‘You have fed on one of my kills,’ I sent to him when he landed near me. ‘Tell me what it did for you.’
I did not feed on only one of your kills, Sintári, he replied. You told me of three enemies that had fallen to you. I feasted on all of them.
‘My, aren’t you a greedy little boy,’ I returned to him in amusement.
I have my needs, as you do, Sintári, he answered me. As for the consequences, I think that you have felt them as well. I sense your presence more powerfully than before. There is more, but I do not know what it is. I also felt you provide me with another boon, but its nature is also unknown to me.
‘By feasting on my kills, you have completed what I started,’ I told him of the message I’d received. ‘Our lives are now one. We will share each other’s company over the many centuries of my existence.’
‘The boon I gave you this time is much like the first, only this one has granted you greater offense. I suspect that it will apply to all of your attacks, so you may wish to experiment with it a little before our next battle.’
Bane was stunned into silence. True silence—even his mind was quiet to me.
You gave me life, he finally sent to my mind in slow, deliberate words as he pressed the broad expanse of his forehead against me. And then you gave me even more. You taught me what it means to love, and how it feels to be loved. I thought there was nothing more you could possibly do for me, and yet you have. I was proud to be yours from the first day we met. Now I am even prouder to know that I will be yours until our very last day together.
His words tugged at my heart, and I wrapped my arms around his head and pulled him to me tightly. Or at least I tried to, but he’d gotten so large that I simply couldn’t reach all the way around anymore. Even so, I buried my face against him to hide my tears from those who’d gathered nearby once he’d landed. Bane was a common enough sight around camp, but as the only dragon in the Realms, he always drew a crowd.
‘I love you, Bane.’
I love you too, Dreya, he said, using my name for the first time ever.
Just like Saibra had done barely moments before, his unusual informality only served to underscore the seriousness of his words, and I had to hold onto him just a little longer before I was able to overcome the deep impact his words had on me.
‘Go practice your flames before you make me cry again, you big, fat lizard,’ I teased, as I pushed myself away from him.
I will do as you suggest, Sintári, he replied, unable to conceal his own amusement at my comments as he launched himself into the night sky.
“Is everything alright?” Tási asked me as I watched him fly away for as long as I could. She’d been the only one who stood close enough to notice the tears that I’d shed against him.
“Actually, yes,” I was able to smile back at her as I grabbed her by the arm. “And they’ll only get better once I drag you back inside our tent.”
With the darkness and rage nearly completely drained from me, my passion had risen to a new height. The heat of it boiled my blood, and I practically threw Tási down on the cushions that made up our bed the second I got her inside.
She gasped in surprise and I straddled her, pinning her body beneath me as I leaned in and kissed with an unrestrained abandon. Without even intending to, I sent a thick tendril of desire deep inside her, unintentionally driving Tási nearly to release before I managed to rein myself in.
My need for Tási was so intense that I had to force myself to pull back before it overwhelmed her, and when I did, she could only gaze up at me in a mixture of euphoria and confusion. I used the short moment to strip off my clothes before doing the same for Tási, and once she let me pull off her garments, I settled down with her among the pillows.
The brief moment I’d been able to vent some of my passion had taken the sharp edge off my hunger, and when I wrapped my body around her again, I kissed Tási more gently. The threads I sent into her as our tongues entwined and our skin pressed together were far gentler, and the low moan she breathed into me as they ran through her body told me all I needed to know about their enticing effects.
I let my hands wander over Tási’s curves and the round fullness of her breasts as I traced even more tendrils across her body. Her back arched, and her hips began to writhe slowly as I let my passion build inside her, and when I was ready to let her finish, I sent her the one final thread she needed as I let my tongue wander slowly across her breast.
She’d been sending me her own warm threads as well, and as she began to shudder in her release, the sensation of it echoed back to me, triggering my own heated response. Together, almost as one, our bodies reacted to the pleasures we gave each other, while something deeper inside us achieved an even higher state of satisfaction.
There are no words to describe the sense of fulfillment that we experienced—the languages of the mortal races cannot express the inner sense of peace that is achieved when a Tári and their Sintári fill the voids within each other. I can only describe it as a profound level of contentment that reaches deep into one’s soul, but even that is only a pale indication of the depth of what we felt.
After well over a month of travel, and my darkness having dominated me most of that time, the release of my passion without the backdrop of my shadows looming over me was far more intense than I’d expected. I felt myself quivering as the waves of ecstasy washed over me again, and they drained me of my final reserves of strength. My eyelids grew heavy, and even as the tremors still worked their way through my body, I lost myself to the deep darkness of sleep.
26
Tási and I repeated that same scene almost nightly over the next week while we waited to see what results Broda’s efforts to reach out to the dissident nobles would produce. During that time, we cleared the city of the few who still clung to their dead masters’ vision, and even began to rebuild some of what we’d destroyed. I needed Zonnia as my ally now, and I thought it would be best to offer them any help I could while we were there. Stel completed the assignment I’d given him during the first few days after the battle for Ondale and had a most interesting report for me when he was done.
