The Lost Lord of Iron

by An Odd Hermit

Soul Undying

I drummed my fingers on the table idly as I watched Daisyheart consume her meal. It was a simple salad, but boy, did she make it look appetizing. As she was eating, the doe spoke between bites, yammering on about patrols and reports from her fellow constables regarding a bandit gang harassing some village on the northern outskirts of The Everfree.

But at some point I think I just tuned her out.

She was seated to the right of me, in a dark, ornate wooden chair that complimented an equally dark and ornate dining table, meant to seat around 15 or so individuals.

It was early morning, and yet the sun was blotted out by angry looking clouds, the wind and debris railing against the beautiful stained glass church-like window. It sat high and snug within the confines of the wall on the opposite end of the dining hall, colored a kaleidoscope of blues and greens. Even now, I found it hard to adjust to. All this finery, this grandness, all of it was mine.

And I still hadn’t explored even half of it yet. There were still entire wings of the castle to investigate, dungeons to skulk through, the likely refurbished library to gawk at. All in due time, of course. Lifting my hand from the table, I gazed at it. One of the two very same hands that brutalized an honest-to-god sasquatch yesterday.

The feeling of its bones crunching under my fist, the way its face turned into bloody pulp with each punch of my knuckles, how it became nothing but a bloody smear in the dirt… Deep down inside, I felt satisfied. Not the kind of satisfaction you’d get from saving a friend from certain death.

No.

It was the satisfaction that came with utterly dominating your opposition. The wretched beast’s squeals and howls of pain echoed in my mind, stirring that feeling up like silt in a pond. If I had lips, they would’ve curled into a self-satisfied smile. But I did not. Instead, I felt deeply disgusted with myself.

Taking something’s life wasn’t supposed to be a satisfying experience. But that was the first time in a very, very long time since I’ve ever been in a fight. Not since… Middle school. The thought of those days made my nonexistent stomach twist into a knot. My eyes narrowed as the memories swarmed back to me like an angry cloud of wasps.

Adrenaline. The cathartic release of my fist colliding with a jeering classmate’s nose. The sense of power, the sick joy that I felt as I watched him curl into a ball and cry. A little monster was born that day. A monster that I thought I put down for good, only for him to rattle the cage I locked him in.

As I dwelt on these things, a void began to grow in my chest, and a heavy weight slowly pressed itself down on me…

“Jealous?” Daisyheart said through a mouthful of greens, distracting me from my ruminations, the negative thoughts washed away. I turned my gaze to her, and found her wearing a smug expression, cheeks enlarged from the salad she’s been stuffing her face with.

I found myself laughing, shaking my head with mirth. She really was a silly creature, wasn’t she?

“No. I don’t crave food, nor can I eat it… But, I’ll concede that I do miss my sense of taste.” I responded amiably, gesturing idly with a hand before letting it fall back to the table. She thought about my answer as she chewed on her food, her muzzle scrunching up as the doe swallowed her meal.

“Wait a minute- Hold it, does that mean you were alive at some point?” Daisyheart queried a strangely concerned look on her face. That, in of itself, was worrying.

Usually in a fantasy setting, the undead were looked upon with both disgust, disdain, and no small amount of hatred. I had to be really tactful about this, or else I risk alienating her… But I didn’t really know how to broach that without looking weird.

That, and my quiet staring was starting to make her nervous. Might as well just be upfront about the matter. Heaving a sigh, I nodded.

“Yes. I am a Revenant, Daisyheart. Or a Lich. Perhaps bo-” I started, before I was promptly interrupted by the doe across from me.

“YOU’RE A REVENANT!? Wh- I- WHAT!?” Daisy yelled, slamming both hooves on the table, making her salad spill everywhere as she looked at me with flabbergasted shock. I winced at the sheer volume she was able to project. If I had eardrums, they would’ve burst.

“YES! I am! Now please, return to your seat. And stop shouting at me, I’m right here!” I demanded, flicking my hand in her direction before shaking my head in exasperation. Sudden, loud noises had a habit of agitating me.

“Y-y-you’re-... You’re undead. An actual, h-honest-to-faust undead.” Daisyheart said dumbly, her jaw practically on the floor. She looked at me as if I were a beast of legend, making me shift slightly in my seat. What was this ominous feeling in the room?

