Back at the regional capital, after Zero had left. The sun rose on the horizon, its golden light flooding the capital. At the front gate of the capital, two older guards were asleep. One was a ork male, who was completely slouched on the left side of the gate asleep on a wooden chair with a cotton face towel covering his face. Two medium mugs of beer sat beside his chair, one spilled the other empty.
The other was a human male with brown skin, sitting on the ground with his back resting against the middle of the gate. One hand held a large empty mug, and the other his short sword. His head drooped down, as he got deeper into sleep. They were both knocked out drunk. Both their helmets discarded on the ground away from them.
The atmosphere was quiet until a slow squelching of boots and wet rustling.
Echoed down in distance, every few minutes the noise became clearer. Until eventually the sound stopped and a humanoid shadow loomed over the ork guard on the chair, who with each snore his face towel shifted.
It was quiet—for a while longer. As the guards continued to snore.
The figure painstakingly breathed in—"Excuse me." The voice was raspy and weak.
The guard on the chair, hitched in his snoring immediately and pulled off his towel, sitting up while smacking his mouth. He took a look at the man before him, but he was still trying to comprehend what he was seeing so he kept blinking his puffy eyes.
The figure painfully breathed again—"Is Alcon present"
The man repositioned on his chairs, still not understanding what he was seeing, then scratched his head for second and leaning forward .
Blinking once or twice more. He slipped his hand down to his short sword. Then jumped up "MONSTER!" he shouted in fear pointing his sword at the figure as he backed up to the door.
"Stay back, you better stay back!" His back hit the gate, and his eyes darted toward his asleep comrade. "We eradicated your kind once we can do it again!" he said while side stepping toward the other guard who was still asleep.
The figure breathed in again, but before it could say a thing "ah ah ah—don't try to say another thing monster!"
"Wake up phill!" The ork guard turned around, and slapped the back of the human guard's head. "We are under attack." then the ork turned around to face the figure again.
Phill woke up immediately grabbing his bear mug and facing the gate.
"No other way, phill!" he spun phill around, to face the figure,
Phil's bloodshot eyes, which were barely open. Widened—in alarm, as Phill raised his mug up stumbling backwards into the gate. "What in the—what is that thing!"
The other guard stumbled back to the gate too, his sword still raised. "That's what I am saying, we should stab it!"
As both guards squirmed like craven fools.
The figure just stood there silent.
Phil's eyes narrowed, focusing on the figure's features.
The figure breathed in painstakingly again — "is Alcon here"
Phill slowly lowered his mug, stepping forward, his face shifted to irritation.
Then he sighed, dropping his mug.
The other guards' face shifted to confusion.
"You are a bumbling fool Joe" he said, hand on his belt.
"What do you mean?"
"He's not monster joe!" Phil shouted
"Use your eyes Phil! There's a gaping hole in his chest there is no way he would be able to survive that! He must be an undead" Joe pointed his blade toward it.
"Use your head joe, just because he looks scary doesn't mean he's a monster"
Joe lowered his sword, walking closer to the figure, taking a look.
"Oh" he sheathed his weapon straight away.
Phil shook his head, "Sorry but this is just procedure, first state your name and where you are from."
The figure took a sharp breath in— "Jackson. Guard, Soldier—from okawa"
Joe stayed quiet.
Phil continued "Jackson I would suggest you get medical attention first and then we can bring Alcon to you. Or take any—" Phill observed Jackson closely, "you know what save your breath. We will take you to him."
Both guards went to the sides of Jackson, supporting him as they carried him through the capital.
Everyone looked away in disgust and horror as they continued. The guards stayed grimly silent, helping Jackson…
At the regional masters castle. The front gate was left open as Alcon approached it.
He was with Amanda the blood swan, and Rakor the saber master; they both were straight faced and vigilant. Alcon pushed the door opening, and stepped inside to see a dwarf male guard fast asleep on a chair, a wide stool was beside him, which had keys on it and two empty mugs and one half full mug of alcohol. Alcon stood over the soldier, and Rakor remained vigilant of the area looking around.
Amanda's eyes squinted in disappointment from afar.
"Soilder!" Alcon's voice boomed.
The soldier jumped up, saluting "Sir—" knocking the stool over. He shut his eyes, as he heard the noise of the mugs clattering on the ground.. Once it ceased. He opened his puffy eyelids slowly—Eyes widening as he saw who it was.
