Battlemage Apocalypse

Book 1 in ‘the Art of Zombie Warfare’ Series

A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure

by Andrew Karevik

Battlemage Apocalypse (Book 1)

Copyright © 2025 LitRPG Freaks

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

Chapter 1

A single moment can define a man’s entire life. For Damon White, that moment was when he was ten and was accepted to join the High Castle Courts, where he had trained for a decade as a court magician. The years had been kind to Damon and he had learned all there was to learn about the power of magic within the land of Verna.

Magic was not for everyone. The hours were long, the languages were strange and there were many difficulties with actually manifesting it. Without access to the Arcus Flow, any practitioner would only be able to cast a few simple spells that would fail to impress. Indeed, the Arcus Flow was the one secret that the High Castle of Brennan kept to itself.

Many spellcasters from other lands had but a fraction of the power that the High Court itself possessed. Students would come near and far to try and join the courts, in the hopes of being selected as a court magician—the only people who had access to the ancient source of power.

For Damon, today was the day that he was going to be inducted as an official mage. In less than two hours, he was going to become a true mage, capable of using the Arcus Flow to perform all manner of incredible duties.

The afternoon could not come soon enough for the twenty-one-year-old. He was ready, as ready as he would ever be, for the opportunity to dedicate the rest of his life to serving the High Court and performing any mission that the king and queen asked of him. He would become a War Mage, he knew. A wizard with the power to cast incredible spells that could turn the tides of battle in an instant.

Damon was inside of his bedroom, a small area with few personal effects save for his desk and the various tomes that he studied nightly. His master, Lumis, had always encouraged him to study endlessly, telling the young man that his power only came from his knowledge and his wits.

And study Damon did. He perused book after book in an endless quest to learn about the six elements and their various applications. Spellcasting was not a simple affair. One needed to be able to combine their skills together in order to produce effects and casting a spell was hard. Especially without access to the Arcus Flow. But that was all about to change.

Damon had heard that when one connected to the Flow, they received a powerful insight into the rest of the world. They would be able to see their abilities, skills and even stats, gaining levels with valuable experience points acquired through deeds, study and application of magic. This was going to change his entire existence and he just knew that today was going to be a day he would never forget.

He rose from his studies and dressed for the occasion. Living as a courtier in the High Castle gave him access to an assortment of brilliant blue tunics with white sashes upon them, the signature white rose emblazoned on the chest to tell the world that he was part of Brennan’s kingdom. It was said that no other kingdom shined like the High Kingdom and that the rest of the world looked on his land with envy.

This wasn’t to say that the land he lived in was peaceful. Indeed, the enemies to the south, from the Hartland kingdom, often laid siege to the cities under Brennan’s control. There were many wars and battles between the two nations and that was why Damon had purposed in his heart to become a War Wizard. He would stand tall behind a great army, defending his home from the Hartlands, making his late parents proud.

With his tunic donned and hair brushed back, Damon made his way through the busy halls of the castle, trying to occupy his time until two in the afternoon. The castle was always crowded, with courtiers, messengers, servants and family members wandering around working, cleaning or generally trying to stay out of trouble. The castle was never a lonely place.

As he walked down the hallway connecting to his Master’s study, he passed Linda. She was a beautiful woman with the bluest eyes he had ever seen. She gently ran her fingers along Damon’s shoulder as they met and he stopped to smile at her.

“Today’s the big day, Linda,” he said.

“I heard, they’re making you an official wizard. A true mage,” she said, batting her eyes at him. Linda had always flirted with Damon and he enjoyed the attention. Perhaps they would be something more after he received his commission.

She was the daughter of a nobleman who worked as treasurer of the kingdom. Her disposition was always friendly and playful, often touching Damon and commenting on how good he looked after returning from training. Even when his spirits were low, she always made him feel a bit higher.

“Can you believe it? In less than two hours, I will be able to cast spells,” Damon said. “Anything I want! Tidal waves to protect the kingdom from a horde of enemies. Fireballs to chuck into the mass of a charging throng of warriors. Great shields to stop artillery from hitting us…”

“And perhaps you can cast a spell to stop the leak in the upper chambers, it’s a dangerous place to wander,” Linda chuckled. “One slip and you’ll be face first on firm concrete.”

“Take it up with castle maintenance, I’ll be too busy fighting for His Highness,” Damon replied with a laugh.

They broke off and continued on their way. Their interactions were always short but that, too, was bound to change in the near future. Her father would not be able to argue that he was nothing more than a mere courtier after today. Damon would command respect and have status within the kingdom. He could even have his own retinue to serve him!

Damon reached the study of his master, Lumis. Lumis was an older fellow with a penchant for rambling about histories of things before getting to his point. But he was kind to Damon, though strict in his teachings.

The man’s study was full of books, artifacts and secret projects that he was constantly hiding from the king. King Harker was not the kind of man who liked summoning and most of Lumis’ study was based on how to summon the various creatures of the Aether. He kept his work quiet, of course, never telling the king of his plans to bring forth a dragonspawn or a fairy for study, instead keeping his work hidden from the rest of the court.

Damon had no say in this, of course. He thought it in bad taste to constantly be hiding secrets from the king, but Lumis was his master who had trained him since he joined the courts eleven years ago. He owed him a lot and his silence was just one way to pay him back.

Lumis was busy dissecting a strange-looking boggart, a wooden monster that had organs that matched a normal human though made of splinters and briar. “Ah, so there he is,” the master said, turning to face Damon. The wiry old man was holding a wooden heart in a pair of tongs, the heart still beating in a strange, rhythmic fashion. “Are you prepared for your ascension into the greats?”

“I am,” Damon said. “What’s this mess you have here?”

“Bah, just a study of the boggart’s body and circulatory system,” Lumis explained. “One of them wandered from the Emerald Woods into town before a guard cut it down. The things regenerate though. I’m thinking that perhaps we could find a way to distill its regeneration properties into a tonic for healing.”

Damon nodded at that. “I believe it was Evel the Mighty who said that the liver of a boggart could be ground into powder that restores vitality.”

“Ah! Of course!” the mage said, walking over to one of his bookshelves. “I was trying to remember who wrote on boggarts. Evel the Mighty! Nice thinking, Damon.”

Today was Damon’s last day as an apprentice. He may as well kill time helping his master work on this potion. There was little chitchat as they went about it, grinding the organs of the boggart down into powder that was then carefully applied to a solution of rum and Earthis elements.

By the time the potion was on the stove and cooking, there came a knock on the door. Stanwick, one of the guards, opened it up and poked his head in. “Gentlemen, Damon and Master Lumis have been requested to join a celebratory lunch with His Highness and Her Highness.”

“This is it, lad,” Lumis said, slapping Damon on the shoulder. “Lunch and then, you will be elevated to magehood. Anything left to say as an apprentice?”

“Just that you’ve been a good master to me and that I am truly appreciative of everything you have given me,” Damon said with a bow of his head. “The years weren’t always easy but I learned so much. I’m ready for whatever the future holds for me.”

Chapter 2

Damon and Lumis followed Stanwick into the courtyard that led straight to the feast hall where the rulers were waiting. The morning sun had risen high, casting a glorious light on the bright purple and red flowers that grew in the garden planted in the center of the yard.

Damon could scarcely hold his excitement. He was not nervous about this venture; after all, he had been preparing half of his life for it. He had his speech ready and would be able to answer any questions King Harker would ask during lunch… And then afterward? After that, he would be elevated. Everything was finally coming together.

As they walked through the courtyard, one of the gardeners was staggering nearby. The man looked pale and gaunt, his face white as ivory and eyes yellowed. His movements were jerky as he walked, head swiveling around the empty courtyard.

“Looks like Gardner Lance has had a bit too much to drink,” Lumis chuckled. The man staggered up towards them and gargled something.

Stanwick groaned at the sight of the drunken man. “Lance, I told you, keep your festivities to after hours,” he said, approaching the gardener.

Lance did not respond. He merely lurched forward for a moment before lunging at Stanwick. The guard easily caught the man by the chest, pushing him back but not before Lance’s head bent down and bit the side of his arm.

“Ow!” Stanwick shouted, kicking the man onto his rear. “The fuck was that for?”

“Fellow must have skipped breakfast and wanted some meat,” Lumis chortled as they walked past the dazed man who remained on the ground. He was staring forward at nothing, eyes fixed in a terrible gaze.

“Maybe he’s sick,” Damon suggested.

“I ought to beat his ass for that,” Stanwick grunted, rubbing his arm. “Damn drunks. Come on, let’s get you two to lunch and I’ll come back to drag this sot to his wife. Or the dungeon. Nothing sobers a man up like being locked away for a few days.”

They passed Lance, who was still gurgling something, and made their way to the feast hall where a great spread of food had been prepared. Bacon and eggs were laid out on the table, along with a whole roasted pig and various root vegetables that were grown fresh in Highston. The smell was intoxicating.

Sitting at the center of the table were the power couple who ruled Brennan with grace and strength. There was King Harker, a bold warrior from a lineage of fighter kings who often took to the frontlines whenever the Hartlands attacked. He was a sturdy man with a broad chest and long, blond hair that flowed. He never took off his armor, even at home, and looked brilliant in his full plate of Brenian Steel.

Beside him was the slender Queen Jaylin. She was from the Kingdom of Terrace, located two hundred miles to the west, a foreigner with excellent business sense. After marrying the king two decades ago, she had worked to improve the economic conditions of the twelve cities within Brennan, exporting sugars and steel while importing luxuries like fine wines and coffee. Her right ear was slightly pointed and there were rumors that she was a descendant of elves, though Damon was unsure of that. The Elven folk were rare outside of their own kingdom, Gollick, and they did not intermingle with humans. It was probably just a slight deformity that only added to her mystery.

“Aha!” King Harker said, standing up at the sight of Damon. “There he is! The man of the hour!”

Damon knelt down at once. He had never been directly addressed by the king but customs were of the utmost importance in Brennan. To even be spoken to by royalty was a great honor unto itself.

Lumis had no decorum, however. As a Master Mage, he was entitled to just as much respect as the king and eagerly sat down to begin eating. He heaped bacon onto his plate and began munching as if he had never eaten before.

“Rise, please, young Damon,” Queen Jaylin said, her voice soft and gentle. “After today, you will no longer be considered a courtier. The customs will change.”

“Indeed. You, sir, are going to be our finest mage!” Harker added, sinking back down into his chair. “Sit, sit and eat!”

Stanwick also joined the feast, sitting on the king’s side, by the few guards who had been invited. The man was rubbing his arm and looking at the mild wound, as if it were bothering him.

Damon took his seat on one of the great cushioned chairs directly across from the king and queen. They smiled at him warmly. He waited until the king took some pork onto his plate to begin eating himself.

“So then, Damon, have you thought about your class at all?” Jaylin asked.

“I have!” Damon said. He quickly rattled off the answer he had prepared. “In interest of keeping the kingdom safe from the Hartlands and from the Sea People of the East, I have decided to take upon myself the mantle of War Mage.”

“Listen to him speak! Like a man trying to wheedle his way into his new career!” Harker laughed in between bites. “Friend, you’ve already gotten the promotion. There isn’t a thing you can say that will change our minds.”

Stanwick lunged forward and grabbed a flank of steak with both hands, catching Damon’s attention. His eyes slid off the king and queen as he watched the man rip the meat from the table and dig into it violently, chewing with what could only be described as severe hunger. That was not like a royal guardsman at all.

“A War Mage would be a fine addition,” Queen Jaylin said, taking back Damon’s attention. “You will be a welcome member of the court.”

“Eat up, lad, you’ll need it for your ascension! I hear it stings like a bitch and can leave you drained for hours!” Harker laughed, digging into his own food with knife and fork. Everyone ate but Stanwick was growing more… violent as he reached out for food, tearing the leg off of the roasted pig and gnawing on it like an animal.

“I think something’s wrong with Stanwick,” Damon whispered to Lumis.

Lumis, who was on his fourth course, looked up for the first time and frowned. “What in the hell is he doing?”

“He’s been eating with his hands like some kind of wildling,” Damon muttered. “You think that Lance guy was sick with something? Like rabies?”

“That man was just drunk and surly,” Lumis replied. Still, he stared at Stanwick with curiosity.

“So tell me, Damon,” Harker started to say.

There was a clatter on Stanwick’s side of the table and everyone looked over at once to see that the man had lunged from his chair, dropping the pig leg and seizing another guard.

“Easy, Stanwick!” Harker shouted. “I don’t care what he said about your mother, try not to!”

“Help!” the other guard cried, screaming as Stanwick’s jaws clamped around his throat.

“Unhand him at once!” Harker roared as he stood up. The other guards all rose and grabbed the feral Stanwick, seizing his arms and legs and trying to wrench him back. The ravenous guard did not release his grip from the man’s throat and they all watched in horror as he was torn off, leaving a huge gash in the helpless guard’s neck.

“What is the meaning of this, you bastard?” Harker demanded as Stanwick thrashed and snarled, twisting and fighting his way out of the guards’ grasp.

He managed to get free and immediately leapt on another soldier who was trying to pin him down. His jaws found the unprotected hand of the royal guard and bit a finger clean off, sending the man reeling backwards.

Harker drew his longsword and cut Stanwick down, slashing sideways and piercing his armor. The blade glistened with brilliant magical energy, Aetheric power that had been enchanted into the blade as he severed the man in half, cutting down through the shoulder.

Everyone looked on in horror, paralyzed by what they saw next. Despite Stanwick being slashed in half, his head and right arm were still moving. He was snarling as he dug his jaws into the side of the king’s armored boot, unable to pierce it. King Harker delivered another slash, cutting the head off and sending it rolling a few feet away.

“The head!” Queen Jaylin screamed. “It’s still moving.”

“What kind of sorcery is this?” Harker bellowed.

At that moment, the guard whose finger had been bitten off shrank back, his face rapidly becoming pale. “Something’s wrong,” he muttered, clutching his stomach.

“I’ve never seen rabies do anything like this!” Lumis said.

Damon went to reply but the bleating of a war horn interrupted his words. Everyone stopped what they were doing and faced the eastern side of the feast hall. The door slammed open as a cadre of guards emerged. “We’re under attack! The Hartlands are here!”

Chapter 3

Everything went into chaos almost immediately. The king shouted for his guards to join him as he rushed out to see what was going on. He ordered a detachment to remain and tend to the wounded and protect his wife.

But as soon as the king was out, the doors to the north—where the servants’ quarters were located—burst open. A band of servants appeared, staggering forward as they walked towards the group of soldiers who were quickly organizing to surround the queen. Their faces were pale and gaunt, eyes yellowed and mouths gaping open.

“I do believe the Hartlands have done some kind of spell to disease us,” Lumis said. “Stand back, lad. This is my job.”

Lumis walked forward and raised his hands. “Stop your advancement right now, if you wish to live!” he ordered.

The group of twelve servants did not even comprehend his words. They staggered forward, arms raised and jaws opening and closing. They seemed to lock into Lumis at the same time and converged towards him.

“Have it your way!” the mage shouted. His fingers began to work in a complicated pattern and a wave of flames came pouring out, engulfing the horde as they marched forward. What Damon saw next made his skin crawl.

The fire consumed their bodies but they continued to press on nonetheless, undaunted by the attack. They staggered forward, despite the flames burning hair, skin and clothing up in an instant. Most were mortally wounded, their arms charred and torso showing the bones underneath, but they were still walking.

“Necromancers!” Damon shouted to his master. “They must have killed these servants and raised them!”

“Good eye, lad,” Lumis said, holding his position. “A bit of Lumen should dispatch them.” He began casting another spell, releasing a wave of brilliant white light that washed over the advancing horde. They were unaffected by the spell.

At that point, the wizard began to retreat. “Guards, kill them!” he shouted, climbing atop the table to get away from the throng of advancing shriveled nightmares.

The soldiers rushed forth, six of them armed with halberds, and they began to spear and slash, cutting down the group of servants with ease.

Damon noticed out of the corner of his eye some movement. “Look out!” he shouted, rushing up the table and grabbing the queen’s arm. He yanked her away from the ground just in time. The guard whose throat had been torn out had wriggled towards her and was trying to bite her legs.

A war horn blew again and the sound of fighting rose up from the courtyard. Steel on steel echoed and the sounds of a dozen soldiers engaged in lethal combat surrounded them.

“Retreat!” Lumis shouted. “To the towers, it’ll be safer in there.”

Damon dragged the queen towards the western doors that led to the towers, kicking the doors open to find a group of enemy soldiers. They were dressed in the berserker furs of the Hartlands and seemed to be in good health.

Lumis was quick to act. He threw his hands downwards, palms facing the floor, and a blue wall of ice flew up between the enemy soldiers and Damon’s group. The sounds of weapons, axes and swords, slashing against ice rose immediately.

“We’ve got to get the queen to safety,” Lumis said, turning to face Damon. “That’s all that matters.”

“There’s an access tunnel behind that painting,” the queen said. “We use these passages in case of trouble.”

She pointed to a large painting of a sunset overlooking the High Castle. Damon rushed up to it and pulled the picture down, revealing a secret door. At the same time, the southern doors opened up and a group of Hartland warriors emerged. They had bows and arrows in their hands and began to fire upon seeing the queen.

Damon wrenched the door open and threw the queen in, arrows zipping overhead. Lumis yelped in agony as an arrow found its way into his ribs. He clutched the wound but continued after the queen.

The young mage in training went to close the door behind him but noticed the most curious thing. The guard whose finger had been bitten off was lunging towards the archers, ignoring the arrows as they pierced his armor.

“Something’s wrong,” Damon said as he barred the door.

“There should have been guards to notify us of an enemy attack,” Queen Jaylin said. “They must have used some kind of dark spell to…infect those people.”

“I don’t know,” Damon said. “I think those monsters were attacking the enemy soldiers too.”

“We best save our theories for later,” Lumis said, clutching his side. “We have more pressing matters.”

“Are you okay?” Damon asked as they walked down the halls.

“I believe it has struck somewhere vital,” the man calmly explained. “From the blood loss, I don’t think I have very long to live.”

“We need to get him to an apothecary,” Damon said. “Where do these tunnels lead?”

“To the western tower, Againe is there, she should be able to patch him up,” the queen replied.

The three made their way through the long tunnel and emerged into a stairwell leading upwards. Above they heard a snarling sound and Damon quickly stepped forward to protect his queen and master.

Standing in the middle of the stairs was Linda. Her eyes were sickly and face was contorted in a ghastly expression.

“Linda!” Damon said. “Linda, it’s me!”

The woman snarled at him and lunged downwards to try and bite at his throat. He caught her by the dress and rotated, throwing her down the stairs. She rolled violently, bones snapping as she fell. The queen and Master Lumis rushed past her as she reached out to try and grasp at them.

They hurried up the stairs and into the tower, the monstrous Linda following suit. Damon slammed the door shut behind them and barred it, hearing the woman slam into the door over and over again.

“I believe, young Damon,” the master said, wincing at the pain in his side. “That something has happened in our beloved country. This is not the work of those barbarians from the south.”

“It’s like they’ve all been infected with something,” Damon said, grabbing his master and slinging his arm over his shoulder. “We’ve got to keep moving.”

The tower was empty. There was nothing but tables, books and a window in which Damon could observe all the action outside. It was a bloodbath in the courtyards. Fighters from all sides were battling each other only to be attacked by citizens who were staggering and lunging for them. Men and women were bitten and even though they expired from the wounds, they got right back up and began to attack their former allies.

The door continued to buck as the woman outside slammed against it.

“I fear that this is the end for me,” Lumis muttered, and he laid down on one of the tables.

“Let me have a look,” Damon said, examining the wound. The arrow was lodged clean in the man’s kidney and was rapidly killing him. Blood soaked his hands as he tried to feel around for an area to apply pressure.

“It would seem that our nation is in the midst of some kind of terrible attack,” Lumis groaned. “And I do not have the lifespan nor the power to protect us. I was a simple Utility Mage, a Magus able to perform all manner of spells…but I don’t have the power to heal myself. Time is running out.”

“We can get you to a healer,” Damon pleaded.

“And if the healers were tending to these infected? These man-eating monsters that occupy the faces and bodies of our friends?” Lumis gasped as he placed two hands upon Damon. “I fear that there should have been more pomp and circumstance to this. But my time is up. You must save your queen and protect this kingdom from whatever scourge has afflicted us. You have all the promise in the world, Damon. And now, I grant you the power of the Arcus Flow.”

Blue and white energy began to flow upwards from the injured mage’s hands, moving over Damon. He felt a strange white heat burning in his head as things began to change in his mind and very body. Words appeared, the System making itself known to him.

Arcus Flow accessed! You are acquiring the power of Magic!

“What’s going on?” Damon groaned as he fell to his knees, the energy overwhelming him.

“The magic changes every part of you; it shapes you and builds you into something new, something more powerful. Hold on tightly, lad, it is not an easy thing you are undertaking,” the mage replied.

You have gained a class level! You are now a Level 1 Mage! Select your specialty, hovered before Damon. The golden words floated for a moment before he was then greeted with a bevy of information. Time slowed down around him as he saw the choices he had       access to.

War Mage: The War Mage has the power to affect large battles with artillery spells and massive areas of effect. They are weak in personal combat and lack the ability to perform spells on a small scale.

Magus: A generalist mage, the Magus can perform a variety of spells that often provide utility to those around them. They are not combatants and suffer greatly when getting involved in ranged or melee combat without ample time to cast spells.

Battle Mage: The Battle Mage excels at melee combat and to some extent ranged combat. They are able to buff themselves and others, while also commanding powerful spells that can turn the tide of combat.

Damon considered his options. He was being asked to choose his class type. All this time he had dreamt about being a War Mage but they were not the strongest in personal combat. With the way things were going inside of the castle, Damon might have to fight his way out, dealing with these undead monsters and enemy soldiers. If the castle was overrun…they might have to flee.

He looked at the Battle Mage. Those were skilled with combat in all forms…melee and ranged even. With the pounding on the door, the enemy soldiers present and the dangers of these strange undead creatures…Damon didn’t have the luxury of choosing a prestigious class like War Mage. Battle Mage was going to have to be his selection if he wanted to survive this.

He found it easy to select the class. All he needed to do was focus and the Arcus Flow did the rest.

Battle Mage selected! You have gained:

+10 Hit Points

+2 Strength

+2 Stamina

+10 Mana

+ 3 Defense

8 Skill Points

2 Feat Points

3 Spells

His muscles began to change. He felt strength and stamina surge through his body, his arms growing thicker and muscle density increasing.

You have 8 Skill Points! Select your starting skills!

Combat:

Longswords: Increases weapon damage by 1 point per rank.

Hammers: Increases weapon damage by 1 point per rank.

Axes: Increases weapon damage by 1 point per rank.

Bows: Increases weapon damage by 1 point per rank.

Crossbows: Increases weapon damage by 1 point per rank.

Knives: Increases weapon damage by 1 point per rank.

Grappling: Grants the ability to win grapples with enemies, allowing you to pin them down or throw them.

Defense

Shields: Increases Shield Defense by 1 point per rank.

Light Armor Use: Allows the equipping of light armor.

Dodge: Reduces incoming damage by 1 point per rank.

Parry: Allows you to block incoming attacks based on your parry rank.

Magic

Earthis: Grants control over the Earth Domain of Magic.

Lumen: Grants control over the Light Domain of Magic.

Shadis: Grants control over the Shadow Domain of Magic.

Aether: Grants control over the Aetheric Domain of Magic.

Firus: Grants control over the Fire Domain of Magic.

Aquan: Grants control over the Water Domain of Magic.

Utility

Survival: Allows for you to forage, construct shelter and identify herbs in the wilderness.

Search: Improves the results of areas that you search for items in.

Awareness: Alerts you when there are enemies nearby.

Negotiate: Allows you to convince people to agree to deals.

The skills all appeared in a great list before Damon. He had eight points that he could spend. It was a strange thing to see the rules governing his world laid out before him but at the same time, this would give him everything he needed to survive in this terrible plague that was spreading in the castle.

With only eight points, he had to be careful with his choices. He selected Longswords first, putting one point into that. This would allow him to use a weapon to protect himself and the queen. After that, he chose Grappling, as these undead creatures liked to get in close and try to grab. Being able to throw them off easily made sense.

A point in Negotiate would be useful down the road, to rally people to his cause if he made it out of here, bringing him down to five. Then he decided to spend four points on magical skills, selecting Aether, Earthis, Lumen and Firus, granting him the ability to manipulate those domains. The last point he used on Awareness, something that would enable him to keep an eye on his enemies.

The skill points went by quickly but Damon was only Level 1. He would have to work to improve his experience points in order to get more later. But for now, those were the best options that he could take.

You have gained 2 Feat Points! Select from below!

Battle Caster:

Recast Spell: Cast a spell you just cast for no mana cost.

Bouncing Spell: You may Bounce a spell for 2 Mana, hitting an additional target.

Trigger Spell: You may cast a spell and set a Trigger, activating it when the conditions are met.

Fighter

Hearty: Gain +10 Hit Points.

Defender: Gain +2 Defense and Stamina.

Battlemaster: Gain 2 Ranks in all Combat Skills.

True Mage

Spell Learner: Gain 2 additional spells.

Mystic Attunement: Magical items reveal their function to you without needing time to examine them.

Mana Boost: Gain +10 Mana.

These feats seemed to provide some kind of long-term benefit that applied in certain situations. If he was going to be fighting against hordes of undead, then he would need more mana and spells. That’s why Damon selected Mana Boost, then decided to take Recast Spell since it would also provide him with an additional spell at no cost.

The final list of options that opened up before him concerned spells. They were limited by the skill points that he had put into the magic skills that he had learned and thus were limited to level 1.

Select 3 Spells!

Level 1 Earthis Spells

Earth Shock

Mana Cost: 2

Description: Creates a wave of shaking earth that causes all hostiles within 20 feet of you to fall to the ground.

Earth Spike

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Fires a spike of jagged stone at a target, dealing 5 damage.

Form Stone

Mana Cost: 5

Description: Allows you to change the form of stone, shaping it any way you wish.

Level 1 Lumen Spells

Mage Light

Mana Cost: 1

Description: Creates a ball of light that illuminates a 50 foot area around you, granting +2 Awareness.

Blind

Mana Cost: 2

Description: Flashes a brilliant light in front of a target’s eyes, blinding them for 30 seconds.

Repel Unholy

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Emits a 30 foot wave that causes all unholy creatures to retreat from you for one minute.

Level 1 Aether Spells

Conjure Weapon

Mana Cost: 1

Description: Conjures a longsword or axe that deals 6 damage. Lasts until you dismiss the weapon, though your mana is capped by the cost and cannot regenerate until you dismiss it.

Quick Step

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Move 10 feet through the Aether, passing through solid objects and avoiding all attacks.

Conjure Armor

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Conjures a suit of armor that grants you 5 Damage Reduction. Caps your mana until dismissed.

Level 1 Firus Spells

Fire Bolt

Mana Cost: 2

Description: Releases a bolt of flames that strikes a target for 5 damage.

Summon Fire Elemental

Mana Cost: 5

Description: Conjures a Lesser Fire Elemental to fight on your behalf.

Ignite

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Ignites a target on fire, dealing 3 damage per second for 10 seconds.

At long last, Damon would have the power to use spells in order to defend himself and protect the queen! His skills were low and so he was restricted to only the weaker spells, but still, the options at level 1 packed a serious punch.

With three spells to choose from at a time, Damon had to choose wisely. Since he was trapped in a tower without any weapons, he decided to take Conjure Weapon first. This would allow him to summon a longsword and keep it for as long as he needed it. The second choice was Quick Step, also from the Aether selections. The ability to quickly move out of the way of danger made sense and would give him more mobility in the fights that were to come. Not to mention it would let him avoid the undead bite attacks more easily.

The third and final selection would have to be offensive. He had seen that fire had failed to kill the undead menace and thus he turned his attention to the Earth Spike ability. A solid attack, a sharp shard of stone, might be just what was needed to be able to kill these things.

He selected the last option and watched as the System updated the information, gathering all of his choices and creating a summary sheet in front of him.

Damon White

Class: Battle Mage

Level: 1

XP: 0/2,000

Stats:

10 HP

20 MP

Strength: 2

Stamina: 2

Defense: 3

Skills:

Longswords: 1

Grappling: 1

Earthis: 1

Firus: 1

Aether: 1

Lumen: 1

Awareness: 1

Negotiate: 1

Feats:

Recast Spell

Mana Boost

Learned Spells:

Aether

Conjure Weapon

Quick Step

Earthis

Earth Spike

And just like that, Damon was now a Battle Mage. Level 1 but still… All the years of learning seemed to pale in comparison to the raw power that he now possessed. It seemed that connection to the Arcus Flow and the System allowed him so much more than he knew he was capable of.

“Master, I’ve finished!” Damon said, looking down. To his dismay and great sorrow, Lumis was dead. The arrow had finished him off, leaving Damon with a hard question: would he, too, rise up to try and devour them?

Chapter 4

The thumping on the door continued rhythmically as the Linda monster did not relent. It seemed that she didn’t seem to tire, or it didn’t seem to tire. Thankfully the tower door was reinforced with metal and there was no way a single human would be able to break their way through.

Queen Jaylin looked at the corpse of the old man and sighed. “I wish that I didn’t have to ask this, but will he rise up too?”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Damon said with a grimace. He looked at the body and then back at the queen. “What do we do, Your Highness?”

“It seems like we just have to wait and see,” she quietly replied, sitting on a chair.

Damon nodded at her decision and decided to cast his first spell. He reached a hand out and instinctively moved his fingers in the right order, conjuring a longsword. His mana dropped down to 19 the instant that the spell activated. The hilt materialized in his outstretched palm and he wrapped his fingers around it.

Sword conjured! appeared in his vision as he swung the light blade around. It glistened with the familiar trappings of an aetheric summon, gleaming in the daylight brighter than any traditional weapon would.

“I take it that you have spells now,” Jaylin quietly remarked.

“Yes, a few,” he replied. “I’ve got skills as well. We should be safe as long as nothing tries to break in.”

There was a sound outside, a loud thundering cry of laughter and a war chant. “Thunder Rings!” the voice bellowed, following the sound of something being stabbed violently. There was a moment of silent and then a knocking on the door.

“Queen Jaylin!” a voice asked, deep and full of bravado. “Are you in there?”

Damon looked at her and she nodded. “Yes, Sir Greyson, I am here.”

“Capital! I just dispatched the zombie outside and am here to escort you to safety.”

“Zombie?” Damon asked.

“Yes! They’re just like those necromancer monsters, the undead that they have a habit of conjuring forth. Though a lot tougher,” Sir Greyson replied.

The queen gestured towards the door and Damon hurried to it, unbarring the entrance and opening it up. On the other side was a tall man with raven black hair and a wide grin on his face. He was broad chested and adorned in metal armor that had magical runes on it. In his right hand was an axe, bloodied from recent use.

Slumped in the corner was the Linda zombie. The axe had come down upon her—or rather its—head, the impact splitting the skull wide open.

“How did you kill it?” Damon asked as the queen stood to inspect the scene for herself.

“These things don’t seem to want to quit if you strike them anywhere other than the head. Even a blow to the neck will leave the head still biting and moving. But a sturdy shot to the skull and they go down quick!” Greyson cheerfully said.

“What’s going on in the castle?” Queen Jaylin asked.

“Not good news, I’m afraid. These zombies are everywhere and the attack from the Hartland warriors only made it worse. Their forces were bitten and they became infected too. Seems that a single bite makes you just as mad as those creatures. Some people seem to have a bit of a lead time before they change but the rest, the rest are just transformed almost instantly.”

“And do the regular dead rise up?” Damon inquired.

“Nay, not that I’ve seen. A corpse only rises if it’s been bitten,” the warrior replied.

“What exactly is the plan?” the queen asked.

“The castle is full of these monsters, so we’re going to head to town and get to the garrison. Some instruction to the people and we’ll be able to get spears and a team of shield wielders to fight back. I’m sure there will be plenty of volunteers, since saving the castle would be a feat of legends,” Greyson explained.

“We’ll need to be careful,” Damon said. “There’s a lot of them now, if a single bite infects you.”

“No worries, I’m here to protect you! I’m one of the finest warriors in the land and figured out the headshot thing early,” Greyson said, turning around and pointing down the stairs. “Now come on, let’s get going!”

Damon held his longsword out as he followed after Greyson. The large man cheerily made his way down the steps, the sounds of chaos all around them. In the distance, Damon could hear struggles, a woman screaming for help and then her voice cutting out.

The queen followed after them, gingerly walking down the steps and keeping a single hand on Damon’s back. They made their way down three flights to the antechamber where bodies were laying everywhere. Most of them belonged to the guards who maintained the garrison, though a few belonged to the Hartland warriors. The dead did not move, though Damon kept a keen eye on them at all times, just in case.

“This way,” Greyson said, pointing towards a large set of doors with his axe. The three hurried to the doors and Greyson kicked them open, revealing the outside world. It was the garden where cabbages and potatoes were being grown by the hundreds.

Immediately Damon’s senses kicked in. His Awareness skill activated and he noticed that there were two of these zombies standing amidst the crops.

“We’ve got two there!” Damon said, pointing with the tip of his sword.

The corpses were that of servants, plump and bloated. Their flesh was grisly and contorted. They seemed to notice the three at the same time and turned around, staggering towards the group.

“I’ll take the one on the left!” Greyson shouted. He raised his axe and let out a wild warcry, charging without fear.

This was it; no more going back. Damon had to fight to protect the queen. He raised his gleaming sword and broke into a sprint, running towards the servant corpse that was staggering towards him with outstretched arms. All he had to do was aim for the head, right?

He swung his blade, angling it with perfect precision. The power of the System was running through his entire body and he felt more alert and aware than ever before. Though he had never picked up a weapon before, he felt in tune with the summoned sword and delivered a fierce blow right above the cloudy eyes of the zombie.

Lethal Hit! appeared in his vision as he swung, the blade digging its way through the bone matter of the monster, slashing through the brain and cutting the top of the skull off in one clean blow.

Greyson likewise struck true, embedding his axe in a downward hack that broke the top of the other zombie’s head, splitting it in two. Both of the creatures fell at the same time, dropping to the ground without any motion.

Enemy defeated! 150 XP gained! appeared in Damon’s vision. He grinned, seeing that now he was gaining power from fighting. A few more fights and he’d be Level 2 in no time.

“Nice work,” Greyson said. “See? There’s nothing to it.”

“Let’s keep moving,” Damon replied without missing a beat. “The town’s not too far from here.”

They made their way across the cabbage field, getting to the gates of the garden. There, he detected more trouble.

There were six Hartland warriors, adorned in their battle furs and wielding swords and spears. The men were guarding the exit. They didn’t seem to know what was going on inside of the castle.

“Stop right there!” the leader, a large fellow with a portly gut, demanded. His eyes flashed with recognition of the queen. “Oh, I see we’ve caught ourselves a big fish!”

Greyson raised his axe threateningly. “I’ve killed dozens of your kind before. Don’t think I would have any problem annihilating you.”

Damon knew that the odds weren’t really in their favor despite Greyson’s bravado. What if he made use of his new Negotiate skill and got them to lower their weapons? The queen’s life was in his hands and he had to ensure her safety no matter what.

“Don’t you realize what’s going on?” he said, motioning around him. “There’s some sort of plague affecting our kingdom. It’s killing people and reanimating their corpses.”

The group all laughed at that. “You expect us to believe that?”

“Then tell me, where are your allies?” Damon challenged. “Why has no one come out of the castle? They were set upon by these zombie creatures and were slain just as easily as our own. Your best bet is to leave while you still can.”

The leader rubbed his chin but eventually shook his head. “Orders were to kill the king and queen, burn down the castle. And we’re going to do just that.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Greyson roared.

Negotiation Skill too low! appeared in Damon’s vision. Skill Failed! He grimaced and raised his left hand, readying a spell.

The six approached in formation, three in the front with swords and three in the back with spears. Greyson wasn’t able to rush them because of this but Damon had an advantage.

Summoning the power of Earthis, the prime element of earth itself, he stretched out his left hand and made the signs of Earth Spike. His mana dropped to 16 as he released the spell. A huge chunk of stone, pointed and lethal, fired out of his hand into the spearman in the center, striking him dead on in the torso. The words 5 damage hovered above his head and the man reeled backwards.

“He’s a caster!” they shouted. “Charge!”

Damon didn’t hesitate. He used his Recast Spell feat to fire another bolt towards the charging group, aiming the spike towards the leader in the front. This one struck him in the gut and he stumbled, causing the others to trip and fall over him.

Greyson capitalized on the enemy’s stumbling and rushed into melee, swinging his axe with reckless abandon. The two downed fighters did not get back up, lying on the ground with the stone spikes sticking out of their abdomens, blood pouring from their wounds.

Damon readied another spell and waited for an opening. Greyson slashed downwards into one of the advancing swordsman, hitting him with the blade right in the neck, bringing him down hard.

At the same time, Damon aimed at a spearman who was trying to rush Greyson from the side and fired again, losing 3 more mana points in the process. The spike struck the man in the right eye, dealing critical damage of 10 and dropping him instantly. The other two tried to flank Greyson but the seasoned warrior was more than a match for them.

He delivered a stunning kick to the first swordsman and then dodged the spear coming in from the right, turning and hacking downwards onto the man’s shoulder. Damon used his recast feat once again and struck the swordsman in the back, dropping him to the ground though it seemed his armor reduced the damage only to three points.

Greyson spun around and delivered a killing blow to the man on the ground, taking him out quickly.

The fight had lasted less than thirty seconds, but the six warriors were dead or wounded greatly.

Combat won! 600 XP gained! appeared in Damon’s vision.

“Behind us!” the queen shouted, breaking his concentration. He turned around to see that a swarm of zombies had emerged from the castle, hearing the noise and perhaps even smelling the blood. There were eight of them and they were staggering their way towards Damon and his group.

“Let’s get the hell out of here!” Greyson said, waving them on.

“I tried to warn you,” Damon said to the leader who was still conscious. The man was clutching his wounds and looking up at the horde of creatures that were coming towards him.

“What the fuck are those things!” he wailed.

Damon didn’t bother to reply. The three pushed through the exit gate and slammed it behind them, hoping to break off line of sight from these creatures. Behind them they could hear the screams of the war leader as he was devoured alive, his shouts and pleas for help going unanswered until he was gurgling and snarling just like them.

Chapter 5

The castle was behind Damon as they traveled down the long sloping hill leading towards Highston. A fire had broken out in one of the towers and was spreading to the rest of the building, catching the wooden palisades as it grew.

“Just keep moving,” Damon advised to the queen. “We need to get to the garrison.”

There was a mile between the castle and the town that it protected, and that mile felt incredible long as they marched. The sun continued to rise above them, the warm spring day growing hotter by the minute.

“What is happening?” the queen asked as they marched. “Some evil force must have targeted our castle. But why? We’ve dealt with invasions before but nothing like this.”

“Perhaps it is some dark spell that was cast by a wild necromancer,” Greyson mused. “Some kind of spell that went haywire. Wouldn’t be the first time a necroman tried to do something like this.”

“But we’ve put them all to the sword. Necromancy is not practiced in our kingdom,” the queen said. “And how would any of them ever get this powerful without our sages noticing? Even Lumis kept an eye out for any signs of necromantic magic in our lands. He always reported nothing.”

Damon didn’t say a word. His heart sank at the mention of his late master. It was a shame that the old man had to die in such a terrible way, slain in an invasion. This was supposed to be Damon’s big day and the master was supposed to be there to continue to advise him. But now he would never hear the old man’s advice again. Never listen to his rants or hear him ramble about dissecting this or that.

“What in the hell…” Greyson gasped, breaking Damon’s thoughts of his old master. He looked up to see that the town of Highston was in a state of disrepair. Buildings were burning, men and women staggered through the street and a few of the shops looked as if they had been ransacked.

“The Hartlanders must have done this,” the queen said with a long face. “On their way to our castle.”

“If they had done this, a runner would have come to alert us at once,” Damon countered. He looked at the garrison building, a large wooden barracks in the center of town. It was burning violently with smoke billowing into the air. “And if they attacked the garrison, they would have used a horn to alert us.”

“What are you saying?” the queen demanded.

“I’m saying…that maybe this plague didn’t start in the castle,” Damon said, pointing towards one of the staggering peasants. The motions were identical to the undead and it was moving about, searching for something to eat.

“Help!” a young woman cried. She was atop Bronson’s General Store, waving to the three frantically. “You’ve got to help me!”

Surrounding the store were eight zombies, all eyes trained on her. They were reaching up but didn’t seem to have the intelligence to climb.

“Looks like we’re in a heap of trouble,” Damon said. “If this plague hit the town…then…” He trailed off, looking at the blonde woman who was begging for help. She had a bow at her back but he could see that her quiver was on the ground, lying outside of the shop’s exterior where she had presumably climbed up in a hurry.

“We need to help her,” the queen said.

“There are eight of those things and who knows how many more in the rest of the town,” Greyson countered. “My queen, we should head to the city. There’s no way a city would fall to an entire plague.”

Damon stepped forward. “Greyson, she’s right. That woman needs help. I thought you said killing them was easy.”

“One or two at a time, sure, but eight will just bum rush you and pin you to the ground,” Greyson said, wrinkling his nose. “There’s no way we can take them all at the same time.”

“You have to try,” the queen said. “If I can’t protect my subjects, then what am I good for?”

“I’ve got an idea,” Damon said, stepping forward. “They aren’t that bright, are they? They just want a meal and I can be a distraction. You get in close and take down anything that isn’t taking the bait.”

“Good luck,” Greyson said, not arguing the point. He was pledged to serve his queen no matter the odds and it seemed that her determination had won him over.

Damon hurried closer to the building. “Hey!” he shouted, quickly drawing the attention of the eight zombies. They all turned around and began to lurch towards him. “That’s right, lunch is over here!” he said, moving backwards to put distance between them.

The corpses all staggered forward, their jaws opening and closing at the sight of something to eat.

Greyson advanced and quickly found a ladder, placing it against the side of the building. The young woman hurried down it and retrieved her quiver before falling back to join the queen who was still a good distance up the hill.

As Damon took a step backwards, he heard a noise beneath him and realized too late that there was a corpse lying on the ground. The zombie was cut in half by a sword of some kind but the upper body was still functional. It seized his leg and tried to wrench its head up to bite him.

Damon shouted in surprise and kicked the corpse off. The words Stamina Spent! appeared in his vision and he saw his Stamina Points drop down to 1. The distraction was long enough for the throng of corpses to close in on him; they were deceptively faster than they looked.

The Battle Mage was quick to activate his Quick Step spell. In an instant he was on the other side of the corpses, teleporting ten feet away from them. He was inside of the Aether for a brief second and he saw a strange world of blue and green auras wash around him as he moved.

The zombies didn’t notice that he gave them the slip and continued to move forward, down the street.

Damon retreated to the group and wiped the sweat from his brow. That had been a close one but his stamina seemed to protect him from being bitten. A useful thing to know, as his HP were pointless against these undead abominations.

“Thank you!” the woman said, brushing her hair back nervously. “Wait, aren’t you the queen?”

“What happened here?” the queen asked.

The woman sighed. “I came back from a hunt to drop off a deer and found that town was under siege from something. Not warriors or soldiers, but these monsters that were biting everyone. And the people who were bitten…they became just like them, snarling beasts. I threw the corpse of the deer to distract a few but when I tried to help the old man in the general store, I was surrounded. I managed to climb up to the top of the shop but I was there for hours.”

They watched as more dead came out of the doors and windows of the various stores and houses, attracted by the noise of Damon’s shouting. The town had a population of about two hundred people and they could see by the pressed together packs of undead that most of the citizens had fallen to this plague.

“My gods,” Damon muttered. “What is happening to our lands?”

“We need to get somewhere safe. Lokar City is about eighty miles from here,” Greyson said. “We’ll be better off there.”

“It’s a long road to get to the city,” the queen murmured. “We don’t have any food or water. We’ll need supplies if we’re going to make it.”

“I have some supplies back at my shack,” the hunter said. “My name’s Avery by the way.”

“I’m Queen Jaylin, these are my two guards, Damon and Greyson,” the queen introduced. “Are you willing to come with us to the city?”

“Of course, I don’t know what’s going on but anywhere is better than here,” Avery said.

“Then take us to your shack,” the queen said. “We can stock up on supplies and then head out.”

