Empire Builder 1: Breed, Populate, Conquer

by Dante King

  Ben sighed and turned toward the woman whom he’d still hoped was a figment of his imagination…or whatever drug some asshole had slipped into his drink last night.

  “Your summoning stone is broken?” Melody asked, and she almost seemed regretful that she’d broken it, like she’d thrown it with more strength than she’d wanted.

  He wasn’t even going to try and figure out how a hallucination had managed to break his cell.

  “Did—” he hesitated. “Did you just call the phone a summoning stone?”

  Melody looked at him blankly. Technically she wasn’t wrong, he supposed. You call someone, they show up—it’s kind of like summoning, in a way. This hallucinatory experience had probably brought that one up from the depths of his mind. And it seemed like he was getting a taste of his subconsciousness’s twisted sense of humor.

  Ben shook his head, still unable to believe what was going on. And he’d been thinking he was so damn lucky to have found this beautiful woman last night. Now she was spouting a bunch of nonsense about magic and children and quests. And it almost seemed like she might be threatening him too, judging by the way she destroyed his phone. Would his cell still be broken when he snapped out of this hallucination?

  Or maybe it wasn’t a hallucination—maybe it was some kind of fucking prank. Those assholes who recorded themselves pranking innocent people could have cooked up this little scheme. But that didn’t explain how he’d seen that weird vision of a giant lynx when he’d touched the egg thing. There was already a lot of weird going on, so he put that kind of speculation aside for the time being.

  “What’s going on here? What’s the point of all this?” Ben asked, frustration creeping into his voice. “To humiliate me?” He ran his eyes over the walls and furniture in the room, looking for hidden cameras. But deep down he knew he wouldn’t find any—concealed cameras can be made so small these days.

  His suspicions about it being a prank weren’t unfounded. That kind of thing wasn’t uncommon. Some shithead chasing social media clout could film you in an embarrassing situation—in his case being conned into believing some bullshit story about a dinosaur egg while sitting naked on a hotel bed with some foreign spy. They’d wait until he bought the lie, then jump out of the closet or whatever and tell me he was going to be YouTube famous.

  “The point is to bring about the return of the Forgotten Ruler,” Melody explained once more. There was exasperation to her voice, as if she were mildly annoyed that wasn’t accepting this very simple scenario.

  Ben closed his eyes and took in a calming breath through his nose. Back in college he’d had to take these goofy self-care courses where they taught you meditation and other tricks on how to calm yourself down when needed—tricks that were coming in handy in this majorly weird situation.

  His pulse slowed, and he began to get the sense that whatever the hell was going on, he should see it through. Maybe I’m not the crazy one. Maybe Melody had escaped the mad house, fucked some stranger, then planted some weird-ass egg-looking thing in the bed afterward. It didn’t make a damn bit of sense, but it wasn’t like the insane had rational explanations for their behavior—that’s what made them crazy, after all.

  The hottest girls being the most nuts was a fact of nature, and Ben was pretty damn sure he was getting a glimpse of it in action.

  If that were the case, then there was no idea what exactly she was capable of. Benjamin’s shrink cousin had said on multiple occasions that telling crazy people they were crazy was the fastest way to get them to freak out on you.

  For now, Benjamin would pretend to be interested in and believe whatever crackpot bullshit she wanted to chat about. In the meantime, he’d try to think of some way to escape before she did whatever insane people did to the sane.

  He took a seat on the foot of the bed, giving himself a little distance from Melody in case she tried to grab him or something. But he came close enough so that she wouldn’t think he was giving her too much space. The egg still lay there, a giant question mark in a whole series of unanswered questions.

  Ben nodded at Melody to continue. “I’m interested,” he said, trying his hardest to sound believable. “Tell me more about you.”

  She smiled and nodded, pleased as punch to fill him in.

