4. ZOMBIE HORDE

Day eight hosted the most nightmarish experience Violet had on an expatriation ever.

A series of dreadful coincidences intermeshed to shape the most terrifying night of her life. The zombie horde was far-reaching that night. Not even four iron golems would've been enough to keep them from banging on every door. The moon wasn't full nor empty. Violet had wondered if some meteorological phenomenon had precipitated the great many mobs spawning that night, and yet it was just a waxing gibbous. Somehow that was more foreboding, as if this were a mere warm-up act of greater terrors to come….

The bulk of the day passed like any other. Violet had visited Ansel once more to carve more sandstone into slabs and then she was out working to build the cover that the waterhole sorely needed. The day wore on, she hadn't interacted with the villagers for hours and it was getting to that time where she considered retiring to the library. Perhaps she should share an early dinner with Meliora and make more progress with the farming book she was still reading. She'd pushed the lord's worrying journal to the back of her mind. Violet wiped the sweat from her brow and turned to see a villager pass by between buildings. She couldn't tell who, but she registered the brisk walk. Villagers didn't hurry unless they were stressed, and it was still an hour before sundown. She drank from her tankard then let it fall on its string, walking back into the village.

There was a rabble. Quite literally, as everyone was present at the gathering site and grumbling together, an odd orchestra of unsettlement. Violet spotted Chief Herkel who had the support of both old advisors, they stood at his shoulders. He was staring down two of the children who looked chastened, the older ones: Everard and Gweneth. Violet walked faster.

"Is something the matter, Chief?"

"This is villager business. Do not trouble thyself with it," he said to her.

Violet looked again at the tops of the childrens' bald heads, bowed in guilt.

She could sense everybody's tension, "Please, let me help. Has something happened?"

The chief sighed but didn't interfere when Gisela the leatherworker tugged on Violet's sleeve in one of her limp movements, speaking in her haggard way, "'Twere during wandering time. These children went up the dunes with Tobias."

Violet clasped both hands over her mouth and couldn't help glancing at Dunstan, at his patched eye.

"Is he alright?"

"We've not been able to find Tobias since," Otto said. He looked near-indistinguishable from his brother Derg who stood beside him. They had the same downcast expressions, and wore identical fishermen outfits.

"Wandering time… this must have happened hours ago?" Violet whirled around.

"He's been gone for some time and night is drawing near," Laria grumbled.

"For shame children!" Idalia scolded them once more. "Thou wot that the dunes are still a mystery to us!"

Violet refrained from cursing. All this time she'd been working and something like this had happened.

Sigrid crossed her arms and aimed her nose skyward, "If thou bid me, I be surprised Nicolai wasn't responsible." She especially was tired of him.

Violet knelt by Everard and Gweneth and took their arms, turning them to her. They were reluctant to raise their faces.

"Hey, what happened? Is he hurt? Did something take him?"

"...We went up the dunes while everyone was out of the village," Everard softly confessed, "Then we were playing too rough and Tobias got upset and ran aroint."

"We didn't mean to upset him! Honest!" Gweneth crowed.

Violet straightened up, "I'll find him." Her declaration surprised the villagers. "I can climb faster so it's best I go alone."

"We thank thee," the chief said after a pause, "And good luck to thee."

Violet raced urgently to the dunes, the water sloshing against the tin of her half-empty tankard. She'd not thought to refill it, her thoughts were on a tiny villager child huddled together in the hollow of a sand mount. Fortunately for Violet she had the topography memorised and she could think of four or five dunes with indents that would look perfect for a frightened child to hide in. She ran with the sun against her back, gasping as she pushed on to each location she was thinking of.

By the time Violet reached the fourth spot it was almost sunset. The horizon was burning orange and she was terrified, in equal measures for her own safety and that of little Tobias. She peered into the hollow and saw a stick bush but no huddling child. The only other spot wasn't so much a hollow as it was a skinny middle of a dune top. On second thought, she wasn't sure Tobias would feel safe there, it wasn't very hidden. But then where could he be?

He might have wandered back to the village himself but that was less likely for a testificate of his age than for a human child. Young testificates were fast but not capable. Not on their own. Violet doubted one as young as him had even wanted to go up the dunes in the first place. The strain of climbing tired out testificate muscles that were much better suited for level ground.

