DRAGONDARK Archive Trilogy Book Three: The White Orb

 Prelude

The cricket squirmed in the pair of tweezers, pinching its leg. It dropped into the bowl of glowing green liquid, sizzling and causing the contents to turn clear.

"Perfect," Grettal said, "now to just add a tiny pinch of sugar and--"she sniffed the jar that held the grayish-brown powder and made a terrible face, "dehydrated gnome turds." She shook her head to make the smell disappear and stared at the powder with distrust. It was bad enough that gnomes didn't exist in Nerin Toth, but the fact that she had to drink powdered poop of creatures that didn't exist made the situation worse.

"It better work this time," she softly grumbled.

Swirling in the bowl, the ingredients were stirred around. Satisfied, the old woman walked out the front door of the old tiny shack in the middle of the El Tomathian capital, Peregren. It was a sunny day and oddly warm for the last day of the autumn season. Citizens of the city walked up and down the street going about their daily business. Grettal looked at the bowl dubiously. The last time she tried the concoction, her dreams were haunted by silence and the sound of one lone cricket chirping its sad song all night. When she woke from the dream, one lone cricket was chirping its sad song. All. Night. Long. This problem lasted for a month. Grettal got very little sleep, and the few hours she slept each night felt more like a waste of time to her than like rest. She couldn't stand to go another month without any sleep. She sniffed the bowl and made a terrible face once again. She shrugged and brought the bowl to her lips, drinking it down until it was empty. Grettal wiped the strange mixture from her mouth with the sleeve of her dark midnight-blue robes and stood, waiting.

She watched a tall human running from an angry dwarf, laughing. He chased the man down the street, yelling to stay out of his chicken coop. A knight stood watch nearby for pickpockets. Grettal saw a group of people bartering at a fruit stand.

"Nothing's happening," she said in disappointment, looking down at the empty bowl in her hand. "I just drank gnome shit. Again."

Turning and storming back to the front of the shop, she had a sour look on her face and was not to be tested, but then, something happened. She stopped in a state of surprise.

"Ah, there it is," she smiled, feeling a tingling sensation over her entire body. She turned away from the shop and returned to her spot in the street. The old woman jumped straight up into the air, vanishing out of sight instantly.

Within those same few seconds, she had landed back on the ground from a distant place up in the clouds and walked back into the shop, smiling confidently. Her long, silver, and white hair showed her age as much as the lifelines of wrinkles on her face did, but she felt as if she were half her age. She tossed the bowl back on the shop counter with a satisfied look and pulled another bottle of the strange glowing green liquid off the shelf full of oddities behind her. Pouring the liquid into the bowl, she grabbed another cricket from the tiny thatch cage on the counter. She held it up in front of her nose, glaring at it, and then dropped it into the bowl, getting the same sizzle and clear liquid result. Shaking her head, trying to get the smell of gnome dung out of her nose, she mixed the powder into the clear water again. Under the counter, she pulled out a basket of corked glass bottles. Smiling at finally having the chemical reaction she was looking for, she reached under the counter, pulling out a large piece of papyrus, ink, and a quill to begin making her for-sale sign. 

"Jumping Potions. Half off this w--"she was saying out loud as she wrote, but her old and worn hand holding the quill began to shake.

"Dammit," she grumbled, putting the quill aside and holding her hand in frustration.

The door to the shop opened.

"We're closed. Go away," she said, inspecting the liquid in the bowl. She turned and grabbed the powder, staring into the jar as well.

"I'm not here to shop."

Grettal glanced up from the jar and glared at the man who was browsing the shelves of rat tails and magic rings.

"Zet," she said with disdain and a snarl.

The tall, husky man faced her. His beard was full, and the gray in it showed more than the red did, just like his hair he wore long and pulled back into a braid. He sported a black leather wardrobe that looked charred and burnt and wore a massive two-handed sword in its scabbard on his back. 

"I'm looking for my brothers," the god of evil, fire, and nightmares said as he approached the counter. His blue eyes hinted at a threat.

Grettal stared back with disdain, "Why aren't you in your orb?"

"Is your hearing finally starting to go, old woman? My brothers. Where are they?" Zet demanded. Grettal knew Jaysil had the red orb, the home of the god of justice and knowledge, Noron. She also knew Jaysil held the yellow orb, the home of the god of love, happiness, courage, honor, and virtue, Tanlaura. The teenage wizard named Jaysil held two of the most powerful objects in all of Nerin Toth.

"I don't know where your brothers are. Leave," she ordered the dark evil deity.

"You hag. Were it not for your staff, I would take you to the underworld to Hades myself and leave you to rot. Where are they?" he demanded.

"I don't know. Now leave," she said with a stern glare at the large man, and then shot a glance at her plain wooden staff leaning in the opposite corner of the shop.

"Easy, easy," Zet said, his hands raised as he backed off, also noticing the staff. 

The plain wooden staff flew across the old dusty magic shop into Grettal's hand seemingly of its own will. Grettal held the staff and snarled at the deity, "Leave."

"I'll be back. Be my brothers or not, they are at war with me," he said, but then stopped himself and smiled, "and your friend who knows where they are was warned of what is to come." He opened the door and left. Grettal flinched at the door clicking shut, wondering about Jaysil and the two orbs that held Zet's brothers.

DRAGONDARK

Archive Trilogy - Book Three: "The White Orb"

Created and Written by Craig DeBoard

Cover Art by Craig DeBoard and Ash Jackson 

copyright 2018-2025 Craig DeBoard. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

"Lessons"

"They say that the universes all intersect with one another, much like a scarf made of different colored threads. Each color goes about its way much like each universe, but they touch and weave in and out of each other's existence, creating the garment as a whole. Were even one universe to falter, the entire scarf would unravel," Maron the Wise, also known as Maron the Brave, Maron the Blue, and Maron the Ancient, said.

The four students sat diligently at their desks, taking notes from the master of the mage school in Port Skell, when one of them sniffed the air.

"Smells like stale water," the student noticed.

Jaysil materialized in the front of the class next to Maron, surprising the students. Maron stood at the front of the room to instruct, but was speechless as his former student appeared. The young master wizard, Jaysil, sported a purple mohawk that matched his purple eyes and wore a blue cape over his dark leather pants and tunic. He carried a satchel on his shoulder that held his most prized books and components for spells and the red orb. He also had the yellow orb-topped cane once owned by Captain Beerbeard.

"Master Jaysil. You made it," Maron the Astounded said with relief. 

Jaysil eyed the old wizard with arrogance, "As if there would be any other outcome? I can only stay for a moment, Maron."

Maron's eyebrows raised, "It is that bad then? Students, if you would, please return to your quarters and do a light study this evening on both the mathematics of vampirism and flying carpets--"

"There's no need for them to leave," Jaysil interrupted as the students stood. They stopped and looked to Maron for instruction. "They will be playing a part in the war that I have failed to prevent," he said.

"Would this be the impending god war you mentioned during our telepathic communications?" Maron the Inquisitive asked his former student.

"The same," Jaysil confirmed. The young teen wizard raised the yellow orb-topped cane. The gore and blood that covered Maron and the students from Jaysil's body appeared instantly as his body exploded into a gruesome giant mess that covered the room. The students screamed in fright.

"He didn't bite anyone, did he?" Jaysil asked, walking from the back of the room, pulling his red cape around him as he walked to the front, where Maron stood splattered with blood next to the gore that had once been the imposter Jaysil. The other Jaysil had worn the same clothing, sounded the same, and even carried a duplicate yellow orb-topped cane.

"Master Jaysil?!" Maron the Confused said in surprise. The students, all splattered with blood, were terrified and silent, never taking their eyes off the teenage wizard with the mind of a master sorcerer.

"His name wasn't important. His kind is called Vamesh. Many call them Civil Agents of the Blood," Jaysil said, looking at the pile of flesh and blood remnants that once looked just like him.

"But vampires don't exist?" Maron the Skeptical questioned his former student, Jaysil. 

"They aren't vampires," Jaysil explained, "They're worse. They're humans who can go out in the day, eat garlic, and visit even the holiest of places with nothing harmful befalling them. However, they're still addicted to blood, much like the creatures of legend. They are our worst nightmare come true: wizards who dabble in blood magic."

"I see. Thus, the duplicate appearance of you. But the tomes of the Arcane Sanctuary prohibit anyone from studying the ancient and evil arts of blood magic," Maron the Worried said, quickly walking to the classroom door and locking it. The four students in the room all looked at each other in concern.

"They do, but the laws of the tomes have not been enforced for more than one hundred years," Jaysil said, "which is why I'm here."

Maron carried a grave look of concern, "What would you have us do? I have long since learned to trust in my greatest pupil."

"We must all travel to the Minotaur military city of Azerath in the El Tomathian lands near the capital of Peregren. They are the only ones who practice blood magic and may have the answers we need to avert the impending god war we will all face. The students will have to join us. Leaving them here in Port Skell alone with nothing but pirates won't be good for any of them, or you, which is why I'm here. Things have become worse," Jaysil said.

"Can we clean up first? You made quite the mess of that imposter," Maron said, looking down at the splattered blood covering his blue robes and wiping a bit from his face. 

"Be quick. Someone else is waiting to meet with us," Jaysil said, annoyed by the delay and mess the exploding doppleganger had made.

"Another like us who lives within the magic?" Maron asked.

"No. This is someone who offers--physical protection," Jaysil said.

