Heather the Necromancer

Heather's brilliant plan paid off as Umtha led them to the plant with ease. It took a little time to walk to it as it grew on the stony hills at the base of the mountains. It looked a bit like holly with a much longer leaf and a striking silver tint. The plants were sparse, but Heather had no trouble singing to them, and as expected, the plants began to grow. Minutes later, the slope was covered with them, and they began to pluck hand fulls to stuff in bags.

They took the haul back to the guild and threw the sacks on the counter to claim their reward.

“Goodness, you have been busy today,” the woman behind the counter said as one of her white rabbit ears twitched. “This might take a bit of time to count.”

“We will look for another quest while we wait,” Heather said and went to head for the board.

“You want to do another quest?” the rabbit woman asked.

“Of course,” Heather replied as she walked away with Webster at her side. “We are heroes, after all.”

“So, how long before she finds out?” Quinny whispered to Frank.

“Probably when they finish counting the leaves,” he whispered back.

“Should you have told her,” Umtha interjected. “I know you tried, but still.”

“I think this is perfect,” Breanne said smugly as Heather began to look over the board. “She wanted to rush and didn't read the details, so she can live with her reward.”

Quinny fought her giggling as they joined Heather, who was scrutinizing the posts.

“What color comes next?” she asked, unsure which quests she should be looking at.

“Glass,” Frank said and pointed to a notice of the appropriate color.

“Glass?” Heather laughed. “Shouldn't that have been first? I mean, it's weaker than metal.”

“The material strength has nothing to do with it,” Frank explained. “It's the value of the material that matters, and some glass is so rare it's almost as expensive as gold.”

“Oh,” Heather replied and started to read notices. “Steal the gem of woes from the black tower? Who put that quest here?” She turned to look at the gathered friends, but none of them had any idea. “This has to be a handmade quest, right?” Heather asked. “So one of you made it.”

“It wasn't me,” Frank replied, and so did the others.

“Where is this tower located?” Breanne asked to help clarify the situation.

“Let’s see,” Heather replied and read the details. The tower was west of Quinny's forest, and the quest was signed by L.V, which answered everything.

“Lydia,” Heather sighed. “I bet she used that nearly empty tower we saw on our last visit.”

“Well, that puts it just outside my forest,” Quinny said. “With my forest walking ability, we can be there in ten minutes. And this quest is perfect for a rogue because you have to steal something.”

“But I’m not really a rogue,” Heather whispered so no one would overhear.

“It’s not like you have to pick somebodies pocket,” Quinny said. “I bet this is more of a fight our way in, smash down a door, snatch the item and run out.”

“Not to mention Webster can help you fake some of the tasks,” Breanne reminded as he chirped in agreement.

“Then let's take it,” Heather said as she snatched the quest off the board.

“We have to wait for our turn in to be counted,” Frank reminded. “We can’t do that quest until we rank up, and we can’t rank up until you claim the reward.”

“Fine,” Heather sighed. “Let’s get another drink and wait.”

They settled at a table to wait as they all struggled to hide their smiles. It wasn't long before the rabbit woman returned with a cheery smile to tell them they had turned in enough to level and earned the reward twenty-two times. Strangely she needed one of them to claim the reward and kept looking at Frank. He declined and pointed to Heather, saying she would do it as Quinny started to snicker.

“Whatever,” Heather said and got up to follow the woman. She was led upstairs to an inn room where the bunny woman knocked. The door was opened by Rosemary, who looked delighted to see her.

“Lady Rosemary,” the rabbit woman said in a happy tone. “Good news. This adventurer has done your quest and turned in enough for twenty-two rewards.”

“She has!” the woman in the doorway said with a smile. “And I suppose you came to claim the reward?”

“If it's not too much trouble,” Heather replied as her suspicions began to mount. She thought about all the smiles and snickering as they grew closer and closer to the turn-in. Now she wished she had read that quest's reward as the woman suddenly reached out and grabbed Heather by the shoulders.

“Well, here’s your kisses,” Rosemary said as Heather went ridged.

