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

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  “My friend, I thought I saw something.”

  Instantly on alert from the mental tone his partner used, Fredrick got to his feet as he whispered without widening the mind-link connection “What is it?”

  “Keep only thoughts. I will listen to yours. Do not be obvious, but I saw a strange shadow movement Cage Two-legs warned us of. By the colored water fountains, a hundred of your yard measurements northeast of the sparks that we passed through.”

  A casual sweep of the area had him think “I saw it. It looks like an inky blob instead of a straight line cast by the shooting water. Good observation. Where did it come from.”

  “Know of where it originated, I cannot determine. I simply saw darkness sweep to that position without something physical to cast it. Alerted Rex Moril I have. She is rousing the other Rex’s and is ordering me to wait and watch. Intervene only if necessary.”

  The old knight watched as many of the sleeping males in the room started losing their flames of slumber, but did not raise their head or open their eyes. The females seemed to move slightly, getting their feet up under.

  The shadowy blob must have been alerted as it sped away, towards the sleeping area. Fredrick said “Bryan, on me!” as he drew both swords and jumped just as hard as he could and put his helmet on.

  Instantly the big man reacted, removing his war-axe and hammer from his back, shooting through the air after his commanding officer.

  Fredrick was too far away so he aimed an arm at the roof and his harness’s hook aimed at the high ceiling. He crushed his gauntlet into a fist to activate and fired the projectile. It buried into the rock and his momentum allowed him to swing like a pendulum.

  In front of the meeting room where the two kings were meeting, the guards saw Fredrick and Bryan swooping with drawn weapons. Across the ground they watched the shadow streaking. Cillian drew Return and lowered the visor of his helmet and prepared for the assault.

  Magic from dozens of dragons lit up the area, but each time, the shadow suddenly turned to escape. “Halt!” more than one elite guardsman demanded, not knowing what was going on. The shadow was clearly heading in their direction, even as it shot around the magic flashing.

  “Yaaa!” Fredrick yelled as he twisted his gauntlet and disengaged his harness line and flipped, driving his swords to the hilt through the ground, but he couldn’t pin down the dodging shadow.

  Bryan was right behind and his baritone war cry was ended as he slammed his axe into the volcanic rock, but turned it just enough to direct the shockwave magically produced when his hammer came down.

  Only it didn’t have even a slight effect. The shaking did though rouse everyone. Doors opened all around as hearing the commotion warned of danger.

  Soldiers guarding the kings’ meeting area stabbed, but the shadow slipped right past them and under the door.

  A sudden burst of light barely preceded a scream inside. Then another.

  Fredrick though never stopped as he withdrew his twin swords from the floor and was there first and used superhuman strength atop his momentum to kick the thick steel door down.

  What he saw stopped his heart. A burly man with sandy blonde hair down to his shoulders had it pulled back by a leather thong. He wore a gray shirt, but half of his body was already sinking into shadow. In one hand he held a sickle dripping with blood. It seemed to disintegrate the moment he let go and reached forward. Fredrick watched as the assassin lifted the severed heads of both King Skylar and Tate while listening to the crash of metal as both crowns fell to the floor. Fredrick could only feel horror at the final expressions of the two dead kings and knew it wasn’t a hoax as in death, royal blood is shown through the eyes so long as they were open. It lasted for but a brief moment, but the knight saw a purple crow in King Tate’s eyes and a flying green dragon in Skylar’s. Then both heads disappeared into a sack as the man’s huge back slipped into the shadow.

  “NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Fredrick screamed as he tried stabbing the shadow-man and barely got him, but then he was flying back out the door.

  Rex Nattan and Semek teleported right into the room roaring in a rage like nothing any living being had ever witnessed before. “Find the assassin!” both roared as fire burned through their barred teeth.

  Cillian yelled “He Flees to the exit!” and pointed while chasing with the rest of the guards.

  A brilliant gold wall stopped the pursuing humans, but they didn’t yell once they saw Rex’s Nattan and Semek roaring and giving chase with murder in their eyes. Both charged their mighty bodies forward, firing thousands of spells, but they couldn’t lock onto the racing shadow. They chased it through the tunnels faster than any human could run and because they wanted revenge for the deaths of their partners, none dare come close, but a squad of twenty dragons followed their superiors blew through the tunnel. Now the entire colony knew something major had happened.

