The Necromancer

1 Hour Later

A knock sounded on the door to the dungeon where Xala was writing numbers on a piece of parchment. "Come in."

The door opened and there stood a lone Prince. "What did you whisper to my father back in the Throne Room?"

"Nothing really, just a bit of leverage in my favor towards my hiring." He continued to look at the numbers and notes. "Tell me, am I allowed to ask for your assistance?"

"Uhm, sure." Arthur had never acted this way to anyone before. However, this thing that was across the dimly lit space.

"Would you mind coming back here in the morning so I can run some tests? Also, if you can, please bring along a Strong-Man from the circus named Ivan. He will be delighted to work for me." He then held up the paper.

A raven shot out of his sleeve, clutched it in its claws, and flew through the sliver of stone that let in a tiny bit of the morning light.

"What is so special about the Strong-Man and I?"

"You are both tall and heavily built. Taller than most other people in this gigantic world. I simply wish to see how tolerant you might be to certain things. Also, I wish to know your life story. I know Ivan's, and so I would like to see if two people of the same physique would act different to certain things based on their past."

He looked at Xala with wide eyes. "Oh...alright."

Xala grinned. "Do you really want to know what I whispered to your father?"

Arthur's face moved into a listening, but focused expression.

The Necromancer simply smiled. "I'm going to be creating Gods among man once again."

Silence.

Arthur gulped, and slowly closed the door. When he did, he looked back at the door, "Weirdo."

"You...spoke to royalty, as if you were an equal." A man in one of the cells spat. He had to have been a foot taller than the wizard, but definitely thinner.

"Hmm...speaking are we? About time." Xala said cooly, continuing his numbers and letters. Ravens were flying back and forth through that tiny slot constantly. There were three, but with the speed they sent mail it mine as well have been three hundred.

"Why do you use them crows?"

Xala grinned at the mistake, "Because, nobody hunts a black bird to eat. Too many bad associations with these birds to even think about touching one. I, know that these superstitions are false, and thus I can live efficiently."

"What about pigeons?"

"I like the appearance of ravens more. It's all about personal preference."

The prisoner inched closer to the cell bars. "Y'know what I did to get in here?"

"Enlighten me." Xala continued to write.

"I drugged up my newborn son and stabbed my wife in the back of the head. It was real nice. I drove his knees into the floor while we were having sex, oh it was great. It was the first time we tried it in the, not so famous area. Although, I couldn't stand that baby's goddamn crying all goddamn night. So, I put him to sleep with those pellets you wizards produce. After my wife was dead, I finished and went over to that baby, and fucking strangled that little co-"

"I get the picture." Xala continued to write impassively.

"When the guards came, I killed two and bite one write in the junk. And believe me, little man, I can rip you to shreds too."

The room was silent and dark.

Slowly, Xala's blood red, glowing eyes moved from his parchment, and slowly slid across the room towards the inmate.