The Necromancer's Apprentice

by R. M. Prioleau

  Sensing that my eyes were, perhaps, deceiving me, I closed them and tried to shake off the uneasiness that rose in my body. When I reopened them, I saw the abomination bite furiously at Master Dagg's hand, attempting to break free of the man's iron grip, but its efforts proved futile.

  Amazingly, Master Dagg's skin absorbed the acidic substance that drooled from the creature's mouth and he remained unscathed. In retaliation, Master Dagg's hand punctured effortlessly through the creature's neck, which spilled blood everywhere. Upon retracting his hands, the blood that covered them converged to a sharpened point on each of his fingers before dripping down to the ground.

  My eyes narrowed curiously at the strange sight, wondering if either my mind was playing tricks again, or if Master Dagg really had long nails.

  Tossing the remnants of the creature down in a heap, Master Dagg approached me and knelt down to examine the gash in my neck. Afterwards, his blood-soaked and seemingly claw-like hands reached out to feel the wound.

  Though his touch sent chills through me, I sensed his concern. I felt him carefully pick me up and carry me off to his laboratory where he continued his examination.

  He gently pulled my eyelids open and gazed upon me pensively for several minutes. After what sounded like cursing in a language I was unfamiliar with, he hurried over to one of the shelves and retrieved some items.

  I continued staring up blankly at the stalactites, meanwhile, unsure of what exactly was happening.

  Moments later, Master Dagg returned carrying a serum in one hand and a syringe in the other, both items containing equal amounts of an unknown, colorless liquid. He placed the glass vial to my lips and poured the tasteless contents down my throat, which he later massaged his fingers gently around to make me swallow. Simultaneously, as I ingested the strange, tasteless liquid, he injected the syringe's contents into my wrist.

  For a brief moment, I felt the sensation of my body's paralysis subside. The sensation was suddenly consumed by the feeling of my innards being on fire. I writhed uncontrollably and my vision began blurring at random intervals. I caught a glimpse of Master Dagg standing over me, watching briefly before extending his hand over my large wound.

  Closing his eyes, he concentrated and uttered incoherent words until his hand gave off a strange, crimson glow of magical power, which felt hot against my skin.

  The paralysis suddenly returned to my body, coupled with my eyes going blind and I was rendered helpless once more. Amazingly, however, I was still able to scream in lieu of the traumatizing experience.

  “S ... Stop! Stop it, you madman!”

  Master Dagg said nothing in response and continued his strange ritual.

  Only after a few minutes did I feel the paralysis permanently leave my body and my vision become clear once more. I focused my gaze into Master Dagg's ebony eyes, confused and flustered of all that happened.

  He finally pulled away from me then retrieved the empty serum and syringe.

  “You are lucky I returned when I did, Jasmine,” I heard him say. “It seemed my undead experiment had caught the scent of your warm blood and decided to have a snack. Such a shame, really. It took me quite a while to find an ideal, ghastly creature for my newest experiment.” He sighed.

  As he spoke, I laid on the table, staring at the stalactites, dumbfounded. Now that I was no longer paralyzed, I somehow felt my strength renewed. Carefully, I sat up on the table and glanced around the laboratory until my eyes finally rested on Master Dagg. Having recalled that traumatizing experience vividly, I placed my hand over the side of my neck, feeling for the wound that was once there; but, it was gone. My eyes went wide as I no longer felt the pain, either.

  “Am ... Am I dead?” was all I could say in a hushed tone.

  Master Dagg chuckled as he approached me. “No, but you would have been if the contagion in your body from the creature's contact had spread any further,” he said. “Your body was beginning to show the initial signs. Fortunately, the combination of the formaldehyde mixture you ingested, with the simultaneous effect of the ricin I injected in your bloodstream was enough to make your body emulate the properties of an undead being, thus making you immune to the contagion. While your body remained in this state, I was able to draw upon enough energy to heal that wound on your neck.”

  It all sounded like gibberish to my ears. “What disease?” I demanded. “What did you do to me?!”

