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

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

Fire Mountains though were appropriate to be named as over sixty were actively gushing lava volcanoes. Many times it was seen that dragons collected the molten land spewing out and used it as building material to further enrich the colony and continue expanding. Living here was harsh and those that did were even more fearsome. It was no wonder why dragons who lived in Fire Mountains were so powerful and dangerous. They lived beside the most dangerous force on all of Raliea and made homes. Rex Nattan lived in the highest volcano of all, a place where human’s would suffer hypoxia in minutes and die from a lax of oxygen within an hour. The powerful Rex couldn’t spare time to visit as he was away on important matters with his new partner, King Skylar, at Castle Emroc. Rex Heesan though was available for a few minutes and so far his colony was making adequate progress in their move to their temporary home within the Fire Mountains’ greater defenses.

  By the next day from the active volcanoes, and flying in air not tainted by sulfur and ash, they viewed Misty Way, a fertile land used to grow many thousands of acres of crops as well as grape vines to make their famous wines.

  Castle Emroc was seen at a distance and all the Utala decided to not spend a day there since already they missed their loved ones greatly and wanted to get home as soon as possible.

  The Tribal Plains were a different matter. They spent an entire day looking at the grassy plains and especially took some time seeing where they once lived now under the control of another war tribe. Many young trees were replanted around the lake to breathe life back into the scorched land the Utala razed in their retreat from an army that swept through their home. Few buffalo roamed, those that managed to escape the clutches of the ravenous appetite of the ten thousand troops that once crossed. Many were sad at how their once lush territory had been decimated, but were heartened at the new tribe’s efforts to breathe life back into the land and tend the small herd till it was throbbing with life. By now, the buffalo would not be hunted unless old age came upon them.

  Until herd populations rose, the villages would not hunt.

  Many troops were deployed all over in preparation of war about to start up again. Emroc was on alert and readying for fast deployment.

  And the long twenty one days were also productive. Every woman could now do magic longer and stronger than when they first learned. Their new partners were also great teachers. Moril was proud as she levitated a rock for an entire twenty minutes without requiring to draw from another source. The first time she could barely make it rise for thirty seconds without resting. Many women had also constructed rather complex wards, surprising many of their partners.

  Day by day friendships grew.

  Meeka now boasted she was a better healer than her man, which wasn’t a lie since she spent every spare moment learning of a person’s body, asking questions and reading every night when she wasn’t having sex. And when she was ovulating she was rather demanding, riding him without chancing his seed might spill. Brooke and Tohka were fine for those three days, wanting to be together anyway. Meeka only got off his lance to relieve herself and made sure her womb was saturated with his seed. The four of them were a bit disappointed when her moonflow started. She shrugged and said they’d try again.

  Her dedication to healing was so impressive she could heal even a single cancerous cell in an animal, even before he could. The boar was eaten, but it was perfect for her to practice and prove she could heal much more efficiently than Cage. She re-grew a leg, reattached a severed hoof, expressed poison introduced from a dart coated from the secretion of a poisonous frog. Her natural talents and being raised as a healer made her magical talents finally bear fruit.

  Tohka wasn’t as great a healer, but she wasn’t helpless. But between them, Tohka could withstand the pain created by the glass orb for five minutes as it gave off an angry reddish low, before giving up. Meeka still could barely withstand the full strength for ten seconds. Tohka though had become adept with her whip, using it with more confidence and deadly accuracy. Once she even tied Brooke up and together she and Meeka ravished her and she could not resist.

  Brooke though was now using deadly spells to extreme effect. She could heal well enough, but her talents excelled in both talents in stealth as a huntress and the ferocity of a warrior. Unfortunately one spell backfired and she literally blew her foot off on Ulon’s back, but Meeka already learn the skill of teleporting and was at her side the instant she heard her woman’s cry of pain. Meeka healed Brooke’s mangled stump by fixing an entirely new foot. It took less than a minute for the healer to help her love.

