The pit was filled with dead. Dozens upon dozens of corpses formed a macabre pile. Some twitching and groaning as the pooled essence of death reanimated those below.

  “Steve…What is that?”

  —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Steve placed the barrel down and glanced at the ghost. A devious smile crossed his face as Ryland discovered the closely guarded secret. All those cultists of Deas preaching above ignorant to magics. A grand locus of death siphoning away the wayward negative energy, pooling it into this pit of power. It pulsed with deathly magic, the runes glowing as it contained the energy. Steve felt safe; he could experiment with little cost in this sanctum. After a few moments had passed, he finally spoke.

  “Well Ryland, we have a sort of agreement in place with…”

  “STEVE. OH MY STEVE IT’S YOU!” A voice shouted from down the hall. The high-pitched, tone grating on the ears.

  The patter of footsteps increased as the man rushed forward. Behind him trailed a few wayward zombies, the group of corpses moaning as they bumped into each other. The man was roughly equal in height with Steve but much skinnier. His arms were nearly bone and his hair a pale white. But what the most striking figure was his ghost-flame eyes. Each burned bright with the blue magics, a permanent frost surrounding the sunken sockets. Steve tensed up as Geraldo appeared. He was a high-leveled member with a singular focus–discovering lost magics.

  “Hi Geraldo, I come with bad…”

  “Hush hush hush, I don’t have time but I could see it. Oh could I SEE IT.” He bent down and hugged the barrel, sniffing at the cracks. After a brief moment, he let off a deep, guttural moan of raw pleasure.

  “Steve…” Ryland was very…concerned with Geraldo’s actions.

  “Ohhhhhh yesssss. It’s so PURE…so RAW…What a PRIZE YOU ARE!” Geraldo flung his head back as frozen tears arced through the air.

  His hands gripped the top, and he muttered a spell. The throes of time took hold, and the wood rapidly rotted. Between the weakened barrel and the empowering locus, Ryland’s body busted out with such force that it flung the crazed [Necromancer] back. Geraldo tumbled across the stone surface, his weakened bones snapped–piercing through the gaunt skin.

  “Is he” Ryland whispered but Steve held up a hand.

  Geraldo swayed as he returned to his feet. A cool wave of magic radiated from his body as the bones popped themselves into place. He stumbled forward, and his ghastly eyes stared at the zombie zealously. Ryland could feel the anxiety and fear from his body. It was the first time those emotions were shared. Both wanted to leave, retreat, and regroup. Yet neither could move.

  Geraldo reached out, his fingers tenderly caressing the creature’s cheeks. Each one running across the skin, feeling the various muscles beneath. He circled the zombie, savoring the quality of the creation. Lifting a arm and poking at the biceps, pulling open the maw and checking the teeth, even casting a few spells to observe the magics at hand.

  “He’s beautiful. How? I need to see Faust” Geraldo turned

  “Where is your master? He has outdone himself this time! I’ve never seen anything like it”

  “Uhh..about that. Faust is dead”

  “Well we are all dead in here. Come now Steve. I know he keeps his secrets but WHERE IS HE”

  “Geraldo. I’m not lying, he is DEAD. Decapitated by some roaming “heroes”.” Steve emphasiesed ‘

  That wasn’t the correct response. Geraldo stared blankly for a few moments. His brain was ticking behind that withered skull. Suddenly, he threw up his hands and stumbled backwards.

  “Dead! No no no no no NO!” His screams radiated with power and his zombies collapsed into a pile of corpses

  “Faust can’t be DEAD! His brain…I need his brain. You saved his brain, did you not? Every apprentice saves the brain. I can…I can read it. Steve where is his brain?”

  “I don’t…”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “STEVE” Steve was flung against the wall as Geraldo rushed forward.

  The man’s hair defied gravity as magic flowed through his body. Ghastly chains clamped onto his limbs pulling him into the air. The flesh turned cold, raw. Each one siphoning his very essence from his soul. But as fast as it came, the magic halted. Geraldo fell to his knees, whimpering.

  “Sorry Steve, I forgot you were never taught our ways.”

  “It’s…uhh okay I guess.” Steve rubbed at the exposed flesh, that was close.

  Geraldo lifted his head, a sinister smile returning as the two made eye-contact.

