Necromancer: Kingdom Building with My Legion of Undead Knights

Chapter 214: The Ride Home

Seren stretched her arms above her head, letting out a long, exaggerated groan.

Every muscle in her body seemed to protest the movement, her joints popping and cracking like old wood.

"Finally!" she said, her voice carrying a mix of relief and exhaustion. "I thought we’d never be done."

She had been in this forest for what felt like forever. The trees, the shadows, the constant sense of being watched, it was all starting to wear on her.

Every rustle of leaves made her tense. Every shadow felt like a threat. She was tired of the damp air, the uneven ground, the endless green that all looked the same after a while.

While it had been a great hunt, one of the most successful they’d ever had, she couldn’t wait to leave this forest.

She wanted to see the open sky again. She wanted to feel solid ground beneath her feet.

Darion agreed. He was tired too. His legs ached from hours of walking, his eyes were heavy from constant vigilance, and his mind was foggy from the endless effort of tracking and fighting.

He had been pushing himself for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to be truly rested.

Staying in a forest for too long did something to a person. At first, it was exciting, the thrill of the unknown, the possibility of discovery around every corner.

The forest felt alive, full of secrets waiting to be uncovered. But after a while, the excitement faded. The trees started to look the same.

The sounds became repetitive. The constant alertness drained your energy. The forest stopped being a place of adventure and started being a place of exhaustion.

Every rustle of leaves made you tense. Every shadow felt like a threat. You started to miss the open sky, the familiar walls of home, the simple comfort of a bed that didn’t have roots growing through it.

Darion understood that feeling now. He had been in this forest for hours, and he was ready to leave.

Now the question was: how would they get back to Percvale? The walk back would be long and tiring, even more exhausting than the walk here.

They had already pushed their bodies to the limit, and the thought of trekking all the way back on foot made Darion’s legs ache just thinking about it.

The heat was seemingly oppressive, the ground uneven, and their feet were sore from hours of walking. Every step would be a struggle, every mile a battle against exhaustion.

They could try to find a road, but that would take even longer. The main roads were far from here, and navigating through the forest to reach them would add hours to their journey. They could rest, but resting would just delay the inevitable. They had to get back to Percvale, and they had to do it soon.

Then Darion had an idea. He told Seren they wouldn’t be trekking back. His undead large wolf would zoom them to Percvale.

Seren’s eyes widened. "No," she said firmly.

"Seren—"

"No. Absolutely not." She crossed her arms, her jaw set. "I promised myself I’m never getting on one of those things again. The last time was terrifying enough."

She wasn’t a fan of heights, and she wasn’t a fan of undead creatures carrying her anywhere.

The wolf was too fast, too unpredictable, and the ground was too far away. She could still feel the wind rushing past her, the sensation of weightlessness as the wolf leaped through the trees. It was terrifying.

Darion tried to convince her. He told her it was safe. He told her he had done this before. He told her he would make sure she didn’t fall. He told her it was the only way to get back quickly.

She hesitated. Her pride was on the line. She had already complained so much; she didn’t want to seem weak. And if she didn’t take the wolf, she’d have to walk alone, which was even more terrifying.

"I’ll walk," she said. "I don’t need your undead wolf."

"It’ll take hours," Darion countered. "You’ll be exhausted. The forest is dangerous at night. You won’t make it alone you know, you’ll.. you’ll die."

She stared at him, her lips pressed together. She wanted to argue, to push back, to prove she didn’t need his help.

But she was tired. So tired. And the thought of walking all the way back through the dangerous forest made her stomach twist.

Eventually, after a long back-and-forth, she caved.

She climbed onto the wolf’s back, her hands gripping Darion’s sides, her face pressed against his back. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about how high up they were.

The wolf started running. Slow at first, then faster, then faster still. The wind rushed past them, whipping her hair across her face. The trees blurred past, the ground becoming a brown and green smear beneath them.

The wolf was incredibly fast. It bounded over obstacles, its powerful legs propelling them forward with each stride. Seren gripped Darion as tight as she could, her knuckles white, her breath shallow. Her stomach lurched with every jump, every sudden change in direction. She might puke.

The speed was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

The wind roared in their ears, drowning out all other sounds. The forest faded into a blur of brown and green, the occasional glimpse of sky through the canopy.

The wolf moved with fluid grace, its body stretching and contracting with each stride, its green eyes fixed on the path ahead.

Darion felt the thrill of the speed, the comfort of her grip, the sense of freedom that came with moving so fast.

He was in control, and the wolf was a perfect extension of his will. He could feel her heart pounding against his back, her breath hot and fast. She was scared, but she was also trusting him.

They encountered some creatures that tried to attack them.

They came out of the trees, their mouths open, their claws extended. But the wolf was too fast. It dodged them easily, leaping onto a tree, then another tree, then another.

The creatures tried to follow, but they couldn’t keep up. The wolf was too quick, too agile. It bounded from branch to branch, then dropped to the ground and kept running.

They were away as fast as they had arrived.

They arrived at Percvale just as evening was falling. The sun was low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the fields. Right at the end of the forest, Darion unsummoned the wolf. The creature vanished in a flash of green light, and Seren stumbled forward, dizzy as fuck.

She stood there, swaying on her feet, her face pale, her eyes unfocused. The ground felt strange beneath her feet after the blur of speed. Her legs were weak, her stomach churning. She was alive, but she felt like she had been through a war.

Darion supported her, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her steady. She swayed, leaning into him, and then she fell against his body, too weak to stand on her own.

He carried her like a baby, cradling her in his arms, and walked toward Percvale.

She mumbled something against his chest, her voice too soft to hear.

"What?" he asked.

She looked up at him, her eyes half-closed. "We’re never doing that again."

Darion nodded.

"For sure."