Empire Builder 2

by Dante King

  All the same, if she tried something like that, he would just have to take her out as well as the other guards. The fight would be more of a challenge without her help, but he was confident that he and Melody could hold off ordinary guards until Sir Gallant and the nymphs arrived. The first priority was taking out the mage, though.

  After the cool autumn air outside, the stuffy warmth inside the courthouse was a little stifling. An open fire burned in a pit in the center of the room. Smoke billowed in pockets in the roof, waiting to drift out the hole above.

  The smell of smoke combined with the stink of sweaty ogres to make Ben’s eyes water. The ogres jostled in a disorderly fashion around tables to complete their business. Heckled scribes sat behind the tables, patiently attempting to decipher the rude requests of the merchants and slavers.

  Lexi guided Ben and Melody over toward one of the tables to wait in line.

  She leaned into Ben, whispering. “If we don’t see the mage by the time it’s our turn, we’ll have to make a dash toward his quarters back there.” Lexi nodded toward a pair of arched, wooden double doors at the far end of the hall.

  Ben nodded in understanding. They didn’t want to have to explain what they were doing to one of these scribes when they got to the front of the line.

  As they waited behind the rowdy ogres, Lexi nudged Ben in the ribs, pointing toward the far wall. A tall, portly man emerged from the doors behind.

  “He’s here,” she whispered.

  Ben breathed a sigh of relief and inspected Governor Borax. He was human, or at least looked enough like one, but even so he was tall, close to seven feet. He appeared muscular enough to hold his own, even among the mountain ogres who frequented his town. He was evidently a sensible choice of governor for this region.

  If a fight broke out in the middle of the hall, Ben suspected he wouldn’t go down easily. So much for an easy brawl against a wizened, old mage.

  “You still think you can get his guard down?” Ben asked.

  “We’re on fairly good terms,” Lexi said.

  Earlier they’d discussed the idea of Lexi speaking with Governor Borax and hopefully being invited to his quarters. It all depended on how well the governor received the hawkwoman. Ben hoped no news had reached him of what had happened to the other mages back at his tower.

  As Borax walked in their direction, Lexi broke out of the informal line they’d been standing in, as if just recognizing the governor.

  “Borax, sir,” she called out.

  She stepped forward, catching the big man’s attention. His eyes narrowed as he tried to place Lexi’s face.

  “I’d hoped we might meet again,” Lexi said in a cheerful voice.

  “You’re one of the bounty hunters from the south-west,” the mage said slowly, his booming voice overriding the savage chatter of slavers all around them.

  “Lexi, the Sunstone Cleric,” Lexi replied, unabashed.

  “The hawkwoman,” Borax said, recognition coming to his eyes. “You were with Adremor last time I saw you.”

  “That’s right, sir. Now I’m on a private bounty mission with my assistant, Ben.” Lexi gestured behind her.

  “A pleasure, I’m sure,” said Borax, looking over at Ben briefly. “Well, I must say, it is good to see you again.” He lowered his voice. “I get a bit starved for intelligent conversation around here, to be quite honest.”

  “I can imagine,” Lexi agreed.

  Ben and Melody came to stand behind her.

  “Well, do come in,” Borax said, waving his hand to his quarters behind him. “Come and tell me your news, I’ll have the servants pour a mug of ale each for us.”

  The mage seemed more amiable than Ben had expected. No doubt as he said, he didn’t get much intelligent stimulation from the brutes he was surrounded by.

  He and Melody followed Lexi into Governor Borax’s private quarters.

  Chapter 8

  Thick hides were draped over the doors to Borax’s quarters, blocking out much of the drone of commerce from the other side. The interior of his chambers was less smoky and dirty than the rest of the hall.

  Borax motioned for Lexi and Ben to be seated on the benches to either side of the large wooden table in the middle of the room. He might have been the governor, but his furnishings were still rustic, skulls of animals and other such knick-knacks scattered about the room. Borax himself had a large wooden chair adorned with intricate carvings. Despite the humble surroundings, the chair was befitting of a man in charge.

