Clumps of earth flung into the air, as large as cattle and just as easy to crush any man unfortunate enough to be in its way as the moonlight shone on one solitary figure toiling in the empty fields. Reign shattered the earth with his bare hands, sending large chunks of dirt and rock flinging into the night air with the furious cadence of a honey badger. He did the work of twenty men nonstop, for his was a body that does not tire nor requiring nutrition. The earth gave way and whispered to him its secrets. It's voice was a faint sickening thing to which he shut his ears out.
He could have called upon the earth, as he did mere days before to raise a wall and make his work done in a single afternoon. But that would mean drawing from the capricious pool of Deathlight he had amassed. To call upon this power would mean the corruption of The Whisper.
This was his penance that he deserved.
And still no matter how immersed he was in his efforts, he found himself not suffering. Memories of that time, when his darker half took command of his body and imprisoned him within his own mind resurfaced in glimpses before his eyes. Of the soft sweltering moans of the flaxen haired acolyte, how her soft flesh felt against the raging blood of his ark desire. The succulent folds of her woman hood grasping at the contours of his raging manhood. it was the closest he had ever been to feeling alive in his undead flesh.
And Reign was ashamed.
Not of the act themselves, but because he
understood
the pleasure that the Whispers sought.
And it was for this carnal sin that he toiled himself for three days and three nights with barely any interactions towards the villagers, save for the acolyte Ayleth and the habitual scrutiny of Blanche, the informal leader of the struggling community.
Reign hammered the earth and rock together in a thunderous slamming of his fist, far stronger than any hammer made by mortal smith. The earth compressed and solidified, reinforced within by a bone work of stone and clay he dug from the surrounding soil. Reign rammed his shoulders and full body, sending tremors, packing the earth so tightly that an army would find no fault in this amazing bulwark. All fueled by the frustration he felt at the conflicting emotions he had within his mind. From his desire to be a decent person to the faint influence the Whispers had on him, yearning for pleasure.
So engulfed was he on his work that he was surprised to see the piercing light of dawn from the east slowly bleed into the indigo tint of the horizon.
Another day had come to pass. Another step towards Deadwinter.
"You do amazing work," came the words of the acolyte. He keeps forgetting that she was never far away from him as she did her labors quietly. The once fertile cropland was littered with hilly bluffs every few dozen yards or so, it was among these that she would sit and meditate, trying to discern what ails the land from yielding growth. Quite earnest was she in exploring her abilities upon her knowing as a Chosen of the Goddess.
"Thank you," came Reign's reply and resumed his pummeling of the earth. Already another quarter of the walls had been raised, adding to a total half that surrounded the entire village.
"Much of the womenfolk are well at ease at the sight of the wall, Reign. They sleep better each night," she said with a smile, a soft bellow of the fall winds made her tuck her form beneath the fur cloak she wore. From the corner of his eyes, Reign was quite aware how her ears had gone red at the cold, especially against her fair complexion. It was quite an amusing sight that made his lips tug into small smile. Then remembering himself, he shook the thought away and went to another part of the wall that needs further reinforcing.
The acolyte was silent for a while as she remained some distance behind Reign. He did not need to turn around, quite conscious at her presence standing out, if he could only feel the hairs a the back his neck, they'd probably be standing.
He felt as if she had something more to say.
"Have you thought of resting?" Came the words, finally. Though he found the question odd.
"I do not feel the need,"
She sighed, expecting the answer.
"They are still...uneasy. With your presence."
"As they should be. Look what happened to you."
Another sigh.
This was no time to dawdle. What right was it that they should greet him? He was a wild beast, with abominable powers. Better to keep his distance than cause harm to another innocent woman. He had been loner in life. He was no stranger to this in his undeath.
"I take it you are not quite the social type in your previous life?"
"Still, there are those who wish your aid in an endeavor. It's shouldn't take much of your time." And most likely force him to be acquainted to some of the villagers, Reign suspected that Ayleth left out in her remark.
"Hmmgh...," a grumble resounded from his throat, he'd have done the same thing whenever his parents would have him do a chore on top of another. And the result was the same then as it had been now.
