Dark Lord's Commands 2, page 27
Striding into the middle of the camp, we were quickly surrounded by the Duskhaven slaves; they were the only ones still able to move. The Luminark adventures and mercenaries we’d seen were so ill as to already be on death’s door or close to it. A few of the healthier ones stood and wobbled out to investigate the commotion; they did not survive long enough to cause a problem.
Moving towards the shrine Jasquez had been using as his headquarters, I walked up the steps and stood in front of the building’s doors. The inquisitor’s banners still hung on the ancient building’s walls.
“I am Dark Lord Robert Grailmont,” I announced, my voice bolstered by my magic.
My ascendant queens climbed the stairs to stand beside me. Vexile radiated fierce pride, while Nichessa looked distinctly uncomfortable; she had grown better about speeches and crowds, but I knew the only reason she was there was because of the love between us.
Gaspar looked more at ease. I assumed that was due to her time working as a university professor. She avidly studied the crowd before us.
Augusta stood slightly in front of us, on a lower step, falling into her familiar role as a royal guard. Though I guess we’ll need to remind her she’s a member of the royal family herself now.
Clearing my throat, I said. “My queens and I came here to reclaim a great treasure from Nightbound, a relic left by the Dark Lords of the old kingdom for the day that Duskhaven would rise again!”
From within my clothes, I pulled out the Eye of Night. I tried to release a small trickle of Revina’s power, but instead, I created a huge spark of cosmic energy.
The crowd cried out in shock and surprise. Several fell to their knees in prayer.
Lita, who I had sent on an errand upon entering the camp, ran up to the shrine, a clinking bag in her hands. I quickly regained my equilibrium and began speaking again.
“But as soon as we came here and learned that our people, descendants of this land, were enslaved by these grave robbers and thieves, we knew that we must set you free!”
The people cheered at this, their eyes alive with hope.
At my signal, Lita dumped out the bag, dropping knives, hammers, and other dangerous implements onto the ground.
“We will be leaving soon for Gloomglow, our holdfast far to the south,” I told them, their eyes fixed on the weapons, “I will not lie, it could be a hard and arduous trip, but I promise that when we arrive you will find food, shelter, and more importantly, a home to call your own, free from Luminark oppressors!”
“Before we do, take whatever you can from this camp, everything we’ll need for our trip.” I gestured towards the items Lita had dumped out. “Feel free to use these to deal with your former masters, show them the price Duskhaven inflicts on all those that would enslave our people.”
Several people reached for weapons, their eyes hard and hateful. They dashed off towards the tents, and I heard screaming a moment later.
Turning away from the scene, I reached up and tore down one of Jasquez’s banners, then another. I couldn’t do much to restore Revina’s shrine, not then, but I wouldn’t leave its walls covered in filth.
The adventurer’s camp was in flames behind us as we began the trip south. Our newly liberated people had grabbed everything they could before leaving, including several crawlclaws and accompanying wagons loaded down with food, water, clothing, and other supplies.
As we began moving through the outlying ruins, I turned and gave one last look at the fallen majesty of Nightbound. I promised myself I would see it rise in glory once again.
Our pace was slow, it took us four days to reach the coast, but I was fine with that. It gave me time to talk to our newest citizens, to ask about their lives and how fate had dragged them to their ancestral homeland. Most were extremely grateful for their rescue, and all of them were in awe of Vexile and my other ascendant queens.
As we got closer and closer to the Luminark checkpoint, my wives and I began to discuss how we’d get across; clearly, we couldn’t pull the same trick as we had before. Also, it was much more likely that we’d encounter Luminark patrols and troops afterward since we were traveling with a large group, numbering close to fifty individuals.
After several days, we struck upon a brilliant idea, one that would not only allow us to move relatively freely back to Gloomglow but could also potentially resolve the threat of inquisitorial investigators discovering our home.
At the head of our convoy, I marched right up to the Luminark checkpoint.
We had practiced the routine and my lines the night before, but having Gaspar’s illusion hanging over me still felt strange. It was like I was wearing a second, supernatural skin.
Half of our group was similarly magically disguised, making them look like Luminark adventurers and mercenaries. The rest marched behind them, easily adopting the mannerisms of trudging slaves being dragged around by their masters.
The Luminark guards manning the gate practically flew into a fit when they saw me, my disguise catching them completely off balance.
“Lord Jasquez!” their leader said, running out onto the road to meet me.
“Inquisitor Jasquez,” I reminded him, my voice sounding utterly strange in my ears.
I knew that Gaspar was concealed in one of the larger wagons, along with Nichessa and Vexile, who were pouring divine energy into the scholar so she could maintain the large illusion. Augusta, disguised as an adventurer, stood nearby, guarding them in case anything went wrong.
“Inquisitor,” the guard made a hasty, sloppy bow. “Sir, we weren’t expecting to see you coming back this way!”
“Why?” I made a show of looking offended. “Did you honestly believe I would die out there in the wastes?”
“No, of course not,” the man said hastily, “it’s just that --”
I waved him off and walked past him. The guards near the gate quickly opened it as I approached and I gestured for my convoy to head through.
