Fredericka blamed herself for allowing matters to get to this point. Who else is there to blame but myself, after all? Did I truly think that my actions would not have consequences? The moment Lyle was knocked from his steed, she could have easily salvaged the situation. Maybe not to win the battle, but to corral him back toward their battle lines. A few lines of skeleton summons in front of him with some zombies to slow the charge of the knights, and he would be with the rest of the Barrow Legion at this very moment. Some losses would have been made, but they would live to fight another day.

Instead, she had paid heed to Schmitz's word and allowed him to flee, most likely to his death if that fall from the ravine was anything to go by.

They'd gotten what they wanted. Lyle was out of the equation with herself and Schmitz to reap the benefits. He'd said that he'd gotten a lead to Lyle's power growth, and if his words rang true, then it was of the belief that Lyle's usefulness had run his course.

Or so they thought.

"You not letting us leave is far more trouble than it's worth, Schmitz, you know this." Tobias Stahl. He was much like her because he was somewhat unambitious but in a different way. Indeed, there seemed to be nothing awe-inspiring with the balding black greasy-haired man and his sallow, pale skin, with his musty, dark robes covering most of his frail body. That said, he was far from stupid and tended to be amongst the group of necromancers that studied Dhar and necromancy for purely scholarly reasons, more content with burying himself in books than advancing his personal power like Schmitz or Burt.

But, again. He was far from stupid, much to Schmitz's clear annoyance. "You leaving is trouble for us all. What makes you think I'd let it happen regardless?"

"A desire to live out your miserable life in one piece, I'd imagine."

Schmitz visibly glowered. "You're becoming awfully brave, Stahl. Perhaps too brave for you and your bookworm kind."

"Not brave. Just pragmatic, unlike you and Fredericka."

Schmitz stared witheringly, tightly gripping his staff but doing little else. It was hard not to blame him, considering that it seemed Tobias was not alone in his feelings. Over a dozen necromancers were gathered around or behind the pale man, shifting uncomfortably but taking a line behind the sand being drawn. It had been this way since they had gotten a comfortable distance away from that disaster that had led to Lyle's demise.

Just as they were making camp to try and decide on their next course of action, it didn't take long for this bit of mutiny to break out, with many already choosing sides. Over twenty necromancers, including Lyle himself, had come along with this undead army. It was startling for Fredericka to see so many sides with someone as unseemly as Tobias.

"Tobias." Schmitz began, reigning in his anger, while the necromancers on 'their' side of the camp shifted furtively at the rising tension, not wanting this confrontation any more than her. "If you cease this stupidity, right here and now, I'll allow that insult and this petty rebellion of yours to end before I entertain what I'll be using your cadaver for."

"Oh, this is no rebellion, Schmitz; make no mistake about that." Tobias sighed, shaking his head warily. "Believe me, if I wanted to do this, I would have left the moment Kemmler died, but you've just left me and several of my colleagues no choice now. You've left the Legion as a whole no choice. We're simply taking what we have and leaving. Now."

"Ah. Not a usurper, but a coward then. Fitting for you and your ilk Tobias. Perhaps fertilizer is what you'll be best used for then, seeing as how your thin bodies probably couldn't serve as proper meat shields!"

In response, Tobias didn't say a word and instead opted to reach into his robe and procure a book. Fredericka felt her skin crawl once she saw its green cover with the teeth of beastmen decorating the front of it.

Schmitz visibly stiffened. "You wouldn't have the gall…"

Again, Tobias didn't say a word. Instead, he fished within his large robes once more, this time procuring a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and placing them on the bridge of his nose. Afterward, he stuck a finger into the green book as if threatening to open it right then and there.

Fredericka eventually had enough of the direction this state of affairs was growing and physically interjected herself between the two groups, playing mediator as she had so many times before. "Schmitz, calm yourself. And you, Tobias! I don't know where you get the idea that I had anything to do with what happened to Lyle, but this is the last thing that any of us need right now, now that we're all so vulnerable!"

