Elf and Necromancer 3 – Conversation on an Abandoned Path

A sultry day hung in the air. The elf and the necromancer still stood facing each other. On this very hot day. Occasionally a breeze would lighten the mood, but it seldom blew. It was a fine, hot summer day. The path was sunken and narrow. The elf and the necromancer stood facing each other.

"Don't come near me! Don't come near me!" the elf said calmly. He clearly didn't like everything that was happening. But he was calm. And overall, he was in the mood for a conversation. After all. So what's wrong with a necromancer? Even he seemed a little curious. It's not every day you see a true necromancer in the middle of nowhere. A skeleton on legs and in a robe. A skeleton or a pale-faced man – the elf wasn't entirely sure. He clearly hadn't seen necromancers like this in daylight. It was worth talking. After all, a necromancer isn't an evil monster, but a very intelligent, magically gifted human. Or undead. It's still unclear.

The necromancer stood and looked at the elf with his eyes. Or eye sockets. Something white was there. But the robe and the darkness within him hid everything. The necromancer thought for a long time. As if the thought process itself was difficult for him. Or perhaps he was just watching. But after a long pause, he said:

"I'm moving forward. And I'm not bothering you!"

"I'm not bothering you. I'm just walking down the road," the necromancer said in a hoarse, quiet voice.

The elf thought the necromancer was having trouble speaking. The necromancer stood there, confused as to why the elf was asking him something. Everyone was going about their business. The necromancer was very preoccupied with his thoughts. He had so much to do. Especially since it was daylight outside. Although, that's not bad.

"Stop doing that! Digging in graves. Looking for something!" " said the elf.

"The dead don't care. But I need them for business. Don't be a fool," the necromancer said in a businesslike voice. His voice seemed to come alive a little. But only a little.

"Different cultures have different traditions. And you desecrate graves. Sooner or later, you'll be caught. And driven away. Or beaten," the elf said in a storytelling voice. As if he'd read stories or moral lessons many times.

"I'm not doing anything like that. I'll cast a spell. And no one will touch me! I can become invisible. But not for long," the necromancer whispered. He was whispering and clearly couldn't speak at full volume.

"You don't understand! There are those here who don't like the undead. And they'll gladly use a sword on you. Or magic," the elf continued in the same storytelling voice. He clearly knew how to tell stories. And he enjoyed it.

"I'm not doing anything like that. "It's for business. The skeletons lie idle in their graves. They'll help me!" the necromancer whispered. He tried to raise his hand, but it fell back to its place near his robe.

"Perhaps," the elf said calmly.

"I'll use my dark magic for protection. They won't destroy me. I'll turn them into skeletons for this, too. But later! Or zombies! I'll think about it. I'm not doing anything special. And I'm not bothering anyone. I'm just walking my path," the necromancer whispered, his voice rising slightly. A creaking note could already be heard in his voice. Or rather, like a crow's cawing.

"I have much to do. Be careful," the elf said, calming down. He had lost interest in the conversation. He was simply warning the traveler.

"Okay," the necromancer said, his voice cawing like a crow's.

Silence followed the necromancer's words. But a second later, everyone went their separate ways. They simply passed side by side. Everyone walked in their own direction. As if they were just passersby. It was just a narrow path. And rarely was anyone here.

A dusty road. The wind kicked up dust. The travelers' feet kicked up dust too. That was the only thing surprising now. The two travelers were already moving away from each other. Each walked at their usual pace. Going about their business. Dust. There was a lot of dust all around. The most surprising thing was this light gray, light yellow dust. In the air. Which rose up to the knees.

On one side, there were thickets. All sorts of green plants. Wild grasses. Sometimes even flowers. Like lupine. A very beautiful flower. And then there was brickwork. Made of old, crumbling brick. In some places, the brick had turned to brick dust. And rubbing it blew it away. And sometimes the edges of the bricks fell to the ground on their own.

And on the other side, the same metal fence with patterns. And a huge expanse overgrown with grass. Tall grass. Everyone had clearly long forgotten about this place. And this is the shortcut to the city. Indeed, there is a cemetery further on, deep in this grass. But everyone forgot about it long ago. No one cared. It was long ago overgrown. And disappeared into the foliage of the trees and grass.