They are out there...HUNT THE DEAD!

Erron stayed on his knees weeping.

It was over. All over.

That was all he kept mumbling.

"WE HAVE TO GO!" yelled Turk'en again.

Wait? Go? Where would any of them go. They were trapped here. They had no hope. Go?

Erron felt Turk'en lift him, and then the darkling quickly a rope around his waist.

Erron felt himself being lifted into the air. He glanced up.

Standing on the rail, firing two pistols, stood Captain Hellcat of the Sky Palace. Near her two crewmen both pulled Erron up. He looked at Turk'en who was running a rope over to Lucien.

He saw Browden handing ropes to Popurum and Aldion.

Everyone was being pulled up.

"Avast ye dirty bastiches! Ye're times up now ye rotten shites!" yelled a man with red hair firing a rifle. Near him a large man not making any noise for some odd reason made faces behind his back.

"James, get Lopex back below deck! I want the bastard locked in the brig until we find out if he's infected or not!" Hellcat ordered.

"Aye!" James yelled back to her.

A Riverfolk slid down a rope and handed it to Alemar.

"Tie it around your waist! We leave now!" the Riverfolk girl said.

A rescue had come from above.

And everyone watched as they were pulled up, the hell below them all.

Lucian looked up at the rope being lowerd in the crowd of mindless flesh eating zombies enclosing aroun him. Lucian was overwhelmed with all the people and he wasnt sure if the man with the rope was helping him or not. Lucian grabed the rope and grimced against the sever pain he was feeling as the 3 undead grabed his legs. Lucian felt a sharp pain fearing the worst. Lucian looked and saw the 3 zombies diging there overgrown nails into his calf's. Lucian looked at Turk shot an arrow, Lucian stuck his hand out as the arrow went through his hand. Lucian stabed the 3 zombies in the head with his puncterd arrow hand and managed to kill 1 and knock the other 2 down. Lucian looked up as he was pulled in the ship by a man he did not know. Lucian was confused and was worried about everyone for he did not want something to happen to them. "Erron!!! Popurum!!! Aldion!!!" he yeled trying to look for them when he heard a voice form behind say "Aye matey, ye friends be fine". Lucian leaned against the side of the ship as he relaxed and calm down.

"Perhaps you are right, but I'm a hunter. I fight for the family I knew and was forced to slay, as well as teh grandmother I never met," he said placing a hand on Poporum's shoulder.

The ropes dropped and Aldion tied a one-handed bowline around himself, and handed the slightly out of reach rope to Poporum.

After they were secured, they began to raise to the ship. Aldion looked to his Grandfather, "After all of this, you will tell me about her?"

The ship began to lift into the air. Genesis saw them all escaping. Everyone was being pulled up on the ropes.

Genesis drew out a shot gun and aimed.

"No..."whispered Turk'en.

BLAM!

The shot rang out and the bullet flew directly at Erron.

"NO!!!!" screamed Turk'en twisting and turning in the rope, enraged.

The bullet ripped through the rope, about four feet above Erron's head, and sent him falling back down to the ground.

The crew continued to pull everyone up.

Erron disappeared, buried beneath the mass of undead below who were fighting each other.

Turk'en and the others were all pulled overboard onto the deck, and the ship took off at a break neck speed, powered by the steam driven thrusters that rattled the entire vessel.

"NO!!!! NO!!!!" screamed Turk'en. "GO BACK! WE CAN'T LEAVE HIM!" NO!!" Turk'en screamed at the helmsman steering the ship, as tears poured down his darkling cheeks.

Hellcat and Aldion grabbed the darkling and pulled him away from the helmsman.

"LISTEN TO ME! IF WE GO BACK WE"RE DEAD YE DAFT FOOL! THA' MAN WOULD BE BLOODY PISSED STRAIGHT IF WE WENT BACK AND YE DAMN WELL KNOW IT! HE WOULDN'T FORGIVE YE IF YE WENT BACK FER HIM!" Hellcat screamed at Turk'en as Aldion tried to hold the darkling still.

"I know yer hatred for them beats is even more now, but ye have to move on. It's what he would want!" she continued.

