I groaned, something felt seriously wrong. There was a throbbing in my temples as I pushed myself onto my back. Someone was standing over me though my vision was blurry.

 

“Mistress, do you require assistance?” an unfamiliar voice asked. That couldn't be good, how long had I been here? I reached out to command my skeletons but felt nothing, they were gone and I was instead met with pain. Ok, no magic right now. I was really fucked.

 

“Mistress?” the voice asked again.

 

I forced my eyes to work to find myself staring up at the Knight that had been on the table. She was standing over me with her head cocked. She wore her sword at her side and the shield around her arm. Wait, was she talking to me?

 

“Uh hello?” I grimaced.

 

“Do you need assistance?” she asked again.

 

“Sure, thanks,” I replied hesitantly.

 

She crouched down and swept me up into her arms before setting me on the table she had been on. It only then occurred to me just how pale she was and she had eyes like me.

 

“Who are you?” I asked.

 

She paused and frowned, “I… don't know. But your will is mine, mistress.”

 

“Don't call me mistress, my name is Morgan,” I groaned trying to sit up.

 

“Understood, Morgan,” she nodded.

 

“What's your name?”

 

“I have no name,” she replied indifferently.

 

“That book says you’re Knight Nimue Inapeiros of the Order of Musado,” I offered.

 

“I have no knowledge of that,” she replied blankly.

 

What was it my skill had said? Independent but loyal extensions of your will?

 

“Ok, well how about you use the name Nimue Inaperios?”

 

“If that is what you wish,” she nodded.

 

‘What are you?” I frowned, my brain was still too foggy to be dealing with this.

 

“I do not understand your question but I am yours to do with as you will,” she replied.

 

I sighed, Nimue didn't seem entirely like a person, she was intelligent but she didn’t really seem sentient. Despite whatever the hell was wrong with me it seemed like my experiment was a success, somewhat.

 

Noticing I had a new condition called Arcane Sickness I groaned. Great another thing to deal with. “What’s arcane sickness?” I asked as I unsteadily got to my feet.

 

“I… “ she paused, seemingly confused by something. “It is caused by someone pushing themselves beyond their magical limit. You… should rest and… not exert yourself.”

 

Well shit, apparently creating intelligent zombies wasn't something I should be doing yet. “You seem confused,” I probed.

 

“I know this answer yet I do not know how I know it,” Nimue replied, staring off into space.

 

Well, she was self-aware at least, I wasn't sure if that was good or not.

 

“Do you have memories?” I asked.

 

“I woke up on the platform as you fell to the ground,” she replied.

 

“Anything before that?” I asked.

 

“No.”

 

“Do you know where we are?”

 

“Yes, we are in the basement of a church, located in Llyne,” she replied before frowning again. 

 

Maybe I had made her a little too smart. Oops.

We were not a subtle sight as Nimue carried me bridal style back to the inn, thankfully it was the middle of the night and there was no one around. We only encountered one pair of Order guards who scurried by at the sight of Nimue’s armour. Nimue the zombie seemed to have retained general knowledge but no personality or allegiances. She was a blank slate with only a little to build from. I only hoped that she would learn over time. There was something about her that made me recognize her as a person despite everything.

 

I could barely walk and I still felt horrible. While I wasn't blocked from accessing my magic it was unsteady. Like I had pulled a magical muscle. Suffice it to say the night had not gone to plan. A single knight had been a challenge and one on one I doubted I could have won. I needed to get much stronger if I was to have any chance of accomplishing my goals. Right now though I really just wanted to sleep.

 

We passed my zombies and went inside, Nimue carrying me upstairs to my room. The tension from earlier had come back, my fight with Tiss. I wasn't strong enough to go to war, I was Tier 0 still. The Order of Musado would certainly have access to powerful clerics and paladins. Just because everyone bled the same didn't mean it was easy to make someone powerful bleed. I felt like a dog with its tail tucked between my legs. I was too weak to do the one thing I knew I had to.

 

Nimue carried me into my room to find it empty and she gently put me down on the bed. Tiss had either decided to leave or she had gone to stay with Jackal. I got the sense she didn't like being alone.

 

“What are your orders?” Nimue asked.

 

“I don’t know. Have a seat, chill out,” I shrugged, motioning to the chair. She sat down with purpose as if she was accomplishing something. Hopefully, I could teach her to mellow out. Though introducing her to the others would be interesting.

 

Remembering the notification I had seen before passing out I summoned the Book of the Dead. I had a new entry under Wight. I flipped to the page and read it over. Wights were intelligent, martially adept zombies who could command their own hordes by animating the fallen themselves. Nimue wasn't a zombie, she was a Wight. 

 

I had created a new type of undead. No wonder I had sprained a magic muscle, I had just gotten the ability to modify undead and here I was trying to create something unique. I had used all the soul embers I had gathered, whatever I had done had drained me.

 

With a sigh, I dismissed the book and closed my eyes. It had been days since I had slept and it had never come easier. My dreams were unpleasant, something that part of me understood was Death’s displeasure. Far sooner than I would have liked, Nimue was shaking me awake.

 

“What?” I groaned.

 

“Someone was trying to sneak into your room,” she said, making me bolt upright.

 

Nimue stood with a gloved hand on Tiss’ shoulder who was shaking with fear.

 

“Let her go,” I growled and Nimue’s hand jerked back. “That’s Tiss, she's a friend. Sorry, I should have told you,” I sighed.

 

“You have my apologies,” Nimue said with a small bow.

