Demonsouled

by Jonathan Moeller

“I will speak of that later,” said Sir Albert. “The troubles started a soon after we first heard of the cult. It began with a pair of courting peasants who crept out of the village for a tryst. Their bodies were found the next morn. At first I assumed the hunting cats, or a pack of wolves from the forest. Then people began disappearing in the village, snatched out of their homes. And there were sightings of creatures, monsters out of the priests’ descriptions of the fires of hell.”

  “What do they look like?” said Romaria.

  “Like dead men, my lady,” said Albert. “I’ve seen many corpses in my days, I fear. That is exactly what these things look like. Walking corpses, rotting and foul and torn. Their eyes and mouths glow with a sick green light. They are slow, and shamble along, but they are as strong as ten mortal men.”

  “Necromancy,” said Timothy. Gerald made a sign to ward off evil.

  “Aye,” said Romaria, “that matches the things I’ve seen near Deepforest Keep.”