Chimera King Box Set Books 1-3

by Atlas Kane

  He slammed into the ground and tumbled through the brush. Somehow he managed to keep hold of his axe, though at this point, it wouldn’t do him much good.

  He struggled to his feet, legs shaking, and stared back. The creature swung at Cade with a balled fist, and he triggered his new ability, Wyrm’s Wrath. He rolled, his body shooting to the side with incredible speed.

  Anger crossed the creature’s face. The gargantuan primate looked as if Cade had stolen its lunch. It brought its arm down again, hand open, thick claws tipping each finger. This time, its aim was too precise, its attack too quick to dodge. Cade fell backward, falling to the ground. All he could do was grimace.

  Then a pulse of energy, a blue rippling shockwave rebounded through the air before his face. A moment of confusion passed, but then he remembered. The boundary! I made it to the boundary!

  And as if his success were a personal insult, the creature opened its mouth and screamed at him in rage. Its tremendous bulk shook with repressed violence, and its eyes shone mad in the moonlight. Cade had never seen anything so terrible in his life.

  Horns rose above its head, framed silver in the moonlight. Though its frame was in the rough form of an ape, he could see bony appendages protruding from its shoulders. Combined with its horns, the beast looked like it wore an immense crown. And why shouldn’t it? This creature is the king of this world.

  It turned away and crashed through the forest. A minute later, when he could no longer hear it running, a malevolent roar shattered above the forest. Cade somehow knew that the beast was not issuing a threat, but rather a very personal and sacred promise.

  7

  The Intrigues of Incredible Hygiene

  Cade woke below the magical street lamp that burned soundlessly at the edge of the golden city. His body was stiff, a combination of soreness from the previous day’s exertions and residual scar tissue, a side effect he hadn’t known about. His rapid health regeneration worked miracles though. The stump of a new ear was already grown back from having been bitten off by a frog monkey. Regrowing tendons and muscle, though, seemed to be a more complex endeavor.

  He examined his axe, noting the full mana battery at its base. Not a single ding marred the metal, and he wondered if it were some kind of steel or a mystical alloy that couldn’t be damaged. No way to tell, so he pushed the thought away.

  Traveling into the city again and requesting an audience with the eloquent and uptight Vormer was the plan, but before he did so, Cade summoned a chunk of meat and ate till it hurt. He still couldn’t get much past the halfway mark, but eating five sixteen-ounce steaks in a go was pretty impressive. Cade tried to recall the meat into his inventory, but it wouldn’t work. Apparently, having consumed part of it made it less than one unit. He set it down in a sticky pile below the lamp and tried his best to wipe his hands.

  Images of trickling streams and massive goblets of water filled his mind. He was most definitely dehydrated. Cade snagged up his axe and began strolling through Tanrial, hoping to see a fountain that wasn’t pissing out brass-colored water.

  After a short walk, he did so. A simple fountain, just a small stream of water pouring out of what appeared to be a human with the head of an eagle. I am sorry, Mr. Hawk, but I sorely need to bathe. Cade drank his fill, the water spilling down his chest, dirt and blood mucking the water below. But before he’d had his fill, five guards sprinted up to him, spears flashing in the morning light.

  “Step away from the fountain! Commandant Vormer requests your presence in the Great Hall.”

  Cade thought to argue, but the facelessness of the guards’ masks and the not-so-subtle positioning of their spears made him reconsider. Easy, fuckers. I’m a near-naked dude who’s outnumbered. Holding up his hands, he sighed out a cloud of frustration, allowing himself to be escorted through the city.

  He’d wanted to drink until he felt satisfied, wanted also to bathe the night’s gore and filth of the forest from his body. Instead, he came before the rigid and repressed figure of Commandant Vormer once more. The lion angel man was sitting in a chair that looked like a throne, a goblet of some dark liquid and a plate of fruits before him.

  “Please, won’t you sit down? I was so pleased to hear you had survived the night outside of the barrier. Few manage to return to the city before nightfall.”