****

Erron Stairin stood near the front gate of Port Skell, waiting for Jaysil. The front gate of the pirate city on the eastern coast wasn't like the front gate of Peregren, the capital of the El Tomathian lands to the west. Peregren was much larger and was built up the side of a massive cliff face with a moat around the bottom where the front gate sat. While the upper half of Peregren was populated by wealthy dukes and lords and castles and shops, the lower half was dirty and poor, with rogues and criminals lurking around every corner. The downtrodden and destitute, as well as refugees from smaller nearby villages, made up most of the people in the lower half of the city, with sickness and death being the topic of the day. It didn't help that the lower half of Peregren was where the moat and front gates to the city were. Gates that held back thousands upon thousands of undead zombies, all demanding dominance over the living flesh that they craved. Nearly all of the distant pirate city of Port Skell was much like the lower half of the faraway capital of Peregren. Crime, gangs of pirates and thugs, and brothels filled the pirate city controlled by no one but pirates. As for which pirates were in charge, that all depended on who wanted to fight for the position. If a pirate decided they wanted to be mayor, they were mayor until another pirate came along and disagreed. The politics of Port Skell were simple and uncouth, but they worked for the port city that was primarily made up of rope bridges and thatch buildings that rested on the palm beach of the Ulmeer Gulf.

Looking from the seafaring vessels that sat on the water to watch the sky as different sky-ships, hot air balloons, and blimps made their way to and from the port city, Erron decided he had waited long enough and turned to leave from the agreed-upon meeting place. 

"You should not doubt my magic," Jaysil said. The teenage wizard was confident and arrogant before. No longer shrunken to only 8 inches tall and finally fully restored to his normal human size, Jaysil's attitude was unbearable. He magically appeared in front of Erron alongside the other spell-casters with a teleportation spell, leaving a smell of stale water in the air. 

"Are we leaving or not?" Erron said, walking past Jaysil, Maron, and the four apprentice mage students. 

"Well, he's rude," Serel said, as the wizards followed Erron through the city and across the winding rope bridges over the shores and sands of the Ulmeer Gulf. The town of Port Skell was a maze of rope bridges and piers that led from one building to another, all of which sat anywhere from a few feet off the sand of the beach to high in the air, built on stilts fifty feet up in some places. She gave the man a disgruntled look as he walked ahead of her and the others through the pirate city.

"Quiet. If he works with Jaysil, he is likely dangerous," Maron the Experienced softly said to Serel. She pursed her lips and remained silent. The woman was in her late 40s with long, dark brown hair and a braid on each side. Wearing blue robes like all who agreed with the Mage Academy's tenets, hers being a light sky blue, she carried a plain silver staff. 

"Perhaps he's just impatient," another student said. Weston, an older man with thinning hair and a limp, was armed with a staff made of cedar wood and carried a plain burlap sack. His robes were a blue like all academy mages, royal-blue, with a dark midnight-blue cloak.

"He doesn't do well with other people. He lost his family when the plague struck," Jaysil said to Weston.

"We've all lost family," Weston said with a snort of contempt.

"Not the way he lost his. Let's say it wasn't quick," Jaysil said.

"And he will escort us to the Ruins of the Arcane Sanctuary safely?" Maron the Cautious asked his former student.

"No one could get us there safer," Jaysil said as he pulled the Book of Eboni out of his satchel. The ancient tome was not a magical spellbook but was instead a book of history about a faraway land that was believed to exist somewhere across the Onsagulut Ocean. Jaysil could easily teleport via the red orb to his destination, but he knew he wouldn't be able to face what he had to face alone, and Maron and the students of the Academy were the only ones he could go to for help. He needed the ruins within the sanctuary to be able to teleport all of them across the ocean. Teleportation was Jaysil's forte, but such a great distance was beyond his or Master Maron's abilities.

"Perhaps when we arrive at the sanctuary, we can finally discuss relocating the academy back to its rightful home?" Maron said softly to Jaysil so the other wizards wouldn't hear. 

"I have only explored the lower few floors," Jaysil said, trying to hurry after Erron and not wanting to discuss the matter.

"I understand, but with the recent storm event involving King Kargin's new ally, this strange blue-skinned man called Surge, the people of this city have--" Maron was interrupted by a pirate hitting him with his shoulder as they passed on the rope bridge, "--developed a disliking of our kind."

"It is to be expected that the sailors and men of the sea would no longer trust our kind, Maron. You could not allow them within the Academy when that Grimm storm hit these shores. The pirates of this city would have plundered every ancient artifact and tome within, yes, but they were also fighting for their lives. Many of them died," Jaysil said.

Maron hurried as did the other wizards, trying to keep up across the bridges through Port Skell. "I know, but we could not just allow them in," the older wizard, Maron the Mature, with long graying hair and a beard, said, standing by his decision.

"Welcome to the new ways, my former master. There was a time when the public reviled our kind because of the magic itself. Be glad they despise you over such a simple misunderstanding now. Centuries ago, you would have been viewed the same way these pirates view the undead today. Disposable," Jaysil said.  

"The idea that they believe our magic protects the city from the zombies isn't working as well as it once did. Soon, we will no longer be viewed as the source of protection from the undead by the pirates. Where they at one time held a superstition of how powerful our magic was, they now spread rumors of it being the cause of the Grimm storm that killed so many of the townsfolk," Maron said, pulling his hand from one of the rope railings and frowning at the seagull poop he had just grabbed without noticing.

"What is in the halls of the sanctuary could kill the students," Jaysil said, not liking the idea of other wizards wandering about through the halls of the sanctuary where he had gained so much knowledge from. He shrugged, "But then again, if we don't survive this, it won't matter much. Now will it?"

"I suppose not," Maron said.

"You say that as if we are children playing simple card and hat tricks," Serel said as she walked behind the two master wizards, listening to their conversation.

"You will wish they were mere cantrips should you venture those halls!" Jaysil turned and pointed at Serel, "I have met demons in that place of arcane who feed on magic, and when the magic is depleted, those demons are still hungry!"

Maron and the other students stopped in surprise at Jaysil's anger. Serel felt nervous facing the younger, yet far superior and more experienced teenage master wizard. Ofan, another one of the students, gave a nervous laugh, "Perhaps if we didn't use magic we--"

Jaysil turned and began following Erron again, spitting on the ground at Ofan's idea. Maron and the other students hurried to catch up.

"Master wizard, I don't mean to say it isn't dangerous, but we are more than capable of casting magic spells beyond simple cantrips," Serel said, hurrying after Jaysil. She felt she had overstepped her bounds with the younger yet far more experienced Jaysil, but still felt the need to defend her position.

"And that is where you fail, student," Jaysil said, "You simply cast magic spells whereas I live within the magic, no, I breathe the magic. The magic haunts my dreams like a succubus mistress seeking a dark love. I walk with the knowledge of mages from thousands of years before recorded history began, who gave their lives for the art, and I walk with the power of literal gods behind my arcane castings. I barely survived the first few doors of those halls. When we arrive at the sanctuary, none of you are to stray. To do so would be like walking into the home of death itself."

Everyone was silent. Jaysil's description of the Ruins of the Arcane Sanctuary left them stunned. Finally, the fourth and final student spoke up. "At least it doesn't have a magical forest protecting it," Dorron said.

"Be thankful for that. The elves of Kell Va' Renn have a haunted forest already. I watched a tree eat a man," Erron said.

****

The group followed Erron down a small set of wooden steps from the bridge to the sand below and found themselves at the gates of the pirate city.  Four pirates stood guard at the tall wooden gate that opened to the Black Desert. Palm trees and other fauna crowded the area near the gate.

"No one leaves," one of the pirates said.

Chapter 2

"The Jungle Breathes"

The pockmarked and sunburnt pirate stood nose-to-nose with Erron.

"Move," Erron said, unflinching.

The pirate stepped back, holding up his hands in mock defense and chuckling along with the other three pirates standing at the gate to the pirate city on the beach.

"Aye, we'll move out of the way for ye, if that's what ye want. But we've strict orders to let all travelers know the undead on the other side o' those gates are at an unusually high number today. They'll probably eat the whole lot of ye."

Serel sighed a breath of relief, thankful a fight hadn't happened with the pirates.

"We'll take our chances," Erron said as he, Jasyil, Maron the Risk Taker, and the others walked past the pirates through the city gates as they opened to the Black Desert.

The outside of the wooden city walls consisted of a blacksmithing shop, horse stables, and a few homes that housed either the city's most vile and unwelcome or the undead themselves. Zombies milled about, one or two every fifty yards or so, moaning their way through the desert as far as the eye could see. The gates to the city slowly closed behind the group.

"They're far enough away and haven't noticed us yet. Stay quiet," Erron warned. Jaysil and the others did as the man in black instructed and followed him at a quick but quiet pace to the horse stables. Sitting outside of the building, armed with crossbows, were two stable-smiths.

        "Why don't we just teleport there?" Serel asked.

        "We do not need our own magic depleted were we to arrive among mixed company," Jaysil said.

"Aye, are ye lookin' fer a ride then?" a skinny old man with a bushy gray beard and eyebrows to match asked. He then raised his crossbow. Erron took a step back, as did the others, and the old man fired past them, dropping a wandering zombie in the desert that had gotten too close. Erron eyed the old man with distrust.

"What's the cost and what's the transport?" Erron asked. Jaysil and the others shot glances back and forth between the undead that shuffled around only a few dozen yards away and each other with a nervous hesitation.

"We got horses and emels. We barter for clean water, food, sex, and whiskey," the old man said, giving Serel a wink. She stepped to the side and behind the wider and heavier Ofan so as not to be seen.

"Hey," Erron said, catching the old man's attention again, "you're dealing with me, not her."