  The wooden walls were a richer shade of brown than elsewhere, mostly because they were cleaner. Here as well, a plethora of skulls, antlers, and other paraphernalia from dead monsters hung on the walls.

  Melody looked on longingly as jugs of ale were brought for Ben and Lexi. As a slave, she had to stand to the side and wait. Ben felt bad for her, but that didn’t stop him enjoying every drop of the fresh ale. He planned to take full advantage of the mage’s hospitality for the short while that it lasted.

  “So, tell me, Lexi, what news can you give me of Adremor?” Borax said, wiping beery foam from his upper lip with the back of his hand.

  Ben cautiously examined the governor’s face when he heard that question, but he didn’t see any suspicion on the man’s features about what might have happened to Adremor. So far, they were safe.

  Lexi had a ready answer. “We split up only a couple of weeks ago in order to hunt more efficiently. Where he is now, I could only guess. I was half-expecting to see him here.” Her tone was completely casual as she spoke of trapping and enslaving monsterkin. No doubt that was a response she’d had to practice.

  “I wish you success in your endeavors then,” the mage replied. “And what of that other mage that was with you, what was his name again?”

  “Uzax,” Lexi said, disdain in her voice.

  “Distasteful fellow, isn’t he?” Borax muttered over his beer. “I’m all for taking advantage of monsterkin, but the way that fire mage does it is truly repulsive. He gets so close to those dirty creatures.”

  “It’s repulsive trying to work with him,” Lexi agreed.

  “I’m sure it is. Well, if you ever grow tired of hunting in the forest, come and see me—I might be able to make you a better offer.” The governor waved a hand at the commerce chamber behind him.

  “Most kind of you, sir. I’ll be sure to remember that,” Lexi said.

  “You are not another mage then, I take it.” Borax turned his gaze to Ben.

  “Not yet,” Ben replied. “I’m working with Lexi while I learn the skills required for my occupation.” He derived a small amount of pleasure from hiding the truth in plain sight.

  “Allow me to give you a small word of advice then, if I may.” Borax took another swallow of beer before continuing. “Don’t get tangled up with monsterkin. Filthy creatures, they’ll turn you into a madman like Uzax if you’re not careful.” He shook his head, as if perplexed why anyone would willingly deal with them. “I swear, the man is going to get himself in over his head if he insists on continuing to cavort with those creatures.”

  “I’ll be sure to bear your advice in mind, sir,” Ben said. That was definitely true. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be letting the mage know exactly what he thought of such advice. And Ben had to do his best to suppress a smile at his knowledge that, yes, Uzax had gotten himself into trouble due to his treatment of monsterkin.

  “It’s a difficult task I have, running this thriving establishment.” The big man sighed in self-pity. “We run a tidy profit here, but the slavers can be such a nuisance to deal with.”

  Lexi nodded sympathetically. Ben was warming to her more and more seeing how skillfully she played the governor.

  “And you have a slave of your own to sell, is that right?” Borax flicked his eyes up at Melody. “Not a monsterkin, by the look of it. A catkin? Those can fetch a high price, particularly for those who are interested in the less monstrous looking ones.”

  “That’s right, sir,” Lexi re
plied. “The guards at the gate wanted to make me get a permit before bringing her into Brekmarth. The bureaucracy really gets on my nerves sometimes.”

  Borax waved a hand dismissively. “Mine too; I wish we could do without the dreadful stuff. I’ll have a word with them next time and secure an exemption for you. It’s not often I get to enjoy conversation with a partner as intelligent as yourself. You’re quite remarkable for someone of your kind. I’d almost think you were human. Perhaps you have only a little of the beastkin taint in your bloodline?”

  “Perhaps,” Lexi said, and it was clearly taking all her self-control to remain passive.

  “And what is this slave of yours good for?” Borax asked, glancing at Melody once more.

  “Not much, to be honest with you,” Lexi said. “As far as we can tell, she is almost talentless. She does appear to have some domestic skills, however.”

