Chapter 68: Four Brown Cloaks
It was.
A quick check showed that the bodies buried in the place were emptied of soul remnants. But despite that, Aleric didn’t feel discouraged anymore.
Outside of the graveyard, his soldiers were laying the corpses of the town’s defenders in neat rows, gathering any livestock they could find, and capturing anyone who refused to call Aleric their new lord.
A scene of carnage and devastation.
"Why would I need to waste my time on trash skeletons when I can raise better soldiers instead?" Aleric muttered to himself, leaving the graveyard. "The inquisitors should’ve taken better measures to protect the living instead."
***
Two days later.
Despite the time being after sunset, Frinstoun, the capital of Diawale County, was full of people and activity more than usual. They piled behind its walls like fish in a barrel. Dozens of peasants came here from the nearby towns, hoping for shelter from the approaching menace.
The villagers mostly preferred to hide in the wild. They already heard the rumors that the necromancer preferred to strike larger settlements. Now, all these people had a cause to thank the Light for protecting them.
Having passed any villages that weren’t on the main road, Aleric’s army went straight for Frinstoun.
Now, its guards have closed the gates, leaving behind all those who came too late to seek shelter. Countless torches were lit along the wall.
The army of undead was seen less than an hour’s march from the city, and its people were preparing to defend themselves.
Four people in brown cloaks were standing on top of the city’s wall, right above the southern gates. Although they took the best observation place, other guards on the wall walked around them at a respectful distance and didn’t complain.
Although the four inquisitors couldn’t see the army of undead yet, they could already sense its Dark energy like a thundercloud.
"Light, I pray for you to protect the souls of Diawale’s people... Sooner or later, even those taken by Aleric Fenn will be freed," said Maria, a cleric.
She was short, youthful-looking, and very beautiful, with black hair in a bob and a peaceful expression. Her hands were raised in a prayer gesture, her voice was full of genuine devotion, and she was the very picture of a saint. A battle saint, since under her cloak was heavy armor and a heavy combat mace.
Next to her was standing a blond, ruggedly handsome man with a large scar on his chin—paladin Irkan. His armor was even heavier than Maria’s, and he wielded a sword.
At the woman’s words, he threw a longing glance at her, then stared stalwartly at the horizon.
"I, too, wish these people could be saved. But we must steel our hearts, comrades. ’The kindest deeds can be the hardest ones,’ that’s what Master Garron often said. So I wish we could set the city aflame before the necromancer comes here. Or during the time he’s inside—this would’ve been even better. At least we had the time to consecrate the graves, but we can’t do it with all the living people..."
"To die for the Light is to become Light and become eternal," Maria said breathlessly.
Their other two companions, brothers Karill and Farlan, stayed silent until this moment. They preferred to hide their faces and their polished armor under their cloaks.
Farlan pulled out his bow and an arrow. Karill prepared his flail and shield.
"I can see them," they said at once.
Maria and Irkan immediately went silent and squinted, looking into the distance.
Line by line, Aleric’s army appeared on the horizon. It grew by six hundred zombie servants and three hundred skeletons in the past two days, because Aleric stopped for a day in the town. Some of the new zombie servants he raised were mountedon undead horses and joined the ranks of Black Riders.
Around the inquisitors, the guards noticed the enemy too. The sergeants began shouting commands, someone blew a horn, and people began running back and forth.
Soon, a bell began tolling on the main tower of the city’s temple.
At this moment, a middle-aged bald man, the commandant of the city, approached the inquisitors.
"Sirs, lady—the enemy is at our gates. Will you help us to fight? You have more experience fighting undead than anyone else here... Since the templars have all left to assist the king, just as our lord and his knights."
"I have already told you to flee, and you have already said that you can’t abandon the city, just as the people living there," Irkan said with slight annoyance. "Look, the undead hordes stretch beyond the horizon... Master Garron was right as always. Only the king’s entire army can bring them down."
"But don’t fear, layman. We will help you even in such a hopeless task," Maria added. "My blessings will be given to your soldiers."
"And we will kill as many undead as our weapons will let us," Karill said, raising his axe.
Like all weapons of the inquisitors, it was enchanted with Light. Weapons like these were only given to templars of at least justicar rank, and although the four inquisitors didn’t command Chapter houses, they definitely deserved their gear by skill.
"Thank you," the commandant said. "Do you think the undead will attack soon?"
Irkan looked again at the approaching army. There were no siege weapons with it, and the dim moonlight made it hard to see whether they had ladders with them.
Despite that, he nodded with assurance. Irkan knew that the necromancer was in a hurry and wasn’t wasting time in places if he could avoid it.
"They will. Prepare your burning oil arrows and the holy water that sister Maria had enchanted, commandant."
When the man nodded and left to give commands to his soldiers, Irkan gestured to his group.
"Squad, let’s move to another place. We have only one chance to take the necromancer by surprise, and we should use it. If this war can end with a single well-placed arrow, it’s our duty to make it so."