An Unknown Skeleton

I didn't know what to think when I saw the four humans slaughtering their way around, turning what had been my friends into piles of bone that had disappeared when I went back for them later. All I knew was that I hated them, their weapons, their armor, their skills, and everything else about them. I was still hiding in a corner down past a flight of stairs I'd found earlier when I was running away. Occasionally I would still hear deep booming noises and there would be a rush of hot wind blowing right through me.

I'd only woke up a few hours ago, wondering who and where I was until a group of other skeletons showed up. I followed them for awhile, though I think we were just wandering, since none of us could actually speak. That was when they showed up, throwing out fire and arrows like it was going out of style. One of my friends pushed me out of the way only for a glowing blue transparent arrow to smash his head in. That was when I ran away, getting a bit singed before I managed to outrun them.

Stupid people. Why are they attacking us like that? We did nothing wrong! We were just walking around!

I slammed a bony fist against the ground, flinching as the sound echoed louder than I thought it would. I pulled my knees to my ribcage, wondering what I might do. I couldn't go back up since I would just die, but I couldn't just wander around either.

The sound of clattering bones resounded far from where I was at. I curled up a little tigher, just hoping I wouldn't be found and attacked again. I didn't want to have to run away again, lowering my head to my knees and offering a prayer to unknown gods.

The noises grew closer, louder, more numerous. They didn't stop until it seemed as though they were right on top of me, when they abruptly stopped. I looked up slowly, finding a skeletal hand being offered to me from someone who wore a patched together mess of robes, holding a gnarled staff in their other hand. "My name is Rivena. Do you think you can stand?" Her voice was kind, though I knew not where it came from, seemingly emanating from everywhere at once. I took her hand in mine, promptly being pulled to my feet.

I looked around, seeing more than two dozen other skeletons all dressed in armor that ranged from ill-fitting to almost good enough to fight in. Each of them was looking at me, expressionless faces resonating with grim emotion, enough to show that they weren't here for no reason. They had a purpose. "Rivena, I'll take care of this one. Head for the stairs and wait for me there." Another skeleton stepped forward as he spoke up, his hand touching her shoulder. She looked over at him and nodded, before removing her hand from mine.

"Just don't take too long. I don't like our odds if your plan doesn't work out." With that, all the skeletons except for the one in front of me began moving again, their bones clacking against the ground, though they grew silent just before they were out of sight.

"My name is Lakus. I'm sorry, but I can't take you to safety at the moment. You can either wait here, or you can come with us to try and help out. If you wait here, you're fine for the moment, I'll send some people to get you once we're done. If you come with us though, you'll have to fight like your life depends on it, because it very much will. I don't have much time, so you need to decide now." He spoke as he dropped what seemed to be an extra stone dagger to the ground. It looked almost too small for me to use, and he was already turning to walk away.

I stood there, looking between him and the dagger, as his back grew further and further away. I couldn't help remembering both my friend dying as they pushed me out of the way, and being burned with fire as I ran away. They could speak, though I still didn't know how. I either followed after him now, or I stayed here and did nothing. I looked down at the crude weapon one more time, the roar of the flames echoing through my memories.

I grabbed the hilt and jogged to catch up with Lakus, my steps seeming too loud in the near silence. He looked at me as I fell into step beside him, and I swear he grinned at me even though not a single bone moved on his face.

"You've defied our birthright then. I hope you're willing to do whatever it takes to keep fighting against it." At my tilted head, Lakus continued speaking. "Try and project your will outward. If you want to speak, you've got to mentally project your voice. As for your unspoken question, we're the lowest of the low. We're the weakest monsters in this dungeon, used for little more than training against the newest dungeoneers. Our reason for living is literally so that we can die. I don't really remember how long ago it was, but one of us started seriously fighting back against that fate. What you see from us now is the result of his singleminded and relentless determination to stay alive." As I tried to figure out how exactly to speak, he kept going, giving me a quick history lesson.

"First time I met him, he named me and not long after began an impromptu training session with a spear. He took down me and four others that I'd joined with. If I remember right, only two of our group including me remain from that time. He's instilled in us a desire to fight for our future instead of waiting for an inevitable death. Those that survive fight for those who have yet to come, while those that fall die with the faith that we'll one day push out the invaders. As for right now, there's a group of dungeoneers I assume you've met already, based on the burns you've got. Rivena's our mage, and she got a new spell called [Silence]. Creates an area where no sound can escape. If we're lucky, we'll be able to separate one of them with that and drag them into the darkness when none of the others are looking. It's a risky plan, but every plan we've come up with so far has had issues." He tapped his sword and a small buckler shield strapped to his back.

"That's why the rest of us are here, including Rivena's Sentinels. We're here just in case things go wrong, so that both she and I can make it back. She's here for the spell, I'm here to adjust the plan as needed, and everyone else is here to ensure things go right. Speaking of which, let me teach you [Stealth] before we meet up with the rest of the team." He started a sudden lesson to give me a skill as he called it, showing me how to move my feet so that they made less noise. It would've been incredibly helpful to have had earlier but I didn't try to complain, not that I could. Speaking just wasn't working for me yet.

It took some time to learn the skill, and by the time I learned it we had already reached the others, who nodded their greetings to me. The plan was to use Rivena's spell to cut off whoever we could from their companions, and overwhelm them with speed and numbers before they could notify the others and kill all of us. It was dangerous at best, and downright suicidal at worst. If they went after the bowman, he'd just cut them down before they could get to him, while the mage woman would just burn everything to cinders like she'd done before. The man wielding a mace would just heal himself over and over, while the armored knight had so much metal on him I couldn't even think of how to kill him.

"Whoever we get has to be killed faster than they can react, which is why the moment Rivena casts her spell, we'll be moving before they even notice they're caught in the silence. We drag them back and if we have to, pile our bodies on top of them while stabbing or battering wherever we can. If all goes well, we finally drag them home with whatever they've got on them. Their strength becomes ours, and they get the message not to attack us again. If things go wrong, Sentinels, you'll be our first line of defense as the rest of us retreat. Your defensive skills should last long enough that you get a chance to get out of there as well, but don't count on it. Your survival and Rivena's lie in your working together flawlessly. Protection unflinching." The Sentinels all beat their chests once in unison as Lakus spoke the last two words of the plan, though I did notice that the other twelve didn't follow along with them.

Lakus then turned to me. "Before we begin, I believe you deserve a name regardless of what happens. You're one of us now, and we all have a name."

Skeleton Lakus (Level 27) has offered to name you. Do you accept?

Yes/No

I looked at the blue screen appearing in front of me. If I had eyes I would've been blinking with confusion, but I mentally accepted and the screen disappeared without a sound. Lakus nodded once to himself, and then began to think, scratching at his jawbone with his thumb and forefinger. A minute later, he began to speak.

"You were born to fire and death, pain and war. Despite the horrors you've already seen at the hands of some of our strongest foes, you choose to face them instead of running as so many others would. As such, your name is one that tells your story, of a skeleton born and trained through blood and ash. Your name shall be Krieg." With that, I felt a new strength surge through my very being, my bones feeling ever so slightly tougher and lighter.

"Now, let's go kill us some invaders." If I could've grinned, it would've stretched across my whole face. It was time to avenge those who had saved my life. Someone from that group of monsters was going to die today, even if I had to take them down with me.