CAP 7

Madness in the village

Lower Wind Month, 8th day, 10.00

The desolation in the village of Forkel was more depressing than Antilene could have imagined.

Not a specific lament or any sound that could announce any desired human activity was recorded among the small marble houses in the street, from which she and her group had entered the small hamlet.

The roads were completely abandoned; not a single person wandered there. But the strange thing was the numerous objects of daily use such as bags, toys, and work tools left without care in the desolate paths.

Some cattle carts were still attached to poles at the ends of the streets, and the remains of decomposed bones showed the sad end that the poor animals had endured, watchfully waiting for their masters.

Even the fields intended for agriculture, normally teeming with life, were reduced to an empty soundproof bottle.

Not a sound. Not just any testimony of human activity. I almost miss my maids' clumsy chatter of circumstance.

The half-elf found herself looking nostalgically at what once she considered only an unpleasant nuisance. Never she would have thought of looking with nostalgia at those interactions that until a few days before had been a source of constant embarrassment.

It had been only a few hours since they had left the Traveler's Refuge but, luckily for them, the destination was not very far. They managed to arrive before the sun could reach the middle of its journey.

"Not even the smallest ant goes through these parts. Do you think a trap is waiting for us?" Rosalie had been moving her eyes for more than ten minutes without stopping in search of the smallest trace to follow, but without obtaining any concrete result.

"When I was in the army during the campaign against the elves, I have more than once come across some ambushes. Enemies usually tend to let opponents fall into a false sense of security and then catch them when they are most vulnerable. But everything here stinks from more than ten kilometers away. If there really were some pitfalls, there are two cases: either our preys are incapable or this place hides some secret that goes beyond common sense. In any case, there is something strange here. The houses were left open and abandoned as if there had been a general evacuation, but despite this, there are no signs of unexpected chaos. On the contrary, I invite you to look at your feet."

After his exhaustive explanation, the Hazeia householder pointed his finger to draw their attention to the ground they walked on. "The traces that remain show that the inhabitants have quietly moved away from the place, not letting fear take over. Yet, many of their assets have been abandoned. Why?"

"This is all very strange; it is as if at some point they have decided to abandon everything and take nothing with them. I understand toys and other amenities, but why abandon the animals as well if they had no danger at their heels?"

Buvesez sought an answer of assent among his companions to cram his doubts, but without finding satisfaction with his request.

Antilene squeezed her mind to the point of unbelievable, as being able to find an answer to that apparently inscrutable enigma would have earned her points in the eyes of her fellow companions. Unfortunately, the only thing she could guess was her lack of ability to put together the pieces of an intricate puzzle.

I should practice more with the logic exercises. Absolutely one of the things to review with Rufus after this mission is over.

"Well, we just arrived. Why don't we take a closer look? It is useless to make assumptions before having a clear picture of the complete puzzle." Campeao proposed, starting first to take one of the abandoned avenues.

The group began to move in search of any clue, being careful not to leave even the tiniest particle of dust aside.

Antilene began to inspect the empty houses in search of possible traces, but found only the same scene that repeated itself endlessly before her eyes: empty rooms with household items left alone as sentinels awaiting the return of a ruler than ever will come back; dishes with scraps of food whose stench spread in the air with a deadly insistence that made the half-elf grateful for the protection from unpleasant odors that her helmet granted her.

The only living things still present were rodents and insects that had made those ghostly places their new realm, a hymn to dirt and disgust.

What a smell! It feels like being in a stable, not that I've ever been there.

An overwhelming feeling began to surround her, there was something deeply wrong; someone or something had used that place as a theater for his macabre experiments, how else to explain the total absence of all the inhabitants?

Perhaps some obscene ritual had blossomed in that place and those poor people had been the unsuspecting victims; the possibility that the members of Zurrernorn were the architects of that sad project grew stronger and stronger in her mind.

No mercy for the perpetrators of this disaster.

While observing yet another abandoned kitchen, a sheet of paper caught the girl's attention. Above it, some figures had been drawn with almost unrecognizable shapes, but which evidently had to represent a happy family given the writing "Me, Mom, Dad" that had been awkwardly affixed to them.

