Foundered

Jasper IV: The Pain in my Heart

Jasper wandered about the eastern parapets, looking down at the survivors and mercenaries going about their daily lives. A plethora of thoughts rummaged through his mind, driving him insane.

Every time a bird flew by, he looked in paranoia for leathery wings and horrid appendages. Peering into the din of the western scion, he wondered what shadows brooded there.

The Great Undead Army had passed, leaving behind them a trail of dark and dust, lifeless corpses marched by the millions under the command of their Dark Walker overlords, cutting a path through the countryside. The military had been mobilized days ago, but no amount of carpet bombing could wipe out a substantial part of the army.

Cities were being walled off to stop the plague from spreading, checkpoints inspecting for every sign of the plague. But even that to avail, as multiple cities over time became infested to the point of being quarantined, its denizens left for death. Such inhumane treatment may be seen as draconian, but it was necessary in times like these. Better death than servitude.

Nothing matters now; nothing but does is the war between the living and the dead.

Or so he told himself, but no – his eyes were fixed on something else entirely. I'm on the lookout for gargoyles, he told himself, where in reality his eyes were fixed upon the brown curls of one of the most beautiful guys he had ever seen (of course, after himself). Zac was a shy individual, always too vibrant with his body language.

I'm not in love; he assured himself, just that... uh, he... seems interesting. Like he gives me those vibes that few people have, it's not a love... I can't fall in love with any random Bill, Jack, or Tom.

"Is Zac a random Bill, Jack, or Tom?" a voice asked, startling him all of a sudden.

"Oh, it's you," said Jasper to Sareth, "what are you doing here? And how did you hear my thoughts?"

"You blurted it out loud, cousin," he laughed, "you act weird when you're in love."

"I'm not in love," he said, "I'm too concerned with the castle's defences to be in something as meagre as love."

"Aw..." Sareth tousled his older cousin's hair. "Exactly, you're too proud to admit it. But anyway, what are you even thinking of, besides Zac?"

"That many cities in and around Croatia have already been walled off, one of them already turned into a quarantine."

"Will that work though?"

"As long as the Dark Walkers are far away, yes. But when they're here, the zombies will just climb on top of each other and break through, should the corpse giants be deemed unfit to bring the whole thing down alone."

"Yep, they're dead."

"I hope sooner or later we can get to visit a city like that, maybe just fly over in our helicopter: a people in disarray, their wrath unleashed upon the guards, who are struggling to hold their shields up against the horde of rioters, separating the afflicted from those who are not. When the plague starts and the back lines falter, the guards shall leave the city and close the gates, leaving behind all the unsorted victims for death."

Sareth coughed, "what a dangerous time to be living in."

"Yeah, I feel sorry for them. Poor people have nothing to do; too superstitious to even get the antidotes."

"Propaganda, propaganda..." said Sareth, "well, I guess they all wish you were there. But unfortunately, not everyone has a knight in shining armor like Zac does."

"What?"

"I mean, just think about it – you're one of those fantasy archetypes, a knight in shining armor hoping to save his damsel in distress, and you already have one. Fortunately for both, he's in love with you just as you're in love with him."