Rend Hope (17 page)

             
"Mostly scavengers." Ebrim answered, leaning against the wall as he continued to wait for his ghouls to finish their meal, the woman had finally stopped screaming which was disappointing for the necromancer.  All good things had to come to an end though.

             
"I'd hardly consider those a snack even." Sahiron responded, Ebrim nodded in agreement.

             
"I think my pets would agree, but they will have a decent meal soon enough." The dark-haired man stated, making his way up the stairs, Sahiron moved out of the way and let him pass.  The straight-jacket clad necromancer then followed his ally until they were right outside the house that served as their hideout.

             
"What are you doing?" Sahiron asked, curious.  Ebrim didn't reply as he raised his right hand into the air.  From the sky came a falcon, its feathers were bone-white while it's eyes were black with a vertical yellow slit, similar to a snakes.  The beak remained the only normal color of the unnatural bird, sporting a standard yellow color.  The white falcon landed on Ebrim's forearm, the dark-haired man stroked the bird's head, causing it to glow red for just a moment.  Once the glow disappeared, the falcon took flight.

             
"I'm sending this little fellow to investigate my apprentice's last known location.  I'm quite curious to see what happened there.  I'd go myself, but as you are aware, we have a city to take." Ebrim answered.

             
"We could strike tonight if you wanted." Sahiron suggested, but Ebrim shook his head.

             
"No tomorrow night is fine, those people in Midas City aren't going anywhere anyway.  One more night to prepare won't hurt." The dark-haired man replied.  Sahiron grunted with impatience.

             
"Is all this preparation really necessary?" The former prisoner questioned, at this Ebrim turned back around to face his ally, a small grin on his face.

             
"Trust me, it'll all be worth it." Ebrim answered.  "By the time we are finished, I will have created the most beautiful display of necromancy the world has ever seen."

             
Sahiron didn't reply, instead he mulled over the words Ebrim had spoken.  The dark-haired necromancer reentered the hideout, leaving the man clad in a straitjacket to his thoughts.  Sahiron couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to be fucked over on this little deal with Ebrim.  Especially with what he just said, the most beautiful display of necromancy in the world?  The former prisoner snorted, whatever floated that guy's boat he supposed.  Just as long as he got the feast he was promised he could care less.

             
Sahiron shook his head as he too reentered the hideout, if he was denied his feast at Midas City there would be hell to pay.  Especially if one person there in particular escaped his grasp.  He was in the dark with Ebrim though, having only met him recently.  He couldn't rely on past experiences to help determine whether the dark-haired man would honor his deal or not.  At the very least though he'd get to gobble up some Midas City civilians.  And if Ebrim proved to be a snake that tried to renege on their deal?  Well, Sahiron would make sure he would regret that with every fiber of his being.

Chapter 14

              Markus lay on a small cot in a damp cell surrounded on three sides by dark-grey stone.  The last side was made of black iron bars that were highly resistant to sorcery.  That and the added fact that he could see Rosalind's handiwork with the glyphs on the cell door and walls, meant whoever was in the cell was going to stay there.  This city did not mess around if it deemed you an enemy.

             
What Markus was not impressed by, was the inability to carry a conversation that the person guarding him possessed.  It was one of the first deputies he had met before entering the city, Teivar was his name or was it Teivon?  He couldn't remember.

             
The aeromancer groaned, unlike Rosalind he couldn't hasten his body's healing process through sorcery and so he had to suffer the pain and annoyance of his injuries from the fight.  Even worse, the cell stunk like rotten eggs and the floor was damp.  Markus tried not to imagine what kind of fluid it was that soaked the floor.  It wouldn't be so bad, except that he had lost his left shoe in the battle with Rosalind.  He did his best not to move around too much in his cell, but it was getting more and more difficult.  He wanted out of here, away from the city and away from Rosalind.

             
"Hey Teivar." He suddenly spoke, getting the attention of the deputy guarding his cell.  The man turned his head to glower at the blonde-haired man.

             
"It's Teivon." The deputy corrected, Markus sat up from his cot and waved his left hand dismissively.

             
"My bad, listen I don't suppose you have any spare shoes lying around do you?  I lost one of mine earlier and this floor isn't exactly nice to walk on." The aeromancer told him, Teivon continued to glare at him.

             
"You're lucky that's all you lost for attacking Lady Rosalind you fiend." Teivon stated, Markus was shocked.

             
"What the hell?  Are you being serious?  She attacked me!" The flannel-clad magi responded, Teivon frowned.

