Chapter 49

****Author's Note****

This is a long one folks! 7,152 words! Just an FYI, most authors on RR have chapters ranging in length from 1500 - 3000 words. I normally shoot for 2,000 - 3,000, but I've gone over more than a few times. Against my better judgement I've been writing longer chapters for y'all rather than my normal stuff. To be completely honest with everyone, I do feel like doing longer chapters will come back and bite me in the ass, just due to how my Patreon functions. I'm falling behind a bit on the extra chapters past 10 for the Baleful Warden tier, and I really want to make sure I keep the chapter count high so you feel like you're getting a good value for your hard earned money.

I'd hate to see myself down the road with everyone downgrading tiers before I'm putting out less, but longer chapters, especially since my goal right now is to become a full-time author. Tell me what you think down in the comments below so I have some feedback. 

Onto the chapter itself! It was a ton of fun to write, and I enjoyed the way I went with it. There are POV shifts in this chapter, but between Drew and Tyler only. This isn't something I will do all the time, but it was nice to write from someone else's POV for a change. The chapter will be a bit darker than your used to and I think I created some really fun scenes.

Hope everyone enjoys it!

****End Author's Note****

Chapter 49

The town's hunting parties had taken similar patrol paths each day that Drew had observed them using his birds, but in a world without GPS, and with the wooded areas not having paths yet, the party that he was currently tracking veered a bit off course. For Mark, Drew, and Scolder, the adjustments they needed to make were a minor inconvenience, but for the horde of minions waiting to ambush said party, it was far more of a pain in the ass. The skeletons were very quiet in their movements, but the twigs and dried leaves under their feet still made noise, because of that, Drew had to be very careful with making adjustments to their positioning.

Post-Descent, everyone's perception was much, much higher than it was previously. Not every class had high perception, nor did every profession, so it was somewhat difficult to gauge how far out he needed to keep his minions, and how minute their movements needed to be to avoid detection. After all, sound traveled strangely in wooded areas, but in general they were fairly silent. For Drew, he could hear a leaf crunching a very long distance away, but he was also E Grade and his race, class, and profession all increased his perception attribute by a fair margin. But there was no way to tell what the stat distribution of the hunting party was.

Tracking them wasn't difficult, especially with his birds, and the party was making a fair amount of noise while traversing through the trees. Even stationed so far away from the party, Drew could just barely make out the sounds of movement. The sounds weren't clear, and they seemed to come from several directions, but it was still impressive nonetheless. But his job wasn't to be part of the ambush. No, his duty was to send commands to the small army of undead to spring the ambush, and in the unlikely event of a hunting party running, he was there to help catch them before they made it back to town.

Contingencies and being able to adapt on the fly were very important. He had learned that lesson the hard way early on. Between the early goblin and bird hordes, and the total fuck up on his part when Mark and Drew walked into a bunch of wild hogs prior to The Descent, he learned that having backup plans and not sitting still with a thumb up his ass was important. He wasn't an action hero, and he wasn't a genius, but he did try to learn from his mistakes.

Just because he had the job to follow through with kidnapping those poor sods, didn't mean he couldn't have fun while doing it. If anything, he'd been sorely lacking in the fun department for many weeks, and his mischievous side was clawing in the box that he'd mentally stuffed it in. Fun was definitely on the agenda for the day.

**********************************************************************************

"Do you think your stomach will hold up for patrol this time, Tyler?" Steven asked while snickering.

"My meat was undercooked and I'm not used to living off canned vegetables. It's not funny." Tyler replied.

The two other men chuckled at his misfortune. It really wasn't funny, undercooked food was no joking matter and it didn't help that he and his girlfriend were stuck in the same group as those two assholes. Anything they could rag on him for, they did, and he was freaking sick of it. He might have felt better about the situation, but Kim never stuck up for him, if anything she was just awkwardly quiet when they were all together, as if she was uncomfortable. Uncomfortable or not, he was her boyfriend, some basic support over not feeling well or being teased by Steven and his buddy Greg, should be common courtesy.

Ever since the strange windows popped up, his life had gone to shit. It wasn't perfect before, but it was a hell of a lot better than it was today. He had watched as monsters came crashing into his house and dragged his mother, father, and younger sister out and murdered them in cold blood. He had only survived because he made it to his father's gun safe in time to grab one of his guns, blowing the head off of one of those little green bastards shortly after. He'd raced outside to help his parents and Helen out, only to find them already dead, the monsters busy raping his sister's body. He'd blacked out after that, and when he woke up, he was being carried to the middle of town by one of the volunteer firefighters.

