Whispers of a Dead Empire

Chapter 62

The giant skeleton with the round shield stepped forward and helped me stand up. Bony hands dug into my flesh as I stood on weak legs. I was tentative at first, but she did order them to protect me. How far I have fallen to rely on the undead to keep me alive. I glanced over to my health bar and saw that it was trickling down a bit faster than before. The poison was only building my blood, and from the looks of it, I had a little longer left. But I held my tongue as I followed the undead. The hoplites formed a small wall around me as we marched forward and hit the main road. My legs burned and ached, and the fire that coursed through my veins did little to keep me warm.

Eventually, however, my health bar dropped into the double digits, and my legs lost all their strength as I fell forward. The heat coursed through me faded as my heart slowed and my vision blurred. The surrounding hoplites snapped to attention and formed a shield wall around me as one dragged me back behind their lines.

My mouth was slowly starting to dry, and all I could do was stare up at the sky. A sky that was alien to me yet seemed all too familiar. Dark clouds moved across it, and the air pressed around me like a warm wet blanket. I could faintly hear the sound of quiet footfalls as someone rushed over to me.

A second later, a pair of emerald eyes obscured my vision of the sky and gazed at me filled to the brim with worry, or at least with what I hope was worry. A man could dream, after all. "Did you get hit?" She asked as she squatted down next to me and tried to pull me up.

"N..no. The poisons are overwhelming my body." It was morose and twisted, but it was true. At this rate, there wasn't anything that could save me.

She didn't say anything as she reached down and gave me a pat on my shoulder, and motioned for two zombies nearby to come over. Without sharing a single word, they picked me up by my arms and dragged me carefully down the road.

I hung there limply as I watched my health bar tick down. It only seemed to go faster with each blink, while my heart only seemed to beat slower. As it passed the fifties mark, I lost the desire to panic, and instead, I turned inwards as I thought about my life.

I was weak. No matter how strong I tried to be, it wasn't enough. I was still that same weak child who couldn't protect himself, his friends, and above all else, his family. The only thing that would welcome me with open arms would be death. Maybe I would get to see my family once more.

My health bar dropped past twenty-five. I felt an unfamiliar sensation coil around my heart, and with it, I could hear whispers that slowly entered my mind. Calling for vengeance, telling me I should slay everyone that has that a hand in my impending death. At first, I rejected the idea. What good would revenge do if I were already dead?

My health bar struck ten, and the words grew in intensity, telling me I would live. All I had to do was give in to the rage that I kept buried deep down. Then it hit nine, and the words shifted into a soft whisper, asking me what I wanted to do. But I couldn't remember anymore. What was it that I needed in the first place from here? To restore my honor?

On the next tick downwards, the words whispered in my mind, telling me they could help me. They would give me power and strengthen me. At seven, the sweet allure of the words dragged me in. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live and be strong. I couldn't even imagine what Paris would say if I died here.

With my health bar now at six, I succumbed to the promise of the whispers that floated around my mind, however as I did, I didn't entirely give in to the vengeance that sloshed around my heart. Instead, I accepted it and tried to ride the waves that beat against my soul like a relentless storm. I couldn't succumb to it. I had to stay on top of it. Letting it power me, but not letting it define who I was.

A few ticks later, my health bar sat at one. This was it. This was the moment that I died. I steeled my heart, knowing what was about to come. I was terrified, but whatever presence that lay inside of me gave me some sort of comfort. At least, in the end, I wasn't alone when I died. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the end, begging any gods that were listening to save me.

When I woke up, I was staring at the ceiling. My body ached and burned in dozens of different places, but I was careful not to aggravate any wounds. I slowly sat up, not knowing where I was. My hand dropped to my side, trying to find my blade, and I panicked slightly when I couldn't feel it. I fervently glanced around the room, looking for my sword, and relaxed slightly when I saw it sitting next to me on a small desk. I reached out and pulled it toward my chest.

This place has done nothing but remind me of everything I have lost. How weak and powerless I really am. I kept my hand on my sword and looked around the room properly. I sat in what looked like a small living quarter. A small window sat above me, letting in light beams that basked the stone in warm morning rays. A desk stood nearby with a small stack of papers, and in the corner was a woman who had her arms crossed and was staring at me. The mask sent some shivers down my spine as memories came rushing back. I was supposed to have died, but here I was staring at what I believed to be a god.

We stood in silence for a moment, as I felt embarrassed. I've done nothing but embarrass myself for the last few days. "I'm sorry," I told her in a hushed whisper.

She cocked her head and shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I'm just glad to see that you are okay. You had me worried there for a minute."

" I'm thankful for you saving my life there. I didn't realize that assassins were sent after me. Otherwise, I would have loved to meet you on different terms." I kept my hand on the blade, ready to move at a second notice. I scanned the room around myself self looking for Alessia. Something told me she wouldn't be too far from her.

"I had a feeling that you intended to do so once I saw that you had that stone. Tell me, are those common?" She asked as she leaned against a wall. The shadows obscured half of her, though those emerald eyes were still as piercing as ever.

"No. At least I don't believe so. I've never heard of them until I received this one."

"I see. Thank you. Anyway, I've heard from your companions that you wanted to talk to me about what my plans are."

Ah yes, that. I needed to know so I could report it back to Paris. Everything that has happened lately has been low on my priority list. "My mission here was to find out the state of the domain, the mobs, and get a general feel and layout for it. The next part was to figure out if the domain meant any harm to the surrounding area and if we should request its extermination or not." Calixa inhaled deeply through her nose as soon as I talked about extermination.

"Well, what do you think about it then?" Her voice was soft, and I could detect a twinge of sadness in her words and a tiny bit of fear.

"Well, it's an undead domain, which may frighten people. However, all the undead here seem content to stay and won't affect the outer world. With that being said, how about we both do each other a favor. You have something that I want, and I can put down a glowing report for you." It was risky playing this game, but I needed this domain.

"Oh?"

"I would help you and ensure your survival l In turn, I need you to help me. I want to rebuild what I've lost. A mutual partnership, some may say." I really hated having to treat my savior like this. It made me feel dirty, but years of playing this game have jaded me. I had to get what I wanted, no matter the cost.

She was quiet for a moment before she let out a sigh. "Fine. As long as you keep me out of whatever politics you play. Otherwise, the deal is off."I could feel the start of a grin cross my face as the possibility whirled through my mind. Finally, I was getting somewhere. I wanted to get stronger; I wanted my power and resources back, and this was the perfect place to start. The best part is, no one would really mess with her here as long as she stayed under the protection of the Adventurers Guild. She would be risk-free, and it would be me that would be handling everything.

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