Blackrock Mercenaries

Nethlim beat me to the door, and I hurried out behind him into a very different church. The candles that had burned with a typical orange flame had changed to glow a malevolent purple. Everyone had crowded into the middle of the room. Kids clutched at each other as the older townsfolk stood around them. I could hear Bethel asking people what they thought happened, as Janice whispered words of encouragement to the younger children.

A glimmer at the window drew my attention, and I couldn't hold back the gasp at what I saw. The previously segmented stained glass had changed, and each now depicted a horrifying undead monstrosity. Liches that carried purple flames reminiscent of the candles. Twisted and hulking undead beasts that stood roaring to the sky. A robed figure, raising a group of zombies.

Ahead of me, Nethlim rushed to his wife before he, too, tried to reassure the townspeople. It was obvious how much he cared about their wellbeing in the way he spoke. I had seen it before, and I knew how much of a difference having a boss who could interact well with the people under him mattered.

Movement caught my eye, and I spotted Sasha standing with Father Thed near the window that depicted the Lich. I moved over to them, placing the signed contract in my pocket. They were holding jugs filled with water, and I could hear Father Thed whispering prayers. He finished as I arrived, and the water in both jugs flashed with a silvery sheen.

"Are you ready, then?" Sasha asked, as she lifted her jug.

"I am." Father Thed followed suit, his voice dropping low as he intoned his next words. "May Floranian's strength banish this foul magic."

Together they tossed the water at the window, and I stepped back to avoid the splashback. Droplets ran down the glass, but the image itself didn't change. Father Thed frowned. Beside him, Sasha put down her jug and rested a hand on her hip.

"That should have worked…" she trailed off.

I moved to stand on her other side. "Because Holy Water is the antithesis of dark magic?"

"Exactly." Sasha let out a sigh before she gestured to the window. "The water should have countered the magic."

"If Floranian can't change them back, well. We'll have to try something else!" Father Thed was trying to sound brave, but I could hear the nervousness in his voice.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really," Sasha said. "We'll try more Holy Water. Maybe Rita can use you somehow?"

"Sure."

With a quick word of goodbye to Father Thed, I moved off to find Rita. Before I could, I found myself surrounded by the children. Janice stood next to the boy, and the others gathered around the two of them. If they had a leader, it was these two. I glanced towards the boy and held out a hand.

"And what can I do for you, Mister?"

"I'm Clarince," he said, trying and failing to match a formal tone. "Are you here to help save us?"

At my nod, a few shoulders sagged in relief. "That's the idea. Though it'll be my associates who do most of the fighting."

"Do you?" He paused and glanced towards Janice. "Do you have any suggestions about what we should do? The others are telling us to hide, but we don't know if they'll break in."

"How old are you, Clarince?" I asked.

"Fifteen."

"And Janice?"

She responded in that whispered monotone. "Fifteen."

"Then you should both do what you can to help the younger children. Keep them calm and make sure you can get them into the Priest's office. They'll be barricades on the door. You, Clarince, should keep an eye on Janice here."

"I always do," Clarince said.

A younger girl giggled. "Because you loooove her."

"Shut up, Julie."

"Make me."

As they squabbled, I said my goodbyes and went to find Rita. Once again, I found myself distracted in my quest. Across the room, I saw Bethel talking to a distraught woman holding a makeshift spear. The smile she wore was odd, like a queen who was pleased with her servants' efforts.

She looked up, and met my gaze, and that smile turned predatory. Without breaking eye contact, Bethel whispered to the woman she was speaking with before she moved away, back to Nethlim. As they reached him, Bethel's smile turned more genuine.

When they embraced, it was easy to see the love between them. Others watched on, townsfolk who seemed touched by the display. I supposed it made sense. If their leaders could remain calm, it would be easier for them. It was a similar strategy I had suggested to my employers in the past. Provided management seemed calm, no one would expect the cuts were coming.

As she stood back up, I caught the way her dress shifted. On instinct, I activated my skill, trying to figure out how much it was worth.

{Value Identification: Zero Gold, Zero Silver, Zero Bronze}

The result didn't make sense. No clothes truly held a value of zero, unless they were total rags. I had seen the homeless wearing clothes near destroyed that still would have gone for a bronze, even if it was only as makeshift bandages. My gut churned as I tried to figure out why my skill would get such a result.

An enchantment was the most likely answer, but that added the question of what kind. It was possible to get something that would block my skill; I was sure. The cost, and the specific nature of it, wouldn't ever make it worth the cost. That the clothes were an illusion was possible. She had charmed something simpler, and the dress was covering it, blocking my sight and thus my skill.

Out of the two, that felt the most likely. I hurried on, finding Rita standing at the back door. Her hand rested on her sword hilt, and she was staring out the small back door into the graveyard. A look over her shoulder showed a strange fog coiling up from the ground. Across the way, the zombies stood in a line, silent and watching.

"Are you ok?" Rita asked as I stopped beside her.

"Bethel's dress isn't worth anything."

Rita frowned and gave me a side eye'd glance. "What are you talking about?"

