Amongst the now mute chaos and carnage that had occurred before Lyles's eyes...carnage that he directly ordered, he immediately took charge once the fight had literally been beaten out of the Bretonnians. Already he sent mental commands to herd the still living peasants that threw down their weapons and pleaded for mercy. Fredericka suggested them to be killed cleanly so that their corpses could be added to the army, but for all the bloodlust that Lyle felt in the heat of the moment...that he still somewhat felt, he didn't quite have the stomach to just order some guys who were just defending their home to be put to death. At least none of the guys who were the archers of course.
That didn't stop him from forcing the leftover captives from throwing away their weapons in a neat little organized pile for their own personal use. Spears in their own sections with halberds, swords, shields, and whatever farm equipment they brought with them following suit.
As soon as the battle began to die down and the fighting began to cease, Krell literally began to sink into the earth much to Lyle's surprise, staring ominously at the new necromancer all the while whilst mentioning something to him about...getting stronger. When Kemmler's Inheritor asked Fredericka what in the hell that was all about, she had an interesting answer.
"Krell was...Krell is once, one of the most powerful champions in the entire world, serving at the beck and call of dark Gods currently beyond your understanding master. In death, he served Master Kemmler and now, in turn, seems to serve you...though your connection to him may be a bit weak."
"Oh yeah? Why you think that is?"
"Most likely same reason that you can't use all the spells that I could teach you right off the bat master. Though I detest the knights of Brettonnia with a passion there is a reason why they have the finest knights in all of the realm. They work and train at it until it doesn't just become a form of warfare for them...but an art form. It's like a muscle that they work to improve and to become the best at doing it."
"So what you're sayin' is that I gotta do more spells or in Krell's case summon his bony ass more times so that he actually sticks around longer...Aight' sweet, why don't I just do it n-
"I would recommend against that master!" Fredericka quickly said, nervously to Lyle's confusion. "Judging from what we saw in this battle, Krell seemed to almost force you to summon him with the way he spoke through your mind yes?"
"Well...he certainly implied he'd give me the biggest damn migraine if I didn't so I guess?"
"I would highly recommend that for now you only summon him in battle. The fact that Master Kemmler seemed to be able to keep such a powerful Wight King under his control spoke of his power and skill...should you lose control when he has no other foes to slay…"
Lyle sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah okay. Use him for when you need to lay down an ass-kicking...got it...wish I just did that when the so-called paragons of chivalry feathered our boy…" Lyle nearly growled at the image. The idea of those knights in literal shining armor having their archers do that just because he insulted the lady they simped to. Who does that?
As for the archers themselves well… there weren't a lot of them...alive that we're left to capture. In fact, the ones that the dogs didn't outright maul were now most likely back in the town for all the good it would do. Just needed to get their shit sorted out and he could plant his own flag in it.
Speaking of shit however. "Christ, Freddy!" Lyle nearly gagged as the surrendered brettonian peasants began to be herded into a single spot under the guard of a group of skeletal warriors. "I thought you just had a hate boner for these french wannabes when you said their peasants smelled of rot, but this is ridiculous!"
"I give no exaggerations when it comes to Brettish filth master." Fredericka scowled, turning her nose up at said peasants who quailed at her glare. "Not even steer manure is as pungent as them."
"Well shit, no kiddin'! Have they ever heard of bathing before?"
"Considering that most if not all of them live in mud huts, I highly doubt it."
"...you're jokin' right?"
"Have I lied to you yet master?"
Digesting that bit of info before shaking his head, Lyle filed that away as he approached the surrendered group of peasants with a glare in his eyes, the peasants in question looking to back away from his clear anger, but held in place by the emotionless yet no less deadly skeleton warriors with blades at their backs.
"Alright, lay it on me. Who gave the order?"
None of the peasants dared to speak. A moment of silence passed as their dirty unwashed and filthy faces stared nervously back at the angry robed young man.
"Y'know, I don't know how your french r' Brettonian pricks do things around here, but whenever somebody asks you somethin', it's pretty damn rude to just stand there and not say nothin'."
