 | The sewers of Dalaran were a lot more complicated than most would know. It took the better part of an hour for Malcotin and the Ogron bearing the dead wizard to make their way through tunnels and side passages before finally reaching the cavern where the lab was set up. |
“You will stay here for now, Stinky. Put the dead one here on my lab table. You are my guardian, and I expect you to protect me at all costs. I have given you new life and you are no longer a slave to that Ringmaster and his cronies. Since you are now Undead, you do not need to eat or sleep. But you may need some minor work from time to time to keep you from rotting away. I will take care of you, I am not an unjust Master. Do you understand?”
The Ogron tilted his head and considered. Dumping the dead wizard unceremoniously on the table, he sat down on the floor. Though its speech was limited, it could understand very well. Finally, after some thought, he nodded, and then went to stand by the entrance to the lab, prepared to block anyone from entering.
Malcotin smiled and went to work. The wizard was prime! Newly dead and in remarkably good condition, in spite of his wound. After abandoning his formal clothing and putting on a lab coat and clean shoes, Malcotin reverted to his human form to do the tedious task of repairing the damage and cleaning up the body. In his former life, he had been an undertaker, and working in the Grizzly Hills where death was fairly often in the local area, he was well used to working with corpses.
After a considerable length of time, he was finished and stood back to admire his handiwork. On the table, the balding middle aged man lay with his hands folded over his paunch. The goatee and mustache were groomed and neat as they had been in his life. The darker skin tone had paled of course, since Malcotin had drained him of his blood and other fluids. “Now it is time to wake you from your nightmare.”
Calling upon his power as an Unholy death knight, Malcotin channeled into the corpse until it stirred. He smiled as the former wizard opened his eyes to stare at the death knight in confusion. “Who are you and what have you done?” he croaked unsteadily. Then he frowned and attempted to sit up, just then realizing he had no clothing on. Oddly enough, he was startled but not embarassed. Blinking, he then remarked, “Come to think of it, who am I?”
Malcotin chuckled a bit then answered the man’s questions. “I am Malcotin Baen, and I have returned you to the land of the living. It might take you some time to adjust, but you are now Undead. You used to be a wizard of some power. I am not sure if your powers are still there. They may come to you in time. Undeath often changes one to something entirely different. For now, you are my servant.”
Malcotin considered renaming his new minion. “You look like a George to me. I once knew a George when I was growing up. He was a crotchety old man with very few redeeming qualities. But I like that name, so George it is.”
About that time, a ruckus occurred at the entrance to the lab. One of Malcotin’s servants had returned from his daily chores and was blocked from entering. It was a long and twisting route for anyone to take to find the lab, Malcotin had trained his undead minions well. He wanted no one to find his lab, as it might raise more than a few questions.
“Stinky, that is one of ours, you may let him in.” Malcotin called out as he finished putting away his tools.
The Ogron nodded and stood aside. The shambling ghoul made its way to his master. “Troll want meeting. Master go to tavern…find him drink stinky frog brew.”
Malcotin frowned slightly. “What troll? I do not need a troll for anything. What does he want?’
“Him messenger. Him master want to meet great necromancer. Offer gold for information. Maybe make deal?” the ghoul replied. He was still quite new, but he had enough sense to know certain things needed to be arranged.
Now that was interesting enough for Malcotin to be intrigued. He had to be cautious however. “Go back to the troll and tell him I will meet his master in the Ledgerdemain. At the main bar, tomorrow evening at six. That will give us both time to prepare.”