Reud ran his hands over the reanimated stag bones, marvelling at the creature's majesty.

It really was a fantastic specimen, once Tel had seared away the remaining flesh with his flame. Its bones were a sight to behold, the pale material shot with streaks of deep mana-tainted purple. Its antlers had survived too, viciously barbed and made from the purest white material that shimmered in the sun. A glorious harmony of brutal and beautiful.

Sadly, however, it turned out that the stag's life as a chimera had really ruined its potential as a minion. The bones, whilst beautiful, were also slowly deteriorating without the constant stream of mana that the creature's soul had once provided. A soul that had torn itself apart so thoroughly that even Reud couldn't reconstruct it. In its place, he'd had to use a modified version of his standard artificial soul, enhanced with what he hoped would allow it to move on four legs instead of two.

Now he just had to wait for it to learn to stop tripping over itself.

The stag would last a few days more at most before it fully collapsed, potentially up to a week if he didn’t push it too hard. Disappointing, especially given how much effort he'd put into reanimating it. He certainly wouldn't be raising any more chimeras before he'd had time to develop a more suitable artificial soul.

Sending his mind out, Reud felt for the other skeletons in the area, testing to see where they were. He’d reanimated all six of the thugs as simple undead, fit for the most basic of tasks. There was no value in giving them true souls as they had no magic or appreciable skills to recover, instead he would just rely on the learning capability of the artificial soul to eventually make them effective. With that in mind, he’d sent them out into the woods with a single simple instruction.

To slay any chimera they found.

It wouldn’t do much to cull the throng, not with how long the mana-crazed creatures had been left to run amok. But over time their numbers would start to reduce, and slowly the woods would become safe once more.

Bo and Tel had both been sent out on a similar errand, acting as the shock troops to finish off any chimeras that proved too tough for the weaker skeletons. All in all, the forest cleaning project, as he’d taken to calling it in his mind, would run itself without any intervention from him.

A good thing, given he intended to travel off to Eastrest on a hunch.

Pulling himself up onto the stag's boney back, Reud threaded his legs through its rib cage and urged it forward into a gentle trot. There was no way he was going to simply walk all the way to the village.

He was a necromancer, he had a dignity to maintain.

—

Reud ground his teeth as he pushed open the door to the tavern, to be greeted by a wall of heat and noise. What kind of village had not one, not two, but three taverns? The kind where the Mayor spent all his time languishing in one, that's what. So far his visit had been fruitless, being sent on a merry chase around the houses in search of the Mayor.

“He’s visiting Charla.”

“I heard he’s getting a new coat fitted.”

“I think I saw him in the Hound and Rabbit.”

“Wasn’t he taking his kids down to the lake?”

Each one sent Reud back and forth around the village, until finally they’d pointed him here. If this tavern didn’t contain the elusive drunk, he’d give up and return to Littlestream. He was missing Lilia already, and solving the mystery was becoming less and less appealing by the minute.

The tavern was full to bursting, every table taken by jovial and more-than-a-little drunk patrons. Reud glanced around the room, scanning for anyone that fitted the description of the man he was looking for.

And there he was, settled in one corner of the room. An old man, thoroughly into the latter years of his life, patchy hair, shrivelled skin, veins popping out all over the place. His eyes were wide and watery, and he drank deeply from a tankard. Around the table sat a number of other similarly aged men, all laughing at some shared joke. The only other person at the table was a young man, obviously doing his best to restrain the old man's drinking.

He wasn’t having much success.

Reud picked his way across the tavern towards them, carefully navigating around the packed tables.

“Excuse me.” He said once he’d reached the table. “Would you happen to be Mayor Faris?”

The old man didn’t seem to have even noticed him, slapping the table at something the person beside him had said.

“Mayor Faris?” Reud tried again, squashing his irritation.

It was the young man who spoke up. “Yes, you’ve found the right man. But he’s currently…” He waved a hand vaguely. “You know.”

Reud let out a sigh. “Do you have any idea when he’ll be in a more fit state?”

The young man shrugged. “I wouldn’t hold your hopes out for that ever happening. Though, maybe I could help? I’m his grandson, Bille.”

“I just had a few question about some events I’ve been researching.” Reud said.

Bille pulled a chair out and gestured to it. Reud nodded gratefully and sat down.

“What can you tell me about the Seekers.”

Bille frowned. “That’s a hefty topic you want to know about. What’s your interest?”

