Chapter One

I woke up on a blustery, cold morning entangled in my minions’ arms, and the first thought that came into my mind was that I was now the Lord of all of Machstein. From the peak of Kanashimi and the golden pillars that once marked the entrance to the goddess’s dungeon to the lower half of the city that included the port town of Eifersucht and the now empty dungeon of the Liebe, I was in control of the whole island, and nothing could stand in my way from taking more.

I rolled over onto my side, and Carmedy’s sleeping face came into view partly obscured by her short black hair. I chuckled deep in the back of my throat as I reached out a hand and stroked the soft fur on her ears, and they twitched softly under my fingers.

“Load it up,” the feline murmured in her sleep as she licked her lips. “You can never have enough syrup, load it up.”

The cat-girl was dreaming of food once again, and I shouldn’t have been surprised. I had playfully asked her if she loved food more than me once, and her face had dropped as she thought for a long moment. I already knew the answer, but I just wanted to hear what she would say. She had looked up at me with those sparkling emerald eyes I loved so much and proclaimed her love for me over food, but I could tell that it was a close race between the two of us.

Morrigan snuggled up to my back behind me, and I could feel her warm breath on my bare back. These were the things that I cherished, waking up first thing in the mornings and feeling their soft bodies pressed into mine from all directions. We had come so far, my minions and I, and we would go even farther than we had ever imagined.

Our sights were on Tintagal next and the tyrant who owned the land there, Baudouin. I had heard horror stories about him from my first wife and what Morrigan had learned from the spirit waifs called the Rusalka. Soon, Baudouin would feel my wrath firsthand. The scuttling beetle had the land that I wanted, and I would surely take it from his cold, dead hands. I wanted to see him suffer, wanted him to know pain, and that was what I was going to bring to him once we arrived in Tintagal.

My minions and I had met so many wonderful people along the way, and even now, Shida and Yuri had followed us down from Kanashimi. They had brought a few of their older children along with their teenager, Popī, who had taken a particular liking to my women. The girl saw them as older sisters and confidants. We stayed the night once more at the Purple Conch which had a nice barn to hold our Bantams, the rideable giant chicken-like birds.

Though the Bantams were a comfortable ride and amiable animals, I still missed our lizards back in Valasara. Nothing compared to the smooth movements of the lizards, and I wished there was such a way to outfit them for the cold of the northern regions. There were many things from Valasara I missed, but one of them I hadn’t thought I would was the heat. The bitter cold of Eifersucht had hit us like a ton of bricks when we made our journey down from the warmer mountain side of Kanashimi.

Shida and Yuri had been surprised at the difference too when we arrived in Eifersucht. They both were born in Kanashimi and had only journeyed down the mountain once or twice in their lifetimes. The difference in temperature was baffling, and when I explained to them that this was another blessing from the Tichádáma, they were blown away. Popī, still recovering from the loss of the goddess she had loved so much, had burst into tears.

I wanted to comfort the young girl, but this was something she would have to recover from on her own, since my minions and I were the ones who had a hand in the goddess’s death.

Unlike Popī, Kanashimi was dealing with the goddess’ death well, and they had accepted me as their new leader readily after my marriage to Morrigan on Machstein soil. Like Valasara and Tamarisch, I had put Shida in place as my regent. He was an upstanding man, a hard worker, and a good father to his multitude of children, and I knew he would make a good leader in my place. I didn’t want the people of Kanashimi or Eifersucht to worship me like they had the Liebe or the Tichádáma. I may have been a god, but I was also their ruler.

I didn’t want offerings or gifts, I wanted their obedience and submission to my power.

I sat up in bed, and Annalise was the first to stir. The swordswoman’s brown eyes opened slightly, and the light shining in turned them bright gold. My first wife smiled at me tenderly, reached over the elf’s sleeping form, and took my hands.

“Good morning, Master,” The High Queen whispered over to me, and I leaned over and stroked her pink cheek.

“Good morning, my love,” I replied back through a broad smile.

“When do we set off for Tintagal?” Annalise asked as she sat up and started to dress before anyone else.

“Tomorrow,” I told her as I carefully moved from the bed so as not to disturb the rest of my sleeping minions. “I believe that the people of Eifersucht are throwing a grand feast tonight.”

“In your honor, of course.” My wife smirked as she slipped into her boots and tied them up with nimble fingers.

“Yes.” I nodded as I used telekinetic power and brought my armor over to me. The metal plates and padded gambeson found their way onto me and cinched themselves into place around my form.

My first wife looked at me affectionately and took in my commanding presence before she crossed to me. I folded her into my arms, and we stared into each other’s faces for a passing moment, then her eyes broke away from mine. One of her delicate hands snaked out and caressed the smooth, polished metal of my armor tenderly then the hand lifted and stroked my cheek. Then my warrior queen and I both jumped as Rana’s sleeping form launched forward in the bed.

“Give it back, you potbellied pig-snatcher!” the fox shouted angrily as her paws tore through the air. Her unruly red curls were frizzy around her face and her bright blue eyes wide as she tried to take back whatever the person had stolen in her dream. The redhead’s eyes cleared, and she shook her head quickly to ward off the nightmare.

“Please explain what a potbellied pig-snatcher is, and why you are yelling about it so early in the morning?” Morrigan grumbled as she rubbed at her tired eyes.

“Is it a person who kidnaps pigs?” Carmedy asked softly, and from her tone, I could tell that sleep was still clinging desperately to the cat-girl. “Was someone trying to steal your pigs in the dream?”

“No,” Rana said with a shake of her head as she patted down her crazy red curls. “If I explain it, it’ll just sound dumb.”

“You can tell us if you want,” I assured her kindly, and she raised her eyes to me with a soft smile. “Carmedy was talking about syrup in her sleep, so I don’t think we will judge you.”

“I was dreaming about mountains and mountains of pancakes and waffles,” The feline sighed as she fell back into the pillows with a wistful smile on her soft lips. “Best dream I’ve had in a while.”

“Well, there was this guy I used to know before I met Annalise,” Rana admitted softly as she played with a single curl between two fingers. “He was really mean to me. One of those ‘all fox people are thieves and beggars’ types… whenever he saw me on the street, he’d kick me around just for fun. There were a few times I was hired at small bakeries or produce stalls, always working in the back where no one would see me. I’d go home at the end of the day to my momma with the very little money I made and give it to her to help around the house.”

She sighed softly. “A lot of the times…he’d find me walking home, and he’d take the money from me, saying that I must have stolen it or something like that. Sometimes, he’d drag me to the bakeries or the stalls and make me give the money back and… the owners would take it back because they never wanted to admit they hired a fox for jobs. Most of the time, he just took it for himself, and I had to go home from a long day of work with nothing to show for it.”

“Oh, Rana,” Annalise breathed as she came over and comforted her sister. “I’m sorry, no one should be treated that way, especially you.”

“No, it’s okay.” Rana chuckled as she rubbed at her eyes. “The last time I saw him, I beat the shit out of him and kept my money. I just dreamed he tried to do it, and it was like living all of those times all over again.”

“Do you know what’s different about those times and now, Rana?” I asked her as I came closer and took her paws into my hands gently.

“No, Master?” The fox-woman asked as she stared up into my eyes.

“No one will take anything from you ever again now that I’m here,” I told her as I cupped her cheek, and her round cheeks flushed pink at my words. “I will kill any man for you, all of you.”

“We have the best Master in the world,” Carmedy breathed as she rushed over and wrapped her arms around my middle. “We would be so lost without you, we love you so much. Never leave us, Master.”

“I will never leave you as long as you stay by my side for the rest of your lives.” I smiled as I moved my hands between each minion to caress their sweet faces lovingly.

“I do not wish to think of a time where we are without our Master,” Morrigan stated as she slipped from the bed, put on one of her signature black dresses, and then donned her bright red coat.

“The same for me, my loves,” I muttered softly with my eyes downcast. “I would be lost without all of you. I would’ve never been able to leave the dungeon if it wasn’t for you four, and for that, I am eternally grateful.”

With that, we readied ourselves for the day. By the time we had gotten up and all dressed, it was midmorning, and the sun was high in the sky against blindingly white clouds. My minions and I left our room and headed downstairs for breakfast. In the hall, we were met by Shida and Popī as they headed down too. Both of the Kanashimi natives were bundled in heavy coats, and despite the warmth inside the Purple Conch, their cheeks and noses were rosy from the cold. Popī raced forward and grabbed onto Annalise’s forearm happily, and the High Queen smiled down at the teenager.

“What are you guys up to today?” the dark-haired teenager asked through a broad smile, and my wife thought for a moment.

“Well, breakfast first, then I believe the people of Eifersucht are throwing something like a party for Master later in the day,” the swordswoman told the young girl as Popī nodded along with every word.

“I wish you weren’t leaving so soon,” the adolescent whined, and Shida gave her a warning look over his shoulder as we made our way down the stairs and into the main room of the Purple Conch.

“Me too.” The petite alchemist sighed as she patted Popī on the shoulder. “But the fight against Tintagal is just on the horizon, and we need to get over there and beat their butts as soon as possible.”

“Will Tintagal be added to Tamarisch just as Machstein was?” Shida asked directly to me.

“Yes, Tintagal has been a lone nation for too long,” I told him in a firm voice as Shida listened intently. “Baudouin must be taken down, and Tintagal added to the great nation of Tamarisch. Though they are separated by the Riese, they will become one under our rule.”

“Will it be an easy task?” the regent inquired. “Baudouin came to Machstein a few times and tried to convince our people to become part of his nation. Though we were sovereign and relied only on ourselves, you saw the greed of Akuno for yourself. He was tempted by Baudouin and the money and power that came with him. I would like to say this for myself and for the people of Kanashimi, we are glad he is dead and cannot sour of minds or beliefs anymore.”

“I wouldn’t call it easy,” the High Queen interjected as we found a table and sat down around it. “It will be like all other deities and tyrants we’ve taken down in the past. There will be challenges, but like all the others, we will overcome them and Tintagal will be under my and my husband’s rule.”

Our server came over, and we quieted down for a moment as we ordered our breakfast. Annalise’s eyes widened as Popī ordered the same amount of food as Carmedy. Shida didn’t even blink an eye at his daughter’s food habits and ordered himself a breakfast plate that included eggs, bacon, and some type of baked good I had never heard of before. We talked for the few passing minutes that it took for our food to be prepared. Popī and my petite feline’s food took three trays to bring out, and the two small women tucked it all in. I watched with amusement as both the teenager and my minion scarfed all of the food into their bellies. The rest of my minions ate more slowly, and once we were done, Shida asked more questions about Tintagal that I couldn’t answer.

I only knew what had been told to me by Annalise and a few others. Tintagal, like Tamarisch, was a cold climate land under the control of a man named Baudouin. Tintagal’s leader was a cruel man from what I had heard, and he hadn’t taken kindly to Annalise running away from their arranged marriage. From what Morrigan had learned from the Rusalka, he was also an abuser and a murderer.

He had to be killed.

Not only did I want to murder the man who had almost married my first wife, but I wanted to exact revenge for the spirits left in the water from his heinous acts. I didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened if my High Queen had stayed and married him. She too probably would have ended up in the water as her filmy spirit attacked passing sailors.

The day passed quickly as we explored Eifersucht with Shida and his family. It was a lovely town, and the people, no longer plagued by the Liebe’s love spells, were kind and grateful to us. My minions enjoyed the city as the civilians set up for the grand feast in my honor. Just like Kanashimi, they accepted me as their leader and were joyful to be a part of the greater land of Tamarisch. Without the control of a larger country, Machstein was susceptible to invaders from any enemy country. With Tamarisch protecting them, the island of Machstein could no longer live in fear, and the trade route that I had set up with the help of Kalon and Makar was well on its way to being set into motion.

The people of Eifersucht were excited to be able to trade their goods and receive more than just what the island provided to them. With Valasara on our side, they would be able to obtain many types of produce and products from faraway lands. My plans were working out beautifully, and once the entire earth was under my control, and the heavens were torn to pieces, the people who worshipped me and lived by my reign would be fruitful and succeed by my hand.

Those who didn’t bend to my will or turned their backs to me would be scourged and destroyed from existence. The world was mine for the taking, and as all those I blessed with my presence knew, I would be the one and only god left standing in the end.

Once all nations were under my control, I would take to the heavens and rip it down from its heels. I would seek my revenge on those who shunned and cast me down from my rightful place. The other deities had given me a name when I had fallen as they had with all others and when I rose back up, they would see me for what I was, the god of death and destruction.

Evening fell upon us like a heavy blanket, and the citizens of Eifersucht led us to the grand feast. It was a lovely evening despite the frigid temperature and the town square where they brought us was surrounded by large fires in cast iron pits. A large table with five high-back chairs was set front and center for all to see. And beyond that were twenty long tables with benches for the citizens and their families to sit. Yuri, who had taken it upon herself to set up the whole feast, was directing people to their tables. The dark-haired woman smiled widely at us as we came into view and she hurried over. Yuri was a small woman, much smaller after her pregnancy, and she wrapped each of us in a tight hug that was surprising from her short stature.

“Come this way,” Yuri urged our group forward toward the center table and gestured for all of us to sit. The little woman grabbed my gloved hand in hers and brought me over to the largest chair. “This one is for you, Master. Isn’t it beautiful? The woodworkers made it especially for you.”

It was a masterfully made chair, and when I sat down in it, I was much higher up than all of my minions. My women smiled to me as they took their seats, Annalise on my left and Morrigan on my right. It didn’t matter which of my minions sat next to me, but according to Eifersucht tradition, men with multiple wives sat between them and the women he was unmarried to sat beside the wives. This information bothered me slightly because I loved Rana and Carmedy just as much as Annalise and Morrigan. It didn’t matter to me if we were legally married, they were still my women and lovers. I went along with it for the time being, but once we returned to Machstein and the city of Eifersucht, I would do away with the tradition.

My elven woman glided into the seat beside me and moved her dark eyes over the crowd with disinterest. Nothing had changed since we married, I made love to her often as I did with my other minions, but I had noticed a change within the pale woman. Morrigan was an unemotional and cold person when we first met, but once I had made her my second wife, she had opened up to me and her sisters in a way I never thought possible. The High Elf was kinder and spoke in a softer voice, and I would often see her affectionately petting Carmedy’s sleek hair or giggling lightly to one of Rana’s jokes. There was no jealousy within my minions, the two single ones didn’t voice any complaints. If anything, they were happier for their sisters that I had married. They would all be my wives and eventually mothers in due time.

The food was delicious, and every once in a while, one of the Eifersucht townsfolk would scurry forward and bow low to me. The citizens would thank me for all I had done for them, especially freeing them from the clutches of the Liebe who had control over their minds for a long time. Because of me, the residents were able to live their lives how they wanted without a jealous deity stepping in and forcing their hands.

The only thing I wished for at this moment was that Haruhi was there to see what we had accomplished. The white-eared cat may not have lived on the island, but she visited often and would be relieved to see the people returned to normal. I found myself thinking about Haruhi more often than I realized and wanted to see her again once we were finished in Tintagal.

The feast went on for hours, and I watched with amusement as a band began to play. Carmedy was the first to jump to her feet and start dancing. The feline pulled Morrigan out after her, and at first, the elf refused but gave in shortly and joined Carmedy in her dance. After a few minutes of watching the elf and feline, Rana and Annalise rose to their feet and joined them. My companions moved and twirled before me and all of the city, and each time I lay my eyes on them, they were looking at me, dancing only for me.

I was entranced with them, the women who had captured my heart and if I could, I would lay each of them down and bed them this very moment in front of the whole town. They were stunning, each of them glorious in their own special way and all of the city watched them enrapt. My women would never belong to any other man but me, and I could see it plainly as they danced seductively in front of my eyes. For a second, it felt like I was the only one there, and I knew all of the men in the crowd felt the same way too, but they would never have them. Each of my women’s hearts beat solely to please and pleasure their Master, and no one else.

When the song ended, my minions bowed to me, and I smiled and clapped loudly along with the rest of the crowd. My women returned to me, each of them out of breath and red-faced from exertion. They looked stunning, each of them with light sheens of sweat across their foreheads, and I took them into my arms. I pressed passionate kisses to their lips, and I could feel their hearts hammer harder at my touch. They wanted me just as much as I wanted them, and I would show each of them separately or together how much I needed them in my life.

Though I enjoyed my time and the presences of my minions at the feast, I was anxious to start the journey to Tintagal. Instead of taking a passenger ship like before, this time we were being picked up by a Tamarisch warship. My minions and I had been in contact with Annalise’s brothers, Amos, and Adam, who were aboard the ship. They were headed straight for the frontlines of battle, and we would join them there to teach those Tintagal bastards who they were dealing with. I knew Annalise was ready to be reunited with her brothers even if it was only two of them.

Ansel had stayed back in Tamarisch to protect the mainland in case the Tintagal soldiers decided to invade again. Ansel was the eldest and most reliable of the Decathmor brothers and was a high-ranking general in the army already. I had liked him the best out of all the brothers, though I would never admit it aloud. He was strong-willed and level-headed just like my wife, and the more time I spent with him, the more I saw how much his personality had molded Annalise into the woman she was.

Once the feast had finished, and everything cleared away, my minions and I headed back to the Purple Conch. We fell into bed with full bellies and soon, their warmth encased me from all angles. I moved my hands over each of them and whispered sweet words into their ears as they drifted off to sleep. We would board the warship tomorrow and move on to Tintagal. We would take the land of Tintagal, then we would take Baudouin's soul, and I couldn’t wait to watch the life leave his eyes.

Chapter Two

“I wonder what types of food Tintagal has.” Carmedy smiled as she rocked back and forth on the heels of her boots. “I hope they have pies and cupcakes.”

My minions and I stood by the docks outside of Eifersucht with all our belongings in the packs on our backs. The petite feline was excited like she always was when we set off for a new adventure, but when I looked to my warrior wife, her face was solemn and firm. I could tell something was bothering her, and when she caught my eye, I lifted my eyebrows and urged her to speak what was on her mind.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to enjoy the wonders of Tintagal until we finish with Baudouin,” The High Queen told us with a severe expression, and I watched as her hands twiddled with the end of her chestnut braid. “The war between Tamarisch and Tintagal is just starting, and when we arrive, we will be stepping directly into the frontlines of battle.”

“Well,” Rana started as she led over our Bantams by the reigns, “we can kick some Tintagal ass then reward ourselves with some pie, right, pussycat?”

“I’m just worried,” my first wife murmured as she pulled out a letter she had received from her eldest brother earlier in the morning. “Ansel says that Baudouin is taking another wife. If he is the person killing women and creating the Rusalka, then we won’t have much time…”

“We must move with haste,” Morrigan uttered as she came forward, Fea and Macha firmly planted on her thin shoulders. “I would personally like to be the one who rips his wrenched soul from its confines.”

“All in due time, my loves,” I said firmly as I reached out and stroked Annalise’s braid, and some relief spread over her face. “We will deal with Baudouin, but first, we must take his country. A man without his land and soldiers is powerless, and we must take those foremost.”

“Of course, Master, you know best.” The feline smiled as she snuggled up to me, and I wrapped an armor-clad arm around her.

We watched the horizon for the ship we knew was coming, and soon, the iron giant came into view as it cut through the choppy water of the Riese. It was a massive ship, bigger than any I had ever seen. We knew that only half of the Tamarisch army was on board, the rest of them left on the mainland if the Tintagal army decided to come back and challenge them on their home front. As the warship docked, we saw two familiar faces rush down the gangplank. One of the men had short cropped hair that had grown out but not much since the last time we saw him. The two men’s faces were identical except for the hair, and I remembered the striking family resemblance between the sister and her brothers. Both of the men were smiling widely as their heavy boots slammed against the plank, and they rushed towards Annalise. The High Queen met them halfway, and she was swallowed up in a huge hug by both men.

“Anna!” Amos shouted as he swung her around, and my wife laughed loudly as she rubbed at his short hair.

“I see that your hair hasn’t grown much since I was gone or have you shaved it again?” My swordswoman laughed, and Amos let go of her with a sour expression.

“Give it a few years, and it’ll be back to the glorious length that it once was!” Amos grumbled as he crossed his arms, and Adam gave his twin a hard push on the shoulder.

“What if it never grows back?” he chuckled as he gave Annalise a rib-breaking hug which elicited a groan from her. “I’ve heard of that happening, what if you’re bald for the rest of your life? That would be a laugh.”

“I’m not going to be bald for the rest of my life!” Amos grumbled as he ran a meaty hand over his prickly shaved head. “It’s growing back! I swear it is!”

“I can make you a tonic if it doesn’t.” Carmedy smiled widely as she took in the twins as they fussed over their younger sister. “All you need is some coconut oil, aloe vera, ginseng, and onion juice. Massage into the scalp twice daily, and boom, hair back!”

“My savior!” Amos shouted as he threw himself at the small feline’s feet and mock-praised her. My alchemist giggled softly and bent down with her paw outstretched to help the man to his feet.

“Everyone ready?” Adam asked as he looked around to all of my minions. “Got all of your stuff packed and ready to go kick some Tintagal ass?”

“Ay ay, let’s show those bastards who they’re messing with!” Annalise shouted as she raised a fist into the air. Amos joined her in the chant as he hooked an arm around her waist and skipped up the gangplank.

I followed after them with the more serious twin in tow, and he regarded me with the very same brown eyes that matched my wife’s. I enjoyed all of the Decathmor’s company but, unlike Rana and Carmedy, enjoyed the more serious brother’s presence more. Adam was the second oldest child though only a few minutes older than Amos, but it seemed that those minutes gave him a myriad of knowledge that Amos didn’t possess.

As we settled in for the three-day journey it would take to reach the shores of Tintagal, Amos and Adam became more than just my brothers-in-law but also my dedicated followers just as Ansel was. I was an all-powerful god, and they had witnessed it in the small fight against the rogue Tintagal soldiers back at their encampment. I had earned their respect, and I was eager to show them what I could do on the battlefield.

The warship was huge, larger than any other we had been on and made entirely from metal. The ships we had taken before were for transporting goods or people over small expanses of water, but this warship was built specifically for armies. The men that moved about the deck were all clad in the beautifully made Tamarisch armor, either wearing the helmets shaped into a roaring bear’s head or carrying them leisurely at their sides. Annalise and I were the only two people who wore different armor, and though it made us look out of place, our armor was made more masterfully than the Tamarischian sets.

All eyes were on my beautiful minions when we first stepped onto the deck, but once I placed myself in front of them, all the men looking turned and looked away hastily. Adam’s chocolatey brown eyes stayed heavily on Rana, and I knew for sure that the feelings he had for her from before had not yet subsided. I stepped to her, snaked an arm around her, and brought the fox-woman close to my chest as I gave Adam a meaningful look. Men could lust after my women, but that was all they were allowed to do. They were mine, and no one would ever have them.

Adam turned his back to us as he quickly moved away to talk with one of his comrades and Rana smirked wickedly. The red and white tail behind her back swished with satisfaction, and the fur whispered up and tickled my neck pleasantly. My fox-woman had no interest in Adam but from her actions, I could see she enjoyed the jealousy painted on his face.

I reached up and stroked her unruly hair, and she leaned her head against my chest affectionately. Some of the soldiers were men that I had seen and met once before, and we made idle talk while we waited for the warship to pull away from the dock. A few of them had been to battle before and from scars on their faces and bodies, I could tell they fought valiantly, but some of them were fresh-faced and had never seen action yet. I wondered how they would fair out on the battlefield but knowing the trials it took to serve in the Tamarisch army, I knew they would do just fine, especially with an Underdark deity on their side. The Tamarischian men wouldn’t even have to lift their swords before I was done slaughtering the Tintagal men.

The journey across the Riese took longer than we expected and lasted for five days instead of three because a storm blew in over the water. The warship was prepared for the ice like the breaker we had taken across to Machstein, but the ice was thick and nearly impassable for two days of the journey. It was then that my minions and I noticed something strange happening in the belly of the warship.

On the morning of the fifth day when we were nearing the shores of Tintagal, a thick fog like before blew in, but instead of the Rusalka appearing out of the mist, strange sounds erupted from below our feet. I stood at the mast and watched as shapes formed themselves in the hazy surroundings. I couldn’t make them out as we moved past them, but the ship slowed itself nearly to a crawl, and I was able to make out masts and rotting sails floating in the water below. I could hear the clanking and creak of wet wood and the water lapping against the sides of multiple objects in the water. I turned towards Amos who stood beside me, but the usually lively man was deadly silent as he watched the shadows move in the mist.

“What are they?” I asked softly.

“Shipwrecks,” Amos whispered back with his eyes locked straight ahead. “This part of the water is known for being treacherous. No one knows why but the sailors go mad and tear their ships to shreds.”

“They do not go mad,” Morrigan said calmly as she appeared out of the fog. Her sudden appearance made Amos jumped as Macha cawed ominously into the hazy air. “It’s the Rusalka.”

“They’re back?” I asked as I leaned over the railing and looked down into the rough water for the pale spirit women.

“Yes, they’re here with us, but they will not attack,” Morrigan whispered as she looked over the edge for the Rusalka. “They are afraid.”

“Why are they afraid?” I asked as I tilted my head to her, and the white-haired woman’s dark eyes jabbed towards Amos.

“Why don’t you ask him?” the High Elf murmured to me. “There is something on this boat that shouldn’t be. I do not know what it is, but it is down there, wild, untamable, and seething with rage. Rana and Carmedy haven’t come out of our room all morning. They are also afraid. They keep saying strange noises are coming up from below. Annalise and I cannot hear them, but I trust my sisters when they say something is happening.”

I nodded to my elven lover and faced off with Amos. The younger twin looked at me nervously but stood his ground as I spoke, “What is on this ship? What have you brought with us?”

“Well…” Amos started as he shuffled his feet nervously, but a voice behind me answered, and I turned towards the newcomer.

“It is a new weapon,” Adam said gravely as he strode out of the fog, and I lowered my brows at him.

“Weapons don’t make noises like wild animals,” Carmedy cried as she and Rana scurried into view, arms clasped around each other. The feline’s face was hard and her emerald eyes sliced through Adam.

“What are you hiding from us, brother?” my warrior queen asked as she followed the others out of the mist and placed her fists on her hips.

“As I said before, it is a new weapon, something we have never tried before.” Adam told us, and I narrowed my eyes on his face as he went on to explain. “Something the likes of Tintagal’s army has never seen. Swords and weapons can only do so much when enemy soldiers overrun you.”

“They’re scaring our Bantams!” the petite alchemist shouted as she stomped forward. “Can’t you hear them squawking and crying down there?”

Even though Adam was my family, he was not my blood, and he was supposed to be my follower, and I would not tolerate this insolence for a moment longer. I took one menacing step forward, and his expression broke as the blood drained from his face. He had seen what I could do out on the battlefield and the many ways I could kill a man with minimal effort. Adam held up his hands, and I stopped my approach as I stared him down.

“Bánwolves,” Adam admitted, and from behind him, my first wife’s eyes widened. She grabbed her older brother by the shoulder and turned him to face her so that she could stare into his eyes.

“Adam…” the warrior queen whispered in disbelief. “You didn’t…”

“They will give an edge, Anna!” Adam forcefully assured her, but my wife gasped as she shuffled backward. “Tintagal won’t know what hit them!”

“They’re dangerous!” the swordswoman yelled at her brother, and Adam’s mouth snapped shut. “You know for yourself how dangerous they are! How are you going to control them once you release them onto the battlefield? They have never known a master or an owner! They will not obey you or your men and will destroy anything in their path, enemy or not!”

“We need everything on our side that can help us take over Tintagal, and it was the one thing that came to mind,” Adam countered. “Bánwolves are only native to Tamarisch because the Riese separates the two territories. The Tintagal men won’t know what to do when we bring them out!”

“These Bánwolves… are only native to Tamarisch?” Morrigan spoke up with raised eyebrows, and Amos nodded to her in confirmation. “What are you going to do when you release them into Tintagal? Are you going to take them back home or leave them there?”

“We hadn’t… thought about that…” Amos admitted, and the elven woman turned her attention towards Adam since he was the decision maker in this situation.

“These are animals not native to Tintagal,” the pale elf snarled, and the twins drew back from her in fear. “They are scared and far from home. They will react violently when released, which I can see now that is what you wanted, but it is clear you haven’t thought through the repercussions of your actions after. For every action, there is a reaction.”

Morrigan gestured to the High Queen. “Annalise has told us that these animals are the highest on the food chain in the wilds of Tamarisch. These animals will enter into Tintagal and will wreak havoc and destroy the already developed ecosystem. They may even hunt some species to extinction and lead to entirely unintended devastation of the country. Have you thought any of that through? No, because you were foolish enough to believe that you would be able to control these beasts then load them back up and take them home like a pack of hunting dogs.”

“We didn’t have any other choice!” Adam protested. “We needed a weapon that would destroy all of the enemy soldiers without putting our own in danger!”

With a flourish, Rana stepped out and gestured to me dramatically. “Uh, excuse me? We have a bonafide god in our presence, are you blind? Ultimate weapon? Literally standing right here, or did you forget about him?”

Silence reigned between the twins, and I watched them curiously. It seemed that the thought of me protecting their men hadn’t occurred to them. It was something I would do without question as the land of Tamarisch was mine now as the High King, and I would protect it with every fiber of my being. If they didn’t believe me, then I would prove it to them just as I had before at the Tamarisch encampment.

“All animals can learn to be controlled,” I said firmly as I stood tall in front of the twins, and they gazed upon me with wonder. “As long as they have a willful master to handle them. I will control your beasts, and they will heel at my command.”

“How are you so sure…?” Adam started, but Amos stepped hard on his twin’s boot to shut him up.

“When we're finished with the Tintagal army, and the war won, you will take the Bánwolves back to Tamarisch and release them where they belong,” I instructed them, and the two men nodded curtly. “Also, please move our Bantams to a different level of the ship. It is unnecessary to place them in the same area and frighten the birds.”

“Master…” my first wife started cautiously as she reached out for me. “What will happen if they get loose on the ship? They are wild and will ravage us all!”

“That won’t happen,” I assured her gently as I stroked the braid on her shoulder. “I will make sure that the Bánwolves only harm the Tintagal soldiers and no one else.”

The fog lifted soon after, and the shores of Tintagal came into view. It was nothing like the beaches of Tamarisch we had left behind which had been smooth sand that led to the Riese’s water. Instead, Tintagal had vast highlands of blowing green grass above the cliff faces that dropped down into deep, dark water below. It was much colder here, and large pieces of ice bobbed around our warship as we sailed around the shore.

All my minions gathered around me as we listened to the crashing waves and took in the sights. Tintagal was much different from Tamarisch. Annalise’s motherland had been snow-covered and broken apart by massive mountains, but it seemed that Tintagal was more flatland. There was some snow here and there on the billowing grass but very little compared to where the High Queen was from. Still, Tintagal was a land that would soon be mine, and I looked upon it lovingly.

The warship moved slowly around the shores, and we could see nothing for miles across the flat landscape but we came around a sharp bend, and the cliffs fell to the rocky shore to reveal a large encampment emblazoned with the heraldry of Tamarisch bears. Soldiers waited by the shore and waved madly when we came into sight. They had been waiting for us, and from the sight of some of them, it looked like they had taken a bad beating against the enemy soldiers. Some of the men were wrapped in bloody bandages while others tottered around on crude crutches, but the smiles on their faces showed their relief to see reinforcements.

The warship dropped anchor, and we slowed to a stop in the frothing nearly black water. We were close to shore but not close enough to lower the gangplank, and Amos gestured us down into the belly of the ship. Once inside the metal hull, heavy doors on the side of the ship were opened, and I watched as the soldiers on the shore brought out something like a large ferry. The uninjured men jumped on it and quickly paddled it over through the choppy, frigid water.

“Princess Annalise, wonderful to see you again,” one of them called to our group as they secured themselves to the much larger ship and our party stepped onto the ferry.

“That’s the High Queen to you, Duncan,” my wife snarked back through a broad smile, and she brought the young man into a tight embrace.

“Ay, just tryin’ to slip one past ya, guess I can’t do that anymore since you’re all high and mighty now.” The young man named Duncan grinned back, and the swordswoman slapped him on the shoulder good-naturedly as if he was another brother.

“Never will be too high and mighty to teach you scallywags a lesson or two,” Annalise shot back, and the young man nodded as he chortled. He waved us on, and my minions stepped over the small crack separating the rolling water and the ferry. Once on, my women came around me and held tightly to my arms.

“Everyone on?” Duncan called to us, and we signaled to him that we were ready to go. “Hold on tight. The tide gets a little crazy the closer we get to shore.”

Amos unfastened the ropes holding our ferry onto the much larger ship, and Duncan pulled away with the help of three other rowers. The young man was correct when he said it was a bumpy ride to shore, and by the time we reached it, all of my women clung to me for dear life. We hopped off the ferry onto the smooth pebbles of the beach, and Duncan turned for a second and gave my swordswoman a curt wave before they pushed off once more to bring back more soldiers and the supplies on board the warship.

My minions scurried off towards the encampment, and Carmedy, in particular, was off to the medical tent to help out with anything they needed. I stayed on the rocks to watch the soldiers pile off the ship, and once they were off, they brought out the food supplies and weapons. The soldiers moved in tandem with smooth, quick motions as they piled on boxes and trunks.

I watched them bring forward our Bantams, and the mighty birds blinked hazily in the light and squawked loudly as they were pushed and prodded onto the ferry. Within a few moments, they were brought onto dry land and taken away to where the soldiers kept their warhorses. The birds seemed happier on dry land and moved about more easily as one of the Tamarisch soldiers pulled them along by their reigns.

Then I heard it, a deep undulating growl that resembled the roll of thunder, and I turned my head back towards the ship. These beasts were the real reason I had stayed out here and not gone to the camp. I had never seen a Bánwolf, only heard stories from Annalise and her brothers, and I quickly realized what they had said was true. The furry creatures couldn’t be accurately described as dogs. Instead, they were hulking beasts covered in gray and white fur. These animals were colossal, and when they bared their teeth at the men moving their cages, their yellowing teeth were as long and thick as Rana’s eleven daggers. If I were a mere man and not a god, I might have scurried away in fear.

As I watched, it took five men in total to move one of the cages onto the ferry and all the while, the Bánwolf inside as snapping and biting at any exposed limbs. Their yellow eyes held intelligence and sharpness that I had never seen in an animal before, and the sight made me smile. These were no average dogs, these were killing machines with an almost human intellect to them. The Tamarisch soldiers brought the Bánwolves to shore one by one, four of them in total when an earsplitting screaming sounded from inside the open door of the ship. All heads on shore whipped and started into the darkness inside the warship as the ferry returned once more. A fifth cage was wheeled out, this time the men pushing it out used long poles instead of their arms.

The beast inside was four times larger than the other Bánwolves, and this had to be the alpha of the four females waiting on the shore. The wolf’s struggling reached a fever pitch as the ferry landed once more on the shore. The giant black beast slammed against the metal bars, and they crumbled under his weight like thin parchment. Duncan yelled out a single warning as the massive jaws wrapped around the metal bars and snapped them with a shrieking snap. The Bánwolf’s jaws continued to move as it tore open a hole in the cage, and the Tamarischian soldiers began to panic. Duncan, already fearing for his life, dove off the ferry backward and swam towards the warship farther back in the water.

I had been told that the Bánwolves were strong and willful but they were more powerful than I had imagined.

The alpha Bánwolf leaped from the cage, and its massive paws slammed down on the rocky shore as soldiers rushed to collect their weapons. Pandemonium broke out through the camp as soldiers screamed. As the Bánwolf stalked forward, I remained completely calm as I watched. Adam has questioned my ability and power, but he and the others were about to learn the true extent of both as I stepped out into the path of the approaching rabid beast. The truth was that Tamarisch soldiers were about to learn a very important lesson.

I wasn’t just a god, I was the Master of all living things.

Chapter Three

The silted eyes that gazed out from the sea of black fur weren’t yellow or icy blue like the others but were instead almost a fiery orange. Our eyes, mine and the alpha wolf’s, connected for a moment, and the magnificent animal roared.

The Tamarisch soldiers ran about the rocky shores in fear as the huge black beast stalked forward toward the cages that held his females. I knew it would be a bad decision as a leader and the High King to allow the Bánwolf to harm any of the soldiers, but I still wanted to see the beast in action.

Unlike other wolves I had seen in my lifetime with fur matted and filled with burs, the Bánwolves’ coats were sleek and glossy with health. Each time the alpha took a step, it seemed as if the ground rumbled beneath its massive paws. The Bánwolf’s black lips were pulled back against the gums and exposed its huge teeth as it snarled at the soldiers still standing their ground around the caged females. I could hear the females yipping and barking to their alpha, urging him closer, and it vaguely reminded me of the way I was with my minions.

One of the Tamarisch soldiers stabbed into the cages with a halberd and hit one of the brindle females. The much smaller she-wolf howled loudly in pain, and the alpha paused for a moment. Inside the swirling orbs of orange that were the eyes of the beast, there was more than animalistic rage. There was an almost human intelligence as the animal processed what was happening and figured out his next course of action. The black alpha pounded forward, and its movements were breathtakingly elegant and beautiful for such a hulking beast. It was quicker than expected, and within seconds, the alpha had reached the unsuspecting soldier and beared down on him.

The Bánwolf struck out with one massive paw and knocked the soldier away from the cage. The black dog looked into the cage for a moment as he took inventory of his females, and the injured one made a low growl in her throat as her icy blue eyes moved from her alpha-male to the fallen soldier. I tilted my head and a small smile spread over my lips; they were more intelligent than I had first thought. This was a request to kill from one of his she-wolves, and the alpha was going to oblige her as he turned towards the Tamarisch soldier attempting to scuttle away.

Satisfied with my observations, I jumped from the rock. This was my time to step in and take control of this powerful animal. I had promised Annalise that I would protect not only the land of Tamarisch but its people, and that was what I was going to do. I strode forward as I pulled the God Slayer from my void pocket and placed myself in the path of the alpha. His orange eyes focused on me with precision, and I could physically feel him calculating his next move.

The alpha Bánwolf was a head taller than me, and though he was an impressive beast, he would be no match to me and my power. I would make this animal bend to my will as I did with all things, and he would submit to me without question. With both hands, I held the God Slayer out in front of me, then brought it down on the rocky shore with a mighty crack. The blades hidden inside the polearm sprang to life and glinted hatefully in the light.

The Bánwolf looked from the weapon to me and then growled deeply in the back of its throat. If I weren’t a god, the sound would have sent chills down my back, but instead, the sound excited me considerably. I could feel the Bánwolf’s dark heart as it pumped evenly without fear, and the rush of his blood through his veins calmed me. This was a beast that had never known fear, an animal that laid waste to all things around him without even a sliver of apprehension that he would be bested, but today, this great animal would learn that I was the master of all living creatures.

The Bánwolf lunged forward with his jaws opened wide, but I was ready and sidestepped him with the God Slayer held high above my head. Though he was agile, his massive body took too long to turn, and I stabbed out with the blades of the polearm. The God Slayer sliced through his thick fur and into the meat of his back with a sickening squelch. The Bánwolf leaped away with the polearm still stuck into his flesh and snarled loudly.

I showed him no fear as I stared intensely into his eyes, and he did the very same as he glared back. His paws were ten times the size of an average man’s foot, and he swiped at the ground as he tried to free the weapon still stuck in his back. The alpha charged at me as scarlet blood soaked his side, and I met the beast head on. Right as our bodies were about to slam together, I exhaled through my nose and pushed out all the air in my lungs. Black and neon yellow power encased my body and rippled around me like a protective shield. The charging beast hit the forcefield with an earsplitting crack and tumbled backward, but I wasn’t finished with him yet.

The alpha rose up from the ground, a growl in its throat and the God Slayer still firmly planted in his flank, but despite his wounds, he was holding firm just as I had assumed he would. I smiled widely as I felt my power surge forward at the ready, and the great animal tilted its head at me as it pulled back its lips and snarled. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as if he was mocking me, mimicking the wicked smile plastered across my lips.

We pushed off together into another clash, and as I neared, his maw opened into a massive black hole with only the shadow of his uvula dangling in the back of his throat. The Bánwolf lowered himself to the ground, his chin nearly brushing the wet stones at our feet and saliva dripping from his pointed teeth. He thought he had me, thought he was about to win, but he was very wrong.

In a blink of an eye, I whirled away and brushed my hand against his flank. The fur on his side exploded into flames and gray smoke as I let my power graze against him, and the shriek that exploded from his mouth only urged me on more. The alpha turned and skidded to a stop, and I took in my handiwork.

Along his side was a strip of bare and bubbling flesh from where I had touched him with my dark power. Blood and puss from the burnt flesh oozed down his side and soaked through his thick fur, but if he was in pain, the demon-dog didn’t let it show. From behind us, I could hear his she-wolves barking and howling, and as I watched, he planted his feet and readied another attack.

Though he was a worthy adversary, I didn’t want him dead. In fact, quite the contrary for if he were killed, he would be no use to me. The Bánwolf was a magnificent animal, and the more I took him in, the more I wanted him to bend to my will. He wouldn’t be my pet, no. Instead, he would be a weapon or my familiar in a sense, the animalistic embodiment of my essence. The Bánwolf and his females would be a great use to me when I took over Tintagal, and all I had to do now was break him and his iron will.

The Tamarisch soldiers still standing on the beach were frozen stock still and watched in awe as the great animal broke for me again. This time, I would show them my true power. I would avoid his attacks no more and face him head-on as an equal. His strong legs and paws beat at the shore as he advanced on me for the third time, and right as his jaws were about to snap around my avatar’s head, I dropped to the ground and brought my arms up against his broad chest.

I lifted the beast with both arms then, for a second, with only one hand as I adjusted my grip to grab him by the back legs with my free hand, and flipped him over my body. The Bánwolf whined and tumbled through the air but landed on all four legs and swiveled around to attack again. His heart was pounding now, and it was like the beat of battle drums in my head. He no longer took calculated snaps at me like before. Now, he was feverish in his rage as he took any opportunity to injure me. I was too quick for him as I dodged his huge paws and the teeth that came from all directions. As he turned for another pass, I grabbed him by the muzzle as his hot, rancid breath hit my face in blasts.

My dark power snapped angrily inside of me to be released. As I didn’t want to kill this magnificent beast, I let him go before my power surged, then placed my gloved left hand over the right and slammed down directly into his chest. He wasn’t thrown backward like last time, but there was more damage to his body as he stumbled forward. He now favored his left paw over the right in pain.

The alpha lifted his head and glared down at me with those almost human orange eyes. He was hate-filled and enraged. He had never met a foe that he couldn’t kill easily, and I could see that it was driving him insane. The male’s chest was heaving, he was bleeding badly, but he still wouldn’t back down, a prideful animal to the very end.

I was the one who came to him this time, and there was surprise within his eyes. No other foe had come for him head-on, and it confused him as my heavy boots pounded across the shore. A mighty scream roared up my throat, and the wolf shrunk back slightly, then came for me.

This was where I would end this and force him to bend at the knee to me and my power.

The alpha swiped at me, but I ducked under the paw and felt the air above my head part from the force of his power. I skidded through the rocks then dropped as I slid underneath his hulking body. Under the mass of his huge frame, I took in his natural musky scent, and when I came out on the other side, I was rewarded with the refreshing scent of clean air. The Bánwolf swung his head as he searched for me, and I chuckled in the back of my throat as he lost his sense of direction. He was intelligent, but when we were compared, he fell short to me.

I grabbed onto the God Slayer buried deep in his back and used it as leverage as I threw all of my weight into a forward motion. As I slammed my feet down onto the rock-strewn beach, I used my momentum to launch myself up onto the Bánwolf’s back, and despite his intelligence, the beast swung his head around looking for me. Once I was in a comfortable position on top of the massive beast, I held my gloved hand out and over the huge swinging head. The rolling, hateful orange eyes of the Bánwolf searched for his adversary as I pooled all of my dark energy into one hand.

Then, just as suddenly as I had mounted him, the colossal dog rocked forward and attempted to throw me off like a bucking bronco. I gripped his thick fur and held on tightly with my free hand as the huge head came back and snapped at me with knife-like teeth. I was too far back for him to reach, but his canines came within inches of grazing my thighs, and I could feel his tensed muscles move and coil underneath me.

He was strong, but I was stronger.

I closed my hand into a fist and slammed it down on the crown of his head. The impact of my fist against his head was hard enough to shatter human bones but did nothing to my avatar, and as I struck the wolf, I released my power. This was something I hadn’t done in a long time, and despite the passage of time, the magic that flowed between us was overpowering enough to make me sway slightly.

Instead of hitting him with a physical blow, I blasted myself into the mind of the wolf with my dark powers. The Bánwolf wasn’t knocked unconscious from the blow, but instead, our collective consciousness came together as one. I could look into his mind just as he could see into mine, and I saw everything through his eyes. In another life, his existence would have been interchangeable with mine, He was a mighty predator in the animal kingdom, and I was a predator in the human world.

I pushed myself into him, felt his muscles and body make room for my enormous existence as I made him mine. He, like my minions and the God Slayer, would be an extension of myself. I loved my minions, but they were still my tools to use, just as the Bánwolf and his she-wolves would be.

As I took over his mind and engrained my essence deeply into his cells, scenes from his life flashed before my eyes. He was a vicious and blood-thirsty beast that tore the entrails out of much smaller animals with a single rip of his massive jaw. I watched as he and his pack ravaged and conquered the mountains of Tamarisch, and my heart beat in time with his. I also saw the love and care he took while dealing with his females, and I was reminded again of how I was with my women. His movements below me slowed then came to a stop as I spoke to him, not aloud but through our shared connection. My whispered words echoed through his mind, and though he didn’t reply, I knew he understood from the way his body reacted underneath mine.

“I am your Master now, kneel to me,” I commanded as I gripped on to his body and seized more of his mind in the clutches of my power.

The Bánwolf reared up beneath me and snapped his head back in an attempt to knock me off, but I held on with a vise grip. His body was tense as he rocked side to side, and I ripped through his mind in retaliation. The whine that sounded up from his throat made the she-wolves to our back whine in fear and pain as they watched their alpha struggle in vain. He was a headstrong beast, but I would soon break him of that.

“Submit to me,” I growled, then repeated those words until it was like a never-ending chant in his head.

The alpha shook his head as if to ward off the sounds of my voice, but I persisted as I moved my essence through the entirety of his whole being. I was consuming him, molding and forming him into the obedient living weapon I wanted him to be. The alpha trembled beneath me, and I knew he would break soon, but he was stubborn and determined not to let me in.

“Submit,” I roared as I took up all the mental space within him and forced his subconsciousness into a corner where it couldn’t escape, “or I will make you watch while I kill your women.”

The alpha hesitated for a moment, and I knew I was finally getting to him. The male alpha may have been strong on his own, but he was nothing without his she-wolves. If I were to let him go without them, he would waste away in the unfamiliar wilderness. I glanced back at the caged she-wolves, and all of their ears were held long against their massive heads as they watched their leader struggle. The alpha moved his head and leveled his orange eyes at his females who cowered fearfully in the cages.

“Do as I say, and I won’t harm a hair on their heads,” I told him a softer voice, and beneath my body, the form of the Bánwolf began to tremble and shake, not only from the wounds I had inflicted but also from imagining a world where his females were dead, and he was the only one spared.

The alpha’s body lurched forward as he took a step, then another one. The beast’s head hung low as he accepted that I was now his master and leader through everything. No harm would befall him or his females, like my minions and all others who came under my wing. I would protect them with all of my being. I held the fur at the base of his neck and urged him forward toward the cages and his waiting females. I could feel him speaking to them though I couldn’t understand his words. The she-wolves’ ears perked up, and they looked at me cautiously with icy blue eyes. As Annalise and Ansel had told me, the females were significantly smaller than the alpha though they were still ten times larger than the average wolf.

I reached down and wrenched the God Slayer free from my beast’s flank, and he whined in response then wavered on his feet slightly. Lucky enough for him, my minions returned and stopped short as soon as they saw me on the back of the Bánwolf. Carmedy’s paws came up to her mouth in horror, but Rana cocked her hip and raised an eyebrow at me. Annalise reached for Bloodscale but saw that I was in control and her hand dropped to her side limply. Morrigan, unsurprisingly, was the first to come forward in the presence of such a beautiful creature.

The Bánwolf I rode snorted and sniffed the air as she neared but stayed calm as she stood in front of him. My other three minions followed after more cautiously through the redhead kept the smirk on her lips as she moved closer.

“Couldn’t resist showing off, could ya?” the fox snarked.

I shook my head as I laughed. “It’s not showing off, my dear.” She tilted her head at me as she gestured wildly between me and the giant brute I was on top of. “It’s just--”

“Showing off?” Rana quipped as she rolled her eyes, but I brushed it off lightly as she took a tentative step closer to the dog.

“What are you going to name him?” Carmedy asked as she rocked back on her heels to take in the whole mass of the Bánwolf.

“Name him?” I inquisitively asked, and the black-haired alchemist nodded vehemently as she reached out a tentative paw and stroked the beast’s fur. “Does he have to have a name?”

“Of course, everyone has to have a name.” The feline nodded as she moved over to his injured side. The alchemist was silent as she took in the damage, and without a word, her paws went to the bundles at her waist. “You can’t just call him dog or Bánwolf. He has to have something to respond to.”

Carmedy began mixing up a potion right there on the spot, and the Bánwolf turned his huge head to watch her nervously. I slid off his back, and the beast regarded me with tired, drained eyes. He had fought valiantly, but in the end, as always, I came out the victor. He was a gorgeous animal and would serve me well on the battlefield. He hadn’t been able to put a scratch on me, but I was eager to see the enormous beast tear the ranks of the Tintagal army to shreds before my eyes. Adam was right when he said we would have an edge against the enemies. We already had an advantage with my powers on our side, but this was something the Tintagal bastards had never seen before.

“When I resided in the god’s realm, I had a companion, or what you mortals would call a pet,” I told my minions as they gathered around Carmedy and me “He was loyal and stayed by my side always, he was ready to do my bidding. He could take many shapes and forms as he or I pleased.”

As we talked, Carmedy slathered the Bánwolf’s side in a sticky green liquid that would heal the wounds I had inflicted upon him.

“What happened to him?” Annalise asked from my shoulder as her dark brown eyes moved over the great wolf in front of us.

“He was mercilessly killed when I was cast out. All of my unearthly minions were,” I said sadly as I reached out and stroked the muzzle of my new familiar. “They reside in the underworld unable to return to the heavens or earth.”

“That’s awful,” Rana breathed as she assisted Carmedy in slathering the dog’s side in the green liquid. “The Heavenly realm is starting to sound more like Hell every time you tell us about it.”

“The heavens are just as corrupt as the earth, and we will take them soon enough,” I growled, and the Bánwolf whined at the tone of my voice. Each of the females locked away in the cage came closer and placed their faces through the bars to lick at their leader in an attempt to comfort him.

“What were you saying about your familiar?” Morrigan asked as she stepped out in front of me. As she stroked the beast’s ear, he keenly tilted his huge head to her.

“His name was Marbas,” I told them softly. “In ancient texts, he was described as the great president of hell and governed thirty-six legions of demons, but the being I knew was much different from just that. He had many powers and would lend them to me in times of need. I would say he was the closest thing to a friend that I ever had in the heavens.”

The Bánwolf’s eyes and mine connected for a moment, and we stared into the depths of each other’s souls. “His name shall be Marbas, and we will avenge the death of my minion he is named for.”

“Marbas, I like it.” Carmedy smiled brightly as she wiped her hands on a spare swatch of fabric. Once clean, she placed her fists on her hips and she nodded approvingly. “Oh, I was going to call him Mashed Potatoes With Gravy, but I suppose your name is really good too.”

“It matters not if you like it,” Morrigan uttered in her usual cold tone, and the dark-haired cat leaned around the massive beast to look with surprise at her sister. “It only matters if he likes the name.”

My minions and I stared at the Bánwolf for a moment when I stepped closer and spoke directly to him in a firm, commanding voice, “Beast, do you accept the name Marbas and agree to bring honor to the name?”

The alpha male looked down at me, and I could see the glimmer of thought in his eyes. I was again astounded by the creature’s intelligence and ability to understand our language. I hoped that someday we would be able to understand and speak to each other on another level than me speaking and the beast listening.

The alpha Bánwolf whined once then lowered his head in my commanding presence. He already knew I was his master and soon, I would lead him and his females out onto the battlefield to destroy the Tintagal bastards that threatened us. The Bánwolf, like my armor and the God Slayer, would be an extension of myself, and I would work through him and use him to my will. He had accepted that he was no longer the alpha of the pack, I was. All my minions smiled at Marbas as he rose to his full height and towered over all of us. I could almost imagine the proud and mighty beast out in the wild.

“There are four females, does that mean that we can ride them too?” Rana asked as she stalked over to the caged she-wolves. The smaller wolves drew back from her and huddled together in the corner farthest from my redheaded minion.

“I’ll keep my Bantam, thank you very much,” the petite alchemist squeaked as she eyed the other wolves cautiously. “Dogs and cats don’t mix. I’ll stick with Kura.”

“I believe that they will allow us since Marbas is under my control,” I told them as I waved for one of the soldiers to unlock the cage. The soldier gave me a wary look but dared not to disobey me as he scuttled forward and unlocked the chains holding the metal bars closed.

I reached for my minions and drew them back a few steps. “Let’s let them reunite first then we will see if they will allow us to mount them.”

The doors of the cage clanked open, and the females stayed huddled together for a few passing seconds as they examined the open door. The she-wolves glanced back at my minions and me, then Marbas as if asking for permission. It was deadly silent as we waited, but Marbas gestured with his persimmon colored eyes towards the open cage.

The first she-wolf to move was the largest out of all four, and it seemed as if she was the leader of the females. Her coat was mainly white but gray and crème speckled her regal face as one of her huge paws stepped from the metal cage onto the pebbly shore. The she-wolf looked back at her sisters then turned back to the open beach where we stood. The female stepped out with her ears laid back against her head cautiously, then once she saw that Marbas was free to move about, she darted over to his side and nuzzled his meaty neck.

I didn’t have to guess who would choose this wolf to be her champion and was unsurprised as Annalise tiptoed closer to the white she-wolf. The wolf’s icy blue eyes landed on Annalise and stared her down. It seemed as if the she-wolf was about to growl and snap at the High Queen, but Marbas made a curt sound through his nose. The alpha huffed and snorted, and the white female’s eyes lifted to attention as they communicated to each other silently. I watched intently as Marbas ruffled his female's fur affectionately then urged her forward with a soft push of his snout.

Annalise held out her hand, and the she-wolf scrutinized it with suspicion but still took a step toward my first wife. Then the female sniffed at Annalise’s hand, but the bright blue eyes stayed on the High Queen’s face. My swordswoman turned her hand and brushed at the soft fur at of the she-wolf’s muzzle. To my surprise, the white wolf allowed Annalise to pet her softly and even leaned into the hand warmly. My wife smiled at the huge wolf as she moved her hand once more and scratched behind the she-wolf’s ear.

“What will you call her?” I asked in a whisper. Annalise didn’t turn around to look at me, only kept her eyes on the massive dog in front of her.

“Nymsyss,” my wife murmured as she stroked the fur between the she-wolf’s eyes. “She was a woman who challenged one of my ancestors for the throne and nearly won. This was long ago, but her name has been passed down through tales.”

My warrior queen and I were broken away from our quiet conversation by the sound of Rana yelling loudly. I reached for the God Slayer as I assumed the worst and I prepared to kill one of the beasts. As I expected, the fox-woman was pinned down by one of the she-wolves, but instead of being bitten and torn to shreds, the wolf was lapping happily at the redhead’s face and cheeks. The wolf’s tail was whipping through the air so rapidly that it made a swishing sound as she continued to lick at Rana.

“Get off! Your breath stinks!” the redhead shrieked, but the she-wolf only yipped happily and ran a huge tongue over Rana’s unruly locks. “Ew! Why’d you have to go and do that for? Now my hair’s all wet! If I catch pneumonia because of you, I’m using your pelt as a coat!”

None of her words deterred the she-wolf. Annalise and Carmedy laughed loudly at Rana’s predicament while Morrigan lifted a pale hand and giggled behind it. I was about to move to pull the wolf off, but the huge dog rolled over and exposed its pink belly to the fox as its dark tail beat at the ground excitedly.

“You think… you think I’m going to rub your belly? You tried to suffocate me with that big tongue of yours! You think you deserve scratches after what you just did to me?” The redhead shouted in exasperation as she stared down at the playful wolf. Then just as suddenly, Rana’s expression broke, and she dove at the wolf. “You bet your furry ass you deserve some belly scratchies. Come here, you big lug.”

My three minions and I roared with laughter as the fox-woman and the colossal she-wolf tumbled around on the shore lightheartedly. Rana assaulted the wolf’s belly with her paws, and the she-wolf panted and yipped happily as she wriggled back and forth on the loose stones of the beach.

Annalise cupped her hands around her mouth to call out to Rana. “What’s her name?”

“I’m thinking Frei,” the fox said thoughtfully then the she-wolf leaped to her feet and pawed at Rana. The redhead laughed then spoke to the wolf in a high-pitched, excitable voice. “How does Frei sound, girl? Do you like it?”

