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

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  “I choose to be. The magister knows my curse. I can use it if I must. My cure is the most dangerous magic out of everyone here. To use it, I need to stay close.”

  Brooke ran a soft touch down Meeka’s silky arm. “Love, are you sure.”

  Meeka nodded sharply. “After what these assholes made me endure after my capture, they deserve every single thing Cage has planned.”

  “Then you’ll be better behind them.” Brooke said, proud her woman is angry to those willing to harm her people and loves.

  “The rest of us shall wait inside.” Elder Shania said and was the last to enter Megdline’s home. Megdline then gave a worded command which sealed the entire house from outside influence. Through the branches Cage saw six warriors have their bows ready in a relaxed stance.

  Around the hour mark, Cage stood up and whispered the truth spell, wedging it in their minds so they had no alternative to deceive. He then stripped them of their bloody robes. Interrogation played on the psyche as much as the pain of torture. He wanted them all exposed so that they knew nothing could protect them. He found out quickly that all of them had relied on their magic so much they neglected their body. None had the muscle definition more than skin and bones, besides the woman who obviously altered her body to remain pleasing. Each though did have pointed ears to heighten their hearing and their eyes were slightly larger for better sight. Ready to get started, Cage found the clear ringleader.

  Standing before the Arch Magister, Cage stiffened his index finger and drove it through the soft middle and painfully touched the man’s spine. The reaction was immediate as the bearded man cried out and jerked awake. His glassy eyes were in a state of shock as he jerked to get free. Slowly his consciousness returned and his eyes focused. Directly in front of him stood his most hated enemy. “YOU!” he shouted at the top of his lungs as spittle foamed in the corners of his mouth. Blinding pain made his sight go white for a moment as Cage physically slapped him harder than anyone has touched him in centuries. The magister’s blurry focus recovered again and he realized his situation and the color, in what showed of his face, paled. He jerked wildly before trying to call upon his magic. What he sensed of himself made him shout “Geemotto Klienn! Geemotto Klienn!” but then nothing happened.

  “Your staff is safe in our possession. Nothing you do will work.” The flat tone of Cage made the man instantly deflate. He sensed a slight rise in magic as a pitiful ball of fire shot from the man’s lips. Cage merely arched an eyebrow to take control of the spark and sent it back, but lighting the magister’s beard on fire. Clearly Megdline’s efforts paid off for the man tried snuffing the flame, but Cage effortlessly blocked all attempts. The fire crept up faster and faster, burnt hair permeated the air and in seconds the man’s face and hair were burning beyond control. The magister yelled, and Cage let the fire burn, but not down the man’s airway.

  Shrieks of pain woke the remaining four from their nap. And they too tried calling for their staff or tried activating a spell, but Megdline easily fended off their attempts. One even tried attacking Brooke and Meeka, but their own wards protected them before Cage started to gain their attention by making an incision in the magister’s stomach and pulling out intestine. Inch, by agonizingly slow inch.

  “Are there any more coming?” Cage asked while gripping the bloody meat-rope. When only sniveling came he tugged more, eliciting a blood curdling scream. “How many mages were with you?”

  “Tttttwwweeelllvvveeee!!!” the man cried, snot dripping like a leaky faucet.

  “Is there a second group?” Cage began his interrogation on the man. He couldn’t lie and when answers weren’t forthcoming the pain grew unbearable. When it looked like the man’s endorphins were working, a spell targeting that gland in the brain quit producing the chemical. It made the process much more thorough. In an hour’s time, rather than days of this, Cage learned the man had lost his position and tasked with bringing Cage to the empress herself to stand for crimes against her land and to regain his job. The earlier sailboat was to make a detailed, passive representation of Cage Island so they could Jump to any destination beyond the barrier without requiring to set foot on the island. Over the past week their group learned of the wards, using magic so delicate it wouldn’t trigger the island’s security systems. It was a painstaking process, trying to learn the wards and finding things overlooked to use for their advantage. Each mage was handpicked by him to kidnap Cage. The empress was given reports of their progress, even sending the representation of the island yesterday when they were sure to Jump to the right place, but if they fail to report by nightfall they are to be presumed dead and no rescue would be forthcoming.

