Primal conjurer 6, p.1
Primal Conjurer 6, page 1
Primal Conjurer 6
Primal Conjurer
Book 6
Danny Rogan
Contents
Act 1: The Devil’s Poison
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Act 2: The Dream Catcher
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Act 3: The Councilor’s Plot
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Act 4: A Farm On a Hill
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Afterword
Also by Danny Rogan
Act 1: The Devil’s Poison
Chapter One
As Ryn Xaven crawled through the tall grass atop a rocky overlook with Nephale’s slim, dark-haired form at his side, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the sight of Fort Prospect. Located at the edge of the sprawling Kelarin mountain range, its builders had carved the fortress into the rock. Watch fires glowed on towers while narrow windows hid anything inside.
Beyond its tall and crenellated walls, the fort towered over rocky ground that would offer no cover day or night. Additional stone towers formed a ring outside the walls that would make it even harder to get anywhere close without being sighted. The fort’s size and the amount of soldiers necessary to maintain it was rather discouraging.
How was Ryn going to find three vials of devil plague in a structure that looked be half as big as the Primal Academy?
After a journey of just over a month by both land and sea, Ryn and his auxiliaries had finally sailed into the Lachlan Confederacy’s main port of Aramore. It had been both impossible and diplomatically inadvisable to book passage to another nation-state without informing them. So, the devil-marked councilors in the confederacy’s leadership knew he’d arrived.
What they didn’t know was where he was going. The only devil who knew that Ryn knew about the devil plague had committed suicide to avoid spilling the plans of her master, Legate Xorumon of House Belgor. The devils couldn’t guess he knew where the plague was hidden.
Acting Executrix Grayson had the Clarion Flight Academy locked down. While it was possible another devil mage could have gotten news to House Adon that Primal Conjurer Ryn Xaven was coming for them, they couldn’t know he was coming here. The House Adon devil mages would burrow in and fortify their positions in Whitebridge, the confederacy’s capital, while he ignored them and removed the last weapon they had in reserve.
Today, thanks to some extensive scouting from Glory and Honor, Ryn had located the remote Lachlan Confederacy fortress. His target was in sight. His goal was to retrieve and bury an ancient devil plague that, if unleashed, could wipe out all life in his realm.
As they flattened themselves on their bellies to minimize their profiles while they peaked over the edge of the rocky cliff, Nephale spoke over their bond. “I’ve seen bigger.”
He chuckled quietly and glanced at her. She wore good boots, brown leather riding pants that hugged her ass, and her recently polished devil-armor cuirass. Even in armor, the sight of her quickened his pulse.
He spoke over their mage bond. “Still think it’s a good idea to assault it from the front?”
She glanced his way and offered a knowing smile. “I never said it was a good idea. I simply said it was a better idea than yours.”
They’d been over this many times on their month-long journey. Ryn still believed the best way for him to get inside Fort Prospect and find the three vials of deadly plague was for him and Gloriana Langley, his fifth auxiliary, to pose as devil mages.
The two of them could play the role. Glory knew the minds of devils because one had possessed her for months as they both prepared for his arrival at the Clarion Flight Academy. Ryn knew their minds thanks to the devils he’d interrogated.
Most importantly, during his travels across the realm saving people and thwarting devil plots, Ryn had acquired two stones of House Adon. These demonic black diamonds would mark them as favored by Primus Lariel, one of the high-ranking members of House Adon.
Nephale didn’t like the idea of Ryn going into that fort with only Glory to protect him. He knew none of his other auxiliaries (save Glory) liked that idea either, but he remained in command. Nephale would continue to suggest alternate strategies, but once he acted, she would always have his back. That was one of many reasons he loved her so much.
He focused on their bond. “Let’s head back to the others. I’ve seen all I need to see.”
Moving mostly silently, Ryn crept down the slanted hill that had led to this rocky overlook. Given their distance from Fort Prospect, he doubted anyone in its watchtowers or looking out its windows could spot them all the way out here.
It took almost twenty minutes of stealthy movement through sparse woodland to return to where the rest of his auxiliaries had made camp in a small cave. Their campfire was hidden from plain view. They didn’t want any light that might draw attention.
They had stabled their horses two days ago in the robust trading town of Kallowhorn. It would have been impossible to hide the horses in the trees, or cave, if Glory warned of drake riders. So, reluctantly, they had traveled the last few days on foot with only their travel packs.
Ryn had one sizeable advantage over the devils: Glory and Honor. They were fortunate that Fort Prospect didn’t have any drake riders flying patrol around its borders. Glory and her pegasus could fly up and scout for them every day to make sure no one snuck up on them.
Over the quadruple bond Ryn shared with Auri, Lena, and Saphi, Auri called out the moment she sensed him. “Prime? All went well?”
He walked forward as he responded over their bond. “We weren’t spotted, but Glory may have undersold the size of that fort. There’s absolutely no way the six of us could get anywhere near it if we tried to sneak in or assault it. My plan is still the best bet.
