Elsewhere

Duke stepped outside the Inn and launched himself into the air. God, I love the feeling of flying! Nothing better than this. Except last night. Hot damn! He quickly took an aerial view of his defenses. The wall Grat had created was a several meter thick intertwining of trees and other plants that was brimming with sharp thorns. Duke wasn’t sure how effective the thorns would be against the undead, but against lightly armored foes, it would be horrific. He was also able to spot several mage platforms set carefully up in various trees. He guessed that the defenses were strong, but he really didn’t know. He took it on trust that Grat knew what he was doing.

Duke gained more elevation and started off in the direction of the city. He flew in loops and spirals. Not for any practical reason, but rather because it was just plain fun. He reveled in the act of flight, the feeling of absolute freedom that it gave nearly overwhelmed him. Soon he found himself flying over the village of Rahmfar and Duke switched over to Soul Sight, easily spotting Seshwashi over the houses keeping watch. It was with a chill he realized that this village was in the direct path that the army would likely take. He flew down.

Seshwashi rose up to meet him. “Greetings, Friend Duke. Welcome back to Rahmfar. I saw you flying over and past the village. What brings you back here so suddenly?”

“Bad news, I’m afraid. An army is going to come this way and I am concerned that the village will be wiped out completely in the process. None of the residents will survive what is coming this way.”

“Are you sure of this, Duke?” Concern etched the serpent’s form.

“Am I sure the army will come this way? Not entirely, but this is the most direct path and I see no reason that they would not come this way. The army that I expect is coming consists of undead. They are not going to hesitate to kill everyone in their path and convert them to more undead soldiers.”

Seshwashi suddenly looked crushed, his sorrowful gaze turned to Duke. “Then this will be the last time we speak, my friend. There is little I can do against such a material, mindless foe. If I cannot defend my village from this attack and they all die, I will also cease as they are my life in this world.”

“What if they all left and went elsewhere? Could you go with them?” Duke asked.

“If there was no guardian spirit where they went, yes, but most every long-term gathering of people has one.” Seshwashi lamented.

“One final question. How long does it take for a Guardian Spirit to form?” Duke asked, hope in his voice.

“It takes about a year for a village this size. Longer for smaller gatherings and faster for larger ones.”

Duke smiled. “I’ll be right back.” Without another word, he TELEPORTED back to the Inn and focused his Soul Sight around the entire area, looking for a guardian spirit. After ten minutes of scanning the entire area and coming up with nothing, he TELEPORTED back to the village.

Seshwashi’s demeanor told Duke that hope was fading for the guardian spirit. He quickly acted to restore hope. “My friend, where I would take these villagers, there is no guardian spirit yet. You could perhaps come with them and become the guardian spirit for the area.”

He looked at Duke seriously. “You would do this for me and my people?”

“I would. I will speak with them now and see if they are willing to relocate.” Duke offered as he began to descend. When he reached the ground in the central square, there were already a number of villagers gathered around including what looked to be the local elder, a woman late in her years who addressed him as he set down on the ground.

“You make quite an entrance there, young man. What is it you want from the humble village of Rahmfar? Her voice was heavy with the tremor of age, her back bent by time, but her eyes still had the fire of a vibrant soul. Duke could read her well and she was simultaneously deathly afraid and completely obstinate.

Duke responded. “Good day to you, ma’am. By your bearing, I am guessing that you are the leader of this village. Is that so?”

She harumphed. “Leader? Hardly. I am the eldest of the village and I do share my wisdom with the young ones, but no one leads these people and no one really needs to. We are a simple farming community and take care of each other. Now I ask you again, what do you want?”

Duke sighed inwardly. Herding cats time. Might as well go full doom and gloom. “I bring grave news. An undead horde is headed this way. They are killing everything in their path and will wipe this village off the face of Teldin.”

“Oh, is that all?’ She replied. She then turned to the dozen or so villagers all gathered around the square and raised her voice. “Trouble’s a comin’. Fetch yer kin.” Duke noted the complete change in tone and language when she turned back to him. “Thank you for the warning. I don’t suppose you have a solution for us, do you son?”

Duke smiled, “I do have one if you are willing to entertain it. I will relocate the entire village to a safer place.”

“The entire village you say? Buildings and all? What are you? Some sort of divine messenger come down from above? What god do you represent? Gaiathia perhaps?”

Duke chuckled. “I suppose you could infer that I represent the divine from how I arrived, but no, I do not represent any god of this world. I simply have the Ability to relocate your people to a safe place and to not offer my help in a situation like this is against my nature.”

“Fancy words. Are you going to fly us all on your back then?”

Duke read the trepidation behind the sarcasm and realized that the woman was far out of her depth. He decided another tack might be better. “Perhaps it would be best if we sat down somewhere and shared a drink or a meal so we can speak more casually about this. Declarations and pronouncements aren’t really my thing. Plain talk is better and not filled with all the lies of political leaders.” He paused, reading her reaction and knowing he was hitting the right mark. “My name is Duke, by the way. What is yours?”

