All the way down the mountain, Kieran felt the Oculus’ oppressive gaze on his back. And all the way down, he remained on guard and ready for an attack that never came.
Not that he minded. After so many monotonous days in the morgue, the surge of adrenaline was even refreshing. He hadn’t felt this level of anticipation since his time on the front lines.
He paused at the foot of the mountain and peered past the tree line. The Oculus was still watching. While he wasn’t unsettled by it, Kieran decided that erring on the side of caution was the right choice. He knew damn well how deadly an ambush could be.
Moving slowly into the forest, he watched for both enemies and traps with every step. His progress was steady and continued well into the day. The enemy’s gaze, likewise, remained constant.
If Kieran was capable of feeling fear at anything less than the cosmic enormity of death itself, he might’ve been shaken.
This was the Oculus’ strategy: unnerve and terrify while its forces moved in on their target. According to the tome, it was the undead commander’s most common and well documented tactic. It was fortunate, then, that Kieran had spent a lifetime suffocating any sign of fear or trepidation within himself.
Kieran’s emotional detachment had saved his life, and the lives of his patients, countless times in the past. He wasn’t about to change his methods now, even if he was being stalked by some powerful, otherworldly entity.
When the first hints of fog appeared at the very edges of his peripheral vision, Kieran’s grip tightened on the hilt of his weapon. Fog was one of the few signs heralding the arrival of a group of Pale Watchers. Another scare tactic used by the invasion’s undead forces.
There had been no fog when he and Rah’Na encountered the specter on Eon’s Peak, but that encounter seemed to have been more of an ambush. This time around, the Oculus apparently wanted Kieran to know that foes were coming.
More fool it.
Pushing forward a little bit further, Kieran found an area where trees and foliage were less dense. There, he picked out a spot with decent sightlines on his surroundings. The fog had grown thicker. Whatever the Oculus had sent after him was getting close.
Kieran drew Defiant Aphelion and prepared himself.
The world around him went silent as the fog thickened. Kieran’s breathing and heartbeat were soon his only companions.
Finally, when the rays of sunlight at noon could no longer pierce through the fog, he heard the sound of heavy footfalls in the distance. Only a few at first, then more and more until he couldn’t tell how many creatures were approaching.
The fact that he could hear footsteps was a good thing. Most Pale Watchers were spectral and didn’t walk on the ground. And while there were some powerful Pale Watchers with footsteps, none of them came in large groups.
This meant that, realistically, there were only a few types of Pale Watchers that fit the criteria of the current situation. And all were at the bottom of the barrel when it came to the undead army.
Regardless, though, Kieran didn’t relax as the footsteps drew closer and closer. He kept his breathing measured and his muscles poised for action. Even against substandard opponents, complacency was the mark of a fool.
He didn’t have long to wait before the first figure emerged through the fog and trees. It was a skeletal thing, vaguely resembling a boar-man. Then another figure, more humanoid in shape and stature. Then another, and another, until he counted a dozen skeletons of all shapes and sizes, mostly humanoid in form. They all shambled their way through the forest.
All were heading directly for Kieran.
As he took on a battle stance, he could still feel the Oculus’ gaze on him. This was likely a probing strike. The Oculus wasn’t seeking to take Kieran out, not just yet. The undead commander wanted to learn Kieran’s capabilities and adapt all future attacks accordingly.
Kieran resolved, then, to give his enemy as little information as possible. Not that it changed his strategy much. His abilities felt like extreme overkill for a bunch of shambling corpses.
He dashed towards the nearest skeleton and swung Defiant Aphelion towards the thing’s neck. His deadly habit of always aiming for vitals persisted, even when there were no vitals to speak of. The boar-man skeleton raised its sword to block, but its resistance was meager. Even Kieran, woefully lacking in raw strength, easily pushed through its guard.
When Defiant Aphelion crashed into the thing’s neck, the vertebrae shattered into pieces as if it was barely holding together. Bone fragments scattered across the forest floor. The boar-man's enormous skull rolled off its shoulders, splitting in half when it impacted the ground. The rest of the skeleton’s body remained still for a moment before falling backwards.
Kieran was uncertain what had actually caused the the thing’s defeat. Was it purely the structural damage the skeleton had sustained? Or was it the removal of the head that did it?If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Fortunately, he had another eleven test subjects.
The rest of the skeletons had tried to surround Kieran during his opening clash. Thankfully, the things were far too slow and his methods too efficient. They had barely formed a half-circle around him by the time he was finished with the boar-man.
A few of the skeletons raised their weapons and swung clumsily towards Kieran. Their movements were so slow that he wondered if an impact would even harm him, but he was unwilling to test the theory.
Instead, he dashed backwards. Dodging all three attacks with ease, Kieran drew Last Breath in his offhand. He then dug his heel into the ground and launched himself towards the end of the half-circle. This placed his next opponent between himself and the rest of the group.
Free from the threat of being surrounded for that moment, Kieran continued his experiment.
He slashed at the skeleton’s weapon-hand with Last Breath, breaking the fragile wrist-bones with ease. His foe’s rusty dagger fell to the ground amid bone shards. The second strike was aimed at the other wrist, with equally destructive effect. The final slash struck the skeleton at the shoulder joint, severing the thing’s arm.
