Dead leaves crunched all around me on the path. Shadowy figures dashed around in a circle, and I saw a gleam from their yellow eyes. There were multiple of them. I could hear their snarling breaths grow closer. I trembled, my chest tightening up. There was no way I could outrun them; they had me cornered.

Suddenly, a fast-paced trotting came behind me. The creatures fled in the opposite direction as a glow from a lantern drowned me in light. I squinted, my eyes still adjusting.

“What’s a boy like you doing in the Orbavue Forest at night?” the woman asked sharply.

I was about to respond, but then my jaw dropped. I was standing in front of a skeletal horse attached to a carriage made of bones.

The woman shook the lantern at me. “Excuse me, boy, are you all right? Are you lost?”

“I, uh, I don’t know,” I uttered, my body quivering.

“My goodness, you seem ill. Here, come with me.” She helped me onto the bench where she held the reins to the horse. “Don’t you know you have to be very careful when you come into the Orbavue Forest at night? Dire wolves run wild and attack anyone that isn’t carrying a light with them. You’re lucky I found you in time.” She grabbed onto the reins and flicked her wrist; the horse galloped ahead, running as fast as an average stallion.

“Thank you for picking me up and saving my life back there,” I finally said, rubbing my arms to warm them up.

“Where are you traveling to?”

“I don’t know, I think Nezura.”

“What do you mean ‘you think?’ You don’t know?”

“A lot’s happened in the last 24 hours.” I sighed. “I grew up in Verrenna. Just recently found out that I want to be a necromancer, and I can’t go back to my family.”

“Ah yes.” The woman nodded. “A runaway. I know things may seem bleak now, but you’re making a decision you won’t regret. Living as a necromancer is a wonderful life, despite what you might have heard from the mainland. My name is Megan, nice to meet you,” she said. With one hand still on the reins, she shook my hand.

“My name is Maximilian. Nice to meet you, too. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you heading?”

Megan chuckled. “Of course I don’t mind you asking. I’m heading to Nezura. Just stopped off at a farm to pick up some pumpkins. Got held up talking to the farmer and even had dinner. Anyway, I can take you to Nezura if that sounds good to you?”

“Uh, sure, how much would that cost? I have some money.”

Megan cracked up. “You’re a good kid with some good manners. Look, I have no problem taking you into Nezura, free of charge. I was heading there anyway, and so far, you’ve been nothing but good company to me. It’s my pleasure.”

“Thank you so much.” My stomach followed up with a loud growl.

“Are you hungry?” Megan gave me a side-eye.

“Uh, yes.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” She reached behind her back and pulled out an ivory basket with a closed lid. She handed it to me. “Knock yourself out. There are some necromancer dumplings in there. Don’t worry, they’re not made of bones or dead things. It’s a wonderful vegetarian soup dish.”

“How many can I have?” I opened the lid and marveled at the food like a chest full of treasure.

“You’re going to kill me with your kindness. Have as many as you want. Please eat them all, I mean it too. They’re delicious, made them myself.”

“You sure?” I asked, but she replied with a glare.

I fit a whole one in my mouth, and upon the first bite, it exploded with warm broth and crisp vegetables. Pepper, garlic, and a variety of other flavors danced on my tongue. I was more awake, alert, and revitalized. I ate another, and another. “These are wonderful!”

“Glad you like them.” She smiled.

I devoured all ten of them. “Thank you so much!”

“My pleasure.”

“By the way, what are all of those pairs of blue lights that are glowing everywhere? I find them unsettling.”

“Don’t we all? They’re Marruts. Small mammals that live in trees with eyes that emit blue light through the forest. Pretty harmless, but they’re only native to the Orbavue Forest.”

“Explains why I’ve never seen them before.”

“You’ll be learning a lot about life here in the Southeast.”

The skeletal horse continued to carry us through the forest at impressive speeds until we finally made it out, arriving at a vast stretch of flat land. A few farms, but many dried out fields. I saw a castle to my left on the horizon with a variety of other buildings. Their windows were aglow with soft flames from lanterns.

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“That’s Orbavue over there—a nice port town. I do a lot of trading back and forth between there and Nezura,” Megan said.

“Who lives in the castle?”

“Oh, no one actually lives inside the castle. It’s just the Municipality Building. All the town leaders have their offices there and hold meetings. In the Southeast, we’re just governed by the law of our cities.”

As we continued to ride through the night, the sun rose, painting the land with a pink and orange hue on the hills. There were hardly any clouds. It was going to be a beautiful, sunny day. A few more hours passed, and on the horizon, a metropolis came into view, a city built on a hill: so many buildings and places to explore. Walls of bone came up from the ground like ribs protecting the city’s border. My heart kicked up with excitement and hope.

“So, you’ve never been to Nezura before?” Megan asked.

“No, I haven’t. This is my first time in the Southeast,” I said.

“Up at the very top is a park called Caster’s Court. The colossal tower where you see a giant skull on top is where they make city-wide announcements, and they use it as an observation tower. I think it’s mostly for show, but there is a practical use to it. It’s called Skull Tower. How original, I know. And then that tall domed building you see on the left is the Municipality Building for Nezura. That’s where the Noble Necromancers work.”

