As I left the cave, I saw Phioren standing with an expectant look on her face. “You took your time. What happened?”

“Zuvil is dead. His creations will never plague you again.”

“Wonderful!” Phioren reached into her tattered green robe. “Here’s the amethyst I promised. Once a week, clasp it in your hands and ask your god a question. It will glow if the answer is yes and darken if the answer is no. It’s of no use to me, as I recognize no creature greater than myself.”

Phioren handed me the violet gemstone, which was fastened onto a gold chain. According to my character sheet, it was a Gem of Divine Guidance.

“I’m grateful,” I said, “but before we part company, I have a question. What do you know about Queen Odriana of the nagas?”

“I attended her marriage to Urctanus years ago. Lovely couple, though not terribly smart. Something wrong?”

“Very wrong. A few months ago, she died and rose from her grave. Now she’s preparing the citizens of Nagak-Thurn for an attack on Encelas. Zuvil was working for her, trying to find a way to turn her nagas into zombie soldiers.”

Phioren’s eyes went wide. “I… I had no idea. The last time I spoke to Odriana, all she cared about was jewelry. She knew nothing about the world outside the Baildril.”

“I heard the speech she gave to the nagas, and she’s passionate about starting a war. Her voice was particularly interesting. Even though I was far away, I heard every word perfectly. And while other nagas hiss because of their forked tongues, Odriana never hissed once.”

“What’s interesting about that?”

“For most creatures, voice is determined by the vocal cords—gnomes have high-pitched voices and orcs have low-pitched voices. But when you transformed into a princess and a pixie earlier, your voice didn't change.”

Phioren stared at me for a moment. Then she looked ready to laugh. “Are you implying that a sister of mine is impersonating the queen of the nagas? Just because of her voice?”

“It explains how Odriana returned from the dead, and why she didn't hiss during her speech. It also explains why her personality has changed so dramatically. Can you think of a better explanation?”

“The Baildril is a bizarre place, and there could be any number of explanations for Odriana’s behavior. My sisters and I have behaved badly in the past, and I’ve lured more than a few poachers to their deaths. But the idea of a sister forming a zombie army is absurd.”

“I know how we can settle this.” I clasped onto the Gem of Divine Guidance. “Motiacca, is a green hag pretending to be Queen Odriana of the Nagas?”

The gem glowed with a bright purple light as though a neon sign had been switched on. Phioren looked shocked and upset at first, her jaw quivering. Then she deflated.

“Very well. One of my sisters has usurped Odriana’s crown. What are we going to do about it?”

I was grateful that she said we. I didn’t think I could defeat Odriana by myself, but with Phioren on my side, we stood a chance.

“I have a plan, but I’ll need your help. Your help… and strong poison.”

“Tell me your plan.”

I detailed my scheme for toppling Odriana. Phioren listened with pursed lips, and then told me all the ways it could fail. Between the two of us, we formed a better plan, and we agreed that the best time for it was early the next morning.

⚔

When I returned to the laboratory, all that remained of the necromancer was a mound of white ash beneath a black robe.

Searching the cave, I found jeweled skulls, a locked chest that looked to have been made of bones, and a mirror made of a reflective black metal. I already had one cursed item, so I left those objects alone. The only loot I took was a purse of 54 gold coins.

The books on Zuvil’s shelves had titles like ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF DEMONS and ADVANCED MUMMIFICATION TECHNIQUES. Rather than let them fall into the wrong hands, I took a torch and burned the books and the shelves. Then I hurled every potion, flask, and figurine I could find into the fire.

If horror movies have taught me anything, it’s the importance of being thorough when dealing with the undead. After destroying Zuvil’s possessions, I heaved the naga corpse onto the fire. The pleasant scent of grilled fish permeated the cave.

I didn’t destroy the clay vessel that had contained Zuvil’s necromantic concoction. I needed that for my plan.