"NO!!!! WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!" Turk'en screamed, crying and full of rage.

Aldion only had one hand, but still was able to overpower Turk'en. Both men tumbled to the deck of the ship. Aldion scrambled away from him, not knowing what Turk'en would do.

"We have...we have to.....oh god....why....why?" Turk'en cried softly as he sat up and leaned against a mast, snot and tears covering his dirt streaked face.

"Why?"

Lucian knew what was going to happen and could see it in the Darklings eyes "Dont worry said" said lucian "he'll be fine" Lucian said as comforting as possible as he laid a hand on Turk'ens shoulder. "Me and you were gonna find him if it means killing every god danm thing on this forsaken planet" said Lucian, he wanted to make friends not only with Erron and Turk'en and this is the last thing he wanted. Lucian hung around with Turk'en not saying much but ready to go find Erron as soon as he was given the go ahead.

Lucian looked around amazed that he is actually flying. He looked down at the ground and relised the worst possible thing had happend. He saw Genesis holding something but he couldnt quite see what it was. Lucian felt his neck and the pendent was gone. Genesis, was now in conrtol of Lucian's lycan form and he knew it to.

Browden saw when Erron's rope was shot and cut, and dropped down to the battle below. He cursed, but hurried up to the ship. If another shot came off, he didn't want the bullet to hit him.

When he got up top he saw Aldion and the captain holding down Turk'en. He saw how the others comforted him. Browden would not. Comfort was for the weak. Passing by, he flicked some trash at the darkling.

"Hey, don't think for a second its worth going down there after him. Would he honestly jump down to save you? I don't think he would." Browden moved and sat away, but within earshot.

"Besides. He was dead before the bullet struck the rope. He decided that he was done, that we already lost when the battle broke out.

"I'm not giving up though. I didn't go through all this shit to start crying when things didn't go how I wanted. Darkling, if you're giving up too, you might as well hop off this ship now and join him for all I care. But I'm taking the opportunity of this ship arriving to my advantage."

Browden sat there and looked at Popurum. He looked at Aldion and Turk'en. He looked to the werewolf he did not trust. He looked at the hellfolk, Dacen and Hellcat, and then anyone else. In his glare he dared them all to give up. "I wont give up till I can't move any more."

After a moment, he remembered something about a crewman that might have been bitten. Browden picked himself up and then his mighty axe. He held it like he was ready to use it. He then headed towards the brig. Not caring about the captain's permission.

Browden headed toward the brig.

"SOMEONE STOP HIM!" Hellcat shouted.

Two crewmen went after Browden, but backed away slowly when they neared him.

"H-he's awfully big Cap'n," one of them said.

"Bullets don't give a shite about size ye fekken dolt," James said. He had a shotgun aimed at Browden's head.

"No one kills that bastard, 'cept me. An' we don't know yet if the fekkin eejit is even infected or not. He got a chunk o' flesh ripped out o' his leg when we escaped Peregren," James concluded.

"Yes.....Peregren has fallen. Hours ago, Mathias' arrived and attacked the city. There isn't much left now. A few survivors. Some undead. No one knows if--"

"DON'T YOU SAY IT!" the Riverfolk yelled at Hellcat, interrupting her, "please....please don't say it."

"I know yer upset, Tangerine. But yer mother very well may not be alive. Ye need to accept that. Pray fer the best and expect the worst," hellcat said trying to console Tangerine.

"Pray for the best and expect the worst? That's the best you can come up with!?" Tangerine screamed at Hellcat. She then stomped off past everyone and headed below deck.

"It's what yer father always said," Hellcat said softly.

"AHHH WHO GIVES A SHITE ABOUT ANY O' THAT! IF THIS FEKKIN ARSEHOLE GOES NEAR LOPEX HE MIGHT BOLLICKS UP EVERYTHIN'! SHITE CAP'N!? WE DON"T EVEN KNOW IF THE BASTARD IS INFECTED!" James yelled.

Hellcat walked up to Browden.

