The death of a lord

The eagle, with its powerful wings beating rhythmically, carried them through the darkness with effortless grace. Eamon's grip tightened around Cassandra as they soared.

Complete darkness surrounded them, with all torches extinguished along their path, and the only sounds being occasional growls and the gnashing of teeth.

In the distance, a column of fire with a crackling sound of flames emerged, illuminating the abyss. The flames danced wildly, casting eerie shadows against the cavern walls.

Eamon commanded Cassandra, "Head towards the flame."

They quickly approached the flames and witnessed an incredible scene unfold before them.

The lord of these lands, as Fred had described him, appeared to be a man in his fifties, of average height with short hair. He stood alone amidst a circle of charred bodies, struggling to fend off the thirty or so goblin ghouls surrounding him. Flames flickered around him as he pushed back the creatures, his face bearing the marks of battle—a wound on his right shoulder and a vicious bite on his face, with part of his left ear and cheek torn away.

In the shadows, lurking at a safe distance from the flames, Eamon spotted Roxy and Fred, watching the unfolding chaos with wary eyes.

The lord seemed to be weakening with each passing moment, his injuries bleeding profusely. It was only a matter of time before he succumbed to his wounds.

At that moment, Klac emerged from Eamon's body, his voice resounding with urgency. "No, do not let him die from his wounds," he declared.

The token continued, "I'm not sure if you can absorb his power if one of your subordinates is responsible for his death."

" You must finish him off," he insisted. "His flame power is potent and will be useful to you."

Eamon nodded and commanded Cassandra, "Have the ghoul eagle land."

She complied, and the ghoul eagle descended.

Eamon addressed her, "Cassandra, I will attack the lord. There's no need for you to come with me; it would only slow down the eagle."

He added, "Descend and stay back. You'll intervene with the others if things go south", before instructing "command the eagle to swoop down on the lord's back as quickly as possible."

Cassandra replied, "Very well, master."

As soon as Cassandra dismounted from the eagle, she made a series of hand gestures before pressing her forehead against the eagle's, then she quickly stepped back before shouting to Eamon, "Be ready, master!"

Immediately, the eagle took off.

Immediately, the eagle launched into the air with silent grace. It traced a perfect arc around the lord, its powerful wings cutting through the darkness with precision before ascending silently, keeping a safe distance from the oblivious lord below.

With a rapid descent, it closed in on the lord's back, a silent blur of feathers.Eamon clung desperately to the creature's plumage as they descended, the rush of wind whipping past his face.

With a thunderous impact, the eagle's talons sank deep into the man's flesh, driving him forcefully into the ground.

The man blacked out from the pain.

Eamon wasted no time. Before taking action, he swiftly dismounted from the eagle, which maintained its hold on the unconscious lord on the ground. With precision, his hands encircled the man's head.

As his fingers tightened, a ghastly sight unfolded: a skull, wreathed in flames, burst forth from the man's form, its spectral visage imploring Eamon in a voice tinged with desperation: "Please, show mercy, spare him."

The flaming skull then turned its gaze towards the unconscious lord, its fiery eyes alight with urgency, as it cried out, "Elliott, awaken!"

Unmoved by the spectacle, Eamon's grip remained resolute. With a swift and decisive motion, he snapped the man's neck, the sickening sound of breaking bones filling the air as the body went limp.

From the depths of the flaming skull, an unearthly wail pierced the silence, echoing in the cavernous space. As Klac stepped forward, his form looming ominously, the flaming skull's pleas grew more frantic: "No, no, I beg you, spare me from this fate."

But fate was inexorable. With a guttural roar, Klac's gaping maw devoured the flaming skull, which dissolved into a searing liquid, merging with Klac's essence amidst anguished cries.

Klac uttered to Eamon, "I must rest now, to assimilate his energy."

And with that, Klac disappeared into Eamon's body.

Suddenly, a message materialized before Eamon.

<Your dominion over the territory has strengthened, and your lordship status is about to evolve.>

Eamon decided not to dwell on the message at the moment and instead opted to employ his summoning power on the lord's fresh body.

He hoped that, akin to his experience with Malakai, the entity would inherit some of the lord's abilities.

He laid his hand upon the body and activated his power.

The power emanated from Eamon's hands, coursing through the lord's body, causing convulsions in every direction. His skin and flesh burned and melted, blending into his bones, merging with them.

His bones took on a charred black hue. Then, slowly, the skeleton rose and knelt before Eamon.