"Interesting point of view since it was your actions…or rather lack thereof that put us into such a vulnerable position in the first place Fredericka." Tobias spat discourteously. "It was your decisions that led to Lyle's demise and defeat in the first place."

"Perhaps fertilizer is too good for you Tobias," Schmitz grumbled. "Why do you care about Lyle falling through his own foolishness anyways!? I've heard you and your bookworms rant and rave in your leathers about how you despised his many decisions and soft-hearted moves to spare so many peasants we captured!"

"I did. But, I never subscribed to his death, and for good reason." Tobias sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Lyle was many things. Too soft-hearted, naive, reckless, and indeed foolish…yet that was exactly what the Barrow Legion needed to survive."

This threw Fredericka, Schmitz, and many necromancers on their side of the camp for a loop they couldn't even begin to untangle themselves from. Fredericka, especially so since she had heard many of these complaints personally beforehand. Did I misread the situation? Where is Tobias going with this?

Seeing their evident confusion, Tobias explained as one would to a student. "Fifteen years I served with Master Kemmler. Fifteen years I witnessed his great and terrible power. The command that he had over Dhar. The knowledge he had of Naggash's teachings. The dread he exuded and the artifacts and grimoires he had accumulated. Truly there was no necromancer quite like our former master…yet what did he have to show for it?"

"Speaking ill of the dead now, Tobias? How pathetic with Kemmler being your better in too many ways to imagine."

"He was all of our better in terms of magical prowess. Even Lyle, for his incredible growth, lacked the ruthlessness to be truly comparable…yet as a leader, our founder can't compare to the foreigner."

"What madness are you speaking of, you middling Meiser?"

"I mean, what did Kemmler accomplish during his time as our leader?" The bespectacled man sighed. "He amassed followers, artifacts, and items that our kind could only dream of. We struck deep in Athel Loren, robbed the most heavily protected chapels and shrines, yet…I ask again, what did we have to show for it? What have we accomplished beyond this? And don't say we struck fear into our neighbors because when Kemmler died, we all know that they were all chomping at the bit to put our hard work to waste. He may have been powerful, yet he seemed too content to watch our neighbors' boldness grow when they were nipping at our borders.

"That's…perhaps he had a plan in place." Schmitz defended weakly.

"Oh? Did he avail you of this plan?"

When Schmitz offered no immediate answer, Tobis just rolled his eyes. "Lyle, for all his faults, kept us in the loop of his plans and ideas, even when they are spur-of-the-moment things. Everyone was far too terrified when it came to Kemmler, and you know it. Everyone knew it. It's why half of our ranks fled the moment he passed, like the opportunists they were!"

"And here you are doing the same!"

"I'm only doing it because you two have left us no choice in the matter!"

Fredericka felt her frustration rising. "I had nothing to do with what happened to Lyle! Must I repeat myself like a simpering Skaven?"

"Perhaps, but you could have very well saved him! That vine did not hold onto you for long! I only regret I was on the wrong side of the battle lines to save him myself, but you saw what happened to him! He even went out of his way to save your wretched life Fredericka, and now your unwillingness to do much of anything useful has ruined us!"

"You dare!" The female necromancer shouted, genuine outrage being poured into her voice. "I was the one who summoned Lyle here! What did I have to gain from his death?"

Tobias scoffed. "Perhaps you felt you no longer needed him. Maybe in terms of his power, but he managed to do what Kemmler could not. He expanded our borders more than double their original size and even managed to pacify our new subjects somewhat! He rid us of neighbors that sought to destroy us and even made a vassal state out of the dwarves!...if I didn't know any better, I would say that he was doing perhaps too good in your opinion, so you decided to allow our vaunted leader to rush headfirst into a battle in which he would lose, hoping something ill would fall upon him. It's not too outside of the realm of possibility."

Fredericka loathed the accusations, not only because of the damage they were doing to the cohesion of the Legion but for the fact that they hit home and were so true.

