Empire Builder 2

by Dante King

  Ben glanced at Quintus, the slave waiting for the signal.

  “Actually,” said D’reth. “I changed my mind—you’ve really irritated me with your insolence. You can die.”

  D’reth launched the red orb at Ben, shooting like a missile, a shimmering red tail trailing in the air behind it.

  Ben raised his palm and cast the Drain spell, focusing on the missile as it flew toward him. There was one strand inside of it—one of pure magical energy. Ben drained the orb as quickly as he could, and by the time it would’ve reached him, it had dissipated into nothing but a soft breeze against his palm.

  “What…what the hells?” exclaimed D’reth. “How…how did you do that?”

  “Now!” shouted Ben. “Do it now!”

  “Huh?” asked D’reth.

  He didn’t have a chance for any other reaction. Quintus pulled the null lock out from under his robe, lunging forward and clamping onto D’reth’s ankle.

  “What in the world have you done?” shouted D’reth. “Is this…”

  “It’s a null lock,” Ben said with a smirk. “And I’m not done yet.”

  Ben closed his eyes and raised his palms, channeling his Drain spell. First, he set his sights on D’reth’s mana pool, draining every last drop of magical energy the wizard possessed, then sucking the life out of the pool itself. Once the organ was a withered husk, Ben turned his attention to the mage’s spells.

  “You…you insolent whelp!” he screeched, his eyes wide. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

  “I know exactly what I’m doing,” replied Ben.

  Ben focused on D’reth’s collection of spells, trying to find the one that the mage had used against him. He sifted through the mage’s spells, eager to drain his power.

  “Ben!” shouted Quintus.

  Ben opened his eyes to see D’reth charging toward him on the horse, the powerful white beast closing the distance with incredible speed. The mage held his scimitar in the air with both hands gripped around the hilt, the blade pointed at Ben.

  “I don’t the magic to kill you, fool!”

  Ben didn’t have time to peruse the mage’s spells. He closed his eyes again, scanning the spells as quickly as he could until he spotted one called Energy Dart. That had to be it. He pulled that spell from D’reth along with one other that he didn’t have time to study the name of.

  Words appeared in his mind’s eye moments later.

  NEW SPELLS ACQUIRED!

  ENERGY DART

  FORCE BLAST

  “Force Blast”—he had no idea what was, and Ben didn’t think it was a good idea to try it out in the heat of battle without knowing its effects.

  He opened his eyes to see D’reth rushing toward him. Ben had less than a few seconds to figure out what to do. With his mana pool replenished, he closed his eyes and shifted into his hawk form.

  He had an idea.

  Ben flew straight up, letting out a fierce cry as he rose into the sky. D’reth charged, swiping his sword in a deadly arc but cutting through nothing but air.

  “Coward!” shouted D’reth as he pulled the reins of the horse, the animal kicking his front hooves into the air. “Come and fight me like a man!”

  Ben wasn’t about to let the mage poke his masculine pride and goad him into a fight he couldn’t win. Ben’s skill with a blade left much to be desired, and with D’reth still having his mount, the mage was at a major advantage.

  Instead, Ben flew a good thirty feet away, landing and shifting back into his human form.

  “Good,” said D’reth. “Die on your feet! More sporting that way!”

  Not planning on it, thought Ben.

  “I’ll kill you!” shouted D’reth. “But first, I’ll torture you until you’re begging for death!”

  He closed his eyes and cast Drain again, this time focusing on D’reth’s strength. It was thick and pulsing. Ben began to siphon energy from it as quickly as he could.

  “What…what are you doing?”

  Ben opened his eyes to see D’reth slumped over on his horse, on the verge of falling off the saddle. The scimitar dropped from his hand and fell onto the grass. Ben shifted into his hawk form, flying over to D’reth and sinking his claws into his shoulders.

  “You…you can’t do this!” D’reth protested. “You can’t!”

  But Ben didn’t listen. With the strength he’d stolen, he pulled D’reth off his saddle and into the air.

