When they started off again the next morning, most of their fears had slipped away. They had heard nothing during the night, and there were no signs of tracks anywhere near their camp. Arconn and Alex had both walked a wide circle around the camp just to make sure. Thrang seemed relieved, but he still made sure that Arconn and Kat had their bows ready and that Thrain had his crossbow loaded.
“Better safe than sorry,” said Thrang with a weak smile as they started off.
Alex thought it unlikely that they would see anything along the road, but he kept his staff ready. They continued riding south, and the afternoon sun and the warm, damp air made Alex feel slightly sleepy. He was jolted awake by the sound of Arconn’s and Kat’s bowstrings snapping at the same moment, followed quickly by the high-pitched spring of Thrain’s crossbow. Neither of those sounds shook him as much as the terrible cry that followed. It was an almost-human cry of agony and despair, a cry that forced his eyes toward the creature that made it.
Thirty yards to the right of the road, a huge, black, wolflike creature crouched with arrows sticking out of its shiny black hide. Alex could see the bones of the creature’s ribcage. It bit madly at the shaft of Arconn’s arrow. Kat’s arrow had hit the creature higher in the neck, but it couldn’t get its head around to bite at that one. Then it turned and ran, darting between some large rocks, the shaft of Arconn’s arrow snapping off as it ran.
The hellerash was fast, vanishing from view before Arconn could fit a second arrow to his bow.
“That shot should have killed it,” Arconn said, turning his horse toward the hellerash’s trail. “If not mine, then Kat’s for sure.”
“I’m sure my bolt hit it as well,” said Thrain, following quickly.
“I saw no wound from the bolt,” said Thrang gruffly.
“It seemed pained, but uninjured from the arrows,” Nellus added.
Arconn dismounted and bent to pick up the broken shaft of his arrow. Thrain moved about the rocks, looking for the bolt he had let fly. As Arconn walked back toward the group he looked troubled, almost afraid.
“No blood,” Arconn said, holding the broken arrow out for Thrang. “There is no blood on the shaft.”
“Well, it broke away from the wound,” said Thrang, glancing at the arrow.
“There is no blood on the rocks or grass either,” Arconn added.
“And there’s no blood on my bolt,” Thrain said, coming up beside Arconn and holding out the bolt he’d recovered.
“You may have missed it completely,” said Thrang in a dismissive tone.
“I didn’t miss,” Thrain insisted defiantly.
“Thrain is correct,” Arconn broke in. “I saw the bolt pass through what should have been the creature’s stomach. I would not have expected it to pass clear through, but it seems to have done so.”
“What are you saying?” Thrang questioned, his pale face growing hard.
“Isn’t it clear?” said Kat, causing all of them to jump.
“No, it’s not clear at all,” said Thrang, looking as if he didn’t want to hear anything Kat had to say.
“That creature was not a true hellerash,” Kat said flatly. “It has no blood and no life in it.”
“Impossible,” said Thrang weakly.
“But that can mean only one thing,” said Arconn, glancing at his arrow and then turning to look at Alex.
“Necromancer,” said Alex, a chill running down his back as he said the word.
“No, it can’t . . .” Thrang began and trailed off.
“It is the only explanation,” said Alex. “It is the only thing that could call a long-dead hellerash back to life, or at least to a half-life.”
Alex felt his friends staring at him, but their confused and frightened looks did not trouble him as much as the next words he had to say.
“I must face him,” said Alex, looking down at his saddle.
“No, it is too dangerous,” Kat broke in.
“We will find another path to the south,” Thrang said quickly.
“You do not understand,” said Alex, holding up his hand. “As a true wizard, I must seek out this evil and try to destroy it.”
“I forbid it,” said Thrang forcefully. “You are part of this company, and I am the leader. You will not seek out this danger that has nothing to do with our quest.”
“I know you speak from friendship, Thrang, but I have no choice,” said Alex. “My vow as a wizard is more binding than our agreement, and if I must, I will break the adventurers’ bargain and go on alone.”
“Not alone,” said Arconn quickly.
“Thank you, my friend, but you cannot break the bargain without losing honor,” said Alex. “I would not allow you to leave the company in any event, as they will need you more than ever, once I leave.”
“Arconn is right,” said Thrang forcefully. “If you must seek out this evil, then you will not do it alone. Even if our adventure fails completely, I will not leave you to face this evil by yourself.”
“Then we continue south,” said Alex, grateful for Thrang’s words.
“We continue south,” Thrang repeated. “And may evil fear our approach.”
The rest of the company cheered Thrang’s words, and Alex couldn’t help but feel grateful to his friends. He was worried, however, because he knew, perhaps better than any of them, the danger that a necromancer presented. He also knew that, in the end, he would have to face the necromancer alone. That meeting would be incredibly dangerous, not just for him, but for all of Thraxon as well.
They continued south along the road, moving as quickly as they could and looking for a safe place to make their camp. As the sun dropped in the west, Thrang called them to a halt and moved them a short distance off the main road. A series of large boulders formed a horseshoe shape, the center of which provided the perfect campsite.
“A good spot,” Nellus observed. “The creatures can come at us from only one direction.”
“They might jump down from the rocks behind us,” said Thrain in a worried tone.
“And they might bar our path from leaving,” Thrang added nervously. “Still, it seems the best place we’ll find today, so we might as well make camp.”
There was little talk and no joking or stories around the campfire that night. They were all tense, and even the slightest sound from outside their camp was enough to draw all of their eyes. When Thrang and the others went to their tents, leaving Alex and Arconn on watch, Alex took his writing things out of his magic bag. He needed to let Whalen know about this latest development.
“You are sending word to Master Vankin?” Arconn said.
“Yes,” said Alex, looking up at his friend.
“He knows a great deal, and may be able to advise you on dealing with this evil,” said Arconn, his eyes fixed on the campfire. “Though I confess, I am concerned about you meeting a necromancer.”
“So am I, but there is nothing that can be done about it,” Alex answered, folding the letter he’d been working on. “I am here, so I must face this test.”
“And if you fail?” Arconn questioned, a pained look on his face.
“I will not allow myself to be used by this evil,” Alex said forcefully, guessing at Arconn’s greatest fear. “I will summon the dragon to destroy me before I become the puppet of a necromancer.”
“I hope it will not come to that,” Arconn replied softly, glancing at Alex.
“So do I,” said Alex with a weak smile. “So do I.”
There was no sign of the hellerash that night, and they saw no tracks or signs of the creature for the next few days. Alex could tell that the others were beginning to hope they had left the hellerash behind them. Thrang even voiced the hope that there was no necromancer and that the company could continue on their quest without any trouble.
Alex, however, knew there was a necromancer. Ever since he’d seen the hellerash, he had felt the presence of evil. Worse, Alex knew knew the necromancer was aware of him as well.