Schmitz looked ready to spit venom, but Fredericka was already resenting the old man. If she knew just how damaging Lyle's demise would be, she would have at least waited longer before doing something like this or even reconsidering the idea altogether. What good would obtaining Lyle's power be if the Barrow Legion tore itself apart?

Not satisfied with his words, Tobias clearly had the need to rant further, his frustration and disgust with this turn of events evident on his face as well. "Yes, he was a fool, Lyle was many things, but he was something that we all needed. A leader. Despite his faults, he was someone who clearly had experience leading others toward a common goal and achieved this with great success. If I had to guess, it was upholding this quarterback position he spoke of in the past, which clearly lent experience for what he would need to be successful here. Once he set his mind on something, he always seemed to accomplish it with speed and vigor, something we had only previously accomplished when huddled away in Blackstone Post. We had the spells, the undead, the necromancers, and Kemmler himself. Yet we did nothing with it. We did nothing, but with much less of what we had previously, Lyle managed to do what Kemmler would not or could not do…and now you've thrown it all away."

"So you don't trust us?" Fredericka asked in disbelief. "Is that what this is? Since when was this an issue before? We're all necromancers, for Naggash's sake, trust was one of the least of our concerns!"

"That was before Lyle took charge. It goes without saying that he's not your run-of-the-mill necromancer, but that turned out to be a boon rather than a burden. He may lack the subterfuge we all possess, but the fact that he's well…him, you know what to expect with Lyle. You can approach him, trust him to act on his beliefs, and be approachable. I can trust him both personally and professionally because I doubt he would do anything to endanger myself or my colleagues intentionally… It's a shame I cannot say the same about you, Schmitz."

For a moment, Fredericka was sure a fight would break out then and there. All of the hard work and careful planning to create a glue to hold together the Legion was coming undone, and there was nothing she could do about it. What made it worse was that much of what Tobias said wasn't wrong. Lyle was reckless and quick to act and anger, but he was easily the most trustworthy leader amongst them all. Necromancers rarely trusted other necromancers after all, and for good reasons since most only worked with one another until their usefulness ran out, which ironically is what lead to Fredericka not helping Lyle when he needed him the most.

If only I realized his worth went above and beyond his power growth. How could I have been so blind? I focused on my own material gain rather than the gain of the Legion, and now our work…

"And who is to say that I would allow any of you to abandon your better, you fools!" For a moment, Fredericka thought it was Schmitz, only to realize with dread that she recognized the voice. To her horror and everyone else's, it was none other than Burtholdt, clearly awake and clearly angry, even with that horrific mask of his!

"Gods dammit all!" Schmitz cursed loudly. "I thought he was still unconscious!"

"The exhaustion of my mind could not withhold the greatness of Burtholdt, fool! Only Burtholdt can withhold Burtholdt!"

Tobias snorted. "Yes, because clearly, you were the one commanding the undead to carry the cart that you were unconscious in these past few days."

"Perhaps I was Book-noser! Nay! I definitely was! I control my own destiny, even when I decide it is my time to slumber! Anyone who says otherwise will suffer the same fate as the cygor that dared to inconvenience me!"

Collective groans rang out from both sides of the camp. Burtholdt was an eccentric pain, even during the best of times. Still, everyone tolerated him because his power was useful, even if he did have an unhealthy obsession with overcasting his spells more than necessary. This would constantly lead to him falling unconscious with a surprising lack of mutations as a consequence, leading many to believe that it was his face that was mutated as a result, hence the mask.

Fredericka knew better than that, however. "Burtholdt now is neither the time nor the place for this!"

"On the contrary, this is the perfect time and place! If what you say about Lyle is true, not only do I deserve to be leader by virtue of being the strongest, but such arrogance deserves punishment by death!"

"Don't fool yourself, you simpleton!" Schmitz spat, his patience running thin with all of this blatant insubordination. "Your obsession with grand and large spells leaves you more than vulnerable enough for your next casting to be your last! You cannot hope to destroy us all, so don't even try it you-

The older necromancer flinched when Burtholdt turned his staff toward him. "Then perhaps Burtholdt will ensure that the next greatest threat is eliminated one way or another!"