“We made great discoveries during our adventure in Nightbound,” I told the man, my voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. “Relics and artifacts of great power, the kind that can change the world. I’m going to head to the port and request the first ship home. I’m sure my former fellows in the inquisition will be quite willing to take me back once I present them what I found.”
The guard’s jaw hung open, and he peeked towards several of the carts. We had them all covered in canvas, making it impossible to tell what they held.
“Bar the gates after we pass,” I told him, pulling out a coin purse loaded with a hefty amount of money, looted from the dead inquisitor's ill-gotten gains. “Once I return home, I’m sure my brethren will demand the northern end of the continent be sealed until a more thorough investigation can take place.”
“Of course,” the guard said, his eyes wide at the huge amount of money I’d just given him.
I just grinned as I walked away, hurrying to catch up to the wagons. While it would be hard for Gaspar to maintain the mass illusion for long, I was sure we would need it several more times in the coming days. I fully intended for word of Jasquez’s return to spread far and wide, and for dozens of witnesses to come forward when he and his entire party mysteriously vanished without a trace.
It was sunset, two days later, as we finally prepared to depart the Luminark’s coastal roads and cut inland, towards Gloomglow.
Continuing our deception, we moved slowly and stopped regularly. I had met and gladhanded with every Luminark trooper and soldier I could find, still wearing Jasquez’s face as a disguise. I had made sure to boast about his amazing finds and how the former inquisitor would change the world with his discoveries.
Finally, satisfied that we had planted enough false trails and lies, we dispersed the illusions and ushered our convoy up and into the foothills.
We let Marl lead them several kilometers inland while my queens prepared our final deception.
Gaspar, looking utterly drained, leaned against the last wagon, watching as Nichessa erased the tracks leading from the road to the ridge we were standing upon. Even the keenest Luminark trackers wouldn’t be able to follow us.
“Are you sure you’re alright,” Lita asked Gaspar as she hovered nearby, a canteen in hand.
The scholar waved her off. “I’m fine, this was nothing worse than a few late-night study sessions -- back to back -- while also juggling oil-soaked rags in a ring of fire.”
I kissed the scholar’s brow, “Thank you again.”
She smiled, “I believe that when we came up with this plan, that you promised me you’d construct a research lab and library for me in recompense upon reaching your home.”
“As long as you’re willing to share the space with Vexile,” I laughed.
Our tracks erased, Nichessa gathered her power, raised her hands, and then slammed them onto the ground. As she did, a huge tremor rippled through the roadway below. A massive sinkhole formed, pulling a huge section of the coastal plains into the hungering earth.
Gaspar, in a pique of inspiration, leaned on me as she pulled on my power. She shot columns of light, strange flares, and auroras of disturbing colors into the air. Her display was so large and bright that I was sure it would be seen for a hundred kilometers.
“Let the inquisitors try to figure out what happened,” she huffed, a smug grin on her face. “They’ll probably think Revina herself came down to smite the bastard.”
Regardless, with the lies and deceptions we’ve left behind, they’ll never figure out what really happened.
Joining my queens, we began the last leg of our trip home. I couldn’t wait to see the Gloomglow again, sure that it was safe.
With the Eye of Night and our two new queens, I knew a celebration was in order. But once that was over, there would be serious work to do.
We have a continent to reclaim and a kingdom to rebuild.
Epilogue
I felt Augusta dematerialize, flowing off the bed as a spectral mist before seeping into her armor, which was standing by the bed.
Groaning, I rolled onto my side, watching her. “You could stay longer, you know?” I teased her, the sheets still warm from her presence.
She lifted her visor and peered at me. “I don’t sleep, remember?” She smiled, “Though cuddling with you is nice.”
“I’m told I’m extremely cuddly,” I said proudly, rolling onto my back.
The knight laughed. “I’d love to stay longer, really, but some old habits die hard.”
“Be careful,” I told her as she disappeared.
Augusta had begun patrolling the outskirts of Gloomglow, using her spectral abilities to blink and cover distances in a matter of moments. She had taken up the duty since our return to the keep, ensuring our safety from any Luminark investigators.
Not that we seemingly had to worry for that moment. It’d been a month since our return from Nightbound, and we hadn’t caught wind of a single Luminark search party nearby. From what we could observe, the investigators had been pulled off the search for Sanderson’s escaped prisoners. Instead, they had been sent to the east to try and locate Jasquez and the supposed treasure that had disappeared with him.
I grinned as I settled back onto my pillows. One thing I learned from politics back home; the best way to distract from a crisis is to create an even bigger mess. I doubt anyone in the inquisition is even thinking about Sanderson’s fallen mine and the missing prisoners now.
Our ruse might eventually bring investigators to our doorstep, as their search radius spread out, but we’d deal with them in time.
I tried to fall back asleep, but despite my bluster, my mind kept circling back to other, more troubling thoughts. These worries easily kept me awake.
Finally, throwing off my sheets in frustration, I got up and went to my desk.
Before leaving Jasquez’s camp, we had gone through the man’s effects, taking not only the coins he had fleeced from the adventurers, but his ledgers, accounts, and correspondences too.
