“Now remember, there are four varieties of zombie. Each has there own strength and weaknesses. How many of you can actually tell me what they are?” Father Thomas asked the group. He had the old air a Purifier gets when he’s been at this for a long time, the feeling that he has seen things and done things in the Lords name that would make us tremble. He was only in his late forties, his hair kept close to his head, and in the traditional robes we were asked to wear around this old church.

Jonathan, one of the closes to becoming a full Purifier spoke up first. He seemed to know everything, he knew how to kill the most obsolete of creatures, how to best stake a vampire… I don’t think he can even shoot a gun though. “One of the varieties that we should most encounter are those created by the dark magic’s of a Necromancer.”

“Very good Jonathan, the Zombies created by a Necromancer tend to be animalistic, following orders by the strongest Mancer available, or Vampire. The will consume living flesh to try and regenerate damaged body part, and possibly even to return to life. No known cases have been reported of them actually reaching humanity, just large blood baths. What the next one?”

I looked over a Jonathan waiting for him to speak up, but was surprised when Michael, who almost never spoke, voice whispered from near the edge of the room; his eyes seemed dark and troubled when ever you looked into them. I though he was Emo. “The ones created by said vampires, are called ghouls, and have a very close semblance to life still.” Everyone was quiet when he spoke. God it made me sick.

“Thank you Michael. The Ghouls that work for vampires are animated by a Vampires blood. If they go with out it long enough they will return to death. Until then they have all the intelligence, memory and capability that they had in life, depending on the state of there bodies. Most of the time they kill a living human to turn them into a ghoul.” He spoke the last part solemnly. He old partner had been turned into a ghoul from what I heard, he had killed him.

Jonathan not wanting to be out done spoke up before he could ask about the next one. God he’s such a know it all, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was on our side I wish they get him when we go on his first hunt. “The ones created by Sorcerers, or more modernly called Mages are simple corpses that are restored to a semblance of life and do what ever the master bids them. The have no reasoning skills, or logic behind there actions. There just a shell.” For a moment I thought Father Thomas may reprimand him, and god knows he would have disserved it but he merely nodded at the explanations.

With ever ones silence I decided to speak up. I could at least get some credit for knowledge. The last one I was probably the most familiar with. I had been save form one before coming here. “The last breed are created by Wraiths. They animate the body of a corpse so they can better interact with the living.”

“Thank you Travis. They are truly the walking dead, many of the strengths they had as specters remain, now with it being easier for them to hurt the living world. Only the most season Purifiers are sent after them, we are fortunate that they are harder to come into existence.” He spoke as he looked between us. Father Thomas had saved me once, he had shown us how to wield the light of heavens to protect us. Our four newest recruits never spoke up this entire time, I hadn’t even had a chance to remember there names yet. So many of us always die on out first hunt, they would be no different most likely.

“Now my Purifiers, tomorrow is full moon. Tomorrow we will be not be hunting were creatures, but a group of necromancers that are just forming. Study as much as you can before we have practice tonight. And Jonathan, you will be attending this hunt, so please be prepared.” He nodded at us, and walked through the old oak door. The quiet was almost pliable as we looked between each other; a cabal of necromancers, all seven of us and Father Thomas against them.

Michael moved away from his spot on the wall and walked out the door. Jonathan smiled at the rest of us. “You at least realize there not Warlocks or witches right? All there powers come from the grave! All we have to do is make sure they don’t touch us, and make sure none of the zombies get close and we are home free!”He was almost jubilant as he started taking up the spot Father Thomas has a few moments ago. Jonathan had the sense of a bookworm, and Father Thomas had told us everything we have on record here isn’t always right. I just hoped Jonathan could remember that.

“No problem then, we just take them out from a far right?” one of the new guys said. He was Japanese I think, and had come close to being bitten. Funny how you can remember the reason someone came here, but not there name?

“Totally, there still almost entirely human, we could just take normal guns to take them out!” I was starting to wonder if he was terrified, he was never happy when the prospect of a mission came up…

I got up and walked out. I could still hear him going on about what they could do as his voice echoed out the open door. I just hopped he was right. I didn’t want to bring back more corpses. This would be my third hunt. Ever time there were always losses….