The she-wolf howled deafeningly and bounded at the fox-woman, but the redhead dodged and ran down the beach, laughing as the dog gave chase. The third wolf had come out and stuck closely to Marbas’s side. I moved my eyes over her as the smallest she-wolf cowered next to Marbas. I reached out and brought Carmedy to my side and the petite feline didn’t protest as she looked up into my face. I smiled gently to her as I brought her closer to both Marbas and the frightened female.

“I know you don’t want to ride one of them,” I stated as I lifted my eyes from Carmedy’s and rested them against the she-wolf. “But you could still name one if you want.”

“Really?” Carmedy giggled as she rocked back and forth on her heels and leveled her emerald eyes on the single she-wolf next to Marbas. The cat looked thoughtful for a moment as she stroked her chin and took in the beautiful light and dark browns of the female wolf’s coat. “I think I got it!”

“And what name is that?” I purred into her ear as the rest of my minion’s gathered around.

“Tatin!” the petite alchemist cried loudly as she lifted her arms into the air.

“That’s a really pretty name, Carmedy,” Annalise said over the feline’s shoulder as she smiled. “I’m surprised you didn’t name her after food this time.”

“I did!” the feline giggled and the swordswoman blinked down at her in confusion for a moment before she gave in and laughed. “She’s named after Apple Tarte Tatin! One of my favorite deserts... or breakfast... or eat it whenever.”

“You are so silly,” Annalise laughed. “I love you.”

“Aww, thank you!” the cat giggled.

My eyes moved to Morrigan as she stepped close to the cage and the fourth she-wolf cowering inside. I moved to warn her, but the wolf inside showed no signs of aggression, only fear. Unlike the other three, this she-wolf’s eyes were yellow though not as bright as Marbas’s. The lone wolf lowered herself even closer to the ground as Morrigan floated closer, and I listened as the pale-woman as she spoke softly in her elven language to the beast.

At first, the she-wolf observed Morrigan with her ears laid back, but as the white-haired woman inched closer, the ears perked up with interest. My second wife had a way with animals that none of my other minions had, and even in the presence of the threatening looking wolf, Fea and Macha were totally silent.

The elf sat down on the metal flooring of the cage by the door, and I observed intently as her colorless lips moved silently, but whatever she was saying was heard by the she-wolf. The dog’s light daffodil colored eyes stayed intently on Morrigan’s face, and slowly, the she-wolf crawled closer on her belly. Though I knew very little about the power that the High Elves possessed, I could see it working right here before my eyes as my wife raised her delicate hand into the air and the she-wolf pressed her wet nose into the palm.

This was something I hadn’t seen in a very long time and had only witnessed a few times before. This was a soul bond between two creatures, much like the bond Morrigan shared with Fea and Macha. The ravens were Morrigan’s familiars, creatures that were able to lend the elf their powers, they were not her pets. If anything, she was their pet after they had taken care of her for so long.

This same bond was now being forged between Morrigan and the last of the she-wolves. Their souls were becoming so tightly bound to one another that they would become one, and a piece of each soul is torn off and kept within the other being’s body. This was much different from a mere friendship with another person or animal. This was creating a tie between both minds and their collective consciousness.

Morrigan and her she-wolf would have a constant awareness of each other without effort from this moment forward, and I had suspected she had done the same with her lizard back in Valasara. She would be able to communicate freely with the wolf and also be able to tell if the animal was in harm or injured no matter the distance between them.

I grabbed the metal bars of the cage with my gloved hands and peered in at them as the she-wolf rested her massive head in Morrigan’s lap. The elven woman soothed the wolf in soft tones and slowly, the yellow eyes calmly closed. I watched the pair for a while, unnoticed as they strengthened their bonds between them. I pondered to myself in these passing moments and decided it would be best that, sometime in the near future, I should create soul bonds with all of my minions. It was well within my power and would be helpful if there were ever a time we were separated, such as it was during our time in the Liebe’s dungeon.

Yes, I would create soul bonds with all of them and strengthen the ties we already shared.

“What will you name her?” I whispered through the bars, and the pale elf raised her head to me but didn’t smile as she spoke.

“Deleo,” she answered in her usually cold voice. I nodded at her choice but she lifted her head to me once more, and her dark eyes were hard and narrowed. “In the elven language, it means ‘to destroy.’ She will help destroy this land and the man who taints it.”

Chapter Four

I awoke to the blaring of horns the next morning, and I threw myself forward out of bed. Three of my minions snuggled around the space where I was laying, but Annalise was missing. I quickly donned my underclothes and armor before I moved to exit the tent. I paused at the flap to turn back and looked lovingly at the slumbering women.

One of Carmedy’s black ears twitched twice in her sleep then fell flat against her head as she dreamed peacefully. Morrigan and Rana were cuddled together with one of the elven woman’s arms wrapped tightly around the redhead. If I were to mention it to my second wife when she woke, she would deny it, but even in her sleep, she still cared for her sisters in her own way.

As I stepped out of our shared tent, the morning air blew cold and brisk against my face. I could smell the scent of burning wood and cooking breakfast on the wind, but when I passed a smoldering fire with a boiling kettle resting on the metal grate, I noticed it was left unattended. Smoke billowed around me from multiple fires in the encampment, but there were no Tamarisch soldiers in sight. Burnt food was left in a cast-iron skillet on the grate, and I turned my head to listen to a faraway sound that only I could hear. I knew something was up, but when I listened carefully, the heart beats that surrounded me had almost doubled.

Panic didn’t beat in my heart. Instead, I was filled with excitement. the Tintagal soldiers were almost upon us, and soon, they would meet their demise.

I focused my senses and sought out the steady beat of Annalise’s heart in the encampment and followed after it until I came upon the largest tent in camp by far. Unlike the other shelters which were starched white, this one was striped in brilliant golds and blues, the house colors of Decathmor. The flags fastened to the tent poles above were the same vivid colors and whipped in the wind loud enough for me to hear. Inside, I sensed Annalise and two of her brothers along with numerous other men.

As I lifted the flap and stepped inside, all the assembled soldiers of Tamarisch turned to stare at me with wide eyes. My High Queen was the first to smile at me, and I bowed my head to her. The swordswoman and her brothers crowded around a large table laden with maps, and on top of the largest one were small metal soldiers positioned in different spaces.

“Good morning, my love, I hope you slept well.” Annalise smiled as she gestured me over, and I took my rightful place beside her.

“I did,” I replied as I moved my eyes over the detailed map then met Adam’s eyes across the table. “The Tintagal army is almost here.”

“Yes…” Adam nodded as he looked at me with confusion in his dark brown eyes. “But may I ask how you know this information?”

“Their corrupt heartbeats, they are loud in my ears,” I informed him firmly. I could tell that answer confused him even more, but he brushed it off with the acceptance that I had powers that he couldn’t and never would understand. “How long will it take for them to reach us?”

“By midafternoon,” Amos told me as he rubbed at his short hair with the palm of his hand. “They're making good time. It seems they heard of our arrival the moment our soldiers set foot on shore and set up the camp four days ago.”

“They must have left Baudouin’s castle here,” Adam pointed out a landmark that was labeled with a red scroll that read Jemmets Landing. Adam’s finger then moved down the map as he spoke clearly to all those listening. “They must have taken a shortcut through the mountains to get here so soon. If they had taken the normal roads or even the shoreline, it would have taken them at least a week.”

“If they passed through Sangiam, they could have made that time,” Amos muttered as he pointed to another red scroll at the base of the mountains the Tintagal soldiers had to have traveled through. “If that’s true, there must be casualties to their ranks. I would guess one hundred men at the most.”

“Sangiam?” I questioned as I stared down at the map inquisitively. “Why would there be casualties there?”

The Decathmor brothers glanced at each other, then both of their gazes landed on mine. I could tell from the anxious beat of their hearts that they weren’t expecting this kind of question or they assumed I already knew about the land of Sangiam. Their faces were pale, and from the tense movement of their bodies, I could tell it was a topic they didn’t want to talk about. Instead, Annalise was the one who spoke as she placed a tender hand on my forearm.

“Sangiam is a cursed land, people go missing there and are never found again,” the High Queen told me, and my brows furrowed as I stared at her. “Citizens and travelers alike, it’s been going on for centuries, long enough for the word to spread throughout Tintagal and other countries. People avoid going there at all costs.”

“You say this has been going on for centuries?” I questioned as I looked into each set of eyes in the room. Each and every person bowed their head to me.

“Yes, there is no logical reason,” Adam confirmed as he tapped the map with his pointer finger. “The people just simply… disappear into thin air.”

“Very strange…” I muttered to myself as I reached out and stroked the hand-painted ribbon that bore the city’s name.

I knew people vanished of their own free will sometimes, packed up their things and moved away without notice, and I also knew there were other instances where they met their end through foul play. This, however, seemed like something completely different from either of those situations. There was most certainly a sinister force at hand.

“Is there anything strange about the city itself?” I asked as I cupped my chin and looked thoughtfully down at the map and the area around the city.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Amos muttered as he ran his dark eyes over the map. “There’s a small river that cuts through the city and branches off into the Riese. Sangiam is at the base of the mountains that separate half of the continent in two. Originally, Sangiam was the capital of Tintagal, but it fell to ruin shortly after the leaders established the fortress we now call Tintagal in the northeast. I believe the old palace remains there, but it's fallen to ruin over the years.”

As he spoke, the tent flap behind me opened once more, and the rest of my minions joined us in the meeting. The twin barely acknowledged their entrance as he continued.

“It’s speculated that there’s a dungeon there, but it's not confirmed, especially since everyone is too scared to go there to begin with.”

“What are you thinking, Master?” Annalise asked, and I glanced at her pensive face for a moment.

“I think it would be best that we move on to Sangiam after we're finished with Tintagal,” I concluded. “If the stories are true and there is a dungeon there, then we will conquer it then head on to the palace of Jemmets Landing to take on Baudouin.” My other three minions gathered around my first wife and nodded in agreement with my plan.

“If you’re going to be going to Sangiam after this, Master...” Adam started as he pointed to another area on the map a few miles east of where we were now. Where the Decathmor brother pointed was flat land with no landmarks or labels, but he tapped it twice to make sure he had my attention. “There is another smaller dungeon about three miles south of the city that you could plunder first before heading there, just in case there isn’t a deity residing in Sangiam.”

To get to Baudouin’s palace which was at the utmost tip of Tintagal, we would either have to travel northeast along the coastline or take the normal roads that snaked around the mountains. As Adam had said earlier, going around the mountains would take a week in total, but if we traveled directly through, it would cut our travel time almost in half, especially if we were to conquer the first and unconfirmed second dungeons along the way.

I looked to my minions for confirmation as Annalise caught them all up to speed on what was happening. Rana looked skeptical as usual, Carmedy was bubbling over with excitement, and Morrigan, as always, looked uninterested in the whole ordeal. My High Queen turned back to me and leveled her chocolate brown eyes at me.

“Master, if I could speak plainly?” the swordswoman asked, and I inclined my head to her for her to go on. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to pass through Sangiam.”

“Why?” I asked in a dry voice as I leaned against the table, and my first wife squared her shoulders before she spoke again.

“I believe it is too risky to go there without knowing what is waiting for us,” Annalise said firmly.

“An excellent reason.” I nodded at her as I regarded her coolly. Her face broke with relief, but I wasn’t finished speaking just yet. “But isn’t it the same with all the other places we’ve traveled? We never know what could be around the next turn, or who or what is waiting in the next dungeon. Do you not trust me to protect you?”

“Master, I trust you with all of my being, but you misunderstand my meaning--” the High Queen protested, but I lifted a single finger into the air for silence, and she closed her mouth with a snap and waited obediently.

“I misunderstand nothing,” I stated firmly as I placed both hands out beside me on the edge of the tabletop and stared deeply into her eyes. “If you are afraid, then you should say it directly instead of skirting around it.”

“Fine,” Annalise said as she crossed her arms over her chest, but for a second, her eyes wavered from mine. “I am afraid. All Tamarisch children grow up hearing horror stories about Sangiam, and I would like it if we avoided it at all costs.”

I was silent as I regarded her, and for a second, her expression broke, and I could see the real concern hidden there. This wasn’t my wife being headstrong, stubborn, or childish. There was actual fear in her eyes, something that seemed alien in my proud warrior queen.

“Stories?” I inquired as I moved my eyes from Annalise to her twin brothers. They nodded to me in time and shared their sister’s look of apprehension.

“It’s going to sound like kid stuff,” Amos started, and I lifted my eyebrows for him to go on. “But everyone hears different things about Sangiam then passes it around, but there are seeds of truth to them despite them just being tall-tales from travelers. The usual scary stories, you know? Werewolves, cursed witches and blood-curdlers.”

“But there is truth to them, each person who was able to come back from Sangiam had some sort of proof,” Annalise broke in with wide eyes.

“Blood-curdlers?” Carmedy asked with a wrinkled nose. “Is that like a vampire?”

“No,” Adam uttered gravely, and when I looked at him, his face had paled exponentially. “They are far worse than mere vampires. Vampires are believed to be the offspring of blood-curdlers, but they are not as dangerous. Blood-curdlers practice a type of black magic that is so arcane and ancient that most of society has forgotten it. Vampires suck the blood out of people in small increments over the passage of many months, but blood-curdlers suck not only all the blood at once but their victims’ souls, leaving only an empty shell behind for them to use for their own will.”

“Creepy!” The feline shivered as she clutched her tail between two fists. “I don’t think we should go anymore either…”

“This is nonsense,” Rana huffed as she batted her bangs out her eyes.

“I must concur that sentiment,” Morrigan stated emotionlessly.

“What do you mean?” the petite alchemist shrieked as she turned to her sisters with wide eyes. “They suck blood and your soul out! That’s so scary!”

“Yeah, it’s scary,” Rana agreed but then went on. “But we also met a god that sewed bodies together and made puppets out of them, then we met a deity that was using creepy love magic on a whole town. Extinct animals encased in ice attacked us once, for cripes’ sake!”

“There should be no fear in our hearts at this point,” the pale elf said slowly as she looked at each of her sisters. “We have already witnessed enough horrors to blunt our senses, why should we be afraid now? Even if there is danger, Master will protect us at all costs. Look into my eyes, do you see even an ounce of fear in them?”

“N-no…” the cat-girl whimpered as she glanced at the pale woman. “But you’re t-tougher than me.”

“Do not make excuses for something I know to be untrue,” the High Elf murmured as she turned to the black-haired cat. “I once saw you blow a Tintagal soldier to bits with one of your concoctions, and just a few days ago, I watched as you created a demon primarily from herbs and powders you keep at your waist. Do not say you are afraid when I have witnessed the true warrior hidden inside.”

“I-I was still scared during those times,” the cat whimpered as her black ears lowered to the sides of her head, and the elven woman scrutinized her through narrowed eyes. “I’m n-not a warrior or a fighter, I’m just an alchemist…”

“Yeah, and your alchemy has saved our asses on numerous occasions!” The fox-woman protested as she threw her paws into the air. “Hell, we save each other all the time, that’s what we do! We stick together, and we kick bad guy booty! Can we stop with this ‘I’m too scared to do this. I’m too scared to do that. Wah, wah, wah, boohoo’ stuff? We go in, Annalise goes stab-stab-stab with her swords, I go assassin with my daggers, you blow shit up with your potions, and Morrigan whips up some crazy green power stuff that I’ve never seen before. Then Master comes in and wipes the floor with whatever deity we’re battling against, that is how we roll!”

Rana was practically bouncing on the tips of her toes at this point. “No questions asked, no turning back and no feeling bad for yourself! We are Master’s minions! We go together, or we don’t go at all! Today, we’re going to destroy those Tintagal bastards, storm the dungeons, then grab that dickhead Baudouin by the balls! Can I get a hell yeah?”

I chuckled softly as I watched Rana pound the air with her clenched paws and rally her sisters together. It was quite a sight to see, and the fox’s cheers rose to such a height that even Morrigan raised a pale hand into the air in comradery. What the redhead had said was true, there was no reason for my other minions to fear. I would protect them, but they had trained and become hardened warriors in their own ways, and they were perfectly capable of defending themselves if the occasion arose.

I caught the erratic heartbeat filled with fear approaching the tent, and I turned my head as the tent flap snapped open, and a panicked Tamarisch soldier stumbled in. From the way he held his arm across his chest, we all could tell the soldier was injured severely. His chest heaved, and sweat dripped down his red, muddy face as he reached out for Adam. The oldest twin rushed to grab and prop the soldier up, and the man held on gladly.

“What is it? What’s happening, Uriel?” Adam asked as he examined the soldier’s horrified eyes.

“They’re here. The Tintagal army is here,” Uriel finally forced out through his trembling lips. Adam’s eyes widened as his head snapped up to Amos, who looked just as shocked.

“How can that be? They weren’t supposed to arrive until the afternoon!” Amos shouted as he gestured for the rest of the men to leave the tent and prepare for battle.

“They’re coming up the valley now,” Uriel hurriedly told them as he calmed his breathing. “I… I don’t think we have enough men… There’s too many of them, they’ll overtake us within minutes.”

“What happened to your arm?” Carmedy asked as she came forward, her bundles already in her hands as she readied herself to start healing him.

“Flaming arrows…” Uriel coughed out as he held out the bloody arm to my feline companion.

There was a moment of silence at that. While I knew this wasn’t a laughing matter, I wanted to badly as Adam’s cheeks sucked in, his lips pursed, and he glanced at his younger twin and his shorn hair. He wasn’t the only one struggling to keep words from spilling from his tensed lips, and finally, Amos rolled his eyes at him.

“I don’t have any hair for them to burn off this time!” the youngest twin shouted as he threw his hands into the air, and surprisingly, Uriel mustered up a short bark of a laugh.

“You still have your eyebrows and that sorry excuse of a beard.” The injured soldier chuckled as Carmedy peeled off his armor and began to work on the puncture underneath.

“Aren’t you supposed to be hurt? If you’re strong enough to crack jokes, you’re strong enough to get ready for battle!” Amos cried as he headed for the tent’s door, and Adam shook his head as he followed after his brother. Annalise, Morrigan, and Rana nodded to me as they too headed for the exit and prepared for battle, but I stayed as I watched over the feline.

“Don’t take too long.” The swordswoman smiled as she held the cloth flap open for her sisters. “Those Tintagal bastards won’t know what hit them after you’ve finished with them.”

“They won’t be able even to think that because they'll all be dead within minutes after Master hits the ground running,” Rana cackled over her shoulder as she winked at me.

“I would very much like to see the grass turned red with the blood of the Tintagal soldiers. Fea and Macha will eat well tonight, I am sure of it,” Morrigan uttered as she ducked through the flap after the fox-woman. Annalise gave me a quick salute then dropped the fabric as she stepped out.

I stood over Carmedy and the injured man while she worked, and I watched her deft hands mix ingredients. She muttered to herself all the while, and I listened to her sweet voice as it tickled my ears. The feline was a pacifist at heart, but as Morrigan had said, the cat had a vicious warrior hidden inside of her that only came out in times of great distress. Still, I knew my sweet Carmedy was best suited for tasks like these, so I bent down beside her and watched over her shoulder while she worked diligently.

The black-haired woman glanced at me once with those huge, emerald eyes that entranced me so much but quickly went back to healing the soldier. She was in her element here, and I didn’t want to distract her for too long.

“Carmedy?” I whispered into her ear, and I visibly saw a shiver pass down her spine at the tone of my voice, but she didn’t look up when she answered.

“Yes, Master?”

“Do you wish to fight?” I inquired as the alchemist handed the soldier a small glass bottle and gestured for him to drink it. Uriel did as told, and after a few seconds, his eyes fluttered closed, and his breathing returned to normal as the pain killing mixture took effect.

“If that is what you want me to do then I will fight, Master,” the feline replied quickly, but I shook my head over her shoulder, and her paws froze over the soldier’s arm.

“That is not what I asked you,” I murmured back, and this time, Carmedy did turn her head to look at me, and a single black ear twitched in response. “Do you wish to fight alongside your sisters and me today?”

Her emerald eyes broke from mine as her paws trembled softly then dropped to her sides as she answered. “No… I don’t want to fight. I want to help out in the medical tent and tend to the wounded soldiers.

“If that is what you want, then I will allow it,” I murmured into her feline ear before I reached out and lifted Carmedy’s chin so that her eyes met mine once more. “But you can’t always run from fighting, Carmedy, you have done well so far, but I will need you to stand your ground more times than not.”

“I know, Master, but this is what I’m good at. I’m not Annalise who can wield a sword, and I’m not Rana, who can throw daggers like an assassin. I don’t have any special powers like you or Morrigan. I just…” The feline’s voice tapered off as she searched her mind for words to put her feelings into. “I’m just a simple alchemist and healer. Compared to other alchemists, I’m just a small fry who can only create and conjure small things.”

“I don’t want to hear you say such things about yourself,” I uttered as I cupped her soft cheek. “You are a divine warrior, my love, and I have chosen you to be my personal alchemist. Doesn’t that make you a little more than just a mere healer and alchemist?”

Carmedy giggled softly into the palm of my hand then laid a kiss there with her plump lips. She had taken in my words and accepted them as truth. I knew all my women had their moments where they felt inadequate, but I would always be there to pull them back up and show them how truly amazing they were in my eyes. Carmedy would grow in her practice and become more powerful with each passing day, even if I had to carry her every step of the way until we reached the final goal. I was not only their Master to guide them in their ways and train them when they needed it, but I was there to hold them up when they couldn’t stand on their own two feet.

I would do anything for them, and anything they needed, I would get it. If they were to ask, I would rip down the stars from the night sky and present them to them as presents. I loved them with a love that was more than just that. When I had been with Isolda, I had thought I loved her, but it seemed I never knew the feeling until I met my minions. Being with them and making love to them was ecstasy that I had never known before in my time during the heavens.

I lifted the feline’s face to meet mine, and I pressed tender and sweet kisses to her supple lips. She melted into me, the soldier forgotten at her feet as she pushed herself closer to the warmth of my avatar. If I could have, I would have taken her right here and there on the table covered with maps, but I knew it was not the time and that the Tamarisch army needed my help badly. Once this was all over, I would take her to our bed and make sure she wouldn’t be walking steadily for a few days after I was done with her.

I quickly calmed myself and pulled away from the soft embrace of my feline companion. When I looked down into her huge emerald eyes, they were sparkling, and her cheeks were tinted red. She was gorgeous, just as all of my other minions were, and I wondered to myself how I got so lucky that all four of them stumbled into my dungeon.

“I must go now, my love,” I whispered into her ear, and she shook her head as she pushed out her bottom lip.

“No, stay for a little bit,” she whimpered as her sleek black tail whipped out behind her excitedly, the need plain in her voice.

“I’m sorry.” I smiled as I stood then bent back down to press another kiss to her irresistible lips. “After, I promise.”

“Master?” she called out to me as I was about to lift the tent flap and step out into the camp.

“Yes?” I smiled back, and I watched as her expression darkened, but the smile on her lips remained.

“Kill them, kill all of them, then you can do whatever you want to me after.” The feline purred sensually, and my eyebrows raised at her sudden boldness. “I like the way you handle me after you’ve done something… violent.”

Chapter Five

As the Tamarisch army prepared for war, soldiers and generals rushed about the encampment as they pulled on their armor or readied their weapons, but I remained calm as I watched them. I could hear their hearts beating loudly in my ears, but my avatar’s and my minion’s hearts remained calm. We had hardened ourselves to battle and needed very little time to prepare to tear the Tintagal men to pieces. I didn’t even pull the God Slayer from my void pocket because I knew that for this battle, I wouldn’t need it. The Tintagal army wouldn’t even have the chance to advance or break rank.

I sought Annalise out in the moving sea of soldiers in their gold and blue armor and found her as she placed a golden harness over the she-wolf Nymsyss’s white fur. The colossal wolf shook her head and turned to watch as the High Queen made sure the leather straps were in place and were cinched tightly around the animal’s middle.

The alpha Marbas strode forward next to me, called by his link to me, but I didn’t reach for any of the harnesses that were provided to us, for he was too large for any of them. The Bánwolf stood a good head taller than my avatar’s stature, but I effortlessly heaved myself up onto his broad back and adjusted myself until I was in a more comfortable position. The beast was under my control, and when he moved, we moved together in unison as rider and steed. I dug my gloved hands deep into the dark fur at the back of his neck and used it as a way to guide him through the camp towards the valley where our fight against the enemy would take place.

As I moved Marbas up the small hill beyond the camp, Annalise, Morrigan, and Rana followed after on their Bánwolves. My women looked regal and just as threatening as they readied themselves for battle.

My first wife unsheathed Bloodscale and held it one-handed as the other held tightly to the reins. Frei, the redhead’s Bánwolf, had been livelier the day before but was now stoic and kept her icy blue eyes forward as we climbed upward towards the crest of the hill. Soon, the entire Tamarisch encampment was empty save for the few doctors and healers along with Carmedy, as they waited for the first few injured soldiers to come through.

It was cold, and the frosty wind bit at our faces as the Tamarisch soldiers scrambled to get into formation, and I watched as a few of them tied their horses to massive wood structures I had only seen a few times before. The catapults were gigantic things, taller than two men put together, and I watched eagerly as the horses pulled them up the hill then as the soldiers placed them around the slope for better trajectory. A third horse pulled a wagon up the hill and from its heaviness, I knew it must be for the mangonels they had just brought up. I knew the basic mechanics for these enormous weapons, and I had a wonderfully sadistic idea for these machines designed to throw projectiles long distances.

I turned my head towards the other side of the valley where it dipped down, and I could see the Tintagal army as they prepared their ranks. As Uriel had said, their army dwarfed ours in size and number of soldiers, not that numbers mattered. The Tintagal military didn’t have Bánwolves on their side, or a god for that matter, and all of them would be dead before they even reached the halfway point of the valley, I would make sure of it.

My perfect eyesight could see the Tintagal soldiers clearly and I could make out the designs and colors on their suits of armor. While the Tamarisch soldiers wore gold and blue colors, the Tintagal warriors wore lush forest greens that almost matched the billowing grass below our feet mingled with brilliant silver. Etched into their breastplates and shields was a magnificent boar’s head with threatening white tusks. Despite the beauty of their armor and the impressiveness of their ranks, they were still our enemies, and their land would soon be mine.

I glanced back behind me and spied Adam and Amos as they both slid on the helmets shaped into the heads of roaring bears. Amos caught Annalise’s eye, smoothed down his eyebrows with two gloved and armored hands, then winked. My warrior queen chuckled softly to herself as she readjusted her grip on Bloodscale and moved her hand to press the augmentation stone at the hilt. The emerald on the hilt glinted dully against the hazy, cloudy sky, and her dark brown eyes stayed on it for a moment as she caressed the stone with the pad of her thumb. I knew she was nervous from the way she fidgeted, but the beat of her heart was steady as it always was in moments like these. The High Queen rarely showed fear to anyone save for me, even if she was feeling it, and that was one of the many things I respected her for.

Our armies stood on opposite sides of the valley for a moment and stared across at each other. In another time or land, we might have been friends or even brothers, but here and now, we were enemies positioned and poised for a bloody battle.

I could tell from the way the Tintagal general moved and spoke, resplendent on a white horse, that he was a proud and prideful man and assumed this was a battle he wouldn’t lose, but that was where he was very wrong. I had many things planned to show them before I snatched the life from their broken bodies. I pooled my dark power through my avatar’s body, and from beside me, Annalise turned to look at me as she sensed the change in the surrounding air.

I smiled to myself as a loud crackle came from the Tintagal side as flames erupted across the enemy lines. A second later, that was followed by a discordant harmony of twanging bowstrings as thousands of flaming arrows rose into the sky then plummeted down towards our ranks. The Tamarisch men behind me gasped, and for a second, Amos flinched as he remembered his last run-in with a flaming arrow. They had nothing to fear though, for this was my time, and I raised two hands into the air as I breathed in deeply.

The projectiles were almost to us, and I kept my eyes straightforward as a loud cry came from the Tintagal ranks, and they surged forward like a mighty wave of green. I chuckled darkly as the quickly approaching arrows hit an invisible forcefield in the air with a deafening snap and exploded into wafts of ash. The Tintagal General still on top of the opposite hill stopped and stared in disbelief, but this was only a fraction of my power as I lifted my right arm into the air and roared for all to hear. I watched as our soldiers rushed to fill the catapults with the heavy metal spheres to fire back.

“For glory, for honor, for Tamarisch!”

At my call, Annalise slammed her thumb down onto the augmentation stone, and her transformation started before our eyes. The light around her gold and blue armor glimmered and morphed around her, runes and arcane symbols flashed across the hilt of Bloodscale, and the sword elongated to twice its normal length. Two wicked sharp blades emerged from the haft of the sword and extended upward along the massive double-edged blade. The same emerald light that engulfed Bloodscale raced up Annalise’s arm and fully encased her in glimmering light as her armor changed. The emerald light peaked to such a blinding light that it turned white as she held the sword aloft over her head like a beacon in the darkness. The light around her dimmed to reveal the golden holy armor the augmentation stone gave her. The gilt V-neck chest piece formed perfectly and held her flawlessly.

The swordswoman brought down Bloodscale, along with her arms and wrists encased in golden gauntlets etched with the same emerald of the stone. Her shapely legs held on tightly to Nymsyss, and the chainmail, shin-guards, and cuisses were made from the very same fine metal as the rest of her armor and stopped about mid thigh. The parts of her body that weren’t protected by the blessed armor were clothed in creamy chocolate brown leather that looked soft and smooth to the touch. Across her delicate collarbone, an enchanted necklace rested, and the rune pressed into the metal shone with the same green light as the stone at the hilt of Bloodscale.

Even Nymsyss was transformed along with her rider. Over the snow-white fur of her neck, golden metal formed and overlapped to create a network of plates that became the finest of barding. At the sides of her neck, nasty looking spines poked out, their tips sharp and ready to slam into the sides of men and horses if they got too close to her rider. Gilt metal also encased her wolf face, leaving only the icy and hateful blue of her eyes exposed as she snarled and snapped at the approaching enemy soldiers. The Bánwolf’s legs and haunches were encased with the same metal as Annalise, and if I were any other man, fear would have been beating in my heart at the sight of them.

The Tamarisch soldiers around her took in their high queen, and their eyes glowed with respect looking upon her.

“Wow,” Rana whispered under her breath as she took in her transformed sister, “I gotta get me one of those things.”

“For Tamarisch!” Adam shouted as he lifted his two battle axes into the air. “For the High King and Queen!”

At that triumphant cry, the Tamarisch army raced forward with their weapons drawn, some on horses, some on foot, and a few riding Bantams. Pride swelled in my chest as I watched them, but I waited on the crest of the hill though I felt Marbas paw at the ground anxiously. Around the peak of the valley, there were resounding cracks from the mangonels as they pulled back, and the giant bowls slammed forward to hurl their deadly loads onto the battlefield. Right before the Tamarisch soldiers moved to reload them, I held up a hand to stop them, and at my mental command, swirling pools of gray smoke emerged on the grassy slope.

The soldiers stepped back in horror as the sickly gray bodies of ice demons pulled themselves up and out of the holes. These ice demons were much different from the ones I had summoned before, and I had changed them with my great power to fit the battle better. Though they were still thin and lean, their long fingers were replaced with black talons that dragged across the ground, and the pointed teeth that pulled against their lips were a few inches longer.

The Tamarisch soldiers scuttled back as five ice demons loped over to the catapults, pulled the huge bowls of the siege weapons back into place, and climbed in like clumsy children. The ice demons leveled their eyes at the soldiers then made complex clicks deep in the backs of their throats as if they were attempting to communicate with the humans. The Tamarisch soldiers looked to me for orders, and I commanded them with a wave of my hand.

“Fire away, men.” I smirked, and though they shook their heads, they did as I said.

The ice demons wriggled in the bowls as they waited for the soldiers to pull the lever and release them. With a resounding snap, each Tamarisch soldier pulled the lever and launched the ice demons into the air like projectiles. Instead of the usual clicks and grunts that usually came from their lips, the creatures shrieked and screamed as they sailed through the air. One had climbed in backward, and as it was thrown into the sky, it twisted through the air like a dervish with its arms held in close, but its talons held out. Each ice demon hit the earth with an explosion of dirt and sent Tintagal soldiers running in different directions as they broke rank to avoid the demons as they burst forth. The enemies were already losing their minds, and I hadn’t even begun my fun. I watched with a keen eye as the ice demons tore through the ranks as if they were made from paper. Limbs and blood flew into the air as their elongated talons ripped each Tintagal man into pieces. Some of the ice demons did something I hadn’t expected and shoved the severed limbs into their maws and chewed them down like snacks.

I breathed in deeply then exhaled loudly as I closed my eyes and reached my power deep into the earth below the Tintagal soldier’s feet. I created the creature in my mind, pressed and pushed my dark power into it, and brought it to life. My newly minted beast opened its eyes with the flick of its black forked tongue, and I chuckled darkly to myself as I called it upward. The grass at the bottom of the hill exploded, and the massive slinking creature revealed itself among the fighting.

It was a basilisk, but my special beast was made entirely of dirt and tree roots using the forest god’s power. I watched it with interest as its jaws opened and snapped closed around one of the Tintagal soldiers and ripped him cleanly into two. Blood and guts poured from my creature’s jaws as it roared and slashed forward with snake-like movements. The basilisk moved with the creak and snap of wood, and I watched with relish as Tintagal men ran in different directions to escape its powerful maw.

The Tamarisch men hadn’t reached the Tintagal soldiers yet, and already half of the enemy army was dead from my creations, but I wasn’t finished just yet.

As I invoked more and more of my godly power, the valley the Tintagal soldiers advanced down rippled then smoked as a lane of the hillside changed and morphed into a dripping river of lava, and an old friend lifted its scaly head from the depths to set fire to the grass and burn it to a crisp. Unlike before in my dungeon, the magma hydra took no time to reveal itself to the Tintagal soldiers as it rushed forward. Liquid fire dripped from between each head’s massive teeth and some of it splattered the battlefield and incinerated a few of the Tintagal soldiers.

From beside me, Rana, who had not joined the initial charge, glanced down at her chest and then at the elven daggers she held tightly in her fists. The fox-woman was pensive, and I could tell she was unsure if she should take out the Eye of Alipsis, Rana’s parting gift from the Tichádáma, even though she didn’t know how to use it just yet. Though she was well-practiced now with her daggers thanks to my tutelage, they were not the most useful on the open battlefield compared to the god’s giant claymore the Tichádáma gave her.

Rana sheathed the elven daggers with a sigh as she decided which weapon she would use. The redhead placed a paw over her heart, breathed deeply, then closed her eyes as she thought of the holy sword. It took only a second, and before I knew it, the hilt of the Eye of Alipsis emerged from within her. With a sweeping motion, Rana pulled the sword out of her and held it out in front of her with some remaining trepidation.

“Do what you feel is right,” I instructed her, and she swiveled her blue eyes to mine and give me a curt nod.

“I-I know,” the fox answered softly, but I could tell she was still unsure as she took in the beautiful claymore in her paw. “It’s just… I’ve never used a sword before, but… it feels like the Eye will show me the way.”

“Then use it.” I smiled, and instead of answering, she gripped Frei’s reigns and kicked her heels into the wolf’s sides.

Frei took off down the hill, and the redhead’s curls blew out behind her as she let out a whooping war cry. I gripped onto Marbas, and he sensed the change in me and leaped forward with the pounding of his huge paws. The talons above the pads of his feet tore grass and dirt free from the hill as we pounded towards the fighting.

It was already obvious who was winning as my horrendous monsters split holes in their ranks, and the bodies of Tintagal men piled up around us. As soon as Marbas and I reached the flat space of the valley, I pulled back on his fur, and the massive Bánwolf reared back with a loud snarl. The Tintagal General’s eyes met mine across the carnage, and I gave him a wolfish smile as I lifted one hand into the air, my fingers curled towards the sky.

Fathomless black smoke coiled up from the palm of my hand. The smoke moved as it were alive and formed into a shifting, trembling orb above the flesh of my hand. The General’s eyes narrowed on me as he gripped his reigns and urged his steed towards me. His horse whinnied away in my frightening presence, but I slammed my free hand forward on Marbas’ neck, and the great wolf tore forward towards the General.

Our eyes were locked together as I moved towards him, and his horse became more frantic the closer the frightening wolf I rode got. The General fought between keeping his eyes on me and calming his horse, and the more hysterical his horse became as it tried to escape, the more his attention was swayed away from the approaching danger. I gritted my teeth and swung my magic-filled hand forward towards the Tintagal General and his panicked horse. The orb of darkness flew through the air and slammed directly into the middle of the General’s breastplate. I watched in slow motion as the metal bearing the Tintagal Boar’s head caved in with a crack, and the General was blown out of the saddle completely. I laughed darkly as he landed on his back, and his terrified horse tore off in the opposite direction as it bucked out wildly at any passing soldier in the way.

I gripped Marbas’ fur, and the wolf skidded to a stop above the cowering General below us. The Tintagal man was shaking as he struggled to breathe as the blow had knocked the wind from his lungs. He stared up at me hatefully, then in a flash, he reached for his sword, but he was too slow for Marbas and me. The connection between the Bánwolf and me was strong, and I didn’t have to speak for him to hear my command. The colossal wolf bent forward with his mouth open, and before the General could swing, Marbas’ jaws came down and closed around the General’s head. With a sickening wet crack, his head separated from his body. My Bánwolf dropped the severed head with a snuffle then bumped it with his nose, and the head rolled to reveal the General’s frozen expression of fear.

I dropped from Marbas’ back, and my boots crunched against the frozen ground as I pulled the God Slayer from my void pocket. I slammed the weapon down on the hard ground as I moved towards the General’s head, and in one swift movement, I speared it on the end of the polearm’s blades and held it aloft as I turned and faced the carnage I had created. As I turned, something out of place in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I focused in on it. A single rider rode higher above than the others, and the person on the back of the beast wore no armor, but from this far away, I could hear her cackling laughter.

Instead of a horse, this person rode a colossal white bear, and when I homed in on the rider, I saw that it was a woman. Her long wavy hair whipped out behind her, gray like smoke though her face was beautiful and youthful. Despite that, I noticed that the bare skin of her shoulders and part of her left arm was rotted with mixes of sickly greens and deep purples around the exposed bone. I watched in confusion as the rider swiveled on top of the beast and moved her entire body to one side of the saddle. The gray-haired woman bent a knee and pressed it firmly into the middle of the seat with the other foot still firmly planted in the stirrup. She used her bent leg for stability as she lifted a bow into the air that looked suspiciously like bone and aimed it at one of the Tintagal soldiers.

Despite the loping, rough trot of the bear beneath her, she stayed perfectly stable, and I watched as she reached behind her and pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back. The rider let it loose with a wicked smile, and the shaft flew true and buried itself in a soldier with a moist thunk. It took me a second to realize the grass in the wake of the bear had turned black and died as the woman and the bear raced in circles around the valley.

The rider’s mad laughter reached my ears as a flash of red and black blew past on the other side of the valley, and I turned to see a second rider. My eyes widened at the sight as I took in the beast the second woman rode. I had only ever seen the striped beast in paintings and detailed tapestries and seeing it in person made my avatar’s heartbeat go a little faster. The Valgarian tiger tore at the ground, and the muscles under its blood red and thick black fur rippled with power. The woman rider was almost as beautiful as the tiger she rode, and the black hair that billowed out from her high ponytail was so dark black that it was almost blue.

The warrior on the tiger held a huge claymore that resembled the Eye of Alipsis, but the blessed weapon that Rana possessed looked much tamer, if such a thing was possible, than the one this woman held. The leather binding that worked around the hilt matched the color of the tiger’s stripes, and I watched as the second rider dove into the fray without even a glimmer of fear. The claymore slashed through the air and blood lifted like a mist and spattered the riders face, but she didn’t reach up and wipe it away as I had expected. Even as the rider moved, her steed swiped out at enemy soldiers and tore them to shreds with its huge claws.

I moved my eyes through the fray to follow the second rider, but instead found a third interloper that shouldn’t have been there. This rider was a man who rode upon a camel, like the ones we had seen in Valasara but seemed out of place in the colder country of Tintagal. In his boney hands, he clutched a scythe between both hands and maneuvered the beast he rode with his knees. The rider’s face was sunken in as if he was ill, and the top of his head was bald, even his face was clear of his hair, not even eyebrows. His eyes were colorless and faraway, but he moved the weapon in his hands deftly as he grimaced down at the Tintagal soldiers who attempted to attack him. He pushed the scythe as if he was cutting down crops of wheat or barley instead of living men and as soon as the few he was facing off with were dead, he moved on to the others. His face was expressionless, almost like Morrigan’s but every once in a while, his seamless brow would knit, and his thin lips would press together as he hacked away at the enemies.

Then I saw the fourth rider, and I stopped in my tracks and nearly dropped the God Slayer. He was the only rider who rode a horse, but the horse looked near death, all of its skin pulled taut against the bone, and the red eyes within its skull were bulging out of their sockets. This man held no weapon and was cloaked entirely in black, and for a second, I almost thought it was Tuzakeur from the way the cloak flowed out behind him like smoke, but when he turned his head and looked in my direction, there was no cursed sorcerer underneath. No, his face, like his fellow riders, was youthful and handsome, but there was an unearthly glow to each of them that told me these were no mere humans fighting a battle with us, these were completely different beings.

I steeled myself and climbed back onto Marbas, the God Slayer with the General’s head still stuck on the end in my grip as I watched as the fourth rider raised a hand at a huddled group of four Tintagal soldiers. The enemy men fell silent then their eyes rolled back and exposed to the whites. Each man collapsed at the same time into a heap, and I knew they were dead as their souls slowly seeped up and out of their still bodies.

If these people were what I thought they were, then why were they here? The bigger question was why were they helping us in the first place? From their faces and the supernatural blaze that surrounded them, they weren’t human nor were they elven people, and the only other option would be to assume they were gods. The only gods I had witnessed here on earth were the ones trapped inside dungeons, and I knew that the only other place that gods resided was in the heaven’s realm.

I watched each of them closely from Marbas’ back, and each of the four riders never attacked the Tamarisch soldiers, only the ones from Tintagal. From the way their weapons moved with precision and never missed their mark, I assumed the gods forged them just like the Eye of Alipsis. My heart beat anxiously as I watched each of them weave their way through the ranks. Though they had shown no aggression towards my soldier or my minions, I had to be ready in case I had to battle them. While I had never taken on four gods at once, I was sure I could prevail, though I feared the damage such a titanic battle would do to the surrounding mortals and the countryside itself.

“Quis es?” I called out to them in the god’s language, but only the woman with the bone-like bow looked in my direction then looked away with disinterest. The cloaked man sped past me, and I screamed to be heard over the roaring battle as my creations wreaked havoc. “Exaudi me!”

The hooded man only glanced over his shoulder at me with cold black eyes then went back to slaughtering the Tintagal soldiers without care. I was becoming enraged, I hadn’t asked for anyone’s help and yet these four, what I assumed were gods, had shown up unannounced. I didn’t need their support, and the more I watched them, the more questions came into my head as to why they were there. I watched a single arrow fly past my head and bury itself in a soldier that was attempting to sneak up on me. I turned my head and watched the gray-haired woman gallop away on the massive white bear without even a backward glance in my direction.

My creations and the Tamarisch army had nearly destroyed the Tintagal army, and now, the few remaining men were attempting to retreat up the side of the valley from where they came, but the molten lava there blocked their path. With my attention back to the battle, I urged Marbas forward, and he obliged with gusto as he ripped into the last remaining men. I glanced around the battlefield as Marbas filled his belly with Tintagal flesh and watched as Annalise tore Bloodscale loose from the back of a dead soldier and surveyed the nearly empty battlefield.

I smiled to myself as Rana stumbled over on rubbery legs, and she and the High Queen clanged their sword blades together in celebration. The redhead wiped sweat from her brow and took a deep breath as she noticed my eyes. The fox gave me a weary wave, and I lifted the God Slayer into the air as her sweet voice lifted into the air in a cheer. I could tell from her good nature that she had done surprisingly well while wielding the claymore.

After Marbas had eaten his fill of the dead soldiers, I urged him over to where the Tamarisch soldiers and my three minions regrouped. All the soldiers turned as I approached and took in the sight of the General’s head on the blades of the polearm. Adam and Amos rushed forward as they patted each other on the back and laughed loudly together.

“You surprise us every time, Master,” Adam said as he bowed his head to me, and I smiled down at him.

“Man, I wish Ansel had been here to see that damn fire hydra, he probably would have peed his pants.” Amos giggled to his twin and Adam nodded in agreement.

“Okay, but that thing with those real lanky gray creatures and the catapults? Terrifying and bloody brilliant.” Adam said as he reclined his head back to look up into my face.

“It was nothing,” I laughed lightly as I ran a hand through my hair. “Barely any power expended at all.”

“If that was only a fraction of your power, I don’t think I want to know what would happen if you went all out,” Amos said as his eyes widened.

“Man, I wish we could bring you along for all battles and wars, I don’t think we lost a single soldier today with your help,” Adam said as he turned and counted the ranks that remained on the battlefield and the rest that were headed back up to the encampment. “And Amos’s eyebrows are still intact, so that’s another victory.”

“Stop talkin’ about my damn eyebrows!” Amos shouted as he punched his older brother on the shoulder and Adam laughed heartily.

Over their shoulders, I watched as Annalise, Rana, and Morrigan made their way over with wide smiles, and the high queen strung her arms around each brother as she beamed. Her chocolate brown eyes met mine, and her smile widened as she looked up into my face.

“That was amazing, Master,” The swordswoman breathed. “You’re amazing. Every time I think I know the limits of your power, you go and impress me again.”

“Thank you, my love, but there is no need to compliment me or congratulate me. I was merely doing what I promised, to protect the people and land of Tamarisch.”

“And those other riders,” Rana cried as she threw up her paws excitedly. “Dang, they were so cool!”

I stopped and stared down at the redheaded fox for a moment as her ears trembled with exhilaration then asked, “You saw them?”

“Of course, we did! They were awesome!” Annalise cried as she reached out for me, but I stopped and moved my eyes over the remaining Tamarisch soldiers and saw none of the four riders.

“Master…” Morrigan uttered as she stepped forward and leveled her dark eyes with mine. “Did you not conjure them?”

“No,” I answered as I lifted my eyes to the crest of the opposite hill and saw four silhouettes that I barely recognized.

“Were they sent by the gods, Master?” the elven woman breathed with disbelief in her voice, and I watched as the four riders turned their backs to me and were gone over the hill.

“No,” I murmured back as I looked deeply into the darkness of her eyes. “I think they were gods.”

Chapter Six

After the battle was over, I left Marbas to feast on the dead Tintagal soldiers, and as I hiked back up from the valley, Fea and Macha lifted from Morrigan’s shoulders. The two black ravens swirled through the air as they beat their wings, and I stopped about midway to watch them for a silent moment.

Their movements were graceful and serene despite the horrific scene below. The birds moved in unison as they took turns swooping down and scooping up the released souls of the Tintagal soldiers. Their black beaks gobbled them down and while it turned the stomachs of the Tamarisch soldiers watching, it was something my minions and I were used to seeing.

As I turned and watched my women speak animatedly to the Decathmor brothers, I wondered about the four people who had joined in the battle along with us. They seemed familiar to me but not enough for me to know their names or faces, but I felt that way about all the gods and deities we had met. No, with these four, it was if I knew them in another life long before the one I had now, but the recollections were fuzzy and had faded in my memory. The two who stuck out the most to me were the woman with gray hair and the cloaked man, they were the most familiar and deep in the pit of my stomach. I felt as if they were kin to me in some way that I couldn’t place just yet. Maybe it was the aura of hatred that poured from their presences that reminded me of myself, but still, I had so many questions and no way to find answers.

I would have only thought they were illusions or some wandering spirits of the Tintagal plains, but since my minions and the soldiers had seen them, it couldn’t be that. They had appeared and disappeared so suddenly that I hadn’t any time to stop them after the battle, and during it, well, they aided my armies. Unwanted or not, only a fool interferes with an ally.

If only I could remember where I knew them from, then maybe I could puzzle out all the clues they had left behind. All that I knew for sure was that they were gods, the woman on the bear was dying or dead, and the cloaked man possessed powers that were in some way similar to mine. He had killed four of the Tintagal men with a simple wave of his hand, and that’s what worried me the most.

These four gods could have killed all of the humans without much effort, but why had they only attacked the Tintagal side? I had formed no alliance with any gods. If anything, all the gods I once knew in the god’s realm and met in dungeons had turned against me when I fell from the heavens. Some of them knew my name, and some didn’t care enough to learn it, but most gods were selfish and self-centered enough to only care about themselves. The only god we had encountered that wasn’t that way was the goddess of Machstein, and she had been murdered because of that kindness.

I pushed these thoughts from my mind as I mounted the crest of the valley. After all, simply mulling over the evidence left behind by the mysterious coalition of deities wouldn’t bring me any answers. I turned back once more as the Tamarisch raided the bodies of the Tintagal corpses to relieve them of their weapons and any other belongings they wouldn’t need in the afterlife. As always, the spoils of war went to the victor. It was simply the way of the world. Now that this battle was done and over with, my minions and I would move on to the next dungeon, then Sangiam, and beyond that, we would meet Baudouin head-on at his castle at the top tip of Tintagal.

After all of that, Tintagal would be under my control and added to the great country of Tamarisch.

Still, my myriad thoughts about the strange gods left me mentally taxed, so I headed back to our tent to rest. The encampment was empty besides for the medical tent where I assumed Carmedy was working away diligently, though very few of the Tamarisch soldiers were wounded in the battle.

To be honest, I liked the quiet moments of the camp the most, and I immersed myself in the calm silence of the tents as they shifted in the soft, cold breeze. Our tent was at the far back of the encampment, and I took my time and enjoyed the emptiness for those few minutes it took to reach it. It felt as if this was the first time I was alone since I had been trapped in my dungeon, and though I spent most of that time cursing the world and planning my revenge, it was still nice to have a few moments to myself out in the open. Once all the soldiers returned from the battlefield, the camp would be bustling with life as they prepared to move deeper into Tintagal, and once our tent was in sight, I hurried to get inside and rest for a few hours.

I slipped quietly inside and used my telekinetic power to strip off my armor before I could crawl into bed and rest. When I turned, what greeted me wasn’t an empty bed as I had expected, but instead my feline companion as she lay sprawled back against the covers completely nude. Her rosebud nipples were hard against the cold air, and her emerald eyes locked onto mine lustfully. Her large breasts rose and fell as her paws slipped between her thighs and began to pleasure herself to the sight of her Master. Soft moans and cries rose from her pink lips, and I felt myself harden instantly to the sight of her dripping fingers as they slid in and out of herself.

No longer did I want to slip quietly into bed, but instead, I wanted to slip inside of her.

I crossed to her quickly as I undid the belt at my waist, and my underclothes fell from my body in a trail to the bed. Carmedy wriggled up onto her knees on the soft padding of the mattress and cupped her pale breasts in her paws as she waited for me. When I had first taught the cat-girl the ways I liked to be pleasured, she had been shy and demure as she went about it, but now, she was eager and antsy to have me inside of her and filling her up with my massive girth. I reached out for her and tweaked one of her pert nipples, and the black-haired female cried out softly as she grabbed for me, but I took a step back and made her wait for the pleasure that would soon be upon her. I held my erect penis in my hands and slid my hand over it, and waves of ecstasy came over me as I looked into the deep emerald of her eyes.

Carmedy lay back and spread her legs as she exposed her pink sex to me. She knew exactly what she was doing as her hot and sensual eyes fell upon me and the prize between my legs that she wanted so much. I fell on her, both of my hands slammed down on her large breasts, and I attacked her neck with my mouth as I positioned myself above her entrance.

The feline cooed and cried out as I teasingly ran the head of my penis over her dripping entrance. She was wet and warm and everything I wanted at this moment, but as she lifted her hips eagerly to slip my cock inside her, I pulled away with a chuckle. She sighed loudly in protest, but I cut her off as I took the nipple of her left breast into my mouth and suckled it between my lips.

One of Carmedy’s paws gripped my shoulders as the other slipped down between our bodies and began to move over my throbbing penis. I bit down on the nipple, and she cried out loudly as she gripped onto me harder and finally, I slammed forward and forced myself in the hot, pulsing walls of her vagina. She didn’t moan but instead screamed in pleasure as her legs wrapped around me instantly. I pumped into her harder than I ever had, and her screams rose in height until they vibrated against the tent’s walls, but I wasn’t finished until I brought her to such heights of orgasm that took hours to come down from.

Being inside of her was pure bliss. She was so tight and wet that even after a few minutes of pumping made me close to cumming. I held it off until I had at least made my feline minion orgasm seven or eight times and her body was weak enough to receive my seed. I leaned back and cradled her legs in the crooks of my elbows as I thrust deep inside her pulsing walls. When I gazed down at her, her stunning face was sweaty, and her black hair stuck to the sides of her face as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

I pinned her to the bed, and she wriggled underneath me keenly as my tongue slipped into her mouth. Carmedy nibbled on it, and I tasted the coppery blood on our intermingled tongues, and I grunted, moving my lips harder against hers. Carmedy was so warm, and it felt as if I had spent my entire life out in the cold. When I pulled away from her, the feline sighed in discontent, and I watched her hands travel from her exposed chest down her stomach, then move up my body as she felt the muscles on my chest. The black-haired woman pressed her hands to the beating heat between her legs and her lips parted with a soft, kitten-like mewl.

“Yes, Master, yes!” Carmedy screamed out as her paws came down and cupped her jiggling breasts.

She was so beautiful at this moment, even in her frenzied movements as she brought her hips up to meet mine in each thrust, and I stared down at her in awe. I knew I was an excellent lover and I made love to each of my minions as often as possible. Carmedy was the most eager to please minion, and it didn’t matter how many times that she reached her peak as long as I reached mine, and after an hour or so, she had that look in her eye as she drew out her movements to show that she wanted my seed deep inside her.

Her tunnel squeezed and devoured my member, and it felt as if I was made to be inside her as my hips moved slowly, eliciting wispy muffled coos from the cat-girl's lips that were still pressed to mine. Her arms encircled my shoulders, her long fingernails digging into the flesh of my back as I moved quicker within her. We parted from the kiss, and she clung to me, her hips swinging and moving in rhythm with me, quickening the pace.

My lover whimpered through tight lips, so I reached up and gripped her soft breast in my palm, and the hardened nipple dug into my palm. She was so wet, and I felt the juices dripping down my legs, and it only pushed me even further as I bucked my hips against the petite woman.

She pressed against me and reared her hips in time with me, and I grunted as pleasure rocketed through my abdomen. Her mouth opened as her eyes tightly closed, and her pink tongue moved over the soft flesh of her lips. Her pussy tightened and clenched around me, and I had to pause for a second, breathing hard, keeping the orgasm at bay, everything she did, every move she made, pushed me even closer to orgasm like the woman bled sex from every pore. She widened her stance and fell back onto the bed as I pushed my length harder into her. Sweat beaded on my face and shoulders as she screamed, and her free hand grabbed onto the sheets in desperation. As she bucked against me harder, and I was so close, I growled deep in the back of my throat.

Carmedy screamed, and the sound warbled as I flexed and twitched inside her. My orgasm once again came closer and closer, within reach of my trembling, clamoring hands. I watched her, and as she rose and fell with my movement, both of her hands ran up her body, starting from below her bellybutton, up her sides, over the sloping mounds of her breasts, then over her shoulders and collarbones and finally her fingernails raking against her neck. Her fingers brushed her face, her pinky came into her mouth, and she bit down on it with a growl as her eyes rolled up in the back of her head then she let go, her teeth releasing with a snap.

Her short, black hair fell around her shoulders, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from her, the pleasure and ecstasy building in my lower belly in a bundled, tangled mess like the fuses of rockets, ready to be lit and set fire to the sky. I moved my hips faster, thrust into her as she slammed herself up into me, and I felt it, the sudden clenching and pulling as she wrapped around me in another orgasm.

Her mouth fell open, her hand slamming down into my shoulder as she feverishly rode it out, kicking and bucking against me. Obscenities fell from her beautiful mouth, and I leaned down on my elbows, pushing farther into her as I helped her orgasm continue up and skyward. I grabbed her by the neck and brought her close to my face, my eyes intent on hers in the hazy light of the tent. She was mewling and howling, her face almost pained as I forced myself even farther inside her convulsing core. Our faces were within inches of each other's, and she breathed hard, sweat beading on her hairline. I pressed my lips to hers, and the feline grabbed me with both hands, pulled me even closer, mashing our mouths together as her tongue slipped in between my teeth to play. When I pulled away, Carmedy was slowing down, her eyes hazy and content as her last and final orgasm came to an end.

I pushed her down on her back in one swift motion, and the sharpness returned to the glinting emerald of her eyes. I lifted the alchemist’s left leg, hooked it into the crook of my right arm, and pounded into her. As I moved, a sly smile passed over her lips, and she lifted both legs up and over my shoulders, and I growled in pleasure at the sensation of her tightening even more around me than before. I grabbed her by the shoulder and slammed my cock deep in her. I was on the edge teetering, delirious by the sounds of her soft cries and coos, her hands clutching her own bouncing breasts, the nails digging into the skin as she bit her lip, even after her orgasm, still enjoying the feel of me. I leaned my head back, my mouth open as I breathed hard, relishing in the feeling of pulling out and slamming back inside her tight pussy and how she flexed and tightened around me each time.

