《World Seed》


 -1 Prologue

    A middle aged man sat alone on an ornate gilded throne. His face was cleanly shaven, blonde hair combed back perfectly without a single strand of hair out of place. Looking at him gave the impression that he was a stone sculpture of some ancient king, meticulously carved by a master craftsman. An impression only made deeper by the throne rooms many murals detailing battles from ages past.


    A haggard yet satisfied look on his face, as if he had just completed a grueling task and was glad it was finally over. He gazed at his throne room, the sight of the sparkling marble and gold made him feel refreshed and the haggard look was slowly replaced by a smile. The silence was broken by the clacking of steel on stone. A light knock and the middle aged man spoke.


    "Come in."


    The large golden doors opened and a young man clad in elegant golden armor stepped through. He looked to be in his early twenties with long fiery red hair, short pointed ears, and tired yellow eyes that didn''t seem to match his age. He walked slowly to the throne, each step precise as if he was performing a ritual. Once he reached the foot of the throne he prostrated himself.


    "It is done, my lord. Alrend and Morai refused to give in and fought to their death, many of the lesser-"


    "What about the boy?" The middle aged man interjected.


    "Hi.. His uncle killed him, my lord." A bead of sweat fell from the young man''s forehead that was still prostrating on the ground.


    "His uncle.. Was there anyone else with him when he killed the boy?" The middle aged man''s grin faded as he stared at the drop of sweat on his throne room floor.


    "No my lord. We saw the aftermath and without a doubt the boy is dead. His uncle has never given us reason to suspect his loyalty, so there-" The young man spoke hurriedly, sensing the agitation from the man on the throne.


    "Begone.." The middle age man interrupted with a quiet voice, his eyes still stuck on the drop of sweat.


    "My lord?" The young man questioned in a panic.


    "BEGONE!" The middle aged man bellowed as he stood up to grab a small bell from a table nearby and began ringing it furiously.


    The young man transitioned into a bow, eyes ever on the floor as he quickly backed out of the room almost stumbling into the two women in white robes rushing in. When he finally reached the doorway he stole a glance at the middle aged man who was now pointing his finger at the front of the throne, the location he had been prostrating just a moment before.


    "Clean this mess up." The middle aged man said with a voice full of disgust before stammering off through his personal entrance. The young man sighed and with a frown began walking down the empty corridor. As he turned the corner, his eyes met the wide green eyes of a young woman in an alluring black dress. She had a wily smile as she walked up to him and poked his cheek.


    "What''s the matter golden prince? Did daddy yell at you again?" She asked, playfully mocking him.


    "Sigh... I''m not in the mood today Mara." The young prince said coldly.


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    "You''re never in the mood, what makes today any different?" Mara said putting her hands on her waist and sticking out her tongue.


    "I fear there may be war coming. The others aren''t going to be happy when they find out what fathers done behind their backs. He''s been losing support among the thirteen for years and I fear his actions today may be the final straw. To make matters worse, there have been signs of a new gate opening soon in the Forsaken Lands." The young prince said solemnly, his expression growing dark.


    "Ohh~ Have you and father been naughty?" Mara asked with her usual playful tone.


    The young prince stared at her for a moment, it was easy to forget that this devious woman standing before him was much older than her youthful persona made her seem.


    "Ignorance is bliss little sister. You''ll find out at this years gathering, just take care not to cause any trouble until this all blows over." The prince spoke as he walked away ignoring Mara''s unsatisfied protests.

 1 Chapter 1

    The heat from the morning sun was gradually warming up a grassy field. The cold morning dew made colder by a chilly spring breeze coming from the mountains in the distance.


    A young man no older than twenty lay motionless, he was as skinny as a commoner but his well kept hair and unblemished skin revealed he had been privileged enough to be born into the aristocracy.


    The young man woke feeling panicked as a strong gust of crisp wind rustled through the nearby trees. He motioned to sit up but his body felt as though it had been ripped apart and smashed back together again.


    Analyzing his skinny body he was unable to locate a source that would explain his discomfort. He tried to recollect his thoughts under the constant barrage of pain, but nothing came to him. He didn''t know where he was or how he got there. He didn''t even know who he was.


    Attempting to stand, his body refused to obey, sending him tumbling face first into the damp grass below. While he was spitting the dirt out of his mouth his eyes spotted an oddly shaped spear next to him. Feeling frustrated he grunted, grabbing the spear before using it to balance himself.


    Carefully using the spear to stand, the sight of a large grassy plain entered his vision. Off in the distance he could see snow capped mountains filling the horizon for as far as the eye could see. The large valley met with a lush green forest on all sides but there were no signs of civilization anywhere to be found.


    He looked down and inspected himself, a plain brown tunic with common trousers. With a groan he sat down and took a look at the oddly shaped spear he used to stand. The shaft was black and as long as he was tall. The spear head was two double edged blades as long as his arm that gave the impression a lobster claw had grabbed a hold of the spear shaft.


    The tip of the spear made the weapon appear more like a bident than a spear as the two blades didn''t meet at the point. Like his clothes there were no markings on the spear that might give him a hint as to his identity.


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    Looking down in defeat he closed his eyes and attempted to remember anything, however again, nothing came to him. It was like an itch he couldn''t reach and scratching at it only left him with a feeling of helplessness.


    "HELLO!" He yelled to no reply.


    "IS ANYONE THERE!?" Yelling even louder this time but the only response was the echo of his voice in the distance.


    "Anyone..." He mumbled and listened closely.


    The sound of a river could be heard nearby. His throat was hoarse and a drink of water was a minor victory he desperately needed right now. Slapping his cheeks and using the spear to stand he carefully shambled in the direction of the river.


    His body gave the sensation that it was his first time walking, often using too much or too little strength causing him to fall down which only exasperated the pain he felt. By the time he made it to the river the sun was high in the sky and his body began growing accustomed to the pain he was experiencing.


    The river was small, barely larger than a stream and surrounded by dense forest in all directions. He collapsed at the rocky shore before dipping his head in and taking a drink.


    When the water became still once more he witnessed his reflection for the first time, a young, gaunt face with straight black hair and purple eyes stared back at him. He could be called handsome if he gained some weight, but as it was he simply looked like a hungry beggar.


    ''Why.. Why can''t i remember...'' His thoughts were interrupted by the growling of his stomach.


    "DAMN IT ALL!" The feeling of rage boiled over and he slammed his fist into his reflection before collapsing onto his back. Closing his eyes to rest, sleep came to him quickly.


    "Crack!"


    The sound of a branch breaking nearby jolted the young man awake. He looked around but only saw the dim shapes of foliage swaying from a light breeze. Excited at the prospect of finding a person who could help, he yelled into the darkness.


    "IS ANYONE THERE?!"


    "Crack! Crack!"


    He stood up and looked towards the dark shrubbery where the sound had originated, two large red eyes gazed back. His hair stood erect and he froze allowing fear to overtake him. The large red eyes darted at him as he reached for his spear but the beast was quicker.


    The beasts massive claws rent the flesh from his shoulder sending him tumbling back towards the rocky shore. Bruised and bloodied he got to his feet as quickly as he could, getting a good look at the beast. It was a massive black wolf with matted fur, crowned with two thick white horns.


    It''s frame was imposing and the beasts head alone was the size of his torso. The colossal beast locked eyes with his, circling him and cautiously looking for an opening to launch another attack. He refused to break eye contact knowing that it would mean his doom. He held his spear in front of him ready to strike the moment the beast moved but he knew it would be hopeless.


    Even if he used to know how to fight, it meant nothing now that he was without a past. His only hope was to seem like an enemy that the beast would have to pay a price to take down and hope it fled for easier prey.


    "Stay back you damned overgrown dog!" The young man yelled helplessly swinging his spear. His weak body struggled to keep the spear steady allowing fear to overtake him once more as his mind began racing to find a way out of this situation.


    The beast seemed to sense his fear and hesitation, charging at him with fang and claw. He swung his spear down as if swatting at the beast, hoping to break its charge but he misjudged the weight of the spear head. Losing his balance he pulled the spear to his chest, holding onto the spear for dear life as he fell forward towards the leaping beast.


    "BANG! AWOOO!"


    The spear dug into the earth and bent like a bow before sending the man tumbling back as if he had been shot from a catapult. He lifted his grisly face to see the beast howling in pain and frantically trying to remove the foreign object embedded in its chest. The pain he felt exasperated further by his tumble through the woods and now he was covered in cuts and bruises, the worst being the deep gash on his shoulder.


    He crawled to a nearby tree and sat up at its base watching the beasts final death throes. When it breathed its final breath, he sighed in relief. If the beast had not died he would''ve put up about as much of a fight as a side of beef.


    He began to stand using the tree for support when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a white light leaving the beasts chest. The light rapidly congealed into a bright white ball covered in tendrils of light. It looked like a tiny star had formed over the beasts body but before he could admire the dazzling sight the tiny star began darting towards him.


    He lifted his tired bloodied arms in a futile attempt to block the new attack. The tiny star passed right through them as if they were air, entering his chest and giving him a warm, soothing sensation. His sore and broken body felt refreshed for the first time since he awoke.


    The young man leaned on the tree behind him staring at his chest in a daze. After a few moments the pleasant feeling was abruptly replaced with a wave of pain that felt as if his chest was being ripped apart from the inside.


    "AHHHH!" The young man screamed as he grabbed his chest. A dark purple tendril shrouded by ethereal black smoke reached out as if slowly clawing it''s way out his chest. He tried to fight through the pain but by the time the shrouded purple star left him, his face was already firmly planted on the forest floor unconscious.


    The shrouded purple star swiftly glided over to the beasts corpse before lowering itself into its chest. Its body convulsed violently for a moment before becoming still, moments later an ethereal black smoke poured out of the beasts wounded chest enshrouding its body.


    When the beast opened its eyes they were firmly locked onto the unconscious young man. Its red eyes now replaced with two deep purple flames hidden behind the ethereal black smoke.

 2 Chapter 2

    The morning sun was beginning to peak over the horizon when the young man awoke. His body caked in blood and dirt from his fight with the beast the night before.


    Standing up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he inspected his body in the dim morning light. To his surprise his body wasn''t as sore as it was the day before. The gash on his shoulder and various cuts and bruises all over his body still hurt but he was no longer bleeding so he found some solace in that.


    ''I need to find my spear¡­ and that beast, maybe i can eat the overgrown dog. That''s what it gets for mess-'' His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of two purple flames gazing at him from within the darkness.


    "GRRR"


    The young man''s heart began pounding like his own personal war drum. He cautiously walked backwards but with each step he took, the purple flames moved a step closer. Panicked, he attempted to turn and flee but he still didn''t have full control over his body. His foot slipped on the moist rocky shore sending him tumbling on his back.


    The purple eyes didn''t cease their pursuit, growing closer and closer. Terrified, the young man curled up into a ball and held his arms in front of his face.


    "Wait¡­ WAIT!" He yelled with all his might in a desperate attempt to either scare it away or reason with the beast. The young man peeked between his scrawny arms to behold the snarling beasts purple flames peering at him languidly. He was still alive!


    He looked at the beast with a confused expression before cautiously standing up. He shunned what would happen if he looked away from the beast even for a moment. The beast stood frozen only a short distance away, it''s purple flames seemed to be gazing into his very soul.


    Now that he had a moment to collect his thoughts, it looked different compared to the one he had fought yesterday. This beast had glowing purple eyes that made it seem like it had a wild fire within its skull. It had odd black smoke coming off it as if its fur was kindling ready to burst into flames.


    He took a step back and the beast followed as if it was the young mans mirror.


    ''It''s not attacking? Does it want something?'' Confused about his current situation he spoke aloud.


    "Do you.. Do you want something from me?" The beast remained unmoving and silent as if it were a statue forever gazing into him.


    "Can you understand me?"


    "GRRR" The beast replied causing the young mans face to take on an even more confused expression. He was still unsure if the beast could truly understand him or if it simply didn''t like his voice and growled in response.


    "If you can understand me¡­ sit." The beast growled once more before begrudgingly sitting on its hind legs as if this act was beneath the noble beast.


    "...Ro..roll over." The young man said wide eyed and dumbfounded.


    "AWOOOO!" The beast seemed enraged that it was being treated like a common house pet and howled angrily while rolling over against its will. He watched the beast and fought a chuckle at it''s indignation before asking.


    "Were you the one who attacked me last night?"


    "GRRR"


    "Are you just gonna follow me around now? I mean... I don''t mind the company as long as this isn''t some elaborate ploy to eat me... You''re not planning to eat me right?" He asked with suspicion.


    "GRRRRR"


    "That snarl was suspiciously longer than the others..." The young man hesitantly took a step back.


    "GRRR"


    "Much better. Hmm... If you''re planning on following me around we should probably give you a name. How about... Bork!" The young man asked with a laugh.


    "AWOOOOOOOO!" The beast howled with all its might nearly knocking the young man down. Apparently it didn''t appreciate his masterful sense of humor.


    "Alright, alright. I''m kidding. You don''t need to get so worked up about it. You''re lucky i don''t name you Little Kitten for trying to eat me last night."


    "AWOOOOOOOOOOO!" Once again the beasts howl nearly knocked the young man down.


    "I''m kidding! Relax! Hmm... How about Rorik? You look like a Rorik. It sounds strong and powerful like Rorik The Mighty or Rorik The Conqueror."


    "GRRR" The creature took a proud pose as if showing off its grandeur.


    "Rorik it is! Now then Rorik, do you happen to know where any people like me are? While i do enjoy a good snarl or two in conversation, i would really like to figure out who i am and what i''m doing in the middle of a forest." The young man spoke enthusiastically while picking up his spear.


    He felt grateful to have someone to talk to despite his flippant attitude. Even if the aforementioned someone was a giant wolf with horns that only growled and howled at him.


    "GRRR"


    "Good Rorik, take me to them. Let''s be off." He commanded, motioning Rorik to lead the way.


    They walked for half the day upstream when the young mans hunger began to worsen. He was already skinny to begin with and now he hadn''t eaten in at least two days leaving him noticeably weak.


    When they came to a small clearing the young man saw a bush covered in bright red berries. He rushed over grabbing a handful but before he could shove the scrumptious looking berries in his mouth, Rorik howled.


    "AWOOOOOOOO!"


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    Knowing from their past conversation that howls generally meant no, he gazed longingly at the delicious looking berries in his hands. As if they were a lover who was soon to part he nearly shed a tear as he dropped them and looked to Rorik.


    "Ahem... Rorik my dear brother, mightiest of all the horned wolves, would you be so kind as to find this humble and gracious younger brother some food?" The young man pleaded with the eyes of a puppy before bowing deeply.


    "Hmph¡­" Rorik muttered before completely ignoring him and lying beneath a nearby tree.


    "Di.. Did you just ''hmph'' at me?!" The young man stared at the beast with his jaw agape.


    "You damned overgrown dog! This is payback for me making you roll over isn''t it?!? I''m starving here, can''t you see?! Look! All bones!" The young man raged lifting up his shirt and showing his scrawny chest to the beast.


    "Argh! I may not know much, but i''m damned sure that the only reason you''re alive is because of that purple ball of light that came out of ME! I wonder what will happen to you if you do nothing and i die of starvation!" Roriks ears popped up once he finished speaking but he remained unmoved by the impassioned speech.


    "Go and get me something i can eat before i drop dead dammit!" The young man ordered.


    "AWOOOOOOOO!" Rorik quickly got up howling in anger before running off into the forest alone.


    "RORIK! Stupid, ungrateful, damned DOG!" He yelled while kicking the dirt but the giant wolf was already long gone.


    The hunger pains were only made worse by the throbbing soreness of his body. The young man sat up against a nearby tree and closed his eyes to rest. The sounds of wind passing through trees and the running water of the nearby river slowly lulled him in to a deep sleep.


    When he awoke it was already late in the night, the full moon being the only source of illumination in the pitch black forest. The young man''s body was stiff from sleeping in an awkward position against the hard tree. Just one more source of pain added to the long list of pain his body had been experiencing since he woke up in that grassy field.


    The flames of Roriks purple eyes were nowhere to be found. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before grabbing his spear and heading over to the river for some water. He sat on a moss covered boulder watching the moon shimmer and dance on the surface of the river while he attempted to recollect his memories.


    The moon slowly faded from the water''s surface and before he realized it, the sun was peeking through the horizon.


    "Damn it... I''m not going to remember anything like this. It''s a waste of time trying to remember something i don''t even know I''ve forgotten." He decided, leaving the river behind and heading back to the clearing with the red berries.


    "Once i find other people... They''ll know who i am. They have to..."


    As he came to the edge of the clearing he spotted a white light floating through the dark forest on across from him. His tired mind was unable to make the connection that the bright light was heading straight for him until it had already entered the clearing in front of him.


    "NO! Dammit, not again!" He screamed turning to flee from the tiny white star but it flew at him as if it were a vengeful spirit. He had barely made it two steps before the tiny white star plunged into his back giving him the soothing sensation he experienced last time but to a far lesser degree.


    He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes in anticipation for the pain that came next, but nothing came.


    "Huh?"

 3 Chapter 3

    The sun was already over the horizon by the time he felt safe enough to move. He plopped down and leaned against a tree in the clearing pondering what had just occurred.


    ''Where did that tiny star come from and why didn''t it hurt like last time? In fact the pain in my chest isn''t as bad and my body isn''t as sore.'' The young man was lost in thought and didn''t notice Rorik entering the clearing until a bloody boar was dropped in front of him.


    "Rorik?.. Good boy, you brought food!" He smiled and began salivating at the delicious lump of meat. He found it odd that he knew what a boar was and knew that he could eat it, but couldn''t recall ever seeing one. Rorik snarled at him for once again treating him as if he were a pet before lying down in the shade of a nearby tree.


    The young man stared at the boar for a moment before grabbing his spear and cutting of a small piece of meat from the boars leg. He put the small piece of fatty meat in his mouth before immediately gagging and forcing him to spit it out.


    "AWOOOOOOOO!" Rorik raised his head in anger howling at the young man spewing his hard work all over the forest floor.


    "Shut up, i''m not a damned wolf like you. Boar is obviously an acquired taste... Yeah, i just have to get used to it.. Then it won''t be so bad. I thank the mighty Rorik for his generous and delicious meal!" Wiping the blood from his lips, he cut another small piece of meat from the boar and threw it into his mouth using all his willpower to swallow the fatty meat and hold it down.


    He found the process was much easier to bear when he cut small pieces and swallowed them without chewing. It didn''t even occur to him that humans didn''t eat boar raw, that they used fire to cook it. It wasn''t like that knowledge would''ve helped him though as he didn''t know how to start a fire to begin with.


    After eating his fill, he rested for a bit allowing his stomach to settle before the pair headed off once again. They traveled upstream until night fell, the young man was growing accustomed to sleeping on the forest floor and fell asleep quickly while Rorik kept watch.


    The next morning the young man noticed Rorik was far more alert than he usually was.


    "Everything alright? You seem on edge." He asked, curious at what could make the massive wolf seem so nervous.


    "AWOO!"


    ''Only being able to communicate with howls and growls is frustrating... Not that i''d know what to do with the knowledge of what has Rorik spooked. I only beat Rorik by sheer luck and although i''m not as sore as i was before, i doubt i could put up much of a resistance against a large mouse if it decided it wanted to eat me.'' Shrugging helplessly he motioned for Rorik to lead the way.


    When the sun was high in the sky they stopped so the young man could get a drink from the river. Rorik stuck to him closer than usual and he could smell the foul stench coming from the giant wolf.


    "Ugh! Rorik you reek! You need a bath or something... Jump in the river when-"


    "AWOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    Rorik''s howl set the young man on high alert. He held his spear out in front of him while scanning the area for whatever had Rorik spooked. He could hear the rustling of leaves from the direction they had just came from. Turning around as quickly as he could manage he saw what looked to be a larger than average house cat.


    The creature was covered in sleek crimson scales that reflected light in an odd way making it almost seem like a mirage. It had long pointed ears that were much larger than its head, eyes that were entirely black, and its innermost front claws was much larger compared to the rest. Staring at the creature for too long hurt his eyes as if he was trying to focus on something close and far away at the same time.


    "KWEEE!"


    The small creatures made a high pitch screech that blurred his vision momentarily, forcing him to close his eyes. When he was able to open them again the sight of a dozen more creatures met his gaze.


    "KWEEEEEEE!"


    The creatures screeched in unison and the sound caused his head to pound. It felt as though the echo of their screech rattled his brain making him dizzy, forcing him to close his eyes once more. Rorik on the other hand was unaffected, he stood tall growling and baring his fangs at them, seemingly ready to attack if one of the creatures was bold enough to make a move.


    A creature paused its screeching and motioned to pounce while the others continued their painful melody. It rapidly darted forward, zig-zagging its way to the young man. When it was only a few meters away Rorik shot into action and swiped the creature down mid leap with his massive paws.


    The beasts overwhelming strength sent the creature flying to the ground, crippling it. While Rorik was dealing with the first, three more shot out from the group in the same zig-zag motion as the first. Rorik roared and grabbed the closest with his mouth before shaking his head and slicing the creature in two with his massive jaws.


    "AWOOOOOOO!"


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    The other two creatures were already on him as he killed the first, slashing deep into his thick mangy fur. Black smoke poured from the wound encapsulating it momentarily before dispersing and revealing the wound had been healed. A bright white star shot out from the creatures corpse that was ripped in half by Rorik''s bite, then another from the creature who was crippled by his swipe.


    The tiny white stars shot into the young mans chest as he was beginning to recover from the mind numbing screeches. He felt the same soothing sensation that he experienced the first two times however just like the last time no pain followed.


    Two creatures darted towards him, he stabbed his spear downwards as fast as he could in response but missed both of the agile creatures. The creatures each slashed one his calves leaving a deep wound before zig-zagging away.


    Turning to defend against the two who had just slashed him, he heard two more leave the group behind him and charge. Fighting through the pain he quickly turned around and swung his spear downwards at these new challengers, catching one in its leap.


    The small creature was nailed to the ground at the end of the spear while the other landed another deep cut on his ankle causing the young man to fall to his knees. Another three bright white stars shot out from where Rorik was fighting, diving into his chest and momentarily numbing the pain.


    Once again two more creatures darted at him from behind. The young man was unable to stand so he hastily swung his spear horizontally at the oncoming creatures, successfully slicing one apart and knocking the other away with his spear shaft. The first creature he had killed released its tiny star and it plunged itself into his chest.


    The warmth made the wounds on his legs ache less but that warmth was quickly replaced with mind shattering pain as the tiny purple tendril reached from out his chest. The excruciating pain was unbearable but it was nowhere near as painful as the first time he experienced it with Rorik.


    He watched helplessly as the purple tendrils inched their way out of his chest until he could see a tiny purple star enshrouded in black smoke hurl its way to the creature he had impaled. Before the pain subsided another white star plunged into his chest from the creature he had just sliced apart. The excruciating pain in his chest flared up once more but he refused to take his eyes off the first creature now that the purple star had entered its corpse.


    He needed to know more about this power if he had any hope of regaining his memories. He saw the creature begin convulsing, black smoke pouring out of the wound where his spear had impaled it. The creature opened its eyes and revealed the same dark purple flames for eyes that Rorik had.


    It casually stood up all the while locking its gaze to his. Another creature began charging at him without his notice and the purple eyed creature charged in response. The creature was caught by surprise by its allies sudden betrayal, having its head separated from neck by the purple eyed creatures oversized claw.


    The remaining four creatures attempted to flee but Rorik was enraged and leapt onto one ripping it apart. The last few white stars plunged into the young man''s chest as the second purple eyed creature awoke.


    The young man fell onto his back and gave a sigh of relief. He looked to Rorik who was licking his nonexistent wounds. The young man assumed it was just a habit.


    "Are you alright?"


    "GRR!"


    "Good, because it looks like you''ll be carrying me the rest of the way!" He said with a pained chuckle.


    "AWOOOOOO!"


    "Alright stop complaining. I won''t make it very far with my legs looking like this and unless you want to stick around here until it heals, carrying me is the only way." The young man spoke while analyzing the deep cuts on his ankle and legs.


    He stood up using his spear as a walking stick and hobbled over to the river for a drink. While he was there he decided to wash his legs in the cool water. The wounds were fairly deep but the bleeding had mostly slowed after he dipped them in the water. When he tried mounting Rorik the beast howled in displeasure but despite his protests he didn''t prevent the young man from getting on.


    The pair headed off once again, however this time there were two small cat like creatures in tow. The young man watched them as they traveled. The two looked almost identical except one had droopy ears while the others ears looked solid, almost as if they were made of bone.


    "Rorik what should we name our two new companions?"


    "AWOO!"


    "That''s a terrible name. Shame on you Rorik, learn some new words." The young man giggled at his poor attempt at a joke. Anything to take his mind off the pain that seemed to be growing with each passing day.


    "AWOOOOOO!" Rorik howled even louder and shook his body halfheartedly as if to knock him off.


    "Yes, yes. I know it''s not your fault Rorik." Patting Rorik on his neck he pointed towards the straight eared cat creature.


    "You! Your name is...Ren."


    "KWEE!"


    "And you!" He pointed at the droopy eared creature.


    "Your name is...Rin."


    "KWEE!"


    The sun was hanging on the horizon when the young man got off Rorik to rest. He felt light headed and nauseous, probably from hunger or pain but he couldn''t even differentiate the two any longer. His very existence was in a permanent state of being uncomfortable.


    He found a somewhat clear spot and fell asleep under a tree. When he awoke a few hours later his body was drenched in sweat and it felt as though a fire was cooking his legs from the inside. He inspected the wounds and to his horror, they looked as though they had a black spider web growing underneath the skin. Swollen and oozing pus he knew he would die soon if he didn''t find someone to help quickly.


    "RORIK! Something''s wrong with my legs, are we close?" He yelled at the beast in a panic.


    "GRRR!"


    "Carry me, get me there as quickly as you can!"


    The four took off running into the dark forest. It wasn''t long before the young man could no longer hold onto Rorik''s back forcing the beast to bite down on the young mans shirt and drag him through the forest as fast as he could.

 4 Chapter 4

    Sera woke long before the rising sun as she did every day. She was one of Setrhyn Villages few rangers and she felt great pride in that achievement. It was the rangers job not only to protect the village but also to deter any would be threats.


    In the Forsaken Lands there was no shortage of threats, centuries of countless invasions from other worlds have filled this land with the remnants of broken armies left with no way to return to their worlds.


    Sera didn''t need to take such a dangerous job, her father was a Necromancer which was the highest achievement for the Fae''Laran tribe since their banishment to the Forsaken Lands. One couldn''t simply raise a skeleton and claim to be a necromancer in Fae''Laran culture.


    Necromancers are true sages, ones you can turn to for answers to most questions. They are chosen from a young age and taught a myriad of skills alongside necromancy in the capital, so that the Fae''Laran could survive the wilds of the forsaken lands.


    It''s no wonder that each of the five villages outside of Tyres Gate hired a necromancer from the capital. They were in charge of everything from apothecary to commanding their undead to help build houses or walls. They were also in charge of defending the village if it ever faced a threat the rangers couldn''t handle alone and in return they were provided with everything they might want, living a lifestyle similar to human nobles.


    Sera wasn''t born with the ability to harness mana outside her body that would allow her to walk the path of a mage like her father, greatly disappointing him. Still, her father was a loving and doting man despite that fact. She could have lived a comfortable life without ever working a day in her life.


    She chose to become a ranger because she loved the freedom and sense of adventure she got from being out in the wild forests of the Forsaken Lands. She was an elf after all, even if her skin was a shade of gray, her long pointy ears weren''t just for show.


    Yawning as she got out bed, she was still groggy and sluggish as she made her way to the wash basin. Once finished washing she began her morning stretches before getting dressed in her neatly arranged ranger uniform. The uniform consisted of plain leather armor and a pine green cloak embroidered with a white world tree that was the crest for all the Fae''Laran.


    Making her way downstairs she grabbed a handful of berries from a bowl on the kitchen shelf. She could see candle light flickering beneath the door of her father''s laboratory. Opening the door she saw a man with a scruffy and unkempt face hunched over a stack of papers on his work desk.


    The man was her father and his long white hair was tied up in a ponytail with free falling locks on either side of his face. His hair wasn''t white because he was old, it''s just that the Fae''Laran only came in two hair colors, white and black.


    "Did you stay up all night again?" Sera asked with a concerned expression on her face.


    "Ah.. Mil saeri, it''s you.. Is it morning already?" He asked without looking up from the papers on the table.


    "Yes father, it''s morning. You need rest or else you''ll die long before you get the chance to become a lich."


    "It''s that damned demon Neraxus''s fault, he was purposefully cryptic when he taught Sage Tyres the secrets of necromancy all those centuries ago. Now i''m stuck with a copy of a copy of that damn demons cryptic words. They should have locked him up and beat the damned imp for clear and concise words instead of letting him go free..."


    "I know father. Get some rest i have to go, Jeren is probably waiting for me at the front gate." She kissed her fathers messy hair and turned to leave.


    "Ok mil saeri, be careful." The elf only now looked up at his daughter, smiling as she left.


    Grabbing her long sword, bow, and quiver she left the house and began walking towards the east gate all the while eating her berries. Once she arrived at her destination she leaned against the thick cold walls of Setrhyn village and watched the murky morning clouds flow over the Delos mountain range.


    It had become a ritual for her to show up early so she could enjoy the view and collect her thoughts before heading out into the Forsaken Lands. She thought back to what Master Ferlin had told her yesterday about the recent sightings of campfires in the woods to the south of the village.


    Most of the races in the Forsaken Lands have some form of unspoken truce and won''t trespass into each others lands without reason lest they start a war, which means that more than likely it''s slavers from the one of the human kingdoms.


    ''Slavers...'' The thought angered Sera. ''First they banish us, curse us, and now they come to enslave us.''


    Her thoughts were interrupted by Jeren''s appearance. He looked half asleep and disheveled which matched his usual laid back attitude.


    "Yawn¡­ Where to today?" He asked with his eyes still closed.


    "South, there have been signs of slavers setting up camp close to the village. If they''re there, Master Ferlin said we''ll need to get rid of them." The anger still apparent on her face but it wasn''t like the easygoing Jeren would notice or care.


    "... Slavers huh? Ok let''s get going."


    The pair took off on foot, they moved as if they were in a light jog but the nimble elven rangers were moving at an incredible speed towards the dark forest.


    They arrived at the reported area around midday, it was a small clearing near the Delos Minor river. There was a campfire concealed under dirt that looked to be more than a day old.


    "It''s slavers, the other Forsaken races wouldn''t come so close unless they were looking for a fight and even then they wouldn''t care to hide their tracks like this." Sera proclaimed while looking around the area for tracks.


    "Yeah probably, they seem to know how to hide. They left nothing behind and i can see at least six different tracks heading in different directions. Maybe they''re the ones who were kidnapping children from Lyr village a few months back?" Jeren was leaning nonchalantly against a tree watching Sera work while fiddling with his bow.


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    "Can you tell which tra--"


    "AWOOOOOO!" The loud howl echoed through the forest interrupting their conversation.


    "Was that a barghest?" Jeren asked on alert, a confused expression upon his face.


    "Sounded like it, but what is it doing this far north? There hasn''t been a sighting this close to the villages in over a decade. The brexil cats normally keep them from coming this way."


    "AWOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    "It''s getting closer and fast. If were killing it decide now." Jeren began to prepare for battle not waiting on Sera''s response.


    "We have to, we can''t let a barghest run wild this close to the village. Get ready..."


    "KWEE!" "KWEE!"


    "Brexil Cats too?!" Sera looked dumbfoundedly towards Jeren.


    "That''s impossible, were over fifty kilometers away from brexil cat territory and they don''t leave their spawning grounds even when chasing prey."


    The pair shook off their shock, climbed the nearby trees, and readied their bows for battle. The beasts could already be seen from the small clearing. Sera looked closely and saw six tiny purple flames dashing towards them.


    She learned about barghests and brexil cats in her ranger training under Master Ferlin and knew they weren''t supposed to have purple eyes, nor were they supposed to travel together unless one was chasing the other which clearly wasn''t the case here.


    "Somethings wrong, they aren''t attacking each other¡­ and their eyes are wrong." Sera said quietly.


    The beasts had finally made it to the clearing before stopping. Sera saw a man in tattered brown clothes being held in the mouth of the barghest. The two brexil cats on the other hand were carrying a peculiar looking spear with each of their mouths holding an end of the shaft only making the situation even more odd.


    The barghest put the man down in the clearing and peered at Sera meaningfully for a moment before licking the mans face and backing up to the edge of the clearing. The unlikely trio made no moves to attack, only watching Sera as if they were statues made of stone. The man opened his unfocused eyes and began moving his cracked lips.


    "..He..lp¡­ Please.." The man spoke in a barely audible tone but Sera and Jeren''s elven ears easily picked up the pained words.


    "..Plea..se" The man pleaded once more.


    Sera looked at him before gazing at the beasts nearly a dozen meters away from the man. The entire situation was impossibly odd. Either beasts that are sworn enemies traveled together for over a fifty kilometers just to use this man as a trap to lure out prey or the man had somehow tamed a barghest and two bexil cats, gotten into some trouble and had them bring him here for help.


    Both of these thoughts were laughably impossible, barghest and bexil cats are demonic beasts that can''t be tamed by anything besides a demon. She took a closer look at the man, his face was caked in dirt and blood but he definitely didn''t have horns or a tail and her gut was telling her that these beasts weren''t hostile.


    "I''m going down, watch the beasts. If they make a move shoot them and i''ll flee back to the trees."


    "I won''t stop you but he''s a human, even if he wasn''t surrounded by demonic beasts we have no reason to help him. Let''s ju-" Sera was already leaping down before Jeren could finish his words ending the conversation. She landed beside the bloodied man and kept her eyes locked onto the beasts, cautiously watching to see if they made any move.


    "What happened to you?" She asked him.


    He lifted his arm weakly pointed to Rin and Ren.


    "..Scra..tched." As his pained response came out he pointed to his legs.


    "That brexil cat scratch you?"


    "..No..those...fri.ends¡­..oth..er..scratch."


    "Ok, don''t speak anymore. Jeren, run ahead and tell my father i''m bringing in a human that''s been attacked by brexil cats. Make sure he has the antidote by the time I arrive... Also notify Master Ferlin."


    "Alright, but are his demonic friends going to allow you to take him?" Jeren said snarkily.


    "Just go Jeren, we need to hurry!" Sera snapped back at him.


    She picked up the man and put him on her back before rushing back to Setrhyn Village. The beasts with purple eyes kept pace with her all along the way, carefully keeping their distance to ensure her safety.


    "Than..k.. You.." The man whispered.


    "...Your beasts won''t be allowed inside the village walls what will you do?" She asked him nervously. Not because she was afraid of the beasts, they were hardly a match for a ranger but because the man seemed to care for them. She would feel responsible if they were killed trying to enter the village.


    "Ror..ik..Ren...Rin..stay...outs.ide..walls" He painfully groaned out losing consciousness once more.


    Sera let out a sigh of relief and continued on her way until she made it to the eastern gate. Her father was already waiting and the man stared at the beasts in amazement which was quickly replaced with shock followed by giddy excitement.


    "Sera what did this man say to you?!" Her father asked frantically as they walked to their home.


    "He said he was scratched by a brexil cat. Jeren should hav-"


    "NO, about the beasts! The beasts, mil saeri!"


    "He could barely speak father. All he said was that they were his friends. Why?" Sera asked as she was now curious about what had her father so agitated.


    "They have souls!" He yelled, unable to hold back his excitement.


    "And? What are you so excited about?"


    "They''re undead, mil saeri! Undead with souls! The only undead that have souls are Lich! Yet somehow those 3 beasts have souls... It shouldn''t be possible... but-" The man spoke energetically barely breathing throughout his barrage of words.


    "Ok father, you can ask him about it later. If he dies you won''t ever get the chance to ask him anything."


    They reached Sera''s house and rushed the man into her father''s lab laying him upon the freshly cleaned work table. Sera''s father pushed her aside and poured a bright yellow liquid down the man''s throat before quickly shutting his mouth and holding it closed as the man began to convulse. Once the convulsions stopped he stripped the man naked to get a better look at his wounds.


    There was a large infected wound on his shoulder, a deep cut on each of his calves, one deep cut that severed his right achilles tendon, the rest of his body was covered in cuts and bruises both deep and shallow.


    "These wounds aren''t from one battle, his body should have already shut down from the Brexil Cat venom alone. It''s fascinating he''s even still breathing." He said observing the man''s beaten body.


    "Will he live?" Sera asked as her father grabbed another vial of liquid and poured it into the mans mouth once more.


    "He will now, but he''ll need rest, we''ll put him in a spare room until he wakes."

 5 Chapter 5

    The young man awoke feeling revitalized. His body was no longer injured except for the pain in his chest that he had been experiencing ever since he fought Rorik. He looked around the small room he found himself in, it had a window next to the bed but it was too dark to see out of and the only other thing in the room was a small table.


    Checking his body he realized he was now clothed in comfortable beige garments that seemed too large for him. He recalled his fight with the cat creatures before falling sick and ordering Rorik to rush him to wherever people were. The next thing he knew he was in front of a grey skinned elf woman who offered to help.


    The smell of something being cooked interrupted his thoughts causing him to salivate. He got up quickly and the sudden rush of blood to his head caused him to stumble. Pausing for a moment to catch his breath he opened the door to find himself in a large stone hallway with three wooden doors on either side.


    The hallway was dimly lit by small candles on stone outcroppings carved into the walls. He could see dark green drapes embroidered with white and black covering the windows on either end of the hall.


    As he got closer he could make out what seemed to be a family crest. The crest was a white tree with two skulls on either side. In the eye socket of each the skulls was a bright green flame. The flames reminded him of Rorik''s eyes but the sound of his stomach growling shook him out of this thought.


    "Hello?" He spoke loud enough to be heard but received no response. Deciding to keep heading in the direction of the delicious smell, he found the stairs and carefully made his way down.


    He found himself in a large room decorated in many green and black fabrics that looked rather expensive. There was furniture both small and large carved in a manner that made them appear like a flowing ocean or a cool breeze.


    He could hear the clatter of metal in another room so he followed the noise and found himself in the small kitchen. He found it odd that such a large house had such a small kitchen, his host was clearly an aristocrat of some sort yet he didn''t see any servants either. Standing in front of the stove was a young woman wearing an apron.


    "Hello?" He said startling the woman. The woman turned around and the young man was caught off guard, she was beautiful. He obviously didn''t have many other women as a point of reference but he felt like it wouldn''t matter if he did.


    She had light grey skin with a thin face, topped with big dark blue eyes that seemed cold in contrast to her warm smile. Her long white hair was tied up in a knot that accentuated her charming face and long pointy ears. She was wearing baggy common clothes behind the apron but it only made her all the more alluring.


    She gave off the contradicting impression that she was both aloof and homely at the same time and the young man couldn''t quite put his finger on why he came to that conclusion. He felt even more stunned looking into this elf''s eyes than he did when he fought Rorik.


    "Ah, you''re awake! Father said you wouldn''t be awake for a few more days." The young woman smiled while taking off her apron.


    "Ho.. How long have i been asleep?" He was still stricken and could barely squeeze out a response.


    "Two days, you''re beasts haven''t moved from the front of the gates since we brought you inside. The people of the village think of it as quite the sight." She giggled seemingly recalling a memory.


    "Are you the one who saved me?"


    "I only found you and brought you to father. He''s the one that saved you." She said with a polite smile that gave him another shock.


    "Still, thank you for finding me." The young man bowed his head respectfully.


    She looked at him for a moment, not knowing what to say when the sound of him stomach growling broke the short silence. The young man gave a helpless smile causing the woman to laugh.


    "Pfft.. You have good timing, dinners ready. I''ll show you to the dining room."


    The dining room was lavish with silver ornaments and more green, black, and white fabrics hanging on the walls. She sat him down at a table that was big enough for six people before leaving him alone. He thought about what he should say about himself and how much he should reveal about his experiences the past few days.


    Perhaps he was simply stricken by the woman''s but he didn''t feel the need to hide anything from her. The only thing he had to lose was his life and he didn''t see a purpose in the woman saving him only to kill him later. As he was thinking he came to the realization that he just had his first conversation with actual words since he woke up in that field which brought a grin to his gaunt face.


    The woman brought in a big pot of stew before leaving once more and coming back with a plate of bread and an older man in tow. The older man seemed excited and stared at him full of expectation. They sat down with the older man sitting at the head.


    "Are-" The older man spoke but was interrupted.


    "Save your questions until after we eat, he hasn''t eaten in 2 days!" The woman commanded as if the older man were her child who just found a shiny new toy he couldn''t wait to play with it.


    "Ahem... Right, excuse me." The older man apologized before gesturing the young man to eat.


    The food was delicious and the young man quickly scoffed down the stew forgetting any and all manners. Even if he could remember them, he was too hungry to care right now. It was the first hot meal he''s had in his life and he wasn''t going to let something as silly as manners get in the way of his enjoyment.


    "I am Tylin Vayn, and this is my daughter Sera Vayn. May I have your name?"


    He looked at Tylin and gave a helpless smile.


    "I don''t know my name, nor where i come from. I woke up in a field downstream from here about a week ago with nothing but the clothes you found me in and a spear." He worried about his spear as it was now the last thing that connected him with a past he didn''t remember. He hoped Rorik had brought it with him while he was unconscious.


    "You don''t remember anything?" Sera asked and looked on with a sad expression.


    "I remember some things. For instance i know what a boar is and what it looks like but I can''t remember ever seeing one before a few days ago. On the other hand when I did see a boar I tried to eat it raw, it never even occurred to me to cook it until right now looking at this stew." He said while laughing trying to lighten the mood even a little. Having people worry about him was a new experience but he didn''t like it, especially a pretty woman like Sera.


    "How did you end up near Setrhyn Village?" Sera asked growing more curious.


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    "Shortly after i woke up i found a stream after drinking some water I got frustrated because I couldn''t remember anything. So I yelled and ended up attracting that big wolf..." He began to explain the long story of his misadventures, nary skipping a single detail in hopes that the pair might be able to see something that he couldn''t.


    "... You know the rest, i got sick and had the wolf run to find help."


    "Fascinating..." Tylin thought out loud rubbing his scruffy chin.


    "What about Aerwyn?" Sera said with an excited tone as if she had just figured something out.


    "Aerwyn?" The young man looked at her confused.


    "Yeah! It''s the words for purple and star in old Fae. You should have a name even if you forgot your old one. What do you think?"


    "Aerwyn... I like it, thank you." The young man smiled at her and didn''t notice the pain in his chest fading even more.


    "Aerwyn''s a fine name. Tell me, do you have any plans? If not i have a proposition for you." Tylin added.


    "Proposition?" He didn''t have any plans, he was a blank slate and was willing to take any sort of guidance that Tylin was willing to give. Tylin took a long look at Aerwyn as if organizing his frantic thoughts.


    "I am a necromancer, a type of mage that specializes in using mana to raise the dead amongst other things. When a necromancer raises the dead, the subject doesn''t have a soul, it cannot grow or become stronger than it was at death. It is merely a bundles of bones and flesh held together by mana that can perform simple tasks. The only time an undead can have a soul is when a necromancer reaches the end of their life and begins the difficult process to become a lich. However your undead have souls, which means they can grow, something that shouldn''t be possible. What''s more is i sense no mana linking you with your beasts, as it should be with any necromancer and their summons. My proposition is this, allow me to study the power you wield and in exchange you will be provided with room and board."


    Aerwyn stole a glance at the beautiful Sera before accepting Tylin''s offer. Even if it was Tylin alone living in this house he would readily accept the offer, however being able to stay in the same house as her made the offer even more enticing, he was a young man after all.

 6 Chapter 6

    The sounds of birds chirping just outside the window roused Aerwyn from his slumber. Outside he could see the bright afternoon sun shining on the village below. The earthen colored buildings and sharp architecture gave Aerwyn a rather dreary feeling but in contrast he could see the elves running about their days in a lively way.


    Thinking that the dark colors must be an elf thing he let the matter slide. Today he would begin working with Tylin which had him excited. He wanted to learn more about his power in hopes that it would reveal something about his past.


    He headed downstairs and was abruptly greeted by Tylin below. ''He must''ve been waiting for me all morning.'' Aerwyn thought feeling embarrassed at his own tardiness.


    "Ah, good you''re awake. There''s some clothes and food for you in the dining room. Once you''re done meet me in my lab so we can begin! Oh, that''s right, you don''t know where the lab is.. When you leave the dining room turn right and it''s the second door." Tylin spoke with his usual eagerness that made it seem as though he wasn''t so much talking to Aerwyn but thinking out loud.


    Aerwyn bowed and thanked him before heading to the dining room where he found an embroidered blue tunic with a white hem along with black trousers. He changed clothes and quickly ate the bowl of nuts and berries before entering Tylin''s lab.


    Tylin immediately got up and began inspecting him before mumbling to himself about how the clothes he prepared didn''t fit. He scribbled down something on paper before picking up a large crystal and handing it to him.


    "Hold this tight and repeat after me. Rys saeri."


    Aerwyn looked at the translucent crystal and held it tight before repeating the phrase. He glanced at Tylin to make sure he didn''t do anything wrong but Tylin looked deep in thought. The silence seemed to last a while before Tylin finally spoke.


    "Let''s head to the gates, i want to see your undead beasts."


    The pair left the house and began walking towards the thick stone walls surrounding the village. The village was mostly residences with only a few shops dotting the main street that ran parallel to the large mountain range behind it. Many dark skinned elves were going about their day sneaking curious looks at him as they walked by.


    "Did i do something wrong?" He asked nervously.


    "Ah, no! No, no, i suspected this would happen. When Sera brought you to me i couldn''t sense any mana coming from you and what''s more I''ve never seen such a weak soul before, if i hadn''t seen it with my own eyes i wouldn''t have believed it possible. That crystal is just a simple tool to test the strength of mana in ones body. It didn''t react at all to you which can only mean you don''t possess any mana. That begs the question: How could you create undead without any mana?"


    "Weak soul?" Aerwyn asked.


    "To become a lich the first step of many is to learn how to see souls. Unfortunately that damn demon Neraxus hid... Ahem, excuse me. Ah yes, your soul. What i see when looking at someones soul is akin to a small fire in their chest, yours on the other hand looks like a small purple candle flame flickering in the wind ready to go out at any moment. I believe it has something to do with the undead you created as their souls appear to be like yours only stronger, more like a normal soul." Tylin spoke as they passed through the hefty wooden gates.


    Once outside they were met with the sight of a barghest and two brexil cats patiently waiting on the side of the dirt road.


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    "AWOOOOOOO! KWEE! KWEE!" The trio noticed Aerwyn as soon as he left the gate and immediately began to roar furiously.


    "I know, i know. I''m sorry i didn''t think i would sleep for so long." Aerwyn pleaded but Rorik was enraged at being forced to sit there for 3 days. Ren and Rin were none too happy either.


    He headed to Rorik to take his spear from beneath the barghests feet but the beast picked it up into it''s mouth and lifted it''s head out of reach. Tylin simply watched on deep in thought as he witnessed the scene unfold.


    "I''m sorry Rorik, i will make it up to you."


    The large beast ignored Aerwyn''s apology still refusing to let go of the spear.


    "Rorik give me the spear." Aerwyn commanded before Rorik finally dropped it.


    "AWOOOOO!" Rorik howled voicing his discontent at being forced to obey.


    "Fascinating... May i see that spear Aerwyn?"


    Aerwyn grabbed the spear before heading back over to Tylin leaving behind the angry barghest.


    "This weapon has a soul... Perhaps it acts as some kind of phylactery or a medium to your power..." Tylin mumbled analyzing the weapon deep in thought before handing it back to him and telling him to wait there. Aerwyn watched as he headed back through the gates before returning with two sturdy looking horses.


    "Do you know how to ride?" Tylin said pointing to the horses.


    "I don''t know, i rode Rorik but that was more like being carried than riding."


    "It''s simple, you can learn as we go. We''re heading to the southern forest, there''s an area there plagued with loks, small rodent like creatures that become a bother when their population grows too large. They''re mostly harmless thus they shall be a good specimen to test my theory on."


    Tylin spent some time giving Aerwyn a swift lesson on how to ride a horse before they began moving south, the three beasts following close behind. Along the way Aerwyn almost was bucked off the horse a few times, however they made it to their destination quickly without incident.


    Aerwyn could see a large mound of earth almost five meters tall wrapped around the husk of a massive tree that seemed to have died long ago. At the base of the mound was a meter wide hole that presumably led underground. The area surrounding the mound was cleared with no trees or grass growing within ten meters and the trees at the edge of the clearing showed signs of rot.


    "This is a small lok nest, loks have a matriarchal society where the males are used as drones to forage and fight while the queen exists solely to lay eggs. They''re pests that breed rapidly and consume everything in their path which is why the rangers frequently cull them before they grow too large to deal with. The males primary means of attack is it''s bite and their spines are covered in a thick bone like armor that can block most blows. I want you to order your beasts to kill all the loks that leave the nest." Tylin explained.


    Aerwyn did as he was told and ordered Rorik, Ren, and Rin to attack anything that came out before readying himself for battle.


    "Bone spear!" Tylin yelled materializing a white spear in front of him and shooting it towards the tree at the center of the mound. The bone spear impaled the tree shaking it and causing a rotting branch to fall to the ground.


    It wasn''t long before the hideous rodents began pouring out. Rorik along with Ren and Rin got to work immediately. Rorik jumped up with a howl and landed on the first two loks crushing them beneath the beasts massive paws. A dozen more rapidly flooded out from the hole. Rin and Ren screeched stunning a few of the loks with their voice before darting in and making quick work of them.


    The first two tiny stars shot out from the loks Rorik killed and Tylin watched on attentively as they quickly hurtled their way into Aerwyn''s chest. The battle was brief and by the end of it over two dozen loks had fallen to the trio of undead beasts. When the final tiny star made its way into Aerwyn''s chest Tylin finally spoke.


    "I believe my theory was correct. I don''t understand the process yet but i believe that your soul is somehow absorbing the souls of creatures killed by your undead. I''ve never heard of anything like it, it''s truly fascinating... It begs the question: To what end? And is it possible to control..." Tylin spoke before trailing off in thought mumbling to himself.


    Aerwyn left him to his thoughts and checked up on his undead friends. Rorik was his usual proud self refusing to let the young man near but Ren and Rin ran over and sat at his feet.


    "Are you two ok?" He asked while petting their heads.


    "KWEE! KWEE!" The two brexil cats seemed to enjoy the sensation of being pet.


    "Good girls! See Rorik good girls get head pats. You should be more like them... Wait... You two are female right?" He asked before picking up Ren and inspecting the area between her legs.


    "KWEEEEEEE!" Ren protested and struggled but was helpless in the hands of her master.


    "Hmm... I don''t see any dangley bits. Rin, you next." He put down Ren who ran off behind a tree before peaking out and giving him an angry look as if she had just been violated.


    "Kwee..." Rin squeaked before backing away but was swiftly caught and inspected by Aerwyn.


    "Both girls, good. I would''ve felt bad giving you both girls names if you were boys." He held Rin and patted her head as he sat down against a tree. She quickly warmed up to being held and began to nuzzle herself in his arms while he waited for Tylin to snap out of his thoughts.

 7 Chapter 7

    Tylin seemed to have come to a conclusion about Aerwyn''s power as he abruptly stopped pacing back and forth.


    "Aerwyn, i believe your soul is too weak right now to be able to fully control your power and thus only acting by instinct. My theory is that we''ll be able to learn about your power if you continue to absorb more souls. So for now we''ll be coming to the forest daily and clearing out lok nests along with anything else we may find. Let''s head back for the day, it''s getting late." Tylin spoke before leaping onto his mount in a way that showed off his elven agility.


    They made their way back to town, Rin was resting on his lap causing the horse to be jumpy but Aerwyn couldn''t bear to move the cute brexil cat.


    When they reached the large gates of Setrhyn Village an elf with short black hair and sharp eyes approached them. The elf was taller than the two of them by half a head and his grey skin was a shade darker than Tylin''s. His leather armor was covered in small nicks and cuts giving Aerwyn the sense that this elf was a veteran of many battles.


    "This is the human Sera saved?" The elf asked while looking Aerwyn up and down. The elves stare made him feel as if he was nothing but a child standing before him.


    "Ah, yes this is he. He lost his memories and thus Sera gave him the name Aerwyn. He''ll be staying with us for the time being. Aerwyn this is Master Ferlin, the head ranger." Tylin introduced the two to which Aerwyn bowed silently.


    Master Ferlin looked past him, his eyes resting upon the three beasts nearby. Tylin noticing his gaze, assured him.


    "The beasts are undead and under control, i have witnessed it myself. If just these few make you nervous then you won''t like what i have planned." Tylin snickered.


    "What is it you have planned old man?" Master Ferlin spoke as though Tylin often gave him trouble before sighing.


    "Old, pfft i''m barely five years your senior! Anyway, if my theory is true then Aerwyn here may put you rangers out of a job." Tylin scoffed.


    "I''d welcome the day Setrhyn Village is safe enough for me to retire." Master Ferlin chuckled before slapping Tylin on the back.


    "We''ll be culling the lok nests over the next few days. I''d like you to ask your rangers to keep an eye out for any strong beasts and if possible bring them back alive. Oh and the beasts shall be staying at my residence from now on as well."


    "That''s fine. As long as you can control them, no promises on finding beasts for you though. Most of the rangers are out tracking the slavers that have been peaking their head near the village but i''ll pass it along to the others."


    Tylin and Master Ferlin said their goodbyes before Tylin motioned for him to follow back home. Aerwyn had a good impression of Master Ferlin, despite his appearance he seemed like a friendly person.


    They arrived back home and sat at the dining room table to eat some bread when Aerwyn realized something was off with his memories.


    "I never got the chance to ask but why do the elves of this village have grey skin? When i think of elves my mind tells me they have light skin."


    "Ah, that is a long story that goes back over eight hundred years. At that time there were two tribes of elves living under the world tree, the Fae''Torii and the Fae''Laran. The two tribes constantly fought, not physical battles mind you, elves haven''t had a civil war since old Fae was common tongue. They simply argued and postured for power much like human nobles.


    That all changed when the first gate opened, demons poured from the gate beyond the Delos Mountains and washed over the world of Alduun. The Fae''Laran argued to push the demons back to the mountains and the Fae''Torii naturally argued to pull back and defend the world tree.


    In the end, they split their forces in a petty attempt to not let the other side gain any advantage. It wasn''t long before both tribes were defeated and forced to flee a world tree painted in abyssal flames. At that time the charismatic Prince Rolan of the Crandor Kingdom convinced the Matriarch of the Fae''Torii Selene and the King of the Dwarves Malach to join forces against the threat.


    The alliance of the three races began to push the demons back for the first time ever. Selene blamed the Fae''Laran for the destruction of the world tree and with her in charge of the elven forces she treated the Fae''Laran no better than slaves.


    Often sending them into battle first to tire out the demons before sending in the rest or her troops. The consequent battles saw the populous Fae''Laran tribe fall to barely fifteen thousand.


    After a large battle, Prince Rolan captured and tortured a demon commander. He learned that the demons were after Alduun''s world seed, a powerful artifact left over from creation that exists in each world. The World Seeds value lie in its ability to turn a mortal into a god simply by gazing upon it.


    After the war Rolan proposed to Selene taking her as his wife and solidifying the alliance for the future. Once their wedding ceremony was completed Malach and the two newly weds immediately left in search of the world seed.


    They returned less than a year later having already ascended to godhood. Rolan become The God of Light, Selene The Goddess of Life, and Malach The God of Fire. What''s more they claimed to have seen the truth of the world and commanded that all of Alduun worship them so that they could prevent another catastrophe like the demon invasion from occurring again.


    The remnants of the Fae''Laran were the first to refuse, the atrocities that Selene forced them to endure were too much for them to now kneel and worship her. Their refusal angered Rolan even more than it did Selene and he cursed them changing the color of our skin before proclaiming ''Since you refuse the light let all of Alduun know you are without it''.


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    Selene followed in kind and cursed the Fae''Laran removing our elven lifespan damning us to live only sixty years before banishing us to the Forsaken lands. Since then our tribe has lived at the foot of the Delos Mountains, some in small villages like Setrhyn while other choose the safety of the capital beyond Tyres Gate." Tylin told the story, his disdain for the gods visible on his face.


    "Wow..." Aerwyn mumbled not knowing how to respond. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence before Aerwyn left for bed. Once he laid down Rin jumped in his lap while Ren laid at the foot of the bed. He stared out the window at the dark village below petting Rin and thinking about the story Tylin had told him.


    His eyes began to feel heavy and he drifted off to sleep. He found himself in a grand room not knowing what was happening or how he got there. The word luxurious couldn''t do the room justice, the walls were made of a shiny black stone lined with golden patterns that made you feel like you could get sucked in if you stared too long.


    Above an ornate desk in the center of the room was a painting of a man in armor and a woman in a black dress, neither had faces which gave Aerwyn an eerie feeling. He looked away and walked towards the large wooden doors but try as he might he couldn''t get them to budge.


    He gave up his futile attempts at opening the door and walked back over to the desk. On the desk was a single opened letter up so he picked it up to read it but the words seemed to blur whenever he focused on them.


    "BANG!" A man in polished silver armor barged through the large doors startling Aerwyn.


    The sounds of fighting could be heard outside briefly before the door was closed by the man. The man turned to Aerwyn and darted to him at a speed that his eyes couldn''t follow before grabbing his arms in a vice like grip.


    Aerwyn paused and looked at the man, he had no face just like the painting and he began to feel fear but he couldn''t figure out why. His mind told him this situation was one that would illicit fear but it just felt wrong. He attempted to push the man off him but he was like a mouse in the jaws of a lion.


    "SSSSSUuuuwwWOOSSsss" The faceless man spoke indiscernible words in a voice that kept changing volume, rapidly alternating between loud and quiet causing Aerwyn to panic even more. Time seemed to freeze and he felt unbearable pain in his chest, his vision blurred as he looked down and saw the faceless mans hand reaching inside of his chest.


    He closed his eyes and felt hot, too hot. When his eyes opened once more the room was engulfed in wild purple flames that seemed to only be growing stronger. The faceless man was struggling to defend against the flames and was being pushed back towards the doors.


    The heat was too much for Aerwyn. He wanted to scream in agony but no sound came out and soon his vision was filled with nothing but wild purple flames.

 8 Chapter 8

    "AHHHH!" Aerwyn awoke screaming to the sight of his body consumed by purple flames.


    Alarmed, he began patting himself down in an attempt to put out the fire but to his surprise the flames weren''t burning him, in fact he could barely feel any heat at all. It was then that he noticed Rin licking his forehead and Ren ramming her head into his foot in an attempt to wake him from his nightmare.


    The pair of brexil cats seemed unaffected by the wild dark flames surrounding his body as well. Unfortunately he soon came to realize that his clothes and the comfy bed he was sleeping in were not as lucky.


    "KWEE! KWEE!" Rin continued to lick him and howl.


    "I.. I think i''m ok." Aerwyn said calming himself down before hesitantly picking up Rin and petting her all the while still engulfed in flames. He inspected the area and thought it was odd that he could see so clearly behind the dark flames. It was as though his head wasn''t on fire but he could see the flames out of the corner of his eyes proving him otherwise.


    "BANG!" The silence was broken by the bedroom door slamming open. Displaying Tylin standing on the other side with an eager smile upon his face.


    "Fascinating... I can feel the heat from here but the brexil cats appear unaffected... I wonder if..." Tylin mumbled to himself deep in thought before realizing the situation.


    "Ah, that''s right! You''re on fire! Does it hurt? Can you breathe? Do you-"


    Feeling no end to the bombardment of questions, Aerwyn interrupted the enthusiastic elf.


    "I''m fine Tylin. I''m sorry about the bed, i can''t seem to make it stop."


    "Worry not dear boy, you''ve set this necromancers mind alight with possibilities. I''d trade a bed for that any day. Ah, i haven''t been this fired up in ages, this has truly set aflame my passion for understanding."


    "Di.. Did you just make a pun?"


    "Worry not dear boy... Oh you''re right, i did make a pun." Tylin said before laughing maniacally leaving Aerwyn staring at him with a blank face.


    "One might say that i''m ''on fire'' this morning. HA!"


    "Please... Please stop... Tylin, the floor is melting now!" Aerwyn spoke through his hands which were now firmly planted on his face.


    "Yes, yes, you''re right now''s not the time for jokes. Hmm, if the flames aren''t hurting you we can surmise they are being controlled by you, not unlike how you create undead. It''s sooner than i thought... No never mind, this is a good opportunity to test your control. Close your eyes and calm yourself, attempt to feel the flames around you. It is your power and you are in control of it, you simply forgot how to harness it."


    Aerwyn closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the flames consuming his body but he couldn''t sense them no matter what he did. He thought back to his dream when the faceless mans hand tore through his chest.


    The thought made him experience the foreign emotions once again, like how his fear felt wrong during the dream but now he felt hatred, rage, hunger. It was like these emotions didn''t belong to him but did at the same time, as if he was a foreign observer of his own life.


    "AERWYN!" Tylin yelled from behind a magic barrier in the hallway causing him to quickly open his eyes.


    The room was bathed in dark purple flames and the top layer of the floor was now molten stone. He calmed himself down and tried to forget the dream, slowly the flames receded until they were once again only encapsulating his body.


    "I''m sorry..."


    "Fascinating... Try doing the opposite of whatever you just did. Ah, worry not, it''ll take a lot more than that to cook this old necromancer." Tylin bragged.


    Aerwyn closed his eyes once again and cleared his mind but with only a week''s worth of memories to draw from it was difficult to think of something that was ''opposite'' like Tylin had directed. Time seemed to fly by without any change to the flames until he began to feel a weak connection, so weak that it felt as though he would lose it with a single stray thought.


    ''TURN OFF! TURN OFF! TURN OFF!'' Refusing to waste this opportunity he repeated those words in his mind until he could no longer feel the flames. Opening his eyes, he sighed in relief. The victory was short lived as the burning sensation from the molten floor beneath him made it painfully clear that he was not immune to heat like his flames had led him to believe.


    Howling in pain he leaped up and ran out the door before hopping around in the hallway.


    "It''s just some burns, come now. I''ll get you fixed up in my lab and you shall tell me everything that''s happened to you."


    Once at the lab Aerwyn laid face down on the work table squirming in pain as Tylin poured some liquid from a vial onto a cloth and placed it on his bum. The cooling sensation of the liquid quickly numbed the pain and Tylin sat down before looking at Aerwyn with expectation.


    "Last night i had a dream..." He explained the unsettling dream and the events that took place after. By the time he finished telling the story the liquid had done its job, although it still wasn''t fully healed he was no longer in pain and felt that walking was not out of the question.


    "Fascinating... Today while your beast kill loks i want you to attempt to control that purple flame. Try to make it only appear on one hand as a form of control."


    After breakfast the pair headed out once more into the southern forest with the three undead beasts in tow. Rin was placed firmly on his lap as they rode while Ren and Rorik walked beside them. Riding the horse was uncomfortable, his burns were still raw and while they didn''t hurt too bad it was still enough to leave him feeling agitated.


    They arrived at the first lok nest and Aerwyn was more than glad to be off the horse. Tylin quickly shot out his bone spear and the three beasts got to work killing the loks who flooded out.


    Unsure of how to even begin to control the flames, Aerwyn closed his eyes and thought back to the feeling he had this morning. Immediately feeling the connection once again, he attempted to make the flames appear on his left hand. Opening his eyes he discovered his upper body and head were covered in calm purple flames.


    ''It''s progress at least...'' Closing his eyes once more he concentrated on pushing the flames to his left side bit by bit until he was interrupted by Tylin informing him that it was time to move onto the next lok nest.


    The horse wouldn''t let him near while he was covered in flames so Aerwyn walked, all the while growing more familiar with the feeling of controlling his power. As they were nearing another lok nest the sounds of battling beasts echoed across the quiet forest.


    "Ah, perfect! Four... no five Direwolves! Aerwyn, i want to witness the moment when they are brought back to life by your power." Before Aerwyn could even speak Tylin was already chanting a spell.


    Three black circles of viscous fluid appeared in front of Tylin, the circles gave the impression that it was holding back an army of undead as numerous hands tried to claw through the surface membrane from below.


    The temperature noticeably dropped a few degrees once a large shriveled hand broke through the membrane, it grabbed the earth outside of the circle and began to swiftly pull itself out. The creature had withered skin beneath its rusted armor as if its body was left to dry in a desert for countless years.


    The over sized sword in it''s hand was held far too skillfully for the creatures seemingly frail body. It stood unmoving, waiting for a command as two more nearly identical creatures lined up next to it.


    "Ah, they''re death knights dear boy." Tylin spoke noticing his questioning look.


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    "They are the most powerful undead that i can control. These three were created from the bodies of orcs who attempted to raid Setrhyn a few years back." Tylin explained before shifting his eyes to the three death knights.


    "Go and capture the five direwolves alive, you can wound them but try to keep their bodies intact."


    The death knights immediately took off in a sprint towards the clearing.


    "I want you to kill one with this." Tylin walked over to his mount before grabbing a large dagger from its side and throwing it to Aerwyn.


    "Your weapon is special and from what you''ve told me all three of your beasts were dealt their final blow by it. I want to see if your power will still activate if you kill one with another weapon. Let''s go, the death knights should be finished by now."


    Arriving at the clearing Aerwyn witnessed three death knights lined up behind the five incapacitated direwolves. The coats of white and grey fur stained red with blood heaved up and down as the direwolves howled in a futile attempt to avoid their fate.


    Aerwyn pitied the beasts but they were unable to shake his resolve. Approaching the closest he unsheathed the dagger before pausing to prepare himself for the pain of bringing something back to life.

 9 Chapter 9

    Aerwyn raised the dagger up and after a deep breath he plunged it into the beasts chest with all his might. The direwolf raised its head and let out a pitiful whimper before collapsing once more to the ground.


    Aerwyn lowered his head and frowned, he took no pleasure in killing a defeated beast. Despite the pain he would inevitably experience if the creature was brought back he still hoped it would succeed so that the beast could live once more.


    Not wanting to pass out and fall face first into the four snarling direwolves, Aerwyn took a few steps back as the light tendrils began to appear from the beasts chest. The tiny star hastily made it''s way to him before diving into his chest.


    The warming sensation this time was much stronger than the lok''s and brexil cats, only dwarfed by Rorik''s own soul. Realizing the strength of the warming sensation correlated to the strength of the pain, he began to lament agreeing to this plan.


    The shrouded purple tendril began to peak out from his chest, followed by Aerwyn collapsing from the debilitating pain. Tylin carefully watched on as Aerwyn struggled before the tiny purple star finally broke free of his chest and dashed towards the direwolves corpse.


    The beast began convulsing for a moment before its wounds began spewing out the ethereal black smoke that completely enshrouded its body. The smoke dissipated leaving behind smoldering fur as the beast opened its eyes revealing two purple flames.


    "Fascinating..." Tylin whispered his signature phrase before looking over to Aerwyn who was still grasping his chest on the forest floor.


    "...Ah, Aerwyn are you ok? What did it feel like? Describe it to me!"


    "ARGHH! PAIN! It hurts, that''s what it feels like! Damn it!" Aerwyn howled as he rolled about.


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    "Yes, yes Aerwyn, but describe the sensation when the soul left you. Did you feel any connection with it?"


    "No! Maybe, i don''t know! When it happens all i can think about is the feeling of my chest being ripped apart." The pain began to slowly diminish allowing him to finally stand up and catch his breath.


    "Good, you seem to be fine now. For the other four you are permitted to use your spear, since we now know the power you possess is truly yours and not related to that weapon of yours."


    Aerwyn groaned and against his better judgment began to walk over to the next direwolf in the line up. He was in no mood to feel pity for the beasts this time around, the throbbing pain in his chest saw to that. The peculiar spear sank into the beasts chest causing him to once again take a few steps back as he knew that he was undoubtedly going to fall.


    The soul shot out of the beast and into his chest once again, causing the pain from the first to be soothed momentarily. What followed was more agony as the purple soul began to pry its way out. This time however, he felt noticeably weaker as if he hadn''t slept the night before.


    He rolled around and howled in pain once more before the pain dissipated enough for him to stand. He protested at Tylin to stop but was ignored and ordered to go again. Each time he brought a direwolf back to life he would grow weaker. By the time he was ready to end the life of the last direwolf it felt as if he could barely keep his eyes open.


    Tylin only watched on, sometimes grumbling to himself in words that Aerwyn couldn''t hear nor cared to. Once the spear was firmly planted into the last direwolf he collapsed on the spot before the soul even reached him.


    Awakening to the aroma of venison being cooked on an open fire Aerwyn looked for the source of the mouth watering smell. In the middle of the clearing were two of Tylin''s death knights standing over the fire holding hunks of meat at the end of their swords. The odd sight left him confused for a moment until he looked past them and saw Tylin scribbling notes into a book under the light of the camp fire.


    "Wha.. What happened?" Aerwyn spoke as he attempted to sit up but startled Rin who was lying on his stomach.


    "KWEE!" She bumped her head into his stomach before curling back up into a ball.


    "Ah, you''re awake! Good, good, I believe what you experienced is akin to what one experiences when they overdraft their mana. When you create undead the soul enters your body and transforms, during this transformation the foreign soul seems to fuse with your soul before taking a part of it when it leaves. It is truly fascinating dear boy, in my opinion this is what causes you great pain but it is also the reason why you can control your undead.


    Your soul was extremely weak when you first came to the village and yesterday i noted that with each lok soul you absorbed, your soul grew larger. Before you turned the direwolves undead your soul was nearly double what it was. While it was still only a fraction of the size of a normal soul it allowed us to proceed with the experiment once the opportunity, the direwolves, presented themselves.


    I believe whatever or whoever caused you to lose your memories is also the reason your soul is in such a state. If the gods are to be believed then your soul is your identity, your essence, and you dear boy are very close to being without one. You must steel yourself to the possibility that you may never recover your memories."


    Aerwyn stared silently into the starry night sky, he thought back to his dream of the faceless man and if his gut feeling was right, then that was the event that caused him to lose his memories. He remembered how quickly the man moved and how he felt powerless against him. If that man found him now he would die without question. What if he was still looking for him? The thought gave Aerwyn a chill.


    "I need to grow stronger..." He mumbled but Tylin''s elven ears easily picked up the words.


    "Very good, then tomorrow we shall head further south. There are some goblin encampments that we can raid, you need to strengthen your soul back up before creating any more undead and i believe goblins will provide more of a boost than loks have thus far."


    "Why are you helping me so much?"


    "I''m not as altruistic as to help without any gain. I am nearing the end of my life, as of this year i am fifty six years old. Do you remember what i told you about the curse Selene put on us? I only have four years left to discover the secrets of becoming a lich, however when you appeared i was given more options.


    If i cannot do it myself then i can simply have you kill me and bring me back, being beholden to you is far more desirable than what awaits me in the underworld. The gods believe necromancers to be demonic abominations since the demons are the ones who brought necromantic magic into this world. The punishment is having your soul tortured for a thousand years in the underworld."


    "You want me to kill you?"


    "If it comes to that, there is still time and I''ve already learned much from watching your interactions with souls. I may just be the first Fae''Laran to become a lich thanks to you dear boy. Get some rest we''ll be leaving at first light."

 10 Chapter 10

    When dawn broke, Tylin, Aerwyn, and his undead beasts began their trek south. It appeared that while Aerwyn slept, Rorik had established a pecking order as the direwolves matched his stride yet kept their distance from the barghest. He pet Rin''s little head and asked.


    "What, was Rorik bullying the direwolves?"


    "KWEE! KWEE!"


    Aerwyn picked the little brexil cat up from his lap and hugged her. He realized that out of all the beings he''s come in contact with since he woke up she was the only one who showed him any affection. ''Pfft, my closest friend is an undead demon beast.'' He laughed at himself before speaking.


    "Don''t worry i won''t let anyone bully my little Rin."


    "KWEE! KWEE!"


    They traveled for most of the morning while Aerwyn practiced controlling his flames. He was able to push them to his left arm but it only lasted a moment before seemingly rebounding to his entire upper body once more.


    Having a moment to think he wondered how Tylin seemed to know where he was going. They were in the middle of a fairly dense forest that barely let the sun light through. Without a better answer it was added to the ''must be an elf thing'' list that seemed to be growing larger by the day.


    After another hour of walking Tylin hopped off his mount and spoke to Aerwyn.


    "Look there across the glade, i want you to handle it on your own. A word of advice, try to only kill creatures yourself when you have at least three souls of the same type. Especially when your soul is in a weakened state, as is currently the case. It''s not perfect but it should be a close enough guess from what I''ve observed over the past few days."


    Aerwyn crouched near Tylin to see the encampment he was pointing. Across the glade he could make out a shabby fence surrounding four large earthen huts capped with dry grass. The goblins seemed active although Aerwyn''s eyes could barely see them at this distance. A few dozen of the creatures were surrounding a bonfire in the center of the encampment, seemingly in celebration as they yelled and danced around the fire.


    "You should hurry, goblins have an excellent sense of smell. They should be noticing us any minute now."


    "Ugh, Ren and Rin you stick with me. Rorik you''re going to take two direwolves and draw their attack. The other three sneak up and wait in the trees near the encampment until most of the goblins come out, then attack them from behind."


    The three direwolves began swiftly sneaking their way around the edges of the glade. Rorik and the other two trotted in the open howling and drawing the attention of the goblins. The goblins began to scatter and grab crude weapons before streaming out of the gate like ants towards Rorik. Aerwyn along with the brexil cats snuck through the forest opposite of the three direwolves.


    The goblins were merely a meter tall with diverse shades of green skin, long thin ears, and a mouth full of sharp fangs. They carried mostly sharpened sticks and various crude bone weapons, a few could be seen wearing skulls to protect their heads as well as rib cages and spines for armor. These few were clearly the upper class of the goblins society.


    Rorik howled before leaping into the mass of the goblins, swatting away the many spears aiming to take his life. He grabbed a goblin in his jaws bursting the small creature apart as he shook his head. The goblins began to move in after the sudden attack stabbing at Rorik''s sides until two direwolves came crashing into them like a wave. The last of the goblins trickled out from the encampment until there were nearly a hundred of them surrounding Rorik and the two direwolves.


    Rorik did his job perfectly and once the last goblin ran towards the battle, three more direwolves entered the fray. They smashed into the back line of the creatures knocking many over, before biting and clawing their way to Rorik and the others. A constant stream of souls shot into Aerwyn as he got into position behind the battle. Noticing the many wounds spewing black smoke on his beasts he darted out with Ren and Rin beside him.


    He wasn''t nearly as quick as the direwolves and was spotted when he was just ten meters away, prompting three goblins to charge him. Rin and Ren immediately jumped into action letting out the brexil cats signature screech disorientating the goblins. Rin quickly zig zagged to the closest goblin using her long claw to rend its ankles. The moment before the goblin hit the ground Ren swiftly jumped up slashing the goblins throat nearly severing its head from its neck.


    While the brexil cats were dealing with one the other two goblins regained their senses and charged Aerwyn. One had a wolf skull on its head, it''s body was covered from head to toe in numerous bones tightly tied together while the other wore nothing but a simple loin cloth. They both carried bone daggers, however the goblin in the loin cloth''s was smaller and more like a knife than a dagger.


    Aerwyn swung his spear horizontally slashing through the bone armor as if it were air. He attempted to pull the spear out as quickly as he could but the peculiar spearhead got caught in the goblins mangled chest. Struggling to pull it out, his only choice was to kick the goblin causing both of them to fall to the ground. Luckily the sudden fall loosened whatever the spear was stuck on and he was able to pull it out.


    He quickly got back to his feet but the goblin was too close for him to properly use his spear. He attempted to dodge the small knife aiming at his torso but was too slow and the knife dug deep into his hip. The sensation of bone hitting bone rattled him, but he had no time to worry about that as a purple tendril was prying it''s way out of his chest. The sudden onslaught of pain nearly caused him to black out before he kicked the goblin to the ground once more.


