Blood of Fate

by Dan Sugralinov

  “I can explain everything, my lord!” The captain fell to one knee.

  “I don’t doubt it, Hector.” Ma Ju Ro took a deep breath through his nose and smiled. “You are all invited to dine with me. Captain, Koerlig, Keirinia... Let us discuss matters as we eat. And invite in Reyk Lee Vensiro with his ‘news.’ While the table is being set, give me some time alone. I have things to think about!

  The old man Nem rushed out for the Reyk. The others exchanged surprised glances and began to sit down at the table. Keirinia closer to the emperor’s seat, with Lentz and Hector at the other side. As for Koerlig, he remained where he stood, trying to figure out if he’d misheard when the emperor had invited him personally to the table.

  Luca went out onto the terrace, closed the door behind him and watched for a long time as the sun sank into the ocean. Why in Two-horns name not? he asked himself. Maybe I’ll be lucky.

  The universe itself considered that he was doing everything right. He glanced at the numbers in the top right corner of his view and they expanded into a line.

  Tsoui points: +1. Current balance: 24.

  Enough for two spins of the Wheel. But today he would spin it just once.

  Chapter 29. Red Sector

  THE OCEAN’S SURFACE sparkled with short blinding flashes from the reflected sun, and Luca screwed up his eyes. The longest day of his life was coming to an end, but for him — the emperor — it was all only just beginning. In the next hour or two, he needed to make sure he could rely on these people in the future, and that meant he needed to convince them. And not in the same way he had Lentz, by the carrot and stick. Demonstrating his abilities publicly would surely lead to uprising and rebellion. For them, his abilities would only serve to prove that their ruler had turned into a mutant.

  And such people were feared and hated in the Empire. His royal carrots wouldn’t help him then, nor the deadly stick. Rumor would abound, and by morning the palace would be taken by a roiling crowd of peasants, with the aristocrats cheering them on from a safe distance, and not necessarily only those his rebellious cousin Rezsinius had bought.

  But for now, while he had a few moments to breathe, Luca activated a spin of the Wheel.

  Luca’Onegut, life one.

  Reminiscent. Successor to Esk’Onegut.

  Influence level: 0.

  Tsoui points: 24.

  Activated Wheel Spin: 10 Tsoui points will be deducted.

  Use?

  Luca thought for a moment, and then decisively pressed ‘Yes.’ He needed to be more powerful, and up to now the Wheel had given him abilities without which he wouldn’t survive, as if it understood his need. He would have died in a puddle to Karim Kovachar’s good aim, or in Yadugara’s cellar. First the healer would have drained him, then the chinils would have eaten him to the bone. It was as if the Wheel saw the future and knew with what to reward him.

  He kept his eyes closed, but could still see it. Everything disappeared, the darkening sky, the ocean waves, and he saw only the Wheel. It was slightly larger than last time, and it was picking up speed. The segments merged into a speckled disc around the size of the emperor’s dining table.

  Slowing, it split at first into barely discernible fragments, then into fully separate ones. When it finally slowed to its last turn, Luca saw a series of white sections, then three prize sections in a row; blue, gold and... He decided not to watch, covering his eyes with his hands, but that did nothing.

  Slowly, like a drop of sweat rolling down the emperor’s forehead, the Wheel turned beyond the active blue zone that would give him mastery in some skill. It almost stopped on the gold section. A superpower! Luca was no risk-taker. He’d had no time to develop that skill, be it good or bad to have, in his time as a cripple. The spectral voices of the two senior personalities, Esk’Onegut and the true Ma Ju Ro the Fourth, were another matter. They watched in ecstasy... and groaned from that particular contrasting disappointment of a jackpot slipping through one’s fingers.

  The Wheel had stopped on red.

  Wheel spin completed.

  Spin result: Red Sector.

  Reward:

  Luca’Onegut receives the ailment (applied to current body and world of existence) UESM.

  UESM? Ailment? Luca felt himself from head to toe, jumped on up and down on both legs, then felt his face. Nothing appeared to have changed, but nonetheless his heart was trying to thump its way out of his chest. The word ‘reward’ felt particularly mocking.

  Uncontrolled Excessive Sexual Magnetism (UESM)

  Classification: virus.

  Threat level: deadly in certain conditions.

  Contagious level: not infectious.

  A rare viral illness. Created by scientists on a number of humanoid worlds as an aphrodisiac that arouses interest, sympathy and sexual attraction in members of the opposite sex. No antidote to the virus has been invented.

  The base colony in the host’s body releases a viral agent into the atmosphere, which infiltrates the bodies of all encountered members of the opposite sex, and if mating is possible, transfers the code of an individually configured pheromone to the database. The colony generates a targeted carrier virus, which produces an irreversible pheromone in a very short time, infecting the individual.

  The carrier’s life is always short. All members of the opposite sex (or sexes in the case of intelligent life requiring more than one sexual partner) that encounter the carrier immediately focus all their attention only on the carrier. Possessing (multiple instances of sexual contact) them becomes their sole and most important goal of those affected, the meaning of their life cycle.