“Kisses?” Heather squawked. “Why are their kisses?”

“That’s my reward,” Rosemary said with a gentle smile. “I didn’t think anyone would do the quest, but you must really have wanted a kiss when we met in the bath.”

“Umm,” Heather struggled as she leaned back, her face flushing red. “I, umm…” she stammered as those lips closed in.

Frank tried to look innocent as Heather returned to the table. The others noticed the blue lipstick across her cheeks and started laughing.

“Oh, you’re all so funny,” Heather stated as she rubbed an arm on her face. “I can’t believe her reward was a kiss.”

“Just one?” Quinny pried with a wide smile.

“You know it wasn’t just one,” Heather grumbled and stared at Frank. “And why aren’t you upset that I was upstairs kissing some strange woman?”

“You kiss Quinny, Breanne, and Umtha,” he protested. “Besides, I don't feel threatened by you kissing other girls. It's only the men that bother me.”

“So I can kiss all the girls I want?” Heather asked as he shrugged. “Oh my goodness,” Heather complained as she rolled her eyes. “I married Roric.”

“You’re the one who started pushing for the harem,” Frank protested.

“And he’s nothing like Roric,” Breanne was quick to add. “I have had several relationships in my time where my boyfriend was fond of watching me kiss other girls.”

“One of my boyfriends liked watching me do much more with them,” Quinny added.

“You see, it’s a very normal thing,” Breanne pressed.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Heather grumbled and wiped at her face again. “And why would anybody pick a kiss to be their reward?”

“That’s pretty common in video games,” Frank said.

“Yeah, the princess always rewards the hero who rescues her with a kiss,” Quinny pointed out.

“Well, I'm the princess, and I didn't do any rescuing. All I did was pick a plant,” Heather grumbled.

“You know, speaking of your titles, we need to nail down what you want to go by,” Breanne interjected.

“What do you mean?” Heather asked as she looked around the table.

“Sometimes you call yourself princess, sometimes Queen, and of course, you also have the title of duchess,” Breanne explained. “You should pick a definitive title and stick with it to avoid confusion.”

“Hmm,” Heather said as she looked at Umtha. “What do you think?”

“Why are you asking me?” Umtha replied as if surprised.

“You’re the one who made me a queen of the goblins,” Heather stated. “So what do you think I should call myself?”

“Well,” Umtha began nervously as everyone looked at her. “As much as I would love you to refer to yourself as Queen of the goblins, I don't think that's appropriate. Since we are inside your mothers….”

“Our mother,” Heather cut her off. “You married into this family, so you get all the entanglements that come with it.”

“Our mother,” Umtha corrected with a slight smile. “As I was saying, there can't be two separate queens ruling one kingdom, so as we are part of hers, I think you should be a princess.”

“I agree with Umtha,” Frank said. “It works if the two queens are married and sharing power, but not if they are separate.”

“I also agree,” Breanne said. “It should be princess.”

“I guess you’re right,” Heather relented. “So my official title will be Princess Hannah, Duchess of Paradise valley.”

“Oh, don't call it that,” Breanne laughed. “Think of something more meaningful. Something with meaning or some color. Something British.”

“How about Crumpetsville?” Heather asked as she glared across the table.

“Now you’re just being argumentative,” Breanne said dismissively.

“I don't know British names,” Heather protested. “All I know are London, Essex, Scottland, and Stonehenge.”

“That last one is a monument, not a region,” Breanne scolded.

“Well, you think of something,” Heather said, turning the question back on her. “You know all those stories about Ireland. I bet you know a lot of beautiful names with deep meaning that would work.”

The sincerity of her suggestion struck Breanne, and the encouraging way she looked at her made it a thoughtful challenge. She sat back to consider the stories of Ireland and even some of the movies from long ago. She was particularly fond of one called Brigadoon but didn't think that would make a good name for their county; besides, if she was correct, that was in Scotland. She played over some of the names from Fermanagh to Donue to Kemm. None of them seemed like a fitting name for a county where players could find paradise city. She delved into folklore, looking for something more fitting, when a name from the ancient past jumped out at her.

