The Necromancer (On Hold)

Chapter 5- The Past

The sun was just starting to peek through the trees, giving off little light in their camp with the fire burning dead. 

Adalia had done it, she had confessed to necromancy. There was no way she could have denied it, not with all the evidence in the world she had commanded to go away. The image of the rotting corpses was burned into her mind. 

She had been unable to judge the reaction of the others. She had just told them of this power inside of her and yet they did not panic, they did not even show disgust. 

Could it be, they have done something far worse to get where they are now? 

She wondered now more than ever what could have caused them to live their lives on the road as she does. 

The three before her threw glances towards each other, as if deciding how they would handle the situation. Just as with everything else, they had decided Khole would be the one to speak. She was fairly certain her guess earlier was in fact correct and he was the leader of the group. Her life was in his hand, he had spared her once before, would he really do the same again?

Khole crossed his arms across his chest and stared down at Adalia weighing the words he was about to say.

"We are." He paused; the moment only piqued Adalia's interest further. 

"We are like you." He finally sighed. 

Their secret was out, just as hers was. She now knew why they lived amongst the animals and trees; they were necromancers just as she herself was. They held the dark witchcraft inside of themselves, and they would be hunted just like her. 

Adalia could only nod. 

She looked at the siblings, so similar in features. They were both necromancers. In a world where the ability was rare, barely a handful with the powers, the gods had cursed them both to carry the burden. How unlucky they had been. She thought of her sister and how grateful she was their parents had raised at least one normal child. 

"We have heard of a safe haven for people like us." He broke Adalia out of her mind, bringing her back to reality. 

A safe place for people like them? Could such a place truly exist? Adalia entertained the thought. Living among people of her own kind, not having to hide who she was born to be. To live with other necromancers and possibly even learn to keep her dark magic under control was something she rarely dared to dream about. 

She shook her head, abandoning the thought. There was no possibility such a place could exist, the Necro Hunters would have discovered it and destroyed the place. 

"There would be nothing left. Not with those people hunting down every last one of us." Adalia voiced her opinion, and by the look on Khole's face, the same thought had crossed his mind on more than one occasion as well. 

"It is supposed to be warded against any attackers. Only visible to those who possess the gift." He sneered the last word, making it sound as dirty as they all thought it to be. This power was no gift; there was no way of seeing it as such. One does not get hunted like an animal for the sake of a gift. 

No, they knew better than to believe that word. 

Adalia pondered this information once more. Silently soaking up every last word and turning them over gingerly in her mind. Was there actually a possibility what he was saying could be true? Should she trust this man who had now spared her life twice?

"You can come with us if you wish. We are not sure where we are going ourselves, but you may join us in our search for this land." He looked unsure asking her to join them. She was a stranger after all, at any moment she could turn on them. Not that she would, she just understood his hesitation.