The revelation of his class as a Necromancer hung over Valen like a storm cloud. The crowd had dispersed quickly after the Guildmaster's announcement, whispering in hushed tones as they fled the square. The villagers had always known Valen as just another boy, the son of a simple farmer. Now, they looked at him with a mix of fear, suspicion, and curiosity.
For days, Valen felt the weight of their stares. He could hear the whispers behind his back, the way people hurriedly crossed to the other side of the street when they saw him coming. Elderglen, which had always been a place of comfort and familiarity, now felt cold and hostile.
In the days that followed, the Guildmaster had left without another word, leaving Valen with more questions than answers. No one approached him to explain what being a Necromancer truly meant. There were no books on the subject in the village's small library, and no one dared speak of it openly. All he knew was that it was a rare, five-star class, something that carried both power and danger.
Valen found himself alone, avoiding the stares of the villagers and the questions he couldn't answer. The only place that gave him a semblance of peace was the edge of the forest, where he could be alone with his thoughts. It was there, under the canopy of ancient trees, that he met Deli.
Valen had ventured deep into the woods, further than he had ever gone before. The forest was a place of mystery, filled with stories of creatures that lurked in the shadows. But he didn't care. He needed to escape, to clear his mind, to understand what he had become.
As he walked, lost in thought, a sudden cry for help broke through the silence. Valen's head snapped up, his heart pounding. It was a voice—a young man's voice—filled with panic and pain. Without thinking, Valen sprinted toward the sound, his feet crunching over fallen leaves and twigs.
The forest opened up into a small clearing, and there, at the center, was a young man about Valen's age. He had short, sandy-blonde hair and wore simple robes that marked him as a healer. His face was twisted in pain as he tried to fend off a pack of snarling, shadowy creatures. They were small, like wolves made of pure darkness, their eyes glowing a sickly green.
Valen didn't hesitate. He reached out with a hand, feeling a strange pull in his chest. Instinctively, he called upon the power that the Guildmaster had claimed he possessed. To his surprise, the shadows around the creatures seemed to respond, swirling and contorting as if obeying his command. The creatures recoiled, hissing, and then dispersed into the darkness as if they were never there.
The young man looked up in astonishment, his blue eyes wide. "Did you… did you do that?"
Valen's hand trembled as he lowered it. He had no idea how he had done it, but he nodded slowly. "I think so."
The healer's eyes softened with relief. "Thank the gods. I thought I was done for." He struggled to his feet, wincing as he clutched his side. A deep gash bled through his robes, and Valen could see that he was in bad shape.
Without thinking, Valen rushed to his side. "You're hurt. Let me help."
The healer gave him a pained smile. "I'm… I'm supposed to be the one helping others. I'm Deli, by the way."
"Valen," he replied, his voice low as he tried to recall the limited first-aid skills he knew. But Deli shook his head.
"Don't worry about me. I've got it covered." With a deep breath, Deli closed his eyes and placed his hands over the wound. A soft, golden light emanated from his palms, and the bleeding stopped almost instantly. Valen watched in awe as the wound began to close, leaving only a faint scar.
"You're a healer?" Valen asked, his voice filled with awe.
Deli nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Yeah, not the best one, clearly, but I get by. Thanks to you, I get to live another day."
Valen felt a strange warmth in his chest at Deli's words. It was the first time in days that someone had looked at him without fear or judgment. "I'm glad I was here to help," Valen said, though the truth was, he had no idea how he had done it.
Deli studied him for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if trying to solve a puzzle. "You're not from the village, are you? I've never seen anyone with your kind of power before."
Valen hesitated, unsure of how much he should reveal. But something about Deli's open, honest gaze made him feel like he could trust him. "I am from Elderglen… but I just found out that I'm a Necromancer."
Deli's eyes widened, but instead of the fear that Valen had come to expect, there was only curiosity. "A Necromancer, huh? That's a rare class. No wonder those shadow beasts responded to you. I've read about them—they're drawn to dark magic. But you turned them away. That's impressive."
Valen felt a flicker of hope. "You… you don't think it's dangerous?"
Deli shrugged, a smile spreading across his face. "Dangerous? Sure, but so is fire, and that doesn't stop us from using it. It's all about control, right? And if you're willing, I could help you figure it out."
Valen's eyes widened. "You would do that?"
"Why not?" Deli said with a grin. "You saved my life, after all. The least I can do is help you figure out how to use that crazy power of yours. Besides, you look like you could use a friend."
The words hit Valen harder than he expected. A friend. It had been so long since anyone had offered him that kind of kindness. The villagers had always kept their distance, but Deli… Deli didn't seem to care about the whispers or the fears. He saw Valen for who he was, not just the class he had been assigned.
For the first time in days, Valen felt a smile tug at his lips. "Yeah, I could use a friend."
Over the next few weeks, Valen and Deli became inseparable. They would meet in the forest, away from the prying eyes of the villagers, and spend hours talking about their lives, their fears, and their dreams. Deli was easy to talk to, always cheerful and optimistic, a stark contrast to Valen's uncertainty.
Deli taught Valen the basics of healing magic, while Valen, in turn, tried to understand the strange power that flowed through him. They would experiment with spells, trying to see what Valen could do. Sometimes, the results were disastrous—a burst of dark energy that nearly set a tree on fire or a summoning spell that called forth a spirit from beyond the grave. But Deli never judged him. He only laughed, offering encouragement and advice.
"You've got this," Deli would say, his blue eyes sparkling with confidence. "You're stronger than you think, Valen. You just need to believe in yourself."
Valen wasn't sure if he believed it, but with Deli by his side, he felt like anything was possible. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with—a healer and a necromancer, an unlikely pair in a world that didn't understand them.
One evening, as the sun set behind the trees, casting long shadows across the forest floor, Deli turned to Valen with a serious expression. "You know," he said, "I've been thinking. Maybe we could leave this place. Elderglen is… well, it's nice, but it's small. There's a whole world out there, filled with people like us—people who don't fit into neat little boxes."
Valen looked at him, surprised by the suggestion. "Leave Elderglen? But where would we go?"
"Anywhere we want," Deli replied with a grin. "There are guilds, adventurers, quests… we could find a place where we truly belong. A place where your powers are a gift, not a curse."
The idea filled Valen with a sense of excitement he hadn't felt in years. Maybe Deli was right. Maybe there was a place for someone like him in this world, a place where he didn't have to hide who he was.
"Yeah," Valen said, his voice filled with newfound determination. "Let's do it. Let's find that place together."
And with that, their journey began. Two friends, bound by fate, ready to face whatever challenges the world had in store for them.