'Tell me again, Agarn.' Master Holom commanded of me.

'Master, I'm quite certain I've repeated this nigh ten times already-,'

'I will hear nothing of it. Tell me again!' He ordered brushing his hand through his thick gray hair. Both yellow eyes piercing my own sky blue with such intensity I feared he might set me on fire.

'Sir James Collifer, Councilman to the King of Syn, King Harold the III, asks that we assist him in finding his son who was recently lost near the Dead City. Convoy was ransacked but a raven was sent in distress, meaning they're alive only somewhere in the Dead City.'

'Good, you were paying attention.' He sounded content which only ever happened when he heard exactly what he wanted to.

'I do try, Master. I may be an apprentice still but it is not as if I'm entirely without my wits.' I told him reigning my horse around a corner. My heartbeat stopped as the last tree vanished from the corner of my eye.

All that was left for my eyes to feast upon was the feast the crow's had at their disposal. Their blood red eyes, tainted by malignant forces corrupting the bodies littering the fields by the city glared at me until the whine of a nearby knight's stead scattered them like puffs of black cloud in the sky.

'There they are.' Holom stated with a disgruntled growl.

Further up the path that rounded the forested hill, Sir Collifer awaited us. Impatiently to boot for his face was not one of relief to see us come.

'Took you long enough!' He shouted with authority. His neglect to show respect to the very slayers he called in to help evident enough that it extended to the dozen knights he had riding at his side.

'Apologizes, Sir Collifer. We do not make it a point of making powerful men wait. Not with such urgent matters at hand.' Holom recounted false words that he must have said a hundred times over, each time sounding more and more sincere.

'Then come, be on with it.' Collifer urged us forward, his frail almost sickly frame barely spoke of the power he had.

He was an aristocrat. A powerful advisory in the courts I'm sure but looking at him it appeared as if he barely ate. I could break him with a handshake, which explained the guards. A dozen knights, fifty footmen just at the base of the hill, forming ranks just where the burnt fields began.

'Sir Collifer allow me to introduce myself. I am Master Holom of Typho of the Slayers and this is my apprentice Agarn of the Westfields.'

The aristocrat eyed me over wearily. Beady pulsating eyes like a bug's stared at me for second making me squirm under his sight. I didn't much like it but I couldn't quite tell him to stop.

'The Westfields? Thought your people were butchered to the last.'

'Not my people, councilman. My people are the Slayers.'

'Huh, so they are...' He turned his gaze away in disgust.

'Councilman, if we might move along. I'm aware that your son has wandered into the Dead City. Iory. If I recall.'

'Yes, yes. Forced in there when his escort was ambushed by Rotters.'

'Mindless, walking corpses. Most likely people who died when this city fell to whatever force took hold of it. You'll find a thousand of them in this field alone.' Holom was quick to point out the burnt corpses. 'Most of them will awake if disturbed. Your son's escort must have waltzed right into a nest of them without realizing.'

'Are they really so dangerous?' Collifer asked my Master.

'Alone, not very. But in great numbers, such as the entire population of Iory, that is troubling. If not an impossible task to overcome.'

'But it can be done?'

'With great care. Assuming you and your men listen to everything I say.'

'I shall command them to do so.' Collifer turned to his men. 'From now on every order that Master Holom gives shall be taken as were it my own. Is that understood?' I smirked as his men gave a weak reply. They weren't for listening to a Slayer, though I suspect they were more against going into the Dead City.

Iory, the Dead City, Home to Noxuz, Eater of Rot. I've heard stories of the place, how it housed a legion of undead. From Rotters to Woxen all manner of undead stalked it's empty streets. Feasted on the centuries old corpses or even resorted to cannibalism. No one save for Slayers came near it's abandoned fields that stretched beyond it's derelict walls.

Since my training began it had always been a topic of discussion among Slayers. Letting a Dead City fester and rot which might sound advantageous but when dealing with the monstrous undead and their kin only meant it would grow stronger. Holom was all for pushing towards a cleansing of Iory in particular, maybe after this mission he might but for now it was just him and I to help the Councilman.

'Now what is-,' Collifer began.

'The main road is five miles back. It intentionally turns away from Iory since it fell. How were the Rotters able to force them into the city?' I asked unintentionally cutting the Councilman off.

'You will not speak out of turn apprentice!' The Councilman spat but his eyes spoke to me of something more behind his words. Behind the reason we were there.

Holom raised his hand. 'Councilman, my apologizes but my apprentice is not entirely wrong. Rotters do not wander far. They are attached to their place of death, not to mention lack of food, particularly the dead kind. Unless someone were to enter their territory they won't attack the living.'

'Slayer you are here to assist me, not question me!'

My master straightened his shoulders, brow furrowed in anger. 'It is my duty to ask questions. If you want noble ignorant heroes go find a hopeful fool. If you desire a professional than you may ask for my help. What shall it be?'

The Councilman looked defeated, most of all his men. 'I'm sorry, Master Slayer, this ordeal has left me emotionally drained. Perhaps it's wise I be entirely honest with you.'

'This small part of the world belongs to my house. The name Collifer carries power here and in the King's court. Iory was the original capital of my House long ago. Until it's fall after Noxuz rose from the grave.'

'Noxuz, Eater of Rot. One of the few Defiled we Slayers have yet to kill.' Master interjected though without the risk of being lashed at.

'Defiled?' The Councilman asked curious. Almost too curious. Most people elected to remain ignorant of the foul things in our world. I didn't blame them. There were horrors even Slayers didn't care to deal with but it was our job, thus we do as is asked.

'The Champions of the Ruined Ones, remnants of the time before the Slayers. Too much history to go into detail, but needless to say they are powerful creatures. Turning a living, thriving city such as Iory into a Dead City is child's play to them. Shame too, Iory had the best raspberry bread around.'

Sir Collifer nodded his head in agreement. 'My House took pride in that. Just wish I could have gotten a chance to try it. But this was well before my time.'

'It was all the stories say and more.' Holom recounted old memories.

'You speak as if you were there, Master Slayer?' The Councilman rose an eyebrow in interest.

'I was. Though I was not present for Noxuz's rise to power.'

'That would make you...two....three hundred years old!'

'Three hundred and eighty two, to be more precise. I am an old man as my apprentice so lovingly points out on occasion.' He told the Councilman to which I could do nothing but smile. I was a bit cheeky about such things mostly to hide the occasional stint of boredom.

'I do so with love, Master.'

'Hmmhm.' He eyed me over and I just smiled though Sir Collifer looked none too impressed.

'As I was saying, Master Slayer, since I told my son of his heritage he became obsessed with seeing Iory with his own eyes. I warned him it was dangerous.'

'You let him go, despite that?'

'As a Collifer he should know where he hails from. And it's not as if I sent him off alone. Twenty men escorted him to the edge of the field here.'

I noticed Master look down around him, seeing exactly what I saw. Tiny discrepancies in the permanently charred dirt. Parts of it were patted down, almost hard as if something were lying there for quite some time. But around it the soot was loose, easily picked up by the wind. It's shape was distinctly human.

Not just the one either. Dozens of spots nearby looked identical. Where we stood now had at one point been where a couple dozen Rotters had laid down for who knew how long. Until the Councilman's son disturbed them that was.

'Twenty men couldn't defend him against one hundred undead. They panicked and got surrounded. Got lead towards the city. Rotters have a herd mentality. Leading the food towards their friends. Like cattle.'

As Holom explained what we were dealing with to Collifer, I spotted a rather plump corpse down the hill, perhaps half way to the city. It was easy enough to make out. Dead City's are cursed to say the least. Time seems to just stop around them. At least preventing anything from regrowing. That just made it easy to spot the dead soldier. Fresh. Killed recently though parts of him appeared to be missing. Most likely food for the Rotters that chased them.

'Master, down there.' I pointed to the corpse.

'One of your soldiers?' He asked the Councilman. His soldiers began to panic as they hadn't even noticed their dead ally. Too caught up in the horror of the city to care.

'Yes.....I can see the colors....gold and green.' Collifer appeared to shake, fearing for his life. I saw it in his eyes. There was yet more to his tale. More than just a little boys curiosity and I suspected my Master could see it as well but neither of us would broach the topic. Whatever family squabbles the noblemen of Syn had was their own business. We just killed monsters.

'Listen, there is still a chance your son is alive. But the longer we wait the greater the chance he will be dead before we find him.'

'What do you suggest, Master Slayer?' The Councilman asked.

'Agarn and I will take the lead, you shall remain in the middle with your knights. The footmen should remain in a column behind us. Only two soldiers wide.'

'Two wide?' One of the knights questioned the decision. Truthfully I could see why, it spread their ability to face a frontal attack in any short amount of time. But that was a military decision against humans. We weren't facing humans.

'Only! We need them to trail behind like a snake. Step only where we step. We can't risk garnering the attention of the Rotters that haven't been disturbed.'

The knight did not seem to take my Master's command very well. He challenged it even. 'Sir Collifer, you can not think us incapable of doing this ourselves. We can just charge in and find your son. A few walking corpses can not match our steel.'

'And who are you?' Master Holom's voice turned grave. He didn't enjoy talking to the ignorant or fools. He much preferred the company of wise men which in this case, the knight was not.

'Ser Timur Aldwin. Lead military strategist to the House Collifer.'

'And lead fool by the likes of it. You suggest charging head long into a city filled with the undead and damned. Thousands of Rotters, Woxen, Lantern Men and worse things even Slayers fear. A hundred Slayers couldn't take the city and certainly not less than seventy men who already quake in their boots.'

'You do not speak to me of our abilities. Sir Collifer. This man is a cheat. The Slayers are nothing more than book worms. Their skills nothing more than an average footman's. We can take this.'

The Councilman eyed me for a moment, trying to think of an answer that would appease his bloodthirsty knight. Timur Aldwin. An unknown name, surely he just wanted to prove himself. Find some worth to his name. But that sort of greed was a liability. A risk to the job as a whole. If it were up to me, I would just tie him to the post so he's out of harm's way and out of ours. Master would have mostly likely agreed.

'We follow the Master's words. If I had thought we could do this alone I wouldn't have sent for him.'

'Glad to see the House Collifer still sees logic above all else.'

'Yes.....' The Councilman let his words trail in a way that just made me distrust him. Holom's grip on his reigns tightened and I knew he noticed it too. '

'Then have your men do as I say. Also, it may be wise for them not to disturb any of the bodies on the ground. Rotters tend to remain mostly dormant. But even still it's wise not to disrupt their sleep. In fact do not touch anything dead. There exist many diseases that could lead to a painful death. Often carried by Rotters.'

'Of course. Anything else?' The Councilman did not seem all that interested in debating terms.

'If you should by any means awaken a Rotter, take it out. Quickly and as quietly as possible. Upon transformation they develop very large vocal sacks. Capable of spitting highly caustic bile but most importantly can emit a high pitched sound like an alarm that awakens any nearby Rotters.'

The head knight looked at Master confused. 'Caustic bile? I heard you say they weren't dangerous alone.'

'They aren't. Rotters are fast and vicious but any trained Slayer would know how to deal with one.' My Master wasn't one to cut corners or sweeten his words. The knight knew the implication. That he was weak. His facial expression showed the anger. I just found it humorous.

'Then what of your apprentice. Surely even he runs risk of being a liability.'

'I trust in my apprentice's skill. Soon he will take the Trial of Glass and all the land will know him as a Slayer, someone of superior skill to even you, Knight.'

'Watch your tongue or I will cut it from your head, Sinner!' I could feel my lips curl with anger at the term. Without realizing it I felt the oak wood pommel of my sword caress my palm, fingers wrapped around it ready to draw at a moments notice.

