A Poor Excuse to Necromancy

(Scene division is rather optional. Dismiss it if you wish.)

SCENE 1.
Dark, dimly lit room, stuffed with some forgotten furniture. For some reasons it reminds of a chapel and a barn simultaneously. Its actual status is irrelevant.

Someone Enters. He can be hardly seen in the weak light.
Boo. Anybody here?...
(Louder) Anybody here who wants to kill meh bloody vampaiar?...
Silence. Fine. Hope this means I’m alone. At last.
What’s the goddamn habit – to look for death? Am I a curiosity of some kind? Or, maybe, it’s kinda some stupid heroic deed – to rush at me with swords and spears? Oh, actually that guy’s been very close to ruining my last shirt today. (Sigh) Ignorant, stupid people, deprived of last shreds of logic and common sense! Look, if a vampire walks in the sunlight, isn’t it clear that garlic and silver probably can’t be enough to destroy him? Sweet Death, it seems like people outside Carmandia are all uneducated villains, stuck in their little dirty past. Barbarians in shining armour, that’s what they are! The fools that believe in fairy tales rather than in what they see with their eyes.
And how can I perform my task well, if I run out of decent shirts and my coat is almost ruined? Argh, ‘twas fine for Kajire to ask me to “go-and-meet-that-necromancer-‘cause-we-have something-to-talk-over--blah-blah-blah”! She could have sent me to the edge of the world as well. (It won’t be much farther, ha-ha. Ha.) Besides, I would’ve been three times this far on my way, if not all the running and hiding and fighting the poor fellas! Why does everyone feel it their duty to stare at me, to talk to me, to fight me?! I’m pretty fed up with it, I swear. Well. Now I’ll have to hide here all the day and ride by nights, like the most miserable worm a vampire can be. Where is my pride? Sweet Death, how disgusting!
(Pulls off his coat) Oh, my poor coat! Several more fights and soon I’ll look like a vagabond. Let’s see, let’s see… the sleeve is cut, and half a dozen holes in the body, and… Sweet Death, I was wrong: it’s not “almost ruined”, it’s totally destroyed. How will I meet the necromancer in such a crap of clothes? Well, at least it’s not stained with blood – at least I don’t smell it – so I can wear it a bit more. And I’ve still got one shirt uncut. No, these humans are really aggressive. (Sigh) I wonder how this necromancer keeps his breed in these priestlands?

SCENE 2.
The same place; lord Hugh Esteroy (vampire) is still standing in the middle of the stage studying the holes in his (quite expensive) coat. A tall figure appears in the background, he is clad in gray hooded mantle, decorated with black and white ribbons; he wears white gloves; white expressionless mask covers his face. He is Death. His full name reads Danathiel A-Cron.

Death: Morning, sir! I haven’t heard you ranting for quite a long while. What’s the reason for your change of mood?
Esteroy (turning around) : Whoakherm… I wasn’t calling upon you now, I recon? (Aside) And I don’t think you care that much of my mood.
D: Can’t I come to a friend without a call?
E: That would be very unlikely. (Pause) Yet, since you’re here, maybe you help me?
D: Hmm?
E: A teleport.
D: Whatever debt I owe you…
E (blankly): Cannot be paid in full.
D: … doesn’t make myself almighty. I walk the world on foot.
E: Yet you always arrive in time.
D: Because where I am, Time cannot exist. Mind for a walk?
E: If this can shorten my way… surely.
D (starts walking) : Let’s go.
E: Wait! Which way?
D: Irrelevant. You’ll see.

As they start walking, the surroundings fade into nothing. It looks like they walk on one place. For some moments they move silently.

