Chương 23: Beyond the Wall

"What do you mean he said he could remove the curse?" Aaron tapered it back down to a whisper and continued.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"The man broke into our home and tried to kill me. You heard him yourself," Tim whispered back.

"But you didn't tell me he had a cure!" Tim scowled back at Aaron.

"Listen to yourself. He wanted to kill me."

"Why did he want to kill you? And why did he change his mind? You never told me properly what happened." Tim looked at his feet sheepishly.

"He is a self professed undead hunter. He tracked me down by my curse thinking I was undead and then offered to take me to the farm to search for the artifact. He thinks it's the key to making me better."

"What?!" Aaron whisper-shouted.

"That's exactly what we needed. This is our chance to finally rid you of this curse."

"I didn't want to go. It's risky to leave the city and we don't even know what we'll find in the old mine. Or if it will even work."

"I can't believe you'd lie to me. We should have decided together." Aaron didn't think Tim was capable of lying. He felt heartbroken.

"It's my decision, Aaron. My illness, my life!" Tim hissed. Aaron flinched at the venom in his whisper. It was uncharacteristic of Tim to lie and snap at Aaron like that. All he wanted to do was help him get better and up until recently, he thought that's what Tim wanted too.

"Well you said it yourself. He's our best bet of getting out of this mess in one piece." Tim rolled his eyes.

"great, fugitives being hunted by grunts, monsters and Artifex knows what else across the Northern Expanse. The perfect cure for my curse," he said pointedly.

"It's not like that. You'll be ok, I promise." Tim barely reacted. He stared down the alley blankly. He'd come round eventually, he always did in the end. Once he's cured, he'll understand, Aaron thought. The guards sounded like they were getting closer. They needed to move. Making sure not to tread too heavily, they crept away through the winding back streets of the city until they couldn't hear the voices any more. The long route to the east gate was not one Aaron enjoyed.

It took them through the rougher side of the city. The road usually felt much safer, but not when they were on the run of course. The journey took a painful hour. Not because of the distance or exhaustion from his depleted mana, but from the bitterness he felt from his brother. It made sense to keep quiet to avoid drawing attention, but this felt like a step further. Finally, they arrived at the cemetery. It was right next to the city wall and far from all of the busiest parts of the city.

It was a relief to know the guards were unlikely to patrol this far off the main roads. The cemetery covered roughly half an acre of land and was surrounded by a small, knee high metal fence. There were a variety of tombstones of different shapes, mostly to pay homage to the gods. By far, a large circle was the most popular design. It paid homage to Ouromor in hopes of a favourable journey to the next life. Some graves had huge monoliths above them which towered above them, clearly reserved for the wealthy.

Although most had a small headpiece with a small ring of stones and flowers arranged tastefully over the mound of dirt where their loved one had been buried. At the centre of the plot stood a log cabin. It wasn't fancy by any means, but far larger and nicer than where Aaron lived. It looked old, yet charming with moss and ivy growing up the walls. Smoke gently trickled out of the chimney at the top. It stood out against the expansive gloomy graveyard like it somehow wasn't supposed to be there.

Aaron felt something familiar. His True Sight was poking at his mind. He remembered how he felt when he held the coin with the sun symbol. How it took him somewhere surrounded by death. This was the coin's home, the feeling was unmistakable. As they over a small mossy path winding around the graves, Aaron felt the mana buried in the ground beneath him. Since he learned to cast Drain Remnant, he started to sense the latent mana in things. Draining a pig or one guard gave him more power than he'd ever felt before.

It was intoxicating to imagine what he could do with an entire cemetery of mana to drain. He let out a smile thinking about it, but quickly corrected it when he realised how strange it might look to Tim. Graveyards weren't typically supposed to make you smile. They lowered their hoods as they approached the cabin, instantly flooding his ears with cold wind. They had been covering their heads and faces as much as possible for the entire journey. Tim knocked twice on the oversized cottage door.

After a few moments, Giddeon opened the door. He was dressed unusually formally for late in the evening. Aaron recognised his distinctive grey goatee, which was still neat and well trimmed. He placed one foot out the door and looked around for a few seconds before gesturing to the pair to come inside. Aaron tried his best to hide how desperate he felt about the situation, but he sensed that Giddeon knew they were in trouble. There was a small foyer in the centre of the cabin.

A thin wooden staircase half spiraled around a young birch tree placed tastefully in a pot in the middle of the room. There was a large study area to the left, a kitchen and dining room straight ahead and a living area to the right. It looked perfect for a family. The house was warm and well lit and smelled like peppered beef. Aaron's stomach rumbled at the delicious scent. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Giddeon led them to the living room on the right.

The faint smell of wood smoke filled the air as he entered. A pleasant glow from the fireplace warmed Aaron's face. It was welcomed after being out in the cold for so long. There were two large chairs, each big enough to seat three people. They were padded with cushions and covered with a light gray blanket. A girl was sitting on the closest chair, facing the fire. Aaron had to hold in a gasp when he realised it was Paige. He barely recognised her out of her uniform.

Instead, she was wearing a slim brown dress, with decorative frills on the collar.

"Paige?" Aaron said in disbelief.

"Hello Aaron," she replied. Her voice was less soft than he remembered. She seemed colder and more professional. Before Aaron could ask any more questions, Giddeon ushered them to the chairs and started speaking.

"So Tim, have you reconsidered my offer?" Aaron took a seat next to Paige, glancing a second look on the way. He considered pinching himself to make sure he wasn't in a dream. Or a nightmare. She could have been his daughter but why would a noble's daughter be working as a laundry washer?

