The now-full moon's reflective gaze shone down.
Obsidian and Shallow Warden stood over the defeated horseman. Their bickering halted as Obsidian concluded:
"OK! OK! Shallow, let's just be honest—there's no way this thing killed Galerius!"
"Indeed, he barely had a chance against us, ahahaha!"
They both cackled at Augustus.
Why am I so weak?
A bright blue light manifested in the middle of them, blinding all of them for only a second. Both wardens covered their eyes.
Augustus didn't pay attention, head faced down, within his own bitter thoughts.
As the light receded, a boy with white hair and purple eyes appeared, his cloak waving through the air. His voice penetrated the silence as everyone looked in shock.
"That's because I killed him." His face smug.
"Huh? A kid!" Shallow pointed out, surprised.
"HAHA, DON'T MAKE US LAUGH!" Obsidian burst out.
Zero's lips widened into a devious grin. He stretched his hand out. "I am his master, the true Necromancer."
Blue mana emanated from his body.
Then a ghost lady manifested beside him, copying his stance.
"Ready, Zero!" she said excitedly.
His face turned toward her, cheeks growing slightly pink. "Morwen, I thought we agreed you would hide in me for this?" he said sheepishly.
Shallow and Obsidian watched as they bickered.
She pouted. "No way! You also promised you would take off your cloak!"
"Fine," he said, annoyed.
He took a moment to take off the black cloak, then threw it to the side, revealing his black suit and tie.
Sorry, cloak, he thought.
An evil laugh could be heard from the air. Everyone looked up except Zero.
They all looked up, seeing nothing. But Zero already knew who it was.
He grumbled to himself: That damn wisp—I'll get her back somehow.
Shallow then turned his attention back to Zero's full suit and laughed. "You silly boy! You and your girlfriend can go back to your undead tea parties already."
Obsidian's face, however, got a little more serious as he looked at Morwen and Zero who ignored shallow and continued to bicker.
Zero looked to Morwen again, ignoring the laughing. "So, Morwen, I did it. Are you going to hide in me?"
"Why?"
"Well, as you can see, you're making me look less cool. So can you just hide within me and embarrass me less?" He gestured toward Shallow.
"OH, so I'm embarrassing now!"
"No... that's not why... you know what—" Zero stopped himself, sighing and palming his face. "Let's just do this!"
Morwen grinned, transforming, her spectral body which shifted into a sleek, powerful snake like body, each scale outlined perfectly. Her body extending and slithering around Zero as she transformed, her tail had a bladed edge. And her transformation, finished off with stag like horn which sprouted from her head.
Her lunar eyes now had slits through them, as she finished transforming.
A bouquet of flowers popped up in the middle of zero and wardens.
She screeched.
Shallow backed away into the air while Obsidian backed away off the building and onto another.
Purple and red petals fell down, around them and covered a large area of the capital, all coated in purple mana.
Morwen's body was wrapped around Zero's loosely, her head sat in Zero's hand, as he caressed her lower jaw.
Morwen voiced hissed, "how is this for cool"
Zero grinned, "it's super cool."
He then sent forward toward obsidian and with her a large pillar of petal rushed toward obsidian, as shot toward him, with blitzing speed.
Zero then dropped his hand down, stepping forward, to face Shallow. Morwen disappeared.
A large pillar of petals rushed toward Obsidian, he was expecting the impact from Morwen as he held up his block, but instead he felt nothing and all he saw was a large amount of rose petals around him.
"Where—" he looked around, confused. Until he heard the air rush around.
His eye would catch a purple blur from time to time.
Then, out of nowhere he got smacked hard in the torso, but obsidian being obsidian held.
Morwen's movements were unpredictably fast, but Obsidian was more experienced.
He felt out his environment, listening to the rushing of the wind, as she went by and how I felt before he was hit. Using this he pinpointed the exact moment she would strike.
Raising his warhammer up, he slammed down as Morwen darted toward his stomach and in a flash she was sent downward, into a crumbing building below obsidian, as he jumped back, off it looking at the wreckage, dust and debris scattering.
