Web of Lands 2

by Brent Tyman

  My understanding would be that she would create a bunch of Melasks and have them wreak havoc. Either they would kill enough people for her to grow more pods in corpses, or the Melasks could destroy the crystal on their own. We could step in if either of those two scenarios didn’t work out.

  But there should definitely be more than one creature. I saw multiple pods in there.

  “Don’t you mean children?” I asked, and she shook her head.

  “I had enough seed from you to make a more beautiful child. He has just finished eating the rest of the clutch,” Zelenia said.

  Huh?

  As if on cue, I could hear a deep growl coming from the bathroom. When I looked over there to see what was happening, I felt like the blood in my veins had frozen over.

  Every limb in my body demanded that I either fight or get the hell out of here, for what I saw made my spine shiver.

  A monster walked out the bathroom, a monster straight out of a children’s tale. It was colored black and sported a thick exoskeleton that rivaled what Zelenia had in her other form. Its skin was not leathery that I expected but had scales like a lizardman. It had sharp claws that looked like it could pierce the sturdiest of flesh and perhaps even plate armor. Its head was shaped like a very short snout, and it sported red eyes with needle-like teeth.

  It had crouched to get through the doorway from the bathroom, and as it stood tall; I estimated that it stood around four heads taller than me. Its limbs sported thick muscles that suggested it could snap me in two if I let it.

  “What the fuck is that thing?” I asked as I tried to get up but failed because of Zelenia’s weight.

  She used one of her hands to whack me gently on the side and gave me a frown.

  “That is our child, you should not mock it. He loves you, you know,” Zelenia said. Her frown transformed into a gentle smile.

  “Isn’t he beautiful?” Zelenia asked, and I stared at the creature. Beautiful in its capacity to kill someone, perhaps.

  Could this be that other creature type she had mentioned before?

  “Is this a Colalask?” I asked, more to calm my mind as it demanded I move from my position at least. I really wished I had my armor on, more now than ever.

  “No,” Zelenia said as she shook her head. “Don’t be silly. Colalask require days of incubation, sometimes even weeks. This is a Brulask, and it will destroy all the humans in this wretched castle.”

  A Brulask? This was another new creature type, and I vaguely wondered what other sort of beings that Zelenia could create. How she used my seed or blood to even create anything at all was a mystery.

  The Brulask stared at me as its breath produced a deep rumble each time it breathed. The fact that it was here while I was naked was strange enough as it was.

  “Right, right, a Brulask.” I said as my body urged me to do something. “Zelenia, we must get back to the ball.”

  “Five more minutes,” Zelenia murmured into my chest.

  The woman seemed to be so content that I was almost convinced to acquiesce to her wish.

  We had to a job to do though and the time for pleasure was over. I tried to mull over what to say to convince her to get going.

  “Please?” I tried, and the word came out as more a question than anything else.

  Zelenia looked up at my face and let out a loud yawn. She got off my chest and gave her limbs a good stench.

  “Very well, my consort. We must do this again, soon,” Zelenia said as she looked around. She gave the Brulask a gentle smile and practically skipped off the bed to approach it.

  “Hmm, my baby is so big. Your queen loves you very much,” Zelenia cooed to the Brulask. I decided that this would be the opportune time to get dressed before she changed her mind and demanded more of my seed. Zelenia’s tail swished from side to side, and there was a renewed vibrancy within her. Perhaps this was one way she got energy, as hard as it was to believe.

  Once I had my doublet back on me, I checked a nearby mirror to make sure I was presentable. In the mirror, I saw that Zelenia was still talking to her Brulask, and we didn’t have time to waste.

  “Zelenia, put your gown back on,” I said to her, while adjusting my cuffs.

  “But..” Zelenia said, but I had to be firm.

  “Now,” I demanded, and she looked right at me before nodding.

  “Very well, my consort,” Zelenia said as she gathered up her gown.

