Von stepped into the room just as the sun was peeking out from the horizon. “Good morning, I hope you slept well.”
“I would have slept better if I'd been able to talk to someone about the battle plan for today,” Keir replied, not bothering to look up from his small bowl of porridge. He was dressed in the same shadowy clothes he had made the previous day. When his maids had offered to help him dress in a proper ladies gown, he had refused. Having never worn one before, even the split skirt for horseback riding, would have been awkward. He would consider wearing a dress later for a special event, but for battle, regular pants and a shirt were far more practical.
“I'm sorry. General Ajani was unable to leave the pass. And High Commander Alder, insisted I discuss certain issues with him well into the night,” the mage explained.
“Would I be correct in assuming those issues involved me?”
There was a short pause. “You are. Choosing to resurrect you was a controversial decision.”
His opinion of the mage went up slightly, he disliked people who refused to admit the blindingly obvious. “Well if things go poorly today, High Commander Alder will only have a few hours to be upset,” he said cheerfully.
“I trust you won't mind, if I hope he stays upset for a very long time.”
Keir smiled a little, it would be a shame when he finally broke the geas and killed the mage. Getting to his feet, he asked, “Are we ready to go to the front lines?”
“The horses are saddled and waiting for us. Alder would like to speak with you first,” Von said. He cocked his head and gave a half smile, “Something about a large crowd of refugees surrounding the inner gate praying that their ruler has appeared and will destroy the demons.”
His Lleial maids stared defiantly at the mage, even as they put a warm cloak over his shoulders. “I don't know anything about that,” Keir said. “I merely talked with my maids last night trying to better understand the situation. I may have said some things about how I am going to slaughter the demons, but it was only in passing.”
“Thank you for clearing that up, I'm certain that will put the High Commander at ease. Now about the several hundred zombies and skeletons you raised yesterday. Why are they lined up in ranks, armed with rocks, and waiting at the inner gates, being covered in garlands by the Lleial?” Von asked.
A giggle escaped before Keir could stop it. The High Commander must be having a wonderful morning seeing the zombies and religious mob at his gate. “Looking over the army and the demons this morning, I realized that having reinforcements could help turn the tide of battle. The dead are done their tasks, they'll be more useful slowing the demons down so they can be shot.”
“I'll inform the guards about your plan, and talk with Commander Alder by myself. I think that it would be best if you stay off to the side. Let's go, General Ajani is waiting for us at the pass,” Von said, turning to leave the room.
Keir waited a moment while the ties of his cloak were done up. He didn't particularly like the cloak, it was an emerald green with white fur around the edges. It was warm, which would be nice in the cool morning air, since shadow cloth wasn't known for retaining heat, but it was not something commonly worn into battle. Unfortunately it was the only one that would fit his small frame.
He had to run a little to catch up to Von, and even then, he was practically jogging trying to match the tall mans stride. Once again he cursed being short. Hanina, as always, floated effortlessly behind them. The ghostly maid wasn't using any of Keir's energy, so there was no reason to end her. And while she hadn't been made to fight, if the worst happened, another ghost in the fight could prove useful.
Reaching the gate, High Commander Alder was waiting for them, along with most of the soldiers in the fort. Without a word, Von went to the old man and began talking quietly. Seeing that he was clearly unwanted, Keir walked over to a groom that was holding the reins of two old horses.
“Which one's mine?” he asked the young groom, who was pale and shaking.
“Th-this one,” the boy said, pointing at the smaller horse that was only a little larger than a pony.
Sighing at the disrespect, he went to the horse, which looked huge from his new perspective. A quick check of the saddle and horse showed everything was in order, now the only problem was getting on it. There was no mounting block, and getting on the horse was going to be a humiliating experience without it.
Looking at the groom, he saw the boy was desperately looking at everything except him. Sighing, he motioned to Hanina, who bent down and cupped her hands together. With the ghosts help, he managed to get on the horse without too much difficulty.
He waited patiently, patting the horse, getting used to the saddle and letting the horse get used to him, while Von and the High Commander talked. Finally after several minutes, the mage finished and got on his own horse.