"Sir, I do not know ye. But ye seem to be one who can be trusted if ye want to remove the undead so much. So I'm asking ye, if I trust ye, to please return tha' trust to me as well. It's been almost a week. Lopex doesn't talk much, so we don't know how he got that chunk o' flesh ripped out. But if he does nae change by tomorrow, it'll be a week and safe to assume he's nae infected," Hellcat said.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER CAP'N! NO ONE SHOOTS THE MUTE EEJIT, 'CEPT ME!" James yelled.

"SHUT! UP!" Hellcat yelled grabbing the barrel of the gun, "THIS IS MY SHIP! AND NO ONE SHOOTS, KILLS, STABS, OR PORKS SOMEONE'S HOLE WITH OUT ME PERMISSION! IF ANY OF YE DO, YER ARSE IS GOING OFF TH' PLANK, AN' TRUST ME, THE GROUND COMES UP FAST! NOW ENOUGH!

We'll see wha' happens with Lopex in th' mornin'," Hellcat finished.

"Fine," James said and stormed away grumbling.

***********************************************************************************************

Erron layed perfectly still and slowly tugged.

"Gnnnnnn" he moaned through his teeth trying to be as quiet as possible.

He tugged again. He had taken his belt off and tightened it harder and harder around his shin bone, forcing the bone back into his skin. He then fastened then belt together.

Next he reached into his pack and drew out another canteen of water. He next, pulled out the canister of salt he had found, and quickly emptied the contents into the water in the canteen.

He shook the canteen stirring the salt and water together and then dumped it out on his leg where it was broken.

"GRRRRRR!!!!" he growled from the pain.

Next he dumped the rest of the contents onto where his ear had been torn off.

"GEHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" he moaned and threw the canteen and rolled on the floor of the abandoned inn, moaning.

The salt water would stop infection.

Erron collected himself and then reached into his pack and pulled out another canteen of water. He took a drink and set it aside.

Next he pulled out some baking powder. Luckily he had remembered to grab the ear he had lost before the second explosion had gone off sending him flying. He took out a small knife from his pack, and his amputated ear, and began to skin it. he took the cartilage and fat out of the ear and tossed the skin to the side. He then shoved the fleshy contents into the canteen. Next he took the baking powder and dumped it into the canteen. He mixed all three ingredients and pulled the fat and cartilage back out. It was now soaked in water and covered in backing powder. It was a fine gooey mess.

He applied the cartilage and fat over the hole in his shin, making sure to only adhere it to his flesh and not to the belt. Then he dumped the rest of the baking powder, water mix onto his leg and began rubbing it all over his shin and calf.

Finally he took an old curtain from inside of the room he was in from the floor. he knocked some dust off of it.

"Fucking pink," he said angrily.

He then cut strips and tied them tightly around his shin.

Finally he tried to stand.

He crashed back down to the floor again, his shin bone ripping through his flesh and protruding out again!

"AHHH FUCK!" he growled.

He sat for a moment and tried to push the pain to the back of his mind.

After about twenty minutes he had done the same steps again.

This time he didn't stand up. Instead he just sat and waited for the makeshift cast to dry and harden.

He had all the time in the world. There were thousands of undead fighting a war with each other, outside, anyways.

Popurum stayed with Aldion the whole time. The riverfolk was surprised when Aldion said he'd eventually want to hear about Calhera. Popurum grinned. However, Turk'en had thrown himself into a fit as Erron's rope snapped and fell back to Aeon.

Popurum still hated the man for interfering with Calhera, but Popurum didn't care to see the man get killed like that.

After Aldion had a moment and approached him. He whispered into the elf's ears.

"You know, a lot of people have been lost today."

Then he pulled away and started speaking in his normal volume.

"You think we should do something for them? You know. Say something?"

James stepped forward.

"Aye. Something should be said in memory o' th' dead."

*AHEM!*

James waited for everyone to silence themselves.

"Ye died. Its bollicks. End o' story."

James then walked away from the group.

Popurum stuck his tongue out at the man as he walked away.

"I still think we should do something. I'd sure like to say something about Calhera..."

The halfling would if no one else did.

Turk'en didn't want to hear anything anyone had to say about Erron being dead. They both had lived through years of the undead, hunting them all and even saving Erron and restoring his soul.

But he couldn't deny Popurums grief over, who evidently was his wife, Calhera.

