Heather the Necromancer

Book 4: Chapter 6: This is fun

Heather and the others followed into a castle with marble floors and colored tapestries hanging on soaring walls. It was lit by magical lights that floated inside brass cages hanging from above. The guard took them to a long narrow room that looked dusty and empty. A green carpet ran the length of the center of the room to a raised platform. Up the three steps was a throne of polished wood with faded green padding. It looked as empty as the town, with no servants to care for the space. Heather eyed the empty chair with a raised brow as the guard walked to a rope and pulled it. Deep inside the castle, a bell rang, echoing down empty halls as they looked around.

I assume that bell will summon the queen, Heather asked.

Queen Gwen will be here shortly, the man answered.

Why are there no guards, or servants, or anything? Frank asked.

Queen Gwen sent them all into the swamps with a party of adventurers to help get the stone back, the guard replied.

How long ago was that?

Eight months, a woman's voice replied. They looked to a blue curtain hung in a doorway as a tall woman with black hair and fair skin walked out. She wore a regal gown and a golden necklace with blue stones. She made her way to the plush throne and sat down, eyeing the group with a puzzled look. How did you get to the city? she asked.

We took the road, Heather said.

And how many did you lose getting here?

None, Frank replied. Nothing bothered us the whole way.

The queen's eyes looked over them again, and she let out a tired sigh. I am Queen Gwen of the kingdom of Ellowshire. I am rather surprised to see you because monsters and madmen surround my lands.

Your guard told us all about it after a hundred questions, Heather replied. We wanted to ask you if you needed help getting your stone back.

Help me? the queen laughed. I have sent ten times your number, and they failed every time. What hope do you five have in doing what fifty could not?

Were not your typical adventurers, Heather replied. And were going into the swamps anyway to sort out business of our own. We just thought maybe we could help you in the process.

The queen tapped a finger on the arm of her throne as she sat silently, thinking of a reply. I suppose it would be foolish of me to turn down your offer, especially if your plan to go into the swamps anyway. If you can return my kingdom heart, I will grant you a duchy in my kingdom and permit you to build a town if you are builders. It would be nice to see some of the towns rebuilt.

You had towns?

Three of them, but those metal monstrosities rampaged through them until the town builders gave up. You can still find the ruins where they used to stand. Players have abandoned me and gone someplace else because they are sick of dying, and all they build being burned.

What do you mean by metal monstrosities? Heather asked, unsure what that meant.

The queen smiled slightly and sat back in her chair. He builds golems. Iron mostly, but sometimes he used bronze, wood, even stone. He makes them and turns them loose in the countryside to slaughter anyone stupid enough to come near the city. They won't enter the city itself, but that's little consolation when there is nobody here anyway.

And he wants to force you to marry him? Heather asked.

He wants control of the kingdom and holds the stone over my head as a trophy. I can't do a thing for my kingdom while he has it, and I don't dare leave the safety of my castle. To him, I am a means to an end, a way to claim more power and a title. He thinks I will come around eventually, but he is mistaken. I am never going to open a marriage contract with him and give him rights to my kingdom. So until somebody is strong enough to recover it, I sit here powerless.

Nobody else has ever come? Quinny asked.

Oh, people come, Gwen replied. But they don't care. If there's nothing in it for them, why should they bother? I had a high-level warlock and his beastmaster friend here a week ago. They laughed at me and told me to buy a wedding dress.

I am forever reminded that this world turns people into jerks, Heather groaned. What do the visitors think of us?

I am sure they dont care, Gwen said. They only seem to be interested in watching.

Well, I am more interested in getting your stone back, Heather said with a smile. But I also want a shop in the city. I can't build one, but I assume you could make one for me.

I could, but what kind of store do you want? Gwen asked.

A book store, Heather replied with a pleased smile. I want to buy, sell and trade used books. It needs an NPC shopkeeper to manage it since I have other tasks to do.

Hmm, Gwen said with a nod. Done, I will set it up if you can bring me my stone.

Did we just take a quest? Quinny asked.

It would appear so, Breanne said. One nobody else has been able to do.

Yeah, but we have Heather the.. Quinny began before she was muffled by Breannes hand.

Is there something wrong? Gwen asked.

