"Just what is this dust on my Legion?" Verruca asked her fellow Warmarshals, as she looked over the casualties in the distance.

"Some time of corrosive poison I suspect," Stephanie spoke, up after a moment of thought.

"Obviously, but This doesn't look like it's just poison." Verruca agreed, but something was off about it.

"It's living poison... Or close to it." Mossvale was hunched over a Warbreaker that that collapsed when the charge halted covered in a black mass.

"What do you know Warmarshal Mossvale?" Verruca's eyes gleamed with a bit of violence... Poison wasn't war to her. It was a coward's weapon. She didn't disdain poison, but the person that used it.

Mossvale had covered his hands in a green glow, as he took a swath of the black mass growing on the armor of the Warbreaker. He held it up and pressed it between his fingers. After a few spells, he wiped it back on the armor of the Warbreaker.

He stood up speaking with his back to everyone, "This is made from mushrooms that now have mold type properties. Whoever made this was a mad man. If not for my Cultivating a nature-based tome, then I couldn't touch this stuff. Thankfully it looks like it only eats flesh and bone, and not metal or stone... Otherwise, everything would be eaten here."

Verruca drew in a cold breath... Just what were they fighting here!

"Despicable bastards! So much for the Warrior's Honor of Jakahn!" Stephanie yelled in anger.

"...I'm not sure this is Jakahn..." Ken, who had been silent, spoke gathering everyone's attention.

"Speak," Verruca commanded.

Ken lifted his head to look at Verruca and smiled widely, as Verruca snorted at him.

"I know more about Neolith than Jakahn, but of course being over here I get a lot of intel from Mossvale, isn't that right buddy?" Ken gestured to his fellow Warmarshal.

"Of course. What I know is what you know." Mossvale agreed.

"Jakahn's super into the whole, OH SO HONORABLE! Poison has never been their thing, even when they have it in some of their tomes... They don't cultivate it. This is Marquis Mark's doing." Ken looked over his shoulder into the distance to a certain hilltop.

Understanding dawned on the other three. It wasn't that they couldn't come up with this assessment, but it was Ken who thought of it first.

"Alright then... What's the next move, and how do we combat this poison, now that we know?" Ken turned back and questioned the others.

"Do they have any more Ballista?" Stephanie asked.

"Who knows if they have more in the distance covered up, but our last scout report stated this was all they had," Mossvale replied.

"I can create and Arcane barrier to shield us from more shots, but I can't do anything else if I am to sustain it," Stephanie added.

"That's good. We should secure this area, and form battle lines. Now they have a foothold outside of the city, we should hold it, least these cowards launch their poison into the city itself..." Verruca decided.

"Why didn't they launch that poison into the city already?" Ken questioned.

"They want to occupy Zitergall... Otherwise, they would have, nothing else makes sense." Stephanie thought out loud, as the others nodded.

"Alright. This is what I what- Huh?" Verruca felt some killing intent, but before she could command, the ground opened all over with multiple undead leaping around holding two large black balls, one in each hand.

"FOR THE MONOCLE!" The undead charged into the crowds of troops surrounding the Warmarshals and blew themselves up in clouds of gray-orange dust.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The warriors around started to combat the wave of suicide bombers, as another wave sprang from the ground.

One undead, in particular, first seen Warmarshal Verruca and ran crazily at her, "FOR THE MONOCLE!"

As Verruca raised her shield, she saw a flash of light, as Warmarshal Ken jumped in front of her and knocked down the bomber. Before she could provide assistance, an explosion sounded.

Ken rolled off the suicide bomber, his chest caved in, and now filled with a cloud of gray-orange dust.

Verruca dropped her shield to the side, as he plunged into the ground deeply, as she made her way to Ken's side.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Mossvale cried out!

Verruca hesitated, as she looked to Mossvale.

"He's covered in that poison... If you don't cultivate my tome or at least a nature-based tome, you better leave your unlife behind if you want to touch it."

Verruca kept her hands to herself, as she kneeled beside Ken. While Mossvale and Stephanie were cleaning up the rest using their magic shields they conjured to block the dust from spreading from the bombers.

Ken looked up at Verruca, "Can I get that dinner date now?"

"What are you asking at a time like this?" Verruca asked angerly but slightly touched.

