by Sarah Lin
~ ~ ~
Over the next several days, Bloodwraith continually expected something from Herskeh, either an attack or a meeting. As time passed without it, he began doubting his strategy. It was true that Herskeh was really a second or third-rate necromancer, successful mainly via his connection to the Master Lich. But even he should have detected it...
Eventually Gharavi finished her work with the Aesidh corpse, so Izilthor ate it. She received a new record of 9 NP from a single corpse, but it remained with the rest of her accumulated total. In time they would need to make decisions about how to spend them, but their future needs remained uncertain.
Gradually he relaxed a little more. Meara visited the city to confirm that Raigar had not changed his pattern of attacks, and she returned with both bedding and a significant amount of food hidden in her cloak. After so long eating dense rations, they were all eager to spend some time preparing a true meal. Danniah focused on cooking the meat, Meara created dishes of fruits and vegetables, and Gharavi revealed a packet of spices from her home, a tantalizing mix of sweet and spicy. Even Izilthor enjoyed herself, excited by the new food despite not eating any of it.
Though Bloodwraith enjoyed the meal and conversation, he felt a deep melancholy within himself. He no longer had any qualms about such simple pleasures, and he knew he would not give them up to have his old life back. Yet within those two thoughts he felt a gap, as if he was missing something that flickered at the edges of his mind.
It was that night, when they were all relaxing after the large meal, that it finally happened. Meara went from making a wry comment to narrowing her eyes and turning to him and speaking in a low voice. "Someone is here. Someone undead, who wasn't slowed down by any of the defenses."
"Alone?" The warmth vanished in an instant, replaced by calculation.
"Yes. I don't think it's Raigar, but..."
"It's almost certainly Herskeh." Bloodwraith rose to his feet and took a deep breath. "Izilthor, hide deeper in the crypt - there's a slight chance he might try to control you. Everyone else, retreat to the living quarters. It would be better if we don't have to introduce you at all, because Herskeh hates living creatures with an unholy passion."
Danniah nodded in agreement and started to move, but glanced back at him. "Then are you sure that you should be just going to talk to him? We can get ready to ambush him..."
"Herskeh isn't very powerful on his own." Though that was by his old standards - the undead aide might prove a bit more challenging at his current Level. "But more importantly, we worked together for years. He respected me, as much as someone like him can respect anyone. And I would be shocked if he hasn't grown frustrated with Raigar by now. He'll be willing to talk."
Gharavi glanced back just before they went through the door. "I'm keeping my staff ready. If things go bad and we need to fight him, just give the signal."
He nodded in agreement, then headed toward the entrance to the crypt. As he walked, he found himself reconsidering choices it was too late to change. Wearing his full armor was good, because clad in full black steel he looked more like an undead than a muscle-baring barbarian. But he might also look like a skeleton knight or an automaton, which would only prompt derision from Herskeh.
Would it have been better to bring Izilthor with him? Being able to control undead would have been proof, of a sort, but he was still concerned about Herskeh's ability to seize control. Though most likely an "Undead Companion" was immune to normal control, that would be taking a major risk with Izilthor's safety.
Bloodwraith could have second-guessed himself for days, but suddenly he was out of time. He'd barely advanced several chambers when he found himself facing Herskeh. The undead aide had made surprisingly good time and now faced him, eyes flickering suspiciously.
"So... this is where you were hiding."
"Herskeh, listen to me." Bloodwraith's instincts told him to draw his sword, but he held them back, instead trying to recall all his old physical mannerisms. "The man you believe to be Bloodwraith is not actually hi-"
"Oh, I know that." Herskeh let out a rasping snort. "I'm not an idiot - I figured that out early on. But now I suspect that you're going to tell me that you are Lord Bloodwraith, and I must say I find that rather difficult to swallow."
That changed everything, but Bloodwraith adapted as quickly as he could. "Then consider this: you didn't find our location, I had one of my minions plant a clue that would lead you here."
"Hmm. Though a bit difficult to believe, that is the sort of scheme Lord Bloodwraith would attempt."
"There is also the fact that I know your name. And if those are enough to convince you to listen to me, I believe I have a much more convincing story than anything else you have been told."
Herskeh folded his arms and waited, so Bloodwraith began with his prepared story. He mostly used the truth, including the Wand of Soul Exchange. While that had been his secret, something he had never told Herskeh about, that sort of secret was perfectly in character for him. All of the parts about reincarnating, the boxes, and the Outsiders... Bloodwraith said as little as possible, because Herskeh was a dangerous undead to have undermining you.
When he finished, Herskeh was silent for a long time. Eventually he tapped his fingers against his chin thoughtfully. "Say that I believe you. Does it matter? The current Lord Bloodwraith has immense power - if your story is true, he is the being that had more power than the Master Lich."
"And do you truly believe he will use that power toward any end you desire?"
"Perhaps not now, but I am beginning to grasp his whims. In time, it may be that I can guide him toward more productive ends."
Damn, Herskeh was serious about this. Bloodwraith switched tactics. "You said he was powerful, but that isn't true. All he has now, and all he had in his past life, is based upon artifacts of power he did not create. The amulet, the scepter, even my body - all he can do is use borrowed power, and not well."
