Undead

“I still can’t believe that happened!”

Ah … I failed. Hearing Ralf’s voice in the afterlife could only mean that they had all died. At least Saesquar isn’t here …

“She’s … She’s stirring!”

Was that Tina? She sounded afraid. Her voice high-pitched.

Something was strange, especially if she was dead. Why did she still have a body? Was she supposed to have one in the afterlife? Maybe this is some kind of New Game Plus content. But shouldn’t I go back to the beginning then? No this is something else. I still feel pain …

Nia slowly opened her eyes and stared into a blue sky that showed hints of orange. Leafs obscured part of the sky, telling her, that she was in some kind of forest. That wasn’t the place where she had died, at least. That she was sure of. She wasn’t sure that she had died at all. She groaned, and heard someone shriek in panic. The sound made it feel like someone stabbed her in the brain, too.

“I guess waking after dying is worse than a hangover,” Nia murmured. Speaking hurt, and her voice felt raw. “Please keep your voices down.”

“You’re still alive?” Ralf's face appeared directly above her. “How?”

Your breath stinks. Nia didn’t say that loud. “I have no idea …” She tried sitting up, but part of her body didn’t even respond to her. There was no feeling in her lower body. “Why can’t revivals come always with a full heal?”

“Maybe it does,” Ralf whispered, his eyes growing larger. “The wound on your throat is healing.”

“I can’t move though,” she complained. Though he was right, speaking did become easier.

“Maybe just give it time,” Ralf whispered and sat back, allowing her to watch the trees again. And to breathe fresh air.

“She’s really a freak,” Tommy muttered.

“She looks like death itself,” Tina murmured. “Are you sure she’s alive?”

Ralf hesitated, then put two fingers against her still healing throat. “No pulse …” He pulled his fingers away. “And she feels really cold.”

“So she’s undead?” Tommy made a few steps back. “Now she’s a zombie?”

“I don’t know. That she’s healing in front of our eyes doesn’t fit with the usual stories about zombies.” Ralf rubbed his beard. “Any cravings for brains?”

“Yeah,” she answered and had a sudden coughing fit. Dry blood left her mouth. Why was she still breathing, if she was dead? Was that, maybe, some kind of habit? “I’d like for all of you to have more intelligence.” She looked to Ralf, only to see that he had retreated from her slightly, as if she could attack him at any moment. She tried to raise an eyebrow as if to ask ‘really?’

“We are in a different world. One with magic. Nothing of what you know from stories may hold any water here.” She coughed again. “So I'd appreciate it, if you left any prejudices and superstitions behind.” She tried to look at Tina and Tom.

“We don’t even know, if we are still in the same world with that dark goddess,” Ralf said and nodded. “Let’s look around. Maybe we can find some kind of village or city.”

“You’re right. We should believe in our god’s guidance,” Tina answered and folded her hands in prayer. All Nia could do was roll her eyes.

“What will we do with her?” Tom asked and nodded with a raised chin at her.

In that moment, Ralf lifted her with both hands. “We’re going to take her with us, naturally.”

That was the second time, she was in a princess carry. And this time she was even worse off. She couldn't move her legs. “Wouldn’t a piggyback-ride be easier for you?” she asked. It wouldn’t be much better, but she’d feel at least a little less humiliated.

“Can you even hold onto me?” he asked. Nia tried to lift her arms and failed. It was as if she had no ounce of energy in her body. Well, she was undead right now, but zombies could move at least. Why did she have to be akin to a talking head in a glass jar?

“Fine,” she grumbled, and hoped that her healing would be a full heal in the end. At least the pain of her back wound had dulled a little.

While the whole group walked through the darkening forest, her mind turned to the things that had happened with Saesquar. She had been the one calling them over, not Luaria. But how could one of her minions give her a blessing in Luaria’s name? And why had they been called over in the first place? Just so the dark goddess could have a virgin slave? She had told her that she wanted to break her. But why had she brought the others with her then?

Nia had the feeling that Saesquar thought, she’d have an easier time breaking her by killing her companions. Only that she hadn’t brought over any friends or companions of her. Still that explained only a part of the mystery. Saesquar was a goddess. One that was able to summon people from other worlds. What use did she have for a virgin slave girl that had some unusual strength?

That just didn’t make any sense to her. Before her mind could run in circles, her lower back began to tingle. Although tingle was too mild a word to describe it. It was more that her lower back had been dumped into an ant hill. A fire ant hill. The tingling was accompanied by a burning sensation, and the ants soon found out that they could occupy more than her back. Like her thighs, legs and feet. If ever anything had made her want to die, it was this.

She had no idea how much time had passed since the fire ants had ambushed her, but at some point, she could feel cold rain on her nose. They had left the forest, and were walking through fields.

“There’s a settlement in the distance,” Ralf whispered. “Just hold on a little longer.” Nia wasn’t sure whether he was talking to himself or to her. He had carried her for a while now and his breath was labored, the arms under her back were unnaturally stiff.

The ants in her legs were still busy, but at least they were downgraded to normal ants. “I think, I can walk soon,” she whispered.

Ralf stopped and smiled at her. Then he carefully set her down.

You idiot! Nia screamed at herself inside her head. She should have known from her former life that the pins and needles in her feet and legs would only get worse when she tried to put some weight on them. So she stood there, silently screaming at each and everything in her head.

“Are you okay?” Ralf asked next to her, his arms shaking. He had overreached himself.

“Yes, yes.” She bit her lower lip. “Just give me a moment. Turns out that coming back from the dead is really, really unpleasant.”

He didn’t say anything and waited in the rain with her. When she looked up, she noticed that the rest of her companions had disappeared. They’d gone on, either not noticing or not caring that Ralf had stopped.

Typical. Story of my life …

When she made her first steps, she had to lean heavily on Ralf, but she managed to walk. It was nice that she slowly regained more and more of her independence, and despite everything, a smile crept onto her face. She could do this.

“They’re over there,” she heard a shout. Was that Tina?

Several people came running toward them. Tina, Sophie and Tom hadn’t abandoned them. They had gone to find help. The realization moved her. So much, that she wanted to cry. But the tears didn’t come. That was probably because she was undead.

Maybe the others are far better than I gave them credit for.

A sudden jolt of pain made her scream. It was as if lightning ran up through her body, starting at her feet. The world changed. Or rather her perception of it. The pain in her back came back, overshadowing the dull pain she’d felt before. Then she felt as if someone had put her into a freezer. Fear crept into her heart. Had she somehow held onto her unlife to only die now?

Someone threw a blanket over her, and there was the dim sensation of being carried once more.

Her last prayer ran through her mind. The last lines of her thoughts back then. She’d sung that she didn’t want to die there. But what she meant was that she didn’t want to die. At all.

This is a bad time to take my prayer at its exact wording, she thought just before she drifted off into the darkness once more.