The Vaid Empire

Vaid Empire: Conquest

Chapter 126

25th of Senin, 21 AVE. 

Kingdom of Wonakaros, Holy City of Arkos-Tul. 

Naram donned the robe that had been provided for her. With human silk caressing her Arkos curves, she prepared to face her conqueror. 

The God Emperor had permitted her to wash herself, granting her time to collect her thoughts as she prepared to offer her end of their deal. Though she was allowed to return to her private quarters, she wasn’t left alone. Beneath the cold eyes of Princess Nafalya, Naram tried to block out the world. 

She held the thin robe tightly around her as the memory of his deeds continued to linger. Though she had tried to wash his seed away, she felt a drop trickle down her thigh, making her shiver. Despite all she had endured, all she had suffered, she couldn’t shatter. She clung to her remaining strength a little longer for Karak’s sake. 

“Come. Your time is up,” Nafalya commanded. Her tone matched her deadly gaze behind her mask. 

Naram knew better than to resist. Taking a final breath to steady herself, she was escorted from her personal chamber and led through The Great Temple, staring at the floor as she walked. The shame of her recent defilement lingered, yet it was vastly overshadowed by the shame of her coming betrayal as she sought to make a deal with the man that had destroyed her family. 

She stepped out onto the rooftop of one of the annex buildings connected to the central structure of The Great Temple. Among the small collection of exotic plants and flowers that made up The Kromak’s private garden, she found The God Emperor waiting. 

“The secondborn returns,” his deep voice echoed through the night air. Illuminated by flickering torches placed around the garden, he inhaled the aroma of a black flower before discarding it. Turning, his eyes glowed as they settled upon her. “I hope you’ve searched that little head of yours for anything that may interest me.” 

Naram swallowed and approached him, feeling the cold gaze of the princess at her back. “I have.” All too aware of her precarious situation, she forced herself to speak, her words heavily accented in the human tongue. “Yet I need to know that my sister shall be safe before I’ll tell you anything. My elder sister too, if…she…” She couldn’t finish the thought. 

Dominax tilted his head. Without Cliax’s pleas, it’d be a simple thing to pry all she knew from her. The boy’s words continued to echo though his memory, however, and as he thought of Briza, he stayed his hand. “I granted you my word, though only so long as you offer me something of use in return. I suggest that you begin, and quickly.” 

Her legs felt unsteady as she felt that she’d be crushed by his mere gaze, yet she continued to test his patience. “I’ll tell you everything I know, but what of Karak? Is she…safe? Can I see her?” She was too afraid to ask to see Saros, knowing what she might find. 

“She lives. I have no intention of harming a helpless child,” he explained with a hint of annoyance. “Though you’ll never see her again unless you make yourself useful.” 

Naram glanced at the strange plants beside her. Though her father had planted the garden for Saros alone, it had become Karak’s favorite area of The Great Temple. Her features hardened. “Merely keeping her alive is not enough. If I do this, if I tell you about the Dril, you must ensure that she has a…” She searched her memory for the proper term in the human language. “Future.” 

The first hints of curiosity crept through The God Emperor’s harsh expression. “You’re not concerned with your own?” 

“Damn my future,” she whispered as the stain of her failures lingered. “So long as Karak is safe and possesses a purpose beyond being a mere prisoner, I’ll accept my death.” 

Dominax couldn’t help but respect her courage. “The girl is the daughter of The Kromak. She’ll always remain a useful tool to sway those who still cling to their belief in your father’s false divinity, or a threat.” He peered down his nose at her. “As shall you.” 

She couldn’t help but note the absence of any mention of Saros. Her stomach tightened as her suspicions swelled. “Karak can become whatever you require.” The implication was clear. He offered the pieces of what they both sought, a possible path forward, and her quick mind scrambled for the girl’s survival. “Dispose of me if you must, yet Karak is young. If you seek a useful tool, surely you may forge her into one.” 

“I can. I’ve done it before.” He nodded. Turning, he plucked a small purple flower and assessed it coldly. “In situations such as these, continuity is preferable if possible. I’ve ripped kings from their thrones and placed their crowns upon the heads of their kin. My price has always been the same.” He turned his silver gaze towards her. “Loyalty.” 

Naram hesitated for only a moment, touching her belly as the remnant of his seed continued to trickle down her thigh. “She knew little about our father’s rule. She can be taught to obey you, to serve you.” The words tasted foul, though the alternative was far worse. “You seek continuity? Place her upon our father’s throne. Call her a puppet, a tool, whatever you require, anything but a prisoner.” 

“The Kromak’s empty throne? Perhaps.” The God Emperor appeared to ponder, though he had long considered every possibility of Wonakaros’ future. “Or perhaps she’d be better utilized elsewhere.” 

Naram dared to swallow. She felt the cold eyes of the princess at her back. “Where?” 

He crushed the flower in his grasp. “The information you offer may earn the answer to that. We’ve spoken enough about little Karak for now. She’ll have a future, though I’ll wait no longer to hear about the Dril.” 

