Chimera King Box Set Books 1-3

by Atlas Kane

  “That is gangster! Love it, Gemma. What do the others do?” Cade asked.

  The woman shifted back, still staring down at her forearms. “Hidden Threat allows for increased stealth when specifically setting an ambush. The best part is that it affects an entire ambush site, up to fifty feet by fifty feet, enemies within will be less likely to discover an impending ambush. And First Blood makes my first attack from an ambush triple damage. It says nothing about ranged or melee attacks, so I think my bow will count!”

  The implications of the deadly upgrades all of them were receiving made Cade’s mind spin. Suddenly, making an assault on Tanrial might not be so far away. If not for the disadvantage of numbers, he might have suggested they go immediately.

  It was Ketzal’s turn next, Cade insisting several times that he would be happy with whatever she left behind.

  He was surprised when the woman immediately went for the bulkier shield. She lifted it up and seemed to stare into the space before her, no doubt reading off of her UVS. The demoness bounced in place a moment then held it aloft. “This one is mine then!”

  “A shield? I did not picture you as the warrior type?” Satemi said, not trying to be insulting but honestly curious.

  Ketzal shook her head, horns flashing gold in the sun. “You must see it to understand. This will help Bellows as much as me.”

  Faith Guard’s Bulwark Shield Level 6

  Secondary Weapon System

  Damage Reflection - 80% of all Damage Intercepted

  Damage Type - N/A - Defensive

  Attack Speed - N/A - Function Affected by Wisdom

  Mods: Brick Bones (Corrupted), Dauntless Block, Wall of Faith (Corrupted), Stamina Restore, Bulwark’s Blessing

  The demoness told the group exactly how cool her new shield was. Starting with Bulwark’s Blessing, Ketzal explained that she was able to erect a shield of mana that protected her as well as everyone in her party within twenty feet. It only blocked 20% incoming damage, but considering she could apply it to Bellows himself, the advantage would be remarkable.

  “Dauntless Block is great too, but will only help me. It blocks a single attack, reducing all of its damage to zero, and even works on skills. The Stamina Restore should be helpful too. I can target a single ally and greatly restore their stamina. That same party member can’t be restored more than once in a day, but imagine, we could ride Bellows at a near sprint for an hour. Then I could use the skill, and he’d be fresh as spring rain again.”

  Cade marveled at the woman’s lovely face when she spoke, watching her lips move and articulate each thought. What struck home though, what made him want to stand up and kiss the woman, was how she’d thought almost exclusively of others when selecting her weapon.

  Ketzal sat back down, resting her shield against her shin. “Your turn, Cade. It’s only the ring, but why don’t you try it on and tell us what it does. I didn’t even look.”

  “Well I did, but I honestly don’t know what it means,” Satemi admitted. “We might need to ask Pablo to explain.”

  Striding forward, Cade picked up the ring and slid it on his finger. Then his eyes went wide. “It’s a weapon!” He chuckled malevolently, pointed his fist toward a stump, ring outward, and willed it to activate. A fist-sized ball of power shot out and slammed into the wood. It didn’t explode, but rather sunk in and ate away at the wood slowly, almost as if it were acid.

  He inspected the item, excited to see the rest of its details.

  Defender’s Ring of Manipulation Level 4

  Primary Weapon System - Force Ring

  Base Damage - 80% of Max Damage

  Damage Type - Magical

  Attack Speed - Instant

  Recharge Rate: 32 seconds (Intelligencescore 18)

  Mods: Shield Bend, Mana Sponge, Force Blast (Corrupted)

  “Okay, so Shield Bend is weird. It says that I can shift or reshape any existing mana shield. I’ll bet whoever had this item chose a class specifically designed to defend Tanrial’s force shield. How insane is that?” he explained, tempted to send another blast out of his fist. He still had more time left before it was recharged however. “Huh, and Mana Sponge is honestly even stranger. I don’t know exactly what it means. I’ll read it word for word.

  “Mana Sponge: Allows wearer to absorb ambient or concentrated mana. This effect may deprive another of using a particular weapon or skill as well as increase the rate of recharge for primary weapon system. 1-hour Cooldown.”