  It took only a short time for the shadow to escape out the nearest tunnel and use the natural terrain to his advantage, but Rex Nattan ripped ten square miles out of the mountain so there could be no escape. But the shadow became a man and then he created a gray board, flew fast and suddenly teleported before any could catch him.

  Back inside the room Fredrick was on his knees, staring at the headless bodies and those of the blinded sorcerers.

  “Lord Zikon, it is too late.” The knight heard from a tense voice.

  “Let me in now!” He demanded and his feet crunched debris. “No… it cannot be… Cage!”

  Fredrick looked up and noticed Cage’s limp form with blood dripping from his ears and eyes. It was the same way for the other human and Familiar forms in the room. Zikon rushed over and enveloped the warlock in violet magic while saying a keyword used only in emergencies to bypass the warlock’s massive defenses. Fredrick watched as Zikon’s expression grew more grim by the moment.

  Meeka flew into the room and stopped at all the blood and her man being worked on. She was right beside Zikon and mixed her own blue magic to diagnose the problem. She was too overwhelmed to not be attached as her calm voice said “So much internal damage. What happened?”

  “Meeka, stabilize the other sorcerers. I felt they weren’t as near as Cage was to whatever happened. Help them now. I need to focus on saving him.” She didn’t hesitate and began doing what she could as soldiers and medics crowded the room.

  Minutes later a roar of such hatred startled all those near. “Bring me one who saw what the assassin appeared like!”

  Fredrick ran out and didn’t have to go far as Rex Nattan’s face hung over where the human soldiers kept the crowd back. He noticed Brooke and Tohka yelling to go past, but the soldier would have none of it. He said “I didn’t get a good look, but he was heavily muscled as he was outside his shadow, half of him anyway. He had sandy blonde hair tied back with leather string. He took their heads. Did you get the bastard!”

  The knights words silenced the crowd as well as the freely flowing tears.

  “The assassin Jumped.” The gold Rex said as smoke rolled out from his airways. “Did you see a face? A scar of some kind? Any identifying features will help.”

  “It has to be Mennalin the torturer. A resident of Twilight.” Zikon said as he came outside, his glow greatly diminished to show he was unsettled and pale. “I know no other alive who can shadowwalk.”

  “Show me the traitor!” Rex Nattan demanded. “I must have revenge.”

  Zikon lifted a hand and tried creating a sight mirror, but it was white. “Damn! He’s protected by someone… no hundreds. I cannot unravel the web they created.” Zikon stopped and looked to an empty nearby space. Suddenly an exact illusion of Mennalin sprang to life. It was of a man with sandy blonde hair, a thick beard that came down to his chest, a hooked nose with shrewd eyes. He was large too.

  “I’m almost certain that was who I saw.” Fredrick said. “Can you pull the hair back at the nape?” Zikon nodded and did so. “I’m much more confident that is him.”

  “Find a
nd kill him I will.” Rex Nattan vowed. “Any other injured.”

  “I’m afraid so.” Zikon gulped. “Both kings are dead. Their aides are asleep, but I’m worried about Cage.”

  “Cage?!” Brooke and Tohka shrieked in unison.

  Zikon looked at the two women and said to the soldier tying to keep them back. “Let them through.” They immediately ran into the room, tears pouring down their cheeks. Moril came forward as well, but didn’t go inside as the silent area heard their bawling. “Rex Nattan, I’m afraid it’s bad, very bad. Whatever spell Mennalin used was nearest Cage when it went off. I’m surprised he’s still breathing. We need to get him to the best healers we have. Right now I’m keeping him comatose, but he suffered major organ damage and to his brain as well. Only the will to live is keeping his spirit from leaving. This damage is far beyond any I’ve witnessed. If there is any trauma added, he will die. All of his pain receptors are firing and one accidental touch could make his mind shut down forever. Jumping him is out of the question. He cannot be moved. He requires immediate medical care.”

