Necromancer's Neoteny

"First you must give before you can take," Ganelon's words echoed in Ajax's eardrum. "You must loose so that you desire to regain."

Loose he had, for Ajax did every sacrifice that was necessary of him prior to initiation. Though handicapping himself wasn't his original agenda, it was done in order for him to learn the importance of life and its many natural blessings.

"What have you lost?" Ganelon circled him, trying to unnerve Ajax as easily as possible.

"Vision in my right eye."

"And?"

"Flexor retinaculum, Achilles, patella, lower ribs..."

"And?!"

"Kidney, virility, family, friendships."

"And what have you gained?" Ganelon stopped, pressing so close that Ajax could smell the smoky scent of incense and charcoal emanating off his pores.

"Understanding. All that I've lost made me stronger. All that I've lost made me learn in order to regain it."

"Have you truly regained everything?"

Ajax's head turned downwards, thoughts of her flashed in his mind. He knew she'd be happier without him. Yet, that's not what he wanted to believe. Still, he chose not to object. That was his decision. This was his path.

"No."

"Good." Ganelon chuckled slowly at first, then into a violent fit of laughter. Soon the surrounding audience joined in.

Peering beneath his cloak, Ajax may have healed all the damage that he laid waste to himself, but the scars would never heal.

Placing a rusty blade within his hand, Ganelon gestured towards Ajax's sole comforter. Picking his head off the floor, he turned his head queerly, questioning Ajax's motives.

Gritting his teeth, he'd threw the blade down in rejection of the initiation's rules. "Fuck that. Come, Baskerville. We're leaving."

As the two exited the chapel a member stood up, but Ganelon placed a hand, stopping her. "He'll come back. They always do."

Traipsing through the woods, Baskerville bounded with glee meanwhile Ajax sulked. Where would he go now? He had no family, no home, and now no sect to belong to. The paladins wouldn't want him, and neither would the clergy nor the academics. Where was he to turn?

As he pondered, his goosepimples erected. Animosity filled the air. The trees' shadows clawed out for him, hoisting him with unworldly strength, suffocating him. Panicking, Baskerville attacked the trees' bark. His bite proved useless.

Cervus', sciuridae', strigiformes', and vulpes' skeletons emerged from the leaf litter, shadows filling their forms where their bones could not.

Like a sacrificial lamb, Baskerville was sent to a slaughter. Barely hanging on to a thread of life, Ajax was forced to look on, hearing Baskerville's whimpers as he fought for his very life. Yet, Baskerville couldn't kill that which is already dead.

Once enough blood was shed, Ajax was released. Crawling to comfort his only friend, he let out a blood curdling howl. Seeing Baskerville's open chest cavity, Ajax reached for his still beating heart, praying fervently as he gripped it. Yanking it out, Ajax scarfed it down his throat.

Craving vengeance, Ajax cried.

"BASKERVILLE! FETCH ME THEIR SOULS!"

Thavien's Tokens: "This microfiction is crafted for Matthew Fromm's High Fantasy Challenge." Details are linked below.