#BFM oc: Necromancer

[butterfrogmantis]

A roaring, rushing sound. A warm, pleasant place, lingering for only a few moments and then ... cold. Darkness. Silence.

Then a low hum, slowly increasing in volume and clarity and he could see a hooded figure above him, as well as the inside of a complex stony cave.

"It worked ... can you hear me? Can you remember anything?"

"Rrrr" The confused reply came.

"Hm" The hooded figure took a small book out of a satchel tied about his waist and began taking notes, talking aloud to himself as he did so. "Day 1 - experiment seems to be a success. The skeleton is alive. Unclear how much - if any - memory it has. Unclear if it understands speech"

The hooded figure slipped the notebook back into his satchel and turned to face the rather confused figure lying where he'd left him.

"Listen skeleton, I am Necromancer Smurf. I have restored you. In return, you are to help me with my experiments. Do you understand speech?"

The skeleton's glowing yellow eyes blinked and he made a guttural noise from the glow about his throat.

Disappointing, Necromancer thought. Here he was accomplishing the forbidden arts and yet his first step would be to train his creation like a toddler. Still, the process of revival had sapped much of his strength, and this may be the time needed to restore it. After all, such greatness couldn't be rushed.

***

Sorcerer carefully descended into the cave, running a hand along the rocky wall for guidance. The old diaries he'd found from a Necromancer Smurf many centuries ago seemed to have implied he left the village for this very island. And perhaps this island held the next set of clues about the achievements he made in life. As morally questionable as he was, Necromancer had to have been a fascinating man, and if any of his findings were useful to the Smurfs then Sorcerer found it made sense to bring those discoveries back for examination.

At the end of the cave, Sorcerer brushed aside a piece of fabric that was hung like a curtain and held his torch aloft. Jackpot. Piles of old books, papers, rudimentary carved desks. Jars of bones and items of unidentifiable origins. Sorcerer made his way to one of the books and picked it up.

"Hm, that's strange. None of these books are dusty .."

Actually, the whole cave was rather clean. Suspiciously so, considering Necromancer had already been an older Smurf a couple of generations before. Perhaps it was something magical in the cave. Sorcerer flipped to a random page in the middle of the notebook he was holding and began to read.

"It grows weaker by the day, I fear my creation will not last much longer on small sacrifices alone. If it is to fail, then I am to commit the ultimate sacrifice. I am an old and weak Smurf now, and I refuse to let my accomplishments go in vain. I will sooner defy Death before I ever meet them in their kingdom."

Well that was ominous. What an earth was Necromancer's creation, let alone the ‘ultimate sacrifice’. Maybe one of the other books had the answer. Sorcerer was reaching for another one when a voice startled him.

“Hey! You there – oh my Smurf, you’re a Smurf!”

Sorcerer whipped around, knowing it couldn’t possibly be Necromancer himself - even Smurfs don’t live that long. But when the light of the torch fell upon the figure, Sorcerer wished it had been.

If it wasn’t for sheer shock keeping him rooted to the spot in sheer terror, Sorcerer might have fainted then and there. It was impossible. It was shocking. It was … amazing how this pile of bones was talking to him right now. A tall, skeletal figure with hollow sockets and glowing golden pupils loomed over him. Well partly skeletal. Sorcerer couldn’t help but notice the blue skin that still clung to some of his form. Had this … creature been a Smurf? “N-Necromancer?” Sorcerer croaked out quietly once he’d gotten over his initial shock.

“Necr- no no silly that was my old master, he’s long gone if you’re looking for that guy. But hey you’re a Smurf! And I don’t get many visitors – well some guys come to the island every few years or so but they always seem to run away for some reason, you must be different!”

The creature held out a bony hand in what looked like a friendly enough gesture.

“I’m Skeleton Smurf. Friends would call me Skelly - if I had any, actually that’s mostly what I call myself. I have to talk to myself here, I’d go CRAZY if I didn’t, do you have any idea how long I’ve been here? No me neither. A long time. Anyway it’s great to see another Smurf after so long!”

Sorcerer had stopped listening half way through because his mind and heart were racing with anticipation. He’d set out to bring books back to the village. He had no idea what Papa would have to say about this discovery.

***

“How do – erm hi, sorry”

Skelly turned his head. A shorter Smurf wearing beige that he’d not seen before was standing just behind him, fiddling nervously with the strap of his shoulder bag. He was very clearly addressing Skelly, but seemed nervous about his approach.

Since coming to the village a few weeks ago most Smurfs except Sorcerer and Papa had avoided him like the plague, so this was new. Skelly’s curiosity was peaked even before the stranger began speaking again.

“T’is awkward … err well when a’ heard Sorcerer had brought back a skeleton a while ago a was curious y’see, a just didn’t realise it t’were a er, well um…”

“Living one?” Skelly grinned, now turning to face the Smurf with the strange hat directly.

“Reet! A mean tha’s crazy – not you! Am sure yer a great fella, a just meant – ah, what am tryna say is - Am Archaeologist Smurf”

Archaeologist held out an awkward hand for the skeleton to shake.

“Youse can call me Archie, everyone else does. Tha’s my thing – archaeology; history, old pots, bones, am kind of an expert on all tha’”

“Ah I get it” Skelly’s yellow eyes glowed brighter for a second. A Smurf who was interested rather than terrified was a good start “You think I’m fascinating!”

“Err, well in an archaeological sense”

“Good, it’s about time someone recognised it” Skelly thrust his non-boney hand into Archie’s outstretched one and shook it enthusiastically “Call me Skelly – everyone else does! I like you Arch-of-ology Smurf, I think we’ll get on just fine”

“Ah, quite” Archie shook his wrist once the skeleton let go; Skelly had a surprisingly strong grip for a guy with no working muscle system. “Erm a ‘ope this isn’t too personal a question, Mr.Skelly, but do you ‘ave any idea ‘ow old you are?”

“Mm .. not really. Sorcerer gave me some numbers on his estimate but I wasn’t really listening, maths has never been my strong thing, why?”

Archie’s eyes lit up for a second.

“Ah, tell me – ‘ave you ever been carbon dated?”

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

First impressions are very important after all

Archie (c) The Smurfs (and Sorcerer technically but adapted by me)

Necromancer and Skelly are mine

#the smurfs #smurfs #my art #BFM oc: Skelly #BFM oc: Necromancer #Archaeologist Smurf #Sorcerer Smurf #Baby Smurf #Archie & Skelly #necromancy