"Aye, aye, just layin' out th' options is all," the old man said, catching the warning from Erron.

"How much for two emels?" Maron the Wise asked.

"Two casks of whiskey," the old man responded. The younger man who helped guard the stables stood and aimed his crossbow toward a wandering zombie in the distance.

"Done," Jaysil said and vanished. The old man and the young man looked at each other in disbelief at the young wizard's disappearance. Just as quickly, the scent of stale water filled the air as Jaysil reappeared, two casks along with him.

"Did you pay for those?" Weston asked.

"Quiet," Maron The Diligent warned the lanky middle-aged Weston.

"Emels are out back. Saddles and blankets are too," the old man said, nodding in satisfaction as the young man rushed into the small shack, excited to grab mugs for the alcohol.

Erron and the others walked around the shack and barn to the stables in the rear to discover a pen with horses and emels alike. The group saddled up two emels and mounted the large elk beasts with camel-like humps and antlers. They were large enough to carry three passengers each, along with saddlebags. With Jaysil, Serel, and Weston riding one beast and Maron, Ofan, and Dorran riding the other, Erron rode a horse flanking the larger emels as a guard. As the group traveled into the desert, Erron would use his small hand-crossbow to take out any zombies that had strayed too close, or Jaysil would shoot at one with a strange yellow energy that came out of the top of the yellow-orbed cane he carried. The cane that had once been Captain Beerbeard's. For the most part, it seemed the undead were not as massive in number as the pirates at the gate had described. They were common enough to be seen wandering the desert, but there were no large packs to contend with. Jaysil found himself lost in this thought as the emel he rode along with Serel and Weston swayed to and fro, lumbering through the desert. He and Erron had traveled together across the continent from Port Io, where they had parted ways with Turk'en, Captain Hellcat, and her crew. The eight-inch-tall Jaysil had been restored to normal human size, and the teen wizard blended in well enough with Erron. Erron remembered his own time with the red orb in the desert city of Ulnak, also known as Dead Town. He knew that powers far beyond his own were contained within the orbs, and he knew they were far more powerful than that of even Jaysil's magic. If there was a way to use them to stop the undead plague, as Jaysil had told Erron, he wanted to see it through to its end. The two were in search of the third orb, the white orb. Jaysil had determined it would take the work of several wizards at once to locate the white orb, much less to obtain it, but it was the only hope the continent of Nerin Toth had.

"You're thinking about the others," Erron said as he rode the white horse speckled with brown spots next to Jaysil's emel.

"I feel defeated often," Jaysil admitted, "imagine trying to find an object you've never seen."

"From what you've explained, you and your friends should be able to solve that issue," Erron said.

"And we will. It isn't this part of the journey that concerns me. It's what comes after," Jaysil said.

"What does come after?" Serel asked.

"I've traveled across time and through space and have seen the likes of things that would only confuse your mind. What comes after we discover the orb's location is an evil unlike any you have ever known," Jaysil said.

"They also say the same thing of dragons and necromancers, neither of which is anything new to us. Myself, Serel, and the others are not children as you are yourself, Master Jaysil," Weston said.

Jaysil, who sat in the front of the emel's first hump, threw back his head in laughter at Weston who sat behind the rear hump, "With the amount of blackberry juice you've scrubbed into your hairline to hide the gray, you should feel proud dear Weston that I can stomp my feet and tell others like the spoiled brat I am, that I am no longer a child and only a mere 20 summers old. With all due respect to my elders, of course."

Serel snickered at the comeback. Weston scoffed at the insult as if he had smelled something bad. The emel had farted.

"Tomorrow is also my birthday. I will officially be an adult," Jaysil said with a smile.

"Oh, that's exciting! We will do something interesting for you then, to celebrate!" Serel said.

"Like what?" Weston asked, shooing a fly away from his face as the emel let out another cloud of gas. The older wizard coughed and stared behind him at the ass of the animal with anger.

"Oh, you mean to be nice, Weston?" Serel asked.

"No. I was--" the wizard said as he waved in the air at the fly, trying to smack at it, "just saying, what would we do to celebrate the youth's entry into adulthood?"  

"I'll take your shift keeping guard tonight. Happy birthday, kid," Erron said and gave Jaysil a nod.

"Oh, and I can maybe gather some cacti nectar and use it to conjure some entertainment with an illusion spell or two," Serel said with glee.

"That's nice of you guys," Jaysil said, a feeling of happiness coming over him. The usually angry young man showed a rare smile.

"Stop! Stop the transport!" Weston blurted out and jumped from the emel, landing on his hands and knees in the desert sand, and began vomiting. The two emels and Erron's horse came to a stop. Maron The Dutiful climbed down from his emel and hurried to Weston's side.

"Dehydration?" Erron asked.

"Yes," Maron replied as Weston shook his head yes and wiped his mouth on the hem of his blue robes. Erron frowned and looked at the three water flasks stuffed into one of the saddlebags. 

"There's an oasis another hour's ride. Take one of mine and take some time to conjure refills for all of us. The sun is far from setting, and the longer we're exposed like this, the sooner the ghouls will notice us," Erron said, looking across the desert at the various random undead who wandered. He tossed a water flask to Maron and dismounted from his horse, ready to stand guard as Maron The Compassionate tended to Weston. Once he had his bearings again, Weston took his place on the emel. Erron and Maron both remounted as well, and the group began moving again. 

****

Weston dove his face into the crystal clear pool of water. The small, yet beautiful jungle oasis the group had discovered on the long journey was surrounded by palms, which provided much-appreciated shade. Erron and the others had tied off the horse and emels to the trees and took time to replenish themselves at the oasis.

"Get used to trees like this. The farther north we go, the more dense they will become. The temperature will also drop, and oaks and maples will take their place," Ofan said, pulling his boots off and dipping his sweaty feet into the water. Weston gave Ofan a look of disgust and pulled back away from the water as he wiped his mouth.

"We know the landscape changes when we leave a desert, you primate," Weston said with a sneer.

"What he's trying to say is we'll have more access to water and shade come this time tomorrow," Serel said, trying to be helpful.

"Should we camp here for the night?" Dorron asked.

"It's not a good idea to camp in the open in the desert, but if we stay here tonight in this jungle, we won't make it out of the desert by nightfall tomorrow and will have to spend another day in the heat," Erron said, "Which risk are you willing to take? One night in an open desert with no cover and wandering undead, or two?"

"One," Ofan interjected as he scrubbed between his toes in the water and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I was thinking that would be best as well," Erron said as he finished filling his water skin. Weston stared at Erron, holding the waterskin in disbelief. Ofan continued washing his feet. Erron took a swig from the water skin, never taking his eyes off Weston. Weston felt himself begin to almost dry heave a little bit.

"Don't be weak," Erron said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve and walking to his horse. Weston sat in disbelief for a moment. Donnor did his best to begin clipping his toenails with his teeth.

"Enough!" Weston stated in an angry tone. The lanky and tall wizard with blackberry juice scrubbed into his thinning hairline to hide his gray stormed over to Maron, who sat near the water, twenty yards away. "Master Maron, I demand to be recused from this expedition. That man just drank foot water in front of me!"

Maron The Overheated, splashing some cool lake water on his balding head, glanced up at Weston, "Foot water?"

"Yes, he drank foot water in front of me, we are not properly equipped for such an expedition, and I was of the mind that this field trip, as it were, was to be one of discovering magical artifacts and possibly a better understanding of blood magic. How am I supposed to expect a man with no knowledge of the arcane who drinks foot water to be in some way capable of being our party's guard?"

"Let me explain something to you," Erron said as he approached Weston,  "I don't know where you came from--"

"Greyshore--" Weston said, trying his best to look down on Erron, who was the same height.

"Get down!" Erron shouted and tackled Weston into the water. Erron and Weston splashed up from beneath the water. Weston was spitting and flinching, wondering what was attacking them. The wizard wiped the water from his eyes and saw a blurry Dorron being tackled into the water right where he had been standing by a pack of zombies that he was certain were a dozen. One had already ripped Dorron's throat out with its teeth. Erron grabbed one of the zombies and stabbed his dagger through its skull, dropping it. Maron and Ofan ran for the emels. 

"Weston, go! Jaysil, we've stayed here too long!" Erron yelled at the wizards. Jaysil and Serel ran toward the water and pulled Weston out. Erron lost his dagger in the first ghoul but kept fighting, bashing his elbow into the face of another before climbing from the water. The pack of undead stumbled from the water back onto the land and over one another after the group.

"Run, Maron! Run!" Jaysil yelled at the older wizard ahead of him. More undead broke through the treeline into the oasis and began chasing the group. Maron and Ofan untied the animals, climbed onto one of the emels, and snapped the reins. The beast lumbered out of the thicket into the desert with the two wizards on top of it. Erron, Jaysil, Weston, and Serel ran on foot through the small jungle oasis as the pack of undead seemed to swell from a dozen to a large crowd. The large group of zombies had come from nowhere, it seemed, and the group had only just gotten to take a break from traveling. Escaping the small jungle oasis in the Black Desert was easy enough, but leaving behind such an oasis hurt in an all different way when traveling through the parched land. 

"Dorron!" Maron yelled behind him as the group rode away from the oasis on their transports. No one came from the jungle oasis. Maron watched as the small group of trees and the lake grew smaller and smaller the further the group rode away. The old wizard gave another yell for his student, but still nothing changed. No one else came out of the jungle.

****

The two emels and Erron's horse came to a halt outside a dense line of palms.

"Desert ends here," Erron said and dismounted from the horse, happy to have left the zombies behind them. Jaysil, Serel, Weston, Maron, and Ofan dismounted from the emels.

