Chapter 3: Cast Out

(Ronin)

Well, not the best way to get thrown out of a bar for helping some unlucky kid but hey he didn't get his ass beat so that settles well with me. From my experiences abusing your power just because you are the acting authority of your town is not foreign to me but one should never put their hands on a child. Ever since the lich took over, business has been bad no ships are hiring crew let alone a pirate, and people are fleeing south, probably why I ended up in this drag of a town anyway. But there's something about that boy that just piqued my interest, he's nothing special right?

*RING RING RING RING RING RING*

That's the town bell, It couldn't be, I thought I was far away from all that dread, I looked further down the road and all I could see is that blasted green fog creeping in, the last time I saw that fog was at sea...…

(Ronin has a flashback to his days at sea)

I remember back on my ship with my crew, we were up Serpents Cove, we were flying merchant flags, it's easier this way to deter suspicion from the king's ships that usually are stationed at checkpoints. Piracy isn't exactly illegal in this realm, but out at sea laws are a little skewed, sure I mean a royal army ship could let a pirate ship go untouched but if the captain was feeling vindictive and if the crew were in a collective agreement, that pirate ship would be sleeping at the bottom of the ocean followed by her crew. Anyways the ship I was on was scheduled to dock at a nearby town and we were to unload our ''legal enough cargo' exotic spices and sugars are hard to come by nowadays and the tax for it is never profitable in the end.

We used to stow it below deck well enough to pass the inspections. As we were a few miles from the mainland an ominous green fog rolled through the ocean enveloping our ship and crew. I couldn't spot a nearby ship in the distance and this is no fog I've experienced before. In the distance I could see the outline which looked to be a man rising from the side of the ship, what looked to be his hand reached out and grabbed one of my crew members and took him overboard. I ran over and what I saw next sent a piercing chill down my spine. Many bodies began rising and climbing the ship weapons in hand with beaming green eyes, It's like they were staring at me but all humanity was not present. Their skin looked like it had been rotting off for years and I could see right into their bones. I drew my sword and began to back up I felt a thud on my back and as I turned around I felt a moment of relative safety as I could recognize through the fog it was one of my crewmates standing still back turned to me. I called to him and as I reached to put my hand on him he slumped to the ground, his face looked like all life had been sucked out of it and his eyes began to shimmer the same green color I saw before.

I ran for the bow of the ship to get a better view, my sword is drawn slashing its way through the fog, and I felt my sword hit flesh time and time again not being able to tell friend from foe, at this point I don't think I cared. Behind me, all I could hear is my crewmates, my allies, and my companions screaming out for help but being silenced by the sickening rotting fog. I made it to the bow and managed to get a better view of the ship, the clashing continued for a time, bodies were flying at me and I kept slashing and stabbing, blood coated the deck more and more with each swipe and my sword arm began to tire and wear.

What followed was a still quiet and the clashing fell silent, for a moment I believed it to be over, what was left of my crew began to cheer. That however was short-lived as the bodies that lay on the deck began to convulse and seize, and those that fell began to rise again, playing host to those damming green eyes. I witnessed my dead crewmate run his sword into the chest of those that were alive. I stood there stunned, I've witnessed many atrocities and anomalies while at sea, I've even participated in a mutiny and thrown our old captain overboard, but never have I ever seen the dead rise, I'm not a man of religion but what god would allow such an unholy abomination. The next thing I remember from that day was plummeting into the ocean below and finding refuge on a piece of driftwood, as I was about to pass out from complete exhaustion I could see my ship sail off with the dead looking back at me.

(Flashback over)

My memory was interrupted by the sounds of the townsfolk fleeing down the streets I managed to duck into the slum alleys to avoid being another victim of an unyielding trampling I would surely meet. I peered around the corner and witnessed that green fog roll by I ducked back and could feel a freezing chill as those that didn't make it slumped on by. I then felt an overwhelming sense of dread wash over me and my breathing was cut short I could feel eyes looking direction but couldn't make out specifically where from, I could hear a horse's breath snarl and its bones creak, I closed my eyes and held my breath behind the crates in the alley. Though probably useless I put my hand over my sword, ready for whatever or whoever finds me. However, the entity continued past me and I heard the horse's hooves get quieter and quieter after a bit, I was all alone except for the fate cries in the distance. I peered from the alley and felt a familiar feeling like I was back on that ship, whatever was on that horse was also on my ship. It's like it was hunting me, how did I not find it on my ship, how many men were slaughtered because of me I'm not sure if anyone who was on my ship is still currently in the ranks of the undead, but I was not waiting around to find out. I dipped around and into a side street managing to skulk and keep up with the dying crowd, where were they running to? it's like they are being herded for slaughter, somewhere where it would be hard to escape... A thought came over me, THE DOCK. I ran through the streets avoiding as much fog as I could, I couldn't bear to be caught in it again, out of the corner of my eyes I could see the dead rising once again just like on the ship. I didn't bother to look back just drew my sword and kept running. Those screams from before began to get louder and louder so many people I passed asked for my help, I just kept running their cries for help were replaced with agonizing screams as the undead greeted them to join their ranks.

I caught up with the horde and arrived at the dock, through the cracks of the alleys I managed to make out some familiar faces, the last of the town guard were there, including the man I knocked out earlier in the bar. They charged into the fog. Absolute fools I thought, if only they knew what I knew. I looked a little closer into the crowd and could recognize another face, a much more familiar face, It was that boy I saved in his families tavern, he was with his family trying to get onto the boat, I looked over into the undead horde and they were slaughtering their way towards him. What do they want with that boy? I acted fast, I don't know why I chose to risk my ass over the life of someone I haven't even met but I managed to find an opening in some rotted boards just behind the dock. I started to sneak under to the water's edge I could hear the entire commotion under me and as I continued to creep, a foot from above came crashing on top of me. I began to push the foot back up as it probably broke a piece of rotting wood but the struggle ceased as I could hear gurgling and the sound of an ax splitting the man's head open. I looked up and saw the man's body slump over and in its place as a pair of glowing eyes peered down at me. I continued to run as the water began to overtake me, I made it to the edge where I could make out the boy, I spotted a ladder and began ascending it, many bodies lay on that dock and before I could grab the boy he was embraced by his family, his mother gave him a necklace and I managed to get my hand on his back, just as I pulled him into the water with me the horde overwhelmed his parents, we both fell into the water and began to sink.