Soul weaver, p.40
Soul Weaver, page 40
part #1 of The Seeded Realms Series
The undead he conjured were far more effective then she had initially accounted for, which made using her Charm on the few remaining humans much easier. It still took a lot out of her to keep so many under control, however. Some of them did resist, and it was not unlike juggling, as she had to keep reapplying her Charm to them.
Killing Alistair had been difficult, but it had to be done. At least a stab to the heart was far better than letting the Grauda have their way with him. It really was the only mercy she could offer him.
She glanced around now at the gory and dismembered remains of the soldiers that had come here to fight. The Grauda had been starving when she found them down in their tunnels, and they were now eating everything they found. It was a feeding frenzy, with the humans as the main course.
Trying not to watch for too long, Celia walked back through the bodies to the other edge of the camp. Vhal was there, along with all the female Grauda who had stayed behind in the colony when their queen left to meet Aziel.
“Quite vicious,” Vhal said, grinning widely as she approached. “Almost makes using my Summon Undead worth it. Using it comes with a price, you know.”
“It was the only way to ensure the Grauda survived and keep our identities a secret,” she replied.
Vhal shrugged. “Perhaps.” He pointed at the scene behind her. “They must be acting on pure instinct.”
“They were starved. The humans brought this upon themselves,” Celia said flatly. She stared at the watching females. “Well? How long are you going to stand there? Get your males under control. We need to get moving.”
The females nodded and spread out to do as they were told.
Vhal leaned on his staff and stroked his beard, thoughtfully. “I honestly thought they wouldn’t listen to us.”
“They saw me talking to their queen, so they know who I am. And they were the ones who asked for help, remember?” she replied, stretching her arms over her head. “This is the last time I use a male disguise,” she continued, caused Vhal to look at her curiously.
“It’s… too real,” she complained, which elicited a chuckle from Vhal.
“Are the differences causing you some discomfort, Celia? I would have thought you of all people knew how to handle the equipment,” he quipped, his grin was so wide it looked unnatural even for him.
Celia stared at him blankly. She wasn’t in the mood for their usual back and forth. She just wanted to return to Soul’s Rest to be with her master and, well, rest.
A female Grauda approached her and nodded. Celia looked around, confirming that the females had already calmed their males down. She had to admit she was impressed by how fast it had been. It couldn’t have been easy to calm a frenzied swarm.
She pulled a small letter from her pack and showed it to the Grauda. “Send a group of your fastest warriors and capture a human that escaped from one of the other camps. Give him this letter. Follow him and make sure he delivers it to Whiteridge.”
The Grauda female looked at her curiously. Celia had no doubt about what was going on in her mind. She was deciding if following this sort of order from a non-Grauda was acceptable.
“The letter is from your future king,” she added, and the female Grauda’s antennae twitched, before she reached and grabbed the letter. Vhal, on the other hand, frowned.
“A letter? What is it about?”
Celia grinned. “Feeling left out, Vhal?” she said, before striding past him to lead the Grauda on their march home. She could feel his stare boring into her, but she was tired, her muscles ached, and her head hurt. That Mass Charm had taken a lot out of her. Besides, the letter was sealed. She didn’t know what was in it any more than he did.
Chapter 26
Aziel scratched his head as he sat in the study, poring over books and documents relating to governing as well as urban planning. It was all far more complicated than he ever thought it was going to be. And more importantly, it was frustrating.
These books all contained information regarding human settlements, and a few described elvish architecture. Nothing even remotely considered the needs of beings such as the Grauda, the undead, or demons. He supposed that it made sense in a way, but that didn’t make it any less annoying.
He shut the book and let out a deep sigh before rubbing his eyes. Celia and Vhal should be back any time now, if things had gone to plan. He really hoped they did. He didn’t want to upset an already concerned Astrel. The thought of the Grauda queen brought a smile to his face, as he recalled the last few days.
Astrel had insisted on coupling multiple times. It was to ensure her scent stuck, she said, but he was suspicious of her reasoning. By the end of their first encounter, the reaction of other Grauda to him had changed drastically, shifting from a strange mix of fear and restraint to outright adoration and respect. They practically hung on his every word now, to the extent that it made him feel a bit uncomfortable about the kind of responsibility that entailed. Not to mention the trait he had received as a result.
* * *
King of the Grauda
Class: Title
You have been chosen by the reigning Grauda Queen to lead their race.
Effects:
Ability to command all Grauda with the authority of the queen.
* * *
Aziel smiled as the runes began to fade. It wasn’t as if he was going to refuse her offers. Not only was she beautiful, but having sex with someone even less experienced than himself was something of a relief.
Astrel and Celia were completely different in that sense. When he was with the feisty succubus, it was a battle for domination—a battle he would lose every time if he didn’t start using his mana as a weapon. Their sessions were also instructional as much as they were about passion, as Celia used their time together to teach him some tricks of the trade, so to speak.