Sinner. A slur against Slayers. Used to denounce us as abominations in the eyes of the One Faith. It was after all dictated in the Blood Charter that all Slayers be recruited from the ranks of heretics and criminals. Or in rare cases, war orphans such as myself. It was to prevent noblemen or people with valuable skills from joining our brotherhood and forsaking their former lives. And dying in the process. Not to say I don't blame that line of thinking but it hasn't helped our reputation.

'If I might interject Master, let me kill this fool and feed him to the damn Rotters.' I felt the blade gently glide out from it's sheath, a pure witch steel sword with various inscribed ruins glowing in the day's waning sunlight.

It was my sword. The one given to me by the Coven, imbued with magic and a special steel. Neither of which was I familiar with. Nor will I ever be. Only the Witches and our smith knew how to construct the blade. All I know is it's etched runes allowed the sword to damage creatures otherwise impervious to normal weapons.

'I would like to see you try!' Aldwin drew his sword but enough was enough. Collifer's eyes flickered frantically from me to him until finally he gave a hushed growl.

'Stop it! The both of you. This is not happening! No! Not now, not when so much is on the line!'

The Councilman did his best to remain in control of his yelling, eyes beat red trying to hold back the tears. The anxious feelings that overwhelmed him helped remind me why we were there and that as a Slayer, a professional, I had stepped over the line. A little boy needed saving and we were there to do just that.

I looked at Master briefly seeing the pride in his eyes. He did not care for that term and would have let me cut the knight into bits if it came to it but we had a job to do.

'Then if this is settled let us go. Every wasted second here is another second the Councilman's son comes closer to death.'

'Yes, let us.' Aldwin did agree on that front. At least in my opinion he wasn't a complete fool although his sideways glances at Holom got on my nerves.

'Knights with Sir Collifer follow us and the footmen will trail them. Neat line, two wide. Nothing more. Do not touch anything. Remain quiet and follow orders.' Master reigned his horse into a trot down the gentle slop until he was taking the lead, I quickly followed.

It was odd to be the head of a military column, often just relegated to traveling with my Master. Or sometimes alone if the particular job didn't require both of us. Rather, I didn't require Holom's supervision which I was pleased to recognize had become almost non existent aside from a few outstandingly difficult jobs. This being one of them.

I wonder what would happen if they failed. Then again I also wonder what will happen if we succeed. Will it be a clean job? No casualties? Even the Councilman was at risk joining us. Not that I blame him. Plenty of parents have wanted to assist in finding their loved ones. But aside from security factors I hate bringing them with me for the simple fact I have no idea how to comfort a mother that find's her son's disemboweled body hanging from a tree. I didn't sleep that night or the week that followed. We might act like monsters, doesn't mean we are.

'Master?' I nabbed his attention with a quiet hush.

'Yes, Agarn.'

'I feel as though the good councilman isn't telling us the whole story.' I glance wearily back at the thin man on his thin horse. 'He's hiding something.'

'They're always hiding something, Agarn. Noblemen tend to be scheming, conniving little weasels willing to do anything to further their standing.'

'Are any of them good?' I ask.

Master eyed me for a second, the waning sunlight reflecting off his white beard. Dancing through his tussled brown hair. With errant strands of gray poking through.

'A few.' He finally told me. 'A few good ones among the many rotten. Though often times they will never show it for fear of displaying weakness in front of those who might take advantage. Be wary, apprentice. The politics of Kings and Generals is not the playground for Slayers, do not engage or allow yourself to be caught in the middle of it.'

'Are we caught now, Sir?' I ask him, for I felt we were already being used to further an end at the Councilman's behest.

Holom glanced back at Collifer as well. 'All I see is a man riddled with fear. It's so real I can almost taste it.'

'Then he truly is afraid for his son.' I smile thinking the Councilman to be fraught over his child, but I was wrong. Holom quickly pointed out why.

'No, Agarn. A man who fears for the safety of his family does not act like an addict going through withdrawal waiting for his next take. No, he would be strong as was necessary to save his family.'

After Holom mentioned it I began to see the twitchy eye movement. His fingers played with each other endlessly, his lips trembling as if ready to speak or even shout at a moments notice. Dark semi circles hung under his eyes, skin seemed pale and thin as if emaciated. In fact they all looked malnourished. The knights held themselves proudly so I hadn't noticed at first, but the footmen looked like dead men walking. And I've seen dead men walk.

'Sir, Collifer's men. They-,'

'Famine. I heard it had hit Collifer's lands but to think it affected the military arm. Losing his son wouldn't just affect him but the moral of his people. In such trying times to lose the heir to a house would cripple it's ability to recover. There would be no hope.'

'Then not just the boy's life but the fate of his House and it's subjects rest on returning him alive and well? That would explain the guards the Councilman thought were necessary and why he chose to come along himself.'

'Yes. Though why he would still allow his one and only heir to come, even with an escort, to the outskirts of a dead city. There's a reason the King has forbidden anyone from messing with them. Who knows what lays in wait. Even killers and scavengers alike avoid dead cities. But I would be lying if I said there wasn't some appeal to at least seeing one in your life time.' Holom looked over the growing visage of Iory, it's grandstanding towers flanking it's main gate a mere pebble of stone to the great monoliths they once were.

The sun set beyond it's highest peak, Collifer Castle, where James's House originated. It was once one of the grander castles in it's day. High peaks, various wings, multiple courtyards and gardens atop it's high rise foundation letting the city sweep out from underneath it.

I took a moment to remark on it's beauty, how massive the castle was yet still dwarfed by the sheer scale of Iory itself. Hundreds of thousands of souls must have lived there once. Now I couldn't help but shudder to imagine all of them serving the Undead Lords. Beings that no one has ever seen but their control is all too real. It wasn't my first Dead City but I certainly hoped it would be my last.

I swallowed hard feeling my shadow overtaken by that of the castle wall's. Even half crumbled the wall was as imposing as it was during it's hayday. I shuddered noticing the abrupt change in temperature. Just that alone was enough to create a small sense of panic among the footmen. Though I was glad to see the knights undisturbed.

'Master, if you do not mind. May I ride before the footmen? Having a Slayer at their lead might coax a bit more bravery from them.' It was worth a shot. Though often looked down upon I found most people felt safer around us when dealing with beings of supernatural qualities.

Holom was quiet for a moment, his eyes fixed on the edges of the wall. Parts of it had collapsed entirely creating new avenues in and conversely multiple lanes of escape. At least that part was covered in the likely event of failure.

'Go ahead, Agarn. Make sure they stick together and don't touch anything.' The footmen began to mutter a tad bit louder than what we felt was comfortable. 'And keep them quiet. I'd rather not do this with a legion of rotters on our heels.'

'Understood, Master.' Happily I reared my horse just enough to turn and canter past the councilman and his knights, all of whom seemed quite arrogant in their abilities. A part of me wanted to jolt the nearest rotters and watch them tangle but that would have been more detrimental than helpful.

Rather I took a position just between the knights and the footmen who diligently walked in rows of two. Spears thrust out to the sides their grips weak from barely contained panic. Surely if any rotters charged into the group a few might find themselves skewered but most would ignore or even snap the weapons.

'Who made your spear?' I asked the nearest footman. His deep eyes stared up at me, afraid. They had dark semi circles clinging to the bottom lid where lack of sleep gave him a sunken look.

'Forgesmith Herle from Tomae. He's a friend of the family. Gave me a good rate on it too!' The man eyed his spear, it's ornate etchings just below the base of the head. Nothing fancy but enough to distinguish it.

'How's it's weight?' I ask just trying to keep some small talk going in the hopes it might ease their nerves.

'Oh, well, it's a bit awkward. The head is too heavy for the pole, makes stabbing a bit awkward.'

I cocked my head. 'Then why not slash?'

'Slash? With a spear? Are you crazy?'

I grinned forgetting that most footmen never advance their martial skills beyond the basic maneuvers. Which I always found very odd considering the standard equipment for most footmen was in fact the spear. I thought they would at least try to educate their soldiers. Maybe that was just my own training with the Slayers. Looking out over the desolate field, the Rotters laying in hibernation just feet away from where they walked; they would need those skills.

'I was just trained differently. Anyways how are the others? They seem a little...' I paused watching one of the footmen vomit violently into his hands trying to maintain pace.

'Nervous, sir.' The footman stretched his use of the title. I guess it was because Slayers didn't really fit in the normal hierarchy of society.

'Yes...nervous.'

'Dead Cities-,' The Footman held up his trembling hands. 'Just the thought alone gets the best of us. I have no idea how you Slayers do it.'

'Usually with an army at our backs.' I told him.

'Ah.' The footman paused for a moment. 'Sir?'

'Yeah?' I couldn't help but notice the desperation in his voice.

'I don't think this is a good idea.' He admitted to me. Though I think everyone held that same opinion.

'Infiltrating a Dead City with just a handful of men not even trained for this stuff to find a kid that may or may not be dead? Yeah I don't really think there's anything wrong with that.' I jested scratching my brow but the pressure was quite clear.

'It's not just that, Sir. The lord. He ain't right.' The footman spaced off for a moment staring at his liege. He retrained his focus on me. 'They say he locks himself up in his room for days on end. Not eating. Not sleeping. Talking.'

'Talking?' I already knew what that meant. I just hoped the footman wouldn't confirm my suspicions.

'To himself. He's lost it. Cooped up in his room, talking to himself. Now this business with the Dead City. There's something wrong here, Slayer. Something very wrong.' He didn't just speak from idle fear but legitimate concern.

'I appreciate you sharing this with me.' I mused over what to say before deciding. 'What's your name?'

'Djerik, Sir.'

'Jerik?' I cocked an eyebrow.

'Yeah, but it's spelled with a D out front. It's weird. Where I'm from in the western fjords that's how we do things.'

'Okay, Djerik. Stick with myself or my master. You'll make it through this. If there is more to this than what it appears then don't worry. We'll handle it. Just as it's your job to protect your land it's ours to kill monsters.'

'I'll be honest, Sir. Your words do little to comfort me but I guess the thought helps. An extra sword is always an extra sword.'

'If that makes this easier, then so be it.' I grinned but quickly felt that strange arrogance of mine wither away as we approached the city. 'Oh, Shit....' I murmured.

Master Holom had stopped just short of the gaping hole in Iory's wall. He thumbed his chin, waiting for something to stir but nothing did. The city was quiet. That just made things more eerie.

'Agarn!' Master called to me and I galloped up to his side.

'Master? What's wrong?'

'Rotters, strewn across the street ahead. We're gonna have to clear them out. Quietly.'

'Yes, yes, all sneaky like. I get it, Master.' I peered into the gloom just beyond the wall, the street littered with stone and cobwebs. And corpses. 'Any Shamblers?'

'Not that I can see. If there are any they'll just be waiting in the empty shops.' He was quick to point out not without a hint of reservation.

'Right. Walk by houses possibly filled with zombies while trying to quietly take out Rotters. It'll be our own personal audience.' I looked back at the Councilman and his soldiers. 'Not counting them of course.'

'Alright, dismount, go about it.' Holom told me with a shoo of his hand. I drew my sword wandering to the nearest corpse. Behind me I could hear Master tell the councilman they had to dismount if they wished to continue.

Dipping the glowing edge into the corpse's throat I watched it's eyes pop open, alive but ultimately dead both in nature and from my sword. Then I wandered to the next, and the next before a dozen dead Rotters lay behind me directly in the column's path. I waved my sword for them to follow.

Collifer lead them in, his hands clasped tightly together. Some strange tick of his it appeared for dealing with his nerves. I just thought the action made him look like a sniveling weasel.

'Agarn, keep the way ahead clear.'

'Gotcha....'

I drove my sword into a shambler's chest violently wrenching it free making sure it was dead. A sudden creak caught my attention. To my left a door beside me swung open revealing the shambling form of a Rotter standing tall, organs spilled out from it's gutted belly. The vile stench of excrement and death attacked my nostrils.