I felt it as it rose and rushed to meet me, pulled and pushed, roared up inside me like an awakened beast, and I gripped tighter on her shoulder. I leaned down, my lips within inches of hers, and I made sure she was looking me directly in the eye,

“I love you, Carmedy,” I whispered to her, and one of her black ears twitched in response as she smiled up at me.

“I love you, Master,” she cried out as she moved her hips against me. “Please fill me. Please.”

“Yes,” I snarled as my cum blasted out of me. Then my cock seized inside of her pulsing warmth, and I gasped as I threw my head back, my long hair sticking to my face as cupfuls of my hot seed spilled into her.

“Master, yesssss,” Carmedy groaned as she felt my warm spray fill her womb, and she pushed her pinky again in her mouth as she bucked her hips to help me peak as forcefully and powerfully as she could.

I stayed deep in her as I collapsed forward and buried my face in her neck. Her breathing calmed before mine did, but she held me to her chest as the black spots behind my eyes receded and disappeared.

We lay together as I caught my breath and Carmedy pressed her sticky naked body against mine. I listened to her heartbeat as it gradually returned to normal, and her breathing slowed. I lifted my head and smiled to myself as I saw that the small alchemist had slipped off into sleep after our vigorous lovemaking. I stroked her hair, and she purred softly as she snuggled deeper into the bed.

I lay next to her for a few passing minutes then heard the sound of the soldiers returning to the encampment. I smiled even wider as I heard Annalise’s raspy voice call out to Rana and the fox’s snarky reply. I loved all of them profoundly and even listening to their voices put me at ease.

I lifted myself from the bed carefully so as to not wake the slumbering feline and slipped back into my clothes. After I finished redressing, I pulled the blankets up over Carmedy’s bare shoulders, and she sighed softly into the pillow. I exited the tent with a soft smile, and Annalise and Rana greeted me on the other side. The sky had darkened a bit, and from the smell of the fires inside the camp, I knew it was close to dinner time. My avatar’s stomach rumbled loudly, and the fox-woman smirked as she wrapped an arm around my middle.

“Sounds like you’re pretty hungry, Master.” The redhead giggled as she and her sister guided me towards the nearest fire where Adam and Amos were waiting.

The scent of cooking food was stronger here and my mouth watered as I took in all the cooking meats and other dishes the soldiers had prepared. The Decathmor brothers were already busy filling their plates as we joined them, and they lifted their heads to me with broad smiles. I took a seat between Annalise and Rana as Morrigan appeared from the tents with Fea and Macha firmly planted on her thin shoulders. The pale elf glided over elegantly then found a seat next to the redheaded fox as she reached for a plate. My high queen grabbed two plates and piled them high with food then handed me the first before she began to dig in herself.

“Thank you.” I nodded to her, and the swordswoman smiled as she lifted a forkful of food to her mouth.

“Of course, Master,” the brunette smiled back.

“Master,” Adam started as he stared across the fire at me, and I lifted my head to him. “Who were those people earlier? You said you thought they were gods, but really, who were they?”

I looked at him thoughtfully for a second then decided to answer truthfully. There was no use in lying in this situation, and my eyes connected with the oldest twin’s once more. “I don’t know. As I said before, I believe them to be gods, but I couldn’t be sure just by looking at them.”

“Did you not sense their powers as you do with others?” Morrigan asked quietly as she picked at her food.

“That is difficult to answer,” I admitted, and they all raised their heads to me and gave me confused looks. “You see, with the amount of my own power I expelled to create the monsters to take down the Tintagal soldiers, it overshadowed the power that they were using, if it even was their own. I do know the woman on the white bear used a magical bow, and the hooded man possessed powers that were similar to mine.”

“Yes,” the elven woman echoed as she nodded once. “He used soul exorcism the few times that I saw him, but the other powers he used were something I had never seen before, and things you haven’t shown me yet, Master.”

“Did anyone see where they came from?” Amos questioned us, and Rana was the one who spoke up.

“Well, I didn’t see all of them, but the really crazy woman on the white bear just appeared out of nowhere,” the fox-woman explained. “I was moving to stab one of those Tintagal assholes, and next thing I know, he’s slumped over dead with an arrow through the back of his head.” The redhead threw her hands into the air. “He keeled over dead, and she was right behind him in this swirling vortex of blue light! I just sat there on top of Frei, totally flabbergasted, and the woman saluted me while she did that terrifying cackling laugh and just rode off to fight more of the Tintagal soldiers.”

“I saw the same thing,” Annalise uttered as she placed more food on her plate, “but it was with the man on the camel, and the vortex was red and black.”

“Do you have any idea where they came from, Master?” Amos asked as he shoved a heaping spoonful of food into his mouth and chewed loudly.

“Again, I don’t know,” I told them as I set my plate down and thought. “Most gods don’t leave the heavens for any reason, and the only gods left on earth are the ones confined to dungeons and, of course, me.”

“Very strange,” the swordswoman muttered as she chewed slowly and thought over the new information. “Do you think it could have anything to do with Baudouin, maybe?”

“I doubt it,” I murmured as I cupped my chin. “There’s no connection between the gods and the leader of Tintagal that I know of. Since the practices of worshipping gods have been lost to time, I doubt he has any link to any of the deities that reside in the heavenly realm.”

“What about the gods in the nearby dungeons? What about them?” Adam inquired, but I shook my head once more.

“All gods that are cast out of the heavens and sent down to earth are tied to their dungeons and are unable to leave,” I informed the Decathmor brothers.
They wouldn’t be able just to leave and join us in battle.

“This is so weird,” Rana muttered as she cleaned her plate.

“Master,” Adam started, and I lifted my head to him. “When will you set out? Tomorrow?”

“Yes, I believe so,” I confirmed. “We will go to that dungeon you told us about, then to Sangiam, and then on to Baudouin.” I watched as Amos’s expression saddened, and he reached out for Annalise’s hands.

“Good,” Amos growled between his teeth as he brought his sister closer to him and placed an arm around her. “Kill the bastard. He doesn’t deserve to live.”

“Not that I don’t disagree, but can I ask your reasoning for saying that?” I questioned. Amos inclined his head but didn’t turn his eyes to meet mine as he stared down at Annalise.

“He’s the horrible man Annalise was almost married off to,” Amos snarled, and his eyes never left Annalise as he spoke. “Our father was the one who arranged the marriage only because we wanted to gain the land of Tintagal. He was pawning off his only daughter to a man who is as cruel as he is mad.” Amos snarled, and Annalise gave him a weak smile as she patted his hand comfortingly.

“It’s no secret that Baudouin marries women, and then they either disappear or fall sick or just… die…” Adam spat out as he threw a log into the fire and sparks flew into the darkening sky.

“The Rusalka…” Morrigan whispered softly, and Adam’s eyes snapped to her as his lips pressed into a hard line.

“It’s never been confirmed but… yes… the Rusalka.” Amos nodded as his expression hardened.

“I don’t want to think what would have happened if Annalise hadn’t run away from the arranged marriage… She may have been…” The younger twin trailed off, but the High Queen wrapped her arms around her brother in a tight embrace.

“Don’t think about that right now, it didn’t happen, and now I’m the High Queen. Soon, Baudouin will be a distant memory for Tintagal and Tamarisch.” The swordswoman whispered into her brother’s shoulder, and Amos nodded along with her words.

“Can you tell me how Baudouin came into power?” I asked Adam.

“Like most of the rulers of Tintagal, it was passed down to him through the generations though I have heard stories that the kingdom was supposed to be passed down to his older brother,” Adam told me.

“What happened to his older brother then?” I squinted as I asked over the fire.

“He died, of course, as most of the people around Baudouin do,” Amos said as he pulled away from Annalise and looked at me with determination.

“What do you mean?” Rana asked as she sat back on her haunches and took Morrigan’s hand in her paw. From the way the elven woman’s eyes stayed downcast, I could tell she was still thinking back on the ghosts trapped in the water of the Riese.

“What else could I mean?” Adam chuckled darkly as he knit his fingers together and stared into the glowing embers of the fire. “Everyone around Baudouin dies because the man is a murderer. He was second in line for the throne of Tintagal and wouldn’t receive it unless his brother died. So, his brother, a fine man and close ally named Dotarian, mysteriously fell ill and died five months later. Baudouin inherited the throne, and he’s been the ruler of Tintagal ever since. Dotarian was in the middle of a treaty with our father to sign over Tintagal to Tamarisch, but as soon as Baudouin took over, he ripped up the contract and said that Tintagal would never be a part of Tamarisch for as long as he lived.”

“That’s not even the most messed up thing about the whole situation,” my warrior queen said softly as she linked hands with Amos. “Dotarian was married to a princess from one of the tropical islands close to Valasara. By Tintagal law, like in Tamarisch, if her husband’s early death widows the ruler's wife, then she must marry the successor so… that’s what happened.”

“Did she…?” Rana whispered as she covered her mouth with her paws.

Annalise nodded gravely. “She, like Dotarian, died suddenly and without much explanation from Baudouin. Ever since then, he’s been taking wives, and they’ve been dying on him. Most of the Tintagal people have accepted it as a man with horribly bad luck with women, but that’s not the truth… not even close to it.” The swordswoman sighed as she rubbed at her temples softly.

“But they are not suddenly dying…” Morrigan interjected as she clenched her hands into tight fists in her lap. Fea and Macha cawed loudly in distress. “He’s murdering them and sending them into the river.”

“He’s getting married again,” Adam said gravely as he raised his narrowed eyes to mine once more. “We’ve only just heard the news. If you don’t get to him as quickly as you can, there may be more blood on his hands and yet another Rusalka roaming the waves of the Riese, looking for solace.”

Chapter Seven

We left the Tamarisch soldiers earlier that morning with all of our things and supplies packed. Saying goodbye for the second time was hard for the High Queen, but the promise of being reunited with her brothers was what kept her going, especially since the news of Ansel traveling across the Riese had just been received. Soon all of the Decathmor siblings would be in the same place, and I was happy to learn I would see the oldest Decathmor sooner rather than later. The news had encouraged Annalise greatly, and she had been excited to get on the road to the nearest dungeon.

Most of the land of Tintagal was hilly and devoid of trees as my minions, and I journeyed towards the first dungeon. The news of Baudouin’s impending marriage brought renewed vigor to our travels, and we followed the roads per Adam’s instructions. Still, despite the dire news and the cold, wet weather, it was still a beautiful day. Purple hyacinths and white snowdrops crowded along the rough dirt road, and I watched as Carmedy scurried over and plucked a few. Her paws moved quickly as she wove the thin stems together in intricate designs. I smiled to the petite cat-girl as she snuck up behind Morrigan and placed the flower crown on the elven woman’s head.

The High Elf’s eyes widened as her delicate hand reached up and brushed the white and purple flowers on the top of her head. I was surprised to see that when she reached for it, she didn’t take it off or seem upset at the feline’s actions. The long-nailed fingers tenderly brushed at the moist petals as the elven woman smiled to herself and dropped the probing hand. I kept my eye on Carmedy as she once more went back to the flowers and began weaving another flower crown, and as soon as she had finished, she skipped over to Rana, but the fox-woman swatted her hands away with a soft chuckle. The black-haired female deflated and trudged along with her hands at her sides as her right hand nearly dropped the flower crown.

Annalise stepped to the much smaller dark-haired woman and gently took the crown from the feline’s paws. The High Queen placed the flower crown on her head and flipped her long, chestnut braid over her shoulder. Carmedy gave my wife a soft smile and then skipped back over to the flowers and plucked them quickly as she made herself a crown too. The alchemist looked down at the crown in her hands before she placed it on her head then back to Rana, but the fox-woman gave her a lopsided smirk and shook her head. The petite cat shrugged as she giggled and placed the flower crown firmly on her own head. Now it was late afternoon, and we had already stopped to rest and eat lunch together on the rolling plains of Tintagal.

Tintagal was a beautiful country full of lush grass and rolling hills that went on for miles. There wasn’t a tree in sight, and despite the chilly air, I was at peace listening to the soft rush of the wind and the occasional bird calls. We were close to the first dungeon judging by the twins’s directions to travel east towards Sangiam and follow the beaten path until we found it. I wasn’t sure what they had meant because their directions were vague, but as we went on, it became clear. Even from this far away, I could feel the distant beat of the god’s power as it reached out for us. The god hidden away in the dungeon was watching us already and knew that we were coming for him. Despite that, I was more anxious to see what was waiting for us in the cursed town of Sangiam than who was waiting for us in the dungeon.

Dungeons were easy for me, especially with what had happened in the last one we had visited. Nothing could compare to seeing and witnessing the Tichádáma, the goddess who loved her people so much that she would have laid down her life for them. With all the others we had conquered, no other gods could stand in my way with even a sliver of a chance of defeating me. The gods of Tintagal would be the same just as the others were, and I would enter their dungeons, outwit and destroy them then take their powers for myself.

The cursed town, though, was something new, and I craved new experiences with all my being.

“How long until we reach the dungeon, Master?” Carmedy asked as she hopped over a puddle. I smiled softly at the small feline as her sleek black tail whipped back and forth behind her eagerly.

“Within the hour,” I said over my shoulder to her, and she nodded firmly. “I believe it's hidden among those hills. I can feel the deity’s power coming from over there.”

“You can feel its power already?” Rana asked as she scrunched up her nose and squinted to where I pointed. “Does that mean it’s really strong?”

“It depends,” I told her as she stepped in stride with me. “The goddess of Machstein’s spanned the entire top of the island, and she was very strong, but there have been other gods who possess minuscule power that they can stretch out for miles, kind of like a warning to others to keep away.”

“I can feel it too,” The white-haired elf said as she cupped her elbows and looked in the direction of where the power was coming from. “It is faint, but I can still feel its pulse like a heartbeat.”

“Like an animal’s defense mechanism?” Rana questioned with bright eyes.

I nodded to her approvingly. “Similar but not quite. Defense mechanisms are bodily changes that an animal has given itself such as a salamander that can crack their ribs and force the broken bones through the skin in case a predator tries to eat them. This is more of a magical warning, so perhaps you can relate it to the coloration of certain animals that cannot defend themselves but put off that they can.”

I let that sink in before continuing. “In essence, this god is mimicking a much stronger one to make it seem that it's more powerful than it is. Much as the harmless red milk snake mimics the much more dangerous coral snake, they want much stronger predators to think they are dangerous when, in fact, they are not at all. I believe that is what is happening right now.”

“So this god is just pretending to be big and tough?” Carmedy giggled lightly as she ran on ahead then turned on the crest of the hill to motion for us to hurry up. “Well, come on then! Adventure awaits us!”

The dungeon was easy enough to find. Once we came over one of the higher hills, we could see the entrance pressed into the side of the much larger swells. The cave mouth was dark and dank like most of the other dungeons we had entered.

Naturally, I entered first, and my women carefully followed after. It seemed like any other cave though it was quite a bit brighter inside than most deities’ dungeons. When I lifted my head towards the rocky ceiling, I could see cracks where the dirt and rock had eroded and allowed some sunlight to filter in. Moss and other fungi sprang from the rocks surrounding us, and when I turned, I noticed as Carmedy stopped and plucked a few. Her black paws moved quickly as she placed them into separate bundles according to the species and type.

Carmedy noticed my probing eyes and gave me a sheepish smile before turning back to her harvest. The feline plucked a rare, strange looking mushroom from the mossy floor and held it up to her wide emerald eyes. The mushroom was brown but had petals much like the flowers she had picked earlier. The petite cat nearly dropped the mushroom she was holding as she motioned for Rana to stop moving.

“Stop, stop, stop! You’re stepping all over them!” the black-haired woman shouted, and her voice echoed down the cavern we traveled down.

“Keep your pants on,” the curly-haired fox said as she took a few hasty steps backward to avoid stepping on some of the mushrooms Carmedy examined. “What’s the big deal? They’re just mushrooms.”

“What’s the big deal? The big deal is these are really rare, and you narrowly trampled over them!” the alchemist hissed as she dropped to the ground and collected as many as she could with shaking paws. “These are Chorioactis, or formally known as the ‘Devil’s cigar.’ They only grown in two known places! It’s so strange to see them out of their natural habitat!”

“Devil’s cigar?” Annalise questioned as she bent down to examine the star-shaped mushroom the feline held carefully between both hands. “It looks nothing like a cigar, maybe like the ‘Devil’s star’ or something like that but not a cigar.”

“Close,” Rana smirked as she pointed at the High Queen and attempted to stifle her giggles, “but no cigar.”

“Very funny, Rana.” My wife smiled as she rolled her eyes and went back to the cat.

“No, these are what they look like after they’ve released their spores,” Carmedy told us as she held up the mushroom for all of us to see. Morrigan shuffled a little closer as Fea and Macha looked with interest in their beady black eyes. “Before they open, they are shaped like a cigar, and when they finally do, they make a distinct hissing sound and send their spores flying out into the air in a smoky haze! Isn’t that so cool?”

“Does that explain the weird smell in here?” the redhead fox questioned as she plugged her nose and eyed the mushrooms suspiciously.

“No, I don’t think so,” Carmedy said in a singsong voice. “It may just be the rotting plant matter that all these fungi are feasting on.”

Rana shook her head to dismiss that idea entirely. “No, mushrooms have a distinct earthy smell,” the fox nasally stated as she moved her bright blue eyes around the cave. “This smells like rotting meat or something.”

“Rotting meat? I don’t smell anything.” I frowned as I took a deep breath in and turned my head towards the inner bowels of the tunnel.

“Are you sure you don’t smell it too, Carmedy?” the redhead asked as she gripped onto her smaller sister’s shoulder.

Carmedy sniffed at the air and squinted her eyes as she concentrated. The silky black ears on the top of her head swiveled and turned though I wasn’t sure if that helped her smell or not. The feline stopped, pressed her lips together for a few passing seconds, then shrugged and went back to the mushroom.

“Nope, I don’t smell anything fleshy or rotted,” the black-haired cat said as she turned over the Devil’s cigar in her hands then popped it into a burlap bag before she stood and brushed off her hands.

I glanced over at Rana, and her face was still pinched as she held her nose. I couldn’t smell anything, and from my other minion's looks, it was plain that they couldn’t either, but from all the times that the fox’s ears and nose had helped us out, I knew it would be best to trust what she sensed. I gestured for the women to follow after me as I plunged forward into the dungeon with a renewed sense of caution for what could be around each turn.

The rest of the journey downward was silent, and though the light dimmed a little the farther we went, it was still bright enough for us to see the path in front of us. I could feel the god’s power all around us, and I knew we were getting nearer. When Annalise stopped suddenly beside me and squinted down the tunnel, I felt it come on strong, so I held my arm out to stop her.

“Did… did you just see that?” the High Queen whispered over to me as she stopped.

“No, what did you see?” I questioned as I turned to look at her.

The swordswoman shook her head so violently that her braid flew off her shoulder and down her back. “The tunnel, it moved.”

I hadn’t seen it, but I had sensed it like the wave of the god’s hand. He was finally showing himself in one way or another instead of fully revealing himself to us. I looked back down the cavern where Annalise pointed and saw that where the path had once dipped down deeper into the hill was now completely straight and almost tilted upward.

Rana pulled her paw away from her nose and sniffed the air for a second as she assessed the surroundings. The fox-woman moved and went to step in front of us, but I felt it before any of them did. I grabbed the redhead by the back of her coat and pulled her back with a mighty heave. A split-second later, the floor where Rana was about to step opened up into a black mouth of emptiness.

The empty path rolled underneath our feet, and the sound of cracking rocks silenced the screams that erupted from my minions’ mouths. I reached out for Carmedy as the feline tumbled backward, and my fingers brushed against the soft cloth of her coat as I gripped hard onto her arm. Rana was able to grab onto the falling cat before she too tumbled into the hole, but as soon as she leaned the much smaller feline onto her, the ground beneath her feet opened up, and she began to fall. I was growing annoyed, but I could sense what was happening and keep my minions from falling into the pits the god created. I could plainly see that my minions were growing panicked, especially the fox-girl who was clinging to the stone wall above one of the growing holes.

Morrigan and Annalise stood on a small bit of rock flooring that remained as the rest fell away around us, and I gritted my teeth as I pooled all of my dark power through my avatar’s body and formed a swirling disk of my energy. I stepped onto it, and the disc held beneath my feet and moved first towards the screaming feline as she struggled to keep a handhold on the wall. I grabbed Carmedy by the hips and lifted her easily onto the disk next to me. As I placed her at my side, the disk widened enough for both of us, and using my power, I moved the swirling mass over towards Rana and Morrigan. Once we were close to them, I held out my hand, and both of them took it as they hopped onto the mass of dark power below my feet.

My high queen was the last one separated from us, and she struggled to keep her balance on one last remaining slab of dirt. The more she moved and struggled to keep upright, the more the soil and rock crumbled away at her feet. With a loud whoosh, I forced the disk forward with my power and grabbed the struggling swordswoman right as she was about to fall.

I pulled the brunette up next to me, and she collapsed into my arms and panted. Her beautiful face was flushed red and sweat beaded on her hairline but despite being quite shaken up, she was fine with no injuries. My minions held tightly to me as they huddled together, and the disk below our feet widened enough for all of us to stand comfortably, but my women remained close together as their peered over the side and down into the darkness below.

“What the hell was that?” the redhead gasped as she batted her bangs out of her eyes, and I looked over my shoulder at her.

“The deity is trying to play tricks on us. I can’t explain, but I need all of you to empty your minds,” I instructed them, and each of their faces paled as they stared up at me.

“What do you mean empty our minds, Master?” the elven woman whispered, and Macha flapped her wings irritably and nearly hit the top of Carmedy’s head with her feathers.

“This god… he can read our minds and guess what move we are going to make next. I need all of you to stop thinking, stop worrying, whatever you do, don’t think of anything at all. Keep your minds completely empty,” I commanded them, and each of my women stared up at me in confusion.

“Master, I don’t think that is something we can do…” Annalise started as she scratched her head in confusion, but I waved my hand to silence her.

“No, do not think at all. This is something I will have to handle on my own.” I told them as I turned back down and summoned a power I hadn’t used in a very long time.

I moved my dark power out in front of me and beside my minions and pools of swirling smoke emerged as I concentrated. This god thought he could get rid of us so easily, but he was sorely mistaken especially when I was involved. From each cloud of smoke, a clone of my avatar appeared, and the disk under our feet expanded to support each one of them. I created twenty of them in total, and when I finished, there was an army of my avatars all around us like a troop of soldiers protecting us.

I instructed each of the clones to think anything loudly and to shout it in their heads, and as I concentrated on their minds, I could hear the individual conversations between each one. Even if my minions thought now, the god wouldn’t be able to listen to it or pick it out of the crowd of my clones screaming mentally at the top of their voices. The disk below our feet was no longer small enough only for my minions and me, but had become a platform that floated down the hall above the empty cavern the god had created below.

I moved the dark platform down the hall, and soon enough, the ground appeared again just as it had disappeared, but I didn’t trust it enough to test it out in case it happened to fall away again. I could feel the god’s presence clearly now, and the closer we floated, the angrier he became. He wasn’t able to hear any of our thoughts because of the clones I had created, and soon, the walls of the tunnel began to vibrate violently. The walls and ceiling began to close in on us, and I realized he was attempting to squash us with the very material his dungeon was made of.

As the ceiling brushed the hairs at the top of my head, I pulled the God Slayer from my void pocket and slammed it down against the hard surface of the disk to keep us aloft. The blades of the great polearm sprang to life, and I stabbed upward at the ceiling with all my might. A loud scream vibrated through not only the hall but through our heads, and if there were any doubts left that he was inside our minds, it was absolutely certain now.

I stabbed out once more, and this time, it dug the blades of God Slayer deep into the dirt. Surprisingly, red blood began to seep through the hole the blades had created. I stared up at it as I wrenched the weapon free, and dirt fell along with the drops of blood. It was very strange, but I should have suspected it. This god was not only trapped inside of his dungeon but also had become part of the dungeon during the time that he had spent here.

The insides of the dungeon looked practically untouched, and I assumed that many people who decided to conquer this one hadn’t made it very far. I kept the wall of clones up as we moved closer to the deity hidden away in the dirt, and I smiled to myself as Rana pulled out her elven daggers and swiped at the walls. As when I had stabbed at the ceiling, the god cried out in pain and the very same blood as before seeped out from every slash of her daggers. I nodded to my first wife, and she pulled out Bloodscale and the unnamed sword and started hacking at the walls as they passed by. Within moments, not only were all of my minions attacking the walls but I made the clones join in too with their own versions of the God Slayer.

Each time one of our weapons connected with the wall, the god shrieked and screamed but couldn’t retaliate because of all the thoughts and words bouncing around my clones minds. This went on for several minutes, and each time more blood spilled, I laughed out loudly enough for the deity to hear me. Just as I had suspected, he was weak in comparison to me, but his power was still that of a god. What I would gain from him was immense, and I was eager to reach his nexus and take it from him. My minions, my clones, and I came around a wide turn and faced a massive, crudely made archway, and I knew we were finally at our destination though I didn’t send my clones away in this moment. I could see the god as he rested on a throne made entirely of rotted wood and roots, but he barely raised his head to us as the entire troop floated in. Finally, when we were before him, he lifted his head to us, and I saw that his eyes were wholly clouded with blindness.

Unlike most gods I knew in the heavenly realm and the ones we had seen in previous dungeons, this god looked entirely different from the rest. Instead of a heavenly body or an essence, it seemed as if his godly soul was trapped within a human’s body, and as he moved to stand from the chair, he stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. Human bodies are much different from holy ones, and when a god’s soul is placed within one, it was like a living hell. The shells of humans were not suited for gods and would kill themselves from the inside out to free the vast essence trapped inside, and that was happening here.

“Nergal,” I whispered, and the decrepit and decomposing face of the man split into a smile as he searched for the owner of the voice.

“I haven’t heard that name for thousands of years,” the god spoke through the human, and I could hear the wheeze coming from his lungs as he struggled to take in a breath. “But yes, I am Nergal.”

“The man who gave birth to pestilence on the earth,” I uttered softly to my minions.

Nergal tilted his head to me. The thin colorless hair on his head shifted with the scuttle of lice and fleas, and Rana drew back as she gagged in disgust.

“I see,” The god smiled to reveal rotted brown and green teeth as he stroked his chin with blackened fingers. “You’ve met my daughter then?”

“What? What does that mean?” Annalise whispered to me. I shook my head dismissively but knew full well I would have to explain his hidden meaning later after we had killed the god before us.

“I assume you are here to take my powers?” Nergal asked as he stroked the moldy wood of his throne, his milky white eyes pointed in my direction.

“Of course, we are.” I chuckled as I moved my clones forward. We stepped as one off the disk, but Nergal didn’t move at all. He only laughed loudly to himself.

“That’s the problem, Unum Tenebris,” Nergal tittered, and I glared down at him, though I was thankful he called my name in the god’s language and didn’t speak it directly to my minions. “All these mortals come to take my powers and don’t even get past the front door, some of them too scared to even come over the closest hill, but here all of you are, trespassing upon an old man who could kick all of your asses one-on-one.”

“Yeah, old man?” Rana shouted as she stepped forward and pointed a finger at the seated god. “You and what army, huh? Here we are, come and try!”

Nergal chuckled again, and I smelled what Rana had earlier. The rotting smell wasn’t coming from the dungeon but Nergal himself as his human shell rotted away around him. The old man’s head turned as he looked in the direction that the fox’s voice had come from, and he laughed even louder this time as the eyes moved as if reading something in front of him.

“Rana Elouise Martin,” Nergal said, and the redhead’s blue eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open as he spoke her full name. “You’ve come a long way from stealing loaves of bread and pickpocketing, haven’t you, my sweet little street rat?”

“Wha-what?” the fox woman stuttered in disbelief as she stumbled backward. I caught her by the shoulders and held her safely in place.

“Yes, I know your name just like I know the rest of your party’s names,” Nergal snarled through a wide grin. “I know where you’ve been and what you’ve done. I know every inch of your souls as if it were my own, especially yours, Unum Tenebris. I may have been cast out, but I still hear the words coming down from the heavenly realm as if I’m still there. What a bastard you are.”

“You dare--” I growled as I gripped the God Slayer and took a step towards the decaying old man, but he lifted his boney black hands into the air to stop me with a deep chuckle.

“They speak of you, more often than you would think. Do you really think that the gods in heaven are going to turn a blind eye to what you are doing on earth?” Nergal snorted as he rubbed at his face, and I watched in disgust as the flesh peeled back in parts to reveal the putrefying meat underneath.

“You’re lying,” I barked at him, but he shook his head, and his colorless hair pooled around his sunken-in shoulders.

“You can believe my words, or you can choose not to, but your name falls from your mother’s lips with sorrow and sadness just as it does from your father’s,” Nergal uttered as he folded his bony hands in his lap.

“Now that I know is a lie,” I snapped as I lifted the God Slayer and prepared to strike the old man down.

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, that is up to you to choose. What use would it be for me to lie? However, I can tell you that the gods aren’t the only ones watching you. I hear other voices that speak your name.” Nergal smirked, and the smell hit me once more, but I didn’t draw back or come forward with the God Slayer drawn. My curiosity was now piqued.

“What do you mean?” I questioned with furrowed brows, and the god trapped in a human body smiled even wider. The milky white eyes moved over the space where I stood, and I heard his long, black nails click together as he thought to himself.

“You really think that you’ve spent all of this time traipsing around the earth, killing and conquering dungeons, and no one would notice?” the blind man asked as he leaned back in his throne without care.

“Spit it out, old man,” I shouted as the rage in my belly boiled over.

“Long ago, before you and I were trapped in these holes, we roamed where ever we pleased and did whatever we wanted despite being cast out, quite like what you do now,” Nergel started, and one of his weak hands reached up and scratched at his infested hair with a sickening sound. “Some of us, like myself and you, were locked away from all humanity. Do you really think the people who painstakingly sealed you away were just going to allow you to trollop around the green earth without repercussions? You’ve had a run-in with them before, High Elf Morrigan, haven’t you?”

“You mean…?” the elven woman said as she took a tentative step forward to glare at the revolting deity before us.

“But, of course, who else could I mean?” Nergal giggled to himself in a wheeze, and then his glowing white eyes snapped directly to me as his lips pulled back against his mossy teeth, “The Holy Band of Mages is paying close attention to the god that somehow was able to escape his prison. In fact, one might say they’re hunting you down at this very moment.”

Chapter Eight

“I’d heard they were busy dealing with a particular spryly sorcerer, you may know him by the name of Tuzakeur, but his tracks intertwined with someone they hadn’t forgotten, though they had hoped to,” Nergal informed us.

I stared him down, and though he couldn’t see me, he glared back with a wicked smile.

“What do the Holy Band of Mages want with me?” I asked as I squinted down at the decaying old man.

“What else would they want?” He stroked his wrinkly chin thoughtfully as he kept his milky eyes on my form. “You escaped your dungeon. They either want you dead, or they want to put you back where you belong.” Nergal cackled through his moldy brown and green teeth.

“They can’t kill me,” I told him confidently as I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m too powerful of a god for them to even touch. I would wipe them out in a manner of seconds.”

“Yes, you could…” Nergal drew out slyly, and I narrowed my eyes on him harder. “But do you think that the Holy Band of Mages would come for you without protection? At least, some sort of collateral to keep you in check.”

“What are you talking about?” I growled as I took a menacing step forward.

“Let’s call it... an echo of a relic from your past, though I won’t tell you any more because, honestly, I like the way your mind squirms.” Nergal giggled, and I watched in disgust as the sickly old man struggled to stand.

As Nergal did so, the throne made from gnarled trees and roots shifted and produced a long walking stick, and the sickly man grabbed it easily with one hand and used it to stumble towards us. My minions took quick steps back in fear and disgust while my clones stayed in place around me like guards.

The staff that Nergal carried, unlike the throne and everything else in his dungeon, was expertly crafted and the wood was smoothed to perfection. The top of the wooden staff bent and swirled in a circle, and long strings of feathers hung down and brushed against his fist. Nergal chuckled softly as he used the staff to hobble forward, and strange noises came from his mouth. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he turned his head and listened as the sound vibrated back against the cavern’s walls.

I recognized it immediately as echolocation, the same type of technique that bats used to maneuver their way around caves. The god trapped in a human body was trying to feel out where all of us were standing, and though my clones took up space and appeared to be solid, they were no more solid than a thick fog. It was one of the shortcomings of that magic, but soon, I would learn how to create more that were more substantial, but for now, it was clear that Nergal used his superior senses to figure out which was real and which was merely a clone.

Nergal found his way to me and stood directly in front of my avatar. I nearly pulled away when he reached out one blackened hand towards my face, but I stood my ground and allowed him to touch my face. His entire being stunk like Rana had described earlier, and I could hear my minions shift uncomfortably from behind me as the rotting god probed my face for answers that he couldn’t find inside of my emptied mind.

“You know why I’m here, don’t you?” Nergal asked in a whisper as he gestured towards the whole of the nexus with his staff.

“No, I do not,” I answered back as I studied his face carefully.

I had never seen him, not on earth and not in the heavenly realm, I only knew tales of him. He must have been cast out long before I was born. From the state of the human body he was trapped in, he must have been here for some time.

“You know the god’s rules as do I. Recite them for me, son.” Nergal smiled, and the smell of his breath hit me, but I kept a straight face as his hand stopped and rested two fingers against my forehead.

“Thou shalt never attempt to take the life from another god,” I repeated the first rule of the heavens, and Nergal nodded keenly and pressed his two fingers harder into the bone of my forehead. “Thou shalt not attempt to seize a domain under another god’s control.”

“Very good, and the last?” Nergal urged me on, and I tightened my hands into fists unknowingly as I was once again reminded of the reason I was cast out.

“Thou shalt never lay with a human or creatures alike as thou do with heavenly beings,” I growled as I recited the third godly rule.

Nergal laughed heartily at that. “Isolda was a pretty one, wasn’t she?” he taunted as he pressed harder into my forehead.

I snarled but refused to take a step back in this game of wills that we were playing. “And?” I scoffed angrily.

“To me, that’s the most asinine of reasons to fall from the heavens, don’t you think?” the rotting god mocked. I saw in the milky whites of his eyes that he was attempting to rile me, but it wouldn’t work, I would win this. “To throw away everything for a human? What is the point? They die so easily that it's almost embarrassing. Look at this body that I’m caged in! Every six months I have to replace it because it simply rots away like it’s made from nothing. Not only that, but have you seen the goddesses in the god’s realm? Are you blind? You threw away your life for nothing, and it disgusts me.”

“For nothing?” I asked, my voice much calmer than before as I took in hus words. “That’s where you’re very wrong. Finding love and a partner in the god’s realm would have been unbelievably easy. I would tell you to look at my face but, you can’t.”

I snickered as I took a jab at him, but the disgusting man didn’t react at all to my spurring. “The gods made those rules, then would marry themselves off to people they didn’t care about. The heavenly realm was rampant with affairs and orgies, and that, Nergal, is what disgusts me. What I had with Isolda was something special, a bond between a human and a god that no one, not even the gods could break apart. Even now, as I stand with my minions, not even the gods or the Holy Band of Mages will tear them from me as they did with my first love.”

“How can you talk like that?” Rana shouted as she came forward, one of her elven dagger drawn, not that Nergal could see it. “You have a daughter! You must have been cast out for fraternizing with a human!”

“You think…?” Nergal burst out laughing, and I raised my eyebrows as the festering man bent over and guffawed loudly. “No, you are very wrong. My daughter, Ruituri, was born from the goddess of earth, Cybele. Don’t you want to know why I was thrown from the heavens, Dark One? I can feel the vibrating curiosity burning in your brain.”

“If you want to tell us so much, then do so,” I stated plainly as I took a step forward. Nergal scurried back then as I forced him to break contact with my flesh for a second.

“There is one thing I can commend you for, the lust and greed for all things to be under your control,” Nergal stated, and I could physically feel his power probing through my mind though I wasn’t sure what he was looking for.

“So, you were cast out for attempting to take the domain of another god?” I questioned through narrowed eyes.

“Yes, but it was more than that.” Nergal sighed, and from the tone of his voice, it seemed like he was happy about what he had done. “You may not remember him, your parents would, but the lightning god, Raijin, was the one I stole from. You might have seen carvings of him while you were still there in the heavens. A real brute, he was. Looked more suited for the pits of hell than the heavenly realm.”

I did remember this Raijin from carvings and texts. His blood red skin as if he had been dipped down into fire, the horns that protruded from his rippling black locks, and the fangs that hung from his thick lips like the tusks of elephants. Like Nergal had said, he had been a brute who ravaged and terrorized the god’s realm for thousands of years, but I had never met him there. Most of the carvings I had seen of him were of him sitting among the clouds surrounded by floating tomoe, strange circle-shaped sigils with four knife-like spines that swirled out from the middle which represented the god himself. Raijin was a vengeful god and, despite having many wives and mistresses, was unsatisfied and beat his women viciously.

“I killed him, and his blue blood spilled upon the ground of the heavens and dripped down onto the earth,” Nergal told me. “I took his land and his women for my own. Under my control and power, they flourished for years until the heavens found out what I had done, and I was cast down from my rightful place.” I scrutinized his face, attempted to dive deeper than the surface of the human’s face and see the true god underneath. “The only consolation of my banishment is that one of his mistresses, Cybele, was heavy with the weight of my child, and that child has broken the chains of heaven to walk upon the earth and wreak havoc to all in her path.”

“Broke the chains of heaven?” Annalise asked as she took a step forward and tilted her head at the god. For a moment, Nergal’s eyes swiveled behind me where he thought the High Queen was, and I caught a flash of the true god underneath the flesh and bone of the human shell. “What do you mean by that?”

“In case your Master hasn’t told you, gods and deities are only allowed to leave the heavens with the permission of the Holy Order, usually when they are visiting temples or rewarding the people who follow them,” Nergal croaked in his ancient voice, and I glared at him as he spoke again.

“Some gods leave without permission, like your Master when he journeyed down to meet his lover,” Nergal crooned. “There are other ways to leave, say a witch summons you to her, or you are called upon through a ritual, right, Dark One? If a god wants to leave according to the law, you must pass through the Sanctus Gates before stepping down to earth which is guarded by ten thousand armed gatekeepers called Pueros.”

“You’re boring me with all this talk, old man.” I snarled through my teeth, but Nergal only chuckled lightly as he shifted his cloudy white eyes back to my face.

“Patience is bitter, young one, but the fruit is sweet,” Nergal replied back coolly as he went on. “Ruituri gathered up some friends and took down the gate. As a father, I’m very proud of my dastardly creation. The gate is open, and now, anyone can come and go as they please.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, for the old god had given me some beneficial information after all. When I finally moved on to the heavens after the earth was under my control, I would have a clear path to do so.

Nergal moved his hand from my forehead to my shoulder as he read my thoughts. “It seems I have given you more information than I have received,” he admitted, and I gripped the God Slayer in my hands as I prepared to slam it down on the stone floor. I urged the thoughts of my clones on faster and louder than before to drown out my and my minions’ thoughts. I heard the sound of Annalise unsheathing Bloodscale behind me and the sound of Carmedy’s bundles as she mixed them together.

“Sulfur trioxide and batrachotoxin, since he relies on smell and sound instead of sight, a pinch of thioacetone for fun,” the feline muttered to herself as she hastily poured two liquids into a pouch then a just a drop of a burnt-orange-colored liquid. She closed the bag right as it started to smoke and sealed it tightly as her emerald eyes met mine, and she gave me a quick nod as she dropped the sizzling pouch into the cradle of her golden slingshot.

As my clones and I stepped aside, Carmedy brought the slingshot up and pulled back on the sling. After a split-second of aiming, she let the bundle go with a snap, and it shot through the air right as the decaying god heard her thoughts and realized what happened. Unfortunately, his feeble human body was too slow to react.

The bundle hit him directly in the forehead, almost exactly where he had touched me, and exploded with the crackle of chemicals. The leather pouch that held the liquid contents disintegrated within seconds as the brown liquid dripped down Nergal’s face. The god screamed in pain as he brought his hands up to wipe it off. The skin of his face began to melt as the concoction did its work, and Rana hissed between her teeth as the muscles of his face exposed themselves through the dissolving flesh.

Nergal’s screams were hoarse and constricted as he covered his face and bent over in agony. He nearly dropped his staff in the process, but he still managed to hang onto it despite the immense pain. With the opening volley thrown, it was my turn to advance, so I slammed down the polearm on the rock below my feet. The great weapon sang to life with a chorus of unseen voices as the three hidden blades emerged from inside of the haft. However, Nergal didn’t hear it as the voices of my clones chanted in his head, each one speaking a different tongue to confuse the god.

I advanced on him as I pooled all of my dark power into the God Slayer and swung it over my head once, and black and purple light trailed after it through the air. I used the movement of the polearm and swung the haft in my hand then brought it down at his curled back, but right as I did, Nergal’s staff came up, and our weapons clashed together as the staff transformed before my eyes.

Nergal’s staff elongated, and the curled swirl at the end shifted and straightened to a point. The feathers remained and shifted in the parted air, but the staff changed to a deadly glaive, and the long-pointed blade that arose from the wood glinted hatefully as he lifted his burned face to mine. The human body he inhabited was badly scorched with nearly half of the face seared away to reveal the rotten muscles below, and part of his colorless hair had singed all the way to the scalp.

I stared at him with disgust, and Nergal smiled widely to show maggots crawling around the gums of his teeth. While I could have overpowered him there, I instead relented and ducked back… but not because I was showing the old man mercy. No, I had heard the whisper of a blade flying through the air behind me, and I stepped aside just as one of Rana’s elven daggers blurred past me and buried itself in Nergal’s left temple.

The god barely reacted at all. He only reached up one probing hand, gripped the handle of the knife, and pulled it out with a sickening sound before letting it clatter to the stone floor. Not one to back down at the first sign of trouble, the fox-woman simply placed a hand to her chest. Light began to stream from the center of her breastbone as she drew the Eye of Alipsis.

As she conjured the godly weapon, I brought the God Slayer in a brutal overhead stroke as I rose to my full height. Again as I moved to strike, Nergal’s milky white eyes swiveled to follow my motion, no doubt drawn to the sound of my blades cutting the air, and he brought up the glaive. Our weapons met in a clatter of sparks, but this time I did not relent. Instead, I threw all of my weight against the polearm and threw the rotting god off with a loud yell, a call to arms that my minions rushed forward at.

Gone were the times when they would hang behind and wait for me to finish the gods off, and I was proud of them for always being willing to do my bidding in these types of situations. Morrigan’s white hair was a blur in the corner of my eye as she raced past, and with a flick of her wrist, she unleashed the emerald green light. It raced across the floor towards Nergal and consumed the deity, in an emerald inferno. Screeching in agony, the rotting god managed to pull away a step, but the emerald light clung to him still.

“Master!” Annalise screamed, and the sound of her heavy boots pounded the ground directly behind me. I knew what she wanted me to do before the word fell from her beautiful lips. “Down!”

I dropped to one knee, brought the God Slayer down parallel to the ground, and ducked my head. Annalise leapt off the rocky floor, then used my back as a springboard to force herself into the air, something I assisted by pushing upward as she jumped. My blood pumped as she flew through the air, Bloodscale up over her head, and aimed the mighty sword downward as she came closer to the screaming god. Nergal ripped at his flesh as the emerald light consumed more of his body in vicious combination with the concoctions Carmedy had made.

With Nergal distracted by his agony and his glaive down at his side, my warrior queen was clear to bring Bloodscale down into the meat of his body where the neck and shoulder met. Nergal screamed even louder this time, his creamy white eyes wide as he struggled for breath, and with a wave of my hand, all of my minions took a step back.

It was my turn to play.

Nergal shifted his feet as he beat at the green power eating at his putrid flesh, and as I advanced, I poured my dark force into the three blades of the God Slayer. Black smoke formed around the blades in an undulating ball. I ran forward at him now, and he barely had enough time to react with the sounds of my clone’s voices screaming in his head. I swung the God Slayer in front of my body, but instead of chopping down like Annalise, I thrust upward with the blades.

They tore into Nergal’s flesh and penetrated into his chest along with my swirling dark power. Nergal gasped for breath, and both blind hands reached up and gripped onto the wooden shaft of my weapon as he struggled to pull it out, but I was too strong for him. The black energy seeped into his wound like an infection, and I watched it spread through his entire body like a ravenous virus.

The god gasped and gurgled as blackened blood spilled from his mouth and down his front, but I ignored him as I pulled up once more on the God Slayer to sink the blades deeper into the human shell he consumed. I was so close to him that I could smell the reeking stench of rotted skin, but I didn’t draw back. I only pressed forward.

There was a moment of silence as my minions and mindless clones watched as the God Slayer’s blades broke through the skin of Nergal’s back, and his head fell back. His cloudy eyes searched the air for something though I couldn’t tell what, and I listened as his lungs struggled to fill. His blackened hand waved through the air like a dying bird then rested on top of my clenched fist for a moment. I lifted my head, and our eyes found each other even though he couldn’t see them.

“You’re the Dark One, the Unum Tenebris I’ve been waiting for,” Nergal gasped as more dark blood spilled from his lips.

“I am,” I told him in a whisper before I glanced over at my minions. They were too far away to hear what the old man said.

“I-I could have been an ally, you know,” Nergal garbled through a mouthful of blood, but his grip on my hand tightened. “You must settle for my daughter as an ally then. She came from my loins, she bears the same hatred as I do, stained into her skin like a tattoo. I know she too hungers for the end of the oppressive godly rule in the heavens.”

“I don’t need allies. I have both Tamarisch and Valasara on my side and will soon possess Tintagal,” I scoffed.

The blind man blinked silently as his eyes swiveled up to the ceiling and a slow chuckle seeped up from the depths of his chest. “Mortals will lay down their lives to you, but they are meaningless. We may have differing opinions on the weight and value of humans, but a war against the gods is nothing if you don’t have at least another god on your side to help. I would suggest that you allow Ruituri to help you.”

Those were his last words. Nergal’s head fell all the way back and hung down lifelessly between his shoulder blades as his burnt colorless hair swung out behind him. I pulled the God Slayer back, and the blades slid out of his body with a wet sucking sound. I let him drop, and he fell heavily to the stone floor, his dirty hair fanned out underneath him.

I watched his silent body for a passing moment, and as I did, a milky white orb lifted from his chest and hung in the air as if it was waiting for me. I stepped to it, and the orb came to me like an obedient dog. It pressed into my chest slowly as if the power he possessed was tentative to be joined back with a god’s body for the first time in thousands of years.

That power was strong, and I felt it join the puppet master’s power and strengthen it beyond what it already was. I knew that from now on, I wouldn’t destroy the brains of those I attempted to mind-read, regardless of any defenses or traps set up in their brains, for which I was grateful. The moment that Nergal’s power became mine, it blossomed out before me like a lily, and I turned back to my minions, and their thoughts flooded into my brain one by one.

I heard Carmedy’s sweet voice in my head as she took inventory of her herbs and other things needed for potions and concoctions. Annalise was watching me, and her raspy voice commented on how handsome I was. Morrigan’s soft, whispering voice murmured in her elven tongue to Fea and Macha. Rana, who bent down and picked up her discarded dagger, was grumbling that she didn’t get to use the Eye in this situation. I stared at them for a long moment, and all of them took notice of my eyes.

The cat-girl was the first to skip over and wrap her arms around me tightly. I pressed her to my chest and pressed a soft kiss into her midnight black hair.

“Treasure?” the redhead asked with a grin, and I looked over the feline’s shoulder to her with a broad smile.

“Treasure,” I confirmed in my deep voice.

The sun had already gone down as my shadow slaves brought out the last of the trove of treasures, and Rana, as usual, was the first to dive for it. Her paws worked feverishly as she dug through the gold and silver, and occasionally, she’d fling out an object of interest for the rest of us to examine it together.

I laughed heartily as the fox-woman tossed a large metal sphere over her head and I caught it easily before it slammed into the dirt. I moved my eyes over it but found nothing significant and passed it on to my other minions to check. Between all five of us, we had a vast knowledge of objects and their uses, but I knew in my heart that Rana was searching for something specific, one of the sacred items. The redhead moved quickly but efficiently as she searched each chest and trunk filled to the brim with riches.

“Goddamnit.” The fox sighed as she finished with the last trunk and sat back on her haunches.

“It’s okay, Rana,” Carmedy said as she came over and rubbed at the redhead’s shoulders. “We’re not going to find something every time, and you just got the Eye of Alipsis. It’s going to take more time to find the others.”

“I know,” the fox-woman muttered as she reached up and clasped the cat’s paw. “I’m just impatient… what if he’s hurting my family? What if they’re hungry or hurt or--”

“Enough,” I quieted Rana gently in the softest voice I could muster, and the curly-haired fox raised her bright blue eyes to me. “There is no reason to worry yourself when you don’t have answers. Though the sorcerer is an evil man, he did say that he would take care of them while you found the sacred items.”

“I just… I don’t get it,” Rana whimpered as she held the sapphire jewel at the end of the silver chain in her closed fist. “Why does he want all this crap anyway? They’re just trinkets… jewelry and junk…”

“I believe I know what it is, but I cannot be sure until we have all of the sacred items together,” I told her as I stroked the silky curls atop her head. Her ears drooped slightly but her free hand reached back and grabbed tightly onto mine for comfort.

“It’s gotta be something really important. Maybe, if we get all the pieces, we can use it against him and be rid of him at last!” The black-haired feline cheered.

“Yeah.” Rana smiled at her ever-jolly sister as she rose to her feet and hugged Carmedy to her chest. “I hope it’s a big weapon so we can blast his ass to kingdom come.”

The petite alchemist opened her mouth to speak more, but snapped it shut as her emerald eyes landed on something inside one of the trunks. The cat fell to her knees and lifted the object out with shaking paws. The object that Carmedy held was a large bottle, the size of a bottle of wine and entirely made out of steel. Engraved on the front was a strange symbol I had never seen before, and I squinted down at it. It was a large staff, and two snakes curling around it with their heads facing each other, and large feathered wings spread out above both the staff and the snakes. I looked down at it then glanced over at Rana for confirmation. The fox-girl shrugged and peeked over Carmedy’s shoulder as the feline held the bottle aloft in the air.

“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit,” the black-haired girl whispered, and from behind her, Rana stifled a loud bark of laughter.

“You really need to learn better sayings, my friend. I’ll teach you some later if you want,” the redhead chortled.

“I don’t care what sayings you teach me,” the petite alchemist breathed as she lowered the steel bottle and stared at it in wonder.

“What is it?” Morrigan asked as she came over with Annalise at her side, and my black-haired minion held it out to the other women with wide, emerald eyes.

“None of you know what this is?” the feline asked in disbelief as her eyes searched each of our faces, and the elven woman reached out and took the bottle from the cat’s paws.

“I don’t know what the bottle contains,” the white-haired elf said as she moved the bottle back and forth and listened to its contents slosh. “But I do know this symbol. This is the caduceus. It represents healing or medicine, correct? That’s what my elven people use it for, at least.”

“This… this is Azoth,” Carmedy whispered as she took the bottle back and stared down at it in wonder. “It’s the universal medication… the universal solvent.”

The feline quickly pulled out an empty bottle from her pack, used one paw to open the lid of the Azoth, and transferred just the tiniest amount in. I could tell from the way to alchemist moved with utter caution that this item meant a lot to her. The liquid spilled out into the smaller container, and I stared at it in wonder as the waning light hit it and reflected off of it. The fluid inside looked like melted silver and moved thickly. Unlike other liquids, it didn’t transfer to the glass sides of the bottle but moved as if it were alive.

“It is beautiful,” the elf said as she reached out for the bottle. Carmedy handed it over gingerly, then Morrigan held the glass up to her eyes and turned the bottle to watch the azoth move and fluctuate. “You said it was the universal medication. What do you mean by that?”

“Azoth can be used for many things and can create thousands of different potions,” the feline whispered as she held the bottle closely to her chest. “Azoth can be found in every single living thing and some non-living things too. It’s part of our chemical make-up even at a minuscule level. As to your question, azoth can heal anything and everything, may it be a flesh wound or an incurable disease. I just can’t believe we found a supply of it.”

“Can it really do that?” Annalise asked as she reached out for the bottle, and the elven woman handed it over.

“Yes! I’ve never seen it in person, but I’ve read about it thousands of times!” Carmedy shouted as she lifted the capless bottle into the air, then winced and slowly lowered it before any of the precious liquid could spill out.

“Do you think that if my avatar was to become injured, it would be able to heal it?” I inquired as I cupped my chin.

“Absolutely! Azoth can heal anything!” the black-haired cat cried happily through a smile.

I reached out for the bottle, and Carmedy quickly handed it over as she screwed the cap back on. I held the azoth in my hands, and it was quite heavy.

“Yes,” I said as I grinned at my minions. “This will be of great use to us.”

Chapter Nine

It took us five days after dealing with Nergal to reach Sangiam. The journey through the mountains was hard, but the path that Adam and Amos instructed us to take was reasonably easy to climb with the help of our Bantams. The weather of Tintagal was much different from Tamarisch. Though it was cold, there was no snow on the ground. We still wore our coats and pulled out the heavy tents at night, but the wind wasn’t as bitterly cold and biting as it was in Tamarisch. It would rain for hours then suddenly stop to reveal blindingly blue skies and white puffy clouds that reminded Carmedy of uncolored cotton candy she once had at a summer festival. I chuckled in the back of my throat as I turned back to watch the spry cat lean forward and stroke the feathers of her Bantam. I did miss our lizards in Valasara. While the Bantams were suitable for mountain terrain and climbing over large boulders and steep hills, their speed was nothing compared to the lizards.

Once we made it through the mountains, the terrain smoothed out like it had before we reached Nergal’s dungeon. I thought long and hard about what he had said, and I was surprised that none of my minions had brought up some of the things he had said to me, but from the look on Annalise’s face, I knew she was working up the courage to ask. Her chocolate brown eyes met mine over my shoulder, and her plump lips opened, thought for a moment, and then snapped closed with determination.

“Good girl,” I thought as I turned my head back to the path in front of us.

Sangiam wasn’t what I had expected. From the way that Adam and Amos had spoken of it, it seemed like it would be dreary and dead, but the houses and shops were pretty and well-kept from the outside. I looked to my minions, and they saw the same thing I did. Even though it was lovely and picturesque, barely any people moved about the streets, and the few that did looked terrible.

It was late afternoon as we walked down the road on our Bantams, and we passed a street vendor selling various foods. His cart was strategically placed in the shade of one of the buildings and he barely raised his bleary eyes to us as our Bantams passed. From the sleepy, lethargic look on his face, I knew he wanted to be anywhere but in the sun at this moment. The other people on the street looked the same, some of them were thin, and their faces sunken in, but a few people we passed who walked in the shade the tall buildings cast were plump, their skin bloated and colored with purples and reds.

I stared down at them in horror. As Adam and Amos said, there was undoubtedly something strange happening in the city of Sangiam, and as I raised my head towards the ruined castle that loomed above the town, I knew it must have something to do with it. I thought I saw a shadow in one of the windows of the crumbling castle for a second, but I couldn’t be sure when I turned my head towards my minions to confirm what I saw.

However, their eyes were trained elsewhere. Carmedy looked hungrily towards the food vendor, then hopped off her Bantam and strode over to buy something to munch on. Morrigan shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight and took in the bare dark-wooded trees and the path that led up to the castle. Rana’s usually bright blue eyes narrowed on the few citizens as they hobbled about doing their business. I glanced over at Annalise, and thankfully, her eyes met mine. One of her hands lifted into the air to point up at the castle with a questioning look.

“You saw it too?” I asked quietly, and the High Queen gulped as she nodded curtly.

“There is magic here,” the white-haired elven woman said coldly as she moved her eyes over to one of the crumbled walls of the castle. “Dark magic.”

“Can you tell me what it is?” I questioned, and I watched as Morrigan’s dark eyes turned wholly black, and she glared upward at the fortress.

“As I suspected, the god is using blood magic,” the elf growled through gritted teeth. “The stench of it is all over this place.”

“I don’t smell anything.” The black-haired feline smiled as she bit into a steaming bun then offered another to Rana.

Morrigan ignored the cat’s comment and turned her head to look me directly in the face as she spoke. “Do you sense anything of interest, Master?”

I could feel what my second wife had, but there was something else as well, something more, as I had with all the other gods and goddesses we had encountered. The Decathmor brothers were right. There was a god here, and from the heart-like beat of his power, I knew he was all around us. I already could feel his essence hidden high above the city, and there was a sense of familiarity to it, almost like I had felt with the goddess of Machstein. This time was different though, this wasn’t a god that I had seen in passing while in the heavens. This god was someone I knew well and would have even called a friend while still in the god’s realm.

With what we had been told by the Tamarisch soldiers and the Decathmor brothers, this land was most likely overtaken by Blood-Curdlers, and from the strange power that beat from the castle, I had an idea of who was behind it. It was so long ago, but I could almost remember his face... but the thing I remembered vividly was the voice. We were boys together in the heavens. Both our parents part of the Holy Order and higher up in the hierarchy than anyone else. We were brothers at one time, friends in another, and now as I stood free on his soil, and he trapped within his dungeon, we were enemies.

“This place is weird. It’s giving me the serious creeps.” The petite alchemist shivered as she swallowed the bun still in her hand whole and patted her stomach.

“What do you mean?” I inquired as I swiveled my head to look down at her.

“Well, that vendor guy got my order wrong.” The black-haired cat-girl sighed as she dug her boot into the dirt.

