Necrodruid

by Adam Witcher

  “I read about this early on in my training, but I forgot until I saw it here. It was in one of the first books my mother bought me about ice magic. I was just a kid. The thought of using my powers to break into places made them seem impure somehow. And I was afraid my mother would see it. I think I threw it away and tried to forget about it.”

  “Then you grew up,” I said, “and found out that morality isn’t quite so simple.”

  “Sure, something like that. Anyway, as it turns out, ice magic is one of the surest ways to get through an enchanted door.”

  “What makes you so sure that it’s enchanted?” Camilla asked.

  “Rahm said he opened it with a spell,” she replied. “That’s the only way if there’s no lock and key.”

  “Wait,” I said. “Something is missing here. Ice magic isn’t exactly a rarity. If enchanted doors were that simple to open, I don’t think that Tholen would trust one to block off his route. It’s too important.”

  “That’s just it,” Lily pointed at me excitedly. “It isn’t that simple. In order to manipulate the water and freeze it in the right places, you have to be able to see into the door. The puzzle is simple, but you have to be able to visualize it. There are spells and charms that make that possible, but it’s very advanced magic. I’m not capable of it, and, no offense, I don’t think either of you are either.”

  “Then how is this helpful?” Camilla asked.

  “Look at the page,” Lily replied.

  We did. In small black letters, somebody had written the phrase “Use Psilensus.” It was barely noticeable.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “I hadn’t heard of it either, but I spoke to the librarian and she steered me toward this.” Lily pulled out a second book entitled Alchemical Foundations. She flipped it to a marked page, a chapter titled Psilensus Compounds. It was accompanied by an image of a spindly mushroom. “She seemed a little dubious of my intentions, but she gave it to me anyway. It has hallucinogenic properties apparently. I think whoever wrote that means that I might be able to see into the door if I take some.”

  “Look, Lily, if you’re feeling experimental, there’s no judgement here,” I said, “but hallucinating and actually seeing something are pretty different.”

  “People don’t really know that much about how the magic works,” Lily said. “Apparently some believe it isn’t just a hallucinogen. That it actually allows you to see reality in a deeper way, unbound by normal vision.”

  I contemplated that for a minute. Camilla served us some buttered toast.

  “So let’s say it’s true.” I took a bite. “How are we going to get some?”

  “That I don’t know,” she admitted.

  We ate our toast and drank our tea. Camilla had been unusually quiet for some time and shifted her eyes around before speaking.

  “I… I might know someone,” she said. We waited, but she didn’t elaborate.

  “We’re listening.” I tried and failed to suppress a laugh.

  “It’s probably easier to explain if I show you. Did you say you had horses?”

  Camilla led the way back to the inn where we’d met her. We circled around to the stables. The man with the cane was there again,

  “You there!” He stood up and shook the cane at me. “You paid me for one night’s stay, and it’s been three! I was about to lead them down to the auction house.”

  I chuckled at the thought of the old man trying to sell a zombified horse with a missing lip and an exposed ribcage.

  “My apologies,” I said, fishing coins from my bag, “I’ll pay you for four nights.”

  The shining pence changed his disposition. He led us to where he kept the horses. We hooked them up, boarded the wagon, and headed out with Camilla at the reins.

  “Where in the city is this?” I asked her. “Must be far if this is gonna be worth it.”

  “It isn’t in the city.” She turned a corner and we headed for the city’s front gate.

  We rode west for almost two hours. The tower faded slightly in the distance, and it was a little comforting to be moving further away from it for once. Lily and I pushed Camilla to tell us where we were going. She resisted for a while, but then relented.

