章節 12: Chapter 11: With a Whimper

Farwan and Galmar retreated from the council room after receiving their enhancements. I was very satisfied with my work, I had created my first batch of Aetherian supersoldiers after all. Killing machines that would be a cut above the common citizen. While Aetherians were immune to most diseases and cellular abnormalities, healed faster, and lived longer- what I had granted the two men went far beyond that.

Both received a boost to their biology that not only gave them keener senses but also faster reflexes and a sharper mind that would not buckle under pressure. Making the right call in time-sensitive situations would be easier for them when everything and everyone moved so slow.

A higher healing factor was not enough for men who commanded two very crucial wheels of the Imperial machine. Anything could happen on the battlefield- a lucky arrow could find its way into their brain through their eye, for example.

Even though it was an easy (read: lazy) solution to this particular problem, I couldn't allow them the power to turn into titans, that would've been incredibly stupid. They were favoured by us but not to the extent that I would give away what set Ymir and I apart, what gave us the right to stand above all Aetherians as their rulers. The importance of an image could not be understated. The people of the empire, its military, its ministries, and eventual colonies must trust in the titanic strength of their emperor and empress.

And so, with just a little more work, I was able to cook up a limb regeneration factor. Beheaded? No problem, the body grows a new one. Crushed into paste? Be alright in a jiffy. Burnt to a crisp? As long as one drop of blood or skin survives the flames they'll be up and running in no time!

I had ensured that the wounded body part didn't steam when regenerating- so as to sever any blood association with us. It was, however, enough to demoralise the enemy and sow fear and mutiny amongst their ranks. I couldn't wait to see it in action against the Free Cities.

Were they completely unkillable? No. Besides being utterly annihilated on an atomic level, all that was needed to end their lives was a piece of mine or Ymir's bone staked into their heart- something our enemies had no access to.

A supersoldier, naturally, was nothing without the strength of a one-man army. Thus, their lifting strength rose into the ten ton range, and the power they packed into their strikes was enough to shatter bone and turn flesh to mush. This, along with the ability to regenerate, was sufficient power to let them butcher with impunity. It was perfect for Galmar, who would lead the army; Farwan, on the other hand, needed something extra.

Spying and infiltration was easier when one could turn into anyone. He'd have to train it often if he wanted to smoothly shift into whatever shape or form he desired- within reason, I whispered as much in his mind. I couldn't have him turning into a dragon, a massive eagle, or a Titan for that matter, nor could I let him shrink himself into the molecular world- I liked my servants sane.

Farwan's shape-shifting would be limited to twice his mass and no more. He'd have to make do. I wondered if the spies working under him should be given a fraction of this power. Hm, something to think over.

It was ridiculous how far I could push the Power of Titans and still only scratch the surface of what was possible. 'All for science', I told myself as I fiddled with biology in ways that would freak out biologists on old Earth. And since I wouldn't be me if I just stopped there, I applied those changes to my own body without any of the limitations.

Couldn't I do all that fancy stuff already? Not exactly. My baseline biology was still human. I had to focus and will myself to change shape and had to channel the titanic strength into my muscles to become a supersoldier. That didn't sit right with me. Shifting from weak to strong was foolish when I could make the absurd super strength my new baseline and the shape-shifting instinctive.

I shuddered as the changes settled gene-deep. I could feel the colours around me become sharper, the most minute of sounds louder and individual scents stood out in ways I never knew they could. I noticed that while my mental capacity and synapses improved to accommodate the new feedback, my inner fears and anxieties did not magically vanish- the weight, however, grew easier to bear. A fresh perspective, I think it was called.

It felt nice.

Turning around, I found Ymir, standing on the balcony, hands folded over her stomach. Her golden strands swayed as they caught the cool morning air. It was this wind that gave me the only hint of her sparse curves. Though a perverted part of me knew that I could push my sight to layer her heat signature with the particles moving underneath her dress to see what I wanted to see, I did not, I was not that thirsty.

Instead, I walked up to her and stood by her side, my hand rose to rest lightly on the small of her back. She let out a small gasp and tensed before relaxing.

