Crack!

A skeleton’s skull shattered as Kaleb drove his steel mace down upon him. The creature’s body fell apart and scattered across the top of the stone wall. Some of the bones tumbled over the edge of the walkway and landed onto the city streets.

As Kaleb looked over the edge of the walkway at the remains of his defeated opponent the scene before him was a grim one. The street below was strewn with the fresh remains of his enemies and allies alike. Among the heaps of bones and half decomposed corpses, the mauled and battered bodies of four soldiers lied perfectly still amidst pools of their own blood – a stark reminder of what would happen if the undead managed to overcome the city’s only line of protection. In the streets below they could easily overwhelm the defenders whose only advantage was the four meter tall city wall, which the attackers had to climb before engaging them in combat.

A sharp scraping sound distracted Kaleb from his somber contemplations. He peered over the parapets to find another skeleton scaling the wall.

The undead creature gripped the uneven stone surface with its splintered bone fingers as it struggled to climb over the edge. Its empty eye sockets radiated a pale green glow that was brimming with hostility. The monster opened his mouth in a silent scream of rage as it grappled the parapets for support.

Reacting quickly Kaleb brought his weapon down upon the skeletons face. It crushed the creature’s jaw and ended up striking the edge of the stone parapets sending a painful jolt up his arm.

Although not quite banished, the body of the skeleton fell from the wall and landed into the massing crowd of undead beneath it.

“Gods – be damned!” Kaleb cursed as he changed hands. The rogue shook his aching wrist to try and lessen the pain.

He looked to the soldiers in front of him to confirm that they were still alive.

The two men-at-arms that were stationed on this section of the wall alongside Kaleb waved their weapons to show that they were still in the fight.

“Bring the stones!” Kaleb ordered in a raspy voice.

Having received the rogue’s permission, six militiamen scaled the stairs carrying a hefty boulder each. They brought the heavy stones up to the edge of the fortification and proceeded to push them over the parapets, dropping them onto the heads of the swarming undead below.

Kaleb reveled in the satisfying crunch of shattering bones as the stones landed.

But the moment of accomplishment was short lived.

“Gah!” went one of the militiamen as a ghoul lunged at him over the parapets. The decomposing body grabbed the terrified man and pinned him to the ground.

The terrified militiaman desperately wailed at the undead abomination with his bare hands, but it had no visible effect on it.

One of the soldiers drove his sword into the body of the monster, but it just ended up stuck inside its rotten torso. Though skewered, the creature was relentless in its assault on the poor militiaman.

“Go for the joints!” Kaleb roared as he slammed into the undead monster at full speed. They both fell down onto the walkway, grappling for support.

Kaleb’s lightning quick assault had freed the militiaman who used the opportunity to scramble away from the scene of battle on all fours. Meanwhile the others went about pummeling the undead monster into submission.

His body aching, Kaleb stood up and glared in disgust at the defeated undead. He looked next to the soldiers under his command with that same expression on his face.

“You have to check over the parapets before giving the all clear signal!” he berated them.

The soldiers were far too exhausted to argue with the rogue at this point. They stood silent, staring back at him with tired eyes and empty expressions.

The men can’t go on fighting for much longer, Kaleb realized. He glanced over the edge of the parapets to scout the situation below.

Even though the defenders had managed to cull their ranks during the long day’s fighting, the undead horde still numbered in the hundreds. At the moment, their assault seemed to be letting up. The majority of the corpses roamed aimlessly across the open field in-between the city and the cemetery. This lack of direction would only last for so long, however, as the undead would inevitably find another reason to climb the walls.

Kaleb had lost the count of the undead that he had personally sent back to their graves. The battle had raged for the entire day with the undead assaulting the walls in waves. The less than intelligent creatures were predictable in that they went straight for the closest sections of the wall as soon as they arose in the cemetery. That had allowed the defenders to concentrate their already sparse numbers here. But that singular advantage had not been enough…

Kaleb reckoned that no more than half of the men that had taken to the walls this morning were still in a fighting condition. The undead were might have been unarmed, but even a light injury was enough to take a man out of action if it was coupled with exhaustion. In this battle of attrition, living people had the misfortune of having flesh and blood – ample room for injury and affliction – while the dead brought naught but their hollow bones.

