Nate sat at the exterior table. The previous food of the Husk Raiders cleared out as the Oni woman, named Celine stood at attention to his left. A smile played at her lips just beyond a slight grimace. Her happiness over not being killed may sour in the coming days but that wasn’t anything to worry about currently. Plans were already forming in her mind how she was going to come out of this a winner.

  “To go over this again. Your known magics are silent steps, conceal self, minor shadow manipulation, and minor charm?”

  “Yes, my father was an incubus, sir.”

  “Thats fine enough.”

  He wasn’t sure if his answer to the situation would be the correct one. Just killing them and moving on would have been enough to satisfy his teacher. Was that really the way for a Necromancer? Wayne had put an emphasis on needs, wants, and high morals.

  High morals weren’t necessarily what Nate thought of himself as possessing. It put being a real Mancer out to pasture. He would kill, just not for something so insignificant as this. At the same time he wasn’t captured by his wants. So he chose the long game. It was something that Karah never understood as a leader but he had.

  “Then the contract I’m offering you is a pact deal. You shall provide me with one of your spells. This shall remove part of your soul. In return I will not kill you. Further still you will agree to act as a contact with your clan.”

  The old orc had at this point awoken. He sat opposite Nate and looked none too pleased at what he was hearing from this pup's mouth. Nevertheless it was without doubt that he was defeated. In most circles of the underworld and occult this meant he must follow what the winner said. It’s how he’d ended up exiled from his clan.

  “As for you, former head of the Husk Raiders. Orcs have innate strength. So you have nothing to offer in terms of magic spells. However, your grandchildren run the organization. Being part Oni as well they present an interesting prospect.”

  “You can have my life but I will not give my granddaughter to you. Her hand in marriage shall go to whoever she wishes. No, Necromancer, even one such as you can make me.”

  Nate gave the old man a deadpan look. If he wanted another servant he’d just take Celine but that was hardly worth it. She might have some interesting magic. This did not make her up to his standard in being part of his limited rooms. At best he could form a temporary contract but that wasn’t what he needed. Yes, need was the answer. Just as his teacher was pushing.

  “I don’t want your granddaughter. As for payment for you and your men’s lives I will take half of your treasure vault. The preference is in magic items, tomes, or reagents. I will also accept payment in purchasing power at the Tyrants store. Cilene kindly told me you were acquainted with the location.”

  “Half for our measly lives? We aren’t worth nearly that much. How about one magic item and a tome that we have been saving to trade at said Tyrants store?”

  “I know that you're still second in command. So let's not act as if you have any real leeway. Purely paying in items or tomes is acceptable if they are of sufficient value. However in such a case I will demand a steady supply of your tusks.”

  “You want our tusks? The most sacred and divine part of our being? We who walk tooth and tusk with Cernunnos. The boar god wills us to not trade our tusks else be damned to never return to the fertile fields.”

  “I already know you trade your tusks. Otherwise yours would be closer to Darla’s size.”

  “It didn't hurt to try.”

  The old orc raised a toothy tusked grin. Knowing that this Necromancer was going to play ball was a life saver. Now he just needed to not hang himself on the rope that was being given to him. That little girl had been a monster that he didn’t think anyone in his clan could handle. Even if he demanded all of their resources there wasn’t much they could do to stop the young man.

  “If this is truly a partnership. Does that mean we can rely on you as well?”

  Nate grinned at the old orcs sly manner. He might be full of muscle but age certainly brought wisdom. If he could get into Nate’s good graces, which from his view point was a powerful place to be. He would be the one to win out.

  “No, this is a tithe. All of your lives here will be tied to this contract. If you do not make the delivery or fail to attempt it in the case of my being indisposed. You shall die. Your souls shall come to me as payment. Not even your bodies shall be outside of this. Wherever they are they will explode into gnashing teeth. Do you understand?”

  *GULP* The former orc leader swallowed hard. A necromancer’s words were never to be taken lightly.

  “Yes, sir. Half of the treasure vault's value will be presented in the tome and two magic items. We can deliver tusks and shavings once a month. I shall have a whole tusk prepared for you.”

  “Cilene shall act as the go between until at which point she is no longer in your employ or upon her death. At which time another shall replace her. Are we in agreement?”

  “Yes sir.”

  Wayne had assisted in the creation of the contracts. Nate still lacked the capabilities to make something this complex. The first covered Cilene’s part which may have been unfair for her provided information but he still needed to complete Wayne’s request to some extent. As for the second it would cover the remaining gang members and the prospect of not killing the rest of their gang.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Wayne assisted Nate in weaving the power of Lupita’s magic circle into the contract. By using her magic as a keystone he could create the condition to have them devoured by the teeth. It was cruel but would come in handy when he made future contracts.

  The gang minus Cilene, and the Gopher, packed up and left. Each had dripped a single drop of blood onto the contract sealing their fates. They needed to carry out their end of the deal and would meet back at the Tyrants shop. There were still accounts to be settled. In a way Nate was getting a handle on what a Necromancer really was, A Contract Specialist.

  “Sir Necromancer, Which spell will you be taking?”

