Rebuilding An Empire (Private)

LadyHarpy

Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread
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I enjoy Fantasy, Scifi, Romance, Magical, Modern and much more. I probably can't list them all! If there is something you want to try and it isn't listed here, just ask. I rarely say no!
Day 36

It has been a little over a month, and I still find myself lacking an understanding of how things have come to pass. So many questions dance inside my head, and yet the answers are nowhere to be found. I find myself getting comfortable the longer I am here in this strange land. All things considered, that isn't a flaw, but a part of me still hesitates to allow myself to slip into acceptance for my circumstances. There has to be an answer, a reason as to why I am here and not another unfortunate soul. For now, I can only attempt to seek out solutions on my own time while I spend the rest of it helping the locals. They took me in, keep me fed and tolerate all of my outbursts. The least I can do is to help them keep going on in the routine they have been able to maintain. What else is there to do anyway?


----

A knock on the door pulled Colette from her thoughts, the quill in her hand pausing on the page of a shabby diary.

"Ms. Colette, the scavenging party, is heading out again and I remembered you asked about attending. Care to join us today?" Came a voice through the old wooden door.

"Ah- Yes, I'll be with your shortly! Just give me a moment to change." She called back, the sound of walking away footsteps a sign that she was once more alone. The quill got tucked into a small stand, the age of it showing on the marred handle.

The diary was closed and left on the rickety desk while Colette wandered over to a set of hooks on the wall. She grabbed a cloak to go over her clothing, keeping the blouse and skirt that she tossed together safe from any damage as she worked with the scavengers. A loose and empty satchel was put on her shoulder as well, ready to be filled with many things they could find to help the tribe. With that done, she slipped over to a mirror on the wall. It was shattered and old, but still served its purpose all the same. It wasn't easy looking at herself, at least not anymore.

Pale bone gleamed in the dim light of the room, standing out even more than the hollow eyes sockets. There was a faint glow in them, like a tiny ball of fire. It took the place of the eyes. There was only a little bit of flesh like muscle on the jaw, filling in the cheek gaps that would be there on a normal skeleton. A huff left Colette at that moment, her bony hands lifting to pull the hood over her head. Even in this new body, there was work to be done.

Much about life as an Undead was strange and new, but it wasn't too different to her life as a human. Food had to get collected, repairs had to be done on homes to maintain them, and water had to get gathered from the well. Nothing different besides the lack of flesh and the rather frightening environment they lived in. A mortal would die in an instant in this forest, but the Undead thrived...or at least they survived. They were a few hours walk away from the shattered capital of the hold Empire, a place that Colette didn't even know existed until she woke up in her new form. Her memories of her arrival were fuzzy, but locals said she was the first of their kind to be brought to life in a millennium.

That alone told her that something was going on.

"Are you ready, Ms. Colette?" The voice of a young man sounded as she stepped from the small little shack. Giving what she could of a smile, as her face lacked flesh, Colette nodded her head.

"Where are we off to today?" She asked lightly.

"A special trip. We're off to the capital to look around the temple. Healing herbs got grown there, and we're hoping to see if the old gardens are still producing. The local patches are growing thin these days as the animals get more aggressive." The man answered, his skeletal form much taller than her and lanky. "No worries though, we're heading out during the day, so most animals that might be dangerous to us aren't going to be awake. We have to get back by sundown."

Colette nodded her head and joined the group of others. This task was the trip she hoped for! The first time she was able to think and understand what was happening, Colette learned that Undead got brought to life via a place called The Mound of Bones. She hoped to go there and explore. It was apart of the temple, or at least near it according to others. Maybe going back to where she got found could help gather up more answers to the growing list of questions.

The group headed into the forest, chatting lightly as they headed into the broken city. Collete said little; her mind focused on seeing what she could find.
 
The Wolf did not remember its name. The Wolf did not know where it had come from. Nor did the Wolf understand why it acted, dragging back the corpses of slain monsters to a pile of bones that rested in the middle of a ruined city. But the Wolf knew its purpose, driven by instinct and a half-remembered glory that floated in the back of its foggy mind.

So it hunted, day in and day out, figure made of white bones and sharp teeth and claws slipping through the shadows of the dark forest, tracking its prey and completing its hunt, before bringing the offering back to the bones and heading out again. Day after day, month after month, year after year, until the passage of time had long since lost all meaning.

But the Wolf did not rest. It had a purpose, a task, which was the entire meaning of its existence. And until that goal was complete, nothing else mattered.

Its hunt had been successful that morning, and the dried blood still lingered on its teeth and the bones of its nose, its sharp claws and ribs. The ruined corpse it dragged along with it was easily three times as big as the bone wolf, and the creature struggled to pull it along, leaving blood and a clear path in the dirt to mark its progress. The Wolf paused for a moment, releasing the corpse and stretching its mouth open and closed relieve some of the strain on its aching jaw, before biting the corpse once more and resuming its arduous journey.

The Wolf did not pause again until it had dragged the remains into the ruins of an old temple, when the sound of the light chatter of voices suddenly brought it to a halt. The Wolf released its prey once again, head tilting slightly to the side, claws scraping slightly against the ruined stone of the temple's floor. The voices made it uncomfortable, though it knew not why, and it spun in a circle for a couple of moments before resuming its dragging with renewed vigor and something almost resembling impatience.