The gate opened and they made their way out of the fort.
**
It took an hour to reach the pass.
They were quickly ushered through the ramshackle camp into a ragged command tent where three men, each one in a different style and colour of uniform, were talking. All three of them looked exhausted, but they were clean shaven and their uniforms, while stained and patched were relatively clean, unlike everyone else they had seen in the camp.
“General Ajani, Colonel Moreno, Major Magomedov, this is Mage Keira,” Von said.
“Good morning everyone,” he said, before looking up at the general who was the darkest man he had ever seen, and extremely tall. In his old body the general would have been almost a head taller than him, now, Keir barely reached his chest. “General Ajani, I haven't had the pleasure of fighting alongside someone from Alkebulan before. But having fought against several expeditionary forces from the continent, I am an admirer of your fighting skills.”
The generals lips twitched upwards slightly before returning to a grim frown. “You're going to be disappointed. My family has lived in Khabir for three hundred years, since the War of the Dead.”
“Part of the expeditionary forces who decided to stay after the fighting, I presume?”
The general nodded.
“Well I'm still happy to have you,” Keir said. “You've managed to keep these people alive and your army intact. From what I've heard and seen, that is damn close to a miracle. Now there are at least five or six thousand demons less then two miles from the lines, scattered throughout the forest. What's the plan?”
“How do you know that?” Major Magomedov asked, his pale northern complexion becoming even paler.
“I had ghosts scout the area and look over the army last night. Since I wasn't able to speak with anyone, I decided to see what I had to work with and what I'd be facing.”
Colonel Moreno pointed to a map on the table. “We want to use your zombies to help shore up the defences and act as a reserve, plugging any holes the Demons create in the lines. We don't know exactly how your magic can help, so keeping it simple is the best plan.”
Keir looked up at Von, before speaking. “If I'd been resurrected sooner, we could have had time to discuss things properly.”
The mage didn't respond, but Keir smirked as a flash of discomfort flitted across the mans face.
General Ajani ignored the comment. “What do you think of the plan? Can you do it?”
“I can,” he said, “but if I do it, we'll all be dead by noon.”
Colonel Moreno and Major Magomedov both glared at him, as if he had just insulted their wives and deflowered their daughters. The general merely raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to keep speaking.
“Your army has nothing left and is about to break. They might hold until the Demons reach the lines, but five seconds after that they'll run. Mixing my dead with them before they learn to trust them, will make them break even sooner.”
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“So this is hopeless?” Magomedov asked.
“Not at all. If it was hopeless I'd have slit my throat already, that would be a more pleasant death than getting ripped apart by Demons. I have a plan that should work, and will keep most of our soldiers alive. All I'll need is a calm horse, Von, and if possible another mage,” he said.
“You came back to life yesterday, and now you think you can defeat the Demons using tactics from three hundred years ago?” Colonel Moreno said, his lips curled into a sneer.
Keir smiled, silently wishing he was more physically imposing. “Yes.”
“This is ridiculous. We should immediately march for the keep. We can defend the gate for weeks from there.”
“Who here has created an Empire that spanned a continent, then spent two decades fighting the world to a standstill?” Keir asked, raising his hand. “Now, who has fought a losing war for a decade, and became so desperate they summoned a so-called monster that they use to scare their children into behaving.”
“You seem to have forgotten, you lost and your empire shattered,” the Colonel said.
“Only after I was assassinated. Before that even while dealing with a civil war and various rebellions, my Undying Army was still fighting the Coalition to a standstill.” Turning away from the Colonel, Keir focused on the silent general. “So General Ajani, will you listen to my plan, or should I slit my throat right now and save us all some time.”
“Let's hear it,” the general said.
**
Von
Keir silently meditated while a mage was summoned and horses were prepared for her plan. Watching the young woman sit calmly by a fire, eyes closed, back straight, barely breathing, Von wondered what he had unleashed on the world.