E: So? What could make my company interesting to you?
D: (Sigh) Utter boredom, as usual.
E: Boredom? Did people stop dying at all?
D: No plague, no war, no anything at hand. And those several wrecks can wait for me a bit more, I think.
E: Well… what’s the news in the realm of the dead then?
D: Nothing serious, too. Duke Basil of Northstone died – What day’s today? Friday? – a week ago.
E: Old Basil died at last? I didn’t know him much, though.
D: We chatted for a while, and talkative he was… But a week is long time for me.
E: Who else did join you?
D: One of younger Romstwell heirs was poisoned yesterday. No, he was too scared to say anything; I even couldn’t make a decent guess of the whole affair. And in your dear Carmandia a little witch killed herself.
E: Poor girl. Was she scared, too?
D: Actually no. But, unfortunately, I was busy rather not letting one fool-mage disturb her anymore.
E: Quite a story, huh?
D: A sad story, but not much to tell in fact. Love, death… Well, history repeats too often, only that this poor girl couldn’t find peace after she had made her choice. So I spent several moments reassuring the mage in his necrotic abilities.
E: Sad, indeed. It reminds me of one thing though. Cron, what makes people fall to necromancy?
D: It’s hard to say. What makes them attracted to death, in general?
E: That’s a different thing. Some choose to die by themselves, some get killed, and many more die because their death is inevitable. But how many do really raise the dead?
D: A few. And there’s at least one of them whom you know personally. Why not ask him?
E: (Smiles sadly) I know his story too well. At least, in the part of creating myself. This makes it no clearer. Why do they choose such a life?
D: What life?
E: A pitiful one, I think. What good is to raise a perfect, immortal creature, immune to pain, illness, age? To envy your servant?
D: What if there are reasons deeper than getting a servant?
E: What reasons?
D: Love. For example.
E: Oh, is it love?
D: That mage said it was.
E: What knows he about love?
D (skeptically) : You certainly know better.
E: Love is not about keeping someone in a golden cage. Love is… dedication. Yes, Dedication.
D: Yet it’s love that curses people with immortality.
E: And the best case is mine, right?
D: To give the one you love a perfect guardian, isn’t it the best gift ever to be made?
E: Cron, no perfect guard can substitute the beloved. Leave my case, please; it hurts me to have a perfect memory sometimes.
D: Love hurts. Always. One way or another. One man or the other.
E: Only that love you heard of. I am a storyteller not for nothing – not all love stories end up this way.
D: Yet love is always the excuse to interfere in the realm of the dead among the living.
E: A poor excuse it is, and we both know it too well. Love should be caring for the other’s feelings, love is in having the strength to let go.
D: And forget? And give up?
E: I don’t know.
D: Here you are.
E: Yes, I admit it. I am a four-century old immortal vampire, I’ve heard enough stories to fill all the books in the world, and more than half of them were about love… but I cannot understand what stands for this simple word. And look at us – two monsters deprived of any emotion entertain themselves speculating on high philosophy terms! Can we reach any understanding at all?
D: Well…
E (cuts in): In the moments like this, I feel as if balancing on the verge of insanity, reviving the past experience, remembering each and every story heard. Quite unpleasant it is.

He would have said more, but Death stops on his way and the nothingness slowly changes to the vision of a road, iron gates, a forgotten garden and a mansion behind them.

D: Seems like we’ve come to the end of your road now. It’s time to bid you farewell.
E (looking around) : I don’t understand.
D: Neither I do. It just works this way.
E: Well… thanks anyway, I guess.
D: You’re welcome. See you soon.
E: See you.

Death disappears. The surroundings come to life at once.

E: Wait! What did he mean by that ‘see-you-soon’? And why do I have the mean feeling that I won’t be happy to see him?

Esteroy sighs, and turns to the gates. As he touches them, small glow and a rumbling display a warning.

E: Magic seal! Fine, I’ll wait for the welcome.

He sits on the ground, resting his back on the gate-post. He looks like sleeping.

SCENE 3.
Several minutes have passed. It may as well be several hours or even several days. Esteroy is still sitting on the ground with his back against the gate-post. A person appears walking the road (looks quite peasant-like). S/he notices Esteroy and comes closer.

Person: Uh… Sir?
E (lifts his head) : Yes?
P (seems loath to speak): Excuse me, dear sir… Are you a traveler?
E: In some way I am.
P: So… Probably you are new to this place…
E: Huh, you’re pretty right here.
P (Sways from foot to foot and makes some irrelevant gestures) : Well… Then… Excuse me my asking you… but… Do you have some business with this place?
E: Maybe I do, maybe I don’t… What about this place?
P (even more loath): Um… It’s a bad place… Very bad… Place… Indeed…
E (interrupts his mumblings) : Really?
P: Well… They say… They say deemons live here…
E: Where?
P: Over there. (Points at the gates)
E waits patiently for more revelations, his face all expectation.
P: Well… And… Besides… Today we are going… They are going… Um…
E: Well?
P: (Sigh) Well, today’s the All-Saints-Day.
E (starts to lose patience) : And what?
P: And the village folks decided on burning this creepy place down with all the deemons here.
E: Oh.
P: Yes, and they’ll be coming soon, the whole village is coming, to start before the sun goes down. Or, you know all those deemons. Whatever they can do at night.
E: Surely. So prudent of you.
P: Yep. So I just warn you, so that you don’t get messed up with the crowd or the deemons.
E (rising to his feet) : Thanks. (Aside) Seems like I’ve nearly got late.
P: What?
E: What?
P: Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.
E: Oh, nothing. I just have to go now. To hell with the welcome.