  Twice Cage summoned Daku for a gruesome fight to show off his now complete mastery of the warlock martial arts. The first was to prove it, but the second time was for the rush to enjoy a good fight that made them hold back almost nothing. All of the days running on air had sharpened his timing and the power needed to more accurately conserve energy and put it to use with maximum effect. Many fight were hand to hand, Cage’s favorite, but with a sword, his skills doubled in deadliness. After the fights and a few hours to be together, Cage teleported him back home to tend to his flock of rapidly maturing griffins.

  Darkness was arriving as they flew down forty miles from Traitor’s Port, the furthest town on the eastern side of Vlara. Excitement was in the air as the tribe knew they would be home in about two days, and that Elder Shania and Brooke went hunting together and slew a large wyrm. It was the first time they had hunted together and Brooke’s scentless ability allowed her to get up close and personal as the mature lizard over sixty feet long stalked Elder Shania, who acted as bait. The two women had little trouble, but the elder threw her spear perfectly through the thick skull, activating an automatic cutting spell that allowed for the spear to penetrate over halfway its overall length. Right now the tribe was roasting its meaty tail while three hungry dragons shared what was left and were all satisfied.

  But right after the meal Brooke’s adrenaline was still pumping and she did what she wanted to use it. It was dark and the four of them were alone. Tohka was simply cuddling with Meeka while Brooke’s mouth sucked on her man’s thick lance. She recognized the tension about to be released and took him as deeply as her throat would allow and his grunt worked in combination as she drank his seed greedily. The pumps were strong, salty and thick, just the way she loved it. Her mouth moved back as she swallowed and licked her lips, not wanting to waste a drop that made her want more. “Delicious.” She enjoyed and was just about to take his still firm lance in her flower when a brownish orb appeared and all four of them felt it and the three women conjured fire. Brooke’s was burning a dark green, the size of a basketball. Meeka’s was just as large and was a vibrant blue and Tohka’s was a dark golden baseball.

  Cage held up a forestalling hand just as a voice said “Sorry for the rude interruption, Lord Cage. I come bearing a message.”

  Irritably Cage knew the owner as well as the color of the orb and created a sight mirror of his own and spoke the secret password to see a sorcerer standing beside a large grizzly bear. “Jormon, it’s sooo not a good time. You really don’t want to piss Brooke off when she’s horny.”

  The sorcerer’s sight mirror clearly showed Brooke glaring while not releasing her evergreen flame. He swallowed instinctively. “Again, I apologize. Truly I do, but my king needs your presence at the south gate to the palace immediately.”

  “For what?” the warlock asked subspecialty.

  “A time sensitive matter to our kingdom’s security. I cannot speak openly as many ways are being listened to by magic. Please, my king needs your services and to bring a small war party of no more than six. Swiftness is of upmost importance. And he said to remind you of the deal.”

  That struck a cord. Cage grinned. “I’ll be there in five minutes.” He then shredded contact on both ends and Jormon blinked and rubbed his temple.

  Gaz looked up and noticed his partner’s pained expression. “What is the matter?”

  Jormon sat down in a chair. “That warlock… he broke my sight mirro
r just as I sensed a third party try touching the stream to eavesdrop. I’ve never felt such power in all my life. For just a moment I had a glimpse of Cage’s power and… it’s beyond description. Go, Gaz, and escort him. I’m unable to recover properly after he forced our conversation like that.”

  The grizzly Familiar rushed out of the room, the white marble castle and to the southern inner gate to wait.

  Back in the southern area of Vlara, Meeka heard Tohka’s question. She said “The deal Cage and King Tate made was that in addition to delivering the letters to King Skylar and our ability to keep Cage Island to ourselves without fear of being taxed and ruled over, that King Tate may call upon Cage’s services at any time. This is the first the king has been in such a need and means that something serious must be taken care of. Why else would the king’s personal sorcerer have called so urgently when Brooke was having her way with our man…”

  She and Tohka quieted as Cage returned from a meeting with Moril, Xamii, Brooke and the five elders. Right behind them was Ulon and Poli. Brooke spoke as she tied her breast top on behind her neck and magically passed over her two loves own pairs while saying “Moril and the elders agree that our family should be the only ones to leave. Tohka and I can visit Miot later. Sean and Ollai will stay with the tribe as they go about their return home. We will return as soon as we are finished. We are going because we are protectors.”

