I drew my sword as did Phillip. Emery pulled out his two daggers. As we got closer, we increased our pace yet again. We spent the first five minutes of the fight relieving the villagers. After that, we turned our attention to the fight itself.

  A particularly large zombie rushed me with a club. It wasn’t fast, but it was strong. I deflected his club with my sword. The impact rattled me to my bones. I had to use magic to enhance my strength and speed to get the upper hand. I deflected the club and used its momentum to spin him around. As soon as he did, I opened his back from his ass cheeks to the back of his neck. Then I took his head at the shoulders.

  Emery and Phillip were working on their own group together. I focused on keeping the bigger ones off them. Within minutes, we were back to back. Whatever undead neared our triangle of death perished instantly. I turned in time to see that reinforcements had arrived. Too bad they weren’t for us. The undead began to gather in clumps and rush us. No matter how many we put down, two more always replaced the one that fell.

  “I swear, there’s no end to them.” My shoulders heaved. I wiped sweat from my brow and reached for my water skin. It was empty. A small cut along the bottom had leaked out all the water.

  Phillip reached for his water skin. It too was bone dry. He looked at me and frowned. “I’m out of water. That’s a problem.”

  “Here,” said Emery. “Take mine.” He handed me his water skin.

  I took a long pull from it and passed it to Phillip. “Thanks, Emery.”

  “Anytime,” he said.

  I fired a blast wave of energy at a group of zombies that were charging us and toppled them back on top of each other. I swung my sword at the next pair that rushed me. The blade went through the neck of one and straight through the shoulder one of the other, cleaving both in half.

  Two more rushed in their place but my blade had already gone by, pushed by its momentum. Phillip intervened and took them out. Emery sliced and diced another that approached after Phillip’s swing. At this rate, we were going to be worn out before we ran out of enemies.

  My stomach gurgled. Pain shot through my abdomen as my stomach began to cramp. I looked over at Phillip.

  He was making a face. “Something’’s wrong.”

  I nodded. “Yeah.” I let loose a bolt of lightning at a nearby zombie. Its head exploded into gooey chunks. The body dropped like a sack of potatoes. I moved to fire a second bolt, but the power took a little longer to respond. And when it finally did, its potency was nowhere near as strong as the last one.

  The undead rushed us. I gathered willpower to unleash a blast of force in every direction, but the magic wouldn’t answer. My vision began to blur, and my sword became extremely heavy.

  Villagers ran to and fro. Some fought back with weapons and others with farm instruments. Shockingly, they were holding their own.

  Phillip groaned. “I don’t know what’s happening, Ulrich, but I don’t feel right.” His arms went weak, and the tip of his sword drooped for a moment. He screamed, swung the sword around, and beheaded another zombie. The momentum of the sword swung him around and nearly toppled him.

  What the hell is wrong with me? We were doing fine, and suddenly now we’re not. It wasn’t until— My mouth dropped open. Emery’s water! I spun on the man, sword held at the guard.

  “You did this,” I said. “You cut the water skins when our backs were together. And then poisoned your own water.”

  He grinned at me and batted aside my sword with his dagger. “The mighty Prince Ulrich. Outsmarted by a peasant-born bastard. How delightful.”

  “Why?” I raised my sword again and tried to gather power to me. The magic ignored me completely. “Why would you do this?”

  He grinned again. “Because your father willed it so.” He nodded when I didn’t respond. “Somehow, I figured you already suspected so.”

  I looked around me. The undead had stopped and formed a large circle around us. Phillip stood not too far away, barely able to hold his sword up. He dropped his sword and rushed Emery with every bit of strength he had. He collided into the man, and they went to the ground.

  Phillip managed to get his arm around Emery’s throat in a headlock. But no matter how hard he squeezed, he just didn’t have the strength to finish him off. Emery struggled and pulled at Phillips’ arm.

  There was a loud crack. Green lightning slammed into Phillip and me. Pain erupted through my entire body and dropped me to the ground. Emery extracted himself from Phillip. He kicked him in the face, and Phillip groaned in pain.