"Her dress," I repeated. "It's not worth anything. At all. Zero. That's… that's not normal. It might be some kind of enchantment, but on a mayor's wife this far from any city? Why?"

"Perhaps she likes the colors," Rita suggested, but there was no genuine conviction in her voice.

"Maybe. Do you think—"

The horses let out a scared whinny, loud enough to cut off my words. Rita shoved a weapon into my hands and drew her sword as she barked orders for me to go. I didn't question her. Fear filled me as I fled towards the front of the church, not wanting to risk going through the graveyard, which was now filled with the sounds of zombie moans.

When I reached the coach, Penny was standing on the roof, her weapon swinging as she turned to locate the threat. All four of the horses were pulling at their ropes, and I rushed to them, doing my best to calm them. No threats appeared I could see, and I spoke to them, trying to sound calm, as I pulled them into a straight line once again. Prancer took the longest to clam, with Hubarrah being the quickest. When they stilled, though they let out an occasional snort, I moved to the coach and pulled it open. From inside, I grabbed a lantern and hung it on a hook near the driver's seat.

A quick use of steel and flint, and the lanterns' warm glow dispelled some of the fog that was creeping towards us along the ground. That done, I looked up at Penny, who was still scanning the surroundings.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, and I hated the worry that tinged my voice.

"Not sure." Her tone was deadpan, and her attention focused on the surrounding area. "They just freaked out. I thought I caught something moving, a shadow, but I couldn't make it out."

"Alright."

With nothing else to do, I moved back to the horses. As I worked, I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder. I had the same feeling that Penny installed in me whenever we played her game. There was something watching me. My gaze flicked about the road, but nothing stood out. Though I could see the undead in the cemetery further down the road. They remained lined up, standing as still as statues.

When I glanced at Penny, I saw she was crouched down, and though she didn't look at me, she spoke quickly. "You sense it too, don't you?"

"Yes, I think so," I replied quietly.

She chuckled, though there wasn't any genuine humour in it. "I guess our training wasn't a total waste. It's wrong though. All of this doesn't feel right."

"In what way?"

"They're too passive. Undead, even controlled ones, are more restless." She shifted, her gaze switching to stare towards the graveyard.

I gave a small nod and returned to tending to the horses. They didn't need me fussing over them, but it felt good to be doing something.

Penny's tail twitched in the breeze, and she shifted her weapon, a touch left. "You love them, don't you?"

"They don't deserve to die because we brought them somewhere dangerous." My hand gently brushed through Thruit's mane. "If anyone is innocent in this world, it's them."

She laughed softly. "You sound like Rita. She believes in innocence too."

"Oh, and you don't?" My attention shifted to her, and she laughed again.

"No." She shifted until she was lying on her stomach, her weapon by her side, as her tail rose into the air. "You grow up hungry, you realise there can't be innocence in the world. Not for anyone who isn't still suckling at their mother's teat."

"Oh, I don't know. I've met some people who were still starry-eyed even when they got older."

"Did they stay that way?" Penny snorted a laugh.

I paused, thinking about the fresh faced recruits I had hired to save on costs. Then how they had looked a year in.

"No."

"Exactly."

Movement drew my eye to the window, and I saw Janice watching me. Her mother stood beside her, a small smile on her face. Not a smirk, not quite, but there was a humour in it I didn't understand.

Behind them, I could see someone lighting a stick of incense. As more sticks burned, the room filled with a light green smoke. As it did, I swore I saw the two of them waver, as though overcome by dizziness. Bethel's hand tightened on Janice's shoulder, and they both straightened before walking out of view.

"Trouble?" Penny asked.

"The Mayor's wife and daughter are… odd?" I paused. "Bethel's clothes don't have a price associated with them, and Janice is too quiet. Plus, neither seemed as bothered as they should?"

"Have you told Rita about that?" Penny asked, tone serious.

"Only about the clothes." I shook my head. "Before I could continue, the horses began panicking."

Penny's eyes widened. "Wait. You said when you were telling her about it when the horses freaked out? The exact moment?"

"Yes, as I said, I was explaining it to Rita. The thing about the clothes I mean—"

Balls of light popped into existence over the graveyard, each such a sheer white that it made it difficult to see. Spots danced in my eyes, and I rubbed them as Penny cursed behind me. When I could see again, the zombies now stood in stark relief, easily visible even from where I stood.

The decaying corpses stood in a line, dressed in rotting fineries. They moved together, stomping feet, as their heads rolled and their arms flapped about. Their entire group reminded me of puppets in a way. With shaking hands, I reached for my gun.

"What do we do?" I hissed.

Penny responded in kind. "You think you can make it back inside?"

"I…" My legs shook, and I could feel my heart pounding as I glanced at the firmly shut door. "No?"

"Then don't die. If they get close, get into the coach. There's less chance of being swarmed. You have bullets?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then fire until you're out, but swap to the spear as soon as they get close enough. Get ready. Aim for the head if you can."

My grip on my weapon tightened, and we waited. The zombies moaned in unison, the sound loud and rumbling. Then they shuffled forward in a shambling mass. They swayed the same way, and their heads lolled about, as though they couldn't keep them upright. Penny herself made no sound, which made the roar of her gun firing seem even louder.