“And that gave you the creeps?” Rana asked incredulously, her face scrunched up in response.

“No, that’s not what freaked me out, it’s the way he acted that did,” Carmedy replied as she held her twitching tail between two paws and looked up at me with frightened eyes. “He acted like he was going to fall asleep the entire time I was over there, then I had to repeat my order three times! Each time I told him what I wanted, he was like, ‘Huh? What was that?,’ and the creepiest part was he didn’t even look me in the eye the entire time!”

“What was he looking at?” my elven lover asked as she too slid off her Bantam and came over to her feline sister.

“My neck!” Carmedy exclaimed in a frightened voice, and I squinted my eyes towards the vendor the cat had just come from. From the way the man turned away, he knew we were talking about what had just happened, and it only made him seem more suspicious.

I turned towards Annalise, but the High Queen was focused on a mother dragging a crying child behind her. I stepped closer and watched too as the mother moved towards one of the carts selling food and began to order while the child struggled to run away. Both the woman and child were sickly looking, their skin colorless, not like Morrigan’s but tinted gray like that of a corpse.

“I don’t want food!” the child protested as she pulled away from her mother’s vise-like grip. “I want to drink! Momma, drink!”

“I know, milacik, but there is nothing for you to drink,” the thin mother soothed as she bent down beside the girl and offered her something to eat. “Please try to eat, I know you’re thirsty, but we can get something later.”

“No!” the little girl screamed as she swatted at her mother’s hand, and the food wrapped in parchment paper tumbled to the ground. “I don’t want it!”

I watched intently as the mother grabbed the girl’s hand, grabbed the dropped food, and then hustled down the street away from the cart. The mother took backward glances at our group and whispered something in the daughter’s ear. The little girl raised her head and looked at each of us in time. There was a predatory change in the air as both the mother and child stared us down like hungry wolves. I felt it, and I knew my minions did too. They huddled together and spoke in soft whispers for a moment, but I kept my eyes on the receding backs of the mother and child. I was not too fond of the feeling that was surrounding us, the impression that we were lambs brought to the slaughter.

I had an inkling about what was happening here and knew that the only place where we could find answers would be at the castle, and the god that resided there. I turned in the street and looked up at the windows of each building and felt eyes burning with hunger glare back from behind the curtains as if they were taking inventory of what they wanted to eat first. Sangiam was beautiful, but I sensed the real danger here. Still, I didn’t tell my minions about my reservations because I didn’t want to frighten them more than they already were.

I turned my Bantam towards the overgrown path that led up to the castle, and my minions followed suit as they climbed back on their birds. I wanted to get this over and done with before we headed toward Baudouin, and with the bad feeling I got from the city, I wanted to defeat this deity as soon as possible. I wasn’t afraid for myself, I could handle everything thrown at me, but I worried that my women wouldn’t be able to defend themselves against the whole city if they were to attack.

I estimated our journey up the path would take us at least five hours and then it would be after dark. We would have to be on even more alert than in the city at daylight. If the people of Sangiam were lethargic and slow in the daytime, I didn’t want to imagine what they were like during the night.

We left the main strip of Sangiam and pointed our Bantams towards the path ahead of us. I could tell from the wary looks my minions gave the city streets as we left them that they were relieved to be out of the tense and threatening city and the people who lived there. The only one of my women who looked unbothered was Morrigan. The elven woman didn’t look back but only kept her head forward and her eyes on the castle above.

I wish I could say that I was relieved to be out of the city, but the forest posed danger as well. I leaned my head back and observed as the branches spread out over our heads and intertwined with each other to create a dense canopy of black. Each tree was dead, and no leaves graced their limbs as they stretched towards the sky. The trees were huge, and the grass surrounding them was yellowing and moved in the cold wind like straw. It rustled together eerily, and I kept alert as I moved my eyes around in case anything out of the ordinary popped out from behind one of the lifeless trees. We traveled onward as the sky turned deep blood red with streaks of yellow then to deep bruising purples and royal blues as true night settled in on us.

Still, nothing happened for some time. Eventually, darkness fell upon us, and I listened as Carmedy reached into the bundles at her waist, mixed a few ingredients in a small bag, and tossed it into the air. Nostalgia rushed over me in a wave as I remembered the first time I had seen this very blue light cascade through my dungeon. It seemed so long ago that we had met, and they had set me free, and I was eternally grateful for them in so many ways. My minions had breathed new life into me when the life I had known in the heavens was taken away. Nergal had told us that the Holy Band of Mages were coming after me, and if they were, I would destroy them if they threatened to take me away from my beloved minions. No force on earth or the heavens could drag me away from the women I loved with all of my being.

Rana moved on ahead of me, Carmedy took up the back, while Annalise and Morrigan stayed in the middle with me. Our entire group was silent, even the small feline behind us, and I found it quite unsettling. Usually, Carmedy constantly talked, and for her not to speak a word the entire trip up the path was something that unsettled me.

The castle grew larger as we moved closer, and I took in more of it than I had before. It was massive, almost as big as the Tamarisch palace but not as magnificent. Most of the outer walls had holes in them, and some had fallen to the ground in a heap entirely. I could imagine what it looked like before Jemmets Landing became the capital. I pictured the green and silver Tintagal flags whipping out above with the Boar’s head proudly placed for all to see. Now, the castle was empty except for the presence that I sensed there, and I was eager to find out who it was that desperately called for me.

I was drawn out of my imagination as Rana raised one paw into the air and we halted our Bantams as both of her red ears twitched. Then they rotated in the air as she listened to a far-off noise, then she turned her head and looked through our group towards Carmedy. I turned to look back too, and the petite feline’s ears moved just as the fox’s did. They both were on alert, and beside me, Annalise reached for Bloodscale. Rana shook her head at the High Queen and brought a single finger to her lips for all of us to be quiet.

Then suddenly, I felt it too, just as I had back in the city of Sangiam, the prick of eyes from all directions, and I warily glanced back at the redhead. There was a long moment of silence as the three of us who didn’t have the sense of hearing Rana and Carmedy possessed tried to pick out what it was they already sensed. I glanced back at the feline once more, and her black ears laid flat against her head, and her emerald eyes squinted as she tried to puzzle out what the sounds were.

“What is it?” the swordswoman hissed over to me, but Rana waved her hands frantically to silence us.

Like before, in the Tichádáma’s dungeon, Carmedy raised her paws into the air and lowered them slowly for us to be quiet, and begrudgingly, the swordswoman complied with a soft huff then gave me a sheepish smile. I moved my eyes over to the elven woman, but she too was silent as she looked back and forth between Fea and Macha repeatedly. They were speaking to her telepathically, no doubt sharing what their animal sense detected. I looked up towards Rana once more and tapped the side of my head to signal that I would connect to her using Nergal’s power.

The redhead nodded once then shifted her eyes around the forest as our minds touched.

“Someone’s here, and I don’t mean just one person. We’re completely surrounded,” the fox told me through her mind, and I nodded to her once to confirm that I had heard.

“Should we move on?” I asked back.

Her blue eyes found mine in the darkness, and she shook her head grimly.

“Too many of them, behind and in front of us. If we go any further, they will attack, if we go back, they’ll attack,” the fox-woman stated seriously, but before I could reply, Carmedy screamed from behind us.

I whipped my head and watched as a shadow moved as the blue light around us from the feline’s light potion began to shutter and fade. The creature that emerged from the darkness was thin and lithe, its arms nearly dragging the ground as it raced for Carmedy’s Bantam. The petite alchemist gripped the reins of Kura and forced the bird forward out of the reaches of the humanoid creature. I slid from my bird’s back silently, and Rana’s scream vibrated in my ears as she tried to warn me, but I pushed on despite her protests.

I stood protectively in the path of the beast with my minions behind me, and it faced off with me as it tilted its bald head at me. It only took me a single glance to recognize it for exactly what I suspected it was, a Blood-Curdler.

The Blood-Curdler looked vaguely human in form, but its head was more beast than man. The depths of its bulbous slanted eyes were deep red as it swirled around its contracting iris, but the color changed as it feathered out to a burnt orange then feral yellow. The Blood-Curdler’s naked skin was tight against its pointed bones, and as it advanced a step closer to me, it snarled loud enough to echo through the woods. Its rounded and hairless head was bright under the moonlight, and I could make out the network of veins under the pale flesh. The Blood-Curdler’s nose had completely sunken into the meat of its face which gave it a snake-like appearance, and where the lips of the beast should have been was an empty space filled with pointed and jagged teeth.

I wasn’t afraid, and I made that fact clear to the creature as I reached into my voice pocket and retrieved the God Slayer.

The Blood-Curdler opened its mouth and roared at me, but I didn’t flinch as I slammed the haft of the polearm down into the dirt beside me. The God Slayer came to life at once as the blades emerged from inside, and the Blood-Curdler stared at it curiously for a moment before it settled its hateful eyes on my form once again. The monster lowered itself to the ground like a runner preparing to take off, but I was ready for it. Its spindly legs pounded the ground as it came for me, but I bent my knees and right as the Blood-Curdler was upon me, I thrust the God Slayer forward with all of my strength.

The creature’s eyes widened as it realized it couldn’t escape the oncoming blow. The blades sunk directly into the Blood-Curdler’s mouth, and there was a loud cracking sound as all of the creature’s teeth exploded to sharp bits with the powerful thrust of the blades. I took a step forward as I brought the haft up and forced the creature backward with the point of my weapon still buried deep in its mouth.

In a split second, I let go of the God Slayer, bent, and grabbed onto the sloping bone of the Curdler’s ribs. My gloved fingers pushed into his flesh like it was nothing and was surprised when no blood spattered my face. The skin ripped, and I slammed my fingers farther in to curl around the floating ribs. Once I gripped the bones in my gloved hands, I ripped them from its body with a mighty roar.

The beast stumbled back as its flesh and bone were torn asunder, and the haft of the polearm passed my face, still stuck in the monster’s mouth. I gripped onto the God-Slayer and pulled it free from the Blood-Curdler with a thunk, then turned to observe the damage I had done to the blood-sucking creature. No blood stained its gray skin, and I watched as it opened and closed its maw a few times then realized all of its teeth were blown to dust. Its skin was ripped all the way down to its abdomen, and the flayed flesh moved and rippled like torn fabric. The hole beyond was dark but I could make out the dried innards beyond and it disgusted me. It made no sound as it turned back to me but curled its hands into fists angrily and charged towards me once more.

I flipped the ribs in my hand and pointed the bone downward at the Blood-Curdler, and with my new weapons, I slammed downward with both hands and felt the creature’s flesh part once more as its own ribs pierced through its chest then traveled deeper.

I was familiar with these monstrosities, so I knew what needed to be done to slay them, thus this instructional lesson on the easiest way to murder them before more of the monsters arrived. I put all of my weight behind the bone and pushed it deep into the creature’s chest cavity, and finally, the creature made a sound for the first time since we encountered it. It sounded like a wheeze at first, and I could hear my minions shift uncomfortably behind me on their Bantams.

The wheeze that erupted from its lips heightened to a wail then a scream, and I had to squint my eyes out of pain. I let go of the rib bone right as the Blood-Curdler dropped to the dead leaves that blew across the path. I turned back to my minions, and they all stared at me with wide, awestruck eyes, but there was no time to relax as the forest around us burst alive with sounds of running feet. I couldn’t tell how many there were from the moving shadows around us, but from what Rana had said earlier, there must at least have been one hundred surrounding us in the forest. I already sensed the god’s power here, the Blood-Curdlers were of his creation, and from the way they moved strategically in the shadows, I knew they had to be communicating with each other silently or by the will of the deity. I only had a few seconds to convey my message to my women as they prepared themselves for the attack.

Annalise pulled Bloodscale, and her unnamed sword from their sheaths with the swish of metal against leather, and her chocolate brown eyes found mine in the darkening gloom around us. Carmedy reached for her pouches one by one, and her tail snapped behind her back as she worked at creating a potion that would take out as many of the creatures as possible at once. Morrigan whipped her head around and stared into the woods with wholly black eyes, the emerald green light surrounding her hands entirely, and the light licked up her arms like fire. Rana pulled an elven dagger, placed it between her teeth then held her right hand over her chest as rays of white blinded the rest of us in the darkness. The hilt of the Eye of Alipsis emerged from inside her, and her blue eyes glowed with the same light that streamed from her chest as she pulled the sword out from inside her body.

Pride swelled in my chest every time they prepared for battle. When I had first met them, they had been so inexperienced, but with my guidance and instruction, they had flourished like blooming flowers before me.

“The heart!” I yelled to them right as the first few of the Blood-Curdlers broke from the trees and advanced on my women and their Bantams. “Aim for their hearts! It is the only way to kill them!”

Chapter Ten

Blood-Curdlers poured from the trees in the waning blue light, and my minions snapped into action, their collective fear forgotten in the moment of action. I whirled the God Slayer over my head and slammed the blades into the back of one of the creatures at it raced past. I noticed quickly that their attention wasn’t on me but on my minions and I assumed that it was because of the hot, mortal blood that coursed through their veins. My avatar had all the parts and organs that any mortal man had, but they weren’t of the same flesh and blood that the Blood-Curdlers wanted. I wasn’t their favorite meal… but there was more.

I threw back my head and glared up at the darkened castle and knew it was the work of the god trapped inside. These creatures were given strict instructions, murder the minions, and leave the Master.

There was no way in hell I was going to allow that to happen.

I stepped forward as the Blood-Curdlers overran my women and their Bantams, but my minions fought well despite their frightened animals. My eyes widened, and I breathed deeply through my nose and sucked in the earthy forest smells as I pooled my dark power into every cell of my avatar’s body. All around me, dead tree roots sprang from the rocky earth like whips and snapped and gripped around the creatures as I called on the forest god’s power.

As I gritted my teeth and pushed my power farther into the ground, Carmedy slipped from the back of Kura with her slingshot at the ready. I didn’t have to follow the movement of the bundle as it whizzed through the air. The effects were clear as the ground rumbled with the explosion and the wave of fire that followed. The Blood-Curdlers screamed and covered their eyes from the bright light, and I watched as the feline’s emerald eyes widened then hardened in their sockets. The petite alchemist retreated into the mass of Bantams and worked feverishly at her bundles as she mixed multiple potions at once.

Carmedy lifted her slingshot into the air, but this time, she pointed it upwards towards the dead branches overhead. The cat let go of the leather bands with a snap, and three bundles flew into the air at once. Once they reached their highest peak, there was a loud crackling in the air as the packets roared to life with bright fire and kindled the branches. The Blood-Curdlers screamed in fear and took a few wary steps back from my minions and their birds as sparks and burning embers filtered down from the sky.

Meanwhile, Annalise reached behind her as she stood in her Bantams saddle and pulled both Bloodscale and the unnamed sword from their sheaths. Their blades glowed in the orange and red light made from the fire burning above, and she tucked both swords close to her body and flipped from the saddle as she attacked.

Now ready, I moved my power from my body and transferred it to the roots that hung in the air like writhing snakes, and they came to life under my dark touch. Dirt and dust lifted in the air as the roots snapped through the air, wrapped around the Blood-Curdlers like pythons and ripped them from the ground. The roots squeezed the creatures, and bloodless, colorless intestines exploded up their throats from the force. Other dark brown roots grabbed the Blood-Curdlers and used their pointed ends like feelers and ripped through their paper-thin flesh. The creatures gripped onto the vines as they struggled to tear free, but I held tightly to them with my power and crushed them into blobs of pale skin and innards, but I wasn’t finished with the undead creatures yet.

I hoped the god was watching as the dark power I had transferred into the ground came to life and burst from the earth in a mix of onyx black and untamed emerald which licked at the feet of the Blood-Curdlers like fire. The creatures howled in pain but kept fighting forward towards my minions. I knew we were at a disadvantage, there were only five of us, and each time we killed one, ten more would appear from the woods. Soon, we would be overrun by the creatures unless we finished this swiftly.

I lifted the God Slayer towards a horde of twenty Blood-Curdlers as they crammed together with their pale arms reaching out for Rana as she thrust forward with the Eye of Alipsis and skewered one of the creatures directly through the chest. The fox-woman pulled back with a roar, and the Blood-Curdler tumbled to the group dead at her Bantam’s feet. I turned my head as I slashed with the God Slayer and took down two of the creatures at once while Morrigan’s hands slammed out, and the death fog burst from her palms like an inferno and consumed five of the Blood-Curdlers at once.

My minions were doing well under the pressure of so many foes, but from their strained faces, I knew they were worried about whether we would win this battle or not. I was about to show them that their fears were unfounded when an arrow flew past my head. Though I was not the target, the pointed tip narrowly grazed the side of my face, and I didn’t need to be a god to feel the power that pulsed from the arrow. It flew past, through the air before it sunk into the chest of one of the Blood-Curdlers that attempted to grab onto Carmedy. The feline screamed as the creature collapsed onto Kura, and she hastily shoved it off with frightened paws.

I whipped my head in the direction the arrow had come from and saw that, down the path that led from Sangiam, a person approached with the clank of armor, a bow held tightly in her hand as she took aim once more. I growled deep in the back of my throat as I recognized the intruder immediately from the brilliant gray hair that whipped about her face in an unseen gale and her blazing, blood-red eyes as she homed in on a Blood-Curdler directly behind me and let the arrow whiz through the air. The shaft buried itself deep in the unholy creature's chest and easily killed it where it stood. What I assumed was a goddess stood in the path with her hip cocked and a wicked smile on her lips as her insane eyes rolled in their sockets and searched for her next target.

She wore armor that barely covered her body, but I knew she didn’t need it. It would take more than a weak Blood-Curdler to harm a true god, and that was yet another reason none of them attacked me but instead went after my women. The plated chest piece that came down from her shoulders cupped her breasts and put them on display for all to see, and if I looked close enough at the ample cleavage, I could see purple veins and decay over the colorless flesh there. The spiked pauldrons over her shoulders twisted to sharp tips, and the cuirass over her stomach plated together at a seam then flared out at her hips into sharp points like knives.

The plackart of her armor were shaped into the same type blackened metal as the red of it but it came down into a point between her legs. Most of her thighs were bare and what was covered was partially obscured by blood red swaths of ribbon that rippled as she walked. Her gauntlets were long and came up above her elbows, and the flesh between the arm coverings, and the pauldrons was wrapped in the same scarlet ribbons. Her armor looked like it was a weapon all in itself, and from the way she sauntered up the path, she knew it and knew how to use it.

As she lifted the bow once more, I saw that it was made from bone as I had suspected, and the grip where she placed her hand was the remnants of a skull and the sharpened tip of the arrow she poised to shoot protruded from the left eye socket of the skull.

The arrow ripped past me, and I felt the crackle of dark power that emanated not only from it but from her. The other gods were unseen, but I could sense their powers as they moved about the forest and aided us in the attack.

Once more, I didn’t need their help, nor had I asked for it. I gripped the God Slayer and moved to strike out at the goddess, but she was gone in a flash as she worked a wide circle around the Blood-Curdlers, her arrows flashes in the darkness before they took out many creatures. In the shadows, I saw the whip of red hair and knew that the woman who rode the tiger in the battle against the Tintagal soldiers was finally showing herself, and her colossal claymore was a blur through the air as she stabbed out ferociously. The gray-haired woman raced passed me, and I had enough time to roar a question at her as we were shoulder to shoulder.

“Why are you here?” I yelled, and she whipped her blood-red eyes to glare at me, and the cackling, insane laughter roared up her throat as I spoke again. “I didn’t call for you. Why are you here?”

“Why are we here?” she repeated through peels of laughter that rose and fell in pitch madly as she placed another arrow in the crook and aimed nonchalantly. Her cool reply almost rocked me back on my heels as her scarlet eyes leveled with mine and glimmered with madness. “Because the Sanctum of the Heavens has fallen, and my friends and I want to raise hell with the infamous demon.”

Before I could speak again, she was gone, and I watched as the woman with red hair slashed forward with her massive claymore and killed four of the Blood-Curdlers at once. The sword she held resembled the Eye of Alipsis when the Tichádáma wielded it, and the unearthly glow that surrounded the blade confirmed that it was indeed a weapon forged by the gods like I had thought. The armor the red-haired woman wore was much different from the other woman’s and silver metal covered her entire body except for her head, where her long, wavy red hair waved like a warning. Her eyes resembled the Blood-Curdler’s in a way, and they glowed a feral yellow in the darkness like that of a predatory cat on the prowl through the jungle.

From behind the Bantams and my minions perched on top of them as they fought off the approaching Blood-Curdlers, I could see the top of the bald man’s head who wielded the long-staffed scythe. He wasn’t as graceful in his movements like the two women were, and I could tell he was having difficulty killing the creatures with the sweeping movements of the curved blade, but despite this, he put a dent in the ranks of the horde. I could sense the presence of the second man but he was hidden away in the shadows, and if I weren’t busy destroying the Blood-Curdlers, I could have pinpointed him easily in the tree line. I knew that his power was best used on the living, anything with a mortal soul and a beating heart, for which these creatures were neither of those things. If he tried to use his powers now, he’d only harm my minions, and he must have observed that I was very protective of my women and wouldn’t allow a hair on their heads to be harmed.

I pushed forward through the horde and destroyed the blood-sucking creatures as if they were wheat before my scythe, and they shrank away from me as Carmedy let loose another ball of fire into the air. Their horde had been at least a hundred men and women, and now, there was only a few left as we picked the stragglers off one by one.

I smelled death in the air though it wasn’t a natural human death, this was the scent of unearthly creatures released from their flesh prisons. I noticed early on that the Blood-Curdlers, besides the first one who attacked, worked and moved in droves almost like an army, and they came in waves or all at once to smother us. I didn’t use all of the powers that I had taken from the deities in dungeons, only the forest god’s power because I knew I had to save my strength for the god that waited above in the castle. Despite the unasked-for help, I was glad for it and would thank the gods when we were finished.

I chuckled deep in my throat as the last Blood-Curdler standing slammed backward by a blow of Morrigan’s whipping green elf magic, and I watched as her left hand thrust out to let loose a blast that punctured a hole in the beast’s chest. The elven woman’s eyes hardened for a second as she thrust her palm out once more, and the black heart beating inside the whole was consumed with her power and exploded. No blood burst out as the Blood-Curdlers were devoid of blood, and most of their organs were dry as bone too. Even their hearts simply turned to ash and floated off in the wind. The last night-creature crumbled to the earthen path and the white-haired elf slumped onto the neck of her Bantam as she breathed hard.

My other minions sensed Morrigan’s weakness and rushed to their sister’s aid. I pushed the God Slayer into my void pocket and ran to my elven lover as well. She began to slide off the large bird, but I caught her in my arms. Her heart was beating wildly, and I could feel the pulse through her clothes. My white-haired lover was breathing heavily, and Fea and Macha flew above our heads as they cawed loudly in distress.

Morrigan’s head fell back into the crook of my arm as Carmedy’s hands rushed over the thin woman’s extremities and checked for any visible wounds. I watched as Morrigan’s wholly black eyes returned to normal as she breathed heavily through her mouth. She held onto me tightly, and her face was paler than usual. I held her with one arm and reached out with my free hand to stroke her cool cheeks with the back of my hand.

“Are you all right, my love?” I whispered as I stared down into her eyes and searched for any pain or any other reason to worry.

“Y-yes,” Morrigan struggled out as her hands tightened on me and I let her rest for a moment before she spoke again. “I only overexerted myself, I believe.”

“Yup,” Carmedy uttered as she nodded once and began whipping up a potion in a small bulb-shaped bottle. Her paws moved deftly as she mixed in a few brightly colored herbs then reached into her pack and retrieved the precious Azoth we had found in Nergal’s dungeon. The feline tipped the bottle twice and allowed two silver droplets into the liquid below. She swirled the mixture together, and as she offered it to Morrigan, it gave off a pleasant flowery scent. “Just be more careful next time.”

Morrigan reached out for the mixture the cat offered, eyed it for a moment, then tipped her head back against my arm as she drank it down. Within a few seconds, her heartbeat had calmed, and she no longer shook. I slowly let go but kept my arms out in case she fell again, but she seemed steadier on her feet now than she was before.

Morrigan gave the feline a small thankful smile which Carmedy returned happily as she rearranged the bundles at her waist. I kept my eyes on my elven lover, but she seemed fine as she raised her head to me and stroked my cheek lovingly. I studied her face as a small amount of color returned to her cheeks. While I wasn’t angry with her, she had done something she knew that I wouldn’t be happy with.

“If you don’t know how to control that power, and it takes that amount of energy from you, you shouldn’t use it until you know how to control it properly.” The words fell from my lips, and I knew my tone sounded harsh, but it was something that both of us knew needed to be said.

Morrigan’s cheeks tinted pink as she lowered her face away from mine, but I caught her by the chin and forced her to look into my eyes. Her dark eyes shook in their sockets as she looked into my handsome face, and I knew she was sorry, but eventually, I would have to train her on how to use this newly discovered power. She couldn’t go around using it if it drained her of all her energy. I needed all of my minions healthy, strong, and resilient, and they shouldn’t do things they didn’t know how to do. It was the very same with Rana, and I cursed myself for not training her with the Eye when we had spare time.

Both of my minions were unskilled, Morrigan with her elven power and Rana with the Eye of Alipsis, and sooner or later if they continued to use them without training, they or someone else in our party would end up hurt or injured by their hand.

“I’m not chastising you because I want to upset you. I want you to learn something from your actions. What if you had gotten hurt? Hm? What if one of your sisters had gotten hurt? What would we do then?” I asked in a low voice, and Morrigan’s lips trembled as she imagined different scenarios in her head.

“I’m sorry, Master, I will work harder to control my power and learn how to use it better than I do now,” the elven woman whispered in a low voice, and I let go of her chin to stroke her cheek once more. Her skin was soft and warm against mine as the potion worked through her body, but I stared her down with a severe expression.

“We all should be more careful,” Rana interjected, and the elven woman bowed her head with my concentration momentarily broken from her face.

“Yes, I was referring to you too, Rana,” I stated in all seriousness.

“Wha-what?” The fox stared at me as she rested a paw on her chest flabbergasted. “I didn’t almost pass out because I pushed out too much energy!”

I let go of her elf sister and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Yes, but you are untrained with a sword, and yet, you keep using the Eye of Alipsis like you have been,” I firmly said as I stood my ground and rose up to my full height in front of her. “You don’t know how to use the Eye properly, and it could endanger your sisters.”

“Hey! That’s not fair!” the fox said as she stomped her foot, and I raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst. “You said I could use the Eye of Alipsis during the battle against Tintagal, and now I can’t? That makes no sense!”

“This is a different situation, my dear,” I told her as I began to explain. “Out on the battlefield, there is enough room for you to maneuver and use the Eye as you please without endangering yourself or anyone on our side. Here, you are on a tight space on a mountain path with very little room to move around. If you had miscalculated your blows by even an inch, one of your sisters could have been hurt or even killed.”

My words sunk into the stubborn redhead, and she lowered her blue eyes from mine as she kicked out at the dead leaves at her feet. Silence had enveloped all of us, and I turned my head to the piles of Blood-Curdler bodies thrown about the rough path.

The four gods that aided us were gone, and I could no longer sense their powerful essences. When I turned back to my women, Annalise was the only one who had caught on, and her brown eyes were heavy with unasked and unanswered questions as I swung my head back and forth down the path in search of our visitors.

I knew the time when I would have to tell them everything, about my past, about being cast out of the heavens, and the truth behind Isolda, was fast approaching, and nothing I could do would stop it. It was a topic that had been heavy on my mind for a very long time, and I had dragged it out for long enough. I couldn’t go on keeping my secrets to myself when each of my minions had lain themselves out for me and spilled all of their deepest and darkest secrets.

I thought back on the time in the forest god’s dungeon, when Rana had told me about what had happened with the sorcerer and her family. It wasn’t something I took lightly, and it had brought us a step farther into being able to trust each other but would my minions… my women… my lovers trust me and stick by my side when I told them the whole story of my life, and how I came to be in that dungeon so long ago? Would they fear me and cower in my presence?

There were so many things about telling them the whole truth that made me uncertain. They had pledged their lives and souls to me, but this would be a true test of their words once they knew all of me. I hadn’t told them for many reasons, but the main one was that I wanted to protect my women from the beast that I was. The thing I knew to be true was that I was a different man than who I was when I resided in the heavens. I hoped beyond hope that my minions would be able to see that and look past my misdeeds. I wouldn’t say I was a better man or even a good man, but since meeting them, I was a different one.

If I had to reveal everything to them, I would have to tell them about Isolda. My minions had heard a few things about her in passing, but they had no idea who she was or what she did. I had described her briefly to Carmedy once, and I could still remember my first love’s beautiful face, but other than that, they knew nothing that had to do with her, and I would have liked to keep it that way forever.

My and Isolda’s fate had been intertwined so deeply that she was a crucial part of my story, and I knew that I would have to tell them about her first before I even began to tell them about who I was and where I came from. If the god in the castle above was who I thought it was, then the moment of telling would be sooner than later, but there was still hope in my chest that he wouldn’t recognize me or the power that came from me. It was unlikely, we had been too close for him not to know who I was even in my avatar’s form.

Not to my surprise, Annalise spoke first before any of my other minions, and I turned my head as the words slipped from her supple lips, “Those people were here again, those gods.”

“What?” Morrigan asked as she turned her head and stared at her sister in disbelief. From the expressions on Rana and Carmedy’s face, they hadn't noticed or seen our visitors. The swordswoman ignored their shock and kept her chocolate brown eyes on me.

“What did she say to you, the woman with the bow? I know you spoke,” The High Queen pressed, and I knew I would have to tell them something, and I went with the one option closest to the truth that I could come up with at this moment.

“I asked her what she was doing and why they were helping us,” I stated in a firm voice, and all eyes came to rest on my face.

“And?” The fox asked eagerly as she took a step closer, and I gritted my teeth without them seeing.

“She told me that the Sanctum of the Heavens has been opened,” I said, and I felt my first wife’s eyes narrow on mine for a second.

“But why are they helping us? Aren’t gods, ya know, the ones who kicked you out of the heavens?” Rana went on as she cupped her chin and ran over this new information in her head.

“Yes, they were.” I nodded to them, and Morrigan was the next to come closer as Fea and Macha flitted down and rested on her shoulders.

“It is like Nergal said,” the pale woman said as one of her delicate hands reached up and stroked the black feathers of Macha’s wing. “He told us his daughter and some friends stormed the gate into the heavens and tore them down. Maybe she is the one he spoke of. Maybe that gray-haired woman is Nergal’s daughter.”

“Yes, that is what I assumed,” I praised as I reached out and touched her colorless hair.

“What was her name?” Carmedy asked as she scrunched up her face.

“Ruituri, I think that’s what Nergal told Master,” the swordswoman answered, and the feline nodded in agreement as she remembered the name.

“Did you know this Ruituri, Master?” the elven woman inquired as she ran her white hair between her fingers and looked up at me with those mesmerizing black eyes.

“Not that I remember,” I told them truthfully, and each of them nodded in time to my words. “But I recognized Nergal vaguely though I never met his mistress, Cybele.”

“Do you know who would know?” The feline grinned as she rocked back and forth on her heels, and all eyes swiveled to look at her curiously. “Haruhi. Remember, she told us she knew a ton about all these gods’ and goddesses’ stuff. She read all those tomes and texts and stuff. She practically could be a professor on all this!”

Chapter Eleven

“Should we contact her, Master?” Annalise questioned, and without a word, I nodded and reached into my void pocket for the orb that Makar had given me so long ago in Valasara.

I turned the milky white sphere over in my hand as my minions crowded around me, and we heard the familiar crackle as we all thought of the white-eared cat at the same time. For a second, just as before in the Liebe’s dungeon, there was silence on one end, then suddenly, we could hear the other cat’s voice as she sang to herself in the silence of the library back home on Canarta.

“Haruhi?” I called sweetly, and there was a loud crash from the other side of the orb as the dark-haired feline fumbled whatever she was holding in her paws.

“M-Master?” Haruhi called back anxiously, and I chuckled deeply in the back of my throat at her voice.

I could imagine her in the library right now easily, surrounded by the books and tomes that she loved so much. I had never been to Canarta, but I sometimes liked to imagine it as a hot place but not as sweltering as Valasara. It was an island, but I had been shown that not all islands were warm or tropical like the cold mountain of Machstein. When I thought about the short librarian we had met in the city of Eifersucht, I imagined she was comfortable as the lazy afternoon sunlight slanted in across her pretty face and illuminated the smattering of freckles across her round cheeks.

“Are you okay?” Carmedy asked in a concerned tone as she tilted her head closer to the orb. “It sounded like you dropped something.”

“N-no, I’m fine.” Haruhi laughed good-naturedly as we heard her shuffle around. “I was just on my way home from the market and dropped one of my bags.”

“We are very sorry that we startled you,” Morrigan said clearly, and Haruhi’s laughed lilted through the sphere in my palm.

“You guys are okay, don’t worry about it,” the white-eared cat assured us as we heard her trudge along whatever path she was walking, and soon, we heard the jingle of keys and the sound of the wooden door creak as it opened. “I should have known it was you because of the weird crackling noise, but it’s all right, I’m just a little jumpy today.”

There was a strange twinge in Haruhi’s voice. She sounded tense, like she was trying to force the happiness in her voice, and I immediately picked up on it.

“Is everything all right, Haruhi?” I asked with concern.

“Well, uh...” The librarian stuttered as she attempted to come up with an excuse, but I could see past it. We hadn’t spent much time with Haruhi, but I felt as if I knew her well from the times we had spoken to her, and there was definitely something going on that made her uncomfortable.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” I assured her.

A soft purr reached our ears, and without even seeing her face, I could tell that Haruhi was blushing profusely.

“N-no, it’s better if I tell you,” Haruhi whispered hastily, and we listened as she closed the door and shuffled to a more private room where no one would hear our conversation. “I don’t know how to say this diplomatically, so I’m just going to say it.”

“What is it? You can tell us, Haru,” Annalise asked in a concerned voice, and once more, Haruhi purred at the kind words.

“A couple of days ago, some people came to visit me…” Haruhi started then took a deep breath before she continued. “I have no idea how they knew who I was or how I had any contact with you, but they came into the library late at night and interrogated me about you and your activities for a few hours.”

“Do you know these people?” I questioned as my whole body tensed. I could hear the fear in Haruhi’s voice.

“No, but I-I think you do,” the librarian murmured into the air as she spoke to us on her end. “They wore white robes, everything they wore was white, and there were golden bands around their heads. The robes had these really big sigils on them. I think you know the meaning of it, Master. It looked like a two half circles, and one is inverted so that they touch at the curve. Through the bottom half of the curve is a straight line that intersects both and on the upper curves of each half circle, there are two downward slashes. Can you tell me what it is?”

“That is not a sigil,” I growled through my teeth as my eyes narrowed on the sphere pressed against my skin. “That is a protection symbol, and I know it well. You do too, don’t you, Morrigan?”

“I do, Master.” Morrigan let in some emotion as she barked out the words, and her usually impassive face was strained with hatred. She knew exactly who had come and terrorized Haruhi just as I did.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Haruhi murmured through the orb, and we turned our attention back to the orb.

“I’m sorry, my dear, let me explain,” I soothed, and the heavy breathing on the other side of the sphere calmed at my soft voice. “You were visited by what I believe to be a branch of the Holy Band of Mages.”

“The w-what?” Haruhi cried, and Carmedy cringed against the loudness of her friend’s voice. “Why would they be here questioning me? I haven’t done anything!”

“You said they were asking questions about me?” I asked, and Haruhi went silent on the other end. “I have been informed that the Holy Band of Mages discovered that I was no longer held in my dungeon and are attempting to do something about it.”

“Okay, firstly, not cool on their part.” Haruhi giggled quietly, and a small smile spread across my lips then she went on. “Secondly, how did they even find me? I’m in Canarta! That’s almost a world away from Machstein! A world away from wherever you guys are now!”

“I can explain that it’s something very simple, and I’m surprised you didn’t know,” I chided her through a chuckle. “When a mortal comes in contact with a god or deity, something called a ‘divine imprint’ happens. Think of it as walking through some mud. It clings to your shoes and where ever you go, it leaves a small trace of the mud along with you. It is something that happens unintentionally, and I apologize if I imprinted some of my power onto you.”

“With the way that Haruhi acts around Master, she’ll take whatever imprint of his she can get.” Rana chuckled under her breath as she elbowed Annalise, and the only thing the High Queen could do in response was to roll her eyes and chuckle lightly in her raspy voice. From the soft intake of breath on the other end of the orb, I knew that Haruhi had heard what the redhead had said but didn’t protest or object.

“They must have followed the trail of my divine imprint and found you at the end like damned bloodhounds, for which I am very sorry,” I uttered sadly through the orb to the frightened white-eared cat. “I hope they didn’t scare you too much and that they won’t return to bother you anymore.”

“They tried to force me to drink some type of weird liquid,” Haruhi whispered, and Carmedy’s emerald eyes widened. “I didn’t let them, and they ran off after I pulled the dagger we hide in the desk in case of emergencies but… they threatened to come back…”

“Was the liquid they wanted you to drink a cerulean blue?” Morrigan asked, and I noticed that her hands were shaking.

“Y-yeah, why?” Haruhi stammered out, and from the tone of her voice, I knew the white-eared cat was on the verge of tears.

“Haru,” Carmedy said in a serious tone that I had never heard before, something that silenced all of us as she continued to speak. “Don’t ever let them make you drink that stuff.”

“Carmedy is right,” Morrigan stated firmly as she gripped my hand fiercely.

“W-why? You guys are scaring me, and I’m already pretty freaked out at this point.” Haruhi shuddered.

“I only know this because I was forced to drink it too,” Morrigan admitted, and I raised my eyebrows at her in surprise as she explained further. “We all know that I went to the Holy Band of Mages to be taught magic, and I was found out after a few months. The Holy Band made me drink this serum of which you speak. They held me down and shoved it down my throat. I told them everything they wanted to know and more. Whatever you do, do not drink what they offer.”

“S-stop with the scary stuff and just tell me!” Haruhi cried, and from the way she sniffled loudly, we knew that she was crying now.

“It’s a truth serum,” Carmedy stated in a grave voice. “I’ve never had to take it, but since Mauntenraion is a pacifist island, I’ve had to make enough of them to know what it is and what it does. Don’t let them give it to you, at all costs.”

“Shank ‘em with that dagger of yours if you have to!” Rana cried, and Haruhi let out a snort of laughter through the orb.

“Y-yeah, I’ll, uh, do that the next time they show up on my doorstep.” The white-eared cat giggled through the orb, and it was plain that she was feeling much better, the tension alleviated by the redhead’s joke.

“Other than that, are you all right? Nothing for us to worry about on your end, my dear?” I inquired, and the only sound that reached us through the orb was the soft crackle we were used to when using the sphere to speak to anyone.

“Y-yeah, I guess,” Haruhi muttered after a long moment with melancholy tinging her voice, and I sensed that something else was wrong other than the visit from the Holy Band of Mages. “My dad’s hearing has gotten worse, and he had an accident the other day, I’m just worried about him.”

“We’re so sorry to hear that, Haru.” the swordswoman whispered as her usually sharp eyes softened in on the orb in my palm.

“I want to say it’s all right and that everything is fine, but I just have a lot on my plate right now, and this whole Band of Mages or whatever is not helping.” The librarian sighed, and I nodded though she couldn’t see it from where she was.

“Oh, maybe we shouldn’t have bothered you.” Carmedy whimpered as her black ears lowered to the sides of her head sadly.

“No, it’s no problem. Anything for my five favorite adventurers,” Haruhi said through the orb, and all of my women seemed reassured by the cat’s words. “What is it that you needed me for?”

“We need some of that godly expertise of yours.” Rana smiled as she came closer to the orb and looked down at it with bright blue eyes that glowed in the dimness around us.

“Sure, what do you need to know?” the white-eared cat asked back.

“Have you ever heard of the name Ruituri?” I inquired, and there was a moment of silence on Haru’s end, then the sound of a door opening and the cat’s shuffling steps as she walked through the aisles of books in the library.

“I believe so. Give me a minute,” Haruhi said in a distracted voice, and we listened as she grabbed books, opened them, then set them aside. It took a few minutes before we heard her speak again, and I could tell my minions were beginning to become anxious. “Here, yes. Ruituri. Daughter of the god of rot, Nergal, and Adrestia, goddess of insurgency. I can give you her sigil too if you want.”

“Adrestia?” Annalise asked as her chocolate brown eyes squinted down at the orb. “I thought Nergal said that his daughter’s mother was Cybele?”

“No, that can’t be,” Haruhi interjected as she thumbed through the pages, and we heard them swish in the air. “When two gods come together and create a child, that child is a marriage of its parent’s powers. Cybele was believed to be the mother of all gods and primal in nature. Wait, this is so weird…”

We listened as Haruhi set down a book loudly then another next to it as she went back and forth between the ancient texts. The cat hummed to herself in frustration as she flipped between pages, and we heard her finger move over the weathered parchment.

“This… this says that Cybele is Ruituri’s mother, but this second text says that Adrestia is Ruituri’s mother…What the hell?” The white-eared cat grumbled to herself, and we heard her shuffle away as she went to grab another book from the shelves and slammed it down next to the other two. Haruhi’s humming got louder as she read quickly through the tomes then she gasped softly.

“M-Master?” she stuttered. “Can I ask you something bizarre? Like something that shouldn’t be possible but could be possible?”

“We’re dealing with gods and deities, so nothing is impossible but go ahead.” I chuckled lightly.

“Is there any possible way that you know of in the heavenly realm that Ruituri could have two mothers?” Haruhi asked in a hushed voice.

“What? No way!” Rana scoffed, and Carmedy raised her eyebrows and shook her head doubtfully, but I knit my brows and thought hard.

“No… it has to be,” Haruhi murmured in disbelief. “Ruituri’s sigil is a combination of three of their sigils. Master, is there any possible way that this is real? Could all three of them have borne a child together?”

“I’ve never seen it happen,” I started, and all of my minions, Haruhi included held their breath, “but it’s not unheard of. It has happened in the heavens before. It’s a difficult process and whoever creates a child from three instead of two certainly has evil deeds on their minds.”

“You can’t be serious,” Annalise breathed as she stared at me with wide eyes.

“Very serious. Generally, it happens when a goddess cannot carry a child herself, and the couple finds a surrogate to carry it for them,” I told them, and Carmedy was the only one who nodded along to my words. “Though looked down upon, it’s better if they find a human surrogate to carry the child, but gods and goddesses are very biased against humans and often find another goddess to carry the baby, but that causes more problems than it solves.”

“What do you mean?” Haruhi questioned in an awestruck voice as she learned something new about gods she didn’t know already.

“The power we are given from birth is the strongest force known on earth and in the heavens,” I explained in the manner of a professor giving wisdom to his students. “Using a goddess surrogate instead of a human one creates complications that wouldn’t arise if they had used a human. When the seed is placed within the surrogate goddess, her power transfers over to the child and attempts to move into its body. When that child is born, it is no longer the child of two people but instead three. I assume that is what happened with Ruituri. She has two mothers and one father, three powers combined into one. Haruhi, can you tell us what type of powers that Ruituri possesses?”

“Oh no… Ruituri is…” the white-eared cat stammered then her voice took on a more serious tone as she read the text to us. “The earth clouded with thunder and from the darkness, a being with rotted flesh and a bow stolen from the dead was seen, and on her heels came sickness and death like rabid dogs. Ruituri is the goddess of pestilence and plague.”

Chapter Twelve

“So, the combination of Nergal’s, Cybele’s and Adrestia’s power created Ruituri,” Annalise muttered as she thought over this new information. “And Ruituri is the goddess of pestilence. I can understand that from seeing the state that Nergal was in, but what about the two goddesses she was born from?”

“Well, from what I’m reading, Cybele was the surrogate for Ruituri when Adrestia couldn’t bear to carry the child,” Haruhi told us as she skimmed over the pages. “Oh gods…”

“What is it, Haruhi?” I inquired softly as I held the white orb in my palm. For a second, I thought we’d lost the connection with the cat from the silence, but suddenly, she spoke.

“Ruituri almost killed Cybele during the pregnancy.” the white-eared cat breathed through the sphere, and I watched as my women huddled around me stiffened. The sage went on to quote more of the text laid out before her. “And carnal was born from primal, and with it, the life of the mother flickered and narrowly was blown out. It goes on to say that Ruituri was like a disease inside of Cybele. The more the child grew, the more the life was sucked out of the goddess, and she nearly died during childbirth.”

“What about the three gods that were with her?” the swordswoman asked, and I turned my head to look at her as she stroked her long, chestnut braid. “Does it say anything about them? There were two men and another woman who helped us out twice, tonight and before in battle against the Tintagal soldiers.”

“Well, these texts are ancient, all the gods born after this wouldn’t be recorded in these books, but I can look deeper into it, if you like?” Haruhi questioned back as she flipped a page then turned away to shuffle off for another book. “Can you describe them to me?”

“Sure, the second woman wields a giant claymore like the Eye of Alipsis,” Rana told Haruhi as she recalled the woman who aided us. “She has fiery red hair, and full armor like a soldier would wear.”

“Did she show any powers beyond having a sword and armor?” Haruhi asked, and I could tell she was chewing on her lip anxiously as she flipped feverishly through a fourth book.

“No,” Carmedy uttered as she tilted her head and thought hard, “but she rode a Valgarian tiger during the battle against Tintagal, if that helps.”

“Actually, it does. Most gods have an animal or creature associated with them just like they have a sigil,” Haruhi muttered as the sound of pages flipping loudened then we heard her slap a hand down on a page. “Here, I think I found it, but I can’t be certain unless I saw her sigil in person. I believe the goddess you are referring to is Bellum, the goddess of conflict and war. Did any of you happen to see a sigil on her armor anywhere?”

I looked to my minions. Each of them shook their heads doubtfully, but Morrigan stood stock still and stared at the orb with darkened eyes. She knew something and puzzled it out before she spoke.

“Yes, I saw the sigil,” she said carefully. “It was on her back, and I only saw it once when she turned, but it was a snake with three heads and a flame-bladed sword slashing downward at the snake.”

“Yeah, that’s Bellum, for sure,” Haruhi excitedly cried, and a small smile spread across my lips at her enthusiasm. “She was born from Hephaes, the god of weaponry, but there’s no reference of who her mother was. I’ve heard legends that Hephaes created her from molten metal and a few drops of his blood, but that’s just an old tall tale. Who’s the next one you want me to check out?”

“The first man,” I told her as I recalled him and the way he used the scythe against the blood-curdlers. “He wears tattered burlap robes, his face is sunken in, and he’s bald. The man rides a camel, and he carries a scythe in battle.”

“That one is a little easier than the last two since no other god carries a scythe.” Haruhi smiled through the orb, and the pages turned much slower this time as she searched for the right one. “Domor, the god of starvation and famine. He’s a pretty old god, so his parents aren’t referenced here, but if you needed them, I could dig a little deeper into the old tomes?”

“No, that won’t be necessary, Haruhi,” I assured her as Carmedy nodded along with me.

“And the next one?” Haruhi pressed on.

“He wore black robes, the hood pulled up, but his face was young, and he had thick black hair,” I told her, and my feline companion scooted forward as her eyes squinted in deep concentration.

“He also had really piercing blue eyes, not like Rana’s baby-blue eyes but royal blue or ocean blue,” Carmedy added, and we heard the librarian flip through the pages once more. This time she was quiet for a long time, longer than before, and the only sound we heard was the shuffling steps of her feet as she moved back and forth between the bookshelves and a few times as she lifted new volumes down to examine them.

“Did he ride anything? Did he have a sigil? What power did he use?” Haruhi asked in rapid fire, and it took some time for all of us to get caught up.

“He rode a horse, and it was nearly skin and bones. Looked to be about half-dead or undead if you ask me,” Rana stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

“No sigils that I saw,” Annalise interjected as she held her braid tightly between both hands, “but as Master said, he was wearing black robes.”

“He used his hands to kill,” Morrigan uttered in her cold and emotionless voice.

“Can you elaborate on that?” the white-eared cat queried softly as she read. “Did he use his hands to kill them like physically, or was it a manifested power like Master’s?”

“It was manifested. There was no color or light as it happened which differentiates the powers from one another,” the white-haired elf went on to explain, and Haruhi listened intently. “It was like soul exorcism but different. It was like he released their souls with a simple wave of his hand. There was no effort behind it, no summoning or anything, they were just alive one second and dead the next.”

“That sounds like a Reaper to me, but it can’t be. They have no magical or spiritual connection with the gods. I may have to work on this one a little longer, if you don’t mind. Is there any way that I can get in contact with you? Like how you guys are talking to me right now?” Haruhi questioned as she closed a book and waited for my answer.

“Yes, you can call upon me, and I will answer,” I told her, and all my minions stared at me quietly for a moment and took in my words.

“So, I can j-just say your name, and you’ll answer?” the white-eared cat asked doubtfully, and I smirked softly to myself.

“Say it three times, and I will hear you anywhere I am, understood?” I proclaimed firmly, and Haruhi paused as she thought. I listened to the dark-haired cat’s thoughts through the orbs connection and knew exactly what Haruhi was thinking.

“Does that mean he wants me to call him by his heavenly given name?” the white-eared cat thought to herself.

I glanced at my minions one by one. My minions moved away from me to take care of their Bantams as the conversation with Haruhi was nearly over and all the important information was out of the way. So, certain they weren’t listening intently, I brought the orb closer to my body and spoke directly into it.

“Yes, Haruhi,” I confirmed what she was speaking, and the cat on the other end went completely silent. “You will have to use that name to call for me.”

“A-are you sure? I know how you want to keep all that stuff secret so that the other girls won’t find out,” Haruhi whispered back to me. I wanted to chuckle but didn’t want to alert my other minions to the conversation Haruhi and I were currently having.

“I believe that the dungeon we are about to enter is inhabited by a god I once knew in the heavens,” I explained softly. “I cannot be sure just yet until we are face to face, but I may have to tell them soon. Not all of it, of course, but the amount that you already know, my dear.”

I recalled how Haruhi had called me out after I had escorted her out of the Purple Conch in Eifersucht. Haruhi knew much more than my minions had, and they had spent more time with me than Haruhi had. I knew it would disappoint them to learn that the white-eared cat had known who I was for much longer than they had, but they didn’t have the resources at their fingertips that the librarian did. Haruhi had recognized me immediately, known precisely who I was without second-guessing herself. As Carmedy had said, Haruhi was well versed in the gods and goddesses both in the heavens and those thrown down to earth enough to be a professor on the subject. It was especially helpful to have her on our side at this moment, and I was thankful for everything she had done for us on Machstein and the help she had just given us to figure out who these gods and goddesses following us were.

“Oh…” Haruhi sighed softly, and I heard the soft creak of a chair as she sat down into it gracefully. “I’m terribly sorry to hear that. Do you think they’ll be upset when they learn everything?”

“Were you upset when you realized it was me back in the Purple Conch?” I asked back with a grin, and she giggled into my ear.

“No, but that’s much different,” the white-eared cat said back in that sweet, lulling voice that I liked so much. “I’ve been studying these things since I was a little kid. It’s what fascinates me and drives me to further my knowledge of the subject. Meeting you in Eifersucht was like… meeting a celebrity, I guess. I’d never met a god before, and I’ve been reading and studying about them my whole life. See the difference?”

“A celebrity?” I chuckled into the orb, and a soft purr lifted from the white sphere pleasantly. “I wouldn’t call myself that with all the things I’ve done.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Haruhi snapped, and I reared back in surprise. Not even my minions talked to me like that, but I had to admit, I did like it for a split second as the willful and strong Haruhi showed her true self to me. “This is going to sound strange, but I know you better than your own minions do. I know who you are and what you came from and all the things that happened before and after you were cast out.”

She let out a soft sigh. “However, I think what saddens me the most is your minions know you in a way that I do not. I know the carnage and the evil that’s happened from your hand, but they see a different side of you that I haven’t read about. I saw it briefly on Machstein, the tenderness and care that you show for them, and from what I read, there was never that type of side of you. Maybe your minions have changed you for the better, but I may never know.”

“Haruhi,” I murmured tenderly in my softest voice, and I heard the soft swish of her tail as it whispered through the air happily at the sound of my voice saying her name. “Would you like to know me better?”

The white-eared cat was silent for a moment, and I could almost imagine her in the library as she sat in one of the chairs at a long wooden table with her chin resting in her paw as she thought. Her face was burned into my memory as my other minions’ were, and I glanced over to them as they tended to their birds.

“I would,” Haruhi answered, and the heart within my avatar leaped then pounded furiously. “But Tintagal and Canarta are worlds away and with the danger of the Holy Band of Mages breathing down my back…”

“Do you think I couldn’t handle them?” I grinned at the orb.

“I guess I shouldn’t second guess you, you are a powerful Underdark god and have proven yourself time and time again,” Haruhi uttered thoughtfully then she sighed as a soft bell tinkled on her end. “I’m sorry, Master, I must go. I have a customer, but I’ll get back to you with the information on the second god whenever I find something.”

“Goodbye, Haruhi.” I smiled gently down at the orb.

“Goodbye, Master,” the white-eared cat replied and then the only sound that came from the orb on my palm was the soft crackle we had heard before when reaching out to her.

Without Haruhi’s knowledge, I pressed my energy through the orb, and it passed through the expanse of thousands of miles between us. I lay my powers on her, and she may not have noticed it, but she took a deep inhale and probably sensed it in her own way. Haruhi had told us she was scared that the Holy Band of Mages would return and with my power within her, I would be able to sense any danger she was in. I could see her now in my mind’s eye and just as I had imagined, she sat at a small wooden table with her elbows pressed into the wood.

Haruhi’s eyes were trained up into the air, probably because she wasn’t sure where to look when speaking to me this way. She looked just as pretty if not more than she had when we had met her on Machstein. Her long, almost black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and stray hairs whispered around her soft, freckled cheeks. Her round glasses glinted in the light as she turned her head and smiled at the person entering in through the main door. I moved my power over her in a wave, and she paused for a second. This time I knew that she sensed it as her fluffy white ears twitched slightly. She knew I was here with her, and the smile on her lips widened.

I moved my dark power over her and then inside of her as I claimed her as mine. Haruhi had been correct when she said that Tintagal and Canarta were worlds away, but I was an Underdark deity and could do whatever I pleased. My power consumed Haruhi and left a small mark on the nape of her neck, concealed so that no one, not even the Holy Band of Mages, could see or find it.

The mark I left on her was similar to the sigil I held in the heavens, but I had made a few changes to it to make it truly my own on earth. With the mark in place, I could sense her and watch over her even from thousands of miles away. Her heartbeat was loud in my ears, and I knew that once I retracted my essence from the orb, I would still be able to hear it. Haruhi wasn’t one of my minions yet, but I had left my mark on her, and when we were reunited in Canarta after all the things with Baudouin had been wrapped up, I would plant my seed deep into her and make her mine. Haruhi was spoken for in a way with my mark buried deep in her skin like a tattoo, and no other god could claim her while I had my hold on her.

I watched her silently as she quickly piled the ancient tomes and texts together and hurried off to assist the customer, then I pulled my dark power back. If the Holy Band of Mages returned to question or harm Haruhi again, I would know, and I would go to her immediately and protect her. I replaced the orb back in my void pocket with all of that wrapped up and turned towards my minions as they climbed back on their Bantams. I crossed to them in the darkness of the night and stepped over the bodies of the dead blood-curdlers to my bird to slide into my saddle. Then I turned the Bantam towards the crumbling castle ahead, ready to battle against the god within, and from the beating of his power, he was anxiously awaiting us.

Chapter Thirteen

When we arrived at the outer wall of the once-majestic stronghold of Sangiam, I noticed something bizarre. More blood-curdlers stood and ambled around the outside, but they didn’t move to attack us as their feral red and yellow eyes followed our movement. The creatures kept their distance and stayed in the shadows, but I could still sense them there as they prowled around. Some of them were bloated, their bellies protruding out like those of an alcoholic who'd had one too many over the span of his life. The skin of those whose stomachs hung out was oddly colored also, ridiculously pink, almost purple as if they were suffocating and dying, unlike the gray and colorless ones we had faced off with on the forest path. I glanced at Morrigan, and her wholly black eyes moved over the darkness where the blood-curdlers loomed like white and gray ghosts.

“Some of them have eaten,” the elven woman told me, and I turned my head back to watch as one of the sprier, fat blood-curdlers groaned in the moonlight and rolled its eyes but didn’t move toward us.

“What do you mean?” Carmedy asked over my shoulder as she kept a frightened eye on the blood-curdlers.

“The reason some of them are fat and pink,” my white-haired lover told us. “They’ve engorged themselves on blood, and their bodies are slowly processing the nutrients.”

I nodded my head firmly then looked up towards the castle with wary eyes. I could sense the god’s power here all around us, and it emanated from the blood-curdlers as they ambled closer and created a strong wall behind us. I knew what they were doing immediately, they closed off the exit and our only means of escape. Not that I cared. We were not the types to run away from a challenge, especially myself. We could take down anyone I set my eyes on as an adversary.

“Why aren’t they attacking us?” Rana asked as she looked over her shoulder at the creatures. They settled into three rows of ranks as we spoke, though my attention was still more focused on the castle ahead.

“Because the deity doesn’t want them to, not yet at least,” I growled as I pointed to the massive front doors of the castle.

Before our eyes, they swung open to allow us entrance.

