Day 86 (64th)

Day 86 (64th):
I awoke before the bells. I was on the balcony when they sounded. Looking around, I saw a familiar sight. The necromancer from Thantos was walking pass. I don't know if he felt my presence, but he looked up and waved at me. I waved back. He paused and laid something on the ground. When he stood up, he pointed at me then at it and walked off. I called it. It was a small green sphere. I felt no evil from it or in it. As my sisters woke to the bells, I got each one to inspect it. None could find anything wrong or dangerous. Callie did note that, in spite of its size and seeming delicateness, it was very strong and would not easily break.
After breakfast, we went to the garden to show it to Leo. He marvelled at it. He asked about the giver. I told him and about the bone disk he gave me before. Leo instructed me to put the two together. I set the disk down and placed the sphere on it. In a small depression, it settled and did not roll. Sarah's hand went to her neck. Our finder stone was glowing. Sarah placed it next to the green one. They both melded together to form a dark green stone with a red center. We started to ask Leo about it, but he indicated for us to keep watching. The red inside the green began to spin. An image formed above the sphere. It was the necromancer. It began to speak.
"Greetings Seven Sisters. I guess you did remember me kindly if you are seeing this. There are two reasons behind my communication. First, I use to be a Baaloc wizard. When I could no longer serve his madness, I left. Unfortunately, I was stripped of a lot of my magic. Necromancy was all I had left and is how I have survived. Second, the stone you just seen made before you, along with the bone disk, is a key. The disk is a part of the gate into Baaloc Prime, where Maalicus' palace resides. Your power inside mine will cause it to recognize you as a Baaloc and allow you to enter even if it is barred, blocked, and/or locked. Press it to the handle and you will be allowed inside. My power is fading. Be well, Sisters. Remember me kindly."
The image sputtered then vanished. The red stopped spinning and all was quiet. We looked at Leo to explain.
"I recognized the green sphere as part of a spell. The disk was another part. Your bloodstone was both the connector and the fuel. That message will never play again. The two, three actually, parts are forever fused. I suspect it may crumble after it is used."
Callie did indicate that some of its strength had faded after the message was played. We sat and pondered when, or if, we would ever use it. We restrung it and let Sarah carry it as she had done so well with our original stone.
A short while later, Mattis and Margret came out into the garden. Both from her physical appearance and her glow, I could see she was excited, nervous, and a little frightened. We watched them go through some basic magical exercises to warm up both the body and magic. Sloth laughed, remembering both learning and teaching those same moves so long ago. A flash caught our attention. We saw a bolt of energy shoot towards us. Without thinking, as one, we stood and drew swords. The energy hit our swords like a wave against the rocks. No one was harmed. Margret was ghostly pale. She rushed over and pleaded with us to forgive her. We smiled.
"There is nothing to forgive. Accidents happen. We are just glad you were not harmed," I gently told her.
Color slowly returned to her face. Mattis suggested a short break to compose themselves. Margret tried to sit, but couldn't, being so wound up and still upset over her accident. Our swords had a wicked idea. We walked over and encircled Margret. She barely noticed us as she paced.
"Margret, attend please," I politely ordered.
She looked up and saw we were around her. 
Before she could ask, I said simply, "Watch." 
Between us and her, images of what the swords looked like in the flesh appeared. The look on her face was beyond words. Margret spun around and around to look at them.
"Marget," Vanity said to stop her, "we are doing this to educate you. As a wizard, you will encounter our races more often than other humans. It is best to see us as friends than strangers."
Margret nodded slightly, still a bit overwhelmed. Mattis had returned to see this sight. He smiled. Voices alerted us to the others entering the garden. Silence told us they saw what we were doing. The others walked over, but stayed out of the way. Each of our swords told Margret their race and land of birth. Vanity went last. No sooner were the words spoken than Queen Darla ran and bowed before Vanity's image.
"Lecama dunatas, me regalia," she whispered.
"Doran shaval, me sibla, Ve blana dor kinish," Vanity replied.
Darla stood up and faced Vanity. Tears rolled down Darla's face as she spoke, "Kanada moralta for huma regal. Pasalam ve passila?"
