Zavet left the keep, his steps quickening with purpose. His mind raced as he recalled Vlad’s words, the malicious intent behind them clear. “Good, we can get them both tonight. I owe her a few deaths.” The words echoed in his head like a dark chant, spurring him forward.

As he walked through the city streets, he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Runner or Alley. The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the cobbled roads. He knew time was running out. If he didn’t warn them soon, Vlad and his accomplices would make their move.

Zavet’s heart raced as his feet pounded against the cobblestone streets, heading straight for the Andiesen house. The sky was dimming, the golden hues of sunset giving way to deep purples and blues. He could feel the urgency like a weight on his chest, Vlad’s sinister words echoing in his mind. As the large estate came into view, he spotted Talich, Vivian, and Lina standing outside in conversation, their expressions calm and unaware of the danger that lurked in the shadows.

Vivian’s sharp eyes noticed Zavet first, her eyebrows rising in surprise as he approached at a near sprint. Talich, ever watchful, turned his head, his usual calm demeanor replaced with concern at the sight of Zavet’s urgency.

“Zavet?” Lina stepped forward, her hand resting on the hilt of one of her twin silver short swords. She seemed to sense something was wrong. “What’s going on?”

Breathing heavily, Zavet didn’t waste any time. “Is Runner and Alley here?” he asked, glancing between the three of them, hoping desperately that they hadn’t wandered off.

Lina shook her head, a slight frown forming on her lips. “Sorry, lizardboy. They went to explore the city at night. Said they wanted to see what it looked like after dark.”

Zavet’s heart dropped, his throat tightening. “Listen, Lina, I overheard Vlad, Vexx, and Krunk. They’re planning something, something bad. They’re targeting Runner and Alley tonight. We need to find them now!”

Lina’s expression darkened immediately, her eyes narrowing as she took Zavet’s words. She didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Stay here,” she said firmly, her voice hard as steel. She turned on her heel and rushed inside the Andiesen house. Within moments, she was back outside, accompanied by the entire group of Krimlond, alerted to the danger.

Hoat, Krimlond’s most experienced scout, stepped forward, his brow furrowed in thought. “Anybody know where they could be?” he asked, his voice steady but laced with concern.

Harley, one of the newer recruits but already proving his worth, shrugged but then raised his hand slightly. “I talked to them earlier,” he began, looking around at the group. “Told them the roofs around the city have a great view of the mountains. Maybe they’re up there.”

Lina nodded sharply, her expression serious. “Good lead. We’ll start there.”

Talich stepped up beside Zavet, placing a firm but reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You did well coming to us, Zavet,” he said, his voice low and filled with the weight of the situation. “Now we’ll handle it.”

Zavet nodded, feeling a mix of relief and lingering anxiety. His thoughts raced. Would they be able to find Runner and Alley before it was too late? He knew Vlad and his crew wouldn’t wait long to strike. They had to act fast.

Lina gave orders swiftly. “Hoat, take the rooftops and get eyes on them. Harley, spread the word to our other scouts. I want this entire city combed if we need to. The rest of you, pair up and sweep the streets. They can’t have gone far.”

As the group dispersed, Zavet found himself standing with Talich for a moment. Talich gave him a nod, understanding the silent worry that lingered in his eyes. “We’ll find them,” Talich promised.

Zavet swallowed hard but nodded back. There was no turning back now. This night, the city’s quiet beauty was marred by the shadow of impending danger, and time was ticking away.

Without another word, Zavet turned, following the others as they began their search, his heart pounding again, this time with a different kind of urgency.

It had taken some time, and the tension was building with every passing minute. Zavet's heart thumped in his chest as they combed the city for Runner and Alley. The rooftops, where Harley had suggested they might be, stretched out in the fading light like silent sentinels. Finally, a signal came, a whistle from above.

Scarlet and Harley, perched on the higher ground, were the first to spot them. There, in a narrow alleyway, Runner and Alley stood over the bodies of Vexx, Vlad, and Krunk. Their lifeless forms lay sprawled out, and from a distance, it was clear they had met a swift, precise end. As Scarlet and Harley descended, the smell of blood and poison lingered faintly in the air.

“What happened?” Scarlet asked, her tone a mixture of relief and disbelief as she took in the sight before her.

Alley looked up from where she was crouched, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips. She waved casually, her demeanor as nonchalant as if she were discussing the weather. “Oh hey,” she replied, her voice light. “Runner and I decided to take these guys out. followed them, and… well, we took them down with some of Runner’s poisons.”

She laughed, the sound echoing off the narrow stone walls of the alleyway. It was a laugh born of satisfaction, not fear or nervousness. As if on cue, Runner chuckled along, his eyes glinting with a quiet sense of accomplishment.

Scarlet and Harley exchanged glances before breaking into relieved laughter as well. The situation had gone from dire to done in a matter of moments, and it seemed Runner and Alley had taken control of it long before any help had arrived.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“They were planning to kill you two tonight,” Zavet said, his voice a little hoarse from the sprinting and anxiety of the past few hours. His relief was palpable, but he couldn’t quite shake the residual fear that had gripped him.

Runner glanced at Zavet and nodded, wiping the poison-laden blade he’d used on a rag he carried. “Yeah, Zavet. We figured something was off,” he explained. “We spotted them lurking from the rooftops earlier, moving like they were on a hunt. They’ve been after Alley for a while now. Killed her last year, in fact. So… we figured it was time to return the favor.”

Alley grinned at that, not the least bit bothered by the grisly scene in front of her. “Payback’s sweet, isn’t it?” she added with a wink, nudging one of the corpses with the toe of her boot. Her voice held no remorse, only satisfaction. The weight of her previous death by their hands seemed lifted now, replaced by a sense of closure she hadn’t expected.

