“There is no way this is going to work” Ryland whispered

“Ryland, I swear…”

“What? I’m just saying it!”

“Well do you have any other ideas…No? Ok, just do your job” Steve huffed

The [[Friend of the Dead]] broke into a cold sweat as he approached the gate. His heart rate increasing and his mind trailing into ‘what ifs”. So many things could go wrong. Did he have a way out? Could he drop the zombie and flee? Would he have to attack the guard? Various scenarios played in his brain, yet it didn’t stop him from trying. Taking a breath, Steve refocused and laid out the plan once more.

“In and out. One night, fresh meal, some horses and a cart, then off to the city. Got it?”

“Sure man” Ryland muttered.

Ryland was…Ryland. The ghost wasn’t as nervous as he was oblivious to the situation. His entire focus was spent trying to wrangle his body. The brightness of life was calling to the undead creature. A primal hunger swelling up inside as the sweet smell of lifeblood overwhelmed the senses. The ghost was doing his best to appease his body but was caught within a battle of wits.

“Work with me buddy” He whispered, pushing a sense of cooperation between them.

As the guard’s features came into view, the zombie began to stir. An unnatural strength pulled against Steve as it yearned to taste fresh flesh. A deep groan stirred the forest around them and the guardsmen’s head turned their way. A slight tremor rose up in the former [[Necromancer]] as the Sentry waved them on. There was no turning back now, they either had to convince the guard all was fine or be prepared to flee.

Steven winced as he cut his finger and squeezed out some droplets of blood. He quickly jammed it into the maw of the beast, shivering as fetid flesh touched his own. The creature sucked and nibbled on the cut, the taste of blood partially quenching the hunger. Trailing the blood along the neck, Steve a chill ran down his body as he activated his skill.

[[Blood Sacrifice - Calm undead]]

It wasn’t the most elegant spell, but using his own lifeforce was an old [[necromancer]]’s trick. His knees buckled and his brain fogged slightly as his vitality was transferred into the spell. Yet even with the blood sacrifice, the zombie still stirred.

“Ryland do something” Steve was panting

“I’m trying. What do you think I’ve been doing this whole time”

“I swear if your body gets me…”

“Hello Travelers! State your name and business” The guard hailed

“Steve! On a mission to collect herbs for my master back in the capital”

“Ahh and your uhh…friend?” The sentry carefully scanned the limp man, clearly something was off about the couple.

“Ryland! He…He mistook a mushroom and requires rest.”

The guard’s face shifted and he rushed to assist. It wasn’t uncommon to consume the wrong foliage while scavenging and the results could be fatal. Damn this backwoods hospitality. Thinking quickly, Steve shuffled forward and blocked the guard’s movement.

“Um please, he is in another state. I fear he may lash out if you touch him” He was fumbling through his thoughts. Hopefully the man accepted the lie.

The guard stepped back to review the situation. After a long pause he nodded.

“Does he need a healer? This wouldn’t be our first poisoning in these woods.”

“Uruggghghhhh” The zombie gargled. His limbs thrashing out towards the beefy man.

Time slowed as the guard reached out for his bludgeon. He took on a defensive stance and went to parry the reaching limbs. Simultaneously, Steve reached out to knock the creeping arms back and moved to restrain the flailing zombie. Meanwhile Ryland moved and began to work on the guard trying to think of a plan to distract the brute. With all three on edge, Steve realized he had to make the first move.

“I am sorry he ate some…some… Devil’s Ear. Ya heard of that one? Makes ya see the demons…just in his own world.”

Clearly the guard wasn’t buying it. Thinking quickly, He fumbled in his pocket and held out some silver coins.

“For your troubles. I’m sure you can overlook my friend here.”

The guard stared at the glistening metal and grinned. His hand reached out and took the bribe before shaking hands. Slowly he restrapped his cudgel and shifted into a relaxed pose.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to help? Honestly you two have been the only excitement tonight.”

Suddenly, his coin purse split open. A rain of copper and bits of silver scattered along the ground. Instinctually his fingers went to plug the hole and he bent down to pick up the coins–cursing as he felt around in darkness. After a moment, he remembered the two travelers and glanced up.

