It was a dark, foggy afternoon on the Blood Moor. Rain fell steadily, and thunder rolled in the distance.
Elly, a young rogue archer, stood nervously on the outskirts of the camp, fingering her arrows. This was her first day on guard duty. When the monastary had fallen, she hadn't completed her training, and under normal circumstances, she never would have been assinged such responsibility. But there were so few sisters left, and Kashya had said they couldn't afford to be ambushed at any cost.
Guards or no guards, the fog would make an ambush all too easy for even the most dimwitted demon. Elly sighed. She could barely see 10 feet in front her, let alone see any creatures that could be creeping towards them.
She saw a figure moving in the fog to her right. Heart racing, she strung an arrow and pointed it in the direction of the movement. "H-halt! Who are you? What do you want?" Her voice sounded high pitched and scared even in her own ears, and the question seemed pointless considering most of the things on the moor couldn't speak Common. But the rogues were required to ask this of any creature they were uncertain of-though in this case, Elly was almost certain it was hostile.
A girlish, rather affected laugh answered her, and she lowered her bow with a sigh of relief. "It's just me, Elly.'' It was the voice of her best friend, Annor.
''Thank goodness. I thought you were a demon for sure. Shouldn't you be at your post? Kashya will kill you if she finds you're absent.''
''She's talking to Akara. She won't notice if I'm gone for a few seconds. Anyway, with this fog I've been scaring myself silly at shadows. I thought I'd see how you were doing.''
Elly sighed. ''Oh, just jumping at verything that moves.''
Annor laughed again. ''It's always like that the first time.
The two girls stood in silence, staring out at the mist shrouded moor.
They made a contrasting pair. Elly had light green eyes and brown hair, pulled into a smooth ponytail. Over her revealing reddish leather rogue's armor she wore a dark green cloak. Annor, on the other hand, had black hair that was striking with her sky blue eyes. Her hair had been put into a braid and decorated with a gold ribbon. Over her armour she wore a dark blue cape that ended at her waist, the better to show off her long legs.
As they watched the rain coming down, shouting erupted in the distance.
Annor gasped. "That sounds like Maeko! We have to help her!" Fear rippled down Elly's spine, but she tried to ignore it as she sprinted after Annor to the west side of camp, where Maeko and her sister, Kyoko, were shooting arrow after arrow into an advancing force of five skeletons, two of whom seemed to have the ability to cast spells. Spheres of flame and streaks of ice hurtled through the air as the undead fired back at them. ''Get Kashya!,'' Kyoko yelled, and Elly ran toward Kashya's tent. Kashya met her halfway there. ''What's going on?'' she asked, already heading toward the fray. ''Skeletons, captain! They can cast spells...and I saw something else-a big, hulking man made out of mud!'' Kashya looked grim and redoubled her pace.
When they arrived at the battle, the skeletons had been killed but the mud man was plodding forward, arrows sticking out at all angles but still moving.
"It doesn't feel pain!'', Kyoko yelled, shooting a fire arrow at it with little effect.
''What're you doing?''
The women lowered their bow in consternation as a deadly pale man with jet black hair came into view. Despite the rain and wind he wore no cloak,and his partially unlaced black velvet tunic left his chest bare. With an angry gesture of his gloved hand he made the now badly damaged mud man crumble to the ground.
''Those were mine!'', he continued, adressing Kashya, who was obviously in charge. ''I know they look evil, but they are completely under my control!''
''Those abominations attacked my archers, necromancer,'' replied Kashya, saying the word like a curse. ''If you're controlling them you have a lot to answer for.''
''Captain, the creatures didn't actually attack us, '' Maeko admitted. ''We thought they were roaming demons and chose to fire on them before they had made a move. This foul man didn't seem to give them any orders.''
The necromancer gave Kashya a smile that would've been charming if it it hadn't been so smug. ''See, there's nothing to be afraid of,''he told her consolingly, then dodged as she tried to hit him with her fist.
''How dare you speak so condescendingly to me! You will be taken before our High Priestess!'
''For what? Talking back at you? The Sitersterhood of the Sightless Eye definately seems to have too much time on it's hands.''
''Akara will be able to see into the shadows of your soul and reveal your guilt,'' Kashya declared. ''Elly, Kyoko, be sure this miscreant makes no false moves.''
The two young women trained their arrows on him and followed as Kashya began leading the way to Akara's tent.
''Miscreant you call me, with no other proof but that which your fear puts before you. Shall you tear out my tongue and script upon it your own truth?''
Kashya didn't stop or turn around.
''The Sisterhood does not play people false, not even those as debased as yourself,'' she answered.
The necromancer said nothing, though Elly saw his shoulders tense with anger.
''Akara!'' Kashya called as they approached the tent in the corner of the camp.
The regal old priestess stepped outside, pulling her purple cape around her shoulders. Though she was blind, she seemed perfectly aware of her surroundings, and looked directly at the people she spoke to.