“Noble Necromancers?”

“Yes, they’re our city leaders. Elected officials, kind of; you must be recognized by one of them, and there must be an opening. There are thirteen of them.”

“Wow, you’re right. I do have a lot to learn.”

We had to enter through town at a specific gate where no one else was waiting to get in, but a few travelers were on their way out, carried by skeletal horses in carriages.

“How are ya, Megan? Who you got with ya?” the young gatekeeper said, smiling.

“Pretty good, Vera. Just found a runaway on my way back from Blanchard’s.”

“Ahhh, welcome! You’re pretty young, kid. You’re making a good decision. First thing he’s going to have to do is go to the Municipality Building.” She pulled out a slip of ivory paper and handed it to Megan. She passed it over to me; it was folded but didn’t wrinkle. It said: Runaway—Assign Host.

“See you later! Welcome to your new home.” The gatekeeper waved. The skeletal horse proceeded through the gate, and we entered the bustling metropolis. I’d never seen so many people running down busy streets while many were lounging out in front of restaurant patios. On the corners, bards sang songs; some of them were skeletons, some were human, and some combined their efforts to form a band with a double bass, guitar, and sticks, which were drummed off the rib cages of the skeletons.

“Wow, everyone seems so merry,” I observed.

“Yeah, we like to have a good time. But many people also work storefronts and a variety of other jobs. Let’s take you to the Municipality Building and get you situated,” Megan said.

“Where do you think I’ll be staying?”

We traversed down the road of pristine gray pavement. “I don’t know. The Nobles should be able to help you out with that. I’d love to offer you my place, but I already have too many roommates.” She gave me a side glance with a frown.

After being silent for a moment, I said, “That’s okay, I understand.”

We arrived in front of a towering dome structure. Pillars, which were probably made of osseous steel, circled the building. Megan parked the horse carriage on a post, and we walked in through the front. Inside, the lobby had a vaulted ceiling; our echoed footsteps bounced off the marble walls. The scent of old books in a library filled the air.

“Technically, you’re on your own now, but I’ll wait with you to make sure you’re not alone.” Megan put her hand on my shoulder.

“Thanks,” I said.

We approached the counter, and I handed my slip to the receptionist.

“Ah, yes.” He glanced at the slip. “Wait here, I’ll get you the Noble Necromancer, Telyos. He’s a busy man, but he’ll talk with you in just a moment.”

“Do you mind if we look around? He’s never been here before?” Megan asked.

“Uh, you’re technically not supposed to, but go for it. Just stick to the center, and I’ll call you when they’re ready.”

Megan strolled deeper into the Municipality Building. The center had many rows of benches and a painted design of an orange monster on the ceiling. It had a unique crown of horns coming from the top of its head. Its wingspan took up the majority of the painting.

“Ah, that’s the mythological being Zevolra. Said to have been partially responsible for creating our world. Some necromancers believe it as fact. Others just embrace it as part of our mythical past.”

“It’s pretty freaky. Ten blue eyes with insect-like pinchers.” I shuddered.

Megan gasped.

“Is everything all right?” I said.

“Uh, yes. That woman on the second floor walking around the railing. That’s the Noble Necromancer Akara. Come, let’s get out of here. I’d hate for her to see us bending the rules.”

We stepped back into the lobby. “Is she a big deal or something?”

“Well, they’re all a big deal, but Akara especially, yes. I should have given you a breakdown on all of them.”

I rubbed the back of my head and smirked. “Uh, that’s okay. There’s like thirteen of them, right? That’s a lot to go over all at once.”

“You’ll get to know them eventually. You should know about Akara. She was anointed a few years ago and is an inspiration to us all. Started as a normal pupil in schools, but once she started teaching, she kept expanding her education, venturing into discoveries necromancers had never even dreamed of. Her imagination, dedication, and wit are not to be underestimated. She even stopped a deadly, infamous Silver Army Spy, saving the city from a ton of trouble. One of my favorite things about her is how humble she is. I’ve heard that if you talk with her, she focuses on your conversation and really listens.”

“You’ve never met her?”

“No, I haven’t met anyone from the current regime, really. Even though there are some old-timers, I’m not important enough for them to talk to.” Megan chuckled.

“What do you know about the guy I’m about to talk to? Telyos? That was his name, right?”

“Right. Telyos is—”

“Excuse me,” the receptionist interrupted. “Telyos will now accept your visit. Follow me.”

“Wait.” Megan grabbed my arm. “Before you leave, I just wanted to say it’s been great to know you. Here, take this slip; it’s my address. I can’t promise I’ll always be home because I’m on the road a lot, but feel free to drop by whenever you’d like. I know how hard it can be starting on your own like this.”

“Thank you!” I jumped in her arms and squeezed so tightly that I thought I was never going to let go.

“Of course, it was my pleasure. Please, come visit soon, and good luck.”