The Necromancer

Chapter Seven

There is one sound that every teenager hates to hear early in the morning. That sound is the buzzing of an alarm clock. Nathan groaned and covered his face with his pillow. "It's too early," he murmured as if it would stop the buzzing. "Ugh, fine, I'll get up." Nathan rolled over, only to fall onto the floor and hit his head on the nightstand. Clutching his throbbing head, he used his free hand to bang on the top of the clock until it turned off.

Squinting in the early morning light, Nathan thought he saw something scratched into the back wall. He pushed away the nightstand to get a better look. He brushed his fingers across the writing. Something felt odd about it; like the writing wasn't entirely there. It was as if it hadn't been inscribed there by someone but rather written from a distant place. 'Death is feared by everyone but Death is welcomed by those who are neither alive nor dead' read the writing.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nathan thought aloud. "How can someone be neither alive nor dead?" Grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Nathan wandered into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Steam filled the bathroom, clouding the mirrors. "You'd have to be one or the other. You can't be both. Can you?" Climbing into the shower, "No, of course you can't." Getting dressed he questioned, "But what about those things, those zombie, corpse things I summoned at the graveyard? They were dead, weren't they?"

"Dead things don't move though," he reasoned while brushing his teeth. Stumped he looked to the voices for answers, but for once, they were silent.

Fixing his hair in the mirror, Nathan slung his bag over his shoulder. As he walked down the stairs, the lights extinguished. The old wooden door closed with a creak behind him. No more awake than he had been when his alarm clock had blared an hour earlier, Nathan shuffled to where he hoped was the Great Hall.

Most of the other students were already there, talking, gossiping, and eating. Nathan could feel everyone staring at him as he entered. Sitting down, he slid his bag under the table. The table was filled with every type of breakfast food imaginable. A schedule appeared in front of him. Sensing a presence behind him, Nathan quickly shoved it into his bag.

"Amazing isn't it?" Tharin inquired, sitting down next to Nathan, "what magic can do."

"Yeah," Nathan answered simply. A feeling of unease washed over him. Tharin was a lot different from Evan. While Evan could punch and kick all he wanted, it would never hurt as much as a curse inflicted by Tharin. 'The Kronin's have a long line of sorcerers' a voice whispered. 'Powerful sorcerers who are not always to be trusted' reminded another voice. 'The Kronin's are a well known family in this world, in ways that are both good and bad'.

"So Necromancer, what makes you so special? Why are you the first in so many years?"

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Does it matter?"

"It might," Tharin replied in a low voice, staring back with the same hostility.

"You'll just have to find out with everyone else."

Raising his voice, he changed the topic. "I don't think I properly introduced myself. I'm Tharin Kronin. It's been quite, interesting meeting you Night Norwood."

"It's Nathan actually, but Night has a nice ring to it." Nathan grinned.

"The way I see it you have two options. You and I can be enemies or allies." Tharin took a bite from a piece of toast. "So what'll it be?"

Weighing the options, Nathan decided, "Allies."

"Smart choice." Tharin stood up. "See you around Night."

First class of the day and Nathan was stuck in History, a subject he thought he would be able to avoid when he came here. Slouching in his chair, the teacher stood up front, pacing back and forth as he reminded the class about various historical events. Nathan couldn't understand how something so amazing as magic could have such a boring history. The teacher droned on and on about the origins of the first magic users and the Department which was some kind of magical government. It was only a question of when, not if, he would end up falling asleep -- apparently not long.

A book slammed on Nathan's desk, waking him with a start. "Mr. Norwood, can you tell me what made the American Civil War so deadly?" Mr. Thomson questioned his sleepy student.

"I don't know," Nathan replied drowsily with a shrug.

"Maybe if you had been paying attention you would." Mr. Thomson returned to the front of the classroom. "If there's magic and greed involved, death always follows."

"I thought magic was good and made life easier."

"Then you thought wrong. Magic is magic; it is neither good nor bad. It is the person who wields it that defines whether it will become good or evil. If magic could only be used for good, then the world would be a completely different place."

"It would be a different place if there were Necromancers in it."

Mr. Thomson seemed to stiffen slightly. "That it would Mr. Norwood."

Deciding to test his luck, he inquired, "Why are they so rare?"

"Pay attention in my class and you just might find out." There was a slight smirk on his face as he continued with his lecture. Sitting up, Nathan for once took notes and paid attention in class.