by A E M
Malignant Transfiguration
By AEM
Copyright © 2015 by AEM
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2015
Cover: by AEM
With photo from pt-home
through bigstock
For:
Nathaniel the Incredible,
Liam the Legendary,
Moira the Magnificent,
and Genevieve the Wonderful.
You are my Fabulous Four.
Table of Contents
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Epilogue
Prologue
Insula Rocca
She lay in his bed, dark beauty of the air and clouds and wind.
She was a daughter of the sky,
And he was a son of the earth.
But here they were neither earth nor sky.
Here when they touched it was like the wind rushing through blades of grass and leaves of trees.
Here they were separate yet together all at once.
The boat ride to Insula Rocca was lazy. Philip sat stiffly in one end of the pristine boat as he clenched his hands off and on and struck the side of the boat on occasion. The smell of blood tickled his nose. He grimaced at the salty spray that hit him in the face periodically. He had tried turning his head different ways and shifting his posture, but the spray always came. By now he had accepted its annoying presence. The spray was no doubt part of Eminente’s plan. Everything was part of his plan. Except perhaps failure. He briefly shivered then, despite the warm air. Here it was always warm with a light breeze right when you needed it. Under better circumstances he would relax and enjoy the ride, but his homecoming was tainted with the fresh, gushing wound of failure. Raven lay slung across the bottom near his feet. It had been all he could do it get her here quickly enough for medical attention. The boat and the rower had been waiting for them when he arrived with her in his arms. Eminente was always hospitable. Philip didn’t know how his failure was known so quickly, but it didn’t surprise him. It had been a short moment since he was back in his garden of ice battling with that barely an adult human female. He spit when he thought of her as if he could spit her annoying image out of his mind and drown it in the salty waters. Not only had she thwarted his plans, but she had also had the audacity to collaborate with his parents. Only the satisfaction of knowing his traitorous parents were finally dead kept his spirits up. He would convince Eminente to give him a second chance.
His focus shifted back to the trip. They were near land, but not the main island. It was a clever island, with many rings and no easy way to reach the fortress. The creature operating the boat stared at him with a sideways glance and snickered. Philip shivered once more. He had never grown accustomed to the Zimmon, and he was confident that he never would. The tall, dark, and stocky creature smelled of sand, salt, leather, and blood. His dreadlocks were a lifetime long and he wore a crudely sewn loincloth. His body was covered with scars and tattoos. This particular Zimmon was missing dreadlocks in a couple of places and had healing gouges on his arms from a recent fight. The Zimmon were an ancient breed of half-giants that Eminente had discovered during a trip overseas many years ago. Not even Philip knew how he had managed to recruit them, but Eminente did have a very successful record of recruiting others to his cause. The Zimmon lived on one of the outer rings of island around the island. No one dared go there other than Eminente. The ruckus one heard from a distance was more than enough to scare anyone else away. Even now Philip wished he had earplugs to block out the rumbling sound their language made. When they shouted, which was quite frequently, it was easy to mistake for the sound of an avalanche. The outermost guardians of the fortress had been chosen well.
Dolphins splashed in the distance. Philip grudgingly admired their beauty and strength. Normally he shunned nature, but there was something about this island that called into the deepest pit of his heart and begged him in whispers to remember his faun ancestry. Raven stirred as they finally neared the first narrow curve that led into the waters that circled around the second ring of island. She cried out and then tried to roll to her side with gasps of pain. “I can’t feel my wings!” She cursed before giving up her struggle. The Zimmon snickered loudly, and Raven stiffened. She stared icily at Philip, but her eyes did not leave his face. The Zimmon repulsed Philip, but Raven hated them. She covered up her terrible mood to everyone except him whenever she had to visit the island, and would often be cross with him for weeks afterwards. He had hoped that she would remain unconscious until they were within the fortress. He smiled apologetically and bent down to run his hand across her forehead even though he knew she would still be hot with fever. “Shhh. Be still. We will be there soon.” She lost consciousness soon after and he silently sighed in relief.
Slowly they followed the watery path around and around the orchid lined shores. Rodents and insects scurried across the island. Monkeys and birds chattered and danced from tree to tree. Every now and then they would pass a manatee digging for food. Finally they reached the port and adjacent village on the main island. Here lived the fishers and farmers and some of the soldiers stationed at the port. Most of Eminente’s followers lived within the city walls around the fortress, though both places had small populations. Those who lived on Insula Rocca were hand picked carefully. Eminente liked to call the solution to the current sparseness of inhabitants his stage three plan. Raven liked to call it something else.
