A Time for Revenge

Rubious sat comfortably on his throne of silk and stone. Everything had been crafted by his army, an army that he had created with the Power learned from the Book of Black. The silk had been crafted shortly after he had returned from losing the previous army during a conflict with his old Kingdom. How they had come up with a force large enough still boggled his mind, although he had clues as to how. More than six months ago he had tried to return to his old Kingdom to search his library for information only to find that an army stood in his way. Everything from soldiers to Mages battled against his creations, not to mention that somehow there appeared to be Hermans fighting alongside them as if they were allies. He would never have believed it if he had not seen it with his own eyes. It was still hard to believe, but there was one fact that made it easier to comprehend. That boy!

More than eighteen months ago he had come across a young man during his search for the Stones Power. He had wounded the boy in a duel, moments later he himself had been severely injured by what his men had reported to be was a Gargoyle. Since then he had seen the boy numerous times, more than once it had been a figment of his imagination. But each time he had seen the boy, the child had been fully enraged and desired nothing more than to engage him in battle. The few times that there had been communication between the two of them, those moments had been lost to more important things. He had no clue as to why the child kept coming for him. But it was clear that the boy was a threat. During the last engagement, the child had been there and had fought against his creations, surviving long enough to make a path toward him. Had it not been for the death of the shade, and the release of whatever draining spell he had been put under, Rubious may have fallen victim to the child’s blade. As it was, he barely made it out of the area alive and had only done so alone. All of the work that he and the shade had put into creating that army was gone. He had needed to retract every bit of magic from their bodies in order to utilize the needed spell to escape. And even then he had been left half dead when he had arrived.

The creations that had been left behind to protect what was being built had carried him obediently to his chambers, bringing him food and drink while he healed from his failure. But now he was rebuilding his forces and they would be far superior in numbers and strength than what they had been before.

It had taken a month for his strength to return enough for him to feel up to attempting his magic. The shade he had allied himself with had been the one controlling the Power during his rise to Power and the construction of with his army. Now he realized just how much Power it truly took to raise an army, even with the help of the Book. However, even with those limitations, his plans were moving forward with gratifying speed.

He had returned this very morning from a voyage that had taken him to an island north of his position. An island that had once been full of Dragon colonies centuries ago. He smiled broadly as a roar echoed dully through the walls of the chamber. Indeed, his plans were moving forward nicely.

He could hear his constructs training in the distance. He did not know how long it would take for him to rebuild the army he had. But he did know that it would be a while still before he was ready to proceed with his endeavors. He would amass an army far larger than anything that he had been able to obtain before. When he next moved out against any of the Kingdoms, there would not be any hope for the enemy. He would crush their defenses before they could realize what was happening. He closed his eyes for a moment to the sound of the commotion outside his palace, the distant sound of his constructs building their strength and building his new Empire was intoxicating.

He allowed his mind to wander only so long. As the sight of the setting suns shined through the windows of his throne room, he rose from his seat and marched to his private chambers. He needed his rest. By late tomorrow morning he would be leaving once again. Though the last trip had been tiresome, he still felt that he had enough strength for another trip. His plans to expand his army would proceed as quickly as he could maintain his strength and stamina. There were plenty of constructs that could be made right here where his new Empire was being built, but the magic required to do so was greater than what he wished to use. If he could utilize less magic to raise his army, it was worth a trip to just about anywhere. And to the south, buried beneath the sands of Hell’s Fire, may just lay the simplest source that he could wish for. So long as there was no interference from anyone, he would be able to arrive there, perform the resurrection spell and leave without overuse of his abilities.

He could always return at a later time if he found himself facing an overabundance of bodies laying beneath the sands, just as he would return to the northern island at a later date. What lay beneath the burning sands may be preserved enough that he may only need to use a fraction of his Power to raise them to his will. If things went as he hoped, he would be able to return quickly with plenty of new recruits for training.

He closed the door to his room and bolted it tightly. A precaution that he had taken to ever since he had lost the battle at Gehnith. He trusted his constructs, but not enough to recognize an intruder posing as one of them. He stripped down to the barest of necessities and climbed onto the soft bed that had been crafted to his comfort. This had been one of the first items that had been made when he had begun creating his army of constructs. Those constructs had traveled who knows where to find the materials needed to create this piece of furniture. The first testament to how far they would obey him cradled his body as he felt sleep begin to overtake him.