She looked at it meticulously, as if it could have hidden the keystone to unlocking the enigma of that place but, obviously, nothing of the kind was hidden in those senseless scribbles whose structure at best recalled the project of a drunken architect.

Antilene continued to look at it. She turned it front and back, and greedily inspected every corner. Still nothing.

Why couldn't she stop?

"What's so interesting about that waste paper, since you are looking at it so obsessively, Lady Zesshi?" Campeao asked, sneaking up behind her.

The paladin had begun tidying up the clutter of that house, perhaps to make their investigation easier, or perhaps just to restore dignity to what had once been a warm home.

"Nothing. It's just garbage!" The half-elf placed it where she had found it with nonchalance and then quickly left the building.

After not having obtained anything useful, the five decided to go to the village square, the center of trade.

Normally that place would be teeming with life, between people busy earning their daily bread with the fruit of their labor and passersby interested in finding a way to make the day payoff. Casual workers, security guards, improvised merchants: there was room for everyone at the large table of occasions offered by the thriving economy of the Theocracy.

But even this time their expectations were disappointed, an inkling the little group had felt too frequently in the last few days. The stands were on display with all the merchandise still intact, or at least the remains of what were once products suitable for sale, but nothing useful or interesting caught their attention.

"Even here there is nothing but junk. Are we sure it's nothing more than a stupid joke organized by some jokey prankster?"

Rosalie began to wander among the stalls in the vain hope that some hidden treasure was left at their mercy, so that they could be grabbed without delay. The mage doubted anyone could claim them. But all she managed to find were dishes that had by now gone bad and some magical object not even remotely comparable to the ones they brought with them.

However, they decided to stock up on some tier-zero potions and rolls in case they might prove useful in the future.

"I would say that nothing of our interest remains here. Why don't we take the opportunity to have lunch and choose our next direction?" Kapitel proposed.

"It seems like a good idea. In fact, I'm starting to feel stomach cramps from hunger."

It had been more than six hours since they had breakfasted at the Traveler's Refuge, and by now Antilene was starting to be hungry. Thinking back to the place they had left made her wonder what the boy she had argued with the night before was going to do. But that thought only lasted a quick moment, and then dissipated like a soft breath in the wind before her attention returned to their task again.

On the main road, they found a small shabby inn, also obviously devoid of any human activity, inside which they set up temporarily to be able to eat in comfort.

Before leaving, Marzius had prepared some provisions for them that included rye bread with finely cut slices of roast veal inside, aged cow cheese, and an assortment of seasonal fruit, that the group quickly devoured. Once satisfied with the meal, they did not hesitate to quickly return to focus on the mission.

"Well then. Let's consider what our options are."

Kapitel took out of his bag a small map showing the whole southern area of the Theocracy.

"Now we are here!" He said pointing with a finger at a small dot where the city of Forkel was located. "In all, there are three other villages we have to go to. To the east is that of Thrush: of all, it is the smallest and most insignificant. I doubt we will find anything other than what we found in this place. So, I would say to leave it for last, just in case we don't find anything that can help us in our work for others."

"What about the other two?" Campeao asked as she looked carefully at the map before her eyes.

The emerald irises quickly scanned the lines drawn on the piece of paper. Even if the strong woman didn't give that impression, her mind was trained to quickly judge the lines that demarcated the territories.

"To the west is Darelf, it's a village similar to Forkel. According to the information provided to us by Cardinal Merel, it was the place where the first rescue team had been sent. The one who has never returned."

Buvesez put his hand on his chin, his fingers ran between the hint of fuzz that began to appear as if that futile gesture hid a secret and ancestral method, known only to him, to reflect more deeply. "Could there be some powerful undead involved? Maybe a vampire or an elder lich. Those abominations are proficient in the use of magic. It could be an explanation as to why there are no signs of a possible battle left."