  Eliandra and the other women must have helped her, as it seemed Zelenia was clueless on how to get the gown back on her perfect body. I didn’t mind, as it gave me a reason to brush my hand along her curves to help her. Zelenia said nothing but exhibited a smile as I felt along her ass while showing her how to wear the gown.

  Although it felt strange to do this while that Brulask stared at us all the while.

  Once I made sure that her tail was safely tucked away under her dress and she looked like a beautiful human lady, I motioned to the door.

  “They will probably be looking for us. when will this Brulask of yours begin the slaughter?” I asked.

  “It's our Brulask,” Zelenia insisted while waving a finger. “And once they bring the crystal down from that ceiling shall be perfect. I’ll have my child rush straight there and smash into it. None will be able to stop it before they can mount a proper defense.”

  I nodded as I held an arm out for her, and we linked arms. As we walked out, the Brulask gave us a final growl before it retreated into the bathroom. I vaguely wondered what the guard's corpse looked like now.

  Once we opened the door to the corridor and closed it behind us, I checked each side and saw that there was no one else here. This was perfect, and we walked together back to the ball.

  There were more guards milling about than there were before, but that was expected as they were about to bring that crystal down.

  We passed by the same guard that stopped me earlier. He gave me and Zelenia a thorough look, then smiled knowingly at me. His eyes scanned Zelenia up and down, which made me want to punch him. I could feel my hands dig into my palms tightly.

  “Ah, your majesty, you are back.” The guard said with a grin. “The high priests are waiting for you, at the center.” He pointed towards the middle of the main room, and I nodded.

  I wondered if I could have Zelenia make sure that guard died a horrible death at the hands of the Brulask.

  My women were spread all across the room and before I could try to walk over to one, Nidola appeared out of a nearby crowd before me.

  “Ah, your majesty. Come, it is time to start the ceremony,” Nidola said as his white robes fluttered behind him.

  Shit, I wanted to have the rest of my women join me, but there was no reason I could give to delay any longer.

  “Very well, lead the way,” I said. Nidola gave me a smile that I almost thought was malicious before he turned and motioned for me to follow.

  The ball room was packed with either nobles, priests or guards. A few servants milled about, but it was hard to see anyone in any detail thanks to the large numbers of the crowd. It seemed that a large part of the room had been vacated to allow room for the crystal.

  The crowd parted for Nidola, and we were soon at the center of the room. The incessant chattering of everyone gradually died down to whispers and then silence as they all spotted Nidola in the center.

  Zelenia growled under her breath as we walked, and I rubbed along her arm absently. I tried not to chuckle as that simple act seemed to soothe her. She kept her eyes on the ceiling, however, where the crystal would be.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, priests and all,” Nidola called to the surrounding crowd. “Today is a great day for Vulenchia, as the king of Fulgrem has pledged himself to Lunarity.”

  A cheer rose among the nobles, and a feeling of dread rippled through me. What made joining this new faith so exciting for these people?

  “As you know, we are ever closer to fulfilling our Gods desires. I am sure that once another king has joined us, Lunarity wil
l flourish and bring about change to all,” Nidola continued.

  Zelenia’s hisses became greater as Nidola motioned to a pair of priests in the crowd.

  A swirl of motion caught my eye as I looked up to see the ceiling gradually split in two and retreat from each other, opening a new compartment. Light hit my eye, and I raised a hand to shield them as a giant object slowly descended.

  The crowd was eerily silent as the crystal’s hum spread across the room. I had barely noticed the buzz before, but it was all I could hear now as it seemed to come from all around me.

  Zelenia’s face twisted in rage and she seemed ready to jump across the room and smash the crystal herself. I took a tighter hold on her arm and stared into her eyes.

  “Keep it together, be strong, for me,” I whispered to her, and she seemed to settle down, her face returned to normal.

  “Behold, the holy crystal of Lunarity. The truth of the sun in mortal form!” Nidola shouted in a wholly fanatic manner, and I was convinced he had gone crazy at that moment.

