A flash of silver and the ripping sound as the blade cut through the parchment. With deft fingers, the elf took out the letter from its envelope with one hand and flipped it open. Reading what lay beneath he smiled widely. ‘Seems they have finally begun to move around.’ Kamber Osman thought. The Ljós Alfar looked from the letter and then moved it to the candle at the corner of his desk. The letter went up quickly and left no trace, the paper had been impregnated with flammable materials and even the ink used went up quickly. The perfect tool for those in even one of his lines of work.

A knock at the door made Kamber look up and almost click his tongue. Nazim stood at the door, the human did at least know he was Kamber’s inferior. Though the man’s look made him hesitate a little. “What is it?” Kamber asked almost tersely as he gestured for the man to enter his office.

“W-well sir… there is a new… uh, costumer at the door.” Nazim said hesitantly. This perked up Kamber, the man wasn’t usually so hesitant. Perhaps the news of their attempted competitor's fate after the last two nights has shaken the man? Or maybe the ghost stories that the staff was sharing for these catacombs. Humans are so foolish, aren’t they?

“And why are you telling me? If this customer knew the password then why not let them in?” Kamber then said, narrowing his eyes at Nazim as he tapped his finger on his desk.

“Well, sir the thing is this.” Nazim began.

(A few minutes earlier.)

Nazim was human. Something his boss seemed to find offensive to his… elven sensibilities. Elves from the Lylathas kingdom far to the northeast did have a rather poor reputation of arrogance. Apparently anyone that isn’t an elf of some sort is a slave in that kingdom, this leads to many of those that leave the kingdom to have quite the culture shock as the kingdom is also rather isolated. It was due to this perceived manner of inferiority that Nazim hated working for his boss.

He leaned against the wall leading to the magically sealed door behind him. Guard duty was likely the most welcomed yet boring chore for Nazim. He looked at the other wall of this corridor to stare at the woman ahead of him. Comely and with just enough curves for his tastes covered by a form-fitting robe and a wide-brimmed sorceress hat. Those were the traits he liked, it was then rather unfortunate she was a troll-blooded half Ljós Alfar. Which lead to her having goat-like eyes and horns coming from her head.

She was easily tall enough to reach the ceiling and despite having that comely curved shape she was toned enough out of the robes that one might think she was a warrior.

“What are you looking at Nazim? Looking to go to a tavern?” She said with a teasing smirk. Nazim looked away and almost humphed at her. An act that only made her chuckle at him, Nazim wasn’t all that happy with her penchant to tease him.

“No.. Marion.” Nazim answered with a slight catch in his voice. “We are here to guard the door and make sure no one gets in that shouldn’t so let’s just stay on task.” He said as a way to deflect from his emotional state brought on by her teasing.

Marion only chuckled at him before a sudden voice turned them to an active guard stance. “My, my aren’t you a big’un.” The voice was male though high pitched and gravely. Both looked at the corner the corridor ended in and saw a huge form turn the corner.

A huge armoured man stood there, the black plates of his armour seemed to almost be like corded muscles formed around his frame. The blue almost ethereal flames in his eyes caused both to take a step back.

“What’s with you two? Hmm? Never seen a death knight before?” The voice spoke again and both looked down at a haunched over figure. A flowing white beard erupted from a tattered and dirty hood. The figure was clearly an old man given how he had a bone wolf walking next to him which he leaned on, as well as his own staff. The gnarled wooden staff had a large almost warped appearance with a huge nub at it’s top.

Upon the top of the staff as well as on the old man’s shoulder were two bone ravens. The two looked at the two guards with silent judgement.

“W-Who are you?” Nazim asked almost shakily. He was a level thirty warrior and was confident in his abilities but something about the old man before him sent icy hands grasping at his spine.

“Hm? Me? Oh, I’m no one, just a doctor is all.” The old man said as he slowly made his way towards them. The undead around him silent safe their footsteps as they followed him.

“Doctor? Doctor who?” Marion asked as she gripped her own staff hard enough that Nazim could actually hear the wood strain under her grip.

“Oh, I’m doctor horrible.” The old man said and turned his head upwards as he had been looking down most of the way to them.

“Doctor horrible?” Nazim asked as he looked at the black skull-like mask the old man wore. The mask seemed to have the lower jaw coming in a wide pointed chin which from underneath flowed a white scraggly beard that reached down to the man’s upper abdomen. Then framing the mask was the long white, tangled and slightly dirty hair the old man had.

“Why, yes, I’m a horrible doctor. I only manage to do anything for someone once they’re dead.” The old man said with a humorous chuckle before devolving into a coughing fit. The large armoured man behind him leaned down and seemed to almost fuss over the man, the other undead around him even showing concern for him.

