The Necromancer

Chapter 5, Part 1

Lamneras led us up more winding staircases than I could count. This damned tower seemed to go on forever. By the time we reached his quarters at what seemed like the very top, I was huffing and puffing, red-faced and leaning on the wall for support. Even Skip, as energetic and athletic as she was, was out of breath (though she did her best to mask it). Lamneras, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine despite his big jiggling belly.

"Oh, goodness!" He went to unlock the door to his chambers, but caught a glimpse of us struggling up the final flight of stairs. "I completely forgot that you're not all using an endurance potion!" From one of his pockets, he produced a handful of squat glass jars full of bright purple liquid. "Everyone in the castle uses them, what with all these stairs! I should have given you one back down in the store room!" I rolled my eyes, but he didn't see it. "Won't do you any good now, though," he continued. The key clunked in the lock, and the door swung open.

Skip and I managed to stagger inside and slumped down on a plush sofa in the center of the room. I practically melted into it. Gods, I'd forgotten how soft things could be! I'd spent about three weeks traveling with Skip since we first met that fateful day, and I'd pretty much had to sleep on rocks every night. My back felt like someone had churned me through a meat grinder. And even before that, I was just sleeping on a big mound of dirt in my little crypt. How many years had it been since I'd had a real cushion? Lamneras handed us both a fresh set of clothes, probably not wanting to get grimy sea water all over his sofa. I somehow managed to summon the strength to stand again, change my robes, then collapse back down. The gods of Pain, Punishment, and Wrath couldn't have budged me from this spot if they wanted to. 

"Home sweet home!" Lamneras said, gesturing around at his quarters. Most of it was taken up by a large brewing station and a massive black cauldron hanging over a fireplace large enough for me to fit inside. There were also shelves and shelves of jars with all sorts of ingredients, some of which I didn't even recognize. Off to the side near the couch, there was a big easy chair, a plush bed piled high with blankets, a dresser and a large wooden chest for all of his belongings, and a desk littered with papers and books. The window had a beautiful view of the tranquil bay where a large trading cog was making its way into port. "It's no dungeon like yours," he told me, "but it's got everything I need."

I grinned sheepishly. I may have exaggerated the size of my crypt during my last letter to Lamneras. And by exaggerated, I mean completely made everything up.

"So." He reached into a cupboard and retrieved three relaxation potions for all of us, then sat down in the easy chair nearby. "What brings you here to Bermatora? And..." he gestured to Skip, "Who is your beautiful companion here? I didn't know you had a girlfriend, you old dog!"

Skip guffawed loudly. "He doesn't," she said. "Unless you count Lirk."

Lamneras laughed too. "You're still using Lirk as your minion? You've had those old bones since we were in school together!" He'd been my companion in the cemetery that night when I first dug up Lirk's grave all those years ago, and even then he thought I was crazy for keeping a half-addled skeleton instead of waiting to find a fresh body.

"Well, he's useful!" I protested. "Besides: you should see what he can do now." I quickly recounted the story of how Lirk had discovered the Ruby of Mertialz, causing Lamneras to gasp. It isn't every day that your friend finds one of the most  powerful missing artifacts in the world. Then I told him about how he'd killed the three Paladins, and that the Ruby was bound to Lirk, not to me. From there, I recounted the massive manhunt for me and how I was forced to flee the city, whereupon I met Skip on the road and she took me into the forest.

"Wow!" he interrupted with an amazed look in Skip's direction. "I can't believe you'd just help him out like that!" I hadn't gotten to the part where she'd decided to make me a prisoner, or where Mog had nearly killed me with his stinky breath.

Skip and I traded looks, and I could still see the guilt in her eyes. "I... uh..."

"Yeah," I said before she could tell Lamneras what really happened. "She's just that nice." Skip shot me a quick look of gratitude, then jumped in to tell the tale of how she was able to convince the Paladins that I wasn't their target, and even that the tracking spell was incorrect. Lamneras whistled softly with appreciation for that difficult feat. She continued on with the story, conveniently leaving out my escape attempt, and recounted the battle with the spiders and how I'd saved her and Mog with some quick thinking. Then we got to the part of the story where we'd tried to enter Bermatora to come find him, but that Skip's abilities weren't working on the guard.

"Oh, well of course not," he said with a casual wave of the hand. "That'll be the alertness potion, you know. Makes the drinker very sensitive to all sorts of fibs and falsehoods." He pointed over his shoulder to the cauldron, full of some liquid that was so bright yellow that it was like the sun had been distilled down to liquid form. "I brew a new batch every week. Lord Berman insists that all the guards have a draught before their shift."

Skip stared at the potion, then looked back at Lamneras. "Oh, thank the gods!" she finally burst out. "I'd thought that it had stopped working or something!"

"No, no," Lamneras reassured her. "It's just a common trick used by thieves coming into the city, you know? Using their Voice to bilk merchants out of their gold and whatnot. Lord Berman even had one supposed Bard worm his way into the court's inner circle, then clean out a good portion of the treasury. He was sure thankful that I knew how to brew it."

"How is that all working out for you?" I asked. "You know, being Potions Master and all?" You know, being a pariah, I didn't add.

He just smiled. "Honestly, I can't complain. All I have to do is throw together a few ingredients every once and while, and I'm set! Lord Berman treats me like a member of the family, as does the rest of the court here. And I know it's not necessarily the most glamorous position..."

Yeah, that's an understatement, I thought.

"But honestly, I was treated like dirt by other Necromancers and Mages before I ever took on this job. If you're not the right kind of Necromancer, then no one will even give you the time of day. If you don't have the army of skeletons and all that, Know what I mean?"

That part struck home. I'd been trying to be that right kind of Necromancer my whole life, and where had it gotten me?

"But let's not talk about that," he continued. "You still haven't told me why you're in town!"

I gave a nervous laugh. "Well, speaking of the 'right kind of Necromancer'... Remember Amcerlizar? From the Academy?"

Lamneras scowled. "Yes," he answered harshly. "How could I forget that jackass? Practically ruined my entire time at school. Stupid..." his voice trailed off, but his lips were still moving like he couldn't figure out what insult to use.

"Well..." I said slowly, "Skip and I are going to kill him."

Lamneras's eyes went wide. He looked from me, to Skip, then back to me. "Wow..." he seemed utterly stunned. But then a broad grin spread across his face, and he leaned forward excitedly. "How can I help?"

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And I am planning a rewrite of the previous chapter, which will include a confrontation with the guards of the Palace where Skip's abilities are once again frustrated (which makes the discussion of the alertness potion more relevant here). Also, remember to vote on the chapter and follow me for more updates!