Vaid Empire: Conquest
Chapter 106
19th of Thriduin, 20 AVE.
Kingdom of Vaidrin, Near Crosia.
The mountains loomed before them like a wall that touched the sky. On the other side waited their hopes.
An endless line of white cloaks trailed behind The God Emperor like a waiting river. He led them to the foot of the mountains, standing before their majesty.
Salduin bowed his head and said a silent prayer at his ruler’s side. No natural processes had forged the gargantuan chain of sloping stone that stood in their way. The hand of The Creator had pulled the mountains from the depths of the world into the sky, laying a divine artwork of endless peaks and summits to divide his creation. The black desert was held back from the human rainforest with a line of unforgiving stony ridges and elevations more than three hundred miles thick.
Ahead, a wound was carved into the stone, twisting and curving up to the peaks high out of their reach. Lalian pulled his cloak nervously around him. “History tells us that Arkos traders used to brave these mountains using this passage, m…much as they still do in the north.”
The Creator had left many paths through the mountains, potential ways for his creations to one day interact. Though Arkos traders continued to cross the shorter mountains far to the north into Spirexia, trickling down into the new lower kingdoms, none had braved the crossing directly between the desert and the lower Human Basin where the mountain chain was thickest in living memory.
Hesin stared at the carved stone from behind his emotionless mask. “I suppose we’ll find out why the savages stopped.”
Dominax glanced over at Cendra at his side. She granted him a nod, prepared to face the endless dangers ahead. With the other members of House Vaid protected in the center of the long column of legionaries, along with the supply train and families of several commanding Lords and Ladies, he led them forth.
With The God Emperor’s single step, their long journey began.
20th of Thriduin, 20 AVE.
Kingdom of Vaidrin, Mountains Near Crosia.
Every step brought them higher, rising every waking minute. The thundering march of the legion echoed as they continued to climb, following the path towards the sky.
Arinax stumbled along in a daze, lost in thought. Ahead flowed a stream of endless white cloaks fluttering in the mountain wind, while concubines and children shuffled along just behind, tended to by slaves. Lixidions hauled supplies, transporting the only thing that would keep them alive on their journey. Further back followed more legionnaires, filling the path at their rear like a slithering tail dragging up the rocky heights. He supposed the other royals felt safe in the center of the long army. The young prince only felt trapped.
Up and up, always climbing. Though the path wound its way up the mountainside, never proving too steep, his legs were already aching by the end of the second day. The rocky terrain made his feet hurt, for he had to stop occasionally to fish out the small pebbles that found their way between his sandals and skin.
Already he wanted to go home. He wanted to curl up upon his bed and simply read. Even when he turned back with a yearning for Domani, he was met with the vast sight of The Human Basin stretching out for miles upon endless miles to touch the distant horizon below. A land of converging rivers and vivid trees lay across the landscape, the place of their ancestors, the land they had fought over for countless generations. All who glanced back beheld the grand width of his father’s empire. An empire he was expected to inherit. Arinax avoided looking back as his stomach tightened.
Vixin watched her brother carefully as he stumbled along ahead of her. “So much going on inside that little head,” she thought to herself with a frown. At the very least, she supposed Jinilya could learn a thing or two from the somber boy. She glanced over when she heard her daughter whine about the endless walking. Offering pleading eyes, the little princess was rescued by her father, for Salduin hoisted her up to sit upon his broad shoulders. Receiving what she had asked for, false tears gave way in an instant to a smirk as Jin looked down upon the rest of them from her elevated perch. Vixin shook her head. “If that one ever gets a throne of her own, all beneath it shall weep.”
Arinax nearly stumbled over a rock. Snapped from his thoughts, he peered up from his feet for the first time in an hour. Zela admired the glorious landscape below at his side, never missing an opportunity to look over her shoulder. Having shunned the basin, however, Arinax was met only with the barren rock of the mountains. Jagged stones beaten by the wind and rain for a millennium were all that loomed ahead and around. Only when the smallest hint of green caught his eye, however, did his interest spark.
Further along the path, he saw the limb of a tree peeking out from behind a colossal boulder. The prince marched with renewed vigor, following the legion as they wound their way up the mountain. Curving around towering rocks, the path carved through the stone, leaving sloping walls of solid stone at either side. As the path ventured diagonally to cut across a cliffside, the natural wall to their left gradually gave way to a steep fall. The legion began to thin as they avoided the edge.
The bolder ahead leaned above the path, its tip jutting out over the cliff below. As the legion marched easily beneath it, the tree gradually came into view. The first of its kind Arinax had ever seen, he dared to break from the others, climbing the sloped rocks at the path’s other side to reach it.
Touching its smooth trunk, the prince dared to smile in fascination. With wood the color of dark purple, swirling violet lines bled across its green leaves, forming patterns that mimicked the shape of an eye onto every leaf. He reached up to pluck one from a branch, ignoring the faint cuts left behind on his hands from his short climb up the sharp stones.
