Empire Builder 3: Breed, Populate, Conquer

by Dante King

  But there was still the matter of finding soldiers. He knew that he would have to conquer more territory, to free the land and its people from The One Who Rules All and the Xurian Realm. And once he’d folded more land and people in his empire, he could begin recruiting soldiers to augment his monsters. There was much to do, and not nearly enough time to do it.

  “There it is!” Zito said, pointing ahead at the tower. “That’s it! Wow, you really are Benzhameen! We’re really going to rebuild the empire!” He pumped his fist in excitement before taking off into a sprint toward the tower, as if he couldn’t wait to get started.

  “He’s… he’s an interesting one,” Lexi said once Zito was far enough ahead that he was out of earshot. “And I was serious about him putting his grubby little paws all over me.”

  “I’ll make sure he stays in line,” Ben said. “Part of my job is to make sure everyone knows their place, along with their duties.”

  They continued, keeping just behind Zito as they made their way to the tower. Less than an hour later, they were there, standing at the massive front gates of the looming building. They opened automatically as Ben approached, the enormous entry hall on display before them. A few of the aurochkin workers were there tidying and carrying supplies through the room, their eyes on this strange man, old yet spry, who was now in their space.

  “Yes,” Zito said. “This is it! This is the place I remember! What a structure this is!”

  He reached the center of the room, putting his hands on his hips and looking around.

  “This is the fortress that you conquered your realm from!” He turned, a little glimmer in his eye. “With a little help from yours truly, of course.” Zito’s eyes moved from group member to group member. “Now, I have to ask you all to leave—everyone except for Ben, of course.”

  “What?” Ben asked. “You ‘re coming here and presuming to give orders?”

  “Not at all, Ben,” he said. “This is merely my suggestion; you’re, of course, free to do whatever you want. But I’m one of your closest advisors, and this is what I’m advising.”

  Ben kept his eyes on Zito. He felt the gaze of the rest of his party on him, all of them wondering what to make of the events unfolding.

  “Leave us,” Ben said. “Go rest and eat and relax—we’ll meet soon to discuss our next steps.”

  “Are you sure, Ben?” Melody asked, an expression of slight worry on her beautiful face. He sensed that she wasn’t sure of whatever advice the old man had.

  “I’m sure.”

  Nothing else was spoken on the matter. Melody and the rest of the group left the entry hall, leaving Ben and Zito alone. Once the elevator door shut and silence returned, Ben watched Zito carefully.

  “Now,” Zito said. “There’s something I should tell you about your powers.”

  “Yes?” Ben asked. He was, as always, eager to learn whatever he could about his old life as the Forgotten Ruler.

  “It’s something I figured you wouldn’t want the rest of the group to know. You see… swordplay isn’t your forte.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Ben, your magical abilities are second-to-none. Or, at least, they were. I have no doubt you’ll get them back and you’ll be the fearsome spellcaster you once were. And more than that, you’re a leader like none other. The fact that you have this tower and this group speaks to that!”

  “Get to the point,” Ben said.

  “The point is that you were born to be a spellcaster and a ruler. But you always had trouble with the blade.” Zito raised his finger. “Don’t get me wrong—put you and a reasonably skilled swordsman up against each other and you’d carve him to ribbons, but there were always experts—like yours truly, for example—who were just a little better.”

  Ben chuckled. “So, that’s why you sent the others away? To spare my feelings in front of them?”

  He shrugged. “In a sense. As a ruler you want to project strength at all times, to hide whatever weaknesses you might have, even something as small as not being a master of the blade. Yeah, yeah—I’m sure you think all of your allies are on the level, but you never know who’s waiting in the wings, eager to use your weaknesses against you.”

  “But I should trust you, of course,” Ben said.

  “You did keep me as one of your closest advisors,” Zito said. “That’s got to count for something.” He cocked his head to the side. “That blade… what is it?”

  Ben pulled it out of the hilt a few inches. “A scimitar. Nothing special about it.”