Her lips tightened. The end of his patience was clear. She knew she had no choice but to trust that he’d uphold his word. She took a breath to prepare. “So be it. The snow dwellers…they helped my father long ago, before my birth.” Though her father never confessed to her the full truth of what they had done for him, she had pieced together enough. “I have no doubt that they assisted during the beginning of his rise, if they were not the outright cause of it. He held an…” She searched her knowledge of the human tongue. “An obligation to them, assisting their aims when they did not contradict his own.” 

Dominax stepped closer with curiosity. “Continue.” 

“The Potentate came to him two decades ago. He spoke of your rise. He wanted to see it end before your power spread too far.” She hesitated, knowing her coming words risked his wrath. “My father sent my predecessors, Tolkarik assassins, to take your life.” 

No emotion touched The God Emperor’s cold features. “Yet still I stand.” 

Naram felt as if she’d crumble beneath his attention. Instead, she clung to her strength for Karak. “The Potentate sent word to my father a year ago, seeking to harm your rule once more. He sent his own assassins to assist us, and I…” 

Nafalya moved closer, her voice an icy whisper at her back. “Speak.” 

Her words flowed frantically. “I…assisted them. My assassins and I aided The Agents of Shai in attempting to kidnap your grandson. You must understand, our primary goal was to use him as leverage to halt your conquest. His death was only ever considered as a last resort if we-” 

Dominax silenced her with a raised hand. The monstrous glow of his inhuman eyes permitted no excuse. 

Nafalya moved to her side, a darting shadow. “There was a Dril with you. A man clad in a dark helmet.” Her mask concealed her urgency. “Speak his name.” 

The princess’s dagger was sheathed, yet Naram felt as if it was pressed against her throat. “Salik.” 

Nafalya blinked. “Salik.” She retreated a step, tasting the name of Hesin’s killer. “How may I find this…Salik?” 

“I cannot tell you, because I don’t know,” Naram replied, fighting to keep the fear from her accented tone. “He and the others left me behind. They had no choice. With Arkos-Tul in your grasp, I couldn’t contact them even if I escaped. My companions in the city have certainly fled long ago, and you’ll find nothing of their hidden network of contacts but rubble and ash.” 

Though Nafalya’s eyes narrowed, The God Emperor’s deep voice seized Naram’s helpless attention. “The man that cut down Lord Hesin, the man that nearly claimed my grandson’s life, this Salik, reports to The Potentate?” 

“Yes.” She quietly bowed her head. Her betrayal was complete. 

“Tell me his name.” 

The sound of The God Emperor’s voice made her legs quiver, yet she found the strength to answer. “Potentate Varse of Clan Chalvarrus.” 

Dominax’s cold expression didn’t change. He merely turned his back to her. 

Naram watched nervously as he strolled to the edge of the garden. 

“Varse of Clan Chalvarrus.” Dominax looked at the black void as the night sky hung above him. His hidden enemy had long peered at him from afar. Now, he was peering back. “You know my name. Good. Now I know yours as well.” 

The God Emperor’s words drifted through the air as if speaking to the world itself. Naram pulled her robe tighter around her. She waited, not daring to speak until at last he turned around. “And Karak? I’ve told you all I know.” 

Dominax didn’t reply. Instead, he marched past her until he reached the door. Pausing, he offered her a hand. “Come with me, child. There is something you have earned the right to see.” 

Naram stood frozen for as long as he would permit. Expecting a violent death from his strange powers the moment she touched him, she didn’t have the courage to breathe as she reached out to accept his offer. Her palm tingled as it met his, yet still she lived. 

The princess followed in his shadow as he led her through The Great Temple. Naram found her captor more bizarre with every passing minute. The man who had forced his seed inside her mere hours ago held her hand gently, his strength restrained as if leading a foreign dignitary. His ire towards her shifted the more she proved to be useful. 

He led her down into the depths of the structure, descending the steps that led into the chamber beneath the throne room. Always had she avoided venturing down into the source of her father’s sorrow, knowing the bones of Saros’s mother rested below. 

As they emerged into the circular chamber, however, she gasped. Placed beside the slab that held the bones, she found all she had feared. The corpses of her father and elder sister rested on the floor. 

She tried to run to them, yet Dominax held her back. He squeezed her hand in a crushing grip, tight enough to snap her from her grief as he pulled her closer. “This was your father’s doing. I did not harm her.” 

Only then did he release her. 

Naram approached the corpses. Dropping to her knees beside them, she felt the full weight of reality strike her down. Her father’s severed head hadn’t been the nightmare of a terrified captive, for it rested before her, placed near his neck. 

She had fought her suspicions, yet Saros too was dead. The proof was within reach. 

Lips parting in despair, Naram’s tears began to flow. She didn’t fight them any longer. She had failed her family. 

Nafalya watched her weep. Behind her emotionless mask, she felt the smallest hint of pity, her own grief still a fresh dagger in her chest. “Curious.” 

Dominax waited, a silent statue looming at her side. His deep voice rumbled through the chamber after a long moment. “Bringing you here was not a punishment. I’d have you look upon the intended future of your people and know that it is truly lost.” 

Naram studied Saros’s features through her tears, cold and dead. She couldn’t claim they had been close. She couldn’t even claim that her sister hadn’t made her life more difficult, yet they had been sisters. 

