Hungry Necromancer

The carriage is pulled by four strong horses, the maximum number of horses the driver said he and the carriage could handle, but it seems like four horses is just the right amount.

At the back of the carriage I sit in an annoyed silence with the Diviner, he's got a restless leg that won't stop tapping no matter how many times I bring his attention to it. He's anxious, rightly so considering the last orders we got from Asher spoke of a possibility of hurt.

He asked for the same alchemical cure we brought to Carbina for the Mayor then, Leriva. A cure for chronic mana exhaustion, something to pull him out of a coma should he fall into one.

The Diviner has apologized countless times for his leg, even in the past few minutes. Said he can't keep still knowing that Asher may be hurt that way, even though the fact that we're bringing a cure to solves whatever issue we'd find. 

This act alone tells me he's not truly worried about Asher, if he were he'd have barked at the driver to speed up or he would have broken up last nights camp a whole lot earlier and faster. But he didn't, because he's only worried about his position should Asher succumb to the enemy.

I know Asher dying isn't likely, put on retreat maybe but dying? No. The best we can come to his death would be the coma mana exhaustion sends Mages into.

With this possibility I've got reason for my own anxious behaviour, picking my nails. Though I've cut the tips all off I'm still scratching at the surface because of what Hastra said.

'Run away? No, I can't. Besides, he'll wake up.'

But him waking up with our help isn't the problem here, the problem is whatever state of war we're in right now. Hastra thinks I should take his unconscious, mana exhausted body and make a bargain for freedom and luxury with the Kingdom or Synagogue, or anyone willing to make a buy.

'Essentially, betray Asher.'

It's a foul thought to have but one I've had two nights to think about. It makes sense as an escape strategy, maybe if I send Aren he could make the deal so he trades Asher for rulership over Aste. That way we won't have to migrate all the elves all over again.

'But Aren wouldn't betray Asher and I wouldn't either…'

The silent, stabbing self-doubt in my proclamation doesn't do my mood any good. My fingers begin to bleed and I have to put them away. 

Out the window the night wind billows and the driver calls out at last, "We're approaching!"

The Diviner gasps, "What do you see!"

"Nothing! The village is still too far, but I think I see lights!"

"Lights?" the Diviner mutters, "Do you think those lights are ours or…the Marquess forces in control of Autue?" he eyes me anxiously as he asks this.

I only shake my head, "Why are you so nervous? You're Asher's Diviner, his high priest, you should have faith that we've won…shouldn't you?"

"Enough with your torture, Mayor, just tell me if we're working into a trap!"

"Trap? Well, I think we'll have to keep walking and find out, else we'd be letting Asher down and we don't want that either…do we?"

He starts a grumble but shuts up and we continue the rest of the journey in silence. His panic, despite my calm facade, affects my own confidence. What if there are actually the Marquess' men resting in Autue, the recaptured village and planning their next moves to kill the rest of us following Asher. 

Demme, Dover, Aste and Frozia. 

He's spoken about the possibility of a retreat and only a retreat. Where my orderes would be to stop everything and fortify Aste to brace any coming attack, he'd pressed especially that in an event of a series of defeats Aste would be the city we make our last and desperate stand. 

But he's also said its unlikely that things would get to that, he's a Necromancer after all, continued defeat when the enemy is just a few hundred living mortals with mortal bodies would be an embarrasment.

Taking in deep breaths I calm myself and envision the warm welcome of victory we'd receive when we gallop our way to the gates of Autue…right about now.

The gates are large, larger and wider than what's needed for the small village and it's manned and guarded by patrolling guards. It's an advanced replica of what Yelenia and the Elven North used to guard their territory. Now with access to the proper matterials she's built up a strong defense around the city, with my experience working close with her and the North, I can pick out clear traps and attacks that'd launch at anyone trying to sneak up the walls at night. It'd be a painful end.

The wall is illuminated brightly by rows of torches and the gate here has a pyre and stakes set right infron to block any carriage entry. 

"Uh…it's like there's no one. Should I knock?" The Driver offers, though I can tell he too feels somethings dangerous about the gate, his hesistation speaks through his voice.

"No, no, I'll go." I stop and think just as I open the carriage door, attention drawn by the Diviner's restless leg I sneer, "Actually we'll go. Come on you."

Dragging the man out with me he brilliantly sets out a ball of flame to further illuminate our path to the gates. Sometimes I forget that he too is a Mage.

Creeping closer to the gate he begins to mutter, "H-hello? Anyone at the gates?"

I roll my eyes at his cowardice and yell out loud, "Someone get Asher out here!"'

Since I stepped out of the carriage I lost all doubt that he might have lost, with how much of his mana saturates the air I can't begin to imagine what he would have lost to. There's blood all over the ground of the gates but not as much as you'd expect to find at the site of a siege. 

The walls and gates are in pristine condition and there aren't any pyres of bodies burning anywhere, there's nothing to suggest that the Marquess won. Rather, everything points to Asher coming out triumphant. 

A guilty grin splits my face as at the top of the gates a row of archers peak out, strings pulled and aim set, ready to make pin cushions out of us. The Diviner startles and has his flame grow but I pat his shoulder and chuckle.

"Most of them are elves, relax, we won."

My smile reaches him and he lets out a relieved chuckle and as the gate creaks open for us he slaps on his facade of faith and pomously struts in, "Of course we did, Mayor, did you have any doubt?"

I manage a laugh and men troop out the gates in parrellel lines, Yelenia marching out at the centre. Her eyes narrow at me and she shakes her head, "Finally, where is it? The drug."

"Why? Where's Asher?"

"According to his…familiar, he's in a coma from the mana exhaustion. He needs the medicine you brought."

"Right, it's in the carriage." Yelenia snaps her finger and one of the men tears off from the line to retrieve the drug, "Where's Anselm? I thought he'd be the one to welcome me honestly, though I suppose with Asher under he comes out less."

She gives me a weird look, "Anselm's not here. I thought you'd know since you're closest to those three."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, according to the familiar, Anselm's betrayed Asher, gone off to serve the very Goddess that threw a blanket of snow over Aste." Yelenia shakes her head and grabs the drug out of her subordiates hand as she chuckles, "I'd never thought I'd be leading an army, be saved by the dead and be having long conversations with a creature that's sometimes a small, harmless snake and other times a dragon that decimated armies."

"A-a dragon." the Diviner stutters into the conversation, "An actual dragon?"

Yelenia shrugs, "I'm not sure, but it breathe fire and had wings and strong scales. Even some long claws."

"Asher's familiar is a dragon now?" I'm taken aback by this but then something clicks as I look around, "You're not lacking men…where…where's the enemy? Did you take the March?"

Yelenia takes a deep breath at this, her face a cross between amazement and disbelief as she tells the story, "So get this…apparently Asher created…an undead to lead his other undead? I'm not so sure how that works but according to the familiar, the undead army he raised has an expiration date that'll likely be dawn, and only if they managed to route the Marquess forces.

"Which they have. But that leaves only a few undead surrounding the last village on our checklist, Kerilin, the one I hear is ruled by the Marquess old lover."

I blink at that side piece of information, "Uh, how do you know this?"

She grins, "We took some prisoners. But that aside, we have to wake Asher up now if we want this victory to be permanent." she says, waving the bottle.

"Right, let me get the mana gem, it'll help him recover mana faster."