Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 09:22:18 -0800 (PST)
From: chevy <dude_chevy@yahoo.com>
Subject: Prodigy Necromancer part 2

I would like to thank the guys on niftyorg, niftywriters, and my friend Wes
for their help and encouragement.

Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. It never happened.
This story does not contain sex of any kind.

There is a glossary as the end of this chapter to explain terms the reader
might not be familiar with. This story is somewhat based on the Necromancer
character from the game Diablo 2. Diablo 2 is a registered trademark of
Blizzard Entertainment.


The Prodigy Necromancer
Chapter 2


One day, Tanyc and Eigim were hanging out just outside the school's
property working on Eigim's skills.  Xsih sauntered up to them with a few
of his friends in tow. Speaking directly to both of them, Xsih's snide
manner was in no way disguised. "Now that the teachers aren't around to
stop me, I'm going to show you who the most powerful necromancer really
is."

With the other boys there to help Xsih, Tanyc saw no way to avoid the fight
this time. Tanyc quickly raised three mages and threw down a knife to
commence the raising of an iron golem to fight off Xsih and his minions.

Trying to help, Eigim raised what he could, two mages and a blood golem.

Xsih was unimpressed. "I can take on both of those puny minions." Xsih
lifted his arms to raise five mages and, to the mutual surprise of Tanyc
and Eigim, a fire golem.  This activity seemed to weaken Xsih quite a bit,
but his training and concentration enabled him to begin his recovery
quickly.

The minions attacked each other in a vicious fight.  Five mages against
five made for a close fight, but the golems presented a very different
story: Xsih's fire golem was beating down both the iron and blood
golems. The blood golem's power of life stealing and -sharing is a two
edged sword: it also works in reverse. As Xsih's blood golem took damage,
that damage was also shared with his master and weakened him.

The life-stealing reapportionment caused Eigim to sweat profusely and feel
pain throughout his body, a pain that was visible to everyone. He finally
dropped to his knees quiet agony, blood running out his nose. Tanyc moved
over to help him, quietly beseeching: "You're going to have to kill your
blood golem before he seriously injures you."

Eigim replied, "If I do, then Xsih will defeat your iron golem, and you'll
be at his mercy."

Tanyc faintly smiled in return. "Don't forget that I'm more powerful than
he is; I guess it's time to show him.  Kill off the blood golem, and I'll
start." Eigim quickly obeyed, experiencing a quick, noticeable relief of
his pain.

Tanyc then proceeded to raise a fire golem. As he did, the iron golem
quickly crumbled into a small pile of crumbled, oxidized metal.

Tanyc's mental power was so much stronger than Xsih's that raising the fire
golem hardly fazed him. He then raised two more mages and continued with
three more to replace the three weakened in the fight so far.

Xsih's jaw slackened in disbelief that Tanyc could raise all those phantoms
without any rest.  Xsih glanced at his friends as they watched Tanyc's
minions' batter Xsih's mages and fire golem. Xsih hissed to his followers,
"Are you just going to stand there and let him beat me?" His friends rose
the few mages that they could in addition to a handful of weak clay golems.

Tanyc looked over at Eigim with a slight smile. "Oh, Eigim, I think I might
need a tiny bit of help here."

Eigim responded by raising a clay golem and two mages to help out against
the other boys' minions.

The fight seemed to be moving in slow motion, as if hours and hours were
passing.  In reality, about 60 minutes went by.  Although Tanyc's minions
were dramatically stronger than the efforts of Xsih and his friends, the
pure number of opponents began to take a toll on Tanyc and Eigim's
subordinates.

As Tanyc and Eigim's phantoms died in battle, the two friends worked
together to raise replacements to continue the fight.  After five rounds of
repeatedly raising new soldiers, Eigim found he could continue no longer
and passed out.

Tanyc was in no better shape and felt very weak.  He knew he couldn't raise
another fire golem, but continued to raise mages to sustain the fighting.

Exhaustion forced Xsih's assistants to stop raising their minions after
only two more rounds.

Tanyc's mages were dying quickly, valiantly trying but ultimately failing
to combat Xsih's fire golem. Ultimately, Xsih's minions killed all of
Tanyc's soldiers, even though Xsih was just barely able to stand, so
drained was he of mana.

Xsih's remaining mages surrounded Tanyc and Eigim. Xsih crowed, "On your
knees, boy. Now who's the smarter, stronger necromancer?"

Tanyc hung his head as he dropped to his knees in front of Xsih and
mumbled, "Xsih, you're the stronger necromancer."

Xsih gloated, "You heard him, boys. That's what I've wanted to hear." Xsih
commanded his minions to pick up both boys, carrying them across their
shoulders like a fireman. They carried the defeated students back to the
school, so all the students would see and know that Xsih defeated the
prodigy.

Tanyc and Eigim lay limp too humiliated even to try to explain that really
they had lost to all the boys not just the one.  As they neared the dorms,
Xsih commanded the mages put both boys down.

Tanyc turned, with tears running down his face, to face the gathering
students.  Unable to speak, he immediately retreated and ran sobbing to his
room.  Eigim already knew he was weaker than Xsih and so was not bothered
so badly, but nevertheless hurried back to the dorm to comfort his friend.

Eigim arrived at the room to find Tanyc crying his eyes out. Approaching
his roommate, he placed his hand on Tanyc's shoulder. Eigim comforted him,
saying, "You shouldn't feel bad. Yes, he did beat you, but he couldn't have
done it alone. And, to tell you the truth, I wasn't much help."

Tanyc replied despondently, "Yeah, but everybody acts like I'm supposed to
be this 'super necromancer' and I can't even protect myself and my friend."

Eigim replies supportively, "That might be true, but you did better than
you think. Think about it; you raised up an iron golem and half a dozen
fire golems. Heck, I lost count, but I think you raised around 50
mages. That's pretty impressive. No way could Xsih raise that many."

Tanyc sounded a bit more upbeat. "I guess you're right if you look at it
that way."

Over the next few days, Tanyc and Eigim continued their regular routines,
going to classes and practicing necromantic skills, but everyone seemed to
be treating them differently. As they walked around school, the other
students pointed to them and laughed, with even the younger students
pitching in.

Every time Xsih saw one of them in the schoolyard, he harassed them
mercilessly about how he 'kicked their butts' and then humiliated the two
of them.  On several occasions, Xsih pushed the harassment to the point of
bringing Tanyc to tears and driving him to run back to his room.

As the persecution continued, Tanyc became ever more withdrawn and
depressed.  Eigim couldn't even get Tanyc to look him square in the
eye. After about a week of the constant hectoring, Eigim noticed that Tanyc
was staying in the room almost all day except for classes. Eigim correctly
surmised that Tanyc was avoiding the harassment and its concomitant
embarrassment

Two weeks after Eigim and Tanyc's defeat at the hands of Xsih and his band,
the two boys failed to appear one night for head count before going to bed.
The faculty searched high and low for the two boys, to no avail. They
commenced the search again the next morning but still found no sign.

Two days later, Eigim staggered into the schoolyard looking as if he has
run a gauntlet. He was dirty, sweaty from head to toe, and had dried blood
on his face. As he saw the kids running towards him, he knew he succeeded
in his quest and could finally relax.  He collapsed unconscious to the
ground. One of the students went for help while the others tended to
Eigim's wounds.

TBC

All comments are welcomed and encouraged. Send them to:
dude_chevy@yahoo.com You can see more of my stories at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fantasy_Wrestling_Stories/


Chevy

Thanks to the community for help with editing.