"You may speak of your wife if you wish Riverkin, I will tell you have the Aniver. He was a man beyond his appearance. A Scientist if that is something that is possible. His special arrows saved us on more than one occasion."

"But no one will say final words over Erron, The hunter. Former Kind of the Dead. He is alive and No one will tell me different."

Turk'en walked over to Captain Hellcat bowed respectfully to her as she walked back from the incident with the over muscled, littled brained human with the axe.

"I thank you for the timely rescue, good captain. It seems again our paths will follow the same direction. And to correct the giant lumox. Yes Erron would have come back after me had it been me that had fallen. You need to take these people and yourself to safety. There is still something in Dead Town that the two evils are looking for. The zombies I noticed are ignoring Erron. There is a chance that he survived and is hiding. I need to go find him"

Turk'en turned to See Browden, but kept continuing to talk with Capt. Hellcat.
"No matter how others may feel about it."


"How much of Nerin Toth is now occupied by the two armies?"

Aldion placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, "After six years, you really weren't expecting me to leave the bastard behind were you?" he said with a grin.

He leaned against the mast, "Just because I only have one hand, doesn't mean I'll let Erron and you have all the fun again. We don't know whats out there anymore, its dangerous to go it alone," the elf stood looked down over the railing, "Don't think for a second you can stop me from following you," he told his old friend.

"You have a plan? Or the typical 'go in and kick ass approach?"

Popurum smiled at Turk'en until the darkling started talking about going back for Erron. The riverfolk didn't care about being heard by the group, but would like to think his wife was listening.

"Calhera Rainsong was an elf that was devoted to her work... and family. Calhera was a druid in the Azure Grove a long, long time ago. I was taken back and met her while she was trying to find someone willing to help her. Even though I'm just a riverfolk, she was thankful for my help."

Giving a quick glance at Browden, Popurum continued.

"She was helping her druid friends. Even after they were dead, she did what she could for them. She wouldn't stop, and even when it was hard, she continued. Because that's who she was. Strong, devoted, loving. It was... a blessing to have loved her and to be loved back. She was the greatest druid, friend, wife, and... mother."

Popurum looked at Aldion for a moment; tears streaming down. He then went and sat in silence. It was up to Aldion where Popurum went.

Browden nodded to Captain Hellcat, ignoring James.

"So long as you keep the man where he can't infect others, if he indeed is infected, then I do not care what you do with him."

Browden started to find a spot to rest when the darkling started going on about Erron. Noting Turk'en's comments about Browden, he went and sat down. He then had to listen to the riverfolk's speech. Obviously he wasn't the popular one on board. That suited him.

"I was there in the Long Reach while Erron was being hunted by minotaurs and undead. I went to his rescue, and then somehow ended up here. Say what you will about me, darkling, but I was there for him when you were not. However, if you insist on going back for him, then the best of luck to you. I plan to go where I'm needed. Whether that's to fight Genesis or Mathias, or to help Peregren..."

Browden shrugged. He'd go it alone if he needed. He was fine being alone in the Long Reach. The only problem was Captain Hellcat. She was the one in charge.

"Where you plan on taking us, Captain?"

Turk'en was going to reply sharply to Browden's accusations. The thick skulled human had no idea with whom he was talking to or what he was talking about. Knew nothing about the tribulations that led to him and Erron going different ways.

Then he caught the end of Popurums speach.

Turning to the riverkin, "Did you say she was a druid? That they were all dead? The Druids and Rangers holed themselves on Teseron Isle. They can help. They have to help!"

Turk'en picked up Popurum and hoisted him in the air.

"YOUR A GENIUS, YOU KNOW THAT!"

"Captain, we need to head towards Teseron Isle. The druids can help us. They have the power to manipulate the earth and plants. Amongst other things! Plus they have rangers to help fight and defend. They have to be willing to help!"

Turning back to Aldion.

"Erron won't give up. The stiffs didn't even try and touch him when they attacked. He'll figure that out. He know's our hunt is for the greater good. He was the one that got us going. I hate to say it, but Browden is right. We have to keep moving. We go meet with the Druids and then gather an army to fight both maniacs."


