“Cage, don’t do this!” Meeka yelled from Poli’s forehead.
“I shall allow it!” Rex Nattan roared. “Leaders must prove their worth to defend their underlings. But I will not allow death. Understood two-legs’?”
King Tate truck first with augmented strength, but his sword was easily deflected by the simplest moves without the benefit of unnatural power and before he could deliver a second slice, Cage walked by as if on a stroll through the forest. Tate spun and tried to strike his opponent’s exposed back, but then a heel shot up out of nowhere and impacted his jaw to send him back stumbling. He dropped to a knee as his vision blurred. Movement had him swipe the air in front of him, but was far from connecting.
Cage brought his left leg straight up against his chest and brought it down atop the king’s blade. The razor’s edge couldn’t slice through his heel. Tate twisted and attempted a leg sweep, but was stopped with a knee to his face, breaking his nose again. Blood flowed like a waterfall, dripping off his chin. Pain somehow cleared the king’s vision and he jerked the blade out from under the warlock’s foot. He drew a dagger from his boot and tried to overwhelm, but had never seen Cage not taking anything serious before. Only now did he succumb to the realization and fear he could unleash. The king, a highly trained warrior taught by many blademasters was being toyed with like an untrained child.
“Ha ha ha ha…” Cage laughed through sheer enjoyment flipped Ghosts Bane around, easily holding it like a dagger. He came forward and leaned away, flowing through the king’s advance. He found a weakness and exploited it by stiffening a finger and drilling it through Tate’s core, knocking the wind out of him. But as he doubled over, Cage’s experience kicked in as he saw how his opponent was falling and hooked a foot around Tate’s left wrist and pulled.
The king of Vlara got up more slowly as he realized his dager would have stabbed him through the eye had he landed. Fighting the pain his voice came out nasally. “You saved me? But why?”
“I’m teaching you a lesson.” He came forward and used his free hand to wrench Tate’s head back by grabbing a fistful of hair and brought his arm around and struck both arms, slicing wrist tendons and afforded his opponent no way of holding his weapons before the wet blade of pale white was leveled at his throat, without flipping it around. “You might be king, but you forget we’re human. There is always someone better, smarter, faster or more experienced than you. Title means shit if you can’t see what reality is. Until you hit rock bottom, you’ll never find clarity. Mine was when I was on Earth and ended up paralyzed and in so much pain for three years you would go unconscious in an instant. My strength was taken. So too can yours. Until you find something to live for you’ll be weak. If Eleia has been watching you and this Katelyn and can see you finding enjoyment with the potential for love. Use it to get strong.” He pulled the blade back and smiled. “Have you learned your lesson yet or shall I continue?”
Instead of answering, King Tate’s shoulders sagged and all the energy was sucked from him. He crumbled to the ground and Meeka landed right at his side. “Cage, you could have done things differently.” Her gentle hands held the king seated and her soft voice asked “My King, please allow me to heal you.” He nodded and she began using her magic to accelerate and repair all the damage.”
“Men learn through force, Meeka. Words aren’t half as effective as a fist to the face.” Cage quipped and slung his blade in a fast arc, cleaning all the blood off and sheathing his ancestral heritage while turning around and glared. “Semek, you DUMBASS!” all the Rex’s recoiled at the level of venom dripping from Cage’s words. Before they could recover he leapt and twisted in a blur of movement few could follow before destroying Rex Semek’s barrier and a kick of immense power clipped him beneath his jaw before a gigantic black hand lifted his bulk and crushed him against the wall.
“Be still!” Rex Nattan ordered everyone in the entire room. The weight of his words held all but one in place.