  He snorted. “I saved your damned life; however, something tells me that it was a mistake.”

  “You are a madman!” I shouted angrily. “You and your crazed experiments!”

  He shot a piercing gaze at me before storming over to the table and wrapping his hand around my small neck. I gagged at first, but as he squeezed my windpipe closed, I was gasping for air.

  “I will remind you that I am still your master,” he seethed in a voice that no longer sounded human. “You will learn to address me as such, or I will reanimate that creature and allow it to feed upon your live body until you are nothing more than skeletal remains.”

  While death didn't sound like such a bad idea at that point, the thought of such a horrid fate preceding it made me consider otherwise. After he slowly released his grip from around my neck, I rubbed his finger imprints in my skin painfully, afterwards.

  I scowled, reluctantly lowering my head and responding bitterly, “Yes ... Master....”

  * * *

  As another month went by, the life I once knew was nothing more than a faded memory. Master Dagg instilled fear into my mind, reminding me of my place by demonstrating his powers over the most horrific creatures. Furthermore, he threatened my own life of being amongst his undead thralls, should I ever defy him. His procedures were effective enough that he forced me to forget all that occurred prior to his rescuing me that fateful night – including the memories of my family. I did not understand his purpose for doing so, but I complied reluctantly, knowing that questioning his actions usually brought me a world of pain, afterwards – whether physically, or mentally. The scars on my heart remained, however, even as I struggled to forget my past. There was a certain emptiness I always felt when Master Dagg eventually made me aware of the fact that I did have a family at one point; but, that was all he allowed me to know.

  Master Dagg's peculiar ways never ceased to amaze me. I soon learned that he was a master of the dead – an arcanist, as he preferred to call himself. His work was not accepted by everyone and as a result, he went into isolation in these dank caves where he practiced his dark arts.

  After so many horrific close encounters with creatures of the dead and undead, it wasn't long before my own interest in the Arcanic Arts grew, which he was pleased and willing to teach. Ironically, there was a certain love that we both shared in the quest for knowledge of life and death. I had regretted the day I called him a madman. He was, in fact, a beautiful artist and a master of his trade. I was sacrificed to be his beloved test subject.

  “Do not fear death; embrace it,” he would always tell me.

  ... And I did.

  I allowed him, without resistance, to do as he pleased; enduring every spell he cast on me and every substance I was injected with, fully-aware of the hazardous risks. I could not think of a better place to die than with my beloved master, doing what he had taught me to love. Though I had endured the experiments, it did not mean I never felt the effects. I was aware of so many things done to me in so little time that I almost felt as though a part of my soul was dissolved. Yet, despite the consequences, I loved what he did to me. I admired him more than just my master. He was the entity which soothed the darkness that was always inside me. He knew my happiness and pain, and fed upon each in his own search for the Greater Knowledge.

  “What is the Greater Knowledge?” I asked him one night as we worked in the laboratory.

  He smiled faintly as he responded, looking off into the distance, “The Greater Knowledge ... It is defying all that is perceived as truth and becoming one that is incomprehensible. It is being
the contradiction in a world of conformity.”

  My brow furrowed in hearing those riddling words; I was left confused and speechless.

  He never spoke any further on the subject whenever I asked again, which only left me curious as to what he was truly planning.

  Chapter 8

  I awoke late one morning, still feeling tired after another long night's session of properly preserving poisons and spell components. Master Dagg was an excellent teacher, but he almost always overwhelmed me with an incredible amount of information to retain in one night. He would often argue that ‘repetitiveness was what teaches the mind conformity,’ and his words eventually held true after putting me through weeks – months of repetitive and monotonous lessons. While I was not considered a full-fledged arcanist like Master Dagg, I became confident enough in my own skills and knowledge of the Art.

  I crawled out of bed and trudged sleepily through the caverns which were still quiet at that hour. I assumed Master Dagg had gone out again. It seemed common for him to set out during the early morning hours to tend to his daily errands, which consisted primarily of restocking supplies for his laboratory.

