《Necro Romancer》


 Chapter 1

    Within the empire¡¯s capital city of Sanctus Terra lies a broken-hearted young magician. This isn¡¯t the first time this has happened to her though, forcing the young lady¡¯s fragile heart to toughen up without her knowledge.


    ¡°Seriously?! This is the 5th time this year alone. To think that he¡¯d cheat on me with that elven ranger.¡± the young lady angrily muttered to herself, drink in hand.


    It is midday but none of that mattered. In her head, she just wanted to forget about the pain, even if only for a moment.


    ¡°Boss! Another round!¡± yelled the young lady at the owner of the tavern.


    ¡°HA!HA!HA! Is it that time again, Mavis?¡± asked the owner in a joking manner.


    Mavis glared at him as he finished his sentence but the owner was unfazed.


    ¡°Well, just make sure to not bother the other customers. I don¡¯t want a repeat of what happened last time, okay?¡± said the owner. As for the ¡°thing¡± that happened last time, it pertains to events that happened only the previous month wherein Mavis, getting heart-broken yet again, was drinking herself to the bottom of the barrel. In her drunken stupor, she got agitated and started chanting magic towards the other patrons. She had only finished paying back the owner for the damages she caused at the time.


    Midnight came and Mavis, completely drunk, decides that it¡¯d be best if she just end it all. While the owner was tending to another customer, she snuck out the tavern and made her way to the edge of the city, hoping to encounter a monster who could help her with her grim desire.


    She was extremely drunk though so making her way out the city, which is just directly south of the tavern, instead brings her to the city¡¯s graveyard.


    ¡°Huh? Did the forest always looked this spooky?¡± Mavis asked herself perplexed.


    She looked around the area and soon, even in her inebriated state, finds out that she is in a graveyard.


    ¡°Ah! What am I even doing here?¡± Still confused, she ponders what her purpose being there was.


    As she wobbles around exploring the graveyard, Mavis took notice of the various tombstones in the area, especially this one beat-up tombstone that has the name ¡°Lowell Necros¡± written on it.


    Mavis knelt in front of the tombstone, running her hands along the unmaintained tombstone.


    ¡°Lowell Necros. It seems we are one and the same. Nobody cared about us at all.¡± Mavis muttered to herself, tears forming on her eyes, now confronted with reality.


    ¡°Perhaps we can do something for each other, Lowell.¡± said Mavis as she stood up and brought out her grimoire.


    She chanted a short incantation that made the nearby inanimate shovel and spade start to move on their own and dig up the grave that Mavis stood on.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mavis to hear a thud coming from below. She had found the coffin. As she pries it open with the tools she have, Mavis hear people speaking from a distance.


    She stopped what she was doing at the moment to better hear the voices.


    ¡°Are you sure the magician¡¯s in here?¡± asked one of the voices.


    ¡°Should be. This is the only place to visit in this part of the city.¡± said the other.


    Mavis, morbidly curious as to who the voices belong to, tried to sneak a peek. What she saw were two men in similar armor. They¡¯re guards patrolling the area. But wait! It seems they were looking for her but why?


    As she is lost in her thoughts, still peaking out, one of the guards sees a giant, purple pointed hat and underneath are a couple of eyes staring directly at them.


    ¡°I found her!¡± the very same guard excitedly told his partner.


    The guards made their way to the hole where the magician was still in. As they got closer, they pulled out their swords in case of retaliation.


    ¡°Mavis Grand! You are under arrest for dine and dashing and also for being under the suspicion of grave robbing. Come out with your hands in the air and your mouth closed shut.¡± declared one of the guards.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, magician! Don¡¯t make this any harder for yourself.¡± said the other guard.


    IT¡¯S OVER! To think that boss would report me to the authorities when I just got my heart broken. And grave robbing? That wasn¡¯t the case at all but I doubt these guards would listen. There¡¯s no way out of this one¡­ or is there?


    Mavis took out her grimoire once more in search of a spell so powerful that it would solve all her problems in a flash. It was a spell that her master never taught her and forbid to even think about.


    ¡°Raise Undead!¡± Mavis yelled as she finished her incantation.


    The adjacent graves¡¯ undead residents start to wake from their slumber. A total of 5 skeletons have risen from the dead. Mavis peaked out of the hole once more to command her conjurations.


    ¡°Skeletons! Heed my command! Attack those poor saps.¡± Mavis screamed towards her minions.


    The skeletons heeded their master¡¯s wishes. They slowly advanced towards the two guards who didn¡¯t seem all that impressed with their opponents.


    The guards slashed through the skeletons with ease. It seems like they were but normal citizens when they were still walking the earth. The guards had a look of annoyance in their faces as they made their way closer to the magician who, at this point, only has her giant pointy hat poking through the hole.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! I still haven¡¯t used my trump card¡±, she thought to herself.


    The guards looked down at Mavis with discontent and annoyance in their eyes.


    ¡°Well, well, well. To think that such a sweet girl like you would turn out to be a necromancer.¡± said by one of the guards.


    ¡°Unfortunate. I had the hots for you too.¡± said the other guard.


    ¡°Wait, really?¡±asked the first guard, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, but that doesn¡¯t matter now. The law at Sanctus Terra states that practitioners of dark magic are to be executed on sight.¡± replied the other guard.


    The second guard, the one who liked Mavis, went down the hole to join her. The hole is quite narrow with the guard standing on one side and Mavis, on her knees, at the other.


    The guard, sword still in hand, assumed a stance with the intent to strike his foe in front of him. In this case, she¡¯s a defenseless girl who doesn¡¯t seem to be retaliating anymore.


    ¡°I have to use it now! I have to use my trump card before it¡¯s too late.¡± Mavis considered anxiously.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± Mavis implored.


    The guard stopped at the height of his attack but he doesn¡¯t say anything. At least she got his attention.


    ¡°P-please don¡¯t k-kill me. I¡¯ll d-d-do anything.¡± Mavis begged the guard.


    With this, Mavis¡¯s trump card is now in effect. That¡¯s right! Her trump card is BEGGING!


    The guard, shocked with what he¡¯d heard, finally brought down his sword to his hip.


    ¡°Anything?¡± murmured the guard who¡¯s face twisted into a grim smile


    ¡°C¡¯mon dude. Just kill her already. This place is giving me the creeps.¡± said the guard above who¡¯s visibly antsy.


    The words of his friend just went in his ear and out the other. He didn¡¯t care about anything else.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take you up on that offer, Miss Mavis.¡± said the guard in a creepy manner.


    As he descended to meet her, the coffin that they were standing on top of suddenly started shaking. It wasn¡¯t due to their combined weight that the coffin is going to give but because of something else.


