Chapter 9

As soon as Nuvian was done explaining, the attack had started. A couple of minutes later all of the undead were standing on the walls and fighting humans. About twenty zombies had fallen off the walls during the fight and became useless as their legs and arms were broken. People were resisting for a short time, but they lost very soon, which wasn't unexpected, considering the ratio of their numbers. After human's defeat on the walls, zombies entered the fortress and started searching for their main target, killing everyone on their path towards it.

"You should escape through the secret passage, your nobility. Otherwise the little devil will find you and who knows what he might do." The advisor said to the count.

"To what end? Count without his people is no count. Moreover, the King is likely to accuse me of being guilty of what happened here and he would be right to do so." The count said. "I should have believed this boy. No one would die if I did..." He whispered to himself.

"Who could have guessed that someone so young is a skilled necromancer and has an army of undead at ready. No one was able to predict it." The advisor stated.

"I am a count, I should have guessed. It is my duty to tell lies from truths." The count answered with a sad expression on his face.

"And what will you do now?"

"I will face it as a noble. With pride and honor." The count replied with a determined voice.

"He is a mere peasant. Don't waste your life on someone like him."

"The very first nobles descended from merchants, and merchants descended from peasants. Moreover, right now he is a general of his own army and probably he will take my lands, so the only difference between us is his lack of an ancient family."

"If you wish to die, your nobility, then so be it. But I advise you not to expect a necromancer to have honor." The advisor said with disappointment.

Soon, two men heard undead marching through the hallway and kicking through the doors of other rooms. The sound of each broken door was followed by someone's scream of fear first and agony later.

"Death is approaching, your nobility. It is our last chance to escape. Are you sure that you are willing to stay here?"

"Yes, I am. I am not forcing you into doing the same, but I will not run away like a coward. As a ruler, I must take responsibility for my actions." The count said proudly.

"If that's what you want, my lord, I won't object. I wish you good luck." The advisor said with an edge of sadness in his voice and gave the count a deep bow. Then he turned over, pressed a brick in the wall and the secret passage opened. The advisor looked once more in the eyes of the brave man whom he was lucky to serve and closed the door behind himself.

The footsteps reached his door and a second later it was knocked out. The count felt a terrible smell that gave him a strong urge to vomit and saw a big group of zombies with rotting flesh. Some of them had a faint red glow instead of eyes and one of them who was standing in front of everyone else had a gaping hole in his skull and a blue glow inside eye sockets.

'That's the richly dressed man. Capture him, without killing. Look for the second one.' Nuvian ordered via telepathic link.

The count wanted to give them a disgusted look, but the disgust was instantly replaced by fear, caused by the undead's evil gaze and their movement in his direction.

"What do you need from me? I can walk by myself!" The count shouted as the undead grabbed him, but listening to his whining wasn't one of Nuvian's orders, so he didn't burden himself with it.

Soon, zombies got rid of the humans' barricade and opened the main gate of the fortress.

"You were quick. Was there any resistance at all?" Vito asked when Nuvian approached him.

"We met enemies at the walls. Aside from that, no resistance." The undead commander stated.

"Have you captured them?"

"Almost."

"What the fuck does it mean?"

"I caught one. He was the only richly dressed man in the whole fortress." Nuvian said in the same monotone manner.

"Shit, looks like he escaped. Where is the one whom you caught?"

"Not far from here."

"Then bring him to me!"

"As you wish." Nuvian obeyed and ordered zombies under his command to do as their master asked.

Ten seconds later, four zombies were standing in front of him with the count in their hands.

"Task completed. What are your next orders?" Nuvian asked.

"None for now. Just guard me as always. I take weak undead back under my own lead." Vito said and Nuvian obeyed.

"Is it you lit... I mean, young necromancer?" The count asked as he was not able to see anything aside from the sky and undead's heads.

"Yes, the bastard who ordered my execution." Vito spat.

"How dare-" The count tried to express his outrage, but was interrupted.

"Don't forget your place, swine. You are not a count anymore." Vito snarled.

"King is the only per-" The count got interrupted once more.

"Drop him." Vito ordered and zombies dropped the noble man on the ground.

'He was right. The little devil has no honor at all.' The count thought as the pain coursed through his old body.

"What death will you prefer, old man?" Vito leaned over and asked with a mock.

"I-"

"Who cares. I would gladly hang you as you did with me. Alas, I don't know how to make a loop." Vito was thinking aloud.

"Probably I should order a zombie to choke you? nah, it would be too boring. What about dragging you behind a galloping horse? No, I would need a loop as well. Should I order my servants to bite off your limbs one at a time?..." Vito was making up more and more methods of torture instead of actual execution. Meanwhile, the count's face was becoming paler and paler as Vito spoke.