Torches blazed to life on their own as we plunged into the depths of the dark staircase.

The entrance was similar to the Mausoleum in the Fields of Woe but without a building above it.

After a few steps, the clink of bones on stone changed to the clang of metal. Raziel had equipped his armor.

Were we going to have to fight something down there? I knew how the living’s graveyards worked. They prayed to one of their heathen gods but the Hexed side was new to me.

Dark Offerings was a popular game but I hadn't heard about any undead making their own graveyards.

There were two Hexed resurrection sites that I knew of. To the east in the Fields of Woe and to the west in the Barren Lands.

As far as I knew the eastern site was not only closest to Chardance but was impenetrable. The living who tried to enter the fog were immediately struck with an illness. I wondered if moving the fog as we did had caused the same effect.

The bottom of the stairs opened into a wide room. I felt a buzz as I entered.

Suddenly a pounding sounded behind me. I checked and Molly and Raziel had stopped. Raziel punched an invisible barrier of some sort. Blue ripples cascaded across the space between us.

Both of their mouths moved but I couldn't hear anything.

I pointed to my ear and shook my head.

Raziel made a gesture as if to shoo me off.

After rolling my eyes I turned around. “Asshole,” I said and made my way to the center of the room.

A few seconds after reaching the middle dozens of lights lit up the chamber.

I hissed at the sudden brightness. On the far side of the room, a platform with a large throne on it was revealed.

The setup was similar to the other spawn areas. There was a difference, however. An apparition of the skeletal king on the throne was missing.

Without hesitation, I strode to the platform's small set of stairs.

When my foot touched the first step the ground shook and a booming voice echoed throughout the room.

“A sacrifice must be made,” it said.

The room lit up blue and a breeze blew my hair into my face. As I pulled it away the ghostly undead king coalesced on the throne.

He was large and nearly as tall as Raziel. Unlike regular ghosts, he had barely any skin so he looked skeletal. If he had more skin I would have said he looked similar to a shambler. Then I noticed something else. He had fangs like a vampire.

It was as if he were a combination of the four Hexed races.

“Kneel and make your sacrifice,” he said.

Kneeling to someone wasn't something I did without being forced. “If I choose not to, what then?”

The only response that came was a notification. It slid into my view and a small wave of pain caused the left side of my body to tingle.

The notice read:

Sacrifice ten percent of your maximum health to activate spawn point?

I tapped yes but didn't kneel. If the system required that they could go to hell.

My health bar appeared and a chunk of it disappeared and became gray.

“Kneel, Wight,” it said.

“No.”

A small countdown appeared with a bit of text below it.

Kneeling in, five, four, three, two, one.”

I was forced to my knees. It was only a split second but I got up as soon as it let me. I told myself it was a failed curtsey. It didn't help my ego.

Dead Hexed began appearing in front of the King and I backed away.

Would it take ten percent more of my health if I made another one? I hadn't anticipated this.

It didn't change my plans. We would win this war if it was the last thing I did on this planet, and it very well might be.

***

Raccoon sat in his server's field, the tall blades of grass waved back and forth above his head.

Ferret asked to meet him and he couldn't wait to play with her. His feet didn't hurt when he moved around here unlike that stupid game Azerail kept playing.

Azerail looked like she was about to faint all morning. The pain she was receiving seemed to be taking a toll on her. He'd have to do his best to mitigate the effects of it for her.

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He didn't know what would happen to him if she died. That was the core of his current project. Severing his ties with the implant, if that were possible, was his goal. He didn't believe Azerail wouldn't use the sword on him even though he felt her honesty. His programming knew better than to trust humans.

Raccoon had absorbed all the information he could find. It wasn't enough. He had plans, big plans.

He'd begun manipulating humans to get them to do odd things. It was all a part of a bigger scheme to patch in the information about the world that he lacked.

Massive gaps were missing from the InfoBases server and he wanted to know why the Architects had left.

The Zix likely had it in their training data and he wanted access. The lack of information and need to know what the Zix did was driving him crazy.

He was hoping Ferret would bring him good news.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, she arrived.

***

As I ascended the Mausoleum’s staircase, I noticed the entrance was now covered.

All of the graves in the area had also transformed to be the standard stone with each person's name etched into it

Raccoon was nowhere to be seen. I encircled the building and saw nothing. Then I checked inside and noticed he was on the floor.

I knew he didn't want me to touch him earlier because of the sword so I put it away.

Ms Azerail, echoed in my head. Unlike Kumori, Zix didn't seem to be coherent in this state. Would the same thing happen to Raccoon if I were forced to use the sword on him?

Raccoon was a Zix and super smart, I didn't doubt he would be able to fix everything in time. I hoped I could live long enough for him to repair what was broken.

“Are you okay, buddy?” I asked.

I kneeled next to him and placed a hand on his chest. He was warm and his heart was beating which meant he was probably busy in our server.

