“…and then the Hero alongside his companions and the ordinary men and women of the Empire rallied together into one fine host. Its righteousness shone like a radiant star casting back the darkness. The spawns of undeath sailed forward envious of the light inside the human soul. Like a wind blowing out candlelight, the humans failed to stop the onslaught. Yet as the last deed the Hero and his love sacrificed themselves, purging the curse of undead from the continent…”
Iris turned over a page finding a signed page and the backside of the book cover. Flipping the book over, she put it down on the nightstand behind her internally discussing the contents of the book.
She couldn't decide if she would laugh or be angry at the last story. Some bard must have spent a pretty penny for all the booze they needed to write such nonsense. She could still see the ocean of hot blood this apparent mighty host produced when it was sliced and diced by the singular construct. The blinding light of Alicia burning out her mana links by casting her most powerful spell lodged itself in Iris's psyche. The construct which had bisected Brad moments before was far outside the realm of what a human could ever dream to rival. If only this bard could feel the pressure of the most powerful humans unleashing their auras before one by one disappearing into the aether.
*Purr*
The very creator of the doom engine which had single-handedly defeated the most powerful human force since the days of the old empire raised her chin demanding the risen to continue pampering her. Humorously enough, it was Kia who had come out victorious by setting foot in the human homeland.
"Kia, I'm about to fall." The elf said as her saviour grew restless and rubbed her back against Iris.
The sound of the first bell reminded the resting undead of the incoming day causing her to stand up and begin preparing to leave.
"Are you waking up?" The risen asked as she was about to close the door, wondering if she should open the curtains.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"...wait...ten more bells..." The sleepy kitten muttered in her slumber.
"Such a lazy cat."
The unusually clean metropolitan air coursed through Iris's lungs as she took a deep breath. A great panorama of East Edor spanned her entire horizon as she exited the gate leading into the Academy before disappearing behind the slanted roofs.
With her spear in hand, the tall elf stuck out like a sore thumb but it seemed that people around seemed to be oblivious of the elf walking through the main street. She took it as some sort of omen as ordinarily, she had to deal with the feeling of people watching her thinking she didn't notice.
Hearing the waves crash against the stone docks, Iris knew she was getting close to the guild house. A patrol of twenty armed guards crossed the street in front of her, blocking the entire street as they crossed it.
Eyes followed the patrol led by a young officer with a fiery snake coiled around his dominant hand until the soldiers disappeared into the alley. A patrol of twelve soldiers seemed excessive to Iris especially as they didn't seem to be in any sort of hurry.
In Firmusa she had also spotted large patrols of soldiers prowling through the streets, but even amid a war, the patrols she had seen there were only half the size of this one. She wondered what kind of threat the mages feared had infiltrated the several layers of walls protecting this hive of humans. Worries began to loom over the elf's mind before she looked at the people around her. The younger women around her swooned over the Black Ribbon Arms-Man who appeared to wear a proud snicker on his smooth face. This display of personal gratification somehow put at ease Iris's worried thoughts, safely putting aside the entire matter. Able to renew her stride, the undead headed toward the guild house only a couple of streets away.
The metal bell rang its chime as she entered the building. Passing silently between the people gathered in the room, Iris headed straight toward the bulletin board. Her eyes scanned the large cork-board half-filled with various requests, skipping over the Tracking, Exploration and Escort quest the guild was offering. Eventually, the elf pulled off a sheet with a white splash of paint in the top left corner with Sewer Control written in bold.
"Do you mind doing that for me?"Someone tapped the undead on her shoulder a bit too forceful for her liking
"I think that depends on what do you need me to do?" Iris turned around facing a man with a neatly trimmed beard in the colour of dark beer.
"Oh, I thought you were someone else." The man took a step back nervously scratching the back of his head. "... Do you know what happened to the receptionist?" He asked seeming eager to fill the silence surrounding the risen.
"No. Is this why there are so many people?"
"Precisely, nobody can return their quest in."
"Odd." Iris nodded along finally noticing the rather grotesque proofs of success some of the adventurers had brought with them.
The fearsome adventurers who slaughter monsters for a living appeared like hopeless children without the guildstaff. It was truly an odd site to see a heavily armoured warrior fidget impatiently with the head of a griffon strapped to his belt.
Feeling the professional embarrassment grow inside the risen, Iris skipped pasted the bearded man and exited the guildhouse. While heading toward the sewer entrance her lavender eyes searched the industrial warehouse's clay and steel her Sleepiycu had asked for.