“Why don’t we discuss this in your room?”

  Doctor White said scratching the back of his head with a bit of apprehension. He didn’t expect some kid to say he could see what he’d done. Carelessness was not something his wife would allow, he was already feeling regretful.

  In the room Nate sat down in the bed. His legs had started to wobble as they’d gotten close to the room. Doctor White had to support him the rest of the way. Nate noticed while he helped that he’d fit right in on the worksite with how muscular he was. Dr.White sat where Dr.Mei usually did and smiled.

  “So you can see? You have the sight. Well, it’s no surprise. I’d guess most people in the world will end up with it at this rate.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Now I don’t know if I’m the proper person to explain this. I wasn’t in the war, nor any skirmish, I didn’t even go to THE school. But rumor says something that happened during that period has been causing a large number of people to gain The Sight. Might be genetic, might be something in the spirit, doesn’t matter. It just is. Now yours is odd.”

  “Odd how?”

  Nate didn’t want to interrupt much. This was the first time he was getting answers. If something was causing the sight does that mean he was one of those people. What had he meant by The school?

  “Well, you saw it real clearly. The Ogre and my own spirit never materialized. You’d have to be someone like me, you know on this side of things to get a look.”

  “Your side?”

  “Haaa. I’m what's called a Mancer, if you're being polite.”

  “And if I wasn't?"

  “Necromancer. I raise and control the dead. This also applies to a wide variety of things like golems and monsters. There are other things like the druids and the clergy. They don’t get around much like we do.”

  “What about Paladins?”

  Nate’s heart rate shot up as he asked the question. His spirit soothed him, it had become more attuned to him. It wasn’t just anger now it could react to a variety of things. Dr.White noticed his reaction. He picked his words delicately, still not sure where the kid landed.

  “Paladin’s are new. Long before I was born they kind of just popped out of nowhere. Some fifty years ago or so. They were disorganized at first but that has changed. Don’t know much about them personally. Never encountered one. Why do you ask?”

  Nate gestured to himself a self deprecating smile drawn across his lips. The doctor understood without him having to spell it out. He picked up the chart at the foot of the bed and flicked through. Letting Nate process what he’d just been told.

  The fact he was against an unknown factor even to a necromancer was scary. He could accept necromancers as a concept he’d seen movies, heard stories. These Paladins were something else. Each step into the unseen seemed to just drag him deeper.

  “Ok, but how do I protect myself?”

  This question seemed to catch Dr.White off guard. It made sense but he wasn’t sure how to handle that talk. Times like these he just wanted to be back down stairs with the dead.

  “Do you want me to be honest?”

  Nate nodded his head.

  “I don’t know what happened to you but you should run. Just get out of here. Take anything worth anything and escape. Stop looking at ghosts, try to forget they are real. Forget me.”

  A quiet moment took hold. Nate couldn’t do that. Didn’t he understand? Mandy was hurt by this guy, and Teddy. If he wanted to bring Nate in, what would he think about Teddy? He was smarter and probably a better target. He’d gotten some money and could run with it. That was not the life his family would want for Teddy, or for him.

  “I’m sorry Doctor. I don’t think that's in my cards.”

  Dr.White smiled, he had to try. At least he gave him the option first. The chance to cut tail and run. It was more than he’d gotten as a child. As far in as he was any old Ogre would have eaten the poor kid eventually.

  “Then you’ll have to decide. How do you want to develop your power? I got a call just the other day and I can introduce you to a necromancer. You can train, grow, and then kill that Paladin. But it’ll come at a cost.”

  “What do you want from me in return?”

  Nate’s serious face caught the doctor off guard. He smiled to ease the tension.

  “No, no. Not to me. I’m a doctor and this is a consultation. Pro-bono.”

  “Everything has a price.”

  “Not this time… If you go down the route of a necromancer theirs no going back. You can live a mostly normal life if you're bad at it. Take me for example. I’m only a first class necromancer. I’m only above apprentices. I can live this life while working in the morgue. I sell parts to other mancers. I still mostly work as a doctor.”

  “Why help me like this? I’m just some random person.”

  “Well, let's just leave it at you are friends with Alison. She needed the company, all she talks about is you lately.”

  “I can accept that. Then is there any other route? Beyond Necromancy?”

  Nate was fine with whatever got him strong enough to beat Paladin Wood. That didn’t mean he’d just jump straight in with both feet. He had to see his options. The best decision was an informed one.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Druids, or the clergy. If you allow me, I can check your soul. It’s one of the only things my master said I was good at.”

  Permission granted he touched his wrist like checking a pulse. The energy surged into his body flowing up his veins into his heart then spread through him. The spirit in the pool of water snapped its maw at the strands as they came near.

  Nate focused on the spirit, calming and soothing it. Their roles reversed; it took a moment for it to calm. He couldn’t pull his attention away to feel what Dr.White was doing or look at him.

  The doctor's energy pushed around the body. Checking every nook and cranny to be certain of his findings. It wasn’t something he could handle. The kid was in luck if his contact was being serious about the job offer. A client would be secure for a long time.

  He cut off the spirit energy after getting the size and consistency of Nate’s soul. If he didn’t know who he was sending him to he'd have been worried. He presented a solid front since he knew what was in store in the future.

  “How does it look Doc?”

  “You're a mess. But don’t let it get you down. You used something you weren’t supposed to, didn't you?”

  “I had a weapon. A weird bayonet. Kept trying to put things in my head.”

  “That will do it. A part of your soul is malformed and stuck in your hand. As for your prospects you already have a spirit in you. You’d only be able to become a necromancer or druid.”