Nothing, Breanne said as she turned Quinny loose.

Gwen gave them a brief history of the town and pointed out there were still some NPC stores. None of them were going to be helpful unless they wanted to buy glass bottles, or bags and packs. There was a binding stone near the gates, a garden where they could pick low-level herbs, and a plaza set aside as an anchor point for portals.

She told how players abandoned the city when she sent all the guards to help. It was a last-ditch effort to overwhelm the wizard with numbers, but it too proved useless. Since then, only the occasional player arrived, and with the city being so empty, didn't stay long.

She also explained the swamps though she only knew a little. There were two of them named the upper and lower black swamps. The lower swamps were full of low-level monsters and were once a great place to adventure. The upper swamps were called that because they were literally on a plateau in the mountains. There were a dozen waterfalls that cascaded down a cliff face to the lower swamps along a ridge. The upper swamps were more dangerous, and only higher level players would venture there. A small keep used to rest on the rim of the two swamps as the last stronghold for players seeking adventure in the upper area. This was the furthest point of Gwen's control when her city was busy, but was destroyed by the wizard and abandoned. When asked where the wizard was, all she could tell them was someplace north in the upper swamps, but she wasn't sure where. She did know the swamps ended at steep ice-capped mountains. The water of the swamp was rumored to be the melt of a snowy glacier high above.

Good luck, Gwen said with no conviction as they left. They marched down the street, heading for the empty gate puzzling over how they were going to find the wizard.

Ask goblins, Umhta suggested. Goblins know swamp.

Thats a good idea, Heather agreed. I bet they know where everything in the swamp is.

Even if we find him, how are we going to deal with him? Breanne asked. He must be high level if he can create golems.

Hmm, Heather said as they walked. The book talks about golems. I wonder if it has any useful advice on how to beat them.

You should look, Breanne suggested. And we should be careful. A full wizard has a lot of magic at their disposal. He may already know we're here.

All we can do is face the challenges as they arise. What concerns me more is why we got into the city so easily, Heather argued. Gwen made it sound like it was near impossible to get in.

Something was watching us, Frank insisted. Maybe that something knew it couldnt take us alone and was waiting for help, or the wizard was watching through it to figure us out.

Heather could only shrug as they passed through the outer gates. The walk back to where the skeletons and zombies waited was tense as they expected an attack. When nothing emerged, they quickly gathered the skeletons and headed out, marching east for the black swamps.

The swamps were less than an hour outside the city and bordered by the ruins of a town. A dozen badly burned and crumbled buildings were all that remained of what was once a player's creation. They picked through the rubble for a few minutes, but nothing of interest was found. Just beyond the ghost town, the land descended a shallow slope to a sea of tall grass.

Cattails and reeds grew around a muddy path that crawled into the grass. Pools of open water were rare, and most areas were choked with swamp plants that grew as tall as Heather's head. A dead tree stood rotting on a distant island, moss hanging from barren branches like the beard of an old man. The sounds of insects were everywhere, as were the croaks of frogs and distant growling of something unknown. None of this bothered Heather as they marched down the path; what really bothered her was the smell. It was a rotting scent of stagnant water and dying vegetation. It permeated the air and made her sick until she started spraying her cart with her scythe to mask the odor.

Pew, swamps stink, Heather groaned as she waved a hand.

I bet thats why they call it the black swamps, Frank said. The water is stagnant and dark.

It is rather foul, Breanne said as she looked about unable to see very far. There is a mist crawling about the distant reeds making it hard to see beyond thirty meters.

There's nothing to see, Quinny said. It's all reeds from one end to the other.

They pushed on, Frank walking beside the cart while Breanne floated beside him, using her banshee form to avoid walking in the mud. A half-hour later, Umtha stood up, bringing the march to a halt as she pointed to something ahead. Frank moved forward to see the body of a goblin, its armor shredded, and large portions of its side chewed out. Breanne hovered over his shoulder as he turned it over and scratched his head.

What is it? Quinny called.

A dead goblin, Frank shouted back. Something was eating him.

There are tracks in the mud, Breanne said as she pointed to the ground.

Frank looked at the imprints and realized they were very familiar. He pushed his foot into the mud next to one and made a good impression. When he pulled away, the tracks were nearly identical with his being larger.

