We, that is the surreal skeleton overlord and me, made way across the sandy countryside of however this place was called. In another life, i might have even enjoyed it here. Silent, mystic, ancient. Right now though, my life hung on a very bare thread. So forgive me if i currently don't feel very secure. Since nothing eventful had happened for minutes now, except following this undead monster, a deep, primal uneasy began nagging at my soul. I realized a few things, consequences in all their glory.

I was not on my home world any more. Stranded in a forsaken place. I didn't know where i was. Hell, no one from my home probably knew this place even existed. This wasn't good. I was powerless here, that much was clear. While my current form might be a crow, in reality i was but a mere little lamb: Blind and helpless. Which was a major problem. As you might know, as well as i do, blind sheep get slaughtered, like, all the time.

Few goals went along with that realization.

Priority number one: Stay alive. Corpse = Boring, and so on.

I kept that in check, for now, by politely nodding to every word of Mr. Undead. Guess what, i am a freshman minion now. Or will be, after i met its master.

Next up: How the fuck am i supposed to find my way back?

If there was a way back at all. Shit, man. I mean, sure there was a way, the portal thingy or whatever, that brought me here. But unfortunately there was an unbridgable gap between a way out, and a way out, that i had the ability to use. Come on dude, a few hours ago i didn't even know such portals existed, you can't expect me to just know how to operate those things.

Even if, by some miracle, i got out of the current situation free and clear, and by calling upon an even greater miracle, got the portal to take me back home, there were still the fake gods i had pissed off.

While not nearly as scary as that thing i followed right now, they could still dispose of me easily. Heck, they almost killed me for good the first time around. With my non existent luck, and a tiny bit of my own fault, i had maneuvered myself right between a very hard place, and a very very hard place. Why, man, just why is it always me, who ends up burning on a stake?

There was another option though. What if actually becoming a minion, was a good thing? I know, joining team supreme undead didn't sound so nice at first, but standing on their side might actually be cool as fuck. And i could probably return home safely, with that kind of entities backing me. To that dubious Ruth person, and to the skeleton in front of me, for that matter, the fake gods were the same kind of lowly fodder i was.

When i pictured myself exiting the portal @Home and dragging along a few Mr. Bladegods with me, i almost laughed aloud. I would say something epic, like, "You, fake gods! I have come to end this heresy, in the name of the true gods!", or cool stuff like that. And then just snap my fingers and the (fake) gods were no more.

This would never actually happen, but dreaming helped right now, as it kept my sanity in check.

Back to the eternal question. To be (a minion), or not to be (a minion).

In my opinion, the biggest down side was, that i didn't know, what i would sign up for. What were their goals?

Guess i needed to find out. I had no choice, but to play this charade to its end, anyway.

"When we arrive, you will bow to our master, and not speak unless ordered."

Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.

"Understood, Sir."

The rusty voice of my invincible unliving concierge had snapped me out of my thoughts. A little lost for a split second, i looked around. In front of us, was a temple. A ruin? Yes, but at the same time well polished. Maybe this was by design? It sure looked intimidating as fuck, towering high above my head. Something about the four huge pillars to the left and right of the run down gate, we would assumingly pass through in a few seconds, reminded me of something.

I inspected them closer. They were at least twenty meters high, made of black metal, i couldn't identify. Once they must have been painted in gold, or golden color, or something like that. The coating had splintered off in places though, like scratches made by the claws of unspoken horrors. I pictured something akin to a cat. Just hundred times the size, and the name forgotten, washed away with the lifeblood of its victims. I shivered slightly. Oh.. They look a little bit like the pillars in my home world's heaven. Yeah, thats it! Did the wanna-be gods steal the design, or what? I didn't know.

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I focused on the gap in between the pillars, clearly a passageway of some sort. Maybe there had been a gate, maybe there hadn't. Right now there wasn't.

