Drums of War Read online

  Turning I looked at the two serving girls my mother had appointed for herself. Their faces were downcast so I couldn’t not read their eyes or expressions, but they were both young women with lovely slim bodies. Mother always did have a knack for finding loyal and beautiful servants.

  “Explain what happened last night Mother.” I didn’t bother to hide the ting of anger to my voice.

  “Last night you fucked sweet Gretchen,” one of the servants made a small gasp at that but mother ignored it, “in the presence of Hecate herself, binding Gretchen to you as Guardian and Shield.”

  “What is this guardian and shields business? It has the stink of prophecy.” Crossing my arms over my chest to keep myself from walking forward. The magics were driving at me now and my lust was driving me crazy. Mother could sense it too and she smiled a wicked smile, leaning forward to give me an ample view down the top of her blue dress.

  “Not prophecy, at least not the kind you are thinking of. When I was away, appearing to be in a coma, my astral form was driven from my body by the forces it had channeled through it in creating the Wall. I was lost and wandering for a long time, years perhaps. Then I found myself in a cold place of absolute darkness. At the heart of it resided a being of hate and destruction something ripped from hell long ago and hiding deep beneath the ice to the north. I dreams of the destruction of all mortal life and its power is so great that it terrified me. Demon Prince or unholy creation I am not sure, I dared not draw close enough to find out.

  “For a very long time I was trapped in that place, unable to escape for fear of being noticed by the creature from hell. I learned what I could while I was trapped and one of those was that this creature only had one fear, a dream that plagued it daily, though it did not sleep.”

  I was spellbound by my mother's tale now, her deep sonorous voice weaving a spell of its own making. Both of her maids had glanced up to listen and I could make our their faces for the first time. Both must be about the same age as me with familiar looking faces. Probably daughters of serving women I had known my whole life.

  One was of elven heritage, evident by the pointed ears and almond shaped eyes. If not for the ears and eyes I might have guessed, by her golden hair, slender frame and high firm breasts. They looked nearly inhuman in their perfection. Her companion was of darker complexion with long straight black hair a button nose and dark mischievous eyes. The girl was slender but I could see the swell of her backside from her kneeling position was impressive. Mother has impeccable taste in maids.

  “That dream was the image of a world burning, cracked and on the brink of destruction. The demon each time to full of elation and joy at it imminent victory and then before him a hard white light. Pain filling him and he is driven from the dream, but not before glimpsing a figure standing tall and flanked by seven and behind them a legion. I recognized a few of those faces… yours Dainen chief amongst them. You are the being that demon fears most.”

  “So some monster fears me. I still fail to see how this explains last night and the goddess.”

  “Don’t you see Dainen? The seven flanking you could only be a Holy Heptagon. When I finally broke free of that place and strove to find my body, Hecate herself was the one who brought me home. She confirmed some things for me.”

  “What things?” I asked suspicious of her coyness.

  “Trust me when I say; I would tell you if I could Dainen. Some things must play out as intended.” Leaning back she sipped her tea. “Tell me son, are you even able to approach me now? Or do your powerful needs, threaten to overwhelm you?” Her eyes gleamed with teasing mirth as she asked.

  It was true, ever since I had entered her presence, lust filled me. It was those desires as well as the pull of the magic that I rebelled against. I had some of the answers I sought, or as much of them as she would to tell me. I could have left then and saved the rest for another time, the thought passed my mind but instead I asked my final question.

  “What have you and the goddess put within me.” I held up my hands. There was no outward sign but I could feel the magics and energy swirling within.

  “Not put, but awoken!” mother hissed her eyes alive with zeal. “It was there all along Dainen!” She got up from her table moving back into her room, throwing wide the double doors to the bed chamber. My heart beating in my chest.

  “Sorcery is elemental power, remember your lessons from Shalindra. What is the root of a sorceresses power?”

  I repeated the old catechism by rote: “If her soul find resonance with a True Element, from that source she can draw strength in equal measures.”

  “In your veins resides the blood of kings’, it is the aspect of your soul that touches a True Element. It is one source of your new power, but unformed as yet and bound.”

  “Bound by what?” I asked but my mind raced father and father ahead with her every word imagining the implications and I asked again; “So if I lose my crown if would be the same as a sorcerer who lost their touch to a True Element?”

  “Yes you will most likely lose most of your sorcerous talents but what binds you now, could become the source of your greatest strength.” Again mother's voice took on that zealous edge that I found somewhat troubling. “Serita! Vanla! Lock that outer door and attend me here.” The maids leap to their feet and scurried to obey her.

  I still stood in the sitting room, fascinated by the conversation but still not trusting myself to approach the sexy and enchanting woman now standing in the bedroom doorway flanked on either side by the two maids. She raised either arm and draped them on the maids shoulders, cocking her hip suggestively.

  “Your powers are bound by lust Dainen.” She said. “Last night was evidence of that.”

  “Last night was evidence that Hecate wishes to interfere.” I replied. Mother laughed her throaty laugh at that.

  “You have Hecate's blessing it is true, but think Dainen. Hers are the power of the moon and tides. What are you feeling right now? What did you feel last night?” She still stood between the two maids her fingers tracing the soft skin of their neck down to collarbone. Both girls had parted wet lips and breathed in heavy slow breaths.