"Ne shall pasalam, me sibla. Passila du passila, se hara lacan de matra fala," Vanity responded.
Darla returned to Droland's side, her glow nearly blinding. Love rippled it unlike any I had seen. The rosy color was now a bright pink.
Mattis signaled to end the images. The seven images said good-bye and vanished. Margret and Mattis went to continue her training. The others went to the gazebo and asked us to join them.
"What did Vanity and Darla say, Kayla?" my sisters mentally asked me.
"You didn't understand? Alright. Queen Darla said, ' Love and good wishes, my lady.' Vanity said, 'Do not grovel, my sister. You are family.' Darla then said, 'I became mortal for a human king. Please forgive my passion.' Vanity replied, 'There is nothing to forgive, my sister. Passion is passion, the heart leads the soul follows.' That is what was said. Queen Darla is Faerie. She gave up her Faerie powers to marry Droland."
My sisters were silent. Their emotions rolled over their faces. We entered the large gazebo in silence. Everyone was sitting around a large circular table. Papers were spread out. Leo's head was inside between Mamar and Jerome. The rest of him was lying outside on the grass.
"Girls," Mamar began, "this is very interesting. The Bishop documented everything, even some unflattering things about you. This is a wealth of information."
We sat down to look over the papers. The Bishop was definitely a fanatical Baaloc. He called his scarring a "blessed torture" that he willing undertook to prove his commitment to both Maalicus and Tharinzar, whom he referred to as the "holy shadow" of the divine. Unlike Maalicus, he did not believe Tharinzar was his god in the flesh, but a "shadowy representation of the pure spirit". When presented with the plan to place Vangar under a spell to corrupt him to the Baaloc way, the Bishop called it "providing an unerring path to divine glory". He was upset that "a lowly woman of impure lineage" was the main power behind this plan, but since Maalicus decreed it, he accepted it fully. A talisman he wore was a gauge of sorts, letting him know if the spell was slipping or time to reinforce it. He commented on Vangar's anger being both a blessing and a curse. Correctly, he predicted that "if Vangar's anger burns hot enough, the spell will be consumed and we will suffer under that heat". I could see Vangar's heat rise and fall as he read. Gavin was preoccupied by Mattis and his sister doing magic not far away. His fingers twitched, mimicking the movements of this casting. He actually caused a spark or two, which made him stop. Out of curiosity, I checked to see how receptive he was.
"Prince Gavin, can you hear me?"
His head snapped around, searching for who called him.
"Be calm, it is only I, Kayla."
He looked at me intently. I pointed to my head, then to him. It finally sunk in.
"You can talk to my mind?" His mental voice said weakly.
"Yes, and you to me. With training, we can all talk this way."
"Who is 'all'?" Gavin said, a little stronger.
"We seven, Leo, Mattis, your sister, your mother, your brother, Mamar, and, if they get stronger, Jerome and Kendar."
He was aghast. It never dawned on him to be able to speak mentally with so many. I sent a call to Mattis, who informed me he could spare time for Gavin as well.
"Everyone," Droland stood and spoke, "this is but one plan thwarted. Who knows how many plans Maalicus has going? Being somewhat immortal, he has had centuries to build plans upon plans. One crown prince will not make or break such plots."
"Your Majesty, have you any spies or informants among the Baaloc?" Lisa asked.
Many heads shook sadly. 
"All of them are dead, either discovered or betrayed," the King replied.
We sat in silence for a while. My eyes wandered to Sarah, then to our new key.
"Leo, the wizard who gave us the key, can you feel for him?" I asked mentally.
"Hm, I will try. With all the wizards, clerics, sorcerers, witches, and the like, it may be difficult. Sarah, I need to use the key for a moment."
"What? Oh, right, forgot I had it," Sarah replied as she handed it to Leo.
Leo's large "hand" closed around it and he closed his eyes. I felt the contact between them. Leo smiled, opened his eyes, and returned the key to Sarah.
"You Majesties, and everyone else, there is a wizard in the city who left the Baalocs only a year ago. He said he helped fortify their palace and city walls. He is willing to share that information," Leo told everyone.