Ghouls, he said as he looked into the reeds. They are probably watching us right now.

From where? Breanne asked.

The water, he said. We don't need to breath, and wild ghouls wouldn't care about being wet. As he looked to the right, something moved, plopping below the surface before seeing it clearly.

Will they attack us? Breanne asked.

Probably not us because we're undead, but they will try to kill Umtha and Heather, he said and walked closer to the side of the trail. There was a rush of movement in the reeds, but he couldn't see it clearly through the plants.

Heather, we may be surrounded by ghouls, Frank called out.

Well, talk to them and tell them to let us pass, Heather insisted.

These are wild ghouls. They aren't going to listen to me. Can you dominate undead?

Low-level things, she said. Zombies and Skeletons at the most.

He nodded his head and took a few steps back. Stay in the center of the cart, and order your remaining skeletons and zombies to march beside you. Quinny, you stay up there and deal with anything that tries to get into the cart.

Heather nodded and issued the commands bringing up a shield of undead before Frank waved for them to march ahead. No sooner did they pass the dead goblin than a shriek was heard, and a gray form burst out of the reeds and rushed the cart.

Destroy that thing! Heather yelled to her undead and set them in motion. Even as she did, more shrieks erupted around them, and gray forms that looked like gaunt versions of Frank burst out of the muddy water. Her bone knight cut one in half even before it was on the trail, but seven more ran around it, slamming into the skeletons and zombies coming the other way. Heather trusted that side of the cart was safe and focused on the other side were even more appeared. She hurled rotting bolts striking the creatures as her plant enhanced skeletons waded in, thorny vines lashing out and clubbing the monsters.

Frank pounced on one as it rushed from the reeds. Heather got her first good look at the difference between a player ghoul and a wild one. Frank was easily half its size again bigger, and his arms looked like tree trunks compared to its scrawny wild kin. The ghoul lashed at him, but he caught it in one arm and used his other hand to rake it, tearing it open and then slamming it to the ground. Breanne blasted another with a shadow bolt sending it falling back as its head came clean of its body.

The fight was over in less than a minute, with sixteen wild ghouls laying dismembered around the trail. Heather hadn't lost a single undead, and not one of the beasts came close to the cart. She hopped down to heal some of her skeletons and quickly gathered them back in line.

That wasnt so hard, she said with a pleased smile. We made that look easy.

That was easy, Frank replied. They were after you and Umtha and didn't see the undead as a threat until they attacked. You took them completely by surprise with your sudden counter-assault.

The plant monsters certainly helped, Breanne said with an approving nod. Using your skeletons as carrying devices for the plants was a clever idea.

Lets hope its clever enough to defeat a wizard, Heather remarked and climbed back into her cart. They pressed on eager to leave the battle behind and marched into the mist of the swamp.

A good mile down the road, the mist parted, and a stone bridge four meters wide appeared. It crossed one of the few areas of moving water they had seen thus far. They quickly moved over it for fear of what might be lurking unseen in the black water.

On the other side, they saw something big moving in the reeds, and Frank held up a hand to halt the column. Heather stood and watched as a slug the size of a small car slid out of the reeds. It didn't seem to notice them as it crossed the path and disappeared into the marsh on the other side leaving behind a slimy trail.

This must be Texas, Quinny joked. Everything is bigger there.

Cute, Heather said as they searched the reeds for movement before pushing on. The swamp slowly grew in mist until they could scarcely see ten meters in any direction. A few miles from the bridge, they found a rusted shield, then a broken spear, and as they progressed, the sight of a massive battle became evident. There were no bodies, but armor and equipment were strewn about, most of it broken and smashed.

I think these are city guards, Frank said as he turned over a shield to see the rose and thorn emblem. Something slaughtered them here.

That mad wizard or one of his pets, no doubt, Breanne cautioned as she watched the mist.

Get me one of their shields, Quinny said as she leaned over the side of the cart.

Why didnt the gear despawn with the bodies? Heather asked as Frank picked up a better shield.

Probably because the guards were never respawned, Frank said. The second she gets her stone back and respawns them; this will all go.

Why don't they respawn on their own? The skeletons in my yard respawn even if I am not there.