She had a chance to protect them. Now everyone but Karak was gone. 

“My father did this?” she asked through her sorrow. Receiving a nod, she glanced at Saros’s open throat. The youngest of Wonakaros inhabitants were told the old tales of the desert awakening. Naram had known her father had access to an ancient power, The Oracle, something alien and wrong waiting below the ground. Never had she been permitted to see it, yet she knew whatever waited below required a sacrifice. During the slaughter of the humans, she had suspected that The Kromak had finally managed to awaken the desert, though now she beheld the price. “I’m sorry, Saros.” Her sister deserved better. 

“She was The Kromak’s firstborn. Among many possibilities, she was my primary candidate to replace your father and rule Wonakaros beneath my throne, had she been worthy. Now that possibility is gone, and I must look elsewhere,” Dominax explained. 

Naram tried to wipe her tears away. “Karak,” she said through her grief. “Karak can rule. She can learn.” 

“Perhaps in time.” Dominax nodded. “Yet my designs stretch beyond this single kingdom. I shall tame the desert itself. From north to south, east to west, no grain of sand shall escape my control. The daughter of a dead false deity may be better utilized elsewhere.” 

The sound of steps claimed Naram’s attention. She turned to see guards emerge into the chamber. Approaching, they bowed at the feet of The God Emperor before he permitted them to proceed. They carefully prepared to haul The Kromak’s corpse elsewhere. 

“Where are they taking him?” Naram said, mindful of her outrage. 

“In several days I shall give a speech to the conquered population. I shall say many things I believe with every ounce of my being, and many things I do not. Each word shall serve my aims, and your father shall assist in his own way,” he explained coldly. “Appearances, little Naram.” 

She held back her protests, aware of her precarious position. Before she could speak, however, Cendra emerged from the staircase leading deeper below ground, flanked by guards. 

“Father, we’ve found something…unusual.” The princess bowed her head, offering the prisoner and Saros’s corpse no acknowledgment. 

Dominax nodded. With a gesture for Naram to rise, he permitted her to join them. 

They ventured down the ancient steps, humans delving beneath the Arkos desert. They burned the old darkness away with flames flickering in their palms. 

In the chamber below, The Conqueror beheld the horrid heart of the desert. Dwelling within, surrounded by a ring of terrified guards with ready blades, a foul creature slithered up from its ancient well, rising into the air. 

“Son of Dorian, I know your name.” 

The strange words echoed through the chamber, making the guards recoil. Dominax stood firm. He watched black slime drip from the serpent as it turned its single dark eye to behold him. Its surface peeled back to reveal the white teeth of its mocking grin. 

Lalian’s research had proven true. The Oracle beneath Arkos-Tul was real. 

Naram trembled at the sight, offering a quiet prayer in her native tongue. To Nafalya and Cendra’s surprise, they understood her foreign words in the creature’s presence. 

“How?” A single word boomed through the chamber from The God Emperor’s lips. 

“Many things are known to one such as me. The Conqueror’s aims flow freely, his intentions upon the air. In your dreams the world kneels, yet the submission of all shall not fill your void. The tighter your grip, the more that slips through your fingers.” 

Dominax turned to Cendra. “Everyone out. Now.” 

Her lips parted in protest, though she obeyed when she saw his hard expression. “Come. All of you,” she commanded, leading them away. 

When he was alone with the creature, Dominax faced it with glowing eyes. He studied the beast with curiosity. “What more does this forgotten creation of Dorian know, I wonder?” 

“Your memories are painted in blood. You have caused much sorrow and prevented much more. May history weigh your deeds and judge you tyrant or peacemaker.” 

“I care little for their judgment. Of what worth are the opinions of those that would allow the world to linger in chaos?” he asked. 

“No, The God Emperor thinks only of the judgment of ghosts.” 

Dominax’s eyes narrowed. He was far from amused. “What are you?” 

“The memory of a lost past. A visitor. A pillar. A map. A weapon. A shield. A guardian. A destroyer. This one is many things. Above all, this one is hungry.” Its dark eye never left him. 

“Much can be given, so long as much is granted in return,” Dominax offered. 

Its horrid grin seemed to widen in amusement, the light of his flames gleaming off its white teeth. “The unseen universe provides all the sustenance a living being requires, yet few know it. This one hungers for something deeper.” 

Despite his cold caution, Dominax couldn’t help but smirk. The creature before him was alien and bizarre, a mind with a complexity he had never sensed before, yet he could recognize the ring of ambition in any creature’s voice. Never one to let a potential worthy being slip from his grasp, however strange, he stepped closer. “I too hunger. Perhaps our cravings are mutual. Knowledge, power, name your desire. Assist me in tasting my own, and you may just receive it.” 

The creature’s foul jaws clicked together in a mocking chuckle. “This one hungers only to feel. The Kromak feared the price. The false champion offered his despair. I drank his sorrow.” 

The God Emperor’s smirk grew hard once more. “You awoke the desert in return.” It wasn’t a question. The pieces Lalian’s research offered came together quickly. “How?” 

Once more, The Oracle’s jaw clicked. “Bring this one to the lands of your enemies and see them consumed.” 

