Magic Spawn Origins

Magic Spawn: Chapter 21

by Meredith Skye

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This was madness.

Kyran tried not to think of it. He didn't have a plan, not really. He just knew that he had to get to the cemetery to help his Mom. He had to stop the dark necromancer Molan, somehow.

At the camp, he found one of the other's ratan swords. No one had noticed him. He would have preferred a gun but he didn't know how to use that either. The sword wasn't sharp but he'd heard the others talking about it, and crushing weapons were supposed to be better than piercing weapons anyway--if their dungeon expertise was to be believed.

With that, Kye headed towards the graveyard.

Already the sword felt heavy and it was the smallest one he could find. Plus, he didn't know how to use it. This would never work.

Why hadn't he waited for Rian and the others? Rian would have had a plan. He always made the right decisions.

The dark clung to the night air. Kye could scarcely see where he was going through the dark forest. Still, he found the fence to the graveyard and climbed over it. There was an old path that he'd followed before that would lead back up to the crypt.

Kyran tried to shut out the terrible fears of what might happen to his Mom. Or to him. Emptying his mind of thoughts came easily to Kyran. Maybe too easily. He'd often been criticized by Rian or his Mom for not thinking enough. And yet, the silence of his own mind felt comforting. He took a deep breath and picked up his pace towards the crypt.

Along the way, Kye heard sounds: the barking of a dog in the distance; the sighing of the wind through the barren trees; an occasional rustling of underbrush that reminded Kye that he was not alone.

Then, standing there on the path, amidst the tombstones, stood a skeleton similar to the one that Kye had awoken in the crypt earlier. But this one had different, more simple armor on. Sensing Kyran, he raised a sword in warning, taking a step closer.

Kye stopped dead in his tracks. His heart beat wildly. He figured the skeleton might let him past, but what about the necromancer? Did he love his mother this much, that he'd risk everything to save her? Almost he turned around and ran back down the mountain. The skeletons were slow; he might be able to outrun them.

But his mother ... being threatened by a dark magic user ... he couldn't leave her with him. It wasn't right. Something deep down inside of him just couldn't allow it.

She must be protected.

"I've come to speak to Molan," said Kyran at last, gripping the rattan sword a little more tightly. Now he wished that, in all those times Rian had pestered him to come learn sword fighting, he'd given in. It would have come in handy now.

The skeleton turned its head slightly, as in question. After a pause, it lowered its sword and took a step off the trail.

This looked like permission. Kye hurried past the skeleton, not able to take his eyes off it until he had passed. A moment later, as Kyran hurried forward, the thick darkness swallowed up the skeleton.

Kyran made his way up past a cemetery plot to the older area up the hill. As he neared the field in front of the crypt, he slowed down. He knew it was too late to go back.

Three skeletons stood there in the center of the field, guarding the crypt which was less than 50 feet away. As Kyran approached, they gave way for him, dispersing themselves to different corners of the field, as though they'd been expecting him. Kye continued on until he stood where they'd been.

Now his heart began to pound and his mind race. Why had he come here? He was basically giving himself up to the wizard Molan. He could never fight these creatures off.

Was Ehina right? Was Kyran in the power of the necromancer? Kye had known what Molan wanted and so he'd done it?

Kye's hands were trembling, He gripped the sword more tightly, with both hands. He mustn't show fear or weakness.

Before long, the door opened and Molan came through it. He looked taller now that he had revived from the sarcophagus, and much more powerful. His skin was dark, almost a marble color. His head was bald and smooth. His ears were low and pointy, like an elf's. He wore a long black robe and a cape, with an orange lining, just as Kye had remembered in the vision. Still, he looked more or less like a human.

As Molan approached, he smiled slightly, as if he'd won a victory. His face looked cold and cruel, as though he were capable of any number of heinous crimes. At the same time, Kyran was conscious of the three skeletons who stood nearby, armed with swords, watching.

Kyran had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd made a terrible, stupid mistake coming here. This man was powerful and evil. Kyran could do nothing against him. He felt numb.

He didn't want to think about what this man could do to his mother.

The necromancer stopped, just over twenty feet away. "Kyran," he said, nodding to him. The way he said it, Kyran felt that it amused the man that Kyran had a name at all.

Kyran realized that the wizard was waiting for him to speak. Kyran quelled his persistent fear and took a step forward, raising his sword slightly. "You will release my Mother," said Kyran.

A slight look of surprise came over the wizard. "Your mother?" he said. Then he looked amused, the same way he might if a rat had done something interesting in a maze.

Surely she wasn't Kyran's mother, if this wizard had created him. Still, Kyran shook his sword. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"Really?" His voice was curious. The wizard took a deep breath, looking Kyran over, maybe even admiring him for some arcane reason. Molan took a step closer to Kye.

"You do know what you are, don't you?" asked the wizard.

"I don't care about that," said Kyran fiercely.

"But you do care about your mother?" asked Molan, as though using the word "mother" only to humor Kyran. "And, I assume you care for your brother. The one who opposes me?"

"Leave them alone," said Kyran, sounding as determined and stubborn as he knew how to be.

The wizard stared at Kyran for a moment, sizing up the situation. "Come with me," he said and turned to go.

"I'm not surrendering to you," said Kyran.

At this, the wizard looked back, with a little bit of surprise. After considering this, he said. "You do want to see your mother, don't you?"

Kye stared at him. His mother must be kept safe. "Yes," he said.

"Then, come with me," the wizard said patiently.

It was a bad idea. Kye hesitated. Then again, the wizard was powerful and had three skeletons. He could force Kyran to go with him. Kyran lowered his wooden sword.

"All right," he said.

The wizard smiled slightly. "Good." He turned and headed for the crypt. Kyran followed him, as did one of the skeletons, at Kyran's back.

The door shut on them with finality.

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