Web of Lands 2

by Brent Tyman

  I felt Eliandra’s grip tighten on my armored hand and I looked over to her. Her face had gone pale, but she still spoke.

  “Ordan,” she whispered softly. “This creature has so much prime coursing through its veins. It's both incredible and terrifying. We will not survive if you anger it.”

  I was glad that Eliandra was truthful with me, as I agreed. I was no match for this Zegari. Perhaps I could have taken it when I had released it from the prison, if I still had my powers. Now it was too much for any of us to handle. I felt this deep in my bones.

  The Zegari growled softly once more before it shifted. Its size reduced gradually until it reached beside my shoulders. The skin morphed, and the woman was back, just as naked as ever.

  “Now you recognize me?” she asked as she crossed her arms under her breasts, which propped them up.

  Was she doing that on purpose?

  “Yes, I released you from that prison, although you have grown since we last met,” I said. The woman smiled at my statement and moved closer to me.

  “I have indeed, thanks to the humans,” the woman said as her eyes twinkled. “They chased me for days upon days, after murdering our children. Those mages and their incessant spells. I would have killed them all if the seals had not weakened me. They led me to this forest and left me alone for a time. Alone, but I did not forget.” The woman raised a hand and gently ran it along the side of my helmet, which made Lunara hiss from beside me.

  “Keep your hand away from my man,” Lunara growled. Eliandra glared at her while silently communicating with her eyes. I knew she was trying to convey to Lunara not to anger this creature.

  The woman looked at Lunara with a amused smirk but withdrew her hand.

  “What is your name,” I said abruptly. The effect this woman had on me was like how I felt alone with Tessa, but much stronger. I could not help but keep my eyes on her beautiful face.

  “I am Zelenia, one of the last of my kind. A foul mage released me from my slumber and shackled me. The same magic that kept me sealed, also kept me alive. I feared I would waste away in that dark cell,” Zelenia said. She smiled widely at me as her breasts swished from side to side.

  “Then my savior, my consort, my friend came and released me. I had my children look for you around the forest, but there was no sign of you until Krecks found you. He was so happy before he died, I could feel it,” Zelenia continued as she practically swooned on the spot.

  Krecks must have been that armored one I had killed, the one that claimed it found me. I don’t think it was happy when it breathed its last, but I would take her word for it.

  “Right, you were looking for me. Tell me for what?” I asked. It was time to see what she wanted from me. Zelenia smiled as she crossed her arms under her breasts again, drawing my attention to them.

  “So you can perform your duties as a consort,” Zelenia said. “I gained incredible strength from your blood, enough to destroy all in Croydra, as the humans call that city. I need something else from you, to strengthen our children.”

  Her eyes drifted from my helmet, down my chest and rested on the place between my legs. The brazenness of this woman… creature startled me.

  “What?” Eliandra practically shouted as her hand gripped my own even tighter than before.

  “You want Ordan’s seed, how dare you! You can’t just say that to men who are already taken. You’re, you’re… a harlot!” Eliandra glared at Zelenia. Her previous warning of not angering the Zegari had clearly taken a backseat. Zelenia simply smiled.

  “I would use his blood, but his seed is the catalyst I need to make our children into the force that will sweep this land asunder. There will be few that can oppose us once we reach our full strength.”

  Zelenia wanted to mate with me? She had her all children run around Fulgrem, Vulenchia and the Korodo empire to find me for this. I honestly did not know what to say.

  “Look Zelenia,” I said, as I tried to keep a civil tone. “I freed you from that prison and gave you my blood. All we wish is for you to leave Fulgrem alone. I have been sent here to stop your excursions into our territory and the deaths of my men weigh heavily on me. If you agree to leave my nation alone, we will leave you alone.”

  Zelenia’s face fell as if I had told her to fuck off and die. Her smile slipped into a pout, then her face turned deadly serious.

