Empire Builder 3: Breed, Populate, Conquer

by Dante King

  Cinder snorted. “The only things Hullbeck has ever wanted—power, money, and status. The ruins have been off-limits to our kind for generations. They’re sacred places, never to be touched. Of course, the moment Hullbeck wrested control of our town from his father, he wasted no time in breaking those traditions.”

  “The ruins are off-limits,” Ben said. “Does that mean forever?”

  Cinder shook his head. “No, not forever. ‘Until the forgotten one returns’—that’s what the old texts say. Whatever that means, one can only guess.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw Melody’s eyes light up with excitement.

  “That could mean…” Shrike began to speak but trailed off.

  “It could mean what?” Cinder asked.

  “We’ll talk later. For now, we need to let Hullbeck know we’re here so that he doesn’t do anything drastic.”

  “Right,” Cinder said. “My presence would only make things worse. I’ll be in the barracks when you’re done.”

  Shrike and Cinder hugged one more time before he departed.

  “Let’s go,” Shrike said once her brother was gone. “I want to get this over with as quickly as possible.”

  Two guards were posted at the doors, two more barely-adult monsterkin.

  “You’re back!” one exclaimed as Shrike approached. “Hullbeck said to let you in right away if you…”

  “If what?” Shrike asked.

  The guards shared a look, as if they weren’t sure if they should say whatever was on their minds.

  “He said, ‘tell her to come see me, if her miserable, traitorous, carbonized ass ever decides to return.’”

  Then they winced, as if Shrike might punish them for Hullbeck’s words. Instead, she let out a snort of amusement.

  “Let me in so I can see him, already. That is, assuming he’s not passed-out drunk again.”

  Neither of the guards said a word as they opened the doors and formed up on the group. Together, Ben and his allies entered the grand hall, the interior of the building built with care, intricate designs carved into the wood that appeared to tell the story of the founding of Moonbright. The floor was covered in ornate rugs, and wall candles illuminated the place. Rain began to patter down on the arched windows.

  The place was a dump otherwise. More empty bottles of alcohol were here and there, along with bones from food and other assorted garbage.

  “Hey!” a woman’s voice exploded from down the hall. “Don’t touch me there!”

  “Sounds like Hullbeck is harassing someone,” Shrike said. “Come on.”

  The group made their way through the entry room and were soon in a grand hall, benches on both sides and the middle leading to a large, wooden table up on a dais.

  Seated at the table was a monsterkin who had to be Hullbeck. He was a boarkin, his body big and burly, his back covered in thick fur, long tusks curving down his chin. He was reaching for a young female monsterkin with the spots and tiny ears of a deer. She shrieked as Hullbeck tried to grab her backside, the girl barely dodging his grip. Hullbeck’s other hand was grasped around a bottle of wine. Though he was on the far end of the room, Ben could see his small, piggish eyes. A half-dozen or so guards, all monsterkin—though older-looking than the rest of the ones in the town guard—watched with amusement.

  “These are Hullbeck’s personal guards,” Shrike said. “The ones outside… they’re mere children, doing what they need to do in order to survive. These brutes, on the other hand, are his close comrades. They’re not to be trusted.”

  “Get your arse over here!” Hullbeck shouted in a voice that sounded to Ben like an English accent. “You’ll be on my lap sooner or later. If I have to chase you down and bring you here myself, you’re not going to like what happens when I do!”

  “Leave me alone!” the deer-girl shouted.

  She didn’t listen to Hullbeck, instead running down the stairs that led to the table toward the doors that Ben and his comrades had just entered from.

  “Grab her!” Hullbeck yelled. He tried to raise himself from his wooden chair, but his drunkenness caused him to nearly topple over.

  The deerkin ran, but one of Hullbeck’s personal guards was within grabbing distance.

  Ben knew he had to do something.

