Empire Builder 2

by Dante King

  “I intend to put a stop to the trading of slaves in the north,” Ben said. “No more monsterkin will suffer at the hands of the Xurian Realm if I can stop it.”

  Sybil’s face hardened. “Then let us help you. We may not have waged war before, but our desire for vengeance has been awakened.” She smashed one hoof against the other. “The ogres will pay.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Ben said. “I could use your help. In that case, I want to discuss our strategy.”

  “Excellent,” Sybil said. “I will see that my people do whatever we can to assist you.”

  “What do you have in mind?” Melody asked.

  “I’m thinking of keeping Brekmarth as an outpost,” Ben said. He looked at Sybil. “Some of your people look human enough to deceive slavers at a distance.”

  Sybil frowned. “What are you suggesting?”

  “Oh,” Melody exclaimed. “I think I know what you’re planning.”

  “I want some of your people to stay here and keep running Brekmarth as a trading post, just like it was before.”

  “You mean, my people will welcome the slave traders into the town?” Sybil looked concerned.

  “They will welcome the slave traders in, but none of them will ever get out again,” Ben explained.

  Melody looked at Ben with a proud smile on her face. “You are taking to your new position well.”

  Sybil smiled too. “So, we will capture the slavers when they enter the town?”

  Ben shrugged. “If you like. Or you can kill them. Or make them your slaves.”

  Sybil laughed heartily. “That is justice indeed. I think I like you already, Benzhameen.”

  “The feeling is mutual,” Ben assured her.

  “And what of the slaves they bring?” Sybil asked.

  “Free them,” Ben said. “If they want to stay, they are welcome, and any help they can offer will be rewarded. But if they want to leave, they are free to go.”

  “You are a good ruler, Benzhameen,” the aurochwoman said. “A bull among bulls, as my people would say.”

  Ben chuckled. He wasn’t sure what she meant, but it sounded like a compliment.

  “But wait.” Sybil frowned. “What if these slavers come to burn our town, as they did to us once before?”

  “I will come back here to fight the slavers myself,” Ben said. He glanced at Melody. “If you fear an attack, create smoke signals; we will see them from my tower.”

  The catgirl nodded. “We have a device that will allow us to travel back to Brekmarth immediately. Your people will be safe.”

  “I also intend to help your people fortify this town,” Ben said. “My knight is patrolling Brekmarth now, assessing what needs to be done.”

  Sybil nodded approvingly. “You seem to have planned well for this,” she said. “But who should be left in charge? I still want to see this tower of yours.” There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she said this, making Ben wonder if she was flirting with him.

  “The two aurochkin I gave spells to - can they be left in charge?” Ben asked.

  “One is only a boy,” Sybil said. “But the other is already a grandmother, and a wise woman. I think she could be trusted with this duty.”

  “I’ll leave her in charge,” Ben said, “and later I can give spells to other members of your tribe.”

  Imogen approached them. “I can stay too.” She must have been listening in on their conversation. “I know much about fortification, and how to use stone for defense.”

  “That’s true,” Ben said. “Imogen would be a great help.”

  “That’s settled then.” The aurochwoman nodded. “I will bring some of my people to the north to assist you, and the rest will remain here to defend this town.”

  “We’ll be able to recover a lot of plunder and stop the slavers,” Ben said. “Your people will be vital to my in putting an end to the slave trade here.”

  “It will be an honor for all of us, I assure you,” Sybil said. “But what about the other inhabitants who live here?”

  “I’d almost forgotten about them,” Ben said. “I’ll speak to them now and see what they want to do.”

  “I’ll show you to them,” Melody said.

  They travelled to a corner of the square where a small group of beastkin were huddled. Fear emanated from them. Eyes tracked up to him as he approached, as if the monsterkin understood that their fate, whatever it might be, was in his hands.

  “These are sheepkin, from the mountains near the oreads,” Melody said, pointing to a dozen or so wooly people to one side. “And these are adderkin, a kind of snake kin.” Melody swept her hand toward three thin figures to the other side.

