“Broer! Broer!” Verlate cried out, hoping, begging for any response. Yet she heard nothing. Nothing except the crackling flames, and the creaking buildings. It was night, and no moon at that, yet the entire horizon was lit by the orange, and deep red flames. The smoke clogged her throat, and forced tears out of her eyes. She had to keep pushing forward. Broer was in danger, he had to be. Her mother was dead, yet perhaps she could save her brother. Sedulur, thankfully, wasn’t around. He had left only a few days ago. Although maybe he already found danger. Perhaps these bandits had killed him long before they had even launched their attack here. She grated her teeth. She couldn’t let these thoughts cloud her vision, Borer was in trouble, right here, right now.

“Broer!” she shouted. Yet there was no response. She heard a large creak, then a burning pillar came crashing into the house. Splintering the wood of the house she was in, sending embers, and ash around. She gagged on the ashes and dust, nearly causing her to vomit. Could that have crashed onto Broer? She had to hurry, he couldn’t have had much time left. She pushed through the dust, and embers.

“Broer!” She shouted once again, and this time, there was a small grunt that she heard. Was it Broer’s? It was too quiet for her to truly make out the grunt, yet she had to look for it, whatever it was. She pushed away the wood that was blocking her path. It was surprisingly cold, given the burning all around her. She heard yet another grunt. Borer had to be close by. She sprinted towards where the grunt was, not caring what got in her way. And there he was, Broer, yet there was something different about him. His eyes were milky white, and his skin, was decaying and rotting. How? She saw him just this morning. How did he die? Broer growled at her, snarling.

“Broer?” she whispered. Broer stared at her for a moment, studying her, watching her every movement, and when the time was right, lept at her, knocking her to the ground. Snarling, lashing his claws. Blood spewed out from his mouth, and landed on Verlate’s face. Verlate kept him aways as much as she could. He scratched and clawed at her arms, drawing blood. She couldn’t keep it up anymore, her arms were damaged, and tired. Broer made one final push and bore into Verlate.

And then there was nothing, only Verlate and the darkness around her. Did she die? Was this the afterlife? She tried to push through, yet it was like there was a giant box around her. She couldn’t see it, or maybe she could. Perhaps it was pitch black. She pushed, kicked at it, and even bashed her own head into it. Yet it made no difference, there was nothing she could do. Then, it started to move. It started to crush her. She put her arms and legs out, trying to stop it, yet they just buckled under the pressure. She started hyperventilating harder, and faster.

“No,” she whispered, hoping, pleading, begging for this to stop. It was futile, the walls kept pushing in on her, slowly creeping on her, and crushing her. She felt her own hands break, and the wrists crack. She tried one last push.

“No!” Verlate shouted. The room was dead silent. Her arm was outstretched into the air. Sweat beaded down her forehead and the rest of her body. She noticed her breathing. What happened to her? What type of dream did she have? And where was she? She tried to remember the night before. And the news that she found out. Did she tell Alarotha? What’s going to happen to the Wilted Rose? She bolted out of the bed she was in. She was, in her room? When did she get here. The last thing that she remembered was riding on horseback, back to Alarotha. She had to know what happened here. If she didn’t, there’s no telling what would happen to the Wilted Rose and its members. Verlate rushed over to the closet, grabbing a set of casual robes, the standard issue robes for the Wilted Rose members. It was comfortable, but it made it much harder for major physical movements. She had always found these robes to be limiting, but she could modify them to make them better for her, although, having them be made of black fabric definitely was a bonus, as it allowed her to hide herself much more. Yet, if anybody outside the order saw that, they would be very suspicious of her. She always felt that she needed to do her work in the shadows, that‘s exactly why Alarotha had chosen her, for the particular missions that she was, required to take on. Verlate threw on the robes as quickly as she could. Her hair would have to wait, she went for weeks without showering or doing her hair, and she could wait just a little bit longer than now. She walked over to the door, and as she approached it, she heard a knock on it.

Verlate open up the door, it was Tyrannus! Tyrannous gave her a short smile and a wave.

‘Tyrannus?” Verlate said. “How did you get here so quickly?” Tyrannus raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“We rode back together.” He said. “I’m surprised that you don’t remember that.” he put a hand up to his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. “Although, you did seem to be in a state of shock, especially when you talked with Alarotha.”

Verlate’s eyes widened in shock, She talked with Alarotha last night? Why didn’t she remember that at all? Was she just truly in a state of shock? Perhaps it was possible, She had never seen anything like Tyrannus had shown her before. The fact that an entire town’s graveyard was just gone utterly astounded her. Nothing left but the bones in the crypt.

“What all did we talk about?” She asked Tyrannus. Tyrannus simply shrugged.

“Apparently nothing that Alarotha wanted me to hear, which, given your unique circumstances, makes a lot of sense.”

Verlate nodded her head. It made sense for Alarotha to be secretive with Tyrannus, although he’d been in the Wilted Rose for as long as she could remember, she didn’t want to risk anybody figuring out about her and Verlate. Verlate sighed, although, Tyrannus now knew about her. She knew that she could trust Tyrannus to keep her works a secret, he was even sympathetic to her, liking that see was continuing on with practicing necromancy. Although, she wondered if he was just lying to her, in order to gain her trust.