When it stopped again, it was at the edge of a mound of bones, around which danced the lights of soulfire. The Wolf dropped its prey, watching with indifference as the flesh was stripped from its bones, before the remains were drawn into the pile. However, the sound of voices once again broke the Wolf from its reverie, a faint growl slipping from between its lips. Intruders were not welcome.
 
The Capital had been a grand place once, long ago. Colette could imagine it as they walked through the ruined streets. Granted, her life before being a moving set of bones hadn't been all that wonderous, but even she could see that the place had been built to last. A thousand years had passed, and most of it was still standing. The only ruins that could get noticed were those from what must have been the battle to destroy the empire and bring the Undead to their knees. The other's would talk about stories from those beautiful days. They all seemed able to recall those times with perfect clarity.

The Undead seemed to not age or die in a way that could affect their memories, only their forms. Even after being killed and reborn, an Undead would return to their last healthy state. Granted, these days, it was rather difficult to be reborn. Because of the fall, very few skeletons seemed to retain their minds and those that didn't become feral beings. Thankfully, some instinct kept them from attacking other Undead, at least most of the time. Some of the More powerful Undead had gone so far beyond feral they attacked anything within reach. Those beings, however, hovered in the castle, a broken shambling of what was once a magnificent structure to behold.

What remained of the population had to be careful even with their immortality. Sure, the Undead could be reborn, but only if there was enough energy for it to get done. Thousands of souls hovered above the Mound, waiting to be born again but unable because they were too weak or the Bones themselves could not complete the act. The Powers of Old were weakening day by day, and no one knew how to stop it. Soon, if enough of the Undead passed, there would be nothing left but the echo of their memory and the mindless beings that were the last of them.

It was the reason they came to the temple this day.

"Thank you for helping, Colette. We know this isn't what you are used to. Most of us can't believe you were even born!" The male said, chuckling as he dumped an armful of healing herbs into her bag.

"It's difficult for even myself to believe. I was human before, so I am at least glad that it isn't too much of a change from that." Colette said softly.

"Ah, that's right. You mentioned that. Well, we're glad to have you. A new face is just as good as an old one around here. You've certainly made us all lively. Seeing the Mound of Bones bring life gives a lot of us hope." He went on, smiling as he stepped away and reached for more herbs from what seemed to be a garden having grown wild for years.

"Speaking of..." The woman said, gently removing her sack and setting it beside the male. "I'm going to look around down there...I suppose I have some questions to answer for myself."

"Of course, but be careful. The Mound of Bones is still a power source. It can attract some interesting beasts from time to time. We didn't just rush you off because you were born, you were also in danger being so fresh and new." He warned kindly.

Colette nodded and then headed off towards the Mound. The temple was a high standing place, the mound of bones connected via a rough staircase cared into the side of a hill. It carried all the way down to the pile, the place open for all to witness the miracle of life. Somehow it survived the attack.

As she left the group, Colette hummed to herself. Even if technically immortal, walking into a slightly dimly lit area made her nervous. After all, with so many tall buildings around the light had difficulty getting through. As she got onto the ground, she noticed a strip of red running across the land. It was fresh, still gleaming in the dark. Something had just been here. Now, most would have run at this point, but Colette had answers. Even if she did get hurt or removed, it would mean little to her. She was only like this for days. The young woman had no attachment to her form or this land. Unlike the other's, she was the best one to put herself at risk. Colette had no attachment and therefore to her death would only complete a cycle she had been expecting from the start.

Slowly, she approached the Mound, looking it over and trying to see if there was any clue she could grasp from it. The flames that hovered around were souls that couldn't be reborn for whatever reason. They could make no noise, only barely light up the place around her.

"If only you could talk..." She muttered to herself.
 
The Wolf tensed as the sound of footsteps grew louder, and the growl that rumbled in the back of its throat grew in volume as well. It immediately began to circle around the bones, making its way towards the other side of the mound. When it finally rounded far enough around the pile to catch sight of the female undead that had drawn close, there was no flicker of recognition in its eyes, only instinct that told it one thing.

Protect the mound.

With a noise halfway between a growl and a howl, the Wolf gathered its haunches under it, before springing towards the undead lady. Its teeth clacked together sharply, threateningly, before its mouth opened wide again in preparation to take a bite from her.

However, as it was flying through the air, something almost resembling recognition flashed in the skeletal wolf's burning eyes. It's growls immediately came to a halt, but the Wolf could not so easily stop itself.

Unable to halt its own momentum in midair, the Wolf crashed into the skeletal lady, but it didn't take this opportunity to attack. Instead, it rolled sideways, before slumping heavily onto the ground in front of the mound. For a second the Wolf tried to haul its way back to their feet, but it collapsed back to the ground, curling in to little more than a small pile of bones.

A second later and the bones began to spasm and twist, unnatural cracking noises filling the room, accompanied by a painful whimper that gradually transformed into a far more human moan. Slumped on the floor, where only moments before the Wolf had laid in a heap, was the naked figure of a male undead.

