Responses:

LinkJames: Christ almighty I've never seen so many reviews so quickly. I might just send you a PM just to thank you personally for all the feedback once I get the time.

Laxard: True, but as we all know, Tzeentch can always be incredibly fickle with his favor, just as he's fickle with his plans.

Also no, that was not heavens magic Lyle just used. But, it will be explained in-story at a later date.

100 Fires: Wow…I didn't think anyone could would actually catch onto that! You sly bastard!

Zerkil: You're prediction is actually closer to reality than you might think. Also you won't believe how much I popped when you brought up that familiar quote!

And, yeah…Alvin's gonna be a piece of work to put it nicely.

NoobStyle: Oh I'm sure that if you were to ask the knights of Bretonnia that it was truly great back in the past. The peasants wouldn't know any better, since they've been taught not to know any better or the difference.

Also Yeah I hear ya man. It just happens so often these days that you just throw your hands up and get fed up. I just got personally frustrated here, since Total War has been such a consummate favorite of mine since I got a PC.

Guts and Toes: I'll take that as one of the highest compliments that I could ever receive! Thank you!

UselessKhan69: Yeah no kidding. It's a shame because it feels like so many games these days are replicating those same exact practices, and there ain't much we can do about it…beyond not giving them our hard earned money of course.

"So…I guess this is where we say goodbye, m'la-…wait, aren't you a queen of this place or somethin'?" Lyle questioned as he stood at the gate with wagons of guns being loaded into wagons just outside.

Nalga snorted and shook her head. "Best I can call myself is regent. My Pa's still alive, so he's still technically king."

"So, Miss Regent. Thanks for the guns…and the beer. Especially the beer. I needed that."

"Aye, I could tell. Have to admit, you can hold your liquor better than most Umgi that come to our hold."

I suppressed a grimace before putting on a smirk. "Got my uncle to thank for that. Taught me a lot of things in life, with drinking being one of the few good things."

"He taught you well then." She then smirked and elbowed him in the ribs. "You didn't outlast me, but you lasted well all the same."

Lyle smirked, rubbing the spot where she elbowed him in the hip. Good grief, she hits hard! Even as a damn joke! "I have a feeling that coming from you, that's some high praise."

"Coming from any dwarf, it would be the highest of praises! You're no true dwarf if anyone who isn't a dwarf can drink you under the table…except maybe an Ogre, but they're the exception!"

Lyle's eyebrows rose before he shrugged. "Of course, there's ogres here. This world seems to have everything and anything."

"Hard to believe you come from a world with only umgi." Nalga commented with curiosity on her face. "Must be a wonderland compared to the constant warfare and racial feuds that happen here."

Lyle shook his head with a wry grin. "Well…not as much as you think. I mean, we were mostly peaceful back home, but hell…, it wasn't always that way. Also, trust me. Humans may be at the top of the food chain back home, but there's still plenty of racism to around."

Nalga looked mildly surprised. "Truly?"

"As true as your beer is great. Back home, people tend to discriminate based on skin color or religious beliefs. Y'know petty instinctive tribal shit and whatnot. Not as much as it was back in the old days, but it still happens, especially in other parts of the world." Lyle snorted. "Hell, back when my people, the Italians, migrated to the country I lived in back home, they were discriminated against and seen as less then…Even in their own country of origin, they were discriminated against by people north of the country. Bastards turned their noses up at us southern Sicilians…or at least that's what my grandmother would tell me, and she wasn't one to lie. Neither are historical accounts, for that matter."

Nalga was silent for a moment before looking back at the wagons still being loaded. "Lyle…do you know why us dwarves are so averse to magic?"

"So you don't get shitty highlights like mine?" I say jokingly, playing with said highlight. "Also, so you avoid getting horribly mutated, like what you said could happen to me if I'm too magic-happy for my own good."

"That's part of the reason, aye…you see, your people are not the only ones to have feuds with one another. After all, the Empire and Bretonnia have their own feuds, but even then, there's mostly peace between their lands…As for us dwarves, however, we those who share our blood in the North East…Many dwarves that took an expedition there and came out of it the worst." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration at just the thought. "They are dwarves who have not only been heavily exposed to Chaos but embraced it. It wasn't their bodies that became twisted as much as their minds, which, in turn, made them monsters that we can only look back on with scorn and disgust."

"...how big of monsters are we talking?"

"Well, let's see." The regent said, putting a finger to her chin. "They create war machines that oftentimes are powered by the souls of demons that they personally torture. They enslave countless races, including orcs and goblins that are unfortunate enough to cross them in the Darklands. They make sacrifices to the new dark gods that they now serve and enjoy, making the lives of those around them utterly miserable to their personal enjoyment." Nalga then looked drily at the necromancer. "Does that about cover it?"

