An Unholy Encounter: A Kaynos History Tale

by Tracey Alley

the cold of the grave were enough to kill and their desire to kill seemed insatiable. Neither were they hampered, as he was, by the lack of light; the undead thrived in the darkness. As he collected the necessary fuel in the chill night Slade could not be certain what he was more afraid of; fear for his best friend out there alone, fear that something would happen to his beloved father or, though he hated to admit it, fear for himself.

  Somehow, thanks to all the gods, Slade had accomplished his task. The shallow trench was filled with fuel for the fire he would soon light. Before he had actually set the fire alight though Slade had a fearful wondering if the fire itself might not act as a beacon, drawing the undead to their location where without the fire they may have escaped their notice. Although he had hesitated Slade eventually set the fire; the plan had been made and agreed upon. His duty now was to wait. His father had ignored Slade’s pleas to wait inside the ramshackle shed and, although Slade would likely never admit it, he was pleased to have his father standing at his side tending the fire as they waited and silently prayed for Wulfstan’s return.

  King Erich suggested that he and Slade walk fairly continuous circles around the shallow trench, ensuring that no part of the fire went out while they waited. Slade had also suggested, and Erich had agreed, that they make use of the flimsy wood of the shack itself to keep the flames well stoked. Although they were technically destroying a piece of Duke Stefan’s property the fire was their only defense against the zombies and skeletons should they track them here. Together Slade and King Erich had agreed to alternate the tasks between themselves; one would work on dismantling the shack while the other walked the fire’s perimeter. Neither one of them spoke much as they went about their tasks; there really wasn’t, Slade reflected to himself, much to say.