The adventurers, city guards, and clergymen waited until midnight arrived. It was a moonless night with gleaming grey clouds. The stars were not present as well. The white crack in the sky etched itself from the evening night. Darkness enveloped the graveyard’s gloomy vicinity. Night avians hooted noisily from the dead trees.
The troops, led by Prince Randor, left the camp and altar. They resumed their march towards the mausoleum. Out of boredom, the prince pestered the adventurers again.
“So, mister infernal, I wonder why you are still sticking with us. Looks like not everybody likes you.”
“I have nothing else to do since the city is closed. Other than that, I would also benefit if we win. I look towards the rewards and recognition as a hero.” Rez lied again. He would like to say that he enjoyed the companionship of Corbin, Milas and Nia. But he would rather look like a scoundrel rather than be vulnerable in front of others. Infernals never showed off their vulnerability to others.
“So all of that time together was for nothing?” Milas pouted with his words.
“Of course not, you’re a special kind of companion. I’ll wait for you to blossom into a full-fledged lady.”
“What answers should I expect from you?” Milas looked away in disappointment.
“Maybe your friend here is romantically inclined to you?” Randor attempted to get closer to the group. He never joins a lively group of adventurers before. All of his life, Solus only praised his achievements but never casually talked to him.
“Unlikely,” Corbin commented from the back of the row.
“I like women who are sophisticated, elegant, and beautiful.” Before Rez could enumerate more, Milas lobbed a pebble and landed on his head.
“You’ll never get a suitor if you’re as crude as a child!”
“Oh yeah? Wait till I grow older, maybe five years from now!”
“Will you youngsters just shut it?! The dead shall bite your arse if you keep yapping like lovers!” Brindles shouted again at the noisy adventurers.
While the adventurers and city guards recuperated in the Capital City, the undead rose again. This time, they spawn in the middle of the city. The streaks of purple blood glowed, forming magical inscriptions. The magical inscriptions then float, creating a large circular portal. Hordes of undead roamed across the city.
“Looks like the necromancer managed to create an unholy portal. So that’s why they pushed us towards the bazaar.”
“Are you sure, captain?”
“Father Brindles gave me some information regarding the previous invasions. The necromancer plans to invade inside out.”
“How did the necromancer manage to send the undead from the northwest district?”
“That’s what Father Brindles and the clergymen are about to discover. In the meantime, we mow down the undead again.”
The city’s center was the least guarded area. City guards focused most of their attention on the outer perimeters. They often expected invasions at the outside perimeter. An invasion coming from the city’s most vulnerable location would lead to disaster.
In the north district, the city guards and other adventurers were not doing well. Ever since they lost some comrades, their morale was very low. Instead of fending off the undead, the adventurers and city guards fled to safer spots.
“Are you even trying at all? You look way weaker than ever!” The women trained by Milas and city guards showed up. They equipped themselves with flimsy homemade weapons. It was better than nothing at all.. The women volunteered to fight with the rest. They learned that the remaining adventurers' and city guards’ morale was low.
“It’s useless. We are overwhelmed.” An inexperienced adventurer yelped.
“And you will let everybody die?” A mother protested as she prods the undead with a rake.
“If you’re not doing anything else, then we shall defend our homes.” An elderly woman borrowed a slingshot to pelt the undead.
“What drives you to fight?” An orcish city guard demanded answers from the women.
“We won’t let the undead harm our families. Even if it means risking our lives.” A troll woman bashed an undead with her shovel.
“Are you sure about this? The undead is way stronger than you can ever imagine.” One of the senior city guards warned them.
“If we stick together and give our best shot, we can survive the night.”
“The best taught us, the young lady from Lotus Valley taught us well.” The little lady showed up, brandishing some homemade clubs.
“I admire your bravery, women. You’re filled with iron determination. We will fight alongside you.” The senior guard let the women fight with the adventurers and city guards.
At the south prison, the inmates were getting restless. They can hear screaming and howling from the outside. The undead tried to grab some prisoners through the windows and prison grates.
“We’re gonna die! Let us out, let us out!” Patricio panicked and banged the prison bars. Nobody seems to hear them from the prison cells.
“It’s way safer inside. The undead won’t reach us.” Brian tried to convince Patricio to keep quiet. They have been in prison for weeks. Many victims have filed complaints against their swindling and thievery. The sun and moon passed several times and they haven’t seen the outside.
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Just as the prisoners were about to abandon hope, a senior city guard arrives.
“Under King Remus’s order, w are forcefully conscripting you to the city militia. Go grab your weapons at the armory. Try to run away and you’ll be thrown back again.” He called the attention of the inmates.
After the emergency briefing, he opens the prison cells one by one. A foolish inmate attempted to clobber the senior city guard. He got immediately kicked back to his cell by a female guard. She shut the prison cell as the inmate pleaded.
“You two there. Why not grab some of our weapons?”
“Where’s my bat? Also his daggers?” Brian insisted on using their familiar weapons instead of the armory’s swords and spears.
“Are you sure? They look very impractical against the undead.” The senior city guards question Brian and Patricio.
“Do you want extra hands or not?”
“It’s your funeral then.” The senior city guard gets his sword and buckler. The two muggers got their bat and daggers.
“I miss you two so much.” Patricio twirled his daggers and kissed them.
“That’s why no woman would approach you!” Brian bantered with his partner.
The two muggers charged the undead with the other inmates. Most of them were inexperienced warriors. One by one, they got slain by the numerous undead. Brian and Patricio were lucky enough to dodge most of them. They learned how to fight from their previous encounter against Milas. Every strike should be precise. Otherwise, an opening would leave them vulnerable.
