Chapter 19: Valera (1/2)

Chapter 19: Valera

After what felt like an eternity, Valera finally put Aldrich down She took off her bucket-like black great helrass before Aldrich Her face was deathly pale just like Aldrich's, showcasing that she was an Undead just like him

More specifically, a hybrid between Dullahan and Vampire Her features reflected this Her sharp, ferocious eyes possessed black sclera and the pupils centered within the crimson red

Her hair was dark black and styled in a rough, htly to her neck Her bangs concentrated on one side of her face, for a sort of veil of hair that obscured her left eye

Her lips were notably black, as would her claws be if Aldrich reood as ever," said Aldrich In proper fantasy galy beautiful, and real life did even raphics, no matter how advanced, could ever do

Aldrich's Undeaddistracted any by her looks, and he suspected that as long as he had a purpose he was driven to, he would not suffer those kind of distractions

This was the quality of risen Undead like Aldrich - eance or haunting, and they tuned out any unnecessary emotions or needs for it

In contrast, natural Undead like Vampires or Dullahan that were born as Undead could experience the full spectra of eh of course, their moral and instinctive sensibilities would be quite different from that of humans

"Th-thank you, my master," said Valera as she closed her eyes and took in the co breath She opened her visible eye and looked up at Aldrich "You too, look h I ed your appearance so? And you have becoone?"

"I could say the same to you"

"I-I look different? Does my new appearance displease you?" said Valera, worried

"About your equipone Your level's been reset, too, despite the fact that you remember our past adventures"

"Yes, I do wonder about that," said Valera

"What happened, Valera?" said Aldrich "After I left?"

"When we slew the Howling Darkness together, we parted ways I to the Nether for some rest while you, my master, were to address the United Council of our victory," said Valera

Aldrich nodded He knew this part After the Howling Darkness, the final boss, was defeated, the player rand speech to the United Council - a coalition of all races that had banded to fight against the world ending threat of the Howling Darkness - and told them that the battle was over

Any summoned units one had did not make it to this final cutscene, so Valera must have returned to her home in the Nether

"Then?" said Aldrich

"Then…I do not know I returned to my Keep in the Nether, and then…darkness, I suppose?" said Valera "There is only darkness in the Nether, yes, but this was a kind of darkness that settled over reat trance A sleep from which I felt was to never awake

In that trance, I felt time pass Years upon years upon years All that time, I awaited your return When you did not return, I believed that you had also fallen into this dark sleep just like , for I knew you would never betray me, my dear master

I knew one day, you would awaken and call out to me

In the les And then I dreale tears welled up in the corners of her eyes However, she did not let them fall, for she had her pride as a warrior

"For years and years, I dreaether"

"I'm sorry, Valera," said Aldrich as he knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder "I ay, too But we're together now"

"Yes," said Valera as she nodded She smiled at Aldrich "Yes, we are I do not knoe have returned to this level of weakness, but I do not care hoe start - that only ether

And I know this: I will never, EVER let you go again" Her se, va "And anyone that dares to drive us apart, I will rip and tear their flesh from their bones, then I will scatter their bones to dust, and the lament of their women and cries of their children shall be music to my ears"