“You’re the strangest Duke I’ve ever heard of. Coming in here from the sky and offering help, not demanding things from us. I am Ruathia, but most around here just call me Grandma Ruth. Let’s sit down and talk as you say.” She led Duke into what he guessed was her home. It was a humble dwelling filled with the clutter of a lifetime. Carved figurines clogged nearly every surface, leaving barely any space for anything else. Drying herbs hung from the ceiling in countless places but there was just enough room at the table for the two of them.

Duke took the chair she gestured towards while she put a pot of water on the stove, the smell of burning wood filling the house as smoke leaked out of the cracked chimney. Duke was tempted to RESTORE it, but he figured they were about to leave the entire village behind anyway. A new idea began to form in his mind but was interrupted by Grandma Ruth sitting down opposite him.

“So, Your Grace, you come flying in here without retinue or guard, offer up a dire circumstance with no evidence, and expect me to convince the entire village to run away with you. You see how difficult this is for me to stomach, don’t you?”

“Indeed, I do, so let’s clear some things up. First, I am not a Duke. My name is Duke, and yes, I know how much confusion that causes. Trust me, I know. Second, the army of undead is real and it will come this way. I have fought quite a few of them already but that is nothing compared to the thousands that will come through here.”

“And how do you know they will come this way?” She asked, showing her keen mind. Duke read her suspicions clearly and decided to go with brutal honesty.

“This village lies in a direct path between the capital and my home. They are coming to destroy me and mine on Chopie’s direct orders. The mad king has taken a necromancer on as his primary advisor and set the monster free upon the land with the goal of killing me.”

“So you are responsible for this army of undead marching across the land, then.”

“Not directly. All I have done is protect those I care for. Chopie is corrupted through and through. He imprisoned his father’s own Archmage over a petty squabble with his sister. He forces people to fight in his gladiatorial arena for amusement. The man is just plain evil.”

She gazed at Duke seriously. “You are telling me the truth. The whispers tell me so.”

“The whispers?” Duke asked, confused.

“Not all magic is spells, young man. Some of us have magic in our blood. My own great grandmother was a forest spirit. A certain bit of her magic flows through my veins still. It allows me to tell if someone is lying to me or concealing something. I can tell you are not lying, but there is something you have not said.”

“There are a great many things I have not said. I have not said that Chopie is no longer human but is undead himself now. I have not said that I wish to bring your village to my home so you can be protected. I have not said that I have already spoken with your guardian spirit, Seshwashi and he agrees. But none of these things are what are causing your hesitation. You are comfortable with your life here and really do not want to disrupt your entire world. What you haven’t realized is that your world is going to be disrupted either way, and my offer allows your friends and family to live on and prosper. While doing nothing will sentence them to death and reanimation.” Duke knew his words were entirely too blunt, but he did not care at this point. He had an army to track down and this was merely a distraction and a delay.

She fixed Duke with a hard stare, one that she had used to intimidate countless other people in her lifetime. Duke didn’t blink and she nodded after a few moments of stare-down. “Very well, for the sake of the youth, I will convince them to accept your offer.” With that, she got up and poured two cups of tea, handing one to Duke. “Let’s go talk to everybody.”

When they stepped outside, it was clear that the entire village had gathered. Some had farm implements such as pitchforks or other weapon-like items. Axes were the most prominent of weapons, but there was one sword among the crowd. It was old and in disrepair, but it was still a sword. They were as prepared for trouble as possible. Duke smiled at them and held the door open for Grandma Ruth. She smiled back at him and the crowd visibly relaxed.

She spoke first. “Everybody, y’all come close now so’s I don’t havta shout. I only gots so much honey for my tea, ya know.” The crowd obeyed closing in around the two of them. She continued. “Duke here, told us some downright awful news, but being the good boy he is, offered to help us. Monsters are a comin ‘ere and it ain’t gonna be good. Our farms, our houses, our families, the whole tootin’ village will be wrecked. We gotta go. We gots no other choice.”

“Where will we go?” A particularly bold teenage boy shouted the question on everyone’s mind.

Duke answered him. “I will welcome you all to my home, to my lands so that you can rebuild your village and livelihoods. I will provide you with all the resources necessary to rebuild and thrive once again. You have my word on this.”

At that moment, Seshwashi flowed through the crowd. Duke could see him touch the heart of each and every villager and all of their expressions changed with the touch. Their eyes grew softer, the tension washed from their frames, and they all felt bolstered.

Grandma Ruth spoke up. “Good. I’m glad y’all are smart enough to know kindness when you see it. Go ta yer homes and gather up yer things. We needs ta be ready to leave by sundown.” She leaned into Duke and quietly added, “Will that be soon enough.”

“That will be just fine. I’ll return to help everyone move then. Don’t worry about carts or wagons. I have a magical means to transport everyone to safety.” Grandma Ruth raised an eyebrow at that but didn’t pursue the question.

“Very well, I will see you then. Thank you, Duke.”

“My pleasure ma’am. I shall see you this evening.” With that, Duke rose into the air to the startled shouts of many of the villagers. He gained altitude and continued his patrol.