  I paused then, truly taking a moment to look inward. With the crowning the day before and all that had happened after and this morning, it was true, I hadn’t taken stock internally. I thought back to the night before and everything that I had felt with Gretchen. Remembered the attack this morning, reviewing everything that had happened in my mind. Using old mental techniques the priestesses had schooled me in as a boy. The greatest evidence was what was happening to me now. The lust and desire warring within my body and mind against better judgment and sense.

  “There is only one magic that is tied to lust and love…” I breathed finally, “but that is impossible!”

  I sat there digesting the import of her words. Pieces falling into place. Mother bent her head and whispered in the ear of first one maid and then the other. The girls faces blushed at whatever she had told them, but both had eager grins on their faces as they began to disrobe and walk forward towards me.

  I watched the two young maids, dropping lacy pieces of their uniforms as they approached me, feet sliding forward on the thick carpets. They had expected this I realized, had been waiting for it.

  “You are a Witch Lord, Dainen! A warlock!” Mother moved back into the sitting room, careful to keep herself as far back from me as possible. “The first in seven hundred years, first since Yozin’Rul the God King! The witch magics are tied in with your sorcery in a way never seen before.”

  The maids had dragged my robes and jacket off and one was unlacing my shirt while the other was slipping off my shoes. They began leading me forward into the bedroom and I walked with them my mind racing with the implications.

  “Both magics are tied together. Both magics will grow together and enhance one another in ways even the gods never dreamed possible!” I stood before the bed now watching both maids as they crawled onto the high mattress. Their young
lithe bodies drawing my eyes. I never dreamed that I would see such lovely naked flesh, let alone two girls.

  The elven girl, Vanla rolled onto her back and arched herself suggestively for my eyes high firm breasts standing proud and her narrow slim waist drawing my eyes down to her nearly hairless little slit. Her companion Serita turned and looked at me over one shoulder as she cuddled up close to Vanla her round and large ass shaking back and forth with he every motion. My cock was rock hard and standing out straight and thick, an arrow pointed at its prey.

  “Both magics must be unlocked together as well Dainen, and a witches magic is tied to her coven and a Warlocks is tied to his Harem.” My mother's words floated to me from behind disembodied and separated from the lusty vision on the bed before me. “The seven from our enemies nightmares. You claimed you first last night, the Bodyguard. You will claim your second this evening, the Counselor.” Then I heard the doors closing behind me. “Bleed of your overflowing lust my son, on these willing subjects so that your coven bonds will be pure and potent.”

  Then I was on the bed crawling forward into the waiting embrace of her two young maids. My mind was absorbed in the pleasures of their nubile bodies. I was still new to the delights of the flesh and both women were as well.

  They babbled to one another and me about their great love for their prince and king, how they had stolen glimpses of me throughout the years, bonded over their mutual obsession. Dreams they had always been, never to be realized. That was until their Lady had come one day, both daughters of servants but with no strong connections they had despaired over ever working in the castle. The had been promised that their dreams would be fulfilled, but neither dared to hope for this.

  I took this all in, I had known of my effect on the girls and women in the town but had never thought to capitalize on it. Apparently Mother had.

  They were new toys happy to please and assume any position I desired of them. They took their time licking and sucking on my cock in between their prattling. Trading it back and forth between themselves. I found it especially sexy when they found themselves kissing one another and my cock cradled against their cheeks, wet with their saliva.

  My needs were pressing though and in short order I was pushing Vanla down onto her back and pressing the great head of my cock against her tiny wet slit.

  “This is my first time my Lord.” She said is a breathless and shy voice, “please be gentle with me.”

  “Me too your majesty,” Serita said cuddling up close to Vanla’s side, where she spread her legs, touching her wet pussy as she watched my cock rub Vanla’s juices all over her pussy. “Please take my virginity as well!”

  I kissed Vanla deep, sliding my cock into her in one slow motion piercing her veil. It was then that I noticed the magics within me strumming with a slightly different tune and now that I knew what to look for, I could feel the witch magics flowing out of my cock and into Vanla. Her orgasm ripped through her so powerfully that she screamed out in pleasure, my cock sheathing home in her tiny tight pussy.

  The witch magics were love and lust and they drew these things from Vanla in waves as I fucked her young pussy. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her face twisted almost in pain as waves of pleasure rolled through her, altering her mind. My orgasm was already approaching and so I drew out of her and then pulled Serita beneath me.

  She too screamed out in pleasure as my cock drove home into her virgin pussy, but instead of laying there frozen with mind numbing pleasure, Sarita turned into a wildcat. She grabbed and clawed at me with hungry arms and legs, pulling me deeper and deeper into he with every thrust. One had had the back of her neck, holding her close as the other pulled that juicy amazing ass into my cock again and again. Then Valna was there, kissing me and stroking my face and I felt a powerful orgasm roll through me that I couldn’t hold back.

  We lay there and cuddled kissing and touching for a few minutes. Then their hands wandered down and began to stroke my cock again.

