Eastern Expansion

by Randi Darren

  “Hurt,” Ramona said through her battered mouth.

  “I imagine.” Vince set the weapon down and then reached up to the chains holding her upright. Wrapping his fingers into the links he braced himself, and then pulled hard. Mortar, stones, and metal bolts came loose all at once. Pulling Ramona in close, he shielded her from the debris as it rained down. When it stopped, he took her to one of the cells and laid her down on the bed. Her wings were folded in close to her shoulders, but they didn’t look right.

  He didn’t dare look, but he imagined they probably worked on those, too.

  Vince didn’t blame her for giving up information. Torture was torture, and it worked. It wasn’t a question of if you would break, but only when.

  Laying a hand on her shoulder, Vince tried to channel the power inside of himself as Leila had been teaching him. Keeping his voice low, he whispered the words to cantrips she’d helped him develop to work with his natural energy.

  Green magic flowed down his arm and into Ramona. It wouldn’t be as direct and precise as a Dryad’s healing, but it would probably be considerably more powerful.

  Only a few minutes later, even as he continued to channel power into the Dragonnewt, he heard the door rattling.

  Leaving her there, Vince moved back out of the cell he’d laid her down in. Picking up the sword he’d stolen he walked forward several paces and held the weapon out before him. The corridor was narrow, he’d be able to hold the area quite well.

  The door opened and a High Elf scurried inside.

  Lifting the blade, Vince pointed it towards the well dressed young man.

  Realizing what he was walking into, the Elf stopped in place and lifted his hands up.

  “First and foremost, I’m here to apologize for the council. They weren’t all aware of the situation, and that—”

  “Shut up,” Vince said, interrupting the man. “Will they see me?”

  “I, that is—”

  “They can see me now, or not at all. If not at all, I’m going to start killing my way out of Vegas. Then you can explain to my army as they piss on the ashes of Vegas why I died here,” Vince said, moving forward.

  “They can see you now!” squealed the Elf as Vince rested the tip of the blade on the Elf’s throat.

  “Good. I need you to send two people down here to help with my companion. Your people foolishly decided to torture her. I’m still considering who will be paying for this affront.”

  The Elf bobbed his head, then turned and ran away back towards the entry door.

  Snorting, Vince returned to Ramona, and began filling her with energy again.

  Moments later, the Elf returned, along with two others. Vince stepped off to one side, and let them collect Ramona. Keeping his distance, Vince kept the sword ready and up in front of himself.

  Saying nothing, Vince gave the original Elf a toothy grin, waiting for him to lead him to this “council.”

  All three Elves led the way, exiting the dungeon. Keeping himself on high alert, Vince stalked out and kept a wary eye out for ambushes.

  He’d not trust the council one whit considering what they’d already done.

  Doors, hallways, and rooms went by. Vince gave them little to no attention and focused entirely on his immediate surroundings.

  Surprisingly, or perhaps it was only surprising because his paranoia was so high, there were no tricks or traps laid out for him.

  Up ahead, the trio of Elves hurried into an antechamber, then beyond into a large room.

  Vince swept the area from one side to the other, feeling ill at ease. This would be a position to have guards.

  Either they’d cleared them in advance of Vince’s arrival, or they were all waiting for him up ahead.

  Gritting his teeth, Vince worked a cantrip to speed his reflexes up, and followed. There wasn’t much else he could do here. There were no choices available to him.

  Stepping out of the antechamber, Vince was in an empty audience hall. There was quite a few empty chairs and desks spread throughout, but there were only seven people here. The three elves who brought him, Ramona, and three people he didn’t know and hadn’t yet met.

  Two men from the look of it, and an armed and armored Lizardman.

  Keeping the sword out in front of himself he was unsure. They had seemingly done exactly as he’d demanded. Which didn’t seem right. Rather than hesitate and show weakness, Vince kept moving. He closed in on the people at the center of the room.

