For a second they just stared at each other in silence; Hedwig and the corpse.

More blood dripped from the hole in its chest as it suddenly uttered a gurgling noise

“Urgh!” It looked at the small stone in Hedwig's hand, and suddenly froze up.

And then, it spoke. Quietly at first, but it cleared its throat and got louder.

“It worked… it really did. Incredible.” It then seemed to remember Hedwig. She were still terrified of the corpse, but her fear dulled of slightly as the corpse didn’t seem hostile for the moment. “Sorry I startled you, but you are the intruder here, although i wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t come by” it continued. Hedwig followed the corpse with her gaze as it walked up to a mirror hanging on the wall. It somehow seemed to get even paler than before.

“Aha,” it mumbled, “that explains a lot.”

The corpse turned around and stretched its hand out toward the still motionless Hedwig with an innocent smile. “ehem, sorry for the ranting, Evan Philia, aspiring mage, and now a quite successful one if i might add.”

Hedwig shivered, making Evans smile fade somewhat. She nervously swallowed and took Evans hand. “Hedwig.” She stretched the hand that held the little stone out. Evan took the stone. “Thank you. I think i’ll need this to continue to exist.”

Hedwig pulled herself together. “Ehm, sorry for breaking in, this tower looked pretty abandoned when i arrived yesterday.”

Evan thought for a moment. “Well, yea, that’s possible. Do you know what date it is?”

He glanced at the hole in his chest, swallowing some saliva back.

“It’s the beginning of the 10th.”

Evan looked confused. “What year?”

“744cc.”

Evan grabbed his hair with his hands. “Well shit, that changes things.”

Hedwig started to put the pieces together. “How long have you been… sleeping?”

He looked at her, a sad smile on his chalk-white face. “About four years i think.”

He then got some light back in his eyes. “Although i think that i will be able to live forever now that i’ve successfully made a philosopher's-stone, or at least a lesser version of it.”

He smirked. “You know what, eighteen is not that bad of an age to get stuck in” he started to open drawers, and pulled out a shirt. “Thank you for moving the crystal though, i would’ve laid there forever if you hadn’t come by.” He switched shirt, studying the large bloody hole in the old one. “I really don’t remember how i died…”

***

He talked a lot. Not that it annoyed Hedwig that much; she much prefered a babbling person over a quiet undead. Or a vampire for that part. Evan was actually really nice, and said that he’d let her stay for a time while she decided what she would do next. There was a guest-bedroom in the tower, made to house Evans mage-friend that died shortly after it was finished.

Evan came into the room with a stack of blankets and pillows, seemingly drowning in its sheer volume.

“Make yourself at home. I have a bunch of work to catch up with regarding my… revival. I’m also not sure i have a lot of food left, there is a lexicon on edible plants and fruits on the desk somewhere.”

He disappeared through another door.

Hedwig picked up the lexicon and skimmed through it. Every page had information of one plant; where it could be found, what it was good for and how it tasted, what poisonous plant it could be confused with as well as a crude sketch drawn with black chalk. Evan was a pretty good artist. She took the lexicon as well as a basket and went down the stairs.

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The forest were full of goodies, seren ,wyrdds, coches, carios. Berries and fruits, herbs and wild vegetables, mushrooms and animals.

“Ugh, should’ve brought a bow or something.”

Over the course of the morning, she filled her basket up with plants, and then went back to the tower.

“Hedwig!” Evan called for Hedwig as she entered.

“Could you test this potion out? It doesn’t work on me, and i’m not sure if that’s cause i’m undead or that the potion isn’t working at all.”

Hedwig dropped the basket beside the doorway.

“What is it supposed to be for?”

“disguise. I can’t walk around looking like i’m covered in salt. Not that i’m planning to see civilization in a while.” He gave Hedwig a small vial with thick, clear liquid.

“Here, it should taste fine as well.”

Hedwig sighed. “Ugh, sure.” She swallowed its contents.

Hedwig felt her body react. She hurried to a mirror, and watched herself change.

“Wow, that’s impressive.” She had to give it to him, it was a good potion. In the mirror she saw a woman slightly taller than her with long, straight, light brown hair and eyes. Not her own vibrant red ones.

