Chapter Four: Tricky

I ran into the woods with my sword ready. Nothing was going to escape me. I haven't survived the past five years from not acting. People seem to not understand when they learn of who I am. Has it ever occurred to you that when you fuck with the last living creature of it's kind, that creature won't go down without a fight?

I've faced worse than bounty hunters. I've studied necromancy since I was born. Other magic's I've learned with ease. Death is nothing more than my friend now. No, no don't kid yourself Ditto. You know the truth. Death has no friends or mercy. There are no favorites. That's why you are it's perfect lord.

The world has turned against you. This is the truth. But you have sworn to live through it. To doubt is to die. Ah! Maybe I want to die though. Shit, I guess I need to doubt more.

I spotted Love, and she definitely had some fast boots. Stylish as well. You know, Love has something I didn't, and that was style. Bounty hunters sure love looking good.

She noticed me, and spun, stopping with a screeching halt. Her huge pack of mindless animals stopped with her, giving me the stink eye.

"Impressive so far, Necromancer. I knew you'd have some tricks." She motioned to the dragon. "But that is more than I thought you could do."

"I am also impressed. Not many can use magic so vast without me being able to pinpoint it."

"You've killed many of these beautiful creatures though," Love said, looking angry. "So your capture won't go without some scrapes and bruises."

Okay. This is a good time to bring my secret weapon down. One hand behind my back, I activated the spell. I just need to stall. "What did you expect? Didn't you pay attention in history class? Necromancers were ruthless. We were feared by all."

Now she laughed. A cold, dark laugh. Which made me laugh. Love held her cross bow tight. "You are unexpected for a child."

I shrugged. "So I've been told."

Ever Heart swiped away a bolt, and I lunged before she could reload. She blocked with a knife, surprised by my speed. But my master has made sure I can move fast. My left hand reach out, black fire whispering my fingers. I just barely made contact as I parried a knife strike. Love cried out in pain, but jumped back and nodded at her small army.

They charged as mine did. Love watched for a moment as her living things did battle, both horrified and calm. Damn bitch, you need to make up your emotions. She clutched her arm where my death stimulator touched, then composed herself for another bout.

She managed to get off two more arrows before I could get close, a blunted one hitting my leg and causing me to crash into earth. I watched my dragon devour a small cat before rolling and standing, seeing five more arrows in the spot I had just been. My leg was now in serious pain, and I wanted to cry.

Wanted to, but did no such thing.

The witch retreated while tossing a grenade. I batted it with my sword, and we both watched the grenade explode between us with blue electricity. The stunning magic coursed through my body, causing me to once again fall to the ground.

My eyes saw my subjects over-classing the living animals. Animals are dumber than sentient creatures, and were unaware of how to really deal with them. The dragon was also kicking ass. Even stunned and not being able to move, my control was impeccable.

My leg was screaming, and I probably had something broken. Maybe, I couldn't tell as I watched Love start to make her way towards me, loading another bolt into her bow. But as she did, the earth barely tremored. It was subtle, but not enough for Love to not notice.

"What was that?" She shot my dragon and it's neck exploded, the head separating from the body. Welp, there went that. She was picking off more of my zombies while getting closer and closer. Oh, hurry up. Please.

"Nothing."

"You lie." Love was getting out neg-cuffs - cuffs that negated magic - and getting ready to finish the game. The tremors were now constant and no longer subtle. It was like marching.....

She was right over me when her eye went wide. I swore even her eye-patch looked nervous. I smiled, though it took a lot of effort. "Say hello to the Army of Painters Keep."

I couldn't see them, but directly behind me was the now zombified Army of Painters Keep. A once ancient Hidden army that was located in the once ancient kingdom that was here in these very mountains. They probably looked a little ragged, in their old rusted shields and swords and armor, but that didn't matter. The war beasts and soldiers and every type of Hidden under the sun were in the thousands. Each just given a breath of memory, a memory of fighting.

And each were under my control.

"So, how fast you think you can run?" I asked, but not that it made any difference. The army now surrounded us, slaughtering the rest of Love's animals. Her face looked heart-broken. Oh, how sad.