He could not recall the last time he had felt this numb. Kaleb’s hands shook even as he lowered them at his sides. The others must be doing worse, he assumed in light of his combat experience. Battles fought between the mortals were often bloody, but they were also short. The undead, however, were inexhaustible.

Having checked that there were no undead climbing his portion of the wall at the moment, Kaleb ordered his men to rest up. The militia brought up water and food. The shoddily trained defenders then took up a silent vigil as the exhausted soldiers fell to the ground, savoring their brief moment of respite from the battle.

Kaleb indulged himself on a jug of water. He was parched form the fighting and the cold, refreshing taste of bland well water was the best thing in the world right now.

Having finally quenched his thirst, Kaleb set off for the gatehouse to find the man in charge of the city’s defense.

As he descended the narrow staircase he was met with the same grim scene from before. The streets were covered in bones and half decayed corpses that had fallen, been pushed or outright jumped over the edge of the walkway. The reckless abandon with which the enemy threw itself over the walls had lead Kaleb to surmise that the undead sought to break into the city, but for what reason he could not guess.

“Why are they so driven?” He wondered as he stepped around the mauled corpse of a soldier. “What could have driven them to leash out against their own home to this extent?”

As he reached the gatehouse Kaleb was met by his Lord and the priest, Talbot. It was the rallying point and served to organize and direct the defenders towards the part of the wall that was at the moment being assaulter the hardest.

The gray stone fortification stood at the crossroads of the narrow street. The cobblestone road ran the perimeter of the wall. Here, at the gates, it connected with the main road leading directly towards the town’s central square. If the gatehouse was ever lost the undead could flood into the city practically unopposed, forcing the remaining defenders into a retreat. A siege of the Rotwald keep would ensue, but for the Duke that would mean a defeat and a potential rebellion. Weakness, Kaleb knew, could not be shown at a time like this.

He found the man gambling the most on this desperate defense, Duke Ferdinand, sitting on the ground, his back pressed up against the gatehouse wall. He wore full steel plate armor, but had removed his helmet and gauntlets. In all honesty Ferdinand looked no better than the rest of his soldiers manning the walls.

Tired and drenched in sweat, he turned his distant gaze to Kaleb and greeted him with a sluggish nod.

Kneeled before him was Talbot, currently busy tending to his lord’s bloodied arms. An orange glow emanated from the priest’s hands as he held together the trembling fingers of his lord.

“I– I can’t hold my weapon anymore, Kaleb,” Ferdinand hissed through his teeth. He was clearly in pain.

“Calm down, My Lord,” Talbot said as he focused on his healing magic. “A little while longer and the pain should start to subside.”

Kaleb looked to his aching right hand. I guess I won’t get that same treatment then…

He dismissed his foolish notion of asking the priest for help and instead opened one of his many leather pouches. Kaleb took out a small vial and uncorked it. The rogue drank about half of it and offered the rest to the Duke.

“What is that?” Ferdinand inquired as he examined at the vial presented to him.

“White willows bark tincture – It should take away some of the pain… eases the swelling.”

Talbot took the vial and assisted Ferdinand with drinking it.

“It won’t be as quick as the priest’s magic,” Kaleb explained, “But it will help.”

“Just as well… I am running low on arcanite, My Lord,” Talbot announced. “If I push myself any further, I will pass out.”

“Go on then,” the Duke slowly waved his hand, dismissing his servant. “Get back up on the gatehouse and tell me when they are about to launch the next attack. I’m going to stay down here and rest for a while.”

The priest reluctantly complied and left.

Kaleb seated himself down next to the Duke.

Aside from the dead men, horses and the repugnant remains of their enemies, the streets of Hadel were empty. It was quiet compared to the rustling and creaking of bones that could be heard when standing on top of the walls. It was still a scene of carnage, sure, but there was tranquility to it – as to every battlefield once the dust had settled.

After a while the tranquility was banished as a noisy wooden cart, filled with cobblestones, rolled past the gatehouse. The two militiamen pulling it completely ignored the Duke, their lord, who was seated up against the wall of the fortification.

A flock of crows flew overhead. Some landed in the blood soaked streets to feast on the corpse of the Duke’s men-at-arms. They ignored the half decayed remains of the undead around them, going directly for the freshest, most succulent meat.

Kaleb and Ferdinand sat for a few minutes observing the scene in silence until the rogue took out another vial and uncorked it.