"Luckily, my body is this tough, if i was still at the same strength as before my soul entered this state after just a few of those blows, I would have ended up like that building," he said.
Petals were still around, as they covered a large area, "petals are up? Weird—"
As he said this Morwen shot up with blinding speed, and smashed into his neck,
The force made obsidian spit blood, as Morwen flew past, repositioning her body above him.
Obsidian eyes, refocussed as he saw her shooting down toward him.
"No you don't!" he swung his hammer, but she phased through it and snapped her jaws down on his arm, jagged teeth sunk in pain jolted through him, taking obsidian down toward the ground, a large dust cloud exploded upward.
Shallow Warden, seeing what happened to Obsidian, was shocked.
"Hey, big guy, can you make a move already so I can attack?" Zero said calmly, waving his hand.
"How dare you address me with such words! I will smite you, child!"
Several arrows glowing in rainbow colors manifested within the air around him. He thrusted his hands toward Zero as they descended from the sky shooting down like missiles.
Zero held his hand out as many more spectral purple skulls manifested around him. They flew toward the arrows, opening their maws as arrow missiles pierced them and went through their maws snapped shut before they could go further, trapping them mid air.
Shallow watched in horror as they just floated in stasis. Then his eyes focused on Zero's chilled expression. His eyes twitched, but before he could do a single thing, Zero flicked his wrist. The trapped spells flew toward him.
Each one chased him. Two caught him, exploding near him, only managing to break his barrier and send him tumbling through the air. Two more zoomed toward him, catching him just when he recovered the previous blast. The explosion shook the air.
Zero's eyes darted upward, his face unfazed.
The shallow warden was completely unscathed as floated high above Zero air "Clones always work! Ahaha, that spell has never failed me yet!" he said laughing to himself.
He pointed his hands downward at Zero again. But as he was casting a spell, he saw Zero's eyes already looking at him.
"Caught one fast didn't you haha no matter. You face your demise now!."
Gold mana chains already manifested, trying to capture Zero, but Zero dashed out of it at the last second. As they crushed the building he was previously standing on, his eyes flashed with mana.
Morwen who had her whole body wrapped around obsidian, who was trying to break free from this constriction while keeping his head away from Morwen's jaws.
"Get off me."
But then she suddenly stopped, looking at Zero who was mid air. Letting him go. He looked confused at this, but before she left, she whirled her tail around and smacked obsidian across the city.
Morwen flew under Zero allowing him to stand on her for transportation.
Dozens of glowing purple skulls appeared around him.
Shallow's face twisted. "No way! This has to be cheating!"
They rushed toward him, snapping their maws.
Shallow flew away as fast as he could. Either way, they gained on him eventually. Some latched onto his clothes and spread necrotic ooze on contact, which dissolved his clothes.
He fired spells mid-air, trying to swat them off as more and more clung to him, tearing his clothes. Zero rode through the air.
Morwen flew just under him.
"What is this kid?!" Shallow shouted in disarray.
Zero continued to fire skulls at Shallow while keeping up with him. The skulls completely covered Shallow.
Morwen stopped, Zero's eyes gleaming as he watched mana coalesce inside the pile of skulls. Gold light shone brightly out of the gaps for a moment. Until it released a great concussive force that dispersed all the skulls and pushed everything back.
Shallow appeared, still floating, arms spread out and face filled with rage, his premium clothes torn, ripped, his skin had purple ooze on it as well, which made his skin burn but he was so enraged he didn't realise it.
"Morwen..." Zero spoke under his breath. As she disappeared, the pad underneath Zero dissipated, leaving him to fall.
Obsidian at this moment stood up, his voice booming "YOUR DEAD!"
Both wardens' eyes shot toward Zero, who looked defenceless.
Morwen appeared behind Shallow, ramming his spine just as he was about to attack Zero. Body contorting as he was sent spiralling to the top of the castle.
Obsidian Warden leaped to Zero, already swinging his hammer.