He felt the smile spread widely on his face as his physical pain eased out of him as images of his future floated behind his eyelids. The future was bright. All he needed to do was make sure that nothing stood in his way. Or if it did, that his might was capable of overwhelming it.

He rose before the first sun could crest the western horizon. As was his usual as of late, his meal was brought to his room and tasted by the servant. If any opposing forces got into his palace, he would make sure they would not be his undoing. He finished his meal as quickly as he could, barking orders to the servant that stood waiting.

He would be leaving for several days but that did not mean that his commands should not be followed. With orders left in place for training and construction, he left his room armored and set for the trip ahead. His last dream had sparked worry, a spark he would quickly extinguish by being prepared for it. He knew that most dreams were false, merely his mind making stories while he slept. But on the off chance that this was not a simple dream, he was leaving his new Empire with a careful watch on guard and himself fully armored and ready for battle.

His constructs were hard at work as he walked through the city, following the commands that he had set into motion days ago. With all the new recruits coming in there would be need of new buildings. As the better trained recruits began more advanced training on the outskirts of the city, new recruits taking their place near the palace and soldiers who had finished their training working on construction and needed repairs or maintenance, the city flowed perfectly like a river. A slow steady pace that would continue to grow as he brought in more soldiers.

All of this was moving as he had hoped, smoothly and without interruption. He could not help but smile as he watched his constructs march by him as they went about their duties. They would blindly follow his orders without question and that was the definition of a perfect soldier. Perfect.

The moment he reached the piers, where his newly crafted vessel sat bobbing in the tide, he called out to the one man he had given some authority to. “Are you ready to leave, Captain?”

“We have been since before mid-night, my Liege.” The Captain answered with a salute and a bow of his head. “I had three crews loading the Vengeance until it was done. We can leave immediately if that is your wish.” His trust in his Captain seemed to be well placed. Perhaps he would grant more power to his Captain at some point.

Without bothering to speak, Rubious walked past the man and up the gangplank. He wanted to make this trip quick and return the new recruits to the barracks for training. Depending on how tired he was would depend on whether or not he made another trip out right away. But for now, Hell’s Fire seemed to be the most likely place to offer the easiest catch.

As the ropes were loosed and the sails were set, he was pleased to see that the wind was at their backs. This would make their trip that much easier on the way down. As they sailed away from the piers he looked back to his growing city, the capital that would be the center pillar of his Empire, and was pleased to see it vanish from sight. The spell that he had learned from the Book was still working beautifully. For now, those interfering idiots would not be able to find where it was that he was massing his strength. At least not until he was able to better defend it. Once his army was stronger, once he was stronger, than it would not matter.

He turned his eyes to the south, the red orb of Power rising on the southern horizon. A good omen. He still needed to find a way to tap into that source of Power. If he could only do that, than nothing would be able to stand in his way. Focus on the here and now. Worry about those Power sources later. He did not need to be distracted. There were too many things that could go wrong if he was not careful.

But even then, he could not help but smile and close his eyes to the feel of the fresh sea air on his face, the spray of the sea water as his ship cut through the water. This is what he had always loved about living within these lands. He had learned most of his skills as a fighter from the sailors and pirates of the seas. Out here, he had taken more than one life before he had even ended his father’s reign as King.

He stood at the helm, watching the sea pass by as the day went by. The suns above sinking into the eastern horizon at day’s end. He would never tire of this, of the feel of the wood of the ship and the overall sensations of the sea. This was Heaven on earth if there ever was one. He closed his eyes to the last rays of light.

He could lose himself to the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea. “Sir!” the sound of that one word brought him out of his journey through his memories. “Sire, we have a ship in sight. There is no evidence that they have seen us yet. What are your orders?”

Rubious snapped his eyes opened and glared out over the darkened waters. Night had fallen in full and out over the black waters was a vessel, torch lights ablaze in the darkness. The ship was light brighter the mid-day. Why in the world would they have that many lights lit? Did they not know that it would only hamper they ability to see out beyond their ships perimeter? How could they not know this if they were out here on the open waters?