“Tír na nÓg!” Breanne said excitedly.

“Tear the what?” Quinny asked, perplexed by the name.

“Tír na nÓg,” Breanne repeated more slowly. “It's an old Celtic legend about an island paradise of everlasting youth, beauty, and good health. If my memory serves correctly, it is also thought of as the otherworld or afterlife, if you prefer. It was said to be primarily inhabited by beautiful women and the gods that were once prevalent in Ireland.”

“Hmm,” Heather said as she looked at Frank and Umtha. “What do you two think?”

“I think it’s perfect,” Frank replied. “Why shouldn’t paradise city be on paradise island?”

“Well, we’re not exactly an island, but I get your point,” Heather agreed and looked at Umtha. “And you?”

“I like how it sounds,” Umtha said. “And this land is certainly a paradise of eternal youth, beauty, and health.”

“And women,” Quinny added. “All of which we are allowed to kiss.”

“Tirnanoh it is,” Heather exclaimed as Webster chirped his approval.

“Tír na nÓg,” Breanne repeated even more slowly. “Honestly, it isn’t that hard to say.”

“Sorry,” Heather sighed and moved around the table. “I love the name, and I want to name it that for you,” she said while leaning over to hug the woman.

“Oh, I like this,” Breanne said with a smile and hugged her back. “You have changed so much.”

“I had good friends to keep me strong and sane even when I dragged them halfway around the world on some wild quest,” Heather said. The hug parted, and she returned to her seat, where Frank took one of her hands under the table.

“I am proud of you,” Frank whispered. “And I love you.”

Heather smiled and swayed a bit in the moment before turning back to the matter at hand.

“So I didn’t read the reward for that quest,” she stated. “I hope Lydia isn’t dispensing kisses.”

“Nah, it’s just gold,” Quinny said as she picked up her drink to finish it. “And this should be easy.”

“Then let’s go,” Heather urged and got up before collecting her spider. “It’s time you and I practiced being rogues.”

They headed and made their way to the park, where a small section was a tiny portion of Quinny's woods. They used the magic door that was just two nondescript trees, and instantly, they were in her woods. Holding hands, Quinny pulled them around a large trunk, and they traveled the entire length of the wood in a single step. A minute later, they were at the crossroad that led to the mountain gap of Lydia's province.

“So the tower was just a mile outside my forest,” Quinny reminded as they set off.

Heather nodded as Breanne took her hand and held it firmly. She blushed as the two women shared a smile, then she noticed Umtha walking by herself. Despite being a part of their home, Umtha was still a bit aloof, always clinging to the edge but never pushing her desires.

“Frank,” Heather called as he walked with Quinny in one arm. “You need to carry your wife.”

“But you two were holding hands,” he said innocently.

“Not me, your other wife,” Heather exclaimed and pointed to Umtha.

“Oh, I can walk,” Umtha said quickly as she looked nervous.

“No, he needs to carry you,” Heather insisted. “We have all gotten a chance to ride on his shoulders except you.”

“Yeah, you should carry her,” Quinny agreed. “She needs to be a part of this.”

Frank shrugged and turned to Umtha, who looked at him with wide eyes.

“Oh, for goodness sake, she sleeps in the same bed with the rest of us,” Breanne snapped. “Pick her up, and let's go.”

Frank carefully wrapped a powerful ghoul hand around her narrow waist and hoisted her up. She was settled behind his head with a leg over each shoulder, using his broad shoulder plates as a perch.

“Now, let's find the tower,” Heather insisted as they headed off. As they walked, Quinny reminded them of how they wanted to try singing and asked if anyone had a song. Heather pondered the idea, but all she knew were pop songs, and the usual fair played in coffee shops. Breanne named a few old titles, but nobody else knew any of them. Umtha only knew goblin songs, and she tried to sing one for them. It was surprisingly beautiful and what shocked Heather even more, is she understood the words. Frank understood them as well and reminded her that they had gained the goblin language as part of their marriage.