He lifted one hand up towards his head, cradling the side of his skull with bony fingers, even as the moans slipping past his white teeth transformed into deep breaths. Slowly he lifted his head, eyes briefly dimming as he caught sight of the young lady in front of him. "Who..." he mumbled, burning sockets fixed on her figure. "What?"
 
She hadn't noticed the noise at first, mostly because she was muttering to herself. However, by the time Colette heard the growling, it was far too late. Turning, she watched in horror as the skeletal wold got down, body low and ready to strike. Colette didn't even know such creatures were in existence. After all, it wasn't as if the other Undead had explained what sort of animals were out in the woods or ruins of the city. They just told her that running into one was a bad idea.

Now here she was, doing exactly that.

Not even a scream could leave her as the wold lept, eyes flaring with rage and teeth as shard as daggers ready to strike. However, what happened next was perplexing. The wolf suddenly hesitated in its attack. Mouth shut tight as its shoulder rammed into her chest. She had no idea what compelled it to change its mind but if not for that split second shift she did not doubt that her rib cage would have gotten ripped to shreds in seconds.

Falling onto the stone ground with a thud, Colette felt as if her body had all of its sense knocked around. She curled up on her side, giving a wheeze before turning to look at the wolf. There was intent to run this time, but curiosity once held her in place as the wolf shank into a pile of bones. Shocked, she knelt there, just a few feet from the former animal. So much was running through her head that the young woman couldn't believe it. Giving a small sigh, a scream of shock left her as the bones jumped to life again, shifting and changing as a voice suddenly started to sound.

In a matter of moments, there was no longer a wolf laying there...but a man.

Colette locked eyes with the naked Undead, a look of disbelief written in her eyes as the man seemed just as shocked and confused. This site couldn't have been how she was born, no way in hell. They told her the bones from the pile just started to build her up. This visual was an animal turning into a man or the undead equivalent at least!

"Gods above..." She muttered to herself, finally realizing that there was another new person to address. Moving over carefully, she started to take off her cloak and wrap it around him, an attempt at giving the same comfort the others had offered her. "Stay still...Just relax. Don't do anything crazy. Guys? Guys!!! Come here, anyone pleases!" She started to shout, the sound of the chattering going silent as steps could be heard approaching."
 
The Wolf who was no longer a wolf shivered slightly as the cloak draped over his bare shoulders, before nearly flinching at the sound of her voice. The flames in his eyes seemed to be trembling, even as his hand continued to cradle at the side of his head.

Memories, unbidden, almost unwelcome after the haze he had existed in for so long, were flooding into his head, so numerous as to almost be unrecognizable. The soul in his chest slowly swelled in an out in something almost resembling panic. He couldn't... think, couldn't pick out any meaning in the undead lady's words, as the Purpose that had driven him for so long was lost, supplanted by memories, by a consciousness that had been lost for a millennium.

What finally awoke him from his stupor wasn't some form of acceptance or adaption to this long-lost state of being, but instead two, familiar syllables.

"Filiz?"

His head snapped up, and the turgid weight of memories stirred around inside his head. With sluggish, unfamiliar movements, his mouth opened, closed, and then finally yielded.

"D -- Devin?" he stuttered, the flames in his eyes wavering.

"It is you," the undead man had come running as soon as he had heard Colette's shout, but had come to an almost skidding halt at the sight of the undead in front of him. "I thought you had... returned to the Mound."

Filiz shook his head slowly, before his gaze turned towards the young lady once more. Almost unconsciously, his hand stretched out, as though begging to touch her.

"You are..." he hesitated, the words seeming lost to him. His empty sockets turned back to Devin a moment later, desperation in his tone. "She is...?"
 
The arrival of the other's sent a wave of relief over Colette. After all, she had no idea on how to even begin to help this man. She was still trying to figure out how to help herself. He seemed to be dealing with confusion and panic, the movement of his soul reminding her of just how frightened and confused she had been when she woke. It took her days to finally come out of it all when they first offered her a bath and some clothing. The feeling of dysphoria left soon after that.

For this man, all it took was his name.

It shocked her to see someone know who he was, and even made her uncomfortable at the idea of this former wolf having been a person the whole time. This scene wasn't birth; it was a revival! Filiz, as he was known a by Devin, seemed slightly shaken as he gathered more of himself up. Almost as if he was concluding something that no one else had been able to. Devin slowly joined Colette, petting his friends back gently as he motioned to the young woman.

"She's a newborn, Filiz...We found her about a month ago all fresh from the Mound. She's been staying with the rest of us at our encampment. Where have you been this whole time if not in the Mound? We looked everywhere for you after-"

There was a silence then, Devin sighing and merely shaking his head before looking to Colette. "How did you find him?"

"He found me." She said softly. "He- He had a wolf body a moment ago. Tried to attack me I think? But, he stopped."

She wasn't trying to cause a rift, but even she knew that the first thought had been to kill for the wolf. Whatever had caused the change had been the only thing to save her life.
 
"Colette..." The name lingered inside Filiz's mouth, and as much as he tried to pay attention to the conversation between Devin and Colette, he just couldn't keep up. There were still too many thoughts swirling around inside his head, clashing against each other in a chaotic bid for dominance.

