Empire Builder 1: Breed, Populate, Conquer

by Dante King

  “I inspected the cellars below the tower,” she said.

  “What did you find? Are the foundations in order?” Ben asked.

  “They are. The workmanship is excellent. My own people would be proud to claim it as their own.”

  “I wonder if your people did do that work,” Ben mused aloud.

  Imogen looked startled. “It’s possible. I’ll have to ask my mother if she knows anything about it. I inspected the food stores as well.”

  “How much food do we have?” Ben asked.

  “Enough to last the five of us for several years. All of it is kept frozen in these strange, enchanted chambers.”

  Ben’s eyes widened. “There’s really that much food down there?”

  “They are well stocked. If more of your, uh, children hatch, however, or if more people join us, it will not last so long.”

  “Yes, I see. We’ll need to find a way to gather more food and maybe grow some. We need to be able to sustain ourselves. The Xurian Realm will no doubt try to prevent us from buying any food. That reminds me, what does the Realm use for money, Melody?”

  “You won’t be able to acquire any currency, I’m afraid, Ben.” Melody put her hands up helplessly. “The Vizier’s officials track the currency very closely. If they find out you have acquired any, they will immediately make it invalid and issue new bills.”

  “I see.” It was becoming evident to Ben that the Xurian Realm had tremendous resources behind them. They were well organized. Beating them would be a hell of a challenge, but one he was more than up to. Still, he knew he’d have to play it carefully—attacking them before he was ready would be disastrous.

  Hope was not lost, however. “You said there are mineral resources in the Outlands,” he said. “If we managed to capture some of those mines and acquire gold, we could still trade.”

  Melody nodded. “It is far away, however. You will need to win the support of the monsterkin first.”

  Ben looked at the nymphs. “Your people are monsterkin, are they not? They will welcome my return, I’m sure of it.”

  Vinata appeared ambivalent. “Some will, Ben. My own parents, like me, always waited for your return with eagerness. Many of my people will be suspicious, though.”

  “As will mine,” Lulu said. “They will fear reprisals from the Xurian Realm too.”

  Imogen nodded as well.

  “For centuries our people have been hunted,” Vinata continued. “Bounty hunters and slavers from the Xurian Realm have carried off our children, and any other vulnerable nymphs or other monsterkin they could find. We never saw them again, and who knows what was done to them once they were taken.”

  “They are used to power magical machines,” Melody said, a note of disgust and horror in her voice.

  Vinata looked at her, shock written on her face. “You mean they operate the machines as slaves?”

  Melody turned to face the dryad. The cat woman’s purple eyes blazed. “They use the children as fuel. They burn them in the machines to power them.”

  The nymphs gasped.

  Ben himself felt nauseous. “We have to put a stop to this. Maybe if I promise to the monsterkin that their children will not be harmed anymore, they will work with me.”

  It would be a good deed, ending this trafficking of children. And it would make his empire much stronger too, allowing him to better defend the peoples dwelling inside it. Ben allowed himself a small grin. His plans were starting to take shape.

  Ben’s musings were interrupted by a mewing sound coming from the elevator shaft not far from the dining hall they sat in.

  Ben looked at Melody. “You left Nipper on the ground floor, right?”

  The catgirl nodded. “He was content gnawing on the bones of the deer carcass.”

  “What can that noise be then?” Ben felt a shiver run down his spine. Had some creature broken into the tower? That seemed impossible.

  He got up to investigate. The others followed. Sir Gallant the Younger raised his voice. “Ahem, a little help?” He was stuck on the table, since he was too short to get to the floor. He held his arms up helplessly. Vinata picked him up and put him on the ground so he could waddle after the others.

  The sound was coming up the elevator shaft, but it didn’t sound far away. When Ben opened the elevator doors, it sounded quite close.

  “Let’s check the master suite,” he said.

  They all got into the elevator and rode down to the floor below. Waiting in front of the door, was a small kitten, its fur a pale cream color, speckled with shimmering violet.

