Almodeus landed on the bow of the skeletal ship, shaking it forcefully.

  Who knows how much this adventure can give me. If I did this service for the Guild, I could rise in rank...

  The higher the rank, the more connections C could make. Despite being on that ship, seemingly alone, Almodeus didn't seem the least bit concerned. The skeletons noticed and tried to advance, but were cut down with a single swing of his sword.

  “Huh?”

  The skeleton soldiers who had been shattered began to reassemble. Within minutes, they were back in action.

  “I see...The Blackship allows you to regenerate even if torn to pieces.”

  Normally, skeletons could only regenerate if all their bones were in optimal condition; breaking them would prevent this ability. However, the presence of the ship allowed them to circumvent this weakness—all skeletons would regenerate even if reduced to dust.

  “A real pain in the ass...”

  Almodeus muttered, sounding almost bored. He had to find the leader of that ship, then submit it. It might be a long process, but he had a plan.

  “Shaco, are you done?”

  He whispered to the invisible clown, before he heard footsteps approaching behind him.

  “Rahahaha!”

  He whirled around, noticing one of the skeletons standing behind him, clutching a large barrel of gunpowder, the fuse near its mouth. From their proximity, Almodeus could see what the enemy was wearing. He had a shabby shirt, a bandana over his head, and a saber at his belt—he looked in every inch like a pirate. It was something all the skeletons present had in common.

  In the blink of an eye, the skeleton snapped its bony jaw, causing sparks to appear. That was enough to ignite the fuse, which quickly burned down until it disappeared inside the barrel.

  “Hm? Are you about to blow yourself up—”

  The powder keg exploded, taking both the skeleton holding it and the knight to the grave, raising a great cloud of dust. The ship shook under the shockwave, but immediately righted itself. The undead raised their sabers to the sky, exulting at the slaying of an enemy. They reveled in the death of the living; such was the nature of the lower-level undead.

  However...

  “Huh?”

  "Impossible!"

  ...The skeletons recoiled as they saw the figure of the black knight emerge from the dust of the explosion. He was completely unharmed, as if nothing had happened. Even the undead who had blown himself up, and who had now regenerated, stood with his jaw fully open, watching him. This shouldn't have happened; this wasn't how the situation was supposed to unfold.

  “Oh! You made a big mistake!”

  Almodeus commented, watching the dust settle on his armor.

  “You can speak, I see. That means there are souls trapped inside you... Am I right?”

  He moved his sword toward an armed group that had turned towards him one of their cannons, ready to shoot him at point-blank range.

  The fact that they are immortal gives them the ability to make suicidal moves without the worry of death, however...

  The skeletons seemed hesitant at that moment, as if gripped by fear. This wasn't the behavior expected from an undead, which should have been more like a mindless monster, than a scared beast.

  ...They're capable of feeling fear. It's all thanks to my passive ability.

  Aura of Terror It was a passive skill that Almodeus could upgrade up to five tiers. Each tier of the skill allowed him to instill more fear in nearby beings. Even lower levels could affect anyone, including mindless creatures, like golems and undead.

  “I see we have a stubborn intruder!”

  A harsh voice roared, coming from the captain's usual quarters.

  “Oh! Finally the great chief himself has deigned to be with us.”

  Almodeus muttered, tapping the tip of his sword a couple of times on the wooden planks below. He was carefully examining the monster that had appeared next to the helmsman. It was a skeleton much taller than the others, with golden bones. Its face was shaped like a human skull, but its lower jaw was missing, fused to the upper one, where a few vertical grooves were visible. Unlike the other undead, he wore a black pirate hat and a black cloak, giving him the appearance of a commodore.

  Oh...This is a rare one.

  “You are truly strong, human. Are you an adventurer, by any chance? Or a Hero?”

  The golden skeleton raised his right hand, which was actually a sharp hook, seemingly enchanted. His green eyes with yellow pupils tried to peer inside the helmet, but something seemed off, as he immediately looked away.

  “Come on! Answer me, human! Or should I say demon?”

  “Ohhh! I see you understood what I am! What gave me away?”

  “I'm a superior undead! I'm not going to fall for a trick like yours...”

  Laughter echoed from within the armor. It was a reaction the captain hadn't expected. Why was that demon laughing so much? He was all alone with them on that ship.

  “I think we should move on to the introductions. I'm Almodeus, and you?”

  “My name is Golden Bones, and I am the captain of this ship! Since you have a name, I assume you are a Greater Demon...Why are you here? And dressed as a human, too!”

