Caidan led them on a twisting path, one that led down a slight incline and provided a view that truly brought all of this into perspective for Alistair. As Ghost would say, this was it, and it truly was. Kang and Dreadwell’s forces were spread over the gray hills beyond, the zombie soldiers all standing at attention amidst piles of bodies that Alistair assumed would become future soldiers.

“Gross,” Zola said, which was certainly a way to sum up what they were looking at. Aside from a chorus of moans, that seemed to wax and wane like an eerie tide, there was little movement from the zombie army.

“How is their vision?” Alistair asked Caidan.

“Not great, at least in low light settings. I tested that as well. If they do invade your kingdom, it will be during the day. That’s the only time that really makes sense.”

“And which tent is it?” Juno asked as he brought his hand to his brow. “Which one are they hooking up in?”

“Do you see the large circular tent with the red drapings?” Caidan gestured to the one in question. “That would be it.”

“And you’re sure?” Juno asked.

Caidan never replied as she moved on, closer to the start of the camp. They reached a point where they were about thirty feet away from the first zombie troops, their location still obscured by the edge of the woods.

Alistair summoned Noctarii and Ziggy. “Noctarii, your job is to keep ahead and try to help us when you can. We’re focused on the tent with red decorations on it. Lionel is already out there.”

“Easy, doable, I’m ready,” the fae said with a spin.

Squish?

“Your job is to stay with me,” Alistair told the slime.

Just ahead, several of the zombies disappeared into a shadowy portal that had opened on the ground. The ones standing around them didn’t seem to notice.

“Brilliant,” Caidan said after seeing Lionel’s action. “I was hoping that would work.”

Ghost spoke: “It will help, but there are too many for Lionel to suck up and spit out. Or, at least, we haven’t tested that.”

“And we don’t have time to test anything now,” Juno as Wraith said.

“Exactly. I’ll cast Mistmeld, Caidan, you do what you need to do with the shadows. I also have Shadow Play,” Ghost told her, “which will allow us to possibly conceal ourselves even more. Just remember, you two are acting as support.”

“Support, got it,” Zola said as she nudged Juno, who didn’t seem to be paying attention.

“I’m all about being a supporting character,” Juno said quickly.

Ahead, Lionel took out a few more of the zombie troops. One that nearly got swallowed up by Lionel’s black hole let out a loud bark. Noctarii rushed the zombie before it could do anything, and Lionel handled things from there.

Ghost locked eyes with Caidan. “Let’s do this.”

With those words, he relinquished control to Alistair, who quickly cast Mistmeld.

The students moved on, their sight augmented by the Moonlight Eyes of the Assassin Card. Arcs of shadow shifted through the mist, which were controlled by Caidan, who wielded the shadows with a small relic.

They reached the front line, and were able to move through some of the ranks, their group obscured by shadow and mist even as the zombies shrieked and barked around them.

Juno: Holy freaking shit I can’t believe this is working! Also this is scary as shit, right? I’m about to—

Zola: No Spectral Text. Focus!

Their wands drawn, the three Fledglings continued in the direction of the tent.

Occasionally, a body would shift in front of them, either absorbed into one of Lionel’s portals or naturally stepping out of the way as it was distracted by Noctarii.

More of the disturbing moans and throaty grunts met Alistair’s ears.

Arf! Urgh! Aeerrrgggh!

He tried to ignore how creepy all this was, navigating a squad of zombies, let alone the danger they were facing by attempting what they were about to attempt. His nerves reached an all-time high once Juno accidentally brushed his arm against one of the zombie soldiers.

Aeeeerigh! It came alive, the undead soldier seconds away from grabbing him when Lionel sucked the zombie into a portal.

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“Juno!” Zola hissed, yet the damage was already done. The movement and sound had been too much; it caused the other zombies to shift around, some grabbing weapons, all attempting to find what had caused the sudden commotion.

“We must move,” Caidan said as she drew a curved blade, which she used to cut one of the zombies out of the mist.

Zapp!

Juno got off a shot, followed by Zola.

Zapp!

Ghost took over, the assassin rushing in the direction of the tent, dodging zombies left and right as they leaped out of the mist, snarling.

If news of what was happening hadn’t already reached Dreadwell, it would soon, especially once fire flickered in the mist, likely from Zola’s summon, Yomini. Alistair could hear fighting not far from them, swords, blasts of mana, and moaning zombies.

Calamity.

“My blade!” Ghost shouted.

Lionel’s clawed hand appeared out of a portal and gave the assassin his sword. He gripped it tightly, Alistair’s wand in his other hand as he continued charging through the mist, Ghost’s focus so strong that he seemed to intuit where he was going.

It was only once things got darker that he relinquished control to Alistair, who was able to make out a change in the terrain ahead.