A zombie's head exploded, and it paused. I expected it to topple over, instead; it turned towards us along with five others. Penny reloaded behind me, and I wanted desperately to ask about the fact it was still coming. One light bobbed over their heads, or lack thereof, and I focused on the lead zombie instead.

It had decayed to the point I couldn't tell what it had been in life. Panic filled me, and I brought up my gun. Memories of Jenkins whispering into my ear told me to slow down and not panic. If I panicked, I was just as likely to shoot someone on my side as not. He had been quite thorough in that lesson.

I breathed, taking in the smell of rot and decay as I listened to the sound of their feet. They were in unison, and I found I could use that to time my shot. The gun barked, and my bullet tore through the monster's forehead. Briefly, it swayed, and my panic rose into my chest as it righted itself and then continued moving towards me.

Twice more, I loaded and fired. Each bullet aimed for a head, but it didn't seem to do any good. Behind me, Penny shot, and I watched a zombie's arm disintegrate. That didn't stop it either. A laugh sounded out, high pitched, and so quick I almost missed it. The light overhead shifted as the zombie continued to move towards us.

Soon they were close enough that I holstered my pistol and grabbed up my spear. It felt paltry in my hand, but I knew it was better than nothing. Penny shot again, causing one to suddenly be missing a leg. When she growled, a commanding tone filled her voice.

"Get in the coach!"

I took a step towards it when one zombie reached out to grab at Hubarrah. The horse whinnied loudly and reared up, kicking out. Hooves smacked into its chest as the others moved toward the animals. They panic, pulling against the ropes that kept them in place.

Anger and fear filled me, and I found myself frozen in place until a zombie grabbed at the harness around the horse's face. I moved, stabbing into the creature's chest. It pierced it easily, and above me the light flashed.

"Into the coach!" Penny yelled again, and I saw she was now sitting up, trying for a better angle.

"No." My spear unstuck from its chest with a sickening pop, and I lashed out again. "I'm not leaving them to die."

"Suit yourself."

The air filled with the sound of moans, panicked animals, and the sound of combat. Zombies waved their arms, grabbing at me as I stabbed them. Penny shot off limbs, and the panicked animals added more chaos into the battle. Rot covered fingers grabbed my shoulder, and I kicked out more on reflex than skill.

My attacker fell back, and Prancer stamped down on it, crushing its body. All the while, the light above pulsed and flickered, moving as the zombies collapsed to the ground. When the final one could no longer be a threat, the light fled. It moved towards the church, just as a pot of water smashed through the glass.

Green smoke from the incense poured out, as the water splashed onto the light. It moved erratically, reminding me of drunkards crawling their way out of bars. It spiralled down; the laughter sounded out once again as it landed on the cobblestone road. I moved over to investigate.

What greeted me on the ground was a small humanoid creature with near translucent wings. Its short black hair and dopey drunk expression almost made it look human, but that was something feral to its face, too. When I nudged it with my shoe, it simply giggled, but made no effort to get out of the way.

With a leap, Penny landed beside me, her gun trained on the small creature. It stared up at her, its multicoloured eyes not seeming to focus. Then it coughed a puff of the green smoke and giggled again. The thing was saturated, which I doubted helped matters.

"Penny." I poked it with my shoe again. "What is this thing?"

She sounded amused as she answered, though there was an edge to it. "Trickster Sprite. That explains why the zombies didn't follow the rules. They weren't real undead. More puppeteer'd corpses to freak people out."

"And that is?"

Penny ignored the question, and instead turned away, weapon raised and attention on the surrounding roads. I glanced that way too, and saw small shadows darting about, though none drew close. When nothing attacked us, I grunted and moved back to the horses.

They were beyond simple words, but I did what I could, staying with them and working with treats and light brushes. I knew they wouldn't return to normal until the threat had fully passed, but I wanted to get them to a point where they wouldn't hurt themselves.

After a few minutes, Penny answered. "I don't know everything, but they're chaos creatures. They feed off mischief basically. If they're pulling a prank of this size, then they have a queen somewhere. We need to find and tell Rita."

"No need, I know."

I jumped as Rita appeared beside me. She looked almost unscathed, except for the blood on her sword and her messy hair. Her gaze flicked around the alleyway before falling on me. A touch of relief entered her expression, but it vanished as yells came from the church, and she cursed.

"You two need to come back inside. We've found the queen, and I don't think Father Thed can hold the groups apart much longer."

"Are we fighting?" Penny asked, a grin crossing her face even as she reloaded.

My question came seconds after hers. "Is it Bethel?"

"Yes, her daughter too." Rita sounded determined. "That boy she was with is freaking out. We need to get in there. Come on."

"Clarince?" I asked and followed as she ran for the church.

Rita's tail flicked, and she paused at the door to look at me. "How do you know his name?"

I didn't get to answer, when the door burst open, and a scream loud enough to physically push back Rita into me sounded out. As I caught her, I looked into the church itself and my blood ran cold. A glance at Penny as I helped Rita to her feet told me one thing about the upcoming fight.

This was going to be bad.