  “And he shall have it.” Rex Nattan looked down at all those beneath. “Clear the room so healers may save him. NOW!” he snapped when they didn’t move. He then waited till space was clear to contact all Rex’s to send the best healers of all colonies who were experts on the bodily damage the warlock sustained. Within twenty minutes fifty dedicated dragon healers were busy working on him while Meeka, Brooke and Tohka held each other off to the side.

  Today was a sad day when the lead healer said the damage would take months to properly repair. If he even survived so long.

  Chapter 12

  Mennalin teleported and appeared high over Jalara atop his gray board and flew north northeast under the stars. He sent a spell to wash the rain from his shirt and tunic. For now he flew with all haste, not knowing if he was being tracked, especially by the enraged Rex’s. He stayed above the sparse clouds for hours, not stopping or any reason. The further he could fly, the better.

  He pulled his entirely crystal staff from his pants pocket and used it to preserve the precious cargo.

  The man flew unmolested for several hours, keeping the Preen Ocean in sight off to his left. He flew higher and higher till he could not be easily seen, moving slowly enough that if any witnessed his board, they would dismiss it as a small star. Wind was still friendly, coming from the south. Darkness blanketed the ground, breaking it up with small fires here and there.

  But just as morning started illuminating the sky a soft rose color Mennalin almost missed detecting a slight tingle wash past his body. He didn’t have to wonder why for long as not twenty seconds later three huge dragons in armor appeared. Two were a light brown, the other being an angry yellow/orange mix. The lead brown, a male, said “Identify, Two-legs.” Magic surrounded him.

  “I’m Mennalin.”

  “Twilight’s spells surround you. Tell us why you should live after entering our territory.” He growled.

  “I’m through with those weaklings! I come with gifts for the empress on the condition I’m unharmed.” He brought out the bag and froze as a conjured spear of pure brown energy was less than an inch from his throat. “I’m only showing you the heads of King Tate and Skylar.”

  True surprise lit the dragon’s faces. The spear pulled back. “One mistake and you die.”

  Ever so carefully Mennalin drew out the blonde haired king of Vlara and held it out. “Do I have your interest now?”

  “Give it to me.”

  To their surprise again, Mennalin stuffed the head back in the bag. “No, not till my safety is assured and I can be rid of Twilight’s fools once and for all.”

  They were all silent till the leader said “Do not allow him to move for any reason. I must inform our Rex of this development.” They grunted and the brown one teleported to Heedi Rova and went to his commanding officer and privately relayed what he came across and got a priority meeting with Rex Shakka in Laqura Castle within a half hour. Once he landed he laid down.

  Rex Shakka lifted her glittering, diamond quality head and one scaly eyebrow raised over the most vibrant eyes. She got up and stepped out into the light of the palace’s roof. If any dragon could be considered the most glorious and beautiful, it was she without question. Clear eyes noted how the brown male admired her strength and beauty above all females alive on Raliea. On each glistening horn in the dawn’s early light were the only contrast to her glittery beauty were four golden rings that bound the colony to her every whim. For dragons, her voice was sultry, soft and made any male quiver in lust, much like the brown did as she asked “I hear you come bearing important news. Speak.”

  Not lifting his head he said “A two-legs that said he is named Mennalin and asks for asylum is flying in this direction, under escort. For gifts to the empress he brings the heads of both kings. I personally witnessed the head of King Tate Two-legs be revealed. He will not pass the heads into my custody without the empress’s promise and has spelled the heads to be destroyed if taken unwillingly.”

  “Colorings and class.” She inquired as she hid great pleasure of this most timely information.

  “Gray and a third class sorcerer. He also has no mate.”

  “Then return to the human and personally see him escorted to the castle, but do not Jump. Make him fly so we have time to verify the authenticity of this glorious news. I will extend my master’s influence for safety, if indeed he brings their heads. Tell the human if it is true, he will be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams. See him safely here and take five additional soldiers to see this through. Leave.”

  With a final look of admiration the brown dragon disappeared to gladly do her bidding.

