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 absolutely free, with the completely optional possibility to receive early access. 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.
***
36th of Silla, 4 BVE.
Kingdom of Vaidrin, Domani.
A hush lingered over the room, crammed with worried faces. They all looked to their new leader, a woman whose gaunt face did little to hide what they must all be feeling. Though once beautiful, the utter panic of the last month had done its damage. When she finally spoke, she stepped up onto a chair to raise herself above the gathering.
"I know you've all suffered, and the news that I bring today will not diminish that hardship. Yet...I must confirm that the rumors are true. Our second safehouse was struck last night in a raid that left no survivors."
The news forced several wails of anguish to echo through the room, located in one of the many newly constructed stone buildings of Domani.
The woman held her hand out to quiet them. "I understand that several of you had brothers, sisters, and friends who resided there. I share your loss, yet let their deaths be a reminder to why we fight! Why The Cult of Ortis must never be stamped out!" She exclaimed, allowing her voice to raise to a dramatic pitch as she attempted to salvage the situation. "Their blood stains the hands of the tyrant!"
Several members cried out in agreement, while others looked around nervously as if The God King himself would strike them down.
"He's hunted us for nearly a full moon, yet we remain! Let his guards interrogate whoever they'd like, as their brutality only proves our cause!"
Again another cheer, though noticeably more subdued than the last. A woman near the rear burst into tears, covering her mouth to regain her composure.
The leader gritted her teeth with concern, lowering her voice to attempt a different approach. "I understand that many of you disagreed with making an attempt on the tyrant's life so soon. I...cannot argue that you were wrong, yet this is the situation in which we've been placed. As such...it comes to this." She said, holding up the thin wooden plates that she gripped tightly. "You've all read these words...this distributed heresy! Not only does he grant himself the title of king, a title that he dares to hold over us all, but now he demands worship as The GOD King!"
A man near the front of the group spit on the floor in disgust, crossing his arms across his chest in a Falexian gesture to ward off evil.
"Whichever settlement you originated from before his mandatory relocation order is irrelevant. We've always fought over our gods, our beliefs, yet now we stand together in the knowledge that he is
not
among them. It was our right to disagree! To debate! To fight!" the leader announced, scanning the room to gauge their reactions. "He has infected every aspect of our lives! Our traditions, our faiths, our cultures...and now...even our bloodlines. Day by day young women are voluntarily brought before the tyrant, mistakenly believing that they are somehow committing a divine act in service to their God and to their families. They return, babies in their bellies, spreading his
vile
seed amongst us!"
As she spoke, the group slowly became aware of the soft rumblings of footsteps beyond their stone walls. A hushed whisper called out just beyond the door, far too quiet to make out.
The leader turned her head, feeling her stomach drop at the realization of what was about to occur. Before she could utter another word, the door crashed inwards, followed by a flood of white cloaked warriors.
***
Seated at the dining table Xenia watched as Pilsi preformed her duties, pouring the slave-brewed liquid into Briza's chalice. The female warrior thanked the scantily clad young woman before picking up the drink, beckoning the tiny Pintila towards her. The small bluish creature slithered over the surface of the table towards her, essentially an oversized worm with a sharp barb protruding from its rear. Grabbing it gently in one hand, she kept her eyes on Xenia as she tipped the chalice to drip several drops into the Pintila's circular mouth. Though the creature was resistant to nearly all poisons, it's skin would break out into bright red blemishes if it detected even a miniscule amount.
The Pintila's blue skin seemingly remained the same, allowing the suspicion in Briza's eyes to lessen somewhat as she looked away from Xenia. She allowed the Pintila to scurry back to the center of the large table as it had been trained, finally drinking the liquid with a sense of ease.
Xenia suppressed a smile, returning her attention to her own meal. For many days and many nights, she had experimented with the Pintila, discovering the precise substances and specific quantities of said substances that would slip past the creature's detection. Her life as a healer aided her greatly as she had finally succeeded the previous night, though only to a small extent. Judging by Briza's reaction just now, she had evidently missed the nearly imperceptible spots that had sprouted on the creature's skin. Of course, the poison was FAR too weak to kill her, though it would cause great fatigue over the course of many days.
"
Rest easy tonight, Briza, for when the time comes for them to strike you down, you may find yourself too weak to fight back."
Xenia thought to herself with satisfaction as she glanced at the twin slaves. Having finished their tasks, they had been ordered to dance atop the table. "
Spend your last days well..."
Dominax watched the slaves' gyrating bodies, using his powers to convert a typical helmet into one of chimira steel before handing it off to a servant that swapped it with yet another. He cared little for the slight weariness that such efforts caused him, yet he longed for the day when his children would be able to assist him in this task. Each piece of white armor that he produced would be distributed to only his most skilled warriors, while nearly all now wore the white chimira silk cloaks and black bodysuits that became the face of his army.
Clin entered the dining chamber with a grim expression, crossing the room and kneeling before The God King.
"Rise, tell me what has happened. Did Hesin's infiltration scheme pan out as promised?" Dominax asked, standing up from his chair to face the man
Nodding, Clin joined him on his feet. "Yes my lord, we learned of their last safehouse in Domani."
"And?"
"We executed a raid this morning." The blond warrior reported, unable to look his ruler in the eye. "There were no survivors."
Dominax placed his hands on Clin's shoulders, grinning deviously. "Ah
well
done! They have paid the price for insurrection!"
"Yes my lord, they have." He replied, holding no joy in his tone.
The grin on Dominax's face lessened. "Come, what is troubling you after such a complete victory?"
Though somewhat hesitant, Clin finally looked into Dominax's silver eyes. "I inspected the aftermath myself. There were...quite a few that appeared to be ordinary citizens..."
"Ordinary? No. Anything
but.
They willingly engaged in the attempted murder of their ruler."
"I'm aware of their crimes, my lord. I simply...expected otherwise. To engage a fellow warrior in battle is a very different matter than the slaughter of ordinary men and women, no matter where their loyalties lay."
Dominax nodded knowingly, removing his hands. "Tell me, did you pass through the marketplace on your way here?"
"I...did. Why do you ask?"
"What did you see?" Dominax asked in a calm voice.
"I suppose I saw what everyone sees, people going about their day." Clin answered in confusion, only to be prompted to continue. "There were market stalls, buildings, and stacks of various goods. I'm not sure where this..."
"You saw life where that was once only a stretch of field and dirt. You saw prosperity where there was once nothing. You saw my rule, and the beings that it directly benefits." Dominax explained with conviction, attempting to keep the harsh edge out of his tone. He knew that such a man would respond far better without being met with rage. "The...
creatures
that referred to themselves as The Cult of Ortis threatened to take that all away, to diminish the lives of our people. Without my guiding hand they'd simply revert to the violent and primitive nature that has ruled them since the creation of Ayphieal."
"There is no need to question my loyalty to your rule my lord, as I've more than proven its existence." Clin responded dutifully, holding up his hand to display his missing finger. "I know that what has been done is for the best, as more people will benefit greatly in the long run, yet it...remains difficult to recognize sometimes. You've said that you believe that what we are doing is the right thing to do, the
good
thing to do, and...I trust you."
"Very good, Clin." He replied in his deep voice. "Rest assured that all those beings beyond these walls will one day look back and thank you for your efforts. We must remain vigilant, as both Hesin and I strongly suspect that this
cult