I had three hours until sunrise. Even though my health was at its maximum, I lay down on Zuvil’s magnificent bed and prepared to rest. But first, I checked my character sheet.

Dylan, Level 7 follower of Motiacca

XP: 43,450 out of 110,000, Health: 42 out of 42, Mana: 17 out of 17, Stamina: 28 out of 28

Coin: 56 gold

Weapons: Ebonclaw (+4/+6 with specialization), Crossbow of Murder (+4/+6 with specialization)

Armor: +2 Snakeskin Leather

Skills: Stealth – 7, Acrobatics – 19, Locks and Traps – 12, Dagger – 9, Alchemy – 3, Crossbow – 8, Light Magic – 6

Stolen story; please report.

Abilities: Dark Vision, Weapon Specialization in dagger and light crossbow, Backstab, Improved Acrobatics, Called Shot

Affiliations: Friend of the Enclave

Quests: LEARN ABOUT PALOMIR AND NALKAK; STOP THE NAGA ASSAULT; FIND THE KEY OF DARNOK IN THE HIGH TEMPLE OF DHOK’KOR; FIND THE MEDALLION OF DARNOK

⚔

Early the next morning, I approached the western gate to Nagak-Thurn. I felt naked without my armor and crossbow, but I did my best to appear confident as I trod barefoot toward the two spear-wielding guards. Neither looked pleased to see me, but they didn’t attack.

“Thisss is naga territory, human,” said the first guard. “Turn back while you have your head.”

“I am no mere human, but Zuvil the Sorcerer! I come at the demand of Odriana, queen of the nagas. Hail Odriana!”

“Hail Odriana!” the two guards shouted.

One guard stepped toward me, pointing his spear at my midsection. “What proof do you have of the queen’ss demand?”

I held up my clay vessel, whose bubbling liquid smelled like sewage. It looked exactly like the fluid that Zuvil had poured into the dead naga’s mouth. The guard examined my vessel, sniffed, and then turned away in disgust.

"I have no proof,” I said, “but if you’ll tell your queen that Zuvil has arrived, she’ll want to speak to me. I have news about the preparations for her glorious attack.”

The guards narrowed their eyes, and I could see the thoughts wrestling in their minds. If the queen had been expecting a human visitor, she would have mentioned it. But how many humans knew where to find Nagak-Thurn? Or that the nagas were preparing an attack?

One guard opened the gate. “I will sspeak to a royal handmaiden. We shall find out if Queen Odriana truly wants to ssee you.”

After the first guard left, the second guard looked at me coldly. “If this is a russe, you will pay with your life.”

This was the most dangerous point of my plan. How well did Odriana know Zuvil? Would she even recognize the name? And what if someone saw through my disguise? I’d darkened my hair with swamp muck and covered my face and arms with white ash. I could pass for a necromancer at a distance, but I doubted my costume would bear scrutiny.

Beneath the folds of my robe, a caterpillar walked from my left shoulder to the base of my neck.

“Relax,” Phioren whispered. “I doubt nagas can tell one human apart from another. I certainly can't.”

The guard and I stood for some time, glaring at each other. Finally, the first guard opened the gate and waved me inside.

“The queen will ssee you, human, but know that her time is preciouss.”

The guards escorted me through the gate and into the city. Around us, the smoke of tanneries and smithies filled the air along with the grunts and shouts of training soldiers. The paths were crowded with nagas carrying swords, cuirasses, and other implements of war. Pride and the lust for battle were plain on every face.

The guards and I reached the tent in the city’s center. Then a naga wearing a conical hat and a silk robe glided toward me.

“Halt!” the naga wizard said.

The two guards and I stopped, and the naga wizard looked me over, front and back. He examined the content of my clay vessel, and then lowered his head until we stood eye-to-eye.

“You are Zuvil the necromansser?”

“Yes. I bear news for Queen Odriana. Good news.”

