The gates of the Valerius estate creaked open for the time in weeks. This time it was to let the Master out.
A black carriage waited in the courtyard. It was sleek. Didn't have any flashy noble crests on it. To people and the distant King Prince Alaric was going to the Capital to 'seek a blessing' from the High Cathedral for his failing health. It was the cover—a weak dying prince seeking divine mercy.
I stepped into the sunlight squinting a bit. My body, now optimized at Level 5 felt like a coiled spring. I still looked pale and thin. The way I moved was different. It had a predatory grace that made nearby stable boys lower their heads.
"The luggage is packed My Lord " Sir Kaelen said, bowing low. He wore traveling leathers. Had a high-grade steel blade. I had infused it with a drop of my Glacial Touch. "The route through the Blackwood Pass is the fastest. Its prone to banditry."
"Bandits are unrefined resources, Kaelen " I said, stepping into the carriage. "Let them come."
Inside the air was cool and smelled of incense. Isabella was already seated, her face hidden behind a lace veil. She was officially my 'nurse' and companion for the journey. Elena and the Count stayed at the estate to manage the transition of the Marches.. Their souls were still connected to me through the Eye of the Overseer.
"Master " Isabella said softly touching my hand as the carriage moved. "The Duke's spies have been following us since we left the perimeter. Should I have Kaelen deal with them?"
"No " I replied, leaning back against the velvet cushions. "Let them watch. Let them report that the Prince is frail and barely speaks. The more they underestimate Alaric the room Aethelred has to breathe."
As the carriage left the Valerius lands I felt the connection to the estate stretch. Not break. With 1.3% Divinity my range was expanding. I closed my eyes. Focused on the Bedchambers central hub.
The three primary nodes—Isabella, Elena and Seraphina—glowed like stars in my mind. Seraphina was already on her way to the Capital with the Duke. Her 'Abyssal Flare' was gathering data on the citys defenses.
"The Capital is a nest of vipers, Isabella " I said softly. ". Vipers only bite what they can see. By the time the King realizes I'm in his city the fangs will already be out of his mouth."
The carriage suddenly stopped. I heard the sound of steel scraping against scabbards
"Halt! By order of the 'Crimson Fang,' this road is closed to all who do not pay the blood tax!" a rough voice shouted.
I didn't open my eyes. A dark smile spread across my face.
"Kaelen " I said through our link. "Don't kill the leader. I want to see if the Bedchamber can accommodate a 'Beast-Tamer'."
I stepped out onto the road. My boots made a rhythmic thud. I looked fragile a prince wrapped in heavy furs. Opposite me, blocked by a fallen log stood the 'Crimson Fang' bandits.
Their leader, Raksha was a woman with scars. Her eyes glowed with a yellow light. She had a notched falchion that hummed with primal blood-red mana.
"Look at this " Raksha spat. "They sent a dying lamb to pay the tax. Boys don't kill him yet. I want to see how gold he's worth before he coughs up his lungs."
The bandits. Moved in. Sir Kaelen's hand went to his hilt. I raised a pale, trembling finger to stop him.
"Gold is a currency, Raksha " I said softly. I took a step forward my head tilted at an angle. "I have something more valuable. I have a purpose for your pack."
Raksha's eyes narrowed. Her wild instincts suddenly began to scream. To her I no longer looked like a prince. I looked like a rip in reality.
"Shut up!" she roared, lunging forward. Her falchion swung in an arc.
I didn't move until the blade was inches from my throat. With a speed that defied eyes I reached out and caught the flat of the heavy blade with my bare palm. The Glacial Touch erupted instantly. A jagged frost raced up the steel turning it blue and freezing Raksha's hands to the hilt.
"W-What...?" She tried to pull but the ice had fused her skin to the weapon.
"You mentioned a blood tax " I whispered, stepping into her space. My eyes flared with abyssal violet. "I've decided to collect it from your soul."
I grabbed her throat my fingers digging into her pulse point. The world around us. Tore.
The damp forest vanished. We were standing in a humid cave. The walls were lined with furs and trophies of giant beasts. A roaring primal fire cast shadows. The air was heavy with the scent of musk and rain.
Raksha collapsed onto a pile of furs gasping for air. The Arousal Mist in the room was aggressive triggering her mating instincts.
"Where... Where's this?" she growled, her pupils blown wide. "What kind of sorcery is this?"
"This isn't sorcery, Raksha " I said, walking toward her. "This is the hierarchy of the void.. You... You are about to become the hound of my army."
I knelt over her my hands pinning her wrists to the furs. She fought with the strength of a berserker. Against my 1.3% divinity her Level 14 strength was like a child's tantrum.
The ritual of the Den progressed. I felt the raw unrefined mana of the wild flowing into me. Raksha's mana was like a storm—violent and hot. As I claimed her I molded that chaos refining it with the precision of my void essence.
Every gasp she let out was the death of a bandit queen and the birth of a hound. I didn't just take her body; I took the Alphaness" that allowed her to lead men. By the time the synthesis reached its peak her spirit was no longer a wolf; it was an extension of my shadow.
The Arousal Mist, in the Den wasn't subtle. It smelled of iron, sweat and woodsmoke—a chemical trigger designed to turn Raksha's berserker rage into a carnal hunger.
"My... My soul... Its burning!" Raksha cried out her back arching off the furs. Her yellow eyes were glazed, the pupils flickering between slits and predatory circles.
"The fire you feel isn't your magic, Raksha " I said, my voice a dominant vibration. "It's the realization that you've finally met something you can't bite your way out of."
As the ritual progressed I felt the mana flowing into me. Raksha's mana was violent and hot. As I claimed her I refined it with my essence.
Every gasp she let out was the death of a bandit queen and the birth of a hound. I took her body and her "Alphaness". By the time it was over her spirit was an extension of my shadow.
The synthesis was complete. Raksha was now 'The Loyal Vanguard'.
[Reward: Beast-Taming Aura (Passive). Natural animals and low-tier beast-men will now instinctively fear/obey the Host.]
The dark cave disappeared.
The chilly air of the Blackwood Pass came back. Kaelen stood over four bandits his sword covered in dark blood. The rest of the Crimson Fang were stuck their weapons down their heads tilted like they were listening to something only they could hear.
I let go of Rakshas throat. She fell to the mud gasping for air.. She didn't pick up her sword. Instead she crawled to me her head against my boot ignoring the mud and her mens stares.
"The pack is yours " she whispered, her voice shaking. "Master."
I looked at the dozen bandits in the trees. Through Rakshas brand I could feel their heartbeats. They were more than bandits; they were a secret group that the Kings records didn't know about.
"Clean up this mess, Raksha " I said, stepping back to the carriage. "Hide the bodies. We head to the Capital. Your men follow from a distance. If other 'tax collectors show up give them to the birds."
"Yes Master " she said, standing up with a stillness. She turned to her men, her yellow eyes flashing. "Move, you dogs! The Sovereign is on the move!"
As I got back in the carriage Isabella looked at me with a mix of respect and something darker—a jealousy that I ignored.
"A beast-army, Master?" she asked, fixing her veil. "You are building a kingdom before we see the city."
"A kingdom is built on secrets and shadows, Isabella " I said, feeling my power at 1.4%. "By the time we reach the Capital I won't just be a Prince. I'll be a problem they can't fix."
The carriage moved forward now that the road was clear. The mountains were, behind us. Ahead the Imperial Citys spires appeared on the horizon like a trap.