The (Weird) Life Of A Teenage Necromancer

Revealing the Truth

The dry taste of bitter cherry flavored medicine was one of the first things Kate noticed as she came to consciousness.

Her lips twisted down in distase as the stench of rotting fruit and dirt assaulted her nose. The world slowly sharpened into focus and she realized of how her body was splayed on its side upon thin dingy blankets.

Okay Kate, breathe.

Keeping her eyes closed she called on her shadows, trying to keep her breathing even. Her breath hitched as her call went unanswered.

Her panic escalated as she tried again and again to no avail. Nothing.

"It's no use." A voice spoke out. "I'd be absolutely out of my mind not to magically bind a necromancer. "

Kate scrambled away from the stranger who appeared from the shadows. "Who are you? "

Her kidnapper didn't respond, merely tilting their head at her.

"I asked you a question. Who are you ?" Kate demanded, managing to keep the tremor from her voice. She straightened her spine and squared her shoulders in an attempt to show fearless confidence. Something she definetly didn't have at the moment.

They stared off at each other in silence.

Kate jumped as her kidnapper threw back their head, laughter echoing in the dark room. The sound sent a bolt of shocking recognition through her. "T-Tanya?"

Her capturer paused in response and reached up to tug away part of their head covering, revealing a bright green eye. "You must be the worse necromancer in existence."

"What?"

With another slight tug the hood fell away to reveal a face twisted by rotting flesh. Half of her face seemed human enough but her skin was ashen as if she were standing under a grey light. Her left cheek revealed a gaping hole, providing a view into the inside of her mouth full of decaying flesh and blackened teeth. Kate thought she spotted a maggot squirming through. "Do you know how many maggots and beetles I've pulled our of my body?," Tanya continued calmly. "If you wanted to bring me back then the least you could have done was to finish that spell."

"You're alive...." Kate stared at Tanya for a couple of moments before throwing herself at her. "You're alive!"

"Get off me!" Tanya snarled. "You know how much I hate this emotional shit!"

In response Kate hugged her tighter. "I'm so sorry! I tried but I couldn't. I never meant for any of this to happen!"

Tanya's lips twisted into a frown as she gripped Kate's shoulders. "Wait-what are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?!" She gaped at her. "Tanya, I killed you!"

"I'd forgotten how thick skulled you could be." she muttered and her grip tightened. "Listen to me. You had no choice, even if you hadn't stabbed me I would have still died. At that point the poison had already disintegrated half of my inner organs."

Her eyes widened in horror as the pieces began to click into space. "The dagger of Adriss."

Tanya gave her a rueful smile. "Eloise made sure to not leave any witnesses. It wouldn't have mattered.....either way I never stood a chance." Her smile faltered. "I'm sorry for forcing you to act. But I couldn't stop thinking about the pain and how I could make it stop. It was literally eating me from the inside out."

"I wouldn't blame you." It was Kate's turned to give her a small smile.

Tanya's eyes widened in surprise. "She used it on you too." It wasn't a question.