Zero's eyes slowly met his obsidans enraged gaze, as his hammer came for Swung diagonally, In that split second, gale flowed around Zero's body.
Obsidian's brows raised. "Gale—"
As he swung, Zero's body slipped out of the path of it flipping around into the air above as obsidian looked up, vain popped seeing Zero stick his tongue out. At this time Morwen appeared in normal form with her hand outstretched which Zero grabbed as she pulleed him up toward the shallow warden.
Half way up, Zero pulled Morwen in, spinning her around.
"Ready to go high, Morwen!"
They both grinned as they spun.
"GO, ZERO!"
Then he threw her up. She transformed into her monster form, as she went flying up like an exhilarated bolt of lightning, ramming Shallow Warden in the stomach.
Another barrier he placed broke instantly as Morwen's spiritual head sunk into his stomach.
Shallow, groaned out in pain, blood spilling from his mouth.
Zero slowly fell, casually, hands in his pockets, back facing down, smiling at Morwen's hit on Shallow.
Obsidian not giving up appeared again, swinging his hammer, Zero sensed it and swung his hand into action, eyes gleaming as gale coalesced around his hand, outstretched like a claw.
"Let me show you just how I killed Galerius." Zero's voice was venomous, as his struck with swiftness, hitting obsidian first, his face contorting as it did. Sending him plummeting down at immense speeds. The shock was heard all over the capital.
An enormous gust blew from the impact and caused earth to lift from its base due to the power of the strike.
Morwen caught Zero again as they both descended on top of Obsidian. Not realisng he was still up, obsidian's hammer swung with unrelenting force.
It hit Zero, but he had his barrier up, sending him across the capital, crashing into the ground. The blast was equal to Zero's.
A large gust of purple wind blew all the dust away. Zero appeared, his lips widened.
Morwen hung behind him, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, her head resting near his neck too. Her eyes were closed with a satisfied smile.
"Is that better, Zero?"
"It's perfect, Morwen! Ahaha!"
Mana surged around Zero.
Obsidian charged in, his hulking frame twisting as he swung his hammer.
Zero slipped past each swing.
Obsidian kept trying. Zero just continued to dodge. "Come on, Warden! You're supposed to be one of the strongest guys in the capital, right?"
Obsidian roared, swinging his hammer down with his full force.
Zero backed away. The hammer created a large explosion of dust.
Zero stood there, grinning evilly as he raised his hand up. A purple flame grew within his palm.
Obsidian charged through the dust, roaring, "Get back here!"
But Zero fired the flame. It entered into Obsidian. His whole body thudded.
His body stopped on its own, about to fall, but he pulled—he put his foot down. He began shaking involuntarily fighting against his own body, pushing himself to stand.
"I need to keep going! Cmon body—cmon soul!"
"Mmm, that's interesting. You're fighting back the effects. Not many people can fight back a soul attack, but your soul is strong. Haha!"
Zero made a finger gun with his hand, then pointed it at Obsidian, gale coalescing at Zero's fingertip.
"Hey, Warden! Look over here!"
Obsidian's eyes widened as he looked up. "No way... that's his technique."
Zero fired a bullet of gale, but with the pressure of a cannon shot.
It hit his chest, making him fall to his knee, face down.
"I have to stay focused. I need to fight back against this thing." Sweat appeared all over his body.
Zero started firing the purple gale cannons. He laughed maniacally.
Blood started to drip from Obsidian's mouth as Zero kept firing but at one point, Obsidians Body that was extremely tense, had relaxed along with his face and his eyes were closed now.
Zero had slowed his firing.
Morwen's eyes flashed open, commenting, "Zero, he's fought against the soul attack, but the strain has hastened his own life expectancy. He is so weak and so close to death that he passed out." She closed her eyes again.
Zero's laughter slowly faded hearing this. His mouth straightened, and he walked to the side of the brute, placing a hand on his arm, looking forward.
"You fought against me well, old man, but you've clearly reached your limit. Stay down this time."
