Lord Humphrry’s home was a massive grand thing surrounded by a large fence. Several Order guards were stationed on the street despite how late it was. It had taken me far longer than ideal to make my way to the upper portion of the city from the crude map Cleo had reluctantly given me.

 

Cleo had seemed friendly and since I had gotten so many answers I wasn’t too heartbroken about her refusal of my offer. I was glad to be on good terms with her though, I could see that being very useful in the future.

 

My zombie was keeping close behind me as I approached the metal fence. I activated [Channel Death] and wrapped my flaming hand around one of the bars. Pulling my hand away I was pleased to find the bar was severely rusted. I repeated the process lower down and with a solid yank snapped the bar free allowing me to slip in between the bars.

 

The mansion was dark with everyone having presumably gone to bed. I crept to one of the windows looking through to see an entryway. I needed a way to just slip in without alerting anyone. I followed the wall and turned the corner, eventually finding a small servant's entrance which was unlocked.

 

According to Cleo, Lord Humphrey was one of the wealthiest lords in Llyne. He was a sadistic man who prided himself on his collection of rare and exotic slaves. And so I was going to kill him, to watch the life drain from his eyes and satisfy my anger, at least for a little while.

 

Thankfully I didn't really need to worry about security inside the house as he was a minor lord and in the middle of a heavily guarded city. I had managed to sneak by a patrol on the way. I had no chance of killing two armed guards, armour was frustratingly effective. Plus I didn’t have enough soul embers for more minions and three's a crowd after all. Not ideal for breaking and entering and assassination.

 

I was incredibly out of my depth but urged forward by the thrill of the hunt. Lord Humphery thought he was invincible and I was going to prove him wrong. I entered a small hall which led to a kitchen and storage room. I slipped past entering a dining room and then the main hall.

 

I heard a muffled voice from a large solid door underneath the stairs, I approached and pressed my ear to the door. “Maybe next time you’ll learn not to lose track of time,” a gruff voice huffed. Someone being awake in the middle of the night was bad news but I was reasonably sure it wasn't the lord of the manor. Faint light from under the door drew my attention to a small gap, one fit for a rat. 

 

I took Franklyn out of my pocket. “Go bite whoever is talking and then run back out here,” I commanded before setting him down. Franklyn shook himself before scurrying forward and wiggling under the door. There was a moment of silence and then… “Fuck!”

 

Franklyn then scurried out a moment later. “When he comes out, kill him,” I ordered my zombie, deciding it was time to see what they could do. The sound of footsteps approaching the door was the only warning before it opened. The zombie went from entirely still to with his sword drawn and buried in the man’s chest in the blink of an eye. The man was as stunned as I was as the zombie followed up by removing the blade and slitting his throat.

 

The man fell to his knees and collapsed dead. I kneeled and collected his soul embers. “How did you do that?” I asked the zombie. It just cocked its head at me. “Speak, how did you do it?” I tried, crossing my fingers that the zombie having flesh might allow it to explain.

 

The zombie leaned over and hacked before spitting out a glob of black goo. “Skilllllll,” It finally groaned in a phlegmy voice. Shaking myself out of the effects of its horrible voice I recalled that zombies did in fact have access to the skills they had in life. I just hadn't expected something like that.

 

“Do it again,” I ordered.

 

The zombie shook his head. It refused a command. That was a first.

 

“Speak, why not?”

 

“Caaaan’t,” It whispered. I frowned. 

 

“Why not?”

 

The zombie shifted. “Caaaan’t” it repeated.

 

“Yes, why can’t you?” I asked again, it was like trying to talk to a child.

 

“Ressssst,” it finally replied.

 

I nodded, I pulled on a pool of magic and soul embers it made sense even non-magic uses had limits.

 

“Hello?” a weak voice called from inside the room.

 

“Stay here,” I told the zombie and entered the room only to see a familiar face, though far more black and blue than the last time. Jackal, the short gray man with eight eyes was shackled to the wall. He was in rough shape having been beaten. A few of his eyes were swollen shut and his breathing was pained.

 

“Y-you,” he muttered as I approached and crouched down. His leg was attached to the wall by thick chains and I used [Channel Death] with both my hands. It took a few tries to rust the chain enough to snap it but I finally managed to, using my sword as a lever.

 

“Give my regards to Cleo,” I offered before heading back into the hall. 

 

“Wait,” he called but I ignored him. I had no way of helping him any further, I didn't know the city as well as he did or where I could even take him. I had managed to sneak in which meant he could sneak out. Either way, I still had my mission.

 

I crouched down and pressed my hand to the dead man’s cheek, funneling soul embers into him. The body lurched as another zombie was born.

 

“Wait, I need the keys,” Jackal said, limping out of the room. “Oh god,” he stopped, seeing me and my zombies.

 

“Toss him the keys,” I ordered my new zombie and he obediently did so. He wasn't wearing armour though he had a scourge attached to his belt, he was just as much a monster as Humphery.

 

“Good luck Jackal,” I said, offering him a smile before ordering my zombies to follow and creeping up the spiral staircase.

 

The second floor was just as lavish and grand as the first. I passed several empty rooms before I finally found the master bedroom. I nudged the door open and peered inside. Despite not seeing the colour it was extravagant. A man, Lord Humphery, was lying in the bed, his chest rising and falling peacefully. I paused as I reached the foot of the bed and noticed someone else familiar. The kobold from the market was on the floor beside the bed naked. Her metal collar was chained to the floor barely giving her any room to move.

