Vaid Empire: Conquest
Chapter 103
12th of Onis, 20 AVE.
Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.
The silence of the tomb lingered as Dominax read the reports. Tightly holding the message cylinder, his eyes traced over the etched symbols that told of Cendra’s victory. In his absence, she had risen.
His sword rested atop Irith’s sarcophagus beside his discarded crown. Knees aching after kneeling beside her for so long, he reread the report once more before glancing over at the transparent globe projecting from the orb in the crossguard. He had willed the otherworldly map to focus upon the mountains to the west. It was time for him to rise as well.
Hardly did he react to the sound of the heavy door opening, nor did the vision of his younger self as it stood in the shadows, arms crossed, awaiting his decision. For hours he had read the report, and for hours he had studied the glowing depiction of the mountains projecting from his sword. When Lalian came to his side, the green man made no comment about the ghost he could not see. Instead, he peered at the map curiously.
“Cendra lives.” Dominax offered the message cylinder, though he knew the green man was already aware. Much of The Empire seemed to know, for the tale of her victory crept slowly across the land. “I’ve been a fool.”
“A f…fool?” Lalian stammered as he took the cylinder into his grasp.
Dominax stared at the stone lid of the sarcophagus before him. “It’s a dangerous thing for a man to believe himself untouchable. Yet in the end, I was brought down by my own hand.”
The green man clasped his hands behind his back as the flickering light of the globe held back the darkness. “How so?”
He rubbed the smooth stone as his features hardened. “I failed her, Lalian. I’ve been foolish and weak.” Glancing at the silent specter of his younger self, glowing silver meeting silver, he spoke more to the ghost than to his advisor. “Never again.”
Lalian dared to smile, daring to hope. “Shall I inform the court of your return?”
“Soon.” Dominax glanced at the map. “This is the last time I shall ever kneel, Lalian. When I rise, I shall remain standing until my purpose is done.”
“In that case, let me help, my friend.” Lalian offered a hand. For a moment, he didn’t tremble. He didn’t stutter nor shake. His grasp remained strong as he took Dominax’s hand, assisting him to his feet. As he rose, Lalian offered a beaming smile before bowing his head. “Welcome back, my God Emperor. What are your orders? Shall I prepare a ship for our return to Praith?”
“No.” The word was a deep rumble through the dark chamber. “Bring the legion to me.”
Lalian’s smile faded. “A…a retreat? You intend to surrender the progress we’ve made?”
“Surrender?” Dominax’s eyes glowed brighter as he reached for his sword. “Never. A temporary withdrawal, nothing more.” He brought the blade between them, his powerful grip tight around the hilt as the transparent map illuminated his hard features. “Even with your knowledge, we fight an enemy we simply don’t understand. While the Lanthians maintain dominion over the skies, I’d bring down a foe that shall stand against us in the dirt.” The globe shifted, focusing upon the black desert beyond the mountains. “Or rather, sand.”
“The Arkos?” Lalian questioned in confusion. “We…we’d simply trade one enemy for another, forgoing what many bled to gain.”
Dominax shook his head. “Cendra was our salvation, for she holds The Capital of Lian in her grasp. With her victory, we may pull the majority of the legion from the jungle without further losses. None shall dare move to reclaim what we seized while we hold a blade to the most sacred of their tombs.”
Lalian’s eyes narrowed in thought as his quick mind sought out the implications of his words. “And the Arkos? Why provoke another species while knee-deep into the lands of another?”
“What have we gained in the jungle for all our suffering? Thousands have fallen for a mere handful of cities. Without Cendra’s blade carving through the heart of the kingdom, hundreds more would have fallen to hold them,” Dominax replied. “All of Lian bows to our will, hoping, awaiting the day we falter, yet Lian is one kingdom among four. I could lead countless men to their deaths. I could lay waste to all that stands before us and burn every city to the ground. I’d rule over mere bones and ash, though perhaps we’d have our victory.”
Lalian watched as the globe narrowed its focus upon the mountains once more.
“Yet my gaze falls to the west, and I see our alternative. Think of the histories you’ve provided me. The human chiefs before my rise never dared to enter the horrid lands of your birth. Only Arkos raiders were capable of taking what they sought,” he explained, his deep voice oozing through the dark chamber with a hint of respect. “For centuries they learned to fight the Lanthians, to raid their cities along their shared border. I’d see them broken beneath my will, to unleash their expertise against my foes until I have what I seek.”
In the glowing light, Lalian nervously watched as Dominax’s hand crept across the globe, a conqueror’s grasp looming above the land he desired.
“I shall regather my strength. I shall summon all that may still hold a blade from the jungle, and lead them through the mountain pass just here,” he explained, dragging his finger across the map with glowing eyes. “There is a wound in the world, a passage cutting through the mountain peaks.”
Studying the landscape, Lalian squinted. “The City of Crosia sits near the entrance, I believe.”
Once more the green man’s flawless memory proved its worth as Dominax confirmed his words with a sharp nod. “We shall gather the might of all the Lords I permitted to stay behind, as many blades as we can spare, before we sail to Crosia. There the legion shall meet us.”
Lalian pondered his plan for a moment, weighing the dangers and alternatives. “The Capital of the Arkos Kingdom of Narok sits on the other side of the mountains. If we survive the journey, I suppose we’d be well positioned to conquer them quickly.” He couldn’t help but let an excited smile touch his lips. “Oh, this…this is quite singular!”
Dominax extinguished the glowing map as he sheathed his blade. Moving to the sarcophagus, he lit a candle atop the stone lid to push back the darkness, staring down into the tiny flame. “Narok shall bend to my will, and with their warriors at the side of the legion, the Lanthians shall be torn down.”
“I…I’ll begin the preparations right away.”