  “How strong can I become? Can I be as strong as you?”

  The kids' hopeful eyes gazed up at him. He’d been there when he was young and was told he was special. The kid probably had more going for him than he had as a kid. It wouldn’t hurt if he could see about giving him a leg up. Call it investing in the future of the world.

  “You're in luck, kid. Necromancy isn’t about how you start. It’s about how you practice. If you were a clergyman you’d not amount to much. Your soul is on the larger side for even some necromancers but as they say it's not really about the size. It's how you use it. Necromancy is about building something step by step. I’m not as clear on how the druids work but I think you have to be naturally gifted for that.”

  “So where do I start?”

  ***

  Kent was lost in thought trying to find a proper response to Mrs.Henderman’s text. She’d been a hard woman to pin down. At first it seemed his height would be a deal breaker. She’d mentioned how tall her husband used to be. Then it was that he was so strong before.

  He used that to appeal to her. Showing off his muscles, and when she came to the work site bragging about his gains. Without telling him he was taking credit ,at least in front of Mrs.Henderman, for Nate’s claims to fame. More than once he’d ended up with an injury trying to impress her. Of course she’d never know.

  That was well enough. His plot to her heart or at least her bed was half baked. She wasn’t just a random girl, she was a woman. No, a Lady. She had a taste for the finer things in life which Jeb was providing. The only gap he could find there is kids.

  After the war and with the population already declining beforehand, propaganda was everywhere. The main goal was to have more children. It was even more prevalent in her generation. Before the war there were still just enough people being born. It kept the population just below replacement level. It had turned for the worse after the war.

  The war had killed so many people that a huge campaign to have children was spread. It worked in only planting the idea, the actual number of people was harder to increase. It wasn’t placed into schools like it was now but pumped out in the media. The method to Kent was crude. The difference between picking up a girl at the bar and picking out a target to learn intimate details on, inevitably making her fall for you. Naturally they have to think the whole thing was their idea.

  In Kent’s opinion theirs is not a person more affected by the propaganda more than a childless woman. Often it was too easy for Kent; he lacked a challenge. He’d lose his title of homewrecker if he used the same method too often. Mrs.Henderman had fallen for the age old and demeaning “What if I was your child?” routine. It played into his babyface and small height.

  He turned his head back to look at the Flick-and-Go that was a ways away by now. Would he blow up Nate’s deal if he continued this? Sighing, he placed his friend first. Giving her the cold shoulder might make her want him more. He made the excuse to comfort himself.

  Still looking back his eyes widened in disbelief. A large man-shaped bouncy ball flew off from the Flick-and-Go. He blinked several times trying to figure out exactly what happened but nothing came to mind. A bad feeling in his chest he booked it back to the store.

  He was half-way there when Mandy’s car flew past him. She’d not even seen him but he saw the damage. Her car had been perfectly fine and now. He doubled his speed, he wouldn’t catch up with her even if he tried. Instead if someone needed him at the store he’d have to go to help.

  After a short sprint he stood out back of the store. Blood and odd bits of flesh were strung about, along with what looked like rusted gouges in the earth. On the ground a single helmet with two faces painted onto it sat.

  He picked up the helmet, inspecting it for a moment. The metal had been attached later on. Inside he recognized an old soldier's helmet. Rounded and green made to protect against shrapnel. It was odd that the rest had obviously been fitting on top of it.

  “NATE! NATE!”

  He’d not seen him with Mandy so he had to be here. He checked the surroundings but there was nothing. The back door was still wide open and he could hear the sound of someone hyperventilating. Stepping closer he peaked around the corner to see Dave.

  He was taller than Kent but flimsy as a twig. He wasn’t much in a fight. God had given him instead the ability to keep things nice and in order. Currently he was breathing heavily looking at the CCTV screen. Every few seconds he’d rewind the tape as if he couldn’t believe what happened.

  Kent entered, tapping him on the shoulder. It would have been better to say something before, but hindsight is twenty twenty. His body shot into the air as he spun back to look at Kent.

  “Dude Dave. What the hell’s going on?”

  “K,k,kkkk,Kent!”

  He shouted in both relief and fear.

  “Yeah, it's me. Now where’s Nate?”

  “He… Hospital… Man… Bang… She… Shot and … Not dead… Look.”

  He pointed at the screen as he rewound the video for the umpteenth time. The battle played out before him. Seeing Nate get slammed into the car he nearly took off right that moment. He held it in until the end. When he saw Mandy speed off with him he knew she’d take care of him.

  Mind racing he thought of what to do. The police wouldn’t be able to handle this. They couldn’t handle a normal killer on the loose. The helmet in his hand caused his skin to burn but he held strong to it. A feeling in his head he couldn’t let it go.

  “What do… We do?”

  Dave’s breath was finally settling. Kent was amazed he hadn't passed out. The guy might have more gumption then he’d given him credit for. Looking around the room Kent spotted a bloodstain around an old bayonet. He’d been told about it by Nate.

  “Go take care of the store. These tapes. Just don’t tell anyone what you saw. If they ask, say a car got hit. Be vague.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if you say that you saw an action film on the CCTV they’ll put you in an asylum. I’m going to go, call me if you need me. Call me if they can see it for that matter.”

  “OK, ok. I got ya.”

  Dave went back to the front. The box for the bayonet was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t leaking blood like Nate had told him. It was probably safe to touch but he still used a cloth. It had that same kind of burning feeling as the helmet. Not wanting to touch them longer he grabbed a grocery bag and put them both inside.

  He hurried back out of the store. Worry still in his chest over how everyone was doing. Down the road an unnoticed figure watched him leave with interest.