Twisting his vision to see the flows of magic, he was nearly blinded by the energy coursing through the necromancer. His own impressive magical capacity looked like a feeble candle, when compared to Keir's blazing inferno. The necromancers mere presence warped the magical energy surrounding them. In his life, he had only seen one person who could possibly match Keir's power, The Red Mistress, First Among Equals, Speaker for the Eldritch Council.
He dearly hoped that when the two met, it would be a peaceful meeting.
As he waited, trying to keep his own thoughts calm, he heard someone speaking near the cavalry encampment. Curious, he went to the edge of the field, where most of the soldiers were on their knees, heads bowed. A girl wearing a maids outfit was sitting on a horse, alongside a Llieal priest. He had learned their language over the last several years, ever since he began planning on resurrecting the necromancer. When the tattered remnants of the Llieal had arrived, harried by demons, he had made sure they were welcomed.
“The Regua has returned!” the maid said, her voice magically amplified. “In the camp, she raised an army of the dead commanding them to help us. They worked through the night digging wells and latrines. Now they are marching here to help us in our fight.
“Last night, when I was serving her, I-I showed weakness. I demanded to know why she hadn't come sooner, why she had allowed so many of us to die. The Regua said there were things we couldn't understand, and rules she couldn't break. Then she swore to me, with a Spirit of Sephtis watching, that she would slay a thousand demons for every Llieal they have slain, and she would rid the world of the demons.”
He was impressed. The girl wasn't much of a speaker, but the tears on her cheeks, the faith and fervour she spoke with, more than made up for her lack of skill. The Llieal who were watching, didn't shout or cheer, it wouldn't be proper until the end. They did lean forward trying to hear more, silently begging that the girl was telling the truth. A few started to shake as if they were crying.
The priest raised his etched sabre. If Von remembered correctly, the weapon was over three hundred years old, from the time of The Undying Army. The old weapons had become a symbol of command, and were still capable of killing.
“I have seen The Regua in camp,” the priest said. “He has returned to us in a new body, a young tattooed woman, attended by a holy ghost. She has spoken to the general and is preparing to face the demons. I have not had the honour of speaking to The Regua yet, there is too much to be done and she will speak to us in her time. But I have consulted the spirits and they say that this is The Regua returned to life.
“Hope has returned. It is time for the Demons to learn fear!” the holy man shouted, waving his sabre.
The Llieal lifted their heads and raised their weapons high, roaring with rage.
***
Keir
The air reeked of death. General Ajani had said there'd been two battles and countless skirmishes at the pass. From the torn up ground, and the smell of rot, they must have been vicious, hard fought affairs. It was perfect for what he intended.
Keir shifted in his cavalry saddle, it was just as uncomfortable as he remembered. The straps around his legs would keep him from falling out of the saddle, the saddle itself had ears coming from back which cupped his hips, providing even more stability. Normally he wouldn't need the extra help, he'd been riding horses for decades, but usually he was well behind the front line surrounded by over a hundred guards. At least his horse seemed to be well trained. He didn't know the bay's breed, it was long legged with a light build, and quickly obeyed his commands.
Hanina was with him, her arms wrapped around his waist. She had become invisible, prepared to act as a very last line of defence if demons managed to get close enough to threaten him. Despite his comments about slitting his throat, he would rather not die, he had too much to do and this was his best chance of regaining at least some of his status and power.
Von was at his side, riding a large black cavalry horse. The mage didn't look calm or mildly amused like he usually did. This time his hands were gripping the reins so tightly, he was lightly shaking. Still, he was keeping the fear from his face as he looked grimly towards the woods, where the Demons were making their presence known, howling and shrieking, pacing the edge of the trees, steadily growing in numbers.
Looking at his second companion, Keir wondered how the brown mage would hold up. The young woman kept looking back at the human lines over five hundred yards behind them, and her horse was fidgeting and fussing under her.
“Calm down Emer,” he said, smiling confidently at the red head. “All you have to do is keep the shield up, Von will be helping you. If the Demons get too close, we'll move back.”
The mage nodded. “Don't worry, Mage Keira, I'll do my part,” she said, sitting a bit straighter in the saddle.
