Space Wizards

33. I am the Necromancer

The white steel of the Sentinel droid was smeared in dark red blood, its arm stopped mid-swing, and its electrified battle axe fizzled out. Inside, Grimble desperately tried to regain control. His head throbbed and though his focus was set on reviving his machine, he was all too aware of the Necromancer's attempt to enchant his mind. 

Images of his departed wife, his children, the workshop he once ran, all filled his heart with sorrow and loss. He knew, intellectually, that the Necromancer could have no knowledge of such past events, but emotionally the evil wizard was messing with his emotions. As Grimble frantically worked, he fortified his spirits by thinking of the pleasant memories; making breakfast for the kids, long nights in the workshop, walks down by the river with the love of his life. These memories could never be tainted nor taken away from him. They were the source of his inner strength. 

Outside, the powered-down robot was swarmed by the undead and toppled. They stuck spear and sword into every joint on the Sentinel in an effort to pry it open. Blades broke, spears snapped, but a knee joint loosened and it wasn't long before they removed a leg and a hand. 

Øregård continued to blast away at the army, ripping through their ranks. When he saw the Necromancer, his mind was flooded with images of battles, lost comrades, wars won and especially lost, chaos, hostility, and murder. Instead of recoiling him in fear, the visions empowered him to fight. He leveled his turbo blaster on the Necromancer and fired. 

The first blast blew a fist-sized hole right through the Necromancer's torso. Luculentus Dicax Sid's spellbook floated out of his hand and opened. He slid a bent finger down the page and cast a defensive shield that absorbed every other blast sent his way. Øregård roared a curse in the brutish Gastraddar tongue. 

"Why would you use the spells of one so noble as Sid?" asked Melock. 

The Necromancer laughed and said, "While I didn't find him to be brilliant or witty, his work lays a solid foundation for advancement. Take his Arrow of Righteousness for example. One twist to the idea and you have a Devil's Crossbow."

The Necromancer thrust his arms forward and black spectral crossbows appeared in his hands. He fired, immediately dropped them, and they vanished before hitting the ground. Two zipping black bolts flew toward the wizards and passed right through their protective shield. 

Tykö caught one arrow with his mechanical arm, stopping the bolt just inches from his face. Murphy stepped quick in front of Melock and took the second bolt right in the head. She fell back with force knocking the old wizard over as she went down. Melock pulled off her helmet and she craned her neck turning her head to get out past the arrow. Melock wiped the blood away from her eyes. 

"It's only a scratch," she said standing and pulling the wizard back to his feet. 

The Necromancer held out both his hands, spread his fingers wide, and let loose a storm of laser beams. Ten veins of a hundred million volts each leapt out of his fingers and crossed the room to destroy the wizard's energy shield. Melock reached forward with one hand, caught a beam, and with his other hand sent it back at the Necromancer. The force of the impact sent him stumbling. 

"I am the Necromancer!" he said staggering forward. "No mear mortal may challenge me! I have lived for a million of your lifetimes. I am death eternal. An unstoppable force of nature. All bend and bow before me. The stubborn shall break and parish. All shall die and be reborn as my slaves. None shall oppose me. Terror will grip the hearts of this world. I shall make it mine and rule with an iron fist! You are no match for my power."

Sid's spellbook flipped through pages, and he cast a spell that sent a cloud of purple mist over the fallen burning bodies of dismembered dead. They began to crawl and drag and push themselves together forming a huge three-headed construct of a Frakenstiened monster. The Necromancer ripped the page from Sid's book, crumpled it, and threw it at the abomination. Its center head caught the paper ball in its mouth and swallowed it. The undead beast roared as its parts fused together. Its arms were made of thighs and its legs were made from torsos. The monster pressed its fists into helmets for steel-plated boxing gloves. It stood a foot taller than Øregård and when it charged him, no blaster rifle could slow it.

The Necromancer chuckled at his creation and taking Sid's book in hand said, "I'll need something from my past if I'm to put this world to rest." 

As the Necromancer dematerialized in a wave of swirling flames Melock shouted, "Follow, follow, follow, follow!" 

The Necromancer was gone in a lick of fire and a puff of smoke and so were Sister Murphy and the wizards.