text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, zombie, fantasy]
  
  A dusty sign points off to a much smaller room that's locked, with the words "TALK WITH A DEMON-25 GOLD COINS" engraved in the wood, which could be of interest.
  
  A large plate holds a large cooked steak, with a sign underneath it. "ANCIENT DRAGON STEAK-25 GOLD COINS" the sign says. It does like quite tasty, you admit.
  
  Next on the shelf is a large book covered with bloodstains with a title you can't read that's available for fifteen golden coins.
  
  There's a small Oak table with a seat next to it covered in cards, with a sign over it. "FORTUNE TELLING-25 GOLD COINS". Huh, that twenty five gold coins thing is becoming a trend.
  
  On a small shelf is a large goblet of Spiced Wine from across the Great Sea, available for only ten Golden Coins.
  
  Next is a large silver ring, with a silver skull on it, both it's eyes studded with rubies, that's available for fifty Golden Coins, although it clearly wouldn't fit on your large fingers.
  
  Finally, there's a Golden Helmet which stands on a stand. It's sign calls it the "Helm of Knowledge" and although it's not for sale, you can "Try it on and gain its knowledge" for only twenty five golden coins.
  
  > leave the store
  You stand, picking up the crate of flowers, seeds and fertilizers. Blaise holds the door open, and you walk out.
  
  "Thank you."
  
  "Of course."
  
  You begin the short walk home, carrying the crate. Blaise walks alongside you, offering to help.
  
  "I could..."
  
  "I'm fine."
  
  "I could carry a bag of fertiliser, or..."
  
  "I'm fine, Blaise. I'm an Orc. Lifting heavy things is what we do."
  
  "I thought murder was what you do."
  
  "We do a lot of things. Don't stereotype us to one thing. We're also good at drinking, bragging, wrestling and we have some of the best horn players to ever live."
  
  Blaise shrugs, and you continue walking. After a few minutes, you arrive home. The door is wide open, so you just let yourself in. You walk up to the greenhouse, and climb the wooden ladder that leads you there.
  
  "Have either of you seen a cat?" Tholi yells, frustrated.
  
  You enter the greenhouse. Massive glass walls enclose a large room filled with every plant imaginable. It makes Blaise's garden look like a weed growing out of a clump of dirt. Rows of roses, various small trees, endless amounts of shrubs, berry bushes, flowers and other fine pieces of greenery. In the center, standing perfectly still and fast asleep, is a Life Elemental. The massive, nine foot figure seems to be a massive talking tree with wooden arms and legs, with leaves and flowers growing from it's body. It's face, which looks like a master wood carver has carved it into the bark, is closed and asleep, with leaves growing across its chest that go up and down as it snores. An Elemental is a creature that is the embodiment of a magical element, in this case life, that has no morality besides the spreading of its own element. Because of this, Life Elementals are relatively pacifistic, although the issues they cause, such as destroying buildings to make room for plant life, digging up corpses for fertilizer and wiping out any loggers in the area make it an unwelcome guest to all but the Wood Elves. Still, since Tholi has managed to keep this one relatively tame, she's allowed to use it as a gardener and a last line of defense should the house be attacked. You stare at the horrible be plant-beast, having some hate for it, but Blaise simply walks up to it and rubs it's side. It's eyes open, pure black, and Blaise slowly checks the various plants that make up its body for infection or disease, before letting the Elemental sleep again. She then drops to her knees and begins to tend to a bed of strange flowers that you vaguely remember being called Forgetting Flowers, or Never-Forget Flowers, or some other nonsense flower name like that.
  
  "Put the crate down in the corner," Tholi shouts, and you do so.
  
  "Why did you have a cat?" you ask.
  
  "Some of the more... dangerous plants require a bit of food with a more... blood in it. I'm happy to kill a cat, they're all just rat-killing monsters. No emotion, cats. I despise the little buggers."
  
  You shrug, and nod, before you head over, as you always do, to the Cranberry Tree.
  
  "Dagden, if you have a single cranberry from that tree, I will murder you."
  
  "Please?"
  
  "No, Dagden."
  