“What about the stables?” Damon asked. “They’re on the outskirts of the town. Maybe we can find a few horses to take. That would make the trip much easier.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Greyson replied. “And besides, these monsters seem to be attracted to meat. No doubt they’ve devoured the horses already.”

Chapter 6

Avery led the three deep into the Emerald Woods, where the sounds of the forest were eerily missing. The woods were not a safe place to be by any means, as monsters did wander around, looking for people to consume or kill, and Damon felt worried from the moment they entered.

But Avery seemed to know the place rather well and escorted them to a small cabin off of a lake. “The water is safe to drink, it comes from a creek that runs through the woods,” she said as they reached the hunter’s shack. “I’ve got plenty of cured meat and a few waterskins. Help yourself.”

The cabin was small and suitable only for one person. There was a bearskin rug in the center, a deer head mounted on the wall, the antlers quite impressive, and a bed in the corner.

The queen sat down on the bed and put her face in her hands. “I have no idea what is going on…” she mumbled. “Everything was so normal today, now we’re on the run and from some kind of threat that makes no sense.”

“I think it’s gotta be judgment from the gods,” Avery suggested. “Maybe they saw that we were too happy and decided to give the High Kingdom some trouble as a way to test our fealty.”

“This would be something that Garnis the Cruel would do,” Greyson agreed. “Maybe it is the gods.”

“If it is, then perhaps we best try and find a temple, to make an offering to appease them,” the queen replied. “That would perhaps be the one thing that might turn things to our favor.”

“I don’t know,” Damon said. “Seems to me that the gods wouldn’t allow something this strange to happen without warning. Normally they send prophets and omens to tell us to change our ways.”

The group continued to speculate as to what the nature of the enemy was as they gathered the supplies. They had only enough for three days, which was a far cry from the 80 mile journey they needed to undertake.

“Horses would make this so much easier,” Damon said once they finished packing. “My queen, I mean no disrespect but you aren’t quite in the condition for a forced march across the road. And there could be dangers there.”

“Then I suppose it is on you to find us some horses,” Queen Jaylin replied. She reclined in the bed. “You are right about my physique. I’m a ruler, not a wanderer or traveler.”

“You think there’s anything left in those stables?” Damon wondered aloud, looking out the window of the small shack. There wasn’t anything around, leading him to wonder if perhaps forests were safer from these creatures.

“It couldn’t hurt to check, though I will require Greyson to stay here,” the queen said. The man was outside, chopping wood on a stump. “Without you, I would have no protection.”

“I’ll go,” Avery volunteered, raising her hand. “I know a quick way to the stables.”

“Are you a good shot?” Damon asked.

“Moderately,” she replied. “I’ve made a living hunting deer and elk in these woods.”

“You’ll need to be able to shoot these zombies in the head if you want to do any kind of lasting damage,” Damon explained as he grabbed a fur coat and slung it around his shoulders. “Let’s get moving.”

Avery has joined your party!

You gain:

+2 Awareness

+ 1 Survival

Damon looked at the words. How curious that he gained some skill boosts with her by his side. But that was the power of the Arcus Flow, attuning the two together so that they synchronized better.

Avery grabbed her bow and quiver and headed out after Damon. “It’s this way,” she said, leading Damon through the woods.

It was good that he had a guide, for every part of the Emerald Woods looked identical to him. He hadn’t ventured outside of the castle much in the last decade of his life, spending most of his time indoors, studying and preparing to become a wizard. Occasionally the master would bring him out into the Emerald in order to search for alchemical ingredients but those trips were short and always with a large party of foresters and rangers to guide them. Now it was just he and Avery, a stranger.

“So have you lived out here long?” Damon asked as they made their way through the winding woods.

“Since I was a child,” Avery said. “My father was a hunter and I took up the trade when he died. Poor guy was gored by an elk, so it was a rather sudden acquisition of the job. But I’ve gotten by on my own for quite some time. What about you? How long have you been a wizard for the courts?”

“A day,” Damon confessed. “The plague struck us right as I was chosen to be elevated in the courts. What was supposed to be a—”

Avery shushed him suddenly and raised a hand. “Movement ahead,” she remarked.

Damon paused from his words and sank low. Ahead they could see something moving. It was a large grey-skinned creature, humanoid but far from human. It had long arms and razor sharp claws for fingers, a square head that sported two red eyes and a round maw that opened and closed as its tongue flicked the air. Its haunches were thick and tree-like, with clawed feet that dug into the earth as it slowly moved about.

“What is that thing?” Damon asked. His vision scanned it and the Arcus Flow informed him.

Grimis Beast

Description: These solitary monsters are exceptional hunters, relying on their sense of smell to track their prey. They excel at melee combat and prefer to eat their victims alive. Highly dangerous.

Level: 3

Strength: 10

HP: 30

Defense: 5

Armor Points: 5

“That’s a Grimis,” Avery whispered. “What’s a monster doing this close to town? Normally they don’t wander anywhere near this area.”

The monster flicked the air a few times with its tongue and looked in their direction. Damon swallowed hard. He had never seen a live monster up close before. The thing looked as if it could rip them to shreds with its bare hands.

“It smells us,” Avery hissed.

The monster began to lurch towards them, feet thumping against the ground as it walked.

“Do we fight or run?” Damon asked.

“You can’t outrun a Grimis,” she replied, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow. “We’re going to have to take it down.”

“It’s level three,” Damon cried. “My spells only do five damage at a time.”

The monster let out a shrill shriek and broke into a sprint, lumbering towards their location from behind a tree.

“Divide and conquer!” Avery shouted as she fell back, expertly dashing backwards with her bow at the ready. She fired a shot towards the monster but the arrow bounced off of its hide.

Damon drew his ethereal sword and hoped that the Aetheric magic of the blade would penetrate its skin. The monster came bearing down on him faster than he could react and it was slashing violently, claws a flurry of blows.

The Battle Mage dodged the first strike but was caught by the second one, taking 5 points of damage from the blow. Blood soaked his tunic as the words Health 5 appeared in his vision, alerting him to his low amount of HP. Another hit like that and he would be dead.

Damon slashed back with his sword and struck the torso of the creature, dealing 5 points of damage as the ethereal blade sang. The creature roared, black blood spraying from the wound and grabbed Damon, throwing him backwards.

He went sailing through the woods and landed a few feet away from the creature. It got on all fours and began to bound towards him like a wolf. He leapt up and raised a hand, casting his Earth Spike spell. A firm piece of jagged stone struck the monster in the head and dealt critical damage, taking its HP down to 15.

Avery lined up a shot and fired, skewering the creature in its leg. The beast lost 3 HP from the hit and it stumbled, sliding onto the ground as its leg gave out.

Damon recast the spell but the beast rolled to the side, avoiding the attack entirely. It climbed back up onto its fours and charged once more. Luckily, Damon had the idea to activate his Quick Step spell, teleporting out of the way just in time to avoid it. He reappeared behind the long beast and delivered another blow of his blade to the creature’s leg, striking it hard.

The creature’s health dropped down to 9 as it howled in rage. The howl was deep and loud, causing reverberation throughout the entire forest. It climbed to its feet and turned around to strike at Damon, but he was faster. He dodged out of the way with Quick Step, appearing ten feet away and readying another spell. His MP was draining rapidly from the spellcasting, down to 13, but the beast was on its last legs.

He fired another jagged piece of rock, hitting the Grimis in the torso. The stone pierced through the monster’s flesh and drew more blood, dropping its health down to 4. Avery aimed and fired her next shot, hitting it in the same wounded spot. The beast roared and fell to the ground, slain from the arrow that struck it somewhere vital.

“Is it dead?” Avery asked, gingerly approaching.

Damon nodded and gasped for air. “I think we killed it.”

Monster Slain! 800 XP Gained! This brought him up to 1600 XP. He was only 400 away from leveling up.

“Very nice!” Avery cheered. “Come on, let’s skin the thing. I bet we can make some armor from its hide.”

Before she could draw her knife to start skinning, there was a sound from ahead of them. Pale faces emerged from behind a bush, undead creatures with their arms stretched out.

“Zombies!” she hissed. Six of them came staggering forward, making their way towards the pair.

“They must have heard that creature’s roar,” Damon said. “It seems that sound attracts them. Anything loud enough and they go right to it.”

“Well I’m not giving up my kill,” Avery said, aiming her bow at one of the creatures. “Come on, there’s just six and we’ve got some distance between us.”

Damon nodded and clutched his blade with both hands.

The zombies advanced forward, crossing the gap in between Damon and Avery. They were huddled close together; if they were to fall upon Damon they could easily overpower him.

Avery aimed her bow and released a shot. The arrow whistled through the air and struck one of the creatures in the neck.

“The head!” Damon shouted.

“I’m trying to,” she hissed as she loaded another arrow and fired. This one hit a corpse in the torso, doing no lasting damage.

“They’re moving too quick and they’re bobbing,” she muttered, backing up a few feet. Damon wasn’t sure if he should take this fight. His Earth Spike spell could perhaps penetrate the skull but there was no telling if he would be accurate or not.

He raised a hand and aimed the palm towards the top of the horde’s approach. He muttered the incantations and released the spell, sending a spike of stone into the cluster. The shot did not hit any of their heads but instead embedded itself into the guts of one of the corpses. The body continued shambling forward.

“This is a bad idea,” Damon said as he watched Avery shoot one in the knee. “Too much pressure.”

“Then we run!” she said. “Damn these things.”

Chapter 7

They were able to outrun the small horde fairly easily. The creatures fell out of sight a few miles away, allowing them to stop to catch their breath right outside of the stables by the town.

“So much for your skill as a hunter,” Damon grumbled.

“Hey, getting a headshot on a moving target isn’t as easy as it looks,” Avery replied, crossing her arms. “Besides, those things give me the creeps. It’s hard to keep your aim steady when they’re bearing down on you like that.”

Damon didn’t reply. He merely shrugged and pointed to the stables that were sitting quietly outside of the woods. Highston was half a mile away and this was where they kept the horses that were to be used by the visiting nobility. It didn’t look as if there were any undead around though there could be monsters on the inside.

“Alright, let’s move quietly and carefully,” Damon said. “We just need a few horses. Three or four.”

Avery nodded and sunk low. They scurried across the grounds, the day’s sun starting to give out, casting a red light across the sky. The stables were made of four buildings with a wall around them, to keep thieves out.

They approached the gate and Damon found that it was unlocked. He fiddled with the door and slowly opened it up, grimacing as the hinges creaked loudly. Inside there was an old man holding a pitchfork. He was in the process of carrying some hay to the stable interior and dropped the bale upon seeing the pair.

“Stay back!” he shouted, aiming his pitchfork towards them. “I don’t want any trouble!”

“I come in service of Her Highness, Queen Jaylin,” Damon said, stepping forward and bowing to the man. The old fellow seemed to be perfectly fine. He had a pronounced bald spot with shaggy white hair hanging from the sides of his head. He looked to be in his seventies, though was strikingly fit for someone his age. “There is an emergency and we are trying to get to Lokar City.”

“Emergency is right,” the old man said, lowering his weapon upon hearing the name of the queen. It helped that Damon was wearing clothes that a courtier would be adorned in, the emblem of the High Kingdom upon his chest. “Something’s happened in town. I was trying to find my stable hand, Rowan, but when I got to the interior of the city, people were acting all strange.”

“They aren’t people anymore,” Damon said. “There’s some sort of plague going on. It infects them and turns them into bloodthirsty monsters. Zombies.”

“I once saw a zombie, son,” the man replied. “A stitched together creature with nary a thought in its head. Of course that was back when I was serving in the King’s Army as one of the necromancer hunters. Not as a hunter, of course. I was just the horsekeeper. Still, these things aren’t zombies.”

“Then what would you propose they are?”

“Folks affected by the moon’s madness! I bet we didn’t make our sacrifices to Wenya the Moon Goddess and she’s turned the folks to insanity,” he replied.

That was one theory. “We’re still calling them zombies. They don’t feel pain, seem immune to anything other than a blow to the head and that’s the same properties as a necromantic zombie,” Damon said. He didn’t know why he was getting hung up on semantics. “Anyway, there was an outbreak at the castle and Queen Jaylin is in my employ. She has requested that we commandeer some horses for a trip to the northern city of Lokar.”

“Fair enough,” the old man said. “I’m Cid, by the way. Old Man Cid they called me, but back then I was Stablemaster Cid. Ahhh, to serve in the army again, that would be something.”

“You’ll give us horses?” Avery asked.

“Of course! I’m not one to refuse royalty their due. If you don’t mind, can I come along? I’m not much for fighting but I can tend to the horses and keep them fed,” Cid asked.

“Sure thing,” Damon replied. “How many do you have?”

“Four,” Cid said as he motioned towards the stables, picking up the hay bale once more. “They’re Fermi Equestrians, fine and strong creatures, able to bear any burden and fast as the wind.”

Damon felt a surge of relief run through him. This was the first positive development in the day.

“Great, get them readied and we’ll take off for the woods.”

The old man nodded and headed into the stables. Damon could hear the soft neighing of horses, greeting their caretaker and the relief grew greater. All they needed to do was get to the city.

“Behind us!” Avery hissed, pulling on Damon’s arm. He turned around to see something strange.

A fellow in black robes was walking out of the city. Behind him, a flank of zombies followed. They didn’t appear to be chasing after him. Rather, they were trailing after him as if obedient. Judging from his direction, he was heading to the stables.

“Close the gate,” Damon whispered. The pair quickly grabbed the gates and shut them, barring them. The Battle Mage pressed one eye through the slats in the gate to view what was going on.

The black robed stranger was walking confidently as twelve zombies followed him all the way up to the door. The gate thumped as the stranger pushed against it, the long wooden beam keeping it shut.

“Break it down,” the robed man ordered, his voice dark and raspy.

Obeying him, the zombies staggered forward and began to slam themselves into the door, causing the gates to buck.

“What’s going on?” Cid asked as he opened up the stable doors to reveal four beautiful horses, large and with mighty thick limbs. They were shaggy and in different colors, white, red, black and grey.

“Someone’s here!” Damon hissed. “Keep your voice down.”

“Who’s here?” Cid asked, bewildered, as if this were a new concept.

“I don’t know but he’s commanding the zombies. He might be a necromancer!” Avery said. “Oh, I knew it! This is some dark magic, not judgment of the gods.”

“Don’t rule out that he might be a moon priest,” Cid offered.

The slamming against the gate grew harder and the wood began to break. “How long will that hold against twelve of them?” Damon asked.

“Not long,” Cid groaned. “It’s not really built for withstanding sieges. The wall is supposed to take care of that.”

“We need to go,” Damon said. “Is there a way out the back?”

Cid nodded and gestured to the west. “There’s an entrance for wagons. Wide enough for us to ride out.”

“Then let’s go,” Damon said, hurrying up to the red horse and climbing on its back.

Avery rushed to the grey one and leapt onto it with a surprising amount of skill. It seemed that she was adept at riding. Damon had ridden horses occasionally, often just for pleasure around the outskirts of the castle.

Cid mounted the black one and the three rode towards the western exit. Behind them, they heard a terrible crashing as the gate shattered open, one of the wooden planks breaking large enough for the zombies to tear their way inside.

“Stop!” the black robed stranger bellowed as the three rode, the fourth white horse tailing them. “Come back with those horses at once!”

“Just keep going!” Damon shouted as they barreled through the exit.

They passed over a wooden bridge that was above the creek that ran all the way into the Emerald Woods. But before they could get away, a black circle of fire rose up around them, dark flames burning brightly.

The horses did not like this and reared up, whining violently as Damon tried to hold on as best he could.

The stranger caught up to them quickly, though his small army of undead was following him at a distance. The man moved like the wind, an aura of magic beneath his feet as he strode towards them.

“Those horses are mine,” he snarled, black hood concealing his face. “Dismount at once and I will let you live.”

“We are here in the name of the queen,” Damon shouted back as Avery drew her bow. The flames around them were still burning, the black fire licking up the air violently. This caused the horses to trot in circles, unsure of where to go. “I demand that you let us go at once.”

“Demand?” the man cackled. “Oh I’m sure your queen would like to get away. But her reign is at an end! Oh yes! There is a new law now, that of the undead!”

“Who are you?” Damon demanded. “Why do those monsters listen to you?”

“I am but a humble servant in a great movement,” the man replied. “And these creatures are easily compelled by a few spells. They make for excellent servants, mindless and without any desire other than to devour flesh.”

“What do we do?” Avery asked, her voice tense and filled with stress. The zombies were coming up on the stranger, lurching forward as they moved.

“You would dare commit treason against your queen?” Damon shouted. Panic filled his voice, undercutting his confidence.

“Treason? It is no treason to see those fools laid low. The High Kingdom, my ass,” the man replied. “Surely you would not want to be torn apart by these creatures? Is your loyalty truly worth your own lives?”

“Shoot him!” Damon ordered.

Avery aimed at the man and fired a single shot. The arrow passed through the black flames, igniting in the process, and struck the man in the torso. The stranger laughed at that and raised a hand, creating a shield around him.

“You got one shot and you didn’t hit anything vital,” the man said, touching his abdomen and raising a finger full of blood. “You won’t get another chance to kill me now.”

The zombies all turned their heads at once at the sight of the blood. They began to stagger towards the confident man, arms raised and mouths agape.

“And you will—” he started to say before one of the zombies bit him right on the bloodied finger. He screamed in surprise and turned around. “Back!” he roared. The horde did not listen to him. The sight of blood and perhaps its smell caused them to swarm him.

“Stop! I am your master, I command you with spells!” he shrieked. The black flames faded as the man was overwhelmed by the corpses that he was once ordering around.

“Let’s move!” Cid said, giddying up his horse and running towards the forest. Damon settled his own horse down and began to sprint after his companions, though he turned back for one last look.

The possible necromancer was screaming in agony as he was being torn apart by the feral undead, their hands ripping him to pieces as they forced flesh into their hungering mouths. It would seem that whatever hand he had in this plague, he did not have any mastery over it.

Chapter 8

Damon, Cid and Avery arrived at the hunter’s shack just as night fell. The darkness was unsettling and the silence of the forest caused Damon to jump at every crack of a branch or falling of a nut from a tree.

The queen and Greyson came out at the sound of the horses running and cheered at the sight.

“You did it!” Greyson said. “I could have sworn you’d never come back!”

“Excellent work, Damon,” the queen said, bowing to them in a short curtsey.

“Why, it really is the queen, I’ll be damned!” Cid said as he dismounted his horse. He bowed to the woman. “I’m Cid, former Stablemaster of the Raven’s Hunters.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Cid,” she replied. “I take it these are your horses?”

“Indeed. Well, not really mine, per say, but I don’t think the owners are going to need them anymore. And if they can’t pay their stable fees, I get to keep ‘em, so I don’t feel so bad about it,” the old man rambled.

“My liege!” Damon said as he climbed down from his own horse. “We had a strange encounter at the stables. There was a man who seemed to know something was going on.”

Damon quickly recounted the tale as they began to pack the horses for the trip. The queen listened intently and then spoke when he had finished.

“It would seem that this event may be some kind of attack against us. If that is the case, then we would do well to meet with the Augurs of Lensley. They have advised our nation for generations. Their seers would know who is the cause of this and what kind of magic controls these creatures.”

“I don’t really know how much control that guy had,” Avery said as she groomed her grey horse. “The sight of blood seemed to make them forget everything.”

“A traditional zombie wouldn’t even regard the blood,” Cid added. “I’m thinking it’s definitely a curse of some kind. Moon madness!”

“The Lunar Priestesses of Wenya have always been good visitors of our castle,” the queen said. “I do not think the moon’s goddess would bring forth a curse upon us. But I need some answers. The Augurs will tell us everything that we need to know.”

“Where can we find these Augurs?” Greyson asked.

The queen gestured to the cabin and brought the group inside, where there was a map of the region. “They are located in the Ferren’s Caverns, ten miles west from here. The caverns are right before the greater Ferren Mountains that have divided us from our allies to the far west.”

“That’s not quite the city’s direction,” Greyson said.

“No, but if this was some kind of attack, then I’m going to need to know what it is I’m facing,” the queen said. “I am still the ruler of Brennan and it falls on me to ensure that we do not deal with this plague, attack, infection or whatever, poorly. Highston has already fallen, as has the castle. Without knowledge, we will be doomed to wait for the greater cities to fall to it.”

“Pardon my ignorance but Lorkar City is massive and has two entire armies at their disposal. Lord Vernon would never allow the place to fall,” Greyson argued. “My job is to get you to safety. We could send messengers to the Augurs to see what is going on, once you are somewhere that is protected.”

“You forget your place, Greyson,” the queen replied with a frown. “I am the leader of this nation and if the king has fallen, should my husband have become victim to this plague, then I am all that is left to rule. The Lord of Lokar may have mighty armies but there is no telling where they are. With all of the Hartland activity, he may as well have sent the majority of his forces to keep the peace in the border.”

“Damon, back me up!” Greyson said.

“I fear that the queen is right. We need to know what it is that we’re facing,” Damon said. “And our job isn’t to tell her what to do but to obey her orders. We have both sworn oaths to serve our kingdom and if this is what she asks of us, then we must do it.”

“Bah! You’re going to get yourself killed,” Greyson protested. “There are bandits out there. To get to the caves, you’ll need to pass through the Lowlands and that place is lousy with desperate criminals who are hiding from the law.”

“Bandits do not scare me,” the queen replied. “But those monsters do. It’s only a ten mile journey. And there is a small town in the Lowlands, Primmick. We can stock up on supplies for the bigger journey. And recruit more people to join us. I do not wish this to be an insult but for a queen to travel with just three fighters and an old stablemaster is not fitting. There is no telling what kind of dangers will be on the road.”

Greyson sighed heavily at that but said nothing else. He merely stormed out of the building and resumed chopping wood.

“We must rest this evening,” the queen said, looking at the three remaining in the cabin. “Tomorrow, at first light, we will ride for the Augurs.”

“Anywhere sounds better than here,” Avery said.

The group disbanded and all found places to sleep. The queen naturally took the bed, leaving Damon to find a spot to rest in the corner of the building. This was a far cry from his normal sleeping conditions and he did not rest well. Sometime after the middle of the night, he was woken up by Greyson who had been keeping watch.

Damon sleepily got up and wandered outside, keeping his eyes and ears open for any sign of trouble. As he watched, he noticed there was a marker in his system vision. It read Horses Retrieved! 600 XP Gained! Odd, he must have missed this. He made a point to make sure that he would continue checking his System data to see if he gained XP for anything. Six hundred was enough…well, it was enough to level him up! He opened up the interface and immediately got to work.

You are now Level 2!

MP Increased by +5

Stamina Increased by +1

HP Increased by + 3

You gain 6 Skill Points! Select new skills or rank up existing ones.

Current Skills:

Longswords: 1

Grappling: 1

Earthis: 1

Firus: 1

Aether: 1

Lumen: 1

Awareness: 1

Negotiate: 1

Learnable Skills:

Weapons

Hammers

Axes

Bows

Crossbows

Knives

Defense

Shields

Light Armor Use

Dodge

Parry

Magic

Shadis

Aquan

Utility

Survival

Search

Damon looked at his skill list and pondered what to take. Improving his magic skill ranks would allow him to gain more spells and improve access to his spell list. With six points to spend, he would need to balance out his choices. Fighting the undead was only one of the things he had to worry about, as dealing with outsiders, enemy soldiers and bandits may occur while out traveling. The Lowlands were a dangerous area and so he should be prepared as best as possible.

Since he was a melee build, he figured that putting another point into Longswords would be worth it. After that, he increased his Earthis, Firis and Aether by one point each. This left him with two remaining points. Shadis may have some value since it would allow him to be stealthier in his approaches. He decided to put a point in it and then increased his Negotiation to two. This would round him out and improve his ability to talk his way out of trouble. There was no telling what kind of challenges would face him on the road.

Once he had selected his skills, he was greeted by the feats section. New feats were available from the sections that he had last selected from.

You have gained 2 Feat Points! Select from below!

Battle Caster:

Bouncing Spell: You may Bounce a spell for 2 Mana, hitting an additional target.

Trigger Spell: You may cast a spell and set a Trigger, activating it when the conditions are met.

Targeted Spell: For 3 additional mana, you may target a specific area and hit it precisely.

Double Spell: You may cast two spells at the same time for 5 additional mana.

Fighter

Hearty: Gain +10 Hit Points.

Defender: Gain +2 Defense and Stamina.

Battlemaster: Gain 2 Ranks in all Combat Skills.

True Mage

Spell Learner: Gain 2 additional spells.

Mystic Attunement: Magical items reveal their function to you without needing time to examine them.

Mana Reserve: When you reach 0 Mana, you may cast any spell for free once per day.

Aura Reader: Automatically discern what kind of spells is being cast.

The Battle Caster section held the thing that Damon desperately needed. The Targeted Spell feat made his spells more expensive but with the added benefit of allowing him to strike a target’s head. This would make all the difference when dealing with zombies. The undead were hard to hit accurately with his basic spell abilities, the way they moved and bobbed was difficult to track. He thought back to that moment when he and Avery were trying to target the small horde of six undead that were coming upon them. It would cost more to be precise, but Damon knew that the price was worth it.

He selected Targeted Spell and Spell Learner, figuring that two more spells in addition to whatever he gained this level would make the most sense. Expanding his repertoire of abilities would ensure long term survival, or so he hoped.

Once he finished with his feats, Damon was greeted by the spell list.

You have gained 5 new spells! Select from below!

Level 1 Earthis Spells

Earth Shock

Mana Cost: 2

Description: Creates a wave of shaking earth that causes all hostiles within 20 feet of you to fall to the ground.

Form Stone

Mana Cost: 5

Description: Allows you to change the form of stone, shaping it any way you wish.

Level 2 Earthis Spells

Hammerblow

Mana Cost: 6

Description: Forms a hammer made out of stone that strikes a target for 10 damage. If the blow fells a target, it may strike another target for free.

Capturing Mud

Mana Cost: 5

Description: Causes twenty feet of earth to become deep mud, trapping all who are walking on it and sinking them down to their waists.

Tangling Vines

Mana Cost: 6

Description: Target becomes assailed by grappling vines that seize their limbs and hold them in place for a minute.

Level 1 Lumen Spells

Mage Light

Mana Cost: 1

Description: Creates a ball of light that illuminates a 50 foot area around you, granting +2 Awareness.

Blind

Mana Cost: 2

Description: Flashes a brilliant light in front of a target’s eyes, blinding them for 30 seconds.

Repel Unholy

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Emits a 30 foot wave that causes all unholy creatures to retreat from you for one minute.

Level 1 Aether Spells

Conjure Armor

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Conjures a suit of armor that grants you 5 Damage Reduction. Caps your mana until dismissed.

Level 2 Aether Spells

Arrow Shield

Mana Cost: 5

Description: Creates a shield around you that repels arrows and other ranged attacks. Lasts for 6 hours. Caps your mana.

Dispel

Mana Cost: 8

Description: Immediately cancels a magical effect or suppresses a magical item for 24 hours.

Swiftness

Mana Cost: 10

Description: You gain supernatural speed and can attack twice in a single action. Increases defense by +10 and lasts for 30 seconds.

Level 1 Firus Spells

Fire Bolt

Mana Cost: 2

Description: Releases a bolt of flames that strikes a target for 5 damage.

Summon Fire Elemental

Mana Cost: 5

Description: Conjures a Lesser Fire Elemental to fight on your behalf.

Ignite

Mana Cost: 3

Description: Ignites a target on fire, dealing 3 damage per second for 10 seconds.

Level 2 Firis Spells:

Fireball

Mana Cost: 10

Description: Throw a flaming sphere that deals 10 damage to all targets within 50 feet.

Manipulate Flames

Mana Cost: 6

Description: Control an open source of fire, moving it at will, suppressing it or spreading it as you wish. You may form shapes out of the fire or attack targets with it, dealing 8 damage.

Fire Shield

Mana Cost: 12

Description: Create a shield of flames around you that deals 10 damage to anyone who tries to attack you with a melee attack. Provides 5 Damage Reduction.

Level 1 Shadis Spells

Silent Steps

Mana Cost: 2

Description: You make no noise when you move for an hour.

Dark Sphere

Mana Cost: 5

Description: Conjures a 30 foot sphere of darkness that impedes all vision of those within.

Phantom Sound

Mana Cost: 2

Description: Creates a noise of your choosing up to 100 feet away.

Damon studied his various options. Increasing the skill level of his known magic skills had granted him new levels of spells and they were quite impressive. With five to choose from, he decided to spread out his interests in a way that would allow him to have versatility in the battlefield.

From the Earthis section, he settled on two. First was the Tangling Vines spell, a useful effect that would allow him to lock down a mobile opponent. This would improve Avery’s ability to hit particularly fast targets and perhaps even convince a bandit to surrender rather than be subject to being butchered in place. The second was Capturing Mud. Zombies tended to group up together as they advanced and while they were immune to most pain effects, the mud would drag them down and they’d be slowed. Not to mention their heads would be easier to aim at with melee weapons.

Swiftness was a must have from the level two Aether section. The increased speed, dual attacks and defense bonus was quite useful. This would turn him into a blur on the battlefield. He also selected Dispel, just in case he ended up facing another spellcaster who could control the undead. The zombies were unruly, as the stranger in the black robes had displayed, and a dispel effect could turn off the controller’s ability to manipulate them, leaving him to a grisly fate of being slain by his own slaves.

The last spell he selected was Phantom Sound. The undead seemed to primarily respond to sound when they weren’t alert to the presence of anyone nearby. Rather than risk his life by running about then teleporting with Quick Step, the Phantom Sound would allow him to create a cacophony that would lure them away. Or potentially into a trap.

Damon finalized his selections as he stood watch, proud of his advancement. He had been a Battle Mage for a single day and in that day he had already earned enough XP to reach Level 2. He couldn’t help but wonder: what would the next day bring?

Chapter 9

The light of morning came at last. Damon was still outside, guarding the small hunter’s shack, though nothing had come to bother them. The forest was still eerily silent, the birds not chirping to greet the day, nor were there squirrels around to skitter and search for acorns. There was a dread tension in the air that Damon could not quite shake.

The queen emerged from the cabin with Greyson and Avery in tow. Cid followed after them, carrying the saddles for the horses.

“It’s time,” the queen said, “we must make for the Ferren’s Caves as quickly as possible. No stops along the way.”

“We’ve enough food for about three days,” Avery added. “After that we’re out of luck.”

“These horses run fast,” Cid said. “We won’t take more than half a day at the most to cover ten miles.”

“Then mount up and let’s ride,” the queen ordered. Greyson climbed up the black horse and assisted the queen with getting on. Damon selected the red horse once again and Avery the grey. Cid was on the white one and quickly took the lead.

“Away we go!” Cid shouted as the horses began to run into a gallop. The group made their way through the forest at a good pace, weaving in and out of the trees until they found a path that had been laid out. A sign was posted, pointing to Primmick and to Highston in opposite directions of each other.

The path led out of the Emerald Woods to what was commonly known as the Lowlands. High Castle was on a great hill overlooking the majority of the kingdom of Brennan and the Lowlands were a sparse valley below without much greenery. There was the occasional tree that grew in solitary conditions, black and leafless from the lack of water in the region. The ground was arid and the soil was dusty.

The hooves clomped across the grounds as the path grew less visible by each mile. They were making good time, the sun was barely up before they reached the valley and Damon could see the great Ferren Mountains ahead. He was in awe of such a sight, having only seen them once when he got lost in the Emerald Woods with his master.

The great mountains loomed over the riders, dwarfing them in comparison. As they rode, Damon noticed a single sparrow flying overhead. It was the first bird he had seen since this entire affair had begun. How strange that it was circling them.

As they rode along the dusty path, the sparrow followed. “Does anyone find that bird strange?” Avery asked, pointing upwards. “Sparrows normally don’t follow people like this.”

Before Damon could reply that it was indeed a strange thing to see, there was a loud snap that came from the ground. Long thick ropes sprang up at knee level, catching Cid and Greyson’s horse in mid-gallop. The horses screamed as they tumbled to the ground, throwing their riders off.

Damon, who was taking up the rear flank, skidded his horse to a halt, it neighing violently in surprise. “My queen!” he shouted to the woman who was now on the ground, clutching her leg. “Are you okay?”

The dirt around them began to shift as seven men appeared, wearing long beige cloaks that had allowed them to blend in with the surroundings. They bore scimitars and light armor made of leather.

“Hold it right there!” one of them shouted as he walked beside the sprawled out Queen Jaylin. He pressed the blade down to her neck. “If you go for your weapons, I’ll kill this lass!”

Greyson, who had recovered from the fall quickly, roared in anger. “If you touch a hair on her head, I will tear you to pieces.”

“Easy, big fella,” the leader said, his face covered with a brown hood that concealed his identity. “We’re just looking to make some coin. So why don’t you hand over everything you got and we’ll be on our way. No reason to waste your lives.”

Damon dismounted his horse and held his hands up high to show that he was unarmed. It seemed that his new spells would be coming in handy, but he had to be careful. Perhaps he could negotiate.

“We don’t have anything on us,” Damon said. “We’re refugees from High Castle. There was an attack on it. The Hartlanders forced us to escape.”

“A shame,’ the man replied. “But I don’t believe you. Empty your pockets and satchels.”

Damon drew his pockets out to show that he was telling the truth. He had never had a reason to carry money with him as everything he had ever needed was provided to him by the castle. Avery tossed a bag of coins at the feet of the leader. “There, that’s all the carims we have.”

Greyson put his hand on the axe handle behind his back. “You have no idea who you are robbing.”

“The satchels are empty,” one of the bandits said as he inspected the horses. “Just food.”

“We could always use it, take it. And the rest of you, give us your weapons. Those should fetch a good price in the market,” the leader said. He pressed the curved blade’s tip against the neck of the queen. “Or else I’ll make short work of your friend here.”

“You don’t need to do this,” Damon said.

“I’m just a man trying to survive,” the leader replied. “Life isn’t easy in low valley. Gather near each other and toss your weapons on the ground. Last warning.”

Damon put his hands behind his back to hide his finger’s movements as he began to cast his spell. This was risky but they were going to take their food and their horses, and he couldn’t let that happen.

“Say,” one of the men muttered. “Look at the way that woman’s dressed. Doesn’t she seem a bit…regal to you?”

The leader paused and looked down. “Come to think of it, you are dressed rather pretty for a refugee.”

“Maybe she’s a noble.”

“You a noblewoman, eh? Anyone we can ransom to you?” the leader asked.

The queen nodded, playing along. “Yes, I am a courtier at the High Castle. If you spill my blood, you won’t be able to get a single carim from my wealthy husband.”

“Now we’re talking!” the leader said. “Talik, fetch the rope so I can—”

He was interrupted mid-sentence as vines sprang up from the ground and wrapped around his arms and legs, moving at a blinding speed. A single vine snared his neck and he was wrenched backwards, a few feet away from his captive.

Greyson saw this and drew his axe immediately, charging towards two men who were closest.

“Harrr!” he screamed as he delivered a fierce blow into one of their necks, dropping the bandit in a single blow.

Avery drew her bow and started to fire on the ones flanking them. They dodged out of the way, running behind the horses for cover.

Damon spun around to face the two who were behind him. They tried to advance towards him to cut him down but he cast Quick Step, vanishing away from them and reappearing at a distance of ten feet. He raised both hands and cast Earth Spike. This cost him 3 more mana, dropping his MP to 15. The spike fired out into the guts of one of the advancing swordsman, causing him to fall to the ground, clutching his wound as he took five damage. His armor didn’t seem to do much against a spear of solid earth.

“He’s a spellcaster!” the other shouted as he started to charge towards Damon. The Battle Mage recast his spell for free and struck the charging bandit with a chunk of rock that gored his stomach. The man fell to the ground, the damage too much for him.

Damon spun around to fight the others but saw that Greyson had already made short work of the remaining three who were not tied up. The man was hacking away with ease, ripping through their defenses without a problem. The bandits did not appear to be high level at all, instead relying on trickery and hostage taking in order to gain the advantage.

“Damn you all!” the leader said as the last man was cut down. Greyson turned around and marched up to the bandit ensnared in the vines. “Those were my friends.”

“Yes and you were holding a blade to the queen’s neck,” Greyson explained. He raised his axe up high. Damon noticed that the words Bandits Defeated! 650 XP! appeared in his vision.

“Hold it,” the queen ordered, standing up. She was bleeding from her left knee and was forced to lean against Cid who had more or less stayed out of the fight. “Do not kill that man.”

“The queen?” the bandit gasped. “I…I didn’t mean to…Your Highness, if I had known…”

“If you had known you would have certainly tried to ransom me anyway,” the woman said as she approached him. “The penalty for harming royalty is execution. But I have seen enough death for today as it is. Are you able to fight?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the bandit said, lowering his head. “I’m skilled in melee and an expert at rigging traps.”

“Your name?”

“Tober,” he said. “Tober of the Wind.”

“Then today is your lucky day. If you serve me, you will not end up like your companions here,” the queen replied.

“Serve you?” Tober asked. “I don’t understand.”

“Me either,” Greyson growled. “He’s just a common bandit. We should dispatch him and move on.”

“We don’t know what we are facing back in Highston,” she countered. “Every sword arm is necessary to retake the castle and the town. We could do away with him or we could use him to fight.”

“Fight what? The Hartlanders?” Tober asked. The vine spell expired and he was suddenly freed, but he made no sudden movements. He merely sheathed his blade and knelt before the queen.

Damon could not tell if this man was simply playing a part in order to survive but he agreed with Her Majesty. Having another fighter in the team would be useful, though would he truly serve her?

“There is some kind of undead menace that destroyed the castle and my town,” the queen explained. “But it must be stopped.”

“You’re talking about the Strangewalkers,” Tober muttered. “They’re at the castle too?”

“You know about these things?” Damon asked, entering the conversation.

“Yes,” the bandit replied. “There was a band of them that came out of the woods a few days back. Five. We tried to rob ‘em but they didn’t reply to us. Fierce fighters and immune to pain. Our forces fell back after we tried to take them down. Thought they were some kind of monsters.”

“Shit!” Greyson growled. “Which way did they go?”

“They were just shambling forward along the path, so I would assume they were going to Primmick,” the man explained. “Nothing else out here but that town and the caves.”

“Everyone mount up,” the queen said. “We need to ride for Primmick at once to warn them!”

“If it was days ago, they might have already been attacked,” Avery said as she climbed on top of her horse.

“It’s a small town full of rough people,” Jaylin explained. “If they were attacked they might have repelled the undead. But those things move slowly and are prone to distraction.”

“Not these ones,” Tober said. “They didn’t seem to care about us once we disengaged. They just kept following the path.”

Damon shivered at those words. “This seems to indicate that they were sent.”

“Damn it, then we ride at once,” the queen said as Greyson helped her mount the horse. “We might still be able to help. As for you, Tober, you have been pressed into my service. If you try to escape, Greyson will not kill you. He will hack off your arms and legs and leave you for dead.”

Tober nodded at that. “I understand, my liege.”

Chapter 10

The town of Primmick appeared on the horizon as the horses galloped across the valley. The mounts had taken some light damage from their fall but seemed to be okay, their pace not affected by Tober and his crew’s attack.

Tension rose in the air as they drew close to the wooden town. Primmick was built on shaky foundations and the occasional earthquake would bring down the buildings, leaving them to focus primarily on wooden houses and shops that could be rebuilt quickly enough after a disaster.

The queen seemed determined to prevent another massacre from happening. Damon was in awe of her leadership and wisdom, watching her face as they rode. Her brow was furrowed as she held Greyson’s back, focused entirely on what lay ahead.

As they rode, a band of men emerged from the small wooden town, armed with pikes. There were eight of them, wearing metal armor and half-helms made of steel.

“Looks like people,” Damon said, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Halt right there!” the welcoming party demanded, raising their pikes threateningly. “What is your business in this town?”

“I am Queen Jaylin and I have come to warn you about trouble.”

The horses all came to a stop and trotted up to the warriors. The men looked at each other in disbelief.

“Who’s to say you are the queen?” the leader, a middle-aged man asked as he kept his pike raised.

“I am,” Greyson growled as he dismounted. “This woman has gone through hell and you will not point your weapons at her.”

The men all looked at one another and decided to lower their pikes at the same time. “I apologize,” the leader said. “We had the strangest attack a few days ago and our men are on high alert. We’ve been instructed to make sure anyone entering the town is friendly.”

“I’m guessing the attack was strange creatures that wore the face of men?” the queen asked. “Undying from normal wounds?”

“Yes!” the man said, pulling his helm off and kneeling before the queen. “Thank goodness, someone knows what’s going on.”

“Not quite,” Jaylin replied.

Damon dismounted and approached. “Did you kill them?” he asked.

The man nodded. “A pike to the brain seemed to quell them.”

“I am here on official business on behalf of the kingdom of Brennan,” the queen said. “My retinue here is to be given every hospitality you have to offer.”

“What did you do with the bodies?” Damon asked.

“We burned them outside of the town,” the guard explained. “There was just five of them. But it seemed coordinated. Like they were attacking us on purpose.”

“Greyson, you stay here with the guards and learn what you can about their defenses,” the queen instructed. “Damon, come with me. We must see the Augurs at once.”

Damon nodded at that and followed his ruler into town. Primmick was filled with the sound of hammer on nails as people were barricading their homes. Shops were closed and a general sense of dread could be felt in the air.

“Thank you for coming along,” Jaylin said. “I didn’t want Greyson to be with us as the man has no sense of custom. He will most certainly try to argue with the Augurs and that would be a great disrespect to them.”

“Of course,” Damon replied. “What do you think they’ll say?”

“Who knows? But Primmick is at least safe for now. Things are troubling me, Damon. Five of them moving in a straight line, ignoring a meal, that mystery man who was somehow controlling them…I fear that there are dark forces at play here. And there’s no telling what their end game is.”

“Have you ever faced anything like this before?” he asked as they made it up to the side of the mountain where a long path led to a wide cavern.

“There are certain cults out there who like to believe that the evil gods wish to see creation undone,” she replied. “Dark men who perform terrible deeds in order to gain power of demons and devils. Our witch hunters had rooted most of them out, but you can’t be everywhere at once. It’s possible they regrouped somewhere else and prepared some kind of spell to bring about the end of Brennan or even the world. And we would never know who was behind it. Not without divination.”

Damon pondered that question. “Who would be crazy enough to bring about the end of the world?”

“Finar the Apocalypse Bringer is one such god. The deity is a lesser being, restricted to the lower planes of the heavens where he waits for permission to undo creation and rebuild it. But…but I don’t know. Finarites are rare because of the madness of serving someone whose only purpose is to set about the end times. But there could be fools who so hate their own life that they wish to see all of it come to a conclusion. Many of them are too cowardly to kill themselves but are willing to bring about plague and famine in order to kill millions. It’s something I’ve never dealt with personally but…but who knows?”

Their conversation lulled as they made their way into the Ferren Caves. The ground slowly transitioned from rough stone to smooth marble as they passed white pillars with the images of women carved into them. The women were bowing, dancing and laughing.

“Now, we must be cautious for the Augurs speak in riddle and code,” she warned. “Whatever happens, we must accept the answer.”

“Understood,” Damon said. He didn’t know much about the divine side of magic. Just that clerics were able to cast spells because their gods granted them such power. Divination was a mysterious thing and his master had often ranted about the murkiness of trying to see the future.

They entered a large chamber with stairs leading into a hallway filled with smoke. Fires were burning in large braziers, the flames flickering as they passed. A tall woman with coal black skin emerged from the smoke. She wore a long white robe and her hair was bound in dreadlocks that hung from one side.

“Travelers,” she said, bowing to them. “You have come from the High Castle to seek answers.”

The queen nodded at this and returned the bow. “I am Queen Jaylin. There is something happening in our nation right now and I wish to learn what is going on.”

“You must speak to the Great Diviner then,” the woman said. “Kalla is her name. She has been preparing for a visit from you for some time. Come.”

They entered deeper into the cavern where the walls became smooth marble, matching the ground. Damon felt a deep rumble from the earth that seemed to be persistent.

He followed after the queen, into Kalla’s chambers. The woman sat in a white robe similar to their escorts, with a red hood over her face. She was cross legged upon a cushion, meditating in pure silence. Six braziers surrounded her, pouring out smoke.

“Mistress Kalla,” the escort said, bowing to the woman on the floor. “The queen and Damon have arrived.”

