The misadventures of the necromancer

Sena climbed the stairs behind Saca, still trying to make sense of what she had just seen and heard. Nero’s description had been something else entirely…

The way he spoke sounded like someone remembering something he had actually lived through. But on the other hand, what he was saying was practically unbelievable. The image he described was of a richness she had never even dreamed of.

It sounded more like the hoard of a dragon from the stories than anything that could truly exist.

“Well, at least it explains what he’s doing here,” she muttered more to herself than to anyone else, as they returned to the room where the entrance underground near the fireplace was.

“Oh? What?” Saca asked as she tried to calm her brother, scolding him, “Come on! That’s enough, Delmic.”

“I was saying that now it’s easier to understand why someone like Nero would come to a place like this,” Sena clarified.

“Yes, you mean what he said he expected to find here,” Saca replied, making faces at her brother.

“But what’s going to happen now that he didn’t find anything?” Saca suddenly asked, carefully lowering her voice as she shared her concern.

Another voice answered her. “Don’t worry. He’ll sulk for a while, but soon enough he’ll come up with a new plan.”

When they turned toward the sound, they saw the young men coming up the stairs, just as they had earlier. And apparently, despite Saca’s care in lowering her voice, Seres had heard her, prompting his reply.

Seeing that only the two of them had come out of the hidden cellar, Sena felt compelled to ask, gesturing with her head toward the space behind them. “And Nero?”

“As Seres said, he’ll need some time. Don’t worry,” Adar replied calmly, before glancing back and adding, “Maybe we should wait outside.”

“So that means there won’t be any trouble? After all, he must be upset about not finding what he was looking for—especially if it was such a great treasure,” an anxious Saca asked as they walked out of the ruined house. It was a concern Sena shared, since their survival now depended on the necromancer’s state of mind.

Reaching the doorway that led outside, Adar motioned for them to go first. Saca, with Delmic in her arms, stepped out first. While this happened, he took the opportunity to reassure them.

“As Seres said, he’ll probably be annoyed for at least a few days…” When Sena began to step out as well, he seemed thoughtful and hesitant, but continued, “You may need to be a bit careful about how you speak to him for now… he’s likely more irritable than usual.”

That was understandable, even normal. But Sena couldn’t help noticing the heavy looks the young men exchanged in silence, signaling that the coming days would be difficult.

After all, when someone as powerful as the necromancer is displeased, everyone beneath him suffers. It was a variation of what she herself had witnessed in her clan: when those in power were happy, everything went smoothly; otherwise…

And something else had to be considered: normally, when the one in charge has problems, those same difficulties affect everyone in the group. In this case, Nero had surely accepted them because he expected to find this treasure, which would offset the extra burden they represented.

Unfortunately, that was no longer true. She looked at Saca, holding the baby, and felt worried.

Now that they were all outside, she couldn’t help asking, “So what do we do now?”

The two men exchanged looks in a silent conversation between people who knew each other well. Then Seres spoke. “Well… for now, nothing. It’s best to wait until Nero comes out and decides what to do next.”

The blond young man ran a hand through his hair in a casual gesture—more an act of pretending things were normal than a sincere one—before concluding, “It’s very hard to guess what he’ll want to do next, and it’s better not to try.”

“But…” Adar began, “One thing is certain. It would be convenient if he stayed calm over the next few days.” The dark-haired man gestured toward Delmic in Saca’s arms.

It was clear the baby would be a problem. After all, who wants to hear a child crying when someone was as upset as the necromancer must be right now?

“So now…?” Saca began to ask, with Delmic a bit calmer.

“For now, go for a walk,” Adar suggested. “It might help distract and tire your brother out a little.”

“Yes, good idea. You go—we’ll wait here. When he shows up, we’ll call you,” Seres added in support.

Sena had to agree it was a good idea. Staying away from the necromancer and trying to tire the baby out might work well.

At the entrance of the house, the two young men and the undead mule remained. The mule must have been guarding them and their master inside. Meanwhile, the two women walked off, speaking cheerfully to try to catch the little one’s attention.

“Oh, look at that wall! Have you ever seen a wall like that?” or things like, “Look, see that thing over there? Isn’t it strange?”

