Empress's Endgame (Book 5 and final of the Death Incanate Saga)
Title Page
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Empress’s Endgame (Book Five of the Death Incarnate Saga)
Published by H. Lee Morgan at Smashwords
Copyright 2013 H. Lee Morgan
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Prologue
“My Lady, Paola…” Kep cried profusely enough the drops landed on her bloody brow to wash the crimson stains away. Her ancient and youthful body lay in shambles after a confrontation that saved only him, but cost her these final breaths and the loss of his friends, family and people. “What am I to do? I am the last and I cannot seem to stop the bleeding.”
Paola’s one remaining arm raised from her gaping torso to caress Kep’s haunted expression as a mother would console a frightened child. “As in all life, it is now my time to fertilize the land for the next crop to grow strong and bountiful, Kep. My young sapling, it is now time for you to grow out from my shade.” Her voice barely a whisper as coldness crept deeper inside with each fading heartbeat. No longer did pain cause her agony, it was far beyond all feeling other than cold. “You are not the last, but my being harvested will allow me to be with the Wise One again. Flee now. The beast is gone, but it will return. My death will make it stop chasing the mirage. Find the harvester and cultivator… Tell him what happened… before it’s… all… haaa…” her final breath passed and a shuddering roar ripped through the forest as her hand slipped from his cheek.
Kep wailed in agony as new tears flowed and he ran, but his cry was overwhelmed as trees toppled and brush was trampled by the white demon. He knew he had to flee and leave. If his leader, in all her great might, couldn’t make a scratch, what chance did he? Not even the slimmest.
The sense of magic disappeared as he broke through bramble that shredded his cloak. Just then a pale face barely peeked through the trees over twenty feet off the ground as the young third class sorcerer surrounded himself in magic and left the massacre of his village as they made forth their first pilgrimage from the safety of the mist that protected them in the Oak Tree River for over two thousand years. Kep couldn’t get the image of the beast out of his mind, as it ripped apart and devoured his people one at a time and nothing slowed it down. That pale body, three large nostrils, rows of triangular teeth, four legs attached to a spiderlike abdomen and two thick arms with three serrated claws for fingers meant for only eviscerating meat. Out of six hundred mages and nearly five hundred Familiars, it had killed all but him.
Out he came from teleporting to a section of river none but he knew about as tears burst. Alone and hurt, he fought to heal his right arm that bled. Again and again the harvesting of his people replayed, their screams, pleading, being eaten, fighting back. It went beyond a massacre. It was a total and all consuming harvest of flesh, blood and bone. The only moment of salvation was being forcibly moved out of the beast’s line of sight before his leader sent it chasing after an illusion. His leader barely managed to draw it away after everyone was either eaten or could no longer move. It was only the two of them left, but he didn’t see her mortal injuries till it was too late as she collapsed before him moments ago.
“Why Paola?! Why did you lead us in there?!” he shouted and began mumbling. She had felt the use of great magic first and led his people up the side of a forested mountain to discover the source, not realizing what waited beyond it. The greater cultivators determined it was a magical fence, keeping and hiding what lay inside secret, but animals no larger than a bear could leave yet all could enter. Curiosity led to a complete downfall and barely had he managed to pass back through and teleport before being eaten as well.
He curled into a ball to cry and mourn for hours to come.
“I must send word…” Kep sniffled as he brought a ball of light to life in the secret hiding spot and pulled out paper, a finely tipped stick and ink. He grimly dipped the stick into the ink and began the difficult task of writing to one who would kill him likely as soon as laying eyes upon him again. Not knowing what to say stilled Kep’s shaking hand. The images hadn’t gone away and fear unlike anything he had ever felt in his sixty one years made it impossible to even keep it remotely steady. He accessed his magic to delve into the processes of his brain, something he alone had mastered in the entire village, and began excreting hormones and chemicals while reducing synaptic firing in the emotional sections of his mind.
Shaking slowed to a complete stop. Fear, pain, loss, all was reduced to the point Kep desired nothing, his memories were too distant to grasp and affect him emotionally anymore till he withdrew the very specific spells. The only drive left was to complete his leader’s final request. The stick fell to the paper to begin.
‘Harvester and Cultivator,
My name is Kep, a sapling cultivator. Forgive this interruption, but we are the last. Though you might not remember me, not a day passes I do not think of you. A short time you spent in our village, but the impact was greater than your knee breaking my nose as I roused you from the fog’s influence.
After your departure the crops were culled one final time before the fog around our village lifted as winter lost its strength and we ventured out for the first time in two thousand years.
We traveled for several weeks before coming upon a small village by the name of Araa and learned how differently they treat outsiders. They didn’t try sacrificing a single person to fertilize their fields before offering shelter for a short time. We learned some new affairs that had changed in the world, but could not believe how generous they were. I personally was humbled and was able to see why you and that yellow clothed woman were so upset.