  As the deerkin tried to escape, the nearest guard threw his big arms around her, holding her in place. As he did, Ben tapped into his mana and activated Drain. He quickly found the guard’s red cord of strength and drained as much as he could, as quickly as he could. His increasing skill with the spell meant he could cast it easily, and without drawing attention to himself.

  An expression of surprise formed on the guard’s face as his strength flowed out of him and into Ben. The guard was soon weak enough that he could no longer hold onto the deerkin. She slipped from his grasp and resumed her run toward the door.

  “What the hell?” Hullbeck asked as he rose from his seat.

  “Hey!” the guard shouted.

  He stumbled toward the deerkin, and as he drew close to the group, Ben stuck out his leg, the guard tripping over it and falling to the ground with a heavy thud. The strength pulsed through Ben, so much of it coursing through his body that he had a hard time resisting the urge to stomp the guard’s head in on the spot.

  Part of Ben wanted to keep the power, but he sent it back, the strength fading from his body and returning to the guard’s. The guard at his feet seemed confused, as if wondering why his strength had come and gone. Ben was less concerned about him, however, and more about the deerkin. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to watch her disappear through the big entrance doors.

  “What the hell was all that about?” Hullbeck asked, his beady eyes narrowed and focused on the guard. “How on earth did you let that tiny little thing get away?”

  “I… I don’t know,” the guard said. “I just felt really weak all of a sudden.”

  “Sit your ass down,” Hullbeck growled as he lumbered down the stairs. “We’ve got guests.”

  The guard returned to his post, his expression still one of confusion.

  Hullbeck grinned. “Shrikey, Shrikey—you’ve decided to once again grace us with your presence. To what do I owe this honor of seeing you after you abandoned me and your kin?” He followed this up with a burp, scratching himself as the belch filled the air.

  “I want my freedom,” Shrike said. “I thought I wanted it more than anything, but the moment I was finally clear of you and your horrible rule, I… I realized that as much as I wanted to be free, it wasn’t worth the price my kin would have to pay.”

  Hullbeck grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “That’s a good girl. And damn, it sure is good to hear that my little idea worked to keep all of you potential runaways from flying the coop. The Black Army’s going to love to hear about how I run such a tight ship.”

  Shrike snorted. “Yeah, maybe they’ll look past the fact that you spend the day drunk making passes at the women of our village.”

  He raised the hand that held his bottle of wine and stuck out an accusing finger in her direction.

  “Hey, I get results. That entitles me to a little unwinding at the end of the day. You know what? That little deer should be honored that the hand-picked leader of Moonbright wanted to have some fun with her.” He sighed, making a pig-like snort and running his hand through his long hair. “Anyway, you’re back—and smart move for you.” He turned his tiny, black eyes to Ben and Zito. “Now, I recognize you three gorgeous monster girls. Don’t worry—I’ll be giving you some of my special attention when the time comes. What I want to know is who the hell are these two?”

  What Ben wanted to do in that moment was give Hullbeck a piece of his mind. Maybe even use Drain on his guards, suck out every bit of their strength, and use their power to split Hullbeck’s head clean in half with a single chop. But Ben held his tongue, knowing Shrike was better off doing the talking. Thankfully, Zito knew better than to make any comments.

  Shrike stepped
forward and spoke. “I… I regretted leaving. It was selfish of me, and more than that, I knew I was putting the town at risk by jeopardizing our required amounts for the Black Army.”

  “You’re damn right you did,” Hullbeck said. “You really screwed me over with this bullshit. But what the hell does that have to do with the kid and the geezer?”

  “Geezer?” Zito exclaimed. “Why, I—”

  Ben shut him up with a hard glare. Zito formed his mouth into a hard, flat line, keeping himself in check.

  “They were two bandits we encountered during our flight away from Moonbright,” Shrike said. “Despite us having greater numbers, they thought a group of women would be easy pickings. We showed them, however.” She flashed a smile after she spoke.

  “And what do you expect me to do with them?” Hullbeck asked.

  “Whatever you want. Despite their arrogance and overestimation of their abilities, they were capable fighters. I figured you might be able to find a use for them.”

