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.
***
1st of Fonic, 9 AVE.
Kingdom of Vaidrin, Domani.
Lalian could feel the beating of his heart as he raced down the corridor at a brisk pace. Having been summoned to the training hall of The Hesian Order, the urgency of the message had been clear enough. Something important had occurred. Something BIG.
He could hardly conceal the twitching of his fingers as he approached the doors, nodding to the guards as they allowed him through. His own contingency of warriors would have to remain outside, though there would be very little danger for an advisor of The God Emperor in the very heart of The Empire's elite order of assassins.
"Welcome, Lord Lalian. The Grand Master has been expecting you for some time." One of the masked women greeted him as he entered, clearly positioned to wait for his arrival inside the otherwise empty chamber.
"I apologize, there is much to be done on the upper levels of The Grand Pyramid. Please, lead the way." He responded, burying his nervous hands beneath his dark green cloak.
The woman merely nodded in response, turning to depart towards the entrance of the lower levels of The Order's domain. Together they slowly descended the stairs, plunging into one of the many corridors that ran beneath the ground of Domani.
Only by passing the many offshoots leading to personal quarters did they finally reach the end of the long corridor, the passage abruptly ending at a door carved of solid black wood.
Rather than knocking, Lalian was perplexed to see his guide tap her finger quite loudly upon the door in several places, as if communicating some unknown code. It took hardly more than a few seconds before the lock on the door unhinged, revealing Hesin himself as he pulled open the door.
"Aww, my good
friend
Lalian..." He said from behind his unnerving mask, granting his voice a barely noticeable metallic twinge. His single remaining eye then shifted to the guide with a slight glare. "Leave us."
The woman obeyed, bowing her hooded head respectfully before her long elegant legs carried her away. Hesin simply retreated into the room, leaving the door open as an invitation.
Lalian mustered his courage and stepped inside, realizing that the chamber contained a small office. A desk of carved stone sat in the center, while shelves of various weapons lined the walls. Though the room was hardly adorned by anything other than items roughly related to The Order, the desk held a single tiny pedestal in one of its four corners, displaying what appeared to be a small piece of bone that presumably originated from a finger or toe.
He nearly gasped when, out of the corner of his eye, one of the female assassins began to stride away from her position besides the door. She had been so utterly still, blanketed only by the dim light of candles that he hadn't noticed her presence.
Hesin took his seat while the woman casually sat down on the desk, moving as if she were a deadly predator.
"I believe I have some pleasing news for you, Lanthian." The Grand Master said as he placed his hand onto the woman's thigh. "It regards our fair Xenia."
Lalian's heart fluttered at the name, bringing a quick scowl to his green lips. "What of her? Have you discovered anything solid?"
"Solid
indeed
." Hesin replied, and Lalian could almost hear his smile beneath his mask. "After all this time...she has allowed herself to slip."
"Oh?"
Hesin patted the woman's leg. "What you see here is the downfall of a devious concubine who should have known her place. In all honesty, I had begun to wonder if you had misplaced your judgment in requesting my assistance, yet now I can hardly complain of the effort I had believed to be wasted while keeping an eye on her."
The nervous fidgeting of his hands remained hidden beneath his cloak, yet nothing could quiet his uneasy eagerness until he knew exactly what had been observed. "Hurry to the point...shall we have our victory?"
The single eye squinted. "Undoubtedly. She has observed Xenia plotting to assassinate her fellow Concubine Empress." He said with a nod towards the assassin.
The words had barely left Hesin's lips before Lalian's stress began to ease, opening a satisfied grin across his face. "Thank The Creator...the whore shall fall!" He said, though his expression quickly faded once more. "Though, hold a moment, what proof do we possess besides the word of an assassin?"
"She is a trusted member of this Order." Hesin replied, perhaps more defensively than he had intended. "Her word is truth enough, and coming from my lips the claim will be undeniable. There
is
a reason The God Emperor initiated the creation of our Order, little Lanthian."
"Maybe so, yet turning his holiness against one of his closest lovers will require quite a substantial amount of evidence, regardless of your word or not." Lalian said as his calculating mind ran through the possible scenarios. "Hypothetically if we are unable to convince him of her guilt, we may be discrediting ourselves in the process. That will NOT do."
The assassin chuckled lightly, her form on brilliant display beneath her revealing robe. "And if Princess Vixin herself supports our claims?"
Lalian met her eyes beneath her mask. "Her...own daughter? Why on Ayphieal would-"
"Because she was there." Hesin explained. "In person, standing beside her mother as she admitted to the murder of Briza."
Taken aback, Lalian met his gaze. "Briza? Are you...certain?"
"Do you believe I'd discredit my own assassins by delivering you false information? Yes, it appears that our little healer has been quite busy. What's more, her personal slave is a prime candidate for interrogation, as she is just as involved as her mistress. The other...well, we won't see much of her again."
Lalian's eyes drifted to the floor as he pondered the words. "Briza...what a shame."
"You have led us to an enemy of The Empire, Lord Lalian. Come now, you should celebrate your service to The God Emperor." Hesin said with a harsh chuckle. "The whore will be exposed, and this Order will once again prove our value. I suppose a thank you is in order, as you
did
lead us in the correct direction."
"Yes...I suppose." Lalian said. "Shall we inform his Holiness?"
"Momentarily. I shall prepare an official statement of our discoveries. In the meantime, rest easy. This matter will be over before the next moon."
Lalian slowly nodded, entirely hoping that he was correct.
19th of Fonic, 9 AVE.
Kingdom of Vaidrin, Domani.
The warmth of the day meant little to Dominax, seated beneath a large canopy atop The Grand Pyramid. Settled near the edge of the construction site, he remained seated upon a curved cushion that held both himself and Irith. They remained together, watching the loyal followers tirelessly work on the pointed fortress. Though only two thirds completed, they sat high above the rooftops of Domani. The surrounding area stretched on for miles and miles beneath them, leaving nothing hidden at such a height.
The true scope of the massive structure already lay FAR beyond what any human had seen, nearly a city in its own right. The complex techniques and tools required to move such colossal blocks of pure stone to the top of the pyramid could only be possible in this era, each one having sprung from Lalian's unmatched mind.
Two slaves stood beside the cushion, both waving large fans to cool the royal couple. Dominax would of course remain at an optimal temperature beneath his one-suit, though Irith's thin skirt left her fair skin little protection from the heat.
The guards remained, of course, separating their ruler from the very followers who had devoted their lives to him. His Arkos would-be assassins had themselves claimed loyalty to him, and thus a single thought back to his near brush with death was more than justification for such overbearing protection.
Dominax closed his eyes, gently laying his hand onto Irith's bare stomach. Though only a fifth of the way through her pregnancy, a tiny bump had already begun to form in her normally toned midriff.
"My love, is it not too early to tell?" She asked with a hint of concern, placing her own hands atop his.
"Hush." Was his only response, focusing to delve deeper into the ethereal realm. He had waited long enough, eager to assess his potential heir.
His senses retreated into his mind, seeping beneath reality to feel the unborn child's spirit. The paternal lines linking his soul to theirs was unsurprisingly present, confirming what he had never bothered to question. Yet...there was something else within his awareness, as if...
Dominax chuckled with satisfaction.