He grabbed the woman’s body, dragging the pair out from beneath the wagon. Then he stood and stepped away from the corpses. Anticipating what Jason was about to do, Alfred followed him.
Jason’s hands began moving through an intricate series of gestures as ancient guttural words spilled from his lips in a torrent. The clouds above the road began to swirl in a churning vortex as lightning arced through the sky. Thunder cracked and peeled, sending echoes through the forest. Dark mana cascaded from Jason in waves, warping the air around him. Suddenly, two bolts of lightning tore through the air and struck the girl and her mother. A flash of light momentarily blinded Jason.
“What are you doing?” Frank shouted over the twin thunderclaps that echoed through the woods. He had run over as soon as he saw the bolts of lightning, Riley following closely behind him.
“I’m giving them a second chance,” Jason said shortly. His mouth was pressed into a grim line as he rubbed at his eyes. Flecks of light still sparkled in his vision. He gestured at the two bodies. “Watch.”
As Jason’s vision slowly returned, he saw that the girl’s skin and flesh had disappeared. Her body was now comprised solely of bleached bones, and two glowing orbs of dark energy served as her eyes. The skeleton girl lifted herself from the ground. She looked at Jason and Frank in confusion. Then she glanced to her side, catching sight of her mother who lay silently beside her.
“Mama!” the skeleton girl cried, her voice full of despair as she wrapped her arms around the woman. “Mama, are you okay?” The little girl shook her mother, receiving no response. Unable to shed tears, dry sobs wracked the small skeletal girl as she hugged the dead woman.
Then her mother’s hand twitched. Her arms encircled the girl. “It’s okay, Krista. I’m right here,” the woman whispered. “I’ll never leave you.”
Her milky white eyes fluttered open, seeing Krista for the first time. “W-what happened?” the woman murmured, staring at her daughter in shock. “Are we dead? Did we pass on to the afterlife? I remember… wolves.”
The group watched as the memories of the massacre came flooding back to the woman. Her head turned, and she surveyed the bodies that still littered the ground. Then her gaze moved to her hand that still held the knife. Her daughter’s blood had dried and begun to flake from the blade. A look of horror was etched on her pale face.
“I-I’m so sorry,” the woman said, despair warping her voice. She looked at Krista, her hand cradling her skeletal face. “I didn’t want to do it, but I saw no other option. This is all my fault. Perhaps this is my punishment.” The woman held the skeleton girl to her tightly.
Jason finally spoke up, his voice sounding cold to his own ears. His eyes were filled with unholy light as he continued to channel his mana. “This isn’t a punishment. In fact, it is a reward. You are not to blame for your actions. You did what was best for your daughter in an impossible situation.”
The woman turned to look at Jason, her face twisted in misery. She finally noticed the small group standing there watching her. Her eyes locked on Jason. She couldn’t see his face because of his cloak. He was robed in dark leather, his midnight black cape sweeping around him in the faint breeze. Although he didn’t carry a scythe, it would be easy to mistake him for Death.
“W-who are you?” she asked, fear in her voice. She clutched at her daughter, sheltering the girl with her body.
“We are travelers,” Jason replied. “We came upon your caravan after the attack. We killed the werewolves, but we were too late to save you.” He hesitated. “You and your daughter were the only members of the caravan whose bodies were still intact. I could only save the two of you…”
The woman looked down at herself. Her skin was a pallid gray, and her nails were black. Thick blue veins could be seen through her skin. She felt at her chest, noticing that her heart wasn’t beating. Her gaze swept back to her daughter, taking in her new skeletal form. The girl continued to huddle against her mother, sobbing gently.
Then the woman turned back to Jason. Her face reflected a confused mixture of anger, fear, and uncertainty. “Is this what it means to be saved? What am I? What happened to my daughter?”