A mere elder lich or any bloodsucker would have little means at their disposal to cause this disaster. Antilene thought. Her teacher had profoundly instructed her on the abilities that the most insidious monsters could show off, and considered it unlikely that there was one of those creatures to engineer that incident. It must be something else. But in none of my lessons have we studied anything like this.

The ranger began to look around bored, the lack of concrete tracks to follow was starting to irritate him, and his composure began to waver like a pierced amphora, gradually losing the water it contains.

"Surshana knows if that's true. It is certainly a hypothesis that we cannot discard a priori. But I think there is something even more terrible behind it all. Unfortunately for us."

Antilene couldn't help but feel a hint of excitement. It was wrong to hope for the appearance of a formidable enemy, she realized. But in order to grow as a warrior she needed opponents of her own ability, or the danger of being trapped forever in a situation of immovability would have manifested itself.

"And what about the last stage? Where is it?" The half-elf asked, stretching bored as she rocked in the chair.

"South. It is not a real suburb but a small frontier fortress called Ferrum Castrum."

To make their borders safer, it was not uncommon to find in the territory of the Theocracy some fortified camps that acted as a shield against the races of demihumans who lived in territories far from their reach. Usually, the men stationed there were veterans of the war against the elves or other military operations conducted by Slane, and were more than capable of holding off any enemy that did not cross the ordinary territory.

But not this time. If they hadn't even had time to leave a message, evidently the danger they had faced was more formidable than what was normally expected.

"What do you think is the best move to do now, Kapitel?"

"If there is no objection, I would say we will have to head to Darelf first to see if there are any survivors left, even if I honestly doubt that is the case. But hoping costs nothing, right? Once we are done there, we will be able to focus our attention on the fort."

"I think it's a good idea." Rosalie said, as she cleaned the dust accumulated from her tunic after staying for too long in that decadent place.

"Let's get out of this inn quickly. I'm starting to get bored and can't wait to finish this mission."

"So, if you all agree, I would say we can go on a journey. From here it will take at most a couple of hours before arriving. Come on, we have no time to waste."

Everyone present gave a sign of agreement to show that they accepted his decision.

Antilene began to set out with her companions, unaware of what would happen shortly thereafter.

A hooded figure wandered around the uninhabited field, surrounded by large walls that would make even the most cowardly of goblins feel safe.

But the man knew very well that there was something dangerous lurking between those parts, or at least there had been in the past days.

The evil aura that permeated the air would have been perceptible even by the most incapable of necromancers, let alone for a master in the dark arts like him.

A handful of skeletons, covered with cuirasses adorned with a coat of arms depicting a seven-pointed candlestick, rummaged through the ruins of the place in a desperate search for any object that could have proved propaedeutic for their purposes, but to no avail.

He sighed. They had been there for days but not even the slightest sign of the spiral of death was visible from that place. Yet the chief was sure it was there. The possibility of realizing the dream of their cult was finger-friendly now, he said. But now, Radest was beginning to fear that it was just a vain hope that was waiting to be crushed as a poor sick man is devoured by a starving ogre.

Could it be that Lord Kunivela was wrong? Nono, what am I thinking? If he is certain that the spiral of death has occurred here, then it must be so. A layman cannot afford to question the teachings of a sage.

He ordered one of the undead to inspect a rundown tent that had belonged to one of the local soldiers. Perhaps the very one who was now following his orders.

He had lost count of how many times he had given that command, but there wasn't much more he could do. Like the intricate mechanism of a well-oiled machine in perpetual motion, the undead reiterated its patrol. It had been instructed to continue with the search until he found something that might prove useful to their plans.

Certainly, Radest had no intention of contradicting his leader's orders. Not out of fear, which would have been totally justified given the frightening powers he possessed, but out of respect. Respect for the man, if he could speak of a man, who had taught him everything and saved him from a monotonous life in the service of false gods. A blessing for his immortal soul that could now rise to the achievement of a preparatory purpose for humanity.

Still nothing. Ugh, I hope something happens to break this monotony. It's starting to be annoying to stay here without anything interesting to do.

Radest stretched his shoulders; feeling the weight of his bones getting heavier and heavier. He began to wriggle his legs in strange movements to keep his muscles from atrophying from the lack of exercise.

