Laugh of Destruction (Book 3 of the Death Incarnate Saga)

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  “Though I didn’t know any tribe’s by name, in my time as a Vlaran soldier I heard of the Tribal Plains and the fierce people who live there. The tribes never run away so I asked myself why your people were here, had Cage as a chief and were near an island obviously named after him. I don’t believe in coincidence so the only solution was that you were here to go to the island. I asked where you were all staying, but Metak didn’t say. I still found out regardless. If the Utala are going to be Kote’s neighbors then what choice did I have? Pretend half naked men and women didn’t exist? No, I think we’ll need each other, especially since my daughter is linked to my wife and I and you… though I’m still trying to process all this.” Cillian rubbed his throbbing temples.

  “Do not tell anyone! I will not have my tribe endangered.” Brooke stated.

  “I haven’t said a word and don’t plan on it until you, or whoever you send as a representative wants me to tell the town. Only I and two on the town council know where your people are located in the forest and we don’t care. That whole area is dangerous to hunt.”

  The five warriors laughed. Zanza then said “Not for us! I slit a deer’s throat with my knife a week ago by stalking up on it. Hunting buffalo is much harder and dangerous than anything we’ve found where we are staying. Life in the forest is effortless compared to what we are accustomed with.”

  Cillian shrugged. “Ah… Brooke is it?” She nodded. “You have my word as Meeka’s father that your location is held secretly until you are ready. If there is anything you need, let me know. Especially since you helped save my little girl and are so attached to her.”

  “Very well, but we won’t need anyth…”

  “Actually I need to borrow some tools, Cillian.” Cage spoke. “The tribe doesn’t have much metal so I’ll need some axes and hammers.”

  “Bring them back when you’re finished.” He replied casually. “I see you dress like a mage now… and is Daku what they call a Familiar?”

  “I am.” Daku spoke for himself.

  “As for the robe, it’s all I have to wear and no, I don’t like it. The material is too constricting when I need to fight. Do you think I can borrow some money and go get a fresh set of clothes in town.”

  “I’ll call it a trade if you can fix something for me. I accidently broke my grandmother’s glass vase a few days ago and as the last thing I have of hers…”

  “Done, that will be a simple fix and I like puzzles.”

  “Good, for it shattered into a thousand pieces.”

  “Let’s go inside, out of the grass.” Tiffa proposed.

  The five warriors hurried inside to be sure all was safe, Sassy didn’t even growl at the strangers as she cowered from the sight of Daku. When Zanza said it was clear the others walked towards Cillian’s home. A warrior stood at the front and back doors while two stay near an open window, staring down the wagon trail to the road leading in and out of Kote.

  Before going inside Meeka asked “Mother, why are there so many weeds in the healing herbs?”

  Tiffa took her daughter’s hand. “I haven’t had time to bring in a new healer to train yet and without you to help all the time, the weeds grow as they always will. And I expect to hear everything. Did you do as I asked and learn more healing methods from Cage?”

  Meeka’s eyes twinkled. “I did actually. And you were right, he knows a great many things… Did you try any of his advice?”

  “I did and let me say that it worked better than I imagined.” She turned to Cage. “I tried to make that potion you wrote down and a boy broke his leg two months ago. His pain was great till he drank it and didn’t feel anything for an entire day. Many healers have also come for the miracle potion and I shared the ingredients along with a few other of your ideas, just as you told me to do and it did happen.” Tiffa’s blue eyes widened again. “Oh, and when we had guests they truly loved the Pizza I prepared. Even when Lord Kallerian visited he wanted to learn the recipe, but I didn’t tell him. I think you should sell the ideas of your homeland for money, it would quickly make you wealthy.”

  “I could care less about money. If people are willing to learn or try new ideas I say let it be free.” He responded.

  “Lord Kallerian…” Meeka asked as she sat down at the table. “What did he say when he came by?”

  Cillian finally burst out laughing, relieving all the tension he had built up ever since his child left. “My old friend said how you tricked him into taking you to the Summer Ball. I’m proud of you Meeka. That man finally got used by a woman and got what she intended. I never believed it possible to manipulate that old strategist, but you must take after me more than I ever imagined. You get your mother’s looks and my mind. I sw…”

  “Are you inferring I’m not as smart?” Tiffa asked with a raised golden eyebrow while tucking a few loose strands of blonde hair behind an ear.

  Wisely, Cillian smiled before saying “Of course, Tiffa. No sane woman would have ever married me.”

  That got those at the table truly laughing.

  Tiffa also laughed lightly, conceding at that. Then she stopped as Daku came in much smaller to sit on Cage’s shoulder. She then distracted herself by saying “Meeka, he also brought over that pretty dress he said you asked him to send home. I found it beautiful and folded it the chest, in your room.”

  “Good, I really liked that dress.”

  “Will you show me later, Love?” Brooke asked.

  “Oh yes, I’d love to. I’ll also take more clothes since winter’s coming. I can probably help some sisters who need the clothes who are near my size.” Meeka thought up quickly.

  “Now with all that taken care of,” Cillian started at the head of the table. “Can I ask how long you’ll be staying?”