But, ever so gradually, a few memories surfaced above all the others. The night when the world had fallen apart, when the fleshed races had come spilling across their border, wreaking havoc on their land and destroying everything that got in their way. While Filiz had fought, saved as many as he could from the attacks of the humans, elves, and orcs, they had penetrated deep into the heart of the undead kingdom, and slain the Emperor.

Even though he'd been half a kingdom away, Filiz had still felt his death. All the undead had. It was like someone had scooped him up, smothering him inside a burlap sack. And the desperately fighting Wolf had lost his mind.

As though in echo to the memory of his death, Filiz thoughts slowly drifted back to the one time he had met the Emperor. It was the day he had finished his training, and joined the military. The Emperor had come to the ceremony himself, spoken a few words, shaken his hand. He'd felt the man's dignity and power in his very soul, like a piece of their Goddess had fallen before him.

They were memories that burned vividly inside his mind's eye, memories he never should have forgotten. But he had. He had forgotten them, left in nothing but a haze of desperation and instinct. He had forgotten them, but...

But now he remembered, and his soul trembled inside him.

Slowly, Filiz lifted himself from a crumpled heap into a kneeling position, head bowed towards Colette, and arms folded into an 'X' in front of his chest.

"Majesty."
 
"What?" Colette said, somewhat confused as she looked at Filiz.

"What?" Devin said, the look of shock on his face growing as he turned from Filiz to Colette with a whole new look on his face.

"W-What!?" She snapped at Devin while the other Undead murmured to one another, glancing to the other's who all seemed to gain a rather strange look of understanding while glancing between the trio on the ground.

"It all makes sense...So much uncomfortable scene." Devin said as he shifted himself a bit, also kneeling beside the awoken Undead and crossing his arms messily. He didn't have the same formalities engrained into him like his friend. Still, he was attempting to mimic the motion. The other's in the party started to move and do the same, their once comfortable smile now nervous lines as they all seemed worried that something would happen.

"What in heaven are you doing?" Colette said, grunting as she made herself stand up and look over at the others. "For the love of the Gods get up! This stuff is weird..."

Devin was the first to stand, those the other's were hesitant to follow. Whatever was going on it was utterly going over Colette's head. Walking carefully over to her, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, the energies she gave off only touching him lightly and gently. He wouldn't have noticed it at first, because an Undead of his power level would not be able to survive such power of a leader full force, but now that he was aware he could sense it. Under his touch, it pulled back, but only for his well being. The power buried deep in her soul was bubbling gently, almost as if it was waiting for a personal invitation.

"Colette, no new Undead has been born in over a thousand years. We go through a constant cycle of rebirth whenever we take too much damage. However, you are fresh and untouched by the cycle. That alone made you very different compared to the rest. Also, it's odd that you were born, but no one else got revived. I didn't think much on it at first, seeing as you didn't have any voluntary control of your power, but now that Filiz has brought it to our attention, we can't rightly deny it."

"Devin, you sound insane." Collete pointed out, only getting a wave of his hand as an answer.

"Think about it. Why would the mound bring forth a new Undead instead of the hundreds of thousands of Undead hovering above as soul flames?" The man started, his teeth grinding as he motioned to the pile. "More so, if you were just a normal being then what compelled Filiz to stop his attack midway? Certainly not a few good words."

Stepping back, Devin motioned to the others who seemed to decide that it was time to stand finally. "We've been lost for so long, most of us couldn't even begin to sense it, but with someone like Filiz awakened, we all gain a bit of his insight as well. We can see the power you hold, even if its locked up tight. You got made with intent, a purpose. You are the next Emperor."

Colette was silent for a moment, eyes moving from them all as she waited for someone to shout they were kidding...They never did.

"You can't possibly be serious. I...I have no idea how I could even begin to do anything about all of...this!" the woman motioned with her arms to the decay and destruction around them. "On top of that, You have no idea if I did cause anything to happen to Filiz. Maybe it was just an accident or close timing. Heck, even if I did do something to make this guy suddenly think, I have no idea what it even was! So it's not like I can repeat it."

There was no way that she was going to suddenly be dubbed the Queen of the Undead, not if there was anything she could do to stop it. She could understand the desperation for some leadership, a thousand years wandering around with only some general guidance from other Undead wasn't the best answer. However, she was too new and too young even to have a clue on where to start with any of the problems that faced the Undead. Hell, she didn't even know how to help besides holding open her bag and letting people fill it with junk. She would not get so easily convinced of her sovereign powers.
 
When the rest of the undead stood, Filiz remained kneeling, his head still bowed. His memories were gradually starting to settle into place, easing the aching and pounding in his skull, which, in turn, better enabled him to keep track of the conversation taking place around him.

Filiz knew his instincts weren't wrong. The memories of the former Emperor were too sharp in his head, there was no way he could be mistaken. Even if the behavior of the other undead hadn't further confirmed his opinion, he would have remained steadfast in his belief. More than that, her presence was a relief.

Filiz was a soldier, through and through, hardwired to serve with loyalty, honor, and courage. As the Wolf, he had been driven by instinct and purpose, but now his Purpose had reappeared in front of him. He might be nothing more than a common soldier, but he would do his duty, for his country, his Goddess, and his new Empress.

What finally forced him to raise his head wasn't her request, but the tone of her voice, which he recognized as pure denial. Filiz trained his gaze on her, the flames in his eyes narrowing to little more than burning pinpricks.