    Fighting through the pain he dove on top of the goblin with his spear impaling the creatures small chest. The creature slashed its knife stabbing it into Aerwyn''s arm before he brought the spear up and down once more plunging it into the goblins heart. He sat over the creatures body for a moment to catch his breath, when he stood up another purple tendril was peaking out of his chest as if to remind him he still had a battle to fight.


    His pained gaze met the sight of a goblin in bone armor with a wooden spear raised up as if ready to drop it down and end a life, below it was Rin, wounded and spewing out black smoke from her little chest.


    "NOOOO!"


    ''Rage, hatred, hunger''


    His eyes immediately burst into dark purple flames as he cocked his arm back to throw his spear. His body was free of flames but the bone knife stuck in his arm began to melt and drip to the ground. Flames poured from his hand and began swirling up the spear as if they were dancing snakes. Using every ounce of strength in his body he let the spear fly. He fell forward when the spear left his hand and not wasting a moment he immediately burst into a sprint towards Rin, reaching her in an instant.


    He inspected her quickly not even paying attention to the battle raging around them. A long gash along her ribs was now sealed with a dark tar like substance that he had seen on Rorik before. He didn''t know what would happen if she died or even if she could die but he didn''t want to test it, not with Rin at least.


    She licked his arms as if telling him she was ok and he felt relieved.


    "Don''t scare me next ti-" His words were interrupted by a mass of purple tendrils reaching out of his chest. There were too many, way too many. The pain was far worse than when he brought Rorik back to life. Collapsing to the ground he could see a clear line of dead goblins. Some were cut completely in half while others had a large hole in their chest.


    He felt catatonic as if someone had switched off his brain and left his eyes open. He couldn''t move, couldn''t think, there was nothing besides the scenes of a battle playing out in front of him. He watched with empty eyes as eleven purple souls shot out to the bodies of goblins in front of him. He could see Ren doing her best to cripple the enemies rushing towards him, not even having the time to finish them off before moving onto the next.


    His senses began to return to him as the undead goblins began to stand. They stood silently watching him as if waiting for a command.


    "Pro..tect....me" He struggled to speak but managed to get the order out. The influx of souls slowly allowed him to regain the use of his body, he could feel Rin still licking his arms as he watched the final bouts between the goblins and his undead. In his arms, Rin''s large gash was gone as if it had never existed at all.


    "Are you ok now?"


    "KWEE! KWEE!" She happily nuzzled his chest. He stood up still holding her, doing his best to ignore the raging inferno of pain in his chest. Looking at one of the undead goblin he ordered it to go and fetch his spear. He could see Rorik and the direwolves nearby licking their wounds. Ren strutted over with a sense of pride as if saying ''What would you do without me?''. He patted her head but she jumped back immediately like she was dodging an attack causing Aerwyn to laugh.


    "Well done!" Tylin yelled enthusiastically behind Aerwyn startling him.


    "You were watching! I almost died!"


    "Ah, yes but you didn''t, praise be the gods." Tylin spoke matter the factly.


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    "You hate the gods!!!" Aerwyn went red in the face from anger.


    "Yes, yes. If you''re complaining about this little encampment what will you say tomorrow i wonder?"


    "Tomorrow?"


    "Yes tomorrow we... Ahem, i mean you will be raiding the large encampment i found while you were playing around here."

 11 Chapter 11

    "Now tell me about when you threw your spear. I want to hear every detail." Tylin asked excitedly.


    "I don''t know, i just saw a goblin that was about to stab Rin and i felt those weird emotions again."


    "Weird emotions?"


    "It''s difficult to explain... It feels as if the emotions are mine but not mine at the same time. As if i''m remembering them while they''re happening. It first happened in the dream with the faceless man and then once more when i thought back to it that morning when i nearly melted the bedroom."


    "Hmm... No matter, all things will come in time. Practice controlling your flames tonight and try holding your spear... Hmm, perhaps it''s a staff after all."


    "What difference would it make if it were? I mean it has blades on it, so whether it''s a spear or a staff it still stabs things."


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    "Staffs are often enchanted to help mages focus their mana. It allows us to have one less thing to worry about when casting spells. Remember how long it took me to summon my death knights? If i was using my staff they would have appeared near instantly. However when i inspected your spear i didn''t sense anything different from an ordinary spear, besides it having a soul which is a feat in and of itself. Regardless it''s worth a try when you practice later."


    Tylin began to walk away before seemingly remembering something.


    "Ah yes, don''t forget to harvest the mana cores."


    "Mana cores?"


    "All living beings have them... Well except for you, your body doesn''t contain any mana so it cannot have a mana core. They can usually be found near the heart. Primarily they are used to strengthen ones mana but there used in just about everything from enchanting to creating potions. You can sell them in the village and perhaps buy your new goblins some steel weapons."


    "Why didn''t we harvest the lok''s then?"


    "Not all mana cores are valuable, harvesting lok cores would have been more time consuming than they''re worth. A general rule is the stronger the enemy the more valuable the mana core. Now get to it."


    Tylin immediately turned away hearing no more of Aerwyn''s questions. He began to search the large huts while Aerwyn inspected his new purple eyed goblins.


    "You, your name is now Teek. You will be in charge of the goblins." He said pointing to the first goblin he killed that was equipped with bone armor.


    "Have the ones who aren''t wearing bone armor take it from the dead. I want all of them in full bone armor with weapons to match."


    After giving out orders he walked to the nearest goblin corpse while being shadowed by Rin and Ren. ''It seems like they''re my protectors now.'' He thought, chuckling to himself and kneeling down to take a look at the ugly creature. It was the first one that Ren had nearly decapitated and it still wore a hideous grin as if it had died imagining how it would cook him.


    He called Teek over and took the goblin leaders dagger before plunging it into the corpses chest, making a small hole. Unable to see any crystal he pushed his hands into the wound and pulled the chest apart. Aerwyn felt a chill down his spine from cracking sound of the creatures rib cage snapping. A small translucent cylindrical crystal could be seen being held in place next to the heart by two tendons.


    He grabbed a hold of it and pulled, snapping the tendons before turning to Teek.


    "After the goblins are done changing their armor have them collect these." He held up the small crystal showing it to Teek.


    "Bring them to me once you collect them all. Shake your head if you understand."


    "Krag..." Teek spoke in a shrill voice before shaking his head and taking off running towards the other goblins.


    "Sigh... Rorik could learn from your work ethic."


    "AWOOOO!" Rorik howled from the other side of the glade.


    "Tsk, don''t be so nosy Rorik! Eavesdropping is rude!" He yelled back before walking through the gates of the goblin encampment.


    The instant he got inside a strong smell of ammonia began burning his nose. He was keeled over nearly throwing up when Tylin appeared from one of the huts lost in his own thoughts as was his default setting.


    "Unfortunate... Ah Aerwyn, there you are. What took you so long? Ahem never mind it, your luck is poor. Often times goblins like to hoard precious metals and gems, anything shiny really... This must be a newer colony, possibly exiles from the large encampment to the west. Anyway, take this and tend to your wounds while i go get the horses."


    Throwing him a vial filled with green liquid he headed back out the gates. The wound on his hip was still bleeding so he poured most of the liquid on it before using the rest on his arm. The liquid made the wounds feel numb and quickly stopped the bleeding. Aerwyn assumed it was the same liquid used on his burned butt yesterday. He sat against a hut and played with Rin while the liquid did it''s work.


    Tylin appeared a short time later and began rummaging through a pack on his horse. He pulled out two hunks of meat wrapped in large leaves and handed one to Aerwyn before munching on his own. Aerwyn took a bite of the cold venison and looked at Rin.


    "Can undead creatures die?"


    "Normal undead can be destroyed, but i imagine your questions intent isn''t normal undead. We will do some experiments once we get back to town in a few days. Hmm, we can have you create a few undead lok on the way back to experiment on then we can..."


    Tylin began to ramble on about experiments but Aerwyn knew he was no longer talking to him, just thinking out loud so he left and decided to check on the goblins and direwolves. The thirteen goblins were standing in a line with Teek in front. They were all wearing bone armor as he ordered which gave them a truly menacing look.


    Teek walked forward handing him a loin cloth filled with tiny crystals. It smelled horrid and Aerwyn wasn''t sure whether the smell was coming from the undoubtedly used loin cloth or the crystals.


    "Go.. Cough... Good job Teek."


    Aerwyn immediately headed over to the horses and emptied the contents of the loin cloth into a satchel on the horse.


    "You guys can relax, notify me if anything comes near the encampment."


    "KRAG!" The goblins yelled enthusiastically.


    "...That goes for over-sized dogs who eavesdrop too." Aerwyn whispered in a barely audible voice.


    "AWOOOOOOO!"


    He laughed before grabbing his spear from the nearby hut. Debating whether or not to take off his pants he decided for it. He''s been without a shirt since yesterday afternoon thanks to his flames and he''d rather not risk being stuck riding a horse naked. Thankfully it was spring and the weather was quite hot.


    Once naked he held his spear in his right hand and attempted to only have the flames appear there. ''Failure yet again.'' He thought feeling disparaged as the right side of his upper body burst into purple flames. Closing his eyes he tried pushing the flames to his hand like he had been practicing and immediately noticed a difference.


    His eyes shot open to witness the purple flames snaking up his spear as it did earlier in the day. It felt almost like the spear was a dry sponge that was dropped in water. As three snakes of flame reached the tip, they converged into the shape of a small spiraling lance. It instantly shot out straight through the thatch roof lighting it aflame. The whole experience only lasted an instant and left him in shock as purple flames rained down on top of him.


    "...MY PANTS!" He ran to the corner of the hut where his pants were located using his body to shield them while running out. He was immune to his fire but his pants were not. Once he was out Tylin appeared magically as he always seems to do when Aerwyn discovers something about his powers.


    "Fascinating... Show me."


    Aerwyn was covered in soot and coughing. He was in no mood to deal with the unsympathetic dark elf but without the man he would be dead, or at the very least homeless and lost as far as his power was concerned. Sighing in defeat he laid his partially burned pants on the ground before igniting his upper body and pushing the flames to the spear. The flames snaked up the shaft before shooting out a spiraling lance into the air.


    "Ha! So it was a staff... That at least partially explains your atrocious melee ability. You''re a mage dear boy, honestly i wasn''t sure how to tell you this but I''ve seen children with better melee-"


    "Cough.. Alright thanks! I get it, I''m a mage."


    "It''s nothing, it''s nothing." Tylin waved his hands as if Aerwyn took his words as a compliment leaving Aerwyn dumbfounded.


    "You should practice speeding up the process. The time it takes you to ignite your body before firing your flames could end up costing your life in a fight. Always look to improve. Now fire a... What are you calling that ability?"


    "Hmm, flame lance i guess. The shape-"


    "Now fire a flame lance at that hut. I want to see what kind of power it produces on impact." Tylin not missing a beat, interrupted him and pointed at a hut that wasn''t currently engulfed in purple flames.


    "Fine..." Aerwyn mumbled dejectedly before aiming his spear and shooting out another flame lance.


    "BOOM! SWOOSH!" The flame lance easily penetrated the wall before exploding inside the hut leaving two goblin huts now engulfed in purple flames. Tylin walked up to the hut ignoring the fire and inspected the hole were the flame lance had penetrated.


    "Hmm, decent penetration. It is very much like a lance of flame, good job."


    "Thanks i-"


    "Your power is very different from mana. Where mana will recharge naturally throughout the day your soul will not. Thus you need to pay attention to how much of it you use else you''ll end up falling unconscious or dead. Fire a few more at the hut and get some rest you''re going to need all your strength come tomorrow." Tylin interrupted him once more leaving him red in the face.


    "Yes, oh great wise one. I shall do as you instruct." He said through his teeth.


    "Ah, i''m hardly great and wise dear boy. Those titles belong to great sages like Tyres. Go on now and practice."


    Aerwyn couldn''t even look at the man as he left, immediately firing off multiple flame lances in rapid succession at the burning hut. Rin was hiding behind Ren scared, while Ren seemed to be rolling on the floor laughing which only infuriating Aerwyn more. He shot out fifteen flame lances in total before scooping up Rin and heading to bed in the hut opposite Tylin.

 12 Chapter 12

    Aerwyn''s sleep was interrupted by the shrill voice of a goblin standing over him. It was late in the night so he didn''t immediately recognize Teek and panicked for a moment.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "KRAG! KRAG!" The goblin shouted and pointed out the door. Aerwyn''s sleepy mind took a moment to remember the order he gave his undead last night. He jumped up grabbing his staff before following the little green creature along with Rin and Ren.


    Rorik and the direwolves were already waiting next to the goblins in front of the encampment when Aerwyn arrived. All of his undead seemed to be staring in one direction so he matched their gaze and let his eyes adapt to the low light of the moon. Two large shadows could be seen wandering around the area where the goblins bodies were left.


    "Trolls... They''d make fine undead for you. Use your flame lance to kill them, i want to see if they''ll be brought back by your magic as well." Tylon spoke from behind him startling Aerwyn. He wasn''t sure if the dark elf was a mage or an assassin by the way he appeared out of nowhere all the time.


    "They seem quite big, is there anything i should look out for?"


    "They usually carry large sticks, try not to get hit."


    "...Thanks."


    Slapping his cheeks to wake himself up a bit more before the battle, he began to move towards the middle of the glade. It surprised him that the trolls didn''t seem to notice or care about him as he drew close. Stopping a dozen or so meters away from the large creatures he was able to get a better look at them.


    They were nearly three meters tall and carried what seemed to be a small tree trunk as a weapon. He took aim with his staff at the one closest to him before igniting his body. Both of the trolls froze for a moment and looked at him in unison before charging at him. Their large bodies were deceptively fast as they covered nearly five meters by the time he fired his flame lance.


    Tylin was right, the time it took for him to shoot was entirely too long. The flame lance pierced through the first trolls chest before exploding behind him. The other troll was hit by the exploding flames halting it long enough for Aerwyn to charge up another. He darted to the right lining up his second shot the same way so that the other troll would be stunned once more.


    The flame lance again burst through the first trolls chest exploding on the second however it seemed the troll had no intention of stopping this time. It charged right through the flames swinging it''s tree trunk horizontally at Aerwyn. He was left no choice but to take the hit head on using his staff to block the blow, however his strength was painfully inadequate compared to the massive troll.


    Like a shooting star he was sent flying across the glade with his upper body still aflame from the third charge. Hitting the ground hard he tumbled nearly dropping his staff before finally settling on his back. He hoped the troll would give him time to get up but the creature was already swinging it''s tree trunk down on him. Quickly aiming his spear up he fired the charge of his flame lance hitting its head.


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    He knew that what would follow was an explosion behind the trolls head that would force it to fall down right on top of him if he didn''t get out of the way quickly. He kicked his heels into the ground with all his might in an attempt to slide out of the way. Once again his weak body failed him and the large troll fell on his legs trapping him in place.


    Struggling to free himself he saw the tiny white star leave the corpse in front of him. He suddenly had a thought as the soul entered his chest. ''Where''s the other soul?''


    "RORIK DEFEND ME!" He yelled panicking but the pain wasn''t nearly as bad as he was expecting, it still hurt but it didn''t knock the wind out of him like usual.


    "AWOOOOO!" Rorik howled and ran into the glade as soon as he was ordered. The troll was charging at Aerwyn, the holes he had put into it''s chest were nowhere to be found. As the troll got within reach Rorik leaped from the side bringing the troll tumbling down. It was much stronger than Rorik and once they stopped tumbling the troll punched Rorik off sending the barghest tumbling once again.


    They both rose to their feet and Rorik charged it once more but the troll was quick and swung its tree trunk smashing Rorik''s ribs.


    "BOOM!" Rorik was sent flying into a tree, his ribs deeply caved in from the the trolls blow. The troll watched him unmoving beneath the tree for a moment before turning and charging at Aerwyn.


    Aerwyn witnessed the scene while struggling to break free from the wretched troll on top of him. The dead troll was convulsing and pouring out its black smoke enshrouding it. The live troll was getting closer leaving him no choice but to try and charge his flame lance. The troll was only five meters away when he shakily shot it out. He missed its head hitting the trolls shoulder and knocking it off balance before the explosion from behind brought it down.


    He was finally able to move as the undead troll opened its purple eyes and stood up awaiting command.


    "Hold it down" He spoke gritting his teeth and taking aim once again with his staff. He wouldn''t allow himself to miss this time, Rorik wasn''t moving and he needed to get over to him as quickly as possible.


    The undead troll pounced on the living one as it tried to get to its feet. It held the living trolls arms behind it''s back while it sat on atop it as if the troll was its mount. Aerwyn charged up and fired the flame lance successfully hitting the trolls head before exploding in the face of the undead troll. It didn''t seem to mind, nor did it seem to hurt the undead troll so he couldn''t be bothered with it now.


    "Carry me to the barghest." Aerwyn ordered the undead troll. He knew in a moment he wouldn''t be able to move so this was his only option. The undead troll picked him up as if he were a baby as the soul entered his chest and carried him to Rorik. He was enshrouded in black smoke like when Aerwyn first brought him back but he couldn''t see the two familiar purple flames.


    "Are you-" He couldn''t finish his question as the pesky purple tendril began to pry its way out. It was noticeably more painful than the first causing him to clench his jaw and talk through his teeth.


    "Are you ok?"


    "Hmm... His soul still exists however it is noticeably weaker than it was before..." Tylin appeared out of nowhere next to the troll holding him.


    "Perhaps it''s burning its soul to heal itself... Does that imply that once the souls run out the undead cease to be or perhaps there is a way to replenish their souls as you do yours..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "When your battle begins tomorrow i want you to attempt controlling the incoming souls. Even if all you can do is push them an inch it will be a success. The end goal would be to push an incoming soul into one of your undead."


    Aerwyn nodded and waited for the black smoke to disperse. It took almost an hour before two purple flames appeared behind the smoke. Rorik stood up proudly as if it was nothing to him, but that didn''t ease his mind. If his undead were burning their soul every time they healed then sooner or later they would die. He didn''t want that, as much as he got annoyed by Rorik''s attitude he couldn''t bear the thought of losing him.


    He truly appreciated Rorik, he had been saved by the barghest every time his life was in danger.


    "Tomorrow you''re staying with me. I''m going to try giving you some souls." However Rorik didn''t protest like Aerwyn thought he would, he actually seemed excited at the prospect. They headed back to the encampment to catch a few more hours of rest before the sun came up.

 13 Chapter 13

    Aerwyn woke to Tylin handing him a sack of berries.


    "Ugh, don''t you sleep? Are you sure you''re not undead already?"


    "Ah, if only becoming a lich was that easy dear boy. Eat, i want to reach the ruins of Ardin by midday."


    "Ruins of Ardin?"


    "The Forsaken Lands weren''t always forsaken, it was once inhabited by humans. It was known as the Kingdom of Millin and it''s cities have all but been reclaimed by nature. The few that remain are often inhabited by goblins, kobolds, and the like. Ardin has roughly six hundred goblins running around in the ruins."


    "Six hundred?!? You don''t expect me to kill that many do you? I almost died taking on a hundred! How do you even know how many their are?" Aerywn shot out words baffled at Tylin''s expectations.


    "I know how many there are because of a viewing spell. Now relax you don''t have to kill them all in one day, i''ll be giving you two days."


    "How is that any better?!"


    Tylin simply ignored him and walked out leaving the bewildered young man behind. He indignantly grabbed the sack of berries and chased after Tylin. They left as soon as Aerwyn caught up and began their journey westward to the ruins. He wanted to practice controlling his flames but found that he had no time.


    He needed to come up with a plan to take on the absurd number of goblins we would be facing soon. The thought of taking on so many made his palms sweaty.


    "Would the goblins realize somethings wrong if i sent my goblins in pretending to be one of them?"


    "They may not be intelligent but they''re not stupid. They''d know something was wrong by the eyes."


    "What if i covered their eyes?"


    "Go put some cloth over a goblins eyes, you''ll understand then."


    Aerwyn rummaged through the sack on his horse before pulling out a rag. He ordered Teek to cover his eyes with it before understanding Tylin''s words.


    "That fire in their eyes is different from your own. It doesn''t interact with our world, it simply exists much like how one cannot interact with a soul, only view it. You are the exception to that rule of course.


    Even the gods can barely control souls, the underworld is only a stop along the path of reincarnation put into place by the gods to punish those who do not follow their rules. With all their power all they can do is give it a little push in the direction they want it to go, nothing more."


    "Didn''t you say that they torture necromancers in the underworld? How can they do that if they can''t interact with souls?"


    "Every soul is reincarnated with a finite amount of energy, enough to live a full lifespan as long as it isn''t cut short. In the underworld time moves according to ones sins, the greater the sin the longer the time your soul must spend in the underworld. There is a limit of course, even the gods can''t change the laws of the universe.


    You''ve experienced what it feels like to have a weak soul, now imagine your soul having no energy left, if i had to guess it probably feels much like how you feel when you bring things back to life. Enough of this, we''ll be there soon. You should really be thinking about how to survive this encounter instead of pondering the mysteries of the gods."


    Tylin was right, he needed a plan. His two new trolls would be a big boost, their large size will make it difficult for goblins to do any real damage but he still didn''t know whether his undead could truly die yet. He wouldn''t put any of them at a greater risk than he had to.


    Each one of them were created by painfully ripping out a part of his soul, that kind of made him like their parent in a way and what kind of parent would knowingly put their children into a high risk situation.


    "Do they ever leave the ruins?"Aerwyn asked.


    "They do, in fact we''ll be coming upon a group of thirty or so soon."


    "How far are we from the ruins?"


    "About two kilometers. What''s your plan?"


    "You''ll see. Rorik, i want you along with the direwolves and trolls to stay hidden with Tylin."


    "Very good, go straight and you''ll bump into them in half a kilometer."


    Aerwyn along with thirteen goblins and two brexil cats took off running in the direction Tylin directed.


    "Leave one or two alive." He ordered his undead while they ran. Soon he could see about three dozen goblins traveling in a tight group. They wore mostly loin clothes signifying that these bunch were at the lower rung of the social hierarchy. The goblins didn''t notice them as they crept closer, possibly due to spending the night in the ammonia filled hut.


    When they were only 10 meters away Aerwyn began charging his flame lance, aiming his staff at one of the few goblins wearing some bone. It shot out startling the goblins but they weren''t quick enough to react in time. The goblin Aerwyn had aimed for was ran through by the flame lance and before the explosion even went off, he began charging the second shot. The explosion of purple flames engulfed the few goblins unlucky enough to be standing behind his target.


    The goblins quickly began to scatter away from the explosion, however Aerwyn had already found another target with a few goblins behind him. He fired the flame lance piercing the second target before exploding once more.


    "ATTACK!" He roared and his undead goblins rushed into battle. The goblins hit by the secondary explosion of flame lance were easy targets and his undead spared no time finishing them off. Souls began to stream into him as two purple stars left his chest.


    ''This type of fighting suited him much better'' He thought, shooting out one last flame lance that found its mark. Four goblins fled, and although it was more than he wanted but he wasn''t going to complain after such an easy victory.


    Three more goblins joined his ranks bringing the total up to sixteen, the pain from the purple stars wasn''t as debilitating either. He wasn''t sure if it had to do with the amount of souls he''s absorbed or if he was just getting more used to constantly being in pain.


    "Teek, have the goblins collect the mana cores while we wait for Tylin." He ordered and began to check out the area. This part of the forest was less dense than what he''s been used to and for his plan to work he needed to catch them by surprise. The goblins and brexil cats will be fine but where was he going to hide two three meter tall trolls and a two meter tall barghest.


    Tylin and the rest seemed to have taken their time and arrived half an hour later.


    "How many are coming?" Aerwyn asked him.


    "A little over a hundred and fifty. Ah, however there''s a hobgoblin with them."


    "What''s a hobgoblin?"


    "An evolved goblin. Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly some creatures have the ability to evolve when they fulfill certain conditions. Hobgoblins are half a meter taller and much quicker... Hmm, your goblins have souls so they should be able to evolve as well given enough time. I wonder if perhaps being undead will interact with their evolution..."


    Aerwyn ignored him once he began to trail off again and instead kept looking for a place to hide his larger undead but was unable to find a decent solution other than hiding behind trees.


    "Rorik i''m using you as a mount, direwolves and trolls find a tree to hide behind. When they commit to the battle charge into them." The undead creatures all got into position except Rorik who was clearly unhappy with the idea.


    "AWOOOO-"


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    "Shut up and stop howling! Are you trying to scare the goblins into bringing their full army? I need you close if i''m going to attempt to give you souls."


    The mention of souls immediately changed the barghest''s attitude and he quickly kneeled down letting Aerwyn mount him.


    "How far are they Tylin?"


    "They''re here."

 14 Chapter 14

    Aerwyn began to hear the shrill sounds of goblin screams looming in the distance. Tylin disappeared the moment he turned to check and see if his undead were in postition. He was beginning to seriously suspect whether or not Tylin was even real.


    The dark elf was simply too sneaky with him appearing and disappearing all the time. The goblin army came into sight snapping him back to reality as he faced the sea of green walking towards him.


    Brexil cat at either side, Aerwyn sat atop Rorik behind a line of sixteen undead goblins. The army trudged closer and he could now make out the hobgoblin leading the force. It really was just a slightly larger goblin, however it had bronze skin and wore over sized leather armor that it must have gotten from a corpse.


    The hobgoblin met his gaze before raising up a steel dagger as if showing it off to Aerwyn. The pettiness of the situation didn''t sway Aerwyn''s competitors spirit and he smiled while raising up his staff. His right arm burst into purple flames causing the hobgoblin to stop walking and stare. The second the flames began to snake up the staff the hobgoblin seemed to realize what Aerwyn was doing and quickly receded into the army of goblins.


    The flame lance shot out missing his intended target and impaling a goblin in its place. Aerwyn shrugged it off, the goblins needed to die and the order wasn''t all that important. Charging his flames once more he scanned the army of little green creatures for a moment but couldn''t spot the hobgoblin in the sea of green.


    He fired his flame lance at one of the goblins killing it and knocking down a few behind it. They were getting closer and he couldn''t waste his time playing with the hobgoblin anymore. He fired two more shots into the army before they began to charge at him. They quickly made it to his undead goblins hacking and slashing at them.


    The scant line of undead were too few to stem the tide of goblins and were quickly overwhelmed allowing the sea of green to reach Aerwyn. Rorik was spinning around swiping at the goblins surrounding them making it difficult for Aerwyn to shoot, left with no choice he tried stabbing them while doing his best to hold onto the bucking barghest.


    The direwolves appeared from behind him relieving some of the pressure and allowing Aerwyn to look for the hobgoblin again. He caught sight of it just as it decapitated one of his goblins. A new sensation came over him that he had never felt before.


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    He could feel a connection to each of his undead for a moment just as one of those connections was cut. It felt as if he had lost a part of himself. As if he had an extra limb that was now gone leaving an empty feeling in his gut.


    Anger took over instantly as he charged his flames and aimed at the hobgoblin. It met his gaze and made a smile before raising its dagger once more as if mocking him which only adding to the fire Aerwyn felt in his mind. The flames snaked up the staff and fired but the hobgoblin was already gone by the time the flame lance was shot out.


    "Damn it! KILL THE HOBGOBLIN!" Aerwyn roared as he searched for it again but the damned thing was as sneaky as Tylin. The sensation hit him once again and he honed in on the location only to see another undead goblin losing its head.


    It was one of the goblins he''d turned only a few minutes ago but he didn''t care, that damned thing had now killed two of HIS undead. He wanted to see it die painfully before being forced to serve him for the rest of its miserable time in this world.


    "Human too slow! How can it kill?" The hobgoblin called out in a shrill voice as it disappeared once again in the horde of goblins. Aerwyn was stunned for a moment, he didn''t know that it could talk.


    "I kill stinky undead then kill human. Then i has shiny new spear!" The creature smiled and called out once more after beheading another undead goblin.


    "NO MORE!" Aerwyn raged while charging his flames. He wouldn''t allow this damned hobgoblin to take another undead from him.


    The flame lance shot out quicker than ever before catching the hobgoblin off guard but it still managed to dodge the purple projectile. Aerwyn wasn''t finished and fired another at the ground behind it before it could react.


    The explosion pushed the off balanced hobgoblin towards Aerwyn who already had another charge ready. The flame lance pierced it''s chest before exploding out behind it, sending its limp body tumbling to Rorik''s feet.


    The hobgoblin seemed to be alive as it struggled to hold its chest causing Rorik to quickly pounce on its legs holding it in place. The creature was no longer smiling which in turn brought a big smile to Aerwyn''s face as he raised his staff to ready to end the hobgoblin.


    "Don''t worry your life won''t end. In fact it''s just beginning."


    The staff entered the creatures chest ending its life instantly giving Aerwyn some relief. Scanning the battlefield he could tell the situation wasn''t great. There were still roughly a hundred goblins battling against his undead and although he had lost three goblins he had made seven more during the battle.


    The soul of the hobgoblin entered his chest giving him a strong warming sensation before the pain began. It was different, it still hurt like hell but he didn''t feel overwhelmed like he had been in the past. Now that he was thinking of it, he had barely noticed the pain of bringing those seven goblins back.


    ''At least i wont be passing out in this battle. I wonder if i''m just getting used to the pain or if it''s due to the amount of souls i''ve consumed.'' The purple soul left his chest and wasting no more time he began to fire flame lances out into the glob of goblins. The battle quickly turned in his favor as his side grew in number while the goblins shrank in kind.


    The sensation of one of his undead being cut off hit him again. Locking onto the location he saw a goblins corpse with a bone dagger embedded in its skull. It seemed that his undead were just like most living things, if their head is destroyed they die.


    The sight left him bitter and when he saw a goblin try and pull the bone dagger out he unleashed a flame lance into the creatures chest. The goblins began their retreat as their numbers dwindled, Aerwyn and his undead chased them killing as many as they could before halting outside the ruins.


    He had no intention of charging into the ruins after them as that would undoubtedly be his death. There was still over four hundred inside not including the dozen that escaped him and he couldn''t take them head on even if he was at full strength.


    "Teek have the goblins quickly harvest the mana cores. We need to move."


    His undead goblins numbers swelled and now he had thirty one despite losing four of them in the battle. They made quick work of harvesting the mana cores while making their way back to the initial battlefield.


    Jumping off Rorik he searched the battlefield for Tylin but came up empty and looked towards his new undead hobgoblin. It''s over sized leather armor had two holes in it which was unfortunate. He disliked the creature for taking the lives of his undead but that wouldn''t stop him from utilizing it to it''s fullest. It''s punishment would be serving him and with its speed it would be a good addition to his growing army.


    "Do you have a name?"


    "Kabba''s name is Kabba, master."


    "Master? Wait, you remember your name? Do you remember your life prior to becoming undead?"


    "Kabba remembers, master. Kabba was leader of goblins."


    "Fascinating..." Tylin spoke from behind Aerwyn. He was now certain Tylin was appearing like this on purpose to annoy him. Either that or he was trying to show Aerwyn how much stronger he was. He wouldn''t put it past Tylin to be that petty but he still leaned towards the prior.


    "Do you feel no animosity towards the one who killed you?" Tylin asked but the hobgoblin remained silent.


    "Answer his questions." Aerwyn commanded.


    "No! Never! Kabba serves the master." The flames of his eyes grew erratic as he shouted in a shrill pleading voice.


    "...Why is it like this? Rorik only listens to me when i command him, otherwise he acts like he can''t be bothered with me." Aerwyn asked Tylin.


    "Hmm... Perhaps their personality before death has a part to play. It''s possible when you bring them back they are changed to see you as a leader of sorts. Each creatures personality may react differently to it. Barghests live alone while the rest of your undead are social creatures so they may see you as something akin to an alpha or leader while the barghest sees you as more of a rival... I wonder how a dragon might react under your influence..."


    "I''m not fighting-"


    "Ah yes, did you attempt to control a soul to nourish the barghest?" Tylin interrupted.


    "UGH, no. I didn''t have a chance to think about it let alone attempt it. I did feel a weird sensation when the goblins died though. It was like i could feel the presence of each undead but it only happened for a moment as each of them died."


    "Good, very good. You should attempt to explore the sensation... Without requiring your undead to die obviously. It may unlock more secrets to your power. What are your plans now? Those goblins will probably come back with their full force now."


    "I plan to ask the hobg-i mean Kabba how they will react. Since he can talk perhaps i can use him to setup a trap."

 15 Chapter 15

    The sounds of morning birds singing woke Sera from her light sleep. The valley was still dark but she could make out the figure of Jeren sitting up against a tree nearby. They had spent the last few days tracking down the slavers to varying success.


    These slavers were very good at hiding their tracks, often leaving behind multiple dummy tracks to slow down any would be pursuer. As the pair grew closer the slavers dummy tracks became even more elaborate slowing their pursuit even more.


    Sera had encountered human slavers before when she was still learning under Master Ferlin and while they too used dummy tracks, the ones before her now seemed much more concerned with not being found. It made her curious mind wonder what they were up to for them to go through such trouble.


    "Are you ready?" Sera asked Jeren.


    "Yawn.. Nope, too sleepy."


    "Good, let''s go."


    "Hey wait, wait!" As if the trait ran in the family Sera ignored his protests and took off into the forest. Jeren quickly caught up to her pouting at his overly serious partner.


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    "Would it kill you to relax for a minute? They''re only half a day away, we''ll catch them before they reach the coast whether you rush after them or take it easy."


    "We were half a day away yesterday too and yet they tricked us once again. I''m not going to lose them again."


    "What are you even going to do once we find them? It''s not like they kidnapped anyone from Setrhyn and we have no proof that they were the ones behind the disappearances in Lyr."


    "We''ll just have to ask and see. If they were behind it then they will die. If we allow the humans to believe they can enslave us unscathed then it won''t be long before they start coming en masse. Then what? Do we run and hide behind the walls of Tyres Gate like the rest of the Fae''Laran?"


    Jeren stayed quite for a moment before speaking.


    "What if we kill them and cause others to come for them will it not have the same effect?"


    "I''d rather die fighting than die a slave." Sera grumbled before darting off faster leaving Jeren a few steps behind her as they ran through the forest.


    Sera hated Jeren''s way of thinking. She had taken the trip to the Fae''Laran capital city of Eltheas with her father multiple times and they thought just like Jeren, that it was better to do nothing than to act. The people there believed the villages outside the walls were foolhardy and dangerous, they were perfectly content to live and die never leaving their little valley protected by the mountains and Tyres Gate.


    They ran for most of the morning only taking a break when they encountered the corpses of a direwolf pack. Sera knelt down near one before touching the wound on the direwolves chest.


    "The blood has barely started to clot, they''re close."


    "They have a mage with them." Jeren spoke pointing out a corpse with burned fur.


    "It doesn''t change what we have to do. When we spot them i''ll go alone, you hide and be ready to fight if they try anything."


    "You don''t have to-"


    "Let''s go." Sera cut him off once more and took off running leaving behind a cursing Jeren who quickly chased after her.


    Sera''s elven ears picked up the slavers well before she could see them in the dense forest. She put her bow on her back and gave Jeren a quiet signal before running after them.


    She could see six men, four of which were wearing leather armor and swords on their hips. One was an elderly man dressed in grey mages robes and carried a gnarled staff. Lastly there was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties who wore red leather armor with a white fortress embedded on the chest.


    She could immediately tell the young man was a human noble but it only confused her. She didn''t know much about human society but she knew that nobles rarely put themselves in danger unless there was a war. It was useless to guess anymore so she made her way out in front of the group of men.


    "You are trespassing on elven lands. Why have you come here?" Sera asked.


    "Oh a dark elf!" One of the men cooed.


    "I am not a ''dark elf'', i am of the Fae''Laran. Why have you come here?" She scowled at the man as she spoke.


    "Forgive my men''s ignorance. I am Fen Abery, son of Earl Abery. May i have your name?"


    "I am a ranger of the Fae''Laran. Why have you come here?"


    The nobles jaw clenched displaying his displeasure at Sera''s rude response before calming himself and responding.


    "...We are searching for a garant fruit. My younger sister has fallen ill and the physician said the only thing that could cure her was a garant fruit. So we-"


    "You''re on the wrong side of the forsaken lands for garant fruit. It grows on the west shores not the east."


    "Ah, is that so.. It looks like our information is old then."


    "You should leave these lands. The rangers of Lyr will not be as kind as i have been and will take you for slavers."


    Sera suspected they were lying as she had never heard of garant fruit growing on the east coast of the forsaken lands and she knew these woods like the back of her hand. It was possible the humans were truly mistaken so she decided to test them.


    If their words were true then she would leave and shadow them until they left elven lands. However if when she leaves they take the opportunity to attack her then this place will become their graves. She turned to leave despite the young nobles protests and almost immediately she could hear the mage begin to chant a spell.


    An arrow flew past her as she drew her sword and turned. One of the men had a bolo in his hands ready to throw it but the arrow in his throat stopped any thought of succeeding in his task.


    "We need her alive! Do not kill her!" The young noble called out not realizing the roles of hunter and hunted had already flipped. Sera charged at the mage but he had already finished his spell and it felt as though she had entered quicksand making it difficult for her to move. Locked in place she couldn''t make use of her superior elven agility and was forced to confront the men head on.


    The first man swung his sword down forcing her to block it with her own while the other two surrounded her ready to pounce when she couldn''t move. Her strength couldn''t match against the large human but luckily for her, she wasn''t alone.


    An arrow shot into his right shoulder softening the blow and allowing her to riposte her blade into the mans armpit. It was a fatal wound but it seemed to only anger the hulking man as he switched sword hands and attempted to swing again but another arrow impaled the mans leg bringing him down to a knee. Sera quickly slashed at the mans throat ending his life before turning around.


    One of the two attackers was already littered with arrows on the ground while the other was charging at her, using a shield to block the incoming arrows.


    "Young noble we must go, she has friends in the forest! Come close!" The mage cried out to Fen Abery while pulling out a scroll.


    "Shoot the mage!" Sera cried out to Jeren.


    The mage seemed to lose concentration as the spell became weaker allowing Sera more freedom to move and hastily repel the final attacker. The air around the mage was filled with mana fluctuations as he held the scroll and began to chant a spell. Fen Abery scrambled his way to the mage doing his best to avoid Sera who was chasing after him still slowed by the spell.


    An arrow flew out from Jeren''s bow, its intended target was the mage but Fen ran in the way and the arrow entered his throat sending him crumpling into the mage. The spell finished and a silvery magic bubble encapsulated the area around the mage and Fen before shrinking into nothingness.


    "They''re gone, seemed to be a teleportation spell of some kind." Jeren spoke as he walked out of the woods.


    "Let''s collect the mana cores we should get back and tell Master Ferlin." Sera was already cutting open a mans chest as she spoke.


    They traveled north for the rest of the day making camp once the sun had already set. Sera was on first watch so she snacked on some yaddle berries she found near their campsite while thinking about the implications of today''s fight.


    If the human nobles were behind the kidnappings then things were going to get far more complicated. It could mean war, and it''s not like the rest of the Fae''Laran behind Tyres Gate would come out and help.


    The five villages would be on their own, they could always retreat behind the walls like they did during world invasions but she feared they would never be able to leave again if they did. The humans would come looking for them as soon as they knew they left the walls. ''As if we didn''t have enough enemies to deal with...''


    In the distance an explosion of purple flames lit up the dark nights sky bringing Sera back to reality. The dark purple flames reminded her of Aerwyn''s undead and she thought that maybe whoever shot out that magic was related to him in some way. She ran over and gently kicked the sleeping Jeren.


    "Jeren wake up."


    "Mm.. I''m up... I''m up. What is it?"


    "There''s was a magic explosion near the Ruins of Ardin we should check it out."


    "We can check it out tomorrow i need my beauty sleep. Not everyone is naturally pretty like you-"


    "Let''s go." Sera commanded and took off into the distance.


    "Seraaaaa!"

 16 Chapter 16

    Earl Abery was a barrel of a man, seemingly overweight but a trained eye could see he possessed a great deal of muscle underneath his fat. He had to be strong, his earldom bordered the forsaken lands and was often raided by warbands of orcs and draknids.


    The territory mostly attracted adventurers and mercenaries looking to make their fortune killing beasts and collecting mana cores in the north. The people of his territory were exceptionally coarse and hearty, being on the front line of endless invasions saw to that. They had the type of mentality that only respected the strong and would never serve a fanciful noble that didn''t get their hands dirty.


    His older brother Teller was a perfect example. He was heir to the earldom but his lifestyle of wine and women that nobles so often had worried the people of Abery. Simon on the other hand was a budding adventurer who slayed a barghest when he was just thirteen turning the beasts pelt into a cloak and wearing it as an iconic badge of honor.


    The people of Abery loved and respected him and when their father was on his deathbed he declared Simon the heir. Humiliated, Teller jumped into the arms of the Abery''s rival Marquis Verden. The Marquis was more than happy to oblige Teller as it gave him justification to seize Abery lands in the name of the rightful heir.


    The fighting quickly got out of control and began involving other territories forcing the crown to put an end to it. The king ordered that one third of Abery lands be given to the Marquis, under the condition that Teller would manage them as a baron. Simon could do nothing to sway the outcome, his skills laid in fighting not politics.


    The land taken was mostly farmland which wasn''t too much of a loss for Simon. The Kingdom of Brent had an overabundance of farmland and the price of grain was always low. At least that was the case until the crops began dying two years ago. The blight started in the northeastern lands of Crandor and quickly spread, decimating crops all across the Brent.


    Crandor''s priests of The Thirteen were able to mitigate most of the damage and Crandor recovered but Brent wasn''t as lucky. While The Thirteen was also the state religion of Brent, the people cared little for the gods and in return the gods cared little for Brent. Thus Simon was forced to sell off his families personal possessions to purchase grain for his people at the exorbitant prices Crandor was charging.


    To make matters worse, due to diplomatic treaties with the other kingdoms he was required to provide a quarter of the grain to the fifty thousand soldiers stationed at the two forts bordering the forsaken lands. When the blight came back for the fall harvest this year he was forced to act. He couldn''t watch his people starve to death so he called a meeting with his advisors.


    The meeting devolved into talks of war with Marquis Verden to reclaim the lands they took years ago but that was unrealistic. His people were already on the verge of starvation, the coffers nearly empty, he couldn''t pay ten thousand soldiers let alone feed them. It was then his son Fen suggested they go north instead.


    His plan was to take a small group of men and capture some dark elves and orcs and sell them as slaves to the Kingdom of Duran to the south. Slavery was outlawed all over Alduun with the only exception being Duran, the tribal nature of their people made slavery a cornerstone of their culture.


    In Duran a mans worth is measured by the amount of slaves he owns thus when the rest of Alduun agreed to outlaw slavery they vehemently refused.


    The idea of turning to slavery left a bad taste in Simon''s mouth, when he heard enough of his sons plan he smacked him in the head shutting him up. If any other noble learned that he was trading in slaves his lands would be seized and they would be thrown in prison, it would make no difference whether he was an earl or a commoner at that point.


    Simon decided to do the only thing that he could, he went to the capital to ask the king for aid. The king simply gave him a pittance and sent him on his way, hearing no more from him. The gold the king provided wouldn''t even buy enough grain for the winter and once he returned to Abery he was left with a choice, let his people starve or enact his sons plan.


    He refused to see his people starve so without a better option he chose the latter and in early winter he sent his son along with a few men to the north. They returned a few weeks later with four dark elf children which infuriated Simon.


    He didn''t want to involve children, that would make him no better than a demon in his eyes. Sending the children off he beat Simon bloody, he had hoped that sending the boy north would make him more of a man but it seemed like he was more like Teller than Simon.


    When Simon was done wailing on Fen, the boy told him he already had a buyer and that they would provide enough grain to last the winter. Simon felt torn, his own morality was screaming at him to not take part in this evil act but a lords duty was to his people and his people were starving.


    A part of him died when he gave the go ahead to proceed. The grain allowed them to make it through the winter and once again he sent his son north but this time he explicitly told him not to take children.


    His son was gone for over a month as he looked over the documents on his desk. They were mostly grain requests from the towns and villages in his territory but he had no more to give until Fen got back. A breeze knocked some of the papers off his desk followed by a heavy gust that knocked off the rest. Simon turned to close the window but saw that it was already closed as another heavy gust entered the room.


    A small silvery bubble began to form in the center of the study before expanding rapidly and popping. The mage Pontus appeared holding Fen''s bloodied body in his arms before collapsing. Simon quickly ran over to them checking on his son but the arrow sticking out of his neck gave a clear indication to his sons condition.


    He was dead and Simon could only stare at his sons lifeless body in indignation. He closed his eyes for a moment wiping his tears before speaking calmly to the mage.


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    "What happened?"


    "M-My lord, it was a trap. After scouting out a new dark elf village we encountered a dark elf ranger. We thought she was alone so we attempted to capture her but she wasn''t! There were multiple dark elves in the woods who fired upon us the moment we moved. I was forced to use a teleportation scroll to escape with young master Fen but an arrow shot out the moment the spell completed. I-I''m sorry my lord. I couldn''t do anything to save him..."


    Simon went quite taking one last look at his son before turning to lean on his desk. Head held low he stayed silent for what felt like an eternity. His eyes caught sight of the grain requests that were now littering the room.


    "...Do you know the contact Fe-...My son was using to sell the slaves?" Simon spoke nearly choking on his sons name.


    "..Yes they''re Durani merchants at the harbor. I''ve met them before with the young master, my lord."


    "Get cleaned up and bring them to me. On your way out send the servants in..."


    "Yes, my lord i will go right away!"


    The servants came shortly to remove Fen''s body and have it cleaned for his funeral. Simon brought his advisors in and awaited Pontus'' arrival. His advisors stood in silence while the servants attempted to clean the blood from the floor to varying success. After an hour of silence Pontus finally arrived.


    "My lord these are the two Durani merchants Kers and Inik." Pontus spoke with his hand out as if displaying the two tan skinned merchants.


    "Good. In three months time i plan to invade the dark elf lands. How many ships can you provide to ship the slaves to Duran?"


    "Earl Abery, we brothers own four ships but if you tell this merchant that there is money to be made then this merchant will tear down the Shrine of Primes to build a boat if need be." Kers spoke in an accent that seemed to flow off his tongue like water.


    "Four will do, have them in Abery harbor ready to embark by the first month of summer. You may go."


    "We brothers look forward to our business Earl Abery." Kers spoke before giving a slight bow with Inik and leaving the study.


    Once the merchants had left the silence was broken by Marshal Dolan.


    "My lord, are you sure about this? What will you tell the crown if they ask why were sending troops to the north?"


    "If anyone asks i''ll say they killed my only son while he was trying to make contact for trade, however they won''t find out. Pontus what is the population of the two villages you found?"


    "Nearly five thousand between the two of them. The closest one to Abery has a population of nearly fifteen hundred and the second village to the north has a population of about three thousand."


    "Hmm... Dolan, i need fifteen hundred men. If need be tell them we''re going to avenge my son. I want you to choose a hundred loyal men to handle the slave transportation after the battles. They need to be absolutely loyal else we''ll all be thrown in prison. Do you understand me?"


    "Yes my lord..."


    "Good, get it done we leave in three months."

 17 Chapter 17

    "Kabba, are there any more hobgoblins like you in the ruins?" Aerwyn asked.


    "Y-yes master, Kabba was weakest. Velk is strong and Bon uses fire magics, he does."


    "Weakest... Will they both come out to fight now that your force was defeated?"


    "Kabba thinks only Velk come. Bon lazy mage, he will stay."


    Aerwyn turned to Tylin for confirmation but the damned elf was gone whenever he was needed as per usual. With a sigh he turned back to Kabba and asked.


    "Is there a way for us to sneak past the army and get to Bon before we fight Velk?"


    "Yes! Yes! Kabba knows a way! Follow! Follow!" The hobgoblin began to jump up and down excitedly motioning him to follow.


    The group took a wide birth around the ruins heading northeast before turning west and arriving at the northern section of the ruined city by dusk. To the west was a large river that traveled from north to south and he could make out a destroyed stone bridge that was now half submerged.


    The grey stone walls of the city were crumbling, the many breaches from wars long since past were haphazardly filled in with wood and rubble. No doubt it was the goblins attempt to fortify the ruins.


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    Kabba led them to a breach that wasn''t completely filled in before climbing up it.


    "See! See! Kabba brought master. Follow! Follow! Kabba bring you to Bon now."


    "Wait! We must be sneaky Kabba. I do not want to attract more goblins than necessary. Can you capture Bon and bring him to me alive?"


    "Kabba can! Bon very slow... Kabba will sneak, hit Bon on head with rock and bring him to master."


    "Ok Kabba, we''ll wait here. Be careful, if it gets too dangerous just come back ok?"


    "Kabba serves master. Kabba will listen."


    The hobgoblin took off leaving Aerwyn and the rest of the undead to climb over the dilapidated walls. Once inside Aerwyn took a look around with his protectors Rin and Ren. The city was no better than the walls, the few buildings still intact were overgrown with weeds and vines. In the distance he could see the base of a large spire that seemed to have been washed away by the sands of time.


    "I wonder what it looked like before it was destroyed..." Aerwyn spoke watching the city as the sun dipped below the horizon.


    "KWEE! KWEE!"


    "Oh? Does my little Rin think it''s pretty too?"


    "KWEE!"


    "Hmm.. Maybe we can fix it up. With the way our group is growing we wont be able to stay at Setrhyn village much longer anyway, plus it''s only a days journey away. I''ll ask Tylin the next time he appears behind me when i least expect it!" Aerwyn spoke before abruptly turning around hoping to catch the dark elfs secret movement technique but was met with the disappointing sight of empty space.


    An hour flew by with no sign of Kabba and Aerwyn began to get nervous. He wished he had whatever magic Tylin used to view the city from far away so he could check on the hobgoblin. Just as he was getting about to head out after him an explosion echoed throughout the city.


    "BOOOM!"


    "Damn it Kabba! Rorik, Rin, Ren, stay close to me. Direwolves and trolls take the lead, Teek and the goblins stay behind me and be ready to attack. Let''s go!" Aerwyn commanded his troops before taking off in the direction of the explosion.


    The city roads were covered in rubble and overgrowth making it difficult to move his group quickly especially with the goblins short legs.


    "We need to hurry! That explosion will probably attract the army that''s looking for us and we can''t fight four hundred goblins head on even without adding two hobgoblins to the mix." Aerwyn''s urgent words seemed to invigorate the goblins as they picked up their pace and continued on to the center of the city.


    Another explosion rung out as they entered a wide avenue leading to the dilapidated spire. Kabba was fighting a dozen goblins while the hobgoblin mage hurled fireballs at him seemingly not caring at all for the lives of the goblins in the explosions path.


    Bon''s skin was covered in white paint that gave him a shamanistic look. He wore a crude leather jerkin over tattered brown robes and was firing magic straight from his hands. The hobgoblin didn''t seem to notice their arrival allowing Aerwyn enough time to charge his flame lance, take aim, and fire.


    The purple projectile flew out and pierced through Bon''s chest. The hobgoblin didn''t even have a chance to respond as the explosion behind it sent it''s body tumbling forward. Aerwyn didn''t want to risk it surviving that blow and began to charge another flame lance all the while aiming at the unmoving body.


    The flames were already snaking up the staff as he saw the hobgoblins soul leave it''s chest. He panicked not knowing what would happen if he fired a flame lance at the body during the resurrection process and aimed his staff up to the sky as fast as he could discharging it. The sky high above the city exploded in purple light as if a second sun had come into being.


    "...Shit. If they didn''t already know where we are they do now... Capture the remaining goblins, were going to need more to fight Velk and his army." Aerwyn commanded as the purple soul began to exit his chest. The pain caused him to flinch, it wasn''t as bad as it used to be but he could tell his soul was getting weak.


    "I-I''m sorry master. Kabba failed.." Kabba spoke pleadingly.


    "Damn it why now... It''s fine Kabba go and harvest the mana cores from the goblins killed by Bon''s attacks." Grumbling in pain he moved towards the closest goblin that was being held by Teek. The blade of his staff met with the flesh of the struggling goblins throat before sliding across and opening it like a flower. He repeated the action for all seven of the goblins and the pain in his chest only got worse.


    Tylin had told him that it should be fine to resurrect one goblin per three he killed but Aerwyn didn''t think the drain from firing his flame lance would amount to so much. ''I''ll have to take it easy in the next battle, at least until my undead get me more souls.''


    "Kabba and Bon where is Velk going to enter the city?"


    "I believe they will enter through the front gates, master. Velk is stupid he will rush in without thinking." Bon spoke before Kabba had a chance and his voice took Aerwyn by surprise. It was deep and articulate, the complete opposite of Kabba''s screechy voice and childlike way of speaking.


    "Show us the way, we need to set a trap."


    Bon led the group down the avenue towards the main gates. The avenue was littered with small thatch huts that got more and more shoddy the closer they got to the gates. The old wooden gates had long since rotted away and the goblins had built a gate akin to the gate of a cow pen. It was a bunch of logs held together flimsily by rope that sat on a swivel. It looked as if a strong wind could blow it over let alone a predator looking to eat goblins.


    Taking a closer look at the area, Aerwyn decided on a plan and looked to Bon.


    "What is your strongest spell? And how many goblins can you kill with it?"


    "Fire blast, master. Five if they''re close together but it takes time to cast."


    "Ok, you''re coming with me on the walls. Trolls you are to wait until Bon fires his first fire blast then rush out and defend the gates, kill all the goblins that try to get through. Kabba you are to make up for your failure with Bon by keeping Velk busy with the direwolves until he is tired. Do not kill him. I need him alive. Do you understand?"


    "K-Kabba understands, master." The hobgoblin said with a frown.


    "Good don''t disappoint me again. Teek, you and the goblins will be dealing with the ones we let through. Kill them quickly so they don''t overwhelm us. Rorik, guard the steps leading up the walls. Don''t look for fights your soul is already weak i don''t want you dying on me."


    Rorik went to howl in displeasure but seemed to remember they were trying to stay hidden, letting out a deep growl instead. Aerwyn ignored him and began pointing out places for the undead to hide. When they were all hidden as good as they were going to get he went up the walls with Bon, Rin, and Ren.


    The area outside the gates was still fairly open despite being unkempt for nearly eight hundred years. Aerwyn had a clear view for a few hundred meters in all directions. It was now dark and he could see the lights from torches moving towards him in the distance, Velk was here.

 18 Chapter 18

    Sera bolted through the dim forest leaving the grumbling Jeren to tail her from behind. The numerous torches in the distance rippled up and down, curbing her speedy advance. Crouching behind a bush and focusing her eyes on the creatures carrying the flames, she witnessed hundreds of goblins marching in haste towards the Ruins of Ardin.


    "Sera... Please don''t tell me you woke me up to hunt goblins." Jeren spoke flippantly bringing his hand to his face.


    "No, there was a large explosion over the ruins. I thought-"


    "Mil saeri, what are you doing here?" Tylin appeared out of thin air with a smile, interrupting and startling Sera.


    "Sage Tylin." Jeren bowed politely.


    "Father? We were on our way back to Setrhyn when we saw an explosion. What are you doing here?"


    "Ah, i''m helping Aerwyn learn about his powers. The boy is truly fascinating, his power over the soul is something this world has never seen before!"


    "Aerwyn? I don''t see him. Where is he?" Sera stood and looked around behind her father to no avail.


    "Ah the boy is in the Ruins of Ardin. He''s waiting for those goblins to return last i checked."


    "What?!? Are you trying to get him killed?!?!" Sera began to scream but quickly changed volumes. They were still fairly close to the horde of goblins and she didn''t want to be forced to fight if she didn''t have to.


    "No, no, mil saeri. The boy has quite a bit of potential. When one of his brexil cats was in danger he exuded incredible strength, throwing his staff straight through nearly a dozen goblins. I''m attempting to put him under stress to force out any dormant power within him."


    "Father, there are hundreds of goblins. He isn''t you and he doesn''t have any training, else he wouldn''t have nearly died from mere brexil cats. We have to help him." Sera used a stern tone that was reserved for her life outside of home. Tylin exhaled a defeated sigh.


    "...Come, mil saeri. I''ll show you that he will be fine."


    Tylin grabbed Sera''s hands while chanting a short spell. A gust of wind encircled them before the two vanished leaving Jeren alone in the moonlit forest.


    "...Really? It''s like i don''t even exist..."


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Aerwyn crouched behind a battlement on the walls as he watched the swarm of torches reach the gates. Velk was leading them and from what Aerwyn could tell, the hobgoblin was almost a head taller than both Bon and Kabba.


    Velk wore nothing but some rags akin to a kilt and carried a rusty lumbering axe. His large muscles exuded strength with each step he took towards the city gate forcing Aerwyn to analyze his own scrawny body.


    He made a mental note to eat more meat, not wanting to be out done by a simple hobgoblin. Aerwyn gave Bon the order to begin casting his spell as Velk entered the city along with a few dozen goblins in bone armor. Velk froze only a dozen meters inside the city and began sniffing the air erratically.


    "INTRUDER!" Velk roared, his voice was bestial and hoarse matching the creatures appearance perfectly. A chill ran down Aerwyn''s spine as he gave Bon a hurried look. A bright red ball of flames appeared before Bon''s hands, shooting out and exploding into a group of goblins. The smell of burnt hair and fat filled Aerwyn''s nostrils as he gave Bon more orders.


    "Focus on the ones outside the walls now, we need to lower their numbers."


    "Yes, master."


    The two trolls rushed out from either side of the avenue, making a mad dash towards the gate. The unfortunate goblins in their path were smashed like melons by the massive tree trunks in the trolls hands, leaving behind piles of red goo wherever they struck. The tide of goblins rushing through the gates simmered to a small stream as the trolls blocked the entrance.


    Aerwyn''s chest pain began to fade as the souls of the fallen raced into his chest. Teek and the undead goblins were embattled with the living, while Kabba was fighting the brutish Velk with the direwolves.


    He didn''t like sitting on his hands while his undead fought but if he burned off too much of his soul and fell unconscious during this battle they would all die. Having no choice he simply watched the battle unfold as the souls poured in to nourish his own.


    He focused on Velk as that would be the toughest bout of the battle. The direwolves were circling him taking swipes and bites at his back whenever Velk was distracted however they rarely connected as Velk was much faster than his size let on. Kabba was seeing some success, diving in and slicing Velk''s flesh whenever he swung at a direwolf.


    "ENOUGH!" Velk''s voice boomed like an explosion across the ruined city. A direwolf was mid swipe as Velk''s axe came crashing down on the beasts skull planting it into the ground instantly.


    Not wasting a moment he immediately pulled the axe out and charged at another while swinging his axe at the beast head. The glancing blow removed a portion of the beasts skull revealing a dark purple flame that rapidly began to dissipate.


    The direwolf didn''t waste the opportunity despite the fact that its undeath had come to an end and bit down on Velk''s shoulder as he recovered from the misplaced swing. The remaining direwolves darted over with each of them chomping down on a limb leaving the hobgoblin struggling to break free.


    The flame inside the dying direwolf''s skull began to sputter as if it was a candle at the end of it''s wick. The bite holding Velk began to loosen as it''s muscles went limp. When the flame seemed to be on its last leg it exploded out in brilliant display of light as if oil had been poured on it. Ethereal black smoke began to spew out and engulf the flame hiding its brilliance from the world.


    Aerwyn had fallen in a trance like state the moment Velk had killed the direwolf. He was drawn in by the sensation which was far stronger than when the goblins had perished. In his mind he was surrounded by a smokey darkness.


    The purple strings of light connecting him to each of his undead were the only source of light in this tenebrous space. He could feel their locations and see their souls connected to his own as if he was at the center of a spiders web.


    When the second direwolf had its skull shattered he felt its soul begin to dissipate as if it were his own. Remembering what Tylin had instructed about moving souls to nourish his undead he looked for white souls to no avail. The only thing he could see was the smokey darkness and the purple flames connected to his own.


    Looking down at the many tendrils of light connecting to his soul he got an idea. If he couldn''t move the white souls then maybe he could use his own to save the direwolf. Concentrating on his own soul he attempted to recreate the soul tearing feeling he experienced when he brought something back to life.


    He imagined tearing off a piece and sending it down the tendril and the darkness surrounding him immediately closed in as though it were alive. Black smokey tendrils from the darkness slithered up, grasping his soul. Fear overtook him.


    His mind went blank and he could do nothing but watch in abject horror. It was as though the very essence of his being was screaming, pleading for him to flee as the tenebrous tendrils began rapidly encapsulating his soul. The moment the light of his soul was snuffed out in darkness, he could feel the soul shattering pain he experienced when he resurrected something.


    He watched frozen, as the darkness shredded a piece off his soul and sent it down the string to the dying direwolf. He could tell that this thing had something to do with his power but that didn''t stop the screaming he felt manifesting within him. It was as though this smokey darkness was the complete opposite of life, the complete opposite of the soul, eliciting fear down to ones very core.


    The entire experience only lasted mere seconds but to Aerwyn it felt like hours had gone by. He snapped back to reality drenched in sweat completely forgetting about the current battle happening around him.


    "What am i..." He whispered to himself, unable to let go of the fear he felt in the face of that darkness.


    "Master! MASTER!"


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    "KWEE! KWEE!"


    "What? Why am i in your arms?" Aerwyn finally looked around and realized he was being held by Bon while Rin licked his face and Ren headbutted his leg. Aerwyn grabbed Rin and pet her before looking at Ren who still didn''t realize he was awake. She must have felt his gaze because she immediately jumped back a meter and pretended like she wasn''t involved causing Aerwyn to laugh.


    "Master, you dropped to the floor with your eyes open and began screaming. I didn''t know what else to do."


    "KWEE! KWEE!" Rin cutely agreed.


    "I''m fine now, continue killing the goblins outside the walls. I need to go kill Velk." Aerwyn left with Rin and Ren in tow.


    Most of his undead goblins were now helping the trolls defend the gates. There were still a few living goblins behind the walls but they would be dead soon so Aerwyn ignored them as he made his way to the direwolves. The damaged direwolf was completely healed which brought him relief. If he had to experience that horror he hoped that he would at least gain something in return.


    "Master! Master! Kabba did its!" Kabba gleefully jumped up and down pointing his dagger at Velk.


    "Very good Kabba. You did well." Aerwyn assured him before looking to Velk. He was still feebly fighting against his fate, only serving to force the direwolves fangs deeper into his flesh with each vain struggle. Aerwyn raised his spear to the hobgoblins throat. Velk stared defiantly, refusing to give in until the very last moment.


    "Don''t worry Velk, like Kabba and Bon your life is only beginning now." Aerwyn assured him as he opened the warriors throat.

 19 Chapter 19

    Velk''s soul exited his chest, leaving the hobgoblins body to slump to the ground.


    "Kabba you and the direwolves go clean up the remaining goblins, then help the rest hold the front gates." Aerwyn commanded.


    He couldn''t remove the thought from his head that the darkness was about to tear his soul apart once again to resurrect Velk. A chill down his spine would undoubtedly be added to the feeling of resurrecting the dead from this point on.


    It appeared that he had gotten enough souls to allow for the resurrection without feeling like he was going to pass out, allowing him to sigh in relief. Looking down, Aerwyn watched on as Velk''s body convulsed and spewed out black smoke from his many wounds. The thought occurred to him; perhaps the black smoke that heals his undead is the same as the horrifying darkness he witnessed.


    Velk stood up as the black smoke dissipated.


    "Master, Velk serves..." His voice was rough and bestial as ever. He sounded like what Aerwyn imagined Rorik would sound like if he could speak.


    "Good, good..." Aerwyn paused realizing he was picking up Tylin''s speaking habits. He slapped his cheek to remind himself to find better people to emulate before clearing his throat and continuing.


    "Ahem... Anyway let''s go end this."


    The avenue was littered with goblin corpses and red smears as they made their way to the gate. All the goblins in the city were dead and all that remained were the ones still battling outside the walls desperately trying to make it through the gates. The souls of the fallen streamed in and he was beginning to not even notice them anymore, as if his mind simply ignored the fact that they existed at all.


    His undead executed his plan perfectly, forcing the goblins to lose their numbers advantage due to being funneled a few at a time through the gates. Aerwyn could see that Bon was looking fatigued, probably from using so much mana in a short period of time.


    He wondered how mana even interacted with his undead. They didn''t eat, drink, or grow tired but clearly casting spells was different and caused fatigue if they casted too many. It made him wonder what would happen if he gave his undead an order that they physically couldn''t complete.


    ''Would they attempt it until they died?'' Seemingly answering his question, Bon was weakly attempting to raise his arms and shoot another fire blast when Aerwyn called out to him.


    "Bon, you''ve done enough. Rest now." He made a mental note to be more careful with the commands he gave his undead from now on. If Bon had continued following his command perhaps he''d end up burning his soul away once he ran out of mana.


    "Velk, join the others and defend the gate."


    "Yes master..."


    Aerwyn joined Bon on the walls and looking over he could still see a troublesome amount of goblins left. He took aim and fired at the goblins furthest from the gates. His idea was that once resurrected they would make quick work of the remaining goblins by attacking from both the front and the rear.


    His charging speed for the flame lance seemed to have improved thanks to his frequent use and the goblins could only watch as his purple flames rained down upon them from above. Now that their hobgoblins and number advantage was removed it was as simple as shooting fish in a barrel.


    He fired until he began to feel the early signs of soul fatigue, pausing to watch as his undead finished off the remainder of the surrounded enemies. Once the last living goblin fell, Aerwyn ordered his undead to collect the mana cores. All together he should have close to seven hundred now, surely that would be enough to outfit at least some goblins with steel.


    "This is about when Tylin should appear... Behind me!" He whispered to himself while spinning around abruptly. His sight met with the clear night sky and the shadowy shapes of the ruined city but Tylin was nowhere to be found.


    "What are you doing dear boy?" Tylin spoke from behind him.


    "Damn it..." Aerwyn hung his head in shame before turning around. He was surprised to see not only Tylin, but Sera as well.


    "Sera? What are you doing here?" He asked not being able to hold back his smile towards the pretty elf.


    "Ah, mil saeri was worried for you. I tried telling her that you would be fine but she just insisted on coming." Tylin was oblivious ever, not realizing or caring that he was being embarrassing.


    "I just didn''t want you getting him killed for a crazy experiment after we went through the trouble of saving his life. I''m glad to see you''re ok Aerwyn." Sera rebuked, smacking Tylin in his arm.


    "Thank-" Aerwyn began to speak before Tylin pulled a Tylin.


    "Yes, yes the boy is fine. You and Jeren should... Speaking of, where is that Jeren? Anyway, you two should make camp with us tonight. Aerwyn''s undead can keep watch so that you both can rest."


    "Oh... He should still be back in the forest. I''ll go get him." Sera spoke dashing off the walls to the ground below.


    When it was just Tylin left, Aerwyn explained what he had experienced in the darkness but Tylin was just as lost as he was and offered him no answers.


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    "I''m thinking about staying here in the ruins from now on. I already have over fifty undead and that number is only growing. It''s going to become a problem if i keep them all in Setrhyn, so i thought i''d fix up the ruins and work on training my powers more." Aerwyn spoke nervously, unsure how Tylin would react to his words.


    "What brought this on?" Tylin showed a rare concerned expression that surprised him.


    "When i had the dream with the faceless man, i worried about what would happen if he or whoever wants me dead found me. The more i think about the darkness i experienced, the more that I can''t shake the feeling that it''s somehow connected. It only reinforces my drive to grow stronger so that if and when i do encounter whoever is after me i won''t be as helpless as last time. What do you think?"


    "Very good, i think it''s a splendid idea. Setrhyn is only half a days ride if you use your barghest. You''ll be able to grow more rapidly out in the wilds and you''ll still be close enough for Sera and i to check up on you. Just be careful you don''t travel too far north, there''s an orc village thirty odd kilometers up river from here. Hmm... Do you plan to travel with us to Setrhyn tomorrow?"


    "Yeah, I want to buy the goblins some weapons like you instructed."


    "Good, good." Tylin motioned Aerwyn to follow and he obliged bringing Rin, Ren, and Bon along.


    They traveled along the avenue towards the spire in the center of the city. Now that Aerwyn got a closer look at it; the top half of the building lay to its side as if a strong wind had snapped it in half. The building seemed to be fairly stable despite the fact that it was over eight hundred years old. The doorway was also draped in furs implying that it was safe enough for the goblins to use it for shelter.


    A few other buildings that could have once been shops still stood in the square, seemingly defiant to the trials of time in contrast to the many more piles of stone rubble he could see surrounding them. Tylin led the group through the fur draped doorway entering the spire.


    The entrance hall was circular in shape with two spiral stair cases on either side that ran along the walls much like a lighthouse. There were some furs and old tomes at the other end of the hall next to a wooden stump that had a lit fat burning lamp atop it.


    "Master, i believe this was once a mages tower. It was unused by the goblins before i was born. There were tomes inside and after many years of gazing at the symbols i was able to glean some understanding, learning my fire magic. Since then i often use this place to study the many tomes left behind."


    "Fascinating... You actually taught yourself the language of Millin as a mere goblin. That''s an impressive feat." Bon nodded offering no more conversation. It seemed his undead didn''t like to speak to anyone other than him. Tylin walked to the tomes before picking one up and glossing it over.


    "I think i''ll live here... Have you explored the higher floors? Are they stable?" Aerwyn asked Bon.


    "Yes, master. The second floor is filled with more tomes while i believe the third was used as a laboratory. The forth floor is open from where the building broke apart and whatever the mages used it for was lost to the elements."


    "Hmm, ok it''ll do for now."


    Aerwyn was giddy, he liked the idea of rebuilding the city and populating it with his undead. Although it would likely take him a long time, he looked forward to the prospect of creating something that was his and his alone. Sera and Jeren entered the building a short while later. They decided to spend the night in the spire, only having a quick snack before the tired bunch went to sleep.

 20 Chapter 20

    Aerwyn awoke in the darkness, he could tell the sun still hadn''t rose as there was no light coming from under the furs in the doorway. Taking a moment for his tired eyes to adjust, he saw that Sera and Ren were missing from the room. Not thinking anything of it he attempted to fall back asleep but his body refused to listen.


    After a few minutes of tossing and turning he picked up Rin and left the hall quietly. A chilly breeze hit his bare chest as he stepped outside, causing him to shiver and hold Rin tighter in his arms. He had been without a shirt since he accidentally burnt it off practicing his flames a few days ago. The weather had been warm since he awoke in the grassy field and this was the first time he''d actually felt cold.


    All his undead were standing in the city square outside the spire. Looking past them he saw Sera leaning over dangling a long string in front of Ren and in a very cat-like manner, Ren was chasing after the string. Aerwyn just watched Sera excitedly hop around with Ren for a while until she noticed him and froze.


    The look on her face was as if she had been caught doing something wrong, causing Aerwyn to laugh and walk over to her.


    "I''ve never seen any of my undead interact with anyone else before. How''d you get Ren to play with you? She doesn''t even play with me."


    "I.. I saw her playing with the string so i thought i''d join her-"


    "Pfft!" Sera''s embarrassed face caused Aerwyn to no longer be able to hold back his laughter.


    "Don''t laugh! Jerk!" Sera turned red, or as red as her light grey skin would allow and playfully hit Aerwyn''s arm.


    "Ok, ok. I''m sorry, you just looked so embarrassed over something so silly i couldn''t help but laugh."


    "Fine..." Sera pouted before asking.


    "Are you really planning on living here? You''re more than welcome to continue staying with us and if your leaving because my father is driving you crazy then i can talk some sense into him. It may be hard to tell with him, but i haven''t seen him this happy since my mother passed away."


    "Yeah... I need to get stronger and this is the best place for me to do it. About your mother... I''m sorry to hear that, i didn''t know."


    "It''s ok, it was a long time ago. She got sick and father was unable to save her. He blamed himself and shut himself in his lab, doing the only thing he felt he could do right, research. He believes that if he can become a lich he can try and get my mothers soul back from the underworld. That''s why he was so excited when i brought you home."


    "Wow... I didn''t know that either..." The conversation took a heavy turn and Aerwyn didn''t know what to say in this situation.


    "Ah, that''s right! What does ''mil saeri'' mean? I''ve heard Tylin call you by it a few times now and I''ve been curious."


    "Do you know the story of the Fae''Laran?" She asked.


    "Yeah, i didn''t know why all the elves in Setrhyn had grey skin. So i asked Tylin and he told it to me." Sera chuckled at his innocent explanation before continuing.


    "Well ''mil saeri'' means ''my light'' in old fae. It''s a name the Fae''Laran give to the most important people in their lives. The god of light believes he took away our light when he cursed us so we call those we care for ''mil saeri'' as defiant proof that we create our own light."


    "I like that a lot."


    "Me too, i think it shows our tenacity as a people. That we won''t be bullied, not even by the gods. If only the old turtles behind Tyres Gate felt the same then we-"


    "Come, come! Let''s head out. The blacksmith isn''t open all day dear boy, if you want to put in an order we must get there early!" Tylin walked out of the spire clapping his hands. Jeren was a step behind, looking at Tylin as if he was a demon for being so lively immediately after waking up.


    Three elves, one human, and a horde of undead began their march to Setrhyn Village. Tylin and Aerwyn rode the horses while Sera and Jeren ran beside them on foot. The trip was uneventful and they reached their destination around midday leaving Sera and Jeren to say their goodbyes before heading to Master Ferlin''s.


    Aerwyn brought Bon and Teek inside the village, leaving the other undead outside except for his two brexil cat protectors. He figured the blacksmith would be able to make the better weapons if he could see the goblins different sizes. He wasn''t sure about the value of mana cores but he had a lot of them so he hoped to be able to get enough weapons to arm most of his goblins.


    They walked through the villages main street, catching stares and hearing a few surprised yelps. Probably due to the fact that a goblin was walking around the village but Tylin assured him it was fine. The blacksmiths shop was an open building almost like a garage and he could feel the heat from the forges as soon as he got close.


    Inside he could see a young elven boy no older than thirteen pounding away at piece of glowing steel while an older elf in a leather apron sat with his back towards the street sharpening a long blade on a grindstone wheel.


    "Marik, i come bringing you business. Now you better give us a good deal, Aerwyn here has a need for quite a large amount of steel." Marik turned and put on a merchants smile.


    "Ai, Sage Tylin your words wound this poor old blacksmith. When have i ever not given you a good deal?"


    "You demon, you charged me eighty silver for that dagger and you have the gall to say you gave me a good deal? And what about last year when you charged me forty silver for some cutlery!?"


    "Ha! There was a shortage of steel last year and you know it. Even this poor old blacksmith was overcharged by those merchants from the capital." Tylin went quite as if silently admitting the elf was telling the truth but still refusing to say it out loud lest it damage his pride.


    "Well the boy has seven hundred and twelve goblin cores along with a direwolf core. How many swords can you make for that price?" Marik went quite for a moment, doing the math in his head before speaking.


    "I can do sixteen at most. That''s the best i can do, I''m being more than generous already."


    "Sixt-"


    "What about spears? They don''t have to be large, anywhere between a meter and a half to two meters would be fine. There for my goblins." Aerwyn interrupted Tylin, pointing to the goblin behind him. Marik seemed to have just now noticed the creatures standing behind them and was startled.


    "Goblins huh? If it''s spear i can do maybe fifty if i made the spear head smaller..."


    "Ah, i also need three goblin sized lumbering axes, a battle axe, a short sword, and an enchanted staff. Ideally the lumbering axes first. I''ll need those right away."


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    "Oh, is that all boy?" Marik said sarcastically.


    "You don''t need a staff dear boy. I have half a dozen old ones collecting dust in my home." Tylin interjected.


    "Without the staff i can do thirty short spears and i can have the lumbering axes done by tomorrow night but the rest will take a few weeks to finish."


    "Ok, that works for me. I''ll be needing many more in the future so if you make any extras i''ll buy them the next time i''m in Setrhyn."


    Aerwyn handed over the heavy sack of mana cores before saying goodbye and heading back to Tylin''s home. Sera was already cooking by the time they got back but Tylin gave him no time to salivate over the aroma, dragging him into the lab and handing him a straight white staff with a clear crystal fixed atop it.