  "If I'm good can I make a pie? Can I have the pie you made? I saw you making pies earlier."
  
  "The pies I made have been ordered by a merchant caravan staying in the city."
  
  Suddenly, you hear a loud banging on the door.
  
  "Go get that, will you?" Tholi says.
  
  You nod, and quickly slide down the ladder. You run up to the door, to be faced with the rotting smile and sharpened grin that you haven't seen in years..
  
  "Trent, Kai. What the hell are...?"
  
  "It's time to get out of Kashin. The Alliance is falling apart. There's men waiting on the border to launch an invasion of the Elves and Dwarves, breaking into another war. The Orcs don't seem to be preparing for war, well, not anymore than usual, although I'm sure they'll hire themselves out to both sides," Sir Trent says.
  
  "That's... good for us, isn't it?" you ask.
  
  "In a way. There's quite a few more bands of adventurers and heroes searching around, a lot looking for Blaise."
  
  "Why?"
  
  "A patsy. They need a patsy to blame for their troubles. They can't mend the Alliance through love, but they can do so with hate. Demons, Necromancers, the strange men across the Great Sea, anything they can unite against. There's rumors that she's holed up in a cave somewhere, raising an army. It'll be no time before such heroes arrive here, searching for an enemy. A secret Demonic Cult that's about to summon an invasion, a spy from across the Great Sea, an apprentice Necromancer, if they can find one of these threats, they plan to use it to unite the Alliance in routing out this new "enemy"," Sir Trent says.
  
  "We gotta get the fuck outta here!" Kai says happily.
  
  > call Blaise down
  "Blaise! Come here!"
  
  Blaise and Tholi slide down the ladder moments later.
  
  "Kai, Trent! Look at my two favorite mercenaries!"
  
  Tholi hugs the pair, and they break into a long branch of chatter. You shrug. You sit down in a wooden chair, and watch as the conversation continues. Topics ranging from how Kai's transformations were going to how Sir Trent was coping without necromantic power being given to him by the Grand Necromancer to the state of Kashin. Eventually, Blaise asks a question.
  
  "Why are you here?" Blaise asks, and Sir Trent launches into the long explanation he told you.
  
  "So... where are we going?" you ask once Sir Trent finishes.
  
  "Lady Blaise is in charge."
  
  Blaise nods, thinking.
  
  "We don't have time to think. We have to go. Let's go!" Kai shouts, stabbing his machete into the wall.
  
  "What? We're going now? Like, now now?" Blaise asks incredulously.
  
  "I'm sorry to take you away so quickly, but there's a cart waiting and if we don't leave now, we could easily get found out, and have every adventurer in the land on our trail."
  
  Tholi frowns, but nods.
  
  "He's right. You two need to go."
  
  "Come on! Pack your things!" Kai shouts. "Ah, I tried. I give up."
  
  Kai falls to the ground and closes his eyes.
  
  "Ah, for fuck's sake... Dagden, Blaise, pack your things," Sir Trent says, letting out one of his few curses.
  
  You nod, before Tholi rushes off.
  
  "Pack your things, I have something to get you both!" Tholi shouts as she rushes off.
  
  You head up to your room and grab your things. You grab your Blood Stone, your sword, Mort and his bronze cage, you dagger, your boots and everything else you have, cramming it into a leather satchel and popping Mort on your shoulder. You walk downstairs again and fine Blaise, tears streaming down her face while she embraces Tholi, with a leather bag at her side and Stitches licking the side of Kai's face.
  
  "I'm going to miss you so much!" Blaise cries, now having to bend down to cry into Tholi's shoulder.
  
  "I'll miss you too, sweetheart. I want you to take this," she holds out a small potted plant.
  
  The potted plant has a delicate black flower in it. It has sharp, dark green thorns curving upwards coming from the stem, and beautiful black petals forming an intricate cupping shape, with a beautiful blood red pistil. Light reddish brown pollen gently lifts from the anthers into the air around it, carrying a scent like cooked meat, which is odd for a flower.
  
  "It's..." Tholi begins.
  
  "It's your Death's Head Flower! You only have one of these. Are you sure you want to give it to me?"
  