“Right,” Heather said as they walked on. “I assume Quinny and Breanne will gain it when they marry us.”

“I guess so,” Frank replied and looked up at Umtha. “Maybe we will get elvish from Breanne.”

“I would love to speak that,” Umtha said from her lofty perch. “And thank you for carrying me.”

Frank looked to Heather, who nodded that it was alright. They went back to trying to find a song. Quinny suggested a dozen, then took a cue from her armor and suggested an old song called walk like an Egyptian. Umtha had no idea what an Egyptian was or how the song went, so they walked her through it slowly. Eventually, they started to work through the song, with Umtha joining in at the points she started to learn. It wasn't the best performance, but they felt like a proper family for a moment. By the time they crested a hill, Heather was holding the hand of both Quinny and Breanne, enjoying their company.

Heather brought the procession to a stop as the others looked ahead, confused. The tower was right where they remembered it, but now it was easily four times the size, with a metal fence around the lower perimeter. It had a series of windows up the side, some of which had yellow glass and others empty holes to the darkness within. The roof was a toothed turret as if meant for archers to watch the land around it for protection. Frank estimated it to be at least as tall as Heather's cliff home, with likely five or more floors inside.

“Why did it change?” Quinny asked as she drew her slender sword.

“Lydia must have changed it for the sake of her adventure,” Heather suggested. “Just like you keep changing your forest.”

“I suppose we all expected it to be the same tower we saw the other day,” Breanne agreed as she reached for the golden handle that magically became her elvish bow. “The question is how do we approach this?”

“Do you think it’s more dangerous than it was the last time we were here?” Quinny asked as Frank put Umtha down.

“It can't be that dangerous a quest,” Heather said, reminding them that it was for a relatively low-level adventurer.

“Even if this is a low-level quest, we should use this as a way to practice,” Frank suggested and looked to Umtha. “We start with you and your elemental senses. Do you detect anything of note in the area?”

Umtha nodded and stared at the tower a moment, even raising a hand as if feeling the air. “I detect Heather’s evil dagger and something dark on the very top floor of the tower, just below the roof.”

“That's probably the stone we're after,” Frank said with a nod. “Alright, now we need reconnaissance.” He turned his gaze to Heather this time and pointed to her pack. “Send Webster as far as the fence and look through his eyes. Tell us what you see.”

“Right,” Heather replied and removed her pack to let him crawl out. He eagerly scurried away, turning invisible halfway to the fence.

“See anything?” Quinny asked nervously.

“The yard looks like my old tower besides Frank's graveyard did,” Heather explained. “A stone path, a little mist, a few gravestones, and a dead tree.”

“Nothing moving around?” Frank pressed.

“Not a thing,” Heather replied as she focused on looking through the spider's eyes. “But let me try something.”

She hadn't done this much, but now seemed like as good a time as any to try. With a little chant, she cast a spell through the spider, using her necromancer powers to detect the undead.

[lvl 4 Necromancer skill: Detect Undead] Undead and all creatures with negative life energy glow with a haunting silhouette. The glow can be seen through up to one meter of material, provided it is not magically protected. The range of the effect is ten yards plus one per level of the caster.

“Zombies,” Heather said quickly. “About a dozen of them buried in the graves scattered around the yard.” She sent a mental command to Webster, who began to circle the fence, moving around behind the tower where there was a fallen tree next to a well. “The back area is clear,” she explained. “All the undead are in the front.”

“So, zombies are easy,” Quinny laughed. “I bet I could summon my zombie pack and clear those out.”

“We should practice doing this without our powers,” Frank urged. “Let's move around the back and go over the fence.”

“Going for a stealthy approach,” Breanne said with an approving nod. “This is going to be fun.”

They did their best to move quietly, staying clear of the fence until they were safely behind the tower. The metal bars would be no challenge to Frank's strength, but the noise would draw attention.

“Then how do we get over it?” Quinny asked.

“I could teleport us over it,” Heather offered. “Or you could tunnel under it.”

