Revenge of the Sorcerer King 3 - 16

Good Morning! 

Chapter 16

Alessa

After everyone returned to readying for the upcoming attack, I sat down and stared at my hand flexing it. I couldn’t feel any difference even though I was royal now. I wasn’t even sure what that meant in the long term of things. I closed my eyes and concentrated on connecting with Oberon.

The mental link formed. “Alessa?” he asked. “Did something happen?”

“Yeah. I just checked my status. I forgot it was my birthday recently.”

“Really?” He asked obviously annoyed that I had messaged him about something so petty.

“That’s not the issue. Siateth gave me another give. He made me a Royal Daughter,” I added quickly.

The annoyance I was feeling from the link vanished replaced by a sharp attention. “Hold on.” I waited and soon I felt another mind connect to the link. Helena’s mind didn’t feel as rough as Oberon’s but there was a definite age to it.

“I heard that. So. It finally happened.”

“You knew this was going to happen?” Oberon demanded anger rolling off him.

“No, I thought she would get a title at some point, but I didn’t expect my lord to my her a royal. This is going to further complicate things. It also heightens our need to go to Hizen.”

“We’re sort of in the middle of something right now,” Oberon said. I could just imagine him rubbing him temple.

“There are three other royals right now. If we can defeat them, Alessa could take command of all of Hizen. That is a significant force to reckon with.”

“That sounds a lot easier than it likely is,” I commented.

“Of course! The other royals are nearly two thousand years old and their level is only a rumor, but in the ballpark of seven or eight hundred.”

“I’ve only just recently hit one ten! How do you expect me to take on some six times my level?!” I demanded wanting to scream at her.

“Those three are still alive?” Oberon said and I felt anger rolling off him unlike I had felt before.

“That’s right. His Highness Donovan was one of your party members! He has some sunlight resistance is the most powerful of the three royals at the moment,” Helena explained.

I heard something explode through the link and could picture Oberon having destroyed a wall or even an entire building if he was outside. The anger only continued to grow before I felt like something unnaturally caused it to recede.

“Alessa. When we reach the labyrinth, we’re going to level up like mad. I have a debt to pay, and I’m a thousand years overdue. I hope you’re ready to be a queen,” Oberon said with steel in his voice. Oberon always sounded determined, but this was the first I would call some one hellbent. I needed to get stronger as soon as possible. “And you, tell you god that if he messes with us again like this. There might be another name on my hit list.” He directed at Helena.

“I will endeavor to relay your message,” Helena replied with an almost submissive tone.

“Girl. Learn to shield your thoughts,” Oberon and Helena both said at the same time before the link was cut abruptly.

“Goodbye to you too,” I mumbled with a sigh.

I stood up and turned to look at the camp of vampires that were almost ready. Many of the girls that I had transformed used weapons as they still didn’t feel comfortable tearing flesh with their bare hands. This didn’t bother me, but I would need to find a craftsman capable of making weapons for them down the road. Even as vampires, many of them didn’t gain much aptitude for magic and thus couldn’t make their weapons from ice like I could.

“Your highness.” I jumped at the title and found Jade next to me. “We are ready at your word.”

“Good.” I checked the sky. There was still thirty minutes or so until sunset. Then it would be good to attack a few hours after that. Humans liked to sleep once it was dark after all. I told Jade that I would like to wait and got a nod.

“What did master Oberon have to say about your… situation?”

“He…” I started then realized that halfway through it became about his revenge. Sighing, I shrugged. “We got distracted. After we’re done here, we’ll likely be heading for Hizen. You should work hard to level up like hell.”

“I shall try. The bow you gifted me has helped incredibly.”

I nodded. Most of the girls that were from Gallery were equipped with a fair number of decent weapons and armor that we looted from the dungeon. They went a long way to boosting their power, but actually gaining levels that would stick with you was the best.

“We need to get you a mount that can fly. I feel you would be best in the sky overlooking the girls while rendering support.”

“Funny you should mention that. I was thinking the same thing,” she said rubbing the back of her head.

“First time on our list then.” We shared a look before we started laughing. I sobered up and glanced into the camp. “Keep an eye on Husskan and Deldrach. I transformed them, but they weren’t willing. I’d rather not be stabbed in the back any time soon.”

“Maybe we should give them to Sarius?” she asked crossing her arms. “We’ve sort of got a gender separate mindset as it is. All the men are with him at the moment.

“Not sure that is a good idea.” I was mostly used to Sarius, but I never let it slip my mind that he was also a man that we’d crushed with our strength and that I’d transformed mostly against his will. I felt he was over it given that he was allowed to use his power quite freely and do what he wanted as long as he guarded our food. I could feel his lust through our link that was directed at the women in the train.