"ALCON! LEADER YOU ARE HERE?!" the dwarf bursted out as he looked up at Alcon who was several inches taller than him.
"Calm down soldier" he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Just want to know why you were sleeping on the job?"
"Uh—uh—" His mind raced from the alcohol, to what happened last night and trying to figure out an excuse.
Damn it I am finished. He thought to himself.
He immediately caught the gaze of Amanda, which made him shiver.
Then alcon spoke his tone clear, his eyes at the small dwarf not judgmental.
"Just tell me the truth, thats all I ask solider." alcon smiled gently.
The soldier felt a bit more at ease, as he began to speak. "Well sire, occasionally all guards at a certain time of the night usually all go for a drink, and those who have posts, usually get some snuck to them so they can join in on the fun too." he said abashedly
"Mhm and what's this certain time?" Alcone maintained his gentle approach.
"Theirs a specific time in the night when posts and the capital—as whole, is quiet. So usually then."
"Oh I see and I am assuming this away from the regional master, eye?"
"Well actually sire he joins in too. I usually bring it up to him and the guard up there."
Alcon eyebrows raised in surprise. "Wow, but why do you have three?"
"I was supposed to bring it up to them. But I must have forgotten and decided to drink all three. Sorry my memory is quite blurry." he chuffed.
Amanda's presence intensified, which ceased the soldier's laughter, causing him to also look away.
"Amanda, stop it." Alcon said calmly.
Amanda stormed to the steps.
"It's ok soldier, have your fun this is the last land of peace after all just don't get so carried away, as to forget your responsibility. Can you relay this to your fellow soldiers as well, and I will have a chat with your regional master ok?"
The soldier now looking at him smiled, nodding in relief "yes leader alcon!"
"That's the attitude I like. I would suggest you clean up the mess though before anyone else sees. Now that I am here."
The guard quickly went to work cleaning up the place.
Rakor and Amanda waited for Alcon to take the flight of stairs first. Then they went after him.
They walked up it. silently for awhile before Alcon spoke
"I know what you think Amanda but you need to calm down."
"I don't need to," "I told you. You have become a soft Alcon. We used to be more structured. Now we have become so loose that even your regional masters are starting to be corrupted. I don't think you understand the depth of what your lenient and lax approach does to things you should have cracked down and brought him out for a strict demonstration."
"Amanda you really are a handful. I am the one who brought this land back to unity and rebuilt its broken system piece by piece. During that time—which you were present, when did I ever resort to such harsh ways?"
Amanda was quiet.
"I seem to not have to explain myself further. What I will say is I agree I have become soft for good reasons as to allow viscura to grow on its own. But that doesn't even for a second mean that I should change the way I do things just because a few individuals decide to do something irresponsible."
Rakor's eyes peered up to the top of the stairs.
"More like the whole regional capital. Stupid drunkards can't do anything right." Amanda said her arms crossed and looking off to the side.
Rakor caught something with his eyes and walked ahead immediately.
Alcon, who was trying to reason, caught Rakor's abrupt movement.
"What is it Rakor?"
Rakor stood still at the top of the stairs.
Alcon ran up, as he did he saw blood, slipping down the steps, running even faster and reaching the top he saw it too.
A guard's throat was cut open.
The blood had dried up now, and he was long gone.
Alcon stood speechless.
Rakor surveyed the area, spotting stainless steel scissors.
Sitting on the side, blood around them too.
Rakor picked them up with one hand inspecting them.
Amanda got to the top in her own time, and took a quick glance at the place, scoffing as her eyes lingered on Alcon's next move.
Alcon strided forward to the regional masters door.
He felt hesitant—but he had to make sure.
Rakor was already behind him, as Alcon held his arm out.
Amanda kept behind both of them, her pink eye twitched her hand hovered over her blade.
Opening it. They saw the regional master, laying against his desk with a lit up magic circle on his abdomen, before the scene fully sank in or the door could fully open. A malevolent spirit rushed out from the magic circle, screeching, its spectral form shifting with chaotic mana, it lunged within the air flying toward alcon to attack him.
Alcon didn't react still in shock, but Rakor did, pulling Alcon back and taking his saber out, imbuing himself with mana and slashing the ghost in three sections all in one stroke. Then sheathing his blade.
The ghost, slowly parted then vanished within thin air, its evil cries still echoing through the room.
They all walked in Amanda's hand went back to her side.
Rakor took the first steps in, surveying the area for more traps.