“Please, have a seat,” he offered when I joined him in his tent to hear his briefing.
“So, my dear Finance Minister, tell me what you’ve found,” I replied as I sat down in the plush chair he offered me.
“Well, just so you have some perspective on the numbers,” he began his preamble. “There were dozens of the most wealthy and powerful nobles from both Hygan and Zonnia who opposed you. Almost all of them brought their wealth, or at least the most easily portable portion of it, with them when they retreated here. I’m still trying to track down some of it, but we recovered the vast majority of that wealth once we explored the mansion more fully.”
“Stel,” I glared at him with suspicion. “Are you trying to build up to something?”
“Yes,” he smirked back at me playfully. “Now let me finish.”
“I’ve gathered everything here and taken a careful inventory of all we’ve found,” he continued, eyeing me occasionally to make sure that I was hanging on his every word. “Most of it is in the form of coins, but there are also some items that may be important to the people of Zonnia. I think it best that we return those to whomever you chose to install on the throne. But of course, ultimately, the decision is yours to make, Empress.”
Stel paused there and stared at me for a moment until I couldn’t take it any longer.
“Are you ever going to tell me how much?” I finally asked him in frustration.
“Oh, were you waiting for me?” He replied innocently.
“Yes, and I still am,” I growled back at him.
“Very well, then,” he relented at last. “The final tally of what we recovered, not including any of the items I mentioned before, is 5,623 Talons, in addition to 7 bars of platinum.”
“Empress?” He prodded me when I sat unmoving for too long.
“…Dreya?” Stel had to prom
pt me a second time before I responded.
“Líann got us over 2,000 Talons, and it made our treasury flush with coin,” I said as my mind tried to grasp the vast sum. “What will nearly 6,000 Talons do for us?”
“Forgive me, Empress,” Stel seemed to amuse himself with my state of awe. “But perhaps it would help if I explain the value of the platinum bars to you, as I see you are unfamiliar with them. That is understandable, of course; they are typically only used by banks for high-value transactions. Each bar is worth an additional 1,000 Talons. Adding them to the gold we acquired, brings your total to just under 13,000 Talons.”
“…Empress?”
“…Dreya?”
“Dreya!”
“What are we going to do with all of it? Where did it even come from?” My mind was spinning and those were the first things it threw out when Stel roused me from my stupor.
“We will fund your Empire for a time,” he replied calmly, trying to ease my confusion. “But even such a vast fortune will run out eventually. Before it does, I will have to find a way to generate more income for you. Perhaps a tax or levy on your vassal states.”
“As for where it came from, it is the personal wealth of some of the richest families in Arrika. Until you came along, the fortunes of the lords of Hygan and Zonnia hadn’t been pillaged in generations. Those fortunes now belong to you, Empress.”
“Honestly, Stel.” I replied to him numbly. “I need you to handle this for me. I can’t even comprehend the numbers. And please see that any items or artifacts that should remain in Zonnia are handed over before we depart.”
“I will see that all of it is taken care of for you,” Stel replied, this time with some care in his voice.
“Thank you, Stel,” I responded as I got up and left, escaping from the responsibility of the inconceivably large sum of money as quickly as I could.
In addition to repairing some of the damage we’d done, I sent our soldiers out on patrols to secure the surrounding areas and ensure that no enterprising bandits or other opportunists took advantage of the situation. Towards the end of the first week after our victory, it was one of those patrols that returned with news of Lord Olton’s approach.
The small group of mounted men that followed behind our patrol flew a white flag of parley, indicating their desire for peaceful talks. I took that for a good sign, and was only more encouraged to see them dismount and give up their weapons readily to the troops we sent to escort them in. As they were brought to me, my companions gathered around, and we greeted the nobles from Ayden together.
“Welcome,” Broda offered them when they finally stood before us. “I am Ambassador Broda of the First Sintári Empire. I assume Lord Olton is among you?”
“Well met, Ambassador,” a tall man in bright armor stepped forward. His grey-flecked beard and distinguished bearing marked him clearly as a man of consequence. “I am Lord Olton, and I want to extend my thanks to you for ridding our lands of the blight that had plagued them for so long. I am only sorry that we were not able to accomplish the feat ourselves.”
“The Empress regrets the need to intervene in your internal affairs,” Broda continued on my behalf. “But the actions of your former leadership left her no choice. With them now removed, she only seeks to ensure that your Realm is secure and under proper guidance before she departs with our forces.”
“I assume that I have been asked here to determine whether I can provide the ‘proper guidance’ you seek for Zonnia?” Olton replied quite correctly.
“The Empress only requires that the next leader of Zonnia be at peace with her,” Broda deflected. “A peace that must be ensured by the adoption of the Imperial Charter.”
“I opposed the lords you slew here,” Olton bristled slightly. “But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to betray my people or my Realm.”
“What about my Charter makes you think I’m asking you to do anything like that, Lord Olton?” I finally spoke out and made my presence known.
“I read your terms, Empress,” Olton responded to me brusquely. “While I would not have slain your representative for offering them, I’m certainly not willing to pay the tribute you demand or send you half our soldiers for that matter.”
