Flames. Fire. Hot. There’s something about it that disturbed me. That disturbed me more than my brothers sudden kidnapping. A twig snapped. I had broken it. Strange, I thought, that one the anniversary of my brothers disappearance, it would be a full moon.
Full moons were dangerous times in most recent years. They were a time of full power for the necromancers.
‘Gods’ of the dark arts. Creators of the artificial life. And temporary death.
I’d never thought much of death. Perhaps it’s just another entrance of another life. In fact, I’d never given much thought to anything before he was taken away.
Surrounded by a surprising blue fire I sat. With a picture of my brother and incense burning. I would get him back. I knew this. But he could be in the Black Lands for all I knew. Rotting away in a prison cell waiting for me to save him. I shuddered at the thought.
I could care less what happened to me. Or anyone else. My brother was the only thing that mattered. He was the only thing that ever mattered.
۞
I look into a pond. Children are laughing in the back ground. I see two eyes, are they mine? I blink. Yes, yes they are mine. Two yellow eyes. I’ve heard the adults talk about my eyes. Saying they burn with power. What power is this? I look into the pond again. A pale lucid faced child stares back at me. Why wont the others play with me? Why am I so alone? Am I not nice? Cute? Am I scary? No. I don’t think I’m scary. I’m normal aren’t I? I look like the others don’t I? No. I’m different. I can feel it. But why!
I take my frustration out on the pond. When the water stills, it’s still me staring back. The face sneers at me. No this is not me.
“Nathaniel,” the face hisses. It’s eyes flashing red for a blink of a second. I lean closer to the pond. It’s drawing me in… A scream! I knew it all too well. My brother was in danger. I break free from the spell that was binding me and race off to find him. I don’t see him. Where could he be?
A muffled moan. I can see five, no six cloaked figures. The most senior, I know this from his cloak, it is almost grey with wear. He is speaking to me.
“Little Nathaniel, how I’ve waited for this moment. My, my you’ve grown! And that power! I must see it!” Why were all the adults always talking about powers? I step away from the man in the cloak. He is not safe. No good. He grabs my arm, but I struggle. I Know I am too weak to fight. The others are leaving. One is carrying my brother. I yell out, but he can’t hear me. I feel tears welling in my eyes. The cloaked figure pushes me away from my brother. But I have to help him! Close to screaming, I feel a tingling sensation in my hands. I yell. A white light.
My mind is black. I open my eyes. My lids are heavy. Fire. I see fire. All around me. Hot. I know it’s hot but I cannot feel it. I get up. The ground is not there? No, it’s there. I cannot feel it. I glance down. I see a boy. Pale, lucid skin, slightly charred. His black hair disheveled.
I know this face. His eyes, yellow and open in horror. There was no life in those eyes. I look down to my own arm. Pale, lucid, soft. Nothing unusual there. A thought hit me. My brother was gone. I begin to scan the area. No luck, he is gone.
The flames begin to die away, a radiant light grew from behind me. I turn around and see a man, his graying hidden by his deep black, leather cap. He is standing over the boy, chanting something in and unknown language. I know by the bells he is ringing that he is indeed a Necromancer.
Danger. My mind is telling me to run. I cannot. He is drawing me in. Pain. I feel pain. Burning pain. But I am not burnt? My eyes are closed. Were they not open only a moment ago? I see the man. He has eyes like mine. Hard as steel. Yellow. Sparkling with passion. Fear. I am scared of this man. He smiles at me. His glistening white teeth reflect the fire.
Oh that’s right. I was trying to save my brother! The man sighs. He is tired. Why is he tired? He hands me a letter.
“Nathaniel,” he says slowly, before a bright light flashes. Why do they all know my name? The man is gone. The other children are gone. The fires are raging. I must leave. I must save my brother…
۞
I look into a pond. Children are laughing in the back ground. I see two eyes, are they mine? I blink. Yes, yes they are mine. Two yellow eyes. I’ve heard the adults talk about my eyes. Saying they burn with power. What power is this? I look into the pond again. A pale lucid faced child stares back at me. Why wont the others play with me? Why am I so alone? Am I not nice? Cute? Am I scary? No. I don’t think I’m scary. I’m normal aren’t I? I look like the others don’t I? No. I’m different. I can feel it. But why!