    "You can give this to your hobgoblin mage. I''ll pack you some of my old clothes and other necessities tomorrow. Don''t think you''ve gotten rid of me so easily though, i plan to stop by the ruins often so make sure to set a place aside for me to sleep."


    "...Thank you Tylin, i''ll pay you back as soon as i can."


    "No need, no need. I told you what you can do for me before. If i can''t achieve lichdom in a few years, you will kill me. That''s how you will pay me back."


    Aerwyn thought back to what Sera had told him earlier about her mother and he felt a twinge in his heart. If it was possible for him to help Tylin recover his wife''s soul he would do so in a heartbeat. The thought only added more fuel for him to get stronger and master his powers.

 21 Chapter 21

    Sera''s delicious cooking snapped Aerwyn out of the heavy thoughts floating around his head. He ate an extra serving knowing he wouldn''t be getting much more of it in the future. Once he started living in the ruins he would be stuck eating whatever he could find so he made sure to enjoy this treat to the fullest.


    "Oh Aerwyn, Master Ferlin asked to bring you along tomorrow. He captured a few vosk the other day after father asked him to keep an eye out for any strong beasts."


    "What are vosk?"


    "Ah, they''re a semi-intelligent subterranean species from the orcs home world dear boy. The orcs use them as slave labor to man their mines. The vosk have three large curved claws on each hand that are stronger than steel, perfect for burrowing through rock and earth. You can think of them as more intelligent goblins that prefer living underground." Tylin spoke gesturing a hook shape with his hand before Sera could reply.


    Aerwyn agreed to Sera''s request before heading to another guest room that Tylin had prepared after he had burnt down the first one. Rin followed Aerwyn as usual but Ren curiously stayed downstairs following Sera around as she cleaned up. He chuckled and left the door cracked open just in case the little brexil cat wanted to sneak in during the night.


    Sera and Ren woke him in the early morning and they left for Master Ferlin''s house. His home was by the northern wall and gave the impression it was a military garrison of sorts. The front yard had training dummies and hay bale targets setup in an orderly fashion. Master Ferlin exited his front door as they approached.


    "Aerwyn right? Come on, the creatures are in the back." Aerwyn didn''t have a chance to respond before Master Ferlin began walking around the house. They followed the elf and once they turned the corner Aerwyn could see a dozen cages lined up with eight occupied by small stocky creatures.


    The creatures were barely taller than goblins but seemed to have the same muscle mass as Velk making Aerwyn feel annoyed that he was being outdone once again. They had a milky white hide that was sectioned like armor, a thick tail, and a head that looked like a bald rat.


    On their backs Aerwyn could see three rows of spikes that got smaller the closer they got to their tails. They weren''t as savage as he was expecting, if it was goblins in those cages they would undoubtedly be trying to bite though the steel bars. He could tell by their curious looks that they were far more intelligent than the average goblin.


    "Go ahead." Master Ferlin urged.


    "I..." The sight of the creatures cowering in the corner of the cages made Aerwyn feel wrong. It made him as though he was about to kill in cold blood causing him to freeze.


    "Getting cold feet are we? Don''t let them fool ya, if we were out in the wilds they would be picking your bones clean for showing them such pity." Master Ferlin spoke egging him on to no avail.


    "But we aren''t in the wilds... Can they understand words?"


    "Yeah, if you speak orcish." Master Ferlin scoffed before continuing with a softer voice.


    "Look... Even if you don''t want them, they still need to die. We can''t let them free or they''d just trespass in our lands again. If we released them, then maybe next time they run into a villager and get to feast on elf instead of being captured by me. Then that villagers blood would be on our hands. It''s good that you''ve got a good heart but in the Forsaken Lands you need to choose wisely on who will be receiving such kindness, that''s just the way it is here."


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    Aerwyn watched the pitiful creatures for a moment before coming to a decision. He stepped towards the cage and stabbed his staff through the metal bars. The vosk dodged the incoming spearhead before it grabbed the shaft pulling Aerwyn towards the cage. Rin jumped to attack the creature but Master Ferlin was quicker. He shot into action pulling Aerwyn back just as the vosk''s three claws swiped through the metal bars.


    "Damned boy, how the hell did you survive the wilds and make it Setrhyn. You can''t even properly thrust a spear and yet you plan to live alone in the Ruins of Ardin!" Master Ferlin hounded him.


    "Master Ferlin, Aerwyn''s a mage he''s-" Sera tried to stand up for him but was interrupted.


    "Mage my ass, your old man''s a mage and he can still best an orc in a melee if it''s a fair fight..." He paused for a moment before hanging his head and sighing.


    "Listen boy, Sera and the old man seems fond of you so i can''t in good conscious let you go and get yourself killed. Hurry up and deal with these vosk, use your damned magic too. Afterwards you''ll be getting a crash course in melee." Aerwyn agreed, taking off his shirt before picking up his staff.


    "What are you doing kid? Showing off your scrawny body? I told you to kill ''em not make ''em laugh at you."


    "KWEE!" Rin screeched at the old elf ranger. Aerwyn didn''t find Master Ferlin''s joke funny either and gave Rin a head pat for defending him.


    The purple flames engulfed his whole upper body in an attempt to show off his power and recover a bit of his pride. He mentally pushed the flames to his staff and fired a flame lance at the vosk who had nearly killed him. Unsure about whether or not he had consumed enough souls to bring them all back he waited for each to resurrect before moving on to the next.


    Once he had killed all eight Master Ferlin opened the cages and had Aerwyn and Sera follow him to the front of the house.


    "Try and stab Sera." Master Ferlin ordered and Sera got into position in front of Aerwyn.


    "What...?" Aerwyn gave him a look as if he didn''t want to hurt Sera causing Master Ferlin to laugh.


    "Boy, you couldn''t hit her if there were a thousand of you, i said try and stab her. Unless of course you would like me to be your opponent."


    "Ugh... Ok, here i come."


    Aerwyn took a step and halfheartedly thrust his staff in Sera''s direction. She nimbly dodged to the side much faster than his eyes could keep up with before grabbing the shaft. He felt pain in the back of his knees and realized he was in the air as his eyes were filled with nothing but the sight of the azure morning sky.


    He closed his eyes for a moment as he impacted the ground, opening them once more to see Sera standing over him with the tip of his staff pointed at his neck. She no longer wore the same warm smile that he was used to, her expression was detached and cold. It took him a moment to realize he was still looking at the same person.


    "If you keep messing around you''re gonna be in a lot more pain before this day is through." Master Ferlin commented as he got off the ground and dusted himself off. Sera handed him back his staff still wearing the same chilly expression before moving back into position.


    Aerwyn closed his eyes for a moment, sucking in a deep breathe and taking a step forward he thrust his staff out with all his might. This time Sera grabbed the shaft and with a spin sent Aerwyn tumbling forward. He tried to hold on but Sera was just too quick and before he knew it he was sprawled out on the ground with his own weapon at his throat once again.


    The process repeated itself for most of the day with Master Ferlin giving him advice after every couple of bouts. Afterwards Master Ferlin spent some time teaching him some basic techniques that he could practice in his free time.


    "Well, starting from zero anything is progress i guess. Practice whenever you have time and it could save your life one day. You can stop by whenever your in town, if i''m not busy i''ll give you some more tips."


    "Thank you Master Ferlin." He bowed before thanking Sera as well despite her beating on him all day.


    As soon as they left Sera''s warm smile returned as if a flip had switched. It was getting late and he still needed to pickup the lumbering axes from the blacksmith so he was forced to bring along the eight new undead he acquired.


    Marik the blacksmith was closing the large sliding door to his shop when they arrived. They exchanged greetings and Marik seemed curious about the eight vosk behind Aerwyn but he seemed to tired to ask about them. He handed Aerwyn the three axes and a short thin spear. The blacksmith told him he had some extra time and finished one which was a welcome surprise.


    Sera left to go start dinner and Aerwyn headed to the gates to drop the vosk off with the other undead outside the walls. Handing Teek the first goblin spear, the leader of the goblins seemed to try and hold back his excitement from receiving the gift.


    ''He''s surprisingly reserved for a goblin.'' Aerwyn thought while handing the three lumbering axes to Teek as well. He explained that they weren''t to be used for fighting and to only use them if their lives were threatened.


    Returning home they ate dinner while chatting away happily. Aerwyn felt a bit melancholic at the thought that he wouldn''t be seeing Sera and Tylin much for a while but he had already made up his mind. The wilds of the forsaken lands would be the best place for him to grow and learn about his powers. Despite his reluctance to leave he was still excited for tomorrow and sleep quickly fell over him as soon as he hit the bed.

 22 Chapter 22

    The next morning Tylin and Sera were waiting for him as he made his way downstairs.


    "I packed you some cooking utensils, clothes, and a blanket. Ah yes, the enchanted staff is with the pack as well so don''t forget to take it... Anything else... Sera i''m not forgetting anything am i?" Tylin was seemingly flustered as he turned to Sera.


    "No father, that should be everything-"


    "Ah! That''s right, that''s right. Potions!" Tylin exclaimed and ran off to his lab.


    "We''ll walk you to the gates whenever your ready. There''s some bread and salted meat in your pack in case you get hungry on the trip as well." Sera added with her usual warm smile.


    "Thank you Sera."


    Aerwyn sat down and ate some nuts and berries for breakfast before they left to walk to the gates.


    "Be careful not to be too rough with the pack i added five healing potions, the same kind i used for your burns. They''re wrapped in cloth but they may still break if you''re careless. Ah, also i''ll be stopping by the ruins every couple of weeks to check up on you. Do your best not to die else you''ll make a fine addition to my death knights."


    He was already skin and bones much like the death knights, the only thing he was lacking was the undead part. The thought of becoming one of those shriveled creatures gave Aerwyn even more motivation to become stronger.


    "I''ll be stopping by with Jeren too. We often scout the forests near the ruins so now we''ll have a place to stay when we''re nearby. Don''t forget to practice what Master Ferlin taught you as well."


    "I can''t thank you two enough, i owe you my life." Aerwyn bowed deeply.


    "Nonsense dear boy, this isn''t goodbye. I told you once before, you won''t be getting rid of me that easily."


    "Yeah! We''ll be seeing you often. Just be safe." Sera added as Tylin patted him on his back.


    Aerwyn handed the enchanted staff to Bon and the pack to Velk. Their reactions were vastly different with Bon thanking him nonstop while Velk simply let out a bestial grunt. Aerwyn waved at the pair of elves one last time before exiting the gates.


    He still didn''t know the forest well enough so he had Rorik and the hobgoblins take the lead. They traveled uneventfully for most of the day, only seeing a few curious creatures who darted away the moment they laid their eyes on the undead horde.


    The trip took longer since they were walking at a casual pace and they reached their destination with only a few hours of sunlight left in the day. They came upon the ruins from the south where the battle had taken place days prior and Aerwyn quickly realized he had forgotten something rather important.


    The bodies of the dead goblins were left out and seemed to have attracted dozens of dog sized creatures.


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    "Shit... Bon what are those?"


    "Forgive me master, i do not know their common tongue name but we goblins call them ''tenri''. They travel in large packs and often attack us in the wilds. We discovered their nest nearby but the creatures were too numerous for us to attack."


    "Should we attack them or go around?"


    "With this number, masters undead can easily deal with-"


    "Kill..." Velk interrupted in a deep bestial voice giving Aerwyn a chill.


    "...Alrighty then. Good input Velk, way to come out of your shell. Kill it is." Aerwyn patted the lumbering hobgoblin on the shoulder as he continued.


    "Bon, Rorik, Rin, and Ren stay with me. The rest wait of you wait until they get within twenty meters before attacking. Oh Velk, leave the sack here... Gently! There''s potions in there!" Aerwyn yelled at him as he dropped the pack like a ton of bricks.


    The loud yell echoed across the field causing dozens of tenri to stop feasting on goblin meat and look in their direction. The silence that followed was deafening as Aerwyn and the creatures stared at each other from across the field. All it took was one tenri to begins its charge for the whole pack to spring into action.


    They were unbelievably fast, clearing thirty meters in the blink of the eye. Aerwyn began firing his flame lances as quick as he could but only managed to bring two before they reached the twenty meter mark forcing his undead to attack.


    Now that Aerwyn could get a closer look, he could see the tenri had a massive oblong head that was barely smaller than the rest of its body. Their neck was short, almost as if their head connected directly to their torso. They didn''t have tails which gave them a very top heavy look and made them seem as though they would be plagued with poor balance.


    There was only a small slit on it''s glistening black scales where the creatures eyes should be, making the creatures look even more menacing. Their mouths took up more than half the creatures head and was filled with ten centimeter long fangs that hung out openly, not being blocked by any appendage such as lips.


    Aerwyn immediately felt three connections get cut as soon as the tenri and his undead clashed. He watched as a tenri opened it''s massive jaws before clamping them down on a goblins head bursting it apart. Aerwyn called out for the goblins to fall back and only attack when the tenri were tied down. He didn''t want to lose anymore goblins since it appeared to be a bad opponent for their smalls frames. Taking aim, he fired at the creatures but they were much harder to hit now that they had broken into a melee.


    Aerwyn shot at the tenri while they darted around the battlefield but only managed to hit a few. After many missed shots he decided it would be better to find easier targets and scanned the battlefield. One of the trolls had two tenri chomping down on it''s leg but seemed to be ignoring them as it flailed the massive tree trunk around.


    He shot a flame lance into the first causing the second tenri let go and begin dashing towards him. The creature was simply too fast and he didn''t have enough time to charge another flame lance. It jumped up at incredible speed seemingly locked onto to Aerwyn''s head.


    Bon, Rin, and Ren all dashed to intercept as Rorik''s giant paw came in from behind him slamming the creature down to Aerwyn''s feet. Aerwyn quickly stabbed his spear through the creatures chest, adding in a few more stabs for good measure until he was able to see the white soul leave it''s body.


    "Nice save!" Aerwyn gave the barghest a thumbs up but Rorik proudly ignored him acting as if nothing had happened.


    "Ya see, this is why you don''t get head pats! Bon come here!"


    "Yes mast-" Bon''s words were interrupted by Aerwyn rubbing the hobgoblins head leaving him slack jawed.


    "See aren''t you jealous? Bon''s getting head pats for trying to save me while you get none, HA!"


    "KWEE!" Rin nuzzled his legs and seemed to be the only one out of the four who actually wanted to be pet.


    "Good girl Rin. You get all the head pats!" Aerwyn switched to petting Rin leaving Bon to breathe a sigh of relief before speaking.


    "Master, we-we''re still in a battle. It''s not safe for... head pats..."


    Aerwyn laughed at Bon''s embarrassment and checked the battle. There were still a few tenri fighting so he fired out flame lances to finish off what was left. His undead were simply to numerous for the four dozen tenri to compete with and the battle only lasted a few minutes before they were overwhelmed.


    Aerwyn left the goblins behind to gather the mana stones and move the bodies away from the gates. He decided to leave them close enough so that the corpses would attract more beasts that he could shoot from the walls.


    Once inside the ruinous city they ran into a few more tenri and Aerwyn used this opportunity by having the trolls and direwolves hold the creatures down while he stabbed them. When they approached the broken spire in the city square Aerwyn took in a deep breathe and took in the view of his new home.


    "Kabba, tell Teek to have the goblins remove the bodies inside the city and put them with the others. Once they''re done have them kill anything that shows up to feast on the bodies... If a person like me shows up or anything the goblins can''t handle i want you to immediately come and tell me. Do you understand?"


    "Yes! Yes! Kabba understands master! Kabba will go right away!"


    Aerwyn entered the spire with his pack before cautiously emptying its contents. He threw the blanket on the furs and put the potions in the corner of the room, making a mental note to make some simple furniture soon before heading back out.


    Sitting down cross legged against the spire he called Rorik over.


    "I''m gonna attempt to refill your soul so you better be thankful." Rorik''s purple flames lit up in expectation. He sat in front of Aerwyn and began to pant like a dog with his tongue out causing Aerwyn to break out in laughter.


    "Pfft, so you are a dog after all!"


    "AWOOOOOOOOOO!" Rorik realizing his expression quickly put back on his usual air of pride.


    When Aerwyn could laugh no more he closed his eyes and began to search his mind for the connection he experienced when he met the darkness. The recent deaths of his goblins was still fresh in his mind and he was able to make the connection only after a few minutes.


    His mind entered the dark place once more, the only source of light was the purple flames of his soul and those of his undead. The many strings of purple light connecting his souls to theirs seemed to dance around the darkness as the souls moved around without aim.


    It was an odd sensation, in this place he knew which strings led to which undead and he could feel their location in the outside world almost as if this world of darkness was a copy of it. Directly in front of him he saw Rorik''s soul. It appeared to be larger but less luminous than most of the other souls.


    He could see Rin and Ren''s souls nearby as well and they too seemed larger and brighter than the rest which made Aerwyn curious. He was in no rush to have his soul ripped apart by the darkness so he decided to explore why their souls were so different from the rest.


    Spending some time looking at each soul he began to notice a pattern. Rorik, Rin, Ren, Teek, Bon, Kabba, and Velk all had souls that were different than the rest. While the three hobgoblins souls were larger than most they were still smaller and less luminous than the four undead that Aerwyn had named.


    He wanted to put his theory to the test right away but if he did, Rorik would undoubtedly howl at him so he put it off for now and got ready to experience the darkness once more. He imagined his soul being ripped apart and sending it down the string of light to Rorik like when he did it with the direwolf and the darkness immediately answered his call.


    As soon as the darkness moved he felt like all the air in his lungs was sucked out despite this place being in his mind. The tenebrous tendrils wrapped their way around his soul until all the light was snuffed out. His mind knew that this was a normal part of the process but it still screamed out in horror nonetheless. It was as if the darkness was pure nothingness and he was being sucked in, causing his very soul to scream.


    The tendrils began to rip and tear adding soul shattering pain to his feeling of dread. The tendrils completed their task and carried the purple soul along the string of purple light leading to Rorik''s soul before enshrouding the two. When the smoke dissipated Rorik''s soul was the most luminous of all and seemed a bit larger than before.


    Looking down at his own he saw that the darkness had taken much more than he had planned for leaving him feeling weak. Quickly leaving the dark place he opened his eyes to the outside world for a moment before instantly losing consciousness.

 23 Chapter 23

    Aerwyn found himself in the darkness once more. The smokey shadows wrapped around his tiny soul like a sheathe to a sword. It looked as though it was attempting to protect the small flame but that didn''t ease the feeling of dread he experienced.


    He floated there unmoving, suffocating, for what seemed like days. It was torture of the highest order, worse than what he imagined the underworld was like when Tylin spoke of a necromancers afterlife. It felt like there was no time in the darkness but it also felt as though all of time was being experienced each and every moment.


    The idea began creeping into Aerwyn''s mind that he would be stuck here, forced to endure this torture for eternity, only adding panic to his dread. He could see the souls of Bon, Rin, Ren, and Rorik next to him. He screamed with all his might in hopes that they could hear him but the flames didn''t move.


    Aerwyn thought that if he could just reach out to them he''d be able to communicate but he didn''t have a body in this place, or at least he couldn''t see anything other than purple souls. Little by little he fought through the suffocating feeling that had him frozen and imagined his hand reaching out for Bon''s soul string.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Bon was nearby when his master collapsed. He had seen this once before during the fight with Velk but that didn''t stop his anxiety. Ever since the human had brought him back to life he had been plagued with the sense that this human was his master. It was a foreign feeling, one that didn''t seem to originate within his mind.


    He tried to fight it at first but the more he struggled the stronger the feeling became as if it was a noose around his neck. Eventually it just made sense, that this human was his master. Almost as though it would be silly for him to believe anything saying otherwise. Like any good servant; how could he sit idly by and not panic at the sight of his master collapsing?


    As soon as his master hit the ground Bon was already in motion ready to catch him. Once in his arms Bon quickly checked to see if he was breathing and sighed in relief. His master was alive for now and that was all that mattered. Holding the human in his arms a few minutes went by before he experienced a sensation akin to an itch within his soul.


    "...Need..souls.....NOW!" It took Bon a moment to realize the voice he heard didn''t come from his masters lips but from inside his mind.


    "I-i believe master has just spoken to me. He sounds to be in great pain and he asked for more souls. Rin, Ren, and Rorik protect the master. I will take the rest on a hunt."


    Bon was surprised that the undead seemed to follow him without question.


    ''Perhaps the simple mention of masters orders could force them to comply.''


    Once at the gates he met with Kabba who was working on masters plan to attract beasts with the corpses in front of the walls.


    Bon brought Kabba up to speed on the situation before splitting the undead in four groups each with a hobgoblin in the lead and one with Teek leading. The sun began to set as each group of nearly two dozen undead took off in different directions.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Aerwyn hoped his message had gotten through to Bon whilst still inside the darkness. He could see the souls of his undead begin to move further away and under the constant stress he was experiencing, his mind like his eyes, could only see darkness.


    The thought that his undead were simply leaving him seemed to be constantly echoing out into his mind. That he had lost control of them and that he would be stuck in this place for the rest of his days.


    Time flowed and the sensation of suffocating seemed to mirror the level he could endure, growing as he became more used to the sensation. To Aerwyn, days had past and it was only now that he saw a light in the darkness.


    A white light covered in slithering tenebrous tendrils slowly made it''s way towards him and it was only now that Aerwyn understood that time in this place was different. Normally the white souls would reach him within seconds but in this place it was as though every meter took hours.


    Aerwyn pleaded for the creeping white soul to hurry and end his torment. The darkness merged the white light with his purple soul before closing up once more. There was no warming sensation here, only the cold suffocating emptiness. Days turned into weeks and then into months as many white lights made their way to him at an excruciatingly slow pace.


    Throughout it all, the sensation of suffocating only got worse. Appearing to always be a step ahead of the threshold that he could handle. The only good that came out of this experience was that he learned something new about his powers. The white souls were too fast in the outside world to see properly but in here he could get a good look at them.


    Having nothing to do other than to endure the suffering he noticed the white souls were all different. Some were larger than others, while others were the same size but their luminosity was either brighter or duller.


    He noticed three different sizes of white souls over time and he made the connection with his own undead to categorize them. The largest white souls coming in were near the same size as his goblins, brexil cats, and trolls. The second largest souls were near the same size as the direwolves and tenri. He didn''t know what the smallest souls coming in were, as he didn''t have any undead that matched their size but he assumed that they were probably creatures such as boar and deer.


    Rorik, the hobgoblins, and the Vosk seemed to have the largest souls out of all his undead which confused Aerwyn. The only pattern he could see was that the larger the soul the more intelligence the creature had but if that was the case, then Rorik should be able to speak.


    The hobgoblins and Vosk could speak and their souls were very close to being the same size as his. The thought that Rorik could speak this whole time and simply had been ignoring him infuriated Aerwyn and surprisingly allowed him to forget about his suffering, if only for a moment.


    Suddenly Aerwyn felt six goblins disappear from him in rapid succession, then two tenri, followed by a direwolf. He tried to sense what was going on as another two more goblins disappeared but all he could tell was that they were about twenty five kilometers north of Ardin. He suddenly remembered what Tylin had said about the orc village to the north.


    A long time passed and no more undead were cut off from him, he could tell Velk and the rest didn''t get away without injury but he was just glad they survived. If it really was orcs and there were more than one of them he wasn''t certain his undead could take them. The only other person he''s fought was Sera and even with his undead he doubted he could touch her on his best day.


    A new white soul appeared in the darkness, much larger than any he had seen before. Confirming his undead had fought something with more intelligence than Rorik. The large white light casually crept along before the darkness enshrouding his soul shot out around it and pulled it in. Finally the darkness dispersed, allowing him to break free from his endless torture.


    Aerwyn was still worried about his undead and didn''t want them attacking the orcs if they hadn''t already. He reached out to the soul strings of Bon, Kabba, Velk, and Teek before ordering them to return to Ardin before leaving the darkness. Opening his eyes he was met with the sight of Rin laying on his chest while Rorik and Ren were nearby minding their own business.


    "Rorik you can speak can''t you!" Arewyn howled, pointing at the barghest.


    "..." Rorik looked as though pride was oozing off him as he raised his chin up in the air.


    "Why haven''t you spoken all this time?!? Answer me in words!"


    "You''re too weak! How could a mighty barghest ever allow himself to serve such a pitiful human! AWOOOOOOO!" Rorik howled, angry that he was forced to speak against his will.


    "..." Aerwyn froze. Rorik''s voice sounded far more terrifying than he thought it would. It was truly demonic, sounding as though his words were spoken by two bestial voices in harmony with each other.


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    "Well... It''s a good thing you''re a damned dog and not a barghest then huh! Roll over! Roll over! ROLL OVER!!!" Aerywn commanded forcing Rorik to obey as he howled defiantly.


    "Good boy, now that we''ve established who your master is, from now on you are hereby ordered to speak to me with words. Do you understand me?"


    "..Yes.." Rorik spoke through his teeth.


    "Ah, we should fix that too. From now on you will refer to me as ''master''. Do you understand?"


    "...Yes.....master.." Rorik spoke nearly shattering his teeth in anger.


    "Good boy, i''d throw you a biscuit but it looks like i already gave an ungrateful mutt most of my soul, so better luck next time doggo." Aerwyn chuckled.


    "AWOOOOOO!"

 24 Chapter 24

    Aerwyn shrugged off Rorik''s howl and stretched.


    "How long have i been unconscious?"


    "....The entire night." Rorik replied still fuming from the humiliation he had endured.


    "KWEE! KWEE!"


    "Really? It felt like i was in there for over a year... Oh, is my little Rin trying to answer too?" Aerwyn picked her up and began rubbing his forehead against hers.


    "KWEE!"


    "So cute, maybe we should feed you Rorik''s soul so you can talk too. What do you say?"


    "KWEE! KWEE! KWEE!"


    "You heard it Rorik, looks like we''ll be giving your soul to the much cuter and nicer Rin."


    "...Human, you dare!" Rorik bared his teeth. Aerwyn ignored him and continued to nuzzle Rin in his arms.


    "Oh be quiet ya overgrown mutt, i''m kidding. If i wanted to take your soul i''d of done it already."


    Aerwyn thought the idea might have merit, perhaps not with Rorik''s soul but he remembered that Rorik''s soul grew a bit when Aerwyn fed him his. He wondered how the soul affected ones power. The trolls and goblins had the same sized soul but clearly if a troll fought a goblin, the troll would always win without a doubt.


    Meanwhile the vosk don''t appear to be much stronger than a goblin yet their souls are larger. The different sized souls was something he definitely needed to explore further, preferably without being stuck in the darkness again. He would like it if Rin could talk, even Ren, although she hasn''t seemed too fond of him ever since he checked her gender. She often ignored him unless specifically ordered like Rorik.


    He spent the last few hours of night playing with Rin in the city square, unwinding from his time spent in the darkness. It would be a while before his undead returned and he wanted to checkout the city walls soon. There was so much he wanted to do, but most of it would have to wait as the walls were the most important and he needed to fix them first if he planned to live here.


    When the sun began to peak over the horizon Aerwyn took Rin, Ren, and Rorik out to take a look. They exited the north gate because he was worried there might be beasts feasting on the goblin corpses by the south. His mind was still fried from the events of last night and he just didn''t have the energy to fight anything right now.


    Saying the walls were in poor shape would be a compliment, it was surprising that the east and south gatehouses were even still standing. The northern gate was stacked rubble that the goblins had turned into a mound. The same could be said for the western walls, it seemed like being close to the massive river only eroded it further.


    Outside the mound of rubble that was once the western gate was the sunken stone bridge Aerwyn had seen the night of the raid. He decided to take a closer look and see if it could be used in the future. Even if he had to stack logs over it to make it across, it was better than nothing.


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    As he drew close he noticed a small stone harbor next to the bridge. It was in disrepair but appear to be usable. He didn''t know much about ships but he assumed that all that was needed was a place to dock. He wasn''t planning on building an undead navy anytime soon but it might be good to have if the bridge didn''t work out.


    On his side of the shore the bridge was sunken in giving it a steep tilt. The bridge only reached out for ten meters before breaking off into the river. The other side was the same making any thoughts of repair quickly disappear. Aerwyn figured it would probably be easier to build a raft to go across and let the undead swim.


    "Hey Rorik, do you breathe? Would you die if you stayed under water?"


    "...If i want to talk i must breathe.. I wouldn''t die under water.....master" Rorik added in ''master'' in a quiet voice leaving Aerwyn''s lips to curl up.


    "Hmm... Oh speaking of talking, where did you learn common tongue anyway? I find it odd a beast could learn to speak... Well i guess the hobgoblins learned... Wait, where did they learn common tongue? I know Bon learned Millin but i seriously doubt Kabba or Velk have the attention span to sit down and learn a language."


    "...GRRR...I learned Draexich from my parents. Barghests stay under the protection of their parents until they are large enough to defend themselves... I never learned common tongue... It was just there when i awoke after...you killed me.....master." Starting with a loud growl and ending in a whisper, Rorik''s pride was infallible.


    "KWEE! KWEE!" Rin added as if saying that''s how she learned too. Aerwyn''s mind couldn''t handle how cute the little brexil cat was. He smiled at her before continuing.


    "Hmm... What''s Draexich?"


    "...The language of the demons.....master."


    "Oh? Say something to me in it i want to hear it."


    "Nil sasnurs uhr urssurr i''ar uh i''an assus sa rusu i''a zui''ahsuhrph" The language fit to Rorik''s demonic voice like a glove, so much so it made his skin crawl.


    "Tha-That''s something... What does it mean?"


    "..." Rorik turned and stared at some fish in the river.


    "You said something rude didn''t you! Tell me what you said! That''s an order!"


    "AWOOOOO!!!....It means... ''My torment is endless as i am forced to serve a weakling''.....master"


    "HA! Who''s the weakling? You got done in by this weakling so doesn''t that make you weaker than weak!"


    "KWEEEEEE!" Rin took his side, shouting at Rorik as well.


    "AWOOOOOOOO!" Rorik howled before taking off along the river. He stopped twenty meters away and refused to come any closer.


    Aerwyn ignored him as well, the ungrateful beast ticked him off. If not for him he would be dead, and what''s more he endured that hell that was the darkness so he could replenish the damned beasts soul. Granted, he didn''t know he would have to endure that torture but a good deeds a good deed even if it''s unintended.


    They continued along the walls until they reached the worst section yet. The southwestern wall was completely demolished, probably during the siege that saw the city fall. Over a hundred meters of wall was a mound of rubble haphazardly put together by the goblins. Just looking at it gave him a headache so he continued on while making a mental note of it.


    They were nearing the south gate so Aerwyn took it slow, making sure there were no beasts afoot before moving along the southern wall. The southern gates were destroyed during the battle with the goblins so that would need to be rebuilt as well. He didn''t have much to work with yet so he planned to close the other gatehouses and only use the southern gates.


    Not having any nails or tools, his best bet for the gates was going to have to be a drawbridge of sorts and use the trolls to pull up the gates if a situation arises. The eastern walls were by far in the best shape. There was only two smaller breaches besides the gatehouse that needed to be filled in. All in all there were eleven breaches and three gate houses he needed to reinforce before the city would have anything close to passable walls.


    As they reached the northern gatehouse he could see a band of his undead enter the clearing. It was Kabba''s group and their timing couldn''t be better. He wanted to start on his little project as soon as possible.


    "Master! Master! Kabba did goods right?" Kabab cheered excitedly.


    "Yes Kabba, good job. You helped save me. Now i have a new project for you all. We''re gonna rebuild the walls... Well, as best as we can anyway. Two goblins will be in charge of cutting trees while one will cut the branches off. Once Velk comes back we''ll have his axe too and we can get work done more quickly. The trolls will be in charge of moving the cut logs into position. I want the rest of the goblins to be clearing out debris and once their done have the vosk dig ditches for the logs."


    "Kabba can do! Kabba can do!"


    "Oh by the way, we need rope to hold it all together. Where did the goblins get rope from for the gates they made? Did you make it?"


    "Ah! No, Kabba no make. Bon make ropes."


    "Hmm.. Ok i''m putting you in charge until Bon gets back. Start by clearing the east wall, it''s the least damaged and should be finished quickly. Then we just have to wait until Bon can show the goblins how to make rope."


    "Yes master! Kabba will go now!" Kabba took off heading west.


    "Kabba east.. No east is...that way Kabba." Aerwyn tried explaining before giving up, face palming and pointing eastward.

 25 Chapter 25

    As the hunting parties returned Aerwyn was snacking on the salted meat that Sera had packed. He ordered Bon to take a few goblins and begin making rope while the rest of his group was ordered to join Kabba in clearing out the debris from the walls.


    Teek arrived a short time later followed by Velk''s group. Aerwyn noticed that the goblins bone armor was in tatters, they clearly had a tough fight. Walking over to the Velk, he asked.


    "What did you fight?"


    "...Orc..."


    "Orc? How many? Did they follow you here?" Aerwyn appeared agitated and shot out questions in rapid succession.


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    "..One... None followed..."


    "What did you do with the body? Did you take it''s mana..." Aerwyn only now noticed the troll was carrying something else besides it''s usual tree trunk. A brownish red corpse hung from it''s massive hands.


    "...Put it down, i want to see it."


    The orcs corpse was sprawled out in front of him. It was a little taller than Aerwyn but far more stocky and broad. The body was covered in wounds, only being overshadowed by the large hole in its chest undoubtedly made by Velk''s axe. The orcs face was full of leathery creases as if it was in a permanent state of scowling.


    It wasn''t pleasant to look at but it still looked fairly human. It had a short flat nose, small pointed ears, and a small under bite that showed its bottom teeth off. He didn''t know much about orcs but the one in front of him looked fairly young. Calling out and pointing to one of the returning vosk he asked.


    "Don''t bother pretending, i already know you can speak common tongue. Was this someone the orcs will look for? Or retaliate against us for killing?"


    "No a true orc, look small teeth. Lesser orc it be, a rozkra." The vosk pointed its long claws at the corpses mouth, lowering the orcs bottom lip.


    "Lesser orc?"


    "Dey little bit betta den vosk... Little bit... True orc has long teeth, skin greener, no red. True orc born to fight, rozkra born to farm, make things. In war dey only fight to tire enemy, like shield meat."


    "...I think you mean meat shield but regardless, as long as they don''t come looking for him, all is well. Velk, avoid attacking orcs unless you''re defending yourself from now on. The last thing we need is an army of orcs coming to attack us. You and your group go join Kabba, i need you to help chop down trees."


    "...Yes..master.."


    "Rorik, since the tenri and direwolves have nothing else to do why don''t you take them out on a hunt around the area. Stay close though and don''t fight anything too powerful. I''m going to need souls if we''re gonna populate this little city of ours with more undead... Oh, and send a direwolf back later with dinner, preferably a boar or a deer."


    "GRRR!"


    Rorik ran off probably speaking the word ''master'' under his breathe when he was a good distance away but Aerwyn couldn''t be bothered to reprimand the overgrown dog right now. All of his undead were now busy besides his two tiny protectors, Rin and Ren. There wasn''t much for him to do as the undead cleared out the debris from the walls so he decided to go and explore the city.


    He started in the city center, there were still six building that showed signs of use and appeared to be in decent condition. The signs being the pungent smell of ammonia that assaulted his nose when he got near. The boarded up windows and pelts covering the doorway worried him, if the smell was so strong outside then it would smell unbelievably worse being sealed inside by the pelts.


    Aerwyn used his spear to knock down the pelts and shabby boards, letting it air out for a few minutes. Going inside the smell was so bad he just wanted to shoot a few flame lances and burn the whole building down. There wasn''t much of anything in the building, only some scattered furs and bones lining the floor in a messy fashion.


    The stairs leading to the second floor looked to have crumbled long ago as there was a hole leading to the second floor but no way up. He didn''t trust the second floor to be able to hold his weight, even if he was skin and bones so he decided to just ask a goblin to go up and explore another time.


    The next building didn''t exude a horrid smell which left Aerwyn thanking the stars. It was only one story and looked much more secure, having a makeshift door that seemed solid. There was only one window on the building and it was boarded up as well. He tried to push open the window to take a look inside but it felt as though it was being blocked by something on the other side.


    The door required a surprising amount of force to push open making Aerwyn question how any of the goblins outside Velk could open the thing. In the dim light he could see the sparkle of gold on a makeshift table on the other side of the room. Walking over and taking a look, the table was sporadically covered with various coins, ores and uncut gems.


    "..." Aerwyn didn''t know how much the assortment of treasure was worth but he imagined it was at least worth the same as the mana cores he traded to Marik the blacksmith. In total there was four gold coins, a hundred and ninety two silver, and eighty nine copper. Some of the coins were different sizes with different patterns on them and Aerwyn assumed they had come from different races or kingdoms.


    He couldn''t even begin to speculate what the ore and gems were worth as he didn''t know what kind they were to begin with. Leaving behind the table of treasure he went to seek out Bon who was nearby making rope.


    "Why didn''t you tell me there was treasure here? We could''ve bought more weapons for the goblins or supplies to help rebuild the city!" Aerwyn howled at Bon causing him to drop the rope he was working on.


    "M-master you never a-asked... I didn''t think of it, please forgive me." Bon dashed into a kowtow at Aerywn''s feet making him feel bad for yelling at the hobgoblin.


    "Ugh... It''s fine Bon, stand up. We''ll just use it the next time we go to Setrhyn. Is there anymore treasure in the city or anything else that i should know about?"


    "No master, that is where we kept it all... Ah, there''s the caverns to the southwest but we never used it. Those that went in never came out so we filled it in with rubble."


    "Cavern? Take me to it." Aerwyn ordered. He didn''t want anymore surprises, whether they be pleasant or otherwise.


    The southwest was all rubble as if a horde of giants had plowed their way through the walls until they reached the center of the city. There was barely even foundations left, the ground and piles of stone were wrapped in grass and vines as if nature was attempting to reclaim the broken stone back to her bosom.


    When the reached the location of the cavern Bon pointed out what appeared to be stone stairs leading underground that had been filled in with dirt and stone.


    "Hmm.. Perhaps it was a basement? Or maybe it was a way out of the city for whatever noble controlled this territory..."


    "When i was still young i grew curious and looked inside. There was a long stone corridor that went on for as long as the eye could see, after a few steps inside i heard noises echoing from down the corridor and fled. I reported it back to the leaders and after losing two dozen goblins attempting to explore it we decided to seal the entrance with stone."


    "We''ll leave it for now. I want the walls to take priority, at least until our population grows more... Speaking of, are there anymore goblins settlements nearby?"


    "Yes master, there are three smaller tribes to the south. Each tribe has between a hundred and three hundred goblins."


    "...I''ve been wondering this for a while. How do goblins reproduce? I don''t think I''ve seen a single female in the two tribes I''ve encountered."


    "M-master, goblins... Goblin females look no different than males. I-in fact, the one you call Teek is a female. If she can evolve into a hobgoblin she will appear more feminine to human standards. A-also if she can evolve once more into an ogre she would look no different than a human or an elf, except for the horn on her head."


    "WHAT?! But... I named her Teek! That''s an awful name for a female! Ren why didn''t you warn me!?"


    "KWEEEEEE!" Ren defended herself as if screaming that she was not to blamed before scampering away in anger.


    "Maybe we can use a nickname..."


    "Master, any goblin would feel grateful having been given a name by you. I-i''m sure she doesn''t mind the name Teek." Bon''s words snapped Aerwyn back to reality and caused him to remember the discovery he had made in the darkness about his named undead.


    "Why?"


    "Names are required for evolution master. They can only be given out by people, like humans, elves, demons, and orcs. If a hobgoblin gave a name to a goblin the furthest they would be able to evolve would be a hobgoblin but if it''s a person then they can fully evolve into ogres. I-i was named by a hobgoblin along with Velk and Kabba, so we will never be anything more than hobgoblins."


    Aerwyn went quite. All of the undead souls that he had named looked different, they seemed larger like they had been wrapped in more purple flames than the rest. Perhaps the different soul sizes had more meaning than he thought. If a hobgoblin naming a goblin limited them to only ever evolve into a hobgoblin then perhaps names were far more important. He would have to speak to Tylin about it the next time he saw him.

 26 Chapter 26

    Aerwyn sent Bon back to work and after a few more hours of exploring, he decided to check up on the wall progress. Souls had steadily poured in from Rorik''s hunting group since they left and Aerwyn was getting better at recognizing the strength of each. He made a mental note and decided to categorize them as such:


    A Grade: Humanoids such as orcs. He assumed humans, elves, and other races would be the same.


    B Grade: Hobgoblins, vosk, and barghest.


    C Grade: Goblins, trolls, and brexil cats.


    D Grade: Direwolves and tenri.


    E Grade: Deer, boar, and other game.


    He could tell the last few souls that had come in were two E grade souls and a D grade by the feeling of warmth they produced in his chest. The warmth each soul gave was different but each appeared to exist within the set range of their grade. ''Perhaps the luminosity being brighter or dimmer has something to do with the warming sensation.''


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    The two small breaches had been cleared and the vosk were digging the ditches that the trees would soon fill. The vosk were more intelligent than he gave them credit for as they already knew to square off the broken walls so that there would be no gaps between the wood and stone. As he stood there watching them work, Kabba ran over in a hurry.


    "Master! Master! Kabba did good?"


    "Yes Kabba, you did great. Good job. Continue on to the north...that way... once you''re finished with the walls here." Aerwyn was forced to point once again and make a mental note to teach this hobgoblin the cardinal directions soon.


    Kabba happily accepted and Aerwyn continued to watch his undead work. After an hour or so he decided to head back to the city square and practice controlling his flames along with what Master Ferlin had taught him about melee combat.


    Two weeks went by in a flash and the walls were nearly finished. The perks of having a undead workforce was that they didn''t grow tired and could work through the night. The only section left was the long southwestern section that would probably take another week.


    The biggest hangup was the time it required to make the rope so once Velk and the other goblins chopped down enough trees for the project he had them join Bon.


    Two goblins died a few days ago when a wall section collapsed and crushed them. Kabba kowtowed and begged for Aerwyn''s forgiveness but he didn''t blame the poor hobgoblin. Accidents happen and the collapsed wall would have killed many more had the goblins actually been alive.


    Rorik and his group provided Aerwyn with his meals and kept a steady stream of souls coming in day and night. It was greatly needed as Aerwyn had been planning on raiding the goblin settlements nearby once he got back from Setrhyn. He wanted to turn as many goblins into undead as possible and grow his forces so that he could get more work done around the city.


    Practicing the past two weeks had paid off and he now had much better control over his flames. He was able to fire flame lances much faster now which made him feel like a real mage. His spearmanship had improved as well and he felt more confident in defending himself against an attacker, at least until his undead could come and save him.


    Last night Aerwyn entered the darkness and called Rorik''s group back. They would be his escort during the trip to Setrhyn. All of their souls seemed to have taken minimal damage over the past two weeks and Aerwyn had to give the overgrown dog some credit, his ability to lead a pack was decent. Unfortunately any mana cores worth harvesting were left to be reclaimed by nature as none of the beasts in the pack could properly harvest them without hands.


    When the morning came Aerwyn left the city with Velk, Rorik, Rin, Ren, the direwolves, and the tenri. He left the rest of the undead to continue working and put Bon in charge just in case anything happened while he was away. The goblins treasure was neatly placed in a pack on Velk''s back so he could place another order for weapons with Marik the blacksmith.


    Travel was uneventful as usual with most creatures doing their best to avoid the rag tag band of undead. They arrived in Setrhyn in the mid afternoon and Aerwyn decided to bring all of the undead in with him. He needed them to carry the spears since his scrawny body could barely lift his own. Marik was working on some steel when they arrived.


    "I''m here to pickup my weapons and put another order in." Marik stopped hammering before turning slowly like he couldn''t be bothered. Aerwyn watched how the mans face went from a rough frown to a dazzling merchant smile in an instant, It was quite the feat.


    "Ai, good lad! ...Boy! Go get the fine lads spears! Don''t forget the sword and axe too!" Marik called out to the young elf who was working at the back of the shop.


    "Yes father." The boy replied respectfully however it was clear on his face he was annoyed about being interrupted.


    "Now lad, what are you looking to trade this time?"


    Aerwyn grabbed the pack from Velk and poured its contents along an empty table.


    "An orc mana core along with some goblin, vosk, direwolf, and tenri mana cores... That''s a tenri, i''m not sure if that''s what elves call them." Aerwyn pointed to the tenri behind him before continuing.


    "There''s also some coins, ores, and gemstones."


    "...Ai, quite the pile of loot lad. Even got a little piece of revarium here."


    "Revarium?"


    "It''s a metal far stronger than steel and far more rare. Your ugly spear is made out of the stuff don''t tell me you didn''t know lad?" Aerwyn''s mind began to race, this was a clue! However small it may be, it was still something.


    "Are you sure? How do you know?" Aerwyn shot out questions immediately.


    "Ai lad calm down. I''ve been a blacksmith all my life, of course i can spot revarium. Look at the glint the metal makes in the sunlight, it''s a silvery blue. Steel don''t reflect light like that lad."


    "If it''s rare wouldn''t it be expensive to have something like this made?"


    "It''d cost less in the forsaken lands as it can only be found here but i''m assuming that wasn''t your question. To have it made in the capital would cost you... A hundred twenty gold, give or take. I don''t know what they''d pay out in the human kingdoms but i''d be willing to bet it''s far more. I''d keep it to yourself though lad, folks are kind in Setrhyn but if you go around telling people you''re walking around with a fortune, they''d likely have a few choice words for ya... and by words i mean they''d kill ya dead and take it from ya."


    Aerwyn took a deep breath when he heard the price. He didn''t know much about the currency used in the world but he knew Tylin was making a fuss about eighty silver so that was enough for him to take Marik''s words to heart. The elf boy appeared with a trolley stacked with spears.


    "You''re lucky lad, the merchant from the capital arrives tomorrow. If you had shown up later you would''ve had to wait until next month for me to fill your order. I can do ninety spears for what you got here."


    "Ah, i need a few wood saws made as well. I plan to do some rebuilding."


    "I can throw the saws on for free, in the name of future business." Marik wore a devilish smile.


    "...Y-you''re not scamming me are you?" Aerwyn questioned suspiciously.


    "You wound this poor old blacksmith. I have served this great village of Setrhyn honestly and with great dignity for-" The same devilish smile stayed on the blacksmith face as if frozen in glee as he paraded on about his dignity.


    "It''s fine. If you did scam me, it''s because of my own ignorance. I planned to only get around the same amount of spears as last time, so this works either way."


    "Ai, i knew you were a good lad since i first laid eyes on ya. It''s a pleasure doing business. I''ll have your order ready in two to three weeks."


    Aerwyn handed Velk his new battle axe, Velk only grunted and dipped his head for a moment in what Aerwyn assumed was a bow. Marik tied the spears and saws into a bundle before Aerwyn secured it to Rorik''s back against his many protests. He strapped Kabba''s new short sword to his waist before taking it out and admiring the craftsmanship.


    Aerwyn said his goodbyes to Marik before heading to Tylin and Sera''s home. He planned to stay the night and head off in the morning since all his business was done here.

 27 Chapter 27

    Aerwyn knocked on Tylin''s door and waited but he was only met with silence. Opening the door he stepped in and made his way to Tylin''s lab. Inside Tylin was standing over a bubbling bowl on a cluttered work table. He was erratically pouring all sorts of powders and liquids into the bowl making it seem as though it was all chaos but Aerwyn knew better.


    "Tylin?" Aerwyn called out and caused Tylin to abruptly turn, nearly knocking over the liquid filled bowl.


    "Ah, Aerwyn! Very good, very good, you have impeccable timing. Here drink this." Tylin spoke as he excitedly handed the bowl of mystery liquids to him.


    "...No?" Aerwyn stared at the contents of the bowl in his hands and squeaked out a reply. It was filled with a ghastly looking dark green liquid that seemed to be moving on it''s own. It had the viscosity of tree sap and the bowl was cool to the touch but kept bubbling as though it was at a boil.


    "Ah yes, it''s only some rare mushrooms i found by the mountains with a little ergot mixed in...Ahem."


    "...Amongst some other things." Tylin whispered under his voice before putting on a uncharacteristic smile.


    Aerwyn trusted Tylin so he brought the bowl to his mouth and swallowed. The taste was rancid and earth-like causing his mouth to feel dry the moment the liquid touched his lips. With a sour look on his face he gagged a few times before finally downing the whole bowl.


    "Bleh... What is this liquid used for? It''s the most awful thing I''ve ever had."


    "The ingredients are something called hallucinogens. I planned to use them to better understand my own soul in hopes that i could make a connection. If my theory is correct then i may very well be able to gain some enlightenment on how to link my soul to a phylactery."


    "What are hallucinogens?" Aerwyn asked still covering his mouth out of the fear that he may unload the contents of his stomach onto the floor.


    "Ah, make no mind of it. Just enjoy the experience dear boy." Tylin''s face warped into a devilish smile leaving Aerwyn with a feeling of regret for agreeing to drink the liquid.


    "...Ok. I wanted to ask you about evolution. The hobgoblin Bon told me that only creatures that are named can evolve and that only creatures named by people can evolve into their final evolution. Is that...Ahem, is that true?" Aerwyn''s train of thought was interrupted by an odd sensation he felt throughout his body as if he was becoming weightless and fuzzy.


    "Evolution huh?" Tylin paused and scratched his scruffy chin.


    "The truth of the matter is we mortals know very little about evolution. Some creatures can evolve and their bodies will stay the same, while others will change with each evolution like goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres. The end result for all life is to take a form similar to our own, a person if that''s what you prefer to call it, or perhaps even to reach for godhood. All life is linear, it wants to exist in it''s most perfect form."


    Aerwyn began to explain what he had discovered about the different classifications of souls. He began to notice the shadows in the corner of the room move like an oceans tide or as if they were breathing. Even his voice began to sound funny like it was echoing all around the room and he could even see the waves they made as they traveled through the air.


    "Hmm... It seems as though we see souls very differently. They all look the same size to me, besides yours and your undead of course. Perhaps with your power you could supplement or force an evolution by feeding your undead souls like you had done with the barghest. If you can grow their souls to that of a persons then perhaps it would force an evolution..."


    Aerwyn heard most of Tylin''s words but he was now preoccupied by the many furry goblins running around the lab that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. He had never seen a goblin like this before, they were covered in white fur and had friendly faces with big round eyes. He watched as they skipped around giggling and beckoned him to join them in their merry. It seemed as though the laughter was contagious as it wasn''t long before Aerwyn joined in.


    "Heh...hehehe..."


    "...Ah that''s right! I guess it''s time for it to start." Tylin watched Aerwyn carefully while he began to pour more liquids into a new bowl.


    Aerwyn''s expression was that of a child''s in wonder as he danced around the lab with the goblins. The light from the many candles in the lab began to grow brighter and brighter until he found himself surrounded by nothing but white. He felt weightless and empty much like how he felt when he was in the darkness. He gazed around the wide expanse all the while still giggling like a child.


    "BANG"


    A loud noise from behind him caused him to turn. Large ornate doors appeared in the empty white vista and were being closed by a man clad in silvery armor. In the blink of an eye the man appeared before him, faceless, with his hand in Aerwyn''s chest. There were no flames this time and the man spoke no words.


    Aerwyn felt immense pain for a moment but the man quickly dispersed as if he were made of the purest white smoke.


    "BANG"


    The man appeared once more behind him, closing the doors before appearing with his hand in Aerwyn''s chest. Once again he felt immense pain before the faceless man disappeared in a flash of white smoke.


    "BANG"


    Like clockwork it played out the same, except now time seemed to slow and Aerwyn watched, unable to move as the mans hand slowly entered his chest. There was no pain now and the scene froze with the faceless mans hand in his chest. Aerwyn stared at the smooth skin that looked as though all facial features were covered in a thick layer of skin.


    It gave him the creeps and he couldn''t put a finger on why. Out of the corner of his eye tenebrous tendrils appeared as if shredding away the white expanse. They quickly expanded all around him for as far as his eyes could see as though they were consuming the very world. It wasn''t long before he was encircled in darkness, he could see his soul and the souls of his undead now. He appeared to be in his mind, in the place where he could communicate to all his undead but he couldn''t move like he usually could.


    "SWOOSH"


    It felt like he had been launched out of a catapult as the world around him blurred and flashed. Now he found himself in a valley being overlooked by large snow capped mountains. Aerwyn recognized them, they were the mountains that overlooked Setrhyn but the village was nowhere to be found as if it had never existed here in the first place.


    "SWOOSH"


    The world once more shot past him and he found himself back in Tylin''s lab. He was hyperventilating and holding his head as Tylin cradled him and poured a cool liquid down his throat.


    "..I''m...NEVER....drinking something you give me again." Aerwyn howled.


    "Yes, yes. Now tell me dear boy, what did you experience?"


    "To hell with your ''dear boy'', that was awful!"


    Tylin gave him a look as if he was hurt by his words causing Aerwyn to feel pity. He was fine regardless of what he experienced so it''s not like Tylin had hurt him or anything. With a disgruntled sigh Aerwyn explained everything that had happened to the tricky elf.


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    "You saw Setrhyn but Setrhyn village wasn''t there? Hmm... Perhaps the concoction..." Tylin trailed off and began to scribble some notes down on a blank book.


    Aerwyn picked Rin up and nuzzled her to try and shake him out of the odd aftereffects his body was feeling. He peaked out a window and noticed the sun had already set while he was lost in his mind.


    "Is Sera not coming back tonight?"


    "Ah, no dear boy. She''s out on a mission for a few days so we''ll be fending for ourselves tonight. There''s some bread on the counter and Sera cleaned your room just in case you came back. I''ll be busy with research so help yourself."


    Ren looked sad when she heard Sera wouldn''t be here and Aerwyn could sympathize. He took the two brexil cats with him as he grabbed some bread and headed to his room.


    The next morning Aerwyn said his goodbyes to Tylin who appeared to have worked throught the night before heading off back to Ardin.

 28 Chapter 28

    Aerwyn returned back to Ardin around midday and sent Rorik alone to go and scout the goblin settlements to the south. He planned on attacking one tomorrow and wanted to only attack the smallest settlement. The two weeks worth of souls Rorik and his hunting group gathered seemed like a lot but he was still unsure at whether or not it would be enough to turn a hundred goblins.


    After sending Rorik out he checked on the progress of the southwestern wall and found Kabba. The giddy hobgoblin ran over quickly before thanking him endlessly for his new short sword. Aerwyn gave the spears and Kabba''s old dagger to Teek so that she could assign weapons to the goblins that she found the most promising.


    Bon found him once he entered the city and Aerwyn informed him about his plan for tomorrow before heading to his broken spire. There was still some time before sundown so Aerwyn practiced his spearmanship and flame control before heading to bed. His head was pounding from whatever Tylin had made him drink so sleep came quickly.


    Rorik was already waiting for him outside the broken spire the next morning.


    "What''s the situation?" Aerwyn yawned whilst rubbing his eyes.


    "..The eastern most settlement has seventy goblins... The other two have over two hundred each and the settlement closest to the river has at least one hobgoblin that i could see....master."


    Aerwyn couldn''t stifle his laughter at Rorik''s attempts to hold on to his pride.


    "Pfft... Ok go and round up the hunting group. Oh, get Velk too. He''s not doing anything anyway, might as well have him tag along."


    Aerwyn ate some leftover stale bread from Tylin''s house for breakfast while he waited for his troops to form up. Once they were ready they began their trek southeast towards the smallest goblin village.


    "Did you run into any other creatures while you were scouting?" Aerwyn asked Rorik as they walked.


    "...The smallest village is at the edge of brexil cat territory-"


    "KWEE!" Rin added excitedly.


    "...To the north of the largest goblin village there is a tenri nest....master." Rorik continued.


    "Does my little Rin want some brexil cat friends to play with?" Aerwyn picked up Rin like a baby and began to pamper her as they walked.


    "KWEE! KWEE!" Rin exclaimed.


    "What about you Ren?"


    "Kwee..." Ren murmured enthusiastically. She had been sad ever since they left Tylin''s and Aerwyn wasn''t sure how to perk her back up. He though about checking her gender again as that got a rise out of her last time but he quickly shut this idea down. It would undoubtedly only add anger to her current array of emotions.


    "...Maybe if the raid on the village goes well we can get some. I really don''t want to have to get scratched by brexil cats again, that was not a fun experience."


    They walked for a few hours before coming upon what could be called an enormous hill or a small mountain. As they walked past it Aerwyn could see a few cave entrances dotting the base and made a mental note to check them out in the future. Once around the small mountain they could see the wooden settlement a few hundred meters in the distance.


    The vast valley surrounding the small mountain made any plans of sneaking up on the settlement seem like folly. They would be forced to attack head on which was a problem as Aerwyn wasn''t here to simply exterminate the goblins, he was there to turn them all if possible.


    "..Shoot..." Velk seemed to sense his masters feeling of consternation and grunted out an answer.


    "...What?" Aerwyn responded with a look of confusion.


    "...Shoot... Goblins come..after... Then..shoot more..." Velk took aim at the settlement pretending his battle axe was Aerwyn''s staff and grunted out deep ''pew pew'' noises. Aerwyn gazed over to the settlement, his flame lances should be able to reach. Now that he was thinking about it, when he fired the flame lance into the sky after killing Bon it went almost a kilometer in the air before exploding.


    "Good job Velk. Way to earn that shiny new battle axe. The rest of you don''t attack unless they get within ten meters and if you''re forced to attack aim to cripple not kill. I want to bring back as many as i can."


    Aerwyn took aim at the shabby wooden walls and fired a flame lance out. His practice was paying off, he could now even wear a shirt and shoot at the same time thanks to being able to create the flames on his right hand alone. The flame lance pierced the wall, knocking over the section it hit before exploding out and bringing down an even larger portion.


    Some purple fires broke out around the settlement as the goblins scrambled to put them out and find the attacker responsible. Aerwyn fired once more, which appeared to get their attention as they began to trickle across the valley towards him. Hitting the little green dots was much harder than hitting the walls but Aerwyn''s aim was decent enough, hitting it''s target more often than not.


    Purple souls began to exit his chest and the pain was more akin to a prick than the full body crippling agony he was used to. By the time the remaining eight goblins reached the ten meter mark Aerwyn had fired dozens upon dozens of times and the pain of resurrection was closer to a punch in his chest now.


    The undead quickly encircled them, holding them down and allowing Aerwyn to save some energy by stabbing them. The whole battle only took fifteen minutes from start to finish leaving Aerwyn wanting more. It was a strange feeling, he wasn''t particularly what you would call a battle junkie. At least the Aerwyn without his memories wasn''t but he couldn''t shake off the feeling that he was hungry for more.


    Aerwyn took a tally as they walked towards the ever burning settlement. He had gained sixty four new undead goblins, doubling the amount now under his control. The flames were ignored by Aerwyn and his undead as they entered.


    "You, is there any treasure here? Raise both your hands for yes and only one for no." Aerwyn pointed at one of the freshly turned goblins. It raised both his hands bringing a smile to Aerwyn''s face.


    "Good, lead me to it."


    Aerwyn followed the goblin to one of the few mud huts that was lucky enough to have avoided his flames so far. Aerwyn squatted over to fit through the short doorway and pushed the hanging furs apart. His eyes weren''t adjusted to the dim light inside and he didn''t see the goblin jumping at him with a bone knife until the last moment.


    He attempted to raise his staff in a defensive posture to block the sudden attack but being caught off guard in the small hut left him with few choices to make that would allow him to protect himself. When the goblin made contact the knife dug into his chest and the pair tumbled outside. The pain of bone being cut radiated throughout his entire body.


    Rin and Ren got to him first this time, with both of them jumping onto the goblins back. It had it''s knife raised up for another blow as the brexil cats attempted to drag the goblin off him. A glint of light rapidly descended on the goblins head causing Rin and Ren to jump off. It happened so fast Aerwyn barely had time to register it. Velk''s axe now sat vertically in the goblins stomach and Aerwyn froze, panicking at what would happen next.


    "WAIT!" Aerwyn called out but it was too late. Velk was already lifting his axe which caused the previously intact goblin to split in two, releasing its innards all over Aerwyn. Now covered in putrid blood, bile, and guts Aerwyn closed his eyes and sighed. He grasped the location where the goblin had stabbed him before looking down to see that the goblins blow was blocked by his ribs, chipping two of them in the process.


    Velk looked at him with a concerned expression but Aerwyn was in no mood to deal with him now. He called over the tenri he was using to carry his pack and grabbed one of the potions Tylin gave him. Pouring the liquid over the wound he swore that he wouldn''t enter rooms first anymore.


    "Velk, go and make sure there are no more surprises inside the hut... Also!... Nevermind..." Aerwyn began to raise his voice to reprimand the hobgoblin but decided against it. Smelling like goblin feces was a small price to pay for keeping his life. Once Velk gave the okay he headed back inside and in the corner of the room was a few uncut gemstones along with a small piece of silvery ore.


    "It would be nice if i had an undead who was a miner in his past life. Then let''s see that scoundrel Marik try and get one over on me..." Aerwyn mumbled under his breath as he packed up the tiny amount of goblin treasure. Stepping outside he looked at his new goblin undead, he still wanted more despite the sneak attack so he changed his gaze to Rin and Ren.


    "Two ''kwee'' means yes, one ''kwee'' means no. I assume brexil cats wont come out to fight us if we just wander around their territory right?"


    "KWEE!" Rin answered before the grouchy Ren could respond.


    "No? They''re that territorial?"


    "KWEE! KWEE!" Rin confirmed and Ren just gave up trying to respond, finding a comfortable position to lie down near the hut.


    "Ok, that makes things easier then. Rorik i''m riding you for this so i don''t get scratched. Let''s go!"


    "AWOOOOOO!" Rorik cries fell on deaf ears as he was mounted by a smiling Aerwyn.


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 29 Chapter 29

    Aerwyn and his undead horde traveled south into the forest for close to an hour. He sat atop Rorik with a brexil cat at either side and the rest of the horde surrounding him to make sure no clever brexil cats could make a mad dash and scratch him. Throughout their march the sounds of stirring leaves could be heard from all around them.


    The more they marched the louder the sounds seemed get as if more and more creatures were closing in on them. Every time one got close Aerwyn would order the tenri to attack but by the time they arrived whatever had made the noise was long gone. It was still early in the day yet under the forests dense canopy the dim light took on a greenish hue that played tricks with Aerwyn''s eyes.


    The emerald light bathing the forest made everything appear to blend together when he stared at any one thing for too long. It was then when the first curious brexil cat leaped out in front of them. It''s black eyes surveyed the horde before landing on Aerwyn.


    "KWEEEEEEE!" The creature squealed. The cry, much like when he first met Rin and Ren, caused intense pain in his head and he was forced to close his eyes. When he opened them once more like magic, dozens of brexil cats surrounded the first. Aerwyn began to sweat, he didn''t forget about the brexil cats signature screech but he didn''t account for what would happen to him if dozens directed that painful screech at him.


    He looked around and like Rorik, his undead seemed unaffected by the screech.


    ''Must be nice...'' He thought to himself.


    "KWEEEEEEEEEEE!" The dozens of new enemies joined in this time making Aerwyn feel as though his head had been invaded by insects that were devouring his brain. He nearly dropped his staff and fell off Rorik, it took all his might just to hang on.


    "ATTACK! KEEP AS MANY ALIVE AS YOU CAN!" Aerwyn roared and then buried his face in Rorik''s fur. Holding onto Rorik for dear life, he constantly fought the urge to cover his ears, knowing that if he did he would fall and be helpless against the brexil cats. Little by little the pain faded and allowed him to open his eyes.


    The battle was a messy melee akin to a brawl. Some of the goblins didn''t even have weapons and were just throwing themselves atop the enemy brexil cats in an attempt to capture them. Most of the fights were two to one in Aerwyn''s favor but it was still far too chaotic for his liking.


    Having some clarity back, he took aim and began firing flame lances at the nearest enemies. It was a good thing that his flames couldn''t hurt his undead because the emerald green light that filled the forest was promptly engulfed by purple as if the flames consumed the very light itself. He fired flame lance after flame lance but his accuracy wasn''t nearly as good as it was with the goblins, the brexil cats were too quick for that.


    After the surrounding forest began to catch fire Aerwyn halted his barrage, something interesting had caught his eyes. One of the weaponless goblins was currently consumed in purple flames and below it was a living brexil cat. The creature struggled for a moment before going limp.


    Aerwyn watched as the soul exited the creatures body and enter his own before returning back. The shadowy smoke enshrouded it and a short while later it stood back up all the while still engulfed in flames. It seemed like the rules of his power were fairly vague by what it considers to have died by his hands.


    ''If that''s the case i could resurrect the entire forest just by starting a...'' The sight of the burning forest and his sudden realization made his face lose all color. His soul couldn''t handle bringing back the entire forest, if he allowed it to continue burning he would die. Or worse still, he could end up trapped in the darkness forever.


    "PUT OUT THE FLAMES NOW!" He screamed out and the undead obliged. They left behind the few remaining brexil cats and ran to the edges of the blaze. The launched their bodies and began rolling around in an attempt to extinguish the flames. The brexil cats attempted to flee but this little patch of forest was like a personal hell and the purple inferno let none escape.


    The undead did the best they could but it was clear to Aerwyn that it wasn''t enough. The wild conflagration was already spreading further and further away causing him to panic. A dozen brexil cats appeared at the edge of the blaze, seeming to have come as a response to their brethren''s cry for help. One strayed too close and was instantly engulfed.


    The inferno seemed to have a mind of its own as it reacted to any life that came near it, quickly engulfing whatever it caught in its fiery embrace. Aerwyn''s mind was racing, attempting to find a solution as he searched around for anything that may help. The pain of resurrection was getting worse and worse every moment this went on only adding to his stress.


    He thought back to the time in Tylin''s guest room when he first lost control of his flames. Closing his eyes he began to search for any connection he had to the wild blaze in front of him. The only connection he could feel was to the darkness and since he was lacking a better option he opted to go in.


    Once inside the darkness, his minds eye was met with the sight of the purple blaze appearing to be propped up by the darkness as if it was guiding it. He screamed and pleaded for the flames to return to him which caused the ever looming darkness to halt the flames advance. It appeared as though the darkness was unsure whether it heard him correctly or not so he pleaded once more to have the flames return to him.


    This time the darkness obliged and like a reverse supernova the blazing inferno was sucked back into him as if being devoured by his soul. Taking a deep breath or whatever the equivalent was in a place where there was no air, Aerwyn left the darkness.


    Outside the view was a world painted in ash and smoke. The flames had consumed nearly everything in a fifty meter radius around him with only his undead left standing in it''s wake. Aerwyn brought his hands to his head as he took in what very well could''ve been the scene of his death. He slapped his cheeks and took a headcount of the new additions to his army, thirty four brexil cats.


    "Let''s... not ever speak about this, right? Good. Time to go home."


    "Heh..." Rorik let out a quiet cackle under his breath.


    "Since it''s so funny then you can carry me back like a good doggo."


    "AWOOOOOO!"


    The sun was nearing the horizon when they approached the small mountain and Aerwyn noticed that Velk kept looking towards the eastern forest.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "...Someone... following us..." Velk grunted.


    "Really? Wait... Someone? As in a person?" Aerwyn asked in disbelief to which Velk lifted his head and took in a deep breath as if smelling the wind.


    "..Smells... like goblin... or hobgoblin... there..." Velk pointed in a discrete manner towards the forest a hundred meters to their east.


    "Rorik, take the hunting group and the new brexil cats, go capture whatever is over there. Make sure it lives, i''m curious about it." Aerwyn commanded as he hopped off his back.


    "..." Rorik stayed silent and began to charge with the hunting group. When they were halfway to the edge of the forest Aerwyn could''ve sworn he heard ''yes master'' travelling on the winds. Aerwyn followed in a light jog with the rest of the undead when he heard a scream.


    "AHHHHH! WAIT! Wait! Don''t eat me! I promise won''t taste good! I promise! I PROMISE! I said wait!!!" The foreign voice called out. A short time later Rorik and the rest appeared from within the forest, a dark green skinned hobgoblin in cloth rags hung from his mouth. Rorik plopped him down a few meters away from Aerwyn while the brexil cats surrounded him in case he made a move.


    "You speak well for a hobgoblin. Who are you and why are you following us?"


    "O''great one, this humble hobgoblins name is Frakki. I am but a harmless lok on your glorious path nothing more, please show mercy." Frakki''s speech was even more articulate than Bon and far more flowery as if he were a bard.


    "O''Great One? What makes me so great?" Aerwyn put on a coy smile and decided to play along. This was the first hobgoblin who''s tried to have a conversation with him while it was still living so if nothing else it would be a good learning experience.


    "Y-you are truly great O''Great One. I-This humble Frakki saw your power and... and... it was glorious?" Frakki bumbled his words making his statement seem like a question.


    "Oh? Are you questioning this great one''s glory Frakki?" Aerwyn did his best to stifle his laughter and put on a serious face as if he was angry.


    "NO! No! This humble, lowly Frakki would never question one so great as yourself! I swear!" Frakki went to kowtow but he moved to quickly and the surrounding brexil cats motioned as if they were going to pounce if he continued, so he froze in place. Aerwyn nearly lost it and was forced to cover his face and let out a quiet laugh before speaking.


    "Pfft...ahem. Enough! Lie to me again and lose your life. Why were you following us and which goblin settlement do you lead?"


    "I-i lead... a settlement to the west of here O''Great One. I was on my way to convince the goblin village you... destroyed to join me to take out Grik, the leader of a larger settlement that is trying to absorb us. When i saw your great power i grew curious and... followed you."


    "Very good Frakki, i''m pleased with your honesty. Hmm... Velk come here, and you." Aerwyn pointed to a random goblin standing near him.


    "Watch and see my true power. Velk cut off this goblins arm-" Before he could finish the poor goblins arm was already on the floor while Velk was displaying a satisfied look.


    Instantly tenebrous tendrils pour out from the goblin and his arm as if they were reaching out to each other. After a moment the arm tendrils began to retract, lifting it back into place and healing it as if nothing had ever happened. The showy display seemed to hit the mark as Frakki watched on in amazement.


    "I can give you and your settlement immortality like them, and together we can destroy... Blik was it? Anyway, what say you?" Aerwyn figured that if he could convince them to join willingly he might as well. Winning a battle without ever fighting is always the most ideal outcome. Frakki stayed quiet for a moment before speaking carefully.


    "W-what will it cost?"


    "You will serve me like them." Aerwyn pointed to his undead.


    "B-but they''re undead..."


    "Ah, so you know of undead do you? Tell me, can undead speak?"


    "No... Elder Gon taught me undead were mindless."


    "Very good, Rorik speak to Frakki and show him you''re not mindless."


    "AWOOOOO!"


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    "Damn it Rorik! Use your words, you know damn well what i meant... Ahem, as you can see the bastard DOG even has mind enough to resent me for killing it after it lost to me in a FAIR DUEL."


    "I DIDN''T LOSE HUMAN! You won by luck! By luck!" Rorik howled.


    "KWEEEEEEE!" Rin jumped in between Rorik and Aerwyn ready to pounce on Rorik but he just scoffed and stormed off. Aerwyn smiled, picking her up and cuddling her as he spoke.


    "There you have it. Think it over and i shall come to your village in a weeks time for your answer."


    "I await your return O''Great One." Frakki slowly kowtowed this time at a speed that wouldn''t rile up the brexil cats.


    "Ah! One more thing. Make no mistake, if you decline my offer i will go to Plix and give him the same offer, so think carefully."


    "...Glik.. master..." Velk corrected him after noticing his failure to say the name right twice.


    "Glik! Right, that''s it. Let''s head out, it''s getting late." Aerwyn found this aloof ''great one'' character he was playing fit a little too well and he rather enjoyed it.

 30 Chapter 30

    Aerwyn and his undead reached Ardin well past nightfall. Since he was riding Rorik, whether it was midday or late at night, it didn''t matter as Rorik could see in the dark like all his undead. He ordered Rorik to take the hunting group back out along with the thirty four new brexil cats and a few of the new goblins so that they could harvest the mana cores.


    If he was planning on turning that goblin village undead then he needed many more souls and now that he had enough goblins, he could spare a few to go hunting. He separated a dozen of the new goblins and sent the rest to Kabba to work on the walls. The dozen that were separated he ordered to begin clearing out the underground passage Bon had shown him.


    Unfortunately they didn''t have any shovels so the goblins would have to break the compacted dirt and rubble with sticks or by hand. Making a mental note to buy pickaxes and shovels the next time he went to Setrhyn, he headed to his broken spire to rest. He began to undress but paused with his shirt over his head, out of the small slit he could see Ren playing with a string on the fur pelt that she rested on.


    Walking over he grabbed the string and began to dangle it. Ren''s expression showed disinterest but her eyes betrayed her resolve as they tracked the string while it skittered across the floor. Soon she could no longer fight back her instincts and darted after the string. Aerwyn played with her for half an hour before cuddling with Rin and going to bed. Aerwyn would never notice but Ren moved her fur pelt a little closer to the pair that night.


    The next morning a boar carcass was sitting in front of the entrance way to the spire. While the fact the boar was on the ground wasn''t really all that important he still wished for some civility in his life. Perhaps he''ll have Bon make a box when he gets the saws from Marik, then the direwolves could drop off his food there instead of just leaving it out front like a dead rat.


    He cut off some meat with the knife Tylin had given him before cooking it on an open fire. The meat was bland, he ran out of salt a few days ago and forgot to get more from Setrhyn thanks to Tylin''s poison juice. The direwolves would have to drop off breakfast and dinner for the time being as he was already pushing the limit when it came to how long it took for the meat to go bad.


    After he was done eating he decided to go and check on the underground passage. The goblins were quick workers and they had already made it almost two meters down. Aerwyn could see the stone steps and it seemed like it wouldn''t be long until it was cleared. To pass the time he practiced his spearmanship nearby as they worked.


    Only an hour had passed when the goblins punctured through the dirt to the other side. It caused a minor cave-in but no goblins were lost and it only took a few minutes to dig the little guy out. Aerywn sent a goblin each to go and bring Bon, Velk, Teek and fifty goblins, leaving Kabba in charge of the rest to work on the wall project.


    Teek''s work ethic was phenomenal like always and she appeared first with fifty goblins all endowed with bone armor while thirty had the new steel spears. Aerwyn watched her stand at attention and decided she deserved a unique weapon like the hobgoblins, he patted her on her bald head and asked.


    "I''m going to get you a new weapon the next time i go to Setrhyn. What kind would you like?" Teek looked at him and then grabbed onto her spear like she didn''t want to let it go causing Aerwyn to laugh.


    "Pfft, you can keep the spear too. Maybe we''ll get you a sword and shield that are big enough for you when you evolve into a hobgoblin. What do you think?" Her eyes noticeably perked up at the mention of evolving and she shook her head up and down really fast. It seemed to make her dizzy and as she stopped she was forced to use the spear for balance. Bon arrived as she recovered.


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    "Hey Bon, how can we help Teek evolve? How did you Kabba, and Velk do it?" Teek once again began shaking her head up and down excitedly almost falling over this time.


    "Master, she needs to eat and absorb mana cores. The stronger or the more numerous, the better. As long as her body absorbs enough mana she will evolve."


    "You can eat mana cores? Will i be able to use mana if i ate them too?"


    "No master, people can''t eat mana cores. Only lesser beings and beasts can, it said so in the tomes left behind from Millin. You would die if you attempted such things."


    "Hmm... Ok well if were going to be using mana cores for evolution''s and trading them in for weapons we''re going to need to be far more aggressive in our hunting... I may have another way as well but we''ll need a lot of souls for that too."


    "Are we going inside master?" Bon asked as Velk arrived.


    "Ah, yes. Teek and Bon stay with me. Velk will take point with the goblins. Bon do you know any spells that can give us light? Otherwise ill need to use my flames which aren''t very bright."


    "Yes master, i know a torch spell that can create multiple small flames to brighten our path."


    "Great, let''s head off."


    They entered the dark passageway five goblins abreast, as Bon lit a dozen small flames that shinned their light on the path. Aerwyn couldn''t hear any sounds like Bon had claimed but it was certainly a long passageway. They walked for almost fifteen minutes when it opened up into a much wider cave and an hour later it opened up once again revealing a large cavern that seemed to go on forever in all directions.


    The darkness of the cave swallowed the tiny flying torches Bon had made and they provided very little illumination for the group. Aerwyn could hear the sound of an underground river in the distance along with what sounded like loud thumps coming their way.


    "Bon create more torches and send a few torches that way. We need to see what''s down there."


    "Yes master, i can try."


    Half a dozen tiny flames appeared and glided in the direction Aerwyn pointed. When the light was barely visible, dozens of shadows of shadows appeared to skitter past it. They still couldn''t see the creatures but the pitter patter coming their way could now be heard in conjunction with the thumping sound that appeared to be getting louder and louder.


    Aerwyn took aim at the ground where the torch had flew past and fired a flame lance. It hit the ground, exploding and allowing the group a short moment to see their opponents. Hundreds of cat sized spiders were scurrying towards them. Aerwyn was stunned for a moment at the sheer number of them and began calling out commands.


    "Fall back into the cave and setup a defense line where they cant surround us! NOW!" The group took off in a sprint to the cave entrance a hundred meters away where only ten goblins could stand abreast.


    "Bon, setup two torches every twenty or so meters in a straight line so i can shoot. Quickly!" Bon immediately followed his command and once the last few torches were in position the first dozen spiders could be seen. However it wasn''t the spiders that he COULD see that worried him, it was the ones he couldn''t see. The loud thumping that was getting closer by the second only adding to his problems.


    Aerwyn opened fire the moment the spiders appeared under the torchlight. He shot as fast as he could and with every explosion he could see more and more charging their way. There were far too many and the only good news Aerwyn could come up with was the assumption that these cat sized spiders wouldn''t aim for the heads of his undead.


    He also had to allow his undead time enough to harvest souls so he didn''t end up over exerting his own soul. Nearly two dozen purple souls had left his body by the time the spiders clashed with the front line. Aerwyn turned to look back at Bon.


    "Bon! Can you fire over their heads and deal with some while keeping the torches lit?"


    "I can''t master, i can only cast one spell at a time!" Bon yelled over the sound of fighting.


    Aerwyn turned his gaze back to the battle and saw Velk out in front of the defensive line spinning like a madman with his battle axe, killing any spiders that came near him. The rest of the goblins seemed to be holding up ok but a few spiders wasn''t the problem. If they couldn''t kill them quickly enough then their number will continue growing as more and more pile on and that isn''t even mentioning what is making that god awful sound in the distance.

 31 Chapter 31

    Souls were streaming in so Aerwyn felt comfortable enough to start firing flame lances again. The two dozen or so spiders he resurrected were already causing trouble in the enemy ranks but it wasn''t nearly enough. More and more spiders were streaming into the cave corridor by the second.


    "THUMP! THUMP!" The sound in the distance grew louder.


    The bodies of the dead piled up in front of the defensive line allowed the spiders to crawl over their fallen brethren and be level with the goblin''s heads. Aerwyn noticed this fact too late and he felt the connection of a goblin be cut from him.


    "Pull back! Don''t let the bodies build up!"


    The goblins complied and began taking a step back whenever they had the chance to in between the fighting. Aerwyn watched on as a spider began climbing on the wall of the cave, followed by more and more until the entrance of the cave was filled with nothing but spiders. They were crawling over each other like a wave, desperately trying to make a feast out of Aerywn and his undead.


    "THUMP! THUMP!" The ground now shook with each and every sound.


    Another two goblins were cut off from him in rapid succession as the flood of carapace and fangs crashed upon them. The tide of enemies was getting closer to Aerwyn by the second and they poured over his undead from every direction. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine there would be so many enemies working together down here.


    He thought back to the inferno he created in the forest but he was worried that if he used it, he wouldn''t have enough souls to keep himself alive. A spider jumped down from the cave wall aiming right for Aerwyn and Teek quickly jumped up, stabbing it. He had to do something now. He didn''t know if they were venomous but if they were, he wasn''t immune like his undead, he would die.


    "Teek protect me!" Aerwyn ordered as he closed his eyes and dropped his staff. His clothes burned to ash as he bathed his entire body in purple flames. He tried to push the flames out but he couldn''t quite get it to expand off his body. Three more goblins died while he was attempting the move, only adding more urgency and stress to the situation.


    Aerwyn entered the darkness and he could see the flames being propped up by the smoky black tendrils like they were in the forest. Focusing his mind he imagined the flames pouring out of him but the darkness seemed hesitant, which in turn worried Aerwyn.


    Whatever the darkness was, it clearly knew his power better than he did and if it didn''t want to act then that probably meant he shouldn''t be doing this. Taking a minute to think, he decided to carry on and imagined the flames pouring out from his soul once again.


    "THUMP! THUMP!" The ground was now quaking.


    "KILL AS MANY AS YOU CAN! QUICKLY! I CANT BRING THEM ALL BACK!" Aerwyn opened his eyes and screamed as the wild inferno spread out around him. His voice sounded much like Rorik''s as it passed through the flames, becoming distorted and eerie sounding in the process.


    The undead instantly broke into a frenzy leaving all sense of defense behind as they slashed and stabbed any spider they could find inside the purple inferno. The pain of resurrection was getting worse with each purple soul that left his chest. The flames seemed to be aware of his precarious situation and didn''t spread further than a couple meters outside the cave.


    Looking outside he realized he could see and not just due to the dim light his flames made. He could see the whole cave as if he was outside in the middle of the day. The spiders in the cavern kept their distance from the flames but also seemed to be wary about something behind them. It was only then he remembered the thumping sound in the distance as he felt the ground shaking beneath him.


    "THUMP! THUMP!"


    Aerwyn turned his gaze to the source of the sounds and his eyes were met with a monstrosity that made his face pale. It was a gigantic spider with a sleek black carapace that was nearly five meters tall and eight meters wide. It had lime green patterns that appeared to produce dim green light as if those areas were phosphorescent.


    The massive creature''s legs were shaped like fangs that extended passed its joints. It had two large black eyes that were surrounded by six tiny ones in a crescent shape along with meter long fangs. It made no attempt to watch were it stepped as it barreled its way through countless cat sized spiders, impaling any unfortunate enough to be in its way.


    Aerwyn flames began to recede back towards him. His undead did the best they could, killing as many spiders as possible but he still ended up using too much of his soul and it appeared he couldn''t keep his inferno going any longer. Whether it was good luck or bad, the spiders outside the cave began to flee and make way for the giant monstrosity.


    "REFORM THE LINE!" Aerwyn cried out.


    The giant spider dove into the front line sending the goblins crashing back. Four goblins died instantly on impact, those that could still stand attempted to pierce the spiders thick carapace with their spears. Velk swung his axe at the spiders leg but was flicked away and sent tumbling.


    It was slightly wider than the cave and was forced to squeeze in as best as it could, leaving very little room for either side to maneuver. The spiders eight eyes locked on to Aerwyn as it impaled another goblin and began hastily crawling towards him. Three more goblins died in the creatures mad dash towards Aerwyn.


    "Bon, Teek, Rin and Ren get back."


    "KWEEEEEEE!" Rin and Ren howled in defiance as Teek looked on with a helpless expression.


    "Master...i-" Bon tried to reason with Aerwyn.


    "NOW!" Aerwyn cried out ending all debate on the matter.


    Aerwyn grabbed his staff and readied himself as the four undead fell back nearly twenty meters. They wouldn''t be any help against this thing and on the small chance he lived, he didn''t want them to have died for nothing. The spider reached him and raised its giant leg in an awkward, cramped motion ready to strike but the creature seemed to lose its balance.


    It fell for a moment and when it stood back up Aerwyn could see part of its rear leg had broken off. He looked closer and saw Velk chopping another leg as if it were one of the many trees he had cut down the past few weeks. The spider motioned to attack Aerwyn once again but seemed to be hit with a wave of pain as Velk''s cracked another one of its armored legs.


    It struggled before successfully turning to attack Velk behind it. Aerwyn couldn''t possibly let this opportunity go to waste so he charged and stabbed his spearhead into the creatures immense abdomen. The spearhead barely made it ten centimeters in before coming to a stop sending recoil down the spear that made it seem as if he had stabbed a steel wall.


    The spider kicked its rear leg out, hitting Aerwyn and sending him crashing into the cave wall. Dazed and bloody he stood up and charged once more, thrusting his staff as fast as he could. He stabbed the same spot again and again until it finally pierced through. The spider made a sound akin to a cry and quickly spun around to find the source of the pain, crushing another goblin in the process.


    The staff was stuck in its abdomen and Aerwyn was hanging on for dear life as the spider spun around in circles. Aerwyn and the staff were smashed against the cave walls as the spider wildy attempted to remove the staff from its body. This wound clearly wasn''t enough to kill it so Aerwyn summoned up flames on his right hand and began charging a flame lance. The purple flames snaked up the staff reaching the tip and forcing the spider to cry out in pain as the flame lance formed inside its body.


    "BOOM!"


    The spiders body cracked and exploded outwards sending vile goo flying in all directions. Aerwyn was propelled like a rocket into the cave wall breaking his ribs from the impact. In pain and fighting to stay conscious, he called out to Bon who came running over in a hurry.


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    "Have the... the spiders... get souls... the rest... defend... pour... potion... hurry..." Bon grabbed a potion from his satchel and poured the contents into Aerwyn''s open mouth. By the time the vial was empty the spiders soul had just entered Aerwyn''s chest and he already knew he was going to be stuck in the darkness once more.

 32 Chapter 32

    The purple tendrils appeared from Aerwyn''s chest and he immediately fell into the empty darkness. His soul looked far weaker than when he replenished Rorik''s soul. The shadowy tendrils coiled around it and the feeling of suffocation began. He lost track of time as the years seemed to slowly pass by, many souls came in and some goblins even died on the outside. It seemed as though his soul was a voracious beast unable to gain its fill and allow Aerwyn to be free of his agony.


    When he finally opened his eyes again in the dark outside world he gasped for breath and stayed silent for quite some time to organize his thoughts. Bon quickly cast his torch spell allowing Aerwyn to see the world around him. Looking up he was surrounded by Bon, Rin, Ren, and Teek, who all showed deep concern for him.


    "...H-how long have i been out?" Aerwyn''s throat felt like sandpaper and his voice sounded almost foreign to him.


    "I-it''s difficult to tell time down here master... I believe it''s been about two days." Bon hesitantly replied.


    "..Water." Aerwyn thought for a moment before he quietly mouthed an order. Bon quickly obliged bringing over a sack of water he had prepared from the underground river. Aerwyn took a large swig before coughing it back out and drinking it more slowly.


    "How many goblins are left?"


    "Thirty one master, we lost four more yesterday after a different type of creature attacked. I kept the corpse intact in case you wanted to see it master." Bon pointed and sent a flying torch above a large corpse.


    It looked to be some sort of two meter tall beetle, it had six legs, a tail, and a sharp horn on its head. The giant bugs mouth was different from what one would expect from an insect, it was filled with fangs and teeth much like a wolf. The creatures legs came to a point like the giant spider but it appeared to have a far thicker carapace, almost like it was covered in armor.


    Aerwyn sighed after inspecting the bug, he needed to be more careful from now on. This was by far his costliest battle yet and he lost far more than he was comfortable with. Despite gaining more undead as a whole, he didn''t like losing a single undead much less nineteen.


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    He entered the darkness again to call the spiders back and opening his eyes once more attempted to stand. Not eating for two days and being dehydrated made him weak and lightheaded, forcing him to use his staff for balance.


    "Have the goblins harvest the mana cores, we''re going to need them..."


    "It''s already done master. I-i even sent a few with the spiders to harvest their kills without your orders master, please forgive me." Bon hung his head and kneeled.


    "No, stand up. You did well, good thinking." Aerwyn spoke and weakly patted him on his shoulder.


    It took a few hours for the spiders to return and with them a sack of a few hundred mana cores. The giant spiders bio luminescence appeared to have changed colors with its resurrection, it was now the same color purple as his flames. It''s eight black eyes now replaced by soul fire that stared into him.


    "Can you speak?" Aerwyn asked it.


    "Yes." The voice was feminine but raspy and oddly soothing as if beckoning him to come closer.


    "D-do you know a way to the surface? You obviously can''t fit through the cave we came in." Aerwyn was slightly taken aback by the voice, stuttering his words.


    "Yes. There is a cave large enough for me to squeeze through about half a day from here." Aerwyn was taken aback again as her words seemed to flow out as if casting some sort of spell enticing him closer.


    "...Stop doing that." Aerwyn commanded as he slapped his cheeks and snapped out of it.


    "Doing what? Master." If the spider could wear a smile it would undoubtedly be wearing a devilish grin as it spoke those words.


    "Whatever you''re doing with your voice, stop it."


    "Yes master..." Her voice sounded the same but it no longer carried the same enticing feeling it had before.


    "I''m weak so i''ll be riding you until we return to Ardin. Kneel down so i can climb up."


    "Yes, master." She once again used whatever magic she used to entice her voice but Aerwyn let it go for now, his head hurt from hunger and he couldn''t be bothered reprimanding her again.


    She kneeled down but Aerwyn''s weak body was struggling to climb up so she grabbed him with her two front legs and lifted him onto her back. Once atop her back Aerwyn found a small dip in the carapace that ran along where her spine would be if she had one and sat down cross legged.


    Aerwyn and the undead began marching through the dark endless cavern.


    "What''s your name?" Aerwyn asked the giant spider.


    "My name is Erit, master."


    "How did you receive a name in a place like this?"


    "I was part of a brood that was birthed from an arache. There were hundreds of us at first but only a few survived the first year. To the nine which survived, mother bestowed names."


    "Arache?"


    "It is the final evolution of my species, half human and half spider. In fact... They can even freely transform between the two, taking human form or transforming into what the form i currently hold." She replied using her voice magic and added emphasis on the ''human form'' part of her explanation.


    "...Where is your mother now? Also, are there anymore arache''s around here?"


    "I haven''t seen mother since i evolved into this form. The underground is vast and i rarely leave my territory. I have never seen any arache''s besides my mother either, master."


    "Hmm... Why did you attack the way you did? You seem intelligent and even with your size, charging after me through that many enemies seems foolish."


    "I am close to evolving and a humans mana core would be enough to allow me to evolve. I... may have underestimated you." Erit''s words caused Aerwyn to chuckle at her poor luck.


    "Pfft, i''d say more than underestimate. Even if you killed me, you would be severely disappointed. I don''t have a mana core."


    "...Is that so. I''d say it worked out for the better, since now i have a big strong human master to take care of me. Surely you wouldn''t neglect this little spider and not feed her any mana cores right? Surely i can be more use to you if i was a person right master?" Erit shamelessly talked Aerwyn up seemingly using every ounce of her magic voice to entice him.


    "KWEEEEEEEE!" Rin cried out as if saying not to fall for the spiders sneaky tricks.


    "You heard the little lady, there''s a line and you''re currently in the back of it. Hmm... it''s rather comfortable riding you, from now on you''ll be my mount. If you''re good, i''ll see about feeding you some mana cores."


    The traveled for a few hours before they began encounter trouble. A few beetle creatures appeared which according to Erit were called tzintatchik in the arache language but he couldn''t pronounce it after numerous attempts so he decided to name them zin beetles. Erit made quick work of them but more and more appeared as they traveled, slowing their pace.


    Aerwyn would''ve liked to have killed some of them as they looked like they would make strong undead but he had just spent what felt like years in the darkness and he had no intention of going back anytime soon. He decided to come back underground after he''s dealt with the goblins and make some zin beetle undead.


    Every now and then Aerwyn could see glowing green cylinders flying around in the darkness and Erit explained that the creatures were something akin to lightning bugs. They weren''t carnivorous so they left the group alone to his disappointment, he wanted to see what they looked like but the creatures always seemed to be far off in the distance no matter how close they got.


    After a few more hours they were nearing the cave exit Erit had spoken of and new critters began appearing. Aerwyn caught sight of one as it traveled a little too close to the torchlight before scurrying off. It was the size of a large dog, covered in fluffy white fur except for it''s four legs that were red and scaly. It had huge pale red eyes and a mouthful of sharp teeth that stretched to its ears.


    Erit told him that they were another impossible to pronounce name so decided on calling them feros. They appeared to be far more intelligent than the zin beetles, never attacking and only watching from outside the light created by the torches. More and more trickled in but they always kept their distance, acting almost like an escort through their territory.


    They finally reached the cave exit that led above ground and the feros watched them enter before they began to retreat back into the darkness. The cave was a tight fit for Erit and Aerwyn would be knocked off if he choose to ride any further so he was forced to walk the rest of the way to the surface.

 33 Chapter 33

    It was around midday once they reached the surface and Aerwyn could see the snow capped Delos mountain rage far to the north. He could tell the small mountain cave they exited was somewhere near where he first woke up, at least distance wise. It meant that they would have to trek through brexil cat territory but now that he had Erit the little creatures would be hard pressed to scratch him.


    Aerwyn had Erit lift him onto her back again, except this time he brought Rin and Ren up with him before they set off north. Brexil cats harassed them for hours but the creatures never fully engaged, only darting at a goblin or two before running off when the undead went in for the kill. They soon came across the burned down goblin village he had raided days prior.


    Knowing where he was now, he reached out to Rorik in the darkness and had him send one of the direwolves to Ardin with food. They reached Ardin late into the night but Erit''s abdomen couldn''t fit through the gates. Aerwyn was attempting to think of a solution when the giant spider simply climbed over the walls, nearly knocking him off her back in the process.


    Erit''s effortless bypass of the walls left Aerwyn questioning why he even wasted his time trying to fix them in the first place. At least creatures of her size appeared to be rare above ground, even Rorik or the trolls wouldn''t be able to easily get through the walls. After his minor fit of apathy he directed Erit to the city square where there was a deer carcass waiting for him.


    Once he was done eating he collapsed on the furs inside the spire and escaped to the world of dreams. The next morning he went outside to talk to Erit but she and his new undead spiders were nowhere to be found. He looked around the city to no avail before seeking out Bon who was working on making ropes nearby.


    "Have you seen Erit?"


    "She... left the city last night master. She said that she was going to hunt for you and ignored my protests. I didn''t want to wake you. I-"


    "It''s fine Bon. Don''t worry about it, i''ll just call her. I''m going to begin feeding Teek some mana crystals today, is there anything i should know? Can she eat as many as she wants or does she need to eat them over time?"


    "No more than three a day master. The stronger the mana cores the quicker she''ll evolve."


    "Ok, the same goes for Rin and Ren right?"


    "Yes, master."


    Aerwyn reached out in the darkness to Erit''s soul string and ordered her back before checking up on the progress of the southwestern wall. It was about half finished which brought a smile to his face. Once they were done with the walls he could begin clearing out the rubble and broken buildings from the city. It wasn''t an important project like the walls but if he was gonna live here, he preferred for the city to look at least halfway decent.


    He grabbed Teek before heading back to the broken spire with Rin and Ren. Looking through the sack of mana cores, he picked out nine zin beetle mana cores and looked at them for a moment. No matter what Bon said, they didn''t look edible. They weren''t too large to swallow or anything, it was just that they had rather sharp edges that look like it would cut the throat on the way down.


    "I want to test something Teek, wait a moment before eating these." Aerywn handed the small crystals to Teek who eagerly got ready to toss all three into her mouth. He closed his eyes and entered the darkness, inside he inspected Teek''s soul. It was the standard size for goblins except for the larger tendrils encompassing it that made it appear larger, no doubt from her being given a name.


    Time was different inside the darkness so it took awhile for a change to occur which allowed Aerwyn to analyze every detail about Teek''s soul. As if adding fuel to a fire, Teek''s soul instantly became blindingly bright for a moment before dimming once more. Aerwyn inspected her soul again, it appeared to be a little larger and he could tell it was more luminescent than before but not by much. to his disappointment it seemed it would take many more mana cores for her to evolve.


    Aerwyn stayed in the darkness and thought about how Rorik''s soul grew by so much when he replenished his soul. He wanted to try it with Teek, Rin, and Ren but he needed way more souls to feel comfortable with attempting that again. After he finished dealing with the goblins to the south he decided to try growing Teek''s soul the same way he did Rorik''s and if it worked next would be Rin and Ren.


    Opening his eyes he had Rin and Ren eat their mana cores before heading back into the darkness and watching the process again. The process repeated the same way as Teek which is what he expected. After his little experiment he was greeted by Erit and the spiders waiting outside.


    "Why did you leave the city?" Aerwyn asked her.


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    "I was trying to be a good spider and hunt for my master. Was i wrong?" Erit spoke using her magic voice.


    "...Stop with the voice Erit. I didn''t send you out last night because you don''t know what Sera, Jeren, or Tylin look like. If you ran into them and attacked, you would be dead and i would have wasted years trapped in the darkness to bring you back."


    "Surely i could hold my own against-"


    "You would be dead. Deader than dead in fact. We''ll be going to Setrhyn in a few weeks and you''ll be able to meet them. So for now i only want you going out if you''re accompanied by me or Rorik." Aerwyn interrupted.


    "Tch... Master, if i was a person i would be stronger and then you wouldn''t have to worry about this little spider dying." Erit quietly clicked her tongue before speaking in a giddy manner causing Aerwyn to freeze.


    "...D-did you just click your tongue? How did you do that? Do spiders even have tongues?" Aerwyn asked curiously.


    "If i was a person i''d have a tongue!" Erit cried out as if she was hurt by his words.


    "So i guess we''re just skipping past the tongue clicking thing..." Aerwyn mumbled.


    "What did you say master?"


    "Nothing, forget it. What can you do? Ability-wise i mean."


    "I''m just a little spider, master." Erit said coyly.


    "...What?!? You''re a spider? I would have never known, thank you dear Erit for clearing that up for me... Also ''little'' is clearly pushing it, you''re five meters tall. I''m asking what abilities you possess. Can you shoot webs? Are you venomous? Can you do magic other than the thing with your voice?"


    "UGH! Master you should never comment on a ladies size, you''ll hurt their feelings. I''m just a little spider and i won''t hear otherwise."


    "KWEEE! KWEEE!" Rin and Ren seemed to be in agreement with Erit.


    "..." Aerwyn was flabbergasted and unable to speak. ''Where did she even learn to talk like this?''


    "Erit just answer the questions please..."


    "Yes master, i can spin webs so can the other spiders. Our venom only paralyzes our prey but doesn''t kill them and i can only use magic on my voice, until i become a person that is."


    "Was that so hard? Hmm... Pick me up, let''s go for a walk. I want to see how quickly you and the others can setup a web."


    They traveled to the edge of the forest outside Ardin''s walls before he jumped off with his little protectors.


    "Ok, Erit you first. Make a web from there to there." Aerwyn pointed at a gap between two trees that was about ten meters apart. She got to work quickly, spinning an elaborate web that was nearly translucent in about fifteen minutes. Aerwyn could only detect that there was a web there if he squinted real hard and looked for it. So it would definitely be difficult to detect for any unsuspecting creature that stumbled on to it.


    "Can i touch it?" Aerwyn asked.


    "Master you''ll get stuck and even i will have difficulty removing the web from you. It''ll take days to wash off." Erit explained to which Aerwyn simply showed off his hand as it burst into purple flames.


    Putting out the flames he walked over and touched a single string of the web. It instantly got stuck and he attempted to pull it as he walked backwards. He wanted to test the webs strength and pulled with all his might but was unable to break free from it. When he was confident he couldn''t break it he let his flames burn the web off him which finally broke him free.

 34 Chapter 34

    After inspecting his hand Aerwyn turned to the smaller spiders and thought up an idea.


    "I need ten of you, climb on that tree in a row. I want you each to make a single string of web and connect it to the other tree. Do it as quickly as you can."


    The spiders climbed the aforementioned tree lining up like a totem pole on the trees trunk. They connected the spider silk to the trunk before jumping in unison like something out of a nightmare. The whole process only took a few seconds, meaning he would be able to use them reactively in a fight to trap an enemy or even direct an enemy to where he wanted them to be by blocking off their paths.


    He could even use them to create a type of secondary wall around Ardin by having them paint the surrounding forest in webs. That idea would have to be put on hold for now, he worried about his Fae''Laran friends getting trapped in the webs if he started his plan without warning them first.


    "Perfect..." Aerwyn mumbled.


    "Does that mean we can go hunt, master?" Erit spoke using her voice magic.


    "No... Actually, fine you can go hunt. However i am commanding you to avoid people unless your life is in danger. Everyone who knows me should be able to tell that you belong to me by your eyes but either way, you should do your best to avoid people. You can go southeast but stay in that area and go no further than a few hours away... Also stop doing that with your voice." Aerwyn decided to let her go after thinking it over for a moment. They would just be sitting around the city if he denied her. Plus he was planning on visiting Frakki in three days time and he was severely lacking enough souls to turn his entire tribe into undead.


    "Thank you master! I''ll show you that this little spider can earn her keep!" Erit spoke excitedly still using her voice magic. She began to turn her massive frame to leave but Aerwyn stopped her.


    "Slow down, you need to take some goblins with you to harvest the mana cores."


    Ignoring the fact that Erit seemed to refuse to listen to him regarding her voice, the group headed back to the city. He assumed it had something to do with how he was wording his commands, which allowed her to find clever ways around it. Since it wasn''t anything more than a minor nuisance and she seemed to enjoy getting on his nerves by using it, he decided to just leave it be.


    After returning to the city and sending Erit off to hunt, Aerwyn went to gather up the remaining eight vosk. They had already finished digging the trench for the wall long ago and they had been sitting around with nothing to do ever since. He brought them to the underground passage before explaining their new project.


    "I''m aware that this is going to take a very long time but i want you to make this passage big enough for Erit to fit through, ten by ten meters should give her enough room to maneuver. For now pile the dug up earth over there, we''ll be getting more goblins soon and they''ll be able to move it... Ah, that''s right you all worked in mines before, right? Can you differentiate ores and put them in a separate pile?"


    "Yes, masta''. Can do as you says." One of the vosks spoke. Aerwyn wasn''t entirely sure but it sounded like the one he had spoken to the last time so he decided to give it a name and have it act as the leader of the vosk.


    "Do you have a name?"


    "I no ''ave name masta''."


    "Hmm... From now on you''ll be called Gebb, you''ll be the representative of the vosk."


    "Gebb t''anks da masta''." Gebb bowed happily before beginning his work.


    Aerwyn stayed near and watched them work for a bit. Their claws cut through the hard stone like butter and only after a few minutes, the entire entrance way to the underground was unrecognizable. Aerwyn left heading back to the city square, there wasn''t much for him to do today other than wait for more souls to come in from the hunting parties so he decided to practice his spearmanship.


    In the blink of an eye three days passed and it was time to hear Frakki''s answer. Last night he had called back the hunting parties as he was planning on bringing every single one of his undead to the meeting. This display of force should stop any last minute second thoughts Frakki might have, at least Aerwyn hoped.


    Aerwyn paused all construction at dawn and left the city of Ardin with his nearly two hundred undead. Rorik led the group since he was the only one that knew where Frakki''s settlement was. They traveled for a few hours before reaching the settlement which was built up against a cliff face on the side of the small mountain to the south of Ardin.


    As they drew closer Aerwyn could see that there were no signs of life inside the settlement which left him worried. It meant that either Frakki had set a trap for him or he had left with his tribe, willingly or otherwise. The undead stayed fifty meters away from the settlement awaiting Aerwyn''s decision.


    "It doesn''t appear they were wiped out by Crik or whatever the hobgoblin''s name was."


    "...Trap.." Velk growled.


    "I think so too, that or they left. It''s even possible they joined with the other settlement once they saw my power. Hmm... Teek, send a single goblin in, have them check every building. I want to know if anyone is still there. Everyone else keep an eye out, make sure no one is sneaking up on us."


    A single goblin trekked across the open field before entering the shabby wooden gate. Fifteen minutes passed before he returned, signifying that the place was empty.


    "Send ten goblins in and search the buildings for any treasure. I don''t like this situation, we''ll be leaving once we''re done here." Aerwyn commanded and Teek obliged.


    "Surely a few goblins wouldn''t dare plot against you master. Even if they did what could they do? They''re even smaller than me. Hmph!" Erit bragged.


    "Kabba think goblins ran too!" Kabba added trying to emulate Erit''s bragging tone.


    "I believe master is aware that they can do little in the wake of his power but if the goblins have joined forces then the victory will come at a cost." Bon attempted to cool the hot headed Erit and Kabba before Aerwyn spoke.


    "Bon''s right, i don''t want to lose a single one of you. That''s why this is a problem."


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    Another fifteen minutes passed and the ten goblins returned empty handed.


    "Let''s go back to Ardin for now, we''ll return another time to deal with them."


    In hindsight Aerwyn regretted allowing Frakki to live, it was a mistake he wouldn''t allow himself to make again. The small chance of doubling his army without losing any of his troops was just too desirable for him to pass up. His mistake meant that now there was a chance that Frakki''s tribe had joined the larger one this meant he would have to fight a much larger battle and unlike when he fought Velk, this enemy would be prepared for him.


    They got back to Ardin without incident and Aerwyn sent Rorik to go and scout the remaining goblin settlement before sending everyone back to their duties. The next day Rorik returned and made his worries reality, the goblin tribes had combined and now there were almost five hundred goblins and at least two hobgoblins in the final settlement.


    "Ugh... Go and take your hunting group out for now and continue collecting souls. Go south but not too close to their base, i just want to keep eyes on them in case they plan on marching north. We''ll deal with them in a week after i get the rest of the weapons from Setrhyn."


    A week went by with Aerwyn spending the majority of his time practicing his spearmanship and attempting to put some muscle on his scrawny body. His efforts were garnering fruit as he had gain a bit of muscle, no doubt his diet that consisted mostly of meat was helping in that regard.


    The walls were finished two days ago and the goblins had shifted their focus to clearing out the rubble inside of the city. The vosk had made surprisingly fast progress on the tunnel and if they kept digging at this rate they would be done in a few months which would give Aerwyn another hunting ground to exploit. It also opened up the possibility of mining which could help pay for the things he needed from Setrhyn and allow him to use more mana cores on his undead.


    Aerwyn had called Erit and the spiders back the night before as they would be his escort this time. He didn''t want to risk taking too many undead and leaving Ardin undefended. He left Bon in charge once more and headed off to Setrhyn that morning.

 35 Chapter 35

    Due to Erit''s speed, Aerwyn arrived at Setrhyn Village earlier than usual which allowed them to cut the nearly nine hour travel time down to six. Erit''s size caused quite the stir with the village sentries on the wall once he was in sight. One of the sentries ran and notified Master Ferlin of the threat and he was found waiting for Aerwyn by the time he reached to the gates.


    "Trying to show off again boy? Look, no need to overcompensate. Some men are just less gifted in certain regards. It-"


    "I''m-" Aerwyn interrupted Master Ferlin only for him to be interrupted in turn by Erit.


    "Master is very well endowed i''ll have you know, elf."


    "KWEE!" Rin agreed making the situation all the more embarrassing for Aerwyn.


    "Oh? The giant abyssal spider can talk can she?" Master Ferlin sent an inquisitive look to Erit as if to size her up. Under his gaze she immediately shrunk back and kept quiet.


    "...So i''m here to pick up an order from Marik. I''ll be staying the night too. Is Erit going to be a problem if i bring her inside the gates?"


    "Nope, ya just scared the sentries a bit, that''s all. It''s not everyday a giant abyssal spider comes up from the underground. Sera should be returning later, i''ll let her know you''re in town." Master Ferlin explained.


    "Thanks Master Ferlin."


    Aerwyn entered the gates to many more curious stares than usual and headed to Marik''s smithy. Marik was out front smoking a pipe, staring at nothing in particular as if he was lost in his own little world. The stench of the burning herb filled the area, stinging Aerwyn''s nostrils. Marik jolted up at the sight of Erit''s giant body, nearly making him fall off his chair. It took him a moment of slack jawed horror to realize Aerwyn was atop the massive spider.


    "Damn lad, ya trying to scare this poor old blacksmith to death? You''re a week early anyway, what are ya doing here?"


    "I have another order to put in, plus i need whatever you''ve made already. I ran into some goblin problems that require your excellent craftsmanship."


    "Ai, if ya think flattery will get you a discount you''re sorely mistaken lad. I got ''round sixty made so far plus your wood saws. Boy! Get the spears packed up!" Marik hollered at his son from outside.


    "What do ya got for me this time?" Marik asked, seamlessly changing his expression to a merchants smile as usual. Aerwyn jumped off Erit''s back with the sack of mana cores before emptying it''s contents on the counter. All the mana cores from the past few weeks were inside except for the zin beetles which he planned to feed to his undead.


    "I''m not sure what creatures the mana cores are from though. Is there a grading system or something to know their value?"


    "Ai, count how many sides are on these two." Marik tossed two cylindrical crystals to Aerwyn.


    Aerwyn counted the first which had three sides and then the second which had four. He had never really paid any mind to them before but now that it was pointed out he felt rather stupid for not noticing it earlier.


    "How many sides is the most expensive?" Aerwyn curiously asked.


    "Seven sides are about one gold coin..." Marik explained the pricing for each type of mana core and Aerwyn made a mental note of it for the future.


    Soul Grade A) 7 Sides = 1 Gold


    Soul Grade B) 6 Sides = 25 Silver


    Soul Grade C) 5 Sides = 5 Silver


    Soul Grade D) 4 Sides = 1 Silver


    Soul Grade E) 3 Sides = 10 Copper


    Marik used an old abacus to count the pile of mana cores before speaking again.


    "Most folks don''t bother collecting mana cores with three sides seeing as they''re so cheap. You on the other have about four hundred which isn''t too bad i suppose. All together this pile is worth about eighteen hundred silver or eighteen gold, that''ll get you twenty five spears. Got anything else to trade lad?"


    "I have some raw gemstones and a chunk of ore too, gimme a second." Aerwyn reached into a pocket inside the pack and put them on the table. Marik pulled out a steel file and scratched the ore a few times before inspecting the gems.


    "Ai, ya got some more revarium here lad. This plus the gems''ll pump ya up to about sixty spears, unless you''re looking for something else that is."


    "No, the spears''ll do for now... Ah that''s right, i need a blade for Teek. Can you make it like that one over there?" Aerwyn pointed to a saber hanging in the back of the smithy.


    "Ai, i can do fifty spears and a saber. Pleasure doing business with ya lad. You can pick up the thirty i owe ya next week or just pick them all up in three weeks."


    Aerwyn had Erit carry the spears and they left to Tylin''s house. He knocked on the door before letting himself in and found Tylin scribbling notes in his lab.


    "Aerwyn dear boy, perfect timing!" Tylin jumped up from his chair the moment he entered.


    "NO!" Aerwyn flat out refused whatever experiment Tylin had prepared this time.


    "Ah... Oh! No, no, no, i''m not planning to drug you this time dear boy. Sera has to take a trip to Lyr Village tomorrow so i was going to send it with her but if you''re here you can just take it now."


    "Oh... Take what?" Aerwyn exhaled a sigh of relief.


    "Come, come. It''s out back." Aerwyn followed him out to the backyard. A troll laid flat in a steel cage and appeared to be sleeping.


    "It strayed too close to the village and lucky for us, Sera was the one who was nearby so she captured it instead of killing it. Fear not it won''t wake up, i drugged it. You can resurrect it without incident this time." Tylin explained as Aerwyn approached the behemoth and fired a flame lance into its head, effortlessly killing it.


    Tylin asked about his recent events and Aerwyn explained his current situation. An hour drifted past as they talked about Aerwyn''s misadventures until they were eventually interrupted by Sera. Ren''s ears immediately perked up as soon as she heard Sera enter the home, running out of the lab to greet her. They chatted over some tasty dinner before calling it a night and heading to bed.


    That night he found himself running through a dark forest but the odd thing was that Aerwyn wasn''t in control, it was like he was only an observer as the scene played out. His vision turned and looking back he could see dozens of brexil cats, some tenri, and even a few direwolves all running together like a pack. The purple flames they had for eyes made it click in his mind, he was seeing through Rorik''s eyes.


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    Rorik entered an open valley by the river and the sight of the goblin settlement entered his gaze. The goblins we''re working on the walls, even at this late hour. They were using the light from torches to sure up their defenses. Dozens of them were using ropes to drag logs up from the forest to the south. The logs already in place where covered in dirt and clay.


    It seemed like Frakki had learned from the other goblin village and was attempting to fireproof the walls. Aerwyn decided to attempt to reach out to Rorik through his mind.


    "Rorik, can you loop around the mountain and attack those goblins chopping down trees to the south?"


    "..." Rorik twitched but pretended to not have heard Aerwyn.


    "I saw that! Do what i said, that''s an order!" Aerwyn yelled in his mind.


    "...Fine...master."


    "HA! Can''t mumble in your mind can ya!"


    "..Get out... OF MY HEAD HUMAN!" Rorik''s howl cut off whatever connection Aerwyn had to him. He woke up in the dark guest room and looked around for a moment, questioning if the dream had really happened or not.


    Unable to fall back asleep, Aerwyn went downstairs and saw Sera snacking on some berries in the dining room.


    "You''re up early. What''s the matter couldn''t sleep?" Sera asked.


    "Nope, I had a weird dream... What time is it?"


    "Almost dawn, since you''re up anyway go get ready. We''ll be meeting Jeren at the gates soon to head off."


    An hour later the trio left Setrhyn and began their journey southwest. Jeren complained under his breath the whole way about the spiders. Apparently he had a phobia and Erit was appalled that anyone could hate spiders so she kept ordering the smaller spiders to jump around near him until he nearly broke down crying.


    They arrived in Ardin and Aerwyn handed the spears to Teek before checking in with Bon. There weren''t any buildings cleaned up yet so Jeren and Sera would have to stay in the broken spire with him for now, not that he was complaining. Perhaps in his free time he could clear out one of the intact buildings nearby for guests to stay.

 36 Chapter 36

    Aerwyn sat down around the fire in the square for dinner with Sera and Jeren.


    "You''ve really fixed this place up quickly huh. How long has it been? A month since you left Setrhyn?" Jeren motioned his hands as if displaying the city around him while he looked around.


    "Just about, we''re clearing out the broken building for now and once that''s done hopefully the mine will be ready too. I''d like to rebuild some buildings and remake the walls out of stone but that goal is far off in the future... A road to Setrhyn would be nice too but that''s at the bottom of the list of things to do."


    "That''s good, a man should have goals else you''ll end up like Jeren." Sera added proudly.


    "Hey! What''s that supposed to mean? I''m perfectly charming, handsome, and hardworking. I''m the very definition of a Fae''Laran man." Jeren boasted with his chest puffed out but he wasn''t much bigger than Aerwyn which only made it seem like a desperate attempt to recover his pride.


    "Pfft, more like vain, messy and lazy." Sera laughed at the false bravado. They argued back and forth like siblings for a while before Aerwyn chimed in.


    "What are you guys going to Lyr Village for?"


    "Just checking in on things. Lyr was only settled a few generations ago and the village is much smaller than Setrhyn so they don''t have as many rangers as us. Every now and then if we don''t have anything else going on in Setrhyn, we go down to see if they need help with anything." Sera explained.


    "Is Lyr far?"


    "From here it''ll take us about a day of running at full speed, then we just need to ferry across the river near Lyr. If we leave as early as slavedriver Sera likes to we''ll probably reach Lyr by the next morning." Jeren put his arms behind his head and laid down as he spoke staring off into the starry night''s sky.


    They talked for another hour and Aerwyn warned them he would be using his spiders to setup webs around the forest near Ardin, explaining that he intended to leave open a path for them in the future. They soon went to sleep and Aerwyn saw them off the next morning before looking for Erit.


    Knowing what he knew now, his plans had changed. He didn''t want to give the goblins the opportunity to hunker down without a fight. If he waited the full week, Rorik and his hunting party would certainly slow down construction but it wouldn''t be nearly enough to satisfy Aerwyn. Once they fortify the settlement they could just sit inside and use the same tactics he used on Velk''s army.


    Aerwyn found Erit and the spiders before grabbing Velk and heading south. They arrived a few hundred meters north of the goblin settlement and stayed put on the forest''s edge, watching the goblins work.


    "Erit i want the spiders to cover the edge of the forest in webs. We''re going to bait the goblins into our trap. They only need to be about a meter high and cover a few hundred meters of the forest''s edge."


    "Master surely we can just charge them, it doesn''t matter if there are five hundred or five thousand. They cannot hurt this lovely little spider." Erit proclaimed using her voice magic.


    "I''m not worried about the goblins, while their numbers are a problem they shouldn''t have steel so you''d be able to kill them all without issue. I''m worried about the hobgoblins, Velk did a pretty good job of slicing your legs off and there''s at least two of them in that settlement, maybe more."


    "HMPH! Master surely you don''t believe that i''d lose to a mere hobgoblin. That Velk was simply so small i didn''t even put him in my eyes and he snuck up behind me. If-"


    "You''ve proven my point Erit. If Velk could sneak up behind you hiding amongst fifty goblins then surely Frakki and Glik can sneak up on you amongst five hundred. Just do as i say and have the spiders begin spinning their webs, i want it done quickly." Aerwyn interrupted her with a smile since she too had fallen into his trap. It''s just that this was a trap of words since he knew she would be too prideful to admit she had weakness.


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    She mumbled some more excuses to herself before sending the spiders on their mission while Aerwyn reached out to Rorik in the darkness. He ordered Rorik to make a distraction so the spiders could finish their work without being spotted.


    "AWOOOOOOO!" The sounds of Rorik''s howl mixed with roars and screeches echoed across the valley. The goblins poured out from the settlement and headed south like an ant''s nest during a heavy storm.


    The goblins had returned empty handed as dusk approached and the spiders had long since finished spinning their webs. Aerwyn sat atop Erit''s back and waited until the last goblin had entered the gates before taking aim with his staff and firing out a flame lance. It hit the mud caked walls and exploded out in a fiery display of light but didn''t pierce through.


    Aerwyn hadn''t expected it to, the walls were much thicker than the ten to fifteen centimeters his flame lance usually penetrated. As the explosion sizzled out he began firing another and another, constantly bombarding the walls like a cannon.


    At this range his accuracy wouldn''t be good enough to allow him to hit the same spot more than once, so his best bet was to hope his barrage eventually did enough damage to shatter the walls. After nearly twenty minutes of continuous fire Aerwyn took a break. The walls were damaged but still intact and the goblins made no move to attack.


    Aerwyn reached out to Rorik in the darkness once more.


    "Rorik, do you think you can damage the walls if you charged it? Even a tiny crack would help."


    "..I can try..."


    "Good, once you''re done run east half a kilometer before heading north. There''re spider webs everywhere so be careful."


    Night had fallen by the time Rorik and his hunting party appeared outside the settlement. The brexil cats and the goblins immediately ran east leaving only Rorik, the direwolves, and the tenri to assault the walls. Rorik and the direwolves charged the walls causing it to tilt under their immense weight and strength.


    After the charge the tenri joined in as well. The beasts began clawing away at the mud and clay that lined the walls until the goblins began lobbing spears from up above. Aerwyn quickly called them back, they had done enough and losing any of them by continuing would be foolish.


    When they were clear from the walls Aerwyn began his bombardment once more. With each blast the walls shook and it was apparent that they would soon fall. The goblins appeared to have realized this fact too and began to swarm out from the settlement just as Rorik and the rest reached him.


    Aerwyn lit the flames on his eyes so he could get a better look in the darkness like he had done in the cavern against Erit. Night became no different from day and he could see three hobgoblins in the rear of the force. They were still too far to make out any features other than they were larger and not green.


    The goblins appeared to go into a frenzy, picking up speed as more and more flame lances exploded within their ranks. Aerwyn didn''t bother firing at the hobgoblins, he knew from experience that they were fast enough to dodge if they knew he was aiming at them.


    The goblin horde took no more than a minute to reach the forests edge and began getting caught in the spider''s webs. Their speed made the first few ranks crash into each other, entangling many more than Aerwyn had expected to trap when he thought up this plan.


    The goblins that he had killed with his flame lance''s had begun to wake. They charged the hobgoblins in the rear of the horde, sensing the threat to their master but Aerwyn needed them to flee so he quickly shut his eyes and entered the darkness ordering them to escape.


    Opening his eyes once more he found himself not in his original position atop Erit. His back was sprawled against her massive abdomen as if she had jumped and knocked him back while he was in the darkness. Thinking nothing of it he moved back in position and the sight of two hobgoblins that he was unfamiliar with caught his attention.


    The first one he saw was holding a crude bow and was posing like it had just loosed an arrow. It had the lightest skin he had ever seen on a hobgoblin and it appeared rather pale in contrast to the dark leather it wore. The most surprising thing was the two bumps on the creatures chest indicating that she was quite possibly a female hobgoblin.


    The hobgoblin next to her looked very much like Velk except it had darker skin and he appeared to not share Velk''s affinity for fighting in nothing but a rag covering his dangly bits. This hobgoblin was wielding a sword and wearing oversized chain mail that reached his feet like a dress.


    "KWEEEEEE! KWEEEEEEEEEEEE!"


    The sounds of Rin and Ren screeching erratically brought his gaze down to them and it was only then that he saw a fifteen centimeter shaft sticking out from the right side of his chest.

 37 Chapter 37

    Aerwyn took in a deep breath as the sudden realization that he had been shot with an arrow took a hold of him. The horrific gurgling sound of blood and air escaping the wound would have taken his breath away had the hole in his lung not done it first. Surprisingly he wasn''t in that much pain, whether that was because of the adrenaline pumping through his veins or perhaps he had just gotten so used to the feeling of his soul being ripped apart that this level of pain wasn''t within his eyes anymore.


    It was like a small pinch that didn''t go away and the most uncomfortable part was that his body kept telling him he needed more air no matter how much he inhaled. It was a feeling of suffocation despite being able to breathe and it reminded him of being consumed by the darkness when his soul was weak.


    Aerwyn quickly brought his gaze upon the hobgoblin with the bow, she was already notching another arrow as their eyes met. He brought up his staff and took aim rapidly firing off a flame lance before she could return fire. While she was forced to dodge Aerywn quickly gave an order.


    "Re..treat.. i need... a potion." Aerywn''s voice was short winded and raspy sounding as though each syllable was spoken in between gasps for air.


    "Master! What''s wrong?! My little spider head can''t see you up there. If those tiny goblins hurt you i''ll-" Erit panicked and positioned herself as though she was going to charge the goblins.


    "Re..treat.. now." Aerwyn cut her off, ending the discussion.


    Another arrow whistled past Aerwyn as Erit turned to leave nearly hitting his head. The undead horde moved quickly, traveling nearly a kilometer away from the goblins in mere minutes. He wasn''t worried about being followed, they would lose many more goblins to the webs if they were foolish enough to try.


    The goblins that were already stuck wouldn''t be able to break free any time soon which left the hobgoblins with a fourth of their force either stuck or undead. He figured they would attempt to remove the goblins for a while before giving up and returning back to the settlement. If they chose to stay and defend them then that would be fine too. He just needed to keep a eye out for the hobgoblin archer the next time they attacked and he would be fine.


    When they got far enough away, Aerwyn stopped the group and took a potion out from the pack before having Erit lift him down. Laying down in the grass he held the potion and called Velk over.


    "Pull.. the arr..ow.. out.... on-ARGH!" Aerwyn released a muffled, breathless cry as Velk pulled the arrow out before he could finish telling him to go on three.


    The pain was oddly satisfying as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Blood squirted out from the wound for a moment like a sprinkler before he popped the stopper off the vial, pouring half on the wound and drinking the rest.


    "Erit.. have the spiders..." He tried to speak but was still struggling so he entered the darkness and reached for Erit''s soul string.


    "Have the spiders setup another web about a hundred meters out from us. It doesn''t need to be elaborate just enough to slow them down if they decide to chase us, i need to rest." Aerwyn quickly disconnected from her avoiding any complaints about going to kill the goblins before grabbing Rorik''s soul string.


    "Go and scout alone, i want to keep an eye on the goblins."


    "..Fine." Rorik mumbled.


    Aerwyn looked around in the darkness, not sure if he wanted to leave or not. Outside he was uncomfortable and in pain but inside the darkness he felt nothing, the only downside was that time moved much slower in this place. He watched as all the souls both near and far trudge along in slow motion before looking down at the soul of his spear.


    It was a Grade D soul like the tenri and Aerwyn always found it odd that a weapon could have a soul ever since Tylin first mentioned it. If everything he has learned about souls since he woke up is to be believed then that would mean his weapon should be able to grow just like his undead.


    He had mostly ignored it since he learned how to enter the darkness but now that he felt more comfortable in this place, he was curious. Since he didn''t have anything else to do, he reached out to it''s soul string but nothing happened when he took a hold of it. It wasn''t like the connection he had when he grabbed the soul strings of his undead, the soul string of his weapon felt empty or dead.


    Aerwyn attempted to communicate with it to no avail before letting go of the soul string and watching the weapons soul flicker for a while. He decided to leave it be and attempt to feed it a mana core later in hopes of it awakening. Time flowed on slowly and Aerwyn was becoming mind numbingly bored.


    Thinking back to the dream he had of Rorik he grabbed a hold of Rorik''s soul string and attempted to recreate the experience. He imagined he was seeing through Rorik''s eyes and the darkness around him shot into action making his thoughts a reality. The darkness seemed to warp and fold around him as he shot forward much like what he had experienced when Tylin had drugged him.


    Aerwyn saw an explosion of white light before the scene of the forest flying by entered his eyes. Rorik abruptly stopped and crouched before inching his way over to the edge of the forest. The thought of the massive barghest sneaking behind a tiny bush caused Aerwyn to let out a muffled chuckle and Rorik flinched as if he heard him.


    "..Human?" Rorik asked, unsure if he was hearing things.


    "Ah sorry, don''t mind me. Carry on, sneaky dog."


    "...Get out of my head..."


    "Nope, i''m bored and i need to know the situation with the goblins anyway. Deal with it for now, that''s an order sneaky dog."


    "..." Rorik''s anger and indignation were so apparent Aerwyn could feel it in his very soul.


    Soon they reached the location of the webs and Aerwyn could see the many dozens of goblins struggling to break free. The hobgoblins barked orders while the rest of their horde seemed clueless on how to resolve the situation. They tried pulling the trapped goblins out only to lose more to the sticky webs.


    After hours of failed attempts the hobgoblin that Aerwyn assumed to be Glik grabbed a torch from a goblin before walking over and lighting the web aflame. The fire quickly spread as if the webs were coated in oil, the goblins unlucky enough to have been trapped were roasted alive. The sounds of the goblins screams only lasted a moment before the crackling sound of boiling fat and shattering bone overtook it.


    The hobgoblins were far more intelligent than Aerwyn had previously given them credit. By burning the trapped goblins they were in essence denying him more soldiers as well as removing the only obstacle blocking their pursuit of him.


    "Keep your distance but keep an eye on them, try to get behind them if you can. I need to go back and prepare to fight." Aerwyn ordered Rorik, cutting his connection and being warped back into the darkness before opening his eyes. Now that his original plan of trapping and turning the goblins over time had gone awry he decided to fight.


    "Erit pick.. me up." The potion was doing its job and his breathing wasn''t as strained as it was before but he was still far from being well enough to fight.


    "Is something wrong master?"


    "Goblins are.. ten minutes away.. They''re coming..."


    "Are we finally going to eradicate the tiny vermin master?" Erit''s voiced perked up at the thought of battle as she placed Aerwyn and his protectors on her back.


    "Yes... Hunting group.. i want you.. to flank east.. meetup with Rorik... Damned lung!" Aerwyn coughed out a handful of blood and cursed his current situation before laying down on Erit''s back and entering the darkness.


    He grabbed Erit''s soul string and spoke.


    "Have a dozen spiders climb the trees outside of the webs. I want them to attempt to capture the archer hobgoblin at all costs. Have them drop webs on her from the trees, anything, as long as she is taken out of the fight. When the goblins spot us make it seem as though you are fleeing, do it slowly. Do you understand?"


    "Yes master! What should the other spiders do?"


    "Have them near us and seem like they''re fleeing with us, when the battle starts i want them to trap as many goblins in webs as they can."


    Aerwyn grabbed the soul strings of the thirty or so recently turned goblins ordering them to meetup with Rorik before grabbing Rorik''s soul string.


    "I''m sending your hunting group to meetup with you along with the goblins i resurrected in the previous battle. Make sure you keep your distance until they engage. I want you and your group to tie down Frakki and the hobgoblin in chain mail from behind. Do not kill them unless left with no other choice."


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    Not long after Aerwyn opened his eyes, the goblins arrived.

 38 Chapter 38

    The goblins froze when they saw the necromancer atop the giant spider. It began to flee as soon as the goblins had appeared. Glik roared, signalling them to give chase and sent the goblins into a frenzy. They made it only twenty meters before becoming trapped in the webs once again causing Glik to explode in a fit of rage.


    He brutally hacked the ground in front of him with his sword as the female hobgoblin took aim to shoot out an arrow. She heard the trembling sound of charging beasts from behind breaking her concentration. Turning around she saw dozens of undead beasts charging their position, she took aim to fire at the largest beast she could find but right at that moment dozens of thin strings fell over her body from above.


    Struggling, she tried to break free but her futile attempts only tightened the web around her. A few of the spiders dropped down and began crawling circles on her body, covering her in more and more webs. She looked towards Glik and Frakki for help but they were too busy fighting the undead beasts that had flanked them and she was unable to get their attention.


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    She felt a pinch on the back of her neck as the spiders crawled back up the silky string into the trees above. She felt warm for a moment before the feeling of pins and needles echoed out through her body. Every part of her became numb until she could do nothing more than watch as the spiders hoisted her up into the trees.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    After the goblins ran into the webs Aerwyn ordered Erit and the spiders turn back and do battle. The spiders hastily climbed over the goblins trapped in their webs before leaping into the fray. Aerwyn witnessed the female hobgoblin being hoisted into the trees which wasn''t part of his original plan but it was a welcome surprise. If he got more spiders, then fighting in the forest like this would be as easy as picking daisies.


    Unfortunately he didn''t have enough spiders and this battle soon saw it''s first casualty. An undead goblin fighting Glik was decapitated which drew Aerwyn''s attention. Glik was savagely swinging his sword at anything that came near while Frakki dodged and weaved Aerwyn''s undead as if he was dancing.


    More undead were cut off from him as two spiders were caught in their leap by goblin spears and a brexil cat shied too close to Glik''s rapid strikes. He was losing too many undead far too quickly and after looking at the dozens of goblins trapped in the web, he decided to use the same tactics as Glik.


    Aerwyn took aim and fired at the ground beneath the web. The explosion of purple flames engulfed a portion before spreading out rapidly along the thin strands of spider silk. He watched carefully until the last trapped goblin died, standing ready to jump into the darkness at any moment should the flames get out of control again.


    The world seemed to lose all color for a moment as the shock and pain of resurrecting more than seventy goblins at once hit him. It took his breath away as dozens upon dozens of purple tendrils drilled their way out from his chest. The pain wasn''t the worst he''d experienced but along with the hole in his lung he could barely stay conscious.


    Three more spiders and a goblin had died by the time the purple souls had left him. Aerwyn willingly entered the darkness this time but not because his soul was weak, although it had seen better days, but because he needed to recall his flames before they got out of hand. It didn''t hurt that inside the darkness he couldn''t feel the pain his body was experiencing, giving him a short respite.


    Inside the darkness he imagined the flames entering through his hand this time instead of engulfing him. He only had one more pair of clothes left that Tylin had given him and he didn''t feel like running around naked from now on. When he opened his eyes the flames were rocketing towards him, he quickly lifted his hand out in front of him and to his joyful surprise, the flames coiled up into a ball on his palm before disappearing under his skin.


    As his eyes adjusted, Aerwyn saw Frakki stab his dagger through the skull of a brexil cat in the distance. Aerwyn felt rage boil up in him, had the stupid hobgoblin just taken his offer he wouldn''t of lost a single undead. Frakki''s futile attempts to keep his life had costed Aerwyn nine undead and the battle was still far from over.


    Aerwyn aimed his staff, waiting for the hobgoblin to turn his back and let down his guard. Two brexil cats charged from behind and Frakki rapidly turned around before plunging his dagger through another brexil cats skull. Aerwyn''s rage came to a head and he could no longer restrain it as he fired a flame lance across the battlefield.


    Frakki appeared to sense the projectile coming and dodged it but Aerwyn''s experience from fighting Kabba showed itself as the flame lance exploded through Frakki''s legs sending him flying up a meter in the air where a second flame lance was waiting for him. The second flame lance pierced the hobgoblins chest before exploding behind him, sending him tumbling into the back line of the goblins.


    Aerwyn waited until he saw the white soul leave Frakki''s body before turning his attention elsewhere. The newly resurrected goblins were just beginning to stand up so he painstakingly called out an order for them to capture as many goblins as they could. While he held his chest and choked out some blood from his lungs Glik had decapitated another one of his undead goblins.


    Aerywn wiped his mouth and looked towards Rorik''s fight with Glik. It didn''t appear to be going well as Glik''s speed and erratic swings kept his undead back while his chain mail made it difficult for them to damage him. Two brexil cats charged in from behind, one appeared to be the distraction while the other attempted to get inside the chain mail by the opening at Glik''s feet.


    Glik didn''t bother with the distraction, instead stabbing his sword down through the other brexil cats chest and in one fell swoop sliced the creature in half as he lifted his blade. Rorik appeared to have had enough of this farce as he howled a command. A direwolf charged at Glik from behind and when Glik turned to swing Rorik pounced on him.


    Glik didn''t stop fighting even after he was brought down to the ground, instead his swords swings became more frantic and dangerous. Rorik attempted to keep him still but Glik''s blade met with Rorik''s leg, severing it from the barghest''s body. Given the situation and considering Rorik''s personality Aerwyn couldn''t blame him for what happened next. Rorik howled before opening his terrifying jaws and clamped down on the hobgoblin''s head, bursting it like a watermelon.


    Aerwyn sighed and lowered his staff which was locked onto Glik. Surprisingly, this was his first time he would be receiving a B Grade soul, so it wasn''t all a loss. Aerwyn felt weak and didn''t feel like choking on blood once more so he reached out to Rorik along with the freshly resurrected Frakki, ordering them to capture the remaining goblins.


    The spiders were doing a great job at capturing goblins but two more spiders had fallen in rapid succession. More than half of the goblins lay either paralyzed or tangled in webs leaving only about a hundred and fifty left fighting. Aerwyn decided on calling the spiders back for now as he would need them for what came next in his plan.


    He gave Erit free reign to fight now. She had promised him that she would attempt to capture the goblins alive with webs instead of impaling the tiny goblins with her massive fangs. Aerwyn felt light headed so he just laid down atop Erit as she and the rest of the undead finished the battle.


    The sun was rising once it had finally ended and Aerwyn sat back up to inspect the situation. Over three hundred goblins and one hobgoblin lay tangled in webs beneath him. Aerwyn didn''t have anywhere near enough souls to resurrect them all so he planned to bring them back to Ardin for now.


    As far as he knew there were no more goblin tribes nearby, which meant that he wouldn''t be able to create more should they all die. So now he had a decision to make.


    "Frakki, how quickly.. do goblins reproduce?" Aerwyn asked. His breathing had been getting better but he still struggled to speak a full sentence without gasping for air.


    "Very quickly, great one. Pregnancy for goblins only lasts a month and there is always a minimum of five to a litter. Although rare, it''s not unheard of for goblin females to birth upwards of fifteen offspring at a time." Frakki kept his eyes glued to the ground, refusing to look up. Whether that be due to guilt for causing Aerwyn such trouble or due to respect, Aerwyn couldn''t be bothered by it.


    "I''ve noticed that.. there are no children or elderly.. among the goblin villages I''ve raided. Why is that?"


    "Great one, goblins mature to adulthood in just two weeks and the birthing season begins at the end of winter. So unless you raided within the first few weeks of spring, you wouldn''t see any younglings. As far as elders are concerned it''s rare for a goblin to live a full twenty five years of life and even if they did i don''t believe a great being such as yourself would be able to notice such trivialities."


    "Hmm... If you breed so rapidly why.. aren''t there more of you? The forsaken.. lands should be filled with goblins." Speaking so much was beginning to make Aerwyn lightheaded so he sat back down on Erit''s back.


    "There are only eight goblins from the previous generation in my tribe besides me, great one. The forsaken lands are an unforgiving place, goblins die everyday from hunting or gathering food. Between our short lifespans, lack of food, and the dangers of the forsaken lands it''s rare for goblins to live even three years."


    "If i keep.. some of the goblins alive... will you be able.. to make them breed?"


    "I-i try can. Ahem, i mean i can try, great one." Frakki nervously fumbled his words.


    "Good, that shall be.. your job for now on. Erit bring me the female.. hobgoblin."


    "Master! Surely you don''t mean to breed the goblins yourself! If i was a person-" Erit began to use her voice magic before being cut off by Aerwyn.


    "I-" Aerwyn began having a coughing fit as he tried to refuse.


    "-I want to resurrect.. her. Just do as i.. say Erit."

 39 Chapter 39

    After making a fuss Erit lifted up the female hobgoblin and placed her in front of Aerwyn. He stared at her for a moment and turned his gaze to Frakki.


    "Is there any benefit.. of using her.. for breeding?"


    "The children would be goblins, great one. For beings like hobgoblins which aren''t a race of ''people'' the offspring will always be born as the lowest evolution of the race."


    "That''s why i was born an even tinier spider than i am now despite my mother being an arache." Erit added.


    Aerwyn found this new information interesting so he made a mental note to ask Tylin about it the next time he saw him. It was worth checking to see if his undead could breed as well since he was already exploring the idea. Normal undead can''t, but his undead were far from normal so it was worth leaving a dozen or so undead goblins to Frakki for experiments.


    Breaking from his thoughts, he looked down at the female hobgoblin with a complicated look. Even if she did shoot him with an arrow, killing a defenseless sentient creature always gave Aerwyn a bad taste in his mouth. Unfortunately for her, in her final moments of life, a look of pity was the most he could offer her.


    The spider''s paralyzing venom was still in effect so Aerwyn grabbed her head and opened her throat with the blade of his staff. The resurrection process started a few moments later and when she tried to stand the tangled webs caused her to fall.


    "Erit can you remove.. the webs?" Aerwyn asked.


    "I can but she''ll be sticky for days until it all washes off."


    "That''s fine i can burn.. it off her body later. I just.. need her to be able to walk."


    Erit brought down the female hobgoblin before spewing some clear liquid out from her mouth onto the webs. They sizzled and dissolved rapidly allowing the female hobgoblin to stand.


    "What''s your name?" Aerwyn asked.


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    "Jinn, great one." Aerwyn found it odd that much like Frakki, she refused to look at him. She did shoot him with an arrow but they were enemies at the time and none of his other undead acted like this. Shrugging it off he continued.


    "Good. Velk you and Jinn.. have the goblins collect.. the mana cores. Collect the goblin''s weapons too.. Glik''s chain mail.. and sword as well."


    After they finished Aerwyn ordered the undead goblins to carry the weapons back to Ardin before returning. He planned to have the spiders just stick a web to his undead goblins and drag the living back to Ardin for now. It would take a few trips but he didn''t have anything like a cart to carry them yet, not that it would matter as there weren''t any roads through the forest anyway.


    Aerwyn left the brexil cats and spiders to watch over the living before taking the rest of his undead towards the goblin settlement. As they passed the burnt entrance of the forest Aerwyn remembered all the goblins Glik had burned alive and he ordered Frakki to collect their mana cores.


    Once they arrived at the entrance to the settlement Aerywn look to Jinn and asked.


    "Where is the.. treasure?"


    "I can take you." Jinn bowed and began to walk ahead before being stopped by Aerwyn.


    "Wait. Rorik and Velk go make sure nothing''s inside. I don''t need another hole in my chest today." Aerwyn''s words made Jinn freeze and take a pose that seemed to exude shame.


    Eight white souls reached Aerwyn''s chest before Rorik and Velk returned. He motioned for Jinn to lead the way and Erit climbed over the walls to follow. Inside there were about a dozen mud huts lined in the shape of a horseshoe with the hut in the center being the smallest. Most of them were pretty large and each building appeared to be able to hold upwards of fifty goblins at a time.


    Jinn led them to the smaller building in the center and Aerwyn had Erit bring him down off her back. It appeared Glik lived a lifestyle of luxury as the floors were lined with soft fur pelts and he even had an outcropping from the wall that seemed to be a bed of sorts. Aerwyn found it interesting since most goblins he met just sleep on the floor.


    There was another outcropping in the corner of the room and on top of it was the reason for Aerwyn''s visit. To his surprise there was a patina covered golden circlet, he ignored everything else and picked it up to analyze. The golden circlet had nine large crimson gems embedded in it with two empty slots that must''ve held gemstones which were now lost to time.


    "Where did Glik get.. this?" Aerwyn asked looking over to Jinn.


    "When Frakki and i arrived to merge our tribes Glik told us that it was found by the river by his elders."


    "Where are the elders? I never.. seem to see any."


    "In goblin tradition, when elders near the end of their life they name a goblin to succeed them and pass down their knowledge. When the goblin evolves and learns all that they can, they kill the elder and consume their mana core."


    Aerwyn listened but didn''t reply, the complexities of goblin culture had little to do with him and his undead. Looking past the circlet there was a handful of uncut gemstones and a few chunks of shiny ore which he tossed in the pack before walking outside.


    "How do i look?" Aerwyn asked with a pained smile as he placed the circlet on his head.


    "..Hmph." Rorik was the first to chime in showing his disapproval.


    "KWEE! KWEE!" Rin seemed to like it as she jumped around his feet but Ren seemed wholly uninterested.


    "...Shiny..." Velk''s input was duly noted and silence soon followed. Erit noticing a pause, began to give a speech that sounded like she was the advisor to a cruel tyrant. It didn''t help that she used her voice magic making her words all the more enticing.


    "I believe a crown would suit you better master. The world should bow down before your awe inspiring power. They should tremble as your undead legions march across the lands eviscerating all that oppose you and-"


    "Ok, good talk everyone!" Aerwyn interrupted her while taking off the circlet.


    They left the settlement and met up with Frakki before going back to the location where over three hundred goblins now lay cocooned in spider silk. Aerywn set up camp, Ardin was about about a six hour round trip and it would take at least a day for the goblins to carry the living back a hundred at a time. He sent Rorik out for food and rested on Erit''s back for the day allowing his wound to heal.


    The goblins finished hauling the living to Ardin in the dead of night and the next morning Aerwyn returned as well. His wound had mostly healed and he could talk normally again but there was still some pain. His breathing still wasn''t great so he wouldn''t be running around for at least the next two days.


    Once in the comfort of his own home he ordered Rorik and his hunting group to head back out except this time he told them to ignore E Grade souls unless it was for food. Aerwyn was worried that if his hunting parties kept it up the local boar and deer would go extinct.


    Their souls and mana cores weren''t all that useful either so it just wasn''t worth the possibility of losing his precious food. He also sent more goblins with them, bringing the amount of goblins up to twenty. The new goblins added to the group would be in charge of skinning whatever they killed.


    Aerwyn wasn''t sure how to tan animal skin yet but witnessing Glik''s luxurious home had made him feel a tinge of envy. The goblins should know how to do it and if they didn''t he could always ask Tylin or Marik. Ideally he could even make some crude armor for him and the goblins and save some money when it comes time to buy armor.


    The new goblin slaves were still cocooned and packed in a building near the old west gate. Goblins stunk and he didn''t want them near where he slept so he had the spiders cover the one story building in webs to prevent any from escaping. He ordered Frakki to pick out fifty males and fifty females to use for breeding. The rest would be turned undead as soon as he had enough souls and put to work with the rest.


    Those chosen would be released from their cocoons and kept in a another building where they would be free to move around but not able to leave. The spiders excluding Erit would be in charge of making sure none of them escaped and paralyzing the less than cooperative ones if they acted out.

 40 Chapter 40

    Aerywn spent the rest of the day lazing about and looking through the books on the second floor of his broken spire. He couldn''t actually read the language but some pages were illustrated with drawings of beasts and such, so he enjoyed skimming through them. Once night came he took out Glik''s mana core and began using it to prod his staff in hopes that it could somehow absorb it.


    Rin and Ren watched as he sat there for half an hour poking and prodding the staff with the mana core to no avail. When Aerwyn looked up and saw them staring at him he went red from embarrassment. Rin looked confused but playfully curious, while Ren took a step back as if he was a crazy man that might try to eat her.


    "...I-i was trying to get the staff to absorb the mana core... Don''t look at me like i''m crazy." Aerwyn attempted to explain himself but Ren didn''t buy it.


    "Kwee..." Ren took another step back and squeaked out a response as if saying ''Sure, totally makes sense...''.


    "You... You chase around a string for fun! I don''t need to explain myself to you!" Aerwyn stuck out his tongue but Ren was already keeping a safe three meter distance from him as if trying to avoid catching his crazy.


    "KWEE!" Rin squealed at Ren in agreement. Aerwyn looked at the precious creature who always had his back and pounced on her, nuzzling his face against hers.


    "Rin always sticks up for me, here you can have Glik''s mana core. In fact you can have all the mana cores and none for that stinky Ren, right?" Aerwyn held Rin like a baby before pointing accusingly at Ren who simply ignored the two.


    "KWEE!" Rin squealed in agreement once more.


    He laid there on the floor deep in thought while cuddling with Rin. If the staff couldn''t absorb mana cores then the only way to evolve it would be to use his soul like he did Rorik. The only problem was that he rarely had enough souls to do everything he wanted and this was no different. While it did seem like he could evolve things with his soul, that was just an assumption and he wasn''t a hundred percent sure if it would work.


    Aerwyn called Teek through the darkness and once she arrived he gave her three zin beetle cores. She happily accepted and as soon as the little crystals entered her hand they vanished into her mouth. Next he handed two zin beetle cores to Rin who promptly ate them. Ren walked over under the assumption she was next and Aerwyn looked at her with a massive grin.


    "Oh? Do you need something from me?" Ren froze as Aerwyn tossed the mana cores up and down with a hideous smile as if he was some sort of sleazy extortionist. She stared at him for a moment before charging in like a bull, slamming her head into his shin and storming off. Aerwyn hollered, pretending he was hurt and Ren paused to look back.


    "Come back ya baby i was just joking, here." Aerwyn knelt down and held his hand out. Ren ran over, grabbed the mana cores with her mouth and ran off without so much as a ''thank-kwee''. He sighed and decided to call it a night, going back downstairs to cuddle with Rin until sleep took him.


    The following day the wound on his chest was now but a scar and he felt good enough to check in on things around the city. Aerwyn found Bon on the southern avenue, he was tilting his head and staring at the building before him appearing to be lost in thought.


    "..What are you doing?" Aerwyn asked curiously.


    "Ah, master! I-i''m helping Kabba with clearing the city. T-there are many buildings which could still be used so I''ve been inspecting them one by one."


    "I didn''t know you were a stone mason too." Aerwyn chuckled.


    "I-i''m n-not master. I''m just looking for cracks in the stone... I-it seemed like a waste to tear down perfectly good buildings." Bon grew even more nervous than usual and Aerwyn felt bad for making fun of him.


    "I''m joking, good work. I wanted to ask you how goblins make fur pelts like the ones in the spire." Aerwyn patted his shoulder and assured him as he spoke.


    "I have never done it myself but i believe they simply skin the animal and leave the hide out for a few months."


    "Really? Hmm... Do they know how to make leather?"


    "No master, leather like what Kabba wears is rare for goblins. I believe he found it off an orc''s corpse a few years ago."


    "Alright, i''ll have to ask Tylin about it then. For now i want you to set aside a few goblins to handle the pelts that the hunting group brings back. Keep up the good work."


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    "Yes master." Bon gave a short bow before returning his gaze to the building.


    After leaving Bon, Aerwyn decided to roam the city for a bit. The new troll Tylin had given him along with the extra hundred or so undead goblins he brought back from the battle were really helping with the city clearing project. Unfortunately though, most of the city would be destroyed as the buildings were too unsafe to use.


    He wouldn''t be surprised if only a dozen structure''s made the cut as nature and time were truly harsh on the city of Ardin. Soon he found himself outside the underground entrance which would eventually become his mine. He was curious how much progress they had made and was dumbfounded at how quickly they worked.


    The vosk had already carved out about half a kilometer of stone and earth. They still had nearly twenty kilometers until they reached the cavern but Aerwyn didn''t need them to, at least not right away. Once the vosk reached the cave that connected the underground passage to the cavern it would allow Erit to travel back and forth from Ardin.


    It would be a pretty tight squeeze for Erit but he wanted to go back to the cavern and get some more spiders soon anyway. Aerwyn left the vosk alone to do their work and headed over to Frakki.


    Once he arrived at the building that was being used to house the goblins chosen for breading, he witnessed Frakki making throaty grunting noises through the window.


    "...How''s the breeding going?"


    "KRAK GANAKU!" "KRAK! KRAK!" The screechy voices of clamoring goblins poured out from the window.


    "Ah! Great one, t-the goblins refuse to listen to me. They''re aware of their situation as slaves but


    they refuse to mate. I-i don''t know what to do." Aerwyn seemed to have startled him as Frakki jumped the moment he heard Aerwyn''s voice and immediately tilted his head to stare at the floor.


    "Are they aware that if they refuse to mate then they serve no purpose to me?"


    "G-great one, goblin language isn''t complex enough to thoroughly explain... There are only a handful of words and noises they can understand and since they know i''m an undead they won''t listen."


    "Would they not mate if we just left them in there long enough?"


    "It''s possible..."


    "Keep trying for now, if there''s still no progress in a few weeks then i can ask Tylin... Ah, that''s right you don''t know him... He''s an evil elf necromancer who creates poison that makes white furry goblins appear, you''ll meet him eventually." Aerwyn patted him on the back and noticed Frakki shivering.


    "...Are you cold?" Aerwyn asked, displaying a concerning smile to the hobgoblin.


    "N-no great one..."


    "Hmm... I wonder if undead can even feel the cold..." Aerwyn nodded and walked off mumbling to himself.


    He noticed Kabba in the distance working hard with the rest of his undead and Aerwyn realized he was the only one in the entire city with nothing to do.


    "Master i''m bored!" Erit appeared behind at the perfect moment as if she were an echo of his thoughts.


    "...Me too. Go round up some of the spiders, lets start covering the forest surrounding Ardin in webs."


    "Ok!" Erit skittered off leaving Aerwyn to his thoughts.


    She returned a short time later with a dozen spiders and they took off for the forest. Aerwyn sat nearby and played with his flames while Erit and the spiders plastered the forest with webs. He tried to make his flames appear in a ball like he did during the last battle but no matter what he tried it wouldn''t take form.


    It was a strange sensation, he felt as though he should be able to completely control his flames as if they were just another one of his limbs but it felt limp and weak. It was as if he was trying to grab a ball off the ground but his arm was completely numb, he could get his fingers to touch the ball but he couldn''t complete the action of actually grabbing it.


    As night fell he gave up his futile attempts and had Erit bring him back to Ardin.

 41 Chapter 41

    That night Aerwyn fed Rin and Ren the rest of the zin beetle cores while Teek was the first to start on the new goblin core diet. The next morning Sera and Jeren appeared with a bald headed guest. The elf wore a rangers outfit and looked only a few years older than him. Aerwyn couldn''t help but find his shaved head rather unnatural looking for an elf.


    "This is the head ranger of Lyr, Master Ynir. Jeren and i got to talking about you and when we were getting ready to leave he asked to come along to meet you..." Sera paused as she turned to introduce him but was met with empty space. Looking down Master Ynir was on all fours staring at Rin and Ren in wonder.


    "What wonderful magic! Sera tells me your undead hold on to their identity even after death. Is this true?" Master Ynir crawled closer, causing Ren to take an attack posture while Rin snuck away behind Aerwyn''s leg to avoid the odd characters gaze.


    "...Yes?" Aerwyn was dumbfounded at the sight of such a prominent member of elven society chasing around his brexil cats on the floor like a curious toddler. Jeren rolled his eyes and spoke.