  “I’m here because I’ve been given an assignment, but I think we can come to a deal, you know?”

  “A deal?”

  Golden Bones began to laugh heartily, as if he had heard a funny joke.

  “What is it? Are you afraid of my great army? It actually consists of more than five hundred pirates, for your knowledge.”

  “Pirates, huh? No, not really. I decided to make a deal because you’re a rare undead, along with this ship.”

  “Ohhh! You noticed, then!”

  “That the ship is an undead like you? I've known that for a long time. I want you at my service!”

  An echo of laughter followed the statement. No one seemed to take the knight seriously. Almodeus simply snorted under his helmet; he didn't like being teased or underestimated. He had to keep control of the situation, before it got out of hand.

  “You're crazy if you think we're going to serve you just because you're a demon! We'll make you walk the plank! Guys! Take him out!”

  The skeletons stopped laughing, causing silence to fall upon the ship's bridge. No one wanted to submit to a demon who had just wandered in, but attacking the knight seemed the wrong choice. His armor had proven resistant enough to withstand an explosion; even if they attacked him en masse, they wouldn't be able to do any damage.

  -For some reason, even though they were undead, they were feeling fear.

  “So?! What are you waiting for? Attack!”

  Golden Bones's command echoed throughout the ship. The skeletons seemed reluctant to obey, but some sort of spell seemed to compel them to attack Almodeus, even against their will. Some swung their sabers, others even used their bony fists, which shattered upon contact with the black armor.

  The ship commands the undead, and Golden Bones commands the ship...So he's the undisputed boss here.

  As expected, a single swing of the sword destroyed the attacking skeletons, forcing them to regroup. Almodeus was growing tired of the situation. He could easily have eliminated Golden Bones and the ship, then returned to collect his reward.

  However, it would have been a thousand times more profitable to subdue them and keep them at his service. Five hundred undead who could regenerate infinitely, a skeletal captain as rare as Golden Bones- and a ship of that size were too good of a prize to ignore.

  “I'm tired of playing.”

  The knight's armor began to boil, melting into a pool of black liquid.

  “What?! What the hell happened?”

  Almodeus soon reappeared in his usual form, watching the skeletons retreat in fear. His Terror Aura had been raised to level two, causing everyone present to feel in constant danger. This effect was called Paranoia, and it prevented all weaker beings from attacking, even under the influence of mind control or compulsion spells.

  “Golden Bones! The ship commands the undead, but it is under your control. Am I right?”

  “You got it all, uh? But don't think that's enough to make us submit! You're still alone against the rest of us!”

  “You're right...Shaco!”

  “Huh?”

  Golden Bones saw a sort of clown appear next to him, who started sticking his tongue out at him.

  “Bulabulabula!”

  “H-How dare you, you damned fool!”

  The golden skeleton swung its hook at the clown, but he vanished from before his eyes, leaving behind a small, jack-in-the-box. The lever on the side was turning counterclockwise, as if winding something up. Then a little tune began to play from somewhere, and a small jack-in-the-box jester popped out, holding a sign that read "Ah! Got it, fool!"

  “Huh? What the hell?! It's a bom-”

  There was an explosion of sparklers and fire, and not just in front of Golden Bones. Jack-in-the-boxes appeared out of nowhere all over the ship, causing flames and death everywhere. Severely damaged, the vessel lost altitude, narrowly avoiding a devastating crash.

  “Is that all?! All you know is how to play with a little fire?”

  Being made of gold, Golden Bones was impervious to flames, but the same wasn't true for his subordinates or the ship itself. Once regenerated, the skeletons immediately set about extinguishing the flames in the lower sections, clearing dozens of men from the deck.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “You know, Bones...you seem like an undead with some intelligence. Why don't you try listening to what I have to say? That way, we don't waste too much time?”

  Without waiting for a response, a gigantic figure appeared out of nowhere beside Almodeus. It was undoubtedly a Giant Skeleton, a level 44 undead. It was equipped with black armor and a long, serrated sword.

  “This undead is roughly your level, Golden Bones. If you wish to test its strength, you are welcome to do so.”

  “No…I trust your words. You can summon members of my race, which means you must be foolishly powerful. I obviously underestimated you. I admit it's annoying to have to bow my head to someone else—”

  The golden skeleton's hands tightened around the ledge in front of the helm, causing it to crack.

  “-But you...You're no ordinary demon! I knew it right away when you instilled terror in my pirates. Undead feeling fear? That's not normal!”

