The Cemetary
The Cemetary
by Ajisai Sakimuri
It was a quiet evening when young Ajisai, the apprentice tamer mage, made her way to the nearby cemetery. She carried a satchel brimming with herbs, candles, and small tools for cleaning gravestones. The cemetery sat on a hill, its iron gates creaking mournfully as she pushed them open. Thick fog coiled around the weathered headstones, and the scent of damp earth hung in the air.
Ajisai had made a habit of visiting the place once a month, not for any grand ritual, but simply to pay respects. The graves were neglected, and she felt it was her duty to tend to them. Magic was about balance, her master always said, and respectingthe dead was part of that harmony. With a flick of her wrist, she lit a lantern using a simple fire spell, its warm glow casting long shadows. She approached the first grave, brushing away moss and clearing debris with gentle precision. As she worked, she murmured small incantations of peace and gratitude.
The night felt calm, almost serene. That was until she heard it - a faint rustling behind her. She froze, gripping her staff tightly, and turned to look. At first, it seemed like nothing more than a trick of the fog. But then, she saw it. A skeletal hand clawed its way out of the ground, followed by another, and then another.
Soon, the graves around her erupted as bony fingers and decayed flesh pushed through the soil. Ajisai stumbled back, heart pounding. Five skeletons and three zombies lurched towards her, their hollow eye sockets glowing faintly with an eerie green light.
"I come in peace!" Ajisai shouted, raising her staff defensively. "Return to your rest!"
The undead paid no heed, advancing with unnatural jerks and groans. Ajisai quickly muttered a protective spell, her staff emitting a shimmering blue barrier. The first skeleton struck at the shield with its rusted sword, the impact sending sparks flying. Realizing she had no choice but to defend herself, Ajisai channeled her magic.
"By the light of my magic, I command you to cease!" she cried, slamming her staff into the ground.
A wave of golden fire rippled outward, momentarily stunning the creatures. She called for her Nightmare, not knowing if he would reach her in time. So she cast a binding spell, roots of glowing energy sprouting from the earth to entangle the undead. But to her dismay, the zombies tore through the magical bonds, their grotesque forms dripping with decay. Ajisai's mind raced. If spells of light couldn't subdue them, perhaps they needed closure. She scanned the cemetery, her eyes falling on a cracked mausoleum. Carved into its stone, it read: "Here lies the forgotten, unclaimed but never unloved."
"That's it." she muttered. "You've been left untended for too long."
Using all her energy, Ajisai cast a powerful spell, weaving threads of light into a restorative ritual. The glow expanded, encompassing the entire cemetery.
"Rest now, forgotten ones, she whispered. "You are remembered."
The skeletons and zombies paused mid-step, and one by one, they crumbled to the ground, their remains sinking gently into the earth. A profound stillness settled over the cemetery. Exhausted, Ajisai collapsed to her knees, the fog around her dissipating. The air felt lighter, almost peaceful. She looked around at the now-quiet graves and smiled faintly.
"You've earned your rest, he said softly, rising to his feet. "And I'll make sure you're not for gotten again."
As she left the cemetery, she heard the sound of hooves galloping toward her. "I'm not sure leaving you behind to drink was a good, or a bad thing...Maybe a necessary thing." She said as the iron gates creaked shut behind her, and for the first time in years, the hill felt a not with restless spirits, but with peace.