“More medicine?” the Duke inquired with some glint of interest in his voice.

Kaleb swallowed a mouthful and offered the rest of the Duke. “Alcohol,” he said and managed a sharp, if somewhat tired grin.

The Duke smiled back and accepted the vial from the rogue. He coughed as he took a sip, but managed not to waste anything. “Strong stuff!”

Kaleb nodded. “Yeah…”

Ferdinand finished the drink and let the empty vial slip out of his trembling fingers.

The two exhausted men observed the setting sun behind the temple tower at the center of the city.

“I didn’t believe we could, but we lasted the day,” Ferdinand said in a broken voice.

“Yeah…” Kaleb replied without averting his gaze from the setting sun.

“You can still run away, you know…” the Duke suggested. “The others might not realize it, but we can’t hold the city anymore. You of all people should be able to tell that.”

Kaleb nodded. “Yeah…”

The Duke slightly shifted his heavy armor clad body to face the rogue. “I don’t get it, Kaleb. From what the people have been telling me about you, this kind of self-sacrifice is the last thing I would expect.” There was a great deal of uncertainty in Ferdinand’s eyes, “Why? Why does everyone think so low of you?”

Kaleb sighed and looked down at his trembling hands. “The people like to talk, My Lord. They rarely know what they are talking about, though.

Ah… don’t misjudge my lapse in common sense. I am generally not the compassionate type. The only reason why I am still fighting is because I feel like I should. Most of the time I don’t even know why I do these things... I’m just a drifter, really.”

“But why?” Ferdinand persisted.

“Chasing happiness, maybe?” Kaleb grinned.

“Anyhow… I don’t have a sad past to share or anything like that. There is no justification for what I do or who I am. I guess I’m just a cretin for how I treat others. I don’t exactly give people any reasons to like me.

But you know how stupid the masses are. I mean, you are a lord – you have learned firsthand how worthless most people are. And they sure love to talk about us ­– the ones with actual talent and power. The sheep looking down on wolves…”

“They say some pretty terrible things about you, Kaleb. Why do you put up with all that?”

Kaleb shrugged. “I guess I’m just a masochist, then. Maybe I just can’t be bothered to do something about it. I mean, just look at me,” he tilted his head. His face was sunken with the shape of the bones clearly visible beneath the rogue’s pale skin. “What was it that came to your mind when you first saw me?”

“A living corpse…” Ferdinand admitted.

Kaleb smiled bitterly and looked away towards the setting sun, “Exactly.”

“So you drink and you fight, is that it?” Ferdinand asked. “Why not try and make something out of yourself? You clearly have the mind for it–”

“Why bother?” Kaleb interrupted the Duke. “You worked hard for all that you have while I merely drifted from place to place. And look at us now – exchanging drinks, wallowing in the dirt at the bottom of a gatehouse that, truthfully speaking, should have nothing to do with either of us. Death banging on the doors… Was it all worth the effort you gave?”

Ferdinand sighed. “I guess you have a point there.”

“One day we will all look like those monsters on the other side of the gate, my lord. No matter you place in society, you still get put in the same old hole in the ground as we all. Farmer, lord or priest – we all have the same end coming for us. Why try and fight it? Why pretend that we can outrun it?”

Ferdinand contemplated Kaleb’s words in silence.

The rogue took out another vial of alcohol and shared it with the Duke.

It really would have been a splendid evening if not of the impending doom. The skyline was a pleasant hue of red. The streets were calm at this time of siege.

“That is one way to look at it, I suppose,” Ferdinand said and forced himself up. “Maybe I seem like a fool to you now, driving myself insane to keep together a crumbling kingdom, but I can’t live life any other way. That endless struggle is something we have in common, you and I.

The Duke grinned, “So I guess I am a masochist too, Kaleb. Thank you for helping me realize it.”

“As if I care,” Kaleb replied.

The two men exchanged tired nods. The Duke then headed for the stairwell of the gatehouse.

Having taken one last look around at the carnage, Kaleb followed.

The climb felt harder than ever. As he finally emerged at the top, Kaleb was met by the dusk covered figures of the Duke and his priest standing at the edge of the parapets, peering silently at the cemetery in the distance.

“Do you think they too will become like that?” Ferdinand asked. “Will they be raised by the death magic?”

