Vaid Empire: Conquest Ch. 90

Vaid Empire: Conquest is a massive fantasy series that aims to mix erotica with the quality of a published novel. New chapters and artwork are released every month for free, with the completely optional possibility to receive early access on the official Vaid Empire Website. The Series focuses heavily on worldbuilding, story, and characters.

The world of Ayphieal is shattered and chaotic, with kingdoms and tribes of six distinctive races vying for territory amongst themselves. It is only when a young human warrior finally pushes back against the chaos that the world begins to shift towards order.

***

26th of Onis, 19 AVE.

Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.

The grand dining hall held the echoes of the final feast before war. Hesin peered around the gargantuan chamber, knowing many of the laughing faces lining the tables would never return. His own reflection stared back at him, a warped figure mirrored off the polished gold of a slave's decorative wristband.

She danced upon the highest table for the amusement of surrounding High Lords, a hand caressing up her leg to draw attention between her thighs. King Foin, newly arrived from Domexia, blushed before returning to his extravagant meal.

The royal family held the highest position of honor, seated at the center of the table. Hesin's watchful eye followed Vixin, her hips swaying sensually as she walked. When she passed Cendra, however, he watched as a careful hand placed a message cylinder upon her elder sister's plate. The seated princess eyed the cylinder with tight lips, not daring to look up. Instead, she concealed it beneath the table before straightening her back proudly.

At her side, Clin sat silently, oblivious to the rest as he stared at his own untouched meal. As if to contrast his father's mood, seated at the other side of Cendra, the little Prince Cliax met every passing slave with a kind smile, politely thanking each one that received the honor of serving him. Already a charmer, they giggled each time the boy brushed a long strand of golden hair from his face.

Hesin watched as Vixin reached her seat, placed between Salduin and Yisi. Rather than granting her daughter a place of her own, she held Princess Jinilya tightly in her lap, chiding her each time a flash of electricity flickered in the girl's grasp.

His single eye studied Vixin's companion with silent amusement. This Yisi and the princess had returned with new tattoos upon their palms. Few had yet to be close enough to both women to notice their concealed symbols matched. Fewer still were aware of their shared blood. Hesin could only chuckle, for even when sisters married sisters, he was the first to know.

At his own side, Nafalya cradled their son to her breast, letting Prince Atrix suckle. Once more he thought of the coming war. Once more he thought of his reflection. The child's silver eyes peered up to meet his, and he looked away.

The Lanthian Empire would bleed in mere days, yet two sat beside him. Lalian kissed Anthara, his hand upon her swelling belly as if in worship. She appeared nearly to glow with maternal beauty from her pregnancy, ignoring the whispers of any who saw her. Somehow, the talented eunuch would be a father.

"My forces are prepared to sail at your command, your holiness," the voice of Lord Kixanil of Luxi came from nearby. Turning, Hesin saw the man bowing before The God Emperor. "The fortieth of Onis shall be remembered as the day The Lanthian Empire's fall truly began. I can only wish you luck and safety in the conquest to come."

The Lord's Arkos concubine and hybrid heir bowed in turn, each granting their ruler a show of respect. Hesin shared a silent smirk with Nafalya at the sight of the hybrid, Wronax, for the years had only increased the man's resemblance to The God Emperor. Presenting three children of his own, daughters and a son that shared their father's features, the heir to the throne of Luxi appeared as if he looked in a mirror as he met Dominax's satisfied gaze.

Hesin would've been curious to see the Lord's reaction at learning the truth of his son and grandchildren, yet he was far too valuable now to toy with. Rather than leaving a member of House Vaid alone for years to govern in The God Emperor's absence, their holy ruler had decided to form a regency council to manage The Empire's affairs instead. Ever loyal Kixanil, of course, had been one of the first candidates selected.

The noble family of Luxi claimed their seats, making way for the next to bow. Others continued to arrive, their names and titles announced each time they entered the dining chamber. From afar, Hesin heard the name of King Galis The Second of House Gala echo through the loud room. A young man meekly made his way through the crowds, adjusting his crown uncomfortably before finding his seat at the highest table.