  The sheepkin were portly, wool sprouting from all over their bodies. Their faces were elongated, their eyes set on the sides of their heads. Their teeth were clustered at the front in close rows. A couple of them were black from head to foot, the others were white.

  The adderkin were tall and skinny, with narrow green eyes. They had no hair, only scales. Forked tongues flicked in and out of their mouths. Their stubby limbs were long enough to be functional, but no longer.

  “Sir, I understand you are the new ruler of Brekmarth.” An old man, one of the sheepkin addressed Ben. He had the most enormous, bushy sideburns Ben had ever seen.

  “I have captured this town,” Ben said. “But I want to be clear that you are all free to stay or go as you please—you are not my slaves.” This time he tried anticipating that problem before it came up.

  “That is kind of you, good sir,” the old man said, no small measure of relief in his voice. “My name is Bramin. I am spokesman for the beastkin of Brekmarth.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Bramin,” Ben said. “I am Benzhameen, the Forgotten Ruler returned.”

  Bramin’s eyes looked like they might pop out of his head. “Ba-ba-ba- pleased to meet you too.” If there had been any doubt what sort of animal this beastkin was, that noise would’ve done away with it.

  “Now, I have several questions for you,” Ben said.

  “Of course,” said Bramin. “Anything for the one who gave us our freedom.”

  “Firstly, if you wish to stay in this town, I will need some sort of contribution from all of you.”

  “What…what sort of contribution?” There was fear in his voice, and Ben could sense Bramin was wondering what the true price of his freedom might be.

  Ben decided to put his mind at ease. “Nothing too extreme. Just a small contribution to help my greater efforts. Tell me, is it your wish to stay here?”

  Bramin turned to look at his companions, who all nodded. “We have no other home, my lord. But I’m afraid we can only offer the wool off our backs. The wool grows regularly, to be sure, and we are skilled at weaving cloth.”

  “That will be more than enough,” Ben said. “I’ll have you speak to the monsterkin I have placed in charge later. You can negotiate the exchange there.”

  “If it pleases you, my lord,” one of the adderkin, a female by the looks of it, spoke up. “We can offer you leather, made from the hides that we shed. We can also offer poison, useful in the manufacture of weaponry.”

  “Excellent,” Ben said. “That will do nicely.” Already he was imagining what uses he might find for these resources.

  “Thank you for your kindness, my lord,” Bramin said. “We will be sure to meet your demands promptly.”

  Ben smiled kindly. “I don’t doubt it. I want to assure you all that things will be different under my reign. None of you will be hunted or enslaved again. And if my plans come to fruition, you will soon see justice being meted out to the Xurian Realm.”

  A cheer went up from the beastkin.

  Ben looked at Bramin again. “I have one other question. Are all the inhabitants of Brekmarth here, or are there any others that haven’t yet been found?”

  “There is one, my lord,” Bramin said. “If it would please you to follow me, I will show you to her.”

  The sheepkin man led him to the
trapdoor leading back into the courthouse. Melody and the nymphs followed too. There was a passage that branched off to the side. They had not noticed this passage on the way out. It led to a deep pit underneath the courthouse.

  “I was steward of Brekmarth before the mage arrived with his men,” Bramin explained, taking a torch from a sconce on the wall. “It was my job to know of all the secret places.”

  They arrived at a wide, open chamber, pitch black except for the glowing light of the torch Bramin carried. Chained to the center of the chamber, hunched over close to the ground, was a giant woman. She looked to be at least seven feet tall, and thickly muscled. Her skin was covered in filth and her hair was matted.

  “Oh, dear,” Vinata said. “The poor thing.”

  “Is it safe to bring this woman outside?” Ben asked.

  “She is harmless, my lord,” Bramin said. “She is a gentle soul, so long as you treat her kindly.”

  “Bring her out and get her washed up then,” Ben said.

  “We’ll take care of her,” Lulu said.

  A short while later, Ben was waiting outside, healing the remaining infirm monsterkin. The nymphs led the giantess to him, washed and clothed, in giant leather garments.