Amanda walked in after looking out the window.
Alcon walked toward the regional master, looking at this mutilated stomach, he was appalled.
"I am sorry davin you were such a kind soul."
He dropped to a crouch, his head hung low, in silence.
"Another Necromancer, perhaps a war is brewing." Rakor said solemnly.
"A war. Just what I had been hoping for." Amanda murmured, a smirk forming on her face.
Alcon punched the wooden floor in anger.
"Again!." Alcon said, full of dismay.
Rakor and Amanda eyes glanced at Alcon crouched in front of the regional master's dead body. Their faces are straight.
"I thought we had passed this time already. "I thought—" His fist slowly uncurled.
The atmosphere changed, Rakor's head turned toward the door, and Amanda kept facing the window but her eye moved in the direction of the door.
Two guards walked in helping a figure,
"Alcon sir, this man has a message for you." they announced in union.
Alcon turned his body, to see.
A man who was drenched in muddy water, sticks and leaves that stuck from his hair. Parts of his body too, splotches of dirt and dried up blood, covered him. His face was undefinable due to the amount of dirt and blood. Bugs and insects crawled out of a gaping diamond shaped hole that went straight through his sternum, a wound that wasn't closed but actively popping and sizzling with mixes of blood and mud.
He looked admitably like a monster at first but after further look, you could tell from his figure he was mortal. His eyes were the only identifiable thing, his eyes were wide open and now a gray green.
Rakor's mouth hung open and so did Alcon but Amanda stayed quiet holding her nose the air smelt like decayed faeces.
Alcon stood up, his face serious.
The figure let go of the spear abruptly.
It fell to the ground, the spear was chipped and damaged with the figure hand prints indenting it.
"Message. Is their" the figure said.
Alcon picked up the spear but as soon he picked it, sigil lit up upon the blade.
Alcon's head shot up, his eyes glowed blue, as the information flowed he saw everything, he saw undead horsemen, he heard laughter and screams. Fire, death, decay and devastation.
Then it continued with Thruduin helping by giving the spear too. Jackson.
The vision continued to show Jackson running away from the fight and taking the caravan with him. Then after days of travelling through the grasslands they were intercepted by 7 cloaked figures, they all just stood there as Jackson shouted telling them to get out of the way. Jackson grew impatient, and tried to lunge but the figures had disappeared except one. The caravan combusted in a display of purple and orange flames the explosion threw Jackson away. As he landed on his side. Opening his eyes to see everyone burning to ash. He looked around him, seeing cloaked figures skeletal feet roam around him. He got up quick in anger, every motion a blur, ringing in his ear. But before he could do anything he was impaled through the center of his back, he cried out in pain, as a sickle covered in spitting purple flames roasted his flesh. His screams tore as the pain got worse, his body twitched and involuntarily contorted at the pain. As the sickle was plucked out gently. Letting Jackson drop to the floor. Muffled words could be heard as Jackson slowly lost consciousness.
Jackson was out for several days. Before he gained consciousness, mana circulating himself, he grabbed the spear and started off crawling through the mud, and the rain.
Leaving a trail of blood and dirt. Then he began to get his bearings and stood up, using the spear as help. Travelling 6 days until he got to the regional capital.
Meeting the guards and who transferred him over to Alcon.
The vision then stopped.
Alcon dropped the spear and stood up in fear. He looked up at the figure's eyes, which were full of determination and stoicness. Alcon's face tensed and he spoke "Rakor take this man to the medical area we will need him. Guards don't tell the people just yet, I want you to inform your guard barracks to shut this place down. For a while, we might have a necromancer on our hands again.. " His voice was commanding
The two guards looked at each other shocked, but steeled themselves nodding and running down the steps. Rakor goes ahead taking the man to the hospital
Amanda turned around to Alcon,
"We are truly at war, Amanda. That necromancer didn't just play around here, he has been causing devastation under my watch—"
"What watchful eye leader, yours? Not sure if you were even there to watch viscura to begin with. Alcon sighed as Amanda finished "Looking at the state its in now "
"Amanda I get it but I still won't change my way. I need you to rally your troops and go over checking every settlement within the province. I am afraid they might have been taken down already. Then check the second province. But first, I'd better tell you. I saw an undead with a fiery sickle."
"Oh. So you think it's the same undeads we fought 17 years ago?"
"That's what I am thinking but never mind it now. Get to work!
She left.