by Byron Kings
“Keep laughing,” he said, oblivious to my teasing. “You’ll come around someday.”
“Not when he has us,” Harper said as she and Morgana walked up.
“How are things going below ground?” I asked.
“Good,” Morgana said. “The wall and gate are complete. We came to get you.”
“Thanks, I want to see how they turned out,” I said then turned to Newton. “Are you coming?”
“No,” he said. “Alondra is cooking my favorite tonight, turtle soup.”
“Lucky you,” I said.
Harper, Morgana, and I walked to the center of my plot of real estate in the badlands. We had straightened the boathouse literally and figuratively. After adding supports to keep it straight in the marshy ground, we removed all traces of it being a whorehouse. The rooms became barracks and offices for various people in my fledgling kingdom. As we grew, we would expand underground where it was safer for the most part.
“It looks great,” I said.
“The horn-beings did all the work,” Harper said.
“Yeah, but you two guided them. I can’t wait to see the gate.”
“King Gregor’s already got a few dozen men stationed on the other side,” Morgana said.
“That’s fine as long as they stay on their side of the tunnel. At least for now. When we get our basic defenses set up, we’ll go on the offensive.”
I climbed up the rope ladder to the deck of the houseboat, the others following. Once inside, we went straight to the room with the pit leading deep into the earth. Morgana and I had constructed an elevator platform large enough to carry a dozen armored men. After climbing on board, I activated the switch to lower it. Harper walked over to the edge.
“We really need a handrail,” she said. “For safety.”
I nodded. “Good idea. We can bring it up at the next meeting.”
The platform quickly reached the bottom of the pit. We got off and walked through the cavern to the wide tunnel leading south to Yusgood. The rails weren’t entirely complete, but they got us almost all the way to the wall we’d constructed three fourths of the way to the city. At the end of the rail construction, we got out of the cart and walked.
Gump, the most senior cuerno under my command, waved as we approached the wall.
“How’s it going?” I asked as we stopped in front of his booth near the iron gate.
“Good,” he said. “We’ve come so far in such a short time.”
“Time’s of the essence,” I said. “King Gregor is likely to attack.”
“I hate the King of Gregor!” Gump shouted, getting worked up.
“Settle down,” I said. “Save your energy for battle.”
“I’ll die for this kingdom without a name,” Gump said.
“You really need to come up with a name,” Harper said.
She walked over to the iron bars of the gate and peered through.
“Don’t antagonize them,” I said. “We’re lucky they haven’t made a move yet. Let’s go see our bedroom. I heard they completed it today.”
Harper turned and smiled, nodding her head. “It looks great.”
We walked back to the cart then rolled toward the pit leading up. Instead of converting any of the existing rooms into a living area for us, I’d dug an entire new section to the west of the main tunnel. Well, I’d told others how to dig it out. I smiled as I checked out the bare room when we reached it.
“Needs some furniture, but it’s nice. What do you two think?”
“I think we’ve got something good going here,” Morgana said.
“People will try to copy our underground kingdom,” Harper added. “Or we might run into other civilizations under the earth.”
“We’ll deal with problems as they arise,” I said. “The horn sword will be done charging in another week or so. Once that happens, we’ll be in a good position to attack.”
Harper walked over and peered into the room that would become her library and study area. She turned and smiled, looking happier than I’d seen her in a while.
“You like?” I asked.
She nodded. “Very much. You listened to what I wanted.”
“The arena down below is ready too,” Morgana said.
I walked to one of the walls and moved a curtain to display a set of stairs leading down. Harper and Morgana followed me down. We emerged on a stage in a vast cavern carved out of the earth with muscle and magic combined. I saw more than enough room to train a few dozen men or horn-beings at the same time.
“This is great,” I said. “We’re moving so fast.”
“Magic makes anything possible,” Harper said. “My new magic book helped.”
“We’ve got gold to spend,” I said. “We shouldn’t be afraid to get what we need.”
“They’re going to be coming after us soon,” Morgana said. “I can feel it like a storm coming.”
“We’ll be ready,” I said. “They’ll probably attack before my horn sword charges completely, but we have enough to stop them without it.”
“I’m surprised they allowed us to porc up so much,” Morgana said.
“They’re cocky,” I replied.
A cuerno ran across the cavern, waving his hand.
“Messenger,” I said, nodding at him.
He stopped at the stage, waving a piece of paper in his hand. I walked over and took it from him. After unfolding it, I read the words on the paper twice.
“What is it?” Morgana asked as she and Harper came up to me.
“It’s from King Gerald,” I said, not elaborating.
“Spit it out,” Harper snapped. “Good or bad?”
I grinned. “Definitely good.”
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CHAPTER 23
┕━━━━━━━━━━━━━┙
The Battle of Three Kingdoms
“The League of Twelve have decided Gristle can choose to help any of the three kingdoms in the badlands,” I said, lowing the paper to my side. “King Gerald is sending help for us.”
“King Gregor and Xin Jang aren’t going to like that at all,” Harper noted.
“Fuck both of them,” I said. “We’re not ceding anything to them. Not now.”
“We have put so much work into this place,” Morgana said.