In a fluid motion before the creature could even register my existence I twirled my sword into a deep slash that decapitated the undead man. Swinging it back in a flurry I cleaved it's torso in two sending it plummeting to the ground. Blood spilling everywhere I stepped back to avoid it. Disgustingly you could see the vapors pouring off the ichor.

'Well that was close and....disgusting..' I commented putting my cuff to my nose, smelling the leather gauntlet. I actually hated that strange sterile smell but it was better than the Rotter.

I waved my sword towards Holom who advanced the column leaving me to continue clearing the road. It's deep gray cobblestone caked in dried blood coupled with pus or some sort of ooze. My feet alone waded a thin trail through the mess building up on the sides of my boots. Every so often I stopped to shave off the muck with my sword.

Then I heard a snap. A strangely deep snap that sounded dull like it came from a great distance. Looking back the column moved untouched, unaware of the sound. But I heard it and I did not like it. Then I heard it again, this time two consecutive snaps, but upon further contemplation I realized they were thuds. Like someone had tossed a rock down a deep crevice waiting to hear it bounce off the bottom.

I grew worried. I thought immediately of informing Holom but I couldn't shout, not when another strange thud danced along the street's walls coming towards me. I turned to walk back greeted by a familiar face.

Djerik and a few others had wandered up to him. Their shoulders hunched low as if that made them harder to spot. Tensed and spears held at the ready none of them looked fit for battle yet alone the undead.

'Djerik, what are you doing?' I asked him, the man's eyes shifting. His fear so real and alive it made me impatient.

The footman turned to me. 'Sir Collifer grew nervous seeing you stop. He sent us up to make sure everything was alright.' His voice was almost so low it was a faint whisper.

'Really?' I tensed in annoyance, looked back at the column, the distant sight of the councilman eyeing me fiddling with something in his pocket sent tingles down my spine. I didn't like it but I had no say in the matter. 'Fine. Don't be stupid.'

One of the footman shuffled up to a window. His curiosity getting the better of him. Just as he could pierce the gloom inside a rotten face snapped against the window. A shambler, it's teeth gnawing believing it could bite through the glass. The lowest of the low undead. They were just to pad their numbers but Slayers were always taught to be wary. For where there was one there was always a hundred more.

That's when I discovered the source of that thud. Another shambler landed on the cobblestone beside the man in the street. He almost screamed but I was happy to see his training at least stopped him from doing that much. Or maybe he was just too terrified to make a sound.

The unintelligent beast had killed itself upon arrival. But as I or any slayer knew, there were always more. Suddenly another body fell from the sky tumbling out of the three story house, a shop built out of it's ground floor. Then another. The smack of it's skull splitting on the cobblestone was unmistakable.

I realized they were moving, though I did not think it was due to our arrival. They just seemed to be mindlessly wandering which was odd. The Undead unless commanded to move usually just sat in one spot until something happened. Something big and that something wasn't us.

I looked back down the street at Holom. His face contorted, brow raised at an angle perplexed at our situation. He saw them fall before I did. A handful st first then more.

'Get back to the column, we should stick together.' I told them.

'I would agree with the Slayer.' Djerik began to back away with his fellow footmen. A growing unease knotting their stomachs that much was obvious. Their small bowl helmets almost dipping over their eyes they held their heads so low.

'Then let's be quick about it.' I suggest hearing a chorus of thuds rain against the road around the corner.

The sound becoming thick as opposed to flesh on rock. I immediately knew bodies piled upon bodies lessening the chance of death on impact. My fears became founded when I spotted a zombie shamble around the corner. Then another followed with two more after that.

'Get back!' I yelled realizing that something had screwed us over. Hiding now was pointless. I looked back and Holom had organized the column into a box with shields protecting them on all sides.

In an instant we had pulled back but that didn't matter. My attention drawn elsewhere I could not notice the wall of undead that had gathered inside one of the buildings between us and the column. The building burst forth loosing it's horde of zombies but they piled out unsteady and carnivorous. All but one.

A rotter emerged from the group, taller and more bloated, it's throat bulging with acidic bile. There was no time to stop it. I could only grab the nearest solider, Djerik, with my free hand and pull him into the nearest building crashing through it's rotted wooden door before the creature played it's hand.

Despite the groans emitted from the decayed vocal chords of shamblers and rotters alike we could still hear the men screaming as acid boiled their flesh melting down to the bone. My heart became overwhelmed when I heard that not all of the five men perished instantly but some became the feast of the shamblers. Ripped apart. Internal organs gorged on.

Their screams slowly died out. Voices overcome by the howling and groaning. I kicked the front door shut hearing nails scrap against it's surface. By some miracle the iron lock had fell into place which gave Djerik and I time to get to our feet.

'No. No. No. NO! This isn't happening. I'm not dying here!' Djerik began to spout drivel like a madman. Not that I blamed him. A horde of undead knocking at your front could get the best of most men.

Maybe it was fear then that caused the footman to hunch over vomiting. Violent specks of bile shooting in every direction. I tried my best to avoid it's touch but being covered in blood had already limited my desire to remain clean.

'I don't want to die. I have a wife and child!' He admitted shaking.

I looked at him. His young face, clean shaven. 'You're married?'

The footman backed against a wall trying to balance himself. 'No...'

'Then why?'

'Cause there's fucking undead outside that god damned door you fucking nitwit. I'll say anything if it means I live.'

I frowned. 'Good lord, get a grip.'

'No!' Djerik charged me grabbing my collar. 'You get a grip. You fucking fool. I'm not dying here. I'm a god damn foot soldier. I hold a spear and shield. That's my weapon. I stab things! You hear that, I fucking poke things to death! What a fucking valuable life! I'm not dying yer when I'm only worth this much.'

'Okay, shit has only just started to pour downhill. How about you freak out closer to the end of this fucking ordeal. I don't need your bullshit!'

'Oh, says the fucking Slayer. Built, sharp as cold nipples sword. Fuck you!' Djerik spat at me.

'Fuck you! I didn't have to save you-,' The door began to buckle, 'Oh, fuck....' I twirled my sword preparing for a fight. The window pressed by the shadows of a hundred ravenous zombies I began to see splatters of blood cascade across it's glass.

'Agarn!' I heard a familiar voice roar.

'Master Holom?' I called back.

'Get out here, Slayer.' He ordered.

'Djerik, stay close.' I told the soldier.

At his behest I shoulder charged the door pushing back into the crowd finding myself surrounded on all sides. There might have been a time where I would have been helpless to defend myself against such an overwhelming number of attackers but my sword was no longer slow.

It flashed silver decapitating four before I cut clean through another set. Shortly a dozen shamblers lay dead at my feet, then another and another until my sword no longer needed to be swung. I had rejoined the column in quick fashion, the footman remained with me the entire way.

'Master Holom?' I charged to the front fighting at his side.

'Agarn, Vishnurr's grace, what the hell happened?'

'Something disturbed them, Sir. We walked straight into the belly of the beast without realizing it was already awake.'

'Ah, fuck!' Master shouted, his pretense for graceful words lost in the heat of battle.

'Master Slayers!' Sir Collifer called from the safety of his knight's line, a second box built within the footmen.

'Councilman? What is it?' Holom did not inflect any niceties to his words. He sounded very pissed off.

'What do we do?' He asked aware that his men were dying at a rapid rate.

'We're not far into the city we turn back while we still can.'

'No!' The Councilman shouted. Though their attention should have been on fighting I could tell a few soldiers were listening. A few murmurs of dissent crept through the front line.

It didn't take long for all pretense of formality to escape my Master's manners. He turned on the spot rushed through the knights and grabbed the councilman by the collar.

'What is wrong with you? It's suicide to continue!'

I would have expected the knights to stop him but an influx of shamblers breaking through the front line had them very much preoccupied.

'Hands off, Slayer!' The councilman ordered but his thin frame could not do anything against Holom's trained body.

'You're going to send these men to their death if you don't turn back now. Is that what a good leader does?'

'I want my son! And you have a job to do....Sinner. By the King's Grace and by the money in your pocket. Or would you like your coven purged?' The creep grinned catching Master in a moment of doubt.

'Fine!' He growled eventually looking around him then releasing Collifer. 'Then we have to split up. Choose a handful of knights to come with us. The rest will stay here and distract the horde. But...they will work their way out of the city. It should give us enough time to get deeper in.'

The councilman cast his eyes away. He did not like that idea but the pressing horde gave him no time to debate. His soldiers that he evidently brought as nothing more than fodder would live if they fought smart getting out of the city. Meanwhile Master and I would be going deeper in with a maniac.

'Agarn, get ready. We're breaking away!' Holom approached the right wing of our forces, cutting through a swath of determined shamblers. Their hungry moans cut short, souls finally unburdened by undeath. 'Councilman, Knights, stay with me.'

I paused for a moment wondering why he didn't relegate that to me but realized he trusted me to follow. That he valued my skill to survive alone. Holom had already pressed through into an adjacent alleyway.

Slowly I could feel the tide of soldiers and undead changing. No longer pushing forward but gradually fighting back towards the wall. If they fought well and stayed together it wouldn't take long but if they let even a single break in their lines the undead would take advantage.

I turned to Djerik who began to cling to me. The man appeared to be a few years older than I yet his eyes looked to be a fearful child's. I'd already saved him once and oddly he still had a better chance surviving coming with me.

'Djerik, get ready you're coming with me.' He looked over the brim of his shield with joy before I dragged him into the alleyway.

A few stray undead shambled towards me but they died easy enough. I looked out over the length of the dark passage, bodies slain by Master littered it's corners. A few that refused to accept death struggled to their feet or crawled ripping fingernails from flesh. Quickly I dispatched them, Djerik at my back his shield raised nervously towards the main street.

'You don't have to worry.' I told him.

'Yes, yes, I do Slayer. Any moment they'll be streaming through and I'll be here to block them.'

'Except they won't.'

'Yes, yes they will.' He stuttered afraid.

'Djerik, undead hordes only chase down larger populations of the living. That's why those soldiers are serving as a distraction. They won't bother to come after us for awhile. But there might be a few stragglers, so stick close.'

'You don't have to tell me twice. Go with the Slayers or stay with the army waiting to die. Logical choice.'

'The logical choice was leaving. And I don't think the army is going to die. We're not far from the wall. They'll make it back.'

Dejrik gave me a concerned look. His eyes glossy with fear. 'Sir Collifer doesn't see it that way. Before you arrived he gave his Knights orders that no matter what they were to force the footmen forward even if it meant killing them.'

I stopped walking just to mull over what I heard. For some strange reason it froze my veins. It was as if there was some underlying desperation to this that far extended past a father's motivation. Something felt sinister.

As the horde began to move my body could feel it. Trembling, my hand grippedthe black leather of my handle so tightly my knuckles turned white. There was more to this and I was powerless to stop whatever was happening, or worse, what was going to happen. I only hoped my Master saw it long before I did otherwise I didn't believe any of us were making it out alive.

'Slayer?' Djerik prodded me with the edge of his thin shield.

I shook my head. 'Nothing, come on. Let's catch up.'

Our journey brought us through wooden alleys. Houses built so close together I could span my arms out and touch either side with just my fingertips. A few sky bridges, rotten wood as our only path creaking underneath our feet, served as excellent vantage points to survey the city.

Not one building stood shorter than three stories. The entire city makeup vertical beyond belief such that certain parts were only accessible vie these rickety sky bridges from a tower built around a giant wooden staircase. Were everything not in horrid disrepair it might have been a marvel.

Yet in every corner danger lurked. The undead awaited their meals, quiet, calculating, letting them fall deeper and deeper into the trap. He was almost sure they hid from view simply not to arouse suspicion but that time passed long ago. Their presence stole away the city's beauty.

Every door was another portal beyond which held the horde. Every scratch on the wall, every creak, every moan heard from distant echos played with my nerves. I could feel the hair's on my neck stick up as stiff as iron.

