by Aaron Oster
The plan had been to make it to the East Kingdom today, but Morgan decided that he could stop in the city before the border, have a meal and hot bath, take a short nap, then fly through the night and next day to reach the capital. This way, he’d get to sleep somewhere warm and be able to function without having to take too much time out of his trip.
Plus, the East would likely have tightened security, and it would be easier to get over the walls at night. Sure, they were likely warded, but Morgan was confident he could either avoid the wards or pick them apart so as not to set off any alarms. He doubted that the East had anyone on the walls that could even scratch him, but he’d like to arrive without any fanfare or pomp. It would also benefit him to take the current ruler off guard and not give them any time to prepare.
Speaking of which, Morgan thought, remembering the scroll on the other Kingdoms’ rulers. He would have to look it over when he landed for his break. This way, he’d be well acquainted with whoever was in charge and could strategically devise a plan to convince them to join up with the North.
He flew on for a few more hours, noting the gradual change in temperature as he approached City Five. What Morgan didn’t understand was why the Pinnacle King didn’t leave anyone to guard the conquered cities. It made no sense. All Katherine would have to do was send out a scouting party to discover the area was undefended.
With that knowledge, she could send a few small groups out to gather supplies or relocate the force, should their defenses be compromised.
Morgan debated fishing out the communication amulet and telling her just that, but dismissed the thought, deciding to put it off for later. Katherine was likely busy with any number of things right now and he didn’t want to disturb her for information that wouldn’t help much at the moment. The Pinnacle King’s forces were blocking any chance of escape from City Eleven as it was, meaning it would take a great personal effort on Katherine’s part to move people past them by portal.
Even then, the closest city was at least a week away on foot, and with wagons it could take even longer. Still, he knew it was information she’d want to know, so he decided he’d add it into his report when she contacted him. He was sure she’d do so either tonight or tomorrow, depending on how busy she was. For now, Morgan decided to leave it and concentrate on searching for a good place to stay.
He began to slow as he flew over the walls of City Five, noting the city lord’s manor, now deserted thanks to the Pinnacle King. It looked to be intact, and he didn’t see any obvious signs of damage to the outside. He was sure that the inside would be another matter entirely, but as far as accommodations went, this would likely be the best he could get.
Angling to his left, Morgan headed for the abandoned manor, unaware of the hostile eyes that were tracking his movements.
10
From the shadow of a small building near the City Five manor, Dia watched the man set down and enter the oversized building. She was part of Octagon’s intelligence force and had been left behind in this city in case anyone passed through. It was a boring job, her days often spent staring out into nothingness.
City Five had been a ghost town since the Pinnacle King’s forces had swept through nearly two months ago and took along with it the people who had been too stubborn to leave. Octagon wasn’t foolish enough to leave a city unguarded. There was always the chance that someone would come back, or that one of the other Kingdoms would try and muscle their way in if they found the cities abandoned.
After each city was taken and the forces had withdrawn, a single, intelligent person was left behind. They were the ones that, while managing to retain their humanity, didn’t really show much promise as fighters. Dia had only been a rank 3 mage, never really putting in any effort in advancing her ability.
She’d been more interested in studying and learning architecture. In fact, she was one of the few that hadn’t enjoyed being forced into slavery by the Pinnacle King and resented his rule every day since. Still, she had little choice now that she was under his power. Her once blue core, now tinged with red, burned in her chest.
Her body had been changed as well. She now stood hunched over, barely four and a half feet tall, her features horribly twisted. Fur sprouted all over her body, covering her from head to toe. One of her arms was longer than the other, scraping the ground. When she walked, it was with an awful shuffling gait, rather than the straight and even way she’d walked as a human.
Even now, as she closed her eyes and contacted her master, she could feel her hatred for him. It burned hot and deep in the pit of her soul and she was sure Octagon knew it. That was likely why he’d stuck her all the way out here, in the furthest city from his reach. Those who retained their intelligence were too valuable to simply kill, but if she acted out against him, he’d have no choice but to do so.
The others had at least been given a partner, someone to keep them company through the tedium of waiting. Not her, though. She’d been forced into isolation, far from the place she’d once called home. She was forced to sit and wait for something to happen, and now that it was, Octagon’s power compelled her to let him know.
“This is surprising. I was not expecting to hear from you.”
Octagon’s deep and menacing voice sounded from within her mind after only a moment, making Dia tremble down to her very soul.
“A man entered the city. He’s staying in the lord’s manor.”
There was silence as she felt Octagon’s attention shift fully to her. When he spoke next, he said only two words.
“Show me.”
***
Morgan touched down lightly before the manor doors. Surprisingly enough, they were closed, though claw marks and dark splotchy patches he recognized as blood were clearly visible.
This must have been one hell of a fight, he thought, pushing the doors open and walking into the massive entryway.
The floor, which had once been a sheet of gleaming white marble, was cracked and covered in mud, dried blood, and the remains of several of the Pinnacle King’s minions. The light dimmed as Morgan pushed the doors closed behind him, though his vision wasn’t affected.
