It took Zephyra a few hours to search and find the area that the church had imprisoned Bob. It was largely guess work. She had never been to the temple. She didn't know much about the layout. But, she searched through surroundings and happened to find two acolytes guarding a door to the cellar.

To be honest, she wasn't even sure that Bob was inside. But, it seemed like the most likely option. Time was running out. And, she didn't have many other choices, if she was going to question him. 

After all, she may be a necromancer. But, she was still just a fledgling. She couldn't take on entire battalions and raze the church to the ground to perform a dating rescue. 

"I have to be quiet. And, this will have to be quick. If they notice before I get away, I'll be dead." Zephyra thought somberly to herself. 

"I think that I'm ready. You can come back now, little one." She whispered her command through the connection to her servant. 

The small mouse gave a tiny little squeak of assent and scurried back to the rooftop that Zephyra had hidden herself. 

Zephyra snuck down from the roof and scooped up her companion. She walked up to the wall. And, took a running jump at it. She kicked off the hard stone and propelled herself upward. She barely reached the top, and somehow managed to cling onto the ledge as she pulled herself to the top.

The necromancer scanned her surroundings from on top of her perch. She had gone unnoticed. The church was just as quiet as it had been. She let herself breathe a sigh of relief. Then, she jumped down into the courtyard as quietly as she could. 

Her feet hit the ground and she rolled gracelessly across the cobblestone. She quickly shot to her feet and dashed into the shadow of a nearby building. 

A pair of quiet spoken voices drifted on the air. Zephyra froze up. She forced herself to breathe quietly and slowly. And, then held her breath as the patrol meandered witlessly past her location. 

"Gods, the church is the last place that I ever wanted to be…", She thought to herself hopelessly. 

She stayed hidden for a time and waited for her nerves to relax. Then, she slowly crept out of the shadows. And, carefully made her way to the guarded basement. 

Her undead mouse rode on her shoulders and twitched it's whiskers furiously. It also kept an eye out for any unfriendly gazes. It would quietly squeak and point in the direction of a sound, or patrol, to alert the master to their presence. 

Zephyra smiled and gently stroked the head of the little mouse. She couldn't have asked for a better scout. And, it made her feel more at ease, somehow less alone, to have her small furry dead companion with her.

She reached the guarded area and cautiously peeked around the corner. The two acolytes were heavily armored and armed. They were fully awake and alert for any disturbances. There wasn't any way for her to sneak past them. 

"Honestly, Karen is lucky that she's unaspected. She might not be as potent. But, at least she can come up with a solution for every situation with enough study and practice." Zephyra sighed and glanced at her hands. 

"I'll just have to overpower them. It'll have to be quick. I can't afford a drawn out fight. I'll definitely die if they can alert the others."

She braced herself and prepared to attack. She sent her scout ahead to be a distraction. The miniscule undead wouldn't be much help in a fight. But, she decided to take every advantage that she could take.

The little mouse scurried as close to the wall as it could. It snuck around the corner and towards the acolytes' caligae clad feet. The silent undead went unnoticed. 

The tiny vermin lined itself up to launch at the exposed toes of the guard. 

It pushed off the ground. It's mouth spread open in a ravenous sneer. And, clamped down as hard as it could. It tasted the first blood. 

"Gah!" The guardsman cried out in surprise. He winced and snapped his foot back from the offender. 

The other acolyte turned in surprise at the sudden disturbance. He noticed a small rodent clinging on with all of it's might. It proved to be a fatal mistake. 

"What the-"

Zephyra launched from her hiding position. She sprinted, quickly covering the distance. 

The guard began to pivot. To respond to the sound of her footsteps. But, it was too late. 

Her hand reached for his throat. He threw himself back and away from her. She was too close. He felt her slender fingers reach around his throat. She squeezed. 

A horrid, sickly feeling spread through his body. A chill ran down his spine. It felt as though something foreign had wormed its way into his skin. An odd sort of itch that started to form in his throat. Then, it just stopped. 