  UESM does not harm the carrier by itself, but socializing always leads to an early death due to exhaustion and physical injury incompatible with life. Overly aroused members of the opposite sex have at times been known to literally tear the carrier to...

  “My lord!” Lentz’s voice rang out loud behind the emperor’s back. Ma Ju Ro shivered, but the healer didn’t see it, too busy staring at the floor in embarrassment. “Forgive me for disturbing you. Hector is drooling, but has so far restrained himself from starting dinner without you. Also, Reyk Lee Vensiro has arrived with his companions. Should I keep them out for now?”

  “Give me a couple of minutes, Lentz,” Luca replied dully, fearing to turn around. It was still unclear how the ailment he had ‘won’ would work and be how it might show in his appearance. It would help to get a clear picture of it soon... “They can wait. As you too can... wait.”

  Lentz closed the doors. The emperor carefully glanced back. The healer had definitely gone inside. Leaning against the railing, Ma Ju Ro immersed himself in thought, staring at the fine burning line of the setting sun.

  Sexual magnetism. So he would be irresistible, or rather the desired partner of every woman he met? On the one hand, it sounded nice, but on the other... he was a coveted prize for any single woman in the Empire as it was. Perhaps even for any married one. But did he want that for himself? He imagined Aunt Mo, Yadugara’s cook, suddenly burning with passion for him and throwing herself at him with obvious intent, and it made him sick. What could he do? Banish all women from the palace and surround himself with an impenetrable wall of guards? Or...

  Detected infection by UESM virus...

  Detected unsanctioned alteration in metabolism...

  Detected cellular influence...

  Activating countermeasure...

  His heart stopped as he awaited the verdict of his metamorphosis. The power of the Wheel fought another power, but still of the same Wheel, and the text logs flashing before his eyes stilled. His hair stood on end, his limbs froze, he lost consciousness, but awoke again before he fell, seeing only the world flashing, and the stars disappearing from the night sky within a heartbeat.

  The text logs were replaced by new ones, but those froze as well as the emperor read them.

  Countermeasure impossible!

  Recalculating data...

  More non-organic energy reserves required.<
br />
  Estimated time to accumulation of required Wheel energy with current tasks taken into account: 21 hours.

  Hmm... He could last twenty four hours. But he definitely shouldn’t meet with his mom or Kora until late the next night.

  * * *

  “Your imperial majesty!” Reyk Lee Vensiro gave a short bow. “You have had the grace to allow my humble companions the great honor of beholding you in person. Allow me to introduce them: he is highly active, energetic and, without a doubt, utterly loyal to the Empire and your majesty, the widely respected ringmaster of the circus, famed from the northern Wastelands to the torrid southern deserts of Two-horns, Kratomir Djobja... Bodja...

  “Radomirco...” a short man next to the Reyk whispered quietly. He had a bald head scattered with tufty patches of growth. Ma Ju Ro heard him and a barely perceptible smile formed on his face. “We’re Dobzhani.”

  “...Kratomir Bodjobdzhani!” Vensiro blurted out and smiled charmingly, baring his large horse-like teeth, one of which appeared to be missing.

  Lentz leaned toward the emperor’s ear and quietly explained.

  “He hired some cheap whores and got carried away with them, threw a lot of money about. He woke up in the morning with no whores, money, or clothes, just half a bottle of booze on the pillow. Nice of them to leave it, really. The Reyk drowned his sorrows in the rest of the bottle, then wandered drunkenly into the slums and fell into a ditch.

  “He lost his tooth in the ditch?” Ma Ju Ro asked with genuine childish curiosity.

  “Not at all, your majesty,” Hector interjected, picking at his ear with a finger. While awaiting the emperor’s return, he’d had plenty to drink and had gotten a lot more open, and Luca made no effort to discourage him. “My lieutenant knocked his tooth out. They got into a fight in a pub over a beautiful girl.”

  “That was another tooth, we’ve already reinserted that one,” Lentz corrected him.

  “Could be...” the campaign said, stroking his chin. “That’s not the point. Lettekah sincerely offered this overdressed peacock redress, but he refused.”

  “Why did he refuse?”

  “I remember this story. It was last week, yes?” the chief imperial medic asked.

  “That’s right,” Hector agreed.

  “So why did he refuse?” Ma Ju Ro asked again.

  “The girl turned out to have a surprise,” Lentz explained. “And in all senses of the word. She was married to some shopkeeper...”

  “Damn him too,” the captain noted. “Both of them got far too carried away, and when they found out, they were already drinking together the next day. They were seen together at dawn, embracing on the stoop of a brothel...”

  The protagonist of this gossip, realizing that the emperor wasn’t listening to him, had fallen silent and was submissively awaiting permission to continue. The stupefied circus ringmaster shifted nervously next to him, along with three girls in a row, all dark of complexion, strong and fit, with narrow waists and impressive curves. Luca watched them as he listened to the captain’s tales, unable to tear his eyes away. One of the girls, a blue-eyed brunette, sensed this and smiled at him shyly.