“Good.” Dominax picked up his helmet. The golden spikes lining the top that acted as his crown gleamed in the candlelight. “I’ve faltered, though never again. Cendra rose to seize her purpose, and so shall I. Never will I stop. Never will I rest.” He stared at the empty helmet, his purpose in his grasp. Yet despite the light weight of the chimira steel, he found that the crown was too heavy to raise to his head.
Seeing his grimace, Lalian stepped closer. “Ah. Oh dear.” Once more his strength was required, refusing to stutter. “It takes time to rise. When you’re ready, I shall happily announce your return.” He slipped the message cylinder beneath his tunic and offered his open hands. “Until then, do not languish alone. Permit me to bear your burden, my friend.”
Few beings were trusted enough to lay a finger upon his crown. Meeting Lalian’s green eyes, Dominax silently relinquished his crown into his care. Hardly did he need to utter a word. Instead, he offered a firm nod.
Lalian held it with the honor it deserved, as if holding The Empire itself in his careful grasp. “W…will you be staying here tonight again?”
“No.” The glow of Dominax’s eyes dimmed as he gestured to the exit of the tomb. “I’ll step into the world of the living once more, though only a step.”
Deeply relieved, Lalian hurried to guide him from the tomb. As they departed, Dominax paused in the doorway, glancing back.
With concealed sorrow, he stared at the sarcophagus a moment longer. When he met the gaze of the shadow, the vision of his younger self, he marched silently from the tomb.
20th of Onis, 20 AVE.
Kingdom of Lian, Lanvale.
Cendra strolled through the conquered streets of The Capital with ease, passing legionaries that went about their duties. They bowed in respect as she walked by, shouting in unison when they straightened. “The Goddess of War!”
She merely offered a nod of her own each time, permitting a tiny smile to her lips. No longer did she make long strides, holding the burden of pride an imperial princess required. Now, as she walked slowly in the aftermath of her victory, she felt weightless.
“To victory or death, she said!” a wounded man exclaimed nearby, loudly retailing the tale of the battle to a group of fellow legionaries. They cheered, savoring the memory. Others sat silently nearby, their heads down, enduring memories of their own with horror in their lowered gazes. Cendra chuckled to herself as she passed the loud legionaries, though granted a grim nod to the quiet men.
The city seemed to be a scurrying hive of white cloaks as they secured the city. She granted commands when necessary, though otherwise she savored the tiny moments she had to herself.
Crossing a bridge near the city’s center, she saw the building that King Galis had made his temporary stronghold in the days following the battle. Even now she could hear the distant smacks of his blade against wood, for never did the young king cease to train with the sword he had once feared to so much as pick up, even while the healers begged for a moment to tend to his missing eye. Cendra frowned at the sound. The boy had been weak, yet what remained of him now wasn’t entirely an improvement.
Continuing to stroll, she passed a group of Lanthian citizens that were being escorted by legionaries. Hardly did they glance at her, peering at the walkway floor as they were marched along. They were a broken population, knowing the consequences of rebellion. Like Praith, Cendra had stationed legionaries within the burial chamber. Should a single Lanthian stand to resist them, or should the warriors of other cities raid another beneath The Empire’s control, the entire kingdom would weep, for the corpses of their greatest and most sacred heroes would be destroyed.
Already reports from Tempian, Praith, and Hainath spoke of their raids ceasing. Even the fact that their messages were delivered without being shot down by Lanthian arrows was a testament to their victory.
Weightless and tall, Cendra passed a fellow Privictis Knight. Quickly stopping, she took the time to clasp the man’s forearm in mutual respect, having fought at his side. They parted with few words, yet the moment remained with her as she crossed to the railing of the walkway.
Glancing around to ensure no one was too near, she took a silent moment as she looked down at the jungle floor far below. Closing her eyes, she whispered. “Thank you, Hazia.” Hardly was it the first time, and hardly would it be the last. Opening her silver eyes, she continued on.
“Your majesty!” A legionary hurried to gain her attention from behind. Turning, she saw the message cylinder held carefully in his grasp. He delivered it with a bow of his head. “Orders from The God Emperor himself.”
“Orders?” Cendra almost dreaded what she’d read. Long had she pondered how her father would respond to her disobedience, victory or not. She took the cylinder, opening it before beginning to read silently as the legionary waited. Though her silver eyes widened, she gave no voice to her surprise, sealing the cylinder carefully when she was done. She regarded the messenger with a controlled tone. “There is much to be done, then. Come. I’ll need your assistance delivering orders of my own across the city.”
“Your majesty?” The messenger eyed her with concern.
Cendra offered no word of her thoughts. No punishment had been ordered, yet there was no telling what he’d say when they finally came face to face. For the moment, at least, she continued to feel as weightless as before. “As I said, come. It seems we’re leaving the jungle.”
35th of Twic, 20 AVE.
Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.
Dominax felt the warm water as he sat half-submerged in the shallow pool. The entrance lounge of his personal quarters sat empty as he savored the silence with closed eyes, focusing, diving within himself to touch the power waiting inside his blood.
He was a bright sun of burning power. When he opened his eyes, however, he was but flesh. Dominax reached up to feel his neat beard and silver hair, freshly trimmed and cleaned by slaves. Long had he languished in Irith’s tomb until he had become a corpse himself. Now he had regained the appearance of a ruler at the very least.
Already his plans were in motion. Sending Dominax’s commands across The Empire, Lalian worked to gather every man and woman they could spare for the conquest ahead. A fleet of ships waited in the port, purchases from merchants or gifts begrudgingly offered by Lords that could contribute no further legionaries. Enough were left behind in each city to ensure that order remained, of course, for Dominax was unwilling to leave his lands undefended in his absence, though a wave of fresh recruits were pulled in from across The Empire.