"The son of Elmia lives. Curious," Nafalya said quietly, watching the clumsy man as if he was her hired entertainment. The solemn king kept to himself after showing his respect, and she watched him as if studying a wounded animal. "What role shall weakness play in this game of ours? Do you think he'll grow in war, or perish?"

Hesin waved her question aside as thoughts of the conquest spread like a consuming jungle in his mind. The name of Queen Regent Quinla of House Stire was announced in the distance, a reminder of the power gathering in the capital. In fourteen days, they'd sail. When they reached Lanthian shores, two of the largest empires in the world would meet, and bloodshed would follow.

As he looked around the table, he cared little for the majority around him, and less that many would sail to their deaths. Such was the price of war. Glancing at Atrix again, however, he knew he had something to lose.

War demanded death, yet what would victory require of him?

27th of Onis, 19 AVE.

Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.

Vixin stared down at the colossal entrance of The Grand Pyramid. There, at the top of the many steps, her mother had lost her head.

High atop the second tower of the massive fortress, the twin of The Tower of The Lanthian, she leaned against the stone barrier of the balcony with a sigh.

The gentle night breeze offered no hint of the storm that approached. She could sense it, a presence climbing the endless steps of the tower. As a finger traced the tattoo upon her palm, she closed her hand, ready to face the coming battle.

Emerging from the tower, Cendra clasped her hands, clearing her throat. "Your message was brief, yet here I am."

"Here you are," Vixin replied without turning around.

Silently, Cendra joined her sister at the edge, peering down at the sleeping city below. Burning torches held back the consuming darkness of the night, flickering across her skin as she waited. Lips parted to speak, stopped, and started again minutes later. "I've heard rumors of your marriage. Lady Rosila's daughter, yes? Congratulations. She's a fine girl, as far as I can tell."

"You wanted to speak to me before I departed. Here is your moment. Speak," she replied coldly.

"Ah." Cendra tapped the barrier in thought. "My apologies did nothing to sway your mind. What more can I say?"

"There is a great deal more to say. If your tongue has failed you, I'll begin." Vixin inhaled as if breathing in their years of history. When she released, everything followed. "You're a cruel, vengeful woman with little loyalty for anything but your pride. You cling to your titles as if they can hide the rot at the center of your wounded soul, yet nothing will conceal the broken child that lays beneath. Worse, you're incapable of claiming a single victory that may justify your pride, and thus, you lower the rest of us instead, forcing the sins of another to taint my hands. 'Cendra the firstborn' they call you, yet others fit better. 'Cendra the hypocrite'. 'Cendra the vile'. Now, you beg my forgiveness, claiming to be 'Cendra the remade', and you find yourself at a loss for words when mere apologies do not absolve your wretchedness."

Cendra swallowed, looking away. "Harsh words, yet harsh truths."

Vixin sighed. "You've ruined us, yet after all your horrid deeds, I remain your sister. What's to become of us?"

"I had hoped you'd tell me."

Turning to peer down from the tower, Vixin eyed the place of Xenia's execution. "I often wonder if we're fated to repeat the follies of our mothers, without peace until one of us lays in a grave while the other is tainted."

Biting her lip, Cendra stepped closer. A hand reached to touch Vixin's shoulder from behind, only to retreat. "I'd rather avoid such a fate. There's time, I think. I only require a chance."

Vixin turned to face her with cold silver eyes. "I've offered plenty. If you soil another, you'll find the final death of my forgiveness."

The smallest hint of a relieved smile flavored Cendra's stern lips. "My pride isn't too great to admit I've had my share of failures. In this, however, I won't fail you. Merely grant me time."

Silent, a weary nod was her only response.

Enduring an awkward quiet, they turned to watch the city below. The light pouring into dark streets from distant windows appeared like ships on a black sea. The larger buildings near the base of The Grand Pyramid were the brightest, gradually dimming near the city walls. Beyond, the countless tiny homes lay spread out across the land, fading into the darkness.

When she could endure no longer, Cendra cleared her throat. "Perhaps, as a start, you may join me tomorrow as my honored guest at the knighting ceremony," she said clumsily, continuing when her sister raised a confused brow. "The first recruits of The Privictis Order are scheduled to receive their knighthoods tomorrow, and I'd be honored to have The Supreme Mother present to grant the ceremony validity."