  Keirinia on the emperor’s right coughed delicately and touched his elbow. She was behaving normally. Luca had managed to use his remaining Wheel energy to ‘convince’ his metamorphosis to at least block the pheromone generation for a short time, even if it couldn’t heal him. Luca tore his gaze away from the girl and looked at the captain.

  ... so he stretched out his right hand, put his left hand on the bend...”

  “Hector!” Lentz interrupted him. “His imperial...”

  “Apologies,” the captain of the palace guard mumbled, leaning over his dish and sinking his teeth into a lamb shank.

  “Reyk Vensiro, please, continue,” Ma Ju Ro asked his guest.

  “Ahem,” the Reyk began. “As I already said, Maestro Kratomir has brought to the capital, may its walls stand eternally, the most incredible circus of monsters the Empire has ever seen! At your first call, at your merest nod, my ruler, the artists of the circus will perform for you!”

  “I don’t understand,” the captain grunted. “Are they here too, then?”

  “Y-yes... your majesty...” the short Dobzhani said after a nudge from the Reyk, turning a deep shade of red and barely standing on his wobbly legs. He last ringmaster that had performed in the palace had ended up buried alive in the intermission. His artists had sung an obscene song and the previous empire had quite unfortunately thought that it referred to him. “At the Reyk’s command, my entire troupe has come with me to the palace.”

  “Why didn’t you lead with that?!” the captain barked, cracking his bare lamb shank on the table, dropping the bone on the floor and wiping his hands.

  Furrowing his brows, Luca stealthily and gently touched his arm, injecting several alcohol-neutralizing agents. The captain’s liver obviously needed some help, and Hector needed sobering up before he went too far, after which he would have only one path — to the chopping block.

  “Thank you, Radomirco,” the emperor nodded beatifically. “I’m sure we’ll find time to admire your performance a little later. As for you, Reyk, please, continue. Introduce me to your wonderful companions.”

  “With the greatest of pleasures, my ruler!” Lee Vensiro moved the short man back and then dared to step forward closer to the table with his ‘three beautiful flowers of the South.’ “Their barbarian names are too complex and baffling for your elegant ear, so I have abbreviated them: this one, with the hair down to her a... ahem, down to the bottom of her back, is Taya. Her parents — wild, but honorable hillfolk — brought their daughter up to strictly respect the Sacred Mother and your majesty. Step forward.”

  Taya proudly raised her chin and swayed her hips as she stepped forward, looking Ma Ju Ro up and down playfully. Apparently, life after the girl left her father’s home wasn’t so strict.

  “Master...” she said in singsong tones. “Serving you is the only thing I strive for.”

  The captain span his index finger in the air. Taya understood him and gracefully stood on her tiptoes, span several times with her arms raised. Like a swan, thought Luca, who had never seen a swan. Perfection itself.

  Taya, as if sensing her ruler’s interest, span faster. Her ginger hair hit a jug and knocked it off, making old Nem rush to pick up the pieces. The hillfolk daughter’s emerald eyes widened in fear. She covered her mouth and stepped back.

  “It’s fine, Taya,” Ma Ju Ro soothed her. “Our cellars are full of wine, but hair like that takes years to grow...”

  Keirinia wrinkled her nose. New or not, it seemed to her that the emperor was still his same old horny self. Although more polite and... kinder. She felt a stab of jealousy, but not like before, when she’d competed for his attention with his other favorites. This felt different.

  “Maya, my ruler,” the Reyk declared, pressing his fingers into another girl’s thick ashen hair and revealing a sharp-tipped ear. “A beautiful and charming daughter of the proud forest people. This little mutation gives her a special charm.”

  Tall at a head higher than the emperor, Maya bent down in a bow.

  “My ruler! I was born to fulfil your desires!”

  Smiling widely, the girl raised her leg vertically, held it close to her body and froze in the pose, demonstrating her flexibility, coordination and stunning elasticity. Then she stood on her hands. Her short skirt fell, her legs parted and froze parallel to the floor, baring her sultry cheeks. Spellbinding views opened up before those sitting at the table.

  Luca, who had been waiting impatiently for the Reyk to introduce his blue-eyed brunette, froze with his jaw dropped. Koerlig at the far end of the table stretched out his thin neck and stared, immortalizing the eloquent sight in his memory. Keirinia drank her wine and stayed silent.

  “Two-horns take me...” Captain Kolot Hector said in stunned tones, as a man who had likely seen a great deal in this world.

  “How is that a
natomically possible?” Lentz marveled. “Is the structure of the...”

  Luca didn’t hear the rest. He just heard the blood rushing to his ears, his heart beating up a storm. Two lines of text appeared before his clouded eyes.

  Attention! Non-organic energy reserves exhausted!

  UESM virus can no longer be blocked!

  Luca slowly turned his head to the left. The first courtesan Keirinia watched him with a frightening hunger gleaming in her eyes. She licked her lips like a predator.

  Chapter 30. Great Ancestor Spirit