Empress's Endgame (Book 5 and final of the Death Incanate Saga)

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  Sunrise though met with a complication as Cage was roused out of a deep sleep. He and his loves were shaken awake and he opened the door that led to the balcony to find Poli’s profile and one large eye right outside their bedroom door saying “You must come with me immediately.”

  The fear in her voice had Cage asking “What happened?”

  “I do not know.” She admitted. “My mate said something has happened to Sean.” All of his women gasped with great dread at the imagery of a worst case scenario.

  “What did he say exactly?” All feeling of fatigue and sleep vanished. Behind him all three grabbed their weapons.

  Poli’s sense of urgency was just as great. “I know not. He said that something occurred between Sean and one of our kind and that I must collect you and your mates immediately. Go to the tribe.”

  “Is my son…?” Cage asked slowly with balled fists.

  She shook her head, not knowing any more details.

  Then four girls showed up. In the lead was Rena gripping her knife, hearing everything as tears ran down her cheeks. Before another words was said Brooke made a choice. “Loves, go find out what happened to our son. I will watch our daughters and the girls. I will mind-link with Ulon when they are safe.”

  Poli’s dark hand appeared beside the balcony and Cage helped Meeka and Tohka climb in. As soon as they were secure he sprung off the railing and flew all on his own. His mind went through many possibilities and for Ulon to send Poli without resorting to magic, he knew how to bypass to speak, didn’t bode well. In moments he looked over his shoulder to see the dully sparkling beauty right behind listening to her ask “Why did he remain with the other two-leg’s and not in your den?” while also informing a slumbering Daku of the odd awakening.

  Tohka said “He told us he wasn’t feeling quite right, Poli. Said he wanted to listen to the ocean and maybe play on the slides. Oh I hope he is alright.”

  “As do we all, Tohka.” Poli hissed, now able to talk much more easily in this language, but still leaning on the hard to break habits.

  Taller than the trees were several arched necks beneath bright glowing orbs. When some sensed his tremendous power some faces turned in his direction. Of those he recognized Xamii and the newly appointed general Quelek. The bulky soldier stood like a barrier for five dragons Cage hadn’t seen before. But as they approached they found Ulon holding down a much smaller ruby red dragon beneath a single hand and a powerful rose colored dome on the beach where he heard Sean screaming as if insane. They younger dragon thrashed, but could not overpower Ulon. He growled, but still she fought. By the looks of the newcomers it was clear they were her parents, but would not dare pass Quelek. All around the dome barricading Sean stood young adult warriors with spears with the round end aimed.

  Sand blew away in an explosion as Cage landed. Poli wasn’t far behind, but his women couldn’t keep up as he ran to his people. “Metak! What the fuck is wrong with my son!”

  “Raaa!” Sean yelled in a fit of rage none had seen from the quiet boy.

  The man returned to his prime lowered his new spear and met Cage a little ways back and pointed to the dome where Sean’s shape beat powerfully against the dome. Metak held up his hands and held Cage from approaching. “Let us explain, but be prepared for what you might see.”

  “What happened to my boy?” Cage asked as his women stopped beside him with fright as they saw Sean beating against the barrier like a madman. Now though they seen splattering against the wall that could only be caused by blood. “Is that young dragon responsible!?”

  Eyes shifted to the ruby scaled female under Ulon’s grip.

  “Calm yourself and listen.” Metak spoke. “Your son… changed.” The older yet young man held the warlock’s gaze. “This family” he gestured to the five large and worried dragons behind Quelek. “was vowing themselves to Moril when Sean came out to sit with me and hear stories. He got a strange look in his eye and started running at this young red dragon and she to him while her mother was vowing herself to Moril…”

  “What happened, Old Man.” Cage prompted as Metak had stopped.

  “It happened so fast.” The man said and cringed when Sean screamed again. “Before anyone could react, the dragon hit Sean with a blast of red magic. Ulon grabbed her, but then when I and others thought Sean dead as he lay in the sand, he suddenly got up and went mad as if he were possessed. I reached him, but then he threw me as if I weighed nothing and… I cannot quite describe it. He changed. Ulon then contained him as well as her, but they have gone crazy. Both. We want to help your son, but as he is acting I do not wish to hurt him. He has also become much stronger than I.”