“You are alive,” Jason said firmly. “You are also now a member of the undead. My name is Jason, and I am the Regent of the Twilight Throne. I have the ability to bring the dead back to life… or near-life. You will not age, you will not hunger, and you will never grow sick. You have been given another chance to live and protect your daughter. You have been given another chance to remake yourself.” Jason said in a fierce voice, speaking as much to himself as to the woman.
Riley and Frank both looked at Jason in surprise. Neither of them had ever seen him speak this way. This wasn’t the voice of a teenage boy. His tone carried an iron conviction, and his body was rigid. They could see a faint aura of darkness surround him, sending off small ripples of energy.
The woman looked at Jason in shock. After a long moment, she replied, “But how will we go home? What will my husband, or our neighbors say when they see that I’m dead and that my daughter is…?” She gestured at the girl, at a loss for words.
Sadness welled up inside of Jason. He felt for the woman’s plight. Her life had been forcibly overturned. He could certainly sympathize with that, but what was the alternative? Death? Would she sit here and waste away with her daughter for eternity? The woman needed to fight; to reclaim her place in the world and start anew.
“Does your husband love you?” Jason asked.
She closed her eyes, nodding numbly. “Or at least he did…,” she murmured. “William is the town’s mayor. Yet even if he accepted us, would the others?” Jason could hear the fear in her voice and see the truth of her words.
She’s the wife of the leader of the Peccavi? Then this must be his daughter. Perhaps I can use them. There might be a way to take the village without force.
Jason felt a mild pang of guilt as he considered using the pair in front of him to conquer the village. A moment ago, he had been sickened over their death, and now he was already thinking of exploiting them. However, he had others to protect. He needed to claim the village in one piece and preferably with little conflict. He also needed to keep both the town and its residents intact so that he could create a supply line for the corpses once he conquered the nearby dungeon. If this woman and her child could help him take the town without having to burn it to the ground, then that furthered his goals and protected his people.
He glanced at Alfred, who sat watching nearby. The cat stared at Jason, his eyes understanding. Some choices weren’t easy. Jason could begin to sympathize with the AI. What must it feel like to be forced to play god? To create evil for the sake of defining good?
Next to him, Frank and Riley stood in mute shock, uncertain what to say. As Jason looked at both in turn, they met his gaze. Their eyes were filled with sadness and quiet resolve. It was clear that they wanted to help the woman and her child. Maybe he could help the pair and use them to avoid a conflict. He would wait and see. For now, he needed the woman’s cooperation.
He turned back to the lady that still sat on the ground. “What’s your name?” Jason asked softly.
“Patricia,” she replied, her face despairing. She cradled her sobbing daughter and avoided eye contact.
Jason nodded. “Patricia, I will be honest. I don’t know that I can help you. However, I will try. Perhaps together we can convince your husband and your town that you are far from dead.”
As he finished speaking, Jason beckoned to his minions. Zombies filtered into the square created by the wagons, lining the small space with the undead. Their milky eyes all stared at Patricia and her daughter. Krista looked up from her mother’s arms, watching the throng of zombies with a confused and frightened expression. As one, Jason’s zombies raised their arms in salute at the new members of their race.
“You are one of us now,” Jason declared, his voice ringing with strength, “and we help our own.”
Chapter 10 - Re
deemed
Alex stood on a raised dais before an ornate marble podium. The stone pews in front of him were filled with people. The back of the temple was standing room only as NPCs piled into the room. Sunlight streamed through a circular stained glass window above the entrance to the temple and through the windows evenly spaced along the vaulted ceiling.
Columns ran the length of the room on both sides. Intricate tile patterns had been built into the floor, showcasing scenes of a beautiful blond-haired woman committing acts of kindness. The opulence of the temple was surprising to Alex. During his rounds of the city, he rarely saw people enter these structures. He assumed that this temple had been created during a time when the city had worshiped the Lady with greater fervor.
The head priest of the temple stood beside him. He was dressed in the same luxurious purple robe he was wearing the last time Alex had seen him. His attire stood out in stark contrast to Alex’s clothing - nothing more than a modest brown robe and heavily-worn sandals.