“So… i guess there’s no problem with your recipe.” She turned around to look at herself from other angles.

Evan scribbled something down in his notebook. “Doesn’t seem so”. He threw her another vial with liquid. “This is to change back. Be sure to eat something, changing height takes quite the toll on your muscles.”

“Got it.”

***

,

“Up for a game of chess or something?” Fredrik, the counselor of labour came into Henry’s office.

“Fredrik, it’s still work hours.”

“Yea i know, but i know both of us could use a little break. Neither of us have any issues to take care of for the moment, so why just sit and be bored?”

Fredrik brought out a deck.

“Up for some stress?” Fredrik moved a chair to the other side of the table.

Henry shoved a stack of paper out of the way. “Sure. You’re going to get crushed!”

Fredrik smiled. “That’s the spirit, although i’ve played waaaay to much of this to be beaten by you. If only my friends from back home were here.”

Fredrik started dealing the cards.

“Have you considered going outside to actually get a proper look at this place?” Fredrik asked. “It’s so full of amazing stuff! I’ve already started to get in contact with some curious mages that were taking a look at the city. Mages! I’ve asked them some questions, and if magic here works the way i think it does, we could make the generators work again!”

They started playing. “3, 2, 1, go!”

“I’ve had a lot of work regarding reconicance, so i haven’t had the time to leisurely stroll about. Several of the nobles close to us have already sent delegations trying to strike up deals with us. We’re lucky that Arelia just came out of a major conflict; otherwise they could have started preying on us instead” Henry said over the sound of cards being slammed on the table.

“Well, i could help you arrange a state visit to one of them” Fredrik said. “I’m sure you’re as curious as i am about how the people in this world live, and it would surely help your standing amongst these giants. Our standing.”

“I won.” Fredrik started shuffling the cards again. “There are so many opportunities here Henry. We have so much that the people here probably need. My people have already confirmed that the majority of people here live slightly better lives than what they did in the dark ages. We could do something about that.”

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

The commander of the sentries watching the entrance to the peninsula stepped into the room. “Sir, a man with an armed escort calling himself lord Geneve is demanding to see you, we don’t think it’s a smart choice to turn him away. My men has already pissed him off quite a lot.”

Henry sighed and stood up from the chair.

“See him in. Fredrik, could you gather the council for me?”

Fredrik pulled his phone out.

“Right away Henry.”

***

The HQ of the council was located in the old aula of the university of Owell. Reconstructed into a hearing hall. Big, old, and full of old dried sweat from it’s former students. Only six of the counselors managed to come to meet lord Geneve. He looked furious, as the UAF didn’t allow him or his escorts to carry weapons inside the city.

“I demand to be treated as my position as the lord of Granthem grants me!” He waved his arms around, accusingly pointing at the counselors.

“I do not care for what our so called “Queens” stance toward you savages is. You are intruders here, and will be treated thusly by all civilized people on this continent!”

Henry turned to his fellow counselors, trying to not laugh. The seats of the council were located on what was the stage of the aula, looking down on the rest of the seats, including the one lord Geneve currently occupied.

Fredrik spoke up. “I’m not sure about my colleagues here, but i’m not one to sit and take this vulgarity unfazed in my own city, let alone by such a retarded man like you.” He looked coldly at the lord below him.

The counselor of foreign affairs, Hanna, joined in.

“Neither am i, counselor; i suggest we show our guest out.” She looked at Henry for his confirmation.

Henry waved his hand, and two armed sentries came in and practically dragged the lord out of the hall. The counselors heard him shout as the sentries took him through the doors.

“You think that a little city-state like yours will survive my alliance? Wait, i will come back now that you’ve given me a reason to mobilize the army!”

The counselor of internal affairs, Devon, paled. “H-Hey, maybe that wasn’t the best decision we could’ve taken…”

“Hmpf, i couldn’t have taken that for another minute.” Fredrik crossed his arms.

“Well, seems like we will have to watch our border more closely from now on.” Henry massaged his temples.

“Hanna, i want more information about the alliance he mentioned; there’s been nothing about that in the IB’s reports on Granthem.”