"Then we get my son back."

Herod had been thrown back by a sprinter and was about to bring his hammer foward until Browden came around with his whirling axe of death slicing into the sprinter and effectively pinning Herod underneath.

"Gawl Durn brutish human!"

Then the there was explosions and all sound was gone. Herod decided to stay under the sprinter, which effectively cushioned the dwarf from the incoming barrage.

Herod could see the flying ship and he saw the lines of salvation drop from it's starboard side helping the other up. Another explosion of dirt and debris kept him from seeing Erron fall back down.

The undead roamed around for about an hour before leaving this place, thinking all good flesh was gone. He had seen them eat the Aniver. Devoured him like rabid hyenas. Herod still kept silent. After all sound was gone, the dwarf managed to roll out from under the undead and then he her a yeah from the building. He slowly crept to it and peered through the window.

"By my buckle! Erron! Ye be alive, I thought ye be leaving with the others on the flying ship."

Herod looked down at Erron's leg and saw the makeshift cast that Erron had made for himself.

"Stay here, I'll be getting back to ye in a moment. I'll find something to help ye walk. We're needed to be fleeing this place. What is it the undead are looking fer here? Can we still find it?"

Herod took off not waiting for Erron to answer. The human looked like he was trying to focus the pain away.

Herod came back a few moments later with a makeshift crutch and a few other pieces a wood.

"This'll help ye walk and I've more wood to help reset yer bone. We'll have ye up and killing stiffs in no time."


"Now about what they are lookin fer here."

"Adrian, swing like this. With the meat of your hand to the opponent. Fingers facing up. By doing so, you'll turn at the hips faster and be able to come around with a back swing with your other blade quicker."

"But what if they cut my fingers off with their blade?"

"If they get in that close, you'll need to worry about more important things getting cut off."

"Not me! One day I'm gonna be a Knight of Tomaff! Like Gen'ral Kargin! I'll stab a goblin this way! HIYA! And a minotaur that way! WHA-HA! And then I'll find me an elven princess! And kiss her cheek as I defeat a dragon with my chopsaki kick! WHOO-HA!"


.....

"That was the last conversation I ever had with my son other than.....other than me trying to explain why I was killing his mother," Erron said to Herod.


"Later that night, as I worked in the fields, harvesting potatoes, was when the small pack of undead attacked them," he continued, as he took another bite of wet lentil beans that he and Herod shared.

"Sometimes I wonder...had I taught my son lessons in combat sooner....maybe this simple farmer's family would still be here," He said taking a swig of brandy from a flask and then handing it to Herod.

Erron pushed himself up with the crutch. "You did well patching me up. Maybe 3 to 6 weeks, and I can walk without the crutch. Maybe I *cough* *cough*....maybe I....maybe I should...maybe I should stop."

He looked down at the dwarf who looked confused.

"Herod I think I know why the undead are ignoring me...maybe I should stop. Just stop bullshitting," he said as he took a deep breath.

he then pulled up his shirt sleeve revealing his bicep.

"Herod, one of them bit me."

Lucian stood there for a moment he glanced around the ship and saw the mourning dark elf he felt nothing but sadness for the darkling. Lucian clucthed where the pendent usded to be and he wasn't going to tell anyone that was for sure. Lucian tilted his head to the wind and sniffed the air trying to pick something up of Erron, he caught his sent but something else aswell...Lucian new.

Aldion nodded at Turk, "Well, its not the kick ass kind of way, but your plan has merit as well," he said before sitting on one of the nearby barrels. He remembered his father telling him of Teseron, it would be interesting to see it himself

He heard a screeching sound from behind him somewhere, he turned and saw nothing. He heard from above, looked, still nothing, was he going crazy?

He heard it again, looked down, and there was an extremely pissed looking monkey on the deck looking up at him. "Go away fella," Aldion said. The monkey did not move.

"What the hell is wrong with it?" Aldion asked a crew member

"That be his barrel, he always sits there," said the crew member.

"Its mine today, so move on," he said to the monkey, after this, the monkey snarled. Aldion nudged him with his foot, and the monkey ran up his leg and sat on his head. "Touche monkey, touche indeed..."