I looked down at the blonde, who was doing her best to not meet my eyes and pretend that the view of the city was the most captivating thing ever. The pink spots on her cheeks were proof enough that she knew I was staring at her. I really was an asshole, wasn't I? Getting my kicks out of flustering middle-school girls. A real scum of the earth.

Her lips twitched.

She shuffled closer, and to my surprise, her left arm rose up to wrap around my waist. Her head ended up resting against my chest.

I froze for a while, standing stiff as a statue. I… hadn't expected the little minx to turn my own power against me. Was this what they called "turnabout"? My confusion and embarrassment intensified when the minx in question giggled. It was a quiet sort of giggle but my ears were sharper and the tremble of her shoulders gave it away.

And then as soon as it came, it stopped. How did she…? Was she peeking into my thoughts?

The sudden tension in her body after I thought that, gave me all the confirmation I needed.

Ymir looked up in fear and shame. I'll be honest, I was kinda embarrassed too, why the hell didn't I think of soundproofing my mind from the only other person connected to it?

A wave of amusement came over from Nidhogg- aha, and so the one who taught her reveals themselves.

Nidhogg shrugged. You didn't ask. She did.

Of course. Of course she did. I could hazard a guess as to why. I wasn't blind to the fact that my partner was incredibly concerned about my needs and wants, often neglecting to pursue her own as a result. I sighed and her shoulders slumped.

I pat her on the back reassuringly. "Try not to peek too much, hm? I don't appreciate that."

Her lips twisted sadly but she nodded.

She winced when I flicked her forehead. Her wide-eyed look of betrayal would've made me relent any other time, this time however, I would not. "An Empress must speak up and command her subjects." She lowered her head.

I gripped her chin softly and raised it. "Our subjects may not notice now, but they will eventually. Ymir," she finally met my gaze, "I understand. You've never done this before and it's hard to stand tall and give out commands when all you've ever known is obeying them. However, that is no excuse to not try. Do you think I was trained to be an emperor to a newborn nation?"

I could see tears of frustration welling up in her eyes but it had to be said. "Please?" I gently smiled at her, swiping up the nascent tears at the edge of her eyelids with my thumbs. "Do it for the dream of peace and freedom we shared," she stiffened. I watched with fascination as her expression slowly changed from that of a lost puppy seeking warmth of any kind into that of a hardened and focused warrior. I observed as the words I spoke molded Ymir, her eyes now burning with ambition and the willingness to wade through a lake of sun fire, "Do it for our people, our nation, and perhaps- for our children that would one day breathe the air of this new world that we are building."

Shape-shifting came in clutch, saving my ears and cheeks from the red burn that I was sure to have gotten uttering such- ugh, my embarrassment knew no bounds! Children, Damian? Really? You dog! Shame on you, spouting such things in the presence of a young, innocent lady. Well, technically, she was my wife- even though there was no wedding- and so by that logic, it wasn't at all inappropriate to speak of future progeny with her.

Regardless, the thought of children of my own… made me feel out of my depth. It felt as if I was skipping my youth and stepping into the shoes of an adult man with domestic responsibilities- and that irked me. Which was very weird because I had no problem settling cosily into the role of a magical, fascist emperor.

Ymir, from the look on her face and the emotions I sensed hopping around inside her, didn't share my internal turmoil or reservations. She was beaming with joy and vibrating with excitement. Her eyes sparkled and she nodded fervently.

I guess my speech really inspired her. I wanted to peek into her thoughts to find out what was truly going on in that pretty little head, but stopped myself from going through with it. I would respect her sanctity of thought just as I had asked her to respect mine.

"Good," I cupped her cheek, changing her biology the same way I had changed mine. She nuzzled deeper into my hand, and purred. The subtle vibrations sent pleasant tingles down my arm. "Start off by participating in administrative meetings, question our subjects and they will answer." She nodded eagerly and I smiled. This poor soul would've been ruined had she come across a more monstrous man.

I hummed thinking of a task worthy of an empress. Aha! Yes, that would do.

"There is something I want you to oversee on your own…"

Ymir nodded after hearing me out. "I can do that," her voice, while still quieter, was firm. Baby steps.

I pulled her into a warm hug and she 'eeped'. "Thank you, Ymir," I whispered into her ear, her body shivered and her nails softly dug into my back. She was ticklish, it seemed.

