The Necromancer

Chapter 8, Part 3

Thousands of us suddenly appeared in the center of Amcerlizar's home base in the midst of a swirling snowstorm. There was just the briefest moment of stunned silence before everything devolved into utter chaos. 

Amcerlizar's legion of minions was waiting and ready when my army (and the Paladin army) materialized right in front of them. They were, after all, assigned to guard the Summoning Pedestal into Amcerlizar's camp and had been told to expect such intruders. Each corpse had most likely been standing there for months or even years without so much as twitching,  just waiting for the threat that had finally come. One of the many benefits of an undead army is eternal, unwavering vigilance. As soon as we all appeared on the stone, every minion lifted his weapon and advanced forward through the snow drifts. Like the Academy, Amcerlizar's headquarters was far in the frozen north to make things more difficult for any Paladin army to approach.

I did have a few surprises for them, however. Immediately upon arrival, I sent a wave of fire coursing through Amcerlizar's camp that billowed around my own skeletons and the Paladin army, leaving them completely untouched. But it knocked apart the first few ranks of Amcerlizar's army and torched those minions that still had some flesh on their old bones. Not to mention setting every tent and structure in the camp on fire, sending plumes of dark smoke billowing into the overcast grey sky. Additionally, the Summoning Pedestal that I'd created was a far sight larger than Amcerlizar's, which caused about half of my army and half of the Paladin army to overshoot the mark. There's a good reason that most Summoning Pedestals are the same size: because you never know what objects are around your destination. Some of my minions materialized sticking halfway out of rocks, walls... really anywhere.  I even saw one of my skeletons spliced together with one of Amcerlizar's, all just one big jumble of ribs and limbs jutting out everywhere. It was an inconvenience for my own soldiers, but a tragedy for the Paladins who weren't so easily able to keep on fighting with a scraggly pine trunk through the chest. 

But those soldiers who did appear outside the Stone (and made the trip in one piece) set about causing immediate chaos. The Paladins may not be geniuses, but they sure do know how to kill the undead. Golden-clad soldiers quickly gathered into squads and began mowing their way through Amcerlizar's army. My own minions weren't nearly as effective, but I didn't need them to be: each time one fell, I could instantly bring him back. And every victim of either group soon became an addition to my own forces. My own ranks were swollen after just a few minutes of fighting.

"Very clever, Necromancer," General Fleiros commented. "I suppose that was your plan all along."

I nodded. "As I said, General: I'm here to kill Amcerlizar. I have no quarrel with the Paladins. And once this is all done, I have an interesting proposition for you."

He gave a heavy sigh and received a sword from another Paladin. "Very well. I'll have to put off killing you for now until we resolve this...." he surveyed the battlefield with annoyance, "... little situation."

Without even waiting for orders, his men had established a perimeter and a Cleric-staffed healing station. I caught just a glimpse of poor Bess wrenching an axe from a man's shoulder and re-attaching his arm with a blanket of turquoise light emanating from her fingertips.

"Minions!" I shouted. Each of my soldiers stopped whatever they were doing (even some mid-swing of their weapons) and waited for orders. "You are now under the command of General Fleiros. Do exactly what he commands you."

A chorus of voices erupted throughout the battlefield: "YES MASTER!"

The Paladin general seemed both amused and disgusted at his new reinforcements. "Errr... carry on, I suppose." All of the skeletons went back to hacking away at Amcerlizar's army.