Necromancer

Chapter 15

We sat upon the ground by an old knarly tree that sprouted many years ago. Its ancient branches keeping us cool under the glaring hot sun. I sweated in my black clothes as Vance looked at his pathfinder meticulously. It was a very strange looking item. It looked like a round compass laced with gold. The metal shiny and scratched. There were three needles inside. Two small needles kept spinning while the big one slowly moved

Vance furrowed his brow as he followed the movement of the needle. Nothing but the wind sounded in the distance, my eyelids felt heavy I fought to keep them open. He began humming to a tune foreign to me. "How long is this damn thing going to take." He looked up from the pathfinder. "Not long just let me concentrate already, that's the third time you've asked! His infuriating humming crawled into my ears. I was about to leave when Vance sprang up. "Yes I got it! By the gods It worked!" He snatched the pathfinder up and cupped it in his hand. "I now have the direction of this New Hanover, come on before it stops working!" He ran other to the path as I quickly followed. My legs were sore and ached from the many falls and bruises. Why I'm I even following this idiot, he'll probably get me lost! Not like I have a choice. I grit my teeth and followed behind like a sheep following a shepherd. Not knowing where we were going. I took in my surroundings as we walked. The path began going downhill as we climbed down into dried up canyon. The rocky walls growing higher and higher. I felt a growing uneasiness in my stomach. Something wasn't right here. "Vance where the hell is this place anyway?" He looked down as he talked slowly walking forward. "They call this place the dead lands, supposedly a long time ago this area was cursed by the Gods. Haven't you seen how nothing grows here? Even the animals are smart enough know to stay away from this place. Whatever this place your wanting to go to must be strange indeed." Now that I thought of it I haven't seen anything alive here. Only a knarly tree. "What about that tree we sat under earlier?" Vance shrugged his shoulders "I have no idea, maybe the land isn't cursed there." I looked at the sedimentary rocks that lined the walls. Huge chunks of it on the ground from when it fell. The ground was cracked dry; Not a single sign of water anywhere.  Damn I thought, that old man must've been lying to me. There was a strange aura surrounding this place though. If necromancers would go anywhere it would be here. I stared at Vances long scraggly blonde hair. His wooden bow slung across his back. Strangely he had no quiver or arrows. "So why are you in the dead lands, wouldn't you want to stay away?" Vance chuckled "Why would I? It's the perfect place to get through without being seen by those pesky knights. How do you think I haven't been caught all this time?"  I remembered seeing Vance's wanted poster back in Hadensburg. Of course I didn't know who he was back then. But even in that drawing you could see his stupid grin on his face. Vance was too clever for his own good. "I'm suprised you haven't been caught yet Nazul, your extremely sloppy a blind man could've tracked you down." I clenched my teeth "Oh get off it." Vance laughed as it echoed out from the canyon walls into the blue sky. Vance looked back at me as we came to a cliff. "Okay it's up this way, but we're going to climb think you can handle that kid? I got visibly angry "Dont call me kid before I burn that stupid smile off your face!"  He put the pathfinder in his cloak and leapt up onto a ledge and began climbing the rock. "Just hurry up kid daylights burning!" Vance climbed almost effortlessly as he leapt up like a panther. My breathing went fast and heavy as I struggled to climb, and the rocks began cutting into my hands. Seconds later I looked up and saw him already at the top looking down. "Come on you got to climb a little faster than that, Your not even trying!" I panted and struggled to pull myself to the top. I laid on my back soaked in sweat. The sun almost mocking me as it burned my face. I heard Vance's footsteps crunch in the dry ground.  Vance hummed a tune as I followed him once more. "Oh sweet maiden won't thou wait for me. Thy heart is pure and your smile gleaming. The gods grow jealous of all thy beauty. Oh sweet maiden won't you wait for me."  Sharp pains grew stronger as I kept walking. It became almost unbearable. The air around us began to get cooler. The ground now had soft patches of desert grass. "Have you ever been in love Nazul?" I hesitated, "what does it matter, the only thing I'm worried about right now is saving my ass" Vance laughed "You've got that right. You know your not quite bad Naz. Under that stoic aloof expression of yours is a soft little inside. Quite endearing really. Your growing on me. I know you've been in love don't tell me you haven't." "I'm only in love with the idea of killing you and leaving your bones for the buzzards to feed on." Vance gasped, "how cruel! I was paying you a compliment!" "I'm telling you I dont need them once I find New Hanover were parting ways." Vance sighed, very well you look like you'd  make a good drinking buddy, such a shame. Flora and fauna became more abundant as we walked. Large saguaro cacti and bushes dotted the land. We came upon a sweeping valley side below. A large adobe building sat near the bottom a half a mile away. Large faded letters spelled NEW HANOVER on the top of the adobe building. "Were here." Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked upon the beautiful sight. Finally.