20. It means the wise do not toy with the occupants of this vehicle. #2
The priestess grinned. “Your daughter is a curious but polite being, Charlie. Ask your question, Pepper. The worst I can do is tell you I do not wish to answer. I appreciate your care, however. I understand you do not wish to ask because you do not wish to cause accidental harm. You are much like your father in that regard.”
I considered what I knew of her and her position, deciding I would try for the most obvious of the paths before me.
However, I couldn’t resist a jab of my own at my father.
I grinned before saying, “Oh, my father can be quite the dick when he feels like it, but he always has a good reason. I just don’t have a good reason to be an asshole.
Do you name yourself Greeter of the Sun because that is what you were doing when you gained your immortality?
You were, per your beliefs at the time, worshipping the morning sun? ”
The woman lifted her hands and formed a circle with them.
“At the height of our prayers on our holy days, we would make this gesture while greeting the rising sun. When the holiest of fires engulfed those who believed, leaving behind only the truly faithful, I learned the significance of our prayers. When I met your father, it was at least a thousand years after his family’s tragedy.
They came because they heard what had happened to us.
They helped as they could. We are not vampires, but we are in a similar position to vampires. Instead of blood, I require light.”
I winced. “The plane trip couldn’t have been comfortable for you.”
“Oh, it was wonderful. For a time, I was closer to my god. Underground is truly a problem for me, and I avoid such places whenever possible. I can go inside buildings as long as they have good windows and I do not stay in for too long. We all pay prices for our immortality. My god was far kinder than your father’s.
But my god did not do as he did as a punishment.
He simply had no understanding of humanity.
So yes, you are correct in your speculation.
I welcomed the sun, and when he awoke due to the power of our people worshipping him on our holiest of days, he sought to imbue us with his power.
Most burst into flame. The few of us who did not were forever bound to the light.
But my god did humanity a great favor. In times of darkness, we answer the call.
We work to prevent surges like what happened to your family and my people.
And should he have succeeded in accumulating enough worshippers and necromantic tokens?
Who knows what would have awoken. We make this venture to seek out those tokens and see them destroyed. ”
I winced, especially as we hadn’t found any tokens on Breckenan’s remains. “I would have thought he would have brought a token with him.”
My father sighed. “He was wise and hid them`, likely at his fortress. Another reason we go.”
“The prisoners were reason enough,” I replied in a cool tone. “But we will destroy every last object in that cursed place if we must.”
The priestess laughed. “There is no need. Such things cannot hide from me. Already, despite the many miles separating us, I can feel dark power stirring. By the time we are close, its dark song will be a beacon I can readily follow. The beginning of its end is now. We will just have to take care to make certain we do not accidentally trigger the surge we are wishing to avoid.”
“Leave that to me,” the reformed necromancer announced, stepping forward to join our group.
“That fortress surely has the bodies of innocents, and I will drain the tokens stirring the memory of the bones so that we might have the answers the grave otherwise would have stolen from us. And because we seek to bring closure, the dead should cooperate. We will not disturb them long, but it will take most of the power the tokens might offer.”
The priestess frowned. “Will it hurt them?”
He shook his head. “They are dead and gone. I am not bringing their souls back. I am simply restoring the memory of the bones to life. We cannot ask the bones questions. We can merely rewind the clocks of their lives and behold what they beheld in life. We view memories, we do not touch spirits. Had this Breckenan recognized the truth of what it means to be a necromancer, this would not have happened at all. But we do need to find his mother’s bones and set her free, for I have no doubt her soul has been bound to her remains, barring her from rest. That is the first step in bringing back the dead, and he would not have made such a mistake so early in the process.
And should we find the bones of the rest of his cursed family, they will likewise need to be set free. ”
How utterly terrible. “Necromancers can do that?”
“We can. I maintain my skill not so I can attempt to bring back the dead, but so that I can set them free when others cannot let go of the past and those they love. But remember this, Pepper. Behind every necromancer is a love so deep that they wish to defy death to keep it. Sometimes, it is the love of a child, the love of a husband or wife, or the love of a friend. The strength of that love is usually the deciding factor in the strength of the necromancer. And once that love has gone, that is when the greatest of evils can be born. Some, like me, choose to step away from that abyss. Some, like Breckenan, embrace it. But do consider this: vampires came into being before necromancers, and in many ways, they are the first necromancers. Was your family not born because of a love and a grief so deep it led to madness?”
“Yes, it was,” my father stated in a tone allowing no argument. “And to this day, we still live with our regrets.”
“Do not claim guilt that does not and never has belonged to you,” the reformed necromancer suggested.
“As it is, you do far more than your share at attempting to redeem your people. You have done well. Take a look at your daughter and truly see her for what she is. She is everything vampires might be in the future. Focus on that. It should help. And should you not rid yourself of that burdensome guilt, I will speak to your uncles. I am certain they will help beat those tendencies out of you.”
I raised my hand. “I can help with that. I’m sure Ben has some sticks he can loan me for the cause.”
Ben snickered. “We can set up some training sessions where we attempt to beat your father but get trounced for our efforts. It will be good practice for you, and it will better motivate you during your self-defense lessons. Just go in understanding we will lose. In the meantime, we should focus on our mission. While the prisoners are likely safe for now, it’s only a matter of time before what remains of Breckenan’s brood recovers and gives us—or the prisoners—trouble.
Worse, one of them might try to pick up his cause.
It is better we finish what we started before they have a chance to regroup. ”
“What is the fastest way to the fortress, Dad?” I asked.
My father made a thoughtful sound. “Helicopter, I suppose. If you wish for us to move quickly, we can move quickly, but I promise you will not like what you are about to learn.”
“Let me guess. You have even more unsavory business dealings I probably don’t want to know about.”
“You have no idea how right you are, and you are about to learn.”