“I see our predictions do not fail so easily,” Kalla replied, her voice weathered from her years of time. Though Damon could not see her face, he could sense that she was an old soul. “Leave us.”

The other Augur nodded and retreated, leaving the queen and Damon alone with the Great Diviner.

“Sit,” she said, gesturing to two pillows on the ground. “Ask your questions and be done with it.”

“Some kind of plague has struck my castle and seems to be spreading,” the queen said as she sat down, crossing her own legs. “There was a siege where the Hartlanders attacked us and then after that…all hell broke loose. There are monsters that are undead, immune to pain and hunger only for human flesh.”

“Yes,” Kalla replied, hissing a little as she spoke. “They are a wrathful entity. A terrible creature that reproduces with violence. A single bite is all it takes to create another. And then another. Until your entire nation is filled with the dead.”

“What is the nature of this plague?” the queen asked. “Is it an attack? Is there someone behind it?”

“The nature of it is hidden from my divination,” she replied. “But I see a great war in your future, Queen Jaylin. A terrible war where you lose many things. Your husband has already fallen. He shambles about now, a husk of his former glory. This infection does not discern between the powerful and the weak, the rich or the poor. No, it is something that we have never faced as a nation. Nay, as a world.”

The queen slowly nodded, her jaw clenched. “Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew my husband was dead. It is a shame to hear this.”

“I see before me, three men who wear black robes. They are Accursed, judged by the gods for their crimes against the heavens and the material world,” Kalla spoke, her voice thundering out and echoing all around them. “They are stirring this pot of death that you have encountered. To put an end to this plague, you must put an end to them. Each one of them must die in order for this to stop.”

“So someone is behind this,” the queen gasped. “Do they serve a god?”

“They serve none but themselves. They are an order of cruel magicians who have come forward to bring about the end of life as we know it. They intend to rule their own world, to take what is everyone’s and divide it amongst themselves. And in the process, they will kill as many as possible. Their plague is something they do not understand. In their lust to take power from those with legitimate claims, they have brought about something that cannot be easily stopped.”

The seer looked at Damon for a moment, her mouth curving into a smile beneath the hood. “Yet, it is you who shall be the one who will put an end to it. Should you have the strength, that is.”

“Me?” Damon asked, surprised to be directly addressed by the Great Diviner herself. He was just here to support the queen, he had not counted on being spoken to.

“Indeed. You are a commander of the Arcus Flow. With its power, you shall be able to decimate the undead that are rising,” Kalla calmly explained. “Though you are but low level now, you are one who has been seen standing tall above the rest.”

The queen looked at Damon with a bit of skepticism. “This young man may show promise but he is just a courtier, barely a wizard. His master is dead and he has little power beyond a handful of spells.”

“You underestimate him?” Kalla asked.

“I merely am unaware of how Damon could possibly stand against this ordeal,” the queen replied. Damon’s heart sank to hear that she had no confidence in him. It made sense, he supposed, for he was fresh and new to the world of magic but still…she could have at least kept her doubts quiet.

Kalla laughed out loud. “You are unaware of what it means to take upon such power in a time of need. Damon shall not waste the prime of his youth sequestered in your castle, studying and reading. Nor shall he stand against your meager Hartlander foes. Oh no, this man shall be your General in this war. That I see so clearly, even if you do not. But a General must know the secret to securing victory.”

The queen was more perplexed by this declaration, though she did not argue the point. She merely sank back and listened to Kalla’s prophetic words.

“A commoner, orphaned by plague, shall destroy the great plague,” the woman uttered, her voice echoing all around them. “As disease took his parents, so shall he take the heads of the three-headed serpent that threatens Brennan and the rest of the world. It is upon Damon that we have set our sights. But one cannot rise to greatness without direction. And for that, I offer two pieces of guidance.”

Damon sat up at this and listened intently. It was impressive that the augur knew about the fate of his parents. He had been terribly young when they were killed from the sickness and it was often thought that the castle took him on account of that fact.

“You must sacrifice your specialization and spread your interests wider,” she said. “You must multiclass if you are ever going to survive what lies ahead. Your heart told you War Mage but practicality and the desire to protect your liege necessitated that you become a Battle Mage. One must master the battle and the war if one is to become the great general of this bitter end.”

“Multiclass?” Damon asked. “Forgive me, wise seer, but how would I even do that?”

“Within the Arcus Flow, you can take your experience points and channel them into a new class. Each time you level up, you may choose which you wish to advance. What challenges you face will direct you towards each multiclass level. You will not advance heartily into a single realm of focus. Rather, your attentions will be split. This will be your power, however. For you will have the utility of a Battle Mage and the strength of a War Mage. Do this, Damon, and you shall become the General as we predicted.”

Damon felt a surge of joy within his heart. It had saddened him to make the sacrifice of becoming a Battle Mage when his heart had been set on the power of war. Visions of artillery, massive fireballs and tidal waves came to his mind. He could see it then, clear as day. A horde of undead moving towards him in a field. He raises his hands and then…destruction. Utter annihilation of the corpse wearing fiends that had destroyed whatever hopes he had of his status within the kingdom of Brennan.

“You speak with wisdom, ma’am,” Damon said, bowing low to her. “I shall do as you request.”

“As for my second bit of advice—”

The woman’s words were interrupted as another augur entered from the shadows, coming in from one of the back rooms. She wore a red blindfold across her eyes and walked with her hands clasped together tightly. “It is time,” the augur muttered.

Kalla took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “More have arrived. The zombies you speak of, those accursed undead, are breaching the perimeter as we speak. The town shall go down in flames. You must gather your allies and head to the city of Lokar. There, Damon, you will find a woman with a blue feather in her hair. She alone will be the reason you succeed.”

“What do you mean?” Damon started to ask but the queen interrupted.

“You’re saying those monsters are here?” she gasped, standing to her feet. “We must rally the guards and the townsfolk.”

“You would throw pebbles against a mountain?” Kalla asked as she too stood. She pulled down her hood to reveal a pair of glistening white eyes that swirled with endless possibilities. Damon could see images flashing across those orbs, people screaming as they were torn apart. “Our fate has been sealed. The Madmen Three know that we see deep into their hearts and read their futures. Had there been more time….well, there never is enough time.”

“Damon, on your feet!” the queen said, stirring the young man from his daze. He felt as if he were under a spell, his head heavy with possibility.

“Yes, my liege,” he muttered as he clambered to his feet. “We must get you to safety.”

“Is there some passage that leads away from the town?” Jaylin asked.

“If there were, we would not still be here. But alas, we are all trapped in this cavern. Take care, Queen Jaylin, for what awaits you will destroy everything you hold dear. Your own life? It is faintly in the future and the thread of fate could be snipped with even the slightest provocation…such as a single bite.”

Chapter 11

Damon ran ahead of his queen, glistening blade in hand. They made their way out of the caverns to find that Kalla had spoken truly. From the top of the incline, they could see a horde of undead, thirty strong, pressing their way into the gateless city. Guards were screaming in terror as they were overpowered, the zombies feasting upon them and turning them to their side.

Greyson and Avery were standing at the bottom of the slope, looking up at the queen. The big man had his axe drawn but he was breathing heavily. He normally exuded confidence but Damon could tell that he was shaken from the sight. Avery was pale as well, her eyes wide with terror.

“Greyson! Where are the horses?” the queen demanded.

“We tied them up outside of the saloon,” Greyson said.

“Damon, Greyson, Avery, get me a godsdamned horse,” the queen huffed. “I don’t care if the four of us are killed in the process but someone needs to get to Lokar to warn them.”

“No way!” Avery said, shaking her head. “Those things are everywhere! They’ll be in the town square in a matter of minutes.”

“You dare disobey the queen?” Greyson snarled.

“Let me handle it,” Damon said. “Avery, we have little supplies and those horses are worth more than all the carims in the world right now. You’re fast and good with your bow, I have my magic…we can do this. But only if we stick together.”

The words Negotiation Success! appeared over Avery’s head. She nodded, biting her lip. “I understand. I’ll take the back but if things get too hot, I’m out of there.”

“Form up, queen, you stay twenty paces back,” Greyson ordered. “Mage boy, take the lead.”

“Do not address him as Mage boy,” the queen snapped. “Damon is a Battle Mage and a member of the courts.”

Greyson ignored the queen’s fussing as the three got into position. Damon rushed to the front and began to hurry down the slope towards the solitary saloon that was right by the edge of town. People were scrambling out of Primmick in all directions, pursued by guards who were now turned. Fires were breaking out in some of the buildings as chaos reigned supreme.

The horses were tied to a hitching post by the doors of the saloon and were rearing up, violently whinnying as they tried to break free of the ropes. Cid was with them, trying to calm them down but the presence of the undead appeared to put them into a real frenzy.

The horde of undead seemed to grow bigger as Damon made it to the saloon. It was a frenzied mass of corpses, a pack of wild beasts that leaped upon anyone who got in their way. A man tried to sprint across the horde but stumbled. One moment was all it took before the group descended upon him, tearing him to pieces as he screamed for help. Seconds later, his disemboweled body was crawling along the ground, arms pulling him forward as he made eye contact with Damon.

Tober emerged from the saloon with his scimitar drawn. “More of those strangewalkers,” he grumbled. He slashed at the ropes that were holding the red horse captive and tried to mount it. The horse, now free, reared up high and threw him off, sending him tumbling towards the group of undead.

“Shit!” he screamed. The pack was busy feasting on some unknown group of people in the center but one broke free of the swarm and began to move towards Tober. The bandit tried to get up but was winded from the fall and stumbled back down, tripping over his own two feet.

Damon had a choice here and time seemed to slow down. Tober might be bad business, a brigand with no remorse for trying to rob them, but at the same time, a sword arm was a sword arm. And could he really just let the man be eaten alive? Was that who Damon was? No. The man was already sentenced for his crimes.

The Battle Mage raised a hand and focused his magic. He activated his Targeted Spell feat and saw an overlay appear over the zombie as it moved towards the downed man, arms extended. A blue light outlined the head and Damon concentrated, activating Earth Spike.

The chunk of solid stone flew out from his fingertips and sailed through the air, nailing the zombie in the right eye. The creature stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, unmoving.

Tober managed to get back up and hobbled over to the group. “You saved me!” he gasped.

“Don’t make me regret it, man,” Damon said.

The bandit nodded at that. The red horse was being wrangled by Cid who was fighting tooth and nail to keep it from sprinting away.

“Easy! Easy!” Damon said, raising a hand to the equine. The horse looked at him and snorted, recognizing its rider. It calmed down a little, allowing Tober to climb on its back.

“They’re getting closer!” Avery shouted.

“Mount up and let’s go!” Greyson shouted as he untied his horse and guided it towards the queen.

The corpses were advancing too quickly, now that they had finished devouring the people in the middle of their horde. The horses were still having trouble keeping calm and were bucking up and down, trying to break into a sprint.

Cid was the only thing keeping them from going in a full panic. He stood in the center of the four horses and tried soothing them, shouting ‘easy’ over and over again.

“I’ve got a way to slow them down,” Damon shouted. He turned towards the horde and raised his hands. “Hurry up and get mounted!”

He focused on the ground right in front of the tight cluster of corpses. Thoughts of earth and soil came to his mind as he moved his fingers delicately, activating the Capturing Mud spell.

The dirt before them became moist and thick, sinking into itself as mud was conjured from the elements. The undead were clumped together enough for them to begin falling into the mud, their legs sinking down into the wet soil. They staggered forward but were hampered by the mud. This slowed them down to a crawl as they tried to climb over one another, some of them falling down and sinking under the thick, murky liquid.

This gave the group enough time to saddle up, with Damon the last to get on the back of the red horse. He would have to give it a name sooner or later.

Undead Evaded! 500 XP gained! appeared in Damon’s vision as they rode out of the back of the open town. The smoke of the burning town rose up high in the air but only Damon looked back to see it.

Chapter 12

The group traveled for ten miles through the Lowlands, making their way to the Forever Fields, an aptly named patch of grass that encompassed nearly sixty miles. The riders rode without a word, none daring to speak after what they had encountered.

“There!” Tober said, finally breaking the silence that had followed them for half a day. He pointed to a large cobblestone road. “I see the road there.”

“At last,” Greyson muttered. “I was beginning to think we were just going back towards the woods.”

The sun was at its peak and the breeze was blowing steadily, cooling the weary travelers as they reached the road. The sky wasn’t particularly cloudy today and Damon wondered if they would meet anyone traveling towards Highston.

Being in a field had its perks. There was no cover. Berry bushes were scattered across the horizon but that was it. Seeing an enemy force coming up on them would be rather easy. Damon felt safer here.

“We should forage,” Avery said, pointing to a bush full of bright red bulbs. “Those are Hawkberries, you can live off them easily enough.”

“Sounds good,” the queen said. “You and Cid go gather as many as you can. Greyson, do you have any idea where we are?”

“The city is to the north and we’re coming in from the west,” Greyson replied. He took out a small compass and glanced at it. “North is that way.”

“We shouldn’t be too far off the original course then. We’ll be on the road for about three days,” Damon said.

“A word, Mr. Damon?” the queen asked as she climbed down from her horse. She was walking with a slight limp, the injury to her leg still apparent.

He climbed down and walked beside her off the road, facing the north. There was nothing but green fields for miles, flowers growing and bees buzzing around. It was peaceful here.

“I don’t want you to be getting any big ideas that you are now promoted,” the queen said as they stopped in the grass. “But…I take the Augurs seriously. They knew something was going on and well, Kalla believed that you are going to become my general. Seeing as how our best and brightest were at the castle when we were attacked…I don’t know if anyone is left to be up to the task.”

“What about the lords?” Damon asked.

“Psh, lords,” the queen scoffed. “They are petty rulers who enjoy the hands off policy I have taken with them. They never cared for direct action and tend to drag their feet when asked to serve in any official capacity, unless it furthers their interests. Aside from the Hartlanders and the Sea People, we have been at peace with every other nation on this continent. They are in no ways ready for what is happening. And I don’t trust them to keep their self-interest in check.

“If the Augurs believe that you are meant to be someone great, then I will not stand in your way. But I don’t want you to tell the others or anyone about this prophecy. You will find, my dear Damon, that there are those who seek to further their own status by clinging to those with real power.”

Damon nodded. “For what it’s worth, my Liege, I only wish to serve you to the utmost of my ability.”

“You are trained to say that. But the measure of man comes when they are given power,” the queen replied. “You have been untested in that field. You come from nothing and have not been given any real responsibility. If things had not gone the way they did, you would be serving as an auxiliary in the field for some years before you were handed any semblance of power. But now…now, I must trust the seers. I must trust Kalla’s wisdom for the sake of my kingdom. For the sake of this world.”

Damon felt the enormity of the words overwhelm him. Who was he to become a general? To be a War Mage was one thing but…now as she spoke, he wondered if he could ever be up to the task. What made him so special? Or was it a matter of who was left? The seer did not say and she was not seeking to puff Damon up. He would have to figure out what it meant to be a leader on his own.

“We’re four days out from Lokar, at the most,” the queen continued. “When we get to the city, expect there to be difficulties. I may need to rely upon you to carry my words to those in high places. I cannot be everywhere at once.”

“I understand, my queen,” Damon said, thankful that he had taken a few points in the Negotiation skill.

“This is one of my signet rings,” she explained, taking out a small silver-lined container and opening it, revealing four rings with the white rose upon them. “While doing your business, you will explain that you are an emissary of the queen and will present this to those who ask.”

Damon extended his hand and knelt down. The queen took the ring and slipped it over his index finger. “No longer are you a mere courtier. As of today, you are a Knight.”

“A Knight?” Damon repeated, taken aback by the title.

“Normally there is a parcel of land to be given, along with a support staff and a retinue,” the queen said. “But we can worry about awards later. Supposing there is anything left to give after this is all over.”

“I am honored, my queen,” Damon said, bowing his head low. “I will serve you faithfully, as I have since I was brought to the castle.”

“Then rise, Sir Damon. And do not lord your position over others. This is a terrible responsibility you bear. But the burden of leadership is the price we pay to have power.”

Damon rose before her and bowed once more. The signet ring glistened in the sunlight. They returned back to the group where Avery and Greyson were returning, satchels full of bright red berries.

“Tober,” the queen said, pointing towards the bandit. “Damon has been granted knighthood. As of now, you are going to be a part of his retinue. Serve him well and you shall be granted freedom once this is all over.”

Tober looked at Damon with a bit of incredulity but held his tongue. He merely bowed. “I thank you for your wisdom and grace, my lady.”

Tober has joined your party!

You gain:

+2 Longswords

+1 Negotiate

Greyson heard this and snorted, raising an eyebrow. But he, too, knew better than to speak out against the queen’s wishes. He merely looked at Damon with hard eyes that seemed to pierce right through the young knight.

“Horses are tired from the trip and the run,” Cid said. “We should camp for the day and move out in the morning.”

“Can they go further today?” the queen asked.

Cid shook his head. “You don’t want to overtax these creatures. We can make twenty miles a day when they’ve had time to rest.”

“Very well. Everyone, we’re camping here for the day,” the queen ordered. “Start a fire.”

They unpacked and settled down, resting for the first time since they left the cabin. Damon found a quiet patch of grass to sit down and sleep, figuring that he would be up most of the night keeping watch.

Chapter 13

“Damon, wake up!” Avery said, shoving a foot into the side of his ribcage. “Someone’s coming down the road!”

Damon’s eyes opened as he sat up. Greyson had already drawn his weapon, as had Tober, and they were eyeing a strange-looking cart that was rolling up the path, heading right towards the group. It was coming from the direction of Highston.

The cart was made of black metal and had a long bed with a tarp covering it. A man in a grey cloak was commanding the pair of horses that were pulling it forward, two mighty black steeds with metal armor around them.

“Who in the hell do you think that is?” Tober asked.

“I don’t know, but he might be trouble,” Greyson said. “Maybe one of those mystery mages who command the dead.”

Damon climbed to his feet and put a hand up. “Let me talk to him. Maybe we can get a ride to the city.”

The queen nodded at that and made a motion for Damon to hurry along.

Tober followed after Damon as they approached the wagon which was moving at a steady pace across the landscape.

“Be ready for anything,” Damon said to his companion.

“I say we just take the cart,” Tober replied. “The queen is far more important than whatever business he’s up to.”

“I’m sure he’ll be willing to help once we ask,” Damon said. “I’m not in the habit of stealing.”

“Is it really stealing if we’re trying to save Lokar from being overrun with those things?” Tober countered. “Desperation makes all things righteous, in the end.”

“You learn that from a priest?” Damon asked.

“Learned it from a life on the run,” Tober replied.

The cart driver noticed them and eagerly waved to them. The man driving was in his thirties, with a rugged goatee and a small frame. He wore all manner of bone charms on his neck. Damon noticed that one was a skull of a squirrel, a red gem embedded into the forehead. Definitely a strange character to encounter on the road.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it, chaps?” the man said as he halted his horses, coming right up to them on the road.

“It’s gorgeous out,” Damon said. He cleared his throat and pressed his chest out. “What are you doing out here?”

“Just picking over like the vulture I am,” the man said. “Name’s Brian of the Bones. I’m a merchant who specializes in that which few people like to say out loud, but I’m not a proud man so I’ll say it proudly. I’m a corpse collector.”

Damon couldn’t help but scowl. Corpse collectors were not those who were helpful to the kingdom, looking for the dead and retrieving them for their loved ones. No, they were looters who often stole bodies from battlefields then selling them to mages and surgeons who were looking to experiment or study the human body. An unscrupulous lot that were often arrested after major battles.

“I can tell by the look on your face that you don’t think highly of me,” Brian said with a shit-eating grin. “But I am a vital part of the economy.”

“What were you doing in Highston?” Damon asked.

“Investigating a strange new phenomenon,” Brian said. “I was in a tavern when I heard of a dead body that suddenly upped and walked away from a fight like nothing was the matter. My client, the esteemed physician Layton Preston, heard about this too. Requested that I bring him the walking body for examination.”

“You…what?” Damon asked, looking at the back of the tarped wagon.

“Oh yes, I’m here on medical work and I’ve got a license to prove I’m not picking over the remains of the good boys who give their lives for the kingdom,” Brian replied, still grinning.

“What’s in the back?” Damon asked

“Well, when I got to Highston, the whole place was full of those strange things. I would be pressed to think of them as zombies, though they don’t behave at all like the necromantic abomination. Not that I’ve ever seen one up close or worked with hidden necromancers, oh perish the thought,” Brian said.

The tarp moved a little.

“You…you captured one of those monsters?” Tober asked, his voice shaky and anxious.

“I had a hell of a time doing so. Swarm of ‘em set right upon me the moment I spotted them. Had to run in circles for a while. And then the damn things are so fidgety, bitey as well. Tried to feast on me right quick, but I’m a slippery chap. Comes with the Corpse Collector class. I had to modify a mancatcher pole to grab one of the beasts but with enough determination and space away from the head, I was able to tie it up.”

Damon couldn’t believe his ears. This madman had seen the swarm of the undead and decided to capture one instead of just fleeing.

“Let me see it,” Damon demanded.

“Oh please, by all means,” the man replied as he climbed out of his cart and went to the back. Damon approached the other side of the wagon but kept his distance.

Brian drew back the tarp revealing a zombie with it arms and legs tied together, a long collar around its neck, chaining it down to the wagon. He recognized the body at once. It was the town florist, Mr. Grant. The beast began to snarl and hiss at the sight of humans around it, wrestling to get out of its ropes, though it could do nothing.

“A beauty, isn’t it? One of the greatest abominations I’ve ever seen,” Brian chuckled.

Tober raised his scimitar up high. “We need to kill it. If one of those things gets free and bites you, it’s all over.”

“Easy there!” Brian said, quickly intercepting the bandit. “That is property of the great physician himself. The man requested a live specimen and by the gods, that’s what he’s going to get. There’s a hefty carrim bonus for me if I deliver it within the week. Don’t you dare interfere with a man’s bonus!”

“Calm down,” Damon ordered, raising a hand. “Who is this physician?”

“Layton Preston is one of the foremost medical scientists in Brennan, nay the world! He’s a fine fellow who pays well for bodies of those with maladies and sicknesses. He’s cured two poxes and a single plague. Without men like him, we’d be dying of all manners of diseases and without scumbags like me, he wouldn’t have the means to experiment and make his curatives. So in a way I’m like a hero to you common folk.”

The zombie screamed and tried to break out of its bindings but it seemed that Brian had somehow managed to tie it well enough.

Damon considered what the corpse collector was saying. This was some kind of plague, transmitted by bite. Normal dead did not seem to rise up, only those who had been chewed upon by the undead. Perhaps this physician, Layton Preston, would be able to figure out some means of curing the sickness. Though, the fact was that it seemed that those who were infected did not retain any bit of their former selves. They appeared to just be shells with a darkness within them.

“Where is this man you speak so highly of?” Damon asked.

“He’s got a tower right here, in the forever fields. About ten miles to the north, where a small community lives,” Brian replied. “There’s also a tavern where the alcohol is mighty fine and very cheap. I live there when I’m not out on the road.”

“I am the Knight Damon White. I am in service of Her Majesty, Queen Jaylin,” the Battle Mage said proudly, showing his ring. “As of now, you will escort me and my companion to see this physician.”

“The queen, eh? I figured she’d be long dead, what with High Castle being completely annihilated,” Brian replied. “You ain’t one of them fellows who goes around pretending he’s royalty after killing a knight and nicking one of his rings, are you?”

“Look with your own eyes,” Tabor said, pointing towards the rest of the group. “Queen Jaylin is indeed here.”

“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in letting you fellows come along with me,” Brian said. “As long as I get paid and no one beheads me.”

“You’re safe with us,” Damon replied.

“I’ve heard that more times than I can count. The only safety is around the dead, I always say.” The zombie began to hiss and snarl, trying to buck its bindings. Brian looked at the animated corpse and sighed. “Though maybe I do need to start saying something else.”

Damon discussed a few more details with the corpse collector before returning to see the queen. He explained the situation. The physician was a few miles away from the main road, in a small hamlet of about sixty people. It was a nameless place but travelers had come to call it Greenville. There was no governance, most of the people lived because the physician needed the workers to build his experiment tower.

The queen did not seem interested in making another stop. However, she saw the value in checking what this physician had to say upon examining the corpse that Brian had gathered and so she ordered that Damon take his horse and travel to see Layton. They would meet back up at Lokar.

Tober and Damon rode together, trotting alongside the wagon until they reached a split in the road. A rough cut path was dug through the grass, leading to the east, away from Lokar. In the distance, Damon could see an impressive looking stone tower looming over them. Perhaps they would find the answers that they needed in Greenville.

Chapter 14

The tower was much larger up close. The small hamlet didn’t seem to regard the outsiders with any interest. Most of the folks were lazing about, smoking pipes and reading books. There was a small watering hole where Damon’s horse, which he had named Sunset on account of its redness, was able to drink.

The area seemed peaceful and that gave Damon some hope. If the outbreak started in High Castle, then it would take quite some time before walking corpses would be able to reach somewhere as far as Lokar. With the queen and her team making their way there now, there was a chance that the city could be warned. They could mobilize a military force and return to Highston, taking it back and then freeing the castle. The plague could be put down with an apt sword and disaster would be averted. But something in the back of his mind told him this was not to be likely.

“Oy!” Brian shouted as they reached the bottom of the tower. “Layton! I’ve got your walking corpse, just like ya ordered!”

A head stuck out of one of the windows, revealing an elderly man with a white beard that formed into a curl at the end. He wore spectacles and a long metal chain around his neck that glistened with silver and golden links. “I’ll be right down.”

“Fellas, I’m going to be drowning in carrims today,” Brian said, eagerly rubbing his hands together. “I say we head to the tavern after this and we drink heartily, on my coin!”

“Pass,” Damon replied. “I’m here on official business for the kingdom.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Tober said.

Damon gave the bandit a side-eye but the man shrugged. “Hey, a fella’s gotta drink.”

The door to the tower opened and the elderly man emerged. He was wearing a white coat that signified his position as a licensed medical worker from one of the various universities that were located in Brennan. A red heart with a gash in it was emblazoned on the right side, indicating that he was a surgeon as well.

“You found one?” Layton asked, ignoring Damon and Tober.

“Damn right I did,” Brian replied, bringing the doctor over to the wagon. He pulled off the tarp to show off the undead florist. “In one piece!”

“My gods, what a nightmare to behold,” Layton muttered as the zombie began to struggle in vain, desperate to escape its bindings and attack the meal in front of it. “It’s like the others.”

“Others?” Damon asked.

“Who might you be?” Layton asked, not answering the question. He put his hands on his hips.

“I am Sir Damon, knight of the kingdom and servant to Queen Jaylin,” he replied, showing his signet ring. “I have come here because there was an outbreak in High Castle. Those creatures were everywhere and the infection spread throughout the entire town.”

“So Highston is down too…” Layton winced. “Damn it all.”

“Too?” Damon repeated. He grabbed the man. “This is happening elsewhere?”

“Yes. Castle Broderick was affected with the same disease. Lord Brodis and his army were killed within hours. I received word from one of his messengers requesting my services but I’m not one to travel. I wrote back yet the messenger never returned. And then a traveler came in a few weeks ago stating that they saw a soldier who was terribly wounded die and then come back to life. I sent my man Brian out as soon as I heard the news.”

Castle Broderick was forty miles away, further west at the edge of the Forever Fields. There was no town there as it was a fortress meant to ensure that the kingdom’s allies to the west stayed in their own territory.

“When did it happen?” Damon asked.

“Hard to tell. I received word about the undead three weeks ago,” Layton said. “My messenger should have returned within three days as his steed had magical saddles that allowed them to travel quickly without stopping. I suspect the worse.”

Damon ran his hands through his hair, unsure of what to say. It had been three days since High Castle went down.

“What about Lokar?” Damon asked. “Do you know anything about the city?”

“I only know to stay away from it if you want to experiment in peace,” the man replied. He frowned as he looked at the moving corpse. “But it would seem that peace will not last terribly long.”

“What are you planning to do?”

The physician sighed. “I must examine the inside of this creature. The dead soldier who reanimated had a severe wound to his guts and should not have been able to operate. Yet according to the account, he was moving just fine. This indicates that there may be a magical source to the sickness.”

Damon nodded. “I think the illness may have been created by someone.”

“It is possible. Dark sorcery is keen to making sicknesses. But the magic will always have an effect on the inside of the creature. Cutting in and looking around will reveal what I seek.”

“Why ask for a live one?” Damon asked. “The bite is what causes infection from what I can tell. A single nip is all it takes to become infected. And the transformation happens quickly. You’re taking a huge risk by keeping it alive.”

“I asked for a living specimen for observation,” Layton explained. “I needed to see with my own eyes, just what the effects of the plague are.”

As they were speaking, a man came running down the path into town. “Hartlanders!” he shouted. “Hartlanders are coming!”

Layton paused and looked as the man, a hunter with a bow on his back and a hare slung around his shoulder, shouted for all to hear. “They’re coming in from the west!”

“Damn it all! Just what we needed, those Hartland barbarians attacking us,” Layton groaned. “I won’t be able to experiment if we’re being sacked.”

Damon wondered if these Hartlanders knew what was going on. They were coming in from the west but they might have been part of the original invasion at High Castle. People were exiting their houses, men and women, few of them fit for fighting. He looked around to see the children of those villagers and realized that if he didn’t take action, things were going to become ugly very quickly.

A small village had little protection against an invasion force. The Hartlanders were not known for taking prisoners and as they were most likely going to raid the village for wealth and food, there would be no need for mercy. They would likely leave the buildings intact but the people within would be slaughtered.

“Sir Damon, you are a knight, yes?” Layton asked. “Would you intervene? I just need a few hours to crack open this corpse and see what’s going on. After that, we can flee to safety.”

Damon didn’t know how to reply. He wanted to ask what in the hell he would do against an army of barbarian warriors but he couldn’t undermine his position as a knight. He would have to take charge here and buy Layton some time. “I’ll do what I can,” he said. “But I would advise you to kill the zombie before you dig in.”

“I need to see how it functions while it’s alive so I may see what kills it,” Layton objected.

“Then you’re taking a huge risk,” Damon said. “One bite and you’re done. And then we won’t have to worry about foreign invaders because you’ll doom this entire village.”

“Lose a village to save a kingdom,” Layton muttered. “It would not be the first time I’ve had to make such choices.”

Chapter 15

Greenville did not have a governing council, just a single elder named Hop. The old man had no real authority but the people of the hamlet lived together in general peace. There was no conflict between the villagers and as such, they had no guards, no one trained in fighting. Most of the folks were hunters but their arrows were for game and would do little to pierce leather armor. Damon tried to see if the people would mobilize but there were only six men with any combat experience, and they had no weapons. If the Hartlanders were to attack, it would devolve into a massacre relatively quickly.

Damon had to intercept this army and try to convince them to move along. He had little to offer except for his Negotiation skill, which was at a 3 thanks to Tober being a part of his adventuring party.

He mounted up on Sunset and traveled to the west, hoping against hope that the enemy wouldn’t shoot on sight. This was a huge risk, exposing himself to trouble; but he had to ensure that Layton wasn’t going to be interrupted before he could examine the undead corpse. It was foolish, he knew, to try and save these people when there was a much bigger threat to Lokar and the other cities of Brennan, but he had to try. If not, what kind of knight would he be?

He spotted the warriors half a mile away from the hamlet. To his relief, he saw there were only eighteen of them and they did not appear to be very well outfitted. They had no horses, no auxiliaries or other forces. They appeared to be ragged and weary.

Damon rode towards them, carrying a white flag made of a cloth that one of the villagers had given him. The army stopped at the sight of the horseback rider and waited for him to approach.

Upon closer look, he could see that they did not have bows or other ranged weapons. All they had were their swords and axes at their sides. They looked exhausted, eyes with dark circles around them and there was no sight of supplies anywhere.

“I am Sir Damon,” he shouted to the group. “I wish to approach and speak to the leader.”

A burly man walked forward. He was huge, almost six feet six and carried a claymore on his back. He wore red fox furs around his neck and his armor was made of metal, a rare thing for Hartlanders to carry.

“I am Redgar the Bloody,” the leader announced. “I am in charge of this unit. Have you come to offer terms of surrender?”

Damon dismounted his horse and approached the man. “No. I am here to talk about something much direr. Are you aware of the monsters that now roam this land?”

Redgar nodded at that. “Yes.” Though he offered nothing more.

“I am a survivor of the High Castle,” Damon explained. “Your forces attacked us as the outbreak took place. But this disease that turns men into monsters did not discriminate between Brennite and Hartlander. Your people were attacked and slaughtered by the same force that killed us.”

“We are a detachment from that same unit,” Redgar said, sighing heavily. “We were supposed to raid the castle and take the heads of the king and queen. But…what you say is indeed true. Our forces were destroyed and we were left stranded. But what business about our presence is yours?”

“As a knight of this kingdom, it is my duty to protect the people of this land. Word is that you are on your way to raid Greenville. I want to avoid bloodshed at all costs.”

Redgar snorted. “We are tired from running. Those corpse fiends came upon us rather quickly and we lost half of our men. Then a band of wayward soldiers found us and took even more. We have no food, no supplies. Raiding a village is the easiest way to get what we need.”

“They are small and weak, almost defenseless,” Damon said. “Are you the kind of warrior who would cut them down?”

“The lives of a Brennite mean nothing to me,” he replied with a scoff. “You are our foes. This land here, all of Brennan, is rightfully ours. The Barbarian Lord Grefew says so.”

“With the way things are going, I don’t know if our land is going to have any value,” Damon said. “The undead abominations are spreading everywhere. They do not distinguish between anyone, we are only food to them. Tender morsels to be consumed.”

Redgar shifted a little. He looked pensive for a moment. “What do you know about these things?”

“They are a plague, a curse from men who have sought to take from the rest of the world without even a consideration for what a toll it would take. You should be heading back to your own kingdom, to warn your people about what is on its way.”

“We can handle ourselves, the undead do not scare us.”

Damon shook his head. “You say that but you fled from them. Why?”

Redgar scowled. “They were relentless. Unfeeling of pain and unafraid of our power to roar war cries and thunder with rage. Tearing one in half only created an enemy that had access to our ankles. And they huddle together so densely, it is like fighting a wall of mud.”

“Exactly,” Damon said. “Your kingdom needs to know that this problem is going to spread in all directions. Plagues don’t discriminate. The border isn’t too far, there are probably already zombies moving towards it. And one bite is all it takes to spread it.”

“And you would ask us to go on this trip without any food or supplies?” the man growled. “I should just cut you down and be done with it.”

“What if I were to arrange for the hamlet to provide you with food?” Damon said. “Enough to last you the trip back?”

“They would keep the bulk for themselves and we would leave with only meager pickings. It would cost us nothing to slay them and take whatever we wish.”

Damon paused for a second to assess the situation. The barbarian warrior was strong and so were his men. But they looked exhausted. They might have foraged for food in the fields but a marching army required quite a bit in order to continue moving. What could he say? What would convince this man to stand down?

“I thought you were great warriors with respect for those who gave tribute,” Damon said. “I can get your people enough food to keep moving back home. Do you really have time for a battle? There are sixty people in that village and though they have little in way of armaments, there is nowhere for them to run. They will fight with a frenzy and you have barely twenty to your name. How many losses can you take?”

“Enough to survive in this damnable land,” Redgar said.

“Do not forget that if you invade, you will have to deal with me,” Damon pressed. “I am a Battle Mage, capable of wielding great spells to harm your allies. Though I may be cut down in the fight, I will certainly take enough with me to cause you trouble, should you run into another band of zombies.”

“You think you can handle us?” Redgar said. “I don’t fear magic.”

This was going nowhere. Damon puffed his chest out and spoke plainly. “You are pushing an innocent people to defend themselves with practically nothing. You Hartlanders have no honor. Even when I am trying to give you the food you’ll need to return home and warn the people who need to know what is going on, you only think of war. Is this really who you are, Redgar?”

The man hesitated at that, now that Damon had invoked the word honor. His facial expression shifted as he seemed to be mulling over his decision. Finally, he put his hands on his belt and sighed. “It will be a week’s journey to get back to our homeland. If you cannot bring us enough food for that, then we will come down and slaughter you all.”

Negotiation Success! appeared in Damon’s vision. He nodded, relieved that the man finally broke a little. If Tober had not been a part of Damon’s party, he may not have been successful with this negotiation.

“I will honor this arrangement and do everything in my power to get you fed,” Damon said. “And in the spirit of how things are going…your people may take shelter in the hamlet. As long as you behave. There is a tavern where spirits flow freely.”

Redgar was taken aback by this offer. “You would give us hospitality?”

“You’ve been on the run, I’ve been on the run. We can cling to our old rivalries or we can accept that now things are changing. This plague is the great equalizer. The only way we can survive is if we all work together.”

Chapter 16

Damon returned to Greenville first, to tell the elder of what had been negotiated. As he rode into town, the words Rivals Befriended! 1,000 XP gained! appeared in his vision. He was now at 1,500 XP, halfway to Level 3. He pondered what Kalla had told him about taking the multiclass option. To split his focus would be interesting. What secrets did War Mage have for him to learn?

The elder was not pleased to hear about the arrangement. But the old man understood that there were few other options. Greenville had plenty of food, the hunting community was strong and it was springtime after a rather mild winter. The kingdom of Brennan had lived in prosperity for two decades, a golden age where resources had been abundant. Though the villagers of the hamlet would bemoan having to give up a portion of their food stores, this would avert disaster. And that was something worth everything.

The Hartlanders arrived in the afternoon, cautiously strolling into the open hamlet, looking around and waiting for some kind of ambush. When the people simply ignored them, they retired to the tavern which was fortunately spacious enough to house all of them at the same time. Alcohol began to flow, paid for by the physician Layton, and the barbarian warriors sang and danced the day away. It seemed that all they needed was a place with walls and some drink to forget their hatred, at least for a time.

“How’d you pull that off?” Tober asked as Damon joined him outside of the physician’s tower. Tober had offered to stay behind and keep an eye on the experiments, though the physician requested that he keep outside while he worked.

“I honestly don’t know,” Damon said. “Appeal to the commonality of us, discussion of the dangers of what is facing our world. That and a lot of chest puffing.”

“What’s your deal, anyway?” the bandit asked as he looked Damon up and down. “Magic man, sure, but knight? Seems strange that you were given that title for just hanging around the queen. You and her an item or something?”

Damon laughed at the suggestion. “There are limited options to what she can work with. Hence why you’re with us.”

Tober nodded at that. “I suppose the misfortune of a terrible invasion was just my luck that day. Of all the dumbass things I’ve done, trying to capture a queen was…well, that ranks pretty highly.”

“What is your deal?” Damon asked, parroting the original question. “Why were you out in the lowlands?”

“I used to be a fine upstanding clerk in Bosher City, further up the north. Did my paperwork just fine and was rewarded with access to Lord Boshe’s treasury. Money has a funny way of changing you, I can say and well…being around that many carrims…it made me interested in a better life. I figured if I were creative enough I could take a few here and there, squirrel them away and no one would know the difference. But over a year…well, I got greedy. Took too much one day and the lord noticed.

“I was quicker to the punch and fled the city before they could catch me but a bounty went up. Posted in all the cities. 3,000 carrims for my head. After that…well, the lowlands were the only place a criminal could go. Primmick was always willing to look the other way for us when we did our business and I fell in with a group who was eager to take what they wanted.”

“Did you have a family?”

“Nah, I was a single fellow. That’s why Boshe trusted me. He figured that I only needed to be paid to keep myself alive. If I had a family, I might be tempted to try and provide more for them. What a sucker that man was,” Tober replied.

Damon went to ask more but the door opened up and a bloodied, gut covered Layton emerged. The man’s coat was soaked with viscera and he appeared to be bewildered. “Damon!” he said, “you’re back. Are we being attacked?”

“No, I came to tell you that I negotiated peace. And if the Hartlanders keep drinking themselves stupid, we should be fine.”

“Good, good, come on in. Leave your bandit at the door, I don’t trust him,” Layton said.

“His name is Tober and he’s one of the queen’s servants,” Damon said. “And part of my retinue.”

“The man wears the cloak of a thief, has shifty eyes and no doubt deep pockets to hide my valuables away in,” Layton replied. He grabbed Damon by the shirt collar and yanked him in. “There’s no time.”

The man’s tower was four stories tall and each floor was filled with books, medical supplies and specimens in jars. Damon followed him up the stairs to the second level, where they entered a room with a dead zombie chained to the table.

“You killed it?” Damon asked, looking at the corpse of the florist. He felt a pang of guilt, wondering if there was anything left inside of the man who felt pain.

“Yes, I have found a weakness and an anomaly, tied into one,” Layton explained, wiping his hands against his coat. He gestured for Damon to follow to a table in the back where several jars were holding organs in green liquid. For a moment, Damon was taken back to his time with the master. The man had an entire room full of jarred organs and would often force the young mage in training to catalogue and reorganize them according to his whims.

“This!” Layton said, pointing to a small crystal resting on a dais. The crystal was deep purple and pulsed as they approached, sensing their movements. “This is what I was looking for.”

“What the hell is it?” Damon asked.

“The interior organs of the undead creature were abysmal. The infection destroys the heart completely, ruins the liver and degrades the kidneys rapidly. It’s been a few days but the acceleration of this victim’s body decomposing was so fast that it is like the disease was designed to kill the host almost instantly,” Layton said, tapping on a jar with a withered heart within. “My guess is that even the heartiest of individual, once infected, loses their immune system due to the rapid spread of the sickness. No way to defend the body from the inside. Hence why you witnessed rapid transformations.”

“I see,” Damon mused, putting a hand on his chin. He stared at the crystal and for a moment, felt as if it were staring back.

“I opened the corpse up while it was alive. Brian took great pains to secure it to the operating table and it remained alive as I took each organ out. Completely empty from the inside, the monster was still snarling and roaring as if it were a man possessed. But…I found on the opposite side of the heart, a strange formation. That purple crystal you’re peering at now. It was lodged in between the ribcage and the spine. Removing it was not easy and I had to break the ribs to get it out,” Layton explained, putting both hands on the table. “But the moment the crystal was free of the body, the corpse deanimated.”

“Wait, what?” Damon gasped.

“Yes! I was just as surprised. I thought it may be some kind of growth or the vector of the disease but…no. It is, and I must say this, it is how these creatures live.”

“What about the head?” Damon asked. “We’ve seen them die instantly the moment their brains are destroyed.”

“It would seem that the only organ that doesn’t decompose is the brain itself,” Layton replied, pointing to a larger jar on a stand beside the operating table. “Motor function remains intact, as do the lobes that are responsible for sight and smell. Everything else rots away but the brain…it is preserved to keep the creature functional.”

“What are these crystals?” Damon mused.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” the doctor replied. He took out a small tuning fork. “A single tap with my magical malady detector registered that this is indeed a magical crystal. Even now, it looks at us with curiosity. Sensing us. But you are a mage, are you not? With the Arcus Flow, you could perhaps interface with it and see what exactly it is. The thing is highly resistant to force. I thought to break it open to examine it from the inside but nothing, not even a hammer or an axe, will cut through.”

“Hence why their torsos are so resilient,” Damon said to himself. He took a deep breath and carefully reached a hand out. “You don’t think it’ll infect me if I touch it, do you?”

“I will be sure to write it down if it does,” the doctor callously replied.

Damon grimaced. It would be just his luck if this great prophecy about him failed because he just touched a crystal. But then again, perhaps this was the path to finding a way to destroy these things.

After a moment of hesitation, the Battle Mage placed his hand on the crystal and began to attune to it.

Arcus Flow engaged! Harkus Crystal discovered!

As Damon concentrated, he felt something within his mind change. The world around him became muffled and muted, grey and colorless.

“Well, this is a surprise,” a voice said behind Damon.

The knight whipped around in surprise to see a stranger sitting on the operating table, reclining atop the zombie. He looked like a human, though he had four eyes, one red, one green, the other pale white and the last one a piercing black that shimmered endlessly.

“Who…what…” Damon started to say, looking at Layton. The man was frozen in place. Everything around him was grey except for this stranger.

“You seem confused. Fair enough,” the man replied with a laugh. He raised a six-fingered hand that was gnarled and worn away, blackened from some kind of withering disease. He did a circle with his hand and slightly bowed. “The name is Pallag the Plaguebringer. I’m guessing you did not summon me.”