  Master Dagg eventually trusted me enough to leave me alone in his home, well-aware of the risks of his beloved laboratory being used without his permission. Perhaps some other greedy fool might have fallen into such a tempting, but obvious trap; however, I knew better than to dabble into that which I did not fully understand. Master Dagg also allowed me to leave the cave at will, but I was not allowed to go beyond the swamps. A constant overcast loomed in the skies above, shrouding the misty swamps in a blanket of grey shadows.

  My mornings generally began with a good hunt. Over the months, I became more proficient in my hunting after studying and mimicking Master Dagg's methods. For a man his size, Master Dagg moved more graceful than a feline. It was apparent that his ability to hunt was innate. Though, I was nowhere near as good of a hunter as he, I was still able to catch enough food to sustain me for the day.

  The swamps were always flowing with abundant marine life; the only other signs of life I ever saw. How ironic it was that this small pocket of wetland was cherished by someone so proficient in the Art of death and undeath.

  Breakfast today was light, consisting of a weak catch of two small minnows that didn't make much of a dent in my belly's hunger. When I finished, I traversed through the wetlands, allowing my mind to wander. I meditated on the peaceful sounds of the swamps, which invigorated my spirits. This place possessed a hidden beauty of its own – it was no wonder Master Dagg had chosen it to claim as his territory. The swamps were so far from civilization that it was unlikely anyone would think to find him here.

  ... Or so I thought ...

  My subconscious snapped back to reality at the faintest sounds of footsteps sloshing through the murky waters. At first, I thought it was Master Dagg, but the movements sounded too slow and full of hesitation, as though the intruder was unsure of their destination. My eyes scanned the immediate area, finally resting on the silhouette of a figure several meters away. The figure sported a human male's build and walked as such.

  I stood with a wary feeling in the back of my mind as I watched him approach. “Is he ... really alive?” I whispered aloud in disbelief.

  I could not recall the last time I had seen another humanoid creature that was not already a corpse. I doubted Master Dagg had received many visitors out here – nor did I think he would have been very pleased to find one here while he was still away. I licked my dry lips as I struggled with the urge to warn the stranger to turn back, but he spoke first upon noticing me.

  “Miss! What are you doing out here in these treacherous lands?!” the man called out, his regal-sounding voice tinged with genuine concern.

  I narrowed my eyes at the stranger suspiciously. “N-No,” I stammered, “I ... I must be seeing things. You are not really here. This is all my imagination.”

  The man tilted his head curiously at my response before hastening his steps towards me through the shallow, murky swamp waters and finally stood before me.

  I lowered my head and ended up staring down at two, steel-plated boots. Perhaps, I am not delirious, after all, I thought. My snow-white hair covered the pale, malnourished features of my face, as I remained silent.

  “Are you all right, Miss?” he asked in a soft tone. He waited a few moments before finally placing his gauntlet-covered hand on my shoulder gently.

  I immediately tensed at his icy touch. Beneath the layer of care and concern that the man sported, something about him unnerved me. After some hesitation, I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. I gazed upon a man donned in exuberant armor branded with the city of Lakis's emblem. His emerald eyes reflected a mix of concern and curiosity.

  “Miss? Are you hurt? Can you understand my words?” he inquired again, looking at me closely.

  I averted my gaze around the rest of the swamps, fearing that Master Dagg would suddenly return and catch me associating myself with an outsider. I wanted to run, but doing so would risk the stranger discovering Master Dagg's hidden home.

  Turning back to him, I sighed deeply and nodded in response. “I am fine,” I said morbidly. “Please, leave.”

  He raised a thin, ebony brow and reluctantly lifted his hand from my shoulder. “Leave you? In these swamps? You must be mad. You are lucky to have not been eaten by that accursed creature that lurks in the area.”

  His comment sparked my curiosity. “What creature do you speak of?”