Violet should have told the chief to raise a flag or start a fire for her because even if there was a chance he'd got back on his own, Violet felt that she could never go back without him. She didn't know why. Something about the picture of a lonely child in her mind touched her soul and she desperately wanted to find and soothe him, so much that she ached.

But where could he be? Dread encapsulated her as she recalled the cave.

Tobias could've certainly wandered in, and suddenly Violet saw it as the only place he could be. He wouldn't have been on the move for very long. Violet's fear of that hell-spawning pit hadn't diminished at all, but her resolve was unwavering as she changed course. With the darkening landscape around her she still knew exactly where she was, and where she needed to go to get there.

She walked the dipped path between dunes and scanned it for little footprints, though it was getting hard to see in the dark. She found the cave again and stared into darkness of a blacker pitch than she'd ever seen. A perfect darkness. Violet lowered her eyes and sure enough she saw the sand prints from little feet. The chances of Tobias surviving in there for any number of hours were slim. Violet didn't even have a torch handy.

Death would be certain if she walked in there.

She felt like she was under a kind of possession. Something was leaking out from deep within. She saw her mind flash with the image of Tobias huddled up in a corner of the cave, surrounded by rare ores and scuttling monsters, neither of which he could see. He seemed so alone and Violet's body immediately responded by stepping forward.

The snapping of a twig made her stop. Violet looked back and saw Tobias a short ways away, huddled by a stick bush and watching her. Relief flooded her at once.

"Tobias!"

He responded by running away.

Violet was shocked but quickly pursued him. Catching him would be a challenge in normal circumstances, but she had her boots and he'd likely been running himself raggard, scared and alone. Still, he managed to stay ahead of her.

"Tobias…! Wait…! I'm here to help you! To take you back…! Wait!"

Violet's heart beat with a new adrenaline when she heard the growls around her. Monsters were spawning and she was far from home. The only light were the stars and a ghostly sheen from that sliver of moon. She should will out her armour and sword but they'd slow her down. She kept her eyes fixed on Tobias's running figure as he scampered up a dune, still not giving any indication that he was listening to her.

Violet glimpsed an eerie glow from above. She realised they were running to one of the hollows among the dunes that she'd checked earlier. Once they reached the top she could see the light was coming from a cauldron, and the one stirring it was a witch. Tobias stopped dead in his tracks a few paces from her bubbling brew.

Violet could finally grab him, and ignoring the witch she turned around to face him. Instead of green his eyes were cloudy, and he stood slack with no expression.

The witch cackled, her voice frightfully high-pitched, "We heard thou loudly bidding for this one's name. Marry he didst find his way to that cave and me."

She'd been led. Violet whipped around.

The witches were testificates corrupted by dark energy and they spawned in shadows just like the other monsters. Her skin was greyed and she was dressed in nightshade purple with the typical buckled hat on her head, black and pointed. Its folds slouched like the leather hide of a wrinkled beast, and she was more hideous, and looked demented with the dark energy festering around her being. Just looking at her, Violet could see the traces of dark magic leaking through her eyes and the air around her, as if she were a portal to it. Violet kept Tobias behind her and he remained hollow-eyed, so deeply in trance like a toy soldier.

Violet worked to clear the fear from her throat, "Witches don't harm villagers…" Not entirely true but it was all she could think to say, "Let him go."

"I shall traffic thy life for his, mine dear," her eyes were like a demon's, still focused on her stirring.

Violet had guessed as much, "Look, if I don't take him back to his village he won't survive…."

"What care I about such concerns? I shall cut thy heart from thy chest for mine spell. Now join hither and I shall hast no reason to hurt the boy." She raised her amethyst eyes to Violet and motioned with a clawed finger.

Violet's mouth was dry. Part of her wanted to plead and beg, but she knew it wouldn't matter to a corrupted creature like her. Seeing no other choice she manifested her pickaxe and hurled it. The witch screeched and dived, her cauldron was knocked over, the glowing green contents spilled over the sand. Violet turned to Tobias and willed her chainmail armour on and her sword into her grip. She used her free arm to scoop Tobias up and went to run down but the witch was already behind her. She swung her arm and Violet barged with her shoulder, the splash potion fell down the drop. The witch reached to her belt for another and Violet slashed with the sword in her clumsy, untrained way. Violet cried out, letting her fear lend strength to her fury and gave a few more swings while still clutching Tobias against her body. Her attacks seemed rather slow and predictable to the witch who was able to step around them and away. Violet turned with her, teeth barred but it seemed hopeless. She was banking on one thing.

