# DEATH'S MARIONETTE

The change came overnight. In a single day, the world changed forever.

Corpses crawled out of the dirt. Mobs of staggering corpses poured out of graveyards. The former dead overwhelmed cities across the world. By the second night, the light in those cities disappeared.

Entire villages fled from the ghoul-like monsters. They traveled to nearby towns, only to find silent necropoli waiting for them. Very few of the wandering caravans survived for long.

But a few countries did survive. In the Holy Briar Dominion, they traditionally burned their dead. So Death's Marionette, as it came to be called, found no graveyards to kindle. In a few small corners of the world, the humans resisted the end.

# HOLY BRIAR DOMINION

In the center of the Holy Briar Dominion, on an island in the Great Lake, a cloud of dragons flew over the city. Citizens looked up from the streets in surprise as the silhouettes of the dragons descended on the northern end of the island

In the courtyard of the castle, a giant dragon crashed down. Its claws gouged out carefully manicured turf. Several fountains crumbled as its giant legs and wings settled down in the cramped walled garden.

Dozens of smaller dragons perched on the walls of the castle. Guardskeepers pointed their spears at the giant winged lizards. But one side glance from a nearby dragon sent their weapons rattling to the ground and the human guards scurried away to safety.

"Bring out your ruler…" The High Dragon in the center growled to the groundskeepers and they screeched in response, running into the castle for safety.

# HERALD OF HOPE

Hundreds of years after Death's Marionette first appeared, a girl was born in a certain village.

The village sat at the edges of the Silent Wilds. Hundreds of years prior, the dragons burned the forests to the ground and humans reclaimed the charred land from the wilderness. The humans erected huge walls, surrounding their Holy Dominion.

Occasionally, corpses would go unburned in the Holy Dominion. Travelers might perish between villages. Or a field hand falls into a river, their body swept away and unable to be retrieved. Each time, the bodies would come back, terrorizing the living. And so, the threat of the Restless still remained within the sacred dominion.

To combat the Restless, it's said the goddess granted a portion of her powers to a chosen one. With prayers alone, the saintess could strike down the corpses manipulated by Death's Marionette. Or so the legends say.

# FARMER, LAYLA

"Mom, who's that?" a young boy pointed at a figure staggering stiltedly at the edge of the field. One leg dragged behind the other and they held their arms stiffly aloft as they wandered the thin dirt path.

His mother, kneeling nearby, looked up and her eyes widened. She grabbed his outstretched hand, her other arm scooping up his legs, and she began sprinting in the opposite direction. The walls of their village loomed in the distance. But the Restless corpse was too close.

The wandering corpse looked up, head rolling on a loose neck. As their eyes focused on the fleeing pair, it screeched, a gurgling shout emanating from its mouth. Their arms, stiffly crackled as they began to move. The limp leg dragging behind it twisted to life, making similar popping noises as the arms.

The ghoul leaned down, placing their hands on the ground, forming a track-start position. Their skin split as their fingers flexed. Their entire body poised, ready to run. A silent shot cracked the air, and their entire body hurled forwards.

The mother looked behind, screaming. "Somebody! Please, Restless! There's a Restless! Someone, please!" But the walls of the village were too far away, she wouldn't make it. Around her, their empty fields offered no support.

The corpse kicked up a cloud of dust behind them. Arms and legs pumped in perfect mechanical harmony. Their bloody rags flapped in the wind, as they closed in on their prey.

The woman tightened her grip around the child and she began to whisper, "Run. No matter what, you must run. Don't stop running until you reach the village!"

"Mommy?" the boy asked back. But the corpse was already too close. The woman threw the child forward, through the air.

"Run!" She screamed after him, and she skidded to a halt.

As the corpse drew close she turned around and jumped forward at it. In one swift motion, she brought up a leg, plunging her heel into the sternum of the corpse. Its momentum carried it forward, ribs cracking, and she twisted around, knocking it off balance as she redirected it off to the side.

The corpse rolled off to the side of the road. Its legs tangled as it struggled for purchase and it collapsed into a ditch.

The woman stared into the ditch, not daring to turn her back on the foe. As she struggled for breath, the corpse pushed itself up, staggering out of the damp grass. It turned towards her and sprinted once more.

But before it got two steps, a massive arrow pierced the side of its chest, and the corpse crumpled to the side. The woman blinked in surprise, staring at the twitching corpse.