  Nate looked at the Oni. She’d become docile after the interrogation and negotiation. If he didn’t know any better he would say she was looking forward to him taking one of her spells. He found it odd how she was so willing to give it away. Some ulterior motive was present there but he didn’t have time to find it. They already spent nearly an hour here.

  If he wasted more of his teachers time he doubted he’d be pleased. The man already looked unhappy over the use of the contracts. Nate had insisted on the benefits over simply selling their dead bodies. He hoped he made the right choice.

  “I believe you rely on your Silent steps and conceal self the most given your attempt on me. Then there's the charm. You were trying to claim me as a prize so I can say that is a favorite of yours? Which leaves your shadow manipulation. Can you display the spell for me?”

  “Of course.”

  A small magic circle blazed to life around the placement of her horns. The spell grabbed at the fleeting shadows cast by the morning sun. At first a large portion moved at her command but did little in the way of being physical. Then it shifted the size coming down to around that of a hand it picked up a can and moved it along the area of shadow. As the hand reached out into the light it lasted a second before fading to nothing.

  Sweat lightly dripped from Cilene’s forehead. The lacking power of a lesser Oni’s soul meant using magic was draining. This would go doubly so if it was something that had gone without training. Nate’s own control of the spell would take time but her display would be easy to replicate.

  “As you can see sir, it's not a strong spell. I can solidify only a hand sized area which is then limited to my own physical strength. You can move larger shadows around the size of a five by five area. It's not very useful as they are just shadows. You could use it to thicken the shadows on your own body but it wouldn’t help in the light. If you must, I think the concealed presence would be more useful to you.”

  “I see.”

  The moment crawled through the air. Nate was certain she was aiming for pity over her powers. Still he found the shadow manipulation might be more useful in his hands. Her limited power could be solved with practice and the manipulation of the circle.

  “I shall take the shadow manipulation. Your being able to arrive undetected to my location will be a boon in the future. I’m certain of it.”

  “Thank you sir. Truly thank you for not taking it away from me.”

  Cilene signed the contract. As she did so an undulating magic circle ripped free from somewhere within her skull. It floated a short distance over to Nate and then entered into his own skull. Pulsing throbs rushed into his mind as his mind blanked. Pain rushed through him for a moment before subsiding.

  Nate was much worse off than Cilene. The process hadn’t been that painful for her given her disuse of the spell. It was not as ingrained as the others, if he had taken the others it would be disastrous. She was certain bed rest would be required for days if not weeks. As Nate was still swimming within the pain she stooped down and gave his hand a cheeky kiss. Just as one might to a lord, Nate was too distracted by the spinning scenery.

  Standing she delivered a final bow to Nate and then to Wayne. Just as quick as her kiss she was off riding away on her bike. Nate knew they would meet again when she delivered the goods but hoped it would be a much less painful process.

  “This is certainly an unexpected answer. Do you plan to be this lenient in the future?”

  Wayne asked as he neared his student. He did not want him to hate him but discipline was needed. Bad habits of over graciousness would lead him down a bad path. He would not let him end up as ‘He’ had. The face of his old friend from the academy layered over his student for a moment. He had to remind himself this was someone else that they were two different people.

  “Teacher, if I'm to continue my journey as a Necromancer, once all this is over I will need resources. This is simply an investment. Not to mention It is better to have a spell within me at all times then even twenty that need something as fragile as a skull.”

  “I shall give you passing marks. Your negotiation went off rather well in spite of their lacking offerings.”

  “I'll continue to do even better in the future, teacher.”

  Darla was in a bit of a daze. Karah had worked her over the most. The others had been quick single blows, lacking the ferocity that had befallen the orc woman. The Gopher was currently attempting to nurse her back to health. His panicked face seemed to amuse the orc woman as she held him close. It was obvious to Nate that she was doing it in part to let the man dote on her.

  “What am I to do with you two?”

  The two stopped their impromptu cuddle session as Nate loomed over them. In their eyes he might as well be a specter of doom and fear. Taking down the gang that prowled within this area and placing them under his thumb. It was the first rule of the underworld. Power.

  “You guaranteed my life already. You have to let us go.” The Gopher said.

  “No, your boss left your name off the list. It only works if you use their real name and seal it with blood. Look here on the contract.”

  Nate unfurled the piece of magic parchment that held the contract. It was now without power within its pages. Having been signed and finalized the contract was now within their very souls. The Gopher’s eyes ran across the page till it hit where the names of the gang were listed.

  “Gopher? He put me down using Gopher? WHAT THE HELL!”

  “Yes, and since I worked you over inside I think your payment is going to be quite steep. So what do you have to offer, GOPHER?”

  “Don’t punish him anymore, please.”

  The orc maiden spoke up. She gently brushed the cheek of the man. It was obvious who was going to be wearing the pants in this relationship. If Nate was honest he was rooting for the two of them. This did not mean he would be letting them off for what they had done.

  “Your offer then?”

  “My tusks.”

  “Darla, NO. Necromancer sir, I offer my soul my living soul.”

  “My dear student, if I might inform you of something?”

  A wicked smile played across Wayne’s lips. A spring in his step as he approached like a real demon. His hands reach out to grasp Nate by the shoulders. Pulling him close. It was obvious this had become the most important matter to his teacher. Though the reason was yet to be revealed.