"Hmm." That seemed to get through to Herskeh, but he was a stubborn old undead. "But acquiring such artifacts is itself a valuable skill. And you must admit that he has been able to acquire objects with power that we have never seen before."
"And what has he accomplished with them?" Bloodwraith had planned to say more, but he saw Herskeh rock back and close his mouth. The question alone was more powerful than the full argument would be, so he let it work in Herskeh's mind. Eventually the old undead sighed.
"You make a fair point. Never let it be said that I simply follow the greatest power - my goal has always been the domination of the undead across the world, not anything less. But it seems to me that you have... been compromised in that regard. Can I trust you to pursue our old cause?"
Bloodwraith drew his sword and extended it toward the undead. "You don't have a choice. If you will not serve me, I will destroy you."
Herskeh stared at him for a time, then chuckled. "Oh, you are the old Bloodwraith. It's good to see you again, my lord."
Though still half-expecting a trick, Bloodwraith returned his sword to his back. "And I, you. It has been frustrating being trapped in this body, and I have only regained a small amount of my old power. But I believe that I can defeat Raigar even as I am now, and with all I have learned in my real body, I will be unstoppable."
"You don't want to raise the Master Lich?"
"If I do, it will be to serve me."
That got another chuckle from Herskeh, who moved past him deeper into the crypt. Though Bloodwraith wanted to stop him or call a warning, he couldn't afford to do so. Instead he maintained his cover, wishing that he believed in anything to pray to.
"There is much we need to discuss, Herskeh. I have made plans that do not rely on any involvement from you, but it would be optimal t-"
"I am curious about this base you have made for yourself," Herskeh said. Bloodwraith growled that he dared to interrupt, but could do nothing for now. "You have chosen a rather nice crypt, though it is disappointing that it feels as though you have not do
minated it completely."
"My goal was obscurity, not control. This way, the crypt is indistinguishable from the many other locations around the city."
"A reasonable tactic. But... hmm, I sense a foul odor..."
Then it was too late. As Herskeh advanced rapidly toward the chamber where his allies waited, Bloodwraith considered his options. He was confident that with his full power and allies, they could destroy Herskeh here. But that would mean sacrificing use of him in a larger plan, and he needed that to properly stop Raigar...
Bloodwraith delayed too long and Herskeh pushed into the room. He stopped and stared. Danniah was on guard with her silver sphere in hand, Gharavi was reaching for her axe, and... Meara lay sprawled across the bed. Which was idiocy, unless...
Herskeh spoke in a low voice. "Lord Bloodwraith, just what are these living creatures doing here?"
"They are... my harem." Bloodwraith felt like an idiot for saying the words, which was not helped when Meara giggled coquettishly. Herskeh stared at him in shock, but Bloodwraith was committed now and pushed forward. "Living bodies are plagued by a large number of repulsive needs. The only way I have been able to regain a fraction of my focus as a lich is to simply sate those urges."
"Uh... that's right," Danniah said. This was not particularly convincing, so Meara covered by sliding to the edge of the bed, arching herself strategically.
"Mmm, it's good to see you back, my lord." Her eyes smoldered with passion, but he could see something darker burning underneath. They flickered over to Gharavi, who was taken aback by the abrupt twist, but a moment later she grunted.
"Strong male best mate."
"That's right." Meara slithered from the edge of the bed, running a finger up Herskeh's chest. "Is your friend going to join us?"
Herskeh pulled away with a look of horror. "That is far enough, mortal whore!" He rearranged his robes in a huff and departed the room, shooting Bloodwraith a venomous glance. "As repulsive as this is... you have never hesitated to do what is necessary, Lord Bloodwraith. Better you than me."
"They are irrelevant." Bloodwraith spoke as flatly as possible, not looking back once. "What matters is defeating the impostor and regaining my body."
"Then I trust you have a plan?"
"Of course. Listen carefully..."
~ ~ ~
Though Bloodwraith remained on high alert for a double cross after Herskeh left, nothing materialized. Then the pieces were set. Soon he would be confronting Raigar and rejoining Herskeh, though not in the manner he had imagined doing either. He needed to discuss several serious matters with the others... and returned to find Meara still sprawled across the bed.
Gharavi cast him a sour look. "Your harem? Really?"
Danniah giggled. "I almost laughed when you started playing along! I'm surprised he didn't notice!"
"Herskeh's understanding of living people is limited," Bloodwraith said. "Though he has little power because he has always served stronger masters, he is older than I am. He has been dead so long that he has completely lost any perspective other than his own."
"I'm not objecting to the ploy." Gharavi shook her head. "I'm just saying that it's ridiculous."
"Oh, but it's true." Meara smirked up from the bed. "His dick is just so amazing that it has its own gravitational field, drawing in all nearby entities with functioning ovaries."
Gharavi stared at her. "That was perhaps the most intelligent way of saying something incredibly stupid I have ever heard."
"You're too kind!"
It was really just banter, Gharavi not truly upset and Meara merely joking, but Bloodwraith found himself disturbed. Several fragments that had been digging through his mind began to come together into a meaningful thought. As soon as he could, he excused himself and went down to the lowest level of the crypt they had cleared.
