A heartbeat thrummed in my ears. Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump. I opened my eyes and saw myself in a hospital gown lying in a bed below me.

When I reached out to touch them, my vision blurred and my stomach turned. I tried to push past the discomfort and climb onto the bed. The closer I got the more disoriented I became and the further away the heartbeat seemed to get.

I just need to get inside it, I thought.

As I made contact I was shot like a bullet into a wall.

I sat up and my stomach lurched. My hands seemed unreal as I brought them into view. They were split into two distinct versions of themselves and I could control each set separately.

After blinking a few times they coalesced into themselves.

I wanted to cry, but couldn't.

Then I noticed I was in the street again.

The bloody mess that was Inethiel’s body was strewn across the floor and a meter away lay Raziel's skeletal remains.

I didn't know why the devs showed us our dead bodies. Perhaps it was to remind us that we were indeed fallible. As if I didn’t know that already.

A ghostly image of Raziel floated to his feet. “I didn't think you had that in you.”

“You didn't look into my background?” I asked. My shoulders hurt, I wasn't sure if it was from slamming into the wall or from being cut in two by Raziel.

He shrugged. “Most people with power aren't good at backing their word.”

“All I do is fight the Enlightened so I have practice,” I said.

Most of what Raziel did in our fight wouldn't have worked if he were Enlightened. Unless he was playing a Giantine of course.

Trolls were the Giantine equivalent but most people preferred playing humans or elves.

Then Raziel did something I didn't expect. He reached a hand out to help me up.

I took it because I wasn't a complete asshole. “Thanks.”

Without a word, both of us started our trek toward the town's exit.

Would the Hexed think less of me because I lost a battle? Technically, it was a draw but I wasn't sure they would see it that way.

“Why didn't you just enchant me again?” Raziel asked. “I would have lost if you had.”

He had a point but so did I. “If I took over your body there wouldn't have been a fight. The people need to know that I'm not always going to win. And, I like the challenge.”

“When you learn some other skills to help support that one, you'll be unstoppable,” he said.

Shamblers couldn't use spells but I wondered if Wights could. Poison clouds or a root-type spell could be very useful. Then I had an idea.

I quieted as I went on a small quest to find Ellen’s profile. It didn't take me long to find her and prep a Qmail asking if she would mind adding the Drain skill back to my skill pool. I left a little note asking for the associated spells and skills if she couldn't add the ability directly.

If they could simply restore it I wouldn't have to work out a way to recreate it. Truthfully, I had a few ideas on how to remake it but I could spend that time researching new skills instead.

While I was forced to learn spells to create my control undead ability I didn't have a scroll or a spell book to cast them.

I'd have to see if Molly could get me one before the day was over. Unfortunately, dead group members couldn't talk to the living members.

“How'd you move that fast?” Raziel asked.

I’d fallen a bit behind him so I caught up. “It’s a new skill.”

“Did you make the skill or something?” he asked while looking down at me.

“No,” I said. “Got it from my sword.”

He stopped.

I passed him and turned. “What?”

“A sword can’t give skills that strong,” he said.

“Mine did.”

He shook his head. “Is it that weird floating one you had when you fought Koffer?”

Did everyone see that VRV? Instead of responding, I continued walking toward the graveyard.

Was my Zix sword an unholy relic like Molly’s dagger? I decided to check.

There wasn’t a modifier on it. It was a named weapon but didn’t have a certain color associated with it. Which meant it was gray like most food and other usually insignificant items.

That didn't make sense though. Especially since it took a gold rank spell to identify it. Unless cursed weapons were made that way, I'd never had one before so I didn't know.

“If you don't want to talk, that's okay,” he said.

Did I want to talk? I wasn't sure. Based on Raziel’s performance he had to be one of the top players and getting to know him might be beneficial for the future of the Hexed. “We can talk. Not about the sword though.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

There was way too much drama connected to that and I didn't want to deal with it.

I’m still here, by the way, Raccoon said.

“I know you don't want to talk about the sword but did it give you the ability to control the Hexed?” he asked.

“Hard pass.”

“Aww,” he complained.

It was funny hearing such a deep and menacing voice say that.

How are your projects going? I asked Raccoon.

He responded immediately, Patched the pain sharing so other people won't unintentionally experience it. Memories should still have pain associated with them though.

Great, any progress on my pain? I asked.

“You PVP a lot then?” Raziel asked, his arms swinging like a kid might do. Sounds of metal scraping metal pierced my ears.

Was he nervous? “The Enlightened shall pay for the atrocities they've committed.”

His jaw hung open for a moment before it clicked shut.

How a ghost's mouth made noises I didn't know. Then again we were talking.

He didn't say anything for a while, giving us time to leave town and make our way deep into the Plagued Forest.

This guy's kind of awkward, Raccoon said.

I smiled. Tell me about—

We hit the edge of the mists and I stopped. Something was off about the wall. Part of it was seeping into the forest as if reaching for something.

