Narg and the Necromancer

Icy.

Beyond was a strange sight, bearing in mind they were inside the castle. A large open space, under a cloud-heavy dark sky, opened up in-front of them. How far it went was difficult to say, as a blizzard was blowing hard, limiting visibility and making Narg feel cold just by looking at it. He was glad of the wizard’s spell. Snow lay on the ground, nearly knee deep, which caused Shogun to curse when he came through the door.

Once the other two were through, Narg set off. “Keep close!” he shouted over the gale. It wouldn’t be hard to get separated in this weather. They moved on, plodding awkwardly through the snow. It wasn’t long before a stone wall loomed up in front of them. A minute later a door appeared. It seemed to be a normal door, as seen on any standard house, and Narg made straight for it. He listened for a few moments but couldn’t hear anything above the wind. Motioning to Shogun and Gorgus he drew Bloodletter and pushed on it.

It creaked loudly as it swung open, revealing a small empty room beyond. The three stumbled in quickly and Gorgus leaned against the door to close it, blocking out the wind.

Narg waved Bloodletter around, the sword casting a dim light over the surroundings until Shogun cast a small spell to illuminate the scene properly. The extra light revealed what appeared to be a child’s room.

A small rocking-cot was near the far wall, and various small toys were strewn around the floor. Two chairs were pulled up against a table whilst another lay on the floor a little way away, as if someone had stood up too quickly. The whole place was coated in a layer of dust, and an unnatural chill filled the air, creeping through Shoguns’ spell. Narg shivered and stepped forward cautiously.

Gorgus made a gesture in the air and stayed where he was. “There’s something…wrong with this place Narg. I don’t like it. Something evil happened here.”

“Oh, you say that about everywhere,” replied Narg, but his voice was subdued. He felt it too, a lingering feeling in the air.

Shogun drew up beside him. “What’s that?” He pointed to the table. A rag doll was sitting in the middle of it, glass eyes glinting in the light. Underneath it was a parchment. It looked like it could be a map.

“It looks like it could be a map. Could be useful,” said the wizard, and picked up the doll to get to it.

“NO!” Shouted Narg and Gorgus simultaneously, but it was too late. The piercing screams of a young child suddenly filled the air, sending shudders through Narg. The doll slowly turned its head and looked directly at Shogun, the glass eyes radiating hatred. The mage shook it frantically and tried to drop the thing. It wouldn’t fall.

A movement from the cot attracted Narg’s attention. A small hand, mummified flesh covering partially exposed bones, grasped the side rail.

Shogun was shouting now, and the doll’s eyes were pulsating red. The screaming ceased, to be replaced by a young child’s voice.

“You bad man. You huuurt me. Now dolly will hurt you.” The half rotten face of a small girl rose above the rail of the cot, sunken eye-sockets black in the gloom, somehow filled with a darkness that no infant should know of. Shogun had fallen to the floor and was wrestling with the doll, which wouldn't let go.

The child’s corpse grinned and the body launched itself through the air - small arms outstretched and reaching. The room was filled with a high pitched scream. Narg sliced at it in revulsion, but the child made a small gesture and he was flung back against the wall.

“HOLD!” Gorgus’s voice cut through the wailing and hit the flying child like a brick wall. She screamed again, this time visibly from a lipless mouth, showing small brown teeth.

“Nooo! Dolly help me! The bad man is come back!” She slowly sank to the ground under Gorgus’s stare.

“NO! I command thee desist!” Gorgus spoke again, his voice ringing off the walls and cutting through the noise.

“Dolllyyy…” cried the corpse, now a pathetic bundle of bones on the floor.

Shogun managed to fling the doll away. It arced through the air and landed near the dead child.

Gorgus strode forth; a radiance seemed to emanate from him. He arrived at the body, which was pitifully trying to reach the doll laying a little way away. Gorgus stood for a moment, then stooped down and handed the doll to her.

“Thankkk-yoou,” came the child’s whisper. And then it was gone.

There was a moment of silence and Gorgus knelt down next to the now silent corpse. Murmuring a low prayer to his deity he pulled out a cloth from somewhere and lay it over the bones. He looked up. “She is at rest now. Poor tortured soul that she was.”

Narg struggled to his feet. “Well done Cleric.” Gorgus nodded, but he didn’t look happy.

“Ahh. A little help here?” said Shogun.

Narg and Gorgus moved over and found Shogun sitting on the floor holding his arm. “What’s up?” asked Narg.

Shogun said nothing, but rolled up his sleeve. His arm was grey and stiff. He knocked it with his other hand. It clunked.

“Stone,” he said. “Up to about my elbow.”