Vixin folded her arms, pondering in a lingering silence. When she nodded, it came with a sigh. "So be it."

The tension in Cendra's chest seemed to relax. "Tomorrow, then." She began to walk towards the door, only to pause as her hand touched the handle. "I'm sorry, you know. For Fanir. For... everything, I suppose. You'll see. When fate tries to drown me once more, I'd rather have you by my side."

Vixin watched her go without another word. Alone, accompanied only by the flickering of torches, she rested her hand above her womb. Her secret remained concealed, beyond her sister's notice. She simply had to ensure it stayed that way.

27th of Onis, 19 AVE.

Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.

The towering circular chamber of The Privictis Order's training hall echoed with whispers as the Initiates waited. When High Peacekeeper Clin entered to meet them, the room fell silent.

"Initiates, you know why you're here." Clin eyed the first group he had recruited into his Order, young men and women that met their mentor with an eager attention. At his side, Cendra gripped the hilt of her sheathed sword proudly, studying those she had battered dozens of times upon the sands of their sparring arenas. To his other side, Kunir stood near Vixin and Hazia, observing patiently. "You all bear the scars upon your wrists that sealed you into this brotherhood of ours. You trained. You bled. You survived to prove yourselves ready to fight for the safety of all beings beneath The Empire. You've earned the right to call yourselves Knights, and tonight, you'll receive that honor in full."

The group called out with celebratory shouts, quieting the instant Cendra raised her silencing hand.

"The burden of Knighthood is not a duty I shall force upon anyone. While the Knights of the northern kingdoms received wealth and prestige to accompany their titles in days now ended, you'll receive little but the sworn responsibility to spend your days risking your lives to deliver justice and peace to every citizen in need," Clin explained solemnly. "There are no rewards ahead but the honor of good deeds."

"You knew the life that waited ahead when you cut your wrists. Now, you have a final opportunity to select a different course," Cendra announced. "Tonight, we'll meet once more as brothers and sisters to seal your oaths. If you choose to attend, you'll awake tomorrow as Knights of The Privictis Order. If you don't, you're free to leave."

A snap of the princess's fingers commanded servants to usher in a group of slaves through the main entrance. Bare of clothing, they encircled the group, men and women ready to serve a duty of their own.

"Those who stay, however, shall perform a final act to solidify your commitment before taking your oaths." Cendra gestured to the slaves. "Each of you shall sire a child this night, adding your blood to the population you'll be sworn to protect."

"What?" Kunir whispered as the others shared quiet glances. Vixin saw grins of eagerness, surprised eyes, and nervous faces. Young men chuckled in hushed whispers, while girls blushed as they peeked at the waiting slaves.

"Several among you have already sired illegitimate children during your training. It matters little, for you'll join your brothers and sisters all the same." Cendra clasped her hands behind her back. "The children you sire tonight shall never know you. Their locations shall be concealed, donated to volunteer families. Never shall you know if the being you are assisting is of your own blood, or another's. A child that requests your help may be your own. An old man or woman may be the adopted parent or loved one of your offspring. You shall treat the entire population as a family that you'll serve until your final days."

Vixin watched Kunir's jaw tighten.

"You know what awaits. You know the commitment before you," Clin said. "Accept your duty and join us tonight or empty your chambers and depart. You're dismissed."

As the others rose and began to make their way from the training hall, whispering in hushed voices, Kunir turned to Clin.

"You made no mention of this, old man," the sandy-haired Initiate accused. "I'm not a pawn you can put out to stud and profit from the result."

Clin eyed the passing group, ensuring they hadn't heard his apprentice's disrespect. "None shall profit from the children sired tonight. You have my word."

"And these generous families? I suppose they won't try to profit from the prestige of our children when they reach breeding age, will they?" Kunir stepped closer, his eyes softening. "You gave me a life I could be proud of. Don't demand this of me. Please."

Clin held the younger man's shoulder. "There is no shame in creating life. Trust my judgment on this."

Vixin could sense the turmoil stirring within the man, biting her lip.