  “Lord Vince,” said a pale faced older gentleman in an extravagant black robe. He had a full white beard, more wrinkles than Vince had hair, and looked frail to the point of breaking. “Please, forgive us your treatment so far.”

  “Yessss,” said the Lizardman. “We did not realize.”

  The third person, a man, said nothing. Their eyes were a brilliant gold with lizard-like pupils.

  The Elves laid Ramona down gently on the ground and left at a walk that bordered on a jog.

  “I’m Gerard,” said the old man. “One of the council. The Lizardman beside me is Srinis, and the man to my left is our resident Dragon councilman, by the name of Heint.”

  “Vince,” said Vince. Moving towards Ramona, he got down on one knee. Laying a hand to her neck, he found her pulse. It was strong and steady now.

  Seems my field treatment helped. She needs more direct care though.

  “Lord Vince, we really must apologize—”

  “Why did you torture her? Why imprison me? Why attack?” Vince growled out between his teeth. Standing up he faced the three people again, the sword still lifted and pointed toward them. “I’ll have answers to those questions first.”

  Focusing his mental abilities, he readied himself to tear their minds inside out to find his answers. First he’d hear them out, and listen for the truth in their words.

  Srinis held his hands out in front of himself. “We did not know you were here, in fact—”

  “Lie,” Vince said, feeling the lie in the Lizardman’s mind. “Do not lie to me. I will know.”

  All three froze at that.

  Srinis slowly lowered his hands, seemingly unable to continue.

  Gerard cleared his throat. “I did not know you were here, Lord Vince. As soon as the attendant notified me I had the guards cleared from your path and convened this council.”

  Truth. There’s also an undercurrent here.

  “So Srinis tortured Ramona, arrested me, and threw me into a dungeon all on his own?” Vince asked, staring at both Gerard and Heint.

  The Dragon shifted subtly. The move was so minuscule it almost escaped Vince’s notice. There was embarrassment there in Heint’s mind. And anger.

  Anger at Srinis.

  “Answer,” Vince prompted.

  Gerard opened his mouth, then closed it. Vince could feel Gerard struggling to get his thoughts moving regarding this situation, and how he could benefit from it.

  Peeking through memories as gently as he could, Vince found that there was tension between these three. They were not united, and sought power over one another. Srinis and Heint favored each other over Gerard as they were both reptilian.

  “Yes,” the old man finally said.

  Vince turned to Srinis, and waited.

  “I… that is. Ramona is a citizen. We were administering the law to her,” said the Lizardman councillor.

  “And how did you know she was here?” Vince asked. “The gate guards?”

  “Ah, yes,” confirmed Srinis.

  “They told you what she said.”

  “Yes.”

  “They told you she stated that she was my wife,” Vince said slowly.

  It wasn’t true, but this was an opportunity to turn the council, and earn himself some points with Gerard. Having an ally here would be beneficial.

  This was a chance to directly impact the council without bodyguards or others getting in the way.

  Srinis blinked, his head turning fractionally to Heint.

  Looking for help? You’ll find
none there.

  “I demand justice of you for your insolence. Fight me to the death, or forfeit your seat on the council. If any of your relatives, friends, or countrymen attempt to take your seat, I’ll demand justice of them as well.

  “I come bearing gold, Dwarven arms and Dwarven armor, and a safe trade route. To act as a barrier between you and the human empire. Perhaps even to be a neutral ground for trade. And your reception is torture of my wife, imprisonment of myself, and putting me in a dungeon? No, I’ll not deal with you and yours.”

  Heint’s mind was roiling now as he processed what Vince was saying

  Srinis had forced this and the Dragon knew for a fact the Tri-lliance would welcome everything that Yosemite had to offer. Welcome it with open arms and guarantees.

  Turning Vince away would be tantamount to getting a special visit from the head of the primary council.

  Gerard, on the other hand, was immensely pleased. Vince could feel the simple unadulterated joy the old man was feeling. Gerard would be able to act the peacekeeper, broker a deal, and suffer no harm in any way.

  “I’ll not step down and—” Srinis began.

