Necromancer For Hire- Arc 1

Arc 1, Chapter 17

The Inspiring

"I don't know if I can do this..." Victor whimpered, tugging on Umbra's sleeve.

The group of nagas, which Umbra inferred was the 'council', demanded that Victor begin prepping the séance. The council stood on the edges of the tree top, giving Victor a great expanse of space to perform the ritual. Aunora had been held back and surrounded by guards, but Umbra had been allowed to assist Victor the best he could.

Umbra pulled out the heavy, leather coated tome that held the necromancy spells. He pushed the book into Victor's hands, smiling gently.

"You can do, sweetie. I believe in you." Umbra whispered kindly, wiping Victor's sweat soaked bangs out of his face.

Victor dropped the spell book into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around his chest. "B-But dad, this spell is so complicated..." He sniffled, clearly miserable.

Umbra kept his cool demeanor, cupping Victor's face in his palms.

"Victor, earlier today you were so confident about doing this. Where did that enthusiasm go?" He spoke slowly and quietly, trying not to alarm the nagas that were intently watch them.

"I know, but everything's just been so crazy..." he jerked himself out of Umbra's grasp, bloodshot eyes wavering."I've starting thinking about whether I'm ready for this, and I don't think I am! I'm not good at my necromancy, I suck at it!" He suddenly broke down sobbing, tearing his gaze away from his father.

Umbra's eyes narrowed, two violet slits cutting through the tension laden atmosphere. All around them, nagas murmured and muttered to one another, but he was deaf to it.

"Victor Nathaniel Mortis," he whispered, the boy's body jerking when he heard his full name. "I will not tolerate you putting yourself down like that. You are a talented boy, do you understand? I've seen you do amazing feats of magic. I vividly remember you staying up until three in the morning several days, just to hone your skills." Umbra stood up, towering over the hunched over form of his son. "I have no doubt in my mind that you can perform this spell. But I need you to believe in yourself. That's the only way we're going to be able to get home."

Victor tilted his head down, staring solemnly at the book that sat on his lap. He sniffled, wiping off his cheeks with the back of his sleeve. He stared up at his father, Adam's apple bobbing with the effort of swallowing. His blue eyes were filled with a newfound intrepidity.

"You're..." he paused uncertainly, trailing off. Quickly, he found his voice again, speaking louder than before. "You're right! I...I think I can do this! But I'm gonna need you to help me."

Umbra smiled, fluffing up Victor's hair with his fingers.

"That's the spirit. Now, what do you need me to do?"

Victor bit his lip, throwing open the book and scouring over its pages. "Can you get out my..." he paused, pressing his finger against the paper and running it down the printed list. "Black candles and ritual pencils?"

Umbra nodded, pulling out the requested items and placing them before Victor. The boy didn't look up, still scanning over the page.

"Okay, now I need you to draw a big circle around me, and then put a star in it. But make sure I'm in the middle of the star, because that's how it says in the book."

Umbra retrieved a thick pencil from the small paper box, holding it firmly in his hand.

A ritual pencil was unlike a standard writing utensil, as it was made of a mixture of ashes and magical herbs instead of graphite. It was designed primarily for use in spells and rituals, hence the name. The pencil's components allowed magical energy to easily flow through it, enhancing a spell's power.

Umbra crouched, walking the pencil along the ground to form a circular shape. He stood up and examined his creation, frowning.

"I hope this circle doesn't have to be perfectly straight..." he mused, staring at the wobbly shape with discontentment.

Victor shrugged. "I'm not really sure if the forces of magic care about the perfection of the circle... I guess we'll see, right?" He laughed nervously, traces of his prior breakdown still prevalent in his face.

Umbra continued the drawing, creating a five-pointed star encompassing Victor.

"Okay, next the candle needs to be lit with spirit flames, but I'll have to do that. Can you put some little sealing runes on each corner of the star? That will keep in whatever I'm communing with, just in case something goes wrong."

While Victor summoned blue flames to ignite the wicks of the ebony-colored candles, Umbra took the ritual pencil and drew runes on each point of the star. The symbol for a seal was akin to a swirl, with a small dot in the center.

Victor surveyed their work, lip trembling. He ushered Umbra off the circle with a wave of a hand, and then stared back at the book, mouthing the page's contents.
"I think I'm ready." he whispered, a smile creeping upon his face.

Author's Note- Yay, magic! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember, vote and comment, please!