I urged my Bantam forward, and my minions followed after with the blood-curdlers trailing behind in their ranks. The creatures were wholly silent as we moved through, just as the others from before were except for when they died. Their bare feet shuffled across the dirty stone floor as we moved ahead of them, and I felt the familiar tug of another god’s power. I pushed the Bantam in the direction that I felt the energy emanating from.

The castle’s interior, like the outside, was ravaged. Most of the rock walls were crumbled over in massive heaps, and parts of the floor were completely fallen through. At one point, we even had to move our Bantams in a single file line to pass through a tight hall of fallen in stone.

I expected danger at every turn, but we found nothing waiting for us around each bend save for the blood-curdlers following along behind us. I supposed that danger was enough for this god. The beat of the deity’s power grew stronger the deeper in the castle we went, and there was no denying it now. I knew exactly who it was. We were so close, and I could tell it from the actions of the blood-curdlers behind us that they were eager for us to find their master. The creatures shifted around irritably and sped up their pace as if to force us forward.

Carmedy yelped as one came too close and brushed against Kura’s feathers. The feline was anxious and held her sleek black tail between her hands as she swiveled her emerald eyes around the dark, dank interior of the castle. We didn’t speak, and each time one of my minions tried, I held up a hand to silence them. I knew the god here was not only listening but watching through the creatures behind us. We would give away nothing that could aid him in the battle to come.

The path through the castle that the blood-curdlers forced us to take wound around the castle and finally opened up to a large doorway with faded green and silver detailing. One of the wooden doors had come entirely off its hinges and hung there as it partially brushed the ruined floor. I could sense the god’s power strongly now, and it was plain that he waited for us inside. As if on cue, the blood-curdlers rushed forward, their mouths hung open in silent screams as they forced us forward into the grand hall.

I lifted my eyes to the enormous doorway as we advanced. The intricate detail that had gone into making this castle told me that whoever had built this castle, one of Baudouin’s ancestors possibly, put considerable effort into making it beautiful and grand for the people of Sangiam. I could almost see it in my mind’s eye, the splendor it had once been in the times of the old rulers of Tintagal, but now, it was left to rot and crumble under the control of a god.

I wondered how he had come to reside here. Most of the dungeons we had encountered were buried deep within the earth where they had landed after being cast out of the heavens. How did this god come to live in a forgotten castle? So many thoughts and questions raced through my mind as I moved my eyes over the vast room and tried to sense out the exact location of the god. I could feel him, but he hadn’t shown himself to us just yet.

I held up my hand for my minions to stop and then pushed my Bantam forward as I turned and looked about the room for him. Drawn along the walls and the ash-covered columns were arcane runes and ancient divine symbols. I scanned them, and all of my questions were answered promptly without even speaking to the god inside. Someone had beckoned him here with magic, the runes told me, and I looked down to the floor at my feet to find the blood red markings where someone had placed a summoning circle.

“Nahum,” the god’s familiar voice called to me as he tittered with laughter. I gritted my teeth against the name he had once called me in the heavens.

“Sakenomi,” I replied back with the name I had given him in the god’s tongue as I whipped my head to search for any hint of him.

“What have I done to deserve a visit from the Bringer of Death?” The god laughed. “I had thought we were lost to each other once you fell and left me all alone in that hellish place they call the god's realm, but here you are, in my very own domain.” He sounded just as he had in the heavens, cocky and assured as always.

“I didn’t know you fell,” I told him honestly as I turned my head and followed the sound of his echoing voice.

“There are a lot of things that have happened since you’ve been gone. Lots of things have changed, lots drabber, and so many more annoying rules to keep everyone in line and check.” My old friend sighed loudly in aggravation.

“Why don’t you come down here, and we can have a proper reunion then?” I asked with a smirk.

“A reunion?” He laughed loudly, and the sound vibrated off the walls. “And by that you mean that you’re going to slay me with that big stick in your pocket and take my powers? I think not, old friend.” He chortled again as I shook my head. He hadn’t changed a bit since I had known him in the heavens.

“Then you won’t mind if I kill your followers then?” I snarled through a smile as I reached into my void pocket and pulled out the God Slayer.

“By all means,” he replied, his voice irritated but not quite angry. “They’re not my first followers, and if you don’t kill me today, then they won’t be my last. The coven will just bring me more like they always do.”

“The coven?” I asked curiously, and from the sudden coldness in the air, I could tell that was information he hadn’t wanted to let slip. “I see. You’ve been very busy babbling in the dark arts, my friend.”

“I haven’t personally, but my lovers, well, they have.” The god chuckled back, and though I was here to kill him and take his powers for my own, I did want to look at his face just once and remember the times we had spent together as boys.

“Is that why you were thrown from the heavens?” I asked through a smile as I advanced on his horde of blood-curdlers. “For fraternizing with mortals?”

“Seven mortals to be exact, but yes,” he proudly replied, and I scoffed to show him my displeasure.

“You were always one for the dramatics,” I mused as I eyed the blood-curdlers and decided where I should start first.

“Isn’t seven a bit excessive?” Rana shot out. I stopped and blinked at her for a second as she gave me a quick wink.

“Excessive? Oh, my dear, absolutely not. I would have a hundred women in my coven if I could,” the deity replied back in a purring voice, but the fox stood firm as she hardened her features.

“You just seem like a wimp to me.” The redhead shrugged as she looked around the room with disinterested eyes. Annalise’s eyes widened in surprise at her sister’s sudden bold words, but a feral grin grew on her lips as well in anticipation of the battle to come.

“Excuse me?” the god shouted, and the walls of the room shuddered with his power. I knew then that Rana’s words were doing exactly as she planned.

“I mean, you have all these women running around and doing your bidding,” the fox stated in a bored voice. While Rana taunted the god, Morrigan’s dark eyes lit with a fire I hadn’t seen in a while as she looked down at the red symbols painted on the floor.

“You were summoned here by the witches. That’s why you do not have a true dungeon. You may have one, but it must be in some far off place that you cannot reach within the confines of the summoning circle,” the elven woman snarled through a broad smile as she moved her wholly black eyes over the walls to help search for the god.

“And you won’t come out and face Master head on?” the redhead sneered through her giggles. “You’re a coward. You’re afraid of what might happen to you and your followers.”

I turned as I felt his power reach its peak, and the god I had once known in the heavens appeared at one end of the red summoning circle. His face was exactly as I remember it. His curly hair was as white as snow, almost like Morrigan’s, but somehow lighter, and his large eyes were colorless but not milky and sightless like Nergal’s. His skin was tanned a rich brown, and all across his bare arms and parts of his exposed chest, runes were drawn and stained into his skin where the coven had placed them. Clothed in deep blues, purples, and reds, he looked out of place in the dark and dirty castle, and he looked better suited for the country of Valasara. He still had a boyish face though he had grown a few inches since the last time I had seen him.

Pain swelled in my chest at the sight of him. This god was one of the closest beings that I could call a friend in the heavens, and now, I would have to end his life with my own hands. His lips spread into a smile, and a faraway sparkle lit up his eyes as we stared at each other, and I knew he was feeling the same thing that I was.

“Euron.” His true name spilled from my lips as if not even a day had passed between us, and his smile widened even more as he looked into my face with remembrance.

“It’s not every day I come face to face with the God of the Underworld, is it, Nahum?”

A collective gasp rose up from behind me from my minions, and I gritted my teeth as a smug smile spread over Euron’s face. He tilted his head at me, and his white crown of curls shifted in the darkness of the hall as he chuckled softly to himself.

“They didn’t know, did they?” the god asked, and I steeled myself, I knew this was coming and that I would have to tell them about who I was eventually and where I came from, but I hadn’t thought he would have brought it up so quickly. “I figured you wouldn’t tell them. You were always so secretive when we were in the heavens together, and I guess you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Neither have you, Euron,” I growled through clenched teeth. “You’re still the pompous ass that I remember.”

“Don’t be that way, at one point we were so close, and I would have called us brothers.” Euron smiled as his eyes shined with nostalgia.

“We are brothers no more. We are enemies here and now.” I told him as I reached into my void pocket for the God Slayer, but the white-haired god clicked his tongue and waggled a finger at me.

“If you want to play with me, why don’t we do it like we did when we were children?” the deity asked, and I raised my eyebrows to him in surprise.

I could clearly remember the times we had spent together in the god’s realm. Euron’s parents, like my own, served with the High Order, and more often than not, we were thrown together as playmates while our parents were away on business. Our powers hadn’t fully developed to what they were today, but I remembered him using his power on passersby. The funny thing was that most of the time when my minions and I entered into a dungeon, we had no clue what power the god inside controlled, but this was different, this was Euron, a man I had spent most of my childhood battling against. I knew I couldn’t spare him, and he knew that I wouldn’t go easy on him as I had before.

My powers had developed quicker than his in the god’s realm, and I would spare him the full brute force of my power when we played together during that time.

Neither of us showed any sign of weakness, but from the glimmer in his colorless eyes, I knew this was a fight he didn’t want to go through. I had to admit to myself that the fondest memories that I had from the heavens were not with my family, my parents and the line of blood-brothers that came after, but instead with the god that stood in front of me. Euron was right when he said we were like brothers, and I felt a wave of sadness rush over me as the white-haired god stepped forward, and a cerulean and maroon power danced up from the stone around his feet to obscure him from view.

I never had reservations or second thoughts when I fought against other gods in their dungeons, but when I looked into Euron’s face, and he gave me a winning smile, for a second, I wanted to spare him.

However, I quickly thought back on the sickly and dying people of Sangiam and the blood-curdlers that they became and knew what had to be done.

I pushed my dark power all around me almost as he had done into a protective shield of undulating black smoke. While I was much stronger than him, he had always been a trickster with something hidden up his sleeve, so I wouldn’t take him lightly. Surprisingly though, as we danced around each other in the red summoning circle, he didn’t pull anything as I assumed he would. Euron’s colorless eyes flitted to my minions and took in each of them in time.

“Funny that none of them look like Isolda,” Euron smirked over to me, and all my women took a step backward towards their Bantams.

“Isolda is dead. Why would I seek out women who resemble her?” I asked in a calm voice.

“I guess it’s a preference thing.” Euron shrugged as a wave of his power shot out at me like a whip, and I countered it with a wave of my right arm and a surge of my black power came up. “I filled my coven with redheaded women, red like fire, red like rage.”

“Just like Lilith.” I rolled my eyes as I thrust out both arms, and my obsidian energy rushed forward like fire. The darkness of my power consumed his own energy, and he jumped back with a light chuckle. “All gods know not to fall in love with demons, Euron. They don’t possess hearts in those callused bodies.”

“I took a chance.” Euron laughed lightly as he faced off with his impending death. “Can’t you give me some credit?”

“Did you fall for her? Did she promise you something if you left the heavens for her?” I inquired as I summoned the lava god’s power and melted the floor behind his feet, but Euron only tittered good-naturedly as he hopped into the air for his cerulean and maroon power to catch him like two pairs of hands.

“As the God of the Underworld, Nahum, you should have told me that all the sweet words that fell from her lips were lies disguised as love.” Euron smiled sadly as he brought his hands up in front of him. At his command, his power moved like whips as he struck out at me wildly, but I deflected them with backhanded waves.

“I didn’t have to tell you those things, Euron, you should have known them yourself.” I laughed finally, and the god’s face broke for a second in relief as if it were a sound he waited for this entire time.

“Aye, but I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway.” Euron shrugged, then he whipped his hands through the air before he flattened them and brought them upward towards his chest. His power swelled underneath me like a wave, but I moved the dark smoke around my feet, and his assault fizzled out with loud crackles against my shield.

“Demons will be demons. You should have learned that after your first encounter with one,” I scolded him lightly. “But you never learn, dumbass.”

“Hey, now, you control the demons, ‘O Dark Lord.’ You could have gotten in a good word for me or controlled them or something, dumbass,” the white-haired god mocked back through a smile, and he watched as darkness fell over my face.

I knew what we were doing, and I looked down at the dark power that had lifted me off the floor and surrounded my body entirely. We weren’t fighting against each other to the death, but instead, we had reverted to our old ways in the god’s realm. I had slipped into the old routine so quickly, and Euron watched as I slowly lowered myself to the floor. My heavy boots slammed against the rock as I gritted my teeth. His face fell in sadness as he too lowered himself to his feet.

“Ah, I see.” Euron sighed as he looked at me across the summoning circle, and I watched as he shaped his colorful power around him like a shield. “It’s time for us to get serious about this. We aren’t children anymore, and well, my life is on the line.”

“I would hope that you would be serious about this,” I stated plainly as I moved my black power around me in swells and surges.

“Let’s be honest, Nahum, I’ve never been serious about anything. All of my decisions have been flippant and nonchalant without a care in the world but… if anyone were to take my life, then I guess you deserve to be the one,” Euron said as his two different colored energies hardened to points and tips around his back. His power changed color as his monochrome eyes glowed red in their sockets, and I knew that he was ready to face off with me for the last time.

“It may not be the time to ask this, Euron, but I must,” I inquired honestly. “Why blood magic? Why call upon the darkest of all powers? Do you really think yourself that weak?”

The scarlet in his eyes didn’t shift or change for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice was deeper than before.

“If I’m unafraid of what’s on the other side, then why not switch over before I descend? The underworld is without a ruler at this time. Why not go and have my fun while I still have the chance?” the deeper and more gravelly voice asked back, and I stared at him, astonished. “The darkness called my name, and I answered back. Why should I be ashamed when I know you’ve done the very same?”

“Euron, there is a difference between being born in that world and being called to it,” I told him as I advanced and condensed all of my dark power into two long spears at my side. “I was destined for the pits, and you were not. You should have stayed in the heavens where you belonged.”

“Where I belonged?” Euron snarled back in that hellish voice. “Being in the god’s realm was a punishment worse than death. Neither of us belonged there, and we both knew it. You just left before I had the chance to follow!”

“I didn’t leave, you ignorant bastard!” I yelled as I lashed out with one of the dark energy spears, but it clashed against his power as he brought it up to block. “I was thrown out! I was practically the prince of the heavens before I was cast out! I could have had it all under my control, and then…”

My words trailed off as he smashed his hands together. His surging power coalesced and rushed towards me, but I brought both hands up to deflect his force and it flew up over my head like a cool breeze. Euron was finally fighting back against me with all of his might though it wouldn’t help in the end. I had collected so much power from other gods and deities that his might paled in comparison to mine. This fight would soon be over with only one of us left standing.

Euron gritted his teeth as he ran forward, and we came together in a clash of powers. Electricity bounced off us in arcs, and as we struggled, I pulled my left hand back over my shoulder and slammed it down directly in the middle of his chest.

The impact blasted Euron away from me with streamers of black magic trailing off his form. My eyes widened as he was about to be thrown out of the summoning circle, and just as he would have flown free, a glimmering wall flared to life, and his back hit it at full force. Euron’s head slammed back against the magical wall created by the summoning circle, and then he lurched forward to lift his head to me. Blood seeped from his hairline and stained his pearlescent white hair. Euron’s scarlet eyes met mine as his chest heaved for breath, and droplets of blood spilled from his thin lips to the dusty stone floor. He hastily wiped it away with his arm, and the red liquid stained his colorful garments.

I hadn’t used even a fraction of my power, and I could see that my old friend was waning quickly. Euron hadn’t fought someone in a very long time, and it showed. I almost felt pity for him at this moment. He hadn’t a chance against me, and yet he had so desperately wanted to fight against me for old times’ sake. Even with the help of his blood magic, he wasn’t a worthy adversary for me, and I wanted to end this fight as quickly as I could without causing too much damage to the one person who had been my friend in the god’s realm.

I pushed my arms out in front of me, tensed the fingers, and summoned up more of my corrosive black smoke up from the cracks in the stones at his feet. Euron didn’t see it, and in a flash, the smoke consumed him, and I could no longer see him fight and his struggling form within. I moved my hands as if I was holding a ball, my fingers tensed in the air as I closed the space between both hands and concentrated my magic. I could feel his life force draining, and as much as I wanted to look away and ignore my godly senses, I couldn’t.

This was something that I had to watch and witness for myself.

I had seen so many other deaths of gods that I would have thought that I was immune to the remorse of separating a soul from its body, but this time was different. This was a god that I knew, a god that had been close to me at all times during my life in the heavens, and I was the one killing him. If I couldn’t give the Tichádáma the death that she had wanted, I could at least give it to Euron in her wake.

The black smoke swirled around him, and the scarlet in his usually colorless eyes dissipated in a flash as I took the blood magic from him and added it to my powers. Euron threw back his head as his pale eyes lifted up to the ceiling above both of us. I knew and felt that he accepted his end as his tensed arms relaxed and dropped down to his sides, and he took a deep breath. The eddying black smoke around him lightened to a steel gray, then to my surprise, pure blindingly white.

I looked down at my hands in surprise, but my concentration never wavered. My hands had only known hate and revenge as they lay waste to everything in their path, and now, for the first time, I was doing something good for another god, and it felt eerily strange.

Euron lifted from the ground peacefully as soft whispers of unseen voices echoed around the room. His bright, clear eyes met mine through the whirling smoke, and his lips pulled up into the cocky smirk that I remembered so fondly in the god’s realm, and now, it tore at me. I pushed my hands together, and each of my fingers knit as the white smoke condensed around Euron for the last time. The whispers around me heightened then came to an ear splitting crescendo, as I felt Euron’s holy soul split from his heavenly body and intermix with the white smoke moving around him. The voices combined into one and warbled as the white mist cleared, and Euron’s empty shell lowered to the floor and lay still. I stared down at it with weary eyes, but something I hadn’t expected happened next.

The stone floor beneath our feet rumbled and shook, but I kept my footholds as my minions clung onto their Bantams with wide eyes. The red streaks that marked the summoning circle crackled and split open as it sensed the absence of the god it had been created to trap and keep inside. Then I turned my head as a soft shuffle came from behind my women near the door. I watched as the horde of blood-curdlers wavered on their feet, and one by one, fell in a disarrayed heap of legs and arms on the dirty floor.

The pack of creatures couldn’t live without their master, and now that Euron was dead, the hive died along with him.

I wondered for a moment about the coven that Euron spoke of and knew that, one day, all of his women would return to the castle to find their master was dead and gone from this cursed place. How their cries of pain and sorrow would echo and vibrate around this room when they discovered his lifeless corpse. I looked at my minions for a moment, though their eyes were wary and questions bubbled up in their minds, I still felt the overwhelming love they had for me as our eyes connected. No man nor god could take me away from them like I had taken Euron from his coven, and if anyone tried, they’d be struck down viciously and without mercy.

I turned back to Euron’s corpse and walked over to it. His tanned face was serene, and his colorless eyes stared upward into nothing. His arms and legs were splayed out unnaturally around him, and I bent for a moment as I righted them and crossed his arms over his chest. I brushed my hand down his smooth face and closed his eyelids for his eternal sleep. My minions shuffled up behind me then, but I didn’t raise my head to them. I only stared down at the corpse of one of the only true friends I had known in the heavens.

I didn’t feel any remorse or regret for what I had done. I only wished that he hadn’t followed after me and stayed in the heavens where he would have been safe from death such as this. If he remained in the heavenly realm, we would have never faced off against one another, and he might have lived a happy life. Even as I thought it though, I knew it was a lie. If Euron stayed in the heavens, we would’ve been reunited once I ripped the god’s realm to shreds, and the outcome would have been the same.

I blinked down at his body for a moment, my women completely silent behind me as they huddled together for comfort. I watched as his aura sunk into the stone, and his powers lifted from his body. The orb was smaller than the other gods’, and the swirling colors were the same cerulean and maroon from before.

I held out my hands for it like an old friend instead of waiting for it to come to me as I usually did. When my fingertips brushed against the smooth surface, I was filled with a sudden warmth and happiness as I remembered my boyhood spent alongside Euron. I held the orb of power for a long time and stared down into its depths. For a second, I thought I could see his cheeky laughing face in its surface, but then it was gone. I never let my emotions past the surface of my avatar, and this was the closest that I got in the entire time I had spent with my minions. I pulled the orb closer, and the warmth rose to a fiery heat that licked at the flesh of my face. I pressed it into my chest, and it slowly lowered itself into my being.

With Euron’s power, I would be able to take over the minds and control as many people as I wanted, and I was grateful to him though it meant the end of his life. I stood then and turned to my minions.

Their faces were pale, and they looked up into my face with mixed emotions, but I could tell that none of them feared me. What they wanted most at this moment was to comfort me from the loss of someone I once knew. I held out my arms to them, and they rushed forward to embrace me. I enveloped them in my arms and took comfort in the warmth and love of each of their touches.

Carmedy stood up on her tiptoes to lay a soft kiss to my cheek, and from the wetness of her own, I knew she was crying. I looked down into her emerald eyes, but they were downcast as more tears welled up and threatened to spill down her round cheeks. Still, surprisingly, the feline was the first to speak to me.

“Did you miss him?” the dark-haired cat asked as she lifted her face to mine.

“What do you mean?” I questioned as I reached out and stroked her cheek tenderly.

“He was your friend, right? Did you miss him while you were gone? After you were cast out?” Carmedy asked more fervently.

I lowered my eyes as I thought.

“I don’t remember,” I admitted, and the feline sighed softly as she moved her gaze over Euron’s corpse. “But I think I did. Euron was the best brother and friend that I have ever had.”

“Is that why you gave him a quick and painless death, Master?” Morrigan asked as she nuzzled into my neck, and her sweet breath tickled my flesh for a moment.

“I gave him the death that a true god deserves,” I told them firmly as I averted my gaze away from Euron and to the lifeless blood-curdlers strewn about the floor.

“But what about all those things he said, Master? The stuff about being… the God of the Underworld?” Annalise stuttered out as she avoided my gaze, and Rana was the first to break from my grasp.

The redhead placed her clenched fists on her hips, set her jaw and leveled her sharp blue eyes at my face. I knew this was coming, I had expected it as soon as the words had fallen from Euron’s lips. The fox tilted her head at me then narrowed her eyes as she spoke gravely.

“We need answers, Master. You need to tell us everything.”

Chapter Fourteen

My minions were silent as we exited Euron’s castle. There was no treasure or sacred items here since it wasn’t the god's true dungeon, and I wondered for a moment where Euron had landed in the beginning before the coven summoned him here. I felt a twinge of sadness as we regrouped and gathered our Bantams but quickly brushed it away as I took one backward glance towards the room that the god I once knew was trapped in. His corpse lay still and would remain there until his coven returned.

Then what would happen? Would his lovers bury him? His body wouldn’t rot or age as mortal corpses do, and for a moment, I hoped they would burn it. Though cremation wasn’t practiced anymore since the ritualistic practices of worshipping gods had gone by the wayside, which was what the priests and priestesses would do for a god when they passed, a rare event to begin with.

I thought back on the city that used to worship me so piously, and a few miles from there, there was another city that worshiped the sun-god Amun. He’d been alive since the beginning of time, if not before the earth came into existence. I don’t remember him or interacting with him much, but when he passed, his body was sent down to the city that worshipped him the most. The town mourned him with lavish festivals and funeral processions, and they took Amun’s body into the largest of the temples, anointed it with oil and sage, then burned it on an altar while the whole city watched with bated breath. I watched them stand around Amun’s body as it smoldered and burned into nothing but gray ash on the altar.

I hoped that Euron’s coven would do the same for him.

My women and I picked our way through the decrepit castle and out into the cold air. We took very little time to set up our tents and built up a fire inside. I could tell from the sour look on Rana’s face that she was disappointed that there was no treasure in Euron’s castle, but she quickly turned her attention back to me over the crackling flames. Her blue eyes were bright and focused on my face, but I wasn’t ready to speak yet. I wanted them to fill their bellies and rest for a few moments before I dove headfirst into the tale of my life and my past. I untied my pack and began pulling out some of the food I had brought with me, and Carmedy followed my intentions eagerly.

“We eat first,” I told them in a firm voice as I looked deep into each set of eyes, and they slowly followed my lead.

Morrigan settled herself in a few feet away from me, searched in her pack for something to eat, and pulled out a small bag full of nuts and berries. Carmedy was busy skewering potatoes on a long stick, and the feline held them over the fire until their brown skins broke and steam burst into the air. Annalise grabbed some dried meat from her bag and ripped into it ferociously. Rana kept her eyes on me but pulled a parchment-wrapped bundle from her pack and unfolded it neatly. Inside the parchment was all sorts of different roots, a few walnuts, and like the High Queen’s rations, two slivers of jerky.

I grabbed my pack and rummaged through it and found that it was nearly empty of supplies and food. My searching hands found only an apple and a small bundle of beans. From our meager meals, I knew that we’d have to buy more supplies in the next town which was near Jemmets Landing. We ate in silence, and my minions kept their eyes low as they ate their small meals. I finished my apple in seconds then the beans, and still, my stomach grumbled for more. Before I knew it, a sizzling potato wrapped in a small swath of parchment was thrust under my nose.

Carmedy offered the potato to me with a broad smile as she bit into her own and I took it but planted a tender kiss to her temple first in gratitude. Morrigan offered me a handful of blueberries, Annalise held out one of her sticks of jerky, and even Rana, who still avoided my eyes, offered up two walnuts. My women still cared for me even in this moment of worry, and it warmed my heart exponentially. I took the food they offered and thanked each of them in turn. As I took the walnuts the redhead offered, our fingers touched and her pretty face flushed red. Even now, she still showed her true feelings to me. I quickly ate the food they offered to me, and they continued with their small meals while they kept their eyes on the fire.

Their faces were troubled, and I wanted nothing more than to comfort them, but I knew I could do that only after I told them the truth. I had protected them this long, and I hoped they would see that I would protect them through everything even if it meant keeping secrets from them. I wouldn’t tell them everything until they were ready, but now, they needed something to placate them from the constant worry in their heads.

Rana was the first to level her sharp eyes to mine over the fire, and I felt it deep in my belly, it was time to tell them about my life in the god’s realm and what came after.

“I will not tell you my true name,” I stated calmly, and the redhead’s mouth opened to protest, but I lifted a single finger in the air for silence. “My god’s name is something I hold close to myself, and I hope that one day I’ll be able to tell you what it is but today is not that day, I am sorry. Other than that, feel free to ask any question? Where shall I start?”

“Start from the beginning,” Annalise said as she blinked her chocolatey brown eyes. “Start from your birth.”

“Very well,” I began softly. “I was born in the god’s realm thousands of years ago, if not millions. I cannot give you the exact date, but I can tell you, it was before the earth was even born. It was only a frothy celestial soup when I came into the world.”

Carmedy tilted her head at me as one of her black ears twitched softly.

“So, are you older than the Tichádáma?” the feline asked in an interested voice. “Remember what the citizens said? When she was born, all the aquatic animals were born with her.”

“Merely a tale that the people of Kanashimi spread around,” I told her softly. “But the Tichádáma was much older than me. If you remember in her dungeon, she mentioned there was a boy she liked to watch play in the heavenly gardens? That was most likely about me and Euron.”

Carmedy nodded to me once then went back to staring into the fire thoughtfully.

“My parents were, and probably still are, two of the highest-ranking gods in the heavens,” I continued after a moment. “Chirus, the god of victory, is my father, and Qyris, the goddess of the sun, is my mother. I have a long line of brothers that come after me, but the one who matters the most in this story is the second oldest next to me, the sniveling little bastard, Otia.”

Morrigan’s brow furrowed as she raised her head to me and opened her supple lips to speak. “I didn’t know you had brothers, Master.”

“Yes,” I nodded slowly. “I believe by the time I was cast out, I had fifteen younger brothers and another on the way. Who knows how many more I may have now?” I sighed softly as I stroked my chin and remembered the sight of my mother, heavy with child as she looked down at me with scorn. “But like Nergal’s daughter Ruituri, I was the only son that my mother could not bear, and the seed that would grow into the being you see before you passed on to another goddess to carry.”

“Who carried you then if not Qyris?” Rana asked as her blue eyes bore into mine over the flames.

“A goddess named Eris,” I admitted and gritted my teeth against the next question I knew was coming. Morrigan’s dark eyes narrowed, and her mouth opened slightly as she stared at me in shock.

“Eris?” the elf stuttered out as realization flashed across her face. I raised my eyebrows in surprise that the elven woman was the only know who even knew who the goddess was.

“Yes, Eris is the one who carried me in her belly,” I confirmed with a firm nod.

“Master… your dark powers, did they come from Eris and not your true parents?” my white-haired lover questioned with wide eyes.

“My parents, one the god of victory and the other the goddess of the sun, wouldn’t have created a child with the powers that I possess,” I informed her. “Light comes from light and darkness comes from darkness. My true parents couldn’t have created a child with powers like mine. It could only have come from Eris.”

The elf sat back on her heels as she breathed in deeply.

“Okay, hold up,” Rana cried as she raised her hands into the air, and we all turned to her as she continued to speak. “Who is this Eris woman? I mean, it’s obviously freaking Morrigan out that she’s your second mom, so you have to tell us.”

“Eris is the goddess of strife and discord,” I stated as I squared my shoulders. “She was the leader of the Underworld before my time.”

“She is one of the most powerful goddesses known to mortals,” Morrigan added in a hushed voice, and Fea and Macha nodded their heads in unison from the elf’s shoulders. “My elven people may not worship gods or anything of the like, but she is one of the few gods acknowledged in our texts. I believe she was called upon by my people when the Alavesh stole from us, but she either didn’t hear us or ignored our cries for help.”

“Eris is very fickle,” I stated with a small smile then raised my eyes to Morrigan for a moment and then the others after. “I’m surprised she helped my parents in the beginning, but it seems she had other plans for me once I was old enough.”

“What does that mean?” Annalise questioned as she scooted closer to the fire. “What came next, Master?”

“I must start this story with Isolda because she is where all of my stories stem from,” I murmured. “You may have heard her mentioned a few times, and I know I’ve let a few of the details slip, but none of you know who she truly was. You all know now that Isolda was my first love, the first human that opened her heart to me and allowed me within the confines of her flesh.”

My minions listened, enraptured by my story as I continued. “The woman whom I fell in love with was a fledgling witch, not fully practiced or versed in her practices. Isolda summoned me by mistake, and her beauty overcame me as I stood in the middle of her crude circle. I was not yet a man nor was I a boy when I met her, and in those days, our love was innocent and pure before my true calling was given to me.”

“True calling?” Carmedy asked sweetly as she scooted closer, and I bowed my head once.

“Though Eris wasn’t my true blood mother, she still had a claim to me since her power was part of mine,” I said as I imagined Eris’s face in my head. Once I took down the heavens, she would be the first that I’d go after, the creature that turned me into what I am.

“What does that even mean?” Rana asked with a scrunched-up nose, and I turned my attention to the fox for a moment.

“Even though she wasn’t his mother, she was still partly his mother,” Annalise said with a nod of her head, and Rana’s face grew even more confused.

“None of what you just said makes any sense,” the fox grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I think I can better explain. We all know that you are two halves of your parents melded together into a separate person,” I explained in a soft voice, and the fox watched me with wary eyes. “When I was born, I had not only my parent’s powers but also Eris’s, and that would make her a third parent in this situation. I’m not only the product of the exquisite breeding of my parents but also Eris’s, I am part of her like she is part of me. It is the same for Nergal’s daughter, Ruituri, just like Haruhi explained.”

“Still kind of confused but go on,” the fox said with a shrug of her shoulders.

I nodded and did as she bid. “I was still in my adolescence during this time, not old enough to understand how to use or control the powers I had been given, and that is when Eris took me under her wing. As Morrigan said, Eris is very powerful and, like my parents, is high up in the Holy Order despite the nature of her powers. During this time, Isolda blossomed before my eyes, more appealing than ever, and her magic had bloomed alongside her.” I stared deep into the fire and watched the wood crackle and pop from the blazing heat.

“I’d been told many times not to fraternize with humans, but I still went to her every chance that I could,” I told them as a small smile came to my lips as I remembered all the times I had spent with the beautiful Isolda in her secluded cottage. “But we were quickly found out.”

“Is that when you were cast out?” Morrigan asked as her eyebrows lifted.

“No… Eris was the one who found us together, and she offered me a deal in exchange for her secrecy.” I chuckled darkly, and my minion's faces fell. “It sounds as if I was forced into doing it, but in reality, it was something I wanted. I had turned away from my parents a long time before any of this happened, and Eris, my second mother, was the one who seemed to understand what I was going through. My parents had Otia, and he was the golden child, literally. He was born with the ability only to speak the truth, and they doted on him for having such a pure power that would help the mortals.”

“What was the deal?” Rana questioned in a firm voice.

“I would become the ruler and god over all the Underworld,” I stated, and each of their eyes widened in horror as they stared at me. “Eris passed her legacy down to the only son and heir she had, and I wholeheartedly accepted.”

“Y-you were t-the god of the u-underworld?” Carmedy stuttered, and I looked over to her and saw the fear in her wide emerald eyes.

This was the reason why I hadn’t wanted to tell them, the fear and distrust in each of their eyes was enough to tear me to shreds. My women knew I was evil in some ways and exacted revenge on any god we came into contact with, but telling them my true nature seemed to make it more concrete than before. I wanted to reach out to them and pull them to me, but I knew now was not the time. They would pull away from me in fear.

“I was,” I confirmed with a nod of my head and a small smile. “Or perhaps it is better to say that I still am because no one has been overseeing the underworld since I’ve been gone.”

My minions were utterly silent as each of them mulled over this information. Carmedy was the first to lift her head to me and stare into my face with a frightened wonder. They had known me for a while now, and they all knew the love I had for them was true, but it was still a shock to hear the words come from their own Master’s mouth.

“Did Eris betray you?” the cat asked in an honest voice. “Was she the one who had you cast from the heavens?”

“No, she wasn’t.” I chuckled softly as I ran a hand through my hair. “Eris stayed faithful to me until the end. Even on the day I was cast out, she was by my side, and I guess that’s one thing I can thank her for. In fact, she doted upon Isolda even more than me, and I bet that if she met you all, she would like you just as much or if not more than Isolda. Eris was my true mother, the one who cared enough to raise me, and she made me into what I am today. She wanted Isolda to be a part of the underworld with me though it is impossible for a mortal to do such a thing. Isolda… attracted more attention to herself than I would have liked even if she helped me while I oversaw the underworld.”

“How does this underworld thing work?” Rana questioned through narrowed eyes. “Did you live there or were you in the heavens this whole time?”

“Once I became the god of the underworld, I moved there but was still permitted to enter the heavens as I pleased,” I told her with a gentle smile.

“What did you do in the underworld, Master?” Carmedy asked excitedly.

I turned my head to her, pleasantly surprised that the feline was the only one interested in my duties as the god of the underworld.

“I led legions of demons, sometimes out to war or simply to earth for fun, punished evil souls for all of eternity, and brought some of the better souls into purgatory. The most fun I had there was creating personal punishments for souls. It was similar to the illusion god’s power but more vivid, and I relished when they’d cry out for mercy.” I chuckled lightly, and surprisingly, the cat didn’t pull back at my harsh words.

“Sounds like you really liked it there,” the redhead muttered, and when I looked over to her, her blue eyes were downcast at the glowing embers. She didn’t seem as shocked this time. If anything, it seemed as if she was upset that I had liked it in the underworld.

“And then?” Morrigan asked as her dark eyes moved over my features.

“As I said, Isolda was attracting more attention and caught the eye of a certain god… my brother,” I answered thoughtfully. “My brother cannot tell lies, I know I told you that, but what I haven’t mentioned is his powers also work on others. When he asks anyone a question, they must answer. They are forced to speak truthfully in his presence. Otia found Isolda, saw us together one night when I hadn’t returned to the underworld or the heavens. The little bastard snuck up to the window and saw us… together.” I added pointed emphasis to that word and knew they understood my meaning. “Once I left and returned to the underworld without the knowledge he had even been there, he cornered her in her cottage and got all the information he needed from her.”

“Oh no,” Carmedy breathed sadly, and I tentatively reached out to take her paw in mine. She didn’t draw back or flinch away, and that was a good sign.

“Otia went straight to the Holy Order, not to my parents and especially not to me, but to the people who would hear his word and cast me out,” I told them as I leaned my head back and remembered the day I had entered back into the god’s realm without even knowing what was going to happen to me.

“But he’s your brother, why would he do such a thing?” Annalise cried through a scowl, and from her expression, I knew she was thinking about her own brothers.

“Unlike mortals, who is your blood and who is not doesn’t matter to the gods,” I said as my hands clenched unconsciously into tight fists. “Otia didn’t care that I was his older brother. He only saw the opportunity to have me gone from the heavens and be the only one who my parents would lay their favor on, not that they did that for me to begin with.”

“I guess blood isn’t thicker than water,” the petite alchemist sighed, and I gave her a sidelong smile in agreement.

“Gods and goddesses don’t acknowledge those types of things as holy or sacred. Their children are often tossed out into the god's realm to fend for themselves,” I told them in a voice tinged with sadness as I remembered all the children who roamed the heavens, not knowing how to control their powers. “The god's realm is a place rife with corruption and perversion.”

“I guess it makes sense,” Rana admitted, as the fox finally gave me a slight smile. “Look at all the gods we’ve encountered already. They’re all greedy, selfish assholes. They all couldn’t have become like that after they fell, it was something learned in the heavens before they fell, right?”

“You’re right.” I laughed loudly, and the redhead’s face cleared even more as she listened to my voice.

“So, Otia told the Holy Order?” Annalise asked as she ran her hands over her chestnut braid.

“He did, and the Holy Order told my parents in turn. I’d returned to the god's realm for a meeting with Eris. I had appointed her as an overseer of one of the many legions of hell and needed to speak to her about a few things. I made it two steps through the Sanctum, and they were on me,” I told them as I remembered that day as if it were yesterday. The shouts and screams with fingers pointed in my direction and finally, being forced to my knees in front of the Holy Order and the scornful faces of both my parents, Eris at my back as she was the only one who supported me. “They took me to the Holy Order and heard the recounting and confessions given to Otia from Isolda. In the heavens, there is no jury to determine your fate. There are only the accused and the judge.”

“Then you were cast out from the heavens, Master?” Morrigan whispered.

“Yes, the Sanctum closed behind me as I fell, and the gates to the underworld slammed shut as I crashed into the earth where you found me not long ago,” I said as I raised my head, squared my shoulders, and looked each of them in the eye.

“What happened to Isolda?” Annalise asked as she raised her hands over the licking flames and warmed herself.

“A fate worse than mine,” I said sadly as I remembered Isolda’s beautiful face the last time I had seen her. Isolda with her flowing hair the color of goldenrod and her sparkling cornflower blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. “I haven’t seen her since that fateful day when Otia found us, but I know for sure that she suffered the fate that most humans do when they’re caught fraternizing with gods. They took away her ability to speak to the gods and her ability for magic, her sole livelihood, all because she got caught up with me.”

“Will that happen to us?” Carmedy frightfully asked as she held her twitching tail between both paws.

I reached out and ruffled her short, black hair.

“I dare them to try to do anything to any of you. If they do, then they will end up like all those left in our wake, powerless and dead.” I smirked, and the feline calmed down, and her tensed shoulders relaxed.

“Then we came into the picture,” Morrigan said as a small smile spread over her colorless lips, and Fea cawed once softly and pecked at the elf’s white hair. “Tumbled right into your lap.”

“You gave me a new life, and I am eternally grateful to all of you,” I said softly, reverently. “You freed me from the dungeon and have faithfully followed after me wherever I’ve gone. You are not only my minions but my lovers, and I promise that no harm will ever come to you under my eye.” I bowed to them and offered my hands out to them.

Four hands reached out and clasped mine. I had told them most of what happened in my life in the heavens, and as I expected, they were frightened in the beginning, but now, they were even more eager to accept me for who I was. I hadn’t told them before to protect them from who I was, but what I hadn’t realized was my minions were stronger than I had first thought. We had seen and experienced so many things together that it didn’t matter who or what I was. My minions were hardened warriors who got better and better by the day, and yes, they still needed some training and guidance, but they could handle the truth about my past.

“I am sorry it took me this long to tell you, my dears.” I gravely uttered.

“It’s okay, we understand. I, for one, am very glad you told us though. It helps us to understand you better.” Carmedy grinned as she patted my shoulder with a soft paw, and I opened my arms to her. The feline fell forward into my embrace and snuggled deeper into my arms.

In time, each of my minions came over to me, and we laid back into the soft feathers of my sleeping Bantam. Each of my minions cuddled into me and soon enough, as the fire died down, each of them drifted off to sleep. I'd been apprehensive about telling them for so long, and now, most of the burden was off my shoulders for good. Annalise lay her head on my chest, and I stroked her soft chestnut braid as it fell over her shoulder.

I almost wished I had told them sooner, but I knew now was the best time. They wouldn’t have been ready to hear all the things I had told them earlier. I drifted in and out of sleep for a few hours and enjoyed the beating heat of the fire as it continued to blaze on with a little help from my power. All of my minions were soon fast asleep, and I lifted my eyes towards the hole in the ceiling of the tent and looked up at the twinkling stars overhead.

We would take to the heavens eventually, and I would look upon the faces of the family I had lost, even my mentor who had gone to great lengths to watch me succeed in her place as the ruler of the underworld. All of them must die, every single god or goddess who had looked down on me and thrown me out of my rightful place in the heavens. I lay my head back against my Bantam and closed my eyes once more, determined to rest for the night, when I heard a soft whisper on the cold wind outside the tent.

I peeked open one eye and listened as the sound grew in pitch. I could almost make out the words, but they were garbled and intermixed with the rustling of the dead trees outside. I sensed no presences near us and closed my eye again as I shifted comfortably against my women.

I heard it again, but this time the words were louder. I opened both eyes and lifted my head to listen to what I now realized were frightened screams. They were still incomprehensible, but the voice felt familiar to me. I turned my head towards the tent flap, but the sound didn’t seem to be coming from outside anymore. I glanced up at the Bantams to see if they had heard it too, but most of their heads were tucked under their wings fast asleep. Silence fell over the tent, and I turned my head in all directions to listen for the sound again, but nothing else came. I lay back still but jolted upright as the scream came again but this time next to my ear.

“Stop! Please! Don’t touch me!” the familiar voice cried, and, in the distance, I heard the sound of things crashing to the ground and finally, a heavy wooden table being overturned in the person's haste to get away.

I knew who it was immediately as the spot at the back of my neck began to burn, the exact spot where I had touched Haruhi to place my mark earlier in the day. I hastily jumped to my feet, and my minions woke with a start as I sat down before the fire, crossed my legs, and concentrated my magic. Haruhi’s screams echoed in my head, and I could feel her heart racing, could sense out what was happening before I even transferred my essence to Canarta.

“Master?” Annalise asked as she scrambled up sleepily, and I turned my head to look at her.

“Keep my body safe. I’ll be away for a little while,” I informed them, and each of my minion’s mouths dropped open to protest.

“What? No! What’s going on?” Rana asked in a hurry as she reached for me, but I placed a hand over hers and moved it away.

“I must go. The Holy Band of Mages is attacking Haruhi.”

Chapter Fifteen

A hush fell over my minions as I sat in front of the fire and closed my eyes. I breathed in deeply through my nostrils and felt the familiar rush and pull as my essence left my avatar. My essence turned in the air, and for a moment, I saw each of my women’s worried faces as my avatar went slack and fell backward to the floor of our tent. They rushed forward and cradled my body as I forced my essence away from them. I traveled through time and space as if it were sand slipping between my fingers. Colors flashed behind my eyes as I sped over the miles separating Haruhi from our party, and the faster I moved, the more urgent her screams became. Her heart beat in my ears like the steady pounding of a drum, and I pushed myself faster towards her location.

It may have taken a few seconds to move my essence to her, but with her frightened cries in my ears, it felt like years passed before I landed in Canarta. Using the Tichádáma’s power, I slammed into a suitable body to use to my will and opened the man’s eyes. The city streets of Canarta were dark like where I had been in Tintagal, and judging from the position of the moon in the sky, it was late. I turned and looked both ways down the deserted street then down at the hands of the body I had taken over. The man I had moved my essence into was burly, and his arms ropey with muscle though I wouldn’t need them with all the dark powers I possessed.

I listened hard to the thumping of Haruhi’s heart and the sounds of her cries. I was certain that I knew the cause of her fear. The Holy Band of Mages would pay for what they had done to her. I used the sounds of her heart and voice like a siren call and followed after them. The streets of Canarta were tight and winding, but the refreshing night air brushed against my face and calmed me as I sped closer. Canarta was everything that I had expected. Though the sun wasn’t up, it was still warm, and the houses here tightly packed together. The cobblestones at my feet shone brilliantly under my feet as I ran and it seemed as if an unknown force other than Haruhi’s voice was guiding me to her.

I came to a flight of stairs that wound up the city, and a few swatches of long grass billowed in the warm breeze and beckoned me upwards towards the sound of the cat’s screams. The moon was high in the sky as I took the steps two at a time and bounded up them in great strides. Haruhi’s heart pounded fiercely and though she was scared, I could tell she was putting up a good fight against the Holy Band.

Once I mounted the last step, I came into a courtyard filled with night-blooming flowers and their scents tickled my nose, but my eyes focused elsewhere. I didn’t have to look at the sign out front to know it was the library, not with the cries that rung in my ears like bells. The building was massive, at least five or six stories high and entirely made of marble. The four pillars above the front steps shone in the moonlight, and a single lamp swung outside the double doors.

I crossed the courtyard and, in a few strides, stood outside the door as I heard Haruhi’s voice rise and warble in pitch. I gritted my teeth, clenched my hands into fists, and pooled all of my dark power into a swirling orb in front of my chest. The orb shot forward at my growl and blasted through the doors so forcefully that one of the wooden doors came entirely off its hinges. I strode through the open doorway and felt the pulse of five hearts, one of them I recognized and the other four I did not.

The library was vast, and I swung my head to get a better sense of where they were. I lifted my head and saw that the library was six stories high like I had suspected, but now was not the time to admire the beauty of its architecture. Haruhi cried out once more. This time it was muffled, and soft voices spoke over her, but I knew exactly where she was now.

The library’s bookshelves opened up in the middle to form a central atrium, a clearing in the forest of books, and above my head was a stained glass dome. From the floor, a massive tree grew and stretched upwards until some of the branches brushed the glass, but my eyes were not drawn to its gnarled bark or limbs but instead to the second landing. A flickering lamp burned on the second landing, and I could make out the shapes of people as the flame danced. Haruhi’s cries were softer now, and from the jerking movements of one of the shadows, some of the Holy Band members attempted to hold her down as she struggled viciously to break away.

I moved my dark power around my feet, and it pooled and shifted into a disk to raise me into the air. I blasted upward past the first landing, and the only things I saw there were the darkness and shapes of aisles of books. The disk lifted me higher, up to the second landing, and I stepped off it onto the sturdy wooden railing.

Haruhi was there, backed into a corner, her fluffy white ears laid against her head as she pulled back her lips and hissed threateningly at the four men robed in white that surrounded her. In one of Haruhi’s paws, she held the dagger she’d told me about earlier, and when one of the Holy Band stepped forward to grab at her, she swiped at him with the silver blade. The blade cut through the member’s white robes and barely missed his pale flesh as he jumped back just in time. Another one of the members stepped forward, and Haruhi pressed herself tighter into the corner.

The sage’s hazel eyes swiveled over the Holy Band then found mine over their shoulders, and we stared at each other for a few passing seconds. Her supple lips opened as her eyebrows furrowed, and she nearly lost her grip on the dagger.

“Dimitri?” the librarian called in a confused voice, and I assumed that was the name of the man whose body I was currently inhabiting. I shook my head once, and recognition and relief swept across her face. “M-Master?”

I nodded through a broad smile as I stepped off the railing with a loud clatter as my boots hit the marble floor. All four of her attackers turned, and I saw their faces for the first time. I didn’t recognize them, the mages who trapped me in my dungeon so long ago should be dead by now, but each of the mage’s youthful faces bore the same markings as my dear Morrigan. That only served to remind me of what thay had done to my second wife. I wanted them dead not only for my lover’s sake but for also attempting to harm Haruhi.

“We came looking for information on the beast, and the beast has shown himself to us,” a man whom I assumed was the leader said as he stepped forward. “How lucky we are.”

I studied his face as he came nearer. His features were soft and rounded almost like a baby’s, but his nose pointed out like a beak as he tilted his head at me and took me in. He, like the others, was clothed all in white, and as Haruhi had described, the Holy Band of Mage’s sigil prominently displayed on the chest of his mantle. One of the men turned and grabbed onto the leader’s arm, his face a portrait of concern and fear.

“I think we should leave,” the second mage said in a frightened voice as he backed away with the leader in tow. “We can report back to the Holy One, and then they can send out reinforcements.”

“You’re not leaving,” I growled as I slunk forward and formulated a perfect plan to take out all four without even breaking a sweat. “Not alive, three of you at least.”

I grinned hatefully at the mages, and each of their faces fell as I took my first step forward. Behind me, the enormous tree shifted slightly, the branches stretching as if testing their strength, something that only Haruhi seemed to notice. The Holy Band members fanned out in front of me in a formation, and each of them placed their body and hands in a different attack position as they summoned their power. All of them were men, and for a moment, I could almost smell their blood before it spilled out on the marble floor.

Time moved slowly as I channeled the forest god’s power more, the creak of wood loud in my ears. A hefty branch of the mighty tree slammed through the opening between levels, snaked through bookshelves and wrapped around the leader of the mages like a kraken’s tentacle.

He screamed and struggled against it but couldn’t break free despite his frantic efforts. His eyes widened as I clenched my fist. The tree branch mimed my motion to squeeze the mage nearly to the brink of death. Blood spilled from his lips and out of the corners of his eye sockets, and I watched with glee as the other mages rushed over and attempted to free their leader to no avail. I slammed my hand out in the air, and silence filled the air as I pulled it back. The branch holding the leader ripped back into the foyer then tossed him through the air like a rag doll.

His bones crunched and snapped as multiple tree limbs came up and hit him higher and higher until he nearly brushed against the stained-glass dome. The other mages watched in horror as one of the larger branches grabbed him again, wrapped around his entire body, then slammed him down to the marble floor. The impact of the mage's body made Haruhi shiver from the corner, and when I glanced over the railing, the leader’s head had exploded out in a fan of blood and gray matter towards the door.

The branch retracted and snapped through the door as it reached up to the second floor for another victim, and I chuckled to myself as the remaining three mages broke formation and scurried away in different directions. I chased after the most frightened one with a wicked grin on my face as I summoned the puppet master god’s power.

I dove deep into his consciousness and ripped through his memories with my bare hands. I tore each one that flashed before my eyes like paper, and as I followed, the mage slowed to a trot then a walk. I plunged deeper into his brain in search of anything useful and tore everything that wouldn’t aid me to shreds. With no real mind in his head, it rendered his entire body useless. The mage stared down at his feet for a moment before I reached him and he struggled to move forward, but without the memory, his body forgot how to walk.

I grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him downward. His collarbone snapped under my force, and muffled cries erupted from his lips as he forgot how to speak. I glared down at him with my wicked smile still in place. He was still conscious, but his body held no muscle memory to move away from me or fight back.

I kept plunging deeper into his mind. I destroyed every memory he held that didn’t give me information about the Holy Band of Mages and what they were doing to stop me. This man was lower in the inner workings of the Holy Band, and I didn’t get as much information from him as I had hoped. His watery brown eyes stared up at me, and I could tell he had no idea who I was and what was happening around him. I almost felt sorry for him, but he and his brothers attempted to bring harm upon Haruhi, and for that, I couldn’t forgive him. I brought my hand down on the crown of his head, and soft whimpers croaked up from his throat. I pushed my dark power through Dimitri’s arm, and his muscles responded to me immediately.

My power was strong even in this form, and it moved like water as I channeled it into the crown of the mage’s head. The man below me stayed completely still, his mind senseless. I clenched the mage’s head, and a loud crack lifted into the air as the skin and bone broke and tore from my supernatural power. I tossed the bone and scalp away, and it skittered across the floor in a trail of blood. I glared down into his skull cavity, and the still intact membrane encasing the gray organ. Red, black and white veins worked their way through the brain, and I smiled to myself at the visible marks on the outer surface where I tore through it.

I moved my power through the mage’s body, and slowly, the brain began to lift from inside the open skull and float in midair, still attached to the spinal cord. The mage was still very much alive, and his muddy brown eyes rolled in their sockets to watch as the organ lifted from the surrounding bone. I glanced down at him, and his eyes drooped, not entirely conscious anymore, and with a backward slice of my hand, the spinal cord and brain separated. Both the body of the mage and the floating brain dropped to the floor with moist plops as I sought out the next mage. His scuttling feet down the stairs rang out loudly as he made his way to flee the library.

One had already gotten away, but that was what I wanted. I wanted him to scurry back to the Holy Band of Mages and tell them the tale of how his comrades were slaughtered, and he had narrowly escaped from my clutches. They would know that I was coming after them, and no one would survive my wrath, especially when they put one of my women in danger.

I flew down the stairs after the fleeing mage, and my feet barely touched the stone of the stairs as I tracked down his pounding heart. I turned my head as the tree in the middle of the room stopped, and all branches pointed in his direction. The man slipped in the blood of his brother and nearly fell but managed to turn towards the door still hanging limply from its hinge. I smiled to myself as the branches flew through the air, all of their tips pointed out in a mass of wooden daggers. The mage was dead before he could even realize it as the branches slammed into his back and came out the other side dripping with blood.

The mage gasped for air once, then his soul lifted from his body and drifted into the darkness of the night. The branches pulled back together, and his empty corpse fell forward into the doorway. I turned as I retracted my power from the mighty tree, and all the limbs returned to their rightful places. The leaves rustled and shifted in a breeze that rushed through the door, and I sensed magic in the air around the tree. For a second, it seemed that even if I hadn’t placed my power within its bark, the tree would have helped us anyway. I drew my attention away from the tree as a soft sniffling reached my ears, and I pounded back up the steps to the second floor.

I came around the corner, and Haruhi pressed herself even farther into the corner as I came into view. She quickly relaxed as she realized it was just me. I rushed to her, and she fell into my arms. Time stilled as I held her and felt her heart thumped against my chest. I pressed my lips to her hair and kissed her softly as she calmed down. I breathed her in, and she smelled wonderous to me, like fresh rain and eucalyptus. I stroked her hair and the soft fur of her ears as she sobbed into my chest which made me hold her even tighter.

Her pain was my pain, and her fear was my fear, as it was with all of my other minions. I knew at this moment that I couldn’t return to Tintagal just yet. I had to make sure that Haruhi was all right first before anything else.

We stayed like this for a long time, and I shared my warmth and love with her until she was ready. The lantern that I had seen earlier had gone out, and we were bathed in shadows and darkness. Haruhi’s hands moved over my back and scrunched up the shirt this body wore in her tiny fists. Haruhi was much smaller than most of my minions, even smaller than Carmedy, but her body was full and curvy as it pressed fully against mine.

I hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to mine. Tears wet her round, freckled cheeks, but she stared up at me with such sincerity that it shocked me for a moment. I took in all of her beauty quietly, and we stared at each other in near silence, the only sound we heard was the whisper of the wind as it shuffled through the open doors below.

Haruhi’s long nearly black hair curled, though it wasn’t as tightly coiled as Rana’s nor as pitch black as Carmedy’s. Her large tilted eyes behind the glasses sparkled with drying tears in the darkness, and the depths of their color sucked me in. I lifted her round glasses and slid them back into her hair as I looked even deeper into her eyes. She wore a long cream-colored dress that brushed the floor, the sleeves fitted snugly against her arms, and the neckline came down and exposed a good bit of her ample cleavage to me. She was very appetizing, and I wanted her, not only at this moment but also in the future. I wanted her to be mine, no one else’s, and I would make her so, as much to fulfill the desire in her heart as my own.

Haruhi blinked up at me for a moment, and her plump red lips opened and closed as if she wanted to say something but didn’t know how. Suddenly, the petite librarian lifted up on the toes of her shoes, wrapped her hands around my neck, and kissed me. I breathed in deeply as my lips moved against hers, and my arms moved from her shoulders down to her tiny waist. I pulled her to me, and she happily obliged as both of her legs lifted from the floor and wrapped around my waist. I set her down on the edge of a table behind us and began working at the fastenings on the back of her dress. My fingers moved deftly, and with each loosened ribbon, the dress peeled itself away from her lithe body. Haruhi looked over her shoulder at me as I finished, and then she stood from the table and let her dress fall away.

I came towards her but Haruhi lifted her hands into the air to stop me, and I gazed at her curiously as she spoke, “Wait... Master... I want you.”

“I’m right here.” I chuckled to her as I gestured to the body I’d borrowed but the sage shook her head vehemently.

“No, I want you, I want your body on mine, not his.” Haruhi said with a wave of her hand to the body I inhabited. “I want to feel you, the real you on me, not a proxy in your place.”

I understood what she meant and stepped away from her as I pulled my immense power around me. I’d grown stronger, and my power reached heights that they couldn’t earlier when I first met my minions. When I’d met the other four, I was weak compared to what I was now, and I didn’t need my nexus to craft a new avatar for myself. I slipped out of the body I’d borrowed and it fell to the floor unconscious. My essence floated in the open air and Haruhi took a few tentative steps forward as she reached out to me. Her hazel eyes were wide as she took in my massive essence and suddenly, she plunged her hand deep into the swirling mass of my consciousness. She was so beautiful to me, and I concentrated hard as I pushed myself to create a new avatar here to keep Haruhi company when I was gone.