  “Quintus!” shouted D’reth as Ben carried him up higher and higher. “Do something or you’ll never see your family again!”

  Ben turned his eyes down to the slave to see if the offer would change his mind about helping him.

  But it didn’t. Quintus only watched as Ben carried D’reth higher into the sky. The mage struggled against him, flailing his arms with what little strength he had left.

  “Let…let me go…” he said, sounding on the verge of sleep. “You…fool…”

  Ben carried him up higher until the white horse and three slaves were small dots among the green.

  And then something strange happened. Ben felt his strength somehow increase more than it already had after stealing the mage’s strength. His body grew, his wings extending further outward. His claws became larger and sharper, the mage seeming smaller gripped in the now sword-like talons.

  Words appeared in his mind’s eye.

  HAWK TRANSFORMATION LEVEL INCREASED

  Ben grinned on the inside. He carried the mage easily now, as if D’reth were nothing more than a rat in his claws. The mage had passed out, his body slumped over in Ben’s grip.

  He flew over the ruins where the soldiers were still posted.

  Time to send a message, he thought. Stay the hell away from what’s mine.

  Once he was directly over the ruins, Ben opened his claws and released D’reth. The mage fell silently through the air, the soldiers below scattering as they realized what was happening.

  D’reth landed with a heavy thud, red exploding from his body as he crashed into the earth.

  Ben flew forward, arcing as he rushed back toward the ruins. He dove over them, letting out a mighty cry as he zipped over the soldiers. He flew too quickly to hear their words, but for a moment he could see the looks of absolute terror on their faces. As he flew back toward the slaves, Ben cast a glance at the soldiers, watching them flee the ruins in fear.

  For the moment, the problem was dealt with. Ben flew to the slaves and the horse, shifting back into his human form as he landed.

  The men were stunned, as if too afraid to look Ben in the eye.

  “What…what was that?” asked Quintus. “You turned into some sort of beast!”

  “It was like a greathawk,” said one of the other men, as spindly and thin as Quintus. “But larger.”

  “I don’t know,” Ben said. “But I know that whatever I was, I felt powerful.”

  “Quintus told us that you were the Forgotten Ruler,” said the third man, who couldn’t have been out of his teen years. “I didn’t believe it at first, but… please, forgive me.” He dropped to his knees and lowered his head, as if presenting himself for punishment. The other two slaves regarded Ben with fear, knowing their fates were in his hands.

  “I am the Forgotten Ruler,” Ben said. “And I want you three to know there is no slavery in my realm. From this day forth, you’re free men.”

  The three now-former slaves exchanged glances, as if they didn’t know what to do with this information.

  Ben realized that newly freed slaves were likely not comfortable making major decisions for themselves—they hadn’t done that in a long while, after all. For the time being, he was going to have to lead them.

  “The soldiers are fleeing,” Ben said. “But they may return, or they may find us. We need to get moving.”

  The men nodded, not saying a word. Ben didn’t need to explain the wisdom of his decision.

  “But where are we going?” asked Quintus. “And how will we get there? We can’t turn into h
awks like you can, Forgotten Leader.”

  Ben flicked his eyes up at the horse, who stood obediently. The beast was huge and powerful, twice the size of any horse Ben had seen in his life. As he’d carried D’reth, Ben had felt how large, and heavy, the mage had been. Rather than a frail, wizened wizard, D’reth was easily over seven feet. It made sense that his horse would be of great size, too.

  “All three of you,” Ben said. “Climb on…” Ben trailed off, realizing that he didn’t know the horse’s name.

  “Bloodhoof,” said Quintus. “That was what D’reth called him.”

  Ben snorted. What a terrible name, he thought. He stepped over to the horse, its eyes as black as oil. As he approached, Ben noticed that his color wasn’t as pure white as he’d thought. Up close, he could see that the creature’s hair was a greyish white, like the colors of the clouds.

  “Cyclone,” Ben said, placing his hand on the horse’s mane. “That’s what you’ll be called from now on.”

