Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven
Necromantic Terror

Rorek angrily threw his sword into wall, where it came to a stop, embedded in the hard earth. Tears still wet in his eyes, he walked brokenly over to Orik.
"He...he's dead, isn't he," Orik asked hollowly, knowing the answer.
"we...we have to keep going, Orik," said Rorek, still shocked from what had happened.
Rorek's mind began sifting through all of Gower's adventures, and the times they had shared together. Rorek's feeling of overwhelming sadness turned to rage. He wanted revenge. Rorek quickened his pace down the dank tunnel, leaving Orik a few feet behind. Rorek continued down the tunnel, he encountered a thick, black wooden door. The door had several grimy locks and chains covering most of its surface to keep out unwanted guests. Rorek raised his arm, he muttered something unintelligible. Rorek's hand began to glow an igneous red color. He made a strange hand gesture and a brilliant beam of light shot out from his hand and engulfed the chains surrounding the door. The locks and chains disintegrated on contact with the fiery projectile and fell to the floor in a heap of ashes. Rorek gave the door a roundhouse kick. The door opened inwardly with a bang as it hit the wall. Rorek entered the chamber.
"Well," said an empty voice emanating from further into the room, "so you managed to make it past the shade intact?"
"Yes," growled Rorek, not mentioning Gower or Orik.
The lights slammed on showering the chamber in a sickly yellow light. It revealed musty walls and a strange man clad in red robes that covered his feet, standing in the center of the room. The man appeared to be very old, his hair a ghostly white.
"Who are you?" questioned Rorek as he took a step further into the room.
"I," said the man, "am a necromancer, and a very powerful one at that
"So it was you-" Rorek was cut off as the necromancer appeared inches in front of Roreks face.
"Yes," uttered the necromancer sarcastically, "it was me."
Rorek growled and reached for his sword, before he could unsheath it, the necromancer reappeared in his previous spot. Instantly the pentacle drawn on the floor that Rorek hadn't noticed before glew a bright white. Suddenly a vortex opened into the floor and an army of undead skeletons rose from the floor. The necromancer grinned eerily.
"Attack," breathed the necromancer
The entire army erupted in a fierce battle cry and charged with surprising speed across the chamber toward Rorek. Orik appeared in the doorway, out of breath. "Orik, it's him!" shouted Rorek as he ran for the oncoming army.
Orik seemed confused for a moment, then the message connected. It was the man who had sent the shade. Orik charged through the army of skeletons as they fought Rorek. Orik appeared at the other side of the battle infront of the necromancer. Orik recognized the man instantly
"You're the one who trapped me in ice cave!" yelled Orik.
"I am," grinned the necromancer.
Orik charged the necromancer and drew his sword. The two began a series of intricate moves, both perfectly counteracting the other's. Orik slashed the necromancer with his sword, cutting into his robes. "Impudent fool," laughed the necromancer, "you have no hope of defeating me in combat"
The necromancer raised his arm and a blue beam erupted from his finger tips. The blast collided with Orik, shoving him into the wall several feet away. Orik recovered and ran towards the necromancer, blade ready. The necromancer appeared behind Orik and kicked him in the back. Orik was knocked to the floor, temporarily incapacitated. The necromancer seized the opportunity, he spoke a word, and Orik was encased in a brilliant emerald cube of energy.
"Now that you are no threat to me," grunted the necromancer, "let's watch how your companion does against my army."