Frank turned about with the shield and carried it to the cart, as he explained. You put a spawning object in your yard, that does the job for you. She is making NPC's that have a daily routine and a home or barracks they live in. It isn't the same for them because they are meant to mimic people. When they die, she has to call them back after enough time has passed. They kind of function like a player does, and need four hours before you can resummon them. He handed the shield up to Quinny, who tucked it in the cart as they talked.

And she cant resummon them without the stone? Heather asked.

No, she has to have it to bring them back. She took a big risk sending her entire city guard into the swamps.

Heather nodded and looked through the mist to see the silhouette of a tree just beyond sight. As she watched, it suddenly moved, going to the left deeper into the fog. Something is out there! she yelled and pointed into the clouds.

Where? Frank asked as everybody followed her pointed finger.

I saw it just inside the mist, a tall gray shape, then it moved and vanished.

Could it be a golem? Breanne asked as she dared to float out over the water a little.

It would be noisy. We would hear the splashing, Frank replied. All I hear are frogs.

Heather looked annoyed as the dense mist obscured her view. She was used to the graveyard mist that she could see through; this swamp mist was frustrating. Try as she might, there was nothing more to see until suddenly the object appeared just beside the trail ahead.

There it is! she cried as they turned around and looked.

Thats t just a tree, Breanne said.

There wasn't a tree there a minute ago, Frank said as he flared out his claws and stepped closer. He walked directly at it until it suddenly moved, racing out of the water on four legs that were three meters long and thin as a broom handle. The body was a mound of what looked like marsh plants and mud. Underneath was a hooked beak and around its body waved long, worm-like arms with flat pads at the ends. It raced at Frank and flailed a tentacle at him as he slashed at it.

Frank! Heather gasped as Breanne flew in and let loose a screaming wail. The air before her seemed to shimmer, and blue lines of force raced out, striking the monster. The attack caused it to veer about and lash at her instead.

You! Heather called, pointing to her bone knight. Cut that thing down! It nodded and ran in as Heather called on her magic and pointed a shaft of bone. Rotting bolts flew in, causing muddy sores on the side of the beast. It wobbled on its legs as Frank leaped on one of them to help topple it, causing it to crash to the ground. Her bone knight cut a line across its body, spilling green oozing blood as the beast wailed, and lashed out. Breanne produced a hail of black darts as the bone knight cut the monster again, and like the ghouls, it died in less than a minute.

I want to walk, Quinny said. I cant do any fighting from up here.

What was that thing? Heather asked now that there was time to think.

I have no idea. Some kind of swamp monster, its thin legs probably help it walk through the water silently, Frank replied.

At least it was easy to kill, are there more of them?

Probably, Frank replied. Gwen did say this was a good place to adventure. I bet it's crawling with monsters to fight. This is really fun.

Hmm, I said you should have been a knight of some kind, Heather replied with a smile.

I like being a ghoul, he argued.

Then be a ghoul knight, she insisted and sat back.

That sounds like a video game, Quinny joked as she climbed down with her shield.

When Quinny was set, they moved on, pressing into the mist until they found a second bridge. There were strange footprints in the mud before he bridge, but nothing any of them recognized. They crossed over a stream of water so dark they couldn't see an inch below its surface. It rolled by on a relatively swift current churning off into the mist and reeds.

The land beyond the bridge rose a little, and a few living trees began to appear. They seemed to have crossed onto a small island and arrived at a crossroads in the trail. They could go straight ahead, left, or right, but each path looked identical.

So, where now? Frank asked as he looked down the left path.

Heather stood in the cart and looked over the tall grass. She couldn't see very far into the mist and instead turned to Umtha. Do you know where to go?

Paths go same place, Umtha replied. Right one safest before.

Safest before? Quinny asked with a curled smile.

I not come in long time. Island home of frogmen, Umtha replied. Very mean, even to goblins.

Great, Heather replied with a shake of her head. Now we have to fight frog people.

They cant be too hard to beat, Frank replied. The real danger will start in the upper swamps.

Then let's go right and see if it's still the safest path, Heather insisted.

Frank led the way down the muddy path watching the tall grass as they passed. A few sickly trees full of twisted branches and dense yellowing leaves grew beside the trail. Every frog croak made them look about as Umtha warned them the fog men were tricky. Eventually, they arrived at what might charitably be called a clearing to find two more dead goblins.

