Realm Raiders – Chapter Two

Clods of earth and small stones exploded from the ground in a strange, inverted mushroom shape. A few lucky earthworms experienced the thrill of flight without the horrific ending their brethren typically came to at the beak of a bird. From the hole of destruction a pale, skinny, hand reached up into the air and grasped at the grass around for purchase. 

Nicky the Necromancer clawed her way out of the ground and slowly rose to her feet, dirt and muck caked her skin, mixing into her hair. She knew, without even needing a mirror, that there would be no mistaking her for somebody who had just crawled out of their own grave. Like all good necromancers should, Nicky now looked the part. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the golden coin, with Celtic knots engraved on either side, and held it up to the sunlight. 

As the light bounced off the coin’s surface, it sang to Nicky with power and promise. 

‘Finally,’ she said, putting a little extra creepiness into her voice. 

‘Get out of the bloody way, you skin-stretched skeleton,’ Damon called from inside the hole, his gruff voice sounding a little irked. 

Nicky turned around and watched as the Pathfinder and Yas each climbed out and stood beside her. She glared at Damon, tempted to throw a curse in his direction that would impact his manhood for a decade or so. 

The Pathfinder dusted off his dark leather coat and checked his supply pockets. 

Yas brushed muck and soil off her clothes. ‘What happened?’

‘That!’ snapped the disgruntled man as he gripped the woman’s shoulders and spun her around.

‘Who’s that?’ she asked.

‘It’s the fucking leprechaun that’s just tried to bury us alive, you fucking, useless excuse for a torch. He obviously wants his gold back. We need to get going before he tries it again.’

A whistling sound – impossibly infused with heat – pierced the air. A large fireball exploded a few feet above their heads. Not needing to discuss matters further, Nicky and the others ran across a field towards nearby buildings, doing their best to avoid an endless volley of fiery violence.

As they approached the buildings, they heard the noise from the street and Nicky realised that they had not emerged in a field, but rather a park of some kind. The strange decorations they had seen upon arriving in this world were lit up. A macabre celebration of the dead it seemed, judging by the glowing skeleton skulls and carved pumpkins with candles inside. The necromancer wondered for a moment if they had not stumbled into some amazing reality where necromancers were more prevalent and, potentially, celebrated for their mastery over life and death. When this stupid quest was done and dusted, she would ask the Pathfinder for a return trip. 

‘What do you think, Bill?’ Nicky asked her reliable good luck charm strapped to her belt. 

The yellow rubber duck did not reply. 

‘Do you think we can just blend into the crowd?’ Yas asked, looking at her attire. ‘It seems that every second person is in a costume of some kind.’

Several teenagers walked past, one of them stopping to point a device at the trio. 

‘Cool Cyberpunk costume, dude,’ he said, while the device flashed. 

They watched as the teenagers continued on their way. 

‘This could indeed work to our advantage,’ Damon said, shifting the holster of his gun so that it was hidden under his coat but still easily reached. 

Several explosions rocked the sky, and they instinctively ducked and covered their heads, Nicky spotting some strange colours above. She looked up as two rockets whizzed upwards before exploding into multi coloured sparks. 

‘It’s part of the festival,’ she said to the others. 

Another explosion rang out, followed immediately by Damon jumping forward and pulling Nicky down to the ground, as masonry landed on the spot where she had previously stood and shattered into pieces. They rolled over onto their back and looked into the park just as two more fireballs raced towards them at speed. 

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