There, he sat down on the stairs and stared into the depths. Slowly he opened the necromantic case and turned the tools over in his hands as the thoughts tumbled in his mind. They had been growing for some time, but meeting Herskeh had forced them to resolve.
Bloodwraith had always thought that he had been mentally perfect as a lich. He had cast aside his old self and become a creature of pure logic, as he had long desired to be. Freed from the limitations of humanity, he had thought himself able to understand the world with perfect clarity.
He had been wrong.
Just like Herskeh, he had been so blind that he was unable to see his own limitations. Though the flow of normal emotions could be annoying, emotions were tools. In casting aside those tools, he had adopted not pure logic, but a limited form of logic that found order only via simplification.
That was how he had been so easily seduced by the Master Lich into an absurd plan of burning down the world. In the beginning, he had wanted to study magic alone in peace. His concept of peace had expanded to include others, and his study of necromancy had somehow given him... offspring. Yet to deny the complications they brought would be unworthy of him, turning down a challenge that brought with it a better life.
One by one, he returned all the tools of necromancy to their case, letting go of his need to recover the body that had once been his. If he could gain control of it, he would still do so. If the best path forward involved destroying that body along with Raigar, he would not hesitate. Either way, he was free to make the logical decision instead of the one that conformed to a simplistic ideal.
Bloodwraith snapped the case shut.
Chapter 24
Now that he had made contact with Herskeh, Bloodwraith had another objective... and also a deadline. They had confirmed that Raigar was testing himself in the Red Sands Arena, apparently just to amuse himself while he waited. That meant that they knew exactly where he would be in under a month. That would be their best chance to target him.
He gave them a day to relax after Herskeh left, since he needed time to consider his plans anyway. But the next morning when they ate breakfast over their usual sarcophagus table, he made sure Meara and Izilthor were both present, then stood up to address everyone.
"In 26 days, we will be confronting Raigar at the Red Sands Arena. There will be four significant variables to the battle." Bloodwraith ticked off each one on his fingers. "How many unique artifacts Raigar has in reserve, how the Governor reacts to the conflict, how well Herskeh cooperates, and finally, how well we can fight together."
Danniah swallowed even though she had stopped eating. "It sounds really hard when you put it that way."
"But what you'll notice is that there is a limit to how much we can control three of those variables. We can make more plans, but the most important thing we can do is prepare ourselves. To that end, I've devised a plan for the remaining 25 days."
"How much progress can we make in a short time?" Gharavi asked.
"I believe all of us can improve ourselves in that time, but the most important thing I want to accomplish is entirely clearing this crypt." Bloodwraith took out the rough maps that they'd made. "There are two levels we have yet to explore, likely to be the most dangerous. I want to clear them out together, all at once. Doing it that way will provide an additional boost for me, but also improve our coordination."
"That seems like a reasonable plan, but it won't take 25 days."
"No, we will enter the crypt on the 22nd day. Until then, we will be training for that event - less theoretical or experimental work, more raw combat. I can't tell you exactly how you should train, but I do have some suggestions."
Fortunately, they accepted his overall plan easily and set about adding their own suggestions to it. Though they did need more experience fighting as a unit, they already worked together easily. It was unsurprising that Izilthor cooperated with the others well, but he was pleased by how easily Gharavi fit into their patterns.
Over the next stretch of days, they all settled into a routine, focusing on their primary skills. Though there were no easy gains to be had, he saw all of their primary statistics increase by a point or two, wh
ich was a meaningful edge. More importantly, sparring seemed to increase their skills as well.
At first he hesitated to use his offense skills against the others, but Danniah insisted. She was able to withstand his assault surprisingly well, though it took a serious toll on her armor. Adding this element to their training resulted in significant progress for a few days, then the increase slowed and the numbers began to barely crawl upward again.
Meara wasn't left out of the effort, taking the damaged equipment each day and attempting to work with it. For over a tenday she accomplished nothing, leaving Gharavi to reestablish frayed enchantments, but Bloodwraith watched her Repair skill level slowly drop. It stayed at 1 for a long time, then without warning one day he noticed that it had become -1. The next day, Meara repaired all their equipment herself and just smiled when Danniah remarked in amazement.
He found himself obsessively watching the boxes of everyone. They were his allies - his "party" in the language of the boxes - and so their strength was his. Their skills would soon be put to the test in the crypt, then in a true trial against Raigar.
Izilthor's growth was different than the others, so he watched it especially carefully. She couldn't gain Necromancy Points without consuming bodies, but it seemed the training did increase her stats, though at a slower rate. Bloodwraith experimentally increased one of her stats by spending NP and discovered that it had no effect on the growth rate. It seemed that each source of potential strength increased in difficulty separately from the others, which was some relief.
That determined, Izilthor was happy to spend the majority of her NP on her statistics. Since he had yet to invest NP there and costs were low, the effects were considerable. Though she still lagged behind the others, she spent a day careening around the crypt, enjoying her newfound speed.
They reserved 14 points for a skill he intended to make significant use of:
[Track Essence