Astrel, on the other hand, was completely submissive in bed. She let him lead and did what he asked at all times. It had been a bit frightening at first—he was used to Celia taking on that role—but he quickly grew to enjoy it. It was far more relaxed than the full-on experience Celia represented… not that he didn’t also enjoy that. In the end, they balanced each other out quite well in his mind.
Just as he put down the book in his hands and leaned back in his chair, intending to take a short break, a knock sounded from the door. It opened, and the queen entered. Her soft chitin skin shone, and her hair was wet, giving off a floral scent. He examined her up and down, then smiled as his eyes met hers. She smiled back and made her way to his side.
“Enjoyed the bathhouse?” he asked. She nodded, taking a seat at the desk and glancing at the books in front of him.
“Planning to build a city for the humans?” she asked mockingly as her fingers delicately opened the book’s cover, then let it go to slam shut again.
Aziel chuckled softly. “With all the information available, it would be easy to do so, I think. But unfortunately, no. We can still learn from them, I suppose.”
Astrel placed her hands in her lap. “You really are going to try and build a country for us? The civilized nations won’t make it easy.”
“As if I need their permission,” Aziel scoffed. “The Central Wilds will soon belong to us. And if they decide to oppose me and those I consider my own, then I will simply remove them from the board.” He sat up straight. “Which reminds me, I wished to ask you about the other ancient races. Do you know who and where they are?”
Astrel hesitated, looking down at her feet. “Many of the ancient races I was told about either died out after the Fall or were hunted into extinction.” She looked up, and Aziel could see the pain in her eyes. “As far as I know, the other two races that made up the Collective are no longer with us.”
Aziel placed his hand on top of hers, and gently stroked them. Astrel looked up and smiled slightly.
“But that doesn’t mean no others exist. My mother told me of the Ogre’i. They are still somewhere in the Wilds, I believe…” She paused for a moment before continuing in a less confident manner, “There were also rumors a few years back of a Valkyrie being sighted, but I haven’t seen any evidence of them.”
Aziel narrowed his eyes as a familiar tingling sensation started in his head. He frowned as the tingling morphed into a brutal hammering—and then his brain exploded in pain.
Astrel looked at him in concern, gripping his hand in hers as he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw in an attempt to fight through it. This agony was exactly the same as the episode he had gone through when he first saw Astrel… but to his dismay, no new memories followed, just the harrowing pain.
Thankfully, the experience only lasted for a few heartbeats. Aziel let out a sigh of relief and looked up at the concerned Grauda queen to reassure her with a small smile.
“My king?” she asked, her hand still gripping his tightly.
“I am fine, Astrel, don’t worry. Just tell me who and what the Valkyrie are. Everything you know.” If just the mention of their name had given him that reaction, then they had to be important.
Astrel gazed upward, as if in an attempt to gather her thoughts. But then she shook her head slowly and frowned.
“The Valkyrie are… or were… powerful beings of light. They had large feathered wings, and the stories say they were the most beautiful people that ever lived. Their whole species served a single Ascended of light, and they acted as her honor guard, but they were also known for how private and secretive they were.” She paused. “The stories I was told say that they were the first to describe you as the Aziel after Divinities’ Fall, but not much is really known about them.”
Aziel thought about this. Her description came awfully close how his mother looked in the memories he recovered. The real question was, why would the Valkyrie spread rumors of his possible return?
Were they looking for him? And if so, were they his allies or enemies? Of course, that was assuming they still existed. He was also frustrated by his missing memories—he had assumed that learning more would have triggered something, but nothing had happened.
And there was another problem. From his memories, it was clear the Collective, and therefore the Grauda, served his mother’s faction. But Astrel didn’t even seem to know who this Ascended of light had been. While a story being told over and over again from one generation to another meant details would be lost, could that be true of something as important as who led their faction?
He swallowed his questions for now, then stood. “Come, Astrel. There is something we must do.”
***
Once inside his crystal chamber, Aziel looked at Astrel with a serious expression, which caused the Grauda queen to freeze.
“Kneel,” he commanded, and she did as he asked without hesitation. “I would like you to swear fealty,” he said, and at his words, Astrel’s whole demeanor changed.
She gazed up at him and nodded. “I, Astrel,” she began, “last queen of the Grauda, swear fealty to my lord and king, Aziel. I offer my body and soul to your service, to be commanded in any way you see fit.”
Aziel placed his hand on Astrel’s head, before declaring, “Astrel, Queen of the Grauda, I accept your fealty; you will be the first of my inner council to advise me and represent the interests of your people. Serve me and your people well, and I will ensure you are properly rewarded.”
Astrel stood, a proud smile on her face. “I will serve you well, my king.”
Aziel smiled back. “I have no doubt that you will. We should now speak about our future plans. As you are the only member of the inner council so far, your opinion in these matters is vital.”
He walked with her to the curved rock at the end of the chamber, where he took his seat.
“Once your people arrive, which should be soon, you will begin repopulating your race,” he said. “I am uncomfortable with the Grauda being in a perpetual state of near extinction.”