As nearly all our people could use magic, Araa requested we venture further north to find out why their neighbor five days away had not come for Spring trading and our wise leader Paola, agreed. We found the village soon enough, but it had been abandoned, or so many assumed.
As we camped, Paola began to feel what no other could, and as the leader with most power, in the morning we followed her as she lead us into untamed forests and mountains. I felt the presence of magic many hours later, where she had the entire time, but now, if you are still reading this, means you believe me.
In our village, we follow Paola, and we came upon a magical barrier of great magnitudes the strength of which I’ve never known possible. We were allowed entrance and all followed her, only to be led to our doom.
Less than a quarter mile in we were attacked by a single white demon with blue lips.
Many tried Jumping out, but the magic we passed through would not allow us such abilities. Those others tried holding it off while our Familiars fought valiantly for a brief moment.
Nothing so much as slowed it down. But when magic was broken, many cried out and clutched their heads as if in great pain, making them easy prey since they could not move. It actually went into a frenzy as it drew our people’s blood and ate them. No magic would slow it and our animal protectors could do nothing. Some ran, but were killed nonetheless. Paola saved me before making the demon chase after a spell of a large, bloody man. The bait worked. Only she gave her life. By that time I was alone and as she died I heard it roar and fled.
Chase was given, but I barely managed to run past the barrier put up which trapped the demon and I Jumped. I barely made it out. Now I sit here writing this so you understand this thing must be slain. This beast is unnatural, too fast, strong and bloodthirsty. It made me feel like grain as it was a scythe.
I wish to speak to you, but considering our first encounter, I would personally risk chances with the white demon again… so I’m sending this. Do what you must, but I’m not asking you avenge us. We do not deserve it. I now see my village’s crimes by what we did to all outsiders who floated in. Others though need to be warned. Should that giant beast manage to escape… horrors I dare not imagine will likely result.
Believe me, Harvester and Cultivator. On the backside of the sheet is the image of the creature and I hope this arrives in your hands.’
Kep turned the sheet over and used magic to make a highly detailed image of the thirty foot tall beast, embellishing nothing as it looked next to a full grown pine and that of a scale proportional human.
Carefully the letter was rolled up as a wooden tube grew from a small cypress sapling’s branch through magical manipulation. The letter slid inside as he broke off the carrier and made a seal from wet clay to harden it all over a fire.
Kep sighed, allowing some emotion to return, but not enough to overwhelm while holding the sealed letter. “With this, I’m finished.”
“You certainly are.” Came a smooth voice from behind. Before Kep could turn around or his heart would resume beating, a horn pierced through his heart as Colm the longhorn bull silently charged. Kep was dislodged against a tree, but half his chest clung to the horn as he looked up in so much pain, everything being too sharp. The night’s darkness did not hinder him as a large man in a white robe came forth and knelt before him. “I will take this if you do not mind.” General Adair said as he plucked the tube from Kep’s numb hand, broke the clay seal and withdrew the letter. “I must say I’m impressed you got away, but unfortunately you saw a bit too much.” The glowing sorcerer’s deep voice and casual tone told Kep he was about to die and join his people and the demon was somehow apart of this man’s ambition. Adair though continued reading the letter. “I do not know this code. Who is it you work for, Young Sorcerer? Who is this Harvester and Cultivator? I’ll end your suffering that much quicker if you tell me. As it is, I’m the only thing keeping you alive.” Which was true as blood didn’t saturate the ground, but he wasn’t being healed and remained in such pain he could not access his own magic. “Come now, I know you can speak if you try.”
“What was…”
“Uh Uh.” Adair waved his finger before the hooded man. “You made me track you down all the way out here. I want my question answered.” And to prove his point he spoke a spell which would allow only truth and immediate answering. The longer silence remained, the greater the pain. Kep’s low threshold had him yell “That is how he is known to our people.”
“Harvester and Cultivator? What backwater village did you come from? You’ve not been to Twilight, but I cannot sense where you come or learned of your enlightened existence. Answer me.”
Now Kep knew where he had now faced danger, but he would not betray his only hope for retribution. Already the pain grew, but he had a plan with minimal success. He bit a tiny pocket inside his cheek that contained thousands of deadly spores ever since his leader made the village do so as protection from situations exactly like this. He barely could draw breath as blood and spores mixed in his mouth before he spat, aiming at the glowing man’s face.
Success proved a failure as a barrier lifted and intercepted the poisonous spit and Adair clicked his tongue in irritation. “Child, you are a thousand years too young to think I’m not protected from every fungus, spore and poison on all of Raliea. Too bad though, you had such promise.”
