Legends of the Arcane: The Necromancer

Chapter 2

"Kyra," the necromancer responded, not able to give Taka her last name due to a lack of one.

"Well then Kyra, tell me where we're going, who we're getting, and what for," Taka demanded as she helped Kyra push their way through the crowds, the warrior's taller form making it easier for them to navigate.

"I'm an assistant at the Hall of the Dead, and I had to raise a corpse for a murder trial. Well, when they brought the suspect and the escort in, the woman who murdered her husband killed her escort and then tried to turn on me. She escaped, her name is Lelra Rekar, and the guards think she has some sort of connection with a group of bandits nearby, so we should try to find them, but I have no idea where they could be," Kyra explained, shouting so she could be heard over the townsfolk.

"I knew those men looked suspicious," Taka muttered, barely loud enough for Kyra to hear. She furrowed her brows in confusion, about to ask what the woman meant when Taka continued.

"I only just arrived in Maplecoast a few hours ago," she explained, "and when I was approaching I noticed three very shifty men hanging around the outskirts of the city. They seemed a lot more rugged than the people here, and they were heavily armed. What if, since this Lelra woman has some sort of connection with some bandits, those were the men she's supposed to meet up with to escape."

Kyra paused for a brief moment and stared at Taka in disbelief, shocked at how believable the tale she had concocted was. Now that she thought about it, Kyra wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, but it was short of a miracle that she ran into one of the only people who knew about the bandits outside of town.

"Follow me, I remember where they are," Taka said as she glanced over her shoulder, not giving Kyra a word of warning as she grabbed the mage's wrist and dragged her through the streets as they weaved between masses.

Without a word, Kyra followed her, her mind swimming as she realized just how tired she was. The adrenaline that was coursing through her veins was dull now, leaving Kyra exhausted and wishing she could have her hot goose and a warm bed, but she couldn't focus on that right now. Her and Taka were about to reach the city gates, and after that, they'll most likely find the bandits and hopefully Lelra too. Only after that will she finally be able to get the rest she so desperately wanted and needed.

As they approached the city gates, two guards walked forward to greet them, their face grim as they explained that they couldn't let them through due to an undisclosed threat.

"Yeah, I was there," Kyra growled, her exhaustion and frustration making her furious that she had to face yet another roadblock, "I was the one in the room when Lelra murdered Vizen. I have an adventurer willing to help me go get her back, so let me through and get out of my way."

Kyra was face to face with the guard, her eyes narrowed angrily as she jabbed her finger into the guard's face. The man took a step back and stared down at Kyra like she had lost her mind, but she didn't care. The only thing on her mind was her goose and potatoes, and nothing was going to stop her from getting them.

Taka, who originally tried to step forward and explain their situation, stared at Kyra with a look of shock on her face, which would have made Kyra laugh under normal circumstances. Not many people expect someone as small and fragile looking as Kyra to have such a temper, but her temper rivaled that of Ralu's and Ralu was notorious for the destructive fits of anger she threw.

The guards stared at Kyra before they shared an apprehensive glance, but after taking one last look at Kyra's furious face, they slowly stepped out of the way and allowed them through, Kyra pushing past them with a snort.

"You got some fire in you," Taka commented as the guards opened the wooden gates before the two women walked past them, Kyra not missing the disgusted glare one of the guards sent her.