  By the tone of his voice, Cade could tell distinctly how much the man hadn’t wanted him to survive. So, I’m a nuisance now, huh? Wonder if this guy has any actual friends or allies. “I did make it, though it was close at the end. Do you know anything about a huge ape creature with horns? I think I pissed it off.”

  A flicker of surprise registered in Vormer’s eyes, and his mouth perked up to one side. Great. Now I have to believe this prick can smile? It’s almost like he’s a person. “The Kotani Ma is its name. The kotani are a species of great ape, powerful and fearless. Ma is a title. He is their leader, and is by far the largest and strongest among them. To have seen the beast and survived is more impressive than surviving the jungle.”

  “Yes, I can see why. About the quest. When I checked the details it said the Quest Rewards were unknown. In fact, the difficulty was too. Do you know anything about that?” Cade said, a bit of his anger leaking through.

  Vormer laughed, an almost shrill and disdainful thing. If anyone gave out awards for pissing people off with a single sound, this man would take the gold medal.

  So much for humor being a base impulse, Cade fumed. Then again, maybe there’s an exception if you only laugh to be an asshole.

  When he spoke after, all hint of humor was gone. “The Burning God saw fit to test you, Caderick Shelby Clarke. Since you have lived, I must admit that Aten has some purpose for you yet. If it were up to me, I’d have killed you yesterday. Believe me, the task would not be a challenge. Just because you’ve gained a single level doesn’t mean you aren’t vermin here. Do not forget your place again.”

  Cade bit his tongue, letting the pain ease his rage. Making this dude hate you will either get you killed or else lead to some other messed-up quest. So instead, he smiled and bowed his head. “I understand. I’m exhausted, need water and a bath, and do not know my place here. I almost feel as if I don’t belong at all, in fact, so please forgive me.” Go Charisma Attribute. That was sly!

  And though Vormer didn’t release his butthole’s death grip, he did seem mollified. “I do have another mission for you, one of great importance. Having slain the Nilgathi drakeling, a reward is in order. First, however, please accept the hospitality of Tanrial. My guards will lead you to a place where you can get cleaned up and get dressed in clothes more fitting one who follows the Burning God.”

  The man turned away at that, giving Cade his back so assuredly that his dismissal was obvious.

  Another short trip through Tanrial brought Cade down into a vast chamber. As they descended, the guards came to a shimmering door, or a portal maybe. No wood or stone blocked the way but an opaque and luminescent wall of light. And to nobody’s surprise, it was golden.

  Cade paused a few moments, looking around at the guards who were now standing in a tight rank, silent and inhumanly still. These guards do not play around. Vormer must vaporize them for giggling, poor bastards.

  Not seeing any other option, Cade strolled toward the portal. But before he could pass through, one of the guards held out his hand, blocking the way, then gestured at Cade’s blast-axe. “No way, man. Sorry, but this is coming with me.”

  In a voice as cold as steel itself, the guard answered, “By orders of the Commandant, none shall enter the royal baths with a weapon in hand. It shall be returned to you afterward.”

  He wanted to argue, insist he had a right to personal protection, even in the “royal bath,” but he was tired and knew he wouldn’t win. So Cade thrust out his axe, shoving the guard back a step as he did so, and walked through the portal.

  Within, the light permeating the chamber was hazy, a thick fog of mist filling the air. The smell of lemons made the air s
mell fresh and vibrant. And some burning herb, like sage and pine oil, pulled away much of the weariness that clung to Cade’s body.

  Two women walked up to him as he came to a stop at the edge of a pool, its surface covered with smoke or steam or both. He stilled when he noticed neither woman was dressed, their sleek bodies dripping condensation. Shapely breasts swayed and jostled before him as they strode forward.

  By the majesty of every seventh-grade fantasy, what the hell is going on here? Cade mused, his thoughts in a daze. Did I smoke some fantastical Antinium herb? Or is this really happening?

  The woman to the left had full breasts and dark cinnamon-brown nipples. Her body was beyond shapely, a slight curve to her muscular belly, below which stood two thick and powerful thighs. Her skin was streaked wet, and she grinned at him as he took in her form, a quirk to her smile as if she knew exactly how deliciously painful this was.