  “There is something special about it,” Zito said with a glimmer in his eye and a slight smile on his face. “It’s the blade you’re going to use to defend yourself, right now!”

  Before Ben had a chance to react, Zito whipped out his blade with a speed that was almost unreal. Then he leaped toward Ben, the blade raised above his head and a wild glint in his eye, his mouth opened in a smiling yell.

  Ben grabbed the hilt of his scimitar, yanking it from the scabbard and holding it above his head. Zito’s blade slammed down on Ben’s, the blow hard enough to send vibrations through his body, the clang of steel against steel ringing in his ears. He pushed his blade against Ben’s, the surprising strength behind it forcing Ben to use all of his power to fight him off.

  With a hard push, Ben forced Zito back several feet, but he quickly composed himself and prepared for another attack.

  “What are you doing?” Ben asked. “We’re just returning from a battle miles away! I can barely think straight from the fatigue, and you want to spar?”

  Zito grinned. “Come on now, Ben!” he said, his blade at the ready. “You think that battle will wait until you’re good and ready? For you to get a nice night’s sleep and have a belly full of tasty food? Maybe even when you’re plenty relaxed from a night with a gorgeous catgirl? Not a chance! Battle comes for you when you least expect it! And when you’re the ruler, you have to always be ready! So, get ready!”

  Zito zipped toward Ben, bringing a barrage of blows down upon him. Ben used all the speed and strength he had just to keep up, his muscles burning from the exertion and his head pounding from the fatigue and chaos.

  Zito stepped back, seeming not tired in the slightest from the exertion. Ben’s chest rose and fell and rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath.

  “Wait a minute,” Zito said, raising a finger. “What about all those spells you have at your disposal? Why not use some of them to beat me?”

  It was a good idea, but Ben was taken by how his opponent was giving him advice on how to beat him. Regardless, Ben knew that using Drain and pulling Zito’s surprising strength from his body would be an easy way to win the fight. He focused and prepared to use the spell, peering into Zito and spotting the different cords that lead to his strength and courage and speed. Ben didn’t have much mana left after the battle, but he had enough to sap Zito’s strength.

  Before he had a chance to use Drain, Zito flew toward him. He raised his blade and brought it down, and when Ben stopped the swing with his scimitar, the mental image of Zito’s cord of strength vanished. Zito laughed maniacally as he brought the blade down again and again, and Ben realized that he wouldn’t be able to hold off the blademaster forever.

  Is he betraying me? Ben thought, barely able to hold a word in his head as Zito attacked. Was he warning me about himself?

  Ben wondered if the end had arrived, if Zito had been nothing more than a liar and a traitor, perhaps one sent by The One Who Rules All.

  But the barrage stopped, Ben completely sapped of strength. He dropped his scimitar and placed his hands on his knees, taking one breath after another as he tried to regain himself. He raised his hand, trying to focus what little energy he had in order to cast Drain, but he was so tired by that point that there was no way he’d be able to defend himself from another onslaught, let alone cast a spell.

  Zito, however, old as he might’ve been, stood still and tall, his blade in his hand. Ben realized that if Zito truly wante
d to, he could take his life right then. But Zito only grinned, sticking his blade back into his scabbard and offering Ben his hand.

  “See what I mean, Ben?” he asked, his arm outstretched. “All the magic in the world won’t do you any good if you’re not able to fight off an old geezer with a sword!”

  Ben took a few more breaths, his eyes on Zito. Then, when he was ready, he took the old man’s hand and stood up.

  “You know, that wasn’t bad!” Zito said. “It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen you at work. Well, aside from back in the dojo. You’re still alright with that sword of yours! But you need to be better than alright—you need to hold your own in combat! Lucky for you, that’s what I’m here for!”

  “And I appreciate that,” Ben said. “But we can start the training a little later.”

  “Of course, of course,” Zito said. “This little session was more about teaching a lesson rather than starting our training.”

