Xav Doomcry and Sarah Frostgard were approaching the Holy City of Saigunrai. Sarah rode her mighty Icehoof Draft Horse, while Xav was still on foot to her side.

They both rode well ahead of the forces behind them so that they could talk, this was Warmarshal Frostgard's intention. Ever since the day she saw the Holy Witch King fill the skies with his form... She started to formulate a plan.

So, she spoke with Xav today for that reason, "Xav... I have an idea."

"Hmmm? What about?" He answered noncommittally.

"But it's going to require your help."

"Babe, I will always help you."

"Then you don't mind that both you and me will require the audience with The Holy Witch King?" Sarah asked as she watched for the amusing reaction that Xav would take.

Xav didn't disappoint her, as large black beads of sweat formed on his brow, and he missed his footing for a moment on the road, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"What is it that you want to do... If I complete this task, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to see him." Xav, of course, seen The Holy Witch King in the sky... Like a god, he loomed overall, and his words still thundered in his ears... 'God-King." He shuddered.

Sarah laughed, "I am his Warmarshal, he isn't going to eat me and spit me back out."

"First off, he's an Undead Skeletal God-King... And I don't think they eat... Second, you are his Warmarshal... I am not..."

"So, you won't help me?" Sarah said in a teasingly voice that mimicked sadness.

Xav slapped his chest, "Fuck it! If I have to meet the God-King face to face so be it!"

Sarah smiled widely, as it cracked the corners of her mouth. Feeling the trickle, she took out her napkin and dabbed the corners of her mouth in a familiar way. Xav looked up to this cold beauty and shook his head.

"I'm glad... Because I plan to ask The Holy Witch King to issue a decree for our Marriage."

"Ack!" Xav sprayed spittle in front of him, and with the wind, it pushed back into his face. Now that he realized what he did in front of his beloved, he wanted to go bury himself.

"Here." Sarah passed to him her napkin, which was stained with her black blood. Xav looked at it for just a second, as Sarah realized what she had done.

"If you think it's dirty, you can just hand it back." Her words were stern, but her voice betrayed her feelings.

Xav didn't say anything, as he used the clean side to wipe his face, as he handed it back, as he spoke, "I would battle the demons and devils of hell for you, so what's a God-King...!" Xav slapped his chest a few times to pump up his courage.

"Oh, good. I'll make sure to let his Grace know your determination."

"...Please, babe, don't do that to me..." Xav asked meekly, with Sarah holding her stomach, as not to laugh hard enough to cause her face more damage.

It would be tomorrow when they reached their destination, and Xav did not look forward to speaking with the God-King.

*******

Mark walked back from the Port Keepers of Neolith. He had laid to rest many undead steeds for his wagon of servants and his wife to make it to the east coast of the Ruined Continent.

He was in deep thought, as he walked to his wagon to see his wife again when something caught his eye.

Two grown undead males, one skeletal and one zombie, were bullying a zombie undead child. Mark watched for a few moments seeing how this was going to play out, and what these undead men needed.

He learned, as the undead men began to beat the undead child, who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old by voice, that this was money owned to them for a loan. This was typical of poor families needing money to feed their zombie family members.

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Mark decided his course of action, as he walked over to the group, he called out, "Excuse me, sirs. I don't believe this is the time or place to attack children."

"Mind your business, old bastard or your next." the Skeletal undead lifted his head, from beating the child.

Mark nodded a few times, as he reached out with his hand, icy swirled around him, and an icy claw reached from the ground suspending both the undead men into the air by their throats.

"If you are going to speak like that, you need to make sure you back up what you say." Mark nodded a few times, as he watched both men struggle free, grasping at their throats. If this icy claw that emerged squeezed hard enough... Then their soul containers would break...

The thoughts that swirled in their heads was silent casting! This undead didn't speak any spellwork to attack them!

"Stop struggling, or I will save the boy trouble." Mark snapped, as he passed the two to kneel in front of the undead boy child on the ground. The two undead men held onto the icy claws that held them up, least the weight of their bodies decapitate them.

"Boy, what's your name?" Mark asked in a soft tone.