His question went unanswered, yet he had witnessed the result himself. 

“The Conqueror seeks to forge the world anew, a pointless task. He cannot protect what he has already lost. Yet he shall not bend. He shall not stop.” The creature continued to utter its bizarre words, unknowable sounds, yet still he understood. Black slime oozed from its serpent body as it curled in the air above the dark sand. “Committed to a fate of destruction or order, loss or peace, it matters not to me. His aims shall claim him or claim the world. This one would watch and feast.” 

Despite his displeasure, Dominax couldn’t deny his curiosity. “You know my aims. Do you know what’s to come?” 

“The future is beyond this one’s reach. Nearby minds merely speak their intentions, yet predictions can easily be forged. The creatures of this world are unfathomably predictable.” 

He accepted his disappointment with a silent nod. Control over the future was a weapon all men craved. Without it, he would have to force fate to bend to his will himself. “So be it. You offer yourself as a weapon, yet my enemies are far and wide.” 

“The God Emperor shall wake the sands to the far north where orange beings roam. He shall wake the jungle where winged women fly. He shall wake the swamp where hidden lights dwell, and he shall wake the frozen tundra where cold beings conspire.” Its dark eye was a black void, moving closer. “The price has always been the same.” 

Such words held the offer of all he had ever wanted since the beginning of his rise. He had witnessed the otherworldly power of the creature himself, for never would he forget the thousands of corpses littering the dunes outside. He could claim the world swiftly, turning the wildlife itself into his weapon, crushing any army that stood in his way while risking few of his own people. 

Temptation flooded his veins, his ambitions rising higher than they ever had before, yet a single question remained unanswered. “Name the price.” 

“All you fear to lose.” 

The statement was simple, yet the words sounded as slimy as the creature’s body. The flame flickering in Dominax’s grasp grew brighter. “Speak plainly and carefully.” 

“Your firstborn is a great beauty. Her features hold the memory of her mother.” 

The God Emperor touched the hilt of his sword. His silver eyes offered a deadly glow. 

“The Conqueror has many offspring. This one is generous. It seeks only the price it demanded of The Kromak.” 

Dominax drew his sword. The flames crawled slowly up the blade. “Such words shall earn your death.” 

The Oracle’s jaw clicked. “Ever the curiosity, this world, these creatures.” 

He would strike down any ordinary being that asked for such a price without a second thought, though he would not act in mindless anger. The creature before him was something he had never before encountered, something unique and rare. He would not rush to bring its end. 

Thus, the terrible offer lingered. All he had ever wanted, a world entirely of his design, his Eternal Peace, was within reach. Tens of thousands of lives could be spared, perhaps hundreds of thousands, for long wars could be reduced to swift conquests. 

When offered against the life of his daughter, however, the lives of countless others fell away, for a single thought of Briza instantly crushed any possibility of accepting such an offer. 

Dominax spat into the sand. “No.” He shook his head firmly. “I’d see the world burn before I’d let her be harmed. Feel my intentions and know I speak the truth.” 

“The false champion refused. Duty brought him back. This one senses The Conqueror is not bound by such things. One wonders which one was the least deluded.” 

His sword burned at his side, yet he did not use it. “Do you possess nothing more to offer? Knowledge? Secrets? Anything to stay my blade?” 

“The God Emperor believes this one may still prove useful. He is right, yet my price shall always remain the same.” 

It’d be a simple thing to kill the creature, yet the power it offered was too great to waste without careful thought. Dominax held his fury within his control, his flames simmering in his grasp as he turned his back to the beast. “Then I have no further use for you.” 

The sound of slime oozing from the well echoed behind, for the creature gradually slithered back into its ancient dwelling. 

28th of Senin, 21 AVE. 

Kingdom of Wonakaros, Holy City of Arkos-Tul. 

Vixin lingered in the darkness of her tent, for hardly had she moved in the days following her miscarriage. Naked beneath her sheet, she cradled her empty womb while resting on her side. 

She faced the wall opposite the entrance. Yisi sat on the edge of the bed, her quiet guardian. The girl spoke no word that wasn’t necessary. She tended to her lover, trying to get her to eat or drink, yet she would have none of it. 

They called her The Goddess of Fertility, yet her womb had failed. She could hardly stomach her title now. 

Perhaps she was overreacting, she knew. After all, the pregnancy had been extremely early. Or perhaps she wasn’t grieving nearly as deeply as she should be. Vixin had no idea what she should be feeling. All she knew was that she had never lost a child before, and now she felt…lesser. 

She sensed his approach from afar. Her father was a burning sun of power, yet he seemed to fade the closer he marched towards her tent. Wanting to be alone, her guards had refused all visitors. Now, they had no choice but to bow. 

The God Emperor stepped into Vixin’s tent. His gaze fell upon the gentle curve of his daughter’s hip as she remained on her side, the silky sheet flowing over her unmoving form. 

Yisi rose quietly and stepped aside, feeling her heart quickening in his presence. When he offered her no acknowledgment, her cheeks darkened with a bitter frown. 

Dominax replaced her at Vixin’s side, sitting upon the bed. He lingered in silence as he listened to his daughter’s soft breaths. 

