Melaria continued to giggle as she stared at her baby’s corpse before pulling a slender dagger from her sleeve. She knew that whatever the rebels intended to do to her child they will also do to her. Slowly, Melaria placed the double-edged blade against her frail throat. With her final words, Melaria whispered the words of House Baal, “Flesh is Power!”
Then Melaria slit her throat open with one swift flick of her wrist, a geyser of blood erupted from her wound. As she drowned in her own fluids, Melaria emitted a gurgling laugh. After an agonizing eternity, Melaria died on the throne with a twisted smile on her blood-stained lips. At that moment, the guard returned to the chamber and gasped in horror . . .
__ __ __
Numen and Vaerox flew above the rebel army as they approached Blood Arrow. The castle sat on top of a small hill with a walled city next to it. Blood Arrow itself consisted of fifty-foot-tall walls that formed a broad rectangular circle around a towering keep that was one hundred feet high. Apart from the keep, the walls also contained three large courtyards. To Numen’s amazement, the castle and town looked practically deserted.
Astonished, Numen said, “It appears no one is home. Apparently, they now believe you exist, Blood Demon.”
Vaerox released a combination between a laugh and a roar before triumphantly saying, “It feels good to be acknowledged. This is another reason why I am glad we are bonded, Monster Slayer. Before the Dark Death I was feared from Darrm to the Territories as a destroyer of armies and cities.”
Curious, Numen asked, “Did you kill and destroy for pleasure?”
Scoffing, Vaerox replied, “No. Like you, I never hurt a soul unless they hurt me or my kin first. The armies and cities I destroyed belonged to Dragon Slayers who thought killing my kind would bring them honor and glory. They were sorely mistaken.”
Getting back on course, Numen said, “Let’s get ready to attack.”
Looking down, Numen smiled at the size of the rebel army. After burning Chainhorn and Karlor Hall, they were joined by the other rebellious barons in the kingdom. This more than tripled their original number to around sixteen thousand strong. With Blood Arrow seemingly abandoned and their host fast approaching, the day seemed to be theirs.
However, as they drew closer, something unexpected caught Numen’s eye and he said, “Don’t attack yet! I see something above the keep!” After a while, Numen realized that a series of white flags were flapping on top of the keep’s battlements. Smiling with joy, Numen declared, “They surrendered without a fight! Our rebellion is over and House Baal has fallen! We have won!”
In response, Vaerox unleashed a proud roar that echoed across the land . . .
CHAPTER 42
In Chrysos, Autem was at the top level of the Imperial Palace. The air was thin due to the high altitude, but filled with the fragrance of the surrounding gardens. Over the horizon, the sun was setting and coating the vast city in a crimson light. On the battlements before him stood the severed head of Randolf Morwen mounted on a spike. Randolf’s face was gaunt with a curly mustache while his eyes were a glassy blue and his expression was one of fright.
As he stared at Randolf’s lifeless gaze, Autem mused over the events that led to the man’s death. After burning Barrow’s Marsh, the Lord Magistrate put Randolf on trial for treason against the Imperial Crown. Throughout the ordeal, Randolf defiantly denied the charges that were against him. In the end, Randolf was sentenced to be hanged, beheaded, drawn, and quartered. Randolf’s quarters were put on display on each corner of Chrysos while his head was placed in the Imperial Palace itself.
However, death was not the end of Randolf’s punishment. In addition, Autem had House Morwen attainted and gave their lands to House Sylva’s fiercest knights, House Gein. The entire city was pleased with the justice that was dispensed for the murders of Edgar and his sons. With that problem out of the way, Autem was finally free to begin his original agenda as emperor.
Suddenly, Autem’s thoughts were disrupted when Peter Muur approached him and announced, “Your Imperial Majesty. I bring news from Umbran. House Baal has been overthrown and has been replaced by the Imperial imposter we were concerned about.”
Sighing, Autem said, “It appears he is more trouble than we thought. How did he accomplish this?”
Peter paused for a moment before replying, “It has been claimed that he acquired the loyalty of a dragon and destroyed anyone and everyone who opposed him.”