"You'd let others whore out my daughter, or make my son a breeding stud? There's no shame in others purchasing my future grandchildren as trophies to display?" Kunir grimaced. "I made my own way without selling my seed. Please, don't make me depart."

Vixin stepped between them with a gentle hand on Kunir's chest. "Don't make a rash decision."

The sight of her was enough to give him pause. "I told you how I felt about Bloodtrading the day we met. I'm not a pawn," he said, then added her title begrudgingly. "Princess."

"Nor shall your child nor grandchildren be." Vixin met the gaze of the sandy-haired man, as if a trapped animal looked back at her. This was the life she had led him to when she spared him from execution. A common thief had become a man of honor, and now he threatened to fall once more. "Blood matters, Kunir. Yours shall be treated well."

The room hung in silence when the last Initiate departed. Clin subtly stepped back, away from Vixin as he peered at the floor. Her presence was a barrier, flaring his guilt anew.

"I can't," Kunir broke the silence.

The matter was the business of The Privictis Order, yet Vixin remained. The man was of her blood, a lost brother, and she couldn't help but feel a tingle of responsibility for his fate. She touched her lips in thought, settling upon a decision. "No one shall blame you if you depart, yet attend the ceremony at the very least. You won't be forced to join, though find me, for I've agreed to watch. Let us talk. You owe me that, Kunir."

Suspicion claimed his expression as he hesitated. For any other royal, he'd refuse outright. For her, he offered a sigh instead. "Fine. Don't think I've forgotten your mercy, yet don't expect to convince me otherwise."

"Good," she replied with relief. "Tonight then."

As they walked to depart, Cendra lowered her voice at her sister's side. "Well done."

"Once more I find myself tending to your messes," Vixin replied coldly.

***

When night fell, the rainforest came alive with the burning light of countless torches. Far from the city walls, The Privictis Order gathered, their white cloaks marching through the trees as they joined their brothers and sisters.

A heavy fog poured through the trees as slaves burned a green-tinted oil, filling the area with a pleasant-smelling smoke.

"The task ahead is simple," Cendra announced when all had arrived. "You shall defend the lives of our citizens, and thus, you'll seal your oaths by creating new life yourselves. Go now."

Waiting slaves began to mix with the crowd, seeking partners as they were selected. White cloaks were carefully folded before tunics were removed.

Cendra and Clin watched as naked pairs gradually found places among the trees, settling down as hands explored curves. She watched with a subtle grin, hearing moans beginning to echo through the humid fog.

Beside them, Vixin peered through the trees. Her hope diminished with every passing second as she waited for Kunir, feeling out of place as Clin stood in silence. Cendra's presence only flared her misgivings tenfold, oblivious to the secret lingering between them.

Finally, when her silver gaze found a lone man wandering through the fog, she smiled. "There. I'll do what I can," she said to Cendra before departing, feeling Clin's animosity at her back. She left one misdeed behind and walked towards a deed she hoped would be benevolent, seeing her illegitimate brother strolling in thought. When she reached him, he offered a quick nod, a gesture she accepted as the bow he was required to give. "I'm pleased you came."

"To talk," Kunir replied, attempting to keep his eyes from the moaning bodies littered between the trees. "That's all I promised."

"Of course." She took his arm in hers, leading him along. "I must say, you've come a long way since our first meeting. I hardly recognized you after all this time, yet your blood tells the truth of you. You're still the same boy I encountered all those years ago."

He grunted. "I haven't forgotten how eager my captors were to slit my throat and be done with me. I haven't forgotten your mercy, either."

They walked through the forest, passing entangled pairs. Hips pumped. Tongues whispered. Fingers explored wet folds. "Many are quick to forget the importance of kin. I never will."

"Kin," he nearly spat the word. "Kin only seems to matter when it's profitable. If I hadn't been useful, The God Emperor would've..." He stopped himself, realizing the danger of his words. "We're all here because we fought, trained, and survived. We earned our places."

"You don't consider the other members of The Order to be your siblings?"

"We're a brotherhood in arms, princess. The fact our mothers all spread their legs for the same man doesn't mean I need to hug every bastard I see."

"That's not quite what I meant."

