Thurod, Andlaen, and Meth's beds were all taken outside and burned. Obviously, with the Cards' newly inflated ranks, this posed a bunking problem. Sumika and Eyana had no problems finding places to sleep in Alderich's and Makenna's beds. Ryan was provided a bedroll and slept on the floor.
As the seven all slept, the ground shook so slightly none of them were phased and remained sleeping peacefully. Even if they had been awake however, the tremor was so minor, they still may not have noticed it. The reason for it though was much more terrible than the actual quake.
Alfonso woke first and, before he went in, could have sworn he felt movement underground. The Nord waved it off as his imagination.
Alderich woke up next and, in his scramble to get out of bed, woke Sumika. He headed to his armory and she followed.
Alderich sighed. "What kind of weapons do you want to use?" he asked her, clearly not happy he had to ask the question.
Sumika, without even thinking, answered, "I will need a katana, Eyana uses a bow."
Alderich, both surprised and disappointed by the immediate response asked, "You know how to use them?"
"Yes Alderich," she replied, annoyed at him for thinking they were ignorant in the ways of combat.
"Show me," he said handing her a blunted Akaviri blade while he took up his shield and a blunt longsword.
"You are still wounded," she said worried.
"Then you should be able to beat me without much trouble," he taunted her.
Sumika and Alderich went to the sparring mat and stood on opposite sides. Both stood, weapons ready, waiting for the other to move first. Each realized at the same moment that the other would not act until they did. They both attacked.
The resounding clash of metal to metal startled the rest out of sleep, except of course for Alfonso, who stood in the entryway watching. The other Cards made their way to viewing positions as the two battled. Alderich's defensive style and Sumika's evasive movements were perfectly matched, neither could gain any ground.
As Sumika did cartwheels and flips to avoid Alderich's strikes, turning them fluidly into her own attacks, he used sword and shield to block and parry. Alderich's attacks met with nothing but air, Sumika's connected with a light iron shield. Neither could land a blow and neither would permit the other's blade. The entire fight was an active stalemate.
The two, now tired from combat, stood again on opposite sides of the mat, glaring at each other, adrenaline flowing. The others, who had been watching the battle rage, just stood there in amazement. None of them had thought that anyone, least of all his own girlfriend, could match Alderich with a blade.
Alderich swung his sword horizontally at Sumika. She easily ducked under it and while doing so delivered a low sweeping kick. Alderich fell to the ground on his back and immediately found Sumika's katana at his neck. He had been bested.
They both threw aside their weapons. Alderich wrapped his arms around her and she lowered herself down to him.
The rest of the group began clapping. Suddenly realizing that everyone was watching them, they both bolted up. Noticeably embarrassed, the couple bowed in unison.
All the Cards began to go about their duties except for Ryan, Sumika, and Eyana, who did not know what to do. Sumika yet again followed Alderich to his forge, as did Makenna and Eyana. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?" Makenna asked Sumika.
"We are self-trained," she answered, "I with katanas and Eyana with bows."
"We prefer stealth and ease of movement," Eyana added.
"I think I could brew up something you two would like," Makenna said, making the sisters curious and Alderich worried.
Makenna took his leave. First he went to his library and took a few books down. He then retired to his alchemy lab.
"Look," Sumika started, "I am sorry Alderich."
Alderich shook his head. "I do not care that you beat me."
"Honestly I do not care if you care I beat you," she said with a laugh. Then she got a serious expression on her face. "I meant about Andlaen, Meth, Thurod, our joining the Wild Cards..."
Alderich started to reply, "I am just worried about-"
He stopped when he heard Eyana scream from the dining area. It did not take anyone long to figure out why. She was staring at three figures near the entrance: an Orc, a Khajiit, and a Bosmer, all covered in dirt.
It was intensely obvious to everyone present that Thurod gro-Monk, Andlaen, and Ra'Meth should not be standing in front of them. Added to that, by their stances, they were hostile.
Alderich immediately gave Sumika a sharp katana, got Eyana's attention, and threw her a steel bow and quiver of matching arrows. The rest of the Cards gathered their respective equipment.
Fons began to roar. All watched as he transformed into his beast form. He was apparently very angry his friends' resting places had been desecrated.
Furey ran at the undead Thurod and slashed at his shoulder with his claws. The Orc's right arm fell to the ground. The group could only watch as the arm dissolved and a new one sprouted out of the zombie's torso. Thurod punched Alfonso in the stomach with his new hand, sending him across the room. As the transformed Nord stood, he wore a quizzical look.
"I do not know much about the undead," Isaiah began, "but I know zombies are not supposed to do that."
"Makenna?" Eyana questioned him in a very worried tone.
The Dunmer mage launched a fireball at the form of Andlaen. The zombie exploded when the spell hit only for the pieces of it to return to one another, completely restoring the Wood Elf.
"I... do not know..." he replied in an equally worried tone.
Alderich began yelling. This time, armor did not come out from under his skin as it had the previous times, it was his skin that changed. It hardened, turning a metallic gray as it did so. His joints separated and the pieces of him expanded. As they grew apart, they remained connected by a constant flow of violet electricity. A Storm Monarch stood in Alderich's place.
