How To Kill A Necromancer

They woke up the next morning and Zendron began to navigate towards his hometown. Jase tried his hardest to ignore the gnawing hunger in his stomach, finding it difficult to distract himself as he watched the world through Zendron's control. As they traveled deeper into the forest, Zendron kept a sharp eye for any hints of trail, glancing up at the angle of the sun to make sure he was still heading eastward. Jase, however, had other concerns.

"Perhaps we should wash up before we head into town," Jase suggested. “All this blood may have a bad impression on anyone who sees us."

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

"Do you know of a stream somewhere?"

"Sure. But blood stains aren't going to come out that easily. What I really want right now is some nice clothes."

There was a rustle and Zendron spun around. He looked side to side, warily.

"Where's Gadelynn? Wasn't she right behind us?" Jase realized.

"Where did she go?" Zendron said, irritably.

"Could she have gotten lost?"

“She was supposed to be following me.” Zendron sounded annoyed. He kept walking. "I'll find your stupid stream and if she's not back when we’re done…"

He grumbled. It was clear he didn't know what he would do about it if Gadelynn didn't return. They couldn't go wandering through the forest alone to find her. The sun was almost at its peak when they reached a small river cutting through the forest. Zendron waded in.

"Shit! That's freezing!" He exclaimed as the biting chill shot through his legs.

"It must be ice run-off from the mountain."

Zendron pushed forward and ducked his head under the water to wash his face.

"Watch out for my glasses!"

Zendron caught them and shoved them into his pocket. He worked on rubbing all of the dried blood off of his arms and legs. Jase was grateful for the warm sun after they stepped out.

"That feels much better," Jase said, satisfied.

Zendron fidgeted in their soaked shoes and tried to pull at the wet robes that clung to his arms. The riding harness felt tight and uncomfortable. "This is almost worse."

"No, it isn't. Just walk around, you'll dry off faster."

Zendron heard another rustle in the forest and planted his feet, ready to cast a spell. Gadelynn leaped out, a large bundle in her arms.

"There you are!" Zendron said angrily. "What the hell made you run off like that?"

Gadelynn stopped and lowered her head. Her ears dropped. "I brought you some clothes… like you told me to."

“I did not!”

"Zendron, she just wanted to help."

Zendron ignored him, "It was a lot of work to resurrect you, Gadelynn! And you just ran off into the woods on your own. A wolf could have gotten you, and then what use would you be? You would be a total waste of my time!"

"Zendron! Stop that!" Jase scolded.

Gadelynn looked very hurt. She hugged the bundle closer to her chest.

"Ugh fine." Zendron crossed his arms, avoiding looking at Gadelynn. "What did you bring me?"

Her ears perked up and she handed it over to him. Zendron took it and set it down, unfolding it.

"She stole these didn't she?" Jase realized.

"Yep. Probably snagged them off a clothesline." Zendron held them up. It was a rather nice set consisting of a tunic, an undershirt, and a pair of pants. "These aren't just some peasant’s laundry. Not bad at all."

"Those look pricey. We should probably find whoever owned these and pay them back."

"What would you tell them? That their clothes were stolen by an undead faun because a necromancer and an alchemist were knee deep in monster blood for the past two days? These are ours now."

"Do you like them?" Gadelynn asked, hopefully.

"Okay fine. Yes, I do." Zendron admitted, "But next time-"

He was interrupted by Gadelynn hugging one of his arms tightly.

"Aw, how sweet,"

"Shut up, Jase!" Zendron said. He shook Gadelynn off, "I was going to say: Wait for me to tell you what to do, and don't let yourself be seen by anyone."

"Okay!" Gadelynn said cheerfully.

Zendron changed into the new clothes, and despite Jase's protests, threw the old robes away into the river. They came upon a road and Zendron started to follow it. Eventually, Jase spotted some houses.

"So is that Archlind then?" Jase asked.

"Yeah." Zendron turned off the road and towards a field.

"We aren't going in?"

"Not yet. I want to find my family's graves and see where they are first. Then we can come back later. Gadelynn, stay out of sight of the town."

"Okay!" she bounded into the forest again.

"By "later" you mean the middle of the night so you can dig up your body?" Jase guessed.