"I don't... I don't think I'm going to get another chance." Ken coughed a few times.

"I... Yeah... Do you have any other last requests?" Verruca's eyes turned slightly red. She wanted to say he was going to be alright, but seeing the black mass growing in his hollowed chest, and spreading on his silver armor... It wasn't likely.

"Can you... Can you tell me why you never gave me the time of day? Is it because you're into girls?" Ken asked.

"What?" Verruca didn't know what he meant.

"I mean..." Ken coughed a few more times, as the black mass spread, "I kept trying to court you... I tried for so long, and I never was able to... I guess I'll never get that chance. I figured you liked girls, instead of guys."

"I'm not into girls... I like guys." Verruca said slightly humored, in this dark hour. She at least had to set the record straight for Ken if he was going to return to the cycle.

"Then... I really wasn't good enough?" Ken was startled, it had never occurred to him, that he might have been the problem.

"Maybe... I'm flattered, Ken... But I have someone I like." Verruca spoke with a bit of sadness at this moment, the humor drained from her voice.

"Why do you say that so sad?" Ken coughed a few more times, the black mass was up to his neck, and soon to cover him.

"Ken... You're about to meet true death. I don't think it's time to talk about my problems. What is your last will?"

"I want to know why you said that so sad... If the person you like makes you sad, then I could have been... that person to make you happy."

Verruca thought for a second, before replying, "I... I-I..." Verruca looked around and found that no one was listening, as they had engaged a third round of bombers.

She lowered her head to Ken, "I like the God-King."

Ken slightly startled, "Have you always liked him? Back when... he was The Holy Witch King?"

"Yes."

"So that's why... But... Why did you sound sad? You didn't... answer me?" Ken pressed on.

"He has two consorts now... He's going to marry soon. There is no room left for me. He didn't take me. I always waited." Verruca let out her feelings.

"Really...? The Warmarshal I know always charges headlong into battle... She never waited for anyone... Why... Did you wait...? The black mass was reaching his mouth and was around his ears. It wouldn't be long now.

Verruca was surprised by Ken! This... This was true! But... So, what? It was too late now.

She shook her head, "Be that as it may. It's too late now."

"Is he... still alive...?"

"You know he is... He currently sits in Saigunrai."

"Then there... Is time... Unlike me... Please promise... Me... Something..." Ken squeezed out, as it was getting harder to talk. Ken felt he should have learned undead vocalization.

"What?" Verruca wanted to know his last will.

"Chase him...! Win his heart...! Even... If you are... His seventh... Wife... Be his... Wife...!! I don't... Want you to be... Sad...! I don't... Want to be... beaten... In love... By nobody...! I'm... Ken... Lover of... Romance... after all...!" Ken's last words lingered in the air, as the combat around them started to die down.

Verruca continued to kneel beside Ken, as she watched the black mass consume him. He was gone...

[...Didn't want to be... Beaten by nobody...] Verruca felt guilty in her heart. She had tried to keep Ken away, but he always tried to get her attention. Maybe if she had been more direct...

A thought popped into the back of Verruca's mind... It whispered to her... 'Cry... Cry and Jack will fix everything.'

[No.]

It whispered again, 'a few tears, and Ken will be back again, you can rid the guilt in your heart. A few tears and your troops will be replenished... Cry...'

[NO!]

Verruca stood up, from her position looking down at Ken.

[I will not cry again for him. Not until he has conquered all the lands! He has to hold his part of the bargain!!!] Verruca yelled in her mind.

She looked down at Ken one last time before she was going to head out to battle once more. Guilt and pain of the heart were easy to quench with the blood of her enemies.

[Maybe I should... Maybe I should have told him I loved Jack to begin with... !!!] Verruca admitted it in her heart. She loved him. [DAMN IT! DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!!]

Verruca had enraged herself, as she finally admitted the obvious. She had always liked him... but she never wanted to love him until he was hers...! She needed to take this out of someone, and she knew just who she wanted to take it out on...!

She yelled to the sky, with her sing-song voice booming well into the distance, "FORMER-MARQUIS MARK! SCRAM OUT FOR YOUR MOTHER! I'M HERE TO TAKE YOUR DOGGY LIFE!"

Golden lightning was arcing off her armor, in many ways that Jack's did...