  “Stronger than you?” Cage sounded skeptical. “That is hard to believe.”

  Metak nodded. “He threw me by my ankle… as if I were a chicken he caught by the leg.”

  Cage turned to his pink dragon friend. “Ulon, have you tried putting them asleep?!”

  Ulon looked away from his captive a fifth his size. “I have, but each of their minds are flooded with hormones and adrenaline. Such levels are too dangerous if allowed to last much longer.”

  “Then knock her out and let my son go. We’ll figure out what happened.”

  The great dragon used his other hand and pinched a very precise nerve to reduce blood flow to the ruby dragon’s brain until she passed out and ceased her roaring. Her collapse had her five parents roaring in outrage, but as soon as Ulon released her, her father used magic to bring her back and be protected.

  Cage said “Everyone move back.” as he suspected what might of happened and stepped into the path between the two. “Ulon, I’m ready.” He stated as he took a defensive stance alone.

  Then the barrier dropped and everyone gasped in surprise, even Cage, but only he didn’t step away.

  Sean had completely changed, no longer looking entirely human. His shape remained humanoid, but that was all. His skin had changed into ruby red scales that covered every inch of his naked body, even his penis and testicles. Four bloody horns swept out from his temples and curved back. His fingernails grew out into claws meant to eviscerate any and all enemies. His knife remained sheathed to his left forearm, but was furthest from his mind. What was most frightening were his wild eyes. They remained a warm brown, but were now elliptical. His teeth remained the same as they were barred. His hands and body were covered in blood, but mostly around his fists and where horns had grown.

  Those wild eyes shot directly to the unconscious ruby dragon and he roared an inhuman sound from deep within his chest and ran right for her.

  Cage though was faster and before Sean could react, his dad walked right past. There was a loud ‘thwack’ as Cage struck the backside of Sean’s now hairless skull. His brown eyes rolled up into his head and collapsed face first into the sand.

  He then teleported a coil of rope from home and began binding his son completely. Meeka showed up first and said “Is he…”

  “It’s him.” Cage said as he bound the final knot. “Look at that!” he said and as more showed up they watched Sean’s scaly body begin to slowly revert back into flesh. Though the scales seemed to change back, the two sets of horns growing out of his temples didn’t retract. “Call me if he wakes, but clean him up and heal his hands.” She nodded and watched him walk away. In his mind he said “Daku, get Mox’s ass over here right away. I need him.”

  “I have already done so. He was already prepared when he got word from his daughter. He is Jumping there as we speak.” Blackness appeared a heartbeat later and out came the great black dragon. “Send someone to watch over my cubs. I need to be there.”

  “Quelek!” Cage called out and the orange general turned to him. “Go to the aviary and oversee the griffin cubs. Daku’s orders.” The dragon immediately left in a burst of orange light and as soon as Daku made sure they were watched over he was Summoned.

  “What has happened?” Mox ordered everyone as eldest.

  The first to respond was Cage “I believe Sea
n and that red dragon over there are spirit mates.” All jaws dropped and eyes bugged when they realized what he said. Cage knelt back beside his foster son and brushed a cheek Meeka washed with a wet rag. “Hear me out. Sean, as I’ve see with my own eyes, has a spirit mate now and is locked. It no longer moves as it once did. The ruby color matches her scales while if you look at her closely, she has his brown. Don’t ask me what happened, but whatever magic Metak told me she blasted him with wasn’t protected by the wards I put in his gem still in the knife on his forearm. For it to have passed means it wasn’t an offensive spell. The problem lies on what the fuck happened after. From what I saw, both went crazy. Maybe whatever spell she used went awry. Look for yourselves, they have finally seen each other and are bound like all Unbreakables.”

  Those that could see mana and the color of mates, did.