Farther up the road, from where she had run from, another woman walked calmly down the road. She dressed in white holy clothes, with patterned green swathes accenting the robes. She carried a metal scepter in one hand, walking with grace.

"I'm sure it must have been hard," the holy woman offered a regal smile as she drew close. "Good job surviving this long," she continued and turned her eyes back towards the arrow-ridden corpse. Despite the massive arrow piercing its chest, it still crawled on the ground towards the pair.

The woman nodded in shock and hurriedly bowed. Taking several steps back, she distanced herself from the corpse.

"I have come to relive your despair," the saint spoke in a clear voice, staring directly at the corpse. Her scepter began to glow a green light. "Let the chill retake your flesh. Let it be offered to this world's future. Let your spirit return to the great beyond. And let your body finally know rest. In the name of the Guiding Goddess of Life, I command thee… Die."

The corpse finally collapsed, its limbs falling silent.

# HERALD OF HOPE, SAINT MARY

Mary smiled as the mother reunited with her son. They both cried into each other's arms, as the village guards stared on in confusion.

Beside Mary, Lowe stood with a Great Bow on one shoulder. He looked over into the crowd, eyes squinting.

From the crowd, three men emerged with a cart. "Ah, Captain! Mary, I see you're already finished. Your hunt went well I take it?" One of the men, Sid, called out and Lowe nodded in response.

"We barely made it in time," Mary explained. "Without my ability to sense the restless, I'm sure a great tragedy might have taken place today…" But despite the good news, she struggled to smile at her own words.

"Let's get going. You guys got all the supplies?" Lowe asked. "We can head out the west gate.

"You sure you don't want to spend some more time? This is the first village in a while," Wallis asked. But together with Sid, he began pulling the cart towards the west gate.

"We're too close now to stay anywhere long-term. For everyone's safety, it's better if I keep moving…" Mary shook her head.

"C'mon, Mary, don't look so down. Why don't you sit in the cart with me," Bert asked from the back of the cart. He offered a roll from a small bag, "We even got freshly baked bread again!"

Mary smiled but shook her head. "Maybe once we get outside the city walls…"

-

"Are you sure you're feelin' alright, Mary?" Captain Lowe asked, walking from beside the cart. After leaving the village, they finally began talking casually once more.

"I should be the one asking that…" she quipped back. "After all, I'm the one most likely to survive this mission ya'know."

"That's being a bit optimistic," Bert smiled back from across the cart. "None of those undead are ever going to make it past my shields. At the very least, I think I'm the most likely to survive."

"And who's gonna carry you back exactly?" Sid shouted from the front of the cart.

"That's right," Wallis shouted from beside him. The two pulled the cart over the rooted dirt together. But they still had much energy left. "After all, we are the two fastest runners here. While y'all are getting eaten, we'll be booking it in the opposite direction."

"The Restless don't eat humans," Lowe corrected him, walking beside the cart. "At most they bite," he continued. But his eyes never left the forest around them and their banter dwindled back into a somber silence.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Despite having just left the final village, their cart only contained supplies for a one-way trip.

-

Their cart rolled along the sandy beach. Huge cliffs lined the waters of the Great Lake. Their somber silence now lasted hours in length between words.

"Probably only another day before we start seeing attacks…" Captain Lowe finally called out and everyone nodded.

After attempting to come by boat, the Restless attacked before they could reach shore. So they had taken this detour. But those attacks were sure to resume as they drew closer to their destination. Wherever Mary went, she drew the Restless towards her after all.

Mary tightened her grip on the scepter and grimaced. Her eyes screwed up as she held back tears. "I… I just wish we had figured out the source of my power. Then we wouldn't have to do this dangerous mission. It feels like we're just giving up."

"We signed up for this job knowing it would be dangerous," Bert tried to smile from across from her. But the rest of the soldiers' eyes remained fixed on the silent horizon.

"We're doing this mission, because we believe in you," Lowe finally replied. "Don't say you regret it."

"You believe in my gift… Not me," Mary said, looking down at her hands. "That gift isn't me…"

-

"Three Dragons incoming!" Sid called out from the front and the cart shuddered to a stop.

As the others scrambled to positions, Mary continued staring at the floorboards of the cart. Without looking up, she opened her mouth. "Die…" She whispered, and the dragons came crashing down to earth.

The corpses splattered against the ground on either side of the cart. The soldiers held their weapons at the ready for several seconds. But the piles of bones and decayed dragon hide moved no more.