  Hullbeck said nothing as he drew closer and closer. Soon he was close enough that Ben could smell his stench, a fetid combination of stale wine and dirty fur. Hullbeck loomed over Ben by a good few inches as he looked him up and down, his snout puffing out hot, musty breath.

  “Too young and too old to do anything worthwhile. Weak little humans, too. Maybe I could throw them in the town guard, but I’ve got enough young punks who can barely hold a sword.”

  Ben had to hold back a grin at Hullbeck not knowing what kind of power he was turning his disgusting snout up at.

  “But,” he said as he made his way back to the table to grab his bottle of wine, “I think I’ve got a use for them—for all of you.” He drank from his wine, twin purple trickles streaming down his mouth. When he was done drinking, he let out an ahh and set the bottle down. “We have a situation at the ruins. Got a few people trapped down there.”

  Ben held his excitement back—the ruins were the exact place he wanted to go.

  “You two,” he pointed to Ben and Zito, “along with all rest of you are going to go to the ruins and find out what’s there.”

  “And rescue our trapped kin?” Shrike asked.

  Hullbeck shrugged. “If they’re still alive, sure. But you find them, I want you to send them right back to Moonbright on their own while you figure out what the hell is in the ruins.”

  “But the ruins are sacred, Hullbeck. You know this. What do you think your father would say if—”

  He raised his finger, his beady black eyes flashing with rage. “My father’s not here, Shrike. He’s dead, in fact, and any mention of him is forbidden in the great hall!” His voice boomed and echoed in the silence that followed. “Now, you have your orders. Unless you want Cinder and whoever else I choose from your group to be executed just the same as if you’d never come back, your little gaggle of friends better be on their way. Got it?”

  “Got it,” Shrike said.

  “Good. Go by the dining hall and eat, load up on supplies. I want you all on your way within the hour. Now, get moving!”

  The guards turned their attention to the group, the looks on their faces making it clear the conversation was over.

  There was nothing else to do but begin their next task.

  Chapter 9

  “Well, that was about the most disgusting meal I’ve eaten in my life!” Zito spit after speaking, as if the slurry they’d had to eat in the dining hall at Moonbright were still on his tongue.

  “Get used to it, old man,” Melody said. “We’re slaves now—no more fresh-baked bread brought to us by friendly aurochkin for a long, long time.”

  “Doesn’t mean I have to like it!”

  The group was several hours out of Moonbright, and while Ben agreed with Zito about the disgusting slurry they’d eaten, a rancid porridge that managed to be watery-thin and nauseatingly chunky at the same time, he was more concerned with the conditions of Moonbright. The hundreds of monsterkin who lived there alternated between labor and squalor, Hullbeck and his close guard forcing them to work sixteen-hour days farming, fishing, or mining, their breaks only to eat or sleep.

  “That was disgusting,” Ben said. “I’m sorry that you and your people are made to live that way.”

  Shrike, her lips pursed, nodded. “Thank you for your concern, but if you’re truly invested in the lives of me and my people, you’ll free us from The One Who Rules All and the Black Army as soon as you can. Make no mistake, the conditions at the tower are even worse than what you’ve seen. I’ve spoken with monsterkin from other villages who’ve gone to the tower on resupply missions. It’s… dire.”

  “We’ll break the back of the Black Army,” Ben said. “It’s only a matter of time. And when we do, your people will never know slavery again.”

  Another crisp nod from Shrike. “It does me good to hear you say that, but, with all due respect, you’re a slave now. For all we know, our journey could end in Moonbright, being worked to death by Hullbeck and his guards.”

  “Ben would never let that happen,” Melody said. “I’ve traveled with him for long enough to know that he can do anything he puts his mind to. More than that, he’s the Forgotten Ruler! Claiming his former empire is his destiny.”

