Deathless Reign: Ch. 10

Clumps of earth flung into the air, as large as cattle and just as easy to crush any man unfortunate enough to be in its way as the moonlight shone on one solitary figure toiling in the empty fields. Reign shattered the earth with his bare hands, sending large chunks of dirt and rock flinging into the night air with the furious cadence of a honey badger. He did the work of twenty men nonstop, for his was a body that does not tire nor requiring nutrition. The earth gave way and whispered to him its secrets. It's voice was a faint sickening thing to which he shut his ears out.

He could have called upon the earth, as he did mere days before to raise a wall and make his work done in a single afternoon. But that would mean drawing from the capricious pool of Deathlight he had amassed. To call upon this power would mean the corruption of The Whisper.

This was his penance that he deserved.

And still no matter how immersed he was in his efforts, he found himself not suffering. Memories of that time, when his darker half took command of his body and imprisoned him within his own mind resurfaced in glimpses before his eyes. Of the soft sweltering moans of the flaxen haired acolyte, how her soft flesh felt against the raging blood of his ark desire. The succulent folds of her woman hood grasping at the contours of his raging manhood. it was the closest he had ever been to feeling alive in his undead flesh.

And Reign was ashamed.

Not of the act themselves, but because he understood the pleasure that the Whispers sought.

And it was for this carnal sin that he toiled himself for three days and three nights with barely any interactions towards the villagers, save for the acolyte Ayleth and the habitual scrutiny of Blanche, the informal leader of the struggling community.

Reign hammered the earth and rock together in a thunderous slamming of his fist, far stronger than any hammer made by mortal smith. The earth compressed and solidified, reinforced within by a bone work of stone and clay he dug from the surrounding soil. Reign rammed his shoulders and full body, sending tremors, packing the earth so tightly that an army would find no fault in this amazing bulwark. All fueled by the frustration he felt at the conflicting emotions he had within his mind. From his desire to be a decent person to the faint influence the Whispers had on him, yearning for pleasure.

So engulfed was he on his work that he was surprised to see the piercing light of dawn from the east slowly bleed into the indigo tint of the horizon.

Another day had come to pass. Another step towards Deadwinter.

"You do amazing work," came the words of the acolyte. He keeps forgetting that she was never far away from him as she did her labors quietly. The once fertile cropland was littered with hilly bluffs every few dozen yards or so, it was among these that she would sit and meditate, trying to discern what ails the land from yielding growth. Quite earnest was she in exploring her abilities upon her knowing as a Chosen of the Goddess.

"Thank you," came Reign's reply and resumed his pummeling of the earth. Already another quarter of the walls had been raised, adding to a total half that surrounded the entire village.

"Much of the womenfolk are well at ease at the sight of the wall, Reign. They sleep better each night," she said with a smile, a soft bellow of the fall winds made her tuck her form beneath the fur cloak she wore. From the corner of his eyes, Reign was quite aware how her ears had gone red at the cold, especially against her fair complexion. It was quite an amusing sight that made his lips tug into small smile. Then remembering himself, he shook the thought away and went to another part of the wall that needs further reinforcing.

The acolyte was silent for a while as she remained some distance behind Reign. He did not need to turn around, quite conscious at her presence standing out, if he could only feel the hairs a the back his neck, they'd probably be standing.

He felt as if she had something more to say.

"Have you thought of resting?" Came the words, finally. Though he found the question odd.

"I do not feel the need,"

She sighed, expecting the answer.

"They are still...uneasy. With your presence."

"As they should be. Look what happened to you."

Another sigh.

This was no time to dawdle. What right was it that they should greet him? He was a wild beast, with abominable powers. Better to keep his distance than cause harm to another innocent woman. He had been loner in life. He was no stranger to this in his undeath.

"I take it you are not quite the social type in your previous life?"

"Still, there are those who wish your aid in an endeavor. It's shouldn't take much of your time." And most likely force him to be acquainted to some of the villagers, Reign suspected that Ayleth left out in her remark.