"Have your ears rotted along with whatever mutations your face has acquired? You can't kill us all!"

"Burtholdt can kill plenty enough for the rest to acknowledge my power and right to leadership! You ruined my chance at doing with your lowly scheme toward Lyle, so Burtholdt the Bad would be more than willing to settle for you! I will-hey! Don't even think about running away like the coward you are Tobias, I see you and your flock!"

Tobias cursed at being noticed, clearly hoping to use the interjection of the masked necromancer for him and his fellows to make a hasty retreat. "My quarrel isn't with you, Burtholdt."

"You are a part of the Legion! Soon to be my Legion! Nobody leaves without Burtholdt's say-so! Anyone who says otherwise will have their bones bereft of flesh!"

"I'm warning you Burtholdt!" Fredericka practically shrieked, now holding on tightly to her own staff. "You let loose even a single spell, you doom us all!"

"Silence, Fredericka! If what the Book-noser says is true, you've robbed me of a true rival to overcome! There will be retribution for that with no shorter of-

"ENOUGH!" A pulse of Dhar nearly pulsed out of Schmitz suddenly. With every single necromancer being able to feel Dhar, it was a sudden shock to have that sensation running through them, which succeeded in getting everyone's attention. The bald man inhaled deeply, before glaring at everyone present. "This infighting gives us nothing. If you truly want power Burtholdt, and you, security to bury yourself in text Tobias, I have a solution for all of us should you lend me ears and sow your mouths closed."

Everyone else was still reeling from the wave of Dhar, that Schmitz released, including the two aforementioned necromancers that were staring at the man in question with both curiosity and outrage aplenty. Not truly giving them a chance to speak, however, Schmitz continued, knowing that time was of the essence.

"What if I told you…that it was possible to obtain our former master's magical growth?"

Fredericka's eyes widened comically in horror. What is the old bastard doing! He's giving the game away! He's Ruining the whole point of this ill-conceived plot in its infancy!

She dared not say a word. How could she? What would she say? Would could she do, short of attempting to kill Schmitz right then and there? As it was, she could only stare in mute horror as Schmitz continued to give away their plan.

"Fredericka and I have been doing some studying into the magic that summoned Lyle. It's been a slow-going thing, but before our late master's death, we made a breakthrough. A breakthrough that can only be materialized back at Blackstone Post."

"Why are we only hearing about this now?" Tobias asked critically. "Also, Lyle having that potential is one thing, but why should we trust it with you? You're not solving my point of contention here, Schmitz."

"Silence, Book-banger!" Burtholdt interrupted.

"What did you ca-

"This power Schmitz…is it truly possible to obtain?"

Smiling once he realized he now had the masked man, Schmitz nodded. "Indeed. We need only obtain materials we keep stockpiled at Blackstone Post. With it, I can conduct a ritual in which it's possible to achieve a level of growth that reaching Master Kemmler's potential may not be outside of the realm of possibility." Schmitz then caught the look Fredericka was giving and sent her one back. She knew what it meant. Later.

That being said, Tobias wasn't completely sold. "And what if this is a simple ruse? How do we know that you will not use this ritual to empower yourself and ensure that our leaving is no longer possible?"

Schmitz shrugged amiably as if expecting this. "I would be more than willing to allow anyone else to be first to undergo the ritual. That is, if you're having doubts-

"Burtholdt will go first!" The masked madman declared. "And you Book-noser! Either you go along with this, or Bertholdt will not only flay you but use your bone meal as an enhancer for his next spell!"

Tobias cursed, with looks of despair and outrage marring his many like-minded fellows. He should have known that Burtholdt would go along with the idea to obtain even further powers to sustain his misguided megalomania. Whether Schmitz was telling the truth about any of this was up for debate, but it didn't truly matter. Dealing with Schmitz and his followers was one thing…but dealing with Burtholdt as well?

