The Necromancer

"Chirus, it's time," A Skelengel trooper entered his dormitory.

"Don't worry, I'm ready," Chirus put on his white coat.

Today, Chirus met with his infectious disease professor, Dr. Eins. He and Dr. Eins gave a final case presentation to other professors and final-year medical students. It was an intriguing case presentation about the antibiotic management of animal bites.

The audience applauded for the duo's hard work. After the presentation, Dr. Eins helped Chirus gather medication bottles for delivery to the professors' high-class homes. As Chirus and Dr. Eins reviewed the patients' medication profiles, he counseled them.

Due to the busy day, he couldn't eat with Shyrin's brothers as usual today. Finally, the shift was over. The Skelengel soldiers escorted Chirus and Dr. Eins back to campus.

"What a day, right, Dr. Eins?" Chirus carried a package of medical files with his professor.

"I know," Dr. Eins smiled. "You've grown up quite a lot. You're very talented in using patient-friendly language. You should feel proud."

"Well, I had a great professor. You got me into infectious diseases. Thank you, Dr. Eins!"

As they passed the walking students, Chirus noticed Skelengels and Endromen walking into the front gates. A familiar injured boy was carried on an emergency stretcher bed.

"What the? Ty!!" Chirus gasped, dropping his package. "Sorry, Dr. Eins!"

"Don't worry about it. I'll go with you," Dr. Eins ran with him.

The two dashed toward the scene where other boys gathered to witness.

"Back off!" The stormtroopers barked at the curious boys. "Return to your dorms now!"

"Hey, bro!" Calyx pushed other students to get up close. "What the heck happened?"

Tynan looked so pale, as if he saw a ghost. His body was full of bleeding scratches and bite marks, with one leg missing. Tynan turned to his big brother and his pharmacist friend with enlarged eyes, unable to explain the horror that just happened.

"Out of the way!" A Skelengel pushed Calyx off.

"Don't push me! That's my little brother there!"

"Trooper, what happened to this student?" Dr. Eins politely asked.

"This boy was leading a group to escape, and a monster killed them except him," The Skelengel huffed.

"Where are you taking him?"

"It's none of your concern. Now move!"

Chirus pat poor Tynan's head until an Endroman pushed him away.

"This is why you don't go outside unless you graduate!" The Skelengels announced. "Now go back into your dorms!"

Swarms of bat drones surrounded the campus like a twister, blaring sirens and aiming their mouth machine guns as a warning. The scared boys ran back into their rooms as Chirus, Calyx, and Dr. Eins covered their ears from the obnoxious bats.

"Will they save him?" Calyx asked Dr. Eins.

"I hope so, Calyx," The professor hugged him.

"Where will Tynan be?"

"He may be at Viers Center," Dr. Eins scratched her head. "It's supposed to be a new hospital for the disabled."

"I've been at various medical centers on campus, but I've never heard of that one," Chirus blinked. "Is it near the professors' residences?"

"No, it's within Senri's mansion. Only the professors are allowed to enter. I'm on duty there tonight, so I'll likely see him."

"Can we go too?" Chirus asked.

"No, the Skelengels won't allow it," Dr. Eins picked up her ringing phone. "Yes? Okay, on my way. I need to go, students."

"Please let us know what happens to Tynan."

Dr. Eins nodded. "I promise. I'll make sure he's in good hands."

"Why haven't you all returned to your dorms?" A stormtrooper interrupted.

"Sorry, I was talking to them," Dr. Eins told her.

As Skelengel troops escorted her, Calyx and Chirus were forced back into their rooms. Chirus frowned, irritated by the upside-down bats that hissed at him.

What if I went with Tynan? Would things be different? Chirus wondered. I know Dr. Eins said she would take care of him, but I can't stop thinking about him.

His door was knocked. Chirus opened it to see Calyx.

"Hey, Chirus. You've been to Senri's Mansion before, right?" Calyx quietly asked.

"Yes, to give her a flu shot. Why?" Chirus scratched his head.

Calyx made sure the stormtroopers weren't paying attention. "Could you help me find Ty?"

"You're worried, too?"

"Yeah. If it was Shyrin, she would dive headfirst for him. Meet at the front gate?"

"Sure."

A camera beeped when it spotted Calyx and Chirus talking. Calyx ran back into his dorm before the camera could process their interaction.

***

After curfew, Chirus snuck out, paying attention to the camera movements. He quietly walked downstairs to meet with Calyx.

"Let's find him together," Chirus fist-bumped with him, making sure the bat drones didn't see them.

"Thankfully, Tynan did tell me how the cameras and patrols move in some areas."

"I know where the mansion is. Dr. Eins said the Viers Center is inside. If we find it, we find the medical center."

The two dashed away from the searchlights, taking cover behind buildings. Chirus directed Calyx towards Senri's mansion while Calyx helped Chirus dodge the local cameras' sights. They snuck past the lecture hall and the tall gardens. As the outdoor greenhouse plants gave the two cover, Chirus soon found the familiar red mansion with a metallic water fountain in the front courtyard.

"That's Senri's mansion," Chirus pointed. "The red one crawling with Endromen."