  “So he is YOURS then!” The bony finger pressed into his sternum

  There was no avoiding it. He needed help, and Geraldo was one of the best. He'd be the coven's leader if it weren’t for his broken brain.

  “Yes…But”

  “BUT what”

  “I don’t know…how it happened”

  “You DON’T know. How do you NOT know? Did you perform a ritual in your sleep? You HAVE to know. BAH Time is short. I’m your trainer now. By the end of the week you WILL remember.” He stood up and brushed pass Steve.

  Steve’s head was spinning. It was all moving too fast, Geraldo never took on apprentices. He was a living legend, and many tried to glean his rambling thoughts. This was a game-changer for his career.

  “Steve come come, we have work to do above. Don’t just stand there, we have things to learn.”

  “Uhh what of my…” Steve glanced at the zombie, who returned an incredulous look.

  “Servant” The zombie scoffed.

  “First they are MINIONS, not SERVANTS Steve. Don’t get attached! We don’t need another love affair down here. It’ll make your dick rot off and trust me they will NOT reattach it above. But yes, you are right hmmm.” He snapped, and the gaggle of corpses returned to their animated state.

  “There now he has FRIENDS. Up we go, they can mind themselves.” Steve couldn’t argue and just gave Ryland a shrug.

  With no other options, the three went back up the staircase and into the spire of healing. Ryland felt a lot better this time. Even though the upper levels were sanctified positive loci, his connection with his body recharged any lost power. Sure it was a constant drain, but being so close to the dead pit invigorated him. Ryland ignored the mutterings of Geraldo, instead he glanced around the healing center with fascination.

  He’d been in these halls before, all adventures had. Yet he never got the vibe that they were covering for a coven of [Necromancer]s below. What if word got out? It would be a complete scandal! Not to mention their goddess was a bastion of health. Keeping the plagues and disease out of the city. It was one of the reasons for it’s power. If Deas learned about this goddess’s betrayal…damn he didn’t know what would happen. These spires were neutral ground, off limits to the plights of the world. Would the citizens revolt at Deas’ Decree or would they be appalled and cast out the worshippers at the cost to their own lives.

  They passed a room filled with tears. One of the [Nurse]s wheeled out a covered body. Death was a daily occurrence and any that walked that perished were forbidden to leave. Instead they would cremate the body and return the ashes. But that did not happen, the nurse turned the corner and opened a slot in the wall. Pushing the body through, it quickly disappeared down the pit.

  “No way” He felt a tinge of anger rise up. This was blasphemy, this wasn’t right. It all clicked.

  The pit was the dead from above, tossed into the shaft and added to the ever growing pile below. With a straight face, the nurse returned to the family with snacks and water. Consoling the various members and letting them grieve. It was sickening, he’d just dumped the body like it was nothing. There was no respect for the dead, just materials for those below!

  He broke from the two, instead exploring the spire for more evidence. With newfound knowledge, he noticed all the little things. Drained blood was set out for collection. Amputated limbs casually dumped down into the pits. How the staff used various codewords to discuss the various specimens. They had zero respect for their clients, only discussing new ways of healing and various experiments to trial on the incoming patients. But even through it all, Ryland could only get so angry.

  They still were helping the city. For everyone that died, many others left healed. People in Deas’ direct gaze defying his will and returning to the living. He could he stop that? Was the truth worth the suffering? Seeing a mother reunite with her dying child. Watching the eyes light up as a man can finally hear the voice of his lover. The cute older couple tossing their canes and dancing once more. So much good had to outweigh the bad right?

  Ryland wandered the halls as his emotions fought within. He’d lost Steve and it took nearly and hour to find him. Phasing into the room, he was shocked to see his friend covered in white cloth. A quivering man laid onto a large table as lights shone above.

  “Tell me I’ll be ok. I just want to be fixed” He was tearing up

  “Shh, the light of our goddess shines on all. If it is her will, you shall live. No SLEEP”

  The man fainted at the divine command. His limbs hanging limply over the sides. Immediately the various [Nurse]s and other aids rushed to prep the man. With the curtians pulled, the room shifted. A darkness crept into the walls as Geraldo stepped in. The head [Surgeon] and the crazed [Necromancer] glanced at each other. Both the top of their field, so similar in skills but opposites in goals.

  “Well do you want a KISS or shall we save a life JOHN?” Geraldo said as he snapped the latex glove.

  John sighed and stepped forward. It was going to be a long day.