Camp Stonetooth

Chapter Two

Chapter TwoThe three of them were inside and Boron was leading them through the house. “It's in the back, you got to see this,” he said with an increasing amount of enthusiasm and speed as they walked. It was clear whatever it was, wasn't in the house at all as they headed towards the large sliding door to the back of the house.

Boron slid the thing open and walked right back out. The two followed him and they couldn't believe what was laying on the ground in front of them.

“You found a Grave hound?” Ticcen asked and she backed off, a little afraid. “You're damn right I did. It's even intact, too,” Boron said with a big smiled. “Where did you find this thing?” Talcen asked and really wasn't feeling brave enough to get too close, even if it was inactive. “I found it on the outside. It was just lying there out in the open beyond the wall,” he replied.

“You went outside? You know that's forbidden,” Ticcen replied in disgust. Only bad things existed outside of the walls. She didn't even want to know how he got it back home. “Yeah. I know, but look at this thing,” he replied and continued. “The only thing it's missing is the soul crystal. I looked and couldn't find it. A collector is going to pay tons of money for this thing,” he said and crossed his arms.

“Or the patrol is going to do a fly over and see it. It's a grave hound. It's kind of hard to miss,” Talcen replied and shook his head a little. “I got the cover to hide it, so I'm not worried,” Boron replied. All of them were thankful that it wasn't active.

The Grave hound laid on the ground, it was nothing more than a giant dog skeleton. They usually stood about eight feet tall. “It must be over a hundred years old, I didn't think any were left,” Ticcen said and Boron shrugged. “I found it lying there like it was sleeping or someone left it there. One quick levitation spell and some quick feet. I had it back here in no time at all,” Boron said.

“Wait, it was sleeping?” Talcen asked and took a step back. “Yeah. All curled up. I spread it out just to see how big it really was,” Boron replied and then his mind went to the same thing that Talcen was likely thinking. “Oh, hell. You don't think this is some crazy necromancer's pet, do you?” Boron asked, all the sudden he became very nervous about having this thing so close.

“But you said it didn't have a soul crystal, so it can't activate without it,” Ticcen said, but that information didn't make anyone feel any better. “True but, still. Whoever owns this thing will come looking and necromancers are usually insane. And if it's here, that means it likely has a tracking spell on it,” Talcen suggested.

“Well, okay. Maybe we should just go back inside and maybe who ever owns it will just come find it. Take it and not say anything. If it's still here in a couple of days, I'm going to try and sell it and make enough money to never worry about money again,” Boron said, still hopeful that he just got lucky and didn't steal a necromancer's pet.

Even if it was just a mindless war machine. Necromancers got quite attached to their dead things. Grave hounds were not supposed exist anymore. Boron became increasingly afraid. “Well let's just go inside,” he said was the first one to go back into the house. “Right,” Talcen agreed and the two of them went back inside with him and slid the door close as they did.

“Well, who's excited for Stone tooth?” Boron asked as he sat in his chair. “This guy is,” Ticcen replied and pointed at her brother. “Yeah. I can't wait to get the blessing and start existing,” he said and sat on the couch. “Then we can get jobs and be proper cogs in the machine, I can't wait to be a cog. That's going to be so much fun,” Boron replied to him with a groan.

“What do you mean, you have a job now,” Ticcen replied and Boron shook his head. “Yeah but no one expects anything out of you. Unlife is good. Now after this we will be expected to do, you know, more,” Boron replied. Ticcen just rolled her eyes.

“You two have barely passed any of the trials of the other camps. What makes you think you can pass Stone Tooth? I've heard it has the hardest trials of all,” she said and the two of them looked at one another.

“Stories to scare newbies. Every single camp is the always the worst one ever. It's always the same. No one ever loses. Everyone passes. It's not like the olden days where failure meant extermination. You just keep trying until you pass,” Talcen said, he knew full well that if it was the old days, he wouldn't be sitting here right now.

He had to thank the new king every day for that.

“Stone tooth will be over before we know it. We'll be free of this twenty year probation period and then we can do whatever we want. Hell, you could even be a knight if you wanted,” Boron said. Talcen laughed. “Me, a knight. I don't think so. I'd be a really bad knight,” he replied. He tried to imagine it, him in a suit of armor and failing miserably. He banished the thought.

“How did that Kenders case turn out? The power went out at our place,” Talcen figured he'd ask, at least ask. He was forced to watched it this whole time he might as well know how it ended. “Nope, no idea,” Boron replied. “I've been on the net most of the time and just watching other stuff. I don't pay attention to real world crap, you know that,” he replied to them Talcen just sighed in disappointment but it wasn't terrible.

He didn't care that much. “Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter how it turned out, it doesn't affect me either way,” he said and then there was a knock on the front door. “Are you expecting someone else?” Talcen asked and they went quiet. The knock came again, a little louder this time. “No,” Boron replied.

