A Fallen Hero

Kim sits next to Jeff's **** body, watching over him. Lester had taken over chopping and replanting oak trees. He passed all of the apples he harvested to Kim in an effort to heal his friend. T'salam had harvested and rotated the wheat crop and also introduced new crops. Barley, cotton, and pumpkins now grew alongside the wheat.

Of course, the pumpkin seeds had come from her mother, Martha Talios. Her husband Lazlo Talios and herself had returned with little memory of being zombies. Kim had spent hours filling them in on the situation and what their kid's had been doing during that time. They didn't seem too surprised that they had eloped. Lazlo had laughed sharply when she described the climax moments, "We were wondering when they would quit being kids and start being adults. Its not like it's a bad thing but in such a small clan, eloping with clan members is common." Martha adds her part as she bakes flour into bread, "We were going to tell them that it's ok on the day the monsters attacked. We hoped that they would produce young for the clan to expand..."

Her head drops a little, "But then they....became halflings. Now, they cant have children. No halflings can."

Kim had asked why halflings can't have children. Martha smiles, "Power shouldn't be passed on so easily. Legend from our ancestors say only one of each type of half-breed can exist in any one world..."

That was when Kim noticed that her right arm was skeletal; not bone thin but bone entirely. She brings her right arm up for Kim to see, "As you can see, I am a halfling as well. Skelekin. And my husband..." She turns her head around to look at Lazlo, who is sitting next to Jeff. He nods and pulls down his brown tunic, showing a patterned-green left shoulder, "Creepkin. Been this way for some time."

Kim is stunned, "So you also..." They both nod but Lazlo responds, "Yes, we also had traumatic experiences with memory. Both of us we're part of a town, the only town in this world I think. It's probably still around but the people are long gone. They just died off little by little, and we kept thinking that they would rebirth..."

He turns his head away, "I was a town guard, tasked with protecting it's people. Martha was a baker who I had feelings for-" Martha interrupts, "Ha! Yes, you did. Practically licked my feet to win my attention." Lazlo continues, "-which eventually led to marriage. That's when the lord of the town came trying to steal her away. We had to leave town in a hurry."

"Do you still know where this town is?" a slightly low and familier voice queries. Kim's heart leaps with relief as she turns towards Jeff and falls on him in an embrace, "Jeff! Im so glad your okay!" Jeff returns the hug, "You followed my statement is all. I'm glad to be alive too." He looks at Lazlo who is grinning ear to ear, "I'm glad your both alright and not zombies. I didn't know if that spell would work."

Lazlo gives a sharp, gruff bark of laughter, "I feel comfortable already. Your reckless son, but that's what makes heroes. And you definantly saved us from a life of eating rotten flesh." He rises to his feet, bronze beard and hair shuffling, "Now, I reckon we need to find better ore and such so here is my recommendation. You and me and whoever else go down and mine while the rest of us get supplies ready for this hell-trek to your village. From the sound of it, it's a long walk there and we'll probably end up building a road to it, maybe a rail line."

Jeff hesitates, "But...your other clansman...." Lazlo holds up a hand, "It was really only me, Martha, and my two kids, that's it. You saved us all so the clan is saved. End of story. Good Job. So I'll be waiting for you to get your lazy, heroic ass outa bed till then."