    "Forgive my cousin Aerwyn, he was dropped on his head as a child many, many times."


    "OI! Is that any way to speak to a head ranger!" Master Ynir yelled out but continued to chase Ren and Rin around Aerwyn''s legs.


    "Pfft, sure ''head ranger''. You are the product of nepotism and a lack of better options in Lyr after your father retired." Jeren mocked.


    They argued back and forth for a bit and Aerwyn sensing another verbal bout starting, decided to continue with his answer to Master Ynir''s question.


    "They keep their free will for the most part, but they listen to my orders. They see me as a leader of sorts but it''s different with each undead, at least that''s what Tylin believes."


    "How many do you have?" Master Ynir asked.


    "Right now... I believe nearly three hundred. I have another two hundred goblins stored that i plan to bring back when i recover my strength a bit."


    "Would you be willing to help out Lyr with our jakku problem?" Master Ynir finally stood up and put on a much more professional appearance.


    "Jakku are like birds Aerwyn. They''re pests that eat anything and can destroy crops overnight." Sera sensed his confusion and explained. Jeren walked by him and whispered in his ear.


    "If you agree, make sure the cheapskate pays you."


    "OI! I heard that!" Master Ynir howled.


    "Sure, i don''t mind. Truth be told, i was feeling bored lately anyway. Is there a blacksmith in Lyr?"


    "Of course! Lyr has it all! It''s a great place to live if you ever get tired of living in these ruins."


    "Shameless..." Jeren grabbed his face and nodded his head.


    The fact that Lyr had a blacksmith had Aerwyn excited. He had many more goblins than he currently had weapons and Marik could only produce about thirty spears a week so having another blacksmith working on it would be a great help. Unfortunately he didn''t have much to trade at the moment.


    He wanted to hold on to the golden circlet and make a deal with Marik for it if possible. So all he to trade was about two hundred mana cores, the few chunks of ore, and a handful of raw gemstones. He would no doubt get mana cores from the jakku but Sera had told him that they were D Grade cores which weren''t all that expensive.


    The next morning Aerwyn said his farewells to Sera and Jeren before leaving Ardin with Master Ynir. He took Erit, Jinn, and Velk with him along with the spiders. If he was going to be hunting bird-like creatures then the goblins would be fairly useless so he left them working on the city projects under Bon''s supervision.


    They traveled south along the river the entire day, occasionally making chit chat here and there. The group only stopped to make camp when it was well into the night. Aerwyn was curious as to where they were so he lit his eyes aflame and looked around. He recognized the mountain nearby as the place he had exited the underground with Erit.


    The following morning the traveled along the river for another hour before reaching the ferry crossing. The ferryman appeared to see Erit first and believing it was an attack, began to hastily untie the small boat from the dock to flee. Master Ynir quickly darted over to comfort the elf and explain the situation.


    Aerwyn ignored them and looked to the wooden palisades of Lyr across the river. The village of Lyr apparently didn''t have an overabundance of stone like Setrhyn did and as far as he could tell from this distance, it looked like all the buildings inside were made of wood as well. After Master Ynir calmed the ferryman down and he turned to Aerwyn with a helpless look.


    "The hobgoblins will fit in the boat but the spiders..."


    "It''s fine, they can swim across." Aerwyn jumped off Erit''s back with Rin and Ren before ordering Erit to take the spiders across the river.


    Once inside of Lyr, Master Ynir took him on a tour of the village. It was much smaller than Setrhyn and all of the buildings were in the same peculiar shape that he had never seen before. They looked like a horn on its side or a triangular cornucopia. They were large too, appearing as though dozens of people lived in each one.


    Aerwyn was about to ask about the design choice when an elf in black robes walked by in the distance and caught his eyes. He was looking at a scroll as he walked and took a quick glance toward the commotion Erit was causing before returning his gaze once more to the scroll. The elf took another step and froze, casting a stunned gaze back over to the giant abyssal spider.


    However the elf''s eyes weren''t locked onto Erit, it was the purple flames in her eyes that bore the brunt of his stare.


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    "Master, that creepy elf won''t stop staring at this little spiders beautiful eyes." Erit used her voice magic but Aerwyn could tell by the tone of her voice she was obviously annoyed.


    "If i had to guess, i''d say that''s Lyr''s necromancer. Just put up with it for now, it appears all necromancers are just like Tylin..." Aerwyn sighed.


    "Which elf are you.. Oh... Yeah that''d be Nyris, Lyr''s resident necromancer." Master Ynir tried to match Aerwyn''s gaze and sighed as well when he found the elf they were talking about.


    Nyris looked young, just like Master Ynir and his skin was an extremely pale shade of blueish grey. He had long white hair that fell straight down past his shoulders and a skinnier frame than even Aerwyn. It was the first time Aerwyn had met someone skinnier than him and it brought a huge boost to his ego, especially since he had been putting on weight lately.


    Nyris approached them while still in a state of shock and wonder as his eyes danced from Erit to Velk, continuing along all of his undead before landing on Aerwyn atop the giant spider.


    "Master Ynir, w-who is this?" Nyris''s voice wasn''t unpleasant but it wasn''t easy on the ears either.


    "This is Aerwyn, the rangers of Setrhyn found him not too long ago and helped him recover from his wounds. He took the Ruins of Ardin as his home and lives there now."


    "How?" Nyris asked.


    "How what, elf. Speak properly when you address my master." Erit spoke harshly frightening the necromancer who had never seen an undead speak before.


    "It''s fine Erit, I assume you''re asking about my undead. The short answer is i don''t know, nor did Tylin, the necromancer in Setrhyn."


    "They... They can speak too?" Nyris seemed lost as everything he had learned about necromancy seemed to fly out the window.


    "They retain their souls and free will after i bring them back but only those who had the ability to use language before their death can speak. Velk say hi."


    "...Hi..." Velk grunted out in a creepy voice.


    The necromancer then proceeded to bombard Aerwyn with questions until Master Ynir finally calmed him down. Aerwyn didn''t see any harm in it so he explained a bit about his power and what he had learned thus far. Nyris insisted on joining him on the jakku hunt, claiming to want to see the process Aerwyn used.


    Aerwyn didn''t think he''d be able to tell him anything new about his power that Tylin hadn''t already said but it was still worth the shot on the off chance Nyris noticed something Tylin missed. He decided to hold off going to the blacksmith until he got more mana cores and instead ate some lunch with Master Ynir and Nyris as they updated him on the happenings of Lyr.

 42 Chapter 42

    They explained the layout of the lands surrounding Lyr. There was an orc village about fifty kilometers east and north of that was the Millinic Kingdom''s capital which now lay in ruins. The jakku nest that was causing Lyr problems was based in a cave on the small mountain to the north.


    It wasn''t that Master Ynir or Nyris couldn''t kill a few jakku, in fact according to them, the creatures were fairly easy to kill when they were alone. It was just that there were hundreds of them living in the cave and they bred at a stunning rate so unless they cleared the nest they would quickly repopulate.


    When a threat approached their nest they would swarm and attack using their four dagger like limbs to impale any would be trespasser, making it difficult for the few elven rangers Lyr had to deal with it. It would pose a problem for Aerwyn as well if he decided on getting too close without a plan.


    "The pay is twenty five silver per hundred you kill. You can do what you want with the mana cores or bodies." Master Ynir spoke, bringing the lunch to a close.


    "Ok, i''ll head off now then i guess."


    "It''ll take you all day to reach their nest, you can stay the night and head off in the morning if you like."


    "That''s ok, I''ve lazed around enough for the past few days. Nyris ya coming?"


    "I just need to grab a few things, i''ll meet you by the gates." Nyris didn''t bother with formalities and ran off in a hurry.


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    Master Ynir walked with Aerwyn to the gates and they waited until Nyris showed up with a horse fifteen minutes later. The pair bid Master Ynir goodbye and headed off to the north, traveling until night fell. Nyris''s bombardment of questions began the moment they stopped and Aerwyn immediately cut him off to go to bed.


    They arrived at the edge of the forest that surrounded the mountain the next day. Aerwyn could see a few of the creatures coming and going out from the cave entrance but they just looked like tiny flying blobs at this distance.


    "Do they come out more during the day or night?" Aerwyn asked Nyris as he watched more and more jakku leave the nest.


    "I believe they only come out in the day but some are still active during the night."


    "Ok... Erit you and the spiders cover everything surrounding us in webs, like a dome. Make sure there''s no gaps except for a small hole for the spiders to come and go."


    Erit got to work with the spiders as he kept an eye on the cave entrance. He asked Nyris if there was any other cave entrances the jakku used but he didn''t seem to know. It shouldn''t matter either way as the webs surrounding them were placed for that very reason but he''d much rather catch them at the cave entrance than risk them getting so close.


    Night fell and the traffic from the cave slowed to only one or two coming back every half hour. Aerwyn decided it was time and began giving his orders.


    "I want the spiders to sneak up to the cave and seal off the entrance with webs. If you''re spotted run back here as quickly as you can. If things go well we shouldn''t even need to fight."


    "What about this little spider?" Erit asked with her voice magic.


    "You''re too... Just stay here little spider." Aerwyn almost said she was ''too big'' which would''ve led to a long winded speech about her becoming a person so he chose the safer, quieter route. Erit giggled and the spiders took off towards the cave.


    They reached the cave only after a minute or two and began quietly covering the fifteen meter tall, two meter wide entrance in webs. They jumped in unison crisscrossing their webs like Aerwyn had taught them. Once the cave was blocked off they scurried back to Aerwyn for the next part of the plan.


    He crouched by the hole in the web, aiming his staff far enough from the cave entrance so that the explosion wouldn''t ignite the webs but still close enough for the jakku to hear it. The flame lance hit the mountain exploding out in all of its fiery brilliance and the battle began.


    A shrill piercing cry traveled out from the cave which was soon followed by many, many more. The web at the entrance bulged out like a bubble as hundreds upon hundreds of jakku flew into it in their mad dash to swarm the trespasser. The bubble rebounded and the squawking sounds died down little by little as time went on.


    Aerwyn waited an hour before ordering Erit to use her saliva and melt an exit through the webs that surrounded them. They walked to the cave entrance and saw hundreds of the creatures endlessly struggle to break free of the webs.


    They were about the size of an eagle with black leathery skin and orange stripes. Their wings connected directly to their dragon-like heads making it look as though they were wearing hooded cloaks. Underneath the wings there were four legs that came to a sharp point like a stake made out of bone.


    In the gaps between the jakku, Aerwyn could still see many more inside the cave quietly watching the entrance. The cave was rather small despite the large entrance which gave Aerwyn an idea.


    "Erit make a tiny hole through the web, big enough for me to stick my staff through." Aerwyn ordered and she stabbed her giant leg through web making a hole.


    He stuck his spear through as countless jakku tried to impale him through the webs. He began firing a barrage of flame lances at the back of the cave, causing the creatures fly into a frenzy. Whether it was due to the ever increasing temperature inside the cave or if it was just their nature to attack anything that came near, the creatures that weren''t caught in the web began darting at it en masse.


    Aerwyn felt satisfied when there was only a few stragglers left that were still free. The web was completely full with nearly eight hundred exhausted jakku squirming about in a futile attempt to break free.


    "Erit, keep fifty alive for me to resurrect, kill the rest. Velk and Jinn, you guys can harvest the mana cores."


    "Master! This little spider didn''t even get to do any fighting! It wasn''t fun at all!" Erit whined.


    "I''d rather it be easy like this than get shot with an arrow again. Plus i need way more souls if i''m going to evolve you all so stop complaining and get to it. Pick me out fifty first, i want to have them ready in case any stragglers show up." Aerwyn jumped off her back with Rin and Ren before walking over to Nyris.


    Erit rolled a bundle of jakku and spider silk in front of him and he created a small flame on his finger, lighting it ablaze. The pain wasn''t all that bad, jakku were D Grade souls after all. Nyris stood by and watched as he mumbled to himself in shock as the souls were absorbed into Aerwyn.


    "T-this shouldn''t be possible..."


    "Tylin said the same thing, i-"


    "No, you don''t understand! It''s one thing to separate one''s own soul to become a lich, that alone is a feat worthy of admiration but what you''re doing is far different... You''re denying the reincarnation cycle, an unbreakable rule for all of creation. I''ve never met Tylin but he should know this fact too if he witnessed your power. Unless..." Nyris was exasperated, almost fearful as he explained.


    "...What do you mean?" Aerwyn became worried as it seemed like Nyris was implying Tylin had kept something from him.


    "It''s difficult to explain... Souls must be reincarnated, even the gods... don''t have the ability to completely stop the process, only hinder it for a time. But what happens to the souls you consume? Where do the souls go?


    ...Before the gods created the underworld, souls would expel their excess energy before returning to the world and await reincarnation. With your power you are consuming both soul and the excess energy it contains, thus removing that soul from the world in it''s entirety. Where it goes is still a mystery to me but i''m certain it isn''t returning to reincarnation which is far more profound than i think you realize.


    The gods don''t use mana like mortals do, they draw power from the excess energy given off by souls and convert it to a power they call divinity. The more devout the soul the more energy it can offer up, allowing the gods to siphon off a small fraction before it returns to the world. So far you''ve stolen the equivalent of a drop of water compared to the whole ocean but it won''t matter to them. You''re power would allow you to take the whole ocean for yourself if left unchecked.


    You must take care from now on. If any of the three races learned of your power, the gods would surely declare a holy war to destroy you at all costs. You are a bigger threat to them than you could ever possibly imagine."


    "Why wouldn''t Tylin tell me that?"


    "Any Fae''Laran necromancer would be able to immediately ascertain what your power represents. As for why, i don''t know. It''s possible he came to the same conclusion as i did, that... you weren''t born a mortal."

 43 Chapter 43

    "...What?" Aerwyn stared at Nyris, unable to process his last few words.


    "There has never been any other living beings on Alduun, native or otherwise, without a mana core. I believe that although you are a mortal now, you weren''t born as one. When gods ascend their mana core''s are absorbed by their souls, fundamentally changing them. It is a necessary process that allows them to absorb divinity.


    So either you are completely unique in all the worlds of creation or you were simply born with divinity. The easiest answer is most often the one that rings true."


    "Then why can''t i remember anything?"


    "That... I don''t know. If it''s true that your soul was in a weakened state when you first woke... It''s possible that your soul was destroyed along with your divinity. The soul is one''s identity, if your soul was destroyed then you would be no more the god Aerwyn than you are the necromancer Nyris."


    "W-what does that mean?" Aerwyn was confused even without the complex explanation.


    "...It means that if true, you would never recover your memories. The you now wouldn''t be the same being as the you that was a god, however that leads to even more questions. The most obvious being that you still somehow possess your power despite not possessing divinity or a mana core." Nyris spoke nearly the same words regarding his memories that Tylin had as if to confirm Tylin was hiding this from him.


    Aerwyn went quiet as his mind began racing. He felt like he should ask more questions but he couldn''t think of any as his mind was full of the thought that the very gods themselves were trying to destroy him. The faceless man in his dream appeared powerful but Aerwyn would''ve never of guessed he was that powerful.


    If this was true, then he hoped the gods believed he was dead but he didn''t like the thought of sitting on his hands and hoping. Even if there was the tiniest of possibilities that the gods were aware that he survived, he needed to be prepared.


    "Tylin told me a bit about the gods when he told me the story of the Fae''Laran but he didn''t go into great detail. What exactly can they do to me if they found out i was still alive?"


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    "Their power is limited, especially given the timing. The last world invasion was over two hundred years ago and we''re long overdo for another. They still hadn''t fully recovered from cursing the Fae''Laran when the orcs invaded two hundred years later and millions of lives were lost because of it. Rolan, Selene, and Malach were forced to allow dozens more to ascend just so the world wasn''t overrun so i doubt they''d be willing to expend power like that again.


    The gods main strength is their ability to grant a minute fraction of their embodiment to those who follow them. For instance Malach can grant his most devout with the power of fire, allowing them control over the element. If i had to guess, they''d most likely consider you an invader and call a crusade." Nyris''s answer surprised Aerwyn.


    "They can''t just directly kill me with their power?"


    "No and even if they could, their power might not work on you now that you''re in the mortal realm. Gods can only directly affect mortal beings with curses and blessings who are originally from their world but it''s possible that you wouldn''t be considered from Alduun since you were born in the divine realm. This is all speculation of course, so don''t curse me in death if i turned out to be wrong."


    While fighting the entire world wasn''t great, it was certainly better than being struck by a lightning bolt while he was going about his day. It at least gave him a chance to survive if he could grow his undead army large enough. It was possible to spend his life in hiding but he would always be fearful of the gods discovering him, he shut that idea down as soon as it came into his mind.


    He wouldn''t sit back and be hunted like some animal for the rest of his life, now that he knew who his enemy was he would turn the tables and become the hunter. For that he needed far more than just a few hundred undead beasts but that in turn left him with another problem. He was already running out of creatures to resurrect in the area surrounding Ardin which meant he would have to spread out into orc territory sooner or later.


    The memory of Velk''s little excursion to the north was still fresh in his mind and that was only a ''lesser orc'', yet it still managed to kill so many of his undead. The thought of fighting the orcs was both frightening and exciting to him. If they were that powerful then surely they would make even more powerful undead if he could resurrect them.


    Consuming their souls would allow him to evolve more of his undead too which would add even more power to his forces. Strangely enough the idea made his mouth water and when he noticed he shook his head and looked back at Nyris.


    "How many gods are there?" Aerwyn asked, curious if he might recognize his name or his parents if he heard it.


    "The Fae''Laran have very little contact with the outside world and there are undoubtedly hundreds of gods by now. If you''re trying to find your identity you''ll have to leave the forsaken lands, you won''t find a list of gods here."


    Aerwyn sighed, it seemed like one question was answered but a thousand questions popped up in it''s place, leaving him worse off. At least he had some semblance of a long term goal now that he knew who his enemies were, even if that goal was as laughably improbable as fighting the gods.


    The whole thing felt surreal to him. He wondered what his parents were like and if he had any siblings or friends but the more time he spent thinking about it, the more empty he felt. Nyris noticed his complicated expression and tried to comfort him.


    "You''ll be safe in the forsaken lands for now. The gods see through the eyes of their believers and they have to be actively looking as well. You''d be hard pressed to find any beings worshiping Alduun''s gods here, at least not until the gate opens once more."


    "What do you mean?"


    "When the gate opens again the three races will send an army to deal with it. If they see your power there''s a chance the gods may be watching too."


    "No i meant about the gate, it always opens in the same spot? How do the forsaken races live through it then?"


    "Ah, the short answer is we hide and attempt to communicate if the army comes too close. For the Fae''Laran, we retreat behind Tyres Gate until the fighting is done. The armies are here for the world seed so they generally won''t waste their time fighting defeated armies of past invasions unless they stand in their way. The real trouble come after the war as the races end up fighting over territory in the forsaken lands."


    "Why don''t they just destroy the gate?"


    "The gate cannot be destroyed, it''s an artifact left over from creation like the world seed. Once it opens it can only be closed by destroying the invaders divine icon."


    "Master we''re done!" Erit called out and broke the the conversation.


    This little job ended up netting him seven hundred and thirty three D Grade mana cores which would be enough to buy around fifteen spears if he included the payment from Master Ynir. Aerwyn and the rest returned to the forest edge and spent the night under it''s protection. His anxious mind made sleeping near impossible, only managing to finally get some rest when the sun was about to rise.


    They reached Lyr by nightfall and Aerwyn stayed the night in Nyris''s guest room. After breakfast the next morning he went out in search of Master Ynir to receive his payment. Once the payment was out of the way Master Ynir attempted to recruit Aerwyn to live in Lyr once more but he was politely denied again before Aerwyn left to put in his order with the blacksmith.


    The smithy was at the edge of town and as he got near the smell of oil and smoke filled the air. The blacksmith was short and had a rugged appearance with long black hair tied in a knot. He had a long black beard that was speckled with grey which showed his years. Aerwyn thought he looked more like a tall dwarf than a short elf as he hammered some smoldering steel.


    "Hello?" Aerwyn called out atop Erit.


    "..." The blacksmith lifted his head for a moment giving Aerwyn a quick look before returning to his work.


    "..Um i''d like to place an order?" Aerwyn wasn''t sure how to deal with this elf, Marik was rude but at least he acknowledged his presence.

 44 Chapter 44

    The elven blacksmith sighed, putting down his hammer and looking back up to Aerwyn.


    "...What do you need?" The blacksmith asked with a voice full of apathy.


    "Is... Is this a bad time? I can come back-"


    "Just tell me what you need." The blacksmith interrupted him but it was odd, he didn''t seem like he was trying to get rid of him or be rude by it.


    "Ok..." Aerwyn jumped down with his pack and emptied the contents on an empty table.


    "I have a hundred and seventy five silver, some mana cores, ore, and gems to trade. I need spears made, two meters long with a fifteen centimeter spearhead. How many would you be able to make for all this?" The blacksmith took out an abacus and began taking count of the goods before mouthing out a quiet response.


    "...Between forty and forty five."


    The elf''s expression seemed empty as if all the fire within him had been extinguished. He looked as though he was just going through the motions of life waiting to for the sweet release of death, it made Aerwyn pity him.


    "That''s a deal then. How long will it take to make? I''m Aerwyn by the way."


    "Two weeks." The blacksmith poured Aerwyn''s goods into a sack and walked away ending the conversation without ever giving his name.


    Aerwyn stood there stunned for a minute and deciding not to press the issue, he left. He said his goodbyes to Nyris who reiterated the warning about his power before leaving Lyr and heading back to Ardin. While they traveled Aerwyn entered the darkness and connected to one of the jakku like he did with Rorik, allowing him to see through its eyes.


    The creature squawked the moment the connection was completed as if it had sensed the foreign presence in it''s mind. High in the sky, Aerwyn could see endless forest in all directions, the river that ran parallel to Ardin, the mountains to the far north by Setrhyn, and the ocean to the south. It was a pleasant experience and he spent most of the trip back to Ardin looking through the eyes of the jakku.


    He wondered if he could use them as scouts but he wasn''t sure if his undead could reach out to him the same way he could reach out to them. If the jakku could notify him when they found something of note then that would be the most ideal situation and it would allow him to have eyes all over the forsaken lands.


    Disconnecting from the jakku he reached for Rorik''s soul string, he hadn''t heard from the mangy mutt in a few days and felt like annoying him by testing his theory out with him.


    "Rorik, what''s going on buddy?" Aerwyn mocked.


    "...What do you want human?"


    "So grouchy... Anyway i want to test something. After i disconnect from you i want you to try and reach out to me, just like i''m doing now."


    "..Fine."


    Aerwyn disconnected and sure enough a few moments later Rorik''s demonic voice was heard speaking draexich in his mind.


    "Rsaz zi''arsuhrph nil suhnu ini''ar"


    "You said something rude again didn''t you... Whatever, i don''t care anymore. Things have changed, come back to Ardin for now. I need to speak with everyone."


    Aerwyn arrived at Ardin late in the night and called a meeting in the city square the next morning. In attendance was Rorik, Erit, Teek, Gebb, the hobgoblins and of course his little protectors Rin and Ren. Aerwyn gave them a once over while scratching his head unsure of where to start.


    "So i learned something in Lyr and it affects all of you so i thought i should mention it. It just sounds silly saying this out loud... Ahem... There''s a chance that i was born a god and there''s also a chance the gods may be looking for me even now. The necromancer Nyris..." Aerwyn began explaining all that he learned from Nyris to varying responses.


    "...You called me back for this nonsense? If you''re a god then i''m the almighty creator." Rorik scoffed.


    "Stupid mutt! Your master could be a god, as in you were lucky enough to have been named by a god. Show some appreciation!" Erit cried out, a hint of jealousy in her tone.


    "KWEEEE!" Rin joined her side as well.


    "INSECT YOU DARE!" Rorik roared back and seeing how things were getting intense Aerwyn intervened.


    "Rorik shut up and sit down, that''s an order." The flames in Rorik''s eyes went wild as if to show his rage. Kabba began jumping around swinging his short sword around in the air.


    "Master! Master! Kabba will chop off the puny gods heads if they come to fight!"


    "...Very good Kabba but don''t jump around with your sword, it''s dangerous." Kabba began to sulk and Aerwyn was about to console him but Bon spoke instead.


    "M-master, that''s not all, right?"


    "You''re right. While it''s still possible that Nyris is wrong about my origins, the threat remains the same whether i was born a god or a mortal. The gods won''t abide by our existence once they learn of us, if they haven''t already. So we need to grow quickly and for us to do that we''re going to need to consume the forsaken races, that''s the only way we have any shot at defending ourselves."


    "B-but master, the forsaken races are not to be taken lightly."


    "I''m aware, we won''t be taking them on until we''re prepared. Gebb how is the progress with the underground tunnel?"


    "We gon'' reach da cave in two days mastah."


    "Good, when you do notify me. In the meantime, Erit and Rorik take your hunting groups out and get me as many souls and mana crystals as you can. From today onward all named undead should be eating the highest quality mana cores they can each day and when you evolve i''ll be naming more. Frakki how''s the goblin breeding going?"


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    "Great one, they still refuse my words. It''s possible that it''s due to it not being the goblin mating season but i am not sure."


    "I should have asked Nyris about it... It''s fine, keep trying for now. Bon come with me, the rest can get back to work."


    The group dispersed and Bon followed Aerwyn as he walked to the building holding the goblins that weren''t chosen for breeding. The inside of the room was coated in webs keeping the goblins trapped in place. Aerwyn knelt down, igniting the flames on his hands and spreading it to the webs before walking back out and looking to Bon.


    "Can you sense which goblins would be able to learn magic like you?"


    "I can try master but it is rare for a goblin to be able to control mana outside their body."


    Aerwyn closed his eyes entering the darkness and recalling his flames once all the goblins had died. The shock of resurrection hit him as his eyes opened, taking his breath away as uncountable purple tendrils squirmed about on his chest. The pain wasn''t awful so once he got passed the initial shock he turned to Bon once more.


    "Find all the goblins who can use magic and bring them to me, they''ll be the next ones to get named along with the trolls."


    "Yes master."


    Aerwyn sent the freshly resurrected goblins to Kabba and spent the majority of the day checking up on the progress of the city. It was unfortunate but the wooden walls wouldn''t hold up against an army assaulting it, they would put up about as much defense as a wall of paper. He planned to upgrade it in the future but it was looking like that would have to be an expedited project now.


    Bon found him just before sunset and with him were two little green goblins in rags.


    "These are the only two in the city who have the ability to use magic master."


    "Good, you can be... Wait, what are their genders? I don''t want to name another female a mans name, i already feel guilty enough with Teek."


    "There''s a female and a male, master." Aerwyn looked at the two goblins unable to tell the difference before staring at Bon incredulously.


    "...Care to elaborate which is which Bon?"


    "Ah, my apologies master. This is the male and that''s the female." Bon pointed them out and Aerwyn started with the male.


    "You can be Jora and you can be Nora."


    The goblins seemed pleased with their names, hopping up and down with glee as Aerwyn continued to speak with Bon.


    "Begin teaching them, if we have an abundance of mana cores you can feed them some, same goes for the trolls after i name them too."


    "I will do as you say master."


    After Bon left Aerwyn went and found the trolls. It was late in the night by now and his tired mind wasn''t at his best so he named them Mogg, Rogg, and Cogg. Whether they were awful names or not didn''t seem to matter to the trolls so Aerwyn patted himself on the back and called it a night.

 45 Chapter 45

    Eight days had passed before Aerwyn felt that he had gathered enough souls to create more undead spiders. The vosk had reached the underground cave and even widened it a little, allowing Erit to fit just a bit more comfortably. He decided to only take Erit, Velk, Jinn, and the trolls with him as the goblins weren''t able to do much more than act as a wall against the spiders attacks last time.


    Aerwyn took the excess mana cores from the hunting parties with him as he planned to exit the cave the same way he did last time. He figured that he could just head to Lyr and pick up his order afterwards as he would be fairly close to Lyr anyway, effectively killing two birds with one stone. They traveled through the cave for hours and ended up running into the vosk halfway through.


    "Mastah..." Gebb bowed.


    "Hmm... We''re going to be spending the next few days underground, why don''t you come with us. You don''t need to fight, i just want you to keep an eye out for ore and gems." Aerwyn commanded.


    Gebb agreed and they continued on. Ever since the named undead began eating three cores a day his tradable goods had been heavily diminished. If he was planning on putting another order with Lyr''s blacksmith he''d need something else to trade besides mana cores. Soon the expansive cavern came into view and Aerwyn was surprised at the spider''s lack of a response. Standing around scratching his head he turned to Erit.


    "How come they''re not attacking like last time?"


    "Perhaps masters godly aura is scaring them away?" Erit bemused with a chuckle.


    "...Even if i was a god before, i''m not one any longer. Do we need to hunt them individually now?"


    "I can try calling to them."


    "Why didn''t you just lead with that... Just do it."


    Erit released an ear piercing cry that felt like daggers to Aerwyn''s skull, forcing him to cover his ears. Silence followed and Aerwyn wasn''t sure if it was because he was now deaf or because there was simply no response.


    "They''re coming master." Erit announced proudly.


    "Don''t... Don''t do that again. You almost made me-"


    "THUMP! THUMP!" The low sound echoed from the distance.


    "...What was that?" Aerwyn asked as he scanned for the enemy.


    "I believe it is one of my brothers or sisters. It seems they took over this little spider''s territory while i was away... AH! MASTER! Can i eat their mana core? Please! Please! PLEASE!" Erit pleaded with her voice magic.


    "THUMP! THUMP!"


    "You have no problem with killing your siblings?" Aerwyn stared into her soul flames with a concerned expression. Once his undead turned they seemed to hold no quarrel with killing their own, which was ideal for his plans but it still managed to give him an unnerving feeling. It was quite clear that they still possessed their memories and emotions so he wondered how exactly his power altered their minds.


    "Master, spiders don''t have a sense of kinship like other beasts. Most of my brother and sisters were eaten by our mother and those who survived are the ones who ate their weaker siblings."


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    "THUMP! THUMP!"


    "...I don''t know Erit, having another giant undead spider would really help out in the future."


    "This little spider is so very close to becoming a person and if i consume their core it might just be enough for me to evolve." Erit pleaded with her voice magic once more and the mention of evolving caused Aerwyn''s eyes to light up.


    "THUMP! THUMP!" The hundreds of tiny, unevolved spiders now came into view in the distance.


    "Are you sure you''ll evolve?" Aerwyn asked hurriedly.


    "Yes master! It''ll have to wait until tomorrow since i already ate my three mana cores this morning but i am certain that this little spider will become a person if i eat that mana core."


    "THUMP! THUMP!" The tiny spiders were now closing in on a hundred meters and the giant one came into view. Aerwyn wasn''t sure if she was being entirely truthful. It wouldn''t be the first time she found a way around orders but the sight of the spiders rapidly approaching and the thought of having a fully evolved undead forced him into a decision.


    "Argh, fine you win. Take Mogg and Cogg with you just in case."


    "Master this little spider can do it on her own. I don''t need-"


    "Just do it Erit, no complaining. Just go."


    Aerwyn shot out a flame lance as the three massive undead began their charge. He quickly closed his eyes and entered the darkness as the purple explosion erupted, imagining the flames spreading out in his mind. The darkness obliged as flames poured forth from the explosion as if it was a living being bent on consuming everything within it''s gaze.


    Opening his eyes Aerwyn immediately heard the popping sound of exploding carapace as the flames engulfed the tiny spiders. The purple inferno spread to more and more spiders as Rogg and Velk positioned themselves in front of Aerwyn. The spiders lucky enough to be outside of the flames continued their rapid advance charging straight towards the cave entrance.


    Aerwyn had been growing more sensitive to his power over time and he realized that his soul was draining at a rapid pace. The spiders he was resurrecting wouldn''t account for so much of a drain and he assumed it had to be from the blazing inferno he created. It had already done it''s job and killed hundreds of spiders so he entered the darkness and called it back to his hand.


    When the flames came shooting towards him he tried to lock onto the feeling as they transformed into a ball. He hoped the experience would allow him to gain more control over his flames but he was unable to glean anything from it.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Erit and the two trolls ran through the flames as if they were nothing but air and reached the giant abyssal spider in but a moment. Mogg swung his enormous tree trunk at the creatures front leg but the giant spider pounced on him, bringing him down to the floor in a struggle. As the spider frantically dug it''s massive fangs into Mogg''s chest, Cogg took the opportunity to send his tree trunk crashing down on the spiders leg, snapping it as if it was nothing more than a twig.


    The spider let out a cry as it recoiled in pain, it attempted to lift it''s head to attack Cogg next but Mogg wrapped his arms around the creatures head, pushing it''s fangs deeper into his chest and locking it in place. Erit chose this moment to attack, jumping on the spiders abdomen and sending her sharp fangs piercing through the creatures thick carapace.


    The spider struggled to break free from Mogg''s deadly embrace but the troll remained firm and soon Erit''s venom began to take hold. Once the spider fell limp Mogg brushed it aside as tenebrous smoke poured from the wounds on his chest and began to heal him. He raised his tree trunk up before sending it crashing down on the spiders sternum, over and over again until it was reduced to a pile of goo and a little sparkling crystal.


    Mogg grabbed the tiny thing with his sausage like fingers and stared at it seemingly entranced.


    "DON''T YOU DARE TROLL!" Erit took note of his eager stare and roared losing any semblance of that enticing voice she so loved to use.


    "OGG!" Mogg roared back as if to placate her before closing his hand and looking back to the cave entrance. Their was still a few hundred spiders remaining that were swarming the cave so he pointed a pudgy finger as if to show Erit the situation.


    "Hmph, you can look but don''t you dare think about eating that core troll. Let us go, our master needs us."


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Aerwyn had already resurrected enough spiders and was nearing his limit so the rest needed to be taken care of by his undead. He along with Rin, Ren, Jinn, and Gebb stayed back deeper in the cave while Rogg and Velk kept the spiders at bay by the entrance. By now nearly three hundred spiders had been turned and they were beginning to rise to join the battle.


    A few of the braver spiders skittered past the cave entrance with hopes of making Aerywn into a tasty meal but Jinn''s arrows along with Rin and Ren made quick work of them. When Erit and the two trolls began charging from behind, the spiders must have realized there would be no human meals today as they quickly broke and began running in all directions.


    Aerwyn walked to the cave entrance and broke out in laughter by what he saw. Cogg was chasing the spiders but he appeared to be unable to focus on any single one as whenever another spider ran past his gaze he would turn to chase it. The troll ended up spinning in circles with each step before tripping over his own feet and falling down with a loud thud.

 46 Chapter 46

    "It''s fine Cogg, leave them be." Aerwyn called out as he walked to the cave entrance.


    "OGG!" Mogg''s voice boomed as Aerwyn got close. He opened his hand and displayed the giant abyssal spider''s mana core within it. Aerwyn took it, sliding it into his pocket for now and looking towards the pile of spiders corpses.


    "I want some zin beetles... Will the bodies attract them?" Aerwyn changed his gaze to Erit as he spoke.


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    "Teehee..." Erit giggled to herself. She didn''t notice Aerwyn''s gaze and appeared to be in her own little world. He could''ve sworn she was smiling but his mind told him that such a feat was beyond the capabilities of a spider''s anatomy.


    "Erit... Zin beetles, will they be attracted by the bodies?" Aerwyn waved his hands in front of her face to finally gain her attention.


    "Ah! Yes master, the tzintatchik''s are mere bottom feeding scavengers. They should be here shortly." Erit awoke from her day dream only for but a moment before giggling to herself and escaping to her thoughts once more. Aerwyn let her be and turned to Velk and Jinn.


    "Collect the mana cores and pile the bodies a hundred meters out from here."


    "Yes, great one." Jinn still refused to meet his eyes but Aerwyn couldn''t be bothered with it anymore, it was clear that resurrection affected everyone differently and until he fully understood his power there was no sense in trying to figure out something so small. Aerwyn turned to Gebb and spoke.


    "Gebb, where should we start looking for ore?"


    "Dis way mastah."


    Aerwyn motioned him to lead, taking the three trolls along just in case an enemy popped out. Gebb followed the cavern wall to the right of the cave entrance and every few steps he stopped to sniff the rock wall which made Aerwyn curious.


    "Can you smell different types of ore through stone?"


    "Dat i can mastah, da vosk eat ore... No for food, make claws strong." Gebb clacked his six long claws together and swiped the wall, displaying just how strong they were as they pierced straight through solid stone like it was water.


    "Dis way mastah, big vein.. ova deya."


    They walked for a few more minutes until they were about four hundred meters away from the cave entrance. Gebb stopped and began clawing at the stone. He dug a meter deep before he began to struggle to cut through the dark stone that appeared.


    "What''s wrong?" Aerwyn asked.


    "Strong ore underneath, hard to cut... Mastah no worry, i get it." Gebb sent a flurry of claw strikes and with each one the dark stone broke off revealing a silvery metal behind it. A chunk of the silvery ore broke off and fell by Gebb''s feet. Aerwyn picked it up and analyzed it, the ore looked like revarium but he couldn''t be sure until he met up with Marik or Lyr''s blacksmith.


    "This is good, go back to the cave and grab four more vosk. We''ll setup camp here for now."


    "As you say mastah."


    Aerwyn walked back to the entrance and waited for Gebb with the rest of his forces. A few spiders and zin beetles showed up that were swiftly killed by the trolls and Erit. Aerwyn needed souls right now if he wanted to start resurrecting more undead so for the moment anything that came near was simply killed and thrown onto the ever increasing pile of coreless bodies a hundred meters away.


    Gebb returned a few hours later and the group moved the pile of bodies over to the area the vosk would be mining. Aerwyn used the formula Tylin had devised of three souls per one resurrection and as a day passed he soon had four undead zin beetles. The vosk work was much slower than when they worked the cave due to how hard the ore was but if it turned out to be revarium it would all be worth it. He wouldn''t have to worry about money for a while and he could even name a few more undead.


    "Master! It''s time!" Erit cried out, unable to hold back her excitement any longer. Aerwyn dug through the sack and took out two zin beetle cores before adding in the giant spider core from his pocket and walked over to Erit.


    "Here, don''t eat them right away. Wait a few seconds after i close my eyes, i want to check something." Aerwyn reached his hand out, displaying the three crystals as if he was feeding a horse and closed his eyes before entering the darkness.


    Once inside the darkness Erit''s soul was by far the largest and brightest out of all his undead. He watched and waited for the change to happen and after a few minutes it begun. Her soul became increasingly bright as it expanded larger and larger before exploding out in a brilliant display of purple light.


    It appeared to expand as far as it was able to before it began to collapse in on itself, shrinking smaller and smaller until there was but a tiny flame much like Aerwyn''s soul. He worried something had gone wrong and quickly opened his eyes in the real world to be met with a curious sight.


    A pale naked woman stood before him, saying the woman before him was buxom would be taking her too lightly. Her body was like a peculiar work of art that had strange black markings which looked like tribal tattoos in symmetrical patterns along either side of her body. The tattoos appeared to emit the tenebrous smoke as if it were alive and breathing.


    Moving his gaze up he was met with a face that could only be described as belonging to a femme fatale. She had long black hair and a smile that seemed to stop his heart but the thing that drew his attention the most was her eyes. Where eight purple flames once burned wildly, there was now two enchanting violet eyes that peered back at him which seemed to draw Aerywn in as if he would lose his sense of self by staring into them for too long.


    By all accounts she appeared to be a normal human, albeit a human who''s looks could possibly destroy empires but a human nonetheless. Aerwyn watched her as she looked over her body with a curious expression.


    "Master, why am i a human?" Erit''s voice was now ten fold more enticing even without the help of her voice magic which sent a chill down Aerwyn''s spine.


    "...What?"


    "I should be in my arache form once i evolve, at least that''s what mother told me."


    "Didn''t you say you could switch between the forms of an arache, a human, and a giant spider?" Aerwyn was even more confused than she was as he watched her inspect her new body.


    "Yes but my true form would be that of an arache and a giant spider. I''d be able to take the form of a human or any other race only through magic but i''d still be an arache."


    "Can you not just transform now?"


    "Let me try..." Erit closed her eyes and soon creased her brow before opening them once again.


    "I can''t... change forms... Master! What''s wrong with me?! Am i broken?!?" Erit panicked and grabbed Aerwyn arm.


    "First, calm down. Second, I don''t know, this is all new to me. Maybe since you were brought back by me you evolved into something different?" Erit released his arm and curiously looked at her wrists drawing Aerwyn''s gaze as well. Erit furrowed her brow at the two little bumps protruding out and instantly a silky web shot out from each.


    "...Well it looks like you''re still a little spider, so at least there''s that. Maybe you just need time to figure it out... Here take this." Aerwyn took off his shirt and gave it to her, it was Tylin''s so it was already large on him and it should cover all the important bits of Erit''s body. Erit glanced at the shirt before moving her eyes to her own body. Looking back up to him she giggled and gave him a coy, lascivious look.


    "What''s the matter master? Is my body too... much for you?" Aerwyn took a peak at her body once more before closing his eyes and sighing. He quickly bundled the shirt and put it over her head so that it completely covered her face and he began walking away. She stood there unmoving with her face covered by the shirt without making any attempts to remove it and called out to Aerwyn.


    "Master where have you gone? Don''t leave this poor defenseless little spider in the darkness." Aerwyn gazed back and chuckled at the sight of this new Erit pretending to look around helplessly as if she was unable to simply remove the shirt herself.


    "Put the shirt on and explore your new body." Aerwyn commanded still smiling at the silly sight.


    "...Master you''re so bad!" Erit feigned innocence undoubtedly wearing a playful smile underneath the cloth of the shirt.


    "You know what i meant Erit..." Aerwyn face palmed and exhaled a sigh between his fingers as the little spider wiggled through the shirt giggling.

 47 Chapter 47

    A week flew by in the blink of an eye. Aerwyn had resurrected twenty eight more zin beetles and the vosk had mined plenty of the silvery ore. A few days ago he had goblins start coming to carry the ore back to Ardin as he only needed a few chunks to trade with Lyr''s blacksmith.


    His plans were to run to Lyr, grab his spears and put in another order. Then he would stop by Ardin to pick up some more ore before heading to Setrhyn and meeting up with Marik. He wasn''t looking forward to his inevitable chat with Tylin, he was pretty mad that the sneaky elf had hidden things from him.


    Aerwyn assumed he had good reason to hide the information as Tylin had already done more than enough to help him and he just couldn''t see any hidden motives behind his actions. However Tylin had still chosen to hide it from him so there needed to be some sort of reckoning to make things right.


    Aerwyn had called the vosk back from working the tunnel and put them all on mining and setting up fortifications for now. Since Erit''s evolution she hasn''t been able to transform thus widening the tunnel was now a pointless endeavor.


    He ordered Kabba along with two hundred goblins to begin building a wall that stretched from the cavern entrance to the mining area. Aerwyn wanted to build a fort since he''d be spending a lot of time down here in the future. The underground world was seemingly endless and full of creatures to resurrect and harvest souls from.


    Jinn would be in charge once the fort was completed and Aerwyn planned to leave behind some zin beetles along with a hundred goblins as a garrison to protect the place. Ideally it would turn into a source of mana cores and ore but he was still worried about another one of Erit''s siblings showing up again, or worse her mother.


    It was time to head to Lyr so Aerwyn, Erit, and Velk mounted a zin beetle and prepared to leave. The trolls, twenty zin beetles, and half of the spiders would be joining them for the trip which Aerwyn felt was a bit overkill but with Erit unable to transform to deter enemies, it was the best he could do. It ended up paying off as only a few zin beetles dared to come close on their journey.


    When they reached the feros territory they appeared like last time, simply surrounding them as an escort until they exited the cave. It was night when they reached the surface so they setup camp and slept. They made it to Lyr the next morning and ran into Master Ynir by the ferry docks.


    "Back so soon? And with so many new undead! Are you hungry?" Master Ynir spoke as he walked and inspected each and every undead with fascinated eyes.


    "Morning Master Ynir, i could eat but i just have to stop by the blacksmith first."


    "Great! I''ll come along to Semmy''s place with ya then." Aerwyn opened his mouth to ask if that was the blacksmiths name but Master Ynir had finally reached Erit and spoke first.


    "I don''t believe we''ve met. Who might this little lady be?"


    "D-do you not recognize me?" Erit put on a face that displayed faux shock and embarrassment as if her lover had forgotten her.


    "I-" Master Ynir was stunned as he quickly searched through his memories with a confused expression.


    "It''s Erit, the giant spider from last time. She''s evolved and it seems her sense of humor evolved with her." Aerwyn decided to save him the trouble this time.


    "Master''s no fun, hmph." Erit pouted.


    "She''s undead?" Master Ynir''s confused expression seemed to only grow as he inspected Erit.


    "Yeah? Like i said, she''s the giant abyssal spider from last time. She just evolved about a week ago."


    "B-but she doesn''t have the aura of undeath on her."


    "Huh?" Both Erit and Aerwyn spoke at the same time and looked to Master Ynir.


    "Don''t look at me, i''m not a necromancer. All i can tell you is she doesn''t have the same aura that all undead have. I suppose you''ll be wanting to invite Nyris to lunch."


    "Yeah that''d be best i think. Let''s head to the blacksmith for now."


    They arrived at the blacksmith a short time later.


    "Semmy how are you?" Master Ynir asked, his voice full of concern. The blacksmith was working on what looked to be a pitchfork and lifted his head momentarily to acknowledge their presence. Master Ynir released a defeated sigh and continued.


    "Aerwyn is here to pickup his order. Is it ready by any chance?" Semmy pointed to a bundle of spears wrapped in cloth in the corner and went back to work.


    "I''m actually here to put in another order as well. I have some ore and i hoped you could tell me what it is." Aerwyn spoke and grabbed a few chunks from his pack, displaying it to the blacksmith.


    Semmy paused and put the pitchfork down before grabbing a piece of ore and bringing it over to a worktable. Aerwyn followed and watched as he took out a file and began scratching at it all over. Without even looking up he reached his empty hand towards Aerwyn as if to say ''next'' so he complied and handed the elf another.


    Aerwyn could hear Master Ynir breathe another defeated sigh at the scene from behind. When he had scratched each of the eight chunks of ore with the file Semmy simply muttered the words ''revarium'' before weighing them on a scale.


    "I''m looking to buy more of the same type of spears. How many would you be able to make for the ore?" Aerwyn asked politely.


    "Three weeks, seventy five." Semmy didn''t even wait for a response as he poured the ore into a bag and went back to working on the pitchfork.


    "Ok, great. See you then." Aerwyn threw the spears on top of a zin beetle and headed to Nyris''s home.


    "...Semmy is a good man, he wasn''t always like that. He lost his wife in childbirth and... just a few months ago his daughter Meyana was one of the children who was kidnapped by the slavers that Sera killed. He..." Master Ynir paused, a look of grief and guilt apparent on his face.


    "He hasn''t been the same since. He works day and night to keep his mind occupied and barely speaks. I hope you will forgive him."


    "I''m sorry to hear that..." Aerwyn didn''t know what else to say.


    He was particularly bad at these types of heavy conversations and what followed was a deafening silence as they rode to Nyris''s house. He felt sorry for the elf and even a small sense of empathy as he too had lost everything. Semmy''s situation made him wonder whether his memory loss was a blessing or a curse. What if he had truly lost everyone he ever cared for, would he rather forget the pain or hold on to it as Semmy was forced to do.


    Aerwyn made a mental note of the name Meyana so that if his path ever crossed with hers he could reunite them. He thought it would be nice if one of them could find some happiness as he wasn''t sure what awaited him if he ever regained his memories. While he was stuck in his thoughts they arrived at their destination and Master Ynir''s knocking woke him from his mind. Nyris invited them in and they spoke over lunch.


    "She evolved?" Nyris changed his gaze to Aerwyn which had been stuck on Erit since he was first told about the recent events.


    "Yeah and she can''t transform like all arache should be able to." Aerwyn replied.


    "Interesting... It-" Nyris glanced at Master Ynir and held his tongue before continuing.


    "Master Ynir i need to do an experiment, it is extremely important. Could you please run out and grab a korlandy flower while i prepare it?"


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    "What?! I''m eating! Give me a few minutes." Master Ynir huffed and puffed.


    "It''s imperative to begin now, we must be completed by the time the moon rises!" Nyris pushed on giving Master Ynir no outs.


    "...Damn it all, fine. You owe me then."


    "That''s fine, please hurry."


    Once Master Ynir had left Aerwyn looked to Nyris who was lost in thought and spoke.


    "What experiment are we doing?"


    "Ah! There is no experiment, i just didn''t want him to hear what i have to say. That flower is rare, it''ll take him some time to find one... Erit was it? Let me see you''re arm."


    "Hmph, as if i''d let a creepy eyed elf like you touch this little spiders beautiful arm." Erit turned her head and stuck her chin up in defiance.


    "Erit just do it, it''s important."


    "But master-" Erit attempted to plead her case but Aerwyn interrupted her with an order.


    Now that she was forced to comply Nyris took out a small dagger and quickly sliced a deep gash on her hand.


    "AH! STOP! You''re ruining this little spiders perfect skin! Master, make him stop!" Erit pleaded but it fell on deaf ears as Aerwyn and Nyris both watched her hand.


    No blood came out and almost immediately the tenebrous smoke poured from the wound and sealed it. Within a few seconds the smoke dissipated revealing the little spiders ''perfect skin'' once more.


    "...I don''t know. She hasn''t been brought back to life, that''s for sure but she no longer possesses the aura undeath. It''s possible her evolution has changed her into something never seen before. What implications that may hold is far beyond my capabilities to guess at..."

 48 Chapter 48

    Nyris and Aerwyn spoke for a while but they were unable to discover anything that might help figure out Erit''s new form. Master Ynir returned a few hours later covered in mud with a pretty red flower in hand. He wasn''t happy at all when Nyris told him the experiment had to be called off due to it being the wrong lunar cycle and it caused Master Ynir to throw the flower at the necromancer and storm off as if he was just dumped by his lover.


    Aerwyn stayed the night at Nyris''s and arrived back at Ardin the following night. He handed the new spears to Teek and packed a bag with some chunks of ore along with that golden circlet he found so that he could leave for Setrhyn first thing in the morning. When the sun had risen Aerwyn headed out once more atop a zin beetle along with Erit, Velk, the spiders, and a few zin beetles guards.


    Once they arrived Aerwyn made his way straight to Marik''s shop. The rough elf was smoking his pipe again staring off into space. He caught sight of them and his gaze landed on Erit before muttering some unkind words under his breath.


    "Marik." Aerwyn nodded.


    "You''re a week late this time lad. Must''ve been off chasing pretty young ladies i see. What do ya got for me now?" Marik smiled and walked over to an empty table before patting it as if telling Aerwyn to dump out his goods. Aerwyn obliged and Marik''s eyes instantly stuck upon the golden circlet.


    "Where''d ya find this beauty?" Marik asked as he picked up the circlet and inspected it.


    "A goblin village, apparently it was found by a river. I saved it just for my good pal Marik." Aerwyn said with a proud smile as if to imitate Marik''s uncompromising merchants smile.


    "Ai, lad didn''t i tell you flattery will get you nowhere with me? Besides, if i took this i''d end up making spears for ya for the rest of my life."


    "What do you mean?" Aerwyn''s smile turned as he displayed a confused expression.


    "Lad... This is worth a fortune. This poor honest blacksmith can''t in good conscience take it from you."


    "Well it''s not like i can do anything with it. If i keep it it''ll be no more than a pretty decoration in my ruins. I really need weapons and armor for my undead. Would you be able to sell it for me and take a commission?"


    "...Ai, i may be able to sell it in the capital but the trip would take a month at least and i can''t leave Setrhyn for that long... I''ll tell ya what lad, hold on to it for now and next month when my good friend Weyn returns i''ll introduce you. He''s a merchant that does trade between the villages and the capital so he''ll be able to get rid of this pretty decoration for you."


    "Can i trust him with such a task?" Aerwyn looked concerned at the thought of handing a total stranger such an item.


    "Ai, he''s an honest merchant just like myself." Marik boasted proudly as he tapped his chest.


    "Pfft, now i''m doubley worried."


    "Oi lad, this poor honest..." Marik began to give his speech about the trials and hardships of being a poor blacksmith in the villages as Aerwyn laughed.


    "Ok, ok. What about the rest, the ore and cores. What deal can you give me?"


    Marik began scratching the ore with a file and weighing them. There was only a few mana cores this time as Aerwyn wanted to start holding on to them for his undead.


    "Oi lad, where are you getting all this revarium? I''ve seen more of the stuff from you the past few months than i have in the past ten years."


    "The vosk found a vein underground recently so i''ll have some to trade from now on."


    "Ya might want to trade some to Weyn when you meet. You''ll be able to get more for it in the capital and then you could start paying me in coin... I can do a hundred and ten, but it''ll take a month so make sure you''re on time otherwise you''ll miss Weyn."


    "Ah one more thing i wanted to ask you. I have a whole bunch of furs but i don''t know how to make leather so i was wondering if you knew how?"


    "Urine and feces." Marik laughed.


    "Huh?"


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    "Ai, ya heard me right. Piss and shit. You have to let the furs soak in piss and then remove the hair from the skin. Then ya throw the skin in a vat of animal shit and water before kneading the shit into the skin until it turns nice and supple."


    "Disgusting..." Erit''s face displayed a horrified look as she spoke.


    "KWEE!" Both Ren and Rin seemed to agree for once.


    "Ai little lady, if you''re curious go out the west gate. Lorin makes the leather in Setrhyn and there''s a reason he lives outside the walls. The smell is something very few can become accustomed to." Marik laughed.


    "I-i''ll take your word for it. Thanks Marik, until next time."


    Aerwyn packed up Teek''s new saber along with the eighty spears onto a few zin beetles and prepared himself to visit Tylin''s. He made his way to his home at a snail''s pace trying to collect his thoughts and figure out what he needed to say. The next thing he knew he was knocking on the front door still unprepared for what Tylin might have to say.


    Entering the home he walked to Tylin''s lab and found the old elf reading some papers on his work table.


    "Tylin." Aerwyn called out as he entered.


    "Ah! Aerwyn, how are you dear boy?"


    "Good, Erit evolved..." Aerwyn began to explain the recent events and answer Tylin''s unending questions about Erit before he was satisfied.


    "I heard from Sera that you took a trip to Lyr, how was it?"


    "Yeah, the necromancer Nyris told me..." Aerwyn explained what Nyris had told him as he watched Tylin''s face change to a frown.


    "You knew?" Aerwyn asked.


    "I suspected the same but before you get mad about my dishonesty you should know that i simply didn''t want you to throw your life away searching for answers that may never come. I planned to tell you when you were strong enough to stand on your own.


    You came to me as a boy barely twenty years old with nothing but a staff and missing memories. Had i told you that i believed you to be born a god and the very gods themselves were possibly out to destroy you, what would have happened? I worried that you would''ve went south looking for answers and found your death at the hands of the humans or worse."


    "It wasn''t your decision to make Tylin. You should''ve told me and warned me of the danger." Aerwyn began to get heated, Tylin picked up on it and tried to diffuse the situation with an apology.


    "For lying to you i am truly sorry. I only wanted what''s best for you..." Tylin humbly bowed his head and silence followed as Aerwyn attempted to find a fault with his apology but failed. Tylin was the closest thing he had to a father figure since he woke up and if he was being honest with his reasoning for hiding the truth from him then he couldn''t really blame him.


    "...Goblins." Aerwyn mumbled.


    "What?" Tylin asked as he raised his brow.


    "...I captured some living goblins. I want to make them breed but they''re refusing to play along. Is there anything i can do to force them to breed?"


    "Ah! Yes! Hmm... We can try an aphrodisiac of some kind... Perhaps strute berries might do the trick..." Tylin mumbled as he began throwing ingredients into a bowl while occasionally stirring it.


    "I also wanted to ask you about my staff. I can''t seem to feed it mana cores like i can my other undead so i was wondering what i should do."


    "Well of course dear boy, it''s a staff. How could it possibly eat mana cores? It doesn''t have a mouth..." Tylin spoke so matter a factly that it made Aerwyn angry all over again. It didn''t help that he heard Ren snicker in the corner at his answer as if saying she knew he was crazy all along.


    "..."


    "As far as evolving the weapons soul, it has never been done before so your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps try feeding it your soul like you did with the barghest." Tylin''s response didn''t help as that was what he planned to try next anyway.


    "I need more healing potions too. I can pay for them."


    "Nonsense dear boy, i''ll give you them as a part of my apology and i''ll hear no more of this paying business."


    "Thanks Tylin."


    Aerwyn watched Tylin work while playing with Rin and talking with Erit. After an hour or two Tylin poured the liquid into a few vials before capping them with a dropper.


    "This may do the trick. It is extremely powerful so you only need to put one drop per five liters of water. Then all you have to do is give the water to the goblins and watch... or don''t... Goblin mating isn''t pretty, take my word for it." Tylin handed the three vials to Aerwyn before grabbing five more potions out of a cupboard that Aerwyn assumed were healing potions and handed him those as well.


    They ate dinner and the bombardment of questions this time was aimed at Erit who was not happy with it but answered after Aerwyn ordered her to. They spent the night there before heading back to Ardin the next morning.

 49 Chapter 49

    Once Aerwyn arrived back in Ardin he sought out Frakki and handed him the vials Tylin had given him.


    "Make sure to only use one drop per five liters of water. For now just use it for three days... Also i want you to pick out a few undead goblins and see if they can breed. I don''t expect it to be possible but try nonetheless."


    "Y-yes great one." Frakki spoke and stared into the red liquid as if it were something holy.


    "Oh, one more thing. I need you to... Ahem, collect the goblins urine and feces." Aerwyn did his best to keep a straight face and appear lord-like but ultimately failed.


    "Great one?" Frakki looked up at him for the first time since being turned and displayed a confused expression before quickly averting his eyes when he realized Aerwyn wasn''t joking.


    "It''s for creating leather..." Aerwyn explained the process in detail and put Frakki in charge of leather-work since he was the most free out of all the hobgoblins.


    Aerwyn spent the next two weeks collecting souls from the hunting parties and practicing his spearmanship. The city had been mostly cleared of debris and only eighteen building ended up being salvageable which was to be expected from a city left to rot for eight hundred years. Seven of the buildings in the square surrounding the broken spire were among the ones that remained and it gave the city a rather empty feeling which Aerwyn wanted to remedy soon.


    Tylin''s breeding drug appeared to be working even better than Aerwyn had anticipated. After dosing them for three days the goblins seemed to go into a frenzy and even continued breeding without the drug. The female''s were already showing signs of pregnancy which meant he would soon have a steady supply of goblins to fill his undead ranks.


    Aerwyn was curious and decided to sneak a peak which he regretted instantly as the sight of [Obscenity Filter] and [EXTREME Obscenity Filter] made him eject the contents of his stomach onto the side of the breeding building. The horrid scene haunted his dreams for the following nights. Unfortunately the undead goblins saw no success in the breeding department but he wasn''t too upset with the result, he expected as much.


    A few days ago Erit had discovered she could control her webs as long as they were no more than fifteen meters away and still connected to her wrists. She showed it off to Aerwyn by using her living web to pick up a rock and swinging it around like a flail. He was quite surprised by it and could easily tell how useful it would be in combat.


    Erit asked him for two daggers that she could use in conjunction with her new power so Aerwyn gave her Glik''s rusty sword and Kabba''s old dagger for now. Since he had a steady stream of revarium he planned to ask Marik to make the daggers using his revarium instead of steel the next time he went to Setrhyn. It would act as a congratulatory gift for Erit''s evolution into a person.


    The construction of the underground fort was making quick progress despite the setbacks by spiders and zin beetle attacks that claimed the lives of six goblins. There was also another setback in the way of tenri that had begun to harass the goblins cutting down trees for the fort. They had yet to do any real damage but Aerwyn decided it was time to deal with their nest so he found Bon and asked about it.


    "Master, the tenri nest is a few kilometers east but there are too many to attack head on. You''ll be overwhelmed even if you brought all of us with you."


    "I plan to use the spiders so i won''t be attacking them head on and if there are too many i can always flee."


    "As you say master."


    Aerwyn took the side of caution and sent a few jakku out to scout. He connected to one after a few minutes and took in the sights as the jakku flew east. Soon he could see dozens of black dots within the breaks of the canopy. Dozens turned to hundreds and hundreds turned to thousands as they continued to fly east. Aerwyn wondered how the creatures could keep such a large population without starving to death from overhunting the area.


    There were far too many of them for him to even entertain the idea of killing them all any time soon but he still needed to do something. He couldn''t leave such a large hostile force so close to Ardin, the webs surrounding the city would keep them from getting in but his goblins still needed to leave the safety of the webs to cut trees for his projects.


    Aerwyn ordered the jakku to stay above the nest and keep on eye on them before disconnecting. Back in Ardin he called Erit and Velk over.


    "Gather all the spiders and zin beetles we''re going to cull some tenri. We''ll be going straight to Lyr after so pack some ore to trade as well."


    "Are we going to buy my daggers master!?" Erit got excited but Aerwyn had to shut her down.


    "No i''m going to put in that order with Marik. It won''t be ready for a while so you''ll have to make due with what you have for now."


    Once his troops were gathered they headed out. The edges of the nest weren''t far from Ardin so they began to run into tenri after a half hour of walking. They were forced to flee after every minor engagement as the creatures appeared to be able to sense their kin battling, hundreds more would quickly swarm the area every time they stayed in any one spot for too long.


    The spiders barely had a moment to spin webs before dozens of tenri would show up and begin harassing them. So Aerwyn adapted a type of hit and run tactic, he would have the spiders set up a small web while the rest of the undead would battle for a few minutes before fleeing.


    It worked out well enough and Aerwyn was able to resurrect one hundred and eighty two tenri after six days of fighting. The webs that surrounded the tenri nest were full of holes so it wasn''t perfect but it would be enough to keep the creatures at bay until he was strong enough to deal with them. On the morning of the seventh day they began their trek to Lyr.


    Instead of traveling west and then heading south along the river, Aerwyn decided to go straight south into brexil cat territory. He wanted to create another hunting group like the spiders that could disable living creatures so that Aerwyn could resurrect them back at Ardin without having to be in the fight himself. The venom the brexil cats produce on their elongated claws was perfect for such a group.


    Although their venom wasn''t as fast-acting as the spiders they were far more proficient in a fight, making it possible for them to take down larger enemies than the spiders ever could. Unfortunately his large army of spiders, zin beetles, and tenri made it so the brexil cats stayed away and throughout the journey south he only managed to catch twenty two of them.


    The group changed directions, heading west and as they got close to Lyr, he heard Bon''s voice in his head.


    "Master! There are ships on the river coming this way!"


    "What? How many?"


    "I can''t tell they''re still too far south, but i can see at least six." Bon''s words caused a pit to form in Aerwyn''s stomach.


    "Get everyone inside the city and hide. If they stop and try to enter the city i want everyone to go to the underground fort. Do not try and fight them. Do you understand me?"


    "Yes, master."


    Aerwyn quickly connected to a jakku back at Ardin and looking through it''s eyes, he ordered the creature along with the other forty to take flight and head for the ships. As soon as he was in the air Aerwyn could see two dozen ships floating in a line up the river.


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    As they got closer he could make out dozens of oars on each ship propelling them forward at a speedy pace. Atop the deck of the ships he could see armed men wandering around which dispelled any hope that the ships were in the forsaken lands with peaceful intentions.


    As the ships sailed passed Ardin without so much as slowing down Aerwyn breathed a sigh of relief. He ordered the jakku to follow them and if they landed to split up, with some staying with the ships while the others followed the army. Once he disconnected he ordered Rorik and his hunting group to return to Ardin, he didn''t want the mutt dying no matter how much he got on Aerwyn''s nerves.


    As Lyr came into view across the river in the distance, Aerwyn was stunned by what he saw. Plooms of black smoke poured from the village as if a massive fire had been extinguished. He felt his heart drop into his stomach as he made the connection between the ships and the smoke.


    Picking up the pace, he rushed over to the rivers edge to get a closer look and a harrowing sight filled his eyes. He could see the southern wall had been demolished and not so much as a sound was coming from the village let alone the sight of elves.


    The ferryman and his ferry were missing as well so he had no choice but to swim across along with his undead. Once he entered the village his fears were realized. Corpses of dead elves lined the streets as he walked through the village. Doors to the oddly shaped buildings were hacked apart as if a beast had attacked them with all it''s fury. A few buildings were reduced to nothing more than a pile of smoldering ash and there wasn''t a live elf anywhere in sight.


    As he approached the village center the sight of a bald corpse made his heart drop even further. Aerwyn sprinted over and checked the mutilated body for life but it was no use, Master Ynir was dead. He closed his eyes as if when he opened them once more the man would be alive and well but he knew it was hopeless.


    Erit and Rin''s attempts to comfort him snapped him out of his melancholy and when he opened his eyes he realized where the ships were heading.


    "They''re going to Setrhyn..."

 50 Chapter 50

    Earl Abery awoke painted in sweat, his bedroom so humid you could fill a cup with water by swinging it through the air. The heat and humidity signified that summer had arrived, it was time to go north. He walked over to his wash basin and stared at his reflection in the silver coated mirror before him.


    He barely recognized himself anymore, the man peering back at him seemed to have aged a decade these last few months. He had lost weight too, no longer could one describe him as a barrel of a man. Instead he looked to be an aging noble, not yet frail enough to be defenseless but well on his way.


    These last few months the people of the Abery territory had been barely staving off starvation. The territory wouldn''t last another winter without grain, they had only managed to make it through spring with heavy rationing. The adventurers left due to being unable to pay the price for food, no doubt leaving for Marquis Verden''s territory.


    Once the adventurers left Earl Abery realized just how much they were needed. Not only did they spend coin for inn''s and ale they also kept the flood of monsters from the north from coming down. Once they had left Earl Abery requested that Fort Abel and Vesin help stem the tide but was refused. Their job was to keep the forsaken races at bay not deal with monsters and beasts.


    After Earl Abery finished cleaning himself he sought out the mage Pontus.


    "Are we ready to go?"


    "Yes my lord. The Durani merchant ships have just arrived. Your men are boarding the ships now. Marshal Dolan has outdone himself, gathering nearly two thousand men. I worry we may not have enough room on our ships." Pontus quipped but seeing the lack of a response from Earl Abery made his smile quickly disappear.


    "Let''s go."


    They arrived at the docks as his men were boarding and Earl Abery spotted the monstrous dwarven cannon that was among the last of his families possessions. He had considered selling it to buy grain but with the gate opening during this generation, he would effectively be exchanging starvation for a brutal death at the hands of the invaders so he decided against it.


    The cannon was enchanted and required a mage along with many mana cores to fire the massive twenty two kilogram cannon ball but once used it''s effects were devastating. It could plow through most city walls as long as they weren''t enchanted and he didn''t expect a few tiny dark elf village to have such means, thus this weapon would be the key to his victory.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    A Fae''Laran necromancer''s wide range of skills made it so their work was never done. One of the village guards had fallen off the walls and broke his ankle and Nyris started his morning by making a healing salve for the man. Once that was done he had to visit the farmers outside the walls. They had been struggling with melo flies that had been filling their voracious stomachs on the farmer''s crop ever since Aerwyn had taken care of the jakku.


    Nyris came prepared, bringing over some rikon root that once burned, creates a smoke which should ward off most insects. After visiting the farmers it was off to the forest surrounding Lyr. The village was building a new grain silo and as a necromancer that meant his undead would handle most of the menial labor. With a short chant he summoned three death knights and threw them lumbering axes.


    The death knights had only been chopping trees for a few hours when Master Ynir appeared.


    "There may be trouble, one of my rangers spotted an army of humans landing on the shores to the south. If they''re coming this way, they''ll be here within the hour." Master Ynir was panicked and frantic as he spoke.


    "Relax, there''s no reason for the human to attack us. They''re probably here checking on the status of the gate, it''s been over two hundred year since the last invasion and it''ll be opening soon... Either way it''s best to get everyone inside the gates and prepare for the worst case scenario. Let''s head back." Nyris assured him before caution took the better of him.


    A few hours later his worst fears were realized. He stood upon the southern wall staring at nearly two thousand men ready to do battle. In the center of their ranks was a three meter long cannon, aimed directly at Lyr''s walls. Nyris was expecting the humans to offer some sort of demands but when he saw them loading the cannon he decided to use magic to enhance his voice and call out to them.


    "We are but a small village, you have nothing to gain by attacking us. Why are you here? Perhaps we can compromise-"


    "BOOM!" The explosive force of the cannon ball crashing into the walls sent Nyris tumbling to the ground as the southern wall collapsed. The power of the explosion and impact of his fall would have surely killed him had he not protected his vital parts with mana.


    Master Ynir rushed over to him, helping him stand while Nyris summoned four death knights along with dozens of skeletons that rapidly clawed their way up from the black viscous liquid in front of him. Nyris turned and looked at the damage the cannon ball did to the village. It had crashed straight through the wall and destroyed a building behind it before stopping. The frightened faces of villagers who were standing by ready to fight entered his gaze through the smoke.


    This battle would be hopeless, Lyr didn''t have enough elves that could fight to stand a chance against this army. Nyris quickly came to a decision in his mind, he closed his eyes and sighed before turning to Master Ynir.


    "Take the villagers that are unable to fight and flee. We cannot win but i can buy you some time and maybe, just maybe, some will survive. Bring the villagers to Ardin, Aerwyn can look after them while you run to notify Setrhyn."


    "You must have lost your mind Nyris. A Fae''Laran necromancer is far more valuable than a head ranger that only got the job because of his father... If one of us must go then it needs to be you." The human troops had begun to march towards the breach as Master Ynir put on a self-depreciating smile but the fear of death on the twenty seven year old man''s face was clear as day.


    "Ynir there is no time to argue damn it. You''re faster than me and you can notify Setrhyn of the attack quicker. You must go!" Nyris yelled.


    "I''ve already made up my mind necromancer. Either we both die here today or you go. Aerwyn''s undead are faster than me and he can notify Setrhyn. You''re undead will be far more useful to protect the villagers on the journey. Now go, i won''t say it again." Master Ynir hardened his resolve and began ordering the elves who were going to fight to fill the breach.


    "DAMNED FOOL! Fine get yourself killed!" Nyris raged as he sent his undead to fill the ranks of the elves, leaving behind some undead to fight with Ynir was the least he could do. He began casting a voice spell to shout to the villagers in old fae.


    "Drae mi ny vallyn cora, ynd mal!"


    Many villagers who weren''t able to fight quickly fled their homes and gathered around Nyris while other stayed put, the intention to fight written on their faces. Once Nyris gathered all that he could they fled through the north gate into the forest.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The sun was setting and Earl Abery''s tired eyes watched as the dark elves were being loaded up on the Durani ships in chains. The pitiful sounds of wailing and whimpering filled the air and he was forced to avert his eyes.


    "My lord, there''s a total of three hundred and twenty six. Many fled as we breached the walls should we pursue them?" Marshal Dolan asked as he walked over.


    "No... We''d never catch them even if we did... How many men did we lose?"


    "Three hundred and sixty four, my lord. The dark elf rangers and that necromancer''s undead were powerful, had they more men our losses would''ve been severe. I fear the larger village will prove far more difficult to crack."


    "...Load the cannon back on the ship, we''ll make camp here tonight and leave at first light."


    The next morning they set off up river and within the hour they were passing Ardin.


    "Is that it?" Earl Abery asked Pontus.


    "No my lord. Those are ruins of the old Millin kingdom, we checked it the last time we came north and it was infested with goblins."


    "...Do goblins in the forsaken lands build walls like that?" Earl Abery pointed to the sturdy looking wooden walls.


    "T-they weren''t like that a few months ago. It''s possible some hobgoblins evolved into ogres-"


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    "It''s fine, we''re not going to stop to kill a few goblins even if they''re evolved." Earl Abery cut him off.


    Another hour passed when Marshal Dolan pointed out the flying creatures following the ships.


    "What are those?" He asked Pontus.


    "We ran into them near the last village the first time we came north. They appear to be scavengers, although I''ve never seen them with purple eyes like these. Perhaps it''s an evolved version..."


    "How far are we from the next village?" Earl Abery asked.


    "Only another half hour and we should arrive. We''ll be landing only a few kilometers from an orc village. Should we go there first?" Pontus changed his tone and turned to the Earl.


    "No, i''ll decide whether or not to attack it after the battle with the next dark elf village."

 51 Chapter 51

    Aerwyn''s stood in the ravaged village as the realization that an army was on it''s way to Setrhyn manifested itself into a boiling rage within him.


    "Erit, have the spiders gather the dead in the square and search the village for survivors. Do it quickly we need to leave."


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    "Yes, master."


    The spiders spent a half hour gathering the bodies and searching for survivors but no living elf was found within the village. Aerwyn didn''t see Nyris amongst the dead, nor Semmy. He also noted that there was far too few bodies considering Lyr''s population which means it was possible that some had escaped or had been captured. Either way, they would still be alive which meant that they could be saved.


    Aerwyn and the undead crossed the river once more and left Lyr, heading towards Ardin at full speed. It would still take them nearly two days to reach Setrhyn and he could only hope the army of humans was slower. Aerwyn couldn''t shake his anxiousness so he connected to one of the jakku and looking through the creatures eyes he watched the humans depart from their ships.


    It appeared as though they planned to march today, with Setrhyn only twenty five kilometers away they would reach the village long before Aerwyn could. He saw two horses being attached to a massive cannon that looked like it should be too heavy to traverse such terrain even with the added help of horses. Once they began marching he knew he had to do something to slow them down else Setrhyn would fall.


    The only thing he could think of was to send his jakku to kill the horses but the humans wouldn''t just let the horses die without fighting back. The thought of sending his undead to their death always made him uncomfortable. It was a feeling like trying to hold his breath for too long, the mind''s will to live would take over and force him to breathe but he no longer had any choice, he had to act.


    Aerwyn quickly switched over to Rorik and sent him a command.


    "Run as fast as you can to Setrhyn. I need you to warn Tylin or Master Ferlin that Lyr has been destroyed and an army of nearly two thousand humans will be coming from the west. Tell them i''ll be there as soon as i can."


    "..Fine." Aerwyn''s solemn tone didn''t leave room for any sass and he immediately switch back to looking through his jakku''s eyes. Even if Rorik was a braver barghest he wouldn''t cause trouble right now lest the boy decide he was no longer needed.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Earl Abery rode atop a horse at the front of the marching column. The path to the second dark elf village was dense forest terrain that wasn''t suited for an army let alone the cannon that kept getting stuck in mud and vines which only slowed them down further. Despite that, he was still confident in reaching the village by nightfall, his men were strong Abery men that would make do even in the worst circumstances.


    Marshal Dolan rode up from the rear and hailed him.


    "The scouts spotted orcs mirroring our movements, my lord."


    "How many?" Earl Abery''s face displayed a rare concerning expression.


    "Only a few, they''re keeping their distance for now."


    "Leave them be. If more appear notify me."


    "Yes, my lord. I''ll-"


    "KRAW!"


    Earl Abery turned to look at the commotion and witnessed the flying creatures that had been following them all this time dive into the horses that were pulling the cannon. His men rapidly swarmed the creatures hacking and slashing a few apart as they retreated back into the air. He rode to the rear of the column and checked the situation.


    The horses were dead, their bodies full of puncture wounds from the creatures dagger like limbs. Pontus was nearby and rode over to him in a hurry.


    "They''re undead my lord. I didn''t notice it before because they were too far but now i''m certain of it."


    Earl Abery watched the creatures circling far above them before speaking.


    "...If they''re undead that means there''s a necromancer nearby, send the scouts to find him. Give your horses to the cannon, we march on."


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Aerwyn had lost four jakku in the assault, bringing down the number of jakku in the area to thirty six. It was unpleasant but necessary and he decided to call the other ten jakku over that he left watching the tenri nest. When he saw the humans replacing the horses he took it as a challenge, he would kill every single horse and force them to carry the damned thing before he let it reach Setrhyn.


