Chapter Nine: Zombies and Ghouls

Inside the manor, Freya sat in an armchair, sipping some mead from a tall glass. Snowflake the white chicken was walking around the cabin, flying to the top of chairs and bookshelves looking for places to roost. She had attempted several books, but mostly just flipped through the books looking for the pictures. Half eaten plates of food were scattered on the dining table. She heard footsteps outside and looked for her weapons, They were on the couch. She sprinted over to the couch and dove through the air, landing on the couch, knocking it over backwards. She slotted an arrow into the notch and pulled it tight. The door opened and Redran called out.

“I made it back, did you-...” Redran saw the mess. “You haven't changed, have you?”

He said with an expression of amusement.

“Sorry, let me tidy up a little,” she said, getting up from behind the couch.

“Thank you, Freya.” He said, smiling.

“This is my good friend, Arka-...”

“Kill that thing!!” She said, surprised to see a skeletal knight striding through the door frame.

“-...non. it's okay, he's friendly. Smile, Arko.” Redran said. The skeleton couldn’t smile due to an overall lack of facial muscle, so instead, he opened his mouth wide and stared with no eyes at Freya. This, however, did not seem to calm down Freya.

“He’s a cursed skeleton.” She said.

“Well I’m actually a king, so… Ouch.” Arkanon said.

“She’s got a point, Arky.” Redran spoke with a gentle laugh. “Anyways, Princess McElf Bitch. The king made me General. So, you will leave with us to the castle tomorrow at sunrise. I need you to show me where their camp is hidden.”

Meanwhile in the town of Buttermilk, Jason was feeding his horse some carrots in his backyard. Stella was sitting on a haybale nearby reading from her new magic book.

“Did you know there are over fifteen types of basic magic, Jason? Light magic, fire magic, ice magic, water. Void magic? Have you heard of that? Draconic-magic, which is dragon magic, portal magic, soul-drain… This book is really cool.” Stella said. “I wish I was special.”

“Oh Stella, you are special.” Jason said. “You have a magic smile.” He kissed her on the forehead and then sat down next to her.

“I think you have a magic big nose.” She said laughing at him.

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“Magically handsome nose, maybe.” He said with a tender smile.

“No, a big one.” She said, tapping him on the nose. He kissed her softly, she kissed him back.

She kept reading from her book.

“I want to try a spell.” She said. She sat up and Jason sat up next to her.

“Let’s try one together.”

“Easy one.” She said.

“Nah, start with a hard one, did you say Void magic?” Jason said, leaning over her shoulder. “Let us open a portal to another Dimension!” This made her laugh.

“You’re cute, but maybe. What if we try something like fire?” Stella said. “Here, I found it. It’s in Chapter five. Give me one minute.” Stella flicked through the book until she landed on the page. “I like the pictures.” She said.

The magic book had a picture of a young man with a goatee and a short haircut. He was dressed in a red shirt and red pants. He was punching and fire was coming from his hand.

“What’s the magic word?” Jason asked. Stella rolled her eyes and cleared her throat to speak.

“The fireball is conjured by imagining a fire. Then with a large amount of concentration, you can summon a fire bolt with enough power to stumble an attacker, and set them alight. You simply punch in the air, aiming at your target.”

“That sounds good.” Jason said. “Go on then Arcane Stella.” He joked with a sly smile.

Stella thought about her fireplace at home, when she was young and touched a hot burning log by accident. She concentrated on the heat and remembered what it felt like. She punched in the air and nothing happened. She looked over and saw that Jason was staring at her with loving eyes.

“Okay, your turn, mate.” She said, tapping him on the shoulder.

“So what do I do? Think of fire and punch?”

“Imagine fire.”

“Okay, got this. Watch me set that tree on fire.” Jason aimed his fist at a tree and laughed. There was no way Jason was a wizard. “So I think of fire. Ok.” Jason had spent his life around fire, the campfires with his friends from town after school, the forges of the furnace at his home, the fire of his cooking stove.

Jason pictured a fire burning brightly inside his furnace. He punched at the tree and sparks flew out of his knuckles.

Things moved in slow motion as Jason watched the sparks turn into a fiery rock. The meteor made of fire flew towards the tree and splintered the bark. It went deeper into the tree and then exploded. The tree was shredded into bark, leaves, wood and all of it was on fire.

Jason looked at Stella.

“Holy fuck.” He said, and then started laughing.

“Jason, what the hell!?” Stella shouted.