  The woman to his right stood tall with a lean and graceful body like a deer. Her eyes were a golden yellow, flitting around his face nervously. He thought he noticed something peculiar about her hair, and then he realized that she had feathers woven into the auburn locks. Not as ornaments, but growing from her scalp. They were lovely, soft-looking things that had a copper sheen in the glow of the light that suffused the bath.

  In a professional, brusque manner, Cinnamon girl tugged at the leather of his belt, unfastening the only piece of modesty left to him. The other poured a bucket of hot water over his head, drowning his protests.

  Cade sputtered, gasping. He could wash himself, thank you very much.

  As they lifted another bucket, he held his hands out, trying to fend them off. Yet when he did so, his hand accidentally brushed against the tits of Feather girl.

  He caught a glint of fear in her eyes, and embarrassment shot through him in a pang. Not wanting to be perceived in the wrong light, Cade lowered his hands and closed his eyes. He made a silent promise that from now on, he’d hold still and cooperate.

  But they weren’t just here to drench him. He choked down a gasp as soft hands touched him, washcloths in their grip. His eyes flew open wide to take in the two women now massaging away the blood and muck that clung to his chest and neck and face. But it wasn’t careless or hurried, though maybe he’d be more comfortable if it were. These girls took their time wiping away every speck of grime, and every time the washcloth slipped, their fingers stroked his tingling skin.

  Cade swallowed hard and couldn’t decide if this was heaven or not.

  Cinnamon girl lifted a bucket, her brows raised as if to ask if he’d behave this time. Feather girl tried to hide a smile behind her hair, but he saw it. Smirking and put at ease, he closed his eyes and waited. The only permission she needed to pour the water over his head once more.

  Suds ran down his body. He kept still and blind as the women ran their hands over his chest, shoulders, and stomach. Cleaning off the last of the suds.

  He exhaled when they were finished. There. That wasn’t so bad. He could do this. Maybe even without a painful boner.

  Cade opened his eyes and nearly groaned.

  Another woman had joined their little group while he’d been waiting.

  She was short, just about chest height, and had the taut and springy body of a gymnast. And she stared shamelessly into his eyes. Glancing lower, only encouraged by her impish grin, he saw the mound of her sex covered in a fine velvet that shimmered golden.

  Not all that glitters, but I’ll be damned if that is not gold, Cade thought and swallowed hard.

  As she picked up her own washcloth and kneeled before him, Cade’s eyes snagged on the faint ripples of muscle in her shoulders and chest, the way her small breasts curved up into sharp peaks.

  He wanted to put his mouth around one of them, pull it in between his teeth.

  That thought wasn’t going to help him stay in line. He held his breath when Cinnamon and Feathers joined their companion on their knees. The process of cleansing moved to his lower half.

  Cade gasped, trying to maintain some semblance that this was all quite normal. That is, until a hand swept between his thighs, removing the last barrier of privacy he had left. Now I know the gooch is clean. That’s awesome. Was really worried there for a bit. Cade winced in pain and pleasure as another hand, slippery with soap, grazed the outside of his thigh.

  Feather girl was not frightened of him anymore. And though he wanted to explore her sensual frame more with his eyes, he averted them, knowing she was the one who he’d touched, who he’d frightened.

  The top of the women’s heads were frighteningly close to his groin as they scoured his legs, feet, and ankles. And it was all too much, far too provocative an engagement for Cade to fully suppress a reaction. One of the women giggled. Two of them nudged each other, grinning. Cade wasn’t sure how he managed to stay upright, but finally, they rinsed him.

  He nearly collapsed in relief when they all rose to their feet. Feather girl smiled coyly and gave the side of his cheek a playful slap before the three withdrew and disappeared back into the mist.

  Cade stood, rigid as a tourney lance, and blushing madly. At least I’m alone now, he thought, before the sound of approaching feet came to his ears once more.

