Kingdom of Zuland, The Lougras River, Present day.
Sara reached the top of the grass-covered hill. This was the place Ramses said their tryst would be. It was odd seeing green hills, an area that wasn't under a cold blanket of snow. The chilling wind bent the stems of the winter roses at her feet. She eyed the distant plains for her fiancé. It had been four months since last she saw him. When he wasn't otherwise preoccupied with important matters, he would always find a breach in his schedule to fit her. Perhaps this wasn't one of those times. She knelt down and reached for a rose. "Another day then," she whispered as she admired the flower's beauty.
A thump came from behind.
Sara quickly turned around but was unable to see what it was as something took hold of her from behind.
The assailant's grip tightened as they fell back and rolled down the slope.
Sara found an opening as she stopped her trek down the hill and unsheathed a dagger at her waist. Anger arose as the taste of dirt numbed her tongue. She found no moment to breath as her hooded assailant quickly leapt on top of her and pinned her arms to the dew-covered grass. Any attempt to move was cut short by his weight.
"Eager to become a widow, eh?" said the man under the hood.
"What?" she murmured, before liquifying her dagger and sending the sharp liquid steel towards his neck.
He moved aside before falling flat on his back.
With the immense weight removed, she quickly got to her knees and willed the liquid back to her palm. It took the form of a dagger once more.
"Hahahaha!" The man removed his hood as he sat up. "Calm down, will you," he said between cackles.
Sara's mouth went dry as her attacker's identity was revealed. "Ramses?"
"Yes?" he said, as he narrowed his eyes, mimicking her look of confusion before a taunting smile formed on his lips.
"What is wrong with you? I could have killed you," she shouted.
"Don't give yourself that credit."
She pouted as her flint of frustration was quickly drowned by the nectar of her fiancé's smile.
His eyes danced in hers as his smile grew wider.
Sara rolled her eyes. "What?"
"You're so beautiful."
Sara's cheeks grew warm as she scoffed. She looked away and armed herself with a new weapon, a handful of grass. She turned back and threw the clump into the wind as Ramses was nowhere to be seen. "Ramses?"
"Sara," his voice seemed to echo in the wind.
She knelt back as she checked her flank. "Ramses, where are you?"
"Lady Sara…" echoed his voice.
The area around her was covered in a thick black haze.
A sudden fatigue came over her as she closed her eyes.
"Lady Sara."
Sara opened her eyes, greeted by the carriage's violet ceiling and Svarga sitting over her.
"Lady, you're awake," he said with a sigh of relief.
The smell of wetlands assaulted her senses as she rubbed her eyes. "What happened?"
"You were asleep for quite a while. Are you ok? You were talking in your sleep."
"Yes, of course," she answered. "Sorry, I didn't realize I did…" A wave of embarrassment hung over her.
He shrugged. "Tends to happen on long carriage rides. Besides, I think you need the rest."
The carriage came to an abrupt stop.
Sara grimaced before sitting up and looking out the window. "Where are we?" An orange haze of sunlight poured into the carriage.
"Looks like we're here," said Svarga.
"Where?"
"The Lougras River town of Sember."
They stepped out of the carriage and were greeted by squawks of river ravens and warm winds.
The sun's light had dimmed as the day came to an end.
Sara's weariness wore off with the astonishment that came from looking at the fine spectacle that was Sember.
Manmade stone walls surrounded a wide collection of homes of all sizes, all of which had clay rooftops as orange as dusk. But the real spectacle was the Lougras river. An immense body of water that cut the city in two. The two halves were connected by two center bridges wide enough to hold homes and shops.
"It's been quite a time since I've been here," said Svarga.
"You've bee here before?' exclaimed Sara.
Svarga moved to the front of the carriage. "Yes. Long before I became an officer of the kingdom." He looked up to the coachman and flicked him a gold coin. "Take that as an extra payment, boy."
The young coachman caught the piece with shaking hands. "T-thank you, sir." The boy couldn't have been a day above sixteen and the coin must have been a needed merit as he seemed overly skinny for a young man his age.
Sara pat and rubbed the snout of the large direwolf that nuzzled against her as she approached.
"You can head home now, boy. We'll keep on foot from here." Svarga signaled her to follow.
Sara broke away from the carriage and followed behind the general.
There was a soft whimper from the wolf followed by 'hyaa' and the crack of the reigns.