“If we cannot approach through the front, how will we aid you if you are attacked?”
“Unfortunately, you won’t be able to aid me directly. The best we can hope for is that you can get close enough to pass me ether and spell forms. If worst comes to worst, I can channel every spell form you know using the ether you provide.”
Lena sighed over their mental bond. “Why can’t I be the devil mage?”
“You’ve never been possessed by a devil, for which I will remain grateful.”
“I can act possessed! I can cackle maniacally and say creepy things.”
Ryn winced at the thought. “Please don’t.”
He and Nephale paused beneath a sparse copse of woods as they scanned the skies for any trace of drake riders. Fort Prospect didn’t have any, but there could be others from other forts flying over or just flying from place to place. Getting spotted now would ruin a month of stealthy travel through lands that grew less pleasant the closer Ryn got to the wastes.
He was glad they didn’t have to travel any further into the Breckenrock, on foot, than they had already. Even the edge of the swampy marshland was unpleasant, with mushy ground and endless insects. They came in swarms that were hungry for blood.
If not for the fact that Glory knew warming breeze, a spell form that summoned a bubble of swirling air that pushed away the bugs, Ryn suspected he’d have been bitten thousands of times by now. The bugs and spell form did have another benefit. In order to keep from being bitten, all his auxiliaries had to stay close to him and Glory for protection.
Having five beautiful women walking in extremely close proximity had made the trek through these barren wastes far more bearable. He had plenty of pleasant scenery.
As they waited, Nephale eased close and kissed him. It was a simple gesture of random affection that nonetheless made him feel very loved. Once they were certain the skies were clear, they sprinted across the open space between the woods and the cave.
They slowed once inside and then had to get down on all fours to avoid the increasingly lower ceiling. The cave ceiling rose rapidly after a chokepoint, but until then, they’d be staying low to avoid hitting their heads. As Nephale crawled ahead, which put Ryn almost directly behind her, her teasing thought came over their private bond.
“Are you checking out my ass?”
As he enjoyed the view, he thought back. “Kitten, when am I not?”
“Good. I hate this swamp. These bugs. These marches. All I want is a few days where you can fuck my brains out in a big bed between breaks for food and wine.”
“That’s our retirement plan. After we save the realm, non-stop fucking.”
Once the ceiling finally sloped upward, they could crouch, then stand. As they rounded a corner, the familiar sound of boots on rock warned Ryn of what was coming. A brown-haired woman wearing furred travel pants and a gray tunic ran up and threw her arms around him. As she gazed up at him with her wonderful smile, Saphi smiled in relief.
No words were exchanged. Ryn hugged her and nuzzled the top of her brown hair, and she sent her love over their bond as she sighed happily against his chest. He could go his entire life and never get t
With Saphi clinging to one side and Nephale on his other, they walked into the elevated portion of the cave. There, Auri leaned against the wall with a journal balanced on one leg, writing with a quill. Ryn suspected she was penning a travelogue.
Auri had left her academy garb at home. Instead, she wore tight black riding pants and a half-unbuttoned blue tunic that coursed over her ample breasts. Her deep cleavage drew his eyes. Even in the middle of a bug-infested swamp, Mistress Aurienda dressed to impress.
Meanwhile, Lena knelt next to their small fire. She had tossed off her dark gray travel cloak because of the heat in the cave, which, to her, must be like a sauna. Sweat glistened on her bare, tan arms and thighs. Her red conflagration mage bodysuit revealed far more skin than strictly necessary, but Ryn had never found an occasion to complain.
Lena moved her fingers and hands in an expert motion and channeled gentle light. That sent a burst of flames from her fingers onto the smoldering sticks. As she leaned close and blew on the dying fire, her golden-blonde hair dangled dangerously close to the flames.
At the sound of their footsteps, Lena rose and pivoted to face him. Her lips curled up into the creepiest, most unnatural smile he’d ever seen.
“Hello, Xaven. I wish to bargain with her soul.”
As a shiver went down his spine, Ryn scowled. “Knock that off!” If he hadn’t been able to sense her amusement over their bond, he’d thought she really was possessed.
Lena cackled manically, then sighed and brushed her gorgeous blonde hair back from her face. “You see now? No more convincing devil mage than me.”
“I’m going to have that image in my mind when I try to sleep.”
Lena walked over and took his hand. “Aww, poor Ryn. I hug you extra tight and keep you warm.” She drew his palm to cup one of her breasts. “You will have nice pillows.”
She yelped in delight as Ryn hugged her close in the arm that wasn’t currently wrapped around Saphi. “After we bury this plague and walk out of this hellish swamp, we’re staying a few nights in Kallowhorn. It seemed a nice enough town.
Nephale wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed contentedly against his back. “Except for those woods on the south side. I felt something weird out there, a mind we couldn’t see. It was the creepiest feeling I’ve had in a good while.”
Now sandwiched between these three beautiful women, Ryn was tempted to take a break to “recharge” even though he knew they couldn’t afford to waste another day. Before he could get too distracted, Auri looked up from her journal and rose.