  “I come from a land filled with magic.” Melody waved her arm expansively, causing her well-endowed bosom to heave in a very distracting manner. Once again, Ben had to remind himself that she was probably missing morning bingo at the local center for the loopy. “Not like the magic in this world.” She pointed at the lights above their heads, then gestured toward the bathroom. “Like the chamber pot that you empty by touching the magical metal on the bowl, or the amazing device that creates cold air with the press of a button, or the heat-maker in the privy chamber.” She made a blowing noise, and Ben realized she was talking about the hotel’s complimentary hairdryer.

  He had to give it to her, if this whole fantasy cover story was the invention of an addled mind, she was definitely thorough. She still managed to convincingly pretend she had never seen electric lighting before or a hairdryer or even a toilet.

  “My homeland is a place of monsters, the likes of which have not been seen in your world for a very long time. And it is home to opulence beyond comparison.” Melody wore a look of bliss, her eyes half closed and a smile on her lips as she imagined this place. “These treasures are guarded by monsters as large as houses, beasts who will slay you should you answer a riddle incorrectly, and creatures with eyes that are doors into other dimensions. Defeat, bargain, or ally yourself with such monsters, and you could gain for yourself great wealth. There are palaces made entirely of precious stones, garments woven with threads made from the coats of Silk Dragons, and so much more. All these could be yours for the taking.”

  Ben had heard of method acting before, but this was impressive. He was really starting to believe this place was real and not a figment of her imagination.

  “Terrifying monsters and items worth shitloads of money,” Ben said. “Sounds like—”

  “A land of extremes?” Melody finished for me, her eyebrows arched. “You would be correct. This is the land you once ruled, Benjamin, before you were cast out, before the journey of eons your soul was forced to undertake.”

  Say what? Had Melody just become a dungeon master? She seemed to be inducting him into some sort of role-playing game, giving him the backstory of the world she’d invented. He'd played some D&D back in high school, but those days were long over. College hadn’t left any time for it. He didn’t expect his casual lover from the club to spontaneously start a game in the middle of his hotel room, while still not wearing any clothes.

  Maybe this was the point of her whole shtick. Someone had obviously paid a lady of the night who provided not only a five-star adult service, but also DM’d a game while in the nude. Ben was just waiting for some of his gaming buddies to step through the door, ogle the beautiful purple-haired woman, then take their seats around the bed so Melody could continue the game.

  It was an insane explanation. But it was still more reasonable than thinking she was telling the truth.

  “After you were defeated, your soul settled on this unassuming world, almost devoid of magic.” Melody gestured forlornly at the TV sitting against the wall. There was disappointment in her voice, as if the normal world were too depressing and boring to even talk about.

  “Let’s assume I believe what you’re saying right now,” he interrupted.

  Melody’s piercing purple eyes widened as he snapped her out of storytelling mode, and she focused shrewdly on his face. She seemed to think she was making progress.

  “What do you expect of me?” Ben asked. “You want me to go back to this world of yours and…what—rule it?”

  Melody nodded enthusiastically. “That’s why Archmage Kamila sent me. She is in the Xurian Realm’s Court, but she toils against the Realm, under the nose of the Grand Vizier himself. But you, Benjamin, are the rightful ruler of all th
e land.”

  “The Xurian Realm?” Ben asked as he heaved himself off the foot of the bed and made his way toward the bathroom, a small room that opened directly into the ensuite.

  “It is the name for the civilization which rose up in your wake. The so-called Grand Vizier has usurped power in my world in your absence, Benjamin,” Melody explained. She said the words “Grand Vizier” with disdain, as if there weren’t anything more vile she could imagine.

  “Uh huh,” Ben replied as he got out his electric toothbrush. Brushing his teeth wasn’t really his highest priority at the moment, but he needed an excuse to get a moment to think. Not to mention that taking his eyes off Melody’s body freed up his brain for more useful things.

  Melody followed him as he squeezed out some toothpaste onto the device, switched it on, and put the buzzing end into his mouth.

  Her eyes grew wide as he pressed the power button, and she stared intently at his mouth. “Is there some sort of spirit inside this cleaning wand of yours?” She asked, wonder in her voice. “I had not thought your world contained so much magic.”

