The Dark Lord's Commands

by M. E. Thorne

  She pointed to the other worker, standing ready by the fountain, “Go ahead and add the water.”

  Slowly, the water was lifted and dumped into the raised reservoir, which had been constructed by joining sections of reeds and reinforced with bands of rope and vine resin. It creaked ominously but held.

  “Open the gate,” she instructed, “slowly.”

  As the sluice gate was removed, water flowed into the new and improved distribution system, which ran on elevated channels made from more rust reed. Distantly, we heard a cheer come from the kitchens, followed by cries of confirmation from the baths and laundry areas.

  Then everyone was cheering. I stood back with Vexile, as the citizens clapped and shouted in excitement. It wasn’t exactly like having running water or indoor plumbing, but we finally had a way of efficiently moving water around the keep, drastically cutting down on the labor needed to keep the various parts of our settlement running.

  “It’s amazing,” I told Nichessa, once she had shouldered her way out of the crowd.

  She shook her head, “They use something like that in the mines, to help pump water out of the deepest shafts. It’s nothing that I thought up.”

  “But you knew how it worked, how to copy the construction with limited resources, and then how to apply it to our needs,” I insisted. “That’s not nothing.”

  “Consider it repayment for room and board then,” she objected stubbornly.

  Instead of arguing the point, I decided to just let it lie for the time being.

  Chapter 17

  “Pure military force won’t work here,” Dougherty insisted. “Even if I brought all my soldiers from the watchtower, and we armed everyone here who knows how to fight, we’d be outnumbered more than two to one.”

  I nodded, I had been thinking the same thing. “We agree then, we need to take the camp via subterfuge.”

  The old soldier had arrived earlier that morning, escorted by some of his volunteers. I had quickly organized a meeting in our headquarters, joining Vexile, Nichessa, and our lieutenants. Jeanie sat in as well, nestled in Vexile’s coils.

  The walls of the room were covered with drawings and maps, created using the information provided by Jeanie, Nichessa, and our reconnaissance mission. They illustrated not only the camp but the layout of the mines and the cavern system.

  Riggs inspected the maps, “If we can sneak into the mines, we can make contact with the prisoners, maybe instigate an uprising and take the camp from the inside?”

  Vexile hissed in disagreement. “If we do that, the Luminark could learn about our presence here. They don’t seem to care when one or two slaves escape into the wastes, but if they learn about an entire city of rebels and refugees? They’ll send inquisitors and archangels searching for us.”

  “Plus they’d just rebuild the mines afterward,” Nichessa added. “If you want to seize the mines for yourselves, you’ll need to get the Luminark to abandon them completely.”

  “But we do agree, we need to sneak inside and make contact with the prisoners,” I salved Rigg’s wounded ego. I tapped my chin, thinking. “What could theoretically cause the Luminark to abandon the mine? Black iron is a valuable resource for them, so they would not readily give up one of their mines.”

  Garnet, who had escorted Dougherty to Gloomglow and joined our meeting, pointed to a map that depicted the northern continent. “Luminark does have several other black iron mines, but they’re all along the eastern coast. The camp we’re looking at is their only holdfast in the west, far from their other bases. I would think that would make it easier for them to give up on it, should something really bad happen.”

  “Like a natural disaster,” Riggs suggested.

  I nodded, “Yes. As we saw, the region does suffer from earthquakes. Mines are also vulnerable to other accidents that can permanently damage or seal them shut.”

  Back in my previous life, working under the senator, I had attended meetings and hearings regarding safety regulations in America’s energy sector, including its coal mining industry. Explosions, triggered by coal dust, natural gas pockets, and other circumstances weren’t as common as they had been in the past, but they did happen. This resulted in profitable excavations being closed or sealed.

  I looked towards Nichessa, who up to that point had been silent. “What are your thoughts on this?”

  She was still covered in dirt and grime, having spent the earlier part of the day working on the farm, helping Emil with a new pulley system for the well. Though she was still recalcitrant and withdrawn when interacting with people, she had eagerly applied herself to every problem presented to her. Already her inventions and modifications could be found all over the keep and surrounding facilities, and the people had come to greatly appreciate her presence.

  The blacksmith looked uncomfortable being thrust into the meeting’s spotlight, but she scuffed her boots along the floorboards and then walked towards the maps. “Explosions have happened in the past when miners accidentally hit gas pockets. But each time the Luminark either kept going or just sealed that area and moved on. It would have to be a cataclysmic event to make them even think of abandoning the entire mine. Remember, it’s Sandeson’s piggy bank, it’s made him rich and powerful. He won’t give that up easily.”

  “What about the dragon?” Jeanie asked.

  We turned towards her.

  The little girl, to her credit, did not wilt under our gaze. “The Luminark are scared of the dragon, they think it’s been eating people.”

  I remembered that the Luminark troops that had chased us had mentioned the same thing and that Sanderson had forbidden them from even speaking about the topic. Could we use that to our advantage?

  “What about this?” I pondered out loud, “Could we convince the Luminark that there is a dragon and that it has finally gotten tired of their presence and has decided to drive them away? We could arrange for some accidents, make them appear as dragon attacks, using that as cover to help the prisoners escape?”