“Glory should be back soon. Shall I go wait for her, prime?”
His third auxiliary was, of course, right. Glory always returned from her scouting around noon, and it was almost noon. Someone needed to be outside the cave to keep an eye out for her and wave her in so she would know it was safe to land. Honor flew too high for bond speak.
Ryn sighed at the idea of abandoning this warmth... and these always amorous women. “Better if I do it. Enjoy the bug-free cave while you can. Assuming Glory confirms there’s no additional soldiers or other people on approach to the Fort, we’re going ahead with my plan.”
None of his auxiliaries save Glory liked his plan. Every one of them was still going to support him as he executed it. He loved these women more than his own life.
Before he left, he made sure to obtain kisses from everyone, including Auri. Only then did he crawl back out through the narrow opening to crouch at the edge of the cave exit. No one would see him from above unless he stepped outside, but he would feel Glory coming.
He settled in the shadow of the cave to wait. The sun was almost at its zenith, and Gloriana Langley was, if nothing else, very prompt. Soon after, a flash of white he’d never have noticed had he not been scanning the sky darted in and out of a cloud.
Ryn stepped out of the cave, stared up, and waved.
Not long after, the white streak returned. It resolved into the tiny body and beating wings of a pegasus... with a woman in silver armor on his back. Glory and Honor descended rapidly. When they were close enough he could reach his fifth auxiliary over their mage bond, he could hear the flapping of Honor’s wings.
Glory’s thought was worried and urgent. “Prime, we will soon have company.”
That wasn’t what he’d wanted to hear. He motioned for her to land. She came in fast with aid from her wind spell forms. As she landed, she trotted Honor over to him, but didn’t unstrap or dismount. She might have to take flight again soon.
He walked up to Honor’s side and stared up at his gorgeous valkyrie. “What’s coming?”
“A wagon escorted by four soldiers in confederacy colors. It is rolling up the main road toward Fort Prospect. I believe it is a prison transport.”
Ryn frowned. “I wasn’t aware Fort Prospect kept prisoners.”
“Do not all forts keep prisoners?”
“Not in the republic.”
Glory peered down at him. “This is not the republic.”
“Right you are, fifth auxiliary. Dismount. We should discuss this with the others.”
Glory expertly undid the straps that bound her in the saddle. As she lifted one leg so her shin all but touched her nose, she rotated in her saddle and hopped off. The moment she was on the ground, she had her arms around him. A moment after, he was kissing her.
Glory’s armor pressed painfully against his robe as he spoke over their bond. His lips and tongue were busy. “I enjoy this more when you’re soft.”
She continued to kiss him with passion that he always appreciated. “I cannot shed my armor. But if you allow it, find a place, and I will once more pleasure you with my mouth.”
Even after a month with her, Glory remained among the most insatiable of his auxiliaries. Even Nephale and Lena couldn’t quite keep up with her sex drive, but all three of them had made a wonderful discovery. If they tied Glory up and made her watch, it was almost as good for her as participating... so long as they eventually included her.
Ryn eased her armored body away. “How long until the transport reaches the fort?”
“By late afternoon.”
“Then we don’t have time to waste. Strategize now. Sex later.”
While he could feel Glory’s longing for him over his bond, he could also feel her loyalty. In the past month, he and Glory had grown to love each other deeply. It had helped that she felt she owed him everything, and Executor Xaven’s fond memories had paved the way.
Glory traced her fingers down his cheek. “I am yours to command, kotakan. Let us go.”
Chapter Two
As Honor took to contentedly munching what little grass and scrub was available, Ryn led Glory in a now familiar crawl into the cave. While he could speak with Glory in his mind, or Nephale in his mind, or Saphi, Lena, and Auri in his mind, he could not speak with all five of them simultaneously. So for large strategy sessions, in-person and aloud worked best.
Once they both returned, Auri rose from the fire and looked at Ryn. “Trouble?”
“An opportunity. Or yes, trouble.”
He strode to the fire to find Lena sitting on the far side with Nephale beside her and Saphi beside them. All three women watched him alertly. Auri did as well.
Ryn glanced at Glory. “Tell them what you told me.”
Glory reported what she’d seen and when the transport would be arriving at the fort. Once she finished, Ryn turned to his auxiliaries. Five loyal, beautiful, competent women he trusted with his life and soul. He had his own ideas, but theirs were always welcome.
Saphi, as he’d expected, spoke first. “We should save them. We have to save them.”
Auri spoke next. “Respectfully, Saphielle, you are assuming that whomever is being transported shouldn’t be there. The confederacy is a nation-state like any other, with its own laws and customs. The prisoner may have committed a serious crime.”
Lena scoffed. “Then why take them to devil fort? No need to cart prisoners all the way out here. So many better, larger prisons in closer towns.”
“I agree.” Nephale leaned forward. “A lone transport with a few prisoners, all the way out here, feels important. You don’t send a prisoner to the ass end of the confederacy if they stole bread or even committed murder. You send them out here to make them disappear.”