  The two women smiled as they would not be separated for once. They quickly slid into their leather bikini bottoms and tied the single strap around their backs and crossed it over their fronts to cover their breasts. As they were finishing they looked over at a dome of darkness in the night and as it vanished the inspiring form of Daku was revealed. He was the size of a large warhorse and gave a quick greeting as Cage grabbed a fistful of fur and in a smooth motion, mounted just behind the wings which folded back to cover his legs. The three women then hurried to Poli and Ulon who were also going, not willing to leave their partners at all. The three winged ones didn’t spare moment deciding on anything other than taking flight.

  Up in the air, Cage created a teleportation bubble and right before he activated its properties he felt Ulon and Poli’s magic latch on to the destination. The stars disappeared for a moment and a soft ‘pop’ later they shone in the sky once again, but down below was the city of Vin’re. Two louder ‘pops’ had Cage looking over his shoulder to see Ulon and Poli at the same distance he teleported from. Cage rubbed Daku’s sleek neck. “I’m glad you wanted to come.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it.” Daku said as he flew down towards the city, angling for the marble castle that stood contrast to everything else. “Besides, the cubs are doing well with the rest of the tribe and getting into mischief, but non-dangerous. They are finally able to play tricks without drawing blood. The human cubs especially love wrestling my flock. Rena has slept soundly with my mates and Metali has taken a special shine to Ananna. They haven’t left each other’s sights in the three days I took them to our nest. It gives me a warm feeling to see all our cubs getting along.”

  “It’s been a little over a month, is Metalu still the largest cub?”

  “No, a mottled brown male can reach the size I am now, but all have grown beautiful feathers and their fur is growing nicely.”

  “So what tricks have been played?”

  Daku couldn’t hold back a full bodily shake of laughter as a black ball of magic shot over his head and hit the city’s magical dome that encircled the entire city from flying straight in. Cage and few others knew the spell to allow passage. Seeing it open meant his pass and authorization was still valid. Behind him both Ulon and Poli disappeared to the naked eye. To Daku and Cage they were misty pink and silver lights that could be mistaken for mist. The dome closed back up not a second before Ulon’s long tail slipped through. Daku flapped his hard white wings. “Mostly small pranks, but one was pure genius!” the griffin king chirped and purred in a chuckle. “Metak and Fredrick were sparring against Shorty and Luke when three griffin cubs and two humans secretly laid down rope that wrapped around all their ankles and threw them into a pool of seaweeds they placed where we had all the eggs boiled to hatch. The four of them were taken so quickly all of them landed in it and came out covered like monsters. Then Fredric slipped on one of the slick pieces and tripped Luke, but not before they kissed.” Cage laughed aloud, holding his sides at picturing it. “But then Shorty slipped and cut his ass on Metak’s sword before Metak could move out of the way and Shorty nose dove right up in Metak’s ass crack.” Cage laughed all the harder.

  They sobered some as they came close and the inner wall was packed with archers. Seeing so many armed to the teeth, Daku said “Yes… something indeed has happened.”

  A dozen soldiers stood in the wide cobbled street, making sure it stayed clear. When they came in range the archers up on the wall leveled either longbows or crossbows. The longbows had the better range. But standing with the soldiers on the ground was the Familiar, Gaz.

  Daku made a casual landing and the other Familiar approached, pausing when two huge pairs of eyes appeared for just a moment behind the warlock and griffin, revealing their presence for that brief moment to show they hid. Cage dismounted and spoke to Gaz while his eyes took in all of the archer’s positions. “So why did Tate need me and is allowing his archers to point weapons at me, knowing full well I can lift and flip this castle over on its head without breaking a sweat?”

  “Well it is clear you are the real Cage.” The large brown bear said.