 

Despite my anger, I made a very un-Morgan-like choice. Rather than lunging for the Humphery I tiptoed to the side of the bed and kneeled beside the kobold. Compassion wasn't something I was good at but the image of her eyes from the market haunted me. I knew that look, I had seen it so much in my sister that I had forgotten how bright they used to be. I knew the look of someone who had given up and I knew what eventually came after that.

 

The kobold’s eyes suddenly snapped and she jerked, wincing as the collar dug into her neck as she stared up at me in terror. “Shhhhh,” I urged as gently as I could. “I’m here to help.”

 

She didn't make a sound, simply curling into a tight ball as she watched me. The way her eyes tracked me I was fairly sure she could see in the dark like I could or at least better than a human. 

 

I resisted the urge to reach out, the memories of my sister flinching at the slightest touch forever seared into my mind.

 

“Can you unlock yourself?” I coaxed gently noting that there was no actual lock on the latch attaching her to the chain. She didn’t respond to my words or move, and as the moments ticked by my anger bubbled back to the surface.

 

I crept to the head of the bed. Lord Humphrey was fast asleep snoring without care. I grabbed his jaw, muffling his mouth with my hand as it flared with green flames. The room briefly lit up as my hatred for this man strengthened the effects.

 

He screamed and clawed at my hand as tears welled in his eyes. I yanked him out of the bed only to tear what was left of his rotting decayed jaw. He howled and clutched at his face delirious from the pain and unable to defend himself.

 

His jaw was gone leaving his blackened tongue dangling from his throat as blood oozed down his hands and arms. It was a beautifully disgusting sight. I only wished I had healing magic so I could do it all over again. I tossed the rotted jaw away and approached the prone man.

 

Yet I paused, rather than continuing his torment my attention returned to the kobold who still lay there seeming to not even notice the world around her and my unbeating heart lurched.

 

This couldn’t be about Humphrey, not when the victim could be helped. This wasn't like it had been with Anne. Despite my hunger for punishing him I forced myself to take a step back and do the right thing. The thing a younger and better me would do. Humphrey wasn't worth the air he breathed.

 

I took a moment to whisper detailed orders to my zombies as the dwarf writhed on the floor sobbing as much as one could while missing half his face. I turned away as they dragged him out of the room and sat down on the ground at the end of the bed leaving space between me and the kobold.

 

I didn't know how to help but this was an opportunity to make up for past failings. Humphrey would get what he deserved and I could try to appease my guilt. I didn't dare look at the kobold or make any sudden movements. “He won't hurt you ever again,” I eventually said into the silence. 

 

I knew for scared animals you let them adjust to your presence and wait for them to come to you. It was the only thing I could think of doing. I slowly took off my cloak and placed it on the floor between us. “You can have that if you want.”

 

Despite not being a kind or patient person I really was trying. I risked a glance towards the kobold, she was trembling. No, she was crying without making a sound.

 

“My name is Morgan, what's yours?” I ventured.

 

“Tiss,” she replied barely audibly.

 

“Ok Tiss, can you unlock your collar?” I asked as gently as I could.

 

After a pause, Tiss unlatched the chain from her collar and freed herself. Slowly I picked the cloak up and handed it to her. Tiss took it and wrapped it around herself. It was far too big for her but it was something.

 

“I know someone who can help you, give you a better life,” I said slowly standing.

 

She hesitantly looked up at me, those purple eyes that seemed to see right through me. I offered a hand. “C’mon, I promise I won't let anyone hurt you.”

 

She nodded and gently took my hand. I helped her up, she was tiny compared to me, only coming up to just above my waist. A reminder that I wasn't entirely used to people that weren't human. Granted I wasn’t human anymore so I would have to get used to it.

 

I led Tiss out of the room hoping I seemed far more confident than I felt. I just hoped Cleo would know how to help. They had freed the enslaved on the road so hopefully they could take in Tiss. She needed help and I could only do so much.

 

Not to mention I didn't have anywhere to stay and Tiss was clearly exhausted, plus she would need food and water. I had only a few coins. As I led her out of the house Jackal was nowhere in sight, having presumably long gone.

 

We took the back route, slipping out the way I had come and squeezing through the bars. The occasional drops of blood were enough for me to know my zombies had followed my instructions.

 

Tiss stayed silent as I led her through the streets, only briefly getting lost but managing to avoid any patrols as we made our way to the Whale’s Rest. As I stepped up to the door I realized it was locked, I felt foolish. It was the early hours of the morning, of course, no one would be awake.

 

“Fuck,” I muttered, glancing back at Tiss who was barely awake. I glanced across the street at the alleyway. It was a warm night and I didn't need to sleep. The only way I knew to contact Cleo was through the tavern. “I’m sorry, we're going to have to wait until morning,” I explained, leading her to the alley.

 

Tiss looked uneasy but didn’t complain as I sat against the wall. She pulled the cloak around herself tightly, shivering in the night air. I felt foolish, I had promised to help but now was forcing her to wait hours outside and I hadn’t even been wise enough to get her clothed. I already felt like I was breaking my promise.

 

Tiss sat down beside me curling into a ball to try and warm up. It only then occurred to me that the only time I had felt warmth was when I was collecting soul embers. It wasn’t a warm night, my body just didn’t care about temperature. I doubted I even had body heat to offer.

 

As I sat there beside the exhausted shivering kobold I got a notification.

 

[Level Up!]

 

Knowing that Lord Humphrey’s fate had been sealed managed to bring a smile of satisfaction to my face.