolling past him. Sloth’s body shuddered and collapsed with a crash. Cancer lowered his arm and laughed giving his brother a thumbs up that was returned weakly.

Both turned to look back at the others and their eyes were wide. Wrath stood between Scorpio and Alison. His body was encased in ice, the heat entirely sapped from him. Scorpio’s tail was wrapped around his neck the tip of the dagger buried deep in his neck. They could see green seeping from the point of impact and foam leaving the necromancer’s mouth.

Scorpio’s dagger jerked out of him and Alison took a step back letting the ice melt away. Wrath took a step forward and then fell over onto his back convulsing. And then his convulsions stopped and he was still. Scorpio drew her khopesh, crouching in front of him, and hacked until his head was off. A scent like rotted and spoiled meat floated into her nostrils and she recoiled away. But Alison flicked her hand at his body and it iced over entirely. Taking a step forward she stomped down through his chest and saw the faintest glow of magic burst away.

 Taking a step back she leaned her head straight up and groaned. Walking over the Sloth’s body she did the same to it, “Okay. That was its own ordeal. But that’s two down.”

“Yes,” Scorpio sheathed her weapon. “We need to go catch up to everyone else.”

“A little help?” Gemini asked waving his hand. “I can barely feel my legs right now.”

“Seconded,” Cancer added,

Scorpio and Alison exchanged glances, laughed, and went to the twins bringing them both to their feet. They all hoped to be done with surprises for at least a few minutes.