Empress's Endgame (Book 5 and final of the Death Incanate Saga)

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  “According to the last census of Kote done after the storm, there are eight hundred and thirty two eligible men for the Draft, not including the children. If every woman of age also does as the men, there are an equal number of dragons tasked to come in the coming days.”

  “Short three, Kallerian Two-legs.” Bellatrixx rumbled as she counted. “In Kote land I sense three not in report you showed.”

  “We’re merchants.” Quil voiced.

  “Bellatrix, you know what to do.” She gave a grunt to her human before gliding away to open a sight mirror and communicate. Three more dragons arrived in the area not long after with more coming over the horizon.

  “Healers are required to bond like the men, especially women healers. Since only women who bind with dragons, they are most needed to save the wounded and magic is far faster and efficient than herbs and tonics. Princess Amy has also made her father see women can fight and are now allowed to fight with their men, so long as they aren’t pregnant, that also will not allow any to bind. Currently pregnant women are not allowed to bind as the process is not compatible with unborn or young children. Spread the news to all Kote’s citizens to come here. Captain Cillian will be in charge until a commander from the army brings orders. All ties with Miot and other towns will be isolated while the dragons teach you how to use your new powers. It won’t be easy at first, but they will help along the way. Remember, this is a royal decree to keep what we have, the way we want it. Otherwise we will die as slaves at best or lose Raliea at worst. And again, men from sixteen and up are bound to the draft so get the elderly men here first. You gain youth and power to protect the people and land you love. If we do not fight, we lose. And for our protection, none my leave so the empire remains clueless.” Lord Kallerian held his hands together. “And just so you know, my influence as a noble will see to it any warriors of Kote remain together. And know this as well, I too am going to fight for my homeland.”

  “Then sign me up!” Kitty declared during the heavy moment of silence. “I always wanted to try and see if witches can use magic to give themselves an orgasm.”

  The tension snapped as the crows laughed.

  It came to an end as Kitty suddenly floated up and hovered in fear before a large violet dragon female who grinned. “Wish to be in my hoard? Spirit you have, Two-legs. You make morale greater. Bind?”

  Hesitantly the old woman nodded. A purple ball appeared in a huge hand Kitty disappeared inside. A minute later Kitty was magically returned to the ground to the astonished crowd as a regal brunette laughed as she made her once saggy breasts, now perky, bounce and jiggle. “Ha, this is great!” she turned her hazel eyes while feeling straight teeth for the first time in years and appraised Lord Kallerian like a prized stallion. “I feel the need to see how my flower works now. Care to join me?”

  “Grandmother!” her granddaughter of equal beauty stared in embarrassed shock. Kitty grinned before hearing Lord Kallerian laugh. “I would be honored, Mistress Kitty, to make you see stars.”

  “Big talk. Follow me home.” Kitty ran faster than she remembered, no longer did her bones hurt.

  “Being young eh?” an old farmer said while watching Kitty run home. “I wouldn’t mind it. How about you, Wife?”

  “You aren’t going to war without me this time or I’ll kill you myself.” She retorted.

  “Hello up there! Who wants us?” the farmer cheerfully called and not a moment later the husband and wife levitated to speak with their own individual dragon.

  “Wow, Mother, you are more beautiful than me!” Meeka said as her mother was released. Twenty five years or so had been removed, leaving another blonde bombshell in the world.

  Brooke hugged Meeka from behind and kissed her cheek. “Not true, Meeka Love, your breasts are more full and your mother is shorter by four inches at least. Maybe sisters you both could pass as. And your mother cannot sing like you.”

  “She’s right.” Tiffa admitted as she caressed her golden youthful body all over, remembering its radiance and femininity the way it once was. “Oh, my nipples are so sensitive now. Everything feels so new. Thank you, Kanna!” The white scaled female grinned at the bubbly personality. “I will see you at my house at nightfall. You and your husband may make a home there for yourselves, near the tree line, but please and try not to flatten my medicinal herbs.”

