I stood still, waiting for the invisible observer to reach me. I could sense him getting closer now.

“Will you stop extending your senses outwards?” he asked. “We don’t want that banshee to find us.”

He had a point, but I didn’t stop just because he asked. I needed to know who I was dealing with. I was tired too, wary. I waited for the person I thought was Eli to approach. Despite my excitement to meet an old friend, I didn’t feel like dropping my guard. I spurted his name out on a whim. I thought I recognized his voice, but I wasn’t certain it was him.

He eventually reached me. I could see his skinny silhouette approach. Under the faint light of the glowing mushrooms at the cave, I saw him beam at me.

“You look terrible old friend,” he said. It was Eli, I couldn’t believe my eye or my ears.

“How?” I asked. I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Not now,” he said. “We need to get you out of here. The security in the dungeons was raised to critical. They’re looking for you, and if we stay here, they’ll eventually find us both.”

“Where to go then?” I asked.

“Stay close,” Eli instructed. “There are traps here. It’s a miracle you survived them. I thought he’d already turned you, seeing as you walked and all…”

“Oh, right,” I said. “I hadn’t slept in… well… I don’t know how long.”

“We have to move,” Eli said. “Stay close and don’t wander off.”

I nodded.

Eli led me though narrow tunnels, filled with cobwebs and scurrying mice. We had to crawl through some, while the undead groaned all around us.

“How did you manage to stay alive?” Eli asked me after a while. He was still keeping his voice down, even though we were practically out of earshot.

“I played a little act on the necromancer,” I said. “Can we talk about this later? It’s a long story, and I don’t think you want us to linger here for long.”

“We’ve actually reached our destination,” Eli said.

I looked around. There was nothing but interconnected tunnels and glowing fungi. I saw some skeletons and some dried up corpses. Did he live here? I voiced my concern.

“Oh no,” Eli replied then chuckled. “I live with the Children of the Forest, in their city.” His brows furrowed. I looked at him and he averted his gaze, toward his feet, which twitched nervously. “I don’t think they’ll easily allow you inside though.”

“Why?” I asked. “They let Zoey in.”

“It took a lot of convincing to get her in,” Eli said. “Ella disobeyed orders and opened the door. That brief opening allowed us to get her. But we couldn’t get to you on time, not with that banshee wailing at us. I didn’t think you’d make it.”

“I didn’t either,” I admitted. “The necromancer had other plans for me though.”

“What kind of plans?” Eli asked.

Here we go again, that look of distrust… He was trying to sound genuinely concerned though, I would give him that. I knew he was also concerned about the necromancer and his schemes. I couldn’t blame him. But I was beginning to faint from exhaustion. Lack of sleep can make you real grumpy.

“If I don’t tell you about his plans,” I said, “you’ll cast me out, leave me here, is that it?”

“Pretty much,” Eli replied. His crude honesty shook me up.

“Why do the Sebyan fear him anyway? He’s just one man.”

“Don’t call them that!” Eli warned. “They don’t like that name.”

“Why? I’ve seen it in their books.”

“It’s a long story,” Eli replied. “Listen, the Children don’t like humans. They took me in because they believe I am their salvation. I’m treading on a thin line here. If I’m to bring you to their city, I must know that you’re no threat to them.”

“Look at me!” I protested. “Do I look like someone sent by the necromancer to decimate them?”

“They don’t like humans,” Eli said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re with the necromancer or the bloody fox. They won’t like the sight of you. I’m already in trouble for saving Zoey, and she’s not making her case any better.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered. I remembered the way she always complained and her annoying shrieks. “I must kill that necromancer though.”

“Why?” Eli asked.

“I think I can tell you, but only you,” I said. “If you promise not to divulge what I’m about to tell you, I’ll speak the truth.”

Eli thought about it for a minute. We heard stones clatter in the distance. The undead were scouring all tunnels by then.

“Alright,” Eli said. “Don’t expect me to lie for you. I won’t tell them anything, but you’ll have to come up with a good story if you want to keep your head where it belongs.”

I nodded.

“Let’s go inside first,” Eli suggested. “We don’t want them to overhear us.”

He felt with his hands around a boulder. I saw him insert his right arm, elbow deep, inside the boulder. Then a click was heard. We were standing in a branching path. Tunnels led to this place from all directions. Apart from the large boulder in the middle, there was another rock, leaning against a cave wall.

The rock sprung into life and moved aside. Eli led me in then pulled a lever from the inside. The rock went back into place and we were completely shut from the tunnels outside. He led me forward. The tunnel we were in was as dark as the ones we’d left, but it was cleaner. There were no cobwebs, no mice, no dried up corpses and stray skulls.

We walked for about ten minutes when Eli stopped and turned to face me.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll be back with some light.”

He disappeared inside the tunnel then came back a minute later, carrying a torch. The firelight blinded me at first. I shielded my eye for a minute until my pupil was kind enough to limit the upcoming light.