Sara rubbed at her chin as they approached the entrance archway. The town's pristine steel gates were opened wide as if awaiting to receive a hug. The crunch of dirt turned to loud clops as their boots met with Sember's paved road. Sara titled her head at the silence. It was odd that no guards awaited them at the entrance. She looked over into the river as they reached the bridge. The clear water below slithered slowly down the canal. "The bridge here is wide enough for carriages to cross. Why didn't we just remain on it? It would have saved time and I'd rather get to Firon as fast as possible."
Svarga stretched his arms far above his head as he yawned aloud. "Don't be so hasty. We'll just have to cross the river and there will be another carriage awaiting us. Besides a direwolf isn't the best mount to have down here in the valley where its warmer."
Sara nodded in agreement.
Crossing the bridge would take another three minutes or so as the end was far from sight. Stalls of all varieties decorated each side of the bridge. Some held dried fish, others had clothing or wooden jewelry strung from them. Yet they all held one similarity, they were all devoid of vendors.
Svarga slowed his pace as the squawks of ravens grew louder. "Where is everyone?"
Sara's flame of suspicion was fed kindling as they continued forward, her eyes darting from building to building.
Ravens decorated every inch of the town; atop homes, stalls, and street lanterns. In unison they filled the void of silence with their eerie symphony.
A large flock of them were at the center of the bridge, their beaks painted red with blood.
"Stay behind me," whispered Svarga. He stomped on the ground with a loud 'ahh!'
The murder flew off with raucous caws, revealing their feast. A bloody mangled corpse of a man lay sprawled on the ground. Chunks of his flesh ripped from various parts of his body as fresh blood filled the creases between the stones under him.
The dusk air seemed to thicken as Sara struggled to swallow. "What happened here!?"
The corpse before them twitched.
No…
Svarga armed himself with his duel cestuses.
The eyeless corpse slowly got to its feet; its unnatural movement resembled a puppet. Its head turned to the duo, the dark pits in its skull now illuminated by yellow spheres of light.
Svarga planted his feet, fists up. "Come now!" he called.
The undead obliged as it limped towards the general, its exposed teeth honed to a point.
Svarga ducked under a weakly placed claw strike and counter-attacked with a heavy right swing. There was an unsettling crunch as cestus met the creature's jaw, sending a fresh splat of blood to the ground.
The undead let out a vicious growl before lunging for Svarga's neck.
Svarga caught it midair, using the creature's own momentum he was able to lift it over his body before slamming it to the ground. He quickly placed a heavy knee on the undead's arm, pinning it to the ground.
Sara took a step back and liquified her shoulder pad. She kept the shined liquid ready as it levitated above her open palm.
The provoked undead swung its free arm only it have caught in Svarga's clutch. It let out a screech as it attempted to break free of burly man's grip.
Svarga landed blow after blow into the creature's face. The screeches turned to gurgles as its face caved in, painted red and beyond recognition.
"Svarga," uttered Sara before looking away. She felt her stomach spasm as a warm liquid reached her throat. Her steel splashed to the ground as she held the edge of the bridge. There was no fighting her body as she leaned over and retched into the river. It felt as if her throat was lit aflame as a sour taste lingered in her mouth.
"Princess?" said Svarga.
"I'm fine, General," she lied.
He stood up and away from the limp body as blood dripped from the cestus. "I have to return you home, it's not safe here."
"No." She nodded whilst still hunched over.
"Sara this isn't a debate."
"You're right…its not. We continue onward. I won't return home empty handed and you will follow my orders." She exhaled and stood straight. "Understand?"
He nodded in defeat. "Yes, lady."
The sound of shattered glass came from their flank.
Sara turned to see another undead crawling out of a home's window.
Though this one was the body of a woman devoid of a jaw, causing its tongue to hang uselessly from the throat. It found its footing as it limped towards her.
A shiver ran down her spine as she noticed another undead crawling out from a nearby alleyway.
Svarga waved her over. "Lady, this way. We have to get across to the other side."
Sara willed the liquid steel back to into a shoulder pad as she followed behind him.
The crows' caws grew louder as they continued down the bridge.
"Wait," said Svarga as he placed hand up. "Gods damn it all."
Sara struggled to catch her breath as she noticed the cause of man's dismay.
A skinny bearded man ran towards them. "Please no! Someone help me!" His bloodshot eyes were glossed with tears. He drew closer. "You there! Help!" His voice was lined with fear.
