Kingdom Come

by James Osiris Baldwin

  “And now they’re here. trying to take back what they figure we stole.” I rubbed my face.

  “Yes. Ashur was a hero of his people,” Lahati said. "A human slave who became a mighty warrior, then one of the vampiric guardians of Napath. He is one of the three great Generals who serves the undying Council of the Breathless."

  "He must be here to try and find Matir’s Dragon Gate," I said. "And he’ll apparently wreck the place to do it. He's slaughtering everyone and raising every corpse he makes. Human, animal, all of them."

  "As the Drachan did," she said, sadly. "Those are their very own tactics. How many dead are there?"

  "Probably closing in on sixty or seventy thousand by now. He's using devices that draw life out of the land and turn it into mana."

  "Stardrinkers. They are not enough to fuel an army of fifty thousand." Lahati sounded troubled now. "An army of such a size requires access to a wellspring. But the Great Wellspring here left with Veles. From whence did they come? From the south?"

  “Yeah. They crawled over the southern mountains. The… uhh… hang on...” I checked my quest log, then my map of Myszno when the log didn’t turn up anything. “The Olmus Range?”

  “Ah.” Lahati rustled nervously. “The Olmus… We call them the Harikulade Mountains in the old tongue. That is where my mate makes his rest.”

  “The Dragon Gate is there?” I stood up in alarm, and a rush prickled up along my arms as things I had heard and seen over months came together into a single cohesive picture. "Could the Demon have found Matir already?”

  “It is possible he has found my mate's resting place.”

  I took a step toward her. “So he could be draining the mana from it? Using it to fuel his army?”

  "The Gate channels enough mana, but no... he could not access it. That is not possible. The Spear is with you. Unless..."

  "Unless what?"

  "If what you say is true and the Drachan have an Avatar, they will be seeking Matir and the other Nine, hoping to destroy them while they slumber," Lahati said. "There are three parts to the seal upon the Dragon Gates. The first part is the Triad itself. All six members of the Triad must be present for the Paragons to open the Gate. They must possess both the Spear of Nine Spheres and the Keystone which is bound to the weapon. You possess one of the Keystones, the Ruby which has bonded to your Spear. It locks and unlocks the Dragon Gate of Boundless Strength: the resting place of Khors."

  "Yeah. But I don't have the magic crystal for Matir," I replied.

  "You do not," the dragon said. "But Ashur might. In his hands, it cannot unlock the Dragon Gate, but the Dark Star could still be used to siphon Matir's divine force through the Gate without the need to open it. No Artifact is perfect, no seal is perfect… and Matir is powerless to stop them if they know how to do so."

  "Shit. My bet is that they do. Does that mean they found the Gate?"

  "It is impossible to say." Lahati replied. “With the Dark Star of Endless Night, Matir’s keystone, one would not need to be physically present to draw his energy. Mana in its aetheric form is not bound by distance… it can be called and discharged anywhere. Both the Gate and its keys have powerful misdirection and cloaking magic lain on them, concealing the location of the Gate from those who should not be there. Not even the most powerful maegi to arise from the Age of Aesari or the Age of Humans have ever found them.”

  I set my jaw. “You’re saying that the Keystone can vampirize Matir?”

  “Yes. And such vampirism could be enough to rouse him to nominate a Herald,” she replied. “Should he perish, or should the influx of soul-energy into his Dragon Gate cease, the Caul of Souls could collapse and unleash the Drachan on us all.”

  “Shit. That has to be why the Caul of Souls is so unstable.” My hand clenched around the haft of the Spear of Nine Spheres. “We can't afford another Drachan invasion, especially if what you say is true and they've somehow evolved past the point the Architects had intended. There's only around two thousand Starborn in Archemi."

  Lahati spread her hands. "That is more than what we had during the Great War. Many more. There were only a handful of Starborn in that time."

  That was heartening, at least. But how many of my fellow PCs were psychopaths like Lucien, Baldr, and Violetta? "Even so... if I get this keystone and put it in the Spear, maybe I can stabilize the gate?"

  "Perhaps," Lahati replied. "I apologize, Paragon, but this audience must end soon... my grip on this world grows weak. Ask me what you must while there is time."