He wondered if Zela would illustrate the tree for him, wishing to document the new species. The world was a curiosity he craved to discover. When he glanced up from the leaf, peering out at the vast empire below, his smile faded. A future God Emperor had little time to explore.
“Arinax!” Vixin called out a moment later. She reached up the gentle slope to take his wrist, guiding him to come down. She put a hand upon her hips with the firm tone of a disapproving mother. “We’re venturing into a dangerous place. You cannot go off on your own.”
Arinax watched the legion continue to march behind his elder sister like a flowing river. Hanging his head, he let the wind carry the leaf from his hands, and it fluttered away like a childish dream. “Forgive me.”
Her pretty expression eased as she clasped his shoulder. “Let’s keep going. When we reach the other side, and father secures us a stronghold in The Wandering Desert, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to study the local plants.” She offered a kind smile, knowing him well. “Imagine all the discoveries waiting beyond, a place few humans have ever witnessed. Can you wait? Will you stay safe at my side until then?”
Her smile couldn’t help but warm him despite the harsh wind. His somber expression lightened. “Yes, Vixin. I can wait.”
“Good boy.” She mussed his black hair. “A long journey lies ahead of us. I can’t have you sneaking off to risk your death before it even begins. Come. Let’s catch up to-”
His sister was cut off by the echo of nearby screams. They turned in time to watch as a portion of the path gave way, sending a slave and six legionaries tumbling over the edge of the cliff.
Vixin covered her brother’s ears to spare him of their screams, hearing them plummet to the rocky ground far below. She grimaced at the heavy crash of bodies that echoed up the cliffside, though the silence that followed struck her deeper.
As legionaries swiftly backed away from the weak portion of the crumbling path, somberly mourning their fallen, Vixin met Arinax’s terrified gaze with grim eyes. “A misstep shall be our deaths here. Do not leave my side.”
When his sister offered her hand, he squeezed it, following behind her as she led him away. He peered back at the collapsed ground as if peering through a nightmare.
The mountains claimed the first casualties of the coming war. He wanted to go home.
25th of Thriduin, 20 AVE.
The Deep Mountains.
The God Emperor led them through the mountains, his cloak ever fluttering at his back. Through wind and rain he pushed. Ever marching, ever rising, he drove his blade up the rocky landscape to meet his enemy.
Never did his advisors offer a complaint at his side, though the rumblings of fatigue from behind occasionally reached his ear. He was driving them hard up the mountains, permitting rest only when necessary. Hardened warriors endured their ruler’s determination with a bitter silence, though more than legionaries followed at his back.
Their climb seemed never to end. For every stony peak they passed, another loomed higher. The rainforest was a distant memory far below, washed away by endless rock and an occasional strange tree.
They conquered one mountain ridge only to find another taller behind, and another. Rising several miles, descending one, and rising again, up and up and down, testing their resolve.
As Dominax led them up the latest mountain ridge, he fully expected to be met with another yet taller behind. It mattered little. The Arkos could place a thousand mountains between them, and he’d still reach across to grip their necks.
He felt the scars left behind long ago by the Arkos assassins that had nearly killed him. They drove his powerful steps. Even with all of humanity beneath his throne, chaos would still creep in from outside. He marched swiftly.
Rising to touch the heights of the ridge they currently climbed, he heard Cendra’s gasp as they finally reached the top. Rather than a taller ridge blocking their view, they were met with the sight of all that lay behind, for the ridge they stood upon matched the height of the others beyond.
He beheld the challenge ahead. A vast land of endless mountains lay before them, like raised scars upon the world. Gazing out at the width of the mountain chain, he saw only a hint of the hundreds of miles of rock and stone that stood in their path, the very top of the world.
The thousands of men and women at his back suddenly felt like insects scurrying upon the backs of giants.
It would take days to retreat the way they had come, though it could be done. They could turn back. He saw the mountain pass carving around the peaks and summits ahead, disappearing far into the mist that blanketed the elevated landscape. It would be a simple thing to return home and rule over all he had gained.
Dominax thought of his scars. He marched forth into the mist.
***
Though the heights of the ridges had somewhat leveled out, they still had to rise and descend the countless ridges beyond. Curving around colossal mountains that rose above the rest, their path cut into the stoney landscape. The natural walls at either side began to grow higher and higher, dwarfing them beneath their might.
“Send your best Truthseekers to follow along the tops of the cliffs. Lalian claims that tribes of Arkos exiles roam these mountains,” he commanded Hesin, peering up at the nearly vertical cliffs at either side of the path. “We cannot be caught off guard here.”
“Of course.” Hesin fell behind to fulfill his orders.