  “I can see that,” Ben said. “I learned that I need to get better with my blade, and that anyone who’s close can potentially end my life.”

  “Well, that’s two lessons, I suppose,” Zito said, a thoughtful expression on his face. “But both are good!”

  Ben felt a bit better, finally able to stand up and not feel like he was going to pass out.

  “Now,” Zito said. “Let me get a look at that scimitar.”

  “Tell me this isn’t another trick,” Ben said. “Or a lesson.”

  “Nope! Just want to take a look.”

  Ben pulled the blade out of its scabbard and handed it over. Zito stepped back, holding the weapon out and testing it for balance. Then he swiped through the air a few times, the blade a blur as Zito cut and cut.

  “Hmm.” He handed it back, and Ben tucked it away. “It’s a sword. I mean, it’ll get the job done.”

  “You’ve got something better in mind?” Ben asked.

  Zito nodded. “Now, my memories are a bit foggy. Being an old fart and being between worlds for however long it’s been since you ruled will do that to you! But I remember you wielding a blade, one that was light and strong, one that allowed you to channel your magical abilities into it.”

  Ben closed his eyes and focused. As he concentrated on Zito’s words, he could imagine something, a weapon that he once wielded and used to cut through countless enemies.

  “Is that all you know?” Ben asked. “Where can I find this blade?”

  Zito shrugged. “I’m telling you all I can remember. Now, it’s possible that more might come to mind later, but in the meantime, we know there’s a more suitable weapon out there waiting for you to find it. Or perhaps remake. You never know.” He followed this up with a wink.

  By that point, Ben was ready to collapse, but he knew there was more work to be done. At the very least, he didn’t want the day to end before the rest of the team had a plan for where to go from there.

  “We’re having a council meeting,” Ben said, making his way over to the control panel. “And you’re going to be there.”

  “Well, I should hope so!” Zito said. “To think, you all have been going without my expert advising and blade skills! How have you even made it this far?” He let out a wild cackle after he spoke.

  “All members come to the meeting room,” Ben spoke into the panel.

  With that, he took his hand away. Before he could even make a full turn toward the elevator, a voice came from the control panel.

  “Um, Ben?” It was Melody.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “You might want to come to your chambers. Imogen and Sybil’s eggs are hatching!”

  Ben’s heart leaped with excitement, sending a fresh surge of energy into him despite his fatigue. He was eager as hell to see his new kids, to learn what kinds of warriors he’d be leading into battle.

  “You can wait in the council room,” Ben said to Zito. “You don’t need to be there for this if you don’t want to.”

  Zito scrunched up his bushy, white eyebrows. “The Forgotten One is going to be having kids and you don’t think I’d want to be there? What kind of a companion do you think I am? Come on!”

  Without wasting a moment, Zito hurried to the elevator and pressed the control panel to take us up.

  They were soon on their way, going up, up, up until they reached the top floor where his chambers were located. The doors opened, and as soon as they did, Ben could hear the eager chatter of the women, all of them gathered around the eggs.

  “Wow!” Zito said as he stepped into the chambers, making his way slowly toward the huge window that overlooked Ben’s territory. “Nice view!”

  He stepped further into the room, and when he did, his attention snapped from the windows to something else—something in the direction of the girls. “Very nice view!”

  Ben went to his side and looked in the direction his eyes were pointing. It didn’t take long for Ben to realize what he was looking at. All the women were bent over the eggs, their asses up in the air as they spoke among one another in hushed, excited tones.

  “You got big ones, you’ve got small ones, you’ve got medium-sized ones,” Zito said. “What more could a man ask for?” He followed this up with a cackle.

  Ben felt a growl rising in his throat. “Zito...”

  “Of course, they’re all yours, Forgotten One.” He said with a deep bow.

  Melody glanced back, her eyes flashing with anger. “Oh, great—the perv’s here.”

