March of The Dead (MotD)

As aid to General Hernic, Military Advisor to Duke Redmond, Regnar had an advantage over the other enlisted soldiers. Not only was he very rarely ever close enough to the frontlines to be in any danger, but he was also there in person when most major decisions were made.

He heard of the losses, the victories, the saved, and the damned. He could watch in real time as armies moved across the map of the continent, as known to Humanity through their rudimentary communication network.

For the last three years, Regnar had kept track of important matters and records, knowing when to present them to the General so that he may examine them and ensure they were handled properly. He took pride in his work. While he was not on the frontlines, his work ensured the soldiers were where they needed to be and were prepared both with food, equipment, medical supplies, and for the enemy.

For the last three years, Regnar had watched the Demon Coalition push Humanity back, sprouting from the middle of the continent and spreading out like water soaking into paper. Their designated color of red had slowly, but constantly spread out.

Every victory Humanity stole from the Demons came at great cost, and usually only pushed the Demons back for a few weeks or even just a few days. While the number of dead had lessened and the number of victories had grown as the war progressed and Humanity learned to fight without the System, it grew increasingly clear.

Humanity was dying.

The communication was too simple to allow for detailed reports from the other Nations of Man, so the Three Kingdom Alliance did not know the condition of the other Nations, only their own. But with each Human, Dwarf, and Elf, that died in battle, regardless of victory or defeat, was another that could not stand in the next battle.

Discounting the ones too old, too frail, too injured, or too sick to fight, the number of people that could be drafted was becoming increasingly small.

Regnar was far from the only one to know this. He was far from the first and far from the last. Yet he wished he had not noticed it. Because just like him, the knowledge hung on all who knew it like a chain around their necks, growing increasingly tighter and heavier with each passing day.

So, when a new color, black emerged on the War Map, Regnar could not help but smile. Whoever this Black represented, targeted the Red with vicious determination. They tore into the Red territory like rabid beasts.

As any good Aid, Regnar attempted to access any records of this new Black contender to present to his General, but he was stubbornly refused. According to the Record Keepers, any information regarding this new power was strictly confidential, only accessible by Generals and above.

They had refused him even after he told them he was attempting to access the information for his General. They told him that he would have to come in person and request it from them himself.

General Hernic had not been happy to hear this but went to the Record Keepers in person anyway. Regnar had gone as well, as Aids were meant to do, but he had been turned away, only the General was allowed in the back room where the requested files were kept.

The General stayed in that room for over two hours while Regnar anxiously paced outside. As the Aid, it was his responsibility to ensure his assigned Officer was on time to all his meetings with any file or record that may be needed. And the General had already missed three meetings while he was in the Records Room.

When the General finally exited the room, his face was pale and his knees unsteady. Regnar suggested the General sit while he fetch him some water, but the General refused to stay at the Records building. Regnar understood.

The Records building constantly had people running in and out and it was not right that they see the General in such a state.

Regnar helped the General to his feet and walked him back to his assigned rooms, staying just close enough to catch the man should he stumble.

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It was only after they were in his rooms, with the door locked and any servants dismissed that General Hernic spoke.

"What do you think of this Black Faction on the War Map?" The General asked.

"I am not sure," Regnar answered honestly, "They seem to be targeting the Demons so I assumed they were an ally, or at least, not a threat."

The General chuckled cruelly, "Not a threat? That is perhaps the statement that least fits that Faction."

"What do you mean sir?"

"You have seen the reports of the Necromancers in Tauras?"

"Yes sir. They made quite the big impression when they first took action. However since then, their impact has been minimal."

"That has changed."

"Are they the Black?"

"No, but they are connected to it. They answer to it. It is now believed that the Necromancers in Tauras had such a small impact only because they were probing the Demons. Warming up. At the same time the Black appeared, they acted, fighting back against the Demons with much greater effectiveness.

Their interference allowed the Taurans to finally leave their fortress cities and fight back. Now, together, the Nation and the Cult are fighting the Demons, to varying degrees of success. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose.

But they don't matter.

You have seen this Black spread out, attacking the Demons with extreme aggression. But you have no idea who they are.

They number in the hundred of thousands, perhaps millions. They are the Undead."

"How many Necromancers are there?" Regnar asked with surprise.

"One. One Necromancer of such unbelievable power that scouts have reported that Ambient Mana reacts to his presence.

Blood and bone follow wherever this Necromancer goes. No scout has ever managed to get within two miles of him before falling over dead.

He initially appeared in the forests of the now destroyed Republic of Athera, but he acted before then. You remember when the Demons managed to push the Lissurian King and his army back around a month ago?"

"Yes sir, it was a great disgrace as their King had refused any additional aid, stating that they could defeat the Demons before them."

"It was not Demons. Demons were there, in such number that the Lissurian King could have defeated them if he acted carefully, but according to the Reports of both survivors and the King himself, a massive pit opened up behind the Demons, which hordes of Undead burst from.

They decimated the Demons so quickly the Lissurian Soldiers had no time to react to the Undead turning their attention to them.

It is believed that a similar thing happened in the Gilaen Empire.

Only then did this Necromancer appear in the jungle.

Only then did this Black begin consuming the War Map. Blocked by the mountains blocking his way to the Empire, he spread towards the East, where the Demons were."

"But what about the south? Why did the Necromancer not go towards Zalar?"

"The reports do not know, but it is believed that this Necromancer is prioritizing the Demons. So perhaps he figured the Zalarians were doing a good enough job at killing the Demons? We do not know.

But since his appearance, he has completely purged the Jungles of Athera of any Demon, and is believed to be vacant of any Monster as well. He has faced significant resistance towards the Lissurian Capital of Zolis, but his forces have still claimed territory to the North and South.

According to the most recent reports, his Undead armies have been halted at Zolis and the Northern Mountain Pass. Reports also say that he had somehow appeared in great number in Taria, though they have not been confirmed."

"Is he friend or foe?" Regnar asked.

"It is believed that he is a foe, but one that will not seek us out, not while the Demons are still present in such number. The Kings and Field Marshals feel it better that we sit back, consolidate out strength, while this Necromancer fights the Demons. Let them chip away at each other's strength while we preserve ours."

Regnar scratched his chin, "A sound strategy."

"I thought so as well. So in the next few days, our forces will pull back form the frontlines, and begin fortifying and training. With any luck, the two will destroy each other and Humanity can begin rebuilding."

The General sighed and leaned back, "Could you get me a glass of wine? I have a headache coming on."

Regnar stood up and went to the General's kitchen, pulling a bottle of expensive wine out of the enchanted Icebox. He poured the General a glass, taking a sneaky swallow, before carefully putting the bottle back in the Icebox.

He returned to the General and handed him the glass, sitting down across from him as he began pulling out various papers.

He was half way through a report about the raw ore import for this month when a thought struck him.

"General?"

The General looked up and opened his eyes, "Yes?"

"Do we know the identity of this Necromancer? Surely someone of this power could not have remained so hidden and anonymous."

The General shrugged, "In the reports I was allowed to read, they only referenced him as the Necromancer, but one of the Keepers accidentally brought a report reserved only for the Field Marshals and I was able to see a little bit of it before they took it away. I saw a name."

"What was it?"

"Ashborn."