Esthetic is important!

They stood on the quiet clearing surrounded by tall trees, somewhere deep in the forest. There was a tranquil silence and peace, before a loud THUMB.

Second THUMB came right after, birds flying from the tree crowns, screaming in panic.

Third THUMB forced the hiding deers running out for their lives, as the trees were ripped from the ground and sent flying.

Fourth and last THUMB left the forest with a hole; trees lying everywhere, dirt and rocks still falling from the sky.

After a few more minutes of silence Seth turned to Ben and shook his head. “I don’t think this is it…”

“Hmm,” Ben huffed. “You say that about all my ideas. I think this could work.”

Seth shook his head again and looked at Ola for help. She was standing a good distance behind them, ready to run if anything went wrong. To say she was light on her feet would be an insult to the runners guild. She was so light on her feet, she could practically fly.

Ola was completely hypnotized by the sight in front of her and didn’t even notice Seth looking at her. She jumped when he called her again, looking around like a cat caught in the middle of the night. “What? Why?” She shuddered before focusing on Seth. “Yes, yeah. I think Seth is right, Ben. This isn’t going to work…”

Ben stood there for a few more minutes, his back turned to them, slightly shivering in the morning breeze. Then he sighed and nodded. “I suppose, you are right.” He snapped his fingers and the five meter tall ‘experiment’ in front of him fell into the sets of bones and flesh.

Ben turned, kicked a pebble closest to him and started walking towards the parting back to the city. His companions soon caught up to him, both clearly relieved, the experiment was over. It wasn’t the first one, but by far the scariest.

They walked in silence before Seth tried: “Well, it was a good idea. Just…” he looked for the right words, when Ola interjected: “Scary. Very scary.”

Seth threw her an irritating look, clearly saying she should help him cheer Ben up, not kick him while he is down. She rolled her eyes, but then sighed and tried again: “So… what exactly was this thing supposed to do, Ben?”

“Wood,” Ben mumbled.

“What with wood?” Ola frowned.

Ben sighed, “I was thinking how we can show people necromancy can be useful, so I thought about different ways these constructs could help people, right?”

“Yea,” Ola nodded. “That’s why we are doing all these scary experiments, right?”

“Uhmh,” mumbled Ben, trying really hard to ignore the word ‘scary’. “So, this construct would help people cut firewood, you know? Like how people now have to take axe every day and cut the logs to something they can move and even before that, a woodsman has to cut the tree down and make that log.”

“Okay…” Ola hesitated, “and this construct would make it easier?”

“Even better!” Ben grew excited, Ola usually didn’t care for his ideas. But he had good ones, he knew it. “They could skip all that. The construct would just walk towards a tree and then, part by part, cut it until it has small logs people can burn.”

“That actually does sound useful,” Ola nodded. “But…” she frowned. “Why were there all the extra limbs? And,” she shuddered. “The skulls?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ben shrugged, “the limbs were needed to move around the logs once they are cut. And the skulls… well…” Now Ben hesitated before shrugging again. “Decorations.”

“WHAT?” Ola stopped and stared at Ben. “You put there skulls as decorations?”

Ben stopped as well and smiled, fidgeting his fingers. “Well, I needed the teeth, right? For the saw. And, well since I needed teeth I had all these skulls laying around so I thought it would be a waste to leave them in the ground… Mum always said, you shouldn’t waste the good material and aesthetics matter, you know?” Ben was looking down on the ground, a bit red around the ears. “I could make the construct just with bones and teeth, but it wouldn’t look nice.”

Ola had no words. Not for the first time, she considered if Wert was really such a bad party member.

Seth, feeling the tension, stepped in. “Ben, I-” he hesitated. “I do see the appeal of the skulls, and yes waste is bad…” Seth ignored Ola’s scorching eyes on his back. “But,” he continued. “People don’t like skulls that much.”

Ben wasn’t ready to give up yet: ”But, there are skulls everywhere! I saw them on the walls in the taverns and the guilds. That’s not fair!”

Ola slowly inhaled, “ANIMAL SKULLS,” she screamed. “Those were animal skulls, Ben. That thing you made had HUMAN skulls.”

“Hm,” Ben frowned. “What’s the diffe-”. He didn’t get a chance to finish. Ola growled, rolling her eyes to the sky and stumped up ahead.

Seth shrugged and petted Ben on the shoulders, “it was a good idea Ben. Maybe… just fewer human skulls next time.”

----------------------------------------

They were sitting in the tavern, resting after another day of trying to show how not evil necromancers are. Ben was irritated, Ola still frowning from their afternoon confrontation and Seth sat between them, making sure they didn't bicker.

“How about I got us something to drink?” Seth hopped up, trying to raise the mood at the table. “Hm,” grunted Ben and Ola’s frown slightly softened. Seth took that as an agreement and quickly got up to fetch something.

Ola watched him walk away, head resting on her hand. “Have you noticed how much money he has?” She mumbled, not even looking at Ben.

“Hm?”

“He always pays for everything,” she yawned. “I never met an adventurer who had so much money; it’s weird.” Ola looked directly at Ben. “But you don’t even get the concept of needing money, right?”

Ben just shrugged, “there was always a lot of food at the castle. So, I don’t really know what I would need money for.”

“That’s why most people adventure Ben…” She coughed and raised her voice: “LOOT, Comrades, think about the LOOT.” She chuckled. “Remember, how Wert was holding it like a carrot in front of everyone? People need money, Ben, I- I need money. You don’t even know how lucky we are that Seth is paying for everything.”

Just as she finished, Seth returned to their table. Without hesitation Ben grabbed one of the mugs and asked, “Hey Seth, where do you get money from?”

A silence followed, Ola stared at Ben, mouth wide open. Seth looked at Ben, then at Ola. He was quiet as he moved the other mug in front of Ola and sat down. Then he coughed, freed up his tunic and looked at Ben. It seemed like he was considering something for a while. His eyes flickered to Ola, just for a second before resting back on Ben. “It’s not…” he started. “Don’t worry about it guys. I can pay for stuff for a while.”

Ben just shrugged and nodded, “Okay, thanks for the drink.” He laughed and took a sip. Ola just stared at them both, she wasn’t sure if she could roll her eyes far enough to express her exasperation.

“Money aside,” Seth said. “What are we going to do now?”

“What I am going to do is go to bed. Night guys.” Ola said with a yawn and headed towards the stairs to her room.

“Nighty night!” Ben waved after her, still enjoying his drink. Seth just sighed, taking a sip himself. “You know…” he mumbled softly towards Ben. “I am not sure she is too happy with us.”

“Why?” Ben’s round eyes shined with puzzlement.

“Well,” Seth shrugged. “She isn’t a fan of the ehm… constructs, you make. I think it’s difficult for her.”

“Hmm… But why doesn’t she say anything?”

“She is saying it. Just… not with words. She complains about it all the time, right? She is grumpy and bored and just doesn’t know what to do. All those small things say she isn’t happy.”

Ben just shrugged, “we can just ask her.”

Seth frowned in response, “I am not sure that will be it Ben. She doesn’t have other places to go and we don’t do anything that could be fun for her.” Set thought for a bit longer and then waved his hand. “But it’s not like you are not right, she can speak up. Still…” he shrugged. “Maybe we can make this more fun for her.” Then Seth stretched, finishing his drink and got up. “I will head up to our room too. Night Ben.”

“Good night,” Ben mumbled, already deep in thought.