A nice, warm bath would be delightful now. I'm starting to smell bad.

"Hey Radest, I see you're keeping yourself busy."

A woman wearing a long dark robe that completely covered her body approached him.

Unlike him, she did not wear a hood that almost completely concealed her face, making her silky white hair clearly visible, gathered in a braid that fell gracefully on her right shoulder.

The small frizzes that began to appear uncertainty on the sides of his nose showed without restraint the withering of what was once a natural freshness.

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"Etysh, what are you doing here? I thought we were forbidden to leave the positions assigned to us."

His companion looked at him seriously, unusual for a free-spirited person like her; even the timbre of her voice, as she punctuated every single syllable with precision, began to become heavier than usual.

"Precisely for this reason I came to warn you. It seems we have visitors."

Nothing unexpected. It was natural that the Theocracy would send more men after that handful of soldiers who had visited them a few days before. He just didn't expect them to arrive so soon. In any case, it would be just a nuisance that would take at most a few minutes to avert. A stone in the shoe to be removed without too much trouble.

"Nothing to be worried about. They will be as incompetent as those of the last time. Just other puppets to reinforce our ranks."

He watched one of his "puppets" move with a total lack of harmony next to them. It was hard to believe that he was once one of the so-called elite soldiers of the strongest human nation. But after all, in front of the executives, even the creme de la creme of the Theocracy was just a frightened brat in front of an imposing dragon.

Radest ordered him to bow down at his feet. Not for any real use, as he just wanted to forcefully assert his supremacy over those he considered inferior beings. Seeing the once brave soldier humiliate himself gave him pleasant amusement.

"It seems that this time they sent more than just common soldiers. The chief observed their movements with the magic of divination and believes they are members of the secret Black Scriptures. Their equipment is different from that of the common militia. They could turn out to be very, very dangerous. He forced us to pay the utmost attention." Etysh looked worried and Radest couldn't help but wonder if her fears were justified.

Of course, the legends of the Black Scripture exploits had reached his ears as well. But it was common to inflate the news to make their special units scarier than they were in reality. A simple preventive tactic adopted by many nations around the world.

And then, even if all the stories were true? No one was stronger than their leader. He was ready to put his hand on the fire that not even that famous bagatto of the Baharut Empire was comparable to him. In the worst case that he had to intervene himself, the matter would be over even before it had time to begin.

"Do we know where they are heading at the moment?"

"We think that for now, their destination is Darelf. Yalen, Gali, and Worthington were finishing up their searches and were alerted right away. It seems that to avoid any nasty surprises the boss decided to send his two puppies through teleportation magic to provide them with support."

The "puppies" his companion referred to were some of the scariest creatures that walked the land. Even for someone like him, accustomed to the sight of hellish creatures, their presence was a source of natural terror. Their participation made the outcome of the battle a foregone conclusion.

He admitted to himself that it caused him a little displeasure. A minimum of movement would not only do him good after the indolence of the last few days, but it would also break the unbearable boredom that gripped him. Well, not that there was anything to be done.

"It looks like we won't have to bother too much. I admit I'm a bit disappointed, but that's okay. We have a task to complete."

"Are you sure?"

Etysh continued to show a veiled feeling of discomfort. An absolutely pitiful sight for one of the twelve performers of the Zurrernorn cult.

"What are you so worried about? Even assuming that they manage to defeat the executives in Darelf they should then enter this fort, where 4 other executives and our leader await them. Frankly, I think it's a desperate undertaking."

The hypothesis that someone could break through their defenses so easily was unthinkable. No human being could have done it. No one.

"I can't exactly explain why, but I have a bad feeling. As if we had caused something that had to be kept hidden to show itself. I know, I know. They are stupid paranoia without any foundation. Despite that, I can't stop feeling a shiver in my backbones. Like a scythe around my neck waiting for every little movement of mine, ready to reap its harvest."

Seeing his partner in that condition had the effect of deeply strangling Radest, who began to wonder if perhaps he was not taking the situation too lightly. After all, Etysh was the most capable of their circle and the second in command of the organization.