  As the crowd roared once again, Nidola’s face calmed as he approached me.

  “The ceremony is very simple. The keeper will arrive in a few moments and you only need to kneel before him and speak the words he says. That is all that we required of you,” Nidola said. His transformation from looking like a fanatic one moment to a calm priest the next was impressive.

  I did not understand who this keeper was and what he was keeping, but I nodded all the same. It mattered little to me, as no doubt the Brulask would crash this ball soon.

  The crystal was massive, outshining any other light in the room. It was so bright that I had trouble looking at it for too long lest it would burn into my eyes. I had never seen such a spectacle before.

  An old man ambled along until he reached to the very center of the room, right under the sharp edge of the crystal. The most odd thing I noticed was that he wore a black robe instead of the usual white that I usually saw the priests of this nation wear. He had a white beard, blue eyes, and enough wrinkles on his face that I imagined he was ancient indeed. The old man clutched a wooden cane for support.

  “Go to him,” Nidola urged, and I nodded to Zelenia before I stepped forward. Something was off, but I didn’t know what.

  The keeper, as they called him, stared at the ground and waited until I approached. He raised his head, and I got a good look into his eyes. They portrayed a deep longing for something and were as lifeless as…

  A thought struck me right then, and I dropped to my knees involuntarily towards the man. The keeper didn’t seem perturbed as he expected me to kneel, but my mind shook at its very foundations.

  He looked just like me. When I had Frost in my head. As if the thought had somehow awoken the self-proclaimed God, a voice drummed along my mind.

  “Finally, you are here,” Frost said as it chuckled hard in my head. A deep searing pain lanced across my whole body, especially in my head as it spoke,.

  “Now, it is time for you to complete your first task. Press on the seal, do it.” Frost said.

  “Do it,” It said again.

  And again.

  The words rattled my mind and I couldn’t think of anything else. Nothing mattered than trying to stop the pain.

  I forced my eyes up to the keeper as his mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear anything because of the words in my mind and the hum of the crystal. The keeper looked at me expectantly and that's when I noticed it.

  On his black robes, there was a tiny speck of blue. As my eyes focused, I saw it was the coat of arms for Vulenchia, yet blue instead of green.

  I could barely see it, and I doubted anyone else could without looking for it explicitly. It was so small, yet I knew it held so much significance.

  I felt my arm reach out and the keeper's eyes went wide. He tried to back away, but it seemed his age made him too slow. My finger pressed down onto his robes, where the tiny seal was and a minuscule amount of prime left my body.

  The seal absorbed it.

  It shattered.

  Then an explosion swept me off the ground and across the room. I heard the screams of all around me as the world went dark.

  Chapter 16

  I groaned as my senses returned, and the world lit up in my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that every bone in my body was either broken or had all snapped in half, as the pain was unbearable. My skin felt like someone had just doused me on fire, and I knew that my doublet was in tatters.

  “My consort, please wake up,” a voice called to me and the light in my eyes transformed into Zelenia’s beautiful face. Despite all the pain, the mere sight of her brought a smile to my lips, even if it hurt immensely.

  My ears had been ringing this entire time, but after Zelenia’s words, the rings turned to screams.

  “Wha… what happened?” I managed before I felt blood pool in my mouth and I turned to spit it all out. I felt Zelenia’s hand aid me by keeping me steady as I coughed hard.

  “Ordan,” another familiar voice called, and I saw Eliandra by my side. I saw her fingertips glow green before the aches in my body soothed gradually.

  Her healing magic coursed through me and much of the pain receded to dull throbs. I sighed as the last bits of blood dripped from the ends of my lips.

  “Gods, my head,” I said as I raised a hand to my temple.

  “Keep steady, Ordan, the blast badly hurt you,” Eliandra said.

  Blast? What?

