Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 16, Part 2

11 July 2026

Welcome back to all our readers for the newest installment from the second book of our epic fantasy, Staff of Shigmar. Last time, we rejoined Delgart, Marilee, and the seklesi army, now turning their attention to Xythrax’s army of nekerpum, as the conversation continues, soon turning to tactics employed against this undead army. . . . (27 July 2015) We remind all readers that this book, Staff of Shigmar, as also the first book, is free for download from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 2, Book 1

Chapter 16, Part 2

“What did my father do?” Grelsor asked, his face blank.

Marilee shot a quick glance at Delgart, who was puzzled. “He tried Klaybear, led the Council, and gave the deciding vote for conviction. But you should know that he was working under the influence of a kwalu, we discovered later. His apprentice was a traitor, and he allowed the kwalu into the school to possess your father’s body. I’m so sorry, but he was killed by the kortexi when we were escaping, the kwalu killing your father’s apprentice as it fled before the kortexi’s wrath.”

Grelsor’s face drained of all color, but then he snorted. “It’s no more than he deserved, the pompous, self-absorbed . . . ,” he would have gone on, but Lidelle interrupted him.

“Grelsor!” Lidelle exclaimed. “Do not speak ill of the dead!”

“I wasn’t speaking ill of the dead,” Grelsor retorted, “I was speaking ill of the wethi who raised me.”

“This is terrible news,” Hrelga said, trying to change subject, “that, after long years of waiting, the chosen have appeared, but all have been marked by Gar. The reaction of the kailu council shows how the common people will react. You were both wise to cover your marked faces.”

“How did the seklesem react?” Marilee asked.

Glances passed among the kailum and maghem. “There were whispers,” Lidelle noted after a moment, “but Delgart’s performance today overshadowed the shock and surprise of seeing what we saw. Many thought that Delgart should become the new potikoro.”

“No!” Marilee exclaimed, looking shocked.

“I just joined,” Delgart protested. “How could they think that?”

Lidelle shrugged and went on. “There is precedent for such a move; it is not unusual for a seklesi to be promoted on the battlefield for heroic actions, and Delgart’s actions were definitely heroic.” Lidelle smiled and nodded to Delgart.

Delgart could not help but smile. “I just did what needed to be done at the time,” he laughed, “surely someone else would have done it if I had not.”

“Not likely,” Lidelle said. “The entire course of the battle would have changed, and your ‘doing what needed to be done at the time’ is one definition of a hero.”

“It is very likely,” Hrelga added, “that the Third Legion would have been decimated by the aperum. Like it or not, Delgart, you are the hero today, and the rest of the seklesem will look to you for leadership, whether you are named their leader, or you remain fourth shield of the eighth squad of the Eighth Company of the Third Legion.”

The company and squad were now turning to watch the First and Second Legion enter the pass below, waiting for their turn to attack. The First and Second Legion jogged into the pass and crashed into the front ranks of the nekerpum. Delgart noticed immediately that the formation of each squad had altered to a tighter wedge, and each company also tightened. Each squad drove into the nekerpum, using both sword and shield to push the corpses sideways, opening the ranks in order to reach the purgle. The first four squads of each company pushed forward first, squads one and two pushing left, three and four right. Squads five through eight followed, pushing into the gap, then pushing left and right, moving both forward and widening the gap. The first and fourth would then roll back and join the ninth and tenth, pushing forward and again widening the gap. Each company continued forward this way, step by step, until a squad reached the purgle. As each squad rolled to the back of the wedge, it would face out, hacking at the corpses now pushing at them from behind. The company following would then focus on keeping the way back from being completely overrun by nekerpum. The squad reaching the purgle would surround him, or her, it was difficult to tell since the purgle had no flesh, only bones, and the maghem would counter ortheks cast by the purgle while the kailum, using their maces enhanced with ortheks of disruption, bashed the purgle until the bones flew apart, and the ortheks controlling the nekerpum ended. The corpses controlled by that purgle sighed and slumped into the ground, many of them turning to dust. From the robes of the disrupted purgle a glittering dust rose slowly into the air and moved toward the southeast, quickly disappearing from view.

The casualties for this approach were much higher than they had been when fighting the purem and ghelem. As the squads rolled back, seklesem were grabbed and dragged away from the squads, overwhelmed by the nekerpum. Shouts and screams of pain issued from beneath the swarming corpses as the nekerpum tore apart and ate any of the seklesem who were overwhelmed. The cries of pain grew more frequent as the First and Second Legion pushed forward, and the taste of living flesh and blood put the nekerpum into a frenzy that made them even more dangerous. The charges of the First and Second Legion ground to a halt; a horn blew, first from the Third Legion, then from the Fourth. Below, a horn blew in answer, and the First and Second Legion began to withdraw, creating a momentary gap between them and the nekerpum. The army of corpses started after them, and the nekerpum who had tasted blood caught up quickly, forcing the rearguard to turn and fight them off.

We will return with another installment next Tuesday, and we will see how Delgart changes the way the army attacks the nekerpum. Until then, get a full ebook copy from Smashwords for free! If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading!