> Even his friend fell to his hand. Nothing in life is sacred to him. He is Her servant eternal.
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> - Of Myth and Legend, Iteri and their use of the Necromancer.
Nahual drove into the parking lot of the police station. A single building among many, this one stood out for its age. Only two stories tall, the stone building still held an imposing figure against its larger, and smaller, brethren. Each corner, seemingly crafted from an individual tower, jutted outward in a cubical shape, pressing against the space dividing it from its neighbors. Atop each corner stood a raised wall of stone, like what one might expect a castle to possess. The grey stone shone out against the night, eternal, unyielding, much like the police themselves.
In the back of the building, Nahual exited the car. Packet and notebook in hand, he made his way through the lit parking lot into the police station. As he climbed the steps, he passed a group of three other officers. They were talking about how the moon gave them the creeps. Nahual, not the sociable type, silently agreed and headed for the door. The door itself was adorned with talismans, purple and green lights, and images of ghosts and other unnatural creatures.
Unnatural things Nahual thought.
Irritated, he opened the door to the station. He passed rows of heavy, wooden desks and people. Some were working on their paperwork, having huddles, or were on break. At his desk, Nahual started his nightly reports. He went through his notebook, marking instances he felt needed to be reported now, and others that didn’t have quite enough importance to merit a full report but did merit a mention.
It paid to be thorough. In the report, he wrote on the patterns of homeless gatherings, noting how there seemed to be more than expected, and how they moved in the city. He then went on to describe the state of the roads in certain areas of La Viajar and the Deuda. He knew that the roads in La Viajar, the city of glass and steel, would be repaired. He also knew that any road work needed for the poorer section of the city would be put away until necessary, but he made the report anyway. Dangerous roads made it harder to drive through and ruined tires faster. If Chief Vedra saw it enough and saw the cost, he could get in touch with the proper channels and get it fixed.
When he finished, Nahual had written a report on the homeless, the streets, where he had been and for how long, and so on. He hadn’t noticed anything outwardly devious, or even fiendish. Yet, the moon was full, and that could only bring bad news. He opened his report and made another note: the moon has so far not affected my cognition.
When he had finished, he heard the distant banging of a paperweight dropping against a wooden desk. Once, twice, thrice, and then it was done. “Good evening everyone,” Chief Vedra began. He stood at the side of the room beside a corkboard of bulletins, and events in the city. “Now, I don’t have good news, but the Necromancer has been spotted in the city.”
The station, still silent, held a tension in the air. Some people smiled, others paled, and some didn’t care at all. Chief Vedra continued.
“According to the reports, he’s wearing a black rope and is carrying a wooden staff. Obviously, he’s pale, etc. He’s been spotted in some shopping districts and in some neighborhoods. In each instance, he’s got the typical black robe and the staff.”
Chief Vedra then raised his arms, as if allowing the other officers to start talking. They took the cue greedily. The people in the building began to talk, unable to contain themselves. Chief Vedra allowed it to go on for a few minutes before he urged them to calm down.
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“We all knew this was coming since the moon turned full a few months ago. I know some of you are afraid and some are excited. It’s normal to be afraid of being killed by that thing, and it’s normal to want the church’s reward.”
As he spoke, Nahual silently judged his fellow police. It was clear that the ones who were afraid were mere cowards, afraid of their holy duty to defend life, and all that matters in this world. As for the ones who wanted the reward? It was easy to see that they were no virtuous members of society, they only wanted to gain something. Nahual knew the importance of catching the Necromancer, the importance of preventing any harm from befalling anyone else. Killing the Necromancer is a god-granted mission that is ethical, justified, and moral. Corrupting that mission with reward taints that mission.
Vedra turned to the map beside him. He placed several pins on the map that depicted the circular, cut-in-half city. Some of the locations he pinned included the outer wall of the city, places where Nahual remembered it needing repairs, or where it had fallen altogether. One pin included the abandoned university, another was the club The Hungry Ghost. Chief Vedra finished off the spree of pins by placing several on parks and neighborhoods throughout the city.
“Those stationed in the Deuda will make it a priority to find and apprehend the Necromancer if given the chance. Proceed with caution, call in backup, and if it is possible, apprehend him. Now,” he bent down to pick up a cardboard box with stickers proclaiming it church property, “I’m going to be giving each of you a sunstone, direct from the church, blessed with the power of the sun.”
As the stones were passed out, some officers taking several at once to give to their brethren, Vedra continued. “Remember, do not cause a scene, or interrupt your usual duties. The least amount of people who know that the Necromancer is actively out there, the better.”
With the last of the stones out, one in each officer’s hand, he wiped his hands against each other and looked out over the crowd. “The moon might signal that he’s back, but him showing up is another matter. We don’t want to cause another panic. We don’t want a repeat of last time.”
His aged eyes scanned the room as if attempting to read a sign that they all understood. When satisfied, he straightened. “When the Necromancer is caught, we and the church will release a joint statement. The church also wants the Necromancer, alive this time, since they didn’t get a chance to perform the exorcism last time. I received word that the church believes that is why he’s arrived so soon.”
He paused again before continuing, this time addressing the fearful people in the room. “If the Necromancer gets close to you, you’ll know. He’s like those old monsters, the Jaan, or Sin Herself. You will feel fear and the feeling of imminent death upon you. If you feel it, and you have no visual, get out of there.”
He let the tension and importance of his words hang in the air. He cleared his throat and lifted a pile of papers. “On to more normal news, the number of homeless in the city is a bit higher than in past years, but crime is down. Good work everyone.”
Chief Vedra ends the meeting, signaling the rest of the officers to start talking. Many are talkative, happy for the prospect of the Necromancer being alive so close to the festival. Others are worried, or scared, and still more talk about what they’d wish for.
Nahual, meanwhile, finished up his work and placed his supplies on his desk. Inside the topmost drawer is a burned picture of him holding a woman with long, wavy black hair, and a little girl in their arms. A twist in his chest tightens. The reason escapes him, and emotion fuels him. Thoughts of destroying Sin, the Necromancer, and all of the Jaan run through his mind, back to a burning house that he couldn’t reach in time.
If She was gone, then they wouldn’t be dead. No one would have to suffer like this.
Nahual believes that Sin targeted him for his strong beliefs and his devotion to Intli. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Once out of the moment, he wondered if the girl he saw was okay. She’d be about my daughter’s age, now.
Nahual stood and gathered his things and didn’t look at the other officers. He heads out the door, and into the city, as dawn breaks through the night. Across the street, passed the parking lot, is an image painted onto the wall, easily seen from the station. “PANIC”, written in hurried paint. Next to it is an image of a scythe.