He could still see quite clearly as he turned back and began striding down the open corridor. The wood paneling on the walls were scored with claw marks, cracked in some places where weapons had missed their targets, and portions of the wall were missing altogether where bodies had presumably been thrown through.
As he walked, his mind reconstructed the fight that had taken place. The struggle of a soldier as he grappled with three of the twisted monsters, as shown by the corpses littering the floor and the cracked marble column where they’d fallen. The bloody handprints marking where they’d risen anew to join the Pinnacle King’s army.
Morgan left the entryway and headed down one of the corridors, searching for the kitchens. He passed many gruesome scenes on his way there, though he’d seen enough death that none really bothered him. There was no smell of rot and decay as one might expect, due to the fact that the manor was below freezing, and thus had never given the corpses time to decay. No insects buzzed around either for that same reason.
The cold may have bothered some, but all the way out here, near the border of the East Kingdom, it may as well have been a pleasant summer day as far as Morgan was concerned. Still, the eeriness of the empty manor so full of death was enough to unnerve even him. To be fair, it would have spooked anybody, but Morgan had thought he was made of sterner stuff.
Guess the human psyche is something that even I can’t escape.
It didn’t take him too long to find the kitchens. Thankfully, they seemed to be mostly intact, with only one of the cupboards having been destroyed. The cold and frozen meals were still sitting out on trays from when the attack had happened, and Morgan had a feeling that should he go to the dining hall, he’d find the worst of the damage yet.
Instead of going to investigate, he moved about the room, gathering some ingredients. His collection included some raw meat
, a couple of frozen loaves of bread, and a barrel that felt quite heavy. He also made sure to grab some utensils, a pan, mug, and a small sack that he filled with charcoal. There was no way he was going to eat down here, among all this death. After he’d gathered all he needed, Morgan headed out of the kitchen and glided up to the upper floors.
There was one room in particular that he was looking for, and when he found it, he was happy to see that it was completely untouched. The city lord’s room was as opulent as he’d expected, furnished in silks, furs, and the finest tapestries and artwork. Morgan didn’t really care for all that. He was more excited about the prospect of resting in a comfortable room before he’d have to resume his journey the following day.
The first thing he did was get a fire going, using the charcoal he’d taken earlier to kindle a fire in one of the room’s four fireplaces. Next, he moved to the bathroom. The pipes designed to draw water from the well must have been frozen, as nothing came out when he turned the spout. While the room was warming up, Morgan flew from an open window and ferried water from the well.
The largest bucket he could find only held a couple of gallons, so it took a few trips. By the time he’d filled the tub, the room was nice and warm. With the barrel warming next to the fire, the bread defrosting, and the meat cooking, Morgan hopped into the ice-cold bath. He could have warmed the water, but he didn’t want to waste the time. Suffice it to say, that even with his tolerance for the cold, the bath was a very short one.
Drying himself off near the fire, Morgan turned over the meat, which would likely not cook very well due to it being frozen. But even then, warm food was better than trail rations. Once his food was ready and the barrel was somewhat thawed, Morgan slumped down in a large armchair to enjoy his early supper.
He looked around the opulent room as he bit into the meat – well overdone – and took slow sips from the ice-cold beer. He’d never really been one for alcohol, though this tasted pretty nice. The bread was by far the best part of the meal as the cold had kept it fresh. The crust was crunchy and the insides were fluffy, steaming slightly when he pulled it apart.
Finally, meal complete, Morgan moved to the bed, collapsing in a heap and allowing his eyes to drift closed. The pleasant warmth of the fire tickled his back and the smells of good food as well as his full stomach soon had him fast asleep.
A light creaking broke through Morgan’s consciousness. Having grown used to the sounds of the manor, this one stood out, sending a message to his sleeping brain that something was wrong. His eyes snapped open, adjusting quickly to the near-darkness of the room. The coals were glowing a dim red, and combined with the blackness outside the window, he guessed that he’d been sleeping for five hours.
He could hardly believe he’d been out for so long, annoyed that he’d allowed himself to be so complacent so as to have overshot his internal wake up that was usually so reliable. For a moment, he wondered what could have woken him, when the light creak sounded once more, just outside the closed door.
Morgan was up in a flash, floating up out of bed and up to the ceiling, where he began pulling his armored clothes on in rapid succession. His Aura Sense showed him a single figure outside the door, the blue light tinged with the telltale red of the Pinnacle King’s minions. Silently berating himself for being so careless, Morgan pulled on his boots, scooping up the pack and heading for the window.
The last thing he wanted right now was to fight and give away his position to the Pinnacle King. Right now, it was unlikely that whoever this was knew it was him, but if they fought, they’d undoubtedly would. Morgan was already outside when he heard the door swing inward, revealing one of the familiar monsters. The creature shuffled in, trying to be stealthy, and approached the bed.