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Cold, sharp winds whipped around the rocky, snow-capped peak of the mountain- now renamed Mount Othrys after the new city that had appeared in its shadow.

The Red of the mountain roared and scarlet lightning flashed overhead, leaving faint spots at the edge of my vision. The rocks beneath our feet vibrated as the mountain's roots faintly trembled.

The capital and the Imperial Palace proved their worth as the people never felt any of the vibrations nor did any structural damage occur. Supernatural engineering FTW, am I right?

I could sense Ymir behind me, patiently waiting at a safe distance- not that anything in these parts could harm her. Despite my assurances that it was fine and that she didn't need to come, Ymir came along anyways. Thankfully, it wasn't as tough to bend the magical nexus to my will, it wasn't as sapient as the Blue had been.

I dug my heels in as a wave of remnant magical energy swept over the mountain top. The Red soon calmed and gave up on any resistance. Unlike Blue, the Red mana 'door' opened inside me with a muffled boom. Its heat settled but still faintly sizzled at the edges of my thought. Passion, Want, Power, and more, it whispered, like a languid succubus eagerly spreading her dripping folds in invitation.

This fiery lure of magical power was terrifying. I knew… I knew that I would've dived headfirst into it with token resistance, perhaps not even that. I would've embraced the madness of the flames and let it consume me. It was just that entrancing.

The only reason I wasn't a raving mad warlock was because not only did I have Nidhogg's mental defenses against external intrusions but also because I had chosen to conquer the very antithesis of Red beforehand.

Where Red was passion and emotion, Blue was calm and cold logic. Both were terrible in their extremes when you thought about it for a while and merging them to 'get the best of both worlds' was also a terrible idea, as I soon found out.

The moment I tried to mix a speck of Red with Blue to see if they were stronger together, the controlled dab of energy turned into a bright, squiggly, and pulsing Purple.

I gasped at the spike of arousal and the warm, heady wave of lust. It nearly caused me to topple over. My heart thundered in my chest and my breath came in short gasps as I tried to swiftly regain control over my magic. I waved away a worried Ymir since a living female within reach was the last thing I needed right now.

I carefully unraveled the speck of Purple and heaved a sigh of relief as the pounding ache in my abdomen receded. The ache in my balls and the pain caused by a restrained erection remained only for a moment before the enhanced healing factor went to work. Did I ever mention how much I liked shape-shifting? No matter, I shall do that once more- I loved it. I could deflate embarrassing erections much faster now and on-command too! What's not to love about that?

Fucking hell! I cursed internally. Why the fuck did that Colour react like…

The Rhoynish magic amethyst flashed through my mind.

Oh, right. Red plus Blue- basic colour mixing. I let out a mirthless chuckle. Who knew being a wizard required some common sense? And here I thought I could point and pew pew my way to victory. Hmm… I could test out Harry Potter spells to see if they could work with what I had-

No! Enough tests, Damian! No experimenting until you get a reasonable and solid command over these two 'Colours' of magic.

I took in a deep breath, clenching and unclenching my fists, slowly allowing myself to get acquainted with the weight of the immense pool of magic that was tethered tightly to my soul. It was not easy to describe, but it was like having a new limb with its own weight, one that I could not see yet still feel, control and move. It was entirely alien and entirely mine. I guess this was my life now- new metaphysical 'limbs', new powers, and constantly communicating with unseen forces that I felt out of my depth with, more often than not. I hated that feeling more than anything.

But bitching about it wouldn't change anything. The pursuit of power was not without its hurdles. I could either continue running or give up the race and remain satisfied with whatever I had. I was a greedy, paranoid man so the latter was never an option. I would continue running.

As the weight became easier to bear and the pulsing power settled to a faint buzz, I turned around and walked back to Ymir. Her expression was one of concern. I cringed internally. What was I supposed to say? That I accidentally made a horny Colour and my John Johnson got rock hard?

"I'm alright," was what came out. My words didn't exactly reassure her, I could see, but without peering into my mind, all she could do was take my word for it. She proved me wrong by nodding with a downcast expression that saddled me with guilt.

How does one win against that?