  “When I was eighteen, I had a bit of an existential crisis,” she told us, nearly yelling over the sound of the thundering horses. “My parents wanted me to marry this rich boy that I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in. He was set to be a banker. Destined for further wealth but dull as a sand snail. I kept telling them I didn’t want to, but they didn’t want to hear it. My father is a baker, and it would have meant a huge step up for the family. I didn’t care. It was a rebellious phase for me. One day I was in one of the main squares of Gragos when I saw a woman who didn’t look like she belonged at all. You’ll see why soon. She was buying some seeds, told me that she was growing all kinds of foods and herbs in a commune a few hours outside the city. She asked me if I wanted to come see it, and of course I accepted. I helped her shop and then left with her on the spot. Didn’t come back for three months. My parents were worried sick. I still feel a little bad about that, but I certainly don’t regret the experience. It’s a very special place, and not many people in Gragos know about it.”

  While Camilla told her story, the sprawling grasslands gave way to cracked, barren earth, then sand. Before we knew it, we had entered a vast desert.

  “Ruby,” she said. “That’s her name by the way, told me that this desert was sacred to her. It’s a way of isolating her little community and allowing them to achieve spiritual enlightenment.”

  In the distance, the silhouettes of small triangles and squares became visible on the horizon. At first, I thought that my eyes were deceiving me, but they became clearer as we got closer. In every other direction, there was nothing.

  “How can they live out here?” I asked.

  “That’s what I wanted to show you,” she said. “You have to see it to believe it.”

  Soon we were close enough to make out more of the structures. The triangular structures were cone-shaped houses, but I could not identify the larger buildings. It wasn’t a large settlement, but it seemed like it could probably accommodate fifty or sixty people. When we were even closer, their silhouettes became clearer as well. But the settlement itself was not the most shocking aspect of the scene before us. In a great circle, one perhaps several miles in diameter, a great expanse of thick, green grass and other plants surrounded it.

  “They live in an oasis…” I said, half to myself.

  “Welcome to Lone Meadow,” Camilla said with pride.

  The horses trudged through sand until we breached the ring of vegetation, then continued smoothly over a packed dirt path that went through it. Soon we were surrounded by people and buildings and lush gardens, and just by looking around, one could almost forget we were in the middle of a desert. The buildings, too, looked much different than those in Gragos, different than any other buildings I’d ever seen before. The conical houses were an array of vibrant colors, from an electric blue that matched the energy of the sea to deep reds and oranges that reminded me of beautiful sunsets. Emerald green grass surrounded us. The larger buildings were a dust brown but no less unique. What had appeared as square shapes from a distance were actually curved and twisted brick pillars. Every inch of the place was a feat of architecture and creativity.

  The people of Lone Meadow had a much different look from those of the big city. Whereas many of the Gragosians were dirty, sullen, and clad in rags, these folks wore woven skirts and tunics that bore intricate and colorful patterns. Their skin was clean and healthy, their dispositions more joyful. It was easy to see why Camilla had found it hard to leave.

  “It’s shrunk a little since I was here,” she said, “but the energy is the same.”

  She seemed to know just where we were going. We weaved through narrow roads and waved to the friendly townsfolk. Eventually we ended up near a bright purple house whose top point bore a green and bl
ue flag.

  “I just hope she’s here,” Camilla said. “It’s been a long time. One more thing, don’t tell her what we really want this for, okay? It’s important. Just let me do the talking.”

  Apparently at the sound of Camilla’s voice, a woman stepped through the doorway. Camilla was right. This was a person who would look very out of place in Gragos. Ruby’s hair was dyed the color of her house and it was braided into an elaborate pattern encrusted with jewels. She wore a flowing green and blue dress that was outlined in yellow lace. The woman looked to be in her fifties, but she had the energy of a much younger woman.

  “Camilla…” she began emotionally. “I can’t believe my eyes. Have you come to see me after… how long has it been?”

  “Three years, Ruby.” She hugged her. “It’s wonderful to see you.” Ruby returned the hug.

  “You and your friends must come inside. I have some Raz-Angel tea on my kettle. It reduces the toxicity of your eyeballs.” She gestured us inside.