Ticcen tensed up. There was a Grave hound in the back yard and they had just got done talking about a necromancer. Now a knock on the door. Is there anyone else it could have been? Her mind started to run away with her. “I'll go see who it is. It could be anyone,” Boron said, swallowed as he stood up and walked towards the door.

“If it's the necromancer we're running out the back,” Talcen whispered. “What about Boron?” his sister replied. “Screw him he brought the necromancer on himself,” Talcen replied and almost smiled. He didn't want to leave his friend behind, but his friend was stupid enough to bring home a necromancer's pet or its personal assassin.

Footsteps started coming back down the hallway and the two of them started to tense up. Boron came down the hall and a shorter figure was behind him. It was a cop. “Hey, kids. I'm Officer Denhar. Nice to meet you. Where's the undead monster?” he said. The man was a human vampire. His eyes were red and skin was pale.

“I'll never tell, no I won't. It's mine and I'm going to make lots of money on that thing,” Boron said and his eyes flashed toward the two of them.

“Listen. I know it's close by. If I found it, the Necromancer who it belongs to won't be far behind. Where is it, now,” he said again. “Hey, cop. How do we know you're not the necromancer and once we tell you, you'll just dust us anyway,” Talcen asked, he had a sudden boost of bravery that came out of nowhere.

“Hey, kid. If I was a necromancer you'd all be dead by now. I'd have no reason to knock on the door, now would I?” he said and raised a good point. None of them had ever heard of a polite necromancer before. “It's in the back. It's in the back, take it,” Ticcen said, she didn't want to get into trouble because of two idiots trying to lie to the cops.

Denhar looked towards the back sliding door. “Thanks,” he said as he walked around Boron and to the back. He looked out the window and saw it lying there on the ground. “Good,” he said and took the radio from inside his long coat.

“Yeah I'm going to need an isolation unit out at my location and a transport. I have three that need a ride to the station who need to answer some questions,” he said into it. “Got it, we're on the way,” a voice responded.

“Hey, three? We only saw it just before you did. Why do we have to go too?” Talcen asked and Delhar shot a glance at them. “You didn't answer my questions and its procedure,” he replied but never looked at the two of them, keeping his eyes on the dormant weapon in the back as if it was going to get up at any moment and kill them all.

“Trust me, it's procedure and it's not like you newbies have anything to do in the next couple of weeks anyway,” Delhar replied to them. “Yeah, we actually do. We're taking the Stone tooth trials tomorrow, leaving just after the sun goes down. We can't be in some cell,” Boron replied to him and it sounded more like a whine than anything else to anyone who was listening.

The cop's red eyes looked at them. “Stone tooth, eh. So, you live around here then I assume?” he asked them. “Yeah, we live close. You've got to believe us. All we did was come over, we haven't been here more than twenty minutes before you got here,” Ticcen said, but tried to keep her voice to not sound like she was begging or anything. There was still a dim chance they weren't going to get taken away to get asked questions neither of them knew the answer too.

Delhar stared at the three of them. “Stone tooth is a pretty big deal. Alright. You three will be questioned when you get back,” he said and picked up his radio. “Cancel the transport unit, we'll just take the Hound for now,” he said into it. “Got it,” a voice replied and was unquestioning in its tone. “You three might not make it back, so just quick. Where did you find this thing?” Delhar asked them. Boron shook his head.

“Fine, I went outside and it was just lying there. As if it was uncovered by the sand or something,” he said. “Then I used a levitation spell and brought it home. It didn't even have a soul crystal or anything in it. The dog thing couldn't get up even if it wanted to,” Boron said and shrugged. “I thought it was harmless and an easy way to make some money,” he said.

Delhar nodded then. “All of you newbies are the same. You all want easy money so you risk your eternal essence to get it. Going outside, you're crazy. However, if you live through Stone Tooth and after all this is over let me know. I may have a job for you,” Delhar said and listened as the sounds of a truck pulled up outside.

“Does this mean we can go home?” Ticcen asked and the officer rolled his eyes. Just give me your name and information and yes, you can go home. I'll be contacting you when you get back,” he replied. Boron still looked nervous about something. Delhar was eyeing him.

“Is there something you want to say to me?” the cop asked him. “No, I. Well, I just feel really stupid about all of this now. I mean, who would have bought a grave hound anyway?” he asked and looked to the floor. “Necromancers who'd just kill you once they got what they wanted,” Delhar replied and shrugged.

“Necromancers aren't exactly the best business people, you know? In all my years doing this job I don't think I've ever met one who's actually paid. They are pretty death happy. I mean, it's literally in their name,” Delhar said as the front door opened. Two figures walked through dressed in black robes and didn't pay any attention to the four in the room.

The walked right to the backyard to the hound. They watched as the two mysterious figures waved their hands over the skeleton, mutter some kind of alien words. The skeletal hound disappeared and so did they in a bright blue light.

“I'll be back, Boron. You and your friends have good luck at Stone Tooth. And if you survive, remember. I'll be waiting,” Delhar said to them, turned and walked himself out.