As Asteru traverses the desolate town, he encounters more remnants of the divided soldiers, their rusted armor serving as a grim testament to the turmoil that once engulfed the land. Amidst the few remaining stone structures, he observes the telltale insignia of the nationalists and royalists, distinguished solely by the inverted shoulder shield.
Exploring the abandoned buildings, Asteru's hollow form registers the remnants of a recent bonfire, its embers still warm to the touch. Though unable to physically feel the heat, he observes a burnt leaf, its edges singed but intact, indicating that the fire had been extinguished only an hour or two prior.
As Asteru follows the footsteps along the road, he notices a transition to a newer stone road, a stark contrast to the weathered path he once knew. Reflecting on the state of his skeletal form and the age of the surroundings, he surmises that decades, perhaps even a century, have passed since his last memories. Despite his confusion, he resolves to journey south towards the crop fields, guided by a faint sense of purpose.
Lost in contemplation, Asteru ponders his condition as an undead, a phenomenon typically associated with dark magic and servitude. However, his independent nature and lack of a master leave him perplexed, questioning the circumstances of his awakening. As the sun sets, he builds a fire and seeks refuge beneath a tree, contemplating his next course of action amidst the uncertainty of his undead existence.
Determined to avoid detection and navigate his newfound reality cautiously, Asteru resolves to remain vigilant and discreet as he continues along the road, veiling himself amidst the forest to evade unwanted attention. With the dawn of a new day, he resumes his journey, his senses alert to any signs of life that may cross his path.
As a cavalry squad emerges on the road ahead, Asteru instinctively seeks cover behind a nearby tree, observing their armor for clues to their allegiance and origins.
As Asteru observes the cavalry squad pass by, he notes the striking resemblance of their armor to the standard Agonagian cavalry attire, albeit with subtle differences in insignias and weaponry. Suspicious of their intentions, he opts to let them continue on their way, choosing instead to forge ahead towards the hills blanketed in crops.
Upon reaching the familiar landscape, Asteru is greeted by the sight of silos and windmills dotting the horizon, evidence of the passage of time since his last visit. To his surprise, what was once the modest village of Gallo has blossomed into a bustling town, its size indicative of significant growth and development over the years.
As night descends, Asteru takes refuge in the forest, pondering his next move and contemplating how to infiltrate the town undetected. In the stillness of the night, he overhears voices nearby and cautiously approaches, discovering three men engaged in conversation and revelry. Sensing an opportunity, Asteru resolves to wait for them to become inebriated, intending to seize their armor once they are sleep.
As Asteru cautiously searches for any spare clothing among the belongings of the sleeping men, his attention is drawn to a cart concealed behind a nearby tree. Using a stick from the bonfire to shed light on the area, he is met with a distressing sight - the cart is filled with slaves, huddled together in dismal conditions. Among them, Asteru notices a disturbing prevalence of children, their fragile forms bearing the scars of mistreatment.Approaching the wagon, Asteru is struck by the eerie absence of fear in the eyes of the enslaved individuals, as if they have resigned themselves to their grim fate. Closer inspection reveals the telltale signs of sexual abuse - blood stains in pubic zones and bruises over wrists and neck mark the bodies of the children, triggering painful memories of his own loss during the tumultuous events of the Agonagian stroke of state.Haunted by the echoes of his past and fueled by a righteous fury, Asteru resolves to take action. With determined resolve, he sets about freeing the enslaved individuals from their chains, his heart heavy with the weight of their suffering and his own unresolved grief.
In a sudden flurry of violence, one of the men awakens and launches an attack on Asteru, catching him off guard. Reacting swiftly, Asteru defends himself with the torch, delivering retaliatory blows to his assailant. The commotion rouses the other two slavers, escalating the conflict into a chaotic melee.
Amidst the chaos, a polearm strikes Asteru's legs, causing him to momentarily lose his balance. However, he quickly recovers, seizing the polearm and turning it against his attackers. Despite his valiant efforts, the odds quickly turn against Asteru as the slavers coordinate their assault.Realizing the imminent danger, the slavers attempt to decapitate Asteru, knowing that undead adversaries can be defeated by severing their heads.
As one of the slavers moves in for the killing blow, Asteru reacts with desperation, using his undead strength to overpower his assailant and incapacitate him by crushing his eyes with his fingers.Seizing the opportunity, Asteru turns the tables on his remaining adversaries, utilizing their momentary distraction to his advantage. With a swift and decisive maneuver, he dispatches one of the slavers with a sword taken from the blinded assailant, before turning his attention to the other.However, victory remains uncertain as Asteru finds himself outnumbered and outmatched.
Just as defeat seems inevitable, a sudden intervention from a slave, driven by desperation, impales one of the slavers from behind, creating a crucial distraction that enables Asteru to dispatch the final assailant and emerge victorious from the harrowing encounter.
Asteru: are you okay? You seem terrified
Slave: i-i
Asteru: don't talk, bring the others to the bonfire, the slavers didn't finished their food luckily.
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As the crackling flames of the bonfire illuminate the night, the fairy slave introduces himself as Elliot, recounting his origins as a slave born in the desolate slave market of Mochanuete, the capital of Kemee. He reveals that he and his companions were purchased with the intent to be sold in the capital of Honta, a distant country to the north. Asteru's mind reels with confusion at this revelation, for in his memory, Honta was only a province within the Agonagian territory.Faced with this perplexing revelation, Asteru is gripped by uncertainty, questioning the passage of time and the outcome of the war that once ravaged the land. Could it be that the liberalists emerged triumphant, reshaping the geopolitical landscape and giving rise to new nations and territories? Or has the world undergone a transformation so profound that the familiar boundaries of the past have been rendered obsolete?