Nazim knew that undead that actually moved on their own and had personalities were very high-level magic. This made him think that this man was a very old and very, very powerful necromancer, possibly someone that hadn’t been around civilization for the past few centuries given that he looked rather elven. Nazim hadn’t heard of any necromancer like the one before him. That alone made him have to focus on keeping his legs from shaking.

The old man finally got his breathing under control and looked at Nazim and Marion. “Hmm, there is a password to enter right?” The old man moved his long slender fingers to his chin and tapped at it as if thinking. “Hmm wasn’t it plague of spirits? I believe that is it. Am I correct?” He asked with a kindly tone but Nazim felt as if he’d be wiped out of existence if he contradicted the old man.

“Y-yeah, that’s correct.” Marion said as she slowly walked up to the old man and swallowed hard, it was actually audible. “Might I ask if I sh-should introduce you as D-Doctor Horrible once inside?” She asked and Nazim noticed the twitching in her knees.

The old man cocked his head to the side and began to stroke his beard, his claw-like fingertips used as a makeshift comb. It was then that Nazim noticed it, despite his dirty and dishevelled appearance he had a sort of black bone-like armour covering his body. As if this man had mastered bone armour to such a frightening degree that he could quite literally form it as he wished.

It made Nazim even more certain that his boss’s elite would be required to do anything to this old man.

The old man suddenly burst into laughter and then a coughing fit before trialling off into a chuckle. “I’m sorry, it seems my little jest was taken seriously. Simply call me...” He paused as he ran his fingers through his beard. “Hmm, I think the name… Arkhan will work.” He then said with what sounded like a smile in his voice.

“Then I’m sorry Arkhan but I must look you over for spatial storages and what lies within them.” Marion said and Nazim knew she didn’t want to even think of being in this man’s way but she had her job to do.

“Oh Right, sorry my dear.” Arkhan said as he looped the satchel on his side over his shoulder and handed it over to her. “This is my spatial bag. I hope I’ll be getting it back now. Hmm?” He then said as if he was Marion’s grandfather playing a little joke on his granddaughter.

Marion looked reluctant but then cast her spell over the man and then onto his satchel. Opening it and rummaging through its contents before handing it back. “I’m sorry, these are security protocols and we must follow them. This satchel is the only thing you have that’s related to spatial magic and you have no minions inside. You’ve clearly come to trade and I’m sorry for impeding your entry.” She then said and bowed respectfully to the man who seemed a little taken aback, as if he had been expecting something or that something on his person would be found.

“Oh, no need to worry. You are young and the young make rash actions and mistakes.” He said in a kindly tone before the bone wolf at his side leaned into him and he began to scratch it behind the ears. “I’m sorry, are you getting impatient Garmur?” The old man said gently as he petted the undead creature and then looked up expectantly at Marion and Nazim.

“O-Oh right, I’ll lead the way.” Nazim said before swallowing and turning towards the door at the other end of the hallway they had been stationed in. As he walked Marion came up next to him and he leaned in a little. “Does he have anything in the satchel or another device?” He whispered to Marion.

“No, that’s what's strange.” She answered just as quietly. “He has some magic item on him but it isn’t a spatial one, it’s something… else.” She continued only to stop as they came to the door and knocked on it. The man within opened the slot on the door to look out and then nodded at them, the door opening shortly after.

“Please wait a mere moment.” Nazim asked of this Arkhan and then moved with Marion inside to look at Brutus. The man was big and mean as all hell, bald with a nasty scar running up his shoulder to past his chin.

“What was the strange thing?” Nazim asked Marion as Arkhan seemed to go down to his knee to pet the bone wolf as if it was a happy family dog.

“His.. aura? No, it’s something else. It’s as if his soul is enveloping something. My magic almost seemed to be devoured or defused when it touched upon his body. It’s strange. As if something about him prevents investigation into him.” She said and the look she gave Nazim made his skin crawl and pinpricks of ice to needle into his spine and the back of his head.

“I’ll… I’ll talk to Kamber.” Nazim said and the look he got from Marion showed just how seriously he was taking it.

(Now)

Kamber raised an eyebrow. “So he’s a necromancer with four minions, all seeming to have their own personalities?” He asked and felt a little uneasy at the thought of such a man entering the black market of Bedelev. However, he had to uphold the market's reputation of not barring anyone without good cause and he had never even heard of this Arkhan. To be frank he sounded like he was a little mad from his long years of probable isolation.