What if her fears were not groundless? They still had time to escape and retreat. Yet, they were so close to achieving their goal. He felt that only a little more time was needed. One single step and their names would go down in history.

"Don't let this superstitious nonsense take control of your mind. We have nothing to fear. Despite what the common folk may think of us, we are not mindless fanatics. We are researchers. We are pioneers. One day all of humanity will be grateful to us for our efforts to defeat death."

Etysh took a little circular pendant engraved with the sign of Zurrernorn, a symbol of her position. The woman ran it slowly through her fingers as she began to sing a baby lullaby.

Radest remained silent listening to her sing. It was not the first time he had seen her perform for no apparent reason. After so many years together, the man had begun to understand that it was an instinctive reflex that the woman made every time she felt disturbed about something. Even his undead slaves seemed to be captivated by the melody for a fleeting moment, before resuming their assignments.

"I just wanted to see him one last time before I died, that's all." The woman said. The suave motif came to an abrupt halt, remaining unfinished.

Radest continued not to utter any lemma.

"Do you really believe that we are close to achieving our goal? Tell me, Radest. Are you ready to swear that soon we will be able to resurrect anyone? That we will no longer have to fear Surshana? Because I see we've been here for days and we couldn't get a spider out of the hole."

No, it wasn't true. Just confirming that a second spiral of death had occurred in this remote place was an extraordinary result for their research.

"Yes, I'm sure"

Why do I have the impression of deceiving you?

"I just hope you're right."

Etysh returned to her post, while Radest resumed ordering his undead servants.

There was nothing else he could do.

----------------------------------------

"Be careful, we don't know what might be hiding around here."

The village of Darelf at first glance presented a scenario identical to that of Forkel.

Deserted streets, goods of various kinds left in bulk, and complete absence of any form of life other than mice or cockroaches.

Yet Antilene knew that something was different, she felt the blood boiling for the impending battle.

Calm and cool. Repeat like a mantra: I am a servant of the Six, I am the sword that exercises impurities. Eternal glory for the faithful who abnegate themselves to the cause.

Verse five, chapter 3, of the second book of the adepts of the earth thundered in her head. The half-elf finally understood why she had to study the words of the scriptures so diligently: there was power in those letters, a power that worked on body and spirit.

Good, my baby. A perfect soldier.

What would her mother feel seeing her now? Satisfaction? Respect?

"I hear some noise in the distance, maybe there are survivors."

The ranger led his group until they reached what appeared to be the main street of the suburb. An uncomfortable air spread through the neighborhood; the scent of death tickled the nostrils like a shrewd lover caressing the most intimate areas of his partner.

"I don't like this place, there is something wrong here," Buvesez said, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Stay focused, old man. I don't want to be the one to save your backside if things get tough."

Four small will-o'-the-wisps burned incessantly behind Rosalie, a sign that she had decided to fully prepare for battle. Each of them granted her small bonuses to cast her spells: the one on the right end reduced mana consumption by 2%, the one on the left end increased the offensive potential of her spells by 3%, of the two remaining ones increased the resistance against the spells of her opponents, while the latter increased the likelihood of additional effects occurring.

"Look over there!" Campeao attracted attention by pointing to what looked like a patch of dust that was approaching quickly.

After a few fractions of a second, the beings that made it up became more visible: zombies and skeletons began to hit the members of the Black Scripture as a tsunami crashed on the rocks.

The paladin was the first to react. Forcefully planting the muscles of her legs on the ground, she quickly swung her broadsword in an arc of about one hundred and thirty degrees that easily broke the joints of some of the skeletons who had first started the assault.

The extreme ease with which she handled the colossal weapon was a testament to the hours the woman spent training to handle it. Like all Black Scripture armaments, it was a relic passed down from generation to generation by the Gods, which on that particular occasion proved particularly effective, as it increased the damage inflicted against undead and evil creatures.