“Semek, you’ve neglected your partner!” Cage yelled while maintaining the giant black hand tinted with his anger, rather than being green. “What the hell have your been doing these months?! Sitting on your ass while Tate can’t even realize what he’s doing wrong?!” The Rex held in place spit a gallon of blood from a split lip, barely a paper cut, but his blood hadn’t been drawn in many decades. It was point enough, but the power griping him was beyond any he could destroy without seriously trying, but the glares from his equals had him still, but anger he expressed. “Tate’s been so focused on learning about strength he forgot the most basic rules of combat. We all saw him try hacking away at me as he knows my natural strength remains human. Not dragon enhanced. Instead of hacking naturally and slicing mid attack at a moment’s notice to take me off guard and cut me in half, he was like a bull, not a trained warrior. He would have gotten himself killed in battle because you haven’t done as you were supposed to. Instead of applying necessary force, jumping around to confuse or draw me in as necessary, you did not do anything!
“Damn it, Semek, mind-link and offer guidance. All day and night long Daku and I are in each other’s heads. We don’t always talk, but we share our emotions so neither feels lost. Millions, millions of years you’ve lived and experienced. No human can compare. Share even a fraction of that wisdom and it could save him. You don’t know what fragment will be the difference. Use the best gift of bonding, that is what will save your partner. Telepathy has a reason. Exploit it. His powers make him faster and stronger, but without any forethought, I exploited only a tenth I could have used to beat him and if I were going for the kill I counted nine hundred and seventy three ways I could have done it without my sword. Magically, I could have vaporized him.”
“The count is accurate.” Rex Nattan voiced. “From my many hours of viewing the warlock the moment I sensed his crossing the universal barrier and all the battles I’ve observed, his skills in unarmed combat are highly impressive in reality, beyond near all two-legs on Raliea.”
“What was that?” Daku turned his attention at this revelation. “You’ve known of Cage’s presence this entire time?” A growl emanated from his great breast. “Explain yourself.”
A rumble shook the ground as Rex Semek was dropped. A swift rotation showed him skillfully landing on his feet. Before complying, Rex Nattan turned his attention back to his ancient companion. Cage tough flew back and landed beside Meeka. “Punishment you deserved for neglecting your duties. King Skylar Two-legs has listened to my thoughts without the first thought of annoyance since our paring. Negligence has been revealed in your two-leg’s movements against the warlock. Too many unneeded movements gave immediate disadvantage despite anger flowing through him. As eldest Rex, I order constant mind-link to King Tate Two-legs. Teach, instruct and guide his way. You have no choice, but to comply. This is your duty.”
“But…” King Tate began.
Rex Nattan swung his head around and glared down. He growled loudly. “No. this will be done, Youngling. Rex Semek has not fulfilled his duty, nor have you sought his experience on how to fight. Had a Deathmatch been called between you and my two-legs, you would fall. We dragons can mentally think of many hundreds of objective simultaneously. A simple dedication to our two-leg’s mind in beyond the simplest abilities. Though you cannot do likewise without concentration, you could hear our words and trust our judgment. Your trust in your partner is lacking. This is why I allowed the combat. I suspected one of us had been resisting the alliance, but Rex Semek I found difficult to believe. I shall not her another word of this serious breach in the alliance. Resist me in this and regret will befall. Now take your seat.”
“Hold on a sec.” Cage said as he stepped closer to King Tate. General Kurk lifted his sword, but didn’t strike as he stood beside his king who also more firmly gripped his blade. He didn’t show any sign of stopping, but gently gripped the cloth on the king’s shoulders. “Tate, I’m not going to apologize for kicking your ass. You needed it.” Those blue eyes narrowed, bu
t the white knuckle grip and ease of magic coursing through his body slacked. “Now forget your crown and people. Forget all that stuff for a moment and look me right in the eye and tell me if you knew you were going to die tomorrow and knew Eleia would not be waiting for you, would you be with Katelyn? Would you love her? Would she love you as more than her king? Would she be there and wait for you as a spirit? Tell me right here and now. Forget everyone else listening. It is you and me right now. You know me enough that bullshit won’t work on me. We’re equally living right now.”
The king, so overwhelmed, broke down as tears sprung into his eyes. “But my wife. I swore to never…”
Cage’s eye shifted and he stepped back. “Alright… I can do it.”