             
"Lady Rosalind would never do such a thing." The deputy declared, Markus regarded him curiously

             
"Let me ask you something Teivan."

             
"It's Teivon."

             
"Whatever, I'd just like to know, how long have you known Rosalind?"  Teivon thought for a moment.

             
"About a year now." The deputy answered, Markus grinned.

             
"Well I've known her since she was just a little girl, so I think I know when she is attacking me.  All I was doing was just defending myself deputy." The blonde aeromancer informed Teivon, who snorted in response.

             
"Like I'd believe the word of a shady figure like you.  You look like you just crawled out of a dumpster." Teivon scoffed, Markus looked at him like he just asked if the sun brought daylight.

             
"I look like I crawled out of a dumpster?" Markus repeated Teivon's words, he then made a sweeping gesture with his right hand.  "Have you been living under a rock?  News flash deputy!  We aren't like our ancestors, we don't live in a lap of luxury anymore!  EVERYONE looks like they crawled out of the damn dumpster!" Markus shouted, Teivon continued to glare at him.

             
"You dare to state that a deputy's uniform is comparable to some street riff-raff?" Teivon challenged, Markus didn't budge.

             
"Oh I more than dare.  Your little tan military fatigues do nothing to intimidate me." The flannel-clad aeromancer stated.

             
"Well they should, the deputies of Midas City have done their part to defend this place from all manners of threats.  Including those by people who possess the gift of sorcery." Teivon replied, his chest swelling with pride.  Markus let out an exasperated sigh.

             
"Whatever dude, you're about as intimidating as a mouse." The blonde-haired man told him, veins began pulsing on Teivon's forehead and neck as he fought to keep his anger and wounded pride in check.  "Look are you going to give me some new shoes or not?"  Markus asked his jailor.  His answer was a pair of black boots thrown at him, one hit him right in the nose.  The blonde-haired aeromancer grunted in pain, clutching his wounded nostril.

             
"There! Now will you please shut up?  You're giving me a headache!" Teivon shouted at him.  Markus continued to hold his nose with his left hand while tentatively picking up one of the boots with his right, examining the footwear.

             
"What the hell are these things made of!?  I don't think my nose will ever be the same again." Markus exclaimed.  Teivon sighed, of course it was too much to hope for the loud-mouthed blonde magi to shut up.  Looks like he had no choice but to dig in and endure it for the night, something he definitely wasn't looking forward to.

             
As Markus finished putting on the pair of army boots the sound of a heavy door opening grabbed both the men's attention.  While Markus couldn't see who it was, Teivon could.  The deputy’s eyes were wide with shock as Rosalind made her way towards him.               

"Lady Rosalind, what are you doing here?  Surely a deputy is enough to bring us news of what transpired in your meeting with the mayor." Teivon said to her, Rosalind's lips curved upwards slightly in a very small smile.

              "It's alright Teivon, this is news I'd rather deliver in person." She stated, making her way to the front of Markus' cell.  They stared at each other and a long awkward silence followed.

             
This was the first time Markus had seen Rosalind with a facial expression other than anger.  Even in the darkness of the dungeon her blue eyes seemed to glow, it was one of the traits that drew him to her when they were younger.  Although she didn't have a murderous look in her eye at the moment, Rosalind had put on her stoic mask, she was unreadable to him.  Markus surmised that she would have made an excellent player in an old card game called "Poker".  He himself had played a few games during his journey to the west and he had been terrible at it.

             
"Teivon, could you leave us please?" Rosalind asked, the deputy frowned.

             
"Are you sure that's wise Lady Rosalind?  The man is dangerous." Teivon replied, Rosalind cast him a sidelong glance.

             
"Believe me, I know.  However, there are some things that I need to say to him alone." The hoodie-clad woman told him, Teivon shook his head.

             
"I don't like this." The deputy said.  Rosalind turned so she could look at him fully and tried to give him a reassuring smile.  It failed though, probably because it had been hard for her to genuinely smile for a long time.

             
"Don't worry.  The prisoner is in a cell with black iron bars, plus I've added my glyphs to all the walls.  They're designed to negate any sorcery that he might use."  Rosalind explained.  "I'll be fine Teivon, really.  Go and get something to eat, you deserve a break."  Teivon hesitated for just a moment before reluctantly nodding.

             
"Alright Lady Rosalind, be safe.  And thank you." He told her before turning and exiting through the thick door that Rosalind had come through.  Once again leaving the two magi in awkward silence.  Finally Markus couldn't take it anymore and raised an eyebrow.