Turns out, you don't. However, if there was one thing that my meagre experience with girls had taught me- was that women were complex yet incredibly simple creatures. They could be distracted if needed.

And that's what I did. I grew large, grey wings, picked Ymir up in my arms and flew down the mountain at an exhilarating speed. The gremlin only shrieked once and then giggled all the way. It was good to know that at least one of us wasn't afraid of heights.

Whatever remained of my fears, I sought to burn away with stunts like this. Such fears were the concern of lesser men, and I had set myself on the path to something more.

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Khal Pono could not believe his eyes.

It was an impossibility. What other explanation could there be?

If he had not seen the other Khals whisper fearfully to themselves while pointing at the giant, impossible, seamless walls- Pono would've thought that he'd gone mad or some sickness had seized his senses and turned them against him.

Pono thought of Sarnath's walls. Even in their crumbling state, he could at least admire the skill of the lanky cowards.

Yet these walls surpassed them in every way.

He had seen Volantis' outer wall too and while he would never admit it openly for fear of being thought a craven, he knew that if it came to a siege, those walls would be a nightmare to overcome.

Yet these… the walls of Volantis were bawling children before these. What manner of sorcery could make such monstrous fortifications? He could see the Mother of Mountains looming behind the walls so he knew they hadn't lost their way. This wasn't a newly discovered city, it was Vaes Dothrak but… why? How and when? Who on this earth could make walls like these? They had only been away for a year, perhaps not even that.

To get a better look, he came closer to the walls and his eyes fell upon a sight that made his blood boil. The other Khals swore too, while some of the more feeble-hearted womenfolk fell to their knees, weeping.

Where once on black-veined, marble pillars sat the twin symbols of their people, now sat large pitch black fire pits embossed with gold. In these infernal pits burned a bright golden flame whose light could not be dulled by the morning sun. 'An unnatural flame,' He thought grimly. There was no hint of orange, red or blue in it.

His jaw creaked when his eyes fell on the broken bronze pieces lying at the base of the pillars. Cracked and shattered as they were, they did not resemble what he had left behind.

To defile the image of the stallions that marked their holy city like so was a terrible insult!

The son of his uncle, and one his Bloodriders, Akho looked to him for guidance. Pono could smell his fear and that of his people. They were clearly agitated. "An ill omen," a woman in his Khalasar whispered to her man.

Pono understood why when he looked up at those walls. He counted three, each taller than the one that came before. And then there was the water-filled ditch that made the task of scaling the first wall harder than it already was. Once again his heart trembled with anger and terror in equal parts. Whoever could build such a thing in such a short time had also defiled their sacred symbols and was likely a force to be reckoned with. Sorcery like this was no laughing matter.

His fellow Khals, however, had a different opinion. They were already frothing at the mouth. Pono scoffed at the actions of Khal Gomo. What did he expect by shouting at the stone walls? They weren't even manned. Though, Pono could see strange, long barrels set atop the walls, pointing outwards. 'Whatever were those for?' He wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of, what looked like, a man and a woman on the ramparts of the wall. The pair appeared to be looking down at them.

Then they leapt off and fell.

Any exclamations were drowned out by the sound of thunder. The earth shook and the heavens flashed blue and yellow. Steam and smoke hid the eastern horizon from view. When he saw what came out of the steam, he prayed the steam had blinded him instead. Pono's mind simply refused to believe that it was real- that they were real.

It was then that a shout of alarm came from behind him. Two large and milk-white, hollowed flaps, like the hard shell of an almond but smoother, erupted from the earth, snapped up a slave, sealed itself tight and vanished back wherever it had come from- all within the moment it took for Pono to turn around and blink.

Such incidents were not limited to his Khalasar and these man-eater shells were fond of more than just slaves.

There was a monstrous roar and his horse threw him off. Khal Pono fell but did not break his neck. No, it felt like his ancestors had abandoned him and his suffering would not end so easily. He survived the fall with likely a horrible ache in his back and a large bruise to show for it.