  He turned to the three men. “Get on the horse,” he said. “I live in the tower to the west. Just point him to the horizon and keep running, you should reach it in a few hours.”

  “But sir,” said the younger slave. “I don’t know if Bloodho—I mean, Cyclone, has enough strength to take us that far at full-tilt.”

  “Climb on,” Ben said.

  The men shared another glance before doing as Ben commanded. There was easily enough space for the three of them on Cyclone’s back, and once they were packed together on the saddle, Ben closed his eyes and summoned the leftover strength he’d drained from D’reth and gave most of it over to Cyclone. He split the rest evenly among the three men. They’d need strength for the ride too.

  “Now go,” Ben said. “I should arrive before you three. But if I don’t, let the gate know that you come with my blessing. Just… don’t let the little knight talk you into spending any time in the dungeon.”

  “The little knight?” asked Quintus.

  “You’ll see. Now, ride!”

  Without hesitation, Cyclone neighed then broke out into a full-tilt run. Once the men were on their way, Ben shifted back into his greathawk form, taking to the sky and flying over them.

  He was eager to return to the tower. Ben had learned much, but that was just information.

  Now he had to turn it into a plan.

  Chapter 19

  Ben flew close to Cyclone, the powerful horse racing over the endless expanse of green, its muscles tensing and flexing as it raced toward Ben’s tower in the distance. The three former slaves held on for dear life, using the strength Ben had given them to grip the saddle and not be tossed off as the horse galloped with the power and speed of a freight train.

  As he flew, Ben found himself reflecting on the strange ruins in the middle of the circle of hills. He and the men had taken a quick detour to investigate before starting back to the tower. The investigation had only left him with more questions, and he knew a trip back would be in order before too long.

  For the time being, Ben needed to let his council know what he’d found. War was on the horizon, and they didn’t have much time to prepare.

  Ben’s new greathawk form was powerful—so powerful that he had to hold himself back to make sure he didn’t fly faster than Cyclone could run. Now and then the former slaves would glance up at Ben in his greathawk form, a tinge of fear in their eyes as if he might swoop down and attack at any moment. Ben didn’t take this personally - life as a slave under a fiend like D’reth would likely leave anyone on edge.

  After a few hours’ flight, the party reached the tower. Ben swooped down, landing on his massive claws, his razor-sharp, curved talons digging into the soft earth. He closed his eyes and shifted back into his human form, his heart racing from the exhilaration of the flight.

  He stood before the massive door that led into the ground floor of the tower. The doors, detecting his presence, rumbled open slowly.

  Quintus hopped off the back of Cyclone. The ride had made his legs quiver as he approached Ben.

  “This…this is truly your tower,” he said, wonder in his voice. The other two slaves joined them, craning their necks all the way up to the crown of the tower. Neither of them said a word, as if fearful of upsetting Ben and incurring his wrath. “You are the Forgotten Ruler.”

  Ben said nothing as the doors finished opening.

  “What would you have us do?” asked Quintus. “We’re forever in your debt for what you’ve done, for freeing us from bondage and slaying that fiend.”

  “Come with me,” Ben said.

  The former slaves obeyed, taking Ben’s side and stepping with him into the vast entry room of the tower. Quintus held Cyclone’s rein and led him inside with them. Ben wasn’t in long before a trio of aurochkin entered from a side door, hurrying over to Ben and awaiting orders. Their eyes flicked over to the former slaves before returning to Ben.

  “Assign these men temporary guest rooms,” Ben said. “Allow them to rest, to bathe, and to eat. And when they’re ready, give them whatever work around the tower they feel comfortable performing.”

  Ben turned to Quintus. “Of course, you’re under no obligation to stay—you’re free to leave whenever you like. But if you wish to work and earn your keep, you’re all more than welcome.”

  Quintus lowered his head. “Th-thank you, Forgotten Ruler.”

  “And later we can discuss some sort of wage,” Ben said, “if you wish to earn a bit of money in order to trek out and find your family.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Then don’t say anything at all. Rest, and give yourself time to recover.”

