A druid, a warlock, a dwarf, a tiefling, and a boar find the graveyard and the druid isn't happy.

***

There were times Connor relished in being right, and there were times Connor felt like banging his head against the nearest wall because he despised being right.

This was one of the times he wished there was a convenient wall to bash his head against. A tree would have been perfect if they hadn't been trying to avoid making noises.

The view of the sky had been obscured by the trees long ago. Unfortunately, their time in the grasslands had not lasted longer than a few hours. By the time twilight had fallen, they were back in the swampy covers of the Mere. "The graveyard is out here?" Neeshka asked in disbelief, red eyes scanning the paths Connor led them on.

"It's from the last Shadow War," Connor nodded absently, checking their location.

Khelgar snorted. "Gives the name Mere of Dead Men a literal meaning, eh?"

Savannah stopped in her tracks, eyes wide. "A little too literally, I think."

Connor looked over the top of his map, and he instantly cursed and dropped into a crouch behind the stone wall of one of the upcoming graveyard's crypts. He felt the others join him, and Neeshka gulped. "Dead Men indeed."

Connor peered around the edge of the crypt and through the iron fence surrounding the graveyard. He could hear the clicks and clacking of bone against bone, and the low moans that no living creature made. "Undead," he said in disgust. "I hate undead."

Khelgar patted his shoulder in what normally would have been a comforting manner. To Connor, however, this was a place where he just couldn't be comforted. Druids thrived in the natural world, and undead creatures such as zombies, skeletons, vampires, and the like were not part of the natural world. Everything in Connor screamed for him to get out and avoid the dead at all costs.

However, that would mean they were abandoning Tann, if he was still alive, and leaving him at the mercy of the dead. Connor gritted his teeth, then slung his pack off his shoulder to rummage through it. "Khelgar, Neeshka, your eyes work better in the dark than mine and Savannah's do," he said, finding two flasks of glowing red liquid. "Toss these in there. Try and aim for the zombies, if you can."

"Sure," Neeshka took a deep breath, gingerly taking the flask of alchemist's fire from the druid. "I can do that."

"All right, lad," Khelgar nodded, taking his own flask. "Just say the word."

Connor nodded, drawing his scimitar slowly and seeing Savannah remove the morningstar she had bought from the Fort's weaponsmith from its holster. "Go," he ordered.

Neeshka darted to the opposite side of the iron gate while Khelgar jumped out from behind Connor. They threw with all their might, and when the flasks hit the ground, explosions of fire ripped through the graveyard. Connor swore he saw a skeleton rib fly past him and into the swamp, but he ignored it as he chanted one of the spells he memorized just for their trip to the graveyard. Flames rushed up his scimitar blade, Savannah's morningstar, Khelgar's axe, and Neeshka's daggers.

And the light of the flames illuminated their enemies, making Khelgar swear. "By Tyr's right buttock!"

Skeletons wielding axes, halberds, and the like rushed through the graves, blue flames dancing in their eye sockets. One bash of Savannah's morningstar to one's head sent the skull rolling along the ground, but she had to drop to the ground to avoid a headless skeleton swinging maniacally. Khelgar's axe buried in the ribcage solved that problem for her, and the dwarf was off and charging again.

Connor's concern wasn't the skeletons. It was the horde of zombies, their flesh rotten and clothes in rags, that dragged their feet towards him and Neeshka, some dragging flails and morningstars along the ground. Neeshka gulped, but she sprinted forward, a reddish-brown blur that was hard to see in the dark. Connor occasionally saw a zombie fall with a fiery stab in the heart, and with a few jabs of his scimitar, some combusted from the inside out.

By the time they were finished with the undead, skeletons and charred zombie body parts littered the graveyard. "This is the very likes of a horror story," Khelgar looked around with wide eyes.

"I really understand why you hate undead, Connor," Savannah swallowed hard, cautiously toeing a skeleton skull. "They just keep coming if you don't hit them correctly."

"I know," Connor shuddered. "I'm glad I made myself memorize those healing spells on our way here." He frowned, looking between the two crypts. "Big one or small one?"

"I'll check the small one," Neeshka volunteered, scampering over the bodies to reach the building.