A knock came from the door. When he heard Lalian’s voice, he permitted him inside without rising. Entirely bare, Dominax merely leaned back against the pool’s edge to regard his new guests coldly, for the green man ushered in a trio of concubines.
“Is there a purpose to this intrusion?” his deep voice oozed through the faint haze of steam that filled the chamber.
“Yes, ah, yes there is.” Lalian excitedly waved the women inside. A brunette, a black-haired woman, and a concubine with dark blue hair, they came decorated with jewelry woven into their hair, though nothing else. Bare before his eyes, they took their places at the opposite edge of the pool as they began to dance. At their side, Lalian clasped his hands behind his back with a nervous smile. “It is a…singular conundrum, though I know you well, my friend. How long has it been since you…ah…”
Dominax took his meaning with an annoyed grimace, though he watched the swaying of their hips. In his grief, he had taken no other women.
“Yes, well, you see, for a man accustomed to a new woman every night, these last few months have been quite a…peculiar anomaly. Though entirely understandable, of…of course,” Lalian was quick to correct himself. He watched as the concubines swayed, enchantresses that any man would melt in the presence of. The brunette twirled, and the sight of her seductive smile nearly sent him toppling into the pool as his knees grew weak. “I had a…shall I say…a hunch that you are in need of some…relief.”
No truer words had been spoken. Yet even as Dominax traced over their delectable curves, feeling the simmering weight of months without another’s touch, his lips held a faint scowl.
Despite the alluring sight before him, Lalian broke his stare to focus upon his friend’s need, crouching beside the edge of the pool to offer a gentle tone, unable to mask his concern. “T…take them. Clear your mind for an evening and simply enjoy yourself.” When The God Emperor offered no reply, he continued in a whisper. “What use is your suffering? Do you believe she would have wanted you to torment yourself?”
Dominax nearly burned at the sight of them, watching their dance as they sought to coax his lust with expert precision, as if knowing exactly how to move to entice his interest. Wide hips, young and firm breasts, a buffet of soft feminine flesh waited before him, taunting a starving man. He merely grunted in annoyance. “Focus upon your own enjoyment, Lalian. Leave me.”
Dismissed by a bitter wave, Lalian nervously fidgeted with his fingers, only to stand up with determination. Risking The God Emperor’s wrath, he shook his head. “No, no. Come now.” He hurried to the side of the concubines, urging them to approach their ruler. “His holiness needs this. Serve him. Quickly.” When they refused to approach, seeing the growing ire in their master’s silent gaze, Lalian bit his lip. He knew his friend well. Leaving the tomb had been the first step of his return. Bathing had been another. For the sake of The God Emperor, he took the hands of the two closest concubines, leading them closer. The touch of two women quickened his heart, fighting to ignore the softness of their hands as he gently pulled. Determined, he stepped down into the shallow depths, leading them into the pool himself. His cloak and tunic were instantly drenched as he guided them to the side of his master, his friend. “If you dislike them, I’ll bring replacements.”
There was no going back. The God Emperor had dismissed them, though now they were held near his sides by the faint temptation in his gaze. Risking disobedience, a gamble, the pair eased closer, presenting seductive smiles. Not wanting to appear foolish by standing idle and alone, the third joined them when their ruler made no further gesture to send them away.
Wet bodies surrounded him, eager to serve with hunger in their eyes. Dominax’s interest burned in his loins, neglected for far too long. Finally, as they waited with dripping anticipation, he flicked a lazy finger towards the woman in the center with a hint of annoyance. “So be it. You, then. Come.”
The others hid their disappointment well as they eased back to wait their turn. Like an honored sacrifice, the selected concubine crept closer with an eager grin to accept her fate. Her long black hair dragged through the water as she closed the short distance between them.
Lalian uttered a silent sigh of relief as he retreated, stepping out of the pool. He watched Dominax caress his new lover as his wet clothing dripped to form a puddle upon the stone floor. “Enjoy her.”
From the first touch, he scowled. His fingers dragged across her wet skin, coaxing his already boiling desires, yet the feeling of her was…wrong. Delectable, beautiful, every instinct urged him to savor her body, yet he recoiled.
“A…a…problem?” Lalian questioned nervously.
Her soft skin brought a memory of Irith, making him grimace. He sought pleasure while she rested alone in her tomb. Dominax could almost see the blood upon his hands.
“If she isn’t pleasing to you…” Lalian trailed off.
Dominax tried once more, running his fingers through her dark hair. With her pretty face up close, he realized her hair wasn’t truly black, but a brown so deep that it appeared nearly as dark as his own had once been. Irith’s had been the same, dark and silky, yet certain light revealed the truth of her.
He peered into her eyes. Dark orbs, they were far from the enchanting blue of his love, eyes he had closed forever. The concubine was beautiful, though a poor imitation. “Enough.” To his own disgusted horror, he waved her away with a scowl. Her seductive facade shattered into distraught disbelief as she was rejected.
Panicking, Lalian gestured to the concubines at his master’s sides. “The others. T…try the others.”
Dominax regarded them coldly. The woman to his right offered curves tantalizingly tanned by the sun. Her dark blue hair, however, was a reminder of Irith’s homeland, a trait more common in the north. The brunette to his left held no such distinctions, an ordinary woman that could be found anywhere throughout The Human Basin, yet she was human, nonetheless. Her fair skin was an echo of Irith’s memory. “None of them shall do. Leave me.”
Hurrying to Dominax’s side, Lalian crouched near the edge once more. “What do you seek?”
The God Emperor gritted his teeth. “Solitude. Everywhere she haunts me.”