  "Two things," I said. "Where is the remaining queen? You said there were three living queens of your bloodline left: Karalti, Usta, and...?"

  "Altan the Golden," Lahati replied. "Whose great, great grandmother took refuge across the ocean, in Tungaant. She and Karalti are the only hope for my bloodline moving forward.”

  "Oh shit." My expression crumpled. "You mean... Karalti's mom is...?"

  "No. Death would be a mercy for Usta. She is not dead, but her mind is no longer of this world," Lahati whispered. "She dwells in other realms now, though her body is still forced to breathe. And breed."

  Her words were like a punch to the gut. I sat back down heavily, cross-legged. "Jesus. What the hell am I going to tell Karalti?"

  "The truth." Lahati straightened, her specter regal even in death. "There is nothing else worth knowing. Karalti is a Queen of my blood. She will find the strength."

  "Maybe." I shook my head. "She never got to meet her mother. She was never able to receive her mantle, and can’t command other dragons."

  The dragon fell silent. I turned to walk away, but then halted as a breeze stirred behind me.

  "When she is ready... bring her to me," Lahati said. "And I will lend her the last of my power. For now, Paragon, you must go back to her. I will assist you."

  Quest Updated: The Queen's Mantle

  You have learned that Karalti's mother is in no fit state to help her daughter attain the Words she needs to manifest into her destiny as a Queen dragon. When Karalti reaches Level 15, bring her to Lahati.

  I accepted the update. “Okay, well… this is a lot to digest. Thanks for helping us, though.”

  "Do not thank me yet," Lahati replied. "You carry both the burden of the Triad and the burden of the Mark of Matir. Many have tried to live up to one or both roles and failed."

  I looked down at the back of my right hand. "What does it mean? To be the Herald of the Hidden Seed?"

  "In truth... I do not know." Lahati replied. "All I know is that before his sacrifice, the only one who bore Matir's mark was I. He bit me upon the neck in our mating flight, marking me forever. It was a touching gift, but one bound with thorns. Our love came with great sweetness and great loss."

  Shadows swirled around my feet, crawling up my legs. Tense, I hung onto the Spear as they climbed higher, enveloping my limbs, then my torso, then my head. The world turned dark, and then the veil parted and a cold, clammy wind gusted from the front of my face, ripping over my helmet. It smelled of water and damp, rich soil, with a hint of something bitter. I was up very high, standing on a narrow ledge in front of a shaft like the one I'd used to crawl into Lahati's Tomb. A glacial valley and rivers spread out far below, their headwaters springing from the mountains that towered on all sides. The sun was a thin red line on the horizon, while the moon was only just starting to sink.

  Hanging in front of Erruku was a tiny, dark, glimmering blob. It was bright, but not bright enough to be a star. It hung motionless in front of the great sphere of Archemi's moon, a dead planet three times the size of this one. Like a bird orienting on its migration route, I knew it was due south.

  I drew a deep breath of crisp, cold dawn air. "'When the Dark Star passes in front of the Moon, journey to the Thunderstones at Myszno, a village in the east of Vlachia'. Did I forget anything, old man?"

  My HUD chimed in reply. Curious, I bought up the new quest alert.

  Quest Update: The Shrine of the Elder Gods.

  Hurry.
>
  Chapter 39

  The sun was high by the time Karalti and I swooped back in over Fort Korona and dropped the Warsinger's knuckle in the middle of the parade ground - right in front of Istvan and his banners, their knights and militia, and Vash.

  The huge hunk of articulated metal crashed onto the stone, scattering hookwings and men with shouts and screeching. I stood on Karalti’s back as she circled around the plaza, then backwinged and flapped hard to land beside it. She lifted her head and bellowed victoriously toward the sky.

  "We did it!" She announced telepathically as I hopped down to the ground. Istvan had turned the color of milk, hanging back as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. I swaggered over to Vash and pulled my helmet off, glaring at him. The monk was watching me warily, as if he couldn't quite believe it was really me.

  "I should kick you in the dick," I said cheerfully. "But hey, it's done."

  Vash didn't look back or search for his friend's approval. To everyone's surprise, especially mine, he dropped to the ground and put his forehead against his hands, then rose with his palms pressed together and touched them to his nose.

