The Hexed didn’t need to be told twice. They could hear the cries of their allies dying as the guards fell in on them.

We did our best to direct the uncontrollable undead out but the best we could do was guide them in the right direction.

One thing was certain. The cat was out of the bag on the whole controlling undead thing. Lily and a ton of other people had to be streaming the event. I wondered what her viewers would say about me.

What really confused me was how time was frozen while I relived Lily's memories. It was documented that technology like that was used in the past, but if I recalled correctly, it was an AI-aided tech. I'd have to talk to my mom about it later.

Molly drifted above us; ethereal trails rippled through the darkness that seemed to follow her. Twilight, fear, panic, a scream. Elation.

We looked away from her and then at our hands. All shambler hands.

A wave of confusion rolled over me.

They didn't understand my fear. No one did, no matter how much I tried to explain it. There was nothing to be scared of anymore. I’d deleted him. Besides, it was my inner demon to fight, not theirs.

To bolster our morale, I remembered scaring Lily and how she screamed and ran away, then seeing her cowering between Koffer’s legs.

Astonishment and disbelief came at me.

She’s afraid of us. We can win, I thought.

It was likely that Lily was being led to town or some other safe place by now.

My brethren were bewildered by my words. It was understandable since they were still new.

I recollected a series of memories. Fighting the NPC Hexed with Darryl and getting little to no experience. Followed by my hiding amongst the NPC shamblers while taking down unsuspecting Enlightened. Then the extreme difference between the experience gained.

Based on their positive emotional feedback, they seemed to understand what I tried to convey. I intentionally left out how to control the undead.

For the moment, the guards kept their distance. This lasted for a good five or so minutes.

Shouts to “Close the gap!” reverberated in our ears.

We had to decide. While Molly, her new skeleton friend, and the thirty-seven shamblers under my command were pretty strong, we were no match for the guards. Which meant that some of our undead friends would have to be left behind.

Plus, if Lily’s captains had any sense, they would send a large force to intercept the escaping Hexed.

I pushed my ability out again. The screams of my kind hit me. A large mace smashed into my head, and my existence ceased for a moment. My consciousness shifted, and I ran for my life as someone behind me crumbled into dust. If any of you know where the Fields of Woe are, head in that direction! I warned them.

Then a shambler took a blow from a shield causing us to stumble. I quickly reduced the area of my ability so that only the shamblers and people running between us were under its influence.

Do we stay and fight to the death or lead our kind to safety? I asked my horde.

I’d lost count of how many had escaped. My best guess was around two hundred or so.

Suddenly, a cacophony of thoughts pressed in on me at once.

Another guard hit us from the other side of the gap we’d made.

We decide, or I decide.

Their thoughts kept barraging me with ideas, pleas, and anger, so I decided.

We folded in on ourselves and pushed outside. The guards sealed the hole we’d made as we fled. At least a hundred of us were left behind, and their cries of pain and anguish followed us. At least all of the shamblers escaped, I thought.

Coward, Kumo said.

I ignored the spider.

It would take them a while to take out the rest of the trapped undead, so it bought us some time.

Disappointment permeated from a few members of my horde.

We’ll get a chance to kill more of them, I thought.

We spread out to get a better look at the situation. A good portion of the other Hexed were confused, and half of them were missing. They may have logged out, or they could have actually listened to me and ran to safety. I hoped for the latter.

My influence spread as I focused.

“Head this way,” we said as we pointed toward the fields. “They will kill you if you don’t.”

Fear swept through the area, and everyone moved.

Using the whole horde to talk was a new tactic that I would have to use in the future. I didn’t need to hide the fact that I could control the Hexed anymore, which meant that a whole new world of terror was now open to me.

A low cackle came from us as the revelation hit me.

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Another wave of emotion flooded my senses. This time it was terror causing everyone to break into a run.

I hadn’t intended to scare them, but they were new.

We kept up with the crowd acting like shepherds. Molly and several other ghosts had gathered and floated alongside the rest of us.

The skeleton from earlier wasn’t among us. I wondered where he went or if he even made it out.

Maybe I should have chosen him, Kumo taunted.

I wasn’t sure I deserved its criticism. My personal mission was to escape with as many of us as possible, not to die in a glorious battle.

Through the trees, we caught a glimpse of the dense fog ahead.

“Head into the mist!” we commanded.

A cry of whistles sang through the air, and a second later, a wave of arrows hit us. Since most of us were skeletons, there was no flesh for the projectiles to pierce.

It was different for the shamblers, though. An arrow sliced through my thigh. Another hit my arm. A third hit my neck. Each shot hit a different one of us.

“Run faster!” we goaded.

Another wave hit us. An arm, leg, shoulder, and gut of ours were pierced.

As we neared the Fields of Woe, something unexpected happened. A bright light appeared in front of us and as it faded, what remained were ten robed figures.

“Don’t stop! Run them over!” we yelled.