He gestured to a pair beneath a nearby tree, watching a slave rocking her hips in a man's lap. "And you? Are they all siblings in your eyes? Is that man your brother?"

"We share as much blood as any other member of House Vaid," she said, smiling at the moaning man. "If that one found himself before me, bound and beaten as you were, I'd offer him the same mercy."

Kunir shook his head with a sarcastic chuckle. "A sweet thought, though don't expect me to feel the same. I don't care whose seed squirted into my mother's womb, nor his."

She frowned. "I suppose that includes me, then."

Rubbing his head, he shrugged awkwardly. "Don't misunderstand, princess. You're one of the few nobles that offered any measure of mercy in my life, though you're still a stranger."

"A stranger," she repeated quietly. "I can work with that."

They walked beyond the most crowded area of the forest, strolling through the trees as the moans around them diminished. Still smothered by fog, Vixin wiped perspiration from her head, feeling it drip down her neck.

"Do you truly intend to abandon your position after so long?" she asked, shifting the subject.

Kunir watched perspiration trickle between her cleavage before looking away. "I'll have no choice. I'm no pawn."

"And if there was a way I could remove your doubts?"

He squinted. "How?"

"It'd be a shame to watch you reject the opportunity you've been granted." She brought him beneath a secluded tree, avoiding his question. "Whether you reject the shared blood between us or not, I'd hate to see you fall back into your old ways."

As she began to remove her leotard, he stepped back. "What're you doing?"

Stripping down, she grinned seductively as she dropped her outfit to the ground, concealing her groin with a hand. "What does it look like? I'm offering an alternative, Kunir, just as I did when we first met."

Looking away, his cheeks burned a deep red. "Yet we're... you're..."

"A stranger, am I not?" Touching his chin, she forced him to gaze at her exposed breasts.

His eyes lingered, hungry before pulling away. "Stop... this is wrong."

"Oh? Are you giving commands to an imperial princess of House Vaid?" A hand caressed his chest. She watched him move to smack it away, only to stop, remembering his place.

"Don't," he said, gritting his teeth as her hand traced the edge of his tunic. When it reached under, he gasped, stepping back. "You're my-"

"Sister? Ah, so now blood matters." She uncovered her groin, running her hands over her slender curves. "No, Kunir. Tonight, I am merely a stranger offering you a way to retain your title. You fear Bloodtrading? You fear that your children and grandchildren will be sold and bred as prestigious commodities because of your heritage? I can ensure that your fears are never fulfilled."

When she stepped closer, closing the distance between them, he shuddered as her hands guided his to her hips, unable to conceal his temptation. Instinct urged him forth, and decency kept him away. Before he could refuse once more, curiosity claimed his tongue with a whisper. "How?"

"I've given birth many times, sweet Kunir." She unclasped his cloak, letting it tumble to their feet. Her hand guided his to her toned midriff, sliding down, creeping closer and closer to a forbidden touch. "I know the names and locations of each of my babies but one. If you were to... grant me another to seal your oath, I'd place your child somewhere safe, a place it'd be raised in comfort by slaves." His fingers neared her groin, stopping less than an inch away from tasting her moist treasure. "It'd never be sold. It'd never be forced to breed for profit. Upon reaching maturity, it'd be free to set out on his or her own." She smiled seductively, her body pressed against his. "Your child would make a life of its own, pawn to no one."

Fingers sliding, his breath caught in his throat, feeling the softness of her wet lower lips. Hand trembling, he pulled away. "No... no, this... is wrong." He felt traces of her vaginal juices upon his fingertips, a taboo deeper than he could endure. As if a final act to make her stop, for he no longer knew if he could, he whispered her title. "Please, princess."

Her lips met his, tasting her lost brother as she silenced his resistance. Pulling him closer, she guided him to the ground, surrendering herself on her back. A warm breath lingered between them as they parted, royal thighs spread, inviting him inside.

"I'm a stranger, Kunir." She pulled his tunic over his head, nearly tearing the white fabric before discarding it to leave him bare. Nimble fingers caressed his manhood, feeling it harden in her grasp. "A stranger, and nothing more until morning."

