Corbyn`s turned out to be an upscale stone building. Music escaped into the night air through glowing windows. A barrel-chested dwarf and fearsome orc chatted in the doorway. The guards greeted Bruno, Delilah, and Allison by name and welcomed the group inside.

　　The music picked up as they entered a world separate from the cool, silent night outside. The tavern was warm and lively. Jeremiah felt immediately out of place. A sleek mahogany bar lined one wall, with mirrored shelves filled with liquors in elaborate crystal bottles. A raised stage in the center of the room supported a trio of performers: an elf played a melodic brass pipe which effused clouds of sweet-scented smoke, a singing gnome pounded a hardy rhythm on a kettle drum, and a beautiful half-elven girl danced in kaleidoscopic silks like a living rainbow. The rest of the space was filled with couches around sturdy tables and armchairs conspiring in the corners.

　　Jeremiah gaped in the entrance before getting nudged by Bruno.

　　"C`mon tourist, let`s grab a seat and a drink."

　　From the back of the room, a huge, bearded man stood and bellowed across the bar. "Allison Allday, you rotten liar! People are saying that your no-talent self took down a gods damned Matriarch!" Almost every patron in the bar stole a glance toward her, and a few openly stared.

　　Allison puffed out her chest and marched toward the man`s table with exaggerated swagger. "Not only did I KILL a Matriarch, I slaughtered her guards"— she stepped onto a chair at the man`s table— "plundered her Warren"— she continued her march to stand on his table— "didn`t lose a single man"— she stepped up one foot on the man`s shoulder and leaned down over him— "and I looked damn good doing it!"

　　A cheer erupted from the tavern. The man and his friends lifted the table with Allison on it, hands on her hips and looking over her admirers imperiously as they cheered.

　　"Such a ham," said Bruno, pulling Jeremiah over to a fireside couch that Delilah had selected.

　　Allison sat with the group of men, who appeared to be other warriors and soldiers, and trading insults and laughs. A waitress appeared beside Bruno, Delilah, and Jeremiah to take their orders.

　　"Three shots of rum, two whiskey," said Bruno.

　　"Martini. Dry," said Delilah.

　　Jeremiah started to check his pockets, but Delilah stopped him. "You`re on our tab tonight." She nodded to the waitress.

　　"Fortified wine," Jeremiah said. "A double, actually!"

　　Bruno clapped him on the back. "Attaboy! Let`s have some fun!"

　　Their drinks came and they toasted to a good night. Before long, Delilah spotted someone at the bar. Jeremiah followed her gaze to see a pair of distinguished looking gentlemen engaged in intense conversation. She excused herself and sashayed her way toward to the two men, who seemed to recognize her and greeted her respectfully. Jeremiah felt a painful flick to his ear.

　　"I know, but quit staring," said Bruno. "I`ve got a man to see about a medusa. Go sit with Allison and make some friends. Oh, and make sure you have fun." Bruno made his way to one of the pairs of whispering chairs in a dark corner. There was no one in the adjoining chair, or at least there didn`t appear to be.

　　Jeremiah followed Bruno`s advice and went to join Allison. She waved him over, her cheeks already flushed from the ale she was drinking. She kicked the person next to her out of their seat and pulled Jeremiah down beside her.

　　"This is the lost little mage we found outside the Warren!" she said a little too loudly. "A conjurer hoping to do it all alone! Brave lad, eh?"

　　The men around the table cheered and their raised glasses. Jeremiah smiled and raised his glass as well. He found the bravado of their boisterous celebration came easily to his lips. "You should have seen this woman! Brought down that beast with axe and spear like a hero of legend!"

　　The men cheered again and begged Allison and Jeremiah to tell them the story. He followed Allison`s lead, trading the tale back and forth with her as they recounted their descent into the warren. Jeremiah allowed himself to be swept up in the excitement. It was thrilling, to be lauded as a hero, and any fear Jeremiah would have had of speaking in front of a crowd was soon swept away by his drink and their audience`s adulation.

　　Jeremiah and Allison rebounded details off each other and built on embellishments, building in volume until they were shouting to the whole tavern. Even the performers paused to listen. As they reached the climax of their tale, Jeremiah allowed Allison to take the lead, and listened to a version of events that edited him out completely. He stepped away from the table amid roaring cheers. There was a sour feeling in his heart now, his smile grew more and more forced. He excused himself back to his own table.