  Closing his UVS, Cade looked around him, a bit dumbfounded. “What do you think? So like, if Minda uses her dagger-summoning skill, I can use Mana Sponge to steal the mana powering her skill? Useful, but odd.”

  Suddenly, Ketzal stood up in a rush, kicking over her shield. Her mouth was open, eyes wide. Rather than explain her revelation, she called out to their demon helper. “Pablo! Come quick!”

  The purple demon formed in the air above the fire. In a lazy voice, he asked, “What do you need, young demon? I was retelling the story of my battle before an audience of peers.”

  She flapped her hands at Pablo, a gesture which reminded Cade very much of an impatient wife. “Hush now. I’m over five hundred years old. Besides, who really cares, Pablo? Look at Cade’s new ring. And please, tell me it means what I think.”

  Pablo eyed the woman suspiciously, and Cade knew he was about to argue that five hundred was very young compared to five thousand. Cade was wondering if he was okay with sleeping with an ancient-ass grandma like Ketzal, but considering her banging hips and epic thighs, he figured he could make an exception.

  Then the demon gasped as she had. “Yes! Caderick, don’t you see? This item may be able to cure your friend Sholl. Try it at once. Worst-case scenario is his condition won’t change at all.”

  The group ran to Sholl’s tent, Cade in the lead, and opened the flap. Inside, the reptilian man was as pale as a fallen leaf. All hint of crimson had been leached from his scales, and only a bit of yellow remained. His chest rose and fell haltingly. It was quite apparent, the man was dying. In the center of his chest, a festering group of boils clustered, each glowing with the faint blue of concentrated mana.

  Sighing, Cade held up his ring, closed his eyes, and triggered Mana Sponge.

  A wave of cold power swept into his fist and traveled up his arm. He shivered and opened his eyes. As he watched, he heard gasps behind him, echoing his own. Threads of blue mana continued to pull free of Sholl’s sternum. In a few more seconds, the ring pulsed once, then it was over.

  The boils remained, but the mana that burned within them had vanished.

  “Move aside, Cade! Quick!” Minda hissed. She ducked around him and was tipping a Health Tincture into Sholl’s mouth. A thread of color wound its way into the lizard man’s face. He coughed a few times and opened his eyes.

  “What happened? I feel… different?” Sholl said, still weak but eyes clear of pain for the first time since they’d helped him remove his shattered armor.

  Cade activated Restoration of the Grove next, and Sholl inhaled deeply, yellow and orange flushing his scales. He sat up, smiling and rubbed at his face.

  “We found an item that absorbed the mana from your body. You are healed, Sholl!” Ketzal explained, pulling him into a firm hug.

  Minda shooed everyone away, giving out commands for jungle wine and platters of fruit to be prepared. Then as Cade walked away, dumbfounded and relieved, he chuckled to himself as the beastkin woman fussed over Sholl’s amplified recovery. Herbs were shoved in his mouth along with a second Health Tincture.

  Feeling still in shock, Cade sat down on a log bench heavily. He wasn’t sure what to do, but was just grateful that the single guard they’d saved from Vormer’s influence wasn’t going to die, not outside of some future event at least.

  Then Satemi slapped him hard on the back. “Get up, Cade! We will drink tonight, and heavily. You should let your worries go. After all, you’re to bed your new wife!”

  The woman took a deep swig of the strong
wine then handed him the skin. She watched until he too tipped back his head and drank. She laughed, loud and brazen, and though he laughed with her, his response was due as much to the absurd luck and joy of having saved Sholl’s life as it was to the nerves he felt when his eyes locked with Gemma’s, standing across the blazing fire with a smile on her face and hunger in her eyes.

  20

  End to the Friendzone

  Satemi was a schemer. She was always up to some new project, trying to invent new ways of improving their lives. Like so many of her other creations, the latest batch of jungle wine was magnificent. It reminded Cade a bit of Sangria but stronger. As he took yet another pull off the wineskin, he felt the vaporous fumes of the drink leave his mouth as he sighed.