Hour after hour they marched, hiking around the peaks. The mountain pass cut through a short ridge, then curved around a steep slope. Once more one of the towering cliffs at one side gave way to a sheer drop, forcing them to avoid the edge.
“Look!” Cendra shouted over the wind.
Ahead, they saw the first hint of why the passage had been abandoned. As Dominax ordered the rest to halt, they came to a stop before the edge where a portion of the path had entirely collapsed away. A short gap lay before them, dropping off into the dark depths of a steep fall below.
Cloak billowing around him, Dominax folded his arms. He turned his head after a moment of consideration. “Send men back to cut down the trees we passed, and summon Lalian,” he commanded Cendra as she stared with stern lips at their predicament.
“A bridge, father?” she asked, trying not to shiver in the biting wind. After so long in the oppressive humidity, her outfit wasn’t ideal for the dry cold. After receiving a nod, she turned upon her heel. “It shall be done.”
***
Halted in their tracks, the legion swiftly set up camp. Thin lines of tents filled the path where the mountain pass was thickest. Fires were lit to hold back the ever growing cold as the sun began to fall beneath the highest summits, stretching long shadows across the cliffs and slopes.
“There we are,” Salduin greeted Vixin upon his return, having departed to retrieve a cloak lined with fur. Black to match her leotard, he wrapped it around her slender shoulders, pulling it around her to keep the mother of his child warm. She thanked him with a lingering kiss, permitting him to taste her gratitude.
He offered Yisi a second cloak, though her gratitude came only in the form of an emotionless nod.
Nafalya accepted no aid. As she joined her kin around a grand fire, she wore nothing more than her thin robes, hardly more than a thong and hood. “The cold isn’t a thing to fear.” She endured the wind caressing her soft skin without complaint.
Vixin watched her sister’s nipples poke through the nearly transparent fabric of her top, growing hard in the cold. Biting her lip, she couldn’t help but think of the scheme they had discussed in private together during their journey. A desire whispered into a discreet ear, plans taking shape, a sisterly secret had formed. Now, perhaps it was time to make it blossom into reality.
Royals, Lords, and Ladies wandered about the busy camp, seeking shelter from the wind among the endless swarm of white cloaks. They received a bow from a passing Queen Regent Quinla, for the Arkos hybrid of House Stire had resigned from the regency council to join the conquest of her father’s ancestral lands. Lord Drivis pretended not to notice the gathered royals as he crept past with a drink in his hand, while Prince Fonax marched proudly through the camp, offering Vixin a charming grin and bow. Rulers from across her father’s empire had come to serve The God Emperor’s aims, familiar and new.
As she finished ensuring her younger siblings, nephews, and Jinilya were warm and accounted for, Vixin finally whispered into Nafalya’s ear. Concealed behind her mask, she knew her sister smirked.
Leaning over, she met Salduin with a conspiratorial tone. “Grant me and Nafalya a few minutes, then escort Lord Hesin to my tent.” She smiled deviously. “Send him in first and enter when I give the command.”
Though he raised a curious brow, he nodded when she refused all explanation. “If that is your wish.”
She kissed him once more, gliding her lips seductively to his ear. “It is.”
The princesses rose and departed together, attempting to avoid drawing attention, though always did eyes linger upon the beautiful daughters of The God Emperor. He tried to seek answers from Yisi with a glance, though the quiet girl merely rolled her eyes in disapproval.
Hesin found his way to the fire a moment later. Having served his duty, there was nothing more to do at the front of the legion column for the moment but to wait for the bridge’s construction with the rest of them. When Cendra joined the gathered royals, he looked up from the flames to see Clin following far behind. The blond man glanced at him and the princess before slowing his pace, choosing instead to seek out his tent.
Salduin waited as he had been instructed. Hardly was there anything to find comfort in, struggling to find peace in such a lifeless place. The mountains were dead things, barren and cold. At the very least, the sight of his daughter warmed him. He watched Cliax offer Jinilya a figure carved from wood. With an excited laugh, the little princess tossed it into the fire and watched it burn. The prince retreated to Arinax’s side in innocent horror.
The masked assassin beside him watched the passing nobles like a hunter marking his prey. Hesin knew their secrets, whispered by Truthseekers placed in the court of every city.
“Vixin and Nafalya have summoned us to meet in private,” Salduin said gently when he felt that enough time had passed for them to prepare…whatever it was they were preparing. A single eye behind an expressionless mask peered at him with a question, yet he merely shrugged his broad shoulders. “Don’t ask, for I don’t know.”
Though suspicion lingered in his gaze, Hesin rose. “Let us find out what game they’re playing, then.”
Maneuvering through the narrow camp together, they heard the sounds of passion muttered softly from passing tents as concubines, slaves, and lovers tried to warm their masters and mates with their soft bodies.
Reaching Vixin’s tent, Salduin halted outside the fabric flap. “This is where I leave you. She requested you to enter first.”
