“What do we call you?” Gilreg called out to the lopping ghoul.

“You mean my name?”

“Yes.”

“Well, why didn’t you just ask me what my name was?” The ghoul stopped and turned to face the group.

Gilreg was startled and didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m not an ‘it’ or a ‘thing.’ My name is Salius. I may not be alive, but I am conscious, and I appreciate a little respect,” Salius said.

“Someone is overly sensitive,” Shaymus mumbled, and Booger laughed.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Shaymus said, and she and the orc snickered at their private joke.

Salius led the group deeper into the cemetery. It was filled with large tombstones, but the group only saw a few zombies. The ghoul explained as he lopped that they had not seen an Envoy either in some time and that their zombie numbers had dwindled due to increased adventurer activity. Like the orc prince, the ghoul is certain that there is a hidden adventurer encampment nearby. Salius stood before a mausoleum and then entered into the dark depths.

“Catacombs,” Nulrok said in awe as the five descended into a dark tunnel lined with skeletal remains.

“A little light, please?” Gilreg asked the mage.

Nulrok pointed his wand to the open palm of his other hand. A fist-sized ball of flame appeared. He twirled his wand in a circle, and the ball split into several fist-sized balls. Waving his wand up in an arc, the balls flew out to line the walls like torches. They moved along with the mage.

“When did you learn to do that?” Raine asked.

“I can manipulate fire and shape it. The fire can burn things, but when the spell ends, just like my ice magic, all the fire will disappear.”

“How long will this last?” Gilreg asked.

“For some time. The wand allows me to put a bunch of mana into it. It should last a few hours even without my concentrating on it.”

“Come, come. We are near,” Salius beckoned from further ahead.

“I don’t trust him. Everyone stay alert,” Gilreg said quietly to the group.

“What? Don’t you think you are judging him because he is not alive? That is discrimination!” Booger said.

The goblins looked at the orc in disbelief. Shaymus shook her head. Raine remained quiet and looked to Gilreg for further instruction.

“If there is an ambush. Nulrok, you split our enemies up with your ice magic. Shaymus and Raine focus on their casters. Booger and I will cover you as best we can,” Gilreg said.

The warrior led the group deeper into the catacombs after Sailus before the orc prince could voice any more concerns about discrimination and undead prejudice. The ghoul led them further down the narrow catacombs. There were webs, dust, and bones lining their sides. The floor was dirt and the color of ash. The air was stale and smelled of decay. The ceiling was sized for humans, so the goblins could walk without trouble. Booger needed to duck a little. On at least two occasions, the orc’s polearm had knocked over the skeletal remains from their resting spaces.

“Sorry,” he would say when he received a dirty glare from Salius.

The group eventually came to a vast chamber. Booger sighed in relief as he could stretch to his full height. The ceiling was domed, and the walls were lined with sarcophaguses. Several torches lit the room, giving it a flickering light. Everything was white, grey, black, and old. In the center was a long table made of bone. Surrounding it were chairs, also made of bone. Standing around the table were four figures that appeared to be zombies. Taut leathery grey skin pulled tightly over their bodies. Each had gnarled limbs, and they were dressed in rags. Three had yellow eyes like Salius. The fourth one had red eyes and long wispy white hair that looked like cobwebs. Each figure, even hunched over, was a little taller than the goblins. Booger towered over all of them.

“Are these zombies going to attack us?” Booger whispered, though it was loud and echoed throughout the chamber.

“Excuse me?” The figure with red eyes asked.

“Oh, sorry,” Booger said with a chuckle and then awkwardly coughed to clear his throat.

“What is this?” The red-eyed creature demanded of Salius.

“Goblins and an orc,” Sailus said with his evil grin. The grin that Gilreg did not trust. The goblin’s hand inched closer to his weapon.

“I can see that Salius, but why are they here?”

“They are not adventurers, sir.”

“And?”

“They don’t disappear…” Salius hinted as he closed the door behind them.

At this, all the figures smiled widely, showing rows of sharp teeth. The one with red eyes hissed, showing two sharp fangs. Even Booger recognized the danger that they were in and readied his poleaxe.

“No need for concern, my friends. Please have a seat. You are my guests here,” the red-eyed creature said as he looked each of them in the eyes.

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Gilreg visibly relaxed. It was safe here. Him, Raine, Nulrok, and Booger sat down. Shaymus looked puzzled but followed along with her companions.

“It’s been so long!” Salius squealed with delight.

“All we have had was a bite or two before our meals vanish, but now…” a creature with yellow eyes said eagerly, rubbing their gnarled clawed hands together.

Shaymus looked around and saw that her companions looked to be extremely relaxed. Almost drowsy, as if they just had a lot of wine. The creatures moved hungrily toward her friends, and she was about to draw her blades when the red-eyed creature ordered the Ghouls to stop in a commanding tone. She remained still.

“I get to drink first,” the red-eyed creature said, showing his sharp fangs.

“You always get to drink. We are starving!” Salius whined.

The red-eyed creature’s face became more monstrous as it hissed loudly at the ghouls, and they cowered in fear of it. After Salius was silent, the monster’s face returned to its original visage. It floated, literally floated, over to behind Shaymus. Its long clawed hand toyed with her chin.

“It’s been a while since I’ve drank the blood of a child. I will have my fill first, and then you can have yours,” it said, mistaking Shaymus’s small frame for a young one.