"There is no 'scape for thee!" The witch screeched with the voices of many, her eyes brightening.

She stepped back and tossed another vial. Violet charged forward, swinging her sword through the glass and seeing a green cloud breeze against her armour. Poison…? In the same charge she thrust forward and the witch stepped back further, but she did so into the sludge from her tipped over cauldron. Her shoes bubbled and the hem of her robe caught alight. She screeched and tripped backwards on her cloak. Violet charged once more and rammed the sword through the witch and the sand wall of the hollow.

Violet stepped back from the witch's frozen shock. Then she ashed away into whatever oblivion she'd come from.

The sword sagged in the sand and Violet pulled it free. She hitched up the boy who seemed to be waking from whatever spell he'd been under, and then she ran in the direction of the village.

The desert was cold beneath the starlight.

Shadowy figures were ambling in all directions. Growls and snarls ripped the air, everywhere. Violet could hear bones rattling and spiders scuttling. The only thing she couldn't hear were the creepers that might start hissing and explode before she could even get away, burdened like she was with this armour and the precious load she was carrying. Shadows edged closer, moonlight kissed mottled flesh and there was a shine of bone. She heard the twang of string and a sailing arrow.

Violet ducked with a whimper, clutching the back of Tobias's head - the arrow flew over. The young villager clung tight to her like a tree-hugging mammal and she sprinted with fear dewing the corners of her eyes. Three zombies converged on her way forward and she cried out while slashing the sword left, then right. New scars appeared on their rotted flesh and they snarled but it was a mild irritation for them. Then she saw a big mass fly at her. Violet barely braced before she was slammed by the spider, she flew into the ground then sank, sliding down the dune between scuttling legs and she was relieved that in all this Tobias hadn't let go.

But Violet had let go of her sword when her hands sought him, and it was further up, glinting in the moonlight. Violet stopped skidding once the dune levelled out and pushed them upright. A creeper up the trail between dunes turned and scuttled after her.

Violet pushed her way up the dune even though her muscles were screaming. Fighting for her own life may not have been enough, it was the strength given to her by a - maternal? Yes, she supposed that's what it was - instinct that made her defy her limits and get to the top and outpace the creeper.

Pain burned against her back and she cried out. An arrow which hadn't broken the chainmail but hurt her with its force. She slid down this next dune too, an action that was impossible in the heat of the day. She could see three groups of mobs and the closest was starting to turn their heads to her. More growls and the twangs of launching arrows.

Violet bowled forward and felt panic rip through her as hands pulled on her arms, her hair, and yellowed teeth tried biting through a pauldron. An arrow flew by and got the zombie pulling her free arm. Another hand was trying to loosen her grip on the child, but once the other zombie was distracted by the stray arrow in its eye, Violet could wriggle free and keep running, leaving the grasping hands in the dark behind her.

One more dune to cross. Mods, please don't let me run into more spiders, she prayed. Violet summoned the strength to scale upwards once more. She navigated herself between spawn groups in the hope they might not see her, or be too slow to react. Violet dared not look back as she was sure a dozen pursuers were still hot on her trail.

Violet climbed over the final dune and saw mayhem.

Before her was the desert flat, and there was the fingernail moon and the stars over the village to her right. Ambling shadows were everywhere and a bunch were swarming the settlement. Violet couldn't even see the iron golems. The village was still closer than her house, but in front of her were several spiders and many turned their heads to her. She couldn't have conjured this sight in her most fearsome of nightmares.

She could pause no more than a second with monsters so close behind her. She huddled over Tobias, and part of her was wondering where in the overworlds this strength of hers was coming from. The spiders were already springing and she should be a cowering mess, curled over on her hands and knees in the sand, but no matter what she had to carry this villager to safety. Violet swerved and missed one pouncing spider, though it whacked her shoulder, slowing her enough that she couldn't dodge the next one that charged. It collided with her middle and then she was pounced again from behind.

