Free Steel Wolves of Craedia (Realm of Arkon, Book 3) by G. Akella

Realm of Arkon, up to unfriendly (reputation would remain unchanged if already higher than unfriendly with any race), unknown.
    Attention! To complete this quest you will need at least three hundred allies.
    The time for completing this quest is limited. If you fail to release Nerghall, imprisoned in the soulstone, within one month, the Lord of Darkness will escape on his own. When that happens, if the Ancient Beast isn't slain within five hours of his escape, the reputation with the race on whose territory it happens will fall to hatred.
     
    What the... This Lord is stronger than Shaartakh! I thought. And besides, what kind of quest was this that I couldn't even refuse it? Now, I could just leave the soulstone here, but the timer had already started, and I didn't feel like earning the hatred of all the dominions at once. Not even my courier's badge would counteract that.
    "Maybe you could finally explain to us what happened?" the restless archeress interrupted my musings.
    "The commander probably had a vision about Lata, the goddess of love. And here you are distracting him from contemplating her divine form," Reece defended me with but the subtlest touch of sarcasm in his voice. His face, at least, showed nothing but righteous indignation.
    "No, but I did see Celphata," I returned the mage's smirk, though his face grew suddenly pale. "And she tasked me with a quest. I'll explain everything later, but now we have to go."
    I bent over and gathered up the magus' body in my arms. For some reason I didn't want to put it away into inventory like some object.
    "We'll bury him on the surface. He deserves it like nobody else," I grumbled in response to my clanmates' stunned and outraged glances. And then, without turning back, I started toward the exit, the lifeless body of the Master of Death slung over my shoulder.
     
    We buried the necromancer's ashes under an oak not far from the dungeon entrance. Upon learning of the tifling's heroism, the demons showed incredible zeal in gathering firewood for the funeral pyre and digging a grave under the tree. In the end we all stood there in solemn silence, watching the flames devour the remains of the Master of Death, honoring his noble sacrifice.
    "Dar, do you think he's at peace there, in the Flame?" Reena asked me softly when the final stone was laid upon the necromancer's grave.
    "I know he is," I nodded to the girl. "The magus is with his mistress."
    "What's she like? You've seen her, right?" the demoness' cheeks still bore glistening streaks from recent tears, though her eyes shone with a kind of unnatural curiosity. "They say the face of the goddess of death is pure horror..."
    The demons all turned toward me and froze in anticipation. I took my time, trying to find the right words, comfortable with the silence. Only the gentle rustling of the leaves could be heard overhead, in the crown of the mighty oak.
    "She's beautiful," I said at last, softly. "And... desirable. That is how the necromancer saw her, and that is how I remember her."
     
                 
    Chapter 4
     
    A gust of wind flung a handful of raindrops in my face, cold and tiny like glass beads. I pulled the hood over my forehead, wrapped my cloak around the torso, and turned around to inspect the string of wagons stretching back over a quarter mile.
    The yaks were trudging along, heads hanging low, while the farmers—all wrapped up in brown cloaks in hopes of finding at least some respite from the rain and blistering wind—were whipping them with equal measure of lethargy and despair. Even the men and women on guard duty seemed to resemble the walking dead, all drowsy and miserable. Up and down the caravan everyone dreamed of warmth: a dry spot near a campfire, a hot plate in a lap, and a strong drink in hand. Everyone except for Gloom, at least. The razorback puffed merrily as he paced, like a house dog out for a walk after spending too much time indoors. He made sure to sniff every irregularity in the