  The captain now knew he didn't have the strength to defeat the demon. Almodeus wasn't someone bragging before his vast army, but a being who terrified even him; a superior, centuries-old undead. The only logical choice was to come to terms.

  “I'm curious...What drives you to attack humans in this place? It's not just a natural hatred of the living, is it?”

  Almodeus knew that, if endowed with intelligence, the undead could overcome their hatred for life, even leading them to ally themselves or form friendships with other races. It was a rarity, however.

  "You really know a lot about undead, huh? Anyway, yes. My goal is to become the most powerful pirate in the world."

  “Really? Curious! May I know why?”

  Golden Bones placed the left hand on his side, considering how much he should reveal to the demon. In the end, he decided to tell everything- not that he could hide anything from that being.

  “When I was still a common skeleton, I hunted humans blindly– I was so stupid.”

  The golden undead declared.

  "Only when I evolved, gaining intelligence and the ability to think- It was then that I realized my existence had no purpose other than killing. A couple of centuries ago, my gang and I attacked a seaside town where some pirates were staying. I was defeated by one of them, a man named Salazar."

  Golden Bones raised his right arm, revealing his sharp hook.

  “He was the one who took my hand, but I found a great replacement.”

  “I give you a point on that...Go ahead.”

  "Thank you."

  The captain gave a fake cough, then continued speaking.

  “After that bad experience, I learned about pirates. They're seen as mere sea brigands, but in reality they're much more! They can do whatever they want, causing terror and living immortally in people's memories. Then I wondered what would happen if an undead without mortal limitations did the same thing. I'd become a living and dead legend at the same time! Sooner or later, I'll be the greatest undead in the history!”

  Almodeus raised an eyebrow at that motivation. It was the usual thirst for power, but there was more to it. Golden Bones was not only a tyrant hungry for power, but also a being who yearned to be remembered.

  His fear...is of being forgotten?

  "So, you found a Blackship and subdued it, creating an endless army of pirate skeletons? I like your style! I'd say I have enough information to struck a deal."

  The demon stepped forward, pushing several skeletons aside to make room for him.

  “You hunt humans to create more pirates, right?”

  “Exactly. An immortal army might need a few extra soldiers...if you understand what I mean.”

  Bones replied proudly.

  "Then how about a trade? Instead of killing the adventurers, you'll have to deliver them to me...alive. In exchange, I'll give you higher-level undead, like this Giant Skeleton. We can do a 1:50 conversion rate."

  “Does that mean if I give you fifty humans, you give me one of those things?”

  "Exactly."

  “What if we did 1 to 20? Adventuring parties rarely exceed five individuals.”

  “I understand. Then I accept your conditions! However, I have a question...”

  “Mh?”

  Golden Bones moved his right eye, as if to raise a bony eyebrow.

  “Why are you here, on the Plains of Mort? Now you have a ship, a crew...Why don't you sail the sea?”

  The golden skeleton seemed paralyzed by that question. He trembled slightly, as if he were frightened.

  He still fears defeat from the hands of a pirate? Centuries have passed since their battle; Salazar will be dead be now. Fear strike in ways no one can expect...

  “You don’t need to answer, I can deduce what you want to say...”

  Almodeus declared, moving his right hand up and down.

  “Let's do this way. In addition to our agreement, you will have to plunder the human ships. You will hand over both the loot and the human prisoners to me. You can keep the ones killed in battle, if you wish.”

  A red "A" appeared on the ship's mainsail. Within seconds, it spread to the other sails, as if it were a disease. All the skeletons, including Golden Bones, saw the symbol etch itself into their chests. Some tried to remove it, but it was in vain; it had already merged with their being.

  “Such power, just with a symbol?!”

  Golden Bones's eyes widened, completely intoxicated by that infinite energy. He'd understood Almodeus's power, but he hadn't believed the gap between them was so great; the demon was to another level. He'd been right not to antagonize him, otherwise he and his crew would have been forced into slavery- or worse.

  “So...you want me to become a full-fledged pirate?”

  “Of course! You are now under my banner. No one can defeat you! If you follow my orders, you will become the most powerful undead in this world! Someone that no person could ever forget!"

  Almodeus declared, raising his hands to the sky, in a dramatical way.

  “So? Are you in, Golden Bones?”

  “It's not a real choice...I can't refuse, anymore.”

  The golden skeleton replied, his eyes resting on the "A" now permanently carved into his chest. He had become a dog on the leash of an infinitely superior being. It was an inevitable conclusion. The strong are served by the weak—that was the law of the world, both of the living and of the dead.