These goblins were killed by weapons, Frank said as he looked one over. Something that thrusts like a spear.

Frogmen, Umtha insisted and stood up to look around. Hide in water like ghouls.

Quinny walked closer to the wall of towering grass and used her shield to sweep some apart. Try as she might, there was no way to see very far into the tangle of foliage. I don't see any water, she replied. Were on an island. As she turned about, a pink line raced out of the grass and struck her back. Before anyone could react, she was yanked into the grass and was gone.

Quinny! Heather cried as she jumped down to run after her. Frank wadded into the grass, tearing it aside as he searched in vain to find the zombie.

All skeletons not carrying my cart into the grass! Heather yelled as just over a dozen skeletons raced to follow her pointing finger. She took her scythe and cut a swath into the tall weeds desperate to find Quinny. When the progress was too slow, she had a burst of inspiration. Grave blight! she cried and fell into her spell. In a moment, a circle of rotting yellow vapors appeared in the tall grass, causing it to wither and fall over. She dropped another circle beyond it, and another beyond that. It was in her third circle something made a choking croak, and a giant toad leaped out of the toxic vapors. It was larger than the slug they saw earlier with muddy green skin and bulbous eyes.

That must be it! Breanne said and fired a shadow bolt at it.

No, is trick! Umtha called from the cart, but Frank ran after the toad as Heather ordered her skeletons to kill it. She tried to tangle it with grasping hands, but the toad leaped away before they got a firm hold. In anger, she ran after it as well, wading into the tall grass where it landed.

That must have been its tongue, Frank said as the toad leaped away again, putting nearly ten meters between them landing in the clearing.

Then, Quinny is inside it! Heather yelled as she remembered her skills and that she spent points on dash. She struggled out of the reeds and ran as fast as possible, putting on a burst of speed, desperate to catch it in the open. The toad went to leap away, but Heather closed on it too quickly. She cut a rear leg just as it tried to jump, causing it to fall into the grass only a few meters outside the clearing. She ran in to cut it open when it turned about and raked at her with razor claws instead.

She was stunned that it had so suddenly turned about, and the dress tore with her skin as the beast sliced down her side. In shock, she stumbled back, unable to believe she was wounded. She tried to fall into her nature's armor, but the toad flailed out again, raking her arm and tossing her aside. A second later, Frank collided with it and was followed quickly by her bone knight. The skeletons raced passed her as she cast her pulsing heal to deaden the pain. Breanne fired spells at it, but the others were in the way as the toad fought like a trapped lion.

Heather went to stand as a new sound caught her attention. Back at the cart, Umtha was crying out and pointing into the grass on the other side of the clearing. A dozen beings that looked like meter and a half tall frogs wearing ragged pants and hurling spears were rushing out of the grass. The zombies were turning to engage them, and the two forces were now evenly matched.

They lured us away, Heather growled, Or they waited for something to distract us. She looked back to the giant toad as it pinned her bone knight under a clawed hand while raking at Frank with another. Skeletons circled it hacking with weapons as plant tendrils lashed out with thorns. The beast bled from a dozen wounds, but it hardly slowed. None of them could maneuver in the dense grass except the toad who was large enough to trample it, giving him an edge as he battered the skeletons aside like toys.

Enough! Heather yelled and slammed her scythe on the ground. By the grave, by the bone, by boiling pox, may all the lives now recede and rot!

Around her feet, the ground turned black, spreading out in all directions as plants died and fell into black ooze. It raced across the ground overtaking the toad and leaving it in a rotting clearing as it's own skin began to rot.

What was that? Breanne called as the darkness swept across the ground producing black vapors that fouled the air.

Curse of rotting, Heather said. It's like grave blight only more powerful and centered on me. It also doesn't last but a few seconds, but it hits hard.

Will that harm the plants in your skeletons?

Heather shook her head. Only living things in contact with the ground will be affected.

The toad no longer had the advantage of movement, and Frank was on it in a second as the skeletons closed in. Its wounds multiplied rapidly and finally started to slow. Heather put a few rotting bolts in it for good measure as Breanne closed in to cast spells nearly point-blank. The toad fell to one side, kicking with its legs as Frank pried the massive jaws open. Skeletons hacked at its belly as Heather turned to deal with the other attack.