  Vexile’s tongue flicked out. “We could weaken them till the Luminark finally give up and abandon the mines? Our magic can surely help, creating confusion and delusions in their ranks.”

  I nodded. “We’d have to find a way for them to leave their prisoners behind when they flee, but it’s a decent start of a plan, we think.”

  Nichessa shook her head. “It won’t work. As long as Sanderson is alive, he’ll never give that place up.”

  “So we just need to kill him,” I said, my voice sounding shockingly calm and reasonable to my ears.

  If anyone else was stunned by my suggestion, they didn’t show it.

  Dougherty nodded, “I think we’ve got a good start here, but we still need more information. We need to make contact with the prisoners, to get up-to-date information about the camp’s operations and its defenses. Their assistance will be key in our efforts.”

  “We need to head back,” I declared.

  Later that night, I sat on the edge of the bed, my mind still buzzing.

  Vexile came in, fresh from the baths. She had moved into the room next to mine after her ascension, knocking down part of the wall between the two. My First Queen had quickly stuffed her chamber with shelves, which held all the books, scrolls, and documents she had salvaged. My ancestor’s artifact sat in one of the corners, awaiting future study.

  I spent almost as much time in Vexile’s chamber as I did in my own, researching her various books and learning more about the history of Turmont. Vexile, for her part, worked there or held meetings with Ahkil and her acolytes, but we preferred to spend our private time together in my room.

  “Robert?” she came up to me and laid a hand on my knee, “Are you alright?”

  I took her hand into mine and delicately kissed her knuckles, pressing her pink skin against my lips.

  “Robert?” She slithered up onto the bed, hugging me with her tail.

  Calming my racing thoughts as best I could, I fought to find the words to express
the turmoil within me. “I’m just bothered by what happened during the meeting.”

  She frowned. “The plan is still coming together, I’m sure we’ll figure something out, once we get back out there and gather more information. I have faith in you and the others.”

  Strangely, that wasn’t the part that was eating at me. “I just calmly suggested we kill a man like it was just another piece of business.”

  “A horrible man,” she insisted, maneuvering so we were face to face. “He’s killed hundreds, probably thousands, of our people, all in the name of greed.”

  “I know that,” I insisted, still feeling conflicted, “but I never thought I was the kind of person who’d just so casually condemn another, even if they deserve it.” I locked my gaze with hers. “What if it becomes too easy? I might start by killing our enemies, but how much of a slippery slope is it till I start ordering the death of those that merely stand in our way?”

  In my mind’s eye, I saw a possible, dark future for myself, where I wasn’t some just and noble Dark Lord, but a murderous tyrant instead.

  Vexile held me tighter, taking me up in her arms and cradling my head against her chest, the contact and the feel of her magic soothing my mind.

  “That will never happen,” she insisted, “I would never let you do that, nor would you fall to evil so easily. Remember, I watched you, before calling you to our world. You are a good man, someone with integrity and strength. If you ever fear you are faltering, remember that you have me beside you, to help set your path right.”

  I wrapped my arms around her, breathing in her scent, reassuring myself with her presence.

  Two weeks later, and we were once again moving westward, across the plains of Duskhaven and towards the black iron mine.

  But we were not moving through a complete wasteland anymore. The verdant life that had flourished around Gloomglow had spread further outward. Already the dusty soil was giving way to prairie grass and thorny shrubbery. More creatures, like the strange, prong horned deer and other herbivores were more evident, their grazing areas expanding as life returned to the region.

  “I’ve only seen them in the ruins of Marshul,” Vexile confessed, watching one of the creatures as it hopped away.

  It had even rained several times during the intervening weeks, and more often than not we found ourselves moving under cloud cover, the sky overcast with thick, grey clouds. I was deeply grateful for the shade they provided; already the days were much cooler and more comfortable thanks to their presence.

  “If the Luminark Empire doesn’t realize something is up when they lose the mine, even their most dense inquisitors will eventually notice the climate and environment changing so rapidly on the northern continent,” Nichessa observed.

  “All the more reason we must take the mine, and quickly,” I said.

  Garnet was with us once again, along with ten other soldiers provided by Dougherty, bringing our party up to fifteen members, including Marl. We had brought two crawlclaws to carry our larger group. Marl expertly handled both crustaceans, and we were making good time back to our former campsite.

  Lita had stayed behind. I found it difficult to put someone so young at risk since I knew there was every chance we’d face battle at the end of our mission, should something go wrong.

  As we journeyed, my mind kept reeling back to our plan, and the future needs of our kingdom. Nichessa had been right, eventually, the Luminark would realize things were changing on the northern continent, that Duskhaven had been revived, and the Dark Lord had returned.

  Even with their seemingly fractious and corrupt state, I doubted the empire would respond with anything less than overwhelming force.

  We needed resources, we needed manpower and time to cultivate both. Taking the mine would be a powerful first step, securing not only the freedom of the prisoners but also giving us access to the black iron. Doing so would also remove all Luminark presence from the western coast of the continent, granting us room to grow and expand. But that would only be true if our gambit paid off and the Luminark gave up their western holding, chalking up the event to natural or unavoidable causes.