Djerik held his shield at the ready. Constantly on the vigil. Though I doubt that was from any tactical superiority. I figured he just felt safer having a piece of wood between him and whatever was trying to tear his throat out.

Holom and Sir Collifer sauntered on ahead. The knights acting as a sort of wedge should anything get in their way. The lord grew more and more erratic. Which was why I had Djerik and myself guard the rear. I didn't want to be anywhere near that sort of crazy when it came undone.

'This is pointless without clues, Councilman...' Holom was quick to warn.

'The spire....yes, yes, the central spire. I told him stories of it as a child. He would have nowhere else to go but somewhere familiar. That- that's the most familiar place he has Sinner...'

My master's eyebrow cocked in confusion. The good councilman had used Slayer to be gracious and honorable but his casual use of the word Sinner seemed very misplaced. It was bereft of anger or malice. The man's thoughts were obviously far gone. I wanted to chalk it up to a father's worry but there was something more. Just beyond the surface that made me sweat nervously.

'Then we are to go to the Central Spire?' Holom repeated needing to make one hundred percent sure of their destination.

His heavy step pressed into a particularly rotten board that he feared might give way sending him to the cobblestone street below. Through it's windows I could see the street was empty but the fall and subsequent sound would be dangerous. Master froze for a second as well all heard it. The bridge shudder.

The councilman kept himself and his knights moving well ahead of my master, unaware that he had frozen in a predicament. He feared to move deciding best to remain still.

'Do you need help, Master?' I asked.

'Nooo, I am perfectly fine, Agarn. Just don't come over here.'

'And you don't move!' I jested watching him twitch that caused the wood to creak then the bridge shuddered again. 'Master? That's not you is it?'

Holom stared at the ceiling, thin beams of lights shining through it's broken roof. The light beams cut out as if something large passed over them, multiple things darting over it's surface.

'Master? What-,' Before I could finish his hand shot up telling me to stop.

Then we heard the howls. Deep and guttural almost like a battle horn. Scratching at your insides in ways you didn't even think imaginable.

'Woxen!' Holom shouted to me just as the roof collapsed.

A long skeletal arm thrust down trying to grab him but my master was too fast, his sword cut clean through the monster's arm but such a wound did not phase the creature. Nor did it prevent his pack from continuing their attack.

All at once gargantuan monsters, bone revealed, viscera glistening in the waning light crashed through the roof causing the bridge to lose all stability and plummet to the street below. Everyone in it fell with the woxen recovering first.

I watched them jump to their feet. At least six of them stood in their undead glory. At least seven feet tall their two mouths, one on top of the other, flashed spiny teeth that could rip through steel. As was common with woxen their chests were just gaping holes where you could see inside to the spine. Two sets of eyes stared at them, slowly picking apart a few of the knights that struggled to get up in their armor.

Rubble stabbed by back, leather armor doing little to mitigate it's rough edges. Wooden splinters lined my right arm traveling up it's length, my black coat doing nothing there either. It was as if this material meticulously crafted to withstand swords and monster fangs or claws somehow lost all of it's capabilities the moment it faced splinters.

'Fuck me!' I exclaimed reeling.

The reddening sky above seeping through the now shattered sky bridge. Woxen hounded the knights, howling, charging. When one turned his back or found himself even a few feet removed from the formation they would find themselves dragged into the shadows far away to be ripped apart, slowly, painfully.

Woxen did not kill their victims outright. They played with them. Like dogs to a master but in this case the dog was seven feet tall with claws that could cut through steel and a hunger that was never sated. They were know to string up their victims, cut open their stomachs and dance in the blood as though it were rain. Some say it was a ritual, Slayers, we, knew better. They were simply monsters.

'Djerik!' I shouted for the footman, this battle well beyond his skill. But as I searched the street, it's barrenness really struck me. He was nowhere to be found and neither was the Councilman or that Knight Aldwin.

'Holom!' I shouted for my master ducking a few swipes from a couple young woxen, easier to tell for their shorter limbs and blacker hair that grows whiter with age. I planted my sword into the chest of one before I withdrew in haste to cut off the arm of another.

Their timing as a pack was off. They really were new and that made my job of killing them more difficult. They didn't have a pattern like the adults. They were wild, uncontrolled, succumbing to a blood lust that drove their actions.

Another dodge and the woxen's claw gouged out the side of his friend behind me. They roared at each other but I cut their grievances short beheading them both. My back turned for but a moment three more young woxen saw it as opportunity charging in all at once. They never made it to me. One fumbled over the other and the third stopped distracted my his friend's bickering. I killed the one that paused before killing the two that saw fit to bicker in front of me.

Their aggression was getting them killed. Any adult pack would have used one maybe two to bide their time, push me into a corner where the third would be waiting in ambush. But the young ones wanted glory to themselves. They didn't want to share the kill. This was their undoing.

It didn't take long to mop up the pack. Most of them young, a few adult here or there but no Alpha. Without an alpha to coordinate even the adults could not control the young. It would be like a dog trying to be the queen of a bee colony. It fundamentally did not work.

'Master Holom!' I shouted towards the Slayer his sword plunged three chests deep into a trio of woxen. They had fallen over practically dead, he was just making sure.

'Agarn!' My master shouted to me a hint of nonchalance in his voice. He expected me to survive. I walked up to him wiping the length of my blade on my thigh. 'Where's your footman buddy?'

'Presumably dead, like the knights. I think some of them got dragged off.' My only hint being the lack of bodies.

'I think the Councilman and Knight Aldwin ran.' Holom groaned. 'That piece of shit...' He grit his teeth as we both heard a knocking sound. Then a moan as a nearby piece of wood gave in revealing a rather stunned Djerik.

'So the footman lives.' Holom jested as I ran to the man lifting him under his armpit.

'The Councilman,-' Djerik tried to speak but coughed himself into a fit. 'The Councilman ran with Aldwin and a few others.'

'We figured that. Most have finally lost his nerve and ran back South to the wall.' I reasoned thinking they'd gone South.

'No. Not South. North. He ran North. I heard him say to leave you both behind. And me, not that I'm useful either way. Fucking prick....' Djerik plucked his shield from the ground slung it over his back and picked up a sword one of the knight must have lost from the fall. A vastly superior option over his spear.

'North? Why would the Councilman head deeper into Iory without the Slayers?' I wondered what drove Collifer's madness.

'Desperate for his son, perhaps?' Djerik shrugged. 'All I know is I heard him explicitly say to leave you two behind. And me. Though he didn't actually mention me. I think it's implied.'

'Sir Collifer is gambling on something. What it is? I have no idea. And the more I think about it the more I consider cutting this mission as a loss and leaving.' Master scratched his chin. The options weighing on his mind. The advantages; the disadvantages.

'My curiosity wants to know....' I grin then realize the danger in it. 'Maybe we should call this off. I'm all for saving the man's son but whatever the larger game is I'd rather not take part in it.'

I look over to Djerik fiddling with the straps on his armor. He reared his head with a look of boredom.

'Hey I don't care what you choose. I'm sticking with you Slayers. Fucking Collifer left me behind too.'

'Then you're coming with us to the Central Spire.' Holom told the footman confirming his decision. 'We have a job to do and whatever the Councilman is planning or thinking in what I hope to be his delirious state I will not leave a child alone in this damned city.'

'If the child is in fact real. Or, you know; alive.' The footman stated under his breath which both Holom and I heard. We would have called him a cynic but he was just voicing our thoughts.

'Is there any reason for the child to not be real?' Holom asked Djerik.

'No. I'm just saying. Maybe the son was never here at all.'

I stood stunned for a moment. 'That would really fucking suck.' I didn't sugarcoat my words.

'Then let's make sure we finish this job quickly and without further casualties. Come, Agarn and -,' Holom stared at the footman.

'Djerik, Master Slayer.' The footman told him.

'Djerik then. If you decide to stay with us I only ask you stay out of our way.'

'Not a problem!' The man smiled.

We moved out in unison. Djerik decided it wise to walk between both Holom and I. Between two slayers. There was probably no safer place in a monster infested city. What troubled us was the lack of interference as we made our way to the central spire. It's gold crested roof shining in the failing light.

'Is the Central Spire a church?' I asked Djerik.

'Yeah, how'd you know?'

'The ornamentation on the spire. Looks religious.' I didn't like Churches. It always reeked of the Faith. Those pompous pricks touting their Gods, defacing our shrines to Vishnurr. How the mere thought rose my ire like nothing else. And we could do nothing to retaliate.

'Sounds like you're not a religious man.' Djerik pointed out.

'I am. Just not to the One Faith. Slayers are all followers of Vishnurr.'

The footman looked away. 'Oh.... Isn't that the false god?'

I shot him a dirty look. There was this common occurrence where followers of the Faith, namely every citizen of Sin, disregarded the Slayer's chosen god, Vishnurr, the God of Death. Believing his tenants and values to be a sham by a fake god created by us Sinners. The reality was vastly different but I never bothered to try and educate the ignorant. Vishnurr was our god and we worshiped him and his value for free will. Ironic considering Slayers were bound to the Blood Charter.

Just the mere thought of that damn scroll garnered the ire of all Slayers. It was a contract of sorts. After the Coalition of Crowns, the war that nearly wiped Slayers out four hundred years ago, we signed it as insurance of our survival but were locked to it's whim.

If we ever tried to work beyond it's constraints, ignoring the tenants of the Carter our coven would be purged by the King's Army to prevent any Slayers from operating outside King's law. Should anyone believe we were free to do as we wished well they were dead wrong.

'He's our God, just let this matter be.' I asked Djerik.

'No matter, you saved my life. I have no reason to question your faith not that ours is much better honestly.'

'Fair point. You're a good man Djerik. If I could get you out of harm's way I would.' It was a promise even I wasn't sure I could keep but perhaps it gave the man some piece of mind. His frowning smile did little to tell me it did.

'I appreciate the sentiment.'

Holom quickened his pace, something got to him. He felt it though I did not. It was his instinct after years upon years of training and slaying monsters. He knew something was wrong but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Djerik and I simply did our best to keep up but when we turned that last corner leading into a grand avenue all of us held our breaths.

Wispy fog danced around our ankles, snaking along the ground. Slipping into the cracks in our clothing grabbing a hold of anything it could, touching everything that stood naked to the wind. I held my breath feeling the strange sensation crawl across my skin and up my spine.

Before any of us knew it the fog had grown so thick we couldn't even see our hands in front of our faces. And I in my inability to notice had lost track of both Master Holom and Djerik. I spun about swinging my arms hoping to grab them or at least slap them but there was nothing. Just more fog growing thicker and thicker until it felt like I was walking through milk.

'Master?' I shouted. 'Djerik?' I yelled for the footman. But we had separated in nearly an instant. My heart began to beat faster with every breath. All the energy in my body forced into weary limbs. IT became more and more difficult to move feeling the energy drain rapidly.

'Fuck....I know what this is....' As if to confirm my worries I saw it. Bobbing lights in the distance. Yellow orbs bouncing up and down, swaying gently as if beckoning me to come closer.

They were lures hidden in the fog, lulling the weak and weary closer for the monsters they played for to strike the downtrodden at their weakness. What weakness could a Slayer possibly have in the face of a monster? The answer was as old as man itself: when the darkness comes we all seek the light.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

I was weary to advance but my own arrogance told me I could do it. I could overcome the temptation but the fog grew thick, my mind began to race with fatigue. Yet all the while the light became more appealing and I walked towards it ever so slowly.

Then just as it was inches from my face I began to recall the images of the creature at the other end. The light was the soul of a grieving man, his heart ripped out of his undead chest, forever imprisoned in a lantern made from his rib cage. His own soul tucked away inside his shredded heart, glowing alive as ever but never allowed to leave it's visceral cage.