  Daku spoke up. “Three days. Cage and I must leave by no later than noon, but I will return in the evening to retrieve the others. Tomorrow we must wait in Kote itself for his teacher. The day after, we will leave and settle the new nests. When we shall return, I know not.”

  Cillian then stood, left the room and hurried back with a metal bucket. He sat it down before Cage who saw it was the remnants of the vase. “Since your time is so valuable and we made a deal, hurry and let my daughter tell us everything.”

  “Gladly, I’m tired of constantly retelling the story.” He picked up the bucket. “Kids, do you want to help or listen to the story?”

  Sean stood, but Rena obviously wanted to listen to it again so he took Sean outside on the porch and dumped the glass on the table outside. Together Cage, Sean and Daku began the tedious and remarkably calming task of piecing the vase back together. When one found a matching piece, Cage sent his magic to seamlessly repair the crack with a gentle green glow.

  Sassy stayed hidden beneath the table, even with Daku outside.

  While they worked they heard the room gasp from time to time as Meeka first told about the Wyrm encounter. Just after explaining how Cage made a deal for Cage Island with the king of Vlara, Tiffa came out and offered berries, sausage, eggs and biscuits. The food was wonderful and the vase was coming together rather well.

  After another hour there came a shout from inside as riders were spotted coming and it was the home guard leader Ren and his sons. The old soldier still didn’t talk much, but he seemed genuinely pleased Meeka had returned home safely. Cillian had to cancel going hunting and trapping, but let the men use his traps. Ren understood, but couldn’t stay. Ren also gave Cage a profound handshake and said he was glad he had saved her from an unjust fate. They left within an hour as Cage returned to the puzzle of glass. Inside the house the story deepened as Meeka recounted her time in the Laqura Empire. Brooke explained their part in her rescue and what it took to save everyone. Cillian and Tiffa sat mostly in silence as the story grew, but knew enough that nothing was a lie or came close. It was a firsthand experience. Eventually Cillian and Tiffa could understand how their daughter, the priestess of the Utala and Cage could be together and found peace in that they were all insepara
ble.

  The only subject left unsaid was Cage’s warlock heritage and his being born on another world.

  Morning passed quickly and as noon arrived the once shattered vase had come together again. The larger pieces were easily repaired, but many of the shards were far too tedious to be fitted. Those shards were crushed into a dark blue powder and worked into the missing places and melted into the vase. When it seemed complete Cage used his magic to sense the object for any faults and found several, but the errors were corrected. In all, the expended magic barely made Cage yawn as he lifted the vase to say “Good job, Sean. Daku and I wouldn’t have finished so quickly if not for your help. Can you get the door?”

  “Sure, Dad.” Sean stood from the chair and opened the door.

  “… and the mages were trying to find how my curse works by making me kiss all manner of animals. The only time I was allowed to rest was at night. Then Cage showed up…” Meeka’s eyes shifted to the door opening. “and interrupted their routine.”

  Cage smiled and sat the large blue glass vase heavily on the lacquered table. He said “All done.”

  “My word…” Cillian stood. “It looks better than before. Thank you, Cage.”

  “No problem. Sean and Daku helped a lot… Well, we need to be heading out in a few minutes. Is there anything you all need?”

  Cillian held up a hand to leave the room while the others said all is well and the warriors had the situation under control. The mayor of Kote returned to hold out a hand and showed four silver coins as payment for quality services. Cage accepted the coin and pocketed them in the robe while looking to his right shoulder and seeing Daku ready.

  Outside, Cage walked out to the barn where the two horses were stabled. Cage found a sack and used it to hold several hammers, axes and hand saws. When the sack was full and heavy, Daku grew enough to carry only his partner and took to the sky. Before the house disappeared from sight, the two of them saw Tiffa and Cillian staring with jaws agape while they flew off.

  “I’ll drop you off by the beach. Have the tribe understand what you will be doing and where they can help while I go retrieve the felled trees.” Daku said.

  The sight of the ocean already came as the griffin glided down. A dozen pointing individuals brought more out from the trees as the Utala saw the return of their chief. Daku landed carefully and waited till Cage dropped down before flying to where he saw the trees that were cut and awaiting his strength to move.

  Cage sat the heavy sack down as a quarter of the tribe approached. They asked what they could do and he began passing out the tools while explaining what he needed to be done. Until the trees arrived though, Cage knew he needed rest.

  A half hour passed as there came a heavy stomp along with the snapping of branches as something gigantic made its way to the beach. The tribe around their chief all stood ready as Daku arrived, standing twenty feet tall at the shoulder as he carried a whole, mature oak tree on his back with much of the greenery cut. Muscles straining, Daku pushed his way out of the forest, leaving a clear sign of his passing. Behind followed six hunters carrying simple axes used to cut down said tree. With the area clear of obstacles and not in danger of being washed out to sea, Daku tilted his massive frame and allowed the oak tree to drop unceremoniously on the sandy ground.

  “I must rest.” Daku’s voice reverberated tiredly as he laid down. His eyes closed while he breathed deeply. Much of his white coat was covered in sticks, mud and leaves.

