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.
"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 find them out when he spoke with Beatrix. Not that he knew her name at this moment.