 

“W-what is going on?” Tiss asked nervously, the fire I had seen yesterday was gone. Then again from her perspective, I was friends with an Order Knight.

 

“Tiss this is Nimue Inapeiros, she's a wight and my finest creation yet.”

 

“Thank you, Morgan,” Nimue said, seeming to buff up at my praise.

 

“Oh… she’s undead,” Tiss said.

 

“Wait what?” Nimue reeled.

 

Well, shit.

 

“That was a joke, clever, yes?” Nimue smiled. “Though how I am a paladin while also undead I do not know,” she frowned.

 

And now she had a sense of humour. I still felt miserable and was too tired for this.

 

“Morgan… can we talk,” Tiss shifted.

 

I nodded, “Nimue, can you go wait in the hall? Oh and if you see a grey fuzzy boy with a lot of eyes he is also a friend. His name is Jackal. Be nice.”

 

Nimue nodded and marched out the door and I fixed my attention on Tiss.

 

“I’m… I’m sorry, I didn't mean–”

 

“No, Tiss, don't apologize,” I cut her apology off. “You’re not wrong, I am not a good person. I can’t make the world a better place but I can remove the people who make it worse. That's all I can offer, and I’m sorry that it's not enough.”

 

Tiss looked at me almost with pity, something I did not appreciate. Finally, she said, “I wasn't sure you were coming back.”

 

“I said I would, and believe it or not… I don't have anywhere to go either. I’m not even from this world, I’m in over my head. You and Jackal are the closest things I have to friends,” I laughed weakly before pausing as I realized what I had just admitted.

 

“We are your friends, Morgan. I was wrong to say what I said, you have protected me and Jackal,” Tiss said, focusing on something else entirely to what I was expecting. “But I think you are wrong, I think you are a good person just trying to do what they can. You can't make the world a better place unless we can build something better in its place. Revenge and punishment can only do so much, Morgan.”

 

Maybe Tiss was right, vengeance could only do so much. If I had tried harder to help Anne in the first place, if I had taken the time to check in with her, if I had put more effort into caring about her then maybe her death could have been prevented. It had been Zach’s fault but it had been preventable.

 

Killing Zach hasn't fixed anything, it just made me feel better and that had been enough. Maybe I could be proactive, rather than simply destroying what was bad I could make something that was good as well. I supposed treating people how they deserved to be treated required that I rewarded the decent as much as I punished the wicked.

 

“Ok, ok, how do we do that then?” I agreed. I doubted I could do it myself but with help…

 

“Oh… I don’t know. But we can figure it out,” Tiss replied.

 

I smiled, “At least we are on the same page now.”

 

“I think I would like that hug now,” Tiss said with a hint of a smile. “Uh, if that offer still stands,” she added with a blush. Well, that was new.

 

“Sure,” I chuckled and crouched down, wrapping her in a hug. She stiffened for a moment before letting out a long breath and relaxing.

 

[You have unlocked a new title, Death’s Enlightenment]

 

Oh… the goddamn Primordial of Death was trying to teach me a mother fucking lesson. One Tiss had managed to convince me in less than two minutes.

 

The door suddenly burst open causing us to jump as Nimue barged in with a fighting Jackal over her shoulder and the battle axe Jackal plundered in the other. “Excuse the interruption, Morgan, however this child who I am assuming is this Jackal you mentioned has just tried to attack me with an axe. Shall I… kill him or…”

 

“What no, put him down. You do not under any circumstances harm Tiss or Jackal!” I yelped, scurrying over.

 

Nimue let go causing Jackal to tumble to the floor with the crash. “Understood, Morgan.”

 

“Ow!” Jackal grunted as I helped him up.

 

I sighed but a snort turned my attention to Tiss who was very much trying not to laugh. I cleared my throat to not laugh, Tiss’ amusement only continuing my own.

 

“Give him his axe back. Jackal, this is Nimue, she's one of mine,” I explained. We really needed to hide the Order sigil on Nimue’s armour. Still, it was very brave of him to try and go up against an Order Knight, one arguably more powerful since she was now undead.

 

“I’m fine,” Jackal huffed indignantly, “I almost got her.”

 

I rolled my eyes. We really needed to get stronger. Jackal didn't even have a class yet and Tiss was only level two. “Jackal you mentioned something about metamorphosis to get your class?” I asked.

 

“Well yeah but… um…” he trailed off, not finishing his thought.

 

I heard Tiss whisper in my ear with her [Ventriloquism] ability. “Adult weavers have a much more monstrous form, he would not be able to enter the city.”

 

“Oh,” I said out loud before remembering only I had heard her words. “Jackal, you forget I literally ate a bunch of people, I don’t care what you look like. I was thinking it may be best to leave Llyne. I had a busy night and I’m sure the city will be freaking out shortly.”

 

“Well… I desecrated a church… and graveyard and killed two members of the Order. But… now we have Nimue,” I said feeling a little embarrassed.

 

Tiss glared at me in annoyance but I could tell Jackal thought that was awesome.

 

“What tier are you?” I asked Nimue.

 

“Tier 1,” she replied. “But I assure you I will only grow in power, Morgan.”

 

“We need a home,” Tiss piped up. “Since we are all in this together,” she began looking at us each to confirm. We did. “We need somewhere to live where the Order can’t easily reach us.”

 

I glanced out the window, noting the early morning sun. Well, there was one place the Order didn't have its grubby little fingers. “Exactly how dangerous are these Wildlands?” I asked. Tiss paled.