"Hmmgh...," a grumble resounded from his throat, he'd have done the same thing whenever his parents would have him do a chore on top of another. And the result was the same then as it had been now.

This time it was his turn to sigh, "What needs doing?"

Ayleth gestured him to follow as she turned and walked towards the village. Reign followed behind her, keeping distance and eyes forced to look up at the grey morning sky. One look at her swaying hips, even through the fur cloak had sent Whispers thrumming deep inside his chest. He could have sworn the accursed fragment made his undead heart beat for a fraction of a second.

They did not enter the village proper but only on the outer fringes, just a few yards away from the nearest husk of wooden frames and failing walls. A group of three young women lingered beneath the ruins of one house, a familiar scenario to Reign, where young people would just be in company of their peers, doing nothing but be at ease and chat to pass the time.

"These young ladies need someone to come with. These days it's too dangerous to go anywhere alone and without a weapon. Blanche and her hunters have gone for a hunt into the forest and everyone else have work to do," informed the acolyte.

"H-hello sir. Good day," said one with dirty blonde hair.

"Hmmnggh...." Was all Reign could reply.

"Uhm- Thank you for helping the village, good sir. My mother wishes her thanks," she said so demurely to the point of quaking that Reign had to give her some measure of reply. He tilted his head in a small nod of acknowledgment to put the girl at ease. He guessed they were more or less close to his age, although mayhaps a year or two younger. Which put them around eighteen or nineteen, a fact that made Reign feel older. Had he not been around nineteen when he died? How many seasons had that been?

"They've been meaning to visit a small grove not far from here. It's where the best pickings for mushroom is," Supplied Ayleth, stirring Reign out of his internal thoughts.

"Well, let's be on with it then," Reign wished they had walked a bit faster. The three girls led the way, almost as if they were off to a picnic.

"We have to talk to Blanche about this, seeing how she want to set up the gate. For now, this would do." He had been meaning to discuss about what would be put in place for ways to enter into the village. As a placeholder, Reign had rolled a giant boulder to block a small ingress in between the walls where the main road was. As the group stopped to a halt before Reign's wall, he pressed his shoulders against the boulder and dug his heels in. A feat that would have taken a team of oxen to pull. The three young women had their eyes wide at the sight of his explosive strength once more. It was so different seeing the deed up close and personal.

Reign was the first to venture out this time, surveying the outer lands with a critical look. Satisfied that all was well, he signaled them to lead the way to the groves. They went aside a path that led to where the forest and the plains meet, a section of which were woods clumped together quite nicely, forming itself apart from both the forest and the rolling plains into this little forest of their own.

It was as a quite little walk, now that the wall was about to encircle much of the village, it made it also quite constraining to be inside. Not that it ever hampered before anyone before. It was still quite dangerous with the monsters that roamed the land these days, forming an imperceptible barrier that made any living thing imprisoned in fear.

Such was the faith of everyone on him that it seemed that they could breathe a little bit easier. Reign did not know how to feel about that.

The young women were excited to be out. They never ventured out of the village if it can be helped but with the added security, they can finally visit the mushroom grove. Even as they walked, they kept looking back at him, giggling at his direction.

"Why do they keep laughing?" Reign asked, brow raised in annoyance. There was something grating to the man's nerves at the sound of giggling girls to his face.

"It's been a while since they've seen a man their age. Forgive them their giddiness. Their still nineteen after all," the acolyte replied nonchalantly, as if wizened compared to the younger charge where she shouldn't be that much older in comparison. Reign kept this musings only to himself.

As if to hone in the fact even further, the most excitable among the three turned to face them and said, "My friend here that she says you're a bit good looking," which earned an elbow to her sides.

"Hey! She's lying! She's a troublemaker is all she is, sir."

"Just shut up you two! you're embarrassing yourselves," said the sullen third, finally speaking. She gave the air to be the most mature of the three.

He kept his eyes from rolling as they went on with their walk.

They finally reached the end of the small path, to where the tall trees formed the grove and blotting much of the light in a sway of thick canopies. It was a dark, little nook. Too dark for his liking despite in the middle of broad daylight. There was no thrumming of any kind. No disturbance in the air, that warned him of any malice from the hungry dead.