Finally, an older peasant with graying hair, blisters on his face, and a fat nose decided he had the biggest stones of the bunch. "W-what order sir-
"That's Master Spoletta to you peasant." Fredericka cut in.
"Wh-whatever do you mean...Master Spoletta…
"Who told you to fire those arrows at me and my buds? Because I have to admit. I'm pretty sure that even if our dogs took down at least over half of those bastards, I'm still pretty pissed that you killed a good friend of mine."
"B-but my lord. W-we had nothing to do with-
"Yeah, I know that genius. That's why I'm askin'. Who told them to fire? Was it that Gerome schmuck?"
"I-I'm not sure my lord! I-I didn't even see them fire! It...it just...it just happened! We were too distract-
"Distracted by what? Were you guys too busy pullin' your dicks to notice your brotha's in arms pullin' on their bowstrings? Don't go shirkin' answers with me, my man, because those dogs diets don't just stick with an archer intake last I checked-
"W-we were distracted by you!" The older man quailed, his face nearly blubbering in fear at the mention of the hounds. "You were giving us that amazing deal from earlier that...that lowly peasants such as myself were trying to listen to everything you said! You were a bit a ways away my lord so we had to focus."
"That...that's actually a pretty decent excuse I ain't gonna lie...but if you think you're gettin' off scot-free because of it you got anotha' thing comin'! I lost someone who helped make me as badass as I am today. He was a quiet guy, but a cool guy! Sure I just met him, but for christ's sake, whateva' happened to chivalry! I thought you guys and those fancy knights were supposed to play nice under the white flag...sure it may have been my shirt but, that's beside the damn point!"
"Um...master?" Freddy said, with wide eyes as she looked in the opposite direction. Lyle ignored her in favor of continuing his rant.
"Listen. All I want are names. I want names of the SOB who told you to do it. You do that and I'll leave your punishment at a minimum. Fail that and you can enjoy your new career transition of redshirt fodder to undead dog shit!"
"Master!"
"What!"
"...master...Lyle?" Lyle paused at the voice...he recognized that tone.
Whirling around Lyle could only stare in stunned shock as standing beside an equally stunned Fredericka was none other than Wendel...with an ashen and sweaty face and arrow sticking out of his eye socket...along with the numerous other arrows still sticking out of his back and arms.
"...sweet Mary mother of God...Wendel?" Lyle couldn't believe his eyes. Nobody could when they saw the pain-stricken Wendel standing, whilst looking like he could keel over any second.
"D-did you turn him into a zombie Freddy!?" Lyle asked in disbelief.
"N-no! I would never...without your permission at least."
"Wait...what the hell is-y'know what screw it! Wendel! Are you alright!" Lyle would have grabbed him...held him...done anything, but the poor kid looked like he would just collapse from the slightest bit of human contact.
"I...I'm not sure...I can...only see through one of my eyes for some reason...and I feel quite damned thirst...I could go for ale right about now if you don't mind master Lyle...or mayhaps some Bordelaux wine...mmmmmm...could we get some Bordelaux wine master Lyle?"
Everyone looked at the young, blonde, and severely wounded necromancer as if he had grown a second head, but Lyle wasn't about to let them become too idle in the face of Wendel to just fall and die in their inactivity.
"Freddy get a doctor."
"A, a doctor? Master Lyle-
"A doctor, a medic, a healer, someone who can fix his Goddamned face woman!"
"I...E-even if we did we would have to remove the arrow first! And if we were to do so hastily we could do further damage to his brain and...well-
"Well!? You guys work with dead bodies all the time! Don't you have specialists in shit like this!?"
Sweating bullets on the spot, Fredericka swallowed before proceeding. "We did but...our specialist in such areas, left after our previous master died…"
Staring at Fredericka with a barely restrained frenzied and desperate energy, Fredericka winced when Lyle twitched as if expecting him to hit her. To her surprise though he quickly stomped over to a reeling group of peasants.
"You got a doctor at the town?" He asked the older peasant.