Lyle blinked slowly at the disturbing description. "Y'know, back in my country, my government often consider the worst people who get the most jail time to be thieves…people that oftentimes steal other people's money, whether it be the average Joe's or the government's cash. Hearing people take it to another level in this world is a bit jarring."

"The point is Lyle, is that if you're going to foolishly continue to use your magic like only an umgi would, then you need to be careful. What happened to you earlier could only be the beginning of what could happen to your mind if you're too reckless." She turned to him with a stern glare on her face. "If you're going to fight for people who have it rough as you like to point out, at least do them the damned courtesy of making sure ye don't lose your mind as my distant cousins down east have."

Lyle was about to make a smart remark before he settled on swallowing the dwarf's words. It only made the weight of what she said settle down into his gut as he spied a certain wagon that had pointedly remained untouched by the dwarves loading his guns. The two bodies he had brought with him from Riffen. The bodies he still hadn't revived.

The necromancer could feel himself twitch involuntarily at what he didn't know how to approach. His throat tightened at what was at stake in the coming days and whether or not they would play out the way he needed them to. Even now, while he put on a confidant front for all those who questioned him, Lyle's mind still went back to the day Bohemond beat him. From the grail knight thrashing Krell to the necromancer being at the duke's mercy at his castle, he knew that if there was another defeat, Bohemond wouldn't leave things to chance next time. No. There would be no next time.

Sure, many of the peasants would initially see him as a monster. He certainly had the army and forces to fit the part. But, if Riffen had shown him anything, it was that there was hope for helping the most underserved. They could be shown what they were capable of, and if organized right, they could beat those who would like to see them ground underfoot.

Lyle glared at the bodies of two of those very peasants who lived up to said potential. His mind was made up. "Don't worry bout' it." Lyle ground out. "I'll be good." He then surprised the dwarf when he crouched down and suddenly hugged her.

"Wh-what in the bloody-

I then released the hug. "I appreciate your help Nalga. Before this is all over and done with, I'll make sure to pay you back." I give her a confident smirk. "Consider it a promise."

A hint of color touched her cheeks before she coughed and looked away. "Don't go makin' promises you can't keep Umgi. We dwarves to matters like this seriously. Go back on it, I might be tempted to put your name in my own book of grudges." She narrowed her eyes. "It'll be a grudgin'."

Lyle smiled coyly. "Can't grudge with anyone if I wind up dead."

"Your descendants would disagree." She put her hands on her hips. "We dwarves are as stubborn as the stone we live in."

I look back at the wagons, which at this point were now practically filled to the brim. "What a coincidence. So am I." I'm about to head down before I hesitate. I gnash my teeth together before I finally give in and sigh. "Listen…before I go…I need your advice on something."

"Oh?"

"Those two bodies I brought with me… you've noticed them?"

The dwarf rolled her eyes. "The two bodies your eyes have constantly shifted over like my uncles eyeing their gold? Aye, it's hard not to."

Lyle hesitated before eventually just going forward. "They're people from the village of Riffen. Two people who helped me a lot in just surviving."

For a moment, it seemed like Nalga was wondering why I was even bringing this up to her in the first place. The widening of her eyes and immediate glare afterward showed just how quickly she realized where he was going with this. "You want to bring them back to life with your necromancy."

"I can bring them as they were…I think." Lyle said, growing more confident as he spoke. "I can bring them back the way they were. I mean they'll be undead but…look I just feel like I owe it to them both after how much they helped me. The girl, Ave especially, she…she got a real raw deal in all of this."

"Lyle." She began sternly. "You may think in your short-lived mind that your doin' them a favor, but think about what ye just said. You're bringing them back as undead…undead! It's a magic that I personally along with many in the Old World, believe is an abomination in of itself!" she then softened her face. "Don't ye think it's better to let them rest? To let them be in the afterlife?"

"Normally I would agree with you, but…" Lyle shook his head, images of what happened in the Red Room flashing in his eyes. "But, I want them to get justice. Ave, especially, she deserves it for what happened."

"If she died in battle, fighting to defend her village, then let that be her last memory, Lyle! Let that-

"No!...she didn't die in battle she…" Lyle looked away, biting his lip, hard enough to nearly draw blood. Nalga looked at him, from sternness to concern before eventually, Lyle told her.

About the Red Room. About what it was famous for…what he had found when he first entered, and the state of Ave when they reached her.

When Lyle left Karak Ziflin not much longer afterward, Nalga had told her engineers, much to their chagrin, to lend Lyle two of her Great Cannons. She had also given him a large ornate book that was mostly blank on the inside, except for one name and the entry that followed it.