  Ben waved his hand dismissively at her and pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth for a moment, spraying toothpaste on the mirror above the sink. “Just wait for me in the other room, I need a minute.”

  Still staring intently at the rotating toothbrush head, Melody nodded and shuffled back into the bedroom. A moment later, Ben heard her switch on the TV, chattering voices filling the air.

  She’d been fascinated with the TV last night when he’d turned it on for a few minutes during a pause in the, ah, activities of the evening. After he’d done that, she’d switched it on and off for the next ten minutes, exclaiming over the colors and sounds, attempting to carry on a dialogue with the characters on the screen.

  Ben had been a little tipsy at the time and thought she was just being quirky. But in the clear light of day, her actions hadn’t done much to convince him that she wasn’t crazy.

  Ben rinsed his mouth out and put the toothbrush back in his rucksack by the bathroom door. He thought about what he was going to do next. He couldn’t just do nothing. He had to either get Melody to admit she was making it all up, or find a way to get her to a psych ward without her causing a scene.

  What option did he have but keeping the conversation going until he could walk her out to the hotel foyer with him? Maybe if he could get her talking like that around other people, they would quickly see how dire the situation was and call the professionals.

  With a sigh, Ben walked back into the bedroom and saw Melody seated on the end of the bed, a deep frown on her face as she stared intently at the TV screen. One of the Lord of the Rings movies—The Two Towers, as far as he could guess—was on the screen. That had been one of his favorite movies as a teenager and he'd watched it dozens of times.

  Melody looked up as he entered the room, shaking her head in frustration and disbelief. “This is all wrong,” she said, shouting over the TV, which she’d turned up way too loud.

  Merry and Pippin were sitting on top of Treebeard as he introduced them to the Entmoot.

  “What’s ‘all wrong’?” he asked, doing his best to sound serious.

  “The walking tree monsters are being shown as good here.” Melody’s frown deepened as she swept her hand toward the TV.

  Ben opened his mouth to respond and closed it again, not sure how to answer a complaint like that.

  “Everyone knows the tree monsters are wicked and worthy of nothing save for death,” Melody continued, paying his hesitation no attention. “I am no stranger to such creatures; I’ve had to slay them on more than one occasion.”

  Melody was now convinced she had slain Ents? Ben almost wished it were true. Seeing a babe like her do battle with towering tree beasts had to be a hell of a sight.

  The details in Melody’s backstory were impressive, he had to admit. He half expected her to lead him to another room in the hotel and join his old D&D buddies for a round. The dinosaur egg was a weird touch, he’d never come across a storyline involving one of those in games with his friends. But maybe she was new to this and trying to improvise a bit.

  Ben walked over to the TV and turned the volume down. Then he turned to Melody. “Alright, I’m in. What’s next in this game?”

  Melody looked at him, puzzled, her naked legs crossed, showcasing one long thigh over the other. Her hands were clasped together on her lap, her arms squeezing her breasts together. “Game? You think this is all a game, Benjamin? You might learn to take it more seriously when you face werebats the size of men, walking trees, colossal demons, and rat-men wielding rusty blades—all of them attempting to take your life and your empire.”

  He hesitated. None of that sounded like a game he'd ever heard of. Melody definitely sounded serious about all this.

  Then something occurred to him—there was one thing left that he could try.

  “If all this is real then—” he started.

  “Of course it’s real. Why don’t you believe me?” Melody sounded wounded.

  “Then I need to see some proof. You want me to believe you’re here from another world, that I’m some ruler whose empire got stolen from him, then you’re going to have to do more than tell me about it. Go on—let’s see it.”

  It was a risk, but one he was fine taking. Not like she could actually demonstrate magic or anything like that. He was calling her bluff, hoping she’d give up all this weird nonsense. Maybe if he were lucky, she’d admit she was pulling his leg.

  Melody sucked in her breath and gave him a look of intense longing and excitement. “Then we should tarry no longer. I’ll take you back to my homeland right away! That will show you,” she whispered.

