Wholly Undead

They had already received news that Zitergall was under siege by the forces of Jakahn now for a week, and they were losing ground despite Warmarshal Ken Quicker arriving with his forces a few days before they could to join with the Warmarshal over Zitergall... Warmarshal Wayne Mossvale.

Zitergall was situated in the middle of a fork in the river that fed into the Brimstone Ocean. The Red River, named as such due to being a lava flow. Zitergall was a city of industry for metals, and it was this river that proved the heat necessary for the largest forge in Deagoth! It even dwarfed the main forge in Saigunrai. The forge of Saigunrai was the property of the Metalhearts Clan, but the Forges of Zitergall in their raw power and output were owned by the Furysmith Clan, one of the minor Clans of Deagoth. What the Furysmith clan lacked in quality they made up for in sheer volume. Elite arms were produced by the Metalhearts Clan, yes, but it was the Furysmith Clan that supplied the armies of Deagoth with Weapons, and the reason that a Warmarshal governed the City, instead of the Clergy, though Archbishop Javon hailed from this city.

Fortified between the fork of the Red River, Zitergall laid nestled in between, drawing the raw lava flows for many of the industries, and cultivation for the City. The Furysmiths like the Metalhearts Clan were Cultivators of Fire, and their craft called for extreme heat. Unlike the Metalhearts Clan that believed in slow, methodical steps in forging and Cultivation... The Furysmith Clan lived up to their name. They were fanatical over their forges, and equally so over Cultivation. They had not had a King Rank Cultivator since the times of the Lich King, but again... They made up for numbers, as they had four high level Knight Rank Cultivators, with many Grandmaster Cultivators. Zitergall had a modest population of seven hundred thousand undead, but almost half of the City were named Furysmith, and every Furysmith, male, female, or child cultivated their Tome, The Tome of Vulcan"s Fury!

Zitergall was not peaceful like the sleeping City of Faith such as Saigunrai, with its n.o.ble air and seat of the Holy Kingdom, nor was it the Merchant"s jewel of the Kingdom like Nogore... It was a furious beast of a City that issued low loud roars of the forges, as if countless dragon"s laid within... As the sole undisputed rulers of Zitergall, with the help of Warmarshal Mossvale, the City churned weapons of war among other mundane metal objects.

This monster of a City did not take the siege laying down. The Fury in the name of Furysmith was made known when their Clan joined forces with the Legion undead Warmarshal Mossvale. Mossvale"s forces were a mix of Light Cultivators and Nature Cultivators, and now aided by the Fire Cultivators held well for a week until the ballista of Jakahn, under the orders of General Mark.

Ballista shots were fired continually one after the other, and battered the high walls of Zitergall. While the Lava flinging Mortars of the City defenses powered by the Furysmith Clan would return fire with large boulders of molten rock.

Both sides had sustained heavy damage to their siege weapons, but very few undead were destroyed in the exchanges. After the consistent pounding on the south gate across the bridge that connected to the sh.o.r.es that faced Jakahn, as begun to show cracks to crumble.

Verruca"s and Stephanie"s Legions followed them into the City, as the sounds of the contact booming echoed from the south side of the side.

Verruca walked in, with her impressive form shining of Light, to the main office of governance of Zitergall set up as the HQ for this war. She, followed by Stephanie, approached a large round table with maps and reports strung around it. Around the table was three undead. Warmarshal Mossvale, as a tall lanky geist undead in green tinted chain mail and a vine whip on his side, his face hollow and his eyes blind folded. Warmarshal Ken Quicker, as his usually jack a.s.s smile that now formed a thin grim line with an additional burned hanging on his brow, in his light shining suit, and his two famous one-sided swords on his back. Lastly, the patriarch of the Furysmith Clan, Patriarch Furysmith stood with high equal in height of Verruca, with shoulders like a bear, and the waist of a Tiger. His skin was obsidian black with many cracks and his armor was silver trimmed in red and orange. His two famous forging hammers hung on both his sides, named "Upsetting Fury" and "Drawing Smith."

"Gentlemen... The cavalry has arrived." Laughed Verruca as he footsteps fell with purpose and drew the attention of the three undead leaders.

Ken was the first to speak, "It is good that the most gorgeous, and more intelligent Lord Commander of Deagoth has grace us with her presence," As Ken gave a Deagoth salute.

Verruca snorted.

"I"m just glad you have shown. The South Gate, let alone Wall, will not hold out but for another day under the bombardment of Jakahn." Warmarshal Mossvale spoke up.

"Does the Lord Commander have any ideas how to stop these rats from pouring in through the cracks?" The patriarch of the Furysmith Clan spoke up in expectation.

"Rats? What"s the situation?" Verruca"s browns furrowed on her pretty face atop her ma.s.sive form.

"It seems that in the cracks of the walls made... There are many many Jakahn rats coming in and attempting to a.s.sa.s.sinate out officers and forge leaders. We have already lost seven officers, and three forge leaders... Forge leaders of my Clan."

"And seven officers of my Kingdom." Verruca reprimanded.

"Yes. What does the Lord Commander advise?" The patriarch raised his head to stare in to the eyes of Warmarshal Verruca.

Many of the undead surrounding the area were of the City, and they too looked to Warmarshal Verruca, both her fellow Warmarshals looked to her, as well.

"You obviously don"t really know who I am, if you are asking this..." Verruca"s melodious voice hardened and cascaded within the walls of this temporary HQ. Stephanie behind her took a step back, seeing the aura rise around her best friend. She knew what she was going to say.

The aura of Verruca rose and a golden flame surrounded her armor as she calmly voiced, "I am Warmarshal Verruca of the Holy Kingdom of Deagoth. Appointed Lord Commander of the Legions of Deagoth, Blade and Executioner of the G.o.d-King, and Bulwark of the faithful. So, if you are asking me what I advise... I advise... War." Verruca laid it on the line, and the room was deadly silent. They knew what she said, but this didn"t give them direction.

Verruca walked to the map, and pointed.

"Prepare all major forces. I want you and you." Verruca pointed to Warmarshal Ken and Mossvale, "To take your forces to the east and bypa.s.s the town of Querbere, and go to the Town of Bug... Fight your way across the bridge, and flank the a.s.sault of Jakahn."

"Patriarch, I continue leave the Cities Defense to you. No one denies this is your City, so I trust that you can keep it from sliding in to the Brimstone Ocean."

The patriarch nodded grimly.

Verruca side stepped to show Warmarshal Stephanie Chaoshood.

"Warmarshal Chaoshood will use a ritual to form an arcane bridge across the Red River to the West, and flank Jakahn to Hammer and Anvil the forces of Jakahn with the arrival of Warmarshals Ken and Mossvale."

Silence ensued... Bold!

"But what will the Lord Commander do?" The patriarch asked.

"Me and my Legion will do what my Legion does best... We break wars." Verruca"s face etched into a s.a.d.i.s.tic smile on her delicate face.