//------------------------------// // 15 - Alliances // Story: The Necromancer's Ambition // by KuroiTsubasaTenshi //------------------------------// A long, drawn out groan, the odd low-to-high whine that hinges love to make, pierced the darkness. My consciousness stirred as it hung somewhere in that void between dream and reality. Slowly, sluggishly, I swam toward the realization until it shot forward, crashing right into my mind’s eye. My eyes snapped open, climbing the unfamiliar walls until the panic subsided. Blaze was still tucked up against me, her soft exhalations tickling my mane. Squinting, I tried to recall the moments before sleep, but all I had was a muddled mix of fatigue and tears. I looked up toward the door, even though I knew nopony other than Ivory could have entered. There was that distant longing in her eye, the one that could cleave through time. I wondered which, if not all, of her family she was seeing. Regardless, I didn’t feel comfortable asking. Her eyes met mine and she hastily cleared her throat. “Sleep well?” “As much as can be expected, I guess.” I nudged at Blaze’s head, gently guiding it onto her pillow. “How was yours?” “Restful.” Ivory scuffed a hoof. “But healing spells are good at that.” Last night’s curiosity returned and I found myself staring at the gap in her cloak. Though my whole body felt like one big bruise, my thirst for knowledge pushed me to my hooves. “And your injury?” She lifted the side of her cloak. The only trace of her wound was a soft pink scar carving a long, thin bald spot across her coat. “That’s amazing,” I said, fighting the urge to poke it with my hoof. My gaze drifted to her flank and I realized that this was the first time I’d gotten a clear look at her cutie mark. The black silhouette of a pony climbing a simple mound of dirt was strangely endearing. It was a cutie mark that knew, despite all stigma, that it wanted to do good. Questions that had been lingering at the back of my mind drifted to the forefront and I looked back at Ivory. “So how did it happen, anyway? You know I know what your zombies are capable of. Your defenses should have been impenetrable.” “It’s not important.” She tried to look away, though her eyes kept flicking back to me. On one of her return bouts, I met her gaze and held it. “Ivory.” “You were taking so long, I started to worry. So I sent a bird to check. I… I didn’t want to lose you.” Ivory looked away again. “And that’s how the bandit got through?” Ivory nodded. So our close save was… A horrible wave of guilt slammed into my gut, but I fought through it as best I could. I staggered forward and pressed my cheek against hers, careful not to stay in her personal space too long. “Wha—?” She stared. “Thanks. You really saved us back there and… well, I’m honoured that you care so much about me. I just feel terrible that you had to get hurt for it.” “It was nothing.” She looked at the floor for just a moment before her eyes snapped over to the cots and she pulled her cloak down. I turned to follow her gaze. Blaze was still on her cot, but her eyes were wide, fixed on the spot where Ivory’s cutie mark was concealed. Only a bare whisper, modulating between awe and uncertainty, escaped her lips, “N-necromancer…” “I am. So what?” Ivory gave Blaze a hard stare, the same kind of look she’d given me when we’d first met. Blaze’s jaw moved up and down, but the words drifted out like gaseous thoughts escaping on their own. “I… this… This isn’t what I expected.” Ivory rolled her eyes. “I’ve never heard that one before.” “She’s not a bad pony, you know.” I said, trying to cut the tension before it could build any further. I had a feeling I’d need a sharper blade. “I know, it...” Blaze looked at the the tear in Ivory’s cloak. “... it’s hard. I was always taught that you’re the face of everything wrong with our town.” Ivory slumped a little. I shot Blaze a questioning glance. “Really? Every problem?” With a nod, she turned her attention to the cot, scuffing little swirls in the sheet. “Droughts, parasprites eating the crops, wild storms, you name it; he always said they were all hexes or curses, brought down upon us by the Necromancer.” “He?” I was pretty certain I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from Blaze. “The mayor, Prideful Policy.” Ivory stiffened. “Thought so.” I tapped my hoof against my chin. Blaze looked up for just a moment. “What? You know him?” “No. I know about him. And from what I’ve heard..." My eyes drifted over to Ivory. "...those antics sound about right. There’s just one thing that bothers me.” “What?” Blaze continued to watch her hoof. “As far as I know, the legend can’t possibly be much older than him. How did he get the elder folk onboard?” Blaze gave me a confused look. It was my turn to ask “What?” “The legend ties itself to an older one. About a sorcerer.” Ivory stared at the wall. I wracked my brain, but I could not recall a legend within a legend and I was certain I hadn’t missed anything on the page. “Then the version I read, it must not be complete. Would you tell me the full story?” Blaze spoke quickly, but steadily, the words leaving her lips with an unthinking familiarity. “There was once a sorcerer whose desire for immortality overrode all else. He worked tirelessly, committing endless atrocities along the way. Finally, he