Pallag the Plaguebringer? That would mean…this was a god! Damon blinked several times, trying to process this vision. Was it a hallucination? Some kind of defense mechanism from the Harkus crystal?

“You seem rightly in awe of me, though I can tell you I’ve had better days,” Pallag said, grinning a toothy grin.

“What is going on? How are you here? I mean, why,” Damon stammered.

“I suppose for the same reason you are,” Pallag replied. “The Great Plague has begun. Not with my blessing, of course. No, no, I was never one to try and put an end to humanity. Many think of me as some kind of foul being whose goal is simply to kill, but I’m a sorter of sorts. Without me and my power, humans would live far too long. They’d get too noisy and overpopulated. Animals would run rampant. The world would be crowded to the brink and they’d all starve out. Not enough food for everyone, not when there are commerce gods who demand money, harvest gods who wish for fealty and such. I keep the populations in check, ensure that the powerful are laid low and ensure that the rulers work to continue to support public health. I’d like to think of myself as a vital part of this cosmosphere, but hey, what do I know?”

“You aren’t responsible for this plague?” Damon asked.

“Partly,” the god replied. He sat so nonchalantly, grinning to himself as if he were a fool with a secret. Damon knew about the death gods but did not know what to do. He wasn’t a particularly religious man, paying fealty only to Hava, goddess of the Harvest, as most people did. Should he bow?

“What do you mean by ‘partly’?”

“Well, some real up and comers came to me one day, asking me for blessings to bring about foul sickness. I told them no, not in the least. I don’t cater to the demands of mortals but these fellows were rather advanced magicians. One was a cleric, come to think of it. They found a way to bind my power to themselves and wouldn’t you know it, they used it to create what you’re dealing with now. Those crystals are cysts that they grew in vats, black magic used to conjure them, the blood of innocents to feed them and the guts of saints to strengthen them,” Pallag explained. He sighed heavily and tapped his fingers on the table. “But hubris, I tell you. These fellows don’t know what they’re in for.”

“Are you going to stop it?” Damn asked, hopeful.

“My power is to create plagues, not end them. They have to be culled, destroyed or inoculated against,” he replied. “It forces humanity to industrialize, focus on medicine more, improve their hygiene and so on. It’s all very technical but once I open up the bottle, I have no reason nor need to close it. But this all troubles me. Humanity was not due for a great plague to overtake it, but by my estimation, millions will die within six months. This will piss off many other gods, weakening them as they rely upon their mortal servants to worship them and make offerings to strengthen them.”

“Why does touching the crystal conjure you?” Damon asked.

“I’ve been waiting for someone to finally try to access the Harkus crystal with the Arcus Flow so I could explain that I’m not responsible. It’s not like I have a great deal of priests who serve me. Or really any, except for a few weird guys here and there. No prophets, no clerics, I do my own thing. Worship is beneath me, or so I tell myself,” the god said. He chuckled to himself and leaned forward. “You, though, you have an air of destiny about yourself. Curious.”

“Tell me how to stop this,” Damon pleaded. “If you didn’t start it, you can at least help me and my kingdom put an end to it.”

“I suppose I could give you a blessing,” the god said, pondering the question for a moment. “Yes, I think that would be fine. I can give you the power to destroy these things with your magic. The Crystals are nefarious divine things, able to withstand regular damage and even magical attacks. Cleric magic won’t work against them either. You need to have the right attunement. And that attunement can be yours. But it will cost you something.”

“I have nothing to give.”

“Oh, everyone has something to give,” Pallag chuckled. “Your left eye. You don’t need to pluck it out or anything. But with the wave of my hand, I can dull the sight. It will become withered and I shall gain a new eye. In exchange for this, you will receive the power to destroy the crystals. Your class will become empowered as well and you should have new spells and options that affect these zombies as they are called.”

Damon didn’t hesitate. Many people of his kingdom had lost far more than just their eye. To sacrifice something in order to gain the power to destroy these monsters was a small price to pay. Especially if he could save the kingdom and protect his queen.

“I will do it,” Damon said.

“No deliberation, I like that decisiveness,” Pallag said. “Then a single touch from my finger will seal the deal. You sure?”

“I am a mage knight, in service to the High Kingdom of Brennan,” Damon proudly said. “If I must give up something to stop this, so be it.”

The god hopped off the table and strolled over to Damon. As he walked, he seemed to grow larger and larger, less and less human. By the time he reached the mage, Pallag was a whirling mass of eyes, black tendrils and a screaming abyss. Green smoke rose all around him as a single tendril moved forward to touch Damon’s left eye.

The pain was intense and Damon screamed in agony as he felt power surge through him.

Slayer Powers gained! Arcus Flow Attuned! Your spells now have Resonance.

All Harkus crystals affected by your spells will take damage.

Damon fell to his knees as the vision from his eye slowly faded. The world was cut in half for a moment and all he felt was pain.

The god returned to his normal human form and grinned at Damon, a fifth eye now upon his forehead. “You have done well. But be warned. Those slow walking monsters are only the beginning of this. You will face greater threats as the plague progresses. Even now, they are changing. Do not be content with the power I have given you.

“And good luck on your next level.”

Chapter 17

The world returned to normal, though Damon’s eye remained darkened. He lifted his hands from the crystal and looked at the physician. “Do I seem different?”

“Fuck! Your eye!” Layton gasped. “What in the hell did that do to you?”

“I suppose it enlightened me,” Damon said, looking at a prompt in front of him. Slayer Feats are now available! Choose 1 now!

Hunter:

Undead Awareness I: You become aware when the undead are within 300 feet of you.

Sniper: You gain +5 to ranged skills and can land headshots up to 80 feet away.

Tracker: You can identify the movements of hordes and individual zombies, as well as follow them.

Killer:

Head Taker: You automatically strike the head when in melee combat.

Crystal Cracker: Your and your allies’ (max 10) weapons deal full damage to Harkus crystals.

Prime Target: Zombies will prioritize attack you instead of others.

Survivor:

Odorless: Zombies cannot smell you nor can they track you by scent.

Escapist: You may escape being grabbed by a horde for 2 Stamina.

Stealthy: Zombies can only see you within 20 feet of their direct vision.

New feats? Damon looked at the three subtypes that were offered. Undead Awareness would be useful but not nearly as good as Crystal Cracker. His magic could already affect the Harkus crystals within these creatures, so the idea of empowering those who fought alongside him was appealing. A solitary zombie was easy to kill with a blow to the head but hordes were a different matter. They formed a great mass, moving up and down, bowling over each other and shambling in a way that made it hard to get a clean shot to the skull. Not to mention a sword or an axe required being right up on the corpse to kill it. With Crystal Cracker, they could use spears at a distance to pierce right through the easily accessible torsos of the monsters.

Damon selected it and saw a counter appear. Zombies Slain, it said, though the total was zero. He supposed that this would count for something after a while, perhaps an XP boost or more feats.

“What in the gods’ name happened to you?” Layton asked. “Are you infected now? Do I have to do the grisly but efficient thing where I beat you to death with a hammer?”

“No, I’m not infected,” Damon replied. “But I have become aware of some things. You did a fine job here, Layton. I would request that you come with me to Lokar City to meet the queen and explain to the people what you have discovered.”

“Like I said, I’m not one for travel,” the man declared, still gazing at Damon’s bad eye. “What happened? Tell me.”

“I feel that it is something I wish to keep to myself,” Damon stiffly replied. He was partly afraid of blurting that he had just met with a god. The man might laugh at him or worse, take him seriously and begin spreading stories about Damon. He did not want to be known as someone associated with Pallag the Plaguebringer, as he would be shunned by many who feared that deity.

“Very well,” the man mumbled. “It’s not like I went to great expense to—”

A voice cried out, carrying up to the window. “Monsters! There are monsters coming our way!”

Damon let out an exasperated sigh. It would seem that he would have to use his new abilities as soon as he gained them. He hurried down the stairs of the tower and rushed outside to see what was going on.

In the distance, coming from the south was a horde of zombies. There were twenty of them that Damon could spot and he grimaced. Even a handful could overpower this village…but what about the Hartlanders?

A man was running from the monsters, inadvertently leading them to the hamlet. He was hurrying as fast as he could, barely keeping away from them. These ones seemed to move faster than the others, perhaps they were spurred on from the chase. They would be here in a matter of minutes.

Villagers started to come out of their houses to gawk at the abominations. They had never seen anything like this in their lives.

“What do we do?” Tober asked as he ran alongside Damon. “If I recall the last attack, it didn’t go so well for Primmick.”

“We can’t just let them overtake this village,” Damon replied. “We have warriors here, we should be able to stop them.”

“You’re mad…wait, what happened to your eye?” Tober asked, wrinkling his nose.

“You’ll learn later when we regroup with the queen,” Damon said. He shook his head. It was hard getting used to the lack of peripheral vision from his new condition. The world was so much different with only one functioning eye and he found himself crashing into the edge of a cabbage cart that had been in his blind spot.

“We’re really going to fight those things? You can’t even see straight,” Tober said. “We should cut our losses and get the hell out of here.”

“I already pushed once to protect Greenville. I’ll do it again if I must,” Damon replied.

They stopped outside of the tavern where Redgar was staggering out of. The warrior was red-cheeked and in a joyous mood, oblivious to the monsters that were coming.

“There’s the mage knight!” he said, swiping a large hand at Damon to grab him by the neck. “My good buddy! Oh, you were right about seeking peace. This whole village is lovely. Lovely. I love this village.”

“Sober up!” Damon said, slapping the man. “We’re all in trouble. Twenty of those zombie creatures are coming this way. We have a few minutes before they’re here.”

Redgar snorted. “I could kill fifty of them with my bare hands.”

Damon blinked for a moment. He could work with that. Barbarians were known for their fondness of drinking before battle anyway. “The village doesn’t have time or the health to evacuate. I know you came here just for food, but you can’t pack up everything and get out in time. We need to intercept them. Take them in the field,” Damon urged. “Redgar, I have power now. These things, they have a weakness on the opposite side of their hearts. If we strike there with our weapons, we can kill them. A blow to the head is just as good, but do you have spears?”

“Linus!” Redgar shouted, opening the door to the tavern. “How many spears we got?”

“Twenty-five,” Linus said from his position face first on the other side of the door.

“We’ve got twenty-f…five,” Redgar mumbled.

“Then order your men to group up,” Damon said. “Or we’re all dead.”

“Hartlanders!” Redgar shouted. “Grab your spears and follow the mouthy mage. We’ve got some XP to gain!”

The warriors staggered out of the tavern, heading to where they had placed their weapons. They were drunk as hell and rowdy too. Damon wondered if perhaps this was a bad idea, but he could think of no other way. The village was full of elderly folks who wouldn’t be able to flee quickly and the seconds were precious.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Damon shouted as the warriors grabbed their spears and raised them high. He knew little about formations but figured the most basic one would be a square. “Everyone, huddle together. Spears out. We move and fight as one. No one breaks free from the group, no one tries to fight the horde alone. Aim for the right side of the torso or the head.”

“What a cheeky mage,” Redgar slurred. The men were agreeable and pliable during their drunken stupor and they huddled together into a small square. Villagers were beginning to run from the outskirts of the hamlet, screaming bloody murder as the undead began to move in.

The man who had warned the village while also leading the zombies straight to them stumbled and fell, his legs no longer able to keep him up. The pack of undead descended upon him with cruel vigor, consuming him and delaying their movements. His screams echoed throughout the village as people tried to run to their homes.

Doors slammed shut, windows were locked as the people predictably responded more with fear than sense. They didn’t know the land, they had no clue how to get out of the village and would likely die with it. Unless Damon was able to intervene.

He grabbed two spears from the pile and thrust one towards Tober. “Let’s do this,” he said.

Tober looked at him blankly. “You really think I’m going to fight? Man, I’m taking that horse and getting the hell out of here!”

“You would betray me?” Damon asked.

“It’s not a betrayal, it’s common sense.”

“You have two choices here, Tober. You can fight with me, as you know how to use a weapon, or you can scramble away like a coward. But mark my words, the world is in peril. You would be destroying any chances you have of getting a normal life.”

Tober looked at Damon with hesitation. “I’m just…this is too much.”

“Then just hang back at least, don’t flee until it’s sure we’ve lost,” Damon said. “I need that horse to get to Lokar City.’

He had no more time to argue his point. Damon needed to lead these drunken warriors and keep them in line. He just hoped that Tober wouldn’t bolt.

Damon turned around and rushed to the front of the line, drawing his spear and readying his spell hand. “Listen up!” he ordered. “Row one, you may aim for the torso, opposite of the heart. Row two, use your spears to hit the heads as best you can.”

Redgar was beginning to sober up somewhat. “You heard the man,” he roared, causing the group’s formation to grow tighter. “We’re going to kill these things and level up today. How does that sound?”

Damon stood in the front of the ten-man row that was clustered together tightly. He had never used a spear before but the Battle Mage class provided basic understanding of how it operated. Thrust and pull back. Aim for the Harkus crystal or head. Easy enough.

They moved in formation towards the horde of undead that was still finishing off a few unfortunate humans who had tried to rush into the fight to protect their own property. Damon had warned the villagers not to engage but some of them seemed to almost panic and throw themselves into the group of zombies, perhaps hoping for a quick end in a valiant effort to protect their land. Either that, or they just didn’t understand the nature of the threat they were facing.

The undead horde took immediate notice of the eighteen soldiers marching their way and began to advance, covering ground with surprising speed. Damon raised his spellcasting hand and threw together the signs and symbols to transform the ground into mud.

Twenty feet of earth opened up beneath the group, dragging the first part of the horde into the mud. However, they reacted with a strange wit in the back. They broke off from the ranks and moved to the sides, avoiding the trap altogether. This seemed to show some signs of intelligence as eight of them managed to get out of the sunken earth’s path before they could be pulled down. The other twelve did not fight over each other to get forward first. Instead, they began to grab the ground that was solid in front of them and pull themselves up, awkwardly climbing out of the pit, albeit slowly.

“Hold!” Damon shouted as the four zombies on both sides of the dirt path converged next to each other, forming a solid line. They did not advance. They were protecting the pack that was trying to get out.

“Advance!” Damon ordered once he realized what was happening. Were these creatures much clever than those he had faced before or was another servant of the Madmen Three nearby, pulling the strings and commanding them to move this way?

The line behind Damon marched forward as the spearmen all laughed. They were undaunted by the sight of these dead, bolstered by their heavy drinking. As they stepped within range of the undead, a glistening energy covered the tip of their spears. Damon’s Crystal Cracker feat applied to their weapons, allowing them to shatter the pseudo hearts of the undead.

The spears were six feet long, with enough range to poke at a distance without getting up close. They reached the line of scrimmage and the zombies lurched forward to attack. Spears went out with expert speed, nailing the eight undead in the chest at the same time. Drunk or not, the Hartlander were expert fighters and were able to strike in a clean blow.

Several of the stabs hit true, piercing four of the undead abominations in the Harkus crystal. Damon could see them fall to the ground instantly, unable to move as their hearts were annihilated from the inside. The other four were still remaining and tried to reach the group.

The backup spearmen thrust their spears over Damon’s head, aiming for the skulls of the zombies. Their attacks reached their intended target and the brains were punctured, spears stabbing through eyes to stop their advance.

The backline of undead had managed to carefully climb out of the mud pit. Their defenses were gone now but the horde, still twelve strong, barreled forward. This was when things began to break down.

Damon tried to stab at the torso of the ones in front of them, but they were moving up and down, left and right as they staggered forward, making it hard to aim. He wasn’t skilled with a spear and the quick jerky motions of the zombies didn’t make it any easier.

“Hold!” Damon shouted as the undead poured forward. The barbarian warriors all began to spear again, sticking their targets with superior accuracy. But the undead ignored their losses and pressed forward, converging on the center line.

The backline performed admirably here. The front warriors turned their spears sideways to fend off the zombies, pressing them upwards as the shambling abominations tried to grab them. Spears came shooting from behind, goring the remaining zombies in the skulls, breaking through into their brains.

Damon let out a sigh of relief as one shamble tried to lunge at him, only to be speared in the eye. The last zombie fell to the ground, unmoving and the group let out a shout. They had defeated the horde.

Cheers went up all around. Damon was greeted with the words Horde Slain! 1,500 XP Gained! His eyes lit up as this was enough for a new level.

“Back to drinking!” Redgar shouted. “And then we’re getting the hell out of here before any more of those things show up!”

Chapter 18

The swarm of zombies was slain, leaving the villagers of the hamlet to clean up the bodies. They stacked them in a pile outside of the outskirts of town and made a pyre, burning the corpses, filling the entire region with the smoky smell of death.

Damon sat outside, watching the flames go up as he meditated, connecting to the Arcus Flow. He had just gained a level but he wouldn’t be advancing Battle Mage. Instead, he would be multiclassing, going into War Mage, just as he had always wanted.

Once he was attuned to the System, he did as Kalla suggested and gave it the required commands. Within seconds, a new prompt appeared.

Multiclass option selected! You may put a level into one other mage class.

Damon selected War Mage and held his breath as he waited for the System to analyze it.

War Mage Selected! Class bonuses do not apply due to multiclass.

Level Up!

MP Increased by +10

HP Increased by + 3

You gain 6 Skill Points! Select new skills or rank up existing ones:

Current Skills:

Longswords: 2

Grappling: 1

Earthis: 2

Firus: 2

Aether: 2

Lumen: 1

Shadis: 1

Awareness: 1

Negotiate: 2

Unlearned Skills:

Command:

Leadership: For every rank, increases your Party Bonuses by +1.

Tactics: Increases Allies damage by 2 each rank.

Maneuver: Gants 1 point of defense to your Army with each rank.

War Magic:

Aquan: Grants control over the Water Domain of Magic.

Aura: For each rank, 5 people are now affected by your Buff Spells.

Artillery: Increases the range of your spells by 100 feet for each rank.

Bombardment: Expands the Area of Effect of your spells by 10 feet per rank.

Shield: Increases the length of your Wall Spells by 20 feet per rank.

Fortify: Increases the duration of your Defensive Spells by 1 hour per rank.

Logistics:

March: Your Army can move 1 additional mile per rank per day.

Supply Lines: Your Army has enough food to march 1 day per rank without needing to forage.

Divisions: All of your bonuses and skills apply to 1 additional Army per rank.

These skills were interesting. Damon could see that he had chosen wisely when he selected Battle Mage at the beginning of the nightmare. The War Mage’s skills were based around armies and warfare; had he chosen this at the first level, he would never have made it this far. But now that he had some basic abilities to defend himself, he would need to start thinking about destroying huge numbers of monsters. And that started with some War Magic.

First, he put 2 points into Artillery. This would give him the ability to waylay his foes from afar. With the blessing from the plaguebringer god, he would be able to affect the Harkus crystals within the zombies with his magic, meaning the ability to hit from a distance could potentially end encounters with large groups before they were even able to reach Damon and his allies.

Next he put 2 points into Bombardment. This gave him an area of effect of 20 additional feet with his attack spells. All he would need was a fireball and he’d be hitting targets and taking out everything within a 70 foot range radius.

With his last 2 skill points, he decided to increase his Firis and Earthis to three. This would give him more spells to choose from and ones decidedly more powerful, hopefully.

Once he was finished, he was greeted with feat selection.

You have gained 2 War Mage Feats! You have Gained 1 Slayer Feat!

Bombardier:

Blast Master: Your Explosive Spells deal 20 points of additional damage but cost 5 more mana.

Double Shot: You may charge two Explosive Spells at the same time and unleash them together.

Accurate Bomber: Your Artillery Spells can strike a precise area within range.

Protector:

Emergency Wall: You may cast a Wall Spell instantly for 5 additional mana.

Long-Lasting Blessings: Your Buff spells now last one day.

Shield Lord: Your Shield spells cannot be dispelled.

Controller:

Enhanced Delays: Spells that Stun or Bind a Target last 1 minute longer.

Friendly Fire: Your Explosion Spells do not damage Allies.

Prime Target: You may lock onto a target within range of your spells and hit them precisely.

Damon looked at these feats. They were certainly interesting. He liked what Bombardier had to offer and so selected two feats from that category. First, he grabbed Double Shot, figuring that casting two spells at the same time would allow for utter devastation, then Blast Master. These two would ensure he could annihilate a wave of undead before they could get anywhere close to the army that he would eventually be supporting.

With the War Mage feats selected, he was given access to the Slayer feats once more. The list of options remained unchanged and he decided to take Undead Awareness this time around. This would allow him to instantly detect a horde or a solitary zombie that was trying to sneak up on him. Three hundred feet was far enough for him to use his Artillery spells as well. Maybe he could just go on the hunt, roaming the countryside and blasting from afar.

War Mage Spells Unlocked!

You have gained 5 new spells! Select from below!

Level 1 Firis Spells

Fireball

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 10

Description: Throw a flaming sphere that deals 10 damage to all targets within 50 feet.

Burning Armor

Casting Time: 15 Minutes

Mana Cost: 15

Description: Up to 20 Allies gain Burning Armor, gaining a damage reduction of 10. Anyone who hits them with a melee attack takes 10 damage.

Duration: 1 Hour

Flaming Weapons

Casting Time: 5 Minutes

Mana Cost: 10

Description: Ignites your Army’s weapons, giving them the Fire Blessing. Their weapons deal an additional 20 Fire Damage.

Duration: 1 Hour

Level 2 Firis Spells

Flame Wall

Casting Time: 1 Minute

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Creates a hundred foot wall of fire that deals 40 damage to any who try to pass through it. Your allies also cannot pass through safely.

Duration: 10 Minutes

Fire Barrage

Casting Time: 20 Minutes

Mana Cost: 30

Description: Release six explosives at the same time, inaccurately striking 100 feet of territory. Has a range of 300 feet. These explosions deal 60 damage.

Heat Wave

Casting Time: 4 Minutes

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Releases a wave of burning heat that ignites targets on fire, burning them for 10 fire damage per second. The Heat Wave is 60 feet wide and travels for 100 feet before dispersing.

Level 3 Firis Spells

Greater Fireball

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 40

Description: Creates a fireball of enormous magnitude. It deals 100 damage to all targets within a 60 foot area and can hit targets 500 feet away.

Burning Vortex

Casting Time: 2 Hours

Mana Cost: 40

Description: A vortex of fire appears anywhere within 300 feet of you and begins to move randomly, pulling targets into the burning whirlwind. This deals 50 fire damage per second and when the spell ends, all targets are thrown in random directions. You may concentrate to direct the movement of the Vortex for 10 mana per directional change.

Duration: 5 Minutes

Swords of Fire

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 35

Description: Creates six massive swords of flames that plunge down from above into the targeted area. Each sword will acquire separate targets and slash for 60 fire damage. They may be ordered to target specific sections or units in the fight.

Duration: 2 Minutes

Level 1 Earthis Spells

Boulder

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Draws from the earth to form a boulder in the sky that can be launched in any direction. Can accurately hit a target within 100 feet of the caster. Deals 10 Damage.

Overgrowth

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Targeted patch of earth becomes overgrown with rough shrubbery, vines and rocks that impede any moving army.  Passing into or through the Overgrowth area of 50 feet causes the Slow status, in which they cannot move and attack at the same time. Has a range of 100 feet.

Duration: 1 Hour

Stone Wall

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 25

Description: Creates a sixty foot wide and twenty foot tall wall of hard stone that is highly resistant to any form of attacks except for explosion magics.

Duration: Permanent (until dismissed)

Level 2 Earthis Spells

Rolling Boulders

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 35

Description: Creates a rolling boulder that springs forth from the finger of the caster. A rolling boulder is 30 feet wide and 10 feet tall. It will roll forward and strike any target, dealing 60 crushing damage. The boulder changes directions at random and rolls until the duration expires.

Duration: 20 Minutes

Earthquake

Casting Time: 2 Hours

Mana Cost: 40

Description: Creates a violent shock in the earth that causes the land to become disjointed and deadly. The Area of Effect is 100 feet and any standing upon the earthquake take 40 damage and have a chance of being swallowed up by the earth. Moving across an Earthquake is impossible and all within the area of effect are knocked prone.

Duration: 30 Seconds

Tree of Life

Casting Time: 6 Hours

Mana Cost: 50

Description: Creates a great Tree of Life within range of 100 feet. The tree instantly bears enough fruits to feed an Army and provides 3 days’ worth of food. In addition, the juices from the fruits are hydrating, granting 3 days of water.

Duration: Until the last fruit has been plucked.

Level 3 Earthis Spells

Strangling Vines

Casting Time: 4 Hours

Mana Cost: 45

Description: Vines come up from the earth, striking all targets within a 60 foot area of effect. These vines grab onto the necks of the targets, pulling them to the ground and choking them to death. Has a range of 200 feet.

Duration: Instant

Tree of Vengeance

Casting Time: 4 Hours

Mana Cost: 60

Description: Creates a Tree of Vengeance within 100 feet of you. As allies and enemies are slain, the tree gains power. Upon 100 deaths, the Tree awakens and becomes a combatant, dealing damage equal to the total number of deaths during the engagement.

Duration: 8 Hours

Pollen Haze

Casting Time: 30 Minutes

Mana Cost: 30

Description: Creates a thick haze of highly noxious pollen that overwhelms the target’s sense of smell and ability to breathe freely. All targets within the 50 foot area of effect become Sickened and cannot fight but may retreat.

Duration: 20 Minutes

Level 1 Lumen Spells

Heavenly Barrage

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 15

Description: Releases a burst of Light Magic from the sky that bombards an area of effect of 50 feet. Deals 10 damage to all targets caught within the area of effect. Does extra damage against unholy or undead targets.

Flare Light

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 10

Description: Creates red, green, white or blue flare of light that radiates in the sky, illuminating the area and pushing back the shadows. Provides 200 feet of light.

Duration: Until dismissed.

Blinding Rays

Casting Time: 30 Minutes

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Rays from your fingertips spray out towards the targets, up to 100 feet away. Any enemies who view the Ray are Blinded and cannot reliably hit their targets.

Duration: 30 Seconds

Level 1 Aether Spells

Army Jump

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 50

Description: You may teleport your army exactly 60 feet in any direction, moving them through the Aether, bypassing all obstacles.

Conjure Steeds

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 40

Description: Creates 40 Aetheric Horses that are capable of carrying 2 riders and can pack 800 pounds of gear. These steeds move at a rate of 5 miles per hour and cannot be exhausted. You must pay 10 Mana each day you wish to retain these steeds.

Duration: Until dismissed

Shields of Energy

Casting Time: 2 Hours

Mana Cost: 50

Description: Creates brilliant magical shields that cover existing shields or occupy the shield arm of your army. These shields are impervious to non-magical attacks and cannot be grabbed.

Duration: 4 Hours

Level 2 Aether Spells

Recall Gate

Casting Time: 6 Hours

Mana Cost: 100

Description: Creates a large gate that anchors to another position within 20 miles. Those who pass through the gate are instantly teleported to the anchor position. This allows for rapid retreat and redeployment. The gate is one way and the anchor point doesn’t allow for return. Enemy forces cannot enter this gate.

Duration: 12 Hours

Summon Division

Casting Time: 8 Hours

Mana Cost: 100

Description: Your magics pull willing participants in an Army Division to your immediate location. Their presence lasts only a short while before they fade back to where they originally came from.

Duration: 30 Minutes

Blessing Breaker

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 60

Description: You immediately remove all Buffs from an enemy Army.

Level 1 Shadis Spells

Shadow Burst

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 15

Description: Throw a black bolt of Shadis magic that rips through the enemy forces, ignoring all magical defenses and dealing 10 damage. Has an area of 30 feet and a range of 100.

Nightfall

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 25

Description: Creates a film of shadow that rises over the sun, imitating night. Vision conditions deteriorate and those who are trying to sneak gain +5 to their Stealth Skills.

Duration: 30 Minutes

Slowing Sphere

Casting Time: 30 Minutes

Mana Cost: 25

Description: Creates a black sphere of draining energy that reduces the speed of an army to a crawl. All within 100 feet of the sphere can only move 1 foot at a time, cannot run or dodge.

Duration: 5 Minutes

Damon blinked a few times as he read and reread his War Mage powers. These were…incredible. Powerful. Expensive! The Battle Mage was so concerned with getting into the scrap that Damon had never considered how scaled up a War Mage would be in comparison. There was nothing in the spell roster that would keep Damon alive if he were jumped in a fight, but now that he had two class levels in Battle Mage, he could hold his own and defend if needed.

The first thing he noticed about these War Mage spells was that they were long to cast and often had very high mana requirements. To be able to use his powers effectively, he’d need time and way more mana. Lokar had a Wizard’s Tower, well several, all beholden to the crown. They would know the secrets to bolstering his mana so that he would be able to rain devastation upon the undead. Now that his spells were attuned to destroy Harkus crystals, even a basic fireball would get the trick done. The only question was what to pick for now?

Damon had five spells to choose from. His max mana was 35. Since this was his first level, he would need to take what was castable now, in case he ran into trouble on the road. Fireball was a given. It was an instant spell, dealing 30 damage for 15 mana, supposing he used his feat.

He tried to envision his role of what was going to happen should things continue to go unchecked. The zombies were more intelligent in the last engagement, performing basic tactics in order to avoid being trapped in mud. They were a little faster too. The Madmen Three had the power to create this plague by stealing from a god; they would have the power to make these zombies stronger and unpredictable with each engagement.

There may be human leaders in these fights. With the knowledge that Castle Broderick was destroyed weeks before the High Castle went down, Damon could only assume that the Madmen Three were building up their ranks out in isolated parts of the nation. Brennan was a spacious land and the castles were placed in different domains to ensure that each lord would be able to mobilize their own army if needed. This was just standard logistics.

The castles were always far from the cities. The queen knew that armies grew rowdy when being too close to civilian populations and had worked to move the majority of each lord’s garrison to a castle or a city in which their lord was present. It was possible that these dark upstarts were gathering forces from the villages and castles isolated from one another, taking as many vessels as they could to build a formal army to lay siege to the cities. Lokar was the closest in this area but there were twelve cities in Brennan, most of them concentrated up north to a region known as The Hollows.

Damon pondered these questions as he looked at the other spells. A human army required many things in order to function. Food, water, horses… They needed to sleep, to rest. A zombie army only needed a direction to move. These small hordes moving into villages were meant to gather more soldiers. It would be a numbers game, the first few engagements. Sick recruitment drives meant to simply increase The Madmen Three’s zombie army. One biter could get into the city, but there were many high level heroes, adventurers and mages on standby, living in luxury. The outskirts, the isolated areas…these where the perfect ground to begin learning how to command these zombies.

From this, Damon concluded that the enemy was going to focus on overwhelming force. A standard division of a Brennite Army was ten thousand men. Moving those men over land took time, effort and a lot of logistics. Brennan did not practice raiding and there were strict laws that prevented military from taking from villages and hamlets that scattered across the land.

The enemy was going to focus on gaining numbers first. Numbers to overwhelm a standard division. One battle with equal sides was unfair. Ten thousand zombies fighting ten thousand soldiers would not be evenly matched, not by far. Each bite converted a soldier rapidly and the monsters had no fear of death, blindly moving in.

Damon began to get the sense that this was indeed war. The enemy had made their opening move, invading the castle and unhorsing the king to cause chaos. But this was early.  The Madmen Three may have all the plans in the world, but only experience brought success.

With that in mind, Damon decided to focus on taking spells that would quickly change the tide of battle in a large scale engagement. He picked Burning Vortex, despite its high mana cost. Greater Fireball was also a good choice, though once again he ran into the problem of not having the mana to cast it. But he was a knight now, he had the power to requisition things from the crown and at Lokar the mages would be forced to give him ways to increase his mana for the upcoming battles.

With three more spells, Damon considered what else he needed. Earthquake was tempting, as many of the dead would not have the reflexes to be able to get out of the way. Many would be swallowed up. A fine choice.

He pondered Recall Gate for a time, wondering if the ability to rapidly evacuate or change positions in a fight would be worth it. If a pitched battle between the corpses and the Brennites started to turn ugly, the losses would become exponential. One bite on a soldier would cause rapid change…but the price was high and he was unsure if it was a good choice for this level.

Maybe he should just focus on offensive spells for now. Rolling Boulder did heavy damage and could quickly split an army in half. The Harkus crystals would shatter as the two ton boulder rolled over them before changing angles. Yes, that would be a good idea. May as well get Swords of Fire as well.

For his last spell, he decided on utility.  Flare Light could be used to send signals to armies and divisions, with the colors meaning different instructions such as attack, hold or retreat. A good way to get orders across the battlefield when noise and violence drowned out most speech.

Damon swallowed hard as he finalized his selections. War Mage was complicated. The casting times were long, the cost of most spells too expensive to cast and their use limited to real battles. But everything in him seemed to understand that what was going on was a war. A war against the living, in the name of those who wished to take what was not theirs.

His character sheet updated but Damon felt no real joy this time. Just concern about the future.

Chapter 19

Greenville’s treatment of the Hartlanders changed instantly after the battle was won. Men and women rushed out to cheer for them, giving them simple gifts of wreaths or copper rings that were common in the region but still symbols of appreciation. Women flocked to the scraggly haired warriors, adorning them with flowers while brushing their beards and long manes that came from weeks on the march.

The tavern opened up and huge quantities of ale were brought out in barrels. Food was freshly prepared and the slowly sobering up warriors began to realize what had happened. They had just saved their sworn enemies and were being given a feast fit for heroes.

Redgar was thrilled with this. He had been mostly cognizant during the fight, his ability to drink and spear impressive to say the least. Others were barely aware of what had been going on but when they saw the pretty ladies and the good food, they just resumed drinking, not questioning as to why their weapons were covered in guts and pieces of brain.

Damon would have liked to join the feast but time was precious. He had already burned a lot of time with his interventions with the hamlet. Saving them was a joy but there were greater risks at hand.

“Psst,” a voice said behind Damon, causing him to spin around. It was none other than Brian the Corpsecollecter. “I saw a bit of strangeness that I thought you’d want to know about, being you’re a knight and all.”

“What is it?” Damon asked, crossing his arms. The shady man might have an angle so he should be cautious when dealing with them.

“Your little army killed those corpses with ease, a skilled endeavor, if may say so myself,” Brian flattered him as he slicked his hair back. “And I figured hey, a lot of people who die unexpectedly are still wearing jewelry, carrying coin or something useful in their pockets. So I skipped over to the corpse pile before the villagers could burn the bodies. And while I was gently looking for things to return to the grieving families, I saw something strange.”

Damon frowned as he listened intently. The man continued. “In the back ranks, there was a fellow who was feigning death. He was dead last and when he thought the coast was clear, he hopped up, no worse for wear. But he wasn’t lurching about or demanding flesh. Seemed like a normal man to me. Was dressed innocuously enough too, easy enough to mistake as a farmer or laborer.”

“Did he see you?”

“I quickly hid,” Brian replied. “But the fellow went into the village before the cleanup crew could come out. I followed him around a little, curious as to see who he was and why the pack of zombies didn’t rip him to shreds and well…he’s now sitting at the feast table, talking to that barbarian you so kindly brought to protect us.”

Damon spun back around to face the feast. A large banquet table had been set up in the middle of the street and Regar was devouring a chicken breast while chatting to a man who looked just like a farmer.

“This is trouble,” Damon said.

“I figured it was,” Brian replied. “You best get in there and stop what’s going on, before all that work you’ve done was for naught.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” Damon said. “I’ve no carrims but if it’s any consolation, I wouldn’t have tipped you anyway.”

“Oh I’m sure I’ll find something on your corpse one day,” Brian chuckled.

Damon hurried to the table and sat opposite of Redgar. The stranger looked at the knight with a halted look. He paused mid-sentence, biting his lip as if trying to shut up as quickly as possible.

“There’s the knight who knows how to broker peace!” Redgar thundered, clunking his drink on the table. “You know, we always thought you Brennites were cowards who used diplomacy and trade to avoid combat, but when push came to shove, you were out in the front ranks, killing just as good as any of us.”

“I thank you, brave Redgar, for protecting the village.”

“This little piece of heaven? I would die for a place like this. Back home in the Hartlands, you cannot have a place without walls, for the Wilderbeasts and the Savagecrins are everywhere. Here, there is free alcohol, good food and not a bit of hard tack to be seen for miles. Me and the fellas are talking about staying here. I mean why not? We’ll say we’re allies of the great knight Damon and are invited here.”

Damon didn’t like the sound of that. The village had plenty of alcohol today but in a week? Their stores might be gone entirely and then the Hartlanders would be sober and bored, living amongst foreigners. “Don’t you need to return home? Warn your kingdom?”

“What’s another threat in the Hartlands?” the warrior replied. “I’m sure the Wilderbeasts will make meals out of those zombies without a thought. You know those creatures are ten feet tall, twenty feet wide and grow razors out of their backs? The head of a feral hog with fangs sharp enough to tear through metal. Funnily enough, leather stops their bite, gets all the teeth tangled up.”

“Who’s you’re friend here?” Damon asked with a move of the head.

“This is Pyrus, a fellow villager who wanted to reward me for my efforts,” Redgar said. He lifted a strange vial of black liquid in a crystal container. Damon’s Slayer senses began to activate upon seeing the bottle and he felt dread well up within him.  “It’s what they call blackwine. Comes in such a small dose because apparently it’ll have you drunk for a week. But seeing how you were the one to take command when we were all sotted off our asses, I think it’s fair to split. That’s what, three and a half days of being loaded between the two of us?”

The faux farmer’s eyes went wide at that. Pyrus was certainly part of the Madmen Three’s operation. He was the one controlling the zombies, giving them orders and trying to organize them. But when his operation ended suddenly, he decided to hide and infiltrate. Whatever this ‘gift’ was, it was bad news.

“May I see it?” Damon asked.

“The gift was for the great Hartlander,” Pyrus spoke up, his voice trembling a little. “Redgar is a man of legends, why should he share what he has with the likes of you?”

Damon stared at the man. Pyrus wilted underneath his gaze and shrank his shoulders back.

“We’ve spilt blood together,” Redgar said. “As far as I’m concerned, with these new monsters roaming about, the Brennites are going to get some peace and quiet from us for once. No reason to invade a nation of corpses.”

The warrior handed the vial over to Damon who quickly grabbed it and raised it up to the candlelight in front of them. The black liquid was moving of its own accord, stirring and sloshing. It was strange but with his wilted eye, Damon was able to peer into the essence of the bottle. It was a zombification formula. This thing had the great plague within it, causing the drinker to form a Harkus crystal. But the curious thing was that with Damon’s Slayer knowledge, he could tell that it would take some time before it formed. A way to simply poison someone and then wait for the incubation period to set in.

“We have our own customs in Brennan,” Damon said. “To give a drink to a superior requires the gifter to drink first. That’s two days of being drunk for each of us.”

Redgar laughed at that. “Then I shall observe your custom! One drink for Pyrus, one for me and one for my friend. This stuff better go down smoothly or burn like hell’s piss. Either one is fine for me.”

Pyrus went pale. The stranger, clearly in league with darker powers, knew what that would entail. “I’m afraid I don’t drink,” he said.

“I insist,” Damon said, uncorking the liquid. “And as a knight of the land, I order you to drink first.”

Pyrus tried to get up but Redgar finally noticed something was off. The big man reached a hand up on the man’s shoulder and yanked him back down. “Why are you so eager to leave when we’re sharing libations?”

“It’s poison,” Damon said. “This man came in with the zombie horde.”

Redgar’s face went red with rage. “You dare to poison me? Poisons are the tools of cowards and weaklings without the guts to kill. I ought to tear your entrails out and stuff them down your throat!”

“This poison would turn you into a zombie,” Damon said.

Redgar looked at Damon for a moment. “You have been honest thus far. What makes you say that?”

“I have learned a few things about these creatures,” Damon said. “And this plague is an infection that is transmitted from bite to bite. But what about the first biter? The first zombie? Where did it come from?”

“Black Alchemy!” Redgar snorted. “You fiend!”

Pyrus weakly stammered. “You-you don’t understand. I didn’t have a choice. They said they’d spare my village if I—”

His words were caught in his throat as Redgar wrapped his hand around the man’s neck. “I’ll show you how to die with honor!”

“Wait!” Damon said, standing up and putting his hands up. “This man has value. He’s a member of the enemy that started all of this. He has magic that allows him to command the dead. They were able to organize against us, though not nearly as deftly. If you kill him, we’re losing vital information.”

“You’re right,” Redgar said, lowering the man back down to the table. Pyrus let out a coughing gasp.

“But he may be a spellcaster. We need to bind his fingers so he can’t use magic,” Damon said, looking at the table for any kind of twine that was used for wrapping meats.

As he stared down, he heard an agonizing crunch followed by screaming. Damon glanced up sharply to see that Redgar had snapped Pyrus’ fingers in such a way that they were bent in all directions. The man was screaming in agony, bringing the attention of all the feasters towards them.

“My hands!” Pyrus shouted. “My hands!”

“Does he need his tongue to cast too?” Redgar asked, picking up a pear knife.

“No, we need him to talk,” Damon said, grimacing at the sight of the mangled hands. It was a practical solution to the problem but utterly barbaric.

Mages could not cast spells without their hands. The incantations required were only part of the equation. If the fingers could not trace the symbols of the Arcus Flow, to move through the aetheric lines in order to manipulate the magical strands of each element, there would be no spellcasting. The Master Lumis had often expounded about the many attempts to create fingerless spells but there were never any developments. Indeed it was considered the Great Discovery that would accelerate magical abilities, if it was even possible.

“The Physician will give you something for the pain,” Damon said. “And perhaps he can tell me what this is made of.”

Chapter 20

Pyrus was sniveling, weeping and begging all the way to Layton’s tower. Damon felt bad for the man, purely out a kind heart. Suffering was a cruelty and there were other ways to bind a mage without disabling him for life. He would have liked to think that a servant of the Madmen Three would deserve something this horrible but…but that simply wasn’t in Damon. He had been taught the value of the King’s Way, the way of the Brennite. Add no suffering, heal the wounded, feed the poor and protect all life. Those were the laws written on statues in every village and city.

Tober was surprisingly hanging outside of the tower, perched on the steps.

“You’re still here?” Damon asked.

“I was really tempted to run,” the bandit said. “But…you saved my life back in Primmick. It would have been really easy for you to just watch me die and save your mana for later. But…well, I suppose if I really do want to survive this, then I can’t just run off into no-man’s land without a group.”

Damon was uplifted by this news. He patted Tober on the back. “We’ll be riding out today. Get Sunset ready and take as much supplies as you can from the villagers. They’ll be more than happy to help the retinue of the knight who saved them twice.”

“Retinue eh?” Tober said. “You think that will get the price off my head?”

“The way things are going, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about bounty hunters for some time,” Damon replied.

Tober bowed to him and headed to where the horse was stationed, leaving Pyrus and Damon alone as they entered the physician’s tower.

Layton was sitting in the living room, watching the fire burn in the fireplace, eyes dark and head lowered.

“I have a patient and a strange mixture,” Damon said. He paused, noting the sour expression on the man’s face. “Is everything okay?”

“A magical missive came to me today, a dire warning requesting my services,” Layton said, glass of whiskey in his hands. He barely looked up. “Castle Lonzo has a single man trapped in a cage. He screams and attacks everyone. The letter suggested that a few people were bitten in capturing the prisoner. The request was cordial, asking for me to come and examine the madness in the man. All expenses paid, hospitality for a month, a tower of my own by the Castle.”

“When did you receive the message?”

“Three hours ago,” Layton said. “They’re all dead by now.”

Damon didn’t know what to say to that. He sighed and lowered his head. Castle Lonzo was posted further out to the east, in the Watercrest Valley, where farms were plentiful. The domain was large enough to keep food flowing to every major city. Watercrest Village was full of farm folk who worked hard year round to ensure that everyone in Brennan was fed. This was bad news.

“They’re attacking our food supplies,” Damon gasped. “This is a war. They aren’t just trying to infect as many as they can. They’re making a play for the city.”

“How long will this little hamlet survive?” Layton asked. He glanced up for a moment and took note of Pyrus, the man who had stayed dead silent during the exchange. “Who is this?”

“His name is Pyrus, as far as I know, and he was leading the horde that attacked us. He almost poisoned Redgar,” Damon said. “Hence the broken hands. Is there something you can give him for the pain?”

“Aren’t you a civil captor,” Layton growled. “I say we strap him to one of my dental chairs and we extract tooth after tooth until he tells us what he knows.”

“That is torture and is forbidden,” Damon said. “This man knows the situation he is in. Don’t you, Pyrus?”

