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Chapter 22
I awoke to something sweet in the air, almost as if I'd been sleeping in a bakery. But that didn't make any sense. Why would I be sleeping there? I tried to move. My arms were pinned behind my back somehow. The floor was cold and hard.
"Set him up."
Hands grabbed me, pulling me upright as the world spun around. I tried to catch myself before falling to the side, but I soon figured out that my arms were tied. A hooded figure caught me instead, steadying me until they were sure I wouldn't fall again.
"What is your name, Necromancer?"
It was the same feminine voice that spoke before, coming from the figure standing in front of me. Her robe was different, made of a finer cloth in a bright shade of green. Delicate stitching of the same color scrolled along the cloth edges. A Priestess, maybe?
"Your name," she demanded again, but this time pain shot up my arms.
I gasped, trying to think. I couldn't give them my real name. "Asher," I breathed. "Ash
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I awoke slowly, fighting to regain consciousness. Pain was the first thing I noticed. My arms felt like they were on fire, the chains tighter than before. The sun was brighter against the windows, the warehouse so silent I could hear the roar of the ocean faintly in the background. Was I still alone? How long had I been out?The arm I was laying on started stinging with pins and needles as I shifted. I must have been out awhile then."You shouldn't have reached for your power. It's the worst thing you could do in a Binding."The voice came from behind me, but that wasn't what surprised me. What caught me off guard was that I recognized it. I struggled to sit up, turning to face John. My roommate from college, John.Now I remembered what was bothering me before - it was his face in the darkness of the hood as he knocked me out with the vial."How? Why are you here with the Witches?" I asked, still bewildered by my old roommate's presence. He sat cro
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The swirling vortex of the portal surrounded me and I was ejected out the other side, rolling in the dirt until something hard stopped my momentum.I hurt. My arms screamed at me, the scars from my challenge weeks ago felt fresh on my skin and added to the painful wounds from the chains. I kept my eyes closed and tried to breathe. At first I couldn't hear anything, but then sounds started coming through. I heard bird song, frogs, and insects that weren't those of home or even from the grove close to Avery's house. I groaned. They sounded like I was somewhere much further away.I shifted, putting my back against the trunk of the tree that had stopped my roll. I opened my eyes. We'd ended up in the Half-world.The air was cooler than last time, but I still peeled off my hoodie to keep the humidity of the jungle from suffocating me. My vision blurred. As tired and exhausted as my Talent was, I wanted more than anything to focus on the back of my eyeli
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The old man, who introduced himself as Tamner, led John and me into the last hut on the edge of the village. It was bigger than the others, but still modest. Rough glass jars and vials filled shelves against the earthen walls. Woven rugs and furs lined every inch of the dirt floor not taken by the large fire pit in the center."Set him over there," Tamner said, pointing to a mound of furs built up into a bed. "Hasim, I will need you close. Please do not go far."I followed his directions, setting Poe on a bundle of furs as the Tamner hurried to search the shelves. He selected a few vials and one of the jars, and a bunch of things I couldn't recognize. Keeping my promise to the old man would be simple. I wouldn't leave until I knew Poe would be alright."You, friend of Hasim," Tamner called over to John. "Come. Hold."John stood inside the doorway looking awkward and out of place, before walking over to accept the handful of items the old man held out for
Necromancer's Legacy Chapter 26
I laid back and closed my eyes. I don't remember trying to sleep, but the next thing I knew, John was shaking me, roughly. "Ezra, wake up. Something's wrong."I shot up, instantly alert. Tamner knelt on the other side of Poe, trying to hold the bird down. Poe shrieked, the sound piercing."What's wrong?" I reached out, intending to help the old man hold him. As soon as I touched Poe, though, I could feel his power building."I don't know, Hasim," Tamner said, struggling."Let go," I said, stepping back. John stepped forward to help as well, but I grabbed his arm. "No, stay back." Poe continued to thrash about."Hasim, he'll hurt himself."I grabbed Tamner as well and pulled them both away, back towards the fire."Just wait. I think he's-" I didn't even get the words out of my mouth before feathers exploded across the room. Then there was a groan of pain.Poe's human form was very still against the furs he laid on, his clothes t
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John was asleep when I returned to the hut, which was probably a good thing since I didn't know what to say to him. I took an empty spot on the floor where the rugs and furs seemed thicker and lay down. As tired as I was, I still had trouble going to sleep. I was exhausted yet my mind kept running in circles. I kept trying to think of ways to get home, or ways to let Avery know I was still alive.Instinctively, I reached out, testing our new connection. Felt ghostly, like the impression furniture leaves on the carpet after you move it. I could sense where it should have been but that was all.Closing my eyes tightly, I took a deep breath and another, trying to keep my panicking emotions in check. What I was supposed to do now? There was so much going wrong, I needed to find something positive to focus on.I was still alive. Poe was still alive. Even if he was injured, he would recover eventually. And John was safe from his family.Those thoughts finally a
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John and I followed Suon back to the village. I stopped, briefly torn by wanting to check on Poe before we left. Suon notice and waved me off."Go, but we leave soon. Find us middle of huts."Suon continued on, but John lingered. "I'll make sure they wait for you."I nodded and ducked into Tamner's hut.Tamner himself was by the fire, mixing herbs and medicinal plants. He glanced up at me."You go with Suon, correct?" he asked, turning his eyes back to his work."Yeah," I said, stepping over to check on Poe. His color was looking better and his breathing was a little steadier."Do not worry about your teacher. I will keep a close eye on him until you return." Tamner said as he appeared at my side with two cloth bags. He raised the blue one, "Food," then the red one, "Medicine."I watched as he added them to my messenger bag. He handed it to me by the newly fixed strap."Thank you," I mumbled, his kindness continuing to s
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Struggling to catch my breath, I fought my way to my feet as the jungle fell silent. I turned to see not only John watching me, but most of the village warriors as well. I dismissed Kastem, not wanting to take any chances of losing control."So that just happened." John's eyes were wide. I couldn't tell if it was fear or awe.Cheers erupted from the men and women behind him as they rushed forward to surround me. Soun clapped me hard on the back, shaking my whole frame and bringing to my attention a whole set of bruises that I hadn't realized I'd gained."Well done," he exclaimed, his excitement almost overbearing. I managed a smile in response.John let the impromptu celebration engulf me, but I felt his eyes trailing us as the group began to pull me back into the covering of the woods. I managed to free myself from the singing and cheering group as they started towards their village. Waiting, I brought up the rear, not wanting to be the center of attention.
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I escaped from the festivities as soon as I could without drawing attention, which took a while since the head of the village kept introducing me to his daughters. Finally, after mentioning something to Tamner, the parade of eligible women stopped.I slipped past the front line of huts and walked around to Tamner's, my mind still full of what John had told me about the plants. I shivered despite the heat. To be able to feel my power, my talent, but not be able to use it. For most necromancers that would just be torture, but for me? To have it build and build -it would literally kill me.The fire was barely burning in Tamner's hut. Poe still lay on his pallet of furs. His skin didn't look as pale or sickly as when I last saw him in the early hours of the morning. His breathing was even and stronger as well.Poking the fire back to life, I added another log before pulling my bag closer to search through it. I was looking for the Reinhardt book I'd brought with me.
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