    A loud scream echoed within the coffin, shocking everybody in the vicinity. The scream was indiscernible but everybody could tell it was no good.


    Mavis quickly went out the hole while the guard that was with her unsheathed his sword once more but before he could do anything, the beat-up wooden cover of the coffin suddenly broke as skeletal hands sprung out and pulled him by the ankles into the coffin, never to be seen again.


    ¡°Nooooo!¡± yelled the remaining guard.


    ¡°What did you do, necromancer?¡± he followed up as he unsheathe his sword, ready to kill the young magician.


    He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up as he places his sword by her throat. Mavis, unable to breathe, flails her entire body as she gasps for air.


    ¡°It¡¯s futile to resist, necromancer. It¡¯s over.¡± declared the guard, wanting to avenge his fallen brother-in-arms.


    As he pressed the blade of his sharp sword on her throat, blood started pouring out of the wound, eventually getting so wide that the wound had become fatal.


    With the guard busy with his execution, he never noticed the creature sneaking up behind him. Before he could react, a sword had already plunged his chest, puncturing his heart, instantly killing him.


    The now-dead guard drops Mavis who¡¯s bleeding profusely from her throat. A decent sized skeleton is revealed as the guard¡¯s body hit the ground. The undead looked just like the conjurations from earlier except for its eye sockets burning a blue flame and the distinct green jewel hanging from it¡¯s neck.


    The skeleton made it¡¯s way to the magician who¡¯s still trying her best to gasp for air. It went down on one knee and put it¡¯s bony hand on Mavis¡¯s cheek and then down to her neck.


    Soon, the young and talented magician known as Mavis Grand was no more.


    Usually, to help the recently deceased to pass to the afterlife, people would close their eyes to ensure peace on their next life. Despite being a morally good person during her time alive, Mavis was not granted this simple gesture.


    The skeleton, with it¡¯s master dead, went back to its grave seemingly to live out the rest of its undead ¡°unlife¡± until it gets found and exorcised by a clergyman. That¡¯s what the average person would think but unfortunately, this skeleton is very different from everything the world has ever witnessed.


    The skeleton emerged out of its hole once more, now with a staff adorned with bones and a grimoire with a disturbing, screaming face for a book cover.


    It stood in front of the deceased mage as it opened its grimoire. The green gem hanging on the skeleton¡¯s neck glow a bright, green light. The staff clutched on its bony fingers as it gets ready to cast a spell of some kind.


    ¡°Mavis Grand. You have released me from my prison. Now it¡¯s my turn to save you.¡± Lowell said and then after it starts to chant a spell. The bright, green light started to envelop Mavis as the surrounding area is wrecked by a violent gale.


    Soon after, the spell is finished. The area around them is barely recognizable as most of the tombstones have uprooted. At the middle of the graveyard stands Lowell.


    ¡°Take my hand and be with me, Mavis!¡± said Lowell as he reaches his hand out to Mavis.


    Mavis, now resurrected from the dead, took Lowell¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be with you!¡±


    ¡°Good. And you needn¡¯t worry. I will destroy those who oppose us.¡±


    That night, the imperial city of Sanctus Terra, unbeknownst to them, have released a great evil the likes of which the empire has never seen in hundreds of years.

 Chapter 2

    Some hours have passed since the events at the graveyard. The spell that Lowell casted was a powerful one, destroying most in its vicinity and encouraging the residents near the area to report the mysterious green light to the authorities, who then dispatched imperial soldiers to investigate the ravaged landscape.


    As for Lowell and Mavis, they quickly retreated towards the city gates, avoiding everybody they see. Surely, nobody would take kindly to a walking skeletal monster especially inside the city walls.


    They made it out of the city without getting caught and luckily so as shortly after leaving Sanctus Terra, an order was issued for a city lockdown. Without a destination in mind, they kept on venturing towards the heart of the nearby Malefis Forest.


    The Malefis Forest is home to different kinds of flora and fauna. Most of them are harmless; some are even used for things like cooking and alchemy. As you go deeper though, that¡¯s an entirely different story. From man-eating plants to the fabled cyclops, venturing deep into the Malefis Forest is a death wish.


    It¡¯s been several hours now ever since making the escape from the city and traversing blindly within the forest. Still, they push through.


    The sun, still visible as the forest hasn¡¯t become too dense yet, is on top of the two informing them that it is currently mid day. While Lowell is a conjured pile of bones, his master Mavis, is human and susceptible to fatigue and so, they look for a place to rest in.


    It took a while but by following a trail of bones, they eventually reached a cave. Noticing the bones scattered all over the entrance and the putrid stench that¡¯s surrounding the area, Lowell nominates himself to ensure that the cave would be a safe place for resting.


    While Lowell was inspecting the cave, Mavis sits on a fallen tree to rest. She removes her hat, revealing the rest of her now-dirtied golden hair. Before all this, Mavis took great care of her hair, always grooming it and making sure that it was presentable to others. Its current state makes her a bit annoyed and promises herself to take care of it when the opportunity presents itself.


    Moments later, Lowell emerges out of the cave.


    ¡°Come. It is safe now.¡± Lowell declared.


    Apart from the birds chirping and the sound of wind hitting the leaves, Mavis hasn¡¯t heard any other sound. Perhaps the cave was empty.


    As they made their way within the long halls of the cave, Lowell and Mavis went past corpses of young chimeras. Despite being called young, they¡¯re at least 9 feet tall and there was three of them.


    There was no sign of the mother though.


    ¡°These chimeras are huge. I wonder what killed them.¡± said Mavis, intrigued by the mystery.


    ¡°I did.¡± replied Lowell nonchalantly.


    Mavis, dumbfounded by what she just heard, just stood there as she simmers the thought of a skeleton killing giant chimeras.


    ¡°No way¡­ right?¡± Mavis murmurs to herself.


    ¡­.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Mavis hurriedly follows her conjured skeleton.


    They walked further into the cave until they reach an area where it is wide enough to set up a fire and place to sleep.


    Immediately after taking a sit on a big enough rock, Mavis started chanting a spell for fire and water. These kinds of spells wasn¡¯t useful in combat as it lacks the firepower to harm one¡¯s opponent hence it is referred to as ¡°Everyday Magic¡±. Spells used to assist a person¡¯s day to day life.


    Directly in front of Mavis, who is currently taking a hot shower, is Lowell who doesn¡¯t have a care in the world at what¡¯s transpiring in front of him.


    Feeling the gaze of another at her, Mavis finally realized Lowell and how much he¡¯s staring at her. Despite still being fully clothed while taking the hot shower, she embarrassingly flailed her hands to cover her non-existent bosom.


    ¡°Um¡­ Could you go away for a minute.¡± Mavis said with bated breath.


