Chapter Ten
Lord Nero sat back and enjoyed himself as one of his naked servant girls fed him grapes and poured him a generous portion of red wine. He was sitting in a meeting with the nobles of D’Lormere, and one of the old men was droning on and on about the current state of the kingdom’s army. Lord Nero very nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation, knowing he had it under control, and didn’t need to be questioned by old men who didn’t know how to rule in the slightest.
Lord Nero had been the one to conquer new lands, to take over territory within the divided kingdom of Legeari, and to kill those who were no longer necessary. Looking around the table, he began to wonder if these men were even worth the hassle. With a sigh, he realized he probably shouldn’t kill them yet. Many of them provided extremely generous contributions to the army, and to Lord Nero himself. No, now was not the right time.
He would kill them after he took the capital city of Legeari, Eridell. A wicked smile crossed over his face at the thought of the ancient treasures he could find there, and the power held within the city. Closing his eyes, he thought about the untapped power of the human sector of the city, especially in the Hall of Magic. Such a waste, he thought. Once he took over the city, he would enslave the free human population and use their powers for his gain. He wanted to see every single human in chains, bowing to him and begging to serve him.
A shiver raced down his spine at the thought. Feeling himself harden in response, he opened his eyes and realized the old man was still talking.
This was exhausting.
How was he supposed to lead the D’Lormere army, and listen to these old timers? It seemed to be almost cruel and unusual. He picked up his goblet of wine and drained it down in a large gulp.
Lord Nero gestured for his servant to bring him more wine.
The tall blonde walked his way, her tan curves almost gliding toward him. Her bust swayed with her hips, and his eyes shifted down to the dense curls of blond hair between her thighs. She did her absolute best to avoid any sort of eye contact with him, and proceeded to pour him more wine. Upon closer examination, he realized she was trembling in his presence.
With this realization, he found himself hardening again. With but a thought, he narrowed his eyes and entered her mind. Her body stiffened, well aware of his intrusion. He investigated her memories, focusing on memories of Earth, of childhood sadness, and a particular difficult time for her at some point in her later years, sometime during her education.
His power caressed that particular memory and brought it back to life, forcing the girl to relive each and every excruciating moment. His smile grew as her fear and despair reached dizzying new heights.
By the time he realized it, the girl had been screaming, her hands held fiercely to her skull and she had fallen to her knees, pain overwhelming her tiny body. His power drew on her pain, and gradually made it worse, more sharp, terrible, and awful. Her voice grew hoarse from her screams, her pain not ending until Lord Nero decided it did.
Finally, he grew tired of the girl and withdrew his power. She sagged in relief, her breathing ragged. Keeping her eyes on the ground, she struggled to rise and walk to the side of the tent, ready for any requests that she might serve the members of the gathering.
Lord Nero sighed, relishing the afterglow of taking the girl’s memories, of giving her pain, and the strength he felt.
Someone at the table cleared his throat, and he realized the room was silent. His little adventure had clearly not gone unnoticed, most likely due to the servant girl’s loud screams. He smiled, enjoying the thought.
A commotion at the front of the room distracted him, and he watched as servants entered and whispered to each other.
His blond servant girl stumbled to meet the others, before receiving the information they passed on. As she looked quickly over in the direction of Lord Nero, he saw a look of nervousness, if not abject terror, pass over her face as she nodded and made her way back toward him.
The entire room continued its silence, the old men watching as the blonde knelt in front of Lord Nero and bowed her head. A scratchy voice emerged from her throat, still hoarse from his power minutes earlier.
“Lord Nero. I have just been informed that the woman you were keeping hostage in your tent has somehow escaped. The guard has begun a search for her, and will not rest until every bed is upturned and she is found and adequately punished.”
Shock registered across his face. No one had ever escaped him. A dark look passed over his features. She would suffer deeply for her treachery. He searched for the girl, this Alana, with his power, spreading his tendrils far and wide to enter her mind from afar. The more he searched, the more he realized that he was no longer in her head. He no longer had any way to control her.
He frowned. Whipping his hand around, he slapped the servant girl across the face with such force that she was thrown to the ground.
“How could this happen?” he roared.
She lay on the floor, unmoving, terrified of his next move. Lord Nero stood, kicking her out of the way as he purposefully walked to the entrance of the room. Turning back, he looked at the nobles, knowing now was the time to assert his dominance and take what was rightfully his. The kingdom of D’Lormere was ripe for him to take, and so was the kingdom of Legeari. He would throw everything he had at them, technology, Erassans, and humans alike.
“We march for the city of Eridell first thing in the morning. Gather all weapons, including the ones powered by dark matter. It’s time the capital of Legeari felt our true power,” he said, his smile growing bigger by the second.