"Let's keep moving…" Lowe called out finally and everyone nodded.

# CAPTAIN LOWE, OUTSIDE THE DRACONIC NECROPOLIS

"The ruins are in sight," Wallis called out from the front of the cart.

Captain Lowe kept a watchful eye on their surroundings before glancing ahead. In the distance, charred black walls rose up on the horizon. Vegetation overran the crumbling walls, green vines breaking up the burnt stone.

"Make sure to keep an eye out, don't get excited yet…" He warned the others. "Mary, do you need rest before we proceed?"

Sweat beaded on her forehead as she put on a struggling smile, "I'll be fine. Let's get this shitty day over with…"

The attacks from the Restless Dead increased as they progressed to their destination, and the tax of overusing her ability built up with each of their attacks. They should take a break before jumping into the den of undead. But that could also invite more pre-emptive attacks from Death's Marionette.

Captain Lowe took only a half second to decide and nodded. "Alright, we'll go in for now. But let us take on the enemies first. Only use your ability if absolutely necessary."

Mary nodded and Sid turned back to the occupants of the wagon. "Don't worry, we won't lose to some half-dead corpses. Just focus on guiding us!" He called back to the saint and the cart lurched forward once again, towards the city of rotting dragons.

# DEATH'S MARIONETTE, HARROTH

When it first reached consciousness, several hundred years of its existence had already passed. It knew only the desire to multiply. But after obtaining sentience, that desire gradually faded away.

It already infected every living creature, from the forests to the animals and insects in them. The humans putting up their resistance didn't matter. They too would join him in death. All he had to do was wait. Even if they burned their corpses, it was insignificant to the total number of beings making up Harroth.

Yet… There was one existence that frustrated him. The Saint born at the edges of the human empire used a unique ability. The corpses she commanded to die would not rise once more. Those parts of Harroth she killed would never return to him.

Every single time he attacked her, small parts of him blinked out of existence. But even that was like loose hair falling from one's head. Perhaps unpleasant, but utterly meaningless in comparison to the total number of entities making up Harroth.

Even the Saint herself technically made up a part of Harroth. He infected even the aberrant entities that defied him. Like all humans, he could see from her eyes and hear what she heard. In the end, she was mortal like any other, and all he had to do was wait.

But despite his all-knowing nature, something confused Harroth. Why had the humans come to this one city in particular?

# HERALD OF HOPE, SAINT MARY

"This is the building?" The captain called out, and Mary nodded in response. The rundown shack looked identical to what she saw in her dreams.

"In the basement, we'll find…" Salvation, the word floated up in her mind and Mary shook her head. "A way to end the Restless."

Captain Lowe nodded in response and led the five of them in. But the entire place was empty. "It's not guarded very well, is it…" He commented cautiously.

The deserted Adventurer's Guild building remained ominously silent in response. The roof had long since blown off, sunlight pouring in through the rotted beams. Rubble filled the spacious lobby and at the far end, a hallway led deeper into the building.

"Mary and Wallis with me. Bert and Sid, watch our backs, make sure nothing comes after us." The captain called out, and Mary silently followed after him, tightening her grip on her metallic scepter.

"Take a right, then a left, the entrance to the basement will be at the bottom of the steps. Beware of the rubble blocking the entrance," Mary called out as they walked through the building. But a pit formed in her stomach at her own words. How did she know all of that?

Lowe nodded and found the stairwell, pushing away a large boulder blocking the door at the bottom. The door was already cracked open a bit. Yet for some reason, that sight made Mary's stomach lurch. "Let's hurry," she called out.

The three entered the dimly lit basement and the Captain flipped a switch on the wall. Lights flooded in from the ceiling. Magi-stone lanterns poured a soft white-yellow light down over hundreds of boxed-up crates and the trio blinked in surprise.

"Lots of valuable stuff it looks like. But how do we know what we're looking for?" Wallis called out.

"It's…" Mary rubbed her temple, a headache growing behind her eyes. What were they looking for again? She could have sworn she saw it thousands of times in her dreams… "I-I'll know it when I see it. But it's not something that will fit in a box or crate. I know that much."

The captain nodded and led them through the maze of crates. "This certainly looks suspicious…" He said, finding a wall of crates blocking one wall. "The room continues, but the creates block the way."