<Congratulations, you have summoned a Lesser Infernoskull>.

Eamon wasted no time and observed his attribute panel.

[Lesser Infernoskull (Low Level Undead)]

[Attributes:

- **Strength**: 8 (Above Average)

- **Stamina**: 7 (Above Average)

- **Agility**: 5 (Average)

- **Intelligence**: 5 (Average)

- **Charisma**: 2 (Weak)

- **Special Power**: Lesser Pyrophagy]

[Lesser Pyrophagy : This ability grants the Lower Infernoskull immunity to basic flames and the ability to regenerate by plunging into fire or exposing its wounds to flames.]

Eamon noted with mild disappointment that the creature hadn't retained the lord's talent or any offensive abilities. However, it was better than nothing. The creature could still regenerate with flames and had physical attributes similar to Malakai's during his initial summoning, before any enhancements. Despite the initial letdown, Eamon was reasonably satisfied with the outcome.

Eamon, recalling the words of the lord's token, decided to honor the creature with the name of the man whose bones it now bore. He commanded, "You shall be called Elliott."

The information on the creature's attribute panel shifted immediately.

[Elliott - Lesser Infernoskull (Low Level Undead)]

Eamon turned to Roxy, who had approached while he was summoning Elliott. "Roxy, order your ghouls to cease the slaughter of the goblins and instead instruct them to gather the captured goblins at the base of the wall leading to the cave."

Looking at Fred, he continued, "Find all the humans. It's better if they are alive and able to communicate."

He pointed toward Cassandra's location. "Roxy, have the eagle join Cassandra. She can assist you from the air."

Roxy and Fred nodded in agreement, swiftly making their way towards Cassandra. The eagle soared into the air, trailing behind them.

Eamon glanced at Elliott and asked, "Can you speak or communicate through thought?"

The skeleton remained unresponsive.

Muttering to himself, Eamon remarked, "This might complicate things."

He then inquired, "Do you understand my words?"

Elliott nodded in response.

Eamon thought to himself that it was a beginning. Although unable to speak, Elliott could at least comprehend instructions.

As Eamon walked alongside Elliott, he noticed that the ground was often damp with blood, yet there were no bodies in sight.

With satisfaction, he thought, "It seems Roxy took the initiative to gather the bodies."

Reflecting further, he mused, "She's shown remarkable efficiency and control with her ghouls."

Elliott simply followed him like a shadow.

Picking up a discarded torch from the ground, Eamon observed it closely, wondering, "Where did they get this wood, and where did the goblins and humans get their food?"

Brushing aside his questions, confident answers would soon come, he savored the stroll through the territory, now rightfully his after the battle.

Suddenly, in the distance, Eamon spotted hundreds of goblins lying still on the ground, encircled by ghouls. Further ahead, he noticed vast mounds of corpses and scattered body parts.

Approaching the motionless goblins, he observed a larger one dragging a smaller figure by the hair—Malakai.

As Malakai neared Eamon, he forcefully hurled the smaller creature to the ground before him, announcing with deference, "The goblin chief, master."

In accordance with Fred's description, the creature, a male, surpassed the typical size of a goblin, boasting a green complexion, long black hair, and a lean, muscular physique, standing roughly 160 centimeters tall (5 feet 3 inches).

Terrified, the creature prostrated itself in front of Eamon.

Then the creature did something unexpected.

Without lifting its gaze from the ground, it pleaded, "I implore you to spare my life, great god."

Eamon was taken aback. "How did you come to learn our language?"

The creature replied promptly, "the fire god taught me the language of the gods."

Eamon found it hard to believe. "You've mastered another language in just a few days?"

The creature affirmed, "Yes, great god, I am quick-witted."

Eamon, incredulous, remarked, "That's more than just quick-wittedness."

Assessing the situation differently, Eamon acknowledged, "You'll be far more valuable to me alive than dead."

The creature, still prostrate on the ground, nodded and said, "Thank you, great god. You won't be disappointed."

Eamon chose not to refute his divine nature for the time being.

Turning to Malakai, Eamon directed, "I want you to stay with him and keep watch. Klac is asleep, and until I've enslaved him with the talisman, I won't trust this goblin."

Malakai nodded in agreement.

Eamon then inquired, "Does your power of suture work on the living? Perhaps you could integrate pieces of goblin corpses into this goblin to make him a bit more resilient?"

At these words, the body of the large goblin began to tremble with fear.