“I’ve heard that they’ve been unusually active in the area, and have been taking quite a number of children. What can you tell me about that?”

“Not a whole lot. The black caravan comes every few years and takes a kid, right after their tenth birthday. Sometimes they visit other times too, but that's a different group of Seekers. They never take a kid.”

“Another group of Seekers?” Reud asked.

“Yeh, the black caravan is from the enclave just to the south of here. I know because some of the boys spot it coming out when they’re hunting. The other Seekers are always the same group, and they always leave towards the west.”

“Is there another enclave to the west?”

Bille shook his head. “Not that I know of. My guess is they go to the river Seine and take a boat to their destination. Someone from Nileshurst may know more, that's where they’d be embarking if my guess is right, but I’ve never asked.”

“That’s interesting.” Reud said, tapping his chin. “How do you know it's the same group each time?”

“Well, maybe not the fully same group, but it’s always led by the same man. He’s got this spiralling scar on his cheek, it’s really distinctive.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“And what do they do whilst they’re here?”

“I have no idea.” Bille said, shrugging. “When the Seekers arrive, it’s best to keep out of their way and pretend you don’t exist. Far less risk of any incidents that way.”

“Is there anyone who would know more?”

Bille thought for a moment. “You could try Lisa, I hear she got a visit last time, nearly a month ago. She lives next door to the cobbler, by the north-west gate. I’d take you there but…” He gestured at the Mayor, who was calling for a refill of the tables drinks. “Someone needs to keep an eye on my grandfather, I hope you understand.”

“That perfectly alright.” Reud said, standing. “You’ve been more than helpful.”

With that, he left the tavern, mulling over what Bille had said in his mind. The Seekers capturing the children he understood, but what was this other group doing? It was all very suspicious.

The village outside the tavern was oddly quiet, the sound of busy people being completely absent. Which meant he’d spent longer in the tavern than he’d expected. With a shrug, Reud headed towards the north-western gate. If he could track this woman down and get what she knew out of her, he could be back in Littlestream before nightfall.

A shout came from behind him. “Wait, is that… Hey!”

“Hey you! With the white hair! Stop!”

Reud paused and turned, looking around for the source of the voice.

A group of eight men had emerged from the main road that lead to the southern gate, clad in brilliant blue and silver armour, a lantern and eye sigil emblazoned in the middle of their breastplates.

Reud’s blood ran cold as he recognized them for what they were.

Seekers.

“That’s him alright. White hair, white skin, and mage eyes.” Said the closest Seeker. “To arms!”

In an instant, the whole group drew their swords. The weapons were polished steel with a bar of pitch-black metal running along the centre. Reud’s eyes widened as he realized what it was.

Magebane.

Reud’s eyes flickered over the Seekers, spotting the lines of black criss-crossing their armour, and the pitch-black shackles dangling from their belts. These Seekers were kitted out for mage hunting in probably the most extravagant usage of magebane he’d ever seen. The cost would have been astronomical, unless magebane had become far more common in the long years of his seclusion.

Though, that also meant these Seekers were not mages.

“Put your hands behind your back and get on the floor! Surrender peacefully and things will go easier on you!” The closest Seeker shouted, pointing his sword at Reud.

Well, he certainly had no intention of doing that.

Ignoring the man, Reud sent out a pulse of mana, calling the stag from the stables to come to him. He’d really debated bringing it into the village, worried about the stir the massive undead would create, but he was sure glad he’d chosen the convenience over the risk.

The lead Seeker’s eyes narrowed as Reud continued to make no move. “On the floor, damn it!” He gestured to the people to either side of him, sending them slowly circling around to form a semicircle with Reud at the centre.

“Last chance!”

Reud looked him right in the eyes and said nothing. To him, the man was simply a corpse that hadn’t quite realized it yet.

And he’d be correcting that mistake in a moment.

Bone clattered on stone as the stag barrelled around the corner, slipping on the uneven ground and crashing into a cart. The wooden contraption exploded as the huge beast tore itself through it with a great shower of wood and fabric, barely slowing as it lowered its head and pounded towards them.

The Seekers let out a cry, throwing themselves to the sides to avoid the skeleton's charge. Most of them managed to escape the barbed antlers, sprawling to the ground in undignified heaps.

All except one.