He did not get up, his neck was wet and his ears rang. His head throbbed and Pono… blinked up at the blue sky in wonder. 'What a strange day,' he chuckled, only for it to turn into a hacking cough. Pono couldn't hear anything. The earth beneath him shook violently but he didn't care about that, he couldn't hear right, that was much worse for a Dothraki. How was he to hunt or hear an enemy combatant sneak up on him, or hear for the tell-tale whistle of an arrow?

His hand reached up to his ear and found an abundance of oily wetness there. Hm. Bringing his hand before his eyes, Pono grimaced- blood. His ears were bleeding? Ah, that must be why he couldn't hear more than that hateful ringing and why his neck was wet.

Pono got up slowly.

His eyes saw but what he saw felt like something out of a nightmare. Men flew, leaving trails of blood and entrails behind them. Everyone knew men could not fly. He also saw the footprint of a giant a few paces away. It was so deep that Pono would need to roll if he jumped down to avoid spraining his ankles. Within the indent, patches of wet, red and pink dough-like substance were stuck to the earth.

Pono turned away from the odd fantastical sight and looked over the clearly smoking battlefield. One man was missing his body from the waist-down and was in the futile process of gathering his entrails and pulling them back into him. Pono wished him luck.

Another rolled around in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames eating into his flesh.

A giant grey blur flew across his field of vision. It was too quick for Pono to see what it was but he did see the wild wind that came in its wake, ripping up patches of earth and clumps of grass and tossing them into the sky. He was thankful to the grey blur, he could not hear the ringing anymore. Sweet silence.

Pono walked across marred, torn earth and blood. Blood was everywhere and when there wasn't any blood, there was the sweet smell of charred flesh. The scent tickled the underside of his tongue, watery spit filled his mouth so he stopped by a patch of grass to hurl out the food he ate on the way.

Wiping his mouth clean of any remaining spew with his wrist, Pono kept walking.

He did not get far before the sky darkened. He looked up and saw a giant face looking down at him. Pono smiled at it and waved.

He remembered tales of Jhogwin that his Mai told him while she dragged her fingers soothingly through his hair, his head lying on her soft thigh.

"Jhogwin, Pono," she had told him, "Are creatures of the old world, you need not fear them, their time has passed and only their bones remain."

"But Jhogwin are scary, Mai! They are big and we are small. Wouldn't they just crush us?" Little Pono had asked his mother with no little fear.

His Mai laughed, clear and beautiful. "Silly child, we are Dothraki, the world fears our hordes for a reason. Our horses would run wide circles around clumsy giants. You need not fear what cannot ride, my brave boy."

"Hehe," Young Pono laughed, "That's right! Jhogwin are too big to ride horses."

Pono smiled at the Jhogwin. What an unusual nightmare he was having. Why would his mind dream up giants now after all this time?

Either way, Pono was not afraid- giants were long gone. A massive foot descended. 'The dream was at its end,' he thought with relief.

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The drawbridge of the first wall lowered over the moat. Ymir and I walked past the two pillars and over the bridge. The next gate was 10 metres to the south, and the one after it, 20 metres to the north. Keeping all three aligned would've given any enemy a straight shot into the city.

I nodded approvingly as the mechanisms I had built into the walls worked seamlessly.

The transportation pods had done their part and any unnecessary casualties were avoided. I had talked to Marius and Lyra about the new freedmen and Dothraki arrivals before going out there. Farwan knew as a matter of course.

These people would be offered Aetherian citizenship. If they agreed- wonderful. If they did not- they would be given enough provisions to reach Qarth and buy passage to wherever they wished to go.

With the Dothraki gone, my gaze turned inwards. It was time to consolidate power. After that? Well, an empire wouldn't be an empire without a little expansion.

It was with the burden of constant plotting, planning and the roaring cheers of my people that I walked back home. Anything that kept my mind off the bloodshed and gore was welcome. There was no guilt, just disturbing imagery.

Ymir's warm hand easily slipped into mine. She squeezed and I squeezed back.

It felt nice to share some burdens and not bear them alone.

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Author Note: This chapter… I cannot count how many times I had to write, rewrite, only to rewrite the rewrite. I had originally planned for graphic imagery for the massacre but then decided not to include all that other messed up stuff because I felt it would just take away from Khal Pono's trauma and shock-induced insanity. I hope I was able to convey that without being too heavy-handed.