Burtholdt wasn't so dangerous in a prolonged battle, but it rarely got to that point since he rarely needed more than one shot to win a fight. The man was fascinated with creating the most significant, stylish, and bombastic spells, which was ironic since that generally didn't fit with spells using Dhar as a fuel source. One could consider fire magic to be better attuned with what Burtholdt would appreciate doing, yet fate had different plans. And Tobias wished he could spit on fate right now.

He turned to his followers, and they shared his looks and thoughts. This wasn't a fight they could win. Schmitz and Burtholdt's comments were cruel but struck true. None of Tobias's ilk was as battle attuned as other necromancers, especially with them being more in tune with research and rituals than anything else. If a fight broke out now…even with the grimoire in his hands, it wouldn't be a sure thing.

The spectacled man sighed in resignation, annoyed at Schmitz's triumphant expression. He knew he had won this battle…for now.

"I suppose we're outvoted." Tobias acquiesced, glaring balefully at Schmitz. "For your sake, this best not be a deception, Schmitz."

"Don't get it twisted or rewrite history, Tobias!" Burtholdt declared with a boast. "You simply have no choice because Burtholdt wills it! You will come and support my inevitable rise of power and prowess, and you will assist in it if necessary!"

Tobias looked as though he wanted to say more but wisely clicked his teeth shut, reigning in his rising temper, while Schmitz looked smug.

"Well then…if there's nothing else, then perhaps we should get a move on. Blackstone Post isn't terribly far, but we don't want tarry in longer for the good of the Legion, do we not?"

With a rouse of positive replies, whether they were willful or not, the necromancers burst their undead corpses into action, striking down their camp, now moving with further purpose.

Fredericka was especially moving with purpose, directly toward Schmitz, who skulked away into a tent that had yet to be torn down in the ensuing activity, harrying his steps past the tent flaps.

"Keep your voice down girl." Schmitz sighed, knowing who it was that was right behind him. "You needn't undo the house of cards our precious legion is built upon right now."

"I was thinking about how it was built more on sand, but that doesn't do the amount of justice this mess deserves." Fredericka's teeth were bared, her hackles rising as she glared at Schmitz. "Did you know this would happen? That you would need to use…our trump card in this manner? Whatever happened to godsdamned secrecy!"

"I can't predict everything, girl! And if you were wise, you would do what I did to salvage the Legion from imploding! That is why you summoned that fool Spolleta in the first place, is it not? Why complain when you also allowed him to die as we agreed?"

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing!" Fredericka nearly shouted. "If I knew that matters would deteriorate this fast, I would have saved him! I just…I didn't realize how he unintentionally held our Legion together!"

"It matters not at this point. What matters is finishing what we started by getting a stranglehold on these damnable rogue elements within the ranks! By the time the ritual is completed, I imagine we'll have to purge at least half our ranks…we might have to look toward more outward sources to fill in the gaps."

"They're not going to be tempted by our necromancer count dropping like flies in less than two months, Schmitz." Fredericka barely contained her voice, panic and outrage trembling inside of her ribs. "It was hard enough to hold us together when I brought in Lyle, and they only stayed because of his rapid military victories!"

"And they'll come to us with the promise of power."

The pale woman narrowed her eyes. That was another contentious issue. "Power I thought we didn't have access to."

Schmitz shifted his mouth as if chewing on his answer for a bit before sighing deeply. "We do now…with the assistance of Kurt."

Fredericka felt her stomach drop. The mere mention of that name filled her with dread. Out of all the people Schmitz had to solicit for help he contacted the sole sane dweller of Blackstone Post's catacombs. "K-Kurt, have you-!...what have you promised him!"

Schmitz put his palm out in front of him as if to give himself a moment to respond. "Nothing we cannot live without. The alternative is far too costly, as you have constantly pointed out."

"But…but, too…no, tell me what you promised him, Schmitz! Tell me what you-

"Fredericka, I got Bastonnian bat wings, as you asked!" Wendel's voice cut through the rising tension like a much-needed hot knife through butter as he burst through the tent flaps, out of breath, holding a bag by his side. "You wouldn't believe how easy it was to find the right cave, for…am I interrupting something?"