  Power, I grumbled, it all eventually boils down to power. The Luminark Empire is far, far stronger than us. We need the strength to stand up to them, to hold them at bay or keep them blind until we rebuild.

  We need more ascended queens.

  Vexile was by far our greatest asset, she was stronger, faster, and more powerful than any other human. Additionally, she inherently commanded respect and power amongst those who believed in Revina, and she could wield the goddess’s magic. The toxins she summoned could not only kill, but they could cloud the mind, making our foes weak or confused.

  She was the symbol of our kingdom and the divine power behind it.

  But we needed more.

  As we walked, I looked towards Nichessa. She was a powerful, well-built woman, with features that wouldn’t look out of place in some ancient, stone hewn statue. I appreciated her strength, intelligence, resilience, and the skills she wielded. When I thought about it, I admitted to myself that I greatly admired her, but I wasn’t sure such feelings could be called love.

  Not yet at least.

  But every time I glanced her way, I felt the goddess’s power stir up my spine. I had first felt the sensation back in Gloomglow, watching her work, her hands covered in dirt and with a satisfied grin on her face. Like she belonged there.

  I knew she had the potential to join us, to become an ascendant and our Second Queen.

  Driven by these thoughts, I drew aside Vexile after dinner. I pulled her away from our camp so we could speak freely.

  “I’ve been feeling it too,” she confessed. “The goddess favors her and is marking her in our eyes.”

  “For a goddess of moderation and balance, Revina is not very subtle,” I grumbled.

  Shadows and faint, orange light from the distant campfire, played across Vexile’s scales. I gently laid my hand across them, feeling reassured by their strength and warmth.

  “How do you feel about it?” I suddenly asked her.

  Vexile lowered her head, eyes closed. “I am conflicted, in all honesty,” she said. “I knew that I would not be your only queen. You are the first Dark Lord in two hundred years, and we are facing a challenge beyond reckoning. It’s only through Revina’s blessing, and by ascending more queens, that we will succeed.”

  “But,” I prompted her.

  She curled her tail tightly around her hips. “Promise me, that no matter how many queens you have, no matter how many women come to share your bed, that you will never stop loving me.”

  “Never!” I grabbed onto her, hugging her tight. “You are my anchor, my cornerstone, without you none of this would be possible.” I turned her chin up, so she could see my sincerity. “I love you because of how strong you are, and how much stronger you’ve become in these past few months. I could never do this without you.”

  She smiled, “I love you too.”

  We stood together, for a time, neither of us saying anything.

  “We’ll work through this,” I finally said, “together. I have no idea how any of this works, but let’s both agree to be honest and communicate with each other.”

  “Agreed,” she placed a hand on my chest, creating some space between us. “I can’t promise that I’ll never be jealous, or angry, but I do promise to always tell you why I’m feeling the way I’m feeling.”

  I kissed her, slowly, delicately, “Thank you, and I swear to do the same.”

  She laughed, “Besides, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I respect Nichessa, she is a strong woman, but she is brittle in strange ways as well. Do you even think she’d agree to such an arrangement? I can’t see her readily accepting becoming a queen and accepting other people into her life.”

  I rubbed my hands along her shoulders, feeling tension bleeding out of her muscles. “One step at a time, my love.”

  We arrived at the abandoned town the next day. Seve
ral of Dougherty’s soldiers were experienced rangers and scouts, they checked and confirmed that nobody had disturbed the area since the earthquake.

  “So the Luminark is likely in the dark about our earlier trip,” I concluded after we finished setting up. “Hopefully, they were distracted enough by the quake to forget about Jeanie.”

  “Likely not,” Nichessa drawled. “Sanderson probably stepped up security since her escape, especially since he never found a body. We should expect more guards posted on the walls and for the patrols to be increased.”

  I fingered the keyring the girl had given me, “Do you think they changed the locks?”

  Nichessa frowned, thinking, before shaking her head. “I imagine the guard who lost them never reported it, to avoid Sanderson’s ire. The troops stationed there go to great lengths to avoid attracting his attention.”

  From what Jeanie had told us, the keys she had stolen could open almost all of the camp’s locked doors. She had spied on the guard a long, long time before the opportunity to pick his pocket had presented itself, and she saw him use the keys to unlock internal security doors, lockboxes, and supply rooms within the camp. She had helped us label them, so there would be no mystery of which key to use where.

  Once we were settled, we divided up the labor. Garnet and a detachment of soldiers went to scout, to see how the terrain had changed after the quake, and if the Luminark had opened any new shafts. Nichessa insisted on returning to her home, to make sure it had not been discovered. Vexile and I elected to escort her; we’d reconnoiter to the south while Garnet went north.

  All of us were on watch for new Luminark patrols, with strict instructions to observe only. Until we got their patterns down we had to be extra vigilant.

  My stomach churned with anxiety, and Vexile’s tongue slipped nervously in and out as we departed. We had agreed to talk to Nichessa in private, to see if she’d agree to be our next ascendant.

  Crossing the arid hills, we all kept an eye out for any Luminark presence. In the distance, I could see plumes of dust and smoke rising from areas that had previously been unoccupied.