Bohemond De Bastonne: In the spirit of all those who have suffered under Bohemond De Bastonne's ineptitude, I, Lyle Spoletta hereby jot this grudge down for keeping and for satisfaction to follow shortly thereafter.

On account of, He allowed the village of Riffen to be unjustly extorted by orcs.

On account of, Failed to defend the village properly, forcing the villagers to fight for their survival.

On account of, had the village of Riffen exterminated unjustly.

On account of, Allowing the existence of the Red Room where innocent women have been raped and/or murdered.

On account of, allowing the murder and rape of Ave de Riffen.

On account of, being a despotic and incapable lord who allows those of low character and honor to rule in his name.

…

"I'm fucking warning you, Tobias! If you don't stand down-

"You'll do nothing." The bookish necromancer scowled, hand once again resting on a familiar tome. "Especially if you know what is good for your wretched form."

Fredericka felt smashing her head against the table they were sitting at…well, okay, mostly sat at. Schmitz and Tobias stood up at this point and abandoned all decorum. To be fair, Fredericka was confident that without her 'concoction,' she would be having a panic attack right then and there.

Truthfully, I was shocked that it had taken this long for physical…or rather magical threats to be used. However, in this case, two factors contributed to this the more she thought about it.

First was the shock that Lyle was the product of Chaos, or at least his summoning was. The mere idea that Kemmler had used Chaos himself was shocking on its own! Oh sure, there had been rumors he and thereby the stray acolyte that Kemmler dabbled in Chaos, but nobody truly gave it any wait. After all, dhar and necromancy were anathema to chaos magic as a concept. It was like oil and water where one side was constantly changing, and the other was, in essence, a return to what was.

But, because of this revelation, a rift had been driven within the Barrow Legion. Many, now more than ever, wanted to leave and strike out on their own, terrified of what other artifacts that Kemmler could have that had the taint of Chaos. The other fear came from paranoia from one another. After all, if Kemmler was using the ruinous powers, then who was to say that there weren't others within their ranks who also partook? This certainly didn't help the already fraid sense of 'trust' that necromancers had with one another. Inter Competing factions were already at each others' throats, this bit' of news was the last thing that they needed.

After all, necromancers already didn't trust one another to begin with. The only thing they trusted, on average, was that they could use one another to complete their own goals. Fredericka firmly believed that the only reason things weren't imploding at this point was because Bertholdt was…out of commission. Ever since what had happened to him, the boastful masked necromancer had secluded himself within his quarters, shouting threats as much as he wailed in pain at the loss of his appendage.

Not that Fredericka was going to complain much. With him not thrown into this mix, there might be a chance to salvage this. "We've been over this before! We can form a council! A council to-

"In times of war!? Forget it!" Schmitz bellowed, sweeping his hand over the table. "To call a council meeting for every little thing that must be done is tantamount to suicide!"

"It'd be preferable to allowing you to lead our undead hordes." Tobias sneered. "Just because you were on the most campaigns and battles with Kemmler means little about your aptitude for battle, much less being a leader."

"Oh? So you'd prefer to dally and dither like withered husks in the imperial college often like to do? The Godsdamned Bretonnians could be marching on our doorstep as we speak! If word gets out about our defeat all the way back in Artois, we'll be right back where we started before Lyle was summoned here!"

"And what will you do after victory is obtained, I wonder? IF victory against those horse lovers. What of the purges within our ranks that follow?"

Fredericka whipped her head toward Tobias. "What purges?"

"I agree." Schmitz glowered. "WHAT purges?"

"You know full well. What will become of those like myself who would dare speak sense once the blood is done being shed?...or if you would dare to lobby any of us to be in alignment with the ruinous powers."

Schmitz's look became cold. "Well, if anyone would flirt with chaos, it would be you and your page-nosing ilk."

"Schmitz!" Fredericka hissed. "We don't need this kind of talk!"

"You know full well it's inevitable!"

"But, it's not needed NOW!"

Tobias was now fully gripping his book. "So it is coming to this!"

"It's coming to nothing! You're both focusing on the wrong matter!"

"Not if it's threatening the lives of myself and those who share my thinking!"

"As it should if you've followed Kemmler's example!"

"You dare!?"

It was going to come to blows. She was sure of it. She'd tried and tried to delay and put it off, but it was all coming to a head faster than a mighty Waaagh crashing against anyone unfortunate to be in it's way. It was one of those moments that the idea of her taking personal control flittered within her mind. To take the leap and snag power as the new Lichemaster.