Esteroy turns and walks through the closed gates. The person he talked to screams and runs away.

SCENE 4.
Behind the gates Esteroy is met with an unfriendly voice.

Voice: Stand still where you are.
E: And what?
V: And you’ll live.
E starts laughing and laughs for quite a long time. Then suddenly sobers: You’ve lived for too long among the living, vampire. Look at me – can I have what you threaten to take from me?
V: Who the hell are you then?
E: Irrelevant now. I came to see your master, vampire.
V: Why do you think I let you come in?
E: Because I don’t ask for your permission, fool.

The Voice gives out a growl. Before it comes to conflict, a Woman appears in the shadowy archway. (Well, imagine any surroundings you like)

Woman: My name is Alicia and I am the Master here.
E: Lord Hugh Esteroy, glad to meet you, lady (Bows).
Alicia: Esteroy? I don’t recall I heard your name…
E: I came from quite distant lands, and that’s partly the business I wish to discuss with you.
A: I am all attention, sir.
V: What business can a vampire have with us, Alice? Be careful, please, for he comes for your life and your mansion.
E (smiles at the last comment) : The ones who come for your life will be here soon, I’m afraid.
V: Hey, don’t try to frighten us!
A: I don’t understand. Who?
E: Oh, those villagers. They seem to be willing to destroy your place.

Sounds of a mob can be heard in the distance.

V: And you are so kind as to come and tell us about it, right? Maybe it was your idea to bring the mob here?
A: No, it can’t be them. I used to cure them, I used to heal them.
E: The truth is, people can be very ungrateful.
A: I don’t believe.
V: Well, sir? I recon, you came here with a kind of business, eh?
E (listens to the growing sound of the mob) : I recon, my business can wait. Do you have a place to flee to? They will be here in a matter of minutes.
A: I’ll talk to them. (Starts walking towards the gates)
E: Wait! Don’t do this. They are not the ones you can talk into peace.
A: What do you know? I lived with them for years, I talked to them, I know every one of them. And they know me, they won’t hurt me.
E: At least take your vampires to protect you. What d’you thinks, the-Voice-in-the-shadow?
V: This time I must admit you’re right, monster.
E: I don’t care being called monster. But I don’t know your name yet.

Another lady comes  in sight. She is an exact copy of lady Alicia, but too pale to be alive. She smiles and all doubts vanish: she is a vampire.

Lady: This is Vitor, our brother. And I am Nadine. C’mon Vitor, stop hiding and let’s go accompany Alice.

The three of them come to the gates, Esteroy keeps out of sight behind them. The mob is near.

SCENE 5.
The mob appears at the gates of the mansion. They look like peasants, armed with pitchforks, spades and large torches. A few have swords. Lady Alicia meets them behind the gates, Vitor and Nadine keep close to her, but still in the shadows. It’s not clearly visible that they are vampires.

A: Afternoon, everyone. What –

The mob rumbles louder now. The greets like “Hi, witch” and “Bring out your deemons” and the like can be heard.

A (continues ignoring the insults): What business brought you here to my home?
Mob Person 1: Come out, witch, and bring your demons with you! (General mob cheer)
A: What are you talking about? I am here before you and there’s no demon in this place.
Mob Person 2: Don’t lie to us now, witch. Here, I have (Shows up an indefinite bunch of stuff like garlic, tiny silver chain, some wooden splinters and something else) an amulet, a spell-breaking amulet, so that you won’t charm me! And your deemons won’t touch me!

General mob rupture, sounds of approval, some other men show their ‘amulets’ too.