He hated this new world, he hated everything about it. It had taken his family from him, murdered his childhood friends, and it forced him to go out on patrol with those assholes just to protect himself and Kim. He was nineteen years old; he wasn't stupid, he wasn't a kid anymore. He'd heard the rumors; he'd seen people slowly start to disappear after asking questions. The message was clear, play ball or end up like them. If it was just him, he would have left town and gone to Waurika to look for his aunt and uncle. But he had to protect Kim. She was like him, she had no one left in town to help her.

There was no one left. It was a sobering thought that was a bitter pill to swallow. Besides Kim, everyone he'd grown up with was dead. Dead or missing. Those green bastards and all their friends killed so many people before the town had been able to rally a defense. His childhood home was pulled apart at the seams to create the barricades that served as rough walls to keep the evil things out. The town took everything from him that the monsters didn't. They took all the firearms, the clothes, the food, and even Mr. Biggles, their family cat. All he had left of his family were memories and a few photos from when he was a kid.

Now he was stuck going out on patrol with assholes every day. It was a love-hate relationship for him. He hated them, but he loved killing the monsters that ruined his life. It was the only source of stress relief he had these days, since Kim had started acting strangely the last week or so. But she was probably coping with her losses in a different way than him, so he left it alone and let her grieve. Steven and Greg were a different story though.

Those two had likely been assholes long before those cursed windows invaded his life. They were both in their mid-twenties and acted like everything bad that happened was his fault. Monster showed up, his fault. Lower rations for a day, his fault. Someone went missing, his fault. The worst part was he knew they didn't actually believe the bullshit they were saying, but were just using him as a punching bag because they could. If anything, they seemed to enjoy the new life they had. Everything was like a game now, and they got to be the big strong men they wanted to be. Fuck them, they could keep it. He just wanted to be left the fuck alone to live his life with Kim.

"Hey kid, you done jerking off back there? Quit spacing out, you little cuck." Greg called to him.

"I'm not...whatever."

The men chuckled again.

Fuck them. Fuck Greg.

Tyler continued walking with the group, moving through the same area they patrolled every damn day. He moved around the trees with the others, keeping an eye out for any movement near the ground. He was pretty sure all the green monsters had been killed off by now, but they were sneaky fucks, so it was a good idea to keep an eye open just in...

"You mortals dare enter my forest after defiling it once already!?" A booming voice called out from around them.

Everyone froze. Tyler pulled the gun he had shouldered as Steven, Greg, and Kim did the same.

"Nothing to say in your own defense? Do all mortals trespass on another's territory and then defile it?" The voice called out again.

Who was talking to them, and why were they talking so strangely? Tyler looked around but couldn't see anyone within the brush or amongst the trees. He looked up and spotted a large black eagle with red eyes looking at his group from the very top of a nearby tree.

"There!" Tyler called out while pointing.

The group circled around and raised their weapons towards the bird.

"Dumbass, it's just a bird." Greg sneered.

"A BIRD!? I AM THE LORD OF THE FOREST!" The bird called out with a voice that shook the trees.

The eagle stretched out its full wingspan and pointed its head forward in an accusing manner.

"Something weird is going on here... the only birds that can talk are parrots, that thing must be a monster." Steven whispered to the group.

"Monsters can't talk dude!" Greg whispered back.

"WHISPERING AMONGST YOURSELVES WHEN YOUR BETTER SPEAKS TO YOU? THE NERVE!"

Steven lifted his old gun, aimed, and shot the talking bird. Its body fell to the ground with a thud.

"See, just a monster. Problem solved. Don't go shitting yourself over there, kid." Steven said while shouldering his firearm.

The forest remained eerily quiet before the first sound came. Then another sound, similar to the first. Then another, and another. Another eagle landed upon a nearby treetop. Then another one came. Within seconds the trees were covered in giant eagles with glowing red eyes. Tyler kept his rifle firmly pressed against his shoulder as he eyed all the monster birds. There were... so many. There had to be more than fifty. This... this wasn't good. This was very, very bad.

"Maybe you shouldn't have shot it." Tyler whispered to the asshole.

"Shut up cuck boy." Greg cut in to defend his friend.

