A general born to rule

Another issue and what remains

The relentless waves of undead continued to press against Valorcrest's defenses. No matter how many they killed, more kept coming. Marcus and Sam knew something was terribly wrong. The sheer number of undead indicated that this was no ordinary horde; they were being generated from somewhere—and they needed to find out where.

After interrogating various captured leaders from the fallen Golden Orcest Empire, they turned their attention to the one person who might have the answers they needed: the disgraced ex-Emperor Valdrak. But ever since Valdrak's defeat, he had refused to cooperate. For months, Marcus and Sam attempted to extract information from him, resorting to different methods, but Valdrak stayed silent.

One night, Marcus and Sam had enough. With their patience at its end, Marcus confronted Valdrak in his cell. Valdrak, still filled with hatred for his conquerors, sneered as Marcus approached.

“You’re wasting your time,” Valdrak spat. “There’s nothing I’ll tell you.”

Marcus’s eyes narrowed as he knelt beside the defeated emperor, his voice low but firm. “You might have ruled with fear, but that doesn’t work on me. The longer you stay silent, the more lives are lost because of your negligence. Tell me what we need to know, or I’ll make sure your last days are spent in the deepest, darkest cell Valorcrest has to offer.”

Valdrak’s arrogance faltered, but he remained silent for a moment longer. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he sighed and muttered, “There’s a cave… far to the east, hidden deep in the mountains. I sent a force there—years ago. They were to guard it… to ensure the undead wouldn’t spill out. But when I called all my troops back to defend my empire, the cave was left unguarded.”

Marcus’s eyes sharpened as Valdrak continued. “The undead aren’t just an army… they’re spawned from that cave, driven by some ancient force. If you don’t seal it, they’ll never stop.”

It all made sense now. The undead horde that had been plaguing Valorcrest was no ordinary army; it was an unending tide, born from that forsaken cave. Marcus rose, leaving Valdrak in his cell, and went to find Sam to begin planning their next move.

---

In Sam’s office, the two leaders discussed their options. The mission ahead of them was treacherous. The cave was deep in hostile territory, far beyond the safety of their fortified walls. Sending a large force would attract too much attention, but going in with a small team could easily be a suicide mission.

“We have to go in ourselves,” Marcus said after hours of strategizing. “We can’t send anyone else to deal with this. We’re the ones with the experience and the tactical knowledge to stop this.”

Sam nodded, but his expression was grim. “It’s dangerous, Marcus. The cave is crawling with undead, and if something goes wrong, we might not come back.”

They both knew the risks, but there was no other choice. Without sealing the cave, the undead would continue to overrun the world.

As they solidified their plans, Sam couldn’t help but think about his lovers—Alara, Aislin, and Seraphine. They were the ones who kept him grounded, who gave him strength. The thought of leaving them behind without a promise of return weighed heavily on his mind.

Just as Sam was about to leave the room, the door swung open, and Alara, Aislin, and Seraphine rushed in. Tears filled their eyes as they stood before him, their expressions a mixture of fear and heartbreak.

“You can’t do this,” Alara pleaded, stepping forward. “You can’t leave us. Not like this.”

Aislin’s voice trembled as she spoke, her hand clutching Sam’s arm. “You always put yourself in danger, but this… this sounds like a death sentence. You can’t go.”