  “That may be true,” Shrike said. “But for now, you’re in the same bind as the rest of us, and the world is full of people who think they’re blessed with some sort of special destiny. Many would-be ‘chosen ones’ out there. Hullbeck is one of them. I’ve known him for some time, heard him drunkenly boast on more than a few occasions that he’s the one destined to be the greatest monsterkin of all time.” She smiled slightly. “Don’t get me wrong—I appreciate your help. And more than that… I can sense something in you, something the others I’ve known don’t possess. There’s something… something in you.”

  “There’s plenty I could say,” Ben said, “but I’d rather show you what I can do.”

  “Good—that’s something right there that separates you from the others. You’re a man of action, not talk. I suppose we’ll see what kind of action you’re capable of.”

  She followed this up with a sly smile, one that Ben couldn’t help but wonder if there was a hint of flirtation there.

  The group continued over the familiar rolling, green hills of the river district, making their way to the area where the ruins had been spotted.

  “What I want to know,” Lexi said. “Is how they were even able to get into the ruins. They’re supposedly locked to anyone but the Forgotten Ruler, right?”

  “Right,” Melody replied. “There’s only two ways into the ruins—by being the Forgotten Ruler, or by being let in by the power that’s in there.”

  Lexi seemed confused. “Aren’t the powers in these places dormant? How could the power make the decision of who to let in?”

  “Not all of them are dormant,” Zito said. “I was conscious when I was in my little hidey hole. Well, not entirely conscious, but I had a good sense of what was going on. I sure as hell knew when you all had broken in!”

  “There’s no way to know what happened until we’re there,” Melody said. “Cinder said it was some kind of accident?”

  “That could only be an assumption,” Shrike said. “Whatever happened, the people who went in didn’t come out.”

  Ben said nothing, his mind fixed on the task ahead. The group continued, soon reaching the small valley where the ruins were located.

  “There’re resting places here,” Ben said. “Big enough for us all to rest and catch a breather. We can use one now, or wait until we’ve finished with the ruins. My vote is to hurry to the ruins and save the monsterkin as soon as possible.

  The choice of the group was clear.

  “I can wait to rest,” Shrike said. “The sooner we find my people, the better. Minutes could mean the difference between life and death.”

  The rest of the group nodded.

  “Then let’s move,” Ben said. “When the monsterkin are rescued, we’ll have a place to rest before beginn
ing the trip back to Moonbright.”

  They travelled to the lowest point of the valley, Ben’s eyes on the arched door that led into the side of the hill.

  “You know what?” Shrike asked. “I’ve always wondered why this hill, the one that the ruins lead into, is so… hill-y.”

  “I know what you mean,” Ben said. “When I flew over it was a perfect dome. It has to do with the ruins underneath. Zito, you have any idea what to expect in there?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine, lad! The powers that helped you back when you were the man in charge all went their separate ways. But whatever’s in here, it’s taking up a hell of a lot of space!”

  They approached the door. As they got close, Ben noticed that the door was different from the style of architecture he’d seen around the area. It was more industrial, built of solid steel and reminding him of something he might see in a factory.

  “They had to have been let in,” Ben said as he approached. “There’s no way anyone would’ve been able to break through this.”

  Melody hurried over to the door. Instead of a handle or knob, there was a large, steel wheel in the middle of it. She placed her hands on the wheel and tried to turn it, her face flushing a deep shade of red as she failed to get it to budge even an inch.

  “Yep,” she said. “No one’s getting through that.”

  “Well, Forgotten Ruler,” Shrike said. “Let’s see what you can do.”

  Ben approached the door, Melody moving to the side to let him get near the wheel. He placed his hands on the round steel and pulled.

  Nothing happened. The wheel didn’t budge so much as an inch. Ben was confused. He gripped the wheel harder, turning it with all his might. He was worn out from their long day of walking, but he knew he should’ve been able to at least budge it a little.

  “What’s wrong, lad?” Zito asked. “Having some trouble?”

  Ben said nothing, instead focusing on the wheel. He grabbed it hard, trying once more to turn it. Again, nothing happened.