Deathless Reign: Ch. 03

Deathless Reign

Chapter 3

By: Noobwriter96

Blanhce's village had no name for itself. That was not so strange as a dozen more or so like theirs littered this part of the realm like grass. It was but a mere collection of houses that did not exceed fifteen at times. Peasantry who ventured from different parts of the continent settled on these parts to stake the land as theirs. There were no Lord Collectors and land was aplenty.

The region surrounding the forest belonged to no one. Not even the Grand Lord himself.

Which left the surrounding petty nobles and bandit-lords to create their own little 'kingdoms'. They would come to these nameless villages and recruit men of fighting age to earn coin for as little as five copper pieces.

Most never come back.

As was the case of Blanche's father and older brother. With the Undead Blight worsening each passing winter, supply routes were strained and petty dominions were in constant need of fighting hands to stave off the worse of the undead onslaught. Nameless villages were no better off. If not for the Blight sucking the life out of the very soil, then it would be the Risen Horrors that would assail the peasant folk.

Sons, fathers and brothers all left the village, taking up arms in the hopes of earning food for their starving kin.

All that was left of their little village was the young women, the widow and the old.

When every able-bodied man had left, they had at the time only to worry about the failing crops.

But come next winter, dead things began stalking the lands nearby of Blanche's village. The villagefolk didn't have enough able hands to defend should the dead come rising from their graves. The best they can do was bar the doors and shut the windows, praying for the gods that they may be spared.

And there were other horrors that come in with the mists. Ancient horrors. The Lichlord of the Northdread have grown in power with each passing winter, calling upon powers from beyond or so what meager word travels.

With some grant of mercy by whatever gods left to hear their prayer, the sun's light pierced through a gap amidst the clouds and the villagers took it as a chance to venture out of their barricaded homes. Women armed with makeshift clubs stood at the ready as they took stock of the carnage that occurred outside of their very doorsteps.

Smashed heads of skull and flesh decorated their streets in streaks of red-purplish strokes. Scattered dead limbs torn asunder from their sockets for too many to account. A few even dangled atop the roofs and rafters. Living dead or not, there was no way they would still rise from that. Once they made certain that all was safe, they gestured the rest of the village to come out of their walled up homes. Young women, on the cusp of womanhood still clung to their mothers as if they were toddlers. And lastly, they brought out their elders. Old men deemed no longer to fight, much less walk. These carried chipped and rusted swords and axes, their spirit willing but their bodies frail and weak.

Never had they seen such a thing.

Half a hundred undead amblers obliterated.

What had done such a thing? They asked amongst themselves. There were mutterings but no clear voice rang out. And then from amidst the crowd, a young woman of nineteen stepped out. She had straight swathe of flaxen colored hair so smooth and shimmering it seemed to glitter in the fading light of day. A small pang of pain erupted within Blanche's head as soon as she heard that voice.

"Perhaps an angel sent by the gods! A savior!" proclaimed young Ayleth, dressed in a calm blue cloak made of good sheep wool signifying her faith in service of the goddess Nymella.

"No! it was no angel!" blurted Blanche, unable to hold the pressure anymore. The veins popping from her forehead at the senseless babble that came out of the girl's mouth.

"What makes you say so?" said Ayleth. It was the way she said it that made Blanche grit her teeth together.

"He was dead. Half his face was gone but bones. Skin as white as now and might as well be cold. His hands were nothing but bones," she stared into each woman's eyes who had gathered along the streets. Making certain to drive the point straight home, that the creature she saw was no living human.

"Are you certain?" Ayleth inquired coolly. Crystalline blue eyes stared intently almost to the point of glowing. Blanche thought of blue pools of crisp, spring water as those eyes settled on her.

Blanche was among the most trusted women amongst the village. Not pliable to gossip but instead to work quietly and intently. Despite this tough demeanor was a kind soul that at one point or another had lent an ear or a hand to any that had asked of her.

She merely gave them a calm, cold stare and nodded.

"You don't know that," protested the priestess but she muttered more to herself than to the gathered crowd. Blanched never did get quite a hold on the woman's inner workings. She was poised and regal in every cinch of her actions. Never one to waste or to cater what others might think and keeps to herself most of the times at the goddess' shrine.

A stern devotee of the goddess. A cold beauty, thought Blanche. As cold as the winter winds. With a slender frame and a regal atmosphere in each and every action. Blanche had never met a noble in her life but if she were to think what one would act and look like, then they would look like Ayleth.

"He is the savior the goddess Nyella had sent to aid us in our dark times. It is high time."

"Well, were is our savior now? Like I have said that's things Undead for certain." Blanche crossed her arms across her breasts. Even with a coat, the biting wind of the coming winter was unmerciful.

"If so, why has he not laid waste to our village? He has the power to lay waste to a small army as we see before ourselves and yet here, we are," Ayleth waved her arm in a large swathe, eyes focused on the carnage. The village folk muttering rose with their own musings as Blanche's head ached. What was the point of arguing with this strange woman?

"I....I don't know," Blanche replied tiredly. "But whatever that thing was, it's long gone. It didn't stay for a supposed warm welcome from us," They may not have died today but there was till work aplenty to be done.

"Nonsense. he is merely protecting the boundaries of our village from the undead scourge. Out of sight. but not out of reach," replied Ayleth, Blanche's joke going over head as she stared out towards the mists and outside the boundaries of the village.

"I must make haste to welcome our most gracious protector," Ayleth simply said and made a step towards where the creature was seen last.

"You can't be serious!" Blanche stopped in her steps to get a shovel. They have a long day ahead of them clearing the village of these vile things.

"Whatever that thing is, it's not of the gods! We should just be thankful it didn't find us appetizing! But make no mistake that thing is a monster like these here abominations!" Blanche kicked at a dismembered leg to make a point. It was more of a nudge and yet once her foot made the gentlest of impact, the creatures' remains splintered.

Cracks appeared, as if a facade had broken. And then the bodily piece turned grey and then finally, to dust. All about the village, the remains of the dead turned to dust and into nothingness.

"What in Frozen Hells...?" muttered Blanche at the strangest of sights. She had never seen or heard of such a thing before. Was this natural? Then again, the dead rising from their graves was as unnatural as can be.

"Look upon these! The blight turns to ash and dust, who else but the power of the godess capable of wiping away such unholiness!" Ayleth said it with such conviction and trust that Blanche almost feels sorry for her. She truly believes that whatever that thing was, it was a godsend.

"I have faith that the goddess will light my path," Ayleth finally said, unheeding of Blanche's warnings.

And just like hat she left following the trail of carnage, watching as the carcasses turned to ash.

"You don't know what you are about to deal with. WE don't know!" Blanche called out to her amongst the fog.

"I. HAVE.FAITH." she simply declared toward the throng of village women and left towards finding their saviour.