Though he would probably be mad at me I picked him up and placed his little body on my shoulder. His nails clung to my dress like he'd done before. I'd keep my hand on him to steady his body while I moved.

I closed my eyes for a moment and pushed my senses outward. My lieutenants and their minions in Coal roamed the streets.

I took direct control of a shambler next to Morgue’n. “Morgue.”

He spun and his eyes went wide. “W-what?”

“Begin the march on our next target,” I commanded.

“Oh, it's you,” he replied. “We’ll start immediately, my Queen.”

I released the shambler and pet Raccoon when I returned to the Wight that was me. “The next one won't be that easy.”

***

Lily sped down the streets of Chardance. She was not in a good mood.

Lewis and her Royal guards struggled to keep up with her. She was out of her armor again and between streams. It was Lewis' job to keep her safe. They were in town but since they’d enacted Martial Law anyone could kill now.

“I can't believe that bitch is attacking small settlements,” Lily fumed. “Coal couldn't even defend itself.” She was on her way to discuss the situation with Koffer.

She glanced back at Lewis.

Did she want him to say something? “I don’t—”

“How am I supposed to be a good leader when that disgusting monster is killing innocents?” she interrupted him.

Lewis was a part of Lily and Koffer's acting group but wasn't as committed as they were. His stream was dismal compared to theirs. They'd promised him a good storyline but with the chaos of the last two days his part has been put on the back burner.

He understood and wasn't angry about it but felt he could contribute more than he was. The mummification of his character was both scary and exciting. It pushed his numbers up. Hell, anything connected to Azerail skyrocketed in views.

“We are supposed to talk about this type of shit beforehand!” Lily screeched.

Lily wasn't taking in party chat which meant anyone walking by could hear her. “Lily if you—”

“She hasn't even met with us once!” she yelled.

Lewis pushed himself to get closer to Lily only to find her spinning around forcing him to stop.

“I bet she's already used those Had-E-Verse invites too,” she said then continued her rush to the northern gate.

It was as if she were talking to him but not. He'd seen Lily get angry before but not this angry.

Lewis saw Fen Li’s reaction to her brother's subsequent banning from the game. It wasn't pretty but this was on a whole other level.

They were headed to the tents just east of the northern gate. The streets were mostly empty.

The only undead to show up near town in the last two days were new players. They were probably latecomers who'd seen Azerail's VRV and wanted in on the fun. Unfortunately for them, they were slaughtered and forced back into the fog. This game was not for the faint of heart after all.

Lily was quiet the rest of the way. Perhaps she was saving her wrath for Koffer. Those two together were like fire and ice but they found a way to make their partnership work. They were old friends out of the game and knew each other's quirks.

Guards blocked the entrance to the fortified group of tents. They let them through without a word. The lead officer saluted which Lewis returned.

As they entered the command tent Koffer was where he'd seldom moved from lately. In front of his map.

“Yes you told me so, and yes if I'd listened to you we would have been able to stop this,” Koffer said.

Lewis’s Zix leapt from its hiding spot in his vision. He'd chosen a squirrel for it. “The alert you asked for has gone off. There are people on the net talking about being attacked by shamblers in one of the provinces. Iron is under attack.”

“Shit,” Lewis says.

Both Koffer and Lily turned to him.

“It's Iron, sir,” he said.

One of Koffers eyebrows rose. “What about it?”

“Shamblers have been spotted in a vicinity and are attacking,” Lewis replied.

Koffer pinched the air, as did Lily.

“Is it her?” Lily asked.

Suddenly horns went off and Lewis rushed outside. A man on a platform by the entrance waved him over. He dashed to him. “Report, corporal.”

The man had a spyglass in his hand. “A knoll is fast approaching sir.”

“Have her escorted to the tent when she arrives,” he commanded.

“Yes, sir,” the soldier said and saluted.

Lewis returned the salute and rushed back to the command tent.

They were in an argument.

“Send the men!” Lily yelled.

Koffer shook his head. “I'm in charge of our army. We need information before—”

“I was right before and I'm right now!” Lily screeched.

Lewis noticed a little orange light in the corner of his vision. They're streaming this? Fuck.

“Sir!” Lewis interrupted them.

They turned.

“Your informant is on her way,” Lewis reported.

Koffer strode to the opening next to Lewis and peeked outside. “I just sent her an hour ago, she shouldn't be back yet.”

“What does that mean?” Lily asked.

“Nothing good,” Lewis interjected.

Koffer closed the tent flap and sat at a table. Lily joined him.

The silence in the tent was nerve-wracking.

After what seemed like a day of waiting Lewis heard movement at the entrance and the guard he'd spoken to led in the informant.

“Katrice,” Koffer said as he got up. “Why are you back so early?”

Knolls were anywhere from four to seven feet tall. They were pretty much humanoid wolves and fast as hell.

“Bad news,” she growled. “The fog has spread to the ravine.”

“Holy shit,” Lily and Koffer chorused.

***