Tes sat in the lobby of the airport, silently filling out a crossword. Sheen was at the front desk purchasing their tickets. People coming and going past the quiet girl, unaware of her true identity. Suddenly, Tes felt a sudden chill, and goose bumps rose on her arms. She looked over her shoulders and all around her, she saw nothing but busy citizens.
"Whats wrong?" Tes jumped at Sheen's question.
"I felt something, but its gone, you got the tickets?" Sheen held up a white envelope.
"We depart at two." Sheen said.
"Seriously, we got another hour in this boring place?"
"Yes, so I'm going to get something to eat, wanna come?"
"Might as well," Tes huffed as she grabbed her backpack.
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"Do you always have to wear those glasses?" Tes questioned from across the table, pointing at the black sunglasses on Sheen's face.
"I don't like people seeing my eyes, and besides I can stare at stuff without people knowing," Sheen answered.
"What are you staring at now?"
"Oh, nothing," Sheen said with a smirk. Under his glasses Sheen's eyes were directed at Tes's chest. Tes's eyes narrowed.
"You better not be looking at me."
"We should get going," Sheen said changing subject.
"Fine, but I'm watching you," Tes warned
"And I'm watching you," Sheen chuckled under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." The pair stood up and gathered their belongings. They began to leave the fast food restaurant, when Tes froze in her tracks. A gripping fear overtook her.
"Tes, are you ok?" Sheen questioned. Tes was unable to respond. Gasping for breath she fell to her knees. The last thing she heard before she blacked out was Sheen telling her to turn invisible.
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Tes licked her lips, her mouth was incredibly dry. Light flooded her eyes as she cracked her eyelids. As her eyes adjusted she opened them fully. She was on a rooftop, and as she sat up a voice spoke.
"Your heavy, you know that?" Tes swiveled her head to look behind her. Sheen was sitting, his back against an air conditioner unit. He sounded weak.
"Sheen, what happened?" Tes asked
"In the airport, we were attacked. I don't know who, but they were powerful. I think one of them were capable of spells, judging how you blacked out. I carried you out, we barely escaped. I managed to save your backpack, but I got an arrow through the ribs," Sheen explained.
"Are you okay?" Tes asked pushing herself off the ground, and rushing over to Sheen.
"I'm fine," Sheen grumbled.
"Stop being stubborn and move your hand, let me look." Slowly, Sheen moved his hand revealing a broken wooden shaft penetrating his chest. "Did it get your heart?"
"It missed anything major, but I think it was laced with poison," Sheen said. Tes prodded around the wound causing Sheen to wince.
"We have to find you a healer," Tes stated.
"Thank you, Cpt. Obvious."
"If your going to be smart about it, I'll leave you here," Tes threatened.
"I'm sorry, I'm not really in the best mood."
"Come on, let me help you up." With much grunting and complaining, Sheen was able to get his feet. "Do you know any healers around here?"
"Yeah, there's one on West Boulevard," Sheen answered.
"Where are we now?"
"Seventh."
"That's two blocks away, we better hurry." Leaning heavily on Tes, Sheen stumbled along, down the stairwell of the apartment building he escaped to, and into the crowded sidewalk.
"We should disappear to avoid unwanted attention," Sheen suggested.
"Right," Tes agreed. Sheen felt a slight tingle. He looked down at his free hand, he saw nothing. As they progressed, Sheen began to lean more on Tes.
After ten minutes of travel, they made it onto West Boulevard.
"Where does the healer live?" Tes asked looking around.
"That alley," Sheen said pointing, his voice barely above a whisper. Tes dragged Sheen down the brick alley, until Sheen halted her in front of a graffiti skull. "Tap it twice, and turn the eyes clock-wise," Sheen ordered. Tes rapped against the painted wall twice, causing the eye sockets to eject outwards from the wall. She rotated them, and there was the sound of grinding stone. A door shaped slab of bricks deteriorated to dust, to the right of the painting, and the eyes retracted back into the wall.
Tes carried Sheen through the opening into a dark tunnel. The tunnel was old and smelt musty. Their only source of light were dim glowing carving in the stonework.
"Sheen, this doesn't look like somewhere where a healer would live," Tes stated. Sheen gave a weak chuckle.
"Well... he isn't exactly..... a healer," Sheen said taking pain filled breaths before each phrase.
"Then what is he?"
"You'll.... see." In a couple minutes, the duo came to a dead end.
"What now?" Tes asked.
"Here I am, knocking on death's door," Sheen said. The stone wall transformed into a iron door. Markings glowed bright green all around the edge of the door. A small slit slid open in the middle of the door, and pure black eyes peered out.
"What do you want?" A voice hissed through the slit.
"Skull, open up I need help," Sheen commanded.
"Sheen, is that you?"
"Yes....now please..... open," Sheen begged. There was the sound of rattling, then there was a click, and the door slid to one side. In the doorway stood a tall, lanky man with long black hair. He wore a black robe etched with green patterns. The man beckoned the pair in with a frail hand. Tes pulled Sheen through the entrance.
They entered a large, dark chamber with a domed roof. It smelt of death, and was filled old shelves, which were stuffed with various trinkets, jars, and bones.
"What's wrong with him," The man asked.
"We were ambushed, and he took a poison arrow through the ribs," Tes explained, "Can you help?"
"I should be able to, put him over there," He said motioning to a cot on the far side of the circular chamber. Tes dragged Sheen to the cot and laid him upon it. The man walked up beside Sheen and examined the wound. "Hmmm... looks like chimera poison, but I wont know till I get this arrow out of him." He then pulled a small knife from his sleeve, and cut Sheen's shirt exposing the wound. "Hold him." Tes took hold of his shoulders, and pushed him into the cot.
The man took hold of the broken shaft, and in one swift motion yanked the arrow free. This caused Sheen to wince and bit his lip. The wound was about four inches deep and three inches long. Then, the man held his hand over the gash, a green gas flowed from his sleeve. The gas entered the wound, and Sheen began to jerk and scream. Tes held him firmly to the cot.
"I'm removing the poison from his body, it's extremely painful," The man explained. After about thirty seconds he removed a black, inky gas from Sheen's body. He then channeled the gas in to a metal cylinder attached to his waist. "I purged the poison, but the wound will have to heal on its own, mending is exactly my forte."
"So will he okay," Tes asked voice full of concern.
"He should be fine, but he passed out from the pain though," The man said.
"Thank you," Tes thanked.
"Your welcome..ummm..I'm sorry I never got your name."
"Tes Cline."
"Nice to meet you, you may call me Skull."
"Is that your real name?"
"Oh no, my real name was forgotten many years ago, people call me Skull because of what I am."
"What are you?"
"A Necromancer."