"You seem to have healing spells memorized well, lad," Khelgar frowned, considering Connor as Neeshka pulled something wrapped in cloth from one of her pouches.

"There are spells to heal wounds, but that's different from spells to heal poisons or sicknesses," Connor shook his head, distracted by what Neeshka was doing. "I know minor spells to heal wounds, but I had to learn ones to cure . . . diseases . . . are you picking the lock?" he abruptly asked.

Neeshka's head shot up from her work, and she blushed. "Well, I said I wasn't with the bandits the Greycloaks were discussing," she said. "And I'm technically not a bandit. I don't try to stand out. Besides, don't you want to know if this is where the missing commander is located?"

Khelgar snorted. "I told you she was trouble, lad."

"Actually, you told him she would stab us in the back and run off with our purses," Savannah corrected.

"Yeah!" Neeshka nodded furiously. "And I haven't done that, have I?"

Connor sighed. "Considering I don't want to bash any of these doors in and destroy the crypts more than we have to – and we probably will have to, if the undead out here is anything to go by – go ahead, Neeshka."

Neeshka beamed and continued to pick the lock, peering at it. "Almost . . . done!" She put her picks back in her pouch, then carefully opened the door. She looked inside, then turned back to Connor. "I'll check inside, see if there's anyone in there."

"Be careful," Connor nodded.

Neeshka nodded and slipped through the door. "I suppose you're right," Khelgar frowned. "I don't want to destroy these crypts more than we have to. If the tiefling can get us in and out that easily – "

There was a squeal from inside the crypt, and Neeshka came tearing out of it, clutching at her arm, which had angry red boils bubbling on her skin where her armor had been torn. Before she had darted behind Connor, Savannah was already chanting an invocation, and when two zombies came out the door, she blasted both with eldritch energy. Khelgar slammed the door without further ado.

"That's all of them," Neeshka stammered, gritting her teeth as she looked at her arm in horror, Connor moving forward to inspect the damage done. "There were only a few skeletons. I didn't see the zombies until – "

"It's OK," Connor assured her, taking a deep breath and clearly saying the words he had memorized their entire way to the graveyard. "Una partu."

Golden green light glowed around Connor's hands, and as he swept them over Neeshka's arm, the boils faded away, leaving unmarked skin. "Wow," Neeshka grinned. "I'm glad I'm traveling with a healer!"

Connor shook his head, getting the weariness out of him. "If you're impressed by that, you should have seen what our priest back in West Harbor could do with healing cantrips," he said dryly, walking gingerly towards the other crypt. "I'm not bad at them, but I'm definitely not a cleric."

"Are you all right, Connor?" Savannah frowned, watching how he walked.

"I'll be fine," Connor nodded, patting Vhaera on her head when she nudged his leg worriedly. "A new spell cast for the first time takes some energy out of me than one I cast often."

One small push from him, and the final crypt creaked open without resistance. Connor immediately tensed, going for his scimitar hilt. "Well, I hope you've cast that fire spell often," Khelgar eyed the crypt in distaste. "I think we'll need it."

"Right," Connor took a deep breath. "Fight the undead, find the commander, get back to the Fort. Let's go."

***

Connor was going to have nightmares because of the undead they had to work their way through.

He was thanking every god and their mothers that he and Savannah had accepted Khelgar's offer to travel with them, because the dwarf carved through zombies and skeletons alike. With Connor's fire enchantment on his axe, the dwarf made it through his enemies without even a dent in his plate armor. Savannah alternated between using her morningstar and conjuring her eldritch magic; she wasn't as effective as Khelgar, but she held her own easily. Connor and Neeshka watched each other's backs with the zombies while Vhaera plowed through the skeletons.

"Heh," Khelgar panted as they trudged towards the back of the crypt, though he still looked excited. "Yeh really do have more enemies than friends, lad."

"It appears so," Connor nodded, a slight limp in his step as they cautiously made their way through the dark, Savannah with a torch to light up the darkness. "Except I don't plan on having this many enemies."

"Really, how did we go from the Mossfelds as bullies to undead wanting to tear us apart?" Savannah wondered.

