Sandqueen (Rise To Omniscience Book 7)

by Aaron Oster

  It was still okay, though. She’d calculated that before long, the creature causing all of this ruckus would come seeking her of his own free will. The other World Beasts could all thrash against the chains of their own drowsiness, and while they fought their various ways to the surface, she would continue plotting. The convergence was coming, but she still had plenty of time. For now, she needed to concentrate on her current objective — retrieving the core of that supermage girl who’d caught her sight.

  Once she had her, Strangler would have all she’d need to assure that she became the one and only queen. She’d be the World Beast of World Beasts, the strongest of the strong. Her pawns were already hard at work, tracking the girl down. All she needed to do was wait.

  ***

  “…Your actions were completely irresponsible, and you will be punished for disobeying a direct order.”

  Grace felt her heart sink as Morgan delivered his verdict. They were back in the North Kingdom, in the palace of Pinnaclefall. They were currently in their shared suite, and though Morgan had not said so much as a word to her on their way back, he didn’t seem to be short on them now.

  She wished he could at least have waited until she’d healed up a bit more before tearing into her, but he’d spent the last five minutes calling her an idiot in every conceivable way. She could do nothing, as she was lying in bed, wrapped up in bandages and splints. She could only take it and keep her mouth shut. She knew what she’d done had been stupid, but in her defense, she hadn’t wanted to leave him out there all alone.

  Lumia was still fast asleep and had been placed beside her. According to the healers, it would take her a few days to shake off the poison pumped into her by the Pinnacle King. Grace still had a hard time believing that Morgan had managed to defeat her on his own.

  Everyone, in fact, was so shocked and awed by what he’d done, that the respect that was normally shown to him by everyone he met had transformed into outright adoration and, for some, near-fanatic levels. From what she’d heard, a few cults had even popped up, proclaiming him as a god, one born to save them all. She was sure he would be squashing these rumors personally, though right now, it was hard to think of anything else other than the scolding.

  “What kind of punishment?” she asked, finding herself unable to meet his gaze.

  Unlike her, he appeared to be completely fine, yet another aspect of his power she wished she had. It was a healing power that cured all ailments within a matter of hours, leaving him able to continue on, even after such a massively taxing battle, without taking so much as a nap.

  “We’ll decide on that later,” he replied, though his expression did soften a bit when she shifted, aggravating her injuries and wincing. “That said,” he continued, reaching into his pocket and producing a core. “I’m proud of you as well, not for disobeying a direct order, but for standing tall in the face of a force that you could not hope to defeat.

  “The strength it took to stand up to Pentagon was more than most could hope to muster. Though your actions were so very, very stupid, you still managed to stay alive, which is more than I can say for most. Rest up. Grow stronger. Tomorrow, we’ll be getting back to training.”

  He gave her a single nod, then turned and left the room. Though she wanted to call after him, Grace allowed him to go. He still had many important meetings, like the one with the King of the West, to explain how he’d destroyed an entire city, and Katherine, to talk about his defeat of the Pinnacle King. Of course, seeing as all of the rulers of the Five Kingdoms would be present at said meeting, it wasn’t exactly one that he could be late to.

  Her hand fumbled around for a few moments, closing over the core and bringing it up to her eyes. She could see her face, partially reflected by the shining red and blue light beneath the glassy surface. The line of red tracing down over one eye was much fainter than it had been earlier, but the healer had said that it would undoubtedly scar, and there was little she could do to prevent that.

  She was a bit annoyed that her face would be permanently marred because of her compulsive need to go after Morgan, but at the same time, she viewed it as a trophy. It was proof that she had faced down a Pinnacle King, one of the most dangerous beasts in the whole world, and lived!

  What amazed her most about that fight was the strength that she’d displayed in the face of such overwhelming power. Even now, when she’d been sure she’d devolve into a shivering mess, bawling her eyes out at the fact that she’d nearly been killed, she managed to hold it in. Sure, she still felt like crying, but the uncontrollable terror and fear that had once ruled her life was no longer present. The past few weeks had taught her a lot, and as more time passed, she was sure that her instincts would only grow sharper, even as her nerves hardened. Grace might feel like crying now, but in another few months or maybe even weeks, something like this would no longer affect her.

  She turned the core over in her hand, watching the light reflecting off its surface, and finally checked its energy. She was shocked to find that the core contained more than enough to push her a full two ranks ahead, and nearly all the way to the third! That meant that she could go from rank 10 to nearly 13 in just a few seconds!

  For just a moment, she was tempted to do just that. Morgan hadn’t actually specified what she should be spending the energy on. He’d just handed her the core and left, showing that he trusted her to make her own decisions. Though she hated to do so, Grace knew what the correct course of action would be.

  Her body shuddered as she moved from rank 10 to 11. A single rank was all she could afford right now, as she’d be missing out on all the possible Attribute Points from rank 11 if she moved up before working on herself. The rest of the energy was just enough to purchase a new skill, one that Morgan had been hinting at for several weeks now. The mere fact that the core had that much energy showed her that she’d made the right decision and that Morgan had purposely done this to test her. Despite being annoyed that she wouldn’t be pushing for a higher rank right now, Grace was still quite excited about her new skill.

