username; EchoIre
pony name; Achlys
gender; Mare
magic type; Necromancy, Telepathy
prompt;There is a shadow in the darkness whose sight chills you to your bones.
Her. The Necromancer.
It was only a matter of time, you supposed. There would be no need for someone to guard the graveyard otherwise. Still, a part of you had hoped she wouldn't come, or that she wasn't even real. But the skeletal cat rubbing against her legs gives her away, as do her piercing red eyes. Oddly enough, though, she doesn't seem to be here to steal.
You watch from the shadows as she walks past the tombstones with little more than a glance at the names carved on them. You swear you even hear her
chuckle when her cat tries and fails to catch a mouse. Could Achlys, Necromancer of the West Werwild, simply be... walking her cat?
You realize you have an opportunity here, though you almost dare not take it. Who else has been so close, found her so calm? What secrets would the necromancer have to share?
Suddenly, she stops. You draw in a sharp breath, your pulse thundering in your ears.
"You haven't run yet." Achlys almost sounds confused as she turns to face you. Her brows are furrowed as those cursed red eyes look you up and down. "And you have no weapon either." Her eyes meet yours and narrow. "What do you want?"
You swallow harshly. "I was- I was just, erm, uh... curious."
The necromancer raises an eyebrow. You notice her cat walk closer from between her legs, and try not to meet its hollow gaze.
"Curious?" Achyls says at last. "About what?"
'What is Melusina like?' wrote:The necromancer blinks, her face shifting. "
Melusina?" She echoes. There's a note of disappointment in her voice, but whatever the cause she doesn't seem to dwell on it.
"She is unscrupulous and insane. The textbook example of 'going too far' when dealing with darker magics." She says darkly. "She wasn't careful, delved too deep, and has killed all of what she was. What she is
now is obsessed, and dangerous - in more ways than one. It is her that gives the Coven such a foul reputation. Otherwise, they're quite a tolerable group."
'Tolerable? What do you mean?' wrote:Achlys grins, and you suddenly regret asking. Before you can change your mind, however, she speaks.
"Well, I won't name names, but
one does let me take parts from her graveyard if I need them." She gives you a conspiratorial look. "With proper payment, of course."
You pause. What would 'proper payment' be, especially from a pony such as Achlys? ...You
had been wanting rare potion reagents, which was why you took this job in the first place.
Remembering where you are, you look back to Achlys only to find her grinning at you, like she knew what you were thinking. You flush. "A-and?" You stammer.
Achlys chuckles before continuing. "And otherwise, she's a very pleasant witch." You cringe at the word, but the necromancer doesn't seem to notice. "She keeps to herself, and seems dedicated to the Coven. If I had to guess, she wanted the sisterhood, not the reputation. She wouldn't be the only one."
'Who else?' wrote:"Well,
Brén, for one. A young mare who focuses her magic on fixing love." She replies simply.
"Fixing... love?"
"Love potions, beauty spells, things like that." She flicks her ears dismissively. "Not many know of Brén, but she is the best witch to go to if you need something. Of the ones I know, I'd say she cares the most for the health and happiness of others."
"Love potions still feel a bit underhanded." You point out, forgetting briefly that this was not a peaceful discussion with a friend. You're reminded of that by the anger that flashes across Achyls' face. You take a step back, seeing the necromancer's menacing marks and blood-colored eyes anew.
And then she sighs. "Well, yes," she admits, "but Brén is the only witch who makes such spells with no ill side effects. I believe it's taken her years to practice." She starts to say something, then stops.
"I think... I think Brén is very young, but very kind." She says slowly. "She is a witch and a resident of the Werwild, but such things don't make a pony cruel. In fact, I know Brén is the exact opposite."
"But there are cruel ponies in the Werwild?" wrote:Achyls' face drops. She almost seems disappointed in you. "Well-
yes, but that's oversimplifying things. The Werwild is dangerous, not like Paledon. Some ponies have no other choice if they want to survive. Others are embittered by the dismal fact of their lives."
You fall silent. Perhaps you had taken your paved roads, friendly neighbors, and quaint little cafés for granted. Wildlings lived in the
Werwilds, and any that saught to live in Paledon faced great discrimination. Maybe they weren't all bad - you were having peaceful-enough conversation with a
necromancer right now, after all.
Achyls grins. "And then there's
Khione."
You snort.
'Of course.' "What's Khione like? Is she a member of the Coven?"
"Of course she is- that's what you were curious about. Isn't it?" And again she fixes you with those dreadful red eyes. But this time, this time you refuse to cringe away. Though your stomach still churns at the reality of what you're doing, questions you've had for years are being answered. You will not shy away.
"Yes." Your voice is steady for the first time tonight. "What is she like?"
Achyls smirks at you, seemingly amused by your sudden show of bravery. You can't help but wonder if she somehow sees the way the gears are turning in your head.