"Well, not exactly. We have got ourselves into a spot of trouble and." Aaron interrupted Tim before he could refuse.

"Yes we will go to the farm. Me and Tim together," he said. Tim huffed in frustration. Aaron guessed his plan was to shelter with them for a while, but that wouldn't do. Not when a cure was within reach. Giddeon ignored Aaron and addressed TIm directly.

"What trouble, Tim?"

"Harrold Umber is after us," he replied. Giddeon froze for a moment, as if the mention of the name had bit him.

"What did you do to piss off that old bastard?" He said bitterly. Tim looked at Aaron and pulled a sickening sarcastic smile.

"He was paying me to do some healing for him and he kept asking me to use darker and darker magic. I ran when I had a chance." Gidden turned back to him, making eye contact for the first time.

"I know you are a necromancer, Aaron. The only reason you are alive is because Paige has vouched for you."

"If anything happens to my brother, you can forget about the farm!" Tim interrupted. It was warming to hear Tim come to his defence. And strange that the girl had been defending him. Sure they got along well enough, but they'd only known each other a few days. And even stranger that this man would seek out and kill him for having Necromancy powers. Perhaps this is what Master Addison warned him about.

"Yes, sir, I monitored the brother for months and he is harmless," Paige said. Aaron turned to Paige and screwed up his brow. She didn't falter, blink or even acknowledge his gaze. He'd only been a Necromancer for days, not months. He was a novice healer for most of that time and hardly worth the 50 silvers they paid him, let alone being monitored.

"Yes, yes, I've seen your reports." he waved his hand dismissively. And fine Tim, I will not harm Aaron. But know that if I catch a whiff of betrayal, I will put you both in the ground. Do you understand me?" Aaron let out a huff which came across much louder than intended. He had no idea who this old man was and he wasn't scared of him. He'd just managed to elude Harrold Umber and his men, so what threat could he possibly pose. but their interests were aligned and he had no intention of finding out.

If it meant getting help for his brother, he would work with this arrogant bastard.

"As long as you keep to your promise and help my brother, there will be no betrayal," he said coldly.

"Why were you monitoring me?"

"Don't get too big for your boots little man, we were monitoring your brother because his curse reeks of necromancy. It was an inconvenience that we found out you have some weak Necromancy powers," Giddeon sneered. Aaron felt rage building inside, but he wouldn't give him the satisfaction. It would be so easy to walk over and punch him in the face. Maybe he could use his Manipulate Flesh to make his fist extra hard. He would deserve it as well.

Aaron cooled himself off and grunted dismissively instead, trying his best to convince himself that a deal with this man was a necessary evil. It was better than sticking around with Harrold, at least.

"By the looks of your wits, you were probably followed as well," he jeered. Aaron's blood was boiling. He barely knew this noble and he was throwing insults and disrespecting him already and for what? Because he was a necromancer? He didn't even ask to be a necromancer. Tim looked at Aaron and put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"No one followed us Giddeon. We kept to the back streets and moved slowly and quietly." Aaron was relieved Tim spoke up. He definitely would have phrased it much more.. colourfully. Giddeon grunted and stood up from his chair.

"Well I'm not taking any risks. If you're discovered here, my reputation will be tarnished. Let's go."

"What, now?" Tim gasped.

"Yes, I'm not risking it." Aaron didn't like Giddeon, but he had a point. Harrold's men weren't the smartest, but he had a lot of riches and power. He could have hundreds of criminals on his payroll around the city, all on the lookout for him tonight. There may have even been a bounty on his capture. The infirmity healers treated him like his power was invisible. Part of him enjoyed having some notoriety, even though it came from a crazed noble. Paige got up and led them back to the front door of the house.

There were six backpacks hung up in a two by three pattern next to the door. It was strange for a house with only two people living in it. Paige and Giddeon both grabbed a bag. Each was of simple, yet sturdy construction made out of a beige fabric. It neither looked extravagant nor cheap and tattered. It was perfectly normal and wouldn't stand out in a crowd. Giddeon instructed them to open their bags and filled them with some supplies from the spare bags, including rope, a tinder box, a blanket and some food.

Giddeon took hunting knives out of all of the bags and kept them to himself. An intentional move, no doubt. Outside the house, the city wall loomed over them, blocking out the moon. It was about three men tall and made of a smooth white stone. There wasn't a blemish or crack in it. Aaron rarely ventured out to see the wall, but it felt just as impressive now as the first time he saw it. He wondered what kind of powerful magic was used to build it, given how perfectly smooth and strong it remained after ten years.

They arrived at one of a few crypts on the plot. The worn, weathered gray stone had a powdery green plant growing in the crevices where water had collected. Aaron noticed a sun symbol engraved into the heavy stone door of the tomb. Giddeon pulled a pendant out of his shirt, attached to the simple silver necklace. It was clasped too tightly in his fists to get a proper look at. Suddenly, a white glow burst out, flooding a blinding light across the cemetery.

Aaron shielded his eyes but it vanished as quickly as it came. The silence of the graveyard intensified as they waited expectantly for something to happen. An eerie creak ensued and quickly turned into a loud rumble. Small stones rattled off of the crypt door as it creaked open. For a secret entrance, it wasn't particularly subtle. You probably could have heard it from the other end of the cemetery. As the door came fully open, the starlight above illuminated narrow stone steps leading downwards into the darkness.