Haruhi’s huge eyes widened even more as my essence shrank and my body began to take form before her. The librarian held her breasts in her hands with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched, enraptured. It took mere seconds for the body to form and settle into existence in front of her. Then she stared up at me and let her hands drop as she bared her naked body to me.

The sage stood in the middle of the aisle, nearly naked except for a pair of lacy black panties, and her long fluffy tail swished through the air and obscured her large breasts from view. Her eyelids lowered as the tip of her tail tickled her shoulder, and her fingers played at the edge of her panties for a moment as she eyed me hotly. One hand paused while the other slipped in and stroked her sex to the sight of me, and the other played over her bare skin up to her throat as soft moans escaped her cherry red lips. Her breaths quickened as I stepped forward and placed my hands on her wide hips. Her skin was like silk, smooth and buttery to the touch… but I didn’t just want to touch her.

I wanted to consume her, make her wholly mine and for no other man.

My fingers played about the waistband of her panties, and her skin prickled with gooseflesh as I took her hand from inside them and placed it on the growing bulge in my pants. Haruhi gasped lightly, her eyes cast downward, and I took in all of her stunning features and how her long eyelashes cast shadows down her features. I cupped her face as her hand slid into my pants and took my member into her grip.

I grunted in response, and she giggled airily then moaned as my hand slipped inside the soft fabric of her panties and caressed her sex with gentle movements. Haruhi sat back on the table in one swift motion as my fingers penetrated her wet warmth. Her head fell back as sultry moans slipped from her supple lips, and I hardened even more in her hand.

I didn’t want to rush this. I wanted to take all the time in the world while with her since this would be our first time together. I was eager to please her, to be inside of her sweet core. I bent down below her, and her hand slid out of my pants as I hooked two fingers into the waistband of her panties and pulled them down. Unlike my other women, the sage’s pubic mound was completely devoid of hair, and her hazel eyes met mine as her hand reached down and stroked herself in slow, languid motions.

I gripped her hard by the arm, and Haruhi’s breathing hitched. Her tail swung away from her breasts to reveal the hardened nipples. I brought my face closer to her dripping vagina, slipped two fingers inside of her, and she shot forward in ecstasy. Her entire body curled up to meet mine as I moved my fingers slowly inside of her.

Her breasts were large, larger than any of my other minions, and I took the nipple of the left one into my mouth and moved my tongue over it. Her head rolled back as her eyes slitted closed, and her dark hair fanned out below her. I swirled my tongue over her pert nipple, and Haruhi cooed softly into the darkness. Shadows surrounded us, but the light from the dome cast the feline in bright moonlight as her chest heaved with pleasure.

I pulled my fingers out of her sex and stroked her from the outside. Her sparkling hazel eyes opened, and she gazed down at me as she opened her legs and invited me inside. My hands quickly undid the belt at my waist and then the buttons. The clothing promptly fell away, and she leaned up as she pulled the white tunic up and off the avatar that I inhabited.

Haruhi’s eyes flicked up to mine as her hands pawed at the underwear, and I allowed her to take them off for me. Her mouth dropped open as they fell away, and she took in my length and girth. She took it into her hands and stroked it softly at first then faster, and I groaned in response as my head fell back.

Most of my minions, except for Morrigan, liked when I pounded them and drove them mad with frenzied movements, but I could tell that Haruhi was much different. Everything about her was soft and gentle as she pulled me to her. I lowered myself to her, and our lips met once more. Her lips tasted salty from the tears she shed earlier, but it was quickly forgotten as I moved my hands over her and positioned myself to enter her.

I pressed the head of my penis against her lips then slowly teased her with it. Haruhi moaned and wriggled beneath me as she brought her hips up and pushed her sex against me. She wanted me more than anything, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I needed her to want me, I needed her to need me then she could truly become one of my minions. The librarian had once said that she knew me better than my minions did and, in a way, she did. There was no explaining my past to Haruhi because she already knew all of it, she knew who I was and accepted it before anyone else. Haruhi knew my true name, the name I had refused to tell my minions just hours prior and, at this moment, I wanted nothing more than to hear her airy, lilting voice say my name, say my true name, call me anything but Master for the first time in a long time.

Her hands grabbed onto my shoulders and forced me forward. I entered into her wet tunnel and grunted as I steadied myself with one hand against the cold wood of the table. I looked down at her, and she looked even more beautiful than she had before, like she had blossomed only for me like a blood-red hibiscus in the dim light of the empty library.

She’d be my Nekokian flower by the end of the night, and I, her one and only Master. I pushed myself inside of her until our bodies were flush against each other and her velvety skin brushed against mine. Her lips parted in a moan, but I pressed my lips to hers before the sound could escape. Haruhi’s delicious sounds muffled for a second then stopped as her tongue snaked into my mouth to play with mine.

Our tongues moved together as her lips pressed harder to mine, and I moved my hips slowly as I pulled out then thrust back in immediately. Haruhi slid up the table a few inches as I pushed in and out of her in languid movements. I parted from her, and her eyes stayed on mine as I listened to every soft coo and cry that came roaring up her throat.

The feline’s walls clenched around mine as she leaned up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Her hands moved over me, caressed my shoulders then trailed down my back as a single finger slid down the boney length of my spine. Haruhi was so wet and warm, and soon my thighs were coated in her juices as I moved even just a bit faster inside of her. Each time I pushed into her sweet vagina, a new and exciting sound came from her lips, and I only wanted more. I didn’t quicken the pace, but I thrust into her harder, and this time, Haruhi grabbed onto me with her nails and screamed in pleasure.

Her hazel eyes opened wide as she grappled onto me and pressed herself to my chest as I thrust into her forcefully. I felt it before she did, the tightening and pulling of her sex as her body prepared for the first oncoming orgasm. I moved my cock inside of her slowly, drawing out the motions as her soft cries heightened to screams, and her breaths came and went in loud gasps for air. I smirked down at her, and she only looked back with wide, frenzied eyes.

I slammed into her, then pulled back slowly and she strained against me, her eyes squeezed shut as she, too, felt the orgasm as it rose. I moved in fluid motions now, the time between pull and thrust much faster, though not as fast as my other minions liked but which sent Haruhi into a daze. Her mouth opened next to my shoulder, and she moaned wetly then screamed as her nails dug into my back as the first orgasm set in. I let her ride it out, her hips moving in perfect time with mine. Her orgasm seemed to peak then continue skyward as I fucked her. Right before she sunk her sharp teeth into my shoulder, she spoke, and the single word she cried was like music to my ears.

“K-Kazama!” Haruhi screamed out as she held onto me tightly, and I looked down into her face for a moment and took in all of her beautiful features. Haruhi shook and her hands holding me trembled slightly. I reached out to steady her, and her eyes found mine in the darkness.

She’d spoken it, said it aloud for only the two of us to hear but it was out in the open. The cursed name, the name ripped from me when I fell from the heavens, my true name.

Her face was pale, and it looked as if she thought she had done something wrong, but I stroked her sweaty cheek with my pointer finger tenderly. Haruhi was the only one on earth who knew my name and was brave enough to say it in front of me. I was grateful to her. It felt as if she had broken a seal hidden deep within me and unleashed a whole other being that I was destined to be. She was mine now, and I was hers.

I gripped her right forearm and lifted it into the air. I ran my free hand over the flesh on the inside of her arm, and the skin there began to sizzle with life. I’d never done this with my other minions, but Haruhi was different since she knew everything about me. The sage gritted her teeth against the pain, and when I pulled away my hand, my name was carved into her flesh and would remain there forever. She was mine now, and from the way she looked down at the letters, I knew she’d wear it proudly.

I chuckled deep in the back of my throat as I pushed into her once more, the name forgotten for a moment as I pushed her closer to another orgasm, and her cries filled my ears once more. She felt like exquisite velvet wrapped around my member and each time she orgasmed, she felt even better to me than before. I could make love to her for hours, watch her expressions and listen to the sounds she made as I pleasured her over and over. Sweat dripped down my face, and Haruhi’s hazel eyes drifted up to mine. She was tired, and her breathing was ragged as I moved inside of her.

I lifted her legs, and Haruhi mewled softly, her entire body a tangled ball of pulsing pleasure though she neared her end. I nestled the backs of her knees in the crooks of my elbows and slammed into her and felt ecstasy rush up from my groin to the rest of my body like a building wave. The faster I moved, the more the feline mewled below me, an orgasm lighting off sparks behind her eyes as I moved towards my own. Sweat dripped down my bare chest, and I breathed in heavily as I slammed my member in her one last time and spilled my frothy seed into her convulsing tunnel.

“Give it to me. I want it! Please, give me all your seed, Kazama!” she cried as her tail wrapped around my right arm lustfully. I obliged as I seized inside her once more and sprayed more of my seed inside her.

When I pulled away, the white sticky liquid trailed after me and dripped from her already wet pussy. The feline quickly pressed her legs together, and her cheeks flushed red as I steeled myself and steadied my breathing. Haruhi lifted her head to me and our eyes connected, a new understanding passing between us. I was her Master now, and she was my obedient minion. I took a step closer, reached out, and stroked her messy hair. She purred into my touch, and I pulled her petite frame to my chest with a loud sigh.

I kissed the top of her head, then her forehead, and she raised her eyes to mine, and our lips met one last time.

Chapter Sixteen

After Haruhi and I got dressed and cleaned up, she led me down the flight of stairs, and I watched as her hazel eyes avoided the visceral carnage strewn about the marble floor. The librarian reminded me of Carmedy in the beginning, a true pacifist at heart, and I knew that if she were to become one of my minions, I would have to break her of that. Though the sage attempted to defend herself, she hadn’t wielded the dagger willingly. I would teach her in time, and she would learn the ways of a true warrior just as my other minions had.

Haruhi led me onward, down through the halls of bookshelves to a small wooden door placed into the shining marble wall. She was absolutely silent as she stepped forward, pressed an ear to the wood, and listened to something behind it. Then she leaned away with a soft smile then pushed the door open.

The space beyond was much different from the open, airy library, and I knew immediately it was her and her father’s personal quarters. I stepped into the room, and a sense of comfort washed over me. The room smelled of fresh air from the window that let in a soft breeze, but I could also smell patchouli and vanilla. A small round table sat in the corner with four mismatched chairs, and a welcoming fire crackled in the stone fireplace.

Haruhi brushed past me as she got busy making us a pot of tea, so I slipped into a chair and watched her as she moved. Her white ears stayed alert on the top of her head, and a few times, one turned towards me and listened as I shifted in my seat.

I smiled at that. I didn’t get many moments like these, most of my and my minions’s time was spent traveling around and camping in our tent. This was something I often dreamed about, a time when all of the dungeons had been conquered and the heavens ripped down. A time where I could have a real home with the women I loved and being in the small space that Haruhi occupied gave me a sliver of hope that she would be there too with my other minions.

The sage looked over her shoulder at me as the kettle began to whistle. She hastily took it off the licking flame, and her hands moved deftly as she used a rag to flip open the lid and dropped in a metal mesh basket that held the tea. My mouth began to water as the sweet scent tickled my nose, and she turned to grab two mismatched teacups.

The feline set one down in front of me and poured the steaming, light brown liquid into my porcelain cup. Haruhi’s movements were fluid and graceful as she quickly poured her own tea then dropped three sugar cubes into the steaming liquid. Once the preparation was done, she sat down across from me, and my gaze lifted to her as I reached for my cup. Her hazel eyes were tired, but the smile that spread over her lips was genuine.

I moved my eyes over the room and chuckled softly. The sound rumbled up from the depths of my chest and Haruhi raised her eyebrows to me. The small front room of their house was filled with books, and it was funny to me. Haruhi and her father loved books so much that the novels and volumes took up most of the space in their living quarters too. Books weren’t only their business but also their passion.

The sage tilted her head to me as she brought her cup up to her lips and blew softly on it to cool it down. I lifted my own cup to my lips and took a sip. It was hot, but the elderflower tea was delicious as it moved over my tongue and down the back of my throat. Its scent filled my mouth, and I exhaled it through my nose with a smile. I felt at peace for a moment with Haruhi in her home filled with the earthy smell of parchment and aged leather.

“What is it?” Haruhi finally asked softly to break our silence as she watched me closely, and I turned my head away from her as I took in more of the room.

“I knew you loved books from when we met you on Machstein, but I hadn’t realized the full extent of that love.” I chuckled.

Finally, the smile returned to the sage’s lips as she lifted the cup once more.

“Ah.” She giggled as she followed my gaze and looked over the piles and stacks of books that covered every inch of surface space in her home. “A lot of the books we keep in here are rare or need to be repaired, but a few of them are from our own personal collection.”

“Have you read all the books here?” I inquired with a wave of my hand, and her hazel eyes followed the motion.

“I have,” Haruhi said shyly as her hazel eyes followed my gesture. “I’ve read almost all of the books in here and in the library combined, and I remember every single page of each one.”

I raised my eyebrows to her in surprise. “Is that so?” I leaned forward toward her.

“Yes.” She smiled softly as she spoke. “I wouldn’t call it a skill because it’s not something I’ve practiced but more of something I was born with.” The sage nodded as her fingers twirled her cup on the wooden table. “There’s a medical term for it, but I don’t use it very often because it confuses people. I have, what doctors call, a photographic memory.”

“Really? I don’t think I’ve heard of that term before,” I said through a broad smile.

Haruhi’s eyes sparkled at my enthusiasm. It seemed as if the sage didn’t get enough praise from her father and the people of Canarta. That was something I would willingly give to her.

“Of course, I can recall anything I’ve read with high precision after very little exposure to the material. Everything I’ve read or looked at even for a few seconds, it’s all in here.” Haruhi giggled as she tapped her temple with a single finger, and I stared at her in awe for a few passing moments.

“May I test you?” I questioned.

Haruhi’s eyebrows rose up in surprise, but her smile spread even wider as she looked at me with adoration. “Feel free.” The sage blushed profusely as her eyes flitted from mine and stared into the depths of her mug.

“Can you… tell me about the first book you’ve ever read?” I asked her, and her eyes glittered with excitement.

“Third Floor, Row 829, third shelf to the left, two down. The Story of a Son of a Peach, the painted cover is weathered, and the left corner is peeled upward at an angle. Would you like me to tell you some of the story?” she questioned as she lifted her cup and sipped quietly.

“Son of a Peach?” I asked incredulously, then a sly smile spread over my lips as I eyed her. “Is that like a son of a bitch?”

“No, no, two completely different things,” Haruhi snorted through giggles, and I looked down at her tenderly. “It’s a Nekokian tale passed down through generations. You haven’t heard of it?”

“I’d like it very much if you’d tell it to me, word for word from the book,” I told her.

The sage blinked at me slowly as her cheeks flushed, and her eyes sparkled. Haruhi nodded vehemently, and I rested my hands against the grain of the wood and knitted my fingers together as she started.

“Long, long ago there lived an old man and an old woman. They were peasants and had to work hard to earn their daily pay. The old man used to go and cut grass for the farmers around, and while he was gone the old woman, his wife, did the work of the house and worked in their own little field. One day the old man went to the hills as usual to cut grass, and the old woman took some clothes to the river to wash. It was nearly summer, and the country was lovely to see in its fresh greenness as the two old people went on their way to work. The grass on the banks of the river looked like emerald velvet, and the pussy willows along the edge of the water were shaking out their soft tassels…”

Haruhi recited the story from memory, and I listened as her voice deepened and changed for each character. The entire tale took about thirty minutes to tell, and as I listened, I knew for sure she was reciting the story word for word from the way her voice rose and fell in the way of speaking that was entirely different from her own. When she finished, the sage tilted her head at me and gave me an even wider smile.

“Would you like me to recite another one? That one was my favorite as a child, but I have so many others,” the librarian said as she took the last sip of her tea.

I looked across the table at her lovingly, and in one swift movement, I reached over to her and cupped her cheek. Her skin was soft and warm to the touch, and I knew if I stayed much longer, I’d melt into her as I had before. Haruhi’s rooms invited me with open arms, but since the danger had passed, I knew our time together was ending. I slowly rose to my feet and never broke the contact between us.

The sage followed suit, and I wrapped her in my arms for a few passing moments. I breathed her in and knew I wouldn’t see her for a long time until all of our business in Tintagal was finished. She smelled of fresh rain and eucalyptus, and I breathed it in deeply as I savored our last few moments together. Haruhi’s breathing hitched as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. I stroked her dark hair then my hands moved up to the fluffy fur of her ears and scratched behind them gently. A soft purr rolled up her throat, and her downy snow-white tail twitched behind her, but I pulled away first to look deeply in her eyes.

For a moment, I thought I saw tears welling there, but she blinked them away in an instant, sniffled once then burst out laughing. I inclined my head to her as my eyebrows knit in confusion, and she stared up at me with passionate sincerity.

“It feels as if I’m sending you off to war never to see you again when I know that’s not true at all,” the sage mumbled, and my fingers continued to pet the soft fur of her ears.

“Technically, I am going off to war with Tintagal, but I will be back. I can promise you that,” I told her as I pressed a tender kiss first to her cheek and then to her lips. “Just know that I will return for you, no matter what stands in my way.”

The librarian melted into me once more and pressed her body into mine. Our lips moved feverishly against each other, and I slipped away, transferred my essence away from Nekoka and back to Tintagal and my other four minions.

“Goodbye, Kazama,” Haruhi whispered as our lips parted, and my heart blossomed at her words, the only minion who knew me by my true name.

Time and space dissolved away from me, and I passed through them like treading water as I returned to my women. Seconds ticked by but the wear on my essence made it feel like hours. I wished for nothing else than to sleep and rest after the long night defeating the branch of the Holy Band that attacked Haruhi.

I pushed forward towards Tintagal. We would soon move on to Jemmets Landing and take down the man whom Annalise was originally arranged to marry. There was no doubt in my mind that Baudouin was an evil man and the person most likely creating the spirit women we’d encountered while sailing on the Riese. I wanted to reach him as soon as possible and suck the life out of him and take his land for my own.

My essence floated downward, and it slowly collided with my avatar. I opened my eyes, and they bulged with surprise as I turned to look where I had landed. My avatar was no longer in front of the fire inside of our tent but instead strapped into the saddle on the back of my Bantam. I turned my head wildly as the sun slowly began to rise and shed light over the dark land. Annalise rode her bird in the front, Rana and Carmedy flanked my bird, and Morrigan took up the back. The petite alchemist glanced at me then waved wildly as she noticed my open eyes.

“Master’s back!” the feline cried, and all heads turned to look back at me warmly.

“Welcome home, Master,” Morrigan called up to me, and I glanced down at my hands which had been tied to the reins of my Bantam then up to see how Rana and Carmedy used their birds almost like a wedge to keep mine in line and going in the same direction as the others.

“Where are we?” I croaked out through my avatar’s throat as I took in the passing scenery. I hadn’t thought I’d spent that much time with Haruhi, but apparently, it’d been all night and into the early hours of the morning.

“We decided to get a head start to Jemmets Landing before you woke up!” the alchemist cried cheerfully.

I turned my head to look behind us, and in between the trees that obscured my view, I could just barely make out the spiral of Euron’s castle in the distance behind us. I felt a twinge of sadness for a moment at the thought of leaving his corpse behind, but I quickly looked forward and brushed the momentary emotion away.

“How long will it take us to get there?” Rana asked as she batted her curly hair from her eyes and then pulled her coat tighter around her against the cold wind.

“A day or two,” I told them as I did the quick calculations in my head from what Amos and Adam had told us a few days prior. “Could we possibly stop and untie me? I want to be able to use my hands for the rest of our journey.”

We stopped our birds near a small crop of trees, and Carmedy slid off her bird and skipped over to me. Her paws moved quickly as they undid the knots around my fists, and I thanked her with a broad smile when she finished. Rana hopped off her bird and slid down into the shade of one of the small trees, leaned back, then gasped loudly.

“Look!” the redhead pointed upward in the green leaves, and my eyes found what she meant. Nestled high in the branches and lush leaves were round fuzzy orange fruit. “Peaches! Man, oh man!”

I chuckled to myself as the fox spryly launched herself into the air and batted at the fruit, but she was too short to reach. Rana landed down on the ground with a loud crash, then stared up at the waving branches and grumbled under her breath. In one swift movement, I slid off my Bantam and reached up into the branches for the fruit she had her eye on. I twisted it off then held it out to her in my palm, and the fox took it eagerly. Rana bit into it and juice dripped from her mouth as her eyes rolled skyward at the taste.

“Oh wow, these are so good. Come on, let’s all sit down and have some. I’m tired of eating roots and dried meat.” The fox laughed as she motioned the rest of us over. Annalise and Morrigan nodded to each other then slid off the backs of their own birds.

I reached back up into the branches, and Carmedy stood next to me and caught the peaches as they dropped. The feline collected them in the fabric of her skirt, counted out ten, and then handed two to each of us. We all dug in happily as we sat in the shade of the trees.

The plains of Tintagal rolled out before us like a patchwork of different shades and hues of green, and it was all beautiful to me. The air was fresh and warmer than usual as my women stretched out beside me. Carmedy’s peaches disappeared into her mouth in an instant, and soon her emerald eyes traveled upwards towards the bobbing fruits. The feline glanced at me a few times then looked away with a meaningful expression.

I chuckled lightly, hopped to my feet and picked three more for the cat, but her mouth opened in protest as I handed them over. I rolled my eyes good naturedly at her behavior and then handed over two more. The alchemist purred happily in response as she tucked into the juicy fruits. We ate until we were completely full, and we lay together in the soft grass in the mid morning sunlight as the clouds passed overhead.

“How was Haruhi?” Annalise asked, and I smirked at her.

“Is she our sister now? Please, oh please, tell me Haruhi is our sister!” Carmedy cried as she pawed at me.

“We will know if she is when she does.” I smiled as I scratched behind one of Carmedy’s silky black ears like I had the librarian’s earlier in the morning.

“That’s not a straight answer, Master,” Rana said through a mouthful of peach. Juice dripped down to her chin, but she hastily wiped it away as her cheeks burned crimson. “Either she is, or she isn’t. Come on, don’t be coy, tell us!”

I looked at each of them, and their eyes met mine excitedly. All of my four minions liked Haruhi, had liked her from the moment they’d met her. The librarian was intelligent, quick-witted, and most of all, kind to each of them. To top it all off, she was exceptionally well-versed in the gods and goddesses of our world. I already knew that Carmedy wanted Haruhi to be part of our tight-knit family, but I wanted to make sure the rest of my women wanted the same thing.

“I already know how I feel on the subject, but I’d like to know what all of you think before I make a final decision,” I stated firmly as I looked into each of their faces seriously. “If something about Haruhi doesn’t feel right, I would like to think you’d tell me and now is your chance. I will take all of your thoughts and feelings into consideration. I don’t want to do something that will end up hurting one of you or all of us in the end. I was lucky enough to find all of you at the same time, and you accepted me for who I am, and to be honest, this is just as much of a new experience to me as it is to you.”

The petite feline was the first to speak as I suspected she would, and she clapped her paws together in excitement as she chanted into the blue sky, “Haru-hi! Haru-hi! That’s one vote from me!”

I stifled my laughter and kept my face straight as I turned my attention to Rana. The fox-woman thought about it for a moment as she chewed another peach. Her bright blue eyes were heavy on the lush grass surrounding us, then she leveled her gaze on me suddenly.

“Haruhi is wicked smart and did you see how fast she could run back in Machstein? I’d gladly accept her as my sister,” the fox said assuredly.

I bowed my head to her as I accepted her answer then moved my eyes to Morrigan.

The elven woman spoke softly to her ravens, and the birds answered back silently as they bobbed their heads in unison. A light breeze lifted her colorless hair off her shoulders, and her dark eyes met mine in the bright morning sunlight. We regarded each other for a moment, and I feared the worst.

After all, my pale lover had a huge heart but struggled to open up to anyone, especially strangers. Though she’d said that she liked Haruhi in the past, this was an entirely new situation that she’d never been in before. The elf had only known the life we’d lived up to this point with the three women she already knew and had opened her heart to them long ago, and I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do it a fourth time with Haruhi.

“I have my reservations,” the elf started then stopped as all faces watching dropped in disappointment. Morrigan thought over her words then opened her mouth once more to speak. “My reservations are arbitrary, things I already know I shouldn’t worry about because Master will provide. Things like money, shelter, food, but he’s taken care of us this entire time, and I shouldn't worry if we add one more person to our fold. I’ve looked into Haruhi and seen things that most people do not possess. She holds a heart of gold within her chest, and Fea and Macha agree that her soul is the purest we’ve ever seen. I… we, Fea, Macha and I, would like to have her join us and be our fifth sister.”

I looked at Morrigan approvingly then turned my attention towards Annalise, and as with the elf, her face was thoughtful and her chocolate brown eyes were downcast as she tugged at the grass around her boots.

I waited for her and gave her all the time she needed to think, when suddenly, she raised her face to mine almost defiantly. I stared back with a serious expression, and the High Queen studied my face and features for a long moment. I was her husband and master, and I knew that the swordswoman would never dare lie to me as I looked into her honest eyes.

“Haruhi knows a lot of the gods and deities that we don’t,” Annalise stated in a serious tone as she mulled over her thoughts. “She’d be a good asset to our team. It’d be nice to have a sage when all of us know jack-shit about gods, their powers, or where they came from.” She raised a gauntleted finger. “Now, for my personal feelings, when we first met Haruhi, she was quite abrasive if any of you can remember--”

“But she had a good reason! That shopkeeper guy tried to kiss her!” Carmedy exclaimed as she cut the swordswoman off.

“As I was saying...” the High Queen said pointedly as she moved her eyes sternly to the feline, and Carmedy dropped her shoulders with a sigh. “If any of you can remember, Haruhi was quite abrasive when we first met her. She ran straight into Master and tried to hit him when he attempted to steady her. Do I fault her for that? No, because in the same situation, I would have been just as distressed and might have done the same.”

“See? It’s not Haru’s fault.” the alchemist grumbled.

Annalise rolled her eyes then ruffled the feline’s black hair affectionately as she sighed.

“Even when we cornered her in the Purple Conch, she was still just as harsh as she was in the street--” she went on, only to be cut off by Rana, who raised a single finger into the air to interject.

“Okay, but to be fair, we were five people she didn’t know, and we were chasing her down a street like a bunch of kidnappers,” the fox said with a shrug of her shoulders. “She had every right to be a little freaked out and not exactly nice to us when we caught up to her in that bar.”

The High Queen’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in irritation, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she didn’t blow up at the others. I felt as if I should intervene to organize the discussion, but I didn’t have to.

“Please stop interrupting Annalise,” Morrigan said in a cold tone as she lay a delicate hand on my first wife’s shoulder comfortingly. “I believe if you do it once more, she may explode.”

The redhead snickered once then fell silent, and Carmedy looked to Annalise with her lips pressed tightly shut. The High Queen glanced at all of them once and made sure that no one else was going to butt in while she spoke. With one final sigh, the brunette started again as she glanced warily at her sisters.

“I’m not going to repeat myself. Haruhi was rough and snappy with us from the beginning, in the street and then in the Purple Conch.”

I could tell from Carmedy’s pink and strained face that she struggled to keep her objections in, but she won the battle and didn’t speak another word against Annalise as the High Queen went on.

“But, as all of you have pointed out, Haruhi had her reasons to be wary of us in Eifersucht, and those reasons were warranted once we worked together to figure out what the Liebe was doing to the city. Haruhi gave us vital pieces of information that helped us defeat the Liebe, and I’m very grateful to her for that.”

Annalise raised a hand to the reddening feline and fox. “So, to cut things short because I can see from both of your faces that you’re biting at the bit to challenge every harsh word I say about her, I like Haruhi, I do, and I agree with the rest of you. I would like her to be part of our family and one of my sisters. She should have just been nicer to us in the beginning, that’s all.”

With the High Queen finished, both Rana and Carmedy let out the deep breaths they were holding.

I chuckled as I remembered back on the first time we’d encountered the white-eared cat and how she had tried to hit me as I stabilized her. Haruhi, who came from a society of pacifists and had never trained how to fight, had taken a well-aimed swing at not only me but also Rana in the Purple Conch. Once she was added to the fold, I would train her hard, and she’d learn how to be a warrior like all of my minions before her. I looked at each of my women, and their eyes connected with mine eagerly. Carmedy grinned at me as her paws clenched into fists and she wriggled excitedly.

“So, when are you going to ask her?” the alchemist cried as she scooted closer to me, and I smiled down at her as I ruffled her hair. “Did you ask her last night? What did she say? What did she say!”

“I think he did a little more than ask her to be his minion.” The redhead snickered as she elbowed the cat, and Carmedy turned to face the fox with a confused face. “I think they did your favorite thing, pussycat. I think they made ghost noises.”

“You did!” the cat shouted as she launched herself forward and grabbed onto my arm. “Oh, Master, I bet Haruhi loved it because I already know you’re the best lover a girl could ever ask for.”

I tried to keep a straight face, but all of my minions looked at me with raised eyebrows and broad smiles, even Morrigan who rarely showed emotion gave me a pursed-lipped smile as her cheeks dusted a soft rose color.

“Well, when can we go pick her up?” Carmedy asked as she wriggled happily next to me and batted her emerald eyes in my direction.

“She’s not a lost puppy or kitten that you can just go and take away.” The High Queen chuckled as she shook her head.

“That’s not entirely true! Haruhi is a cat! Like me!” The alchemist laughed back as she grabbed her sleek black tail and wiggled it in Annalise’s direction.

I laughed along with them, and my heart beat warmly in their presence. I’d already decided to bring Haruhi into the flock, but having the rest of my women’s approval made the decision just a bit sweeter. I knew Haruhi would accept my offer without thinking twice, but first, I had other things to attend to as I turned my eyes to the northern horizon. I had to deal with Baudouin and Tintagal first, then my minions and I would journey together towards Carnarta and my fifth minion who waited there patiently.

Chapter Seventeen

The journey towards Tintagal went smoothly. Halfway through our last day, the city of Jemmets Landing came into view of the horizon. I turned as a soft whisper came from behind me. It was from Annalise, but the swordswoman’s eyes stayed on the massive palace placed on the edge of a sheer cliff face. She’d stopped her Bantam in its tracks, and thin wisps of her hair shifted in the cool breeze as she took in the whole of the city.

The forest green and silver flags billowed high about the towers and turrets. I could just barely make out the boar’s head painted on each, and I knew that soon, once Baudouin was dead, they would be replaced with the Tamarisch flag once this land was mine. I gripped the reins in my gloved hands and moved my eyes over the outer walls. Tiny soldiers in the distance roamed over the stone as they protected the wall and the city and palace behind it. We rode our Bantams on the only path that led straight to the wall, and when I looked back at Annalise, and a single bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face as she took inventory of each soldier outside the wall.

Jemmets Landing was huge, and a massive towering wall made from red and gray bricks surrounded the whole city. In another time, if the High Queen hadn’t run away, she would have been the wife of the ruler of this land. Her chocolate brown eyes brimmed with tears but her jaw hardened, and she wiped them away with her sleeve as she brought her narrowed eyes back up. Annalise glanced at me once, and I could plainly see the burning determination in her eyes. She was my wife now, and no one could take her away from me, not even the audacious man who started this war between our nations. I used the reins to bring my Bantam beside hers and waited for my warrior queen to speak. “

“They’ll recognize me,” the swordswoman whispered softly without making eye contact with any of us.

“Then we must disguise you somehow,” I said confidently as I reached out and placed a steady hand on her shoulder. The High Queen gave me a small nod and a ghost of a smile.

“How are we going to do that?” Rana questioned as she spurred her own bird forward and closer to the two of us. “We only have the clothes on our back.”

“Uh, guys?” Carmedy started as she rummaged through her bundles with feverish hands. As we turned to listen, she began to mix a few liquids and powders together. “I may be able to help, but it will only work for a few hours.”

I leaned my head out and watched as she combined ingredients in a larger bag, then tipped in a few drops of three different colored liquids. Her paws moved deftly and quickly as she whispered the names of the ingredients to herself. Once she’d finished, she pulled out a small swatch of fabric and spilled out the grainy powder onto it. It looked almost like sand but a bit thicker from the liquids she’d used. The powder was a light pink color that reminded me of the inside of some seashells I had found on a beach with Isolda a long time ago. The alchemist offered it to Annalise with a bright smile, and the swordswoman took it tentatively.

“Do I take it now?” my first wife asked softly as she looked at the powder

Carmedy nodded vehemently. “It’ll take a few minutes to kick in, and if my calculations are right, it will be ready before we should reach the wall. Just enough time for you to transform and get through without anyone noticing.” She motioned to Annalise with a brush of her hands for the swordswoman to take the potion she made.

My wife looked down at the swatch of fabric and the sandy looking concoction resting in the middle, then threw back her head and let the grains fall onto her tongue. Annalise closed her mouth, blinked a few times, then grimaced at the taste. All of us in the party chuckled softly as she moved her tongue in her mouth and made smacking sounds.

“Ugh, that tasted awful!” the warrior queen cried out loudly as she reached for her flask of water at her side, but the feline quickly swatted away her hand.

“No, don’t drink anything!” Carmedy cried as she thwarted yet another pass of Annalise’s grabbing hands. “If you do, it’ll dilute the potion, and it won’t work properly!”

“You could have warned me!” the High Queen groaned as she swiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. The feline gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged.

“Master,” Morrigan stated emotionlessly as she walked her Bantam closer but kept her eyes on the waiting wall ahead of us on the path, “are you sure they won’t recognize us too? Baudouin may not know what we look like, but the soldiers who fought against us might have spread our descriptions through the ranks.”

“Doubtful,” I told her as I took looked forward towards the wall and the soldiers outside the perimeter. “We killed all the soldiers who saw our faces during the battle, and even back when we first met the Decathmor brothers and the soldiers attacked you in the dark, we wiped them out too. None of them know our faces, and if they do, I will know immediately by listening to their thoughts.”

“Of course, Master,” the elven woman said as she bowed her head to me. “I was simply worried that we would be caught the moment we stepped foot through the gate.”

“There is no need to explain. I understand your worries, my dear.” I smiled to her as I reached out and stroked her long white hair. The elf’s cheeks blushed pink, and her delicate hand reached out to brush against mine. We were interrupted from our small private moment from a loud cough, and we whipped our heads to Annalise.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise as her small nose elongated and curved slightly down. The High Queen’s hands went to her face, and she ran her fingers over the length as her eyes attempted to examine it, but the effort only made her go cross-eyed. Rana covered her mouth as she stifled giggles and then my wife hiccupped loudly. Her lips pulled out at the corners then filled in plumper than they usually were. Annalise blinked rapidly as if she had something stuck in her eyes and slowly the color in her dark brown eyes changed to a brilliant dark blue.

My minions and I watched on in awe as the High Queen’s whole body transformed. Her legs in the stirrups shortened, her hips widened, and her bosoms blossomed out to twice their normal size. Annalise turned her head to me as the freckles across her cheeks faded then disappeared altogether. Suddenly, her hair came loose from the braid, and her much shorter fingers grabbed at the tie that floated away on the wind. Her plait came undone in a puff of wispy smoke the same color as the powder she’d taken and the deep brown color lightened until it was a honey blonde that shone in the light as she moved.

The High Queen lifted her newly transformed hand into the air and examined the flesh that was three shades lighter than her usually tanned skin. Even the shape of her nails had changed, thinned and elongated to a much longer length than she usually kept them. Though Annalise looked so much different, I still knew if I saw her in a crowd, I’d know it was her immediately. The swordswoman’s face was pale, and her expression confused as Carmedy reached into her pack and held out a small hand-held mirror. Annalise peered into it for a few passing seconds as she took her new face in then her expression broke as she roared with laughter.

“This looks so much different; thanks, Carmedy.” The High Queen chuckled as she ran a hand through her new blonde locks.

“You look great!” Rana breathed as she reached out and tapped the swordswoman’s cheek with one finger as if testing if it was real.

“You look presentable enough not to be recognized,” Morrigan uttered coldly as she moved her dark eyes over Annalise’s face. “I prefer how you look normally, but this will do for now.”

“Thank you…?” Annalise chuckled as she tilted her head to accept the elven woman’s indirect compliment.

With that settled, I turned my attention back towards Jemmets Landing, and I spurred my Bantam forward towards the giant wall. My minions followed after as Annalise’s transformation took complete effect. The ride was smooth as we spurred our Bantams into a brisk run and the towering wall came closer. As we neared it and leaned our heads back to take it all in, its height utterly blocked the city and the palace from view. The wall had to be at least eight or nine stories high and ten feet thick. The stronghold had only one door, a massive archway formed from stone and brick like the rest of its structure. Five soldiers stood guard outside the grand entrance and glanced at us warily as we came into sight.

Annalise tensed from beside me but quickly relaxed as she remembered her well put together disguise. I reached out a hand to her as I slowed my Bantam and she took it gingerly in her own and gave it a squeeze.

The gate was busier than I expected as people and citizens came and went through the massive archway without even glancing at the guards. We moved forward in a group, and despite Annalise’s transformation, we created a protective barrier around her with the bodies of our birds. I kept my eyes straightforward and listened to the thoughts of each of the guards, even the ones stationed high above us, but heard nothing out of the ordinary or anything that would cause alarm. We pushed our birds forward through the crowd and made it through the archway with no interruptions. The soldiers barely paid us any mind, and I heard my first wife breathe a sigh of relief as we made it completely through into the inner part of the city.

Tintagal was a beautiful city but not as beautiful as Tamarisch or Valasara in the slightest. The squat houses were either one or two stories and made of white plaster and exposed brick that matched most of the wall surrounding the whole city. Short chimneys stuck up from each home and belched gray smoke into the bright blue sky.

My minions and I moved our birds down the streets and took all of it in at once. The road below our Bantams’ clawed feet was made from smooth brick, and we moved to the right side of the street as grand carriages pulled by large muscled horses trotted past. Rana’s eyes widened at the intricate detail on the outside of the carriage’s shell, and her mouth moved silently, but I chuckled at the words she struggled to speak.

“Look at all the gold,” the fox whispered under her breath.

Tintagal seemed to be a very wealthy country. All the homes had some type of gold detailing either on the doors or windows. Even the food carts cooks and street vendors wore gold necklaces and gilded rings on each finger. Fortunately, the Tintagal citizens bustling around the street paid us no mind and even seemed to ignore us. A few eyes passed over us, did double-takes, then huffed as they moved on.

Their reactions were such that I glanced down at our clothes to see if there was anything wrong with them. Each of our coats was a little dirty but nothing too bad that would make the residents react to us like they were. Carmedy raised a confused eyebrow as a woman walked past and gave her a nasty look.

“Some people!” the passing woman said to the man with her as she turned up her pointed nose and hurried on away from us.

“What’s going on?” the feline whispered over to me as her silky black ears lay tightly against her head. “Do we smell bad or something?”

“Never mind that,” Rana said with a wave of her hand as her bright blue eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. “Look at all that gold, just out in the open and begging for someone to steal it.”

“I would like to point out the gold but for another reason than the one that Rana is thinking of,” Morrigan interjected as she stopped her bird and looked around the busy street and the people ignoring our presence. “It seems we are not wearing any gold or jewelry, and that is why they are acting adversely towards us. I believe it is customary here to wear something of value for all to see. Not a practice that I find admirable, but what can I say in regard to someone else’s customs?”

“Master,” the fox said hurriedly as she pawed at my coat, “give me two gold coins, quick.”

“Why?” I asked as I knit my brow, but the eager look on her face caused a small smile to spread over my lips.

“I have an idea, please. Just two gold coins,” Rana begged, and finally, I reached into my void pocket and retrieved two for her. I held them out in my palm, and the fox quickly snatched them from my grasp.

I sat back in my Bantam’s saddle as Rana leaned backward, closed her eyes, and placed both gold coins over her eyes with a flourish. Annalise’s cheek puffed out as she held in her laughter, and Carmedy blinked rapidly at the fox as Morrigan stared at her unamused. The redhead took her reigns in her hands and gestured wildly in the air for one of us to take them. The petite alchemist took them and tied them off to her own bird as she gave the fox an amused expression.

With that done, our party moved on through the city as we searched for somewhere to rest and stay the night. We got fewer looks the deeper we went into the town, but the ones we did receive were shocked and strange as their eyes landed upon Rana and the two gold coins resting over her eyes.

“Rana, you do know that they only place coins over the eyes of the dead, right?” Annalise snickered softly in the fox’s ears, but Rana didn’t move a muscle. “They must think this is some sort of really messed up funeral procession with you posed like that.”

With that being said, Rana shot forward, and the coins fell from her eyes as they burst open. The fox deftly caught the falling coins in her paws and gave the disguised High Queen a lopsided smirk.

“I thought maybe for a second they’d think my eyes were gold, but since you said that, it just makes it creepy.” The redhead shrugged as she slipped the coins in her pocket and joined us in the search for an inn.

We were pretty deep in the city, and as we reached the main square, the massive palace came into view. We’d been able to see it from far away on the path, but as we got closer, the wall completely obscured it from view. The structure was magnificent and beautifully constructed despite the horrible man who lived and ruled there. Soon enough, it’d be mine and under my control.

Amos and Adam informed us that Baudouin was preparing to marry another woman and this woman probably would join the Rusalka as all his other wives did. The Tintagal colors and flags flew out high above our heads, but there were banners, and flower wreaths hung across every surface. The wedding and celebration after were just a few days away, and from the bustling streets, I could see that the citizens were busy getting ready for the festivities.

When I turned my eyes away from the castle, my minions were farther down the street from me, and Carmedy waved for me to follow. Rana had already slid off the back of her Bantam as she pointed to a small squat building with a sign out front advertising rooms. I looked in the direction the fox pointed and nodded once.

The building looked like all the others except for slightly larger than the regular homes along the street. I stopped the redhead as she started to head off and reached into my void pocket for some of the leftover treasure we hadn’t sold from some of the dungeons. I pulled out piles of gold rings and necklaces and placed them on each minion. From the looks we received when we entered the city, I didn’t want to go into the inn and be denied a room because we weren’t adorned in gold and jewelry.

I took a step back and took in my handiwork. Each minion was covered head to toe in gold, and I nodded pleased to myself. I turned once more to go in the inn but Annalise’s brow furrowed, and she stopped me with a light touch on the arm.

“Master,” the High Queen whispered, “aren’t you going to put some on too?”

I chuckled loudly then reached back into the void pocket as I grabbed for more gold. I pulled out a long-gilded chain with a sigil shaped pendant on the end. I took the sigil in my hand and examined it for a moment. I barely recognized the lava god’s symbol pressed into the metal and wondered how it hadn’t been sold off by now. It must have gotten lost in the folds of the void pocket when we’d sold off all the items long ago. I dropped it nonchalantly then reached back in the pocket for some rings that would fit my avatar’s fingers. Soon, I too was adorned in glittering gold, and we headed off towards the inn.

When we stepped inside, the front room was small but homey, and it branched off to a much larger room to the left that looked like a dining room. From the sweet and savory scents that wafted through the open double doors, I knew my assumptions were correct, and my stomach grumbled hungrily. The last few things I’d eaten had been more strips of dried meat and those peaches a few days ago. I was ravenous, and from the looks on the rest of my minion’s faces, I could see they were too. My minions and I headed for the front counter, and a tall man stepped up behind it with a tight smile. He was a nice looking man, but he had the uptight and pious Tintagal look about him as he moved his dull gray eyes over our party.

“How many rooms?” the manager asked in a deep voice as he looked to me as the leader, and I stepped up to the counter as my minions huddled around my back. Annalise kept close to my back but kept steady eye contact with the tall man over my shoulder.

“Two,” I answered back while my minions nodded in agreement. “One bed in each.”

“Of course, sir,” the manager said as I slid over the coins for the night, and his thin eyebrows raised as the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Will you be staying for the Lord’s wedding? It takes place in two days. I can give you a deal on the rooms.”

“How much will it be for three days then?” I inquired with a tilted head and narrowed eyes as my whole demeanor changed. Rana had been a good teacher when it came to the ways of making deals, and I put what I learned to good use whenever we journeyed to a new town.

“Nine hundred gold, but that’s for both rooms for three days, sir, an excellent deal in this bustling town,” the manager said through a tight smile. From the way his eyes flashed, I knew he was attempting to swindle me.

“You’re saying that it’d be nine hundred gold for two rooms for three days?” I repeated back to him, and the manager smiled widely as he nodded twice. “Then that means that you’d be charging me three hundred gold for each day and that each room is worth one hundred and fifty gold per night. Sir, can you tell me if your rooms are worthy of my one hundred and fifty gold? Looking at the inside and outside of your establishment, I’d say your rooms are maybe worth fifty gold, but since it’s a ‘special’ occasion, you’re attempting to hike up the prices?”

The manager looked taken aback as his eyes widened, and his thin lips parted as he searched for words. A moment later, he quickly closed his mouth with a snap and rested his clenched fists on the counter.

“Since it is a special occasion, and many people have come to see it from not only out of town but all around the world,” he explained, “there are very few inns and pension houses for you to choose from, good sir.” He spat out the last two words sarcastically as his gray eyes bored into my face.

I stared right back as I squared my shoulders and rose to my full height above him.

“One hundred and fifty gold take it or leave it, three days, two rooms. The choice is yours,” I told him with a shrug of my shoulders and a nonchalant wave of my hand.

“Two hundred and fifty.” the manager growled angrily as his fingers played with the sets of keys he’d brought up from a drawer.

“One hundred and seventy-five.” I countered with a half-smile. The manager soured even more as he crossed his arms over his chest and huffed for all of us to hear.

“Two hundred!” the manager shouted as he slammed his fists down on the counter. I smiled widely as I slid the exact amount across the counter, already prepared for this outcome.

The manager grabbed the coins and stuffed them into a small bag tucked into his belt, and they clinked against more coin. He handed over the keys as sweat visibly ran down his forehead. He looked relieved that he’d made the deal, but in reality, I was the one who actually won. My minions gathered around me as I handed the first key to Annalise and the other to Rana, then I turned back to the manager as he adjusted his vest and breathed a loud sigh.

“Is the kitchen still open?” I asked. “We’d like to go in and eat.”

The manager lifted his head to me, more composed than he’d been a few moments ago. The thin smile from before spread over his lips, and he nodded to us.

“Yes, the kitchen is still open. It closes at the eleventh hour and opens back up at the seventh.” The manager nodded as he smoothed out his white button-up underneath his vest and rolled the sleeves up to the elbow. Carmedy sauntered over and leaned against the counter as she gave him an earnest look. The manager looked surprised for a moment as he glanced between the cat and me.

“But when do the cooks actually start coming in? Five am? Six am? Hm?” the petite alchemist questioned in rapid fire.

“That’s the inn’s personal business but, I must ask why you would want to know such a thing?” he asked the cat as he blinked slowly.

“No reason in particular,” the feline answered back through a sigh as she pushed off the counter, brushed past us and headed for the dining room.

We followed after her and once inside and out of view, Rana poked the cat in the side and hissed, “Why’d you ask such a weird question?”

“She probably wanted to sneak into the kitchens when they started preparing for breakfast and steal food.” Annalise giggled as she reached out and ruffled Carmedy’s hair. The cat jumped away but still smiled through the bright blush on her round cheeks. “It was! I knew it! You little sneak!”

“I just wanted to know! It wasn’t like I was going to do it!” the alchemist attempted to defend herself as we found a table with enough chairs for all of us and hastily sat down.

“Yeah, you say that, but you always sneak down to the kitchens and take food wherever we go! You did it on the ship to Tamarisch, you tried to do it on the ship to Machstein, but it didn’t have a functioning kitchen, and you’re going to try to do it now!” Rana cried through bubbling laughter.

I smiled at each of them but raised a single finger to my lips for them to quit their squabbling. Each of my minions nodded to me obediently and went silent. After a few moments of silence, a short woman came from the back door, noticed our table, and hurried over. Her wavy hair came down to her elbows and was a coppery red. When I glanced up at her, I blinked a few times to clear my eyes then stared at her. Her eyes were large, round and bright green like the color of mint leaves. She gave me a wide smile, and her soft cheeks bloomed pink as she tilted her head to me, her pen and a pad of paper at the ready. What caught my attention wasn’t the prettiness of her face but instead, the long and floppy ears poking out of her hair like a rabbit’s. They were spotted dark mahogany brown, light crème, and white, and she brushed one out of her face as she stepped up to the table.

“Hello there, my name is Usagi,” the rabbit-girl grinned, and each of my minions smiled back as they took her in. They seemed much less surprised than I was. I should have assumed there was such a thing as rabbit/human hybrids just like Rana and Carmedy, but the thought had never come to mind during our travels. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to get to you. We’ve been hard at work preparing the feast for the Lord’s wedding, and I was helping get everything together before the big day. Would you like anything to drink before you order your food?”

“Water, plea--” Carmedy said through a sweet smile, but Rana held up a hand and abruptly stopped her as the fox spoke loudly.

“Five ales, biggest ones you got!” The redhead grinned manically, and Usagi raised her eyebrows and chuckled as she wrote it down.

“Sure, I can do that,” Usagi assured us as she lifted her eyes from the pad in her hands, and her eyes met mine for a moment. My gaze never left her in my fascination. “And what would you like to eat for dinner?”

We quickly ordered, and Usagi hurried away to get it in. I watched her receding backside, and Annalise cleared her throat meaningfully. I turned to look at the swordswoman, and she raised her eyebrows at me.

“Yes?” I asked as the table went utterly silent.

“What was that?” The swordswoman chuckled as she pinched my arm.

“What do you mean?” I questioned her in confusion.

“She means you were staring at our server the entire time!” Rana cried as she slapped my arm playfully.

I blinked once then looked back and forth between the fox and the High Queen. “I was?” I chuckled as I rubbed my face. Both women nodded then Carmedy joined in. “Very well then, I was. It’s just I’ve never seen a rabbit-girl before, kind of like how I had seen neither of your kind.” I nodded to Rana and Carmedy.

“Actually, most women rabbits my age prefer to be called bunnies than rabbits because rabbit makes us sound old,” Usagi said suddenly from behind me as she set down a basket of steaming bread and placed our mugs in front of each of us. I looked over my shoulder at her, but the bunny-girl didn’t look angry. She just gave me a smile and a wink as she scurried off back toward the kitchen.

Usagi returned shortly with two large trays full of food and set each plate in front of the right person. All conversation between us stopped as we dug in and every once in a while, Usagi would come back in and check on us. As evening set in, more guests poured in right as we were finishing up. Usagi hurried over as we all leaned back in our chairs and sighed happily from the delicious meal. I paid her handsomely for her work, and the bunny-girl blushed as she took the coins from my palm.

My minions stood slowly, and Annalise practically had to carry Carmedy up the stairs because the feline started nodding out as we’d finished the meal. Rana moved to walk around me and head up the stairs, but I put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks. The fox turned and stared up into my face with those dazzling blue eyes.

“Come,” I told her as I steered her out of the inn’s back door. “We’re going to go train.”

Chapter Eighteen

Rana and I stepped out in the courtyard outside the inn. The air outside was cool against our faces, but it was much warmer in the confines of the wall than outside of it, and soon, Rana stripped out of her heavy coat and shoes. Darkness had already fallen across the city, and the courtyard was bathed in golden light from the windows of the inn. The air was sweet in the courtyard, and spring flowers planted around the building bobbed and swayed lightly as we made our way to the middle where no one would bother us.

The fox’s fiery curls bounced as we walked shoulder to shoulder in the dim light, and something about her attitude caught my attention. Rana looked pensive and unsure like she had been in the Valasara desert when I’d trained her with the daggers. She had no reason to be, however. Like then, she’d learn how to use the claymore properly and wield it like an expert swordswoman.

The courtyard was dense with small trees and different plants of varying sizes, but as we moved in deeper, it opened up to a large circular grass grove with a few stone benches for guests to sit on and enjoy the exotic garden. The plants were well trimmed, and I could tell that a lot of them had been used for the wreaths we’d seen earlier on Baudouin’s palace. Though the inn on Kanashimi was much larger, this one was just as beautiful with its lush garden.

I brought her into the clearing away from prying eyes, and around the tree line small lanterns hung from metal poles and lit the area enough for both of us to see clearly. I silently regarded her as I stepped to the opposite side of the clearing and reached into my void pocket for the God Slayer. I pulled it out slowly, and Rana’s eyes widened at the sight of the great weapon.

“M-Master, I don’t know…” the redhead stammered as she eyed the polearm, but I shook my head once, and my fox minion fell silent at once.

“Like before, I’m going to test what you know so far and then we can move on from that,” I told her as I held the God Slayer without slamming it down on the ground. I gave her the advantage of using the blade without extracting the three from my own weapon. “Take out the Eye and come at me with it.”

Rana breathed deeply through her nose and exhaled it through her mouth as she placed her hand over her chest. Light streamed out like a beacon then the hilt slowly rose from the golden light pulsing from Rana’s chest. The fox clamped her paw around the handle and pulled the massive claymore from the depths of her chest. I knew immediately that she was holding the sword incorrectly but said nothing as she adjusted her grip on the long hilt and tested its weight in one paw. I whipped the God Slayer once from one hand to the other and widened my stance. The redhead’s eyes met mine across the clearing then hardened as she calculated a plan.

Rana ran at me with all of her might with the Eye of Alipsis held out beside her. A loud cry rose in her throat as she lifted the sword high above her head and struck down at me one-handed, but I raised the God Slayer, blocked her attack, and side-stepped out of her way. In one swift movement, I moved my left leg under hers and tripped her. The redhead fell to the ground with a loud crack and stared up at me panting for a moment. I flipped the polearm in my hands, held it out in front of my body, and gestured for her to stand with my free hand. Rana rose to her feet unsteadily, calmed her breathing, and gripped the claymore tighter in her fist. This time she swung the sword around, and I caught my breath in horror as the long blade nearly caught her leg in the process of maneuvering it around.

“Stop, stop!” I told her as I held up my hands.

She immediately dropped the sword to the grass at the sound of my harsh voice. I crossed to her and checked her leg for any damage. The cloth of her pants was cut, but she’d barely missed the flesh underneath. I poked a finger through the torn pants and wriggled it for her to see what she’d done. Rana’s cheeks flamed red, and she bowed her head in shame. I lifted her face to mine in one swift movement and looked into her eyes.

“This is why I’m teaching you. I’m not doing this to embarrass you. I want you to learn from me and do better next time,” I told her in a low, soothing voice as I stroked the soft curls atop her head.

“I know, I know you’re not trying to embarrass me, but I keep thinking about how I could have hurt my sisters or someone else on the battlefield because I didn’t know how to use the sword properly,” the fox admitted, but I gave her a gentle smile as I bent down, picked up the sword and offered it to her again.

“Don’t worry, my love. I will teach you, and you will improve in strides by the time we’re finished.” I said as she took back the sword, and I came to stand directly next to her. “With the size and weight of the Eye of Alipsis, you need to hold it with two hands. Hold the pommel with your right hand and the hilt with your left.”

The redhead did as told and her paws slipped into the place where I had instructed her. She held the sword in a tighter, more assured grip and looked up at me with a broad smile.

“With this type of handgrip, you can do many sorts of attacks just with other swords, but the good thing about claymores are the steel blade is thin but stronger than other blades,” I told the fox, “The Eye of Alipsis is double-edged, and you can use it in a swinging motion back and forth, but the weight and length will make it difficult. Here, take a few test swings.”

I waved my hand through the air and summoned four gremlins to me. The creatures snarled to life but stood in place and didn’t move at all. Their eyes stared out into space at nothing, and even as Rana stepped forward to them, they didn’t focus in on her or react.

“Now, use your hand on the pommel to swing the blade down like a hammer,” I directed, “and once you get better, you’ll be able to move more quickly and change the direction of the swing halfway through the air.”

Rana stood in front of the first gremlin, and the beast stared straight forward into space. The fox set her jaw, widened her stance and gripped the pommel in her fist as she brought the claymore back then slammed downward with all of her might. The Eye of Alipsis cut through the air, met the flesh of the green-skinned gremlin, and cut through it like a hot knife through butter.

Rana took a few steps back in shock as the gremlin’s head tilted and lay against its shoulder, not wholly severed but half way. The fox looked to me for approval, and I nodded once with a small smile and gestured for her to continue. Rana shot forward with a sweeping movement and chopped the injured gremlin’s head completely off. The creature made no sound, it only stared up at the sky with blinking eyes as it gazed up from the ground.

I clapped slowly to her in approval, but she didn’t turn around this time and only faced off with the second gremlin. This time, she pushed forward with both hands tightly on the pommel and hilt and slammed the blade deep in the gremlin’s stomach. The creature keeled over but like the one before it, made no sound at all as it fell to the ground. I stood back and watched as Rana took down each of the gremlins I’d created for her, and when she'd finished, she turned back to me with a blinding smile. I nodded my head to her once, and four more gremlins appeared in the same line, but this time, their eyes trained on her.

“Are you ready for more of a challenge or would you prefer to continue cutting down enemies that can’t fight back?” I asked her.

The redhead warily looked back and forth between me and the more aware gremlins I’d summoned this time. A large smile spread over my face as her face hardened and her jaw set in determination. The adversaries I’d given her this time weren’t tough but not as easy as the first few. These would fight back but not too hard, and pride swelled in my chest as Rana took them down one by one. The redhead was getting better slowly, and the third wave of gremlins I summoned this time foamed at the mouth to attack her. She didn’t wait for my approval to go on, she only jumped right in and hacked away at them with feverish intensity. Rana’s movements were sloppy, but over time, I knew she’d get better as she had already improved over the course of this one session.