  “Draw your sword and defend yourself, then,” Vince said, moving forward. The sword he’d taken was held out point first in front of him.

  He’d not allow Srinis to back out of this if he could help it. This was too politically in his favor to not do this. It’d provide a gateway to get a favorable deal for his people.

  Though, to be fair, maybe Vince was just mad as well.

  Srinis pulled his blade free and brought it up in a defensive posture.

  Vince had to make sure it looked like a fight rather than him murdering a Lizardman in one swing.

  Giving his shoulder a roll and his wrist a flick, he brought his sword around in a swift slash. The angle of the attack would allow for a simple block and easy return of attack for Srinis.

  As if Vince predicted it, Srinis blocked the attack. Then the Lizardman twisted his sword around in a riposte that looked as if it had been drilled into him.

  Both Gerard and Heint were shocked at the suddenness of it all. Vince knew Heint would try to interfere to protect his own power and Gerard would vacillate to make sure he covered himself if Vince lost.

  Time wasn’t on his side.

  Of course, that wasn’t a problem since he was sure this fight was already over.

  Boosting his strength, speed, and agility by magically pressing on the grove with a cantrip, Vince lunged forward.

  Grabbing the Lizardman’s jaw with his left hand, Vince pushed upwards. There was an audible crack as Srinis’ jaw broke. Then Vince’s sword point drove up into the soft reptilian scales of Srinis’ throat. The tip burst through the top of the Lizardman’s skull.

  Ripping his blade free, Vince kicked the corpse backwards, the ribs cracking noisily.

  Smacking the stone with a slap, Srinis lay twitching on the ground, his arms curling up in front of him as his legs straightened.

  Blood spurted all over Srinis’ dying body, pooling up around him.

  “I’ll demand justice of any of his kin, friends, or countrymen as well. For his death, I’ll pay one hundred gold standards in reparations for the damage his stinking body will cause to this hall. Now, would you care to discuss a trade deal, or summon a new councillor?” Vince asked, relaxing finally. Letting the sword hang at his side, he stared at the two remaining councillors.

  Gerard was the first to recover. “Ah, yes. Let’s discuss trade. From what little I could gather from our late councillor, it seems you’d like to purchase or barter food stores.”

  Vince would have to watch this man. He’d be the one to worm his way through anything and come out on the other side fine.

  “Accurate. We’d also be interested in purchasing seed and livestock. We’d prefer to be self-sufficient but our city is growing faster than we anticipated, hence our need for new trading partners,” Vince said, nodding to the older man.

  Heint was gazing at the dead Lizardman. The only feelings Vince got back from him was annoyance and trepidation.

  “We’d also be willing to split the costs on building a road from Yosemite to Vegas. I’m also willing to sign a binding, magically-reinforced agreement. Providing that I have time for my people to read over it and make any changes they think would be needed,” Vince said.

  Gerard slowly nodded his head. Vince already knew that the councillor was excited. Everything he’d just offered was more or less what he’d read from Gerard’s mind with a few tweaks for Yosemite’s benefit.

  “This is good news. I know that my superiors will welcome this. I’ll see about preparing documents and getting everything in order.”

  Vince felt someone enter the room. Deep in the far side, amongst the darkest shadows.

  He wasn’t even sure how someone had entered since there didn’t appear to be any windows or doors over there.

  “I’m sure we can easily work out some type of agreement that will benefit both sides,” continued Gerard.

  Turning his attention towards that area, Vince felt that it was four people. Each had murder on their minds and were doing their best to remain hidden.

  “I really must apologize for the late Srinis. He was a good guard, but a poor councillor. I’m sure I’ll be able to find a replacement much more suitable to the job,” Gerard said easily.

  Vince realized who the four people were and turned his head in their direction.

  “A moment, councillor. My bodyguards have arrived,” Vince said softly. Holding up his hand towards them he called out. “Red! Everything is fine. Please get everyone over here and tend to Ramona.”

  Gerard and Heint froze, their heads whipping to where Vince had been addressing the darkness.