"Are we not going back for Dorron?" Serel asked, looking at the others.

"Child, he was gone before we were even out of there. I'm sorry," Maron The Sad said, hugging Serel. She cried into his shoulder.

"Aren't these elven lands? The edge of one of the Kell forests that borders the desert?" Ofan asked, looking around at the tall jungle that lay before them.

"Yes, but the elves aren't this far east. We should be able to continue traveling north to the mountains, where we'll eventually cross into Peregren. All in all, another month's walk," Erron said.

"A month?!" Weston demanded.

"If we walk, yes," Erron said, freeing his horse and the two emels, which ran off into the desert. Erron began walking into the jungle.

"But we're walking!" Weston said, stumbling into the jungle after Erron. The others followed suit into the dark fauna as the sun began to give way to night.

Slicing through the branches, his twin kopesh blades cut through the forest with ferocity until eventually, Erron found a game trail. "This way," he said.

"How do we even know where we're going?" Weston complained, following behind Erron.

"The eastern end of this particular Kell Forest isn't as wide as the rest of the other elven forests. Provided we continue to head north, we should be able to be through by this time tomorrow evening," Maron The Helpful said.

The group of wizards and Erron decided to make camp for the evening, keeping the firelight low and trying to enjoy a night free of intense heat. As promised, Serel, with the juice of the prickly pear cactus, created an illusion mirage allowing the group to enjoy the sounds of a soft lute being played by an illusionary centaur who had joined them. Ofan eyed the centaur with a wink and gave a smile.

"She's not real, you buffoon," Weston said, poking at the small campfire they all sat around with a stick.

"Just let me enjoy this," Ofan said, smiling with love at the illusory centaur woman with the musical instrument.

Serel sat close to Jaysil by the campfire and took an instant interest in the book he had lost himself in. "What are you reading?" she asked.

"It is called The Book of Eboni. It tells the history of a long and forgotten land across the Onsagulut Ocean. According to these texts, the continent was called Hunhi De," Jaysil said, pointing to the words so Serel could see his reference. Serel leaned closer for a look by the firelight, her brown hair distracting Jaysil from his reading.

"I don't understand what someplace across the ocean has to do with me finding- that is, I mean, us finding any of these artifacts," Weston said, annoyed, tossing a broken stick into the fire.

"According to the book, Hunhi De was the land where a group of celestial beings came from. Those beings are what created the orbs we seek," Jaysil said. 

"Can these celestial beings help us find the white orb?" Serel asked. Jaysil glanced up from the book and realized how close the two were to one another. He uncomfortably coughed to himself, sitting up a little straighter, and stared directly at the fire, at Weston, at Ofan, anywhere but at the beautiful Serel. He began to blush.

"Um, it uh, doesn't exactly work like that," Jaysil said in a tone he was sure was higher pitched than his normal voice. His purple irises glanced around the encampment at the others to see if they had noticed his voice. The wizard hadn't felt this nervous since the time one of his teleportation spells had failed and he had been shrunken and almost eaten by a bird. 

Serel smiled and scooted closer to him, "It's okay," she rested her hand on his forearm, "Tell us more."

"Well, um," Jaysil had never felt this way around a woman before, "They say, that is, I mean, well, the book says that they, I mean the celestial beings, not the people who wrote the book, they don't say anything, I mean I'm sure they do, or rather did, but I mean the celestial beings, they say, that is they talk too, I mean, the book says that..." Jaysil went on to try his best not to fumble his words as he explained the portions of the book he had already read. Serel smiled and gave him her full attention.  

Erron stood away from the camp, looking into the dark, watchful for anything that moved. Maron The Sneaky seemed to step on every twig and rustle every leaf in the jungle, making all sorts of noise as he approached Erron.

"You aren't the most deft, are you?" Erron smiled as Maron The Loud came to stand next to him.

"I wouldn't be a good rogue if that's what you're insinuating," Maron said.

"You should be trying to get some rest and downtime with the others. Don't worry, I'll wake you for your shift to stand watch," Erron said.

The old wizard glanced back at the encampment where the four other wizards talked softly among themselves. He took notice of Serel and Jaysil softly laughing with one another.

"We've already lost one of them," Maron said to Erron. "I know you work for Jaysil, but I can't allow any more harm to come to any of my students," the old wizard said.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to Dorran sooner. That pack was faster and bigger than I could have imagined. One minute they weren't there, and the next they were," Erron said.

"It's a part of the world we live in now. I didn't expect something so soon after we left the city," Maron The Concerned said.

Erron glanced back at the camp in Jaysil's direction, "If that young man is correct about this book and that place, Hihun De, and those orbs, Dorran's death won't have been in vain. If nothing else, he bought the rest of us time," he said. Maron nodded his agreement and made his way back to the fire until it was his turn to keep watch. 

****

"Go! Get those sails set for starboard, ye pansy-assed beach-combers! The fat son of a bitch is gaining on us!" Captain Hellcat yelled at the crew. The ship listed and caught wind and began to pick up speed. Captain Beerbeard's ship became a speck in the distance.

Erron and Turk'en watched Beerbeard's ship become smaller and smaller. The two had agreed to find one another again one day. Erron was going to be traveling to Port Skell with Jaysil to meet with someone who could help him find the white orb. Turk'en had decided to remain with the crew after they had parted ways in Port Io. The dark elf had taken a liking to sailing the seas and skies with the pirates and knew his and his friend's paths were destined to cross again. When Erron and Turk'en parted ways in Port Io, a large green dragon swooped down from the sky and swallowed Turk'en whole.

"Turk!" Erron yelled, sitting up in a cold sweat from his slumber. He glanced around. The others all slept comfortably near the campfire in the jungle. Off in the treeline, Maron The Sleepy could be heard snoring at his watch post. Erron glanced at the fire, collecting his thoughts. The nightmare had seemed so vivid. He knew his friend was safe and hadn't been eaten by a dragon, but he also knew dreams carried messages.

The warrior stood from his resting spot near the fire and walked to Maron's post, where he slept against a tree. Trading places with the elder wizard, Erron took on a second watch that night as Maron sleepily stumbled back to the fire to rest near the others. He knew the plan of Jaysil had come up with was a good one. Traveling to Peregren to meet with Grettal before venturing into the Arcane Sanctuary to discover the location of the third orb, the white orb, was a wise decision. From there they would go to Azerath and see the Minotaurs to learn how fight against blood magic, and then finally to Hihun De across the Onsagulut Ocean. The ancient woman was known for having answers to questions that hadn't been asked and solutions for problems that often couldn't be solved. With her help, making it through the upper floors of the magical towers could be possible. Erron knew he could fight one kind of undead. But the other kind that Jaysil had been warning him of, Erron worried about more. He had been battling ghosts for a long time.

Chapter 3

"This Old House"

Surge sat with Snow Whitney on the porch of the small home located in the heart of Peregren. Since arriving in the strange realm of Nerin Toth, the two had tried to make the best of it. They didn't venture out of the city. Their adventure that had led them from the city of Chicago back on Earth had shown them enough of Nerin Toth to convince them the safest place was behind the walls of the capital of the Kingdom of El Tomath. Snow pushed on the wooden plank porch with her feet as the two gently rocked back and forth on the porch swing while brushing her long black hair. Surge, with his glowing red eyes, gave a smile and wink at the woman he loved as he put his arm around her shoulder. The large, blue-skinned, muscular man from an underwater world called Pacifica in the place they called Earth, smiled as a few children hurried down the cobblestone street playing kick the can.

"You should have a baby," Surge said, enjoying the gentle and warm spring air. 

"Excuse me?" Snow said and laughed.

"I mean, we should have a baby. I'm just saying, this could be a great place to raise kids," Surge said.

"It's nice here, it seems like every need we have is met, but still, I don't know-" Snow said.

"But still what?" Chris asked. Surge was still trying to learn how to relate to people. He was a magical being created by The Artist, yet was also the son of a Greek deity, and now had two human souls within him. The souls of Chris Rook and Surge's former partner during his time with the Grimm, Indiana Police Department, Black Cheetah, now resided within Surge. Black Cheetah was believed to have been an ancient African fable brought to life based on tears of oppression and a will to fight for honor and justice. Chris Rook was a leader among his peers who fought against hate and bigotry. All of this together made up the strange and enigmatic man with blue skin who was Surge.

"But still, there's a lot of zombies out there," Snow said with a nervous laugh, resting her head on Surge's shoulder. She worried about how long the gates and walls could keep out the thousands of zombies outside of the capital city. Others had told her they hadn't had a breach since the undead had appeared almost half a decade prior, but she had seen enough television shows to not let her fears completely subside. 

"Normally, I'd agree," Chris said, sipping the glass of grassberry tea in his hand.

"But--?" Snow asked.

"But I can go clear a bunch of them out from time to time, ya know?" Chris said, referencing his super-human strength and speed, and his attribute of enhanced regeneration. The blue-skinned hero from the depths of the ocean and the mind of a twisted madman of an artist was confident in his abilities.

"No!" Snow said, sitting up, uncomfortable with the line of conversation, "We've been through this! I don't want you to be a city guard. It's too dangerous. We are safe and have everything we need here in the upper reaches of the city!"

"But I would be good at it. I mean, I did well enough as a cop back home, and--"

"Chris, that was then. This is home now. This is a new life for us," she said, squinting hard at her fingertips as she conjured two ice cubes from thin air to drop into Surge's tea. Snow Whitney's body now housed the soul of Surge's ex-wife, Arctic, a woman from Chicago named Jennifer Jacobs who had an enhanced ability to drop the temperature of water molecules in the air, giving her the power to control the coldness of the elements. Snow wasn't sure how it had happened, other than during the Grimm storm when the two had thwarted Annabelle Hitler Jr's undead zombie army in the abandoned city called Jemeroth in the Black Desert. 