  “Come again?” This time his eyes looked down at the bear.

  “Follow me.” Gaz said instead. His sentient gaze lifted to also mean those behind them.

  Weapons lowered when Gaz turned his back and personally escorted the warlock and griffin through the front gate. But as soon as Ulon’s head crossed over the inner wall it reappeared with Brooke standing proudly between two horns. The soldiers jumped back as Ulon was indeed huge, even in dragon standards. He leapt over it lithely and landed without shaking the ground. Poli was right behind and as she landed, said “From outside, you remain invisible.” to her mate. “Brooke though appeared to stand on air.”

  Brooke immediately conjured a green board and flew off slowly for the ground. Meeka’s blue board held her and Tohka as they too came down for a landing. It was good to know dragons, once inside the boundary, were blocked. Soldiers warily watched them all, but were tense and just waiting for the order to strike. Daku said as Brooke and Meeka landed “You fly well. Cage has not told me you can do this.”

  “We wanted to surprise you.” Meeka said as she threw her braid of golden hair around her shoulder to lay down her chest. “Flying was easy because of you and Cage always flying us around. Tohka can also fly for about ten seconds.”

  “I am greatly surprised at how adept you females have come in less than a month.” The griffin said.

  Princess Amy and twenty elite soldiers in full armor with helmets on, stepped out from the castle entrance and she raised her head. “Honorable Dragons!” Ulon and Poli turned to look at her. “If you travel to the east another hundred yards there is a metal rung. Pull it up and you will find a new tunnel that leads to a cavern we will be meeting in. Enchantments will only allow your kind to pass into the system. Please proceed and make yourselves comfortable. Rex Semek will be waiting there for you as well. We must take another route.”

  “Very well, Princess Amy.” Ulon rumbled and found the rung easily enough and lifted a huge trap door that blasted his face with heat that would have melted the skin off anyone other than his kind. To him it was a warm breeze. Grass and trees stuck to the top as he lifted it and allowed Poli to dive inside. She felt spells make sure she was dragon and would certainly kill others. Ulon slipped down right behind her. The door gently shut behind him.

  Meanwhile Princes Amy said “Sir Cage and Daku and Ladies Brooke, Meeka and Tohka, come this way.” The guards surrounded them and when Brooke drew her tomahawks the princess turned to her guards
. “Do not crowd us, Men. Lady Brooke is known to kill men not of her tribe who get too close and carry weapons.” They took her warning in stride and stepped further away. They noticed she relaxed fractionally.

  “What was that look for?” Meeka asked as the princess of Vlara peered over her shoulder when they passed through the entrance spells. Not only that, but the elite guard seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief all around them.

  “Close the doors.” The princess said and four soldiers did her bidding. They slammed shut with a resounding boom in the vacant hall lined with more armored soldiers. She sighed and smiled “Forgive me, Lady Meeka, but we had to know it was really you. Before we meet my father he wanted me to warn you beforehand that an attempt on mine and his life occurred an hour ago by impersonators disguised as Lady Brooke and Sir Cage.”

  “Now you’ve got my attention.” Cage said, grinning. “Let me guess. I saw Semek’s magic at the entrance that returns a person’s appearance back to its original state. I had to fight it to keep my ears and eyes from being changed back.” He pointed to his pointed ears. “So how close did they get before being discovered? If they passed through the front gate they must have been damn good doppelgangers.”

  Princess Amy grabbed a fistful of her simple lavender dress out of nervousness. “Indeed they were. Lady Brooke’s impersonator made it to my room before Father came running in my room and running her through with his sword.”

  Brooke simply raised an eyebrow.

  The princess swallowed. “Lady Brooke, the real you would have reacted faster and likely have wounded my father. That was clear during the match against your wife, Lady Meeka at the Winter Tournament. The dead woman screamed and tried running from Father. You, I know, would not do that.”

  “What about my twin? When did Tate realize it wasn’t me? If the woman got to your room means that spell Semek put up is recent after this… issue.” Cage said.