[ IP ] Red Witch

The Duke looked at me expectantly. `` Well, lass, can ye do it or not?'' 
 
 `` I'm not sure you understand quite what you're asking of me, honestly.'' 
 
 King Feargus glared at me. `` Explain. Now.'' 
 
 `` When it comes to physical necromancy, there are several factors to consider when calculating how much mana the spell will require. First off is the number of corpses you wish to reanimate. Obviously, more zombies require more energy.'' 
 
 His Majesty drummed his fingers on the map table. `` Anything we could n't figure out for ourselves?'' 
 
 `` Yes.'' I responded with just a hint of impertinence. `` Second is size- it's easier to reanimate a mouse than a dragon. Third is condition. The more intact the corpse, the more energy it takes, although you do have finer control as well. Finally, we come to our major problem: distance.'' 
 
 `` Explain.'' 
 
 `` Energy is lost as it sent through space. A tiny increase in the distance to the target means a large increase in the amount of mana required. Attempting to reanimate a human corpse at beyond twenty feet is diificult; at thirty, it's nigh-impossible.'' 
 
 `` What if I loaned you the services of my personal witch, Isolde? She is well trained in many of the arcane arts, including necromancy.'' 
 
 I shrugged. `` Depends on how much power she can manage. We could extend the range by ten or fifteen feet. Not the horde of zombies you and the King were hoping for, Your Grace, but we can do some damage.'' 
 
 King Feargus swatted absently at a fly. `` Then it's settled. Duke Edward, bring your witch to the tent. Isolde, gather whatever supplies you may need. The ritual must begin within the hour- I want our counterattack to begin before sundown.'' 
 
 Everyone raced off to their duties. I looked up at the gathering stormclouds with dismay. Heavy rain would make it difficult to draw my sigils in the dirt; they'd be washed away as soon as I started. It was best I get to work, then. 
 
 
 Duke Edward brought his witch in within a few minutes. Her name was Cobthach, and I only knew her by reputation. A sorceress with a talent for divination, her scryings had been useful in planning the ambush at Rothchester. She did n't have much experience on the lines, though, making her less than ideal. 
 
 `` Make with the abracadaver, you two. Or is it vigor mortis?'' The Duke chuckled at his own jokes, but he was the only one. 
 
 `` Do n't rush us, Your Grace. Magic like this is tricky business; we do n't want our souls to spontaneously corrode.'' I finished the last of the blasphemous symbols. `` Ready, Cobthach?'' 
 
 `` No time like the present.'' Our chant rose slowly, inexorably, as the ground began to bubble with infernal power. Forcing the energy into the bodies and making them respond to our will was simple, but that did n't mean it was n't straining our psyches. We channeled the energy the best we could, but we could only manage a score of undead between us. It would have to do.