After all, she didn't rub people the wrong way like Schmitzs did. She wasn't as meek and passive as Tobias would often be. She wasn't as arrogant as Bertholdt. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult, now more than ever, especially with matters this volatile?

Yet, even now, she hesitated. She hesitated because of the same reason she summoned Lyle and used him as a 'puppet,' so to speak. Back then, he could be the lightning rod. In this situation, she would have no choice but to take that role, and she feared any repercussions that came with a mistake. Whether it was trusting someone who wanted to take advantage of her or taking blame for some misfortune or another, the risk weighed far too much than the reward.

It was why she had to drink her bat-wing concoction. The war within herself was driving her mad, even as she fidgeted and twitched at the burgeoning conflict that was about to erupt before her. For not the first time since Lyle's death, she was paralyzed with indecision. Did she raise her voice? Would they dismiss her suggestion? Schmitz most certainly would not. Bertholdt wouldn't if he got over his dismemberment. It was all so maddening that she considered killing the two of them outright!

Then she stilled when she went over the scenario. Killing both Schmitz and Tobias? Oh, they'd lose two powerful necromancers, but at the same time, they'd lose a great deal of the friction that threatened to kindle the flames that could swallow the Barrow Legion. Yes, she could see it now. Kill them, and she receives some pushback but also respect. Fear and Respect.

She slowly reached for her staff as her eyes dilated, and her heartbeat began to race far more than someone in her occupation should. Her palms became sweaty and knees weak, long sp-

The door to the meeting room burst open, and standing there was an out-of-breath Wendel, his eyepatch damp with sweat. "O-outside!"

All eyes swiveled on him in panic, with everyone assuming the worst, Tobias especially. "There's no way! The Bastonnians couldn't have reached us by now, they couldn-

"Lyle!" Wendel yelled with a massive grin on his face. "Lichemaster Lyle's here!"

A pregnant pause filled the air as everyone in the room jerked to a halt, processing what had just been uttered.

It was Schmitz who broke the silence with his usual bluster. "P-preposterous. We saw-

"We never saw a body." Tobias said suddenly, not seeing at all put off by this claim. In fact, unless Fredericka was going mad, he looked downright relieved and elated. "We never saw him perish, only him falling off a cliff!"

Schmitz looked like he wanted to refute it. Yet, instead, his mouth could only open and close dumbly before he rushed forward and pushed past Wendel to see for himself. Not to be outdone, Tobias hurried right after him, a new and excited energy surrounding him with Wendel not far behind, still grinning from ear to ear. "I told you! I bloody well told you all he was still among the living-breathing!"

Fredericka stood there, stock still, suddenly releasing a breath she didn't know she had and dropping her staff as the sweat she had built up suddenly felt cool on her skin. She took deep gulping breaths, still not quite believing what had been said before she finally mustered the courage to get to her feet and follow. Though she couldn't dare to admit it aloud, hope fluttered in her chest, making her limbs seem lighter than they had in days.

After following the billowing cloaks of her fellow necromancers, Fredericka walked through the dark and dimly lit halls of Blackstone post, shoving past the stray undead guard and acolytes who were also heading in the same direction that she was, with a vibrant energy in the air. It seemed that word was spreading fast and infectiously, almost becoming a mad rush.

Fredericka growled aggressively as the queue almost began to slow her down. "Out of the damned way! Move it, or I'll render your flesh to bone!"

She didn't know she had such an aggressive streak in her, and apparently, neither did the acolytes who saw the furry in her face and anger in her voice. They began to part like the Red Sea, moving away from her as she rushed forward, desperate to keep up with Wendel, Tobias, and Schmitz. Oh, so now you find some spine?

Eventually, however, she reached one of the outside walls of the castle, where the first thing she noticed was a massive undead Manticore, resting on it's belly and leaning up against it, with a relaxed expression on his face was none other than who Wendel claimed it to be.

Lyle Spoletta, albeit with a noticeable blue streak going through his hair.

"I knew it-called it!" Wendel shouted above the increasing chatter and sounds of disbelief. "I knew you wouldn't die-perish so easily!"

Lyle immediately stopped leaning against the Manticore, his trademark easy smile gracing his lips. "Wendel, my man! Boy, you have no idea how relieved I am you didn't get trampled by those knights back at that battle!" He accentuated this by approaching the blonde necromancer and giving him a hearty half hug, once again going against the norms that a normal Lichemaster would normally embody. But, for Lyle, it was as simple as breathing. "Sorry about that, by the way. That was my bad."

Wendel and many acolytes looked surprised. "I-you don't need to apologize, Lord Lyle, we all know how dangerous Grail knights can be-

"And I ignored you guys 'cause I got high off my own shit. That's on me." The Lichemaster admitted, patting Wendel firmly on the shoulder. "I lost. Got my ass kicked…and I learned from it. And now it's time for us to return the favor."