    Lowell made his way towards the entrance of the cave, not saying anything.


    Mavis, still embarrassed, continued to shower. Now that things are finally calming down, she can recollect about the things that happened the previous night.


    She¡¯s a wanted woman so she can¡¯t go back to Sanctus Terra. It¡¯s already a lot to think about. She grew up there; it¡¯s all she knows and now, her family and friends won¡¯t be able to see her again.


    During the confrontation with the guards, she conjured the nearby skeletons including Lowell to help her fend them off. That area in the grave was wrecked when Mavis came to but I figure it¡¯s only a matter of time until investigators find out about the coffins where the skeletons came out off.


    Once they discover that, they¡¯ll make the connection that the suspect practices necromancy. I can only hope they don¡¯t go for mother and father too hard. They¡¯re the last people I want included in this mess.


    Finally, the skeletal conjuration who refers to himself as Lowell Necros. It wasn¡¯t too uncommon for skeletal conjurations to possess a personality. In cases like this, it meant that while they were still alive, they possessed great intelligence.


    But Lowell felt different. Mavis couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it but Lowell acted e that carries on while they¡¯re undead but not Lowell. He seems to be vastly intelligent and mostly keeps to himself, only speaking when needed. He¡¯s an anomaly even within anomalies.


    ¡°Oh well! I¡¯ll just ask him forthright. We¡¯re still bound by the spell after all.¡± Mavis thinks to herself.


    Before she went and find Lowell, she casted a fire and wind spell simultaneously to dry herself up while also making the air inside the cave warmer.


    Mavis finds Lowell outside, just at the mouth of the cave, standing motionlessly.


    She motions her hand towards a fallen tree that¡¯s ways off from the cave entrance. Lowell seeing this follows suit.


    The two of them sat side by side under the moon lit night. Disregarding their current state, this would¡¯ve been a very romantic moment. A man and a woman, both on the run. Strangers but after confiding with each other, finds solace with one another and eventually fall in love. This is all daydream though.


    No word has been said yet. Despite Mavis having the resolve to ask about Lowell¡¯s past life, she just couldn¡¯t get the words to fall off the tip of her tongue. This results in Mavis stealing glances at Lowell every other second.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Bothered by the odd mannerisms of his master, he decides to confront her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lowell inquired in a stern manner.


    Mavis looked away, acting all cool.


    ¡°W-what? It¡¯s nothing.¡± Mavis replied bashfully


    ¡° I see¡­¡± Lowell replied ending the conversation.


    Silence ensues once again.


    ¡°Crap! Why did I say that?! It¡¯s harder to bring it up now! Mavis you idiot!¡± Mavis thought to herself.


    Lowell noticing that Mavis is still sporting an embarrassed look on her face, he decides to continue the conversation.


    ¡°Perhaps you want to hear about myself?¡± Lowell proposed a question.


    Mavis shook her head up-and-down in solidarity. Lowell isn¡¯t much for small talk but he¡¯s pleased to know that he guessed right about Mavis wanting to know more about him even if it¡¯s just by chance.


    ¡°Well, to be honest with you, I don¡¯t remember much. I remember my name, Lowell Necros, and the fact that I attained the rank of archmage while I was still alive.¡± Lowell reminisces.


    He continues.


    ¡°I do remember a name.¡± Lowell remarks.


    Mavis leans slightly forward, engrossed by the whole story.


    ¡°Alexis Fuller.She¡¯s a witch.¡± Lowell said.


    ¡°A witch? Aren¡¯t they dangerous?¡± Mavis inquired worriedly.


    ¡°Most of them are but not Alexis. She only learned the witches¡¯ magic so she could preserve her beauty and youth.¡± Lowell revealed.


    Mavis has a hard time wrapping her head around that fact. To practice witchcraft would not go unnoticed especially if one is part of the Mage¡¯s Guild. And sacrificing a normal life just so the person can look beautiful and young is inherently stupid. Like who¡¯s going to notice these things if you¡¯re forbidden to make contact with the rest of civilization!


    ¡°I¡¯m getting off track! I need to ask him more about himself.¡± Mavis tells herself.


    ¡°So¡­ Are there other things you can tell me about yourself?¡± Mavis asked playfully.


    ¡°Not that I can think of. That¡¯s why I brought us here in this forest in the first place.¡± Lowell said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Mavis responded apprehensively.


    ¡°Yes. Alexis resides here in Malefis Forest. At least that¡¯s what I remember.¡± Lowell retorted.


    ¡°How sure are you of that? On your tombstone, there were no dates but judging by your body¡¯s deterioration, you¡¯ve lived a long time ago. She could very well have died during that time.¡± Mavis thought out loud in a rational manner.


    There was silence. Lowell clasped his bony hands together seemingly deep In thought. After a moment, he lift his head up and looked directly at Mavis.


    ¡°That may be so but it¡¯s the only lead I have.¡± Lowell stated, somewhat doubtful with what he said.


    Mavis didn¡¯t respond. She looked at Lowell with a pained expression then looked off elsewhere. There was silence yet again for the last time as Mavis stood up and went back to the cave.


    It¡¯s been a long day. At this point, the moon is at its peak signifying the late hours and also providing moonlight for Mavis to walk back safely.


    As she got back to the entrance of the cave, she smelled a horrible stench coming from inside the cave. It was such a terrible odor that it made Mavis hurl.


    From deep inside the cave came a deafening cry that could only come from an enormous beast. In a flash, it came out from the cave and pounced at Mavis.


    Fortunately, Mavis was able to duck out of the way before she got hit by the beast¡¯s claws. The beast bathe itself under the moonlight allowing Mavis to see clearly what her adversary is. It¡¯s a monstrous chimera, likely the parent of the other chimeras that Lowell and Mavis found inside the cave.


    The deceased chimera younglings were already huge enough, the parent chimera was at least as tall as a two-story building, maybe even more. How can such monstrosity get so big?


    The mother chimera glared at Mavis with furious eyes. It sniffed her from a distance as Mavis assumed a battle stance. The chimera roared in anger as it recognizes Mavis¡¯s scent as the one who killed the young chimeras.


    The mother chimera charges at Mavis with reckless abandon. Mavis, in turn, starts to chant a spell quickly but the humongous beast fast approaching her leads her to panic and stumble on her words, ruining the chant.


    But before the chimera is able to make contact, a beam of energy shot out somewhere in the woods. There emerges Lowell, clasping his gem, saving Mavis just in the nick of time.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lowell asks to the panicked mage.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Mavis replied, her legs trembling from the near-death experience she just experienced.


    ¡°Don¡¯t relax just yet! I couldn¡¯t kill it with the spell I casted.¡± said Lowell as the chimera got up, seemingly more agitated now.


