What The Fuck Am I Going To Do Now?

The poison has worn off and I am currently riding on Griff's back. The city of Xorynth has long since faded into the horizon. Up ahead I see a little village hidden in a clearing of a forest, and I order Griff to let me down a safe distance away from it. I sit on a nearby tree stump and wait for my Shades and Wraiths to catch up.

CainStillWalks

Wraiths are the natural evolution of a Shade. not much changes, they just get better stats.

The corporeal undead are all dead except for the flying ones due to their slow mobility. All that remains are my Shades, Wraiths, Griff, and some undead ravens and crows. Before I made my escape I ordered all the Wraiths to gather what remains of the Undead Phoenix's members and any soldiers that happened to die and the Shades to gather as much materials. The only corpses of the Phoenix's left behind was Stitch, Stimpy, and Lily. Lily was one of the nicest people I've ever met and it's a damn shame she lost her life. Although now she has her unlife to live since the raid didn't happen long before I escaped so their souls were still lingering around. I was also able to get 5 cadavers of some soldiers who died. I prepared the site for a ritual so i can reanimate everyone, and first laid out the Phoenix's members. I laid out the mask that belonged to them and began the ritual.

[O Great Harvester, He Who Equalizes All

Have you seen these poor souls fall?

I beseech you

To save these few

So they can fight

for their forgone lives

I bring thee back to life!

So show your might!

To make it right!

Come Alive, Revenants!]

CainStillWalks

A revenant is two tiers above a zombie and retains their sentience and memories, but also come back to life with a burning hatred for whoever killed them.

I watch as the bodies stitch themselves back together, bones healing, flesh and muscles reattaching, joints connecting, and I look on as the souls of Stitch, Stimpy, and Lily go back into their bodies, their souls acclimatizing to the body of an undead. 

[Welcome back to the land of the living my friends, tell me, how was the afterlife?]

Stitch lets out a cynical chuckle and replies

[It was cold, and empty, but somehow also full with the other souls of the damned screaming, it's like they were there, but they weren't. thanks for bringing me back brat. Who would have known a simple fuck up would one day come back to bring me back to life?]

Stimpy laughs heartily and Lily looks away shyly, a little blush on her cheek evident. I look into their eyes and explain what happened.

[So basically my bastard of a father found out my experiments, found out about you guys, tried to convince me to stop and failed, and hunted you guys down and tried to execute me. Luckily Griff here saved my hide and I managed to escape while bringing as much stuff as I could here. I revived you guys as revenants so you guys can at least talk to me, but i plan on making those guys there Zombies. Currently we're about half a days walk from a village and several days away from Xorynth. That's our current situation. So what are your guy's thoughts?]

Everyone takes a couple minutes to think for themselves and seem to come to a unanimous result which Stimpy lays out for me. 

[Ok so within a couple days your face will be in wanted papers in every city, town, and village throughout the Empire, so best bet would be for you to get the fuck out. Luckily due to Griff we have plenty of options. The best bet would be to go to Centreya since it's a completely neutral state and is a haven of...less than reputable members of society. we could also go to Fayr Nox and live there. Not as recommended since odds are they'll recognize your very distinguishing features. We think Centreya would be the best bet, but you're the one everyone is after, after all everyone thinks we're dead heh heh.]

[I think everyone is missing one VERY important option. In case everyone forgot, within a week The Empire and the Fay Republic will be at the Blood Soaked Fields for their battles. And not to mention both sides hire mercenaries from nearby Switzland. I believe we could make quite a profit personally. There will be money from working as a merc, corpses from the battlefield, more than we can even count, and we get to personally spit in the face of the King by slaughtering his troops. I know you never seen me fight, but if you get me the proper weapons, there will be lots of fun to be had. What do you all think?]

This time Lily finally speaks her mind.

[That sounds incredibly dangerous Al, I'm sure you know but war is a very dangerous and scary place, will you be able to move when you see the thousands of enemy troops in front of you? Also, both sides always keep an eye on the No-Mans-Land at night, it would be hard to get your corpses during that time. And, once again, are you sure no one will recognize your face?]

Ordinarily, these would be very valid counter arguments, but in this case thanks to the God Author, I already thought this through. 

[I am very well aware it is dangerous, however, everyone has their first time right? can't conquer the fear if you never go in the first place. as for the corpses, I'll have the Wraiths handle it since no one would see them in the dark anyway, and as for recognizing me, I happened to bring the mask of our Order, so it's handled. If anyone asks I'll just say it's to intimidate the enemy. The only thing I'm really worried about is you guys. I can't have you guys join since you are not combatants, and I don't feel comfortable leaving you in an inn or something. Those priests of Solus are like blood hounds when it comes to anything "unnatural".]

[Don't worry, I'll handle Stimpy, Lily, and everyone else. Necromancers have to learn how to move and get comfortable anywhere after all. Just leave one of your Shades with us so you know where we are since we obviously won't be able to contact you.]

[Well, I suppose that takes care of that. I'm going to take a look at the equipment we have and see what I can bring. When I get back we're all getting piss drunk, on me of course. I'm sure some of those poor soldiers have some money on them. If you have some guys find y'all, leave some for me ok? I'm sure I'll have some very creative ideas after this. I'm surprised War Necromancers never became a thing. I feel like even a small country could scare the shit out of a large country if they had a necromancer on their side. Morals? can you eat it? See you all later]

I get some nods, and I start rummaging through the pile of stuff my Shades brought. I hear Stitch start to revive the soldiers as Zombies. I found a leather chest piece with a lot of love on it, a helmet with just enough of the face open so I can also wear the mask, and a chain link undershirt. Not the best armor but it'll have to do. as for weapons, we don't have much in the way of weapons. We have some chipped bastard swords, a rusted claymore, some decent looking knives, and other things of that nature. But I found something much, much more, interesting. I picked up 2 meat cleavers and a twisted smile creeps its way onto my face. 

[I dub thee Ripper, and you I name Slasher. Serve me well friends, for you shall see more blood and meat than any butcher has any right to see.]

It seems Stimpy heard my muttering and laughed heartily

[OY KID! You plannin' on taking CLEAVERS to war?! That's the best fucking thing i've seen in decades. You realize just how close you have to be to even use those? Not to mention, these are soldiers, they have armor. Honestly It would be in your best interest to have a large, heavy, blunt weapon, like that hammer over there.]

Stimpy points to a cracked hammer that looks older than the Star Empire itself. I think about it, but ultimately my decision is made.

[It'll be fine Stimps, they're common soldiers and mercs, not bloody knights, they won't be armored everywhere right?]

He looks with a doubtful gaze, but in the end doesn't say anything. And so I, while not the least armored mercenary to go to war, I'm definitely pretty close to it, begin to make the flight to Switzland to become a mercenary to spit in the face of my father.