　　Jeremiah sat by himself, watching as Allison cheered another adventurer`s boasts. Bruno shared a pipe with whoever occupied his opposite chair while Delilah held court with a group of aristocrats, discussing something about taxation law and river commerce. His mood spiraled ever downward. Much as he wanted to be a part of this band, he never could be. He was a necromancer. They might act like his friends, but they`d be glad to be rid of him.

　　He sneered at the bottom of his cup. No wonder necromancers end up living alone. Suddenly the magic you know is more important than your actions.

　　The couch cushion rolled under him like an ocean wave. Allison had sat beside him, her breath thick with alcohol. "What`s wrong? Why you over here sulking like a preacher in the rain?" Her speech was slightly slurred.

　　Jeremiah contemplated pretending things were fine. But hell, it was his last night. Might as well be honest. "I know why you did it, but it sucked being cut out of the story. It just reminds me that I have to leave soon. And not even because of anything I did, but because you all are afraid of what I know."

　　He watched with some satisfaction as Allison`s cheeriness clouded over. Then she surprised him by leaning her head on his shoulder. "Can`t you just not be a&a what-you-are?" she asked with a heavy sadness. "If you didn`t do it, there wouldn`t be a problem. We wouldn`t care if you only knew how."

　　"I`m not interested in being a burden or a butler." He put a little venom in his voice. "How would you feel if you weren`t allowed to carry a shield anymore, because someone else decided they were evil?"If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it`s taken without the author`s consent. Report it.

　　Allison tensed at his accusatory tone. She sat up. "That`s not a fair comparison."

　　"It is to me."

　　Allison`s mouth twisted. "Try to have fun, Jay." Then she returned to her friends, leaving him all alone again.

　　As Jeremiah continued to stew, his anger eroded to sadness. His self-pity disgusted him, but he couldn`t escape it. Like I could ever be a real adventurer anyway. I`m pathetic.

　　The waitress brought another cup of wine, which he accepted against his better judgement. The music grew oppressively loud, the fire burned too hot. Soon, even the wine tasted sour. Jeremiah emptied his cup and made for the door. He didn`t want to bother any of the others by telling them he was leaving, although he felt Bruno`s eyes on him on his way out.

　　The chilled night embraced him. Jeremiah wandered the dark streets, eager to leave the tavern behind. Distant bells echoed through the alleys, and Jeremiah let his feet carry him, paying no mind where they went. He wished he could recapture the frustration he felt before, could wash away his misery with righteous anger. But he just felt painfully alone.

　　Jeremiah wandered for the sake of wandering, hoping that maybe if he got lost enough tomorrow wouldn`t come. The bells that had stalked him had become very close, and they tolled with frantic rapidity. A bright orange glow illuminated the sky a few streets over. A distraction would be more than welcome. He made for it at once.

　　Jeremiah rounded the corner to see a tall residence building engulfed in flames. People scrambled on the street, shouting and pushing past each other, and more people poured out of their homes. The clanging bells echoed up and down the streets, each bell seeming to awaken another.

　　Jeremiah turned to an old man watching the commotion. "Is someone coming?"

　　"Aye," the man replied. "Fire brigade should be here any minute, meantime everyone tries to keep things under control."

　　Lines of people formed between the burning building and the public wells. Jeremiah wanted to help, but feared he`d only be in the way as people began heaving buckets of water onto the fire. The inferno raged on, unconcerned by their efforts.

　　Then the screams started, screams that froze everyone in their tracks. A person burst through a window of the second floor of the burning building, shattering the glass, and fell to the street below, engulfed in flames.

　　The screams stopped. Bystanders rushed to the fallen body, but it lay utterly still.

　　Several onlookers cried out in horror. Air rushed through the broken window and the flames surged. Moments later, half of the upper floor shuddered and collapsed. The bucket line scattered as an avalanche of burning timber crashed to the ground.

　　Jeremiah shielded his face as a wave of heat prickled his skin. The bucket line reformed quickly and doused the rubble. This time, Jeremiah moved to help. He joined several others in kicking aside the newly fallen debris, looking for survivors. The only people they managed to pull from the smoldering pile were burned black from head to toe. They gathered the unfortunate souls to one side of the scene as they kept looking.

　　A crowd of onlookers was forming. The bucket lines continued to douse the nearest flames, but the main fire was beyond their reach. Jeremiah was looking for some other way to help when a dozen men in heavy leather coats and full body coverings arrived.

　　The fire brigade scoured the perimeter, searching for a safe way into the building. Two, then three of them gathered around the same spot, then one man removed his mask and shouted louder then Jeremiah had ever heard someone shout before.

