Chapter III.XXXVII (3.37) - Shika’s Homecoming

  An albino barn owl was perched on the roof of Hone’s dilapidated farmhouse. Mort reported its existence to them when they were about a kilometer out from town. Terrible and inconvenient news. But Kizu had expected as much.

  “Basil, you know what to do.”

  The shapeshifter nodded and flashed them all a grin before he transformed, his teeth yellowing and chipping as an underbite became more and more pronounced. His hair turned a sickly white and grew down his back. Warts bubbled up, sprinkling his normally spotless face like bulbous freckles. A particularly egregious wart sprouted from his left eyelid with long hairs poking out. His spine bent and caused him to hunch. Despite the changes, he looked just vaguely similar to a certain white-haired witch they’d encountered before.

  Kizu had worked with Basil for over an hour last night while they sat around the fire, perfecting this new look. It was a hunch, but based off of what Hone had said, he suspected that this particular hag might be the mother of Fuku. He’d met her dozens on dozens of times before while living with the crone. Back when he first spotted Fuku in Kyonaka he’d thought she looked familiar, and this witch did share a few of her less hideous facial features with Fuku. The mind mage even had a little bit of that underbite. Not much, but Kizu had still noticed it.

  “Okay,” Basil said in a raspy voice. “I’m off to pick some snake’s milk in the village. You pretty little things be good while I’m gone, okay?” He cackled madly.

  Sobota shuddered visibly.

  “Bit overkill,” Ione commented.

  “I like it!” Shika countered. “It’s creepy, just like her!”

  “She really likes to ramble,” Kizu said. “Loves the sound of her own voice. But try to keep it quiet. Owls have good ears and will be able to pick up on the differences in your inflections if you’re not careful.”

  Basil smiled again, showing off his ill fitting teeth, then hobbled off into the jungle in the direction of the village.

  Not long after his departure, Mort watched from his hiding place in the foliage as the albino owl took flight in the direction of the village to investigate. Kizu was still wary of divination spells nearby, so he kept his spellsense active as they approached the farmhouse. But he only spotted two alarm enchantments, and he was able to jump his companions safely beyond their reach before they triggered them.

  Once safely inside the house, Kizu helped them all descend down into the underground cellar turned laboratory.

  Hone had goggles over his eyes as he dissected one of his zombies on his operating table. The thing’s stomach was completely exposed and it looked like Hone was cleaning out one of the intestine tubes with a jar of glowing blue fluid. Completely engrossed in his work, the necromancer didn’t hear them as they entered, but his zombie guards certainly took notice. They moved to intercept Kizu before Shika poked her head around him and dismissed them with a wave.

  “Hone,” Kizu said.

  The necromancer nearly jumped out of his skin as he jerked his scalpel away from the exposed bowels.

  “Kizu! What are you doing here? Last I heard they took you hostage.” He looked over his shoulder, as if expecting someone to appear behind him.

  “I broke out,” Kizu said bluntly. Then he stood to the side, revealing Shika.

  “Shika!” Hone ripped off his goggles and fell to his knees.

  The zombie girl ran into his open arms and they embraced. Hone wept as he held his daughter close. He ran his hand through her hair, combing it with his fingers.

  “Oh, what did they do to you, my poor girl. You look like you’ve aged months. I was so worried about you.”

  Kizu let them have a minute. Sobota’s eyes were fixated on the different zombies surrounding him, examining them closely with his jaw agape. Meanwhile Mitsuko had the opposite reaction, trying not to flinch every time one of the undead shuffled in place or bobbed its head.

  Kizu cleared his throat and Hone finally refocused on him.

  “Kizu. Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “I didn’t do it for you. Shika’s my friend.” He scowled at the necromancer. “You sold me out.”

  “Ah. Yes. Well, I wasn’t given much of a choice, now was I? They had my daughter. However, now that she’s here, this certainly changes some things.”

  “You’ll help us take out the Death Party.”

  “Obviously,” Hone said darkly. “They stole my daughter. I’ll tear them apart. No matter where they go, my undead will hunt them to the ends of the planet.”

  “Pa,” Shika said reproachfully. “They’re not worth your time. Not that much of it at least.”

  “Hm. What will you do next, Kizu?”

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  “I have a few questions. What exactly did they want from you? Your zombies for an army?”

  “Ha. Hardly. Those necromancers are barely more than children, not generals who can effectively command an army of undead. Those worthless little shits would crumble if a real tactician engaged against them. They wanted to develop zombies that other necromancers would be unable to seize control over. The less control you instill in a zombie, the less blood they require to create. As far as I can tell, Necro has it in his mind to release a hoard into the city and cause chaos. It’s a childish plan with a hundred holes. It will never work”

  Kizu considered that. “The witches in his hideout were brewing a massive potion. Do you know what was in it?”

  “No idea. Probably an unrelated secondary objective to create more chaos in the streets.”

  “I…think they’re related,” Sobota said.

  Everyone turned to him.

  “Who’s this?” Hone asked, his eyes narrowing at the young necromancer.