Nazim nodded and scratched at the back of his head. “So… what do you want me to do? Show him around or?” The man then asked and Kamber had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at this humans’ foolishness.

“I’ll be the host and show him around, where is he?” Kamber asked as he stood and straightened out the lapels of his greatcoat and smoothed back his very light brown hair. Following Nazim out to see the hunched over form of this Arkhan looking over Marion. A very comely girl in Kamber’s opinion though the troll blooded part of her made him wince a little, those horns that seemed like slate stones. Just jutting out from the top of her forehead as if someone had jammed them into her forehead so they pointed behind her and to the sides.

“I don’t suppose you’re a Tiefling of some sort?” Arkhan asked her as he seemed rather interested. “Are your horns stone or bone I wonder.” He then seemed to mumble as he walked a slow circle around Marion, who looked both flattered and uncomfortable. Well, the girl might be unused to such fascination of her appearance instead of some form of revulsion after all.

Kamber eyed the large armoured man standing to the side, no the armoured undead that stood guard. A bone wolf sitting at the undead’s side and looking rather stern. The man seemed deathly thin as he leaned on the gnarled staff in his hands. Long thin fingers encased in some sort of black bone armour and that horrid skull mask of his with the pointed chin, no race had such an almost blade-like chin. This Arkhan seemed to have horrid taste. On one shoulder and on top of the nub of his staff were two bone ravens, they had been blackened with charcoal.

The man looked tattered and torn as if his life outside civilization had been a very humble and hard one. Perhaps these undeads were his only company?

Kamber cleared his throat and walked up to Arkhan. “Mister Arkhan?” He said with an almost imperious tone of voice as he took on the air of a distinguished and sophisticated proprietor of an auction house.

The old man turned to look at Kamber and he almost felt his heart stop, those eyes weren’t those of a human. No this was a Dökk Alfar. He swallowed a little. “Why yes, that is I, though Arkhan is fine.” He said and nodded his head towards Kamber, who’s heart seemed rather determined to jump into his throat and hammer it’s way out through his vocal cords.

Marion seemed to be relieved and backed away slowly, seemingly glad for the lack of attention upon her. Her and Nazim made their way back to their post and Kamber silently cursed them for showing diligence in their jobs now of all times.

“H-H” Kamber began before he cleared his throat and took two deep breaths to steady himself. “Have you come to this market before?” He asked politely and gestured for Arkhan to follow him towards the market proper.

“Hm no, I can’t say I have. What can I expect? An auction, a bazaar or some sort of rowdy market?” Arkhan asked as he seemed to hobble alongside Kamber but still kept up with the man almost with ease.

“Well sort of all three I’d say.” Kamber said as he began to explain. “You see our previous location only had enough space to have an auction but now we have found this much better location. Here we have a sort of catacomb complex that has a singular wide circular main hall where we have set up stalls and the like for those who wish to have just a bit of trade. Then there is a rectangle hall to the left where there was a row of coffins and sarcophagi which we cleared out for the slave market. And on the right is a large half circular hall which will be hosting an auction within an hour or so.” He spoke as calmly and courteously as he could. His people lived alongside Dökk Alfar in Lylathas but they had all fled there when the humans had destroyed their own kingdom in some religious war or the like. The ones outside of Lylathas were as dangerous as they were rare. A mere three centuries had made most of the humans forget what they had done but elves had as long lives as they had memory.

The fact this was an old Dökk Alfar made the man seem all the more terrifying to Kamber. “My lord. Do you believe you will find what you are looking for here?” A sudden hollow-sounding bass voice came from behind Kamber and he almost turned around as quickly as possible.

Looking over his shoulder he saw no one but the large armoured undead but Arkhan was also looking at him.

“Hmm I’m not sure, this is after all something of a distraction for me. Though the corpse of an engineer and naval type would be highly preferred. I’ll need someone that I can use to construct or at least plan out what I wish to do.” Arkhan’s raspy voice answered and nodded to the undead.

“Yes my lord, I shall be on the lookout for it.” The undead said and placed one hand to his chest and bowed slightly. Kamber felt the blood drain from his face, the undead wasn’t only intelligent but could also speak and think for himself! He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making the action hard.

“I… Is that an intelligent and speaking… un-undead?” A guard next to them asked, his face pale and legs shaking.

Arkhan looked from his undead to the guard, back again and then once more at the guard. “Why, yes. He isn’t much for conversation but he’s great to have around.” He said with a light chuckle and Kamber could have sworn the undead seemed to puff up as if in pride. This undead was about as advanced as they came. It couldn’t be that this Arkhan had managed to go beyond level 78 in necromancer. They were usually hunted down before they had even managed to get to level 20 in almost all cases and they still caused ripples with their actions.