“Breanne will get us across,” Frank said and motioned to the bars. “We are going with you being an archer class blended with a shadow mage, right?”

“Yes,” Breanne replied. “So what are you thinking?”

“Put a globe of darkness on the fence so nobody sees what you're doing. Then step into it in your spectral form and pull us through it,” he suggested.

“Isn’t that cheating,” Heather reminded him.

“Nobody will be able to see or hear what is going on inside the globe of darkness, and it will make absolutely no noise,” Frank replied.

Breanne nodded and used her bow, channeling her spell into the readied arrow. She fired for the fence and, in a strange reverse flash, created a sphere of absolute darkness.

[lvl 5 Shadow weaver skill: Sphere of darkness] Create a globe of absolute darkness at any point you indicate up to 100 meters away. The glob can be as small as 5 meters across and up to 10 meters plus one per level of the caster. All creatures inside the sphere that rely on light to see are blinded while they remain inside. The sphere lasts for 10 minutes plus 1 minute per level of the caster. It can be dispelled at will.

She took the lead running into the sphere to vanish from sight where she could take her banshee form undetected. The rest ran in one by one ten seconds apart, with Frank the last to come through. It was impossible to see inside the darkness until Breanne grabbed them and pulled them through. She stood inside the fence itself, acting as a spectral doorway that they literally passed through, leaving the fence completely unscathed.

[lvl 21 Banshee skill: Spectral Touch] You can make anyone you touch spectral, granting them your banshee form while you make contact. These people can be pulled through objects as you could move through them yourself and are immune to the cold while in this form.

Webster blinked over and joined them at the well as the group eyed a backdoor of oak up a few simple steps.

“Heather, your up again,” Frank said and pointed to the door. “Blink to the steps and turn the handle to see if it’s unlocked.”

Heather nodded as the green gem in her forehead pulsed with light. A second later, she was crouched beside the door and carefully reached up to test the handle. It turned, but the door wouldn't budge, something inside obviously bracing it.

She blinked back and reported the news while Frank considered their options. He could easily tunnel through the wall, break down the door, or have Breanne pull them through again. However, he wanted them to practice their skills, so he had Webster climb to a nearby window.

“It’s a kitchen,” Heather said as she looked through his eyes. “The door has a plank across it, bracing it from the inside.”

“Anything inside?” Frank asked.

“Just cobwebs and the kind of trash you would expect to find in an old kitchen,” Heather said.

“Use Webster to see your destination and blink inside,” Frank suggested. “You open the door for us.”

“You want me to go in alone?” Heather asked.

“I could pass us through the wall like we did the fence,” Breanne offered.

“And I could use earth magic to open a hole in the wall,” Umtha added.

“Heather has to play a convincing rogue,” Frank replied. “I need her to practice using Webster to help her overcome challenges.”

“Alright,” Heather said and took a deep breath. Her gemstone glowed again, and she vanished from sight in a puff of green mist. The next few seconds were tense, but the door suddenly opened, and Heather waved them in.

“Quinny leads,” Frank said as they started to move. “I go to the door and watch our rear until you two are inside,” he added while gesturing to Breanne and Umtha.

Everyone silently nodded their agreement and passed across the yard quickly, arriving at the door and slipping inside. They left It slightly ajar so they could make a quick escape if needed, then took stock of their situation. It was as Heather described it, with a massive fireplace and a wrought iron stove that was rusted in many places. The stout oak table that once filled the center of the room had collapsed with the plates, pots, and other objects having collected in the center. Dust covered everything, and cobwebs hung in every corner. It looked like a room that hadn't been disturbed in fifty years or more.

“We have a doorway out to what is likely the hall,” Breanne said as she kept her fingers on the string of her bow. “And another in the back corner.”

“Probably a second hall to the larder or dry storage,” Frank suggested and motioned for Umtha again. “Can you detect anything?”

Umtha looked around and held her hand out again. Again, she felt nothing but the stone high above and even went as far as to use detect magic, revealing nothing in the room.