"A-a doctor m'lord? What is-
"A healer! Someone to fix this poor bastard up quick! Yes or no! Time is tickin'! Can you understand that much!?"
"Y-y-yes! In the noble quarter!"
"Show me and I'll rethink the idea of you guys becoming my dogs' next snacks!"
"Snacks...I like the sound snacks…" Wendel mumbled as Fredericka quickly moved to support him up with another necromancer when he looked as though he was about to fall over. "Can we have snacks Fredericka? Mayhaps some chicken...chicken sounds lov-..lov…"
"W-wendel?" Fredericka queried when she noticed Wendel's speech becoming very sluggish and slurred. Her concern was rewarded when suddenly without warning Wendel hurled, depositing his stomach's contents on the ground to the revulsion of everyone nearby.
"...deary me...and I loved the chicken I ate earlier…"
Up ahead Lyle was calling over his skeletal steed from earlier, still yelling at at the old peasant for directions. When he was a suitable distance away, Fredericka turned to the necromancer helping her carry Wendel.
"Gruber. Meet up with us in the city carefully with Wendel in tow. I need to make sure nothing befalls the master."
"Of course Fredericka...what of the prisoners?"
"...until word comes from Master Spoletta, they live...for now."
"And the dead?"
Looking at the large amount of corpses lying around in the field, Fredericka allowed a rare small grim smirk to tug at the corner of her lips. "Raise them."
…
Aurelie was quick to assist her servants in packing up whatever bags that they could. Whatever essentials, even non-essentials she could get she would get without any hesitation. There was a time where she would have tittered along with her many fellow ladies at the mere idea of helping her servants with anything besides getting a feast together. Now? Now with runners telling the rest of the town herself included the garrison had been soundly defeated and the fate of her husband unknown? Now her hands were shaking in just the sheer amount of frenzied panic that she was undergoing to try and salvage what she could.
So many questions were running through her mind a mile a minute as she barked orders at her servants to quicken the pace as she tried to do the same. How much time did they have? Would the undead horde even bother to take prisoners? Did they simply want to add more to their growing horde along with filthy peasants that died fighting? Was her precious Gerome?...
No. She couldn't go down that line. She needed to focus. Bag the clothing, the jewelry, food, everything, and anything that could make their travel easier as they tried to make a hasty escape.
As if the lady finally gave her a port in the storm she could latch onto, one of her servants, Chloe came to her in a hurry looking nearly out of breath from the flurry of activity. "My lady! Most of the bags are packed and your carriage is ready!"
"And Bernadette?"
"About to get her from her room now my lady! I-
"No no. I'll do it. She needs her mother now more than ever."
Giving a quick nod which was respectful enough given the direness of the situation, Chloe quickly moved to direct traffic to the rest of the servants grabbing anything they could from tablecloths to plates and silverware. The finest encrusted jewels were taken, because even though the undead would be looking for corpses, the more panicked people in Gisoreux could resort to looting should any panic spread.
Handing said jewels to one of her servants who helped stuff the prized items into a chest he hurried off to the exit of the house whilst she went to her daughter's room, opening the door and breathing a sigh of relief to see her unharmed. Sure the horrid creatures of the damned had yet to even get this far, but under such times a mother couldn't help but be paranoid.
"Mommy? Are we going to go on that trip to see uncle Chilfroy yet? I'm getting bored…" Bless her child's heart, such innocence was a breath of fresh air in such states, but urgency reigned at the moment, unfortunately.
Bending down to pet her curly brown hair and gazing into her innocent brown eyes, Aurelie smiled. "We're leaving now sweetling. The servants have all of our clothes packed and ready to go….are you ready to have fun at a true castle, my dear? Doesn't that sound exciting?" And much safer in comparison to the town they were in.
Sadly her child was unsatisfied, stamping her foot on the ground petulantly. "But mommy! Not all of my clothes were packed by the servants! And daddy isn't here yet!"
"He'll be meeting us there honey! Now it's time to go. Now. We don't want to make your uncle upset by showing up late." She added urgently as she grabbed her daughter's wrist and began to drag her five-year-old through the house.