  “It will be a fine night, I am already sure of that,” Sholl said. The lizard m

  an had consumed much of the wine as well, and though it was nice seeing his color and the spark in his inhuman eyes returned, Cade was concerned. Can reptiles handle their liquor? he wondered, but felt it was a bit rude to ask.

  Cade hated to be the one to bring them all back down to Antinium, but he remembered they’d forgotten something quite important. “Hey, everyone. It is good that Sholl is here, so he can vote as well, but we need to choose Bellows’ next skill. He has three choices, but of course only one can be selected.”

  Minda stood up with a crooked smile on her face and took another pass at the wineskin. “Okay, Mr. Business,” she said after wiping her mouth on the back of her arm. “Summarize what the choices are and we’ll vote.”

  “Fine idea. Okay, nothing new from last time. Maybe when he levels again we’ll see a new skill offered. There’s Boundless Sprint. He can travel 50% faster for five minutes, and it has a thirty-minute Cooldown. Would be a whole lot of fun, and probably useful the more we head back and forth around this world, but I think it’s not that important.”

  “Hold your opinions, Cade. The council is having a vote,” Satemi teased, snatching the wine skin from Minda’s hands.

  “Yes ma’am. The next is Cavalry Charge, making all of his attacks more powerful for thirty seconds while Bellows charges. And the last is Hell Roar. That one can inflict Cowered on enemies standing within thirty feet. It depends on their level and Wisdom Attribute whether or not they are likely to be affected.”

  Ketzal smiled wickedly, raising her hand. “May I present my argument to the council?”

  Satemi stood and bowed low. “Of course, venerated one.”

  “My vote is for Hell Roar. Not only could it sway the balance of a close battle, but the name is quite appealing. I have to admit, I really want to scream out ‘Hell Roar’ when riding atop Bellows.”

  Everyone laughed, admitting it would be an awesome thing to hear.

  “Agreed,” Minda said.

  Satemi spoke next, “Agreed. And not just because Ketzal likes it. There’s no limit to how many enemies could be Cowered by the skill. That could be devastating.”

  Gemma, Sholl, and Cade threw in their votes as well, and big Bellows, lying belly-up a few dozen feet away, snoring like a drunkard, got his newest upgrade.

  Cade apologized for dampening the mood and was punished by taking another pull on the wine. Everyone passed the bag around afterward, and the laughs began to roll out once more. Thinking of upcoming conflict wasn’t a great way to start a party, but the villagers of Camp Casmeer were of a mood to move on and enjoy themselves for once.

  They were all somewhere between tipsy and flat-out drunk as well, and everyone sat around the fire, enjoying the warmth of the flames and shared company. Minda broke in, singling out Sholl. “Tell us, what was your world like? Did your people have great celebrations or ceremonies?”

  Sholl bobbed his head, reminding Cade of a scaled bird. “Of course. But nothing like this. Fire, for one, was outlawed. The sheer waste of resources involved in burning wood made the practice illegal for centuries. Yet we were quite advanced at chemical manipulation. Once a year, the Celebration of Lights was thrown. All of the new couples formed their pheromonal bonds in the sight of their family and neighbors. Then we mixed batches of phosphorescent chemicals that turned the night sky into a dreamscape.”

  “Wow, that sounds amazing!” Minda said, the alcohol adding enthusiasm to her words. “What happened next? An unrivaled orgy?”

  Ketzal considered the question seriously along with Minda, but the other two women scoffed at such an idea. Sholl just laughed. “No. We never engaged in such activity. We bond to a single mate, sealing the union by aligning our pheromonal signatures. It is not possible to procreate with another that isn’t your mate. Yet, when the song and dance was over, all of the couples would retire for some private fun, yes. Exactly sixteen weeks after the Celebration of Lights, the year’s largest brood of eggs is laid.” The lizard man laughed at his last admission, and Cade joined him. Imagining everyone in a city all getting pregnant at once was pretty hilarious, though inconvenient as well.

  “Oh my gosh, music! We need to make new instruments soon,” Minda complained.

  Satemi rolled her eyes. “There are other concerns. Yet, I promise I will make something for you soon. A simple drum shouldn’t be too hard.”