  “I’m here because my friends and I want to go on a spirit quest,” Camilla said after we’d made our introductions. “Just like the one you and I took together that summer.”

  Miss Ruby’s home was somehow minimalistic and drenched in personality simultaneously. Its furnishings were simple. A small wooden table and a basic stove setup made up the kitchen corner. A bedroll on the floor acted as her sleeping area. The living room, as she called it, was a huddle of blankets and pillows where we all gathered on the floor. The walls and ceiling, however, were covered in vibrant paintings depicting animals and plants in surreal landscapes. The floors boasted a thick green carpet that comforted my feet when we walked in. Candles scattered throughout the place awakened my senses with exotic spices I’d never smelled before.

  “A noble endeavor,” she nodded very seriously. “Tell me, Camilla, do you keep in touch with that reptilian space goddess we met last time? What was her name… Tina?”

  “Uh...” Camilla cleared her throat. “We chat from time to time.”

  “Then you must know that her star system is experiencing a terrible drought,” Ruby said. “I prayed to the astral rain gods, but I don’t know if it helped. “

  “I’m sure it did, Ruby.” Camilla gave her a comforting pat on the back. “So do you know where we can find some Psilensus.”

  “Psilensus, oh yes. I’m sure there’s some growing down in the herb chamber. I haven’t been down in almost a week so it’s high time for me to check on things anyway.”

  Miss Ruby led us down the road to the outskirts of Lone Meadow. Nearly everyone we passed greeted her with a warm smile. Many also remembered Camilla and bid her hello. Then we were past the buildings. We stood standing in the grass and staring into the great expanse of sand outside of it.

  “So where is this herb chamber?” I asked.

  “You’re standing on it.” Miss Ruby said.

  I looked down and realized that there were faint creases in the area of grass below me. I stepped aside, and Ruby revealed a handle in the dirt and pulled it up, revealing a stairway.

  “I’ll lead the way,” she said, taking a step down. She sniffed the air for a moment. “What is that stench? Has something gone bad?”

  She took a few more steps down before letting out a terrible scream. This was answered by a vicious, gurgling cry from inside the chamber. She ran out, struggling to catch her breath.

  “Something is in there!” She looked back in horror.

  I pulled out my bow and took two steps down the staircase. My nose was overwhelmed with the stench Miss Ruby mentioned. It was all too familiar. I strung my bow and went down further.

  Two goblins stood in the middle of a room that was half full of withering herbs and plants. The other half was bare, bits of dirt and leaves sitting in spots where life used to be. The goblins had a small device, a metal contraption that looked like a miniature version of the one at Lily’s vineyards. It cranked out krokum, which collected in a bucket.

  These goblins were seriously hopped up. I pulled back my bow hand, but they were on top of me before I could release the arrow. They pinned my arms back, and one of them bared his filthy teeth. He was about to sink them into my flesh when Lily’s ice dagger went straight through his face and lopped them off. She took off his entire lower jaw, and it fell into a goopy pile on my lap. He let go, and with my free hand, I pulled my dagger from my bow. I extended it right under his chin, and it shot upward through his skull. I tossed the bodies off of me.

  Once I regained my composure, I dragged their bodies out. Miss Ruby was flushed like she’d just seen a ghost.

  “Looks like some pests got into your crops,” I said.

  She was speechless, both terrified and dismayed at the loss of her herb chamber. I went back in, holding my nose, and pulled out the bucket of krokum and the device making it. With the garbage cleared out, she rushed inside.

  “Oh good gods, what did they take?” she wailed.

  We followed her down but remained silent as she shifted through the paltry remains of her herbs.

  “Never, not once in all of my time here have I…” she sputtered as she rushed around. “Goblins… in Lone Meadow… making this godawful…”

  She turned to us.

  “Something really evil really is going on at that tower, isn’t it?” She had tears in her eyes.

  “Yes,” I admitted, “but we’re here because we want to fight it. And we need your help.”

