Cold steel brutally smashed into the skull of the pallid dead. Alistair dragged the hammer through the forest dirt, wiping the brain matter and viscera away, before hoisting it to parry the claws of a second undead creature charging at him. A third tried to circle around him, fully aware of what the hammer can do, and kept its distance to watch for an opening. Even the first, as injured as it was, showed no signs of slowing down, and only seemed mildly annoyed to find its teeth scattered on the ground.

"JUST ONE BITE. THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF MEAT IN YOU, BOY. CAN'T YOU SPARE A POUND?"

"No! Your mere presence is an affront to the gods of righteousness! Surrender now and I'll give you a quick death." Exhausted and on the road to Goodsprings, this was Alistair at his most merciful. Sparing undead was out of the question and destroying them was beneficial to the ghoul as much as it was to the potential victims.

But the ghouls snarled with refusal. All they could feel were the pangs of hunger, and Alistair was the only living human in the vicinity. The young paladin steeled himself and watched the ghouls' movements as the dice rolled for initiative.

"MINE!" One of the ghouls sprung itself forward, teeth-first, just to miss Alistair by a hair.

"I'll free you from your pain!" Bones cracked when the hammer's head struck the ghoul's ribcage. As the undead monster staggered in place, Alistair lifted the two-handed hammer overhead and inflicted a decisive blow on the creature's skull. Its body plopped on the ground lifelessly, putting the other two on high alert.

Unlike the shambling corpses Alistair had to battle until now, the ghouls before him were conscious enough to be aware of their own actions. Their mere existence a curse that compelled them to eat the flesh of the living, for nothing else would sate their hunger. And those unlucky enough to be bitten would be infected with a fever that would persist until either the subject died, or they managed to fight it off. And anyone who died with this fever would rise as another ghoul.

It was times like these Alistair was grateful to have taken his paladin training. The Hammer of Justice granted him protection from all diseases, something that intrigued Lenoria greatly for some reason. He quietly reminded himself to ask her why in the future.

Assuming they even have a future at this point.

The boy panted heavily, his breath visible thanks to the cool evening air. His fatigue did little to hold him back at first, but as time passed his movements became more sluggish. The only thing that gave him solace was the weapon of choice, the one gifted to him by Tizoc. With a jaguar engraved on the side of the head, it was as if the Jaguar warrior himself was there with him, bringing judgment to the undead that truly deserved it.

"LOOK AT HIM SWING THAT THING! HE'S SO SLOW!"

"HE'S SO GREEN! THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO EAT HIM UP!"

The second ghoul - the first to have met Alistair's hammer and lived, signaled for the other to come closer. The third did just that, and once they were both ganging up on the boy, the assault happened.

The third ghoul that had moved in lunged at him with a sharp claw. Alistair parried it, but this left him open to the second ghoul's own volley - its own claws followed by a bite to the neck - which left the boy screaming and bleeding. Alistair could feel his shoulder go numb, making his heart jump.

"Fight it! Fight it!" Through sheer fortitude, the boy powered on and shook off the numbness on his shoulder. He could feel the blood dry up from the mountain air, giving him a clear idea on where the bite mark was. "O, Hammer. If this be my end, grant me the strength to take these villains with me!"

Cornered and wounded, Alistair called upon the powers of the Hammer once more. The third ghoul immediately shined with a holy light as a hammer was emblazoned on its bare left pectoral muscle. Swinging the hammer sideways, Alistair allowed his patron to guide him.

YEET

A voice from out of nowhere shouted so loud Alistair thought someone screamed in his ear. To his surprise, the ghoul he struck had landed somewhere in the forest beyond, leaving a trail of guts and gore in its path. The area it landed in was devoid of undergrowth, allowing the paladin to see the ghoul's head separated from its body and the remainder of its life leave its eyes.

"What...just happened?" A screech interrupted Al's train of thought; he spun around and countered against the remaining ghoul's counterattack. A strike to the ribcage was enough to break the injured creature's wounds, its bone fragments piercing its beating heart before it was crushed by Alistair's hammer.

Alistair had used the hammer earlier that day when he battled the yellow musk creeper, but he quickly deduced the weapon was stronger against undead, as well as the fiends who were averse to the cold iron it was made of. He knew weapons that occasionally obliterated undead existed, and he was incredibly happy to have one in his hands.