  Red eyes flashed once, then the Cursed One simply appeared in a blur. She was low to the ground prowling around the councillors to get closer to Vince.

  “Red dislikes this place, Bringer. We should kill them all and leave. Red will kill the living one, Bringer should kill the dying one,” Red grumbled, her clawed hands scraping gouges in the stone floor as she went.

  “Red, we’re talking nicely now. I need you to be nice, too. Be especially good, and I’ll feed you twice tonight. Promise,” Vince said soothingly to the deranged red-eyed monster he had as a companion.

  “Twice? Red will be nice,” Red said. She sniffed the air once and then slunk off in a different direction.

  “You bound a Cursed One?” Heint said, finally breaking his silence.

  Gerard was still watching Red as she moved away.

  “I did. I fed her some Wendigo hearts and she kinda became a pet after that. Then I bound her,” Vince said, his eyes searching the darkness Red had come from.

  Blue, Green, and Leila came over at a walk. Both Dryads stopped next to Ramona and set to work on her. Leila floated over to him and slid up behind him. Her big purple eyes were penetrating as she glared at him.

  “I’m fine,” Vince said with a grin. “We’re just finishing up here. Hopefully we can be on the road soon.”

  “Good,” Leila grumbled. “We’re going to talk about what you did, and how none of us appreciated it. You will sit, listen, and accept it. And if you don’t like it… You can t-take it up with Fes!”

  Vince chuckled and bowed his head to the small woman. “That’s fine. I’ll stare into those big pretty eyes of yours until you get uncomfortable.”

  For whatever reason, teasing Leila had become rather fun for him.

  “They’re not big!” Leila said, her hands coming up to her face.

  “They’re huge. And pretty. If you can help Blue and Green with Ramona, I’d appreciate it.”

  Leila nodded her head and floated off.

  “You keep… interesting company. Dryads, Cursed One, Warlock, Dragonnewt,” Gerard said, his eyes back to Vince, appraising him anew.

  “Well, this is my traveling group for this mission. I also have a number of wives back at home.

  “Now, wha
t more do you need from me? I’d like to have this all taken care of so I can start reading through whatever agreements we can put together. I admit I’m eager to return home.”

  Chapter 22

  Staring down at the paper on the desk, Vince couldn’t help but blink. He’d already read it thrice and felt like he finally understood it.

  “Why can’t people just write what they mean exactly,” Vince muttered. “It’s just a trade agreement.”

  “Well. It’s a trade agreement with a necromancer who will probably outlive your great-great-grandchildren depending on the number of souls he enslaves. To him, this agreement could last a very long time,” Leila responded, rolling up her copy of the agreement. “Besides, it’s fine. There really isn’t anything out of the ordinary here. I mean, sure, there’s some ways for him to skim off the top it looks like, but that’s all from the Tri-lliance side, rather than your side.”

  Leila sighed and shook her head, reaching up with one hand to adjust her hair. “I’m no merchant though. I’m sure I’m missing something, but this seems pretty straightforward. Elysia would be able to figure this out.”

  Vince snorted at that but could only nod. “That she would. Far smarter than I am, that one.”

  “I’m going to bed. Keep an eye on Ramona while Blue and Green recharge. For it only being a day, she seems incredibly healthier. Your magic is potent, if inaccurate,” Leila said, getting out of the chair. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight,” Vince said, leaning back in his chair, watching the Gnome open and shut the door.

  Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Vince scratched at his cheek.

  He was tired, worn, and annoyed.

  His power play had worked so far, but it was obvious to him that the Lizardmen were well aware of who killed their patron. To the point that Vince had gone so far as to request only non-Lizardmen for whatever work needed to be done around him.

  Gerard only happily complied, using this excuse to replace the entire council guard in one fell swoop with his own people.

  Looking over his shoulder, Ramona was laid out on his bed, fast asleep. Recovering quickly and resting as much as possible. She hadn’t said much yet, but he was under the impression they’d been at her for hours.