"On the contrary, we were finishing, especially since speed is of the essence." Grateful for the distraction, Schmitz was all too eager to move forward despite Fredericka's concerns, brushing past the frustrated woman with haste in his steps. He spared a lingering glance toward Fredericka as if telling her not to say a word before storming out of the tent, leaving a very confused Wendel, who could only look worried at the state of affairs.

"Things have gotten tense since Lyle's fall…" Wendel pointed out dumbly, handing Fredericka the pouch he had acquired. When she made no move to grab it, he awkwardly held it at his side. Smiling as if to dispel the tension, Wendel scratched his head. "Well, when he comes back-returns, I'm sure things will only go up from here-

"He's dead, Wendel." Fredericka grunted, face-palming and groaning. "I saw the size of that ravine before the battle began, and Lyle was ignorant to any spells that could have helped him in that situation…and even if he isn't dead, I doubt that will last for much longer."

"Well, surely we can't simply roll over and give up-quit that easily. I mean, he seemed particularly stern-durable when it came to-

"Wendel." Fredericka began slowly. "Forget about Lyle. I need to focus on the Legion's survival-no. We need to focus on the Legion's survival! Did you not see that insurrection that Tobias was starting!"

"Tobias was starting an insurrection?"

Fredericka face-palmed yet again. "Of course, you didn't see. Listen, Wendel, I need you now, more than ever. There's too much happening at once and too little time to prepare for it."

Putting a finger to his chin, Wendel looked pensive. "So we need to keep the ship afloat at least until Lyle comes back?"

"What in Naggash's name makes you so damnably sure that he's going to come back at all!? Even if he did survive the fall, those Brettonians would finish what they started!"

Wendel shrugged, smiling in spite of the gravity of the situation. "I'm not quite sure how to put it, but it's just this feeling I have, and no, I can't sense his dhar. He'd be too far too removed for me to do that."

"Or dead." Fredericka huffed. "Just dead and gone, because of my own haste."

Now it was Wendel's turn to look surprised. "Wait…you killed Lyle?"

"No! I mean-some…No, I-damnit, that it's like I told you before, Wendel now is not the time! Can you help me, yes or no?"

"Well…if you didn't kill him, I suppose I don't see why not."

"Do you truly care for him that much?"

"He was…he was the nicest man I'd met in my time, er…no offense…that and…Plus, after I came back from my injury, he felt responsible for the loss of my eye and...well…"

"Well, what?"

"He'd erm…promised to get me… what's the term…laid."

"Laid? Dare I ask what that means?"

A bead of sweat seemed to break out on Wendel's forehead as he absentmindedly scratched his head yet again. "So then! What is it exactly you need help-assistance with!" Fredericka didn't miss how quickly the eye-patch-wearing blonde changed the topic.

She narrowed her eyes, mildly suspicious, but ultimately decided to let it go. There were more pressing concerns after all. "Regardless, it's a moot point. Right now, just help me get some undead to pack as much of the camp as you can…also…the bat wings, if you please."

"O-oh right." Fumbling a bit with the bag before handing it over. "B-but about Lyle-

Fredericka let out a frustrated huff. "Just drop it, Wendel. It's as I said before, we have more pressing concerns. Now go!"

Wendel didn't truly have to listen to her. Though thankfully, he reluctantly decided to listen to her, leaving the tent. She wasn't technically in charge of the Legion. In fact, nobody truly was since Lyle's death. She knew, along with many others, that this would be decided one way or another back at Blackstone Post whether Schmitz was successful in creating a replication for Lyle's magical prowess growth. Then again, the idea of Schmitz succeeding and becoming leader of the Barrow Legion came with its own issues.

She was loathed to admit it, but Fredericka had to face the facts that Tobias had dropped on them earlier. Lyle was more than a little foolish and had the stubbornness of a Talabecland bull, but he was a leader. He knew how to corral people toward a goal. He didn't act like the typical necromancer, but he could lead them all the same with his natural charisma and boldness. That and even if he was foolish it was difficult to dislike him.

