AN: Finally! We're getting to the fun parts of the fic :3c Enjoy~

Chapter 6:

The cries of fear and alarm intensify as Drayce and Blayke hurried through the museum and upon the front foyer. They dashed through the doors, only to stop just a couple of steps from the threshold.

"Egar!" Drayce called out to the guildmaster, who was stood at the bottom of the stone steps. "What's going on?"

With a half turn, Egar tilted his head in Drayce's direction. "I am not entirely sure," he admitted.

Taking a moment to pinpoint the direction of where the sounds of surprise and terror were originating, Drayce turned to look down the street. And what he saw startled him. Other than the crowds of panicked locals, there was what could only be described as a spectral figure. A ghostly entity in the form of a fully armoured knight on a loyal stead. They had an illuminous glow to them, granting them a truly otherworldly appearance.

Yet, as the entity grew closer, Drayce was able to make out that the armour was rusted and badly damaged, and the horse appeared to be in the midst of natural decay.

It was little wonder that the residents of Iorys were shocked into fits of fear.

"The hell is that?" Blayke muttered under his breath.

Drayce couldn't answer. Was it a wraith of some kind? It wasn't…alive in a physical sense.

That…that couldn't be a wendigo, could it? Had it been created? Summoned?

Whatever it was, whatever the purpose, they needed to stop it before someone was hurt. Or worse. Drayce truly didn't want to fight the entity, but he might not have a choice. If only Zohar was around. He may have been able to give them some insight as to why a ghostly entity felt the need to charge through town.

…Was it looking for something?

Drayce was immediately pulled from his thoughts by a shrill cry of fear. A high-pitched sound, one that only a child could make. He snapped his head up, his gaze somehow instinctively narrowing in the direction of the voice.

It was a child. A young boy, having fallen onto the centre of the road. In the anticipated path of the entity.

Without a second thought, Drayce dashed down the steps. He summoned a Decoy Shield to be a deterrent or a distraction, granting him enough time to make it to the child before the ghostly entity did. Hopefully.

With the shield manifesting just feet from the still crying child, Drayce scrambled over the stone cobbled road and reached the boy's side. He stooped forward to pick the child up off the ground, just as the knight reached the shield. And his stead reared onto its back leg, whinnying chillingly, the sound truly unworldly.

Instinctively, Drayce wrapped his arms around the child in an attempt to shield him. And grew tense, waiting for an attack.

"Stop! He is not a threat to you! His soul holds no malice!"

Drayce snapped his head up, his gaze locked on the tall figure that stood before him. His back toward him, shoulders tense, and legs parted in a power stance. Unflinching, even as the otherworldly entity reared threateningly before him.

Zohar…?

Drayce quickly turned his attention back to the child he had been shielding. The kid, snot-nosed and crying, was up on their feet. The boy appeared otherwise unharmed, thankfully. He was young, likely no older than five or six. Too young to understand what was truly happening, but old enough to be scared.

"Hey, you're ok. Don't cry. You need to find your parents now, ok?"

The sound of someone yelling another's name gave Drayce the confidence to release his shielding hold on the child. And he felt reassured as the boy immediately turned away from him, taking off in a toddling run toward a young man. Who was hopefully family in some way.

With the boy safe from danger, Drayce pushed himself to his feet. And turned his attention back to Zohar and the ghostly entity. The knight appeared significantly calmer, the horse no longer rearing up threateningly.

"Why are you here?" Zohar suddenly asked. "Who roused you from your eternal slumber?"

If the knight responded to Zohar's questions, Drayce didn't hear it. Which, honestly, shouldn't be a surprise. He wasn't meant to hear the voices of the dead, after all.

He was, however, able to see the entity. And he watched in silent intrigue as the nameless knight reached up toward their helmet. And lifted it up to reveal…nothing. The place where a head, face, or at the very least a skull, was completely empty.

What-?

"Your skull has been stolen?" Zohar unexpectedly questioned.

The knight responded by thumping at their own chest plate, emitting a low, hollow sounds.

