Cressen led his men through the devastated farmland, past the pale, lifeless bodies. They had been killed in all sorts of disgusting ways. Here a man was disemboweled, there a woman had her heart cut out. Who is capable of such cruelty?

He had told his officers to be on the lookout for hostiles. A very large force had done this, and these bodies were fresh. As of yet, they had encountered nothing living. Perhaps there is someone left in Mertis. They were approaching the gates of the city. They were barred shut, but 20 yards to the right was a huge gash in the walls. He guided his lizard in that direction. As he neared the walls, a wizened old man limped out of the opening.

"Who are you that call upon the dead?"

"We have come from the Great Cave to find out what is happening in Mertis. Who are you, old man"

"There are some who call me.... Tim?"

"Tim? That is your name?"

"Perhaps. I would be away from here if I were you, my lord. This is no place for the living."

"What has happened here?"

"The dead happened. All here are dead," Tim cackled maniacally.

"You are alive."

"Am I? Am I really?" With that, the old man faded away.

"Where did he go?" asked Jaquen, Cressen's aide.

Cressen did not reply. He was staring in horror at the dead bodies all around. They weren't quite as dead as they were a moment before. The were all getting to their feet and shambling towards the soldiers.

"Form ranks!" he ordered. His five thousand men prepared for battle very quickly for such a large force, and battle was joined. Cressen drew his longsword and hacked at a pale figure with entrails spewing from its belly. He chopped off an arm, but the wight just kept coming. "Priests!" he yelled. "We need Repel Spirit spells!"

Over his head, blue flames blasted, incinerating wights 8 at a time. For a brief moment, it looked like they were going to win. Then the gates of Mertis opened. Thousands of undead came streaming out of the city. He took one look at the host of spirits and knew they had no chance. "Buglers! Sound retreat!"

It was too late. The two forces clashed. A tide of death washed over the living, and everything went black.