A: Wait, wait, I’m not a witch! You know me for many years!
MP2: You charmed us! You cheated us!
A: None of that was in my mind. And nothing wrong I did to any of you.
Mob Person 3: My son died because of you!
A: No, no, don’t say so, please, don’t! It was too late to do anything for him – his wounds were deep and…
MP3 (interrupts): You cast spells on him and he died!

The mob roars and mob person’s voice is drowned. As people quiet once again, mob person 1 is speaking again.

MP1: …she casts madjick, her evil witch’s madjick.
A (weakly, as if frightened by the mob’s pressure): I healed you, I cured you…
MP3 (mockingly): For my demons to kill you! (Slight mob uproar again)
MP1: We need not your evil gifts, witch! No longer will you trick us!

Someone of the mob comes to the gates to push them open. The gates display magic warning.

Someone of the mob: Look, magic again!

The mob is infuriated now. They all rush at the gates, and the magic seal is too weak to hold them. The gates fly open.
Frightened, Alicia steps back to where her vampires are standing.
Esteroy comes closer to them, but not so close as to be noticed yet.
As the gates open, people pause for a beat. They start poking their swords, spades, pitchforks and other stuff in the direction of Alicia, Nadine and Vitor.

A: Please, people, why are you doing this? Stop, please! Bethink yourself, please!
MP1: You won’t make fools of us again, witch! Today is the All-Saints-Day, and with the help of the Saints, and a proper prayer, and the master priest who visited us on this great day – you will be destroyed with all your demons’ nest, once and forever!

Mob cheers.

A (in despair): Please…

People start moving towards Alicia and her companions, their stuff pointed forward. Before anyone reacts, somebody throws a pitchfork at Alicia. Esteroy gasps.

SCENE 6.
Alicia is lying on the ground, wounded, and her blood quickly drains out of her. Nadine is kneeling beside her; Vitor seems ready to kill anyone who comes any closer.
The mob is staring at them.
Esteroy moves forward.

E (to the mob, deliberately slowly, in malicious voice): Deemons, you said? You want to see deemons here, right? Am I right?

The mob is silent.

E (comes closer to the mob) (calmly): I’ll show you the real demos now. Since you wished this so much.

As the mob still stares at him, he starts transforming. Mid-sized hounds start protruding out of his body (well, technically, out of his coat). There are about a dozen of them and they are quite fierce-looking. The mob tries throwing their weapons at Esteroy, but somehow he seems indifferent to all of them. Finally, the front rows of the mob start to back out; the rears have not quite realized what’s going on yet. Esteroy laughs and lets his biting hounds after the mob. In a matter of minutes, all of the mob is gone.

SCENE 7.
Esteroy, Alicia, Nadine and Vitor are on the same places.
Esteroy turns away from the gates and surveys the scene. Alicia is hardly alive.

E: I am really sorry it turned out this way.
V (kneeling beside Alicia) : Don’t die, sis… It’s okay, just don’t die… Sis… SIS?!

All colours fade to gray, Vitor and Nadine remain immobile in their places. Death appears.

D: Welcome, Alicia, the daughter of the mages killed and burnt, their only surviving child.
A (sits in her place, blood is no more running) : What?.. How?..
E: Let me explain. You’ve just died.

Alicia stares at him in disbelief.

E: Well, as a matter of fact, I came here to discuss one thing with you. And it’s not too late yet.
D (to Esteroy): Probably you didn’t notice my arrival.
E: You are not in a hurry, you told me recently. And I still have an unresolved question.
D: Okay. Ask.
E (to Alicia): Well… I came here from Carmandia, a land of mages. After a wave of witch-hunting around the world Carmandia is the only country where a mage can feel himself safe. So my proposal is for you to come to Carmandia.
D: Humph. Nonsense – she is dead.
E (to Alicia): You have to make your choice now. You die and they (points at Vitor and Nadine) perish and you three join Death. Or you may choose to extend your presence here, and I make you a vampire, and we all go to Carmandia.

Alicia looks from Vitor to Nadine and back to Vitor, but they remain motionless and silent.

E: It’s your choice, not theirs.

CURTAIN.

Death and Esteroy walk out from behind the curtain, deep in conversation. They are walking towards an exit.

D: You knew, didn’t you?
E: No, I didn’t. Neither I understand the reasons.
D: Maybe love?
E: It’s not a reason, it’s an excuse.
D: And here we are back at our philosophy.

Esteroy shrugs, and they depart.