  "This man has proven himself through the Rihgung Gulga. Through deed!" He shouted. "Long live the Black God's Hand! Long live Voivode Dragozin Hector - the rightful Claimant to Racsa!"

  [You have unlocked a new Hero: Vash Dorha (Rank A+ Baru Infantry Marshal - Myszno Defense Force)]

  He was met with a stunned, resounding silence.

  "Vash..." Istvan came forward, his face pale. "What are you doing?"

  "Are you a moron? Don't you see that?" Vash pointed at the limp, severed digit lying on the ground. "Use your eyes, Arshak. Tell me what you see."

  "It... looks like... " Istvan squinted, scratching his hair. "Like a finger?"

  "That is the distal phalange - the first knuckle - from a finger of a hand that is approximately the size of that dragon." Vash spoke like someone trying to explain math to a small child.

  Istvan made a small choking sound. He whirled on me, pointing at it. "Are you telling me you killed the thing that this finger belonged to? Alone?"

  I rubbed the back of my neck and shrugged. “Yeah, dude.”

  Istvan turned on Vash. "You said this man is an oathbreaker. You truly believe that he destroyed something with a dist… dest… knuckle of that size?"

  "His status changed, so yes." Vash flashed him a rakish grin. "There’s hope for him yet.”

  “Huadi bekhor.” Istvan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I need a drink.”

  “A drink is the last thing you or your liver needs, Arshak. What you need is a blowjob and a nice lie down.” Vash clapped him on the back, sending the blushing man stumbling forward. “But the troops want to know what is going on, dog. Stand before them and bark your commands.”

  I gave him a small nod, then turned back to Karalti. She dropped her wing and I climbed up until I could look over the crowd of stunned men and women. They fell silent as I leaned out around her neck, holding onto it like a mast.

  "Vash Dorha challenged me to undertake a trial yesterday morning." I lifted my voice to be heard over the rustle and clanking of nervous people, the bustle of the fort and the wind. "He challenged me to go to Krivan Pass, alone, and deal with the creature that was plaguing the shipments we desperately need to survive. This is a trophy cut from the offending monster's body. It was a desperate fight. I am victorious, and shipments will now resume."

  Metal and leather rustled as people leaned in and began to whisper.

  "If this is what one single Starborn can do, imagine what we can do if we all work together. Disciplined, orderly, united!" I built into it, pushing all of the pent-up frustration I'd suppressed into each word. "That great big hunk of metal over there is from the creature that was blocking the pass. If I can defeat that, alone, what can three Starborn do for Myszno? What can we do with Karalti the Black Opal Queen watching over this army? I AM the Herald of the Hidden Seed. I AM the royally appointed Lord of Racsa, and we CAN fucking win this thing as long as you stay with us!"

  As my voice faded, the messy ranks around us shuffled. A few people coughed, others seemed almost embarrassed. From behind me, I heard Vash curse.

  "Ah, fuck!" he hissed. "I forgot the fucking quest update. Hang on... there!"

  [Congratulations! You have successfully completed Reality at All Costs!]

  [You gain +1200 renown (Myszno Defense Force)]

  [You gain one bonus Mark of Matir ability! See your character sheet for details.]

  As soon as the renown hit, a ripple moved through the ranks. For a time, no one moved. Then one pikeman began to bang the end of his spear down on the flagstones. Another one glanced at Vash, then looked to me and Karalti. He joined in… then another, and another, until a rhythmic drumming boomed through the parade ground.

  "We did it!” Karalti reared her head up, her throat vibrating.

  I smiled, and let out a tense breath.

  “Count Dragozin. I am Ur Ghelan." The first officer to step up to introduce himself looked more like a dockyard brawler than a Knight of the Red Star. He was short and squat and built like a ham, with squashed, heavy-set features and an undercut. His armor had taken dents from swords and had clearly seen a lot of fighting. "I and my retainers will fight as ferociously for you as we would for His Majesty. We are not great in number here, but I will vouch for you in Litvy to summon reinforcements if we must."