The frog people were throwing spears and impaling her zombies. A few zombies were clawing at the frogs but not enough to mater. Umtha was rapidly running toward her with Webster in tow as a wicked smile crossed Heather's face. Frogs like insects, don't they? A moment later, a cloud of bees descended on the frogmen. Heather could hear their tormented screams as they flailed about and ran for the tall grass abandoning the attack. No gratitude for the free meal, Heather scolded and turned back to see Frank dragging Quinny out of the now motionless toad.

Quinny looked as bad as the toad did, her skin burned with deep gnashing marks on her stomach and legs. Heather was at her side in a moment with restore undead, soothing away the pains as Quinny groaned.

That was a terrible way to respawn, Quinny joked. That thing was dissolving me.

You were in its stomach acid, Frank said as he helped her up. If you had needed to breathe, you would probably be dead already.

Umtha arrived with Webster and looked around at the rotting ground with wide eyes. You do? she asked, looking at Heather.

I did, Heather replied. This grass is a hindrance. I needed to clear it.

You powerful, Umtha said as she looked about.

It's one of my most powerful spells, Heather remarked. Now, let's get out of here before another toad or frog person attacks.

They agreed and returned the cart after the bees were dismissed. Heather did a little more healing, repairing her bone knight and a few skeletons before putting Webster back in the cart. She sat back and breathed a sigh of relief that Quinny was safe. Quinny wiped at her dress, stained now with the bile of the frog's throat.

Still glad to be walking? Heather asked from above.

Oh, haha, Quinny groaned as she looked up at Heather. You going to change?

Heather looked down to see her dress was barely hanging from her shoulder with a little more skin showing than she cared to reveal.

I suppose this outfit is ruined, she sighed and dug another out of her bags. She settled on a brown dress with a leather wrap over her stomach. With a promise from Frank not to look back, she quickly changed in the cart and tucked the shreds of her other outfit away.

An hour later, they arrived at another crossroad, and Umtha said it was the other trails converging again. They took the path on the right, the island coming to an end, and the trail returning to mud surrounded by stagnant black water.

Heather decided to pass the time by reading the book. Webster sat in her lap and used one of his arms to keep her place as she looked over her translation key. She focused on some earlier pages that discussed the creation of golems, and how she could make them herself. It was a confusing discussion of starting with a body created to resemble a humanoid and then enchanting it with a facsimile of life. It didn't offer much advice on how to destroy them, but Heather saw some possibilities.

They stopped to let an alligator-like creature with six legs slither away, and saw two more, four-legged swamp creatures. One of them came dangerously close to the cart, but Breanne, Frank, and Quinny chased it away. When the sun moved to its evening position, she put the book away. Around them, the swamp was alive with a chorus of frogs, birds, and insects. They heard splashes and snapping twigs for about an hour when finally, the plateau's walls came into view.

It was a rather impressive sight, towering walls of stone that went up some twenty meters. Water cascaded down from a dozen places in narrow waterfalls. The swamp ended ten meters from the base of the cliff and became a dark lake. They saw a gigantic shell moving away from them across the water's surface and counted their blessings. Umtha steered them to a wide path cut into the cliff that wound its way up the side to the level above. Even from here, they could see the walls of a building on the ledge, the stone cracked and broken in many places.

The trip up was uneventful and with the skeletons carrying her, not at all tiring. They arrived on the upper lip to see what must have been the keep resting on a rock outcropping right at the very edge of the cliff. It looked even worse from up here, its walls breached in a dozen places, and every roof caved in but one. Vines and plants grew over everything as if the swamp was trying to reclaim the structure and erase its presence.

Stay inside, dangerous monsters at night, Umtha insisted. Find goblins in morning.

None of them wanted to know what a Umtha considered dangerous, and the thought of wandering the swamp at night was not at all appealing. The group agreed it was the best option and headed for the ruined keep. Hopefully, they could find someplace dry to hide until morning and allow Heather to recover some of her spells. They didn't notice the two dark eyes that watched them from the inner tower as they stumbled blindly into the trap.