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Sorcerer Aldus of the Morning Star (#6491)

Owner: 0x03d9…c658

WAR MACHINE RISING

[PART III]

Prior to The Quantum Shadow's influence, Aldus wouldn't have the slightest idea where to find the traveling merchant. Now that his curse is lifted and all memories unlocked, The Heretic plots. Fellheart mimics the sorcerer's skyward stare, his fur as dark as the night above. Aldus squints at the stars to estimate the date.

"As long as we keep walking with the shadow on our left, we'll find him," explains Aldus.


They find their destination nestled against the mountains leading to Yellow Wizard Haven. Long banners catch the wind. Colossal avian legs are folded under, indicating The Bazaar is staying in the location for now. A large wooden storefront sign bears the name of its owner — Two Crows.

The Heretic has conducted plenty of business with Two Crows in the past. He always liked the crow and the way he runs his trade. The Bazaar remains neutral and doesn't hold allegiance to a crown or faction. As they approach the entrance, Aldus pauses, and tosses Fellheart a piece of dried venison.

"Stay out here. I don't want that appetite of yours to reach his familiar. One Crow just doesn't have the same ring to it."

Aldus enters The Bazaar and hears the expected CAW from the smaller of the pair. Two Crows sits at a far desk, inspecting an object using an advanced articifer's loupe covering one eye. He removes the arcane optic and sees The Heretic waiting at the entrance. The tall crow stands and greets Aldus with a grin.

"Been a while, Heretic. What's the spell? Blood or bone?" asks Two Crows with eyes full of mischief.

"Bone."

"Not surprised. Just be a moment. Coffee and jelly donuts are on the counter," says Two Crows as he disappears behind a royal blue curtain near the back.

"Last time I ate one of those, I didn't sleep for two weeks. Several villages burned."

"Don’t try to tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself," casually remarks the crow from behind the fabric. "Here, these will do the trick."

Two Crows returns and hands The Heretic a small box of aged wood containing the magical supplies. Aldus pays and chats for a moment before fetching his onyx wolf and departing for the nearest graveyard.


A short expedition eastward leads the dark pair to an ossuary surrounded by willow trees. Half-covered in moss, the stone structure seems suspended in time. The two calmly scout the interior, opening each sarcophagus to inspect the restful bones within.

The sorcerer notices something out of place. He scratches chunks of black wax off the top of one of the sarcophagi. Was I here before? His memories are returned, but he doesn’t recall this ossuary. Putting the distraction out of mind, The Heretic prepares his craft. He opens the wooden box and removes five candles. He then pulls a blue silk pouch from the box and opens the drawstring. Inside are thin and delicate salt-imbued bones. Duck bones. He shakes his head.

“That crow and his games,” says Aldus with a wicked smile.

Aldus takes a moment to remember any details about the former lieutenant that might augment the necromantic evocation. He walks outside to the nearest tree and picks up a long stick from the dirt below. He catches a glimpse of Fellheart running deep into the tranquil forest and out of sight, eager to hunt. Returning to the ossuary, Aldus opens the sarcophagus halfway and inspects the specimen inside one more time. Satisfied, he places the stick on top of the stone lid and arranges the imbued bones in the shape of a water rune. Aldus pats the dust off his disheveled black robes, almost meditatively. He tenderly sets down the skull that never leaves his side. A deathlike aura emanates from it, searching for light to extinguish. XIII is carved into the frontal bone — representing Death in the Major Arcana. Last comes the candles: green for earth, yellow for air, red for fire, blue for water. He places a black candle in the center position next to the skull. Traditionally, many spells are cast using a white candle representing spirit. However, Aldus the Black didn’t get the name by practicing conventional magic. He lights the candles counterclockwise and then the central one. Now that the circle is formed and tied to his memories of Setsuko, the rest of the spell is easy. Like all magic, the true catalyst is intent.

"By the mysteries of the deep. By the silence of the night. By virtue of the heavens, and torments of the damned, I conjure thee, Setsuko, to present thyself here to answer my liege demands. I conjure and bind thee to utter what I shall ask. Setsuko, arise! Arise, I charge and command thee!"

The black candle goes out with a HISS. The remaining candlelight throws shadows on the walls of bone after bone assembling midair. The soul of Setsuko rises slowly, movements bound to a skeleton that isn't her own. Though skeletal expressions are hard to read, The Heretic doesn't need to. He can feel the disgust and hatred seething from her.