    After the first attack they were much more wary and had increased the amount of soldiers walking beside the cannon. Over the next few hours Aerwyn and the jakku relentlessly attacked any horses that were tied to the cannon and they began firing arrows whenever they saw the flying creatures come near, increasing Aerwyn''s casualties two fold. He lost most of his jakku in the process but successfully killed all the horses except the one beneath their commander.


    With only six jakku left he kept them at a safe distance and continued to monitor the army as they slowly trudged along.


    "Master, there are elves on the other side of the river and one is attempting to cross." Bon''s voiced echoed out into Aerwyn''s head.


    Aerwyn didn''t bother responding, instead he switched his view to Bon''s eyes and looked upon the hundreds of elves across the river. They were too far to make out faces but he could see the one swimming across, it was Nyris. A sense of relief swept over Aerwyn as he watched the skinny necromancer swim across the river next to Ardin.


    "Have the undead help them across and let them into the city. Tell the one swimming that i''m aware of the situation and that i sent word to Setrhyn already. Tell him to stay there until i arrive." Aerwyn ordered and switch back to his own eyes for the first time in hours.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Rorik ran through the forest and soon Setrhyn village came into view.


    "AWOOOOOOOOO!" He howled as he got close to the gates startling the guards but once they saw the beasts purple eyes they relaxed.


    "..Get me Master Ferlin or Tylin..."


    "Where''s your master barghest?" One of the guards asked with a laugh.


    "GET ME MASTER FERLIN OR TYLIN NOW, ELF!" Rorik roared so loudly that it wouldn''t be surprising if the army of humans heard his voice on a gentle breeze. The roar startled the guard once again and he quickly realized something was wrong so he ran down the walls to fetch Master Ferlin.


    Ten minutes later Master Ferlin was standing in front of the angry barghest.


    "What are you doing here without Aerwyn?"


    "...The boy sent me to warn you.. Lyr was destroyed.. An army of nearly two thousand humans are coming from the west... The boy is coming here with his undead as quickly as he can..." Rorik''s words manifested a frown on the elf''s face which gave Rorik a tinge of pleasure.


    "...Has anyone from Lyr survived?" Master Ferlin spoke in a sorrowful tone.


    "..Don''t know and i don''t care... My duty is done.." Rorik turned and fled into the forest leaving Master Ferlin to his thoughts.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Aerwyn was making record time as they sprinted atop zin beetles following the river north. Occasionally he would check in with the jakku to get a look at the armies movements and he was glad to witness them moving at a snails pace through the forest. As night fell and he arrived at Ardin he checked back once more to see the army making camp in the forest and feeling satisfied, he let them be for now.


    Nyris was waiting once he arrived and ran over to him.


    "I''m glad you''re ok but pleasantries will have to wait. I''m taking my undead to Setrhyn, are you coming?" Aerwyn spoke before the necromancer had a chance to speak.


    "The army would have reached Setrhyn already... I''m afraid it''s too late, even if we leave now."


    "No, i killed all their horses with my jakku and forced them to pull their cannon themselves. They made camp about eight kilometers outside of Setrhyn. If we leave now we can reach them by the time the battle starts."


    "Y-you... It''s not important, let''s go." Nyris had a curious look as if he wanted to ask a question but quickly snapped out of it, realizing it wasn''t the time for his curiosity.


    Aerwyn sent his spiders to seal the goblin breeding building in webs while he called all of his troops to him. He didn''t want the goblins getting loose while his forces were away, he had no intention of dying and he would need those goblins no matter the outcome of this battle. The spiders finished quickly and formed up with the rest of his troops.


    All was ready for his march to Setrhyn.

 52 Chapter 52

    Under the full moon''s pale light Sera, Jeren, and Master Ferlin left the protective walls of Setrhyn. Their destination was eight kilometers to the west, the camp of the human army that was encroaching on their land. It wasn''t that they didn''t trust Aerwyn''s information, it was just that they needed to know what they were dealing with so that they could better prepare.


    The trio effortlessly moved like the wind and covered the distance in no time at all. When they came within half a kilometer, Master Ferlin raised his hand signaling them to stop. Sera glanced at his eyes. they appeared to be locked on to something and matching his gaze she saw a glint of moonlight in an otherwise inconspicuous bush. Master Ferlin remained still as stone as he watched the bush and tried to glean any information he could.


    They stayed frozen for nearly twenty minutes and when the bush shuffled ever so slightly Master Ferlin''s decades of training displayed itself as an arrow was methodically notched and fired from his bow with extreme precision. Before even hearing the thud of an arrow, he had already loosed another at a different bush a meter away from the first.


    "THUD! THUD!" The arrows hit each target with barely half a second of time between them.


    "Let''s go." Master Ferlin spoke in a whisper and broke into a sprint.


    As the trio darted past the first bush Sera sneaked a peak, she saw a man covered in leaves and netting that now laid motionless with an arrow in his throat. She believed herself to be a skilled ranger but Master Ferlin''s abilities just seemed to be a goal far outside of her reach. They continued on, silently running through the forest and soon they came upon the view of the camp.


    Hundreds of canvas tents were seemingly placed without the order one might expect from an army, no doubt due to the rough enclosed terrain of the forest. Sera felt remorseful that Setrhyn didn''t have more rangers. If it did they could have easily lay waste to the sloppy camp but as it was, they could do little but sneak around and watch.


    Losing a single ranger for the slim chance of creating chaos wasn''t worth the price with a battle on the way. A single ranger on the walls of Setrhyn would be able to do far more damage than they could do in the middle of an enemy camp.


    They quietly skirted the edges of the camp making a full revolution and gleaning all they could before heading back out the way they came. Sera was the first to speak once they were far enough away from the camp.


    "That cannon..."


    "I saw... The walls will be useless..." Master Ferlin looked as though he was deep in thought as he replied.


    "Should we evacuate the villagers who can''t fight?" Jeren asked.


    "No, they''d never make it to Itheas Village without protection."


    "We could send them to Ardin." Sera added.


    "There''s only seven hours before sun up, we have to be quick... We''ll let the villagers decide, gather everyone in the square once we get back."


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    Once they returned, they did just that. The villagers were already aware of the situation and had varying responses to Master Ferlin''s proposal. Some wanted to fight, some to flee, and some simply let out their frustration on him as if it was his fault the human''s were attacking the village.


    They argued back and forth for a bit before ultimately deciding to stay and fight. There would be no guarantee that they could even reach Ardin if they chose to leave the safety of the walls. It was entirely possible that the humans had scouts watching the city and while the rangers were great at their job, there simply wasn''t enough time to search the forest for scouts before fleeing. They could end up walking right into the humans hands.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Earl Abery walked out of his tent clad in steel plate armor and his signature barghest pelt as the morning sun peaked over the horizon. Marshal Dolan and Pontus greeted him as he stepped out.


    "Report." Earl Abery grumbled at Marshal Dolan.


    "The orc scouts have increased in number but they''re still keeping their distance. A squad on the western end of camp was attacked by a ''bear-like'' beast that killed four and we lost two scouts. The scouts were killed by arrows and i believe it to be the dark elves doing. That is all, the men are ready to march on your order, my lord."


    "Have you found the necromancer yet?" Earl Abery asked as he looked up with an uneasy expression to see six purple eyed flying creatures circling above.


    "No, my lord. The scouts searched two kilometers in all directions but turned up nothing. The necromancer may have already retreated behind the village walls."


    "Can necromancers normally control undead from so far?" Earl Abery turned his attention to Pontus.


    "I-i don''t know, my lord. Necromancy is a magic that only the demons and dark elves have knowledge of. During the first invasion the demonic necromancers were never recorded being able to control undead from so far but that doesn''t mean it isn''t possible. It is far more unlikely that this necromancer is able to hide so well within our reach than it is to believe he can control undead from afar."


    "...Send scouts to check on the status of the village, let''s move out."


    The armies march was quicker now that the flying creatures were no longer harassing them but it still wasn''t quick enough for Earl Abery''s liking. Between the orcs shadowing them and the mysterious necromancer that evaded his grasp, his gut instinct was warning him of danger. He was a simple man and his gut had never given him bad advice before so he decided to take the side of caution during this battle.


    The scouts returned a short while later, reporting nothing out of the ordinary with the village which only made his worries increase. It was clear that the dark elves knew his army was there and if they didn''t attempt to flee it meant that they believed they could win.


    No matter how he thought about it he could only see their confidence coming from another force that would be lying in wait for him. He began to consider giving up on the village and returning back to his territory. They already had enough slaves to pay for a few years of grain, even if his farms produced nothing.


    The only thing preventing a retreat was that he knew the gate would be opening soon and with it there would be many armies marching through his lands that he would be required to help feed. As he struggled to come to a decision the forest broke into a field. A few hundred meters in the distance he could see the village walls and his army began to form up as if the decision had already been made.


    Once the army was in position, Marshal Dolan walked over to him.


    "On your command, my lord."


    "...Begin. Fire as many times as it takes to break down this entire section of wall. I don''t want to be stuck in a choke point like the last village."


    "As you say, my lord." Marshal Dolan walked back over to the cannon and issued the order before returning.


    "BOOM!" A ten meter section of the walls exploded before crumbling into dust. Setrhyn''s stone walls were far sturdier than Lyr''s but the cannon still managed to shatter it as if it was made out of glass.


    "BOOM!" His men quickly loaded the cannon and fired again, and again. The bombardment lasted until they ran out of cannon balls nearly an hour later and a two hundred meter gap now in the walls.


    In the distance he could see the dark elves marching forward to fill the gap now that the bombardment had ceased. Besides what looked like village guards, most of them appeared to be equipped no better than peasants, using farm tools and kitchen knives as weapons with little to no protection in the way of armor.


    His soldiers on the other hand were equipped with steel swords, shields, and chain mail over a soft leather doublet. A kitchen knife would be about as threatening as a wooden spoon to his soldiers unless these dark elves were trained in combat. Even then, it''s one thing to know where to strike to kill a man in armor but it''s entirely different to actually succeed when they''re swinging a sword in your direction.


    No matter how Earl Abery looked at it, they had to have another force somewhere.


    "...Send half the men in." He ordered Marshal Dolan. He was confident that he could win with half given the situation and he would still be able to react if another force appeared during the battle.


    "Are you sure my lord? Our lines will be thin with only-"


    "Do it."


    "As you command..."


    Marshal Dolan began to shout out orders which in turn were followed by the sounds of horns bellowing. Half of the soldiers began marching forward at a brisk pace. Once they were a hundred meters from the village the dark elves began to loose arrows, claiming a dozen lives with each volley and Earl Abery''s soldiers broke out into a charge in response.

 54 Chapter 54

    Rorik returned halfway through their march to Setrhyn which gave Aerwyn some consolation that at least the elves knew of the threat and could defend themselves until he got there. As they marched he watched the battle unfold through the eyes of his jakku. The trip was taking longer than usual due to the goblins short legs not being able to keep up with the more agile undead that his army consisted of. When Aerwyn saw the human''s sending in another two hundred soldiers he knew he had to do something else Setrhyn would fall before he arrived.


    He opened his true eyes and looked back at his army before riding over to Teek.


    "We have no more time, i''m leaving you in charge of then goblins and vosk. I have to take the rest on ahead, get to the battle as soon as you can and kill every human you see." Teek nodded her head proudly as if she had been given a great honor and Aerwyn rode back to the front of his troops.


    "We''re marching ahead! I want all of you to stick close to me and do exactly as i do! Not a single human can escape the battlefield today lest we be discovered by the gods! Leave none alive!" Aerwyn bellowed to his army, impersonating what he thought a good general would sound like but it didn''t appear to have any effect on his undead outside of Erit who wore an adoring smile.


    "Well said master!" She called out excitedly as Aerwyn approached her.


    "Once we reach Setrhyn i want you to stay in the forest with the spiders. The spiders are too weak to fight the soldiers head on and i don''t want them dying pointlessly. Wait until the second group of soldiers commits to battle before charging out to flank them."


    "B-but master this little spider wanted to be by your side as you charge out and slaughter your enemies.." Erit''s voice matched the forlorn expression on her face as she spoke using her voice magic.


    "...This is more important, there will be plenty of battles in the future. N-next time, i promise." Erit''s expression and voice almost made Aerwyn forget that there was a battle going on and that every second mattered.


    "Ok!" Erit''s expression changed to glee instantly, in a fashion even more polished than Marik''s own ability to change to a friendly merchant on command. It made Aerwyn want to take his momentary feelings of guilt back and smack the ''little spider'' on her head for tricking him.


    Shaking off the lapse in judgement he rode off followed by his army of undead, sans the vosk and goblins. The army was already close to Setrhyn and without the goblins slowing them down they made it to the edge of the forest within fifteen minutes. Aerwyn gazed through the eyes of the jakku one last time to get a birds eye view of the battlefield before opening his eyes and preparing himself for what was to come.


    He needed to be careful, he had already exhausted quite a bit his soul by resurrecting nearly two hundred tenri on his way to Lyr so he would need to wait until his undead killed enough humans before he could even fight. If he got stuck in the darkness during this battle he would die. His undead were intelligent and they would no doubt protect him above all else but he couldn''t risk it so he decided to side with extreme caution by limiting the amount of humans he resurrected during this battle.


    There was also the fact that he had never brought back a Grade A soul before and given how painful Grade B souls were he wasn''t looking forward to enduring the process in the middle of an important battle. Turning his head and looking upon his undead a final time, he gave out orders.


    "I want the zin beetles in front with me. Rorik, the direwolves, and trolls will be behind us. Brexil cats and tenri will be behind them. We will be charging straight through so kill as we go but don''t stop moving." After he finished giving out orders he slapped his cheeks, looked forward and roared.


    "CHARGE!" This time his attempts to be more like a renowned general paid off as every single one of his undead released an ungodly horrific roar in unison that was as loud as a thunderclap. It even made the hair on his body stand up out of fear so he couldn''t imagine the effect it had on the human soldiers who would soon see an army of undead charging at them from behind.


    Aerwyn and his nearly three hundred undead shot out from the southern forest like a blood thirsty horde. They sprinted across the open field between the two halves of the human army and headed straight for the ones currently fighting, completely ignoring the other half that was a few hundred meters away. Aerwyn felt a strange satisfaction when he grew closer to the fighting and witnessed the frightened look upon the soldiers faces.


    He realized that in reality, they were probably more frightened by the fact that they were being charged in their flank along with the question of how a person could amass so many strange undead rather than the sheer strength of his force which lessened the feeling of satisfaction he felt.


    "Soon..." He mumbled under his breath and braced for impact as the zin beetle he was riding crashed into the humans southern flank.


    He continued forward, charging north, straight through their lines as the zin beetles trampled any humans unlucky enough to be in their path. Atop a zin beetle, Bon fired his fire balls deeper into the humans ranks that were left untouched by the charge while Nyris and Jinn did the same with their bone spears and arrows respectively.


    Yet it was Velk who was the first to get a kill. A soldier couldn''t dodge in time and attempted to grab a hold of the zin beetle he was riding. Velk responded to this gesture by sending his battle axe into the soldiers skull, cutting through the chain mail coif as if it was no more than cotton.


    Nyris paused his bombardment halfway through the charge and began chanting his summoning spell as four circles of black viscous liquid manifested itself in the center of the human ranks. Four death knights clawed their way up through the liquid as if escaping the clutches of the underworld before the four circles combined, unleashing nearly five dozen skeletons in the same fashion.


    Nyris''s undead immediately began to cause even more chaos as they hacked and slashed wildly, giving the humans no safe place to rest within their ranks. The crippling charge appeared to give the elves a second wind and Aerwyn could hear their battle cries through the sounds of battle as he pushed north.


    Behind him the second and third lines of his charge seemed to have formulated a plan without him. Rorik, the trolls, and the direwolves were focusing more on knocking enemies down, allowing the tenri and brexil cats to swarm the fallen foed and kill them more easily. As he reached the end of the humans lines he continued to ride north with his undead before circling back around for another charge.


    Aerwyn had already lost thirty nine undead and only managed to reap nearly sixty souls despite having the element of surprise along with the added fear of an unknown enemy. Off in the distance he saw the other half of the army charging in. He would only have time for one more push before the other half of the army arrived and tied him down. This charge wouldn''t be nearly as effective now that the humans were aware of them so he braced himself for even more severe losses.


    If he didn''t need to defend the elves he would''ve liked to use his troops mobility to their full advantage. The humans no longer had any horses to contest them so he would''ve been able to pick at them much like how brexil cats fight but if he did so, he risked the humans simply focusing on the exhausted elves. Given no choice, he and his undead would have to take the front lines once the armies converged.


    As Aerwyn charged back into the fray he unleashed a barrage of flame lances into the army rushing in from the west in hopes of slowing them down. The explosive force of his flame lances blew apart the tight-knit lines knocking many down and causing others to trip over the fallen. That alone was good enough for Aerwyn but when he saw three white souls rushing over to him just as his charge was about to make contact he cursed all the practice he had done up until now that allowed him to be so accurate.


    The three souls shot into his chest and immediately time seemed to slow to a crawl while the world appeared to lose all color.


    "THUMP THUMP!" His heartbeat echoed out in his head as if a massive drum was being pounded right next to his ear.


    "THUMP THUMP!" Pure white fog appeared to snake in from nowhere and everywhere at the same time all around him. It soon filled his vision and was as though he had entered a pure white cloud. The shadows he saw slowly dancing within the fog were undoubtedly the soldiers fighting and he could still clearly see the zin beetle beneath him but anything outside of five meters blurred to nothingness.


    "THUMP THUMP! THUMP THUMP!" The fog began to form shapes and take color. Walls made of shining black stone adorned with golden embellishments appeared around him and seemed to follow him as the zin beetle trudged along beneath him at a snails pace, continuing to charge forward as per his last orders.


    "THUMP THUMP! THUMP THUMP!" Massive wooden doors appeared in the walls followed by a luxuriously ornate desk sitting below a gilded painting of a man in armor and a woman in a black dress.


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    "THUMP THUMP! THUMP THUMP!" The thumping of his heart grew ever louder as his eyes were drawn to the painting. His mind felt like a pane of glass on the verge of shattering as the faces on the painting slowly drew themselves in where nothing existed before as if the invisible ghost of a master artisan was hard at work before his very eyes.


    "BANG!" His attention was pulled by the large wooden doors being slammed opened as a man in polished silver armor appeared before quickly turning and closing the doors behind him. He leaned against the doors for a moment and caught his breath before turning around.


    "THUMP THUMP! THUMP THUMP! CRACKKKKKK!" A mind shattering sound shot through his head forcing him to close his eyes and endure the pain. When he opened his eyes once more his eyes were drawn to another person in the room, one he had never seen before in the past occurrences of this vision.


    A skinny young man with black hair, no older than twenty, stood before the man in polished silver armor holding a peculiar looking spear. It was Aerwyn, but the most peculiar thing about this vision of himself was that the young man standing before him had brown eyes.

 55 Chapter 55

    Endless questions raced through Aerwyn''s head as he stared at this doppelganger of his and he nearly forgot about the battle being fought in front of him. The man in polished silver armor began to move his mouth as if to speak but no words came out and Aerwyn attempted to read his frantically moving lips. Instantly, he heard a gruff voice but not with his ears, he heard it in his mind and it appeared to mirror the man''s lips creating a strange scene before him.


    "We must hurry, your parents cannot hold for much longer. Are you sure you want to do this? There are other ways to hide you. I can portal you to my home and-" The man''s expression showed deep concern and guilt as he pleaded with Aerwyn''s doppelganger. It was a deep contrast from the horrifying faceless man he had seen before.


    "...It''s the only way uncle. He will never stop searching if he believes me to be alive. It must look like i perished here and he''ll trust your words if you show a little proof."


    "But-"


    "You must do it." The doppelganger spoke in a stern voice, taking one last painful glance at the painting above the desk behind him. The man in polished armor sullenly walked over and grabbed a hold of his arm. The man sighed and began to speak as if he were a over protective parent bidding their child farewell before they left on a long journey.


    "...The gate is opening soon so you won''t have much time to reach it. The remnants of the invaders will not allow you to pass through the lands unabated, you must be careful. My power is limited that far north but i''ll send you as close as i can to the Fae''Laran. It should be easy to convince their necromancers to join you once you show them your power... Are you ready?"


    "I know uncle, thank you... I''m ready."


    The man in polished armor cocked his arm back and plunged it into the doppelganger''s chest. There was no blood and it appeared the man''s hand had simply plunged through air. The man began struggling to remove his hand as if he had grabbed a hold of something that didn''t want to be moved. Slowly golden light began to shine out as the man''s hand exited the doppelganger''s chest.


    For a split second Aerwyn saw a golden ball of light in the man''s hand before it shattered into a million rays of light that bounced around the room. Instantly Aerwyn''s doppelganger began screaming in agony as tenebrous smoke began to pour out from his chest. The smoke arced out into many snake like tendrils that reached out for the rays of light as if desperately trying to grab a hold of them. Whenever a tendril grabbed a ray of light they would arc back and pierce his body before reaching out again, boring in and out of his skin like worms to an apple.


    "S-SOMETHING IS WRONG!" The doppelganger screamed out in a voice that gave Aerwyn a chill. It sounded as if it were two voices talking in harmony. The tenebrous tendrils continued to pierce through him and seemingly grab the shattered rays of light as he struggled to stand. A spark of purple light burst for a moment in front of the doppelganger''s eyes before another and another until two deep purple flames took root where his eyes once were.


    The man in polished armor attempted to rush over and try to help but the second he got too close the tendrils turned their attention to him. They went straight for the man''s chest, wildly weaving in and out and causing him great pain. The flames on the doppelganger''s eyes grew ever brighter as the tendrils attacked until the man was forced to retreat back to safety.


    More purple sparks began to flash in front of the doppelganger''s chest which soon burst into a fiery inferno that spun around him like a tornado. The man in polished armor summoned a silvery magic barrier to protect himself from the blaze while he repeatedly attempted to calm the doppelganger.


    "YOU HAVE TO SEND ME AWAY NOW!" The doppelganger screamed out as the flames began to consume the entire room. The man shot a conflicted look towards him before sending his arms forward as if to hold back the flames. A silvery, mirror-like ball appeared in front of his hands that grew larger as it flew through the flames until it reached the doppelganger''s body, encapsulating it. The man took one final look before closing his hands into a fist which caused the silvery ball to rapidly shrink to nothingness.


    The vision froze the moment the silvery ball disappeared and began to fade back into white fog, which soon faded away as well. His perception of time began to speed up rapidly and he realized that he had only moved a few meters since the vision started. Ten meters in front of him was the human''s battle lines that he was in the middle of charging and he quickly braced himself for impact.


    The humans reacted quicker this time, with most dodging and weaving past the oncoming zin beetles while Aerwyn continued on towards the center of the battle. Once there Aerwyn turned his undead east and pushed into Setrhyn to join forces with the elves. He was right about his losses increasing from here on out, another twenty two tenri, a direwolf, and eleven brexil cats had fallen this time for a gain of only twenty six human souls.


    Nyris''s death knights were still going strong and between them and his skeletons, he was nearly matching Aerwyn for kills which irked him for some reason. Once they broke through the lines into Setrhyn he ordered his undead to do battle and paused for a moment to unpack the vision he had experienced while he scanned the battlefield for Tylin or Sera.


    The man who was apparently Aerwyn''s uncle, spoke about reaching the gate before it opened but the damned vision didn''t tell him why he needed to do that or what awaited him once he did. It seemed like his past self had some sort of plan but it clearly didn''t work since now he was stuck without his memories of said plan.


    "Stupid brown eyed Aerwyn..." He cursed under his breathe as he continued to scan the battlefield.


    "Who are you talking to, dear boy?" Tylin appeared behind him startling the zin beetle who jumped forward in an attempt to avoid the surprise attack.


    "Calm down, it''s just Tylin." Aerwyn patted the back of the zin beetle.


    "You''ve come at the perfect time, i''m nearly out of mana and things were looking rather dire."


    "Yet you have enough mana to sneak up on me..." Aerwyn mumbled before continuing.


    "Is Sera ok? Where is she?"


    "Ah yes, she''s over there with Jeren-Watch out behind you dear boy." Tylin pointed and spoke nonchalantly as if it was nothing more than a casual conversation.


    The zin beetle quickly turned a hundred and eighty degrees and was greeted by a human soldier swinging his sword. Rin and Ren jumped into action immediately as the sword cut through the zin beetles front leg. They each darted forward slicing deep gashes through the leather protecting the soldiers legs. The soldier seemed to have his eyes locked on Aerwyn as he fought through the pain and swung his sword once more in a high arc towards Aerwyn.


    The zin beetle, unaffected by it''s lost leg, charged forward and rammed it''s head into the soldier while Aerwyn blocked the swing with his staff. The blow was softened by the zin beetle knocking into the soldier yet to Aerwyn it still felt as though one of his trolls had hit the staff. The blow sent Aerwyn flying back nearly five meters as he tumbled to the ground.


    Regaining his bearing, he shot a glance in Tylin''s direction and saw the elf was actually being helpful for once. Magic that looked like a grey spider web appeared at the soldiers feet holding him in place as he struggled to break free. The zin beetle quickly took advantage and using it''s massive body, leaped onto the soldier pinning him underneath as the soldier swung his sword wildly into the creatures thick carapace.


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    Aerwyn got up and ran back over before sending his staff''s blade into the mans neck continuously until he saw the white soul leave his body.


    "You could''ve just done that from the start..." Aerwyn said as he turned to looked at Tylin.


    "If i did the next time you aren''t paying attention on a battlefield you would surely die. Good lessons often are taught through pain dear boy. Now where are the rest of your undead, surely this isn''t all you brought?"


    Aerwyn hopped back up on the zin beetle as the purple tendrils drilled their way out of his chest and looked out towards the other half of the human army that had now reached the battle.

 56 Chapter 56

    Aerwyn touched his chest as he noted that the process of resurrecting a human appeared to require more of his soul than other creatures. It wasn''t to the point that he would exhaust his soul after a few but he would definitely need to be careful about how many he brought back. He looked down at the human he had just killed as the tenebrous smoke poured from it''s wound. This time however, he made sure to keep an eye out on the battle after having just learned Tylin''s ''painful'' lesson.


    He didn''t get to see the other humans that he resurrected turn into undead due to the distance, so he was curious if anything was different. The process proceeded the same as always but when the human stood up it didn''t have the deep purple flames like the rest of his undead, it had violet eyes just like Erit. The human''s eyes darted around frantically as if trying to make sense of the new reality it found itself in before locking eyes with Aerwyn. The undead human almost appeared to lunge at Aerwyn which caused the zin beetle beneath him to rapidly take a step back.


    "I order you to pickup your sword and go kill all the living humans you can." Aerwyn spoke in a stern voice as he watched the freshly made undead attempt to fight the command as it continued to struggle before eventually picking up the sword. He watched as the undead froze for a moment and stared at Aerwyn before finally turning around and running into the battle.


    "Fascinating..." Tylin mumbled from Aerwyn''s side.


    Aerwyn was curious of what he had to say but decided it could be left until later. The battle was quickly turning in the humans favor again and he needed to start fighting. He took aim and began firing into the back of the humans lines as to not accidentally hit any elves in the process. The explosions of purple flames knocked the humans around making openings for his undead to exploit as they struggled to get back to their feet.


    After a short barrage and a dozen purple souls leaving his chest he noticed he was losing undead at a rapid pace near the left flank. Scanning the area, he saw an earthen spike penetrate one of his tenri''s skull and pin the creature to the ground. Following the path where the projectile had come from he saw an elderly man in grey robes and a gnarled staff.


    The mage was continuously firing the earthen spikes at Aerwyn''s undead so he took aim and fired a flame lance in his direction. The mage reacted quickly which surprised Aerwyn as a two meter wide wall of earth shot up from the ground completely blocking the flame lance. Just as quickly as the earth wall appeared, half a dozen spikes formed on it and shot in Aerwyn''s direction.


    He had no time to be in awe of the mages expert use of magic, he didn''t have the ability to summon something to shield him from the attack so his options were limited. As the spikes flew through the air only one idea came to him.


    "STAND UP!" He yelled to the zin beetle as he grabbed a hold of the creatures carapace, bringing his body close to it''s back. The zin beetle immediately responded and clumsily stood up on it''s hind legs. Four of the six projectiles dug into the creatures underbelly and the impact along with the creatures poor balance sent it tumbling back as Aerwyn dived off it.


    Regaining his bearing he looked to the zin beetle, tenebrous smoke poured out from it''s wounds and the spikes began to fall to the ground as the creature stood back up. Aerwyn ran over to it and once again climbed its back. He took aim at the mage but this time he sent an unending barrage of flame lances in his direction.


    Aerwyn didn''t have any fancy spells like the mage but he knew from experience that if he fired enough at the wall of earth it would break just like the wall at Glik''s village. The soldiers gave the mage a wide birth, doing their best to avoid the explosive earthen debris and wild flames lashing out in the area surrounding the mage.


    Aerwyn''s undead on the other hand, were unaffected by the flames. Three tenri charged behind the the earthen wall out of Aerwyn''s sight. After a few moments the wall crumbled under the power of his flame lances, revealing a bloodied mage with a dagger in his other hand. Aerwyn barely had enough time to register the mage''s silhouette behind the flames of the last attack he had sent out before he saw an earthen spike flying in his direction.


    He was already in the midst of shooting out another flame lance and he wouldn''t have enough time to fully dodge the spike if he went for the kill. The mage was too big of a threat to his undead so he made the decision to trade blows but he was damn sure the trade would end in his favor. The flame lance shot out, precisely aimed at the mages chest and once it was released Aerwyn did his best to minimize the damage by moving his body to the right.


    The earthen spike hit his left shoulder with tremendous force, the snapping sound of bone echoed out as his left arm went numb. He was sent spinning to the ground and the impact only forced the earthen spike deeper. Dazed and groaning in pain, he lied there for a moment as Rin and Ren ran over to him.


    While Rin licked his cheek he looked over to his impaled shoulder, the spike was nearly six centimeters thick and thirty five long. It caused the flesh on his shoulder to bulge out in a horrifically unnatural manner as blood trickled from the wound. For a moment he wished he was undead like his zin beetle so that he could just force it out and have the darkness heal him.


    The first purple tendril began to poke out which gave him some comfort in knowing that he had succeeded in killing the mage and he wasn''t wounded for nothing. He reached into the pouch around his waist and felt cool liquid and broken glass. Groaning in anger this time, he continued to shuffle through the pouch until he found a potion that was still intact and placed it beside him.


    "Tylin!" Aerwyn called out angrily, still upset about the broken potions.


    "What is it dear boy?"


    "Give me a piece of cloth..." Aerwyn didn''t expect Tylin to offer to help him so he figured he''d do it on his own. Tylin obliged and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to Aerwyn.


    "...Why aren''t you fighting?"


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    "I already told you dear boy. I''m nearly out of mana, a mage should never allow themselves to be completely without mana lest they find themselves in a situation that will see their end."


    "Master Ferlin said you could best an orc in melee though." Aerwyn spoke as he folded up the handkerchief on his chest.


    "I can protect myself but make no mistake, i am no soldier. If i fought now i would exhaust myself quickly and should i need to flee with Sera i would find myself unable to."


    "You would leave the people of Setrhyn to die? I thought necromancers were in the villages to protect them." Aerwyn asked and took a swig of the potion, leaving half to pour on his arm.


    "I''ve already done my duty as a Fae''Laran necromancer, the rest is up to the people of Setrhyn. I''m not required to die with them should the village fall and i have no intention of losing Sera if it comes to that, hence my current resting state dear boy."


    Aerwyn let those words sink in as he prepared himself to pull out the earthen spike. Tylin was an odd character, at times he can seem caring in his own peculiar way and other times he can seem so incredibly cold and calculating. It reminded him of Sera, although her personality was flipped, at least for Aerwyn. She seemed caring more than cold while Tylin often felt more cold than caring.


    "URGG!" Aerwyn screamed through his clenched jaw as he ripped the spike out. Blood shot out like a fountain for a moment and once it stopped Aerwyn poured the rest of the potion on the wound before tying the handkerchief around it with his free hand and mouth.


    He didn''t have anything to use as a sling right now so he had to make due with letting the broken arm rest on his lap as he climbed back atop the zin beetle to see the progress of the battle. His attention was pulled south as he saw Erit along with the spiders only just now reaching the humans and not far behind them was Teek and the goblins.

 57 Chapter 57

    Aerwyn painfully shot out flame lances as he kept on an eye on Erit. The spiders caught most of the soldiers by surprise, appearing like a flood and washing over them. They looked to be mostly utilizing their webs as opposed to their venom, probably due to the difficulty in piercing the soldiers mail and leather with their fangs.


    The spiders jumped from soldier to soldier spewing out webs and tying the soldiers together while Erit walked through their ranks nonchalantly striking out towards the immobile soldiers with her sword and dagger as if she were out on a leisurely walk. Funnily enough, she appeared more like a scorpion than a spider with the way her whip-like webs arced when she sent out a strike. Not that Aerwyn would ever tell her that, he wasn''t sure but he assumed she would take offense to it and he''d rather not hear another one of her spiels.


    A soldier who had already been stabbed once by Erit''s blade managed to survive. He feigned death while waiting patiently until the woman had passed him and once the opportunity displayed itself he struck, charging at her back with his sword. Aerwyn panicked and quickly turned to fire at the man as the zin beetle charged to the left flank but he was too late. The sword pierced right through her back, exiting her chest.


    The man froze as if he was too confused to know what he should do next. Erit paused for a moment as she looked down to see the blade sticking out of her chest.


    "...Ah! MY SHIRT!" She cried out as tenebrous smoke began to swirl around the blade.


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    "YOU MISERABLE TINY HUMAN!" Erit''s emotions quickly turned to rage as she sent the blades connected to her webs behind her without even turning to face the man who was clearly quite a bit larger than the ''little spider''. The two blades entered the man''s chest through his collar bones on either side of his throat, ending his life.


    Aerwyn sighed and he felt like he even heard the zin beetle beneath him do the same but that could''ve just been his imagination. He kept an eye on her as the zin beetle made it''s way back to the center, continuing to fire off flame lances at any enemies he could. Erit''s attacks were no longer following her leisurely pace as they were before. She appeared to be a whirlwind of steel as she and the spiders picked up their pace.


    Teek and the goblins didn''t follow Erit''s path, instead opting to skirt the edges of the battle from behind the human lines as they push north towards the center of the battle. Aerwyn was surprised by this as it showed Teek had enough intelligence to realize that her and the goblins would be better suited fighting elsewhere. It was a far leap from the stupid goblins he had fought in the past and he wondered why that was.


    It should have something to do with his power since it''s not like he was teaching the goblins military tactics in his free time but he wasn''t sure what exactly was causing it. It was added to the never ending list of questions about his power as he reached the center of the battle once more. Resurrection was beginning to take a toll on his soul so he scanned the battlefield while he rested, awaiting more souls.


    Mogg, Rogg, and Cogg were easily visible, standing a full meter above the humans heads as they swung their tree trunks around, sending humans flying and crippling them with each blow. The troll''s natural healing made them difficult to kill even when they were alive but that natural healing appeared to be strengthened in their undeath as wounds healed almost instantly, leaving very little time for the tenebrous smoke to do it''s work.


    Kabba and Frakki were in between the trolls, having long since jumped off their zin beetles. Aerwyn watched as they darted to a human that was sent flying by the trolls and Kabba quickly stabbed down with his short sword while Frakki slashed at the nearby soldier who had gone in to help. Once the soldier on the ground was finished off they quickly darted back to the safety of the trolls and waited for the next victim to be sent flying.


    Not to far away from the trolls was Jinn and Velk still atop their zin beetles. The elves gave the pair a wide birth as they rode in circles slashing at any humans who came close but never fully committing to taking a prolonged fight.


    Jinn now had a sword that she must''ve picked up from a dead soldier when she ran out of arrows and a human attempted to grab her as they rode by but the zin beetle bucked knocking the man down. Aerwyn saw a fireball shoot in and hit the soldier, following where it had come from, he saw Bon atop a zin beetle along with his two goblin apprentices Jora and Nora. It appeared that they were using the same tactics as Kabba and the trolls.


    Aerwyn turned his attention to his new undead humans and as he watched it left him even more confused than his undead''s aforementioned military stratagem. Some were ferocious and unyielding as they sent flurries of sword swings at their once brothers in arms while others seemed to be doing little more than standing still in the midst of battle. He was about to call one over when he heard horns begin sounding off all along the human''s lines.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Earl Abery''s horse was killed during the initial charge and he now stood on the elves right flank. An unfortunate elf took a swing at him with a spear while he finished off another but the spear missed any lethal points within his armor. It simply bounced off the hard steel cuirass and Earl Abery didn''t give the elf another chance to strike him. He whacked the spear away with his heater shield before sending a lunging strike into the elf''s chest.


    Moving to the back of his lines and taking a short break to catch his breath he peered through his visor at the battle and observed Marshal Dolan rapidly making his way towards him.


    "My lord! We must sound the retreat! Pontus and many more have fallen to the necromancers magic and now fight against us!" Marshal Dolan cried out once he got near.


    "We can''t retreat, we''ll lose too many men if the necromancer sends his beasts to chase us." Earl Abery responded waving off the man''s concern.


    "If we don''t retreat now we''ll-" Marshal Dolan''s pleas were interrupted by another soldier who appeared.


    "A horde of goblins and spiders have appeared to the south!"


    "How many?" Marshal Dolan asked hurriedly.


    "Hundreds sir. They should be reaching the battle now."


    Marshal Dolan and Earl Abery both looked south and spotted the front of the purple eyed goblin horde charging north behind their lines.


    "Who is this necromancer..." The scene left Earl Abery speechless and he mouthed out the question that had been on his mind ever since the bird-like creatures began attacking their horses.


    He had witnessed the boy riding an undead insect fire magic well beyond the range of a mage, resurrect his soldiers without even being near, and control well over a thousand undead at once. If he had not seen it with his own eyes he would never have believed such a thing was possible even for a demon that particularly excelled at magic, let alone a human.


    "...My lord, you must order the retreat. If we do nothing we will lose everything. We must take the chance, even if it''s slim, to return to the ships." Marshal Dolan pleaded once more, this time with a more stern voice that infinitely neared insubordination. Earl Abery listened to his words as he watched the goblins charge in and begin fighting his now surrounded troops.


    "Do it... Sound the retreat."


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    As the horns sounded out Aerwyn watched the human quickly break into a free for all, doing all they could to push past the goblins behind them. The left flank didn''t fare much better thanks to the endless amount of spider webs and the right flank was the only side left unabated in their retreat. He fired upon them with flame lances as they fled west but chose not to follow.


    Aerwyn had no intention of letting them reach their ships alive but he knew they wouldn''t get far. They were wearing heavy armor and couldn''t run the whole way back to the ships, his undead on the other hand had no such issues and could sprint endlessly to chase them. Instead he sent his six remaining jakku to follow them and allowed his undead to finish off the ones who were still stuck in battle while he fired at those who made it passed them.


    Within twenty minutes the last remnants of the human army entered the treeline to the west and the elves of Setrhyn cheered as Aerwyn counted his undead. He had only gained sixty eight undead humans for the price of over three hundred and fifty of his undead and a portion of the undead humans barely even fought in the battle which left a sour taste in his mouth.

 58 Chapter 58

    Aerwyn felt drained, not physically but within his soul. It was as if he was close to overdrawing his soul but he had only managed to resurrect seventy two humans throughout the battle and he was certain that between him and his undead, they had killed over four hundred soldiers. The numbers didn''t add up in his head unless resurrecting Grade A souls cost him more than he previously thought.


    Master Ferlin sullenly walked over grabbing Aerwyn''s attention.


    "Thank you for your warning and your aid. The people of Setrhyn owe you a great deal of gratitude." He said bowing humbly towards Aerwyn.


    "How many were lost?"


    "Too many... but we''ll survive. What about Lyr?" Master Ferlin paused and changed his mournful expression to one of strength as if to show to Aerwyn that the Fae''Laran are survivors.


    "Some escaped to Ardin with Nyris. He''s around here somewhere and should have a better understanding of their situation."


    "That''s good to hear. Tylin told me that you would plan to go after the humans. Are you?"


    "He knows me well, i''m about to head out now. I''ll be back once they''re dealt with to help out around Setrhyn."


    "Good luck. I won''t be able to repay you if you get yourself killed."


    Aerwyn smiled and nodded before calling his undead to gather around him. He wanted to ask about the cannon that now sat unattended a few hundred meters away as well as how to divide up the mana cores and other loot but figured that it was best left for another time. Nyris chose to stay behind and help out around Setrhyn which wasn''t surprising. The necromancer had barely slept in two days and exhausted his mana during the fight so Aerwyn didn''t hold it against him.


    It was now time to deal with the insubordinate humans that refused to fight during the battle. Normally when he resurrects an undead in the midst of battle they automatically fight but some of his humans simply stood around during the battle, not lifting a finger to help. He didn''t believe they could outright refuse his orders but perhaps like Erit, they could simply chose a different interpretation of his words.


    He wore a cold expression as he rode atop his zin beetle over to the violet eyed humans and spoke with a harsh, cold voice.


    "All of you can no longer call whatever lands you hail from as home, your home is wherever i choose to lay my head. You shall no longer have friends, family, or lovers, as those are for the living. You shall no longer serve whatever lord, or king, or emperor you once did, for i am now all of those things to you. You shall no longer pray to whatever god you once did, for i am now the one who shall hear your prayers at night.


    You exist to further my goals. Some of you will struggle with this fact as you did during the battle. Make no mistake, your souls are mine. If you believe your death will free you of this burden you are sorely mistaken, there will be no reincarnation for you.


    No... What awaits you after death is a fate far worse than even a necromancer''s soul being torn asunder for a thousand years in the underworld. At least the necromancer can find some solace in knowing the suffering ends... What awaits you is the darkness of the void, MY darkness, and there you will stay suffering endless torment for an eternity, used as nothing more than nourishment for my power..."


    Aerwyn paused and looked over each and every undead human before him. They had varied expressions but none that looked to be insubordinate.


    "Now... Where is your home?" Aerwyn harshly snapped his words.


    "Wherever you lay your head, lord." The undead humans answered in unison.


    "Where are your families?" Aerwyn harshly snapped his words again, louder this time.


    "Families are for the living, lord!" The undead humans answered even more loudly than before.


    "Who do you serve?" Aerwyn raised his voice once more so that he was still louder than their previous reply.


    "We serve you, lord!" The undead''s answer boomed out.


    "And who is your god?" Aerwyn asked more quietly this time, speaking at a volume that one might use when speaking to a lover as if to check and make sure that they were still listening.


    "You are, lord!" The undead voices boomed out once more.


    "Not a single human shall leave the forsaken lands alive. Do you understand me?"


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    "Yes, lord!"


    "Good, then let us go."


    Aerwyn turned his zin beetle and caught sight of Erit staring at him with the fiery admiration of a fanatic. Ignoring her, he continued to turn and saw the faces of each of his named undead show a similar sense of admiration to varying degrees. Aerwyn laughed in his head at the unintended zeal he created within his already loyal undead.


    His ''great one'' persona that he had previously used on Frakki appeared to have done it''s job and the humans quickly fell in line behind him. Of course what he said was mostly lies he came up with on the spot to appear more domineering. While Nyris did say that he was stealing souls from the reincarnation cycle, neither Aerwyn nor Nyris knew where they ended up once the undead died but the humans wouldn''t know the difference if he embellished his power a little bit to scare them into submission.


    They traveled at the max speed that the goblins little legs could handle, however it was still much faster than a bunch of tired humans could move, especially if they believe they already made it to safety.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Earl Abery took off his stifling hot helmet and caught his breath as the remnants of his army took a break in the forest a few kilometers from the dark elven village. They had been running in the summer heat for for almost an hour and the thirty kilogram armor he was wearing was beginning to make his limbs go numb.


    He and his men had already used the majority of their mana to strengthen their bodies for the battle and then once more to flee. Now that he was forced to use the strength of his tired body alone, the armor became nearly unbearable for him to walk in. He plopped down on a fallen tree and looked over the remnants of his men.


    Their numbers had been dramatically reduced and Earl Abery could only see a few hundred amongst the trees. He would need to wait for Marshal Dolan before he could get an exact headcount but no matter what the number was it was unacceptable. He brought his hand to his forehead as he cursed himself for not fleeing when the bird-like creatures first appeared.


    He believed that his men would be able to handle one or two necromancers and now he would have to live with the reality of that decision. Looking up through the trees he saw the bird-like creatures circling above that had followed him for the past two days. They were like a vengeful spirit that refused to let him go in peace, sticking to him endlessly.


    ''If we survive...'' He thought and sighed aloud.


    After resting for twenty minutes Marshal Dolan walked over with his report.


    "Go ahead." Earl Abery didn''t bother with the politeness expected of a noble.


    "...We lost-"


    "Just tell me how many are left."


    "Four hundred and eighty six, my lord..."


    The number took the air from his lungs as it felt like he had been hit with a brick wall. These men were his most loyal supporters, some who even knew the truth of this expedition that risked the gallows for simply agreeing to follow him up here. They weren''t forced to come here following their lord, they came by their own free will to help him and now most of them lie either dead or undead.


    Earl Abery wasn''t a religious man but today he felt as though the gods were punishing him. The thought angered him, where were the gods when his farmlands were taken from him by his brother and Marquis Verden. Where were the gods when the blight destroyed the harvest. Where were the damned gods when the people of Abery starved. If losing his only son and his most loyal men was the gods justice then damn the gods.


    "We''ll rest for another half hour and then continue on. Choose some men that aren''t as tired as the rest and have them act as scouts on our rear. I don''t believe that necromancer will be kind enough as to let us leave else he wouldn''t have those damned birds watching us." Earl Abery spoke and pointed up.


    After their short break they began marching at a slow pace, no longer having the energy to run like they had done when they fled the battle. They continued marching on for only twenty minutes before the screams of the scouts they had left behind echoed through the dim forest. It appeared Earl Abery''s gut was right once again, the necromancer had no intention of letting them leave.

 59 Chapter 59

    Earl Abery and his men continued to flee through the dim forest as the necromancer sent waves of undead, picking at the remnants of his troops little by little. Like a pack of wolves they targeted the soldiers who were too tired from running all day in heavy armor to put up much of a fight and like a pack of wolves the final strike would come once their numbers no longer posed a threat to the pack.


    The sun was now setting and Earl Abery''s gut was screaming that their end would come soon. Their numbers had been reduced by half and not only were they still ten kilometers from the ships but the necromancer attacked in such a way as to corral them off course so now there was no telling how far they were from the ships. Their was little hope of reaching them tonight even if he was a more optimistic man.


    Running through the forest without the assistance of torches was a non-option, they would barely make it a kilometer before being wiped out. Lacking better options Earl Abery ordered the men to make a bonfire and circle around it for light. They would make there final stand here, if they could just make it through the night there was a chance, however slim, to survive.


    Earl Abery looked over the faces of his soldiers as they prepared the mass of logs and leaves for the fire. Their slow movements seemed to shout out to the world that they were in a weakened state and their fearful expressions removed any pride they once had in being strong men from Abery. His expression was no better but he wasn''t afraid of death. No, he was afraid that his people back in Abery would die the slow torturous death at the hands of starvation.


    Without him and his men returning the Durani merchants had no reason to honor their agreement. They would take the slaves and the people of Abery would be none the wiser as they starved. The only glimmer of hope he had was that his brother Teller might do the right thing when the territory of Abery cedes to him but that hope was about as realistic as them making it to the ships. The people of Abery shunned Teller and he was never the forgiving type.


    Night fell and the bonfire behind them blazed, lighting up the area as some men rested while others stood in a circle, ready to defend them.


    "AWOOOOOOOOOO!" A beast howl resounded through the forest giving Earl Abery a chill.


    He recognized the distinctive noise as the howl of a barghest. How could he forget what one sounded like? The pelt on his back was a constant reminder of how he almost lost his life when he was thirteen. The common folk and adventurers loved to spout the story of how he slayed the beast but it was all just propaganda created by his father. How could a thirteen year old possibly best a beast that large?


    The true story is far less glorious, Teller and his friends had tricked him. They brought him out under the guise of going out to hunt deer and in the middle of the night they left without him, leaving him alone, deep in the woods to the north of Abery. He cried as he wondered for two days hungry and thirsty with nothing but his clothes and a dagger. The barghest found him on the third night and he soiled himself the moment he heard the beast''s howl.


    The barghest motioned to pounce and he ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction, tripping and rolling into a rotted out tree. Luck was on his side and as the beast went in for the kill it''s head became stuck in the small opening. He sat inside the tree for hours crying as the beast tried to pry it''s way in until it grew weak. He mustered up all his courage and plunged his dagger into the beasts throat over and over again until his fathers men eventually found him hours later still crying and stabbing the beasts throat.


    His father thought it would be a shame to let the beasts pelt go to waste and thought up a story that showed how powerful the Abery bloodline was. It felt like poetic irony that his end was to be brought about by a barghest''s howl.


    "Ready yourselves!" Marshal Dolan cried out, doing his best to appear enthusiastic.


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    Silence followed as the men barely even let out a breath, waiting for the enemy to reveal themselves. The sounds of foot steps and the crunching of earth and leaves echoed out all around them from the darkness of the forest just outside the light of the bonfire. Once the sounds of footsteps stopped, silence returned and Earl Abery could hear menacing whispers come from within the forest.


    All of a sudden the ground underneath the bonfire caved in as if the very earth had opened it''s maw and swallowed it whole. Darkness fell as the men stood frozen in fear. Over a thousands tiny purple flames peered at them, unmoving, through the cover of darkness. They were surrounded and blind yet the flames made no motion to attack, simply watching as his men began to lose any semblance of confidence.


    "There''s a break in the encirclement!" A nameless soldier called out, causing chaos within the ranks.


    Earl Abery scanned the darkness to find what the soldier had spotted and saw a region of the forest with no tiny purple flames inhabiting it, he knew it wasn''t the path to freedom but the path to death. Earl Abery didn''t need his gut this time, every Brentish noble is raised to learn military tactics and knew that one should always leave an opening when surrounding their enemies lest their enemies find themselves in a hopeless situation and fight to the death.


    "IT''S A TRAP! DO NOT GO!" He cried out as the purple flames continued their unmoving malicious stare.


    The men were already in the midst of running towards the gap and paused momentarily heeding his words until a purple flame projectile shot out from within the darkness hitting Earl Abery in the chest. The explosive force sent him flying back into his men and the short peace ended. The men who had stopped began to flee once more as Earl Abery stood back up, his expensive enchanted armor nary had a dent in it after receiving the blast.


    "DO NOT FLEE! WE MUST STICK TOGETHER!" Marshal Dolan continued to cry out but his words were left unheeded as dozens of men ran towards the darkness. Earl Abery couldn''t blame them, a man overcome by fear will forsake anything and everything for even the tiniest of chances to live.


    It appeared that the necromancer was hoping for this outcome as the men who entered the empty patch of darkness made no sounds of agony nor pleas for life. They simply entered and disappeared allowing the rest of his men to believe they had made it to safety. Marshal Dolan continued to plea with the men to no avail as more and more ran towards the empty darkness.


    In the end no more than thirty men stood behind Earl Abery and he felt nothing but apathy as he stared back at the glowing purple flames peering at him through the dark night.


    "End it already..." His spirit broken from the trials he endured this past year came to a head and he whispered his thoughts in a helpless voice as he dropped his sword and shield.


    "My lord, what-" Marshal Dolan was dumbfounded and tried to protest but was ignored.


    "Necromancer!" Earl Abery roared as he removed his helmet.


    "You have won..." His volume lowered as he dropped his helmet and looked up towards the sky to see the glowing purple eyes of the bird-like creatures ever circling above him.


    The creatures appeared like carrion now, as if they were messengers from the underworld, letting him know that he was already dead the moment they appeared. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of the cool summer air as the men behind him began dropping their weapons.


    "I ask that you make my soldier''s end quick and painless. You can do what you want with me." Earl Abery turned his gaze back to the forest as he spoke. His men appeared to panic at the mention of their deaths but he knew better, the necromancer was never going to let any of them leave. The most he could ask for was to make their death''s painless.


    "Why?" A voice from the forest asked as the tiny purple flames slowly moved closer.


    "...Their only sin is following me they don''t deserve a painful death." Earl Abery was stunned for a moment at the cruelty of this necromancer but he pleaded nonetheless.


    "No, you misunderstand..." The voice grew closer and Earl Abery could now see the owner of the voice. It was a young man with eyes of purple flames riding atop one large insects that had plagued his soldiers during the battle.


    "I''m asking why their lives need to end when they could be given immortality." The young necromancer motioned with his arm and an old man with a gnarled staff stepped out from the darkness. It was Pontus, and even under the dim light of the moon Earl Abery could tell that he looked as healthy as ever. The only thing that appeared to be different was his brown eyes had now been replaced with that of violet.


    "Death would be a waste, I have plans for you." The young necromancer revealed a mysterious smile as his purple flames gazed into Earl Abery''s eyes.

 60 Chapter 60

    As the Earl stared at Pontus before him, Aerwyn turned his attention to the empty patch of forest that the humans had fled towards.


    "Come out and apprehend them."


    "Yes lord!" The undead humans spoke in unison as the walked out of the darkness leaving the Earl with a stunned expression. Once the remaining humans were apprehended Aerwyn jumped off the zin beetle with Rin and Ren before walking over to the Earl.


    "Pontus here told me a great deal about you along the way..." Aerwyn paused and turned to Pontus.


    "Which one is the Marshal?"


    "That one, my lord." Pontus spoke as he pointed to a man in his late thirties with short blonde hair.


    "Bring him." Aerwyn ordered his undead humans.


    "What are you..." Earl Abery muttered as he witnessed his once loyal men now calling the young man before him ''lord''. They didn''t contain the aura of undeath like the beasts from the battle and he couldn''t understand what sort of magic the young man was using.


    "I am something that even the gods fear. Now prepare yourself Earl Abery, this may sting a bit." The Earl wore an expression of unbound confusion as Aerwyn shot his staff''s blades into the man''s unprotected neck.


    The Earl struggled as he grasped at his throat in an instinctual attempt to close the wound that would be his end. His body fell backwards and slumped to the ground as Marshal Dolan began to struggle in an attempt to break free from the hold of the undead human behind him, all the while spewing obscenities and curses at Aerwyn.


    "You demon!" He called out in a fit of rage as he found himself tired and unable to break free from the undead''s grasp.


    "Watch your words human! You''re speaking to your new god yet you dare compare him to a mere demon!" Erit called out as she walked to Aerwyn''s side. Her words made him cringe but since he was playing the part he decided to play it to the fullest. The Marshal stared daggers at him as Aerwyn pointed to the Earl''s body on the ground.


    "Look." Aerwyn said as the man reluctantly turned his hatred filled gaze to the Earl''s body.


    It was incredibly dark tonight so Aerwyn could forgive the Marshal for not being able to witness the full process of resurrection but Aerwyn watched on as the body began to convulse. Tenebrous smoke poured out from the Earl''s throat before encapsulating the rest of his body. Once it dissipated the Earl opened his new violet colored eyes. He stared directly into the sky for a moment as if frozen, before bringing his hand to his throat and checking for a wound that no longer existed.


    Marshal Dolan stared at Earl Abery with a look of sheer disbelief.


    "...How? ..There was no mana..." Marshal Dolan mumbled.


    "I already told you... I am something that even the gods fear." Aerwyn didn''t give the man time enough to ask any more questions, instead he sent the blades of his staff into the Marshal''s throat just like he had done the Earl.


    Once the Marshal soul had entered his chest, Aerwyn moved onto the thirty two men behind them. Some struggled, others cried, in the end they all were brought back. It didn''t feel good watching a helpless person struggle as they came to terms with their demise or to be forced to watch as the life left their eyes in that final unforgiving moment. He''d never get used to killing things in this way but that wouldn''t stop him from doing what had to be done.


    A living person could betray him and while his undead humans appeared to have more free will then he would''ve liked, they still appeared to follow his orders for now. Leaving them alive meant his life was in danger, thus there was no quarrel in his mind about killing them. Besides, it''s not like their death was a true one. They would continue to live but it would just be a different type of living. In total Aerwyn now had a hundred and forty five undead humans if he included the thirty nine he had resurrected whilst chasing the Earl down throughout the day.


    Aerwyn had the new undead collect the mana cores like he had been doing since he began chasing the fleeing troops, leaving the armor behind for now and only taking enough swords and shields to arm the few goblins who didn''t have steel spears. The human''s swords and shields were a bit too large for the goblins but being undead they wouldn''t feel fatigued, only clumsy as they swung the swords so it was better than the sharp wooden sticks they were using previously.


    Aerwyn gave a zin beetle to Earl Abery so that they could talk as they headed to the ships. Pontus had told him about the slaves and the loot from Lyr that they had loaded up onto the ships but he was unsure about how many men were left behind to guard them.


    "How many soldiers are still with the ships?" Aerwyn asked as he carefully analyzed Earl Abery''s face.


    "..There''s... There''s a bare bones crew on the Abery ships, no more than twenty per ship. The Durani brought fifty sailors per ship and a hundred guard to keep the slaves in check but they''re no soldiers." Earl Abery appeared to still be struggling with something in his mind. When he spoke he looked disoriented, as if unsure as to why he answered the question.


    "I want to make sure i resurrect useful people. Can you point out the captains of each ship?" Aerwyn asked as he continued to analyze the man''s face.


    "..Yes, my... Yes, my lord."


    "Good. When we get to the camp you will be in charge of your men. I want you to pretend you came back for more supplies. You can say the elves are giving you trouble or something convincing enough to sound reasonable. Once the rest are in position i will give you the order to kill everyone except the captains of each ship... Ah, and the merchants, i want them too."


    "...Is there no other way to resurrect more, my lord?" Earl Abery asked with a voice of concern.


    "...Why?" His question surprised Aerwyn. Of course he actually planned on resurrecting more humans than just the captains but he was curious to see what the Earl''s reasoning was.


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    "I... I believe they will be of more use serving you as opposed to dying a meaningless death. They''re good men, my lord."


    Aerwyn was conflicted by the reply, it was clear the Earl still held some reservations about killing his men which was unlike what he had experienced with the others. Sure they fought control at first but ultimately fell in line and killed their old countrymen without so much as a peep of discontent. It was possible that he simply needed more time for his power to take effect but everything was an unknown with his power so he couldn''t be sure.


    Aerwyn planned to use the Earl as a spy in the human kingdoms but if his loyalty wasn''t absolute it was more trouble than it was worth. Thinking it over he decided to try the carrot instead of the stick.


    "I won''t risk my forces in an attempt to capture them alive. However... If you have an idea on how to get it done without me losing a portion of my army i''m open to the suggestion."


    "If the Durani are dealt with first i can convince my men to surrender without a fight, my lord."


    "...What about your eyes. I can''t imagine the men at the camp not questioning why all your eyes have changed to the same color."


    "A dark elf poison, my lord. I can tell them that it afflicts the eyes and makes seeing during the night difficult. They spread it through smoke and fires during our march east and ambushed us during the night when we were blinded. We managed to come out victorious due to Pontus''s magics protecting us from the majority of the poison, however we were all afflicted to varying degrees."


    Aerwyn was surprised by the response. He had been struggling with the question himself since he had to come up with an excuse for their eyes if he planned on using Earl Abery as a spy.


    "They''d believe that?"


    "There is very little contact between the three races of Alduun and the forsaken races. It wouldn''t be unbelievable to think that the dark elves had their own means of surviving amidst the invaders for all these years."


    Aerwyn wished Tylin was behind him right about now so that he could get his opinion on the matter. He was severely lacking when it came to common knowledge of the world and there was a fair bit of risk if he agreed with this plan. It was possible he''d end up in the same position as he did with Frakki which would be worse now since the enemy had ships that they could flee in.


    He didn''t have any undead outside of the humans who would know anymore than him so he decided to call over Pontus and explain the plan to him. He was one of the more talkative undead and seemed to be fairly trustworthy from his past conversation with him. Pontus agreed that it was believable so Aerwyn made his decision. He would attempt Earl Abery''s plan but he would take a few precautions just in case.

 61 Chapter 61

    Aerwyn and his horde of undead reached the outskirts of the camp only a few hours before dawn. The camp was broken into two, consisting of a few dozen canvas tents on either end of the beached ships dotting the sandy shore. There was a large fire in the center of each that provided light for the whole camp along with torches that dotted the perimeter.


    The ships were fairly large, almost thirty meters long and five meters wide. They had a single mast and many holes lining the sides for oars. The four ships closest to them were quite a bit larger than the rest, employing an extra set of holes below deck for oars. They appeared to be almost three meters taller than the rest and a few meters wider as well.


    "Those are the Durani merchant ships." Earl Abery spoke as he pointed to the larger ships.


    "Good. Take fifty men with you and find a reason to order the men off the ships. I''ll deal with merchants men."


    "Yes, my lord." Earl Abery gathered the men and broke off from the horde heading into camp. Once he was gone Aerwyn began to give out the orders he had prepared.


    "I want the hobgoblins, goblins, and vosk to break up into twenty groups and enter the river. You''ll be climbing up the back of Earl Abery''s ships once the men are ordered to leave, make sure no one attempts to flee. If any human that still has a heartbeat attempts to enter the ships, kill them." Aerwyn spoke before turning his attention to the spiders.


    "The spiders will break up into four groups and do the same with the merchant ships except once the fighting starts you will attack the humans that are still on the ships. Be careful of the elves, i do not want them harmed."


    The undead began to scatter as if the plan had been choreographed, hastily making their way to the river. Aerwyn then looked to the humans camp, Earl Abery and his fifty men had just made it to the perimeter around the camp and they were currently speaking with one of the guards. He seemed to not question Earl Abery''s explanation about the condition of their eyes as they were quickly allowed within the perimeter.


    It took nearly a half hour for all two hundred of them to slowly trickle out of the ships and form at attention in front of the Earl. Aerwyn closed his eyes, entering the darkness and connecting to Earl Abery''s eyes.


    "Are you ready?" Aerwyn asked as he gazed over the men before Earl Abery. The sudden voice within his head caused Earl Abery to shiver.


    "Are you ok, my lord?" A man with an observant eye that witnessed the odd shiver asked.


    "I''m fine..." Earl Abery responded before switching to using a voice inside his mind.


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    "Yes, my lord. The men shall not take part in the battle."


    "Good, keep them off the ships."


    Aerwyn opened his true eyes and when he saw the goblins climbing aboard the ships he turned to Pontus.


    "I want you to make sure the merchant brothers that you told me about survive. I have plans for them as well."


    "Worry not, lord. I may be old but my eyes are still as fresh as when i was a youngling."


    "Good. The humans shall lead the charge, let''s go."


    Aerwyn climbed back atop his zin beetle along with Rin and Ren. Erit did the same, taking her place atop another zin beetle beside him. Strangely enough Rorik took his place on Aerwyn''s right hand side without being ordered to. He was about to comment on it but Erit beat him to it.


    "It looks like the dog has finally come around to see your greatness master." She chided.


    "...Quiet insect... The weakling gets injured too much, if he dies we may all end up joining him..." Rorik growled. Erit brought her dainty hand to her mouth and spoke behind a giggle in a way that one might expect from a powerful noble lady.


    "Oh my! What a strange way of saying that you care about your master, dog."


    "Enough, we have a battle to fight." Aerwyn admonished them as Rorik appeared to be ready to take a swipe at the ''little spider'' even with him in the middle between them.


    Under the cover of darkness they marched silently towards the merchants side of the camp and once they reached the edge of the light created by the torches, they charged in. The two guards on the northern end of the camp were caught by surprise as Aerwyn''s undead humans ran them through with their blades. They didn''t even have a chance to scream as they stood with blank faced confusion at the sudden rush from what they assumed to be their allies.


    It worked in Aerwyn''s favor as it would allow his troops precious moments to catch more enemies unaware. Pontus and a dozen undead humans broke off and went straight for the two larger, more elegant tents at the center of the Durani camp while the rest began raiding the smaller ones. A scream resounded out through the camp, bringing an end to the quiet peace of this warm summer night.


    The Durani men began to pour out from the tents only to be met by undead lying in wait for them. The cacophony of chaotic slaughter wasn''t limited to the Durani camp, the men on their ships were roused awake by the screams only to be met with large spiders that stood at the ready to plunge their fangs into the men''s flesh. Even if they were soldiers, being attacked so suddenly by an overwhelming force was enough to route even the best trained soldiers let alone some hired guards meant to keep slaves in check.


    Aerwyn was sitting back outside of the battle, his injured shoulder was anything but healed and it wouldn''t be smart to put himself at risk given the circumstances. There was also the fact that he needed to conserve his soul if he was planning on resurrecting Earl Abery''s two hundred men. Resurrecting them would require him to collect all of the souls from the Durani and even then he was still unsure as to whether or not he would be able to resurrect all of them.


    He had been paying attention to the sensation of resurrection ever since he began chasing Earl Abery. His results varied but his best guess was that the humans required between four and six souls while he noticed an even stronger sensation from Earl Abery and Marshal Dolan. What made it even more odd was that all the humans souls looked exactly the same as Erit''s, only a tiny flame that flickered back and forth as if a gentle breeze may extinguish it.


    There was no variance like the rest of his undead''s souls that burned brighter or were slightly larger than others of the same grade. He assumed it had something to do with mana as the only thing that separated the Earl and the Marshal from the rest was their place in human society but like most aspects of his power it left him stumped for any definitive answers.


    He regretted not paying more attention to Pontus''s resurrection, if Pontus''s cost of resurrection was equal or greater than even Earl Abery''s then he could''ve used it to confirm his findings, as a mage should surely have more mana than even a noble, at least in Aerwyn''s mind they should. It was a shame because he wouldn''t have the chance to resurrect any more nobles or human mages any time soon to glean some answers.


    Aerwyn broke from his thoughts and looked over to Earl Abery''s camp. There appeared to be some arguing going on but his men still didn''t move to attack Aerwyn''s undead which was all he cared about. Pontus and the dozen men who followed him stepped out of the chaotic camp carrying two tan skinned men as they made their way to Aerwyn.


    "These are the Durani merchants Kers and Inik, my lord." Pontus motioned his hand as if to display them as the merchants were thrown to the floor and forced to kneel beneath Aerwyn.


    "W-we two brothers are nothing but h-humble merchants. I-if we have offended you in any way we can pay you for our transgressions." The words seemed to roll off the one called Kers''s tongue like silk.


    "Yes, yes! We two brothers can pay!" The one called Inik added.


    Merchants trying to buy their lives as their men are slaughtered behind them seemed all too cliche to Aerwyn and he released a laugh out loud that was meant for his mind. The merchant brothers friendly expressions turned to horror as Aerwyn chuckled. The laugh wasn''t intended but the merchants were never going to be allowed to live anyway so whether they felt horror or glee in their final moments, it was all the same to Aerwyn.


    Once they''re resurrected all that they own becomes his anyway so there was no reason to drag it out. He jumped from the zin beetle while an undead human held the head of the one called Inik, displaying his throat to Aerwyn. The blades of his staff slid across it, in a quick slice as the man struggled to breath in his final moments.


    "INIK!" The one called Kers cried out as an undead human forced his head to turn from his dying brother, displaying the man''s neck to Aerwyn as well.


    "Relax, you shall see your brother again soon... Death is only the beginning." Aerwyn spoke the cold words as the blades of his staff opened the man''s throat. His final expression showed his hatred for Aerwyn, seemingly not realizing Aerwyn''s words were meant to be taken literally.

 62 Chapter 62

    The chaotic battle continued to rage on as Kers and Inik stood up in their new undead forms. The goblins, hobgoblins, and vosk sat aboard the Abery ships with little to do yet Aerwyn was happy with this outcome. It meant that his worries were for naught and Earl Abery''s words had swayed the men as not a single one tried to escape despite bearing witness to such a slaughter.


    Aerwyn wasn''t sure how the Earl had convinced them but it was clear that his men trusted him immensely. When Aerwyn inevitably sent him back to his territory he should be able to sway his subjects to Aerwyn''s side should the need arise. It was important because the Abery territory was one of the two gateways into the world of Alduun from the forsaken lands according to Pontus. Now that he controlled the lord of one it opened up endless possibilities, the most important being information and trade.


    As of now he didn''t have much in the way of resources outside of the revarium vein the vosk found and he had no intention of arming his eventual enemies with any substantial amount of the metal but that wouldn''t always be the case. The underground world beneath the forsaken lands was practically endless and surely he''d find something less threatening to trade with for the things he needed.


    Marik and Semmy were good blacksmiths but eventually he''d outgrow their ability to produce what he required. He had planned to begin trading with the elven capital like Marik had suggested but now with Earl Abery, the merchant brothers, and two dozen ships, he would be the one unable to produce enough goods to trade between them all.


    Aerwyn slapped his cheeks as he realized he was getting a little too giddy thinking about the future while a battle played out before his eyes. The Durani camp was in complete disarray as the zin beetles and trolls trampled everything in their path while the humans, tenri, and the few remaining brexil cats dealt swift blows to any living person they could find.


    The spiders had already dealt with the minimal resistance on the ships and were beginning to join the battle on land without needing an order from him, which Aerwyn found interesting.


    "Go rejoin the fight. Let''s wrap this up quickly, there is much to do." He said to Pontus.


    "As my lord commands." Pontus bowed before taking off with the others at a speed that seemed unnatural for a body as old as his. The men quickly found opponents as Pontus began firing off earth spikes much like the one that left Aerwyn''s arm in such a sorry state.


    The battle only lasted another ten minutes before the Durani men began to route in all directions. They didn''t make it far as the unarmored fleeing humans were no match for the tenri''s speed and ferocity. One of the fleeing humans made the mistake of fleeing in Aerwyn''s direction and once the man entered Erit''s range, a rusty sword shot out from her hand into the man''s eye socket.


    "Why are you still using those? There were plenty of better swords amongst the dead." Aerwyn asked.


    "Ah! How could i forsake a gift my master bestowed upon me for some rubbish on the ground. Rin tell him how hurtful he''s being!" Erit acted appalled as she held the dagger he had given her closely to her chest as if Aerwyn was to take it from her.


    "KWEEEEEE!" Rin turned to him with a never before seen serious face as if showing that she was in agreement.


    "...When did you two become such good friends?" Aerwyn was confused. Rin and Ren were with him every second of every day whether he was sleeping or awake and yet Erit was talking like Rin was her old friend.


    "I get bored when master sleeps so i play with little Rin at night. She likes it when i attach a strip of cloth to my webs and dangle it around for her." Erit''s words sounded unassuming yet she wore a grin that gave Aerwyn a chill.


    "KWEE!" Rin protested as if Aerwyn was going to order Erit to stop playing with her at night.


    "It''s ok silly, i''m not going to stop Erit from playing with you." Aerwyn said in a sweet voice before putting his hands over Rin''s ears and looking to Erit.


    "Don''t you go corrupting my little innocent Rin."


    "I would never!" Erit still wore the same grin as she tried to act appalled by his implications.


    "Your devious smile says otherwise..." Aerwyn sighed and removed his hands from Rin''s ears.


    The battle was in it''s final moments and admonishing Erit''s twisted plans could come after he dealt with more important matters. The sun began to rise as Aerwyn did a headcount of his undead. He lost another brexil cat, twelve tenri, and eleven abyssal spiders throughout the battle. Considering they killed nearly six hundred humans Aerwyn felt satisfied.


    Of course the battle only went so well because the Durani men weren''t soldiers and they were caught in a situation where they were unable to defend themselves properly but an easy win is still a win. After he was done counting his undead, he entered the merchant ships with Kers and Inik. He struggled climbing the rope ladder up the side of ship thanks to his injury but he made due.


    Kers and Inik led him down below deck, the oar deck was cramped even though it was empty and Aerwyn was surprised people could even row properly. They continued on and led him down below another deck to their cargo hold and Aerwyn was made somber by what he saw. The elves of Lyr were packed together in small cramped bunks no better than a coffin, chained down so that their movement was extremely limited.


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    The sounds of whimpering from both old and young filled the air which was only drowned out by the horrid smell of urine and feces that was left to rot underneath the elves who were forced to defecate in their bunks due to the chains


    "...Set them free..." Aerwyn covered his eyes as he spoke, not wanting to see the scene any longer lest he lose his temper on the undead merchant brothers. As Kers went to the nearest bunk that held a young elf girl in her late teens, she recoiled out of fear and Aerwyn realized that he should say something.


    The elves here had lost their homes, their loved ones, and even their freedom. They spent the last few days locked in place dwelling in those thoughts and they needed something to rouse them back. His ''great one'' act worked on his undead so without a better option he decided to play the part once more.


    "My name is Aerwyn, i am from Setrhyn. Some of you may have seen me before in Lyr with my strange undead creatures. I found Lyr after it had already been destroyed to which i sent my undead to notify Setrhyn of the pending attack. As i made my way to join them in battle, Nyris and the others from Lyr found their way to my home in Ardin..." As Aerwyn mentioned Nyris''s name the elves appeared to listen more closely.


    "...Nyris joined me and my army of undead as we marched to Setrhyn. Once there, together with the brave Fae''Laran of Setrhyn, we routed the human''s army as they attempted to pry their way through Setrhyn''s walls. The humans were chased down through the night as they tasted fear and terror the likes of which are reserved for scary stories meant to keep younglings from going out after dark..." As Aerwyn recalled the story with a voice of fervor the elves resentment towards the humans became ever apparent as the sparks of life began to slowly enter their eyes once more.


    "...Their punishment wouldn''t be a quick death. No... Their punishment for daring to step foot on the lands of the Fae''Laran would be a slow and torturous death at the jaws and claws of my undead beasts. Not even their everlasting souls were spared my fury. No longer shall their souls have the chance to start again through reincarnation. They shall never again taste the bliss of life, of love, or of happiness, for they took all of those things from you..." Aerwyn''s words seemed to cause the sparks of life in their eyes to burst out in a furor as the elves regained their sense of self.


    "...However the Fae''Laran are strong, you will rebuild your lives, you will find love and happiness again while those humans who dared to take from you are doomed to an eternal suffering alone in the darkness. That is their punishment for daring to harm the Fae''Laran. The humans lucky enough to fall by my hand shall pay for their transgressions by serving me in their undeath for eternity like the two you see before me. However like the rest, should they die or fail me, they too shall suffer that deep darkness, never to see life again..." The fervor of the elves grew with each passing word before Aerwyn brought it back down with a somber tone.


    "...I cannot return to you your lost loved ones... However, your vengeance is my vengeance. The world of Alduun, the world that banished the Fae''Laran to these forsaken lands, shall see my reckoning just as these human trespassers have. There will come a day when the Fae''Laran march south, back to their rightful home to reclaim all that this world has taken from them... So live... Rebuild your lives knowing that all that has been taken from you will be repaid tenfold before i am through..." Aerwyn didn''t receive so much as a peep in response to his ''great one'' speech. The elves simply stared, eyes full of vim and vigor as he turned to Kers and Inik.


    "Release them." Aerwyn said as he walked back above deck. At the top of the stairs leading back up was Erit who stared at him with a beautiful smile so large Aerwyn could see his reflection in her pearly white teeth.


    "...You were listening?" Aerwyn asked embarrassingly.


    "Hmm? Did you say something master? Listening to what?" Erit smile that refused to leave her face betrayed her not so convincing words.


    "Whatever, let''s go. It''s time to deal with the Earl''s men."

 63 Chapter 63

    Aerwyn mulled over his speech as he and Erit left the merchant ship. Erit making fun of him only made him cringe even more as he thought about his words. He hoped to show the elves that he stood with them, perhaps even rousing them to join his side but that was only wishful thinking. The elves of Lyr knew nothing of him other than he appeared to be a human necromancer. Even while he was speaking he knew deep down that they wouldn''t jump to his side if he only spouted some pretty words.


    He was too used to dealing with his undead who required far less convincing to bend to his will. It looked like his ''great one'' persona that seemed to fit so well on him, would require some accolades before it could be used on the more intelligent races inhabiting the forsaken lands. Still, it wasn''t all for naught. The speech, while not convincing enough for the elves to join him, may still bear fruit in the future when they witness his words becoming a reality.


