Editor's note: this fictional work contains scenes of completely fictional incest or fictional incest content.
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.
***
27th of Iahta, 12 AVE.
Shai Domain, City of Shai.
Varse's finger traced over the symbols etched into the tablet of ice, small enough to require his red eyes to squint. A single word was all he sought, all he had been granted.
Palidri.
His return to Shai had been everything he had anticipated, and worse. The attempt upon his life had incited horrified anger from The Council, as false and empty as their supportive promises and words. That was a realization that saddened Varse to his core, yet despite his efforts, he could no longer delude himself into thinking otherwise.
"We'll get to the bottom of this outrage." Sinshi had promised, grasping Varse's hand with both of his own. Never had he been more disgusted at the feeling of another's touch, though a far more terrible sensation struck him upon learning that he hadn't been the only target of his would-be assassins. Representative Ensik was dead.
The public could never know, of course, for the good of The Domain. Ensik's unnatural death was proclaimed natural, hoping to avoid striking fear into the hearts of the population. History had been made in silence, the first Representative to be murdered since The Domain's founding. Or was he?
Suspicion gathered around Varse like a building fire, blazing in the frozen tundra. He
knew
the culprit behind his attack. With every ounce of his being, he
knew
. Other possibilities attempted to push their way to block the horrid truth, his mind bending logic in the vain hope of finding an alternative. The human God Emperor could have learned of The Council's interference, hoping to humble them by cutting down their Potentate. The Arkos Kromak could've utilized his Tolkarik assassins, seeking to free himself of the debt he owed for their part in his ascension. Even The Amirid Empire held a slim chance at holding the blame, slaying him in retribution upon somehow learning that The Council had worked to prevent their final unification.
Possibilities hung limply before him, lifeless and unlikely, for how could any outside enemy have infiltrated their agents? The facts were simple. He had stood against the desires of The Council, and nearly lost his life. Their agents had made the attempt. His only ally had fallen. Everything pointed to the terrible truth, and yet...
A deep sigh escaped him as he rubbed his forehead, a weariness creeping in. Deep beneath The Citadel, he had spent as many nights as he could manage within the frozen vaults below, searching for
Palidri.
It held aspects typical of a Dril word, allowing him to rule out foreign sources from his search. Though not a common name, at least none that he had ever heard, it was possibly the name of a location. A city, a fortress, a small fishing village, Varse set upon searching every documented map within The Vault of The Eye. He had dreaded the possibility that the word was actually the name of some obscure and unknown species when at last he found what he sought.
The Palace of Palidri
.
A relatively small estate, its marked location within Clan Irsi lands only prodded his suspicions further.
"
Sinshi
." He had thought to himself more often than he dared to admit. "
What have you done?"
He could almost shiver at the thought, a possibility so horrid it could only raise his disgust. A Dril murdering a fellow Dril? Enemies or not, by use of assassins or not, it went against the deepest value he clung to.
Presently, his finger resumed its tracing, running over the icy slab. As he had for the past several nights, he found himself searching the financial records of The Vault of Commerce.
A towering hexagonal chamber spiraled up around him, decorated with ancient stone shelves filled neatly with every financial transaction large enough to warrant documentation. Carved into slabs of solid ice, the oldest documents were periodically brought to the rooftop of The Citadel to melt away, no longer of use to anyone living. Varse could only hope that what he sought hadn't yet been recycled to make space.
Seated at one of the viewing tables carved from stone as old as the vault itself, he felt the keen cold of the chamber. Decorating every wall rested a Fissu plant, absorbing any heat from the room as if they were temperature filters. Their large vines crept up the shelves like neatly guided white tentacles, lowering the temperature of the chamber until even a Dril could begin to feel uncomfortable.
Loneliness had never been a concern for him, yet even still, he took solace in knowing that Salik waited just on the other side of the sealed door. No one was expected to visit the vault at this hour, yet any rare approacher was swiftly dissuaded from entering after a single glimpse of his loyal guard. It wouldn't do to be discovered here, for some would become suspicious that their Potentate was searching where he may not be wanted.
His stern expression hardened further as his finger stopped, hovering over a word near the bottom of the latest slab pulled from the shelves.
Palidri.
Finally, he found his target.
Red eyes scanning with reluctance, he traced over the details. Transactions for the recent construction of a palace. Expenses listed in careful detail. An owner sells, and the buyer...
"Sinshi." Varse muttered, his throat nearly preventing the name from uttering. There, carved clearly into ice, was the proof he had dreaded. "
Sinshi, fifty-third Council Representative of Clan Irsi.
" There was no denying it now.
Deeply sickened at the truth as it lay before him, Varse buried his head in his hands. The anger he felt at the risk to own safety was a mere afterthought, for the entirety of his species held his attention.
Sensible, pure, incorruptible. Such was the ideal Dril he had held within his imaginings since he was old enough to ponder. Such was the ideal they had all been taught, a population free of the foolish faults of the other humanoid species.
The reality of The Council had begun eroding his ideals the moment he had been selected to the responsibility of Potentate. Tsida had been the first to expose him to their corruption and greed. He had even played his own part, exploiting such faults if it led to the betterment of their people.
Yet this? Violating the final sacred ideal that all Dril supposedly shared? The traditional value above all others? For a Dril to command the death of another Dril?
He remembered the words he had spoken to Sinshi long ago. "
You're not the only being on this roof capable of making enemies disappear.
" They seemed hollow now. At worst, they had promised the threat of exile. Fresh and idealistic, such was the harshest fate he could have conceived. Now they felt bitter in his memory, a whisper of the ignorant youth who had spoken them.
Leaning back, Varse looked up at the ceiling far above him. Had his ideals always been a lie, or had something shifted? If one Dril could disregard their founding values, why not others? Did everyone secretly snicker at their idealistic Potentate for being foolish enough to truly believe in their traditions? More dangerously, was he still bound to abide by them?
Other inquiries would be required before he even dared to ponder his next movements, no longer trusting himself. He carefully rose from his chair, striding like a specter towards the door after returning the slab to its proper place.
Salik granted him a questioning look as he stepped aside. As if in silent acknowledgment, Varse granted the masked Dril a nod. Understanding came to Salik's red eyes, and he kept his voice low despite their solitude. "How will you proceed with this...information?"
"A question that requires time. Until then, you'll remain on guard within my quarters at all times. We'll grant our enemies no opportunity to finish what they started." Varse commanded, making his way to the staircase.
