Whimsical Tales of Woe

Necromancy can be Educational

Part Seven: Necromancy can be Educational

After the long one last time this is a shorter one and a bit bizarre but here we goo!! This  is based off a picture I saw once that said; "Give the gift of life, Become a necromancer today!" I love it. So here we are.

Prompt: "Give the gift of life, become a necromancer today!"

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A hacking cough racked the man's body as he stood in the shallow grave. He hated it when he inhaled human remains.

"Master," His young apprentice hissed leaning over the dirt to look down at him. The boy's blond head snapped back and forth like a scared pigeon around cats. "This is not what I thought you meant when you said we should go for an evening churchyard stroll."

The older man gave him a gruff "hmph." He swung the heavy shovel up at the boy and waved it accusingly. "Your incorrect assumptions boy, are why you cannot pass your sorcery tests." His apprentice was not really a boy anymore, at the age of nineteen, but he definitely acted like a child on occasion. "Now stop your yapping and keep an eye out."

Julian sighed and his youthful face disappeared from the top of the pit.

Professor Gath Foxhinckle was not a man to be trifled with. Known as 'The Fox' in his younger years, not only for his cunning and sly mannerisms, but also for his elegant features and colouring, the Professor had a way with people. At least he liked to think he did. His persuasive abilities may have deteriorated slightly after spending the past three years teaching a student with less tenacity than a blobfish.

"Ah huh!" Foxhinckle lifted the bone from the grave triumphantly. Julian appeared again but the professor payed him no mind, instead he inspected the femur. His keen ashy eyes took in all the fissures and cracks, he tilted it to catch the moon light and a frown furrowed his grey brows.

Taking a step back, he looked down at the dirt beneath him. It had not been compacted like he had anticipated. Fox knelt down and brushed away more grime from the bones; it came away easily with a single swipe of his fingers. "hmmm." He dug into his pocket and removed a small clear vial where he deposited the clinging soil before sealing it with a stopper.

"Professor?" Foxhinkle looked up at his student.

"Take this." He thrust the bone out to Julian who yelped and stepped back. He sighed and made his way out of the shallow grave. He reached into his pocket.... His other pocket, and pulled out a leather pouch. Lost in habit the professor mumbled softly and dusted his fingers over the open grave site. Ash fell from his fingertips like snow and fluttered down to meet the earth.

Julian remained quiet, sensing the sincerely in his masters voice, even though Fox knew he could not comprehend the words he spoke. "May you rest in peace," His teacher finished then frowned, something deeper in his gaze, "Wherever you may be resting."

Once he was fished he presented his pupil with the bone again.

"I'm not touching someone's remains, Sir," His tone rose and he started off again; the professor rolled his eyes. "Not only is it highly unsanitary, but it is crude, disrespectful and wrong. I never should have let you dig them up to begin with."

"Ha!" Foxhinckle barked out a laugh and his young student crossed his arms with a pout, knowing what was coming. "I would like to see you try, Julian. Perhaps you will surprise me and show you are capable of such a challenge." He pointed to different grave stone a few feet from them. "Another! Prevent me, oh noble one, from desecrating an innocent's final resting place."

Foxhinckle moved with large swaying steps towards the leaning headpiece. He saw the turmoil on his apprentices face, the discomfort in his blue eyes. Foxhinckle lifted his shovel. "Here I go. Wooo."

"Stop it." Julian snatched the tool from his professor's hands and huffed. The boy had morals, despite his upbringing. "I don't know why I bother sometimes." He mumbled under his breath and turned back towards the church. "Remind me not to invite you to my funeral. The way you're going, you will outlive us all and knowing you I won't stay buried for long." Foxhinckle smiled slightly, his intelligent eyes gleaming.

Straightening and no longer seeming to be the aged professor he appeared to be on the surface, Foxhinckle looked at the bone in his hand once more and unease settled over him. Even with all his years of knowledge, he could not fathom why this would be happening in his town. He had left that life behind, hadn't he?

Choosing not to push his concerns aside, but rather file them away for later, he caught up to Julian. "Of course not, I would be down here with my trusty shovel the very next day. Better to get in quick to prevent further decomposing." He took his shovel back and grinned at the boy's horrified expression. Maybe I have freaked the poor lad out enough for one night. Foxhinckle mused, but where was the fun in that?

"I need a hand these days, someone to keep me grounded. No one else can stand me longer than a month and you have been through more professors than good money can buy." He said falling easily into step with the youth. "Do you think I keep you around for the captivating discussions we have?"

Julian stopped and gave him a flat look.

"You see?" Foxhinckle indicated the space between them. "Duller than a three day old horse turd."

"Please explain to me why I agreed to this?"

"You really should be more specific in your wording, Julian. It only takes one botched question to lead into a lecture on the nature of philosophical thought and why only morons take the time to actually study it."

"Forget I asked."

The church cemetery was deserted at this time of the night. Foxhinckle had led Julian around for hours waiting for the rest of the town to sleep. Like a curious student, he had been patient... for the first three hours, after that the complaining had started and Fox could only take so much of the youth's ignorance on hardships. A five hour walk in the park was... well a walk in the park. Just because it went for five hours did not mean it was a form of torture.

"It's fake, my boy." Foxhinckle waved at him with the femur.

"Fake?!" Julian grabbed the bone from his hands and inspected it. "Looks real to me, sir." Foxhinckle snatched the bone back and smacked him on the head with it. "Hey!"

"You aren't looking well enough then."

"Why would anyone put fake bones in a grave Professor? It makes no sense."

Foxhinckle nodded in agreement. "Yes... It is odd." But he could think of one reason. He threw the bone back to Julian. "Come on, today is going to be a long day."

Julian begrudgingly took the bone, leaving Foxhinckle with the shovel. "You mean 'tomorrow's going to be a long day'."

Foxhinckle smiled and pulled his cap lower over his eyes. Eyes that marked him as a man who walks between boarders. "Yes, I presume tomorrow will be long too, but I was not talking of tomorrow. I was talking of today."

At his words the sun began to peak over the horizon and bathed them in the light blue hue of morning. Foxhinckle heard Julian's groan behind him as they began the long walk back to his tower on the other side of town. The next few days were going to be long and boring; Fox was curious to see how long it would take before his young student gave up on his dreams to becoming a mage. Who knows, the lad had demonstrated persistence over the last few years, if little else.

Fox only feared that things were deteriorating rapidly; there was no slow ageing, save his own. The world was a changing place and he needed to figure out not only why the bones of the common folk were being stolen, but who or rather what was taking them.

A part two in the next chapter, It can be read as a standalone but flows on from this story and follows the same characters. I broke my own rule, but I love these two and wanted them to see a little more action other than grave digging.

Next prompt: Julian gets to see his master at work as they are overrun by undead.