Chapter 1: overdose
I snap my eyes open greeting the oak ceiling with a groan. Wait,oak? My ceiling is marble. I spring to my feet,the taste of honey burns my mouth. I overdosed? ....which is the least of my problems, as my mother runs towards me, eyes burning with hunger. Her claws swipe at my arms,I pull my arm back and kick her chest, sending her flying. My hair raises from a crackle behind me. Father is standing by the door and his chains are gone. Ebony claws grab my shoulders, cracked nails dig into my ivory robes, warm breath tickles my neck, and I wait for the moment to strike.
Her teeth graze my neck but all she eats is my fist snapping her head back. I push her collars' button sending the chain back slamming her body into the wall. Father closes in for the morning meal, which is me thanks to my stupidity. He bolts at me jaw gnashing,eyes burning, and arms grasping for his little girl. My body braces for impact but instead he slips on my empty vial of Linuem.
My addiction was good for something after all. My hand shoots for the collar.I quickly snap it shut and press the button sending him tumbling into mother. They thrash against each other for a moment before returning their gaze to me. I pick up my vial, a small pear shaped glass, and slide it back into my robes breast pocket. I rush out of the house and slam the door as they jolt towards me, the door breaks a finger off my fathers hand.
The cool morning air soothes my soul amidst the scratching from my parents. My corpse cart rests in the mornings darkness next to a marble well besides the door. I remove the tarp exposing a fresh body from last night. Slender, light skin, sun-straw hair, and a habit of using his pretty face to lure women. A no name sacrifice perfect to feed my parents.
The body is heavier than last night,dropping him revealed the added weight. Staffen was under the body his teeth still in the corpses back. I pry my staffs teeth from the guys back wiping out pieces of flesh from the empty skull.
"You left me outside all night." Staffen snaps.
"Yes I also passed out at the cabin and woke up almost breakfast for my parents. So leave the comments for another necromancer."
His eyes stop glowing white in their empty sockets returning to silence. I grip his spine tight and flick his skull downward releasing a blue sickle from his mouth. The blade slides into the corpses back with ease allowing me to cut his mid section in half. It's hard to do this in the dark but i cant have them fight each other for the body.
Sun breaks the surface of the night sky by the time i finish sectioning off the body. The door has been quite. I slowly open it and peer inside. My parents are stretching the chains trying to get free. I throw the body parts into the house and close my eyes as my parents go into frenzy.
Waiting for them to finish their meal is always the low point of taking care of them. However when its finished I can talk to my parents again as if they where normal. I open my eyes to see my parents covered in blood but their eyes are normal. My mom removes the eyeball hanging from her dreadlocks," Dear can you please undo our locks?" Mother purred.
"Yes mother," I gulp.
Cicadas buzz in my head, my fingers are frozen when my hands touch the clasp. The rune burns green in a ly shape dropping her chains to the floor. She embraces me, air trapped in my lungs.
"Oh honey you're shaking. Its okay now. Shh its okay now. Mommas here." The blood cant mask her smell. Lavender and thyme.
We stand like this for a moment, father touches my hand and like glass I break. Waterfalls and wailing soak my mothers dress. They hug me tight, "Honey you still have work. Put those golden eyes to good use." She holds me and stares into my eyes. Her dark brown eyes reflect mine, shining gold, bloodshot,and late.
"I love you Mother I love you Father. I'll be back tonight, hopefully not another sleepover." I kiss them on the check and walk towards the door.
I turn to see my father writing in the air with glowing runes. He spells out in white I love you Millie. I sign back I love you to. I open the door and walk out into the sunrise.
The cool morning air kisses my tears. I feel a chill go through me when I grab my cart's worn wood. The Zombie walk, The thought illuminates my mind bringing me to focus.
"If you don't hurry you will get caught by Captain Gale." Staffen remarks reading my thoughts.
"Invade my thoughts and Ill let the acolytes play with you again, but you are right. I have enough problems without Gale sniffing around me."
"Apologies Millezandra." He stops talking.
