No more going all the way back to their original Spawn Sites upon death. He'd already made that mistake. Killum let the others pick their hills, and then took the one left over.
There were no clear spots on Killum's hill. So he found a relatively flat spot under an ancient oak. He pulled up his HUD and concentrated on the Designate Respawn Site button.
You are designating a new Respawn Site. This is the location you will respawn after death. It is your responsibility to ensure it is a safe location away from prying eyes. Do you wish to continue? Yes or No?
"Yes."
Congratulations! You have successfully designated a new Respawn Site.
Fergus was waiting when Killum returned to the road. The ranger was sitting cross-legged on the ground and eating some of the largest, juiciest looking blackberries he'd ever seen. The elf pointed at his questioning look, and soon Killum was picking blackberries from a little thicket of bushes. He collected a double-handful, but the backs of his hand were left scratched and bloody.
"Nothing is free," Fergus said. "And they are delicious."
Killum sat next to him. "I didn't realize I was so hungry until I started eating them."
The thief returned after he'd eaten most of the berries, and was full. Tiana happily accepted the remainder from him and Fergus. She finished those off and Rand still hadn't returned.
"Should we go look for him?" Tiana asked.
"No," Fergus said. He grinned. "The runt probably fell into someone's footprint and is struggling to climb out."
"Oh my god, you're ribbing him and he's not even here to defend himself?" she cried.
Fergus snorted. "There's no defense for him."
"I heard that," Rand shouted. "You stupid elven idjit."
"Wow, the dwarf turned into Yosemite Sam," Fergus said. "All he needs is a big cowboy hat to kind of look like Yosemite Sam, too."
Tiana and Rand went over to pick more blackberries, and then they hit the trail again. Rand lost as many berries as he ate, and many of them were lost in his beard. That reminded Killum of his own stubble. Apparently, he'd have to shave or grow a beard in this realm. Being an elf, Fergus didn't have that issue.
The battle-mage spotted the healing herb that the potions were made out of. It was more potent as a potion, but eating them would still help in healing. They stopped to pick them. Killum leveled up on Foraging.
Topping a hill, they stopped in their tracks and stared down at the fight below. A motley gang of cutthroats was finishing off a group of travelers. Men, women, and children lay dead at their feet. Some were already in the process of looting the dead.
"They killed children!" Rand cried.
Twenty vicious, scowling faces turned toward them.
"Well played, runt," Fergus whispered. "Good thing we just designated new respawn sites."
Killum's mind was running through options as the bad guys started towards them. Blood dripped from knives, daggers, and swords. Their clothes and faces were splattered with more blood and gore. He concentrated on them, noticing most were mobs. But there were five Immortals.
Cain. Human brigand (Lvl 23). -7 Dark. PK: 37.
Jack. Human brigand (Lvl 21). -6 Dark. PK: 34.
Gizelle. Elven warrior (Lvl 22). -12 Dark. PK: 35.
Killum presented his Wolfsheart Spear. "Brigands and cutthroats! Defend yourselves!"
Fergus and Tiana began peppering the charging brigands with arrows. They stood to either side of Killum and Rand, who prepared for a much more personal kind of combat. Rand looked eager to fight, while Killum could only think of the horror of death. It might only be ten to fifteen seconds, but it was a really hellish ten to fifteen seconds.
The archers took out six of the twenty brigands. All five of the Immortals survived, though one had an arrow through his thigh. He continued to limp towards the fight.
"Hai!" Killum cried, thrusting his spear through the heart of the first mob to reach him. The Immortals hung back, letting their NPC comrades take the blunt of the damage. "Drop the bows and fight!"
The fight was too close for bows. Fergus and Tiana tossed their bows aside and pulled swords. They joined Killum and Rand and helped hold the brigands at bay. Wolfsheart Spear proved its worth by finding the hearts of five mob brigands in as many thrusts. Soon half of the brigands were dead or dying on the ground, but Killum's arms were getting tired. The other three weren't as fast and effective.
Superior numbers were about to win the day.
Desperation consumed Killum. Dying again was unacceptable, and he despised the idea of his friends suffering that fate as well. Then the elven warrior Gizelle tried to decapitate him. Killum ducked, and both heard and felt her blade strike the Staff of Calling strapped to his back.
"Hold them just a few more seconds!" he shouted, dropping back.
The battle-mage dropped the spear and shed the make-shift harness they'd fashioned to carry the magical Dark staff. He saw that his friends were about to be overwhelmed and butchered, so didn't have time to free the staff from its bindings. Killum took the Staff of Calling in both hands, lifting it harness and all, and the unholy staff became icy cold in his hands. Magic flowed into his hands, making them stiff and numb.
The correct words just rolled off his tongue, "Arise my minions of undeath! Kill the living! Kill my enemies!"
The dead brigands stirred. The brigands stopped fighting, stepping back and looking down and around at the moving dead. The dead brigands left their weapons on the ground, but began clawing, biting, climbing up their former friends. Brigands screamed in horror.
"Kill them all!" Killum cried, shaking the staff above him. "Fergus, Tiana, Rand, fall back behind me."
The Immortal brigand Jack was the first to die. He screamed in horror, eyes wild as zombies dog-piled him. But the others were more successful against the unarmed undead. Zombies began falling. Soon there were just two zombies attacking four players.
"Time to jump back in," Rand said.
"No," Killum said, stepping forward. He pointed up the road. "There are more coming."
The dead travelers were shambling up the hill. The brigands hadn't noticed them.
As the last two undead brigands fell beneath Gizelle's and Cain's swords, Cain glared at Killum. "Now it's four against four."
"Well, not exactly," Killum said, wagging his brows. "Turn around and meet the rest of my undead friends."
The second group of zombies plowed into the last brigands standing. Rand barked a laugh, and then attacked. Tiana and Fergus followed, plowing into the brigands' backs as they battled zombies. Rand killed Cain and another. Tiana faced off with Gizelle, and stabbed the elf warrior through the throat, while Fergus beheaded the last of the evil Immortals.
The zombies turned towards his friends, and started moving towards them.