“To some people of power love is alien to them. Filial affection, merely preludes to monetary acquiescence, kindness, a potential political ploy, festivities, merely power plays, and matrimonial acts, merely transactions to be dealt with. It is rare for nobles and the rich to develop affections for others, since even your own family would use it in a ploy against you. In the world of the powerful, only those who are cruel and cold of heart may attain safety above the heads of others.”

  -King Vambran Ortiluke

  Evan

  Evan had never truly shown affection for anyone before. He has played the mind games of nobles before. He has battled with blades and with words, and rarely does it end without blood. He was heartless and cruel in the stage of high society and in the theater of war. Always playing politics and always moving his tongue like a blade that slits the foes before him.

  He finds it odd that someone who actually pointed a blade his direction stirs him so. The fervor and alacrity that the woman before him showed, moved his heart in a way that excited him. He questioned how someone so beautiful and amazing could exist. He has fought against warriors and mages before and none of them made his soul burn as much as the woman before him.

  How funny it is that only now that he has lost the heart in his chest, does it beat furiously for another. He feels it though, that his body is not one of the living anymore. His breath no longer fogs in the cold. His fingers now white and frigid. Yet, he feels a strange strength in his body, one unnatural and perverse. He cycles his aura and finds it merging with the rope in his neck, likely an artifact that made him like this.

  The abomination that sprouted from his chest was now gone, replaced by a cold blue fire that periodically flares out of his chest. No doubt that he is now an undead.

  Ughh, how am I going to explain this to mother and father.

  He sighs and turns back to the two maids, his eyes still refusing to meet the red haired girl’s emerald ones.

  “Let us go!” The red haired one says.

  The black haired one somehow got hold of his arm and was now biting him. No matter, he simply cycles his aura and hardens the skin of his arms. The red haired one however was kicking his exposed crotch with a boot, of which Evan was busy avoiding.

  “Calm yourselves p-please! I mean you both no harm. I simply want to know if you know of my current predicament.”

  “This guys speaks like a posh prick! Lodur turn him into a toad now!” The dazzlingly radiant red haired beauty yelled.

  “Hyaaa!” Somehow the black haired one of her hands free and slapped his chest.

  “Huh?”

  Then she slapped him again, before turning pale.

  “He’s dead Rob...I can’t turn anything that’s dead.”

  Evan changed his approach. It seemed brute force wouldn’t do good right now, so maybe he needed to show them he was harmless. He let their arms go and watched them touch the ground. The red haired one immediately picked up the knife and went between him and the black haired one.

  “Look I don’t mean you both any harm. I swear it on the Rustrata name that I would harm no maiden, especially the both of you, so please I ask for your help. I am merely lost and I would be willing to turn a blind eye to the usage of magic between you two.” Evan slowly backed away, as being near the pretty one made his ears redden.

  “Hah, why would we- maiden? What do you mean by maiden?” The red haired took out the wig they wore and showed that they had short red hair instead. “We’re both guys.”

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  Dear God they’re still beautiful as a man. Oh fate, why do you test me so.

  “I-I uhh.. L-look I just need to know what’s going on okay. One moment I was at the ball then all of a sudden flesh abominations burst out of the bodies of everyone participating, even me. Now I thought I was gonna die after breaking my leg on the stairs, but somehow my flesh bud was gone I’m still here. I’m s-so confused that I’m feeling somethinglikethisandIseesomeoneprettyandIstartquestioningand-and-and! Gaah!” Evan broke down in tears as he panted, trying to catch his breath. He collapsed to a fetal position on the floor, blocking the way to the stairs and the sack of magical artifacts.

  The two boys looked at eachother and whispered.

  “This guy is nuts Lodur. I think choking the guy with the magic noose was a bad idea. I say we run and forget this ever happened.”

  “But he has the magic noose thing and he’s blocking the way to our stuff and the exit.” Both of them looked over and winced. This seemed like a pain in the ass for both of them.

  They both slowly took a step towards the guy, before he suddenly wailed and waved his arms around.

  “Waaa! It-it’s not my fault mom! MOM! I don’t even know what to do!” The mad wailed with snot and tears. He hit the floor and the stone below it broke.

  “Looks like he lost it. Yeah, maybe we should calm down the guy before we move even further.” Rob said.

  “Agreed.” Lodur responded.

  “Let me talk to the guy, maybe I can convince him to shut up for a moment. Maybe we can get out of this without any incident.”

  Lodur shook his head.

  “I think he only started panicking when he spoke to you, so I don’t think you should be the one to speak to him. How about I try to calm him down, while you give me some space.”

  “Tch, fine, but you better make him give us back the rope.”

  Lodur gave a thumbs up and began walking to the wailing wreck. He avoided a few of the swings before putting a hand on Evan’s back.

  “Um sir, hey hello..” Lodur dodged a swipe. “Sir please calm yourself!”

  Evan, nose filled with snot and face still red, looked up from his mania. He saw a black haired guy wearing a maid dress and had taken off the wig they wore. Evan was a bit of a mess and calmed down at the request of the guy. Evan had the look of love and the rush of blood, and he was never going to be the same ever again.

  “There, now wasn’t that simple. Now would you maybe want to scooch over for a bit, that’d be great.”

  “It wasn’t always like this you know, but mother and father always wanted me to enter a political marriage, one that would bring more foothold to the Rustrata name. I’ve never had my heart thump, and now it’s too late. I’m an undead now and I can’t even be useful in my family’s plans. Why did I waste all those years sacrificing my blood and sweat to something that’s out of my reach now? Why did I do all this just to miss out on this beat in my heart? I wasted it all and now my lineage is worth nothing.”

  Evan felt the weight of all his decisions crash down on him at once. Years of learning statecraft and the art of war, only to be a victim in a masquerade ball then be killed by a magic noose. All his sacrifice felt worthless, as it was highlighted by a red haired cross-dressing boy no less. He was now questioning his values and tastes.

  “Okay umm, I don’t know what your talking about, but could you maybe move a tad bit to the right.”

  “It all started when I was kid. I was groomed to be the successor to my father’s heir. I am the eldest of my siblings and the weight of responsibility is heavy on my shoulders. I bear the burden of siring an heir of my own one day and to defend against the tides of the warfront. Unfortunately, I was positioned near Olipas due to various political ploys by various families. It would be safe to say that I would no longer be a viable successor to the crown when the noble court finds about my current predicament. I only lived for the values passed down by my bloodline and by the holy mission of our kingdom. I swallowed all my emotions to remain a blade sharp enough to be used for the greater good.”

  Evan was starting to tick Lodur, if only for a little bit.

  “Right....anyway, maybe if you could move out of the way for one second.

  “But I stopped such thoughts when I witnessed your company. A fair and feisty soul with flaming hair that I would willingly burn for and emerald eyes of verdant ferocity that would drown me in place. I have been struck by the arrow of affection and I yearn for more than just the one-sided infatuation of a wallflower. I-I was wondering if she umm... he would be amainable to be my b-boyfriend OR GIRLFRIEND! I do not judge. But fate has twisted me and damned me into a heartless beast. How would such a wretch like me touch a hand like that. I curse my blood and circumstance, if only it would let me be closer to R-Rob. Aah, such a gentle name.”

  Lodur was starting to get pissed off. Evan was speaking words that he didn’t understand due to his limited vocabulary, so he just tuned out a majority of it.

  “Look, you said you wanted to be with Rob as a friend thing right? I still don’t understand what being a boy or a girl in being a friend means, but I can talk to him if you’d like.”

  Evan’s face brightened. He bowed to Lodur in a pose reminiscent of a knight.

  “Y-you would do that for someone you just met? I would appreciate that. My name’s Evan Rustrata and I thank you for assisting this lone soul kind sir. I would follow you both to the four corners of the world and defend your honor at all times. This owes you both his life and his honor.”

  “Okay man enough with the fancy words. Name’s Lodur. Great, now could you maybe move for a bit I need to get our sack.” Lodur awkwardly moved around the muscular fellow and retrieved the sack. “Got it. Oh yeah, and could we maybe get the noose back.”

  “Apologies, I think the rope has fused with my body and has turned into a spectral substance so I presume no method could pry it off of me even if I wanted to.”

  “Rats...well okay then. Stay there then. Also, you might want to hide your wiener dude.” Lodur took off the pants he stole and gave it back to Evan, with empty pockets of course.

  Lodur went back to Rob and proudly presented the sac full of artifacts.

  “What did he say?”

  “He says he wants to be your friend or something Rob. He can’t take the noose off, so we just have to cut our losses and get out of here. Oh and he wants to follow us too, which is really weird.”

  “Tch, typical rich folk, always doing weird things like stalking.” Rob sighed. “Well alright then, I guess we need to meet up with Beelza and Knives soon anyway. I wonder how they’re doing with the whole giant zombie lady thing.”

  Beelza

  The woman cackled in the middle of a hastily made pentagram. Knives was pinned down as several corpses were spread out. She held a bloody dagger and was preparing for a ritual sacrifice. They were outside of the city and were preparing to bring untold amounts of violence to the former city lord turned pillar of undead bodies.

  “Tell me Knives are you ready to die?! Kya kya kya!”