Intrigued by whatever scheme the royals were playing out, though cautious, Hesin patted the large man’s shoulder with a mocking chuckle. “See you on the other side then, old friend.”
Entering, the assassin moved carefully as he felt the hidden dagger in his sleeve, only for his single eye to widen at the sight waiting inside. Ahead, he beheld Vixin and Nafalya as they waited upon the princess’s bed, dressed only in thin loincloths, black and white.
“Welcome, Lord Hesin,” Vixin greeted him with a sensual smirk, running her hand up her body to caress her exposed breasts. “We have much to discuss.”
Taking a creeping step forward, glancing at either side as if to find a trap, he drank in the view. “A curious sight.”
“Yet a welcomed one, I hope.” She departed the bed with her sister, and the two princesses converged upon their target. “You hold the secrets of many, though recently, I learned one of yours.”
The words coaxed a scowl despite the alluring display before him, stepping back as they came within reach.
“That is a curious sight,” Nafalya chuckled, hands clasped behind her back, wide hips swaying as she pressed closer. “The master recoils from the apprentice when he should celebrate instead.”
No longer was he enjoying their game. “Speak the secret, and my coin shall ensure it’s never uttered again.”
“Your decades of loyalty to our father have more than earned my eternal silence.” Vixin’s tone softened. “You misunderstand. My intention is not to blackmail you, Lord Hesin.”
“Speak it,” he insisted, his eye intense behind his mask.
“She knows,” Nafalya said, caressing the swell of her pregnancy. “My dear master, she knows you watched.”
Vixin offered a comforting smile at the panic she sensed behind his mask. “There is little to be ashamed of. If being cuckolded gives you satisfaction, take pride. A worthy man should seek his pleasures, and you know exactly what excites you.” She ran a sensual hand over his chest. “In fact, I respect what you’ve done.”
The genuine tone of her words did little to soften their sting, and he savored the exquisite agony of his humiliation. All knew that only one of Nafalya’s pregnancies had officially been the result of his seed, though now a young woman he had known all her life knew that he had watched other men empty their seed inside the woman he loved. He could not let the feeling taint his true face, and thus he removed his mask.
His mangled features drew her sympathy, old scars from an old battle in her father’s name. “Never shall I speak of such things without your word. Know only that you have my admiration for daring to delve into your desires so deeply.” She caressed his damaged cheek, feeling him flinch. “I’d even assist in exploring your…satisfaction.”
Bearing the sensual touch of two exquisite princesses as Nafalya touched his back, urging him closer to the bed, Hesin couldn’t deny his curiosity. Still, he eyed his lover with suspicion. “And what is your part in this?”
“My sister has taught me much. I knew Vixin could be trusted,” Nafalya said, her smooth voice caressing his ear as they reached the foot of the bed. The smallest hints of rare affection flavored her voice. “It’s a secret we may share together.”
“And more, if you’re willing.” Vixin took his hands, guiding them to her bare hips. She sensed his curiosity, feeling his desire flare at the soft touch of her feminine form. “Lord Hesin, I cannot deny that the thought of you watching as my sister is bred by another man makes me…wet.” She bit her lip. Though he grimaced, she sensed his lusts rise further. “You hold many secrets. I suspect you know much about my…carnal explorations. You know I seek to delve into every aspect of my desires, and thus…” Her silver eyes met his with a whisper. “I want to fuck you.”
Any man would melt at the sound of her voice. Hesin felt a craving tighten around his loins, though he looked to Nafalya.
“Oh, seek no resistance from me, for you’ll find none.” Nafalya smirked. “I find the thought pleasing.”
Hesin shuddered with lust at their combined touch. “Perhaps The Creator is real after all, instead of a faded ghost. What has a vile man like me done to deserve such blessings?” He said the final word with a mocking smirk of his own.
“Vile? Hardly. You keep The Empire bound together through shadows,” Vixin praised him with a kiss, tasting the lips of a man she had known all her life. Next she turned to Nafalya to grant him a show, as if carrying the memory of him to its rightful place as she dueled with the tongue of his mate.
The sight was utterly taboo, the lips of sisters parting as a string of saliva hung between them. Hesin felt his manhood harden by the sight, though he had seen worse.
“How curious.” Nafalya touched her lips. “I suspected I’d find this feeling pleasing. Proceed.”
Vixin obeyed, pressing her nearly nude body against his. Hesin caressed her hips, though glanced over once more. “You have no objections? She’s your sister. To watch such a thing has a way of changing you.”
Nafalya loosed an amused chuckle. “Is my master foolish enough to believe I’d be content merely watching? Does he think I’d sit idly by while he enjoys the tight bliss between my sister’s thighs?” She shook her head with deadly silver eyes. “No, Hesin. I intend to take my own pleasure, and Vixin has provided a gift to trade for the cock of my mate.”
