βWell, Iβm no expert but I think you just killed that person.β
It would have been too cliche to say that it wasn't what it looked like. Honestly, it wasn't, but the explanation would not have saved him the same fate of a murderer. How do you explain to a guard that the body on the floor was a dead man who was risen from the dead for your own expiraments; that your necromancy was nothing like murder? Even so, Ardyl had no idea that the body would begin falling apart. Something wasn't right with that spell...
"I'm going to need you to face me with your hands up."
Limbs scattered on the floor along with Ardyl holding what appeared to be a severed arm against his blood-stained robe was the perfect crime scene for the guard. Yet, the elf was determined, "This is not as it appears."
Knowing that any sudden movements would likely cause him more trouble, the elf slowly placed the arm on the floor. Bloodied palms were presented to the guard as Ardyl moved forward with light steps.
"That's close enough! Now to turn with your hands behind you."
As instructed, Ardyl began facing away from the guard, hands slowly finding their way to his backside. The vigilant guard took a single step forward to bind the elf's hands, silently promising justice to the man who lay in pieces.
In a quick switch of his hand, the elf took hold of the guard's, turning himself and the guard so that the lawman now faced away from Ardyl. Vines had appeared over the guards wrists, thorns growing from them to secure their hold. The elf rested his chin on the screaming guard's shoulder as his own free hand now came closing in on the guard's face. Only a sliver of space was left between the bloody hand and the guard's face as Ardyl began drawing out what looked like black sand from the guard's mouth. Fingers started closing in on each other as the hand was drawn out, the black sand trailing from the guard, who's face was now taking the same form. It first began with his mouth, then eyes, but soon, the guard was unrecognizable; a black skeleton was all that was left of the man's face. His essence was now a hovering ball of dust that began smoking. Ardyl released the guard, his body falling from him as the the essence was released in a puff of black smoke.
The elf had no further use for either body, but only collected the parts of the man he had once risen before finding a place to dispose of them.
"Studies, dear guard; this is all I wish to accomplish."