  A robed figure walked through the circle of undead. I was fairly sure it was the same robed figure I had seen in Captain Dain’s office. That son of a bitch.

  “Take them,” he commanded. Undead rushed forward and grabbed our shoulders. They effortlessly lifted us to our feet.

  Emery approached the hooded man. “Damon Tod,” he called. “What of my reward?”

  Damon Tod laughed. “Return to Laencaster. The fact that you live shall be your reward.”

  Emery’s shoulders slumped. “Yes, sir.”

  The undead carried Phillip and me forward. Damon Tod left the villagers to clean up the bodies.

  “What do you want from us,” I mumbled.

  “Hello, again, Prince Ulrich.” He grinned. “What do I want? Just your blood, Your Highness. But worry not, we won’t take it all at once.” He turned to another man. “Did you bring his horse?”

  “Yes, sir. Captain Dain was able to provide it before we left the city.”

  “Excellent. Affix the note to the saddle, and send the horse on its way. It must look like he made a stupid choice and was overwhelmed.”

  “Yes, sir,” the man said as my vision went black.

  7

  Cristof

  I stepped away from the group and put myself between the arrows and the caravan.

  “What’s he doing?” asked Byron.

  “Give him time,” said Oswald. “And let him concentrate.”

  I willed blood into a mist all around me. I kept pouring it on until it made a thick cloud. The arrows and the raiders charged on toward me. Igneus, I willed. I felt the beginning of the spell take hold. I charged it with kinetic energy, fire, and the biggest explosion I could create. Then I launched the spell into the sky.

  The cloud of bloodmist darted into the sky and spread wide. Then it exploded. The ball of fire engulfed the entire swarm of arrows, and the boom from the explosion hurt my ears. Both caravanners and raiders flattened themselves to the ground in fear.

  I raised my hand toward the raiders and focused more power. I picked the lead raider, who was just getting back to his feet, and kept my will focused on him. Then I released the spell. A spear of brilliant fire streaked across the distance between us. I heard the scream from where I stood as he was engulfed in a brilliant inferno. People scattered from the pillar of fire. As one, the raiders stood and charged forward, a raging battle cry on the wind.

  A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. “We got yer back, kid,” said Byron. The grin on his face stretched ear to ear. “That was mighty impressive.” He turned to our group. “Forward!” Our battle cry answered the enemy’s. I felt the combined energy of their willpower like a blast of desert wind. Oswald and I were swept up in its grasp and joined the charge.

  Several archers nocked arrows. Oswald and I took them out at range before they could fire. Our group smashed into theirs and broke their front line before they realized what had happened. The raiders panicked and ran. We made to follow, but Byron held up a hand.

  “Let them go,” he said. “We don’t have the resources to run them down.” We followed him back to the caravan. “Break formation and let’s move.” The huddled people came out of their hiding spots and the caravan formed back into its two side-by-side lines. Serlon tossed us some dried meat and we continued; We all kept a watchful eye on the horizon.

  It had been several hours since the fight with the bandits. Ahead of us, dark smoke rose from the huts in the distant village set against the crossroads. People moved with a purpose as they dragged bodies into piles.

  “What do you suppose happened there?” asked Oswald.

  Byron shrugged. “Could be more raiders?”

  Serlon shook his head. “I don’t think so. Normally raiders wouldn’t care to set fire to the buildings. That way they have something to come back to and steal from again.”

  “Fair,” said Byron. “I didn’t’ think about that.”

  The tension in the air seemed to thicken as we approached. “I don’t know,” I said. “Something’s off.”

  “Nah, kid,” said Byron. “Jus’ yer imagination.”

  “I don’t know,” said Serlon. “I’m starting to feel it too.”

  Byron frowned. He turned back to the convoy. “Keep yer eyes peeled. Somethin’s off

  The convoy tightened up. The merchants up and down the ranks hefted their weapons a little higher, held them a little tighter, and the sleepy look instantly fell away. After the last fight, they were ready for anything.

