Hours upon hours it took. Stitching.

Each stich brought together the different fleshes. Bones were set close together, to add strength and support. To make them harder to kill. And this being the 4^th one, the technique has been refined well.

The corpses brought in today were not special. Just the general zombies.

But this last body that HE wanted added at the last minute was different. Its been a long time since its original life. But it has only been a few days since its second death.

Such a shame. He was such a powerful slave. His powers are incredible. But HE is the boss and I only do what HE says.

This last body feels different. Its structure is the same as all the others; organs and flesh all in the right places. But his presence feels off. Almost like even in his death, he could still do amazing things. It’s a good thing Master could not get all his powers back when he did the raising. He might have been uncontrollable.

But I stitch his body into the collective, rearranging a few original placement choices to allow for the incorporation of the new parts as well.

And then I add the heart that was given to me, before closing the entire chest cavity.

It looks like a mess of different colors and textures. Stitching cover most of the body, creating a patchwork design like my grandmother had when she quilted all those blankest so long ago. Maybe its time I raised her so I can have a talk with her again. But that will have to wait I still have work to do.

I prepare to cast the first of the two spells I need to complete the necrocraft. I always stretch my fingers for this since it is a lot of hand movement and awkward positions.

And then I cast it. “Make Whole,” I say after the appropriate hand motions. The stitches pop out one by one as the skin closes. The body jumps and wiggles as the bones and ligaments begin to fuse and regrow.

The Make Whole process takes 10 minutes. It weakens me greatly, but I do what I need to prepare the next spell. And this time of moving and regrowing frightens me. It seems as though the body could stand on its own before control is assumed.

But the movement and snapping stops. And like a dead body, it lays there limply on the stone table. Head leaning to the side. Eyes rolled to the back of its head.

It’s a different creature now. No longer the skin stitched beast but now its complexion is one color. Bone structure looks as if it was always meant to be this way. As if it had been recently killed, rather than a mix of recent and not so recent kills.

The second spell is ready. I place the onyx gem on the chest, do the hand motions again, and say the words I have said a lot in the past few months. “Arise Again Undead.”

The expensive gem melts into the body. And now we wait again.

I step back. The last one arose violently before consciousness came. I don’t want to get another scratch like the last one, I think as I rub the still healing scab on my side.

This one doesn’t seem that way. The special ingredient must be pacifying the typically raw animalistic nature of the usual creation. There is some small hand movement. The mouth closes. The eyes straighten, focus. The head turns toward me.

It sits up, looking at me at first, then at its own hands. Silent.

The intensity of its presence grows the longer it says nothing. But it hasn’t seemed to come under control. It feels more like it is intelligent. A real living thing rather than a creation like the others.

It blinks as he turns his head toward me again.

“Thank you,” it says in the voice of an intelligent Common speaking creature. “A necrocraft body….” It stands slowly at first, then more confidently. “So, I was to be a tool for someone. Who?”

I tremble in the corner. Some powerful Wizard I am. I can’t even control one necrocraft, albeit one that includes such a powerful sorcerer, but it should be mine to control.

“You will meet HIM shortly.”

“I may, but you will not.” And he turns toward me and yells with such intensity that I am within an inch of my life from the shear concussive force of its voice. Air spells were the specialty of …….

My thoughts fall away as its foot drops on my head.