"What should we do?" Georgius muttered, observing the settlement full of death and despair. "They were annihilated."
"All this travel for nothing" Gundaros replied irritably, noticing that an expensive and arduous expedition had resulted only in losses.
Georgius was a big man, in his 30s. And he had seen much of what the world had to offer.
"Search the settlement, loot everything, and look for survivors." Georgius ordered loudly, with a heavy expression reflecting his anger at the situation.
"What happened in this place?" Gundaros asked, with a closed expression of reflection. "Isn't it obvious? The savages got there first" Georgius replied.
Gundaros, slightly irritated by the answer, did not respond, he knew that because of his origins as a savage, he would be stigmatized until his last day.
Soon after, Alexandros reported what he had observed. Despite his great name associated with a great hero of the distant past, Alexandros was anything but inspiring.
"The settlement is deserted, whether bodies or survivors, all have disappeared without a trace," Alexandros declared.
"How is that possible? Did they abandon the settlement?" Georgius asked, confused.
"There are traces of fighting, and there was a lot of blood, however, no bodies were found." Alexandros replied, with a taciturn expression.
"This is unusual, were they looted?" Georgius asked calmly, he knew that the savages would not bother to dispose of the corpses, making this an atypical situation.
"Negative, they were annihilated, but apart from a few specific houses, everything is in place despite being turned over by the fighting." Alexandros replied.
Georgius was confused, in his long experience as a mercenary it was the first time he had found himself in a situation like this, which made him wonder possible scenarios, guessing what had happened.
"Are there any trails we can follow? We must understand what we are dealing with" Georgius asked, he knew that although it could be dismissed as a simple atypical case of the savages, he felt that there was something more.
"Affirmative, there is a trail heading south, east of the settlement." Alexandros replied promptly.
"I want you, Thronikos and Sigmaros, to investigate." Georgius ordered.
Alexandros gathered his team and they rode on horseback behind the trail.
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, tinting the sky orange when Alexandros, Thronikos and Sigmaros, spotted a macabre figure in the distance.
The cold wind stirred the hemp clothes they wore, causing the rough threads to scrape against their skin.
Alexandros the archer was the first to stop, his eyes narrowing as the grotesque symbol before him became clearer.
The bow was strapped to his back, but he hesitated, as if sensing something sinister lurking nearby.
"What the hell is that?" Alexandros muttered, his voice thick with disbelief.
The symbol is a grotesque and macabre composition, formed entirely by human bodies arranged on the ground.
The resulting figure resembles a pentagon, with its precise lines created by the careful arrangement of torsos, arms and legs.
Each limb appears to form a line in a drawing, while the bodies are positioned so that their joints and segments align in a disturbing way, creating symmetry and generating a frightening atmosphere.
In the center of the pentagon rests a human head, slightly larger than the other parts of the body around it. The face is disfigured, with empty and lifeless eyes, the sockets deeply dark, as if there were an absence of soul.
The skin on the head was pale and corroded, a color reminiscent of death, with traces of decay visible in some parts.
The head seemed to be commanding or controlling the other parts of the body around it.
The bodies that form the outlines of the pentagon are arranged deliberately, with their limbs extended or bent so that they fit together in an orderly fashion, but without losing the appearance of death and abandonment.
Some bodies appear more intact, while others show obvious signs of decomposition, with torn or exposed skin and bones.
Thronikos, sword at his waist and shield firmly attached to his left arm, took a few steps forward, tension building in his muscles.
"This... this cannot be real. A symbol like this... is the work of savages, of the worst kind." His gaze went from confusion to terror.
He pushed his shield away slightly, as if the gesture could ward off the evil emanating from that sinister formation. "That in the center... is a head, and the bodies... are arranged in a horrible way."
Sigmaros, the quietest of the group, stared, his face impassive, but his eyes betrayed a deep fear.
His short, gladius-like sword felt heavy in his hand, the weight of discovery making every movement more difficult. "Damn you…" he whispered, giving a pause.
"This is the work of savages, or something worse. We can't get close to it."
The group stood still for a moment, fear heavy in the air. Alexandros took one last look at the horizon, fear mixed with a feeling of helplessness. "Let's go. We're not prepared to face this."
With a last exchange of looks filled with fear, they were about to retreat when Thronikos commented "Georgius will punish us if we don't finish the trail. "
Alexandros sighed and replied "Let's finish the trail and return quickly."
His hands were tied, if he returned without results he could be considered a coward or a deserter, and Georgius was not known for leniency.
As he continued along the trail he saw a woman and a man running away, he quickly urged them to gallop and began to gallop after the individuals. Thronikos and Sigmaros ran after him.
He knew that these people had something to do with the settlement, and given the fact that it was the only settlement nearby, he assumed they were refugees.