“Crap,” said Narg. “Can you fix it Cleric?”

Gorgus shook his head.

“How about you wizard, can you cast a reversal spell?”

Shogun managed to climb to his feet. His robe slipped back over his arm, which remained stiff. “I need both arms to work the magic I need.”

Narg sighed. “Well, we’ll have to hope we run into a friendly chap with a ‘Stone to Flesh’ spell soon then.”

None of them felt like staying in the room, so after a brief rest they marched out of the doorway again, back into the seemingly never-ending gale.

The three plodded on, following the wall round. It was only a few more minutes when the tower came into view. Made of dark stone it stood solidly and alone. It wasn’t large at the base, Narg estimated he could walk around it in under a minute, but he couldn’t tell how high it was as it disappeared into the cloud.

There was door at the base, similar to the last one at the child’s room. They paused in front of it and looked at one another.

“Well, may as well!” shrugged Shogun, rather one sided.

Narg nodded and pushed at the portal. It swung in easily to reveal a spiral staircase heading up. He drew Bloodletter again and stepped in. Shogun and Gorgus followed.

The interior of the tower was reasonably warm, as if someone had a fire going somewhere. The stairs were plain black stone, and in good condition. They climbed around and around carefully, going up and up seemingly without end. However end they did, finally, to reveal a compact round room, obviously at the top of the tower.

A small window revealed nothing but grey cloud outside. The walls were lined with desks, most of them cluttered with various alchemic equipment, including the inevitable glass tubing filled with bubbling red smoking liquid. However this wasn’t what caught Narg’s attention. The centre of the room was the focus, and sat on a large throne placed there, was a richly dressed skeletal corpse.

Shogun groaned. “Not another one!”

Narg readied his sword, and Gorgus braced himself. The corpse, of course, looked at them and spoke:

“Welcome to my sanctuary weary travellers. How fare thee?” It placed bony hands upon the arms of the chair and stood. Dust stirred as the robes fell around the creature. They had obviously once been of the finest material and even now retained some of their splendor.

“Put down your sword warrior, and hold any turning you are preparing Cleric. Such actions will not do you any good against me.”

“Many have said that Lord Lich. Yet here I stand,” said Narg.

The lich laughed, a dry dusty sound. “Ah, the impetuousness of youth. You remind me of me so very long ago.” The creature waved a hand. “As you will. It makes no difference.” He stood and surveyed the small group. “My name is Herkus, or was at one time, long ago.” The lich paused. “Perhaps you good travellers could do me a boon. In return I’m sure I can assist you in your goal.”

“How can you assist us?” Gorgus asked.

The lich laughed its dry laugh again. “Oh, I know of what you seek, and it just so happens I have it in my possession. You seek to travel north no? Well, you will need a key. A black stone key to be exact, and I have it. If you do me a small favor I will present this item to you in return. I can also help your short friend with his little problem.” The lich gestured at Shogun’s arm.

Narg turned to the others and spoke in a low voice. ““What do you think? I reckon we could take him, but it won’t be easy.”

“Such evil must be purged,” said Gorgus.

Narg rolled his eyes. “You and your ‘evil must be purged’ routine. Don’t you get it? There will always be evil. If you purge all evil you will wipe out half the planet!”

“I cannot ignore my beliefs,” responded Gorgus stoically.

“Pah.” Narg turned to Shogun. “What about you old stony? What’s your thinking on the matter?”

Shogun waved his arm around. “Unless I return to town quickly and get this fixed, I’ll be dead. I think it’s spreading, and it would take too long to get back, even if we knew a way out of here”

“Mmmm.” Narg nodded and turned back to face Herkus. The lich stood motionless, awaiting his decision. “Tell me more about this boon of yours,” he said simply.

The lich grinned.

“This used to be my ancestral home,” he waved a bony hand in the air in an encompassing fashion. “Many, many years ago I used to be the Lord of this castle. Even though I was a powerful wizard I was still young and foolish. I meddled in the dark arts, summoning demons to do my bidding.” He walked stiffly to the window, looking out at the cloud there for a moment before continuing. “Unfortunately one day I over-reached myself and conjured up something I couldn’t control. It took control of my home, and would have spread its reach further, but I was able to limit it to the castle perimeter, an area it now rules. It would have killed me, but I managed to retreat to this area, previously the kitchens and servants quarters, and seal it off from him and his ilk.”

“What about the ice and cold? Are we in a different plane or something?” asked Shogun.

“Ah, no,” somehow Herkus managed to look embarrassed. “That’s just the spell to keep the salad fresh. It… got a little out of control.” He paused a moment. “One day I’ll fix it, but you know how it is with these housekeeping chores…”