    Once out of the ship Aerwyn walked over to Earl Abery''s side with the hundred or so undead humans that took part in the battle as the elves of Lyr began trickling out from the merchant ships. He looked over the two hundred men before him and grew curious as to what Earl Abery had told them to make them so calm despite facing their deaths.


    "What did you tell them?"


    "The truth, my lord." Earl Abery responded bluntly.


    "What truth?" Aerwyn furrowed his brow and looked to the Earl.


    "That they had a choice to make. They could die at my hands or be reborn through yours... They rightly chose the latter."


    Aerwyn glanced back at the men before him, they were without armor or weapons, wearing only thin cloth and the fifty undead humans he had given the Earl were placed in such a way as to encircle them. The situation cleared some doubts Aerwyn had about the Earl''s sentiments toward his old countrymen as it was evident that the Earl was intent on keeping his word should they refuse to be ''reborn''.


    "Good, let''s start then. Captains and other important personnel first." Aerwyn spoke before turning to Erit.


    "Erit take some goblins and begin harvesting everything usable from the camp, load everything up on the ships for now. Send some goblins to loot the dead soldiers along the way to Setrhyn too."


    "Yes oh great one, i shall do as you command." Erit giggled, still making fun of the speech he gave to the elves but he chose to ignore her for now.


    The first captain was brought before him by his undead humans and like Kers and Inik the man''s throat was opened. The men who witnessed the scene became rowdy for a moment before the tenebrous smoke began pouring from the man''s neck, making them grow quiet once more. As the captain stood up, gazing through the world with his new violet eyes the men relaxed even more.


    One by one the men were turned and once again Aerwyn paid attention to the sensation he experienced when resurrecting them. For most, he found that they required less than the soldiers, only four souls worth of energy while a few even appeared to only require three but he was unsure, there was no number in his head to tell him exactly how much was used. It was a guessing game for the most part, with him making judgement based on past experiences.


    The process took longer than it needed because he was so intent on figuring out how many human souls were required to resurrect one. He began to feel the sensation of his soul becoming fatigued when there was around sixty living human left. That wasn''t to say he couldn''t resurrect a few more, it was just that he decided to heed Tylin''s advice about making sure he always had some souls for emergencies.


    It was midday by the time he stopped his resurrection. It would take too long for them to return to Setrhyn today with the elves of Lyr in tow if he had to travel at their pace so he decided to spend the night here.


    "Chain the rest of the humans for now. If a single one attempts to escape kill them all." Aerwyn ordered the Earl, speaking loud enough so the still living men could hear his words. Then he looked to the elves who were gathered around in the merchant camp speaking amongst themselves.


    "Get some food and water from the ships for the elves as well." Aerwyn walked over to them with Erit once he gave the Earl his orders.


    "My undead shall bring you food soon, we''ll be staying the night here so rest and eat. Who can speak for all of you?" Aerwyn question caused the elves to look around for someone to step up. When no one did Aerwyn scanned the crowd and his eyes landed upon a short elf with long black hair and a grey speckled beard, it was Semmy, the blacksmith of Lyr.


    "Semmy right?" Aerwyn called out to the elf.


    "Mmhm.." Semmy nodded and grunted out a reply.


    "I need someone to pick through the cargo on the ships and separate the things that were taken from Lyr. I have no intention of taking your goods, we''ll be bringing them with us back to Setrhyn once we leave tomorrow." Semmy said nothing further and simply walked over to the ships, leaving Aerwyn standing in front of the elves.


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    "...Ok great! If you need anything feel free to come and find me." Aerwyn clapped his hands as he spoke and left the elves to their own.


    The undead fixed up the camp while Aerwyn ate and thought about the many things he had left to do. One of the more important ones was getting back to the breeding goblins he had locked up in Ardin. He had the undead leave some food and water for them before they left but he was sure they had run out by now and it''s not like the elves back in Ardin were going to go near them.


    He also had to load up his new ships with his share of the loot that he left in Setrhyn and then sail the ships to Ardin which probably needed it''s tiny harbor to be fixed up before they could even dock properly. That was assuming there was enough space for all of them and that he had enough undead humans to actually sail them all at once, if he didn''t it would take multiple trips to get everything down to Ardin.


    Aerwyn''s mind raced the more he thought about it and he remembered complaining recently about not having anything to do in his quiet days within the walls of Ardin. As night fell he felt like he would begin to miss those days soon...


    With only an hour before dawn, Aerwyn awoke to the sensation of one of his undead goblins dying. In rapid succession, two more lost their lives as Aerwyn attempted to figure out where they were. It was some of the goblins that he had ordered to loot the bodies of the soldiers that fell during his chase. Aerwyn quickly closed his eyes, entering the darkness and searching for any undead that may be close to where the other had died.


    He found a goblin only a few hundred meters to the south and Aerwyn jumped into it so that he could see through it''s eyes.


    "Go north, be silent as you do."


    The goblin heeded his command and began to silently creep north, it wasn''t long before the goblin reached the source of his undead''s demise. Hundreds of orcs, both green and red, were marching southeast directly towards Setrhyn. Aerwyn watched through the goblins eyes, no more than twenty meters from the orc horde as they marched by.


    The red orcs were easily larger than Aerwyn, they wore mostly furs and carried circular shields and axes. The much larger ones were the true orcs that Gebb had told him about, their skin wasn''t as green as he had imagined but more of a mix of green and red that appeared to create a brownish green color. Aerwyn could see their tusks as well, two large teeth jutted out from their bottom jaw that stood outside the orcs mouths.


    Saying the were large wasn''t doing them any justice. They looked to be two and a half meters of pure sinew and muscle. Most of the true orcs wore a type of scale armor and carried a thick tower shield along with a sword in a peculiar shape like that of a question mark. They marched mostly on foot except for sixteen that rode atop a two meter tall creature that looked like a bull.


    It had thick brown mammoth like fur that seemed to snag together and two thick horns that wrapped around it''s head that pointed forward as if they were used to impale any would be aggressor. Riding atop the beasts were what Aerwyn assumed to be a type of noble-like true orc that wore sturdy looking plate armor that covered them head to toe.


    "Garok na kreja rekka lok!" A voice echoed out from with their ranks causing the orcs to stop as Aerwyn continued to watch. The orcs began scanning the forest around them before one locked eyes with his.


    "GOR CAK!" The orc screamed out as he pointed towards Aerwyn''s direction.


    "RUN!" Aerwyn ordered the goblin as the orcs began charging towards him. The goblin only made it a dozen steps when Aerwyn''s world began to spin. The last image stuck in his eyes was the sight of the goblin''s headless body as the goblin''s head fell to the ground.

 64 Chapter 64

    The scorching rays of the summer sun were beating down on the city of Gral''Thrak Or as Sarmak made his way to the arena. Behind him were the elders of the Gral''Thrak clan, a clan which he was born into and chosen to lead just last year. Most of the sixteen elders held a favorable opinion of him but there was a few who would like nothing more than to find an opportunity to remove him and see their own kin lead the clan.


    He was leading the procession atop his trusty brolla named Surn, a beast he had raised since childhood. To his left was his wife Usha and to his right was the reason for this procession, his son Pyk. Today was Pyk''s torakan, a coming of age ritual where young Lok''ra prove themselves in battle by defeating three Rozk''ra unarmed. If successful, the Lok''ra youth would be given their krea, a revered type of sword that was used by their god Torakka to cut down the other gods once he ascended.


    During a torakan the arena was open to all facets of orc society, even the vosk and other slaves were allowed to skip out on work should they choose to attend. The ritual served many purposes beyond simply testing the mettle of a Lok''ra youth. Witnessing an unarmed Lok''ra youth defeat three fully grown armed Rozk''ra would halt most thoughts of rebellion and remind the rest of the Lok''ra''s right to rule.


    The Rozk''ra chosen for the ritual aren''t without their means either. They are criminals condemned to death, who are trained for a full year before the ritual and promised their freedom should they come out victorious. This incentive made them fight voraciously and although rare, it wasn''t completely unheard of for the Rozk''ra to win.


    Sarmak glanced at his son Pyk, the boy was only fifteen yet he was already large enough to compare to his father. A sense of pride welled over him as Pyk caught sight of his stare and met his gaze.


    "What is it?" Pyk asked rebelliously.


    "Nothing, simply admiring my handiwork." Sarmak laughed off the boy''s teenage impudence.


    "Your handiwork? Bah! This body is my achievement old man." Pyk flexed his muscles as if to show off to his father.


    "This ''old man'' is the one who put you in your mothers belly, thus all your achievements are my achievements as well brat." Normally Pyk would get a smack on the head for speaking to him this way but he let it go as today was a day to feel glory not admonishment.


    "Stop antagonizing him already, he has enough on his mind." Usha scolded.


    "Yes dear." Sarmak laughed heartily and spoke as if that was the end of it but as soon as Usha looked away he flexed back at the boy, showing him that if the boy wanted to challenge him he had a long way to go.


    The procession was greeted by a massive crowd that roared cheerfully as they made their way to the arena entrance. Horns and drums played resounding melodies creating an atmosphere akin to a glorious return after a victorious war. Once inside, Usha and the others broke away to find their seats as Sarmak stayed behind for a moment to have a word with his son.


    "Focus on one at a time, if they choose to group up... kick them in the balls or throw dirt in their eyes. Do anything you can to win."


    "That''s cowardly, i''d rather die with the honor of a Lok''ra." Pyk proclaimed proudly, slapping his chest.


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    "That sort of thinking is the reason why we''re stuck in this world brat. If victory is the goal then one must do all that they can to achieve it, especially when failure means death. Remember my words and be strong."


    Sarmak left him without waiting for a response. He knew his words wouldn''t reach the boy but if things got desperate he hoped they would ring true in his mind and save him. It wasn''t that he didn''t believe Pyk could win but the boy was at that impressionable age where he believed battle was a glorious thing.


    Sarmak rubbed the scar on his chin that he received during his torakan, he too thought as his son did in his youth. It wasn''t until he was standing before three Rozk''ra that truly wanted to kill him that his thoughts shifted. Honor was best left for games, there was no honor in dying at the hands of an enemy that didn''t share the same sense of honor.


    Scoffing as he let his hand fall from his face, he made his way up the stairs to his booth. Once there he took his place at the highest seat, next to his wife Usha. The booth was only a few meters from the pit where the ritual would take place so they would be close to the action. The elders sat one step below him and the rest of the clan sat in normal seats around the booth as if to remind everyone of their place in the hierarchy.


    "How is he?" Usha asked with a hushed voice.


    "He''ll be fine, the boy''s even stronger than i was at his age. My seed is strong." Sarmak banged his puffed out chest with a smile as Usha rolled her eyes.


    "Stop taking credit for his achievements before he starts to believe he''s worthless."


    "Bah! If my seed was that weak i''d just have to sow some more with my beautiful wife!" Sarmak bellowed as he grabbed at Usha''s belly playfully.


    Usha motioned to speak but was interrupted by the sound of a horn that marked the start of the ritual. Sarmak sat upright and put a more serious expression on as he turned his attention to the center of the arena. Eighteen Lok''ra youths stood in a line representing all those who were to earn their krea today.


    The high priest of Torakka stood before them and after a short speech, some slaves brought out a pregnant brolla along with the ceremonial krea and pan. The high priest slit the brolla''s throat in one quick motion, collecting the blood that spilled out into the ceremonial pan. Once the pan was full he slowly walked over to each of the Lok''ra youths, sticking his hand into the pan and imprinting a bloody hand print onto each of their faces. Once he was finished, he walked back over to the brolla and opened it''s belly with another quick slice.


    The ritual was pointless as Torakka had no power in this world since the gate closed but back in Urak if the brolla fetus survived it''s mothers death it was a sign that Torakka was watching and willing to choose a champion. The baby calf would then take it''s first steps and whichever youth it walked to would be named Torakka''s champion.


    Sarmak disliked this part of the ritual. Since coming to this world the calf only survived a handful of times but never walked to anyone other than it''s deceased mother as if to remind them that they had been forsaken. If he could he would remove this part of the ritual but the elders would never allow it, even the ones who supported him.


    It made no sense to Sarmak to continue worshiping a god that they would never see again. They had already been in this world for six hundred years and the original generation from Urak has long since passed away. The gates connected worlds at random so there was no hope of ever returning to Urak without a miracle of miracles.


    However it appeared that today was a day of miracles. Once the brolla''s belly was opened the dead calf slid out in a gooey mess. The high priest checked it for life before shaking his head and announcing that the calf had died. Walking back to the center, he transitioned into the closing speech that would begin the youth''s trials and once he finished he ordered the slaves to remove the bodies from the arena ground.


    They got to work quickly but the slave who was tasked with gathering the calf''s body froze as the body began to twitch. He quickly called over the high priest who ran over in a hurry. The crowd grew silent as the high priest arrived at the body that was now standing up on it''s own. It looked around the arena frantically as if it was staring at an arena full of predators looking to kill it.


    Sarmak stared intently and was caught by surprise when the calf turned it''s head and faced him. The moment their eyes met the creature began to hobble in his direction as quickly as it could. Sarmak stood up from his seat, entranced as the calf stopped a few meters from the booth all the while locking eyes with him. The calf''s eyes appeared empty and hollow but Sarmak found himself unable to look away. It released a tiny roar before collapsing to the ground, it''s eyes ever locked onto Sarmak even in it''s death.


    "Lokkan Sarmak has been chosen by Torakka!" The high priest shouted, snapping Sarmak''s attention back to the world around him. The elated crowd began to cheer at the first chosen being named in centuries but Sarmak stood there with a concerned expression plastering his face. The crowd must''ve taken it for shock at becoming a chosen but his expression had nothing to do with the high priests announcement.


    He wasn''t blinded by faith like the high priest, he knew this had nothing to do with Torakka. What''s more the scene felt far more ominous to him than one that deserved to be celebrated.

 65 Chapter 65

    Sarmak couldn''t shake the ominous feeling he was experiencing but he was still the lokkan and thus he needed to act like it regardless of how he was feeling. He raised his arms as if to quiet the crowded arena down before speaking.


    "Torakka has spoken, and i, Sarmak Gral''Thrak, lokkan of the Gral''Thrak clan, accept his will... But let''s not forget why we are here today. Let us begin the torakan and leave this for another time."


    "But lokkan-" The high priest clearly wanted to make a bigger deal out of the circumstances but Sarmak would allow him no such thing, interrupting him before his pleas could turn the crowd to his favor.


    "Begin the torakan." Ordered Sarmak, taking one last glance at the calf before taking his seat.


    "There will be repercussions for this." Usha whispered.


    "I''m well aware." Sarmak spoke through his fake smile.


    His eyes scanned the elders before him and even the ones who supported him wore an unfriendly expression now. They knew as well as he did, that it was impossible for Torakka to have been behind the calf''s movements. From their point of view Sarmak had just openly grabbed power that would allow him to ignore the elder''s will''s entirely.


    A chosen was Torakka''s will incarnate and now Sarmak could claim his actions are that of Torakka''s no matter what he did. The more fanatical orcs, which happened to be the majority of orcs on Alduun, would follow him without question.


    However, regardless how the elders felt, Sarmak didn''t have a choice. If he denied the calf''s actions being Torakka''s will then he was effectively telling the arena that Torakka was gone. Despite being true, the orcs still needed some semblance of a greater purpose and most refused to let go of the old ways so telling them that their god was dead to them was a quick way to lose their support.


    Sarmak continued to display a smiling face despite his racing thoughts and the torakan finally began without a hitch. The first seven Lok''ra youths found success and while some slaves were clearing the bodies from the arena in between bouts, a messenger appeared at Sarmak''s side.


    "A messenger came from Ungor''s village, lokkan." The messenger leaned in and spoke quietly.


    "Speak."


    "Nearly two thousand human soldiers landed to the south of the village. They''re heading east towards the dark elves but Ungor is requesting reinforcements just in case."


    "How long ago was the messenger sent?"


    "They left Ungor''s village two days ago."


    "Humans..."


    The news made little sense to Sarmak, the humans only come north when the gate opens and he had received no news that would have him believe it had. Usually the last invasion force that came through the gate begins to be pushed out from the lands beyond the mountain once a new force enters through the gate and the draknid''s weren''t showing any unusual movements in the last report that would suggest the gate had opened.


    "Notify the elders and the rest of the council, we''ll have a council meeting after the torakan."


    "..." The messenger glanced back and forth from Sarmak to the elders who were only a meter away from him.


    "...Just do it." Sarmak sighed, they would undoubtedly have some choice words should he be the one to tell them now. It was best to let them cool off a bit before he spoke with them and the torakan should sap some of their fury by the time it''s finished.


    After a few more matches it was finally time for Pyk''s fight. Sarmak sat upright and paid close attention as his son entered the arena while three Rozk''ra entered on the side opposite of him. Each Rozk''ra was equipped with a sword and shield but wore nothing more than some leather that covered their private bits. Pyk wore the same bit of leather but lacked any weapons as was customary for the ritual. The high priest shouted some words and the fight begun.


    The three Rozk''ra furiously charged at the boy together, matching each step to one another so they wouldn''t be split up. Pyk charged in response and as the Rozk''ra in the middle swung his sword down Pyk dodged to the right, where another Rozk''ra''s sword was heading towards his head horizontally. He ducked and sent a sweeping kick at the Rozk''ra''s legs, snapping one of his ankles and sending him falling into the middle Rozk''ra.


    The left-most Rozk''ra had found it''s way behind him and sent his blade plunging towards Pyk''s back at a time when he was still recovering from his sweeping kick. He spun and tried to dodge but only managed to get far enough away for the blade to leave a deep gash on the side of his chest instead of taking his life.


    Pyk spun into the Rozk''ra embrace, grabbing the round shield in the Rozk''ra''s hand and in the same motion, pulling on it to send the Rozk''ra flying into the other two. The shield came loose as the Rozk''ra fell and now that he finally had something to defend himself with Pyk wasted no time. He charged the two who were now beginning to stand.


    They lunged at him with their swords which Pyk smashed away in a single backhand motion before sending his forehead forward into the nose of the Rozk''ra on the right, sending him tumbling backwards. Pyk went to kick the knee of the other but a sword came up from below stabbing into his thigh. Using his shield, he pushed the standing Rozk''ra back and sent him flying before he turned his sights to the one who had just stabbed him.


    The Rozk''ra on the ground noticed the attention and quickly attempted to get up but was met with a brutal stomp on his back stunning him. Pyk then mounted him and repeatedly sent the butt of his shield down on the Rozk''ra''s head until it was no more than red mush. Grabbing the dead Rozk''ra''s sword he turned his attention back to the other two.


    The one he had headbutted was still unconscious on the floor while the other was mid charge, heading straight at him. Pyk blocked the Rozk''ra''s blow and sent his sword piercing through the Rozk''ra''s chest, he lifted the body up a meter off the ground before tossing it to the side. With only the unconscious Rozk''ra left he took his time sauntering over to him.


    Pyk stood over the unconscious body, raised his sword and as he was about to plunge it down the Rozk''ra shot out his own towards Pyk''s private bits. Pyk rapidly changed his swing, aiming for the Rozk''ra''s arm instead and in one quick slash removed it from his body as the Rozk''ra cried out in pain. Pyk then threw his shield and sword out of reach and mounted the Rozk''ra, sending a flurry of impactful fists towards it''s face. With each blow a crunching sound echoed out until the Rozk''ra''s face looked much like the one who found it''s end at the bottom of his own shield.


    Pyk roared as he stood up and the crowd cheered in delight.


    "Showy little brat..." Sarmak grumbled.


    "Pfft, you act like you were any different at his age." Usha giggled.


    "Hmph, i wasn''t that showy and i''ll hear no one tell me otherwise, not even my beautiful wife."


    "Pfft, sure you were just a glorious youth with no faults whatsoever. That''s why you took three years to admit you had feeling for me, right?"


    "Dear wife, you wound me..." Sarmak spoke with all the pride of a mouse.


    The rest of the ritual took a few more hours and once it was over Sarmak headed to the council hall. He was the first to arrive so he sat alone, his forehead resting on his palm as if deep in though and tired. It was fairly minimalistic with only a long table and some chairs that he rightfully sat at the head of. The door slammed open and Sarmak remained unmoving as he shot his eyes towards the rude elder who happened to be his uncle Begga.


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    "What were you thinking!" Elder Begga roared.


    "What would you have me do uncle? Decline the will of Torakka before the entirety of Gral''Thrak Or? The best case would be never ending insubordination that would leave me with little power and the worst case would be a riot that ended with my pretty head on a stick."


    "We both know damn well Torakka has no power in this world!"


    "Yes, and we both know ''damn well'' that the people believe he does. I wonder why that is uncle?"


    "Don''t you dare try to toss the blame to the elders! ...The people having something to believe in is necessary for all our survival."


    "And the elders centuries old facade is what brought us to this. Nothing has changed, i will still heed the elders words as if it never happened. The people believing i''m chosen only helps us further."


    "...The others won''t be so quick to believe you. I cannot save you from this."


    "I have never needed saving before and i don''t plan on starting now. I''ll handle the elders so calm yourself and take a seat next to your ''chosen'' nephew." Sarmak laughed but uncle Bregga still wore his serious expression all the way until the rest of the council arrived a few minutes later.


    Sarmak explained the same thing he had said to uncle Bregga and received varying responses but it was clear that these old Lok''ra wouldn''t be letting the matter slide so easily.


    "The mighty Sarmak The Chosen still requires us to make decisions?" Elder Renk said sarcastically.


    "What are your thoughts on the news of the humans." Sarmak ignored the elders attempt to illicit a reaction from him.


    "..." Silence followed as no one dared to be the first to speak.


    "...It''s possible the humans are simply raiding the elves. They have little to gain by attacking Ungor''s village." Uncle Bragga came in with the save despite his previous words claiming otherwise.


    "I believe that is the case as well." The head of the Ro''Tak clan, Korag, agreed.


    "I agree, however i still believe we should send my son a small force just in case." Elder Gorro spoke the words Sarmak was waiting for. If Sarmak was the one to suggest it now, there was a chance the other elders would go against him just to be spiteful.


    "Are there any who are against sending reinforcements?" Sarmak asked.


    "..." Without any objections Sarmak continued.


    "Very well, we''ll send five hundred Lok''ra, Korag Ro''Tak will lead. Head out as soon as you''re ready."

 66 Chapter 66

    As his vision faded to black, Aerwyn was ripped back to his true eyes. He jolted upright, startling Rin in the process.


    "Kwee?" Rin gave Aerwyn a curious look as he held his throat and got his erratic breathing under control. Ignoring her, he closed his eyes and entered the darkness once more, ordering all the undead who were out collecting equipment to return to him as soon as possible.


    "...EVERYONE ASSEMBLE!" He roared aloud the moment he opened his eyes again.


    As the camp began bustling with activity Aerwyn''s thoughts raced. The memory of Velk''s little excursion north was still fresh in his mind and now he would be facing many, many more orcs. It wasn''t only a lesser orc caught scavenging and unprepared for an attack either this time. He needed to warn Setrhyn as soon as possible but the orcs were only a few hours away.


    Even if he sent Rorik running at his top speed he wouldn''t arrive at Setrhyn before the orcs arrived and even if he was faster it wasn''t like the orcs would just let Rorik run past them unabated. The jakku might be able to make it there in time but they couldn''t speak thus they wouldn''t be able to relay any necessary information.


    "...Paper. You! Find me something i can write with! NOW!" Aerwyn called out to one of the human undead that was forming up before him. He felt stupid that it had taken him so long to realize he could just send a message. He rubbed his forehead in frustration as the undead human obeyed his command and ran back to the boats.


    The elves must''ve been awoken due to the commotion as they began trickling out of their tents to find out what was going on so late into the night but Aerwyn didn''t have anytime to deal with them right now. He called over the jakku once the undead human returned with a piece of writing charcoal and some parchment, he quickly wrote out the relevant information before looking to hand the scroll to one of the jakku only to realize they had no way of holding it.


    Jakku didn''t have anything akin to fingers or claws and if he just put the scroll in the creatures mouth it''s saliva would make the scroll unreadable by the time it reached Setrhyn. Turning his gaze to the human who had retrieved the parchment, he scanned the soldiers body, grabbing the leather string from from his boot and using it to tie the scroll to the jakku''s neck.


    "Go to Setrhyn as fast as you can and deliver that to Tylin... Notify me as soon as the village is within your sights. I want one of you to stay here and watch the prisoners while the rest are to follow the orc''s movements. I want you to keep an eye on them but take care to stay out of their sight." Aerwyn ordered as Erit approached him from behind.


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    "What''s going on master?" She asked curiously.


    As the jakku flew off, Aerwyn took a quick glance around him. His undead had already gathered and the elves were now all out of their tents throwing him curious stares.


    "Orcs are marching to Setrhyn as we speak, around five hundred of them." Aerwyn spoke loud enough for the elves to hear and their sleepy expressions rapidly stiffened. He spotted Semmy and walked closer to him as he continued.


    "I need the elves to watch the ships and the prisoners while i go deal with the orcs. Can i leave it to you?"


    "Mhmm." Semmy nodded.


    "I wish to join you." As Aerwyn turned to walk back over to his undead another elf stepped forward and called out to him. Aerwyn was caught by surprise, he didn''t expect them to want to fight after their defeat at Lyr.


    "Me too." Another stepped forward as Aerwyn turned back around.


    "I as well." More and more stepped forward until there was nearly forty of them standing before him all wearing expressions showing their resolve.


    "...You don''t have to risk your lives, stay here and rest." Aerwyn spoke as politely as he could without making it seem like they were unneeded.


    "You said it yourself, the Fae''Laran are strong. We cannot sit idly by as our brothers and sisters in Setrhyn fight." The elf that spoke threw Aerwyn''s words from yesterday back at him, putting him on the spot.


    Aerwyn was torn, this wasn''t a good thing for him and there was little time for such a debate. He was already going to arrive at Setrhyn late due to the goblins speed but at least the goblins didn''t need rest. Aerwyn couldn''t be certain about all of them but he was sure most of those who''ve stepped forward only fought their first battle when Lyr was attacked. They would only slow him down and provide little support when the battle actually started. Aerwyn stayed quiet and mulled over it for a moment before speaking.


    "...Very well, but if you cannot keep up i will not wait for you. We won''t be stopping until we see the whites of the orc''s eyes. Grab some weapons from the ships if you don''t already have one. We leave in ten minutes."


    Aerwyn mounted his zin beetle after he finished speaking and rode it over to where Earl Abery and Pontus were standing. He didn''t know much about orcs outside of what he heard from Gebb and all Gebb had told him was that true orcs were far scarier than lesser ones.


    "I only know that there are two types of orcs but is there anything else i should know about them?"


    "They are savage fighters with incredible strength, often having the power of two or more men behind their swings. Their skin is tough to pierce and almost acts as an extra layer of armor. A thrust that would run a man through would barely make it ten centimeters through orc flesh. They have two hearts so they are difficult to put down for good and they are highly resistant to magic." Pontus spoke as if reciting an encyclopedia from memory.


    "Resistant to magic? How?" Aerwyn asked with his head cocked to the side.


    "Orcs cannot become mages due to not possessing the inherent ability to control mana outside of their bodies, however they are masters of controlling mana within their own bodies. They use their mana to make their own flesh a shield of sorts, protecting them from most forms of magic. For instance if a fireball hits the naked chest of an orc, they may be knocked down by the blast but there would be little actual damage done. They would be able to continue fighting very quickly unlike most other races."


    Aerwyn wondered whether or not that resistance would encompass his power as well. If it did, that would make turning the orcs undead via flame lances improbable and with his arm still mangled from Pontus''s earth spike, he wouldn''t be able to fight in melee. Not that he would if he could, if orcs were truly two or three times stronger than humans he stood absolutely no chance. A single orc blow would crumple him like a twig since even a normal human soldier was able to send him flying off his mount during the battle of Setrhyn.


    The elves were ready by the time he finished going over his thoughts. A few had bows and quivers while the majority were now using swords and shields. What''s more, their numbers had grown with another two dozen joining in, bringing up the elves numbers to around sixty. Curiously, none chose to wear the chain mail armor that was piled up on the ships. Whether that was because sprinting in the heavy armor would prove difficult or because it countered their natural elven agility, Aerwyn assumed they knew better than he and let them be.


    Aerwyn rode over to Semmy to leave some parting words with him and the rest of the elves.


    "If any of the human prisoners try to escape you can kill them all. It''s imperative that not a single one be allowed to escape under any circumstances."


    "Mhmm." Semmy nodded only making noise through his closed lips as usual.


    "Good, well be back in a day or two. Take care until then."


    Aerwyn turned and rode through the ranks of his undead, charging into the forest while the undead quickly followed behind him as he passed. After two hours the sun began peeking over the horizon and Aerwyn decided to check the progress of the jakku while he rode onwards towards Setrhyn. He connected to the four that he sent to follow the orcs army and choosing one, looked through it''s eyes.


    They had reached the orcs who were now only a few kilometers outside of Setrhyn. The dense forest would slow any army, even his undead weren''t without issue traversing it but it wasn''t slowing the orcs down enough. He didn''t have enough jakku this time to slow them down either so all he could do was helplessly watch as they grew ever closer to Setrhyn.

 67 Chapter 67

    The jakku that Aerwyn had sent to Setrhyn village released a cry in his mind to signify that it had the village within it''s sights. He took one last look at the orc army that was no more than twenty minutes from Setrhyn before switching his consciousness to the jakku near the village. Setrhyn entered his view and elves could be seen scurrying around near the shattered wall.


    They appeared to be in the early stages of constructing a new section of wall to replace the one that had been destroyed but Aerwyn didn''t see Tylin or Master Ferlin amongst them. The only one he recognized amongst the crowd was Jeren, he worried that Tylin may be off using his undead to mine new stone for the wall or preforming some other necromancer duty given the state of Setrhyn and decided to pass the message along to Jeren.


    "Fly down to the one in the green cloak. Make some noise too, so they know we''re coming." Aerwyn ordered.


    "SCREE!" The jakku cried out as it dove down towards Jeren, startling some of the villagers. It landed at Jeren''s feet as he looked on with a furrowed brow.


    "...What is one of Aerwyn''s undead doing here?" Jeren asked himself aloud.


    "Look at the damn scroll you fool!" Aerwyn screamed inside the jakku''s head after a few moments of the confused staring match between the elf and the jakku, yet Jeren still did nothing other than stare suspiciously. The jakku picked up on Aerwyn''s frustration and pointed to the scroll with it''s arm spike which only now made Jeren notice the scroll around it''s neck.


    "...Is this from Aerwyn?" Jeren asked as he hesitantly reached out for the scroll.


    "Damn it Jeren! Who else would it be from?!" Aerwyn raged inside the jakku''s mind. The orcs would be arriving within mere minutes and he was stuck playing around with Jeren, he was tempted to order the beast to stab the foolish elf''s foot and go look for Sera but he lacked the time to make such a dream a reality.


    Once the scroll was within his hands, he unfurled it and his expression instantly stiffened as he read the scroll''s contents.


    "How much time do we have?" Jeren looked past the scroll towards the jakku that couldn''t speak and Aerwyn wanted to rip his hair out in frustration from not being able to communicate properly.


    "Hold your arms in front of your face and cross them for a moment then point towards the way we came." Aerwyn decided this would be the best way to relay that there was no time, he only hoped Jeren would get the message.


    "..." It seemed to click in Jeren''s head after a moment, giving Aerwyn some solace as Jeren began to shout out orders.


    "Everyone listen here! Notify everybody in the village as quickly as you can! An army of orcs will be appearing from the west very soon! Go now!" The dozens of elves stopped what they were doing and looked to Jeren with confused stares.


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    "GO!" Jeren roared and the startled elves finally began to move. Jeren wasted no time either, once the elves began to scurry, he ran towards the nearest guard tower and blew the horn, notifying the village of an immanent attack.


    The jakku took to the air as soon as Jeren left and it now looked to the western forest. The orcs had already started to pour out into the open field, slowly marching towards Setrhyn. Aerwyn looked down at the village below him, only a handful of village guards stood in the gap of the shattered wall, nowhere near enough to stem the tide of orcs that would soon meet them.


    At this rate the orcs will enter the village and a chaotic slaughter will follow. What''s more he still didn''t see Tylin, Nyris, Sera, or Master Ferlin anywhere and he wasn''t sure whether he should feel glad at the thought of them being absent during such a battle. Whether Setrhyn falls or not, he would still fight the orcs here.


    It wouldn''t change much for Aerwyn as his goals required him to be at war with the orcs one way or another and while it was earlier than he would''ve liked, he wouldn''t miss this valuable opportunity to gain some powerful undead warriors. He just needed to make sure not to alert the entirety of the orc race to his hostile presence yet. Much like with the humans, none could be allowed to escape lest he risk the orcs coming at him in full force before he was prepared.


    Aerwyn paused his icy thoughts when he realized he sounded far too much like Tylin. While he did admire Tylin in many ways, Aerwyn didn''t care for that cold and detached aspect of his personality. If Aerwyn had the ability, he would do all he could to save the people of Setrhyn. As if the cold elf had heard his thoughts Tylin appeared below him along with Nyris.


    The pair of necromancers began summoning their undead as elves quickly rushed to the shattered wall from every direction within Setrhyn. The number of defenders kept growing by the second but it still wasn''t enough to plug the hole left by the magic cannons bombardment. The orcs were now beginning to charge the last hundred meters that separated the two forces as Master Ferlin and Sera appeared at the rear of the elven line.


    The orcs stretched their line as they charged in an attempt to overwhelm the elves and Aerwyn could only helplessly watch as the two sides clashed. The lesser orcs wearing furs made up the bulk of the orc''s army and they were the first to make contact with the elves. Their towering two meter frames smashed into the unprepared elven defense, instantly pushing them back a few meters into the village.


    The longer orcish line overtook the elven defense on both flanks and quickly began to encircle them as the true orcs entered the fray. There was only around fifty of them in total but their martial prowess was evident as they rapidly slashed through elves left and right. More and more elves were pouring in from behind but it wasn''t enough to make up for the heavy loses that Aerwyn was witnessing.


    The battle wasn''t entirely one sided as Tylin''s and Nyris''s death knights appeared to be able to hold their own against the lesser orcs while Master Ferlin and the other rangers seemed to be finding some success as well. The main problem was the elves unpreparedness for the attack, there wasn''t enough elves to hold the orcs at the walls. Now as more elves arrive from within the village they are cut down before their numbers can swell and actually make a difference.


    "Fall back to the square!" Master Ferlin cried out as he witnessed the orcs gaining ground at a rapid pace, seemingly coming to the same realization as Aerwyn but this command posed it''s own problems. The elves giving up the walls allowed the orcs free reign in the village, effectively allowing them to encircle the elves in the square and any elf caught outside of it will undoubtedly be captured or killed.


    Despite all that, Aerwyn still agreed it was the right call. They were already being surrounded and taking more casualties fighting a losing battle made little sense. The orcs wouldn''t be able to encircle them as quickly in the square and it would allow the elves more time to amass numbers that can actually make a difference in the battle.


    Many elves were cut down in the ensuing retreat as the orcs began to give chase. One of the orcs in plate armor atop a bull like creature called out some throaty foreign words that Aerwyn couldn''t understand which caused the orcs to momentarily cease their pursuit and break up into three groups. The largest of the three pushed on towards the square following the elves while the other two broke off and followed along the walls looking to encircle the elves once again.


    It was possible the orc commander believed he had already won and was simply mopping up the leftover rabble, that would be the best case scenario for the elves as that sort of complacency could be exploited but Aerwyn didn''t lay his hopes on it. It was more than likely this orc was a competent commander seeing as he attacked when Aerwyn and his undead were away and the elves were at their weakest point, having just fought a grueling battle.


    No matter the case he needed to get to Setrhyn right away. Aerwyn opened his true eyes as his army of undead raced through the forest. Looking back towards the elves of Lyr, to his surprise they still appeared to be keeping up without too much trouble. He wasn''t exactly sure how far he was from Setrhyn but he knew he was very close as they had been traveling much faster than the orcs since they had left the ships.


    "The orcs have broken through into the village! Stick together when we arrive! None can be allowed to escape!" Aerwyn yelled loud enough for his undead and the elves to hear him. Moments later they entered the field surrounding Setrhyn.

 68 Chapter 68

    Aerwyn and his army sprinted across the open field and very quickly the chaos within the village became apparent. The main force of orcs were down the long avenue fighting to take the square and handful of straggling lesser orcs inhabited the street, knocking down doors and slaughtering any elves unlucky enough to live in that area. He couldn''t see the two smaller forces that broke off from the main one but he assumed that they were either fighting in the square or raiding homes around the village much like the dozen or so lesser orcs before him.


    The orc stragglers noticed his arrival as soon as he got within fifty meters of the shattered wall and they began shouting out words in their throaty, grunt-like language. Aerwyn wasted no time, aiming his staff and firing a flame lance at the closest orc that appeared to be winning a fight against a blood covered elf. The flame lance shot out missing it''s intended target, he only had the use of one of his arms thanks to Pontus and it was difficult enough to stay atop his zin beetle let alone aim properly.


    The explosion near the orc and elf''s feet knocked both of them to the ground but the orc recovered far more quickly. In a quick rolling motion, the orc swung his axe without standing up, sending it directly into the stunned elf''s chest. Aerwyn wasted no time while the events played out before him and by the time the orc began to stand, Aerwyn was already firing out another flame lance.


    He was only a few meters away now and he would find it difficult to miss at such a range even with his mangled arm. The projectile collided with the orcs back as he stood up to flee, exploding out and sending him tumbling towards the main orc force. As the orcs body tumbled Aerwyn looked towards the rest of the straggling orcs who were fleeing down the avenue but when he saw the lesser orc that he had just shot stand back up from the corner of his eye, he was shocked.


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    Aerwyn''s eyes instantly shot to the orcs back where they projectile had hit and there he saw a melon sized hole in the lesser orcs scorched fur armor. The skin that he could see was mangled and burnt but clearly it wasn''t enough to put the orc down for good and if lesser orcs could survive one of his flame lances with so little damage he quaked at the thought of how many it would take to kill a true orc. This turn of events would make him half a step from being useless during this battle and he''d be forced to rely wholly on his undead.


    By the time he recovered from his shock Aerwyn and his undead were already on top of the straggling lesser orcs that were sprinting down the avenue, trampling them while some of the smaller undead finished the job. They seemed to be calling out to warn their orc brethren of the attack but the main force didn''t appear to notice their cries.


    "Erit, Rorik, and Pontus stay with me! Earl Abery take point!" Aerwyn screamed out, trying to be heard over the roaring sounds of war before him as they grew ever closer to the main battle. If his flame lances couldn''t pierce orc flesh then he needed protection, far more than his little protectors Rin and Ren could provide.


    Aerwyn, Erit, Rorik, and Pontus all slowed their speeds allowing the horde of undead to overtake them as the horde continued to charge on. When they got closer the rear ranks of the main force, some orcs became aware of their charge and a horn was blown thrice. The deep, powerful sound echoed out from within their ranks causing many orcs to turn to face the charge head on.


    The zin beetles and those atop them smashed into the orcs like a battering ram, almost punching straight through to the elves in the initial charge, splitting the orc''s forces in two. The trolls were right behind them swinging their massive tree trunks wildly in the gap created by the zin beetles. An orc charged the gap only to find Mogg''s tree trunk swinging in his direction. The orcs may be strong but the trolls wouldn''t lose a battle of strength to them and as if proving that fact true, the orc was sent flying back into his brethren like it had been shot out from a cannon.


    The humans and goblins which now made up the bulk of Aerwyn''s undead, filled the gap so that the orcs were now surrounded on three sides, their backs forced against the buildings that lined the street. The humans were voracious in battle despite their chain mail offering little protection against the orc''s axe''s and strength.


    The humans almost acted like they wanted to get hit, allowing the orcs free swings that would otherwise normally be defended against. Once the orcs took the bait and pierced the humans flesh they would return a flurry of wild stabs while the orcs attempted to pull out their axes that were caught in chain mail, bone, and flesh. It was an atrocious waste of armor but Aerwyn wouldn''t reprimand them for a strategy that appeared to be working, at least for now.


    He did however worry about the wanton disregard for their lives, while anything short of an axe to the skull would do little to stop their assault, it still burned their soul every time they healed themselves. Perhaps his ''great one'' speech worked a little too well on them and they truly believed they were immortal now. Either way, while the issue of weakened souls hadn''t popped up recently it was still an issue nevertheless. He would have to make them aware of it at some point as he didn''t have enough souls to keep them all alive right now should they require souls as nourishment.


    The elves of Lyr that chose to follow Aerwyn were mixed in with the humans and goblins as they filled the gap. They fought much like Aerwyn had witnessed the elves of Setrhyn fight during the battle against Earl Abery, dashing in and out of range of the orcs after throwing out accurate stabs. The humans allowing their bodies to be used as shields allowed the elves to use their agility to the fullest.


    The goblins were far less effective but that was to be expected, if he didn''t need the numbers right now he wouldn''t of even brought them along. The orcs tough skin already made it difficult for the goblins to pierce through even if the orcs simply stood still, let alone when they orcs actually fought back. It wasn''t all for nothing though, they found some success in attacking while the orcs were busy fending off the human''s attacks much like the elves of Lyr.


    The goblins would only become viable in battle when he had an overwhelming number of them or if he named and evolved them, either way that was a plan for the future and wouldn''t help him now. Like the goblins, the spiders adapted as well, instead of attempting to use their venom the spiders climbed the buildings that the orcs were pressed against and rained down short spurts of webs.


    The webs weren''t as effective as they were on the humans, the orcs appeared to be able to snap them with relative ease but every second they spent breaking out of webs was a second that the rest of his forces could exploit. Aerwyn wasn''t sure whether or not the reason behind the webs having so little effect was because of the orcs strength or because the spider''s webs had something to do with magic.


    After all, the spiders don''t eat yet they can still produce venom and webs despite that fact. It was entirely possible that the webs were created by mana or burning their own souls. He had never given it much thought until now and it would have to be explored at a later date. Much like the human''s reckless onslaught, he didn''t have enough souls to keep his army alive should they keep burning their own with complete disregard for their own lives.


    Despite taking losses, the undead were preforming beyond Aerwyn''s expectations. Of course he had yet to see a true orc, all of the true orcs had broken off into the two groups that went around to flank the elves but he started to feel silly at the image he made in his head of an undefeatable orc. It was a shame that he couldn''t easily turn orcs into undead, perhaps he could capture some before the battle ended.


    Learning more about the orcs culture, politics, and war strategies would help him later on when he was ready to take them on but for that it would be best to capture the commander or another true orc.


    "..Orcs are coming..." Rorik growled snapping Aerwyn from his victorious thoughts. He looked over to Rorik and the barghest was facing the opposite way of the battle, towards the direction Aerwyn had entered the city from. He quickly turned to match Rorik''s gaze and his eyes were greeted by two hundred orcs charging their way down the avenue towards him. The missing true orcs had appeared.

 69 Chapter 69

    Aerwyn''s mind began to race as the charging true orcs blew another horn as if to let their embattled troops know of their arrival. It wasn''t out of the question for the true orcs to have simply responded to the horn blowing when the lesser orcs realized another force had appeared but it felt like he had been strung along on a leash. That wasn''t to say he believed the orcs planned an elaborate trap for the sole purpose of rooting him out but it appeared they had at least planned a strategy just in case of Aerwyn''s arrival.


    If that turned out to be true then he had been played like a fiddle and that irked him to no end. He didn''t have any training or upbringing that taught him any sort of strategy or tactics. At least none that he could remember anymore, but he believed that he was doing a well enough job so far with leading his army of undead. He wondered if Earl Abery could''ve detected whether or not the orcs movements pointed to a trap if Aerwyn had told him about the events within Setrhyn prior to their arrival.


    There was no point in thinking about it with the gift of hindsight but perhaps he should begin to include some of his undead in his decision making from now on. Snapping from his thoughts he turned back to the battle and was once again surprised by what he saw. The orcs were showing a ferocity unseen before now as they pushed forward to close the gap created by Aerwyn''s initial charge.


    "Don''t let them close the gap! Push through to the square!" Aerwyn cried out, sending his undead into a frenzy that matched the orcs.


    Aerwyn glanced back at the true orcs charging down the avenue, his only solace was that they were traveling at a pace that their non-mounted troops could keep up with. It gave him little time but it was more than nothing. Looking back towards the battle, his undead weren''t making much headway and it didn''t appear like they would break through in time.


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    "Is there anything you can do to slow them down?" Aerwyn asked Pontus.


    "Not much, the avenue is too large. I can slow them but only for a few moments, my lord." Pontus respectfully responded without any hint of urgency.


    "That''s fine do it." Aerwyn commanded as he turned his attention back to the battle.


    "All elves of Lyr fall back to me! NOW!" Aerwyn roared.


    Pontus finished casting his magic as the elves of Lyr began to surround him. The avenue thirty meters away from Aerwyn appeared to disintegrate into a patch of sand that was a few meters wide and stretched across the road. Pontus wasn''t lying when he said he couldn''t do much, that superb culmination of earth magic would be about as effective at slowing them down as a strong breeze and the elves were taking too damn long to get out of combat.


    He couldn''t waste any more time waiting and could only hope the elves would be lucky enough to avoid his attacks. Aerwyn began firing flame lances as quickly as he could into the orcs blocking their path. Above the heads of his undead, scalding hot purple projectiles flew out in rapid succession. It may not be able to kill them in one or two blows but the unending explosions would disrupt their lines enough for his undead to exploit.


    The true orc''s force reached the sand pit Pontus had created as Aerwyn''s bombardment knocked the orcs around as if they were merely made of straw.


    "Let''s go! PUSH THROUGH!" Aerwyn cried out as the zin beetle he was riding began to move. The elves of Lyr and Aerwyn''s defenders charged beside him, all the while he continued to shoot out more flame lances. Sweat dripped from Aerwyn''s forehead as he felt the air surrounding the battle beginning to heat up from the purple flames exploding out in front of him.


    It was getting difficult for him to breathe so he couldn''t begin to imagine how the orcs would be faring considering the circumstances. His purple flames didn''t harm his undead in the slightest, however explosions were still explosions and a few undead were unfortunately hit by friendly fire. If they ended up in the way of a flame lance, the explosion wouldn''t kill them but they would be sent tumbling no different from the orcs. Aerwyn paid them little mind as he continued to pave his way through the enemy lines.


    The orcs didn''t sit idly by as Aerwyn rode through, they fought desperately to reach him but his undead were quick to fill any gap his flame lance''s created. While orcs were resistant to magic, much like how Aerwyn was using the explosions created by his flame lances to knock them down, Pontus was creating pillars of earth to do the same to any orc that grew too close.


    As they broke through the orcs and entered the square, Aerwyn realized just how bad this battle truly was for the elves. The square looked as if a free for all had broken out long before Aerwyn arrived to Setrhyn as bodies of both elf and orc dotted the ground. It appeared that the orcs were only holding the avenue to either trap Aerwyn or for some other strategic reason that he couldn''t instantly see.


    There were only a few hundred elves left and while that didn''t account for those still hiding in their homes, their numbers were still far too low. Aerwyn made some distance from the reforming battle lines and sent the undead troops that had broken through along with him to assist the elves in holding the orcs at bay.


    The heat from his bombardment still cooked the already hot summer air as his body spewed sweat from every pore. He could see Master Ferlin, Sera, and Jeren nearby still looking rather fresh despite the heavy elven loses. Tylin appeared to still have mana as he summoned another batch of death knights to reinforce them.


    "Finally..." Nyris breathed a sigh of relief as he rushed over to Aerwyn''s side.


    "Are you ok?" Aerwyn asked as he looked at the exasperated elf.


    "The losses have been heavy and the orcs already dispatched most of my death knights. I have few remaining that i can call upon. Tylin and i have been conserving our mana to battle the lok''ra but now i fear we have too few elves to support us." Aerwyn didn''t recognize the term "lok''ra" but now wasn''t the time for his curiosity. Besides, he could make an educated guess that the word was the name for what he''s been calling "true orcs".


    "I''m going to-"


    "GORAK TORAKKA KA LAMOG! GOG!!!" A loud shout resounded out from one of the lok''ra riding a bull, interrupting Aerwyn.


    "GRAHHHHH!" The orcs roared out a battle cry in unison that sent them into a frenzied rush towards the square.


    The orcs were like a single being, hellbent on reaching their destination as they moved forward in unison, using their shields to push back both elf and undead alike. They were quickly gaining ground and if left be, the square would become a free for all once more. His plan was to continue firing out flame lances until the orcs could no longer bear the heat, much like he had done with the jakku''s cave. Except this time instead of forcing them into webs, his undead would be fighting them unhindered throughout the bombardment.


    Now that they were pushing into the square that plan was useless unless he wanted to cook the elves too in the ensuing free for all. There was only one other option Aerwyn could think of to gain any sort of advantage now and that was his inferno. The orcs magic resistance would amount to nothing once Aerwyn''s purple inferno wrapped itself around them. Even if they could bear the heat for a short time, once engulfed they would be without air and quickly suffocate.


    The problems with using the inferno here were numerous. The most obvious being that he had to remain in the darkness to control it lest the inferno run wild and sap all the souls from him, that led to the next problem. He had previously discovered that the inferno burned his soul as fuel once it started so he not only needed souls to control it but also to resurrect those who fall beneath it''s raging flames.


    Aerwyn''s undead had killed a fair number of orcs and while he did heed Tylin''s advice by not spending all of his souls during the cleanup of Earl Abery''s men yesterday, he was unsure whether resurrecting orcs would follow the same formula as humans.


    "GOG! TORAKKA KEEGUK!!!" The lok''ra screamed out some foreign words once more as the orcs began another push forward, snapping him from his indecisive thoughts.


    "Ugh... Damn it all!" Aerwyn grumbled as he aimed his staff towards one of the buildings the orc forces were pressed against. He shot out a couple flame lances in rapid succession until the building was licked by growing purple flames.


    "Protect me." Turning to Erit and Nyris, Aerwyn spoke in a solemn tone before he lowered his body to the zin beetles back, closing his eyes and entering the darkness.

 70 Chapter 70

    Once inside the darkness Aerwyn could see the many thin soul strings connecting his soul to those of his undead. He couldn''t see the souls of the living here, only the purple souls of his undead and the white souls belonging to those unfortunate enough to have fallen by their hands. The only other object of note in the endless dark was the burgeoning inferno that was suspended in mid-air by tenebrous tendrils. The way the tendrils snaked around the flames as if propping it up gave Aerwyn the impression that the flames were latched onto the side of a phantom building.


    Dimensionally speaking, the darkness was like a mirror of Alduun, just without anything Aerwyn could interact with outside of his souls and flames. For instance if a goblin and a human stood next to each other in the darkness, the goblin soul would be lower to the nonexistent ground than the humans as if mimicking the dimensions of the world outside. Due to that fact and the position of the inferno in relation to his undead, Aerwyn could roughly judge where the orcs were.


    Despite having a sense of direction to the world outside he still needed to be careful. Unlike the time he used his inferno in the forest and the underground, he couldn''t just let the flames run wild. There were far too many elves mixed in with his undead and he rightly assumed that burning his allies alive would probably leave a sour taste in their mouth''s. Even if they didn''t end up despising him for the act, he didn''t have enough souls to waste by accidentally turning them undead. Sure, they''d probably be more effective in battle but it would be far less of a net gain than removing an enemy and gaining an ally at the same time.


    Aerwyn imagined the flames growing and lashing out towards the rear of where he believed the orcs to be so that there was very little risk of burning any unsuspecting elves. The tendrils that coiled around the purple flames convulsed wildly for a moment as if they had been given a shock. The purple flame began to grow at an excruciatingly slow pace but Aerwyn was aware that time in the darkness was much slower than the world outside.


    He was left with little to do but wait and watch the souls of his undead as time dragged on. It was clear that the orcs were going in for another push as he could see the line of his undead slowly being pushed back with each passing moment. He was forced to watch his undead''s souls vanish one by one as the slow motion battle played out before him, leaving him frustrated and anxious.


    Time continued to pass until the inferno finally started to succeed in it''s duty. The first white soul that Aerwyn hoped belong to an orc and not an elf, was slowly pushed along towards him by the tenebrous tendrils. More and more white souls began to pop into existence as the first reached his own. Aerwyn was forced to experience the harrowing sensation of having his soul ripped apart that he hadn''t felt in quite some time.


    He kept an eye on the inferno while he endured the pain of resurrection. He also made sure to directly order each and every orc that he resurrected to kill all of the living ones in the area so that he wouldn''t have a repeat of the battle with the humans. As more souls poured in, he paid close attention to the cost and much like humans, it varied from orc to orc.


    There wasn''t much difference that he could see other than the souls that required more to resurrect tended to be brighter. Considering he could only see souls after the unstoppable process of resurrection had already begun, this information was practically useless to him.


    Aerwyn had resurrected six true orcs, twenty seven lesser orcs, and two of the bull-like creatures by now. He felt as though he could resurrect a dozen more or so but his undead were continuously being pushed back all throughout his time in the darkness and the previously straight battle line was now a disorganized mess that was full of holes. He wasn''t entirely certain but he felt as though the orcs had successfully broken through to the square and that would mean his time in the darkness was up.


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    It was dangerous enough to be in the darkness behind the battle lines but it was an entirely different matter to continue if the orcs could now reach him. Aerwyn imagined the inferno returning to his hand as he had done before and opened his true eyes.


    "TORAKKA TET! GOG!" The lok''ra commander roared as Aerwyn looked up to receive the purple flames barreling towards him.


    "GRAHHHHHH!" The orcs released another war cry as Aerwyn was momentarily blinded by the heat and light of the flames and he was forced to close his eyes as they collided with his hand. The flames spun and compressed themselves into a fiery sphere before vanishing into his hand. Opening his eyes once more he was greeted by the chaotic battle unfurling before him.


    The orcs had just pushed through to the square and there was pockets of fighting everywhere. Aerwyn looked and an orc atop a bull-like creature with purple flames caught his eyes. It was one of the true orcs that he had turned undead and it was currently charging towards the true orc commander that had been shouting out orders this whole time. The undead orc gave no consideration for any elves, orcs, or undead in his path as the bull-like creature barreled through anyone who stood in it''s way.


    Once he was within a few meters of the commander, he jumped off the bull as if he had been shot out from a cannon. He propelled himself directly into the commander as the booming sound of their collision rumbled out. They crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud and the undead orc wasted no time as he began to wildly slam his large tower shield down onto the orc commander''s armor.


    The undead orc''s movement''s were savage, brutal, even by undead standards. He seemed mindless, only intent on one thing and that was cracking open the orc commanders armor as quickly as he could. He was so focused on his task that he didn''t notice the commanders mount charging at him from behind. The beast lowered it''s head on the final steps of it''s charge and slammed into the undead orc''s back, sending him flying even faster than his previous leap.


    Aerwyn didn''t have time to see what happened next as it appeared a couple of true orcs in scale armor had set their sights on him. The two orcs charged towards him as Erit, Rorik, Rin, and Ren moved to defend him.


    "Stay back you two." Aerwyn ordered Rin and Ren as he took aim with his staff. His little two protectors wouldn''t be of much use against armored enemies in their current form. Perhaps when they evolved they might be stronger but as of right now he didn''t want to risk their lives for nothing.


    The orc he aimed for dodged to the left the moment Aerwyn pointed his staff at him, causing the flame lance to miss entirely. Nyris''s bone spear made contact as the orc recovered from his dodge but it was blocked by the orcs shield, leaving behind a meter and a half long spear sticking out as the orc continued it''s advance.


    Rorik quickly darted towards the other orc as Erit shot out her dagger and short sword the moment it entered her range. She aimed for the orcs unprotected eyes but he immediately lifted up his shield to block the attack as soon as the dagger grew near. In an attempt to catch the orc off guard, Rorik jumped towards it while it''s eyes were still blocked by the shield but the orcs peculiar shaped sword came slashing out as the orc spun around to meet him.


    The fearsome swing cleaved Rorik in two at his waist but not before he latched his jaw onto the orc''s shield, ripping it from the orc''s grasp as his two halves tumbled to the ground. The orc motioned to finish off Rorik but Erit gave him no time to even consider such plans as her sword honed in on the orc''s throat. Instead of dodging, the orc knocked Erit''s sword away with his own and charged towards her at full speed.


    Nyris had just finished summoning his last three remaining death knights and as they were crawling out from the ground Aerwyn fired multiple flame lances as quickly as he could while the zin beetle he was riding began moving backwards to keep it''s distance from the orc. As it got within two meters from Aerwyn it dove forward while swinging it''s sword causing the zin beetle to buck and jump back.


    Aerwyn shot out a flame lance as the orc gave chase and finally managed to land one. The projectile hit the orc''s shield before piercing through and exploding. The blast sent the orc spinning to the ground and Aerwyn wouldn''t allow him the opportunity to stand up again. He aimed his staff an began his bombardment.

 71 Chapter 71

    While Aerwyn and Nyris were finally finding some success in their battle, Erit and Rorik were experiencing quite the opposite. Rorik lay cut in half, struggling to move as tenebrous tendrils stretched out from both halves in order to make him whole again. Luckily for him, Erit was currently keeping the orc busy, allowing him to heal unhindered.


    The orc reached Erit and sent his sword out directly towards her face. She narrowly dodged the blow and responded by shooting out her dagger into the orc''s torso. However, between the scale armor and the orc''s tough skin, the wound was superficial at best and didn''t slow the orcs assault in the slightest.


    Erit''s short sword had returned to her hand by now and she decided to press her advantage while she could, stabbing towards the orc''s throat once again. The orc had already recovered from his failed attack and hurriedly swung his sword down, severing Erit''s arm in a single slash. Erit showed no signs of slowing down despite losing her right arm as she attempted to use the dagger in her left hand to complete the task that she had failed with her right.


    The orc didn''t have time to swing again, instead he chose to backhand her across the face as he dodged. Erit''s small frame was sent tumbling back a dozen meters by the powerful blow and the orc began to give chase immediately.


    Aerwyn witnessed Erit''s body as it was sent flying. He panicked when he saw the state of things, Rorik''s two halves were only now coming together and Erit was in serious danger. Nyris''s death knights had already reached the orc that he had been holding down with his bombardment. He couldn''t offer the death knights much help else he risked killing them with his flames while doing very little damage to the orc. Aerwyn eyes darted towards Erit to make sure she was alright and he was stunned by what he saw.


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    "YOU MISERABLE... SWINE FACED... RODENT!" Erit furiously roared as she stood back up. Sparks flashed before her eyes and quickly ignited into the wild purple flames that all of Aerwyn''s undead had outside of the humans. Her arm that was slowly being pulled back to her by the tenebrous tendrils disintegrated into black smoke before disappearing entirely. Smoke poured out from where her arm once was and the missing arm began to reappear on her body as the flames covering Erit''s eyes quickly began to spread like a wildfire across her body.


    "AERWYN! MORE ARE COMING!" Nyris cried out behind him.


    The distressed words caused Aerwyn to glance at the two new challengers that were making their way towards Nyris. Both were true orcs, however one wore full plate armor which would be difficult for Nyris''s death knights to deal with. He glanced back at Erit who was now entirely consumed in an ever growing purple inferno, the heat of which was keeping the orc that had given chase at bay.


    Aerwyn didn''t know what was happening to her but it was too similar to what he had seen in his vision of the doppelganger a few days prior. The only difference he could see was the lack of black smoke but he still found himself unable to look away from the scene. All of the orcs and elves fighting nearby fled the area surrounding her as the inferno grew to nearly two dozen meters wide and a dozen high before it appeared to stop.


    The flames receded as quickly as they appeared, revealing eight long black legs entwined with purple flames that created intricate patterns along her carapace. As the flames continued to recede it became apparent that Erit had transformed into her giant spider form, only now she was nearly twice as large as before and had intricate patterns of purple flames etched all throughout her body.


    Erit wasted no time and reached the orc that had cut off her arm in an instant. As she raised her leg to impale him, the intricate patterns of purple flames swelled until the flames encapsulated her leg entirely. The orc was able to dodge the first blow but Erit was too quick with the second. The tip of her flaming leg pierced straight through the scale armor, pinning the orc to the ground until it too was consumed by the flames.


    "AERWYN!" Nyris cried out once again.


    Aerwyn turned and saw the orc in plate armor swinging his sword down only to be blocked by a floating white shield of bone that appeared in front of Nyris. The original orc that they were fighting lay dead a few meters away and he could only see one other death knight still standing. The death knight was doing it''s best to keep the second orc away from Nyris but it appeared to be on the defensive as well.


    Nyris was visibly struggling and his bone shield showed signs of crumbling but Aerwyn couldn''t shoot a flame lance at the orc without hitting Nyris too. As the orc raised it''s sword for another attack Aerwyn ordered his zin beetle to charge, he wouldn''t be able to kill the orc in melee but as long as he could knock it away from Nyris he wouldn''t have to.


    The zin beetle reached max speed in only a few steps but the orc''s sword was quicker. The sword came crashing down on the crumbling bone shield, shattering it and continuing on through Nyris''s collarbone before entering his chest.


    "NOOO!" Aerwyn howled as the orc pulled his sword out allowing Nyris''s limp body to collapse onto the ground. The orc heard Aerwyn''s shout but didn''t have enough time to dodge as the two meter tall zin beetle came barreling it''s way towards him.


    The orc hastily swung it''s sword as the zin beetle made contact, slicing off two of the zin beetle''s left legs. The orc was sent flying back while the zin beetle collapsed and slid forward, knocking Aerwyn off as well. The broken bones in his arm still hadn''t fully healed and the fall only worsened the damage but he didn''t allow the pain to overtake him as he quickly rushed to his feet.


    "ERIT DEFEND ME!" Aerwyn cried out as he ran to Nyris''s body.


    The orc''s strike had cut nearly thirty centimeters down through Nyris''s chest separating the left half of his upper body and allowing Aerwyn to see the elf''s innards. His eyes were erratically darting around as foamy blood pooled around his lips yet Aerwyn felt relief at such a sight. If his eyes were moving then he was still alive and if he was alive, he could be brought back. At least he hoped, like most aspects of his power, the rules for resurrection weren''t entirely clear so he decided to take extra precautions just in case.


    "LORAK! LORAK!" The orc commander shouted out as a horn was blown in the distance.


    The sounds caused Aerwyn to glance around the square, making sure it was still safe. Erit had joined the death knight''s battle nearby and his zin beetle mount was already in the midst of healing as it chased after the orc in plate armor. Since Erit was near he felt safe enough to turn his attention back to the dying Nyris.


    There was no time to ask whether or not the necromancer wanted this and even if there was, Nyris couldn''t speak at the moment. Aerwyn assumed he would prefer undeath over what awaited necromancers in the afterlife, even if it meant being beholden to Aerwyn for the rest of his days.


    "I''m sorry Nyris... but this may sting a bit." Aerwyn spoke softly as he reached his hand into Nyris''s open chest. Once he grasped a hold of the elf''s heart, he summoned purple flames to his hand. Nyris convulsed and displayed an expression of agony for a brief moment as the flames incinerated his heart before his eyes went blank, appearing to lose all life.


    After a few moments Nyris''s soul left his body which made Aerwyn sigh in relief, if he could see the soul that meant he had succeeded. He didn''t watch as the resurrection process continued, instead he picked up his staff and scanned the battlefield. To his surprise the orcs appeared to be retreating despite still having nearly a hundred and fifty men left. While that may not sound like much, the elven forces weren''t much better off and Aerwyn had taken heavy losses as well so it wouldn''t be out of the question for them to fight on.


    "Erit lift me up so we can chase them." He called out to Erit who was finishing off a true orc she had been chasing nearby.


    "Master! I''m a little spider again!" Erit shouted cheerfully as she ran over.


    "I... can see that. Anyway, let''s go." Aerwyn choked as his mind processed the fact that those words had came from a spider a dozen meters tall and two dozen meters wide.

 72 Chapter 72

    There was no cheering like they had done after achieving victory over Earl Abery while the orcs fled down the avenue towards the shattered village wall. The elves made no move to pursue the fleeing orcs either, which Aerwyn assumed was due to the sorry state they now found themselves in.


    "GIVE CHASE AND CAPTURE AS MANY ORCS AS YOU CAN!" Aerwyn yelled out once he was atop Erit.


    "Wait!" Master Ferlin shouted as he came running over.


    "What is it?" Aerwyn asked once the elf had reached him.


    "Leave them be."


    "What? Why?" Aerwyn cocked his head in confusion.


    "You aren''t only representing yourself if you chase them. Setrhyn cannot withstand another attack. Letting them leave unhindered may appear weak but the orcs will give us peace if we do so, it is their way. This attack was only an opportunistic raid, we''ve dealt with them many times before in the past."


    "...If none survive how would the orc village even know what happened?" Aerwyn didn''t want to just allow them to leave, it seemed foolish to waste such an opportunity.


    "Their mounts are deceptively fast when they need to be and it''s only about thirty kilometers to the orc''s village. Are you certain you can catch all of them? If they reach the village what will you do then? Their population wasn''t much less than Setrhyn the last time we checked.


    Even if this force accounted for all of their village''s warriors, there would still be nearly two thousand orcs there. They may not be trained but they''re still orcs. It''s one thing for the orcs to fail a raid but it''s entirely different matter if one of their villages is attacked, they will retaliate in full force."


    "Master Ferlin is correct, dear boy. Call off your undead, you are not ready to take on the orcs just yet. Doing so now will only result in both you and Setrhyn meeting their ends." Tylin appeared as if he had always been beside Master Ferlin from the start despite only showing up now.


    "..." Aerwyn sighed and reluctantly did as he was told.


    Calling his undead back left a sour taste in his mouth, he wasn''t sure on the exact number yet but he had taken heavy losses in exchange for only thirty five new undead. He hoped to regain some of those losses now that the orcs were on the run but he couldn''t refuse both Tylin and Master Ferlin. They knew the orcs far better than he did and Tylin was also well aware of Aerwyn''s situation so he felt inclined to listen to them for now.


    Still, he wouldn''t simply do nothing as the orcs left. The jakku had proven their immense value to Aerwyn over the past few days and he decided to send three after the orcs. From this day forward he would have eyes on their village at all times, just in case they decided to come south again. He also gained a couple undead true orcs that would undoubtedly give him insight into their society and more importantly, the locations of villages and other points of interest that Aerwyn would one day raid.


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    Master Ferlin had made Aerwyn come to the realization that Setrhyn would always be vulnerable in the future. He had to fight the orcs at some point and like the head ranger said, Aerwyn''s actions didn''t only represent himself anymore. Despite having very little to do with Setrhyn, as far as the orcs were now concerned, Aerwyn was a part of Setrhyn. Unless he wanted to allow Setrhyn to burn he would have to protect it when the time comes.


    There was also the fact that Aerwyn had consumed nearly two hundred A Grade souls from the battle and since he resurrected so few orcs it meant that he would be able to resurrect more of the Abery men he had lock up back at the ships. He could even choose to leave the humans alone for now if he wanted to, instead resurrecting lesser beings like goblins or tenri. The energy given to him by an A Grade soul would allow him to create many more undead lesser beings than if he simply brought back the Earl''s men.


    While the undead humans fought well, Erit''s new form had shown him a different path. If ten Erit''s fought ten undead humans, the victor was clear. The only problem with that approach was the time and resources required for his undead to evolve but if he could find a solution, his undead army would become a powerful force to reckon with. Of course he wouldn''t be picky with what he resurrected. No matter how powerful his undead became, in the end what he needed was numbers, so he wouldn''t discount the humans and other races when they were presented to him.


    Tylin and Master Ferlin left his side once he ordered his undead back. The orcs had since fled out of sight back into the woods and the elves were in the midst of cleaning up the battlefield. The square was in complete disarray with bodies strewn about wherever Aerwyn looked. He didn''t see any other option for Setrhyn but to merge populations with Lyr at this point. Their losses were too severe and even if they added in Lyr''s remaining population it still wouldn''t reach the population size that the village had before.


    "Let me down... Also change back into your human form before you end up doing more damage to the village."


    "Ok master!" Erit sounded oddly cheerful, probably thanks to gaining her new form and being a ''little spider'' again.


    Once Aerwyn was back on solid ground, he looked for Nyris and Rorik. He hadn''t checked on them since the battle and wanted to see how they felt considering one was sliced in half while the other was freshly resurrected. Nyris was now the first undead that he had known while still living and he was unsure on how the elf''s personality would change. As he scanned the area he found Rorik first, the overgrown dog was standing quietly just on the other side of Erit who still hadn''t changed into her human form despite Aerwyn''s order.


    "What are you doing? Change back into your human form already." Aerwyn scolded her.


    "I''m trying master!" Erit snapped back at him.


    "What?" Aerwyn watched as the twelve meter tall spider made noises like she was thinking too hard while the eight flames that represented her eyes flickered wildly.


    "...I don''t know how..." Erit used her voice magic in an attempt to garner some sympathy.


    "Then how did you change in the first place?!" Aerwyn was no stranger to the difficulties in controlling powers but he felt as though switching from a giant spider into a human should be as easy as breathing for Erit''s race.


    "That filthy orc touched this little spider''s beautiful face so he needed to be taught his standing in the world." Aerwyn couldn''t even formulate a response as his hands were pressed firmly to his temple. It wasn''t the fact that the orc had cut off her arm or backhanded her or the fact that she was sent flying as a result of said backhand. No, she finally achieved her giant spider form because the orc touched her and needed to be taught his place.


    "...Just do the opposite of whatever made you change." Aerwyn parroted the advice that Tylin had given him when his flames grew out of control in the elf''s guest room.


    "How?" Erit''s questioning expression was much the same as his when Tylin used those words.


    "...Yeah, it didn''t really make sense when Tylin said it to me either... Just figure it out and don''t break anything in the village. In fact, don''t move from that spot until you figure it out."


    "Master!" Erit whined but Aerwyn walked past her towards Rorik and ignored her.


    "How''s your soul?"


    "..I''m fine." Rorik''s hostility was clear as ever which made Aerwyn wonder why he even bothered showing any concern at all for the ungrateful mutt.


    "Good talk... Go and round up the rest of the undead, i want to do a head count." Aerwyn didn''t bother waiting around for a response instead walking to the location where he had left Nyris''s body but the elf was nowhere to be found.


    Aerwyn got worried and scanned the area once more before finally laying his eyes upon the undead elf. He was standing over an orc corpse casting some sort of spell.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Ah! I''m replenishing my stock of death knights." Nyris appeared startled as the orcs body began to slowly sink beneath the black viscous fluid that appeared.


    He looked uneasy, as if his mind was cloudy and lost in thought. Aerwyn had seen the look before in Earl Abery and the humans after they had been turned so he thought nothing of it, assuming it to be part of the resurrection process for more intelligent beings. Aerwyn tried to exchange some words with him but it was like trying to have a conversation with someone who hadn''t slept in days so he left him be for now and waited for his undead to line up. It wasn''t long until Rorik completed his task and Aerwyn was annoyed by what he saw.


    The tenri were completely wiped out along with the brexil cats outside of Rin and Ren. Eighty three goblins, twenty nine abyssal spiders, sixteen zin beetles and even two freshly turned lesser orcs had fallen in the battle. What surprised him most was that despite the humans reckless fighting style only twenty two had perished.

 73 Chapter 73

    Once Aerwyn was finished taking his head count, he sent his undead to help the elves clean up the the dead.


    "Frakki and Jinn i want-" Aerwyn stopped the two hobgoblins as the horde of undead separated but was interrupted by the bright flash of purple flames behind him. Erit''s massive frame was quickly engulfed before the flames receded, displaying Erit''s naked human form. Apparently the clothes Tylin had given her didn''t survive the fiery transformation.


    "Master! I did it!" Erit elatedly shouted. The sudden burst of flames and subsequent naked female left all eyes in the square on Erit as she pranced over to Aerwyn. Sera was nearby and when she noticed the commotion she came over as well.


    "Who''s this? I don''t believe we''ve met." Sera asked. Aerwyn''s faced displayed a hint of embarrassment that Erit was quick to catch as she exchanged glances between the two. A devious smile appeared on Erit''s face as she grabbed Aerwyn''s arm and pressed her body against his.


    "Master, all these tiny elves won''t stop staring..." Erit nuzzled herself on his chest and spoke in an innocent and sincere tone that was made all the more convincing by her voice magic. As always, Aerwyn wasn''t immune to her powers and found himself momentarily stunned.


    Sera furrowed her brow when Erit gave her a sideways glance outside the confines of Aerwyn''s chest, displaying a victorious grin as if Erit had beaten her in a competition she wasn''t even aware she was apart of. Aerwyn quickly recovered and sighed as he flicked her forehead.


    "Master''s, always so rough!" Erit cried out as she rubbed her forehead, the clear innuendo lost on no one present.


    "I''m sorry Sera, would Erit be able to borrow some clothes for a bit."


    "..Yeah, follow me back to the house." Sera seemed confused as she and Erit left, Aerwyn couldn''t blame her, Erit was a handful at times. He just hoped that Erit wouldn''t cause any trouble along the way.


    Once they left Aerwyn turned back to Frakki and Jinn who were both staring at the floor, patiently waiting for orders. He ordered them to take some zin beetles and spiders back to Ardin. The pregnant goblins should be giving birth any day now so if he waited any longer he''d risk not only losing the first batch of newborns but possibly even the adults. They had gone days without food or water and now that there was finally a lull in the action, he needed to deal with it while he still could.


    Aerwyn spent the rest of the day helping the elves wherever he was needed and when night fell there was a meeting at Tylin''s house. Many elves were in attendance that Aerwyn didn''t recognize so he and Erit kept to themselves in the corner as they all exchanged formalities.


    "I''ll start. As it stands Setrhyn''s population has been cut down to one thousand three hundred and six. As you all know, Lyr produces nearly half of our grain and while we don''t have an exact number yet, according to Aerwyn only eight hundred remain. I propose that Lyr merge with Setrhyn." Master Ferlin spoke.


    "Then what shall we eat? Setrhyn''s land isn''t suited for farming, that''s why Lyr was founded in the first place." An elf chimed.


    "We can increase production in the copper mines and buy the grain from the capital like Thyr Village." Another elf suggested.


    "Nonsense, Thyr has a population of six thousand along with a lucrative gold mine. How do you expect to emulate their success with mere copper. Even if we could fit more in the mines there is only so much we can produce throughout the year and it''s far below what is needed to buy the amount of grain to feed Setrhyn." The elf scoffed.


    "We could expand the gallows mushroom farming done on the mountain. Outside of Leyn''s herb farm, we barely exploit such a valuable resource."


    "Do you expect Tylin to spend his final years as a slave, endlessly brewing healing salves?"


    Tensions began to heat up as the arguing continued and it only appeared to be getting worse as time went on.


    "You should convince them to move to Ardin, master." Erit whispered into Aerwyn''s ear.


    "...Why?" Aerwyn furrowed his brow as he whispered back.


    "To get the elves to follow you of course."


    "Even if they moved to Ardin, they still wouldn''t follow me. They''d just be living along side us."


    "...Maybe not at first but after a little convincing and witnessing your power grow firsthand, they might decide that following you benefits them far more than simply existing along side you."


    Erit''s idea wasn''t bad, Aerwyn stood to gain a fair bit even if the elves didn''t end up falling in line behind him. If Marik or Semmy lived in Ardin it would allow him to save an immense amount of time if he didn''t have travel back and forth between Lyr or Setrhyn so frequently. If they farmed the land around Ardin then it would also bring him another source of food outside of the deer and boar that he''d been growing weary of recently. The thought of eating civilized food made him come to a decision.


    "What about Ardin?" As Aerwyn interjected the room grew quiet. Hostile eyes fell upon him as if clearly stating that an outsider shouldn''t speak at such a meeting yet none verbally admonished him, showing him at least some respect for coming to their aid twice.


    "Dear boy, the land surrounding Ardin has long since been reclaimed by the forest. It would be too much work to clear enough land to farm. That''s why we didn''t simply take the ruins from the goblins many years ago, instead choosing to settle much further south where the land was already clear." Tylin broke the short silence.