The six other Cards looked at him uneasily.
"What?" Alderich asked.
Isaiah shook his head. "Well, we have to find a way to beat them."
"So why are we just standing here?" Ryan asked as he began to charge at Meth's corpse.
Isaiah spoke to the rest of the Cards, "Fons, you get Thurod," he said to the beast. "Alderich, you have Andlaen," he addressed the electrical giant. "Sumika, help Ryan with Meth. The rest of us stay back and support at range."
The zombies were slow and unbalanced, so they attacked infrequently and were easy to dodge, but they regenerated instantly whenever they were damaged. Even the huge steel form of Alderich picking up and electrocuting the undead Bosmer had no effect. Alfonso tore chunks out of Thurod's rotting flesh only for it to reappear. Sumika sliced Ra'Meth with her razor-sharp katana while Ryan beat him in the head and chest with his mace to no avail. The flurry of arrows and spells provided by Isaiah, Makenna, and Eyana penetrated their skin, and even stayed stuck inside them, but had no noticeable effect.
The newly risen zombies were so slow and clumsy they could not contend with the seven Cards, but neither could the Wild Cards gain any ground.
"We are not doing anything!" Ryan yelled.
"There is now way they can beat us," Isaiah returned.
Makenna laughed, "Unfortunately the same applies for us to them."
After about half an hour Makenna pulled Sumika aside. "I have an idea," he said. "Have you noticed that the zombies do not so much regenerate as the parts of them return to themselves?"
"Yes," she replied in a calm voice, Makenna's steadiness relaxing her.
"Well," he continued, "I am going to cast an ice spell, the spell will freeze from the elbow down. I want you to cut the hand off at the wrist. Hopefully being frozen will prevent it from returning to the body."
"Alright," Sumika said nodding.
"I will cast it after you get back over there," Makenna told her.
Sumika ran back to help Ryan. After a few moments of fighting the creature, a blue bolt hit it in the right forearm. The undead swung its icy fist at Ryan.
Before the blow connected, Sumika cut off its hand with a downward slice of her katana. The clenched fist fell to the ground, and stayed there. All seven stared at it for just a few moments.
The chunks of steel that made up Alderich started to come together, and shrank as they did so. The steel turned to flesh and Alderich stood in the Storm Monarch's place. Alderich looked at his brother. Without wasting any more time, Alderich started to change again. His skin froze solid, and a thicker layer of ice began to cover him. Icy spikes grew out of his arms and back.
"Alderich, you already know what you are doing," Isaiah said. "Fons," he turned to the beast, "get your hammer. Makenna, what do you need to keep them frozen?"
"Frost salts," he said, "a lot of them. I have them in my lab."
"Ryan, go get those for him," Osis ordered. "Makenna, get the graves ready. Sumika, Eyana, we are keeping them busy."
Alfonso reverted back to his human form while running to the armory. Ryan sprinted to Makenna's lab and picked up a large bag. It actually took a bit of work because it was frozen to the floor.
Meanwhile, the Frost Monarch Alderich battled Thurod the Orcish zombie, Sumika kept Andlaen occupied, and Isaiah and Eyana pelted Meth with arrows.
Fons returned and stood next to Alderich. He noticed his arrival and held both his palms out towards the zombie. What radiated from his hands was air so cold, the area ahead of him began to snow. The cold wave reached the undead and Thurod stood frozen in place. Furey swung his hammer and struck the Orc in the stomach. The ice sculpture shattered. Hundreds of pieces of frozen flesh fell to the ground, and remained.
Ryan and Makenna entered the ruin. Makenna pointed at the shards that used to be Thurod gro-Monk. Ryan went over and gathered up the pieces into the bag that still carried a small amount of frost salts. He carried them outside to dump them into Thurod's grave.
Makenna went to Isaiah. "Coffins are ready," he told him, "lined with the salts. That should keep them completely frozen unless they are separated."
"Good," Osis said while he released a bolt from his bow. "Ryan can transfer them, you help us."
Makenna, on that order, launched a frost spell at Ra'Meth which hit dead center in the forehead. The Khajiit was frozen from his head down to his shoulders. Eyana launched an arrow from her bow, striking him in the throat. A crack went horizontally across the creature's neck. Meth's head fell to the ground followed by his body.
Pryde returned and began dragging the corpse out to its grave.
Supercold mist was again leaving Alderich's hands and soon after another icy statue stood inside Sercen. Makenna formed a fireball between his palms. He stood and concentrated for a few moments, during which time the flames grew more intense. Makenna released the spell at the frozen Wood Elf. The fireball hit Andlaen in the chest. Not only did the zombie explode, but the chunks of rotting flesh melted and vaporized, turning into mist.
Ryan again came back into the hideout and walked strait though the area where Andlaen had been. No sooner did he do so than he started choking. As Ryan fell to the ground, Alderich changed back into a Dark Elf and he and Alfonso collapsed from exhaustion. Ryan did so shaking and seizuring.