"YOU DARE RAISE YOUR ARMS AGAINST ME! I AM IMMORTAL! I CANNOT BE KILLED. WHERE ONE FALLS, MANY SHALL TAKE ITS PLACE!" Dozens of voices called out in unison.

Oh fuck. Not good. Today fucking sucked! After everything, he was going to be killed by a flock of giant talking birds. Fuck this world.

"FIRST YOU SHIT YOURSELF INTO A STUPOR ON MY LAND..."

"This is your fault cuckboy!" Greg accused as he pointed at him.

"I fucking knew it!" Steven cried out.

"...AND THEN THE OTHER THREE HAD THE GALL TO HAVE A GIANT FUCKFEST WITH EACH OTHER WHILE YOU'RE HUNCHED OVER NEAR MY FAVORITE TREE!"

His head snapped to the others. Their faces paled as the birds' accusations hit them. Even Kim paled. Did they seriously do that? But...why? How? Why would she...

"So, you're a pervert and liked watching us, huh? Well, fuck your birdbrain!" Steven called out.

It was true. It was true. She... she cheated on him. He was going to die, and she cheated on him. With fucking Steven and Greg. He'd known her his whole life, he'd saved her from the monsters that killed off her family, and she what? She went and fucked those two assholes while he was sick in the middle of the fucking woods?!

"FOR YOUR CRIMES, YOU WILL BE TAKEN PRISIONER AND HELD UNTIL TRIED FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, MORTALS!" The voices called out.

"The hell we are!" Greg said before he started firing.

Gunshots rang out through the forest, and the birds took flight. Tyler stood there, numb. He wasn't firing, he wasn't fighting. He was going to die, and the only person that mattered to him, betrayed him. What was the point of fighting? There was nothing worth living for anymore. So, he just stood there, watching as the assholes wasted their ammo trying to shoot the flying birds out of the sky. He watched as...as Kim did the same thing. She didn't even look like she felt bad about what she did. She hadn't denied it, and she didn't even apologize to him. No, she was just shooting at the birds like the other two, while he was stuck in his own world watching the events unfold.

He watched as their guns ran dry, and they tried to reload. He watched as they ran through that ammo as well, not hitting a single bird as they dove and flew around the group and the trees. He watched as a large group of walking skeletons appeared, marching through the woods to partially encircle his group. He watched as he heard the group's guns click empty, and listened to the cursing, followed by the yelling as they noticed the new arrivals. He stood still as the woman he loved and the two assholes she'd fucked pressed their backs against his while looking for a way out.

"There! There's an opening!" Steven cried out.

"We have to be fast!" Greg replied.

He felt it, but it didn't register right away. He twisted as he fell forward, he saw her outstretched arms as he fell to the ground and she turned to run. Fitting. Absolutely fucking fitting. She had pushed him towards the skeletons so she could run away, hoping they'd settle for him and let the others go. Fuck this. If he was going to die, he'd take those fuckers with him.

He grabbed his rifle from where it had fallen, and gunshots echoed through the woods as his finger pulled the trigger in rapid succession. Steven fell face-first into a nearby tree, Greg froze and looked down at his chest before collapsing like a sack of potatoes being dropped. A bullet clipped Kim's calf and she fell screaming to the ground.

Then there was black.

*******************************************************************************

"That was certainly darker than I thought it'd be." Drew said as he leaned back against the tree.

"What happened? I heard you talking through the birds, and the gunshots, but I couldn't see anything." Mark asked.

"I'm not sure. Or rather, I think I had an idea, but I can't say for certain."

"That's not an answer." Mark said.

"Ah. Well, I had the birds dodge to buy time and make them waste their ammo, but one of the guys froze up. He didn't try to defend himself at all, he just stood there frozen."

"Right, I'd be pretty scared if all those minions swarmed me too." Mark nodded.

"No, that's not what happened. He just stood there. It wasn't fear, it was like he'd given up. Then the skeletons surrounded them on all but the one side."

"Okay, yeah that was the plan. I'm guessing we don't have any runners, since we're not chasing anyone at the moment."

"No, the woman pushed the guy that was frozen still towards the skeletons before turning tail and hauling ass through the opening."

"Holy shit, they were willing to throw a guy to his death to escape?!"

"Yeah, but that wasn't entirely unexpected."

"True. Definitely dark."

"Uh, yeah. Well, the frozen guy fell and was suddenly very much alive. He shot the other three that were running away."