The declaration in that statement didn't go unnoticed. A nervous murmur rippled through the growing tide of necromancers that were just starting to gather and see what was happening on the wall, with many pushing past one another to see or hear what was happening.

It was Tobias who dared to speak next, pushing his glasses up his nose as he approached the Lichemaster. "You…wish to strike back against the Bastonnians? Master Lyle, as glad as I'm glad to see you back, I sincerely hope you reconsider, I don't believe that will go so well…erm, a second time."

"Well, I'm certainly not gonna shake hands with em'...nor them me, especially after I managed to kidnap Bohemond's son and heir."

More shock rippled through the acolytes. Tobias felt his glasses slide down his nose at the audacious claim while Fredericka stared wide-eyed. "Y-wait, go from the beginning, Lord Lyle, where have you-I mean…you have the Dukedom of Bastonne's heir?" The bookish necromancer stammered in shock.

Lyle nodded. "Mmhhm. Bohemond's not gonna let that lie, especially since it's his son we're talkin' about, so he and I are gonna have a rematch and-

"Now, hold on one Naggash-damned moment!" Schmitz roared, making his voice heard. "Are we going to forget so quickly how you nearly doomed us all with your recklessness the last time you gave battle?"

Lyle gave a look. "No. I mean, I did just admit that it was my bad, Schmitz. Also, how you doin'?"

"How I'm doing matters little. And you admitted that it was 'your bad' as you put it, only reinforces my concern…" He then turned to the rest of the necromancers. "Are we going to be so quick to forget what this…this boy-no! This creature is!" Schmitz then glared at Lyle with no shortage of disdain. "This boy is a creature of Chaos, or at the very least has the taint of it! Have we all taken such a leave of our senses as to allow him to dilute the purity of the Dhar that we use?"

More mumers broke out, and even Tobias hesitated at the inescapable fact. Fredericka herself found herself growing wary, now staring at Lyle with a new set of eyes.

Considering the nature of the summoning that brought him here, there was no doubt that Lyle had the taint. In fact, if she were as big of a gambler as a Tilean prince, she was sure that the blue highlight in his hair might be an early sign of his coming corruption. It was what was holding her back from speaking, content to be a spectator for what was happening before her.

It was a complicated situation, to say the least. Lyle in this scenario, could be their savior, but it was just as likely that he could prove to be their doom. Once again, indecision plagued her.

In response to the accusation, Lyle didn't flail or flop around as she thought he would, however, he almost looking bored. "Chaos huh?" He then scratched his nose, pursing his lips. His eyes moved throughout the crowd before Fredericka realized they had zeroed in on her. "I do remember that being mentioned off-handedly with you guys."

Fredericka felt her go still. Did he realize that she had deliberately kept specific information from him? If so, then who in the world had told him? Who could he have possibly met while he was away to inform him about this without immediately trying to kill him for just being a necromancer?

That left only one possible option: He'd met another necromancer, which had all manner of terrifying implications.

Regardless, Schmitz kept on talking, feeling emboldened by the sight of other acolytes nodding along with him. "You're but an ignorant boy, a boy whom we've allowed to be in charge solely because we knew we could control you! You were pliable and useful, nothing more!"

To Fredericka's surprise, Lyle folded his arms and said nothing, seemingly content to let Schmitz continue to unload, something the bald man was all too willing to do.

"I refuse to allow an agent of Chaos to pervert what this Legion stands for, even if you don't even know what Chaos is! In fact, your ignorance only makes you more dangerous, making you more lethal with those within our ranks who do keep to the ruinous powers!"

To the surprise of many, Wendel got into the older necromancer's face, outrage on his expression. "And if it wasn't for Master Lyle, then perhaps we would have been obliterated! If not by the dwarves, then perhaps by the Brettonians much sooner!" The passion in the one-eyed blonde's voice was unmistakable. "Or perhaps we would have destroyed ourselves to choose the next Lichemaster. Either way, it was Master Lyle who saved us from such fates, and I believe he can do so again!"

Schmitz sneered and looked like he wanted to spit. "Spoken like his lap dog. A weakling who can barely command a cadre of skeletons like yourself has no say here, boy!"

Wendel flinched at the accusation that hit close to home, and looked ready to speak until he felt Lyle's hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy, Wendel. Let him talk."

"B-but Master Lyle he-

"Nah, nah, let him speak! Let him talk his shit!" Lyle said with a big smile that unnerved Schmitz. "Let him get it all out of his system, I mean, it's only fair, right? A good leader listens to those under him, after all."

