The Battle for Blood Keep

Golgor stumbled and crashed heavily onto the sand. He heaved himself upright and stared out across the dunes to check for signs of pursuit. There was nothing but the wind stirring the long sand-grass. He turned and jogged on, the days events still racing through his mind. The undead had been waiting for them on the beach before the castle for weeks, never moving, never faltering in their patience. The ogres knew they could not hold on, and with no sign of help coming, decided to sally out. They met on the shore, and driven mad by hunger, the ogres had charged headlong into a greater force, knowing it was either fight or starve, and for an ogre that's no choice at all.

The battle had started well, the yhetees and Golgor's lads catching a horde of rotten zombies in a pincer move and smashing them apart along with the hissing corpse-man who led them. Even the putrid zombies had looked appetising after weeks of nothing but scraps, and the yhetees didn't even hesitate to feed. On the dunes though, the vampire and his skeletons overwhelmed the bulls and the firebelly, the wraiths riding them down as they broke, leaving them dead in the surf. Golgor and the yhetees tried to charge them, but the screams of the banshee culled them before they even connected. Soon Golgor realised he was alone. The dead made no attempt to pursue but simply stood over his dead comrades as he turned to flee back to the empty fortress.

The sun was setting as Golgor climbed onto the old road to the causeway, the castle dark and silent before him. As he climbed, he saw a single rider sitting atop a ghostly steed in front of the open gates. It carried a long scythe that seemed to flicker in the dying light of the day. As Golgor made his way onto the causeway, the creature lifted it's head to regard him.

Golgor sighed. Ogres didn't fear death as men do, but still, it was a terrible thing to die hungry. "My old mum told me this kind of thing would happen some day." Golgor said to nobody in particular as the creature jerked it's mount into a trot. His pistols were soaked, and empty anyway, so he pulled out his trusty old club instead. He knew it was useless, but it felt better than nothing.

Expelling a last great sigh, Golgor charged.