It was still before midday when we were set. As much as I hated shoving Glenn’s body into the Planar Pouch, his corpse was in too bad a shape for anyone to carry.

  Maeori insisted on carrying the pouch. She wanted it for her papers to stay safe and dry. So why the hells not. The lass rode behind me as we made our way through the war-torn grasslands. Gagged rocks were planted firmly in the ground alongside craters. Some had these strange distortions. Like the rock itself melted at some point. Military mages were another breed, though this scale of destruction was something else.

  For a wannabe adventurer, Glenn sure had an interest in military history. Ain’t like that knowing that shite’s all too helpful. If I remember from what he told me, most of this mess was done by the current Archmage, Rysian Alythereon, during the Reunification Wars. Magic was a damn scary thing. But a really frightening thought was that the lass riding behind me or Sofia might be capable of things like this one day. Even if the chances were slim to none.

  The rough terrain did us good for cover. I kept my lucerne hammer ready in case some odd thing were to pop out at us. Ivili had her bow at the ready as well. She let loose a warning shot once or twice at shadows I barely saw move.

  We went as long as we reasonably could before making camp. Ivili and the devil cat snuck off to see if there was something to hunt while we prepared the last of our rations. Maybe I should’ve gone with her; it would've been safer. But I trust her to make it back. It wasn’t like the two with me or the horses were well off to fight a monster if one came crawling to them.

  Ivili wasn’t gone for long, though. I eyed her coming back empty-handed.

  “There’re small hordes of undeath around here,” she reported back. Her eyes glanced at collections of stray rocks. “Zombies mostly. Maybe a wight. They looked like old soldiers.”

  “Heh, right.” I looked off in the direction Ivili was. “I assume they’re coming this way? Ain’t that grand. We’ll plan on holding the hill. Best not to risk other terrors. Guess we’ll see how well ya can swing a sword sooner than expected, aye Maeori?”

  “I’m at least going to use Glenn’s shield,” the lass said, surprisingly not backing down from the challenge I gave her. “I don’t know how to use that infusion- whatever, but I’ll hold the line as needed.”

  “Do your best, but don’t take unneeded risks.” Ivili said before, turned towards Sofia, “You have one spell in you? Keep it for emergencies. Archie or Maeori will likely need healing.”

  “M-Maeori’s fighting, but I’m not?” Sofia asked, with a hurt look on her.

  “We have a long trip, and you’re the most depleted, both on Aura and mana. Next time you’ll fight, and Maeori will sit out. We need to cycle what we have.”

  “O-oh…”

  “Heh, ya want a job? Make sure the horses are safe,” I piped in. “They’re gonna get us through here faster than we will on foot. Can I count on ya?”

  Sofia nodded, but still didn’t seem too happy. I couldn’t blame her.

  I looked over to Maeori, who pulled Glenn’s shield from the Planar Pouch. Guess she didn’t feel the need to ask for permission… She strapped it to herself before fiddling with her spellbook. Holding it open on a certain page.

  “What’re ya planning on doing?” I asked.

  “I’ve got one spell in me. so hopefully, making it count,” she said with her annoying cocksure grin. “Figure I can do some damage if they start swarming me.”

  “Gonna make using a shield a lot harder, but that’s yer choice. Give me Glenn’s sword from the pouch.”

  Maeori passed me the blade, and I strapped it to my waist and got my polearm ready. I didn’t feel like I needed to check up on Ivili. If anyone’s got their shite together, it’d be her.

  With the hill as our only boon, we waited. Though it ain’t like it was too long before several corpses began stumbling their way towards us. They wore rusty, bloodied, and grimy chainmail. Their faces were swollen and distorted. Parts of the flesh were falling off.

  “Sofia, tell me if any are coming from behind!” Ivili called out before firing down at a few of the zombies. The arrows that pierce their rusted armor stick in them as they continue to advance. Damned undead must’ve had a lot of Aura left in them. We were in for a battle of attrition until it ran out. It was always a little tricky with the undead. They ain’t alive, so they’re limited in their energy. Even in undeath, the body’s still reflexive with its use of aura, and once it's gone from them, they’re back to corpses. They ‘live’ longer by consuming the aura of the living. If they trap a person’s soul or a fragment of one, that’s when undead become real scary, but none of them seem to be that type.

  They broke into a sprint at us. Ivili kept firing at different ones to keep them a little stagger so Maeori and I wouldn’t get swarmed. Maeori blocked the first blow from one who made it up first. Its halberd slashed into the shield with the blade before thrusting to push her back. The attack left an opening; it was with a reckless abandon typical of undead. Though Maeori swung back wildly at the undead with the sword, missing the mark.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  One began to approach me as I got my polearm at the ready. I parried its strike and gave it a quick kick to the chest to send it tumbling down the hill. Another began to get into range so I swung the polearm around, smashing its head off with the hammer side. It didn’t flinch when it took the hit. The headless body continued to move. Abandoning its weapon to grab at my own, holding tight and not letting go. Two others were coming at me now. I tugged at the shaft to try and get my weapon free, but I should’ve ditched it for Glenn’s sword. I left myself open to a stab inside and a slash I ducked under. I grimaced from the blow. The fucker hit harder than I thought it would.

  Giving up the polearm, I shoved it and the undead it was stuck in down the hill to make distance. I hate that I left it in some corpse, but I’ll get it after. I pulled Glenn’s sword as the other two that were on me were getting ready for another attack. I saw, though that the heads of their halberds seemed a bit shaky, as though not properly fitted on the shaft. Shit like that shouldn’t have hit as hard as it did.