My half-bloods picked me up, and one knocked the witch out before her eye could blink. A half-blood reached into my bag and got me my flask of Feel-Good Juice, pouring some in my mouth. The pain in my leg went away, and the stunning magic started to fade. It'd take probably another twenty minutes, but it should be fine.

So, now what?

XXXX

It was dark, the fire before me now the only source of light. I rubbed my leg tenderly. It wasn't broken, but I'm sure something was fractured. I wasn't all that practiced in healing magic, so I did the best I could. What was it my master told me? Fight through pain, because if it wins you die.

Love was still sleeping, her back against a boulder on my rock formation. Her arms and legs were wrapped in chain. I had disarmed her, which had taken some time. The pile of weapons next to me was massive. And her fancy boots didn't fit, so they too sat within the pile.

After the fight, I put out the fires before they destroyed the entire forest. I didn't think the locals would have appreciated it if I had let their homes burn. But granted it wouldn't have been the worst thing I've done since I've been alive.

Love stirred, turning slightly. I watched her wake, and she spat a loogie.

"Hello sunshine," I said while tossing a stick on the fire. "Glad to see you're not dead."

She tugged at the chains. Seeing how they wouldn't budge, I guess she now wanted to talk. "You slaughtered innocent animals."

"And you were hunting an innocent girl," I responded. "So I don't think you have the moral high ground."

The grunt sounded like 'fair point', and Love sighed. "I guess this means you win."

"Yes. Yes it does. You truly were impressive, but I've faced worse than bounty hunters and packs of wild animals." I laughed. "It was fun though. I'm still pissed you interrupted my relaxation."

Love didn't seem to care. Instead she now was angry. "I can't believe I lost to a child. This is so humiliating."

"Okay, first off, you're only twenty five. I'm eighteen. There's not much of a difference. Second off, you made a huge mistake that costed you the game." How simple. The world wishes to fight, but it cannot see past it's glasses. "I'll tell you it later. Not that it matters."

"How did you know that?"

"I researched you. Because I'm not an idiot." The internet is a beautiful thing. I'm glad the humans invented it. "But you did your best. So be happy."

She smacked her lips in annoyance. "A mistake? I don't think so."

"Ah, but you did. And it's why you're in chains and I'm not." Granted, not everyone can think of this mistake, yet it should be pretty obvious. Whatever. If one wants to make such dumb mistakes then so be it. "Get some sleep. We leave early morning."

"Who are you," she asked. "You can't be a necromancer. It's not possible."

"Believe whatever you want. I am the Last, though. The last in a Layer that see's me as a thing that should die. But you probably understand better than anyone else. What lengths will a cornered animal go to live? How far? I find that being remorseless helps get me to the next day."

Is ruthlessness a good life style? No, it's not. But I am a necromancer. I'm the Last Necromancer. My people knew that death is apart of life. It must move on to recover. It must find a way to adapt, or else death will be swifter than anything else. What do you fools want from me? Sympathy? Remorse, regret? Not from me you won't.

"Then you got anything to eat? I'm hungry."

"Uh, no, sorry. But if you can not die until morning, I think you'll be good."

Love sighed, as though she wished for a damn tasty sandwich. "How does one lone necromancer end up in Germany anyways? The European Province isn't all that exciting."

"How does a bounty hunter with one eye work for a Joker cosplayer?"

Seriously, aren't there better contractors to work for? But Love didn't seem to care. "He bought a debt from me. That was awhile back though, so now I'm working one last contract for actual money."

An answer for answer, that's how I usually operate. "I'm in the European Province because I was over in Scotland, fighting the Jesters, when I had to flee that district. Then I hopped over to France because I wanted to pillage the human catacombes. I got a decent amount of zombies when the Under Paris City group known as the Crawlers forced me to book it. So I went over to a Mediterranean town and stopped an ancient elemental spirit and got some money and secrets. I then stole a priceless artifact from Italy over in Sky Rome City. So naturally I had to lay low for a while. And I wanted to relax. So here I am."

"You are an odd creature," Love said. "Talimus is a fool. I guess that means he won't be paying me."

"Ha! That's funny."