"And your amulet, too." Zohar uttered a sigh, his shoulders dropping forward ever so slightly, revealing his displeasure and frustration. "I see. I understand. Please return to the astral plain. I will find your precious amulet and return it to you."

Those words were well-practiced, but still sincere. Zohar had uttered them before. Numerous times. And they seemed to sedate the knight, prompting them to return their helmet. After taking the reins in their gauntlet covered hands, they slowly flickered from physical view.

Only when Zohar allowed the tension to ease from his back did Drayce feel a small sense of relief himself. "Zohar?"

Zohar finally turned to face him, his expression passive. "Are you all right?"

Drayce nodded his head, though did little to hide his confusion. "Ah, yeah, I'm fine. But what was that? What happened here?"

The corners of Zohar's mouth twitched downwards, failing to hide a frown of frustration. For a moment, it appeared that he was unwilling to answer. Yet, he sighed a moment later and shook his head. "That is what happens when a sacred burial is disturbed."

Disturbed?

"Drayce!" Blayke called out to him and was in front of him mere seconds later. A frown marred his features, but his concern was obvious as he cast his gaze over Drayce. "You ok?"

"Ah yeah, I'm fine," Drayce answered instinctively for the second time.

Blayke glanced between Drayce and Zohar, his frown still present. "What the hell happened here?"

"Not entirely sure. But Zohar was able to pacify it."

"For the time being…" Zohar murmured under his breath.

Drayce allowed himself a moment to inspect their surroundings. Toward the locals and guards alike that were in the beginning stages of gathering themselves. They were rightly daze, confused, and understandably frightened.

A spectral entity racing through the city in a rage was not a common occurrence. And he hoped it never would be. Though, it's presence was indeed abnormal. It couldn't be a wraith that were summoned by necromancers, could it.

"It wasn't a wendigo, was it…?"

Zohar immediately snapped his head in Drayce's direction, his voice unexpectedly terse. "Where did you learn that word?"

Drayce winced at both the tone of voice and from his unintentional slip-up. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud. Well, you see, the reason why we're here at the museum. A robbery has taken place. A cauldron was stolen. The Blood Cauldron."

Zohar drew in a sharp, almost violent intake of air. "Blood Cauldron? Are you sure?"

"There is no doubt." Shashi's voice was cutting as he interjected himself into the conversation.

Hardly startled by Shashi's sudden appearance, Zohar turned to glance at the celestian, his frown clearly deepening as he did so. "I see…"

"Sorry." Drayce wasn't entirely sure why he had apologised; he just felt that it was necessary.

But Zohar shook his head as he turned toward him once more. And placed a hand, gentle and comforting, upon his shoulder. "No, it is all right. And, no, he was not one of those entities. He was a knight, his grave disturbed and ransacked. For him to return to peaceful slumber, I must find who stole his very skull and amulet."

A spirit raising from the dead? His tomb had to have been desecrated, not just disturbed. It was only natural that someone would be furious to have their literal skull stolen, but that amulet must have meant everything to him.

That amulet must be the key to ensuring he slept peacefully. They needed to return it as quickly as possible.

"Do you know of his name?" Shashi questioned. "What has happened today can't be a coincidence. His stolen possessions may be in the hands of the same who had stolen the cauldron. And if so, if he is somehow connected to this stolen cauldron, he may lead us to the reason why it was stolen."

Hm. Sound reasonings.

But, again, Zohar shook his head, his hand still clasped upon Drayce's shoulder. "I'm afraid I did not. He was far too angry to say."

Shashi placed his hand upon his chin, taking on his standard 'pondering' pose. "So, a trip to the old cemetery may be needed. If his tomb was disturbed, there will be evidence."

"Someone is messing with forces that they do not fully understand or appreciate." Zohar dropped his hand from Drayce's shoulder and turned toward the main street, in the direction that the ghostly knight had taken only moments ago.

And as Drayce took a moment to glance in that direction as well, he promptly realised that it was in the direction of the ancient cemetery. Which meant that the knight's resting place was several centuries old. And all this time, he had slept peacefully.

Until today.