  “She’s not as ugly as some of the other beastkin, either,” Borax added, looking Melody up and down.

  “Those paws of hers can give a fine massage too,” Lexi said.

  Borax’s eyebrows went up slightly at that. “I could do with a massage myself. The cares of running this outpost leave one feeling quite exhausted at the end of the day. Believe it or not, yelling at braindead ogres all day has a way of leaving one feeling most worn-out.”

  “Go on then, girl,” Lexi said, looking at Melody. “Give good Borax here a massage.”

  “That would be delightful.” Borax sank back in his chair. “It’s good you came along just now.”

  “Indeed,” Ben agreed. “Perfect timing.”

  He looked into Melody’s eyes as he said that. Her purple eyes flashed back at him. She knew what to do.

  Ben was impressed with how deftly Lexi had handled this interaction. She’d gained Borax’s trust, got them inside his personal quarters, and now had Melody standing right behind the mage, giving him a massage. Such skillful diplomacy could be useful to him in the future.

  Melody began rubbing the mage’s tired shoulders with her nimble fingers, working into the muscle and finding knots of tension. Borax sighed and sank back in his chair, closing his eyes.

  “Heard anything about those towers that popped up recently?” the governor asked. His tone was casual, almost as if he was asking what the weather would be like the next day. Evidently, he didn’t expect the towers to concern him in his remote outpost.

  “I don’t get much news when I’m out on the trail,” Lexi replied. “I was as surprised as anyone else when I noticed their peaks among the clouds.”

  “Those crazed mages in the capital are always experimenting with some weird magic or another,” Ben remarked. He didn’t have any personal experience of this, but he suspected from what he’d heard that it was a safe assumption.

  “As long as they keep their experiments away from my trading routes, I’ll have no complaints,” the mage said. His tone was getting drowsy as Melody’s massage relaxed him.

  Melody reached down to her belt and pulled out the key to her null lock, deftly switching hands a couple of times. She was careful to keep the massage smooth and not arouse the mage’s attention. She knelt down and swiftly undid the null lock, scooping it up in one hand.

  Ben’s body tensed up as he readied himself for action. Melody poised behind the mage. One hand was rubbing the muscles in his neck, the other held the open null lock.

  A vast store of mana became visible in the mage’s body, as Ben concentrated his Drain spell, ready to strike. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lexi tensing up as well. Melody looked at Ben, waiting for a signal.

  Ben gathered all his mana, ready to cast Drain. He gave Melody a nod.

  She took her massaging hand away and brought the null lock forward. Borax opened his mouth to ask what was wrong. Melody snapped the null lock around his muscled neck and pushed the ends together.

  The null lock was tight. It pinched Borax’s skin between the two ends, blood trickling down the mage’s neck.

  He cried out in shock, his hands shooting to his collar. “What is going on?” His eyes were wide open. He put his hands to his neck, feeling the iron circlet around it, but still not comprehending what had happened.

  Ben got to his feet, looming over the mage. “Borax, you are my prisoner now, and I intend to drain you of your magic.”

  The mage’s eyes filled with anger as he sat up. “What is the meaning of this? I invited you into my quarters, and you are attacking me? I’ll have the guards on you for this.” His voice sounded choked.

  He opened his mouth to shout, but Melody put a hand under his chin and forcefully closed it for him, shushing him. He thrashed in his chair.

  Ben swiftly drained a chunk of the mage’s physical energy, causing him to slump back in his chair. His eyes filled with fear.

  “I am Benzhameen, the Forgotten Ruler, returned to bring justice to my Empire.”

  The mage opened his mouth and tried to spit what were likely invectives at Ben, but Melody kept his mouth closed to stop him crying out.

  “You are going to suffer for allowing the slave trade in this forest,” Ben told him. “And because I want your power.”

  Ben started draining Borax’s magic. His mana overflowed, and he transferred some of it to Melody. Borax had a deep well of mana to drain, and Ben was determined to put it to good use.