"Khione is short-tempered and violent. With some reason too - she hates Paledonians for how they destroy the Werwilds. They are her home, but Paledonians would burn them to the ground to expand their city."
There's a certain sadness in Achlys' voice that makes you wonder if she feels the same. The thought brings another odd twinge of guilt - you were so curious about the Coven and the Werwilds, but had never considered what
you were to
them.
"But, Khione is not wholly justified. Really, she's just- she's just generally aggressive, honestly. I try to avoid her if I can, it's just not worth it." She flicks her ears dismissively. "I don't know if she has a reason to be like that, or if she always was. Best not to ask."
"Are there any other members of the Coven you avoid?" wrote:The question comes before you truly think about it. You cringe internally as it leaves your lips, expecting some kind of indignant reaction from Achyls, but instead she answers quite quickly and honestly.
"It's a personal rule of mine to avoid seers, especially seers not aligned with me or my goddess. Even those that
are can be unpredictable, ironically enough, so any who
aren't should be strictly avoided." She explains. "The Coven's seer,
Acantha, is the reason for that rule, actually. Horribly ancient and tied to the Abyss itself: some say that if
she dies, so too does the Werwilds. She is... unnerving to interact with."
You raise your eyebrows.
Achyls, a
necromancer, who looks like
that, finds another pony unnerving? You really
should avoid Acantha.
Achyls seems to be scowling at you now. You flinch. "What?"
"Nothing."
Now you're confused. What could have caused such a shift in mood in the necromancer? She's been reading you like an open book all night, but there's no way she-
You pause. Achyls still hasn't spoken, and now seems to be watching you expectantly. You swallow dryly.
"Are... are you..." You can't bring yourself to ask.
"Am I what?" The necromancer's voice is almost amused. Her eyes haven't left yours.
You shake your head. "Nevermind."
"Hm." Again, she seems disappointed in you. There's a moment of silence, where you are unsure what to say next, and Achlys seems unwilling to help you. You clear your throat awkwardly.
"I've heard there's a... monster in the Coven. Is that true?" wrote:"Ah," Achyls' face is unredable, "you would be referring to
Arachnae, I suppose? The spiderpony?"
You nod.
Achyls seems thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "I am a batpony, and you are a unicorn. Originally, my kind came from the Werwilds, while yours has been in Paledon since its beginning. Correct?"
Again, you nod.
"Am I a monster?"
That stops you in your tracks. Instantly, you recognize what the necromancer is getting at, but that's just it - she's a
necromancer, not just a batpony. Necromancy is a dark magick for a reason, and while being a batpony doesn't make her a monster,
that very well might by certain definitions.
"...A monster how?"
Achlys blinks. Then grins.
"
That is the question you need to be asking; Arachnae is a monster not because she is a spiderpony, but because she acts monstrous." The necromancer explains. "She lures others to their deaths for her own enjoyment. There's no way to make that 'good'. Outside of and within the Coven, however, there are good spiderponies. Arachnae just isn't one of them. I avoid her, too."
"...Is there any good to necromancy?"
Achyls seems surprised, but smiles nonetheless. You find its the first smile of hers that didn't make your skin crawl. "There is. Necromancy is not inherently evil - it is considered a dark art because in reanimation cannot be done without life. In reanimating a corpse, a piece of the caster's soul is given to it." Something brushes against your leg, causing you to jump. When you look down, you find Achyls' skeletal cat looking up at you from between your legs. "Like other dark magicks, its a matter of restraint. Go too far, and you risk losing yourself - becoming a monster. Melusina is an example of that." Her voice darkens at the mention of the Coven member.
"Then why do it at all?"
"It's-" Achyls sighs. She looks down, searching for the right words. "There is a sort of... life, in necromancy. A rebirth, if you will. I won't say it doesn't disrupt the natural order of things, but that's where the beauty of necromancy lies: in the denial of death's finality and the repurposing of forgotten parts." As she speaks, Achyls' cat trots up to her and nuzzles her ankle. The necromancer looks away from you, turning her attention to her cat to coo at the creature.
You think over what she has said, all of it. You had been dabbling in increasingly taboo potions, which was why you needed this job in the first place, and after spending so long so near the Werwilds you had begun to wonder about the Coven - what they were like, and if they would take in a Paledonion potionmaker with a thirst for knowledge. But this... this was unlike anything you had ever heard. And it enthralled you.
"You're curious." Achyls looks up, meeting your gaze with a smile. "You seek knowledge, but I can assure you that you will find nothing beneficial in the Coven. They are led by darkness and controlled by fear." A thoughtful expression settles on her face as she looks at you. "You have potential. I have plenty of knowledge to give, if you are willing."
Your pulse quickens. Again you find yourself on a terrible precipice, just a breath's distance from a plunge you have been forbidden to take, yet one that calls to you still.
You draw in a breath.
"How can I see you again?"
Achyls grins.
"I'll be here again at the next half moon. Don't be afraid: the skeleton mother loves all of her children."
