Jezebel woke up to one miserable morning wet and her arm hurt like someone was poking her with a hot poker. Getting up stiffly from the hard road so they could sleep on something besides mud it hurts why did I ever leave the dryads! Looking at Safiya’s sleeping form then got the last rabbit and started to eat I don’t care I need real food especially this morning as she ate everyone had a frown with wet hair and dirty cloths they put back their wet blankets and got their pack animals up she slinged Safiya over her shoulder so she could sleep more and they moved on staying on the road so they wouldn't have to go through the mud the light rain stopped as the sun came out giving little warmth Safiya woke up so Jezebel put her down without a word they stopped at a cross road heading south passing a river and letting their pack animals drink as well as refill their waterskins

  “This will bring us close to a city” Aaron said looking at his map we can’t fight the entire kingdom but we need supplies Jezebel thought they stopped at nightfall eating dinner immediately since skipping lunch then they heard marching head of them they ran off the road behind a hill laying in the wet grass as a hundred skeletons in mail and welding maces not a single spear or sword nor ax could be seen one was on a moa without it’s flesh.

  “Aaron, did you say you saw two skeletons yesterday?” Hector asked

  “Ya they were in a bed” Aaron replied

  “They can only come alive during the night” Hector said how does that help us?

  “We should enter the city tomorrow and leave well before nightfall” William said

  “But what can we get there bones do not need food or feed” Jezebel said softly

  “We have to try, we're too low on supplies as it is” Falkner said flatly, does he ever sound more than mildly annoyed or monotone? She stared at the night sky as the patrol left out of view no one moved for a while

  “Let’s find a place to sleep” Jezebel said getting up everyone slowly got up and their pack animals finding a place wasn't easy but they found a dry enough place to sleep on the ground it was her turn to keep watch she sat on a rock as everyone else slept there is no way some witches did this could there be a god or goddess of witchcraft? But no it can’t be that what could be the cause of this curse? No answers came. As the hours ticked by skeletons could be seen little yellow lights in the distance. Rubbing her gut where the raper struck it’s still sore after hours Jezebel woke up Nyssa for her turn than immediately fell sleep on her back.

  In the morning Jezebel woke up to Hector shaking her shoulder he helped her up they packed up after a light breakfast and headed on the road after a while there were skeletons not moving on the road they hurried past as fast as they could towards the distant city walls once they reached it in the early afternoon the gates were open

  “That's a bad sign right?” Nyssa said they headed in. I hope we have enough time before night falls. They immediately split up into three groups Hector and Safiya walking behind her to the right street as Falkner and Nyssa took the left street with Aaron and William taking the center road.

  “Come back here at least an hour before sunset” William said over his shoulder I hope we have enough time to find supplies before sunset finding a bakery and going through it it was full some were moldy but some were good stuffing as much as they could into their packs I guess the dead need something to fill their time loading up their moa Jezebel rushed out of the bakery and searched for a butchers shop after a while she spotted one on a street corner rushing inside to the stench of spoiled meat searching frantically for anything edible finding three chickens and some lamb chops trying to put them in her sack with one arm getting frustrated Safiya came in and placed them in the sack as Jezebel slag it over her good shoulder and left as soon as possible to get away from the stench she passed skeletons laying in the streets she looked at the sun's position we have five hours to find feed. Easily enough passing by rich merchant houses looking through windows to see if there was anything useful

  “We need to find the stables, where would they be located?” Jezebel asked

  “How should I know?” Hector said after searching for three hours with no such luck they returned to the northern gate. This city is huge! And found Falkner and Nyssa waiting with their moa full of supplies.

  “Where's Aaron?” Jezebel asked

  “How should I know he should be back with salt and other things that all I know” Falkner said looking at the setting sun with a worried expression I wonder if he would be worried if I were the one late or would he just leave me behind

  “What’s taking so long we have an hour to find a place to hide for the night” Hector said Jezebel looked at Safiya with a worried expression

  “I’m going to find them Safiya, Hector find a place to hide and make sure our supplies are safe” Jezebel said getting her shield

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  “I’m coming with you Nyssa go with them” Falkner said holding his side and holding his kite shield they headed out of the city as Falkner and Jezebel took a side street.

  “This is just perfect” Falkner muttered as they stepped over a pair of skeletons as their eyes sprang to life and began to rise. hurrying to a house and opening the door rushing inside and cloning the door as Falkner checked the place she heard Falkner chopping up bones with a crunch sound moving the table with her shield to barricade the door. Did anyone see us?

  “Let’s go” Falkner said, leading her out the back door into an alleyway seeing the street in front of them as skeletons passed by he rushed forwarded into another alleyway with nothing else to do but follow him.