    The chimera let out an earsplitting roar so loud that it disturbs the birds on the trees, making them fly in fear. It gazes at Mavis once again, not recognizing the undead standing besides her.


    ¡°I have a plan.¡± Lowell declared.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mavis replied.


    ¡°I have spells in my arsenal that can kill this beast. I need you to buy me time.¡± Lowell said as he starts his chant immediately after.


    Mavis needn¡¯t reply. This type of situation wasn¡¯t new to her. She is an adventurer after all and part of a successful party. In her party, there are 3 vanguards , 2 at the center and 2 at the rear. Mavis is part of the center and she¡¯s mainly responsible for using restricting or impairing spells like ¡°Raise Entangling Roots¡± or the ¡°Blind¡± spell on the enemy. To put it shortly, she¡¯s perfect for the job.


    Mavis ran in circles to confuse the beast as it tried to chase her, with each miss of its attacks making it more and more enraged. Unbeknownst to the chimera, Mavis was setting her trap to catch the beast.


    After several failed attempts at killing its target, the chimera let out another roar. Unfortunately, it will soon meet its demise as Mavis finishes her chant.


    ¡°Raise Entangling Roots!¡± Mavis chanted.


    Large tree roots emerged from the ground, entangling the beast¡¯s legs. The chimera tried to dodge it but it only worsened its condition. As the roots fully entangled its legs, the chimera fell, leaving it vulnerable.


    At the same time, in the rear, Lowell is just about finished chanting his spell. Mavis notices this and retreats to where Lowell is.


    At this point, the only source of light is the moon. The light that shone from it slowly disappeared as thick clouds covered it, leaving everything below nearly pitch black.


    Despite the loss of vision on the target, it didn¡¯t matter much for Lowell. He has his target locked-on. Lowell finished his chant.


    ¡°Thunder God¡¯s Wrath!¡± Lowell chanted.


    From the thick clouds came out a single thunderbolt. It was all that was needed. It was dark but the bolt strike true. It hit the chimera on the head, piercing its skull, killing it instantly.


    The clouds dispersed as quickly as it formed, allowing moonlight to pass through once again. There lies the huge monstrosity, dead on all fours, much like its children.


    As things got serene, Mavis decided to confront Lowell about the spell he used.


    ¡°So it is true? You being an archmage, I mean.¡± Mavis said, quite thrilled with what she had just witnessed.


    ¡°You doubted me?¡± Lowell said, disappointed.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all in the past now. What¡¯s up with that spell anyway?¡± Mavis continued to inquire.


    ¡°That? It¡¯s one of my more powerful spells that I can chant fast.¡± Lowell answered modestly.


    ¡°Thunder God¡¯s Wrath¡­ Even my master is incapable of casting a spell and he¡¯s an archmage.¡± Mavis said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about it once before. Supposedly, a mage, whose name was lost through time, used it to destroy an entire city.¡± Mavis continues her story.


    ¡°Well-,¡± Before Lowell could finish his thought, a loud cry echoed suddenly around the forest.


    ¡°NOOOOO!!! MY BABY!¡± the strange voice yelled.


    Lowell and Mavis looked around them but couldn¡¯t find anything. Where was the strange voice coming from? It sounded young and feminine which was strange. The forest, especially this deep, wasn¡¯t a place where people frequent to.


    ¡°YOU TWO! EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!¡± the feminine voice yelled once more.


    ¡°Who are you? And where are you?¡± Mavis yelled into the void of night.


    ¡°Wait¡­ that voice¡­ could it be?¡± Lowell whispered to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯M UP HERE NITWITS!¡± the voice yelled one last time.


    Up in the night sky, a silhouette of a woman riding a flying broom is etched into Lowell and Mavis¡¯s minds. The figure slowly descended onto the small clearing where the two are.


    In front of them is a young woman, seemingly in her late teens. She gazes at the dead chimera in which she clicks her tongue in irritation. She looks back at the culprits and points her broom which also works as a staff.


    ¡°You guys killed my darling pet! As High Priestess of the Malefis Coven, I, Alexis Fuller, shall bestow upon you the gift of death!¡±

 Chapter 3

    Malefis Forest Skyline, a fast-moving object is flying through the horizon. A witch¡¯s broom should only be carrying its master and yet the broom breaks every and all rules as it carries not two but three people in total.


    Alexis Fuller, High Priestess of the witches coven in Malefis Forest, is sitting at the front. Behind her and holding tightly on her waist is magician-turned-necromancer-turned-fugitive, Mavis Grand and all the way at the back, holding tightly for dear un-life at the broom¡¯s bristles, Lowell Necros.


    Their destination is the large sequoia tree deep in the forest. Along the way, other witches started following us from behind. They weren¡¯t hostile as they¡¯re mainly curious on who their High Priestess brought back home.


    Mavis, still baffled by the events that just kept on happening, had many questions she wanted answered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still alive!¡± Mavis screamed at Alexis, the air pressure making it hard for her to hold a conversation.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m alive silly! I¡¯m more surprised he¡¯s still around.¡± Alexis said through telepathy while jerking her head to the right.


    Mavis looked back to see a distressed Lowell begging to be let back on. She looked back ahead to ask the witch for help but before she could say anything, she already heard the answer in her head.


    ¡°No can do, love. If he wants to be forgiven, that¡¯s the least he can do.¡± Alexis said telepathically once again though this time, there¡¯s a hint of anger in it.


    ¡°What exactly did-¡± still shouting, before Mavis could even finish the sentence, a small thing went inside her throat throwing her into an unsightly coughing fit.


    While Mavis is choking behind her, Alexis busted out laughing. One of the many rules of flying is to avoid opening your mouth as small insects or projectiles could enter hence the use of telepathy for communication though telepathy in itself is a high level skill for a magician to learn.


    After her coughing fit, Mavis thought twice on opening her mouth while in the air. Considering that Alexis could read minds, she opted to think of what she¡¯s going to say instead of actually saying it.


    ¡°What was it exactly that Lowell did?¡± Mavis thought, conversing with the witch.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun, love. As for Lowell, let¡¯s just say he did me and the others wrong.¡± Alexis telepathically said playfully.


    ¡°The others?¡± Mavis asked very curiously.


    ¡°Oh? Has he not told you? That man had always been discreet.¡± Alexis stated seemingly holding Lowell in high regard.


    ¡°No he has not. He said he has trouble remembering things.¡± Mavis explained to the witch.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s no fair! And here I thought I could relive some good memories with an old friend.¡± Alexis said with a hint of melancholy.