  “Only you could have gotten the tree here so quickly.” Cage said. “You’ve earned your rest.”

  Daku’s shield size eye opened to say “I just require a few minutes. The humans have cut three great trees like that one and are working on the others.”

  “I know. I sent the axes Cillian let me borrow to go help.” Cage then turned to study the large tree. “Now it is time I got to work.”

  The aged oak looked to be prime for harvesting and had seen more years than any non-mage had lived.

  Its rough bark and firmness would be ideal for long term use.

  Cage stood by as the trunk alone was as tall as his ribs. How to cut it best? He debated internally. He had never made a boat before, just rafts so he had to think more. So the tree had been cut as low to the base as possible. Cage noted the thought. The bark would have to go, but that could wait. He studied the most optimum way to harvest the tree and not leave much waste.

  Finalizing his thoughts, he mentally pictured the circular shape of a saw with edges to bite and chew through the wood with a razor’s sharpness. Thinking of the object by how he made his swords, Cage extended his fingers and let the mental image guide the magic. A green rotary disc with a six foot long blade appeared before his hand. Cage then jumped on top of the sturdy tree and turned to align his magically conjured cutter down the middle of the tree. When he guessed the center he put a tremendous spin on the blade. It didn’t have the usual deafening roar of a gas powered machine, but it was far from quiet. A powerful whoosh and buzzing came from the creation and it didn’t hurt the ear. Cage felt the winds caused by the spin to realize the moment he began cutting that he’d be pelted with debris and crafted a shield to prevent wood and sand from hitting.

  His outstretched fingers were two inches from the extreme spinning blade. He then lowered his arm and the moment the cutting blade bit into the tree he felt a sudden drop in not only rotation but also in what it would take to cut through. Cage pumped more mana into the disc and watched as the blade sliced down the wood till it reached bottom. He took a step back as he pulled on the blade sawing the tree in half. White smoke from the cutting showed the friction created a lot of heat.

  About halfway through he needed a break as he started getting lightheaded, but if he stopped, the cut could be uneven so he pulled on the spare mana in a diamond to quickly replenish and finish the task. The cut returned to its former speed.

  When Cage reached the upper branches he stepped down.

  The disc continued halving the tree till an unmistakable cracking from wood sounded. He cut through and sat down to take a breather.

  “Chief, would you like us to cut these limbs so it can roll apart?” Someone asked.

  “Yes, but be careful. That tree weighs a couple tons so when it starts to roll, move away quickly before getting crushed.” He replied and heard the sounds of handsaws at work.

  Cage sat with his head in his hands to recover from the exhausting work. He heard Daku get up and leave without looking up. Several minutes later the spots began to disappear and he watched the men and women cutting the limbs off while children pulled the pieces away to be used for a fire. The linger ones were saved to later be used for paddles. A cracking resounded and the sawing abruptly stopped as the men and women moved safely away.

  The tree, without support, fell apart down the middle relatively equally.

  Circular scorch marks stood out on the new flat surface. Cage stood and absorbed more of his mana since he had a fair amount to expend on the tasks. The tribe also sat to rest under the direct sunlight and remained silent as their chief worked ideas on what to do next.

  As Daku returned with a second oak he found Cage standing on the flat top of the halved tree. He shrugged off another heavy tree and watched as a Cage suddenly knelt.

  Cage created a thin thread of hot orange fire completely focused and under control. He manipulated the fire as if it were a wire and made it sink into the wood as it created the rough shape he desired the interior of the canoe to take on. White smoke rose from the fire attached to his index fingers. He cut out the shape and had help from Daku to roll the half-tree to the side as the center fell out in one long, heavy piece. Cage then could see that the cavity was perfect like the piece he cut out. “Those with hammers, get the wooden stakes I had you make and nail four of those long limbs to the ballast I cut out. Remember to cross two beams in the center.” The women with hammers went to work, knowing how to do it after he explained earlier. “And dump some water inside to make sure the embers
don’t start a fire.”

  Meanwhile, Cage knew he could no longer use easier methods as the tree he stood beside needed to be reshaped so the proportions were perfect. After Megdline taught manipulation magic, Cage made his ocarina perfect by binding the wood fibers together. Turning a tree into a boat was just an extension of that.

  He sent magic into the felled tree and mentally immersed himself in the entirety of it. The heavy oak fibers were strong and didn’t want to move without a struggle. He began spreading the tree out and it started to glow a faint green as it slowly reshaped. With the trunk’s base being widest he had to pull it forward. The front and back of the large canoe began to narrow. He made ten bulges grow into seats since his calculations would need no less than that per boat for twelve trees. The remaining three trees would be different to bring the horses, dogs and chickens across.

  Three hours passed and finally the first canoe was ready. He began cutting out another chunk from the second half while the others hammered the side support to the canoe for added stability. The first boat was then complete and ready.

  Knowing better on what to do a second time, he finished in two and a half hours.

  By the time the sun settled down, Daku had drug all fifteen large oak trees to the beach before saying. “I will go get the others from Cillian’s nest. Cage, you need rest.”