The fact that a voice shouted during such a critical moment was concerning to Al. He would have to consult with an expert once he arrived in Goodsprings. "Tizoc, what kind of weapon did you give me?"

***

Meanwhile, back in Norwich, Ser Loin finally arrived to give his report to Demetrio. The remaining Ruby Knights had assembled and were ready to depart while an impatient Demetrio threw his hands in the air at the arrival of his henchman.

"Where have you been, Ser Loin? And where are the bodies?"

The big minotaur cowered before his master and bowed his head apologetically. "F-forgive me, my lord! They were stronger than they looked! I had quite the battle in my hands!"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Demetrio balled his fist in response. "You battle-obsessed fool! I commanded you to get them, not admire them!"

"Y-your will be done, my lord! I'll j-just lick my wounds and head north first thing tomorrow!"

"You better! Even with a head start, they won't evade you as long as you-" Demetrio squinted his eyes and was quick to notice the lack of amulet on Ser Loin. "Ser Loin, where is your stone?"

After running so long for his life, Ser Loin had forgotten about the theft of his own Soulstone. Grasping at his neck in the unlikely event it was still there, the minotaur's heart sank as Demetrio stern expression remained unchanged.

"You lost it?"

The minotaur's whimpering made the present Ruby Knights laugh, none of them aware of the machinations in their lord's mind.

"I slipped on ice, my lord!"

"Then perhaps the time has come that you retired, Ser Loin."

Even someone as uncultured as Ser Loin knew that knighthood was more than a title; it was an honor, a lifestyle. There's no record in history of a knight retiring at the peak of their youth, only during old age. Realizing this, Ser Loin took a step back. "My lord, l-let's not be hasty!"

A skeletal hand pointed at the doomed knight. "You have served your kingdom well, Ser Loin. You knew the price of failure, and the world must know that continued bungling such as yours carries consequences. But for your contribution, I shall personally make your death quick, and your remains will continue to serve in your stead until they, too, become dust. Have you any last words?"

Failure. A common cause of death for those serving such a cruel master. Ser Loin admired such cruelty, and was often happy when he could inflict it on others. As a proud warrior of his own tribe, the harm he inflicted on his enemies would be considered a badge of honor if he provided proof, such as chopped body parts, armor bathed in blood, or even corpses exuding terror.

If he were to die tonight, then the least he could do was bring honor to his tribe by maiming his murderer.

"GRAAAAHHHH!" Ser Loin valiantly charged, horns first, to rob Demetrio the chance to cast his spell. The Ruby Knights stepped forward to oppose him, but Demetrio merely motioned for them to stand back. It mattered little to Ser Loin; if he were to die killing his former master and make a bloodbath by doing the same to as many Ruby Knights as he could, he would meet his ancestors with a grin.

But a single blink of an eye changed the environment around him. The evening sky received a scarlet hue, giving the town square of Norwich an eerie feel. Ser Loin froze in terror when he watched his former master take the form of a gaunt, naked human with skin tightened around his bones. The Ruby Knights also received a similar treatment, and they all bared sharp teeth.

Ghouls.

"Monsters!" Ser Loin would continue his charge, but it was brought to a halt by a pair of hands holding on to his hoofed feet. One pair, two pairs, three; several hands sprouted from the soil beneath him, followed by hissing coming from underground and ahead of him. The ghouls that had wrapped their hands around him chanted a single word.

"MEAT."

"Get off of me! Mercy! Mercy!" Ser Loin's pleas fell on deaf ears, and his own strength failed him when he tried to remove the ghouls who had latched themselves on his person. He wailed in despair when each one took a hungry bite out of him. His screaming went on for what appeared to be minutes (really just seconds) before the ghouls at his feet dragged him under the earth, his screams echoing from the distance.

In reality, Demetrio's spell had gone off long before Ser Loin could make his last stand. With one snap of his fingers, Demetrio made the minotaur's body collapse in place and polluted his mind with hallucinations of his worst fear. There were no ghouls in Norwich; only those that existed in Ser Loin's mind.

"I see. So, your worst fear was getting eaten alive." Without completely turning around, Demetrio's eyes turned to his Ruby Knights. "We can only assume Asterion has failed me, as well."

***

27th of Cobre, 4:26am, 1659

The brown horse with white feathered legs charged through the lonely barren road of the forest, with the flying machine and a seahorse dashing not far behind it. The three advanced with wild abandon, their riders fearing that the dead and Demetrio's forces could catch up to them at any time.