After an eternity, he spoke. “We have been surrounded by death for too long in this place. We’ve lost worthy beings that can never be replaced, though The Empire has its needs. I intend to seal Cendra and Nafalya as the official leaders of The Privictis Order and The Hesian Order during my speech in the coming days.” 

Vixin didn’t move. She wanted to feel joy for her sisters, yet she felt her own title slipping further away. 

“I would like you to be present for the ceremony,” he continued, only for his tone to lower further. “Yet your absence may be excused. The population knows only that you were poisoned while fighting courageously. They deserve to know nothing more.” 

Vixin offered no reply. 

Dominax’s lips tightened. 

Irith would have known exactly how to comfort her. Now she was gone. 

Clinging to what remained of his humanity, he leaned closer to whisper. “You are my daughter. You are an imperial princess of House Vaid. This shall not be your end.” He brushed a strand of dark hair from her cheek. “You shall always be my flower.” 

He remained with her, a dark presence attempting to offer a hint of light, though his time ran short. A new kingdom rested in his grasp, and its throne called once more. 

He rose to his feet, glancing down at her misery. There was much he wanted to say, yet nothing came forth. Instead, his silent expression was hard as he turned to depart. 

Yisi froze as he approached her. He took her chin in his grasp, guiding her to look up at him. Without a word, he offered her a nod that held his gratitude. When he released her, he departed the tent, leaving her with cheeks burning with warm emotions she despised. 

Returning to her place, Yisi scowled. 

Once more, Vixin languished in the darkness. An hour later, however, she sensed a far more surprising presence approaching. The guards made their announcement, and Vixin found that she didn’t have the strength to dismiss her. A weak command permitted her sister to enter. 

Cendra ventured into the darkness to find what remained. Seeing Yisi, she was unable to meet the girl’s gaze. “I’d like a moment alone.” 

Yisi couldn’t deny the request of a princess without Vixin’s aid. Her royal lover found her words trapped, her silence saying more than she’d admit. Reluctantly, Yisi was forced to depart from her side once more, though she didn’t go far. She remained just outside the tent’s entrance where she could hear. Receiving curious glances from the guards, she waved them away with a hint of annoyance, forcing them to grant her ample space. 

Cendra hesitated before approaching. Sitting down as her father had, she studied her sister with a grimace. 

Vixin didn’t dare to turn around. She held her belly tightly, sensing the tingling power of her sister behind her. 

“Don’t think it has escaped me that you lost your baby while protecting my son, among the rest. I haven’t been able to find the words to thank you, yet that isn’t why I’ve come,” Cendra began, finding her voice. “I want you to fight.” 

Vixin’s silver eyes fluttered open in curiosity. 

Cendra’s tone was low, a fragile thing. She moved closer, venturing to touch her sister’s shoulder. “I’ve never told you this. I’ve never told anyone, yet you…” She hesitated, swallowing her pride. “You were always more powerful. All those years ago, when father made us duel, I knew you were stronger. I was jealous, of course, even angry, yet I knew it. After you defeated me, it was clear father knew it too, yet he never admitted it.” 

The memory came as if from another life, for so much had changed. Vixin remembered her own fury. She remembered bringing her blade down to strike Cendra, only for their father to stop her. Even now, years later, she felt her cheek darken with shame. 

“I hated you for it. I hated you for many reasons,” Cendra confessed quietly, though they both already knew. “I hated you more than I can express, yet in truth, I was scared.” She gritted her teeth. “I’ve always been scared.” 

Vixin heard the pain in her tone. It stirred her to roll over, daring to face her. 

“Goddess of War they call me, yet you’ve always been the stronger Vaid. You’ve always been…more.” 

Vixin’s lips parted to deny her claims, yet Cendra held up a hand to stop her. 

“Do not deny it. I won’t. Not anymore.” Cendra reached down and took her sister’s hands, her tone growing firmer with every word. “That is why you cannot succumb. You cannot let your sorrow defeat you. You must fight.” 

She felt her grip tighten until it became painful. 

“Fight to continue. Goddess of Fertility, Supreme Mother of The Sages, fight because you are needed. Fight because you are stronger than the rest of us,” Cendra demanded through gritted teeth. She uttered the words she was too weak to heed herself. “Fight to live, Vixin.” 

Enduring her iron grip, Vixin struggled to rise. She sat up, hand in hand with her elder sister. Their silver eyes met. Feeling tears gathering in her gaze, she pressed her lips to Cendra’s without thought. Realizing what she had done, she pulled away quickly. “Cendra…I…I apologize.” 

She released her hands and touched her lips. 

Vixin awaited her response, unable to breathe. “Forgive me.” 

Cendra blushed in the darkness, though she finally shook her head. “No need.” 

Slowly, she reclaimed Vixin’s hand once more. She granted it a firm squeeze. Sister beside sister, they endured an awkward silence. 

“I would be very displeased if you allowed this loss to destroy you,” Cendra said at last. Her tone sounded harsh, yet her grip remained. “The Empire would be a lesser place if you lost what you were. Grieve, yet return to us whole, Princess Vixin of House Vaid.” 

She could try to conceal it all she liked, yet Vixin saw the flicker of emotion upon Cendra’s dignified features. 