"But, my toy gwiffon mommy! What about my gwiffon!"
"We can get another one dear!" She nearly shrieked as she rounded a corner to reach the front door, only to be confused by a congestion of her servants standing within the hallway, still as boards. "What…what is going on here? Why are you all standing about!? You're not getting paid to-
"Toots I don't think it really matters what you pay em'." A voice rang out from beyond the congested and pale-looking servants in her way that we're all carrying sacks, boxes, and chests as they stood in place. The voice itself was...unlike anything Aurelie had ever heard. It almost sounded like a blend of Tilean and some other dialect that was near the border princes but...almost bastardized in a sense. It was cocky as much as it was smooth, yet had a firmness to it that seemed to brook no argument. Moving towards the center of the hall she felt her grip on her daughter's small and precious wrist tighten. Her body went as rigid as the rest of her servants and felt her blood run cold.
Standing between two blue and chilling phantoms who were both holding scythes were two people. One was a short woman with dark circles under her eyes and equally dark matted hair wearing thick bulky robes and a gnarled staff on top of it. Standing next to her was a taller man with a cocky self-assured smirk with smoother black hair and staff of his own. He was also wearing a dark robe that seemed to split in the middle, showing off the glimpse of an impressive six-pack that seemed to match her own husband's from where she could see him.
Terror gripped the golden-haired duchess's heart as she realized that she should have been faster. Been more economical with what they grabbed. Perhaps just left right away. Either way, she was too late.
Their lives were forfeit...her daughter's life perhaps as well. Maybe if she begged...maybe if she did the most abhorrent of things and-
"I'm gonna guess that you're the big wig lady in charge?" The young man spoke, staring right at her through all her servants. "And I wouldn't bother lyin' about it. Asked a few of your screamin' people here. With a little convincin' from Inky and Blinky here, it wasn't that hard to get an answer."
Aurelie found her throat seized by a tightness. The cold and chilling visages of those phantom creatures staring emptily ahead of them caused her body to feel so so cold. Oh, how she wished she could throw herself into the arms of Gerome. To feel his tight embrace in the face of such horror. Instead, she drew her daughter's enclosure to legs, hugging the young child to her body who looked more confused than scared than anything else.
"I'm gonna cut right to the chase toots. Y'know seein' as you're allowin' me to do the talkin' here. I heard you got yourself a doctor. A really fine doctor. Is that true?"
Confusion momentarily overturned her fear. "A...a doctor?" She found herself saying...what on earth was a doctor? An artifact that the necromancer desired?
Said necromancer rolled his eyes. "Healer...Christ you people and getting hung up on the specifics...you got someone who can heal people...specifically when it comes to arrow wounds?"
A cold fury stirred in her heart. The loose lips of the peasants no doubt. Much like they had failed her beloved in battle they now failed her family when they needed them most. Truly they were unworthy of their protection. Biting her lip she chanced a look at Gasper...the weathered and balding old man who had been treating her family's wounds, injuries, and ailments for as long as she could remember, sweating up a storm at how he was being discussed. It hurt her heart to throw him to the wolves like this, but if it could by herself and her sweetling some time…"
"...Gasper...you can...can assist this young...g-gentlemen with whatever it is that he desires can you not?"
The old man paled further but numbly nodded, with the necromancer nodding in approvement with a smile on his face. "Glad you decided not to beat around the bush. Fredericka if you would? I can handle the rest."
"Are you...sure master?" The female necromancer questioned, which earned an easy smile from the younger man.
"Sure I'm sure...but if any complications come up…" It was then that a firm coldness found its way in the young man's voice. "...you let me know right away."
The hidden threat not being lost on anyone, Fredericka nodded and then turned to Gasper. "Gasper is it? Come. If I were you I'd best hope I'm the best healer in all of Brettonia right now, for what you'll need to do." She said, coming forth and dragging the nearly shivering old man outside the doors, past the two horrifying phantoms.
