The Nekromancer - 53. Chapter 53

"Hey, have you seen Jakun?"

Jeremy looked up from his sausage, frowning. Amnor Sen was standing by the table, straightening his chain shirt.

"He should be in his room, right?" the cleric asked.

"He's not there," Amnor Sen said quietly. "You don't think he left…?"

Jeremy shook his head, swallowing the last of his breakfast. Grabbing his bag, the man frowned.

"No, the wand is gone. He wouldn't steal that… would he?"

Amnor Sen shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know…"

The door to the tavern opened, Jakun stepping through with a wide yawn. He froze, caught in the stares of his companions.

"Hey kitten… you're looking a little pale," Amnor Sen said uncertainly.

"The vampire took a little more than she should have," Jakun shrugged, setting a wand on the table between Amnor Sen and Jeremy.

"Vampire?! It bit you?!" Amnor Sen hissed. "Jeremy, you need to cure him-"

"Cure me of what? Wait… did you think I would let a vampire bite me? No, she stabbed me," Jakun frowned. "I got us a wagon and some food to get us to Quantium. I figured that's our next stop, right?"

The elf and the human stared at each other.

"Uh… yes…? Jakun, how did you…?"

"Oh, by the way, when we get back to Mechitar, there's going to be a pissed off necromancer. I sold her spell to another mage," Jakun added. "Jeremy, you should drive. I was up all night."

The amurran sat next to the cleric, letting out a tired sigh.

"Uh… yeah… where did you put the wagon?"

"Behind the inn. I had a tiger pull it," Jakun yawned. "I… I don't think I'll be doing any more until tomorrow."

"Okay… well… you rest up, and we'll get the wagon hitched to Zephyr," Amnor Sen said.

"Tell me why we're using a warhorse for a draft horse," Jeremy muttered.

"Because your horse was killed in Graydirge," Amnor Sen pointed out. "Your poor, nameless horse that you wanted to get rid of."

"She had a name… JEANNE! That's it, her name was Jeanne!"

"I thought it was Mira," Amnor Sen denied.

"And I thought you said she was nameless," Jeremy retorted.

"The scrambling words of someone in the wrong," Amnor Sen smirked.

"That makes no sense."

They stepped out into the chill morning, Amnor Sen stepping into the stable to fetch Zephyr.

"Jeremy, any chance you could conjure up an apple for my good boy?"

"I thought I was your good boy…" the cleric pouted.

"No, you are my food boy."

"A joke? Who are you and what did you do with my husband?"

"Haha. An apple please."

"You understand it will take nearly ten minutes for my prayer, right?"

"And? I'll hook up Zephyr, you get him an apple for being a good boy," Amnor Sen shrugged.

Sighing, the cleric stepped to the side, kneeling with his eyes closed. Heading into the stable, Amnor Sen pulled out Zephyr's tack, hooking him up to the wagon. A few minutes later, a thud hit the roof of the stable, followed by another and another. Frowning, the paladin stuck his head outside, narrowly missing a fallen apple.

"Ow! What the fuck Jeremy?"

The cleric was holding up a burlap sack, catching the apples raining from the sky.

"The Drunk God provides," he winced, an apple bouncing off his head. "Will this be enough for your precious Zephyr?"

"Maybe another dozen," Amnor Sen said, watching the minor apple storm.

"Fine," the man muttered as the raining apples stopped.

Kneeling, he picked up another dozen, tossing them into the bag.

"Here," Jeremy grunted, shoving the apples into Amnor Sen's hands.

"You are amazing, you know that?" the elf murmured. "I wish I had the connection with the gods that you have."

"Look, it's a little late to be buttering me up to get in my pants again," Jeremy frowned. "You should have gotten your fill last night."

"I did," Amnor Sen said, stepping into his husband. "Maybe I just want to compliment you."

Their lips met gently, a soft expression of love.

"Apples?"

Jakun's voice interrupted them, the catfolk diving into a small pile of the fruit, gathering as many as he could. Amnor Sen chuckled quietly, picking up the fallen apples himself.

"Don't bother," Jeremy sighed. "If they aren't gone by tomorrow, they'll be rotted away. I really don't want to be cleaning out our bags. Again."

Amnor Sen was reminded of the time he had forgotten a coil of sausages in his bag, and the elf grimaced, letting the apples fall again.

"Jakun, we already have plenty of apples," he said, looking at the cat sitting on a small mound, trying to use his rapier to cut the apple. "Gods, it's like raising babies…"

The elf grabbed the blade, giving the catfolk a dagger instead. Sheathing the sword, he finished packing the wagon, Zephyr stomping his feet.

"I know. It's like they willfully ignore basic safety," Amnor Sen said loudly.

Jeremy scoffed nearby, shaking his head.

"Safety… is it really my fault that the apples fell from the sky? They are really tasty though," the cleric added, biting into one.

Jakun nodded nearby, happily munching on an apple. Amnor Sen grunted quietly, pulling an apple out and giving it to Zephyr.

"Don't give him too many," Jeremy warned. "I gave a bunch of apples to… Mira… and it was not pretty."

Zephyr snorted loudly, Amnor Sen patting the horse's neck.

"That's why you only give occasional treats," the elf grumbled. "Even Zephyr knows that."

"Yeah, well Zephyr is blessed by a god," Jeremy scoffed. "He's a special case."

"You eat more grain than fruit. Grain fills you up. Fruit thins you down. Horses need to be larger to work," Jakun pointed out.

"There's a little more to it than that kitten, but you have the idea," Amnor Sen chuckled.

"Well enough talking about the time my horse had the shits," Jeremy grunted, climbing into the wagon. "The sooner we get to Quantium the sooner I can get another drink."