Daring to rest her head upon her elder sister’s shoulder, Vixin finally nodded. She offered the faintest whisper she could muster. “Thank you.” 

Sister and sister, Vaid and Vaid, they sat together in silence. Hardly did Vixin care that she was naked, not bothering to cover herself as she savored Cendra’s presence. Despite her claims of being weak, her elder sister’s touch offered her strength, a brief sanctuary from her sorrow. 

The moment couldn’t last forever. Vixin had long burned the poison from her body, yet still she continued to feel drained. As her energy withered once more, Cendra helped her ease onto her back. Pulling up the sheet, she allowed her to return to her rest. 

She waited until she heard Vixin’s soft breaths. Only when she was certain that she had fallen asleep did she release her hand. 

Stepping out into the night air, Cendra found Yisi waiting. The girl was leaning against one of the structural supports of the tent, the beam concealed by the fabric wall. 

“I’ve long warned her that you will only harm her,” Yisi confessed abruptly, her words stopping the princess. Her patience had long withered away after being moved around like an obedient pet, her emotions still swirling after encountering her father. Words she would have withheld managed to slip free of her solemn lips. “She loves her family. She cares for them too deeply, yet you?” A thought of Kixsi loosened her tongue. She was in a reckless mood tonight, her own sorrow just as fresh. “She speaks of you more often than the others. There’s something about you she won’t let go of no matter how poorly you treat her.” Yisi shrugged as her voice grew quiet. “No matter how often I’ve urged her to.” 

Cendra raised an eyebrow. All knew that such words towards a member of House Vaid could earn a swift death. 

Yisi sighed quietly. “Yet perhaps I was wrong about you.” 

Realizing the girl had heard everything, Cendra blushed once more, yet she stood proudly. “Not entirely. I’ve done much to hurt her.” She glanced back at the tent and cleared her throat, unable to hide her regret. “Yet you were at her side when I was not. For that, you have my gratitude.” 

They shared a nod before parting. Going their separate ways, Yisi returned to her lover while Cendra returned to her duties. 

She had defeated The Holy Kromak in single combat, yet still Cendra drifted through the sandy streets like a lost ghost. If she was going to die, she wanted Vixin to live. 

Her sister was the better woman. Vixin would fight, and she would heal. Cendra would fight, and she would crack. She merely awaited her end. 

29th of Senin, 21 AVE. 

Kingdom of Wonakaros, Holy City of Arkos-Tul. 

Another long day came to an end, and at last The God Emperor sought his rest. Yet it was a rest with purpose, for there remained much to be done. 

The Kromak’s blood had long been cleaned away until only the memory of his enemy lingered in the narrow gaps between the polished bricks beneath his feet as he stood from the throne. Leaving the chamber behind, he was flanked by guards as he moved through The Great Temple and into one of the annex buildings. 

He had received a full report regarding the structure’s layout shortly after taking the city, though only now did he enter one of the chambers that had particularly caught his eye. 

The walls were curved in the style that was all too common within Wonakaros, yet what the chamber held was anything but ordinary. A bathhouse of sorts for The Kromak, it had been built over a freshwater spring. The ground was the black sand of the desert, for the room possessed no floor. Instead, the sand gave way to smooth rocks that outlined a shallow natural pool. 

Dominax commanded a human slave to undress him. Naked, he marched into the temperate water, claiming the natural pool that had no doubt refreshed generations of ancient Arkos suffering under the desert sun. 

He lowered himself, settling against the smooth black rocks of the shallowest section, submerging only his legs. No doubt Lalian would have explained that the spring was likely fed by the massive oasis beside the city. The thought made his expression harden, for his friend was too lost to grief to join him. 

The God Emperor lounged as he remembered The Oracle’s offer, though he didn’t linger in his thoughts for long. He regarded one of the guards. “Bring them to me. One at a time.” 

She departed swiftly. Already his intentions for the night had been made clear. Returning a moment later, she came accompanied by a naked Arkos girl. 

Feeling the refreshing water around him, Dominax’s sole attention fell to the girl as he put aside the memory of The Oracle. A pretty little thing, having only just reached maturity, his eyes traveled over her slim form. He drank in the sight of her, yet so too did he peer deeper. Finding her womb empty and fertile, he beckoned for her to join him. 

Blushing, she stepped into the water and made her way closer with nervous steps. Her tail dragged in the water, her long hair flowing down her small breasts. He invited her into his lap with a simple yet commanding gesture, guiding her rump to meet his groin. 

He felt her soft curves as his hands explored her. Smooth Arkos skin pressed against his own, wet and slick from the water. Her cheeks darkened further as his hardening manhood pressed against her young rear. Seeking his permission with a meek glance, a nod allowed her hand to brush his waiting cock. 

The guards surrounded the shallow pool as they spread out to line the walls. All women, as he had instructed, he sensed their gazes. They watched their holy ruler caress the Arkos girl, hearing her gasp as his hand crept between her thighs. 