  “Where are we searching?” Jezebel asked

  “How should I know? they could be anywhere” Falkner said coldly they searched as best they could avoiding the dead looking into shops quickly seeing skeletons cook or make pots after an hour and barely got any where

  “This isn’t working they could be anywhere in this place”

  “If not dead” Falkner muttered

  “Don’t you think like that, they headed towards the center right? So” Jezebel pointed at the palace

  “Oh no we are not going to that palace just to maybe find them”

  “Well we’re never find them the way we’ve been searching besides you don’t have a better idea so let’s go” after a while dashing through the streets and finding cover they stood next to a shop staring at the palace three hundred feet away seeing small yellow lights

  “We can climb onto this shop and glide” the words died on her tongue Falkner raised his eyebrows at her

  “Good idea you glide over than open a side gate” he knelt down as Jezebel put her shield on her back and got onto his shoulders and he lifted her up as she began to climb after several minutes of grunting and comments from Falkner to be quiet she got onto the roof you try climbing with one arm she wiped the sweat off her forehead she looked at the palace wall and it was almost as high as the shops roof she leaped gliding over to the palace and grabbed the top of the stone wall with her good arm she lifted herself up and dropped down searching for a side gate finding one twenty feet away and opening it she waited for Falkner she heard him before she saw him she closed the gate as Falkner looked around

  “This is the worst idea you ever had and I can’t believe you talked me into this”

  They made there way sword and mace in hand as two skeletons were guarding a servant door they split up and charged them from the sides breaking the left's gourd’s skull before he could react steel rang sounding louder than it was as Falkner dueled his opponent after three parries Falkner beheaded his opponent.

  “Someone could have heard that,” Jezebel whispered as they headed inside. The place was empty, only stone walls and water dripping was the only sound they walked uneasily. When someone grabbed her she almost cried out before she realized it was Aaron. He looked grim. Their donkey was with William five feet away.

  “What are you doing here? it's night time” Falkner said eyes on fire.

  “We were going to be back in time with supplies but we got lost and so William got a feeling that the source of the witch craft so we headed here to stop it” Aaron said

  “So you came here to stop it by yourselves” Jezebel said looking at William. This plane is stupid maybe Aaron could come up with it but William? She walked over to him

  “What were you thinking?” Jezebel asked

  “I panicked and I was thinking we could end this curse without endangering Falkner. We failed on the latter it seems” William said, petting the donkey there both crazy they walked into a hallway after tying the donkey. no sign of yellow flames walking next to Falkner as Aaron and William took the lead spear points out. Slowly they moved, entering another empty hallway.

  “its surprisingly empty” Falkner muttered

  “I agree” looking behind her and seeing only darkness deeper into the belly of the beast. They entered a vast chamber with dozens of skeletons. The throne room was filled with about three dozen guards and a king with a black crown on its skull.

  “One of you needs to distract the guards while I grab the crown” Falkner whispered

  “And who is that someone?” Aaron asked

  “I’ll do it” William said

  “No Jezebel should be the distraction” Falkner replied

  “Why me?”

  “Because William is too old while you have the most stamina than any of us” Falkner said firmly

  "My arm is hurt" Jezebel said

  "What does that have to do with anything?" Falkner Asked eyes on fire but his expression didn't change

  "Jezebel just do it for once" Aaron said she clenched her jaw but nodded

  “Where’s William?” Aaron asked looking all around William was nowhere in sight

  “I guess he was tired of all the arguing so he went ahead everyone get ready” Falkner said softly William came into view screaming and weaving his spear Falkner and Aaron immediately started moving towards the skeleton king leaving her alone.

  “Bring me the living he must join us” the king said in a raspy voice he ran away and all but six bodyguards remained behind, her heart was pounding as the skeletons rushed by her. We need to do this quickly, he can’t outrun the dead. when they were out of sight she leapt in front and rushed towards the throne shield out. the bodyguard immediately formed a shield wall at her advance only to get hit with skylight from the side she bashed foe in the skull then brought it down on a spear point two engaged her she blocked a spear before tackling it, as Aaron fought off three of the bodyguard but was getting pushed back the king stood up sword in hand fought Falkner in a dual flame and swords clashed Jezebel hit the skull but only chipped it while another brought the broken spear shaft across her throat she raised to her feet trying to throw him off but he held on to her back the second grabbed her hooves trying to trip her stomping on his arms while dropping her shield to try and pull the shaft away but he got two his feet and held on to her shield she sank to her knees getting tunnel vision she couldn't breath than she gasped as air rushed to her lungs making her cough

  when she could she stood up at the two skeletons kneeling. Aaron was walking towards her away from one kneeling skeleton she looked towards the throne and sat there was Falkner wearing the crown eyes ablaze but with yellow flames.