“Just head on in. Main tavern is on the third street to the left. Keep your friend under control or I’m doubling the fines” He turned back to the ground and continued searching for his money.

As they stumbled past the gate, Steve collapsed against the wall, slowly sliding down into a sitting position. His heart was pounding against his chest and his body clammy from the nervous sweat. Their cover was almost blown and their quest would have been over before it even began. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths to calm the nerves.

“Hey, we make a damn good team!” Ryland whispered.

“DAMMIT RY,” Steve screamed. He wasn’t expecting that and some of the local townsfolk stared at him in confusion.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

He glanced around and smiled, it was just a minor outburst. Getting up, he strapped the zombie’s arm around his shoulder once more and went towards the local inn. Thankfully, the village seemed to be relatively calm. There were not many patrons in the tavern and Steve easily reached the innkeeper. After a few words and exchange of coin, he had booked a room for the night. It was a bit of a struggle getting the zombie up the steps, but after a few minutes they were within the safety of their room, Steve grabbed some bits of flesh and fed them to the beast. As the creature feasted, Steve pulled out some rope and carefully tied the zombie to the bedpost. Hopefully between the food, the rope, and the locked door; it would be enough.

“Don’t cause a scene, I’m going downstairs for a hot meal” And with that Steve locked the door– leaving the ghost and the zombie to themselves.

Ryland sat on the bed tapping his foot and fiddling with his fingers. His eyes darted across the room as he scanned for something to mess with. While waiting, he noticed his body just staring into the air. Could the undead be drugged? Tapping into his bond, he could barely feel a reaction. Between the full stomach, various commands, and magics; it must have been on another plane. Ryland just wished he could smoke something, anything to pass the time. He had already scouted the room thoroughly as well as watching those in the streets below. Seriously, how long did it take to eat a meal? Steve was the only one he could interact with and this wait was killing him.

As the time continued, Ryland couldn’t take it anymore. It wasn’t like his body could get out. The thing was tied to a bedpost, high on bloodmeal, AND a sturdy door blocked the exit. Besides, he would only be gone for a few minutes top. Just to check out some of the area. Glancing back at his body one last time, the ghost phased through the door. As he walked down the hall, so many questions ran through his head. Why didn’t he just phase through the floor? If he was incorporeal then he should be able to right? Pausing, he got down to his knees and pressed his palm to the ground. Slowly, he added more pressure and his hand began to sink past the wood…this was cool. Focusing up, he imagined his whole being flowing through and he noticed his knees start to sink. After a few moments, gravity took hold and he began to fall.

“AHH” he screamed out as he rapidly fell through the floor.

Thankfully, being a ghost had some advantages. He didn’t crash into the main room, instead he kind of floated down. Looking around, he noticed he was in the back storage area. Various kegs and other food items stored throughout the space. Well, that was some trick he could use in the future. Standing back up, he crossed to the exit and poked his head through to scout the area. He did three checks and couldn’t see his friend.

“That lying bastard” he muttered and phased through the rest of the way.

Now this was what he needed. While it wasn’t the most crowded of spaces, there was still a bit of liviness to it. A low level [[Bard]] was playing for coins in the corner, The olden [[Bartender]] was serving up pints for a group of [[Farmer]]s, and some other townsfolk were playing cards at a table. Ryland sauntered over to the table and decided to mess with the group. Clearly they were some low-level [[Rogue]]s or [[Cheat]]s as each he noticed hidden cards on their persons. Reaching out, he pulled an Ace from the pocket of a burly man. It was a bit difficult with his hands, but after a few seconds of tugging it fell to the floor. Ryland chuckled as he watched the man reach back, searching for his Ace, and becoming befuddled.

“Losing your touch old man” One of the guys snorted as he took the scraps of copper

The gentlemen grunted and signaled for the next round. This time Ryland was a bit more bold. As the [[Rogue]] tried to slip a card from his sleeve, Ryland tugged causing the flimsy object to fall onto the table. Immediately the others went silent as the ruse was revealed.

“I always knew you was a cheat Sylas!” The older man slammed his hand onto the table.