A stranger, a slave, she was one of the dozens of concubines sent to serve The Kromak. Unable to speak the human tongue, her moans spoke of her acceptance as he prepared her slim body. When at last he guided her to face him directly and settle further into his lap, he watched her purple eyes flutter as his cock sank into her tight sex. Holding her hips firmly, he pulled her against him. 

“Another,” Dominax commanded through his pleasure. He would make his way through every single member of his fallen enemy’s harem, deciding their fates one by one. 

Making gentle thrusts, enduring his cock, the girl focused only upon pleasing her new master as the next was brought in. 

A pregnant Arkos was escorted into the chamber. He nodded towards another doorway. The guards took her away, for she would be sold or gifted away. 

Another was brought in, an Arkos woman with mature curves. Sensing her empty womb, Dominax accepted her, yet she didn’t come as easily as the girl. She hesitated before moving to join him, her gaze cast downward. Accepting her duty, however, she tended to her fellow concubine and brushed her fingers over the girl’s dark nipples to stimulate her. 

Dominax expected as much. He intended to breed them all, yet his pleasure alone wasn’t his only interest here. Many of the concubines had witnessed The Kromak’s death themselves. Their reactions to him were a guide, a microcosm of what he could expect from the rest of the population. 

A fourth entered, uttering a chant in her native tongue the moment she saw him. With a toned and gorgeous body worthy of serving a false deity, she was held back by the guards until The God Emperor permitted her closer. She swiftly joined him, her gaze dripping with devotion as she began to caress his body. 

Her former master had been a god to her people, and she had watched him fall. She worshiped the man who had defeated him in battle as her new god, Arkos fingers dragging over human skin. 

The next offered no such love. A cold beauty, she regarded him with the acceptance of a slave, joining her companions in massaging and caressing his body as the girl in his lap continued to move gently. 

None could understand his words, yet they understood their place. Trained, they knew what was expected of them. It’d be a simple thing to command Quinla to translate, yet she too had sequestered herself in her tent. 

He was surrounded by broken and wounded allies. Dominax’s expression hardened despite his pleasure. 

Sending another pregnant woman away, he turned his focus to the girl. Fingers digging into her smooth grey skin, he began to guide her forcefully. Gentle movements gave way to rough thrusts, forcing the girl to cling to him tightly as she cried out. 

Driving his cock deep inside her as he pulled her close, he unleashed his seed inside her, conquering yet another fertile womb of the desert. 

He permitted her to leave his lap when she had regained her strength, yet he was far from done. The night was only just beginning. 

The others helped the girl sit down upon a rock beside him. They caressed her parted thighs, watching his seed ooze from her tight loins to join the water. 

Muttering her chants, the most devoted woman claimed her place between his legs. Her Arkos tongue dragged over his spent cock, worshiping his manhood while he recovered. 

Waiting for his arousal to return, he spent his time assessing concubine after concubine as thoughts of The Oracle lingered in the back of his mind. Many Arkos women were welcomed into the pool, fertile bodies bathing with their new master. Others were sent away, for even the earliest pregnancies among them could not escape his notice. 

For a single instant, he offered the memory of his fallen enemy a smirk of respect, impressed by how many women The Kromak had successfully bred. In that they were alike, he admitted, yet no further. 

Gradually, he felt his lust return. When at last he was ready, he permitted the first devoted woman to mount his lap. She pressed her back against his chest, spreading her toned thighs wide to force all onlookers to watch as the cock of her new god entered her. 

Caressing her curves, savoring her exotic body, Dominax invited in the next. He continued to assess them, allowing his current lover to ride him vigorously. 

Others just as devoted found themselves welcomed into the pool. They worshiped his body as they each awaited their turn. Having been selected by their tribe to be sent as gifts to a false god, their bodies were artworks of perfection. They were the best of their people, exotic goddesses in their own right. Never had they seen a day of work, their hands soft as they ran over Dominax’s form. 

Lounging, awaiting their fates, the other women were a sea of varying loyalties. Many cast aside The Kromak eagerly, his death proving his lies. Others submitted to The God Emperor out of obligation, for they held no choice. A rare few offered him their silent hatred, their former loyalties not easily forgotten. 

No words but Arkos chanting and moans echoed through the chamber. Dominax studied each one, peering deeply to sense their emotions. What he found pleased him, for Cendra’s victory had shattered the delusions of most. He would make them speak to the population about what they had witnessed. They would describe The Kromak’s challenge and his defeat. They would confess their new devotion at his command, allowing their people to hear. 

As he eyed the few concubines that kept their distance and offered their hate, however, he knew there remained much to do. His hold upon the population was far from complete. 

The woman in his lap coiled her tail around his torso. Her foreign words dripped with desire, begging in her native tongue. He let a tiny flame ignite atop his fingertip, watching the others at his sides bask in awe at his otherworldly powers. 

They believed him to be a god. He would put his holy children in their wombs. 

Surrounded by fertile beauties, Dominax thought of the hybrids he intended to sire. Human and Arkos features would combine to create dozens of fascinating hybrids, each one unique. 

Craving to breed, craving to gift the world with another of his offspring, he unleashed his sperm inside his second lover. His life-giving seed oozed from between her quivering thighs, certain to give her a baby as she climaxed atop him. 