  He looked around the swamps briefly before returning his attention to me and lowering his voice. “It is a Dragon – a terrible, black Dragon with the face of a skull, to be exact – and he is the very cause of this dreaded blight that our beloved country has been forced to endure for many months.”

  My eyes widened slightly at the mention of a Dragon, then stared at the stranger in disbelief.

  “Surely, you jest,” a small, amused smile hinted across my lips. “Dragons are such rare and elusive creatures. I have not heard news of any sightings since I began residing here. I assure you, Sir, there are no Dragons here – only fish.” I emphasized the point further by gesturing to the small schools of tiny fish that swam around his ankles.

  He glanced down at the fish briefly then regarded me once more with a hint of a smile. “Allow me to make your acquaintance, Miss. I am Banin Solanum, leader of the Hemlock Hunters of Lakis. We've been tracking down a certain Shadow Dragon necromancer for several months, now. Alas, our travels have finally led us out here into these swampy lands. He is responsible for the deaths of many men, women and children, and his necromantic arts are the very source of this never-ending blight that has plagued our country. Undead and other anomalies have been spotted around here on a daily basis since the Dragon took up residence a few months before the blight began.” He paused to acknowledge my shocked reaction, and then continued. “Please, believe me when I tell you that your life is in danger the longer you remain out here. He holds no remorse for the living and only seeks to use the Forbidden Arts to make these lands forever suffer for his own twisted amusement.”

  I continued to stare at Banin in surprise and ignored his concerned tone. The man's unnerving vibes made me skeptical of any integrity his words might have held. Frowning, I stepped back away from him and began heading farther into the swampy lands. For Master Dagg's sake, I felt inclined to keep his sanctuary a secret from the likes of this man.

  Banin watched me back away and he extended both hands out to me in a calm, reassuring gesture. “Please, do not run, Miss. I am only here to help you. I will take you back to Lakis where you will have access to food and accommodations. Will you at least tell me your name?”

  As I continued watching him cautiously, I took a few more steps back. “No,” I retorted, “I will not. Go away! Leave this place and never return!”

  As he advanced, I turned and hastened my steps into the voids of the wetlands.

  For a few minutes, he gave chase, calling for me to stop.
He nearly caught up with me at one point, but the heavy armor he wore soon induced fatigue in his body. Out of breath, Banin finally slowed to a halt and watched me disappear into the unknown lands of the swamps.

  I ran to a tree and hid behind its wide trunk, then peeked out towards where I left Banin, who was now but a small dot in the distance. He eventually left the swamps and I waited a few minutes longer to ensure that he was gone for good before quickly heading back to the cave.

  I went to the laboratory where I remained, looking for something – anything to keep me busy. Master Dagg returned not long after, carrying two bags full of new supplies.

  Briefly glancing up from my notebook, I noticed the stern, yet calculating expression Master Dagg gave me in return. His gaze was more than enough to affirm that he knew something was troubling me. Strangely, however, he did not confront me about it. Instead, he simply began unloading one of the bags of supplies.

  For several minutes, I felt the tension build in the room as I resumed my ‘reading,’ hoping Master Dagg would not question my motives.

  When he finished unloading and rearranging his new supplies, he moved towards the large wooden table where I sat. Standing behind my chair, he peered over my shoulder, curious to see what I had been staring at for so long.

  “You have been reading that same page for several minutes,” he hissed. “Is such a simple picture of an oak leaf too advanced for your little human mind to comprehend?”

  I knew the question was rhetorical, and thus, pursed my lips in thought, trying to find the words to explain all that transpired earlier. Finally, I shut the book and turned to him, my head still lowered shamefully as I was expecting some sort of heinous punishment to follow afterwards.

  “You had a visitor today....” My voice was soft and meek, remaining submissive to his powerful aura. “While I was out hunting, a man came with the intent to take me away and find and kill a Dragon of sorts for its many crimes. I did not lead him to the cave, but he had treaded dangerously close. I'm unsure if he is aware of the hidden entrance, yet.” I looked at him nervously.