“I assume that’s unusual?” I ventured. After a second of processing, she suddenly spluttered, gesturing wildly with her hooves before throwing them up in the air.

“YES! YES THAT’S UNUSUAL, THEODORE! I thought you were just some weird sentient golem or something, y’know!?” She exclaimed loudly, looking at me with wild eyes. She seemed to be getting increasingly frazzled as this conversation wore on, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for her.

“...I’m surprised my self-proclaimed title didn’t tip you off.” I half-muttered, turning my head to the side. I felt oddly ashamed, which Mordekaiser was none too pleased about, but I managed to keep myself from shuddering.

“I thought you said it was just an ACT!” Daisyheart bemoaned before groaning loudly, slapping her hooves over her eyes as she set her forehead against the table.

“And it was!” I exclaimed, snapping my gaze in her direction. Admittedly, I was somewhat hurt by her reaction. I mean, I had to know it was coming. This is probably the tamest response I could’ve gotten… But regardless. It didn’t feel good.

“Is my undead nature truly that disturbing to you?” I said quietly, breaking the moment of silence between us.

Daisy then sighed, raising her head to look at me, her ears pressed flat against her head.

“No, Theodore. Well- I mean, I’m shocked, yeah, and who wouldn’t be? But… You’re still my friend. The problem is… Soon after Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria, banished her sister to the moon, she led the first crusade against the Necromancers in the badlands.” Daisyheart began to explain. If I had a brow, it would’ve been furrowed.

“After that, she wiped out any and every trace of necromancy in the country. It was the first crusade in a long line of them, ridding Equestria of dark magic… Until you showed up.” She finished, giving me a worried stare. Halfway through the impromptu history lesson, a pit had grown where my stomach would be, and only magnified as Daisy wrapped it up.

This was bad.

I mean, getting rid of dark magic is a good thing! Don’t get me wrong! But what does that mean for me!? I practically reeked of it! Hell, I was MADE of it! Does that mean Princess Celestia, who’s probably a Queen by now, will, in the near future, break down my door demanding my proverbial head!?

“We cannot let her know of my existence. If she catches word of my nature, there’s no doubt she’ll march here with an army. I must prepare.” I said quickly, standing up and looking around for the door. Spotting it, I prepared to move for it, but was subsequently stopped as Daisyheart spoke up again.

“Uhm… About that. Do you remember Twilight Sparkle? The purple Alicorn with the tiara?” She said, a cringe on her face. I didn’t like what this was leading up to. I slowly turned to face her, my ghastly eyes wide.

“Y-yeah, uhm… She uh, she’s Princess Celestia’s pupil…” She squeaked out, squeezing her eyes shut and turning away, bracing herself.

And it was a good thing she did.

“WHAAAAAAAAT!!!!???” I bellowed, making the stones of my castle shake slightly with the sheer power of my voice. Daisyheart had to clamp her hooves over her ears to protect them from harm, and only cracked open an eye when I went quiet. I was taking heaving breaths, my fists clenching and unclenching as I thought about what to do.

“I must prepare IMMEDIATELY. Daisyheart, return to your people and inform your superiors of my situation. I may be expecting company within the following days, and it’s imperative that you are not associated with me. I shudder to think of what this ‘Celestia’ would do to you if she found out you’ve been staying here.” I said, pacing back and forth as I tried to think of the best course of action. Do I run and hide? OW, No, that thought alone just earned me a massive headache… And I think I know where, or rather, who, it came from.

“Excuse me? Theodore, I am NOT leaving you. We’re friends, and friends don’t just abandon each other at the first sign of trouble!” Daisyheart said heatedly, which took me by surprise, prompting me to freeze in my pacing. When my gaze met hers, I nearly flinched from the intensity in her eyes. She looked as if I just suggested she strip naked and dance the hula.

The mere thought of leaving me behind was that offensive? Despite being under that burning stare, I couldn’t help but feel a warmth blossom in my chest.

“...I… I see. W-well, if that’s what you want, I suppose I cannot stop you.” I responded somewhat meekly, fiddling with my fingers, like a child who didn’t quite know what to say.