One of the gremlins ran straight at her. Its movements were loping, and its pink tongue stuck out of its mouth eagerly as it swung out at her with curled hands. Rana remained calm and used a move similar to mine from early and knocked the legs out from underneath the gremlin. Before the creature could stand up and attack again, the fox whipped the sword through the air with two hands with a grace I hadn’t seen before and buried the blade deep into the gremlin’s chest. It sunk in with a wet squelch as she placed a boot against its breastbone and pulled the blade free.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise as the claymore began to glow. It now seemed to become a part of Rana instead of just a weapon. I brought my hands together and clapped slowly.

Rana turned to me, and the smile she gave me was absolutely breathtaking. Her cheeks flushed, and her tail swished behind her shoulders excitedly as the body parts of the gremlins began to fade from view as I sent them back to my dungeon in one piece. The fox turned to face me, placed the sword upright in front of her and bowed gratefully to me. I bowed back with the God Slayer still in hand, and suddenly, before she straightened, I positioned myself in a defensive stance before she could see. Her bright blue eyes found mine in the darkness, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise, but a sly smile spread up her lips. We danced around each other in the clearing for a few moments, but Rana broke away from the clearing’s edge and rushed towards me.

I blocked the oncoming sword easily, but there was more strength and confidence behind it now as I pushed the blade away from me. I could tell that Rana still wasn’t used to maneuvering the weighty claymore, but she bounced back from the dodge easily and faced off with me once more. The way we moved together seemed more like a waltz than a fight, and she enticed me as she twirled away from me, and her tail fanned out behind her. Rana was light on her feet and spryly jumped away from my attacks. I chuckled deep in my throat as she held the sword in both hands, but her tail came up and caressed the soft flesh of her throat and obscured most of her face from view. Her eyes pierced into mine from behind the soft, red fur and sliced into mine with heated determination.

I stared into the swirling icy blue pools of her eyes for a moment as her tail flicked and shivered in the darkness around us then I realized what she was doing as she took three steps forward with her sword at the ready. I played along with her as I let the God Slayer droop a little at my side. Her eyes widened with pleasure, and the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. I fought hard not to laugh or let my face show that I knew what she was doing as I too took a step towards her.

Right as we were at arm’s length, Rana jabbed out with the claymore but I was gone from sight in an explosion of black smoke, and she stood flabbergasted for a second as her eyes searched for me. I phased back into view directly behind her and kept my chuckles in as her head turned back and forth and searched desperately for me. In one swift movement, I dropped the God Slayer and wrapped my arms around her from behind. Rana shrieked and tried to scurry away, but I held on tightly and buried my face in her neck.

Her sweet-smelling curls tickled my nose, and I laid soft kisses to her pale skin. Rana stopped struggling against me as the Eye of Alipsis fell from her hands, and she melted into me with a soft, lustful sigh. I hadn’t given her as much attention lately as I would have liked, but now, I was going to give the fox-woman whatever she needed in the darkened garden. My arms encircled her and traced invisible lines up and down her thighs. Rana stiffened, and a muffled groan escaped her lips as I brushed my hands up her legs to her waist then dipped down into the front of her pants. Her pubic hair was soft against my hand, and her stance widened as she opened her legs for me. I stroked her softly, moved my fingers over her lips until she was dripping. Then I moved my arm to give me enough room and pushed one finger inside of her. An airy moan escaped the fox’s lips as her ears twitched, and her fiery red tail curled around me.

I pushed two fingers in, and Rana struggled for breath against me as I moved my hand harder inside of her. The redhead quickly broke away from me, her red tail a flurry as her blue eyes caught mine in the dim light and her paws worked furiously at her belt. She backed away to one of the stone benches, yanked down her pants and kicked them away from her. Rana sat down squarely on the bench and opened her legs to me. Her pristine white panties were soaked through with her juices, and I followed after her and threw myself on the ground between her legs. I grabbed the white panties and the delicate fabric ripped and shredded under my strong hands.

I threw the ruined fabric over my shoulder in a rush to get to my prize and Rana leaned back on the bench and revealed her sex to me. I looked up into her eyes, and they were begging me, pleading me, and I brought my face closer to her core as I licked my lips like a hungry wolf. I lapped at her gently, and soft coos escaped from her mouth as I pressed in harder and slipped my meaty tongue inside of her tunnel. Rana’s paws found my hair and gripped onto it as I twisted my tongue inside of her and slowly moved, edging her closer to her own ecstasy. I pressed my face against her as I pushed my tongue deeper and tasted her sweet juices that reminded me of the taste of honey and cream. Rana cried out louder and gripped onto my hair for dear life as I swirled my tongue over her clitoris.

Suddenly as I pulled away, Rana launched forward and tumbled me to the grass. Her paws moved over me as she worked at my own belt and buttons and soon, I was free of both my armor and the pants underneath. The fox-girl took the shaft of my penis in her paw as her blue eyes flicked up to mine. Then she plunged it into her mouth with a sweet moan, and I groaned as I gripped at the grass at my sides. Rana moved feverishly as she swirled her tongue around the head of my penis and tasted the small droplets of precum that sprouted there like morning dew. Her free paw that didn’t work up and down my penis as she sucked over my large length, cupped my balls in her palm and slowly caressed them.

My pleasure heightened, and I was close to spilling my hot seed down her sugary throat. Rana sensed the change in my body, so she moved at a heightened speed as she bobbed up and down on my cock, her mouth making hot sticky noises each time she came up and went back down. I felt it rising in my loins, and I grabbed her by the back of the head, my fingers in her hair as I moved her even faster over my rock-hard member.

The fox groaned in pleasure as I used her mouth to my will, and I slammed into her so hard that I felt her uvula brush against the head of my penis. I groaned loudly, and the sound rumbled around the confines of the clearing, our own private world of carnal pleasure. I pulled out and plunged back in as my cock began to seize, and my frothy cum poured down her throat.

Rana pulled away, and my white seed dripped from her ruby red lips. The fox-girl licked it away with pleasure, but I wasn’t done with her yet, so I pushed her back to the grass and positioned myself over her entrance. The redhead wriggled eagerly, and I gripped her right breast in my hand roughly. Her breasts were plump and warm against my cold hands, and I ripped at the fabric of her shirt until the breast was entirely exposed. I lapped at the pink nub and Rana cried out loudly in my ear. Her noises only urged me on more as I clamped down on the hardened nipple with my teeth and she pressed into me as she gasped for air.

Then I held my erection in one hand and guided it into her dripping warmth.

Rana cried out against me as her tail wrapped around my back and pulled me closer as I pumped inside of her harder than I ever had. Her face was tense, and her eyes squeezed shut as obscenities fell from her lips, but I didn’t stop giving her everything she wanted. Sweat beaded on her beautiful face, and I brought my lips down to hers. We came together as I thrust into her feverishly, each movement rippling pleasure up from my groin up to my chest and my dizzy head. I’d already cummed once, and I wouldn’t stop until she came on my member as many times as I could make her.

I loved the feeling of being inside of her. Each of my minions was a very different lover, and I enjoyed each of our sessions together equally. Rana wanted it fast and hard always, and I would even dare to say the fox-girl was a bit of a masochist.

I happily obliged every time and ravaged her roughly whenever she wanted it. Maybe it was because the redhead was so headstrong and stubborn in her everyday life that she liked me to dominate her when we made love, but I had no problem giving her what her heart and pleasure desired. She already knew I was her Master, I had broken her like a wild stallion, and she’d accepted me as her owner and lover with open arms the first time I had bedded her.

Rana pulled away from me suddenly, and my penis slipped out of her as my eyebrows knit in confusion, but a smile came to my lips as she knelt and leaned against the bench. She swung her hips enticingly, her fiery red tail whipping out behind her as she gazed lustfully over her shoulder at me and I quickly came over and pressed the head of my penis to her lips once again. Her pussy parted for me beautifully, and her warmth wrapped around my member once again.

The fox-girl rode me backward, her hips bucking and kicking as she pursued after her orgasm. Rana held on tightly to the stone of the bench as I slammed into her, and she cried out into the heated darkness around with her head hung back and resting against my smooth chest. I reached around her and gripped her breasts tightly in my hands as she moved her hips faster and slid my length in and out of her in a feverish pace. If she kept this up much longer, I’d cum again, but I held it off as I plunged into her.

Rana’s vagina tightened and clenched around me as she teetered on the edge of orgasm and I gritted my teeth as I thumped into her harder. Our slick and wet bodies slapped into each other loud enough the sound echoed around the small clearing and bounced back to us. This place was like our own private world filled with Rana’s sweet moans and cries and the wet noises of my erection sliding in and out of her slick sex. The fox-girl’s paws clenched around the bench as her first orgasm hit, and she rocked forward as her hips bucked against me harder. Her sounds rose to screams, and I placed a gentle hand around her throat as I felt the muscles move and tense under her flesh.

Rana turned without parting, or my member sliding out of her and faced me as she leaned her back against the bench. I lifted her legs and placed them on my shoulders as I gripped her by the soft flesh of her ass and pounded into her without missing a beat. Her lusty voice reached my ears as her arms gripped my arms, and I lunged forward and slammed my lips to hers as her red hair bounced with my movements.

“Master, yes! Oh fuck, yes!” the fox-girl cried loudly as we parted, and I smiled down at her. My minion’s pleasure gave me pleasure, and my member hardened even more inside of her convulsing walls.

Rana’s head fell back and her mouth opened wide as she roared into a second orgasm. I slowed my hips down but plunged in harder than ever and choked off sounds fell from the fox’s lips as the orgasm surged and took over her whole body. I pulled her away from the bench and lay her flat against the grass. I lifted her right leg and held it tightly to my chest as I slowed down, each movement of my penis inside of her excruciatingly slow and from the way she panted and groaned, I knew it was driving her crazy. I ran my free hand through her hair, and her piercing blue eyes met mine. For a moment, we were the only two people in the world, and I wanted to make love to her slowly and unhurriedly in the quiet garden of the inn.

We stayed like this for a long time, and her orgasms came one after another, and when I looked down into her face, exhaustion beat weakly in her pale blue eyes. I sped up my hips this time, and the fox widened her legs to give me more access to her. I bent down and lapped at her breasts as I chased after my second orgasm, and I felt it slowly building in heated coils in my loins. Her cries softened to guttural moans as her claws gripped into my forearms. Her blue eyes met mine for the thousand times in the garden, but this time, something was different in them, more heated than ever before as her hips swung up to meet mine wetly.

“I love you, Master! Please give me your seed, I want to have it deep inside of me!” the fox-girl cried as her eyes squeezed shut and another orgasm took her in its hold.

I gasped loudly as my cock seized inside of her and I gave her what she wanted. I pumped inside of her until I had nothing more to give and collapsed on top of her panting form. I moved my hands over her, and she held me to her chest as she pressed soft kisses to my face. We laid together under the bright stars for a long time then we heard far away voices from outside the inn.

I scrambled up and quickly helped the fox redress. She pulled on her coat and gave me a smirk as she gestured towards her ruined shirt as she pulled the coat on over her exposed breast. We tiptoed back towards the inn, and the voices outside got louder as we neared. When we got close, the smell of tobacco smoke assaulted our noses, and it reminded me of back at the Purple Conch when I had escorted Haruhi outside, and she’d pulled the hand-rolled cigarettes from her pocket. I wondered how she was faring by herself but quickly pushed it away as Usagi’s recognizably airy voice talked to some unseen person. Ran and I froze as we listened to their private conversation.

“I don’t understand why we’re doing all this shit,” Usagi cried, and through the tree branches and plants, I could just make out her form gesturing around her to large baskets on the ground.

“Ah, Usagi, you know the drill,” the unseen man answered as the end of his cigarette glowed in the darkness as he took a long pull from the end.

“And I don’t understand why all these people show up like it’s the first time this shit is happening!” Usagi grumbled as she kicked one of the baskets, and it nearly tipped over. “He gets married every six months. No one should be surprised anymore!”

“Hey, hey, calm down, woman. No need to be angry. At least we’re getting paid to make all the food even if it happens every six months.” The man laughed as he stepped into the light, and from his clothes, he looked to be a chef or cook in the kitchens as he offered Usagi the cigarette. “Do you think you’re going to the wedding?”

“No, probably not, I have to work in the morning,” Usagi grumbled as she took the cigarette he offered and took a few puffs of it.

“Well, then are you going to the ball afterward?” the cook asked as he nudged her with an elbow good-naturedly and Usagi seemed to perk up. “I heard all are invited to attend, even all the foreigners who roll in. All you gotta do is get dressed up, and they’ll let you in! It’ll be fun. Come on!”

Rana and I exchanged steely glances through the foliage. Baudouin had not only invited all of his city into his palace for the ball, but he’d also invited death in too.

Chapter Nineteen

Rana and I managed to sneak back to our rooms without being noticed by the cook or Usagi. The entire time we climbed the stairs, the wicked smile stayed on my lips as I planned out our attack against Baudouin. Once we reached the landing, I knocked lightly on Annalise, Carmedy, and Morrigan’s door. It quietly squeaked open, and Carmedy looked up into my face with bleary, tired eyes. Behind her in the darkness of the room, I spied the blanket covered lumps in the bed that were Annalise and Morrigan.

“Wake your sisters,” I instructed her as I nodded to the sleeping women. Carmedy looked at me in confusion as I explained. “We have some news, and there are things I’d like to discuss.”

The feline quickly nodded and turned to her sleeping sisters. Rana and I waited as the black cat woke the others. They slowly climbed out of bed in their sheer nightgowns, and then, together, I unlocked my and Rana’s room and ushered all of my women in. Once inside, they piled onto the bed and looked to me as I paced quietly back and forth. I stroked my chin as I ran through scenarios in my head.

Our access to Baudouin would be easy but we’d be attending a ball with thousands of other people, and it’d be hard to get close to him. When I turned, Annalise sat upright in the bed and gave me a drained smile. Her features had returned to normal after a few hours, and it relieved me to be able to look into her stunning face again.

“Rana and I were outside earlier when we were training and we overheard a conversation between Usagi and one of the cooks,” I told them as I paced back and forth. “We don’t have to attend the wedding, but we heard that the ball after is open attendance for the whole city.”

“What are you thinking, Master?” the swordswoman asked as I stopped and ran a weary hand through my thick hair.

“Baudouin won’t be expecting us,” I told them in a low voice as I thought over the information in my head. “He doesn’t even know that we’re after him, correct?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Rana said as she flopped onto one of the pillows and looked at me sideways from her position. “He only thinks that the Tamarisch soldiers are attacking his land. I don’t think he even knows who the rest of us are beside Annalise.”

“That is the only problem,” I told them in a thoughtful voice. “Annalise is very recognizable. And as much as I appreciate your efforts, Carmedy, I don’t think the potion we used today will work. We’ll be at the ball for hours, and I don’t want to risk the chance of it wearing off during the ball.”

“So, I can’t go?” the High Queen cried as her lips pulled down in a frown.

“No, you’ll be there.” I shook my head as I dismissed that thought instantly. “In fact, I want you to be there especially when we kill him. I want that bastard to look into your face as he dies,” I growled and Annalise’s eyebrows raised. “But we need a concrete plan to get you inside and unseen by the guests, the people of Tintagal, and Baudouin.”

“I have an idea though I don’t think Miss Prim and Proper is going to like it.” Rana giggled as she glanced at her brunette sister, and the swordswoman’s brows knit together in confusion.

“By all means, tell us,” I instructed her with a wave of my hand.

“Where is the least obvious place that Baudouin would look for Annalise?” the redhead went on as she looked each of us in the face. Her sharp blue eyes shone in the dim light cast by the single candle. “She’s the High Queen, once a princess of the most powerful country in the north. Come on, guys, think with me.”

“I don’t like how you’re painting me out to be. I may have been a princess, but I’ve worked hard to surpass just that title,” the brunette chided through a small smile.

Rana’s hand found the swordswoman’s in the dark. “Come on, the last place that anyone would think to look for the High Queen? I mean, they’d expect her just to put on a disguise and sneak in.” The fox giggled as she sat up and Annalise eyed her warily.

“I really don’t like where you’re going with this,” the swordswoman cautiously said to her sister.

“I think I understand your meaning, Rana, and it's not a bad idea at all.” I smirked as Carmedy and Morrigan looked to me with pleading expressions that begged me to let them in on the secret.

Annalise’s expression broke as she caught on. She looked to Rana with a shocked expression, but I could tell that the High Queen wasn’t angry. A sly smile spread over her supple lips, and she reached out and stroked the soft curls at the fox’s temple.

“You’re very clever,” Annalise praised, and Rana blushed a deep red as she accepted the compliment. “You usually don’t like coming up with plans, but I’m glad you took the initiative.”

“Hello?” Carmedy called as she waved her paw through the air and then, once she had our full attention, the feline gestured between herself and Morrigan sitting beside her. “We’d like to know what’s going on, please.”

“I understand the situation completely,” Morrigan breathed coldly as she moved her dark eyes to Carmedy which left the feline to pout at me.

“This inn has cooked and provided all the food for the wedding and ball after. We won’t need to disguise Annalise much at all, maybe a wig and some heavy makeup. She’ll be one of the servers at the ball. All we have to do is ask Usagi in the morning if they need any more help which, with how big this party is going to be, they’re going to need more hands to serve Baudouin and his guests.”

Carmedy’s face broke with excitement, and she clapped happily as she looked over the High Queen. After a moment, the feline’s expression filled with clouds of concentration, and I could tell the creative feline was planning out how the swordswoman would look for her transformation into a server.

Annalise’s chocolate brown eyes met mine, and she smiled broadly.

“I’d like to admit, I am sort of glad I’m not going to the ball,” the High Queen told us, and I tilted my head at her for her to go on. “I don’t particularly like getting dressed up in frilly dresses and jewelry. Didn’t like it as a princess and I certainly don’t like it now. If I’m dressed as a server, I can find out more information about Baudouin from the guests too as I go around, and that’ll help us by the end of the night.”

“I wish you liked getting dressed up,” Carmedy cried as she ran her hands over her brunette sister, and Annalise gave her a small, shy smile. “It’s so much fun getting all prettied up and having people look at you like you’re the most gorgeous person in the room!”

“I must agree with Annalise,” Morrigan stated in her emotionless voice. Her eyes swept over Carmedy then met mine as I stood in front of them all. “I don’t particularly like getting dressed up as much as Carmedy does, but if it is what our Master wishes, then I will do as told.”

“Oh, this is so exciting!” Carmedy cried as she held her paws tightly to her chest and her emerald eyes sparkled with excitement. “I saw a dress shop on our way here! They had so many pretty things in the windows. Can we go there and pick out our dresses, Master?”

I looked deeply into her shining eyes and gave the cat a winning smile. I listened as her sweet voice gushed about different colors and skin tone pairings. It seemed as if the furthest thing from their minds was the fact that we’d be killing the man Annalise was previously arranged to marry in three days. I didn’t want to tear them away from the pleasant conversation and remind them of the real reason we were here. I wanted them to have this one thing to lift their spirits.

We spoke quietly together for a few more minutes, and then Carmedy was the first to yawn loudly and stand from the bed. It signaled the rest of them to rise as Rana remained on the bed. I gave them each a quick kiss and a hug before they shuffled off to their own room. When I closed the door and turned back to the bed, the redhead was already stripping out of her heavy coat and slipping into the bed. The fox rested her head against the pillow, and I smiled softly as her eyelids struggled to stay open as she watched me come closer and peel off my armor.

I slid in beside her, and she turned as she pressed herself against my bare, chiseled chest. I listened to the soft beat of the fox’s heart and the three others that came from the other side of the wall from my other minions. As I wrapped my arms around the redhead, she rested her head against my chest as her breathing evened. A few moments later, I knew she was in a deep sleep. The soft beating of their hearts lulled me to sleep as I stroked Rana’s soft curls.

I never dreamed, not even when locked away in my dungeon, and I often wondered what it was like to dream. My minions often spoke about their dreams when we woke up and ate breakfast together. Their stories were fantastic, sometimes even weird and at other times frightening. They called those types of dreams nightmares, and I often thought about what it would be like to have one of those. What it would be like to be locked in your mind for hours and have imaginary creatures chase after you. Carmedy often dreamed of food, which didn’t surprise me in the least, Rana dreamed of gold, and both of their retellings of the dreams reminded me of the golden god we’d met in Tamarisch.

Morrigan rarely told us about her dreams, but when she described them to us, they sounded prophetic, and I wondered if her dreams had real meaning to them. The elven woman had been gifted with many talents, and I wondered if she had been given the gift of foresight too but just hadn’t realized it for herself yet. Some things she’d told us in the past had really happened, and it surprised all of us. I hoped that her dreams would help us in the future. The mage often described her dreams as a swirling mass of black and every once in a while, she’d see snippets of scenes that would later come true, but it was mostly unimportant things, but there was still room for her to grow and discover new powers within her.

We often asked Annalise what she’d dreamed the night before, and the answer was always the same. The swordswoman claimed that, like me, she never dreamed, but something in her face told me differently. I never pushed it, but I knew that one day I would have to ask for the truth from her, but that was for another day. I’d earned the trust of my minions slowly but surely, and if something bothered them, they’d come to me eventually for my help which I would give readily. I was their beloved Master, and I would do anything for them, tear down the stars and moon with my bare hands if they asked for it.

I lay a tender kiss to Rana’s forehead before I closed my eyes. At this moment, my heart ached for Haruhi. I wished I could have taken her back with me and brought her here with her sisters where she belonged, but the sage had other things to attend to for the moment, and I couldn’t tear her away. I missed the shapely and soft touch of her body, and I pulled the redhead instinctively closer. I knew if I reached out to the feline at this moment, it’d only make the ache in my chest worse. I’d have to wait until we finished in Tintagal then we could move on to Canarta and the minion I’d left there.

I woke the next morning to the sound of the fox-girl’s humming, and I opened a single eye. Rana dressed quietly so as not to disturb me, but her singing had brought me out of slumber gracefully, and a smile played about my lips as I watched her slip into her coat. Her paws worked at the buttons at the front as she slipped into her shoes and turned. I sat up in bed, and the blankets fell away from me. The redhead eyed my bare chest without shame, and I turned my legs and rested my feet against the cold wooden floor before I stood. Rana took in my whole body, and when I looked back at her, her cheeks were flaming red, and she shied away from me, but her tail wagged excitedly. The fox batted at her tail, her cheeks flushing an even deeper red as she clamped down on the tail, and it wriggled in her grasp.

“Are you ashamed to look at me?” I teased her as I slipped into my undershirt then the dark brown pants that went on underneath my holy armor. “Is that why you turn your face away from me when I stand naked in front of you?”

“N-no,” the fox-girl stammered as she looked me directly in the eye pointedly. “It’s just… you’re so handsome that it hurts my eyes sometimes.”

I raised my eyebrows to her as I gave her a dashing smile. Once again, she avoided my eye as she settled her gaze on the floor. I laughed lightly as I crossed the room to her and wrapped my arms around her. The redhead tensed then relaxed in my embrace before she pressed gentle kisses to my cheeks, then jawline, and then finally on my lips. She melted into me, and I held her tighter as her heartbeat quickened... until the door suddenly slammed open. Rana jumped away from me, but I stood firm and turned to watch Carmedy skipped in.

“Good morning, Rana!” the black cat called as she skipped over then grabbed me by the arm and laid a kiss to my cheek where Rana’s lips had just been. “Good morning, Master! Did you sleep well?”

“Pretty well, I had the same dream last night that I’ve been having for a while,” the redhead told her.

“The one about all the gold being gone, and you’re endlessly searching through piles of copper and silver?” Carmedy asked as she tilted her head in concern.

“No, a different one.” Rana shook her head. “It started after we got to Tintagal. All of you turned to gold, and I couldn’t figure out how to change you back!” Rana laughed loudly, and I raised my eyebrows to her in amusement. “Then I started rummaging through your bundles to make a potion to turn you back, pussycat, and each one was solid gold!”

“That’s kind of funny.” Carmedy giggled as she ruffled the fox’s fiery red hair and turned to me as her face became serious. “Morrigan had a weird dream.”

“What was it about?” I inquired, but the feline shook her head and slipped her hand into mine.

“I think you should come down for breakfast and let her tell you about it herself,” Carmedy said gravely as she tugged on my arm to follow her. I did so, and she continued to drag me behind her to the stairs and down into the dining room.

When we arrived, I saw Annalise who looked as she did yesterday, wholly transformed by Carmedy’s alchemy as the swordswoman spoke animatedly to the bunny-girl. I could tell they were getting along famously, and Usagi smiled down at my first wife and nodded once.

“Sure! We need an all-hands-on-deck during the party! We’d love to have you as part of the team, and I’ll drop off a uniform to your room later in the day,” Usagi told the disguised High Queen, and Annalise nodded emphatically. “You just have to be downstairs in the kitchen on Saturday by four-o’clock, okay? We won’t be in attendance at the wedding, but we’ll be at the ball later in the day.”

We sat down beside them, and Usagi lifted her pad of paper and pencil. Carmedy ordered a lot like she usually did and Usagi stared down at her in horror as she flipped three pages to write down the entirety of the order. I got one of their breakfast specials, which included two eggs, bacon, sausage, and two pancakes. My stomach began to rumble irritably, and I pressed a hand to it with a lighthearted chuckle as Usagi’s eyes widened, then she smiled broadly to me. Once we got our order in and the bunny-girl left us, we all turned to Morrigan who sat quietly across from me. Her dark eyes stayed on the table for a long moment as we waited for the elf to speak. Finally, she lifted her head and looked me directly in the eye.

“I heard you had a dream,” I stated as I tented my fingers on the grain of the wooden table. Morrigan inclined her head to me in confirmation. “Can you tell us about it?”

“I will tell you, but there is more to the dream than I thought. Carmedy will continue it after I’ve finished,” the elven woman uttered as she nodded to her feline sister, and Carmedy curtly nodded once. “This isn’t like all the other things I’ve seen in my dreams, this was an actual scene playing out before my eyes. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will within the near future.”

Morrigan took a deep breath as she focused her thoughts. “I saw a girl. I do not her know, nor did I recognize her face. However, the sorcerer was there as well. Tuzakeur was threatening her in a palace high in the mountains of a land that is unknown to me. Tuzakeur called her Qianlong, but that is a word that I do not understand.”

Morrigan looked expectantly at Carmedy, and the feline wriggled in her seat as our attention swiveled to her. The alchemist cleared her throat, scratched her head, and gave us a sheepish smile.

“I once told you all that the islands of Canarta all have a dialect, they are similar but not entirely the same,” she began. “The word Qianlong is the combination of two Nekokian words. I know a lot of the Nekoka language because it’s the island closest to the one I was born on.”

“So what does the word mean?” Rana questioned as she drummed her paws against the table, impatient for her breakfast to arrive.

“The two words combined translate as blue dragon…” the feline told us then trailed off, and silence fell over us as we stared at her in shock.

“Okay, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Annalise inquired in a hushed voice as she leaned over the table closer to Carmedy.

The feline gave her a sheepish smile as she glanced over at Morrigan to continue describing the dream.

“This girl, the one that Tuzakeur called the Qianlong, transformed before my eyes to a towering beast, but it was a beast I’ve never seen before,” Morrigan said calmly. “A different kind of draconic creature than the depictions of dragons that I’ve seen drawn or woven into tapestries.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as I looked deeply into Morrigan’s dark eyes, but she looked steadily back.

“I have seen depictions of the dragons found in the west and south. They are great hulking beasts with broad chests and scaled flesh in crimsons and yellows. Their arms and legs bulging with muscle and their heads angular and pointed with horns, but this dragon was much different from those,” Morrigan informed me as she peeked over at Carmedy, and I sensed a secret they shared between them. “The Qianlong was long and lithe almost like a ribbon whipping through the air as she attacked. She looked more like a snake than a dragon on her taloned legs. Her scales were light blue like the sky, but the armor scales under her belly were white as my hair. The Qianlong's face was long and pointed. It almost resembled that of a horse with long quills that move and shift down from its head to its neck. It was magnificent and terrifying.”

“And what is the significance of this dream?” I asked as I moved my eyes to Carmedy. “Dragons are dead, they’ve been dead for thousands of years. We all know that.”

“Well, that may not be entirely true,” Carmedy said guiltily as she lowered her gaze to the table, and I raised my eyebrows in interest. “It might just be Nekokian folklore but… it might be true, we never know.”

“Get to the point already.” The fox-woman chuckled as she elbowed the cat.

Carmedy raised her head with a smile. “Well, I have to start this out by saying creatures like Rana and I all stem from one creature. I come from a cat, of course, and Rana, a fox. The timeline of how humans and cats came together and created our species is unknown, but it’s the same for all other hybrids like us. The same is for… dragons.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Annalise asked as her face paled and the rest of us looked on in shock.

“I already told you it’s just folklore, none of it has been confirmed,” Carmedy assured back as she looked to the High Queen. Annalise sat back in her chair and waited for the cat to continue.

“The legend states that long ago before the islands were overrun by cat-people, the island was once a den of dragons,” Carmedy explained. “Canartian dragons to be more specific, exactly like the one that Morrigan described in her dream. A different dragon ruled each island, two of the main players in this story are the Akalong which ruled over the island of Kegawa.”

“The main island,” I added, and Carmedy’s eyes lit up with delight at the fact that I remembered a small detail about the chain of islands that were her home.

“Yeah!” the feline told us. “Kegawa is the largest and main island out of all three. The second most important dragon is the Aolong, which ruled over the island of Nekoka.”

“The island that Haruhi is from.” I smiled.

“The second largest of the islands,” the petite alchemist informed us as she nodded vehemently.

“What about the dragon that ruled over Mauntenraion? The island that you’re from?” Rana asked as she leaned against the table and looked at the feline.

“Oh no!” The alchemist shook her head. “Mauntenraion is too small to house a dragon permanently. It was believed that my island was used as more of a breeding ground for both dragon clans. Of course, the dragons hated each other, and fights broke out between the two islands, but as time went on and more cats and humans came onto the islands, the dragons slowly died off like all the others all over the world did. The last recorded dragon on the islands was part of the Aolong clan, and that dragon transformed itself into a human.”

Carmedy’s tone was sad as she lowered her head and thought for a moment, then she brought her face back up with a serious expression. “It’s believed that the dragons still exist high in the mountains of Nekoka, but no one has ever seen them or been to the empty palace they inhabit. It’s speculated that the dragons bred with humans, and the blood-lines between beast and human are still strong, but it’s never been confirmed. However, if Morrigan’s dream is correct… there still could be at least one still out there.”

“But why was Tuzakeur there?” I questioned as I moved my eyes back and forth between the cat and the elven woman.

“Why else would the sorcerer be there, Master?” my white-haired lover asked as her eyes met mine. “The Qianlong holds the fifth sacred object, and the sorcerer is trying to take it from her. Instead of jewelry or necklace, the item is some sort of staff this time.”

“If that is true, then the sacred item really is a weapon, and once we have all the pieces in our hands, we will use it against Tuzakeur and take back Rana’s family,” I told them in a firm voice, and my minions nodded decisively along with me.

“Well, if all of that is true, then we all know what to do next,” Rana said excitedly as her tail whipped back and forth behind her. “We’re really going to Canarta!”

“Yay!” Carmedy clapped happily as her cheeks flushed, and her black ears twitched. “We get to see Haruhi again!”

“I think it is a little more serious than that,” Morrigan said gravely, and the feline pouted in response. The elf quickly backtracked at the sight of the saddened cat and reached out to her and patted the cat’s paw. “Regardless, I too am excited to be reunited with our friend.”

“She’s not our friend!” the petite alchemist shouted. “She’s our newly made sister! Woohoo!”

We laughed together as Usagi brought out the steaming plates, three other servers following behind her with most of Carmedy’s order piled on top. Usagi and the three men lay out our food in front of us, and we all dug in as the conversation came to a stop. The feline dove almost face-first into her plates of food, and soon, her round cheeks were smeared with whipped cream and chocolate from some type of thin pancake she stuffed into her mouth. I reached out with my napkin and wiped the mess away with a smile. Carmedy leaned into my touch with a loud purr then dove back into her food when I finished. All of my minions were silent as they ate except for the exceptional snort from Rana as she laughed good-naturedly at the messy black cat and the food smeared over her mouth and cheeks.

Soon, we all finished our meals and sat back in our chairs with full bellies. Carmedy stacked all of her plates on top of each other, and I widened my eyes at the twelve in total. I never knew where she put it all in her tiny body, but I knew that once lunch time came around, she’d be complaining about being starving once again just like this morning as we trudged down the stairs to the dining room. I moved my eyes over my women, and each of them looked contented as the black-haired cat rose from her seat and tugged at my arm impatiently.

“What is it?” I chuckled as I stood, and she smiled up at me with her bright emerald eyes.

“You couldn’t have forgotten, Master!” Carmedy cried as she tugged me towards the door. “We need to go shopping for our dresses for the ball! I want all of us to look extra pretty for you!”

“That’s not the point of us going to the ball, pussycat,” the redhead joked as she stood and helped the stuffed Annalise out of her chair.

“Just because we’re here to kill somebody doesn’t mean we can’t look gorgeous while doing it,” the petite cat giggled under her breath, and I felt taken aback for a moment from her words then laughed lightly. Carmedy had changed a lot since I met her, and hearing those words fall from her delicate, pretty mouth made me stand a little taller.

Soon, all five us stood outside of the dress shop that Carmedy had mentioned earlier in the morning, and I took in the expertly made dresses in the window. They were pretty and the details handsewn, but the ones displayed didn’t suit any of my minions except for Carmedy of course. Each dress in the shop was a different shade of pink or purple and exploding with frills and lace. Rana’s lip curled as she moved her blue eyes over each one then looked at me in confusion. I shrugged to her, and the fox laughed as she took my arm in her own.

“Come on!” the black-haired cat called back as she raced towards the door. “Time’s a-wastin'!”

In a flash, Carmedy had gone inside the shop and left us to trail after her in a line. The shop was filled with beautiful dresses and thankfully, all of them weren’t like the ones in the window. I could never imagine Morrigan or Rana wearing those shades or even the frills. The alchemist quickly went to work as she ripped through each of the hangers with feverish intensity. The fabrics were a blur as she picked out specific ones for each woman. Annalise came to stand next to me since she wouldn’t be wearing a dress and would instead be serving at the ball. Though the High Queen couldn’t join in on the fun, she still looked excited for her sisters as Carmedy grabbed each of them and hauled them into a dressing room of their own.

I felt excitement of my own as I waited outside of the curtains and listened to the moans and wails as Carmedy strapped each of the women into their own dresses.

My women were already beautiful enough on their own, but with the added beauty of a tailor made dress, they’d be absolutely breathtaking. I reached out and gripped Annalise’s hand in my own. The swordswoman stepped close to me, and I glanced down at her smooth, freckled face. She was just as excited as I was to see my newly transformed minions.

Chapter Twenty

“I don’t like this, not one bit!” Rana’s annoyed voice called out from behind the curtain then her voice rose into a loud cry as Carmedy tightened the dress.

“Oh hush, you look stunning! And this color with your hair! Ah, magnificent!” The black-haired feline sighed loudly, and I listened to the heavy clunk of her boots as she turned towards Morrigan. “Oh my gosh, Morrigan, you look so pretty! This color is perfect with your skin tone!”

I chuckled to myself as the elven woman’s voice rose up behind the fabric in an unsure tone. “It doesn’t suit me, maybe if it were black…”

“No black!” Carmedy cried out, and I raised my eyebrows as Annalise standing beside me burst out laughing.

The petite alchemist could be quite bossy when it came to fashion and shopping, and it was only then that she showed an entirely different side of herself. In normal life, Carmedy was excitable and demure while still being happy-go-lucky, but once we stepped into a dress shop, a different person took over her body as she picked out clothes for each person.

The shopkeeper and her apprentice appeared from one of the back rooms, and their attention immediately swiveled to us. The shopkeeper smiled at us, and I took in her appearance as she stepped forward. The woman was tall and willowy, her body shape vaguely reminded me of Morrigan, but this woman was taller and thinner than the elven woman. Her hair was honey blonde and her eyes a bright mint green as her lips pulled into a wide smile. She stepped closer to us as her much shorter apprentice scurried up behind her.

“Good morning, I’m sorry we didn’t hear you come in,” the shopkeeper greeted apologetically. “We were putting the finishing touches on a dress in the back and didn’t hear the bell ring. I’m Jolie, the owner, and this is my assistant, Camille. Is there anything we can help you with today?”

Jolie’s thin knuckled hands flitted up and tucked a stray blonde curl behind her ear as she came near. Camille wasn’t as pretty. In fact, she was quite dull. She stood two heads shorter than Jolie, and her mousey brown hair was shaggy and cut short to her shoulders. Her eyes intrigued me though. They were gray, but there was a subtle depth in them as I spied hints of violet and amethyst. My eyes flicked back and forth to the young woman’s heart-shaped face then to her eyes and her bushy eyebrows knit in confusion. I quickly moved my eyes away from her and back to Jolie.

“We’re here for some dresses for the Lord’s ball, but one of my women already picked out a few they wanted to try on.” I smiled to Jolie, and the shopkeeper bowed her head to me while Camille’s strange eyes narrowed on my face suspiciously.

The apprentice’s eyes moved from me to Annalise and studied the disguised High Queen for a few passing moments. I listened intently to the smaller woman’s thoughts but couldn’t pick anything out beside the soft whispering in the confines of her mind. It was strange, and I glared down at Camille in confusion. Her thoughts were guarded and locked away from me, and I probed harder to reach inside of her brain. Camille’s eyes twitched as I did so, but I kept my expression blank as I moved my eyes to the still smiling shopkeeper.

“Oh wonderful, the whole town is abuzz with excitement for the wedding and ball. Camille and I simply can’t wait to see all our wonderful dresses and suits worn by the many guests.” Jolie clapped excitedly, but Camille remained stoic by her side. “Would you like some masks to go along with the dresses?”

“Masks?” Annalise asked, and Jolie nodded vehemently as she brought our attention to a hanging rack full of hand-painted masks, each of them unique and beautiful as she reached out and plucked one from the shelf.

“Yes, Lord Baudouin specifically wanted the ball to be a masquerade!” Jolie grinned as she offered me a mask and I took it into my hands. “We have an excellent selection! We sell out nearly every single day, don’t we, Cammie?”

Camille didn’t even blink at the nickname but only solemnly nodded in agreement with her boss. When she opened her mouth, her voice wasn’t what I expected.

“Yes, we wake up early every morning to create more so that we have a large selection to choose from.” Camille’s voice was light and girly for the short, unattractive woman. “Miss Jolie is quite the artist when it comes to painting and creating things for the shop.”

Jolie rocked with lilting laughter as one of her delicate hands snaked out and patted Camille on the head. Camille blushed deeply under her boss’s affectionate touch and quickly hid her face from us.

“Don’t let her praise fool you,” Jolie stated earnestly as she gazed down at her small assistant. “I may be the one who adds all the details and doodads, but Camille is the one who makes the masks by hand. Feel them, they are real ceramic and so light they could almost weigh nothing!”

The mask in my hand was indeed light and shaped into the smooth face of a bull, the horns sculped and etched to look like real bone. Camille had real talent, and it was plain to see in her work. I ran my fingers over the glossy surface and the intricately painted details over the surface. The bull mask was beautiful, but I knew none of my minions would want to wear it, it didn’t suit any of them or me. I placed the mask back on its rack, and the ceramic clinked against it softly as it slid back into place amongst the other masks. Jolie bowed her head to me then turned at the sound of Carmedy’s voice as it rose from behind the curtain.

“Drum roll, please!” the feline called, and Jolie jumped with a grin and scurried to the front desk and began to pound on the wood. “I present to you, Lady of the Evergreens, Queen of the Forest and all the…uh…leaves! Rana Elouise Martin!”

Jolie’s hands beat faster, and her smile was just as delighted and excited as Annalise’s and my own, but Camille only stared at the red curtain as we waited.

“Stop pushing!” the redhead cried as the curtain rippled angrily. “I’m going. I’m going!”

I caught my breath as Rana stepped out into the middle of the shop, and we all stared at her in wonder. Her cheeks flushed as she avoided my gaze, but I couldn’t help but look, my fox woman looked absolutely ravishing. Carmedy had picked out a deep forest green gown that complimented the fiery red of the fox’s hair as she said earlier. The ballgown’s bodice was the same color lace as the rest of the dress and came down low in a swooping neckline. The sleeveless cuffs came off and over her shoulder to rest on her upper arm. The bodice cinched tightly around her upper waist then bloomed out into a voluminous skirt detailed with more lace and embroidery. Her red tail was hidden underneath the skirt, and Jolie’s eyes widened then crinkled as she smiled to herself when the fabric shifted from Rana’s happily wagging tail.

“D-do you like it?” the redhead asked as she tugged on a loose curl.

Annalise’s mouth, which had dropped open in awe snapped shut, and the swordswoman nodded fervently.

“The dress may be beautiful,” I started as I ran my eyes over her and the fox blushed under my eyes. “But you are the one that truly makes it shine, my love.”

“An excellent choice!” Jolie cried as she clapped her hands together and if possible, Rana’s cheeks reddened even more than before. “That color suits you perfectly, Miss Rana.”

Camille inclined her head, tilted it as she took in my fox’s appearance, then nodded once in agreement. “Yes, the color and shape compliment your body type, and the color does wonders with your skin tone and hair color.”

“That’s what I said!” Carmedy called out from behind the curtain happily. “All right, here comes the second one! Queen of fire and ice, Lady of the Pretty Frowny Face, Morrigan!”

“I resent that poor choice of words, Carmedy,” Morrigan muttered in her usual cold voice then it lifted into a soft giggle, “but you are not wrong.”

The elven woman stepped out, and my eyes widened as Jolie gasped softly from the counter. Morrigan’s dress was a velvety wine color, and the fabric was entirely made from lace. The neckline brushed against her prominent collar bones in full waves. The burgundy sleeves came all the way down to her wrists and wrapped around her whole body tightly like a glove. The skirt widened out below the knee and fanned out to brush the ground as she walked.

Morrigan looked as if she was floating across the room, and I took in the perfect hourglass shape of her body that was usually hidden by the loose robes she wore over her tight bodysuit. The elven woman moved elegantly like a dancer, and when she turned, we took in the plunging back of the dress. The back came down into a deep v shape and exposed much of her flawless alabaster flesh. Morrigan turned and looked at me over her shoulder. Her dark eyes cut into me, and I smiled wolfishly to her as her pale cheeks dusted a soft pink.

I took all of her in and breathed in deeply to keep my heart from pounding out of my avatar’s chest. She was naturally beautiful as her long white hair shifted off her shoulders. All of us were silent as we watched her seem to float around the room, and when she caught our eyes, she stopped and looked shyly down at her feet.

“When I made that dress, I didn’t think someone as lovely as you would wear it,” Jolie breathed softly as she pressed her hands to her chest. Camille said nothing but moved her eyes from the top of Morrigan’s head down to her feet as she admired my minion’s beauty.

Annalise and Rana rushed forward and grabbed onto the elf’s hands as they took in the rest of her dress. Their soft words made my white-haired love blush even more, but Carmedy cleared her throat once more as she drew our attention back to the curtain.

“Ahem!” the feline cried out as she shuffled behind the curtain. “And finally, me. Uh, I didn’t come up with any titles for myself so, here I come!”

I didn’t expect the type of dress Carmedy flounced out in, but she giggled to herself as she covered her mouth with one paw at my reaction. I’d expected her to pick out one of the dresses covered in bows and frills as we’d seen in the shop's window, but what she wore was something entirely else.

The dress was sleek and tight against the cat like a second skin. I could see each curve of her tiny body as she moved. Surprisingly, the dress was pitch black but as she turned, the color shimmered and changed in the light like pooled oil as purples, blues and greens glittered under the dark color. I raised my eyebrows as she turned and the backline plunged down her back much farther than Morrigan’s and her sleek black tail moved in the air elegantly. The neckline swooped down into a deep v and showed the curvature of her breasts. Thin straps came up and around her shoulders in a halter, and her emerald eyes met mine lustfully as she pranced around the shop.

Jolie and surprisingly even Camille clapped as the petite feline took a bow to each of us then grabbed the fabric of her skirt in her paws and swept into two curtsies.

My minions rushed to her as they admired the dress and how it conformed to the alchemist’s figure perfectly. Carmedy laughed loudly as she slipped her hands into the folds of the dress and held them out excitedly.

“It has pockets! Look!” the black-haired cat called, and I laughed along with my minions as Carmedy showed each of them the pockets.

I strode to them and took in all of their glory in the beautiful dresses. The cat’s sparkling emerald eyes met mine, and she gestured to her body for me too to take in the dress.

“You look stunning. All of you.” I smiled to them as I reached out and stroked each of their faces in time.

I lifted my eyes, and over Morrigan’s shoulders, Camille’s gaze met mine for a moment. Her strange eyes narrowed on me, and time seemed to slow as I attempted once more to probe into her mind, but I received what I had earlier, nothing but whispers and mutters so low that I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I had no reason to be suspicious of the apprentice, she hadn’t said anything to tip me off, but there was a strange aura hanging over her shoulders as she kept her eyes hard on me.

I didn’t want to brush it off, there was something bizarre about the shopkeeper’s assistant, and I didn’t trust her for a moment. Jolie was different, and whatever Camille was involved in, the seamstress wasn’t involved. I parted from my minions as I gestured for them to go and pick out a mask for themselves. I came up to the counter as Jolie stepped behind it with a beaming smile.

“How much do I owe you?” I inquired as I reached into my void pocket for some coins. Jolie smiled gently as she kept her eyes on my women.

“Each dress is about one hundred silver each but since you’re buying such a large quantity and four masks, let’s say two-hundred-and-fifty silvers, and we’re even,” Jolie stated calmly, and I raised my eyes to her.

Rana had taught me how to barter correctly, but she also taught me how to appraise items when we went to trade, and I knew from looking over the dresses, they were worth far more than two hundred and fifty silver. The difference between the worth of gold coin and silver was staggering. Most gold coins were worth ten silvers easily, and I would easily pay her asking cost in gold coins for such beautiful hand-crafted dresses and not feel cheated in the least. The shopkeeper was humble even though she put so much work into her dresses and even the masks.

I pressed my tongue into the corner of my mouth as I dug through the void pocket for what I deemed was a more fitting amount and slid a bag filled with four hundred golden coins over to Jolie. The seamstress’s eyes widened in shock as she glanced in the bag, then they widened more as she locked eyes with me, but I said nothing as I gestured for her to take them. For a moment, I thought I saw tears bloom in the corners of her eyes, but she quickly hid her face from me as she bowed respectfully low to me and tied the coin purse to her belt.

“You are too kind, sir,” Jolie whispered to me as she kept her eyes low.

“Not kind, I simply know how to appreciate fine things when I see them,” I told her plainly. “These dresses, and the happiness they’ve given my women are worth far more than mere silver. Please give yourself more credit.” I glanced down at her willowy fingers and saw the red blisters and cuts on each digit from her painstakingly hard work. “You have a talent, and though some may not like to believe it, that talent should be recognized by the price and quality of your items. Do not sell yourself short.”

“I don’t know what to say, sir,” Jolie murmured as she kept her head low. After a moment, she raised her pretty face to mine and gave me a gentle, smaller smile as she waved her hand towards a far rack of men’s clothing. “Please, pick out whatever you like free of charge as a symbol of my gratitude.”

“I tell you to raise the prices of your well-made products, and you offer me free clothing.” I chuckled, but Jolie wasn’t offended by my words. I shook my head as I placed a hand on my holy armor. “No, thank you. I believe my armor is enough to get into the ball, but I will take one of your masks if you allow me.”

“Take whatever you like.” Jolie grinned as she intertwined her hands behind her back and bowed once more to me.

I bowed back then headed over to the rack of masks my minions crowded around. Each of my women besides Annalise held a mask in their hands, but when I came near, they hid them from me with sly smiles on their faces. I looked to them with raised eyebrows, but they shied away from me with a giggle.

“What are you up to?” I chuckled softly as I reached out for Rana, but she scurried away with her hands held behind her back.

“We just want our masks to be surprises for you,” Carmedy admitted shyly as she moved the mask around her hands behind her back.

“All right, if that’s how you want it,” I said as I shooed them away with my hands. “Then leave me while I pick out my own.”

Each woman gave me a look of shock then giggled as they scurried away to change back into their regular clothes. I stepped around the rack as I took in each of the masks. All of them were beautiful, and I sifted through them carefully as I chose the perfect one to match my armor. I stepped back with a frown as I cupped my chin. None of them suited me or would go well with my armor. All of them were delicate and painted with flowers or had flowy feathers attached to the top. I sighed loudly, and suddenly, the feeling of eyes watching me prickled the back of my neck.

Camille came up beside me and stood silently as she took in all of the masks. Her face was smooth and without emotion as she turned and took in my armor, then looked back towards the masks.

“None of these suit you very well,” the short woman stated in that girlish voice that didn’t suit her body.

“My exact thoughts.” I nodded.

“I would suggest that you could wear the helmet that goes along with your armor, but I suspect that your women may be disappointed if they see you wearing something they’ve already seen,” Camille said astutely.

I looked down at her and took in her features once more.

Camille’s features were soft and rounded almost like a baby’s, a polar opposite to her boss. She wore soft fabrics over her small body, and I could barely tell where the material started and her actual form began. Camille was so little that she barely came up to my elbow, and when she looked up into my face, I stared down into those mysterious eyes. They moved over my features as if measuring them before she blinked once then nodded to herself knowingly.

“I think I have something for you. I don’t show it to many people, Jolie doesn’t even know about it. Wait here.” Her childish voice was curt and straight to the point as she spun her head and marched off to the back of the shop.

She came back a few minutes later with a large white box in her hands. Camille balanced the box in her left hand and flipped the lid open with her right unceremoniously. The squat woman offered me the box then, and I stared down at the exquisite mask inside.

“It would scare Jolie if she saw it, that is why I don’t offer it to just anyone,” Camille snapped as she looked behind me to the shopkeeper. Jolie was busy wrapping up each of my minion’s dresses in soft looking paper and placing them in large boxes for safe keeping. “She is frightened of most things, but you do not look like a person that would shy away from the strange and grotesque. Go on, take it, feel how light it is in your hand.”

I reached into the box and lifted out the mask. As Camille had said, it was just as light as the others though it was much larger than those hanging on the racks. The mask was shaped into the monstrous head of a ram skull. The large rippled horns twisted and warped around where my ears would be. The mask would cover all the way down to my jawline, and I brushed my fingers against the hard-carved teeth that Camille had meticulously carved into the ceramic. The bone structure of the ram’s face was painted and etched to look like bone, and the white color shone in the morning light that filtered in through the window.

I ran my fingertips over the eye sockets of the mask then lifted my eyes to Camille who waited patiently for my answer. I rose to my full height as I placed the mask back into the box and closed it with a snap. Camille’s stoic face broke in disappointment, but a sly smile spread over my lips as I snatched the box from her.

Camille looked up into my face, and though she didn’t smile, I could see the plain amusement in her strange eyes.

“Wear it well, sir, and know that it is one of a kind. No other is made in its likeness,” Camille told me in a whisper, and her eyes stared intently into mine after she’d stopped speaking.

There was something about this girl that set me on edge. Maybe it was the fact that I couldn’t read her thoughts, perhaps it was the fact that her eyes looked like nothing I had ever seen before. There just was something not quite right about her, and as much as I wanted to find out more, I knew our time here was ending as my minions came over with their boxed dresses and masks.

My minion’s faces shone with delight as they hurried over to me, so I placed the box with my mask inside carefully under my arm. I gestured to the door with my free arm, and my minions hurried out before me. I turned back while holding the door open and thanked both Jolie and Camille for their hospitality. The seamstress came around the counter and bowed to me respectfully once more, but the apprentice only bowed her head. I gave them one last wave, and the door closed behind me.

My minions and I went back to the inn as they animatedly spoke and laughed together. I hung back from their group and watched them silently. It seemed as if all of them had forgotten the real reason we were here during the excitement of picking out dresses and masks. We’d spent all of that time, the journey across the Riese, our stop at Machstein then onto the land of Tintagal for one reason and one reason only. We were here to kill Baudouin, and that was that.

I allowed them this happy moment as we turned to the inn, as their smiles would be gone in a few days as we took up the task at hand. I didn’t have to prepare myself to kill Baudouin because I knew I was ready, but my minions weren’t like me. Though they had become skilled and invaluable warriors, they weren’t as hardened to the outside world as I was. They didn’t have the bloodlust that I did. They only killed when it was absolutely necessary.

No, while my minions knew who I was and what I did before being cast out of the heavens, they did not know how much I enjoyed what I did in the Underworld. I liked torturing the lost souls sent down to me. If they asked, I would admit it readily, but they saw a different side of me that those souls didn’t. My minions saw me as a lover and a leader, not a vengeful god hungry for blood on the warpath. My women knew me not only as their Master but teacher and husband who would take care and protect them no matter what stood in my path.

Like Haruhi had once said, my minions knew me differently than the rest of the world and heavens did, they saw completely different sides to me that hadn’t been revealed to any others.

They talked and laughed in a group in front of me as we walked down the busy Tintagal street as if they weren’t going to murder a man in two days’ time. I wondered to myself what types of lives they’d be living if they hadn’t found each other and then me in my dungeon. Would they be happier without me in their lives? I tilted my head as I examined their shining faces in the bright mid-morning sunlight. Would they have been better off in ordinary lives without adventuring or treasure? Would my minions be happier without the constant threat of danger on the horizon? Would they be better off without… me?

Carmedy suddenly turned, her plump lips turned down in a frown as her emerald eyes desperately searched for me. The feline’s face split into a wide smile as she found me behind them. Then the rest of my women turned with happy smiles on their faces as they gestured for me to join them. They all looked so beautiful to me, almost like a moving painting before my eyes. For a moment, if I hadn’t known them as I did, I would’ve thought they were four goddesses walking down the street in a huddle.

“Stop lollygagging and come here!” Rana called out as she giggled, and I nodded once as I joined them.

I answered all those questions I’d been asking myself inwardly with a single simple answer: Absolutely not.

Chapter Twenty-One

The next two days passed without much excitement beside more and more people pouring into the city of Tintagal to see the marriage of the Lord Baudouin. I woke early on the morning of the wedding alone in one of the rooms we’d rented. My women took turns sleeping with me while we were here, but on the eve of the day we’d take his life, I sent them away from me. They granted my request and left me in the solitary room, and I woke sprawled out in the bed comfortably and lifted my head to the corner of the room where my armor sat in a neat pile.

I smiled to myself as I swung out of bed and brought the armor to me telekinetically. Then I listened to the soft voices through the far wall as my minions went about their day. I could tell Carmedy was the first out of the room, and the feline ran downstairs to scarf down a hearty breakfast. Morrigan, Annalise and Rana spoke in quiet tones to each other, and soon, all of them were laughing heartily as they too exited the room for breakfast.

As my armor slid into place around me, and the straps cinched themselves tight without even touching them, I grabbed the box that held the mask Camille had given me. I flipped open the lid and stared down at the beautiful work of art that the apprentice had made. Though Camille was strange, and there was something suspicious about her, she was a master of her craft, and I admired her for it as I lifted the mask from its box.

I crossed to the full-length mirror as I held the ceramic mask in my hands and took in my appearance. I smiled to myself at how handsome and dashing I looked as I slicked back my long hair before I slid the mask on over my rugged features. It gave me an air of mystery that wasn’t there before. The rams head mask fit perfectly as if it had been made specifically with me and my features in mind. I rolled my shoulders and rose to my full height. Yes, this would do just nicely for the evening in mind.

I crossed to the door, and as I swung it violently open, I got a view of Carmedy just as she reached up to knock on the wood. The feline jumped in surprise, then her emerald eyes widened at me. The petite cat wasn’t wearing her mask yet, but her hair was done up, and expensive makeup highlighted her eyes and lipstick colored her supple lips. I almost wished she didn’t have to wear a mask because she was so beautiful. Her feathery black hair was curled and pinned back in an elaborate twist on the top of her head. When the cat looked up at me, her eyelashes batted, and her cheeks flushed under my probing eyes. Instinctively, I reached out and stroked her pink cheek with tender fingers.

“Y-you look very handsome, Master.” Carmedy nervously whispered in a soft voice as her tail whipped out from behind her, and she shifted from foot to foot.

“Ravishing,” I murmured to her, and she bowed her head to me. I hooked my finger under her chin and lifted her face to mine as I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Absolutely ravishing.”

Carmedy didn’t have time to reply as the door next to ours burst open as someone kicked it forcefully, and all we saw was a blur of green fabric and a heavy black boot underneath.

“I told you I could do it!” Rana’s cackling voice reached our ears as her boot planted itself outside the door as she stood in the now-open doorway, arms held tightly to her waist in a fighting stance. “Man, if all of my fighting gear was as easy to move in as this dress, I’d never take it off.”

I raised my eyebrows as the redhead moved through a series of fighting moves and jabbed out at the doorframe. I blinked rapidly, and Carmedy tensed beside me as Rana’s punches impacted part of the doorframe. The veneer splintered from the blows and exposed the lighter wood within. Rana’s hands froze as her blue eyes met mine.