  "Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way. I want you to plant it wherever you find yourself and grow yourself a whole flower bed of them."
  
  "Thanks," Blaise says, hugging Tholi.
  
  "Dagden, almost everything...?"
  
  "Can I have the cranberries?"
  
  "... I have isn't of much use of you, but I..."
  
  "Please for the love of the Gods tell me you're giving me the cranberries."
  
  "...I'm giving you the four cranberry pies I made you."
  
  "Thanks!" you say, quickly hugging Tholi.
  
  You let go off her, and quickly head to the kitchen. Seconds later, your face is stuffed with cranberry pie.
  
  "I'll miss you both so much." Tholi says.
  
  "I'll miss you too," Blaise says.
  
  You try to say you'll miss her, but it comes out as a mumble thanks to the pie stuffing your face. Tholi hugs you both, before Kai jumps up, Stitches in his hands.
  
  "Let's go! For...!"
  
  "Shut up, Kai," Sir Trent says, turning and walking out the door.
  
  You follow after him.
  
  > Three Hours Later...
  You sit in the back of a cart, next to Stitches, Mort, Blaise and an unconscious Kai. Sir Trent sits in the driver's seat, his hands on the reigns.
  
  "So what's our plan, exactly?" you ask Blaise.
  
  "We head to Reaper Castle. I've told you, I want to remake my dad's empire. Better this time."
  
  > Agree
  "Oh, really? Thanks, Dag," Blaise says smiling at you. "Hear that, Stitches? We're going home."
  
  "I'll begin heading towards Reaper Castle," Sir Trent says.
  
  "What's it like? What's happened to it in the two years since I've been there?"
  
  "It's, and I'm not exaggerating, a literal shit encrusted anus," Kai says, waking up.
  
  "Reaper Castle? It's a shithole, a refuge for bandits and scum. After the war against your father, there was the awkward question of who would take Reaper Castle. All of the Alliance had some claim on it, whether it be because it's closest to their territory, or they led the charge, or they killed the Necromancer or lost the most men. Since parts of the Dead Empire were given to all who fought and none could agree on who to give Reaper Castle to, they simply left it abandoned. Still, in this recent time of friction they each have large forces nearby, ready to take Reaper Castle in the event of war or another race trying to capture it. The Castle itself should still be structurally sound and mostly fine, it's only been two years. Still, between the various bandits staying there, the few undead that were left behind and have no doubt gone feral and any other scum that's taken up residence there, it will be some effort to take back," Sir Trent says.
  
  "We can do it," Blaise says, looking uncertain.
  
  "Yeah, we will," you reply.
  
  "You two better get some sleep. The sun's falling, and we won't be there for a few days. Just get used to the cart, I suppose."
  
  You lie back in the cart, struggling to get some sleep in the rough, wooden cart.
  
  > Four Days Later...
  Four days pass easily. You manage to avoid the various Alliance checkpoints that have been set up, and finally find yourself approaching Reaper Castle.
  
  "It's been so long since I've seen it," Blaise says.
  
  "Ah, the castle. It's home, alright," Sir Trent says.
  
  "Home? Fuck off with that, you spent most of the time on the road with me," Kai says, standing up and drawing his machete. "I'm ready to kill."
  
  You continue heading towards Reaper Castle, as Sir Trent begins to formulate his plan.
  
  "We enter and move through the place killing or taming any Feral Undead, killing the bandits or forcing them out. and then wipe out any other threats. Leave the dog and mouse here. I'll lead Lady Blaise and Dagden through the halls. Kai, you go off separately in your hunting form."
  
  "Can do!" Kai grins.
  
  You roll up to the outside of Reaper Castle. The gates are barred, so Kai jumps off the cart and walks up to it. He pushes open the gates, which are unbarred. Kai tosses his machete aside with a laugh. He lets out a long laugh, which turns to a yell as his body begins to twist and break. His bones snap as his limbs stretch wider and his head and body grows. His face is torn apart as his teeth grow and sharpen past their usual point. Hair sprouts from his body. The Werewolf howls, and immediately bursts into the castle, sprinting straight down the halls of one of the barracks.
  