“Our men, my lord?” Talbot inquired.

“They might,” Kaleb said. He took up position at the Ferdinand’s right side. “Sure wasn’t us that killed them, though.” His gaze searched the battlefield below for the scattered remains of the Duke’s soldiers.

“And if they do?” Ferdinand asked. “Maybe we should…” he stopped mid-sentence. “Is that– a sunrise?”

Kaleb looked to the hills behind the cemetery where an aura of orange light was slowly rising over the horizon. That warm glow shone brighter and brighter until a lone rider emerged from behind the far away hill and halted in the middle of the road, surrounded by the glow; emanating it.

The sight stumped the beleaguered defenders. Some of them even looked back at the sunset to make sure that they were not dreaming – that it was not another sun rising. Even as the light behind them faded, this new orange aura only grew in power.

“An illumination spell?” Talbot muttered. “Could that be a divine spell caster?”

“I don’t see a staff,” Kaleb added. Granted, the rider was a fair distance away, but he had confidence in his eyesight. “[Holy Aura] maybe? A paladin?”

“It’s huge!” Talbot exclaimed, “That’s the largest I’ve ever seen!”

The men stared in expectation at the distant figure atop of the hill.

“But is he here to help or to observe…” Ferdinand wondered.

Even if the rider was a paladin that could cast a [Holy Aura] spell, he alone could do nothing against the number of undead besieging the city.

Then, as if to answer the Duke’s doubt, a plume of dust rose from behind the lone horseman as an entire unit of heavy cavalry raced over the crest of the hill and down the road towards the city of Hadel.

“I’m counting over fifty, My Lord!” Kaleb announced.

The armor clad horsemen formed up into a single line as they raced across the hill, towards the cemetery and the horde of the undead. They lowered their lances and drove their armored horses into the walking corpses, trampling them beneath the weight and fury of their assault.

The lances of the armored knights pierced the decaying bodies, ripping them to shreds as the full weight of the riders and their mounts slammed into them. After plowing head first into the greatest gathering of the undead in sight, the cavalrymen broke their formation and scattered through the field, attacking the remaining abominations piece-meal.

The lone rider on the hill remained well away from the fighting, but there was someone else leading the cavalry charge.

Among the ranks of dusk covered lance wielding riders one stood out in particular. A faint golden aura emanated from the rampaging warrior – the telling sight of divine magic, of a paladin’s might. The knightly figure was the only one whose horse did not carry heavy armor. He slashed left and right with his sword as he rode, cutting the enemies in his path to shreds; every strike a deadly blow.

The undead horde, having finally grasped that it was under attack, begun to gather in the vague direction of the riders. Some two hundred bodies shuffled towards their enemies in a large and disorderly mob.

While the lancers drove their horses directly at the massing enemies, the lone paladin kept harassing single stragglers at the edges. The lightly armored rider was no fool, apparently, as he kept well away from the heart of the fighting and out of the way of his shock cavalry.

The battle before them had distracted the Duke and his men from the mage that had first appeared on the hill. As they now searched the field for the enigmatic figure, they found that the source of the orange aura had moved a lot closer to the cemetery.

“A woman?” Talbot gasped in surprise.

A woman dressed in red robe rode atop of a black horse up the road leading to the cursed cemetery. The orange aura moved with her, indicating that she was indeed the source of the spell.

“Is she going in there alone?” the priest asked. “That is insanity!”

Ferdinand and Kaleb said nothing. Unlike the priest, they had long run out of things to find impossible. The two of them looked at the lone woman as she neared the graveyard.

The mysterious woman passed through the cemetery gate and disappeared into the unholy grounds beyond. The orange glow of her magic now merged with the pale green of necromancy.

Meanwhile the battle taking place next to the city was slowly winding down. The cavalry was currently busy mopping up any remaining stragglers. Kaleb almost felt sorry for the undead with how utterly they had been crushed once a proper fighting force had engaged them.

An explosion of orange light erupted from the cemetery. The undead caught in its wake all crumbled to dust. When the scene finally settled down, the unholy green glow that had plagued the burial grounds was no more. The late evening sky finally gave way to a reassuring dusk.

All was well again. The dead were dead once more.

An eerie silence settled over the battlefield. The victorious riders formed up into two columns and headed straight for the crossroads next to the cemetery. There they patiently waited as the woman in red emerged from the now purified graveyard and slowly headed down the hill to join them.