"I will leave the research of the cauldron in your capable hands, Shashi," Zohar stated as he began to walk away. "I will venture to the cemetery."

"Wait," Drayce said as he pitched forward, reaching out to snare Zohar by his elbow. "If you're going to the old cemetery, I'll go, too. I want to know who this knight is. I also want to make sure that Aura's tomb is undisturbed."

As Zohar turned to face him, it was blatantly obvious that didn't want him getting involved. Truly didn't want him to know anything about necromancy. But he was involved. And he wasn't about to back out of it now.

And, thankfully, he seemed to realise that. "Very well."

… … … … …

It wasn't easy finding a carriage driver willing to travel along the same path the spectral knight rode. Which was understandable, really. If Drayce didn't have Zohar with him, he'd be hesitant to go as well.

But they were persistent, and eventually found a driver willing to take them the entirety of the way. Better yet, he was a driver who had frequently drove Drayce back and forth between the council hall and the Crescentia. And seemed to understand and appreciate the urgency of his request.

Sitting in the back of the carriage as it trundled cautiously toward the outskirts of town did little to defuse the simmering tension between Drayce and Zohar.

It was a tension Drayce was determined to break. Needed to break.

"Zohar, listen. I get that you'd rather I don't know about the world of necromancy. You're secretive. Protective. But I can't read your mind. If I don't understand you, I can't help."

Sat across from him, Zohar remained silent as his icy blue eyes stared vacantly out the window. He remained that way for a few unfairly drawn-out moments, prompting Drayce to frantically search for the words to strengthen his truly benign interference and curiosity.

However, Zohar suddenly uttered a weary sigh and ran a hand over his face, clearly tired and frustrated. "Protectiveness is the main reason, yes. But there is another. I just do not wish for you to become afraid of me."

Drayce blinked, taken aback by Zohar's confession. "Afraid of you? Why would I be afraid of you?"

Zohar finally turned his gaze toward Drayce. For a moment, a sense of relief and amusement appeared in his eyes. They dissipated quickly, replaced with well-practiced stoicism. "The world of necromancy is a truly frightening place. Those entities are just one of many truly terrifying things we necromancers are capable of."

Well, he supposed that was true…

"I don't know much about necromancy; I will admit that. But that doesn't explain why I would be scared of you specifically."

Zohar fell into silence once more, his blue eyes studying him carefully. What he was searching for, Drayce had no idea. His stare was somewhat intimidating, he had to admit. But he held his gaze nevertheless.

It was broken soon after, however, by the carriage pulling to a stop, prompting Drayce to turn his attention to the world outside the small glass window. The gates of the ancient museum greeted him.

Oh right…

They had work to do.

Without another word between them, both Drayce and Zohar hurried out of the carriage. Drayce spent a moment to speak with the driver, paying the man but requesting that he stayed for the return trip. He agreed, thankfully. It was to be a long walk back to the city if he declined. But he couldn't exactly blame the driver for not wanting to stick around. After all, they had retraced the same path that the disgruntled knight took.

Who was to say that the knight wouldn't pop back into existence, more volatile than previous?

"Find your family's tomb," Zohar instructed as Drayce moved to join him. "I will search for the knight's resting place."

"Right."

He assumed that Zohar would need some time alone, in silence to connect with the spirits residing within the cemetery. Zohar knew what he was doing. If anyone was to find the identity of the knight and his final resting place, it would be him.

The best thing Drayce could do was to alleviate his own concerns.

Breaking out into a jog, Drayce immediately headed in the direction of his family's tomb. Its location was within the centre of the cemetery, nestled within the spiralling roots of a lush willow tree. He felt his concern increase the deeper he moved into the ancient graveyard.

Dashing out from a line of tombs, Drayce held his breath.

And breathed a sigh of relief. The structure was still there. Seemingly touched. The solid grey stone, the ever-sheltering tree still unmarred.

He continued forward to inspect his family's ancient tomb more closely. Again, nothing had been disturbed. And he uttered another sigh and trailed his fingertips over the Pendragon crest.