"Forgive my impudence, Majesty," he said, deep voice firm and almost course. "But you do not have the right to refuse. This is not your choice, nor your decision, but the will of Lady Durasis, your Goddess. She has placed Her power in your body. I can feel it. And you cannot simply get rid of it because you are not willing to believe it is there."

He stared at her, the weight of his gaze heavy with the burden of a thousand years of lost consciousness. However, a moment later, and he yielded slightly, the tightly burning flames mellowing and relaxing. "But even our Lady does not expect you to do this alone. After all, you aren't alone. We're here. We will help you."
 
It was like being a toddler as Filiz spoke down to her, his tone firm and foreboding like that of an angry father. There was no threat in his words or harshness in his tone, only strong sounding displeasure at her inability to accept these new conditions to her existence. After all, there was no other reason for her even to be alive then if she refused to do as Durasis had her made for. Turning her eyes to the ground, she clenched her fists nervously at her sides, keeping her shoulders tightly around her head as any scolded child might.

It was an old habit and one that not even death could break.

Still, as the words lightened and the offer of help got made, Colette only huffed a bit. This was not what she wanted, or needed. The woman was a farmers daughter, born and raised in a field. There was no way on this earth that she would have any ability to help rebuild an Empire, let alone run it as the Empress. The stares from the small group alone were bringing back memories of when she was younger, hiding behind a barn and keeping to herself while her brothers negotiated deals with other locals on their crops and such. Colette was more fluttery and light, like a butterfly. There was no ill will in her body.

"Filiz is right," Devin said, stepping back over to Colette and petting her shoulders. "However, we can understand that this is a lot of information to take in. After all, we don't have Durasis guiding us this time around. At least, not yet. Your powers are pretty limited, especially if all you have been able to do so far is awaken one soldier. I think maybe heading back to the encampment, for now, is a good idea. Colette can collect her thoughts and Filiz- Well, we can get you pants."

Colette nodded her head, her arms crossing over her chest in frustration. Her face didn't show it, but deep down the young woman was worried what this would mean from now on. Was she going to be worshiped? Were people going to kneel everywhere she went? The idea of it all was almost too much. Devin was right; she needed to gather herself up before anything else got done.
 
Filiz was able to tell that his words of comfort, such as they were, hadn't done much for Colette. He could only shrug slightly to himself, soul trembling for a moment before calming. He was a soldier, and words of comfort had never been his strong suit. Instead, he would have to prove his resolve through actions. He would put his all into supporting this young, timid new Empress, until she was willing and able to stand on her own.

Filiz stuck close to Colette for their whole walk back to the camp. If anyone had asked him, he would have replied it was because it was his duty to guard the Empress, as the only soldier present. However, if he was being fully honest with himself, Filiz knew that wasn't the reason. He was too anxious to stray too far from her side because he feared he would lose his mind again if he got too far from her.

The mindlessness... it was like being smothered, wrapped up, unable to move or touch anything properly. Now that he was free from it, now that he was himself again, he didn't want to go back to being like that.

Not if he could do anything about it.

Even if it was unreasonable for him to assume that his mind would go away if he got too far from her side, he couldn't shake the lingering sense of panic. So Filiz stuck near her, walking a tightrope edge between his own unsettled soul, and not wanting Colette to feel like he was crowding or pressuring her.
 
The walk back to the village was silent and strange. With the new information hovering over everyone's heads, it was hard to figure out what was going to happen. After all, moments ago Colette was no different than any other being in this little collective. Now, she was to be their Empress. Granted, the title was somewhat frivolous at the moment. As of that morning, there were probably only about a hundred or so Undead till walking and talking. The other's were just shambling beings with little purpose and little drive. They are only functioning on the basic instincts left in them.

The idea that Colette brought Filiz back to proper mind was hard to accept, especially for her. She hadn't done anything! The woman had just been looking at the Mound of Bones when he lept at her. It had been so frightening that all she could do was fall back on her behind. Though, it seemed as if he had gotten just as shaken as he approached her. Could it be possible that beings could awaken by stepping in range of her? It seemed farfetched, but a month ago she wasn't Undead.

Anything was possible, in theory.

As they returned to the village, it didn't take long for the word to spread of Collet's purpose. The group scattered to tell others of the discovery. Devin remained with Filiz and Colette to assist the two in figuring out a plan with the leader of the village. Walking through the shambles of a small little town that once stood tall, she was reminded by what they had told her back when she arrived. Things had been so lovely and beautiful before the Fall. No one hungered or suffered. All was peaceful in the Emperor's rule. Durasis was gentle and kind. Such hopeful words for a land that was now in shambles.

Most of the remaining skeletons that still could talk lived in tents, if not the buildings that were still safe enough to stay inside. Colette happened to be visiting in a small little building herself with a few other's, initially put there because she was so fresh and new. It was temporary though until enough supplies could be gathered together to make another shelter for her. They arrived at a slightly larger building, once a library of some kind. The sign still desperately clung to the front of the building.

Devin knocked on the door, looking to Filiz with a small smile as he could see the tension sitting between the two. "Malcolm will know what to do. He might not be a warrior, but he's the smartest Undead left standing. At the very least, we might have an idea on where to start with all this information."