Rosalie decided to cast the spell of fourth tier [Ice Prison] to test the abilities of the enemies. A frozen cage about seven meters high rose between the rear, trapping them quickly in frostbite. The rotten flesh of the zombies began to crumble from the low temperatures as the numb air began to spread among the undeads. After a few seconds, a substantial portion of their number had been reduced to dust.

Antilene began to rotate Charon's Guidance with graceful mastery. Her swaths wreaked havoc on opponents who could not help but suffer the blows of her weapon.

She sliced their decomposed bodies like marzipan, the remains of which began to accumulate at her feet.

Surshana's legacy became an extension of her arm, the white of the armor combined with the black of the scythe created a small two-tone vortex that began to suck the ever-smaller number of zombies and skeletons into its coils.

They are really weak. If their numbers weren't that high, we'd be done in seconds.

"Fuck. Fuck. Have you noticed their clothes?"

Buvesez cursed aloud as he threw bolts of light at the horde, creating small shining shows of colors. He seemed shaken by something.

"Yes. Some of these undead wear armor with the crest of the Theocracy."

"Many, on the other hand, dress in simple cloth clothes. Could they be the missing inhabitants?"

Campeao cut off the head of the last remaining zombie.

The five were now alone, surrounded by corpses turned to the ground that slowly began to disappear.

"If it's really about the citizens we were looking for, that's a big deal. I don't know of any spell that can turn so many people into undead. The matter is starting to get dangerous."

"Someone was maneuvering them or it's not clear how they all came together against a single target. Kapitel, see if you can find anything."

The ranger activated one of his skills in search of any maneuvers in the shadows. After a few seconds, he had his answer.

"There," he said, pointing to a two-story building a few meters away. "I hear the sound of some footsteps."

"I'll take care of it."

Antilene leaped quickly towards the indicated place using all her strength. A small crater was formed by the impact of its thrust, raising a modest fuss.

She busted into force from one of the windows of the structure, smashing it to a thousand bits on the floor.

"What the hell…"

A hooded figure was surprised by the unexpected visit. The half-elf saw him try to cast some spells, but she was so fast that the man didn't have the chance to finish his move. Her scythe penetrated with force and speed into his right collarbone. A surgical puncture dug into his flesh; small drops of blood began to flow gently from his circulatory system.

"Argh ..."

The mysterious man spat out a mixture of blood, mucus, and vomit, while his body collapsed to the ground in pain. Antilene had reduced the pressure of the blow to the minimum possible to avoid unwanted deaths, but the result was still more than enough to crush the fighting spirit of her new victim.

"Speak, who are you? Tell me everything you know!"

She placed her toe on his torso to hold him still. It was difficult to control the amount of strength to avoid shattering his internal organs.

Remember he is not like you. Pieces of glass that can shatter with the slightest contact. I have to be delicate. I think he's more resilient than normal humans, but I still can't afford to kill him unintentionally. Not without having extracted all possible information from him, at least.

"You're crazy if you think I'll tell you anything you want. You can burn in hell for what ... Cough ... cough ... I can't breathe ... "

A little extra push shouldn't be a problem. Just a little bit.

The toe of her shoe got heavier. The man felt the bones begin to crumble like plaster, his lungs contracted to make it a titanic undertaking to breathe.

"Do you want to talk now?"

"Do you think it takes so little to break me? Damn asshole, you don't know what to expect. You will all be dead soon! Gali and Yale are coming with the tools of your end! There is no escape, Surshana is waiting for you ... "

"Shut up."

She gave him what from her point of view was a light slap, a barely hinted caress but which was enough to stun him since he had finished rambling nonsense.

And now? All I can do is bring him back with me and wait for him to wake up. Well, it will be a perfect opportunity to hone my torture techniques. I'll have to ask Buvesez to keep him awake for a while, I can't risk him falling to the ground like a salami again. Ugh, next time I have to be careful to not be bothered by stupid words.

Antilene began to search the stunned body. Only a few days ago she would have found it awkward to touch the most private areas of another human being. Yet, her fingers moved firmly as she inspected every little hole.

Nothing but a funny circular locket and a handful of common items. Off, I was hoping for more sumptuous loot.