A burst of purple gale came from his hand, blasting Obsidian back across the capital.
"Well, that was upsetting, Morwen. I wanted to fight him longer." Zero crossed his arms.
"You still have that other Warden, remember?"
"That's right. Where did he go?"
Zero looked around.
"TAKE THIS, YOU DAMN KID!"
Gold spikes protruded from the ground at a fast rate, heading toward Zero. But all Zero did was stand there, hands in his pockets, his suit jacket blowing.
Just as the spikes were about to reach him, he took a step toward them, sending out a transparent purple shockwave that rippled outward. It stopped the golden spikes just shy of his face, one just under his chin.
Zero just stepped away from it, silently chuckling to himself, hands still in his pockets.
The rest of the shockwave didn't push back or cause destruction—it just spread out, disrupting magic as it hit Shallow. His hands started to spark with purple lighting
"I can't use magic!" Shallow was also hovering over the ground. Now his feet were on the ground.
Zero watched from afar amused at the Shallow warden struggling with his magic, hands in his still pockets.
Zero's eyes widened as an idea hit his mind.
"Oh, Morwen, by the way, what do you think about Mora?"
"Mmm, I actually like that one! Yeah, that's probably your best one!"
She smiled.
"What do you mean it's my best one? I had other good ones... like Ghost Lord."
"Don't even start!" Mora laughed.
"But Mora, I'm serious—I'm good at nicknaming."
"I think everyone can agree you're horrible at nicknaming."
Two echoes came out—Augustus and Alana. "100%."
"Let's be honest here, Zero!" Mora responded, still laughing.
Zero frowned. "Whatever."
Shallow was still struggling, sparks coming out of his hands.
"Come on! I am the legendary Shallow Warden!" he yelled.
Mana slowly formed at his fingertips, forming into a spell.
Its working!
He brought both hands together, producing fire, condensing it into a flame lance with all his might.
"Your going to perish terribly NERCROMANCER!" he roared and threw it. It soared toward Zero.
Zero lifted his hand upward. Moonlight shone upon his hand. It accumulated in his palm, then slowly made the shape of a lance, condensing and forming—moonlight forged, shimmering in the darkness, then it shifted into a deep mixture of violet and blue.
"Let's see whose lance is better."
He then threw it.
The moonlight lance sliced right through the original flame spear. The halves exploded on each half.
"There is no way a kid in a suit just killed me..."
The moonlight lance reached Shallow Warden, hitting him and staking him into the wall. And exploding in ethereal moonlight, eviscerating the Warden along with the wall.
Then Zero took his sweet time walking toward Obsidian Warden. Mora still rested on him snugly.
Standing over Obsidian Warden, he smirked.
At this point, light started to breach the sky, filling it with a somber orange. A single ray of light descended upon Obsidian on the warm morning.
As Zero got closer, it revealed Obsidian's battered and broken body and spirit. He lay on a small heap of rubble..
When Zero reached Obsidian, he looked down on him.
Obsidian's eyes remained closed.
"So you really killed Galerius?"
"I did."
He coughed.
"Well, I guess we were all going to die one day. Today we just learned how."
Zero's eyes gleamed blue, using Morwen's vision. His eyes widened. "You know that unless killed now, your soul won't pass on, right?"
"Yeah, I understand... Normally, Arconians kill themselves before that or find a way to die so they can pass on."
Zero scoffed. "Whatever conceived your race really hated you."
"But—I don't even think I deserve to pass on. I couldn't face my wife or my son."
The atmosphere grew quiet as the Book of the Abyss flew in beside Zero. It snapped open.
"Bring forth the Chain of Languish."
"What's that?"
A chain coated in withering mana protruded from the book's center, mana rippling from its pages.
"This will just hasten the process. Since, for a dying old man, you still have quite a lot left in you. Even with all the times you have been drained of your soul's mana, you still manage to have a lot left."
"Well, they call me Obsidian for a reason." He chuffed to himself.