  I jumped to the side to make it harder for them both to come at me at once. A loud clashing of metal rang out as I looked over to where Maeori was. The poor lass was bloodied, her lack of armor not doing any favors. But a chasm of dirt opened in front of her, knocking off limbs, heads, and scrap metal down from the five zombies attacking her down the hill onto others. Why in the hells did she have so many on her?

  There was a stab in my gut that didn’t pierce my armor. I need to finish this shit up quickly. Else we might be down our wizard. I went on the offense, infusing more Aura than I wanted to into my limbs and blade. I’d wanted to save what I could, but it ain’t the time for that. I gave a quick, but heavy strike at the shafts of their weapons. It was all it took to splinter the partially rotted wood. If their armor had rusted, I should’ve guessed their weapons would be in dire straits.

  I made short work of the three that were on me. I looked over to see Sofia running towards Maeori, who was looking like she’d seen better days. I doubted she had much aura left.

  “Archie, get to Maeori now!” Ivili shouted.

  I turned to look at the state of things. Maeori was injured. Sofia was helping her up the hill. There was a mass of gore and rotten flesh towards the bottom of the hill. Likely from whatever spell she used. Four undead were starting to come after them. Couldn’t for the life of me figure out why they wanted her arse so badly. They looked ragged but still had energy in them. I hurried in to aid in their defense.

  Right before I got there, an arrow flew, striking one of the zombies in the head. It fell over and didn’t get up. Three left to go. Like last time, I went for their weapons. The first shattered as I expected, but the second held. I looked up at the undead. It was hard to tell at with the damage on the armor, but this fucker must’ve been a captain. He slashed down aggressively with his halberd. The blade shone brightly despite the lack of moonlight. It must’ve been enchanted. I dodge it with a sidestep. Barely.

  “Ivili! This one’s trouble.” I wasn’t sure what she was going to do with that, but I’ll trust her.

  I faced down the last three. The captain was in the middle of the three, so I dashed around to the side, hoping it would either hit its buddy or not try to hit me. I wanted to buy time for Ivili to do something. Thankfully, the captain zombie hesitated to swing at its buddies.

  I didn’t buy the time I needed, though. With a moaning howl from the captain, the soldier zombies changed up their attack. They went from trying to protect their captain to charging at me. Likely wanting to pin me down so I could get sliced open. I backed up. The fucks were eager to go for my weapon. I tried to go for a slash on one of the zombies, but the captain met my attack with one of his own. He was aiming for my sword arm. I pulled back from striking the zombie I was going after to defend. I blocked the halberd’s blade, but the zombie soldier grabbed onto me. Its teeth sank into my arm.

  I charged my fist with Aura and smashed its head in, but the other grabbed at that arm soon after. The captain readied an attack. So this was it, eh? Before it could swing, the captain let out a pained groan. A sword stuck through it. I hadn’t seen Ivili come down, and neither did he. It wasn’t enough to finish him, but it caught his attention. I wrestled with the corpses restraining me. The one that bit into me on my sword arm side was faltering. I broke free and, with a slash, finished it off. The other on my shield arm was struggling to bite me with the shield in the way. I pushed it over to slam it on the ground to slash at it with the sword. I had to trust Ivili to distract the captain, else if he hits me, I’m dead.

  Finishing off the second, I looked over. Ivili blocked a swing from the halberd, but the blow was strong enough to push her back. With numbers now on our side, I ran up and struck it from behind. It butted me with the end of the halberd’s staff. I staggered for a second. Turning to me, it gave Ivili an opening as she slashed, severing its arm. Its swing at me faltered. I sent a stab into its head as it collapsed.

  My entire fucking body ached after that one. “Heh, how’re ya holding up?” I asked.

  “I’ve seen better, but no worse off than you or Maeori.” She tilted her head and looked at me for a moment before walking over. “This is going to hurt a bit.”

  “Huh?”

  She moved my arm over. To my horror, there were four fucking teeth that must’ve broken off from when I bashed the fucker that hit me. She began to pull them out.

  I lay there for a second after she was done. Catching my breath, I grab the enchanted halberd. Hopefully, our damned wizard in training can find the mana to look into it. We went around and down the hill and found my lucerne hammer. I’ll be taking the halberd, but Sofia could train with it if she’d like.

  We took a moment to remove the jawbones. Most lordlings have open bounties on killing certain creatures. Undead and goblins are pretty common targets for these bounties around these parts. Reaching the top of the hill, Maeori passed out. Had a few freshly healed wounds and tears in her clothes.

  I really thought she’d know her way around a blade with all the other shite she seems to know.

  “Can you ride with her? We should make some distance,” Ivili said, looking out into the night, “The bodies might attract some carrion monsters.”

  “Aye, let’s get going then before it gets too late.”

  We pushed on for a second night to make some distance. Normally, I ain’t ever been a fan of the dwarven side of my heritage, well maybe it’s not that. I wasn’t too keen on being a half-dwarf bastard. At least it has some perks, like seeing in the dark better than most. Though if I were a full dwarf, it'd be even better. Though it was good enough to see the nasty critters crawling through the plains.

  Monstrous mutts, goblins, and some more undead. I kept moving to keep my distance. Any that got curious or any ideas Ivili took some shots at. Her elven eyes were just as good in the dark as mine. It was mostly slow going, though, until fortune favored us. There was what seemed to be an abandoned watch tower in the distance. Some of the stone from the upper level had fallen, but the base seemed intact. It was a bit in the distance, but our only hope for rest at this point.

  Favorite POV narrator.