I take my frustration out on the pond. When the water stills, it’s still me staring back. The face sneers at me. No this is not me.
“Nathaniel,” the face hisses. It’s eyes flashing red for a blink of a second. I lean closer to the pond. It’s drawing me in… A scream! I knew it all too well. My brother was in danger. I break free from the spell that was binding me and race off to find him. I don’t see him. Where could he be?
A muffled moan. I can see five, no six cloaked figures. The most senior, I know this from his cloak, it is almost grey with wear. He is speaking to me.
“Little Nathaniel, how I’ve waited for this moment. My, my you’ve grown! And that power! I must see it!” Why were all the adults always talking about powers? I step away from the man in the cloak. He is not safe. No good. He grabs my arm, but I struggle. I Know I am too weak to fight. The others are leaving. One is carrying my brother. I yell out, but he can’t hear me. I feel tears welling in my eyes. The cloaked figure pushes me away from my brother. But I have to help him! Close to screaming, I feel a tingling sensation in my hands. I yell. A white light.
My mind is black. I open my eyes. My lids are heavy. Fire. I see fire. All around me. Hot. I know it’s hot but I cannot feel it. I get up. The ground is not there? No, it’s there. I cannot feel it. I glance down. I see a boy. Pale, lucid skin, slightly charred. His black hair disheveled.
I know this face. His eyes, yellow and open in horror. There was no life in those eyes. I look down to my own arm. Pale, lucid, soft. Nothing unusual there. A thought hit me. My brother was gone. I begin to scan the area. No luck, he is gone.
The flames begin to die away, a radiant light grew from behind me. I turn around and see a man, his graying hidden by his deep black, leather cap. He is standing over the boy, chanting something in and unknown language. I know by the bells he is ringing that he is indeed a Necromancer.
Danger. My mind is telling me to run. I cannot. He is drawing me in. Pain. I feel pain. Burning pain. But I am not burnt? My eyes are closed. Were they not open only a moment ago? I see the man. He has eyes like mine. Hard as steel. Yellow. Sparkling with passion. Fear. I am scared of this man. He smiles at me. His glistening white teeth reflect the fire.
Oh that’s right. I was trying to save my brother! The man sighs. He is tired. Why is he tired? He hands me a letter.
“Nathaniel,” he says slowly, before a bright light flashes. Why do they all know my name? The man is gone. The other children are gone. The fires are raging. I must leave. I must save my brother…
۞
Another twigs snaps. I’d broken that one too. Something white catches me eye. The letter. I had never opened it. It was faded and dirty with age. The red wax seal, unbroken. I grab the letter. A sharp pain runs up my arm. Damn it. Jinxed.
I had been on my journey for almost a decade, learning many things to help me. I never wanted that for me. If I was to die, I would only regret not saving my brother.
I read the letter. It outlines my journey. How did the man know this?
“And as it crept up behind him…”
The letter reads. Slowly I turn. A pair of red eyes sparkle at me. With a flick of my wrist, I had the third bell, the Sleeper, ringing. Once. Twice. Three times. The dead being wobbled. Eyes drooping. I stood. Sword, unsheathed. A high pitched screech broke the dead silence. The Walker. The controller of the shadow creature had given it further orders. It’s eyes flashed again. Damn it. I didn’t want any drama! It lunged for me. I lunged for it. My sword flashed for an instant, the runes carved into it glowed when it connected with the dead flesh.
An ear splitting yelp. A curse. A bright light. I sheathed my sword. Slowly grabbing the Sixth bell, the Banisher. I ring it in sequence with the first bell, The Walker. I walk the creature’s soul through death. I slip back into life. The fire is now red. Caused by the entry to death.
Something red catches my eye. Is it blood? No. It’s another letter. I read it.
It’s simple enough. A map. Of where? Oh, the Dark Kingdom. Damn. I was hoping that, that would be the one place I wouldn’t go. I grab my things. I would find my brother soon.
As I grab my brother’s picture, the fires go out. The incense stops burning. Oh dear. A familiar sensation of cold washes over me. Death. Something was following me from death. Time to book it. Who- or what ever was after me, would not be friendly. I jump. My reaction rate is slow. I almost miss the branch I jump for. Heart beat. Pulse. Fast. It’s a human. Or some humanoid. Nothing dead. I place my hand to my own chest. I feel nothing. No beat. No movement. No pulse. I am not alive. I shouldn’t be alive. But I walk this land as a living being. A simple shadow puppet, is all I am.