“Heather, check the back hall,” Frank said. “Breanne, peek around that doorway and see what's ahead.”

The two women nodded and headed out each to their separate tasks. Heather's doorway was indeed a hall that had a door on the right and a stairwell down at the end. She reported her findings to the others as Breanne announced the next room was a dining hall complete with skeletons slumped over the table.

“What are the odds those will come to life to attack us?” Heather said as she enjoyed the fun they were having. This was a delightful change, with Frank taking command and making strategic decisions. He was surprisingly good at this, and they were all enjoying it.

“This isn't so dangerous,” Quinny said. “So far, we haven't had to fight at all.”

“But now we have to get upstairs,” Umtha said. “That means traps, monsters, and ambushes.”

“Well,” Heather said as she considered the options. “We know what my basic traps were, so we can assume those will be present.”

“Pit traps, locked doors, halls choked with webs and crawling mists,” Breanne said. “But Lydia might have other options.”

“Hmm,” Heather said as she considered her options.

“We go up carefully,” Frank said. “Quinny and I will enter the dining room and take the skeletons apart if they come to life. Breanne and Umtha cover us from the doorway and deal with magical threats.”

“What do I do?” Heather asked as she felt left out.

“You do what you did at the adventure party,” Frank said. “Climb up the walls and go across the ceiling to drop on anything that moves from behind.”

“Alright,” Heather replied as she looked around for the invisible spider. He appeared and climbed back into her pack before she slung it over her shoulders. She lifted her hair and tensed for the spider bite needed to grant the power. She felt the sting and flinched, but it didn't truly hurt. She crept to the doorway as Frank and Quinny moved in, spreading out to either side of the room. Heather went to step forward as she suddenly faded away, Webster making her invisible so no one could see her.

“Now, you tell me you can do that,” Heather said silently in her head. He replied in his usual way, saying he thought she knew it. She immediately moved to the wall and was fascinated to see her palm would stick to it. It was easy to climb like she was crawling across the floor, feeling almost no sense of gravity.

Frank and Quinny were halfway across the room when the expected ambush took place. The skeletons suddenly laughed and came to life, four of them rising before a black arrow trailing shadows took one's skull apart. It was far too easy a battle as Frank and Quinny took the other three apart, scattering bones about the room. Heather was well above on the high ceiling, looking down as she felt somewhat disappointed that she hadn't been able to help.

Frank headed for the next door as they crossed the room to reveal a grand entrance hall. It soared up at least two floors, where it vanished to another level. The zombies lurked in the dark corners near the door, squatting in the shadows as they waited for prey.

Frank suggested Breanne and Umtha take them out with ranged fire. They used arrows of shadow and electrical bolts to pummel the creatures who barely had a chance to move before they were destroyed. He then motioned to Heather, instructing her to climb across the ceiling and check the stairwell.

She found it disconcerting to step from the wall to the ceiling but managed it as her hair hung down. She walked as if on the floor, slowly making her way to where the stairs vanished into the next floor. Webster crawled out to walk beside her, and the two dropped to the steps, surprised there was nothing to impede them. Just as she was about to ascend to the highest step, a glowing pattern of lines appeared on the floor.

She stepped back a few paces and looked down to see Umtha using her detect magic again. She quickly headed down the steps and met them at the bottom to whisper what she had found.

“There is some kind of magic circle on the floor right at the top,” Heather whispered.

“A trap,” Breanne said. “And not one we can easily disable.”

“We bypass it,” Frank explained and headed up the steps. Once he was close, he instructed Heather to blink them across. She took them one by one, starting with Quinny and ending with Frank, delivering them safely beyond the mark. Blinking hadn't affected her invisibility, and she quickly scurried up a wall to resume her lofty perch. This floor was a warren of halls and tunnels, with the stairs not readily open to find. One room was an old library where Heather saw her first haunted book. They flew from the shelves with small rows of teeth as they bit at the group. These were little more than an annoyance, especially when Umtha used a wind to slam them against a wall. Another room had a single armored skeleton standing like some undead knight. He was the most powerful thing they had met so far, but against Quinny and Frank, he was a waste.

