Necromancer For Hire- Arc 1

Arc 1, Chapter 6

The Arrival

Umbra's ears were ringing, and he immediately knew that wasn't a good sign.

Over time, his body had built up nearly the maximum tolerance for teleportation, allowing him to travel all across America without any uncomfortable sensations. Even country-hopping only generated a slight feeling of faintness.

Umbra fought for consciousness, and soon discovered he was lying face down on a forest floor. For a brief moment, he couldn't locate Victor, and his heart skipped a beat. However, he quickly realized that he was partially lying on Victor, and that the boy's body was warm, meaning he was safe for now.

The fae fluttered his eyes open, groaning. His head was spinning, blurring his vision and confusing his thoughts. Umbra could make out forest scenery around him, resembling some kind of rainforest.

The Amazon? No, it couldn't be, I wouldn't be feeling like this after simply zipping across the ocean... Umbra thought, trying to make sense of what was happening.

Umbra lurched himself a couple inches off the ground, supporting his weight on his arms. Nausea washed over him in sudden and intense waves, and he swiftly swallowed the bile that attempted to climb up his throat. After waiting out the sickness for several seconds, Umbra fully shoved himself into a sitting position, gasping for breath.

The heat was sweltering, making sweat seep through his shirt, soaking his armpits, neck, and back. An involuntary shudder passed through Umbra as he realized how much showering he was going to have to do once he returned home.

Umbra wiped his hand across his face, clearing off the best he could the grimy mixture of dirt and sweat.

He touched Victor lightly on the side, gently shaking him awake. The boy's eyes slowly opened, but they were glassy and unfocused.

"Victor," Umbra whispered, a note of urgency in his voice. "Wake up, this is serious." He pulled Victor's head off the dirt, laying him in his lap.

Victor squirmed, rubbing his forehead and groaning. "Where are we?" he said, barely audible.

Umbra's face fell as his violet eyes darted around, like he was literally looking for an answer. "I...I don't know..." he murmured. Umbra had lost the air of confidence that he radiated, making his shoulders slump and ruining normally straight posture.

Umbra's statement seemed to have jerked some life back into Victor. He shot up, fear crashing through him like a freight train. "What do you mean you don't know?" he gasped, tears welling in his eyes. "You always know! You're my dad, you know everything!"

Umbra sighed heavily, standing up and pulling Victor to his feet along with himself. The man pulled at his collar, trying to dry out his neck.

"I mean, I can only assume that we're in another dimension, since I fainted while teleporting." Umbra frowned deeper, reaching his hand into his pocket. "That's it, we're going home. This is too unusual for me handle."

Victor grabbed Umbra's wrist, shaking his head. "Wait! Not yet! Nothing bad has happened yet. Maybe this is just the person's backyard or something... Their house could be just around the corner, and if we turn back now, we'll never know."

He's pretty intent on doing this, Umbra thought, looking at Victor with a dash of pride and frustration. He grasped his son by the hand, gripping his palm tightly.

"Fine. We can walk around a little and try to fathom where exactly we are. Maybe we can even find one of the natives." Umbra murmured.