It took a moment before the door opened, revealing one of the oldest looking Undead. According to the other Undead, he had been born around the same time as the Emperor. There was something that looked to be like a long beard on his chin, and a pair of thick glasses that had a crack on one of the lenses. The fire in his eyes was dim but still active. Granted, a bit of magic might revitalize the old skeleton, but that was easier said than done with the Empire in shambles.

"Hmm, another one?" He asked Devin tiredly, apparently having grown numb to having new arrivals at his door.

"Kind of, Malcolm. This is Filiz. A former soldier of the Empire...Colette woke him up."

There was a moment of silence before the old man sighed a little. "About time, come inside."

As the old skeleton stepped away, Devin looked to the two just as confused as they both seemed to be.
 
Filiz couldn't help the heavy weight that settled in the center of his chest as he watched the undead in the small village. They gathered in twos and threes, bones looking weak and fragile. The powerful undead had suffered at the death of the Emperor, their consciousness stripped from them by the weight of their strength, without the Emperor and his connection to Druasis there to protect their fragile thought. But in that moment, Filiz considered that the weak might have had it even worse. Here they were, struggling to survive, forced to endure through seemingly endless hardship, with the memories of what they had lost to torment them.

Filiz didn't even know how much time had passed since the Emperor had fallen. These undead had to face every day, one at a time.

But, now that Colette was here, things would change for them. It might take time, but Filiz wouldn't just stand around and do nothing when the opportunity for him to help was there. Things would get better, and he'd help see that it happened.

Filiz' gaze kept drifting around until the sound of a time-worn voice reached him. He immediately turned to survey the old undead that had appeared before them. Filiz waited silently through his introduction, trying to remember if he had ever seen Malcom before. However, if he had, the memory eluded him. Filiz had been a roaming soldier, tasked with heading from city to city within the empire to help those in need and maintain order, but even he hadn't met everyone. He had also been a low-level soldier, so it was doubtful he would have ever gotten to meet someone with as much seniority as Malcom, even if they had come close to each other before.

He followed the other two into the ruined remains of the library, before closing the door again behind them, pulling Colette's cloak in a little bit closer. Malcom didn't lead them far from the door, stopping at a small collection of worn seats near a desk before gesturing for them to sit. Filiz promptly yielded the two remaining seats to Devin and Colette, standing somewhat behind the two. However, his eyes still had yet to leave Malcom's hunched form.

"You said 'about time'," the undead began. "You knew Colette was Empress?"

For all the military training that had been engraved into him, Filiz still couldn't keep the slight hints of accusation out of his voice as he spoke. You knew, and you didn't tell anyone?

Malcom nodded slowly, before reaching up to straighten his crooked spectacles. "I knew. Durasis guided me to pick her up. How could I not recognize the signs?"

The flames in Filiz' eyes grew brighter, and started to flicker more intensely. "And you didn't tell anyone." This time, the accusation in his statement was more than obvious.

"I didn't," Malcom agreed. "Because I was told that Colette had to wait for her General first."

Filiz froze. "Her... general...?" the undead repeated dumbly.

Malcom nodded, trembling slightly. "Yes. And there will be plenty of time for me to answer your questions. But first, there are clothes for you in the room down there."
 
Admittedly, something was unsettling about the old man's choice of words. It also didn't help that he admitted to knowing her real purpose and hadn't said a word of it since she arrived. One more nail in the coffin to no trust anyone here and to risk getting slaughtered by someone outside of the forest. At least a permanent death would be better than this mess that she got dumped into. Taking the offered seat, she only listened in for the time being as Malcolm and Filiz bantered back and forth. Well, there was one thing that the two of them could agree on, and that was the fact that this old coot had kept this secret from them and they didn't like it. At least if she had started out knowing she would have had more time to adjust. Colette still wasn't sure how she felt being Undead in general. Now, she was their destined leader and death wasn't an option.

Devin seemed to be neutral on the idea, mostly because he wasn't a person of power. Instead, at the comment Malcolm made on the lack of clothing the soldier had, he turned to his friend with a small smile. "All things considered, Filiz, it might be best if we have this conversation with you fully dressed."

Malcolm gave a shaky smile before waving off the soldier and looking at the young woman in front of him. " I know you probably are rather displeased, and that is understandable. However, Durasis was insistent that you could not begin your journey without your General. If I had let you know too soon, I risked you stumbling into areas you are not designed to handle. For someone as powerful as yourself, you are extremely fragile in other ways."

Colette remained quiet for a moment as she folded her hands into her lap. It was odd, thinking on all of this information. There were still so much that she didn't know. A million questions in her head but none of them could be answered, at least not until Filiz returned. After all, it seemed he was wrapped up in this mess against his will as well, though clearly far more willing to participate than herself. That was going to be an issue on several levels, Collete could feel it. Deciding to get some more straightforward questions asked until the soldier returned, the young woman sat up straighter in her chair.

"Alright then, so I'm an Empress...Why?"

Chuckling a little, Malcolm adjusted the raggedy robe he wore. "That, sadly, I cannot answer. Durasis did not give me the knowledge of why you were chosen, only that you would arrive and needed to get collected before the forest got you. However, if I must take a guess...It's because she's trying something new."