  When Cage learned everything he wanted he healed the man enough to not die, but left the burns along with a few nonthreatening wounds to leave him in a delirious state of constant pain. “Now it’s your turn.” Cage said to a man who appeared calm after all he’d seen.

  “There is no need to torture me. I will tell you all I know to the best of my ability. I know I’m to die soon, but I would rather not taste what you are clearly a master of. Begin as you will.” The calm man said.

  “Fine, were you taught necromancy?” Cage bluntly said.

  The question clearly wasn’t what the man was expecting and it looked like he found himself in a trap, nothing he ever could escape. Still, at lease he was a man of his word. “All in the Laqura Empire who are above the wizard class are made to learn the skill. There is no option to disregard the classes other than to become a test subject yourself. So to answer your inquiry, yes, I have studied and practiced the subject.”

  “Then as Lord Death, I am going to punish you for crimes against the spirits before the ones you harmed get a crack at you. For the destroyed spirits who cannot get justice because of your actions, I herby take their place.” Cage said and the man’s jaw dropped when Cage began to break bones and gave so much pain the ancient man cried more than the magister.

  Cage oddly felt lighter and for a moment he saw a group of spirits behind the man, crying while smiling. The next moment the group vanished, but he knew that those were the spirits close to the ones who were used in necromancy and they were pleased with his judgment. Some who weren’t crying for justice were ready to get their own revenge when the man should die and his spirit released.

  The last three begged for mercy and were shown none. They gave up information, some he didn’t even ask for, but it was useful. But he didn’t see the spirits again. They wanted Cage to know they were there, but not so much as to distract him.

  Cage stepped away as he finished with the woman, his fingers dripping crimson on the ground. “All yours, Granny. I’m done.” He turned around to see Daku silently standing without judgment. Brooke and Meeka stepped with him towards the rushing water where he cleaned off the gore from his body.

  Megdline swallowed thickly. After what she had seen, she was glad to be on his good side. Never in her life had she’d seen someone do what he did and still manage to keep the culprits alive. Not wanting to look at the sight anymore she turned around and faced the open air while creating a sight mirror. When it locked on to a designated place in Twilight she saw four mages standing and talking. “This is Lady Megdline.”

  Their heads snapped to a golden orb floating in front of a desk. “And proof?” a large and powerful sorcerer requested.

  Megdline immediately responded “Biloitrix Natam Naou Vali.” with the phrase only the highest level of Twilight could know. One word ‘Vali’ meant it to be of highest priority.

  The man snapped to attention along with the others. “Lady Megdline, what may we do for you?”

  “Inform my husband that Cage Island was attacked by twelve first class sorcerers during the night.” The four blanched. “Cage and our Familiars managed to end the assault without injury. Five remain alive so I’m implementing level ten procedures when I Jump them to your location. The remaining seven will have their heads Jumped along with what remains of their Familiars and crea
te a maximum severance barrier for their staffs to be studied at a later date. I don’t know them all by name, but those I do have long standing bounties. For your own safety, do not heal them until they are properly detained.”

  One of the other men grabbed a marble size crystal and relayed her every word. In seconds twenty sorcerers and Familiars Jumped into view of her mirror. While this was occurring the warden for the jail appeared still as commanding as he was centuries ago. While they were getting set he asked “Lady Megdline, are you sure you do not require assistance? I find it hard to believe you bested twelve first class. How did you do such a feat?”

  “Hold out your hand.” She said while drawling out a roll of papers bound by twine. As the man did so she Jumped it right above his palm. With a golden glow and a pop, the paper landed. “I give only you and the First Council authorization to read my report of the incident. Is that clear?”