The man was breathing heavily. “I had no choice. They said they would spare my village if I cooperated.”

“Who is they?” Layton demanded.

“They call themselves the Reclaimers. An organization that believes Brennan’s king is illegitimate. They have a true king, descendant of the first Bren who was due to become the rightful ruler, before his brother usurped him.”

Damon snorted at that. “A pretender to the throne? Surely you must be kidding me.”

“It’s what they say they are,” Pyrus protested. “I’m not going to argue against who is the rightful ruler of Brennan, but they have forces beyond comprehension. They control magics that imbue their followers with dark blessings.”

“And who are you really?” Damon asked.

“I am just Bert,” the man confessed. “They call me Pyrus as a false name for scouting and making deals. My job is to monitor the minor forces and test them in field engagements.”

“So you can control them,” Layton said. “I watched the battle from my tower and was able to notice they were using tactics.”

“Controlling the zombies is not easy,” Pyrus explained. “It requires a lot of energy and focus. But they respond to basic mental commands.”

“I think you are going to come to Lokar with us,” Damon said. “As a prisoner. Everything you know, you’ll tell the queen and the city.”

“I don’t know anything. Just that the Reclaimers are rising up and building their armies, castle by castle, town by town. My own town was only spared because the able-bodied men were taken aside and told that there was a new ruler. Castle Limestone had fallen and Lord Rennick with it. Without a lord, there is only chaos. So we agreed. A hundred of these monsters were outside of our gates, waiting for the answer from their master.”

“And who is that master?” Damon pressed.

“A man by the name of Scully. He’s the commander of this region.”

“Sounds like you know a bit more than nothing,” Damon said. “Doctor, fix his pain, bind his hands and let’s get out of here.”

Chapter 21

The hamlet of Greenville had an extra horse that was requisitioned by Damon. Thanks to his status as knight and savior of the village, he was given the mount without much of a fuss. It was a noble steed, slender and tan, with a long mane cut into a Mohawk style reflective of the country life. Atop her sat Tober and the bound Pyrus who was still protesting as they made their way across the road leading to Lokar City.

Damon had long ignored the man’s pleas. The doctor was invited to come along as well, but Layton declined. He was serious about his refusal to travel. But before they had departed, he did a quick analysis on the strange black liquid that Pyrus had been keeping.

They called the substance Black Bile and it was a pure form of zombification liquid. Consuming it would cause a Harkus crystal to form within the host, albeit with a much longer time to activate. From what Layton and Damon could figure out together, they determined that only a small dose was necessary to create the infection. The doctor didn’t have much else insight into the liquid and Pryus’ lips were sealed. Damon had to bring it to the mages of Lokar to see if they could learn more about its incubation period and to find if perhaps there was a way to identify those who had unwittingly consumed the stuff.

Three days of riding in silence, aside from Pyrus’ whining, had given Damon time to reflect on his new powers. As a multiclass wielder, he now had the ability to fight in the thick of the battle as well as against large numbers of enemies. The powers complemented one another, but he had only so much mana he could spend.

Mana came back with rest. There were plenty of magical methods to regain the stuff but that required equipment and potions, things Damon didn’t have. With the high cost of the War Mage spells, his first task upon reaching Lokar would be to find some methods of expanding his mana pool so he would have the ability to fight up close and from afar.

“There it is!” Tober said, his voice full of relief. They had skipped sleeping one night, pressing on, for fear that the undead may be somehow following Pyrus. The horses seemed to shoulder the burden of an extra day well enough, their breeding superior in that way, but Damon could tell that Sunset was getting tired.

Thankfully, the city was ahead of them now. Lokar City, the Gleaming Capital where dreams came true. It was surrounded by a great circular wall, made of alchemical steel that had been raised up by mighty mages centuries ago. While there were many wars and battles with enemy forces from all sides in the history of Brennan, Lokar was famed for never having fallen once. Invasion forces could not compete with the powers located within. Adventurers, mages, witches and many with class levels preferred to live in the big city and its population was in the hundreds of thousands.

The city rested upon a hill, a formidable castle in the dead center, rising high above the rest of the buildings. This was known as Star Castle, the single strongest center of defense in all of Brennan. The only question was whether the dead had invaded that place as well.

“What do you think?” Tober asked as their horses slowed down to a trot. They rode tandem together, moving towards the main entrance where a long drawbridge was waiting for them.

“Seems like it’s business as usual,” Damon said, pointing to the group of merchants that were entering the city. Guards by the dozens were posted outside, checking the logs of these merchants, examining the crates and clearing each traveler to enter.

“That’s a relief,” Tober sighed, lowering his head. “I was expecting to see zombies and fire everywhere. But the city’s still alive. The Star Capital remains.”

“It would take more than a few hundred to effectively invade,” Damon said. “There are adventurers crawling in that place. Someone would just need to slap a poster that said 5 carrims per dead zombie and it’d be a reversal of the apocalypse.”

“I met adventurers a few times,” Tober muttered. “Strange fellas. Always on quests, always looking to get into trouble with no regard for their life.”

“Class levels, my friend,” Damon replied. “They make you much stronger.”

“They say it takes a lifetime to get enough XP for one level,” Tober said. “By the time you’re fifty, you’ve just gotten your first level and that’s enough for most folks.”

“How’s your XP looking right now?” Damon asked.

Tober snorted. “I don’t even have a class initiation. I can’t see what my abilities are or what my progress is. Without access to the System, I’m blind as that eye of yours.”

They rode up to the entryway where a pair of guards blocked their path. They wore the traditional silver armor of Lokarite warriors, the symbol of a shooting star emblazoned on their torsos.

“State your business!” one of them said.

“I am Sir Damon, knight of Queen Jaylin,” he proudly explained, puffing his chest out as he showed off his signet ring. “I wish to know where she is and to be escorted here.”

“You, a knight?” the guard laughed. “You’re a boy!”

Damon stared at him with his good eye, holding his gaze until the man withered and stepped aside. “The queen is in Star Castle. We’ll have a guide take you.”

“Chain this man up,” Damon said as he dismounted. Tober instinctively went to raise his hands but realized that he wasn’t the one being bound. The finger was pointed at Pyrus. “This man is a dangerous prisoner. I want two guards with him at all times and I want him confined in the castle’s dungeon.”

The guards complied with this order, fearful of what this mysterious knight would do if they gave him any more lip. For the first time in Damon’s life, he felt a sense of authority about him. The signet ring, the title, the magics under his belt, he was truly a knight in the greatest sense of the word. Most folks just treated him as part of the background back at the castle.

But now he was at the forefront, entering the enormous city to see that Lokar was in fine spirits. There were many buildings that were freshly constructed, made of hard stone that could withstand the inclement weather that came during the end of summer. Storm Season was a time where many houses were annihilated but the hard stone used here kept everything safe and in place. They said that even the windows of Lokar City were impervious to being shattered by winds and debris.

A guide arrived and bowed to them wordlessly. He gestured for them to follow and so Damon walked through the city, taking in the sights and the sounds.

Fires were everywhere as blacksmiths worked in forges, open bakeries cooked fresh bread and groups of mages worked on artifacts in tents. The people were in high spirits and they had no reason to stand and stare at Damon as he walked through the streets. They were busy living their own lives, safe behind the great wall that surrounded the entire region. One could potentially live in a place this big and never realize there was a world outside of the walls.

They soon reached the center of the city, where all roads converged to the castle. Star Castle was glorious, a fortress by any other name, with a bulb roof atop it, made of the purest whitestone that could be found. It was a six point fortress with towers at the end of every point, rising high above the rest of the city. Dozens of bored archers leaned against the parapets, staring at the areas they were ordered to guard with their lives. But most of these men had never fired a single arrow, except perhaps to shoot a bird or scare a civilian for amusement. The way they relaxed showed they were far from high alert. It truly was business as usual in Lokar City.

When they passed the gates leading into the courtyard of the castle, Damon’s escorts grabbed the chained up Pyrus and dragged him off to the dungeon. The man tried to protest but they wouldn’t hear of it. A lowly guard was not about to challenge a knight. The man was imprisoned, safe and sound. To make matters more secure, Lokar had keen awareness of magical interference and had built a series of cells that were impervious to magical influence.

Goadstone was the name of the material. Created by witches long ago, the murky green rock could not be affected by direct magic. When encased in a room full of it, mana was drained so quickly that a caster could never try to use a spell. And any spell effects that went off were sucked up by the goadstone so quickly that the magic user would pass out from the drain. Damon knew about these rocks quite well, for his master had once forced him to spend a day in a goadstone cell, to contemplate what his fate would be for all of time, should he use his magical powers for ill. It was meant to be a deep meditation on the finality of one’s actions, but Damon mostly just slept and waited for release.

They traveled through the spacious courtyard to the steps of the castle, entering the building where the sound of shouting could be heard from as far away as the foyer. Damon could hear the words quite clearly, as they were coming from the throne room.

“You do not understand, Vernon! You make us wait days to speak to you and then you…you try this stunt?” Queen Jaylin shouted, her voice flustered and full of a rage that Damon had not heard before. He hurried into the throne room to find that Lord Vernon was sitting on the throne, six steps above the queen.

Immediately Damon knew what this meant. The queen was the highest authority in the land. With the king dead, it was her power to rule autonomously and do as she pleased. The proper custom would be for the Lord Vernon to be standing at the steps while she occupied the throne. After all, the man was lord of the city but the castle was not his. It was the queen’s.

Lord Vernon was a disaffected fellow, with long brown hair and a set of gold clothes that were studded with diamonds and rubies. He swirled a goblet of wine in one hand while he reclined in the throne as if he owned it. His face was somewhat amused.

“It is not a stunt,” Vernon calmly replied. “It is a simple fact. We have received reports that every castle in the South has fallen. The lords dead with them. Your husband himself is in the grave now, so really, I think the problem is that you do not know your place in Lokar.”

Damon didn’t know what to do. They were arguing about something and from the looks of it, the queen was just now having the audience with the leader of this place. The symbolism of the man refusing to leave the throne was clear as day. He was going to declare himself a sovereign ruler.

“My queen,” Damon said as he entered the room after a moment of hesitation. “I have news.”

Jaylin turned to see Damon, rage quivering in her eyes. She blinked for a moment, taking note of his withered eye, then waved him over.

“Lord Vernon and I were just trying to come to an agreement about the terms of my stay,” she quietly said. “He is unaware of what is going on. They all are here.”

“Who is this charming lad?” Vernon said with a chuckle. “A greenhorn from the looks of it.”

“I am Sir Damon, knight in service of Her Majesty and I have come to give urgent news about the threat facing us,” Damon said. “And the solution to our problem.”

“You are talking about the necromancer armies that are moving towards us,” Vernon said, feigning a yawn. “I have heard reports of zombies attacking towns. Seems the Raven’s Hunters weren’t particularly good at their jobs. But no zombie is going to be able to scale this wall. We have a hundred mages in our city, all who crave tenure. Adventurers pop out of sewers, murdering wandering monsters at a moment’s notice. And my garrison is thirty-thousand strong. A few necromancers aren’t going to threaten us.”

The queen shook her head. “Vernon, you must understand, this is not necromancy. It is something entirely different.”

Damon took a deep breath. “It is a plague created with usurped magic from the divine realm.”

This caused both Vernon and the queen to look at him. They were dead silent so he figured that he may as well continue. “There are three men who have found a way to take power from the plaguebringer god. Pallag has spoken to me personally, the darkness in my eye, its strange distortion is a sign of the encounter. The plague is not necromantic in nature. There are ways to control these zombies but they are not created by raising the dead. There is no long ritual to embalm the corpses with secret unguents and magical herbs. There are no spells that raise these creatures. Rather, it is a black bile slipped into a drink that creates a sickness within the body. The corpse is killed from the inside, leaving behind a parasitic crystal that forces the husk to kill without question, to feed upon the living and to spread the infection. A single bite is all it takes, Lord Vernon. Even the strongest of men will go down from a bite.”

Vernon sighed and waved a hand. “We have spears for god’s sake. Armored gauntlets and wrist pads. What are they going to do, lay down on the ground and try to bite our ankles? My armies will end this easily enough. But my question Queen Jaylin, is where are your armies? The Southern Region of Brennan has lost six castles. Four thousand regulars a garrison means you have lost some 28,000 men. Surely this does not bode well for your rule. You are a weak leader, always pushing for peace and commerce. We here at Lokar are mighty. My men have class levels. Warriors, berserkers, paladins and archers, all skilled with a number of weapons that beat hand-to-hand combat.”

“My queen,” Damon whispered. “What is this man implying?”

“He won’t say it out loud but I know he considers it true. He thinks that he can declare himself a sovereign power,” she replied. “These were the kind of men I was warning you about. The ones who see power only as a means for taking more.”

“The outskirts and villages are being decimated,” Damon said. “The undead are gathering. There are leaders who can control them to some degree. Direct their path. And it seems that they are preparing to lay siege to this city. Surely you must realize that we have to cooperate if we are to survive.”

“We have enough food for two winters, secured farms to the east and northeast of here. Lokar City is self-sufficient,” Vernon said. “Whatever danger you think is coming, it will be repelled easily enough.”

“And if they pour black bile into someone here’s drink?” Damon asked. “You aren’t going to catch every agent who sneaks in. A few poisonings and then you’ll have civilians turning left and right. You have to realize that this is something we have never seen before. It is a total inversion of the rules of warfare. The dead will not shy away from simply walking into every soldier you have, but a single bite spreads the infection so fast…this city would fall in days.”

“You are forgetting that adventurers are here,” Vernon replied. “It would seem that Queen Jaylin and her beloved allies are without any support here. No armies, no strength, just what? Title? Lineage? Hell, the woman’s a foreigner, there’s no way she could keep the throne herself. But perhaps we can solve that little problem. If you were to marry me, I would become the de facto king here and could easily save the rest of the cities.”

The queen scoffed at that. “I’d be dead the morning after the wedding.”

“Please, I would never harm someone as lovely as you. The people have a real liking to you. Oh no, it would be much better for us to simply make official what you both suspect is true. The northern lords are interested in what Lokar provides them. We give many luxuries, sugar and such, things that keep the bored nobility happy. With the southern region decimated, food will become much more scarce. Our farms will become the relied upon food source and as lord, it is my right to choose who we export to. With a single word, I could create a famine in the north, weakening each lord’s army. Or I could open the gates wide and send them as much food as they’ll need. King is just a title. The word ‘queen’ bears no power. You have nothing to offer these people. But I am a man of custom. I would not dare openly declare myself a sovereign power. But rest assured, the other lords all know it.”

Damon was shocked by the brazenness of this man. Lord Vernon was known to be powerful and an opportunist but this was worse than anything he could think of. The moment his country comes under siege, he takes advantage to put himself upon the throne. The sheer gall was too much for the War Mage to bear.

“How dare you!” Damon shouted, pointing a finger at the man. “You are just a lord. The title was given to you by the monarchy and it can be taken just as easily.”

“If you take my title, you will need to have sufficient force to disarm my armies and seize my lands,” Vernon calmly replied. “The wall here has withstood every siege imaginable. A handful of undead won’t come knocking without being obliterated.”

“Handful?” the queen scoffed. “If my armies are destroyed, it does not mean they are gone. It means they have been converted to the other side. They could be gathering their forces together to march on this place, to take it for their own. Will you really allow your own arrogance to stop us from working together?”

“Working together? What could I even need from you?” the lord said. He drained the rest of his wine and tossed the goblet to the side. “You are not a warrior, barely a leader. Just an economist with a pretty face. As far as I’m concerned, this event was your failure and you should marry me immediately.”

As he finished the sentence, guards emerged from every side of the room, armed with pikes and carrying shields.

The queen looked around and shook her head. “You’d dare take me prisoner?”

“No, I’m going to have them kill you,” Vernon calmly replied. “The people might find it distasteful but taxes will be lowered, so really who would care?”

Damon glanced at Jaylin. He could see the color drain out of her face. Everything she had gone through and now this? A forced marriage or death? He counted the guards. Nineteen. They would skewer her with ease, not even bothering with a traditional execution. Vernon was a ruthless man and there was no way out…not unless Damon made a play.

The mage knight stepped forward and raised his hands. “I am a War Mage. If you wish to kill the queen, then I will bring this very house down.”

“Control yourself, Damon,” Jaylin said. “My knight means well but he doesn’t understand the stakes. Neither do you. The enemy wishes for this infighting to begin. Otherwise they would have infiltrated your castle the same as the others. If you slay me, you will only be weakening yourself. And if we try to kill you, we would be giving into what the Madmen Three desire. You must set aside your ambitions and see this as the emergency it is.”

Vernon chuckled. “I don’t have to do anything.”

“Sire!” a man shouted as he burst into the room, completely ignorant to the tension and threats being bandied around. “Sir, we’ve got word that there is an army heading our way.”

Vernon frowned. He glanced at the queen and then at the messenger. “What is the status of our forward garrison?”

“They are deploying as fast as they can. But this army, it’s made of the dead!”

Vernon sighed. “I suppose this is what providence looks like to you, my queen. If you really doubt my power, you will be allowed to watch as I effortlessly remove these zombies that make you quake in your shoes. After that, you will marry me. Or you will die.”

Chapter 22

Forty guards surrounded Damon and the queen as they were matched out of the city. The regulars, the stationed guards from within the garrison, were being deployed and hundreds of men were streaming out of the gates, carrying halberds, pikes and kite shields.

“Where are Greyson and Avery?” Damon asked.

“They were told to hang back in case I was killed,” the queen said. “I had figured it would be better to die alone than to get my servants slain.”

“We’re in for it now,” Damon said. “The moment the undead clash with these soldiers, all hell is going to break loose.”

“We are prisoners,” the queen calmly replied. “Simple as that.”

“It was a mistake to come here. It was a mistake to tell him our position,” Damon said.

“Yes, it was. But my fear of the city falling, of the people being devoured blinded me. It wasn’t until I saw the peace of Lokar that I knew things weren’t going to end well for me. I wish you had not burst in when you did. It is a shame that you will die with me.”

“I have become a War Mage since I last saw you,” Damon said. “The casting times of these spells are long but once the engagement starts, we could make a break for it.”

“And go where?” Jaylin muttered. “There is nothing for me now. Without Lokar’s support, I am indeed a woman with nothing but her wits and sharpness. This will not end well for us. I am sorry, Sir Damon.”

Damon could not accept this fate. The moment he tried to start casting a spell, one that would take an hour, he would be skewered. Lord Vernon was hopeful that the queen would accept the marriage offer in order to save her own life and preserve the legacy of her reign, but she didn’t seem too keen to it.

“We can get out of this,” Damon said. “We just need to think…”

They were marched to the top of the hill, overlooking the Forever Fields. In the distance, twenty miles away, a dark cloud was moving across the ground. Damon took a moment to adjust his vision and realized that this was not a cloud. It was a sea of humans.

Vernon scoffed as he donned a helmet, drawing out a golden longsword. A gilded weapon, vainly created and unfit for real combat. “They sure did a number on the south. But they will soon find out that this is going to end quickly. Behold, my War Mages!”

He pointed to a hill beside them, where a band of men in thick red robes were gathered. They were already casting their spells, making long motions with their hands, Arcus Magic flowing above their heads. Damon could see they were high powered siege spells. But they lacked the one thing Damon possessed. They were not Slayers, not infused with the power of Pallag the Plaguebringer. They could do massive damage to the bodies of these zombies, but anything short of complete annihilation of the head would fail. And what were the chances that this army wasn’t blessed in some way by the Madmen Three?

The forward garrison was a mile ahead of the city and Damon could see more soldiers streaming out of the barracks. The sizable fort was spacious enough to hold a few thousand men and they were forming a line to go face to face with the undead. They were professional soldiers, armored and trained by Lord Vernor himself. With their strength, they would surely be able to take down a few hundred at a time.

The sea of zombies grew closer. They were not in a line formation at all. Rather they formed a ball of flesh that walked forward, tightly packed together. Damon knew this would minimize the accuracy of headshots but perhaps these War Mages could outright annihilate them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Damon noticed something. The mages atop the hill were all working to cast their spells. All except for one man. He was eating. Perched atop a crate, he was tearing into a turkey leg with ravenous hunger, ripping chunks out and stuffing it down without time to properly chew.

“Vernon!” Damon shouted, pointing to the hill. “There’s something wrong with that man.”

Vernon glanced over casually and sighed. “Are you really trying to distract me right now? You have swords pointed at your back. Even the first movement of your fingers to try and cast a spell and you will be run through.”

“No, I’m serious!” Damon shouted. “I think he’s infected. I’ve seen the same thing happen before!”

Vernon ignored the man and returned to looking at the battlefield. The soldiers in the ranks were spread out still, not changing their formation. They should have moved into a better position, to stop the center mass from breaking through the lines but they were in a square formation. Effective at stopping soldiers who would try to melee at the front but useless to stop creatures that wouldn’t stop walking no matter how many wounds they bore.

Damon glanced back at the hungry wizard. The man was shaking a little, jerking his head left to right. The incubation…if the Madmen Three were going to try and lay siege to a place as large as Lokar, they would need to have a precise timer on the black bile. That wizard could have had a tainted drink at a tavern three weeks ago and just now it was going to start. Right as the wizards were at their most vulnerable.

Guards were posted with the War Mages but they were oblivious to the change in the lone mage. Damon shouted to get their attention but they paid no mind.

A scout standing beside Vernon was peering through a spyglass at the enemy forces. “A minute until contact.”

“War Mages! Prepare to bombard!” Vernon shouted, his voice supernaturally louder as to reach the other side of the hill.

That’s when the jerky, changing mage made his first move. He scrambled up from box and lunged at a comrade just as the man was about to release his spell. The timing was so perfect that this had to be intentional. The wizard casting a spell had activated the energy of the fire bomb but did not make the sign for release. That would have been the last step in the long ritual but with the zombie biting the side of his leg, he lost all focus.

An explosion rocked the hill and debris of body parts, bone and earth fired across the air.

“What the fuck?” Vernon shouted as he turned to see nothing but a smoldering crater atop the hill where his cohort of War Mages should have been.

“I was trying to warn you,” Damon said. “One of them was infected.”

“Contact!” the scout shouted.

The group peered down at the same time to see that the sea of undead had crashed right into the front line. Soldiers were unprepared for such a fight and uselessly struck their targets, stabbing as quickly as they could with their pikes only to discover the damage they inflicted did nothing.

The back ranks didn’t have time to reorganize as the undead shambled over the frontline fighters, climbing and biting, their arms seizing limbs and necks, some of them prying helmets off as they moved. The soldiers were expecting a simple battle where they exchanged line after line until there was no one left, but this was not how the zombies operated.

Corpses climbed each other’s backs as they dove into the crowd, biting anywhere they could. The tight ball of human flesh was like a mud boulder, squeezing through every gap in Vernon’s forces. Things broke down quickly as soldiers were unable to engage in such tight combat without room to move their arms around. Men were tackled by four or five undead at a time and despite their steel armor, hands found ways to pry open shoulder pads or tear off boots to reveal soft flesh.

“What’s the status of the garrisons?” Vernon demanded to a nearby aid. “We need to fully deploy them, now!”

“Fully? Sir, we mustered two thousand men in an hour, the rest are going to need to get their gear, prepare for the fight and—”

“We are under attack!” Vernon roared. “I want all soldiers in front of these gates right now.”

“With all due respect, the bulk of our forces were stationed in the north, at Fort Haver,” the aid meekly replied. “We have maybe three thousand stationed here. The other divisions are a day away, training for the summer campaigns.”

“Shit, shit shit,” Vernon gasped, running his hands through his long hair. He looked at the forces below, the thousands of soldiers who were being consumed effortlessly by the ball of undead corpses. “Retreat! We’ll be safe behind the walls. Send word out to the north, I want every division, every detachment, everyone who can carry a weapon out here as soon as possible.”

“It would seem that your armies aren’t particularly adept at fighting these things,” the queen coldly said, strolling up beside Vernon.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” the man bemoaned. Behind them, a bell began to ring inside of the city. It was an alarm bell.

Chapter 23

Retreating into the city was the only option but it was far from safe. There was chaos in the streets as zombies were running wild, savaging civilians who had moments ago been blissfully unaware of the danger that was lurking outside. Now, packs of undead were rushing through the alleys and lanes, tackling humans and biting them before moving on. These undead seemed different; no longer shambling, they could run, ignoring their victims after getting a bite in. The normal undead that Damon had seen were distracted by eating the corpses of their victims, which slowed them down considerably. But not these. They were only there to create more soldiers.

Vernon’s guards were greatly distracted as they surrounded their lord and the queen, shields up high and pikes at the ready.

“We have to get to the castle,” Vernon said. “We’ll be safe there.”

Damon looked at the carnage encircling them, the monsters leaping out of windows onto fleeing individuals, the dead rising up to begin attacking mindlessly at whatever they saw, and he shook his head. “You were tricked. That army outside was meant to destroy your local forces. If you go into the secluded castle, you’ll just be surrounded.”

“Damon’s right,” Jaylin said. “We need to get out of the city and quickly.”

“You aren’t going anywhere!” Vernon roared. “Guards, kill her now!”

The soldiers looked at one another with hesitation. Damon noticed that there were no weapons pointed at him.

He put a hand behind his back and prepared a Fireball spell. The war magic rushed through him and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the Arcus Flow began to work in earnest.

“Gentlemen,” Damon said. “Vernon is just a lord. This is the High Queen of Brennan. Do you think it is your place to execute royalty in the street like a common dog?”

“Sir,” the captain of the guard protested. “You had said that we’d be fine against these undead.”

Before Vernon could shout at his subordinate, a pack of sprinter dead came running towards them. They were lean zombies, fast on their feet and with sharp fangs that looked like they could pierce through metal with ease. Damon didn’t need to think, he just reacted.

He shoved past the guards and aimed a finger at the swarm. He shouted the release incantation and fired a ball of flames from his fingertips. The ball sailed through the air and struck the pack before they could reach his group. Flames exploded everywhere and the undead were annihilated, his Slayer magic destroying the Harkus crystals within their frames.

Horde destroyed! 500 XP gained! appeared in Damon’s vision as the explosion decimated the enemy.

“Nice shot!” the captain said.

“Mages!” Vernon concluded. “We’ve got to get to the Star University; it’s full of magic users. They should be able to—” His words were interrupted as the tower containing the mage university exploded, showering the city in rubble.

Another mage tower blew up and then a third. Vernon looked at the carnage in horror, his eyes wide.

“You made me wait three days,” the queen said. “It would seem that in that time, we could have done something. But you’ve doomed this entire city. All in the pursuit of vanity.”

Vernon turned to face her, drawing his golden sword. “I will become the rightful ruler of—”

His words were interrupted once more as the queen stabbed him in the chest with a knife that she had been hiding up her sleeve. His eyes went wide with horror while the blade sank in between the joints of his armor, piercing his heart. “The crime of regicide is capital,” she quietly said. “And as ruler, it is my right to execute as necessary.”

Vernon wheezed as he slid off the blade and sank to the ground, blood running down his chest.

“Guards, you are now in my employ,” Jaylin calmly said, sheathing her blade. “Sir Damon, clear a path to the stables. We must take flight at once. Hanlin City is far enough away for us to begin to regroup.”

The soldiers looked at one another but the captain of the guard bowed before the queen. “As you say, my liege.” He then addressed the others. “We took an oath to the crown and the rightful monarch stands before us now. Lord Vernon may have had his own devices but this is a great emergency. We must stand ready to put our ambitions aside and focus on the common good of Brennan.”

The chaos in the streets grew more frantic as adventurers started to arrive. The first group was a band of burly warriors with a young woman behind them. “I’m guessing we’re getting ten carrims a head for these things!” the leader shouted as their small team began to expertly carve through the runners. They were a blur, moving quickly as they stabbed the heads of the fast movers, using axes and swords while the young woman cast a series of spells that encompassed the adventurers in shimmering green armor that repelled the bites coming towards them.

“Looks like we’ve got some help,” Damon said. “Let’s move!”

They hurried through the streets, following the Captain of the Guard as he led them towards the southern part of the city. Many people were running into their homes as they were pursued by these runners. Windows were shattered as the feral zombies dove in headfirst, the sounds of screams echoing everywhere.

As they made it down the street, they came across a band of zombies that were freshly formed. They did not have the speed of the carriers, as Damon called them, but were a dense pack of normal undead that just wanted to consume any living thing. They were converging on one another, forming a tight ball that blocked the way.

Damon rushed forward and activated his Fireball spell once more. The mana drained from his body as he released a burst of explosive fire that annihilated the group. Horde Slain! 250 XP gained! appeared in his vision and the corpses fell to the ground, charred to a crisp.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” the captain yelled.

As they ran, Greyson, Avery and Cid appeared on the horizon. The three were by a statue of Vernon, the now dead lord, and they were surrounded by biters, Greyson roaring and singing as he hacked head after head. Avery was shooting too but her shots were no good, missing the heads of the point blank monsters. Cid was on the ground, clutching his knees and rocking back and forth.

Twenty corpses were around them, trying to press in.

“Listen up!” Damon shouted. “Aim for the heads with your pikes. We must retrieve our allies.”

“You heard the knight,” the captain yelled.

Behind them, another band of adventurers appeared, teleporting into the middle of the fray. They wore red masks and carried shortswords. A band of undead began to converge on them but they fought like hell, slashing and cutting down the enemy with relative ease.

Damon led the group of soldiers forward to retrieve his allies. The undead surrounding Greyson were converging slowly and had no time to register the pikemen behind them. Sharp thin spikes caught the back of the soft skulls of the dead, skewering them through. The pikemen pulled several down and caused the horde to lose focus on Greyson and Avery.

A man appeared atop one of the buildings and raised a hand. “Beams of light, let the goddess Kirna save this city!” the man shouted. Several silver beams came crashing down on the zombies that were moving in from the west side. They were pinned to the ground by silver magic, unable to get up.

Damon noticed a horde coming in from the west and threw another Fireball, striking true and wiping them out. In the process, a nearby cart full of hay burst into flames, causing the fire to spread upwards towards a flag that was attached to a building with a wooden frame.

Civilians came running from all directions. Swords and axes were swinging. Ferals were leaping out of windows and onto unsuspecting victims. It was utter chaos. Damon realized that this city had already fallen. For as quickly as the adventurers, heroes and mages in the city were mobilizing, civilians were falling by the hundreds, only to get back up again.

The guards cleared a path for Greyson and his ilk to escape. The large man seized Cid by the collar and dragged him into the center of the soldiers.

“My queen!” Greyson shouted. “We have to get out of here.”

“I am aware of that,” she replied. “We’re trying to get to the stables.”

They hurried down the road but came across a pack of normal humans who were all running in the same direction. The attacks were coming in from the south, leading them to conclude the only way to survive was to escape the city itself. Men and women were pushing past each other, forming a great wall of flesh that would be impossible to get past.

Tober tugged on Damon’s arm, startling him. The bandit had been with them the whole time but had kept his mouth shut during all of this. His strategy had been to simply blend in and not get executed along with Damon and the queen.

“We’ll die if we try to follow the crowd,” he said. “We should break off from the group and bunker down somewhere.”

Damon nodded at that. More adventurers were appearing but some of them weren’t so skilled at killing the undead.

“Queen Jaylin,” Damon said. “With the chaos, we’re at a huge risk getting out of the city. Everyone has the same idea. We need to hide somewhere safe.”

The captain of the guard overheard this and nodded. “I’ve an idea. This way!”

They broke off from the throng of civilians and rushed down an alley which was much tighter, forcing the group to go two by two. Guards headed the front and the back, shields up and spearing the random undead that tried to follow them from behind.

“Lokar is full of mages who don’t particularly get along with guilds or universities,” the captain explained as they marched. “If there’s one man who will have a safe place, it’s going to be Brickwit.”

Many zombies ran down the main street, in a feeding frenzy. Damon could hear the cries of civilians at they were torn to shreds, the large pack of humans trying to escape at the same time unable to do anything other than be bitten and then begin to bite. He tried to shield his heart off from the terrible sounds but their cries seemed to follow them.

The castle guards were disciplined with their advancement and moved slowly forward, spearing through any corpse that was coming in from the front of the alley. These were slow movers who were just trying to get a snack and were put down quickly enough.

They passed an opening in the side street that led to a dead end. Damon glanced to his right to see a young woman with a staff, fighting for her life. Three undead were surrounding her and she was expertly knocking them down, thumping their heads away with speed and precision but without any lethality.

The woman was slender and soft faced, wearing a long red tunic that flowed as she swung. Her black hair was in a ponytail and she wore a…single blue feather above her right ear.

Damon immediately recalled the prophecy of Kalla. He had been told that he must find the woman with the single blue feather in her hair if he were to continue his journey as the general who would stop this devastating plague.

“We have to help her!” Damon said.

“Press on,” the queen said. “We must get to safety.”

Damon broke from the ranks and moved without thinking. He hurried into the alley and threw out a targeted spell at one of the zombies. He activated Earth Spike, releasing a chunk of solid stone that speared the monster in the side of the head. It crumpled down to the ground.

The woman spun around in a circle, striking the legs of the remaining two zombies and sweeping them off their feet. Damon drew his conjured blade and speared them both in the head.

28, appeared in Damon’s vision. The zombie kill counter kept ticking up. He wondered what that meant. The ticker had appeared once he was blessed by Pallag and kept track of the undead that he had killed. Would he gain something once it reached a certain number? Or was it merely a way to remind him that he was capable of killing the dead?

“Listen,” Damon said to the woman who was gasping for breath and leaning against her staff. “There’s no time to explain, but you need to come with me.”

The woman spoke with a foreign accent. Her words were soft. “If you lead, I will follow.”

Those were the only things she said. Damon shrugged and brought her to the back of the ranks where the guards opened up to allow them in.

“Nice work,” Tober said, patting Damon on the shoulder. “Saving another!”

“We don’t have time for civilians or rescues,” the queen chided. She glanced at the stranger and shook her head. “Were you bit?”

“No,” the woman said. “Should I have been, I would not be who I am now.”

“Up ahead, I see the turn,” the Captain of the Guard said. The turn in question led to another dead end. “Be warned, Brickwit is…difficult.”

Chapter 24

The dead end was wide enough to house everyone and the guards turned to face the outer area. Greyson had his eyes on the sky and Avery kept her bow raised, just in case any carriers tried to dive down upon them. The woman was shaking terribly and looked as if she were on the verge of passing out.

The Captain of the Guard approached a large brick wall and rapped on it. “Brickwit! It’s me, Leary. Open up in the name of the queen.”

“Oh, I’ll open alright, open fire on you bastards,” a harsh voice cried back. “City’s on fire, just like I always knew it would. Those dark sacrifices Lord Vernon and the nobles make have finally backfired!”

“Fuck me,” Leary groaned. “For the last time, we are not sacrificing children to devils in order to gain power. This is an emergency and I have Her Highness with me. We need shelter.”

“Sounds like a you problem,” the voice on the other side of the brick wall said. “I hope the devils you summon eat your livers.”

Damon frowned. A brick wall was supposed to be quite thick. Having a conversation through one would be nigh impossible. Leary had said this was a mage who didn’t play well with others so maybe…

Making the signs for Dispell, Damon accessed the Aetheric Domain and began an incantation. A thin beam of silver magic slipped from his fingertips and struck the brick wall, causing it to vanish instantly, revealing a huge workshop full of wands, rings and potions.

Standing in front of them was a haggard-looking wizard. He was in his mid-thirties, with bushy red hair that ran wild from behind his balding forehead. He had a long beard that was equally red, though it was singed from what looked to be fire. He wore a thick gauntlet on his right arm and it had three red gems on the fingers.

“If any one of you even dare to try to move towards me, I’ll cast an annihilation spell that will kill you, the queen, me, destroy the entire block and will unleash a curse that will make every woman in the area infertile!” Brickwit shouted. His eyes were wild and crazy, indicating that he was quite ready to act on his threats.

Leary sighed and lowered his weapon. “Brickwit, the city is already under siege. We need safe harbor.”

“Well, find a dock with a boat and then take harbor there,” Brickwit said, raising his hand threateningly. “I’ll kill us all!”

“Brickwit,” Jaylin said, strolling up to him and bowing. “I am Queen Jaylin, liege of this land. By providing us with shelter and safety, you will be entitled with land and a tower of your own.”

“My place is just fine, girlie,” the man spat back.

Damon decided to try his hand at this. “I’m a War Mage, got anything that can help me destroy thousands?”

Brickwit looked at Damon. “War Mage, eh? Oh I have some devices, I’ll tell you that much! Stuff that would get me executed if I ever showed ‘em off.”

“Let us in and show me,” Damon said. “I just gained the class and I’m eager to see how I can destroy mass quantities of my foes.”

Brickwit grinned and licked his lips. “See, when I say stuff like that, I get kicked out of academies and banned from audiences with Vernon.”

“You seem like you know your stuff,” Damon continued. “I’m a bit of a rookie in the ways of magic but I’m already level three.”

Brickwit looked at the rest of the group and then at Damon. “You folks aren’t here to arrest me and have me flogged in the public square?”

“On my word as queen, you shall be rewarded for aiding us,” she said.

“And on my word, I would like to know the best way to devastate an entire army while eating breakfast,” Damon added.

Brickwit locked eyes with Damon. “Most War Mages I meet are humorless prigs who take their jobs quite seriously. But you? I got a good feeling about you. Alright, here’s the deal. You can come into my workshop but be warned! Any of you try to arrest me, get me to pay taxes or even think about getting me to go back to prison and I will make good on my promise. Everyone dead. Hell, I bet I could take out most of the city!”

Negotiation Success! appeared in Damon’s vision as the man lowered his weapon of mass destruction. “Come on in, just be mindful of…everything.”

They entered the large workshop while Brickwit raised a hand and muttered a few incantations. A brick wall rose up, cutting off all daylight and leaving them in the soft glow of lantern crystals that were everywhere.

The building was a fortress unto itself. There were no windows, doors or exits. Everything was sealed tightly, though cool air was blowing in.

“How is there air in here?” Damon asked.

“That would be Glenda!” Brickwit said, pointing to a strange creature in the corner. It had the silhouette of a woman but was made of pure wind. She was an elemental, her body radiating cool oxygen that blew everywhere. Occasionally she drew in bad air with a pulse and then released a purifying wind that made the place a bit cold.

“Thank you, Brickwit,” the queen said. “I am in your debt.”

“Are we safe here?” Captain Leary asked, looking around. “Any entry points?”

“We are hermetically sealed in here. I’ve got a dozen anti-teleportation charms, a movement alarm that zaps the brains of any who try to get inside and a very vicious rat that mutates into an ogre if it spots an intruder,” the mad mage proudly said.

“You certainly are a cautious man,” Greyson said.

“You gotta be when you’re wanted dead by so many people.”

“Who wants you dead?” Damon asked.

“The nobility! They know that I know their darkest secrets. Oh yes, Vernon plots with devils, feeds babies to goat demons in order to gain power. Eternal youth! Life without end! He’s immune to everything, sickness, disease, even a blade would bounce off of his chest,” Brickwit explained.

Damon was starting to think the name Brickwit was more of a title than anything. “Well, you don’t have to worry about Vernon, because uh, he’s dead.”

“Really?”

“The man tried to stage a coup during an invasion and was dealt with,” the queen said.

The mage burst out laughing. “I suppose he got lax in his dark sacrifices. Ah well, good riddance. So what’s got you all so eager to hide in my workshop?”

“The end of the world, for starters,” Leary said. “Brick, I know you and I have had our run-ins and you should be in a dungeon so deep the light of day would never touch you again, but things are changing. Our nation, Brennan, it appears to be under attack. The city is being swarmed as we speak with undead. Zombies that have some kind of plague. A single bite and you are dead. Then you reanimate and try to kill others.”

Brickwit rubbed his beard and thought about it. “Sounds like one hell of an attack.”

“We need to get out of the city and get to Hanlin as quickly as possible,” the queen said. “The mage towers were destroyed already and the city is filled with undead roaming the streets. As we speak, hundreds of people are being transformed into abominations. Can you get us out of the city?”

Brickwit nodded. “Aye, as one of the best mages in Lokar, I can easily do so. I’ve got a teleport scroll that can get you to Hanlin in the blink of an eye, but the ritual takes a few hours to prepare. Of course, it’ll cost you.”

“What do you wish?” the queen asked.

Brickwit looked at the ragged group of survivors. “Lokar City. I want this place all to my own. When this invasion’s over, I mean. I want to build a tower here and I want people to call me some kind of title. And a petting zoo with the nastiest beasts there are.”

This man was missing quite a few brain cells. But the queen accepted the request with grace. “I shall grant you a Barony over the northern part of the city. Your tower will be raised where the Star University fell. You shall forever be able to practice your magics upon the graves of your foes.”

Brickwit laughed maniacally at that. “Now we’re talking! You’re one hell of a queen.”

Jaylin could have promised the man the moon and he’d just as likely believe it was a real offer. When all was said and done, one madman with a tower and a barony was a small price to pay.

“There’s food and water in the rooms below the shop,” Brickwit said. “I’ll get the ritual going in a few hours. But first, I’d like to talk to this War Mage.”

The group departed, leaving Damon alone with the madman. Damon swallowed hard as the man stared at him with great scrutiny. “So, my man,” he said after a moment of summing him up. “What’s really going on? Mage to mage?”

“There are people who have decided to take what is not theirs,” Damon said. “And they are using dark magics stolen from a plague god to destroy Brennan.”

Brickwit nodded. “I always knew it was a matter of time before our golden era would end. Too many good days means one hell of a bad one is ahead. You can’t trust a good thing.”

“What kind of mage are you?” Damon asked.

“I’m a Level 11 True Mage,” the man said. “Skilled in mostly Firis and Aetheric magic. I have spent a lifetime studying the art of destruction magic and have made the most of it. You’re only Level 3 and barely a War Mage. A multiclasser, which is interesting.”

“I was pressed to choose Battle Mage due to immediate dangers to the queen,” Damon explained. “But my heart was settled on War Mage.”

“So you’re a man of the courts then? A fellow who seeks to serve his country and do his duty?”

“I am.”

“Bah, you’re a sucker. A good mage is a free mage. One who doesn’t answer to any. But I can sense you have some questions. You were serious about wanting to know how to become a better War Mage, weren’t you?”

“I am,” Damon said. “It was my hope that I’d be able to learn and gain some resources from the universities here, but the city is already gone at this point. Unless some miracle occurs outside, I don’t have many options.”

“What is the one thing you need, more than anything?” Brickwit asked, sinking down on a stool beside a large table filled with crystals, potions and red flowers that burned perpetually.

“I would break it down into two: mana and casting times. These war spells require so much mana that I can’t cast the spells I’ve chosen. And the casting times are so long that…well, if I could cast faster, then I’d be able to stop invasions like this before they happen.”

Brickwit sagely nodded. “You’re going to need a mana source for your first problem. Most rookie wizards think that as they level up, they’ll have all the mana they need to cast their spells but the higher level the spell, the more mana it takes. The paltry amount you gain from each level up isn’t sufficient to the scale of your operation.”

“What sources are there?” Damon asked.

“Mana crystals are the most common type,” the mage replied, leaning over to pick up a small red crystal on the table. It pulsed with magical energies within. “You find a crystal and fill it with your power, creating a reservoir. Drains your daily mana but you recharge every night. Get a sufficient container and you can cast the big spells without breaking into your own bank. But there are other ways to cast. They aren’t considered to be savory but considering this is an emergency situation, I will tell you.”

Damon leaned in to listen intently. “Mana Lashes. This is where you create a bond to a person in your party, attaching their energies to yours. Most people generate mana naturally in their own bodies, but they don’t use it for anything. With a lash, you can create bindings that allow you to pull from your allies, fueling your own spells.”

“Does that harm them?”

“Not particularly,” Brickwit replied. “It fatigues them, as if they had been out all day on an adventure, but a good night’s rest and they’ll be fine.”

“How do I lash?” Damon asked, thinking of the various people around him.

“That requires a level in order to gain the feat. But you won’t have access to it without the right books. And I happen to have a library with plenty of information on how to achieve such a thing,” Brickwit said. “But I want something in return.”

“You’re already becoming a Baron,” Damon said.

“Oh I know,” Brickwit chuckled. “But I want something from you, Damon. You’ve got the markings of a god upon you. That eye of yours, it radiates with divine energy. Wilted and withered, I believe that I can extract a portion of that blessing and take it upon myself. If this city is about to fall to these undead, then I think it would only be fitting for me to use my vast array of power to destroy them.”