  “You majesty,” Serita said with worshipful look on her face she crawled down my body straddling one leg her pussy rubbing on my shin, as she lay down and began to kiss and lick my cock.

  “Your majesty,” Vanla said as she crawled down to occupy my other leg beside Serita.

  Reaching down i guided both of their heads to my cock. Loving the sight of their two beautiful young faces licking kissing and sucking my hardness in worshipful love. I lay there and let them draw their reward from my cock. When I eventually exploded into their mouths and on their faces, both women kissed and licked my cum off each other, before turning and cleaning my cock with their mouths.

  We bathed together in a tub drawn up in the bathing chamber. They dressed me back in the suit and robes of office and with one final kiss for each of them, and promises that I would let them visit me again, I left and headed to the training grounds.

  I spent two hours with old Eckton training with blade, spear and shield. My sorcerous talents did not manifest, but I was not worried. Sorcery is one of the most powerful paths to magic, but often the most fickle and difficult to learn. I had manifested some latent ability during the assassination attempt, speeding up time for myself. What a wizard might call a haste spell. The magics were still too unformed and weak for me to use them consciously though I suspected. As my harem and witch magic grew, so too would the sorcery.

  The fact that I was a Warlock was something I had trouble dealing with. The last Warlock had lived seven hundred years before and he was remembered as a tyrant and one of the most vile creatures of his era. With powers that rivaled a gods and a harem of equally powerful women, they had ruled in the south for decades. The Empire was formed in the chaos that existed after the Warlocks kingdom collapsed in mystery.

  Chapter Three

  We in the North rarely hold to ceremony but the sharing of salt, bread and hearth is an ancient tradition. One that I hold dear. For to accept and outsider into your home, behind your walls and defenses. To make yourself vulnerable to them must be marked by some ceremony. A reminder to them and to yourself that the decision comes with responsibilities from both parties.

  So it was, that I found myself passing bread and salt back and forth with the imperial princess and her retinue. I, grandmother and a half dozen of our higher nobility all performing the ritual same as had been done for centuries.

  That evening was the first full dinner meal with King in attendance and the chefs, bakers and kitchen help did not disappoint. It was considered the gravest of sin to their god, if one was to touch a female not one's wife in the Empire, especially an IMperial personage. Wishing to give no offense or test the boundaries of my our nations friendship I took care when leading the princess over to the High table and pulling out her chair, directly to the left of my own.

  “Your majesty does me a great honor.” The princess said as she took her seat.

  Seated beside one another we made for an odd sight I am sure. The newly crowned king, tall and young. Probably glowing with my own arrogance and pride at that point, as any young king would. And the Imperial princess swathed from head to toe in black cloth. Her servants sat just below us with my upper nobility. They were enchanted by grandmother and her winsome smile and adroit conversation.

  “They can not hear us from here you highness,” I said, motioning around to the surrounding walls and buttresses. “A trick of a clever engineer. All sound here at our end of the high table is reflected back into the walls behind us.”

  “That works until they have a lip reader.” The princess replied in a quick riposte.

  I held my glass up before me about to take a sip, “I trust you to know your surroundings well enough for that not to be a problem Jasmine.” I glanced from her eyes where I had held my gaze down to the mask that covered her face. To my surprise Jasmine barked a sharp laugh at that either at my joke or my familiarity, either way I welcomed the show of humanity from her.

  “You are bold young king.” It was a hard statement of fact devoid of mirth fro
m a moment before and I once more had to revise my opinion of this woman. There was something to her mannerisms that nagged at the back of my mind.

  “Those are three words that when placed together, history would tell, spell doom for that kingdom.” I leaned back regarding the Princess with a keen eye as the fish course was served. A delicate white fish poached in a lightly flavored broth with small salted meat dumplings.

  The princess took her time eating, with small delicate bites that she drew back under her veil. When she had her taste of the dish and it was passed on, the servants once again clear.

  “Yes that is the lesson of history in all but one instance, Yoshino Red. You are a student?” The princesses eyes took on a gleam of something I couldn’t quite place. Not being able to see the woman's facial expressions was beginning to become tiresome. Well played Emperor. I thought.

  “Of him or her I have heard nothing, alas.” I took a sip of wine wondering at our conversation the oddness of topic and intensity of her gaze.

  “You in the north call him by a different name, Yozin’Rul…” Her eyes caught my start as for the second time that day the ancient God King was mentioned. She pretended to ignore it however continuing, “A poor translation of a poor translation, or so out scholars have determined.”

  “Of that name I have heard much,” I said, surprising myself at the calmness of my voice, “as have every lad and lass in our kingdoms. Your ancestor terrorized the entire continent for more than a century.”

  The servants approached once again in stately form, this time with a dish of the south. Spiced peppers, onions and grilled lamb were elegantly assembled on small hand sized flat breads, all covered with a health dolp of a creamy and cool white sauce.

  Once more we took our time with the course savoring the food and each other company but talking not at all. We were making no attempt to hide our conversations, nor our desire for privacy in them. Grandmother was working overtime to distract the imperial delegation and mostly unsuccessful. The princess made no moves to end our conversation however and so they remained in their places. Just then I noticed Vanla approach grandmother and whisper in her ear.