As the chain slowly dove into Obsidian's chest.
"How long do you want?" Zero said, his eyes closed while the chain continued to endlessly pour into his chest.
"Until it's quiet."
Zero waited a minute before reaching his hand out, forming scissors with his fingers, and closing his two fingers, snapping the chain. As the rest went within Obsidian, it wrapped around his soul, squeezing it.
Obsidian felt a thud within him. But he quickly relaxed.
"Thanks."
Mora smiled as her mana surrounded them.
"Time to go," she whispered.
"One last thing. What were Galerius's last words to you?" obsidian said his voice measured.
Zero paused for a moment. He looked up to the sky. The warm breeze flowed through him.
He told me that I'm not completely evil...
Obsidian smiled softly. "Sounds just like him. Haha." He laughed weakly.
Mora and Zero flew away through the capital.
Zero restored Skull Lord, and Arcaeus also gave them a pat for trying their best. Then he flew through the capital.
"Where are those bonewalkers? I felt their presence get weaker before I even got to the capital."
Zero, still looking through Mora's eyes: "Ah, there."
He flew down, landing next to the remains of Bonewalker Two. "How did you both get destroyed! Well at least your souls are still burning to be alive."
As Zero rebuilt Bonewalker Two, its body formed back into full, large form.
Zero also looked off to the far side, seeing a pile of rotted guts.
"Ew, they stink!"
Bonewalker Two, now completely done, had a new scar on its forehead resembling a star. It knelt, looking off to the side in shame of its failure.
Zero didn't say a thing. He just turned around, walking toward Wraith. But as soon as he applied Mora's mana to its remains, its own mana burst outward.
Black miasma shadows stretched throughout the area as the bonewalker's body was being formed within it.
It screeched in rage, its bones shook restlessly, as its spectral mana continued to cause the very atmosphere to turn a shade of black. its orb sockets burned even more viciously.
—Zero just stood there, unfazed. Mora didn't even acknowledge it, just rearranging her arms to get a tighter grip on Zero.
"Okay, you can calm down now," Zero said, unimpressed.
But Wraith kept screeching, its mana spreading out even more.
"I said that's..."
Zero raised his hand. "Enough." His tone was stern and cold as he smacked Wraith Skeleton in the face. Everything stopped.
Wraith Skeleton just held the side of its face.
As Zero pointed at him: "I told you to stop. Before, you didn't listen."
Wraith Skeleton's head looked down. "Hey, don't get sad now. I told you to..."
Zero looked to the side, seeing Bonewalker Two's jaw chattering as it pointed at Wraith Skeleton, as if mocking it.
Zero's face was serious. His finger curled toward Bonewalker Two, gesturing it to come.
Bonewalker Two's skeletal body sagged as it walked over.
"Kneel," Zero said.
It did as he said, only to get backhanded.
Both were now holding the sides of their skeletal faces.
"How did you both get destroyed?! Huh?"
He looked at them both, but they turned their heads away in shame.
He continued to lecture them, Mora still holding on to him.
"It better have been some really strong enemies." Zero huffed as he put his hands on their skulls.
He put his hands on their heads, his eyes shining purple. "Mmm, oh... never mind. You did pretty well at the start. Ooo, those dried-up guts make a lot of sense now... brutal. Oh, D-ranks?"
He let go. "Okay, I'll give you credit. Those two were probably just out of your league. But if they were really D-ranks, they shouldn't be too far off from you too, considering you both killed many D-ranks by yourselves. Definitely something to do with those runes they had on them—something truly weird. The only way you could be that strong at D-rank is if you were me, but they're not, so. Anyway—"
Zero stopped himself while chuckling.
"I want better next time. Can't promote you, if you're going to lose like this."
They both looked down at the dirt.
"Zero!"
A familiar female voice called.
Zero turned around, seeing Alana and Augustus, Arcaeus walked up.
One of Mora's eyes opened.
"Oh, Alana, Augustus. Haven't seen you two in a long while."
