[Daniel_M]

Chapter 3 - The Undead March

On the top of the hill near De'Arnise Keep a shadowed figure sat upon a barbed pitch-black war-horse he huge gauntleted hands gripped the rains as he glared at the keep. At his side stood a Lich, the Lich was shrouded in bandages. The Demon Knight glanced down at the Lich and spoke.

"Einsamkeit…rally your troops we attack at noon," The Demon Knight said in a low flagitious voice.

The Lich hissed and then nodded "Yessss massster Zerstörung… it issss done… my troopssss will be ready at you command…" with that said the Lich conjured up a dimensions door and went through it.

Meanwhile in Amkathran I was standing outside looking up at the night sky on my bedroom balcony then I felt a pair of gentle hands slip around my waist and a head lay on my back.

"Daniel…" Aerie said "Why are you not in bed…" Aerie questioned. I just turned around on the spot and smiled a little.

"I can't sleep Aerie, I feel restless and edgy maybe I haven't fully recovered from when Solar took my essence… I don’t know…"

I nodded slightly I knew it would do me good to have a decent nights sleep for a change. So I went back into the room and laid down on the bed an Aerie laid next to me and then we both fell asleep in each other's arms.

It was morning though it only seemed like night, those Amkathran nights are extremely long. I woke up to the sounds of many monks preying outside it was quite a sight to see, there were about 500 monks dressed in ceremonial robes bowing on their knees. I smiled and watched Aerie sleeping for a little while and made my way downstairs. Already downstairs were Minsc, Sarevok, Imoen and Keldorn. Minsc looked up at me and grinned.

"Ah look who has awaken Boo… It is Daniel… Ah…Um…" Minsc looked to Imoen and then Imoen looked to Keldorn. I just stood there wondering what the hell was going on.

"Good morning everyone… I just you all had a decent nights sleep?" I decided to say shrugging off the other subject.

"Daniel…" Imoen said with a downhearted look on her face " De'Arnise Keep has been sacked… and taken over…I'm sorry…Nalia managed to get away but everyone else was slaughtered in the fight"

I just stood there with a dumbstruck look on my face "Its…what? How? By who?"
Sarevok stood up looking at me "It was undead creatures that took over the keep Daniel. A powerful Lich by the name of Einsamkeit and his army." Sarevok tossed a scroll on the table for me to look at, so I picked it up and began to read, the scroll said.

"Bhaalspawn…your stronghold has been taken over and I believe it's only a matter of time that you come and try to pry it away from me, I have my reasons you just have to figure them out. Come and take it from me if you dare…"

The letter was written in blood and signed by Einsamkeit. I just scrunched up the scroll into a tight ball in my hand and threw it down on the floor. I wasn’t going to let the Lich and his armies get away with this.

"We ride for De'Arnise Keep today…"

There was an uneasy silence from everyone, they knew this battle wasnt going to be easy.