A day's travel away, atop the windswept hills, stood Alana and Skull Lord.
"So you remember the plan, Skull Lord?"
Half-lost in darkness, the creature emerged — no longer the wild, tangled mass of bone and rage it once was.
This was a rebuilt weapon. A deliberate monster.
Standing nearly thirty feet tall, its skeletal frame loomed with terrifying symmetry.
Three snarling skulls jutted from broad, plated shoulders, each lit with glowing blue eyes scanning in separate directions — watching, waiting.
Its primary arms — thick, jagged, and longer than any grown man — dragged against the ground with a grinding scrape.
Embedded into its ribcage, nestled at each side, curled another set of clawed limbs — bony and fast, snapping like insects near the predator's chest.
Just under its shoulder blades, a third set of backward-facing arms braced it whenever it stumbled, giving it the leverage to rise.
And from its lower back, pelvis-anchored limbs dragged behind like crude supports, keeping the creature upright so even when it fell it never stayed down.
Its spine was now bulky with a rune-etched down along it — unmistakably Zero's mark.
Gone were the random protrusions. Every piece now served a function.
Skull Lord moved like a siege engine — unnatural, twitching, yet brutally stable.
Flashback
"Mmm, so how do you suggest we take on 1,000 infantry with only 650 boneheads, hmm?"
Zero was on top of Skull Lord's back, who was laid face's first into the ground, tracing sigils into its spine.
"You're forgetting the most important factor!"
"What, the big pile of bones?"
"This bad boy!"
He gestured dramatically to Skull Lord. Alana floated closer, unimpressed.
"So, 650 boneheads… and a bigger bonehead?"
"Skull Lord, thank you!" he corrected her
"And why does he have so many arms? Especially there?" she asked, eyeing the odd pelvis ones.
"More arms never hurt anyone~!" Zero chirped, tracing another rune with his mana coated fingers.
"For the love of chaos…" She pinched the bridge of her invisible nose. "Just tell me the plan."
Zero grinned
"While everyone slumbers, we create pure panic and confusion. While the town reacts, Skull Lord throws in; all 150 skull minions."
"Throws what?!"
He snapped his fingers. A 10-foot-tall skull minion stomped into view — one head, broad body, long clawed arms like a smaller version of Skull Lord.
Alana stared, speechless.
…This might work. But I'm not admitting it. She thought unwillingly
"Then he will bust in!"
"Ok after we make confusion and panic, and burst in like you say do you really expect that thing to be able to take on potential strong enemies by itself, void spirits are not smart nor are they strong without proper experience but you decided to leave that bonewalker within that junkyard, to boost him , instead of taking him with you so naturally this will be a failure you can't trust normal undead, no matter how many things you add to them..."
The book of deluxe floated near Zero, three big, thick souls left the sapphire on the cover of the book.
Zero moved up toward the three heads of the skull lord, "I did say I have a contingency," he then crouched and took the three souls shoving one into each skull. "if you didn't forget already." (These were skull lords original souls)
"And what is that," Alana queried
Zero jumped off Skull Lord, "You will see, so just trust me on this alright?"
Alana's eye studied Zero for a moment while the souls fully integrated into the Skull lord's body reanimating it, and its sockets blazed to life as it stood up.
—Until a wave of calm assurance washed over her.
"I will begin preparations now then." She floated off silently, but Zero didn't notice as his focus was on Skull lord who roared — all three heads crying out at once.
"GO! SKULL LORD VERSION TWO: THE GREAT SKULL LORD!!" Zero cheered.
Alana's sigh could be heard "worst I have ever heard."
Back to the present
"You got it?"
Skull lord's two heads besides the middle one start to clatter their teeth.
Skull lord then picked up three skull minions in each hand.
"Wait already?" She said, surprised she acts quickly sending a wave of authority.
Bone walkers at the hill's base charged forward in eerie silence — a tide of skeletal warriors.
Skull Lord twisted his torso, stepped back, and hurled the skull minions across the dark field. They soared through the air like massive boulders.
They crashed into the village, smashing roofs and sending rubble flying.
"Keep going, Skull Lord. Don't stop the barrage. Join us when you're done." Alana shouted, following the tide of skeletal soldiers.
…
—Two figures stood on a wooden balcony, gazing at the night sky.
A woman with flowing silver hair, soft silver eyes, both gleaming in the moonlight, as she held tightly to the arm of the man beside her.
"It's beautiful tonight, Fygeld," she said softly.