  “Ma’am.” The report dropped in his pocket, protecting it personally. In a few more seconds a man whispered in the warden’s ear. “Lady Megdline, we are ready when you are. Send the heads and staffs first.”

  The sorceress turned to the pile and bags. She canceled the protection on the live five staffs and in an instant a golden light sucked the area down in the ground before Jumping the lot to the destination. As soon as it appeared in her mirror two wizards surrounded the staffs in a series of complex barriers before Jumping them to a secure location within the city for further analysis. One woman carefully opened the bag without touching it and looked down inside. She nodded to the warden and he signaled her away. She did that and Jumped in a pink light. He then made another gesture and the remaining upper class sorcerers made a ring. He nodded, though he couldn’t see Megdline. She cut the leather bindings on the captives and the siphoning magic on the five and Jumped them all simultaneously before they even hit the ground.

  In the mirror’s view, as soon as the Jump was successful the waiting group sent powerful binding magic to take all into custody without a moment’s hesitation. Immediately the group conjured boards of flight and flew out of the mirror’s range. The warden smiled. “Thank you, Lady Megdline. I will be sure to bring this to the First Council as soon as I make sure my new prisoners are detained properly.” He pat his pocket. “I’m glad you are unharmed and will be eager to hear the story in person. Until then, be safe.”

  “And to you. If I’m needed, there are instructions on how to do contact me properly. We do not need my student’s people to get hostile.”

  “Noted!”

  “Farewell.” And she canceled the spell.

  “Lady Megdline huh?” She turned around to find Cage and the others behind her. “What of it?” She replied with an arched eyebrow.

  Cage simply smirked and changed the subject. “What would you imagine to happen next?”

  “They will face justice, give up their knowledge and likely be executed for their crimes against innocent bystanders.” She smiled when he did. “Since it is almost nightfall I say we call it a night. Tomorrow we start on your new skills after you’re done with the children.”

  “Then goodnight, Granny. Sweet dreams.”

  “After what I saw today, more like nightmares. Sometimes I wish I didn’t dream like you.” She said and unlocked her home with a word and let the others outside.

  “I did give fair warning.” He replied.

  “And you also reminded me of the quote earlier. I’ve seen interrogations before, but never like today’s. I’ll never feel you interrogated me after this.” She waved her arm over the area with pools of blood. Frill even admitted his own addition with a shiver. They then went inside and closed the door.

  “The spirits were grateful.” Daku said.

  “You saw them too?” Cage watched as Daku nodded slowly.

  “They departed after the five were sent away… I will go get the cubs.” He then turned and left the area as the elders only gained a ride back. The remaining ten warriors though stayed close.

  Brooke wove her fingers with Meeka’s. “Feel better, My Love?”

  “Yes, I do actually.” Meeka said in a relaxed. “Now I do not need to worry about any of them ever again. They earned all they got and didn’t deserve a thing less. I might have nightmares, but after all they did, I don’t feel sullied.”

  “That is why I love you!” Brooke gave her a quick kiss.

  Cage left without another word and began growing a few plants for supper. They all saw he didn’t want to be approached anymore. He really didn’t care about killing or seeing people die, but torture wasn’t fun or enjoyable. He would have rather killed them outright in battle, but it had to be done. He had to make sure more wouldn’t come or that his people were in any danger.

  Necessary is rarely enjoyable.

  Dinner flashed by in a blur before finally settling in and getting plenty of rest.

  Sharp pain blossomed in Cage’s lower abdomen as he looked down to see the bone hilt of a knife sticking out not four inches to the left of his bellybutton. “What a surprise, Pimm, you can do it.” He grabbed the handle and drew six inches of sharp iron from his middle. As the blade exited, his skin glowed blue around the injury, knitting muscle, a section of intestine and skin closed. Little blood flowed down his hip. He held the handle to the seven year old girl who’s hands shook in a bit of fear. It had finally happened, she finally found her anger and used it to stab him with surprising speed and accuracy.