"No shit? Well, I don't blame him, especially if the other three were sacrificing him. Are they okay?"

"Nope."

"Nope?"

"Two are dead. One fell face first into a tree and broke his neck, the other one got shot through the heart."

"Holy fuck. Robert is going to be pissed."

"Technically we didn't kill them. The other guy did." Drew nodded with sage-like wisdom.

"The best technicality is the technical one?"

"Yup!"

"But what about the information gathering, and what happened to the third person?"

"Ah, she made it all of three feet after getting shot in the leg. She tried crawling away, but with all her crying there was no way she could hide. The minions knocked her and the other guy out cold. On the information front, I think I have an idea." Drew said with a smile.

*************************************************

"Are you sure this is okay?" Mark asked again.

"Yes. We didn't kill them, and no one was tortured." Drew said.

"I guess. But doesn't it feel... wrong?"

"Weren't you the one who said 'The best technicality is the technical one'?"

"Well, yeah. But for the record, this wasn't my idea." Mark said as he pointed.

Two shiny new skeletons with blue flames for eyes walked alongside Drew while carrying the unconscious woman. Soulflames. Minions couldn't lie or betray him. Unlike his other soulflame minions, he didn't trust these two. Not at all. Especially since they were willing to kill off a friend to run away. As such, he hadn't allowed them to have even one iota of free will yet. Were they really prisoners within their own bodies? Yeah, but soulflames were very useful, and they could still have classes. It would have been a shame to waste two people around level fifteen, plus he needed information about the town.

The two survivors were still knocked out cold. They'd been searched thoroughly, and every weapon and tool had been removed from them. Drew had brought along one of the new [Health Potion] prototypes that the alchemists at the community had cooked up. Rather than testing something unknown on himself, he'd found a guinea pig, of the female captive variety. The good news was the potion worked well and healed up her fucked-up leg. The bad news was, her hair had fallen out in the process. It seemed like the alchemists still had some kinks to work out in their potions before they were ready to use. Good thing he had a captive!

Using the prototype on an unconscious captive was a bit fucked up, but no one could say that he wasn't a true altruist by giving his wounded captive their only health potion! He did it out of pure concern. That was what he was going to tell Robert anyway. In reality he now had some precious feedback for the profession holders, and he'd saved his wonderful hair.

The trek back to base was uneventful and the group arrived in late afternoon. The real issue became noticeable once they'd made it back however. Where the hell were they supposed to keep captives? They didn't have a jail or anything. Drew guessed it was time to add a small building like that to the community, but it'd need to be made out of something super tough, because with his stats he could currently punch through a tree. Maybe stone? Iron would work, but a building would require a shit ton of the stuff. Maybe Jonathan could build a cage or something?

For the time being, Drew set up the new soulflames, and several other minions to watch over the two captives in the center of town while he went over to the blacksmith's workshop to commission a jail or cage of some kind. He also did his rounds and checked with the security team to see if anything had happened since he and Mark had been gone. After that he rounded up the main team to let them know about the events of the mission, and to send healers out to check on the captives. He still needed to get information out of his soulflames and the two survivors, but that could wait until they'd been checked over by the healers.

He also gave the alchemists a heads up about their prototypes and the side effect that he'd noticed. Come to find out, one of their kids dropped an extra ingredient into the concoction, and that likely caused the issue. Some kid was due for a serious spanking. Drew chuckled at the thought. No serious harm had been done, and they figured out the issue quickly. The female captive wasn't going to be happy, but compared to when she passed out... well she was lucky to be alive.

Shortly before sunset, the minions that were guarding the two captives alerted him to their stirring. They'd be waking up soon. Now, the prudent thing to do would be to go talk to them like a normal human being, try and get some information out of them, and hopefully gain their cooperation. This was a sensible idea, but given how their two buddies were now his minions... well, they wouldn't know that since he had used [Corrupting Contagion] on their bodies to strip them to just bones, additionally, there was the whole issue about three of them trying to kill off the fourth one to run away. Logic, good manners, and a welcoming attitude may not be the best course of action. Orrrrrrrr there was Plan B...

*******************************************************

Tyler awoke to someone shaking him vigorously. A bald... person... was standing over him with both their hands on his shoulders, pushing and pulling.

"What?! Quit fucking shaking me you weirdo!" Tyler pushed the strange bald person off of him.

"Shhhhhh!!" The figure shushed him.