  “Have you ever seen anything like this, Ancient One?” Ulon asked Mox while watching Daku caress Sean’s flushed cheeks with a soft knuckle.

  “Never is it dull here.” Mox said instead. “Xamii, bring two bovines alive here.” She didn’t bother asking why as she simply reared back and flew away. He then looked to the family of dragons. “Have each of you sworn loyalty?”

  One of the four females worriedly said “All, but Ollai, my hatchling. What has she done? Will she be well?”

  Mox leveled his gaze. “She is a Frelim.” All five gasped with wonder.

  “What is a Free-limb?” Moril said as she too checked on Sean.

  “Translated actually means Ollai” Cage said as he stood. “is to be the mother of a new species. Mox, enlighten us about what the hell has been done to my son. Why did he go crazy?”

  The ancient male laid down on his stomach and sighed. “Worry not for Sean Two-legs or for Ollai Rubyscales. Never have I considered Sean’s unique mate’s coloring. I should not have overlooked his mate. Now that they have met it is too late. They cannot be parted for long anymore… without what you just witnessed happening to both again. Never have I met a Frelim, but by Sean Two-leg’s horns, he is hers. This has happened only twice before in our history, but never with a human two-legs.” Those deep black pools looked around the area. “The mating between species was powerful and hard to control. Allow me to speculate on what occurred. They moved to one another as all mates who are Unbreakable do, but then she struck him with magic and a great change altered his appearance more than those horns protruding from his skull. He flew into a rage with another male touching her?” Ulon grunted. “And she fought to get away and to him?” Ulon made the same noise. Mox sighed. “Sean’s binding, by what I’m sensing, has been severed from his partner and has transferred to her. It is now deeper and should one die, both will.” He looked to the parents. “Bring her over and be by his side.”

  “Mox, how is this possible?” Meeka asked as she needed arms around her and Tohka was right there and instinctively knew just what she needed. “How can Sean be mated to a dragon? She not only is much larger than him, but he will get hurt.”

  “Did he have hard scales and claws?” Mox wondered.

  “He looked like this.” Cage made a recreation of his son’s fearsome appearance.

  “I see. Just like in the ancient stories.” Mox spoke more to himself as his ancient mind retrieved the information. “Two times before have such miraculous unions happened, but only one Rare One has lived to witness this. On Valagax, before the second species became sentient. One Draconian was male and the other a female and they bound themselves to the younger ones. They all died when the younger race slew the fated unions and a whole new species before being stopped, but from what I can remember of the story, both the dragons and the others did not want to be mated to their own kind, seeing the other species as better stock. The younger race grew scales and horns to mate their love safely. Like your kind, they were small in comparison to us, but after becoming Frelim they began growing to be a proper mate. It is why I had my daughter collect two bovines. Sean will be hungry as soon as he wakes, which will not be long.” He added.

  Ollai was magically placed beside Sean by her father and everyone backed away to watch as she curled around him protectively in her sleep. Sean remained bound completely, but they watched as crimson scales grew again over his body and he seemed more at ease. Then before their eyes, Sean began smoking before bursting in hot brown flames that cut his bonds. Ollai was unaffected as her long body seemed comforted by it.

  Cage asked “Did anyone see how she worked the spell?”

  “I did.” A large indigo female struggled to talk, but got her point across. “Happened fast it did, but look like Ollai entire being glowed before it flew into the small two-legs. Like her spirit made odd spell and not mind. Never has she made spell so fast. Ancient One, she had first bleed less than a cycle ago. Too young both are to breed… prevent her from laying eggs we must.”

  “That is a given.” Cage said while staring at his son, finding it hard not to soak him with water to stop burning. “Not only are they too young, but neither are mature enough to be parents.”

  As if that were the cue, Sean’s eyes flew open and he growled. The fire coating him burned through his forearm grip as he climbed up on her and crouched on all fours and looked around like a wild animal. Daku moved back and grew several feet taller to put himself between Sean and the young children who had gotten too close.

  “SNAP OUT OF IT!” Cage yelled and Sean’s head jerked to glare at him.

