Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 226: An Invitation to Tea

Incline Village was a small town in the northern portion of Lake Tahoe. It was also the most populated area in what had been the Nevada portion of the Lake prior to the outbreak of the apocalypse.

Now it was a dead town, like most of those that existed in the former territory of the United States of America. Ghost Town would be a fairly accurate depiction, as all life had been snuffed out by the virus that had nearly wiped out all of humanity.

The only residents of the town were those walking dead who refused to stay in their graves where they belonged. The Horde King of this small town had been warned by her neighboring brother, Bartholomew, about a potential attack on her by their mysterious brother.

It was a strange sense of mentality, though the dead had been risen to walk the Earth once more, and had even become the most dominant force in the world after wiping out nearly all of human civilization.

They did not revere their lives as much as the living. Rather, what they idolized was their absent mother, a woman who had been responsible for their creation, and the dead's takeover of the Earth. The mere notion that their mother was silently supporting Zane led many of the Horde Kings to become well and accepting of what they perceived to be the will of their creator.

And because of this, Beatrix did not run or flee from her domain, nor did she attempt to gain support from her siblings. If Zane came for her, it meant that it was her mother's will. Though she would put up a good fight, as even though her fate was decided, she still bore her role to play.

It was because of this that Zane and the girls were surprised when they arrived at the outskirts of the town. The undead had been gathered from the rather spread out town into its center. Where they gathered around the local Horde King who sat on a throne made of human bones.

Beatrix was a much older woman, or at least the form she took was as such. If she were living, one would assume she was in her 40s, or perhaps even early fifties. She had a graceful appearance and a dignified aesthetic. Wearing a pair of round glasses and tying her dark hair into a neat bun.

Much like Gwen, she did not suffer any blemishes on her flesh, no signs of necrosis, not the slightest blemish imaginable. The only visible sign that she was dead was the paleness of her skin, which was ashen in the way the dead so commonly became before outright purification.

But aside from this commonality, she was the exact opposite of Gwen and her youthful demeanor. No, Beatrix was a woman who clearly had refined tastes, and because of this, she welcomed Zane into her territory with open arms. Her intentions? Only she knew.

Of course, Zane didn't immediately take the bait, instead he and the women in his party stayed on the outskirts of the town. Surveying the area and the situation before making a decision on how to proceed.

Zane was able to get quite close to Beatrix and her horde without the mature beauty even recognizing his presence. No doubt thanks to his exceptional equipment, which raised his stealth rating to the point where even spectres with no corporeal form would have a hard time noticing his whereabouts upon first inspection.

And it was once Zane was certain that Beatrix was openly inviting him into her home, Zane ultimately decided to reveal himself. It was not a sudden revelation, nor a frightening one. Zane did not simply appear out of thin air with a grand sense of pizzazz.

Nor did he make a move on Beatrix's life. Rather, he took a cautious approach. Returning to the women in his party, before deploying his horde to encircle the town. For anyone other than a horde king, the manifestation of an army out of nothing might be a terrifying sight.

But the Horde Kings possessed a similar ability, even if they often did not make use of it. I mean, why would they, when they were the undisputed rulers of this world? Still, the fact that Zane could do this was further evidence to Beatrix that he was really one of them.

And thus, when she finally spoke, her voice reverberating throughout the entire area of her domain, she had a rather curious tone in her voice.

"So you have finally decided to reveal yourself? I see you have taken it upon yourself to reject my invitation for tea? Are you sure you want to do this? Shall we not first break bread before trying to tear each other apart? I mean, there is so much we wish to learn about you, and I get the feeling that you feel the exact same way, no?"

Zane and the others were surprised that Beatrix's sultry voice echoed across the woods, as if it were being played by a surround sound speakers embedded in the sky itself. It was a thunderous and authoritative voice, albeit with the charm of a mature and comely woman.

It was because of this that Zane felt the need to respond, as he called out from his position towards the woman whose supernatural command of the area seemed to outmatch even Zane's control over Gravestone.

"You're inviting me to tea? And who is to say that you don't try to poison me? Or worse yet, sick your horde on me the moment I take the bait you have laid out for me?"

Though there was considerable distance between Zane and Beatrix, the woman had heard his every word as if he were right in front of her, and thus responded with a smug scoff, followed by some derogatory remarks towards Zane's preconceived notions of her.

"Are you suggesting that I would violate the sanctity of parlay? Well, I never! We are not so backhanded, and barbaric! Something I'm sure someone such as yourself, who dwells among the living, has no understanding of. I seek to communicate with you face to face as peers. Is that really so hard to believe?

Just you, though, you can leave those little flesh bags you call your companions by the wayside with your army. I promise you safe passage until you return to your host. After that, all bets are off, and the two of us will fight as mother intends us to. These are fair terms, no?"

Zane thought about it for a slight moment, before looking over towards the women in his party for their opinions on the matter. Elena clutched her Katana in her hands far tighter than she otherwise normally would. There was a very clear look of anxiety on her face as she spoke her thoughts on the matter.

"I think you should go. It's not every day we get a chance to speak with the dead… There are too many things we don't know about them… And about you… Like why your body is changing so much… They seem to have the answers, and maybe you can pry them out of the bitch!"

Zane looked towards Olivia, Angelica, Lily, and Madison, all of which silently nodded their heads in agreement with Elean's words. And because of this, Zane sighed heavily and scratched the back of his head before making a comment about his recent status in negotiating with hostile women.

"Just when I get done entertaining one angry bitch, I have to go deal with another. Alright fine… You're right Elena, there is simply too much we don't know about the dead, and the horde kings who lead them. And for the first time since encountering them, this one appears to be in the talkative mood.

Though I want the five of you on standby in case, she makes a move against me. We need to be able to fight at a moment's notice, got it?"

Once more, the five women all nodded their heads in silent agreement, this time with Zane's words. And thus, the atmosphere became incredibly tense, at least for Zane and his party as Zane marched towards the center of Incline Village where the enemy Horde King awaited him for a discussion over tea.

As Zane slowly approached the village, he saw what had become of its previous residents prior to the outbreak of the apocalypse. They had become twisted figures of rotting flesh and mangled bone. Many of which no longer resembled the living, breathing human beings they had once been.

These undead monstrosities respectfully parted ways for Zane as he approached their king. Almost like an honor guard paying tribute to the head of state. No doubt they recognized him as one of their own, not only because Beatrix commanded them to stay at the wayside. But also because of Zane's unique skill, "Dead Man Walking."

Perhaps this was why the Horde Kings themselves had mistaken him for one of them. Honestly, Zane did not know the answer to this, but it was his hope that he would replace them out when he spoke with Beatrix. Not that he knew her name at this moment.