“Darn right. We’re in this together, Theo, so don’t go getting any funny ideas.” Daisyheart said, now relatively placated. She stood up and walked over to me, gesturing for me to kneel. Confused, I did as she asked. I was promptly rewarded with a hug for my efforts. Daisy had to stand up on her hindlegs to reach around my neck, of course.

Regardless. It left me stunned.

When was the last time anyone’s ever hugged me? I couldn’t for the (un)life of me remember. I vaguely remember being hugged by a kindergarten teacher when I tripped and fell, scraping my knee… But other than that, I genuinely couldn’t recall. Never really had any friends. My parents weren’t the hugging type, and I didn’t have any siblings, either…

“C’mooon, now you put your arms around me. It’s called a hug. Can you say hug, Theodore?” Daisyheart teased, nearly ruining the nice moment. I reflexively scoffed and returned her embrace, careful not to squeeze too hard. I still had trouble controlling my strength sometimes.

“Oh, be quiet, you.” I said, amusement lacing my words as Daisyheart giggled, tightening her hold on me. At this moment, I could feel Mordekaiser's blatant disgust with my actions in the back of my mind, but I paid it no heed. I needed this. She was warm.

I sighed contentedly, releasing her from my hold. Daisy took a few steps back, and gave me a kindhearted smile, one that I wanted to return… But without warning, an unfathomable weight rammed itself onto my shoulders. An uninvited guest that I was all too familiar with.

As always, it was like a leech, devouring whatever contentment I had, leaving me cold and empty… Empty of peace. And in that void, a feeling of immense self-loathing sprung up from the depths of my brain. I was self-aware enough to recognize the signs of a massive oncoming depressive episode.

It was so strange how they just… Came out of nowhere. As if they were a predator waiting to strike me at my most vulnerable. No amount of antidepressants could possibly purge this emotional parasite. Once it found just a smidgen of hope or joy in my heart, it pounced, and reminded me of how much of a worthless monster I was.

I didn’t deserve her smile.

I didn’t deserve her.

If… If she knew what kind of vile wretch I was, there’s no doubt she’d hate me.

Neither my eyes or body language had changed. I gave no inclination to how I was truly feeling in that moment, and yet, Daisyheart’s expression faltered suddenly, and then fell. Almost as if she... Knew somehow. I swear those emerald green eyes of hers were shining a little brighter now.

“Theodore…” Daisy began, her ears pinned back as she gazed up at me empathetically, taking a step forward. Her reaction only served to thoroughly confuse, and, to be quite frank, scare me. I held up a hand to stop her from coming any closer, shakily huffing.

“I’m sorry, but I think I may need to stretch my legs. A-Alone. I-I have much to dwell on, afterall.” I said, immediately turning on my heel to walk out the door. Daisyheart called out to me, but I ignored her. I couldn’t bear it anymore. I couldn’t let her waste such kindness on me, not when there were others far more deserving of it.

I made my way through the castle and out the grand wooden doors, down the steps, and to the ravine. I hardly remembered leaping over it in my haze. I stumbled into the forest, ferns and bushes rustling as their frail stems and branches fell victim to my sabatons. The distance I walked was lost to me, but I hadn’t made it to the river, that much was known.

The wind picked up, almost in response to my worsening state of mind.

Suddenly stumbling, I fell over a root, landing in the dirty undergrowth with a thud. Moments later, I groggily pulled myself up a tree trunk and held onto it tightly, shaking my head as the negative cloud looming over me took hold like some jealous siren. I couldn’t stave off the tidal wave of hatred, the kind of hate that could only ever be aimed at myself.

Maybe everyone in this world would be better off if I just let that Princess Celestia person purge me. Smite me with some holy magic or something like that. Sure, it’d probably be painful, but that’s what irredeemable monsters deserve. Right?

No.

Why would I trouble somebody important like that to put down a mutt like me? Maybe I could find a cave system. Go deep, deep down… Bury myself underneath rock and rubble. Far, far underground, where I can’t hurt anyone else.