The woman and the man saw the horsemen, so they decided to wait for them, knowing that there was little they could do to resist them and also somewhat relieved to find other people.
Alexandros spoke loudly "Are you from the settlement nearby?"
The man and the woman nodded, "Is there anyone else with you?" Alexandros asked.
The woman then replied "No, only we managed to escape."
When Alexandros was about to make them follow him, a small child in his arms with features of a newborn began to scream.
"It's my son, I gave birth to him two days ago." The woman answered promptly.
"Very well, follow me" Alexandros helped the woman get on the horse, and the man went with Thronikos.
After returning to the settlement, the woman noticed many things, the damage caused by the monsters, the mercenaries' gaze ogling her, and the absence of bodies at the site.
Making her wonder if they had bothered to dispose of the bodies.
With a false perception, she thought they had buried their compatriots.
"Are they residents of the settlement?" Gregorius asked interestedly, looking at the woman and ignoring the man.
Alexandros, noticing her gaze, replied, "Yes, we found them on the trail, but I have something more important to report."
Gregorius, with a serious and composed expression, asked, "What did you find?"
Alexandros replied, "We found some kind of scary ritual on the trail, and it took us a while to return because we had bypassed it."
Gregorius, with a mocking smile, replied, "Are savages fascinated by this kind of thing? What was this ritual?"
Alexandros, with a cold expression, replied, "No, this is unlike anything I've ever seen."
As he explained what the ritual was about, the previously calm atmosphere became icy and fearful.
Gundaros advised in a panic "We better leave this place, the savages have powerful witchcraft, this could be a spell for something sinister."
Gregorius agreed and glanced at the baby in his hands "You gave birth two days ago? Your midwife must have been skilled for you to be healthy in such a short time."
He then looked at the woman, noticing her bust and face, and muttered to himself "Such a good woman hidden in such a remote place."
The woman replied "Yes, she was a very powerful follower of Aetherios."
Gundaros frowned and thought to himself "A follower of Aetherios, how disgusting."
Gregorius, oblivious to the thoughts of his followers, instructed the group to organize to march the next day.
He wanted to 'talk' to the woman's husband.
In an abandoned house, he then ordered Gundaros to call two more mercenaries to deal with the couple.
The abandoned house was silent, the boards creaking with each step the men took.
The smell of mold and rotting wood filled the air. Gundaros, the second in command, and Gregorius, the leader, were accompanied by two burly mercenaries: Baldwinos and Geiros.
The four of them stared at the woman and the man, who were cornered against the wall.
The woman held her son tightly, her eyes full of fear, while the man tried to maintain his posture in the face of the imminent threat.
"Listen, madam," Gregorius said, his voice low but full of authority.
"If you cooperate, nothing will happen to them. Your son and your husband will be safe. We will not cause any more harm than necessary. Choose."
The woman looked at her husband, who was tense, his muscles contracted, but he made no immediate movement.
The mercenaries watched impassively, waiting for any sign. Suddenly, the man, with a quick reflex, pulled a hidden dagger from his waist and plunged it into Geiros' neck.
The mercenary screamed, his eyes wide as blood gushed out, and with a desperate movement, the man picked up Geiros' fallen sword.
In a rush of survival, he advanced towards Baldwinos, trying to to cut the mercenary, but Baldwinos was quick. He blocked the blow with the blade of his sword and, with a brutal movement, kicked the man in the chest.
The blow made the man stagger back, falling to his knees on the ground. Gregorius and Gundaros, seeing the confusion, quickly entered the fight.
Gregorius with a cold expression, drawing his sword, while Gundaros positioned himself, watching.
Baldwinos, breathing hard after the blow, got up and attacked again, but the man, even bleeding and tired, fought furiously.
He managed to dodge another attack from Baldwinos and, with a last effort, plunged his sword into the mercenary's throat.
Baldwinos fell, a last breath escaping his lips as his body collapsed. However, the man was already weakened.
Gregorius wasted no time, advancing with deadly precision, and his sword cut through the man's flesh, causing him to fall, the life draining from him.
Gundaros watched, unhurriedly, his sword ready for any move.
Gregorius, with a satisfied look, approached the woman, who was still paralyzed by terror, while the child, in her hands, began to cry.
As the man's last thought, he thought, "No, it doesn't matter, we will be avenged sooner or later by the Necros, I never thought they were real."
The man, despite being reluctant, died knowing that his adversaries would suffer and die after him.
The child was placed in the corner of the room, and while his mother was raped by the mercenaries, the soul reincarnated in the newborn's body watched everything with cold and furious eyes.
"I will make you suffer, you filthy medieval bastards!"
The man from another world who watched everything fed revenge in his chest, could no longer bear the scene and closed his eyes.