From atop the battlements, the king saw it all happening and for the first time since the battle began, shock broke through the iron control he had carried so firmly.
His eyes widened as the field that had just been a symbol of victory twisted into something unnatural before him. The corpses moved again. They rose. The very ground that had been soaked in triumph now writhing like a living nightmare.
Around him, the archers and mages who had remained on the wall also began to murmur in disbelief. Low voices spread quickly, filled with confusion and fear, because none of them had expected the dead to rise again after such a decisive slaughter.
For a moment even he felt it. That sharp, cold realization that what they faced was not something that could be ended by strength alone.
But just as quickly, the king forced that hesitation down. His jaw tightened, his teeth grinding as his gaze hardened once more. Deep inside, a thought pressed forward with bitter clarity.