Back at the camp, the troops marched to the unholy grounds. Their destination was the graveyard where the mausoleum rests.
“Good luck everyone!” The younger clerics and neophyte city guards encouraged the priests, Prince Randor, and the adventurers.
The atmosphere became heavy, and the air chilled everybody’s skin. The city guards were trembling, but they swallowed down their fears.
“Even traversing the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil.” Priests prayed vigilantly and they negate the graveyard’s negative aura. The cold air lessened and the road to the graveyard illuminated.
The graveyard’s entrance has skeletal knights and archers guarding it. They were already anticipating the marching troops.
“Guards, in position!” Randor commanded a wedge formation and pushes through. The city guards in front penetrated the enemy's forces. The others stayed behind the city guards, shooting with ranged attacks. Their solid formation easily took down the skeletons. They struck down the weakest skeleton to the heavily armored ones. Other city guards deflected the arrows coming from the skeletal archers.
“Feel the light of Solne!” The templars and priests shot divine bolts and magical spears behind the formation. Physically destroying the skeletons was not enough. The clergymen prevented the skeletons from reassembling. Their divine magecraft pulverized the bones to salt. Inside the defensive formation were Randor and the adventurers. They shielded the adventurers so that they can fight the necromancer in full strength.
The wedge formation was effective at first glance. Veterans have been using it in older warfare against bandits. However, the other pile of bones left behind merged into a bony monstrosity. One by one, the bones trundled and fused. A giant amalgam of skeletons rose and roared in the midnight air. It towered over the tombs and trees. Despite lacking organs, its unholy howl reverberated across the graveyard. It broke the wedge formation by swiping the city guards with its massive fist.
“Everybody spread out!” Randor ordered everybody to watch out for incoming attacks.
Templars and priests took safe positions and threw divine bolts. Some adventurers even used bows and firearms. But the giant skeleton ignored the projectiles, and it barely harmed it.
“He’s deflecting our divine bolts! The projectiles from the adventurers are not working as well!” Calma noticed the giant skeleton’s resilience.
“Just keep on firing, it will eventually wear down like twigs!” Brindles insisted.
The giant skeleton spotted the adventurers and tried to smash them with its feet. The adventurers were nimble enough to evade the overhead smash. However, shockwaves from the giant skeleton spread to the ground and crippled the nearby adventurers.
“Easy there, bonehead!” Milas dashed away from the trampling.
“Break the knees!” Corbin shouted. He believed that the giant skeleton behaves like a typical humanoid. By destroying its knees, they can immobilize it due to its tremendous weight.
Rez sneaked to the giant skeleton and rolled diagonally to dodge. He threw sticky explosives on its gangly but tall knees.
“Ready to detonate!” Rez ordered everybody to move out. He ignited the explosives with his firearm. The fuse lit up and the sticky explosives detonated simultaneously. The giant skeleton fell on one side and the adventurers hacked its enormous skull. Any undead’s weakness was its head. Once the head was gone, the body no longer moved.
“Find its core and destroy it!” Brindles located its weakness by his divine detection. Other than the skull, the ribs contained the giant skeleton’s source of power. Randor stepped forward and stabbed a blackened, magical core from the giant skeleton’s ribs. The giant skeleton crumbled into pieces and crashed down.
“Quite easy.” Randor bragged about his swift attack that ended the giant skeleton.
“Is everyone alright? Just approach the priest if you need healing.” Calma called out some injured adventurers. So far, they have only got light bruises and cuts.
“The graveyard is clear. Time to head to the mausoleum.”
The city guards shielded Randor, who climbed down to the mausoleum stairway. Next came the clergymen and adventurers, protecting the back row from any sudden ambush. As everybody descended to the mausoleum, the sinister aura from the graveyard returned. This time, it was more intense and heavier. Some adventurers and city guards vomited or fainted. The priests attended to their unwell companions while they marched.
“It’s no surprise why the vermin have no negative reaction to the unholy energies. He is at home!”
“Please stop Father Brindles, it’s no longer funny,” Calma called out to the old dwarf out of frustration. He can’t keep up with Brindles’s hijinks.
“Is it true Rez? You’re fine?” Milas checked Rez if he is doing well.
“I’m quite lightheaded, nothing else.”
“Those who are not feeling well may go back to the camp,” Randor suggested, as he needs fully capable allies.
“We’re already here, no reason to retreat.” Corbin persuaded the others who are getting exasperated.
The undead spread out from the city center to the nearby districts. Citizens climbed to the city rooftops. At least the undead can’t reach them above. Some citizens failed to catch up. They turned into the undead by the horde. Everybody was about to lose hope until a hunting avian arrived. It carries a message from nearby villages. All the city gates opened and adventurers from far-flung places came to aid.
“Don’t let the undead survive!” The military force garrisoned from Jagganatha arrived on time.
“Push forward!” A troop of elven soldiers formed a wall of defense. They impaled the undead with lances and spears. Their enchanted shields shined bright and repelled the undead.
“Fire!” The goblin troopers aimed their oversized firearms, shooting simultaneously. Every time the first row reloaded their firearms, another row of goblin troopers fired.
“Motherlode, vanquish the evil from this city! “The forest shaman from Florescent Woods ordered her men to plant totems and light up torches. The forest militia guarded the forest shaman against the approaching undead. After setting up the ceremonial altar, she conjured friendly elementals to fight the undead.
The combined forces of Arche’s allies managed to slay the first few waves of the undead. Their victory was only temporary as more undead rose. Fortunately, the allies of Arche were not yet exhausted.
“It’s going to be a long, crazy night. Guards, get ready.” After chugging a flask of sugar water, Fuji rose his sword and prepped up the city guards.