  “I see you understand the situation. Good! You'll get this Giant Skeleton as a gift. See this as a way to motivate you to do your job well. What can be given can also be taken away...very easily.”

  Golden Bones felt a cold shiver run through him through the golden column. A single glare from the demon had been enough to shatter every shred of his courage.

  “Yes...Master.”

  He replied. Almodeus nodded, then turned to face his summons, who had remained still until then.

  “Go! Now you will serve him.”

  The undead nodded, joining Bones' ranks.

  “Very good, Captain. I think we should discuss something else now.”

  “Speak on, master...We will serve you.”

  With that, all the undead on deck bowed to Almodeus. Some feared for their fate; others were thrilled at the prospect of serving such a powerful entity. Of them all, Golden Bones was the most emotionally conflicted: on the one hand, serving someone didn't appeal to him; on the other, he knew he was powerless against a being like Almodeus, so he should bow his head and remain silent. However, he couldn't hide the excitement at the prospect of sailing the seven seas and finally calling himself a true pirate. Golden Bones would be remembered in legends, he would gain power, and—perhaps one day—he would be able to overthrow Almodeus, even though he seriously doubted that would actually happen.

  -But as they say: hope dies last.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Ambessa struck yet another skeleton in the head, shattering it to pieces. She was exhausted, but they had to hold out until Amon ship had returned. The stopped bombarding the battlefield and had lost considerable altitude, suggesting that the fighting aboard was going in the knight's favor.

  I don't know how he did it, but since he arrived our losses have decreased.

  It pained her to admit it, but that man was exceptional. Having him on their side during their travel would have been advantageous, but she decided to dismiss the possibility immediately. Amon was an adventurer; he cared only about money, not the glory of battle or family. Having him with them would have been dangerous.

  “General! Look!”

  Ambessa's attention was drawn back to the ship by a cry from Riktus. The great vessel was losing altitude steadily, until it finally crashed to the ground, disappearing into the depths of the crater from which it had emerged. The skeletons on the battlefield began to dissolve, as if they were spirits, until they disappeared entirely.

  Their souls have been reclaimed by the ship. That means it's still alive, though...

  The galleon had retreated, so victory had to be given to Amon.

  “Here you are, madam. It’s a pleasure to see you’re still alive.”

  The knight's voice declared as he reemerged from the crack where the skeletal ship had vanished. He was completely unharmed, even after a battle of that magnitude. Ambessa didn't know what enemy was aboard the galleon, but it must have been a superior undead; one that even she would have had a hard time defeating- and yet, that man was completely unharmed.

  This guy is a monster.

  “Yes... Anyway, my name is Ambessa Krieger, I am the General of this army.”

  Introducing oneself was mandatory in that situation; it could be considered a tradition of their culture. It would have helped establish a hierarchy between the two.

  “I understand. Then excuse me for mentioning you without a title. General Ambessa is good enough?”

  “Better... Anyway, thanks for the help.”

  “No problem. It was a pleasure fighting alongside you."

  Ambessa rolled her eyes at that. It was the same old same good boy phrase- obviously false. The woman felt Amon's eyes on her and his soldiers. He looked doubtful, despite his helmet.

  “You're not from the Empire, right? Where are you going? Perhaps we could escort you.”

  “We are a delegation from an outer kingdom. We must reach the Ashen Kingdom.”

  Lying would have been a foolish move in that situation.

  “Really? Which kingdom are you from, if I may ask?”

  “Unfortunately, I cannot give you this information; orders from above.”

  “I see. Then I have a proposal for you. You could follow us to the border; we can support each other...What do you say?”

  “May I ask what you will gain from this?”

  "Simple. Your numbers will scare off the common bandits, while I'll keep the monsters at bay. You'll minimize your losses, while we'll avoid having to waste time against idiots who think it's easy to attack a wagon with only four people aboard."

  The reasoning made sense, and Ambessa couldn't refuse it. She hadn't counted the dead, but there had certainly been at least thirty casualties among her forces. Amon's proposal would allow her army to conserve energy and avoid wasting supplies.

  "I agree..."

  Ambessa reached out her hand to the knight, who shook it in return, effectively sealing the alliance.

  He doesn't have the permission from his employer, but I doubt that he has anything against having a free army at his side.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  22nd day of the month of the Green Elf (February ) 11:34 PM

  Almodeus sat in his tent, shared with Shaco, who was still disguised as the sorceress Alcina. The two were wearing their disguises and were considering their next steps. According to plan, they would reach the Ashen Kingdom in a few days, and then return to the Fear Tower, but not before collecting their employer's generous reward.