Shocked, Autem exclaimed, “A dragon? That’s impossible! They died out after the Dark Death!”
“Apparently, one survived. There are too many reports to discredit. What should we do, Your Imperial Majesty? If the boy conquered Umbran, it is likely he will turn his attention here. There is no way someone with that kind of power would be content with just one kingdom.”
Hesitating, Autem ordered, “Send a messenger pigeon to Blood Arrow and demand his fealty. We cannot let him toy with the idea of invading.”
“And if he decides to invade with a dragon at his back, what then?”
Scowling, Autem answered, “I’m working on that. Now do as I command, Lord Chancellor!”
After that exchange, Autem looked over the battlements to the city below. He could envision a dragon flying over the Imperial Palace, threatening to turn it to ash. Overall, Autem was horrified of what future was lurking ahead.
Firming his stance, Autem quietly declared, “By my iron wrath, I will not my dynasty fall!”
__ __ __
Two months later . . .
Inside the privy chamber, Numen sat at a large circular table. Sitting with him were his privy council: Braun Torren, William Marmor, Harald Drada, Edward Letum, Jarl Gramba, Wil Famul, Naera, Clovis, Tristan, and Joe. The barons wore garb befitting their position, Gramba wore simple clothes made from animal hides, Wil wore the white robes and silver helmet of a Sage, and Clovis, Tristan, and Joe wore the plate armor of knights. Naera replaced her Welt clothing with a queen’s attire, which included purple and gold silk, silver embroidery, and a plain gold crown.
As he surveyed his advisors, Numen contemplated everything that had happened since they took Blood Arrow. The remaining garrison presented the corpses of Melaria Baal and her infant to Numen as a sign of fealty. Numen was horrified and disgusted by the display and asked that they be given burials fit for royalty. Even though Robar killed Numen’s family, Numen had an issue with murdering women and children to acquire the throne of Umbran.
After tearing down the banners of House Baal from the castle’s battlements and burning them (with the exception of one Numen kept as a trophy), the gold phoenix flags of House Magnus replaced them. The grotesque throne that Baal kings sat on for generations was replaced by a finely crafted oaken chair made from the tree stump where Numen defeated Robar. In order to further symbolize the new era, Numen had Blood Arrow renamed after his former home, Magnus Keep. With Numen safe with his followers, Jarl Gramba kept his word and returned Numen’s wedding gifts to him. Some of them Numen placed on the castle’s mantle while the rest he wore himself.
During and after his coronation as the new king, Numen wore the Graega’s pelt cloak, the bronze dagger on his belt, the ivory ring on his right hand, and the livery collar made from the Graega’s claws around his neck. The rest of Numen’s outfit was made from the finest purple and gold silk. At Numen’s left hip was Gramfyre in a new scabbard made from dark wood and gold trimmings with the phoenix of House Magnus engraved at its base. Finally, Numen wore a crown and ring on his left hand made from the Aetherian Steel of Robar’s falchion. Overall, Numen looked both regal and feral at the same time.
The crown on Numen’s head was an ornate, open circlet surmounted by five spikes that resembled thick sword blades. It was made of a black metal that glittered pure silver and was decorated with circular rubies on the circlet and the spikes. In addition, the interior of the crown possessed Welt runes that said the words of House Magnus, “Rise Again!” Despite its size, the crown was surprisingly light on Numen�
��s head. The ring on Numen’s left hand was the same coloration as his crown with a single square-cut ruby on it.
In addition, Numen found a large chamber that he turned into his trophy room. At the very end of the room was the Graega’s skull, whose jaws was opened slightly as it sat on its stand. Next to the Graega’s skull was the skull of Raza Hornbane with his gold kris sword resting in front of it. After Raza’s belonging were those of Robar, which included his distorted skull, armor, and what remained of his falchion’s hilt resting on top of a flag bearing the sigil of House Baal. Just like the Graega’s skull, the Welts removed the flesh off Raza’s and Robar’s heads, polished them to a mirror shine, and engraved intricate glyphs on them. Then there were the charred banners of Houses Ubba and Karlor with a singed stone from each castle on top of them. Overall, Numen was proud of his collection and expected it to grow throughout his reign.