Due to the dim confines of the room, Morgan doubted it could see that he was no longer there. He debated sticking around to see what it did, but ultimately decided it would be better to move on. The Pinnacle King may have decided to send others to investigate, and seeing as Morgan been asleep for the last five hours, he’d have had plenty of time.
Streaking out into the night, Morgan swept the city with his Aura Sense, immediately spotting three very distinct and powerful auras. He’d never sensed these ones before but knew immediately that they had to be one of the Pinnacle King’s top soldiers. Each was near rank 50, and their cores burned intensely enough to tell him that they would be an extreme challenge, even for him.
He might be able to win, but that would delay his return to the North, and jeopardizing his mission was something he just couldn’t do right now. Morgan had to wonder why such powerful monsters were summoned here, but the answer came to him just a moment later.
He’d flown into the city, and how many supers or mages were known to fly in the North Kingdom?
None, Morgan thought grimly as he sped up, rocketing for the city walls. There wasn’t a single other person he knew of that could fly the way he did. He’d been an idiot for assuming that the cities were empty and an even bigger idiot for not checking his surroundings more carefully before landing.
Now the Pinnacle King would know for sure that he wasn’t in the North and would likely launch a larger attack on City Eleven than he would have otherwise. For just a moment, Morgan debated flying back. If there was a big battle, his presence would be needed, especially if the Pinnacle King was committing a larger force.
What kept him going on the same course was the knowledge that there would always be another battle where he was needed. And the longer he’d wait to leave, the more they’d lose. Before long, there’d be no kingdom to protect, no people to save. Just an army of monsters on their way to overthrow the next kingdom on their list.
So, despite himself, Morgan kept on flying, using his Maximum Might to boost his speed a further 20%. He’d overslept and given away his position. The least he could do was hurry so that the North wouldn’t suffer too badly in his absence.
11
Light flared in Morgan’s vision, his Aura Sense outlining the wards and shields hovering above the East Kingdom’s walls. Along with that, he spotted the forms of several dozen supers and mages on patrol, likely trying to ensure no sneak attacks from the Pinnacle King as well as an early warning system against attack.
Morgan had to admit that the force was quite impressive. The weakest of the soldiers was around rank 29, which was quite high by the standards of most. It had taken him some time to recognize that, reminding himself that while he had had great success and good fortune in advancing, most didn’t reach even rank 9 in their entire lives.
A high rank took decades of backbreaking work for most to achieve, and the fact that the East could place so many on their walls was a sign that they were a strong kingdom. Of all the Five Kingdoms, the East was the only one Morgan had explored the least, only briefly visiting with Sarah before being forced to escape into a beast zone to get away from the now defunct Assassins Guild.
Morgan flew up to the maximum height his skill would allow, flying well over the heads of the patrolling guards below. He made sure to fly slowly to ensure his travel through the air wouldn’t be as noticeable, and aimed for an area he could break through with little difficulty. Unlike the West, the East seemed to be keeping the wards current and maintained. However, even the most diligent of architects would always miss something, especially on a structure as wide and sprawling as the border wall.
A small chink in their defenses was all Morgan needed to slip in. He could feel the enchantment trying to knock him out of the air, to smother his core and cut him off from accessing his power. Once, this had worked, nearly costing him and Sarah their lives. Now, Morgan was able to easily shake the effects off. While it was fairly easy to not get noticed flying in, it was another matter entirely when trying to break a small crack wide enough to fit through.
Morgan felt a triumphant grin spread across his lips as he entered the East Kingdom undetected, increasing his speed as he pulled farther and farther away from the wall. The air was now
warming up quickly, and soon, it was a balmy fifty degrees. He’d heard that the East didn’t grow as cold as the North in the winter, though it didn’t get quite as hot as the West or South either.
This kingdom was supposed to have mild seasons, never growing too hot or too cold. He didn’t know much about the customs and mannerisms of those living here either, so he’d have to rely on the information Katherine had provided, as well as what he could remember from his brief trip here. Though it was dark, Morgan fished the scroll from his pack and began reading.
The gusts of wind made it a bit difficult, but seeing as he was supposed to have gone over this information when he’d stopped for a rest, he figured now was the best time. Besides, he was starting to get really bored being alone all the time and needed something to occupy his thoughts. He scanned the scroll until he found the section on the East Kingdom and began to read.
East Kingdom
The people of the East tend to be more battle-oriented than the other countries due to the raiders constantly harassing their towns and cities. Unlike the other kingdoms, the East is located next to several large bodies of water. These lakes and rivers branch, lining the country in an intricate web of channels and streams.
Because of this, a lot of the country’s trade has to do with shipping, and travel is mostly done by boat. This leads to many outlaws, pirates, and smugglers, many of which try and restrict certain areas and take advantage of unprepared travelers. Due to this, the East has a strong navy, particularly around the capital city of Admire.
The milder climate has given most a fair skin tone, with lighter-colored hair and eyes than one might see in the North.
Custom dictates that when meeting their ruler, one must present a warrior of note to challenge their champion. Only once the fight has been concluded, with the challenger making a good showing, will their Queen hear you out.