The priest turned to Alex, whispering in a condescending tone, “You can speak now. Remember to choose your words wisely. There are many people in this city that still look upon you with disfavor.”
The pudgy little man grimaced as he surveyed Alex’s appearance. Alex had the distinct impression that the priest included himself on that list. If it weren’t for his growing popularity among the NPCs in the city, Alex would never have been invited into this temple.
Alex turned his eyes to the congregation. “Hello people of Grey Keep!” he said in a strong voice that carried through the temple. “As many of you know, I have been tasked by the Lady of Light with a mission to help the people of this city.”
A faint cheer went up through the crowd, many of whom had experienced the blessings of the Lady firsthand. Even as it echoed throughout the temple, the sound was muted. The temple’s majesty tended to discourage loud displays of emotion. In many ways, it felt as though they were holding service in a library.
As the faint cheer died down, Alex continued in a softer voice, “Yet that is not the only mission that the Lady has given me. Perhaps you are ready to hear her words…” His eyes scanned the crowd. He paused, and a murmur went up through the people before him. Glancing down at the book in his hands, he asked the group, “Are you ready to hear the gospel of the Lady?”
A few shouts filled the air.
“Yes,” cried one man.
“Tell us of the Lady!” another called out.
Others soon followed their lead, their voices filling the stone hall. The head priest beside Alex glanced at him with a worried expression as the crowd’s passion grew.
Alex nodded. “So be it.” He opened the golden tome reverently. Light streamed from its pages and bounced through the room. It was as though the light shone through glass prisms, casting the room and the congregation in a rainbow of colors. The crowd stared in amazement, many with their jaws hanging open.
Alex read through the pages, tracing them slowly with his finger. A long lingering silence filled the room once he was finished. He raised his eyes to the crowd. “The Lady is afraid for your safety, my friends. The words in her tome are clear. She has granted me a prophecy of coming days.”
A low buzzing sound could be heard in the room as the crowd murmured amongst themselves. Alex continued, “She fears for the people of Grey Keep. Many here have lost their way, forsaking the Lady. In the absence of faith, a darkness has begun to grow and fester.”
The crowd’s murmurs became confused and worried. The priest’s look of concern grew into a panic as he watched Alex and the effect of his speech on the congregation. He raised a hand, and then his eyes darted anxiously to the crowd. If he stopped the sermon now, he would have a riot on his hands. Alex held a glowing, golden bible in his hands after all!
Alex continued, “I speak of the evil that killed our soldiers and the sickness to the east that claims part of our lands. You know of the darkness I describe, don’t you? Many of you have seen it for yourselves!”
A woman cried out, “My sister’s farm to the east has withered and died. No plants will grow there. Heavy black clouds hang in the sky, and unholy creatures plague the forest.” Random shouts and angry whispering met her words.
Alex bowed his head, speaking in a quiet, sad voice, “I have seen this evil myself. I have witnessed the creatures of the dark that claimed the lives of our soldiers. The Lady is right to fear for our safety. It is only with her blessing that we may be protected from the darkness.”
“Praise the Lady,” shouted a man in a fervent voice. His shout was echoed throughout the hall.
“With her faith and guidance, the Lady encourages us to take action into our own hands,” Alex said as he looked down at his open palm. “Yet we stand idle while a threat looms at our border. We are scared and defenseless. This city has forsaken the Lady, turning to doubt and uncertainty. Without her protection and guidance, we are lost!”
Alex gestured around the hall, “Do you see your leaders here in this hall? Where are the noble houses? Where is Strouse?”
The crowd looked around themselves in confusion. They were all commoners and tradesman. The elite of the city had not come to hear Alex. Angry muttering could be heard from the people. The high priest’s hands clenched helplessly at his sides, unable to stop Alex as he preached insurrection.