  A slight snarl broke the boy’s instincts and his brown eyes blinked. “Dad? Mothers?” he asked as if far away. “Am I… dreaming?” Cage shook his head and then Sean looked down at his hands and screamed. “DAD!” Sean fell off Ollai and into the sand. “What’s happened to me?!” he looked at his scaly body as tears poured down his cheeks and he tried pulling off all the red scales.

  Cage was right there, grabbing his hard hands. “Look into my eyes.” Frightened brown orbs found it difficult. “You can do it, Kid. Relax and don’t pull at it. You’re using magic and keeping your body like this. Concentrate as I taught you in meditation. Picture in your mind back home curled up with Daku, Rena and Ananna in front of the fire listening to Meeka sing a lullaby to your sisters. Slow your heart and focus on relaxing. And make sure you breathe slow. You can breathe fire now. You’re breathing several sparks and a little smoke.” Which was true.

  “Dad, help me.” Sean cried.

  “I’m going to, but you need to calm your mind. Breathe in and out.” Cage let go and crossed his legs and laid the palms of his hands on his knees. He demonstrated. “Just like at home.” He took a slow inhale. “Breathe in.” ‘Ha’ “And out…” Sean forced himself to follow. “In and out… that’s it. Calm your mind and let your fear be breathed out. You are my son and I know you will get through this. That’s it, in and out.” To further this he made an isolated barrier that cut out all sights and sounds from the outside world. A small white orb floating between them was something to focus on. No waves or talking could come about. “It is just us, Buddy. You and me. Keep breathing. Focus on that and the light.

  Sean followed his dad’s lesson and found it was working. He closed his eyes and continued till he heard. “Now open your eyes and look at yourself.”

  One eye cracked and Sean feared seeing a hand that wasn’t his, but found instead was what he knew. He looked down and touched himself. “Dad, was that an illusion?”

  “Sorry, but do not scream. You can retract very tiny scales into your skin and your claws, but your horns are another matter.”

  “My what?” Sean’s hands reached up and felt the hard pieces of ivory sweeping back from his temple. More tears sprang and scales started coming back.

  “Easy there. You’re using magic again.” Sean required another few minutes to calm back down and rub his now bald head. “Do you remember that dragon you ran at before you woke up?” This seemed to pique his interest. Then he blushed and looked down at himself. Cage laughed and laid both hands on Sean’s shoulders. “Do not be embar
rassed, Bud. It is a natural reaction. She has aroused your sexuality for good reason. She is your mate.”

  “My…” Sean’s new eyes widened and couldn’t bring himself to say it.

  “Yep, she is your true love. It is why you ran for her, not knowing exactly why. She too recognized you. Remember Granny, Daku and everyone talking about Unbreakables? Well yours is sleeping behind me. Don’t bother looking, not until you realize what happened, we will not leave here. Sean, remember them saying how you would mate and not consider anything else? Well you were about to go have sex with her and she you, but she hit you with a spell that did this. She too probably didn’t realize what she was doing, but knew you wouldn’t survive coupling. She hit you with a spell that has made you part dragon. Do not be frightened.” He said to calm his son. “She is a beautiful young dragon and you and I both know you don’t see girls of the tribe like you do with dragons. Yes, I know you find dragons beautiful, but not know why. Well it seems you were meant to be with one. You are not done fully changing, but it seems you can control changing and growing scales. You’re growing an organ the dragons seemed to have between your lungs so you can soon breathe fire. Your lungs are also hardening so you can breathe safely if fire goes in them.”

  “Dad, I’m scared.” Sean admitted as he looked at his shaking fists.

  “You and me both. But what happened has happened and I cannot even begin to undo what has been done. You are bound to her and not the dragon you bonded to earlier. Her name is Olliai and I bet she is just as scared. Tell me how your body feels.”

  “Hotter, but I’m so hungry. Dad, why do I crave raw meat?”

  “Your new dragon appearance most likely. Listen, I’m going to be here for you. Come to me and I’ll do what I can, but I think you will need to work this out with another.”