The mass of skeletons trampled the mages before they could get a single spell off.

Bad timing, I thought.

We laughed.

While the skeletons at the front entered the fog, several flashes at our sides lit the forest. Ten more mages appeared, but this time, they were spread out.

“Keep going!” we yelled at the Hexed.

We, on the other hand, stopped, split up, and rushed the robed men.

It was four of us per mage on all but three of them. Commanding ten separate groups was something I hadn’t done before.

A ball of flame burst from one of the mage's hands. We dodged, and it disappeared into the mass of skeletons before exploding. Searing pain wracked my senses as over a dozen of us died. Flaming bones whizzed through the air like falling stars.

We didn’t hesitate and attacked the second we were close to the cloaked figures. They weren’t ready for close combat. Three went down, and blood splattered everywhere as we tore into them. As we ate, it freed up my concentration.

Molly separated from the other ghosts and approached the shambler that was me. I was in a group that had defeated a mage.

“I thought I had the creepiness market cornered. I was wrong,” she said.

We grinned at her.

Another spell went off when one of the mages lit itself on fire. It screamed in pain as we backed away. Messing up an incantation was deadly and a rookie mistake. They would burn for the duration of the spell. Which was usually a long time after they were dead.

At my command, three of the eating shamblers broke away from their prizes.

Molly floated in front of me. “How can I help?” she asked.

We pointed at the skeletons trying to recover from the explosion. Molly flew off without another word.

With Molly gone, I was no longer distracted, so we surrounded and grabbed two more of the mages when a volley of arrows sang through the air. We looked up just as they rained down on us.

The accuracy of the archers was uncanny. There was no doubt that they were elves. It meant they were hidden somewhere in the trees.

An arrow struck me in the head, and as the world faded, I felt the person and the shambler's link sever. For a moment, I could see a silhouette of a teen kneeling over me. Then my connection was broken, and I was back in “us” mode.

Every time someone died, and I was forced to live through it, it unsettled me.

It appeared that my physique was not being shared. This meant that the shamblers had to rely on their own, and since they were new, their health pool was low. Which was why I wasn't surprised when three more of them died.

I had the same experience with each of them. The silhouette differed, but they ended similarly. What confused me was they didn't seem to be panicked or in pain like the semi-connected undead. I wondered if my skill somehow protected them from that. It was possible they had turned their pain thresholds off, but most people didn’t mess with the settings until they had experienced it first.

Those of us who finished eating joined our companions. We got ahold of the remaining mages and simultaneously ripped their throats out. The act didn’t do enough damage to outright kill the person, but the bleed damage and inability to breathe caused them to go into a shocked state. If they had a healing potion they could toss it on the area, or if a priest was near they could mend it. Either way, it wasn’t a possibility when I was holding them down.

I drained the one near me so Kumo wouldn’t have too much to complain about. As the experience slowly seeped into me, something inside my body snapped. It was an odd feeling that had never happened before.

As we ate, another barrage of arrows struck us. Since we were eating, our health was actively being replenished, and none of us went down.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask the shamblers. I looked forward to when this was all over.

The skeletons were all but through the fog by the time we were finished.

We’ve won, I thought as I relaxed my control.

Guttural cheers erupted from my companions, filling the air with an eerie sound. There was even music coming from somewhere, which made me smile.

The arrows had stopped as well. I wondered if they had fled.

We turned as a contingent of twenty elven sing-swords descended on us.

Searing pain ripped through my head, and I was suddenly falling. Then it happened a second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth time. In an instant, six of us were dead.

I knew I’d heard that music before. Their swords were forged so that when they ran, the air passed through them, making a flute-like sound. Each was unique and made its own chord. Together they made a repeating melody.

They were required to max out their agility the join the regime, which made their attacks extremely accurate. All of them had bows strapped to their backs, indicating it was they who were shooting at us.

We were outmatched, but I wasn't going to give up that easily. We spread out and sprinted toward the wall.

The elves acted as a cluster so only half of their people were attacking at a time. I doubted they had any experience with running and fighting.

Since we were spread out, they were forced to kill us one by one.

A burning sensation spread across my left leg, and when I tried to take another step, I fell. My leg tumbled past me, continuing its momentum. The shambler's life blinked out of existence, and we continued our sprint.

They were faster than us and would eventually catch up, but unless they changed their tactics, most of us were home-free.

When we arrived at the edge of the mist, another twenty elves dropped from the trees in front of us.

“Spread out! Kill them all but her!” One pointed at the shambler that was me.

Not only did maximum agility make them extremely accurate, but it also made them fast. Much faster than us.

Five of the shamblers broke formation and came to my side. I hadn’t commanded them to do so, which was strange. Suddenly, the shambler that was me fell to the ground, followed by all the others.

Exhaustion had finally set in.

The elves ended the lives of my horde as I was forced to experience them die.

As I was recovering, I found the edge of a sword at my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Koffer and his crew weaving through the trees heading our way.

***