Connor snorted. "A chunk of silver."

"What?" Neeshka spun on her heels, looking at Connor with wide eyes. "A chunk of silver?"

"I know," Connor nodded. "It's why we're heading to Neverwinter."

"Huh," Neeshka tilted her head. "Maybe it's enchanted in some way?"

"I hope to find out," Connor said.

"Connor!" Savannah called from ahead. Connor straightened, and she pointed her torch at a closed door. "Something in here doesn't . . . feel right."

Connor tensed and carefully drew his scimitar from its sheath. "We're in a tomb of walking dead, Savannah. Be slightly more specific."

Savannah swallowed. "You know how I could sense how different Brother Merring's and Tarmas's magics are?" When Connor nodded, she eyed the door. "This feels like Brother Merring's . . . but darker. Much darker."

Connor took a deep breath. "Necromancer?"

Khelgar inhaled sharply, and Savannah nodded miserably. "It has to be."

"OK," Connor turned around. "Neeshka, if you find a way to kill this person, you take it."

The bubbly tiefling nodded, red eyes glinting. "You got it."

Connor took a deep breath. "Open it."

***

The dark chuckle of the necromancer robed in black made Fort Locke Commander Tann weakly raise his head from where he was chained to the wall. "Fresh materials to work with. Excellent."

Tann could only watch as the remains of men were given life as undead as the necromancer's evil chanting echoed in the stone room. When Tann looked back to the entrance of the room, he found a shield dwarf with a flaming axe and a black-haired young woman with a morningstar staring down the zombie warriors.

"Attack, my children," the necromancer crooned in a slippery voice that sent shudders down Tann's spine. "Let us add their corpses to our army."

The shadows rippled nearby, then a red-haired tiefling leapt from behind the necromancer, two daggers a blur of motion. The necromancer just barely raised his shield in time to avoid being stabbed in the back. The dwarf and the woman charged, the dwarf yelling a battlecry that sounded like it included his clan's name.

And they revealed the black-haired man behind them, who was chanting in a clear voice and threw his hand out. His spell landed among the zombies, and wicked spikes grew through the stones, impaling the zombies in their feet. They hissed and struggled to move; they were fodder for the dwarf to cut through.

The tiefling was dancing away from the priest's mace, light on her feet. Abruptly, her tail whipped up and smacked the priest in the side of the head. Tann couldn't see the priest's face because of his mask, but he could hear the roar of fury. The black-haired man sprinted forward, a squealing boar on his heels, and the tiefling ducked away to tackle a zombie that would have clawed into the woman's side. The necromancer spat out a spell quicker than Tann thought possible, and the man had to avoid the shadow that shimmered into existence. The dwarf snarled and lashed out with his axe, dissolving the shadow into nothing.

That left the man to duel with the priest, scimitar against mace as the last zombie fell to the woman's dark violet magic. The priest aimed his mace for the man's side, and the boar reared up, taking the hit meant for the man. The boar crumbled to the ground with a squeal of pain, and with an enraged snarl, the man drove his scimitar past the priest's shield and into his heart. The priest fell dead on the ground, and the man looked down to check the priest was dead before he crouched next to the boar. The boar made a half-hearted snarl when the man found her ribs, and he winced before looking through his pouches. He handed a blue vial to the woman – they looked similar, now that Tann thought about it – and murmured some instructions before he turned to Tann.

***

Connor's first impression of the garrison commander was that even while injured, he held himself with authority, reminding him of Georg. When he reached the commander, he fished through his pouches for another healing potion. "Neeshka?" he called. "Unlock the commander's chains, please."

The tiefling bounded over and went to work. When one wrist was free, Connor pulled the stopper from the potion and handed it to the commander. "Thank you," Tann rasped as he downed the blue liquid. "It's a miracle you came along. I was certain I'd be joining the corpses down here soon enough."

"Commander Tann of Fort Locke, I presume?" Connor asked, nodding to thank Neeshka when she unlocked the other cuff.

She nodded back and went back to inspecting the room. "Yes, yes I am," Tann confirmed, slowly standing up. "And you?"