Scarlet bent down, examining the bodies briefly. “Looks like they didn’t even have time to fight back,” she remarked, her tone one of admiration.

Runner shrugged, his face calm. “Poison works fast when you know how to use it. Besides, Alley and I knew what we were doing. It wasn’t hard to get the drop on them.”

Zavet, still processing the scene, found himself shaking his head slightly in disbelief. “I’m glad you’re both okay,” he finally said, the tension leaving his shoulders. He had feared the worst, but in the end, they had turned the tables on their would-be killers with precision and skill.

“Let’s get out of here,” Scarlet said after a moment, her eyes still scanning the alleyway as if expecting more trouble. “We’ll deal with the cleanup later.”

Runner and Alley exchanged a look, their smirks still lingering. Zavet approached Runner, his tone serious but filled with a quiet thrill. “Stay with me,” he said, glancing at the bodies strewn across the ground. “Let the others go. I want to try something.”

Alley, catching the tone in his voice, raised an eyebrow but nodded, turning to leave with the others. “Alright, just don’t get into too much trouble without us,” she quipped, waving them off as she disappeared down the alley with Scarlet and Harley.

Once they were out of sight, Zavet focused his gaze on the bodies before him, his mind racing. He turned to Runner. “Keep a lookout,” he instructed, his voice lowered with anticipation. “I’m going to make them undead.”

Runner’s expression shifted from mild surprise to intrigue. He leaned against a nearby wall, folding his arms across his chest. “You could use a spell to rapidly decay them,” he suggested, his voice casual but filled with the kind of knowledge Zavet appreciated.

Zavet sighed. “I wish I knew that one,” he admitted, frustration evident in his voice. “But I have a different plan. I want them to find Iscariot for me.”

Runner shrugged, a grin forming on his face. “Not a bad idea.”

Without wasting another second, Zavet began drawing the necromantic energy to him. He focused, feeling the power surge within him, like tendrils of green smoke swirling at his fingertips. As the magic gathered, he raised his hand and pointed at the corpse of Vexx.

“By the power of necromancy, I call upon the hunger of gluttony to animate this corpse,” Zavet chanted, his voice echoing in the dark alley as green energy snaked toward Vexx's lifeless body.

The magic flowed into the corpse, but to Zavet’s confusion, nothing happened. Vexx’s body lay still, untouched by the spell.

Zavet stared at the body for a few seconds, puzzled. “He’s imbued with necromancy already. He can’t be raised.”

Runner, watching intently, nodded. “Makes sense. Some bodies are too soaked in necromantic energy to be animated again.”

Zavet’s gaze shifted to Vlad’s corpse. “But Vlad… he’s not,” he muttered, the thrill of experimentation fueling his next move.

Runner’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Try changing the phrasing. Instead of ‘by the power of necromancy,’ say, ‘by my power over necromancy.’ It might give you more control.”

Zavet smiled, excited by the suggestion. “Good idea.” This time, he called upon the necromantic energy within himself, his personal connection to the dark arts, rather than simply harnessing the ambient magic around them.

“By my power over necromancy, I call upon the hunger of gluttony to animate this corpse.”

A surge of energy blasted from Zavet’s hands, sinking into Vlad’s corpse. For a moment, the body lay still. Then, with a sharp gasp, Vlad’s eyes flew open. He jumped to his feet, his posture defensive and wild with confusion.

“What the… You killed me!” Vlad spat, his eyes locking onto Runner, pure fury radiating from him. “Asshole!”

Zavet and Runner exchanged startled looks. This wasn’t the reaction they were expecting. “They’re supposed to be mindless,” Runner said, stepping forward, his voice tinged with curiosity. “Why does he still have his mind?”

Vlad’s gaze darted between them, blinking rapidly as he tried to process what had just happened. “You... turned me undead and I still have my mind?” His tone shifted from anger to awe, and a wicked grin spread across his face. “Oh, be damned. I feel stronger than ever.”

Zavet, watching him carefully, raised a hand. “Stop moving for a moment,” he commanded.

Vlad’s body froze instantly, as if an invisible hand had taken control of his every muscle. He glanced down at himself in horror, then back up at Zavet. “Oh, shit. You can control me. No….wait, hold on, fuck!”

For a moment, Zavet held him there, testing the limits of his power over the undead Vlad. After a tense few seconds, he released his hold, and Vlad gasped, immediately trying to bolt.

But Zavet had already figured out the full extent of his control. “Stop,” Zavet commanded calmly, and again, Vlad’s body responded instantly, halting mid-motion.

Runner chuckled, impressed. “You’ve got full control over him. You could make him do anything.”

With Runner’s help, they began crafting a series of commands for Vlad. Zavet’s voice was calm but firm, laying out each command with deliberate intent. “Forget who created you. Do what you would normally do. Stop hunting Alley. Train your swordsmanship every morning for four hours. Don’t let anyone know you’re undead. Keep up your appearance to look alive. And most importantly, find Iscariot and give Talich his location.”

Vlad’s expression shifted as each command took root in his mind, his defiant demeanor giving way to an eerie calm. He was still aware, but Zavet’s control over him was absolute. Finally, Zavet and Runner stepped back, watching as Vlad nodded in quiet compliance.

“Well,” Runner said, stretching his arms above his head. “That went better than expected.”

Zavet grinned, feeling the excitement of their success surge through him. “Yeah, it did.”

By the time they were done, the other two corpses, Vexx and Krunk, had dissolved into dust. But that didn’t matter. Vlad was their key now, and Zavet couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride at what they had accomplished.

As they made their way back to the Andiesen household, the thrill of the night still buzzing in their veins, they saw the rest of the Krimlond crew gathered outside, the evening air thick with anticipation.