FSE

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Cries and scream pierced the night sky, before fading to silence.

Every person that fell before the undead onslaught soon rised again, a mindless shell driven on by hunger. Husbands taking up rudimentary weapons or farming equipment in defense for their families survival, turning to become part of the very danger that threatened. Mothers insuring children could escape, becoming slavering monsters with souless eyes.

Fires smoldered steadily, choking the area with smoke. To make matters worse the flames were spreading quickly, jumping from one building to another. If the undead didn't get to them, asphyxiation or burning alive took the people who huddled inside of homes and establishments.

Enek was geared back up, putting his ear to the door and listening at the door. The thumping of footsteps sounded down the hallway. He readied a bolt of frost magic in his hand and began slowly turning the knob, his other hand at the pommel to his blade. He threw the door open and rushed into the hallway, poised to strike.

"Ahh! Stop!" Arms held up infront of him, shrinking down, was Varen. His eyes were panicked as the magic-formed icicle spear was inches away from his face. His usual fine clothes was a mess as buttons were undone and seams popped. "Enek! Monsters!" He collapsed to the ground sobbing softly. "We're done, we're ruined..unless.." He looked up eagerly. "You! You can get me out, right my boy?!" His hands clutched at Enek's clothes.

Enek brushed Varen's hands off, looking down the hallway carefully first. "Did everyone else already evacuate? What about the emergency exit under the city?" Pulling Varen along, the group moved down the hallway and down the stairs towards the main floor.

"N-no.. A group of us just tried the escape route the first and there was one of them down there.. That's all it took, was just one to turn it from our last safe haven, into just another moaning group of fleshbiters. And now they're blocking up the exit!" Varen walked over to his bar and slumped against the counter. "We're all going to die, it seems your Lich story wasn't so far-fetched after all." Laughing weakly he turned back to Enek.

Going to the front window and looking out of it, Enek pulled his sword. "Pull yourself together Varen. The streets clear at the moment, we could hurry while there's..distractions still left on the other blocks and make it out of the wall towards the south side."

Varen's eyes widened again. "The south side?! Are you insane? There's no escape there, it's nothing but wilds that way!"

Turning back to look at him, Enek scowled. "Damnit, look around you! Do you think you have the luxury of deciding to not take the chance if presented to you?" He tossed Asyr his backpack. "Go behind the bar and load us up on supplies. I'm sure as hell not letting them go to waste if the town is lost. And if we're going to have to spend time in those untamed wilds... I want more than a few days rations this time."

Nodding to him, she vaulted over the bar counter and disappeared into the storeroom. "Keep your dirty canine paws off of my things!" Varen shouted after her. He turned back at the sound of footsteps crossing the room, and noticed Enek walking up to him. A harsh slap went right across his face, sending Varen reeling against the counter for support. "You..you ungrateful little bastard!" Varen rubbed his reddened cheek. "How dare you-"

"How dare I what Varen?! How dare I work for you faithfully for years? How dare I earn you just as much money if not more than I ever made on jobs? How dare I get left behind while you went on to use the emergency escape first without even bothering to warn me?!" Enek's eyes were filled with rage.

"Alpha, Enek!" Asyr called, appearing from the storeroom and handing him his backpack. She turned to show off her own that she had around her back as he felt the weight of his own, it was full without weighing him down, perfect. Releasing the grip on Varen's shirt collar that he hadn't even noticed he took, Enek turned back and walked to the front door with Asyr in silence. She reached down and took his left hand in both of hers as the two of them exited the shop.

===

Thick smoke covered the area, causing Enek and Asyr to cough as they tried to adjust to the climate shift. South gate was still a few blocks over, it was not going to be easy but it had to be done. Pulling her along, he set out down the street with sword in hand leading the way. Pressing against an alleyway, he glanced down the next street and noticed a group all laying huddled around the remains of a guardsmen. The sounds of squishing and chewing could be heard as each person in the feast had mouths and hands covered in blood. Closing his eyes for a moment and squeezing Asyr's hand to steel his nerves, he motioned to the alleyway across the road before holding up a finger to his mouth.

Asyr nodded, squeezing his hand back. They moved into the street, masking the sounds of their movement wasn't hard with the commotion all around. Once in the opposite alley, she let out a sigh that was being held in.

As the group reached the South-side gate Enek swore under his breath. Debris from broken wagons and who knew what else were piled against the opening. To make matters worse a group of skeletons, bound by nothing but magic as it could be seen pulsing through them almost like veins carrying blood. This exit wasn't going to do any good, so they needed to find another. Returning the way they came, Enek stopped completely. The feasting group had finished their meal and were wandering the road.