They pointed a finger off to his right. He turned his head while using his arms to prop himself up. Where was he? What happened? Oh... there were dozens, if not a hundred walking skeletons directly to his right. They stood stock still, but were facing him and the strange bald person. The two monsters closest to him had eyes made of blue flames, and there was a small matching ember burning within their chest cavity, much like a heart, but more rounded. He must have been captured, and that poor schmuck next to him was stuck in the same boat. Whatever, he knew he was going to die, what difference did it make if he had to wait a little while for it to happen.

"What do you think they're going to do to us?" She said.

"Holy shit, Kim?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

She crawled close to him while nodding her head.

"Yeah, look I'm..."

His foot hit her sternum with all his strength, sending her off cartwheeling in the air before hitting the ground face-first and sliding to a stop.

"Fuck you bitch! I don't know how you're fucking alive, but I'll fix that right now!" He screamed.

By the time his right leg was back on the ground, and he had started to bend his knees to sprint towards his cheating ex-girlfriend, two sets of boney hands grabbed him and forced him down to his knees. The blue-eyed monsters prevented him from getting back up and were holding him in place. Several more raced off to collect the whore. Funnily enough, they just grabbed her legs and dragged her back to her starting point. Face still firmly against the ground where she could be heard crying. Tyler chuckled to himself at the sight, and it made the fury in his stomach, and the emptiness that he felt in his heart numb slightly.

The animated skeletons lifted her up and unto her knees, then she hunched over and began to cry into her hands. Did he feel bad? Fuck no. She deserved every bit of it and more! She had fucked those two assholes, and then tried to kill him! But the message from his unspeaking guards was clear. Stop fucking around. Or at least that's what he felt was the message due to the tight grip they were continuing to use to hold him in place.

Skeletons suddenly lurched into movement. The blue flame undead hoisted him to his feet and pulled him, half dragging, to a new location. The guards with the bald bitch did the same. He was in some kind of settlement? His head turned as he looked at his surroundings. A clanging could be heard coming from a large building that looked a lot like an old smithery, a massive tower that seemed to be made out of black and gray vines sat off to his right, with a massive blue flame that sat atop it like a brazier of some kind. His guards suddenly stopped, and the ones up ahead... formed ranks?

The massive group of undead split like the Red Sea, partying into multiple rows with an open pathway down the center. The monsters were facing the rows opposite of them, and Tyler was pushed by his guards down the open path. It was like some kind of procession, or parade, and he was the one being viewed. He looked to his left and saw Kim being dragged. She was kicking and screaming, but it didn't do her any good, as two more undead appeared and held her legs stiff. She could at least die with some fucking dignity, or whatever was left of it.

They were led to a large circle made of multiple stones, about two feet off the ground, and standing upon that circle were creatures made from the nightmares of all humankind. Demons. His guards forced him into a kneeling position after he stood there frozen in shock. They pushed him down, making him use his right knee as support while his left knee was bent. His ex's guards did the same to her, but she was no longer screaming. No, she was as pale as a ghost upon seeing the figures ahead of her, she simply complied with the undead's commands and fell to her knee while watching the figures with apparent horror on her face, not daring to make so much as a peep.

The figures were made up of two groups, split between right and left, all of which were directly facing him. On his left closest to the opening stood an absolute behemoth of a Demon, it stood at least eight-foot tall, with massive horns and plated armor the color of night, on its side stood another demon, much shorter, with short black hair and wearing some kind of ceremonial robe, it appeared much more feminine compared to its compatriot.

The other group on his right composed of a tall man that looked a bit like Pedro Pascal if he had a more olive complexion closer to a man of Indian descent. He had short black hair and... pointed ears? Was it another Demon, or maybe an elf from fantasy books? Who was he kidding, he was living and about to die in a fantasy land. To the man's side stood a female of some strange species. She looked closer to the Demons than the man did, with blue-gray skin and long unnaturally colored hair. Who were these creatures? They didn't seem to act like the brainless monsters he'd been fighting with for the last almost four weeks. Were they invaders? Were they responsible for this apocalypse picked from the brain of Tolkien having a bad trip on shrooms?