Reign kept his distance and lingered at the back of the group as the foragers went on ahead into the grove. By some happenstance or another, the Whispers took it as its chance to cause a stir, speaking for the first time in days. Reign felt its claws digging into the back of his mind, as it resurfaced inside of him.

"Look at that, look at that!" it murmured as it saw through Reign's eyes the three young women like some new treat before it.

"Fine, young flesh!" it declared in glee, voice echoing somewhere in the deepest recesses of Reign's mind.

"Silence!" Reign's internal voice and presence was so strong the creature went silent for an instant. Scurrying back to the shadows of his mind like some vermin. Reign cast a quick sideways glance at the Ayleth, who stood just beside him, seemingly unaware of his struggle within.

The darker half of Reign retreated back into the shadows of his mind but it was awake and roused once more than these past few days. And it took its revenge unto Reign by way of petty mischief.

Reign resolved to be a steadfast lookout and guardian in this endeavor but would somehow find his eyes drawn to the lithe figure of the younger women, no matter how hard he resolved. He'd trail the surroundings area for any threats only to find his eyes suddenly tugged to the bent over hindquarters of one of the foragers, her shapely ass pressing tightly against the fabric.

It took him a moment before realizing what it was he had been unconsciously doing and constrained himself. Somewhere deep inside of him, the Whispers was hooting in laughter. The others and Ayleth were unaware of what had just occurred.

The same could not be said of the second time, as the mousy little blonde forager knelt and leaned over facing towards Reign from a distance. The precarious neckline of her dress made it so that her breastmounds was nearly spilling in that posture, a sight that would have caught the attention of any red-blooded male.

It took a smack in the arm from Ayleth to realize he had been staring all too intently, much to his shame and to the other's humor. The acolyte merely shook her head in rebuke, muttering something under her breath about 'boys will be boys'. Whispers joined them in its laughter inside the shadows of his mind.

Reign retaliated by actively searching the Whisper's presence inside his mind with the fury of a pissed-off viper. At first, he resolved to try and stomping the thing living inside of him. But it only produced curses and yowls of pain. And then did the next best thing any human would do to the destructive parts of themselves, bury it as deep as they can. The only telltale of this struggle would be a vein popping outside in the real world in Reign's forehead.

Rid of that pest, Reign was at peace for the time being. A quiet stretch of the day came to pass, almost appearing as a scene out of an ordinary moment amidst the danger of their times. It made him even strike a conversation with Ayleth to pass the time, and get over the awkwardness of the mishap with Whispers.

"They seem quite flighty for mushrooms," Reign observed.

"They have been clawing the very dirt to eat old, boiled roots, just so they can go to sleep with a full stomach. Can you blame us?" Ayleth answered "At the very least, this night it wouldn't taste stale."

The acolyte joined him in his post, watching the group and the lands thereabouts. They watched in silence as another gust of wind carried winter in its wake.

"You're not the sort to be with people?" the acolyte asked, seemingly trying to make conversation.

The young man gave it some thought, looking back to how his life had been. It brought up a strange swirl of old emotions, nothing intense but felt only one word to describe them: wistfulness.

"I have always been like this, even before......dying," He finally replied with a flick of his hand as if it was just an everyday occurrence. He just want it to be glossed over, " I like being on my own. I do well enough should it comes to talking with others but there's a limit to how I can tolerate people most of the times."

"Ah, guess you've always been a reclusive asshole then," she said with a small grin.

Something clicked in Reign's mind at the remark, "Huh, well put."

"What?"

"My mother had said something to that effect about my personality," Something about Reign's character had rubbed from his father's habitual callous grumpiness at the world in general.

A small laugh came from her lips and they resumed to wait in silence once more as younger folk continued their foraging. The sun moved on its axis and the winds had a warm tinged to each breath as the day wore on further. The women were sure to put this little expedition not to waste and make the most of it, venturing into every nook and cranny of the grove to secure the succulent shrooms that grew there. After all, who knows when the next time would be if they could spare the time and people again?