Astrel bowed, but he could see her blush slightly—perhaps wording it so bluntly wasn’t the best idea. As their queen, she mostly likely blamed herself for their current state, but it was something that bothered him, and he needed it rectified as soon as possible.
“As you wish, my king,” she said.
“Good. Now let us get to the role the Grauda will take on as members of the Fallen.”
Astrel looked at him curiously. “Role? My people are to fulfill all the roles, are they not?”
“For now, yes. But the Grauda have a specialty I want to discuss. I have a distinct memory of the Grauda being builders.” He paused as Astrel’s shoulders stiffened. “Is there a reason why that is no longer the case?”
Astrel smiled sadly, her posture relaxing, “You are correct. We Grauda do indeed have racial inclinations and specialized skills when it comes to construction. I did not mean to hide this from you, my king, I—” her voice was growing more frantic, and Aziel raised his hand to stop her.
“I am not upset, Astrel. I only wish to understand,” he said.
Astrel nodded slowly. “The Grauda can build like any other race, but our skills allow us to build faster and more precisely. We can see the structural weaknesses and strengths of rock and other construction materials. We just couldn’t access these abilities… until now.” A small smile appeared on her face as she met his eyes.
Aziel was at a loss. “So you can build the structures I remembered?” he asked.
“Yes, my king. This skill set has been locked to us ever since the events of Divinities’ Fall. It requires us to be part of a faction and also have a king… when my people gain the skill points needed, they will have the ability to build whatever you desire.”
Aziel blinked, was it really that simple? He couldn’t help but grin—it was as if a weight had been suddenly taken off his shoulders. With this, most of his plans could finally go into action. As for levels… the next step should solve that.
“I am pleased—” he tried to say, but Astrel’s antennae suddenly shot up, and she turned to face the entrance before sprinting toward it without a word.
Aziel stared at her, dumbfounded, then jumped up himself and followed. As he got closer to the door, he sensed the thousands of vessels gathering outside and making their way down the long hallway. There were so many he couldn’t distinguish them from one another—they all blended together.
He caught up to Astrel halfway down the passage, just as she threw herself at the leading group of female Grauda and hugged them tightly. The surrounding males and females clicked their mandibles in what Aziel could only hope was happiness. He smiled as a sense of relief washed over him.
Before he could do anything else, he felt himself being tackled to the ground and quickly flipped onto his back. A succubus sat astride him, a huge grin on her face.
“Master…” she purred, before she dove forward to kiss him.
“Celia,” he tried to say, between kisses, but she placed a finger on his lips to quiet him.
“Hmm… floral…” she hummed, then opened her eyes wide and grinned down at him. “You took the stubborn queen didn’t you?” she asked excitedly. “About time. I thought you would never get down to it, at the rate things were going.”
Aziel looked at her curiously. “You’re not upset?” Although Celia had said she wouldn’t be, before and after the fact were completely different scenarios.
Celia tilted her head slightly. “Should I be?”
“No…?”
“Then I’m not. But, Master, I completed my quest and was awarded an extra point of Reflex from the World Seed!” She licked her lips as her eyes roamed his body. “Now I want my real reward,” she said, leaning forward to trail kisses down his neck while her tail played with the growing bulge in his pants. She giggled. “Looks like you’re more than ready.”
Aziel struggled to keep his thoughts in order. His whole body was screaming at him to just let her do as she pleased, but there was a whole race of people he had to greet. Not to mention they were in the middle of a crowded hallway.
“Celia,” he whispered.
“Mmm…” she moaned, then went back to nibbling on his ear.
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom, after I’m done with the Grauda,” he said, but even he could hear the hesitation in his voice.
Celia lifted her face up to his and smiled knowingly. “Master,” she purred, then leaned in, only to yelp as she jumped back in surprise.
Aziel quickly took the opportunity to get back to his feet, preparing himself to counter her inevitable tackle. Instead, he looked down and saw Celia looking back at him with hazy eyes, a dreamy expression on her face he had never seen before.
“Master,” she mumbled. Her body twitched as another moan escaped her lips. “That’s not fair.”
Aziel looked at her, then back at his hands. He had spiked her with his mana, and although he did use more usual, this was a far stronger reaction than he expected.
“Ah, my lord, you’re here,” a voice called out.
Aziel looked up to see Vhal pushing his way through the Grauda, only to stop suddenly as he stared down at Celia who was slowly recovering from her ordeal.
“Hmm,” he said.
“She will be fine… I think,” Aziel said, as Celia curled herself into a ball and shuddered.
Vhal’s interest seemed to fade almost as quickly as it had appeared. He nodded and bowed to Aziel. “We have completed the mission, my lord. We lost four Grauda males on the way here due to an Arachne attack, but otherwise all went well, considering.”
Aziel frowned. Astrel had briefly told him of the Arachne and the danger they posed. But they were now actively attacking him? He was just about to ask Vhal for more details when he noticed the growing crowd of Grauda gathering around them. They were looking at him with that familiar mix of awe and devotion, which was uncomfortable.
