audio; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

They're dead.

[Sabriel's voice comes out, far more emotional than her usual, carefully controlled tone, far grimmer than the bubbliness she'd faked while undercover. Instead, Sabriel sounds like she's on the edge of hysteria.]

They were dead the whole time- that was why the orb started draining me when I tried to sense them- it was blocking me but now I can't stop feeling it-

They all died. All at once. Hundreds of deaths all at the same time. But there aren't any spirits- and that many people, all dying so suddenly, some of them should have tried to linger. But there's nothing.

No spirits. Just the death.

Comments

[bindsthedead]

Yes. I'm a necromancer, and- some people are coming. I think I just- need to get out of town for a bit.

[pursuit]

That's good. I don't think you oughta be by yourself.

[ Not at a time like this. Not with something so heavy. ]

If this were my world, I'd be able to take you someplace. Really wish it was.

[ Though with the magnitude of what she experienced, yelling at the ocean is surely not enough. ]

But if there's something I can do, I will, okay? I still owe you one, and besides... [ How does he put it? ] I don't know you all that well, but I know I don't wanna hear you hurting like that and not lift a finger, you know?

[bindsthedead]

It's all right. I'm- it helps that people care,

[And it's another sign that her father was misguided in telling her to keep quiet about being a necromancer. People here had been kind, rather than afraid- even if Sabriel wasn't sure if they understood.]

[pursuit]

It doesn't seem alright to me, but...

[ But there's no sense in fighting her on the point. It does the opposite of helping, nevermind how hard it must be for her right now.

When they get back to the station, he resolves to do something to lift her spirits. ]

Seems to me that you're a nice mage. Nicer than they usually are, back home. 'Course people would care.

[bindsthedead]

Mages where you're from must be awful then.

[But the words aren't delivered with much feeling.]

[pursuit]

People say we're arrogant and bad at working together, I guess...

[ But he doesn't know if he'd go so far as to say they're awful. ]

...Wait, are you uh. [ He'll be the first to volunteer the fact that he's slow on the uptake, but he's heard talk like this before. He thinks, maybe... ] D'you think you're not nice or something?

[bindsthedead]

I don't think I'm cruel, but-

I try to act kindly. But with what my family's work is... I'm not sure if any of us could be called 'kind'.

[And thinking like that could lead you astray. After all, if you thought of yourself as a kind person, a good person, then how could anything you doing be bad?]

[pursuit]

The work you do... Is it something people need?

[ He has to wonder. The career he intends to pursue may not always be appreciated, but he knows it's needed. He's sure of that.

Is there a specific job a necromancer does? It's pretty specialized magic, he thinks. ]

[bindsthedead]

My family's work is to make sure the Dead do not walk in Life- mostly, that means fighting anything that does come back, and forcing them beyond the point of return.

It also means dealing with other necromancers, who seek to raise the dead.

[pursuit]

[ He wonders, then, what she'd make of the ghosts that haunt their campus. Ghosts that play sports with them, teach them how to cook, spook them for fun.

But she didn't say ghosts, so it must be more than that. ]

So I guess people judge you based on what the others do, huh? I kind of get that. I mean, I earned the way people looked at me, but I can imagine it.

[ And he wouldn't want to be looked at that way now. ]

But it sounds to me like you help people out.

[bindsthedead]

I do. But the magic I use is inherently dangerous.

[And that's a fact that's not easily forgotten by anyone who's had to fight the Dead.]

And using it for a good purpose doesn't make it safe.

[pursuit]

Where I come from, any magic can be dangerous. Use too much at once, and you can go berserk... Hurt yourself, hurt others.

[ He's seen it for himself a good handful of times now. ]

Comes down to being responsible with it, right?