Empire Builder 4: Breed, Populate, Conquer, page 17
Ben explained himself in clear terms, letting them know that he was the Forgotten Ruler reborn and that they had one chance to join his empire peacefully. The archers responded with curiosity, taking Ben to their village of Shadowglen to meet with their elder.
Over the course of the conversation, Ben managed to convince the elder that he was the rightful ruler of the continent. Lyra joined the discussion, eagerly telling the elder the futility of resisting and what he could gain by joining the empire.
The elder, a clear-headed man, agreed to tentatively join. Ben informed him that once his town was connected to the transportation network, trade could be established, the wood of the towering trees that surrounded his town a perfect resource to offer in exchange for safety and prosperity.
The agreement wasn’t quite set in stone, but Ben at least felt comfortable leaving his party there while he made the journey back to the tower. When he was ready, his mana charged, he shifted into his hawk form and began the flight back.
The forest seemed to stretch forever, and it took a good half-hour before he reached the desert. That too, was a long trek, and as he flew, he realized how difficult, if not impossible, it would’ve been for him and his party to make the journey by foot.
The desert gave way to another mountain region, and his new knowledge of the continent allowed him to gain a better sense of what it looked like. His tower was situated between three mountain ranges, one to the north, the base of which was where the second tower was situated. The northeast tower, just beyond the jungle, was at the base of another mountain range. The river region where the monsterkin lived cut through the continent, and he easily guessed that the river, which started in the northwest near The One’s tower, continued all the way to the southwest where the fourth tower was located.
That meant he would have to claim the southwest tower if he wished to use the river to its full potential. But he put all that aside for the time being, knowing that his attention needed to be focused on getting back to his main tower and then bringing his party home after.
After an hour or so of flying, he spotted his tower in the far distance. Relief washed over him, and the sight of the seat of his Imperial power made Ben even more motivated to get back. Another ten minutes of flight brought him to the balcony of his chambers.
Once he’d landed, Ben took a moment to appreciate the view from the top of his tower. The afternoon was clear, and he could see the work down below in Grand Zhameen. The new districts had been cordoned off, and dozens upon dozens of workers were in the process of making the new additions to the city.
He was glad to be home. But Ben knew there was still much work to do. He commanded the tower to have Shrike meet him in the council room. Once there, he explained to her the plan, detailing what had happened down on the southern shore.
Shrike accompanied him to the teleportation room, where he quickly grabbed a stone and made his way back up to the top floor. After a quick meal, he tied the stone to his neck with a thick rope and shifted back into his hawk form.
The journey was a little harder with a large stone hanging from him, but Ben eventually spotted the town of Shadowglen and landed in the village center. The rest of his party was there, safe and sound. The elder awaited Ben, leading him to the stone building that had served as a worship site for the townsfolk.
Ben brought the stone into the room, eagerness rushing through him as he held up the stone.
“Tower?” he asked.
“Yes, Ben?”
He was pleased as hell to hear the familiar voice of his tower—it confirmed that the room was just where he needed to be.
“Connect the village of Shadowglen to the network.”
“As you wish, Ben.”
He held the stone up, and it slowly rose from his hands, glowing as it had before. He watched as the stone vanished, turning into what appeared to be glowing, white dust. And then it was gone.
“The town of Shadowglen has been connected to your network, Ben. Would you like to see the map of your territory?”
“I would.”
The holographic display appeared before him, the network showing a connection between the two towers, the town of Brekmarth, and the kin town of Waterbend. Ben was pleased to see his network grow and was confident that, with a little work, he could turn the town of Shadowglen into another metropolis, one that could project his power over the bottom part of the continent.
But like most of his plans, that was something to worry about on another day. Ben gathered his group and prepared to head back to the tower.
The elder approached Ben as the group formed up.
“I look forward to speaking with you further regarding the matter of our joining the empire,” he said. The elder was short and squat, with a mane of wild black hair and a round face set with dark eyes that glimmered with intelligence. His form was in striking contrast to the tall, lithe figures of the rest of the town.
“I do, too,” Ben said. “You’ll be hearing from me soon.”
With that, Ben activated the network. Tension formed in his gut as the process began, what with his last journey through the networks being a near disaster. But the process was painless, the transportation happening instantly. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, the group was back in the teleportation room of his first tower.
He looked down at his hands, then around at the rest of his party.
It had worked. They’d arrived safely.
“And there you have it,” Uzax said, a pleased tone to his words. “I told you that I’d solve the problem, and it’s been taken care of—true to my word.”
“Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back,” Melody said, an irritated expression on her face. Clearly, she hadn’t forgotten the reason why Uzax had been placed in the dungeon, to begin with.
“Catgirl, you’re going to have to get over our history together. Assuming our emperor lives up to his end of the bargain, we’re now on the same side and in the same army.” He turned to Ben, an eyebrow arched as if he weren’t entirely sure he was out of the woods. “You are planning on living up to your end of the bargain, aren’t you, my lord?”
Part of Ben was still a bit uncertain about Uzax. The wizard had nearly killed him and had trucked with slavers. And even if Ben was willing to put everything behind him, it was still going to be a long time until the kin trusted Uzax after what he’d done.