The tomb was safe. He didn't know what he would do if he found it desecrated. But it was safe, unharmed. And that relief was all he needed to help him continue with his latest mission.

He had better go find Zohar.

Spinning on his heel, Drayce moved to retrace his steps. He hadn't travelled far before he encountered his necromancer companion. "Zohar!" he called out to him and promptly reached his side. "The tomb is safe. Did you learn anything?"

Zohar nodded his head. "Yes. This way."

Drayce followed wordlessly as Zohar led him deeper into the cemetery, to a darkened corner that was shrouded in dark trees, overgrown shrubbery, and decorated in emerald moss. A line of simple gravesites ended with a one-person tomb made from faded, darken stone. It was of a simple design, with spike tipped waist high fencing. A steel door, black in colour, covered the entrance.

And as they drew closer to stand before the tomb, in the wall that had been shaded by a tree was a large, debris littered hole.

"This is it," Zohar murmured, clearly displeased as he stalked toward the destruction.

Drayce was equally irritated as he moved to follow.

It was obvious that the destruction had been inflicted upon the tomb recently. Perhaps just hours ago. It must have happened quickly, if the knight rushing into town to seek his missing skull and amulet was any indication. It also revealed that the perpetrators were no longer within the premises of the cemetery.

With his shoulder tense and back ridged, Zohar took a moment to regard the debris. He squared his shoulders further as he stepped inside.

And once again, Drayce followed silently. Zohar hadn't asked him to stay outside, so it should be safe, right?

The destruction and total disregard were as absolute as it was on the outside. The sarcophagus, in smooth black marble, sat within the centre. Partly destroyed, the marble hacked away by some powerful force. Or explosive.

Within the still standing casket was a full set of armour. The very same armour he had witnessed riding through the city. The helmet was still present, but thrown aside callously. And only the bones of the neck and spine indicated the presence of a skull.

The chest plate of the armour had also been damaged, a hole hacked away into the metal over the entre of the chest. The likely location of the knight's missing amulet.

Drayce carefully made his way over to the sarcophagus. He felt a strange sense of nausea wash over him as he looked down at the desecrated tomb and body.

"To break into someone's tomb is bad enough, but to actually take their skull? That's…How can anyone be so disrespectful?" he murmured under his breath, not truly directing the question to anyone.

He sighed and looked away, his gaze falling upon the relatively untouched half of the tomb. Where a few words were etched upon the stone, prompting him to move closer.

"Sir Chevell…?" he read aloud, idly trailing his fingers along the engravings. "The Eternal War of a Tormented Heart and Soul".

What did that mean?

A movement from the corner of his eye caused Drayce to glance over at Zohar. Only to find him standing frighteningly still, his broad shoulders tense with his chin up toward the ceiling. He appeared to be focused upon something. Something Drayce wasn't able to see. But he knew that, whatever that something was, Zohar didn't like it.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"We are not alone here."

What…?

Drayce instinctively stilled as a prickly sensation tickled the back of his neck. It was a strange sensation. Not the cold chill he would experience whenever Theodore manifested into the physical plain. No, it was more…malicious in nature. As if someone, or something was glaring with hateful and harmful intention, boring a hole into the back of his head.

The distinct sound of crumbling stones broke through the silence. Unconsciously, Drayce tried to turn in the direction of the sound. But as he looked around the confined space, he couldn't see anything that would make such a noise. Yet, it was possible that he wasn't able to see whoever made that noise.

A white blur appeared suddenly from the corner of his eye startled Drayce so much that he immediately whipped around. Only to have face to face with the empty sockets of an earthlain skull.

A skeleton, the bones a mixture of off-white and deep grey, was in a crouched position atop of the sarcophagus. An actual, full skeleton. No muscles to be seen. No tendons. Nothing to be seen to hold such a thing together, let alone allow it to pull itself into a threatening position.

Drayce was so stunned by the sight that he was unsure if what he was seeing was actually real. Only when the jaw of the skeleton dropped open to release a strange hissing sound, followed by its bony arms to shoot forward, to wrap its hands around Drayce's throat, did it finally register to him that it was real.

And it was trying to kill him!