  Before he could be accosted again, or worse, laughed at for his display of arousal, Cade tromped into the nearest pool. He gasped at the dramatic shift in temperature. It was like stepping into a river of ice.

  “By the hairy nuts of my father!” he shouted, the frigid water swirling around his legs. But he forced himself to sink lower into the pool, concealing himself, and at least grateful for the extinguishing of his flaring attentions.

  Feet padded gracefully by him, a figure swirling through the mist. The women came to this person as well, and again, a splash of water spilled over someone’s head. Cade couldn’t see who it was. Who knows? Maybe the golden lion decided to see what a Terran’s cock looked like. After this ice bath, not much.

  The women scrubbed faintly at someone else’s body in silence, Cade trying his best to survive the punishment of the ice pool. What kind of sick people are these that think cold baths are relaxing? He did have to admit though, that the water was having a positive effect on his body. The dregs of the pain he’d felt coming into the city evaporated from the healed wounds on his legs and torso.

  That’s what ice baths were for. The NFL and other sports organizations back on Earth always had frigid water available to their athletes, a way to sap the inflammation from their bodies as quickly as possible. Yet by the time the newcomer finished, a final bucket of water splashing down through the porous floor, Cade was nearly shivering.

  The person stepped into a pool just a few feet away, and at the chance curling of mists, he saw that it was Ketzal. She nodded to him, and clearing her throat, said, “Is it customary for people in your world to take cold baths? I usually prefer the hot, unless of course I am injured.”

  Cade scrambled for a response, and thankfully the mist hid his reaction. “We love hot baths, mostly. I…” Fuck it. This woman didn’t give a shit. “I freaked out when you came in and jumped into the nearest pool. Now I feel like my toes are going to fall off.” There. I was honest, at least.

  He thought he heard a laugh, stifled by good graces and a hand, but he wasn’t sure. The entire room seemed to hum faintly, a sound he hadn’t noticed at first, but which seemed to permeate the air with a subtle vibration.

  “It may be wise of you then to come to my pool before you lose anything… essential.”

  Aware that the full majesty of his manhood was quite diminished, Cade took the offer anyhow, slinking to the hot pool and trusting that the mist would give him some privacy. Everything further than three or four feet away was hazy, so he felt confident she would only see the glow of his pink, shining ass as he plopped in.

  Immediately, the hot water washed over his legs and body, and he felt a deep tension in his chest relax. He groaned, no longer giving two flying fucks who thought what. The water was exquisite
. A perfect temperature, if you liked it hot.

  Cade couldn’t handle hot tea or hot food in his mouth. His tongue and lips burned easily, so he was always waiting around for coffee or soup to cool, back when he was on Earth at least. But his body, thankfully the same here in Antinium, could withstand ungodly temperatures.

  “Better?” an amused Ketzal asked.

  “Infinitely. Thank you for telling me. I’m so stupid and stubborn I would have stayed in there until I died.”

  She did laugh this time, though it was still soft, held back. After a time, he grew conscious that she too was most likely naked, and he recalled the perk and jostle of her ass when she’d led him into the city for the first time.

  Those thoughts were going to lead him nowhere savory, so he sat up and tried for conversation. “So, I am a human, from a place called Earth. I chose the Chimera Lord class. You probably know all that by now but, if it isn’t super rude to ask, where are you from, and what do you do?”

  A faint swish of water told him she’d moved, but when Ketzal emerged from the mist a few feet away, he had to try not to gasp. By everything holy, this woman is a goddess.

  No, Cade. I am more like a demoness. At least that is what you would call me, being from Terra.

  He did gasp now, looking around, but settling back on the round, smiling face of the woman before him. “Did you just…”

  “Speak in your mind? Yes. And I am sorry, but I can also hear all of your thoughts. I’m flattered you think I’m attractive. Some of your other thoughts were quite interesting as well, but I promise, I do try to repress most of what I hear from other people. If I didn’t, the onslaught of information would be quite overwhelming.”

  Again, he noted how she averted her eyes, somehow afraid of connecting with him too directly. It made him sad to think of how she might have come to such a habit.