Keir wondered what it must be like, obeying someone who looked like a young girl that was just on the cusp of adulthood. In his previous life, he had been in his twenties when he'd created the Necromantic College, and just thirty when he'd conquered the kingdom of Anwen. While he'd been seen as a young upstart, especially at first, he'd at least been an adult.
Turning back to the woods, he focused on the Demons who would attack soon. According to everyone he had talked to, when they were facing an opponent who couldn't or wouldn't run, the monsters enjoyed stretching out the moment, letting the fear ramp up. They were howling and barking, lunging forward before returning to the trees, some were throwing rocks and sticks, roaring a challenge. It was time to be begin.
“Von,” he said.
The mage knew what he had to do. Casting a spell, dozens of illusions appeared along the trenches and behind the lines. They were all showing Keir in real time, facing the soldiers. His sudden appearance made some of them jump, here and there a shot rang out. He slowly counted to ten, giving them time to calm down and focus on him. Then he began to speak.
"Soldiers,” he said, hearing his amplified voice echoing from the walls of the pass. “I am the former Emperor Keir, Grand General of The Undying Army, the most powerful necromancer to have ever lived."
He definitely had their attention now.
"I understand you've heard many promises over the years. Fight for me, and we'll push back the demons. Stand firm beside me and we will be victorious. Follow me and we will destroy the demons once and for all. So many promises and all of them have failed.
“I could do the same. I could promise you victory if you fight for me. But you don't know me. For all you know I'm some camp whore, dressed in fancy clothes and put on a horse, claiming to be the great necromancer.”
Even from so far away he saw the mass of soldiers shift uncomfortably. This wasn't the speech they were expecting. He kept going, there was no way he could stop.
“So you will hear no promises from me. Instead I'll ask you to promise me something. Look ahead of you, you see those three riders between you and the demons. Those insane people are myself and my two companions.” He raised his arms, knowing the illusions would copy him. The ghostly scouts he had created the night before suddenly filled the air, forming a shrieking barrier between the demons and the humans.
“I'm going to destroy half of the demon army this morning. Once I've done that, all I ask is that you to help me destroy the other half by supper," he said, giving them a bloodthirsty grin as the illusion vanished.
Raising his arms, he began collecting the death energy. There were no theatrics this time. Every bit of power flowed into the ground, weaving bones and flesh together. The demons quieted down, stepping out of the forest, unsure of what was going on.
The soil began to heave and roil like a stormy sea.
Hundreds of human zombies and skeletons tore themselves from the earth, many of them were armed with swords, knives and broken guns. These weren't the basic workers he had made the day before, these were made for war. Their movements were more fluid, the magic binding them together was stronger, they roared with rage.
Despite all of that, Keir knew they wouldn't be enough. He pushed his magic further, sweat beaded up on his brow.
Rotting demons rose to their feet, maggots and worms writhed and churned in the dead flesh, marking out the bullet holes, shrapnel and jagged cuts that had killed them. They hissed and screeched at their former kin.
The living demons reared back in confusion. Recoiling at the smell of death and the sight of their own dead challenging them. As the broken land burst, releasing the rotten carcasses that hid beneath the mud, the demons fell back.
He needed more. His clothes were soaked from sweat, his eyes turned black, blood trickled like tears down his cheeks, as magic coursed through his body.
Shattered bits of skeleton, torn flesh, and even pieces of dead wood were molded together. Monstrous flesh golems, mockeries of the human form, with jagged bone, broken blades, and snapped fangs forming claws and spikes at the ends of their arms. Silently they formed a ragged line amongst the thousands of smaller dead.
Now he had an army worthy of the name. Slumping down in the saddle, utterly exhausted, he felt Hanina's arms wrap around his chest, her hands cupping his chin to keep him upright. Image was everything, even as tired as he was he couldn't let the soldiers see him fall or look weak.
He spoke in a whisper, giving his dead soldiers a single order, "Kill the demons."
For the first time in three hundred years, the dead marched to war, their shrieks filling the air.