Jack sat there staring at the smoke as it rolled about the desk. Part of the smoke drifted to Crag, who would breathe up full lungs of it, and let out satisfied sighs.

Crag had noticed that Jack had not started to take in the Burnt Offerings, "You're not going to try it?"

[Crap, crap, crap... I don't want to seem uncool. What was that about peer pressure...? Blah... Whatever, how do I use this? Hmmmmmm... If Crag things I can use it, then skeletal undead can do it. Can I absorb it in my bones?]

"Just thinking about my next set of moves for when I get back to Saigunrai. You know I have some private life problems to fix when I get back."

"Oh?" Taking in another lung full, Crag asked something that had been on his mind, "Ya know... Ya never did tell me why ya wanted that Matron, Jade was it?"

"Yes. Jade Glowminer, She is the mother of my consort."

"No shit... That's why ya were so into taking her away... I thought you wanted her and her whole place as a harem."

"Do I look like the kind of undead that has a harem?"

"We are men of power... What man of power doesn't have plenty of women surrounding him? I have two wives at home. I still can't believe ya only just now got a consort."

"Well, after being entombed for a thousand years, it leaves one lonely."

"Oh, I can understand. When I get back to Sosuhalf or get my wives to come to the capital, depending on your decisions, I place to hold a 3p."

Jack mentally raised an eyebrow over this comment. He still really wanted to know how undead boned, as funny as the pun was, this was Jack's chosen verbiage for sexual relations.

After a moment, Jack had an idea. Using his cultivation he pulls the smoke to him. A second tendril of smoke drifted to Jack and entered into his mouth and flaming eyes.

A few moments of this did the smoke wafer back. Jack at first didn't feel anything.

"Good stuff, right?" Crag asked, confident in his personal creation.

Jack had slowly adjusted over the time he had occupied his body to feeling nothing, during this trip. He greatly benefited from spending some time alone. The biggest things about being an undead was that He didn't feel the need to breathe, to sleep, to eat, to have sex, or anything. He felt nothing. At first, he didn't really notice with all the happenings with the court and Leslie, while trying not to be discovered as a different person from their king... The feelings of denervation were scary to him, at first, but later he became bored when the feelings of fear subsided.

But now Jack finally felt something, a pleasant burning feeling. Warm at first, but soon burned like fire. While the burning was slightly uncomfortable, it was a great feeling just because he could feel something. In the absence of no feelings, this sensation was marvelous. After the burning passed, he felt like he was light as a feather, and resting in a vat of warm water. His mind was buzzing with a soft hum.

Jack actually took in a massive amount of this powerful Burnt Offering, and let out an audible voice of pleasure, "Ahhhh...." After voicing this, Jack sat up straighter in his seat, slapping his armrest.

"GOOD STUFF, INDEED!"

"HAHA, I KNOW, RIGHT!" Laughter between Jack and Crag Echoed out of the office. All the surrounding undead that had pitched tents for the night heard the sounds of laughter coming from The Holy Witch King and Boss Crag. The Undead of the kingdom felt slightly funny, as they had never heard of The Holy Witch King laughing, while the underlings of Boss Crag swelled with happiness, that their Boss had got on good terms with the Witch King.

*******

It had been a week since Warmarshal Frostgard and Xavier Doomcry battled each other, and now they were helping each other to excavate the Glowstone mine.

Warmarshal Frostgard had been conversing with Gerald Frostgard, in her field tent that had been set up for the command center of this operation, on the recovery efforts of the Doomcry warriors, when one of her Frost Knights ran over from the opening of the mineshaft to her.

He stopped in front of the Warmarshal and gave a Deagoth salute, "Warmarshal Frostgard the mine is clear, but we are having trouble."

"If it's clear, then what is the trouble?" She replied.

"There are no bodies, no void stone, and no Glowstone." The Frost Knight reported.

No bodies? No void stone? This was an issue, but not a problem. No Glowstone, now that was a problem... Did the mine go dry, and if it had... Why didn't the Grimnight Clan report it? There was more to this mine than appeared...

Warmarshal Frostgard looked back to Gerald, "Bring that Doomcry dog, Xavier over. We are all going down into the mine. We need to confirm with our eyes for his Grace."

Gerald saluted and went to retrieve Xav. A few minutes later he came back with him in frost steel chains. These chains were a special request, like their weapons, from the Metalheart Clan. They would emit a deathly chill that would sap the strength of any Cultivator below the King rank of their power. These were so effective, that these chains had been adopted by the jailers of Deagoth. As Xav approached, he tripped and fell in front of Warmarshal Frostgard.

