Chapter 34
Chapter
Thirty-Four
It was difficult for Konrad to wrap his mind around it all. But it was also difficult to keep his feelings in check. He believed Wraith’s role as a reaper was something good.
But at the same time, there was so much about necromancers that repulsed him. Just hearing what they got up to had him wanting to shift, roar, and rage, lighting up the sky with dragonfire, even though he knew it would accomplish nothing.
Still, he was trying to listen before judging. And, honestly, Konrad was actually curious how necromancy worked, despite his strong dislike of it.
“Can a spirit be reconnected to the body after death?” Konrad asked.
“It can. However, it is less common.” Wraith’s forehead creased.
“For most necromancers, reanimating corpses and skeletons comes more naturally. Still, an innate ability is required. Although, training can improve that ability. Also, a great deal of power is needed to control the reanimated and compel them to do your bidding, especially if you are controlling a lot of them. Like in an army.”
Konrad gritted his teeth. How many times had he faced one of these vile reanimated armies?
“I never really had the skills to create and control the reanimated, nor was I trained to. But many of the necromancers who could do that lacked the ability to engage with the spirits and bring them back, like what I did with Umbra. But even with her, I did not bind her spirit to her body. I created a new form that could move between this world and the next.”
Wraith plucked a buttercup from by the side of the road. “Although, that was unintentional on my part. I was so young and had no idea what I was doing. If I was doing it now, I could have reconnected her spirit to her corpse.”
Wraith twirled the buttercup between his fingers. “Although, I think she is happier without an actual body holding her back.” He huffed. “She was so keen to return to me, which made it all easier. If she was unwilling, I doubt I would have had the ability to bring her back.” He threw the buttercup.
“Necromancers can bring back the unwilling?” Konrad’s skin crawled.
Wraith lowered his gaze. “A necromancer can force a spirit back and bind it to its corpse. Or another corpse. But it’s difficult. The cost is high. Controlling someone who does not want to come back or be bound to a necromancer’s will requires a lot of power.”
Konrad licked his lips. “I heard a whisper once. Of a dragon being brought back as a creature of smoke, bone, and fire. I never saw it during the war, but I was always scared of coming across such a thing.” He even had nightmares of battling his dead siblings as undead dragons.
“Is that something a necromancer can do?”
“I’ve heard talk of them too. Bone dragons is what they are called. But it’s more a myth than a reality. At least from what I know.” Wraith’s nose wrinkled. “I’ve never seen it done or heard of an actual case.”
Wraith paused. “Hypothetically, it is possible. But … I said it was hard to bring back a resistant spirit, that’s especially true with some, such as dragons, sorcerers, and other magic users. It’s like their powers resist the necromancer’s will.”
“So it is not possible to bring back a dragon?”
Wraith’s brows drew together. “You’d need a strong necromancer, probably multiple. And to control the sort of power that the dead spirit had—” He shook his head. “I don’t know how you’d manage it. I’m not sure it would be possible. If it was, Necros would have raised a bone dragon by now.”
“Do you know if they tried?”
Wraith hesitated. “There were many attempts during the war to bring back dragons, mages, and sorcerers.”
“Were any of those attempts successful?” Konrad asked, voice tight.
Wraith tugged a bit of grass from his robes. Just a few moments ago, they had been fooling around in the field. Konrad wished they were doing that instead of talking about this.
“It depends on how you define successful,” Wraith said. “They were able to bring back some dragons with their souls.”
Konrad let out a slow breath, trying to remain calm as his heart rate took off.
“But they were stuck in their human form, and the necromancers were unable to control them or force them to shift,” Wraith said. “Even with sacrifices.”
Konrad’s ears prickled at the word sacrifices.
“The bindings cast by the necromancers unravelled. The spirits fled.” Wraith shook his head. “I doubt it is truly possible to create a bone dragon that would be able to be controlled.”
“Well, that is something at least,” Konrad muttered. “You mentioned sacrifices. What does a sacrifice achieve?” He tried to keep his voice steady.
“It gives more power,” Wraith said. “Necromancers usually do it, when they are attempting to cast beyond their own ability. I suppose one might do it when trying to create a bone dragon. Or they might do it when wanting to raise and control more reanimated than what they would normally be capable of.”
“I see,” Konrad said. “During the war, we found Draconian scouts sacrificed on altars after a battle against reanimated skeletons. So that would have been to create and control the massive skeleton army they attacked us with.”
Wraith nodded. “Probably. It might have also allowed the necromancers to control the reanimated from further away.”
Konrad exhaled. They stood in silence. They could no longer hear the funeral procession. The field and road were completely empty. It was just the two of them.
Wraith cleared his throat. “Your father has not yet moved on.”
“What?” Konrad straightened. “Where is he?” He glanced around, as if he might see his father just standing by the side of the road.
“He is not here now. But I have seen him sometimes with you,” Wraith said. “He follows you. At his funeral, he stood behind you, talking to you. I spoke to him in your room on our wedding night. You heard me talking to someone and asked me who.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
Wraith looked in the direction of the cemetery. “You’d been angry with me for helping the old woman. I did not know what you’d think about me speaking to your dead father. I also didn’t know if you’d even believe me.”
Konrad had been so quick to see the worst in Wraith. And he probably would have been enraged if Wraith told him he’d spoken to his dead father. “That’s fair. Previously, I was not very receptive to what you had to say. I’m sorry, Wraith.”
“That’s all right.”
“What did my father tell you?” Konrad asked.
“So far, I’ve heard him speak about the peace treaty and protecting the bloodline and the kingdom,” he said. “It is common for the departed to fixate on the things that were important to them during life.”
Konrad huffed. “That was what my father cared about in life.”
“I also spoke to him last night when you were asleep. I asked him about his death and if he knew who killed him.” Wraith shook his head. “But he just seemed to get very confused by the questions, which is not uncommon with the dead. I have also offered to help him pass on. But he is not ready.”
“Why not?”
“He is waiting for the treaty to be finished and his bloodline to be safe.”
“That sounds like him.”
“I could have forced him on,” Wraith said.
“You can do that?”
“Yes.” Wraith’s nose wrinkled. “But I never liked doing that. I prefer to let people move on when they are ready. Forcing someone when they don’t want to go always felt icky to me. And some ghosts do seem genuinely happy here. It feels rude to force them on.”
“That makes sense.” Konrad was coming to the realisation that Wraith cared deeply for the dead and their well-being. He was very different to what Konrad had expected from a necromancer husband. “If you see my father again, can you tell me?”
“Of course.”
Konrad took Wraith’s hand and tugged him in the direction of the forest. “But that’s enough talk of necromancy and dead fathers for one day. After all, I still have a surprise for you.”
Wraith smiled. “What is it?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.” Konrad led him towards the forest. They walked for about ten minutes.
Then Wraith gasped. Up ahead amongst the trees, servants stood with trays of food and drink. A small beige canopy tent had been set up with colourful pillows, blankets, and cushions. Ten guards had also been sent ahead to wait for them here.
“I planned a picnic for the two of us,” Konrad said.
Wraith laughed. “I’ve never had a picnic before.”
Konrad smiled. “Well, I hope you enjoy your very first picnic, then.”