The Necromancer

Chapter 7, Part 1

Skip and I stood before the Summoning Pedestal, just on the lip of the worn, ancient stone. I took a deep breath and tried my best not to look nervous in front of her. As always, she was calm and confident, even in her revealing white lingerie.

She cleared her throat and put a hand on my arm. "Winston, before we start... I just want to thank you again." I didn't really know what to say to that, so I just smiled awkwardly back. Story of my life. "I know that this thing with Amcerlizar really doesn't involve you. But Mog and I... we couldn't have done this without you." Behind us, Mog rumbled in agreement. He couldn't come any closer without smashing into the columns surounding the Summoning Pedestal, so he was forced to wait on the outskirts. "You're a really good guy, Winston," she said finally. Even Professor Magdat's looks couldn't cover up the regretful smile.

"Hey, I'm just here for Amcerlizar's throne," I told her in a lame attept at brushing off the serious conversation. "As soon as I've got that Dragonheart, I'm out of here."

Skip smiled. "Well, of course you are." Silence fell between us, only interrupted by the waves crashing on nearby rocks. "But still," she finally said. "I do appreciate it. I'm really glad you're here."

Again, I really had nothing to say. Skip sighed and took a tentative step onto the cold stone with her bare feet. "How long does this thing last?" she said, gesturing down at her body. Well, Professor Magdat's body. 

"Maybe a half hour?" I told her. "I don't really know potions too well. That's more Lamneras's wheelhouse."

She stepped into the center of the Summoning Pedestal and turned to face me. Her straight blonde hair fell onto the smooth skin of her shoulders. "Let's go, then. Start the incantation."

I found the paper from Lamneras in my pocket and read out the spell. The runes, even darkened by ancient soot from the fire, glowed a fierce bright blue as the stone began broadcasting. I nodded to Skip, letting her know that it was done. Somewhere across the continent, a copy of her was being astral projected onto Amcerlizar's own stone. 

"Amcerlizar, sweetheart, it's me," Skip said, using the exact same high, girly tone that Professor Magdat would really use. "It's Professor Magdat, from the Academy." As if he wouldn't recognize that body. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About you, and about me... and things that I really should have done back when you first graduated." She was using the Voice, which gave me quite the vivid image of her and Amcerlizar doing some unspeakable acts. "And I have something really important to show you." She bit her lip seductively and pulled playfully on the sapphire between her breasts, which was sure to draw his eyes there (if they weren't there already). "And trust me..." Her voice became low and silky and smooth. "You're really going to want to see this. I think it will make you very happpy." As if the message wasn't already clear, she licked her lips and traced the ouline of her breast through the sheer fabric. "I can't wait for you to get here." 

She stepped off the stone and back onto the wet grass of the ruins. "How was that?"

"I... ummm..." It seemed like my throat was made of cotton, and my mind was racing so fast that I couldn't string two words together. "It... uh..."

"GOOD!" Mog chimed in from behind us.

I nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, that. It was good." If that didn't get Amcerlizar to come running, then nothing would. No one had that much willpower.

"Come on!" She grabbed my hand and broke into a run. The plan was to hide in the ruins so that Amcerlizar wouldn't know that itwas a trap until Lirk attacked him. We'd picked out a nice spot in the crumbled remains of a nearby tower, large enough for Mog to hide behind and tall enough for us to have a good view of the action.  It was nearly impossible to not watch her perfectly shaped backside in that thin white thong as  I followed her up the stairs. Stay focused, I told myself. This was about Amcerlizar. And resurrecting Skip's husband.

We peered over the rough, sharp edges of the shattered stones that used to be part of the tower. The blue glow from the runes was still visible, but certainly not as bright as it had been and fading every minute. Far below, I could see Lirk still crouched in a bush, still as a statue and eyes completely locked on the Summoning Pedestal. The knife was still gripped tightly in his bony fingers, ready to plunge it into Amcerlizar's chest. Just to make sure it would work, I lifted the Ruby from under my robes and made sure that there was a clear, interrupted shot to Amcerlizar. Everything was set.

And then we waited. "Do you think it didn't work?" Skip said. Her smooth, tan skin was already growing darker as the potion began to fade. "Did I not do it right?"

"No," I answered, watching the last of the blue fade from the runes. "You did fine... he's probably just busy."

Skip nodded, but the worried look remained on her/Professor Magdat's face. Mog stirred behind the tower, obviously unable to find a comfortable position to hide in. Skip's straight blond hair slowly began to retract upwards into increasingly tight curls. 

I finally stood up. It seemed like we'd been waiting forever, though it really couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes. "All right," I told Skip. "I'm not sure what's going on. I'm going to head back to Berm..."

Skip yanked me back down suddenly behind the wall and pointed. The Summoning Pedestal had come back to life. The blue light from the runes along the edge was bright enough to illuminate the entire complex of ruins. Twelve Hells, Lamneras could probably see the glow all the way from the palace in Bermatora!

"This is it!" Skip whispered. She seized my hand and smiled. Maybe it was the potion wearing off, but I could see her face even through the disguise. "It's Amcerlizar!" Behind us, Mog peeked over the tower too. In the process of keeping his head down, he positioned his nostrils right over where Skip and I were crouched and bathed us all in his warm, gross breath. But I was too focused on the Summoning Pedestal to even care.

A shadowy figure materialized in the center of the stone. Even from a distance, I could see the fine quality of the fabric and see the Undead Throne's crest embroidered in gold on the sleeve cuffs. He removed his hood, revealing the same familiar smug face of Amcerlizar. In his hand, the Dragonheart staff emitted a pure white glow from between the onyx jaws of the menacing dragon carving.

"Macera?" he called. Ugh. I forgot that he always insisted on calling the professors by their first names because he considered himself their equal, even back when we were students. "You finally made the right choice, I see!" A smarmy grin spread across his face, and he fidgeted with his hair as he looked around for any sign of Professor Magdat. 

"Now, Lirk!" I shouted.

The bushes near the Summoning Pedestal rustled softly, and then my skeleton friend came dashing through the grass, bounded onto the stone with a quick leap, and charged at Amcerlizar with the silvery knife held high.

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