It opened its mouth wide, showing two sharp fangs, and made to bite into her neck. Shaymus stabbed it with her sword. Her blade pierced the lower jaw and went straight through the skull and out the creature’s eye socket. It spasmed, but it couldn’t talk, and it was held tight by the goblin’s sword. Its red eye plopped to the floor, and the enchantment was broken. The ghouls immediately pounced. Two slammed into a wall of sharp ice that Nulrok quickly erected. One clawed at Gilreg’s shield, and Salius was batted across the room by Booger’s poleaxe.

The creature impaled on Shaymus’s sword tried to look at her with one intact eye and tried reaching her with its clawed hands. Shaymus stabbed their remaining eye with her dagger. She leaped onto the table, yanked her sword free, and with a clean slice, removed the creature’s head.

The two ghouls scrambled up the ice wall and dropped toward Raine and Nulrok. The mage shrieked and scrambled under the table. Raine parried the claws of her attackers with her longsword and backed away. One ghoul was wrenching powerfully at Gilreg’s shield. The creature was inhumanly strong. Gilreg couldn’t have won this contest of strength, and instead, he let the creature pull the shield away from him. While the ghoul’s claws were both occupied on his shield, the warrior planted his axe firmly in between their eyes. The shield dropped to the floor, followed by the collapsing ghoul.

Salius landed on all fours like some grotesque cat. He lopped hungrily toward Nulrok, who was hiding under the table. Before he could reach the mage, he fell to the floor, flat on his ghoulish face. Salius looked down and saw that both of his legs were encased in ice.

“I will kill you!” The eyeless head screamed at the ceiling, and Shaymus kicked it. The headless body walked blindly around and tripped over a chair. Shaymus laughed with glee at this.

Raine parried aside the slashing claws and countered with a low cut. The ghoul fell to the floor as one of its legs was removed. As it scrambled to rise, Raine impaled its head to the dirt and ash floor. The final ghoul charged the mage but was lifted in the air by the back of its neck. Booger slammed the ghoul to the ground and then stopped on its head. It stopped moving.

The headless and eyeless creature continued to scream and curse. The group ignored it. They turned and looked at Salius. The ghoul had just managed to free himself from Nulrok’s ice spell. He smiled weakly at them as he rose to his feet.

“Now, I can still help…” the ghoul started but was cut short as Shaymus’s sword appeared out of his mouth. The pale-eyed goblin had snuck behind them.

“Shaymus!!” Gilreg exclaimed.

“What?” She asked.

“We could have used him!”

“You are all welcome, by the way. By the Dreaded One! A little gratitude every now and then,” Shaymus growled.

“How did you avoid the enchantment?” Nulrok asked.

“She is demon touched,” a voice said.

The five spun around toward the sound, and weapons were drawn. Seated at the table was a thin white-skinned man with the pupilless eyes of a magic user. He was dressed in black robes that looked to be made out of smoke the way they hung off of his thin body. He was hairless, and he lounged comfortably on the chair with his legs crossed before him. It was then that Gilreg noticed that the decapitated head had quieted, and the headless body was kneeling in reference. It was facing the wrong way, but then again, Shaymus did remove its head and eyes.

“What did you call me?” Shaymus hissed.

“Demon touched. One of your parents or ancestors had contact with one of the powerful beings,” the man answered calmly.

“I never knew my parents,” Shaymus said and moved menacingly toward the man.

“That is a common unfortunate case for most Demon touched,” the man yawned. He waved his hands, and a dark cloud surrounded his fingers. The bodies of the ghouls were glowing with the same dark aura and began to rise. Their wounds were repaired.

Gilreg sensed that this was not a fight that they should have. The warrior lowered his weapons and motioned the others to do the same.

“We came to seek your help,” the warrior said.

The necromancer looked at him with curiosity.

“We are looking for a way to Haven,” Gilreg added.

The necromancer looked away and turned toward the ghouls. Motioning with a delicate finger. “Tend to the vampire and leave us,” he ordered.

The ghouls obeyed. They took the decapitated head, led the body out of the chamber, and closed the door.

“I must admit that I am intrigued. Most adventurers, in fact many, have not survived what you had just encountered.”

“We are not adventurers, and what happened here was a disgrace!” Booger boomed. This surprised everyone in the room. The ordinarily relaxed orc appeared to have a commanding presence befitting his title.

The orc prince and the necromancer stared at each other for a few moments. Finally, the dark mage relaxed.

“You do have my apologies. The vampire will be dealt with. He should have reported to me when you arrived. But, you must understand that is their nature.”

“Who are you?” Raine asked.

“My name is Chalal Von Issen. Necromancer and lord of the Old Cemetery,” the dark mage said with a delicate bow on his bald and extremely pale head.

“Will you aid us?” The orc prince asked.

Chalal studied the group for a moment. His finger taps on the bone table. He rose up to his feet. He was tall, coming to Booger’s chin.

“Yes, but please, I invite you to stay at my tower. I am most intrigued by you and want to hear your story. I have food and can provide you with a safe night’s lodging,” he said.

“Does not feel very safe here,” Nulrok whimpered.

“Aww, a fellow gifted one. Well, then, I must teach you how to cast necromancy spells so you can be safe.”

At this, Nulrok brightened. He was willing to stay in order to seek more knowledge.

“We are pressed for time,” Raine said.

“One night will not hurt, and I promise I will make it worth your while,” the mage said and clapped his hands.

The door opened, and specters flew in and around the chamber. The air became frigid cold. The orc prince held his weapon at the ready, and Raine looked on in shock.

“Put your weapon down. It will be useless against them,” the chieftain’s daughter said, knowing what they were.

The necromancer grinned at her. “Escort my guests to their rooms,” he ordered the ghost-like things that appeared to be wearing robes over skeletal hands and skulls.