The answer to his questions came as a bellowing roar echoed from the distance, sending a fearful chill down his spine. His men reacted instantly, drawing their weapons and readying themselves for battle. He readied himself by centering his magic and forming a spell that would, not only illuminate the night, but also damage anything that it made contact with. A moment later, a large mass shot by overhead, the gust of wind it left in its wake shook the ship and rocked it to the side. Whatever it was, this beast would put up a good fight.

Out beyond, where the other ship sat, torch lights began fading away as hurried movements could be seen in their light. In the glow of the red moon, Rubious saw the black silhouette of the beast turn back towards them, its wings beating heavily as it picked up speed. Bypassing the other ship, the creature dove for his ship once again. He let loose the spell, aiming for the right wing. Moments before his spell could make contact, a second spell struck his, shattering it in sparks of Power. So there is a Mage onboard that ship! How delightful! Despite his spell having been stopped, in the explosive radiance of Power, Rubious had been able to catch sight of what it was that charged them from above. He readied two spells, focusing Power into the second to kill while the first he brightened to distraction. As the Dragon roared its defiance and made another pass, he sent his spell to it. Once again, whatever spell caster was on the other ship interrupted what he sent, but that was what he had planned for.

As the first spell shattered, a shower of red sparks illuminating the night sky in a brilliant glow of radiance, his second spell forced its way through and found its mark. An explosion of light came to life and for a moment, both ships were illuminated completely in the night. Black smoke enveloped the body of the Dragon, blocking it from his sense. Had he completely destroyed such a legendary monster? Could those beasts really be that easy to destroy?

As the light of his spell faded into the night he searched for some sign of his kill, something that would tell him whether or not the beast was dead. A sudden gust of wind forced the sails of his ship to creak and the shadow of the massive form flashed overhead for the slimmest of moments. He followed the shadow as best he could, watching it in the night. The beast was fleeing, heading to the east. He would deal with it later. For now, he had other details to deal with. “Bring me that ship.”

No other words were spoken. None were needed. His men snapped to their work, readying the weapons and gear that would be used. There was at least one Mage on board that ship, he would deal with him easily enough if his men did not kill him first. The enemy ship turned the moment that his ship was directed toward it. Funny how the think they can flee. There would be no chance of surviving. Every one of them would die this night, that he promised himself. There would be no bartering, no pleading. He was not in a giving mood.

As his ship overcame the enemy’s, his constructs threw the hooks and pulled themselves in. They had no archers, no way of repelling an attacker from a distance. Fools. Within moments his constructs had leapt onboard, slashing their way through the defenses that had been raised. He had trained his men well, he had raised them properly. He smiled as he sauntered on deck with not so much as rope to get in his way. This was a tidy ship, a fine collection to add to his own. It would make bringing back his prize from Hell’s Fire all the easier.

“You won’t get away with this!” A voice screamed out in defiance.

“Ah, but I already have.” He looked around to see a man that he vaguely recognized being restrained by two of his own. If memory served him well, this man had once been in his own ranks nearly a year ago. “Who is there that can stop me?”

The man glared at him in disgust, the hatred easily apparent on his face. When had this traitor left his ranks? Was it during the march through Sedan? Or had it been before then? Either way, this man deserved something far worse than death. “My King will. King Derune will end your reign of terror!”

“HA! HAHAHAHAhahhaaaAAAAGGHH!” With the speed of a viper, he unsheathed his blade and lunged, plunging the blade into the man’s heart. He watched as the fear and pain revolved through the man’s eyes, glaring into them, waiting for the life to flee the body. Just as the eyes began to glaze, moments before death would claim the man, Rubious leaned close and whispered, “Whoever this King is, when I send him to you, give him my regards.”

He pulled his blade from the man’s chest and wiped the blade clean with the other’s shirt and nodded to his men. The body fell to the floor in a heap, blood pooling around him already. “Kill them all.” He commanded. Without hesitation the two pulled their own weapons and joined the fighting, passing along the orders as they did. He would not bother to make constructs out of these ones, their fate would be in oblivion. Never will their bodies be cast to the Other Side. “DUMP THEIR BODIES OVERBOARD!”

He turned away from them, allowing his men to do their work. It would not take long, he had trained this batch to be quick and precise. Soon he would continue his path to sands of Hell’s Fire, where a once proud Empire had been buried. Soon he would raise more soldiers and train them for what lay ahead. And now, now he had a second ship to transport them on. This was turning out to be a very profitable trip.