Before them all a regal spirit took shape, feeding off the offered power of the warlock who pumped in so much of himself he had to sit down as she was seen by those who had never seen a spirit before. A bird rested on her shoulder with long hair laying down her back as an elegant dress covered her beauty. General Kurk, upon seeing Queen Eleia, dropped immediately to a knee and bowed his head while slamming a fist to his heart. The king stared dumbfounded as tears flowed freely. Reverently he said “Beloved…”
“Husband.” She crooned back as she smiled and touched his face with the tips of her fingers, just as she had often when she was alive. Queen Eleia was a head shorter than her king, but her presence was larger than the golden dragon. She had taken so much of Cage’s freely offered power that she could interact with the physical world, but her touch was cold. “Enough already.”
“But.” He began, but was stopped as a delicate finger was placed over his lips.
“No, Lord Death, cannot hold this much power for long and he is being kind enough already. Let me speak while I can.” He was quiet and hung on her every word. “None can deny you loved me and still do with a passion stronger than any Vlaran king before you. I’m sorry I died, Husband, but I know you remember my words before my last mortal breath. You’ve done more than I asked and raised our daughter into a strong and vibrant woman. I never said you could not fall in love again. You are acting the fool because I wanted you to, much as I said before we married and consummated our vows along on the beach at my mother’s private estate. I told you that should anything happen to me, you are to live happily. You cannot hide anything from me. You pretend well in front of the lords and ladies, dignitaries and the citizens and even our beloved child, but you are sad every night as you go to bed alone, as you’ve not opened your heart for another since my death.
“That began to change when Katelyn, a simple girl our daughter rehabilitated from slavery wrought by Vika’s cruel clutches, came into your midst. Amy brought her in first as a gardener for the flowers in the courtyard. I was there when you helped her as she fell and cut he arm on the roses thorns. You told her beauty and danger are one in the same. The more beautiful, the fiercer the love that can tempt a man. You smiled and offered her a position in the castle of her choosing. She chose to become your dinner servant and none before her brought you flowers with every meal. She always chose the best flowers she could find or cut, thinking of only you from that day you offered so beautiful and kind words.
“I must admit I was jealous and angry of young Katelyn, that was until I noticed you smiling and thanking her each and every day. She rarely talks after all she endured, but when you spare a few moments for her she opens herself. And do not tell her I’m telling you this,” The spirit of the queen offered a private smile the king knew only was reserved for his wife’s mischievous side, one only he knew about. “but each night she writes in a private journal, as part of Amy’s rehabilitation methods she learned in her time at Twilight, and each day you are mentioned. You are her reason for living and ridding the shackles of slavery, Husband. And sometimes she’s annoyed she cannot be with you as over the past six years she has come to love you.” Then the smile transformed into a softness that held only love. “And my reservations of her crumbled as I began to love her like a sister. Katelyn deserves you and you her. You did not believe, Lord Death, but he spoke my words. If you ever doubted him how could he know the first gift you ever gave me was a poisoned pendant for protection? You keep it in a painting of me above our bed and have not pulled it out since the day I hid it there when I found out I was finally pregnant after so many losses.” She then cupped his face in both hands. “Find love again, Husband. I would choose Katelyn myself for her beauty isn’t only in skin, but in spirit too. Make her your queen and when the day comes that you die, I will still wait for you and her. She will not hurt you. She loves you, just as I do. If you love me then share some of that with her. Our people need a king and queen. She will rise to the mantle and fill the emptiness I took from your heart.”
“But why now beloved?” He grabbed her hips, remembering them as before.
“Because now is when you need to listen and not let me see you suffer another of Lord Death’s lessons. I love you and always will, My Beloved King. Now you need to heal, more than just the body. And the only medicine for that is Katelyn.” Queen Eleia turned around and said “General Kurk, I was also asked by your father to tell you how proud of you he is and to keep honoring the family.” The general lifted his head only and smiled at those simple and meaningful words. “And Lord Death, I must thank you most of all for allowing me such a gift. Because of you we won the Spirit War and can now speak to those we love once again, at least once. What you did at The Deep was what made the difference. I thank you most of all for allowing me to feel my husband’s touch and speak with him once again.”