"Connor Johnson," he answered, shaking the commander's hand. "This is my sister Savannah and our friends, Khelgar Ironfist and Neeshka."

Savannah smiled pleasantly and Khelgar nodded politely. Neeshka, who was picking the lock on a chest by the altar, gave a quick wave before returning to her picking. "Thank you for finding me," Tann nodded to each of them. "Did Lieutenant Vallis send you to find me?" He snorted. "He must be gloating right now. He warned me not to send another patrol until we received reinforcements from Neverwinter."

"Lieutenant Vallis sent us to find out what happened to the patrols," Connor answered, smiling in relief as Vhaera stood up from where she had fallen to the ground. He was thankful he had found a recipe for healing potions that worked for animal companions.

"It's a good thing he did," Tann rubbed his wrists, looking down at the priest's body. "I have much to report, and the men need to be prepared to deal with this new threat."

Savannah, who had joined Neeshka to look in the chest, looked up sharply. "This threat is bigger than just him?" she asked.

"Perhaps," Tann nodded. "The necromancer interrogated me thoroughly on the strengths and weaknesses of Fort Locke. Troop numbers, defense strategies, the experience of the men . . . he must have been planning to attack using the undead he was raising."

"Did he have enough to defeat the garrison?" Connor wondered.

"You've fought through most of his forces to reach me," Tann shook his head. "You know as well as I do he didn't have the numbers to bring down the garrison."

Khelgar snorted. "Well, depending on how well yer men have trained . . . "

Tann conceded with a nod. "Perhaps if he had additional forces coming from the north . . . say, from Highcliff . . . then he may have had a chance of success." He sighed. "Even then, he would have needed to surprise the fort, which would be unlikely. New of Highcliff falling would spread like wildfire. Fort Locke would be ready."

"Was the necromancer working alone?" Connor asked.

"I don't think so, Connor," Savannah shook her head. When he looked over, he found Savannah reading a scrap of parchment while Neeshka examined the potions locked away. "Look at this."

Connor took the piece of parchment, frowning at the words he could read. "'The site has been lightly traveled for many decades, visited regularly only by patrols from a nearby garrison,'" he read aloud. "'Enough materials exist for a small army. It will serve our purposes for now.'"

"He also spoke with a . . . " Tann frowned thoughtfully. "Well, a shade of some sort from time to time. I heard a name: Black Garius. I gather he's the one giving the orders."

Khelgar shook his head. "Small army, indeed. We could have been wiped out at any time."

"But you weren't," Tann said. "And the Fort has many more men than four common adventurers." He paused. "No offense meant to my rescuers."

"None taken," Connor assured the commander. "Speaking of the Fort, are you able to travel?"

Tann experimentally twisted his arms and rolled out his feet, then nodded. "That Shadow Priest tossed me around for a bit, but it wasn't anything serious that your potion couldn't heal. I can travel." He looked behind the altar, then picked up a longsword that he gave a few experimental swings. "I was separated from my men as we fought our way in," he informed Connor. "Some may still be down here. If they're still alive, I won't feel right leaving here. But, I also need to return to the Fort."

"We'll find them," Connor told him. "It looked like there was a back entrance to the crypt that we need to fight through, anyway."

Tann nodded in agreement. "I had seven men in my patrol. Four were ones you just fought." Khelgar abruptly grimaced and murmured an apology to the dead zombie closest to him. "I hope the three that aren't here are still alive."

***

Only one of Commander Tann's three remaining men was dead, Lurue bless him. Bruneil and Blaine vocalized their relief about finding their missing commander, with Tann directing the thanks towards Connor and his band. Not used to so much thanks sent his way by people he didn't know, Connor brushed it off before they traipsed back through the Mere towards the Fort.

"Let's not have to deal with undead for a long time, alright?" Neeshka spoke up. "Being infected by zombies is something I can live the rest of my life without."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with the tiefling on this one," Khelgar nodded, examining the blade of his axe. "Yeh didn't look too ready for that, lad."

"I'm a druid, Khelgar," Connor shook his head. "Undead are as unnatural as they come."

"I wondered if you were a druid or a ranger," Tann remarked as he walked in step with Connor. "Your companion was very brave to take that hit meant for you."