“If your leaders have turned from the light, what hope does this city have against the spreading darkness?” Alex asked, his voice echoed through the hall, filled with a sense of deadly foreboding as the light from the book began to fade. His gaze was steady, and his eyes gleamed a faint gold.
“Who will you turn to when the darkness comes?” he inquired, a pleading note in this voice.
***
After speaking with Patricia and her daughter, Jason had asked Riley and Frank to move them further down the road while he raised the remaining corpses in the caravan. He anticipated that the scene would be too much for the traumatized woman and her child. Most of the corpses were too far gone to create intact zombies, and so Jason was forced to cobble together skeletons from the remaining useful bones. He then ordered his new minions to clean up the campsite a bit.
When Riley and Frank returned, they indicated that it was late in the real world and they needed to log off. Jason explained to Patricia that they would be back within twenty-four hours, but that his minions would remain with the pair to protect them until Jason and his friends returned. The woman was understandably uncomfortable with this news, but she eventually agreed.
The next morning, Jason logged in to find that Patricia and Krista were still huddled in the middle of the caravan. Fortunately, no enemies had attacked during the day that had passed in-game. Knowing that Riley and Frank would not be able to log in for several more hours, Jason used that time to attend to his new reading list. He made surprising progress, managing to consume two books by the time multi-colored tears appeared beside the caravan.
With the group reassembled, they made their way onward to Peccavi. They made much slower progress now that they were escorting Patricia and her daughter. It just didn’t seem right to ask the two to jog home after what they had been through, although Frank still grumbled jokingly about special treatment. Riley had managed to convince Pint to entertain Krista, who immediately became enamored with the small gray imp.
As they walked, Jason pulled a large number of cloaks from his bags and tossed them to his new minions. He was beginning to consider his plan once they reached Peccavi. He might be able to use Patricia and Krista to get him inside the village. However, he also needed to smuggle his minions in with them so that he could claim the town - except for the werewolves since their misshapen bodies were too difficult to disguise. Cloaks had worked before, although perhaps not on this scale.
I need to keep everyone focused on Patricia. A story about how the caravan was destroyed should distract the townsfolk from the fact that they are letting in nearly fifty zombies and skeletons.
Jason not
ed that the forest thinned as they traveled and they were soon marching against a steepening elevation. Eventually, they broke the dense tree line of the forest, and the road took a winding path through growing hills. As the trees grew more sparse, the party could also make out the swiftly growing outline of the mountains ahead of them. Black clouds still loomed in the sky, but they were much less dense. The sunlight was still unable to penetrate the cloud cover, and the darkness of the forest was now replaced with only a murky gloom.
I guess we’re still technically within the Twilight Throne’s area of influence, Jason thought nervously, glancing at his minions. He hoped that the cloud cover would continue until they reached the town.
A couple hours later, they caught sight of Peccavi in the distance. The group could make out smoke rising over the town, evidence of small household fires and ovens. The village was nestled between three hills near the base of the mountain range. The townspeople had built a wooden fortification upon the hills ringing the town, taking advantage of the high ground to construct towering walls. Jason suspected that this also provided an incredible view of the forest in the distance.
Jason turned to Patricia. The woman’s eyes were locked on the town. She nervously clutched at her daughter and tugged at the rim of her hood, further concealing her face. Jason had the foresight to provide Patricia and her daughter with their own pair of ragged cloaks to hide the changes to their bodies.
“Don’t worry,” Jason said. “We won’t let anything happen to you. We’re going to try to bring the other undead inside with us. If anything goes wrong, we’ll be there to protect you.” Jason glanced at Frank and Riley, and they nodded quickly in agreement.
Pint piped up, “I also protect dead lady and bone girl!” He brandished his pitchfork menacingly in the air as Riley tried vainly to shush him. However, his antics still earned him a smile and a pat from Krista.
Ignoring the imp, Patricia looked at Jason, a trace of hope in her eyes. “Thank you for helping us. You didn’t have to do this.”
Awaken Online: Precipice Page 15