Most of the paperwork had been worthless. The only thing that had caught my eye was a single, handwritten letter. It had been hidden in the inquisitor’s personal ledger, sewn behind the cover in a hidden pocket. It had read:
Jasquez, I will continue to fight for your reinstatement with the inquisition, but I do not believe I have the influence yet to see it done. In the meantime, I will continue to promote your adventures, since swaying public opinion to your side is critical for your long-term success.
Upon first reading the letter, we had realized the author was Jasquez’s co-conspirator in the empire, the one responsible for planting the fake stories in the newspapers and conning the adventurers before shipping them north.
In the meantime, the letter had continued, please be mindful that our investors enjoy their trip in the northern continent, so much so that they do not wish to return home.
That was coded language to ensure Jasquez killed his victims before they either wised up to the deception or decided to turn around and return to the empire.
The writer promised to send word of his efforts with the subsequent investors he sent northward. We had checked, but found nothing; either Jasquez had never received the letters, or they had been lost or destroyed.
The letter’s contents were damning, but not beyond what we already had known of Jasquez. Instead, what had sent my heart shuddering was the signature at the end of the message.
Your friend and compatriot, Charles.
There are probably other men named Charles on Turmont, but the second I read that letter I knew it had to be my no-good con artist of a cousin.
The knowledge that Charles was not only alive but meddling in the empire’s affairs for his benefit, was beyond troubling. But there’s also nothing we can do about it -- yet.
Instead of obsessing over the letter again, I got dressed and headed outside. It was just past dawn, but already dozens of people were about, starting the day's tasks. I walked outside of the keep’s walls and headed towards our new skeeter ranch.
I still thought the creatures were revolting, and I found that their nests were the things of nightmares, but Riggs and Lita had been right, they did taste pretty good. They also reproduced at an almost alarming rate, were simple to keep penned, and could be fed off scraps.
Wendell, who had found some strange kinship with the beasts, waved happily once he saw me approach. He poured out a bucket of sand serpent meat in the skeeters’ feeding trough, and the beasts swarmed, ready to feast.
After several successful hunts, we had discovered that the burrowing monsters were basically inedible. Even the most creative of recipes couldn’t get rid of their dry, gritty taste, but we had found other uses for their bodies. Their fat could be rendered down to make oil, which was useful for not only fueling lamps and fires but could be refined further into grease for the various new bits of machinery around the keep.
Gaspar and Nichessa had teamed up and begun using the scholar's knowledge of engineering and artifacts to improve several of the devices around Gloomglow. They had iterated upon the simple devices they had built in Nightbound’s Marshul garden, creating small devices powered by divine magic, like water pumps.
Passing one of the outer wells, I watched one of their pumps slowly churn along, lifting water into pipes and channels that would supply all the new homes that had been constructed for our latest citizens.
Returning to the keep, I stopped by George and Dominic’s classroom, to see how lessons were going, then made my way towards Revina’s temple.
Out front I found Vexile, directing a group of acolytes as they helped a family move into their new home.
I was happy when my First Queen smiled and leaned in, letting me kiss her on the cheek.
“I’ve decided to forgive you,” she said smugly, before becoming more serious. “I’ll try to be more mindful of everyone’s feelings.”
I kissed her again. “Thank you.”
Upon our return to Gloomglow, the two of us had talked about Vexile’s habit of managing and scheduling every aspect of my marriages; while I had noted that I was grateful for her help, I had pointed out my concerns. She had not taken it well at first, but she had eventually come to see that such an arrangement was impossible to maintain, especially in light of my growing harem.
Finally, we had gathered together, all five of us, and had discussed the odd nature of our arrangement and hashed out how we would handle conflicts in the future.
In the Royal Quarters hung our official calendar, marking down all our important events and blocks of time one or more of us could request for privacy or time alone with me. Nichessa had argued it wasn’t particularly spontaneous or romantic, but I had pointed out that it was just a preliminary plan going forward, and if nothing else it gave everyone a fair say.
I set up an open-door policy with my bedroom when my schedule was free. We had already expanded my bed again, and I rarely found myself sleeping alone.
Defying my normal habit of maintaining a regal bearing while in public, I snuggled up against Vexile. “Arguments and disagreements are a normal part of marriage,” I told her, “but I’m happy we were able to talk about this now before it became a major problem.”
Trust and communication, I reminded myself.
She leaned into me, her tail wrapping around my ankles. “Don’t forget to check the calendar when you get back to our rooms. I think you’ll find your evening tonight blocked off.”
I raised my eyebrow, and she unwound her tail and shooed me away, stating she had important work to do. Grinning, I waved goodbye, looking forward to our night together.
I stopped in to check on Nichessa. Her workshop had been fully updated with Gaspar’s help; they had created automatic bellows and even a few basic power hammers that made it easier for Nichessa’s apprentices to shape metal. The titaness stood near the new devices, instructing a few of them on how to use the tools correctly.
Next, I inspected the new series of homes being constructed just outside of Gloomglow’s walls. We had harvested more stone from Vilewind and had used them to construct a series of houses for the people we had rescued from Nightbound.