''Ah, Kashya. A visitor to the camp, I suppose? An unusual one, at that. I sense his magic energy.''
''Visitor isn't the word I would use,'' the necromancer commented, under his breath. Akara heard him.
''I'm sorry if our methods seem discourteous to you, but in these dark times we must be sure of any we chose to trust.''
Kashya spoke before the necromancer could make a reply. ''We suspect this man of orchestrating an attack against us, but he has denied it. Would you scry him and determine if he tells the truth?''
''Of course. Step forward, young man.''
The necromancer hesitated, then came and stood before her. He was about a foot taller then the old woman. Akara stared up at him as if she could see his face.
She whispered some words, and there was a silvery flash of light. For a moment the necromancer was wreathed in white flame. Elly could see his face in angular profile . He didn't seem alarmed; in fact, he almost looked bored. The light reflected eerily off his purple-grey eyes, then, as suddenly as it had come, it died down.
Akara turned to Kashya and smiled. ''This man is not a threat to our order. He did not attack us. Still, your vigilance was wise. I would like to speak with him further; you may remain if you wish.''
Kashya looked a bit taken aback by this revelation, but it didn't change her attitude toward the necromancer much.
''I'm sorrry, Akara, but i have my duties to attend to. As for you, necromancer, if you're caught summonming any of your abominations in camp, there will be consequences.'' As the necromancer bristled, Kashya turned to Elly and Kyoko. ''Stay here. Keep an eye on him.'' She stalked off.
Akara smiled at the necromancer, who still looked annoyed. ''Why don't you come inside? I have a lot of things I'd like to ask you.'' She led the way to another, larger tent, and he and the rogues followed.
Once they were inside, she motioned for the three young people to be seated. Elly and Kyoko relaxed, sitting on crates, but the necromancer sat down formally on his knees before Akara, eyeing her a little warily as she moved toward the makeshift desk at the back of the tent. It was obviously the tent in which she lived; the other must have been only a place where she tended to the wounded. There were books in an open chest, and another chest which presumably held her personal belongings. Akara pulled the scarred chair forward and sat down; the necromancer glanced up at the rogues guarding him through his long, pale eyelashes.
''First of all, I would like to know your name.''
''Sionnach. My name is Naru Sionnach.''
''An interesting name, but not your birth one, I believe?''
''Not quite. Sionnach is my first name. Naru was the name I was given when I began learning the teachings of Rathma.'' He stared cooly at Akara, as if waiting for her disapproval.
Akara nodded. ''I thought so. You have been sent to combat the evil that is creeping upon the land, yes?''
''I don't know why you ask questions you already know the answers to. It wastes time.''
Akara chuckled. ''Young people are always in such a hurry,'' she commented.
''What am I supposed to say to that?'', Naru wondered, glancing sidelong at Elly and Kyoko.
Akara ignored this. ''Though I know you didn't attack us, I would like you to take on a challenge to prove your skill and allegiance. There is a cave system nearby that has become infested with demons and the undead. We have plans of relocating there if this camp is overrun. I would like you to slay all the demons in that cave. But, take heed: we have lost many sisters on that selfsame task.''
Naru stood and headed for the door. ''I'll be back by nightfall.''
''Not so fast.'' Kashya moved from the shadows to block his way. Elly wondered if she had been listening the whole time. ''Akara, I think we should send one of our own in to keep an eye on him, and make sure that he isn't plotting with the demons.''
''You are too kind, my lady. I have been in dire need of a millstone to hang about my neck.'' He smiled thinly, showing he was only half joking.
''Our sisters are not cowards.'' Kashya's voice was dangerously level. She looked at Kyoko and Elly. Kyoko was more expierienced, but she had been wounded recently. Putting her in the line of fire once again would be wrong. Elly was a timid novice, but she would have to learn fast if she was to survive long in the dark days ahead.
''Elly. You shall accompany the Necromancer.''
''I-It shall be done, Captain.''
Elly was taken aback. A part of her was proud that she had been chosen, but another, much larger part was afraid of leaving the camp with a practitioner of the dark arts.
Naru fixed her with a piercing stare. ''I intend to slay everything in that cave by tonight. If you're not ready, I'm afraid I'll be forced to leave you behind.''
''I'm prepared, Mr...Necromancer.'' Elly was unsure how to adress him. In her village, men she didn't know were Goodman Smith or , for example, but this seemed too familiar, as did calling him by either of his names.
''I've been called a lot of things, but never 'Mr. Necromancer'.'' The thin smile was back. Elly was embarrassed to be treated like a child. Her face flushed, but Naru didn't seem to notice.
''Let's go. I passed the cave earlier, so I know we have a lot of ground to cover.''
He nodded to Kashya and left the tent. Kashya stopped Elly on her way out. ''Keep an eye on him. Don't let him turn your head. He might be good looking on the outside, but his heart is probably corrupted by evil.''
''Yes, Captain. I'll remember.''
''Go then, and bring glory to the Sisterhood.''