Whispers of A Dead Empire

Chapter 27

I teleported to the secluded part of the forest that Alessia was training in and sat in a far corner, underneath the shade of a few trees. She was quietly running them through drills, and I observed them quietly. I still don't understand how they communicate. It was just silent talking. She would cast a glare at one of them and, for a few seconds, stare before moving away. I have to give it to her. For an undead who wasn't sapient, she was very precise and intelligent. I marveled at the fact that all the undead that surrounded her were drilling the same movements over and over.

She was really working on passing down skills to the undead. It made me wish I could see the skills they had in their class so far. On the other hand, I had a few skill slots open, so maybe I should see if I could get some bosses' skills. I rested against the trees and placed the pole-axe against the tree trunk, and crossed my arms.

So much to decide on and such little time to do it. What kind of side skills did I want to learn? I think being a close combat fighter like Aaron would be fun. Sadly, however, I lost my access to mana, so I can't learn any magic. But I have my soul class, which is pretty much magic in its own regard.

I thought back to watching Aaron move around the zombie in his fight. It would be so fucking cool to do something like that, but that means I would have to learn how to use my Ki. Then, I would have to check with Kharon and go from there. My eyes wandered towards the sky, which was turning dark. The two moons dimly lit the ground, the grey fog that clung to everything around us.

An uncountable number of stars splattered across the sky and twinkled happily in the distance. I knew it was fake, and it was by my doing. But it didn't detract from how beautiful it was. I took a deep breath through my nose and basked in the musky scent of the forest. The air was wet and heavy, and I could smell saltiness in the air akin to rain. It was amazing how real this all was. I mean, it was real, but knowing that I crafted this all was just awe-inspiring.

I stared at the sky for a little while before I turned my attention back towards the formation of undead, only to find them all on a knee before me. They were all in a square formation and had their heads facing down and an arm across their chest. Alessia was the only one standing, though she was giving me a deep bow. What brought this on? Was it that grey light that came from Rikard? There was so much that I didn't know.

I cleared my throat and grabbed the poleaxe that was resting against the tree. It was a little hefty, but it wasn't for me to use, however. "Alessia Veers. You are my champion and defender of myself. Take this weapon as a symbol of your position." I extended the weapon towards her. She gripped the pole-axe and gazed at it for a moment, and a strange light filled her eyes for a moment before it vanished.

I pulled around my bag and pulled out the mace. "And for your last weapon, take this mace. For when the poleaxe fails, you still may serve your duty. Remember, Alessia, you serve a job far more important than anyone else, for you are the last line of defense. The only thing that I ask of you is to remember that no matter what. You belong to me and me alone. So serve my will well." I extended the mace, and she took it.

Her eyes lit up again and became more lifelike, and she opened her mouth. A glitter of excitement coiled around in my chest. Was she finally sapient? Her mouth moved, and a look of confusion crossed her face, and she reached out and touched her lips. I was a little disappointed, but at least she attempted to talk. "Serve me well, Alessia." I gave her a nod and teleported out towards Kharon. I wanted to stick around and be all bubbly about Alessia being able to talk, but I'm trying to keep appearances up around the rest of the undead.

No matter how much I did it, the act of teleporting felt strange. It left me feeling slightly nauseous and off, but it beat having to walk around to each location. Especially once this place gets bigger. My feet hit the ground, and immediately I heard the familiar sound of a violin playing. Damn, Kharon picks up on things quickly. I shot a glance towards my notifications and saw that he hadn't replied yet.