Once more, he waited. Once more, he took another lover. One after another, they served his cock, each tight Arkos vagina squeezing his aching shaft until he filled them. Each warm body was another artwork. Each twat that took his manhood deep was a unique creation. They were grey flowers, every labia a dark petal of a different shape and size. 

In mere hours, he sired far more children than most men did in their entire lives. Ravenous, unrelenting, he commanded concubine after concubine to ride him until he was satisfied. 

No matter how deeply each orgasm gripped him, the memory of The Oracle’s offer remained. Each satisfying release within a fertile beauty could not drown the creature’s words. 

A single sacrifice would save countless lives. 

Never could he pay the price. 

Mature women who had already given birth to The Kromak’s children offered the experienced service of their wombs to their new master. Young women with untouched wombs submitted to his cock, ready to birth their firstborns. Slender curves, wide hips, he tasted everything his new harem offered. 

Nearing his limit for the night, the offer lingered in his head. Seeking to wash it away, he summoned one of the last remaining women he had yet to assess. 

A girl with a belly swollen with an advanced pregnancy, he nearly dismissed her before a realization struck him. Focusing, ensuring he wasn’t mistaken, he sensed the girl’s paternity. His deep chuckle echoed through the chamber, utterly amused. 

The girl was an illegitimate daughter of The Kromak himself. 

No doubt she had been sent to be raised among one of the tribes spread across the desert like all his other unacknowledged offspring. Whether through malice, ignorance, or perhaps a simple mistake, one of the tribes had sent her back as a gift when she had reached maturity. 

Dominax felt his manhood ache at the taboo thought. Certainly, The Kromak hadn’t known. She was one concubine among dozens. He had granted her his seed, never knowing that the womb he filled was that of his own daughter. 

Fueled by incestuous thoughts, The God Emperor offered his final climax, emptying all he could produce deep inside the cunny of a petite girl. His lover’s soft moans filled the warm air as he thought of Cendra, of Vixin, of the children he had granted them. 

When he was finished, he settled against the rocks in thought, the distraction of his pleasure fading. 

Lingering in his memories, he thought of Cendra’s blood spilling at the feet of The Oracle. He felt his own blood begin to boil. 

Never could he pay the prize, no matter what it would earn him. He could lock up the creature for an eternity, yet should the beast manage to propose the same offer to one of his enemies, The Oracle’s power could be used against him. 

Long had he pondered. Long had his fury flared at the mere thought of the offer. Only a fool would waste such a valuable potential asset without thought, yet Dominax made his decision at last. 

The Oracle had asked for too much, and thus it was of no use to him. To permit it to live was simply too dangerous. 

Rising from the water, The God Emperor summoned his slaves to dress him. With eyes glowing with a cold certainty, he donned his armor. 

*** 

A terrible deed waited ahead. With a thought of Cendra, The God Emperor marched into the ancient chamber with a dozen legionaries at his back. 

“The Conqueror returns, yet he brings no gift. A shame.” The Oracle began to rise, dripping as it offered its grin. 

Dominax stood before the well as his guards spread out in a circle, each carrying a rope. “Have you nothing else to offer me?” 

“The price shall always remain the same. Nothing shall be granted until our bargain is forged. For knowledge, for death, The God Emperor and his allies shall be denied.” The creature hung its head, as if it knew what approached. “This one shall not beg.” 

The God Emperor frowned in disappointment. “So be it.” He drew his sword. The flames raged in the dark chamber, his eyes glowing wildly. “Never shall I trade my daughter’s blood.” 

The guards hurled ropes through the air at his command. They wrapped around the creature’s serpentine body, drenched in an instant. Heaving, they fought to bring the ancient Oracle down. 

It writhed wildly as it was forcefully dragged from the well, yet its long body seemed endless. The exposed portion of its slimy form was overpowered by their combined strength. 

Dominax watched as black slime coated the sand as the creature was brought low. Squirming, fighting, it could not escape his wrath. 

“Foolish human. A world for a daughter. A moment of sorrow to avoid so much more.” 

His fire burned, consuming the white blade in blinding flames. Squeezing the hilt of his sword, he spat his words through gritted teeth. “I shall break the world myself. I shall claim it in my grasp and rebuild it anew without you.” 

“Never shall The God Emperor find peace. Never shall he have what he craves most.” The creature writhed, its final words spewing quickly. “He may claim the world, yet never shall he regain what he has lost. Never shall it be enough. Never shall he hold on to what he fears to lose the most.” Its single eye peered up at him, addressing him directly. “You seek to protect them, yet you’ll destroy them instead.” 

Dominax drove his blade downward. The burning white steel sunk deep into The Oracle’s flesh, his glowing eyes offering no mercy. The black slime crackled and spit around the blade. 

The creature’s white teeth parted as it uttered a horrid screech that boomed off the walls of the chamber. The God Emperor twisted his blade, sending a burst of electricity into its dying flesh. Its cry fell silent in an instant, its long body seizing before falling limp. 

Dominax heaved the blade free, his fire cleansing the white surface as it burned away the boiling slime. He flicked what little remained from his sword before sheathing it. 

At his feet, The Oracle lay dead. His choice was made. 

Thousands would die if it meant his daughter would live.

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