  “Gratitude, Tiffa Two-legs. We will discuss your knowledge of the healing arts at such a time.” The white one flipped around midair and flew away, creating a manageable gust in her wake.

  “Cillian!” Tiffa said breathlessly as her husband lost all his scars and was corded in knotted muscle which made his baldric seem more deadly. It was clear now he was a true warrior, as the binding returns a person to a state the body remembers as its most powerful. No longer did gray affect his dark blonde hair. He was indeed a powerful man.

  “Isn’t it amazing!” Cillian spun for her glassy eyed enjoyment. Her nipples pearled in front of them all in her arousal, but she controlled herself better than many of the older members of Kote who found renewed youth made their sex drive run out of control. Judging from his expression, he was fighting a desperate struggle to not have a raging erection. He found her more than appetizing nevertheless. “I had forgotten how many times you made my lance rise at this age without any coaxing. Nearly every person in Kote is having sex.”

  “Then we better not be outsiders.” She couldn’t move fast enough as Cillian scooped her up in massive arms and ran faster than one possessed, racing for his office. Those with more control laughed.

  “Cage Love, take us home now!” Brooke ordered. “I cannot wait any longer myself.”

  “My pleasure!” He grinned and all of them vanished for home after seeing every adult choose to aid the king’s call to arms and not let those they love leave without them.

  Chapter 6

  “I’M PREAGNANT!” Tohka yelled from the bathroom the following morning.

  Her three loves raced up the stairs to find the nurturer kneeling on the floor holding her muscular belly while crying and smiling in great joy.

  “Really?!” Meeka knelt by her woman and barely touched her as if she would break.

  “Look in my womb. I’m pregnant, Meeka Love.” Tohka hurriedly said.

  Three sets of magic moved to the womb as Rena rushed in from outside, hearing the declaration. All were quiet aside from a joyous Tohka and she watched as a smile began growing on each of her lovers faces.

  Stuck to the womb’s wall was the beginning of new life.

  “Dad?” Rena’s voice shook with uncertainty.

  “It’s true. Tohka’s ovulation cycle must have just started while we were together last night. Her fertilized egg has begun splitting, making new life in her womb. I sense my genetic material has bonded with hers.”

  Brooke and Meeka tackled Tohka to the floor and kissed her merrily as they all began to cry rivers of delight. Rena squealed as she threw her arms around her dad’s waist. She then let go and piled on top of her mothers’ and shared in their joy. “I’m going to be a sister again!”

  Poli’s great eyes suddenly appeared at the window and blocked the light as she rumbled “I just read Tohka’s mind. Is she truly pregnant with your offspring?”

  “See for yourself.” He said with a smile and a few moments later there was a deep rumble of contentment while Daku, Metali and Metalu flew in the bedroom from the open balcony door. Daku too mentally conversed with his human.

  In the three weeks since they were gone all the griffin cubs were no longer pink and naked. Now they all had soft fur and hard feathers that matched their beaks. Metalu’s coat was a soft rust that was redder under direct sunlight while Metali had a silky, steel gray coat. Both now remembered names and retained much more as physically they were both filling out their gangly appearance. The closest analogy to compare ages is they were each around the physical and mental age of a ten year old girl. They took position to either side of their sleekly muscled mate who heard the
mental yell and came to share in the joy.

  “I’m so happy, Tohka Mother!” Rena buried her face between Tohka’s ample bosom as they all sat up. More laughing resulted.

  “Me too, Child, me too.” She wiped the happy tears away. “Cage Love, you’ve made me so happy, but is there a way to ensure our baby makes it?”

  “Nature must take its course.” Daku instead spoke. “Do not do anything so early on. You will have many more months till you even show. The next three months will be tenuous for your kind. At any time during this period you can lose your cub. Do as you would if you didn’t know your mating was a success. Any violent changes to your body might do irreparable harm and you’ll never again be as excited again… for you’ll be barren for all eternity.”

  “Way to rain down on her parade.” Commented Cage as he kicked Daku in the arm. It didn’t hurt, but the warning was clear.

