A Signal Above
A Story of Segrus the Necromancer
The road to Durance carried only two travelers, for its long length remained empty between market days. They continued alone since long before the sun rose to its zenith, blocked partially by the generous limbs of old oak trees with their shadows spread over the dirt and hewn stone of the path. On foot the day-long journey would be long, though neither was wholly unprepared. An older man, tossing a stave before him in pace with his feet, leaned not nor tarried long. The simplicity of his coarse, white shirt and workman’s breeches was reflected in the uncovered, bald crown for his head. He seemed unnecessarily jovial when partnered to his companion, who stayed silent beneath a hood. A black mantle coated the other man’s figure which swayed airily in the breeze.
The hooded man, Segrus, was want to be silent for the journey. He asked no traveler to join yet begrudged not his talkative fellow. “I mean to ask Taryl which trees she know, and if these are among them. They say her father taught her about his forestry. He’s been gone quite awhile for taking wood to the castle...eh, the name, man! Castle...Jent, yes up north from here.”
Segrus had asked for a name earlier and was well met by Hadden Holls, a vassal of the Luminous. Durance would not have a Luminous dwelling place which would make due for learning the sorcery of fire. Segrus expected Hadden marched this journey as a matter of regular duty, though the upper age of his appearance made clear he would pass these onto a journeyman in time.
“What more would I have found, if not for the man drunk asleep on his bench as a toddler? Having knocked down every dish and chair on the way in?” Hadden persisted in the silence, seemingly unaware of any reservation, “But I ever catch the same Thomas again so stark I’ll lock him up in the square’s stockade myself for the laugh! Have you any meal on this trek of ours, sir? I keep imagining the fresh bread ahead of us, and the tender meat they serve at...the name slips me again…”
Hadden’s voice trailed as he came to a stop. The lack of stave rhythmically tapped on laid rock caught Segrus until he too paused. “What say you, gentle sir?” Hadden added while he looked upwards.
Segrus faced his eyes towards Hadden’s directly and then saw to the sky. Where the trees broke their cover an odd swirl hovered above the road ahead. It had no cloud or storm as anchor in the heavens. A dervish nature of smoke grey hues laced with black speared higher still.
“What say you?” Hadden repeated softer.
“Hasten with me until we come upon this phenomenon,” came the reply from Segrus.
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The violence of the whirlwind grew as they neared its source on the road, and the evidence apparent of its destruction stretched from an unknown place in the distance until it crossed before the two travelers. Where the smoke touched the ground a hideous form emerged in front of Segrus.
It stumbled slowly on two human legs with feet, and a third appendage slapped a stumped end against the ground with incomplete support of its malformed frame. Above thickened, bare thighs bulged a stretched body pot-marked with ulcers where the ugly smog exuded into the air. Two man-sized arms extended from behind its shoulders while a human-like head chewed aimlessly at nothing in visible frustration.
The abomination stood still when it sensed the presence of Segrus and Hadden, which caused its smog to wither the nearby foliage. Everything in its wake was withered and deteriorated.
Hadden sought not the counsel between them for an action. Practiced aim he took with his quarterstaff, heft straight to begin a row with whatever monster they had encountered. It struck soundly in the center of the opponent, clogging a hole in the midsection. A bellow fully erupted from inside the humanoid and it charged immediately for both Segrus and Hadden.
Unused to the action of battle, the vassal of the Luminous gathered the poise to roll aside before the injured monster impacted. For his part, Segrus dashed intentionally in a separate direction and further evaluated what could be done next. Fortune favored Hadden’s experience and he completed the sorcery to set the stave ablaze.
The wood burned internally to the abomination, and flame spewed outward with further blackened smoke until all motion stiffened in death. Sickening skin began to match the color in deep char.
Hadden started, both in speech and to retrieve his enchanted stave, yet Segrus cautioned him sharply over the immolated remains. The unnatural whirlwind had not ceased overhead.
Without warning a red-hot being crept out of the shell of its former body. It shucked skin away between the should and head, and shoved away the remains. Hadden gasped and backed away at the unexpected entrance. This new monstrosity was more furious than before. A full set of arms and legs propelled it forward to the nearer of the travelers, although it gained an extra arm from its chest. To each of their disgust what had been ulcers morphed into horrific mouths.
Segrus the Necromancer recovered and made his decision. He waited not for the horror to fully commit to chasing Hadden before he launched towards the leftover husk from its rebirth. With the long dagger gained from his belt in hand, Segrus cut the two arms off of the corpse shell and sleeved them into gloves. Each arm easily moved with his, the char made especially tough from the burning. The dead rose at his command, even if in parts, and he did not want to be touched by the living evil.
There was no time for further delay as he slipped his dagger back into place. Segrus judged the path Hadden led the monster in and intervened. He first caught an arm and created leverage to off balance his opponent. This accomplished relieving Hadden’s exertion to escape, but it brought Segrus into the overwhelming heat which radiated from the horror. The flame from Hadden wore away to leave the reason for the whirlwind. Abnormal heat generated from the rebirth.
Segrus tossed his strength into driving the monster into the ground. It was then the foul smoke obscured his vision. The monster tumbled onto the ground and Segrus followed. His knife would not silence the wrench, not with the fire of Hell regurgitating the monster back onto the mortal plane.
So he pushed. Arms strained against the hot thrash of the monster, and his vision clouded worse. He gasped for breath and caught a large mouthful of sulfur. The dead protected from the direct heat of its body, but in time it soaked through and started blisters. Segrus was relentless to ground the monster.
The ground was filled with the dead and Segrus made it be the grave of this monster also. Dirt dried and cracked before it turned to dust. Dust then separated to allow the abomination deeper, more surrounded by smothering earth. Man and monster suffocated together, wind and earth, but Segrus’ willpower was stronger.
Segrus coughed blood, and then forced a shout, “Bring stones!” As if summoned from shock, Hadden dragged a large cobble to the pair and rolled it onto the center of the body as a heavy anchor. “More. More…it needs more,” Segrus barked.
When enough stones served as a barricade, Segrus and Hadden ceased their work.
“It will escape in time. We need to reach Durance,” Segrus uttered after some effort, “It consumes as the wild and dies to be reborn with more strength. Each passing it becomes less human, if it ever was once. Let us leave now, Hadden, and we will solve the puzzle of finding its end tomorrow.”
They commenced walking again, and Segrus held his hands away from himself to keep the burns from worsening. He spit again and motioned for Hadden to come closer to listen.
“What say you, good sir?” Segrus asked in a whisper. Hadden looked up and grinned.
