Whispers of A Dead Empire

Chapter 33

I appeared in my office and saw that Kharon was sitting in a chair by my desk. I quickly covered the distance and sat down at my desk. "Thank you for coming, Kharon."

"It's no problem, but what did you want to discuss?"

"So, there were a few disturbing things I heard you talk about in the meeting, and I didn't want to talk about it in front of the other undead. The first thing was referring to the adventures as invaders. The next referred to the undead outside of the stronghold as feral. It's a little troubling to me and makes me feel as if they are slipping from my control." I rested my elbows on my desk and interlaced my fingers. I may be overthinking, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Well, lately, the other undead have been forming the idea that outsiders are part of the reason the empire fell in the first place. So for continuity's sake, I refer to them as invaders. It gives them a sense of purpose and unification. As for the ferals, they have become ostracised from the rest of us because of the collective faith trait you unlocked. They still know you are the leader of the domain but will attack everything else." I sat back in my seat and pondered his words.

So the name shifts were just for the other undead. However, the presence of ferals was slightly bothersome. But it added a minor twist. I was just a little uncomfortable with how quickly my domain seemed to evolve on its own accord. "I understand, I think. I was just worried that things were slowly slipping from my control."

Kharon bobbed his head as he uncrossed his arms. "Calixa, you should learn to trust us a little more. We won't lead you astray."

I strummed my fingers across the table and struggled with my thoughts. "It's not that I don't trust you guys. I just don't like when stuff like this happens."

"I think you are taking too much on yourself. You should delegate and focus more on things that you can control." His words rang true to me, though it didn't make it any easier. But I guess I will relent, for now.

"I know. I just don't want to be overbearing, but you're right."

My companion mashed his teeth together in a way that reminded me of a child that got its way. "Thank you, mistress. Let me focus on building and working with the undead for now. You can focus on training with Aaron for the time being and getting stronger. We need you to hold your own if the time comes." I am glad that my companion was as rational as he is. It was almost as if he was made to compliment me. Speaking of which, I have yet even to see him actually angry.

"Thank you, Kharon; you are a godsend. Before you go, though, can you design some buildings for us and have the undead work on them? I want to expand the stronghold a bit more before we open up to the public." I sat forward in my seat, and the wave of stress that was floating around my head was slowly fading.

"Of course, mistress. I will get on that; if anything important happens, I will let you know." The tall skeleton stood up and gave me a bow before he vanished once more. I took a deep breath and stared at my table for a second. I felt like such a mess. Everything had to be perfect, but he was right. I was taking too much on myself.

It just didn't sit well with me not doing everything that I could. But I had to rely on them. I cleared my throat and stood up, and glanced around my office once more. Well, it was time to get to training. I summoned my map and teleported back to the courtyard of the stronghold.

Once I arrived, I saw that the entire area was bustling with activity. Large groups of undead were moving in tight formations and out of the stronghold. I actually didn't know how many of them I had running around my domain. Maybe it was something that I should keep track of. I watched quietly for a bit, marveling at how well they moved. Compared to the stumbling idiots they were earlier, a lot has changed. But I need more variety in here. The same old undead would be repetitive after a while.