In the recesses of my mind, I could feel Mordekaiser trying his damnedest to carve a path through my loathsome melancholy to get to me. To knock some sense into my brain and shake me from the depressive abyss that held me captive. But it was almost supernatural in how it seemed to push back against the undead tyrant, pressing in on him on all sides.

I could tell he was starting to get furious. The emotion bled into my body, causing my fingers to dig into the bark of the tree like putty, the wood easily splintering under my might.

But before he or I could do anything, I heard something tear through the boughs of the trees. It was crashing, and quickly, landing nearby with a groundshaking impact akin to a large rock being catapulted into the ground. Pulling myself onto my feet with the support of the tree, I staggered away from the oak and made myself towards the impact zone.

What I came upon nearly shocked me out of my episode.

It was a Roc! One with a handsome crown of feathers. But it laid there, unmoving, unresponsive to the world, its wings bent at unnatural angles. My tenderized heart sank, going out to the poor beast in sympathy. After a moment of hesitation, I broke away from the bushes I had been standing behind, and approached it.

It’s head twitched as it acknowledged my approach, straining to look at me. But yet again, something was terribly wrong. Everything else in its body was limp. It could only feebly move its head. Any mystery of its condition was dispelled soon after, as I quickly realized with dread that its spine was probably broken.

“Wh-wh… Wh…Who… A-are… You…?” The Roc said, his voice wheezily escaping his beak, his eyes dull and unfocused. The sudden speech made me flinch back, eyes wide. I stood there in stunned silence for a minute. I took that time to compose myself, before I slowly kneeled closer.

“I am Lord Dietrich. King of The Dead, and the land hereafter.” I answered. The Roc’s dulled eyes focused slightly as they went wide with disbelief, and then a number of other emotions. Pain. Sorrow. Fear. Before finally… Rage. As if I were the reaper, here to claim his soul.

“T-T-The d-dead…? I… A-a-am not… D-DONE… H-H-H-HERE… Yet… I… I s-still… Ha-have so much t-to… To d-do…” The Roc said, his eyes fierce as he glared up at me defiantly. Despite his terminal injury, he was still full of life. Still brimming with the will to go on. In those hazel depths, I found myself swallowed up by the fire of his determination, and I couldn’t help but feel… Envious.

I felt, for a moment, a little spark light up in my soul.

A desire.

In that moment, I felt a presence beside me. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. A domineering aura filled the air, sensed only by those sensitive to the dead and those beyond it. But still, a chill descended upon the woods, for even in death, the living would know the weight of his authority.

“Observe, Whelp. Even in the shadow of death, this beast’s strength of will burns like a furnace. Despite his broken, maimed flesh, he defies his fate with a fervor you are right to envy– and would be wise to emulate.” Mordekaiser said, coming to stand beside The Roc’s head, looking down at him with unreadable eyes. Meanwhile, the car-sized raptor made no indication that he had heard the undead tyrant, keeping his defiant gaze locked on me.

I kept my own stare trained on The Roc.

The little monster rattled his cage again, a fire lit beneath it..

“This… Bird, will not simply fade into oblivion. No. We will not allow that, for every empire starts with but a single brick.”

The fog that had consumed my mind was burned up by that fire. Doubt, fear, restraint. Gone.

All that was left was a deep, burning itch.

“Take it, Whelp. Take his will, and make it your own. He will be the first brick of your empire, the first soul in your army.”

It would be like snapping a dry stick.

This would be a mercy.

I would be doing him a kindness.

My hand reached towards The Roc’s neck, gripping it. The giant Bird of prey was surprised by the sudden contact, and looked at me with a mix of fear and anger. If I had a heart, it would’ve been hammering in my chest.

“D-don’t-”

CRACK!

The bars of the cage bent.

“...I am not Death, my little soul. I am beyond it. I am its ruling fist… And every shade shall serve.” I said darkly, rising and taking a step back, my eyes on The Roc’s motionless corpse. I did him a favor. He wasn’t going to live long out here. I merely expedited the process. For a moment, I thought of Daisyheart, and my soul quaked with doubt… But Mordekaiser spurned me on.

“Now, reach forth and repeat after me.” Mordekaiser commanded, prompting me to obey. I extended my gauntleted hand towards The Roc’s lifeless body, fingers outstretched like grasping claws.