  Ben looked at Melody. “Maybe the second egg has hatched?”

  Melody’s eyes widened, and she stared intently at the small creature. Love filled her expression.

  The kitten had its paws up on the door. When the door slid open, the kitten tumbled straight into the elevator. It clumsily got to its feet. It rose up on its hindlegs, which were well suited for walking, after the humanoid fashion.

  Ben was astonished. No human child could have walked so quickly.

  Melody knelt to look at the creature. “She’s so beautiful,” she cooed.

  “It’s a she?” Ben asked.

  Melody nodded.

  The kitten put out a paw and touched Melody’s nose. Melody giggled and hugged the kitten.

  Then the kitten walked unsteadily over to Ben. Her eyes were bright purple, like her mother’s. Ben was convinced by now that this was his second child from Melody. Her tail swished actively already. Her lynx ears reminded Ben of the fearsome creature she might become.

  He stooped to embrace the child. Her fur was a more vivid color than Nipper’s, which seemed fitting for a female. It gleamed in the daylight coming through the windows, changing slightly as her body shifted.

  “Pearl,” Ben said aloud. “I’ll call you Pearl. Your fur reminds me of that color.”

  “I like that name,” Melody agreed.

  Pearl sniffed in Ben’s ear, which startled him, causing him to laugh. He felt a swell of pride. Becoming a father was an overwhelming experience for him. Love and tenderness for this small creature, who was totally dependent on him, mingled with wonder and a frightening sense of responsibility. Most men had nine months to prepare for this experience. He would need all the help he could get, magic or otherwise, to adjust to this awe-inspiring task.

  They walked out toward the bedroom. The nymphs all congratulated the parents and cooed over the small child.

  Sure enough, the eggshell was broken open in the bedroom. Ben felt a thrill of anticipation as he saw the other three eggs, still unhatched. What would be inside?

  He was prevented from any further speculation by a loud horn-like sound attracting his attention. A flash in the bedroom drew his attention to a red glass display which appeared on one wall.

  Sir Gallant the Elder’s visor appeared. Ben was impressed by how well equipped the tower was.

  “Sire, I have news from my patrol.” Sir Gallant’s voice clearly echoed through the display on the wall. Behind him, Ben could see trees and the wreckage of the village. He must have been facing the tower to communicate.

  Ben wondered how Sir Gallant knew about this communication device, before he remembered that the knight had served him before his defeat.

  “What news do you have, Sir Gallant?” Ben asked.

  “There are people approaching the tower. Three robed folk and a dozen soldiers with them.”

  Ben felt icy claws of fear touching his heart.

  “Should I engage them in battle, sire?” Sir Gallant the Elder asked.

  Ben shook his head, his thoughts racing to work out who these people might be and what they would want.

  “I don’t think that would be the smart call,” he answered. “We can easily defend ourselves in this tower if it comes to that. Let them in, we’ll see what they want.”

  “As you command, sire.” The knight saluted and turned around. The screen went blank and faded back into the wall.

  Ben made a mental no
te to work out how to set that screen to “do not disturb” while he was making more children with his women.

  He turned to the nymphs. They were ghostly pale, even Vinata, whose skin resembled a beech more than an oak by now.

  “Do you know who these travelers might be?” Ben asked.

  Vinata nodded. “They sound like mage slavers from the Xurian Realm.”

  Ben remembered what Melody had said about hunters of monsterkin with penchants too extreme even for the Xurian Realm.

  “Were these the mages who were going to buy you from those ogres then?” Ben asked.

  Vinata nodded. “I think they must be.”

  Lulu seized Ben’s arm, her eyes wide. Gone was her usually nonchalant exterior. “Don’t let them take us, Ben.”

  Ben pulled Lulu into an embrace, comforting her. He could feel her tiny body shivering against his as fear ran through her. The other two nymphs hurried over, both throwing their arms around Ben and pulling him tight.