  Ben saw that her features, though large, were beautiful. Her bright red eyes were soft and gentle. Her skin was dark, and her hair was the rich crimson of a wood stove burning in winter.

  The giantess approached Ben, timidly. “You are the one they call Benzhameen?”

  Ben nodded.

  Her face softened, a small tear trailing down her cheek. “Thank you, Benzhameen,” she said. Her voice was, while deep, still unmistakably feminine.

  “Of course,” Ben said. “Under my reign you are all free. None of you should suffer as slaves.”

  She wiped her tears away, and her expression hardened again. The giantess inclined her head. “You are a… strange kind of ruler.”

  “Could you tell me your name?” Ben asked.

  “My name is Lucile. I am a fire giant,” the giantess said.

  “I’ve never heard of a fire giant,” Ben said.

  Lucile looked surprised. “You’re not from around here, then?”

  Ben chuckled. “You could say that. And what do fire giants do?”

  Lucile straightened proudly. “I am a smith. I can forge all manner of weapons and armor.”

  “Really?” Ben said. “That could be very useful.”

  “I’m afraid I will need some time to recover my strength,” Lucile said. “The slavers treated me quite poorly.”

  “Take as much time as you need,” Ben said.

  “That is kind of you,” Lucile said. “I would be glad to work as a smith for you once I am better, if you will have me that is.”

  “That would be a great help,” Ben said. “You can stay here and work if that suits you.”

  Lucile broke into a smile, lighting up her face. “I would like that very much.”

  A little while later, Ben stood at the gate of Brekmarth, ready to depart. Sir Gallant the Elder was staying behind to oversee repairs, as was Imogen. Lulu, Vinata, Melody, and Lexi were returning with Ben, along with the children, Sybil, and several aurochkin.

  “I will be back as soon as the defenses are built,” Imogen said to Ben. Her white eyes gazed into Ben’s.

  “Don’t be too long,” Ben whispered back to her. He leaned in. Imogen met his lips with hers, and they kissed briefly but passionately.

  “Don’t let the eggs hatch without me,” she said, as she turned to join the monsterkin.

  “Benzhameen! Benzhameen! Benzhameen!” The beastkin and monsterkin gathered in the marketplace cheered for Ben as he and the women left for the north.

  Ben carried the null locks and the portal stone, which would have to be placed in the tower before he could use it to travel.

  Ben glanced back with pride. They had gained an entire outpost in a strategic position to the south, and rescued over a hundred new members of his empire. It was a great start to his reign. Now it was time to build his power further so he could face whatever force was waiting for him in the other towers.

  Chapter 12

  Ben and the others returned to the tower exactly three days after they’d left it. Ben was pleased to see the place just as they’d left it. The great glass gates were firmly sealed. As they passed by the entrance to the dungeon, not far from the tower entrance, however, Ben sensed something he hadn’t felt last time.

  Ben stopped. “It almost feels like there’s a presence here that there wasn’t before,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” Melody asked. She stepped closer to the stone slab, which they had left closed. She froze mid-stride. “Oh, yes I see what you mean. That doesn’t feel good.”

  “It feels like death,” Ben said. “I’ve never felt death in that way before, but that’s the first thing that comes to mind.”

  “Well, you have been killing monsters in there, haven’t you?” Lexi observed.

  “We have,” Ben acknowledged. “But I never sensed anything like this before. It’s like the tingling feeling I get when my mana is being restored, but this is the opposite. As if my insides are being attacked.”

  “We did sense something like this behind the locked door, didn’t we?” Melody asked.

  “There was definitely something not right about the atmosphere down there,” Ben agreed. “But even down there it wasn’t this strong.”

  “What is this place?” Sybil asked. Her aurochkin companions stepped away from the stone slab with wide eyes and flared nostrils.

  “This is one of my ancient dungeons,” Ben explained. “They are places of great power, but I do not have complete control over them anymore.”

  “Do you think we need to investigate that presence now?” Vinata asked.