And that was enough to break the bonds of undeath holding the skeleton upright. It fell to pieces in front of Kieran like a puppet with its strings cut.
Ten remained.
The undead were moving to surround him again. Kieran sheathed Last Breath and grabbed Defiant Aphelion in both hands as one skeleton charged and brought its rusty battle-axe down. The enemy’s attack was clumsy, and it took little effort for Kieran to parry the blow to the side.
Using his momentum, Kieran spun on his heel and swung Defiant Aphelion in an even arc. Two other skeletons had moved into his reach during the brief clash. All three had their spines shattered by the impact. They fell to the ground and remained still.
Seven left, and Kieran had already completed his experiment. He didn’t have to remove the head or even target structurally important parts of the skeleton. Cumulative damage to the body was enough to stop the monsters. Still, it seemed as though a blow to the neck or spine was the most expedient way to dispatch them.
Kieran considered allowing the skeletons to surround him so he could deal with them more effectively, but he discarded the idea a moment later. He remembered how that specter had been twisted after its death. Should these skeletons receive the same treatment, he was unwilling to be in the middle of the pack.
Another dash to the side put one opponent between him and the other skeletons. Another slash, and the next enemy fell silent to the ground.
Yet even as his blade shattered bone, Kieran’s instincts warned him to be careful. So far, these enemies were far too weak, even for a probing attack. He kept expecting the bodies to rise again, or combine, or twist into different shapes at any moment. But they didn’t.
Two more skeletons swung their weapons at him. He easily ducked out of the way. His counterattack was as deadly as ever, felling the two attackers in one swoop. Drawing Last Breath, he parried another half-hearted attempt to strike him, then pushed forward and shattered the skeleton’s ribcage with the dagger’s pommel.
These enemies really were at the bottom of the undead barrel.
Staring down the final three undead, Kieran felt a shift in the cold energy which announced the Oculus’ gaze. The uncomfortable feeling swept across his back, then ceased. It seemed that the undead commander had gotten bored with the display.
Still, Kieran felt that it would be good to finish the fight without showing off. Maybe the Oculus could still see him somehow, perhaps by looking at one of the undead rather than Kieran himself. The tome hadn’t mentioned it specifically, but it would only make sense that the leader of the Pale Watchers could watch its own troops.
And even if it couldn’t, Kieran didn’t want to give in to overkill. He had always believed that one should only ever use as much as energy as was required to accomplish something. Not a bit less, and certainly not a bit more.
So, he sheathed Defiant Aphelion and took Last Breath into his dominant hand. One quick burst of skill and expertise would carry him through the rest of the fight.
He took a few steps backwards and waited for the undead to adjust around him. One of the three stepped forward, spear poised to stab at Kieran. With one deft motion, he ducked to the side and took a confident step forward, moving past the spear. He stuck Last Breath between two ribs and used it as a lever to dislodge them. Then he followed up quickly with a hilt-uppercut that shattered the skeleton’s jaw.
Spinning on his heel, Kieran threw the dagger towards another skeleton’s head. The monster seemed incapable of reacting. Last Breath lodged itself into the thing’s skull, sending a spiderweb of cracks through the bone.
His final opponent closed the distance, but Kieran was unconcerned. He took a step back as the skeleton’s sword fell towards him. Drawing Defiant Aphelion in the same motion, he gripped the hilt in both hands.
One final swing, and the combat was over.
Kieran flourished his sword before sheathing it. As he retrieved Last Breath from its temporary bony sheath, he felt both disappointed and satisfied. The skeletons had posed no actual challenge. The experiment provided by their deaths had been brief and barely stimulating. Still, he could be pleased with his own progress as a fighter.
After all, even though the encounter was just a session of pushing around corpses, Kieran had felt confident with the weapons in his hands. His ever-analytical mind was constantly scrutinizing his own fighting style. He could tell that his movements were getting smoother with each fight.
If this progress continued, perhaps he could make a serious attempt soon to wield both weapons at the same time. He still felt that training with Rah’Na first was the best option, yes. But if he had another opportunity to shove some skeletons around, maybe he’d use it to practice.
The fog had cleared rapidly after the final undead was dispatched. Wildlife was beginning to filter back into the area. The birdsong announced Kieran’s relative safety.
He took a quick moment to examine the skeletons and make a few sketches in his journal, detailing what bone structures were undamaged. Then, with a quick glance down at his bracelet, he set off again towards his original goal.
He was glad for the chance to travel at full speed. Aside from the relief of not being watched, he suddenly realized he wasn’t sure how far away this grove was. He regretted not asking Rah’Na for an estimate.
Yet as his journey continued, Kieran found that he didn’t particularly mind wandering on without a detailed time of arrival. The forest was peaceful. After leaving the battleground, almost blissfully so.
As the hours slipped by, though, he did wonder if there would be much left of the grove when he got there. Or if this priest would allow him to rest there a while before returning…
Kieran shook his head.
Questions soon to be answered… but for now, I should probably hurry.