    "How much land needs to be cleared in order to feed Setrhyn?" Despite the hostile gazes of some of the elves, Aerwyn pressed on.


    "Roughly two square kilometers can feed about a hundred people per year. If you include the space needed for crop rotation then you will need at least four square kilometers. I''m afraid that even with your undead working day and night it would take far too long to be an immediate solution."


    "I haven''t heard any other viable solutions so..." An elf spoke immediately after Tylin finished, leaving Aerwyn silent as they began to argue once more.


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    The argument continued on for an hour before they finally came to an agreement, they would abandon Lyr after the harvest. The majority of elves would join Setrhyn and they would allot two hundred elves to begin clearing the land surrounding Ardin. It wouldn''t solve the immediate problem but long term, it was the most suitable option as they no longer had the ability to defend both Lyr and Setrhyn from even the smallest of attacks.


    Aerwyn was pleased with this outcome. He wouldn''t be in charge of the elves but he wasn''t responsible for them either, they would simply be living alongside him as neighbors for the time being. Now he just needed to convince Lyr''s blacksmith Semmy to join the two hundred and he would also have a blacksmith close by from now on. While he''d still have to pay him, Aerwyn hoped he could convince Semmy to take on some undead as apprentices so that he could begin to produce his own equipment in the future.


    "Next we''ll discuss spoils of battle. We''ve recovered one thousand two hundred and nine human bodies, three hundred and seventy one orc bodies, and the enchanted cannon that the humans brought with them. The mana cores, armor, and weapons will be split equally between Aerwyn and Setrhyn while the cannon shall be decided by a coin flip." Master Ferlin announced as he read from a parchment. It was clear from looking around the room that a few elves were unhappy with this decision.


    "I require mana cores more than anything else. If possible, i don''t mind forfeiting the cannon and equipment for a larger share of mana cores." Aerwyn announced.


    He would be lying if he claimed he didn''t want the cannon but having mana cores to evolve his undead was far more important at the moment than a cannon that would sit unused for quite some time. Besides, he already had more weapons and armor than he did undead that could use them all thanks to chasing down Earl Abery. All of that equipment along with the ships belonged solely to Aerwyn.


    "Are you sure? That cannon is easily worth more than all of the mana cores combined..." Master Ferlin asked with a concerned expression.


    "If that''s what the boy wants let him be Master Ferlin." An opportunistic elf spoke, his giddy smile making it his intentions rather clear for all to see.


    "That''s fine. As I''ve said i need mana cores more than anything else at the moment, if i can get what i need while helping Setrhyn in it''s hour of need then that''s for the best." Aerwyn decided to shift the focus, making his actions appear more charitable than they actually were.


    "...Very well. In that case the mana cores will go to Aerwyn along with eight hundred enemy bodies. Aerwyn will be given first pick of the dead''s equipment due to his forfeiture of the cannon. Any objections?" Master Ferlin announced.


    "..." The same few elves that appeared giddy about Aerwyn giving up the cannon grimaced at the announcement of him being allowed first pick but kept quiet nonetheless.


    "It is decided. The next order of business..."

 74 Chapter 74

    The meeting dragged on for some time as the elves planned how to repair the wall and other damaged buildings within Setrhyn. After it had finished Aerwyn ordered his undead to begin scavenging the dead while he got some rest in Tylin''s guest room. He made sure to specify that he wanted the plate armor of the two true orcs that fell in battle along with any scale armor that they could find. The rest of his picks would be from the human corpses as lesser orcs wore armor more akin to pelts than actual armor.


    The following morning eight hundred sets of equipment along with several sacks of mana cores were piled up outside of Tylin''s home. Transporting it all through the dense forest was going to be a pain but at least he wouldn''t need any more steel for a while. The next problem would be repairing the damaged armor or reforging it entirely and for that he needed a blacksmith in Ardin.


    As Aerwyn ate breakfast, he began thinking about how he could convince the antisocial Semmy to move to Ardin and work for him. After he finished eating he called for Nyris and the merchant brothers Kers and Inik. Nyris arrived first and he was already looking much better than the day prior.


    "The blacksmith Semmy, Master Ynir told me his daughter was one of those taken by Earl Abery''s men many months ago."


    "That''s correct, her name is Meyana." Nyris reply came just as the two tanned merchants arrived.


    "Perfect timing. Do you two remember selling a Fae''Laran girl by the name of Meyana?" Aerwyn asked.


    "Among the four that were sold three were female. Perhaps my lord could be a bit more specific?" Kers hesitantly asked.


    "Nyris describe her." Aerwyn ordered.


    "Ah, yes. She was fifteen and had black hair with amber colored eyes."


    "I believe she was the one we brothers sold to Bessos Derii." Inik chimed in as he looked to his brother for confirmation.


    "How much would it cost to buy her back?" Aerwyn asked.


    "M-my lord..." Kers hesitated and displayed a helpless expression.


    "Speak."


    "Derii is a bessos, it''s a title akin to Durani nobility but different. They are more like kings of their own lands and only answer to the sulimon during times of war. They are extraordinarily wealthy and are often a slave to their own whims. Without something to allure him even more than the dark elf child, i''m afraid that if he''s taken a liking to her, buying her back would be rather difficult. If he hasn''t, perhaps two thousand Durani nekkar''s would buy the girls freedom."


    "I don''t know the exchange rate of Durani currency, tell me how much in mana cores."


    "Nearly five hundred A Grade cores my lord."


    "...That''s all for now. Nyris have the undead begin packing up the equipment, we''ll be heading to the ships soon."


    The price nearly stopped Aerwyn''s heart. No wonder Earl Abery was capturing elves as slaves, that price would tempt any man. In fact, he was surprised slavers weren''t more of a problem for the elves to begin with. If he wanted to evolve his undead he couldn''t afford to buy the girl back just yet but perhaps simply the promise of buying her would be enough to sway Semmy to move to Ardin for the moment.


    As they merchant brothers and Nyris left him, he decided on stopping by Marik''s shop. It had been nearly a month since he put in his order and now was as good a time as any to pick up the spears. Aerwyn called over some zin beetles to carry them and made his way over to the shop. Marik was hard at work when Aerwyn arrived, no doubt making the tools necessary to begin repairing the village.


    "I''m here to pickup my order." Aerwyn said with a friendly smile.


    "Ai lad, i still owe ya ten spears, i had only finished a hundred before the attack. There in the back, help yourself. The other ten will take me a while considering the circumstances of the village." Marik didn''t bother to stop pounding his hammer as he spoke.


    "That''s no problem, i already have more weapons than undead at the moment. I wanted to ask you about crafting two revarium daggers for Erit."


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    "Oi didn''t ya hear me lad? I ain''t got any time to make your spears let alone work on revarium for your little lady friend." Marik jeered, only stopping his work to give Aerwyn an annoyed look.


    "I heard ya, don''t bite my head off. I said i wanted to ask about it, not that i wanted you to make it right away."


    "I''m busy, make it quick. What''d ya want to know?"


    "How long does it take to craft... say a sword? I imagine the metal is more difficult to work with than steel considering it''s strength."


    "You''re right, the metal is stubborn. It''s resistant to heat and without the help of a mage that can cast flame spells, the forging of the blade alone can take weeks of continuous hammering."


    "That long? What about if you had a fire mage to help?"


    "Depends on the blacksmith but i''d say a week, maybe two if they''re slow. Now if you''re done leave this poor blacksmith to his misery. Oh and Weyn should be arriving in two days so if you plan to catch him stick around Setrhyn."


    "Ah, i forgot about that. I don''t have anything with me... I''ll have to catch him next time unless he wants to travel out to Ardin."


    "And how would he get his carriages there without any roads lad?" Marik spoke in a mocking tone.


    "...Next time it is then! I''ll see you later Marik."


    Marik raised a valid point, if he planned to trade any tangible amount of goods with them in the future perhaps clearing a small path through the forest might be wise. That plan would have to wait however, there was much to do and he still had too few undead to enact all his plans at once. Aerwyn packed up the spears onto the zin beetles backs and headed back to Tylin''s.


    His undead were ready to leave when he returned and Aerwyn wasted no time before heading off to the ships with all his loot. The elves of Lyr that had joined him in battle, joined him once again for the trip back to the ships. Tylin was there as well to pass along Setrhyn''s decision and to work out the details amongst the remaining elves of Lyr once they arrived back in Ardin. The elves would probably end up staying at Ardin for a few days before splitting up with some returning to Lyr, some to Setrhyn, and some remaining in Ardin to begin building homes.


    Along the way Aerwyn checked in with his jakku making sure the ships were safe before checking in on the three that followed the orcs back to their village. The orc village was smaller than he imagined since according to Master Ferlin, it had a population similar to Setrhyn. The walls and buildings were mostly built with wood while a few larger stone structures appeared near the northern wall.


    The village was fairly quiet and Aerwyn didn''t see any signs of the orcs preparing to attack again so he left the jakku with an order to notify him if there was any change in the orcs behavior. Despite what he saw, he decided to call over one of the true orcs that was riding a brolla nearby.


    "What is your name?" Aerwyn asked.


    "Gromok Grel." The orc spoke through his helmet which only made his voice sound more menacing.


    "Is there any risk of Setrhyn being attacked again any time soon?"


    "Ungor was impatient and foolish, he sent message of the humans arrival to Gral''Thrak Or but didn''t wait for the reinforcements. When he heard news from the scouts that the humans were routed and the necromancer that won the battle had given chase, he decided to take advantage of the weakened elves. He feared that the reinforcements would avoid battle since it would anger the elves if such a large force attacked-"


    "Why would the orcs be wary of such a thing?" Aerwyn couldn''t help but interrupt when he heard those words.


    "The orcs have been at war with the dragonkin since they arrived on this world. Their numbers are endless and they try to push into orc lands incessantly. The orcs do not want another war but If Ungor had waited for the reinforcements and destroyed the village then the elves beyond the mountain would come out."


    Gromok''s words were interesting as it appeared the orcs were under the assumption that the elves in the capital would retaliate if they took things too far. From everything Aerwyn''s been told about the Fae''Laran villages, it appeared that the truth was far different than what the orcs believed. Sera had told him that the Fae''Laran beyond Tyres gate cared little about the villages outside of it''s protection and offered zero support, so he found it hard to believe that they would retaliate if one or two were destroyed.

 75 Chapter 75

    "Then there is little risk of the reinforcements attacking once they arrive?" Aerwyn asked.


    "Yes, considering the heavy losses he received during the battle Ungor''s raid will likely be discovered by those sent from the capital and when it does he''ll be brought back to Gral''Thrak Or to face trial." Gromok explained.


    Aerwyn and Gromok continued to speak throughout their journey back to the ships. Interestingly, Aerwyn noticed that this orc didn''t refer to him with some sort of title such as ''lord'' or ''great one'' as the others did. There was also the fact that Gromok''s choice of words when speaking of his own kind were spoken in such a way as to show a clear disconnect between them. He referred to them as ''the orcs'' or ''they'' as if he no longer considered himself to be a part of their society.


    Gromok also told Aerwyn much about the structure of orc society. Three major clans each ruled their own territory with minor clans falling in line behind them. The Muk''Graz clan ruled the northern most territory, the Char''Gosh clan ruled the center, and the Gral''Thrak ruled the south. There was also the orcs capital Khar''Rak Or, that despite existing in Char''Gosh territory, wasn''t managed by any of the three major clans.


    Khar''Rak Or was considered to be neutral territory and spilling blood within the city was expressly forbiden. While infighting between the major clans was rare due to the never ending war with the dragonkin, it has happened numerous times in the past. Gromok stressed the importance of the capital by telling Aerwyn the story of when the Char''Gosh clan and Gral''Thrak clan had a dispute over a profitable iron mine.


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    The short war between the clans only lasted eight months and the Char''Gosh were clearly winning. After a few particularly devastating losses, the lokkan of the Gral''Thrak began marching his army west. The lokkan of the Char''Gosh, believing that he could finish off his rival once and for all, brought his armies out to meet them.


    The two armies met in an open field and it was painfully evident that the Gral''Thrak were heavily outnumbered. Believing the Gral''Thrak had little hopes of retreating safely, the lokkan of Char''Gosh chose to slowly encircle them so as not to lose more orcs than what was needed. As the Char''Gosh army began to move, the lokkan of Gral''Thrak broke from his lines and rode out to meet them alone. He was swiftly captured the moment he grew close, yet the armies made no move to attack or flee.


    The lokkan of Gral''Thrak explained very loudly so that all orcs could hear, that his army was on it''s way to Khar''Rak Or for peace talks and that if Char''Gosh attacked, it would break the sanctity of Khar''Rak Or. Of course the lokkan was being truthful in his explanation but he left out a fairly vital point. He had garnered support from the Muk''Graz clan in the days prior and stacked the diplomatic odds against the Char''Gosh. After some loud and convincing words, the lokkan of Gral''Thrak rode out from the Char''Gosh army unhindered.


    Despite the Char''Gosh not wanting peace, they were still forced to respect Khar''Rak Or, especially considering the lokkan of Gral''Thrak making a scene before all the orcs present. When they arrived at Khar''Rak Or, the lokkan of Muk''Graz was already present and the peace talks began. With Muk''Graz''s support and the sanctity of Khar''Rak Or, the Char''Gosh clan was forced to accept unfavorable terms despite winning every battle throughout the short war. The iron mine ended up in Gral''Thrak territory and the Char''Gosh to this day still resent them because of it.


    Gromok also explained how the orc''s caste system worked. Slaves were obviously the lowest caste, yet not all slaves were treated equally. Any race that wasn''t from Urak was treated far worse than the vosk despite both being slaves in name. The vosk existed in a strange state of being the shared property of every orc yet they were entirely managed by the lokkan and local officials. The orcs viewed them to be an essential part of their society and as long as the mines continued to produce ore, they were mostly left alone and provided for.


    The other races however, could only be owned by lok''ra and they could be used for just about anything. Races like the lizardmen, who were a sub-race belonging to the dragonkin, were often bred and used as free labor wherever they were needed. The lizardmen''s breeding ability meant that the orcs could work them to death without hurting their overall productivity and that''s exactly what they did.


    The rozk''ra also had a strange standing in orc society much like the vosk. They were same race as the lok''ra, much like how the dark elves were technically the same race as the elves, yet they were treated as sub-orc in their society. They could own land but only where the lok''ra allowed them. They could choose their line of work for the most part but it would have to be approved by the lok''ra in charge of their village or town first.


    They weren''t allowed to own weapons outside of the tools used for their work and they were forced to pay high taxes so that whenever they were conscripted, the lok''ra could provide them with weapons and armor. Outside of conscription, the rozk''ra weren''t allowed to train or become professional soldiers like the lok''ra. They were truly used as untrained meat shields as Gebb had told Aerwyn once before.


    The lok''ra were the ruling class and they controlled every aspect of orc society. From the moment that the lok''ra child could understand words they begin training their mana control and learning everything from battle tactics to orcish history. At age five they begin minor physical training that increases year by year until their fifteenth birthday at which a time they participate in a torakan.


    If the lok''ra youth is successful then they earn their krea, a uniquely shaped sword that pays homage to their god Torakka. The krea signifies the lok''ra youth as becoming apart of their society and once it''s acquired they can begin to take on minor governing work. While the lok''ra did have gender roles, they were far different than most other races.


    Female lok''ra undergo the same training as males but after their torakan, their first duty to society is to find a mate and produce the next generation. The lok''ra population has always been dwarfed by the rozk''ra, even back on Urak, thus all females are required to give birth at least twice before they can take a role within lok''ra society. They aren''t limited in their choices either, many female lok''ra can be found on the battlefield, some choose to manage households, while others choose to take more administrative roles within orc society.


    According to Gromok, the rozk''ra and the vosk weren''t unhappy with their hand in life. However, even he didn''t describe them as being happy so it was possible that Aerwyn could sow some discord between the castes in the future if given the opportunity. Aerwyn wasn''t sure whether the orcs realized that his undead were sentient or if they would be able to recognize that the violet eyes were a clear indication of them being under his control. If they did then that would make things exponentially more complicated for him.


    Aerwyn and Gromok continued to talk as they traveled throughout the day. They made poor time due to his undead carrying so much equipment through the dense forest but still managed to arrive at the ships before dusk. Tylin immediately rounded up the elves and began informing them of Setrhyn''s decision. Some appeared unhappy but still, none chose not to speak up.


    Lyr was technically independent so it wasn''t like Setrhyn was ordering them to move but they relied heavily on Setrhyn for trade and protection. If they chose to ignore Setrhyn''s wishes then they''d be on their own and that wasn''t feasible even before the humans attacked, let alone now. Aerwyn sympathized with them, having to abandon their homes and be split up between Setrhyn and even Ardin of all places.


    After Tylin finished speaking to the elves, Aerwyn ordered his undead to begin loading the ships. They would spend a final night on the beach before heading off to Ardin the following morning but Aerwyn wouldn''t have time to relax tonight. He had to figure out how he was going to get all the ships into Ardin''s small broken harbor. There was also the issue of not having enough of men to actually sail all of the ships properly. Sure, he could man all of the ships but with his men stretched so thin accidents were bound to happen and losing a ship or two just to save some time simply wasn''t worth it.


    It wasn''t like he could just leave half of the ships unattended either, even if the leader of the orc village was going to get reprimanded, he certainly wouldn''t pass up on opportunity to gain free ships. He might even be more so inclined to take them if he believed it would lesson his punishment in the capital.

 76 Chapter 76

    Aerwyn didn''t know enough about sailing or even ships for that matter, so he ordered Earl Abery to bring over one of the ship captains.


    "Do we have enough men to sail all the ships downriver?" Aerwyn asked the tanned captain.


    "With the elves helping, we might be able to take ten ships, maybe. The Durani ships require more men, so if those are included, then it would be seven or eight ships, my lord."


    "I need the merchant ships... Is there no way to just float the rest of them downriver? Ardin is only a few dozen kilometers away."


    "...It would be difficult, my lord. The ships require rowers to steer, especially when coming into port or beaching the ships. If we stretched it, we might be able to take ten, including the merchant ships, but we risk damaging the ships by stretching the men that thin."


    Aerwyn sighed before sending the undead captain off. The reality was far bleaker than he ever imagined. He really lamented the thought of burning the ships, but allowing them to fall in the hands of the orcs was far less favorable. If possible, he would like to be able to return fast enough and take another four ships with his more agile undead, after all, it would only take a few hours to get to Ardin by ship. If he was quick he might be able to return before the orcs show up with any substantial numbers.


    "What has you so concerned, dear boy?" Tylin spoke, appearing behind Aerwyn as usual and giving him a scare.


    "...We don''t have enough men to man the ships. We can only take--Wait, can your skeletons row?" Aerwyn eyes sparkled as he suddenly remembered that Tylin and Nyris were both necromancers.


    "They can, but it would require me to be on the same ship as them. My undead will not listen to other''s commands like yours will."


    "That''s fine, it means that you and Nyris could each take a merchant ship alone. That would free up enough men to take another three or four ships."


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    It wasn''t much, but it was something. Aerwyn made up his mind, they would take all the ships that they could for now. He would return back with his undead after dropping the ships off in Ardin and make one more trip. Whatever he couldn''t take with him then, he would burn. He also decided to leave the remaining three jakku watching over the ships just in case the orcs showed up while they were away. At least then, he''d be aware of what he was walking into should the orcs show up.


    After Aerwyn left Tylin, he sought out Nyris and got him up to speed with his plan. Luckily for him, Nyris spent the previous night using corpses of the dead to restock his inventory of skeletons and death knights, which had previously been depleted due to battle. It was getting late, and Aerwyn had one more stop before he could rest, he needed to speak to Semmy.


    Aerwyn found the gruff elf sitting alone by a campfire outside of his tent. He wore the same empty expression that he always did, causing Aerwyn to feel a bit of guilt at what he was about to say. He had every intention of following through with his promise, but the fact that he was essentially using the elf''s daughter as a ransom still left a sour taste in his mouth.


    "Semmy." Aerwyn attempted to get his attention as he walked up, but the elf didn''t bother so much as looking his way.


    "..."


    "I have a proposition for you. I want you to work for me in Ardin... In exchange, I will repurchase your daughter from the man that the slavers sold her to." Semmy''s eyes shot to meet Aerwyn''s the moment he mentioned his daughter.


    "You know where she is?" Semmy''s voice was filled with anger as he spoke.


    "...I do. The slavers I turned undead are the ones who sold her. I plan-"


    "Tell me where she is." Semmy interrupted him, his anger appeared to grow with every word Aerwyn spoke.


    "...What would knowing where she is gain you?" Aerwyn was losing control of the conversation quick, and it looked as though his plan was backfiring, but regardless he couldn''t let the elf get himself killed by chasing after his daughter.


    "Just tell me, boy!" Semmy roared as he got to his feet.


    "She was purchased by a bessos in Duran. According to the slavers to buy her back, I''d need to pay a small fortune, which I have every intention of paying should you work for me."


    "..." Semmy''s anger slowly faded from his face as Aerwyn spoke.


    "It won''t happen overnight, I''m going to need a stronger army to gain said fortune. That''s where you come in, I want you to begin training some of my undead in your craft so that I can quickly outfit them as I see fit." Aerwyn continued.


    "And if this bessos refuses to sell her?" Semmy asked, defeatedly.


    "Then I will simply take her from him when my army is large enough, either way, your daughter will be returned to you. You were there when I spoke to the elves in the merchant ship, while I may not yet have the achievements to credibly make such claims, I have every intention of making them a reality. Duran falling before me is just one part of that reality."


    "...Fine, but you best keep your word, boy."


    "I intend to."


    Aerwyn left Semmy and headed to the tent that his undead had set up for him. When he entered, he saw Erit was inside playing with Rin and Ren. He walked over to an expensive-looking sofa and plopped himself down atop it, breathing a sigh of relief.


    "Kwee?" Rin gazed over and squeaked.


    "What''s wrong, master?" Erit asked.


    "Nothing, Semmy will be joining us in Ardin from now on, it just took a little convincing. He looked ready to rip my head off..."


    "Why did you not simply let him attack you and claim self-defense after you resurrect him? None would be the wiser, and you could''ve even had the tiny elf admit it once he was under your control." Erit asked with a straight face as if that was the only reasonable approach. It would be a lie if Aerwyn claimed the thought hadn''t entered his mind, but he still decided against it.


    "Because the moment I start solving all my problems through murder is the moment I become the enemy of the world. It''s not yet an issue as our stage is still small, but I don''t doubt that once I start solving problems with murder that I''ll find it difficult to stop when I''m needed to. Besides, he came around in the end."


    "You''re a fallen god master. You''re already the enemy of the world." Erit giggled as Rin jumped into Aerwyn''s lap and began to nuzzle him.


    "That''s not entirely true. Perhaps my parents have worshippers of their own who would come to my aid. There''s also the common folk to think about. I can''t simply resurrect the entirety of Alduun, which means I''ll need to rule over them while I wage my war against the gods. They won''t support me if I simply kill everything in my path, I''ll be seen as no better than an invading force from the gate."


    "If the tiny humans and elves can''t see your greatness, then death is the only cure for their ignorance..." Erit mumbled under her breath but still loud enough for Aerwyn to hear it.


    "...Anyway, Rin and Ren come get some mana cores." Aerwyn spoke as he grabbed six A Grade cores from a sack next to the sofa. Things had been busy lately, so none of his undead were eating mana cores, let alone any A Grade cores.


    "KWEE! KWEE!" Rin squeaked and appeared excited as she spun around on Aerwyn''s lap.


    Aerwyn put three on the carpet for Ren and grabbed three more for Rin, who ate them from his hand. As soon as Rin ate the first core, the flames in her eyes began to glow bright, and she jumped from Aerwyn''s lap. The wild purple flames rapidly spread over her body while the same reaction started happening to Ren. He looked towards Ren, there was still one core in front of her that remained uneaten.


    "What''s going on?!" Aerwyn asked in a panic, thinking something was wrong with the mana cores the brexil cats ate.


    "They''re evolving, master. The same thing happened to me." Erit responded, easing his mind. He witnessed Erit''s evolution from within the darkness, so he hadn''t actually seen the transformation before in the real world.


    The flames dissipated around Rin first, yet Aerwyn couldn''t see any difference in her appearance. It was the same for Ren, they both looked exactly the same as they did before. Rin looked over her body for a moment before turning to Aerwyn and opening her mouth as if to speak.


    "Master!"

 77 Chapter 77

    Rin jumped back onto Aerwyn''s lap, bringing her little face close to his and staring into his eyes.


    "I can talk!" Rin''s voice was filled with youthful excitement as she jumped up and down on his lap.


    "I can see that, silly. Do you feel anything else different besides being able to speak?" Aerwyn asked as he pat her on her head.


    "Mmm... I don''t think so." Rin mumbled as she glanced over her body once more.


    Aerwyn pulled Rin in for a hug and turned his attention to Ren. She was inspecting her body, the same as Rin, having just swallowed the final mana core that she was allotted.


    "What about you, Ren?"


    "...Nope, I feel the same."


    "Hmm, maybe brexil cats don''t evolve the same way... That reminds me, Erit, didn''t you say before that you could use magic once you became a person?"


    "I''ve tried, but the only thing that works is my voice magic! Everything''s different from what mother taught me, I still can''t even turn into an arache."


    "What about soul flames? You used them when you transformed into your spider form, can you control them even in your human form now?"


    "I haven''t tried yet, master."


    "Try... When I was learning, I just imagined what caused them to appear the first time. In my case, it was a dream I had."


    Erit shut her eyes and furrowed her brow as if to let him know she was taking the matter very seriously. Aerwyn let out a quiet chuckle but was quickly taken aback when soul fire began bursting out from Erit''s eyes. Unlike the time when she transformed, the soul fire didn''t spread, it merely burned in place as it did with all his undead that weren''t fully evolved.


    Erit''s head moved around as if to signal that she had opened her eyes behind the purple flames. She looked down at her hands, and they instantly sparked before being consumed in soul fire.


    "Master, I did it!" Erit excitedly juggled a ball of soul fire between her hands as Aerwyn watched on speechless.


    "This is... bullshit!" Aerwyn roared as he stood up from the sofa.


    "...Huh?" Erit, Rin, and Ren all spoke at the same time and looked towards Aerwyn with dazzled expressions.


    "It took me months, MONTHS, to just barely control my flames! Why can you control them the first time you try?!" Aerwyn''s little tirade caused Erit to extinguish her flames and grab ahold of his hand in an attempt to console him.


    "...Maybe master paved the way for this little spider? Yeah, that''s right! Master''s advice and-"


    "Stop, it''s not gonna make me feel any better... Apparently, I''m just as poor at using my own power as I am in melee combat..." Aerwyn grumbled despondently.


    "Isn''t that why you created us?" Ren asked mockingly.


    "That''s right! I''ll protect master!" Rin announced cheerfully, clearly not picking up on the intent behind Ren''s words.


    "Thanks, I''m gonna get some sleep. Erit, can you go hand out mana cores to each of the named undead that have yet to evolve?"


    "Yes, master..."


    Erit being able to use soul fire would provide a significant advantage in battle, but it still annoyed him. He couldn''t even freely juggle a ball of soul fire as she had just done, and it was his damn power. There was only so much he could blame on his memories being lost, and now it was perfectly clear that he was just talentless.


    Despite the painful realization, he resolved himself to practice controlling his flames more. What he lacked in talent, he would make up for in sheer determination. If, in the end, that still wasn''t enough, then he''d always have his undead to fight for him.


    The following morning, as Aerwyn was leaving the tent, he was confronted by a hobgoblin he had never seen before, but the soul fire in its eyes was a clear indication that it was one of his undead. The saber on the hobgoblins hip quickly brought the image of Teek to his mind.


    "Teek?" Aerwyn asked as he analyzed the creature before him.


    "Yes, master. I evolved last night, but I''m not here to display myself. There have been orcs sighted near camp." Teek''s voice lacked any femininity, much like her outward appearance. It sounded raspy yet monotonous and gave the impression that she was reading off a report that she found uninteresting.


    "Are they still there? How many are there?"


    "Only two, they were spotted only a moment ago. I was on my way to wake you up when you stepped out."


    The jakku should have notified him if the orcs made any substantial movements, so this was likely only a few orcs that wandered too close to the camp. Either way, it would be best to check on the situation at the orc village. Aerwyn entered the darkness, and when he connected to the jakku, he saw nothing out of place in the village just as he thought.


    "Have the undead start packing up camp. Also, bring me Gromok Grel, he''s one of the orcs in full plate armor... Get Earl Abery and his men to bring me thirty living humans as well. Do it quickly, we have a long day ahead of us."


    "I enact your will, master." Teek bowed before scurrying off in a hurry.


    Teek seemed overly formal, which made Aerwyn wonder where the little goblin went who got so excited at receiving a spear that she nearly fell down. She always had a good work ethic, which is why she was in charge of the goblins when there wasn''t a hobgoblin around, but her evolution appeared to kick it into overdrive.


    "Master! I''ve brought you breakfast!" Erit called out from near the ships. She was carrying a plate of food and walking as fast as she could, taking care not to sacrifice her noble lady-like appearance for speed.


    "...Since when do you bring me breakfast?" Aerwyn asked, giving her a suspicious look.


    "Master! You mustn''t be rude when a lady does something nice for you!" Rin reprimanded him. Aerwyn gave her a confused look, and out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed Erit send a satisfied wink in Rin''s direction.


    "Pfft.." Ren stifled some laughter at the clearly rehearsed scene.


    "Thanks?" Aerwyn took the plate and Erit motioned for him to sit at a table and chair that had been set up outside the tent. This was no doubt Erit attempting to apologize for last night, but this morning was already too much for his tired mind to handle, so he let it be. He wasn''t mad at Erit, to begin with. In fact, in hindsight, he was more embarrassed at his childish outburst than anything else.


    Gromok arrived a few minutes after he began to eat, and Aerwyn explained the situation to him.


    "The ships will be left alone for nearly eight to ten hours, and I''d rather delay the orcs from being made aware that they are unattended for as long as we can. Will killing or capturing the scouts cause issues for Setrhyn?"


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    "I don''t believe they will attack the elves again no matter what we do, but we''re very close to their village. If the scouts don''t return within a few hours, the orcs will just send more to find out what happened."


    "That''s fine. Even delaying the orcs a few hours is better than nothing. Take the orcs, capture them, and bring them to me alive. Do it quickly. We leave within the hour."


    Gromok didn''t bother with formalities, leaving immediately after receiving his orders. Shortly after, he left Earl Abery, and his men appeared. They surrounded the thirty living humans in a manner that would dissuade even the most bold from attempting escape. Aerwyn had finished his meal by now and walked to the first man before opening the man''s throat with his staff.


    Perhaps it was just that these men attacked Setrhyn unprovoked with the intent to enslave the elves, but he noticed that he didn''t feel the same sense of guilt by ending their lives as he had with others. He turned his attention to Earl Abery and spoke as he made his way to the next human.


    "We''ll be taking all four merchant ships, I want thirteen ships in total..." Aerwyn spoke as the blade of his staff slid across the man''s throat.


    "...Two of the merchant ships will be sailed by Nyris and Tylin..." Without skipping a beat, he continued his orders as he made his way to the next human in the line, ending the man''s life.


    "...So that will clear up some men. I need the sailors to be on the lookout for any appropriate landing areas..." Aerwyn continued as another human fell limp.


    "...Since I don''t think the broken harbor of Ardin can accommodate all of the ships without being repaired first..." The bloody monologue didn''t end until the last of the thirty humans hit the ground, dead.

 78 Chapter 78

    Gromok Grel returned a short while later with a rozk''ra in tow. It was being dragged by chains and wasn''t wearing fur armor like those who had fought against Aerwyn during the battle of Setrhyn. Instead, it wore simple clothing, much like the orc that Velk had slain. The rozk''ra struggled to break free of its chains as he was brought before Aerwyn.


    "Gal dakro ka tet marek!" The rozk''ra prisoner shouted and thrashed about as he was forced to kneel.


    "Kik ka gog rekka deg!" The rozk''ra peered defiantly into his eyes, shouting more words that Aerwyn couldn''t understand, and he grew curious.


    "What did he say?" Aerwyn asked Gromok.


    "He insulted your mother and claimed you lack the parts necessary to please a female." Gromok spoke with a straight-faced stoicism that was reserved for statues made of the finest marble.


    "Pfft-Bahah!" Ren choked out a laugh, causing Rin to gaze in her direction with eyes full of curiosity.


    "What''s funny, Ren?" Rin asked innocently.


    "Ask master, he''ll-"


    "Ren''s just announcing to the world that she doesn''t want to become a person, is all. That''s what''s so funny, right, Ren?"


    "I never said that! Wait! I''m sorry, master!" Ren complaints went ignored as Aerwyn looked towards Gromok.


    "...Come here Gromok." Aerwyn would always find the time to be petty no matter what the situation was and now was no different. He whispered some words into Gromok''s ear, who then responded in kind. Aerwyn rehearsed the line Gromok gave him a few times under his breath before turning his attention back to the defiant rozk''ra.


    "Dok ka gorak mek ka borbor rekka deg kek tet marek, rozk''ra." Aerwyn did his best to pronounce the tongue-twisting orcish language, and Gromok nodded to show his approval. The foul-mouthed rozk''ra, on the other hand, went wild with fury as it appeared Aerwyn''s message had gotten through the language barrier. The rozk''ra attempted to charge at Aerwyn, but Gromok''s fist put a quick end to the orc''s violent outburst.


    Aerwyn let out a snicker as the rozk''ra fell limp. Now that he had won the battle of words, it was time to leave. He shot out his staff''s blades at the rozk''ra''s back but only managed to pierce a few centimeters through the orc''s thick hide-like skin. The sudden attack woke the rowdy rozk''ra who once more flew into a frenzy, wildly flailing about on the floor as Aerwyn''s undead held him in place.


    Aerwyn''s left arm still wasn''t entirely healed, while he could move it somewhat freely now, he couldn''t put any substantial amount of strength behind it. To Aerwyn''s frustration, killing an orc with two arms was already a difficult feat for him, let alone with only one at his disposal. After nearly a dozen blows, the orc''s wild thrashing ceased. Catching his breath, Aerwyn felt a little guilty towards the orc. The execution was far more brutal than he had intended it to be, but what''s done is done.


    Aerwyn ordered the orcs to board the ships where they were needed before taking a final look around the empty campsite and climbing aboard his own ship. Rorik and Erit were waiting for him when he arrived, and seeing Rorik, Aerwyn remembered that he had been cut in half recently. The last time the grouchy dog took damage like that, his soul was considerably weakened and required Aerwyn to transfer him souls just to keep him alive.


    "How''s your soul? Do you need me to transfer souls to you again?" Aerwyn asked as the ships began to move.


    "...Worry about yourself, human. I''m fine." Rorik scoffed.


    "Master, I don''t know why you allow this mutt to speak to you this way. It sets a bad precedent, what if the others start believing that they can act the same." Erit bemused.


    "It''s because Rorik met master when he was all alone." Rin added.


    "He''s just grouchy, I don''t care about his attitude, but Erit''s right. You need to at least pretend when there are other undead around."


    "...Fine." Rorik growled out a response.


    The ships continued to row their way towards Setrhyn for nearly an hour and a half before Aerwyn decided to check up on the orc village. When he entered the darkness and began looking for the jakku''s soul strings, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his vision. Rorik was standing in front of him in the real world, so within the darkness, it was the same, but what surprised Aerwyn was that the barghest''s soul didn''t appear weak at all.


    On the contrary, it looked as vibrant as it did when he had transferred souls to Rorik for the first time. Aerwyn didn''t know how it was possible. He knew that when his undead got hurt, they burned off some of their soul to heal, and as if to prove that point, some of the human and orc souls he could see before him showed signs of weakening.


    Opening his true eyes, he looked to Rorik.


    "How is your soul not weakened after getting cut in half?" Aerwyn''s question caused Erit''s ears to perk up as she listened in from the other side of the ship.


    "Heh... I told you I was fine." Rorik snickered, and Aerwyn began to lose his patience.


    "Tell me how you did it, Rorik. That''s an order."


    "I didn''t ''do'' anything." Rorik mocked.


    "Then I''m ordering you to tell me how your soul was healed. Stop playing word games."


    "Argh! Mana cores..." Rorik flinched and appeared to struggle in vain against the command.


    "What about mana cores?"


    "...Asus ui''asuhrph sun nil rais suhsr''s uus zui''ah i''aril sarphus." Rorik continued to clash against Aerwyn''s command before giving in and speaking in Draexich.


    "Answer me in common tongue, you damned mutt!" Aerwyn roared.


    "...After eating them... my soul didn''t... feel weak any longer."


    "..." The response left Aerwyn quiet, it was rather obvious now that he thought about it.


    "How long have you known about it..." He grasped his temple, clearly displaying his current mood to Rorik.


    "I''u hrazr as sza narsr."


    "IN COMMON TONGUE! If I have to ask one more-" Aerwyn raged.


    "I''ve known since... a month ago..." Rorik interrupted Aerwyn as he came to the realization that he was only a step away from pushing Aerwyn over the edge.


    "...Swim." Aerwyn mumbled through his hand.


    "What?" Rorik cocked his head to listen more carefully.


    "SWIM BACK TO ARDIN! THAT''S AN ORDER!"


    "AWOOOOO!"


    As the sound of Rorik crashing into the river echoed out, Aerwyn mulled over his thoughts. It had been a while since he''d last thought of it, but he had nearly forgotten just how much of his undead''s will remained after their resurrection. Sure, the humans rebelled a bit when they turned, but it wasn''t nearly as insidious as Rorik purposely hiding information from him. It wasn''t even like it was particularly important information either, Rorik hiding it gained him nothing of value other than some cheap kicks at Aerwyn''s expense.


    None of his other undead have shown any signs of craftiness other than maybe Erit, but it wasn''t like he had many undead that could talk for very long, so his sample size was limited. As Aerwyn finished that thought, he came to the realization that Erit and Rorik both shared something in common outside of their incessant insubordination.


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    When Aerwyn resurrected Erit, he overdrafted his soul and was sent to the darkness for days as a result. When he resurrected Rorik, his soul was in a weakened state, and while he didn''t enter the darkness, it was still the only time he''d fallen unconscious from resurrection. Perhaps that''s why Erit can so easily maneuver around Aerwyn''s orders, while Rorik''s attempts to disobey always end in failure. If his soul couldn''t afford the resurrection, did that mean that they gain more free will as a result?


    "What''s wrong, master?" Erit appeared as if his thoughts had summoned her, and Aerwyn gave the beautiful woman a suspicious look that didn''t go unnoticed.


    "...What do you want, Erit?"


    "I saw you that you looked troubled and i-"


    "No, that''s not what I meant. What is it that you want from your second life?"


    "I want nothing more than to follow you, master." Erit spoke with her voice magic and let loose a smile that seemed to melt away all his suspicion, but Aerwyn pressed on.


    "Now, tell me what it is that you truly want." Aerwyn''s words caused Erit to pause and peer into his eyes as if to judge his intention for asking such a question. Her smile quickly faded as she put on a solemn expression.


    "This little spider is quite greedy, master. Are you sure you want to know?"


    "..." Aerwyn stayed silent and suspicious as Erit continued to peer into his eyes.


    "I want... everything." Erit used her voice magic as her lips curved into a devious, enchanting smile that Aerwyn had grown far more accustomed to than her previous solemn expression.

 79 Chapter 79

    "Little Rin and Ren, could you give master and I a moment alone?"


    "Why?" Ren asked suspiciously while Rin exchanged glances between Erit and Aerwyn.


    "It''s fine, why don''t you guys go check out the ship while I talk to Erit." Aerwyn reassured them.


    "Ok!" Rin excitedly ran off, but Ren took her time, occasionally glancing back at Erit.


    Erit paused as Rin and Ren went below deck. Once they were out of sight, she took a step closer to Aerwyn, all the while locking her violet eyes to his.


    "I want the world and everything in it, master. I want to become a goddess and have all the tiny races of the world worship me. When this little spider grows weary of this world, I want to go through the gate and find more worlds to take and call my own."


    "...Oh, is that all?" Aerwyn chuckled.


    "Nope. Lastly, I want master to give this little spider all of these things."


    "And why would ''this little spider'' be so deserving of such generosity?"


    "Because this little spider will be the one who helps master gain those things in the first place."


    "What makes you so sure of yourself?"


    "Mother always said that a lady shouldn''t boast, but instead, she should quietly bend the world to her will and revel in her success alone."


    "...Well, then you failed that lesson miss ''i want the world and everything in it''. Also, that doesn''t sound like the words of a race that lives in an underground cave-OW!" Aerwyn cried out as Erit flicked his nose playfully.


    "Don''t make fun of spiders. Besides, I only told you because of the way you were looking at me. It was like you didn''t trust me anymore."


    Aerwyn was stunned but for a reason other than Erit''s beauty for once. It was the first time one of his undead had intentionally hit him. While a flick to the nose could hardly be considered harming him, it was nonetheless a display of Erit''s autonomy despite Aerwyn''s power over her.


    "...Are you still under the control of my power?" Aerwyn asked in a daze.


    "Oh? What would you think if I said I wasn''t ever under your control?" Erit stuck her arms behind her back, accentuating her chest as she cocked her head to the side and blithely looked up to Aerwyn.


    "I''d believe you. You''ve never obeyed my orders about your voice magic before."


    "And if I said I was under your control this whole time? How would you know if I was lying or not?"


    "I could just order you to do something."


    "What if I followed your order despite not being under your control? What if I patiently waited until you walked into my web of deceit and lies, when you trusted me wholly, before finally striking out?"


    "..." Aerwyn unconsciously took a step back.


    "Now, do you see how impossible it is to prove my innocence, Aerwyn?" Erit''s lips curled up as she spoke his name for the first time, once again revealing a beautiful smile that could stop even the most pious of men in their tracks.


    Nothing made any sense. If Erit wasn''t under his control, then why did she admit to it in such a way that would forever taint his trust in her? Things made even less sense if she was still under his control. If she had this much free will and could outright disobey him, then how could he even call that control?


    Erit brought her dainty hands to her face and stifled a laugh in a reserved yet alluring manner.


    "Pfft... Master, you''re making a funny face." Erit could no longer hold back her laughter as Aerwyn''s expression suddenly changed to bewilderment.


    "How do you expect me to trust you after this?" He asked.


    "The moment you looked at me with eyes full of suspicion, doubt was already in your mind, I simply decided to show you how silly it was. If nothing else, you can trust in the fact that you''re the only being in this world who can give me what I desire. In the meantime, all I can do is prove to you that I am deserving of your trust and generosity."


    Surprisingly enough, Aerwyn was actually relieved by this result. As Erit said, he couldn''t be entirely sure that he had control over her. By claiming that their interests align, then at least if she wasn''t under his command, she would still be an ally as long as her interests were taken into account. Still, Aerwyn couldn''t help but wonder that her answer, despite being a tad extravagant, was precisely what he wanted to hear.


    If she had truly claimed she wanted nothing, he would''ve been far more suspicious of her since it was now clear that at least Rorik and Erit both had a troubling amount of free will. The thought that Erit was still somehow manipulating him gave him a chill. Much like the question of whether or not she was under his control, it was an endless loop of doubt that wouldn''t get him anywhere.


    "Very well." Aerwyn declared, to which Erit simply revealed a smile. She didn''t say a word as she walked past him and went below deck.


    Aerwyn avoided saying too much, fearing that a threat might widen the rift between them and only push Erit towards betrayal even if she was telling the truth. He would give her a chance as Aerwyn didn''t see anything for Erit to gain by betraying him at the moment, but nevertheless, he would remain wary of her.


    As Rin and Ren came running over to him, Ardin came into sight downriver, and now he had to deal with the next matter of concern. The broken harbor could only fit half a dozen ships at best, and without a port, the ships required a suitable place to land, such as a beach that wouldn''t damage the bottom of the ships.


    There was a small area a couple hundred meters north of Ardin that was suitable for landing, but it could only fit one or two ships at best. The rest would have to continue south and find their own, but unfortunately, that would keep him from immediately marching north to claim more ships. At least, Aerwyn had already dealt with the goblins in the surrounding areas, so even if the ships were left unattended, they wouldn''t be at risk of being stolen or destroyed, at least he hoped.


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    Aerwyn reached out to the captains of each ship through the darkness, ordering the other three merchant ships and two of Earl Abery''s to dock at the harbor while directing the rest to find locations as close to Ardin as they could find. By the time he was finished sending out orders, his ship had docked, and the undead were already unloading the loot from the ships.


    The surrounding area around Ardin appeared empty despite the nearly six hundred elves living there that had escaped from Lyr. Aerwyn assumed they were probably hiding, believing the ships to be another human attack. Joined by Erit, Rin, and Ren, he made his way to the only functioning gatehouse in the city and was met by Frakki.


    "How are my goblins?" Aerwyn asked as he walked into the empty city.


    "G-great one, I''m afraid seventeen were lost before I arrived. It appears the others sacrificed them for food. The good news is that they were all males, so the females were successfully able to give birth. I''ve already taken a count of the newborns, there are three hundred and forty-six, with three females that have yet to give birth."


    "Perfect. How long until the females can breed again?" Aerwyn was giddy about the news. His goblins would make up the bulk of the labor required to turn Ardin into a regional power within the Forsaken Lands.


    "I-i would say t-two weeks maybe three if taking the side of caution."


    "Ok. Before we head back north, I''ll be leaving Bon, his disciples, and Kabba here with you and Jinn to help out. In the meantime, help Tylin get the elves situated as they''ll be joining us for the time being. Also, I want to add two hundred of the newborns to the breeding program as soon as they''re able."


    "Great one, there is one problem... Goblins require a substantial amount of food during their growth period and-"


    "That''s fine. I''ll leave the spiders to you, they can''t row so they''ll be little help with the ships anyway."


    "Yes, great one."


    As they walked through the empty city, Aerwyn could see makeshift tents and structures surrounding his broken spire in the city square. What started as one elf peeking out from a tent quickly spread, and by the time Aerwyn arrived at the square, a few hundred elves were outside sending curious looks his way.


    "This is a good opportunity to make yourself known among the elves of Lyr, master... Perhaps a simpler approach might work better than your speech on the ship." Erit giggled, poking fun at him as if nothing had changed between the two.


    "...I was planning on it."

 80 Update

    Aerwyn took in a deep breath before raising his hand to gain the attention of the elves.


    "For those of you that don''t know of me, my name is Aerwyn, I am a necromancer, and Ardin is my home. The human army was defeated at Setrhyn, but shortly after the victory, the orcs attempted a raid which too was repelled..." As Aerwyn spoke, Erit pinched his back as if to tell him that he''s said enough.


    "...Setrhyn''s necromancer, Tylin, will be here shortly to give you more information." Aerwyn continued.


    "Perfect. Short and sweet." Erit proclaimed with a self-satisfied smile.


    "I barely said anything at all." Aerwyn bemoaned.


    "All that matters is that they heard the news from you first. When you tell a story, it makes you appear like a braggart, let others embellish the story for you."


    Aerwyn passed through the crowd, entering his spire to eat while he waited for his undead to assemble. It took nearly an hour and a half for all of them to find landing areas for the ships, which was far too long for his liking, and once they arrived, he immediately headed back out.


    They traveled for nearly two hours before Aerwyn heard the shriek of a jakku in his mind. He hastily entered the darkness and looked through the creature''s eyes only to feel as if his breath was stolen from him. To the north of the orc village, Aerwyn could see hundreds of mounted Lok''ra marching towards it. Gromok had warned him that reinforcements were on the way, but Aerwyn never would''ve expected they''d all be true orcs.


    He changed his vision to the jakku, watching over the ships, making sure it was still clear before opening his true eyes. He called over Earl Abery, Pontus, Nyris, and Gromok Grel, leaving only Rorik out of the makeshift meeting. Aerwyn was still furious with the mutt for hiding things from him and wasn''t in the mood to hear his demonic voice.


    "The orc reinforcements are nearing the village now, about five hundred mounted true orcs."


    "We cannot fight them." Gromok cautioned abruptly.


    "I agree, my lord. It''s best to give up on the ships." Earl Abery chimed as Pontus and Nyris shook their heads in agreement.


    "...I''m not going to just gift thirteen warships to a future enemy. I called you over to come up with a plan, not to warn me of what I already know."


    "If the reinforcements are arriving now, they''ll make camp outside the village while the commander gets updated on the situation. At that point, we have an hour or two at most before they send troops to the ships. A second scouting team should already be on their way to search for the team we killed this morning." Gromok added.


    "If it was you leading them, how many orcs would you send?"


    "Fifty to a hundred. After receiving the report of the failed raid, depending on the commander, they may send more. Either way, it''s not a number we can contend with."


    "..."


    "My lord, If we still had the tenri, we could maybe send them ahead to cause a distraction away from the ships, but I fear the only option we have left is to send the goblins back and quicken our advance. Perhaps then we could still salvage a few ships and burn the rest before they orcs arrive."


    "It''s too dangerous sending so many bodies away. At worst they can act as a meat shield, at best even goblins can kill a Lok''ra if the circumstances are right." Gromok warned.


    "Can''t we just trick them?" Ren asked from Aerwyn''s side, surprising him. He still wasn''t used to hearing the brexil cats speak.


    "Trick them how?"


    "The same way we did the humans. Just send Gromok to tell them to go away."


    "It''s different, the humans didn''t know about my power at that time. We don''t know how much the orcs have gleaned about my power yet."


    "That''s not necessarily true, or at least I should say that it may be worth the gamble. The orcs that escaped only fought with the fallen for a short time. At most, they''d be able to discern by the eyes, but we can fix that, momentarily, that is." Nyris spoke as everyone turned their questioning gazes towards him.


    "The fallen?" Aerwyn asked with a tilted head and furrowed brow.


    "Ah, yes. Unlike the lesser creatures under your command, we don''t have an aura of undeath, so we can''t really be considered undead. We aren''t exactly alive either, and since you''re most likely a god that has fallen to the mortal realm, I felt as though it was an apt name for those created by your power."


    "I love it! I''ve been fretting over that very issue for weeks! Our race needed a powerful name that would strike fear into the hearts of all the mortal races. The fallen... The fallen king Aerwyn..." Erit swooned.


    "Um, I like it too!" Rin proclaimed in a way that made it evident that she just wanted to be a part of the conversation now that she could speak.


    "Ok, let''s try to keep things on topic. Nyris, what did you mean about fixing their eyes? Tylin told me there was no way to hide the undead''s flames, I assumed it was the same for... the fallen."


    "That''s because the flames that make up the undead''s eyes are ethereal, they don''t interact with our world. Our eyes are simply a shade of violet, easily hidden by magic, at least for a short period of time. If we had more time and an enchanter, we could even come up with a permanent solution, but I digress, watch." Once Nyris was finished speaking, he raised his hand, and some dim light shot out from his fingers into his eyes. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before looking towards Aerwyn. His eyes were now the melancholic grey they once were before his rebirth.


    "That won''t do. Once the orcs leave our range, the spell will fail within minutes without being connected to our mana." Pontus pointed out.


    "Of course, Gromok will just have to be quick in his attempts to convince the orcs to leave. Although there is some merit in capturing a few and learning whether they are even aware that the fallen all have violet eyes, let alone the ability to speak." Nyris continued.


    "They will not obey me even if the magic works. I am not their commander, nor was I anyone important in life."


    "Hmm... What if you told them a great force was on their way, a force large enough to make them retreat to the village? By the time they return, we''ll have already left with the ships." Earl Abery mused.


    "...They''ll ask me where I''ve been for the past two days and how I know that an enemy force is on its way."


    "Just tell them you and the others were forced to escape from the East instead of the West when the main force retreated. Say that when you left, you caught sight of the rest of my thousands-strong army that was on its way to reinforce Setrhyn, and you were forced to hide for the night. When it was finally clear, you decided to escape but noticed the army marching north towards the orc village, so you ran along the river ahead of the advancing army to warn the orcs."


    "I''m... I''m not good at lying. What if they don''t believe me? Or what if they do and force me and the others to follow them?" Gromok asked meekly.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Aerwyn was astonished as he stared at Gromok, he had spoken with the orc quite a bit over the past two days and thought of him as a proud taciturn warrior. Yet Gromok now looked like an embarrassed child with cheeks as red as the setting sun. He wasn''t even aware an orc could make such a bashful expression.


    "You''ll do fine, I''ll be watching through your eyes. Go and notify the other fallen orcs of the plan, agree on a signal to attack as well just in case the plan fails." Aerwyn commanded to which Gromok nodded and halted his brolla, allowing the horde of running undead to overtake him.


    "What''s the plan if he fails to convince them to leave the ships?" Nyris asked.


    "There are too many "if''s"... It all depends on how many true orcs come to the ships. If the orcs send an amount that I''m confident we can at least force back, then we''ll continue. We don''t need to defeat all of them, just send them running back to their village. I want the ships but I''m not foolish, I''ve grown rather fond of the mortal realm, and I''d rather not be forced to leave it by having my head removed from my shoulders."


    They continued their march north, and as a half-hour passed, another squawk was heard in Aerwyn''s mind. This time from the jakku that was watching over the ships. Aerwyn quickly looked through the creature''s eyes but was relieved to only see four Rozk''ra walking out of the forest, no doubt they were the second group of scouts.

 81 Chapter 81

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    STOP! Go back 1 chapter if you''ve read chapter 79 before 3/30/2020


    See Author''s note for more info.


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    Another hour passed before a third squawk rang out in Aerwyn''s mind. Aerwyn peered through the creature''s eyes overlooking the orc village, twenty Lok''ra mounted on brolla were charging out into the forest heading south. A large grin was plastered on his face as he opened his eyes.


    "It''s only twenty. It looks like their commander is even more reserved then Gromok had imagined."


    "We should still proceed with the plan, my lord. It''s better to play it safe and conserve our troops when the opportunity presents itself. We''re still nearly an hour away, plenty of time for the orcs to send more." Earl Abery advised.


    "Damn it all! Don''t jinx it!" Aerwyn roared back, causing the aged Earl to display a look of being wronged.


    They continued on until they came within half a kilometer of the ships before finally stopping.


    "This magic will begin fading the moment you leave, so you''ll need to be quick. At most, you''ll have three to five minutes before all the mana gets used up. If it doesn''t look to be going well, it may just be easier to attack. Get off the brolla too. Their soul flames can''t be hidden, even with magic." Pontus spoke as he and Nyris went to each fallen orc sending little dim rays of lights into all of their eyes.


    Once the two mages were finished, the orcs took off running through the forest. Aerwyn watched through Gromok''s eyes as the beached ships came into view. The Lok''ra immediately went on alert when they got within a hundred meters.


    "Gromok Grel oggrak mek, tikka kek logg kerrak gogga!" Gromok called out as the Lok''ra appeared ready to attack.


    "Kerrak gogga? Dekka tek kerrak?" A Lok''ra that appeared to be the team''s leader replied.


    "Nakek! Nakek! Giguk ka Torakka oggrak! Nagga-terrag lek!" Gromok appeared to plead with the orc as he finally made it to the beach. The Lok''ra offered the fallen Lok''ra water, but Gromok waved it away and continued with his feigned urgency.


    "Bakk grog gekka ka gog! Gekka ka gog!"


    "...Ka Torakka oggrak?" The Lok''ra leader mumbled as he looked over the ragged-looking fallen orcs.


    "What is he saying?" Aerwyn asked in Gromok''s mind.


    "He didn''t believe me, so I swore on Torakka''s name that what I said was true."


    "Kogik, mekrak rekrek togg. Goggog!"


    "He wants us to come with him back to the village."


    "Tell him someone must stay behind to give the village time to prepare. That you and your orcs will sacrifice themselves to slow the enemy."


    "Nek, mek Lok''ra kikka dekka nogik kerrak. Ka gog, mek Lok''ra kog Torakka tekan lek morak!" Gromok pounded on his chest as he shouted.


    "...Kog? Tekka tik-" As the Lok''ra leader spoke, his head tilted to the side as he leaned in closer. Aerwyn could sense Gromok''s nervousness as the Lok''ra inspected him.


    "...TOR KA FALLEN LOKKAN!" Gromok roared as he plunged his krea through the Lok''ra''s eye.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Aerwyn raged in the fallen orc''s mind.


    "I warned you that I''m not good at lying. He noticed." Gromok replied as he pushed passed the dead Lok''ra and charged after another. From the corner of Gromok''s eyes, Aerwyn could see the chaotic battle unfold.


    "How in the gods name could you know that?"


    "I saw it in his eyes."


    Aerwyn didn''t have the time to continue arguing. He had to notify the others to charge in, else he risked some of the orcs fleeing to the village and bringing reinforcements. Opening his true eyes, he shouted.


    "Plan B. We need to hurry, they''re already fighting!"


    As they reached the battle, the world around Aerwyn appeared to pulse as if a massive cymbal was pounded near his consciousness. He could see Gromok''s arm frozen mid-swing as his sword was about to come down upon a defending Lok''ra, and with it, the whole world appeared to stand still.


    "Really?!?" Aerwyn complained as he realized what was happening. It was just like when he had his vision, except no vision came this time. Instead, he felt as though his consciousness was being ripped from his body. The world went black for a moment, and he found himself in the familiar darkness filled with floating purple souls.


    "Master!" A pleading voice called out.


    "What''s going on!" An angry voiced roared.


    "..What is this place?" An enchanting voice pondered.


    "H-hello?" A brusque voice mumbled hesitantly.


    Aerwyn recognized the voices, but before he had a moment to respond, he noticed a change in the darkness which grabbed his attention. The purple souls floating about in the darkness appeared to bend and distort as if looking through warped glass. As he focused in on the phenomenon, he could make out small translucent bubbles that varied in size appearing all around him.


    What started out as a few, quickly multiplied until thousands upon thousands surrounded Aerwyn''s soul. They serenely orbited around him for a moment until the tenebrious tendrils of the darkness began sprouting out and grabbing ahold of them one by one. The tendrils appeared to penetrate each one leaving behind a piece of itself before dragging it forcefully towards Aerwyn''s soul.


    He could still hear the voices calling out with various emotions, but Aerwyn found himself mesmerized by this change in his power. The first darkness-filled bubble collided with his soul flame and felt like it carried the weight of the entire world as it struck. Instantly, Aerwyn was overtaken by mind-shattering pain as if all the bones in his body were repeatedly broken and healed hundreds of times a second.


    He barely had enough time to react before the second darkness-filled bubble collided, and then the third. Bubble after bubble hit his soul like a hammer to an anvil at an ever-increasing speed as Aerwyn howled in agony. If it were possible to fall unconscious in this place, Aerwyn would gladly let his consciousness fade to black, but he knew it wasn''t going to happen. Luckily, the process didn''t take nearly as long as the occasions when he overdrafted his soul, and as he steadied his thoughts, a familiar voice rang out.


    "What was that?" The enchanting voice asked.


    "Erit?" Aerwyn asked as he looked around the darkness. The voice sounded as if it were nearby. It wasn''t like how he usually communicated to his undead by projecting his thoughts directly into their minds. It was as if she were next to him in the darkness. He looked towards her soul, but it seemed no different than how it usually did.


    "Master?" Erit replied.


    "I''m here too!" Rin announced excitedly.


    "Me too." Ren chimed in monotonously.


    "Hello..." Teek mumbled.


    "Are you ok, master? Where are we?" Erit probed.


    "This... I don''t know how to explain it. I call it the darkness. It has something to do with my power. I always assumed that it was just in my mind, but it appears that I was mistaken."


    "I don''t like it here. It feels like I''m underwater... Like I''m gasping for breath." Ren remarked.


    "Tell me about it..." Aerwyn mumbled as he gazed down at his own soul. To his surprise, it appeared as though the countless bubbles that collided with his soul had all been absorbed or better yet, the bubble absorbed his soul instead.


    His soul was no longer a faint purple flame, but instead, it now appeared to be encapsulated by the bubble. Inside of it, the darkness swirled around like a violent storm, exuding a purple glow as if his soul flame was hidden within the chaotic shadows. As the shadows began to turn even faster within the bubble, a warmth came over him, not unlike that which he felt when he absorbed the souls of the dead.


    The darkness surrounding Aerwyn appeared agitated as dozens of tenebrous tendrils reached out and pierced the bubble once again. He felt immense pressure build-up as though his soul was being filled to the brim with even more darkness. The bubble grew in size as four tendrils formed on its surface. The darkness-filled bubble-like tendrils appeared to travel along four particular souls strings, enveloping them as they made their way towards their destination.


    "So, that''s why they''re here..." Aerwyn muttered his thoughts aloud.


    "Huh? Did you say something, master?" Erit asked.


    "I''m not sure what''s going on, but brace yourselves for pain."


    "Wha-OH!~" Erit released an odd moan as the tendrils enveloped her soul flame entirely. Aerwyn expected to hear screams of agony, but besides Erit''s outburst, there wasn''t a peep. The tenebrous tendrils continued to pour more and more darkness into Aerwyn''s soul as the girl''s souls appeared to inflate like a darkness-filled balloon emitting a faint purple shine.


    "...So much power..." Erit proclaimed in a voice of sheer awe.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Aerwyn hurriedly snapped back.


    "You don''t feel it? It''s like an endless ocean of mana is coursing through me."

 82 Chapter 82

    "All I feel is warmth running through me." Aerwyn replied.


    "That''s what it feels like to use mana, master. Whatever this darkness is, it''s like every centimeter is made of pure, infinite energy. It''s amazing~" Erit announced in a giddy tone.


    "Another thing Tylin failed to inform me of..." As Aerwyn grumbled about Tylin, the bubble-like tendrils snapped along the soul stings causing Aerwyn to release a pained gasp.


    "Are you ok, master?" Rin asked with a concerned voice.


    "You guys didn''t feel that?" Aerwyn asked as the bubble-like tendrils receded, leaving all four souls looking much like his only far smaller.


    "...Feel what?"


    "Ugh, why is it that I''m the only one that suffers?" Aerwyn groaned in frustration.


    "A true ruler bears the sadness and joy of their subjects, master." Erit haughtily proclaimed.


    "If you knew how it felt, you wouldn''t be spouting such nonsense, miss ''i want everything''."


    "It''s probably because we don''t feel pain unless we want to." Ren chimed in as Erit scoffed defensively.


    "Huh? Is that true? I didn''t know that... In fact, there''s a lot I don''t know about. Like what you guys can and can''t do..." Aerwyn trailed off as he gazed towards Erit''s soul.


    "Huh? Why are you staring, master? This little spider is a maiden, such an intense gaze will cause my little knees to buckle in anticipation~."


    "Master! Be nice to Erit. She''s a lady!" Rin cried out words that we''re undoubtedly learned from spending too much time with Erit.


    "She''s joking Rin... You''re a floating orb. You don''t have knees, nor I, eyes. How can you even tell that I''m looking at you?"


    "I''d recognize a lus-"


    "Um, master? Isn''t there a battle going on right now?" Teek interjected before Erit could finish.


    "Time is slower in here, that''s why all the other souls appear to be frozen. Whatever brought us here isn''t finished yet, else we would be able to leave."


    "What other souls?" Ren asked.


    "The souls of the other undead and fallen, what do you mean?... Wait, can you not see them?"


    "All I can see is our souls and masters. Everything else is shrouded in a sea of darkness."


    "Hmm, I suppose that means you didn''t gain the ability to see souls simply by being here. Did you guys feel anything else that might explain why you''re here?"


    "I feel full! Like I just ate a yummy fat lok all by myself." Rin happily announced.


    "I''m pretty sure that''s not what he meant, dumb Rin. That doesn''t help us at all." Ren scolded.


    "Don''t pick on me, Ren! I''m just trying to help master."


    "Then don''t say useless things all the time."


    "Teek, what about you?" Aerwyn asked, ignoring the two bickering brexil cats.


    "Um, I too feel full, master. I''m not good at sensing or controlling mana like Miss Erit is, but it feels like there is a lot of mana within me. It... just feels different than mana, like it doesn''t belong to me."


    "That''s it!" Erit proclaimed but chose not to follow up on her sudden outburst.


    "...Care to elaborate for the rest of us, Erit?"


    "This little spider thinks that master''s infinite power is flowing through us, that''s why it feels foreign and unwieldy. It feels almost as though I would need to ask it to perform rather than controlling it myself."


    "...I-is that so?"


    Aerwyn felt a chill down his nonexistent spine as Erit''s words made him come to a sudden terrifying realization. From the second, he opened his eyes; he hasn''t once felt like the darkness that controlled his powers was a part of him. He had to ask it to perform just like Erit said. It''s even appeared to have a mind of its own at times, seemingly acting out of a primal will like when it hesitated to put out the soul flames that were burning the brexil cat forest.


    It seemed like he''d never run out of questions about his powers. He didn''t even know what his power was when he was a god. During his vision, his doppelganger appeared even more surprised at the tenebrous tendrils than his frightened uncle. He hadn''t given it much thought until now, but that could mean that his doppelganger didn''t even know about the darkness to begin with. That or it acted on its own when his life was threatened, but either way, it would mean that he didn''t have complete control over it.


    Of course, he''d never say these words out loud, especially not in front of Erit. The last thing he needed was to lose what little control he had over his fallen. He needed more information about his powers, but he had no one to turn to for answers when even his godly doppelganger appeared to know little about it.


    ''The gate...'' As those words entered his mind, an overwhelming sense of hunger took ahold of him. It felt as though he hadn''t eaten in a lifetime, and before him was an extravagant feast waiting to be devoured. The sense of hunger felt foreign like it did when he first used his soul flames in Tylin''s guest room, but what worried him even more was the fact that it felt far less foreign than it did at that time.


    Aerwyn quickly gained control of his racing thoughts and looked down at his soul. The darkness was still being pumped into the bubble as it continued to expand, and as if on cue, the inflated bubble retracted abruptly. Once again, he experienced mind-shattering pain as the bubble returned to the size of an ordinary soul despite being filled to the brim with so much darkness.


    The pain dissipated as quickly as it came, and Aerwyn could tell that whatever the darkness was doing this time, it had finished its task.


    "It''s done, let''s go."


    "Yes, master, but how do we leave?" Erit asked.


    "Just imagine opening your eyes, I''ll wait for you guys to leave first just in case."


    A few moments of silence passed before Erit spoke up once more.


    "...Nothing''s happening, master."


    "Hmm, maybe I need to be the one to wake us up?"


    Aerwyn imagined leaving the darkness with the girls, and he immediately opened his true eyes to Gromak and the fallen orcs embattled just a dozen meters away. He looked over to Erit to check if she had woken up and was stunned by the sight of her. She was staring at her hands with a dazzling triumphant smile, but he wasn''t stunned by her beauty this time. He was stunned by the tenebrous darkness emanating from her hands.


    The strangest thing of all was that he felt a strong connection with it, despite it emanating from Erit. The darkness poured forth from her hands into two orbs that floated above them. The orbs had tiny tendrils poking out of them, making them look as if it was a soul formed from darkness instead of light. They shot out from her hands as quickly as they formed, and Aerwyn noticed that the orbs appeared to shrink as they traveled, almost as if they were dissipating the very moment they left Erit.


    The two tenebrous orbs darted in separate directions, finding the corpse of the Lok''ra commander Gromok had killed along with another nameless Lok''ra soldier. They entered the chests of each, and a process much like Aerwyn''s resurrection began. Their bodies spasmed and contorted in unnatural ways for a moment before they rose to their feet.


    Aerwyn could see the mangled flesh of the Lok''ra commanders face remained unchanged from when Gromok had stabbed him, yet he rose to his feet all the same. The creature''s movements as it began to walk and then run weren''t as fluid as Aerwyn''s undead either. It strangely reminded him of when he first woke up, and his body felt awkward as if he didn''t know how much strength to put into each step.


    The creature appeared to figure out how to sprint much quicker than it took Aerwyn to even walk, which left a sour taste in his mouth. It ran towards the nearest living Lok''ra who was embattled with a fallen, the Lok''ra noticed the creatures approach, and as it grew within striking distance, the Lok''ra turned and sent the creature flying with its shield. Unfortunately for the Lok''ra, that one moment of self-defense was all the fallen needed to send the pointy end of his krea into the Lok''ra soldier''s throat.


    The entire scene from the darkness manifesting in Erit''s hand to the Lok''ra soldier''s death, took mere moments, leaving Aerwyn feeling somewhat dazed. As his army of undead passed him by and entered the battle, he turned his gaze back to Erit, who met his eyes with the same triumphant grin.


    "...How did you do that?" Aerwyn almost didn''t want to ask due to one part pride and another part fear but managed to mouth out the words regardless. It wouldn''t be the first time Erit outperformed him using his own power.


    "I simply let masters power flow through me and do what it wants." She smiled and looked to Rin and Ren.


    "The girls should be able to do the same now, including Teek."

 83 Chapter 83

    "I can too?" Rin asked hesitantly.


    "Of course, just close your eyes and think of that full feeling you felt in master''s realm. Masters power will do the rest." Erit assured her with the caring smile as if she was Rin''s elder sister.


    While the battle raged on, Rin did as she was told, and sure enough, the tenebrous darkness began emanating from her body. It quickly formed into the shape of an orb, hovering over her body before darting over to the corpse of one of the Rozk''ra scouts nearby. Aerwyn watched as the black soul plunged itself into the corpse''s chest, and the process he witnessed earlier repeated itself.


    The fur that the Rozk''ra wore was sliced in two, displaying the orcs bare chest and allowing Aerwyn to see another difference between the black soul''s resurrection and his own. The deep gash on its chest appeared to fester and rot, rapidly turning black as if witnessing the corpse decay at a sped-up rate. Oddly enough, the blackened flesh didn''t seem to spread beyond where the tenebrous soul had entered its chest.


    As it rose to its feet, Aerwyn once again felt a strange sense of familiarity to the creature that he couldn''t describe. It felt like he had an extra arm, and that arm was the three creatures shambling about on the battlefield as the fighting waned. He decided to attempt calling out to it in his mind, ordering it come to him, but before he had a chance, all three creatures turned to face him.


    The two created by Erit sprinted at full speed towards them while the one created by Rin still appeared to be struggling with moving faster than a walking pace. Soon enough, all three stood before Aerwyn, outside of the blackened flesh where the black soul had entered, they looked no different than when they were corpses. As he leaned forward to take a closer look, Rin jumped from his lap onto the creature she created.


    "Is it mine? Can I name him? Can I?" Rin asked frantically as she stood on the creature''s head.


    "Sure.. but I don''t think naming it will do anything though." Aerwyn replied as he scratched his head.


    He was pretty sure that whatever this new power was, it didn''t provide the creatures with a soul like when he resurrected them. Rin leaned her head forward, looking at the creatures face upside down and spoke.


    "I''ll name you... orky."


    "Ugh, dumb Rin, that''s like naming a brexil cat ''brexil cat-y''." Ren scoffed.


    "Leave me alone, Ren. It''s my...-Hey master, what is this?"


    "I have no idea... Is it not an undead?"


    Rin shook her head atop her new pet. "Um, it''s dead, but it doesn''t have an undead aura like me."


    "Just call it an undead, for now, I''m sure Nyris will come up with a name for them later." Aerwyn said as he turned his attention to the battle which had ended moments ago.


    It was a reasonably quick fight which didn''t surprise him. Thanks to the surprise attack from Gromok, the fallen Lok''ra had killed their number of enemies before Aerwyn even arrived. The remaining dozen or so were then entirely enveloped by undead and fallen soon after, which gave them no time to react to the situation.


    "Master, why won''t orky answer me?" Rin asked with a voice full of childish dissatisfaction.


    "Pfft, I don''t think it can." Aerwyn chuckled before questioning where that conviction had come from. It wasn''t like he knew for sure that it couldn''t speak, but for some reason, he felt as if that was the case. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made to him, and as he was questioning himself, Gromok appeared in front of him.


    "The battle is won."


    "Good, loot the corpses, mana cores too. Let''s head out. How many..." Aerwyn was about to ask how many of his troops died yet let his voice trail off.


    As soon as he thought up the question, it was like he knew the answer. That in itself wasn''t what surprised him, he could always tell when one of his undead had died, but now it felt like he had more information. It was as if he was in the darkness and could feel each and every connection to all of his undead except his consciousness was in the real world.


    The odd sensation gave him an idea. Usually, to project his voice into the mind of one of his undead, he needed to enter the darkness, mentally grab ahold of their soul string, and only then could he communicate, but now it felt different. He imagined connecting to Nyris and spoke in his mind.


    ''Nyris, can you hear me?''


    ''Aerwyn? Is that you?'' Nyris'' voice resounded back in Aerwyn''s mind.


    ''HA! It works!'' Aerwyn roared happily.


    ''What? What works?''


    ''Nothing, nevermind! I''ll tell you when we get back to Ardin!''


    A gleaming smile crept its way onto Aerwyn''s face as he felt the urge to laugh out loud. He placed his staff onto the zin beetles back and looked towards his hands. He summoned his soul flames, and for the first time since he woke up, he felt as though he was in complete control of them.


    Aerwyn put his hands together, forming the flames into a ball before releasing it towards the sky. The ball of soul flames shot out a couple dozen meters before exploding out in a fiery explosion exactly where Aerwyn willed it to.


    "HAHAHAHAHA!" He could no longer hold back his laughter as he formed a ball of flames in each hand, sending both shooting off into the sky.


    "Master, what''s wrong?!?" Rin cried out, her eyes scanning the horizon for enemies as she went on alert.


    He completely ignored Rin''s worry, turning his attention to a nearby tree. He opened his hand, sending a stream of soul flames flying towards it, lighting the tree ablaze in but a moment before closing his hand, causing the fire consuming the tree to dissipate immediately.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Aerwyn''s glee couldn''t be sated, and he continued to laugh maniacally as his attention was turned to the stack of Lok''ra and brolla corpses in the distance.


    "..." Ren cautiously backed away, fearing that Aerwyn had really lost his mind this time.


    The purple flames emanating from his hands was replaced by tenebrous darkness that came pouring out. If Erit summoning the darkness was like a flood, then Aerwyn right now was summoning a great deluge of darkness. Forty-three orbs formed one after the other and shot out towards the corpses before drilling their way into their bodies.


    The corpses convulsed before rising, but Aerwyn didn''t stop after that, he couldn''t. Since he awoke he''s felt incredibly weak and frail, even his so-called godly powers barely gave him an advantage over any other mortal of Alduun. He formed the darkness into something akin to his flame lance and shot it out into a tree as he continued to bask in his momentary bliss.


    "Master, the explosions will alert the orcs to our position..." Erit took an uncharacteristically quiet tone as she warned Aerwyn of the danger he was creating.


    It surprised him and woke him from his little blissful rampage despite the current level of bravado he was exuding. Part of him hoped the orcs would show up so he could test his newfound power, but his mind was still reasonable enough to see the folly in that idea.


    "Ahem, you''re right." Aerwyn said as he collected himself.


    "What happened, master? Are you ok?" Rin asked as she jumped back into his lap.


    "Hmm..." Aerwyn looked to Erit for a moment before continuing.


    "Up until now, my power appeared to be limited by something, so when I realized it wasn''t limited any longer, I got a little excited."


    "A little?" Ren asked sarcastically as she pointed to the blackened tree that was burnt by soul flames.


    "Don''t think I didn''t see you ready to flee before, Ren."


    "...Kwee?"


    "Pfft, that''s what I thought. Alright, let''s get back to Ardin now."


    As they walked to the ships, Aerwyn looked to the new undead that he made with the black souls. Some were missing arms, others were missing legs, and a few were even missing heads oddly enough, yet they all appeared to be under his control. No doubt, Nyris or Tylin could answer some of the more glaring questions, like how they could exist without a head, but that would have to wait until they return to Ardin.


    Nyris would be busy commanding his undead to operate a different ship than the one Aerwyn would be on, and Tylin was back at Ardin. The thought of Tyling caused Aerwyn to quickly turn around just to make sure the sneaky necromancer wasn''t behind him before climbing aboard his ship. They would be able to man nine ships this time since they didn''t have the elves to help but Aerwyn was content with that number.