Chapter 18

Note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this!

I woke up feeling somewhat recovered. I knew I should sleep longer, but I had to check in on the situation. I rolled out of bed and muttered beneath my breath, “Life energizes and enervates, let the grace of Lady Ianna empower!”

Revitalize swept refreshing energy through me better than one of Terra’s espressos.

I rose and found my mother waiting. She sprang a bowl of porridge with blueberries sprinkled into it. She gave me a hard look. I spooned up the porridge and headed toward the Vault. I found Halia in there on a chair watching the scrying portal.

“What’s happening?” I asked as I spooned in some of the porridge. She had her own bowl on her lap.

“The army’s breaking camp with the refugees,” she said. “They weren’t attacked in the night, but the pixies and the tennyo are shadowing them.”

I nodded and took another bite of breakfast. The army and refugees were preparing for another day of marching. I wanted to funnel them into the city, but that was a lot of people that weren’t sworn to me. A lot of people would prevent me from changing my dungeon or reviving my monster girls.

“Dongara, what’s happening in the city?” I sent to my oread.

“They’ve redeployed forces,” the oread answered. “They have concentrated more forces around the Spire. Also, the erinys led a patrol up the river and out of the city.”

Away from the army? I puzzled over that then focused on the kelpies, sending, “Beduka, what did this patrol do heading up the river?”

“The oozes followed them,” Beduka answered. “They traveled by boats and raided a village.” She hesitated. “It had about a hundred inhabitants. They killed the men and took the women. They’re being brought to the palace.”

“Great,” I said.

Fifty women ... They weren’t in danger, and if the men were already dead, there was little point in rushing in. That bastard Tuerien would be dealt with soon. I finished my breakfast and watched the army marching north with the small force of pixies and tennyo following them.

“The rest of the flying monster girls are over the city?” I asked Dongara.

“They are, sir,” said Dongara. “The ghosts, the phoenixes, and hippogriffs. The fenghuang is in the air. The harpies are still roosting on the temple roof.”

I nodded. I set my bowl down on the floor and headed to the Void Crystal. Souleen smiled at me. I nodded to her and grabbed it. I sent the bowl back to the kitchen, cleaned. It was such a petty use of my powers.

I wanted to wait before retreating the army into my dungeon. I wanted to make sure they were too far away from Tuerien to send reinforcements to his small force. I’d have to eliminate them first, but that would be easy.

Just have to get more of my monster girls killed.

I grabbed the Void Crystal and sunk into the menu. Yesterday—was it really only yesterday?—that idiot dungeon builder killed himself when he ordered his monster girls to attack me after promising me safe passage. What was his name...?

Zamrazen.

He had a companion, and I had no idea if she would join my dungeon or not. So I moved to the Ice section of the monster girls interface and found her. Chara. A lamia. She appeared standing still in a black void and slowly rotating like monster girls always did. She had pale skin and light-blue hair. Big breasts that rose and fell. Like Paanee, Chara had the lower half of a snake but unlike my naga, Chara had arms.

Chara’s snake-half had light-blue scales that matched the ice-blue irises of her slitted eyes. Those held a hypnotic gleam. Interesting. She was willing to serve. I wondered what her relationship with that idiot was.