Kep’s eyes rolled up into his head as the fast acting poison took his life.
“Well Colm,” Adair stood and threw the paper into the fire. “we need to mask the mana output holding my pets. We almost let information slip past our fingers.”
“What are you going to do with him?” Colm snorted and gouged the dirt with a hoof.
Adair lifted a glowing gem. “Oh, he didn’t go anywhere.” It was a soul gem the necromancer used to steal Kep’s spirit before it had time to flee. “I’m going to get my answers one way or another. I want to know where so many mages sprouted from, how they entered the empire without setting off our wards and who this person or persons are that could make this fool risk facing my pet, even jokingly. One way or another I always get answers.”
“Very good, Old Friend. Send me to the Empress. I will tell her of this.”
“That is most kind of you. You may have your choice of slave for tonight’s meal. Mind-link if any further issues arise.” Colm dipped his huge head with one crimson stained horn as he was enveloped in a sphere of pure white light and vanished as he was returned back to Laqura Castle, eager to taste fresh flesh while Adair got started torturing Kep’s soul while on the way to correct issues to the barrier containing all of his pets.
Chapter 1
“Good, that’s it. You’re all doing great… Poli ease up,” Cage said to the silver dragon laying just behind his three stunning women as they sat on a soft cushion just outside the dragon lair. Poli looked at her claw where she held very still while touching Tohka. “her blood pressure is rising and will pass out.”
“Thank you.” The nurturer softly said with her eyes still closed as the growing headache caused by extra mana from her friend diminished.
Cage stood before his spirit mates rigidly, staring at how their mana moved while they sat comfortably erect, taking his advice in using a meditative position. Their eyes were closed, allowing their newly discovered mystical abilities to take over. “Alright, I can tell you are ready to begin again. Remember, to first learn about magic, you must understand your own bodies. It is easier to look into another when learning this. Remember, do not force your way inside me. Concentrate on the sound of my voice.” His awakened abilities watched as the almost translucent strands of magic came right at him. “Slow down, Brooke.” He coaxed and the tremendous green power began to relax. “Meeka and Tohka aren’t as strong as you and too much magic will make their efforts harder. Try to match their output…”
“Sorry, Loves.” Brooke apologized.
“It’s okay.” Meeka smiled, but didn’t relax her concentration. “We’re all a bit zealous about learning magic.” Tohka agreed.
“That is good. All three of you are about the same. Now send it to my mouth. Feel the air I breathe in. How it flows down my throat and into my lungs and is exchanged with stale air my body had used up. How as it comes back up, muscles in my throat vibrate to make waves with which you hear me talk.” The awe on all three of their expressions were genuine. A brief thought and a burst of mana copied their image onto a blank page so he could remember this moment and show them later. It was so fast they barely realized what he did, but didn’t say anything as his new mind could do over four hundred things simultaneously above what is necessary for day to day activities. “Now follow the air back into my lungs and feel how the tiny sacks take it and feed the red blood cells. See how they are pumped through tiny veins that go to more and circulates to my heart. See how the precious air we breathe feeds our mu
scles and organs. The chemical energy makes my body heat. Follow along and see how most of the oxygen feeds my brain. The brain requires the most air, blood and nutrients for it to keep us alive. It is by far the most complex part within our body and is vital to continue living…”
“Love,” Meeka asked as she tilted her head and her loose golden locks tumbled over her shoulder, then she and her sister-mates smiled as they noticed how his heart gave an involuntary kick, realizing why it did. “the brain, in my mind it looks like a violent lightning storm, but I just checked my own mind and it isn’t so… chaotic I can only say.”
“It is my synaptic nerves firing. The reason mine looks like a lightning storm is because my ascension gave me greater access to my full potential. It is how I can do so many spells at the same time as I’m talking to you, thinking to Daku and monitoring the island. I can say with certainty your mind is working just like Tohka’s and Brooke’s brain. Don’t worry about how strong my mind is working. Right now just understand how my body is working. Leon and Colby are working to get you anatomy books to associate with what you are feeling inside me.” He relaxed his rigid posture. “Instead of focusing on the tiny details, follow how my body reacts when its moving.”
Each flinched as he began slowly walking, but followed along, seeing inside him more accurately than any scanning equipment. He walked for ten minutes in silence while making sure Tohka wasn’t hurting. Brooke and Meeka have spent almost all their lives having their mana stolen and had a natural resistance to tiring whereas Tohka recently gained her powers and needed Poli’s help to give her a constant stream of energy, otherwise she’d pass out too soon.
Silence ended as Brooke said “Cage Love, make your lance hard.” and he stopped to see her eyes open, staring those twinkling chocolate eyes right back.
Empress's Endgame (Book 5 and final of the Death Incanate Saga) Page 1