  It was called Sound Burst, and it was a combination of her Sound and Self ability. It wasn’t an extra skill, but Morgan had said that when she became a supermage, the skills she’d learn would contain aspects of both. Sound Burst worked by sending out small, powerful waves from various parts of her body.

  Unlike the Siren Scream, these were far more focused and didn’t travel far from her. But she could unleash them from any part of herself, including her feet. She’d thought this over carefully, and if used in tandem with her Body Shift, which decreased her density, it should help her move far faster. Not only that, but the ability to project short bursts of sound from any part of herself could help cover any weak spots she had.

  This skill would likely become her most used over time. It could be used offensively, defensively and as an enhancement, all at once! It was a skill that she was more than happy to have added to her arsenal. She leaned back against her pillows, dropping the core – she’d made sure to leave just a bit of energy in there so it wouldn’t crumble – and opened her status to see how she’d progressed.

  Name: Grace

  Supermage: Rank - 11

  Energy to next rank - 254/22,000

  Ability - Sound Self

  RP - 570/570 (Regen - 5.8 per second)

  Strength - 72

  Agility - 45

  Constitution - 69

  Intelligence - 57

  Wisdom - 58

  Skills - Expand Blows II, Body Shift+, Siren Scream, Echolocation+, Sound Burst

  Traits - Perception Field, Sharpen Mind

  Extra - Wail Wall

  Grace closed her status, her hand unconsciously dropping to the small drake sleeping next to her as she stroked her warm back slowly. Without Lumia’s help, she would undoubtedly have perished today. She owed the drake more than she could hope to repay, and when Lumia finally woke up, she would make sure she knew just how grateful she was. Even as she began to drift off, the medic
ine provided by the healers to help her sleep finally taking effect, Grace couldn’t help but wonder what the future held for them.

  There was still so much that needed to be done, and so many things were uncertain. The war, the Pinnacle Kings, the World Beast… She shuddered unconsciously when thinking about Strangler. Twice now, she’d come into contact with that monster’s minions, and twice, she’d managed to escape. How many more times could she manage to do the same, and would Strangler keep pursuing her?

  Thankfully, the medicine she’d taken was strong, and before her thoughts could devolve into a chaotic mess of worry and speculation, her mind went blank, surrendering to the world of dreams that lay beyond their own.

  ***

  “So, let me get this straight,” Katherine said, resisting the urge to rub her temples. “You managed to defeat the Pinnacle King called Pentagon the Desiccator, destroyed an entire city in the process and discovered that the others, the beasts with the power to wipe out our entire continent, would soon be rising as well?”

  “That about sums it up,” Morgan replied, his gaze switching between each of the five rulers seated before him. “I’ve already provided the proof that Pentagon is dead, and honestly, destroying an already-destroyed city is a small price to pay when you take it into consideration that millions of lives could have been lost.”

  “I hold no ill will toward you whatsoever,” Hu Kiln said quickly, making sure his opinion on the matter was known. “For saving my kingdom, I will be eternally grateful, and you will always be welcome in the West Kingdom for as long as my family remains in power!”

  Katherine resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Smart as he may be, Kiln was turning into a bit of a fanatic where Morgan was involved – not that she could blame him. Word of Morgan’s fight was already rapidly spreading throughout the Kingdoms, and she’d personally seen half a dozen different cults spring up in the North alone, due to this battle. There had already been a few that she’d known of since Octagon’s fall, though none were like the ones forming now.

  The West was also abuzz with what had happened, and from what she’d heard, the rumors in the South and East were already spreading, which was quite impressive. News had never traveled this quickly in the past, but with the availability of Portal Scrolls now being offered – albeit, in limited quantity to the rulers of the Kingdoms – news had a way of spreading quickly. With something as momentous as the defeat of another Pinnacle King, it was likely to spread many times faster.

  “Impressive as your feat is, we still need to address the problem at hand,” Beatrice, the Queen of the South, said. “While the Pinnacle Kings of the West and North have been defeated, there is still the matter of the other three. What are we to do when the same monsters rise in the East, South and Central Kingdoms?”

  Katherine bit back an angry retort – it would be unbecoming of someone of her station to lash out that way – and instead, allowed Morgan to answer for himself. This was the first time he’d actually met the Southern Queen in person, as she had declined to make a personal appearance up until now. She was a woman in her early thirties, fine-featured, with the slanting eyes that were common among those in the South.

  She had a mane of long black hair, which was tied back and placed in a loose bun, held together by a pair of long red needles that were thrust through a band of green cloth. Her outfit consisted of swirling robes of green and gold, made up of many layers and done in an artful fashion, which was popular in their kingdom. Her expression was pinched in a way that showed displeasure, without actually being disrespectful.

  Even as stuck up and bitchy as she was, Beatrice still recognized Morgan’s strength and what it would represent for the future of their continent, as well as the war with Faeland. None of them wished to die, nor see their countries ravaged by the wrath of the Pinnacle Kings. If she were being honest with herself, Katherine would likely act the same in her position, which was partly why she wasn’t saying anything and allowed Morgan to handle this.