“Who are they?” Ferdinand asked. “They made such short work of this many undead…” His relief was noticeable, yet there was bitterness in his voice. “My men… How many of them had to lose their lives for it to end like this?”

“But… we are safe now, My Lord,” Talbot said.

“Safe? We are safe?!” Ferdinand roared, “Do you know who they are, perhaps? Do you have any idea of what they want form us, Talbot? Do you?!”

“My lord…” Talbot looked confused.

The Duke smashed his helmet against the stone parapets of the gatehouse in anger, “Do you realize that we owe them our lives now, Talbot?! Do you understand in what kind of a position that puts me in?” The helmet slipped from his bruised fingers and fell over the edge of the parapets, landing at the bottom of the gatehouse with a metallic thud.

Ferdinand looked like he could was about to strike the priest in anger, when they were interrupted by a soldier.

“My Lord!” a voice called out to him from the stairwell.

The Duke turned to face the messenger, “WHAT!”

The poor soldier froze, faced with his lord’s unwarranted anger.

Ferdinand huffed heavily, “What is it! Speak.”

The soldier bowed his head, “The– there is someone at the gate, My Lord.”

The Duke was taken aback by the soldier’s report, “At the gate? Who? How is that possible?”

“It is a woman dressed in blue robes, My Lord,” the soldier explained. “She is alone...”

Kaleb looked to the riders in the distance. They had formed up into two lines facing the city with the woman in red at the front. The sword wielding warrior was at her side. He found it odd that they did not approach to greet the defenders and introduce themselves after all that had happened.

“Well? Did she say anything?” the Duke asked.

“She asked for you,” the soldier answered, “by name...”

Ferdinand leaned on the parapets for support as he considered his options. After a moment of deliberation he followed the soldier down the stairwell.

“Open the gates, Talbot,” he ordered. “We should not make the lady wait.”

Kaleb shadowed Ferdninand and followed him down the stairs. As they left the gatehouse and turned to face the massive wooden double gate, the order to open was sounded. The Duke’s soldiers set about removing the heavy wooden beams that had been used to brace the door against the undead assault.

While his men were busy with the gate, Ferdinand did his best to tidy up his appearance. It was an exercise in futility, however, as the long day’s fighting had left him drenched in sweat, blood and utterly beaten.

It was obvious to Kaleb that his pathetic appearance infuriated the nobleman, but it couldn’t be helped. He refrained from offering help as there was little he could do, but insult the pride of the already defeated man.

The gate slowly parted and their welcoming party walked outside to meet the unexpected guest.

As Ferdinand, Kaleb and their four soldier strong escort left the stone arch of the gatehouse behind they were met by a lone figure dressed in blue.

The golden haired woman stood below the left wall of the gatehouse holding the Duke’s battered helmet in her delicate hands.

Such a beauty! Kaleb was left dumbstruck by the woman’s stunning appearance. Despite the late hour and the fact that she had likely traveled a fair distance to get here, the woman looked like she had just stepped out of her dressing room. There was no dust or grime on her apparel and she herself did not look to be travel-weary in the slightest. Her figure was also to his liking – slender yet curvy in all the right places. It was enough to make his mind wonder.

Where have such women been all my life! he wanted to shout but restrained himself.

Ferdinand clearly had no such carnal desires as he launched straight into a conversation. “I greet you in the name of the fair city of Hadel, my lady.” He bowed his head. “My name is Duke Ferdinand Steinfeld and I am the ruler of these lands.” He paused to let the other party speak.

The woman smiled, but did not reply. Her playful eyes jumped from one man to the other as she sized up the delegation sent to meet her.

His introduction wasted, the Duke winced. “It is common courtesy to give your name in return, my lady. Excuse my straightforwardness, but I am a little weary after the assault that we just endured.”

She walked up to the Duke and handed him his helmet. “I assume this is yours?” the woman asked in a soft voice.

“Thank you, my lady,” Ferdinand bowed his head as he received the helmet. “May I have your name as well?”

The woman stepped back and placed her hands together below her waist. “I am a messenger, your lordship. I am merely here to relay her exalted words.”

“And whose words would those be, my lady?”