Schmitz balked. "You…the nerve of you. Do you not realize we now have undisputed proof you are an agent of Chaos?"

"Enlighten me, I've been away for a bit."

"We remade the scroll that was used to bring you to our world…we had remade it to such an extent that it would allow someone who already used dhar to increase their magical potency and ability to master spells, just like you! We used it on Bertholdt after he volunteered!"

Lyle looked around. "Huh…I was wondering why I didn't hear him shouting and raving about how hot his shit is…wait, he's not dead, is he?"

"He probably wishes he was! His hand was mutated, forcing it to be cut off lest he lose his life! He's shut himself away in his room, most likely to ensure nothing else on his person is infected by the ruinous taint!" Schmitz then stepped to Lyle boldly. "The point is now, boy…we now have undeniable proof that you were brought by means that use Chaos. We now have proof that our former Lichemaster Kemmler used Chaos. You're tainted, and I wouldn't doubt that's why your hair is partly blue!"

Lyle nodded, openly, not bothering to hide it. "You're definitely not wrong."

"So you even admit you're tainted!"

"Yup."

Schmitz found himself short. He didn't think it would be that easy, something Tobias rolled his eyes on. "He probably doesn't even truly know what the true extent of chaos is."

"Eh. I have a pretty good idea." Lyle said easily enough. "I mean, you got Khorne, who apparently has a murder boner, Nurgle, who likes to come up with different forms of COVID, Tzeentch, who likes to fuck with people, and Slaneesh, who literally wants to fuck people…does that about cover it?"

Many looked surprised, especially Tobias. "Wh-who told you about the Chaos Gods? I mean, that's as barebones and crass of a description as one can get, but still…"

Lyle snorted. "None of you, that's for damn sure."

Tobias, blinked. "What do you-

Schmitz butt in. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you're too dangerous to the Legion as a whole to allow back in within our ranks! You-

"Okay, bye then." Lyle said as he turned back to the manticore.

Schmitz blinked and flubbed his lips so rapidly he momentarily forgot how to speak. "Wh-what!?"

"What!?" Tobias screeched!

"Wha?" Cried Fredericka, whose heart palpitations increased immensely.

"OH!?" Squawked Wendel, who opened his mouth so wide a fly could accidentally dart in.

"I said bye." Lyle shrugged, turning back to them. "If you don't want me, I'll bail. I mean, I don't really need you guys, so I can just leave you guys to do whatever."

Schmitz eventually shocked himself back into finding his voice. "N-now, hold on a damned minute! Y-you just can't-I-I mean-

"What? You said I'm an agent of chaos, and I'm a danger to you guys, right? Well, fuck it, I'll just leave then. Like I said, I don't need you all."

"H-how could dare make such a claim! Even you cannot hope to muster a force together all on your own to best the Bretonnians! It's madness!"

"I can if my zombies got guns."

The acolytes chatted fervently amongst one another, the conversation pulling them in multiple directions as Schmitz's eyes widened in realization. "The dwarves!"

"Bingo."

Tobias, however, wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Guns, Master Lyle? But… that's beneath us, don't you think? We have the power of dhar and years upon years of lore-filled necromancy to carry us into battle, why use guns at all?"

"Well, why the fuck not?" Lyle growled, catching the raven-haired necromancer offguard. "It gets the job done, and it'll fill their grail knights with holes. That's a funny thing to complain about…but, it's pointless since I'm leaving you anyways. So yeah, you can have all the zombies not holding guns that you want. It's your choice."

"Th-that does not mean you have to leave!"

"You sure about that?"

"Yes!" Schmitz screamed, only to look unsure. "No! I mean-now, hold on a damned minute, you Godsdamned ignorant boy! Even if you have guns, one necromancer alone cannot wield an entire undead army! It cannot be done, especially by someone as ignorant and inexperienced as you!"

"Maybe one can't, but two certainly can help. Met this cranky old broad on the way here, ah shit, what was her name…oh yeah Sybille. She help-

"SYBILLE!?" Fredericka finally broke her silence, drawing more than a few curious glances. Tobias and Schmitz were especially shocked by the announcement of the name. "Wh-where did you find her?"

She flinched when the look she got from Lyle was cool as ice. "Yeah, nice to see you too, Freddy."

Before she could respond, Tobias was quick to speak. "Sybille? You found Sybille after you escaped from the Bretonnian forces? You DO know that she willingly left our Legion, do you not?"

"Uh-huh."

For once, Schmitz was quick to agree with his more bookish counterpart. "She's a disgrace to the order! A coward who left because she disagreed with our former Master Kemmler!"

"The same Kemmler you said was all too happy to use, Chaos?"

