Marduk had taken this opportunity to venture to the human kingdom, walking down its long halls as he seemingly glided across. Dark wild hair following behind him as he men had followed, perhaps scaring the many human guards as they had to stand back and allow this terrifying visage of the undead king and his crew passage. The man nearly smiled as he and his men walked past, smelling the fear coming from the humans that seemed to quiver in their boots. Terrified that they cannot stop the king from arriving. He himself that had received an invitation to meet with the human king, one that he graciously could not decline. What a perfect opportunity. His eery footsteps amongst his soldiers echoed along the floors of the castle, announcing his arrival. The current king would hear him no doubt. But, he had not known who was the current king exactly. Over the four hundred years that he had lived he did not keep track of who was king and who wasn't, despite the human kingdom being his original home. But the castle somehow had remained the same as it was all those many years ago he had been alive. It was refreshing to visit it time and time again.

He had heard of what happened in Emberi during the Royal Ball. Marduk had heard that there was some sort of calamity, werebeasts turning into their bestial forms and mages being somewhat responsible for the happening. But, this pleased him greatly. That meant many dead people would be coming from the ball, which was excellent in his part. The undead king had come rightfully so, to collect his people. Not only that, but if the races did go to war, he had a better chance at conquering Oedir. No longer would the undead be confined to the Graveyard. Finally, they could have their freedom. Not only that, but with the death toll that would rise from such a war, would benefit him greatly. Though, that would lead many mindless to also wander, but perhaps he preferred it that way. Maybe he thought that the living had the brains of mindless anyway. But, the king coninued down the halls, toward the king's quarters. Stopping abruptly in front of two royal guards that stood posted in an empty hall.

"I've come to speak with your king," he said tauntingly, smiling all the while. The guards looked at each other confusedly, unsure of what to do. King Victor had sent him the letter, but to let him into the quarters without notifying him? Marduk didn't give them much time to talk as he neared closer. "There is no time to schedule a meeting. I have come to collect my people, and you too shall join them." One of his men had slid a sword through one's chest, and soon the other had fallen as well. Continuing his way past the corpses, he made his way to the king's chambers. It were as if the dead were defiling the place with their very existence. Indeed he would be found out for the havoc he caused by killing two of the king's personal guardsmen, but it was but a mere matter to him. The king would forgive him most likely. After all, he had come here because of the letter and could not be denied passage. He looked around the finely decorative room, such one that was beneficial to a king. But he did not see the man. Perhaps he was in another room. His men searched the doors to make sure that the king was present as Marduk gazed around, knowing that the human king was somewhere near.

"I have accepted your invitation to the letter," he said, eyes still gazing upwards and around. The king could hear him most likely. He was probably just hiding somewhere he assumed. Marduk brought out the very letter in his hand, the paper all worn and some places torn as if it were crumpled. "It says that you are open to discussing matters further. I have come to do just that. Of peace, of course." His face then twisted into an evil smile.

He approached the man with a smile, standing before him as his soldiers remained behind him, indeed appearing as if the undead king had come here with his army. Satisfied that he had finally found the human king, he nearly chuckled at his discovery when he had turned to face him from the chair. "Whoops," he said, at the mention of reliving his soldiers. "Oh don't mind them. Their swords must've slipped is all," he said, referring to the other undead dolts behind him. But then, he continued to listen keenly as this, king of the humans, spoke. However, he was growing ever so bored with his blabber. On and on about what had happened and whatnot. No, he did not hear much about what happened at the Royal Emberi Ball. Nor did he care all that much. He was just taking advantage of what was written in the letter.

"No, no," he dismissed, shaking his head. "I don't care for that. I have come to collect my people. Many have died there in that ballroom yes?" He was smiling crookedly, growing ever so more near toward the face of the other man. Tilting his head to the side slightly as he bored into the man's very eyes. Fear. What he wanted to see, and expected to see, was indeed fear. But, it seemed the man was... regretful, over what happened but Marduk didn't care about that. He just wanted to do business and get it over with quickly. "Now. In return for retrieving my dead and relieving your kingdom of a potential outbreak of undead, I propose something." He sounded thoughtful, as if he were debating how much he could take exactly. Well, there were many things that he wanted. But there was only so much he could actually take with a bargain. Or perhaps there could be more.

