The battle had been brief.

The moment your lord had left the room, you began to think of what you would do after. Life on your own seemed so distant, so implausible, that you could scarcely fathom it. What would you do without a lord to serve? Where would you go? What would you do? The possibilities were infinite and nonexistent.

Although you knew that you should consider options for the future, your mind kept wandering back to your lord. Your poor deluded master, whose only crime had been that of loving his wife too much. Those last words he had spoken to you indicated that he fully understood the futility of the coming battle and had no doubts about his unavoidable end. Yet he had willingly gone to fight in order to protect a life that was already long gone.

And you, his loyal servant, had no intentions of preserving said "life". A gnawing doubt chewed at your insides. This desire to ignore your lord's wishes was not a feeling that you were accustomed to. But, you rationalized, your obligation to obey him would end the very moment his life did. And since his orders were predicated on his death, their very nature made them optional. He would never know his orders had not been fulfilled, and once he reached heaven (which you sorely hoped he would), your lord would finally be reunited with his true love.

This perverted farce was almost at its end, and you felt an emotion almost akin to regret.

You choked as what you had just thought sunk in. You shook your head in disgust. No, not regret. You had simply become so accustomed to the status quo that even such a welcome change felt terrifying and strange.

And before you had figured out what to do, the door burst open and the lords of the realm entered the room. You bowed your head subserviently. Lady Eirika cast her gaze around the room, and her eyes landed on you. "You there, where do your allegiances lie? And what else has Orson been keeping from us?"

You bowed lower. "I am Janx, a mere servant to my master Orson, Lady Eirika. Though now that he is dead, my vow of fealty is no longer of any importance."

Lord Ephraim stepped closer to you. "Lift up your head, Janx. I would like to look into your eyes in order to ascertain if you are telling the truth. And what of the other servants? Where have they gone?"

You straightened up, wincing as something in your back made a cracking noise, and met his eyes. "They have left long ago. I am the only living soul left in this castle. The others who work here have all been conjured by the necromancer Riev."

"Riev," Lord Ephraim hissed angrily. "That snake is the one to blame for this travesty. Orson was one of my most loyal knights…"

"Peace, Lord Ephraim," a third man who had entered along with the lords lay a hand on the prince's shoulder. "Orson himself did his fair share of wrong. One cannot inadvertently betray their liege lord."

This knight must be Sir Seth, you surmised, one of Renais's most loyal and renowned knights. He glanced at you now. "If you are truly the last living soul in the castle, pray tell, what is that in the corner?"

You could not help yourself from being dramatic. "Something that you must look at through your own eyes to fathom it," you replied.

Sir Seth stepped closer to it, and its pale drawn face peered at him from over the bed.

"Gods," Seth breathed quietly, crossing himself surreptitiously. It was at that precise moment that the creature decided to speak. "Orson…" it muttered darkly. "…love…" It stretched out a limp hand, casting its blank gaze around the room. The hand hung in the air in a depraved manner, now that your master was no longer alive to take it within his.

Lady Eirika spoke, her voice shuddering. "And this…this is where Orson spent his days? Cooped up in darkness, alone with this…this…" she struggled to describe it, words failing her.

You nodded soberly.

The silence stretched on for a while, as you watched the three of them attempt to regain their composures. It was Lord Ephraim who broke the quiet. "Let us leave." He ushered you and the others out of the room and closed the door noiselessly behind him. Once in the hallways, he looked you squarely in the eyes. "Janx, why don't you join with us? Leave this castle and take up arms for our cause."

"I have little skill with weapons, my lord. I fear I would only be a burden," you said. And in truth, you realized, you did not have what it took to kill another man. Your inability to poison your master had shown that quite well. Furthermore, you had little desire to see more of the undead creatures. There was no doubt that Riev would conjure more to oppose the lords. Your oath had ended, and you had no more ties binding you to the evil that you had seen.

"You need not fight," Lord Ephraim continued. "An army needs more than just soldiers. Another helping hand in the convoy or the kitchens would always be useful."

You cleared your throat. You had made your decision, and would not go back. "My lord, I have seen enough of the living dead to give me nightmares that will last a lifetime. I wish your cause well, but I cannot join you."

The lord nodded. "So be it. Know that I do not resent you for this, for were I in your position, I might have done the same."

You knew he was only saying it for courtesy's sake, but you still accepted his words with another bow. "Thank you, my lord."

After the two nobles and their steadfast knight returned to your late lady's – and your late master's – chambers, you turned to leave. You had resolved to go away, away from the horrors and the darkness and the madness and the perverted façades. It was finally time to return home.

After saddling up a tired old mare from the stables, you heard a tumult from within the castle gardens, and were briefly aware of the odor of burning flesh.

You left Castle Renais and the horrors within, and did not look back.

A/N: Done! Phew. I had fun writing this, although a few times I think I creeped myself out, haha. Thanks for the read! And thank you Gunlord500 for all your wonderful reviews :)