Story 1283: The Zombie Shepherd

The swarm descended like a mechanical plague—razor-limbed creatures galloping over the rust dunes, screeching in frequencies that shorted nearby equipment. Their glowing eyes pulsed in sync, all led by a towering figure that seemed neither alive nor entirely dead.

The Zombie Shepherd.

Juno had heard of it in encrypted transmissions—some called it a myth, a virus-grown sentient. Others claimed it was a hybrid experiment gone rogue, programmed to "guide" the infected in place of a centralized AI. But no one had ever seen it and lived to talk.

Until now.

It stood over seven feet tall, robed in stitched viral skin and armored plating. Long, branching antennae extended from its back like skeletal wings. From a distance, it looked priestly—up close, monstrous.

As the swarm closed in, the Rustborn unleashed everything.