MILDRID’S POV I watched with fulfillment as the wolves ripped each other apart for no just cause. They fought as though they were fighting their arch enemies. It is hard to believe that there were no grudges between them. But what do I care about the reason for them going bloody? On the contrary, they are the men that I need. They all would make for a great zombie force. All I need do is to promise them a little more blood and they would bring the world upside down and make it crumble at my feet. I waited and did not stop them yet. Right now they are ten men dead and I am left with twenty. Five more need to fall before I stop them and end the fight. I want the best fifteen among them to be my living zombies. They will be my guards and will always follow me wherever I go and no one will know that they are zombies. I will always give them enough blood and regular souls to replenish them and make them have flesh like everyone else. As for the dead ones, they will be my dead zombies and will only be required when there is a need for them. They will be fearless and kill at sight. Their thirst for blood will be insatiable and since they are already dead, they will fear no death. “Do you really want half of them dead? We will need a large number of zombies and these ones that are yet to die have shown just how strong they are. You can call off the fight now and let’s make do of this twenty” beta Tim suggested. Beta Tim, all I require is time and very soon I will put him right where he belongs. He is still important to me at the moment. Soon I will take over what I have waited for centuries for and then he will mean nothing to me. He is just a tool I used to climb up this ladder and when I get to the top, he will be discarded. “We will wait, Tim. I need the souls of the dead ones for the ritual. Each of the living ones needs an accompanying soul to function as a normal person after the ritual. The dead ones are already dead and have no need for a soul” I explained. I was already beginning to get irritated by his many questions but I did not show it. “Oh really, I never thought of that,” he said. “Yeah. The living zombies would need a renewal of soul sacrifice every month in order to sustain their flesh” I added. There will be a lot of sacrifices to reinforce my living zombies and sustain their existence. The more blood they consume, the more they grow in their powers, and the more my army of dead zombies increases. “Living zombies? Would they be dead zombies?” he asked with his eyes wide.I remained quiet and did not answer him. Rather, I focused on the fight before me. “Stop the fight” I ordered as soon as I became satisfied with the outcome of the fight. Those that are still standing stopped and turned to me. I took my time to look at the faces of those remaining. Just as I have envisaged, the biggest man is still alive, and even the tallest lady. She is the only lady alive. Strangely, the elderly man is still alive but the pot-belle man is dead. It was a tough fight, and only the strongest had survived. “You all have done noble, and to keep to my own side of the agreement, I will give you something to eat” I announced. After my announcement, there was grumbling among them as they tried to show their displeasure at what I had said. “What is the noise for?” I asked. I already know the cause for the uproar though, but asked anyway. “We need to take back foodstuff to our people already” the tallest lady replied. Now she looks all messy. Rough hair, shattered clothes that barely covered the sensitive parts of her body, and a face filled with blood. Is she seriously intending to return home looking like this? Maybe I should provide her with a mirror. “Yes, that is why we are here. We can eat when we get home” the biggest man added. His sight was no better either. Just that his shorts did a better job and hiding his middle. There was a tear on his face with traces of dried blood. The wolf he had killed at the fight was no ordinary wolf. At a point, I had almost believed that he would be the one dead. It is by sheer luck that he is still alive. “You will eat first, and you will never go hungry again. All I require of you is your loyalty” I replied. “Just give us food to take back home today, that was the agreement,” a man said. The one that had just spoken barely fought in the fight and his body is looking better than the rest. The wolf that had almost killed him was attacked by another and that was his saving grace. I hope he makes a good living zombie or else I will make him a dead zombie. I will not waste my scarce resources on simpleton. “You can leave now if you are not okay with the arrangement” beta Tim yelled. “Leave and no one will stop you” They all looked at themselves, waiting for the first person to go out but none dared to move.It is only proper that they remained here and see the end of this. They have killed innocent men for this and so would not agree to return empty-handed. “I want to make you all an army for myself, one that can never be defeated. All I want is for you to accept” I announced. There was silence, no one replied. “Get the food right away, Tim” I ordered. * I watched as they ate hungrily, and I waited for them to finish before making my offer to them. “Which of you is ready to work for me?” I asked after they were done eating. “Give us something to take home first” one of them responded. “Sorry, but you have been given what you earned’ beta Tim replied. “Hey, you do not dare to toil with me, Tim” the huge man yelled and there was uproar among them, all in support of him. Beta Tim became angry and he asked. “I watched as you killed innocent brothers, do you even think you deserve to eat?” “But... but you made us do it” the lady retorted uneasily. “I can report each of you for the act” beta Tim yelled. “Hey, hey, Tim, they are one of us now, they know the ills in the society and they want to fight them with us. The Pixies would soon come for us and we need men like these to help safeguard our lands” I appealed to beta Tim. I turned to them. “Who will work for me in this great battle?” I asked. “You will know no lack, that I promise you” I guaranteed. “Yes, we accept to work for you, great lady” one of them yelled. I looked at the faces of the rest, and after a few seconds, they all yelled in agreement. “We accept...” the rest chorused. “The preparation will start in earnest,” I said. “First you must all take this substance and then you will be able to give life to all those that you have killed. To say that they were shocked would be an understatement. They could not understand what I was implying. “You mean to bring them back to life, we can do that?” the lady asked as she stared at the lifeless bodies of those they killed. I chuckled and responded “What were you thinking that I a custodian of our great pack would wish death to any one of us even because of mere food? I would rather die than have any one of you die of hunger. I allowed all of these to happen just so you can see the great power that you have inside of you” “Oh, that is great. Now I will sleep with my eyes close, I will finally have some peace of mind. I thought I had become a vampire or something” another said. I inhaled and tried to calm my nerves, I will forgive his unguarded utterance for now. “Let’s go ahead with this, there is not much time” I ordered. They all lined up, and I gave them the substance to take. Taking this would turn them into my living zombies and after that, they would go and bite on the necks of the dead ones and feed on their souls. Those ones would wake up as my dead zombies and my armies would be formed. After now, anyone that is killed by my living zombies would automatically become my dead zombie.