If the man who had given me life died, I would too. But, suicide didn’t work. He too, was immortal. Only killable by the one he or she had imprisoned as themselves had been. In other words. Me.
I jump from the trees. I had been jumping for a while. I was in the Black Kingdom. I had camped fairly close to the border. The cold sensation stopped. Good. A familiar rush ran across me. The meadow I am in is grey. Fog? No. Smoke. Not from a fire. I walk forwards. A colorless poppy crunches beneath me. I know this place. It’s called the Red Meadow. Only the dead can enter. The temperature drops. A figure comes out from the trees.
Black cap, faded with age. Grey hair almost hidden. His steely yellow eyes sparkle.
“Nathaniel,” he speaks. I know him. He is the one that brought me life. He throws me a package. The fabric is soft. Velvet? I think so. Light is scarce here but I can see that it is red. I open it. My fingers run across something hard. Damn. It zaps me again. Weird. Annoying. It’s a bone. I know this bone. My brother’s bone. The runes engraved into it make it a weapon. They also tell of whose bone this is. Indeed it is my brother’s.
“Nathaniel.” The man was talking again.
“What do you want?” I say. It’s not really a question.
“I want…. I want you to kill me.”
“What?” I feel like a child again. Killing? Meh. Killing someone to result in my death when my reason for living was gone? Not happening. If this wasn’t the man I was looking for, to find out about my powers and my brother, and I kill him, I would have no one to get answers from.
“Your brother is long dead. Stop wasting your time. I brought you to life to kill me. I have long since past my time in this world.” I grunt.
I go to answer him. The man collapses. He stains the grey poppies red. The stench of death is nauseating. I feel very cold. Chunks of ice are forming on my limbs and face. This dead being was from the ninth and final precinct of death.
Death. Power. Bad. Was I supposed to fight it? I wait. A ghostly humanoid figure walks out from the trees. It’s red eyes flaming. It smiles. Flames dance from it mouth. Hot. Danger.
“Nathaniel! I was expecting someon-“ it looks to the fallen man. And my only escape to REAL death. To not be locked in death for all eternity.
“Oh well. You’ll have to do” it growls.
I unsheathe my sword. The runes reflect the creatures flames. I lunge. It lunges. I realize the creatures voice and mannerisms almost immediately.
“Ptolemy…” I growl. Just avoiding connection. It smiles. A very familiar smile. The body it has taken, I know it. I grind my teeth. He has taken my brothers body. This body is older, so he lived?
“So you recognize the body aye? Fresh. Ha. A little gangly for my liking but I couldn’t expect more from a teenager.” It chuckles. I lunge. It lunges. I dodge again. I can’t hit my own brothers body. I notice the bone on the floor. A loud roar wakes me from my pondering.
I swipe. I know this is not my brother, I must kill this demon. It sparks where the blade connects. It laughs. Useless. Even the sword, engraved in many runes was useless. I dodge on coming attacks. It claws at me. It gets my face. Warm. Wet. I’m bleeding. My shirt is ripped. A big gash is seen. He got my torso too? I growl. Remembering my many books on necromancy.
“Demons;
dark creature. Ultimately caused by necromancy. Created by bringing back the dead. Then dying (The necromancer) before their understudy (The demon) can kill them. These souls are tainted by forever walking in death.
They choose to encase lean bodies, that are not yet dead, but soulless. When a demon encases a body, they shed a single bone to make room for the soul. This bone becomes a great power for the necromancers, and a great weakness for the demon.
Demons can only be ‘killed’ by being stabbed through the heart of the body they encase, by the single bone they had lost from the body.
Finding the ‘Magyeko’ or ‘lost bone’ is extremely rare. The demon ca-“
I grit my teeth. I trip. I hit my head on something hard. The bone. I grab it. As I lunge and force it through the creatures chest, a single line was running through my head.
“And whomever shall silence thy demon, shall also walk past thy ninth precinct of death”
The creatures yowls. It stumbles back. Bone causing sparks erupting from its chest. I stumble back. I fall. White light. Ease. Water. Cold. Death? Yes, the river of death.
I smile and let the river take me. The demon is long dead. I lose my last breath as the river pulls me under.
