So Shines a Good Deed Exerpt 2: Prologue

 First Landing, beneath its calm facade, teemed with hidden activity. City taverns overflowed with diverse patrons: adventurers returning from quests and merchants resting after their long sea journey to Tijara. Thieves plied their trade in back alleys as the patrolling guardsmen walked past, either not seeing or ignoring the petty crimes happening on their watch.  

None of it was of any interest to him. Nothing the living did was of any interest to him whatsoever, in fact. The mage sneered at his scrying crystal as it continued to show him images of other cities and villages from across the realm, each one only making him more incensed. The images that angered him most were the ones that showed the mortals at their worst. They went from acting kind to betraying those they assisted. Throughout, they promoted fraternity, peace, and goodwill. 

Liars, all of them. The orb had shown him. He had seen the human and Demi-human population of the world at their worst. Their disguise was impeccable. Their true nature emerged during quiet moments. Selfish and uncaring, they pursued wealth and status until death revealed the vanity of their ambitions. Blade or time, death claimed all. The kingdom, indeed, the world, would soon learn this lesson.

...

The sun peaked out over the western horizon as the miners started their day. Men from Miner’s Respite, young and old, walked towards the open mine; work continued for the able-bodied as it had for months. Wives and children waved goodbye to husbands, sons, and brothers once again, as they had uncounted times before. 

The shuffling started when everyone entered the mine. 

It was first seen by a town guard. A cloud of dust and ash rumbled toward them, causing the ground to shake as they approached. What the guardsman saw as the mass continued to close on the village froze him where he stood.

Corpses. A wave of corpses approached; the guardsman’s head lopped clean off by charging undead cavalry on skeletal horses, who continued their advance. This fate befell every soul unlucky enough to be in their path.

A child’s scream was the first; no older than eight years. Creatures from every nightmare she'd ever had were rushing towards her home and all she could do was scream. Her parents rushed out to find the girl, only to be felled by black shafted arrows. The slaughter continued for only several minutes. Just as quickly as they had arrived, the undead force was gone.

Hours later, the miners broke for lunch, and only then did they note the stench of death and decay where burning coal and metal should be. It was clear what had happened. Before they could even grieve or dispose of the corpses, the bodies of their former family members rose again. Only the dying soldiers’ cries filled the miles; more joined the undead horde that had killed them.