  "Stay away from Kai until he changes form. He'll tear your head off and swallow your innards if you go near him. If he tries to attack us, I'll hurt him and send him back to his human form. Now, let's go!"
  
  Sir Trent draws his blade, and enters the main castle building. You walk inside, drawing your long sword. The hallways are filled with corpses and bloodstains. Any Alliance Soldiers who died are gone, having been taken out and buried, burned or eaten as per their cultures tradition, leaving only the undead, necromancers and mercenaries' corpses. Blaise pauses, and through the hall four of the dead stand.
  
  "I can't raise any more. Most have been stabbed through the head and heart by the Alliance to make sure they can't be risen."
  
  You nod, and walk along the wall. A rotted figure wanders forward, a feral zombie, before Blaise's eyes narrow and it snaps to attention. You continue wandering the empty halls, as feral zombies are brought into the fold and dead are raised. Your numbers are small, but by the time you've secured the main building, over two dozen undead march ahead of you.
  
  "It's a sizeable force," Sir Trent nods.
  
  "It's a start," Blaise says, as you enter the throne room.
  
  Blaise stops suddenly, and you look ahead. Nailed to the black, obsidian throne is the rotting, cloaked body that you recognize is Dante only from the cloak. His head sits in his lap, a bloody iron crown with nine black gems built into it resting on his head. Thorin kneels in front of him, impaled through the ground with a wooden stake going through his head so he's forced to kneel.
  
  "Dad..." Blaise gasps.
  
  > pull her away
  You grab Blaise and pull her aside, grabbing her head to force her to look at you as Blaise begins to cry and Sir Trent rushes past you.
  
  "I'm going to fucking burn them to ash! I'll kill them as slowly and keep them on as Wights and hurt them more!" Blaise cries furiously.
  
  "I know. I promise you, we'll avenge him."
  
  "I know you will. Sir Trent, take Dad outside with Thorin and any other dead Wights or Revenants here. We're burning them."
  
  "We need to secure the castle first."
  
  "I know. Let's get killing," Blaise says, turning and storming off.
  
  You break into a jog, following Blaise out of the building. You head into the courtyard, and notice a man standing in the doorway of one of the barracks. He looks terrified as he listens to the roars of Kai as he tears through whoever's in the next barracks, as well as the moans and gasps of Blaise's new undead group.
  
  "FUCK! We're under attack!" he shouts.
  
  He retreats inside, and you hear yells, shouts and calls to action from inside the barracks. A minute later, two dozen Bandits rush out wielding swords or knives. A particularly small one, one of the few clean-shaven Dwarves you've seen, steps forward.
  
  "Who the fuck are you?" he says, quite elegantly in your opinion.
  
  "Blaise. The new Grand Necromancer."
  
  The bandits eye the undead nervously, before hearing Kai roar from the next building.
  
  "Who the fuck is that?" the Bandit Leader says.
  
  "Kai. Wanna meet him?" Blaise says.
  
  The Bandit Leader eyes Blaise, shaking his head slowly.
  
  "What'd ya want?" the Bandit Leader asks.
  
  "This is my house. You're in it," Blaise says.
  
  "I'm sure as fuck not letting some young bitch waltz straight from the whore house into my fort and try take it from under me!"
  
  Blaise rolls her eyes, and raises her hands. A bolt of lightning flies from it, hitting the Bandit leader in the stomach. He screams, shudders, and collapses backwards. There's an awkward moment of silence, before the Bandit leader rises. He growls, wandering towards your zombie pack, joining in at the back.
  
  "Dagden," Blaise says, turning to you. "What do you think? Kill and raise the rest? We need to up our troops somehow."
  
  > massacre and raise the Bandits
  "Wipe them out."
  
  Blaise nods, and orders her undead forward. The Bandits quickly backpedal and retreat inside, unusually scared of undead for people living in a castle of undead. The undead flood in, very easily wiping out the bandits who Blaise rises easily.
  
  "Good. Here's our new army."
  
  Kai bursts out from the barracks he was in, hair falling from his body and his body morphing as he returns to plain old Kai. He pants are torn and he's covered with blood.
  