Hands caressed her body as if with an obsession, trembling, unable to stop himself. "A stranger," he whispered, feeling every tantalizing curve of the fertile female at his mercy.

"Seal your oaths. Slide inside," she commanded, watching his cock hanging between her legs. A hesitation claimed his gaze, no longer fueled solely by the taboo of their blood, but something else. Reaching up, she caressed his cheek as a realization came to her. "You're a virgin, sweet Kunir."

A grimace confirmed her words, looking away. She gently guided him to meet her eyes, offering mercy once more.

"You'll find no judgement in me. Come," she said softly before pressing her lips to his ear. "Breed me."

The tip of his cock pressed against her entrance. Throbbing, unable to resist, it pushed forward, sliding into her tight embrace. A deep groan of disbelief escaped him, gasping, feeling a sensation he could never have imagined. Enthralled, he pushed as deeply as possible, as if entering a goddess of pleasure.

His cries made her chuckle, savoring the sight of his pleasure as her own ached inside her loins. The cock of her illegitimate brother pushed into her deepest limits, making her toes curl at the absolute taboo of their deed. Her moan echoed through the trees around them, their bodies bathed in the fog that held back the world.

Hips moving, addicted to the sensation of her tight body within seconds, Kunir melted into her grasp. She wrapped her arms around him, running her fingers through his sandy hair.

There was no going back. There was no undoing their deed. The shared blood between them was taunting, a fact he could no longer reject. His hands explored her sides, caressing her ultra-soft skin as his legs quivered in bliss.

"Yes... just like that..." she moaned. "Savor my body... savor my embrace. When you can... ahh... no longer endure... cum as deep as you can."

The humid air made their skin moist with perspiration, two wet lovers seeking to conceive. Every instinct cheered in celebration, unlocking desires he never knew he possessed. His body felt drawn to hers, their attraction deeper than mere lust for a beautiful woman. He knew nothing of souls, yet something inside him craved Vixin more than any female he had encountered. The touch of their loins sparked a need he could never deny, his hips moving frantically to fill her with his child.

"I want this... I want your baby..." she moaned, holding tightly. "Make me a mother again..."

Inexperienced, his rhythm came uncontrolled, inelegant, pumping hard and deep. His thrusts were primal, seeking only to drain his seed inside her fertile vagina.

There was no other way to retain his place in life. There was no other path forward, knowing he was lost without The Order. Once more her mercy had saved him. Once more he was granted a second chance.

"Thank... ahh... you... princess," he whispered.

She kissed his cheek, closing her eyes to savor his clumsy movements. "Cum inside me... Kunir. Let it all out... and seal your oath."

Every second brought him closer, unable to endure the extraordinary texture of her tight loins for long. A former thief's cock pumping in and out of a princess's vagina, a fate he never imagined.

"Breed me..." she muttered, sensing his arousal building towards an eruption. She could feel echoes of pleasure rippling powerfully around them, sensing other pairs finding their finishes. The feeling brought a satisfied smirk to her lips, knowing many of her other illegitimate siblings were enraptured in the pleasure of conception.

She sensed a male spurting inside a slave through the fog, a brother. She sensed a female's climax as a slave filled a womb, a sister. To her surprise, and joy, she sensed a pair of Initiates hidden in the distance, brother and sister, locked together in lust. When their orgasms echoed through the fabric of reality, she sensed a second incestuous pair, then a third, conceiving children together without shame.

Rising, falling, Kunir's hips pounded into her relentlessly, his virgin cock unable to bear a moment more. Finally, with a groan that tore from his throat, he unleashed his potent seed inside as deeply as his large cock could reach.

Vixin held his trembling body tightly, gasping at the warmth flooding her loins. It began to ooze heavily from her lower lips, having inherited their father's inhuman quantity.

As sperm leaked to form a puddle upon the rainforest floor between her thighs, she kissed him, savoring the connection of their shared blood. She had done all she could to salvage the life of her lost brother, to grant him mercy and a second chance.

Nearby, she sensed Cendra in the distance, closing her eyes. She had offered Kunir mercy. Now, she had promised to do the same for Cendra. "Blood matters," Vixin heard her own words echo in her memory, sighing. Perhaps it was possible to forgive, if only a little.