Mousy little Nicola was sure to get as much as she can in her basket, the women in their group would be much delighted to finally get the flavor of stale root to cleanse their palate with this haul. She marked in her memories from previous incursion, back when things were far more peaceful and safer, of the ideal spots for mushrooms to grow. Satisfied that she had cleared all, she was surprised to see a spot that she had not seen before, A half caved in hollow of a great log swathed in extreme, damp shadows. And much more that caught her eyes were the glowing fungi that grew in great clumps just beneath the log's broken half.

Had a tree sprouted here and fell? It had only been last autumn since they visited here previously and she was certain that that log hadn't been there. No matter, it would be a great waste if she not come to check that clump of fungi and shrooms.

"And how about you? how's' your progress?" Reign asked, trying to start the conversation once more.

It was the acolyte's turn to sigh, hers was laced with no little amount of frustration, "Have you ever tried calling to a deity?" she stopped as if trying to catch her breath, Reign noticed sweat falling in cascades across her brow, "The power is there. I can feel it. But it's just......just out of my reach," she continued on. Her footing would shift, putting all her weight in one and to the other. Was she uneasy about something?

"Are.... you alright?" He inquired.

"H-How so?" she said, attempting (and failing) to appear nonchalant.

"You're sweating too much. And I know for fact that it's too cold,"

"Yes, yes, I am fine," she reassured with a shaky smile. Annoyance crept to Reign's vein, as she clearly was not and he planned to press further in the event that she overworks herself to an illness. He opened his mouth only to be interrupted from one of the foragers.

"Look mistress! it seems not all life had been died away! This branch was not here last we ventured. The trees must still be growing!" came the shout.

Driven away from his question, Reign minded the sun in the sky and the light at their behest. Was it closer to noon already? Maybe they can still spare some time, the sooner he can finish that well the better for everyone. As the foragers all closed in unto the new spot, all giddy and excited at the growth there, the surrounding trees groaned altogether. Reign stood stiff and cast his gaze all around the grove. No strong wind passed and yet every single tree within the grove swayed and groaned as if suddenly awake.

"We should hurry back," he said hastily. "I don't like the taste of the air. It changed all too sudden for my liking. Stay here while I get the others," he commanded with haste in his step, something was stirring, as his instinct went alive.

He closed in on the spot the girls huddled on. It was a great tree that had fallen off to the sides, propped in an angle in between two full grown trees. The log had caved in and the branches hung to the sides. As he got closer, the entire thing reminded him of something familiar, making his step slower. His eyes squinted at the form, tracing its features as to what it had reminds him of, settling on the two outstretched branches.

It was gnarled, caked in mud. Its twigs reminded him almost like an outstretched - -

He did not finish the though as he hurriedly reached out towards the girls, realizing it for what it truly was.

"Back! Back I say!" Reign yelled, running towards them.

"Huh?"

Every instinct in his soul ignited to fight, as the branch and its twigs curled into a hand and slammed into the earth. The log rumbled and moved from the earth, breaking the very soil in which it was buried. The reverberations shook off much of the encrusting mud that concealed it and fooled any one to think that it had been merely a mere dead tree.

Like a kindling taken to sudden fire, the thing erupted with a great swell of Deathlight, the largest Reign had yet felt so far. Not even the three necromancers combined all together could compare to the store this giant had. Standing at fifteen feet tall, and where it's stomach should have been was caked in a thick clout of mud and throbbing mushrooms.

It made the earth quake as it awoke from its slumber, sending the three women to fall on their rumps and scurry away as best they could.

Reign rushed towards the group, every second precious to save them. Only for him to be struck by that tree trunk of an arm, sailing him away through the air. He grit his teeth, wondering how hard was he struck?

His body met the stern trunk of a tree, shattering the bark, feeling his bones buckle at the force. He landed on the ground with a thump, ready to charge on to this new foe. He cast his gaze to see the thing hoisting its legs from underneath the earth. Big enough to step and kill the three girls all at once. A roar erupted from his chest, drawing the Light of Death into his legs.