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“Thank you, Ty,” Verlate said, “I’ll talk to Alarotha, and see if there are any details that I might not have mentioned to her.” She said. She started waling past Tyrannus. Then stopped.

“I can trust you to keep what we saw out there a secret, right?”

“You can trust me to keep what happened out there a secret, but sooner or later, It’s gonna come out.” He said. “Can’t keep things locked up like that forever, right?”

Verlate decided not to answer him. She put a hood up around her, trying to mask her appearance as much as possible. She saw Tyrannus do the same, and head down a separate hallway from her. She continued towards Alarotha’s quarters. Tyrannus was right, something of this scale couldn’t be controlled, no matter what they try to do now. A whole village can’t just up and leave without people suspecting something terrible happened there. And when they check the graveyards there, the only people that they’ll blame is the Wilted Rose. She took a turn down another hallway. She noticed a few figures in a gathering, nobody that she recognized at all, yet she knew exactly who they were. They were the followers of Faith. And it looked like there were here on royal business. She caught herself gritting her teeth, and stopped. It did no good to show them how you really feel. They were the Council’s royal pets, and even had a seat at the Council. They were another order that the Wilted Rose had even fought alongside, back when she was very young and her village was taken from her. Yet they already had a lot of power within their society, what did her people have? Nothing, except more rules and regulations against them. Apparently, they had even found a new Aspect of Faith, Verlate wondered who they might be, but that was not something that she needed to worry about right now. That would be something that Alarotha would need to worry about.

Verlate had made it to Alarotha’s quarters, she wondered if Alarotha was here right now. Alarotha was usually a very busy woman. Yet she should be here, hopefully. Verlate knocked on her door three times. She heard the sounds of paper rustling around and being shoved in drawers. And perhaps something else? Something glass. Once the noises stopped, she heard Alarotha.

“Come in.” Alarotha shouted.

Verlate casually opened up the door. Alarotha’s quarters always felt, roomy and calm. There was plenty of space in it, and it was well organized. It didn’t however, feel like the quarters of a leader of a major religious organization. Most of the walls were bare planks of wood, yet fairly high quality and the floors were adorned with large spots of red and black carpet. And Alarotha’s desk, which sat in the very middle of the room, was smaller, yet with many compartments which allowed her to keep track of multiple tasks, and not get too distracted. Alarotha noticed her, and soften her stance, like seeing your child again. Alarotha calmly smiled. “I trust that you had a good night’s sleep.”

Hardly. Verlate thought. “Slept just fine, but we need to talk about what I saw the other day.” she said.

Alarotha shook her head. “I understand what happened out there, more than well enough.” She said. “Tyrannus spoke with me about it not too long ago as well.”

Verlate’s heart sank, Alarotha must know that Tyrannus saw what she was doing out there, that he knows that she still practices necromancy.

“What all did he tell you?” she asked.

Alarotha cocked an eyebrow. “I know that he saw Broer and Sedulur.” Verlate swore under her breath.

“It was a mistake, and I don’t intend on repeating it again.” Verlate said, as calmly as she could. She couldn’t show her emotions here, she couldn’t show just how angry she was at herself, for letting Tyrannus find out about her, and her undead.

Alarotha simply smiled. “Ty is a loyal member of our order, and he would never rat you out,” she said, “and I’m sure that you won’t be intending on making that mistake again.” She said. Was there a threatening tone to her voice? Or was Verlate just hearing things? There was a way that Alarotha always talked, especially when talking with people within the Wilted Rose. It felt like something almost, paternal? Maternal? Verlate couldn’t quite put words to the way that she spoke, yet, although, when talking with others, especially within the Followers of Faith, there was this air of threats, under the tone of her voice, and she most certainly intended to follow through on her threats.

No, I don’t intend on making those mistakes again.” Verlate said softly. Verlate brought her gaze back to Alarotha’s eyes. Yet, there’s still the threat of what I found in the town.”

Alarotha kept her gaze firm on Verlate. ‘There’s nothing that you can do about that, let me handle it.” She said. She took a sip of water on her desk, “Although this definitely brings up many problems for you as well, once this gets out, and it will, more necromancers will become much more bold as well.” She said.

Verlate nodded. Indeed, they would become much more bold once this is found out, Verlate will need to make more modifications to Sedulur, and Broer, and she’ll need to keep her weapons sharp and at the ready. “Is there, anything that you need me to do?” Verlate Asked Alarotha.

Alarotha looked down at some papers that she left on her desk. “For now, I just need you to relax, you’re exhausted.”

That wasn’t what Verlate wanted to hear, she needed to be back out there, if she could help anybody else- but it was pointless. Alarotha knew more than here, surely she knew what would be best right now.

Verlate indeed at her. “As you wish.” Verlate went to leave the room, but Alarotha started saying something else.

“Oh and Verlate, I know that this usually goes against your line of work, but next time you go, take Tyrannus with you.” Verlate turned towards Alarotha, she questioned what would be the purpose of taking Tyrannus with her. Alarotha must have read the expression on her face. “Although I don’t think that he would ever betray us, I need you to keep a lookout on him, and tell me if he’s trustworthy enough to you.”

Verlate nodded and left the room. If she could trust anybody now, she wanted it to be Alarotha.