  Standing there, the nymphs huddling close and gripped with fear, he realized what it was to be a leader. Fear had taken hold of him, too—but there wasn’t a chance he’d allow any of them to see it. It was his job to be the rock, to be the one who had the answers. And it was his job to comfort those he led.

  He squeezed the nymphs one last time before letting them go. Then, he activated the screen once more and peered at the group approaching the tower. There were simply too many of them to fight off. Ben swore that in time he’d command an army large enough to destroy anyone who might oppose him. But for the time being, he was going to have to use his wits as his weapon.

  Ben smiled grimly, ready for the challenge. He racked his brain for ideas, trying to figure out how they’d all get out of this in one piece.

  Melody looked at him, her own eyes lined with worry. “What will you do?”

  “I have a plan. You nymphs might not like it though. I need you to pretend to be my slaves when those mages arrive.”

  Surprise flashed on the faces of the nymphs.

  “I understand that won’t be easy for you. But it’s our best shot at getting out of this alive. Do you think you can do it?”

  Vinata looked up at Ben. “I trust you, Ben. If you think that’s necessary, I will do it.”

  The other two nymphs nodded.

  Ben squeezed them tight one last time, then let them go.

  It was time to prepare the tower to receive his first guests.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ben stood at the top of the long flight of steps leading to his tower, facing south. His stomach knotted with apprehension as he spotted the mages approaching in the distance. He’d done well facing ogres and monsters in combat up to this point, but mages had spells and intelligence in their favor. There was no saying how this encounter would go down if it came to a fight.

  Melody stood a short distance behind him, her eyes downcast, playing the role of an assistant. As she had informed Ben, it wouldn’t do for her to appear as his equal. If these mages were human, they were not likely to bear beastkin mages any goodwill.

  The nymphs waited inside the tower, ready to serve the guests. Sir Gallant waited at the bottom of the steps to greet them. All was as ready as could be.

  The approaching party of mages and soldiers grew more distinct as they came closer. They were clothed in bright uniforms of three different colors.

  The mage in the middle wore dark blue robes. He was a burly man, but moved swiftly and had a keen gaze. His hair and beard were long and flecked with gray. The four soldiers marching behind him also wore blue breastplates and leggings.

  Aside from these bright patches of color, each soldier wore an open-faced helmet and plate mail fastened to their breastplates to protect their arms and legs. They each bore a large kite shield, and long scabbards with sheathed swords hung by their sides.

  To the left was a mage clothed in long flowing red robes. He had fox-like eyes and sharp features. His nose was hooked, and his dark, black eyes were visible from a distance. Long dark hair hung limp around his shoulders. His retinue of soldiers wore bright red, matching his robes.

  The mage on the right wore tawny yellow. Ben couldn’t be sure at first, but as they grew closer, he realized she was a female mage. Beneath her yellow robes she wore plate mail armor, making Ben wonder at first if she was another soldier. Her attire was certainly less flashy than that of her companions, but she carried herself with the confidence of a leader, not a foot soldier.

  Her long hair was pale white, and her eyes were a striking yellow as well. Her retainers wore yellow like her.

  Each of the mages looked fiercely intelligent. Ben would need every ounce of wit to keep himself and the women all alive.

  The mages nodded at Sir Gallant the Elder as he greeted them at the foot of the steps, then they proceeded past him with the barest formalities. They observed basic courtesy, but didn’t seem to have much interest in a foot soldier, who they assumed was beneath them. There was a faint look of disdain on the visage of the two male mages.

  “Good day to you, my lords,” Ben said. “And lady,” he quickly added.

  The three mages looked gratified at his polite address.

  “I’m afraid we are no lords,” the older man in the middle spoke. “We are but humble hunters.”

  Ben looked at the party in front of him, a formidable fighting force. “Hunters for more than mere game, I assume?”

  The man in the middle laughed. “You assume rightly. We hunt the monsterkin, that is our trade.”