But Ben knew that if he wanted to command loyalty, he’d have to be a man of his word.
“Starting tomorrow, Uzax, you’ll be a member of my mage army. But for the first year, you’re going to be under a probationary period. That means if you step out of line even once, even say a wrong word to one of the kin in my empire, you’ll have your powers stripped before being sent to work off the remainder of your sentence in the mines.”
Uzax nodded as if it were only fair. “As you wish, my lord.”
“And I want you to spend time finding new initiates for the mage army. You’re going to be fighting, and you’re going to be training new mages.”
“Nothing would give me more pleasure than making your army stronger, my lord. I look forward to conquering with you.”
“Tower,” Ben spoke. “Send in two aurochkin to escort Uzax to his new chambers. And have them report to me when the task is accomplished.”
“Yes, Ben.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Ben spotted Goran. The young wizard was clearly worried about what might happen to him, but Ben hadn’t yet decided.
“And, Tower, summon two guards to take the mage to the dungeon. Find him a cell.”
“Of course, Ben.”
Ben turned his attention to Goran. “I’ll decide what your fate will be in the morning. Until then, I’m stripping you of your powers.”
Goran nodded, doing his best to hold back his fear. Using Siphon, Ben drained Goran’s mana and sucked every last drop of power out of his magic organ. Goran dropped to his knees when it was done, and Ben felt the wizard’s power move through him.
Words appeared in front of his face.
ENERGY DART HAS EVOLVED TO ENERGY GUN
Nice , Ben thought. Between using it back at the beach and taking Goran’s power, the spell’s grown in potency.
The door to the teleportation chamber opened, a pair of aurochkin and a pair of guards entering. The guards clapped a pair of manacles onto Goran and led him out, the aurochkin doing the same with Uzax, though without the restraint.
Once they were gone, Melody crossed her arms over her chest and sulked.
“I don’t trust him. I saw the kind of man he was, and I know what he’s capable of. You ask me, it’s only a matter of time before he stabs you in the back. I don’t trust former enemies like that.”
Lyra cleared her throat. “Does that mean you don’t trust me , catgirl?”
Zito laughed. “And I was an enemy, too, at one point. Though it was all part of my grand plan to test you.”
Melody narrowed her eyes, sensing she was outnumbered. “Well, fine. You two seem to be alright, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to trust everyone . Besides, he was a slaver . That’s different.”
“We’ll be keeping a close eye on him,” Ben said. “And if he steps out of line, that’s the end of him. Right now, we can’t afford to toss aside someone with that kind of ability who wants to fight on our side. You heard what Goran said—the Xurian Realm has its eyes on us.”
Melody pursed her lips. “Well, just as long as he doesn’t start suggesting we enslave people. That’s where I draw the line.”
Before the conversation could go on, a chime sounded out through the room.
“Ben,” the tower spoke, “it would appear that Shrike’s egg is about to hatch. If you wish to see it happen, I suggest that you go to her room now. I’ll mark it on your map.”
Ben grinned. It didn’t matter how many times he became a dad, it never got old to see one of his eggs hatch. He and the rest of the group hurried out of the room, taking the elevator up to the floor of Shrike’s chambers. The door was open, Ben and the rest hurrying inside.
Shrike was there, an excited expression on her face, a trio of aurochkin there with her.
“Ben!” she said as he approached. “It’s happening!”
He stepped to her side and squatted down with her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Together, they all watched as the orange, lava-like shell of the egg split, steam pouring out from inside. Ben, without thinking, reached forward and put his hand in the steam. Sure enough, it was hot as hell, and he quickly pulled his hand back.
“What’s it going to be?” Melody’s eyes were wide with excitement as she asked the question.
One piece of the shell fell away, and then another, then another. And when the egg had fully fallen apart, a strange creature emerged from inside. It struck Ben as similar to a fireball but floating, with big, coal-like eyes and a wave of flame on top of his head that looked like hair.
“It’s… it’s a flame elemental!” Melody said, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wide. “It’s so freaking adorable!”
Shrike was speechless, an expression of total awe and happiness on her face. “She’s… she’s beautiful!”
“ She ?” Zito asked. “That… that doesn’t look like a female to me. And trust me, I’d know.” He grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “Really, doesn’t look like a guy or a girl.”
“I know it’s a girl. And I’m going to call her… Cherry.”
“As in bomb ?” Ben asked.
Shrike responded with a confused expression. “A cherry bomb? What’s that?”
“That’s… probably something you don’t have in your world. Never mind.” He chuckled to himself, imagining how he would explain such a thing to his friends. But to him, the name “Cherry Bomb” fit perfectly. The fire elemental was shaped like one, and Ben was certain it packed just as much of a punch.
Shrike squatted and wrapped her arms around Cherry. Her arms, her skin like cool lava, hugged the creature without any trouble.
“I think I’m going to have to leave the hugging to you,” Ben said.