"Vhaera has saved my skin many times lately," Connor smiled down at the boar faithfully trotting on his other side. "I'm blessed she was sent to me."

"Your companions are sent to you?" Tann asked in surprise. "Forgive me, I've rarely met a druid."

"I'm uncertain how they work for others," Connor admitted. "But yes, Vhaera was sent to me by Lurue when I took her for my deity of choice five years ago. I raised her, and she accompanied me everywhere." He patted Vhaera's head. "I can't imagine my path as a druid without her."

Tann smiled. "I'm pleased you have such a faithful companion."

"As am I."

"Connor?" Neeshka called. "We have a welcoming committee!"

Connor and Tann looked up in time to see Vallis stride down the trail, four Greycloaks behind him. "Commander," Vallis greeted. "It's good to see you alive and well. I'm sure you'll have a report ready once you return to the Fort."

"That I will, Lieutenant," Tann nodded. "We have much to discuss. Assemble the officers. I'll be with them shortly."

Vallis raised an eyebrow. "You will report directly to me, and I shall brief the officers. I'm relieving you of duty."

Connor and Savanah exchanged startled looks, and Tann scowled. "What's gotten into you? I've given you your orders. Now carry them out."

"I am the commander of Fort Locke now, Tann," Vallis countered. "You will brief me, then return to your quarters, or I will have you arrested for insubordination."

Khelgar growled, hand on his axe. "The Commander has given you your orders, Vallis," Connor stepped forward, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It is your duty to carry them out."

Vallis scoffed. "I am not about to watch the garrison fall apart again because of you, Tann. The loss of three patrols was a direct result of your failure to prepare the men properly. You are unfit for command."

"With all due respect, Lieutenant," Blaine said stiffly, "my fallen soldiers were as prepared as they could possibly be with what they faced. If you have an issue, I believe the proper procedures are to bring it up with the Commander's superiors. This is not the way to handle it."

Vallis scowled. "You are out of line, soldier." He turned to the Greycloaks with him. "Men! Arrest them! If they resist, use any force necessary to subdue him."

Blaine and Bruneil went for their swords as the other Greycloaks did the same, but Connor cleared his throat. "I think the soldiers know who their commander is," he eyed the Greycloaks. "Don't you, men?"

Three fidgeted, while one gulped. "Uh . . . "

Khelgar and Neeshka sniggered while Savannah outright laughed. Tann grinned as he stepped forward. "You've much to learn about command, Vallis," he lectured. "Training the men is one thing. Leading them is something entirely different." He gestured to Bruneil and Blaine. "Men, arrest the Lieutenant. We'll deal with this back at the Fort."

Vallis struggled as Bruneil and Blaine grasped his arms. "You would dare arrest the son of House Anton?! You'll regret this, Tann! This isn't over between us!"

"Bah," Khelgar wrinkled his nose. "Nobles."

"A noble who would post a bounty on anyone his men deemed 'bandits,'" Neeshka added.

Tann scowled. "If that is indeed the case, then I assure you, the Lieutenant will pay. And threatening a superior officer . . . well, I think you know how well Neverwinter looks upon traitors since the Luskan War, don't you?" Vallis balked, and Tann nodded in satisfaction as he was dragged away. "In the meantime, I'd best get back to the Fort," the commander told Connor, holding out his hand. "Thank you again for what you've done for me."

"You're welcome, Commander," Connor nodded, shaking his hand. "I hope you won't mind if we rest for a few days before heading on to Highcliff?"

"Absolutely not," Tann immediately shook his head. "Stay as long as you require to regain your strength."

"Thank you, Commander."

"As long as it's a more pleasant stay than a simple visit was," Khelgar muttered under his breath.

Neeshka giggled. "We saved the commander's life, Khelgar. I think it's going to be a lot more pleasant than when Vallis was in charge."

***

Fun fact, this is one of the hardest areas early on in the game to get through, depending on who you play as the main character. It got easier when I figured out Neeshka didn't have the right weapons to kill zombies. *rolls eyes*

Next up, it's back at the Fort, and it turns out the jobs just keep coming for the adventurers.

graphic by marvelity