Yet in the fog that was not what I saw. I saw a simple orb like a wisp dance back and forth. It felt warm as I drew up close, my body became a sack of lethargic meat slumping down to it's knees as I reached for the light. My lips quivered to refuse the offer but my body that had begun to die from the fog's mystical properties saw the light as my savior.

Something told me to stop. Something in the back of my mind screamed to bring sense into my body as it froze on the spot. In panic I drew my sword, it's blue edge shining brightly as the runes glowed vaporizing the haze before me.

I stood in disgust at the creature before me. It's eyes gouged out, mouth sewn shut, head tilted back as it walked on all four limbs, one arm raised high to carry it's rib-cage lantern. A Lantern Man stared at me. It's mouth opened tearing at the stitching to utter a few words through the blood pouring into it's upturned mouth.

'….love.....me.....' It sputtered. I felt my arm tense on instinct as my sword moved of it's own volition taking off the creature's head. But in that second I understood I had acted falsely.

Though the creature laid dying at my feet I felt a chill like no other creep up my spine. As if a thousand eyes stared at me all at once. My body went numb in shock as the lights slowly blinked into existence around me.

Dozens of them swaying back and forth with deliberate figure eights luring me to them. Every joint in my body froze. I could feel a small drop of cold blood drip down the nape of my neck, undoubtedly from the lantern men's sewn mouths.

I had made a mistake of striking one of them. Had I simply resisted the lantern men I could have walked by but now I had presented myself as a threat. A dangerous threat that would be removed. Though they weren't strong they had this habit of disappearing, vanishing as though they were made of fog. This would prove problematic.

A scream shook the fog. Djerik's voice shouting hoarse words of astonishment delivered in the elegant form of rapid swearing and cursing. It was more than enough distraction to waylay the Lantern Men's attention allowing me to spin about killing the one behind me, then cutting down another as I dashed in the direction of the footman's scream.

I saw a shadow kneeling before me, it's head thrown back in despair with a painful roar. Gnarled fingers pressed into his chest, splintering bone, spilling blood across his tunic. Djerik remained motionless as the Lantern Man forced it's hand into his chest trying to steal the man's heart. Perhaps it was terror or some strange magic the creature possessed but the footman did not move until I cut off the undead's hand.

It shuddered then glanced at me as my hand caught it's face grabbing and tossing the thin thing by it's head. Landing with a plop the Lantern Man skittered to it's feet as I kicked it away.

'Fucking animal!' I shouted turning to the stunned man his hands pressed to the hole in his chain mail, five perfectly spaced holes melted into it and through the tunic behind.

'That wasn't very pleasant.' He groaned with the bones in his body resetting from the pressure like an elephant had just attempted to surgically remove his heart by stomping on him. 'The fuck was that?'

'Lantern Men. Heart broken lovers who could never reconcile their love in their former lives. They tend to try and steal the hearts of faithful men, but any heart will do really. Just kind of stuff it in their macabre lanterns stealing the victim's soul. Bit tragic really.'

'Tragic? That's fucking terrifying! Ugh, God, my chest. Fuck me!' Djerik clasped his chest watching as more lights danced around them. 'Where's your master?' He asked with a worried tone.

'Don't know, but he'll be fine.' I said with confidence.

'Sure think highly of him don't you?'

'That man raised me.' I turned on the footman with a serious look, my brow furrowed. 'There's nothing in this world that can put him down. Us on the other hand, if we're not quick, we're fucked.'

'Well that's some good news.' Djerik grunted clutching his chest. 'Fuck me this really hurts.'

'It'll heal. Come, let's get to the church. Holom will just have to meet us there.'

The church was everything wrong with Sinn. It was decadence layered upon decadence with just a small underlying tone of faithless greed. Golden columns rose on either side, ribbing at the top. Dark oak pews lined the single pearl path cutting through the center. A thick white marble podium where a hypocritical priest would give his sermons preaching a humble life as he waited to fuck the church's chamber maidens coming to serve the Gods. All whilst he feasted on an assortment of exotic foods sipping on imported wine as his tender flock starved in the streets.

Oh, how they knelt at the feet of their saviors, the walking mouth pieces of the heavens, only able to talk about how the people should willing without self-preservation serve their Gods and elected officials. A fucking scheme to pray on the miserable was all I saw, was all I ever heard when I sat in on their sermons. Just walking into the church made my skin crawl at the hypocrisy.

'I wonder how many people died in here, trying to hide from Iory's fall as if their Gods would protect them. I bet the clergyman bought his way out of the city.' I was quick to comment as Djerik checked the few halls or closets lining the massive building.

I heard a creak then the footman, 'Oh, I think you might be wrong about that one.' He turned his head away from one of the nearby closets. A hand pressed to his nose. 'God, that smell!' He gagged and I came over to investigate.

Inside it appeared the clergyman had hidden when the city fell a long time ago, his body skewered by a pair of javelins thrown with great force jammed into the wall behind it. Preserved by foul magic we were treated with the full sensory overload of smelling it's centuries old decaying flesh, maggots dripping from the many porous holes in it's body.

'Well, that's disgusting. Close that thing before we get the Iron Plague!' I roared with the smell backing away until my ass hit a pew's edge.

'Yeah, I'd rather not turn into metal.' Djerik flicked his wrist letting the closet door slowly close until the cast iron latch clicked into place. He then slammed the bolt shut. 'I know it won't stop diseases but I feel safer knowing it's bolted shut.'

'Me too.' I told him returning my sword to it's sheath. 'Where are they? Holom should have been here by now and we should have run into the Councilman.'

'Couldn't tell you. All I know is I'm in here and the undead are out there. I'd rather keep it that way.'

'Then it shall stay that way. Don't make too much noise and we'll be fine. They have a horde mentality with limited cognitive function. They act on basic instinct like animals. Well the lower rungs anyways. Let's hope we don't encounter a Lich Lord.' I smiled frightening the footman.

'Don't fucking say that....' He hissed at me trying to restrain the fear.

Lich Lords were powerful undead. I hated them, Slayers hated them, entire countries feared them. And rightfully so. With the magic imbued by their former lives as mages only strengthened by their inability to die giving no limitation to what they might conjure slayers are often taught it's easier to bargain with a Lich Lord then face one in combat.

'Wait did you hear that?' I asked the man feeling as though I heard footsteps in the church's halls.

'If you mean the voices of the Gods then yes, I do feel that in this holiest of places.' His sarcasm was at once welcome and yet uninvited.

'No, fuck off!' Footsteps pattered against stone like pebbles thrown against a wall. 'That! That! Did you hear that!'

'Yeah, I heard that. Sounds small.'

'Like a child's?' I rose my eyebrow.

'Like a child's.' He returned hand placed upon the stolen sword at his side. 'There aren't any undead children are there?' He asked me terrified at the idea.

'No, not many and certainly not here. But there are undead babies. Nasty things. They use their own intestines like whips.' I grinned like an idiot watching the footman squirm.

'That's not funny asshole.'

'It is to me.' I heard the steps echoing around the corner and down the hall. Sounding as though they descended. As we slowly walked in tandem with our nerves flayed feeling the dead air cling to our skins we came upon a set of spiraling stairs leading down into darkness. 'Does this church have a crpyt?'

'Uh, I have no clue. Don't most churches?'

'Fuck!' I hissed under my breath grabbing a torch from the wall. Freshly lit, so obviously we were not alone. I hadn't even noticed it's glow from the main hall. Just as my first foot met the top step Djerik's hand shot out catching my shoulder sending chills down my spine. 'Don't do that!'

He recoiled. 'Sorry. Shouldn't we wait for Holom? There's no telling what's down there.'

'That would be the wise thing to do. But Master never said I was known for being the calculating sort. Besides-,' I paused letting the playful cheer of a happy child travel up the stairs. 'We came here to rescue a child, I'm quite sure we found him.'

'And you're sure it's not a trap?'

'I'm sure it could be.' I let my words hang.

'That's an answer? Hey that's not a damn answer.' He shouted after me following me down the steps after a moments hesitation.

Truthfully I didn't think he should have for the air in a dead city took the properties of it, foul, warm yet cold as it touched your skin. It was in itself mystical if not terrifying but as we descended those steps I felt the air of reality change. There was something down there. Something dark and sinister yet all we could do was continue towards the child's laughter that all heightened the strange sense of horror.

Spiderwebs caught across my face, where once I would have swiped at them like a marionette on broken strings nothing halted my concentration as the stairs stopped, opening into a long hall. Various stone coffins lined the sides, stacked two high inside bare inlets.

It spanned in either direction. If I had any sense at all I would send Djerik down one while I took the other but in that moment I turned to the footman. His eyes wide in fear, a shaking hand preemptively stroking the pommel of his stolen sword. I wondered if the man knew how to use it or if he felt more at ease knowing it was there and not some shoddy spear.

'Lets go left.' I told him who breathed a sigh of relief not to split up. Though it was partly for him I had to admit I was not ideal on the thought of facing a horde alone.

Down the hall we tread, cracking the bones of long dead souls, some survivors of Iory's initial fall, hiding in the catacombs beneath the church hoping help might one day come. What poor fools they were, completely coaxed into the belief that anyone was coming. Dried and faded blood marked the walls where they had painted murals, the bone of their failing bodies as brushes.

Those that had succumbed to undeath held enough sense to portray their old lives and evidently the fall of the city. As we followed the child's laughter eventually our hall opened up into a grand cavern at the very center a single coffin surrounded by a thousand others waited.

'Single coffin at the center? Must be someone important.' Djerik pointed out my exact thoughts. What he didn't notice was the fact the limestone coffins were brand new, the drag marks apparent in the collected dust on the floor. Their corners smeared with blood where rotten hands had dragged them to that spot.

'That's what worries me. Single coffin poised in the center, larger than the rest that appear to be arranged like worshipers praying. Some of them have blood glyphs on them....that's never good.'

'What are blood glpyhs?' The footman pressed his hand against one, feeling the blood grate against his skin as it mixed with dirt wiping the mess off on his chest.

'They're an old system of story telling. Used long ago by the Voiceless, servants of powerful lords. Be they undead, vampires or even slaves to a human master. It was glyph writing that allowed humans the functionality to conquer magic and overtake our kings during the Time of Control. Ever since then it's been refined so the actual use of glyphs which are cumbersome and time consuming to make has been replaced by sigils or words of power or the Touched who can conjure magic without a physical medium.'

'Then how come there are glyphs all over the place?' Djerik asked a rather potent question with a simple answer if not a worrisome one.

'Well, originally it was used by lesser beings to communicate with each other. The written word being somewhat of a luxury back then.'

'Then lesser beings have been here?' The footman shivered feeling a cold air dance upon their backs.

'Yes and that's a bit of a bother. Iory fell four hundred years ago. Long after the use of glyphs died. It hasn't been a written form used by any recognized sovereignty for nearly ten thousand years. To think there live some who can use and understand it outside of Slayers. We, uh, we're taught it at a young age never thought I'd have to actually use it. Whoever wrote this came after Iory fell, and the coffins are fresh. Someone was here recently. A large number of them.'

'Oh, that's just...fuck...what does it all say?'

'Not much. It sort of just repeats.' I stuck the torch out over the etchings trying to remember lessons given nearly ten years ago.

'So the dead sleep, their master in permanent slumber until-, Shit, this glyph is sort of faded I can't make it out. But it also details how Iory fell.' I turned to another coffin. 'When their champion was found and his neck bound by rope only then did his strength flourish. Only then did Iory fall to his hand.'

'Who's champion?' The footman crawled over a coffin pulling it open. Despite his rather weak nerves his curiosity seemed to get the better of him.

'A champion of the undead. Maybe a Lich Lord? Could be a Plaguebearer. Or worse than that, an Undead Dragon. Though I think it's referring to a human. What's in the coffin?'