Zendron strolled across the field, approaching a stone building that Jase guessed was once meant to be a church. Next to it, splitting the field in half, was a low wall. On the other side, the field was overgrown, and scattered with old gravestones and wooden crosses. Zendron hopped over the wall and started to look closer at each of the stones.

"This may take some time," Jase observed, taking note of the tall grass that obscured most of the stones from view.

Zendron stood up to move onto the next stone and spotted gadelynn’s ears pop up from the grass in the field.

Gadelynn trotted over. "I found them!"

"Gadelynn! You shouldn't be so close to town. I told you to stay out of sight!"

"You said you wanted to find your family's graves, and I've been looking all over for them." She waved, "They're this way." Suddenly, she ducked down into the grass, completely camouflaged. They watched the grass rustle as she continued through the field.

"How does she do that?"

Zendron followed her. "I need to stop saying things I want or she's going to keep running off to get them." He mumbled to himself, “it's supposed to be ‘to the intention’, not ‘to the letter’, you idiot.”

"That's probably a good idea."

Gadelynn stopped in front of three headstones, and Zendron knelt down to read them.

"They're almost indecipherable."

"Gadelynn's right. It's them. My body isn't here though."

" But there's three-?"

"The third is my brother's."

"Oh."

Zendron stood up. "Gadelynn, stay in the forest. I mean it. I'm going to go into town."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm annoyed that we haven't found my body yet. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I just- Nevermind. What are we doing now?"

"My old home might have something," Zendron said.

They entered the town. Jase noticed some of the people staring at them as they passed. It only took a short while to walk through town and find where Zendron's home had been, but he walked past it twice before doubling back and standing in the center of an empty plot.

"It's all gone," he realized quietly. "Where did it go?"

"It has been fifty years. Maybe the town tore down the old house when the shop closed."

"... Yeah. Probably."

They stood in silence for a few minutes.

"I'm hungry," Zendron said finally. He turned towards the main road. "Hopefully there's still the bakers around."

A scruffy looking man stood up from under a tree where he had been sitting with two others. All three of them were wearing various pieces of armor.

“Just great. Who are they supposed to be, some sort of local militia?” Zendron muttered.

"This isn't good." Jase agreed.

"Where are you headed to, stranger?" the man said as he approached them.

"I'm just passing through town," Zendron said impatiently. “Just to get some food and I’ll keep going.”

"Is that so?" The man blocked Zendron's way, "Don't pretend we didn't see you walking back and forth by that old lot. What's your business here?"

"Absolutely none of your business, that's what." Zendron kept an eye on the two other men watching them as well.

“Hey now, we’re just working hard. You gotta pay a toll for using this road. It keeps the local guard funded and the townsfolk safe.”

"You mean it keeps your beers full and the townsfolk intimidated. Since when did Archlind start hiring thugs to steal taxes professionally?"

"Can you stop mouthing off, Zendron?"

"You've got a smart mouth on you, old man." the guard warned.

“Again? Old?"

“Don’t you know to respect your elders?” Zendron spat back.

"Excuse me?" Jase gasped.

The two other men stood up, weapons by their sides.

"I’ll tell you what. You pay up and we'll let you through. With clothes like yours, I reckon you can spare a bit of generosity to the common folk.”

“No.” Zendron refused. “What now? Are you going to rob me on the street?”

“Well, the rest of us would agree that you've been causing quite a ruckus here since you arrived. A night in jail and some bail might teach you to watch your mouth."

Gadelynn jumped out from behind a building and lept in front of Zendron. "You stay away from him!" She shouted.

"Gadelynn! I told you to stay in the forest!" Zendron exclaimed.

"This is in the forest!" Gadelynn protested.

"I told you to stay out of sight too!" Zendron hissed.

"I thought the forest one overrode that!"

"Why would you think that?"

The guards raised their weapons nervously, staring at Gadelynn.

"What- what is that thing?" One asked.

"A monster, that's what. And the old man’s controlling it." The other guard responded.

“I told you something was up with him, hanging around that cursed witch house like that.” The leader said. He knocked Gadelynn aside. "You, grab the corpse. We'll handle this witch."

"What-" Zendron was caught off guard. The leader and another man grabbed him and started dragging him down the road. "Hey! Let me go!"

"Archlind doesn't take too kindly to dark magic and witchcraft," he said.