"I know this is home now, and I know this is a new life for us. And that's exactly why I think we should try," he said, handing her his glass and allowing her to take a sip. She drank from the glass and was quiet for a few moments before speaking. She knew she wasn't getting younger and was confident in the safety of the upper reaches of the city. Swallowing her drink, she licked her lips and smiled at him.

"Okay," she said, "let's try."

****

James, Aldion, Lopex, Bonejack, Tommy Tallfellow, Tangerine Tallfellow, Turk'en, and Pensha Castlo stood on the deck of The Hell's Mary as the pirate ship rested in the bay of Port Io, as Captain Hellcat gave orders.

"And this time, James, ye better keep Bonejack with ye. The last time we docked anywhere, ye and Lopex destroyed an entire bar. I should nae have to assign ye a babysitter. Yer my first mate after all," she said.

"Aye, Cap'n, but that scrap wit those damnable dwarves ten years ago in Greyshore should be off me record by now, yeah?" James, the First Mate of The Hell's Mary, said in defense.

"Aye, it is, but we be needing no mishaps. With the Sky Palace out of commission and our crew stuck with this junk heap of a ship--"

The ship slightly listed and groaned.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Captain Hellcat said gently patting the rail of the ship reassuring it, "What I mean to say is with this wonderful sea-faring vessel that can't take to the skies like the old Sky Palace could, we can't be risking losing it due to confiscation upon our untimely arrests for drunken bar brawls."

"That sounds like a really long way of saying don't get in any fights," Tommy Tallfellow, the aging halfling, said.

"Aye, but I need it understood. If we lose this ship, we walk. Now are ye pirates or are ye walk-rats?" the captain asked.

"I'm a pirate! Yarg!" Turk'en said in his best pirate voice.

"She's trying to make sure the youngest of us understand, you ninny," Pensha said, elbowing her boyfriend Turk'en in the ribs while nodding in the direction of Tommy's daughter, Tangerine Tallfellow, the young halfling-elf alchemist.

"She's a pirate too!" Turk'en said helpfully, pointing at Tangerine.

"I am?" Tangerine said, confused, then smiled and put her fists on her hips and stood with pride, "Yeah, I am! I'm a pirate!"

"I was first," Tommy Tallfellow, Tangerine's father, said. He put his fists on his hips and stood with pride as well. Tangerine stuck her tongue out at him.

"We're gonna end up as walk-rats," Bonejack said.

"Aye," Aldion agreed with his old friend.

"We aren't gonna end up as walk-rats, ye scallywags! Just don't be gettin' into no fights! Do ye understand me? Or it's me you'll be dealing with later!" Captain Hellcat shouted the order this time.

"Aye, Captain!"  "Cap'n!"  "Captain!"  "Your majesty!"  "Cap!"  "Miss Hellcat"  "Captain Hellcat!"  "Ma'am!"  The entire crew failed miserably, shouting different acknowledgements all at the same time that they had understood. Hellcat sighed and tried not to lose her temper.

****

Kargin El Tomath, the King of El Tomath, sat on his throne in his castle at the top of the city of Peregren. A scribe scurried away from the throne room as Kargin eyed the parchment in his hand that has been delivered to his kingdom by the elves of the Kell, Kell Va', and Kell Va' Renn forests. It was hand-written by Tank Tallfellow, the halfling-elf king of the elves, son of Tommy Tallfellow and Zoei Fantasy. Kargin had known the news of the city gate was bad, but wasn't expecting it to be this bad.

"Johan, I need you to send another contingent of troops to the gate. The packs of undead are growing larger, and we've lost another four guards in just a day and a half," the king said, worried about dwindling troop numbers.

"Yes, you're majesty," the Knight of El Tomath said, bowing and rushing out of the throne room. As the knight left, another entered, followed by an older and balding man along with a woman who carried an infant. The knight hurried to the side of the royal court herald and whispered in his ear. The herald stepped forward and addressed King Kargin.

"Your Highness, may I present to you, Taum and Katherine Fishers, of the village of Alemeir.

Kargin's eyes opened wide with surprise. The king rushed down from his throne to the fishmonger family he had once known and embraced them.

"Taum! My old friend, it's been far too long!" Kargin said with a wide smile. 

Taum smiled and shook Kargin's hand vigorously, "Yes, far too long. You remember Katherine, of course," Taum said, gesturing to his wife.

Kargin caught his breath at Katherine's beauty. His cheeks turned red at his embarrassment. Memories of the night he and Katherine had spent together came rushing back. The king looked to Taum with shame. Kargin knelt to one knee.

"I was a fool. I laid claim to what wasn't mine and took your wife as my own because of my arrogance, cursed upon me by my royal station. I beg your forgiveness, my friend," Kargin said, looking at the floor as he knelt in front of the couple.

"Nay! I should be the one apologizing," Taum said, helping his friend to his feet. Kargin was confused.

"I should have had us here sooner, but the recent damnable storm and the undead made traveling hard," Taum said. Kargin still looked on, confused.

"My friend, allow Katherine and myself to introduce you to your daughter," Taum said as Katherine showed the infant to the king. Kargin fainted.

****

"And so you see, our troops are ready to board and set sail, mistress. Once we arrive on Nerin Toth's shores, we will overrun everything. And ultimately, Peregren will fall," the large creature said. 

The dark elf looked up at his massive form and smiled with malice in her eyes, "Good, general. I will have revenge for my brother's death."

"From your tales of his prowess, he would have been an honor to fight beside," the general said, the sun glinting off his bronze armor.

"Yes, he would have been," she said as the two walked from the shipping docks to the beach where the large green dragon known as Sarsethok waited while gnawing on half a deer.

"His death will be avenged, you have my word, Pharoa Eboni," the general said.

"And your kind shall once again rule Nerin Toth," Sabal, the dark elf, smiled as she watched the armies of the large elephant men armed with axes and swords board the iron warships on the shores of Hunhi De, the distant and forgotten continent. Eboni was a name the dark elf had not heard in centuries. The ancient story of the war mage Eboni was one only told by those who studied the darkest of arts. The ancient queen had once ruled over all the realms in the world, from Hihun De to Nerin Toth to even the distant Islands of Camash. None stood in her way during her evil reign that lasted for a millennium. She had subjugated the entire world, and her rule came to an abrupt end during an ancient war most historians weren't aware existed. It was called the War of Eternity in the ancient Book of Eboni. A battle of the oppressed peoples of the world clashed with her armies of elephant men, dragons, and mountain giants. During the conflict, the ancient staff of Eboni had been broken in half, releasing the soul energy of the gods. Countless people across the world were killed by the magical storm created by the staff breaking, including Eboni herself. It had taken eons for elder magi of ancient times to capture the magic essence of the gods into three magical orbs. A red one, a yellow one, and a white one. Within the red orb was Noron, the god of information, balance, and justice. Within the yellow orb was Tanlaura, the good god of life, happiness, love, charity, and prosperity. And within the white orb was Zet, the evil god of hatred, war, murder, fire, and destruction. The three orbs were lost over time and ended up in different places. Eboni, however, was elsewhere, in the nether, a lost soul wandering the world in search of a host. She had found one and brought down death and sorrow everywhere she went until she died again. She then found another host and did the same. This continued for thousands and thousands of years until one day Eboni found the dark elf, Sabal. 

"Hades, The Devil, and Poseidon have everything in place within Peregren," Annabelle Hitler Jr. said as she approached Sabal. The crazed niece of Adolph Hitler, with her uncle's face stapled over her own, stood next to her ally as she watched the armies of the undead walk into the ocean.

"It's a shame we can't have them on the ships with the elephant men," Sabal said concerning Annabelle's army.

"It is, but they do not breathe. Most of them will not survive the trek across the ocean floor to Nerin Toth, but enough will still be able to make it to infect the people there and replenish our ground forces," Annabelle said.

"I still disagree with your plan. They will not arrive in time for the coming war. My elephant men will not fight for long without allies. They do not trust others easily," Sabal said.

"The time-slip bangle I wear on my wrist will open a portal halfway across the ocean, allowing all of us a timely arrival. It's how I escaped to this horrible place from Earth," Annabelle said.

"Yes. I'm sure that's how it happened. Technology is a wonderful school of magic," Sabal said with a smug grin.

"Yes, it is," Annabelle said, unaware.

****

Splitting the fibers of the wooden board, the nail drove through and held in place. Satisfied, Surge smiled and grabbed another nail and began hammering the wall of the shed again. The tiny one-roomed storage shack sat off the back of the old house he and Snow owned in the city of Peregren. For his service and valor against Annabelle Hitler Jr in the Black Desert near Port Skell, King Kargin had gifted the home to Surge and Snow as a thank-you. Every need the two had was always met. Fresh foods were delivered daily. Even the finest of herb and drink was delivered. They had made friends in the city, and the two lived a peaceful and happy life, or at least as much as two people from another world could enjoy a city under siege from the undead.  

"Chris, I have lunch for you," Snow said, walking through the backyard carrying a platter of venison and buttered bread baked with the finest of herbs. Surge turned toward her and saw the look of terror on her face. He turned to follow her gaze to the sky. A large sky ship was speeding out of control toward their home.