'Uh, nothing actually, just an outline.'

'Outline?' My mind flooded with the possibilities of what that meant but fourteen years of study did little to bring anything of use to the fore.

'Yeah, like black with strange etchings on it's outer edge.' Intrigued I joined the footman at the coffin's side. Peering in I noticed the line as well. It was of distinctly human shape though slightly larger, black etchings; Glyphs, lined it's outer edge. Yet these glyphs were not as clean or sharp as the others appearing almost to fade out of existence in spots.

Immediately I knew, I knew what was there. Who was there. And my heart skipped a beat.

'Oh, no, no, no. We should not be here. We should have never come here!'

'What's wrong Slayer?'

'Champion? Ancient Glyphs? Lesser beings? A Master in Slumber? Oh, fuck. Oh fucking fuck fuck fuck!'

'What?' Djerik yelled at me but I couldn't hide the fear taking hold of my face. My palms slick with sweat.

'It's a Defiled One. That's what took Iory after all! The only beings to use glyphs, these glyphs in particular were the Ruined Ones and there servants!' I turned to the single coffin at the center. 'And I can almost bet you with all certainty that in that coffin rests a Defiled One.'

We both held our breaths for a second. The quiet of the cavern punctuated by the hiss of air passing through it's body. Then the sound of scraping rock stopped our hearts for a moment as I imagined the coffin lid sliding back slowly as the chosen of the Ruined Gods clambered out from it's resting place. A white hot hand ran down my back, brow dripping with sweat then a rush of relief overtook it as a small boy rounded the coffin, two clacking rocks in his hands.

'Scared for nothing....' I whispered under my breath. 'Hello?' I called to the child, Djerik grabbed my arm. I shot him a dirty look.

'What if he's undead?' The footman asked me but I just shrugged him off.

'Excuse me.' I called out to the boy who looked up from his two rocks that he swung about like toys. 'Are you Councilman Collifer's son?'

'Daddy?' The boy's eyes sparked alive, his rocks thrown to the side. 'Is daddy here?'

'Yes, yes he is but I got separated from him. He should be on his way here.' I approached the boy crouching down until I sat back on my knees in front of him, the Defiled One's coffin just an arm's length away. 'Do you want me to take you to him?'

'No! Daddy said to hide in the catacombs under the church. So I'm going to wait here until daddy comes!'

'Daddy told you to?' I crouched closer pressing my hand across his face checking for wounds. He didn't seem to mind, he had reclaimed one of the stones inspecting it in his hand.

'Yeah, he said he would come and get me.'

'When was this, child?'

' Two days ago.'

My eyes wandered to Djerik who visibly shuddered. Whatever angle the Councilman was playing we had clearly played right into it.

'Slayer, something is amiss here.'

'Yeah, check the Catacomb make sure we're alone. Child, where are the knights Sir Collifer sent with you? The soldiers. Your escort?'

'They were taken. Taken away and eaten because they were evil. Papa said evil men were killed and weren't protected by the Gods.'

'And how do the Gods protect the good men?' I asked him ruffling his shaggy black hair, his blue eyes staring up at me.

'They give them this.' His skinny arm struck out under my view, on his arm wrapped a necklace with a small bronze trinket engraved with an ancient glyph.

I knew exactly what it was. The Abyssal Coin, a gift given by the Ruined Gods to their selected servants in our world. It proclaimed them as faithful to the Ruinous Powers and would see them untouched by all forms of harm, warding off even the Undead.

'And who gave you that?' I ask him kindly trying to hide the absolute terror rising in my thoughts.

'Papa did. He has one too. He said he'll use it to meet me here and we'll see the god's together.'

'Right of course you will.' I smile weakly at him. 'Play with your....rock. I have things to discuss with my friend here.' Oblivious to the nature of his predicament the Councilman's son went about with his rocks reenacting the Battle of Lor Sphere where the Great Hero Adilial fought the Great Demon General Rokre. It was a child's tale but one that had enthralled such that he even made the battle sounds with his mouth.

Djerik had cautiously wandered up to the central coffin, it's simplistic carvings masking the true terror that slept within. It made his soul grow cold as he came close.

'What's the deal with the boy?' The footman asked.

'Innocent, completely. Councilman Collifer on the other hand has been communing with the Ruined Powers.'

'Oh, has he now?' Djerik almost seemed relieved.

'That doesn't surprise you.'

'Well, it's not what I would have thought but House Collifer has been acting mighty weird lately. Their daughter Katherine being about the only normal person to come out of that house of late. I wonder if that's due to her having been sent away to a bordering school in the capital since she was but a child.'

'Regardless, you were right. There's more to this than just saving his son. He sent him here. Protected by an Abyssal Coin.'

The footman's eyes lightened a bit, the thoughts of it's value greedily taking root in his mind.

'Oh, those things are worth a lot.' He grinned imagining the coin it could net him with the right buyer ignoring the fact it was a condemned item.

'And there's a reason why they're banned. The Faith labels those with them in their possession as heretics to the court. Yet the good councilman has one and so does his son. Yet neglected to give it to his soldiers. He wanted those men to die.'

'Think about it. These men were willing to waltz into a Dead City to protect the House's only heir. They would die to stop any harm from coming to him. They probably didn't even know he had the coin.' Djerik held some good points that I couldn't ignore.

'Only heir? Oh, shit I think I know-,'

'Maurice!' Exploded an exuberant voice from where the hall opened out into the cavern. Though dimly lit by his knight's torches I could just make out the long face of Councilman Collifer run down the aisle towards his son completely ignoring myself and Djerik as they ran past.

'Papa!' The child shouted jumping into the man's thin arms, rocks in his hands sent flying to land one on the ground another bouncing off Djerik's head who yelped grabbing the knights attention.

'Sir?' Sir Aldwin called to the Councilman who turned on the Slayer his son in his arms. I wondered if he knew what he was gonna have to do. No, he knew, I wondered if he could really do it.

'Councilman Collifer. Seems you've been reunited with your son.' I said, Djerik's elbow catching my ribs where I spotted what he saw. A string of knights poured into the cavern, their faces familiar for they were part of the army left behind as a distraction.

'Yes, yes. Thanks to you I'm sure.' The Councilman spoke with hurried words, his eyes flickering to the new arrivals as they silently formed around us.

'Of course, anything for a man of the King and the Faith.' I smiled feeling Djerik's back press against mine as the knight's surrounded us. There was a heavy air over them, souls taken by the pressure of what they were to commit.

'Now your services are no longer needed. Please make your way from the city.'

'That will be of non issue I however would like to dally a bit longer so that my master might catch up. It seems we've been separated.' I could feel the air grow thick with tension, a darkness swelling in the knights morality as they contemplated simply butchering us.

'I'd think it best to take your leave now before my patience runs thin.'

'There's no need for hostility My Lord.' I snarled, Djerik let out a sigh of disbelief at my action.

'Or does that get in the way of your plans?' Boomed a dark voice from across the tomb, my master arriving precisely at the right moment, his hand gripped around the disembodied skull of a lantern man. Sword drawn dripping blood he gave it a practice twirl readying for a new fight to come.

'Master Holom!' Collifer faked a dying smile letting his voice turn grim and spoke with a snarl. 'You live....'

'It takes more than a few lantern men and woxen to kill a seasoned slayer. Though precisely why you've dragged us into your game eludes me.' Holom advanced on the central coffin letting myself and Djerik contend with the knights.

'There's a price for everything in this world Master Sinner. As your name clearly states. What atrocity did you commit that lead you to bend before a witch? What price did your soul pay when you took the deal?'

'Nothing that concerns you. You who seeks to sacrifice your son in the name of the Ruined Gods. They are trifling beings, they care not for the problems of mortal men but only to slake their lust for chaos. Do not give in, no matter what glory they offer you Councilman. Family binds us! Don't let it undo you!'

I felt Master's words hit with a certain weight to them believing them to have made an impact, then I heard Collifer's cackle. A sick twisted sound that no human should ever emit. Even his knight's seemed taken aback.

'You believe it is merely I that has come here for their bidding! Why do you think I summoned you specifically for this task! I care not what Slayer helped guide me to this altar that my son's blood will soon cover. But they did!'

'Master?' I shouted feeling the air grow dense, the Knight's backing off just a few steps fearing to get near the altar, rather the central coffin.

'Stay where you are Agarn! This madman will see reason!'

'I'm pretty sure that's out of the question once he's earned the title of “Madman”!' I jested feeling a terrible chill run down my spine as the air grew cold. Something sinister was coming, something powerful. Something dead.

'I concur!' Djerik agreed his breath turning to frost in the air. 'Uh, Slayer?'

'It's time!' The Councilman laughed.

'Poppa. What's going on? I'm cold...' His son complained, voice frail and sweet.

'Do no worry Maurice. Everything is going to be alright. Nothing will ever be wrong again.' Collifer pet his son with a dark look in his eye, a dagger in his other hand.

'If you do this Sir Collifer there is no turning back.' Holom warned him as I watched the child's eyes grow in fear.

“It'll be alright.” I mouth to him but inwardly I knew how wrong I was. Holom could not cover that distance fast and a dozen knights stood between me and him.

'There was no turning back when I accepted the offer.' I watched the man throw his own child, begging for him to stop, on the central coffin and run the blade through the boy's throat. My heart stopped listening to his weak plea end in a blood filled gurgle. Even the knights surrounding me felt their souls tear.

Holom charged forward in a rage stopped only by a dark wall that exploded from the center. Crumpling Knight and Slayer alike. Only the Councilman seemed unaffected, his blank staring eyes focused solely on the son he had just murdered, the blood cascading over the edge of the coffin.

I felt nausea build up in my senses, stomach churning as the man emotionally slit the boy's wrists and ankles hoping to empty him of blood. I could barely watch the crimson roll off the coffin let alone watch him desecrate his son like that.

'That's it then? Is it over?' Djerik asked a fool hardy question but secretly we all wanted that but I knew it wasn't over. My fears became reality when I noticed the coffin's top slide open, a spectral hand gripping it's edge.

'Agarn, I need you on your feet Slayer. It will take the two of us to combat this foe.' Master Holom shouted to me, myself surrounded by crumpled Knights knocked over like turtle's on their backs. One reason why such heavy armor was frowned upon by Covens.

'I will be right with you, Master!' I shouted back.

'Oh, he will, will he?' Crooned a dark voice behind Holom. My master barely had a chance to react before a decaying hand gripped his throat lifting him high, sword arm trapped in the foe's other hand.

'Argh!' I listened to my master cry out in pain, the Knight's around me murmuring prayers of safety as they witnessed the creature they helped raise.

Noxuz, Eater of Rot, The Sovereign of Death, The Soul Eater. He had many names from the ancient texts I read of him. But nothing quite prepared me for his image. Nor could I have suspected that our mission would see us raise him from his slumber. Why we were even necessary escaped me. Just the thought of what part we played and could possibly play chilled my blood.

A lithe figure, his body rotten and broken, bones displaying proudly he smiled. A normal man by all accounts save for a dangling rope tied around his neck, his purple robes fluttering in the stale wind. But it was not his image that made him dangerous, it was who he was.

'Ah! The Master Slayer Holom. As was the bargain.' He said his voice corrupting the very air around him.

'Bargain?' My Master eked out under the Defiled's crushing grip.

'Yes, the bargain. Return the glory of House Collifer.' The Councilman asked of the Defiled, his eyes glossy in his plea.

'Hmmm, you have upheld your end of the bargain.' Noxuz eyed the boy's limp corpse now half-cocked over the side of his coffin. 'But first.'

With my master still in his clutches Noxuz turned his attention towards the Knights who backed away under his gaze.

'I count twelve, James!'

'The rest were not willing to come.'