  Quintus nodded one more time before two aurochkin led the group away. One aurochkin remained, his mouth opened slightly and his eyes wide as he gazed up at the massive horse before him.

  “My lord,” he said. “Do you…do you wish us to prepare him for dinner?”

  Ben chuckled. “No—a horse this fine you don’t simply eat. Find a good place for him for the time being. I’ll decide on something more permanent later.”

  The aurochman nodded hesitantly, and Ben could sense he was a bit intimidated about taking on a horse that size. But Cyclone was well-behaved and allowed the aurochman to lead him without issue.

  “And inform my council that I wish to meet them as soon as possible. We have much to discuss.”

  “Yes, lord,” said the aurochman.

  Ben watched the aurochman leave. The moment he was gone and Ben was left alone, it hit him suddenly how tired he was. His limbs ached, his mind was unfocused. And on top of it all, his stomach growled.

  But he didn’t have time to rest. He needed to meet with his council and tell them what had happened. Even a moment wasted could prove the difference between victory and defeat. He had no doubt more soldiers would arrive to investigate what had happened, and when they put together who had killed D’reth they would most certainly not take it lying down.

  Ben stepped over to the elevator, leaning one hand against the wall as he waited for it to arrive. His eyelids were heavy, and he worried he might fall asleep standing.

  The elevator arrived before that happened. He entered and called out “council room,” and the elevator rose as soon as he spoke the words. But when the doors opened, he was surprised at what he saw. The council wasn’t there—only Sybil. She was seated on the edge of the huge, round table, a warm smile on her face.

  “Where is everyone?” Ben asked as he stepped into the room, his voice echoing.

  “They’re off in the rest of the tower, tending to their usual business.”

  “Why are they not here as I commanded them?”

  “Because, oh great Forgotten Ruler—you need a nap.”

  “Huh?”

  “When the aurochman told me that you’d arrived, I asked what sort of condition you were in. He told me you looked dead on your feet.”

  “I’m fine,” Ben said. “More than well enough to hold a council meeting.”

 
Sybil pushed herself from the table and slowly made her way over to him. Her hips swayed as she walked, and Ben had a hard time taking his eyes off her curves—despite his fatigue.

  “I know it feels like the world is charging onward, and that every minute counts. But you need to realize your limitations, Ben. You’re a powerful leader, but you need sleep and food like all the rest of us. So when the aurochman told me that you wanted to meet with the council, I decided that I would offer my opinion on the matter before carrying out the order.”

  “Very bold of you,” Ben said.

  She shrugged and smiled. “What can I say? I’m forthright like that. Now, if you want me to call the council, I will. But if you want my opinion as an advisor, I think you need a bath, a hot meal, and a few hours’ rest before rushing off headlong into danger. How does that sound?”

  Part of Ben wanted to push on, to not rest even for a moment.

  But another part of him yearned at the mention of food, his muscles aching at the thought of a hot bath.

  “I know you’re thinking of it as an indulgence, but it’s not.” Sybil smiled. “A happy, rested ruler means clear-headed thinking and solid decisions. I’ve never ruled a realm before, but I’m going to guess it’s not something best done on no sleep and an empty stomach.”

  “Alright,” Ben said. “You’ve talked me into it.”

  “Excellent,” she said, clearly pleased with his answer. “Go up to your room and get into something comfortable and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  She placed her hand on his shoulder and led Ben back into the elevator. “See you soon,” she said.

  The doors shut and Ben was soon on his way up. When the doors opened, his bed practically called out to him. He shucked off his clothes and gear as he made his way to the bed. And when he was down to only his undershirt and underwear, he fell back onto it. Evening sun poured into the bedroom, bathing the space in a rich, golden light.

  It seemed like no time at all had passed before the elevator doors opened and Sybil entered. Ben sat up and saw that she had a tray of food in her hands, the hearty smell of cooked meat and baked bread filling the room.