His eyes caught movement on the left of his peripheral vision. The cheating whore. She looked like she was about to throw up. Good, maybe that would get her killed first so he could watch. If there was a God on this hellhole of a planet still around, he should at least grant Tyler that small mercy. The woman with blue-gray skin scrunched up her face before walking down off the circular stone platform and appeared directly in front of his ex. He began to feel the edge of his lips trudged upwards in anticipation. The woman looked at Kim, and his ex had frozen, daring not to even breath. Tears were running down her face, but she remained silent, waiting for her death.

The alien woman clicked her tongue and tsk'd, her hand coming to rest upon his ex's chest. This was the moment; he'd get to see her punished before his very eyes before he bit the dust himself. The woman’s hand glowed with a light much like the sun's, pushing out into Kim. Several small cracking noises could be heard, and Kim gasped and she took a deep breath, eyes widened and staring up at the blue-gray woman. No screaming? He kind of hoped it would be a little painful for her, but instead Kim just looked up at the woman with awe-filled eyes. Maybe she was having a come-to-Jesus moment?

The alien woman quickly nodded her head, pulled her hand away, and walked back to her position upon the stone circle. Where was the death? No explosion of gore or anything? These things were Demons, weren't they? Of course, they were! Just look at that big bastard and his horns and black armor, he'd make Satan himself hide under a rock. So, what the fuck was going on?

*CLUNK*

A strange sound came from somewhere up ahead.

*CLUNK*

What was it?

*CLUNK*

Stone hitting stone?

*CLUNK*

No, that wasn't it

*CLUNK*

Heavy metal hitting stone, like someone dropping an axe...

*CLUNK*

...and its head hitting concrete.

*CLUNK*

Yeah, that sounded about right.

*CLUNK*

But why was it getting closer?

*CLUNK*

A figure, almost as tall as the tallest Demon stepped in through the opening the two groups had left.

*CLUNK*

Its metal covered foot fell to the stone ground which caused a small spiderwebbing of cracks to appear upon the stone it stepped on.

*CLUNK*

It was covered in armor, not unlike the large Demon, but far, far different. There were skulls on the metal boots he wore near the knees, their mouths wide open and they were spewing forth blue flames.

*CLUNK*

His belt likewise had an oversized skull, much like a rodeo style country belt, except it was the size of a human head.

*CLUNK*

Each piece of shoulder armor looked to be similar as well, blue flames licking off the surface of the skulls, from their eyes and mouths

*CLUNK*

A blackened helm sat atop its head, whatever sat within that helm wasn't human. Of that, Tyler was one hundred percent certain.

*CLUNK*

The figure now stood slightly past the others, closer to him. Its helm moved from side to side, visually inspecting the soon to be dead meat. Its armored hand reached into a black hole that split space into two. A spatial inventory... and pulled out the biggest fucking sword Tyler had ever seen, including video games. It was almost as long as the figure was tall, and it lifted the sword like it was nothing more than a stick. The sword's blade seemed to be made of bone, as well as the handle and guard which also consisted of a human-like skull that seemed to be caught mid-scream. What was with all the fucking skulls? The skull upon the sword's guard belched out blue flames as the figure used one hand to slam the sword straight in the stone. The bone blade slipped through the stone like a hot knife through butter.

The figure dropped his hand and rotated both it, and its partner, eliciting several large cracking noises, before it rolled its neck to produce a similar effect.

***********************************************************************

"YOU STAND BEFORE THE LORD OF THE FOREST MORTALS! STATE YOUR NAMES OR TAKE YOUR SILENCE TO YOUR GRAVES!" A hundred voices called out from his minions.

Maybe he was going a bit overboard with this whole thing. He was pretty sure the female had peed herself. Or at least it smelled like piss, and she had a giant wet spot running down her jeans. Okay, yeah, the evil overlord thing was maybe a little over the top. But it was kind of fun! It had taken some convincing to get his mother out here, but Beefcake and Mark had been up for it. Miranda hadn't been happy though, something about 'being stupid boys'. She'd almost ruined his whole stick by healing the female, but even he hadn't expected the guy to Sparta kick her straight in the chest like he had. He guessed the man was still feeling like a sour grape after being thrown to the wolves, or undead in this case.

"Ki...Ki...im...Kim...si...sir" The woman barely managed to get out.

"KI KI KI IM KIM SI SIR, IS A HORRIBLE FUCKING NAME! TRY AGAIN MORTAL!"

Drew chuckled internally. This must have been what powerful CEOs and politicians felt like back in Old Earth. He definitely couldn't do this all the time; it was become too boring and mentally taxing. Not from a mana aspect, but it just wouldn't hold the same amount of fun if he abused this too much. Still, sometimes being feared was better than being respected, this was likely one of those times. Plus, it was fun!