  “Children are being born,” Lexi said, her bird-like eyes narrowed. “Maybe get your mind out of the gutter for two seconds?”

  “Fine, fine,” Zito said. “Let’s see these kiddos!”

  Chapter 4

  Ben and Zito hurried over to the group of women, the circle spreading to allow them in. Ben glanced up at Sybil and Imogen, both of them watching their eggs with eager, expectant eyes. In the center of the circle were two eggs, one the same bluish shade as Sybil, the other a stony white, like Imogen’s skin.

  They shook, cracks having already split across their surfaces.

  “Almost!” Melody said, her voice braced with excitement. “I can’t wait!”

  The blue egg was the first to break open.

  Or, perhaps, a better way to say was broken open. A small fist shot out of the top. The fist broke clean through the egg, a jagged hole appearing around where it broke through.

  “Stand back, all of you,” Ben said. “We don’t know what kind of creature we’re dealing with.”

  Sybil only smiled warmly. “I’m sure any child of mine would know right away to be kind to his mother and her friends.”

  Ben said nothing, watching and waiting. The fist opened, clasping onto the side of the hole it had broken. It gripped hard, cracking the shell and causing another split to travel down the face. Another fist burst through the front of the egg. And this time, the rest of the egg gave way, the shell crumbling into pieces.

  “What is it?” Melody asked.

  “Wow!” Zito said. “It’s… it’s a bull!”

  “It’s a man bull!” Lexi said.

  Sure enough, that was the best way to describe it. The little creature was small, about two feet tall as far as Ben could tell. It was a light blue color, and in spite of its size was strong and muscular. It stood on its thick, powerful hind legs, the legs covered in fur a few shades darker than the blue of its skin, the ends hooves instead of feet. The upper body was a powerfully built torso, with muscles that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a strongman competitor—though a third of the size. The face was that of a bull, but with eyes that glimmered with human intelligence, his features in an intense expression.[3]

  Sybil was overjoyed, clasping her hands together, her eyes wide with pride.

  “He’s… he’s beautiful!” She reached down and scooped up the little bull, the animal’s hard expression softening as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Now, that’s precious,” Imogen said. “He knows she’s his mom.”

  Sy
bil hugged the little man-bull monster one last time before setting him down. Without wasting a moment, the bull ran over to the nearest column and began punching it, his little fists slamming into the stone over and over, little cracks forming.

  “Oh, no!” Sybil shouted. “Hey! Ah…” She turned to Ben. “We need to give him a name! At least so we have a way to get his attention when he’s smashing like that!”

  Ben placed his hand on his chin, trying to think of a name as the man-bull punched the column over and over again.

  “Hmm,” he said. “Well, I know of this legend—the minotaur. It’s a half-man, half-bull monster from legend.”

  “Minotaur?” Sybil asked. “That sounds a little… intense.” Then her eyes lit up with realization, as if the perfect name had occurred to her. “I know! How about Minnie! That’s like that, but not so aggressive-sounding.”

  “Right,” Lexi said as she watched the monsterkin continue to slam his little fists into the column. “I think he’s got the aggressive part covered.”

  “Hey, Minnie!” Sybil shouted. “Quit punching the column like that! You’re going to bring this place down to the ground!”

  Minnie stopped punching and looked over his shoulder, a sheepish expression on his face like he’d been caught doing something he knew he wasn’t supposed to. Then he slumped his shoulders forward and let his head hang.

  “Well, the name works,” Melody said as they all watched Minnie make his way over to Sybil. “He reacted to it.”

  Sybil bent down and scooped the man-bull up once more, the creature nuzzling his face into her neck. Ben could only imagine what he would look like when he was older, a hulking beast who likely would be able to smash through the column with a single punch.

  Images flashed in his mind of him leading an army of Minnie monsters, neat legions of hulking minotaurs all wielding golden axes, big rings hanging from their noses and mean expressions on their faces. He grinned as he pictured them scooping up fleeing goblins and pitching them into the distance.