Aurelie sent a silent prayer to the Lady for the kind man she had most likely sent to his doom. The man who would always look after her in castle Artois before volunteering to come with her to Gisoreux after her marriage to Gerome...oh Gerome.
With him now gone, she and her servants were now alone with phantoms and the man clearly acting as the leader of this assault on her new home, not bothering to ask for permission as he and his ghastly abominations walked within the hallway, jerking her servants into action as they looked to put distance between themselves and her.
"So then. Now since that bit of business is arranged I think it's time we moved onto another bit of bus-
"Are you a vampire?"
The question to the duchess of Gisoreux's horror came from none other than her daughter who looked at the man curiously. For a heartbeat, the fear she had for her daughter's life went up a few decibels. Her heart went hammering away when she considered the possibility that perhaps her daughter was correct. Maybe this man was a vampire? Perhaps he shared the bloodline of those horrid creatures in Mousillon? She'd heard rumors that they had resurfaced along with the Red Duke and his infamous madness, but could these two events be tied together? Could Bretonnia as a whole be suffering an undead invasion as they spoke?
The thought chilled her bones.
To her confusion, the necromancer chuckled openly, looking at Aurelie's daughter with an amused look as if seeing her for the first time. "Well let me answer your question with a question kid...did ya see me sparkle when I was standing outside?"
Bernadette put a finger to her chin as if in deep thought before shaking her head.
"Another question...see any fangs?" The young man smirked before opening his mouth wide revealing that he indeed did not have any fangs. Aurelie and the staff could at least rest a tad bit easier at that notion.
"Nope...don't see any…" Her daughter said sounding rather proud of herself. "You don't look pail either. My daddy always told me that vampires were the palest and nastiest creatures of the night, and said that they would suck my blood if I didn't get to bed on time."
"You check under your bed just to make sure they don't sneak in?"
"Mmm...sometimes."
"Smart girl ya have here." The necromancer grinned. The duchess couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. "With that bein' said...do you mind if you give me and your mommy some alone time to talk? It's grown-up stuff ya see."
"Do I have to?" She asked petulantly. "I don't wanna be late for my twip to see uncle Chilfroy!"
"Uncle Chilfroy eh? He some kinda big shot or somethin'?"
"Mhmm! He's the bestest duke in all of Bwettonia! I'm visiting him in Castle Artois!"
That was enough for Aurelie. "Chloe? Could you take my daughter back to her room? Please?"
"But, mommy I wanna go see uncl-
"Now Chloe." She told the servant in a tone that brooked no argument. "I'll talk to you later sweetling. We'll visit Uncle Chilfroy another time."
"But I wanna go now, mommy!" The girl whined as Chloe quickly grabbed the five-year-old's hand and began to pull her away.
She then looked to the rest of her servants, standing as still as statues with the items they had collected. "Take everything back...leave me to with…
"-Lyle Spoletta. Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss-
"Aurelie De Gisoreux...Everyone...go now."
One of the servants wearing a rucksack on his shoulder spoke up nervously. "Sh-should we put everything back the way it was m'lady o-
"Just go. Now." With a tone finality, the remaining servants wasted no time in following her commands, in spite of how little control she now had in the situation before her.
But, Aurelie wasn't ready to give in to despair just yet. She'd heard the stories. The tales told by many about how the Red duke would kill and butcher nearly all he could get his hands except for a select few he could personally feed on. He had no restraint in his conquests she had heard, no tendency of holding back the opportunity to add a fresh corpse into his army...yet this necromancer was clearly of a different mind, not just in the way he acted, but through his actions.
This young-looking man did not act like any necromancer she had ever heard of...he barely even looked the part. She'd heard tales, especially those from Gerome about how all necromancers were gaunt, sickly, and a breath away from joining the very creations that they commanded. That girl from earlier most definitely looked the part, but this Lyle Spoletta was an anomaly. Especially given the fact that he decided to spare her life...the fact that he acted so...cordial to her daughter, even if it did unnerve her...what exactly did this monster want?