"Stand back!" yelled Svarga as he put up a hand.
The man clasped his hands together. "Please you have to help me! She's right behind me!" His lips quivered.
"Steady man. Who is?"
"She—" The man fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. "No no no no." He began to cough up a tar-like substance. He croaked aloud before he slumped over.
"Solitude take me," murmured Svarga, his eyes wide with shock.
A lump prodded from underneath the dead man's tunic. A second later came a spray of blood as multiple rats dug out of man's chest.
Gods!
Behind them was now a horde of undead, their glowing eyes being the only source of light now that the sun had set.
To Sara's surprise they froze in place, as if forming a barricade.
"Ehehe-hahaha." A harrowing cackle echoed around them as the crows now sat in silence.
The air stung at Sara's throat as it seemed to grow colder.
A cloud of ash twirled in the wind in front of them, piecing itself together to form a hunched figure.
Sara gasped lightly as a pale-skinned hag now smiled back at them.
"Hello there, Princess," she said. Her shrill voice matched her unnerving appearance. Long dry gray hair draped over her scalp and a black robe lined with various bones and skulls. The skeletal ornaments were reminiscent of her jagged scythe-like staff.
"How do you know me?" Sara took a step forward attempting to boost her own morale.
"Oh, your skin looks so soft, little bird." The hag licked her lips. "It would make for fine leather." She put out an open palm, exposing her long black nails. "Come now, little Loralance. I'd hate to bring you back with broken wings."
Loralance? Sara gritted her teeth as her fright was overcome with anger. She added more steel to her arsenal as her liquid took the form of large spears. "How do you know that name!?"
The rats from earlier ran towards the woman. She knelt down and patted them with her boney finger. "What's that, my dears? Are you hungry?"
Sara and Svarga shared a look of distraught before returning their gaze to the bone-clad woman.
"Well if you're hungry you can eat that big brute right over there." She pointed her craggy finger at Svarga.
"The fuck you will," he retorted, as he took steadfast stance; fists up, chin down.
Sara swung her arm forward, focusing all of her built up anger into her spear. It reached its target within seconds, impaling the hag in the chest with a loud squelch.
The woman slowly got back to her feet wearing an even larger grin before removing the spear without even a twitch of pain.
Impossible!
"I like it when my hunt fights back." She dropped the steel to the ground and pointed at the General. "Feast!"
A mass of rats crawled out from the woman's robe and squeaked aloud as they stampeded towards the duo.
Svarga looked behind them with a shaky breath. "Princess, I'll clear a path for you and run, understand?"
Sara swallowed hard and put the last of her confidence into words. "No, I'm not leaving you here. If I die, it'll be alongside my ally." Surprisingly, voicing her thoughts worked as she felt her confidence grow. She readied her remaining steel as Svarga gave her a nod of agreement.
Suddenly another collection of ash appeared between them and rodents, forming another cloaked figure. The newcomer swung his sword horizontally, severing the heads of the first row of rats.
Hysteria overtook the remaining vermin as they scattered in all directions, their squeals of panic echoing in the night sky.
"How dare you kill my beauties!" shrieked the woman.
Confusion joined Sara's pool of emotion as she noticed their savior appeared to match her in age. Oddly , she would've considered the russet-haired man rather handsome.
He eyed them for a second before returning his focus to the witch. "What are you doing, Evana?" His cold voice was partially muffled by a steel mask that covered his mouth. "You were specifically told to leave the heir alone."
Evana's nostrils flared. "Lord Boltrick will hear about this, boy." More wrinkles decorated her forehead as she narrowed her eyes. "If you would had just tortured that bloodstone girl like I insisted we wouldn't be in this situation."
The man sheathed his sword. "I'm doing as your lord wishes. It's time that you begin to learn from example."
"Damn you, boy," said Evana, through clenched teeth. A second later her she vanished into the wind, leaving flakes of ash in her wake.
Sara lowered her steel. "Who are you?"
The man raised one hand made a balled fist.
Behind them the undead broke apart like autumn leaves as they turned to ash.
Sara darted between Svarga and the man. "Why did you help us?"
He turned with a mundane look. "I delayed the inevitable, nothing more." In the blink of an eye he vanished in a thin cloud of brittle ash.
All that remained was moonlight and the chirps of crickets, unaware if what had just happened.