I looked pointedly from her to the damaged doorframe. The fox hastily straightened and held her arms to her side as she blushed profusely and turned from my gaze. I crossed to her as the petite feline scurried to keep up with me from behind and pursed my lips as I surveyed both the splintered doorframe and the culprit behind the damage.

“Though I am glad that you like the dress and that you’ve been practicing your combat moves, please refrain from damaging the inn. You seem to forget that I am the one who has to pay for the damage,” I scolded her, and the redhead lowered her head to me in shame. After a moment of scowling, I shifted my expression to a smile. “But I will say, that final hit that splintered the wood was quite impressive. I’d like to see it in real combat.”

Rana raised her head and smiled as she relaxed under my praise. The redhead giggled then did a spin as she showed off her dress to me as if I hadn’t seen it yesterday. Like Carmedy, Rana looked as stunning as ever, and my heart beat a little faster looking down at her. Her unruly curls had been brushed through, and some type of product had been combined through it to tame them and loosen the tight spirals. The fiery waves hung over one shoulder, and I reached out and tucked a stray spiral that came loose while she hit the door. The fox flushed even redder and glanced into the room where I knew Morrigan and Annalise waited.

My breath caught as the elven woman came forward, and her entire body rolled underneath the tight scarlet dress. Her snow-white hair, like Carmedy’s, had been pinned up into a swirling mass on the top of her head. Long wisps of her hair hung down by the sides of her face, and her colorless lips had been painted blood-red to match the color of her dress. At this moment, Morrigan had an entirely different air about her than usual, she looked dangerous and sexy as she snaked over to us. Her dark eyes flicked to the broken doorframe then back to me as a sly smile spread over her lips.

“I may be able to help with the door.” The elf smiled as she came closer. “I’ve been working on something in private that I wanted to show you, Master.”

I gestured for her to continue.

Morrigan raised her hands to the broken wood and closed her eyes as she took a deep inhale, then she clenched her fists. The strange green fire surged forward from her elbows, down her arms and converged into her palms. The elf’s breathing was even as her hands snapped open and the emerald fire moved over the wood. I watched enraptured as the wood was hit with an unseen force like earlier when Rana had chopped at it, but this time, instead of breaking even more, the wood knit back together. Time slowed in the space where Morrigan held her hands, and a few more times, the air rippled as the wood wove itself back together then stayed as it had before Rana had even touched it.

I stared at Morrigan in surprise, then my lips turned up in a smile as I reached out and placed a warm hand at the base of her neck. The elven woman’s hands fell away from the restored doorframe and turned to me with a pleased smirk.

“Time manipulation?” I raised my eyebrows in wonder as I looked down at the elf. “When did you learn that?”

“I’ve known how to do it for a long time, it was one of the first things the Holy Band of Mages taught me,” the elf admitted softly then raised her face to me, “but I was never able to do it. My power wasn’t strong enough. I’ve been practicing on things that I’ve found broken or damaged around our camp at night, mostly the result of Rana’s quick temper or impatience or Carmedy’s sheer clumsiness. At first, it was small things, and it would exhaust me, but now that I’ve mastered it, the process of summoning it doesn’t take as much energy as before.”

“You are, if I could put it into one word, my dear, amazing,” I praised her. The elf bowed her head to me, her cheeks reddening to the same shade as her dress. “I only wish you had shown me or asked me to help train you.”

“W-well,” the usually well-spoken elf stammered as she looked away from me shyly, “I-I wanted to surprise you with it, Master.”

I tried to hide the smile that came to my lips but was overjoyed at her words. Then I pulled Morrigan to my chest in one swift movement. The elf gasped loudly at the sudden movement, but once she realized what was happening, she quieted and snuggled into my embrace.

“That was so cool, elfy!” Rana shouted as she came closer to examine the fixed doorframe and ran her paw over the space that she’d snapped just moments prior.

“Can you only use it on inanimate objects? Or do you think you could use it on us too, like if we broke a bone or got cut or something?” Carmedy asked as she grabbed the elf’s pale hands and examined them as if the lines in Morrigan’s palms would tell her more.

“I haven’t tried it out on anyone yet, but that is the primary purpose of this type of magic,” Morrigan informed us, and I nodded along. I’d heard of healers who used a specific kind of white magic to cure all types of injuries but had never encountered one before. “My hope is that one day, if the need arises, I am able to heal you if something happens that your medical knowledge cannot solve, Carmedy.”

“Very astute, my love,” I whispered into her ear as I leaned close then planted a tender kiss to her neck, and her pale flesh rippled with shivers under my loving touch.

We were broken out of the moment as loud bells chimed all around the city and spread the ‘joyous’ news that Baudouin and his bride were now married. I turned to my minions, all of them but Annalise dressed and ready for the ball that was rapidly approaching. The High Queen turned and glanced at the clock on the wall then headed for the door as she spoke over her shoulder to us.

“I have to go,” the swordswoman said to us. “Usagi said I had to be downstairs at four to leave for the palace with the rest of the servers.”

I took a moment to take in her new appearance. My first wife wore a starched high collared buttoned shirt, a black vest over it that buttoned just below her breasts and tight-fitting black pants tucked into her heavy boots. Her features changed from the potion I assumed Carmedy had given her just before I came in, but as she turned, she placed a plain black mask over her eyes and nose. The blonde hair that came with the transformation had been pulled into the long braid that Tamarisch tradition dictated. Her changed eyes met mine, and she gave me a shaky smile. I could sense that the High Queen was disappointed that she couldn’t join in on our merriment, but we’d be reunited with her later in the night at the ball.

I turned to my other minions as Annalise exited and scurried down the stairs, but my women were busy grabbing their things. Rana rushed to her pile of everyday clothes and rifled through them feverishly as she searched for something. Finally, she pulled out the rolled leather pack that held her elven daggers, and she deftly flipped it open and stared down at the silver weapons. The redhead bent down in one swift moment and hiked up her forest green dress. I raised my eyebrows in surprised to see thick straps of leather tied around her thighs, and she picked up four of the daggers and slid them into place under the leather. Her baby-blue eyes met mine, and she gave me a winning smile as she slapped the toned muscle of her leg with a cackling laugh.

“Always be prepared, that’s my motto,” Rana said with an evil grin as she pulled her skirts back down.

“Don’t believe her for a minute, Master,” Morrigan whispered as she passed me elegantly. “She stole that motto from an advertisement for a boy’s club when we passed through Freznia a couple of months before we met you.”

“I thought your motto was, ‘Never put off till tomorrow what you can avoid altogether,’” Carmedy quipped as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. The fox’s face fell, and she glowered over at the cat.

“Now you’re just making me sound lazy,” Rana grumbled under her breath.

Morrigan turned to look over her shoulder at the redhead and flashed a rare, genuine smile. “You have said that on multiple occasions, especially when we first met and camped out together and it was your turn to do the dishes.”

“I hate to say it, Rana,” I stated in a serious voice, a difficult feat with the smile that threatened to appear on my lips. “You do skip out on doing the dishes or cleaning up your messes.”

Rana’s mouth fell open in shock then snapped shut as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Not you too, Master! I can’t believe you--”

The redhead was cut off by the sound of a soft ringing bell downstairs, a signal to all the guests that the doors to the ball were opening, and if they were going, they should leave now to get inside the packed palace. I nodded to my minions as Carmedy grabbed her small bundles and stuffed them into the pockets of her dress. Surprisingly, the small packets and bundles didn’t stand out against the taut fabric of the dress, and when she turned, she reached out a hand to me. I took her hand, then Rana and Morrigan’s in my other hand before we headed out into the early evening towards the palace and Baudouin.

Though the city of Tintagal was large and sprawled out to the towering walls, it didn’t take us very long to reach the palace and the procession of lively citizens waiting to go into the Lord’s home. As we stood together, I took in all of the palace and the vivid green and silver adornments on every surface. Baudouin’s castle was very beautiful, and I noted the masterful archways as we moved with the crowd towards the massive double doors and the golden light of the inside of the palace. I’d take this castle from him soon, and the flags and colors would be replaced then with the colors of Tamarisch.

Every person around us wore beautiful dresses, and some of them I could even pick out as Jolie’s handiwork. I turned and looked behind us, and for a moment, I thought I spied the seamstress and her apprentice in the lines of citizens, but their faces were quickly swallowed and pushed away so quickly that I couldn’t be sure I had seen them at all.

I looked to my three minions, and they were perfectly calm as we stepped up the long stairs that led up into the palace. I’d molded and trained them into perfect warriors, and this was as easy as stepping into another dungeon like we had done many times before. Once inside, servants and butlers ushered us forward and directed us with their arms towards another open door right ahead of us.

My minions walked with me, and I smugly smiled to myself as multiple male gazes followed after my ethereal women. Each of my minions wore a mask, and each one fit their personalities perfectly. To my left, Morrigan held loosely to my hand, and the mask placed over her delicate pale features was shaped into that of a raven, a twin to the two birds perched on her thin shoulders. The beak of her mask came down into a point below her chin and looked sharp enough to cut with. Her nearly black eyes peered out of the eye holes like an endless depth of darkness, and I could see multiple guests shift away from her gaze intimidated.

Carmedy stood to my right, and like Morrigan, held loosely to my hand as I guided my women through the crowd. The feline’s mask was full and covered the entirety of her face except for her lips and the exposed emerald glint of her eyes. Her mask reminded me of the painted dolls we’d seen carried by children in the street or shop windows, but the paint that Camille had used on the mask looked cracked and splintered over the surface to give it a used look. The fluttering feathers that sprouted from the top of the mask mimicked the same colors that shifted in her dress as she moved. Intricate designs ran over the cracked paint, and sparkling jewels glittered as the edges of the mask as she turned her head to look at me.

Rana took up the back as she followed up, but she kept close behind me. Her mask almost looked like carved wood, and long pointed antlers sprouted upward from the forehead like a deer’s. Small cherry blossoms and vines wrapped around the horns, and her bright red ears twitched above the mask as she listened intently to the sounds all around us. The mask went along nicely with her forest green dress, and she looked as if she was a forest spirit given mortal form as her paws held tightly to the folds of her dress. Just as I did, the fox’s alert eyes shifted quickly to examine each person we passed.

Lively music blasted out from the open doors and from where we walked, I could see people dancing inside already. Though we were here for one reason only, I could feel Carmedy’s bubbling excitement from beside me as we stepped through the huge doorway and into the party. I moved my eyes over the crowd and spied a familiar face through the mass of people as she walked deftly through the crowd with a tray of sparkling drinks. Annalise’s eyes caught mine, and instead of speaking, she gave me a slight bow without toppling any of the glasses on her tray. Her eyes stayed on me for a long while and took in my dashing appearance. I wished more than anything she could be with us, but we all knew if she had been, everyone here including Baudouin would recognize the High Queen immediately.

We couldn’t risk that.

The swordswoman turned, and I noticed that she had a scabbard strapped to her waist, much like the rest of the other servers. I assumed it was part of their given costume, but as she moved away from us, I saw the flash of emerald at her hip and knew that Bloodscale sat in that sheath, not whatever fake blade the servants were given. I felt a bit better knowing that she would be able to protect herself if someone were to recognize her. I knew she could handle herself on her own, but I still worried about my strong-willed minion. When I had first met her, she had been impulsive and hadn’t thought anything through before she acted. I’d worked with her, and she’d improved, but there was no telling what could happen in this strange place, especially with Baudouin sneaking around somewhere.

The orchestra played a lively song that I didn’t recognize, but Carmedy’s face split into an excited smile. She tugged my arm towards the floor where the rest of the party-goers danced.

“Come on, Master!” the feline called, and from the other side of me, both Morrigan and Rana pushed me onto the dancefloor. “Dance with us!”

I moved my head to take in the other revelers as they danced around us. I didn’t recognize any of the moves they did, so when I turned back to the petite alchemist with her pleading eyes, I didn’t know how to answer or tell her that I hadn’t danced with anyone in thousands of years. It seemed that Morrigan was the only one who caught on to my hesitation though.

“We can teach you,” the elven woman whispered softly in my ear. I smiled to her gratefully as I finally let the feline pull me out to the middle of the dance floor.

“I know how to waltz, and the last modern dance I learned in the heavens was the contra dance, but none of this is familiar to me,” I admitted to all of them.

“Lucky for you, times haven’t changed much in the ways of dancing and this a mix of both of those!” Carmedy grinned up at me as the people whirled around us. “Just watch for a moment, this is one of the easiest ones I’ve seen, but Canarta has a whole bunch of much harder dances that I can teach you! I know Haruhi would be impressed if she saw you dancing one of our native dances.”

I looked down at her out of the corner of my eye, and the feline looked back up at me with red cheeks and a knowing smirk. I moved my eyes over the dancers as I took in their movements and attempted to memorize them before my minions thrust me out onto the floor. The groups of people moved together, took three fluid steps forward, then turned together in groups of four, found a partner, placed their palms together and swung twice. The dancers moved again, split apart in a line, took three more steps forward and repeated the movement of finding a partner until they reached the end of the dance floor. The performers turned in a straight line towards the opposite direction and turned each time to dance with a different partner. It looked easy enough, and I nodded to my women once as I saw an opening for us to join.

Carmedy and Rana swooped into the dance with relish as all of us took three fluid steps forward, our hands outstretched at our sides and the backs of both the feline’s and the fox’s paws in my palms. Morrigan stepped beside Rana on my left, and when it came time to pair off, they were in my first group of four. Carmedy was the first to touch palms to mine, and we smiled at each other as we turned. The music quickened, and my heartbeat followed with it as we dove back into the line and stepped thrice. The dance moved onward, and I soon noticed that despite the reason we were here, I enjoyed dancing with my three gorgeous minions as they swirled around me, each with a different partner. The dance was nearly finished as my last partner touched my hand to hers, and I stared down into the strange eyes I’d seen a few days prior.

My suspicions were accurate as I stared at Camille. The tailor’s apprentice wore a mask made from lace, and I was able to see all of her features through it. Before at the shop, she’d looked plain and uninteresting, but the bizarre eyes had changed. Instead of the gray with hints of violet and amethyst, they were now entirely a mix of the two shades as her eyes bore into mine. Her face had changed behind her mask as well, and she looked beautiful now. Ethereal and otherworldly even…

Camille wore a tight-fitting dress similar to Carmedy’s but in a light peach color. Her frizzy and tangled hair from before was gone and instead the dark locks cascaded down her front in waves of auburn. Camille turned her head, and I squinted down at her as I concentrated on the strange aura floating around her. My eyes widened then narrowed on her face as she moved her strange violet eyes over the crowd. It’d been difficult to pick out, and if I hadn’t come into direct contact, I wouldn’t have noticed but at this moment, I felt the godly beating of her power though it was much weaker than any other we’d encountered.

“Not a god but not a human either,” I murmured to her, and her violet eyes narrowed on my face as we moved together. “You must be a demi-god then, poor thing.”

“Better to be a demi-god and still be allowed in the heavens than be a god cast out of the heavens,” Camille answered in a low, alluring voice as her dark eyes moved over my whole ensemble. A vicious smile spread over her beautiful face as she tilted her head to me. “But I wouldn’t know, why don’t you tell me?”

“Why are you here then?” I asked as we turned away from each other. She looked away through the crowd, and my eyes followed hers. “I thought the gods detested demi-gods more than humans.”

“That may be true, but we’re still useful to them… apparently. I shouldn’t even be speaking to you but…” Camille shrugged her shoulders lazily as we stepped together three times. “As you said, I am of no worth to the gods. Why should I give a fuck what they want?”

“What do they want from you?” I inquired through a smile as Camille went against the dance to snub a man who held out his hand to her. Instead, she gripped harder onto my own, determined to stay and speak with me only.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Camille snarked as we turned together in the dance and I glared down at her. That broke her smug smile, and she sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Gods cannot detect the powers of demi-gods like they can with other gods. Who better to spy on them right under their noses?”

“So, you’ve been watching me, have you?” I chided through a smirk as we spun together once more.

“Your arrogance is astounding,” Camille purred to me through pursed lips as she reached up and stroked the mask she’d created and given me.

No one spoke to me in such a tone, not even my minions when they were upset, and it surprised me for a moment. A split-second later though, I could only chuckle darkly at her impropriety. Camille was so small, even if she attempted to strike out at me, I’d defeat her in an instant.

“Not only you but a few others,” she added. “I’m sure you’ve heard, but the Sanctum is now open, and a few of your friends managed to scurry out before the gods could close the gates again.”

“Ruituri, Bellum, and Domor, correct?” I questioned as we both stopped at the edge of the dance floor and the rest of the group moved on without us.

“Ding, ding, ding, you get the prize,” Camille whispered in an alluring tone, and I gazed down at her in amusement. “But it seems your little Canartian kitty-cat was unable to find the final name for you. So sad.”

“It doesn’t really matter to me what their names are,” I stated as I broke my eyes away from her and gazed out at the rest of the party. Camille shifted angrily on her feet and tugged at my sleeve to get my attention once more. “What else do you want from me then?”

“I may be a spy, but I am here with a warning,” Camille uttered in a firm voice as she stood as tall as she could with her short stature. Each word that rolled off her tongue came with a certain feeling of finality that I didn’t expect from the petite demi-god. “Tuzakeur will fall. The Holy Band of Mages will fall. I don’t need to speak these things, they are something you already know. The heavens, Kazama, they are watching though, and they will not bend at the knee for you as easily as these others will.”

“So you say, but look at the countries and gods that have fallen to my power. Do you really think it’ll be hard for me to rip the heavens down from its golden pedestals?” I questioned through a deep chuckle.

Camille only raised her eyebrows, puckered her lips, and shrugged nonchalantly.

“I gave you a warning, it is your choice to follow it or not.” The small demi-god sighed in annoyance as her violet eyes moved from mine and scanned the room. “I won’t be there to witness it if something in your plan goes awry.”

“It won’t,” I growled as I gripped onto her bare shoulder.

“Don’t be so sure.” Camille snarled as her purple eyes rolled up to my face in irritation. Right as I was about to speak once more, a loud voice from above tore my attention away from the short woman.

Camille and I both looked up to the balcony, and I got my first look at the man named Baudouin. The Lord stood next to a woman dressed all in white, and I was quick to deduce that this was his fated bride. Even from far away, I could see the fear in her tearful eyes. Baudouin smiled widely down at his guests as he called once more and clapped his hands vigorously for our attention.

Lord Baudouin wasn’t what I expected when Annalise and her brothers spoke about him. In fact, I’d imagined him as a tiny, fat weasel of a man, but I was quite wrong. The Lord was tall, not as tall as me, but above average. His sweeping blonde hair came to his shoulders and shone as he talked animatedly to the crowd. He was handsome, as a lord should be, but his eyes told a different story as they swept through the crowd and eyed some of the more beautiful female guests. His bride wasn’t even dead yet, and he was already scanning the crowd for his next victim.

“Good evening, lords and ladies, citizens and travelers alike!” Baudouin shouted down to us, and I glared up at his shining face as he smiled wolfishly down into the crowd. “It’s wonderful to see all your familiar and unfamiliar faces in my humble home. My bride and I would like to thank you for coming to celebrate not only our wedding but also the union of Tintagal and Delarian territories since… well, my last bride decided to run off to who knows where and never return! Good riddance, I say! We push out the old and usher in the new!”

The stab at Annalise and Tamarisch was swift, but I did not miss it. My gaze intensified on the Tintagal bastard as he went on to babble on about the unity of their countries and the good that would come from it. Once the lord finished, he stood on the balcony with his frightened bride and moved his eyes through the crowd once more.

Suddenly, Baudouin’s head turned, and for a second, I thought his eyes were on me, but I turned and saw that Camille was staring intently into the Lord’s eyes instead. In a flash, Camille’s eyes moved from their intense connection with Baudouin and flitted to me. I realized what she did in that moment, she’d given Baudouin a silent warning about my presence. Lord Baudouin’s face hardened, and his jaw set as he gripped onto his bride’s hand and pulled her away into the shadows. I knew it was time to break away from the merriment of the party and go after the Lord like we’d planned as I turned and glared down at Camille. She didn’t look at me as she smirked hatefully.

“Clever, working for more than the gods, are you?” I snarled as I reached out for her, but the demi-god phased in and out of existence as she leveled her violet eyes on mine.

“I’m a spy. My loyalty lies with no man or god. I have no friends nor any allies, only enemies. Kazama, I thought you would’ve learned that lesson already.” Camille laughed haughtily and then, with a loud crack, the demi-god was gone, but her giggling voice remained as it echoed in my head. “You better run, or that little bride is going to lose more than just her virginity by the end of this gloriously horrendous night.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

I reached out with Nergal’s power and called my minions to my side through their minds. All of my women came to me in an instant, and I looked down into their eager faces sternly. My eyes fell on Morrigan then to the two black ravens on her shoulders. The birds turned their beady eyes to me as they tilted their heads in unison. I smiled to them as I formulated a plan and the ravens squawked uneasily under my eye.

“Morrigan,” I uttered sternly, and the elf raised her eyebrows to me. “Send Fea and Macha after Baudouin. We’ll follow along after them once they make sure that the coast is clear.”

The white-haired elf didn’t even have to speak before Fea and Macha lifted into the air as the crowd gasped.

As the black birds moved in slow circles around the ceiling, I could sense something different about them, and when they turned their heads to look down at us, I saw that their beady black eyes were now glowing scarlet as they searched out Baudouin and his frightened bride. After a moment, both Fea and Macha cawed loudly then swooped down through an open doorway just below the balcony Baudouin and his bride had just been standing on.

I didn’t speak. I only looked to each of my women, and they knew what I needed them to do. We took off together through the startled crowd, and I was the first through the doorway.

Fea and Macha swooped along the red-carpeted hall, and we followed along behind them. Each time the birds went around a blind corner, my women and I stopped and waited, but there were hardly any soldiers or guards in this area of the palace. I didn’t have to guess as to the reason why as the hall we ran down suddenly slopped downward then led to a spiral staircase. There was only one place that this staircase could lead us to, and it was the place I’d already assumed we were going, down to the pools where he dragged all of his women in the end.

My minions glanced at me warily, but I plunged forward without looking back as I listened to Baudouin’s heartbeat. I didn’t need Fea and Macha’s help anymore. I could hear the pounding of the Lord's heart loud in my ears. We were close as we came off the staircase, and I held up a hand to slow them in the depths of the stone cave.

I didn’t want to reveal ourselves to him yet as I took in the lay of this chamber around us. Like Annalise had said before, Baudouin’s palace was built on a series of cliffs, and Morrigan later had described the Rusalka’s bodies thrown in pools underneath the castle. My jaw tightened, and my eyes narrowed on the path ahead of us as I found it was all here. The pools, the cliffs, and even Baudouin running away with his newest bride. All the clues and pieces were snapping together with reckless abandon.

My minions and I pressed ourselves against the moist stone wall as Lord Baudouin’s voice reached our ears as he spoke loudly to his bride, but the terrified woman didn’t talk back to her new husband. I slowly leaned out from our cover to watch.

The room beyond the hall we hid in was huge, and part of the far wall opened up to reveal the dark blue water of the Riese River and the reflection of the full moon against the rippling surface. The room was dim, barely lit from a few flickering torches pressed into the stone, and I watched as Baudouin dragged his new bride closer to the water. His blonde hair, which had been slicked back earlier, was now messy and fell in his eyes as he pushed the new bride away from him. The poor woman stumbled and nearly fell into the dark water as Baudouin began to pace and mumble to himself as he ran his hands through his messy hair.

Annalise stiffened from beside me. I glanced over at her and saw that Carmedy’s potion had worn off, her stunning face back to normal. The High Queen’s hands trembled as she reached for Bloodscale at her hip and gripped onto the hilt with determination. My warrior queen pulled the sword from its scabbard silently and held it at the ready as she peeked around the corner towards Baudouin and the woman in white.

Just as quietly, Carmedy pulled the bundles from her pockets and began to mix them with her eyes trained around the corner silently. Rana was the only one who made soft noises as she bent and lifted her skirt to draw her daggers, but the sound was masked underneath the calm waves of the Riese as it hit the far rocks. The redhead had one in each hand and a third placed savagely between her teeth.

Morrigan was the only one who didn’t have a physical weapon beside me, but she lifted her delicate pale hands into the air, and green light flickered from her palm silently as we prepared to attack Baudouin.

“I know you have burning questions for me. Why don’t you ask?” Baudouin’s assured and confident voice reached our ears as he circled his bride, and the poor woman watched him with cautious eyes.

“W-what are we doing down here, m-my love?” his bride stammered as she attempted to give him a smile and Baudouin’s laughter echoed around the caves as his head rocked backward on his shoulders.

“You don’t have to pretend down here,” Baudouin stated as his golden eyes moved over the woman. “You don’t have to keep up the act, Ines. I don’t love you, and you surely don’t love me. There is no need to pretend anymore or keep up the boring façade.”

As Baudouin came around the woman and faced her back, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small dagger. The lord held it up to the light and examined the silver blade as it reflected the light of the moon. My minions tensed beside me, and Annalise slipped her hand into mine as Baudouin stepped forward. In one swift movement, Baudouin slashed out at the back of Ines’ wedding dress, and she gasped loudly as she attempted to hold on to the ruined fabric.

I held my breath as I glared at him, but it wasn’t proof enough yet. I could tell that my minions were getting antsy. They didn’t want to watch any more of this, especially with how things were going as Baudouin stepped around Ines. The lord slashed out at the wedding dress that barely clung to his new bride's body, and Ines cried out in fear as she turned and attempted to run towards the hall where we hid from sight. My women and I quickly pulled back to avoid being seen, but I kept my eye on Baudouin as the lord swept out his foot and tripped Ines.

“Master…” Carmedy whimpered with wide eyes as Baudouin slid closer to the cowering Ines and held the knife up.

I raised a hand to silence the feline as Ines’ eyes fell on the glittering knife, and she struggled to scoot away on the wet stone. Baudouin fell on her, and I half expected him to kill her then, but the Lord spoke in an assured tone of a man who always got what he wanted. I was waiting for something… or more specifically a group of someones, people who needed to be here for their proper justice more than us. Besides, I was confident that I could stop the madman if he went for a fatal blow before their arrival.

“Is this what you wanted?” Baudouin snarled as he held the knife to her throat with just enough pressure so that a single drop of blood welled up on her pale flesh. “You wanted to be the Lady of Tintagal, and you were so desperate to have the title that you didn’t even take the time to get to know me. I’m not a gracious and loving man. I’m your husband, and I can do whatever I want with you.”

“Please… stop…” Ines whispered as she stared up into Baudouin’s flushed face, but the lord only smiled wickedly as he used the tip of the blade to widen the nick at the flesh of her neck. Small droplets of blood swelled and dribbled down her throat as Baudouin stared down at her with his heated golden eyes.

“Why would you say such a thing?” Baudouin whispered as he drew back in mock surprise. “You and your parents practically forced me into this arranged marriage. Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m here with you now? Think of this… as our honeymoon suite. It may be a dank cave with some pools, but this is where something truly romantic happens.”

Annalise shifted beside me uncomfortably as she tugged on my sleeve, and I glanced down at her, but her chocolate eyes stayed hard on Baudouin’s looming form over Ines. “Master, please.”

I turned my eyes back to the two people around the corner and then I saw what I was looking for, the sign of Baudouin’s comeuppance. In the dark, undulating water of the Riese, a small translucent head bobbed up to the surface. The face was small and childlike, but the features were unforgettable from when we’d seen her on the ship towards Machstein. It was the very same Rusalka we’d encountered before, and her dark, hateful eyes were trained straight on Baudouin as he moved the knife back towards Ines’ neck. Suddenly, more translucent, ghostly heads rose from the water, and I counted twenty in total. Some of them stared, their faces hard with rage while others looked mournfully on.

I turned back towards my minions and saw Morrigan’s face in the shadows for the first time since coming down to the caves. Her colorless lips pressed into a hard line, and her dark eyes were wholly black as they concentrated down on Baudouin. Her gaze snapped to me as her delicate hands fluttered down to her lower stomach. They rested there and pressed into the dress just below her belly button, and I remembered what the elf had said to me while on the island of Machstein.

Now was the time to end this sick farce and see vengeance served. There were at least twenty Rusalka in the water, maybe more, as I stepped out into the open before Baudouin could hurt his poor victim anymore.

My power moved around me in a tidal wave and washed over Baudouin. The lord didn’t seem to notice us at first as my minions fanned out around me, but with a backhanded wave of my hand, the lord’s dagger flung away into the dark water of the Riese. The Rusalka converged on the spot where the dagger sunk down into the depths of the water. I couldn’t understand the words they spoke, but the high-pitched shrieks and cries we’d heard before on the ship exploded up from their throats. Baudouin’s eyes widened as he realized what was going on, and his head snapped up to lock eyes with me.

Before he could react further, Carmedy stepped out from behind me with her slingshot raised. The lord rose to his full height as the alchemist let fly, and he dodged out of the way of the flying bundle right as it landed. No doubt he thought himself quick and clever, but he didn’t know what I did, that the golden slingshot could never miss. Beside me, Carmedy laughed darkly to herself as her shot hit exactly where she wished.

The bundle landed with a soft plop then sizzled once. It didn’t explode like most of her others, but instead, the loosely tied ends of the bundle broke open, and noxious plum colored smoke belched out. The billowing and churning smoke swallowed both Ines and Baudouin, but with my perfect eyesight, I could still make out both of their shapes. I motioned Morrigan forward with a wave of my hand, and the elven woman dove into the dark smoke with her eyes wholly black.

“Get Ines to safety,” I instructed Morrigan in her mind, and a mental affirmative was her response.

The elf moved swiftly, knelt beside the poor discarded bride, and helped Ines to her feet. Morrigan helped Ines forward, and soon, both women stumbled out of the smoke. Ines coughed heartily as the elf moved her to rest against the wall, as I stepped forward into the smoke, my eyes locked on the struggling, coughing form of Baudouin. Rana and Annalise snuck into the smoke beside me as we circled the lord. The two women spread out around him as I came at the lord head-on, all of us eager for a piece of the murderous monster before us.

Rana jabbed out with her dagger as he threatened to slip away, and Baudouin staggered to the side as he cried out in pain. Baudouin grabbed onto his left forearm where the fox’s blade had pierced him, and as he turned to flee, Bloodscale came down and severed the right arm from the shoulder. Baudouin’s body spasmed with waves of pain as his head fell back, and he screamed loudly.

I pulled my power to me as I outstretched my hands in front of me then whipped them out to my sides. The plum smoke Carmedy created billowed away with the force of my power and left Baudouin perfectly exposed to all of us. Rana and Annalise joined me at my side, tensed and ready to strike. The fox held her daggers tightly in her paws, and the High Queen held her sword at the ready over her shoulder.

Baudouin’s eyes flitted to Rana then landed on Annalise. The lord stared at her in horror for a few moments, but the swordswoman only gave him a wicked smile and raised a single eyebrow.

“What have I done to deserve not only a visit from the High Queen but also the High King?” Baudouin chuckled through teeth clenched in agony, but from the wild look in his eyes, I could tell he was faking calmness as I closed the distance between us.

Blood spilled down his pristine white suit from his wounds, but he attempted to keep his face smooth as he stared intensely into my eyes from behind the mask. The Lord took a step back as I neared, and the back of his boot met nothing but open air over the lip of the pool. Baudouin’s eyes widened as he stared at me, and he waved his single arm into the air as he tried to catch his balance. I glared at him as my arm stabbed out and I grabbed him by the front of his snow-white and gold suit. His eyes bored into mine, but then his expression broke, and he gave me a shaky smile.

“Why don’t we strike up a deal?” Baudouin chuckled nervously, and I moved my eyes behind him to the dark, churning water.

The Rusalka pressed together in the water, and their glassy eyes stared up at Baudouin’s back as I held him out just above the surface. Their cries and squeals heightened in sound, peaked as every drop of his blood splashed into the river, and their voices echoed around the cave.

“What kind of deal?” I asked back in a booming voice as I kept my expression severe and emotionless.

“H-how about I hand over my kingdom, and, uh, you let me live?” Baudouin begged as I stared deeply into his honey gold eyes. “You can even have Ines. Take whatever you want, I don’t need her nor did I really want her. You can have all of Tintagal if you just let me go.”

I tightened my grip on the front of his shirt and lifted him higher as I glared at him. Baudouin gasped loudly, and I glanced down at the water just below his hanging boots. So many faces stared back at me, but they weren’t focused on Baudouin, they were focused in on me. The Rusalka were intelligent, cunning, and knew exactly what was going on. They wanted me to drop him in the water, to give him to the water just as he had done with them long ago.

I looked deeply into their eyes and could feel their pain for a moment just as Morrigan had back on the ship to Machstein. I felt their sadness and pain wash over me and almost take over my whole being. Their eyes reminded me of Morrigan’s for a moment, and I stared deep into the vast empty black space behind their irises. After that long moment of communion, I lifted my eyes from theirs and looked into Baudouin’s tense face. His blood flowed from his massive wound and dribbled into the water below his feet, but his golden eyes looked composed. Some of his blood even spilled onto the face of the Rusalka, but they didn’t wipe it away, only stared upward with a mixture of sadness and rage up at the both of us.

I rarely spared anyone from my wrath, but Baudouin’s life wasn’t mine to take. I lifted my eyes to his and smiled. The lord looked relieved as he believed that I accepted his deal and set him down directly on the edge of the pool. I could feel my minion’s tension, they didn’t like what was happening or the fact that I was cooperating with Baudouin, but they would learn soon what I’d intended and planned to do with him.

“Tintagal is mine, and now part of Tamarisch?” I asked in a gruff voice as I stared down at the man much shorter than my avatar.

“Yes, Tintagal is now part of Tamarisch's territories,” Baudouin admitted as he swayed back and forth on his feet.

“Did you hear that, Ines?” I asked over my shoulder as I took a quick peek at her. The blonde nodded once as she clung to Carmedy for support.

“Why do you care if Ines heard?” Baudouin cried through gritted teeth as he clamped a hand down over his stump of a bloody shoulder.

“Ines is our witness,” I said through a smile as I rested my gaze heavily on Baudouin. “She’ll be the one to tell the people of Tintagal how the Lord Baudouin passed down his kingdom to me before he died.”

“We made a deal!” Baudouin cried as his golden eyes pulsed in their sockets, and I tilted my head to him. “You’d let me live if I gave you Tintagal!”

“Of course, I agreed to let you live,” I snarled through a wide grin and glanced over his shoulder towards the waiting Rusalka. The translucent women dipped around the surface but kept their hard eyes on Baudouin as they waited to see what I would do with him. “But that doesn’t mean that they will.”

Baudouin’s hand clamped down on mine, but I only shook my head as I gave him a forceful push backward. He tried to latch onto me, but right as he reached for me, I took a quick step backward. The Rusalka lurched backward as Baudouin fell back, but as soon as his body made contact with the water, they leaped forward with their lips pulled back against their razor-sharp teeth. Baudouin screamed as his body bobbed to the surface, and he scrambled for the pool’s edge, but the Rusalka drug him back into the river as they sunk their teeth into his flesh and ripped him to shreds.

My minions came around me, and we watched disdainfully as the deep blue water undulated and thrashed with the lord’s dying struggles. More and more Rusalka dove into the fray, eager to consume some of Baudouin’s flesh for themselves. My minions and I watched the water together as Ines pressed herself against the far wall and slipped her eyes closed as she breathed heavily. Soon, the water only rippled and shook from the movement below the surface then it evened out just as suddenly.

No more Rusalka or any sign of Baudouin broke the surface.

I stared down at the water, astonished. It was a strange feeling, the cumulation of all one’s efforts peaking at a point. We’d traveled across the Riese, landed on Machstein, ripped through the dungeons there then continued on to Tintagal. We’d battled against not only the Tintagal soldiers but an old friend of mine in the heavens. Weeks and months spent fighting to get to this very moment, and within minutes, it was all over. All of that had led up to this moment as Baudouin’s picked clean skeleton drifted down to the bottom of the pools and would rest there for all of eternity.

Fea and Macha cawed loudly as the water at our feet split open a hair, and a single soul undulated up into the open air. Silently, the birds took flight and picked at it until it was gone. Carmedy sighed loudly, and all of our attention turned to her as her silky black ears fell to the sides of her head sadly.

“What’s wrong, pussycat?” Rana asked as she reached out and ruffled the feline’s still pinned back hair.

“I just… I just hoped that the Rusalka would be released… or something since Baudouin is dead…” The petite alchemist sighed as she rubbed her elbow and kept her emerald eyes downcast towards the pool.

“They’ll be released, eventually, right?” Annalise questioned as she reached out and lifted Carmedy’s chin.

“Annalise is correct, though they will not be released until they pass the date they would’ve died in their natural life,” Morrigan told us.

I nodded to her solemnly, though I could tell that wasn’t what Carmedy wanted to be told at this moment. Before I could say more, the deep blue water began to roil once more like the water was coming to life before our eyes. One by one, the Rusalka came to the surface, and their dark eyes met mine in the silence of the cave. The surrounding water began to darken even more than before and sparkle like the night’s sky. The Riese rolled and swelled, and I watched as the Rusalka faded in and out of view for a few seconds, then just as suddenly, they sank back down into the water. Loud pops reached my ears. Each of those pops churned the water more as I leaned forward to get a closer look. Right as I looked into the water, soul orbs rose from the river and collected around the ceiling of the chamber like bubbles.

I glanced over at Carmedy and saw that even as the feline sniffled and dabbed at her eyes, she smiled all the same.

Morrigan stepped forward as Fea and Macha landed back on her shoulders. The elf’s eyes widened for a moment as she watched the spheres collide and come closer to her in particular. I stepped to her side and, in one swift movement, lifted her left hand that held the soul stone in her wedding ring. I stared down at its milky white surface and remembered back on the night I had stood in the cold darkness of the Tamarisch battlefield and pooled all the soldier’s souls together to create the soul stone for Morrigan. I stroked the stone with the back of my thumb then lifted my eyes to my white-haired wife.

Morrigan looked at me in confusion, but I gave her a knowing smile as all the orbs rushed forward and combined into one large soul orb. I reached out over the water for it and listened to the soft voices that rose from it as it came closer. The combined souls of the Rusalka were milky white like the soul stone encased in Morrigan’s wedding ring, and I held out the small orb to the elven woman.

My white-haired lover took the combined essences tentatively and, with unsure hands, held it out over the ring. Bright light streamed from the soul orb as all of the Rusalkas’ spirits were pulled into the soul stone I had given to my second wife. We hadn’t used the soul stone yet, but with the added souls inside, it would only make the power to detect lies even more powerful.

I looked to Annalise but her back was turned to me as she knelt beside the cool water of the pool. I crossed to her but the High Queen barely raised her head to me as we listened to the soft movement of the Riese. Annalise’s supple lips pressed into a tight line as her dark chocolate brown eyes moved over the confines of the pools and the stone room much like the nexus of the Tichádáma. We were silent as she knelt beside me, but I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and let her take as much time as she needed. When I glanced down at her again after a few more minutes, I saw that fat tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

“It’s so painful to be down here,” the swordswoman whispered as she dipped one of her hands into the water by her feet, and my gaze softened on her back.

“You don’t need to speak if you don’t want to,” I told her in a soft whisper but the high queen shook her head as her tight braid fell from her shoulder.

“No,” Annalise barked out forcefully and all of my other minion’s and Ines turned in shock at the sound.

The swordswoman rose to her full height next to me as she glared down at the water then she lifted her face to mine. I saw then that she really was crying, and she reached out for me with desperate hands.

“This place was so many women’s watery grave, and if I hadn’t run away when I did, it would’ve been mine too,” she pronounced through her tears. “I’ve never been so glad to see someone die in my life, I’ve never been happier to see the light leave someone’s eyes than I am today. Tintagal and the women of the surrounding countries will suffer no more from this day forward. Baudouin will never lay his hands on another innocent woman.”

“I am glad to see him die too,” Morrigan whispered as she took a step forward and held the soul stone close to her chest, where the Rusalka’s souls now rested in peace. “My only wish is that I could have been more instrumental in his death, I wish I could have seen his soul leave his body. The only consolation I have is that his wicked soul will be digested by both Fea and Macha, never to return or wander the earth.”

“M-Master?” Carmedy whimpered, and I turned my attention to the small feline as she too swiped at her teary eyes.

“What is it, my love?” I asked in a whisper as I brought the feline closer.

“A-are the Rusalka at rest? Are they happy in the soul stone with the others?” Carmedy asked as she buried her face in my chest, and I stroked her black hair as I thought for a moment but Morrigan answered for me.

“The Rusalka are happier here with me, I can already feel it in their souls,” the white-haired elf said as she cupped the ring in her palm and looked into Carmedy’s eyes gently. “They will never have to suffer again, no longer left to roam on the water or suffer at the hands of Baudouin.”

“Two birds with one stone.” Rana smiled as she helped Ines to her feet.

Ines clung onto the redhead with feverish hands and allowed Rana to guide her as we turned towards the exit of the cave. With Baudouin gone and the Rusalka avenged, my minions and I led Ines back up the hall then up the spiral staircase. Ines walked unsteadily, and a few times, she had to lean on me or one of my minions.

We headed back towards the ball, prepared to announce the death of Baudouin and my ascension to his throne.

Once we got closer to the ballroom, I could hear the loud laughter and music from below that signaled that the ball was still in full swing. I looked back to Ines and though she looked pale and unsteady on her feet, she nodded to me that she was ready to face the crowd. I pulled back the curtain that led to the balcony and all six of us stepped out onto it.

I glared down at the revelers below. When none of them seemed to take notice of us, I reached into my void pocket and retrieved the God Slayer from within. I slammed the great polearm down onto the marble at our feet and the sound exploded upward then cracked around the entire room. My women held onto Ines as the poor woman struggled to stand upright on her own from the impact. Some guests gasped, others only turned to stare at us, but one thing was for sure, the room fell silent as they laid their eyes on me and the High Queen as Annalise stepped forward to my side.

“I-it’s the High King and Queen!” a man yelled as he held his hands to his chest.

“Where is Baudouin?” a woman screamed as she searched for the lord amongst our group. “Our Lord would never allow you two into the palace!”

I moved my eyes through the crowd as I lifted both hands into the air for silence, and reluctantly, the Tintagal citizens quieted. I gestured with one hand towards Ines, and Rana helped her forward to the railing for all below to see. The assembled citizenry gasped loudly at Baudouin’s bride’s disheveled appearance.

Ines blushed but gripped onto the railing as she rose to her full height beside me.

“Baudouin is dead,” I boomed as I looked down to everyone in attendance of the ball, and whispers exploded all around the room as I let my words sink in for a moment. “His evil will no longer taint the land of Tintagal.”

“You killed him!” a man screamed as he pointed a trembling hand directly at the center of my chest.

“No, I would have spared his life if only he had handed over the land of Tintagal to the powers of Tamarisch,” I said pointedly as I looked to Ines, and she nodded once to confirm what I said was true. Whispers and cries rose from the ranks of the citizens below as I continued my speech. “And in truth, I didn’t kill him, the spirits of the water did. The Rusalka, the women he married then killed and gave to the water are the ones who sent him to his early grave. Ines?”

“It’s true,” Ines started as she moved her eyes over the crowd below. She seemed to find the strength to speak as her back straightened, and she leaned over the railing to look into the faces of the people below. “Lord Baudouin took me down into the belly of the palace to the pools where the Riese swept in. He threatened me with a dagger, he attempted to cut off my dress, but that’s when the High King and Queen appeared to save me from his clutches. If it weren’t for them… I too would be one with the water right now. I too would be a Rusalka.”

I could tell from some of the crowd that they believed what Ines said. Most of the men who nodded in agreement to Ines’ words looked like sailors, and I assumed that they too had experienced run-ins with the spirit women on the water.

“Baudouin is dead, and Tintagal is now under Tamarisch rule,” Annalise said in a firm voice from beside me. The people of Tintagal glowered up at us, some people looked relieved while others looked mostly confused. “As the High Queen and King, we will treat you not as a country added to our empire, but instead as a part of our country that was already there. Tintagal will hurt for nothing with new trade routes put in place. Food, clothing and anything you could dream of will be in abundance. Let us step into the fruitful future together and forget the fighting of the past along with Baudouin. Let all of our grudges and misgivings falls away, and let Tintagal and Tamarisch finally become one country under a single ruler.”

The citizens of Tintagal listened intently to Annalise’s impassioned words, and soon, I saw the anger and hatred fall away from them as they imagined a world where they had the luxuries that Tamarisch had on the daily. I raised my eyebrows in surprise as the people below began to cheer and chant Annalise’s name. I knew that the swordswoman deserved her title as High Queen, but watching her whip a crowd that was once unhappy with her being there into a cheering frenzy as she changed their minds completely was astonishing. Tintagal wasn’t a poor land, to say the least, but they didn’t have the extravagance or indulgences that Tamarisch did.

“We will be good to you, we will show you that you can trust in not only Tamarisch, but trust us as your leaders too,” I boomed and the faces below stared up at me with wide eyes. “I am in control of Valasara, Tamarisch, Machstein and now, Tintagal. We will be unified countries under one ruler, and I will provide for each and every one of you. Don’t be afraid, the times of trial and tribulation are over.”

It took me a moment to realize what was happening below. It looked like a swift wave rushing through the citizens and people alike, but soon, each and every person took a knee and bowed their heads to me respectfully. Tintagal accepted me as their leader just as the others had, without qualms or disruptions.

I would do as I promised, I would take good care of Tintagal along with the other countries I possessed and provide them with everything they needed. I was surprised as just as suddenly, the people below rose to their feet, bowed to me once more and turned back to the party like something had happened. I stared down at them in shock, but Annalise crossed her arms, shook her head, and giggled softly to herself as she leaned against the railing.

“What in the actual hell is going on?” Rana sighed as she watched the guests jump back into dancing as the orchestra began to play once more.

“I think I can explain a little better,” the swordswoman said as she looked over the edge of the balcony to the rejoicing mass below our feet. “Baudouin married and remarried so often that it seems that Tintagal is used to quick changes. Shifting between leaders mustn’t be as difficult as I thought it would be.”

“D-Does this mean we can go down and enjoy the rest of the party?” Carmedy whispered to me as she tugged at her tail anxiously.

I kept my face serious and stoic as I looked the petite feline in the face. Carmedy looked nervously at me as she hopped from foot to foot, her eyes pleaded with me to allow them to go down and dance again. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked into the faces of the rest of my minions. They wanted to celebrate not only the fall of Baudouin but the revenge of the Rusalka and taking Tintagal for our own. I stroked my chin thoughtfully, then my expression broke into a wide smile as I leaned in close to Carmedy and the cat’s cheeks flushed red.

“Absolutely, my dears.” I grinned as I offered my hands to them. Each of my women eagerly grabbed onto me and dragged me down into the mass of people to enjoy the rest of our evening as the new rulers of Tintagal.

Chapter Twenty-Three

A few days later, as the rest of my minions got ready to leave Tintagal, I sought Annalise out in particular. I found her in the massive bedroom that once belonged to Baudouin. Thankfully, she and a few of the servants had taken down the massive portraits of the cruel lord. There were at least three on each wall of the palace, and Annalise personally took it upon herself to rid Tintagal of its last ruler, a most noble task in my eyes.

I came up behind her quietly as she brushed off her hands and stared up at the plain wall in front of her. I placed a warm hand on her shoulder, and she turned slowly with a wide smile on her face as she realized it was me. The High Queen enveloped herself in my arms, and I held her tightly to my chest. I breathed in her natural scent for a few moments then pulled away to look down in her face.

“Come with me,” I instructed her in a soft voice. “There’s something we must do.”

Annalise’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion but she followed after me anyway. I held out my hand to her, and she took it as I led her out of the palace where Rana waited with our Bantams. The swordswoman looked to me still puzzled, but I gave her no answer as I gestured towards the birds. The redhead helped my first wife onto her bird, and I threw my leg over mine as I slipped into the saddle. I urged my Bantam forward and Annalise followed after as we trotted through the city of Tintagal then to the wall that surrounded the whole town. Once outside, I followed the directions one of the courtiers had given me perfectly.

“Where are we going?” Annalise asked from beside me, and once we were close to the spot we needed to be, I turned to look at her.

“Do you remember our short visit to Toscal?” I answered her question with a question as I turned in my saddle and leveled my eyes at the High Queen.

“Toscal?” Annalise asked as she scrunched up her face and thought for a moment. “The port town where we chartered our ship to Machstein?”

“You are correct, my love.” I smiled to her as I reached out my hand to her. She took it as I looked out over the rolling hills, the steep and craggy gray cliffs, and the deep royal blue of the Riese. “Do you remember what we talked about on the pier?”

Annalise’s mouth opened then closed as she thought deeply. Her dark brown eyes lowered to the grass below her Bantam’s feet, and she sat in the saddle quietly for a few passing minutes. I took my time as I listened to the waves crash below on the rocks and cliffs. The day was much warmer than any other we’d spent in Tintagal, and the breeze that brushed up the hill we climbed ruffled both our hair.

Suddenly, Annalise’s expression broke as she stared at me in shock then her lips upturned into a wide smile as she clamored for me.

“You were on the pier… and asked me about the fish that bobbed up to the surface. I told you about the Yellow-tail Razorbacks, and how Baudouin trapped the endangered fish in the Riese...” Annalise recalled then looked to me in disbelief, but I only smiled in return as she looked up ahead of us to the man-made dam that rose close by. “Master? Really? A-are we going to free them?”

“You were very upset when you told me, and it touched me. That story stayed with me for a long time, my love.” I nodded to her as we came over one last swell and stared down at the massive stone dam blocking the mouth of the river from access. “I couldn’t turn my sights towards Canarta without doing what I promised you we would do.”

From our position, I could see directly down into the deep water of the Riese, and even from this distance, I could see the colorful and beautiful fish as they cut through the frigid water around the bottom of the dam. I slid off the back of my Bantam, and Annalise followed after, pressed close to my side. As Annalise had told me, Baudouin had put this dam in place because he wanted to trap the gorgeous fish in the river. The fish used to spawn in the pools below the castle, and Baudouin would spend hours down there as he watched them. The cruel lord wanted to keep them here forever, even if it meant killing off the whole species.

I would do anything for my minions, especially if it were a direct request. Annalise wanted the dam destroyed, she hadn’t said it directly, but I could tell from the way she shifted anxiously from foot to foot, and so it would be done. I moved my eyes over the smooth stone put in place and separating the two waterways from each other. My wife and I were completely silent as I dropped her hand and stepped closer to the edge of the cliff we stood on with the near perfect view of the dam.

As I brought both hands up in front of me, I breathed softly through my nose. My power surged up and forward out of my avatar to ripple across the ground towards the solid rock dam. As my power moved closer, I feel every inch of the dam in my mind, and I felt for any weak points on the rock as I moved along it. Baudouin had used a master of the trade to create this dam, and I found no weak points or damage to the outside which only meant one thing.

I would have to take it down myself.

I crossed to the edge of the cliff with Annalise trailing after me as she intently watched. I breathed out deeply and opened my eyes as I brought my hands in close to my chest then forced all of the air out of my lungs as I slammed my hands down through the air. My telekinetic might flowed and moved with my gestures, and as it fell onto the dam, my hands felt some pressure against them as if there were an obstacle attempting to block them. I pushed harder, channeled more of my dark power, and my hands broke through the resistance without much effort. As I lifted my eyes, the dam followed suit as it crumbled in two places under my divine might.

Royal blue water leaked from the cracks and with a downward smack of my hand, another chunk of stone came loose with the roar of water spilling back out into the Riese. I raised my open hands into the air, concentrated on the last remaining stone and snapped my hands closed. The remaining stone crumbled into the Riese with that final gesture as water from the river mouth spilled in.

Annalise gasped loudly as she pressed herself into my side, and we watched together as the water burst forward for the first time in years. Once the surface calmed and the crumbled dam walls fell to the bottom of the river, we both saw the first movement under the surface. It was subtle at first, just a few ripples as a large body pushed through the river but we could see what was happening. A single Razorback swam up to the opening of the mouth and inspected it warily.

Annalise held her breath from beside me as she stared down into the water for a few passing minutes, then we both saw it. The water rippled as the first Razorback swam up and out of the Riese to the river mouth. She gasped as we saw another and another swim up and out of the Riese, and before our eyes, the water became a tremulous ocean of moving bodies as more and more of the Razorbacks surfaced and plunged forward into the river towards the open ocean.

“Thank you, Master.” Annalise breathed softly, and I nodded to her then looked into her eyes with a small smile.

“You’re very welcome,” I answered.

I was calm at this moment, thankful that I was able to do this one thing not only for Annalise but also for the Razorbacks that’d been trapped in the river for such a long time. We stood there together for a while and just watched as the fish poured out of the river and returned to their rightful home. I pulled Annalise to me and pressed a soft kiss into her soft hair. The High Queen leaned into my touch for a moment as we stood together.

I sensed them long before Annalise did but I kept my back to them as I enjoyed the moment with my High Queen. Their presences became impatient after a few minutes, and so I turned to face the four escaped gods. The swordswoman tensed and gasped as she finally noticed their arrival.

Like before, in the battle against the Tintagal soldiers, each god rode their own beast and stared down at us. I looked to Ruituri first, and she sat comfortably crossed leg on the back of her white bear. Ruituri’s long gray hair was pulled up, and I took in more of the rotted flesh of her neck. Since speaking to both Nergal and Haruhi, I assumed that the god’s daughter was the leader of this ragtag group. I stepped forward and pushed Annalise slightly behind me as I looked deeply into Ruituri’s face.

Any time we had witnessed her before, Ruituri was wild and erratic but now she seemed calm as she leveled her eyes at me and waited for me to speak first. The woman beside her, Bellum, sat in the saddle of her tiger and kept her eyes on Annalise as the swordswoman peeked around my shoulders. The two men, Domor and the man whose name I didn’t know, seemed to stare off into space but when I stepped forward and spoke, their eyes swiveled to me.

“What do you want from us?” I asked in a firm voice, and Ruituri blinked at me once, sighed then leaned forward to pet the snow-white fur of her bear.

“It's not really a question of what we want from you two, more of what we want specifically from you, Dark One. We know exactly who you are,” Ruituri stated as she kept her eyes hard on me and from behind me, Annalise shivered at the sound of the goddess’s voice. When Ruituri spoke, it sounded like four or five people were speaking at the same time in a chorus and it certainly unsettled the High Queen. “The escaped god of the Underworld. We’ve been waiting for you, tracking and trailing in your wake.”

“I noticed,” I growled deep in the back of my throat as I reached for the God Slayer in my void pocket. “Now answer my question, what do you want?”

“We want in,” Bellum answered in a bored tone as she rolled her head back against her shoulders, and my eyebrows knit together in confusion.

“You want what?” Annalise asked as she came to stand next to me and Ruituri’s eyes narrowed in on the High Queen with a wicked smile.

“We want to help, we want to rip the earth and its leaders to shreds, then we want to set fire to the heavens.” Ruituri’s voice giggled as she leaned forward and rested her chin against the head of her bear and the animal huffed in response.

“And why would you want to do that? Why would you want to help me?” I questioned as I crossed my arms over my chest and glowered at Ruituri.

“To put it simply... for fun.” the goddess of pestilence shrugged nonchalantly as she ran a festering hand through her gray hair and leveled her eyes to mine.

“For fun?” I repeated back in a harsh voice and Domor nodded once in agreement.

“Is that so unbelievable?” Ruituri hissed through her teeth and Annalise and I stared at her as we stood our ground. “We know you saw and spoke with Euron. He told you about how the heavens are now. They’re boring but they’ve gotten even worse now that the Holy Band of Mages are involved.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as I stepped even closer to the four gods and Ruituri squared her shoulders.

“The Holy Order fell when the Sanctum fell,” the goddess spoke and there was a hint of pride in her voice when she mentioned the Sanctum. “The Holy Band of Mages stepped in and took up some power over the gods and goddesses. How that is possible, I’m unsure. I believe there was a single sniveling god they had helping them. I believe he's of relation to you but I may be wrong.”

“Rat-faced little bastard? Doesn’t tell lies?” I murmured and Ruituri and Domor nodded in unison. “Only one person it could be, my little brother, Otia.”

“The Holy Band of Mages also have something else that might interest you,” Ruituri said as she waved her hands in the air. The air shifted and glimmered for a second as it created something like a mirror into another world. “Something that might tempt you into coming to them.”

For a moment, all I saw through the portal was swaths of moving white fabric, then I realized what it was, the white robes and golden sigils of the Holy Band of Mages. My gaze wandered over to Ruituri but she shook her head and gestured for me to look again. I concentrated harder into the scene that Ruituri showed me for a few moments, then my eyes widened in surprise. Two mages walked past with a struggling woman held between their arms. Her hair looked like golden spun silk as she screamed, and her wide eyes that pleaded to be let go were huge and baby-blue. I recognized her immediately but shook my head in disbelief. This woman should have been dead a long time ago, thousands of years ago when I was locked away in my dungeon. My eyes connected with Ruituri’s as the image shifted then disappeared.

“That’s not real,” I growled through my teeth as I stared Ruituri down. “She’s dead.”

“Isolda may be dead,” Ruituri stated as she sat back into her saddle and leveled her eyes with mine as she smiled wickedly and giggled. “But her descendant isn’t…”

End Notes

Thank you for reading Dungeon Master 5! This series hasn’t been selling very well, so I am considering canceling it. Would you like to see more books in this series? If so, please leave a positive review. Thank you!

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2019 by Eric Vall