  As we approached, the smell of burnt bodies hung heavy in the air.

  “They were here,” I said. “I can feel the taint of Damon Tod’s staff and magic.”

  Oswald nodded. “Yeah. It’s like an oily stain to the air.”

  Serlon nodded. “I’d never thought of it that way, but since you mention it—yeah. I can taste the dark magic in the air.”

  We approached the villagers as they set about their tasks. An older man stepped away from the group of workers.

  “What happened here?” asked Serlon.

  The man frowned. “Cultists. They attacked us in force. We were able to fend off most of them. We’re jus’ burnin’ the bodies of their undead.”

  “How long ago?” I asked.

  The man frowned at me. “Not more than a few hours before sunrise.” he looked me over. “Aren’ you a wee bit young to be travelin’ in a caravan?”

  I ignored him and walked past him to the burning corpses. I willed a blood mist into the air and focused it with my will. “Rise.”

  The least burned corpse shambled to his feet. Everyone around gasped.

  “Be calm,” commanded Oswald. “There is nothing to fear.”

  “But he raised the dead!” screamed a woman. The villagers gathered around, weapons raised and ready for another fight.

  “I said be calm. Do not break his concentration, or it will run free.” Silence settled over the village.

  I turned to the burning corpse. “Why did you attack these people?”

  “Order,” it moaned as it burned.

  “Who ordered the attack?”

  “Damon. Tod.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “For fun,” it said. “Please... Rest. Please…”

  I sighed. “You are released.” The corpse collapsed into a column of ash as the fire burned away what was left of it. I shook my head.

  “We need to go,” said Oswald. “He isn’t that far ahead of us.”

  Byron turned to the man. “Will you be all right?”

  He nodded. “We’re a hardy people. We will survive.”

  Serlon looked around. “So much destruction. And just for fun? What a monster…”

  I nodded. “That’s why I’m going to kill him.” I turned to the man. “I will avenge the deaths of your people along with that of my mother.”

  He just looked at me with disbelief.

  I walked to Maline and shook her hand. “This is where we part ways. Thank you for having us.”

  “You’re welcome with us any time,” Maline said.

  We said our goodbyes with the rest of the group, and we headed south along the roadway.

  “What horrible things to do to innocent people,” said Oswald.

  “Yeah.”

  We traveled in silence for the next few hours. I didn’t have much to say, and Oswald respected my need for silence. Besides, it gave me time to think. Something I desperately felt like I needed right now.

  We followed the road until the next crossroads and turned left. The road ran between the forest south of Accreton Mountains and north of Lake Granite. It was beautiful. I’d never seen such greenery before as I did next to the lake. Life was verdant here. The clouds were dark and hung low across the sky, and a cool breeze blew down from the mountains. It would rain tonight.

  We set about collecting firewood and brush for a shelter. When we had enough supplies, we found a small clearing next to a stream that ran nearby. A fallen tree lay across the clearing, and it would make for the perfect shelter.

  “This will do nicely,” I said.

  Oswald nodded. “Let’s go catch dinner.”

  We spent the next thirty minutes at the stream, fishing poles in hand. We caught two fish each and headed back to the camp. It didn’t take long to have the fire roaring and the fish hanging above the open flame. The entire camp soon filled with the smell of roasted fish. It made our stomachs growl and our mouths water.

  I gathered the supplies we would need for the shelter and tucked them neatly under the fallen tree. Just in case the rain started. After all, we didn’t want our supplies to get wet before they actually became a shelter. I had just finished stashing the supplies when Oswald caught my attention.

  “Hey, Cristof, the fish are done. I also roasted a couple of the potatoes we got at the last place. Are you ready to eat?”

  “Absolutely!” I wasted no time and hopped over the fallen tree. We sat down next to the fire and pulled the fish from the flames. The fire burned cheerfully in the background, buffeting us against the falling temperatures as we dug into our meal.

