Rise of The Immortal Wraith - 13 Necromancer!? A Contract Signed

The next day Salem received an unexpected surprise,just finishing his lunch his scouts reported that men and wagons were approaching.

Taking his nights with him to take a look, they exitedthe mansion,at the head of wagons was the mage and city lord, “Good afternoon, and welcome Lord Nolan, the wagons containingmaterials is a good sign, have you decided on signing the contract?”

“Not at the moment, I would like to sit down with you to discuss the finer details of your proposal, my advisor also wishes to know more about it and you. Would you invite us in to have this discussion so we can clear up any misunderstandings as to who or what you are.”

A burst of energy exploded out from Jenna and her sisters, their armor coming into existence and stepping forward as one to protect their master, sensing the hostility.

Before she could speak she heard her masters’ calm voice, “Enough, Jenna the city lord and his mage have confused me with something else it’s alright they are just concerned for their people. Stand down. City lord you are welcome too come in and chat with me, bring your mage along with you so she can ask her questions.”

The hooded figure stood stiffly for a moment before walking toward the mansion,followed closely by the city lord, they trailed after the elf lord and his knights into the meeting room. Sitting in his chair Salem looked at the city lord and mage and motioned them to sit across from him.

“Let me say this very clearly, so the two of you understand what I am, I am a High Elf what you might call a progenitor. I am a new species of elf that has yet to walk these lands, you would look upon your fellow city lords with either respect or hatred if they had gone against you in some way.

It is the same with the Elf Lords, with each other they stand as equals but even the elf lords wouldn’t dare show a High Elf disrespect, we don’t need to breed to create more of our kind, though I can’t turn a city of humans in a short period of time given enough years I could turn quite a few of them but I’m not in going to turn your city, I am only going to turn those who are trustworthy.

As for the orphans, that no doubt is one of your concerns, any infants or toddlers will be turned youths will be trained in wherever their gifts lie be it war or trade. If they train hard they will be given the opportunity to be brought into the main clan, those who are unable to complete the training will still be human unless someone from the main clan convinces me otherwise.

Do you have any other questions or concerns, please speak freely so we can move on to more pressing concerns.” Picking up his tea he sipped it watching the mage and city lord. The mage removed her hood revealing a rather good looking woman in her mid-thirties, though he noticed her ears were tipped up at the ends, a half-elf he thought briefly.

“With all due respect Lord Belegast, we have never heard of such a station among the elven races the high elves have always said it was because their blood had never been tainted outside of other noble houses. None have claimed what you can do nor that they were the firsts of their kin, even disregarding that how are you going to turn a human? Are their sacrifices involved, how many will die for one human to be reborn as an elf!? she started yelling before she finished asking, her face slightly red from frustration.

Looking at the woman he glared at her, “Sit down.” he could feel his bloodline slightly wake up when she questioned him, though falling dormant a moment later. She sat, “You will be allowed to witness what happens during the ceremony so you can attest that there are no”human sacrifices” and it sounds to me that I’m very far from home. Your versions of high elves are just descendants of a progenitor, with your aversion to the elves it seems they were rather cruel to you.

He finished speaking with slight sympathy for the half-elf, he turned to the city lord, “I will speak with your mage alone after this has concluded, now let us get to the other issues, as you know time is not on your side nor mine.”

Coughing the city lord took his turn not knowing his mages true background had shocked him a slightly but that could wait, “There are quite a few powers in the city, they will not enjoy a new power coming in at the last moment to take a seat at the table. They will do what they can to interrupt any business you try and bring to your house, of course, they can’t do anything while you are under the care of my house, but in a few years, the great houses of Koftas will have a tournament between the leaders of each house.

The winner will then take up the position of city lord, once you start collecting power they will view you as a threat and they will either try and use you or try to destroy you, that’s only from the noble houses and some criminal organizations. The people of this city will take up an issue with the turning of the orphans, and possibly you, you are an elf and elves have not been the most kind of neighbors in these lands.

There are some clans that even hunt humans, orcs, dwarfs even some of their own kind are hunted by these people. I want to know how you feel about these acts, do you hate us will you hunt humans just because they do not know or understand you?” the city lord asked with a firm tone.