  "That was fun," he smiles.
  
  You stare at him for a moment, before the final bandit screams.
  
  "Now that that's done, into the final section of Reaper Castle," Sir Trent says.
  
  You look at the final section. It's the one where you had class with Mr Nilvos, and where the garden was.
  
  "Come on. Let's go inside."
  
  > go inside
  You walk inside, and are immediately faced with a chained door. The chains are silver and covered with weird runes. Kai breaks it open with a couple of swings from his machete, and you push the door open. Inside is a massacre. You're hit by a flow of warm air that reeks of sulfur and rotting flesh. Corpses stripped of their skin lie on the ground, and a crucified rotting corpse is nailed to the wall. Sir Trent immediately pushes you behind him.
  
  "Do you smell that? This is the work of demons," Sir Trents says, pushing forward.
  
  Beyond the scenes of massacre, the place is empty. There are no actual demons here, so you quickly clear out the place. Finally, you come to a door, chained with silver chains.
  
  "Hello? Hello?!?" a voice cries out from behind the chained door. "Are you alive? Is there somebody there?"
  
  "Hello?" Blaise asks uncertainly.
  
  "Oh thank the Gods! Please, you have to let me out of here! You're... Wait... Are you one of them? Of course you are. Here to laugh at me again, are you? Here to trick me? Well I'm not doing this again," the voice says.
  
  Blaise looks at you, confused, before Kai breaks open the chains. Sir Trent quickly opens the door, raising his sword to protect himself from any unknown attack. You look inside, and see a fascinating and terrifying sight. Two figures are in the room. The first is kneeling in a circle of candles. He's a large, light green creature whose large, muscular chest and both sharp and rough features indicate he is a Half-Elf, Half-Orc. His body is covered with large, deep scars, and he looks like he's been torn apart before. His hair is bound into a large lock, the rest of his scalp bare. The other figure you recognize immediately. Sitting unconscious in a chair in front of the circle is Mr Nilvos, your old Dark Elf teacher.
  
  "Please... blow out the candles and break the circle. Please..." The Half-Elf-Orc begs.
  
  > wake Mr Nilvos
  You walk over to Mr Nilvos and gently shake his shoulder. When he doesn't wake up, you slap him.
  
  "You need to break the circle to wake him up, I swear. Please..." the Half-Elf-Orc pleads.
  
  > release the Half-Elf-Orc
  You blow out the candles, as Blaise, Kai and Sir Trent simply watch in confusion. The Half-Elf Orc steps out of the circle and sighs.
  
  "Freedom. It tastes... bitter."
  
  "Who are you?" you ask.
  
  "I am Soren," he says. "I..."
  
  He stops as he notices Blaise and Sir Trent.
  
  "Go on," you prompt.
  
  "I... I'm an explorer who wandered in on this place and..."
  
  Soren shudders, and his voice changes to a deep rumble.
  
  "Ah! Freedom! Control! It is beautiful! Freedom in the body is not freedom in the soul, though. He struggles..."
  
  Soren yells and begins to smash his fist against his head, dropping to his knees. You try to stop him, but he slams his head against the ground and collapses, unconscious. Suddenly, Mr Nilvos' eyes snap open.
  
  "Those fucking traitorous bastards! I..." Mr Nilvos stops as he stares at you. "Fuck. You're bigger than I remember. How...? No matter. We need to get out of here. Alliance Soldiers are storming this place, after the Grand Necromancer's head. There's... Who the fuck is he?"
  
  "That's Kai," you say.
  
  "Fine. We need to go. The Alliance..."
  
  "The Alliance isn't here. The Alliance already stormed this place two years ago."
  
  "Two years... Fucking demons!" Mr Nilvos cries, kicking the chair.
  
  "What happened to you?" you ask.
  
  "We were being invaded, so I summoned some friends to help me out. Then we got barricaded in here by two Paladins, and the demons turned on me. There's one of them," he says, pointing to Soren. "The only demon who stayed loyal to me was Malign. The demons decided to punish Malign, so they forced him into the Paladin's body and trapped him in the circle, knocking me out and using my energy t