After being crowned, Numen had all of the barons swear fealty to him as their new sovereign. Due to the animosity House Baal had gained over the last three generations, almost all of the barons, knights, and gentry swore their oaths without question. With the former territory of House Ubba vacant, Numen rewarded half the lands of the Ubbas to the Dradas and half to the Letums. As for the Karlor’s territory, Numen gave half to the Marmors and half to the Torrens.
Although Wil had not completed his training as a Sage, Numen formally anointed him a Sage and made him his scribe, chronicler, and chief propagandist. While Wil’s appointment initially did not sit well with the Temple leadership, their questions were quickly quelled by the power Numen wielded. At the coronation feast, Wil gathered the minstrels and presented a song in Numen’s honor. Numen remembered the powerful and regal tune of the song as the minstrels sang. Even now, Numen could still hear the lyrics in his head,
“The Skull, Ox, and Stars stand with pride, for their shame they can never hide.
Wounded by grief, the last Phoenix flew,
Its flock all but through.
With flames of vengeance, the Phoenix soared. To his enemies below, he fiercely
roared. One after another, the strongholds fell for they had been sent to Hell.
Then the False God laughs with malice as he claims his prize. The Skull, Ox, and Stars all meet their demise. They cry out for salvation, but cannot escape their damnation.
The Gold Phoenix rises through blood and fire, for all will feel his ire. All beasts of the north kneel to their new master out of fear of grim disaster.”
Wil called the song The Gold Phoenix Rises and it was instantly popular at court. It also instilled a subtle warning to Numen’s new vassals of the price of defying him.
As a reward for their service and valor at the Siege of Foxden, Numen bestowed knighthood to Clovis, Tristan, and Joe. Since many of the knights loyal to the Baals, Ubbas, and Karlors died out during Numen’s conquest, Numen gave each of his companions land and a towerhouse. Due to these developments, new knightly Houses rose to power. Clovis founded House Virtus and took a black bull on a white field as his new sigil. Joe founded House Karly and took a spear through a heart on a black field as his sigil. Finally, Tristan founded House Ballows and took a gilded bow and arrow on a green field as his sigil. Once they acquired their new wealth, titles, and lands, the three men wasted no time finding potential suitors.
As promised, Numen gave his old castle and lands to Vaerox. The dragon swiftly made the ruined fortress his new nest and regurgitated his eggs into the burnt courtyard. In addition, the peasants in the area agreed to be Vaerox’s neighbors and forfeit a third of their livestock to him as long as he left them alone.
Returning his attention to the present, Numen addressed his advisors, “My Lords, what is the status about the information Vaerox gave us about the Territories?”
“The dragon’s advice was sound. We were able to map out a safe route to the immense Aetherian Steel deposit that made up his previous nest. Hundreds of miners are on their way there right now. If what you say of this deposit is true, it will take many centuries to pick it clean. Since Aetherian Steel is worth three times its weight in gold, Umbran is about to become one of the wealthiest kingdoms in the Empire,” Braun explained plainly.
“What about the ash we collected from Foxden, Chainhorn, and Karlor Hall? Vaerox says it is the best fertilizer anyone can find,” Numen asked intently.
William shifted his weight in his chair and replied, “We have distributed it to all the farmers in the kingdom. Once the season is right we will see if the dragon was telling the truth or not. If he is then Umbran is going to not only be obscenely wealthy, but it will also have very fertile lands.”
Smiling, Numen declared, “I have an important announcement to make. This morning, I received word that my wife Naera is pregnant! I am going to have an heir!”
The entire privy council applauded to Numen’s revelation, Naera held Numen’s hand affectionately, and Wil said, “Congratulations, Your Imperial Majesty! I am pleased to report that despite being a Welt Naera’s status as a Druid has won you the support of the Temple and the commoners. If your heir inherits their mother’s magic, then they will be a Druid too. That would further strengthen your dynasty’s position in the eyes of the Temple. I couldn’t be happier for you, My Lord and Lady.”