Shrike beamed, happier than Ben had ever seen her. “Oh, don’t you worry—I’ll be giving her plenty of hugs for the both of us.” She rose, stepping over to Ben and leaning in to place a kiss on his lips. “Thank you so much for giving me the gift of motherhood, Ben. I promise that I’ll do everything I can to help her grow big and strong to fight for you.”
“I don’t doubt that at all. And when you can, take her over to the bestiary in the other tower. She can train there, and you’ll be able to visit her whenever you want.”
Another smile from Shrike.
“Now that you’ve got the transportation network up and running, right?”
“Right,” he replied. “Things are going to be moving a hell of a lot faster now that it’s good to go. We can establish trade routes with Brekmarth and Shadowglen. And I can only guess how many other towns across the continent there are that we can link to the network.”
After speaking, Ben noticed that Shrike seemed more interested in getting to know her new child than hearing Ben discuss the finer points of cross-continental travel and trade.
“I’m getting a little far afield—these are all sounding like matters better discussed in the council room. Tower, have the aurochkin prepare some dinner, then call the rest of the council to meet—we’ve got lots to go over.”
“Of course, Ben.”
The group dispersed, gathering in the council room an hour or so later. The aurochkins had brought in plenty of food. There was roasted and seasoned meat, fresh-baked bread, and vegetables glistening with butter and oil. Massive tankards of wine were on the table, and Ben couldn’t imagine anything better than relaxing on his balcony with a big glass of wine after the sort of day he’d just had.
But he pushed that aside for the moment, knowing he had more important matters at hand than getting tipsy. The council needed to know of new plans now that the networks were running once again, and there was still the matter of the third tower. On top of it all, the faraway threat of the Xurian Realm hardly seemed as distant and remote as it had once been. And on top of that , Ben knew he still needed to tell his companions about what he’d learned after fighting The One, how he was Ben but different.
He waited for the council to make their plates and sit down before beginning. Once they were ready, eating and drinking and speaking to one another, Ben began. He started by raising his palm and getting everyone’s attention.
“As you all know, there’s much to discuss. First, you should all know that—”
He didn’t get a chance to finish.
“Ben,” spoke the tower. “There’s something you ought to see.”
“What is it?” Ben replied. “I’m in the middle of a meeting.”
“I will pull up the outside view from the top of the tower. You will be glad I showed you.”
Ben was confused, as was the rest of the council. A TV-like image appeared over the table, the view, like the tower had said, from the very top floor. The “camera” was pointed toward the northeast, in the direction of the third tower.
But there was something in the air—a black cloud that drew closer and closer.
“What… what is that?” Vinata asked.
“Zoom in,” Ben said.
The tower did. And he realized to his horror what the black cloud was—hundreds and hundreds of goblins in flying crafts, all headed straight for him.
So much for a relaxing evening .
“They don’t look like they’ve come to join the party,” Lulu said, staring at the image with wide eyes.
Chapter 17
“Ben!” Vinata’s shout snapped him out of his focus. “What do we do?”
“What’s the plan, Ben?” Melody asked.
Ben shook his head and narrowed his eyes. The massive cloud of goblin fliers was coming closer. Judging by the speed at which they grew larger, he estimated that they’d be on top of them within ten minutes.
He turned his attention to the town of Grand Zhameen below. Dozens, if not hundreds, of civilians stood dumbfounded in the streets.
“Get word to Smith. Tell him that everyone who’s not in fighting shape should take refuge in the tower. We’ve got more than enough space in here for them. Lexi, fly down there and spread the word. And when you’re done, get back up here—I’m going to need your help.”
“Got it.” Lexi stepped out onto the balcony and shifted into her hawk form, wasting no time flying down to ground level. Ben didn’t like having to be without her flying abilities, but he knew she was the best bet for getting down there quickly.
“This is bad,” Vinata said. “I don’t mean to be a downer, but we’re not prepared at all for an aerial attack.”
Ben nodded, knowing her words didn’t require a response. They had little in the way of air defense. A few weeks from now, the town would be surrounded by a high wall dotted with towers that would be perfect for taking out airborne attackers. But for now, they were nearly helpless.
He watched as the dumbfounded townsfolk made their way into the tower. Ben spotted Smith and Lexi at the forefront, their voices booming as they led the people inside. The swarm of goblins grew closer and closer, and Ben’s heart began to race as he realized that they would soon be directly on top of the town.
He had to do something.
“Melody, Lyra,” he commanded. “Call the archers into the tower; post them in as many walls as you can. I want three-hundred-and-sixty-degree coverage. Uzax, gather any mages you can find and take them to the very top of the tower. Shrike, do the same with whatever kin can fly or cast magic. Vinata and Lulu, gather any monster children available who can fire projectiles.”
Melody placed her hand on Ben’s shoulder. He turned to see that her eyes were large with concern.
“Ben, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to buy us some more time. Now, do as I command!”
Ben stepped out on the railing, closed his eyes, and shifted into his hawk form. With a few flaps of his wings, he was off, sailing over the town of Grand Zhameen below, civilians streaming into the tower. It didn’t take long for him to be within striking range of the swarm, close enough that he could hear the laughing and chattering of the group.