  Ben allowed himself to laugh in reply, although it made him feel slightly ill to do so.

  “You are not from here I take it?” the man in blue asked him.

  What was Ben to explain to these mages? The truth was not an option, and he didn’t think he could satisfy these powerful looking people with something vague as he had the nymphs. The only legitimate source of authority he knew of was the Xurian Realm. He would have to pretend to come from there for a while and hope that was enough.

  “I am not,” Ben confirmed. “I come from the capital, and have not been in this region for very long.”

  The mages looked puzzled.

  “We were coming from the south and saw this tower rising here this day,” the man in blue explained. “We had to investigate. Since it appears that you are a new lord come to take up residence here, we have come to pay homage.”

  Ben nodded in appreciation.

  “Did the Realm grant you this tower, then?” the same mage asked.

  “Of course, I would do nothing without the realm’s permission.” Ben placed a hand on his heart and raised his eyes heavenward, an expression of reverent loyalty on his face. He had known they would get nosy. Fortunately, he had a good cover story in mind.

  “You must be a great mage for the capital to grant you such a prestigious tower. Why is it that we’ve never heard of you?”

  Ben leaned forward slightly. “Can you keep a secret?”

  The eyes of the mages widened, and they climbed a couple more steps, leaving their soldiers behind them.

  Ben got a closer look at them as they approached. The mage in blue looked strong and dangerous. He had two swords crossed at his back.

  A mage with weapons? That seemed unusual.

  Ben made a note to be on his guard with the two male mages as he discretely examined the female mage in a little more detail.

  The woman in yellow looked human, but her features were vaguely avian. Her bright yellow eyes seemed to pierce anything they focused on, making Ben wonder if she was even human. By her side, hung a short spear on the end of a chain. It didn’t look like it would take much for her to draw the weapon. She looked more like a knight than a mage, but Ben had little experience to draw from in judging such things.

  The woman was tall and slender, her athletic figure being accentuated by close fitting armor. In all, the three mages looked very formidable.

  When the three mages stood close to Ben, he whispered. “I am a special oper
ative. I work personally under the Grand Vizier.”

  The mage in red nodded conspiratorially. He appeared highly gratified at being privileged with such information.

  The mage in blue wasn’t satisfied though. “What are you doing so far north, then?”

  Ben shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you more than that. I am on a secret mission.”

  Their leader frowned in chagrin. Ben suspected he wasn’t used to being in a position of lower rank in these parts of the woods.

  Ben deftly changed subject. “While I can’t divulge the nature of my mission, I can offer you sustenance, my friends. My stores are well stocked with provisions. Can I offer you anything for your journey?”

  The made in blue looked puzzled. “We would be grateful to accept provisions, but I had hoped we might see the inside of this mighty tower as well, if it please you, Lord …”

  “But of course, how rude of me. My name is Lord Ben of Davies.” There was little chance these hunters would connect that name with his real identity.

  “A pleasure.” The mage in blue said. “My name is Adremor, a Force Wizard. These are my companions Uzax the Pyromancer,” he gestured to the man in red, “and Lexi the Sunstone Cleric,” he pointed to the woman in yellow.

  Both mages nodded at Ben. Ben was intrigued, and wondered what abilities these mages might have. He could make some assumptions based on their names, but he hoped he wouldn’t need to find out.

  “My tower is still in a state of preparation, and not worthy yet to be shown to visitors.” Ben made one last attempt to send these unknown mages on their way.

  But Adremor was having none of it. He dismissed the objection with a wave of his hand.

  “Nonsense.” His tone was affable. “A tower as splendid as this? You are too modest. We would be honored to see the inside before we continue our journey.”

  Ben had a bad feeling about inviting the mages inside, but he didn’t want to provoke them, when he had no idea how powerful they were.

  “But of course,” he said. “Please, consider yourselves welcome.” He gestured up the stairs.