The silence that came from Schmitz and Tobias after that was deafening. More murmurs broke out within the acolyte ranks, now unsure of their next course of action.

Fredericka had to admire it, though Lyle could be too bold and headstrong for his own good, his ability with crowd control and his way with words were hard to match. Certainly more than the average necromancer that spent their time in books, corpses, or side-eying potential rivals that could try to overtake them. One could say that the Earth native's return was a breath of fresh air in comparison.

Again, she felt a pang of jealousy shoot through her chest. Why could she not have that kind of gravitas, that charisma, the ability to verbally bite back so calm and collected? She was more experienced in terms of magic than him, yes, but the ability to lead men from all backgrounds, whether they be magical or peasant, couldn't be discounted. It only made her realize just how much people like him and Kemmler acted as the glue that held organizations like the Barrow Legion together.

Eventually, Lyle held up his hands, gaining the attention of all the necromancers in attendance. "Alright, alright, now look. I didn't come here to start any beef or create problems. It's like I told good ol' Schmitty here. If you guys want me to go, believe me, I will go. I'm here as a favor, not as a necessity. Whether you all come with me or not…does. Not. Matter. To. Me." He said, emphasizing every word while pointing to himself. "I'm here to see who wants to come with me for the ride. Cause truth to be told, I'm not here to pick up quitters, hanger-ons, or wishy-washy pussies that don't wanna put in the grind or the gumption to molly whop any Bretonnians that had the misfortune of inconveniencing me."

He let the words hang for a moment, watching the expressions on his audience. Some look predictably annoyed at being called out like that. Some looked shame-faced from the harsh words, while others seemed genuinely interested, looking at the others around them in interest.

Nodding to himself, Lyle continued. "If you DO wanna come with me, just know this. There's gonna be some changes. Major changes. First and foremost, I'll take accountability. I've gotta be a better leader…but, by that same token, you guys gotta actually give me what you can actually contribute. If you wanna hold me accountable, that's just fine, but if you do that, just know I'm gonna hold you accountable. After all, you're accusing me of being an agent of chaos, but I didn't learn much about chaos until I got separated from you guys in the middle of the battle. I knew about as much about chaos as much as Bretonnian peasant, knowing it ain't right to not fuck your sister!"

The comment drew a few chuckles, but it also made more than a few uncomfortable, considering how close it was to home. Fredericka and Schmitz immediately shifted their eyes, wondering if anyone was directing any accusatory gazes toward them.

Eventually, one acolyte spoke above the crowd. "M-master Lyle…look, we're more than willing to follow you, but how are you so sure we can beat the Beastslayer? The man's never lost a fight, and even our mightiest wights can't match the power of a Grail Knight. If we suffer another defeat…"

"My man, you have no idea how much I appreciate your comments, I really do. Yeah, we lost…but to be honest with you, looking back on it all… I'm actually glad we lost!" When he saw more than a few befuddled expressions, the Earth native continued. "Listen up. The thing, I think that up until that point, we got too big for our britches. Think about it for a moment. We won three back-to-back battles and just about every skirmish we'd been through up until that point! We were curb-stompin' everyone! Bretonnian, Beastman, it didn't matter, we couldn't be stopped…until we were!"

Lyle suppressed a smirk as he realized that he had his audience in the palm of his hand. All of their attention was squarely on him. Even some of his naysayers were remaining silent, more interested to see where he was going with this than interrupting him and jeering. "When we lost that day, it was a failure on all levels. It was a failure of people not to inform me of just how powerful Grail Knights can be. It was a failure on my part for not taking the Bretonnians seriously up until that point…and it was a failure collectively for all of us getting too high off our own hype, thinking we could get out of that without any fuck-ups."

There were fewer angry expressions in the audience now. More were contemplative of his words, others were now openly nodding. There were still some openly frowning, but they were dwindling in number. "Failure is good. Failure is a humbling teacher. You shouldn't brush it off, even if you're tempted to! Even in victory, I had my own fair share of fuck-ups, but hey! For a guy who knew Jack and Shit about being a necromancer, you have to admit, my winning record is pretty impressive for a rookie, don't you think? Plus, think about it! The Bastonnians beat the T-total shit out of us on that day! They're gonna be thinking to themselves that they're gonna have a repeat! That they're just gonna run us back and beat you guys like last time! Don't you think this is a scenario where they're gonna make the same mistake as us last time?"

Some 'yays' finally broke, with others openly grinning at the thought. The confidence in those assembled began to grow, with others nodding in agreement. By now, most, if not all, had forgotten about his supposed 'chaos corruption' in favor of getting payback. For chasing a dopamine high that only a much-needed victory could give you. It was like the time when his team's spirits were down in the dumps after our star receiver's left knee did the stanky leg, forcing him out the rest of the season. A quick pep-talk and a surprise victory did a lot to reinvigorate the team and amp them up for next time. Now, it was time to build them up.