“Enter!” Vixin’s soft words called out. Already Hesin knew who he’d find when he turned around. As the big man froze at the sight inside the tent, she left her prey’s side. “Salduin, do not be shaken.”
“What is this?” Salduin asked as her hips swayed, feeling her soft hands guide him closer to the other couple.
“A trade,” Nafalya stated bluntly. “One of flesh and pleasure.”
“I’ve invited Lord Hesin into my bed, and as compensation…” Vixin blushed deeply as she faced the father of her child. “Oh Salduin, I’ve supplied you with many pretty gifts. Now, it seems you’ve caught the eye of my sister.”
Stunned, he could only turn to Hesin in shock. “Such was not my intention. I never aimed to-”
Hesin cut him off with a quiet shake of his head. “Kill your excuses. They are not needed.” The presence of the large man close to his naked mate made his loins tingle with apprehension, though he did not pull away. “This is the game they sought to play.”
“He holds the fate of tonight,” she told Salduin gently. “If he wishes it, we shall all leave this tent cold and separate, rather than remain warm and together.”
“Together,” Salduin tasted the word, not finding it entirely unpleasant. They were hardly strangers to the sight of each other’s occasional pleasure over the years, though the prize he was offered now was Nafalya. He regarded his fellow advisor. “Is that an impossible notion, old friend?”
Hesin longed to hide behind his mask, to conceal the flicker of shame across his scarred features. Vixin held to her word, making no move to speak his secret. It’d be a simple thing to refuse in mock outrage at the thought. Instead, he dared to shake his head. “No.” Swallowing, he felt his mate’s hand in his, feeling an urge to offer her up. “No, it is not.”
Vixin took Salduin’s hands. Guiding him closer, she and Nafalya traded. Hesin’s fate was sealed in a mere moment, for he willingly permitted the hand of his lover into his companion’s grasp. “Let there be no shame between us,” Vixin said as she pulled her intended lover closer. “Brave are those that seek what pleases them.”
Salduin’s lips parted at Nafalya’s touch as she began to undress his large frame. Her fingers moved with the precision of an eager predator skinning her kill, seeking to free his cock.
Hardly did Hesin move as he watched, feeling Vixin do the same. When the large man’s cock was revealed, he felt a dagger of beautiful jealousy meet his gut as Nafalya brushed her new lover’s shaft.
The touch of her nearly shattered his restraint, though Salduin looked to his companion, prepared to stop at a single word. “Are you certain of this, Hesin?”
His shame was a vile shadow, consuming his insides with the need for more. The part of him screaming to stop only fueled his delectable jealousy, watching his lover stroke the large man’s cock. Through his lusts, through his desire, Hesin managed to clear his head, thinking upon Vixin’s words. With a breath of acceptance, knowing exactly what he wanted, he offered a firm nod.
Vixin wasted no time in undressing her own lover. Removing his dark cloak, she stripped him bare, taking a moment to appreciate her gift for the night. “This is the cock that impregnated my sister?” Running a finger down its length, she watched it twitch. “Come. Let me feel what Nafalya gets to enjoy whenever she likes.”
The offer was too tempting to refuse. As both princesses led their new lovers to the bed, they eased onto their backs, parting their legs to grant them a royal display. Black and white loincloths hung to conceal their moist offerings, the thin fabric wetting with their juices.
Nafalya caressed her pregnant belly, luring her toy to kneel between her parted thighs. As Salduin reached down to pull aside the fabric, he waited for a final nod from his companion. The wet sound of damp cloth peeling away from skin made his cock twitch, hearing her need as he revealed her soaking lower lips beneath.
Hesin could do nothing to conceal the hardness of his rigid erection, watching the only woman he truly cared for grow wet with desire for another man. Claiming his place between Vixin’s thighs, he caressed the tantalizing flesh on display. Ultra-soft skin glided beneath his fingertips, drawing his urges.
A finger brushed over Nafalya’s labia, savoring the sight of her flawless vagina. She reached down to guide Salduin’s cock to press between her legs with an aroused purr. “Few would dare to keep me waiting.”
The large man glanced over to see the need dripping from Hesin’s gaze. With a bow of his bald head, Salduin spoke with the weight of decades of respect upon his tongue for the man he had served beside all this time. “I’ll treat your girl gently. In The Creator’s name, you have my word.”
Silent, Hesin watched as Salduin pushed his hips forward, gliding his cock inside the woman he loved. He heard Nafalya’s moan echo through the tent to caress his ear like a warm kiss, oozing from her sensual lips.
A gentle hand reached up to turn his cheek as Vixin urged him to gaze upon her. “Focus on me, Lord Hesin. Let my loins reward your loyal service.” She reached down, pulling aside her loincloth to reveal the truth of her with a smile. “Fuck me.”