“What of it Theo! I know you’se been sitting on cards the whole night” The younger one retorted

“Guys calm down. It’s just a few copper” The scrawny [[gambler]] spoke up

“STAY OUTTA IT” They said together.

Immediately, the older man lunged across the table knocking the cards along the ground. Various coins and other trinkets skidded across the floor while the half-drank pints tumbled and spilled. His rugged fist quickly made contact with the jaw, sending the Sylas flying across the room. The [[Rogue]] was quick and turned the momentum into a tumble barely missing two patrons sitting in the back. He rubbed his aching jaw and held up his hands.

“Come on Theo! We are friends, let's not scuffle over this” He was trying to diffuse the situation, but the drunken [[Brawler]] was beyond reason.

Sylas tried to back away as Theo slowly put on his iron knuckles.

“Sylas, I warned ya’s a few times now not to cheat me. Bossman might be mad but I’m tired of it” He went in for another punch.

Sylas dodged at the last moment, letting the hardened fist slam into the wall behind him. Bits of wood splintered from the impact and the entire building shook from the hit. The man must have used a skill in that punch. As the [[Rogue]] danced away, he quickly grabbed a cloak and tossed it over Theo’s face. He just needed to get some distance from the rampaging brute, go hide for a bit, and let the drunken rage calm. But Ryland had other plans.

Sylas took two steps and stumbled. His belt had loosened and his pants nearly fell from the waist. Grabbing the fabric he tried running once more, ducking as a mug nearly slammed into his head.

“Theo man, Calm down!” He cried as he tried to redo his belt.

As the two continued to fight, Ryland was laughing like mad. These types were always easy to push. Sylas tripped on the loose clothing and tumbled along the floor. His body crashing into a nearby table and snapping the flimsy wood. A cloud of dust plumed around him as the top crashed down knocking the wind from the lungs. He tried to crawl out, but Theo was already on him. The [[Brawler]] grabbed Sylas by the shift and lifted him off the ground. Rearing back his arm, he went in for the kill.

One good punch was all it took. Ryland watched in amusement as the skin peeled back and the jaw lurched on impact. His entire face distorted as the shockwave rippled through the flesh. One tooth was dislodged and launched from his maw alongside some bloody spittle. His eyes rolled back as the brain slammed against the skull. His entire head whiplashing as the fist skidded off the cheek and the arm passed by. One punch and it was lights out for the fledgling [[Rogue]].

Satisfied they were even, Theo dropped the limp man to the ground. Already he could hear the whistles of the watch, no doubt the innkeeper ran at the first sign of trouble. No need to injure himself in a brawl. As Theo wiped the blood from his knuckles, he waited for the guards to arrive. The armed men burst through the door and the [[Brawler]] held up his hands. The boss could smooth over a lot of things with coin, but attacking one was too far.

The guards went over to the Sylas and splashed some water on em. As the [[Rogue]] came too, he felt horrible. His left eye was swollen shut and one tooth was knocked across the floor. He nearly fell as he bent down to pick it up. The world still spinning slightly from the head trauma…Yet if he could find a healer they might be able to fix it. Once upright, the two guards locked arms and dragged the injured man from the tavern. As he passed by Theo, he felt a glob of spit hit his forehead.

“Enough of that” A guardsmen commanded, hitting the [[Brawler]] with the handle of his weapon. Shrugging, Theo ended up following behind.

As the two were led away, their third companion left without notice. No doubt to report the events to their leader. Meanwhile, the [[Bartender]] and the [[Innkeeper]] began to clean up the destroyed furniture. It wasn’t going to be a loss of income, the local gang would pay for the damages. It was better to keep the entire town happy so they weren’t ratted out to the crown. Yet, it was a pain to clean up.

As Ryland glanced around to cause more trouble, he made eye contact with Steve. His friend was glaring with absolute hate and Ryland realized he’d messed up. The ghost rushed up the steps and shoved his hand into the locking mechanism. A moment later, he felt the key enter and tried to unlock the door. He tried to hold the pistons down, but the force was too great. With one click, the door swung open and he was face-to-face with a very angry [[Friend of the Dead]].