Finally, he decided to bring her out of such internal musings by taking the lead, walking past his horrid phantoms, and leaning on the wall in the hallway lazily, as if at ease. "So...your this duke's sister am I right?"
"...That is correct." She sighed. Was this the game he decided to play? Very well. If she and her family were to survive she would do what she must. "Since you realize this now thanks to my sweetling, you must also realize how valuable we are to him...if you were to spare our lives we would fetch you a ransom worthy of a king-
"Ehh don't worry. I ain't that big of a dick." Lyle shrugged as if trying and failing to put her at ease. "I ain't the kinda guy to go around killin' wives and kids just cause your husband did me dirty before the battle started. I'm the guy who's gonna take the high road here."
In spite of herself, the golden-haired duchess heard herself take a sharp intake of breath..dare she ask? "My husband...Lord Gerome...is he-
"Yeah he's alive. Bastard ran off when the going got tough. Go figure am I right?"
"P-preposterous!" Aurelie found herself saying in spite of her situation. "I know my Gerome better than you ever would you walking breathing heretic! My Gerome would never run from a fight!"
"Yeaaaahh, see that's where I'm gonna have burst your bubble toots. Thing is he didn't just leave the fight. He left his two other buddies to bite the dust while he made tracks. Didn't exactly improve my opinion of him after he had his arrow boys feather the kid that your doctor is fixin' up. Pardon my french, especially seeing as you guys have the accents to boot, but your husband seems like a real matarazz if you ask me."
The fear that Aurelie had earlier was slowly beginning to morph into fury. Her hands tightened up into fists. What madness was this necromancer spouting? Was he trying to torment her? To unnerve her with such spiteful lies?
"But, hey? What else can you expect from a guy who whores himself out to a lake witch? That's simps for ya I guess. All devoted on the outside and gutless on the inside, the second shit hits the fan."
"Have you spared my life only to spew such vile lies about my husband? About our beloved Lady?" She found herself saying, her knuckles as white as sheets. What else could she expect from a faithless lowly necromancer, no matter how chiseled his abs may be.
"I ain't much of a liar sweetheart. But, hey. If you don't wanna believe it? That's somethin' you can discuss with him when I go to this castle Artois to meet your big brotha' over there to talk things out. Hopefully with fewer knights takin' the low road when we ride under the white flag in good faith...or in my case, a white shirt."
"...so you do intend to attack my brother."
"Only if he ain't in the mood to talk it out."
"I warn you now...Spoletta." The Duchess nearly spat, keeping what composure she had for her daughter's sake. "Your luck may have won a minor victory here, but at my ancestral home, you will find that Reynauld is a fickle God to those who bathe in unholy forces. There, you and your undead horde will find the gates barred, our finest knights armed, and arrows to greet you should you give siege, for my brother will show no quarter nor mercy to you and your ilk should you dare to break your back against Artoi's walls. If you have any care for yourself or your necromantic ilk, I suggest you flee back to whatever hovel you crawled out of, and stay there."
Lyle actually blinked taken aback by the short speech. "Wow. Gotta say, you really know how to lay the reality on my situation on thick."
The duchess of Gisoreux raised her nose at the necromancer, mustering any dignity she could. "You had the decency to spare me and my daughter...I will grant you this mercy of fleeing while you have the chance. For even if you surround my brother's walls, word of your horror and treachery will spread throughout the lands of Brettonia where you will find not peasants, but the finest knights of the realm, and grail knights seeking to smite your evil where it dares to tread."
Back came Lyle's smile. "Dramatic too. I think I'm beginning to like you toots."
"It's up to you where you choose to die necromancer. Be it here, Castle Artois, or of old age in the cave you crawled out of I leave you and your followers' fate for you to decide."
"Yeah I appreciate the thought...but I don't feel like haullin' my ass back to Blackstone Post. I wouldn't admit it to Freddy, but my back was killin' me on the way here like ya wouldn't believe. Horses man..."