"M-My name is Logan... Logan Splinterat..." The child said as he got to his feet, and the back of his fist to wipe the black blood from his broken nose. He looked indignant about the whole situation.

"Little Logan... I'm just passing by, and so I cannot suffer the actions of these two to bully you, no matter the reason they have come to do so... But know this Little Logan. There won't always be someone to come save you. I will be leaving in a week. Once I am gone, these two will be sure to come back."

A few sniff sounds were heard, and then the boy spoke, "Then mister what do I do?"

"Get stronger!" Mark said without hesitation.

"But... My family can't afford for me to go to school here."

"Take this card." Mark produced a card with a gold circle on the front, and an address on the back, as if he performed sleight of hand magic.

The boy reached out and took the card, looking at the light shine on the gold surface of the card, and then looked to Mark's gold monocle.

"It's exactly what you think it is... Take this card to the address and tell them the Monocle choose me. They will teach you the rest." Mark said softly, as he stood, he placed his bony hand on the head of the boy and ruffled his hair.

The boy looked up with a gleam in his eye and nodded vigorously.

"Smart boy, now run along. I need to talk to these two fellows."

The boy nodded again, as he ran off as quick as a mouse.

Mark turned to the two undead men and waved his hands. The Icy claws disappeared and dropped the two men. They finally dropped, and fell to their knees, pleading for their unlives.

"We were mistaken!"

"We couldn't see a Master when he was in front of us!"

"Spare our unlives!"

"We'll stop our ways today!"

Mark laughed, "Stop your ways? Not likely. As soon as I turn you two loose, the first thing you're going to do is find your boss, and rat me out. Then you're going to try to check out who I am, find nothing, think it's okay, and then come attack me."

The skeletal undead rattled, and the zombie undead produced copious amount of black sweat, as it streamed down his back.

"Let me tell you, in this course of events, what happens is I reap every one of your sorry unlives and waste my time. So, I have a counteroffer... Take this."

Another card with a gold circle was produced, and extended to the skeletal undead, "Take this card to your boss. If he's smart, he will come to the address on this card, and talk to me personally. If he isn't smart and he shows up with anyone but himself... Then he can kiss whatever little shit stain of an operation he's running goodbye. In the end, the choice is yours." Mark said as he walked past the two undead to walk back to his wagon.

The two undead saw that he didn't have more intentions, and also made haste, leaving this devil far behind.

Mark saw the edge of the wagon flap move quickly, as he chuckled.

He climbed up onto the wagon and seated in from the flap to the inside of the large wagon, to find his wife, Princess Janet sitting in her wheelchair. She was pretending to read.

"W- Princess Janet, I know you are a curious one, so just ask." Mark laughed again, as he walked over to his makeshift desk to read some reports, while his servants arranged his coming to his vacation home here in Borda, also known as his base of operation in this area, and the location of the address on both cards he handed out.

Janet folded the book over his mid-section, and asked, "Why did you help that boy? That doesn't really seem like something you would do." She asked as she couldn't hear what was being said.

"I saved that boy from a terrible future so that he can work for me. I gave him my card, and he will come to see me in a few days. At first, he will think he will be lucky, and not want to go into the unknown. After a few days of tasting his continued existence of weakness and poverty, he will remember my words, and the draw of power will bring him to me."

"So, you did that to gain a follower?"

"Yes. Those saved become fiercely loyal, and loyalty is a weapon. Illusionist Genie who was the detonator of Zitergall was just such a child I saved, and she served well until her last shred of soul dissipated."

"...That's cold... I know that's a horrible thing, but why do I feel that it's sooo.... clever?" Janet said uncertainly.

"Because it is." Mark laughed.

"What about the two bad guys... You just let them go?"

"No... They will tell their boss to come find me, and he will show up like a pompous Jack ass. I will smack around his people and force him to submit to me. My forces here will keep him under thumb, and once he understands that my undead aren't all stick, and rewards are abound... He will come around to my way of thinking."

"So, you conned the victim and the assailants... I love it!" Janet said with a squeal.

"I know! I know. Haha! You always did like a good scheme." Mark laughed a few times, with his wife.

His wife smiled, as her eyes shined while looking at Mark. It seemed her way of thinking was slowly changing to that which it used to be.