Hardly was there a more perfect sight, for her vagina was a near copy of her sister’s. Familiar and inviting, a tiny contraction tightened her lower lips in anticipation, beckoning him to enter.
As Salduin began to thrust, Hesin savored the ample juices nearly dripping from the twat at his mercy as he rubbed his tip between her parted thighs. Eagerly guiding him closer, Vixin’s mouth opened in a soft groan as he pushed inside.
The ecstasy of her loins was rivaled only by Nafalya, and Hesin’s legs threatened to tremble as he drove his cock deep inside the girl he had known since her birth. The daughter of The God Emperor moaned beneath him, the perfect spawn of long dead Xenia.
Salduin watched as the princesses reached over. Side by side, they held each other’s hand as they endured their pleasure together. Such was the aim of The Order of The Sages, he knew, witnessing an act of familial connection that their teachings hoped to spread across The Empire.
Nafalya eyed her lover with an amused smirk, urging him on. The large man was far too gentle.
“This…ahh…is how little Atrix was sired?” Vixin teased. Hardly was Hesin’s cock large, paling in comparison to past lovers, though size was not what she had sought to explore tonight. Each time he glanced over at Nafalya’s pleasure, Vixin sensed his burning jealousy, making her moan as she savored his willing humiliation.
Once more she met his lips as she pulled him down atop her. Once more her respect for the man blossomed. Hesin knew his nature better than most. Thriving as a cuckold, turning his self-loathing masterfully towards his own enjoyment, he pounded into her with a ravenous lust that matched his tantalizing shame.
For a moment she wanted his child. With a thought of Clin, the desire gave way to doubt. Perhaps Cilith was a scar after all, not daring to repeat such a mistake with the mate of another sister. Instead, she focused on controlling her fertility to avoid pregnancy. “You may cum inside,” she offered, knowing just how to tease such a man. “My womb…ahh…shall defeat your weak seed…”
Harsh words, though they had their intended effect, making Hesin moan as his hips rocked faster. “You don’t deserve this pleasure,” he thought to himself, rising to watch Salduin’s cock glide in and out of his beautiful princess.
The large man threw his head back, uttering a silent prayer to The Creator. Vixin had accepted his seed to make their daughter. Yisi had offered her virginity. Now, his cock slid into the divine tightness of a third daughter of The God Emperor. A trio of goddesses, he could hardly believe his fate.
Nafalya turned her head to meet her sister’s lips. Tongues dueling, they savored their traded lovers together. The lingering echo of Irith’s memory was held back by the taste of her elder sister, focusing solely upon the pleasure pulsating between her legs with every thrust.
Hesin explored his gift, fingers gliding across curves he had long studied from afar. Always had Vixin’s body teased him. Now, he enjoyed every inch, caressing her soft skin.
Nafalya’s pregnancy made her radiate with a maternal beauty. Touching the swell of her belly, Salduin’s cravings only grew. The purpose of life rested before him, an example of his Order’s teachings, for her womb helped to birth the next generation that would one day enjoy the same pleasures. Creation and bliss, the two ideals of a Sage.
The sight of their lips meeting stirred Hesin’s lusts. He knew the truth of them, two sisters that had each taken their father’s cock and seed. It was a vile thought, one that made him smirk with utter enjoyment. He watched their tongues dance. Vixin’s lips met her sister’s with love. Nafalya offered only lust.
Hardly could he endure much longer. Their mutual moans echoed through the walls of the tent, and he wondered if passing nobles could hear. He wanted them to. He wanted them to hear his victory and defeat, conquering a princess, while surrendering his lover to another’s cock.
Already the seed of another man had settled in her womb, though Salduin threatened to add his own with every thrust. He handled her gently in respect for her father and lover, men he had been proud to fight beside for decades. His large frame began to tremble, and with a final deep thrust, he spilled his lusts inside her pregnant twat.
The sound of her satisfaction was nearly too much to bear. As Hesin heard Salduin cumming inside his girl, the only woman he cared for, his own loins began to tighten.
“Yes…oohh…Lord Hesin…cum inside me!” Vixin begged, abandoning Nafalya’s lips, though squeezing her hand tighter. She understood all too well of the jealousy burning inside him, torturing his loins, for an echo of the moment her father had spilled his potent seed inside Yisi while she watched filled her thoughts. A submissive whimper escaped her at the memory, wrapping her legs around her cuckolded lover with an aching sympathy, forcing him to finish inside. “Give me…your useless seed!”
A loud groan joined the sound of Salduin’s pleasure as Hesin found his climax, forced deep into the princess’s royal cunt. Her womb sought to refuse his sperm, and thus he poured forth all he could muster to battle her will.
Two sisters squeezed each other’s grasp as their lovers filled them, making them squirm at the delectable warmth flooding their tight loins.