Aurelie admired her own ability to mask her surprise. Blackstone Post. She knew that name well. She'd heard rumors from Gerome that they had been mustering an attack. To think that a monster like Kemmler would lead an assault here so brazenly...she'd heard many tales about such a decrepit yet terrifying man...stories of him debasing monasteries and chapels dedicated to the Lady to further his twisted goals. With the knowledge that he now held, she could only wonder just what horrid plans he had for herself and her family.
"But, anyways, I ain't here to listen to your sales pitches lady. I'm here to give you mine. Ya see...I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse."
For some reason, the duchess felt a certain amount of trepidation at that phrasing. "What is it that you have in mind?"
"Welp...I'm in a hurry to move over to your brother's place to talk things over, but the thing is...the people looked scared shitless, the moment I stepped into this place was the moment people started pissin' and shittin' themselves in the streets. You'd think these guys' never seen ghosts or walkin' skeletons before or somethin'."
She still couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Regardless he continued. "Aaaanyways I was in a bit of a hurry to see you so I couldn't really get a handle on the situation before...y'know. Chattin' it up with you. But, I know people. And these people are tense. Real tense. And I don't like it when people are tense. Really ruins the mood y'know? Plus I wanna make sure nobody throws a hissy fit while I head on to this castle that your brotha's in'."
"And...where is it that I fit in?"
"Come on, no need to act all modest and whatnot!" Lyle grinned as he stopped leaning on the wall. "Your husband was in charge of this place, but people gotta know you, right? It'd mean a lot to me if you were to spread the message around for people not to panic, or cause any riots or whateva'. Last thing we need is any of them killin' each other cause they were panickin' for nothin' right?"
Personally, Aurelie would have loved nothing more than to see the peasantry tear this cocksure man to pieces, but she had a sinking feeling for the consequences of such thoughts. "...and if I don't?"
"Oh...come on lady, you really wanna make me go there?"
"I want to hear it. I want to hear it from your mouth."
The necromancer's smile disappeared for a moment before he sighed, shaking his head all the while. "Well...if you're gonna be stubborn about it well...maybe I'll see if I can't get a new trip for that kid of yours to go on. She seemed pretty disappointed at not seein' her uncle, so maybe I-
"Don't you dare." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Hey. You're the one who wanted me to say it toots, not me. Besides, I ain't gonna hurt the kid. I'm not like that. Just gonna take her for a trip until you see things my way is all. Hell, I'm sure she'll enjoy riding my skeleton horse a hell of a lot more than I do. Maybe I'll even have Inky and Blinky here watch over her while I talk things over with your brotha'." He shrugged gesturing to the unmoving visages of the ghosts behind him.
Aurelie stood rooted on the spot. Oh, how she wished to resist. To spit in this Tilean's face and curse him for the abomination that he was. But, she knew that she could not. If a monster like Kemmler was involved in this, this young man could be the port in her family's storm...at least until her brother mounted his head on a pike.
"...if I agree, you'll leave my daughter by my side?"
"I ain't the kinda guy to go back on a deal y'know. So long as you keep up your end of the deal. Calm your peoples' asses down, and I'll make sure that all is well. Capiche?"
"...one last question before I agree."
"Shoot toots."
"My husband...you were telling the truth when you said he was alive."
"Unless his horse fell, pretty much. Yeah. And who knows? If my friend who got feathered earlier lasts from your doctor's impromptu surgery? I might even let him live. I'm in that good of a mood right now."
The duchess of Gisoreux waited for a beat before voicing the question that spawned from such a statement. "And should he perish?"
Lyle immediately stopped smiling, his voice going low. "Then we're gonna have words...just him and me."
A/N: So yeah. Turns out Wendel wasn't quite as dead as he would have had everyone believed. How cognizant or useful he's going to be after taking an arrow through the eye is anyones guess, but hey. At least it wasn't an arrow to the knee.
The next chapter's going to be taking a different perspective besides our heroes, and instead is going to be focusing on others who are central to the plot going forward. I hope that you'll all find it invigorating.
Also please leave a review to let me know what you think so far, and if you haven't yet, follow if you like what you see. Appreciate the gesture.