Asteru: i was killed during the stroke of state, and i woke up not so long, so I don't know how much time has passed, tell me, who won the war? By the look of it the liberalists were.
Elliot: actually there was a truce when the Araldean empire and the patriarchate of Peimenoseia intervened, and Agonagia was divided in three, north for the royalists, center for the liberalists, and south for the nationalists, at least the liberalists became independent along with their territory. This was nearly 200 winters ago.
Asteru: 200 winters, that is a lot, and my town died for nothing.
Elliot: from where are you again?
Asteru: the town of Ornegaka, it was in the old imperial road, but now is a lot of debris.
Slave woman: i never heard of that town.
Elliot: uh, um, where is your master?
Asteru: what?
Elliot: the undead always have masters, so yours must be sonewhere here.
Asteru: I don't know if you believe me, but i woke up in my town, without help, so I don't have one.
Slave: what do you think elliot, he can talk, that is strange already.
Elliot: do you know any place where we can go?
In the light of dawn, Asteru rallies the freed slaves, aiding them in salvaging whatever they can from the fallen slavers. Together, they load their belongings onto the cart and set out towards the once-thriving town of Ornegaka, now a forgotten relic lost to the annals of time. As they journey through the desolate landscape, Asteru's mind is consumed by thoughts of the divided empire and the plight of those ensnared in the clutches of slavery.Reflecting on the grim reality of the Kemee Oligarchy and its cruel slave markets, Asteru vows to do everything in his power to assist those in need. While slavery may persist in Agonagia, it was once relegated to isolated cases within the bureaucracy, not the sprawling markets of suffering that now plague the land. Innocent children born into servitude and condemned to a life of misery - Asteru is determined to defy this unjust fate.
As they arrive at the town, Asteru's grim prediction proves true as they are met with a scene of devastation - debris strewn about, reclaimed by nature's relentless advance. The group, largely comprised of skilled construction workers, wastes no time in setting to work, salvaging what they can to erect makeshift shelters amidst the ruins. Their collective efforts are focused on gathering materials to repair the two remaining stone structures, a beacon of hope amidst the desolation.Meanwhile, Elliot and two others set out to hunt for sustenance. However, their progress halts as Elliot catches sight of Asteru amidst the makeshift graves, a solemn figure amidst the somber scene. Intrigued, Elliot approaches Asteru, his curiosity piqued as he wonders about the identities of those interred within the freshly dug graves.
Elliot: for who are the graves?
Asteru: the left is my wife, the right is my daughter, and the monument in the middle, for the people of this town, my people.
Elliot: did they died in the stroke of state?
Asteru: ...
Elliot: sorry, i just-
Asteru: is okay, we both have suffered a lot, um, mind if i go with you?
Elliot: no, we needed another one actually.
As night falls and the group gathers to share a meal, Asteru recounts the harrowing tale of the town's demise at the hands of both royalists and nationalists. With a heavy heart, he describes how the royalists descended upon the town, forcibly conscripting every able-bodied man and plundering their food supplies. Despite their compliance, the nationalists later accused the town of collaborating with the enemy, unleashing a brutal assault that left no survivors save for those taken as slaves.In a voice laden with grief, Asteru reveals the tragic fate of his beloved wife and daughter, cruelly taken from him before his very eyes. His own life was snuffed out in the carnage, only to awaken as a skeletal specter amidst the ruins of his once-thriving community. Haunted by the memories of loss and betrayal, Asteru reflects on the stark reality of their existence in a world ravaged by conflict and cruelty.As he concludes his somber narrative, Asteru's gaze shifts to Elliot and the others, a silent acknowledgment of the shared pain and suffering that binds them together.
Elliot: we are sorry for your loss, we have lost many of us too, before coming here, we were many more, but now we're just a dozen. The slavers we killed used to the older and sicker of us to the wilderness, we could do nothing against them.
Asteru: i am sorry.
Slave woman: is okay, right now you wish to be with them, to have died with them, but let me tell you something, you are here with a second opportunity, you can do everything you want now.
Asteru: what can i even do? Im just a skeleton, and people would not hesitate to kill me.
Slave man: you saved us, even knowing you would die again.
Asteru: right, right.
As the night envelops the camp in a blanket of darkness, Asteru finds himself reflecting on the words of a former slave, who spoke of seizing a second chance at life. Despite the perilous journey that brought them to this moment, Asteru is reminded of the resilience and courage displayed by those who have endured unimaginable hardships. Contemplating his own future, he grapples with the weight of responsibility that comes with his newfound existence.
Haunted by the memories of the town's tragic fate, Asteru resolves to forge a path that ensures such devastation never recurs. In the morning, as the new inhabitants of the makeshift town rally together to rebuild, Asteru observes with a mixture of determination and hope. While the adults labor tirelessly to reconstruct their community, the children and weaker members of the group contribute in their own ways, whether through cleaning or cooking.
Amidst the flurry of activity, Asteru joins Elliot and a group of companions on a journey to the nearby town of Gallo. Their mission: to trade animal skins for much-needed supplies and materials. Concealed beneath borrowed clothing to conceal his skeletal form, Asteru navigates the bustling streets of Gallo, his gaze sweeping over the transformed landscape.
As he witnesses the signs of progress and recovery that have taken root since the war's end, Asteru is filled with a renewed sense of purpose. Determined to shape a future defined by resilience and compassion, he vows to use his second chance at life to safeguard the freedom and dignity of all who dwell within the realm of his influence.
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Story by Enyorableroveler114