I nodded. “Exactly. With a bit of help, we can take them both out and bring some fucking stability to the badlands. I could end up controlling everything above and below ground in the area.”
Morgana smiled and wrapped her arms around my waist. “You’re my hero.”
She kissed me, slipping her tongue into my mouth. I didn’t resist.
“You need to tell him everything,” Harper said.
I pulled back and turned to her. “What do you mean?”
“She can tell you,” Harper said, nodding at Morgana.
I turned back to her. She frowned and looked away.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I told you already,” she said. “I have my own horn sword.”
“Fuck, I forgot all about that,” I said. “You weren’t joking?”
She shook her head and waved her hand. A temporal hole opened in the air near her. She reached in and pulled out a magnificent and fully activated horn sword.
“Damn,” I said as she held it aloft.
The temporal hole closed.
“Fuck,” I said. “King Gerald’s going to be mad if he knows we stole it.”
“That’s why he can’t find out,” Morgana said.
I loved and hated her at the same time in that moment.
“You should keep it hidden,” I said. “Nice temporal hole, by the way.”
“That’s what all the guys tell her,” Harper quipped.
I grinned. “You’re bad…”
“Two horn swords will ensure we take control of all the badlands,” Morgana said.
“I agree, but we don’t want to piss off the League of Twelve,” I countered.
&nbs
p; A second cuerno rushed across the cavern, also out of breath.
“What now?” I muttered.
“There’s an attack topside,” he said. “Below ground in the tunnel, too. They’re trying to wipe us out before King Gerald can send us help.”
“Fuck,” I said. “This day just went from good to bad in a flash.”
“Welcome to ruling your own kingdom,” Morgana said.
“How are the walls holding up above ground?” I asked.
“They’re holding, but Xin Jang is bringing in Gnomish engineers,” the messenger said. “They’ll breach them eventually. We just haven’t had the time to fortify them enough. Sir Newton the Brave is commanding everyone up top.”
“Good,” I said, turning to Harper and Morgana. “Top or bottom, ladies?”
“I think the tunnel’s more important than anything above ground right now,” Morgana said. “Newton and the others will have to keep things under control up there on their own.”
“Good thinking,” I said. “You should put the sword away. We can’t let anyone know we have it yet.”
“No, we need it to win this fight,” she said.
“What does the sword do, anyway?” I asked.
“I’ll tell you all about it later,” she said. “We’ve got another battle to win. Unlike the arena, this one is for keeps. If we lose, our kingdom is gone forever.”
“You’re right,” I said. “Let’s go.”
We rushed offstage and back upstairs to the main tunnel. On the way, I picked up my own horn sword. While not yet fully activated, I had to use it every day. Harper grabbed her new Staff of Icy Things on too. I kept glancing enviously at Morgana’s horn sword, wondering exactly what it could do. The powers of the swords were a closely guarded secret.
A cuerno ran up to us as we entered the wide, main tunnel leading south.
“They breached the wall,” he said. “They’ve made it about a half-mile up the tunnel.”
“King Gregor and Xin Jang must be working together to get rid of me,” I said.
Chaos continued around us as cuernos rushed back and forth, preparing for the onslaught of enemy forces.
“How long before they get to us here?” Morgana asked the cuerno.
“Don’t know,” he replied, shrugging. “Can I go help prepare?”
“Yes, keep up the good work,” I said.
As he ran away, I peered down the tunnel. The clash of steel rang out further down. Another cuerno ran up as I decided what to do.
“There’s a dragon topside!” he shouted. “It’s burning everything!”
“Fuck,” I said. “Can this get any worse?”
“I’ll go take care of it,” Harper said. “This staff needs to be broken in.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded. “You two stay down here. We can’t let them lay claim to our underground lair.”
“Be safe,” I said.
“Always,” she replied as she ran toward the pit leading to the surface.
I turned to Morgana. “You ready for this?”
She nodded. “This sword’s more powerful than you know.”
“How did you get it to bond to you?” I asked.
“Long story,” she said. “I’ll tell you later. We’ve got to save our kingdom.”
She held her horn sword aloft and chanted some words.
<< Area buff activated. >>
<< +50% to hit and damage for 30 minutes while you’re in the sphere >>
“Stick close to me, and you’ll enjoy the benefits too,” she said.
I nodded, already craving the same ability for my sword. Unlike most run-of-the-mill magic items, horn swords were each unique in their abilities.
“This is even better,” she said, stepping forward.
I cringed as she stuck the blade into the stone floor. Amazed, I watched as she dragged it across the entire width of the tunnel.
“What is it?” I asked. “The scratch of doom?”
She laughed. “No, it’ll stop any low-level characters from getting past.”
“Great,” I said. “We need all the help we can get.”
I heard the screams of dying cuernos further down the tunnel.
“They’re going to come at us with everything they’ve got,” Morgana said.
“No kidding. This scratch in the floor is our red line.”
“Agreed,” she said.
I saw a group of cuernos run out of the tunnel from the south, retreating from something.
“Dragon!” a few yelled as they rushed past.
“Hold the line at the scratch in the floor!” I shouted. “Make a stand!”