The next room was a battle with an animated carpet that proved to be the first real surprise. It attempted to fold around Frank, but his claws easily tore through it and ceased its threat. This room also provided the first real treasure with a small bag that contained ten coins and a tiny red gem. It was a start, but hardly worth mentioning as Frank looked directly at Heather on the ceiling.

“Sorry you’re not getting much to stab,” he said.

“Wait, you can see me?” Heather asked in shock.

“We can see your life aura,” Breanne reminded. “The invisibility makes it so we can't see you unless you're close, but we can still see you.”

“Oh, well, that's no fun,” Heather sighed. “And don't worry about my stabbing things. I am enjoying our little adventure.”

“Ha, you're making a good rogue with all the climbing and stealth,” Quinny said.

“She is doing a good job,” Frank agreed. “You all are.”

“Yes, but where is the stairwell up?” Breanne asked. “We searched all the rooms.”

Heather wondered that herself as they returned to the hall and took a second look around. It was Umtha who finally noticed the wall in the library didn't quite reach the out hall. That meant there was a secret door someplace, and they began to scour the space, toppling books and looking for levers. The only thing of note was a single blue shelf on one of the walls, but there was nothing to suggest its purpose. Frank tapped along the wall with a metal claw until he found an area with a hollow echo.

“It’s here, but how do we open it?” he asked.

“You don’t want to tunnel through it,” Breanne said in understanding. “And I suppose you don’t want me to pass through it and open it from the other side. Then let’s do this the way a regular group would and find the mechanism.”

“Try the candle holders,” Quinny suggested as she pointed to the wall.

Frank pulled on them one by one, but they didn't move, and the door, where ever it was, remained hidden. Heather sat crouched on the ceiling, hanging upside down as her family searched in desperation. This was a low-level adventure, so the trigger shouldn't be too complex, but where was it hidden? She thought of Quinny's haunted house and some of the clever ways she hid the way to advance. She also remembered how she discovered one of the secrets and thought it was worth another try.

“Webster,” Heather said as she looked at the spider next to her. “Are there any spiders in the room?” He chirped that there was one on the corner, a tiny black thing with a modest web. Heather asked him to talk to it and find out if it knew where the trigger was.

“You’re cheating again,” Quinny said as she glared at Heather.

“It’s not cheating,” Heather protested. “And can you at least pretend you can’t see me.”

“You leave tracks in the dust as well,” Breanne pointed out just to antagonize her.

Heather sighed and waited for the two spiders to have their conversation. When it was done, Webster chirped and told her what she needed to know.

“He says we have to put the animated books back on the blue shelf in alphabetical order,” Heather said.

“What?” Breanne scoffed. “That’s needlessly complex.”

“That’s brilliant,” Quinny laughed. “Just like how you had to put in my haunted house back.”

“One obvious book isn’t a challenge,” Breanne corrected. “But this is a bit intricate for a low-level quest.”

Frank agreed as Quinny helped him put the slain books in order. The wall groaned as dust fell from the bricks as the last book went in. It slid down, revealing a dark passage and stairs to the next level.

This floor was more of a wizard's study with a laboratory, sitting rooms, and a magical circle. Skeletons were the main threat, but they did encounter a cat made of shadows whose claws were unusually sharp. The stairs on this floor were out in the open at the end of the hall, just beyond the pit trap that Umtha discovered with her magic. She used elemental power to fuse the bricks so they wouldn't fall away, and they safely crossed to the final floor. They arrived at a double door made of dark wood and etched with magical symbols. Inside they found a throne room of sorts with a large stone chair in which sat a skeleton in rotting robes. Around his neck was a golden chain on which hung a blood-red stone.

“That’s the presence I feel,” Umtha said as she pointed at the stone. “It’s full of dark power.”

“Which means what?” Heather asked as she clung to the wall behind them.

“Just that it's evil,” Umtha said. “It probably does something when we touch it.”