    She continues.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you both everything once we reach New Fullsborough. That¡¯s the witch city within the sequoia tree.¡±


    Mavis looked further ahead and easily spots the largest tree she had ever laid eyes upon on. The sequoia tree was said to be the source of life within the area, mainly the Malefis Forest. To think there¡¯s a city within it, it¡¯s unbelievable.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Mavis shifts her focus back to Alexis, mainly looking at the back of her head. Even if there were barely any features to see because of her long, fluffy, pink hair, one could tell that she grooms her hair frequently which is a rare sight especially in a place like this. Lowell spoke the truth about Alexis preserving her youth.


    Still, it was quite the surprise that she acts this way. All playful and sociable. I wouldn¡¯t have thought that she acts this way when I met her earlier.


    20 minutes earlier, near the chimera cave.


    ¡°You guys killed my darling pet! As High Priestess of the Malefis coven, I, Alexis Fuller, shall bestow upon you the gift of death.¡± The witch yelled at the two ¡°poachers¡± in irritation.


    The witch started instantaneously chanting spells at the two. It all happened so fast. The trees around them all came to life, slowly lumbering towards them, trying to catch them.


    Lowell, in return, started chanting spells on his own. Large glaciers of ice formed within the trees, rendering all of them unable to move.


    Mavis, sensing the grave danger that she¡¯s in, decided that it¡¯d be best to hide behind Lowell, who¡¯s dishing out superior spells that prove to counter the witch¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°I thought you knew each other!¡± Mavis yelled at Lowell who¡¯s still defending themselves fr0m a barrage of spells.


    ¡°I was still alive when I last saw her! Of course she wouldn¡¯t recognize me.¡± Lowell retorted in a somewhat annoyed fashion.


    With the constant barrage of spells thrown by Alexis, it became a standstill. Lowell knew that if they want to come out alive of this predicament, Mavis had to step in.


    ¡°Master! I need you to cast a restrict spell on her, like the one you used on the chimera.¡± Lowell told Mavis in a commanding tone.


    ¡°O-okay!¡± Mavis replied, somewhat hesitant on what she just signed up for.


    Mavis started to chant the Raise Entangling Roots spell. As she tried to cast it, nothing happened. All the trees in the vicinity are frozen solid and it wasn¡¯t like this spell summoned the roots from thin air.


    She has to use another spell. With her mind being cluttered at the heat of the moment, she pulled out her grimoire to consult it for other restrict spells.


    ¡°Heavenly Chains¡±, a spell that summons chains from heaven and restricts a target and permanently sever a person¡¯s connection to magic. It is Mavis¡¯s ultimate spell but she can¡¯t use it on Lowell¡¯s old friend.


    ¡°Quagmire¡±, a basic spell that summons a bog on a surface. It might be a useful spell but with an enemy like her, she could easily break free from it.


    ¡°Basilisk Shackles¡±, an advanced spell that summons two basilisks that constricts their target and draw their gaze, intending to petrify the target. This could work on the witch.


    She started to chant the spell, still hiding behind her skeleton shield. The moment she is ready to cast her spell, she quickly stepped sideways onto the open with a clear line of sight at her target.


    ¡°Basilisk Shackles!¡± Mavis chanted, two basilisks coming out the end of her staff and quickly slithering towards Alexis.


    The basilisks constricts Alexis, disturbing her spell-casting. With the opening created, Lowell started to chant a spell intending to incapacitate the witch.


    Alexis noticed the mana surrounding the skeleton as he is chanting his spell. With the basilisks still wrapped around her, she starts jerking all around trying to loosen the serpents¡¯ grip.


    It was rather painful but a little bit of pain was necessary in order to survive. Alexis did this until she noticed a sharp pain on her arms. She looked at the source of the pain and noticed the skin on her arms started chafing.


    ¡°WAIT, WAIT, WAIIIIIIIITTTT!!!¡± Alexis yelled in a panic.


    Lowell, Mavis and even the basilisks stopped on what they¡¯re all doing and looked at the panicking witch.


    ¡°I GIVE UP! PLEASE NO MORE! MY PERFECT SKIN IS RUINED!!!¡± They young witch wailed in sorrow.


    Lowell and Mavis exchanged glances at each other and after a short while, gave each other a nod.


    Lowell stopped chanting his spell altogether and Mavis ordered the basilisks to release Alexis with the basilisks returning to Mavis and slithering into her big hat.


    There on the forest clearing, Alexis is on her knees caressing her damaged wrists. The two approached her to introduce themselves. The witch looked up at them with puppy eyes that left Lowell uncomfortable yet completely enamored Mavis.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite strong. I¡¯m Mavis Grand! I¡¯m an adventurer.¡± Mavis introduced herself to the defeated witch.


    ¡°And you might know my companion here.¡± Mavis points at Lowell.


    Lowell shows Alexis his green gem.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while Alexis.¡± Lowell said warily.


    The green gem shined an emerald hue in Alexis¡¯s eyes and it reminded her of a friend from her party from a long time ago.


    ¡°Could it be?¡­ Lowell?¡± Alexis asked with mixed emotions.


    .


    .


    .


    And that is how Mavis met Alexis Fuller, High Priestess of the Malefis Witches Coven and the reunion of Lowell and Alexis, former members of an undisclosed adventurer party from time immemorial.


    Alexis, Mavis and Lowell, still clinging at the bristles of the broom, have arrived at New Fullsborough, the hidden city of witches. The full moon is out and it shines brightly. The witches get ready for a ritual and they all look at Mavis with excitement.

 Chapter 4

    Within the large sequoia tree lies the witch city of New Fullsborough. Many witches came out of the woodworks to meet the special guests.


    They mainly went to greet and gawk at Mavis who in their eyes is a new recruit all the while disregarding Lowell the skeleton.


    Alexis stood atop an elevated branch to grab the attention of her subordinates. The numerous witches out-and-about stood and watch their leader.


    ¡°Everyone! I¡¯d like you to meet this lovely, young girl. Mavis Grand!¡± Alexis introduced Mavis to the rest of the coven.


    The witches whispered amongst themselves in glee. Mavis took note of this so she asked Alexis about it.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mavis asked in a soft whisper.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t mind them, darling. It¡¯s been a while since we last had a visitor as cute as you!¡± Alexis answered playfully as she booped Mavis¡¯s nose.


    Alexis continued her address.


    ¡°And this walking heap of a skeleton is an old friend of mine, Lowell Necros.¡± Alexis declared scornfully.


    The witches all stopped with their gossip. The silence was almost deafening until Alexis spoke up once more.


    ¡°The both of them are my guests. I expect that no harm will come to them as they seek refuge within our city.¡± Alexis announced in a serious manner.


    The witches remained quiet although they bowed their heads in unison to show their agreement.