Lalian’s quick mind raced. The women retreated to the far edge of the pool at their ruler’s command. To them, The God Emperor was a monolith of power, deadly even as he lounged against the edge of the pool. Lalian, however, saw the pain in his gaze when Dominax glanced over.
Tapping his chin, the Lanthian’s green eyes opened wide with an idea. “Grant me a moment. I…oh, this is singular.” He shot up to his feet, rushing to the doors and leaving a trail of water behind. “A moment, my friend.”
Dominax made no move to stop him. Left alone with the trio of beauties, he watched them with a scowl. Their duty remained even after rejection, resuming their seductive show.
He could sense their wounded pride, of course, yet they showed no hint of their feelings. Hoping to redeem themselves, they did all they could to coax his interest. The movement of their hips sent gentle waves his way. Cupping their hands, they poured water down their alluring curves, wetting their skin.
Never in his life had he gone so long without the touch of a woman. It’d be a simple thing to grab the seductresses on display and find his relief. They existed to serve him, his property, his reward. His loins ached to spread their gorgeous legs and sink himself deep into the bliss of their tightness, craving to feel them. Yet with the memory of his blade sinking into Irith’s back, his temptation bled away.
When Lalian returned, Dominax realized his jaw had tightened enough to crush stone as he watched them move. The stranger following behind the green man snapped his attention away. Peering up, Dominax met the purple eyes of an Arkos girl.
Proudly, Lalian gestured to his gift. A naked slave girl, she shyly covered her groin and breasts with her hands as she stood before her master, offering a timid smile.
“Is she…better?” Lalian asked. Despite their trained control, the concubines couldn’t help but show their offense and shock at the notion of being usurped by the scrawny slave.
Dominax studied the quiet stranger. Perhaps he had passed her before while she cleaned the halls of The Grand Pyramid. Perhaps not. Regardless, she was a face he didn’t remember. At any other time, she would have blended in with the countless other slaves hurrying about to maintain the glory of the magnificent fortress. Here, she was his salvation.
Receiving a silent nod, Lalian beamed with new hope. He commanded the girl to twirl with a gesture. As she slowly rotated, offering her master the full display of her slim and youthful body with an embarrassed blush, Dominax took in the sight of her. The dark stripes decorating her skin complemented her short hair, tied into a messy knot. Her long tail curled around her legs as if to protect herself, yet a cautious excitement lingered in her gaze.
Lalian urged her to approach. When The God Emperor made no move to send her away, she meekly stepped down into the pool. She appeared like a sacrifice to a looming deity as she carefully crept closer.
A gesture commanded her to close the short distance between them when she paused at the sight of his offered hand. She had to choose. Deciding to keep the treasure between her legs a secret a while longer, she shyly revealed her small breasts as she accepted his grasp. Dominax felt her delicate hand in his as he brought her into his submerged lap.
The touch of her smooth grey skin was different from the softness of the human concubines. Only the basic humanoid features of an Arkos reminded him of Irith, similarities shared across all females, yet her strange and exotic traits were enough to hold back his memories. In his lap was a stranger, an outsider, another species. He felt her modest rump against him beneath the warm water as her tantalizing purple gaze regarded him timidly.
She was a light little thing in his lap. However she had fallen into the service of The Grand Pyramid mattered little, for tonight, she was merely his cure. Watching, Lalian uttered a silent sigh of relief as he continued to drip.
A hint of fear flavored her expression as he reached down. He guided her hand away, revealing the sweet gift between her thighs. Submerged, he ran a finger gently over her nervous lower lips, receiving a subtle gasp. His scowl gave way to the smallest hint of a smirk. However meek, however timid, he saw the cautious curiosity in her eyes. She knew the danger of him. A slave in the presence of a royal was always at risk, no less when she sat in the lap of The God Emperor himself. Yet with such risk came opportunities, and he sensed the faintest flicker of ambition hidden beneath her shy features.
There was no telling how long she had served in The Capital. Arkos traders and slaves were hardly a rare sight these days. If she wasn’t born in the borders of The Empire, she would have been trained in the imperial tongue at the very least to serve House Vaid. The silence was broken by a simple question, all he truly wished to know of her, making her shiver as his deep words oozed forth. “Would you like me to impregnate you?”
Her grey features darkened further as her blush deepened. It seemed that to utter a word within The God Emperor’s presence was a challenge too great to bear. Instead, her pretty lips curled into a shy smile as she replied with a nod nearly too faint to see.
Pleased, he caressed her delicate chin. When the feeling dared to coax a thought of Irith, he peered at her curled horns to banish the memory of her blood upon his dagger.
His finger teased her submerged sex. Young and inexperienced, she required ample preparation. The feeling of his manhood prodding at her flat belly nearly made her jump, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. When his exploring digit slipped inside, she couldn’t withhold a shy whimper as he felt her tightness squeezing him. Once more he was intrigued. In his lap was a virgin.
Lalian stared as if he had lost himself, shaking his head to snap free of the sight. “If…if she is adequate, I’ll take my leave.” He gestured for the concubines to follow, yet they continued to stare. Shocked by the sight of how easily they had been replaced, they failed to notice the green man until he spoke again. “You three, c…come. Perhaps his holiness shall want you another day.”
“Stay, my friend,” Dominax’s voice oozed from the pool, as if filling the chamber like a consuming fog. “Don’t think I’ve been blind to your efforts. Join me.”
It was a rare sight to see gratitude in The God Emperor’s harsh gaze. Lalian couldn’t help but smile. “Are you…are you certain?”
Dominax wasn’t accustomed to repeating himself. Instead, he focused upon the soft moans of the Arkos in his lap, hearing fear blending with desire.
