“A necromancer!?” Ludo yelled out.

Emmer, busy removing the spear from Ludo’s leg did not answer at first, “Yes, Ludo. Not content with murder, they rob the victim’s corpse their deserved peace and use them for their own gain.”

With a quick move, he pulled out the spear. A sudden shock traveled throughout Ludo’s body as he screamed out in pain. Ludo drifted in and out of consciousness as Emmer quickly worked in bandaging his leg to stop the bleeding. As soon as he was done, he helped Ludo back to his feet.

“Do not fall unconscious, we still need you to get on the horse.” Emmer, with the help of another man that came with him, helped Ludo up Emmer’s horse. Ludo howled in pain, his wounded leg subjected to sudden movements. At last he was placed comfortably on the horse, and soon after the three of them rejoined the rest of the scouting party. Which was busy taking care of the wounded and had lit a pyre where two dead horses rested at the center of it.

Sensing Ludo’s guilt, Emmer said. “Don’t be saddened about them. If not for your warning, they might have been butchered and be with the horses in the pyre.”

“I wasn’t able to control my horse… it ran away.” Ludo lowered his head.

“A horse is a horse. The important thing is that no one died and thanks to your little escapade in the forest, we have the information that we needed to know what we are up against.”

“He sounds quite relaxed doesn't he?” Ben said.

“Aren’t necromancers dangerous!?” Ludo asked Emmer following Ben’s comment.

“Sure… but between a wolf or a bear who would you rather encounter?”

“… a wolf?”

“And that’s what a necromancer is… dangerous if encountered alone, but by an organized force? Heh.”

“So we were lucky we did not see ghouls?”

“Indeed we were. But a necromancer so deep in people’s territory worries me. Something might have happened to push him this far.”

At the same time, a small group of the scouting party broke off and went into the forest behind Ludo and Emmer, returning a few minutes later with the skeletal remains of the undead soldiers which they unceremoniously threw into the pyre. Afterwards, Emmer ordered the platoon to start moving once more. The merry mood from earlier had been taken away from them completely. Everyone was on high alert, scared of outlines and shadows from innocent trees and creatures. Ludo especially, kept his newly controlled powers active all throughout the ride home, wary of another ambush.

They arrived at the first hours of the night, to a concerned crowd of of wives, children and, elderly. Ludo and the two other wounded were transported quickly to a small house by the town’s entrance and their wounds were treated in equal haste. Ludo was given a large cup of wine to drink as a wet towel was carefully placed on the bandage tied to his leg. Now crimson red.

“Drink the pain away, boy. Hurry!” One of the women treating him said.

Ludo then waited a few minutes after gulping down the wine before he was treated again. His leg was carefully unwrapped and the woman applied something to directly to his wound. It stung but not as much as he expected. In fact, the wine had put him in high spirits.

“So how long have you been doing this?” Ludo asked the woman, who did not answer. “And what about… have I told you about the voice in my—”

“If you do not quiet down, I will have to tie your mouth shut,” The woman warned him.

Ludo humphed like a child and quietly observed the process through his blurred vision. All the abuse his body had taken that day came crashing down all at once as he laid there. He began to feel heavy and tired and it was not long before he fell asleep.

Ludo woke up with a jump and was greeted by a sharp, dry pain in his leg. A long, white cloth separated his bed from the outside world. Memories of the day before flooded back in and he sulked back into a depressive silence only broken by loud snores from one of the other wounded men. While laying there, he felt a sudden rage at the necromancer for what had happened the day before. But more importantly, he felt disgusted at himself for foolishly thinking he should have gone with Emmer and the rest into the forest. Nonetheless, it was too late for him to turn his back on them and he wanted to help.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t move that leg if I were you,” Ben said.

“I wasn’t planning to!” Ludo whispered back.

“Your thoughts said otherwise.”

“Fine, I did want to see what was happening outside.”

“And you will in time. If your leg heals properly.”

“Was it that bad?” Ludo worryingly asked.

“I’ve seen wo—could’ve been worse.”

“You seem oddly knowledgeable for a voice in my head.” Ludo added. “Why is that? And Why do you disappear?”

“I don’t quite follow…”

“Yesterday and the day before, you seemed absent… why?”