“No such terms exist in my Charter, Lord Olton,” I replied as I handed him a copy of the parchment. “You have been deceived.”
He took the paper from me and then read the words written on it for himself. Twice.
“This is not the same document we were presented with at the lords’ conclave,” he revealed to me. “Is this truly the Charter you offered to us?”
“It is the only Charter I’ve ever offered to any Realm,” I assured him. “As you can see, there is no mention of any tribute, and the military commitment required is quite minimal.”
“What do you require of me, Empress?” he replied, already stepping into his role as my vassal.
“You read my Charter,” I answered him directly. “I only ask that you govern in accordance with its terms. The rest of your affairs I leave up to you.”
“I would offer you my oath to do so right now,” Olton offered quite solemnly. “But your soldiers took our weapons.”
“Then use mine,” I replied, drawing Retribution and letting it reveal its full form in front of his disbelieving eyes. “It has served that role more than once.”
“I thought the tales of your gifts from the Gods were only lies,” he said in awe as he grasped the bow’s grip. “Or at best exaggerations. Tell me, is everything I’ve heard about you really true?”
“That depends, Lord Olton, on what you might have heard,” I couldn’t help but grin as I answered him.
“If you’ve heard that I am Sintári, blessed by the Gods and in the company of the first Dragon that Arrika has seen in millennia,” I nearly laughed as I spoke to him. “Then yes, the rumors are quite true.”
To emphasize my point, I’d signaled Bane to land behind me, and the ground vibrated with the impact of his arrival just as I finished speaking. Bane’s head, neck, and even his shoulders towered above the guards beside me. He scanned the lords and nobles who’d arrived with Olton, glaring at them with his deep gold eyes as he looked them over one by one before settling his gaze directly on Olton. The effect was all I could have hoped for.
“I pledge my loyalty to you, Empress, and swear to faithfully uphold the terms of your Imperial Charter.” Olton immediately dropped to his knees and took his oath to me with his fingers wrapped tightly around Retribution’s grip.
“I accept your words, your Majesty,” I replied, granting him his title as I took the weapon back from him. “I consider all matters between us to be settled, but there are a few minor details that my Ambassador and First Minister need to discuss with you before you depart.”
We had planned for this possible outcome, and Broda led Lord, now King Olton, away while Venna followed closely behind. They would make sure he fully understood the terms of the Imperial Charter and would also get him to sign the required copies of it while they did so. In addition, the two would determine what Olton might need to rebuild his Realm, and when we might expect his lands to recover and supply us with the soldiers the Charter required each Realm to contribute to the Imperial Army. I stressed to them that we needed to be lenient regarding that last requirement, especially in light of the destruction we ourselves had wrought in these very lands.
After a few hours, the new King departed with his entourage and Broda came to me to brief me on their talks. The other major towns in Zonnia, aside from Ondale, were actually in decent shape, and Olton felt that they’d be able to tend to themselves while he organized the restructuring and rebuilding of his Kingdom. Broda offered to loan him 500 of our soldiers to keep Ondale secure while he did so, and the King accepted, quite gratefully she relayed. In addition, Olton promised to meet Zonnia’s military obligation to the Empire within six months, a rather ambitious target in my mind, but Broda said he’d been quite certain he’d meet that mark. The only other
issues, she assured me, were minor ones I needn’t worry about, and I gladly took her word for it. With every last matter I set out to accomplish resolved, I ordered our return home to begin the next morning.
My mind had been focused on my own struggles containing the darkness within me for most of the time I’d been away. In the aftermath of the battle for Ondale, the sudden release from that burden and my subsequent distraction with another sort of release entirely, kept me from realizing a certain harsh fact. While I’d finally been able to vent the darkness that was my V’Ríel, Líann had no such opportunity to let go of her burden. She would continue to suffer the effects of bearing that weight until I got back to her and freed her from its undoubtedly crippling consequences. But there was a full month’s journey ahead of me before I could even attempt to do that, and I only hoped that I was overestimating the price she was paying for my extended absence. I simply wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I’d caused her any lasting harm. Líann was my Táriel, even if I hadn’t gotten her to realize her full potential yet. Just considering that fact made what I’d so unthinkingly done to her hurt me even more.
And while my concern for her well-being was foremost in my mind, and I recognized her importance to me both for her ability to help with my V’Ríel and as my Táriel, I came to realize that what I missed the most was Líann herself, and not her abilities. She’d worked her way into my heart far more deeply than I’d realized, something our long separation made me painfully aware of. I didn’t just need Líann for her abilities, I simply needed Líann.
So, I made it clear in my order to depart that we were to make our best speed on the road, and that I would allow no delays other than the camps we made overnight. If need be, I was willing to march ahead alone if that’s what it would take for me to get back to Líann even sooner.
The issue of the perceived suffering I’d inflicted on Líann plagued me over every mile of our journey home. But, in addition to that, the feelings I experienced after the slaughter in Ondale made me wonder about my own future.
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