Damon frowned. “I’m not following.”

“My feats allow me to see that you have the power to slay these zombie creatures with magic. The rest of the world is woefully behind when it comes to dealing with these monsters but Brickwit wants an edge. After all, if I’m truly to become a baron then this land belongs to me and is under my protection.”

Damon was skeptical of this reasoning. But he would need the ability to generate more mana when casting his spells. “What about casting times?” he asked. “How can I reduce them?”

“You can never reduce a casting time without the proper feats,” Brickwit said as he began to prepare a table, clearing books, crystals and strange glowing cubes off of it. “But there are always workarounds. A war staff is something that you could use.”

“War staff?”

“Indeed! Most War Mages after a certain point decide to go out and purchase a very expensive staff that absorbs spells after they are cast. The staff soaks up the two hour long spell and then with a mere bit of focus, the wizard in question can activate the spell from his staff. Trouble is they are hard to come by. At least ethically. Now if I were you, I’d head over to the Crosius Museum where there is one such staff on display. It’s four blocks away from here and I doubt the place is open. You could sneak in, grab it and get back here by the time my teleportation spell is ready. It’s a hell of a lot of power to have at such an early level. But it would give you an edge, a razor sharp one, when dealing with this new enemy we’re facing.”

Damon pondered that. The streets were dangerous right now but he had the ability to sense the undead. With careful movement and a judicious use of his Quick Step spell, he might be able to get into the museum, grab the staff and then get the hell out. Then when they teleported to Hanlin, he’d be able to fend off any horde that was making its way towards them.

“Do you have a map?” Damon asked.

“Sure do,” Brickwit said, walking over to a wall where an entire map of the city was posted. Damon noticed that several areas had red circles around them, with little signs for how many carrims they were worth. One circled area was a bank. This mage was certainly a rogue of sorts. A creeping unease sank into his stomach as he considered just who Brickwit was. But beggars couldn’t be choosers.

The man marked a location that was indeed just four blocks away. “The museum won’t have any security if the entire city is under fire,” Brickwit explained. “So I can imagine that all you’ll need to do is avoid being mauled by the zombies and you’ll be home free.”

“I’ll update the queen on my plan,” Damon said. “Still need permission to requisition the item.”

“Sure, but not before you let me examine that eye of yours,” Brickwit replied, tapping on the table. “It won’t take much but a few minutes…”

Chapter 25

The queen had not been happy about Damon’s excursion but she relented and gave him her blessings after he explained that it would be necessary for safe travel. With the city falling, there would be hundreds of thousands of undead in the roster of the Madmen Three and they would no doubt converge upon other cities. With a War Staff, Damon would be able to put significant dent in their numbers and that was enough to win her over.

He left the safety of Brickwit’s lair and walked into the alley where things were eerily quiet. Night had fallen and the wind was cool, chilling his skin. The area was free of biters and he could not sense anything within range of his Undead Awareness.

Damon carefully followed the map, sticking to the alleys that intertwined with most of the city. He moved left to right, checking corners but saw nothing. Nothing, at least, until he reached a main street that he needed to cross.

Parley Street was wide, large enough for merchants to take their carts through the city without being interrupted by civilians. There was an empty patch of road in front of him but on each side of the city, north and south, he could see a veritable sea of undead. The zombies were inert, staggering around with their heads down, eyes shut. They appeared to be docile.

His awareness burned in his head as he could detect thousands around him. Across the street was another alley that led to the back of the museum. He grimaced and sank real low to the ground, moving across the street slowly as to not make any noise. The huddles of undead were not reacting to his presence and were facing in opposite directions, completely idle.

Time seemed to drag on as Damon made his way to the alley. Nothing followed him, no hissing or shrieking indicating that he had been spotted. Was nighttime easier to move around these things? Or were they on standby from their controller? There was no way of telling.

Dead bodies littered the wide alley that Damon entered. They were adventurers, dressed in fine armor and with many items on their belts. Blades were sticking out of their chests, indicating they had not been killed by the undead but by someone else. Perhaps opportunists, but not thieves, as they still had their gear with them.

The War Mage walked over the corpses and reached the access ladder that was connected to the museum. Carefully, he climbed his way up, reaching a large metal door that was locked from the inside. There were windows on both sides of the doors, so with a shrug, Damon smashed the glass open with his conjured sword.

Shards scattered everywhere as he climbed into the museum. He was on the second floor, where various works of art were hanging from the walls. They were paintings of different rulers, wars and a few abstract pieces that represented monsters.  He didn’t come here to browse, however, and continued searching the dark museum, careful not to make too much noise.

He found a map right by the stairs leading down into the main exhibit. There was a permanent installation of artifacts located in the eastern wing. The Pinnacle of Magic was the name of the exhibit and it promised first looks at various magical artifacts that were deemed to be culturally significant.

There was not a soul in the building. Damon crept down the stairs and into a room full of nude statues, all of them seeming to stare directly at him. He partly worried that a statue would come to life and try to fight him but nothing happened as he walked past the various displays of men and women in flexing poses.

The eastern wing wasn’t hard to spot. There was a banner that invited people to come see the greatest magical items that had ever been created. He entered a spacious room full of impressive-looking magic artifacts, all behind thick plates of glass. There were potions that sat on pedestals, bubbling eternally, strange blocks that assembled and disassembled themselves and in the center was what Damon had come looking for.

The War Staff of Priscipis, the display said. The staff was about five feet long and was made of copper. Rubies studded the staff from top to bottom and the head was like a pincer with two gleaming white crystals attached to them. The thing seemed to whisper to Damon with ancient words.  He couldn’t make out what it was saying but he knew that this was what would empower him to serve as the general in this terrible war.

The glass was reinforced. A single slash from his sword quickly revealed a shielding spell around the artifact. No matter, Damon had access to Dispel. He raised a hand and chanted the incantations, then released the spell. A wave of magic washed across the glass and the enchantment protecting the staff flickered for a moment before dying. After that, it was a mere matter of taking the conjured blade and hacking a few times. The reinforced glass was not meant to defend from aetheric magic and the display broke open.

“Gotcha!” Damon said as he reached out to grab the staff. As his fingers wrapped around the long brass artifact, he heard a voice behind him.

“Who the hell are you?” a man snarled.

Damon pulled the artifact free and spun around to see there were two men standing at the entrance to the exhibit. The first one was a stranger, wearing black robes with a skull necklace around his neck and dozens of golden rings on his fingers. The second was more recognizable. Pyrus!

“It’s him!” Pyrus said. “Commander Scully, I told you about this man.”

Scully scowled at Damon. “You were the one who captured my servant and brought him here.”

“My name is Sir Damon, knight of Queen Jaylin,” Damon replied, straightening up. “I demand to know what you are doing here.”

“Demand? Oh no,” Scully said. “You don’t demand anything. We are the new rulers here. Star City has fallen, Lokar is now under my control. With a single word, I could fill this entire museum with the dead and they’d tear you to pieces.”

They were blocking the only way out of the exhibit. Damon knew that this was bad business. “What is your endgame here?” Damon asked. “Why are you doing this?”

“Power,” the man replied without hesitation. “Why do anything if not to gain more power? The Reclaimers know the truth. Brennan was built upon a falsehood. The true king is none other than Verrick the Third. He had bided his time long enough to build a network of espionage, operators and supporters. And now, with the zombification weapon, he is finally taking back what was stolen from his great grandfather.”

“By killing entire populations?” Damon asked. “Verrick is a madman if he thinks he can rule the kingdom by force. There have to be people left behind in order to make a country work.”

“Brennan is just a staging ground,” Scully explained. “Soon you will see that the entire world will tremble before our might. For Verrick believes that all belongs to his people. Perhaps a promising young man like you would be tempted to change sides. The city has already fallen. The spread of the zombification weapon has ensured that every civilian and soldier here is just an empty husk, doing as we please. Surely you don’t think you can win this. Not when we have built the perfect weapon?”

“Kill him,” Pyrus said. “The man is a loyal one. And he’s a mage.”

Scully looked at Pyrus for a moment. “Did I give you permission to speak?”

Damon used the sudden break in concentration to act. He threw his fingers down quickly to form the sign of Speed Boost and accelerated his own body. A wash of yellow magic washed across his legs and he felt his speed increase by ten points. The effect would be short but he wasn’t here to fight. He needed to get out and quick.

Damon charged to the right side of the pair but Scully was already casting a spell of his own. Black tendrils rose up from the ground to seize Damon. The mage knight was fast enough to react, slashing at the tendrils with his shimmering sword, cutting them to pieces. He pressed into the statue room where Scully pursued him.

“You think you can win this?” the man taunted, laughing as he waved a hand, opening a portal. Six undead came barreling out of the portal and into the statue room. They were fast moving, able to sprint, and came charging at Damon in a pack.

Damon hurried towards the stairs, his extra speed allowing him to outpace the runners. Before he could reach the first flight, a wall of black fire erupted in front of him. Damon skidded to a halt and spun around to see the pack coming in on him.

“You want to fight?” he shouted. “Then let’s fight!”

The first zombie landed on the ground in front of him on all fours, snarling as it lunged up to seize his throat. Damon moved like lightning and slashed the creature’s head off, sending the body to the ground. The other five reached him but with Quick Step, Damon was able to teleport out of the way, zipping behind them.

These spells rapidly drained his mana, leaving him with only 13 left. He used his Recast Spell feat to Quick Step again, moving twenty feet back. This created enough space for him to cast a Fireball. He stretched his hand out and made the motions to send a flaming sphere into the center of the zombies.

The explosion washed over the ferals and Scully laughed as they ignited on fire. “You fool! Magic doesn’t harm them, they—”

His words were caught in his throat as the zombies fell over, the fire magic overwhelming the Harkus crystals within them. Damon didn’t hesitate. The great wall of black flames was still blocking his only exit, so he spun around and used Recast Spell to shoot a bolt of fire at Scully.

The wizard threw up a shield instantly, stopping the deadly flames from crashing into him. Damon was almost out of magic, a measly 3 points left, but he had to escape. The only option was to slash his way out.

The War Mage rushed the commander and went to cut at him with his blade. The speed effect of the spell granted him everything he needed. With a single blow, he dealt 8 damage to Scully, and before the man could react, Damon’s spell effect activated allowing him to attack a second time.

Damon cut through the man’s robes with the second slash, dealing another 8 damage. The mage’s HP was visible now—he had a base of 20 but it had rapidly sank down to a meager 4.

Pyrus, whose hands were still mangled beyond repair, simply fell back to avoid being caught in the attack. Scully reached a hand behind him and made a sign that opened up a gate. He tried to run through it but Damon grappled him, thankful that he had spent points on that skill at the beginning of this adventure.

The man struggled but was pulled back by Damon who wrestled him to the ground, pinning his arms and placing his conjured blade at his throat. “Why are you in this museum?” he asked.

“Loot, of course,” Scully wheezed. Damon looked up threateningly at Pyrus, who was standing by, paralyzed with inaction. “This city is full of magical artifacts. The staff on your back isn’t the only thing worth having here.”

Damon took a deep breath. “You’re controlling the zombies here. What happens if you die?”

“They lose their ability to organize,” Pyrus said. “Kill him, quick, kill him and be done with it.”

Damon gritted his teeth but decided that this was the best option. He sliced with his sword, cutting the mage’s throat wide open. Scully’s eyes went wide at the betrayal of Pyrus and he gurgled something, but was unable to vocalize anything.

The War Mage let go of the corpse and turned to face Pyrus, sword pointing at him. “Why the change of heart?”

“You would have killed me next,” he said. “But my hands are mangled, I can’t cast anything. So I figured I’d tell you the truth. With Commander Scully dead, the zombies are inert for now. They won’t do much other than attack what they see. It requires a lot of magic to control them. Scully was trained by Verrick and was meant to organize the southern invasion so we could go to the north.”

“I see,” Damon said, looking back at the stairwell. The black flames were long gone. The exit was clear. “What are you going to do now?” he asked.

Pyrus shrugged. “Go home. I never wanted to be a part of this but Scully fished me out of the dungeon. I told him everything I knew and then we came here. Seems to be my lucky night.”

“Is Hanlin a target?” Damon asked.

“Everywhere is a target, sir,” Pyrus confessed. “But Scully’s job was to organize the first offensive force. The amount of time it takes to bind an army…well, you have a head start now.”

“How am I to know that you won’t go running back to your masters? To tell them what you saw here?”

“I told you a hundred times, I was just trying to protect my village. I’m only Level 2 and barely have enough mana to cast some of these control spells. My job was to just direct a few hordes towards hamlets and villages.”

“Then get the hell out of this city,” Damon said. “If I ever see you again, I will kill you.”

Chapter 26

Commander Defeated! 1,000 XP gained! appeared in Damon’s vision as he left the museum, going back the way he came. Commander Scully wasn’t particularly strong in a fight but must have used most of his magic to control and direct the armies that were now in the city. With him dead, they had a head start to warn Hanlin and get a counter-offensive going.

The attack on Lokar was too well coordinated to be just the work of one man. But Scully was the commander and that meant there was a power vacuum. Perhaps there would be some infighting amongst these so-called Reclaimers. Damon didn’t know.

The streets were busier now that the man’s control over the dead was gone. Zombies wandered more, moving in large packs as they searched for meals. Damon kept out of sight, using his awareness feat to sense when hordes were getting near him. The cover of night seemed to make it easier for him to move and within an hour, he was back at Brickwit’s lair, staff in hand.

There was a secret knock that would cause one of the walls to open up, allowing Damon entrance into the workshop. He went in and let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling the cool air from the air elemental that was standing in the corner.

Brickwit was busy assembling a teleportation circle. He had moved the tables to the sides of the walls and had made a circle out of chalk. Special lines were drawn in the outside of the circle, perhaps indicating the target location.

“I see you’ve made it back in one piece,” Brickwit said, looking up at Damon. “And you’ve got the staff with ya! Excellent work.”

“Were you able to learn anything from your examination of my eye?” Damon asked.

“Nothing to write home about,” the man said. “Divine power is a bit past my forte but it was worth a shot.” He pointed to a book that was sitting on one of the many shelves surrounding the room. “There’s the Lashing primer. Read it and you should be able to learn the Lash skill next time you level up. In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest. You look damn near exhausted.”

Damon nodded and headed downstairs to where the rest of his group was resting. Avery was curled up in the corner, hugging her legs as she slept, the queen was in bed and Greyson was sharpening his axe with a fine stone. Cid sat quietly at a bar, drinking from a flagon. The room was dead silent, save for the sounds of axe against grindstone.

Damon glanced around to see that the woman with the feather in her hair was resting against a wall, watching him. She looked at him with her cool blue eyes, saying nothing but somehow inviting him to speak to her. He remembered the prophecy and wondered what she had to offer.

“You return,” the woman quietly murmured as Damon sat on the ground beside her. He was exhausted from spending so much mana in such a short time. Using magic was quite draining.

“With the weapon in hand,” Damon said, showing her the copper staff. He was slowly attuning to the item, feeling the whispering grow more focused with each passing moment. Without the Identify feat, it would take him a few hours to attune fully in order to reveal the function of the staff. But as long as he kept it in his hands or on his back, he’d passively connect with it.

The woman said nothing at that and merely nodded, closing her eyes.

“What’s your name?” Damon asked.

She opened one eye and looked at him with curiosity. “Jewel,” she replied. “At least in your tongue, that is what you would call me.”

“Where do you hail from, Jewel?” Damon asked.

“I am a Jintaki,” she explained. “From the northern islands of Fog.”

Damon had never heard of the place. “What brought you to the city?”

“I was here to learn martial training from the various guilds that teach staff-fighting,” she replied. “A week I’ve been in your land and I see that things are going terrible. The dead you fight are endless and they have such power.”

She offered nothing more than that. Damon looked at the feather in her hair and wondered why the prophetess had told him to seek her out. “Is Fog far from Hanlin?” he asked.

“A day’s trip away by boat,” she curtly replied. “We have trade deals with the city there. Our people fish and send their excess to Hanlin in exchange for arms and armaments.”

“Are they a warrior people?” Damon asked.

“When they need to be.”

The conversation lulled and Damon found himself falling asleep as he clutched his staff. Dark dreams came to him, dreams of undead everywhere, of monsters attacking civilians at random and the endless march of corpses upon every city and town in the region. He woke with a start several hours later.

Attunement Complete! was floating in his vision. He sat up and dispersed the words. The War Staff had finally connected to him.

War Staff

Description: This powerful staff was created centuries ago during the great war between the Sea People and the Brennite population.

Spell Slots: 6

Mana Capacity: 100

Bonus: Wielding the War Staff grants +20 Mana per day.

Damon smiled at the sight of those stats. His mana had increased already from 35 to 55, enough to cast war spells right into the staff. He could contain up to six spells of any kind within the artifact, triggering the effects instantly. A powerful thing to have and one that was fairly easily acquired.

As Damon studied the staff, Tober and Leary entered the room, looking grim. “Greyson, Sir Damon,” Leary said, motioning for them to come close to him. “We have a situation.”

Damon climbed to his feet and approached, as did Greyson. “What’s going on?” Damon whispered.

“Tober was poking around in one of the backrooms and we found something rather disturbing,” the captain of the guard said. “You best see it with your own eyes.”

Damon followed after the man into another room, past a storage area where the rest of the guards had posted up in. They took some stairs down into a spacious basement where a strange statue was standing by its lonesome. There were dozens of maps on the walls, with circles around key areas.

The statue was of a man holding a potion bottle in his hand. At his feet were dozens of corpses, reaching up towards the bottle. The details on the corpses were unmistakable. They were zombies.

A dread chill ran through Damon’s spine as he read the words on the mantle below the statue. Our Lord of Death, Ghanis.

“What the hell is this?” Greyson asked.

Damon did not know what to make of this strange statue. This was no god, but a man. A man who wore a black cloak and had a skull necklace.

“Something tells me that Brickwit was a bit too eager to send us on our way,” Tober said. “I got a strange feeling from the guy when he glibly accepted to teleport us all the way to Hanlin.”

“Do you think he’s in league with the Madmen Three?” Damon asked.

Tober shrugged. “No clue.”

“Whatever this is, it bodes ill,” Leary said, walking up to one of the maps. “This is a detailed map of the castle, the city and there are all sorts of vulnerabilities highlighted. Areas where people could sneak in without trouble.”

“Or out,” Damon muttered. He looked at the statue once more. The thing gave him the creeps.

“We should tell the queen,” Greyson said. “Let her know that this man may not be dealing with us in a straightforward manner.”

As the four examined the room, there came a noise behind them. “I see you’ve found my shrine,” Brickwit said, grinning fiendishly as he entered. He had two wands in his hands and was aiming them right at the group.

“What is the meaning of this?” Damon demanded.

“I’ll tell you the meaning of it: social mobility,” the wizard replied with a laugh. “Imagine my surprise when the queen comes knocking on my door. After all the work, all the planning, it would seem that destiny is on my side.”

Damon knew better than to make any threats. The man was a Level 11 wizard, paranoid and powerful. Greyson wasn’t so forward thinking and drew his axe.

“You’re working for the enemy!” he bellowed.

“Working for them? Oh no, I would never betray my nation like that. It’s more like…I’m just a part of restructuring,” Brickwit said, aiming the wand directly at Greyson. “Don’t make any sudden moves. I will vaporize you without hesitation.”

“What are you after, Brickwit?” Leary asked. He was gritting his teeth in frustration. The man had been tasked with protecting the queen but had inadvertently brought her closer to some kind of dark plot.

“Lord Ghanis has a vision for this world. One where the magic user is esteemed above all else. A world where the kings and queens are no more, where the lords are beholden to the one with the spell in his hand. I lived my entire life experimenting with all manner of magics and they called me reckless. Dangerous. I’ve been locked away in dungeons time and time again, and for what reason? Because I have the guts to actually try new things? To test theories that demand testing?” Brickwit said, shaking his head. “I have lived at the bottom of the order despite my immense power. Despite my class as a wizard, people have regarded me as nothing more than a paranoid nutjob. But I know the truth! Lords and kings alike sacrifice to demons, gaining long life and power over all!”

Damon blinked slowly at those words. It would appear that Brickwit was truly a man who was lost to reality. But perhaps that could be taken advantage of.

“Why do you believe that?” Damon asked. “What makes you think that the nobility makes demonic sacrifice?”

“Ghanis told me. He opened my eyes up to the truth,” Brickwit replied. “While I may try my hand at various necromantic operations, I have never sided with evil. But Ghanis knows the truth and speaks it freely.”

“Have you ever seen a demon?” Leary asked. “Have you ever even witnessed some kind of dark sacrifice?”

“Ghanis showed me with a spell. He came to me years ago with plans to stop the sacrifices. To ensure that this world would be free of demonic corruption,” the mad wizard replied.

“And you think Queen Jaylin partakes in these sacrifices as well?” Damon pressed.

“Of course! They all do, Damon. But I have my own plans, oh yes,” the wizard chuckled. “First, I helped chart out a way to attack the city from within. Then, under orders from Ghanis, I poured a potion into the drink of a commoner. After that, I was told to wait until the city was completely overrun, at which point I’d be free to rise up and take power as lord of this city.”

It was clear the man was under the effects of an insanity spell. Ghanis must have corrupted this wizard’s mind. Reasoning would do little good.

“All those civilians were slain,” Leary shouted. “You claim demonic sacrifice is evil, yet you have sacrificed tens of thousands in order to achieve your dreams.”

“The people all know the truth. They have lived in prosperity upon the backs of an evil system,” Brickwit said. “Their lives are worth nothing.”

“Have you even seen what it’s like out there?” Greyson asked. “The mass devastation?”

“A just reward for an evil life,” Brickwit chuckled.

“He’s all scrambled up,” Damon whispered to his companions. “I believe he’s under some kind of spell.”

“Now, my orders are simple. I am to teleport you lot straight to Lord Ghanis so that you may witness his judgment,” Brickwit explained. “Damon? That War Staff is mine. Hand it over.”

Of course. The man had never been willing to truly help Damon. He had just wanted the artifact for himself.

From the shadows behind Brickwit, a figure moved. It was Jewel. The woman had her staff in hand and was carefully approaching, each step without a sound. She was concerned and could see the group was being help at wandpoint.

“You’re a real asshole,” Damon said. “I risked my life to get this staff. I let you study my eye. And you’re just going to betray us?”

“I am doing what is necessary to save Brennan from becoming overrun with demons and fiends,” he calmly replied. “Give me the staff, now.”

Damon took a deep breath, being careful not to look at Jewel too closely. He had one shot at this. He walked up towards the wizard with his staff and went to hand it over.

Jewel was right behind the wizard. She had her own staff at the ready and nodded at Damon. The pair exchanged a glance and sprang into action.

Damon slammed the lower part of the brass War Staff upwards, nailing the wizard in the chin. This caught the man by surprise and he yelped in agony. He tried to aim his wands but Jewel swept his legs with her weapon, knocking his feet out from under him.

Damon didn’t hesitate. He wasn’t skilled with staves as a weapon but a blunt object was a blunt object. He wailed on the man’s head over and over again while Jewel knocked the wands out of his hands.

The wizard might have many spells available to use but the surprise attack had stunned him and he cried out as Greyson rushed forward and hacked his right hand clean off.

“I yield!” he screamed.

The group surrounded the downed wizard and watched him squirm in place as blood poured from his stump. “My hand! You cut off my casting hand!”

“I’m going to do more than that!” Greyson roared. He raised his axe up high but Damon intercepted, putting a hand up.

“Don’t!” he said. “The man’s been cursed. He wasn’t acting of his own volition.”

“Who cares? He’s a traitor and a psychopath,” Greyson growled. “Best kill him now before he casts some kind of spell that dooms us all.”

“Agreed,” Leary said.

Damon tried to protest but there was no stopping Greyson. The big man brought his axe down hard and severed the head of the wizard in one fell blow.

The man’s skull rolled away from his body and Damon sighed. He glanced down at the wrist of the mage’s left hand to see that a bracelet had suddenly gone slack. Dark energy radiated from the item and he could tell it was cursed. Lord Ghanis had most likely placed it upon the man when they first met, in order to corrupt him against the city.

Before Damon could say anything to that effect, there was a loud rumbling in the walls around them.

“What’s going on?” Tober asked as he looked up.

Magical energy radiated all around Damon, the aura of destruction magic unmistakable. “This place is going to blow!” Damon shouted as he registered what was happening. The madman had keyed the entire building to his life force. Without his presence, the whole structure was going to go down and fast.

“Run!” Leary shouted.

They all sprinted over the dead body, no time to grab anything of value. Chunks of rocks and bricks were beginning to fall from the ceiling as they fled. Damon hurried to the exit where he would have to cast Dispel in order to open up the wall.

“Get the queen!” he shouted as he ran up the stairs. Guards were scrambling to avoid getting hit by loose bricks and chaos reigned supreme.

Damon threw together the signs for dispelling and struck the brick wall, causing it to vanish instantly. His party arrived behind him, hurrying to get out while they still had a chance.

They plunged into the street right as the building behind them imploded.

Chapter 27

All hope of getting to Hanlin quickly was gone. Well, in truth there was no real hope of getting there anyway, not with Brickwit being the madman that he actually was. The survivors were stuck in the alley now, the warm sun above them.

Damon’s Undead Awareness was buzzing incessantly. He could sense thousands of zombies around them.

“Form a defensive perimeter around the queen!” Leary ordered.

“What in the hell just happened?” Jaylin demanded as the guards surrounded her, facing outwards with their shields up.

“Brickwit betrayed us,” Greyson said.

“Damn it,” she swore. “What now?”

“We have to get out of the city,” Damon replied. He grimaced. This was not going to be easy.

A lone zombie turned into the alley and spotted the group. It began to snarl and move in their direction, staggering forward with its arms stretched out. One of the guards speared it right in the eye, taking it down instantly. The sound of movement from that side of the alley grew louder and soon there were dozens of corpses shambling towards them.

“This way!” Leary ordered, pointing to the west.

The group hurried as fast as they could through the alley, making their way into an opening that was filled with shops that were now empty. Windows were shattered, doors were broken in and there was a scattering of undead.

“We’re going to die here!” Avery cried as she pointed to a large swarm of corpses to the north. There were hundreds of undead standing on a bridge, huddled close together.

Undead from all around noticed fresh meat and began to stagger towards them. Doors opened as slow movers came out, windows broke as corpses began to rush to their meal.

“The canal!” Leary shouted, pointing to a flow of water beneath the bridge. “It leads out of the city. It’s our only option!”

“I’ll clear a path!” Damon said and he rushed forward, preparing a Fireball spell. A huge band of undead was coming from the closest way to the water and they were packed tightly. Damon threw the signs together and aimed in the center of them, firing a bead of flames. The fire crashed into the center and radiated outward, annihilating all of the undead in a single blow.

The counter went up to 75 as the zombies died. The group hurried towards the water. Guards were throwing off their helms and armor as quickly as they could before diving into the waters.

The queen and Avery made it next, leaping into the canal, the current pulling them towards the exit. Cid stopped at the edge of the water and looked down. “I can’t swim,” he said.

“Better learn how to!” Greyson shouted as he leapt.

Tober and Leary jumped in but Cid still stood at the edge. Damon looked at the man. “Just grab onto me and we should be fine.”

The old man sighed and leapt in, Damon and Jewel following after him.

The water was freezing cold and the current was stronger than Damon anticipated. He tried to get to Cid but the old man was flailing wildly, unable to keep his head above the water. Damon wasn’t a strong swimmer but tried to get to the old man.

Jewel, on the other hand, moved through the water like a knife, catching the old fellow and pulling him up to the surface where he gasped for air.

Everyone swam for their life through the water, noticing that the undead did not dive in after them. They merely gathered by the hundreds at the edge of the canal, looking down and staring with hungering eyes.

The water carried them to the end of the canal, where a grate was installed to keep people from getting in. Curiously enough, this grate was cut open, leaving a hole wide enough for everyone to swim through,

The group emerged on the other side of the city and was carried to a lake where the waters significantly calmed down.

Damon climbed out of the lake, waterlogged and weary. The wind blowing was warm but he was chilled to the bone from being soaked. He staggered a few feet and leaned against his new staff, trying to rest for a moment.

Horde Escaped! 500 XP gained! appeared in his vision as he looked at Lokar City. The walls were still up but the guard towers and the mage universities were gone. Hundreds of little dots lined the walls, staggering back and forth endlessly. The attack had succeeded just as the Madmen Three had carefully planned. Lokar had fallen.

The immediate area was safe. There were no undead around, nor any sign of danger. The group settled down on the side of the river, drying out and wondering what would happen next.

The queen sat beside Damon and looked at him with exhaustion upon her face. “I am beginning to suspect that Hanlin won’t be in one piece when we reach it. If a single entity could get inside of a city and begin biting, then it doesn’t matter how fast we travel or how urgently we press on. The nature of the plague is that they will fall within a matter of hours.”

Damon grimly nodded. “What do you think we should do, my liege?”

“I’m at a loss. Had Lord Vernon listened, we may have stood a chance but even then…the attacks came from outside and inside at the same time. We are facing an enemy that has been planning this for a long time. They have made sure to check for everything and as a result…my kingdom is being decimated before my eyes. Perhaps it would be best to just fall on a sword now and let my failures consume me.”

“Ma’am, there are more cities in this country. There are other lords,” Damon said. “We might not be able to win quickly but if we try to mobilize, if we try to fight back we could…” he trailed off. As he heard himself say those words, it all seemed like nonsense.

“Perhaps I could be of assistance,” Jewel said as she approached them. She had been listening in on their conversation and stood with confidence. “We cannot continue to react to their attacks. They have a plan. And it seems that plan is working. What you need, Queen Jaylin, are warriors who can handle themselves against large enemies without fear. Men and women with discipline in their hearts and preparation for war at a moment’s notice.”

The queen looked up at Jewel. “What do you suggest?”

“The Jintaki are a spread people. We have a home in the Isle of Fog, yes, but there are warlords who live to the northwest of us. Great men of honor who fight against madness without worry. Lord Pomet is one such warlord, who commands three thousand Jintaki Warriors. He lives upon the border between Brennan and Solarn, raiding the Solarnians in order to gain power and prestige.”

“Solarn is an ally of ours,” the queen said. “Though a small one.”

“They are inconsequential, controlled by a merchant alliance that focuses primarily on trade and industry. They do not regard the rest of the world and have trouble defending what is rightfully theirs,” Jewel explained. “Lord Pomet tests his mettle against them and keeps his warriors sharp. If I take you to see him, we could earn his trust and more importantly, gain his troops.”

“Three thousand men won’t be enough, not when there are tens of thousands brewing in a single city,” the queen bemoaned.

“Well…” Damon said. “With my war magic, I don’t think that will be a problem. If the attacks are primarily focused on Brennan right now, we might not have to worry about encountering zombies on the way to Lord Pomet’s estate. A few thousand disciplined warriors who are able to listen to our instructions, combined with the magic I have…we could make a dent in any advancing army. Scrambling all the way to Hanlin on foot will be just more of the same.”

Queen Jaylin shrugged. “And what can we offer this man? What would he want in order to aid our dying kingdom?”

Jewel bowed at that. “He will become a legend. A warlord who destroyed an army of the dead. That is the kind of prestige that will make him akin to a god back home.”

“Salorn is home to many merchants who are always eager to make trade deals…” the queen said. “And they are quite small. Easy enough to overlook. A mage’s tower would allow me to send communications to the remaining lords and our allies abroad. But…what if it’s just the same there? What if the Madmen Three have already attacked every other nation?”

“You must have faith,” Jewel said. “Surely this test is for a reason. We cannot believe that all is lost. Not while you are still alive.”

“And who are you, exactly?” the queen asked. “To be giving such advice?”

“I am a scholar,” Jewel said. “And a student of combat. I came to Lokar to learn from your people. What I have learned is that you grew fat and complacent during times of peace. The Jintaki warn against such weakness.”

“My plan was to always keep the people fat and complacent,” Jaylin said. “But…you are right. A golden age cannot last forever. If one cannot rule during turmoil, they do not deserve to lead during peace.”

Chapter 28

The road to Salorn’s border was a long one. The survivors of the attack were weary and without food, but thanks to Avery’s hunting ability, they were able to get game here and there along the trip. Damon spent most of his time draining his mana into his new War Staff. This was a costly effort. Each day he would awaken with fresh mana and each day he would focus on the twin crystals atop the staff, emptying his magical reservoirs into them.

That mana would then be spent almost immediately as he cast his spells into the staff, spending hours concentrating on the complicated war magic that allowed him to devastate armies of undead with ease. Within a week of travel, his staff was filled to the brim with spells and excess mana, ensuring that the next engagement he dealt with would be one for the books.

His preparations made, Damon examined the weapon to check if everything had gone according to plan.

War Staff

Spells Prepared:

Burning Vortex: 3 Charges

Swords of Flame: 1 Charge

Rolling Boulder: 2 Charges      

These spells had required a great deal of time and energy to cast but now they were bottled up within the artifact. A mere thought and he could unleash absolute annihilation upon a horde. Thankfully, there were no dead to be seen just yet.

Morale was low as the group trudged on. Cid was growing sickly, the constant marching too much for the old man and Greyson was getting ornery with each passing day. The guards who had once been ready to give their lives for the queen were hungry, always being the last to eat, and more than once Damon heard mutterings about desertion. They never made good on their threats but traveling with barely any supplies made them rather worried that they would never make it to their destination.

By the eighth day, the food had run out. There was plenty of water to be had, as the Blue River ran alongside the road, but stomachs were empty as game grew sparse.

“Ahead!” Avery shouted as she came dashing down from a hill. “I see soldiers, warriors, even banners!”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Finally, there was some contact.

The queen rushed up the hill to see what was awaiting them on the other side, as did Damon and Greyson. They all stopped at the sight of a band of two hundred men, heavily armed and armored, wielding banners that showed off their affiliation to…no Brennite, that was for sure.

“What the hell is that?” Greyson asked, pointing to the gear symbol on the banner.

“Mercenaries,” the queen spat. “The Iron Workers.”

The Iron Workers were notorious sellswords. They lived in Salorn, enjoying the neutrality of the country and operating primarily as security during times of peace. However, when wars or spats between nations erupted, they would come out of the little country and offer their services to the highest bidder. And in many cases, they would take money from both sides, killing only supply lines in order to gain loot before returning back home.

The group was leading a baggage train of wagons and carts, heading east. That was the general direction of Hanlin. What were they doing way out here?

“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Greyson muttered. “Mercenaries out on the prowl? They must have heard word that there was a struggle going on in the kingdom, but that doesn’t mean they are here to help.”

“The Iron Workers are vultures,” the queen agreed. “No doubt they’ll take us hostage if they see the opportunity.”

“We best let them pass and wait,” Greyson said. “No reason to wake the sleeping dragon.”

The entire company stopped at once. All heads turned in the direction of the group on the hill and a flag was waved, inviting them over. When the queen ordered the team to stay, several horsemen were dispatched, carrying their banners high.

“Sir Damon,” the queen said. “You said you have been preparing all week for war magic. Are you able to adequately handle them if they turn out to be hostile?”

Damon raised his staff proudly. “I can annihilate them from here.”

“Good. On my orders then. Do not think this will be a friendly meeting,” the queen said. “The moment the Iron Workers sense weakness, they will try to leverage their position.”

The riders approached quickly, their war horses bridled with heavy armor. The men had lances that were exceptional for chasing down prey and the way they moved across the ground indicated that they were skilled at pursuit.

Tension rose as the horsemen ascended the hill. Three of them trotted up to the queen. One man, the leader, had long white hair and a scruffy beard that indicated he had been on the field for a while. He leered at them with a crooked grin.

“Well, what do we have here?” he said, looking directly at the queen and then at the annoyed Greyson who was holding his axe with both hands. “Stragglers from the fight?”

“I am Her Highness, Queen Jaylin, and this is my retinue,” the queen announced. She puffed her chest out proudly. “What are mercenaries doing on my land?”

“Word is that a war has broken out. We’ve already gotten a contract to go reinforce Hanlin. Apparently some invasion is heading their way and they’re preparing for it,” the man said. “I’m General Togue and I’m in charge of this division. We’ve got two hundred men, swords at the ready.”

“You’re going to need a lot more than two hundred to deal with this fight,” the queen said.

“Perhaps, but really, we’re just here to disrupt supply lines,” the man said with a wry grin. “What’s a queen doing without an army?”

“We are heading to Salorn to speak with some associates,” she said.

Togue chuckled. “Sounds like my job is to stop you then.”

It sounded like the contract to reinforce Hanlin was not meant as a defensive action. The queen crossed her arms. “Who employed you?”

“Some fella with a lot of coin. Verrick, I think his name was. Says that he’s actually the real lord of Hanlin and that his forces are en route. Needed someone to come in and stop supply lines from getting to the city, on the account that Hanlin is wise to the fight. They’ve called all their allies in, built up a defense and are ready for a long siege. We’re supposed to stop any divisions making their way to the city,” Togue explained. “Unless we get a better offer, of course.”

The queen looked at Damon. Her eyes seemed to say it all. This was the traditional play of the Iron Workers. Accept money from one side and then ask for more pay from the other.

“What is the contract you have now?” the queen asked.

“Twenty-thousand carrims to stop all supplies and people moving to Hanlin,” he proudly said. “And I think for about forty we could be persuaded to ignore that previous contract.”

“Consider it done,” the queen said.

Togue glanced past her and down the hill, looking at the sparse group of people that were waiting for orders. “A handful of guards, a few retinue members…I don’t see any coffers. And ma’am, I think I’d like to see that you have the money first.”

“Is that your entire army?” the queen asked, pointing towards the soldiers who were steadily waiting for orders.

“Two hundred of the best of the best,” Togue said. “And without any kind of coin, they’ll be more than capable of decimating your little group here. You won’t be harmed, of course. A ransom will always be preferable. Though I can’t imagine who would want to pay for it.”

The queen clicked her tongue. “Togue, you are a foul man. But I am giving you a single warning. Return to your troops, order them to turn around and cease this contract at once.”

“And if I don’t?” Togue asked.

“I will be forced to annihilate them all,” she coldly replied.

This got a laugh from the mercenary. “You really have some balls, you know that? I heard the queen of this land was a real softie but you seem harder than a brick wall. Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to head back to my people, turn them towards you and let them loose. As long as you stay still, you’ll be spared but that paltry force at the bottom of the hill is as good as dead. Unless you come with me right now.”

Greyson snarled and raised his axe. “You try to grab her and I’ll kill you where you stand.”

Togue found this amusing as well. “You folks are losing this war, that’s for sure. The offer remains for as long as we aren’t in charging distance.”

Greyson gripped his axe and kept his fierce gaze on the man’s face. Togue merely grinned and backed his horse up. “Fair enough, queen. You’ll be spared but the rest of your people…they aren’t going to live much longer.”

The three horses turned around and began to gallop back to the soldiers. Men began to turn in place, getting into formation. They were mostly on horseback and formed a wedge for a mounted charge.

“Sir Damon,” the queen said. “Remove his army from the battlefield if you please.”

Damon did not hesitate. He gripped his staff and raised it up high. The whispers of the magic contained within the weapon came to him as he accessed the Burning Vortex spell.       

The army charged and he waited until they were within range. And then, with a single incantation, he let Burning Vortex loose.

The warriors were all cheering and thundering as their horses rushed across the field towards the hill. Their cheers were interrupted as a great whirlwind of fire materialized in the center of the line. Flames lashed out everywhere as man and horse were caught up in the winds, knocked about and thrown every which way.

Those in the back were unable to cease their charge and tried to abandon their horses only to be caught up in the Burning Vortex. The inferno annihilated everyone within seconds, leaving nothing behind but a spinning whirlwind of pure fire.

The back of the baggage train had survived and many men and women who were just auxiliaries came out of the wagons with their hands raised.

Army Destroyed! 1,000 XP Gained!

Chapter 29

The Iron Workers had melted against a single spell that Damon had commanded. They had no magics to fight back, no wizards to counter or clerics to stop the massive amount of damage that was coming their way. Damon could hardly believe the sheer destructive potential of the spell, but the wiped out army spoke for itself.

Togue had not been amongst the group in the charge. The man had ridden back to the group and ordered the attack, opting to watch from a distance. By the time Damon and his allies were upon the baggage train, the man was properly repentant.

There was little grace from Greyson however, and the big man promptly slashed the mercenary captain down upon seeing him. The other members of the baggage train, mostly cooks and squires, surrendered instantly.

This was their first major victory after a series of devastating losses. A band of mercenaries thinking that they could take down the queen’s forces and take her hostage were now decimated, littering the sides of the road as a warning to all who would underestimate a War Mage.

The survivors ate full meals, drank plenty of water and wine, then settled in for the rest of the journey to Salorn’s border. Everyone was in a good mood and when the auxiliaries learned that they were in the presence of an actual queen, they began to work overtime to earn her favor.

There were now forty of them, gathered in the back of six wagons and rolling steadily across the countryside. Damon alone sat in the front, holding his staff and remaining alert to the signs of any coming danger. But there was nothing for miles. He merely passed the time by infusing another vortex spell into his staff and meditating on the might of his power.

To say it felt good was an understatement. After weeks of travel and preparation, he had been called upon to fulfill the job that he always wanted to have. To serve as an actual War Mage. And he had risen to the challenge with ease. His power supreme, he wondered what it would be like to devastate entire swarms of undead armies. For the first time in a long time, he was beginning to feel hope. Hope that with enough time, they would be able to save the High Kingdom of Brennan.

It took them two more days of travel by cart to reach the border. There wasn’t much security here, as Salorn was a tiny nation that had little interest in warfare. A single guard shack was sitting nearby with a man lazily leaning against his post. He straightened up, however, upon seeing that the mercenary force was no longer full of warriors.

“Here is where we diverge,” Jewel said, pointing to the east. In the distance, they could see a small fortress made primarily of redwood, thick logs stacked up high to keep outsiders away. “This is where Lord Pomet and his people live.”

The guard at the checkpoint decided not to bother the group and allowed them to pass without inspection. They rode up to the fortress where archers lined the walls. These men and women wore thick blue cloaks, with silver bracers on their arms. They had glowing bows that were drawn the moment the wagons pulled up to the entrance.

“Sir Damon,” the queen said. “I do not wish to engage myself directly in this situation. I will remain here. You and Jewel go and discuss the matter with Lord Pomet. Do not hold your tongue and say whatever is necessary to gain his aid. After this, we shall head to Salorn’s capital, Urso, to send out communications and gather what forces and supplies we can eke out.”

Damon nodded and felt a swell of pride within his heart. The queen had told him that he would be used to further her goal in this invasion. But now was his chance to represent his kingdom to the Jintaki people and hopefully gain their support.

“You must be cautious,” Jewel said as she dismounted from the cart. “Lord Pomet is a proud and fierce warrior. He will suffer no insults, nor will he be prone to manipulation.”

“Understood,” Damon said.

They approached the gates and Jewel bowed to the archers who were aiming their weapons right at them. “I am Sonagara Oloom,” she said. “Scholar of the Fog and traveler within Brennan. I have come to bring news to the warlord and to ask that he meet with this knight.”

“Sonagara Oloom,” one of the archers said. “It has been a long time since a scholar from the homelands has come. What is the nature of this visit?”

“War,” she said. “And opportunity for our people to expand in land and power.”

“And the foreigner?” the archer asked. “Will he behave?”

“He is a knight, he has taken vows to serve his queen and stands here today to present a great deal of profit to our people,” Jewel said.

Damon wasn’t so sure about the exchange. But he had to trust Kalla’s prophecy. The woman with the blue feather in her hair would bring about the kingdom’s chance at survival.

The archers lowered their weapons and opened up the gates. The fortress was quite large from the inside, with a spacious courtyard filled with sand. Stepping stones were present everywhere, allowing Damon and Jewel to walk across the sand without disturbing it.

Soldiers appeared from different doors in the walls. These were men and women who wore conical hats upon their heads, longswords at their sides or twin daggers hanging from their waists. They were grim-faced and motionless, standing at attention as Damon followed Jewel into the main building.

The floor creaked with each step they took. There were no decorations in the building, no pieces of art on the walls or vases. Occasionally there was a small tree in a pot resting by a doorway, but the rest of the fortress was more or less bare. A minimalist design that made Damon curious about these people’s values. Most nobility worked hard to gather as much art and expensive material in order to lavishly display to the people who entered their lands. But not here. The fortress seemed a place of humility.