Before Ben could answer, the door to the hospice was thrown open, followed by loud, booming footsteps. The curtain by his bed swung to the side and Ludo was suddenly face to face with Emmer. He looked like he had taken a beaten. His eyes were sunken into his face and barely open, his hair was a mess, and he looked pale and gaunt. He had a rather large back strapped to his side.

“Your leg?” he asked.

“It hurts a little but I think I’m—”

“No you’re not. I know you want to help. But you should let it heal first.” Emmer said firmly.

“But what about the necromancer!?” Ludo exclaimed, pushing himself out of the bed before Emmer stopped him.

“Him? He won’t dare come close now that his cover has been blown.”

“You see? Trust the old man,” Ben added.

Ludo wasn’t convinced. Even if his leg was useless, he wanted to go out and assess the situation himself, make sure that everyone was fine. Emmer—sharp as always— immediately picked up on this.

“Ludo. I’m aware of your will to help us, and for that I am grateful. I truly am. But you can’t fight with one leg.”

Ludo did not answer, gritting his teeth, he wanted to tell Emmer something, but it did not matter what he thought of. Nothing justified going out to help with one leg, and a certain someone within his mind was constantly pointing it out.

“You’re right…” Ludo sighed, defeated.

“Don’t worry, Ludo. I have sent Henry and two others to Balessia to inform the mercenaries of our… your findings. I also have a contact there that will put you back in action in no time.”

“A medic?”

“Better. A magical healer. Really good one at that. You only need to hold on for a few days.”

Emmer then reached for his bag and took out a large amount of books.

“I searched around the house and found some old books that you might find interesting. They where quite dusty,” Emmer said as Ludo pulled a large spider web from the cover of one of the book.

Ludo read out load the title of the first book. “On history.”

“Maybe something inside will help get your memories back.” Emmer said before hurrying back to the entrance, adding. “We’ll be alright,” on his way out.

Ludo spent the next days reading to the sound of orders being shouted outside. He learned as much as he could, about the land’s long history, its various peoples and, finally, the horrors these peoples had to encounter. From monsters, to more human looking abominations like necromancers though, unfortunately, any information on ghouls was missing. Despite Ludo’s fascination on the book’s subjects, it seemed Ben was enjoying even more. He said multiple times to stay on a single page, reveling in all the new information.

“Fascinating, is it not?” Ben said one day.

“What?” Ludo replied.

“Everything around. It’s beautiful that you get to know about this… a second time that is.”

“True,” Ludo said. “But I cannot understand something.”

“What is it?”

“This—”

“Will you keep it down!” one of the wounded men sharing the room with Ludo yelled. Luckily for him, a set of curtains separated them. The last thing he needed were rumors that he was speaking to someone who was not there, even if they were true. Ludo then heard the door open followed by various voices engaged with each other in a hectic whispering match.

“What’s the matter!?” the complainer from before yelled out.

“Rest time is over.” Henry yelled, yanking open the curtains immediately after. Ludo now sat face to face with Emmer again. He was surrounded by a retinue of people whom Ludo did not recognize. All had sunken eyes and a haggard, rough appearance.

“We have procured a large amount of vials,” Emmer said. “This will make you healthy and strong in no time.”

He gave Ludo a small vial, which contained an odd pink liquid that shifted inside, attempting to break free.

“That doesn’t look safe,” Ben said and Ludo agreed.

“Do not worry about its bizarre nature,” Emmer said, handing the vial over.

Ludo carefully inspected it. Consuming it was troubling though but, looking back at his leg, it was better than to stay laying down.

“I don’t have to tell you anything, boy,” Ben said. “Safe to say you already know what to do.”

Taking a deep breath, Ludo removed the lid and drank it all in one gulp. A bitter taste invaded his mouth and he felt like throwing up. Then, a burning sensation started in his mouth and quickly moved down his body until it reached his wounded leg. A prickling sensation from his wound overwhelmed all his senses. He attempted to scratch it but Emmer held his wrist. Ludo groaned as the prickliness and burning sensation turned to a sharp pain until it stopped as swiftly as it arrived. The nurses then removed Ludo’s bandages and to his amazement, there was no wound to be seen. The pain was but a faint memory as he excitedly placed his once damaged leg on the ground. He stood upright to see Emmer eye to eye, fully healed and ready to return.

“Amazing,” Ben said.

“Good as new,” Emmer smiled. “Come. Your day has just begun.”