turned to necromancy, seeking to join the ranks of the legendary liches. Though he was no longer mortal, the spell was imperfect; his body could not hold against the strain of such powerful magic. Little by little, he deteriorated, until he was nearly a crippled husk. In desperation, he transferred his power and mind to a corpse. Even though his new body was destined to suffer the same fate, at long last, he had found his immortality. All he needed was more bodies. Thus, the sorcerer became the Necromancer. A fearsome defiler of the dead, the Necromancer knows no boundaries. Those foolish enough to wander the roads at night have vanished, only to turn up later as part of the Necromancer’s restless army.” I frowned, wondering just how this longer version had eluded me. Especially when most of my research had been done in Canterlot, home of the largest library in Equestria. My frown deepened. Then, when I was nearly chewing on my scarf, Earnest Care’s words came surging back to me. I realized that if the mayor had lost credibility with the guard, that could easily cascade to other organizations. And if nopony cared, none of the records were guaranteed to be reliable. Turning to Blaze, I asked, “And everyone believes it?” “Just about.” She spoke the words slowly, squirming with each syllable. “So he can say the sorcerer has taken over anyone he wants to discredit?” Ivory’s eyes were distant again, nodding as she spoke, “I still remember what he said, the day he quashed all doubt of my guilt: ‘You may wear the face of that filly, but you will never be anything more than a monster, Necromancer!”  A heavy silence fell over the room. We weren’t exactly in the best of positions, but I did have one last ace to play. “What if I had something that might tie him to the bandits who’ve been playing the legend for their own gain?” A tiny spark of hope lit up Ivory’s face. “It would explain much. What is it?” I trotted over to my flight satchel and retrieved the bandit’s scroll. “Secret correspondence. There’s not a whole lot to it, but it’s pretty incriminating and clearly hoof- or mouth-written. If we could match it to the mayor’s, we could bring this whole thing crashing down on him.” Ivory slid up beside me and peered over my shoulder as I unfurled the letter. She squinted, eyes flying over the words again and again. Blaze wasn’t far behind. “Can I see?” The table was getting a little crowded, so I stepped aside, allowing her to squeeze in between me and Ivory. Not ten seconds passed before Blaze blurted out, “It’s his!” I raised an eyebrow. “What? How can you be so sure?” A sheepish look spread across her face. “There’s an old wanted poster in the town hall, written by the mayor, himself. I’ve... read it every day for years. If only I’d known it had such an ugly truth behind it.” “Hey.” I gave her a short, reassuring nudge. “At least it’s helping you do good now. We just need to find an official analyst to back up our claims. Although, I have a feeling it might be tough to find one way out here.” “My dad could help!” Blaze practically yelled as soon as I’d finished talking. I tilted my head. “How?” “He has lots of friends in Iron Shoe. Somepony has to be one. Or at least know one.” Though the logic wasn’t very sound, I could at least appreciate her enthusiasm. And to be fair, connections aren’t exactly a trivial asset. “Well, not necessarily, but it’s a start, anyway. So let’s hope for the best. We should leave immediately.” “Wait,” Ivory interjected. “The stallion, was he telling the truth?” A half-second of confusion quickly cascaded into realization: we still had a prisoner. “Aside from a few omitted details, everything was accurate.” “You go ahead then. I’ll see him to safety.” Ivory turned to the door. “Are you sure? We can come along.” “No, it’s too important to put off. Besides, I… I shouldn’t be seen in Pasture.” “Who are we talking about?” Blaze asked. “Oh… um...” I bit my lip. “We interrogated a bandit in order to get your location.” “And you’re just going to let a bandit go? He’s a criminal, isn’t he?” The guardsmare within had resurfaced, bringing that old zealous fire back to her voice. “I promised to let him go if he told the truth. He kept his word and so will I. Besides, he’s young, practically a colt. If you were in his shoes, wouldn’t you want another chance?” I looked her straight in the eye. Blaze frowned. “I would, but this is different.” “Is it?” I tilted my head. “He’s not some manifestation of evil, he’s a pony. A cooperative pony, at that and he just wants to live his life.” “Yeah, but can’t we do something else? How do we know he won’t rejoin the bandits?” “We don’t.” Ivory cut in. “But we didn’t know if we could trust you, either.” “I…” I cocked my head. “So what do you propose?” “Jail?” “The closest is Pasture’s and if the mayor is in cahoots with the bandits, he’ll know something is up.” I tapped my hoof. “Leaving him here while we run off to another city would also be a bad idea. And I don’t know about you, but lugging a prisoner all the way to Iron Shoe wouldn’t be particularly pleasant, nor within our time frame.” “What about…?” Blaze trailed off, her jaw working, but words failed to come out. “Killing?” I raised an eyebrow. Blaze froze, the seconds dragging out before she finally shook her head. “No… I… nevermind.”