"What was with that damn note you left us with? Why couldn't you just tell us in advance you were going to go earlier?"
"Well, plans change. I ran into a few surprises, that's all." He scratched the back of his head.
"Anyway, I got this for someone..."
Alana looked confused.
Zero pulled out a single black rose and presented it to Alana.
She looked at it, then at him. A mouth slit opened on her wisp body and extended into a giant maw, consuming the flower whole. Zero pulled his own hand away before she could eat it too.
She started munching on it. "Thanks."
Everyone, including the bonewalkers, deadpanned.
As she munched on the rose, she looked around. "What?" she said, muffled.
"You're disgusting," Mora said.
"And boring," Zero added.
"Mistress, you weren't supposed to eat it."
"OH." Alana spat it out. Mora turned Zero around, facing the bonewalkers, as it came out in a green mush with miasma mixed into it.
"Alright, better?"
Zero was already talking to the bonewalkers.
Augustus just looked away, petting Arcaeus.
"You go into that castle and finish off anyone left." He pointed at Wraith.
"And you help Augustus group the army."
"I will deal with transport. Oh, and Alana, go with Wraith."
Zero flew up.
"What happened?" Alana said, still confused.
Augustus was gone.
Zero flew, toward the coastline, but away from where he was with Freya, Morwen took him to a boat dock.
"I remember that coastline all too well" mora said quietly
Zero is just quiet.
As they land there on a high port above the shipping part of the coastline.
Looking at the dock area, he pointed to the biggest ship,
How many do you think that boat can carry Mora?"
she opened her eyes, "think I have seen that boat before", she flew toward.
The ship bore three masts and a broad, imposing frame. Its hull was wide-bellied and deep, with long, graceful curves that swelled into a sturdy, fuller midsection and rose into high, protective sides.
"Oh this is the VC Caravel it's a transport ship to get people to the region of Isolde, it usually carries around 10,000"
"Only?"
"Yeah, not many people like to travel to different regions in viscura because of this big ships are barely used. Usually people travel there in smaller boats. But the only reason they didn't build more was because no more than 500-1000 people would go to the region every year.
She floated in front of him,
Waiting for his response, "ok, Morwen go tell Augustus to group up 10,000 undead in good condition and leave the injured plus the excess here."
"Also don't come back by yourself, come back with the others…"
"Sure I will take my time Zero." She lets him disappearing.
She happily left. Zero made his way down to the dock and onto the ship. Gazing up at the sun. Breathing in and out. He pulled out a marble, its core red and blue and lifted it up into the sky.
Memories spin in his mind.
Promise me...
I promise.
Zero—"Freya."
All undead boarded the hull, skull lords bone were left in the capital three of his soul circled Zero.
Augustus steered the ship
Sat in the crows nest now wearing his black cloak. Resting well, as he looked at the sky.
Alana popped by
"Hey Zero…"
"Yeah?"
"I saw that ghost girl being extra clingy on you, what's going on? I thought you were enslaving her."
"I didn't have to do anything because she came on her own terms."
"yeah but don't you think you're a bit too close to her."
Zero face stayed "why does that any of that matter."
"Just saying it's not a good idea to get too close to your servants, especially revenants."
"And why did you let that warden live?"
"I didn't. let him die on his own terms. Regardless, I just felt like it."
"That doesn't sound like you think at all."
"Well, Alana I have only been alive for a month and 12 days, you also only know me for that time too. So, who knows I could change."
"True but I still don't think you could change."
"Not even a bit?" he stood up, looking at her floating by his side.
"Nope, not even a little."
"Well, I guess we will just have to see this new dawn."
They both look at the sun rise ahead,
Zero raised his hand toward the sun, excitement brewing within him.
"I feel it.. all too well…"
Alana looked at Zero, for a moment. Within her spirit she began to feel pride.
"And I can't wait for what's next."
Her eye narrowed, as if nostalgic,
then she closed her eyes
Looking to his horizon, "To a new dawn" she finished
They all sail off to the distance to the next region of Isolde.
The End.