Lucian walked over to Aldion and just looked at him not in a mean way but not in a happy way either. "There is only one problem with that" Lucian said looking at the dark elf aswell. "Erron is soon going to be those mindless fucks down there" Lucian said cold and angry "now i dont want this to happen but the fact is he is turning" Lucian waited patiantly as he thought of what is going to happen next

Turk'en heard what the werefolk said and burst from where he was talking to the captain. With the speed of lightning he had his long knife up to the throat of the werewolf.

"Erron and I have been fighting the undead for years longer than you can imagine. He has been to the brink of of destruction and been tortured in the bowels of the abyss. You ever mention him turning again then you will be barking through another mouth of my own creation. You have no idea what my people are capable of."


Turk'en turned from Lucien but didn't put his knife away. He didn't know this new player, but he had himself fought werewolves. Had even lost friends to his kind.

"Captain. Can you take us to Teseron Isle?"

"I could be wrong though," Erron said to Herod as we snuck a look through some broken boards in the wall at the carnage outside, "They've all been ignoring me. in fact I'm almost positive I could wander out there right now and not a single one of them will attack me. On top of that, I have a huge chunk of flesh ripped out of my arm. It wasn't hurt before they shot the cannons. Afterwards when I opened my eyes was when I noticed it. It could be explained away that it's just an injury. But it doesn't explain why the undead are ignoring my existence and no one else's," he finished.

Erron pushed and put pressure on his leg. he could travel, but running or jumping would certainly be out of the question for the next few weeks.

"As for what they're searching for.....this place was once called The Shining City long before it was called Dead Town. And it was here where I......where I found out how all of this started....how the undead came to be," he said quieter as if speaking only to himself.

"I have a feeling I know what they're searching for. And if either Mathias or Genesis gets what I think it is...we're all dead.


...The only chance we have ....is to speak with the Ghosts of Nomerie...the dead Drakoni that once lived in this city....we have to get through the city...we have to go down into the cypts."

Aldion leaned against the mast, the monkey still on his head, "You're determined to have this spot, aren't you monkey?" Aldion asked, throwing in a little squeek for the monkey to understand.

The monkey looked down at him, and the same crew member that had spoken up before said, "His name is Punky, he thinks his a parrot sometimes. Careful, he bites."

Punky showed his teeth in what could have only been a smile.

"Gods, Turk is gonna get himself killed, first browden and now the wolfman" he said to his new pet. Punky squawked like a parrot now, "Oh of course," Aldion said, sighing in resignation.

He held Punky in his hand, and started squeaking to him, the monkey looked at him confused. Aldion sighed again and started squawking like a parrot, Punky nodded, then tried to fly out of his hands.

After picking himself up from the deck, he ran off.

Quote :

"Captain. Can you take us to Teseron Isle?"

After this, there was a loud thud, and Turk slumped backwards. A deck hand caught him and laid him on the deck, Punky stood behind him holding a candlestick, grinning wide.

"Good monkey...thing, now maybe he'll relax," he said as he hefted Turk into one of the cabins and onto a bunk

Lucian stood there momentarly and grabed one of the ropes on the mast and climbed half way up it to gain attention. "Listen wheather Erron is one of them or not he is down there" Lucian said tryting to raise moral and rile them up"And if he is one we will save him, and if he isn't then we still save him" Lucian looked around and brought out his sword and raised it high "I do not care what you may think or how you may feel of me, but my friend is down there and i will not leave him!. If were not with in his last no location within the next half hour im jumping" Lucian climbed back down and looked over the field he was ready for this, but he knew for sure he had to keep him self under control for the sake of everyone.

Herod looked to Erron as he stood up.

He stood himself and hoisted his pack onto his shoulders and adjusted it to fit comfortably.

"Ye need to lead the way, I'll be staying close to ye and hopefully they won't be tellin' there be two of us."


Herod wasn't looking forward to talking with a spirit, but he wasn't going to stop until he and Erron could find what they needed to stop the two maniacs who want to destroy the world.

"Let's be getting going. The sooner we talk with the spook the sooner we stop this madness."

With that Herod fell in line behind Erron. Warhammer at the ready.