More nervous than the slave girl, Lalian stripped off his wet clothes, hesitating before stepping into the water. The concubines stared at Dominax in disbelief, forgetting their seductive dances, only to snap to attention the moment their ruler gifted them his gaze. He offered no command. Beneath his judgment, the trio noticed Lalian before moving into action, eager to win back The God Emperor’s favor. As if seeking to prove themselves, they approached the Lanthian with as much grace and seduction as they could offer, taking Lalian’s hands. Like helpless prey, he surrendered as they guided him to sit down across from their master.
Once more Dominax’s full attention fell upon his virgin mate. Had she been human, she would have been nothing more than an ordinary slave, skinny and young, defeated by the alluring curves of the concubines. As an Arkos, there was nothing ordinary about her.
Despite his time in self-imposed solitude, his experienced touch returned as if he had never ceased taking lovers. His finger maneuvered exactly where it was required to make her hips move involuntarily. She needed a soft touch, and he only slid a second finger into her delicate cunny when it was more than ready.
On the opposite side of the pool, Lalian became the victim of the trio’s attention as he was surrounded by seductive bodies. Muttering, he stared with wide eyes as they pressed against him, feeling their hands exploring his green body.
Dominax savored his virgin sacrifice. For too long his lusts had been buried beneath his sorrow, neglected, only to burn brightly at the feeling of a willing lover in his lap. His manhood stood between them, throbbing, yet she was far too timid to reach out and feel what would soon be inside her.
“Is…I’m not certain if…I should probably be…” Lalian muttered, only to bite his lip as the brunette ran a hand down his chest, finding his short cock beneath the clear water. He shuddered in lust as she gave it a teasing stroke before pulling away with a giggle.
Hardly could Dominax glance at the sight of them without thinking of his deed. Guilt forced him to grimace. Seeking refuge, he reached up to touch the horns of the Arkos girl. A thought of his ambition saved him. The cool surface of her curled horns was a reminder of his future, banishing the past, if only for a moment. He’d conquer her womb as he’d conquer her species.
When at last she was ready, he pressed his cock against her tight entrance. Never had any other touched her. Unspoiled, he was the first to explore her most intimate area as he pushed inside, making her gasp. A pained moan revealed what she could endure, and he stopped mere inches inside, withdrawing, granting her a moment before attempting once more.
Her cunny squeezed around his shaft as if it could keep him out, yet as he peered into her eyes, he noticed a hint of pained bravery. She would endure. She would serve her master. Despite her shyness, she grabbed onto his shoulders as if she needed to hold onto something, only to realize with horror that she had done so without permission. His amused chuckle reassured her, urging her closer, pressing their bodies together as he continued to ease in and out.
The size of his manhood was a threat he was more than accustomed to wielding. He took his time, sinking deeper with each thrust as her skinny body gradually adapted to the large intrusion. When at last she was ready, he glided as deep as he could reach, firmly pressing against her cervix. In all his years, after thousands of women, he never failed to savor the delectable sight of a lover’s expression as he pushed against their limit. Like many, the Arkos broke.
Dominax gritted his teeth as he felt her virgin tightness squeezing every inch of his cock. Her inexperienced vagina nearly seemed to be in panic as she held him inside, uttering a whimper of surrender.
Lalian watched the Arkos carefully rise, sinking back down only when she was ready. A whimper of arousal seeped from his lips as the concubines caressed his slim frame with the seduction they showed their master. At the mercy of their teasing touch, he was certain he’d melt. “I…I…I suppose Anthara wouldn’t mind if I-” His voice caught in his throat as a soft hand found his cock once more, fingers wrapping gently around the shaft.
The pleasure of the slave’s gripping loins was too great for Dominax to bother granting his advisor a sliver of amused attention. His focus centered entirely upon the constricting tightness massaging every inch of his manhood. She dared to move slowly up and down, as if a single misstep would be her end.
To be deep inside a woman again coaxed his throbbing desire as his addiction returned in an instant. The feeling of her became his obsession. His world narrowed to the sensation of her snug tunnel, holding back his guilt. Every gentle movement of her hips lured his consuming lust, a lust that had spread his seed across the continent. Thousands had birthed his children, with countless more to follow. She was merely the next, soon to be made a young mother.
The timid moans of the slave girl were outmatched by the sound of Lalian’s whimper as the brunette began to stroke his small cock. The woman with the darkest hair permitted him to explore her curves with a welcoming smile. Whether her hospitality was genuine or not, Lalian couldn’t keep his hands from her, savoring every inch of tantalizing female flesh within reach.
Dominax gritted his teeth in satisfaction. Like all Arkos women he had bred, the girl’s loins were subtly firmer than a human’s, not quite as elastic. Every movement threatened to spark his guilt anew, taking pleasure as Irith sat in her tomb, yet the feeling was just different enough to distract him.
His hand crept up her skinny body. Finding her breasts, she let out a squeak as he cupped them, feeling her small mounds. No doubt they’d swell before she gave birth to his child.
Curious, the tanned concubine explored beneath Lalian’s cock until she found his scar, as if seeking to confirm what she had heard about their Grand Imperial Architect. She hid her reaction well, yet the touch of her coaxed a fire of envy through Lalian’s mutilated loins. No longer did it burn as bright as it once did, however. As he watched The God Emperor savor the slave, knowing he would certainly impregnate her, Lalian thought of the child Dominax had granted him. Grinning through his enjoyment and jealousy, he silently urged his master on, for the man that had granted Lalian his greatest gift deserved to breed any woman he desired. His cock twitched in the concubine’s grasp.
“Holy…master…” the girl whimpered. The first words she had uttered, they carried a deep accent. Exotic and intriguing, her soft voice only coaxed his lusts further as she gathered the courage to speak. “Give me…child…”
He’d do much more than that. One of his hands glided down to her belly, sensing her youthful fertility. The other caressed her rump as it found its way to the base of her tail. Sliding down the long length of the flexible appendage, his silver eyes glowed.