A women, covered in blood and sundress torn in various points, glanced down the alley they were currently occupying. The empty eyes looked right at them as her mouth opened wide. A gutteral moan escaped from her ripped open throat as she lunged forward towards them and drawing the attention of her fellows. Her steps her awkward and slow, presenting an ample chance to thrust the sword point right under her chin. The undead grasped at him before it went completely still, gurgling as the blade was pulled out and she fell over backwards. It appears the legends about killing these things at least held true. The rest of the group however shambled down the street towards them.

Taking his left hand from Asyr's, a surge of magic rushed down his forearm to fingers as a flame bolt caught a torn open man that looked like he might have been a dock worker. The magic flared out on impact creating a brilliant explosion, more than Enek had intended. The desired effect was met however as they were knocked down from the force and fire began consuming their bodies. They writhed on the ground as the magic fires quickly disintegrating the remains.

He breathed a sigh of relief that quickly turned to a sharp intake of breath. "Oh shit.." Around the corner of the road a peaked Mr. Samson, the butcher that ran a shop the next street over, or at least what remained of him. The once bulky and muscular built man, who always kept a primly trimmed mustache and hair, lumbered around the corner with meat cleavers in hand. Various bite wounds dotted his body as blood smeared across his clothes and face. His normaly well kept hair was disheveled, while his eyes were wide and crazed as they turned to Enek and Asyr.

"GONNA KILL YE MONSTERS! YE TAKE ME DAUGHTER, GONNA TAKE YER HEADS!" He screamed at them, cleavers raised high as he charges down the street. They noticed at this point a decent number of severed heads hanging from his belt now by the hair. Swinging down with both hands at Enek, he had only a moment to shove Asyr out of the way and roll out of the way himself.

"Mr. Samson! It's me, Enek! I'm not one of them, you need to calm down!" He parries aside one of the cleavers but catches the next across his shoulder. "Hrn.. Dammit man, I've been a customer for years!" He sidesteps another heavy verticle swipe from both blades. "No Asyr, stay back!" Enek shouts at her as he notices her readying to pounce on the aggressor.

"ENEK?! E-enek?" Samson's breathing catches in his chest as clarity seemed to return for a moment. "They took me daughter! They took me best friend Werton!" His eyes streaked tears as he tipped his head back and cried out to the heavens. When he looked back down to Enek his eyes were bloodshot and his skin was turning pale. "And now they've taken a fine lad like Enek, and make sport of me by wearing his face?!" He struck his cleavers across one another, creating sparks. "Gonna cut you up real good.."

The butcher swung wildly at Enek, forcing him to repeatedly dodge around the street and keep distance between them. "Mr. Samson! You need to get ahold of yourself!" Enek called to him, worried about the amount of attention they were likely attracting now. The edges skipping off of his scale mail, diverting the worst but still drawing lines across his chest. Taking a step forward, Samson stopped in his tracks as convulsions shook his entire body and he dropped to his knees. Vomiting blood and falling to the ground, the street grew quiet.

Asyr started moving closer to check on the body but Enek shouted to her. "Stay back! I think he's turning into one of..those things." A realization that broke his heart as he readied his sword and neared the body himself. "I'm sorry sir, just rest now..." Enek sighed, waiting until the moment when Mr. Samson's body pushed his arms beneath him to raise off the ground. The eyes were empty as a groan came from the throat and blood ran from his mouth.

As the undead reached for Enek's ankle, the swords point pierced the back of his head. Shuddering just as the previous one had before falling completely limp to the ground. Blood pooled beneath the body and Enek pulled the sword from it. "Enek.." Asyr called for his attention and motioned to another roaming group of undead coming around the block. The pair ducked down a nearby alley before notice fell on them. The sight of Samson's body being eaten was the final thing they saw as they put it behind them.

Enek and Asyr rushed through town, but found the same result at each gate, barricaded closed with skeletal guards watching vigilantly. The only options left were the docks but it was such an obvious escape it had to have been closed off as well. They had been fortunate in avoiding the worst of the undead, keeping only to minor skirmishes here and there after that point, but despair crept instead their hearts as the huddled down in another of the many alleyways.

Asyr hugged into his chest and Enek could only hold her. She closed her eyes as she felt his embrace. No words were needed in that moment as the shared uncertainty passes between them. His earlier wounds had left streaks of blood running down his chest and arm, but she pressed against him regardless. Concentrating magic was tough at the moment, but Enek formed the soft light of the healing spell in his fingers as his brushed it over his cuts. His flesh slowly knitting back together as he breathed heavily.

A cold laughter cut through the air. "G..o..o..d, bring the survivors.. here..". The voice sent shivers down both of their spines, but Enek tensed in fear. The voice was hollow and distant sounding, but he recognized it all too well. That voice belonged to Taeln.