I pull my cart with one hand and brace Staffen with the other,walking down the dirt path enjoying the birdsong and creaking of my cart in silence. Cobblestone takes over the dirt leading me to the guild district on the edge of Celiphos. The modest houses line the path in a tight formation leaving space for only two persons to travel at a time. My cart clatters against the stone alerting the citizens in the district of my presence. Their heads snap towards me with kind tired eyes, they wave and I wave back pulling my cart to the group. Before I can stop I am mobbed by the group. Greetings and small talk barrage me, their questions come so fast I cannot respond other than smile and try to push my way through this sea of bodies.
A deep voice booms across the crowd "Millezandra, you are late for council pray tell what is your excuse this time."
I turn to the familiar voice. Captain Gale stands 6 feet behind me, dressed from head to toe in blue tinted armor, a gauntlet gripped on a chain of zombies trailing behind him like dogs.
"Oh my parents needed help last night with research. I feel asleep to long. My apologies Captain Gale." I bow.
"Yes your parents. Tell me how is Lady Anteli and Lord Mora's research going?" He steps closer bringing the horde of shuffling zombies closer to the crowd.
I take a step back adjusting my belt,"They are close to a breakthrough, a zombie dog was brought back to normal. For a minute."
He lifts his visor revealing his brown eyes,"That sounds like a breakthrough to inform the council about? " He steps forward the crowd starts to disperse."Are you hiding something Millezandra?" His mouth grins revealing yellowed teeth.
"No No of course not. Who could hide anything from the great Captain Gale, the man who found the Rogue enclave and zombified them even when the Gurda couldnt... Now excuse me I have to get my assignment." I reply stepping back keeping my cart inbetween us.
Gale lunges forward dropping the chain, gripping my cart, " I smell blood on you. Rotting and fresh, have you secrets to keep from the Council? Your cart is stained Millezandra, do you not respect our craft?"
He's trying to break me, give him nothing Millie. Say something dont just stare.
"I've been busy, last case was a necromancer attempting to make ghouls. I stopped him late and have not had the time to clean or bath. Can I go now Captain?" I smile at him.
"Where is the body?" He leans his tall frame closer to me, dark brown eyes prodding.
Think Millie, he had jade on him, to dangerous to be captured. No he would still want the body. The ghoul took him and ran into the desert, but then i failed my job. I got it.
" He was using jade to make ghouls. Poor man got caught red handed and well the jade took him. You know ritual magic is tricky hehe."
I flash a smile and start dragging my cart away.
He stops my cart with both hands, "You will slip up Millezandra and when you do", he gestures towards the zombies walking into each other, mindlessly." You will join the walk and I will relish every step you take in chains."
He reaches down to grab his chain only for it to get dragged back towards a zombie with bright red eyes. The eyes of a ghoul.
The ghoul whips the chain at Capt Gales helment ringing it like a bell, Gale stumbles and trips on the cobblestones. I watch as the Ghoul drags over 200 zombies as it sprints at me. Zombie bodies ragdoll like paper cranes in the breeze as the Ghoul pounces onto my cart. Its grey skin peels from the force of its maw biting into the handle of my cart, missing my little finger by a nail it lunges at me once again. I can't move fast enough as it grabs my face bringing it close its stenchhole, instead of gnashing flesh it speaks.
Its words are rough and parched, " I know your secrets." A Raspy mans voice echoed out of its jaws.
The shock is cold in my heart and I want to know who this ghoul is owned by. My eyes burn as my powers swirl inside me, gently my finger taps the ghouls forehead and dark green pus flows out while I etch the banishment runes into it. The ghouls red eyes turn gold as it howls in agony splitting the clouds as its trapped soul races out of it. It collapses into flesh and rags, without it attacking me I see the ghoul was a woman, young and from the wounds around her neck a slave.
Captain Gale regains composure while I finish the last rites of the dead. Brushing dirt and twigs from his Blue gold greaves and gauntlets.
"You get to council now, don't make Necros Taliy wait for you." He lowers his visor avoiding the embarrassment on his face.
I bow at the Captain as I walk away hiding the relief from my face with a classic Millie smile. Full beams girl make him feel it. My cart wopples moreso as I continue my walk to the Necropolis.