Necromancer For Hire- Arc 2

Arc 2, Chapter 24

(Victor is drawn by CreativeCatastrophe)

The Resting

"Victor!" Someone was yelling for him. The voice was distorted, and his vision was still black, but he knew someone was calling for him.

"Victor, are you alright? Please, give me a sign!" Again, echoing in his ears.

Slowly he started to become more aware. Victor forced his eyes open, finding his field of vision to be completely filled by golden cloth. He grunted in surprise, realizing he had his face pressed into Seraph's shoulder.

"What's going on...?" He projected out his thoughts blearily, attempting to lift his head up.

"Y-you just suddenly fell to your knees." Seraph explained, frowning. "Please tell me what is wrong; I can help you."

"I'm fine," Victor said sharply, unsteadily rising to his feet. He was aware that he was shaking violenly, but he tried his best not to let it show.

Usually, Victor had no problem letting his fathers know that he felt ill. They were used to his condition, and take the appropriate measures to make sure his health didn't get any worse.

But this is so much different, Victor thought, forcing a smile on his face as he stared blankly at Seraph. I'm not used to him. I don't want to burden him with all my problems. I can't have my only friend thinking I'm completely helpless.

Seraph's expressed turned serious. "You do not look fine, Victor. Please do not lie to me."

Victor swallowed, throat feeling dry. Crap, do I really look that bad?

Sighing heavily, Victor slowly lowered himself back onto the soft grass, wringing his hands in his lap. He had no choice but to confide in Seraph. It had taken all of his strength to stand up, so there was no way he imagined he could continue to walk.

He took a deep breath, feeling it shudder down his entire body. He knew he was blushing, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He was embarrassed.

"Victor, tell me what is wrong," Seraph repeated, dropping the politeness of the statement. Victor assumed he was growing frustrated. "You seem as if you are about to cry."

"It's just, like, um..." Victor could feel a sick feeling festering in his stomach, which was a normal sensation when he was stressed out and nervous. "Seraph, can I just rest for a while? I don't think I can walk for that long."

Seraph let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness, you are just tired. How much sleep did you get last night?"

"A lot, actually. But it's not like that... I got this, like, disease going on..." His mental voice had degraded to a mere mutter, and Victor refused to meet Seraph's eyes.

Seraph was alarmed. "Disease? So you are ill!" He grabbed Victor's hand. "Do not fear, Victor! I will try my best to heal you!"

"Yeah, no." Victor said bitterly. "It's a blood disorder, I've had it since I was born. Unless you can, like, replace all my blood, there's not much you can do." The boy rubbed his chest, a light-headed feeling passing over him again. "I just need to lie down and get some rest some, okay? I have, like, zero stamina." He flopped down into the grass, rolling onto his side and turning his back towards Seraph. "Sorry for being so bothersome about this..."

"No, no! Do not be upset, Victor!" Seraph urged, laying down on his back beside Victor. "In fact, I could use a rest too. We can both just lie here and relax."

Victor felt Seraph's hand softly patting him on the back. Is he trying to make me feel better? Victor pondered, looking skeptically at the celestial spirit from the corner of his eye. Seraph gazed at him in a caring, serene manner, pink eyes filled with concern.

Victor let out a pent up breath, trying to make his body fully relax. He closed his eyes to alleviate the stress and his anemia induced headache, but one lurking question prevented him from dozing off.

"Hey Seraph?" Victor said, finally turning towards him.

"Yes, Victor?"

"You know how you were talking about your mom?"

"Yes?" Seraph murmured, propping himself up a couple inches with his arms.

"Like, do you have a dad too?" Victor questioned. "I didn't think spirits worked like that..."

Seraph giggled. "Oh, Victor, it is not like that. We spirits all come from one source: our matriarch, and in the case of celestial spirits, my mom Celeste. I think the other matriarchs are Gaea, Atlantis, Myrkr, and, uh..." he trailed off, looking confused. "There are a lot of spirit types, I cannot remember all of them, forgive me..."

"Wow, how does that work?" Victor was fully enamoured by Seraph's explanation, as spirits were a mysterious, enigmatic species to him. He had only read about them until he met Esper, and even then, Esper hadn't offered much information to him.

Seraph's eyes shined. He seemed to be enjoying explaining as much as Victor was enjoying listening. "Oh, that is very cool! You see, everytime Celeste sees it fit for a new spirit to be born, she forms a sphere of spiritual energy-the stuff my true form is composed of- gives it a nature, talent, and finally, sentience! I find it very beautiful that all spirits are made with a predestined purpose."

Victor blinked, taking in the information. Everyone has a purpose, huh? Kinda wish humans were the same way...

"Seraph, if you don't mind me asking, why were you created?"

Seraph's grin grew wider and he grabbed Victor's hand. "Ah, I do not mind at all! Mother made me for the purpose of healing and protecting the creatures of Earth. I wish to become a doctor, so Mother has been putting me through medical and anatomy classes. It all seems to exciting!" Seraph paused in his joyful chattering, looking bashfully at Victor. "Well, um, that was a lot about me. My friend, what do you aspire to be when you get older?"

Victor frowned. "Honestly, I haven't really got that far yet, Seraph. Right now, I'm just trying to get through my childhood without having a nervous breakdown." Inwardly, Victor groaned, realizing how pathetic he sounded. "Sorry, I'm boring, dude. Can you keep talking about yourself? You're a little more interesting..."

"No, no, Victor! That is a very viable aspiration. And you are not boring at all, the time we have spent together in past few days is perhaps the the funniest time I have had in a while!" Seraph stared out at the pastel-colored skyline, brushing his fingers through the silky grass. "The Celestial Realm can get kind of boring, to tell you the truth. Everything is all orderly and serene, so nothing really happens."

Victor drew his legs closer to his chest, feeling his eyes start to droop again. "I'm going to sleep now, okay?"

Seraph closed his eyes, giving Victor's hand a steady squeeze. He curled up closer to Victor, his breath stirring the inches of grass between them. "Sleep well, friend."

Is this what it feels like? Victor wondered, smiling at his musings. To have a sleepover with a friend? I guess passing out in an another dimension beside a celestial spirit you've only know for a couple of days is considered a sleepover, at least. Whatever this is, it feels...nice.

Allowing himself to be pulled into the darkness of sleep, Victor mumbled one last phrase through his thoughts.

"You too."

Author's Note- Awww...One last fluff chapter until everything goes down.