  “It was a really fruitful adventure, after all.”

  Almodeus commented aloud, his shoulders dropping.

  “Thanks to Golden Bones, we have increased our war potential, as well as Amon’s fame.”

  If the Guild had known that Amon, the Marquis of Darkness, had single-handedly chased away a skeletal galleon, he would surely have become the speech of the Empire. He already envisioned a promotion to Emerald rank, which didn't really matter to him, but it was always a way to gain contacts to pass on to C.

  We're building a good intelligence network. We might even be able to conquer the Empire without resorting to violence.

  It would have been the most sensible tactic. Taking something by force from the weak gives them the pretext to fight back. Almodeus feared not personal revenge, but rather the damage caused by such reckless acts motivated by the anger and resentment of others. The death of Fiora and her group was meant to be a warning to him and his family: pain could still reach them, even if they were the strongest.

  “I agree with you, boss!”

  Shaco declared, laughing like an idiot.

  “I'm glad to see you agree with me...for once.”

  He answered back, looking toward the tent entrance. Soon, around midnight, he would have to leave to begin his shift as night guard of the camp, which would last until three in the morning.

  As a high-level demon, Almodeus had no physical needs, but he still slept at night, though more out of habit. His wife was very strict about this; she always wanted her husband in bed with her, and had forbidden him to sleep anywhere else except in special circumstances.

  If I didn't know her, I'd think she was jealous. In reality, she just wants to be spoiled a little.

  C might have seemed like a mature and stern woman, but a few pats on the head and a couple of kisses were enough to make her as docile as a puppy. Almodeus, who lacked sexual instincts, found it difficult to satisfy her in bed as a normal human being would do, but he tried anyway, precisely because he loved his wife.

  Conceiving Almodea was difficult...But everything worked out in the end.

  They could have had more children, but the pregnancy had been extremely difficult for C’s body. Almodeus shook his head, avoiding thinking about intimate matters. It always felt strange to talk or think about them, mostly because he lacked certain instincts. This was one of the things he didn't have in common with his daughter, who- on the other hand- was very open about her sexual preferences and instincts. Almost too open, sometimes...

  I need to stop thinking about it. Almodea is like that, I can't blame her for being open about these things. I should be happy that she already has a clear idea of her tastes, even if they're different from the average person.

  Almodeus shook his head again, trying not to think of such frivolous matters—it wasn't the right time. As he tried to clear his mind, he remembered the woman he'd conversed with that afternoon, Ambessa Krieger. She'd gleaned some information, mostly false, about his reason for being on the Plains of Mort. Unable to resist his curiosity, Almodeus had taken the liberty of peering into her mind, managing to gain a complete picture of the situation.

  Apparently, she's from another continent and is on her way to meet her daughter in the Kingdom of Pitova. She wants weapons for the civil war she intends to start... she's foolish if she thinks that force alone will grant her the win. However...

  Almodeus liked fools who clung to vain hopes to get ahead, as people like Ambessa did. They were the easiest to manipulate. If he played his cards right, he could gain a valuable pawn to increase his indirect influence on that world.

  “What are you thinking, big boss?”

  Shaco asked him, rocking in the chair beside his bed. He didn't really care what Almodeus was thinking; he just wanted to find something to stave off boredom.

  “About that woman, Ambessa.”

  “You mean the sturdy, dark-skinned one? Do you want to capture her and give her to your daughter?”

  “No, of course not! I don't think it suits her tastes.”

  Almodeus shook his head at the thought. The clown's proposal had been designed to annoy him; nevertheless, the demon continued to express his thoughts.

  "I think she could be a great asset for our future goals. Sergio is making some plans and I want to assist."

  “Oh, yes! He told me about it! Uh Ah Uh! It’ll be fun!”

  “You are one of the few things I have trouble understanding—Mh?”

  Almodeus paused, as if something had struck him.

  “Sir? Can you hear me?”

  He heard a voice in his head. Judging by the situation, the demon seemed to be the only one who could hear it.

  “Sergio? Is that you? Are you using the Call spell?”

  “Forgive me for contacting you without warning, but we have a problem!”

  “What would that be?”

  As Sergio delivered the news, Almodeus remained silent, clenching his fists until his armor's gauntlets cracked.

  “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE ALMODEA IS?!”