'I count twelve!' Noxuz roared his jaw distending, voice shaking the crypt. 'I believe that shadow was to give you fifty abyssal coins. Fifty! Fifty Knights! Fifty Coffins!'

'Only twelve knights remained truly loyal to their house.' The Councilman stated coldly.

I looked around for a moment counting the coffins. Minus Noxuz's there were indeed fifty. Immediately I knew what they were there for. Everything had been a game, a part of this bargain including Collifer's own knights.

'Sir Aldwin. Take your men and get out of here!' I shouted at the fear struck man, not that I wished to see him unharmed but that I didn't wish to see what was to come.

'Too late!' Noxuz laughed. His stare took control of the coins in their pockets turning them red hot, burning through their cloth and armor until each one hung in the air. They didn't know how to react as the coins shot into their controlled mouths, willed by the Defiled.

I heard groan men scream and beg for mercy as the coins melted their insides. Some died of shock, others coughed up blood and cried. Aldwin stood against the pain, slowly walking towards his master in an act of defiance.

'My lord.....' He said weakly. 'Have I not been loyal to the last?'

James looked away into the distant corners. He did not care. He had his glory coming to him, the Collifer's power returned to what it once was. The sacrifice of his only loyal knights meant little.

'You have served my House well. Your service now is no longer needed.' The Councilman watched a dozen coffins break open, the black outlines burning red with disembodied souls pouring out and infecting the knights. Aldwin stood against the ancient magic, his will fighting off the demon seeking to control his body, the coin it's permanent seal.

'What a strong will!' Noxuz laughed. 'You will make an excellent Knight of Ruin.'

With his will fading Aldwin turned to me, my stunned, admittedly frightened eyes locking with his own.

'Don't let my people fall to this madness.' He asked of me before the demon took hold, his once blue eyes now red as blood. A blood glyph burning into his chest plate that now warped under foul magic.

'Agarn! Agarn you must leave!' Holom told me the Defiled's grip tightening around his neck causing him to scream.

'Master!'

'Don't move young slayer. You're not a part of this game!' Noxuz warned me turning to the Councilman. 'Now I believe this concludes the deal. You awaken me, I get my admittedly understaffed Knights of Ruin, you bring me the Master Slayer Holom of Typho and your house shall now be spoken of across the land.'

'Then my glory is restored?' Collifer asked.

'The bargain was for the House of Collifer to be spoken of throughout the land. It was not specified in what terms.' Noxuz grinned, The Councilman felt his whole world crumble. 'House Collifer has fallen so disastrously it's Lord killed his only heir leaving the House leaderless and crumbling, an example of a failing world that will fall to Ruin.'

'This was your ploy. This was what you wanted!' Collifer backed into the coffin speechless, his hands catching himself but slipped on his son's blood.

'No, this was what you wanted!' Noxuz argued turning his gaze onto Master. 'To be awakened was what I wanted. But you Master Slayer. You are what my masters want.'

'What would the Ruined Gods want with me?' Holom snarled trying to free himself of the Defiled's grip.

'Well, can't spill all the beans now can we.' Noxuz grinned feeling his power slowly return to it's full strength.

'You liar!' Collifer screamed his mind beginning to break and bend. 'You played me for a fool!'

Noxuz turned to the man, his playful look turning into one of annoyance. 'You're testing my patience human! A bargain was struck! Both ends were upheld. And if you survive you might just see your House return to glory.'

'You mean?' The councilman's face lit up with hope.

'Don't count me for being completely heartless. Your House may fall or rise, who's to say? I can't just snap my fingers and you'll have the grandest treasures to make even the dwarves jealous. That is beyond my power. And the Ruined Gods are not so direct. But we can give you the means. Survive escaping this city and you might just see it through to the end. And just so you know that coin is meaningless now.' Noxuz laughed. 'Best of luck to you.'

'I- I- I-,' He looked at me as if I was his best hope. All the pawns were in play and I alongside Djerik were the only ones present not part of the plan.

'Agarn, as your master I order you to take The Councilman out of this city and see him tried for his crimes and heresy against the King and the laws of the Faith.'

Noxuz turned to my master, his grip like stone, unyielding even under Holom's resistance.

'Oh, what a turn of events? I wonder if that's an order the young slayer can follow let alone accomplish.'

'He is my apprentice. My word is law to him.'

I felt my anger grow. The Knights of Ruin standing silently around me. Would I have to fight them? Could I even win that engagement? Did I have to truly protect this pathetic man even if it meant dragging him to the courts to face justice?

'I will do as you ask.' I sneered, Djerik giving me a look of shock.

'Will it be that easy? Maybe I should just kill him.' Noxuz wondered.

'Don't!' Holom roared.

'Don't? You do not control me. And he has no use. Why let him live? With his skills he might just get the Councilman out alive. I'd rather see him struggle himself. Maybe die. Oh, maybe he might even die and turn. Oooo, that would be grand.'

'He's not important to you but he is to me.' Holom clearly stated, his eyes alive with anger.

'Oh, is he now?' Noxuz laughed thinking of the ways he could use me to torture my Master.

'He's like a son to me. If you touch him now, I will kill myself and Vishnurr will take me where you can never find me. If indeed I am what your masters want.' Holom's word spoke true. As our god, Vishnurr would protect our souls, never to be toyed with. Even the Ruined Gods would not dare tread in his domain.

'Fine, he might leave this crypt untouched, the Councilman too. But beyond this church's walls the legions of undead will hunt them until Iory's walls. If they can make it there, then they shall be safe. But in exchange I will bind your soul to your body. A living seal, if you say.' Noxuz smiled, black rotten teeth flashing.

'To prevent me from just killing myself?' Holom stared into the Defiled's eyes, without a hint of fear.

'Exactly. My masters want you alive and you want this pathetic excuse for a slayer to live. A bargain, no? One with more explicit terms.' Noxuz eyed the Councilman who dropped to his knees realizing he'd been played.

'Precisely.' Holom struggled but knew he was powerless to fight the monster, their only chance of survival was to bargain. 'Footman included in that.' Djerik smiled feeling left out.

'Then a bargain it shall be. It's almost like a game really. If they can reach the walls before the undead kill them, I shall leave them untouched. However I shall add one thing. If any of them, that ghastly excuse for a soldier included, dane to interfere with our plans in any way they will be fair game in the future.'

'His actions at that time will be of his own volition. It's his own risk.' Holom admitted which I couldn't argue with. It would be my choice to interfere and my own life I'd be risking but for now that wasn't the issue at hand.

For in that moment Master looked at me and I understood that the bargain was merely more than fatherly affection. It was so I could warn the covens of a plot at hand, one that directly involved the Ruined Gods who had yet to make a move since the First Slayer. I needed to warn them and in turn I needed to extract information from the Councilman and I knew exactly how to do it.

'Then I am willing to accept the deal.' I told the Defiled. Djerik nodded in agreement. The Knights around me groaned. They wanted to test their new bodies, to spill blood but that was now denied to them. 'But why strike a deal with us?'

'Because, unlike the dead, to seal a living soul requires the consent of the owner. And he wouldn't do that unless you were safe.' Noxuz cackled, Holom grimaced knowing that every last part of that night was going according to their plans.

'Then we're safe to leave?' I asked nervously.

'Only this crypt. Once you're in the city, well, best of luck little slayer.' He laughed thrusting his hand into Holom's chest. Master screamed in agony as his soul was burnt and melted to his body, a giant flaming Y appearing on his chest that burned away his clothes.

'Master!' I shouted worried but Holom held strong, the pain subsiding he waved me off.

'Go! Leave at once Agarn!' He yelled, I obliged.

Reluctantly, knowing I could never hope to defeat a Defiled One alone I took Djerik by his collar and dragged the Councilman away from the crypt hearing a strange tear behind me as the world ahead of me shined a bright orange. When I turned back, the Defiled One and Master were gone, leaving only the boy's corpse and twelve Knights of Ruin surrounding it. They were motionless for a time. Even then I realized I couldn't defeat a single one of them but I knew in my heart that they would soon be unleashed upon the world to do the bidding of their masters.

I didn't want to leave so easily but my pounding heart knew the futility of ever trying to fight that beast. I would die. It would have been as easy as blowing out a candle and as inconsequential leaving me no option but to bow out. Yet I also understood that they needed him alive.

Djerik hobbled along Collifer right behind him the man lost to insanity. My heart broke every time I looked at him, nothing but pity raising to fuel my anger at this weak man before me. It made my chest hot, by bones crunching from my clenched fist. Master had ordered me to make him see justice before a court but in my mind the only true justice would be skinning the coward alive then tossing him in a vat of acid.

That conviction only grew when the councilman crumbling under his own mind began to shriek uncontrollably. Djerik flinched backing away from the man in front. Fed up with his actions I grabbed the councilman, shoved him up the stairs with a sneer then at the top my clenched fist met his small face.

Bone cracked, blood splattered the ground where I had crumpled the fragile man's left cheek bone breaking his nose as well. He didn't even seem bothered so lost to his thoughts as to begin muttering strange things.

'Ah, ahaaha little boy. Fragile boy. Dead boy.' He uttered spitting blood that glistened through his once pristine teeth, now cracked and missing more than a few from my punch. I hadn't really noticed but I had thrown everything I had into the punch.

'Feeling better?' Djerik asked me looking back the way we came, himself not so convinced of the bargain.

I stared at the sad sack of nobleman, feeling my lips curled into a snarl. 'No....I feel worse. Cause I can't do anything further now otherwise I fear he might die.'

'I'm not going to tell you to forget about him but if we have to make it to the wall I need you focused.' Djerik pleaded not wanting to die. Nor did I but the anger welling inside me made it difficult to think rationally save for one idea.

'We're not going to the wall.' I told him listening to the councilman blubber insanity.

'But that was the deal?' Djerik said in shock. 'He also said not to interfere!'

'We're not going to interfere. As we are we'll never make it to the wall. There's thousands of undead between us and it. Most of whom are probably very active now thanks to the Defiled One. He knew we'd never make it. That's why he made the bargain.'

'Then what?'

'We'll go to the harbor. Find something that floats and paddle our way out, across the lake. Undead are many things but they haven't conquered water yet.'

'Smart. The harbor wouldn't be far from here either. Glad you can still think straight.' The footman smiled, I stared him down.

'It's the only thing I can focus on now but I can't guarantee I'm not going to fuck up anything that gets in our way. I've got some anger to let out.' I sneered once again taking the front and leading them out of the church.

Djerik eyed the Councilman's shattered face. 'Hate to see what you do when you let loose.'

I didn't comment. I realized I was being irrational, fueled by anger. How could I not be? I had just lost the man who had raised me like a son. The only thing keeping me from a rage fueled rampage tell undead teeth tore through my flesh was my duty to the Slayers. It's what he would have wanted me to do, my anger could wait.

Little did I realize my chance to do so would come quicker than expected. Undead hordes roamed every street waiting for us to come to them. Nothing more than shamblers thankfully but being outnumbered one hundred to one was never good for anyone. We kept to the shadows. Slinking our way through the backstreets till the sound of crashing waves danced in our ears.

We came close to the harbor our only way in an unguarded gate that had my head buzzing with ideas. As we drew close, crossing over the threshold I grabbed Djerik and dragged him across with the Councilman trailing behind. In one smooth motion I hit the latch on the portcullis watching it slam shut in front of Collifer's frightened eyes.

'Slayer?' The footman shouted.

'No. No. No. No. No. Let me out! Let me out!' Collifer screamed like a banshee, a shrill cry on the dead winds of the harbor his thin fingers wrapped around the rusted metal.

My hand shot through the holes grabbing his shirt and slamming the man into the metal. He screamed in pain. I didn't care.

'Listen here you piece of shit. Answer my questions and I'll raise the portcullis-,' I heard a choir of hungry snarling erupt down the street we had come, a horde of zombies slowly walking around a distant corner. 'Before you're eaten alive.'

