Valley of Undeath

Previously: Freelance historian Esmiralda and her companions--Merrick, a member of the Ministry of Human Preservation (MOHP), Broo-Fang Tane, an Optimist Monk, and Seymuhr, a brutish but somewhat dim-witted warrior called the Skullsquasher, have received a final clue in their search for the undead witch Abilene, who once served the ancient pirate Harfigorn. They follow the Trail of the Dead to uproot her evil, once and for all, and are now near her lair...

We moved quickly, then, with Broo Fang Tane leading the way. Quiet as a wraith and nimble as a hare, he seemingly danced through the forest as if knew every hidden root, tangled thicket or jutting branch. Baram kept pace easily, while Merrick and I labored. My face was awash with sweat, the wind chill on my clammy skin as I helped the larger man along. His breath came in ragged gasps and his face was alarmingly red. Behind us, Seymurh moved casually, swinging his maces to dispatch the random undead thing that lurched out at us.

The land tilted up and I saw a break in the trees ahead. The mountain loomed, its face as gray as the sky. Clouds shrouded its peak, as was usually the case, but these were dark, darker than nearly any cloud I had seen before and they appeared to be creeping down the slope. Whether it was a trick of the light or because I could not keep my gaze on it long enough to gauge for certain--or risk losing my balance in the tangled undergrowth--I do not know. I could not pause long enough to get a good look and I feared that if I fell to the ground, I would fall asleep within moments. I was exhausted.

"Mira," Merrick gasped. "Go ahead without me. I'll catch up. They'll need your eyes--and your mind--soon enough. You may save them from charging forward into a grisly fate."

"Your mind is more keen than mine," I replied. "You have the knowledge needed to end this evil. Don't you?"

"I admit, I haven't thought it out. Usually, we just go places and Seymuhr hits them until they stop."

"Oh." I looked over my shoulder and Seymuhr grinned at me, holding up a mace that was foul with shattered bone and scraps of mottled skin. "Well, perhaps that will be enough this time, too." I glanced again at the impenetrable dark cloud and had my doubts.

Ahead, Tane had reached the crest of the hill. He dropped to the forest floor, where a line of shrubs hid him from view. He motioned for the rest of us to follow suit. Baram sidled up next to him and leaned against a tree and, after a moment, became very difficult to see. I scrubbed my eyes and looked in her direction once more. If I hadn't watched her stand against the trunk, I would not have know she was there. Some type of sorcery? Merrick and I crawled up to the edge and looked down as Seymuhr did the same.

"Bones of Barnok," I breathed.

For the valley below was filled with shambling, uneven mounds. Things that had once been living creatures now stumbling erratically to and fro. At first I thought it was a random sequence but I soon saw it wasn't so. They were following--or trying to follow--some sort of pattern, shuffling to the east then making a halting turn and shuffling back to their starting point, more or less. Other limped down from a dark hole near the base of the peak, carrying rocks that they dropped without paying any attention to where they landed. The creatures were patrolling, working.

"Hits them until they stop, eh?" I whispered.

"Indeed." Merrick had regained his breath and his color returned to normal. "I don't think that's going to work this time."