“The wise words of my master, Lady Diana,” Julia replied. “She would like to know if we could enter your city now that we have saved it from certain destruction. It would be enough for her to have an audience with you, but staying the night would also be acceptable.”

Kaleb noticed the Duke’s expression tensing up. She is not going easy on his pride, this woman. Such a heavy handed way to start a conversation…

The golden haired beauty tilted her head and gave Ferdinand a questioning look. “But if you need some time to prepare before receiving my master as your guest, then she understands.”

Ferdinand raised his hand in objection. “Now, wait a–”

The woman spoke over the Duke’s feeble attempts to interrupt her, “As you surely have the many needs of the city to tend to, now that the siege is over, my Master could tolerate spending another night camping out in the fields. We have enough provisions to last us another day or two.”

“I have no–”

Julia continued. “Any delay to take us in after that, however, would reflect badly on your reputation as a nobleman, would it not?” She smiled as she said that, but even her beauty could not mask the insolent look in her eyes. “To turn away your savior at the gates – such bad form, My Lord. My master would strongly advise you against it.”

The Duke finally caught a break and was able to voice himself. “Such things should not be discussed in a place like this, my lady. If it would at all be possible, I would like to invite you inside so that we can talk in more suitable accommodations. If you would like, I could–”

“No,” Julia snapped at him, “I would not like anything that you can offer me, My Lord. All that I require is that you give your approval or denial in regards to my Master’s request for an audience with you.

What news shall I bring her, Lord Steinfeld?”

The Duke faked a smile. “You certainly are insistent, my lady. Very well, we shall receive your master on the morrow. I assume that lady Diana would agree to a meeting over supper? Would that satisfy her wishes?” His face was red and the man was struggling to keep his calm.

There is something very sinister about this woman… The realization pushed Kaleb to the edge. He was having a faintly similar feeling to that from the encounter with the demon. It can’t be! No, impossible…

The mysterious woman smiled and clapped her hands together in an expression of joy. “Good!” she said. “It is agreed then! My master will arrive tomorrow before sunset. You can expect a party of twenty, My Lord. We would not want to intrude too heavily on the coffers of the current holder of the Rotwald Keep. Seeing as how they are not legally yours in the first place…”

Ferdinand’s face warped in confusion, “Current holder?”

“I am delighted to inform you that Lord Victorian Rotwald will be joining us,” the woman continued. “My master has seen it fit to handle the negotiations on his behalf, and would like to meet you in private. She hopes that both parties can come to a reasonable resolution to the tragic events of the past week. After all, we should avoid further bloodshed, if possible.”

The shift from confusion to terror in the Duke’s face seemed to have satisfied the woman.

Kaleb slowly reached for one of his throwing daggers behind his back.

The woman shifted her gaze to the rogue and spoke with the same eerily happy expression on her face from before, “I would not go that far. I am quicker than you on the draw.”

Kaleb froze. How did she notice? Who is that woman?

“I will now deliver the good news to my Master,” Julia said. “I wish you all a good night’s sleep – your valiant efforts seem to have been justified. You have been rescued.”

The woman bowed and walked away.

Kaleb and the Duke observed the blue robed beauty for a while longer before going back inside the city.

“Barricade the gates!” Ferdinand ordered.

“My lord?” a puzzled soldier asked.

“The siege might not be over yet,” the Duke explained as he headed down the road towards the keep. “This is going to be a long night…”

He turned to Kaleb who was following closely behind him. “I want you to take account of the forces that we can still field.”

Kaleb nodded.

The Duke was visibly shaken. “Victorian lives… Does that mean he has recruited those knights to his cause? And who is this ‘master’ the messenger spoke of? What kind of a woman is this Diana?”

He shook his head. “Should they endeavor attack the city, we must be ready. I am not giving it up now. Not to some glowing tart on a horse.”

The Duke gripped the pummel of his sword. “If she wants to meet me, then good – we can discuss this issue in a civilized manner.

Still, if Victorian really lives…”

Ferdinand stopped in the middle of the street and looked to Kaleb with his bloodshot eyes. “I want you to set up an ambush,” he said. “Just in case… And make sure to account for mages. I am leaving Talbot in your care. He might be useful on that regard.

No one threatens me and gets away with it. Not after what I just lived through.

This whole Rotwald mess ends tomorrow!”

Kaleb grinned, “With pleasure, My Lord.”