A stately carriage and a familiar driver from his childhood awaited them just outside of the port gates. The carriage was drawn by a pack of dobarcu: the half-dog, half-otter creatures that lived in the moat outside the city walls. The dobarcu barked and snarled and snipped at each other as they waited. The driver with asymmetrical whiskers, unkempt hair, and loud shirts was a hobgoblin named Dobson. He was a very ugly even by hob standards, but Philip had a fondness for this short, hairy grunting hob who had taken care of him until Eminente was ready to train him. These days Dobson oversaw only the dobarcu. He grunted a hello at Philip. Philip nodded back.
It didn’t take him long to check in with the port authorities; it never did. He carried Raven to the carriage and settled her onto a bench. He sat down on the other bench and watched out one of the little windows as the breathtaking island passed by quickly. He could almost see a shadow of himself as a young faun running through the trees, covered in dirt and sweat and adventure. Soon the walls of the city loomed and the carriage slowed down to wait on the drawbridge. The dobarcu strained against their bindings. Philip stared at the volcanic rock walls that reminded him of safety. He hardly heard the drawbridge groan as it lowered or the dobarcu bark out in frustration when Dobson hurried them past their watery home where other dobarcu leaped out of the water and snarled a greeting to their brothers. Philip’s leg twitched as he remembered being bitten by one
of them once before when he had gotten too close. A full-grown dobarcu could take down a faun who stupidly wandered too close. A faun could easily outrun it, but not if it found its leg trapped in teeth. His encounter had been against a young dobarcu. It was the first kill he had ever made.
The fortress was at the very back of the city embedded in the side of the only mountain on the island. The road leading to it was straight and massive, with a middle divider of raised beds of plumeria trees. After a wave in with fortress authorities, the carriage was through the last set of gates and at a stop in front of the large set of stairs that led up to a second story porch and entrance. Eminente stood outside the door with jolly eyes and a welcoming smile. “Philip!” He shouted cheerily and started down the stairs. Philip smiled with relief and waved before opening the door. He scooped Raven up in his arms and brought her to the door where Eminente stood with his arms opened.
Raven’s eyes fluttered open for a moment at the transfer and she moaned. “You are safe now dear.” Eminente said gently. He looked Raven over and shook his head. “Oh, tsk, tsk. She’s lost so much blood. It’s too bad you couldn’t get her here faster. But it’s no matter. I will have this taken care of quickly.”
Philip nodded and bowed, staying low until Eminente spoke again. “Come. We must get her to the infirmary.”
“Thank you. You have been most generous, Eminente.” Philip said as he stood slowly.
“Yes, I have.” Something flashed in Eminente’s eyes for a split second before being replaced his usual calm demeanor.
Philip followed quietly to the infirmary and took a seat outside. Eminente joined him moments later, shutting the solid door behind him. There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence as he sat down by Philip, his head lowered and his eyes closed. Philip knew better than to interrupt that look, so he sat unmoving and breathed as slowly as he could. He knew he didn’t deserve to even sit next to this great man who had taken him in and raised him. What had he given him in return? Failure. Raven would disagree with him. She always rolled her eyes when he spoke of his master, but she didn’t understand the debt he owed him. She was free. She would yell and call him foolish for following, but he would yell back and call her the same for not falling into line. Sometimes he wondered why they had stayed together, but always she was there for him. Always he was there for her.
“Well, look at us.” Eminente finally said quietly. “Both covered in her blood. We best talk quickly. You know how I feel about cleanliness.”
“I failed you.” Philip started the conversation he had been dreading. He raised his head and finally looked directly into Eminente’s eyes.
A chuckle escaped the man’s lips and he clapped Philip a little too hard on the back. “I’m glad you still have spunk. You will need it after such a devastating failure. It will take time for me trust you with anything of great importance again.” He shook his head and sighed. “Ah, you know I am fond of you. Picked you up off the side of the road, I did. Saved you from certain death. Raised you as my own. I knew what to do with you then, but now, I find myself uncertain.”
“I want to rebuild.” Philip interrupted boldly. “I will not let this failure doom me. I will prove to you my worth!”
“I would expect nothing less of you.” Eminente said simply.
Philip stood and paced the hall. “I knew you would give me another chance. I knew it!” Philip didn’t see Eminente’s face then, he was too excited to pay attention.
“I knew this might happen, of course. It saddens me to think it has, but it will be a good thing for my plan after all. It is time to start stage two.”
Philip leaned up against the wall and nodded. “They will be fighting back now.”
“Well,” Eminente chuckled. “I’m sure they will try. They are a disorganized group at best. The advances they have made have been on accident really. I will be surprised if they are able to collect themselves enough in time. The magical world will change; Philip, and I will be on the front of that change. Do we still have a spy within the household?”
Philip shrugged. “To the best of my knowledge we have one left.”
“Well, we have them everywhere. It will be some time before they catch all of them, if they ever do completely.”
“There is this girl.” Philip said slowly. He was never quite sure how much his master knew, but this information was a prize he couldn’t wait to show off. “She is a dane-weaver. At least, she was. She was the one who injured Raven and stole my collection.”