The cuernos who had sworn allegiance to me lined up behind Morgana and me. I gripped my sword as a few dozen soldiers ran into view.
“Back up!” Morgana shouted. “Give them room!”
We listened to her and moved our defensive line back. The soldiers rushed past the scratch in the floor, all of them dropping dead as soon as they passed.
“Damn,” I said, impressed at the power of her horn sword.
The League of Twelve would do anything to get it back.
“Dragon! Dragon! Dragon!” the cuernos shouted in unison.
I glanced up and saw the red-scaled beast inching forward. He barely fit into the tall, wide tunnel. Before he reached the scratch in the floor, he stopped and shot flames out of its mouth. Morgana lifted her sword and created a protective energy bubble around us. The flames skirted past us but killed some cuernos nearby.
“Be ready,” Morgana said. “The scratch won’t hold back the dragon. It’s too high level.”
“Fuck this worm!” I shouted and ran forward, out of the protective bubble.
I leaped and came down, slicing the dragon’s neck. My inactivated horn sword bounced off its thick armor. Unlike the arena, I didn’t have a ton of buffs on the blade. Their attack had taken us by surprise. Without a bit of luck, we all might die.
“Look alive!” Morgana shouted. “Coming through!”
She ran past me and plunged her glowing horn sword into the beast’s chest. It screamed and scrambled back, out of her reach.
“Brother killer!” the dragon hissed. “You will die now!”
Was he related to the dragon I killed in the arena? No time to think about it now. The dragon shot more flames out of its mouth. Morgana’s protective bubble had followed her and covered me enough to protect me from the magical fire. The magic failed, however, to stop the dragon from closing in and swiping with its massive claws.
I screamed as they slashed across my face, leaving a deep gash that would leave a permanent scar. Fuck all dragons! I lunged forward and stuck the damn creature in its open mouth. My pierce actually did some damage, causing the beast to scamper back again.
“He’s got back-up,” Morgana said.
Three mages in deep purple robes stepped around the beast, freely walking over the protective scratch in the floor of the tunnel. We hadn’t done much damage to the dragon, but they healed and buffed him anyway.
“Get the mages!” Morgana yelled.
No shit, I thought as I stepped forward. She shot a white energy beam out of her horn sword. It shot past me and struck the dragon in the eye. Great idea. I used the distraction of the thrashing dragon to slip up to one of the spellcasters. He went down quick as I closed the space between us. The other two scrambled backward, raising their hands to cast.
Blue flames shot out of their four hands, slamming into me. I lost over half my health in the one damn attack. The force knocked me over. As I got to my feet, they stepped forward, hands still raised. Morgana took out another one with the white beam energy. I ran forward and scared the last one away. The dragon wasn’t as easily convinced.
“Brother killer!” he yelled in an accusatory tone.
“I killed your fucking mom, too, bitch,” I said.
The dragon went into a rage, rushing forward. I retreated faster, Morgana joining me. The few cuernos still alive also move
d back.
“Stop!” Morgana commanded while holding her horn sword aloft.
The dragon froze in fear. What does that sword of hers not do? I wondered as I used the opportunity to rush forward. Knowing I could damage the interior of its mouth, I jumped as high as I could as I got close to him. The dragon turned at the last moment, giving me the perfect opportunity to stick my blade deep into the upper roof of its mouth.
I fell to the ground and rolled as the dragon thrashed about again. The rampaging beast crushed the last mage against the wall of the cave. I didn’t see him get back up as the dragon retreated even more. Morgana and I kept moving forward, not giving him any leeway.
“Finish him,” I said. “Your sword’s better than mine.”
She screamed as she ran forward. The dragon lifted its tiny arms, looking hilarious as she pierced its chest with her horn sword.
“Die!” she shouted.
The dragon obeyed the powerful woman with her own horn sword.
<< Battle complete! >>
<< You get +50,000 xp >>
<< Battle Commander Bonus: 200,000 xp >>
<< You have 12,601,000 xp >>
<< Level Up! >>
“Finally!” I shouted. “Fifty-one!”
With no time to go over the details, I turned to Morgana. She nodded without me having to say a word. Together, we commanded the cuernos to hold the line behind the scratch in the floor while we went up the platform to the surface.
“Put that sword away,” I said before we left the building.
She shook her head. “I’m using it. Let the cards fall where they may.”
“That’s reckless,” I said.
“You know that’s why you love me.”
She gave me a peck on the lips then went outside. I followed her down to the deck of the stuck boathouse. Almost all the vegetation in the swamp had been burned. I saw dozens of cuerno bodies littering the ground. The horn-women had survived and were using their recently learned magic to battle the dragon head-on. I saw Newton leading them.
“Where’s Harper?” I asked, still scanning the battlefield.
“There,” Morgana said, pointing.
I followed her finger and saw Harper raise her staff. A stream of freezing water shot out of the tip and blasted the dragon, almost knocking it out of the sky. The green scales of the beast glistened in the afternoon sun as it screamed and sent a cloud of green fog streaming out of its mouth. Harper activated her staff again, causing it to snow, diluting the fog.