"Look over there," shouted Aquamarine. "Lights!"

Surely enough, a stone wall came into view. Torches illuminated the area, allowing Lenoria and company to spot the two guards standing at the gate. Both wore steel plate armor, but the cloaks strapped to their shoulders were red like the Ruby Knight armor.

"Keep your cool, everyone. Just follow my lead." The girls nodded at Lenoria, who then turned to Lisa with a reassuring look. "You don't have to say anything, okay? We'll keep you safe."

Lisa nodded meekly and squeezed Lenoria's hand. She kept her head down once the armored men stepped forward to greet them.

"Halt," one guard shouted. "You're in Goodsprings, travelers. I know it's late, but you need the proper clearance to enter at this time of night. Otherwise, you must wait until morning."

Goodsprings at last. It's been almost two weeks since the group departed, but they had made it to their destination safe and sound. Lenoria wasn't about to let proper protocol stop her from getting inside. "I understand you have a duty, gentlemen. But we were hired by Lady Gabrielle herself, and we must speak with the Sheriff. Is there no way you can make an exception?"

The two guards looked at each other at the mention of Gabrielle. They looked back and forth between each other and Lenoria until the second guard spoke. "What are your names?"

"Lenoria Tsukino."

"Clara Aurèle."

"Joanna Jones." Aquamarine put on a coy front. She hoped her outward shy demeanor, school blazer, and overall cute appearance would convince the guards she was just an innocent schoolgirl.

The guards seemed convinced until they turned to Lisa, who didn't speak a word. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

"Er, please go easy on her," Clara asked both guards. She and Aquamarine had given Lisa a quick makeover during their short stop. Her frizzled hair had been straightened and tied into a ponytail, and her ragged tunic and slacks had been replaced with a uniform just like Aquamarine's. It was fortunate she had kept one with the right size, but the magical girl was sad she had to part with it. "Lisa's very shy around other people."

Having heard enough, the guards nodded to each other. "We've been expecting Miss Tsukino and Miss Aurèle, but Madam Bisset has not informed us about the other two."

"Joanna is a valued friend who helped us during our trip. Without her help, Clara and I wouldn't have made it here." When telling a story, Lenoria believed it was best to sprinkle as much truth as possible to make it more credible.

"As for Lisa, Joanna is babysitting her for a while. She's got a big family, you know?" And when it was time to lie, it was up to Clara and Aquamarine to put on their best acting faces and follow each other's lead. All Lenoria had to do was follow along.

"And where is Mr. Adams," one of the guards asked.

"We split up in Norwich because he said there was something he needed to do," Lenoria explained, "so he let us borrow Chestnut here to take us the rest of the way." Technically not a lie.

Chestnut raised his head regally and whinnied in response.

"That's Chestnut, alright. If he's fine with you riding on his back, then everything checks out. Sorry for any doubts, ladies, but if you've lived in Thule for about half as long as we have, you'd understand our position."

The guard's statement raised some eyebrows, but there was also something that didn't escape Lenoria's perception. "Oh my gosh, Alistair is popular!" Chestnut rocking his back a little was enough to snap her out of it. Otherwise, she could have gushed about it until either guard had to awkwardly grab her attention. "I see. We're a little tired, so is there a way we can head straight to our sleeping quarters after seeing the Sheriff?"

The guards shrugged. "Why not," the first one said, "there's enough room for all of you. Come inside and wait where we tell you to. The Warden will see you shortly."

"Warden?" The girls all had the same thought. That's a title usually given to someone in charge of a penitentiary, and after meeting "Judge" Demetrio, they wondered what kind of person was going to meet with them. "Can things get any weirder," Lenoria thought.

Rewards

Defeated Zep and his shambling mound (combined CR of 7): 800 xp awarded

Defeated Ser Loin (CR 8) and assisted in slaying him: 1,200 xp awarded

Defeated Asterion (CR 9) and assisted in slaying him: 1,600 xp awarded

Rescued all of the children: 20% bonus awarded.

Total xp awarded: 4,320 xp

Obtained the Cepheus Soulstone!

Obtained the Lepus Soulstone!

Lenoria: 21,430/23,000

Clara: 21,340/23,000

Alistair: 30,020/34,000

Aquamarine: 27,320/34,000

Caesar: 27,320/34,000

"What the-?"