　　"QUIET!!!"

　　All bucket movement and chatter on the street ceased, leaving only the roar of the fire. The three fire brigadiers leaned close and listened again, before waving their fellows over and ordering bucket lines to extend to the same spot.

　　"WE`RE COMING! STAY WHERE YOU ARE! LAY DOWN ON THE GROUND!" the loud man bellowed into the building. The bucket lines worked at an invigorated pace, hurling water at the entrance to douse the flames. The fire raged back, though, and their efforts were barely enough to hold it at bay.

　　The building groaned. Jeremiah heard timbers crumbling inside. The fire brigade began shoving the bucket line away from the building. "MOVE! MOVE! IT`S COMING DOWN!"

　　There were anguished cries from the crowd. The fire seemed to roar in victory, the flames devouring the building like a starved beast.

　　Oh, you`ve got to be kidding me, Jeremiah thought. Don`t make me do this&

　　He approached the building, right up to the line enforced by the brigade. He saw their rage and frustration. One of them was arguing with his superior, begging. Jeremiah couldn`t hear everything, but he heard enough to understand—people were still alive in there.

　　There was no time for subtlety, Jeremiah turned and moved to kneel beside the bodies he`d helped pull out of the rubble. He spoke, gestured, and silently apologized to the mass of people for the horror they were about to witness.

　　The blackened bodies cracked as he animated them, including a little extra necromantic energy to break out of their rigid shells. People saw him, he knew they did, but he tuned out their screams to concentrate on his task. The blackened husks split as liquified flesh poured through the widening gaps like cracked eggs. Red-stained boney fingers tore through the bodies as one dwarven and three human skeletons rose. The skeletons` slick bones reflected firelight as they stood at attention before Jeremiah. People fainted and ran.

　　Jeremiah willed the skeletons towards the burning building, to seek life and protect it. The dwarven skeleton charged into the inferno, smashing through a wall as the three humans leapt eight feet into the air right into the heart of the flames. Jeremiah sat down in the dirt and focused. He knew he wouldn`t have much time. His orders were complicated (seek, protect, remove obstacles) and he could afford no distractions. He closed his eyes to concentrate on his minions.

　　Heat. Fire. Light. Sound. Voice. Voice! Get closer, closer, closer. Climb. Crawl. Lift. Closer. Loud Voice! Screaming. Fear.

　　Jeremiah muttered a curse. The people inside were already terrified for their lives, and now the undead were emerging from the flames. Nevertheless, he had to keep trying.

　　Beckon. Clear. Beckon. Protect. Sooth. Screaming. Fear. Grab. Lift. Drag.

　　His focus was shaken only slightly when something knocked into him. He was aware of shouting, of bodies moving around him, but pushed it away. It didn`t matter.

　　It was a mess in there! It was impossible to tell if he was leading them toward safety or further into the fire. He gritted his teeth and concentrated as hard as he could, letting his consciousness delve into the bubbles and struggling to interpret the streams of information from his minions. Slowly, the internal layout of the building became clearer in his mind.

　　Jeremiah ordered the dwarven skeleton to lead, lifting and clearing a path through the debris. The other skeletons followed the new path, dragging the survivors behind them. He prayed the building would withstand the additional damage long enough for them to escape.

　　There were several raised voices beside Jeremiah now. A heavy thud as something landed in front of him. He risked opening his eyes and saw the face of an angry man, his lip and nose bleeding and his face pressed hard into the dirt by a black boot. He followed the man`s twisted arm to see Allison, backlit by the inferno and looking just as powerful. She yelled something at the crowd. Two other people stood near him, and he guessed who they were.

　　The building groaned again and the rest of the second floor collapsed. A plume of fire lit up the night sky.

　　Air! Faster! Pull. Push. Blocked. Heat. Smash. Smash! SMASH!!

　　A wall exploded outward as the dwarven skeleton pounded its way through the weakened construction. Behind it, the other skeletons dragged two elven adults and two elven children through the hole. Jeremiah leapt to his feet to see. They were all injured, and three of the four were unconscious. But he knew they were alive. He didn`t know how he knew, but he knew.

　　The skeletons dragged the bodies toward the fire brigade, who raised their axes in defense. Jeremiah immediately severed the connection and the four skeletons clattered to the ground, motionless. As the fire brigade tended to the rescued elves, Jeremiah turned toward the gathered crowd, hoping to at least address them before he was lynched. Instead, he saw a furious pair of eyes, tinted with midnight blue, then a cloth clamped over his face, and everything went dark.