Panting in the aftermath, the men settled into the holds of their traded lovers, swapping once more to find their way home.
Salduin offered Hesin a nod as he rested his bald head upon Vixin’s flat stomach, receiving one in return. Words went unsaid, basking in the glow of their pleasure.
As Vixin caressed the father of her daughter lovingly, she chuckled. “Well…done.” She calmed herself with a long breath, running a finger between her lower lips as she leaked. “Both of you.”
26th of Thriduin, 20 AVE.
The Deep Mountains.
Only the legion could build a bridge overnight. With Lalian’s quick mind and efficient planning, the legion was on the move the moment the sun rose from its rocky grave.
Marching with the other children, Arinax heard a gasp as they resumed their journey. Glancing over, he watched as the young Prince Atrix held out his hand while in his mother’s hold. He saw the first snowflake fall into the boy’s grasp, the first any of them had ever seen.
Zela giggled as she tried to catch another, stumbling.
“So this is snow?” Vixin asked as she held out her hand with a smile. “It’s more bizarre than the tales.”
It seemed nothing could change Yisi’s hard expression, for she merely pulled her cloak tighter around herself and her daughter. “It was cold enough already.”
Breaking momentarily from thoughts of his murdered mother, his duty, and the vast empire behind, Arinax found himself smiling as he watched the snow begin to fall gently all around.
When they reached the bridge, he only had to look down for his smile to fade. The purple planks that were cut from the strange trees he had admired creaked underfoot.
The legion marched across the ruins of his curiosity.
31st of Thriduin, 20 AVE.
The Deep Mountains.
Snow fell heavily upon the jagged rocks, though Salik hardly noticed. High atop the stoney cliffs, the icy wind was but a gentle breeze to a Dril.
They sat in silence behind a thin wall of stone that rose from the uneven ground like the fallen blade of a giant. Without a fire to warm them, the non-Dril members of their group huddled together for warmth, while the rest hardly reacted as the biting cold caressed their snow-shaded skin. Even the infant in Ynisa’s arms slept without a care, hardly needing the blanket that was wrapped around it.
Salik dared to glance over at the tiny creature. “Varisa,” the name echoed in his head, Ynisa’s way of honoring The Potentate. For a mere instant the sight beckoned to him. A Dril of pure blood, hardly reacting to the cold, the creature, the girl, threatened to draw a smile from him. No longer did he feel quite so far from home.
Even behind his helmet, his icy expression could not break. He stood and looked away, crushing the thoughts that threatened to ruin him. The creature could not distract from his mission. Pureblooded or not, it was only a burden.
“A mistake created by a mistake.”
Leaving the group behind, he crept carefully over the rocky ground as he approached the cliff’s edge. Peering down, he saw the empty mountain pass carved through the stone far below.
The distant echoes of the legion was a difficult thing to ignore. Further back, he could see where the humans had set up camp, filling the passage with tents and fires as their march was halted by fallen stones. The sounds of metal against rock rang out with every strike as slaves and legionaries worked to clear the way.
It had been a simple thing to catch up and surpass the progress of their march. A small group of trained assassins would always be swifter than the gradual steps of thousands, even with their new…burden.
Once more Salik studied the uneven ground around them, looming over the snowy mountain pass below, an ideal location for an ambush. In minutes the legion would pass his location once their march resumed. His group could send a measly volley of arrows down upon their foes, though such wasn’t his intention.
Staying low, he saw the Truthseeker striding quietly across the clifftops further down the path. Already she had searched where he now stood an hour ago, though the land was vast, and their group had remained concealed inside a low depression in the rocky ground. Like the others, the masked woman patrolled the cliffs above the legion, hunting for any signs of danger in silence. Yet the legion was long, and their numbers were stretched thin.
Concealed from her sight, Salik peered up at Ynisa’s pet flying high above them, the only visible hint of their presence, hardly more than a dot roaming the skies aimlessly. He couldn’t help but think of The Potentate, both eager for and dreading a response to his report. Every new order held the possibility of permitting him closer to his enemy or pulling him away.
The beast, Talik, hadn’t delivered his report on its own, of course, for never could it be expected to find Ynisa again in these endless mountains. Instead, it had transported the message to Omrin before swiftly returning, allowing the agents there to send it along the rest of the way. They’d receive their response in Arkos-Nu, for always had The Domain stationed a group of agents in The Capital of Narok, as they did in all kingdoms.
Even with their network of agents stretching across the world, Salik couldn’t help but feel a step behind The God Emperor at all times, even while lingering ahead of the legion. Always were they reacting to the human’s plans, trying to slow them. Even now he did just that, glancing over to see the Dril he had sent forth returning from a brief scouting expedition.
Winded, the man crouched at his side to avoid the Truthseeker’s gaze. “They are less than a mile away,” he explained quietly. “We must act quickly.”
