Zayne groaned as he regained consciousness, but silenced himself when he heard someone speak.
"How could you do something so reckless, woman?" A deep, gruff voice asked angrily. Obviously male.
"I did not wish something to happen to him," a female voice said calmly. Hers sounded somewhat familiar.
"Oh really? Well-" the male voice halted, and the door opened, blinding the blonde. "It would appear he's awake," the male stated, unperturbed.
Blinking, Zayne's vision cleared, and he started when he got a look of the duo.
The man was at least seven feet tall, with long black hair, mid-length beard, and piercing blue-gold eyes. The woman was a few feet shorter than the giant, and Zayne recognized her as the one he'd been following that night.
"Who are you two, and what happened?" the blonde asked, sitting up from the bed he lay in.
The young lady fidgeted, but the male was steady.
"I am Ragnar, this is Danthalia. What do you recall lad?"
"I was waiting in the forest for someone. I- I mistook you for her," Zayne replied, looking at the brunette, "then I… became tired, and fell to the ground. That's all."
"I see," the tall man murmured professionally.
Instead of delving into the story, the blonde looked around. He was in a wooden cottage- like room, with a large four-poster canopy bed. The room had swords and other weapons hung from the walls, and there were three doors.
"Where am I, and how did I get here? Why did I pass out?"
The older man sighed. Pulling a pipe out, he lit it and took a long puff from it. "That is a long, and complex explanation. Danthalia- if it wasn't obvious- brought you here. 'Here' being the back room of my mead hall. Where that is exactly… I'll explain afterwards."
You passed out because you felt a certain magic you are unaccustomed to. How much about magic do you know, lad?"
The blonde blinked, surprised. "My family has been using it for generations."
Ragnar nodded then continued, "You had gotten close to death magic."
Zayne tilted his head in confusion, brushing hair from his face, "Do you mean dark magic?"
The dark-haired man shook his head, "Nay lad, you speak of the two types of magic- light and dark. What you do not know is that there are also two different sources of magic. Life, and death. Life magic uses magic from the body, stored from sleep, what you consume, and excess from the environment. When people use this magic, it revitalized their bodies, renews them even as it tires one out. Death magic is different; it takes energy from the user's surroundings, usually killing plants and severely weakening living beings."
"Why would anyone even use death magic? It sounds worse than dark magic."
"Don't mistake the two for each other. Dark magic is a choice, whereas death magic isn't. Death magic is only for those who don't have a vessel to store energy into, so they require more from the land," Ragnar explained patiently.
Zayne blinked a few times, "You're talking about the living and the dead? How could I have run into death magic then? The only other around me was…" he looked at Danthalia as she turned sadly away. His jaw dropped as realization hit him. "You- are… dead?"
The brunette nodded, resigned.
"What are you doing in the land of the living then?"
"It is a simple matter to go from the two realms. I… had wished to visit, as I do from time to time, although the dead cannot stay in the living world long, so had to return," she explained vaguely.
Zayne was about to nod, but froze. "Where… are we now…?" usually the blonde was much more coherent than this, but he was way out of his element at the moment.
"You're in the land of the dead, or underworld, or any of those terms humans have for it," the tall man supplied, "where everyone- myself included- are dead."
"Oh. I see," the young man said, feeling quite numbed by the information. He turned back to Danthalia, "Am I stuck here, or can I go back to the land of the living? Am I even alive still, or have I-?"
Ragnar answered instead, "You are still very much alive, and can go home, but not for a little while. The spell I used on Thal, plus being surrounded by living magic, has drained her. She is the one who took you, only she can bring you back."
The blonde exhaled deeply, "If I must…"
The tall man nodded, "Until then, we shall make you as comfortable as we can. Come, you might as well have a bite to eat and a drink," he added as he turned from the shaken man.
Zayne swung his feet out of the bed, and stood, fighting dizziness.
Danthalia moved closer to him, worry plain on her expression, "Careful, you have been out for an hour, and I would not wish you to fall and harm yourself."
The blonde tensed slightly when she approached, but replied calmly, "I'm fine, thank you. You don't have to worry about me," with that he went through the door.
The room was huge, was what Zayne first thought. There were at least two dozen people, but it was uncrowded.
There were tables that ranged from two seats, to eight, and even a single table in the center of the room that had twenty chairs, not including the alcoves with booths. Every wood surface was glossy smooth. Off to the side was a huge, stone fireplace; the blonde could step into it with no discomfort or crouching. Inside, a small bonfire roared merrily, despite it being daylight outside. Near where the blonde had entered, was a long bar with black marble tops, and high barstools.
Sitting at one stool, Ragnar moved close to him from behind the bar.
"What would you like to eat? To drink?"
Zayne looked around, but didn't see a food or drink list. "May I see a menu?"
The tall man chuckled, "There isn't one, choose something you have eaten before, and I shall bring it to you. The same as for your drink."
"Oh, all right," the blonde intoned, "I will have a water, and strawberry crepes, please."
"Right away," the giant replied as he went to get a glass, and handing the blonde a tall, icy cup of water with two lemon wedges floating in the liquid. Turning, he went into the kitchen, and when he returned, he handed a plate to the man.
"Thank you," Zayne accepted the food, and took a bite of the crepes, only to open his eyes wide in surprise at the taste. 'This reminds me of my mother's crepes, when she used to cook…'
"Ragnar," Zayne began, "who made this? It is wonderful, reminiscent of…"
"A memory of the same food in the past?"
The living man nodded.
"Let's say it's all in the magic that's imbued in this world," the tall, dark man replied cryptically.
Zayne accepted the answer and continued eating. When he finished, he smiled at the man, "What is there to do in this world?"
"Everything that can be done in the living world can be done here… to varying degrees. Is there anything in particular you wished to do?"
Immediately the living man thought of his conte drawings. "I wish to explore the area, perhaps draw the surroundings."
"Both can be arranged. If you go to the back of the room you awoke in, there is a desk. Inside will be all manner of drawing utensils. Thal will show you around."
Zayne wanted to protest, but a hard look from the dead man silenced him.
"I believe this will be a good opportunity to get to know her," Ragnar insisted.
"All right, I shall take your advice then," the blonde replied quickly.
Back in the living world Jade walked through the night-darkened brush, back to her mansion. On the outside she looked calm, but inside she felt- she wasn't sure what she felt. She had gone out to meet Zayne, just getting there to catch the blonde being swept up into a pale brunette's arms, and disappearing. The dark-haired magic user knew what she had felt- death magic, meaning that woman had been dead. What she didn't understand was why a dead person would take a living being from their own world. She knew she felt anger, for not knowing what was happening, but there was something else too. A disquiet at seeing Zayne leaving this plane of existence. She was so distracted by this feeling she missed entering the mansion and being caught by her mother.
"Jade Blackthorn! What are you doing out of your room?!" The blonde woman demanded angrily.
"Oh, can it Mother, there is something I wish to speak to you about," so she told Ambriel the truth- or most of the truth.
When she finished, her mother had a thoughtful expression on, before smiling widely. "This is good news. Very good."
"Oh? How come?"
"Because that means Zayne Whitewalk is as good as dead."
"The hell?!" Jade exclaimed, ignoring the tightening in her chest.
Ambriel tsk'ed, "This is why, you should have learned necromancy like me," she wrapped an arm around both of Jade's shoulders, and pulled her along, "Come, let me inform you…"