  Shakka grinned evilly and turned around to reenter through the spacious opening and walked down into her dark cave and waiting in the center was her Summoner glowing brightly. “Shakka, you seem to have excellent news. So do I.”

  “Does it have anything to do with two certain troublesome fools losing their heads?”

  Empress Vika’s expression soured. “How did you hear what my spies say? You were not in my thoughts.”

  “I know, for the one who calls himself Mennalin is coming here with their heads as we speak.”

  “Mennalin… Mennalin…” the empress contemplated, searching through her vast knowledge. “Mennaline the Torturer?” She then lifted a hand and in her large sight mirror flew the man with a sack over his shoulder as he spoke with Shakka’s dragons for a few moments before flying. “Oh, it is him. The shadowwalker. Only he knows the spells to do this. I remember one of my spies recently talking about him from his drunken outburst several months ago. Oh, just when we needed some wonderful news.” She clapped her hands happily. “Shakka, be sure the man brings me their heads personally. I want to hear how he has done a great service for me. Be sure Twilight’s spells are stripped and given ours instead. Try and see if your dragons can learn how he does this shadowwalk. I’m quite interested in how it is done. After all, it was one of the very last interesting reports our spies were able to pass off before their heads were sent back to us. I need to duplicate it for all of my assassins so we can kill off all my enemies.”

  “I too am eager. Have you verified his life?”

  “My aids are doing it as we speak. Prepare for a counterattack and ready your Tiaxm sword. Rex Nattan and Semek will be angered, since we now know they were bonded. I bet it hurt when they felt their partner die. But have you heard of our other troublemaker?” Shakka shook her head. “The warlock is gravely injured.” Empress Vika lilted and used a singsong voice. “In one perfect move we’ve hurt their plans. Now we need this man to be very happy here so we can learn how he did it. If his life has any alignment with my own, he’s going to be very satisfied here. I can always use another torturer and he could certainly have his pick of my finest slaves… after the heads are verified of course.”

  “Of course.” Shakka grinned right back.

  Not another word passed Mennalin’s l
ips after he got what he wanted. Eight reptilian escorts accompanied him at all times and they all tried getting him to spill answers, but he gave none. They didn’t force him to speak through during the five days of travel. When he could no longer concentrate due to exhaustion, the escort would not allow him to settle on the ground to rest. Instead they grudgingly allowed him to rest on the back of a plum colored male so progress wasn’t slowed. He slept fitful hours on their uncomfortable surface, but sleep was needed to function. There was no communication outside their group for secrecy, but there was one fight when a single dragon from the Vlaran Mountains tried to fire a long range attack of plasma by the end of that first day, but before it could be captured it disappeared. No damage was done, but the escorts were much more aware that if one found them, more would likely come, if it weren’t a fluke.

  La’side came and went as a minor landmark before the Lowt Desert stretched far and wide. Its red sand looked like tremendous blood had been spilled. Dust storms blew across the barren land and one area far to the west looked to be fierce enough to rip flesh from bone. During the day, the thermal updrafts created by the heat made flying smooth for the travel.

  By day three Mennalin noticed the strange weather patterns of Spheri, the empire’s primary area to train their mages in all manner of destructive spells. It was where they hardened their mages because of Spheri’s harsh climate. Inside the magically controlled climate one had to survive ten years of battling the environment and other mages and come out a battle hardened brute. Many went in. few came out.

  Day four he saw the end of the Lowt Desert grow into spacious plains. Xeer was a huge city mostly designed for one purpose, a breeding city. There Empress Vika had made it law that all female mages of breeding age get pregnant with other mages, using strict methods to breed stronger mages. Ales spread their seed to everyone, especially slaves. They had no choice and the program had been in place for three thousand years. And nearly every woman was a product of the program themselves. After giving birth, the mothers had to give their child up to be trained for the next twelve years to learn before being thrown into Spheri for the next decade. It didn’t matter if the woman had a spirit mate or not. Under the empress’s reign, every time they ovulated they had to go to Xeer for coupling with a preselected man. Slaves acted as nursemaids, often being used as breeding vessels for the stronger classes for non-mage women conceived children much more often than women able to harness their own energies.