He peered at her pretty body, yet he saw the desert. Vast and deadly, its black sands would fall into his grasp. She surrendered to his touch, yet he’d make her people bow. Purple eyes were a warning of the purple blood he’d be forced to spill, yet spill it must, rivers running purple until his purpose was done.
There was no doubt why she wanted his child. Aside from the honor, she could sell it to a wealthy family to buy her freedom. There was no end to those willing to pay for The God Emperor’s holy blood, and his hand caressed her as he thought of the hybrid they’d receive. Would their child inherit her horns? Her tail? He gripped the smooth appendage as it flicked excitedly with every deep push. Her strange features called to him, urging his seed forth, his instincts demanding to conquer another exotic womb. Their blood would blend, as would the population after his empire conquered another land.
Long had his seed been held inside when it was accustomed to pour into a fertile body each night. It lingered, desperate to erupt inside her, yet his willpower withheld it. Hardly was he done.
Finally, he peered over at the concubines once more as they teased Lalian. Watching as the tanned woman rubbed her rear in the green man’s lap, he gritted his teeth as he gestured for the dark-haired concubine to return to his side. Features lighting up excitedly as she was offered a chance to redeem herself, she hurried over, doing her best to conceal her eagerness.
Every step was a risk of returning his guilt, yet he allowed it. When she reached his side, daring to touch him, he made no move to refuse her. Once more the memory of Irith came forth at the sight of her, yet he focused upon the girl in his lap.
A hand ran across her curves. The soft skin gliding beneath his fingers flared his guilt, a human, a warm and living woman while his love was cold and dead. Once more he squeezed the slave’s tail until she uttered a moan. One hand held the horrid memory of his deed, the other his ambition.
Lalian’s lips parted in pleasure. Despite his jealousy at having lost a concubine, the two bodies pressed against him were more than he could handle. With a rump swaying in his lap, and a hand slowly stroking his manhood, he bit his lip as he quickly neared his limit.
Dominax let the concubine’s lips meet his. The taste of her brought the memory of Irith before him as he closed his eyes. His love stood there, beautiful and alive, yet he knew the truth.
“Cum, my lord,” the brunette’s seductive voice demanded as her hand glided up and down Lalian’s short length. The rump in his lap was quite convincing. As he watched Dominax savor the touch of two lovers, he required only the thought of Anthara’s belly swelling with their child to push him over his limit. With a grin of gratitude and a trembling hold on the concubine’s wide hips, he whimpered as the hand milked several drops of clear liquid from his cock, leaving him sensitive in the aftermath of his muted climax.
The God Emperor sensed the smallest flicker of his advisor’s finish radiating from across the pool, yet the vision of Irith consumed his thoughts. His hand crept down the front of the concubine at his side, savoring every thrust into the tight slave girl as his hips rocked up and down to match her riding rhythm. His body screamed to breed, yet his hand held his guilt, gliding his fingers between the concubine’s waiting lower lips.
Every push, every gentle wave caused by the girl’s movements made the vision fade. The sound of the concubine’s moans as his fingers set to work echoed softly in his ear.
His other hand explored the slave. Rather than the smooth grey skin beneath his touch, he felt only the sensation of black sand running through his fingers. His grip tightened as he found her hip, holding her, a groan of primal desire oozing from his lips. In his lap was his purpose.
He would bring order. Chaos would surrender to peace. Beneath his throne, seized in his guiding hand, the world would be remade. His cock pushed deep into the Arkos girl, his eyes opening with a glowing ambition. The desert was the key to the jungle, and he’d break them both.
Irith watched him in his thoughts, a tormenting memory that faded with every thrust. He would not kneel. He would not waste away while his purpose was left undone. His manhood was his sword, and the girl the desert, his aims clear before him.
She lingered there, at the tip of his fingers as they pleasured the concubine at his side. Living flesh tightened and reacted to his experienced touch while Irith’s cold corpse rested far below in her tomb. One day he would join her, yet the concubine’s loins were warm. He could not fall until the world matched his designs.
The raw urge to breed the girl in his lap consumed him. Loins aching, burning, he prepared to claim her. She had been inexperienced and innocent. In his hands he had made her a woman and soon would make her a mother. The desert would bleed in his grasp, learning the truth of chaos until they bowed to order.
His fingers dug into the grey skin of his lover as he pushed his hips upward, driving himself deep as he found his finish. She uttered a high squeak as she felt his holy seed gushing inside her fertile body, certain to impregnate her. He held her as if she was all that stood before him, his only future, his way forward, unleashing all that had been trapped inside for far too long.
Pent-up seed oozed in a heavy flow from her lower lips in an instant as her body was overwhelmed. It joined with the water of the pool as his pleasure continued, seized by the ecstasy of his orgasm.
When at last it passed, he heard the soft breaths of the slave in his lap, silently accepting her fate. Darkened cheeks and the swaying of her tail spoke of her own pleasure as a timid grin confessed that she had received what she craved.
The concubine at his side kissed his cheek. Still Irith lingered, for never would she vanish entirely. Now, however, he could live.
Dominax eased the girl from his lap before standing. “Tend to her,” he commanded Lalian. “Return her to where she belongs and notify the healers of her pregnancy.”
The green man hurried obediently to her side, gently taking her hand. “Of course. Shall I remove them too?” he asked with a glance at the concubines.
As if testing himself, Dominax summoned them closer. Standing together, he assessed them. Beautiful humans, his guilt remained, yet he could endure. His nature called to them, rekindling as if he was a corpse that had returned to life. He would return, or he’d collapse. “Leave them.”