I jogged over to it, Raziel at my side.

When we reached the breach I examined it. What I found was a pretty large section that had extended about twenty meters out into the forest.

As I entered the fog it was surprisingly lighter than the thick folds in the Fields of Woe.

“I found something yesterday,” Raziel said as he trailed behind me.

I ignored him and searched the area. We had entered the light fog closer to the Fields.

Raziel got in front of me and walked backward. “It's really cool.”

“Oh?” I mused.

As we traveled further in I discovered a faint glow emanating near the edge deeper in the forest.

“It's in the Fields of Woe actually,” he said as he pointed toward it.

We closed in on the illuminated section and I paused realizing that Raziel might have something important to say. “You found something in the Fields?”

I'd searched the Fields personally and there wasn't much in there but bales of hay and scattered ruins. The ruins had been picked through but there were crafting materials in there that would reappear every so often.

“Well you kind of have to see it to understand,” he said and took a step toward the Fields moving out of my field of view.

Something caught my attention so I put up a hand. “Hold on a sec.”

I walked forward a few meters and found the source of the glow. There were five very district objects strewn on the ground.

Did that mean Wights were the equivalent of the Enlightened's—

“What are those?” Raziel asked as he closed in behind me.

They were the key to winning the war against the Enlightened. “Nothing.” I spun on my heel and started toward the Fields of Woe, grinning.

Raziel caught up. “You're acting strange.”

“Let's hurry to the graveyard,” I said as I broke into a jog.

When you used the graveyard to come back, you forfeited the opportunity to be resurrected. Your body didn’t disappear when you died which was the reason why the Enlightened burned the dead.

If rezzed you would wake up where you died, but if you traveled to a graveyard you clawed your way out of a nearby grave.

There was a huge amount of preparation involved in field resurrection. They had to make sure your body was healed up enough to sustain life and then they needed a priest to cast the ritual.

As far as I knew, only the Enlightened had the skill to bring back their dead.

The neutral races had equivalent abilities but I'd never seen them use them.

We picked up speed and the world became a blur of hay and random patches of fog.

There were only two sites where the Hexed could come back. The one in the Fields of Woe was the closest. It was East of town.

The other one was to the West, past the River of Sorrow, through the Swamp of Despair, and into another wall of fog. There weren't fields in that area; it was called the Barren Lands.

A large gate came into view and Raziel dashed ahead. I followed him through the winding paths of the cemetery to a large building in the center.

Its doors were open and Raziel flew up the three steps and dashed inside.

As I hit the first step a sudden tugging at my chest stopped me.

Raziel peeked out the door. “What's wron—”

One second I was on the steps of the Fields graveyard and the next the world became a smear of colors and lights.

I didn't know how long I was in that state but it couldn't have been more than ten seconds before it was overtaken by blackness.

At first, I thought I was back in the void but it turned out my eyes were closed.

When I opened them, I was staring at a blue sky.

Molly floated into view. “You just gonna lie there?”

I sat up and found myself in the middle of a pentagon.

How the hell?

My question was answered as a blue-skinned female ogre draped in gray robes kicked the ground breaking a line of sand in the dirt.

Or was it salt? I couldn't tell.

Truth be told, I was a little disoriented. My vision spun for a second and I shook my head.

“Interesting,” the ogre said. “Even the dead experience resurrection sickness.” She kneeled next to me. “You should be able to talk soon.”

“Razi—” My voice came out as a slur and I couldn't finish saying his name.

After a painstakingly long few seconds of staring at nothing in particular I pinched my fingers together and checked my Qmail.

It turns out the messages I sent during my stint in the Chronofield; before I passed out, sat in a queue of some sort and were delivered today.

Jackson didn't reply, which was odd. He always responded when I called him out on his crap.

Jules was confused about why I sent her a message after I already saw her.

Aaron replied saying he was happy I was okay. His weird reaction at his store was him being dramatic. I'd have to have a talk with him about that.

I accepted Molly's real-life connection request. After her confession earlier today, I didn't feel comfortable keeping her listed profile name so I used the nickname Molly in its place.

Though I was mad at Koffer for kicking the Hexed out of town, I decided to queue up a Qmail thanking him for the Had-e-Verse invite.

I'd have to use that invite soon and see if it was any different from the standard web version of the Verse.

After I was done with that I prepped a message for Kevin asking if he made a character yet. I also mentioned I could visit him in AR if he wanted to hang out.

Just then I noticed a little indicator showing the Resurrection sickness debuff was ending.

Raccoon, can you send the Qmails I prepped for me? I asked.

Done, he responded.

I closed my interface and stood as soon as the effect ended.

“Molly,” I said.

She floated over to me, Raccoon dangling in her arms. “Oh, you're back.”

Everyone around us seemed to awaken when they noticed me standing and surrounded us again.

“We have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it,” I said as I unleashed Undead Domination.

***