Chapter 2700: Story 2701: The Last Shield (Series HS:ZE 28)

The first snow fell silently over the dead kingdom.

Ronan Draven stood alone on the edge of a mountain cliff, staring down at the valley below.

Once, the valley had been filled with villages, farms, and thousands of people.

Now it was filled with corpses.

Broken houses disappeared beneath the snow. Black smoke rose from distant ruins. Ancient towers stood like skeletons against the gray sky.

And something was moving between the ruins.

Ronan tightened his grip around his sword.

“Too many,” he whispered.

Behind him, a bowstring suddenly snapped tight.

“Then stop counting.”

Ronan turned.

Lyra Veyne stood several steps away, her dark hair moving in the freezing wind. An arrow was already aimed toward the valley.

“How many?” Ronan asked.

Lyra narrowed her eyes.

“More than a hundred.”

Ronan looked again.

The dead were climbing the mountain.

Slowly at first.

Then faster.

Their pale faces appeared between the trees. Some wore pieces of ancient armor. Others still carried rusted weapons.

But they were not ordinary zombies.

They were marching together.

Ronan lowered his shield.

“That isn’t possible.”

Lyra released the arrow.

It struck a zombie directly between the eyes.

The creature fell.

Another immediately stepped over its body.

Then another.

“They’re following something,” Lyra said.

A deep sound suddenly rolled through the valley.

Not a roar.

Not a scream.

A horn.

Every zombie stopped.

Ronan’s expression changed.

“That’s not coming from them.”

A shadow appeared on the ruined castle walls far below.

A tall figure stood beneath the broken tower.

It wore black armor.

A long cloak moved behind it despite the absence of wind.

Ronan raised his sword.

The figure lifted one hand.

Every corpse in the valley turned toward the mountain.

Lyra slowly lowered her bow.

“Ronan...”

“I see him.”

The figure pointed toward them.

The dead began running.

Ronan stepped forward and raised his shield.

“Get behind me.”

Lyra shook her head.

“I don’t hide behind anyone.”

For the first time, Ronan almost smiled.

“Good.”

The zombies reached the lower slope.

Hundreds of hands clawed through the snow.

Ronan planted his feet.

His sword began to tremble.

He looked down.

A strange red mark had appeared across the blade.

Lyra noticed it.

“That wasn’t there before.”

Ronan stared at the glowing symbol.

Then a voice whispered inside his mind.

RUN.

His eyes widened.

The voice came again.

THE DEAD HAVE FOUND YOU.

Ronan looked toward the castle.

The black-armored figure was gone.

But something far worse had appeared behind it.

A gigantic creature emerged from the ruins.

Its body was covered in ancient armor.

Its eyes burned like two red flames.

Ronan raised his shield.

Lyra pulled another arrow from her quiver.

The creature opened its mouth.

And thousands of dead voices screamed together:

“RONAN DRAVEN.”

The mountain shook.

Ronan tightened his grip on the sword.

He finally understood.

The dead had not come to destroy the kingdom.

They had come for him.