Chapter 6

"Gambling"

"Sabal is the Pharoa Queen, let her figure it out. I did my part in Nerin Toth, as did you two" The Devil said to Hades as the two of them sat at the old table in The Underworld, the homes of Hades. The Devil threw down a two and a nine and frowned, "damn it, I'm out." He pushed his gold coins across the table toward Hades who readily collected them into his growing pile of winnings. The Devil poured himself another shot of what looked to be a red glowing liquor.

"Do not include me in what you did for Sabal in Nerin Toth. I witnessed the beating God gave you in Grimm, Indiana and am merely taking an interest as an unbiased observer," Hades said shuffling the deck of cards.

"That's bullshit. Don't tell me you're just giving all these undead to Poseidon and Annabelle for free. I know better, you old coot," The Devil said with a smirk and adjusted his glasses as he glanced at the new cards being dealt to him.

"My undead being given to them is for my own reasons and there are more where they came from."

"I just came, and it was great!" Poseidon said approaching the table stark naked with his arms around the shoulders of two women and a smile across his face.

"Man, put on some damn pants! No one wants to see your seaweed!" The Devil said, struggling to take his gaze away from Poseidon.

"You found the accomodations suitable then?" Hades asked his brother.

"They're good. I'll be staying here for a while if that's okay. Let Annabelle and Sabal have their fun in Nerin Toth while I contemplate my next move," Poseidon said, taking a seat and being dealt in to the hand.

"Well, I'm going back to Grimm. I think Earth being invaded by zombies is great!" The Devil said.

"It's not," Hades said.

"What do you mean it's not?!" The Devil asked.

"Between the armies Poseidon needed for Nerin Toth for his dealings with Annabelle and God cleaning up Grimm, things are relatively boring in Indiana now," Hades said.

"You mean it's just a normal place now?!" The Devil said.

"Just because you were arrogant enough to get in God's way doesn't mean I will," Hades said, throwing down a card.

"He got in my way! This is bullshit!" The Devil was angry.

"Bro, he kicked your ass!" Poseidon laughed.

"Shut up," The Devil frowned.

"You were all 'But I'm on vacation!' and He was all BAM! and plastered your ass!" Poseidon mocked and laughed at The Devil.

"It wasn't a fair fight!" The Devil argued.

"And you were all, 'Oh no, my glasses!'" Poseidon laughed.

"They're prescription!" The Devil whined.

"I would have stayed out of his way," Hades said.

"Fuck. I'm out," The Devil said throwing down his remaining cards again and crossed his arms in a huff. "What's on TV?"

Hades picked up the remote control and clicked on the old television. Captain Hellcat was seen talking to The Ranger.

****

Captain Hellcat of the Sky Palace II stood on the deck of her glorious sky ship she had recently acquired through a game of dice in a bar in Port Io. She was an excellent gambler and no one ever tried to welch on their bets against her. To do so would mean facing her wrath. Which usually ended in her breaking someone's arm, as if she didn't already break enough hearts. 

"It's a fine ship," The Ranger said, leaning against the rail, the hood of his cowl concealing his identity. 

"Do ye think the rest o' the crew will like it?" Hellcat asked.

"You're in command of two ships now. One more and you'll be an admiral. I think they'll enjoy it very much," The Ranger said, "Have you decided who will captain The Hell's Mary while you captain the new Sky Palace?" 

"Aye, it will be James. He's been an excellent First Mate, but it'll be difficult without him to get after my own crew. We'll be needing to hire on new hands," she said.

"With your permission of course, I would like to stay on the Sky Palace with you," The Ranger said.

"Aye. I think I'd like ye to stay too," she said, nearing him and then suddenly glancing down in a shy manner.

"It won't be like it was before my love. There have been rumors. Of men," The Ranger said.

Hellcat grasped the pearl necklace around her neck she had acquired so many years ago from Frances, the barkeep in Port Skell. It had been a gift from The Ranger that had been stolen and was all she had to remind her of The Ranger. "I can explain."

"Explanation of rumors isn't necessary. You're safe now. That's what matters. I just need to know where your heart is," The Ranger, her long lost love asked. 

"It's with the sky and sea as it always has been," she said, putting her hand on his chest.

"No other pirates?" The Ranger asked.

"Nae, not a single one. There was lust during our time apart, but nothing more. Times that killed the boredom was all."

"James? Kargin?" The Ranger asked.

"James? Nae. There was a moment with Kargin, aye, but we are too different. He's a good man. He's a king and friend and will always be close to my heart, but I'm a pirate true. And he knows that," she said.

"Then I'll be a part of The Hell's Mary crew," The Ranger said.

"What? Why not stay here on the new Sky Palace with me like ye said?" She asked, not understanding.

"Because I want you to miss me," he kissed her.

Chapter 7 

"Erron and Grettal's Conversation"

1 Mooncycle (Month) Later.

"Why aren't you in your orb?" the old woman had asked.

Grettal sat in her shop recalling the conversation between herself and Zet, the deity of evil, fire, and everything dark. He had never given her an answer and it bothered the old and ancient wizardress. She knew with him on the loose all of Nerin Toth was in peril.

The conversation between herself the evil powerful deity didn't go well. She knew when to not test her limits of deities and he knew that even though she was only human she was one of the most powerful in existence. It had been a stalemate with Zet storming out of the shop, and to where, Grettal was unsure. All she knew was that it bode no good will for anyone having the evil deity of fire and darkness roaming about. The bell at the top of the door of her small shop in the city of Peregren chimed. She glanced up from her reading at the counter.

The man in black leather armor walked in, wearing his black duster leather trenchcoat and armed with two kopesh swords. A group of wizards in blue robes and one with a red cape followed him in. Grettal's eyebrow raised in surprise.

"May I help you?"

Erron said nothing and stepped to the side. The four blue robed wizards, Weston, Ofan, Serel, Maron The Wise, and Jaysil The Red Curse approached the counter.

"Well I'll be a succubus' right tit! Maron! I shouldn't be surprised to see you and yet I am, along with Master Jaysil and others," Grettal said.

"It is good to see you too wizardress, although I would have hoped it would be under better terms," Maron The Concerned said.

"Why did you just not communicate telepathically?" she asked, casting a concerned glance toward the wizard Ofan who was sticking his bulbous nose too far into a cage of barbed bats that sat on one of the dusty shelves of the magic shop.

"We could not risk being discovered," the much younger and opportunistic Jaysil answered.

"I'll be waiting outside for payment," Erron said and gave a nod to Jaysil. The young wizard nodded back and Erron exited the magic shop.

"We are searching for the third orb. Young Master Jaysil here already has the red and yellow orbs," Maron The Mystical said, also casting a glance at Ofan who was now sticking his finger in the cage of the barbed bats.

"This is such an amazing place," Serel said looking around the inside of the small but crowded shop. 

"My humble apologies Mistress Grettal. My much lower caste peer here has never been around such a wide variety of components and equipment," Weston said, also staring in awe at the small and crowded magic shop. Grettal smirked at the arrogant wizard's bravado.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with the white orb," she said, returning her attention to Jaysil, but I do know where it is."

****

Captain Hellcat eyed her crew. Her new first mate Aldion Stormbringer, Punky the barking monkey, Turk'en Rah'ell, Pensha Castlo the burglar, Tommy Tallfellow and his daughter Tangerine Tallfellow, and some of the ugliest and most mismatched scallywags Port Io had to offer struggled to stand still in an orderly fashion.

"Look here landlubbers! I'll nae be tolerating any horseplay, mischief or general foolhandredry aboard the Sky Palace II on our way to Port Skell. Is that understood?" she yelled the order as the massive sky ship floated above the city.

"What about exceptional foolhandredry?" Tangerine whispered out of the corner of her mouth to her father.

"Shhh child, she allows that, just don't let her see," Tommy Tallfellow said to his daughter.

"Something funny here, you no good sand suckers?" Hellcat said eying Tommy and Tangerine.

"No ma'am!" Tommy said standing at attention and saluting with the left hand and then correcting himself and saluting with the right one. "Nope!" Tangerine said bowing as if she were a knight.

"I know a good joke! What happens when you call a goblin who's been kicked in the basement?" Turk'en offered.

"Turk, shut up!" Pensha scolded the dark elf who she loved deeply.

"This nae be a joking matter Mister Turk'en!" Hellcat shot her fury at the dark elf.

"I was just gonna say hobblin'," he muttered under his breath.

"Our mission is quite simple you dirty deck rats! To beat The Hell's Mary in a race to Port Skell. Is that clear?" she shouted.

"Aye!" Most of the crew shouted in unison.

Tangerine raised her small hand. Hellcat sighed in exasperation. "What?"

"What's a deck rat?"

"Decorations," Tommy tried to help.

Hellcat rubbed her temples annoyed and grasped her pearl necklace thinking of The Ranger.

****

"It is agreed then, we shall wait here in Peregren for Zet's attack. If he is here, then logically the white orb is near," Maron The Discerning said.

"It would seem our plans have changed then. I will be going back to the Arcane Sanctuary outside of the city to see to my studies. You know how to to reach me. Erron, Maron will see to your payment for your escort. Thank you for ensuring our survival on the trip here," Jaysil said and nodded. Erron nodded back. Jaysil gave Serel a smile causing her to blush and then vanished leaving the stench of stale water common with teleportation spells behind him.

"Master Erron, if you could meet with me this evening at The Stone Giant Inn, I shall have your payment in full.

"Thank you," Erron said. The four blue robed wizards then said their goodbyes to Grettal and left the area to explore the city of Peregren. Erron and Grettal stood alone.

"You aren't like the others," Grettal said to the man in black.

"Am I supposed to be?" Erron said, not understanding Grettal's statement.