“Witchcraft? I'm not a witch i am a-”

“Zendron! Can you shut up for once!?" Jase interrupted.

They wrestled him into a building made of large stones. "That'll hold him while we deal with the minion."

"Yeah right!" Zendron elbowed the man and managed to gain a bit of ground before another pushed him back and slammed an iron door in his face.

"You idiots! You’ll regret this!" Zendron yelled after them.

"Arrested for witchcraft. Well, that's a first." Jase said, unamused.

"Shut up." Zendron walked around. He tested the door and inspected the window.

"I don't think that's going to work."

Zendron sat down on the wooden bench, hitting his head against the wall with a thump.

"Ow."

Zendron started rocking his head back and forth against the wall.

"Stop that. If you keep doing this you're going to form a bruise"

"No, there's something…?" Zendron turned around and started running his hands along the wall. One of the bricks moved at his push, just enough for him to slip his fingers behind it. "Aha! What's this?" Zendron’s fingers hooked around a small chain. He tugged it out and a medallion dropped into his hand. "... what the?" He turned it over to inspect it. It was covered in a thick layer of grime and dirt.

"A thief's stash maybe?"Jase speculated. "Seems like someone hid it and expected to come back for it later."

"This is mine." Zendron realized. "This is my medallion," he repeated, confused. He rubbed off some of the mud with his thumb. "I always wore it. What's it doing here?"

"Nothing good -" Jase guessed.

They heard a commotion outside and Zendron jumped up, hiding the medallion under his shirt. Some men guarded the door as one of them grabbed Zendron's wrists and tied them behind his back.

"You're not gonna be doing any magic on our watch."

They pushed him out of the building, keeping him restrained. They came out into the street where a crowd was gathered.

"Wow, you must have gotten the whole town out here," Zendron said sarcastically. "So, what, you're going to put me on trial?"

"Trial is too good for scum like you." Growled the man, "All you're getting is the fire."

They heard wild screaming coming from the center of the crowd.

"That's Gadelynn!" Jase said with relief. "She doesn't sound hurt."

"Fire..." Zendron said under his breath.

"Zendron, I think they’re intending to burn us. What do we do?"

"The fire. I remember now. That's what they did to magic users during the King’s War.” Zendron whispered. “They tied me up and set my home on fire and threw me inside. The ceiling collapsed and-"

His breath cut short as the men thrust them through the crowd.

“Stop your muttering, witch!”

Zendron stumbled to keep his balance and looked up at the pile of wood prepared for them. Gadelynn was tied at the foot of it, screaming and struggling at the ropes holding her. She saw Zendron and started kicking at those near her. The crowd gave her a wide berth, and some of them pointed pitchforks at her.

The men pushed Zendron forward up onto the pile and Jase felt the familiar pain in his chest as magic started well up inside of him.

"Zendron...?" he asked warily. “What are you planning?"

The men started to tie Zendron down.

"They destroyed everything I owned- they burnt it all with me inside of it- and now they're going to try again?" Zendron's voice rose to a shout, "Who do they think they are? Do you even know who I am?"

The crowd stepped back nervously at his shout. The men tying him down jumped back and raised wooden stakes towards him.

"You're all going to pay for this!" Zendron shouted. It was as if black waves of magic erupted from him. Zendron started chanting strange syllables.

"Zendron, stop! Argh!" Jase tried to stay focused. He couldn't risk blacking out again.

Gadelynn began thrashing wildly. Her pale eyes turned black. She broke free and snarled like a wild animal, biting at the crowd. The crowd scattered and a torch was tossed unheeded onto the foot of the pile. Jase watched flames start to lick the dry grass and wood.

Zendron still chanted angrily, overcome by rage and dark power as members of the frightened crowd collapsed to the ground, picked off one by one like puppets with their strings cut. The fire burst out in every direction, seemingly jumping onto the roofs of the nearby buildings. Jase felt magic viciously being channeled into Zendron's spells and knew he wouldn't be able to stay conscious much longer.

He watched the fire creep up towards them, "We need to go!" The flames licked the toes of their boots, "Zendron! Run!"

Zendron broke his concentration and looked around. Some of the townsfolk were crowded around a horse that was rearing up in a panic.  Zendron leaped off the pile towards them. “Out of my way!” he shouted as they ran off. He grabbed the reins and pulled himself up onto its back, holding on tightly as it tried to shake him off. "Gadelynn! Come!"