"I underrupted your slumber, lieutenant, but it was necessary. I need some information," says Aldus. The reanimated skeleton clenches its fists tensely and stares at its former leader from empty sockets. "The night before my disappearance, a fire mage named Alatar arrived. He placed a memory curse upon me and will suffer for it. You were there that night. Did Alatar mention where he was traveling to?" The soul of Setsuko simply glares at the sorcerer with pure malice. "Lieutenant! I command thee to answer!"

The skeleton arches its back and a haunting laugh bursts upward. Aldus winces. The disturbing pitch irks him, like a dull knife scraping against his spine.

"Alatar? You useless fool! I was the one who cursed you!" The soul of Setsuko cackles.

"YOU—?" asks The Heretic with rising discomfort.

"To you, we were all just fodder to feed the war machine. No care. No consideration. No real strategy. Just throw enough of us at a wall and onto the next. Well, I CARED!"

Aldus is taken aback. Not so much by the revelation, but by the fact that he feels guilt about it. For the first time, Aldus listens.

"Setsuko — I, I understand."

"DO YOU?! The Heretic only understands himself. Cares about himself. Even Bayard abandoned you."

"What does the Arch Gravelord have to do with this?" asks Aldus.

"First sign of trouble and he fled with the rest of the Worms. Your loyal pet, slithering away to save his own skin," the soul of Setsuko explains mockingly.

"Bayard is alive?"

"Who knows? It doesn't matter. Everyone was better off without you — even in death. It's time to finish what I started. It ends here. It ends — tonight."

The skeleton bends down and wedges its left forearm tightly under the heavy sarcophagus lid. A sudden upward thrust of the shoulder snaps the ulna and radius bones with a loud SNAP. The Heretic watches in astonishment as the second arm gets severed in the same way. SNAP! The soul of Setsuko stands to face her prey with broken forearms. Four sharp lengths of bone are poised toward the sorcerer, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Aldus takes a slow, deep breath. He is resigned. He's been many things in the past, but a leader worth following was not one of them. Ever since his encounter with The Quantum Shadow, he's been seeing things from a different view. Ashamed, he agrees with Setsuko. It is time. The Heretic closes his eyes and welcomes death.

The sounds are amplified in the end. Time is slowed. Aldus hears thudding footsteps of murderous bone moving toward him. Another noise is made he cannot identify. He braces for the impending lunge to his chest.

CLACK!

Aldus is startled by the unexpected sound. His eyes flash open. The skeleton harboring the soul of his former lieutenant is down on one knee. Between its shoulder and humerus bone is locked the unrelenting jaw of an onyx wolf. Fellheart has come to his aid. CRACK! The right arm of the skeleton falls freely to the ground as Fellheart readies another attack. The wolf bites low and latches onto the skeleton's right leg. With a strong sideways thrust of his neck, Fellheart dislocates the leg and sends it crashing against the far wall. The skeletal construct falls onto its side and the wolf dismantles the remaining bones mercilessly. The black tether that binds the soul of Setsuko to this realm fades with an audible sigh.

The Heretic studies the scene in awe. Regaining some of his composure, he contemplates why her words cut him so deeply. He shakes his head, trying to forget the fact that he was willing to accept his own demise. That was not like him. He endures. This time, it was only because he was protected. He recovers the carved skull from the stone lid and sits down on the cold floor holding it in his lap. He looks to the wolf across from him.

"Fellheart, I, I —." The Heretic searches for the right words. "Thank you." Fellheart walks over to the sorcerer and sits next to him. The Heretic places a hand on the wolf's back.

After a much needed respite on the stone floor among the bones, Aldus breaks the silence. "Let's return home. We have plans to devise."


Although the return trip to the charred cathedral was a long distance, Aldus and Fellheart aren't exhausted. The air about the two is charged with determination. Aldus returns his thoughts to the wax found in the ossuary. Ambition builds.

"We need to look for the signs. If the Arch Gravelord is indeed alive, I'm sure he's causing a stir. He always had a certain — flair to his work," says Aldus with malevolent delight.

The bittersweet memories of his lost legions arrive unbidden. His mood darkens. Together, they accomplished unparalleled feats of black magic — though Aldus shamefully admits he led them as a cruel despot. He's surprised by the mental admission. These new strange thoughts unnerve him. It feels like an unknown entity is bound to him in some way. With shaking hands, The Heretic tears a Lux of the Sun label off an inklike potion and downs its contents. He's built a tolerance to the grim liquid over the years. Aldus exhales as he falls into a blissful state between life and death. He looks to his onyx wolf.

"If we are to succeed in this, some things need to change."

TINK! A chain suspending the flayed corpse of a local snaps, causing the decayed body to hit the floor with a loud SMACK! The Heretic chuckles.

"Well — we don't have to change everything."

Entered by: 0x03d9…c658 and preserved on chain (see transaction)