Necromancer

Chapter 11

The wound in my stomach stung with pain as I wandered around the room. Again I caught the pleasant scent of lavender as it permeated through the cottage. It was a simple place the room wasn't too big and the furniture was plain but clean and made of a nice shade of oakwood. As I looked up the ceiling was made of huge pine logs with a hay thatched roof. In the right corner of the room was a fireplace with smoking embers still clinging for breath. To the left an it opened into a kitchen area filled with various cooking utensils. The iron washbasin still dripping. At the right wall a  flimsy wood door, which entered into the old man's bedroom. As I heard muffled coughs coming from inside. I grabbed the makeshift handle and pushed as it swung inward. The coughs grew louder as the man was sitting at the foot of his bed. He looked up in mid cough as he caught sight of me. “Oh well hello there! I'm surprised your up and walking.” “Your balm helped significantly I might say.” He smiled as he suppressed the coughs. “I'm glad I could help, we dont get kind visitors such as yourself very often. Only the nasty ones show up.” His words peaked my interest “Nasty visitors you say? Well I could help you get rid of them. But of course it would cost you.” He laughed as it got up from the bed. “No my dear boy I'm afraid there's not much you can do, after all they work for my lord.” “Your lord? You bow down to another man?” The man's face turned into surprised. “Well of course! I'm his serf after all.” Silence grew in the room. “I'm afraid I dont know what that is.” The man eyed me with great wonder “My you must be of noble birth if you don't know what a serf is. It's simply a farmer that works for the king, Lord Mandelson to be exact. “Well excuse my ignorance.” I held my hand out, the man hesitated before he took it. “The name is John, I'm pleased to meet you.” The old man croaked happily, “Matthias, likewise.” We stood there and talked for a while before we moved out into the living area. Matthias stoked the hot fire as he made tea. The tea was hot and soothing as it went down my throat. The smell of the fire brought back memories of the night before. Panicked swelled in me as I struggled to suppress them. I clenched the cup so hard felt it breaking.” I quickly stood up. “I'm sorry but I need to use the outhouse is there one around here?” Matthias spoke between sips of tea. “Sure, there is one around back!” I walked briskly out of the cottage the sunshine blinded me, the cottage was so dark compared to the bright outside world. I looked to the right of me as I saw the distant vegetable fields. Elizabeth was hacking weeds in the blaring sun. The ground crunched beneath me, I noticed almost all of the water from last night storm was gone as the surrounding area felt extremely dry, as if last nights skirmish never even happened. As if the sins of my past were gone, but I knew better deep beneath me was the dirty reminder that I’ve killed people. Whether it was against my will such as in hadensburg, or pure impulse as in Harold's case. The outhouse stanched foiled the air. As I sat my mind running so fast I couldn't control it. Everyone of my wrongdoings going over and over in my mind like some curse placed on me. I was on the verge of losing it but the sound of horses clad in armor pierced my ears. “Woah there” I heard a familiar voice in the distance as the sound of hooves came to a halt. Metal against metal clanked as a loud knock reverberated through the wooden house in front of me. “Open up, we come from Kings Frederick the III orders. if you dont we will come in by forc-” “Hello sir, how may I be of service to you?” The deep voice of authority was none other than that of the cruel nobleman. They were looking for me… “Were looking for heretic straggler that came through these parts have you seen this man?” “my heart was thumping as I tried to listen.” “Hrrm well I haven't seen a man that looked like this, an odd looking fellow.” “Nevermind that do you have anyone else here with you?” I put my ear against the wood as I struggled to hear. No doubt the man was going to tell them about me. Why wouldn't he? This was a chance to gain favor and gold for him. This was it. In a few seconds they'll pull me out of here and slice my head off. Too weak to even run, let alone fight. I was going to die by the cruel mans sword…

“Well the only one else here is my granddaughter but I'm afraid she's working in the fields. Not much time to sit around when there's work to do, you know how it is.” The man interrupted, “Show us where she is so we can speak to her. This is very important the heretic is dangerous and will kill anyone in his way. “Oh heavens well I'm glad I haven't seen him. But my granddaughter is far away on another farm you see. She isn't with me at the moment.” it grew silent for some time before the man replied. “Okay then peasant will be on our way, but I'm afraid I need some compensation for precious time wasted. I could tell the men barged in side as Mathias let out a yell of defiance before his yell was subdued by a swift cracking sound. I got the courage to go take a look through through the window. The cottage was being torn apart, the furniture being bathed and broken. Pot and pans clattered to the floor. As the men grabbed jars of food. They even yanked the teapot from the fireplace. My anger boiled inside me as my body wanted to lash out at the men and cast a spell on them. But my mind knew better as I watched in silence. There boots clattered against the wooden floor as they stepped out. Three new men unrecognizable were with the cruel man as they snickered and laughed away. “Thanks for the food peasant!  Dont worry my men will make good use of it.” The man let out a small laugh which made me shudder to the core. The laugh wasn't terrifying, about the opposite it was just so strange to hear a man whose soul was desolate of any good. The laugh was fake and mechanical. The yelled and hollered as the sound of horses rode into the distance stirring up dust as a parting gift. I ran around to the front as Matthias began to get up. A bloody bruise at his temple stirred anger in me. Damn, why didn't you rat me out! You knew it was me didn’t you! You damn fool!” Matthias struggled to speak through coughing fits. “Your not a heretic John.” I sat him down on the only unbroken chair in the room. Items still scattered through the room. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM YOU BASTARD!” Elizabeth turned red with anger as she saw me. “Elizabeth stop! It wasn't John's doing!” “Oh so the thief has a name now!” Eliza knelt at Matthias side. “Who did this to you?” a hint of worry shook her voice. She turned to face me “Speak! Now!” At a loss for words I stood there. “Some men came, knights by the looks of it, from Hadensburg.”Matthias spoke through his raspy voice softly. “They were looking for a heretic, and I said he wasn't here, so they took from me.” Tears welled in Eliza's eyes, I couldn't help but feel guilty. She sobbed quietly in his lap. Not knowing what to do my hands began grabbing the broken bits and pieces from the floor. Matthias looked quite pitiful in this state. I've never seen him look so sad through the short time of knowing him. His grey hair straggled in different ways. The blood began to dry on his head as he held Eliza. In that moment I realized I wasn't the only one who got seared through pain. Branded something by fate that they did not choose. I was ignorant in thinking my pain was greater. But it turns out all pain is universal, it doesn't have favorites.