At first, Numen hoped that his marriage to Naera and making her Queen Consort would encourage the Welts to come out of hiding. Some of the Welts left the forests to assimilate with the Civil Folk while others stubbornly stayed within their natural fortresses. With a Welt consort, Numen not only bound the Welt’s loyalty to the Umbran crown but he also made Umbran’s citizens more tolerant of the Welts.
While thinking about their unborn child, Numen and Naera shared an intimate glance as they remembered the night they conceived their child. On the night of Numen’s coronation, the couple consummated their marriage after weeks on the run. Their deep affection towards one another combined with Numen’s utter triumph made it the most extraordinary time of Numen’s life.
Smiling gently, Naera looked at Numen and softly said, “Thank you for your praise, Wil. I am confident that the child will be as strong and fierce as their father.”
Bliss consuming his psyche, Numen added, “And I hope they will be as wise and beautiful as their mother.”
However, the intimate moment Numen and Naera shared was shattered when Wil said, “Your Imperial Majesty, I received this message from a pigeon from the capital down south. It is from the false emperor, Autem Sylva. He is demanding that we swear fealty to him and the Sylva Dynasty. What should we do in terms of this?”
“I say we conquer the rest of the Empire too. We took down one kingdom so we should be able to sack the other eight as well. Besides, Numen has proven that he is the true emperor so I have no intention of kneeled to a usurper’s descendant. With a dragon on our side, we can’t lose,” Harald declared proudly.
Shaking his head, Numen countered, “No. We have only just taken control of Umbran and the kingdom has lost more than half its military strength. If we attempt to conquer the rest of the Empire now without our full power or making necessary alliances, we risk losing everything we won. Besides, one dragon may not be enough to conquer the entire Empire due to how vast it is.
I have an alternate solution to this problem. For now, we will be patient and play the role of loyal vassals of the Imperial Crown. We will let the Sylvas let their guard down while we grow in power. Over time, we will gain political marriages with other kingdoms to increase our armies, wealth, and political influence. Vaerox says that anyone who is related to me by blood can hatch his eggs and bond with his young. Each of my relatives will acquire a dragon and wait for them to become large and powerful enough for war. The Aetherian Steel in the Territories will increase our wealth, which will give us all the power and influence we will need when the time comes. By the time our new dragons are full grown and the Aetherian Steel is picked clean, we will have the leverage to bring more barons and kings to our side. Only then will we b
egin our conquest in earnest. Any questions?”
For a while, the privy council remained silent, surprised by the complexities of Numen’s long term plan.
Then Braun replied, “That is a sound plan, Your Majesty. As I have said before, you have a natural talent to rule.”
Grinning confidently, Numen said, “Thank you, Uncle. Now we play the waiting game.”
After those words, Numen leaned back in his chair as he fantasized the fruition of his scheme . . .
CHAPTER 43
In Chrysos, the High Temple of Valmorian stood as a symbol of piety and knowledge. It was a colossal cathedral that was half as tall as the Imperial Palace itself. Within its halls were altars to all of the Elemental Gods as well as the largest library in the Empire. The architecture was so elaborate and regal that the townspeople truly believed that it came from the Heavens.
Autem met with Agatha in the deepest level of the High Temple of Valmorian. Compared to the rest of the building, this was a dark and enclosed area that few seldom use. It looked like the inside of a cavernous volcano as a large pit full of bubbling red fluid sat in the room’s center.
Agatha was sitting in a meditative stance at the edge of the pit while Autem stood next to her. Next to the pair was a pile of dead animals of various shapes and sizes. In addition to the animals, there was also a headless human corpse next to them. Laying in front of Agatha was a ceremonial dagger, waiting to be wielded.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Autem said, “I have been going over the prophecy you made about the phoenix and the gryphon fighting to the death. You were talking about the sigils of Houses Sylva and Magnus, weren’t you? Did you see the outcome of that fight? Who wins?”
Opening her eyes, Agatha replied, “The future is still uncertain. It is anyone’s fight.”
Numen the Slayer (Magnus Dynasty Saga Book 1) Page 19