Looking at the serious face of the city lord, Salem stood and moved to the window and looked out towards the city. Would he massacre a city of humans for a genocidal war? No, that’s stupid, without the power to raise a continent it would be a mistake to even consider genocide a solid war tactic. Much less the fact your own people and the land would suffer tragic loss and destruction.

Looking back towards the city lord, “I wouldn’t slaughter or enslave humans in general if they sought my destruction then I might destroy them to the last man or woman but all children would be saved from death, but I would prefer not seeking a genocidal war. Though it sounds as if I’ll need to teach a few of my cousins a lesson.

To go a step further I will even promise you that even though some from this city may dislike, disdain or even hate me I will do what I can to keep the populace from any harm from my clan so long as they do not attempt to hurt me or mine, is there anything else you need me to clarify?”

Relief flashed over the city lords face, “Yes, I assume you would need land and territory in the city for your clan, most of the more populated areas are taken the northern, eastern, and western gates are protected by large families, while the center is in my hands if we move you close into the cent-

“What about the Southern side of the city?” Salem interrupted, looking at the elf the city lord took a map from a satchel spreading it on the table, there currently isn’t a gate for the south side, it leads into the mountain itself. We are planning to build a tunnel through the mountain to the city on the other side to increase trade with a much safer route.

That side of the city right now is unpopulated and needs another year before most of the residences are habitable, the tunnel may take longer than planned due to the war otherwise we could have evacuated through it to the city of Idos. You can be thinking of taking control of the entire south side of the city, the other clans would try to murder you in your sleep and say it was a robbery gone wrong.

Laughing Salem held up his hand, ” How about we do it like this, appoint me in charge of the gate during the war. No one would expect my forces to be ready to march against the undead right now and you can use the soldiers on the southern gate at other locations which actually need more manpower. After the war with the undead is halted in a few months and I have gathered enough resources I will be able to protect myself.

I will complete the tunnel ahead of schedule increasing the trade, as soon as I can gather some free labor from the undead lurking outside your gates, so I will be joining you beyond the wall to collect a few fallen skeletons.

“Wait you are a necromancer?! Did you cause this undead horde?!” the city lord rose from his seat and reached for his sword.

“Stop!” yelled Salem in frustration to the turn of events, ” Why should I stop? if I destroy you then this whole thing ends and my men can go back to their homes, my people and family will be safe.”

“First of all I don’t practice necromancy, it is more of an innate ability over death, and second I wasn’t talking to you.”

Looking behind him slowly he felt two sharp objects poking his back, and a prick at his neck, seeing three knights with weapons drawn and already poised to take his life, he let go of his half-drawn sword, he sat back in his seat. checking on the mage he noticed she only had on knight behind her but no weapon had been drawn on her.

“Please explain your connection with the undead outside the city, you can control the undead can’t you just take control of them all and send them away?” Looking at the city lord he felt pity, he truly cared for his people, which made him trustworthy enough to tell him things he might not want to hear.

“There is a Lich controlling this horde, he is very powerful, right now he isn’t too interested in killing you he is just sending out his fodder with the elites to gain battle experience, the fodder doesn’t matter to him though its the upper undead that is here training and looking for weaknesses, they aren’t the smartest enemies preferring to just send waves of lesser undead at you they will either run out of lesser undead or get bored and take it more seriously.

Before that happens, I will help you gather power personal or otherwise, I will be trading directly with you for a while. Giving you opportunities to increase your own power along with your soldiers,” Salem looked to the mage,” you will also have an opportunity to grow in strength but with a cost which we will discuss once the ceremony is ready for the children.

Now I have told you everything I can about me and your foe, I have even saved you from death.

I promise you, I could have asked a higher price and chose to limit myself out of kindness, now will you sign the contract, so I can begin my work? Looking into the eyes of the city lord, he watched as the man took out the contract and signed it with a drop of blood sealing the contract.

A copy appeared in Salems’ hand, which he put away into his <pocket dimension>, now that the contract is signed I can begin my work, I will need a new residence in the southern district I would like it very close to the gate for easier control of the trade entering the city. Other than that i would start preparing the children I will be able to perform the ceremony soon at that time I will call for the mage. I should be able to provide the first two obelisks by the end of next month, any lesser undead will be unable to approach within a mile radius of where its planted.

Now you must excuse me I have work to do.