  “Pablo! We need you,” Ketzal said, her sudden summoning of the demon helper causing them all to look at her quizzically. Rather than explain her intentions, she asked the demon politely, “Do you have any forms that are musically adept?”

  “Music? Well, perhaps I do, but I am an ancient and wise creature. You cannot summon me simply to play you all a tune.”

  Gracious as ever, Ketzal soothed Pablo with simple flattery. “It is just that I know demons excel in all of the arts. That is why we often act as muses to the human world. I am not used to this new body let alone my voice. But what about you? Have you ever found occasion?”

  Pablo perked up a bit, and he reformed into a creature none of them had seen before. It looked like a squat toad but for the fur growing on its back. It had six legs as well, and a long tail that wrapped around its body. The demon blinked a few times, then spoke to them in the queerest of voices. “This is a Najteem, a creature known for its soft pelt as much as for its dozen set of vocal cords. Even though they are simple beasts, without society or technology, their songs are infamous throughout the cosmos.”

  The dog-sized creature began by inhaling an absurd amount of air. It filled its chest and bulging neck sack until it had grown twice its original size. Then a deep and pervasive bass note filled the air around the camp, vibrating Cade’s skin and making his legs want to move. The tone broke into a steady beat, a thump, thump, thump, that immediately pulled Minda to her feet.

  Responding to the woman’s excitement, Pablo added two new chords, shushing ticks that sounded like a beatboxer’s attempt at treble. Gemma stood up as well, trying to imitate the fluid dance that Minda was employing, and Ketzal watched with a huge grin on her face.

  At last, Pablo started the actual song. Having a beat and rhythm to follow, the other nine vocal cords in the creature’s throat chirped, hummed, and sang the most complex song any singular creature could conceive of. It reminded Cade of an organic mixture of techno and opera, something so achingly beautiful that he simply stared and listened.

  Surprisingly, Sholl stood and struck an oddly hunched pose before his feet began stamping out an erratic dance. Minda and Gemma laughed, encouraging the display. For a couple of minutes, the lizard man shook the ground with his manic celebration, but then stopped, bowed low to the ground, sweeping his hand across the red soil in an odd salute, and sat back down next to Cade.

  Finally, when the song broke away into a more predictable and catchy tune, Ketzal joined the others, her hips liquid and undulating. Satemi refused until Minda physically hauled her up. Cade felt sorry for the warrior, thinking she might not be accustomed to dance. Yet when she gave in and joined them, her feet and arms found the beat quickly and easily enough.

  The women danced, their variegated forms moving to the mu
sic in distinct ways. Is there any better way to get to know someone’s past than by watching them dance, Cade thought, the booze making him introspective.

  Feeling a sudden kinship with the man beside him, he spoke from his heart. “I’m sorry, Sholl. I didn’t exactly choose to be with these women, not exactly. I honestly feel guilty. Maybe when we free the others at the city, you might find someone who appeals to you.”

  The lizard man shook his head, still smiling as he watched the women leap and twirl. “No, Cade. My body has been formed anew, so technically I can choose another. But I lost my mate over a year ago, and still, I cannot imagine moving on with another. My body is one thing, my soul another.”

  “That is romantic as hell, Sholl. Here, another swig?” Cade offered the wineskin, and happily, Sholl took it.

  They sat together and admired the vitality and joy of the women as they expressed themselves in the oldest and purest of art forms. Minda moved in the most relatable fashion, the most Terran. She moved her pelvis and stamped her feet in perfect timing, her arms accenting each motion. Her muscles flickered in the firelight, rippling beneath her coat of white fur.

  Ketzal beside her was a study in opposites. She was constantly in motion yet moved so consistently and fluidly that it appeared like she was floating and swaying with an unseen tide. Her hips lifted and turned, and her breasts shifted with unparalleled beauty.

  Satemi danced at a more staccato pace, thrumming the ground with her feet, finding a different rhythm within the complex song to dance to. Her face was pulled into a heedless smile, her teeth white against the burnished bronze of her skin. She whipped her head side to side, the thick braid she always wore swinging about her.