Days have passed, and the dead continues to march down south. Lined with a 100,000 dead, many of the Black Dogs have fled the fields out of fear, and by the orders of their superiors. Others that chose to fight in an effort to hold them back or for a quick shot at fame, they're now one of them.
The forces of Rad were quick on their feet as they prepared their defenses, and evacuating the people. They wasted no time sending out ravens for the other kingdoms for reinforcements. This is simply a threat they cannot just ignore.
"How many are we talking about?" The burly man asked a scout.
"A-a bout a hundred thousand, sir! That's all I know, please don't send me back there!"
His face twists into a glare at the news. He quickly told him to get rest and go to Volt the following day. He gave him a pamphlet that verifies the claim, with that he sends him off.
He walked over the fortifications one more time, and did some scouting on his own in case the dead may have sent a force to wipe them out. He looked over, and with a sigh of relief.
There he saw Hicks with a host of men. Many of which are the greatest fighters, and followed by two other hosts. The Wild Hunt is there with their leader, Wulf. The other was none other than Grave Levantine.
"Let us in, Roarke! We're here now, and more will follow along."
He wasted no time and opened the gates for them.
"This better be all real, Roarke. Did you know how much of a disgrace it was to be interrupted?" Hicks said with a tone of sarcasm, but even then, he gave him a sneer as well.
"If the news of patrols disappearing isn't much of a wake up call, then I don't know what is." He argued.
Before the two even came close to a fight, Grave intervened.
"Save your swords. We have an enemy out there, and I'd rather save the clash for when they come here."
The two glared at each other, but nonetheless, they let it slide as both of them knew that there's bigger fish to fry.
A week has passed since then, and when night fell on a Sunday, some of the men grew restless, and threatened to leave if all of it was nothing more but a farce. Even Hicks is there arguing that he'll pull away the reinforcements as a punishment for wasting his time.
Thankfully, the lords have arrived since then, bringing men and more whores to Rad, specifically grabbing a special few.
Roarke watched the orgy with nothing but disgrace. He watched as he saw the man plow the women, and making them squeal their hearts out. He facepalmed just by looking at it.
"Loosen up, man." Hicks called out. "Two of the Seven Shields are here! Might as well enjoy before they come."
He simply rolled his eyes and walked away to man the stations. Now a part of him can see why the banners rose from Lion's Keep.
He may have pledged loyalty to the dogs, but now that he looks at it, they wouldn't disregard such a big threat such as this.
"Heh. You sneeze some, you lose some." Hicks chuckled as he looked down on Maia before spreading her legs farther, and thrusting harder down into her wet, fleshy cavern.
Like all of the women in this land, she gripped the sheets and moaned in ecstasy.
Then a loud roar came from beyond the wall.
"Get ready!" Roarke yelled. "Get your swords! The Hordes of the dead are upon us!"
The Dogs wasted no time pulling out of their whores and buckled their belts as they ran over to the top of the walls, and forming together in positions.
Grave looked beyond, and now he sees the truth.
He saw the Necromancer atop a withered horse, and with him, was the army of the undead. All lined up and awaiting orders from the necromancer.
He looked up, and had his steed trot over to the gates. The dead stayed where they are as he does so.
"Grave!" He yelled. "Surrender now, and I assure you that no one has to die!"
The older man gritted his teeth as he glared at him. "What makes you think I'll do that? What makes you think that all of us are just gonna lie down and answer to your demands?!" He yelled. Hicks snickered as well and smirked smugly. Roarke, however, felt only unease.
"Because I have an army." The necromancer said simply. "I have an army, and for all the men that die, I bring them back and they serve me. I thought you'd know that."
Grave gritted his teeth from that remark.
"Not only are they dead, they never tire... they never eat, they never rest. If I wanted to, I could've conquered this land in days end." He pointed out as well.
"Like hell we will! Do you really think we'll just let you do all of that?! Do you really think we'll let you desecrate our homeland?!" The older man yelled. Barring his teeth down in anger as he does so.
"You already did that with what you've done! Is this how you wish to honor your ancestors? Is this how you honor your father's fathers that came before you? You maybe glad that the war between those elves has ended, but it ended with another war! A war between a bunch of abhorrent animals that think the world will just bow to them with whores?!" The necromancer yelled to the top of his lungs.
He quickly pulled out his sword, and raised it high. The blade glows green against it's golden hilt, and the forces of the dead quickly went to work as they marches around the fort.
"Shit, they're surrounding us!" Hicks muttered to himself as Roarke went to work in repositioning the defenders.
"Tell me you're bringing reinforcements!" He yelled as well. "We're doomed against them!"
"Why?!"
"They have a hundred thousand! We only have 20,000 men to deal with them! We're outnumbered!"
Hicks and Grave looked at each other in concern, realizing how large the stakes they're in. If this falls, the rest will follow.
"Last chance to admit surrender! DO YOU COMPLY?!" The necromancer yelled again.
Grave looked at him again. He drew his blade and looked at Hicks. "Send a raven! Now!"
Hicks wasted no time and ran off.
"I'LL GIVE YOU BLOOD AND STEEL!" He roared, the men within began cheering his name.
The necromancer narrowed his eyes as he stares at him. "So be it!"
He pointed the blade towards the gates, and soon came a division of undead charging to Black Dogs wasted no time firing arrows at them. Volley after volley, and arrow after arrow, the dead that got hit fell down and died once again, but it didn't deter them from rushing in. Then they split apart.
Two groups swarmed at two ends of the, and they started climbing up the walls and on top of their fellow dead men. The defenders retaliated by throwing boulders and pouring hot molten pitch down, but it didn't deter them in the slightest.
