Alistair

I smile, and bounce up and down a couple times. I run over to the three necromancers standing around while the other adventurers disperse.

“Hey are all of you with the dark knights?”

The first one of the group, an older man, very pale skin, and a wild untamed beard, as well as having a bald top to his head, and the side of his hair poke out like crazy.

The second necromancer is a ugly young woman, with a short bob, and light, but well made, working clothing.

The last necromancer is older women, with long hair, with hints of silvery coloration near the top.

All three of them nod slightly.

I smile. “Perfect! You and your forces are required by your guild, and as such you are being drafted into temporary service! Use your undead, and guard this encampment until I come back. Don't let any of them leave, unless Milo, or I say they can.”

The older man spins on his heel at him. “Fuck you!” He throws out his finger, and his lips shake, throwing spittle into Alistair's face.

I lean back. I reach out, and twist my hand emphatically. “I am your Guild superior, I would rather not force you with the guild contract, but I will.”

The man shakes his head. “Whatever.”

I spins, and stomps off in the direction of his group of skeletons.

The older woman quickly jogs after the older man, while calling his name. “Igor! Igor! Hold on!”

The young woman nods but cringes. “Do I have to?”

I nod. “Not for long. Just long enough for me to put together a better force.”

She deflates with a deep breath. “Ok…” She wanders off. This young woman had a smaller skeleton force than the other two but she did have the one C-1 ranked creature.

I smile, and sprint in the direction of the caravan. I arrive to see Eli already unhooking them but I finish the job, and send my abominations pulling the cart, each around C-2 off in the direction of the encampment, I also send the flesh Golems at C-1.

I quickly follow behind, and resume control of the defenses.

Adam

Adam squats down by the fire. His friend Henry, and lover Abby sit around with him. He unravels the first layer of bandages on his face to scratch at them, before he takes a swig of alcohol laced with opioids so as to dull the neverending pain of existing. Standard issue for the plague pilgrims.

He passes the bottle to Abby who takes a deep swig, and passes it to Henry.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

His eye twitches, as a cyst on his face starts leaking. He reaches up, and rubs a little loose whiskey on it, before saying something. “I don't trust them…”

Abby nods along. “I don't trust em either.” Her voice barely coherent through her thick Scottish accent.

Henry nods, and speaks in his posh annoying way. “No… Neither do I.”

Adam leans in, and gives a creepy grin, his teeth crooked, and black. He is missing one of his front teeth, and his remaining teeth are permanently stained. “Let's pick a fight… No way we lose. We have Julian with us.” He gestures to where the plague prophet resides within his tent.

Henry sits back, and doesn't respond, But Abby does. “I totally agree.” She nods emphatically.

Adam stands, and begins to stroll from campfire to campfire, and antagonizes a couple more people. All those people move over to Adams fire. They are left with a fighting force of 10 people. The strongest one being Adam, at C-1. Everyone else is high D ranked.

He leans in close, and shares the plan. “We stay together, and you see that necromancer over there.” He points off in the direction of Alistair. “We cut through the undead fluff, and kill him, and they all die.”

The others nod at his plan as if it is anything other than idiotic.

Adam smiles, and stands walking over to the edge of their encampment. He strikes first…

With one strike he blows several skeletons to bits, showering a larger group of them with bones. His warhammer shattered their skeletons with ease. Two more skelies walk up to bat, and are turned to a fine powder.

At this point the necromancer in the distance has noticed, and is obviously directing more forces our way.

A giant flesh abomination bursts around the corner. A pair of arms emerge from its rib cage with meat hooks attached, and it rushes forward, its rib cage meathooks swing at Adam

Adam dances back nimbly. He laughs, and strikes forward, landing a blow on one of the meat hooks. The beast unfazed attacks again.

*Shlink* A wet noise resounds. A skeleton. While Adam was focused on the beast a skeleton snuck up, and stabbed him. He spins, and obliterates the thing with one blow. But the damage is already done. Before he can refocus, the meat hook, and flying, and the abomination's main hands have locked Adam in place, stopping him from dodging.

With a wet slapping grinding noise, the meat hooks slide through his midsection, shattering ribs, severing his spine, and then the sharp clack of the two hooks meeting inside of him.

His lower half drops, and hits the floor. But his upper half remains held in the construct's grip. He guts slowly oozes free from the cavity of his chest.

Another skeleton walks over with a torch, and burns Adam's body. Preventing any of his diseases from spreading.

Abby clutches her chest. Her chest binds itself tightly, and she falls to the floor replaying memories of him. A young boy with a tooth gap. They grew up together. His dad was a drunk, who came home every night, and beat his mother blue. One day he just stabbed his father. He went to jail for a time until he left, a meaner man. But a man indebted to light. He did his best to reform. But eventually he caught the plague, and he saw no other choice. He joined the plague pilgrims, so he may redeem his useless life.

I missed him so much, I ventured off, and got myself sick just so I could come with the dipshit. He always beat me in cards. I could never win. He would always laugh, and tell me one day I'd beat him. He was a heavy drinker, and didn't know when to stop. He was maybe a little handsy when he got drunk, but he never once hit me. More than anything, he loved me, and I loved him. I would never get to beat him in cards. I'd never get to watch the lord of light free us from our blight. I'd never get to watch our kids grow up…

*Schlick* Abby glances down, and notices the spear, running through her chest. “Ohh…” She says. *Schl-thuck-schlick* A second spear drives through her side, and glances off the top of the other spear before continuing, and exiting the other side. Her eyes grow wide. But she never cries. She's stronger than that. “I won’t die…” She whispers. “For Adam!”

*Thud* Abbies head hits the ground, her matted hair clinging to the mud.