The grip around his throat was tight, the bony fingers unearthly as it used the leverage it had over Drayce to literally pick him up off the ground. It happened so quickly that it took a few valuable seconds for Drayce to realise that he couldn't breathe.

Clutching at the grey, ungodly bones on the skeleton's wrist, Drayce managed to peer at it through one eye. Those empty sockets, they were pitch black. Yet he knew that they were looking right at them. With nothing but malicious intent. That darkness within those sockets was what was keeping the bones together.

It…dropped down from the ceiling?

He had looked toward the ground. It never occurred to him to look up.

The grip around Drayce's throat abruptly dissipated and the unworldly skull was violently pushed away from him. He was immediately dropped back down to his feet, somehow remaining standing. He buckled forward, his hands flying up to his throat in a desperate, perhaps futile attempt to ease the pain.

But he could breathe.

A pair of hands suddenly grasped him by his shoulders. "Let me see. I need to see if it managed to break the skin."

Zohar sounded almost frantic as he pushed aside Drayce's hands. His fingertips brushed over the tender skin of Drayce's throat and neck, a touch that was both comforting yet caused him to unexpectedly shiver.

Zohar's tall form stood in front of him, but Drayce was able to peer around him. Witnessing the sight of the familiar wraith of Theodore relentlessly, and ruthlessly, attack the strangely animated skeleton. Aiding him in battle were a pair of flaming, floating skulls.

Drayce was startled greatly when Zohar suddenly wound his arms around him and pulled him against his chest, hugging him with desperation. But there was also a sense of with relief in Zohar's embrace.

"Z-Zohar, that's-?"

"That is one of those entities, yes."

A wendigo. In the tomb of the knight. Had someone known they would go in search for the awakened knight's tomb?

A shrill, piercing cry suddenly resounded throughout the tomb. It was hollow, ungodly. Yet, it wasn't a sound heard with just his ears. It cut through his mind, blazing an icy trail down his spine.

Zohar's arms tightened around him for a moment, holding him somehow closer. Yet, after a moment, he loosened his hold before allowing his arms to drop away from around Drayce completely. Leaving him unexpectedly…dissatisfied.

It was a strange, frustrating feeling. Drayce had to shake his head, purposely pushing that empty feeling aside to instead returned his attention to the matter at hand.

Theodore began to circle around the tomb, around Drayce and Zohar in a tight, protective formation. The usually cute, cuddly wraith was livid, his features pulled into a fearsome expression that Drayce hadn't witnessed before.

In the corner of the tomb was a pile of bones, a broken skull sat atop of the pile. The two flaming skulls that had aided Theodore in the previous battle circled around the pile.

Zohar took a moment to inspect their surroundings, likely searching for any other unworldly threats. After a moment, he uttered a sigh and the tension of his shoulders lessened ever so slightly.

Drayce assumed that he could no longer sense any danger, yet Zohar's expression was tight and tense, showing only a hint of what he was feeling. "It can no longer be denied; that cauldron was stolen for the selfish gain of a necromancer, and they are purposely breaking the rules. But why?"

Who was breaking the rules was a better question.

"Learning more about Sir Chevell and the cauldron might help," Drayce suggested.

"Perhaps," Zohar relented before he suddenly turned back toward Drayce, taking him by the shoulders as he looked straight into his eyes. "Drayce, do not allow these beings to physically harm you. They have the ability to make you deathly ill. They have little effect on necromancers such as I, but they crave the flesh of mortals. If they bite you…"

Drayce unwittingly drew in a sharp intake of air as he stared back into Zohar's icy blue eyes. Zohar's voice had trailed off, his eyes holding a faraway sheen to them. As if lost in memories.

Memories…were they the reasons why he was so worried for him? So protective of him?

Drayce nodded his head. "I understand. I'll use my cannon and shields to keep them at a distance, should I have to face them in battle."

He hoped he wouldn't have to. But with a necromancer flouting the rules and laws so brazenly, he had to be prepared for anything. And it would be best for them to return to town.

"Let's head back to the Crescentia. We still have a lot of work to do."