"New?" Colette snarked, unhappy with the answer as Devin decided to lean in with curiosity on his face.

"I'm lost on what you mean by that, Malcolm. What difference would there be between an Emperor or Empress?"

"I can't even begin to guess." The old Undead said, looking between the two before him before letting himself sigh. "It's times like this I wish I had been given a stronger connection with her, like the emperor. I always had so many questions, and she only answers a few through our former leader. However, it can get noted that the Emperor came to existence with all his abilities. In equivalence, it would be like a human coming out of the womb as a thinking and speaking adult. On the other hand-"

"I'm weak...I'm a newborn." Colette finished, earning a nod from Malcolm.

"Precisely...You will have the opportunity that the Emperor did not. You'll get to learn. Of course, there are a thousand reasons for Durasis to have made her choice. You won't know until you ask."
 
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Filiz left as soon as he was waved off, making his way to the back room that Malcom had indicated previously. Inside, he found a small collection of tattered clothes and household supplies, all in various sizes and styles. It appeared that Malcom was responsible for maintaining their collection of extra supplies, although he had to wonder how long it had been since someone new had shown up here, before Colette. None of the undead he had seen in the village looked particularly young or healthy.

It took Filiz a few tries to find clothes that would fit him. Built to be a fighter, he was far broader in the chest and longer legged than most of the undead who lived in the village. The pants he eventually settled on left his ankles exposed by several inches, and the shirt clung tightly to his chest before hanging loose and baggy around his waist. However, it was more than enough for common decency, and as soon as he was dressed he returned back to the room where Malcom and Colette were waiting.

He emerged just in time to hear the tail end of Malcom's explanation. A faint tremble appeared in his eyes at the mention of his goddess' name. Like all the undead, Filiz was loyal to his Goddess without exception, some mixture of reverence and fear that was common among all the gods. The notion that he had been chosen by her as a General, that he might some day get to speak with her...

It was enough to drop his thoughts into a haze reminiscent of the mindlessness.

He paused behind the group, re-occupying the standing position he'd had before he was told to go get clothes, hands clasped behind his back. "So, what happens now?"
 
"Well, you must speak with her, the both of you," Malcolm softly admitted as he looked up at Filiz's arrival into the conversation. "There were three tasks that I was given by Durasis before she went silent to me. The first was to collect the Empress and ensure her survival. The Second was to wait patiently until the General was awoken by the Empress so that I could finish my final task. That being said, that task is to guide you both into the place she currently resides."

"Currently? You make it sound like she' here on earth with us." Colette commented, the confusion evident on her face.

"That's because she does," Malcolm replied. The look on the woman's face was enough for Devin to step in and give a more roundabout explanation.

"Colette, Durasis wasn't a Goddess just yet when she made us. She was a lower deity at best but heavily worshipped in the past by a race that predated us. When the first people got lost for unknown reasons, she concluded to give birth to us all."

"It was her choice to make us that shot her up to near Goddess status, but then the Empire fell, and she lost her powers. After all, what is a god without worshippers but a powerful getting trapped in our realm? We need her just as much as she needs us. How we've survived apart for so long is unbelievable." The old Undead answered.

"So then, I have to re-establish the connection. Otherwise, at this rate, even I'll rot away like the rest of you." Colette concluded slowly.

There seemed to end to her torment. Now she had to face a dying Goddess face to face? What sick and twisted joke was this afterlife turning out to be? Though she was still technically alive, it was quickly becoming like hell to be this way. All the same, meeting Durasis would also mean getting direct and honest answers. Cooperating with them all might finally help her understand what the hell has been going on the last month. Especially now since other's were expecting her to lead them all into a re-enlightenment.

"That's the short of it," Devin admitted. "Even as we survive, every day one or two stumble off, too weak to keep their mind or not strong enough to fight off the animals in the woods. With no one resurrecting, our numbers get thinner, and we all suffer for it."

"Of course, you don't travel this road alone. Your General will be by your side to protect you, a crucial role since Durasis resides even deeper in the forest than the temple. She resides under it." Malcolm finished.
 
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Devin's confirmation of the undead's plight caused a faint, sorrowful tremble in Filiz' soul. He hadn't been the only one to suffer after the Empire's fall and the Emperor's death. The entire undead race had fallen apart, and only this faint remnant was left of the once-mighty empire that still glowed like a star in Filiz' memory. He still didn't know how long it had been, the time between the Emperor's fall and now being nothing but a hazy blur in his memory of hunting and Purpose, but the ruin of the buildings meant it had to have been several hundred years at a minimum. Maybe much longer.

Even the mention that he was about to get the opportunity to meet his Goddess, that he'd been chosen by Her as a general for the new Empress, couldn't fully lift him out of his stupor. Unlike Colette, Filiz didn't doubt his Goddess' sight in choosing him, and he was determined to fill this role to the best of his ability. But he also knew he was far too weak to be considered a true general, at least at this point. The generals in his memory all but caused the air to tremble with their very presence.

"The lower passages are going to be guarded by the high priestesses," Filiz said slowly as Malcom finished speaking. "I may have been named a general, but at this point it is still merely in name. There's no way I'm capable of fighting against the priestesses that I remember."
 
