Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

The Stillness, Necropolis.

While Caesar was overseeing the construction of the camp's defenses, Orion descended into the hidden necropolis beneath the castle.

Clymene stood within a summoning formation, wreathed in a tangible aura of death. As the formation activated, the agonized wails of lost souls echoed from the void. The offerings placed within the circle began to decay at an impossible rate, flesh and blood turning to dust as their life essence was siphoned into a pile of pristine white bones. As the wailing faded, skeletal warriors began to claw their way out of the sacrificial remains, their empty sockets gazing around in mindless confusion.

Hsssk!

A low hiss escaped Clymene's lips. As if bound by a sudden contract, the newly-formed skeletons shambled out of the sacrificial ritual and into the nearby graveyard, where they lay dormant, awaiting a second awakening.

"The offerings are too few," Clymene said, stepping out of the formation to join Orion. "At this rate, we won't be able to form the undead scourge you're looking for anytime soon."

"There's no rush, Clymene," Orion replied, his voice calm. "True wars provide the fastest way to collect corpses. After our first major battle, sacrifices will no longer be an issue." He knew that only with a sufficient supply of bodies and prisoners could they summon the legions of skeleton warriors and Skeletal Knights they truly needed. Their coalition had only just arrived; they couldn't afford to overextend themselves before everyone was ready.

"What about the shadow assassins? Can they be summoned or trained?" Orion asked. The truth was, their forces desperately lacked a dedicated intelligence-gathering unit. The few assassins Clymene had already converted weren't nearly enough.

"It's difficult," Clymene admitted. "Those shadows were specially trained in life, which is why they became high-tier undead upon conversion. Replicating that training under these conditions is nearly impossible. If we were in the abyss, we could capture some Shadow-fiends and train them as assassins and scouts."

The answer was no, but he had at least offered a solution. For Orion's own undead armies to grow, he needed to fill out the basic unit roster to avoid being easily countered on the battlefield. She made a mental note about the Shadow-fiends. She would either have to capture some herself on a future trip to the abyss or make a deal with the Demon Makareth to procure them.

Tangere's Plague-thralls could serve as scouts in a pinch, but their slow speed and obvious presence meant they had to rely on sheer numbers, which they currently lacked. Spreading out the ten thousand they had would just get them picked off one by one.

Looks like I'll have to transfer Gustalon here, Orion concluded. Gustalon was currently fighting on the dragon front. With no enemy arch lord present, he was practically invincible; even if outmatched, he could escape with ease.

"The plague lord has returned," Clymene said suddenly. With the entire camp patrolled by her undead armies, nothing that happened within its walls escaped her notice.

"It sounds like our ally had a successful hunt. I'll go see what he's brought back."

Clymene nodded and silently returned to the summoning formation to continue her work.

Near the camp's main gate, Tangere and Aerin led Xylia, Angel, and the other Wood Elves inside. The survivors' eyes widened in amazement at the sight of the wooden walls and defensive structures. Fortifications meant the ability to resist an attack. Even if they couldn't make a permanent home here, they could at least find a moment of real rest.

"I never knew a camp like this existed in the Forest of Nature."

"Look, are those… humans?"

"They're building a wall. Are they planning to settle here?"

"Captain, I sense a dark presence."

"It's undead. Skeleton warriors. They're watching us."

The whispers rippled through the elite squad. Xylia and Angel heard them, of course. Xylia saw the skeletons and the humans herself, her mind a swirl of questions. But she remained silent, choosing to trust Aerin. She chose to trust her fellow Wood Elf. At the very least, Aerin carried no taint of evil, nor had she been turned into one of the undead.

"I'm going to drop off the materials. Your people are your responsibility now," Tangere said to Aerin.

"Right. Thank you again, Tangere," she said with a grateful nod.

He turned and walked deeper into the camp. He could already sense Orion standing at the castle entrance, waiting for him.

Once Tangere was gone, Aerin turned to face her kin. In unison, all twenty-something Wood Elf warriors, including Xylia and Angel, fixed their gazes on her, waiting.

"The Wood Elf Tribe is gone."

Her first words shattered their every hope.

"Our king fell in battle. The Tree of Life has sealed itself away. The entire Forest of Nature is overrun with demonic monsters. For the Wood Elf race, there is nowhere left to run."

With their illusions torn away, all that remained was reality. Aerin had faith that these elves, survivors of countless horrors, could withstand the blow.

No one spoke. They just watched her, their expressions a mixture of grief, numbness, and dawning despair. They had lost their homes, their families, their entire world.

"This camp is called The Stillness," Aerin continued, her voice steady. "As you can see, it's guarded by the undead. It was only under their protection that I was able to survive long enough to have a chance to save you. So I made a choice. I pledged my service to them in exchange for their sanctuary."

As she spoke the words, she was surprised by her own calmness. It feels so distant, as if the tragedy of our people happened to someone else, a story I read in a book, she thought.

She looked at Xylia and Angel. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but the Wood Elf Tribe is truly gone." She gave them a gentle, apologetic smile filled with a profound sadness.

"This is The Stillness. This is someone else's territory. If we want their protection, we must submit. The only thing that will keep us safe is proving our value as Wood Elves to the lord of this place."

She didn't mention Orion, Tangere, or Caesar. She didn't explain the full nature of their coalition. For now, the hard truth was enough.