  “No, he’s right.” Tohka defended as she scooped Rena in her arms and stood, gave the girl a kiss on the forehead and sat her down. “I needed that, Daku. I should know better by now.” And she grinned again and touched her belly. “But I’m finally pregnant and know it.”

  “How did you find out?” Meeka asked as they walked in the bedroom and out onto the spacious balcony to include Poli and Ulon, as he arrived while they sat on a long, outside chair that adjusted the head and back.

  “After we had breakfast.” Tohka eagerly told them while glowing with excitement. “I’ve done it every time after I ate breakfast when Cage’s seed spilled deep in my womb. Usually most of his seed has been absorbed in me by then, otherwise it is full and impossible to sense anything other than many tiny wiggly things. He makes so much for all three of us. I bet I got pregnant as he had all of us bent over together while his lance stretched me and his hands worked on you both, before he changed and filled either of you two too.” She said as a side thought as she was overly animated. “He spills seed in our wombs almost every night, as we make him do. But as I was brushing my teeth I used my magic and found much of his seed keeping my womb warm, but then I found a small sphere stuck to the wall and was split four ways, just like the picture in Cage’s books he got for us. No other cell in my body looked like that before… and I knew I was carrying our man’s child.”

  Brooke and Meeka cuddled against her side, both caressing her as their man and others watched and listened. Then Meeka kissed Tohka’s cheek and said “You do realize now that if you make it to the end, you will be the first mother of the warlocks. I’m a little jealous you beat me.”

  “I’m lots jealous.” Brooke stated with a hint of irritation. “I wanted to get pregnant first and beat both of you. It isn’t fair that you get to beat me, but I cannot complain, this just means we have a new baby coming into our family. And you cannot get pregnant again while Meeka and I get to have him.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Tohka’s eyes narrowed.

  Brooke twirled a finger in the air before grabbing her woman’s flower. “You’re pregnant, but we aren’t. Cage will fuck only us with his mighty lance. You don’t want to endanger our baby with it do you?”

  Tohka snapped her body around and threw her leg over Brooke, pinning her hand that held her sex while one arm was locked in Tohka’s grip and the other around her woman’s throat. Brooke stared back, unconcerned. “Oh, but our mate will. He will still fill me each night. I’m not giving him up. I will have more sex, but not as wild now that I know. I won’t sit back while you have all the fun… unless you please me till I cannot see straight anymore. You will share our mate, as I would if you had become first pregnant. Besides, from what I read in one of the books, sex during pregnancy releases good hormones to the baby. I still want sex and you can’t stop me.” Then Tohka grinned and bent lower and gave Brooke a kiss. “See, I knew you would see it my way.”

  Brooke sighed “Lucky.” And easily rolled her woman off.

  “Tohka Mother, do you know if it will be a boy or girl?”

  The nurturer looked around questioningly till Poli said “It is far too soon to tell, Hatchling, but judging from the genetics binding Tohka’s and Cage’s biology I would guess the hatchling in the womb to be female.”

  “A daughter?!” Tohka asked.

  “The probability would be fifty nine percent.” Ulon spoke after careful consideration. “At the moment, your young will lay heavily on a female’s path, but forty one percent could make a male.”

  “Really?” Cage asked with intrigue. “I thought a single sperm made either male or female and the mother’s body simply nurtured it.”

  “Partially true.” Poli answered. “Your sperm has led to a female path, but environmental and a mother’s condition can hold sway by hormone production. You can see this trait well among your human colony. Females here outnumber males by birthrate. Life on the plains required more females than males since few males can fertilize many females. This also shows strong bodied females who make up for a male weakened group. Valagax also closely resembled the Utala billions of cycles ago. This cannot be disputed. Female your hatchling will likely be, but so soon, not a rotation after conception, will be debatable as to the sex till two months pass. At that time I can accurately tell the gender of our newest progeny to the group.”

  “How do you two know so much about human babies?” Brooke asked not unkindly while letting Tohka’s head rest on her shoulder while Rena laid on Meeka. Metali returned with a giggly Ananna riding on her back to join the party.

