Chapter 34, third part , The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Chapter 34: 34, third part , The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The five creatures remained kneeling before Yun Che, who looked first at the man in the black robe.

"Let’s start with you. What name should I give you?"

The Lich raised his head.

"Yes, my master."

"You are a Lich, and therefore, I will call you Eryon the Lich."

The dark-blue flames within the Lich’s eye sockets intensified.

"Eryon the Lich..."

He repeated the name slowly, as if experiencing something completely new for the first time, engraving the name deeply into his consciousness.

"I understand. From this moment onward, that will be my name. Eryon the Lich."

He placed one hand over his chest and bowed his head deeply.

"My master, I possess no memories that I can call my own, but this name will be the first thing I can truly consider mine. Thank you for granting me an identity. As long as I exist, I will carry the name Eryon the Lich at your side."

Yun Che nodded and turned toward the second creature. She was a woman with red eyes who met his gaze.

"You are a vampire."

"Yes, my master. That is the race to which I belong. My body recognizes the night, spiritual blood, and the predatory nature of my species, but, just as Eryon explained, I possess no memory of a previous life."

Yun Che observed her aristocratic bearing and ruby-red eyes that gleamed in the darkness.

"Then you shall receive the name Valeria the Vampire."

The vampire remained motionless for a moment before placing a hand over her chest and elegantly bowing her head.

"Valeria the Vampire..."

A delicate smile appeared on her face.

"It is a beautiful name. Since my master has decided to grant it to me, then Valeria the Vampire shall be who I am from now on."

She raised her face again.

"Thank you, my master. I will cherish this name as the first truly important memory of my existence."

Yun Che turned toward the warrior.

"Now it is your turn."

The man raised his face slightly and said,

"I am a Revenant, my master."

Yun Che once again noticed the enormous scar that crossed his abdomen and the fragments of ancient armor that still covered his body.

"Your name will be Kael the Revenant."

The Revenant’s gray eyes gained an intense glow.

"Kael the Revenant."

He clenched his fists.

"It is a good name, my master. I do not know who I was, nor what battle left this scar on my body. But if my past cannot be recovered, then I do not need it to decide who I will become from this moment onward."

The Revenant lowered his head.

"I am Kael the Revenant. And as long as I remain in my master’s service, I will make this name known through the strength of my own hands."

Yun Che turned toward the fourth creature.

The woman remained kneeling while her bandages slowly moved.

"You are a mummy, aren’t you?"

"Yes, my master."

Yun Che observed the black symbols scattered across her golden skin and the small blades hidden within her bandages.

"Then your name will be Nefraya the Mummy."

The mummy’s golden eyes glowed intensely.

"Nefraya the Mummy..."

She repeated the name while slowly running her fingers over one of the bandages on her arm.

"I like it, my master. It is strange to receive something so simple and, at the same time, feel that it carries so much meaning. Before meeting you, I did not even possess a name I could call my own."

She bowed her head.

"Now I possess a word that represents my existence. Thank you for granting me the name Nefraya the Mummy. As long as my bandages move and my soul remains connected to this body, that name will belong to me."

Finally, Yun Che looked at the fifth creature. The being with completely black eyes remained motionless.

"Finally, your turn. What is your race?"

The undead slowly raised his head.

"I am a Soul Devourer, my master."

Yun Che carefully observed the fissure at the center of his chest.

"A Soul Devourer. Your nature is clearly different from that of the other four. You do not need armor, you do not depend on ordinary weapons, and your own body seems to be connected to a spiritual space."

The last undead remained silent. Yun Che, in turn, continued:

"Therefore, your name will be Morcant the Devourer."

For several seconds, there was no response.

Then small points of light appeared within Morcant the Devourer’s completely black eyes, like tiny stars trapped within an endless night.

"Morcant the Devourer."

His voice was low and unsettling.

"I will accept this name as part of my existence, my master."

Morcant bowed his head deeply.

"Thank you, my master. From this moment onward, I am Morcant the Devourer."

Yun Che observed the five.

"Eryon the Lich."

The Lich raised his head.

"At your service, my master."

"Valeria the Vampire."

The vampire immediately responded.

"Yes, my master."

"Kael."

"I am here, my master."

"Nefraya."

"At your command, my master."

"Morcant."

"Yes, my master."

The five remained kneeling.

Yun Che felt a deep sense of satisfaction at having five new subordinates, the feeling that those five existences truly recognized him as the center of their existence.

They had just been born at that very moment, and the first person they had seen was Yun Che, their master.

And the first word they had learned to respect was "master."

Yun Che breathed slowly.

"Stand."

The five creatures obeyed simultaneously. When they stood, the true pressure of their presences became even more evident.

The aura of death spread throughout the forest.

A group of nocturnal birds suddenly took flight from the treetops and disappeared into the darkness. Farther away, some creature let out a frightened roar before quickly fleeing through the bushes.

Yun Che observed the forest’s reaction as a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"You really are frightening."

Valeria tilted her head slightly.

"Is that a compliment, my master?"

Yun Che let out a small laugh.

"Yes. In fact, that is exactly what I expected. If even the creatures of this forest can sense your presence and flee before they can even see you, it means that your aura of death is not weak."

Eryon rested both hands on his bone staff.