Chapter 66. Corpses

Abe clapped and whistled as the ghouls and skeletons hurriedly stocked the ship. He didn’t want to seem impatient, but he was. And besides, these things need to be done as soon as possible.

Tapping his foot against the ground, Abe scanned the cave's entrance. Viara had left to gather some of her elites, and they couldn't leave without them. The scouts made traveling the Vale considerably safer.

Nudging at his senses, Abe knew the strange energy signal wasn’t too far, and if they were quick, he hoped they could reach it soon. Collect some corpses. And return before anyone takes notice of his partially defended island.

The island felt like he was getting somewhere after everything he had gone through. And he wasn't about to lose it as soon as he won it.

But if someone were to attack while they were gone and take the shardworld, he wouldn't just let them have it. But even if he could reconquer the island, losing underlings was not something he wanted. Besides, he wasn’t sure if Viara would stick around if most of her clan members got killed defending it while they were gone.

“Alright, crew, are we ready?”

“Almost,” a ghoul rubbed its hands together as it hunched over a team of skeletons unraveling ropes. “Five minutes.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Abe said and turned as he heard the wind beneath the wings of approaching banshees. "Finally."

“Still preparing the ship?” Viara said as she flew into earshot, trailed by five of her elites. 

“Don’t see you doing much to help. And we're already behind schedule.”

“Oh, come on, Abe. You’re not going to start treating me like a command deckhand, are you?”

Abe shot back a blank stare. “Assuming you remain helpful.”

"I'm always helpful. Just ask the girls," she smiled.

"Release the ropes!" A ghoul shouted, and the ship lurched forward as the last of the ropes were loosened and floated out into the air.

“About time. Looks like we’re ready to go.”

“You sound like a kid waiting for Christmas. I hope you intend to rest at some point,” Viagra shook her head. “It’s getting tiring following you around. Who knew someone could be so excited to chase down some corpses.”

“Yes, I will rest... at some point, probably,” Abe said. He wasn’t lying. He wanted to collapse and stay that way for a long time. But it also wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon.

They passed through the rocky cavern and, with a twist of his hand over the deathly orb, sent the ship sailing toward the starry abyss of the Vale above.

While the power he had sensed wasn’t overly strong, something was discomforting about it. It was different from anything he had felt before. Almost melodic in the way its energy rippled through the cosmos. 

His hunger was always present, and it willed him onward. Wanting to taste whatever it was that hummed in the dark. But his other senses screamed caution. 

His gaze drifted across his crew as they took positions across the deck, and darkness enveloped them. It felt like the stakes were rising. Throwing himself head-first into danger that might get him killed was one thing, but risking everything he was building applied a second pressure.

“Daydreaming again?” Viara said, interrupting Abe’s thoughts.

“Hardly,” he lied.

“Sure, whatever,” Viara rolled her eyes. “We’ll start our patrols now. I’ll have two sisters patrolling at any one time. We should get a pretty good warning if they spot any hostiles.”

“Good. Anything else?”

Viara slowly shook her head, eyeing him suspiciously. “Not unless there's something you want to tell me?”

“You? Maybe... Have you had second thoughts about this handsome visage,” Abe bounced his brows as he rubbed his chin.

“Oh, forget it,” Viara turned and walked away.

“I’m only teasing,” Abe called at her back.

"And you're not funny."

At least that got her off my back, he sighed. She already didn’t trust his plan, and he didn’t want her to know he was struggling with second thoughts.

Push it to the back. The only way I’m going to find Miss Nia is if I get stronger. And that means taking chances. 

Abe swallowed as he forced his doubt down. He wasn't about to start running away from opportunity now.

********

Hundreds of vampires gathered in the assembly as the council took to the oval table at its center. 

If it wasn’t for Nosferatu’s protection, being seen in public wouldn’t be safe. Katiana had grown too confident after her recent victories. She already saw herself as heir apparent and no longer feared openly removing her rivals.

Nia smiled from across the room as her eyes caught her sister’s. 

Katiana rolled her eyes and looked away. 

Someones pissy. The thought delighted Nia, drilling dimples into her cheeks as her smile widened. If she couldn’t win, she could at least terrorize Katiana for as long as possible.