He couldn't feel it. His throat only felt numb. As if it didn't exist. He swallowed. He felt a warm sensation dribble across the edge of his neck.

A blackened necrotized hole had formed in his esophagus. He struggled to breathe. Blood oozed around the wound and mixed with his saliva. He tried to scream. To call for help. 

But, he could only manage a strangled gurgle as the panic set into him. He was going to die. He could feel it. It was already over. He just wasn't there yet. 

He felt the strength slowly ebb from his body. And, his eyes grew dim. 

Zephyra let go and rushed toward the other acolyte. The second guard had drawn his weapon. His eyes widened in horror at the sudden blitz attack. He ignored the pest that wanted to snack on his foot. And, swung his sword horizontally at his sudden assailant.

Zephyra pushed back against the ground. She tried to back pedal. It was too late. She raised her arms to protect herself.

The blade dug into her arms. She grit her teeth and willed herself to ignore the pain. She staggered a few steps backward. And, caught her balance. 

"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" The acolyte demanded. His eyes wandered over his fallen companion. He couldn't see the extent of the damage that had been done. 

The fallen guard clutched his throat and gurgled. He was beginning to drown in his own blood. 

"What did you do to Tony?" The acolyte managed to strangle out his question, even though it was barely louder than a whisper.

Zephyra's mind raced. She had to buy time. She couldn't let him call for help. But, she couldn't carelessly approach him either. She slowly threaded her mana into her arms and stitched her wounds closed. 

What could she do?

She didn't have time.

She had to end this quickly.

Now. Now!

A faint smile spread across her lips.

Her undead servant went limp as she emptied it of her mana. The necrotic energy slithered and spread into the foot. The pattern and damage of the dead spread through his veins.

But, it wasn't enough to kill him. Not yet.

The necromancer stood tall and glowered at the man. She placed her foot on the dying guard and drew the mana from his death into her body. She weaved it into a thick miasma that exuded from her pores into a heavy sense of dread. 

Zephyra narrowed her eyes into a glare and allowed the necrotic energy to glow within her eyes. They cast a faint pale green light as she stared down the unnerved guard. 

The man's pulse quickened. The blood raced and circulated through him. And, the necrosis spread with it. 

"I am Death." Zephyra spoke in a low even tone. She raised her arm and pointed at the man. "I've come for you." 

The acolytes' heart tightened in his chest. 

"W-what?"

The negative mana had reached his arteries. It wasn't enough. But, Zephyra didn't have enough power to simply strike him out. She let herself smile as large and as hungrily as she could. She licked her lips. 

And, slowly, solidified the energy to block his ventricles. 

"I am the fate that lies in wait for all mortal men."

The blood in his heart pressed against the death within it. It couldn't escape. It beat against the walls that confined it. Even as his heart beat faster in fear.

"I'm the reason that this city is burning.

 I'm the one that has kept the church up at night.

… I am the necromancer."

The guard's face turned pale. He needed to call for help. He couldn't fight a death mage on his own. He turned to run. He took a step. 

He clutched his chest. 

Something was wrong. 

He felt a heavy weight bearing down on him. A sort of tightness that seemed to constrict around him. His arms felt leaded and dull. The veins on his neck bulged. 

And, the guard collapsed. His heart had given out. The pressure became too great. And, the walls to his arteries burst. 

Zephyra heaved a sigh of relief. She managed to find a way to win after all. Although, it was a bit more dramatic than she would have preferred. She looked down at her mouse. The corpse was cold. But, relatively undamaged still. 

She pursed her lips into a smile and siphoned off a bit more of the death around her. And, poured it back into her smol companion. It's nose twitched. The whiskers fluttered. And, the little mouse squeaked with unlife again. 

The good little scout deserved her loyalty and favor. 

"I only won because of your contribution, you know." Zephyra giggled and nuzzled the nose of the small undead. 

It squeaked cheerfully and climbed back into her shoulder. 

"Alright. Let's hope that he's down there!"

She reached for the handle and pulled. 

And, then pushed. 

It was locked.