  “Because I want to give Ulon many offspring.” The silver dragon said without reservation. “Until the coming war ends and the Rex’s and females determine who may lay eggs, I cannot develop another life within me without causing strife with the ancient ones. If many die and I prove my strength to all females, I likely will be allowed in the next two to eight centuries. When I first learned of the population control in place on all worlds, I was sad and spent three hundred cycles instead learning much about conception and young rearing, even among other species. I merely applied that time to this situation. It would be nice if when I gain my allowance to lay an egg, our offspring will grow together.”

  “Plan on it.” Brooke said with a twinkle in her eye as she momentarily glanced at her man leaning against the railing. “The three of us are going to make babies till we are sick of them. I plan on over a thousand in the next million years, if I live that long. I’m sure in that time some our babies will grow up together.”

  “A thousand!” Meeka stared blankly. “You cannot be serious.”

  “She better be.” Rena said as she sat up. “I want many brothers and sisters. I’m the daughter of the strongest parents in the whole tribe and it only makes sense I’m to have more siblings than any other. Sean Brother will one day father a new race and I want many brothers and sisters to play with. Won’t you be like Mother too, Meeka Mother?” Rena gave an adorable pout.

  The healer said “Rena, if your eyes weren’t laughing I would feel obliged to agree, you little tease, but a thousand babies is too much to think about. My plans are more near at hand. I want my own baby and to raise him or her. If I want another, I’ll try and have one. But don’t coax us to have more brothers and sisters than you can remember their names. Besides, they will all be warlocks and we’ll need to make them grow into good people. Too many so soon will lead to conflict. Your dad made a promise to Rex Gralla, remember? He must take responsibility for every child we give him. Don’t be greedy alright. Let’s celebrate Tohka’s achievement for today. The future can wait.”

  “Well said.” Ulon spoke.

  “Should we tell the tribe?” Tohka wondered.

  “But what if the worst happens?” Meeka said sadly, truly hoping it never does. She loved Tohka with every part of her being and wanted to share it all.

  “And if it does, Tohka” Brooke began. “will find comfort with our sisters who will be there and share our pain. I’m one of the few to never have had a miscarriage because after I had our daughter, no man touched me. Tohka didn’
t know before with her last mate, but many sisters have lost a baby and all sisters share grief to help the one who lost a cherished life. Rena, ride your horse to your brother’s cave below Megdline’s and share with him and Ollai the good news. The rest of us are going to the village as we planned. Join as soon as you can.”

  Rena beamed and scurried downstairs and as the family spoke for a few more plans they heard the charge of a young horse and saw Rena riding her steed quite well, using her mother’s saddle blanket to ride. All women used a blanket to ride to keep horsehair out of their flowers. She was soon using the long steps to go to a large cave that had been dug for Sean and Ollai’s new home.

  Metak clapped Cage on the shoulder and said “Congratulations.”

  “What for?” The warlock raised an eyebrow.

  “I know the proud look of a man who found out he’s to be a father. I’ve had it many times.” The warrior leaned on his spear. “That and your mates kicked all men from my own home. It usually means someone is pregnant. So which one carries your child?”

  “Tohka.”

  “Good. That child would be best for the first to bear the fruit of your loins. I’d be terrified if it was Brooke. She had a foul temper when she carried. Tohka’s nature won’t make her stab you for accidently stepping on her toe.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  “Most definitely.” Metak chuckled. “Brooke wasn’t strong enough to face Rena’s father during her pregnancy and took it out on many of us. Her pregnancy temper still gives me bumps… look.” Metak showed his forearm looking like thousands of pimples yet to pop.

  Despite the man’s smile, Cage saw genuine fear and laughed. “On another topic, I see you only put gray hair along your temples rather than go white like your mates.”

  “I prefer it this way. With the way I look now, too white doesn’t work and all black is too much for me at my age. Shania and my other mates also found their hair needs to darken so it isn’t distasteful. So why are we heading this way?”