This time it was his turn to sigh, "What needs doing?"
Ayleth gestured him to follow as she turned and walked towards the village. Reign followed behind her, keeping distance and eyes forced to look up at the grey morning sky. One look at her swaying hips, even through the fur cloak had sent Whispers thrumming deep inside his chest. He could have sworn the accursed fragment made his undead heart beat for a fraction of a second.
They did not enter the village proper but only on the outer fringes, just a few yards away from the nearest husk of wooden frames and failing walls. A group of three young women lingered beneath the ruins of one house, a familiar scenario to Reign, where young people would just be in company of their peers, doing nothing but be at ease and chat to pass the time.
"These young ladies need someone to come with. These days it's too dangerous to go anywhere alone and without a weapon. Blanche and her hunters have gone for a hunt into the forest and everyone else have work to do," informed the acolyte.
"H-hello sir. Good day," said one with dirty blonde hair.
"Hmmnggh...." Was all Reign could reply.
"Uhm- Thank you for helping the village, good sir. My mother wishes her thanks," she said so demurely to the point of quaking that Reign had to give her some measure of reply. He tilted his head in a small nod of acknowledgment to put the girl at ease. He guessed they were more or less close to his age, although mayhaps a year or two younger. Which put them around eighteen or nineteen, a fact that made Reign feel older. Had he not been around nineteen when he died? How many seasons had that been?
"They've been meaning to visit a small grove not far from here. It's where the best pickings for mushroom is," Supplied Ayleth, stirring Reign out of his internal thoughts.
"Well, let's be on with it then," Reign wished they had walked a bit faster. The three girls led the way, almost as if they were off to a picnic.
"We have to talk to Blanche about this, seeing how she want to set up the gate. For now, this would do." He had been meaning to discuss about what would be put in place for ways to enter into the village. As a placeholder, Reign had rolled a giant boulder to block a small ingress in between the walls where the main road was. As the group stopped to a halt before Reign's wall, he pressed his shoulders against the boulder and dug his heels in. A feat that would have taken a team of oxen to pull. The three young women had their eyes wide at the sight of his explosive strength once more. It was so different seeing the deed up close and personal.
Reign was the first to venture out this time, surveying the outer lands with a critical look. Satisfied that all was well, he signaled them to lead the way to the groves. They went aside a path that led to where the forest and the plains meet, a section of which were woods clumped together quite nicely, forming itself apart from both the forest and the rolling plains into this little forest of their own.
It was as a quite little walk, now that the wall was about to encircle much of the village, it made it also quite constraining to be inside. Not that it ever hampered before anyone before. It was still quite dangerous with the monsters that roamed the land these days, forming an imperceptible barrier that made any living thing imprisoned in fear.
Such was the faith of everyone on him that it seemed that they could breathe a little bit easier. Reign did not know how to feel about that.
The young women were excited to be out. They never ventured out of the village if it can be helped but with the added security, they can finally visit the mushroom grove. Even as they walked, they kept looking back at him, giggling at his direction.
"Why do they keep laughing?" Reign asked, brow raised in annoyance. There was something grating to the man's nerves at the sound of giggling girls to his face.
"It's been a while since they've seen a man their age. Forgive them their giddiness. Their still nineteen after all," the acolyte replied nonchalantly, as if wizened compared to the younger charge where she shouldn't be that much older in comparison. Reign kept this musings only to himself.
As if to hone in the fact even further, the most excitable among the three turned to face them and said, "My friend here that she says you're a bit good looking," which earned an elbow to her sides.
"Hey! She's lying! She's a troublemaker is all she is, sir."
"Just shut up you two! you're embarrassing yourselves," said the sullen third, finally speaking. She gave the air to be the most mature of the three.
He kept his eyes from rolling as they went on with their walk.
They finally reached the end of the small path, to where the tall trees formed the grove and blotting much of the light in a sway of thick canopies. It was a dark, little nook. Too dark for his liking despite in the middle of broad daylight. There was no thrumming of any kind. No disturbance in the air, that warned him of any malice from the hungry dead.