A pile-on of countless wriggling spiders were upon her, all fighting each other to take the first bite, their hairy and solid bodies slamming into a living wall of carapace, pushing and shifting, frenzied with hunger. Tobias's grip had finally loosened and in the chaos Violet pushed him through the scurrying legs and out. She could see the faint torches of the distant village and knew he had a chance if he just ran straight there. His scared eyes looked back to her.

"Go!" Violet yelled, the monsters still wrestling on top of her, one leg came down hard on her thigh and she winced. "Go! I'll be fine! I'll fight them off!"

She would not, of course, but it was enough to convince Tobias to run home and she saw his little legs move fast between the staggering threats all around. Despite the imminent death she felt profound relief. She was going to die but that didn't matter so much. She'd use the last of her strength to hope he'd make it to a door and be let inside. Finally a spider barged itself directly overhead and readied its fangs for her face, drool dripping and its multiple red eyes ablaze.

Violet cringed against pouring slop. She lifted a metal-encased foot and rammed it into its jaw. It reared back and another took its place. They were going to tear her apart. A few bites in quick succession seized her chainmail and Violet wriggled, working to get it over her head. The spiders pulled, helping her remove it with their greed and she was successfully freed then up and running once more. She was a little less hindered from extra weight but she surely couldn't outpace the spiders for more than a few seconds. She kept waiting to be tackled into the sand again. The head-bashing had disoriented them, giving her a bit more time. She saw more trouble ahead.

Zombies that had previously been swarming the cartographer's workstation had been tempted by Tobias as soon as he was near. Not seeing that he could get around them he'd frozen, bunching up as the brainless foes closed in. Behind them Violet could see distant mobs that were being knocked flying into the night and hear pounding steps carving a path toward them.

"No no no!" Violet lunged on top of Tobias, and he grunted as she forced them both into a ball on the ground.

The row of zombies in front of her were whacked aside, limbs and bits flinging off. There stood the terrifying iron golem, focused on Violet as if she were the same as any monster. It swung an arm down to crush her and she shielded Tobias.

The hit never came. Violet peeked out to see Tobias had raised his little hand and the golem had halted, the big arm hovering above. Its metal body shone a soft white under the moon and stars.

The silence from her urgency passed and Violet could hear again: monsters reorienting themselves and turning to attack again. Violet scooped up Tobias and ran past the golem. She heard its metallic grinding as it swung its arms, splattering the monsters once more.

Violet swerved and ducked under grabbing hands. An arrow flew and bounced off sandstone by her head. She reached the door of the three-storey house and hammered against it. Zombies down the path turned to her and ambled over. Violet kept hammering and called out. Gunther opened it and she pushed inside, swinging the door shut behind her and locking it.

She stepped back, sweating and panting, eyes on their thin barrier.

"By Notch, Tobias thou've returned!"

The door jolted under blows. Violet felt something against her leg and saw Tobias clinging there.

She relaxed and touched the back of his smooth head, "We're alright now. We're okay. Let's go upstairs."

They took curving steps up and found Berthar and Laria trembling. Sweat moistened their tan heads, despite the cold of the night. It was a state Violet had seen villagers in before, and she now knew for a fact this wasn't an ordinary horde they were getting besieged by. While a normal door would typically keep out zombies, enough of them could split the wood, and if that were to happen Violet would have to fight again and force them out herself. She wouldn't be able to keep that up for very long….

"Berthar, Laria, look! The traveller Violet hath returned with Tobias!" Gunther called and they emerged from their corners.

Tobias freed himself from Violet's leg and they stooped down to touch and get a good look at him.

After seeing he was fine Berthar looked up, "Thou hast saved this boy's life. We shall be forever grateful. Gramercy, Violet."

The sincerity caught her by surprise, and she came back to reality a little bit, then a wave of post-adrenaline tiredness sent her falling backwards into the wall. The villagers started but Violet held her hands up to show she was fine. She slid down tiredly to her butt. The door might hold for some time yet; she was overwhelmed with her success in not only bringing the missing boy home but surviving all that as well. Tobias put a hand on her knee and she smiled at him. Her arms felt like lead as she tried lifting her tankard and unscrewing the lid. She brought it shaking to her lips so she could drink.