"Not at all! But there is something that sets you apart from them. How long has it been?" she asked.

Erron stared at the old woman and knew what she meant.

"We've all lost someone. You have to let go," she advised.

Erron stared at her in silence.

"I can see them. The ghosts. She is with you. Right next to you. As is your son," she said.

Erron grabbed the old powerful wizardress by the collar of her robes in a silent rage.

"I wouldn't. I cast a spell on you to wipe your mind of them forever before I finished my sentence. Were I to even think it you would forget them forever and I could force you to let them go. And I don't think you're prepared for that. So I suggest that you just--let go," she finished as Erron gently let go.

"I don't know what to do," Erron said, hanging his head in shame.

"What did you do before?" Grettal asked.

"I was a farmer. Wheat mostly. And goats," he said.

"Do that. But in an all new way. The way she would have wanted you to. The way that would have made your son proud," she offered.

"I don't know. Maybe," he said.

"Maybe?! MAYBE?! Do you not realize what I am capable of?!" The old woman yelled at Erron, poking him in the chest, "I converse with gods and walk the celestial stars every night, mortal! And you dare say maybe?! Maybe?! Suit yourself! But you aren't allowed to shop here anymore!"

"But I never--"

"Let. Them. Go." she said.

Erron had never had anyone talk to him in such a way before. Grettal's heart broke for the man in black leather. 

"I'll think about it," he said and turned, walking away. He made it twenty yards down the street as the sun was setting.

"Erron!" she calld after him. He turned and glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Try painting!" She smiled as a tear fell from her eyes.

Chapter 8

"Have At Thee!"

"Have at thee!" Amerath the Sailor stated in defiance, waving his cutlass in front of him threatening Bonejack. The old man smacked the blade away deftly with his own and punched the young dwarf on the top of the head.

"Ow!" the dwarf whined, rubbing his brown hair and frowning.

"Watch my feet and eyes, not my blade ye daft landlubber! You're all landlubbers! Everyone's a landlubber!" Bonejack shouted at the crew of The Hell's Mary as it sat on the ocean, docked in Port Io waiting to depart for Port Skell.

"Yer laundry lady's a landlubber!" 

"Yer landlord's a landlubber!"

"Yer mudder's a landlubber!" The shouts from the crew came back as everyone went about their way preparing the ship formerly owned by the evil Captain Beerbeard.

"Yarg," Bonejack muttered.

"Fall in!" James shouted. The crew of The Hell's Mary all gathered around their new captain and his bodyguard, the mute ogre Lopex.

Captain James Surefire eyed his crew with scrutiny, his bodyguard Lopex, and his new first mate suggested by Hellcat, The Ranger, Bonejack who manned the crow's nest, the new recruit Amerath the Sailor, and the uglier than the ugliest of the Sky Palace that Port Io had to offer in terms of seamanship.

"As the new Captain of this beautiful ship and all she offers us, the lot o' ye better understand I won't tolerate any jackassery!" James ordered. One of the crew raised their hand. James rested his hand on the flintlock pistol that rested on his hip. The hand went down.

"Aye, we be in a race to Port Skell in the morning with our sister ship the Sky Palace II captained by the exquisite Hellcat who also owns this fine ship that I captain, and who ye all will respect the same as ye do me. To do otherwise means a plug in the head! Am I understood?!"

"Aye!" they all shouted in perfect unison.

"Dismissed," James said and the crew went back to their duties of preparing the ship for the journey the next morning.

"That went better than expected," The Ranger said.

"Aye, it did, didn't it?" James said, a smile on his face. He had never been a full captain before and it felt good to know he had earned his new position.

"Just remember, we still answer to her," The Ranger said as he and James and James' ogre bodyguard Lopex crossed the deck.

"Aye," James said, glad that things were finally falling into place.

The Rangers gaze fell across the ocean. "What in the blazes is that?"

James stood in shock. Lopex snarled.

"Beerbeard," James said.

****

The undead army had walked for a month across the ocean floor from the continent of Hihun De, under the command of Annabelle and Beerbeard who both rode on the iron warships of the armies of the elephant men above, and Sabal who flew dragon back on Sarsethok even higher. As the undead marched onto the shores surrounding Port Io and the massive warships of the elephant men came into view, the citizens of Port Io panicked and fled in fear. It had not been a battle. It has been a massacre. Nearly everyone in Port Io who did not flee had been killed.

****

"Batten those hatches!" James shouted as The Hell's Mary raced south along the coast.

"Captain, we have to go much faster than this or we'll never outrun them!" The Ranger said pointing at the two massive iron warships chasing The Hell's Mary along the coast.

"I'm not running! I'm planning!" James shouted back at his first mate.

"Planning what?!" The Ranger shouted over the rushing waves.

"I'm thinking about it!"

****

"Batten those hatches!" Hellcat shouted as The Sky Palace II raced across the continent as two sky ships and Sarsethok chased it. Aldion looked at The Toi Swamp as they raced through the land through the air.

"Captain, we have to go much faster than this or we'll never outfly them!" Aldion yelled over the rushing wind as the dragon and pursuing sky ships built up speed.

"We aren't flying, we're leading," Hellcat snarled under her breath knowing the trap she was taking Sabal into.

"A plan would probably be good!" Aldion, her new first mate shouted to her.

"Plans get broken, I have an idea," she said, grasping the pearl necklace.

****

James had seen the massive armies of iron warships and sky ships manned by elephant men and led by Captain Beerbeard coming just as everyone else had. What he did not expect were the undead to come crawling out of the ocean onto the piers and shores of Port Io, nevermind the massive green dragon being ridden by a dark elf. The dragon had incinerated with fire breath everything the undead had not devoured. As soon as James had seen the Sky Palace II fleeing overhead he knew The Hell's Mary had to do the same. The best he could think of was to head south to Parr Bay and sail across it toward Peregren for reinforcements from King Kargin's army. If nothing else he knew he could at least get a word of warning to the Minotaurs of Azerath or the elves of Kell along the way if he and the crew couldn't make it to the capital of Peregren alive. 

"How long until we reach the bay?!" James shouted, storming across the ship as the crew worked as quickly as they could readying cannons and adjusting masts.

"At this rate? At least four hours, maybe fix or six!" The Ranger shouted back.

"Full speed ahead!" James shouted.

****

"Captain, I can see Peregren in the distance! We're going to make it!" Aldion shouted, lowering himself by his rope seat from the crow's nest. The shipped rocked.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" Hellcat yelled as she tried to maintain her footing.

"It's that dragon! We're okay, but if we take another hit like that we'll go down!" Pensha yelled, recalling the first time the crew had encountered Sarsethok.

"How long until Peregren?" Hellcat demanded of her first mate Aldion, hoping her idea would work.

"At this rate? A half hour!" Aldion shouted back.

"Let me know at ten until!"

****

The Hell's Mary picked up speed and James knew what he would do next would either save everyone's lives or get everyone on board The Hell's Mary killed.

"Captain?" Bonejack shouted from the crow's nest, "we're losing them but if we go much faster they'll turn back toward Port Io and go after Hellcat and the Sky Palace!"

"Damn," James muttered, knowing what he had to do, "starboard bow!"

"What?! No! You're going to get us all killed! We won't survive!" The Ranger yelled.

"I said starboard bow damn it!" James shouted, tears welling up in his eyes. He and The Ranger stared at each other, both unwavering. The crew worked as fast as they could. The ocean was a rush of speed beneath them. Captain Beerbeard on one of the two iron warships manned by elephant men could be seen gaining speed.

The Ranger conceded with a nod and shouted his captain's order at the crew, "Starboard bow!"

The ship turned to the right and began going out to sea. 

****

"Ten until!" Aldion shouted to Hellcat.

"Stop!" She shouted.

"What? Why?!" Aldion was flabbergasted.

"I said stop, damn it!" Hellcat yelled and began storming across the deck to kick Aldion's ass.

"Stop! She said stop!" Aldion yelled at the crew, more afraid of Hellcat now than the pursuing sky ships and dragon.

The Sky Palace II lurched as it halted, tossing crew members across the deck, and the dragon went streaking past in a blur of speed.

"Full speed ahead!" she yelled.

"Go!" Aldion shouted.

The Sky Palace II's combustion steam engines fired and the ship lurched again, this time forward at an alarming speed. Sarsethok, the great green dragon, was confused and looked back behind himself at the Sky Palace II he had flown past.

"Get them!" Sabal shouted from her saddle on the dragon's back. The dragon arched and turned and gave a flap of his wings picking up speed and headed directly at the Sky Palace II.

****

Annabelle on one of the giant iron warships, and Beerbeard on the other, chased James and the crew of The Hell's Mary out into the Onsagulut Ocean. James had been successful in his ruse, leading the majority of the elephant men army and Beerbeard and Annabelle away. Now he was concerned about how to save his own crew in the one lone wooden ship.

****

The undead rampaged across Nerin Toth, the common undead man who craved living flesh, along with the giant undead Pacifians, the people of Surge's race, who had died a millenia ago that Poseidon and Annabelle had raised from the dead with the help of Hades. The apocalypse had come to Nerin Toth and no city, no small town, was safe. Elves, dwarves, men, and the other races of Nerin Toth were hunted by the undead everywhere. There was no solace to be found, save for a few places, like the kingdom capital city of Peregren, and the secretive forests of the elves led by Zoei Fantasy and her and Tommy Tallfellow's son, Tank Tallfellow. And now Peregren was being surrounded worse by the undead than it ever had before.

****

"Captain! We're over Peregren! Should we land?" Aldion shouted.