Ariel Burst timed just right sent Alistair up to the top of a natural ridge, avoiding several of the zombies that had sensed his presence. They were close to the tent now, Alistair could see it in the mist, and he also noticed there were several guards in front of it.

He gripped the sword just as Ghost had shown him and sprinted toward the first zombie, Alistair able to cut it down.

Ghost: Good! I got it from here.

“Not yet,” Alistair said as he summoned Rain of Blades over Kang’s tent, the blades piercing the canvas as he followed this up with Lightning Firestorm, which had the world around him igniting in fire. Yet it was nothing like the fire Alistair conjured through Flame Kissed, which he painted onto Ghost’s blade. “Now.”

“Good,” Ghost said, his sword on fire. He kicked away a zombie, cut through another one, and finally met Hilda as she scrambled to get out of the tent, which had since collapsed.

Ghost stabbed her repeatedly, his eyes jumping to the other side of the collapsed tent, which shifted as Kang finally pressed himself out of the thick canvas.

The redheaded man wore a lich mask and was naked, yet he still held a huge blade, one with a grip that had a guard on it covered in spikes. His mask glowed with power and his sword responded as a layer of mana traced over the blade. It grew jagged like a saw, the blade’s reach even longer than it had been just moments before.

Kang never said anything as he turned to Ghost, and Alistair was glad for it.

As Ghost had alluded to, this wouldn’t be the type of fight in which there were idle threats or some big reveal. This was a fight between murdered and murderer, brother against brother, and they needed it to be quick.

Ghost moved on without hesitation. He spun with his flaming sword and Alistair took over, where he hit Kang with Shimmer before giving control back to Ghost.

Kang shouted at the sudden flash of brilliance. It was only by sheer luck that he managed to block Ghost’s next strike.

Klank!

The mana radiating off Kang’s sword caused Ghost to fly backward, where he was quickly apprehended by a zombie. Alistair took over and hit Kang with Overture while he struggled with the zombie.

Ba-da-da-dum!

He triggered Thick Skin and let Ghost regain control.

They had trained to do this, Ghost telling him that Thick Skin was helpful, yet it inhibited his movements by as much as thirty percent. No, as the naked leader of the Unknown Souls charged them, the eyeholes of his mask glowing, they had reached the point where Ghost and Alistair needed all the advantages they could get.

Ziggy launched into the fray, the slime bounding toward Kang’s feet. Squish! He managed to wrap around Kang’s legs, which caused him to stumble before he ultimately beat Ziggy away with the hilt of his sword.

Reinvigorated, seething at the fact that Kang had tried to hurt Ziggy, Ghost moved in again with his fiery sword. He landed his first hit, one that brought an instantly cauterized slash mark across Kang’s arm.

Ghost attempted another strike, but Kang kicked the assassin away.

“Ghost?” Kang asked as he brought his weapon to the ready. He was bent forward now, sucking in oxygen, his mask brimming with intensity.

“Kang. I wish I could say it has been a pleasure.”

“I knew it was you!” Kang rushed toward Ghost, both hands on the hilt of his sword.

It was clear in the way he brought his sword down that he thought he had Ghost, yet the assassin managed to slip out of the way again, where he lashed Kang across the back with his flaming sword.

“Argh!” Ghost struck Kang another time and finally, with more strength that Alistair knew he was capable of possessing, Ghost drove his sword through Kang’s body, killing him for good.

Ziggy, who had been nearby, righted himself. Squish? He hopped over to examine Kang. Squish! The slime bopped him on the lich mask with a sticky fist.

“Easy,” Ghost said.

Squish… Ziggy growled.

Noctarii formed out of the shadows just as Lionel, who had been on the perimeter the entire time keeping zombies out of the fight, took out another undead interloper. Noctarii quickly joined Ziggy. “Wait, hold the shit on. I remember this guy,” he said as he looked from Kang to Ghost. “He looks to have gotten even crazier.”

Ghost crouched near Kang, who was still alive, his body convulsing. He pulled the lichmask off and smashed it with his foot.

“You… fool…” Kang spat.

Ghost moved to the overturned tent, where he found a bottle of alcohol. He pulled the cork out with his teeth and approached Kang again.

“See you in hell, brother.” Ghost poured the alcohol over him as the man groaned in agony. He grabbed the flaming sword, the fire of which was starting to flicker away, and lit Kang’s body ablaze. Ghost made sure his entire body was on fire before finally stepping aside and lowering the sword.

“Noctarii,” he finally said, “we need to find Dreadwell. Let’s regroup with Caidan. It looks like this part of the battle is done, but the war is far from—” Zola’s sudden scream caused Ghost to whip toward her direction. “Don’t worry,” he told Alistair as he took off toward her cry. “We’ll help as best we can!”