"A boy... or girl?" Vixin muttered as they remained together. When he offered a confused look, she kissed his cheek. "A son, or a daughter?"

"A son," he said after pondering, sounding exhausted.

As he rested his head upon her shoulder, she held him close, concentrating, willing her womb to conceive a male.

***

Cendra waited a further hour until everyone had gathered once more around her and Clin. As they slowly returned, hand in hand with their partners, they knelt before their princess and High Peacekeeper.

Vixin found her place beside her sister once more, yet the evidence of her deed was hardly concealed. Cendra merely granted her disheveled sibling an amused glance, making no comment.

"Do you vow to protect the citizens of The Vaid Empire until your final breath?" Clin asked the crowd.

"I do," they replied in unison. At the front, Kunir met his master's gaze with renewed pride.

"Do you vow to cast down injustice?"

"I do."

"Do you vow to purge chaos and bring order and peace to all beings?"

"I do."

Cendra lifted her sword, thrusting it vertically into the air. "By the power bestowed in me by the imperial throne of The Vaid Empire, I name you Knights of The Privictis Order!"

Flame erupted up the blade, hurling through the sky in a roaring blaze.

The group cheered, rising. They had knelt as Initiates and stood as Knights.

35th of Onis, 19 AVE.

Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.

"We are premature."

Zela stirred in the darkness of her room.

"The silver vessel grows."

A black tentacle crept through the darkness, reaching.

"The day of The Artist nears."

Slime leaked from the appendage with a drip, drip, drip.

"Seek Synaalag."

Eyes bursting open, Zela screamed, scurrying to sit up in her bed. Eyes frantically searching the chamber, she pulled the sheets up to her neck, clutching them tightly with trembling hands.

"Zela!" Arinax leapt from his bed, his dagger drawn. Seeking danger, his breaths calmed when he found none. A shaking hand returned the blade to its sheath. "The... the dreams?"

She nodded.

Slowly, he climbed into her bed, joining her beneath the sheets, their shield. "It's been a long time."

"They're still scary," she muttered.

If he understood anything in this world, it was fear. "They're not real, Zel."

She shook her head. "They feel real. It... was coming for me again. The voices... they're..."

Arinax pulled the dagger free once more, 'The Dagger of The Heir'. Holding it for her to see, he did all he could to conceal the shaking of his voice. With their parents working throughout the night to oversee preparations for their departure, it was his duty to be the brother she needed. "They'll never harm you. I'll cut down any monster foolish enough to come for you."

Finally, the hint of a smile touched her lips. She pulled her twin into a tight hug, doing her best to ignore the darkness around them. "Will you... stay? Just for tonight."

Nodding, he held her close. "Go back to sleep. I'll stay up to watch for monsters."

A soft giggle escaped her lips. She dared to close her eyes, safe once more. When her hand found a large cut on his forearm, she whispered. "Father?"

"Training," Arinax replied.

Grimacing, she held the wound as if to protect it. There was nothing more she could do.

Within minutes, the princess drifted back to sleep under the watchful gaze of her guardian.

38th of Onis, 19 AVE.

Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.

Lalian's fingers traced lovingly over Anthara's belly. Lounging atop their bed, the swell of her pregnancy made him shudder with desire, knowing their child was growing healthily inside her womb.

"Thank you, Dominax," he whispered. When he closed his eyes, he felt as if he was floating in bliss. When they opened, his reality proved to be greater than his fantasies, utterly at peace.

Chuckling, Anthara cradled him with her wing, holding his body against hers. Lanthian skin caressed Lanthian skin, bare, leaving nothing between. "Oh, we can thank him better than that, my love."

Blushing, Lalian enjoyed her touch as they rested together. The swell of her pregnancy felt firmer than a human's, confirming his speculations. Their child would be a hybrid, of course, a mix of Lanthian and human, yet an egg of their species slowly formed within her womb.

"It's fitting, I think," Anthara interrupted his thoughts a moment later. "Our child shall be born within our homeland, rather than the strange lands of these humans." She bit her lip. "Still, I can only hope it'll have wings, else we'll need to ask The God Emperor for another attempt."