They kept on climbing and climbing, but they fell one by one, the stragglers reached the archers and battled them on top of the railways. The dogs were quick and fought back, they clashed swords against the dead, but they didn't prepare for the large Troll that's charging for the gate.
A few archers pelted it with arrows, but it didn't stop. It reared it's head forward and butted straight to the gate: It didn't open, but it left the defenders dazed by the shock wave, and the dead quickly attacked the dazed men. The Troll tried again, and this time, it succeeded. The gate falls, dented and ruined.
The Troll picked it up and charged at the dogs, dead men following closely as they howled and hissed at them.
"The dead may have claimed our brothers, but are we gonna let them die in vain?!" Grave yelled at the dogs behind him.
They roared to the heavens, Orcs followed suit as the imps cheer, the demons laughed merrily as they thump their weapons loudly against the ground.
"Are we gonna let them take what was ours?! Remember how we took this land?! Remember how we won the war and took our spoils?! Remember how we brought those elves down?! Our victory is here, and I say again: Will we allow it?!"
"NAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!" They yelled.
Grave drew his sword and glared at the incoming charge, then he ran to them. The defenders following with the charge with renowned vigor. The two forces clashed, both of them exchanging howls as swords clashed against one another. The Necromancer watches on before looking at two of his generals, he left two behind, and he marched on with a bigger force of undead.
The Mountain wasted no time charging at the Kuroinu, she raised her sword high, and for every swing, they fell like wheat to a scythe. Orella charged in with burly Orcs and they made short work with the men and imps that came for them. Throwing them away like wet pieces of paper, throwing them away to make a path for the Necromancer as he makes his way inside the keep. Grave hacked down a squad of undead with a single swing from his blade, and ran off to face him."Where are you going?!" He yelled. "Face me like a man!" He swung his sword as he glared at him.
The Necromancer stopped in his tracks and glanced at him blankly. His eyes only glowing green as he turned around, saying nothing.
He raised his arms at both of his sides, and with the dark, foul magic, the dead rises.Black Dogs ceased their fighting and backed away in fear. Even the Orcs and Demons looked unsettled as they watched their fallen comrades twitch and writhe as the magic takes it turn. The eyes of the dead opened with a green glow, and like puppets on a string, they rose from the ground they once laid.
"What are you waiting for?!" Grave yelled to his men, and to the others do loyal. "Are we just gonna stand and watch?!"
They yelled again as they regained their morale. Standing by side by side as they regrouped, and they charged again.
'Not gonna lie... They're brave... And they have the will to go on.' The Necromancer thought to himself. 'I would've honored them if they didn't do any of this.'
With his musings done, he continued his walk to the keep. He'll let the Mountain deal with Grave. Hell, he can even hear him scream.
Hicks sighed to himself as he added another knife to the crossbow he held. He knocked the arrows and ran down the stairs to meet up with the rest.
"Sir!" A Black Dog yelled. "The Necromancer! He's here!"
"Anyone else with him?"
"He's alone, but only for now. They could be pouring in for all I know!"
Hicks nodded to him as he stayed put, the other Black Dogs drawing out their arms as they await him.
The door gently opens. "Just give up already." The Necromancer stated as he walks right in.
Hicks can only grit his teeth as he stares at him, aiming the arrow straight at his heart. Without another word, he loosed the arrow.
Yet he cleaved the arrow as it got close.
"Think that's gonna be enough? You're already in front of me, and I saw that from a mile away."
He craned his head to the side as a large group of Wraiths came through the walls, and a small horde of Ghouls and Ghosts joining up with him. The sight of them made the dogs inside lose their morale, seeing that it's becoming clear that they're in the losing side.
"Lay down your arms. It's clear who won." He said calmly, walking over to Hicks as the rest of his army comes in.
The man barred his teeth, and he was tempted to fire again... But he relented and dropped the crossbow.
The rest of the dogs looked hesitant, but they soon followed. Dropping their swords and axes and any other armaments they have on their possessions.
"Arrest them. For the ones that refuse, feel free to eat them."
Hicks eyes widened, but before he said anything, his vision went dark.
The sun rose up to the sky, and shone above the bloody battlefield from hours ago.
Kazuma looked on amongst the ground, trying to find any other survivors, but none bore the name, much less looked like Grave Levantine. The rest were locked away within the cellars and the dungeons, but he wouldn't be surprised to see Hicks missing amongst the prisoners, knowing that other than the dead, no one can keep a reliable eye on them.
He wouldn't be surprised if Grave fought through the surrounding dead. Only impressed that he was able to avoid the two generals.
"Sir. Are you sure it's okay?" Orella asked. "They're out there, and for all we know, they could amass a greater force."
The necromancer sighed before he looked at her.
Any man can be considered lucky to be even graced with a mere sight of such a hero from the days of yore. He remembered the tales about her, how she was the most beautiful elf in the land, and with her skill with the blade. How her armor shone against the sun.
He remembered how he brought her back. Pleasant times as he's willing to put it.
"With the horrors they have seen. It'll take a while for them."
The hero tilted her head at his words.
"Think about it. An army of the dead, and ones that rise from their fallen comrades... It took me days to raise a hundred thousand, many days. Two months even... that's the magic of the army we have."
"Sir?"
"My point is that this is an army that never tires. Always growing from the dead men that reaches us. Remember the betrayal back at Lion's Keep? The slaughter is what made our army grew. The ones that escaped will bring a message, and it'll be clear that we are a threat to their foul sex empire. But for everyone else... It'll be a sign of hope."
"How can you be so sure, sir?" The elf asked. "How is that a good thing?"
"How many houses have suffered from them? How many villagers suffered from their reign? From the things I have heard, the Resistance stands against them, but they are weak. With us around... they'll flock to us."
"So you're saying that they'll follow you to the end?"
"It depends. All that matters is that for these people... They have found their hope."