    After the announcement, a third of the witches present went back to their abodes. There are wooden doors carved along the tree¡¯s intertwined branches. Despite not having space for anything, logically speaking, a quick glance inside reveals that it is quite spacious, almost like it¡¯s a different plane of existence.


    Mavis decides to ask Alexis about it but she got cut-off by the witches, barraging her with questions of the outside world. Alexis and Lowell proceeded within the sequoia tree to Alexis¡¯s abode.


    With the numerous witches hounding her with no signs of budging, she just gives up in the meantime and entertain their questions.


    ¡°Hey, hey, how¡¯s the outside world?¡± asked by one of the witches.


    ¡°Hey, hey, you got a man?¡± asked a fairly glamorous witch.


    ¡°Hey, hey, are you joining the coven?¡± asked another witch.


    ¡°U-um¡­. one at a time please.¡± Mavis said nervously, just wanting to get back with Lowell and Alexis.


    The witches still showed no signs of letting her go. Mavis is going to be occupied for a while.


    Meanwhile, in Alexis¡¯s abode.


    The high priestess brought her skeletal friend to the most grand-looking door within New Fullsborough. The door is quite tall, standing at 8 feet tall and as wide an ogre.


    Just like the other doors in the area, there¡¯s nothing behind it and yet when the door is opened, another area is revealed. Alexis¡¯s house isn¡¯t quite like the rest. She¡¯s the high priestess so it was only natural that her house is filled with expensive furniture.


    Alexis led Lowell to her study. Its design is breathtaking, a circular room filled with books that go all the way up. A staircase in the middle of the room spiraling around an exposed tree branch to access the levels above.


    Lowell sat on a chair while Mavis sat opposite him. Inanimate objects spring to life as it tries to make refreshments for its master and her guest.


    The whole room was busy with all the objects moving about. Once they¡¯ve done their instruction, the objects lost all semblance of life. Peace came to the room as abruptly as all the commotion.


    The eeriness didn¡¯t disappear though as while all this was happening, Alexis never broke eye contact with Lowell. Trying to get out of this awkward situation, Lowell strikes a conversation with the witch.


    ¡°How did you find us?¡± Lowell asked Alexis, trying to get a conversation going, unable to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°I can sense every living soul within this forest. When I sensed the girl at the chimera¡¯s cave, I immediately went over to check out what¡¯s happening. That¡¯s when I found you.¡± Alexis replied with an eerie tone, still maintaining eye contact all throughout her spiel.


    Before Lowell could say anything back though, Alexis continued to talk.


    ¡°So, is it true you don¡¯t remember anything?¡± Alexis asked with an irritated tone in her voice.


    ¡°Only bits and pieces. Like your name, how we¡¯re acquainted and how I¡¯m a magician.¡± Lowell answered forlorn.


    ¡°But now you¡¯re here. You¡¯ll be able to help me find out who I am.¡± Lowell continues, finally looking at Alexis.


    ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯ll help you? Oh Lowell, you¡¯ve always been ignorant.¡± Alexis exclaimed as she stood up from her chair to start pacing around the room.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only brought us ruin in the past and now you¡¯re back for more? Why didn¡¯t you just stayed dead.¡± Alexis cried, her voice echoing around the room.


    Lowell stayed quiet. He was unsure on how to act around Alexis. Based on how she acted towards him during their first time meeting together again, it heavily suggested that he did horrible things to her.


    Alexis, who had been pacing the room all this time, went to sit back on her chair, seemingly deep in thought.


    ¡°That girl¡­ Why is she with you?¡± Alexis asked concerned.


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    ¡°Mavis? It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    Lowell told Alexis the whole story about how he met Mavis in the graveyard by using a necromancy spell. About how she died but by using a spell and with the power within his gem, was able to resurrect her. He also told her about going to Malefis Forest to seek her out for help and refuge.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Alexis processed all the information she¡¯s given.


    Alexis having thought deeply of everything stood from her chair and approached Lowell.


    ¡°Very well. I can grant you what you wish for¡­ but not to the lengths that you want.¡± Alexis proclaimed.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Lowell asked curiously.


    ¡°I cannot bring back your memories. That kind of magic is not my expertise. What  I can do for you instead is to share my own, memories from when we were still adventurers.¡± Alexis stated.


    ¡°That will do. Thank you.¡± Lowell responded, content with the offer.


    ¡°I will have to make preparations for the spell. It will take me a few days at the least. In the meantime, feel free to laze around here, the girl too.¡± Alexis said calmly, slowly returning to the cheerful witch that she was before.


    Alexis exited the room while Lowell stayed, interested with the books lying around. After a short moment, he heard a loud commotion outside and shortly heard the front door open once more.


    This time, Alexis goes in with Mavis who¡¯s visibly confused and tired. Alexis directed the both of them to a spare room within her home.


    As it is late and they¡¯re all tired, they decided to just take a bath then go to bed. Since Lowell is a skeleton, he doesn¡¯t need to practice hygiene and have no need for sleep so he just continued with his reading in the library.


    Mavis got ready for her bath but Alexis had other plans. The witch went inside the bathroom as Mavis was bathing. Mavis was flustered at first but as she was tired and Alexis helped her tend to her hair, she quickly stopped caring despite the touchy nature of the high priestess.


    Bed time came and Mavis had the bed all to herself. Lowell was in the same room reading his books, completely oblivious to the literal goddess he calls his master. Mavis tried a lot of things to get Lowell¡¯s attention to no avail. She just went to sleep, concluding their first night.


    Their first day in New Fullsborough include touring around the area and getting acquainted with the local witches, who were mostly kind towards them. There were some who didn¡¯t take kindly to the new visitors in town but their animosity is mainly directed at their high priestess whom they did not like. It had something to do with Alexis refusing to raid nearby villagers for supplies and  abducting female infants instead opting to protect the villagers from pillagers in exchange for goods.


    This decision from Alexis led the witches to have a more positive reputation towards the nearby villagers. Unfortunately, big cities like Sanctus Terra still view them with disdain and will not waver if given the chance to eradicate them.


    Every now and then, some witches would have romantic flings with men from these villages and end up getting pregnant. If they give birth to a girl, the kid stays within the witch city eventually joining their ranks. If it¡¯s a boy though, the kid is sent back to the father. Some men take and raise them hoping for a day when their family would be complete while most men just ditch their kid in the wilderness hoping that mother nature would do its thing.


    There were several artisans at New Fullsborough. There were those who specialized in making witches¡¯ clothing. They¡¯re responsible for dressing the whole city, free of charge. There were also those who made witches¡¯ brooms and there were those who baked pastries.


    There was no currency in the city. Exchange of goods is the norm instead of using money. This led the witches to be equal amongst themselves though they still recognize Alexis as their high priestess.