And so they walked on until, suddenly, Saca let out a scream, forcing Sena to turn toward her. She was pointing at something that had appeared out of nowhere… a dog.

The animal had long brown fur and a long snout. A normal dog, like so many others, Sena had seen in the clan—animals raised and trained to help with hunting, especially tracking animals like rabbits and other rodents. At least so she suspects, considering its size, not reaching higher than her knee.

Sena could only assume the surprise had caused Saca’s scream, which had even drawn the attention of the young men at a distance. Even their mule seemed to be watching them attentively, as if expecting trouble.

She waved to them to signal that everything was fine.

“Why did you scream?” Sena asked Saca, trying not to laugh at her skittishness, while remembering several occasions when the girl had acted like a little princess. Even so, she couldn’t deny that when Saca had tried to defend her family, she had shown herself to be serious and strong, standing up to everyone.

“The dog appeared out of nowhere like a ghost. What did you expect me to do?” Saca replied, sounding offended. Meanwhile, her brother in her arms seemed delighted with the dog, reaching out toward it and appearing to laugh.

“Besides, where did that animal even come from? This isn’t a place where there should be dogs!” an uneasy Saca asked, reminding Sena of the earlier rumor Saca had mentioned—that this city was haunted.

That made Sena look more closely at the dog, which indeed shouldn’t be able to survive alone in a place like this. But noticing that it not only didn’t seem aggressive, but actually seemed happy and entertained by Delmic, she could only say, “It must belong to some hunter who lost it around here.”

It was the only explanation that came to mind, even though hunters are usually more careful than that. Losing a hunting dog is painful and upsetting, given the time it takes to train one, but it can happen.

“You think so?” Saca asked uncertainly.

“Yes, of course,” Sena replied, crouching down to pet the dog. “Or do you think this little fellow is a ghost?” she added teasingly.

And with that, they began to play with the animal. Eventually, they started playing tag with the dog, moving along the street where they were.

After covering some distance—enough for her to start worrying that they were going too far—they come upon a different sight.

Behind what appears to be the remains of a wall lies a small grove, a stark contrast to the rest of the city, where the cold gray of stone prevails.

Sena and Saca exchange looks of amazement, not having expected to see this, as they continue following the dog. Instead of crossing the wall, it circles around it until they reach what seems to have once been the entrance to this place. On one side stands a large stone pillar, and opposite it lie the toppled remains of its twin.

Somewhat confused, they pass through this entrance and see a path that seems to lead somewhere. On both sides, the vegetation is lush and green, as if they were back in the region where they used to live near Lake Clearwater.

“Well, at least now I understand how the dog must have survived around here,” Saca comments, looking around.

Sena simply nods in agreement. A dog this size could survive by hunting and feeding on the small creatures that must certainly live among these trees.

“Yes, you’re right. But maybe…” She is about to say that they should at least warn the boys where they are when Saca points in the direction the path leads and exclaims,

“Just look at that.”

Seeing what she is pointing at, Sena cannot help but be stunned. Reduced to ruins is what must once have been a great tower, which, judging by what remains, must have resembled an enormous tent made of white marble—a structure unlike anything she had ever seen.

Eventually, probably bored, the dog starts running around them, eager to play, which they kindly indulge.

And so they amuse themselves, letting time drive by, until a shout rings out:

“Damn it!!!”

When Sena turns toward the sound, she sees Nero breathing heavily as if he had been running, standing right beside the stones of the entrance. Immediately, she feels bad, realizing that when the necromancer noticed their absence, he must have run here in concern.

Fortunately, they had not gone very far from the entrance.

As she prepares to go to him and apologize for their behavior, the boys come running up right behind him, stopping nearby.

Their voices carry as she hears Adar say, “See? There’s no problem at all. There was no need for us to come running like that.”

At these words, Seres raises an arm and waves to them, starting to head their way while shouting, “Hey, girls!”

Out of nowhere, the necromancer grabs him by the collar and yanks him back, snapping, “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Those idiots are already over there—and you want to go join them.”

As he speaks, he watches the stones that form the entrance and conspicuously avoids crossing the boundary line they create.

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