"Fantastic," Kendar said, "Who is he?"
"Actually, you have seen him. He is the necromancer we saw in Thantos. Before you get angry, Maalicus stripped him of all but those powers when he left the Baalocs. He has only used it to help grieving families. He is a good man at heart," I told them all.
Once again, I was answered with silence. Emotions swam as they sorted out their feelings on the subject. Kendar, after a few silent moments, asked, "The necromancer with the three undead women? Him?"
"Yes, he is here and he gave us a key to Baaloc Prime. Like I said, it is all Maalicus left him with and his only means of survival. He is not evil. Please, all you have to do is talk with him, find out what he knows. Someone like Maalicus wouldn't change too much in one year," I argued.
Looks were exchanged. Finally, they agreed to speak with him. Leo sent the message. Mamar asked to examine our key. I could tell he felt the blending of magic and was unsure of what to make of it. He handed it back, still a bit confused. We all continued to read and discuss the Bishop's documents.
As we were enjoying lunch, a servant brought the necromancer out into the garden. In daylight, with no undead around him, I could clearly see the blue-green glow around him. While darker than Mattis', it was still a glow and not a cloak. The necromancer was a bit nervous, but I smiled and let him know I supported him.
"Sir, please tell us your name," Lehand ordered politely.
"My name is Damas of La'cass," he responded.
"Damas, we are told you were a Baaloc but left. Please explain," Kendar requested.
"La'cass became occupied by Baalocs when I was a child. When my magic was discovered, I was removed from my home and trained as a wizard, almost like a slave is trained to be a fighter. I grew up believing Maalicus and my teachers. As the palace grew, I was recruited to magically reinforce the walls and other parts. About a year ago, I witnessed an event that shook my beliefs. A girls, marked with a symbol on her face, was brutally tortured to reveal the whereabouts of one of the legendary swords. She was only nine. When I tried to intervene, I was informed I was merely a tool and I had no say in the way anyone, myself included, was treated once Maalicus had given the order. I saw her die. My faith was gone. I tried to sneak out, but was caught. Maalicus removed what he thought was all of my magic then cast me out. While leaving, I realized I still had necromancy. Not the best, but at least something as I had no training in any other skills."
When he finished speaking, Sarah stood and approached Damas. She placed her hand on his heart.
"It is not removed. It is blocked. All of your magic sits, waiting. Do you wish to use it again?"
Choked up, Damas only nodded. Power flowed from Sarah's hand. I felt the block break. His glow brightened so fast, it was startling. Damas let silent tears flow as he felt the magic return. Sarah smiled and sat down. Kendar and Lehand asked Damas to draw out the palace at Baaloc Prime for infiltration purposes. Damas gladly went with them inside. The three of them left. Mattis called for Gavin to join him and the princess. Droland allowed him to leave. Mamar and Jerome continued to pour over the papers. Leo excused himself to "go for a fly" as he hadn't been on the wing for a few days. He then, literally, too off. Vangar walked off to collect his thoughts and sort out his feelings. Droland and Darla also left, together. We seven decided to take a walk around the garden, as we had only seen a small part of it. We talked, laughed, and looked all the world like a group of maidens on a stroll, not the Seven Sisters of the Swords on whom kings rest their very survival.
We had reached the farthest wall of the garden when such a force of cold hatred struck me, I actually recoiled. Seeing me stumble, my sisters asked what was the problem. I told them. Many of them paled. As we turned to go back to the palace, Leo swooped above us.
"Run, Sisters! Run now!" came his mental shout.
Before we could ask, heavy thuds slammed into the garden wall, shaking it with each blow. Running with all of our might, we nearly collided with the others. Leo landed. He was breathing as hard as we were.
"Leo, what is it? Why the shout?" Mamar asked, touching his head as if it hurt.
"Forgive my shouting, but it was urgent. While flying, I saw an undead army assembling outside the garden wall. They are now attempting to break through it to get inside."