Fygeld was an Elf, tall, lean, with greased black hair and a trimmed beard — turned to her.
"You're right. But I'd rather look into your eyes."
He took her hands, and gazed into them with warmth.
She blushed. "You're hopeless."
She turned and led him inside, tossing a sultry glance over her shoulder as she leapt onto the bed.
Fygeld smiled and followed her, his fingers brushing through her hair, as they lay.
"Fygeld," she whispered, eyes searching his face. "Please… let's settle down. Have a home. A family."
He paused. Sadness crept into his features. He pulled away and sat up on the side of the bed, feet touching the floor. "…Fygeld?" she asked again. "Not yet, Serene."
"Not yet, Fygeld? Really? You've been saying that for three years!?"
He stood up and walked to the balcony, staring out into the night, lost in thought.
"I still want to explore, Serene," he said "There's more out there. The world's bigger than just one place."
She got up too, her voice steady but emotional.
"Don't get me wrong, Fygeld, I love exploring with you," she walked toward him, and held his hand, "but we've seen everything. Every region in Viscura. Where else is left?"
Fygeld faced her, his eyes avoiding hers.
"…Maybe we leave Viscura," he said with a slight smile. "Go to Sornerois. Or Oreme! Imagine the markets, the beautiful places—"
Serene stepped back. Her expression dropped.
"Fygeld you know it's not easy to leave Viscura, we would have to wait till the next trade, and who knows when that will be?"
"Listen serene all we need is for Alcon to approve of us leaving which will be easy considering your past general" Serene expression went quiet, "and all then we will have to wait awhile…then-"
"Then what, Fygeld?" serene interjected, her face tensed.
Fygeld stepped back confused "what?"
"I said, after everything: we go there, we see the markets and beautiful places you speak off. After all that then what Fygeld?"
He was speechless.
She continued, her voice sharp but fragile.
"When will it end? Fygeld, it's been three years of running. From what? Me? Our future? A chance at being happy?"
His heart dropped.
She started to tear up. "Y-you even promised me that we would have children, and settle down at a farm before we got married…" she sobbed.
Walked over to try and console her,
"I'm sorr—"
"What changed, Fygeld!" Her voice cracked.
"No, no—nothing did, Serene, I—!"
"Why are you never content with anything!?" she shouted, trembling now. "I gave you everything! The money, the status, your noble title back after your family lost it—everything. And still… is that not enough?...Am I not enough?"
She stormed toward the drawer, flinged it open.
"Serene, no! I—"
"No, Fygeld—NO; I have had it with chasing you on things, had it with patience, had it with everything! So just tell me already!" her face fully flustered and her voice shook with frustration.
—"Am I not enough for you? Are you not satisfied with me!"
She started throwing things around the room — books, ornaments, anything she could grab.
"You're everything I ever wanted, it's just—!"
She hurled a vase. It shattered near his head.
"JUST WHAT, FYGELD?!"
Fygfeld's body flinched as he was startled.
She stood there, trembling.His eyes studied her silently, in fear. As the room fell quiet.
Then, her voice dropped low.
"…I'll give you one choice."
She pulled on her coat, boots, and belt with steady hands.
"It's me… or your greed. What do you choose?"
She didn't wait for an answer, and slammed the door behind her.
Fygeld leaned against the balcony rail, staring into the endless dark.
"…What have I done?" he murmured, clutching his head.
Then, his eyes squinted at, a shape that flew toward him. Fast.
"…What is that?"
He stumbled inside, as a massive skull minion slammed into the balcony, ripping it apart in an explosion of wood splinters and stone.
Falling on his back he remained low, as he coughed through the debris, and looked forward as the creature began uncoiling itself — massive claws ripping through the rest of the floorboards.
Then, with a horrifying screech, it swung its arm, smashing straight through the wall.
"This can't be…" —And above it all, Fygeld saw the sky raining bone.
Alana hovered above the town. The gate was shut — thick iron, 25 feet high, reinforced with three meters of solid steel.
"That wall's sturdy. Bone walkers can't breach it."
But inside the town — chaos.
Lights flickered. People screamed. Already a dozen skull minions had smashed their way in. Buildings bashed. Structures crumbled.
"The fool was right," she said. "Everyone's in too much disarray"
More minions crashed down, some through roofs, others carving trenches through streets.
Alana raised her tendril — three skull minions obeyed and rushed to the gate. They began pounding it with wild, frenzied strength.
"It'll take time," she muttered. "But it'll be good enough for now."
She smiled grimly.
The raid had begun.