They saw orca hovertanks and armored technicals with machine gunners lined across the circular courtyard. Endromen stood guard as bat drones stood upside-down on the roof awnings.

"How did you enter last time?" Calyx asked.

"They only allowed me to meet Senri in the backyard, so I've never been inside the mansion itself."

"Oh, we can try going in from there."

"Thankfully, Senri's place has lots of plants. We should have plenty of cover to reach the backyard."

The duo scuffled into the tall grass around the perimeter of Senri's mansion. Chirus and Calyx found an empty garden with colorful plants.

"This is where I was," Chirus recognized the porch.

The two tumbled by the flowers to dodge the rotating cameras.

"I guess we enter here?" Chirus looked at the old-fashioned backdoor. "Of course, it's locked."

"No problem," Calyx drew a master key from his pocket.

"What the? You know how to do this?"

"Because I'm a construction worker, I designed lots of doors, locks, and alarm systems for the professors' homes," Calyx plugged the master key into the lock. "I'm also in charge of home inspections to ensure buildings are safe to live in. You got a needle?"

"My white coat's name tag has a pin. Why?"

"That works. The needle helps me deactivate potential alarm systems I made."

Chirus sweated when a porch roof camera whirred in their direction. "Psst, hurry."

"Patience is a virtue, Shyrin said," Calyx used the name tag's pin to pick the lock.

"Right now, it isn't!"

The camera's red dot beeped as the screen was about to spot the duo. Chirus found a small stone and chucked it afar, making the camera swerve to inspect the garden.

"We're in!" Calyx finished disabling the alarm system.

The two walked into the red mansion to find the interior controversial to the medieval exterior. Inside the mansion were metallic hallways that looked like those inside a spaceship. As Calyx closed the door, Chirus saw technological engineering rooms where Skelengel officers operated. The two snuck below the transparent rooms to avoid being seen.

"This was not what I expected the inside of Senri's mansion to look like," Chirus gasped.

The two hid behind weapon crates, letting the Skelengel guards and bat drones pass them without being noticed.

"Where the heck is the Viers Center?" Calyx huffed in confusion.

"What's Senri doing?" Chirus noticed.

The two spotted Senri walking past the hallway with Endromen guards who held an unconscious student who was tied up.

"Hey, that's one of my classmates," Calyx recognized the man. "He just graduated!"

"I thought Senri said we leave Dessix once we graduate. Something's wrong!"

The two avoided more cameras as they quietly followed Senri. The Matriarch and the Endromen walked downstairs to the dark lower levels. When the two tiptoed from behind, they gagged at the scent of blood in the darkness. There were many pillars with bloody writings, which the boys used to hide behind.

Senri approached an altar surrounded by red spell circles and three giant test tubes. In front of the altar was a chair where an undead man sat with exposed innards.

"It's okay, my dear Arkanis," Senri stroked the man's chin. "We'll be back together soon. I promise."

The Matriarch then took the captive boy and placed him on the altar. She and the Endromen bowed before it, and Senri muttered a strange language.

As black fluid dripped from Senri's eyes, a bloody mist appeared before the altar. The mist took the form of a giant female wendigo with antler horns.

"Good evening, Jezebel," Senri greeted the creature warmly. "The moon sure is lovely tonight."

The tall creature blinked its red eyes to Senri. "Ah, my dear Senri. My favorite servant. Indeed, the night is beautiful."

The wendigo named Jezebel looked at the small young boy on the altar. "So, you've brought another healthy one before me?"

"This one is quite a diligent repairman. I know you love the hardworking ones the best."

Jezebel grabbed the boy with her long fingers, sniffing him with her long snout. "He certainly is. A fine addition to repair your husband's body, I can imagine. Rise, my children!"

Chirus and Calyx were frozen in shock, gripping each other in fear. They watched the three surrounding test tubes open with three albino mechanical demons with red eyes awakening.

The first was a slithering serpent with long whiskers like a Mandarin dragon. The second was a skeletal dragon with wings and four giant pointy horns. The third and final one was a butterfly with razor-sharp wings and IV-line tentacles as feet.

Chirus and Calyx did their best not to scream when the wendigo chomped on the captive boy with her fangs. Blood and organs spilled from Jezebel's mouth as the three machine demons scrambled for the leftovers. While the butterfly sucked in blood with its IV lines, the dragon and serpent fought each other for the juicy parts.

Senri chanted a spell, drawing a portion of the blood toward the undead man. The boy's blood covered Arkanis' body, giving him more organs, bones, skin, and enough parts to make his blue eyeballs without eyelids. Senri peered into her undead husband's eyes with joy.

"Arkanis' body is almost finished," The wendigo observed the undead man. "It won't be long until he returns. With all the souls you've harvested, you've become a powerful necromancer."

"Thank you, Jezebel. I'm pleased that you've enjoyed your meal. I've found another potential man you'll enjoy very soon."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"A man named Chirus. The most hardworking and selfless pharmacy student is about to graduate. He's working for his girlfriend's future, taking great care of my fellow professors with the highest quality of care. I'm most certain he'll make a fine feast and my final soul to resurrect my sweet Arkanis."