Having made sure that nothing precious deserved her time, she loaded the unconscious man on her shoulders, ready to carry him to the square where the others were waiting for her.

Before she could make the slightest move, a [Message] came from Rosalie.

"Lady Zesshi, quick! I don't know how long we will be able to keep them!"

An unusual concern transpired from the voice of the enchantress. She was usually composed and calm, but now she expressed squeeze and anguish.

What is happening? Better check it out.

Poking her head out of the remains of the window, an unexpected sight unfolded before her gaze.

Campeao and Kapitel were trying to keep two creatures with a Mephistopheles-like appearance at bay.

More than two meters tall, the monsters were protected by thick armor as black as night. They wielded a crinkled sword in one hand, while the other arm was equipped with a shield that covered approximately ¾ of their imposing physique.

A helmet decorated with a multitude of sharp thorns covered a face that was falling apart, two slits for eyes emitting a scarlet glow that gave off a thirst for violence that could only be gratified with the clamor of battle.

Wait, they are…

The half-elf had no difficulty recognizing those nightmare creatures. Too many times her guardian had instilled in her the characteristics and abilities of the most dangerous monsters that populated the planet.

I'm willing to bet it's Death Knights.

Death Knight. Just hearing that name would have chilled even the bravest adventurer's blood. Bringers of death and doom, they were a bane of realms due to their zombie-making prowess. Their victims became in turn Death Squires, capable in turn of creating other weaker undead from the unfortunate who fell under their blades.

A disease that spreads without end and without restraint.

But the danger of those atrocities did not stop at the speed with which they reproduced their infernal offspring.

Their skills in battle were out of the ordinary. In particular, their almost impenetrable defenses made them a bad obstacle to overcome even for the most experienced group.

And there were two of these creatures in front of them. And as if that weren't enough, they weren't alone.

An infestation of hounds, vultures, and other undead beasts had surrounded Buvesez and Rosalie, who continued to cast spells to keep them at bay. And as troubles never came by itself, a handful of other spellcasters kept bombarding them with low-middle ranking incantations.

Two hooded figures, probably the accomplices of his prisoner and commanding officers, had positioned themselves in the rear a few meters away from the Death Knights.

Those two are probably the ones behind this crap. Ok, let's do it.

The ligaments of her body expanded to the extreme, she burst like a meteor into the area where the clash was taking place.

"What?"

"What the heck is going on?"

"Lady Zesshi!"

"At long last!"

"Behind me!"

Campeao and Kapitel retreated behind her, ready in their combat gear. The skirmish hadn't even lasted for a minute but the wounds they sported showed how arduous it had been. The ranger in particular was bleeding profusely from his right arm due to a cut inflicted by his opponent's weapon.

"Be careful Lady Zesshi, don't let your guard down in front of these monsters."

The paladin's warning spread like an echo in her ears. Antilene concentrated all the muscles of her body. She would not allow the undead to twist a single hair of her companions.

"Go help Buvesez and Rosalie, I'll take care of it here."

The half-elf threw the body of the prisoner carelessly into the arms of the paladin, who grabbed him without having yet cleared the situation.

"But…"

"Go!"

The order erupted in the incandescent roar of conflict. Kapitel and Campeao began to support the two spellcasters who were keeping the undead host at bay.

Antilene scrutinized the two cruelties above her. Their hellish breath spread through the air; their stinking smell would have driven even a poor man without a sense of smell to madness.

"Did they leave a little boy alone? Are they crazy?"

"It doesn't matter. The Death Knights are going to get rid of them all regardless of their numbers!"

The two cultists began to confabulate with each other, giving her very little attention.

They are underestimating me, thinking they already have victory in hand. Let's check if their pride is justified!

The first to move was the opponent on her left. He raised the blade to deliver a forceful blow.

Antilene's arm muffled the impact effortlessly.

Weak.

The knight, looking at the half-elf with hatred, began to strain his skeletal bones to increase the pressure. The red of its cavities glowed with dazzling intensity. He pushed. And he pushed even harder. But it was completely useless.