             
"Soooo do I at least get a sandwich or what?  I've been in this cell for hours and I'm starving." Markus informed his ex-girlfriend.

             
"You'll have a meal soon enough." Rosalind responded.  "I've spoken with the mayor of this city and we've come to a decision on what to do with you."

**********

              The white falcon was rapidly approaching its destination.  Its bone-white wings spread wide as it caught the air and allowed the unnatural bird to gain altitude.  The night sky was peppered with dark-grey clouds and the desert below the bird almost seemed to be glowing white from the moon's rays.

             
The eyes of the bird diligently scanned the ground below, searching for a sign of Benjamin, it's owner's apprentice.  Every detail was being drunk in by the white falcon's eyes.  When it returned to its owner it could share everything it had seen to him.  The falcon was an excellent servant for scouting and Ebrim was very liberal in its use.

             
As the white falcon reached its destination, it gazed down at a giant hole in the desert wasteland easily a hundred meters in diameter.  Sand was pouring into the hole like a waterfall, but the bird couldn't see the hole's bottom from where it was at.  It swooped down for a closer look.

             
The bird flew low to the ground, examining the huge cavity in the sand.  There seemed to be no sign of its owner's apprentice or the opponent he was fighting.  They must have fallen down the gaping chasm.

             
Still the white falcon went even lower, entering the giant hole to try to find some sign of Benjamin or what was left of him.  Ebrim had given it an order to find something of his apprentice at least before returning and so it would, the bird had no choice but to obey after all.  The hole went down quite a great distance, a normal human wouldn't survive the fall.  However, a magi and necromancer-apprentice might.

             
Finally it appeared the falcon had reached the bottom.  The fact that it was night did not obscure the bird's vision in any way.  It located an open corridor about the size of an average human and proceeded to fly through it.

             
The corridor itself was dark green with what looked like patches of fungus that gave off a light green glow.  The fungus softly illuminated the corridor, allowing a normal human to see without a torch or other source of light.  The white falcon took all of this in with its eyes.

             
The ivory-colored bird continued down the corridor for a ways until suddenly a blue beam of magic energy shot through its body.  Instantly the bird collapsed to the ground, it managed to weakly raise its head and let out an unnatural squawk before a second beam silenced it.  Before the falcon was destroyed, it got a good look at the shooter.

             
A man in a cowboy hat, wearing mostly blue and armed with a most unique golden revolver.

**********

              Kendal stood over the ruined body of the white bird, a stern look on his face.  The sheriff knew he had heard the sound of flapping wings from where they had come from and so he had backtracked to investigate.  What he found was this unnatural looking bird flying around.  Most likely the work of a necromancer, perhaps even the one that Janine had found.  If not, Kendal deduced that this necromancer had at least a link to the one his girlfriend was pursuing.

             
Question was, what kind of relationship did these two necromancers have?  Partners? Friends? Lovers?  Hell he could be wrong and it's all the work of just one.  Kendal shook his head, he still had a lot of investigating to do.  First things first though, he had to find Janine.  He heard the footsteps of one of his deputies coming around a bend in the corridor behind him.

             
"Everything all right sir?" The deputy asked.  Kendal shrugged.

             
"For now.  Found this little bird trying to spy on us." The sheriff told the deputy, pointing at the bird's corpse.  His subordinate looked at where he pointed.

             
"The necromancer?" He asked, Kendal nodded.

             
"Probably." The pseudo-cowboy said.  "Let's head back to camp, I want to take another look at that strange door we found." 

             
The door. That was another thing that Kendal didn't like.  While exploring these underground caverns they had come across a large dark red pair of doors.  All the corridors they had found so far eventually led to this one room with the doors.  Strange glyphs were carved into them, the glyphs were laced thick with magic energy according to Janine's binoculars. 

             
The information the binoculars gave him was that these glyphs were some sort of ancient sealing magic.  However, was it meant to keep people out? Or something in?  Kendal found he didn't like either of those questions that had formed in his brain.  He had told his team to make camp for the night, but in the morning they were going to go through the strange double doors to see what lied beyond.

             
Kendal's team of deputies were not too enthusiastic about it and if he was honest with himself, neither was he.

**********

              "So what was the decision?  Should I just grab my backpack and head out?" Markus asked, giving a small laugh.  Rosalind remained impassive.

             
"You're staying." The co-founder of Midas City announced, Markus let out a frustrated sigh.

             
"Really?  You don't have to keep me in this cell Rosalind, you have my word.  If you let me go I won't return." He told her, he spoke softly and Rosalind realized he was letting down the easygoing mask he usually wore.