  Pimm shakily grasped her knife and looked to be numb, realizing what she just did to the most dangerous man of the tribe.

  Flight being Cage’s newest skill allowed him to go to the beach where most of the tribe lived in style. It was much easier and efficient to fly there instead of everyone coming to his paradise to simply train. Cage flew Sean and Rena on his board while Daku carried the priestess and healer since it was clear who flew with the least unsettling movement. The kids had thrillingly enjoyed the ride their dad offered, scaring their mothers half to death in the process. Cage knew a scolding would result in his actions by the sharp looks Brooke and Meeka shot him when he glanced in their direction. The kids loved looping and swinging around the sky.

  Children of the tribe stood around then, paying close attention to everything. To break the silence one of the more younger girls innocently asked “Chief, why don’t you die like my grandmother? When she got stabbed she died. All my mothers said so.”

  Cage stepped back in the soft white sand, his hair being blown about in the morning sea breeze. He gestured for all the children to sit which they all gladly did after a hard morning’s exercise and hand-to-hand sparring practice. “I can die, Zalu.” He said to the little girl. “But” he held up a finger. “to do it will be difficult. Two nights ago I had to fight against people just like me. The only way to quickly end my life, or that of any magic man or woman is to cut off our head.” The children gasped as he told them the truth. “I can make myself heal almost as quickly as you can stab me, but it requires great concentration. If I didn’t have magic I would have already died many times since coming here. Can you understand that?” Zalu’s tiny face pouted, trying to comprehend his words.

  Rena’s eyes lit as she stood up and came close to wipe her finger in a few droplets of blood from her dad’s stomach. She held her finger out toward her younger sister. “See, my dad bleeds?” Zalu nodded to the red wetness. “What bleeds can die, even my dad, but he has great magic which keeps him alive should he bleed too much.”

  Zalu’s eyes finally twinkled with comprehension. “I get it!”

  Rena smiled and wiped her finger in the sand.

  “I’m glad.” He said and addressed the large group. “Alright kids, it has been nearly a week since Meeka taught you all your letters. I would like to see your progress. Spread out and write all the letters in the sand. If you need help, ask for Sean and Rena. They already know theirs.”

  The children split off and began writing on the beach as he stood and spoke with several dozen who needed a few moments
of his time as chieftain. Many had questions on which fish one could eat. He created lifelike illusions in the palm of his hand, explaining all the fish he knew were deadly. Some said they noticed a few of those and stayed away until it was known to be edible or not. Two old dogs and three chickens died when given the fish in question, explaining the great hazards. Cage had to admit, the Utala were wary people and smarter than they let on. Real world experiences had taught them to know when and when not to do certain things. Eating strange food wasn’t healthy and could pose great risk.

  By the time he finished speaking with his people he checked on the children to see only a half dozen younger children still struggle while the rest had continued to surprise him by doing everything correctly. Sean, Rena and a few older children filled in the blanks to help the very young to get the hang of it. Some were too young to stay focused, but they did their best and that is all he ever asked.

  Afterwards, Daku took the children out to play in the cool ocean water.

  Cage unfolded his robe and slid it on. As he tied the sash around his middle he walked over to his loves. “I’m going to head home. Do you want to come with me? Daku’s going to stay and play with the children for a little while longer.”

  “We shall stay and help where there is need.” Brooke said. “And if I ever see you flying our babies like you did earlier…” She let him finish the statement in a way enough to choose his own punishment.

  “What? You’ll spank me?” He quipped.

  “Nooo…” She stepped closer, smiling sweetly and reached through the front of the robe and firmly grabbed his lance. He sucked in a breath as she squeezed painfully and didn’t relax her grip, even in front of the tribe who tried their upmost not to laugh. “something so much worse, Cage Love.” She weakened her hold, still smiling in a sugary sweet way. “So long as you are good there won’t be an issue.”