24 Spoils

Twenty one corpses yielded a great amount of SM, but they served to be an even greater unit. 

"Rise" Wicked flame engulfed the bodies, their eyes shot open. Rotting eyeballs burning away, skin drying and stretching across their bones. Equipment shifted in place. Loosely hanging on to the corpse. 

The mummified Huron rose, slowly lifting the warhammer. Duth chuckled "No, that's mine. You grab a sword." The mummy groaned with a whine, clearly sad about losing a good item. As he still had his- "The ring of fireball too" now the mummy wasn't willing to part with that. But Duth broke off the finger with the ring to prevent the mummy resisting. He tossed the finger and ring into his inventory, alongside the warhammer. 

The mummy groaned again, dissatisfied. 

"Relax, you have a ring of shielding" Duth booped the undead on the head before flicking his head over to his brethren. "Go join the others, we have work to do" Duth even went ahead and recharged the ring of shielding as the mummy shuffled past. Doing him a favor by injecting five SM into him. The mummy bulked up by a margin, at least he will be harder to kill now.

"Silly man" Duth shook his head. Before looking at his losses. Hmm eighty undead had fallen. But he glanced at the rest of the city. "Still plenty of corpses"

Behind him thousands marched number three thousand two hundred and fourty. He realized raising the entire graveyard was short sighted, so instead he raised a percentage of that. Of course the others were awake and waking to be called to battle. Yet they rested their old bones within their coffins. Awaiting orders.

He didnt call his army to battle against the adventurers. He felt his death knights and he himself could deal with it. Just barely too.

###

The adventurers reached the walls, where a surprisingly quiet, but tense atmosphere stood. The sounds of battle were oddly lacking, that is until they saw bandits and guards mingling together. Whilst Adilen stood atop the walls with three men, each appeared capable of leading. This was clearly Lark and his two generals. They were arguing about.. Grain

When the adventurers arrived the bandits and guards swiftly parted as the adventurer guild was very strong, despite lacking numbers. This was due to a number of factors. Such as the battles they have seen and experienced far outstretched bandits and guards combined. Whilst their gear was another major factor. Some adventurers had their hands on magical artifacts and crafted items of great power. 

Even a mildly experienced adventurer without magical equipment could best twleve bandits, with that gear they can fight thrice that count. Granted although the guild here was strong, they were not threatening in the light of a thousand bandits. Of course now they are. Especially their leader, who was decked out in magical equipment, specially made by the dwarfs. Likely took an equal amount of riches to secure a custom made armor set, ornament collection and even weapons. If one were to take Huron and put him next to this man. You could say he would be at least four times stronger in most aspects with the lowest of his strengths being two folds stronger. 

This of course was none other than Kevin, he stood only 4'6" considering he was of dwarven lineage to begin with.. Whilst behind him a varying class of adventurers stood ready to slaughter, rip and tear. Only there was nothing to rip apart yet. Disappointing really, that said Oren just a few steps behind Kevin stared at the mingling forces that shouldn't be walking amongst each other without bloodshed. He was a high circle mage, or as the guild liked to call his classing "Battle Mage". Although there weren't really that many if any wizards in this city. They were here from a larger but associated guild.

If Kevin were to compare, Oren would be leagues above him. For he was a very destructive mage. Only his defense lacked power, but if anything, he was an intense version of a barbarian and damage dealer in one. Not to mention the way he fights is not like other wizards. Or at least not in their eyes. Whereas most wizards are direct and use some tricks. Oren uses both tricks, direct combat, close quarters, traps and village destroyers. 

Kevin took the lead " ADILEN!" The Captain of the Guard starred down the walls. "Ah, Kevin! Good to see you. Get up here, there is much to discuss!"

Kevin trouged up the steps as the adventurers around him scattered to find their own paths of information.

"Why are the bandits amongst us? Have you given up the city?"

Adilen shook his head. "Hardly, a greater threat has emerged. To fight amongst ourselves is to invite death at the end of the day." Adilen pointed towards the thinning billows of black. "A powerful undead as iv heard has risen, that pillar of green was the rise of a legion. "My scouts have reported thousands of undead within the city. Civilians have been partly evacuated. But the losses are immense. There won't be a city if we don't fight it."

Kevin frowned, he flicked out a stone. Pouring some mana into it he tried to call Huron, however the stone didn't pick up on that meaning one thing." Kevin's expression twisted. "Half my forces had descended on that army, Adilen. I believe their fate is sealed. How will we fight an enemy that beat back militia, guards and slayed more than 20 adventurers?" 

Oren had ascended the stairs slowly. Overhearing the conversation. "We take up defensive positions and let them come to us. Each time we faced them, we lose" Oren spoke as he appeared on the platform. A staff adorned in silver and white stone chimed softly. "Not to mention we are not facing just any undead, but a lich. I have done my research on said ancients."

Lark looked over the city, the greed no longer present. "What's ye best defensive place in ya city?" 

Adilen leaned on the tower wall with a frown. "Right here, the lord's manor is unfortunately ascetic. We won't find defense there. At least here we have only one direction to defend. 

Lark frowned as that wasn't entirely true. But he kept his mouth shut. No need to mention the act he commited days before the siege. "How we gonna kill this shitbag with what we got. Ain't liches powerful?" Every kingdom had its folklore, Liches were very prominent in said stories. 

Adilen scanned his eyes across their forces. He pushed himself off the wall and trudged forward. "Gather around, i have a plan"