  As he kept draining, he heard the hide drapes behind him rustle. He turned and saw a servant sticking his head through the doorway. Without hesitation, Ben reached out a hand and drained most of the servant’s strength until he collapsed.

  “Quick, Lexi,” he said.

  Lexi darted over to the doorway and dragged the servant inside.

  Ben had too much physical strength inside him now. He could feel it throbbing in his muscles, his bones. He knew that if he wasn’t careful, he’d cause more damage than he needed to. Ben could easily imagine accidentally snapping a neck like a twig when he only meant to incapacitate.

  Ben closed his eyes and passed some of the strength to Lexi.

  “You’ll need to be ready in case anyone else comes in,” he said. She nodded, then clenched her fists, letting the power flow through her.

  He returned to draining the governor of his magic. The governor’s face had begun to turn blue, and his breath was wheezing as he struggled with the null lock that squeezed his neck.

  The feeling of magic filled Ben’s veins and gave him new energy. It was the same feeling he’d had when he’d drained Lexi, but even more potent.

  As he drained, he saw several messages informing him that he’d acquired new spells.

  New Spells Acquired!

  Gust

  Wail

  Blitzblade

  He looked forward to seeing what those spells could do. He kept on draining the mage of his mana until his entire mana pool was empty. The organ shriveled up and withered, like Lexi’s had, but he drained even more.

  The mage was staring at him with wide eyes. He groaned in agony, despite Melody’s clamped grip on his jaw.

  “This is just the beginning, Borax. I’ll be coming for the rest of this town before long.”

  Ben felt no remorse as the mage struggled for breath, and he saw none on the faces of the two women either. The governor had happily sanctioned trading innocent monsterkin as slaves, and he cared not for the treatment of them either.

  “Shall I keep holding him here?” Melody asked.

  “No,” Ben said. “I need that null lock, and we have to get the jump on the soldiers outside before they realize he’s dead.”

  As Ben said that, Borax thrashed feebly, spittle flying from his mouth, and his eyes wide in terror. Ben reached forward and grabbed the sides of Borax’s head.

  He paused a moment. This was more up close and personal than he’d ever been before. But another look at the remnants of monsterkin skeletons proudly arrayed on the wall behind took away his hesitation. With the strength that pulsed through him, he twisted his hands to the side and snapped the mage’s ne
ck. The mage was dead instantly. Ben let go of Borax’s head, and the mage slumped forward, his head landing on the table with a dull thud.

  “We don’t have long,” Ben said. “Melody, grab the null lock.”

  Ben started searching the chambers for anything they might find useful. He was about to give up and leave, when he spotted a large chest in the corner of the room. It was locked, but his stolen strength allowed him to pull the lid open, the metal lock twisting and breaking.

  Ben rifled through the chest. Mostly clothes, various finery all cut to fit the mage’s large physique.

  But underneath all the clothing lay a longsword. The wide blade’s sharp steel shone in the torchlight. The hilt was plain. It wasn’t a very flashy sword, but it looked sturdily made. Ben felt its weight in his grasp. While he still didn’t have much skill with the weapon, this one sat nicely in his grip.

  He drew his scimitar from its sheath. “You take this, Lexi. Can you wield a sword?”

  “Well enough,” she said, taking the blade.

  Ben approached the drapes and peered through into the commerce chamber outside. So far no one seemed to have noticed what had happened in the room behind.

  The hall was still filled with ogres. None of them looked as formidable or hardened as the mountain ogres they’d rescued the nymphs from, but Ben still didn’t fancy taking on a whole room full of them in close quarters. Better to get outside first and see if they could enlist the help of the monsterkin.

  They could try walking through the room, but if anyone asked why they were emerging without Borax, or looked inside his quarters, the game would be up.

  “Surely Borax has another way of getting outside, without passing through the hall,” Ben said.

  “There are no other openings in the wall,” Lexi commented, looking around. “He probably didn’t want anyone coming in without warning either.”