"You are correct there, fighting the Priestesses in your current state is like a death sentence. Not even beings hand picked by Durasis would survive. However, Durasis is expecting you both. Only trespassers will get attacked by the glorious guardians of our goddess." Malcolm started slowly, moving to stand as he shuffled over to an old worn desk. "However, to be safe, I think it best that you get prepared for battle. Even the Priestesses are not what they once were albeit if they are by far the strongest of beings. They stay close enough to Durasis that they will obey her, but if they wander too far, they can become quite violent. Also, it is hard to say what else has slipped past them into the temple underground. They are not at their peak ability."

With that said, Malcolm shuffled around in a pile of papers, pulling out a well-kept sword. Shimmering and shining as if it were like new. Malcolm had dedicated much time into the upkeep of the weapon at his own expense. Wandering over to Filiz, he shakily handed over the weapon with a chattering grin, as if his bones were losing the ability to maintain themselves under its weight and power.

"I have held onto this sword since the beginning; I knew that it would have a use one day."

Devin seemed awed by the weapon, which was hard not to be just seeing how bright and sharp it was. Even Colette couldn't deny that the state of the weapon would have made many soldiers that passed through her town weep with jealousy. Never before had such a blade ever been crafted by any mortal being. As the weapon got exchanged, Colette slowly stood an spoke up.

"Alright then, so let's say that I agree with any of this and I decide that following you into the parts of the temple beneath the forest is a good idea. You can't possibly think it's alright to only give a weapon to one of us." The young undead pointed out. "You said so yourself that the Priestesses are not stable. One misstep and we could get swarmed with only one blade between them and us."

"That's a frighteningly good point," Devin commented as he stood as well, dusting off his clothing. "I might not be a high ranking member of this new court, but even I don't like the idea of sending our Empress into the unknown without a bit of personal protection. Filiz for as great as he is is but one man."

Malcolm nodded his head in understanding, having been keeping that in mind as well. "You are right, with the way things are, sending you both in like this would not be wise. However, my job was only to lead you in. Any additional assistance might trigger the Priestesses, and not even with all of the remaining people would we be able even to fight just one of them. All the same, it was also believed that the Emperor did keep his staff in the lower temple as well, along the path to seek Durasis."

"His staff?" Colette questioned.

"A weapon that he got gifted by Durasis personally." Malcolm began. "A weapon strong enough to destroy cities and smite gods. It got made by the blacksmith of the High pantheon, forged in the holiest of fires and then tainted black by Durasis inky blessings. We know not how she got it, only that when she claimed it that no other god try to take it back. It got assumed that her dark aura that posses it could taint the high heavens, and no amount of ownership would make a god risk the holy lands above."

"So then, I suppose this staff would be my weapon?" The young woman asked.

"It will be, once you retrieve it. It's rather close to the beginning of the lower temple. The emperor kept it there to add more protection over Durasis. Also, with how the Empire was, there was little need for him to bare a weapon any longer. It seems, however, that we had all gotten overconfident in our safety at that point. You must collect both for your own protection and also to proceed into the deeper chambers. I know not how it works, only that it was always gathered up by the Emperor before he made the decent to see her. It must be a sort of key to passing the far mroe deadly challenges that are below past the Priestesses."
 
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With a look of awe spreading across his face, Filiz took the sword almost hesitantly, it's hilt weighing heavily in his bony fingers. This was a general's sword, created by Durasis herself, left over from a time when the Empire had still shown brightly. And now it rested in his hands.

For several long, dragging moments, Filiz tried to come up with a comparison, something to explain, even if just to himself, what it's weight felt like in his grip. However, he acknowledged the task as futile almost immediately. He'd never felt anything like this before. He could feel the power in the sword, racing up his arm to settle warmly in the middle of his chest, as though it was some part of his body he'd lost long ago and was only now recovering. And, even with that, Filiz could feel there was more power hiding inside the sword that he just couldn't tap yet. Which he was not yet worthy to touch.

With great difficulty, Filiz dragged himself out of his internal contemplation at the sound of Colette's voice, and her concerns. Even as much as he wished to reassure her that he would not let any harm befall her, Filiz was not so arrogant to believe that one sword would allow him to face any challenge in the world. No matter how powerful the sword, it could only be as strong as its wielder. Instead, he kept his mouth shut.

Fortunately for them both, Malcom had apparently already took this matter into consideration. For the first time since he had reawoken, at the sound of Malcom's description of the Emperor's staff, Filiz felt a sense of unreality from it all. Even with Colette's familiar sensation, even with the sword of a general in his hands, nothing struck him quite as much as realizing that he was going to be standing next to the woman who would carry a weapon of the gods in her hands.

Filiz quickly calmed himself, the fire in his eyes stilling before it could do more than faintly tremble. He had to stay collected. After all, he couldn't let her down.

In that moment, even Filiz wouldn't have been able to say for sure whether he was thinking of Durasis, or Colette.

"If the Priestesses are still connected to Durasis, and not our enemies, they will certainly be able to guide us to the staff," Filiz said slowly, sword still held tightly in his hands. A moment later, and his eyes turned to Malcom. "Are there any other preparations we must make before we leave?"
 
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