Gadelynn snapped out of her trance and followed swiftly on her deer legs. The horse startled at her presence and Zendron lost control of it. It galloped some ways into the forest before Zendron got bucked off. He landed heavily on the ground. The horse bolted and Gadelynn ran up to Zendron. He groaned and coughed roughly, winded from the fall. Zendron pushed himself up.

"We need to hide… Gadelynn, look for someplace safe."

"Look for somewhere safe. Okay." Gadelynn started to head off. Zendron had another coughing fit and she turned to see him supporting himself against a tree, unable to stand on his own. She hesitated.

"Gadelynn... Help me..." he managed to say before he fell to the ground, unconscious. Gadelynn ran back over to him, standing over him and looking around panicking.

"Oh- oh oh oh…" she stammered, her hooves tapping back and forth. Gadelynn tugged on her ears nervously and one ripped off a little. "Ack!" she shouted in surprise. She looked down at Zendron, then around, then back down. “Look and help.” she repeated.

Gadelynn knelt down and pulled his arms up, trying to pull him backward. She turned around and hoisted him onto her back, holding onto his arms propped over her shoulders. "Get him somewhere safe. Get him somewhere safe." She repeated to herself. She stopped and closed her eyes. "Gadelynn, help..." she whispered as she stood, supporting him on her back in the middle of the forest, unsure of where to go. Gadelynn listened with her large ears and headed away from the chaotic noises of the burning town.

She walked. All afternoon. All evening, and all through the night. She kept walking.

Dawn was approaching when Gadelynn heard the rustle of someone approaching. She dropped Zendron and turned to look. Behind her sat a thin dryad on the back of a petite centaur.

"Oh it's alright, Rootbeer," the dryad said endearingly, "It wasn't a hunter after all. She's just a faun!"

"Hello there! I'm Rootbeer, and this is Juniper" said the centaur.

Gadelynn lowered her body protectively.

"Oh don't run! We don't want to hurt you!" said Juniper.

"Yeah, we want to help. Are you okay? You don't look so good."

“Help…” Gadelynn said quietly.

Juniper got off Rootbeer's back. She started to approach and Gadelynn looked around nervously. Suddenly, Rootbeer stopped and wrinkled her nose.

"Juniper, stay back! She smells horrible!" the centaur exclaimed.

"Rootbeer! Don't be rude!" Juniper scolded.

"Something's not right with her, Juniper, she smells like death!" Rootbeer tried to hold juniper back, but Juniper pulled her hand away.

"Why are you being so awful today?" she said. She turned to Gadelynn, "I am so sorry, I hope my friend didn't hurt your feelings." Juniper noticed Zendron on the ground and gasped. "Oh no! Is your friend hurt?"

"I need to get him somewhere safe," Gadelynn said.

Juniper turned to Rootbeer, who still looked horrified at Gadelynn. Reluctantly, Rootbeer stepped closer, still wrinkling her nose. She stopped a few feet away. Juniper reached towards Zendron but Gadelynn jumped over him protectively.

"It's alright! I'm a dryad. I won't hurt him, I just want to help."

"He told me to help him," Gadelynn insisted.

"Oh. Well if you want to do it then at least let me help you lift him onto Rootbeer."

"I don't want her touching me!" Rootbeer protested, "Something's not right with her!"

"What's gotten into you today?"

"Can't you smell it, Juniper? She's DEAD."

"Nonsense, she's walking just like us. And you know I can't smell anything so stop being so rude."

Juniper helped Gadelynn pick up Zendron and put him on Rootbeer's back. Rootbeer watched Gadelynn carefully and gave Zendron a sniff.

"This one's alive," she confirmed.

Juniper shot Rootbeer a scolding look and they began walking. "We will take you to our home, it's the safest place in this forest, and we can help your friend there," Juniper explained.

"He said he wanted me to help him."

"That's alright too." Juniper responded kindly, "What's your name?"

"Gadelynn"

"Oh, how pretty!" Juniper said happily.

"Gadelynn is a pretty name." Rootbeer admitted, "But not as pretty as Juniper." she added.

Juniper blushed, "Oh you… not in front of our guests."