  He’d saved the North, due to his affiliation with them, and seeing as he’d competed for the West in the Skyflare Tournament, they all knew it was his homeland. But what would he do when the other kingdoms were threatened? Would he leave them to fend for themselves, or would he go face those monsters to ensure that they were not completely wiped out?

  “I have no intention of allowing even a single life to be lost to another Pinnacle King,” Morgan said, his voice hard as steel. “The last time I faced one, I’d needed an army at my back, and I was only able to lock him away, even after sacrificing more than thirty of the most powerful fighters at the time. This time, I went in alone and was able to kill her permanently. By the time another rises, I’ll be even stronger. So, if you’re afraid I won’t come, just because you live in a different kingdom, think again.”

  Beatrice seemed to relax at those words and gave Morgan a small nod as she leaned back in her chair.

  “The only question remaining is which Pinnacle King will rise next.”

  The room went silent as Herald voiced the very topic that everyone had been wondering about, but no one had wanted to broach. Truthfully, Katherine hadn’t wanted to invite the man here, not after he’d betrayed their entire race and tried to see them all fall. However, a deception only remained a deception for as long as the other party did not realize they were being deceived. In other words, as soon as Herald found out they knew, he would vanish, either behind his own borders or to Faeland itself.

  “It’ll be in the South or East,” Morgan said, breaking the silence. “We already know that the last Pinnacle King to rise will be the most powerful and that they are somewhere in the Central Kingdom. If I were to guess, I’d say that the South is most likely next, followed by the East. Unless there is no pattern, in which case, it’ll be the East, and then the South.”

  “Either way, it seems we’ll need to watch our backs over the coming weeks,” Le’vine said, her voice grim. “Otherwise, we may end up no better than the North.”

  Katherine didn’t take what she said as an insult. They all knew what had happened, and it was only because of the North that they now knew what they were facing. It was thanks to the sacrifice of all those people that the West only lost around two thousand to this Pinnacle King. And while that was no small number, it paled in comparison to the damage that could have been done.

  “Then will you be coming to stay in the South?” Beatrice asked.

  “I’m sorry, but why do you think he should be staying with you and not me?” Le’vine interjected.

  “Well, you heard him,” Beatrice replied haughtily. “The next Pinnacle King to rise will most likely do so in my kingdom. Therefore, he should be staying with me!”

  “No. He said that was what he thought, and, as he mentioned, he could be wrong,” Le’vine replied.

  “Well, I…!”

  “I’m staying here,” Morgan said, cutting the two women off. “In case you’ve forgotten, there’s still a lot that needs to be done. Just because the Pinnacle Kings are set to rise doesn’t mean the world will stop running. There’s my marriage to Elyssa to arrange, a treaty to sign and a group of spies we need to collect.”

  “Why don’t we just leave them there?” Herald asked. “Just in case this alliance falls through. We still don’t know if we can trust these people, and it couldn’t hurt to keep gathering information.”

  “I have an entire map of Faeland right here,” Morgan replied, tapping the side of his head. “I’ll work with a few cartographers to get it drawn up. In the meantime, I’ll need to return to Faeland at some point in the next week. There are a few things I’ll need to take care of, and with the alliance already in the works, I can travel there much faster than before.

  “Additionally, we’ll need to return for the wedding, and I’m assuming all of you will want to be in attendance to assure that everything is above board.”

  Katherine felt a small twinge at hearing the word ‘wedding.’ It was a mix of jealousy, anger and
pain, all of which she’d been continuously shoving down since Morgan had told her about it. She knew it was only temporary, as a peace treaty between the people. Still, she was torn. As a leader, she knew he was making the right choice, but as a woman who was in love, she couldn’t help but want to portal over to the East Kingdom and rip that elf’s head from her shoulders. She did none of that, instead, rising and addressing the room at large.

  “I think we can convene for now. Morgan must be exhausted after his fight, and I assume you want to prepare a celebration and memorial, Kiln.”

  “Yes, of course,” Hu Kiln said, already rising as well. “We will mourn the dead and celebrate the lives that have been saved. Will you be attending, Morgan? As the guest of honor, of course!”

  Though Katherine could clearly see he wanted to do nothing less, Morgan simply inclined his head.

  “If that will be all,” he said, “then I will bid you all a good night.”

  The gathered rulers all inclined their heads in kind, and he departed, swinging the door closed behind him. Beatrice and Herald were the first to go, followed shortly by Kiln, leaving Katherine alone with the Queen of the East.

  “Have you met this elf yet?” she asked as she opened a portal to her friend’s palace.

  “Not yet, but I’m assuming I’m going to, either now or tomorrow,” Le’vine replied as she stepped halfway into the portal.

  “Would you…?” Katherine began, unsure of how to phrase the question.

  “I’ll contact you as soon as I’ve met with her and tell you all I can,” Le’vine replied, already knowing what she wanted to ask.

  “Thank you.”

  Le’vine gave her a nod then stepped through the portal. For just a moment, Katherine was tempted to go in after her, but as she felt her friend step out on the other end, she forced it shut, stopping herself from making any big mistakes. She was tired right now, and not in the right state of mind to be visiting with foreign dignitaries.