A barb caught his leg as he tried to roll away and the man was jerked off his feet, letting out a scream. The stag swung its head and the man was flung up high, soaring through the air, blood arcing from his almost severed limb. His screams ended when he slammed into the ground beside Reud with a great crunch.

Reud raised his hand as the stag raced past him, taking the opportunity to pump the skeleton full of mana. Full to bursting. The purple marbling on its bones lit up with a deep amethyst radiance, and the stag exploded into even faster movement. In a flash, it reached the buildings on the other side of the road, hooves striking sparks from the cobblestones as it turned.

And charged right back.

A brave, or foolish, Seeker threw himself forward, swinging wildly at the onrushing creature with his magebane blade. Likely, he hoped the spell animating the creature would collapse as the mana was ripped from it by the esoteric metal.

How wrong he was.

The stag barely slowed as it plowed through him, the man’s armour crumpling on impact. With a grunt, he went down under its hooves, each step tearing bloody holes through his body.

The next two men fared no better.

Each impact caused the glow from the stag’s bones to dim as the mana was sucked away from it, but it wasn’t anywhere close to enough. Magebane was elegantly uncomplicated in the way it worked. It absorbed mana at a frightful rate, and that was it. Simple, yet effective against all kinds of magic, causing spells to fizzle out and dangerous attacks to just vanish. A perfect defence against any mage. But that simplicity also meant there was an equally simple counter to it, one that Reud was an absolute master of.

Just use more mana.

“Ignore the beast! Get the mage!” The lead Seeker screamed as he scrambled to his feet from where he’d thrown himself. “Quick, before it comes back around!”

Well, that wouldn’t do.

Reud put out an arm, letting a river of mana flow through him and down to weave itself into the body crumpled to his side. Instantly, the magebane in the body’s armour started to drink down the mana, but Reud didn’t relent, the spell seizing the soul that had just vacated the broken mess and slamming it back into place, binding it into place with bonds of magic.

STAND

The body shuddered, then pushed itself to its feet, the almost-severed leg flipping around to lock back into place as if it had never been torn away.

KILL THEM

It snatched up the blade by its side, turning to its companions, its head flopping forward like a puppet. And then it charged.

Blades clashed with a ringing sound that echoed off the buildings as the living engaged the dead. The four Seekers fought in close formation with a rhythm that spoke to countless hours of practice. Two would lock down its blade, whilst the other two took advantage of the opening to deliver killing blows.

Well, blows that would have killed a living foe.

The zombie ignored what would have been mortal injuries, simply attacking and attacking without a care. One man went down as the zombie’s blade buried itself into his skull, dead before he hit the floor. That, however, left an opening for the others. They sprang in and cut away at it as the undead tried to yank its blade from the corpse, cutting off first an arm, and then a leg. The zombie went down, still fighting, but a greatly reduced threat.

It had done its job, however.

The Seekers threw themselves aside as the stag barrelled towards them again, an antler tearing a great slash through one man’s face as it passed, sending him screaming to the floor. The other three rolled away without injury, panting heavily.

Only to find themselves face to face with three more zombies.

One on one, they didn't stand a chance.

The lead Seeker held out the longest, cleaving down the zombie before him and then just barely felling a second.

And then the stag crushed him.

Reud walked over to the last living Seeker, the man whose face had been torn open. He was rolling on the ground moaning, clutching a hand to the great gash splitting his cheek.

Grabbing his arm, Reud yanked him over to face him.

"What are you doing here." He snarled, shaking the man. "How did you know what I look like?"

The man groaned.

"Tell me what I want to know, and I'll heal you. Keep quiet, and I'll make your death even more painful." Reud said.

That ignited a spark of hope in the man's eyes. "The Lord Seeker told us what to look for." His words were slurred as he tried his best to speak without moving his cheek, tears welling in his eyes. "You weren't supposed to be here, though. We were just a lookout, in case you'd moved on. The Lord Seeker was supposed to deal with you."

"Where is he? Where is the Lord Seeker?"

"He's taken the main force to Littlestream. You were supposed to be there, not here. He said that…" The man trailed off, his eyes going unfocused for a moment.

When he came to, he looked desperate. Panicked. "Save me, please. Heal me. You promised."

Reud dropped the man, ignoring his pleas. Absent-mindedly, he called the stag over to silence the man forever.

Seekers, in Littlestream. Lilia. She was in danger. He'd left her, and she was in danger. He had to get back.

And he was going to kill anyone that touched her.