Ascended

It was noon before we got back to Gher.

It had taken a lot longer to get back than it had to find the Zombie simply because we had to wrestle with it most of the way back.

But once we got back, there was a barrel sitting just outside the gate, as promised.

“Hey!” Fyga was standing on the stone walkway over the gate, “Helru said to tell you to move the barrel further out! And wait for them to get here!” She blew a horn over the gate and there was the noise of people swarming. Soon the paraphets were full of people crowding around to see if the cure worked.

“You’re moving that.” Val nodded to the barrel, “Because I’m holding this.”

It was more than a fair trade. I went over and tipped the half full barrel on its edge and rolled it that way until I was over fifty feet away from the gate.

“How about this!” I cupped my hands so they could hear better.

Helru gave me a thumbs up.

“Should we start it?” Val started bringing the zombie over to me.

Helru gave another thumbs up.

“Alright, now for the hard part…” Val led the Zombie a little closer. “You pin its arms and I’ll hoist its feet.”

I got behind it and wrapped my arms around it, pinning the Zombies arms to its side.

Val loosened the noose and took it off, then came over and grabbed its feet. Together we lifted the zombie up and as soon as its feet touched the solution we both realized our mistake.

Hot vapor shot up at us. I let go of the Zombie and took a step back while Val tripped and fell backwards.

The Zombie on the other hand was standing up, completely surrounded by the hot vapor and trying to get out. The barrel started to tip and I wrapped my arms around it to steady it.

“Val! Get the lid on this thing!”

Val grabbed the lid and hit the Zombie in the head with it. Not enough to kill it, but enough to push it down. Except it was barely moving.

“Byler! A little help? This is HOT!”

I stood up and pulled the Zombies hands off of the edge of the barrel and helped Val push it down and get the lid on it.

There was cheering behind us as we both held onto the barrel.

“Byler…” Val was sweating profusely, “We have a problem…”

I could feel it. The air inside the barrel was expanding and it was going to explode.

“Let go!” I rolled away, jumped to my feet and started running. I looked back and saw the lid blow off the barrel.

Val had gotten clear enough as well. The people on the city wall were cheering, it seemed like a grand display, then the barrel tipped over and the Zombie fell out. Except it wasn’t a Zombie anymore. The dead body of a person was spread out in between myself and Val.

“I don’t think it worked.” Val stood up.

I walked over to the corpse and began to examine it. There wasn’t a hint of Zombification on the corpse, but she was definitely dead.

I shook my head, “It looks like what we’ve found is a highly effective way to clean up the Zombie mess.”

“Maybe we could find another use for it.” Val got her sword out and started to dip it in the fluid.

“I wouldn’t do that…”

I hadn’t noticed someone walking towards us. I turned around and saw a man with purple markings all over him. It wasn’t just any man either, but a Bokor. And Max’s master.

Master Junk had arrived.