“Tell me now,” Eli said. “Why do you need the necromancer dead?”

“Do you know anything about his powers?” I asked.

“All we know is that he’s a threat to this society. He tried to get in long ago, under the pretense of being a doctor.”

“He is a doctor,” I said. “A mad one, but a doctor all the same.”

“Banshees are the Children’s mortal enemy,” Eli said. “He allied himself with one. They didn’t allow him in. He vowed revenge.”

“How long ago was that?” I asked.

“Some two years back,” Eli said. “Why do you ask?”

“And he was a necromancer, back then?”

“Not as good at reanimating the dead as the past two weeks,” Eli said. “Since I’ve been admitted to the city, he attacked the main gate thrice. The growing number of undead he controls is unnerving. The Children have raised their alert level too. They won’t take in any visitors. I was supposed to be the last.”

“It all makes sense now,” I said.

“What does?” Eli didn’t seem to understand the situation just yet.

“You seek to summon the Eternal Moon,” I said.

“I sought to,” Eli replied. “I didn’t think I’d be granted the power and responsibility to destroy the world. Even if I happened to agree to those terms, I don’t really have anything worth offering.”

“You seem to understand the concept pretty well,” I said. “It will make it easier to explain.”

Eli raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I was offered a chance to take part in the Holi Wars,” I said. “My first opponent is the necromancer.”

“You were offered a gift of power?” Eli said. I couldn’t help but take pleasure in seeing his reaction. His eyes widened, his jaw fell to the ground, and most of all, he squeaked like an excited child.

I nodded.

“And you must defeat that necromancer? I thought champions worked together to bring the summoner down.”

“Umm…” It was my turn to feel confused. “Why would we work together?”

“The summoner receives some kind of super power, right?” He said. “In all the previous Holi Wars, there’s no account of a champion defeating the summoner singlehandedly.”

“Well, that’s something to worry about later,” I said. “I received a gift of power from some Lord called Minsec. I can control time with it, but my powers are locked for now. I can’t use them unless I defeat the necromancer.”

“That’s odd,” Eli said. I could tell he was second guessing me right now.

“The one who gave me the Fragment says Minsec and Qil’Al have different candidates for the Holi Wars. Only the worthy can acquire the Fragment and use it to defeat the summoner.”

“It works in our favor though,” Eli said.

“Our?” I asked.

“I’m part of the Children of the Forest now. I may be human, but they embraced me among them.”

“That’s contradictory,” I said. “I thought they hated humans.”

“It’s complicated,” Eli replied. “Follow me now. They might not like the fact that I brought you here against their will. So keep your mouth shut unless you’re spoken to, alright?”

“Do I have any other choice?” I shrugged then followed.

We went through the tunnel, which led to some kind of basement. The immediate change of scenery left me speechless.

Gone were the dark cave walls. Gone was the smell of mold and rotting corpses. I was surrounded by marble walls that shone against torch light. There were some wooden barrels, stacked against the walls. I could also see heavy looking sacks lying atop the numerous barrels and crates.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“We’re beneath the temple,” Eli answered. “We’re about to go upstairs, please don’t provoke them.”

“I’m not Zoey,” I reminded my skinny old friend.

“It’s been a hard couple of days…” Eli sighed. “She told me you saved her from the warlock.”

“Not really,” I said. “I needed someone to help me reach the tunnels before my luck turned sour.”

“Why her?” he asked. “You could’ve brought that Herbologist. She was nice.”

“Let’s talk about this later,” I said. “There is much you don’t know.”

Eli pushed a wooden door open and led me up some stairs. The moment we emerged, we found ourselves in a circular building. There were a dozen statues, at least ten feet high, erected in front of shrines. Candles burned atop each, releasing a pleasant smell. I raised my head to look at the closest statue.

It was of… some kind of creature. It had canine fangs protruding from its lower jaw. Its formidable torso was bare, revealing well-developed, toned muscles. It was the body of a male, I guessed from its shape and its large pectoral muscles. The statue held a scythe, as tall as it was. Its blade shimmered against the candle and torchlight.

I looked at Eli, ready to ask him about the statue, when I saw its real life replicas, standing before me. There were five of them. They brandished their spears at me and spoke in a language I couldn’t understand. I made out the words human and puppet, but that’s all I could understand.

They didn’t look pleased. It was exactly as Eli predicted. My skinny friend spoke to them in the same harsh language. He stammered here and there, but his message got to them. They lowered their spears except for one. He wore some shoulder pads made out of human bones. His bare skin was dark green. His arms were larger than my thighs. He thrust his spear at my throat.

I felt it gently press against my skin and tear it open. I bled but I didn’t back away. I stood my ground. I let the spear have a taste of my lowly human blood. The warrior’s enormous mouth twisted into some form of grotesque smile. Rows of jaundiced teeth showed, along with another set of sharp fangs, hidden under his fat upper lip.

“Human,” he said. His voice was hoarse, threatening. “Come to chief!”