His double moved his shield forward to try to overwhelm her, but Antilene saw the blow coming and, raising Charon's Guidance, used the central point of the scythe to stop the mad rush.

Boring.

"Hey, hey! How does he keep two of those things stuck at the same time?"

"I don't know, I don't know! But he is still now. Let's not let him breathe!"

Magical arrows of bones headed towards the half-elf's armor, crashing into the reinforced chest. A sensation similar to the itch of a mosquito tickled her chest.

"Hey, it's rude to interrupt someone who is fighting. Didn't they teach you good manners when you were little?"

They continued to storm her with their entire repertoire of spells. Black flames, corrosive acid, rivers of deconsecrated water. Not even a scratch. Even the armor had retained its immaculate whiteness.

The two executives were left speechless. Their spells had no effect, and to add insult to injury, that miniature soldier kept holding the two Death Knights at bay with mocking nonchalance.

How is that possible? It makes no sense.

"Do not worry. In a few seconds, I will pay attention to you too. There is no need to be in a hurry."

He is a monster.

Their legs began to emit a slight tremble.

He is not human.

A desire to escape started to take shape. To run away. The two men felt there was nothing to be done. It didn't matter if retiring meant facing their leader's judgment. The prospect was far better than staying in a losing battle.

"Let's finish it here."

Antilene leaped into the air causing her opponents to lose their balance for a moment, resulting in them wasting a few seconds to try to recover a stable position.

"Let's start with the one on the left."

Charon's Guidance issued its judgment.

First shot. A meticulous cut started from the skull up to the right patella, drawing a thin precise string.

Second shot. The central point of the scythe insinuated itself with military rigor into an uncovered joint of the armor.

Third shot. No. There was no need for that.

The surviving Death Knight attempted to sink the serrated sword into her arm. A deadly hook hit him in the ribs, making him fly for a few meters until he crashed into one of the houses in the area.

He tried to get up. Charon's Guidance had already severed his head with diabolical professionalism.

And now let's go and claim the coveted trophy.

The two men started running. They dashed and ran, aware that their life was hanging by a thread. They felt the god of death invite them to take part in the sumptuous banquet he had prepared specially to enjoy their company.

"Who the hell was that?"

"I don't know, but we have to notify the boss immediately."

"Send him a message!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm doing it!"

"How the heck did he destroy them with that scythe? And with extreme ease, too!"

Death Knights, like all undeads, had an innate resistance to slashing weapon damage. If that little guy had managed to eliminate them without breaking a sweat, it meant that the difference in strength was abysmal, as ridiculous as it seemed to think so.

"Is he chasing us?"

"No, I don't see anyone. Hey! Hey! Gali, Gali! Where are you?"

Yale looked around in despair. His partner was by his side until a few seconds ago. And now ... and now there was no one.

"Damn, damn, damn!"

He resumed his flight. Wasting time was not a viable alternative.

"Forgive me Gali, Worthington. I can't die here. Not now."

Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. I have to escape.

He was about to reach the exit of the village. Once out of there he could have lost his tracks in the woods that passed up to the fort of Ferrum Castrum. Reunited with Lord Kunivela and the other executives, they could have studied a counterattack. Yes, he could do it. He could do it.

"Are you going somewhere?"

He couldn't do it.

Before his eyes, a silhouette clad in snow-white armor rested on a small stone elevation on one side of the road. The bright decorations were kissed by the afternoon sunlight, framing his features in a dazzling and majestic aura.

Now I understand. It is not a monster. It's an angel. What a fool I have been.

"Your accomplices are in the hands of my companions. You can give up now if you want. Or, if you prefer, I can use the hard way."

The Zurrernorn cultist was left with a goofy face, contemplating his options. He actually realized that options was a generous term. There was only one thing left to do.

"I give up."

The little knight approached him making small hops. A childish image made even more grotesque when compared with the demonstration of power he had made just a few minutes ago.

"Splendid! Now come with me. We have a lot to discuss."

Yale swallowed. For the first time in years, he prayed with all his heart that the Gods would be kind to him.