Salik nodded. With a hand gesture that signaled for a distraction, he pointed away from the cliff’s edge. The man obeyed in an instant, creeping along to put distance between them.
The legion had yet to learn of what approached. While their Truthseekers kept a tight patrol at the edges of the camp, Salik had sent his men miles upon miles ahead. When they reported the approach of a distant tribe of Arkos exiles, they needed only to wait.
Striding silently closer, the Truthseeker crossed their path once more. Unknowingly walking between the group of agents concealed together and the Dril preparing for a distraction, she scanned the cold horizon from behind her emotionless mask.
Salik crept towards his prey. Spread out, the other Truthseekers would not see the approaching enemy, though this one surely would. A single signal from her would alert the others, and the legion would meet the Arkos ambush with ready blades, rather than their backs.
Reaching his hidden group, he peered around the low wall of rough stone. The silent command of his hand incited the far Dril to toss a stone, catching the Truthseeker’s attention. With a ready dagger she turned, approaching the source of the noise with deadly caution.
Trained feet moved without a sound as Salik approached from behind. Drawing his blades, getting closer step by step, he prepared to silence her forever.
An infant’s cry ripped through the air at his back, and Salik watched as the Truthseeker whirled around to face him. Eyes widening at the assassin, her hand shot out to hurl a burst of lightning.
No doubt she expected to stun her foe in place. No doubt her power had easily incapacitated all those she had ever faced. When instead he caught the electricity with his special blade, his hand protected by the Izanil rubber guarding the hilt, she was unable to react in time to his other sword as it severed her hand with a quick slash. Utterly in shock, she was about to scream in agony before he opened her throat.
Flicking the blood from his blades, Salik turned back with red eyes blazing with rage. He marched swiftly to Ynisa, sheathing his swords and yanking her to her feet as she swiftly quieted Varisa’s crying with her breast.
“Forgive me, Salik. She was hungry. She’s a baby. She…didn’t mean to-” Her quiet flurry of words was silenced as he put a finger to her lips.
“It nearly doomed the mission,” he said in a low voice from inside his helmet, refusing to glance down at the creature. “Pray the humans didn’t hear its cry.”
She held Varisa tightly to her chest as the infant suckled. “It won’t happen again. You have my word.”
“No. It won’t.” He folded his arms with a deadly stare. “Wanish and Zarik shall escort you safely back to the ship. I was mistaken in permitting it to accompany us.”
“Salik, no.” She dared to reach out, touching his chest as her other arm held their daughter. “Forgive me. I will ensure she doesn’t make another sound. I need only to keep my eye on her and-”
“Go.” The word offered no debate, and the two men stood to escort her. “Return when you are able to serve your duty.”
“That’s not fair. I’m sworn to follow you!” Her panic gave way to the anger of a scorned lover. She risked everything by shoving his chest, though he didn’t move. “You created her too!”
“Keep. Your. Voice. Down.” His deadly tone was a warning, though one he hardly knew if he could carry out. “Deliver it to Vesh.”
“Her.” The single word was a whisper between them, though a motherly determination lingered in her gaze. “Say it. You owe me that at least.”
Snow fell lightly atop his helmet as he stood like a statue of ice, though eventually he nodded with a whisper of his own. “Her.”
As the other agents stood ready to escort her, Ynisa held the child with a scowl. Bitterness gave way to tears, though she permitted her sorrow no sound.
“Meet us in Arkos-Nu when she is safe,” Salik commanded the departing men. With every step Ynisa was led away, he felt the warmth inside him fade.
She stopped and turned around, presenting their child a final time as if she could change his mind. “She’s your daughter, Salik. Don’t think she’ll be so easily forgotten.” Meeting his red eyes with the last of her hope, she softened her tone. “I’ll return, and so shall she. On that, you have my word.”
“Daughter.” The word was a torture. Every instinct urged him to go with them, yet his purpose remained. Hardly was he a man, a living creature. Hardly was he Salik. The mistake of his birth would be redeemed with the spilled blood of The God Emperor, and until that day came, he could not be led astray by distractions.
He watched Ynisa and her companions retreat through the snow. When she disappeared, he felt just as he had the day they had set sail from The Domain, watching his home slip from his grasp.
Never could a Dril feel cold, though he was ice as he stared into the snow.
“We must move,” another agent said quietly from behind. Named Dysil, he glanced back in the direction of the approaching tribe. “They’ll be here soon.”
Once more thoughts of home bled away to focus upon the mission. Salik peered down at the dead Truthseeker, seeing crimson blood stain the snowy rocks. Rumors whispered among their network of agents suggested that The God Emperor could sense the deaths of his offspring. If so, he’d no doubt send someone to investigate in the direction of the dead woman, yet by then it would be too late.
The Arkos tribe approached swiftly to enact their ambush. Salik had ensured their blades would come unseen.
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