Souls Apart

by GnollReader

Chapter 22: A grim pony

The necromancer walked through his quarters with a sigh, constantly mumbling to himself in thought. He didn't even notice the imp as it entered through one of the doors.

"Boss?"

The necromancer looked up, "Huh? Yeah?"

"Everything okay? You seem a bit troubled..."

He waved a hand, "No no, everything is fine... I'm just wondering about something." he shook his head, "Doesn't matter, guess I'll have to make due with what I have..."

The imp gave him a worried look, "Boss?"

The necromancer turned to the imp, "Get everyone back inside, I think Tobie and Edward had enough fun for one day."

"Okay." the imp hesitated, "Should we open the tower for public access again?"

"What?"

"The locals keep on asking if the tower is going to be open again soon. It seems most of them found the challenges quite entertaining."

"Of course they're entertaining, I made them to be entertaining." the necromancer groaned to himself, "Alright, open it up again and get everything running. But make sure I'm not disturbed, I have a summon to perform."

The imp nodded, but also eyed its master with concern, "You're going to summon him?"

"Yeah, there's something I need from him..." the necromancer flexed his hands.

A heavy sigh escaped the imp, "Do be careful, Boss. You know we can't help you should anything happen."

"Yes, yes... I know. Now leave me to my preparations."

With one last, sullen look the imp bowed and left. None of them liked it when the boss summoned him, it was dangerous and it troubled them more than anything that they couldn't help their boss in any way. But they knew well enough that the necromancer wouldn't drop the issue for anything.

---

When the necromancer was alone inside his quarters, he started his preparations by pushing the furniture to the walls and removing the big carpet from the floor. Underneath, the summoning circle he had burnt into the floor when he had pulled up the tower was still waiting for him. Countless runes in an old and forbidden language ran over the stone floor in circular patterns, glowing a soft red as he eyed them.

There were countless layers besides the ones actually needed for the summon. Runes for protection, runes for containing and control, runes for control of the mana flow, the list went on and on. It had taken him hours to prepare it, but when it came to summons he had learned from experience that one should be prepared. Especially so with this particular summon.

The necromancer stepped into the outer circle, and began to chant, the words coming from nothing but memory since he dared not write them down. Slowly, as the first circles started to glow with more intensity he drew out a small knife. While simultaneously keeping chanting and pouring magic into the circles, he drew the knife over his palm, letting his blood fall into the inner circles. The colors of the runes started to change, slowly taking a color symbolizing the nature of what he intended to summon.

With his last chant, the summoning circle became alive, the runes running in patterns over the floor as the desired summon took form within them. The necromancer felt a shiver run over his skin as he sensed his presence.

Inside the summoning circle, a shadowy figure took form, revealing a dark, tattered cloak and a sharp scythe on a frail and bony shoulder. Two glowing eyes looked out at the world from an empty skull. The grim reaper had arrived.

"I had wondered where you had gone to when I couldn't feel you in your dimension anymore..." the emotionless voice escaped an unmoving mouth, "Why have you..."

The grim reaper was interrupted in his question as the necromancer broke down onto his knees in a fit of laughter.

"What is so amusing?" death asked with an invisible frown, he was not used to being interrupted. Not even by the necromancer.

The necromancer looked up for a second, trying hard to contain himself but breaking into uncontrollable laughter again as he looked death in the face.

"You..." he managed to choke out between holding his sides and struggling for air, "You..."

"What?"

"You're a pony!" the necromancer broke down again, "You look simply adorable! Had I known you'd appear here like that I'd have summoned you way earlier! Death is a grim pony!" he mocked the grim reaper's voice, "I have come to reap the hay! BUWAHAHAHA!" the necromancer started to hammer his fist onto the ground, "I don't believe this! This is so glorious! Oh god, I can't breath... HAHAHA!"

Death gave an annoyed sigh, which was hard without lungs, "It seems you have not lost your sense of humor. But yes, I tend to take the form of the most prominent species present in each dimension. So why..."

The necromancer held up a hand, "Wait! Wait!" he wheezed, "I have to take a picture of this!"

"Why have you called me?" Death asked with a voice that made the runes tremble.

The necromancer sat down on his rear with a sigh and wiped a tear from his eye, "What do you think I called you for?"

"This again? Are you still trying to break the rules of nature?" Death shook his head, "You should know better than that, Aergad."

"Your current form doesn't really help me to take you serious." the necromancer chuckled before calming himself down again, "You know that if I want to finish my work, I need her soul here, and not in the other dimension."

"You know that your attempts are destined to fail, she does not wish to return..."

"Only because she doesn't know what happened! She's lost between planes because she was still waiting for me! Name your price, I want her soul here!" Aergad snapped back.

The grim reaper stared at him with those soulless eyes for a lingering moment, "A soul for a soul. That is what I demand."

The necromancer sneered, "That's it? That's all you want?"

"That is all. But it must be one untainted and pure. Contact me again when you have it." Death paused, "Shouldn't you prepare for a party soon?"

"Why? Am I expected to bring some sort of present?" Aergad asked with a raised eyebrow, "Or do I have to do some tricks?"

"No, you do not. But you are getting blood all over yourself." the grim reaper replied, "Now release me from this seal so I can continue my work."

The necromancer gave a sigh and released the binding seal, the pony form of death disappearing immediately. "A pure soul?" he mumbled to himself, "Shouldn't be too hard around here... though Celestia is probably going to trip her balls when she finds out." he chuckled, "Well then, lets see where this goes..."

There was a knock on his door, "Boss? You in there?"

"Yeah, I'm here... what is it?"

The imp entered and approached him, noticing his bleeding hand with worry, "It's about one of the guests, boss."

Aergad raised an eyebrow, "What about them?"

The imp held up a small vial. Inside, a green drop of blood was suspended in a clear liquid, "I don't think this one is a pony."

Comments

[dawn_rising]

Changelings!

[Fugly Duckling]

yay, we finally know his name

and i dread the day when you get a writers block

[HunterOfPeace]

Does the Necromancer finally have a name?

Possibly a goal as well? Who is this her he wants to bring back? His mother? A lost love?

I'm loving this so far! Keep it up!

[GnollReader]

2606415 Writers block? Me? Never!
25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6tl2i2Ab21rz1liao1_400.gif

[Fugly Duckling]

2606439 yeah, i don't know what i was thinking

[Florida]

Aergad will more than likely question the many holes on the changelings leg and probably make a dirty joke about them

We all know it

[LuluTia]

Changelings!! Although I hope that chrysalis won't be an antagonist again that's just too cliche and Aegrad would probably own her

[TOG]

Awesome

[The Crimson Reaper]

2606522 Im 99.9.999% sure....

[211]

Ah, I see. He is no true necromancer. He is simply still a child that yearns for his mother's love and is throwing a tantrum in the process. True mastery of death means not conquering it, denying it, fleeing from it. It means accepting death as part of the great cycle. After all, how can one be considered a master of death if they fear it so?

[spagooleynoodley]

6260189
HEY! Don't try to apply philosophy, re-animating the dead is cool!

[Goatfish]

2606439
And over 4 years later, you don’t write no more...

[Alitaher003]

8531528
he came back, but its been over a year. is sad.