"Frost bitch, you're not going to keep punking me when we get to the capital."

"Call me Frost bitch again, and you won't have to worry about getting back to the capital, as I'll give you the Witch King's mercy now. Also, if and when you get back, it won't be me to be, as you call it, punking you... It will be his Grace that will punk you."

Xav was helped up by two Frost Knight that flanked Gerald.

"Are we clear, Xavier?"

"I don't remember us being so close, as to you being able to address me by my first name." Xav spat.

"I don't remember you having any rights, as of the moment you attacked my army." Warmarshal Frostgard replied with smugness.

"What do you want of me...?"

"There isn't a void stone in the mine... There aren't any bodies, either. So I think its best that we go down there see for ourselves, and we can confirm with each other's subordinates."

"Fine, but can you drop the chains... I won't be able to move well in the mine."

"I can grant this, but if you make any wrong moves, I think you know the rest." The Warmarshal laughed.

"Yeah, Yeah."

The team, made of Xav, Warmarshal Frostgard, Gerald Frostgard, and two Frost Knights, entered into the mine and followed the Frost Knight from earlier. After a few rounds in the mine, going down different tunnels, and speaking to both the Doomcry and Frostgard that were helping with the efforts, the team again reemerged from the Glowstone mine.

Finally, Xav, who had been holding his tongue since he left the last floor of the mine, curse out, "Those fucking disloyal Grimnight's... They set me up! This is a fucking set up if I've ever seen one."

"Slap"

"Enough of your cursing." Warmarshal Frostgard did not enjoy cursing, and she would suffer it not if given the opportunity.

Xav wanted to flare up... But decided not to speak, keeping his mouth shut.

"Do you want to return this information to his Grace?" Gerald asked his cousin, the Warmarshal.

"His Grace is currently bound for the Capital, as of this moment... So he isn't within his palace at this moment. We need to contact Grand Minister Lucius."

"I'll get out communication officer on it now." Gerald turned to go coordinate with another Frost Knight designated to send messages with code to another within the relay stations around the Kingdom. Unless you had unrivaled cultivation you could only send mental messages so far. The undead got around this by setting up relay stations.

A designated Communication officer was set for each mission and would contact the closest station. This required that the Armies, Units, and even the Clergy to carry a map of the Relay stations with names to contact in case a message needed to be sent. The relay station undead personnel would get the message via the code words, then write down the message, repeat it for confirmation, and then get ready to send it to the next station. They would then keep a copy of the message and achieve it if needed later for investigations.

*******

In a dark basement, somewhere in Jakahn, a sensual voice spoke to Mark, who was deep in Cultivation "You've broken through, husband?"

Mark awoke and looked to his right side to see his wife had crawled to his side. She looked up at his tanned skull.

"Why have you done this? You know, you're supposed to use your Wheelchair..." Mark reprimanded her.

"Blah... I'm tired of that old chair. I wanted to use my own power to get close to you. You've been cultivating non-stop for two weeks. If you don't pay me any attention... I start feeling neglected." Princess Janet said feeling wronged.

"I'll buy you a new chair. We can get you a dragon bone wheelchair if you don't like the holy bone wheelchair. Anything you want, I'll get it for you." Mark said with tender feelings in his voice.

"I know..." Princess Janet spoke softly, and then she looked mischievously at Mark, "What if I want you to give me the world?"

"I'm already working on that," Mark said with some confidence.

She giggled at this remark, "Is that why you make these shady deals and cultivate so much? What did you do before you married me?"

"I was pining for you," Mark spoke, as he ran his bony fingers through Princess Janet's hair.

"How come I don't believe you? I know how much of a workaholic you are." She said unconvinced.

"Perhaps you just don't know why I work so hard, but on a different topic... If Jakahn will cough up the resources like they are supposed to... Then I will have a big surprise for you!" Mark said bringing his skeletal hand to cradle his wife's face.

"I love surprises, but before that... I want to have some fun... I'm so booooooored. You know what I like!" Princess Janet said while looking up at Mark with upturned eyes.

"I know you do, and with my successful breakthrough, AND the knowledge that Deagoth is going to recruit the Heretic tribes to the north... I'm feeling it's time to have some fun, too!" Mark said with total satisfaction, many of his laid plans were coming to fruition. He had originally planted many followers into the Heretic Tribes to be assimilated by Borda, but If Deagoth wanted to do it then all the better!

"That's what I wanted to hear. Come to me!" Princess Janet held out her arms to hold her husband, as they embraced.