  I saw that Lunara and Tessa also hovered over me, and I let out a sigh of relief. Thank the Gods they were okay. My guards were here too, although my head hurt, so I could not count to see if all of them were present.

  “We need to get out of here,” Lunara urged frantically.

  “He needs a moment,” Eliandra said.

  “We don’t even have a second to waste,” Tessa said as she stared at me with a worried expression. “We need to get master out of here now.”

  “Can you not use your magic to portal us away?” Zelenia asked, and I saw Eliandra shake her head.

  “Somehow, something is blocking me from using any portal magic, I don’t know how this is possible,” Eliandra said.

  What was going on?

  “Help me up,” I said, and the women hesitated before they complied. As I got to my feet, I scanned my surroundings.

  What I saw made no sense at all.

  I was near the far edge of the room, near a pair of double doors that led out. As far as I could see, all the exits were closed with nobles and priests alike trying their best to bust them open. I could hear shouts and screams everywhere, with terror etched onto each human’s face.

  Then I saw the reason for the terror, and I wished I had never come to this wretched nation.

  In the center of the room, the crystal had fallen to the ground, with its shattered remains scattered all around it. On its surface was a giant hole, as if something or someone had burst through with tremendous strength. The shine of the crystal was long gone, as it was now a hallowed out husk with barely any light left in it.

  That wasn’t what concerned me though, it was the entity right next to the crystal.

  I knew it was not mortal, for it was too majestic a being to be lumped alongside humans, dark elves and lizardmen. It was a woman perhaps, with flowing blue hair, eyes that seemed to pierce into my soul and armor that covered her entire body with an ethereal shine. She floated above the center of the room, with a glowing blue sword in one hand and an orb of prime in the other.

  Under her were the remains of the keeper and Nidola. The keeper had been blown to bits, some of his black robe scattered where he used to be. I imagined the blood next to Nidola was the last of him.

  Nidola himself was on the ground with a hand shielding his head. His face had the same fear that the nobles and priests exhibited around him, but there was something else. Disbelief, as if what he was seeing was not possible.

  “How!” Nidola yelled out as the floating woman hovered over him. “This is not what we we
re promised!”

  “You are all fools,” The woman said, yet her voice boomed across the room, as her hair glowed even brighter. “I am Lunarity, the goddess of the moon. All your prayers to the sun have gone to me and now I shall walk Asterlia once more.”

  As if to drive her words home, she thrust her sword down and skewered Nidola in a single smooth motion. Lunarity laughed as she raised Nidola’s corpse with her sword and threw it into a crowd of nobles that endlessly banged on the exit. I saw many of them get knocked down and even a few that did not get back up.

  Lunarity raised her orb of prime, and I saw it cackle with blue energy before dust formed in a spiral around her. The dust was as white as snow, but then turned a shade of gray as it formed together.

  I knew what was coming as the dust took shape into armored humans with silver swords.

  “Shit, not again,” I said as ten silver knights appeared beside Lunarity.

  Zelenia growled as she stood in front of me, her tail poking out from the back of her gown.

  “The moon Goddess is alive, I must kill her. I must feast on her entrails,” Zelenia snarled. She crouched in a way that suggested she was about to bolt across the room, and I placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

  “No, leave her,” I said with a growl of my own. Zelenia looked back at me in confusion.

  “But, we must…” she started, but this was not up for discussion.

  “Leave, we must leave,” I said in finality. I looked over to Eliandra.

  “If we get far enough away from here, do you think we can portal?” I asked, and she tapped a finger to her chin in thought.

  “Perhaps, I am unsure why I cannot use the portal magic yet can use any other prime spell. Getting away from here would be a good plan though,” Eliandra said.

  “Lets go then, those knights are almost ready,” Lunara said.

  I looked back at the center to see that she was right. The silver knights were now fully formed. They had a fairly different armor design from the golden knights I had fought before. While those were slender, these knights were bulky and had shields besides their swords. I did not want any of my women near them, or any of my guards.