"But, hey. If ya'll just wanna stay here and twiddle your thumbs and play with your corpses like you guys have done since Kemmler was in charge, I get it. Go on with your bad selves. Stay nice and safe in your comfort zone, accomplishin' fuck all. I mean, that's what you all wanna do, right?" A silent yet murmur-filled beat went by before Lyle suddenly shouted. "Is that what you all wanna do!?"

"No!" A few angry shouts broke out.

"Bullshit, I can't hear you, pale sorry sack's o' shit!"

"NO!" more shouts rang out this time, with Wendel noticeably leading the charge.

"I heard a lot of talk about how you guys are the hottest thing since toilet paper! Talkin' up a big game about Dhar this and better than Naggash that! You tellin' me you don't got the guts to prove it!?"

"NO!"

"You guys actually wanna do somethin' with yourselves? You wanna actually do something productive with all of that so-called knowledge? You gonna let these bath-water drinkin', sibling-fuckin', Lady-simpin', Higher than thou armored pricks think that they're better than you!?"

A deafening roar broke out from Blackstone Post, with a passion that filled the necromancers, running through their veins in a moment than some had in their entire lives. The dhar that often corrupted them and often twisted their characters was momentarily abated as life flowed through their bodies, with color momentarily returning to their complexions.

Even those like Schmitz, Fredericka, and Tobias felt invigorated by Lyle's words, feeling their backs straighten, their pallid expressions evaporating, and their chests getting puffed out. Fredericka felt alarmed by this sensation, realizing that this was literal magic! It was the only thing that she could use to explain why she suddenly felt so invigorated, especially since Lyle's eyes were now glowing a bright blue!

Yet at that moment, she couldn't find it in herself to care. The girl who had once herself been a Bretonnian peasant found herself swept up in this foreigner's words whom she had summoned from another world. Her own jealousy was momentarily forgotten for the magic that he commanded. It clearly wasn't necromancy, but she couldn't point her finger on from whichever wind it came it came from.

And Lyle just kept on talking, his voice booming across Castle Bastonne. "Then let's rock their shit! These knights have enjoyed being the head chiefs in charge for too long in my opinion, and it's time that the status quo got shaken up a bit, courtesy of us! You wanna know why boys and girls!? It's cause when we go out to meet the Bastonnians on the field we're not only going to whip their asses up and down the field of battle but, we're gonna be doing one last thing!... we're gonna make Bretonnia Great Agaaaaaaain!"

Another roar broke out, so loud that even those who lived near the Gray Mountains could hear it. Far off into the southern part of that set of mountains, a few dwarves wondered if they perhaps heard a thunderclap.

"MAKE BRETONNIA GREAT AGAIN! MAKE BRETONNIA GREAT AGAIN! MAKE BRETONNIA GREAT AGAIN! MAKE BRETONNIA GREAT AGAIN!"

Their chant echoed throughout the mountains for such a large distance that a sizeable undead convoy that was nearing Blackstone Post could hear it. Rudy, who was driving the carriage, could hear it and felt a jolt down his spine as he listened to the chant. Sybille, who was looking at one of the dwarven guns Lyle had acquired within the carriage, perked up once she heard it. No…she could feel it. Even now, Sybille felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Her brow furrowed, yet she couldn't help but smile all the while. Even the boy Emmerich, who had fallen asleep during this long ride, stirred before falling back asleep in the carriage seat in front of her, and he wasn't even magically attuned...was he?

"What magic are you using, boy?" asked herself as the echoes of sound reverberated throughout the air. "What magic could you use to turn such a sorry bunch of pale Dhar users into such vigor-filled fanatics?"

A/N: I'd say we are now a mere two chapters away from the grand battle, and I can hardly wait to type it out. It'll probably be the biggest and longest I'll type, but I'm all for it. Sadly we still have some more moves to plan out to set the scene.

Also, it's safe to say under normal circumstances, Lyle would have really only been able to convince a portion of the Barrow Legion to follow him into battle after all what happened, but with his 'magic' now starting to emerge from him more and more, his gift of gab makes the unfeasible, more and more feasible. Obviously I can't delve too much into the specifics of how and why, but I'm sure some will put two and two together the longer the story goes forward.

Thanks for the constant flow of reviews and do keep it coming. And I'm glad there are those who can share in my pain concerning CA's dlc shenanigans…also on a side note are ANY of you the least bit excited for Total War Pharoah?