Darla and Margret fought hard not to faint. The rest began calling for guards. I knew why they were using undead. With no will or emotions, our swords had no effect. We all stopped when a crash told us the wall was breached. Guards assembled in the garden. Leo actually swept us behind him and took a defensive stance. Around him, I could see a mass of gray slowly entering the garden. Their presence changed the essence color of the garden to a lifeless, dirty, smoke gray. The guards took their places beside Droland, Vangar, Kendar, Lehand, Mamar, Mattis, Damas, and a captain I didn't know. Sarah took my arm and pulled close to me, terror shaking her your body. Instead of fear, I felt anger. How dare dead people be wrestled from their graves to attack us when the real attacker was safe behind an army of corpses. I was furious! With Sarah holding tight to me, I remembered a tale of a healer defeating undead by trying to heal them. I hoped that it was true and not some child's story.
"Sarah, I need you to be calm for a moment. See if your healing can touch them from here."
"Alright, I will try," replying with a shaking mind voice.
I saw her power flow from her and hit the closest one. He stumbled. As it continued, the one it touched went down as if to sleep. Others walked over him but he stayed down. Sarah began breathing hard.
"Kayla, I can only touch one at a time, not all of them."
"You did fine, Sarah, you gave me the answer."
Calling everyone who could mentally hear me, I put forth a plan.
"We need to magnify Sarah's healing abilities to take these out without damaging them. If all of us who can use magic focus on, and through, her, it may give her the power to lay them down."
"Stand on me, Sarah. Dragons are natural magic conductors. They can feed me their magic and I can give it to you without overwhelming you."
"Thank you, Leo, that will also let me see all of them and know if any are missed."
We assembled quickly. Sarah went to Leo's neck. The rest of us surrounded him. We seven, Mamar and Mattis put one hand on him. Focusing through him to Sarah, who also had her sword out, we fed her such power that she physically glowed. Using Lust to direct it, Sarah swept across the advancing undead. The force and strength of it made many collapse and a few, literally, fell apart. I felt the cold hate shrinking as fewer and fewer undead remained animated.
As Sarah reached the last few, a voice boomed,"NO! NO! NO! This is all WRONG!"
A woman, magically shielded, walked through and over the bodies. She was livid, face bright red, dark cloak pulsing with great red flashes.
"Undead are immune to the swords! This is not possible!" she shouted at us.
Sarah finished the last undead. Tired from channeling all that power, she slumped onto Leo's neck. Mamar confronted the woman.
"There is more here than you can comprehend. Many sources of power defeated you and your magics. Guards, seize her!"
As the guards moved to take her into custody, the woman began casting. Instinct brought seven swords to bear on her, even Sarah's from above her, still on Leo.
"Stop casting," I said sternly.
She looked at us and frantically pulled out an amulet. She held it up like a shield.
"I am protected from these accursed things. Neither they nor you can touch me."
Gretta took a step forward. A flick of Greed and the amulet shattered. She fumbled for the pieces, but they turned to dust. Shackles were closed around her wrists. She began shouting for Maalicus to save her, rescue her, get her out of here. Guards dragged her out of the garden. Sarah laid back on Leo, totally spent. He lowered his head and neck for us to slide her off. We got her off of him and nearly carried her over to the gazebo. With a pillow and a shawl, we got her to rest. Callie went with Droland and Vangar to inspect the damage and see how to make it better. Leo helped move bodies out of the garden. The ones that fell apart, he just cremated. Some citizens arrived and told us where the necromancer had pulled the bodies and helped take them back. Lisa walked the garden, checking if their presence had polluted anything. Anna, Alice, Gretta, and I stayed in the gazebo to watch over a sleeping Sarah.
Bells rang before everyone was reassembled. The wall was was being rebuilt as rapidly as it could be and keep it strong. All the intact bodies were properly reburied. Families of the others were informed of the final condition of their dead. Sarah recovered and was her usual self. The female necromancer had to be restrained as she had tried to escape both magically and mundanely. When that failed, she tried killing herself.
When we reassembled in the gazebo, I could see the change in attitude the others had towards the seven of us. Some were actually frightened of us. Talk was small and nothing was really said.
After dinner, we went back to our suite. I didn't have to tell my sisters about the feeling of the others. We decided to let them sleep on it and see what the morning would bring.