"Go up!" she yelled seeing the dragon coming directly at them and taking in a deep breath.

"Aye!" Aldion yelled.

The fireball from the dragon hit the ship full force in its stern causing a massive explosion and ripping it in two. The front half hurtled down directly toward the city.

"Chris, I have lunch for you," Snow said, walking through the backyard carrying a platter of venison and buttered bread baked with the finest of herbs. Surge turned toward her and saw the look of terror on her face. He turned to follow her gaze to the sky. A large sky ship was speeding out of control toward their home.

****

"Ranger, I need ye to do what only ye can!" James shouted as The Hell's Mary went further out to sea.

"I commune with nature as the druids do! I do not use it in this way!" he yelled back in defiance.

"If'n ye don't we're all fekkin' dead!" James argued.

The Ranger frowned in disapproval for a moment and then finally nodded, "it might kill us too!"

"It's our only chance!" James shouted. The Ranger gave a nod and closed his eyes and concentrated. His ability to mentally communicate with animals was something all Rangers were taught to do but he wasnt happy about putting one in harm's way. Especially this one knowing it could kill them all.

"Well?" James yelled, watching as the two giant iron warships manned by Annabelle and Captain Beerbeard came closer. The captain knew there was no way his ship could survive against the two iron warships. The Ranger opened his eyes. 

"It's undead. It cannot communicate back. But I know where it sleeps! Two hundred, maybe two hundred and ten yards north east!" The Ranger shouted.

"Two hundred or two hundred and ten?!" James yelled.

"Damn it, I don't know!" The Ranger yelled.

"Ye have to know or we die!" James yelled.

"Two hundred and and ten!" The Ranger yelled.

"Go!" James ordered. The ship listed to the right and the crew hustled as fast as they could. At two hundred and ten yards James yelled for them to go faster. The Ranger looked concerned.

"Trust me!" James yelled. 

The Ranger was silent. 

"Trust me!" James yelled in desperation. The Ranger nodded.

The ship passed the marker The Ranger had told James about and the captain ran to the rear of the ship and watched as the two warships neared the marker.

"Drop anchor! Drop anchor now!" James shouted.

"Drop anchor!" James first mate, The Ranger, shouted.

The large anchor from The Hell's Mary fell into the ocean slamming into the head of the beast with a thud. The Rabia opened its eyes.

"I want me damn ship back!" Captain Beerbeard shouted. It was the last thing he had said. The giant and enormous undead zombie creature called the kraken, that most sailors referred to as The Rabia, burst from the ocean with a giant bruised knot on its head from the anchor, capsizing Beerbeard's ship sending the evil pirate into the ocean to his cold and watery death to reside in Davey Jones' locker forever. Annabelle's ship wasn't hit but was tossed to the side enough to send several men overboard and Annabelle as well. Her body hit the cold water and she grabbed the magical bangle on her wrist and teleported away.

James and The Ranger and Bonejack and Lopex and the rest of the crew watched in silent awe as one of the iron warships sank while the other was attacked by the zombie kraken.

"It fekken worked?" James muttered, not believing their luck.

"Full speed ahead, Captain?" The Ranger asked.

"Aye. Full speed ahead, indeed. Get us the hell out of here before we're next."

****

The sky ship slammed into Surge's and Snow's home in the capital city of Peregren sending debris and bodies flying. Surge lay across Snow's body protecting her. Knights and people ran about everywhere trying to put out the massive fire and save lives as the dragon along with Sabal, The Pharoa Queen known as Eboni, circled overheard.

"Are you okay?" Surge asked.

"Other than some cuts and bruises I'm fine," she said, shaking off the confusion. Then she saw her house.

"My house!" she yelled in shock, "you mother fucker!" she shouted at Sarsethok. The green dragon and his dark elf rider eyed Snow and Surge and came flying down toward them inhaling a deep breath once again.

"Oh no," Surge said, more afraid for the dragon than he was for Snow. 

****

The Sky Palace II drifted upwards as the lone remaining sky ship chased it higher and higher.

"We need a plan!" Aldion yelled, feeling the thinning air starting to become colder. The smell of stale water filled the air.

"I need that orb!" Jaysil yelled over the rushing noise of the air.

"What th' hell?" Captain Hellcat said in surprise as the young wizard magically appeared in front of them.

"We need help!" Captain Hellcat yelled back over the loud howl of the rushing air.

"Give me the orb!" Jaysil demanded, pointing at her pearl necklace.

"What?" she said confused.

"The white orb, now!" he said grasping at it. Aldion fired a shot with a flint lock pistol hitting Jaysil in the thigh.

"No one goes near the captain!" her first mate yelled.

Jaysil gave a shout of rage, healing the wound with one hand and red energy shot from his other hand, a disintegration spell, obliterating Aldion's remaining leg, leaving the elf with no legs at all.

"You could have made this easier!" he yelled.

"Apereto!" the young wizard shouted. Time froze and no one could move. Captain Hellcat felt a tug at her neck and time resumed with Jaysil vanishing with her necklace. The young wizard now had all three orbs of power.

"Aldion!" she yelled, rushing to her first mate, unsure what to do about the burnt stumps that were once his legs. There was no blood. The wounds were cauterized.

"I did you and your crew a favor. Do not forget that," she could her Jaysil speak into her mind as she tried to help Aldion. Hellcat glanced at the pursuing ship and saw it falling through the air toward Peregren in a ball of magic flame. 

****

The dragon roared out a giant fireball at Snow who roared herself as she held her hands out in front of her. The fireball transformed into a giant ball of ice flying backwards at the dragon hitting it full force in the face. Sabal fell from her saddle hurling through the air and slammed into the pavement of the burning city below in a liquid red mess. The Pharoa Queen had died.

Sarsethok looked down at Snow in shock.

"That was my house you mother fucker!" Annabelle yelled, sooting an icy blast of cold at the green dragon. Sarsethok turned away and fled the city. City guards and knights and citizens rushed to help those who had been hurt in the massive crash of the sky ship. Snow looked at the dead and broken red mess of flesh that had once been Sabal's body.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Hell if I know!" Surge said, shrugging his shoulders completely confused.

Chapter 9

"Jaysil's Plan"

Jaysil appeared within the Arcane Sanctuary with the ghost beside him. 

"Why?!" Sabal screamed at him.

"So I will have company," he said, thinking of Serel, the young wizardress he had met and traveled to Peregren with, knowing she was innocent and could not bring himself to endanger her or her beauty with the dark places he knew he would be traveling to in the coming years. The dead ghost of the dark elf Sabal would be a suitable replacement.  

"I hate you for this!" The Ghost of Sabal shouted at the young wizard who had the purple mohawk. 

"You will do everything as I instruct, to the letter, or I will send you to Hades himself," he said with a smile, placing the pearl necklace around his neck and holding the red crystal ball in one hand and the yellow orb topped cane in the other.

"I will find a way back to the world of the living," she threatened.

"Until then, you will do as I command, ghost. Now leave me until. I summon you again, I am exhausted," Jaysil said.

"I will haunt you in the worst ways!" Sabal growled and floated through the air and through the door out of his laboratory. Jaysil sat at his desk for a moment and then smiled, "and now for you, Zet."

The Hellfolk of Nerin Toth, the cursed river folk halflings who were filled with anger and hatred and acid for blood were feared everywhere. Not even the dark elves of the Hulderk mountains trusted them. Zet tossed the dead body of the Hellfolk onto the pile of the others and began walking toward the farm house. 

Erron, just a man, stood in the field of wheat watching the deity of anger and fire and hatred and everything dark come his way.

Jaysil sat in his laboratory and recited the verse from the book of Eboni and the center pearl in the necklace opened.

The knights and city guards of Peregren put out fires and saved lives. Surge and Snow and Kargin and Hellcat and the crew of the Sky Palace II helped in any way they could. Taum and Katherine took refuge in the castle that Kargin had invited them to live in with his and their daughter as long as they needed.

James, The Ranger, and the rest of the crew of The Hell's Mary sailed up Parr Bay toward Peregren to serve as reinforcements against the undead and to help in any way they could. The city would forever be safe in a dark realm of undead apocalypse as long as she had her heroes.

"The way is open," Jaysil whispered.

Grettal, sitting in her shop, nodded and closed her eyes. Her entire body glowed red. And then her head slumped as she fell asleep.

Zet stood in the field, the red fiery glow from his eyes vanished. The open pearl on the necklace, the white orb, Jaysil wore almost 100 miles away, closed with a small firey glow. Zet drew his broadsword. It felt heavier. The human body the evil deity had once possessed felt weaker. Erron held his two kopesh blades in his hands. Jaysil ripped the necklace off.

"I won't fight you. I don't do that anymore. I don't need to," Erron said.

"I will kill you and end this nightmare that you trapped all of us in forever!" Zet shouted.

Erron dropped the swords to the ground.

"This world of souls, this nightmare you created, Artist! It ends NOW!" Zet yelled rushing forward toward Erron, broadsword raised.

Erron remembered what Grettal had said. The ghosts of his family, they were right there with him and would always be with him in this strange world of souls. He held his wife's hand once again. Zet swung the blade. Jaysil crushed the white orb, shattering it.

Chapter 10

"Erron Returns Home"

The man in black looked down at the field of wheat at the dead body in charred and burnt black leather. He fell to his knees and wept. 

The setting sun glinted off the blades of the kopesh swords and the broadsword that lay next to the body. He looked out to the horizon. There were no undead milling about. There was no chaos. He stood and walked into the home he had shared with his wife and son. He lit a small lantern and sat at his easel and began painting. There was only peace now. Calm.

THE END