"Kim, sir. My name is, Kim."

"BETTER! YOU SHOULD ADDRESS HIS MAJESTY AS LORD, HIGHNESS, OR HIS MAJESTY! NOT SIR, YOU COUNTRY BUMPKIN!" His minions all voiced together.

He was totally channeling his inner evil emperor right now. UNLIMITED POWERRRRR!!!!! Okay, enough joking around, or Miranda was going to beat him upside the head when this was done, and then tell Amber to do the same thing. He could practically hear Mark trying to hide a smile behind him, and he physically could hear Miranda sighing.

"Yes, your majesty!" The woman practically screamed.

Drew nodded his head and turned it to the man.

"Tyler, your Lordship." The man said with a deadpan voice.

Interesting. Is he not afraid? Maybe it was all the fucking skulls on his armor? That shit looked hella cringy, he wouldn't blame the guy. But then again, this guy was a strange duck, and his actions so far had been exaggerated. Either frozen stiff as a board, hyper-aggressive, or almost bored and dead inside. Typical fucking teenager angst shit, but the kid must have had a serious set of balls not to care with Demons and undead all around him.

"I'm going to ask you two questions, and you're going to answer them. If you lie, you will die. Slowly. If you're truthful, you'll be free to leave in peace with your life. Do you understand?" Drew asked.

"Yes, Majesty!"

"Yes, Lord of the Forest."

Man, that kid was really putting no effort into it. Whatever, he wasn't going to have his minions beat the young man senseless. He just needed to get this questioning over with so he could report to the others.

"First, why did you push that man, Tyler, to my minions?" Drew asked.

He wanted to start off with a simple question, but one he wished to confirm. The female hesitated slightly before he tilted his head and she quickly spat out the answer.

"To run away to safety, Majesty."

The young man sighed, his head down slightly, and his fists curled tightly and shaking. So, it was indeed a betrayal. Interesting.

"What is your relationship with this young man?" Drew asked.

"He is, or was, my boyfriend."

Oh. OHHHHHHHHH. Oh shit! She'd been fucking the other two and Drew had called her out on it! Then she threw her boyfriend to his minions to escape! Suddenly all the hyper-aggression from Tyler, and the deadpan voice and freezing made sense. Ouch, what a kick in the balls, and what a bitch!

"Was this prior to your engagement with the other two males in my forest?"

Might as well make her sweat a little. Drew chuckled.

"I... I was still dating him at the time, if that's what you wish to know. Your Majesty. Sir." She stammered out.

"I see. That was a bitch move right there wasn't it?"

"I... uh...yes. Yes, it was, Majesty." Her head was aimed to the ground.

Was it shame? Fuck it, it wasn't his problem. He just wanted to get an idea on their relationship.

"You both are from the town nearby, correct?"

"Yes, Majesty."

"Yes, Lordship." The man said with a little more grit.

Interesting, seemed like he felt validated in his anger and appreciated that someone called out his ex for her bullshit.

"I have heard rumors of late, many detailing the disappearance of citizens and pets. Who do you believe is responsible young man?"

The man looked up at Drew, puzzlement clear on his face. Clearly, he wasn't expecting the question.

"I believe it’s the work of the town council and several members of our hunting parties and patrols, Lordship." The man answered firmly.

"Interesting. And you, Kim, do you agree with his opinion?" Drew asked.

"I'm... not sure."

"How so?"

"You told us if we weren't truthful you would kill us. I honestly don't know the answer, Majesty."

Drew sighed internally. He did say something to the effect, but she didn't have to take it so literally.

"What is your opinion on the matter then, what do you think you believe?" He rephrased the question.

"I believe the council may be responsible. They asked for our pets to kill them for experience, and many of the people who questioned the council went missing very suddenly and very little, if any, investigations took place following those disappearances. Majesty, er, sir."

"Do either of you know where the missing might be, and are there any citizens still alive who aren't responsible for the missing people?" Drew asked Tyler.

"I don't know for certain. The patrols and council keep us away from the school and the town hall though. If they were being held anywhere, it would have to be one of those places. There are other people alive, they are staying in the homes closest to the center of town, and in the Methodist church if they lost their homes, Your Lordship." The man answered.

"Good. Thank you for your answers." Drew said.

