The Necromancer's Wand: Rise of the Phoenix
Chapter 1: The Crypt of Malice

~6 months after Claire’s death~

“Are you sure it’s here?” asked Reaver concerned. We were walking down 14th arrondissement of Paris, in Paris, France. We moved silently in the stillness of night.

Reaver was one of the few followers that I have massed since my sister’s death. However, without power, I could not hope to gather the many more soldiers I needed. This has put me in the pursuit of the legendary necromancer’s wand.

“Yes,” I replied, halting my movement. I looked at a street sign that read: Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy. “Here...” I walked down the street, Reaver keeping close behind. As we came across the Catacombes de Paris, I knew we had arrived. “This is the final resting place of Mordin Malice.”

The building was old, made of weathered stone. It had a main entrance that led down into the catacombs. However, I expected it to be locked, which is why I brought Reaver with me.

“How can you be certain? Why would he choose to be buried among the humans?”

“It was not his choice,” I stated coldly. “Mordin was a murderer...of thousands. He was convicted by the Council of Magic, who were known as the Elder Council at the time. The 12th century Necromancer used a powerful plaguing spell, killing countless of non-casters. The humans called it ‘The Bubonic Plague.’

The Elder Council sent every inquisitor they had at their disposal after him. He killed many of them as well, fusing their powers to his cursed wand. However, the council members eventually took matters into their own hands.

They banded together, defeating the Necromancer. Rumors are, the Elder Council members laid Mordin to rest alongside his victims with his wand still in hand.”

“Do you know where exactly?”

“No, but I am sure I can find it. Come, let us show ourselves in...and if we are approached by someone, you are to deal with them.”

“Understood...” Reaver pointed his wand at the doorknob. “Invada.” We could hear as the door unlocked. I opened it and we went inside. As we entered, we stood in a long, narrow tunnel that descended down into catacombs.

We walked down the tunnel, going deep beneath floor level. Reaver cast Lumis for light to help us see. As we got to the bottom of the tunnel, we looked around to see that the catacombs were a series of dark tunnels. “This is going to take forever,” sighed Reaver.

“No,” I stated. There were three pathways we could take, straight, left and right. However, I noticed the walls of the left path were made of human skulls. “It is this way.” I started walking down the left hallway, with Reaver still keeping close.

I followed the bones down the network of tunnels. “Are you sure you know where you are going?” he asked concerned.

I noticed the wall constructed of bone had stopped at a symbol engraved into the wall, a circle with two dots in its center. “Yes, because we are here...” I claimed, gently touching the symbol.

“Here?”

“This brand means there is a Concealment Enchantment here,” I stated as I backed away from it. “Remove the enchantment...and the crypt will be revealed.”

Reaver tapped his wand on both of the dots within the circle. “Reveal,” he chanted. As the symbol faded, in a flash of emerald light, the bricks of the wall began to move and shift positions. As a secret passageway was revealed within the wall, green light poured from it.

I peered inside, before entering. I saw braziers, of jaded flames, that sat next to...could it be? A tomb made of bone lied in the middle of the room, surrounded by the lit braziers. We walked into the room, making our way carefully over to the crypt.

“I can’t believe you found it!” cheered Reaver excitedly.

“Do not celebrate in haste,” I replied. “We must make sure that the wand truly lies with Mordin...”

As we came close to the tomb, the green flames, inside the four braziers, rose up and merged above the tomb. We were forced to cover our eyes from the brightness. As the flames died down, we unveiled them to find a person standing on top of the crypt.

The man had his back toward us. As he turned around, I was flooded with fear....for the man looked exactly like me. He had my short dark hair, my clean shaven face, and my icy, arctic blue eyes. He even wore the same outfit as me, a black silk suit with a red undershirt.

“How interesting...” spoke the copy. As he lifted his hands, he started to hover in the air. He floated down from the crypt, landing in front of me on ground level. “I can see into your soul...so much pain, so much loss...”

“There are two of you?” asked Reaver confused. I raised my hand, instructing him not to speak.

“Who are you?” I inquired. I watched as the other Corvin caught ablaze in a burst of green flames. As the flames died once more, the man was no longer me but a skeletal being dressed in a crimson and gold robe. Green flames spewed from his hollowed eye sockets.

“I am Mordin Malice,” he introduced in a sinister, hissing, tone. “For centuries I have awaited for the one who is worthy to wield my power. A champion with a vision that matched my own, the fall of man and rise of magic...”

“My goal...”

“Exactly,” he spoke as he turned around to face his tomb. “I can sense you are a full-blood wizard, yet possess no magic capabilities.” He slid the stone cover off his crypt, revealing his bony corpse. His hands were crossed over his chest with a wand made of bones laying under them.

“Will you be my champion Corvin?” he asked boldly. “With my wand, you will be given your birthright...able to cast spells like a wizard should. Together, we can accomplish our vision. I, having the power, and you, being my vessel. What say you Corvin?”

I thought for a brief moment, but my answer was clear. “I will be your champion.”

“Then, take the wand. It has lied dormant too long and must be awakened.”

“How?” I asked as I walked up to the crypt.

“A sacrifice...” he whispered for only me to hear. I noticed he was staring over at Reaver, who stood quietly gazing at us. I could tell he was scared of Mordin. “Use the spell Sola Trapis...it rips the soul from the body, fueling the wand and wakening it.”

As I reached down to grab the wand, it began emitting a emerald aura. Upon grabbing it, I felt a rush of energy course through my body as the aura started emitting from me as well. I screamed, in pain, for the energy was causing a burning sensation throughout my being.

I covered my face as I fell to my knees, feeling the skin in my face crack and tear. Reaver rushed over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Corvin, what is wrong?!” he asked in a fright. “What have you done to him!”

“Nothing,” replied the Necromancer coldly. “There is a cost to wield my power. His body will deteriorate...but he will not die. In order to use dark magic, one must become a conduit for it.”

As I felt the pain subside, I uncovered my face and stood up. “Corvin?” asked Reaver concernedly. I slowly turned to him. Horrified, he dropped his wand as he backed away from me. “Your eyes...your face!”

I grinned as I pointed the wand at him. “Sola Trapis!” I cast. A green light shot from the end of my wand into the center of Reaver’s chest. He started gasping, becoming winded, as the green light reversed motion, going back into the wand.

I watched as Reaver’s soul, a copy of himself made of white light, was being stripped from his physical body. As his soul left his body completely, it was sucked into the wand and he fell to the ground, lifeless, with a loud thud.

I felt as the wand awakened, sending another small ripple of energy through me. I felt the skin on my face tear some more. This made me curious to know how I looked. I lightly waved my wand in front of me, “Occulus.” A silver, round, mirror appeared, hovering in mid-air.

My eyes were no longer blue, but were glowing green. The skin on my face was cracked like a glass vase that had been dropped. My skin tone was also becoming lighter, ashen. “Is this from using the wand?” I asked in a non-worrying way.

“Yes...witches and wizards reflect the magic they use. You are using the darkest, and most powerful, wand in existence. Your body will reflect as such.”

“But I will not die?”

“No, you have my word.”

“Good...” I grabbed the mirror and tossed it upon the ground, shattering it. “Shall we get started then?”

The necromancer looked at me with surprise. “I knew you were the one...” he said as produced a menacing grin. “Together, we shall bring about a new era to both worlds.”

“Indeed, and I know what is to be our first move. We need a base of operations. And I have the perfect place in mind...”

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