The Nekromancer - 38. Chapter 38

Two tigers pulled a wagon along the road, Jakun directing from the driver's seat.

"I'm sorry I hid in the stable," he said.

Jeremy let out a grunt, drinking from his mug.

"Don't be. I was going to sell… fuck, what was her name again?"

"If it was anyone but you…" Amnor Sen sighed, chipping away at a statuette.

Zephyr plodded along behind them, his saddle stowed in the wagon. Jakun thought the horse looked happy, if a little bitter. He supposed that would happen, especially when someone you had been travelling that long for was killed.

"And I'm sorry I killed your girlfriend Zephyr."

The horse snorted, his neck slumping.

"Great. He'll be in a mood all day now," Jeremy grumbled. "Amnor Sen, you're in charge of your charger."

The cleric chuckled quietly, frowning when no one else did.

"Tough crowd…"

Taking a gulp of his beer, Jeremy let out a burp, shaking his head.

"But seriously, this beats riding a horse everywhere. How long did you say this can last?" he asked.

"Six to eight hours, depending. I really don't know though, especially with the Wastes coming up," Jakun replied.

His ears flicked nervously, body tensing at the words. If Loran heard him say he didn't know…

But Loran was nowhere near. Jakun was safe.

"Jakun, you okay up there?"

The amurrun blinked, Anya jumping out of him to join the two in the back.

"Just some traumatic memories. Don't mind him," she said, leaning against the side of the wagon. "He'll be good as new in a few minutes."

"Fine. Tell us about yourself Anya. Obviously we aren't getting rid of you as long as Jakun is here," Jeremy said, running his hand over his mug to refresh it.

"Oh, do you want the whole story, or can I skip ahead to being roasted alive by werewolf hunters?"

Up front, Jakun shuddered at the shared memory. He remembered when Anya had shown him that, back when she had first bonded to him. It had done wonders, showing him that Loran's torture could have been much worse.

"You know, lycanthropy can be cured if you get to a cleric early enough," Jeremy frowned.

"It's a little hard to cure something you're born with," Anya pointed out.

"That is fair, I suppose."

Jeremy grinned suddenly.

"Does that mean you used to turn into a puppy?"

"No."

The sharpness in Anya's voice sent a chill through Jakun, even though he knew it wasn't directed toward him. The catfolk shivered, focusing on the tigers pulling the wagon.

"Huh. So why exactly are you haunting him?" Amnor Sen asked.

"I'm not haunting him, and I'm not possessing him. You could say… I'm like his spirit guide. Just a little darker. The whole idea is to put him on the right track so I can rest in relative peace," Anya said. "Fuck, you're making me wish I could drink…"

"So he's the meek catfolk, and you're the vicious dog that protects him," Jeremy smirked. "You ever bite Loran?"

"No. Loran never knew I existed. Though he probably does now, thanks to Ivris. I don't understand why he wasn't eaten by that ravener…"

"Maybe he was. What would that mean for you and Jakun?" Amnor Sen questioned.

"That would put an end to our revenge," Anya shrugged. "But that isn't what defines either of us. Jakun wants to free every slave in Golarion. And honestly, we both know that he's only one person. It will take years, if not decades, to change laws and get people out from under their masters. But we plan on spending the rest of his life with this goal in mind."

"That is a tough goal. There are places in the world where slavery-"

"-is a way of life and unlife? Sounds like Geb to me. I understand the whole, ew, undead slavery thing. But zombies aren't true slaves. They're dead, mindless. Similar to the chattel people grow for vampire food. They are not intelligent. In fact, many of them are bred to be animalistic, like a cow."

Jeremy shuddered at the thought.

"Yeah, I'm glad we're leaving this place."

"My point is that Geb isn't supposed to have living slavery. What Loran did was buy Jakun's mother from another nation. When Jakun was born here, he should have been born a free amurrun. And Loran tried to get you to buy his freedom, an abstract notion that Jakun was free. It is different from buying his body and soul. Once free, there would be nothing stopping Loran from enslaving Jakun again as soon as he entered a slave nation."

"Damn it, this is why I hate lawful people!" Jeremy scowled. "No offense Amnor Sen."

"None taken. I'm not using the law to fuck people over," the elf shrugged. "So why don't you talk more Jakun?"

"I like quiet," the catfolk replied. "It gives me the chance to think. But I can talk more. Both you and Jeremy have asked about that. Besides, my voice was sealed for years. Silence is natural for me."

"Oh. Does that mean you and Anya can communicate telepathically?" Jeremy asked.

"It's easier to do when sharing my body, but yes."

There was a sudden chuff from the tigers, one of them vanishing. The wagon turned, thrown off balance, and Jakun grimaced, dropping the other summon.

"What happened?!" Jeremy spluttered, spitting vinegar from his mouth.

"The spell was disrupted… but it only affected one spell?" Jakun frowned, sliding out of the driver's seat as the wagon tilted precariously.

Amnor Sen jumped out over the side, Jeremy falling out as the wagon tilted back. Jakun raised a hand, trying to call another summon. Nothing happened.

"I think we hit an anti magic pocket…"

A sudden roar sounded, an undead tiger springing into being. Jakun frowned, dismissing it again.

"Delayed magic pocket," he corrected himself. "Maybe temporal? Jeremy… did your wine just age?"

The cleric nodded slowly, glaring at his now empty mug.

"Okay. At this point, no more magic until we get to Nex. Understood?" Amnor Sen said.

Jakun nodded, Jeremy pouting before reluctantly agreeing.

"Welcome to the Mana Wastes."