“No problem, Eleia. But I’m tiring quickly so wrap it up soon.” He said.
“Husband, you won’t see me again for some time I believe. If the war you face is won, maybe the spirits of the most ancient will allow us to speak again. Live and rule wisely, Husband. Lord Death will ensure this I’m certain. I love you, always.”
And then the room was silent as she vanished. King Tate dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands to openly weep. Then he was simply levitated off the ground and hidden beneath Rex Semek’s wing for privacy. He at least did something for his partner as a friend and not an ally.
Meeka helped her man stand and asked “Are you well?”
“Give me some time. I’ve been doing highly draining magic and I still need to fix Barbav before we leave. I’m going to sleep… Daku wake me up when it is over.” The white griffin chirped as his partner curled up a few moments later in the curve of his furry arm. Tohka and Meeka crawled up the arm and rested with him too, but only to be near. As soon as his head came to rest he intentionally went to sleep to recover energies.
Daku though raised an eyebrow, waiting long enough but not needing to ask again.
“Well this has to be the most exciting meeting of leaders I’ve ever been to, and all without a drop of ale to inhibit issues.” Zikon quipped and got a rumbling laugh from Theresa.
“Very Well, White King.” Rex Nattan explained. “Truth it is I’ve known of the warlock two-legs since he crossed. Only I knew of his arrival.” All others stared at him. “When we created the mana void universe and Jumped all warlocks and nearly all griffins, I added a spell to the barrier around this universe to alert only me in event of a breach. Just as I know each Jump to and from Raliea, from world to world, I too sensed Cage Two-leg’s summons. I closely watched his every move from the first moment he arrived. His language was alien, as I expected to happen on Earth. Without magic to understand, languages mutate. Despite his words, it was immediately clear he was once wounded as his lower limbs had almost no function. Only years of paralysis could cause such atrophy. I needed much power to pierce the wards, but I observed every move at all times until the day he was sent to The Deep and thereafter. I have not the time to dedicate all my power to observing since his ascension, but from every action to that moment, I knew he was not a near threat to the planet. For sure he embodies his ancestors as was displayed here. No time for patience or etiquette.
Warlocks have not changed in their ways, but this one doesn’t present a worldly threat unless provoked. Fight he will at every moment if possible, but destruction and ruin is not who he embodies.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the moment he arrived?” Daku challenged by how he held himself, without moving or startling those on his arm.
“What outcome could have resulted had he not been your Summoner or died before speaking the chant you alone represent? You were safe with Rex Shrral’s colony. I shared none of my knowledge of your two-legs with no one, not even my own mate, till Lady Megdline Two-legs brought word to her mate and the First Council. You yourself had chosen death if he did not meet your standards and would have allowed his death if he had not proven worthy. I observed, nothing more. Interference in development would have hindered. Now that he is so strong, I cannot continue my notes without dedicating all my strength or intruding on his accelerated mental capabilities. And with war now upon us, I must use all and sever unneeded projects. There was no intent of disrespect, White King.”
“Logical, but I need no coddling, My Friend. I would have joined you here, had I known you did, in observing my human. Should you one day sense another warlock, allow me to know, especially since my flock and them are bound.”
“Then if you do not already, there is another growing in the womb of Tohka Two-legs. I sensed the new warlock as soon as the egg was fertilized.” A large golden hand pointed to the one spoken of.
“Tohka, your pregnant?!” Megdline flew off Barbav and rushed over.
The mother to be rubbed her firm stomach. “Found out this morning. I wasn’t going to say anything since we were attacked this morning. There are more… important matters to discuss.”
“Celebrating a new life takes precedence.” The sorceress said as she smiled. Then she hugged the tribal woman. “I’m so happy for you.”
Empress's Endgame (Book 5 and final of the Death Incanate Saga) Page 26