  [You have unlocked a new Hero: Ur Robert Gehlan (Knight of the Red Star Captain - Myszno Defense Force)]

  "I am Lord Zediwitz!" The man who had lost his corrun to Cutthroat rode up on a different horned equine. He was still small, but less bug-eyed now that he wasn’t looking at the dismembered corpse of his favorite mount. "And even though your accursed bird killed my favorite corrun, I and my Cavalry will join you!"

  [You have unlocked a new Hero: Lord Franz Zediwitz (Rank B+ Heavy Cavalry Commander - Myszno Defense Force)]

  "Thanks." I smiled down at him. "I’m really sorry about the horse. What was its name?"

  “Starberry.” He dashed a tear from his eyes as he rode away.

  One by one, officers and Heroes approached, unlocking their complete hero profiles in my Mass Combat unit and placing them under my command. One representative of every Unit available to the Defense Force came forward – except for Istvan.

  When the last of the officers had come to greet me, I got down and stood to attention: "FOOORM ranks!"

  Every soldier - all three hundred of them - moved to act. They weren't all in sync, some dragging their feet, some putting their hands in the wrong places or letting their weapons lean forward or back, but they coalesced from a ragged mob into a single company.

  I turned to Istvan. “What about you, man? You willing to trust me now?”

  The Yanik's man's eyes flashed, but the glare faltered as he looked to the giant knuckle lying on the ground. "I’m not sure. I have heard that you are somewhat infamous in Taltos, Dragozin. You conspired with a syndicate, and helped them put Ignas Corvinus on the throne.”

  “I prefer the word ‘restore’,” I replied. “‘Restored’ Ignas to the throne.”

  Istvan’s eyes narrowed. “Rumor is that you slew Andrik yourself. That you are a regicide."

  "It's true." I gave a curt nod. "But I wasn’t Andrik’s retainer and he wasn’t my king. He hired me and Suri with no intention of letting us survive the job he never paid us for. He tried to kill us and send Karalti back to slavery in Ilia. By the end, the monster we killed was no longer human. He used magic to turn into an abomination-“

  "What is going on here?!"

  Soma's booming voice rolled out across the plaza as he rode through the northern gatehouse, returning from the munitions and manufacturing center. He only had three retainers today - two knights and a squire. He wore a spellglove on one hand, his eyes blazing with confusion and malice. When his hookwing noticed the Warsinger's finger on the ground, it shied back with a short screee of fear.

>   "What the hell are you all doing here?" Soma demanded. He jerked his hookwing back to sense with the reins, pulling up sharply in front of us. "And what the hell is this?

  "That is a great big middle finger, and you’re welcome to go and fuck yourself with it," I said happily.

  The huge man's face purpled. He shoved his reins to one side and vaulted off his hookwing, shuddering with rage. "First you disobey my orders by vanishing instead of reporting to the Western Wall, then intrude on MY command center to marshal MY banners. And your response is to insult me?"

  "Sure. Why not?" I stared him down. "Suri and I did everything in our power not to pull rank as the Lord and Lady of Racsa, but you’re subject to the authority of the Voivode of Myszno. I’m taking command of this army as of right the fuck now. Soma – you’re fired.”

  Soma began to laugh uproariously. “You? You seriously think you can-”

  “Shut the fuck up. You’re done.” Something black and hard rose in me and bled out in my voice, turning every word into a cutting stroke that lay on the assembly like a whip. “And Istvan? Shut up or show up. If neither of you can't stand the thought of serving under me and Suri, go back to your rooms, pack your bags, and fuck off into the sunset. Everyone with balls and-or ovaries will hitch them up and fight for this province with their lives. Do the same, or I'll recruit better leaders from within the ranks."

  Istvan stepped forward, as if to retort, but Vash caught his shoulder and shook his head. Soma swelled up to his full seven-foot height.

  "Your claim to Racsa is only valid when you have taken the Ducal seat back from the Demon," Soma said coldly. He turned to his posse. "Ur Ferenz! I appointed you Castellan of Korona. Arrest these men for mutiny!"

  Karalti snarled and stood up from where she had crouched, towering over the plaza. She mantled her wings, head swaying from side to side. Ur Ferenz, who was himself a good six and a half feet of muscle, blanched. He edged toward me, but then stopped. "My Lord... I cannot."