There were, however, other undeads. They probably acted as some kind of guards. Unmoving like toy soldiers, but made abominations. Unlike my skeletal guy, those undeads had flesh on their bones. At least, in some places. Otherwise, they looked like nightmares, pretty much like the one i first met. Three meters tall, covered in metal armor, humanoid, blue flames acting as eyes. Lances, instead of the dual swords, though. And they held large round shields. (AN: Spear / Shield combo like the frontlines of Spartan warriors)

I sighed. "Identify" is what i yelled at one of them, silently.

Race: Corrupted Undead Level: 5880 Title (Active): Vanguard Of Ruth Class (Main): Speargod Threat-Level: Insane Just no. You can't run, you can't win, you can't survive an encounter in any way.

Yeah, don't know what i expected.

Insanely high levels again. Oh man. Someone tell me please, what is the difference between being vanguard, and being a minion? Are the vanguard not minions, too?

Go me, they are a few hundred levels weaker than the one who 'invited' me here. I laughed bitterly. A few hundred levels weaker, and it didn't change my odds one tiny bit. Still undefeatable. And unlike my original undead bro, there were dozens of them, standing along the perimeter of Temple Fearsome.

Geez, i wanted to be literally anywhere but here, right now. My wish was not granted. We wordlessly passed the guards, entering the ruins.

I have to admit, the sheer size of the hall with no roof, we arrived in, impressed me hard. Everything was full of sand and old, corroded by times untold. Yet it still stood tall, mocking time's relentless effort to bring it all down. The grand hall was nearly empty. Except dust and sand. And banners, hung to the pillars once supporting this place. Yeah, there were more pillars. I couldn't see them before, as they lined up perfectly with the ones at the non existing gate.

Surprisingly, the banners looked freshly woven. Were it not for the dust they were covered in, as much as everything else here.

Of course, the symbol they put on display meant nothing to me. All red, a black siccle on them. A depiction of the designer's darkest thoughts of bloodshed and slaughter, i think.

"Master will arrive shortly."

Yeah, okay. Hopefully master permitted me as minion, otherwise i was screwed. In the bad way.

Out of nothing, an aura so powerful, that it bent space, made me drop out of the air. I crashed onto the floor, unable to move.

What the fuck??

Man, the aura of my favorite Mr. Skeleton was scary as fuck. But it didn't even approach the density of this corruption, that practically swallowed the world. A feeling of great terror forced its way into my mind, drowning every ounce of hope. Panic reigned supreme.

Then it just stopped.

I took a heavy breath, shaking my wings to get back on my feet. It helped calm my nerves a great deal.

"Who might you be, child?" The sweetest of voices, seduction.. no.. addiction, made speech, asked calmly. Those words carried a power so great, it made the surroundings bleed color. Everything went shades of gray.

Out of necessity, i looked up. In front of me stood.. a fallen angel. I don't know how to describe it any other way. A woman, with raven hair. Her eyes like molten rock, blazing in a dark crimson. Her ashen body, like the majestic slopes of a wild, unsubdued mountain range. Red wings wrapped around her like a delicate blanket, paid for in blood.

Coherent thought failed me for a second there. I opened and shut my mouth, but no voice came out. Fuck me!

Okay, i think i understood now, why all the minions races said "Corrupted". Fucking reality itself could barely continue on, near the source of this oppression.

I know i am gonna regret this, okay?.. but i just have to.. "Identify"..

Name: Alira of the East

Race: Fallen

Divide: 2nd

Level: 1304

Title (Active): Harbinger Of Ruth

Class (Main): True Oracle

Threat-Level: Higher Divide

Yeah. She lifts a finger, you die. She merely thinks about lifting a finger, you still die.

I had never seen screens other than blue. This one was much more ominous. And it distorted while looking at it.

Sure thing, Alira of the East. Allow me to correct myself. My undead friend is not OP. You are.

Fuck, OP doesn't even cut it. What the hell are you, lady?