“Hmm,” Heather said as she rubbed her chin. “Why don’t we just assume the skeleton is going to attack us and charge it.”

“I think that might be what she wants,” Frank said and asked Umtha to detect magic again. Four spots of light appeared on the floor as the throne and necklace began to glow. A thin line of light appeared across the room, acting like a magical tripwire for when they approached.

“I could climb over and snatch it,” Heather offered.

“No,” Frank said and turned to Breanne. “You are free to use shadow magic. Use that hand spell you have and take it off gently.”

Breanne nodded and held out a hand as she chanted a spell. A hand of black shadow formed before her and floated out, trailing back smoke. It moved just as she moved, the fingers delicately grabbing the chain. Carefully she lifted it from the skeleton's neck to float it up safely.

“Wait,” Umtha urged as she stepped forward. “It's the necklace that's the trap. Once you carry it back over the line, something will happen.”

“Makes sense,” Frank agreed as he looked at the massive window in the back. It was mostly gone, but the metal frame remained, preventing anyone from using it to get out.

“So what’s the plan?” Breanne asked as she held the necklace above the skeleton.

“Heather, crawl to the window,” Frank instructed. “Breanne, lift the necklace to her and let her take it.”

“Didn’t Umtha say touching this thing was bad?” Heather asked.

“I said it was evil,” Umtha replied. “But I think it won't trigger unless you carry it across the seal in the middle of the room.”

“Well, what's the worst thing that could happen?” Heather asked as she took the necklace to discover nothing had changed.

“Now,” Frank said as he backed away. “Let's go down, and when we are clear of the doorway, Heather, you and Webster blink to the yard.”

“Right,” Heather said as she looked through the glass.

Frank and the others retreated down the steps before Heather nodded to Webster. They both vanished in a puff of green smoke and appeared in the yard just outside the fence.

“Well, that was easy,” Heather laughed as she held up the necklace. “We should have just climbed the outside wall to that window and blinked in to steal it.”

Webster chirped in agreement as something suddenly tugged on the necklace. It ripped from Heather's grasp, floating into the air as a spectral image appeared. Heather looked into the face of a ghostly apparition whose empty eye sockets made her skin crawl. It reached out with bony hands that burned with a blue fire while issuing a gurgling wail.

“Stay back!” Heather shouted as she drew her dagger, waiving it in the creature's face.

“Only magic can harm me,” the ghost cackled and lunged at Heather, who vanished in a puff of smoke. She appeared behind it and buried the weapon into its back, surprised at how solid the blow felt. An unearthly wail went up as the ghost began to dissolve, its essence spiraling about the curvy blade. Heather let go and stumbled back as the creature turned about and made one final step before its very form was sucked into the weapon. The necklace fell to the ground, followed by the dagger, whose blade glowed with a soft blue light.

“What just happened?” Heather gasped as she looked at Webster. “Did that dagger eat him?”

He chirped that he didn’t have an answer but suggested they make an effort to study the weapon. Frank and the others arrived at the backdoor a few moments later and asked what those shrieks they heard were. Heather explained the strange encounter and what happened when she stabbed the monster causing all eyes to turn to the dagger.

“Wow, so the dagger absorbed his soul?” Quinny asked.

“I told you it was evil,” Umtha said.

“You say everything is evil,” Heather protested as she dared to push the dagger with a toe.

“It must have a life-draining effect,” Frank offered. “One powerful enough that a low-level undead was easily killed.”

“So it’s like your ghoul touch?” Breanne asked.

“I am guessing,” Frank said as he dared to pick up the weapon. “But maybe we should have Chandice look at it just to be sure.”

They settled on that course of action and decided to ask Chandice to look at it the next time she was in the graveyard. With that decision, they returned to turn in the necklace and claim their reward. It had been a fun experience, but Heather suggested they stop for the night and attend to other matters. Heather and Frank wanted to see how their kingdom was going and then check on the goblins to ensure nobody had tried to kill any. Then they would all meet in the tower later to be together and spend another night in bed. Tomorrow they would look for new adventures and live life as it should have been, together as a family.