The Necromancer of Tirnanoc

I took another deep breath and I felt my brow wrinkled as I tried to clear my mind and access the other side, but the commotion that was happening outside of my shop was almost deafening. It wasn't as if the riots were an unusual occurrence in the row, but lately, there had been more unrest than normal.

I opened my gray eyes to look at the woman before me, who hadn't stopped sniffling and dabbing her dry eyes with her floral handkerchief since she had arrived twenty minutes ago to ask me to raise her dear dead husband, a man that had died in the war, which meant that his corpse would not be easy to resurrect, and that meant that I could charge her more because of it.

"It will be fifteen gold."

Her mouth fell open,"That is highway robbery. I won't pay."

I shrugged my broad shoulders which caused my black spiderweb-like wings to flutter, 'I don't particularly care what you want to pay. I am the only necromancer in all of the row, so if you want to know where your dead husband has hidden all of his riches you will pay my fee, if not then you know the way out." I watched her pale face flush,

"I have never met such a rude Farie in all of my life."

I scoffed,"That is entirely possible, but you see Faries are much like humans, some of us are good and nice and others are not. I am not good nor am I nice. You wish to raise a man that has been dead for quite some time and I have named my price to do so, it is up to you if you are willing to pay it."

"The authorities will hear of this Syris Du."

I waved her off, "Do what you feel you must woman, but they will ask me what it was you felt that I over-charged, you for and will have to tell them." Her red face paled once more as she reached into her coin purse to fetch my fee. I took her coin as I said, "Lovely, I will meet you at your husband's grave when the moon is at its highest tonight. Do try and have a good day." She only stomped out of my shop and slammed the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone Clara popped her head through the curtain that separated my workroom from the rest of the shop, and my day instantly got better. Just looking at Clara's face with her pale skin and wide brown eyes could bring even me back from death's door.

"You really should stop overcharging the humans."

I made a disgusted noise, "I am a Farie that they uprooted from my home, I think they can afford to pay a bit more for the inconvenience. They should count themselves lucky that I don't charge them in the currency of Tirnanoc. She should feel lucky that I did not request her firstborn or a pound of flesh." Clara just chuckled as she leaned against the doorway,

"You mean before the war happened?"

I nodded as I let out a sigh,"Yes, but even then, things were changing, we were changing. We were bartering for pretty things instead of blood and oaths." I watched her brush her long auburn hair over her shoulder as she crossed her arms over her chest,

"For someone that hates what the humans have made you become, you sure are a good businessman."

I smiled at the human girl that had somehow become the most important person in my life, "My dear Clara, I have always been a good businessman, it is just that now I deal in coin instead of trade, for Necromancy was still exceedingly rare even in Tirnanoc."

She nodded her head as she said,"Something I am glad for, since favors and secrets don't actually pay the rent."

I breathed out a laugh for her benefit, because my sweet Clara didn't need to know that there was still a trade for blood and secrets, just not where humans like her could see it. The Market was a place where all of the former residents of Tirnanoc could come together and trade for things that will help us in this land or for the small comforts of home. I myself trade with a few Haruspex for a tonic that helps me connect to the other side with more ease. I have also found a Puck that makes the best wine outside of Tirnanoc.