Schmitz, however, she could not say the same for. He had none of Lyle's charisma nor his likability, and though he was more than serviceable as a mage, he'd never shown a feel for navigating a battlefield that Lyle had. Nor was it apparent that he could instill loyalty or cohesion in the Legion unless threats or temptations for greater power were used. In short, he was a less powerful and less intimidating version of Kemmler.

Now that she thought about it, that's what truly allowed Kemmler to be their head Lichemaster despite gaining minimal territorial gains. He was so powerful and dreaded that nobody dared to challenge him unless they desired a fate worse than death. She recalled with mirth that one necromancer, Art, attempted to do so through poisoning. Needless to say, it was not only unsuccessful, but Kemmler decided to turn Art's skull into a container for some of his most potent toxins.

Shivering at the memory, Fredericka felt herself rueing the moment she didn't try harder to save Lyle. Maybe if they had at least delayed his demise a little longer…if they had just done that then perhaps…

That vine would have snapped your neck if he had done nothing like you. She bit her lip and shook her head. Such traitorous thoughts were poison at this moment. This wasn't a time for regret or for looking back at what could and should have been. She needed to act.

But how should she act? Should she allow and even help Schmitz succeed? What price would Kurt exact? What did Schmitz being the leader of the Barrow Legion, mean in the long-term? Would he get rid of her afterward? Should she be rid of him? And how would they handle the ticking time bomb that was Burtholdt? Many had tried to kill him, but the masked madman was resilient, even if the spells he used made him something of a one-time gimmick.

She cursed Naggash for this quandary. It's just like before the battle against those damned Bastonnians! Too many variables I can't control! I let Schmitz play into my fears about an inability to control Lyle and now I'm paying for it. If I make a wrong move, we all pay for it, our ambitions turning to dust. We can only hope those damned dwarves back at Karak Ziflin don't hear about this quickly or that the King that marked us in his book of grudges may return with a quicker vengeance than even he anticipated. By Naggash, it's like when Kemmler died all over again, except now, we must worry about the dangers from within and without!

No! Failing wasn't an option here. She couldn't fail. The Barrow Legion couldn't fail-none of this could fail! She didn't leave a marriage to her mutant, mal-formed hunchbacked brother to reach for something more only for it to be snatched away from her! Not now! If she failed, all of what she had overcome would be for nothing. Being under the boot of those snobbish barons and her family and gathering the courage to run from it all would have been wasted. Suffering under the gropes and wandering hands of Stirland drunkards as a barmaid would have been meaningless. Cowering under Kemmler's gaze while avoiding death from him and his enemies would be worth ash.

Before sending a mental command to the undead under her control to strike down the tent she was in, Fredericka trembled, and to her frustration, she wished Lyle were still alive. She wished she had his confidence, even if it was often misplaced and built on bravado.

Suddenly remembering that she had the bat wings that she desperately needed in her grasp, she then procured a clay cup from one of the inner pockets of her rub before pouring a pink, dusty substance within and then filling the cup with a nearby pitcher of water. Quickly, while ensuring that nobody from outside the tent could see her, Fredericka quickly swirled the bat wings within the pinkish water, repeating the process for thirty seconds before taking a deep swig of the drink.

She made sure to down the entire cup before exhaling softly while the undead she commanded busied themselves with their work.

Almost immediately, she felt herself calm, her panicking and racing heart slowing to a lethargic cadence, her blood pressure dipping with her face becoming paler.

Fredericka was relieved. The last thing she needed was to be panicked while doing whatever was needed to be done to ensure her pride and joy survived.

A/N:

I was originally going to include a scene with King Louen Leouncur, but I felt it would have been a bit too jarring and too lengthy to fit both of those scenes into one chapter, especially given the different moods for both. That and I wanted to get this one out to you guys without it taking too long, so I hope you enjoy!

Please leave reviews as always!