  We told her the truth about why we were there. Once we were through, she considered our story for a minute.

  “Normally, I would never advocate the use of Psilensus for such purposes, but…” She stroked her chin. “Dire times and all that. Yes, you may have some. I only have a little, those goblins pillaged most of it.”

  She handed Lily a pile of wet mushrooms.

  We thanked her sincerely, then turned to leave.

  “Wait,” she said. “If this is truly as bad as you say. I want to help in some other way, too.”

  We stopped along the staircase and listened.

  “Camilla,” she said, “will you be fighting alongside them?”

  “I’ll be there,” she responded sadly, “but I’m not much of a fighter.”

  “You’re right,” she said with a smile. “You never were. Always a peaceful soul. That’s why you fit in so well here. But you have a beautiful and powerful mind.”

  She picked up a pile of light green herbs.

  “This is a substance called Druella,” she handed it to Camilla, who took it with a puzzled look on her face. “I have been experimenting with it in private for several years now. When you ingest it, it seems to give you a unique perspective of time. Things that are about to happen seem perfectly clear in your mind. Past and future pile over one another. It isn’t easy to describe without experiencing.”

  “Will it make me hallucinate?” she asked.

  “Some would call it that,” Ruby said. “But I would disagree. If Psilensus can give you an advanced sense of space, say that this Druella will give you an advanced sense of time. You can know things before they’ll even happen. I believe it might come in handy for you. Please know, Camilla, I would not give this to just anyone. You were always one of my favorites here. I was sad to see you go, but I know you must be doing great things on the outside. I know you’ll use it to make me proud.”

  “Thank you.” Camilla wiped a tear from her eyes. Ruby fixed us up with some bread and cheese before beginning our journey back to Gragos. We expressed our gratitude, Ruby and Camilla shared one final embrace, and we exited the compound.

  Chapter Twenty

  While we rode back toward Gragos, I noticed the forlorn expression on Camilla’s face. She was silent, though, so I didn’t probe her. Once the city walls were back in sight, the sand dunes far behind us, she acknowledged what was bothering her.

  “She told me how peaceful my soul was,” she said, “but is it? Once I left Lone Meadow, I headed back to Gragos and met Zantho. I was his manag
er and his promoter for years. Profiting from violence. I’m not so sure I really deserve this.” She held the green plant between her fingers, eyeing it closely.

  “I take it boxing was nothing like what it is now back when you were involved,” I said. “That was pure sport, right?”

  “Sure, you can wax on and on about the techniques and precision involved, but at the end of the day, it really was still just two men beating the shit out of each other.”

  I shrugged at that. “Fair is fair when it comes to combat. Two men who not only want to, but train to fight. Nothing to be ashamed of there.”

  “Even so,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like something that someone from Lone Meadow would be or should be involved in. Those people are about as non-confrontational as they come.”

  “Maybe that’s why you left.” I winked at her.

  “I admit,” she said with a laugh. “It did get a little boring.”

  We passed through the remains of the gates and headed back toward the inn. Once we’d shacked up the horses and carriage, we returned to Camilla’s home. She made us vegetable soup and we slurped it greedily. The afternoon was late, and we could see twilight gathering outside. Once we finished eating, I broached the subject that I’m sure was on all our minds.

  “So are we going to do this tonight?” I asked.

  “Are we prepared?” Lily asked. “It feels like there must be something else we should do.”

  “We’re no less prepared tonight than we would be tomorrow night, I’d say.” I handled an arrow absently. “We have no idea what it’s going to be like down there, so how can we better prepare? Tholen may have no idea that we’re about to break in. Neptos probably knows more than we realize, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been watching us every step of the way. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t come after us again since the ordeal at the estate. The sooner we take action, the less time they have to prepare for us. I say we go for it.”

  They looked at each other nervously.

  “Okay,” Camilla resolved. “Let’s do it.”