    Mavis and Lowell went to an apothecary just to check things out. One thing led to another and they end up testing the apothecary¡¯s newly developed drugs which are herbs soaked in water. It was basically tea.


    During their tea ¡°date¡±, Mavis tried her best to flirt with Lowell.


    ¡°Hey Sweetheart! Don¡¯t see you ¡®round here that often.¡± Mavis said flirtatiously as she sips her tea. It was sweet which really put her in a playful mood.


    ¡°What?¡± Lowell said quizzically.


    ¡°Just play along.¡± Mavis retorted monotonously.


    ¡°Ah yes. I¡¯m in town for a few days.¡± Lowell declared in a higher pitch than normal.


    ¡°I see. Why don¡¯t you tell me about yourself.¡± Mavis asked confidently.


    ¡°Oh, right. About that, Alexis said she¡¯ll help me recover my memories in a few days.¡± Lowell revealed some of the conversation him and Alexis had yesterday.


    ¡°Seriously? Good for you.¡± Mavis congratulated Lowell with a genuine smile.


    ¡°Thank you. She said it¡¯ll take a couple days to prepare though so we¡¯ll be here for a while.¡± Lowell continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I¡¯d like to see this week-long ritual they¡¯re doing as well anyway, so I guess it worked out it the end.¡± Mavis said looking out the window at the witches preparing for the ritual.


    With no other plans to visit the other artisans, the¡±date¡± went on for a while until they retire back to Alexis¡¯s house to rest, ending their first day at the city.


    Nothing much happened at night. They¡¯ve barely seen their host all day and it¡¯s supper time. The inanimate objects began moving again, preparing their dinner. After that, Mavis took a bath and went to bed, wherein she tried to get Lowell¡¯s attention once again to no avail.


    The second day promised to be a more exciting time as some of the witches brought them along during a foraging trip to the forest below.


    There they familiarize themselves with the local flora and fauna. Interestingly, all the wild beasts within the forest are tame when around the witches, some even going so close so that the two could pet them.


    The main objective is to gather herbs and other plants needed by the witches for the ritual. It wasn¡¯t much of a hassle, in fact, great progress was made, so much so that the witches even let them keep some of the herbs they foraged.


    Back at the city, the apothecary taught Mavis how to make potions with the herbs she procured. A useful skill to learn especially for an adventurer like her.


    Nighttime came once more, Alexis still nowhere to be seen. The inanimate objects came to life once more to serve its master¡¯s guests. Mavis took a relaxing bath after their supper and got ready for bed.


    As Mavis entered her room, she sees Lowell laying on the bed. Surprised and flustered, she decides to prod.


    ¡°S-so.. finally d-decide to sleep w-with m-me?¡± Mavis asked nervously.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lowell replied promptly.


    This made Mavis more nervous. Nevertheless, she joins him on the bed with both on their respective sides of the bed.


    ¡°This bed is really comfortable. No wonder you slept so slovenly.¡± Lowell muttered yet it still reached Mavis¡¯s ear.


    Mavis¡¯s anxiousness immediately disappeared leading her to pull on the blanket leaving Lowell without cover.


    The night passed and the sun came up just as quickly.


    The third day arrived and surprisingly, Alexis is back. The two asks her about her whereabouts but she just told them about the preparation for Lowell¡¯s memory spell. Alexis goads the two to go outside to help with the ritual.


    Mavis had already asked about the ritual in their first night arriving at the city. Apparently it¡¯s similar to a harvest ritual. The witches are doing this ritual not for them, but for the nearby villages in their protection. The ritual started under Alexis¡¯s orders in order to convince the villagers for their cooperation.


    Helping out with the ritual was tedious work. It mostly involved carrying tools and ritual equipment from one place to another. One thing that stood out to Mavis though was the lack of bullying from the other witches, the ones who dislike Alexis.


    In the past few days that they¡¯ve been here, those witches would usually give them the cold shoulder, some even threatening Mavis and Lowell. They were harmless though, not wanting to anger Alexis despite their clear disdain for her.


    Without any disturbance, the ritual soon began as twilight came. A group of witches form a large circle wherein they started to chant a spell. Mavis and Lowell weren¡¯t able to watch ¡®till the end though as Alexis soon came for them and invited them back to her home.


    Alexis led the two to her study as she brought out the materials needed for the spell. The materials were organic in nature and had to be crushed on a mortar. After, Alexis brushed the crushed powder onto her forehead and started chanting.


    Everyone in the room started getting dizzy, eventually leading all of them to doze off. Now in this trance state, they were able to freely glide through Alexis¡¯s memories, focusing solely on memories of Lowell.


    The first memory starts with a young lady looking at a mirror. She kept on styling her hair in all different ways despite the first style, a princess-like curly style, being the best. This young lady looked so much like Alexis; still looking like the same as she does now. Was this memory recent? It couldn¡¯t have been.


    As she exited her room, she was met by another young lady who looked like a pilgrim. She was sporting a priest¡¯s outfit but she¡¯s donning armor on vulnerable areas of her body.


    They went down the stairs of the inn they were staying at. They were then called to a nearby table by a tall, dark figure. The figure was at least eight feet tall and fully donned with heavy plate armor.


    Coming from outside the inn was a well built man wearing leather armor. He meets the group as he puts his foot on the table. He hollered at the direction of the entrance.


    At the entrance of the inn comes a slender young man. He was wearing a scholar¡¯s robes. Without even introducing himself, he began talking to the group.


    ¡°Well met great adventurers! My good friend here told me you¡¯d be able to help me with my predicament. It¡¯s quite simple really. I need you all to accompany me to the Necropolis. My research led me to believe that there is an artifact in the area. Help me get it and you can keep everything else. All of you agree? Great! I¡¯ll make sure to keep myself useful as a mage. Huh? My name? That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t introduced myself, huh. Nice to meet you! I¡¯m Lowell Hertia!¡±

 Chapter 5

    Lowell Hertia, a young mage who met with the well-known adventurers group ¡°Quatro Domini¡±, the group Alexis belonged to a long time ago.


    Alexis Fuller was their mage, covering the group¡¯s rear. Maria Theresa DuPont was a woman of the cloth and ventured with the group as a healer and exorcist of the undead. Wulgar, a half-giant hybrid hailing from the far, northern mountain ranges of Gigante, is the group¡¯s vanguard. Lastly, Rodney Hood, a former small-time thief, acts as the thief and leader of the group. He¡¯s responsible for numerous tasks within and outside the group. He holds the party¡¯s funds and is the one responsible for accepting quests on behalf of the party.In battle, he looks out for everything and is usually the one making plans of attack and or escape. Being a thief required a high IQ which Rodney was suitable for considering he was top of his class during his school days.