  “It does not work that way, my consort,” Zelenia said with an almost growl. “I require your help against these humans to the east. My numbers are far too low for an invasion outright, but I know of a way to weaken them. I will need either your seed to strengthen our children, or you will help me take this human territory for myself. I grow tired of this forest.”

  I blinked at her words. She wanted Vulenchia?

  “You want to conquer Vulenchia? Why? Why not find another nation that is easier?” I asked out of interest. Zelenia sighed.

  “Fulgrem is far easier. In fact, I could crush your nation in mere days,” Zelenia said. “I do not with to do so as you are my consort and it pleases me that you are a king in your own right. The lizards to the north are a poisoned chalice that will bring destruction to themselves and to the rest of us. The south is too far away, this leaves me with these human Vulenchians.”

  Zelenia tapped her bare foot as her face grew frustrated.

  “They have the old Gods power protecting them, however,” she said. “My children would be undone if they used it in full force on us. I cannot risk the light touching us. I know where they keep the crystal however, and once we destroy it, then they are no match for us.”

  The news of the old Gods power and crystals was new to me. I did not know what she was talking about.

  “That light that destroyed our gates at the fort! That is the old Gods power?” Eliandra asked as she drew closer. Her eyes sparkled as the conversation took a turn she had an interest in. Zelenia looked at her and nodded.

  “Yes, the power of the heavens, now in the hands of mere mortals. It is disgusting that these humans hold such power and do not even know how to use it correctly. I must feed on them all and destroy the crystal before it is too late,” Zelenia said.

  I sighed as I gripped my temples in my own frustration. I looked over to Eliandra.

  “Eli, what is going on. What is this crystal she speaks of?” I asked her. Zelenia narrowed her eyes as if she wanted to answer this, but she quieted when Eliandra spoke.

  “I believe she means that the light that destroyed our gates originated from a crystal kept by the Vulenchians,” Eliandra said. “It is the source of a great prime power that the old Gods once had access to. If the Vulenchians have such a power, then it could spell massive trouble for us. Imagine even more of those Goldera knights, imagine an army of them at our doorstep.”

  “Those humans had no control of those things, I’m sure that stunt of theirs killed more of their own men than ours,” I said. A growl from Zelenia pulled my attention back to her.

  “Yes, the soldiers of heaven were my foes in my youth, before I was put to sleep. Reska had my children focus the one that ran amok, but two escaped north. It is no matter for them, but the humans will find a way to control the knights. Soon, very soon. Their false god will see it done,” Zelenia said, her face becoming more agitated as she spoke.

  Zelenia then hissed as she stared at me, her pupils widening by the second.

  “You must help me, you must fulfill your duties as consort,” she said as she drew even closer to me.

  “Wait,” Lunara said, which stilled Zelenia. “If Ordan destroys this crystal for you, then there will be no need for him to give you his seed right?”

  Zelenia glared at Lunara, and I could hear her grind her teeth at this statement.

  “Hmm, yes. But the easiest way is for me to get receive his seed so I can produce more able children. A Colalask will make short work of these humans, but it requires much time and bodies to birth,” Zelenia said.

  A Colalask? That didn’t sound good. I don’t think I w
anted these creatures to be even more powerful than they already were.

  “I hate the Vulenchians, and I am still angry at the men you have killed,” I said as I crossed my arms. Zelenia’s face dropped at my words.

  “But,” I said. “If working together to bring those Vulenchians down means you will also leave my people alone, I will consider helping you. You will also release my riders back to me.”

  Zelenia hopped from her position and smothered me in a crushing hug. Her strength was out of this world as my armor strained against her.

  “Hmm, perfect,” Zelenia murmured. “Your men are safe, now let us go to my personal chambers. We can have privacy there.”

  “I don’t think so,” Eliandra said as she grabbed hold of my arm. “Ordan will help you with the crystal, not with giving you his… thing. Gods, this is such a strange conversation.”

  Zelenia pulled back and tilted her head at me. She sighed as she let me go.

