Withering Ambition

Finding A Purpose

If you want to see more of the dialogue between Kaeman and Necron, leave a comment. For now, I am probably only going to write a couple of chapters about their conversations inside the barrier.

Kaeman rested his body against a large marble pillar. Opposing him was Necron, who sat himself on a small boulder, assuming a closed posture, as if to say he was unsure of the situation. 

Kaeman began to speak, attempting to explain to himself out loud how this situation had come about.

"Obviously, you have an affinity for dark magic. That must be true, given where you are and how you got here. I suppose I can assume that you have met my wife, then."

Necron was puzzled at the assumption, why would he have met Kaeman's wife? What did that have to do with an affinity for dark magic?

"I can see that you are confused. You see, before my capture, I attempted to entrust a scroll of dark magic to my wife in the event that she wanted to save me. I knew that she would be unable to harness such a power, and hoped that she could seek out someone who could. You seem to be that someone."

Necron thought back to all of the encounters that he had had in the previous days, racking his memory for who he had met that could have been Kaeman's wife. He landed uncertainly on the encounter with the lady who had asked him about his affinity for the dark arts. Suddenly, it all began to fall into place. She must have been the one to slip the scroll under his door.

"Could you describe your wife to me, so I can confirm that I am thinking of the right person?"

Kaeman dug deep in his memories to recall what his wife looked like, it had been so long since he had seen her... 

"She looked just like a female version of me, with..." Kaeman remembered that he was no longer a human, and he couldn't make comparisons to his appearance. "Well, she has dark hair... She is about as tall as you, and she has a soft face, framed perfectly by her glasses. Although, it has been a long time since then, she may as well be a completely different person by now..."

Kaeman pondered for a moment, before continuing. "Tell me, young adventurer... How long has it been since my defeat? If you don't mind filling me in..."

Necron looked slightly up, recalling a piece of information before responding. "Well, your description of her does line up with a woman I had met the day that this scroll slid under my door. And she did ask me about dark magic a fair bit... As for the time since your defeat, it's been 17 years."

Kaeman nodded his head slowly, taking in the information. "That is... a long time." His eyes, though colorless and blank, still seemed to convey a sense of sadness. "It is nice to talk to someone after so long. It still seems... surreal." 

Necron watched Kaeman as he seemed to take in his surroundings, realizing that he was no longer alone. It was interesting to watch, but also sad. He seemed to have lost something in those 17 years that he spent alone. What it was, Necron did not know. But it was evident that something was missing. 

After a few minutes spent pondering his circumstances, Kaeman finally spoke up, his voice more timid than before, seemingly worried that Necron would leave. "You...  you still haven't told me why you came to see me. What could I possibly have to offer that made you come here?" Kaeman's head lowered a bit, looking towards the ground. "Surely my company is not worth the risk that you have taken to get here."

A pang of sympathy struck Necron as Kaeman's words echoed in his mind. His way of speaking was so sophisticated and composed, but behind his words were senses of loneliness, self-doubt. Who wouldn't fall into that state when left alone for this long? 

"I first came here to question you about the Calamity, but I have realized now that I have a gift that needs to be refined. And you are the only one who can help me do that." 

Necron hoped that Kaeman would teach him dark magic, both to help him learn, as well as to restore Kaeman's sense of self. Kaeman's eyes seemed to pierce through Necron as he slowly looked up from the ground to meet eyes with him. 

"I see. Yes, indeed, you will not find anyone to teach you dark magic anywhere else. That is true. But in these 17 years that I have spent here, I realize that my use of the Necronomicon was a mistake. Dark magic is powerful, yes, but do you see what it has done to me? Immortality... is not desirable."

"Immortality? How were you defeated with such a gift? Surely nothing could take you down!"

Kaeman scoffed, seemingly offended at the notion. "Immortality is... different than invincibility. Immortality grants you life everlasting, but pain and injuries remain. I can be hurt just like anyone else, but killing me is nigh impossible. Invincibility, on the other hand, is the trait of being immune to any physical damage or injuries, but dying of natural causes is still possible. That is much more favorable."

Necron's body posture changed upon hearing this, from that of nervousness to that of intrigue. It was now clear to him that he was speaking with a scholar, someone who could teach him not just about dark magic, but about life as a whole.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was your life like... you know, as a human?"

Kaeman sighed, and a small ripple of magic flowed through the air as he did so. "Well, Necron, I imagine I was like you. Young and ambitious. I sought to hold power over many. But alas, those ambitions were quenched by a young woman named Sarah. She taught me that family is more important. And together, we raised a wonderful daughter named Rose."

Necron stared in awe as he took in the information that this withered husk of a man was once just like him. And that he had led a normal life.

"Rose lost her life during Jythar's invasion, by the fault of the King. He sent so many young men and women to die in battle, and I could never forgive that, even ignoring his use of the Necronomicon. I spent the next 10 years plotting to destroy that book, and the corrupted kingdom that would dare to use it."

Kaeman looked off into the distance, tears forming in his eyes.

"It was clear to me that magic does more harm than good, especially when in the hands of the wrong people. And it was being taught to everyone. But by a cruel twist of fate, I brought about the death of tens of thousands. I caused the very event that I hoped to prevent. And I will never forgive myself for it."

Necron's jaw hung slightly open, intrigued by the story. Kaeman had had good intentions. Everything that he had been taught about the so-called Wither King was wrong. The Academy had taught him that the Wither King wanted to kill everyone, that he wanted to scorch the land barren.

"I see myself in you, young Necron. I won't let you make the same mistakes that I did. I will guide you to success, if you will let me."

Necron nodded his head slowly. He felt a kinship with Kaeman that he had not felt since his parents had passed. Finally, he had a master to serve.

https://discord.gg/Y6P8fc3wgQ

Thank you so much to arihasgoneinsane, AKA aRi, a very active member in the discord for this story who has voted on every chapter I have written so far! From now on, I will be dedicating each chapter to a member from the discord, or an active reader/voter.