    At a close distance within the inn they met on are the spectral bodies of Mavis, present day Lowell and Alexis. They¡¯re unable to interact with anything, let alone even move. Their only choice is to watch events unfold.


    The memory started to shift, the trios bodies¡¯ began to sink, as if they¡¯re riding a dragon who¡¯s plummeting straight to the ground. Once they¡¯ve reached the bottom, a new memory took place.


    This phenomenon kept repeating over a hundred times, maybe even more. The trio lost track. Still, with this many memories being shown, the friendship of Quatro Domini with Lowell was strong.


    This friendship developed over time. The distance of their destination, Necropolis, helped as well considering that it was a ways off from the town they were staying at.


    Various memories ranged from taking subjugation quests on towns or cities they stayed at to hanging out at tourist spots when there¡¯s nothing to do.


    A lot of the memories were fun for Alexis to relive whereas Lowell remains clueless, his memory still haven¡¯t returned. At s0me point, they entered a memory where barely anything is visible.


    They were stuck inside what seemed like a wardrobe. On the other side were the hushed voices of Lowell and Theresa who are seemingly meeting in secret.


    Mavis and Lowell looked around the small space they were in trying to discern what¡¯s going on. Alexis on the other hand didn¡¯t seem to play along. Instead, she just looked at herself, sitting inside the wardrobe quietly listening in on the conversation going on outside the bedroom.


    ¡°Master Lowell, you know we can¡¯t keep meeting like this.¡± Theresa said while being embraced in Lowell¡¯s arms.


    Theresa, being part of the clergy from a young age, had developed a habit of calling her superiors in the church ¡°Master¡±. Even now that she¡¯s an adventurer, she refers to most of her friends, except Alexis, with that title.


    ¡°I know..¡± Lowell replied in bated breath. ¡°But don¡¯t you think this is exciting in its own right?¡± Lowell asked excitedly.


    ¡°Perhaps so. But Alexis seemed like she¡¯s onto us. Nobody can find out about us or I¡¯ll be excommunicated from the order.¡± Theresa stated. Those who are sworn members of the church are made to save their chastity for their God hence they are forbidden to have an intimate relationship with the opposite sex. Theresa is no exception.


    ¡°I was talking with Rodney earlier and he says we¡¯ll reach Necropolis in five days.¡± Lowell shifted the subject.


    ¡°Then it seems we won¡¯t get to do our little excursions anymore. Unless¡­¡± Theresa said wistfully. ¡°You know, you get along really well with Rodney and Wulfgar and I¡¯m sure Alexis would like to have you around as well even if the two of you don¡¯t see eye to eye most of the times.¡± Theresa continued with a smile on her face.


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    ¡°And what about you Miss DuPont? How do you feel about me?¡± Lowell asked half-jokingly.


    ¡°Of c-course I¡¯d l-like you a-around¡­¡± Theresa muttered, her face glowing red. She then hugged him tightly, digging her face on his chest. ¡°I love you.¡± Theresa said, her face bright red that it started to make her sweat.


    Lowell lifted her head to get a look on her face. Theresa resisted a little but ultimately let him lead her. As they got lost in each other¡¯s eyes, Lowell reciprocated his feelings towards Theresa. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    The two started kissing each other passionately, hands touching each other all over. The once cool room has become steamy hot as the three people inside started to sweat profusely, with one, more specifically the peeping tom inside the wardrobe, is starting to lose her consciousness because of the lack of oxygen.


    She spent the next three hours trapped inside that wardrobe before the two outside would fall asleep and she could make her escape. The very next day, Alexis was more impolite towards Lowell for seemingly no reason.


    The memory started to shift once again and this time, the three spectral bodies are finally at the end destination:Necropolis.


    The land around Necropolis is dead. No flora or fauna to be found. The once flourishing city used to be a hub for trading as it connected several big cities. But ever since the Lich rose into power and decided to invade the city, it quickly fell as the Lich commanded its limitless undead army.


    Though the city fell to ruin, a lot of its treasures are still hidden within the vaults, simply waiting for someone to find them.


    The party made camp just outside the vicinity of the spreading rot. There have been reports in the past of people being exposed to this rot for a prolonged period of time which led to their deaths and eventually turning into zombies. But research made by the Mage¡¯s guild proved that there are no effects on the individual as long as they¡¯re not in direct contact with it.


    Before they made their way inside the city though, Rodney had to go inside by his lonesome to chart a map for the group. This way, they don¡¯t spend too much time exploring dead ends.


    Rodney¡¯s philosophy towards this is quite simple: find the boss and you¡¯ll find the treasure. In this case, as long as he can pinpoint where the lich is at then he¡¯ll also find the artifact Lowell is looking for and also some other treasures.


    This wasn¡¯t as simple when doing it though as Rodney took the entire day charting a route to the lich¡¯s lair. He had to avoid countless undead lurking around the dead city, at one point almost getting caught as his foot got stuck in a gutter.


    Back at the camp, the five start to formulate a plan. As Theresa is a priest and an expert at exorcising the undead, she proposes to go directly to where the lich is and exorcise it causing the rest of the undead to disband.


    The lich¡¯s lair was well within the heart of the city, surrounded by a sea of undead skeletons and zombies. Getting a party of five inside unscathed would prove extremely difficult but not impossible.


    Some plans were put forward like sneaking through the sewers but was ultimately denied as Wulfgar was unable to traverse the tight area, let alone get inside it. Another plan was put forward that could work. A diversion.


    The idea is that the group would plant bombs and place rune magic at the farthest side of the city, detonate them and wait for the undead to swarm the affected area. From there, they should meet little resistance when approaching the lich¡¯s lair. It wasn¡¯t a guarantee but the members were up for it.


    After finalizing their plan, they went on to have a feast before the big operation. The campfire grew bigger throughout the night as they eat food and celebrate life. A lot of words of respect were exchanged between the members though it could just be the alcohol talking. Lowell proposed becoming a permanent member of the group which was well received by the three except Alexis who wavered a bit before agreeing to the proposal with a wry smile. One thing is for certain, they can¡¯t call themselves Quatro Domini anymore.


    The moon shined its brightest as the group retreated to their tents to rest. The night passed by quickly and soon, the sun rose beckoning a long and arduous day ahead.


    As morning came, the group got ready for their operation. Rodney checked his items and tools. Wulfgar sharpened his battleaxe with a whetstone. Theresa offered a prayer to her God for success. Lowell organized his spell scrolls and Alexis was fixing her hair.


    With that, the group made their way to the Necropolis in search of treasure. Unbeknownst to them, a great evil sleeps within the confines of the city of the dead.