"Knock them aside," Mary said, surprising herself at her own tone. "I-I mean, let's just knock them down…"

"Seems like they're empty," Wallis said, knocking on a few.

"Back up," the captain said, stepping forward. He raised his long claymore up, holding it at his side. His eyes dilated, and he tensed the muscles in his arms. "Ten-fold strike, first form," he whispered and the boxes in front of him shattered, blown to the sides.

In one strike, Captain Lowe ripped a hole in the wall of boxes. As the shattered wooden boxes blew away, their objective finally came into sight.

"That's it…" Mary said slowly. The growing pit in her stomach reached a tipping point, and a wave of nausea crashed into her. She took a shaky breath as she struggled not to puke.

On the other side of the boxes, a giant blue crystal stood imposingly. Inside, a figure stood frozen, staring across the room. It wore a black suit, with strangely smooth skin. Not a hair covered their head. It appeared mostly human. But the black liquid eyes betrayed its true otherworldly nature.

From its chest, a long black vine grew out of its form and pierced through the crystal. From the inside, a flower sprouted from the front of the crystal enclosure. Giant cracks pierced the crystal where the black flower emerged and Mary shivered as she half-shattered glass.

"We need to release it," Mary said and the captain nodded. But her breath came in small short huffs as she struggled not to puke.

Swinging his massive claymore, Captain Lowe struck the crystal on the fractured seams. The cracks spread out through the entire crystal. With one swing, the cracks slowly grew longer and longer, spider webbing through the entire enclosure. Until finally, the entire crystal encasing shattered, bits and pieces evaporating into the ether.

The two men staggered back as the loud shattering echoed through the basement. But Mary remained steadfast and a relieved smile crawled onto her face.

The released figure stepped forward, crystal shards crunching under his shoes. More crystal fragments remained, coating the otherwise immaculate black suit of the figure. But without even a breath of wind, they toppled to the ground, leaving the clothes of the figure unsullied once more.

Mary dropped to one knee, "Master…" She whispered under her breath.

"Mary, What'cha doing?" Captain Lowe called out concerned. But she could no longer hear him.

A wave of euphoria washed over Mary as the eyes of the figure fell on her. At the same time, the nausea assaulting her reached a fever pitch. Unable to do anything else, she puked all over the floor in front of the being.

# CAPTAIN LOWE

Mary suddenly made a retching noise and heaved forward. But what came out wasn't normal.

Mary puked out a large silver ball onto the floor and a watery substance splattered onto the ground after it. Again and again, she hurled and puked up metallic balls of metal. One even glinted of gold. But the horrendous retching noises filling the basement quickly took Lowe's mind off that.

"A-Are you okay?" Captain Lowe called out to her. But she didn't respond. Instead, the figure finally spoke.

"You did very well," it spoke down to her. "You may die now." And Mary collapsed into a limp heap on the floor.

"Mary!" The captain shouted, running up to her. Grabbing her off the ground, he dragged her away.

"Relax, the woman is fine." The figure replied and stepped forward. The balls of metal began to float upwards and into their outstretched hands.

Lowe felt a pulse and sighed in relief. Dragging her unconscious body away, he eyed the figure skeptically and Wallis raised his sword and shield wearily. But a commotion arose from behind the two men.

Loud stomping echoed from the far end of the basement and the door burst open. Suddenly, Bert and Sid ran backwards into the room. Bert held up his great shield wearily towards the door and Sid brandished his two swords beside him.

"Sorry captain, they all just appeared at once…" Bert apologized and thundering footsteps echoed down the basement stairs. Dozens of Restless corpses ran into the basement, flooding the small space, and they paused a few meters away from the four soldiers.

"Why…" Spoke the first corpse.

"Why…"

"Why…"

"Why…" echoed more corpses after it. Their rotting mouths echoed the gurgled words from all corners of the room and the soldiers blinked in surprise.

"They can talk!?!" Sid finally broke the silence. But the corpses continued echoing the one word.

"Why… Why… Why… Why…" More and more corpses spoke up until a cacophony of putrid voices reverberated through the room. It all coalesced into a single line, spoken by every single corpse. "Why are you not infected?" They asked all at once.

"Ah… I recognize you…" The figure standing in the crystal rubble replied. "You were the phlegm I coughed up before I entered the forest. You may die as well."

At the figure's words, the countless corpses collapsed into a heap on the floor. Across the entire world, every living corpse fell, like a Marionette with its strings cut, and the Restless finally found rest once more.