  “Very well, it is not ideal but it will serve to further my goals. Come, let us sit and I will share with you my plan,” Zelenia said.

  Zelenia turned and walked out one of the side doors in the throne room, and the rest of us followed. Eliandra kept a tight grip on my hand the whole way, and Lunara hovered around my other side. It felt like they were more protective of me against this Zegari than on the many times I’ve been on the battlefield.

  I didn’t know what to make of this Zelenia as we passed along each corridor. I had fought and killed many species, such as Giantas and those lizardmen. This made me accustomed to dealing with any ability a different race possessed. Tessa’s race, the Dryvela, had been troublesome to defeat. That was until we discovered that a nearby plant produced a powder that stopped them from entering the shadows. My men were perhaps the best beings to deal with any kind of threat that emerged from strange races.

  Zelenia was something else however. I could tell just by looking at her, that she held a strange and terrible power. Her ability to breed an army in mere weeks was something even I could not compete with. Her sheer strength on her own surpassed even my power when I charged up with prime.

  She was dangerous, and somehow, that danger attracted me more than it pushed me away. The Gods help me.

  Zelenia even seemed to wiggle her ass in front of me as we walked, to the amusement of Lunara. Eliandra seemed more preoccupied in her own thoughts to notice.

  We arrived at a small room that actually had some furniture made of wood. There was a simple table in the middle, surrounded by six chairs and a cupboard tucked away in the corner. The walls and door were still made of that fleshy black substance which gave it an unnatural vibe.

  “What is that material?” I asked curiously as I pointed to a wall. Zelenia turned to look at where my finger pointed and she shrugged.

  “The Melasks produce a durable material that we use for building,” Zelenia said. “They shed their skin regularly and bring what they can here. It's far more sturdy than what the humans use for their homes.”

  Zelenia waved her hand over to the only table in the room.

  “The Terlasks, like Reska, suggested that I also have some human architecture in the palace, to bring it character. I have no love for this wood, but they seem to like it. Come sit,” Zelenia said.

  I sat at the end of the table where Lunara and Eliandra surrounded me. Zelenia sat at the opposite end and my guards stood further back from all of us. I spotted Reska in the room's doorway, but he was the only creature I saw that accompanied Zelenia.

  “Do you not have guards? I would think a race that relies on a single queen would protect her more,” I said as I nodded over at Reska.

  Zelenia set her arms onto the table and rested her head on one of her hands as she stared at me with a smile. She motioned over to Reska.

  “My child, Reska, is the only protection that I require in my home. Many more accompany me on the rare times I leave the forest. You are not a threat to me as you are. Perhaps if you used that power of yours, I may chip a nail,” Zelenia said with a feral grin.

  When I said nothing to this, Zelenia laughed.

  “Haha, please do not fret, I would never harm my consort. You are the reason my power already surpasses most mortals on this planet,” Zelenia said.

  “Right, yeah, the blood,” I said absently as I took off my helmet. There was no real reason to keep it on me for now. I set it down on the table in front of me.

  “So, let’s get to business. The Vulenchians have a crystal that prevents you from attacking them until your army is more powerful and you need it destroyed. Where is this crystal?” I asked.

  Zelenia seemed like she wanted to have more idle talk, but the look on my face deterred her. Her eyes had lit up when she finally saw my face and she nodded over to the doorway where Reska was.

  Reska walked over to the table and deposited a map on top of it before he stepped back. I expected it to be a map of Vulenchia, but it seemed more like a map of the continent. Fulgrem and Vulenchia was just a small piece of a wider world.

  “This is the only map my children could find that has Vulenchia in it. The crystal is here,” Zelenia said as she waved a hand. Reska stepped forward with a quill he had produced from somewhere and marked a spot on the map. It was near the center of Vulenchia itself.

  “The Vulenchian capital? It is well protected, as most of the mages live there,” Eliandra said, and Zelenia nodded.

  “Yes, the castle specifically. That is what my children tell me. A giant crystal that the humans pray to every single day, as it floats above them. It feeds the false god and eventually, the Goldera knights will obey the humans,” Zelenia said.