  “The slab is sealed,” Ben said. “Sir Gallant the Younger assured me that it is impossible for anything to get out of the dungeon from the inside. I had it designed that way. That’s right, isn’t it?”

  Sir Gallant the Younger, perched on Nipper’s bony skull, bobbed his head up and down in a nod as he tried to balance. “No monster produced by the dungeons could ever break that seal. It will be safe as long as we keep it closed.”

  “Good,” Ben said.

  “We’ll need to investigate it later though,” Melody said.

  “I agree,” Ben said. “We’ll do that first thing when we’re next ready to fight in the dungeons.”

  They made their way back to the tower. Ben’s monster children gave the stone slab a wide berth, eyeing it suspiciously.

  “Meet me in the tower crown,” Ben said. “Lexi, come with me. I need to return you to your cell for a little while.”

  “Yes, my lord,” Lexi replied, looking down. Her voice was heavy.

  “We’ll meet you at the top,” Melody said.

  Ben decided to check on Uzax once they got to the bottom level. He didn’t take any pleasure in sadism, but it did give him a tinge of happiness to know that the wizard was getting a small taste of justice.

  The irascible Pyromancer lunged at the glass door when he saw Ben, his withered hand flapping uselessly on the end of his arm.

  “Let me out of here, fool!” he shouted, spittle trailing down the glass. “Your death is assured, but if you are wise enough to release me now, there’s still a chance I’ll make it quick. Believe me, you don’t want even a moment of the tortures I’ve been dreaming up for you while trapped in here! And not just you, all those bubble-headed tarts that follow you around like puppies!”

  Part of Ben had regretted what he’d had to do to Uzax. After all, Ben had never considered himself a sadist, and took no real pleasure in the torture – it had simply been a means to an end. But hearing the Pyromancer threaten his wives… that was another story.

  “Keep talking,” Ben said, his voice thunderous. “And you’ll soon have the pleasure of figuring out how to eat and drink with two withered hands.”

  Uzax wisely kept his mouth shut, in
stead narrowing his eyes at Ben, pure hatred burning in them. He still had food and water, so Ben left him without another word.

  He brought Lexi down to her cell as well. “I’m afraid I have to lock you up again for now,” he said. “I have to consult with the others before granting you your freedom.”

  “How long, my lord?” Lexi asked.

  “It won’t be long. I haven’t forgotten what you did for us in Brekmarth. I want to reward you for your loyalty.”

  “I want to be free to cultivate my magic, so I can continue the fight against those slavers.” A fierce light blazed in Lexi’s eyes. There was no doubt to Ben that she was being honest.

  “It won’t be long,” Ben said. “My empire is not a democracy, but it is a family. I think it is only right to consult with the other members before I give you back your freedom.”

  “You are still the head of this family though, are you not?” Lexi smiled slyly, hinting that he might simply make a unilateral decision right there, on the spot.

  “I am,” Ben said. “I intend to free you. Don’t worry, it won’t be much longer.”

  She nodded, resigning herself to his mercy. “I will wait for you,” Lexi said.

  Ben guided her back into the cell and locked the door, though he didn’t bother with a null lock now that she had no magic. That was something he intended to rectify soon. For now, it was time to meet with the rest of the family and with Sybil to discuss their next move.

  Ben stepped into the elevator, and it rumbled up to the first floor of the tower. Everyone was waiting for him when he opened the door.

  “Will we meet in the dining hall?” Melody asked.

  “No,” Ben said. “Come with me to the third level. There’s a room there that I think might be suitable, if it is available.”

  Melody, the nymphs, and Sybil joined Ben in the elevator. Sir Gallant the Younger balanced on Sybil’s broad shoulder.

  “Where are the children?” Ben asked.

  “Mostly sleeping in our bedroom,” Lulu said. “They’re exhausted after such a long journey.”

  “They are very young,” Ben said. “They need their rest.”

  “Nipper and Pearl are in the kitchens,” Melody added. “They’re more hungry than tired.”