  Ben held up a hand. “Not so fast. Show me your magic. Prove to me that this isn’t some elaborate hoax.” He couldn’t help but smile; he was really getting into this roleplaying shtick. If this were a game, he'd fit in perfectly.

  A sober, serious expression formed on Melody’s face. She bent down to fish through the pile of clothing she had left on the floor behind her the night before.

  Ben couldn’t help admiring the curve of her smooth ass and remembering how it had felt, bouncing against his cock in the small hours of the morning. The shaved lips of her pussy were visible between her legs as she rustled through her jeans. They looked slightly inflamed, and he had to wonder again what she had been doing with that egg last night. Where the hell had it come from? They’d been up for nearly the entire night. Maybe she’d laid it during a trip to the bathroom.

  He caught himself—no way was he starting to believe her, was he? After all, did she expect him to believe she had laid it like a chicken? Not a chance.

  With a cry of triumph, Melody stood up again and turned toward him, holding a stick in her hands. The thing appeared to be about a foot long, smooth and brown.

  “A prop,” Ben said with a smile as he leaned back onto his palms, which were planted on the bed. “Nice. So, where do you plan on putting that wand? I mean, if you’re down for ass stuff then that’s fine with me—as long as it’s your ass.”

  Melody gasped. “Place this wand in my anus? That would be incredibly dangerous. Before we are given our first wands, we are taught never to point it at anything that you don’t intend to cast a spell on.”

  He shrugged. “Makes sense, I suppose. Then what do you intend to do with it?”

  Melody paused and looked around her, the fingers of her free hand playing absentmindedly on her lower lip in a way that made him want to stop playing this game and jump back into bed with her. She was a goddess compared to any of the women he’d been with before. Why couldn’t everything she was saying be real? If it were, he’d jump through a portal to her world in an instant and leave this one behind.

  Her purple eyes lit up as they landed on the TV against the wall, still playing in the background. She lowered her right hand and pointed the wand toward the TV. She hunched her shoulders, as if gathering herself to make a move, and that’s when t
he strangest thing of all happened.

  Her ears grew long and pointed and furry, like those of a lynx, and a long, brownish-yellow tail sprouted from the curve of her lower back, just above her ass. The tail flicked back and forth, long and graceful. Her eyes flashed, changing from the small, narrow eyes of a human to the large, expressive eyes of a cat. Purple fur grew out of the tops of her hands and feet.

  When she’d changed, she stretched her long, lithe body into an arch—like cats did. Then she licked her paw, casting her eyes up to Ben.

  He stood stunned as he watched her transformation. What the fuck was going on? He’d never heard of technology that could allow someone to pull off a trick like that, and he couldn’t think what use it would be if it did exist.

  “Magic,” he whispered. “You. . . you transformed?!”

  “I did,” Melody said with a nod. “And I shall show you yet more magic.”

  Then, with a flick of her wrist, Melody swiped the wand at the TV screen. A low boom reverberated through the room, and a burst of bright white light flashed from the tip of the wand to the screen.

  With a screech of static, the screen lit up with wild colors, then died.

  “What the fuck?” he exclaimed, trying to figure out what the hell she was doing.

  Melody looked at me with a proud expression, her furry hands on her hips.

  “What the hell did you just do?” he asked.

  “I enhanced the picture box’s powers,” Melody declared. “With the combination of my magic and yours, it will be more powerful than ever.”

  “You haven’t enhanced the TV.” Ben put his hand to his forehead in frustration. “You broke it.”

  Melody’s face fell. She looked at the lifeless screen. She pressed the power button repeatedly. “Oh. It didn’t work.”

  “Of course, it didn’t. Did you just zap the TV with lightning? I don’t know what kind of magic they have in your world, but here, electronics don’t tend to respond well to that.” He sighed in frustration. “Now I’m going to have to pay the hotel for damages.” He tried to keep the emotion from his voice, but he was a bit annoyed and still very confused.