Lalian shook his head. "Wings or not, it'll be perfect all the same."

"So you say," she shrugged. "I suppose, regardless, I'll have the privilege of holding it and knowing for certain it's mine. Such is an honor Lanthian mothers never receive."

The thought gave him pause. It was a tradition all Lanthians endured, for mothers added their eggs to communal piles within incubation temples. None knew which child they had birthed, for all women collectively assisted in caring for and raising the children of their village. None were forced to suffer the shame of birthing a male, nor receive the pride of birthing a female. It had been a fact of Lalian's childhood, yet now, for the first time, he felt the smallest hint of sympathy for his cruel mistresses. None would truly feel the joy he felt now as his hand caressed his mate, nor the bond he shared with their unborn child.

"It's an... odd thing to admit, though I never pondered who my parents were. Now that I face the prospect of fatherhood myself, however..." Lalian shrugged. "I can make educated guesses, of course. For my father, that is, as any attempt to theorize my mother's identity is entirely impossible. Still, I was raised in The City of Tamaran. I can only assume I was born there as well, and if so, there is approximately a twenty-five percent chance the Priarch of Tamaran sired me."

Anthara listened to his rambling, holding the medallion around her neck with a satisfied calmness.

"However, eggs are frequently swapped with neighboring cities to reduce the harm of inbreeding, as you know, and the closest major cities to Tamaran are Praman, Lapath, and Woian. If my egg was swapped, there is a twenty-five percent chance that I was sired by the Priarch of one of these cities. Of course, I've taken into account that the Priarchs of Praman and Woian were defeated and replaced by successors in the years following my birth, yet if I've correctly estimated the year of my conception, it's simple to discount the current rulers as potential candidates for-"

"My love, I seek a point to this," Anthara interrupted as gently as she could manage.

"Y... yes. Apologies." He blushed. "The point is, our child shall never have to wonder."

She smiled, sneaking a hand down his thigh. "No, it certainly won't." A finger dragged down the short shaft of his manhood. "Oh, we'll explain who truly squirted it inside my belly, of course." The finger rubbed lightly, hardening his cock before her soft hand wrapped around his unimpressive girth, making him quiver. "Yet we'll ensure it never forgets that you're its daddy, won't we?"

"N... never," he muttered as she began to stroke.

"Good boy," she chuckled, her other hand dragging over her belly to grant him a show. "If you're going to raise this baby, you had better mark it."

Her seductive tone forced a whimper of desire from his lips, savoring every stroke.

"Go on. Is this your child, or your master's?" she teased.

Sitting up to kneel at her side, he moaned, watching her fingers caressing her pregnant form. The sight of her body enthralled his lusts as if she was his fertile goddess, almost able to pretend he was the one who sired her child. "M... mine..."

"Is it? Prove it, little Lalian."

"It... it's... m... mine..." he whimpered, enduring her skillful touch. Within a minute, the teasing display proved too much, and he bucked his hips as he squirted upon her belly.

"That's right." A satisfied grin crept onto her lips as she rubbed his clear liquid upon her green skin. The God Emperor's baby grew inside her womb, while Lalian's sterile seed coated her belly. "It's ours, my love."

Shuddering in bliss, he nestled once more against the side of his pregnant mate. A single thought played through his mind repeatedly, a reality he never thought possible. "I'm going to be a father."

"I'm going to be a father..."

40th of Onis, 19 AVE.

Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.

The Grand Pyramid stood in the distance, a shrinking beacon of home. Hesin watched it from the rear deck of the command ship in silence as the fleet cut through the waves of the gargantuan river.

To his left, he heard footsteps approaching. When Clin joined him at the rear, he glared, yet merely received an emotionless nod in return. The blond man kept his distance, wordless, peering out at Domani as it grew further and further away.

A moment later, Salduin patted Hesin's shoulder. "Gentlemen," the large man said, taking in the view.

Together, the three original advisors of The God Emperor stood, watching the city they had founded together disappearing in silence. From the ashes of Nitri, they had conquered all of humanity. Now, every mile brought them closer to the strange shores of another species.

The Grand Pyramid disappeared below the horizon, and the trio split apart, tending to their duties as they prepared for war.