“Ah. I understand. Plus, it would almost be a waste for those two to be sent with him,” Jade said looking over to the two men. They were powerful even as low level as they were. With their experience, they could likely give most of the vampires in the camp a run for their money even after losing all the levels from their mortal lives.

“There’s that too.” I nibbled on my nail as I thought about the various issues before I just gave up. “Just keep an eye on them. If it comes down to it, I just will their hearts to explode and be done with it.”

“Understood.”

Oberon

Calling what rolled off me rage was putting it mildly. I wanted to reduce the city we were into ash. With Maya and the Lay-line array, I could even do it too. I settled for a building that happened to be near me.

“Master?” Maya asked with concern. To her it looked like we were walking along when I suddenly turned and launched a spell at the building reducing it to rubble.

Taking a deep breath, I glanced down at the child. “Its nothing. Just heard that some people that smacked my face in the past were still alive. I was just thinking of returning the favor.”

“If they hurt master, then Maya will help!” she said pounding her tiny fist into her chest.

“You’ll help plenty. First, we need to get you to the point that you’re able to connect fully to the lay-line without an array.”

The girl looked down at her feet. “My old master couldn’t do it. He blamed Maya.”

“We’ve already established that your old master was a fool.”

Maya and I continued on our walk until we reached the outstretches of the city. The array covered everything up until the walls, so they would make a good place for some practice. It wasn’t like there was anything that I was worried about her breaking. It was already a city of the dead. With us being here for over a week, the miasma was thick enough that wild undead were being created from the cemeteries and crypts.

“You are right, master. I’ll do my best. Just don’t get mad at Maya,” she begged with wide eyes. It reminded me of some of my children back when I was king and made me laugh.

“As long as you try, I’ll be satisfied.”

She nodded with determination. I taught her a few simple spells then cast a spell on her that would block her mana pool. That would force her to draw from the mini array that was in her body. The more she grew accustomed to it, the better. I knew it was best that there be an established array like the mages’ tower to regulate the power, but that would force her to remain in the city walls for the rest of her life. She needed to control the flow herself to be able to leave. Plus, if I wanted her to be able to find Mercy, she would need to be able to search for it in the wilds. Not something a child could do without any practice.

While we practiced, the undead were marching out of the city and forming ranks. With the city and battle with the Crimson party, my numbers were sitting around twenty thousand in the army. With another ten back in Haven. That number was likely higher, as there were a number of wild undead that were being caught in the group mentality of the undead. Zombies that were just going with the flow as it were.

I glanced back to the mages’ tower and took in the array. I wanted to build a mobile version, but Mercy was one of a kind artifact that I created using the heart of a demi-god. It wasn’t something that I could buy just because I wanted. There were so many large scale magics that I could use if I had access to just five percent of the capacity of Mercy.

Thinking of magical artifacts, I remembered that I had a dwarf back in Fallen Haven that was working on magical systems around the city. He sort of fell into my lap and I hadn’t really taken the time to give him much more work than that. As a sorcerer, we tended to work alone while mages worked in large groups. It was hard for me to consider the help of others. Especially given who I am.

“That’s good, Maya! You managed to make a spark. That’s means you’re getting somewhere! Keep it up!” Children grew with praise. Even as I am, I could remember that lesson from my previous life. She blew some steam from her nose and redoubled her efforts.

I cast my gaze into her body and checked on the workings of the spells. As I worried, the mini array was using most of the mana it was pulling in from the lay-line just to keep Maya alive. It looked like a survival instinct from Maya herself. I spent a while looking over all the workings in my mind but came to the conclusion that to fix it would require me to kill the girl. That meant once we left the city, I would lose the nearly unlimited mana pool I was enjoying until we found Mercy.

The night was about to fall when I patted her on the head. “Alright. You did some good work. I have one more thing for you to try. I want you to use your own mana to try and connect to the array over there.”

She looked up at me worried but nodded. I released the spell blocking her mana pool and she narrowed her eyes at the tower in the distance. With a look on extreme concentration unlike anything you’d find on a regular child her age, she started trying to get the connection to work.

After the sun had set and the moon was partway up the sky, Maya suddenly started leaping up and down. “I did it! I connected to it!” She pointed outside the city and created a large fireball that was far outside the limits of her own mana pool.

“Good! Very Good!” I patted her head. Now I was sure that she could serve the purpose I needed of her. She could find Mercy in the Wandering Dungeon. I chuckled before I started laughing maniacally. When Maya copied me, I only laughed harder. I was having fun raising this little monster!

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