The guard almost seemed to faint at the sight of the clear intelligence and ego of the undead but all Arkhan did was chuckle like an old man seeing their grandchild doing something amusing. Kamber had to take a few moments to compose himself.

“So you would like skeletons or corpses to raise I take it?” Kamber asked once he was sure his voice was under control while also trying to calm his roiling mind.

“Hmm Well yes, though spirits or souls would be nice too.” Arkhan said almost wistfully as he looked to his side, at empty air. Kamber felt like screaming. A necromancer with any semblance of power over spirits was among the most dangerous as they could raise the highest form of undead. With that in mind, he took another look at the armoured hulk of a knight that followed the old man. ‘Dear gods is he a..’ He thought before his psyche banished the thought so he would run screaming.

Kamber swallowed once more as he gestured for Arkhan to follow him. “Please this way Arkhan. I don’t suppose you have a budget or something to trade with? I’ll be certain to get you the best deals I can manage.” Kamber said as he knew he wouldn’t dare to offend or even accidentally insult this necromancer, not only himself but the entire market would be at risk. Maybe even the city itself?

The thought sent a shiver of horror down his spine.

“OH? My, my aren’t you thoughtful.” Arkhan said with what sounded like a wide smile upon his lips. He began to rummage through his satchel and then looked up at Kamber. “Hmm, I have around 40 gold, some sort of cane I can’t identify, a Dwarven walking stick, a Dwarven cane, Deep steel ingots, a Mithril ingot and an Obsidian steel ingot.” He said before seeming to startle as he looked back into his satchel once more.

“Oh right how silly of me, I also have this for sale.” He said pulling out a gold decorative ring with an amethyst embedded in its centre. It was beautifully crafted and Kamber could see that it was either dwarven or elven made. Humans did have their crafting styles but they rarely reached the mastery of the much longer-lived races in their craft.

“Well, I’m certain you can find things of interest, as you will also be able to offer your services I’m sure.” Kamber said as he observed the ring before Arkhan put it away. The old man cocked his head quizzically at Kamber at hearing that.

“Well, you see some people wish to have a necromancer use bone weapon or the like to add flavour or increase the durability of a weapon for example.” He explained and Arkhan seemed to have an ‘Ah!’ moment.

“Well, that’s good. I don’t suppose you can show me to an identifier I can trust?” Arkhan then asked and Kamber nodded his head and gestured for the older gentleman to follow him. Making their way into the market proper.

Kamber’s office and the entrance to the market went through two check points on either end of a long hallway.

Once there a large circular stone slab moved to the side to open the way. A whistling sound from Arkhan seemed to indicate he was impressed, it upped Kamber’s pride at being recognized like that. “This is almost like that… hmm, what was it?… troll market from Hellboy! Ah right, that’s it.” The old man said and walked into the market place proper while whistling a tune, one Kamber didn’t recognize in the least.

‘Hellboy?’ Kamber thought a bit confused before he almost jumped out of his skin as the bone wolf walked passed him, rubbing its bone side against the elf’s leg. He shook his head and jogged a few steps to catch up to Arkhan. “So tell me what is it that you are fully looking for?” He asked once he was walking by Arkhan’s side once more.

“Hmm, I wonder...” Arkhan murmured to himself as if he was trying to be mysterious, and it worked at least on Kamber. “I require gear, detailed maps of the north, a class book for construction and design-oriented classes, blacksmithing, metal detection gear, bodies to raise and information.” Arkhan said before sighing a little. “I just don’t know if I’ll get all of that from your market or not. Don’t suppose you have a wyvern corpse do you?” He then sighed before asking wryly and appearing to wink at Kamber.

Kamber felt the man must have hit his head or something, he was too peculiar, too strange. Then again he was old and a necromancer of seemingly great power but what could he possibly want with the northern wastelands? It didn’t make any sense.

“Are you hoping to prospect in the north or something?” He asked with a raised eyebrow and almost sceptical tone. They passed a few stalls, one person ducking under his stall once he saw the large armoured undead walking behind them.

As he thought the customers gave Arkhan a wide berth once they managed to get a look at him and the undead around him.

“Hmm something like that I suppose, maybe build a home there so I can be left in peace. Though I doubt that bitch would leave me alone if she found out I’m still alive.” He muttered as if he was senile to himself.

“That bitch?” Kamber asked curiously though warily, this man was all sorts of strange. Did he give up a portion of his mind to gain his power? Not to mention someone that he seemed to almost fear and would hunt him down if she found out he was alive. What sort of enemies did this necromancer have?

