Undead Shade
-
//Tond reminices about the hoard of Undead Zombies:
The Order of the Watchful repose had just concluded their meeting and walked into the crypts checking both thouroghly making sure the wards were still keeping the dead from rising, Lady Kara leading, Shannon, Danaley, Bram, Cike and Lilin Millant. They had just finished checking the south crypt glad that there was no undead activity when a magical darkness took hold of the east gate.
More and more darkness filled the graveyard and the ground shook as if it would split open. The party waisted no time to begin calling upon their gods to bless them with strength and protections. As the first hand of rotting flesh and bone peirced the hard packed earth to immerge the group lifted swords and prepaired to charge the zombies that issued forth from the ground like a wave of decay.
Lightning split the air and droplets of water patterd to the ground lessining the stench of undead only a bit as the group dove into the soupy darkness, only a few with blessings could see clearly striking out in fury. For every one struck down two more seemed to rise joining in the mad random flailing of its undead breathren. They fell often uselessly against hard wooden shields or enforced plate armor buffetting the Order of the Watchfull repose.
As the darkness lifted the group finally saw the numbers they faced but continued to plunge into the fray ignoring the wounds recieved striking down as many as they could. The group continued to cry out to their gods to turn the undead and put their souls to rest, as many as a dozen falling by the shear yell of the blessed Clerics and Paladins.
As a lull fell on the corpse filled graveyard the group looked to the west beyond the carpet of bodies. Standing before them within a firey glowing pentagram eminating evil and power stood a figure bathed in shadow. Or perhapse it was the a creature made intierly of darkness. It bellowed and chuckled at the party, taunting them. It asked why they were so meddlesome, and as one replied it was their job the ground shook again and the figure exploded. The door to the south crypt opened then closed.
The group stagering to their feet weakened and tired plunged in after the shade. From within the adventures raged and struck out at the undead resistance, one voice calling out louder than the others felling whatever weak undead barred their path. Deeper they went and were surounded once again in a mass of undead striking out and the army of flesh before them. Again the Shade appeared and was just as quickly banashed when Shannon called upon his lord plunged through the undead and laid his glowing hand upon the evil shade.
Bathed in healing that would most likely regrow a limb the Undead writhed in pain and disintegrated under Shannons hand leaving only the remaining zombies to be felled. Once done the Group returned to the surface and notify Tond of the bodies needing reburial.
Taking a moment to speak of their experiance the party finally split and went their seperate ways a lingering eery silence covering the Graveyard.
//Later that evening:
As Cike and Lilin rested at the Wolves Den, a shadow fell upon the ledge, looking up the Shade cakled at them taunting them with his pressence stating he was not so easily defeated. He cried out to the weary couple who had no rest since the Graveyard their blessings and turnings spent they could do but one thing.
As the shade strut down from the ledge Cike cried out to his love to run opening the door, just as a magical and deep rooted memory of fear enshrouded him. The shade Clutched at his arm seeping long buried fear into his mind sending Cike into the corner as he slammed the door closed on Lilin. She banged on the door crying out for her love then to the shade demanding to know what he sought.
Sadistically the darkness put his face near the door and pursed his lips answering with a simple "Him"
Lilin Cried out again drawing sword and hacking at it to get to her beloved but to no avail the door was too strong for her to break, she sprung from the Den Running as fast as she could to the Gali Camp in the hopes of finding aid or another Wolf of Narfell. She found nothing horrible immages and concern for her love racing through her mind.
Meanwhile in the Den Cike was chased mercilessly by the unrelenting Shade, trying futily to call forth his lords blessing to turn the shade. The Shade just laughed and slapped his shaking hand away striking at the shaking Cike. He could not find the sense to run out fear gripping at his very core, the magical fear as well as his own past fears combined to turn him into the thirteen year old child fleaing for his life once again. His legs failed him as the Shade struck out at him once again.
He collapsed to the floor the grass brushing against his face as the world started to darken around him. He could barely feel the blows as the Shade continued to kick him as he lay on the ground by the fire bleeding out his life's blood. A chill ran over him as the pursed lips and taunting voice filled his ear.
"She left you to DIE."
Cike used the last of his strength to smile, he knew what the Shade intended with his words but, it comforted to no end to know his love was away and safe, and not harmed. He welcomed the painless darkness that took him then.
Lilin was running to the shrine to seek Kara's aid when the Shade decended upon her like a cat toying with a mouse. He taunted her as she ran to the Shrine, but Kara was not there. Resting quickly and praying for her love she ran back to beat at the doors, seeking any sign of his life or death.
Within Cike was already being treated by the wolves who did return and Friend Hedia. As the door was opened she burst through and ran unhindered to her love clutching at him feverantly ignoring their bulky plate armor. On the verge of tears she held him for all the strength that was left to her asking him what had happened echoed by his Pack and those that found him.
They collapsed together on the floor and rested among friends and family a little more worried of being alone and the haunting words and challenges of the Shade.