A woman in a simple grey dress approached them and bowed. She motioned for them to follow, keeping her head low and saying nothing. They followed after her, entering into a room where a man sat proudly atop a throne ten feet above them. A thin row of stairs led up to where this man rested, stairs so small that only one person could climb at a time.

“Do not approach the stairs nor try to move forward during this discussion,” Jewel warned to Damon. “Pomet is a man who requires absolute respect.”

Lord Pomet was a middle-aged man with thick black hair and a well groomed goatee. He wore golden robes with various flowers imprinted on them, the sleeves concealing his arms as he crossed them. Upon his head was a square cap with a single red feather sticking out of it.

The woman who had escorted them bowed to the lord and gestured towards Damon. “We have a foreigner from Brennan who wishes to speak with you,” she said.

Damon bowed to the man deeply and displayed his signet ring. “My name is Sir Damon, Mage Knight of the High Kingdom. I come to represent the Queen Jaylin in a matter most dire.”

“Brennan…” the man muttered, testing the word aloud. “I do not much care for your kind. They are traders and merchants but poor warriors. They engage in constant spats with their neighbors to the south and east, never gaining victory for too long. Why have you come to speak to a warlord like myself?”

“Our nation is under siege from a vile threat,” Damon said. “A dark plague has spread across our lands and has caused terrible upheaval. As we speak, our cities are being targeted by a powerful enemy that moves without relent.”

“And you have come to do what? Seek my aid?” the lord asked with a frown. “What could the Jintaki provide you that your great armies do not already have?”

Damon was unsure of that answer. He was here because of the prophecy and nothing more. “I have heard that the Jintaki people are great warriors, skilled in many forms of combat but above all, they are disciplined. The enemy we face requires true self-control, the ability to take orders and to react to a force that is impossible to properly predict.”

“You are speaking of the dead,” Pomet replied. “I have heard reports of the High Castle being taken by a veritable army of corpses, zombified creatures that devour the hearts of the living and pass their infection along.”

“Yes,” Damon said. “The reports are true. They are the work of dark magic, usurped from a god’s own power. They have operated in shadow for years and only now are they coming to the light.”

Pomet stared at Damon with harshness in his gaze. “What do you believe will happen?”

“I believe that this threat will not stop at our kingdom,” Damon said. “I believe that the moment those who take power are able to, they will begin to spread this contagion to other lands. They will not discriminate against borders, politics or friends. They will take this entire continent and perhaps even the rest of the world. All in a mad quest to gain power.”

“What do you think of the fate of Fog?” he asked. “The islands where I come from?”

“Hanlin City is close to Fog. And should the undead take Hanlin, they will most likely try to spread to the nearby islands as well. I will not pretend that we have a mutual interest here,” Damon said. “For the zombies do not seem to be fond of water, but there is always a possibility that the hunger of the dead will drive them to take your lands as well.”

Pomet narrowed his eyes and eventually nodded. “You speak well for a knight. But I do not see what it is that I can provide. My armies here are strong, yes, but small. I command over three thousand men, trained warriors who have done their duty from the age of twelve. The idea that they could stand up to these undead hordes is something I view with skepticism.”

“I understand,” Damon said. “Entirely. But I am a War Mage. My power is to affect the battlefield greatly with magic. Though I am but Level 3, my abilities are immense and I have been blessed by a god to destroy the undead with my spells.”

“War Mages are rare to come by,” Pomet said. “Such a class requires study, preparation and intent. In the hands of someone without much experience, that magic could be quite deadly.”

“I have been trained since ten to learn the ways of magic,” Damon said. “I have access to the Arcus Flow. With a wave of my staff, I can conjure vortexes of fire, send enormous blades of flame into the battlefield and as I advance, I can fortify and strengthen soldiers.”

“What is it then, that you wish of me?” Lord Pomet asked, his expression not showing any emotion whatsoever. He was stone-faced and impossible to read.

“I, on behalf of the queen, am asking for your province to join us in this war. Hanlin will be under siege soon but with an outside force, intercepting the enemy army, we will be able to delay them. The queen is working to gather her forces but time has not been on our side. With your men, with your soldiers, we should be able to slow the dead down.”

Lord Pomet blinked a few times. “It is said that a single Jintaki warrior is worth ten men. Our blades are blessed by sacred songs, our armor fortified with sapphire stones found in secret mines. Our classes are linked to traditions that improve our ability to fight and we do not flee in the moment. What makes you think your cause is worthy?”

“The lives of many civilians will be lost,” Damon said. “The undead will consume them and turn them into a fighting force. More and more cities will fall. Without help, we cannot stave off the tide that is coming.”

“And my reward for joining this war?” Pomet asked.

Damon was unsure of what to say here. The queen had entrusted him to gain these soldiers but she hadn’t spoken of any kind of offering. Yet, the man was a warlord, he raided and fought for many reasons. Land was perhaps the most attractive prize he could be offered.

“If it pleases you,” Damon said. “We would be willing to grant you dominion within Brennan. Not as a fife or as a vassal state, but as an owner of the land itself. You will have full autonomy and there shall never be a tax taken, nor a law placed upon you.”

Pomet did not react to this. He merely took the information in stride. “You are offering me something that I could easily take,” he said.

“Are you going to take our land? What good is it if the countryside is overrun with the dead? How will you farm? How will you train? Constant sieges of corpses will overtake your people in the long run. Only with the decimation of the Madmen Three’s army will this offer be of any value,” Damon said. He winced at those last words. He had just undercut himself but that was the truth. There would be nothing to gain from deception here.

“Our sapphire goddess has spoken of a time where our people would show the rest of the world, the nations, that the Jintaki people are not a small force,” Pomet said. “It was foretold that there would be a day when Brennan was crushed by a darkness that could not be easily destroyed. And it was promised to us that should we aid in this endeavor, should we save the kingdom, we would be granted status as a power. A true kingdom that could expand beyond the Isle of Fog. But I do not take prophecies with seriousness. There are always those who claim this or that. The only thing I believe in is what I see with my own two eyes.”

“I understand the sentiment,” Damon said. “But the only way you will see these undead coming is when they have arrived in full force, to take your live and lands. To destroy Salorn and the other nations.”

Pomet leaned back for a moment and closed his eyes, contemplating the situation. “To do nothing would be to back away from a great challenge. But to commit would be a decision that may take the lives of my forces. You put me in a strange position, Brennite. You are asking for martial aid and if I decline, I will look weak. My peers will not respect me as a leader. Yet, how can I know for certain that your power is what you claim it to be?”

“If you wish to test me, you may,” Damon said. “I will not shrink back from a challenge.”

As the lord began to reply, there came a sound of creaking from the floor behind Damon. A man rushed in, wearing the traditional clothes of a runner. He looked exhausted and was soaked with sweat.

“Forgive my interruption, Lord Pomet,” the messenger said, quickly kneeling before his master. “But we have received word from Fog. Hanlin has offered a great sum of money to the council in exchange for support. As we speak, Lords Fen and Rulo are preparing their armies. You have been asked to join the war effort.”

Pomet looked mildly surprised by this. “It would seem that your timing is excellent, Damon,” he said, looking down at the mage knight. “For my people are going to serve in this war after all.”

Chapter 30

Lord Pomet was not hesitant when he heard news that his people would be joining the fight. He ordered for his warriors to begin assembling at once. Damon knew that this messenger was not a stroke of luck. Following the prophecy had put him in the right place at the right time. What was the significance of being the one to make contact with Lord Pomet first? Was there going to be an upcoming battle that the man was necessary for?

Damon did not know the answer to these questions, but Pomet was a man of action. His garrison mobilized quickly, men and women carrying brilliant blue armor that sparkled in the daylight, doing drills in the small patch of land that the Jintaki commanded here.

The War Mage gave a great deal of information to the Jintaki fighters. He told them of the weaknesses of the zombies and how the enemy’s tactic was simply to ball up and roll through any frontline. The use of siege weapons would be pointless, as they were inaccurate and only served to slow down a mobile army.

Once the army was preparing, Damon headed to Solarn’s capital, Yagus. Really, Yagus was the capital due to the fact that the territory was so small they had no other cities. Just a handful of mining towns.

Yagus was a city with a small wall that encircled the perimeter. There were many shops and businesses located within, mostly home to guilds that preferred to work in other countries but kept their base of operations in Solarn in order to enjoy the lowered taxes and lack of conscriptions.

Damon entered the city with Jewel and a few Jintaki honor guard, soldiers whose job was to protect the queen no matter what. With the Isle of Fog throwing their lot in with Brennan, Pomet would not be undermined by the others. He assigned the best of the best to keep the queen alive, displaying not only his generosity but also his eagerness to earn her favor.

Finding Her Highness wasn’t particularly difficult. A large crowd was gathered around a mage tower, with onlookers and civilians gazing out in curiosity, hoping to see royalty in the wild. Damon had to push his way through the throng to get inside, where he found a frustrated Jaylin, pacing back and forth on the second floor.

There was a map on the table, a magical map that displayed most of Brennan. He could see that the entire southern region of Brennan was covered in red. The furthest the red mass went was Lokar City and a hundred miles away was Hanlin, covered in blue.

The rest of Damon’s compatriots were absent, it was just Jaylin alone. As soon as she spotted the knight, she rushed up to him.

“What news do you have?”

“The Jintaki army is assembling right now. We have three thousand men ready to fight,” Damon said. “Lord Pomet was not easy to convince but fortune was on our side. The others from the Isle of Fog are allying with Hanlin City. His hand was forced to join us in order to secure his position.”

The queen’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Well done, Sir Damon. But I fear that a few thousand will not be what it takes to win this.” She gestured towards the map. “I have used magical missives to communicate with the other cities. And to sum it all up, the lords are terrified of what has happened to Lokar. They are not willing to join in a campaign together, instead locking down their own territories and pulling back all garrisons.”

“That means…Hanlin will fall,” Damon said.

“Indeed. Without a unified front, they will not have the resources to stop Lokar’s invasion force. I have spoken with Lady Shanta of Hanlin and she has confirmed that there will be no reinforcements. With Hanlin being the closest target to Lokar, it is only a matter of time before the dead reach their walls.”

“Unless we intercept,” Damon said. He pointed to the map. “There was a commander in Lokar who controlled the zombies with his power. I slew him when he was at the museum. This delayed them a great deal. A marching army will take weeks to get to the next city and the Madmen Three will need to dispatch a new commander or go take control themselves. With horses we can outpace the undead and get in between the city.”

“Hanlin will not send a forward force to fight,” the queen replied, shaking her head. “They have created security protocols in the city to avoid an infestation from catching them by surprise, but they are not willing to try and meet the enemy in the battlefield. They’ve already scouted out Lokar with scryers and well…the news isn’t good.”

“How many will we be facing?” Damon asked, wincing in advance.

“Somewhere close to two-hundred thousand undead,” she replied. “They aren’t moving yet but once they start their death march, it will be a wave that consumes the entirety of the northern regions.”

Damon grimaced at that. Such numbers…it was almost the population of Lokar. “Controlling that many would require so much magic,” Damon said. “I doubt the Madmen Three have the power to do so.”

“All the leaders need to do is point the undead in the general direction of the city and wait,” the queen said. “They don’t need to organize anything or start planning complex strategies.”

Damon noticed there was a large green blob slowly moving towards Hanlin. “What does this color mean?” he asked.

“Human refugees, citizens who managed to escape the city,” she explained. “They’re trying to make it to Hanlin but… that is a waste of time. Lady Shanta has already told me that they are locking the city down. With the breadbasket towns destroyed, there will be no more food moving towards Hanlin. The people are just going to be forced to camp outside of the city and starve to death.”

Damon gritted his teeth. “So much chaos, so much loss,” he said. “But these people, they could be conscripted. It’s not pretty, I know, but if we’re going to fight mass numbers of the dead, then every person would count.”

“With what equipment? What supplies? I have tried to ask allies from other nations but no one wishes to be the one to aid us and weaken their position,” the queen sighed. “I am sorry, Damon but I believe…I am beginning to believe that this is a lost cause.”

Damon looked at the weary queen. She had no fight left in her, weeks of being on the run had drained her of everything and he could see that the lack of answers from her allies and the lords had eroded her will.

“We can’t give up,” Damon said.

“But what is a queen without her armies? Without her lords to serve her?” Jaylin replied. “We must face the truth. It was over before it even began. Our golden age has ended and we are entering into a time where all our people can expect is fear and famine.”

“I won’t accept that,” Damon said. “If you truly have given up, so be it. But the Augurs told us there was a chance of stopping this. We have some forces. We just need to get to Hanlin and take control of the garrisons.”

Jaylin shook her head. “My power is gone. The people will not listen to me any longer. Even Salorn is pressured to be rid of me. Everyone seems to know that Brennan is going extinct in short order.”

“I refuse to believe it’s over,” Damon said. “The undead are numerous but we have cunning, smarts. We can destroy them. And if you won’t take action, I will. It was foretold that I’d be your General. Vest me with the power and I will force these cities to unify.”

“How would you ever do that?” Jaylin asked. “You’re just Level 3, barely initiated into the higher ways of war magic. You can destroy a small contingent? Sure. But this is going to be a horde the likes of which our world has never seen before. You’re just one man and frankly, I think this prophecy has put too much fire into you. The prophets can be wrong.”

“They were not wrong about the Jintaki,” Damon said.

“What is three thousand to hundreds of thousands?”

Damon had no answer to this. But he knew in his heart that things weren’t over just yet. If the northern territories could see a single defense, if they could witness the undead being destroyed in large numbers, they would perhaps regain their faith and try to join in cleansing the scourge.

There was an interruption in the discussion as a meek man entered, carrying a slender scroll. He looked quite fearful.

“I beg your pardons for intruding,” he said. “But Salorn’s council has just issued a decree and they wish for the queen to see this immediately.”

Jaylin took the scroll and unrolled it, reading it for only a few moments before crumpling the paper in her hand and throwing it on the ground.

“What does it say?” Damon asked.

“It’s a unilateral decision, Salorn no longer wishes for my presence to be here,” the queen said. “We’re being kicked out.”

Chapter 31

Three miserable weeks had passed since Salorn decided to pull back from their alliance with Brennan. Damon and his group of survivors had nowhere else to go but back to Brennite soil, to a land where the enemy was building up their forces. Allies from all over promised so many things decades ago, but now that it was time to call upon them, they were all too busy. Overextended or otherwise unable to assist.

Queen Jaylin’s will had broken from this and she became a shadow of herself. No longer calling the shots, she merely traveled with the Jintaki army, sleeping long hours well into the day and refusing to meet with Damon.

Lord Pomet was concerned by this lack of enthusiasm on her part but came to view Damon as the second-in-command of the kingdom, as there were no other takers. A plan was hatched; they would head to the civilian refugees located in the northern territory and conscript as many as they could for the fight.

Pomet commanded chariots and horses by the hundreds, allowing the army to travel quickly across Brennan, making their way to a region known as Foster’s Folly. It had been said that a long time ago, a great warrior by the name of Foster had raised an army of rebel peasants to fight against the king at the time, hoping to secure power for himself or at least prove his ability to lead as a ruler. It was in the fields of the Folly where he discovered the power of war wizards and his paltry army was annihilated by the thousands before he was brought to a great tree to be hanged for his crimes. Many believed the Folly was cursed because of his final words, threatening to someday return from the dead with an army of his own but Damon did not pay heed to such tales. A dead army was already here and they were not the work of some power-hungry warlord.

The Jintaki warriors were disciplined in their movements. They did not complain, argue or disagree with one another. They drank no liquor and ate meager meals, ensuring that the supplies that Pomet had brought lasted for the duration of the trip.

Scouting forces were deployed to the south in order to keep an eye on the city of Lokar. Reports came back every few days, runners with horses that moved like the wind carrying messages of their movements. Organization was beginning in stages.

The undead were constricted to the inside of the city, else they were prone to begin wandering off in random directions, searching for food. Men and women wearing dark robes were outside of Lokar, in tents, preparing for something. They wore many magical talismans and charms, spending the majority of their time meditating. Statues of the Madmen Three, Verrick, Ghanis and the other unknown one, were present in their camp, exuding strange magical power that seemed to fuel these mages. From what Damon could tell from the reports, it appeared that the enemy was working to attune to the zombies in order to better control them.

Soldiers began to arrive to the camp outside of Lokar as well. By the second week, it was reported that nearly 2,000 warriors were present in camps, training and drilling each day. They were not Brennite fighters. Reports indicated that they were warriors from the Far East, past the Sea Region, fighters known as Scali.

The Scali Lands were composed of sixteen different regions, where each region was controlled by a tribe leader. A long time ago, Scali had fractured into independent states, with the tribe leaders declaring themselves to be kings of the whole land. This had led to a constant state of warfare between all tribes as alliances were made temporarily then broken in order to ensure one tribal leader or another was placed at the top of the food chain. They were not barbarians like the Hartlanders but their decades of fighting for even the smallest piece of land had halted their technological and agricultural progression.

This was not to say they were not formidable. The Scali warriors knew only war and were masters of fighting against large numbers. They were not disciplined or particularly organized, as in-fighting inside of a tribe was common and a region could quickly become two or three overnight.

Most Scali who were of any skill had long decided the eternal war was not worth fighting for and moved on to other lands. They took refuge in countries that barely communicated with Scali, living as mercenaries or serving as knights to lords who wanted well versed fighters. It was said that a Scali Warrior had to have participated in a hundred battles before they were considered a man but Damon thought that to be hyperbole.

With news of the Scali mercenaries, the mages camp and the organization efforts, it was clear that the Madmen Three were coordinating something quite huge. There were no reports of undead anywhere within the northern part of the kingdom as the cities continued their lockdown protocol.

Damon wondered how well those protocols would actually work. Hanlin was enormous and they couldn’t be everywhere at once. But with sufficient magic, augury and the understanding of how the zombie plague spread, they could potentially stop a single entity from rapidly spreading the disease in an urban setting.

Then again, what was the end goal of the Madmen Three? Were they just going to continue to kill as many humans as they could? If they wanted to build a new empire, they would need workers, farms and people of skill to perform many tasks. It was possible that the attack on Lokar was just a show of force and a way to immediately bolster the Madmen’s numbers to assault other cities. Perhaps they would bring their armies forth and demand surrender.

There were too many questions for Damon to parse through. So many unknowns. All he knew was that the zombies were not unbeatable. They could be slain by all manner of his magic, though his level was still too low. He was at 3,250 XP right now. Another level and he’d be able to perform greater miracles with his power. The only question was how was he going to get that XP?

The answer came as they reached Foster’s Folly. The land was flat, littered with oak trees and lush bushes that produced alchemical berries that grew swollen in the summertime, ripe with magical potential.

“This is a perfect battlefield,” Damon realized as his cart rolled to a stop. Avery who was sitting beside him, sat up, waking up from her nap.

“What?” she mumbled.

“Plenty of lumber to build choke points and arrow towers,” Damon explained. “The flat earth allows for an even distribution of troops.”

“You really think we stand a chance?” Avery asked, looking at him with tired eyes. He could see the exhaustion of constantly being on the move in her face. She, like the queen, had lost all hope.

“I believe we do,” Damon replied. “If we give up in our heads, we won’t survive this ordeal.”

“I was going to stay in Salorn but was told that Brennites are no longer welcome there,” she replied.

“That is a decision they will eventually regret. Mark my words.”

Damon climbed out of his wagon and headed to the front of the baggage train where Lord Pomet stood, surveying the land. In the distance, they could see tents set up, full of civilians who had nowhere else to go.

“Lord Pomet,” Damon said. “What do you think of this land?”

“The enemy is not moving just yet,” Pomet replied. “We have time to fortify.”

“I wanted to ask if you were interested in perhaps changing the narrative a little,” Damon said, swallowing as the warlord turned to face him.

“What is on your mind, Sir Damon?”

“The reports indicate that the zombies are inside of the city. Rituals are underway to ensure the Madmen Army is able to control them perfectly. They’ve brought in mercenaries to protect the casters who are the ones who are linking to the dead,” Damon explained. “They won’t be moving towards us for at least a month. Maybe two, depending on how much magic it takes.”

Pomet nodded. “That was my opinion as well.”

“It would be beneficial for us to go on the offensive in that time,” Damon said. This caused the stone-faced lord to raise an eyebrow.

“Offensive?” he repeated.

“Our enemy has the advantage of sitting around and waiting for optimal conditions before they strike. But the undead are not the main threat right now. They are simply foot soldiers who are meant to overwhelm us in large numbers. The real prize is outside of the city, open and ripe for an attack. The Scali mercenaries are there to protect the mages. If we were to launch an assault with our forces, we could disrupt them before they were able to finish gaining full control over the dead,” Damon explained. “I slew their commander when I ran into him by chance inside of Lokar. This caused the undead to become uncoordinated and dumb. It takes time to build these arcane connections. A strike to their outer camp would be devastating.”

“And should they open the gates and allow the hordes of the dead to come pouring out?” Pomet asked.

“We have horses,” Damon replied. “They aren’t going to catch us.”

The lord closed his eyes at this and took in a deep breath. “What is your vision?”

“The Scali mercenaries’ role is to defend the mages. They can be baited into attacking us away from the city. With your sapphire warriors, we could take them down with brutality and then advance forward, killing as many mages of the Madmen as we can. This will disrupt their control over the zombies, theoretically, and in the process, will buy us even more time. Time to fortify the Folly and it would also…provide me with more XP. Enough to reach Level 4 hopefully.”

Pomet tapped his chin with a finger. “Our warriors could use the experience as well. Word from the Isle of Fog indicates that the Jintaki are going to stay outside of the city walls, forming a perimeter to ensure there are no attacks from any direction. The war council believes that having an intermediary force that can take the fight to the enemy is advantageous and allows me to do as I please. An attack on Lokar will be risky but I believe I am willing to press our luck. You may take a thousand of my men and lead them.”

“Lead them?” Damon repeated.

“My generals and advisors are best suited here, to train the refugees in the art of gutter warfare. It is an ancient art where they learn to fight with weapons that only a peasant would have access to,” Pomet said. “If I send a band out to fight, their lives will be considered forfeit until they return. I cannot risk my leaders in a spat. You, on the other hand, speak for the queen and hold the highest rank amongst the Brennites here.”

“And you’re willing to trust me?” Damon asked.

Pomet chuckled. “You have war magic. You will not be calling for complex maneuvers, nor will you be in the thick of the battle. You will be slinging death from a distance and my men know what to do. We have fought many large armies before; a few thousand against a thousand of us will be a mop up operation.”

Damon was unsure if this man was arrogant or confident. Sometimes the two seemed to be one and the same.

“We’ll depart at once,” Damon said.

“Take Jewel with you as well, I wish for a scholar to document the first offensive,” Pomet said. “And should your men perish and you remain, do not return to this camp.”

Chapter 32

Five hundred horses thundered down the road, moving at breakneck pace. The Jintaki Sapphire Warriors were in high spirits, their magical armor gleaming as the sun rose above them. Damon was at the front of the army, focused as best he could. This was something out of a fantasy he had harbored when he was young and preparing to become a War Mage. An army of his own, an enemy position that was secured and the fate of his nation hanging in the balance.

Lokar City was visible in the distance, the great city slowly growing larger as they approached. Damon had a thousand men in his employ, seasoned warriors who would do as he said. They did not complain about a foreigner commanding them, nor did they question any of his orders. Their first cause was obedience to their leader and their second was glory of the fight.

They reached the crossroads that split off in two directions, one to Lokar and the other to High Castle. This was where they would fight.

Damon halted his horse, a fearsome beast with heavy armor around its body, and raised a hand. The sapphire warriors slowed their steeds to a trot before stopping completely.

The valley below was just as the reports had promised. Hundreds of tents lined up outside of the city, far enough away to avoid being caught by an undead wave should the gates open up.

Scali warriors were beginning to move. They were emerging from their tents and putting on brass armor that looked as if it had seen better days. Mages were moving away from the statues and heading back towards the city, though not entering. Damon could count about forty casters present, all clad in black, and they did not seem eager to get involved with the fighting.

Army Link Establishing! appeared in Damon’s vision as he gazed down the hill. Words came flooding to him.

Jintaki Army

Strength: 1,000

Morale: 100

Scali Army

Strength: 2,000

Morale: 100

Jintaki soldiers began to dismount from their horses, grabbing their gear and swords, preparing for the offensive. They were not mounted warriors and had no expertise in cavalry charges. Rather, they were hand to hand fighters, trained to move up to an enemy force and fight until they were the last men standing.

Nerves grabbed hold of Damon as he stared down the valley. The Scali were moving quickly, forming ranks of a traditional army, lines of men, five hundred to a line. This created a tight square of fighters that was four ranks deep. The front line would clash with the Jintaki, fight until they were exhausted and then retreat, sending a new line forward to fight. But they were also clustered up tightly. A single war spell could quickly send them into disarray.

Damon turned to face his soldiers. They were all looking at him expectantly. He was the one to call the shots here. “Form two divisions,” he said. “Four men at a line and ten ranks deep.”

The men quickly organized. Division 1 Formed! Division 2 Formed! appeared in Damon’s vision. Each division was four hundred men and they had the same morale as before.

The remaining two hundred stood stoically, awaiting their orders. “Form a hundred man line, two ranks deep,” Damon ordered.

Division 3 Formed!

The army divisions all separated and stood, hands on their longswords and silence upon their faces. Their armor gleamed in the sun and Damon felt good.

A lone figure on a horse came riding towards the hill. The rider was wearing black robes and carried a white banner to show that he was here to speak of peace. Damon approached the front of the hill and waited for the man to reach them.

“Greetings,” Damon shouted as the horse stopped at the bottom of the hill. The stranger looked like an acolyte of the Madmen Three, adorned in skulls and magical items that exuded strange auras. “What is the manner of this visit?”

“I am Commander Declan,” the man announced. “You and your forces are violating the sovereign land of the Dead Kingdom. Turn around and leave this moment, or you will be forced to contend with our might.”

“Commander Declan,” Damon said, stretching the words out a little. “Your Dead Kingdom is unlawful. You stand upon Brennan soil. Behind you is the Star Capital, the great city of Lokar. These are the rightful territories of Her Majesty, Queen Jaylin. You have no rights to these lands, nor claims.”

“Should I open that gate, you will see the only claim necessary,” Declan replied. “For we have hundreds of thousands of soldiers. They will tear you to shreds without a moment’s hesitation.”

“If you wish to parley, come up and speak to me,” Damon said. “For it will do you no good shouting down here.”

Declan scowled and trotted his horse up the hill to meet with Damon, face to face. The man was a withered fellow, full of years that had not been kind to him.

He dismounted his horse and strolled up to Damon, scowling even deeper. “You must be mad to think that you can take us down. The Dead Kingdom has tremendous power. Turn around and leave this folly behind.”

The army in the valley below was fully formed. They were beginning to advance, slowly but with determination.

“Declan,” Damon said. “What are your intentions with Hanlin?”

“All of Brennan is ours,” he replied. “We are preparing to invade the city and force its surrender. If it is the loss of life you are worried about, do not be afraid. We are no longer interested in creating more corpses. We wish to build our seat of power in Hanlin and as long as the lords surrender to us, the plague will not touch their walls.”

“Is one city not enough?” Damon asked.

“Brennan is ours by right,” Declan defiantly said. “For we have the power to take what is ours and to give it to those who deserve it. And besides, Lokar is ruined. We need a functioning city, one where the people work and are able to produce arms and armaments for us.”

This man was quite forthtelling with his plans. There was a nervousness about him. He seemed to have been caught off-guard from Damon’s arrival. “I wish to know,” Damon said. “Why are you doing this? You personally?”

“The witch hunters put many of my kin to the sword,” Declan replied. “All because I sought to pierce the veil between death and life. One does not forget the atrocities so easily done to their friends and colleagues. But Lord Loam offers freedom to the caster who aligns with him.”

So, that was the third name of the Madmen Three? Verrick, Ghanis and Loam.

“You say that with a single command, you can open the gates and send the dead after us?” Damon asked.

“Indeed,” Declan replied. “I am the supreme commander here.”

“And it takes time to replace the commander,” Damon said thoughtfully. “It’s funny, you came all the way up here to try and get us to leave. It makes me think that you aren’t organized as well as you’d like to be just yet.”

“Believe me, when those gates open, it will be an apocalypse for many,” Declan warned. “But I have my orders. Turn your army around and go in peace. The Dead Kingdom will not harm Hanlin should they surrender.”

“Entaku,” Damon said, pointing to a soldier who was standing beside him. “Kill Declan.”

“I flew the flag of peace!” Declan shouted. “You dare break the laws of this land?”

Entaku drew his blade and raised it up high. The commander tried to flee but was caught in the side of the neck by the sword. His head flew off, a horrified expression frozen in time upon his face.

“They expect us to follow the laws of warfare when they have used sickness to destroy the lives of innocents,” Damon said to his men. “They are so arrogant that they believe the land is truly their own. That commander had control over the undead. But with his link severed, I believe it will be some time before they are able to establish a new connection.”

The men looked at him without approval or disapproval. Entaku had killed as commanded, wiped his blade and then put the weapon away. They merely stood, silent and waiting.

Jewel, who was observing from the outside, wrote a few notes down.

Damon felt no remorse over this decision. The Dead Kingdom would have to learn the hard way that if they offered no mercy to the people, then no quarter would be given to those who were in charge.

He picked up the head and threw it with all his might down the hill. The Scari army halted their advance as a man came forward to observe what had been thrown. The man picked up the head and showed it to the others. They all let out a thunderous war cry. The fight was on.

Chapter 33

“They will not move forward,” Sandar said to Damon. “If you are waiting for them to charge up the hill, they will not take the bait.”

Damon nodded. “Divisions one and two, prepare to charge down.”

The soldiers quickly moved into position, assembling to the left and right of Damon. The Scali warriors at the base of the hill had backed up into a defensive position, as to prevent the charge from overwhelming them.

This was it. A chance to show the so-called Dead Kingdom that they were not the new masters. Damon raised his War Staff up high. “When you charge, keep your positioning, I want a gap in the center.”

“Understood!” Sandar shouted. “Men of the Sapphire War! We wet our blades this day! Let our swords drink deeply! Charge!”

The two divisions began to sprint down the hill. The Scali warriors held their ground, their ranks and numbers quite deep. Men in the front held shields and those from behind carried longspears to ward off the charge.

Damon watched as his warriors moved down the hill, the gap perfect. They were in synchronization with one another, moving effortlessly as they ran.

“Now!” Damon shouted as he raised his staff up high. Ancient energies from the artifact began to surge through him.

The spell he cast was Rolling Boulders. From the tip of his staff, a small clump of earth appeared, spinning rapidly in place as it grew enormous in size. The boulder landed on the hill, in between the sprinting Jintaki warriors, and began to pick up speed, rolling towards the enemy front.

The massive boulder caused 60 damage each hit and the square formation of the Scali Warriors was the perfect area for the attack. The men were too dug into their position to react quickly. One moment, they were lined up, ready to absorb the charge and the next, they were being crushed by a massive grey sphere as they scrambled to get out of the way.

The boulder tore through the center of the enemy line, rolling over hundreds of men.

Enemy Army Losses: 200! appeared in Damon’s vision as the boulder continued to press through the line. Men were fleeing for their life, collapsing the integrity of their formation.

Moments later, the Jintaki warriors were upon them, their swords raised high as they charged into the flanks of the rapidly reassembling army.  Swords met shield but the Scali were distracted as the boulder began to spin in a circle, moving randomly. Men were crushed left and right as they tried to escape the unpredictable patterns of the boulder.

The Jintaki were fast fighters. They pressed into the enemy line and slashed with all their might, cutting down man after man.

“Division Three, move in and press the center,” Damon ordered.

The third division rushed down the hill, screaming war chants as they sprinted across the ground.

There was a flash of light and suddenly, the boulder was gone. Damon peered out to see that there was a woman who had emerged from the group of mages huddled by the city gates. She wore a red robe with a long coat and was moving her hands to prepare another spell.

Damon was faster. He activated Swords of Fire, releasing six long orbs of fire into the air. The orbs ignited and took the shape of massive swords before plunging into the back ranks. Damon directed one of the swords to target the mage.

The woman tried to snap off a spell but was intercepted as the great flaming sword accosted her. She tried to dodge but was no fighter. The blade crashed atop her and she was gone in the blink of an eye.

The Scali warriors were beginning to realize they were fighting a lost cause. The back ranks were in chaos as the fire swords attacked anyone who was trying to reorganize and the arrival of division three to press the middle sealed their fate.

600 Enemies Slain! Morale Breaking! appeared in Damon’s vision as the warriors began to visibly lose control. Men in the back broke off, fleeing in all directions to avoid the flame swords that were still tearing up anything close by. The front ranks crumbled as the Jintaki fought without growing tired, slashing down anyone who was still in position.

The middle division shattered the army and a call for retreat was sounded. Yet the Jintaki did not relent. Those who turned their backs were slaughtered and Damon watched as the numbers dropped down more and more until over 800 men were dead. Though the Scari warriors outnumbered the Jintaki two to one, it was the war magic that decided the battle.

After a short time, the Jintaki ceased their pursuit. The enemy was routed and they were running in any direction but the city’s. Damon saw gleaming words that made him smile wide. Battle Won! 3,000 XP gained! That was enough for a level!

But before he could level up, they needed to deal with the casters who were outside of the city gates. Damon mounted his horse and rode down to call to his army.

“Form a line, merge all divisions,” he ordered as he rode over the corpses that had been mangled by the boulder.

The warriors quickly fell into formation, leaving Damon to move forward to investigate the some forty mages that were huddled together. They were terrified, unable to do anything and daring not to cast a spell for fear of being cut down by the remaining warriors.

“Why do you not enter the city?” Damon demanded as he approached the group of casters.

One man threw himself at the ground and bowed before Damon. “The undead are too strong. We lack the power to prevent them from devouring us.”

“Then it would seem that your Dead Kingdom is nothing more than a farce,” Damon said. “You are all our prisoners. Come quietly and you will be treated with dignity. If any of you attempt to cast a spell, you will be killed faster than you can register.”

“We’re slaves!” a woman said, hastily walking up to Damon. She pointed to a bracelet on her wrist. “The commander, Declan, he took us from our hiding spot within the city and bound us with slave bond bands. We aren’t going to fight you but please, don’t take us captive. Let us leave.”

Damon frowned. The woman was speaking in earnest but how could he possibly trust her? He could sense some kind of magic aura around the bracelet, but magic was easy to disguise in different ways.

“Slaves or not, you’ve got nowhere else to go,” Damon said. He turned to his army. “Bind their hands and bring them to the horses. We’ll sort this mess out when we get back to camp.”

As the Jintaki rounded up the mages and tied their hands, Damon looked at the walls of the city. There were faces staring at him. Men and women who were dressed in black robes. They watched with a deep grimness as their comrades were captured. But none dare to take an action, to cast a spell or even open up the gate. These were commanders, Damon knew. Not willing to release an entire swarm just yet. But the pace had been set. The Dead Kingdom knew now that there was an armed resistance. And it would come for them sooner rather than later.

Chapter 34

Damon rode with his allies as the Jintaki sang songs of victory. The people were in a good mood. Of the thousand that had charged, they only lost eighty men. A stunning victory and a display of what Damon’s war magic was capable of. With the experience from the battle, he was now Level 4 and that meant he’d soon have even more control over the battlefield.

He waited until they were a few miles away from Lokar to begin the leveling up process. He hoped that there would be stronger spells that allowed him to handle the mass of dead that would soon be coming for them. There was no way that the Dead Kingdom was going to continue to sit around and wait.

Level Up! You are now Level 4!

War Mage class advanced to 2!

MP Increased by +10

HP Increased by + 3

You have learned the Lash Skill! Rank is set to 2.

Lash: You may create magical lashes to up to 2 individuals consuming their natural mana and increasing yours by 20 per person.

You gain 6 Skill Points! Select new skills or rank up existing ones:

Current Skills:

Longswords: 2

Grappling: 1

Lash: 2

Earthis: 3

Firus: 3

Aether: 2

Lumen: 1

Shadis: 1

Awareness: 1

Negotiate: 2

Artillery: 2

Bombardment: 2

Unlearned Skills;

Command:

Leadership

Tactics

Maneuver

War Magic:

Aquan

Aura

Shield

Fortify

Logistics:

March

Supply Lines

Divisions

Damon had 6 skill points and knew that he was going to primarily invest them in his magical abilities. Earthis and Firis were exceptionally useful and at level 3 they provided quite a few spell options that could turn the tide of a battle. But three ranks wasn’t enough. Damon put 2 points into Earthis and Firis each, bringing them up to five.

After that, he increased his Artillery by 2, figuring that the extra two hundred feet of range would be useful when squaring off against the armies that were sure to come his way.

New feats appeared before him, offering him a greater amount of utility on the battlefield.

You gain 2 feats!

Bombardier:

Accurate Bomber: Your Artillery Spells can strike a precise area within range.

Protector:

Emergency Wall: You may cast a Wall Spell instantly for 5 additional mana.

Long-Lasting Blessings: Your Buff spells now last one day.

Shield Lord: Your Shield spells cannot be dispelled.

Controller:

Enhanced Delays: Spells that Stun or Bind a Target last 1 minute longer.

Friendly Fire: Your Explosion Spells do not damage Allies.

Prime Target: You may lock onto a target within range of your spells and hit them precisely.

War Son:

Spell Storage 1: You may cast up to two war spells and absorb them. You must spend your Mana to cast this way. Once the spells are absorbed, they are stored to be activated immediately at a later point.

Accelerated Casting: You may spend 5 Hit Points to reduce the casting time of a spell to 10 seconds.

Favored Element: Choose a Domain. You gain 3 Spells from that Domain List.

Damon noticed that War Son was now an option and with it came two vital options. With the War Staff, he was able to store six spells at a time, but choosing Spell Storage would grant him two more. That would mean he could face a battle with eight stored total! And with Accelerated Casting, Damon would be able to draw from his own life force to speed out a spell that wasn’t stored. This gave him flexibility and speed, though he would have to be careful with Accelerated Casting.

He browsed through the other feats and paused at Friendly Fire. That would be useful for more conventional fights, but the trouble was that the undead swarmed their targets. If his men were in the middle of a blasting zone…they would probably be dead anyway.

He finalized the options, picking Spell Storage and Accelerated Casting in the end. These two were of real value in the upcoming engagements and would give him the ability to plan ahead.

There were no new Slayer feats to be gained. Damon suspected that this was because he hadn’t killed enough zombies yet, as the counter remained unchanged for the past few weeks. A shame, but his magic already affected the Harkus crystals inside of them. He turned his attention to the final part of leveling up: the spell lists.

You have gained 5 new spells! Select from below!

Level 1 Firis Spells

Burning Armor

Casting Time: 15 Minutes

Mana Cost: 15

Description: Up to 20 Allies gain Burning Armor, gaining a damage reduction of 10. Anyone who hits them with a melee attack takes 10 damage.

Duration: 1 Hour

Flaming Weapons

Casting Time: 5 Minutes

Mana Cost: 10

Description: Ignites your Army’s weapons, giving them the Fire Blessing. Their weapons deal an additional 20 Fire Damage.

Duration: 1 Hour

Level 2 Firis Spells

Flame Wall

Casting Time: 1 Minute

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Creates a hundred foot wall of fire that deals 40 damage to any who try to pass through it. Your allies also cannot pass through safely.

Duration: 10 Minutes

Fire Barrage

Casting Time: 20 Minutes

Mana Cost: 30

Description: Releases six explosives at the same time, inaccurately striking 100 feet of territory. Has a range of 300 feet. These explosions deal 60 damage.

Heat Wave

Casting Time: 4 Minutes

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Releases a wave of burning heat that ignites targets on fire, burning them for 10 fire damage per second. The Heat Wave is 60 feet wide and travels for 100 feet before dispersing.

Level 3 Firis Spells

Greater Fireball

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 40

Description: Creates a fireball of enormous magnitude. It deals 100 damage to all targets within a 60 foot area and can hit targets 500 feet away.

Level 4 Firis Spells

Ignition Cage

Casting Time: 3 Hours

Mana Cost: 50

Description: Creates four lines in the ground that are three hundred feet wide and a hundred feet tall. Those within those lines are immolated with 25 Fire Damage per second and are Slowed. Metal melts and is impossible to grasp without taking significant damage.

Duration: 5 Minutes

Lava Stream

Casting Time: 6 Hours

Mana Cost: 65

Description: Upon completion of casting this spell, a stream of lava springs forth from your fingertips, flowing 600 feet in any direction. The lava deals 300 damage to anyone entering it and those who are within ten feet of it become Sickened from the smoke.

Duration: 24 Hours

Protection from Fire

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 40

Description: Target Army becomes immune to all forms of fire and heat damage.

Duration: 3 Hours

Level 5 Firis Spells

Fire Warriors

Casting Time: 24 Hours

Mana Cost: 100

Description: Summons 100 warriors composed of pure fire. They have 20 Hit Points and are invulnerable to all forms of nonmagical attacks. They deal 20 damage with each hit.

Duration: 1 Week

Fire Rain

Casting Time: 6 Hours

Mana Cost: 75

Description: Conjures a burning cloud that rains fire down upon the enemy position, dealing 100 damage per second.  Affects a 300 foot radius.

Duration: 30 Seconds

Runic Burst

Casting Time: 1 Hour per Rune

Mana Cost: 50 per Rune

Description: You create runes that are embedded into the ground and concealed with magic. You may activate the runes at will, causing an eruption of explosive magic that deals 50 damage to all targets within 100 feet of the rune. Those in the center take 200 damage.

Level 1 Earthis Spells

Boulder

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Draws from the earth to form a boulder in the sky that can be launched in any direction. Can accurately hit a target within 100 feet of the caster. Deals 10 Damage.

Overgrowth

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Targeted patch of earth becomes overgrown with rough shrubbery, vines and rocks that impede any moving army.  Passing into or through the Overgrowth area of 50 feet causes the Slow status, in which they cannot move and attack at the same time. Has a range of 100 feet.

Duration: 1 Hour

Stone Wall

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 25

Description: Creates a sixty foot wide and twenty foot tall wall of hard stone that is highly resistant to any form of attacks except for explosion magics.

Duration: Permanent (until dismissed)

Level 2 Earthis Spells

Earthquake

Casting Time: 2 Hours

Mana Cost: 40

Description: Creates a violent shock in the earth that causes the land to become disjointed and deadly. The Area of Effect is 100 feet and any standing upon the earthquake take 40 damage and have a chance of being swallowed up by the earth. Moving across an Earthquake is impossible and all within the area of effect are knocked prone.

Duration: 30 Seconds

Tree of Life

Casting Time: 6 Hours

Mana Cost: 50

Description: Creates a great Tree of Life within range of 100 feet. The tree instantly bears enough fruits to feed an Army and provides 3 days’ worth of food. In addition, the juices from the fruits are hydrating, granting 3 days of water.

Duration: Until the last fruit has been plucked.

Level 3 Earthis Spells

Strangling Vines

Casting Time: 4 Hours

Mana Cost: 45

Description: Vines come up from the earth, striking all targets within a 60 foot area of effect. These vines grab onto the necks of the targets, pulling them to the ground and choking them to death. Has a range of 200 feet.

Duration: Instant

Tree of Vengeance

Casting Time: 4 Hours

Mana Cost: 60

Description: Creates a Tree of Vengeance within 100 feet of you. As allies and enemies are slain, the tree gains power. Upon 100 deaths, the Tree awakens and becomes a combatant, dealing damage equal to the total number of deaths during the engagement.

Duration: 8 Hours

Pollen Haze

Casting Time: 30 Minutes

Mana Cost: 30

Description: Creates a thick haze of highly noxious pollen that overwhelms the target’s sense of smell and ability to breathe freely. All targets within the 50 foot area of effect become Sickened and cannot fight but may retreat.

Duration: 20 Minutes

Level 4 Earthis Spells

Pure Terraform

Casting Time: 24 hours

Mana Cost: 60

Description: One mile of earth becomes completely within your control. You are able to raise, lower, build hills, construct caves and shape the land to your liking. All vegetation is destroyed in this process and the land becomes infertile for a month.

Duration: Permanent until dismissed

Earth Maze

Casting Time: 12 Hours

Mana Cost: 80

Description: Forms a great maze out of hedges and earth around a target Army. The army becomes Lost and cannot advance until they locate the exit.