“Hm? Oh nothing you need to worry about. Just show me where I can look and I believe things will be smooth sailing on your part.” Arkhan responded with mirth in his voice as he looked over a stall with different crystals and magical nick-knacks on display. The one behind the stall almost shaking as he looked over the necromancer and his pets.

“Oh no problems at all, I need to make my rounds around the market anyway and then I can leave you for a bit to finish the preparations for the auction. I’m certain there might be some items there that might be of interest to you.” Kamber said with a smile. Though he didn’t really know what to think when Arkhan gave him a curious look, as if he knew something about Kamber that he didn’t know himself.

Raising his shoulders and lowering them in some sort of gesture Arkhan cracked his neck and nodded. “Suit yourself Kamber. Though I’m certain this will be a boring outing for you at least.” Arkhan then said before a sudden whine came from the bone wolf as it began to rub up against Arkhan’s side. “You are rather greedy for attention aren’t Garmur?” He said as he began to scratch the top of the undead’s head, which seemed to pacify it.

An undead being treated as a pet? Kamber was… rather flabbergasted at the sight, and he wasn’t the only one.

Arkhan looked up and seemed to begin chuckling before he devolved into a coughing fit. His armoured giant walking to him and gently tapping him on the back. It looked like the son of an old man taking care of his ailing father and baffled Kamber more and more. Weren’t the undead supposed to be these evil beings that wished for blood, bone and souls of the living? How come those around this Arkhan all seemed as if they behaved as if they were alive?

Most of the guards were almost open-mouthed at the sight while Kamber simply averted his eyes, whatever was this old man was planning? The thought gave an idea and he shuddered a little. Might be trying to become a lich? No with that kind of power it would be easy for him to do that. Perhaps he was creating some new type of undead he wished to become to escape his frail body?

That was a sobering thought, Kamber hoped dearly he wasn’t speaking to a future undead king, like the one who had corrupted and changed the voiceless lands in aeons past. His people were still fighting off the corrupted hordes that maniacal thing had unleashed upon the world. Though he had signed a pact with the beings of the deep and of the void.

If only suspicion was enough but then again this old man had expressed a desire to be simply left alone. That must mean he didn’t have much of an intent to go against anyone but rather to simply pass on in peace? Kamber hoped so, the undead before him would make formidable grave guardians that was for certain.

“Kamber, do you happen to have a stall or something directly related to necromancers?” Arkhan then asked which shocked Kamber out of his thoughts and back to the present. He had to look around and think for a while before he pointed at an almost lonely stall in one corner of the great hall.

There stood a hooded man at the stall, a man named Morice who thought dressing up like some necromancer cultist would draw in customers. He was sadly mistaken.

If anything he drew in the wrong type of crowd that usually ended with him having to show his idiocy and lack of knowledge about his wares. Arkhan followed the pointing finger towards Morice and almost seemed to snort in amusement.

Walking over he began to look around the stall at the different items and notes on objects either too valuable or too big to have at his stall. Morice, on the other hand, seemed to just stare at the armoured giant and Kamber could swear the lad was shaking.

“Hmm? A wyvern skeleton? A dwarf, Elf, Anubian and even a… what is a Nathramir?” Arkhan asked as he looked towards Morice who almost jumped out of his black robes at being addressed. Kamber could see that the boy wanted to kneel before the veteran necromancer.

“Th-they are a species that has an exoskeleton around their bodies, similar to what you’d get if you combined a man, an ant, a spider and a c-crab I believe.” The boy stuttered and that seemed to amuse Arkhan to no end. “I-I also have minor s-soul stones as well as s-some scrolls with s-skills and some c-class tomes.” He said and Kamber could swear he heard the boy’s teeth chatter in fright.

“Hmm, interesting. How much for the elven, Anubian and this Nathramir skeletons?” Arkhan asked and Morice swallowed rather audibly.

“T-the elven one is two gold, as they are...” He looked from Arkhan to Kamber who simply nodded at him before continuing. “rarer in these parts than humans for example. F-for the Anubian it-its one gold and two silver, th-they are rare but not like elves. The-the Nathramir, however, I-I only have two of those and I’ll have t-to charge you t-ten gold for each.” Morice then managed to stammer out as he looked at Arkhan.

The old necromancer began to stroke down his beard as he peered at the boy, almost leaning in towards him as he scrutinized him. “Boy.” He began his tone neutral and calm yet somehow rather threatening. “You aren’t trying to swindle me are you?” He asked and Kamber almost called the guards at that moment right then and there. “Then again… perhaps you’d like to trade?” He then pipped up quite cheerfully.