Eminente stood up and paced the hall. “That from a dane-weaver! Who is she?”
“The daughter of Isaac and Audrey Locklear.” Philip grinned. “By birth.”
Eminente’s eyes widened with realization and Philip thought he heard him gasp. “A fairy mongrel? It shouldn’t be possible! Tell me everything you know about her.”
It didn’t take long for Philip to fill him in. He had watched nearby as she escaped her watery death. Eminente’s smile grew wider and more malevolent. “This doesn’t make up for your failure, you understand. I needed a fairy and that was my only chance at capturing one without major sacrifice. Go clean yourself up. Your room has been readied and dinner will be served at the usual time.” He smiled and turned crisply to march down the hallway.
Philip’s room was the same as he had left it. He had a formal sitting room of grey and blue with a few steps that led up into his bedroom of the same colors. His ceiling was a high arch of white bricks that continued down two of his walls. On one side of the room was a large window framed with dark blue curtains. On the other side were a metal rail and a staircase that led down to a bathroom. He stood at the window for a moment, watching the sway of the trees on the island and the waves of the ocean. Nature might always try to sing to him, but he could keep it blocked inside in the very pit of his soul.
His parents, filthy nature loving fauns, were dead. He was glad in a dead sort of way. It was his life dream to be rid of them as they had rid themselves of him. But rather than feel a sense of completion as he thought he would, there was a gaping unfamiliar hole. “No matter.” He mumbled before heading to his bathroom to wash away the taste and smell of defeat. The hole only needed to be filled with a new goal in life.
He was notified a few hours later by a hob he didn’t recognize that Raven was awake in her usual guest room down the hall and asking for him. The surgeon bowed to him as he entered and said, “She will be back to normal soon. She only needs a bit of rest to let the magic settle.”
Philip nodded his thanks and stepped back so the man could leave. Raven was propped up in the bed, a tired smile twitched at her lips. “Here we are once again. Must I always be the little birdie you rescue?”
“You were a very brave, important birdie.” He said as he kissed her hand, her arm, and her forehead.
“Not like the first time.” She laughed softly and tousled his hair.
“No, but you’ve changed since then and you’ve grown on me.” He brushed a tendril aside.
“Philip.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “We need to talk alone. I don’t want to be here. We really should leave soon.”
“Are you crazy?” He whispered back. “I think I’ve managed to repair things with him. He’s not thrilled, of course, but I can’t just leave after I’ve wronged him.”
“That’s precisely why you should leave, you idiot. Do you really think he’s going to let this go?”
“He’s practically my father!” He hissed at her and sat farther back on the bed. “And he healed you, hasn’t he? He may be mad for a while and I may not be allowed magic until I’ve proven myself again. Why do you always think wrongly of him?”
“Why is it,” she hissed, “that you can never see him for what he truly is?”
There was a knock on the door then and Eminente entered quickly. “Raven, my dear. So good to see you conscious!” He slapped Philip on the back as he walked by. “I had Philip informed first, of course, but I was a close second!” He twirled a chair to si
t by her side and gently kissed her hand. “I’m told you will be absolutely fine after a brief rest.”
“Yes,” Raven said sweetly. Around Eminente she was always honey. “I have you to thank for that, dear Minty. You have taken us in despite our failings.”
“Well, why wouldn’t I take in my adopted son and the woman he loves who is practically my daughter?”
Raven blushed and smiled, her hand held over her heart. It was in these moments that Philip had a hard time deciding who was the better actor in the room.
Eminente held hands with both of them. “Now, I’ve called a meeting for tonight you two. I want you to be prepared for this. Everybody will be there.”
Philip nodded. “The other Arxes?”
“Especially the other Arxes. We have a small window of time here for me to address everybody.”
“What’s going on?” Raven asked.
“You know as well as Philip does that there will be consequences for the two of you, regardless of my fondness. How else could I manage the other Arxes?”
Raven pouted. “What kind of consequences? Surely you can let us know beforehand.”
Philip stood. “It’s my failure, not hers.”
Eminente sighed and shook his head like he was dealing with unruly children and stood up. “Be in the great hall at 6pm. Do not be late.” The room was devastatingly quiet.
Eminente strode leisurely toward his general’s office on the main hall. His shoes clicking against the bare floors were the only sound in the long hallways. He knocked loudly as he entered the war room. An old dwarf stood on top of a large desk mumbling over the collection of papers in his hands. A hob nervously followed the General around and picked up the papers tossed to the side. Eminente loudly cleared his throat.
“Sir.” The dwarf snapped to attention. “I’m glad you are here. I’ve finally made contact with all our associates. We are ready for stage two.”
“I am very pleased to hear that.” Eminente said with a pleasurable smile. “General, I have some additional orders I need carried out quickly. Let’s call them a precursor to stage two.”