The Sleeping Citadel: Gray Magic

A Lively Family Reunion

AN: Originally posted 1/1/2024. Reposted 2/29/2024.

"All right! Come on, come on!" Reaper gestured urgently for her two companions to hurry up and move.

"We're not as athletic as you, Reaper!" Sonorhc made no attempt to move any faster than her usual walking pace. Beside her, poor Nevermore did put in effort, but she was panting hard, only a little faster than Sonorhc. Reaper sighed and shook her head, but once they caught up, she tried her best to walk a little slower. She just couldn't help it! They were about to test out another new idea of hers!

Which is... never a good thing... Sonorhc quirked an eyebrow and smirked, but said nothing as Nevermore continued to scramble after Reaper, able to keep up better now that Reaper was walking a little slower as well. Their destination was the town's local graveyard.

"All right, Sonorhc, do your stuff, girlfriend!" Reaper grinned, kicking in the large, cold, metal door to her family crypt. Every coffin was sealed and propped upright against the walls, decorations on and around every single one, except... "Name's rubbed off, but... that's him! My great, great, great granduncle! ...I think." Reaper tapped her chin. All the "greats" get confusing after a couple generations!

"Anyway! If there's anyone who can get me into that party, it's him!" Reaper's black eyes were practically glowing as she clenched her fists excitedly. That'll show the schoolboard! Those jerkwads! Just cuz I'm a Necromage doesn't mean I'm a danger to the townhall!

"But... weren't you banned for property damage from last month?" Nevermore asked sincerely.

"Nev!" Reaper shot Nevermore an exasperated sigh. She was referring to Reaper decaying the ground around part of the townhall to help clean up only to accidentally make it sink, which in turn made that area of ground even more susceptible to breakage, which... "It wasn't on purpose!"

"S-sorry!" Nevermore winced guiltily. Reaper had only invited her along for the convenience of her shadow magic. As an Umbramage, one of the things she could do was travel by darkness, as if teleporting. The only downside was that they could not use it too often, hence why they walked to the graveyard rather than using Nevermore's power. That would come later in Reaper's clever little schemes...

"I mean, you're not wrong," Sonorhc scoffed at Nevermore before turning her dark gaze on Reaper. "Even if I can bring back your great, great granduncle, or whatever, do you really think he's going to vouch for you?"

"'Course!" Reaper nodded confidently. "He was every bit as much a wildcard as me! In fact, I'm fairly sure he's where I get it!"

"Is that really something to be proud of?" Nevermore wondered quietly as Reaper put her hands on her hips, chest puffed out.

"No. No it is not." Sonorhc smirked dryly, but she stretched out a hand over the only open coffin in the entire crypt. Of course, by then, the remains of the dead were long-gone. It was generations ago, after all.

But Sonorhc imagined dust collecting together to create bone, and then muscle and flesh would grow from the bone like moss on a tree... It took a few minutes, but as the seconds ticked by, the bones did indeed begin to materialize and solidify, slowly shifting into position. They supported themselves with joint, ligament, tendons, and cartilage with muscle and flesh slowly wrapping itself around all of it.

"It's... ALIVE!" Reaper cried as the arms of the body began to move independently of Sonorhc's subtle influence.

"Mr..." Nevermore was shaking, even her smile was shaky, but she wanted to approach Reaper's family nonetheless. At least until she remembered that they had no way to address him, the name on the coffin long-gone.

"Ehhh... We can just call him Jeeves!" Reaper decided.

"Jeeves?!" Both Nevermore and Sonorhc cried out, the latter snorting, her power wavering briefly as she weaned Reaper's great-great-whatever-uncle off of it. He was almost sitting up now. What a lively family reunion this was turning out to be...

"What?" Reaper asked innocently. "He looks like a Jeeves!" She gestured to the zombie insistently as he continued to push his way out of his coffin. Nevermore still looked doubtful, but she finally gave Reaper a little bit of credence.

"I guess... His old suit looks... A little bit like a butler's."

"UUUHHHHHHHH!" Reaper's ancestor lumbered towards her and her two companions.

"Hiya! Unc!" Reaper strutted forward, beaming from ear to ear as she raised a hand in the air, as if waiting for a high five. Of course, her uncle only stared blankly at her. "Oookaayy..." Reaper lowered her hand in disappointment, sizing up the zombie more intently. "Guess you don't really remember me, but that's fine, because I don't remember you. I know we never met, after all!"

Sonorhc face-palmed while Nevermore's eye twitched, and she tilted her head in concern.

"But I know your story!" Reaper continued. "From what Gram-gram told me, you apparently almost effed this whole town up back in the olden days!" She smiled and nodded, impressed. "If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have gotten the leadership that we have today!" Even though some of the townhall cronies could be just that, things could've been a lot worse had Reaper's ancestor not fought so fiercely to ensure that there would be just as many compassionate rulers as there would be "competent".

That was what Reaper meant by him being some kind of badass like her. He caused trouble and mischief, but only for the purpose of ensuring that everyone was treated fairly, and no one ever got too big for their britches.

"That's why I'm tryna get into this party tonight! Ban or no ban!" Reaper put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest again.

"You nearly blew up one of the administrator's trucks," Sonorhc deadpanned, quirking an eyebrow. No matter what Reaper might've liked to think about herself, she was nowhere near as noble as her ancestor. He fought for change and equality. She was just a troll who liked to have fun and feed her own little delusions of grandeur.

"That one was an accident!" Reaper cried indignantly, then she turned back to her undead uncle. "So, what do you say? Care to join me in a new revolution?" She grinned wolfishly while Sonorhc sighed and rolled her eyes, and Nevermore clasped her hands fearfully. To the surprise of all, the blank-eyed zombie finally bobbed his head and moaned softly.

"Wh-what?!" Sonorhc cried in surprise while Reaper looked ecstatic.

"Yes! Oh! Thanks, Unc! You're the best!" Now, it was time to fly. The party was starting soon, after all!

AN: I know I've had this out for a while, so anyone who's actually read it might've pieced some of it together already, but to summarize the lore of the world/backstory of these guys: In a town whose name was lost to history, a star flew overhead one night, and by morning, every resident was blessed with the ability to control elements.

Generations later, a thriving, flourishing community was in place, known as the Sleeping Citadel/Sleepy City (by the residents). The town isolates itself from the rest of the world and becomes self-sufficient utilizing their magic. Sonorhc (resurrection) and Reaper (decay) are Necromages and Nevermore an Umbramage (shadow). The names are indeed nicknames, as it is tradition for every resident of the town to give themselves one based on their chosen specialization in magic.