Chapter 29: Chapter 27 – A Return Triumphant

"Something that took me a while to get used to when I recently came here? Oh right, there was that.

 

You see, the thing that got old me real surprised after we moved here, was just how often them folks here be throwing out parties and celebrations. Celebrating solstices? We did that too in Elmaiya, when we had good years and food to spare.

 

But here? The lord got a new disciple? Party! The lord's disciple got married? Party! A disciple just got a kid? You guessed it, party! And with how many disciples the lord got - and he be taking more all the time too, bless his immortal soul - that means lotsa celebrating to be had for us small folks. It be rare to have two months here without something to celebrate, and personally? I be lovin' it." - Andrei Ojoshvka, Village Elder in the Lichdom of Ptolodecca and former Immigrant.

Near Tohrmutgent, Ptolodecca, seventh day of the fourth week of the eleventh month, year 37 VA.

 

A grand procession walked through Ptolodecca with the confidence of those triumphant in battle. Tens of thousands of undead, both humanoid and beastial, walked in neat lines as they marched. Living soldiers marched along the outlines of the formation, and in the lead of it all, was the Bone Lord himself atop his behemoth of a mount.

 

Everywhere they had passed, Aideen saw villagers from every walk of life, from old grizzled farmers to young children, rush out of their villages to cheer as loud as they could when the triumphant army passed by.

 

From time to time, they even approached the army and offered freshly cooked foods to the soldiers, who accepted it gracefully. Quite a few times Aideen also saw burly soldiers kneeling as little children placed flower wreaths on their heads, before they gave them a warm hug.

 

As the procession headed towards Tohrmutgent, the number of living soldiers in it dwindled. Grandpa Aarin had graciously given all the soldiers who participated in the expedition three months leave, to celebrate victory with their families, and those whose families lived along their way departed from the group one by one, as they gave a bow of gratitude to the Bone Lord before they left.

 

Once, Aideen even saw two members of the Wings of Night depart, and how they stowed away their undead mounts - the mounts they used were a sort of "disposable" undead, and while every member has enough magic to control them, the Bone Lord himself was who powered the mounts to life - as they approached the village.

 

When they were near, they both put away their jet-black armor suits, revealing the faces of a middle-aged human couple, dressed in simple clothes little different from the villagers who came to greet them.

 

A young woman ran from the village crowd, and threw herself at the middle aged couple, who warmly returned the embrace. Behind her followed a young man, with three little children holding his hands - the youngest still a toddler who walked with small, unsteady steps - and a smile on his face.

 

Before long, there were no more of the feared members of the Wings of Night, but just a pair of doting grandparents, basking in the love of their children and grandchildren.

 

It was a sight that warmed Aideen's heart, to the core of her being.

 

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As they passed through the massive gates of Tohrmutgent - Aideen couldn't help but notice how the gate was just large enough to accomodate the Bone Lord's collosal mount - the sounds of jubilation intensified, as the citizen screamed their joy and pride, and basked in the triumph of the return.

 

It was when they reached the Palace of Bones that Aideen watched with some stupefication. The grand citadel looked nothing like how it had been when she left, as it had many gaps on its structure, as well as some smaller structures outright missing from its sides.

 

That was when the undead horde behind the Bone Lord surged past them, and before her eyes, one by one they were dismantled, the bones at times reshaping themselves, as they filled the gaps in the walls.

 

The Bone Lord's own mount fell apart on itself, very gently, as the bones that comprised of its body flew to the sides and formed into the two pristine white side chapels to the grand cathedral. The bone beast she had sat on urged her to dismount, and shortly after she did, it too, turned into a decorative pillar within the Palace of Bones.

 

With amazement Aideen saw how a few death knights and beastial undead that had kept their forms walked into a blank wall of transparent resin, that rippled behind their passing, as they rearranged themselves within to re-enact the hunting scene she thought of as a mural before.

 

When she looked all around her, at how the gaps of the Palace of Bones filled itself, and the many decorative walls and pillars that sprung back to their places, she finally realized why grandpa Aarin never showed them his undead horde before.

 

They had been living inside his undead horde without realizing it all these years, for the Palace of Bones itself, was none other than the Bone Lord's personal undead horde.

 

"Welcome back, holiness," said Drietven as he walked out from deeper inside the palace. "Would you like the usual? The bath will be ready in another ten minutes."

 

"Mmm, yes. That would be appreciated, thank you," replied the Bone Lord, as Drietven promotly used Life magic to return him to his mortal guise. As soon as the Bone Lord had his flesh again, the butler presented a tray of cold beverages and small cakes to him.

 

"Ahh~ that hits the spot after such a long while," said the Bone Lord with a satisfied sigh after he gulped down the beverage in a long, single pull. "I swear, Drietven, taking you in as a butler has been the best decision I've made this past half millenia."

 

"Thank you for your praise, holiness. I live, to serve."

 

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