Duration: 1 Hour

Mud Wave

Casting Time: 6 Hours

Mana Cost: 50

Description: Creates a tidal wave of mud that crashes over the enemy army, covering them completely. This slows them down considerably and has a chance to bury them, forcing them to dig their way out before advancing.

Duration: 1 Minute

Level 5 Earthis Spells

Encase

Casting Time: 24 Hours

Mana Cost: 100

Description: An area of 500 feet becomes encased in a globe of smooth stone that cannot be penetrated from inside or outside. All units within will be unable to exit.

Duration: 1 Hour

Boulder Storm

Casting Time: 8 Hours

Mana Cost: 80

Description: Conjures 6 Rolling Boulders that land in the battlefield and begin moving at random, rolling in all directions until the duration expires.

Duration: 2 Minutes

Open Earth

Casting Time: 12 Hours

Mana Cost: 100

Description: A mile of earth opens up and forms a mile wide gap. All units atop the earth must attempt to escape or be swallowed by the land.

Duration: Permanent

Level 1 Lumen Spells

Heavenly Barrage

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 15

Description: Releases a burst of Light Magic from the sky that bombards an area of effect of 50 feet. Deals 10 damage to all targets caught within the area of effect. Does extra damage against unholy or undead targets.

Blinding Rays

Casting Time: 30 Minutes

Mana Cost: 20

Description: Rays from your fingertips spray out towards the targets, up to 100 feet away. Any enemies who view the Ray are Blinded and cannot reliably hit their targets.

Duration: 30 Seconds

Level 1 Aether Spells

Army Jump

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 50

Description: You may teleport your army exactly 60 feet in any direction, moving them through the Aether, bypassing all obstacles.

Conjure Steeds

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 40

Description: Creates 40 Aetheric Horses that are capable of carrying 2 riders and can pack 800 pounds of gear. These steeds move at a rate of 5 miles per hour and cannot be exhausted. You must pay 10 Mana each day you wish to retain these steeds.

Duration: Until dismissed

Shields of Energy

Casting Time: 2 Hours

Mana Cost: 50

Description: Creates brilliant magical shields that cover existing shields or occupy the shield arm of your army. These shields are impervious to non-magical attacks and cannot be grabbed.

Duration: 4 Hours

Level 2 Aether Spells

Recall Gate

Casting Time: 6 Hours

Mana Cost: 100

Description: Creates a large gate that anchors to another position within 20 miles. Those who pass through the gate are instantly teleported to the anchor position. This allows for rapid retreat and redeployment. The gate is one way and the anchor point doesn’t allow for return. Enemy forces cannot enter this gate.

Duration: 12 Hours

Summon Division

Casting Time: 8 Hours

Mana Cost: 100

Description: Your magics pull willing participants in an Army Division to your immediate location. Their presence lasts only a short while before they fade back to where they originally came from.

Duration: 30 Minutes

Blessing Breaker

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 60

Description: You immediately remove all Buffs from an enemy Army.

Level 1 Shadis Spells

Shadow Burst

Casting Time: Instant

Mana Cost: 15

Description: Throw a black bolt of Shadis magic that rips through the enemy forces, ignoring all magical defenses and dealing 10 damage. Has an area of 30 feet and a range of 100.

Nightfall

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Mana Cost: 25

Description: Creates a film of shadow that rises over the sun, imitating night. Vision conditions deteriorate and those who are trying to sneak gain +5 to their Stealth Skills.

Duration: 30 Minutes

Slowing Sphere

Casting Time: 30 Minutes

Mana Cost: 25

Description: Creates a black sphere of draining energy that reduces the speed of an army to a crawl. All within 100 feet of the sphere can only move 1 foot at a time, cannot run or dodge.

Duration: 5 Minutes

Damon looked at the stronger Firis and Earthis Spells. They were superb in many ways. The mana costs were high and the casting times long, but if he was going to win over the support of the Lords of Brennan, he would need to have the strongest spells at his disposal.

Though he was only a Level 2 War Mage per se, it was clear that his classes in Battle Mage had contributed by giving him enough skills to get to the higher level spells. Casting them would be draining and would require a lot of effort but he could pull it off. His only hope was that he wouldn’t face War Mages from the other side.

First and foremost, he decided to focus on making use of his army to its full potential. The enemy’s plan was predictable: send an ocean of corpses towards the cities and devour any army that tried to stand in their way. But the dead had key weaknesses. They were not particularly fast; they weren’t able to think on their feet and were prone to distraction.

Pure Terraform was the solution to facing an enemy that just mindlessly walked forward. The ability to turn Foster’s Folly into a favorable position was quite strong. The army would have to build choke points in order to restrict the number of undead that were coming through, and with terraforming, Damon could create natural choke points that forced the corpses into narrow lanes.  It would take quite some time to cast this spell and it had no real battlefield application in the heat of the moment, but Damon decided to take it nonetheless.

Next from the Earth domain, he selected Boulder Storm. He had already witnessed the power of the rolling boulders from the first battle; six of them at the same time would overwhelm the enemy forces and destroy a lot of zombies. And if he terraformed right, he could maximize the damage by creating lanes where the boulders simply rolled forward through the mass of the undead.

Lava Stream was the next choice. The dead did not comprehend barriers, though they seemed to avoid water. This was more of a defensive choice as well, allowing him to create areas that would be off-limits to an intelligent army and one that would be lethal to a swarm of the dead. Six hundred feet of pure lava would annihilate any army compelled to march forward no matter what.

With two more spells to choose from, Damon decided to pick one more offensive Fire spell. Fire Rain promised a great deal of damage over time and could easily pick off the mages who would be in the back, trying to support the undead. A good choice.

And last, Damon decided to take an Aetheric spell, just in case. Blessing Breaker would shatter all enchantments upon the enemy force. While he didn’t know the exact nature of how the Madmen Army controlled the zombies, if they were buffed with protections and charms, Blessing Breaker would take care of it. And the immediacy of the spell meant that he wouldn’t need to worry about the casting time.

With the last selection of the spells made, Damon’s character sheet updated. He was now Level 4 and was empowered with war magic that could easily change the tide of a battle. He just hoped that this would be enough.

Chapter 35

Damon and his troops rode victoriously back to the main camp. They had been gone for a week, the horses riding with enchanted horseshoes that allowed them to cover much more ground than normal. The warriors who were busy building a garrison all let out a cheer upon seeing the soldiers return.

Lord Pomet emerged from his tent, carrying himself high as he strolled up to Damon’s horse. “What is the news?” he asked.

“We struck, took out a commander and decimated their standing army,” Damon said. “The message was sent, loud and clear. They are claiming they are now a state, the Dead Kingdom, as they call themselves.”

“And your experience?”

“I did reach Level 4 and now have more spells to use. But I believe we have forced their hand. They were content to sit back and wait as long as necessary to build their forces. Now fear of us returning with more to lay siege to the city will prompt action,” Damon said.

“Excellent. An army that wishes to expose themselves in travel is one that is vulnerable,” Pomet said. “I will speak with Jewel about the details of the battle but seeing how many men have returned, I see that it was a total victory.”

“We lost only eighty men. The rest are stronger now and ready for battle.”

Pomet nodded. “We have spoken to the civilians and have explained the situation. We have a few hundred volunteers but the rest are unfit for fighting. There are no adventurers present and our weapons are limited. The best we can do is to create wooden spears from the trees that we are taking down.”

“How many civilians are there total?”

“Twelve thousand survivors. Most too terrified to face the enemy.”

“Then I suppose it will be your army and I that handles the coming attack,” Damon said. “But we must prepare for an all-out assault.”

“Is your magic great enough to take down a sea of those creatures?” Pomet asked.

“If we play our cards right, yes,” Damon replied. “But it will require cunning and placement. Your men fight with strength and vigor, they are precise in their movements and disciplined. We cannot take the bulk of the enemy forces in a straight fight, so we will need to prepare extensively.”

“Do as you must,” Pomet said. “We will be training and waiting.”

Damon headed to the queen’s tent. Jaylin was lying in a bed of straw, face down though clearly awake. It was the middle of the day and he could see that she was in a foul mood.

“My queen,” Damon said. “Our operation was a success. We attacked Lokar City’s outskirts and took many mages captive. We destroyed their standing army of mercenaries and I believe that I have sufficient power to ward off their offensive.”

Jaylin looked up at that. “You’re still going, Damon? After what we discovered? Did you see the undead? Did you destroy them?”

“No, but the magic I now possess can destroy them en masse,” Damon stiffly replied. “Still, I need your help.”

“What help can I possibly offer?” she grumbled. “I am a queen without a country.”

“I need you to convince a few of the nobility from Hanlin to come out to witness our defense,” Damon said. “Right now, Brennan believes the best course of action is to simply lock themselves away and hide from the dead. They think they are safe behind their walls. But they need to see with war wizards, with soldiers and with tactics, that we can win this war. That not all is lost. They need to see a victory.”

“And you can give them that victory?” Jaylin scoffed. “Damon, you are barely Level 4, and split into two classes.”

“Yes, but those classes provide the same skills in magic, giving me access to greater spell lists,” Damon replied. “And my magic has been blessed. I can destroy the undead’s Harkus crystals, meaning their numbers aren’t as imposing as they seem.”

“We have a handful of Jintaki warriors and that’s it,” she said. “I just don’t see how you will win any defensive operation.”

“I need you to trust me,” Damon said. “And more so, I need you to trust the prophecy that Kalla bestowed upon us. I was told to become a War Mage. I was told that I would be the one to stem the tide of undead that crashes over our kingdom. You may not think much of it, but the Jintaki are part of that prophecy as well. The Dead Kingdom opposes us but we are stronger. We still remain, no matter how many losses we have taken.”

The queen rubbed at her eyes and reflected on those words. “And you truly believe we can defend Hanlin?”

“Better than they can,” Damon said. “For we are out here, with experience and understanding of what we face. They are locked away, cowering and hoping their walls and defensive spells will protect them forever.”

“I think you are a fool to take a prophecy so seriously. Perhaps egotistical,” the queen said.

“Then I will die a fool,” Damon said. “Because there is nowhere for us to run. You aren’t welcome in any city or town. The lords have more or less declared you dead. Will you be buried before your pulse ends? Or maybe you will want to just wander down south into the dead and join their ranks?”

Jaylin sighed heavily. “I believe…I believe that the Lady Shanta will be willing to send an observer to witness our defenses. But that would require me to speak to her personally.”

“We have some time. The dead will not move across the land quickly.”

“And if they decide to attack some other city instead of Hanlin?” she asked.

Damon shook his head. “From what I have learned, the Dead Kingdom is now in need of human servants. The other cities have a fraction of Hanlin’s population. Lokar was meant to send a message to the rest of Brennan and to shore up their numbers. But the leaders, the Madmen Three, they do not wish to rule over empty and mindless corpses. They, like any ruler, wish to have a society of their own. A state. And Hanlin will be their capital.”

Jaylin slowly stood to her feet and wiped some dirt off of her face. “I will take Greyson and Leary. We will head to Hanlin and make our requests known.”

“You are the queen, do not request, demand,” Damon said. “And see if perhaps some more Jintaki will come to shore up our defenses here. Mentioning Lord Pomet might be enough to get another leader to realize that he may get all the glory if he is left to be the only one standing in between Hanlin and utter destruction.”

Chapter 36

Damon had a large task ahead of him. He needed to terraform the entire area, multiple times in order to create a single passage for the dead to take. Barricades could be climbed, but mountains? The dead would have a hard time trying to scale them. But before he could do any of this, he needed to be positive that the enemy army was going to take the main road to Hanlin. And for this he needed scrying.

Fortunately, Damon’s army had captured a large band of mages, people who were claiming to be slaves. Did he buy that? Not in the least. But if they were willing to do anything to survive, then perhaps they could be put to work.

The mages were kept under constant guard by the Jintaki, who had corralled them into a small area beneath a tree. They were given meager amounts of food, as the army had little to spare, and enough water to make their days less miserable. Their hands were bound tightly, with fingers tied together in ways that ensured they couldn’t cast the smallest spell.

Damon approached the group and nodded to the guards, who moved aside to allow him into the mage camp. He looked out at the faces of the black robed people. Many of them looked young and terrified. He could sense magic within them, their levels perhaps being one or two. Not nearly enough to cause any lasting damage on their own but there were enough of them to combine their spells to try and break out—if they weren’t bound, that was.

“Listen up,” Damon said, addressing the crowd. “You are all prisoners in a war with a rebellion. Rebels do not receive the same treatment as enemy combatants. You are entitled to nothing, no dignities, no food and certainly no luxuries. But I am here to find out who among you can scry.”

One woman raised her bound hands. She was older than the rest, in her late sixties with grey hair that ran past her shoulders. “I am a scryer,” she said.

“Then come with me,” Damon said, gesturing for her to leave the pen.

The woman shuffled after Damon and they made it a few feet away from the group. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am Lansa,” she said. “Lansa the Grey Hare. I was a premier member of the College of Mysticism and Sorcery in Lokar.”

“Why did they name you the Grey Hare?”

“Because I tend to run like a rabbit when trouble is brewing. Unfortunately, the legs aren’t as strong as they used to be,” Lansa replied.

“Your group insists that they are slaves. But only eight of you were wearing bracelets that bound them in any way. The rest seemed to be willingly serving the Dead Kingdom,” Damon said. “Why did you join?”

“When your colleagues are all consumed alive, screaming and begging for mercy, you tend to do anything to avoid the same fate,” Lansa quietly said. Her eyes sank. “I am not proud of being a turncoat. But the offer was simple. Serve the Reclaimers and live, or else…”

“What were your duties?” Damon asked.

“We were given spells that allowed us to reinforce the commander’s control over the undead,” she explained. “They were persistent spells that drained us of our mana continuously, leaving us with little magic to actually use. It was like our purpose was to simply be a living spell.”

“This invasion was unprecedented,” Damon said. “I don’t blame you for trying to survive. But now is the time for you to turn things around to your favor. If you are willing to serve as a mage under my command, if you do as I ask, I will see that you are pardoned.”

“My loyalty has been only to my guild and they are all gone now,” she sadly replied. “The towers destroyed by other mages who were more than willing to sell out their brethren for a chance at power. I do not seek revenge or escape. I just wish this to end. To wake up and everything return to the way it was.”

“There will be no chance of that happening,” Damon said. “But there are other guilds. Hanlin commands a few, though none as powerful as Lokar’s. Serve me and you will be free to join them, your record unmentioned.”

“And what do you wish of me exactly?” Lansa asked.

“I need to know where the dead will be moving to,” Damon explained. “I need to see their path before I begin changing this terrain to suit us.”

“A paltry task for a scryer,” she said. “Dig a hole and fill it with water. I shall do the rest.”

Damon ordered for the task to be done. A few soldiers dug a wide hole and a bucket of water was poured in, the liquid turning murky from the dirt.

“Act very carefully,” Damon warned as he unbound the woman’s hands. One of the soldiers placed a longsword near her neck. “For if you try anything funny, you will not see the sun rise.”

“Believe me, there is no more humor left in my heart,” the scryer replied. She raised her hands slowly, exaggerating the motions of her fingers. Damon could see her manipulating the Aetheric domain of magic, sending small bits of silver orbs into the water she stood over.

The water rippled for a moment and became silver. Damon peered down and could make out the road connecting Hanlin to Lokar. The view grew wider and he saw what he had been hoping for, though it was an odd thing to hope for. The gates to Lokar were wide open and an army of the dead was pouring out. Thousands of zombies were marching, staggering at a slow pace in the direction of the road.

At the front of the army was a man in a great chariot, being pulled by zombies instead of horses. He wore thick black armor and had a red sash over his chest.

“Who is that?” Damon asked.

“Verrick,” Lansa replied. “He fancies himself to be one of the new lords of the land. There are two others, though they keep themselves separate for security reasons.”

“And you have met with him?”

“He spoke to us a few times. Told us our role as controller mages and also that we would all be granted fiefs within his new kingdom. Many believed this to be true, as he spoke with such conviction. But I believed, and still do, that he would simply have us killed once our duty was done.”

The stream of dead never seemed to end. Tens of thousands of zombies were moving forward, following the chariot single-mindedly. Would he bring his entire force? Or just a small contingent? Even if it was half of the numbers he commanded, Verrick would still have a hundred thousand dead soldiers ready to overwhelm any regular army.

“How easy can they maneuver?” Damon asked.

“The control spells allow the corpses to move in a single direction. In large number, they cannot be split up or turned into divisions,” Lansa explained. “They are too unwieldy.”

“So if they are moving down the road, then it is a sure thing they will come here,” Damon said.

“I can glimpse the future as well,” she said. “Shall I?”

“Make it so,” Damon said.

The woman moved her hands again and the scrying pool changed, turning white and foggy. Within the fog, Damon could see the Jintaki soldiers lined up to face a swarm of undead. They were overrun within seconds. The battlefield was clear. It was here at Foster’s Folly that the corpses would first arrive.

“You have done well,” Damon said. “It would seem that this is the place where we shall fight for Hanlin and for all of Brennan.”

“You should flee,” Lansa said. “These creatures do not die from magic. I personally saw a War Mage throw a Greater Fireball at a band of them in the streets. They shriveled up to the bone but continued to move without stopping.”

“I have a feat for that,” Damon replied, looking back at the other mages. Crystal Cracker would be useless for an infantry group, as he could only give up to ten allies the ability to destroy the Harkus crystals. But casters on the other hand? They could shore up the offensive. But that would mean trusting those who willingly worked with the Dead Kingdom. They could just as easily turn against Damon’s forces during the fight.

“Bind her and bring her back to the pen,” Damon said. “I must speak to Pomet.”

Pomet was with his soldiers in his tent, giving orders and preparing for the attack. The man did not seem afraid of the numbers that were coming their way. Indeed, it seemed as if he relished the challenge.

Damon quickly confirmed to Pomet that their suspicions were correct. Verrick and his army were making their way to Foster’s Folly.  When he finished his explanation, he posed a question to the man.

“I need your advice,” he said. “Up to ten mages may benefit from being a part of the team. If we had other casters, I’d rely upon them, but as it stands, there are no mages in our employ. Yet, according to the scryer I spoke with, many of these captives consider themselves slaves.”

“They are cowards,” Pomet said. “Liable to turn against us in the heat of battle should things be going their way.”

“Yes, but magic will aid us greatly,” Damon countered. “How can we find the loyal ones? Any idea?”

“Follow me,” Pomet replied, walking outside of his tent. Damon followed after him and they soon reached the mage pen.

“I need ten volunteers,” Pomet said as he stood before the huddle of mages. Twenty raised their hands. He looked at each one of them and slowly sized them up. “Step forward.”

The twenty mages all broke free from their huddle and stood in a line before Pomet. The lord drew his longsword and walked to one man on the edge. Without hesitation or ceremony, he slashed, flicking the blade so quickly that Damon could barely register what happened.

The mage’s head came flying off and the body fell to the ground. Everyone gasped in horror. Damon’s jaw dropped, surprised by the sudden outburst of violence.

“That man has died for his crimes against humanity,” Pomet calmly said. “There are plenty of you, you could have banded together to escape. To stop the undead in your own way or to die with honor. But instead you chose to serve them. Today, you have a new master, a new leash. Ten of you will be under Sir Damon’s command. And there shall be two men with blades at your back at all times. Should any one of you attempt to escape, to turn on us or render aid during the upcoming battle, they will kill all of you. Consider the blood of this mage to be a sacrifice to keep you alive a little longer. If you ever wish to be safe again, you will do as we demand.”

Chapter 37

Lord Pomet’s message was heard loud and clear. A few of the more eager volunteers decided to withdraw and Damon was left with a pick of fourteen mages. He opted to take the ones whose power was to primarily buff the soldiers. Two guards were assigned to each mage, their swords drawn at all times to keep the casters honest.

With the mages recruited, Damon could begin to work on terraforming the land. The casting time of the spell was extensive, twenty-four hours. Damon had been up days at a time before, but never while casting a single spell. The sheer amount of gestures and incantations required were overwhelming the first time, but as the hours passed, so did he learn how to simply exist within the spell.

The sun rose at the same time his spell completed. Bleary eyed and exhausted, Damon found that his vision had changed. He was no longer in his own body but was looking down at a mile of territory, eyes magically viewing the land from the top. With this bird’s eye perspective, he could figure out the best way to shape the terrain.

First he flattened the land entirely. The earth became supple and easy to manipulate, a mere matter of will for him. The grass shriveled and shrank away as the small inclines of the folly flattened, creating a solid mile of no-man’s land. The road was the only thing left unaffected, as it gave him a clear sense of where the enemy would be coming from.

The Dead Kingdom’s forces would be emerging from the south, from a forest that provided cover from overhead attacks. Once they were out of the woods, they would be prime targets for Damon’s war magic.

To make the most of his abilities, he needed to create choke points. This was accomplished by creating two ridges on opposite sides of the road. The earth shifted instantly as he gave the command and the ground grew a mile high. Damon was careful to ensure that the road was made narrow by the two ridges, the massive hills ‘squeezing’ the path so that the undead wouldn’t be able to spread out. With the ridges being so tall, there was no way they could pile up atop themselves to get to the top, leaving the single path in the middle as the only way to move.

He placed a slope at the half mile marker in the road, lifting the path upwards slightly so that the undead would need to climb up, but then created a devious hole a mile deep on the other side of the hill. This would ensure that the commanders could not see the trap from a distance.

A single mile would not be enough, however. Damon finished working on the area and then returned to his normal vision. He would need to sleep for a few hours, regain his mana and then continue building the area.

A week passed as Damon toiled away and improved on his design. Each day was the same, he’d rise up and begin casting the same spell, creating more ridges in the front of the territory so that when the enemy exited the forest, there would only be one way through: the road. This translated to seven miles of ridges, raised up high enough to more or less create a ramshackle mountain range. Just in case there were some attempts to move around, Damon created false paths that led to nowhere within the ridges, a few hundred feet deep that would just lead to holes for the corpses to fall into.

The work was exhausting but Damon had grown so used to casting Pure Terraform that he could do it automatically now, the memory of each gesture ingrained into his hands after a matter of days.

Once the front end was properly fortified, he began to work on the back lines. This was where the soldiers would be posted.

He raised ten hills, spread out in a checker formation, high enough for the undead to be forced to climb but not so high that it would be impossible for the soldiers to move down. Each division would have three hundred men, armed with spears and swords, waiting atop the hills. The plan was simple. The dead would be forced to go up the hills and the warriors would fight them off. The backs of the mounds were made square and steep, to ensure they wouldn’t be surrounded in a fight. Many holes were created, deep pits to capture the corpses as they carelessly shambled forward.

On the tenth day, Damon finalized his plan. He created a solid wall of earth on the path leading directly to Hanlin, less than twenty miles away, ensuring that even if the corpses were able to overpower the army and break through, they would not be able to make a straight line towards the city.

As the earth shifted to comply with his vision, Damon returned to his body and collapsed on the ground. Ten days’ worth of casting had taken a toll on him and he knew that he was at his limit. The scrying continued, as Lansa was more than happy to keep an eye on the enemy, and news had come that they were less than a week away. He had to prepare his War Staff with the stronger spells he had learned.

Avery stood over Damon as he lay in the battlefield of his own creation, huffing for air.

“You okay?” she asked.

“I’m burned out,” Damon said. “I can barely feel my legs.”

“No kidding,” she replied, sitting beside him. “I’ve never seen anyone cast magic like this before. It’s kind of a miracle.”

“An exhausting miracle,” Damon muttered.

“The queen returned this morning. Told me to deliver you a message. She was able to get an observer to come out and watch the fight, but the Jintaki soldiers are under strict orders to stay within range of the city. There will be no reinforcements.”

Damon groaned. A few thousand more soldiers would have been helpful. “Just my luck,” he grumbled. “All this terraforming and barely a force to occupy it.”

“Do you really think we can win this?” Avery asked. “The civilians, the queen, the lords…everyone believes it’s over for Brennan. Why are you pushing yourself when we’re going to be facing utter annihilation?”

“Because,” Damon huffed. “Because I am a member of the royal court. I’m part of Brennan just as much as anyone else. If we believe it’s all over, then we won’t have the strength to continue. But a spark of hope, an act of resistance that works…it will change the hearts of those in power. And it will convince the queen that not all is lost.”

“You have too much hope,” Avery said.

“Perhaps you don’t have enough,” Damon replied.

He sat up and looked at the weary hunter. She had grown quite thin over the weeks, the army rations barely enough to keep any of them fed. “Why are you still with us if you think it’s all over?” he asked.

“Where else am I going to go? Brennan is my home and I’m not welcome anywhere else. Word is that other countries are expelling any Brennite they find. Cities are posting warnings not to allow them in. It’s as if everyone thinks that they can avoid our fate if they just paint our people as the reason this invasion happened.”

“I suppose our only options are to change the rest of the world’s mind,” Damon said as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 38

Three more days passed as Damon prepared his War Staff, imbuing it with a collection of spells that would hopefully decimate their adversary. Thanks to his new Lashing skill, he was able to attune to two volunteers from the army who had high mana thanks to their class as Spellswords, and use them as additional batteries to cast the more expensive spells into the staff. The casting times were long, but not nearly as bad as twenty four hours, and within days he was fully prepared for the upcoming fight.

He reviewed his staff to take note of the spells he had stored within.

War Staff

Spells Prepared:

Fire Rain: 2 Charges

Boulder Storm: 2 Charges

Lava Stream: 2 Charges

Only six spells total, but they could make all the difference in the world if he used them wisely. With such long casting times and high mana costs, he wouldn’t be able to do much off the cuff during the actual battle. Of course, he could use his Accelerated Spell feat but that would cost him HP and of that he didn’t have the most. If they were better prepared, better stocked, he could have had access to healing potions but there were no clerics in the army, no healers. Most of the Jintaki had regeneration charms that healed their wounds over time but that would take days, not seconds like a potion. Oh how Damon missed the potions that were readily available back at High Castle!

As he finalized his preparations, there came a stirring from the main camp. Damon approached to see that Pomet and the queen had both gathered around Lansa’s scrying pool. The image was fixed upon Verrick’s chariot, rolling through a forest. In the distance, the ridges could be seen. Behind him was a horde of tens of thousands of undead.

“They are here,” the queen muttered, her voice filled with tension and horror. “And there are so many of them.”

“I shall relish this day,” Lord Pomet said. He turned to his soldiers who were milling about the camp, waiting for their orders. “Men! The enemy has been spotted. They are on the cusp of our perimeter. Their goal is to lay siege to Hanlin. There are eight thousand Jintaki soldiers waiting outside of that city, hoping to make a name for themselves and to earn accolades for being the ones to defend Brennan from utter destruction. To you I say, we deny them that glory! For we are here on this day and we shall not break! Gather your arms and move according to the plans. Secure your armor well, for a single bite will end you.”

The men all cheered at that and rushed to the armory that had been set up in the field. They hastily began to dress, putting on their gleaming sapphire armor and grabbing spears and swords.

Pomet shifted to face Damon. “You have turned this zone into a strange maze. I believe we shall be victorious this day, should you use your magic wisely.”

“We have no other choice but to win,” Damon said. He bowed to the warlord. “I thank you, Pomet, for coming here and joining us.”

“The poets will sing of this day, make no mistake,” he replied with a laugh.

The queen looked at Damon, her face pale and drained of all color. “I would wish you good luck,” she said, shaking her head, “but I fear fortune is not on our side. This is going to be the end.”

“Don’t slit your wrists just yet,” Damon replied, narrowing his brow. “I won’t believe it is over until I’m staggering in the Dead Kingdom, looking for a meal. Until then, I’ll keep fighting.”

He turned and headed to his post, a raised hill that allowed him a bird’s eye view of the entire battlefield. As he walked, Tober came trotting up to him. “Heya boss!” he said.

“Tober, where the hell have you been?”

“I joined the queen on the trip to Hanlin,” he said. “Figured that I might be able to snag some supplies or something helpful. The city wouldn’t let anyone but the queen and her guards in, but uh…I found a merchant stall that was unattended and got you something. To say thanks for saving me and for, you know, organizing an army to try and stop this apocalypse.”

Tober held out two gleaming bottles. Potions!

“You beautiful son of a bitch,” Damon exclaimed as he accepted the bottles. One was a Potion of Healing, able to heal 10 points of damage instantly and the other was a Potion of Mana, regenerating 40 points with a single drink.

“Good luck out there,” the bandit said. “If you survive this, you’ll be a legend.”

Damon hitched the bottles onto his belt and bid his friend farewell. He hurried up to the hill where the ten mages in his employ were waiting. Twenty soldiers were behind them, blades drawn and angled at their head at all times, the men never flinching or even so much as blinking. Such discipline to keep these unknowns in check.

“Listen up,” Damon said as he made it to the peak of the hill, before his conscripted allies. “Today is that day that you are forgiven for whatever crimes you have done. If we survive, you are free and pardoned. If we die, you will simply join the ranks of the undead and thus don’t have to worry any longer. I selected you all because you’re moderate level, skilled in buffing magics. I will rely upon you to bless the soldiers in their positions as the fight progresses. Be liberal with your mana spend but do not take any actions without my exact commands.”

The mages all looked at him and nodded, not daring to speak about how terrified they were. He had a list of their spells and knew exactly who to call on during this battle. All they needed to do was obey. If they even hesitated to cast a spell, the guards behind them would cut them down without a single thought.

“Give me Bird’s Eye, now!” Damon said as he spun to face the battlefield. A mage raised a hand and blue aetheric energy washed over him.

Bird’s Eye Buff Received! Your vision is enhanced! You may see up to 4x the distance as if you were up close.

Duration: 1 Hour

The world around him shifted as the spell took effect. Wherever he focused his vision, he could zoom in and see exactly what was going on. And as he cast his eyes towards the opening of the forest, he saw the chariot of Verrick roll forward.

The chariot was made of heavy metals, covered in bone, and had spiked wheels. Sixteen zombies were hitched to the front, dragging it forward through the earth as if they were steeds. Verrick stood at the front of the chariot, the man dressed in all black armor with a helm that had two white horns protruding from it.

“Voice of the Commander!” Damon ordered and a mage complied. His voice became magically amplified, able to carry across the area without a problem. He could manifest his voice anywhere now.

“All divisions, get to your hills,” Damon said, and his System began to attune to the armies.

8 Divisions Created!

Strength: 400

Morale: 100

His Bird’s Eye ability allowed him to sweep each battle hill that he had created and he was satisfied to see the Jintaki forces and a handful of civilian conscripts in position. Lord Pomet was on Hill 4, his armor gleaming, almost blinding. The warlord was high level and would assuredly take many down.

Verrick’s chariot halted and he looked at the massive ridges that spanned miles of territory.  

“Ears of the Owl!” Damon ordered, and his hearing became enchanted. Now he could hear Verrick’s words.

“…the hell is this? Navigator, did we take a wrong turn? This road should lead to Foster’s Folly,” Verrick demanded.

“Uh sir,” a meek man replied, walking up to the side of the chariot but not getting too close on account of the zombies snapping at him. “We are on the direct path to Hanlin.”

“I don’t remember there being a damned mountain range in the way!”

“The path ahead is still clear,” the navigator replied.

“This reeks of trickery,” Verrick growled. He looked up at the ridges. “Do you think your archers can take my army down? Unless you have perfect aim, you’ll just be tickling them.”

Damon took a deep breath and focused his voice spell down to Verrick. “To the man who would claim himself to be a lord, to Verrick the Impetuous, I am telling you this now. Brennan shall never allow you to take Hanlin. Be prepared to lose your life this day.”

Verrick laughed at the threat. “You have no clue who you are dealing with,” he replied. “Oh no, a few ridges won’t stop us. There is no stopping the Dead Kingdom. Watch. Undead! March!”

The chariot rolled to the side and from the woods emerged thousands of corpses. They clustered into a ball and became jammed up almost immediately as they tried to move through the narrow road. Thousands more appeared from behind but they were climbing atop each other, with only a few hundred able to squeeze through the gap leading to the main battlefield.

His Bird’s Eye view allowed Damon to zoom in and calculate how many were able to get inside of the passageway.  Six hundred, moving together, some of them fighting to be the first to get through. He was tempted to activate his most powerful spells right away but knew that would be giving away his real advantage.

Instead, he gave another order. “Bless me with Range of the Catapult,” he cried.

Immediately a spell fell upon him. Range of the Catapult Buff received! Your max spell range is now 2 miles. It was time to soften them up just a little, to test their defenses.

Damon raised a hand and threw together the signs to create a simple Fireball. He drew on the mana banks of the volunteers who were lashed beside him. With the Double Shot feat, he was able to cast two Fireball spells simultaneously, spending another 5 mana to use Blastmaster as well.

He hurled the twin fireballs down into the choke point, creating a rippling explosion that washed across the horde with ease. The 30 damage was more than enough to destroy the Harkus crystals within the dead and his kill counter swiftly went up to 250.

250 Undead Slain! Slayer Boost achieved!

Choose a Boost:

Extended Spell: The next spell you cast has double duration.

Disrupting Attack: The next Zombie you strike loses all Controls upon it.

Undead Insight: Identify the Controllers of a zombie horde.

Damon had not been expecting that the counter would give him boosts! He had to act quickly and selected Undead Insight.

Instantly, four energy signatures flared in the forest. Damon zoomed his vision in to see that there were four mages with their hands joined. They were completely in focus, tuning out the rest of the world as they presumably directed the intelligence of the horde itself.

Already, the undead army was beginning to change its tactics. While a few thousand were streaming into the choke point, the rest were starting to halt their advancement. Verrick was looking left to right, trying to figure out the best course of action. He spotted on the right ridge that there was a pathway. Damon could hear the order.

“Move to the East,” Verrick demanded.

“Sir,” one of the casters shouted, breaking their concentration for a moment. “We can’t direct them so finely. Getting them to fixate upon the path was the easiest way to move them.”

“I don’t care, get them to move east and onto the other path. There’s another way through,” Verrick ordered.

As they spoke, a larger band of undead came forward, perhaps five thousand corpses pressing their way to the road in front of them. They washed over the standing zombies and fought to get inside.

“Without a Motivator spell, we can’t change their direction!” the caster replied.

“I’ll give them sufficient motivation!” Verrick snarled. He grabbed his navigator and dragged him to the false path that was deceptively wider. The commander took out a knife and stabbed the navigator in the guts, eliciting cries of pain.

Blood poured out from the wound, causing all undead in the area to immediately fixate on the screaming navigator.

“You want that, don’t you?” Verrick roared, throwing the dying man into the false path. “Go and eat!”

The zombies streamed away from the main path, moving to the right ridge and rushing inside to feast on the injured navigator. The herd of undead seemed to share the same mind in a way, for once one small group went to move, the others followed. Thousands turned the corner and began to make their way forward along the false path. Damon could not help but grin as he saw them suddenly begin to vanish, plummeting in the mile deep hole that he had created at the end of this dead end.

By now, the majority of the forces had come out. Damon could count tens of thousands of zombies walking out of the forest. Some followed the herd but others continued to press into the narrow channel.

With the bulk of the undead bunched up trying to get in, this was a prime opportunity for Damon to decimate their ranks. He wasn’t worried about the thousand or so that were going through the main passage, as there was a hole waiting for them on the other side of the small hill he had crafted. Now was the time to strike as Verrick was trying to get the controllers to change the orders made to the zombies.

Damon gripped his War Staff and raised it high. The ancient artifact seemed to chant words of victory as he activated Lava Stream. With the range increasing buff, he was able to send the thin stream of molten rock far across the battlefield, shaping the distance to face east to west.

Burning hot lava splashed onto the zombies as they tried to shuffle into the choke point, spreading rapidly to six hundred feet in both directions. Thousands of undead were caught by the deadly, fuming substance and Damon’s counter surged to 2,200, granting him another Slayer feat. He would have to make his pick later; he had no time to waste.

Verrick responded to the surprise flow of lava with a spell of his own. He raised his hands and chanted something, ripping off a large chunk of earth from the ridge and slamming it into the center of the lava flow. The lava did not burn through the earth and a makeshift bridge was created.

More undead came pouring out of the forests, ignorant to the death of their allies. Some were too wide spread and haplessly wandered into the lava, igniting instantly and melting down into nothingness within a matter of seconds.

“Release the runners!” Verrick roared.

A series of howls came from the woods as slender zombies rushed forward, springing over the molten rock and landing on the sides of the ridges. They had sharpened claw hands and could easily scale upwards. There were about two hundred of them.

They reached the top of the ridge but found nothing but empty flatlands awaiting them. The distance they would need to cross to reach the warriors was quite large. However, these runners were magically enhanced and sprinted at full speed, clearing a mile of land in a matter of seconds.

“Zombies coming into the kill zone!” Damon shouted as they leapt down the ridge into the checkered area. They quickly locked onto one hill and sprinted as quickly as they could, zipping up the mound.

The Jintaki warriors were well prepared for this. Spears thrust down as the enhanced undead tried to get to them. Weapons struck brain and skewered the runners with ease, the steepness of the hill serving as leverage for the spears to get just the right angle. The wave was defeated without the Jintaki breaking formation.

The center road was now jam-packed full of corpses. Enough had fallen into the hole to more or less fill it, allowing the main force of undead to break into the kill zone.

Four thousand were now in the field with the hills. They looked up at the Jintaki soldiers and immediately began to scale the slopes, arms stretching out towards their prey. It was here that Damon activated Fire Rain.

A burst of magic flashed from his staff and a red cloud appeared over the kill zone. Crimson rain started to pour from that cloud, barraging the zombies with fire that ignited them and burned them to a crisp. The kill counter continued to go up as the majority of the dead that had breached through the first line of defense was annihilated. That reminded him that he had earned another Slayer boost and he hurried to select the double duration on his next spell.

There was no reason to hold back now. Damon focused on the forest and cast Fire Rain again. The endless stream of undead stood no chance and the vegetation provided no cover against fiery rain. Smoke billowed in the sky as the trees wilted away, blackening and charring as the fire poured down, covering 300 feet.

The controller mages had cast a protective shield around them but the constant barrage of fire damage worked overtime and within seconds, the controllers were on fire, screaming as they lost all cohesion and control.

The fire spread throughout the forest, creating massive amounts of smoke. Undead staggered left and right, their numbers now revealed. There were almost a hundred thousand still remaining. But without their controllers, they had no one to direct them.

The zombies defaulted to shambling forward, into the gap that was already jam packed with corpses. The road was so narrow that they were literally clogging the pathway, their bodies unable to push past one another.

Damon activated his second Lava Stream charge, sending the burst of liquid right into the middle of the path. The undead corpses that were jamming traffic were consumed by the red hot liquid, their Harkus crystals bursting from the sheer output of magical damage. The other dead did not comprehend the danger of this lava flow and continued to pour into the main passage, melting away one after the other.

Verrick was watching from the sidelines in horror and shock as the Boulder Storm began. With the top of the forest burned away, Damon could now hurl six rolling boulders straight into the enemy position, rolling through thousands of undead, crushing them with ease.

The few zombies that did manage to make it to the hills were handled by the sapphire warriors, the Jintaki skewering the enemy through the head for a quick kill.

The complex maze that Damon had created with his terraforming had paid off quite well. Though there were still thousands of undead everywhere, they were trapped in holes, dead ends or forced to wander towards the first nest of warriors they saw, living only for seconds before being cut down from a distance. It was easy to hit the head when they were coming up from below.

With the controllers slain, the undead had lost all sense of focus. They began to split off from one another, moving in random directions or just staying still. Verrick, realizing that there was no chance of a win here, began to retreat into the woods. What he found there was a Burning Vortex, which picked him up and sent him crashing atop one of the ridges.

“To all warriors,” Damon ordered. “The undead forces are fractured. Their controllers are dead. The only thing we have to do now is take out Verrick.”

Chapter 39

Damon and his army of Jintaki moved across the ridge to where Verrick had fallen. The commander of the army had not been heavily damaged by the fire vortex but he was now stranded. Below, two thousand soldiers had gathered up to begin the task of cleaning up anything that hadn’t already been killed by Damon’s spells. The undead were vulnerable, confused and mostly trapped in holes and choke points, allowing the forces to carefully poke away from a safe distance, shields being used to press the small hordes back until the heads were stabbed.

Lord Pomet joined Damon as they marched on Verrick. The leader of the Madmen Three was standing but not tall. He was clutching his side and half of his armor was burned so bad that it was almost melting. Still, he had a longsword in one hand and was aiming it at the five hundred soldiers approaching him.

“You fools!” Verrick thundered. “Do you think that was the entirety of our force? There are still hundreds of thousands of dead servants back at Lokar.”

“Stand down, Verrick,” Damon said as he approached, hands aiming right at the man. “You will be our captive but make no mistake. Any attempts to escape or fight and we will kill you where you stand.”

Verrick growled at them. “I can take you all!”

“This man is a rabid dog,” Pomet said. “He believes that even now, he can stand against us. We best put him down.”

Damon could understand that reasoning. But it would be better to bring Verrick back to Hanlin and interrogate him. To learn exactly how the Madmen Three were operating and what their overall goal was.

“We need him alive,” Damon said.

Verrick backed up to the edge of the ridge and looked down. He was trying to figure out whether taking the jump would allow him to escape, but the ridge was a mile high. A fall from that distance would kill him easily enough.

Damon advanced forward, his conjured blade shimmering in the daylight. “You don’t need to die here. We will treat you with dignity as a captive.”

“I am a lord! A rightful ruler of Brennan by might and by power,” Verrick shot back. “You will not arrest me this day. The dead bow before me. The living tremble at my name. I am going to become a god!”

“What kind of god kills the innocent and tortures the living with undead?” Pomet asked.

The man looked back down the ridge and then at the two. He laughed a little. “You achieved nothing this day. You killed a handful of dead. An exploratory force. There are so many more in the hands of Ghanis and Loam. You got lucky. That is all.”

“I’ll take my luck where I can get it,” Damon said. He and Pomet both stopped a few feet away from the injured man. “But yours has run out. Come with us. It’s the only option.”

“The undead will do as I command,” Verrick gasped. “They will save me!”

With that, he leapt off the ridge. Damon and Pomet rushed forward to look over the edge. There were still hundreds of dead in the area, wandering in all directions. Verrick landed in between a band of them, his bones cracking as he yelped in agony. Blood poured from his open wounds, causing the corpses around him to all turn at once.

“Carry me to safety!” he ordered. “Bring me back to Lokar!”

The zombies surrounded him but did not pick him up, nor aid him in any way. Rather, they all dove down, their hands grabbing armor and pulling it back. Verrick screamed in defiance, demanding that they stop and obey him, but he was not their commander anymore.

The first of the Madmen Three was nothing more than another meal.

Epilogue

Queen Jaylin strolled through the throne room and ascended up the steps. She turned around slowly, to face the audience of lords, nobles and adventurers who were of high enough level to gain entry into Hanlin Castle. With a blank expression, the woman lowered herself onto the throne and folded her hands together.

“Today marks a new day,” she said, looking at Damon who stood on her right side. “Today marks the day that I, Queen Jaylin, rightfully declare myself the sole ruler of Brennan. The dead marching for Hanlin have been decimated. Their lord dead, their controllers broken, they now wander the countryside aimlessly. Their numbers are great and so begins a new era. South Brennan has become a no-man’s land. North Brennan is now the seat of power for our kingdom. I have revoked all titles from the cities and their respective lords. I have sentenced several conspirators to death for their role in working to supplant our nation. And I have decided that it is time for a proper war.”

The people were silent. Those who had once been lords were now nothing more than guests. News of the undead army being slaughtered by a handful of soldiers and a single War Mage had rippled throughout the cities and the people were now beginning to believe that Queen Jaylin would be the one who would get them through this crisis.

“Make no mistake, friends,” the queen said. “The plague that started in our land is our responsibility to bear. As we speak, smaller towns are being attacked by uncontrolled hordes of the dead. Borders are being crossed by the Dead Kingdom who wishes to grab easy territories. We have had a golden age for too long, and as a result, we have grown soft. But starting today, we enter a new age. An age of war. War for survival and for supremacy. And I begin this war by appointing the one man who saw to my survival no matter what. The man who believed that we could fight back, that the gods are on our side. The one whose faith did not falter and whose magic is the reason Hanlin stands a free city. I appoint Damon White as my General in this new war. With his power, our resources and the Jintaki spirit, our people will destroy the no-man’s land. And we shall reclaim the south.”