Violet didn't get up. The others sat and stood again from off the lime-coloured bed, moving around as they mumbled. Soon they were all quivering again, in unison like the strings of a strummed lute. Less than an hour after that Violet slept, or passed out.

When she next woke she was still sitting there. She was looking up into Gunther's saggy face and behind him the sky was bright pink through the window.

"Violet, 'tis morrow. The monsters are gone."

She groaned and sat forward, feeling stiff and sore. There was no more distant growling, every accursed presence hellbent on harming them was gone. She blinked in the silence as her memories reassimilated. That hadn't actually happened, surely? Violet had never, ever done something so daring in all her life. Not just one, she'd fought off several monsters. Night had fallen without her heading home, and still she'd stayed outside to search for and rescue the villager child. She'd never known that kind of determination was within her.

The memories seemed like they didn't belong to her - but then she clearly recalled standing before the mouth of the cave. She'd known with certainty that if she went in she'd never come out. It was suicidal, and as it turned out Tobias wasn't even in there anymore. That memory forced her to accept all that happened as well as the fact that there was a protective instinct she'd never known she had. At the time all she knew was that she had to save him. But now she understood that she'd seen a version of herself in that sad, lonely child.

Using the wall for support she got back on her feet.

Berthar and Laria were hovering by the steps. Violet descended with them slowly and then they walked outside into sunlight. The surrounding villagers came up to her at once. The path became crowded on both sides.

"Allow me through!" Chief Herkel parted the crowd then regarded her, "Ah, Violet. Thou didst exactly as thou promised. Thou found Tobias and freed him from a witch, then fought thy way through monsters to bring him home. Forsooth, thou are a champion of this village."

Champion. The word reverberated in her head like a bell toll, but didn't make sense. Champion? She was no soldier, just a researcher.

"I… I…." The rabble quietened down as they all watched her, listening carefully. Violet tried organising her confusing thoughts, "I don't know what came over me yesterday. But Tobias is safe. I think we're all grateful for that."

"Here, here!" Dunstan raised his fist to cheer and it rippled through them. They were cheering for her and it was bewildering. Violet felt like she was awake in a dream.

Chief Herkel had been conferring with his advisors. He then turned back and announced for everyone as much as for her, "For risking thy life to save one of ours, I find it most fitting to appoint thou, Traveller Violet, to a member of this village. Thou are no longer an outsider, thou are our friend and henceforth one of our own!"

More cheering, and as the words settled in through the haze, a part of Violet realised this would be very useful for her master paper.

Before Violet could leave to wash herself and change, they insisted on feeding her. When she realised she was starving she stopped her protests. They seated her at somebody's table and put a tray of food in front of her: sliced salmon with beetroot stew and a side of carrots and, of course, bread. It was a good and hearty meal. The attitude around the village remained festive, and though the morning was well underway nobody seemed to be working. Tobias was playing with the other children around the village again, and whenever Violet spotted him crouching by a corner she felt the same relief wash over her, knowing that he was safe. She also allowed herself a moment of satisfaction and pride, that under near-impossible circumstances she'd rescued him. It still felt weird to think she'd done all she remembered last night.

It had been so hard fighting to get over the dunes, her armour and the child weighing her down. Her body jerked in a fearful response, as if she were still there. It was the sensation of falling while in bed and nearing sleep. The foreign memories were frightening and she'd rather not dwell but keep them pushed away.

It was very much bright and hot and daytime when Violet walked the stretch of desert to her house. She still felt anxiety all through her body when crossing it. Last night this openness was full of writhing black masses, leering over, reaching... She kept thinking they were approaching in the corners of her eyes, but it was only heat mirages.

Violet stepped into her house and closed the door. She stood there before going to her chair and appearing the pail of water, undressing to clean herself and then change into her other set of clothes. She was still muddled but the perfect way for her to ease back into her usual productivity was to clean. So she started busying herself once more with sweeping and then scrubbing. It was the best kind of meditation to ground her into her ordered reality once more. The events of that night were far from forgotten but she could pretend they were, and then soon enough it was time to leave again and finish building the cover for the waterhole.

。。。

【AN: Thanks to Writing Andy for the fav and follow! I'm glad someone is reading along and likes it! It's been another productive day of writing. Now I will go eat, then review more Convergence, and watch more Inuyasha too.】