'Just let me in. Let me in! I want to live! Please!' He begged, tears rolling from his eyes mixing with the blood smeared on his thin face.

'Agarn, are you sure this is the time and place?' Djerik asked wearily eyeing the docks just behind us, looking for a ship or even driftwood.

'There's no better time. This coward wants to live. He's got to answer some questions.' I sneered realizing the man before me was no longer the man I had met just that morning.

'Fine! Fine! Just please let me in! Let me in and I'll answer anything!'

'Any good negotiator knows you never let go of a position of power.' The horde's snarling came closer dancing off the Councilman's back. 'Now answer; the abyssal coins. Noxuz mentioned a shadow gave them to you. He seemed to be the one that set up the deal. What does he mean?'

'Sha- shadow? Shadow, yes! Shadow! He's a human like you and me.'

'What's his name?'

'No, name. No! No, name! We just called him The Broker. Works for himself. High-profile. Powerful allies.' The man stared me in the eyes, his words truth.

'Including the Ruined Powers.'

'Don't know. Said it was for a client. Offered me power in exchange for Holom.'

'So Holom was the target all along. Why?' I pulled hard the man's face ricocheting off the bars.

'Don't know. Don't know. Don't know. Told me to bring him here and fifty knights and the first heir to my house. Kill-,' Collifer shouted trying to recall his heinous deed. 'I did it. I did it.'

'Yes, you murdered your own son. What else?' I yelled.

'Nothing, nothing. Else. He approached me. At the manor.'

'What's he look like?'

'Tall, dark hair, well tailored. Came up to me after a party I held trying to convince my people everything was better than it was.' My heart pulled itself in two directions. As much as I despised the man, some part of him did it for his people. 'Spoke well. Educated.'

'Anything else, anything defining. Makes him stand out?' I hurried my words, the horde coming closer, Collifer trapped by my unyielding grip. 'Speak fast! The horde's coming closer.'

'No, no. Nothing. Let me in! Let me in you fucking bastard!' He shouted but I had stopped listening. In his eyes I saw desperation that spoke of a man who had played all his cards. He just didn't count on one thing; my anger.

I let my fingers dance on the lever, all it would take on it's rusted hinges was a simple pull and the portcullis would raise just enough for him to slide underneath. But looking at the man, his nose runny with snot and blood, eyes bulging red with tears, lips curled in defeat. All I could do was pity the weak man and hate him for having played a part in my master's death, abduction, what be it.

I hesitated, contemplating consequence after consequence. Collifer flung himself at the gate expecting to just phase through it like some ghost, the horde merely twenty feet away and closing fast.

'You're not going to let him in, are you?' Djerik asked.

I breathed in deeply. 'No.' Dropping his collar I took three steps back out of arm length from him, his eyes growing wide when he realized I wasn't just playing tricks.

'You fucking Sinner! You heretic! Fuck you! Fuck all you Slayers! I'm glad I did it! I'm glad I killed your beloved Master! He'll rot in Ruin for eternity! You piece of utter filth!' Collifer spat venomously at me then turned to the footman his face softening. 'You! Footman! You're loyal to your lord, yes? Help me and I shall reward you. Kill this abomination and let me in! Gold and woman! Katherine! You know my daughter? Said to be the most beautiful lady this side of Synn. I shall let you wed her! Even fuck her on my throne! Just let me in and she will be yours!'

The footman glanced at me with a disgusted look, one that I shared.

'The Lord James Collifer died trying to find his lost son in the dead city, Iory.' Djerik stated coldly, the Councilman screaming profanity at him to which the footman replied. 'You marched soldiers to die for little more than a distraction and murdered your own son for heretical gods. You played a game and lost, My Lord. You'll see no sympathy from me.'

'Fuck you! Fuck you both! I curse you!' He screeched as the first undead hands gripped his flesh. 'You will all die miserable deaths you pathetic fucks!' He screamed as their rotten teeth sank into his flesh. 'I curse you! I curse you!' James Collifer's final words as shamblers tore him apart savoring every last drop of blood and flesh, not that it mattered. Lord and peasant tasted the same to them. A grim remainder that we were on the same playing field in the end.

'Slayer?' The footman grabbed my shoulder, I stood silently watching the councilman eaten alive. In moments they were simply eating a corpse, the life in his eyes that had remained staring at me was already gone.

What unnerved me most was knowing this was not my first time seeing men eaten alive nor would it be my last. Such was the burden of Slayers, such was the action of a man seeking justice. Holom would have me punished for letting the Councilman die. But I didn't care. I got what I needed and he got what he deserved.

'We should not linger.' I told him.

'...yeah...you might be right at that.' He glanced at the horde devouring Collifer's body looking away in shame, fighting back a dry heave.

'Is there a ship?' Djerik nodded pointing down the docks at a derelict piece of wood. Body pocked with holes, sails in tatters. What amazed me was how it had withstood the test of time.

Climbing over it's side I discovered exactly how it had survived and that despite all my fears, that gnawing worry in my stomach that felt like a pit, Master Holom was still looking out for me.

'Ello, Lads. Bout time you got here. Place gives me the creeps. No amount of gold was worth waiting in these cursed waters.' Spoke a devilishly sweet voice coming from the woman that waltzed out of the ship's cabin.

Djerik spooked by her sudden appearance drew his sword in haste. I quickly grabbed his hand lowering the blade and facing the woman, her blonde hair loose around her shoulders. Thin white blouse ripped at the neck plunging deeply between her breasts that would set any man's skin on fire. Tight leather pants, wrapped in pouches and knives clung to her shapely body.

Were I not still focused on my Master's death I would have shamelessly flirted with her ending in my inevitable rejection.

'Who are you?'

'Better part of the question is, who is he?' She nodded at Djerik. 'The deal was for one man, not two.' She hummed staring at me with intense blue eyes.

'Today really has me feeling included.' The footman breathed.

'I asked a question.' My hand shifted to me sword.

'And I chose not to answer. Got a problem with that? Listen bub, I'm a smuggler. Having on the fly changes to my deals is not how I do business. Not that I want to stick around and hash this out.' She cut the mooring with a knife as long as my forearm, it's impeccably sharp blade cutting through the thick rope like butter.

'So, we just have to trust you?' I felt the ship lurch as the current took it.

'No, but you can trust that Old Man. He hired me to get you out of here. You, not so much.' She pointed at Djerik with the dagger.

'Just feel the love Djerik. Feel the love!' He spoke to himself.

I rounded the woman carefully. 'Old Man? Master Holom?'

'Yeah, him. Told me to come pick you up from these docks by dawn or if you didn't show to leave. And if you did come, to give you this.' She produced a note handing it to me.

Agarn, If you're reading this then what I fear has come to pass.

The woman handing this to you, her name is Isabella, trust her.

I have arranged for her to take you out of Iory.

Knowing you I knew you'd try to find a ship out of the harbor.

I can't go into detail, I trust the woman, but only so far.

I need you to continue my work if I'm truly lost.

In my study, the chipped black petal hides the secret.

Please, use all that I have taught you.

You are the one without Sin among Sinners.

I give this job unto you in the hopes you might stop the coming dark.

Speak openly with the Seventh Master, he knows of what I speak.

Vishnurr watch over you child.

As I read the note my emotions took me in their receiving hands. Though I refused to succumb my heart beat a mile a minute, eyes hot in the stale wind. My body refused to move though I willed it. Folding up the paper I put it away in my back pocket turning on Isabella.

'Isabella, huh?' I gave her a weak smile.

'One and only.' She uncorked a bottle of wine hidden inside a broken crate, the red liquid pouring down her throat.

'Where exactly did Master Holom find you?'

'In Cravenholm.' She answered chugging the wine.

'Just before we came here then. So he did know. What weren't you telling me you old bastard?'

'Right, if we're going to be on our way. I need you to pay for him.' Once more and for the third time she pointed at Djerik.

'Pay?' He cocked his eyebrow miffed that they spoke so casually of his presence which at best was ignored.

'The deal was just for this handsome man here. Not you. Pay or I throw you over the side.'

'I don't have any gold?' The footman admitted. 'Uh, Agarn?'

'I don't have any either.'

'Welp, not my fault, best of luck to you.' She moved to push him off but I got between them.

'Hey, hey, hey. Just relax. I'll pay you.'

'How? Your body?' She eyed me carefully, licking her lips. 'I don't do virgins. Though you I could make an exception.'

I grinned. 'Not in that category babe. No, a favor. One favor from a slayer. Anything you want.'

'Anything. Maybe I want your body.' She danced her fingers up my chest smiling to touch the hardened muscle underneath my leather armor.

'Maybe you do. But a favor from a Slayer. That doesn't happen often. We have skills. Dangerous, helpful skills to people like you. Whatever you want.' I realized that Djerik would owe me for this not that I had anything in mind for him I wasn't about to let an innocent man be thrown over board.

'Fine! Whatever I want. Whenever I want. We clear?'

'Crystal.' I grinned.

'Good. Make yourselves comfortable boys. Can't open these tattered sails or force the hull. Too much damage. Current will take us away from this fucked up city then you can both get the fuck off and I'll be on my merry way.'

'What a classy lady.' Djerik commented under his breath catching a scornful look from the smuggler.

I joined the footman at the railing.

'Listen Slayer. Thank you.'

'For what?' I asked humbly playing to my own vanity.

'For saving me. More than once now. If I hadn't been a coward and stayed with the army. I would be dead. No doubt about it. And in the crypt and then with pretty princess over there-,'

'Relax, Djerik. What are you going to do now?' I asked.

'Well, can't go back. If anybody found out I let Lord Collifer die they'd hang me for treason. Wouldn't even think about it just-, shlet,' he mimicked being hung. 'I have family in Trale. They might not like me but I'm sure they'll take me in.'

'Trale, huh? House Collifer's rival. Are you sure that's wise? Slayers don't meddle in politics but even I know that if spun correctly they could pin the Lord's death on you as a spy sent by House Thorne. Start a war. I've seen worse outcomes for less.' At the mention of spies the smuggler winced trying to look otherwise preoccupied. There was more to this Isabella character but I wasn't intent on getting to know her.

'It'll be fine. I hope. What about you? What did that note say?'

'Nothing to concern yourself with. I suppose firstly I'll have to return to Cravenholm and tell the people what has happened.' (Avoiding suspicion of my misdeeds while obtaining information on the Broker.) 'Won't be pleasant. Never is.'

'I can only wish the best for you then.' Djerik smiled at me. 'I'm sorry about your master.'

'It's fine.' I didn't want to tell him more than that. It wouldn't be proper. I simply shut up and watched the cursed city drift away into the distance.

I waved them off, Djerik and Isabella disappearing in the distance for they had elected to continue further down the river, one of many offshoots from Lake Iory. It boggled my mind how such a damaged ship remained afloat but I guess it was more like a giant hunk of driftwood than a proper vessel.

I looked around the river bank. It was just me. From the treeline I half expected to see Master Holom yelling at me to keep up. But he wasn't there. He wouldn't be there yelling at me. God, how I missed that man already.

'Fuck this....' I solemnly kicked a nearby rock feeling it's hard face crunch against my boot.

'Fuck you. Fuck this, fuck everything!' I shouted letting my tears race across my cheeks unopposed. My heart pounding in my ears as my knees grew weak. I collapsed vomiting. At once sad and angry with my own stupidity.

'I'm sorry.' I began to cry openly, now alone with nothing but my emotions. 'I was weak. I couldn't do anything.' I remembered Holom's last order, one that became perverted by my rage. 'I failed you, master. I'm sorry.'

I pulled out the note and read it again realizing that I still had one job left to do. Something that needed to be done and maybe if I finished the job I would find him again. I had things I needed to do. Swallowing my emotions I stood and I walked with the weight of my actions on my shoulders. I left for Cravenholm.