With a commanding gesture to follow, he led the trio to the royal bedchamber, fully intending to finish what he started.
***
At the sound of a knock, Dominax’s eyes opened, though not truly. As night gave way to the morning, only faint strands of light poured into the chamber to push back the darkness. The bodies sleeping beside him were real enough, three gorgeous concubines now pregnant with his children, still leaking his seed. Looking down at his own body, however, he knew he was dreaming.
Remembering the knock, he left his body behind in the bed. Never did he reach the door, however. The faint light of the morning drained away with every step. Marching into the darkness, it wrapped around him until the chamber disappeared, vanishing into the void. His features grew hard as he looked at his hands, seeing that the color had drained away. Perhaps it was more than a mere dream.
“Arinax,” a voice whispered ahead.
Dominax sought it out. Ahead, he saw three beings waiting in the darkness. His steps seemed to bring him swifter than he expected, coming to a stop before his dread, his losses, his failure. Before him stood his fallen lovers.
Briza, Xenia, and Irith stood together in a line, welcoming him with cold expressions that were as lifeless as their colorless skin. Riddled with stab wounds, water poured from Briza’s lips when she opened her mouth, unable to speak as he heard only drowned words.
The darkness gave way to the walls of his home. No longer was he inside the royal bed chamber. Instead, he stood in his former hut within Nitri. His younger self stood tall behind the dead women, watching with a curious smirk.
Briza and Irith turned around to face the silver-eyed young man. With their backs to him, Dominax saw his dagger still buried deep in Irith’s flesh.
Only Xenia remained facing forward to meet his gaze. “Oh, I knew what you were from the start.”
The sound of her voice made him grimace. “As did they.”
Xenia merely smirked, only for it to fade as she ran a finger across the deep cut that ran around her neck. As if remembering her head had been severed, she discovered that she could speak no further, yet still her gaze remained.
Dominax stepped closer to Irith. He tried to pull the hilt of the dagger free of her back, only to find that it would not budge. He gritted his teeth. “Of all the blood I’ve spilled, all the beings that lay dead by my hand, I’ve never required forgiveness. All I’ve done has been necessary. Yet…” He could not stand the sight of her wound, scowling. “Forgive me, my love.”
No reply came. In the silence, he heard what might have been a gurgling chuckle from Xenia, her throat cut open.
“Long have you been at my side. Hate me, curse me, though I’ll protect all we’ve built together.” No wound silenced him, yet his words were strained, hardly able to escape. “I’ll protect our legacy. I’ll protect all you truly cared about. House Vaid, our family. I’ll ensure our son survives.”
The corpse before him was as silent as a statue.
Dominax seized her shoulder. The sight of her wound was an agony, and he forced her to turn around. He needed to see her face, to peer into her gorgeous blue eyes and know she understood. If she would not speak her forgiveness, her eyes would.
As she was forced to turn around, he found her eyes to be as colorless as the rest of their world. Her beautiful features twisted with hate as she spoke her first words. “Arinax shall avenge me! Arinax shall avenge us all!”
Horrified, he grabbed her arms. “Silence.”
“Arinax shall avenge me!” she yelled with a maddened gaze.
“Silence!” he shouted once more when she would not stop. He tried to cover her mouth, though she shook free.
“Arinax shall avenge me! Avenge me! Avenge me!”
“Damn you!” He shook her. “You’re not even real!”
Briza kept her back to him while Xenia tried to chuckle. Irith continued to shout, growing louder and louder.
“Avenge me! Avenge me!”
Every word was a torture. Dominax threw her back, harder than he intended. She stumbled and fell, falling limp the moment she landed on the dagger protruding from her back. Death filled her gaze once more as he stared down at her corpse.
The glow of his silver eyes flickered. He looked down to see blood dripping from his hands. “You would not listen. You would not step aside as I saved our son!”
Xenia’s chuckling continued, holding her neck to keep her throat closed. She managed to speak a few rough words. “You finished the deed you killed me for.”
An emptiness crept forth, threatening to drag him to his knees at her side, yet still he stood, looming above his guilt once more. It’d be an easy thing to kneel, to surrender, yet never would he weep.
The image of Briza continued to shun him, yet the sight of her coaxed the memory of Cendra. He knew she would have been proud of their daughter’s rise. His fingers curled around an object, and he looked down to find that Cendra’s message cylinder had appeared in his grasp. He squeezed it tightly.
Never would he kneel again. He straightened as he loomed over Irith’s corpse, for he’d remain standing until his purpose was done. “So be it. I’ll bear your blood upon my hands. Let it torment me for the rest of my days, yet still I shall stand.” He stepped back, keeping the sorrow from his firm voice. “Always shall I love you, yet here I must leave you.”
Briza finally turned around. Irith rose from where she lay dead. The three women pointed accusing fingers as their voices came forth as one. “Always is it the same. You cling to your throne as those around you wither.”
“No.” He sneered as he squeezed the cylinder. “False ghosts won’t stop me.”
Always had he been helpless during such visions. No longer. Tossing the cylinder at their feet, he’d endure his torment no longer. Dominax reached out to grip the empty air before him, squeezing the fabric of space itself in his grasp. He touched the untouchable, squeezing his fist, bending the universe to his will.
His younger self vanished with an amused nod. The walls of the hut began to tremble as he fought to tear the vision down.
“Stop!” Briza began to demand, pleading as water poured from her wounds. “Stop before it’s too late!”
Dominax strained as the universe began to crumble in his grasp. Never would he stop. Never would he rest.
The walls of the hut shattered, opening to the darkness of the void. Behind his women, he saw the royal bed appear faintly in the distance, an echo of his vision, the end he craved. Upon it he saw himself once more, passing his sword to an heir he could not quite see. The women stood in his way, blocking the fate he’d stop at nothing to achieve.