Clapping his hands to silence the room, the vampire councilor Ankhmaat rose from his stone throne and shouted at the other councilors. Things were starting to heat up.

The council had been locked for weeks now on what to do with Umbrial’s seat. Being empty puts the power-sharing of the vampire world out of balance. 

Across from Ankhmaat, Nosferatu rose, trying to calm the others, but it had little effect. Dimitrios and Dracula were talking over him, muttering something in agreement with Ankhmaat.

"Squabbling like children.”

“Careful, Kearn. They hear well.”

Kearn growled under his breath.

“We’re guests here, remember.”

“They’re meant to be the leaders of the undying world. And they argue over such nonsense.”

“It looks worse than it is. It might not look like it, but they’re preventing a war. The Deathly balance has held supremacy over the dreamers for thousands of years. A civil war among the strongest undead lords could change that. Caution should be taken.”

Kearn raised a brow as he turned to his Mistress.

“And what’s that look for?”

“You know why.”

Nia grinned and placed her pursed lips against her fingers. “It’s not my fault.”

The bickering continued until Nosferatu took a handful of papers, threw them across the table, and turned to march out.

“That’s not your fault?”

“What?... I didn’t tell him what to do. If he wants to start a war, that's on him.”

“You’re the one that offered yourself up as a vassal. You knew what would come of it.”

“Oh, you’re no fun, Kearn. Lighten up a little.”

“You’re the one that talked about preventing war. And now it looks like we're driving straight toward it.”

Nia shrugged. “If that’s what it needs to come to. Do you really think I would just step aside and let my sister win? Let the old man believe he can control me- it's quite delightful. Oh, this game really did turn out to be more fun than I was expecting. What do you think, Kearn? Is the old rat ready to fight a war for my seat?”

"Maybe you should keep your voice down."

"Oh, don't be such a grump. You know they can't hear me with my enchantments."

“What about the streets of Archeron? If a war starts, they will burn.”

“Collateral damage,” Nia rose from her chair. “It's all a part of something bigger or some nonsense like that. Anyway, shall we?”

Kearn gritted his teeth and followed.

Exiting the vampire council, they joined with Nosferatu, who waited on the stairs, and Nia linked arms with the decrepit, hairless, hunched-over vampire.

Rows of vampires armored in black plate stood along the stairs as crowds pushed at their backs. They were the Knight Legionnaires loyal to Nosferatu. And they would bury the city in corpses if he commanded it.

All kinds of undead rushed to watch as the armored group pushed through the streets. Tower shields held the crowds back at the sides of the black knights as they marched.

“The city is in chaos, my lord,” one of the black knights said, standing beside Nosferatu as they walked. “They can smell it. I fear the entire city could riot if something isn’t done about Umbrial’s seat soon.”

“Let them, Knight Commander. Perhaps that will get those stubborn corpses to act.”

Nia pulled the old rat’s arm closer, and Nosferatu turned and smiled.

“I’m not about to leave our guest out in the cold, Knight Commander. Besides, the seat is her right.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The crowds pushed against the wall of shields but were thrown back as the vampires pushed back. To further push away the crowds, the vampire knights loosened their lines and stepped toward them. With effortless swings of their shields, they send undead flying backward, tumbling over themselves against the vampire's unmatched strength.

As the vampire knights worked at crowd control, a gap between the shields was created.

In a flash, a hooded vampire dashed through the gap. A glimmer of light traced their dual-wielded daggers as they pulled them from their cloak.

Moving faster than most could see, the vampire assassin flashed toward Nia, poised to sever her head, but froze with their daggers an inch from her neck.

Nosferatu’s gray hand and pointed, gnarled nails were raised toward the attacker.

“Knights, we’re under attack!” Nosferatu shouted as a sword materialized in his free hand, and he shot forward, lopping the vampire’s head off in one swift move.

The knights, who had been defensively hiding behind their shields as they threw the crowds back, drew their blades and stepped toward them. 

Spreading out across the crowd in seconds, the knights descended upon them. And anyone who didn’t flee was cut down as the black knights began their massacre.

“Stay close, Kearn. It looks like the war has finally started,” Nia said with a devilish grin.

In the skies above them, knights atop skeletal dragons cast purple flames toward one another, and screams echoed throughout the sprawling city of the undead as war gripped it.