  “This is great,” said Oswald. I nodded. “You think we’ll get to Arbington by tomorrow?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Shouldn’t be far now. Then we’ll deal with Damon Tod.” I frowned.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Well, I haven’t exactly given a lot of thought to how we’re going to kill him. He’s not exactly a weakling.”

  “That’s a good point,” he said. “We could use a paralysis spell and then stab him in the heart.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. What about his lackeys though?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked as he stuffed half of a potato in his mouth.

  “I highly doubt they’re going to just let us walk up and stab their boss, right?”

  “Well, yeah,” he said. “I didn’t say it’d be easy.”

  “Fair.” I took another bite of the fish and sighed. I could eat like this every night. Sure beats roasted strider…

  “What’s up, Cristof?”

  I looked over at Oswald. He stared back, an eyebrow arched.

  “I was thinking about our pilgrimage.” I grinned. “Well, more precisely about the food and how much better this is.”

  “Right?” he asked. “I could eat like this every night.”

  “Exactly.” I nodded. “Kind of makes you think about what we want to do later on.”

  “After the business with Damon Tod, you mean?”

  “Mm-hmm,” I mumbled as I ate. “It’d be nice to have some sort of career or trade when this is said and done.”

  “Got any ideas?”

  I laughed. “No, nothing solid, anyhow.”

  He leaned toward me. “Nothing solid means there’s something floating around that noodle of yours. Spill it, man.”

  I frowned. “I honestly am considering adventuring—at least for a little while. It pays decently and gives fairly good experience.” I raised my eyebrows. “Seem pretty far-fetched?”

  “Nah,” he said. “We’re already not too bad at it. And you’re right about the money and experience. Can never have enough of either.”

  I nodded. “And being that we grew up poor, what we do get feels like much more than most others would demand.

  “True,” said Oswald. “That means we can take the shittier jobs no one wants to do and still be happy with the payouts.”

  “Yup.” I added another log to the fire. “That could work—for now. But what about the future?”

  “I dunno, I wouldn’t mind making things. Coffins maybe?” He chuckled. “Or maybe houses.”

  I laughed. “A bit different there, don’t you think?”

  “What?” he asked. “Both are made from wood. Both have bodies inside.”

  I shook my head. “One gets dead bodies; the other gets live bodies. One gets buried; the other sits above ground.”

  Oswald tossed a pebble in my direction. “Don’t look down on my idea. Just because it’s a shitty idea doesn’t make it a bad one.” We both laughed. “Seriously though...I have no clue what I want to do with my life. I just hope I figure out something worthwhile. Something fulfilling. I could be happy with that.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “I feel the same way. Maybe we’ll discover something interesting while we travel?”

  “Could happen,” he said. “World’s a big place. I’m sure there’s bunches of things we’ve never even heard—”

  A sudden feeling of dread overcame me. Our gazes snapped to the direction of Arbington.

  “Holy hell,” he said. “Do you feel that?”

  “Feel?” I asked. “I can taste it.”

  “What the hell do you think that is?”

  I shrugged. “I’ve no clue. I wonder if Damon Tod’s using the staff?”

  Oswald shuddered. “That is a huge number of undead being raised. There’s no way we’ll be able to get past all of that.”

  In the distance, a deep, almost inaudible thump, thump, thump echoed across the land.

  “W-what was that?” I asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  We looked toward where the sound came from. Streaks of blazing blue and white light like shooting stars erupted from the mountain and raced across the sky toward Arbington. The light whistled as it came down. As far away as we were, we could see the city backlit in brilliant white light. Then, the light grew brighter until we could no longer look at it. The ground shook with each impact.

  A few seconds later, a blast of air rushed toward us, slamming trees sideways. We dove behind the fallen tree we had been sitting on. The blast of air snuffed out our fire and took the logs with it. The air was sucked right out of my lungs. It felt like an eternity, but the blast wave passed quickly. We gasped for breath. The forest was deathly quiet.