“And why, necromansser, are there cutss in the back of your robe? Cutss that could have been made by a dagger?”

“I stabbed my mentor with a poisoned blade. This is how all followers of Dhok’kor receive promotion.”

The naga wizard blinked at this, and then shook his head. “And what iss that dreadful black liquid?”

“Elixir of undeath. Once I deliver it to your queen, my business with Nagak-Thurn will be concluded.”

The naga wizard looked me over again, and then nodded to the guards.

“Prosseed, necromansser. But know that I will be watching.”

I sighed with relief as I walked past the wizard, who thankfully hadn’t seen the dagger I’d hidden in my sleeve or Phioren crawling along my back. Of course, if nagas were that perceptive, one of them would have noticed that their queen was a green hag.

I entered the huge tent and saw Queen Odriana seated on a divan, surrounded by her handmaidens. Her gold crown was encrusted with emeralds and her purple-and-black tunic was trimmed with ermine. Her skin color was a mixture of gold and green, and while her hair appeared to be black at first, I realized that it was a very dark green. She narrowed her eyes at my approach.

“Zuvil, you look… different. What news do you bring? Is there a delay?”

“No delay, my queen! My preparations are finished, and you can begin the ritual as soon as it pleases you.”

As I spoke, Phioren crawled down my leg and onto the tent floor, approaching the queen. Odriana didn’t appear to notice, and her eyes lit up.

“That’s excellent, Zuvil! You have truly—”

“Leoren!” Phioren cried out. “Have you lost your mind?”

The queen gaped as Phioren transformed into a naga with green hair and gold-green skin. The only difference between the two was that Leoren wore a crown and Phioren’s tunic was dark green instead of purple and black. The difference became hard to notice after Phioren tackled her sister. The royal handmaidens glided quickly out of the tent, leaving the three of us alone.

“A necromancer?” Phioren took Leoren in a chokehold. “You brought a necromancer into the Baildril?”

“It wasn’t my idea! It was Palomir!”

Phioren looked stunned at this. Seizing her opportunity, Leoren twisted, elbowed Phioren in the face, and rose upright. The two faced each other like boxers.

“Palomir promised to make me human if I raised an army of undead nagas,” the queen said. “And I won’t let you stop me.”

Leoren leapt at her sister, and the two fell to the ground, kicking and punching. Just then, the naga wizard ran into the tent. He turned to me, his voice filled with fury and fear.

“Iss thiss your doing? Where did the imposstor come from?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “And there’s nothing we can do. We mustn’t harm the queen.”

The two of us watched the identical snake-women wrestle one another. They were moving so quickly that there was no way to pull them apart.

“Why would you want to be human?” Phioren punched Leoren in the jaw. “We have everything!”

Leoren whipped Phioren with her serpentine tail. “To get out of this swamp! To live a normal life!”

Nagas wearing gold cuirasses glided into the tent, followed by the largest, strongest naga I’d ever seen. He could only be Urctanus, King of Nagak-Thurn.

“What is the meaning of this?” Urctanus roared. “What happened to the queen?”

“Help me, King!” Leoren cried.

“Yes, help me!” Phioren shouted, her voice identical to her sister’s.

The two green hags appeared evenly matched. After more punches and kicks, Phioren said the word we’d agreed on.

“Dylan!”

While everyone’s attention was focused on the fight, I withdrew the dagger from my sleeve and dipped it into the vessel of black fluid. It wasn’t a necromantic elixir but a poison specially concocted to kill green hags. Phioren had mixed it herself.

I approached the feuding sisters, waiting for Leoren to get on top. As soon as I saw the back of her purple-and-green tunic, I ran forward.

“Die, impostor!”

I plunged Ebonclaw into the crosshairs that had formed on Leoren’s back. She screamed as I struck twice more, and then she fell motionless. Moments later, her body deformed into that of a spindly, foul-smelling green hag. The false queen of Nagak-Thurn was dead. +1,600 XP!