  I studied the map in more detail. This capital wasn’t too far from where we were, but there were several cities in the way. I doubted the Vulenchians would let an army such of mine walk through their territory unchallenged.

  “How strong is the Vulenchian army?” I asked.

  “They had sent a small part of their army against us earlier. I believe overall, they have one hundred and ten thousand troops at their disposal,” Eliandra said. Lunara whistled softly at this number.

  I just groaned.

  “Zelenia’s army took out twenty thousand of them though,” I said and Eliandra nodded.

  “Yes, the number used to be one hundred and thirty thousand before,” Eliandra replied with a shrug and I shook my head.

  The humans here had such vast armies that I felt like I would always be at a disadvantage unless I somehow recruited other races into my troops reliably. The Fulgremians were already so resistant to our attempts, however. My prospects of commanding an army as big as the one we used on the Fulgremian capital were bleak.

  “Why would the old king wage war against Vulenchia if he only sent, what was it? Fifty thousand troops to fight?” I asked, as it made little sense to me. Eliandra tapped her finger to her chin in thought.

  “I believe it was because they had only planned to take a small slab of territory and conscripts make up a large part of the Vulenchian army,” Eliandra said. “The army that attacked us, the 1st Vulenchian Shock Corps, was some of the best men that they could field. They recruit many to their cause to suppress the growing amount of dissidence that comes with forcing everyone to one faith. Especially a faith that requires daily prayer to their God in public.”

  I turned my head in thought at this. If that army was the best they could throw at us, then perhaps breaking into Vulenchia wouldn’t be so hard. Conscripts would be more like idle cattle against my well-organized men.

  “We should probably avoid a direct confrontation with them. I can’t imagine what would happen if they used that light beam that destroyed the gates on us directly,” Lunara said as she tapped on the table slightly.

  That was also a good point. I had no defense against that kind of magic, and it wasn’t something I could solve with bigger barriers.

  Zelenia had been quiet all this time, and when I looked to her, I noticed she simply stared back at me with an unreada
ble expression. Her long slender nails slowly dragged along the table in front of her as she waited.

  “Yes,” Zelenia said. “I cannot attack the humans directly, as their false Gods power will destroy my children utterly. I ideally need you to go to this castle without drawing the attention of the humans and strike the crystal down.”

  “The Vulenchians won’t just let me walk into their capital, especially since they have already tried to invade me,” I said.

  Zelenia nodded as if she agreed with this, as a smile again formed on her beautiful face.

  “There you see the dilemma, you cannot go into the castle without alarming the humans,” Zelenia said. “So I propose that you take all the citizens from your nation, equip them with weapons and send them off to the castle. Many will die, but eventually, some will make it through to complete our aim.”

  I raised a hand to my temples as I processed what she just said. It seemed Zelenia cared little for how a nation was run and why that was an unacceptable idea.

  “We can’t do that, Zelenia. I need the humans alive to make use of them in my land. Who will grow the food, build the buildings and craft the wares?” I asked. Zelenia shrugged.

  “Once the crystal is destroyed, I can absorb all the humans and produce as much food as you like. You do not need them in your nation while you have me,” Zelenia said, almost innocently, and I groaned.

  “Wait,” Lunara said, and I quirked an eyebrow in case she actually agreed with Zelenia. “I have an idea on how to get into this castle, without having the nation sacrificed.”

  I nodded for her to continue, and Lunara grinned at me.

  “A ball!” she said. I felt my mind churn as I thought about this. I knew what a ball was. The nobles had them all the time, but I was unsure how that would help.

  Suddenly, Eliandra’s eye lit up and the two women grinned at each other. I saw Zelenia’s head tilt as she tried to piece together what my women meant, but it seemed she was having as much luck as me.

  “That’s a great idea Lunara, it's the perfect way in. I can send the request to them today once we return to the capital,” Eliandra said.