“Pitiful struggle, freed from flesh, you are mine.”

“Pitiful struggle, freed from flesh… You. Are. Mine.” I repeated the words in a tongue that was entirely foreign to me, but somehow intimately familiar. Instinctively I knew. It was the language of the dead.

Ochnun.

I could feel the necromantic energy flowing through me as I reverberated those words, dark power coursing through my hand and towards The Roc, grasping his essence in a vice grip. Closing my fist, I turned it palm-up and WRENCHED the soul out of the giant raptor’s body.

In a brilliant display of turquoise and cyan, The Roc’s soul erupted from his corpse, first a large orb the size of a bowling ball. Then, as it hovered there before me, it slowly began to spread out and take form. A giant, skeletal bird of prey. Feathers coated his bones like a coat, and his eye sockets blazed to life with the very same dark magic that raised him.

He stared at me for a moment, before lowering himself to the forest floor, spreading his wings wide in a show of submission. I was beside myself with awe at the power I wielded, amazed that I could conquer death so… Effortlessly. I looked at Mordekaiser like an excited child, hoping I made my old man proud.

All the while, having entirely forgotten the brutality of my actions.

The Undead Tyrant folded his arms and locked eyes with me. He looked thoughtful, his piercing gaze weighing decisions. After several silent moments, the skeletal Roc long since risen and glancing between us, I began to get nervous. Then Mordekaiser spoke.

“...We have much to discuss. But for now, I’d recommend tending to your pet.” He said ominously, slowly vanishing into the ether as he looked past me to stare at the only creature that’d be foolish enough to follow me out in this kind of weather.

Daisyheart.

I turned around, and there she was. Staring at me with wide, horrified eyes, ears pinned back. It was that same look again, like yesterday, when I killed the sasquatch. Except only, there was no awe in those eyes. Only horror, as Daisy bore witness to the incredibly taboo scene in front of her, and stared at me as if I were some kind of monster.

“T-Theodore? Wh-... What’s going on here?” Daisyheart asked, unable to keep the fear from her voice as she glanced between the undead Roc and me, the gears in her mind churning at a feverish pace to try and justify the situation.

Meanwhile, I was frozen solid.

Snapping myself out of the shock I was in, I immediately sobered up from the intoxicating sense of power, which was now replaced by an all consuming sense of guilt and regret.

“Daisy, i-it was the only thing I could do. I-I-I couldn’t save him, he didn’t want to die, a-and-” I stammered, gesturing at The Roc, trying to come up with excuses for what she stumbled upon. But no matter which way I sliced it, this… This didn’t look good.

“So… You- You resurrected him? Brought him back?” Daisyheart ventured, still trying to process the giant skeletal bird currently watching them both with a perplexed tilt of his head. I was about to come up with a pathetic answer when somebody else spoke up.

“After snapping my neck rather suddenly, yes. It was painless, so that's another point of gratitude that I owe to Lord Dietrich.” The Roc said suddenly, startling the both of us. It seemed that he had adjusted rather quickly to his new situation. Me and Daisy both turned to him, shocked that he was even speaking.

“From what I’ve heard, it usually takes a while for somecreature to die from a broken neck. But Mi’lord must have crushed just about everything under there, so it was quite… Instant.” He continued, gesturing with a wing as if this were just a regular conversation about the weather, which only served to deepen the look of horror on Daisy’s face.

“A-And… Who m-might you be?” Daisy asked nervously, her head closed to the ground as she looked up at the undead Roc.

“Borealis Nightchant, at my Lord’s service.” Borealis answered, inclining his head towards me. The moment Daisyheart heard his name, she went positively pale despite her fur. Slowly turning her head towards me, she looked as if she was on the verge of fainting.

“Theo- I- Lord Dietrich… That’s the Roc Chieftain’s SON.”

Oh.

Oh no.

Author's Note:

Hey-howdy-hiddily-ho! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Didn't expect I'd be able to push one out so soon after the last one... But hey! Here I am!

Well, soon is a strong word. But that's relative. Soon for me at the very least, kekeke.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Is the Merchant going to be the main villain of this story?

[An Odd Hermit]

11902397
You'll see. You'll see.