“Stop!” Briza demanded while Xenia chuckled. The trio grew fainter and fainter.
The light of his eyes flared further. He would not surrender. He would rip himself from this accursed dream. Squeezing, he began to tear the fabric of reality as the trio vanished, leaving him in darkness. Still he fought to free himself, bending the universe to his will.
As if to stop him, the memory of Chief Manith appeared before Dominax. The butcher of Nitri, the catalyst of his rise, the long dead Lanthian stood over Arinax, readying his spear to end the boy’s life.
Dominax remembered the nightmare he had suffered many years ago, having been forced to watch as Manith slaughtered his family one by one, cutting down all he cared about, all he sought to defend. He had been forced to kneel in his dream. No longer. Now, he squeezed the fabric of space with all his might, feeling a hilt form in his grasp. Pulling, he tore his sword from the black darkness of the void, his eyes wild and blazing as fire roared up the white blade.
Before Manith could thrust his spear into Arinax’s back, Dominax drove his sword through the Lanthian’s heart. The flames consumed his green flesh, consuming the dream, burning with rage until all around him was reduced to ash.
As the vision collapsed around him, burning down to its foundations, he swept aside the trickery and darkness to reveal only what lay beneath. Standing once more in the royal bedchambers, Dominax looked down with disdain to see Dorian resting upon the floor, panting.
“You?”
The old ghost was hardly more than a flicker, faded nearly out of sight. Gasping, wheezing, the cloaked figure could hardly raise his ethereal fingers. “You…would not…face me…so I came to you…my son…”
Never had Dominax seen the ghostly man outside of The Chamber of Deliverance, yet here he was. No dreams or memories stood between them. They were merely two souls in the center of the royal bed chamber with the world frozen around them. “Briza? Irith? You’d turn their memory against me?”
“No…no…” Dorian insisted. His weakened voice was hardly more than a whisper uttered from a shadow. “I did not…control…what you saw. I was merely a conduit…of all you needed to hear…”
Dominax gritted his teeth. “Why?” He nearly spat the word.
Wheezing, Dorian’s image grew fainter and fainter as he rested upon the stone floor. “I severely…damaged my power…to save you all those years ago…in Nitri. Now…I’d save you again…my son…”
“I do not require rescue.” Dominax loomed above the dead man.
“Yet this is…the final chance…to alter your path. You killed her…my son. You…killed your lover…” Dorian struggled to say, as if using all his strength and concentration to keep himself from disappearing. “I warned you…that a life atop a throne…would bring you no peace. You must…see that now…don’t you? In your…ambition to bring peace…to all, you will…find none yourself…”
Dominax’s features remained hard. He held no doubt, no uncertainty. No other path would do, for all alternatives led to chaos. “Curse my own peace. I said I’d endure no further losses.” He remembered the vision of Manith’s spear hanging over Arinax. “If you believe Irith’s death has dissuaded me, you’re mistaken. I faltered. I was nearly lost. No longer. To stop now shall risk all she cared about, and I will not stop.”
“Yet the peaceful life…I had hoped for you-”
“Was a fool’s dream. It dies now by my hand,” Dominax cut him off.
Gasping, wheezing, Dorian mustered the last of his strength as his words dripped with sorrow. “Then always…shall I love you, yet here…I must leave you.”
Dominax scowled at having his own words thrown back at him, yet he made no reply as the ancient ghost began to fade from sight.
“Seek me out…in the darkness…” Dorian managed to say. “I shall be…with you…in your greatest time of need…my son…”
Left alone in a colorless world, Dominax stood over the spot where The Creator had been.
It was time to wake. It was time to return. Marching to the bed, he returned to his body, finding himself blinking as time resumed and color returned to his surroundings. Hearing the soft breaths of his sleeping lovers, he was once more in reality, hearing the rain pounding upon the stone walls of The Grand Pyramid outside.
The knock he had heard upon the door continued, unfrozen. He left the warm bodies behind, yet as he crossed the room, he was met with the last remnant of his vision, for his younger self stood in his path.
He would seize the world in his grasp. He would remain standing until his purpose was done, while all others would kneel. With his silver eyes raging with a glowing determination, he reached out. Never could he touch what did not exist, yet whether the figure was a figment of his wounded mind, or an echo from the past he could not understand, Dominax gripped the fabric of reality in an unbreakable fist, forcing the younger man to his knees. “I have no further use for you.”
Looking up, the younger Dominax offered a smirk of mutual respect. “So it seems.” Bowing his head, he faded away until nothing remained.
With nothing standing in his way, The God Emperor opened the door to find Lalian waiting in the entrance lounge.
“Good morning, your holiness. It’s time. They’re gathering in the plaza,” Lalian greeted him with a nervous smile. “They’re…expecting to see you.”
Dominax looked down to see his crown carefully held in Lalian’s grasp. “So they shall.”
Quickly dressing, he led the green man outside onto the balcony that wrapped around the fortress. His white cloak fluttered behind as they endured the morning rain, a new day in The Empire as they moved to peer down at the city below as legionaries marched through the streets towards The Grand Pyramid. Having been summoned from the cities of all the remaining Lords of The Empire, the fresh recruits gathered to await their holy ruler’s commands.
“They’re ready to sail to Crosia to await the rest of the legion’s retreat.” Lalian offered the crown, polished to perfection and well cared for. Nervously, he swallowed. “What shall I tell them?”
Dominax regarded his crown with hard features. There was no going back. He would not fail again.
Lalian watched with hope as Dominax took the crown, their cloaks fluttering wildly in the wet wind as he placed it atop his head.
“Tell them their God Emperor has returned.”
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