  “A captive,” Kizu said. “I was hoping you’d watch him after we leave.”

  Hone bore his teeth is a sneer. “Oh, yes. I’ll watch him for you.”

  “Ah…sorry. I’m sorry. I-I just guarded the portal.”

  “Why do you think they were related?” Kizu asked.

  “Well….” The necromancer paused and glanced around, as if looking for support. He found none. “It’s just…something Necro said to Chiame. About her needing to hurry up. And about a prototype.”

  “That’s not a lot to go off of,” Ione commented.

  Kizu considered. He hadn’t been able to recognize the brew, but he was still an amateur brewer. While easily the best at Shinzou Academy, he was under no illusion he matched up to a real master brewer like the witches of the Hon Basin.

  “Do you have a way to contact the witch covens?” Kizu asked Hone. “They’ll know the brew.”

  The necromancer nodded slowly. “You think they might hold more information? I can send you their direction. They have a coven gathering next week to perform rituals at the equinox and I know several have already assembled on that hill they like. But are you certain that’s wise?”

  Kizu understood Hone’s trepidation. The covens hated men. Some members like the crone tolerated them, but just as many tried to eat them on sight. Or perform any number of other experiments on them. Thankfully, Kizu was the only man in their group. Well, besides Basil, but that probably wouldn’t be a problem. Ione, Anata, and Mitsuko should all be relatively safe approaching them. And Kizu was a curiosity to most of the coven, even if some despised him. They likely wouldn’t try to eat him. The crone’s influence should protect him. If she caught wind that they’d killed him…well, he had no idea what she’d do. But likely neither did they. And crossing her wasn’t a risk many would take.

  “I’ll be fine,” Kizu said. “They know me.”

  “Hm. If you say so. It might be wise to take a potion to alter your gender. I assume you can brew one?”

  Kizu shook his head. “I can. I could probably get one together in the next hour with the materials I have on hand. But I need them to know who I am. They’ll recognize signs of the potion regardless. No. It’s far better to approach them bluntly.”

  Witches were clever and sneaky, but also extremely hypocritical and hated being tricked.

  “I’ll give you directions if you’re certain this is what you want to do,” Hone said.

  “We could go back to the capital,” Ione suggested.

  Kizu shook his head. “Maybe if we had a way to contact Taroe or Aoi, but as is, we’re cut off from them. The Death Party will suspect us to try to go back, turn and run back to hide behind Aoi’s family. I’m certain they have traps set up for us. And it would take several days for us to get there anyway. On the other hand, the witch coven isn’t a group the Death Party will go near. Not if they’re made up of runaway apprentices.”

  “You’re likely correct,” Hone said. “But why get involved at all? You can just stay here. I want this pathetic group torn apart and each of them killed horrifically, but you don’t need to be the ones to do so. Give me time. I will destroy them, piece by piece.”

  “A kind offer,” Kizu said. “And the rest of you are welcome to take him up on it. But I’m going to see this through. Aoi’s my friend, and I’d rather not have her and her family slaughtered by some unknown brew and a zombie hoard. Not to mention all the people in the city who could die as collateral.”

  Anata nodded vigorously in agreement. It took Kizu a second to understand why she was so adamant, then it clicked in place. Mae was still in the city. Of course she doesn’t want her friend exposed to danger.

  “I’m not about to dip out now either,” Ione said. “You’ll definitely end up dead without me.”

  “I’m coming too,” Mitsuko said. “I told you yesterday. I don’t want to be left behind.”

  “Me too!” Sotoba squeaked.

  They all turned to him. He cringed back from their gazes.

  “He’s not going anywhere,” Hone said flatly. “But if you want, I can send a zombie or two to join you. It’s the least I can do for bringing Shika home to me.”

  Kizu examined the dozen zombies surrounding them. He took a step towards one at random. Its rotting skin hung loosely to its bones, held together with loose stitches. Missing chunks of flesh dotted its body. But maybe a really big coat could conceal…and an arm fell off.

  “I think they’d be too conspicuous,” Kizu decided. He heard Mitsuko let out a sigh of relief behind him.

  “The offer stands. Though, I will be moving my laboratory tomorrow. This place is too well known by the Death Party. Do you still have the crone’s bowl?”

  Kizu shook his head in the negative.

  “Unfortunate.” Hone frowned. “I will do my best to contact you down the road. I can’t risk giving you a way to communicate with me. I’d need to attune a ward to a scrying device to only work for you and enchanting is not one of my strengths. The risk is too great of it falling into the hands of someone…less desirable.”

  “It’s fine.” Kizu held out a hand to Hone and the necromancer shook it. “I’m glad you and Shika are safe. Go lay low for now. Get in touch after this is all over.”

  And with that, Kizu decided to check in on Basil. He closed his eyes and tuned into Mort’s senses through his familiar bond.

  Mort was crouched on top of the village’s schoolhouse spectating while the village burned. A man wearing the ragged dress of an old witch ran through the streets, chased by two young witches.

  Ten Blood Curse Academia chapters (5 weeks) ahead of Royal Road on Patreon.