He turned away from them and removed his helm, he shooed his minions away, sending them back to patrols, training, and security duties. He kept the two soulflames and several others to watch the young people.

"Alright, you heard them folks. Meeting in twenty minutes, let everyone know to prepare. Bring Robert to the meeting, and pass the message along. We're rescuing some people!" Drew said.

His family and friends scattered, much like his minions who were all off to do their jobs. He auto unequipped his armor, and stored his sword away before sitting down on the edge of the stone dais, looking to the two kneeling young adults.

"Oh, uh. We're done here. Y'all don't have to kneel anymore or anything."

They stared at him, their mouths flapping open and closed like fish out of water.

"Ah, right. There is no Lord of the Forest or anything. I'm just your neighbor out in the country, we're about eight miles from town give or take."

"YOU'RE HENRY FUCKING CA..." The man started.

"No, I'm not. I just look like him. Chill dude."

"Are...are we... free to go? You're... not going to kill us? Or... feed us to your pet Demons?"

Drew laughed.

"Noooooo, they aren't pets. One is my mom, and the other is Beefcake. I won't kill you as long as you mean no one here any harm. I'd recommend against going back to town yet, as we're going to be raiding the place pretty soon, and it may turn into a blood bath. But... No violence while you're here. Understood?" Drew looked directly at Tyler.

"But...she..."

"I know what she did. I saw it myself. Well, my birds did, and I saw it through them. The rule stands though. You want violence, leave. You're free to go so long as you weren't involved in the missing people and pets." Drew narrowed his eyes.

"No. Er, no sir. We weren't." Kim replied.

"Good. Then I honestly don't care what you do. We've got fresh food and water here, and shelter. Some folks are building baths, we have outhouses, and everyone here is around your level or higher, most have both a class and a profession. But seriously. No fighting here, no violence. Don't be a dick. That's all I ask. If you can't follow those rules, you will leave. One way or another." Drew pointed to the two soulflames.

"You two, speak honestly, bluntly. Was what these two said true?"

"Yes." They answered in unison.

"STEVEN! FUCKING GREG?!" Tyler shouted.

The two soulflames turned to him. One flipping him the bird, and the other about to try and kill him. Drew put a stop to it immediately.

"Were you two involved in the missing people and pets?" Drew asked firmly, demanding the minion’s full attention.

"Yes." They answered in unison.

"I see. Where are the missing people being held?"

"The school." They answered again.

"Why are they being held there?" Drew asked.

"So, they can't escape and so we can kill them to level up if we run into tough monsters." Skeleton one answered.

"For questioning the council, and to be used for XP for us and council members." Skeleton two answered.

"Where are the city council located, and what are their levels and classes?" Drew asked.

"Two are warriors, one is a healer, another is a mage. All around level twenty or so." Number one answered.

"Great. Thank you. Do not speak again unless I order it. You will be under my personal command from here on out. You will do what I say, when I say, and how I say it. You will not be able to step out of line. For your crimes against the town, its citizens, and the pets, you will serve me until your true deaths, then you'll move onto the Halls of Reflection and face the Goddess of Death, The Baleful Lady. This is fact. Nod your heads if you understand."

The two skeletons nodded. He then sent them out to train with some of his other minions and the training field. They would never have an ounce of free will again, they had forfeited that right. Drew turned back to the two teenagers before him.

"What are y'all still doing here?"

"What happened to them, why do they look like that?" Kim asked.

"Them? Oh, they died. Your boy over there shot them. One died breaking his neck on a tree, the other took a bullet to the heart. I raised them as undead minions. It'd be a waste to let two level fifteens bite the dust when they could protect people here. Plus, I needed to verify the information you gave me."

"They are scum. You cannot trust them. I would recommend ending them. Permanently this time." Tyler said grimly.

Drew laughed heartily.

"Ohhhhh, you have nothing to worry about. They cannot even lift a single finger bone without me knowing about it or giving the command. They are physically incapable of harming me, disobeying my commands, or knowingly allow me to come to harm. Trust me, those two will wish they had died. They will be stuck here, doing everything I say, for as long as they are undead. When they finally bite the dust, they'll be off to the realm of Death, which is rather pleasant compared to what I'll be making them do."

Tyler nodded grimly. Kim looked pale again.

"Now, if y'all will excuse me, I have a rescue to plan."

The two exchanged a glance as Drew walked away.