Suddenly turning and pacing to the side, he looked downward as he wondered. Or seemingly so. Perhaps he was just taking his time pretending to think so that Victor would become anxious. Anxiety was good. "In return... I want..." He stopped pacing, his heavy footsteps halting suddenly into silence. The eyes of his men had followed him where he had walked. Marduk looked upward, toward a painting of who could possibly be, the man that started the very treaty. "That room. The ballroom would make a great place for me to have." He then paced again walking almost back toward his group as they looked at him quizzically. "Of course. You wouldn't want to continue to have the place now would you?" his head then turned to the living man. "After all, why hold another ball to remind everyone what had happened?" A chuckle, followed by a gruesome smile that showed how much grime and rot filled his teeth. Indeed, a good bargain but it wasn't very understandable to his own men at the moment, just to Marduk.

"You misunderstand," he told the man, having enough of pacing and keeping his distance as he took heavy steps forward, closing it off as his deathly gaze piecing at him. He stood dangerously near, boring into his face with a wicked glare. He didn't wish to discuss this much further. The king was taking his time playing these games. If he wanted to discuss matters that he had claimed in his own letters, then he should follow through with them. Titling his head slightly Marduk continued to gaze at him, perhaps from this close range Victor could probably smell the rot within his cracked skin. "The dead belong to me," he informed him, with an angered gaze before pulling away from his face, looking to the side as he continued to walk near but paced almost like a predator ready to hunt down its prey. "Under the treaty the dead already go to the Graveyard, no matter the race. It is not a matter of where they should be buried. 'All dead must be buried within the Graveyard,'" he recited the passage from the top of his head, or at least how he remembered it. His head then turned back to him as he stopped walking. "I am just here for the cleanup. So I expect something in exchange." It was then he neared closer, but not as near as he then stopped at a small distance. Yet his dark eyes bore into his.

It was true however, had the king and his men not come to collect the dead, they would have to be sent to the Graveyard by dead collectors. They would be carried with the carriages or wagons, taking a few days before they reached the Graveyard to be buried behind. Indeed, it wasn't a matter of what the other races thought about where those dead should be buried. But, the kings next words made more sense. Well, to Marduk it was laughable that no other ruler had responded. He honestly thought that the others would have tried to respond like he did for a favor, but it seemed that maybe they were too hesitant to reply, not waging war but holding on to everything dear to not begin another war. Even though many of theirs had died by his hand supposedly, they took the sacrifice as to not begin another bloodbath. But, perhaps they were discussing matters, more reasonably. Or maybe they were just ignoring the king's idiotic apology, who knew.

Still, the undead king doubted that a war would begin despite the man's words. He didn't have the right to call him an old friend, no, any human king was no friend of his. There wasn't much to elaborate on, just give him the ballroom and the dead would be taken away free of charge. However, indeed the room was a tactical benefit to him, if ever a war to start. If the king feared war, of course he would fear the undead storming through the ballroom the most, the humans unable to stop them. But, in the end it was just one room. Maybe it was more for the valuable items in the room, or maybe even Marduk wanted it for his "vacations" to the lands of the living. But most of all, it was true what his true purpose of keeping it was. Though perhaps the king might be contradicting himself. But, Marduk can make this reasonable.

"I'll tell you what," he smiled slightly. "If you are so afraid that someone will begin a war, let us make a pact." The words he held were dangerous, risky, but maybe the king would want to listen. "The ballroom, under that roof there will be no bloodshed, between undead and human," he spoke. "If a war begins you said you have no men to defend yourself with. In that room, my ballroom, can be a safe haven for you in times of need." It was tempting. If a war to start he imagined living would flee there in panic. The undead would defend its walls, of that single large room that would act as a fortress for both undead and human alike. "But, in return my undead are allowed to venture there freely, and humans shall bring no harm to them." There was a moment of silence, to give the king sometime for thought.

"Well, do we have a deal?" he then asked, sealing the offer.