Hungry Necromancer - Chapter 225

It’s been two days since he left and I was permanently put in charge of the city. Of course one my first moves was to help propagate my control or rather his control over the March.

With Hastra, everything has gone to plan so far.

The moment Asher teleported away to Frozia new laws were announced. New, gruesome laws.

Since a Necromancer’s Army has to be made up one way or another, the punishment for every single annoying crime turns up to be death.

With Juri believing whole heartedly that this much and perhaps more is necessary for the success of his new liege’s plans, the guard were quick to put the law to action.

With executions being on the spot as indiscriminate, the city’s rioting nature was snuffed out within said two days.

Like Hastra had said, I gave them a choice. They could either comply with me,my law and my word in Aste, or they could die.

Of course there were many who would choose death, who would choose defiance and go on ahead to commit the sinister crimes I have so strictly outlawed, but those people were going to die one way or another, by their rebellious nature they fell into the trap I lay so perfectly for them.

And now they lie in the morgue, covered in snow, dead and preserved for later use. For now, they serve me well as martyrs, as scarecrows that dissuade whomsoever would dare commit a crime under my rule.

Once that bit had been ruthlessly established, the next thing that draws my attention is Aren and Yelenia.

Yelenia had awoken just in time to take Juri’s place. Originally the man wanted to be the one to lead the second batch of soldiers to the village we’ll be knocking on, but I realized I couldn’t have him, the Marshal so far away for an extended period of time.

I need to control him to control his men. While I could very well just use terror and fright like Asher has to subjugate the men, I know from Mother’s stories that control by fear never lasts, and that’s why he’s so lucky to have me.

I know just what to do, the both of us do.

While I guide Yelenia through her journey to the village, periodically checking in with her just to make sure she hasn’t absolutely lost her mind as well as to remind her that I have Gerin and Daria tucked safely with me, Hastra does the same for Aren.

So far we’ve only been moving smoothly. Together we run the city, keeping everything under a careful watch.

Occasionally I drop by to watch over the left over guards. When they aren’t on patrol executing whomever is pronounced a criminal they are in their barracks, training ever so carefully to master the use of the newly minted enchanted weaponry the Mayor of Demme has been so kind to produce for us….in exchange for some food for his starving lot back home of course.

And it is under the supervision of the two Asher brought back from his village that they train. Red and Quen I believe it was.

There aren’t any results to be spoken of yet but, they do seem to be working hard at training the militia. And as two of the people that delayed Asher in getting his goal, Serue, I can’t help but admire their strength as fighters, as Hunters,

The skills and moves they’re teaching are generally used against monsters but I suppose that’s the kind of overkill that we’ll need as we face off an entire Kingdom.

A part of me wonders if we can truly succeed. The Kingdom is a million times stronger than we are right now, and even with Necromancy…can we truly prevail over the Synagogue and their lackeys?

Speaking of the Synagogue and their lackeys. Asher spared a Diviner, the last thing I expected him to do was spare a Diviner.

But apparently the man has a job set out for him and thinking about it rationally, I suppose it really is the kind of job you’d need a Diviner for.

Preaching the power of a God. Except, this Diviner preaches the love and grace and power of two Deific beings…the problem with this though, is that only one is truly a Deity, and only one is truly responsible for the coat of snow that has begun to cover all the land in the March.

And that is Frozia,

Asher has gone ahead to proclaim himself the courier of Unrighteous souls and god of undead. While I’m not so sure about the unrighteous soul part, I suppose he could call himself the god of undead beings.

It’s only been three days since the Diviner set up shop with Asher’s command, one of the larger buildings within old Elven North territory has been repurposed for his sermons. I passed by there once to check up on the progress of reconstruction once and now I can’t get his screeching voice out of my head.

He shouts at the top of his lungs, claiming and breathing with all his might that Ash the God of unrighteous souls comes for all sinners and criminals, that the people should drop and offering and give prayer onto his name that their enemies and oppressors be taken by the God and transformed into undead.

He hasn’t really reached out to an audience yet, perhaps because of the undead that guard and follow him everywhere as he preaches, but his collection basket is certainly full. I have a feeling the people are giving offerings and prayers for Hastra, Juri and I to be taken and turned into undead.

Unfortunately for them, I may as well call myself and angel of the God of Unrighteous Souls and Undead because it is his will I carry out on them.

As another calm, crime free day begins to come to an end, I head out to my quarters, leaving all the work, all the petitions and activity reports for when next the sun comes up.

There are many, many enjoyable perks to being the official Mayor of the city, perks I now enjoy without any pressure. Quite unlike before, when Asher was simply testing me.

I shake my head at the thought. He only told me at the last moments that I would be the permanent fix for Aste, and as it turns out, it wasn’t because of any of my previous achievements, no, rather it was because the group he recruited from Maylin’s fold believed in the thought of having a Kingdom of their own, here, in land they are familiar with and most importantly, with the head of said Kingdom being the same race as them. Elven.

For the most part I believe I have delivered on his promise. His promises of a land free of persecution and strife on Elven kind.

It isn’t as though I don’t notice that all he does is subjugate and move on, no, I notice it quite well, in fact it is glaring to the eye. But that’s all right, I need someone to push the agenda forward and it can’t be me.

I will be the one to mould the land in the share image of prosperity we had so long ago when we stood at the edge of a devastated Cabrina Village. Yes, I still hold him to his word, I am no different that any of the other elves he has preached this prosperity to.

All I am is willing to see it through. And thanks to Hastra, I have the confidence and will to do so.

The guards by my door bow and open it up, letting me throught to my room, my insanely large room.

And there on the largest bed I’ve ever seen is the person giving me such strength, Hastra.

She smiles at me as I enter and the doors close behind me, “Welcome back!” she chirps, excited to see me, as I am excited to see her.

She looks about herself and her face soon flushes red, “Sorry, I’ll get rid of all of this now.” The bed, wide and long as it is, is covered in papers, administrative work, “I know you don’t like having work in bed.”

I chuckle lightly watching her scrabble and pick up all the papers, “No, I don’t, I just like having you.”

I can’t keep my eyes off of her as I approach, she has on some frizzy nightwear that barely covers her ass as she kneels on the bed. Her hair is a mess from her stay in the bed but her eyes are glowing with vigour.

“Leave it.” I say, taking off my clothes with my eyes still on her, “We can always have copies made.”

Her mouth hangs open as she stares at me but she quickly gets the idea, “Alright then, let’s leave it.”

Looks like I’m not through with work after all.