Morgan awakens to a loud alarm blaring across her fortress. She stumbles out of bed, falling to the ground before stomping out of her room. She rushes ahead, unable to change out of her nightgown as she enters her throne room. Talia, Luka, and Lois bow to the throne as she takes her place on it and signals for the three to rise.
“So, what’s happening?”
“Maim. It appears there were intruders in the sacrifice chamber.” Talia says.
She scowls. “Is that so important to wake me in the middle of the night? Capture them and be ready for the next sacrifice.”
“I apologize, Madam, but we appear to have an issue.” Sebastian enters the chamber with Oscar in tow.
The pair bow as Morgan signals for them to rise. “So, what happened?”
“We encountered a King Candidate in the sacrifice chamber investigating everything.”
“Well, such things were bound to happen.”
“They appeared to be a Half-Elf.”
Morgan’s ears perk up and she smiles. “That bastard.”
“Who Maim?” Lois asks.
“The bastard of House Mattox, a Half-Elf who is likely one of Count Fenwick’s offshoots. I had heard he had taken out Fenwick. A part of me wants to thank him for that. I was never fond of that womanizer.”
“Well Madam, he goes off quite the interesting scent.” Sebastian smiles.
“Scent?”
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“Yes, I’m sure he’d be an excellent meal for the Great One.”
She smiles. “Then capture him. I’ll take another King Piece and grow in strength. We’ll be one step closer to claiming the throne for ourselves.”
“One last thing.”
“What?”
“It appears that one of his Pieces is the one we’ve been looking for.”
“Oh?”
“She has an intense amount of Mana. Perfect for the Great One’s meal for awakening.”
She stands and holds out her hands. “Fine, everyone here are your orders!”
“Maim!” They all stare at her in a salute.
“Sebastian, where is our quarry now?”
“The Hounds are after them as we speak. If I had a guess, then they’re likely fleeing the island as we speak. But the surrounding islands are uninhabited. Meaning we can plan an ambush should we play our hidden hand.”
“And how is this ‘hand’?”
“Ready to move whenever we give the word.”
“Excellent.” She sits with a sinister grin on her face. “Let them leave the island. Then we’ll quarter on a nearby island. There, we’ll destroy their only way off the island and capture them one by one.”
“Yes Maim!” Everyone yells at once.
“How long until the Great One emerges?”
“Over a week Madam. The time of reckoning is soon. After the Great One emerges, no one will stop us. The other King Candidates, the nobles on the continent, even those things lurking in the shadows. All of them will bow before the absolute queen that is Morgan Walsh.”
Morgan laughs as everyone joins in. “Good. Now march to your stations. Let’s wrap this up before breakfast. Then we can feed the Great One some pleasant treats.”
“Yes Maim!”
“Sebastian. I’ll leave it to you to play our ‘hand’ when you believe the time is right. As for the others, Oscar and Talia prepare the pursuit vessel and take a few beasts with you. Luka and Lois, the two of you, will force them off the island.”
“Looks like we’re the ones having fun this time,” Talia says.
Oscar smiles. “I can finish what I started. Oh, how I hated how they escaped. I won’t let this shame hang over me much longer.”
“Oh well. Luka, you go meet up with the hounds. I’ll prepare a special tool that’ll be fun for us to use.”
Sebastian bows to Morgan. “At your order Madam.”
“Let’s make tonight a night to remember everyone! A night filled with screams and passion!”
“Yes, Maim!” Everyone yells out at once.
“We will honor you and the Great One. We won’t let them escape our grasp; this, I swear.” Sebastian smiles, barely holding back his drool as Morgan turns away to ignore his twisting face.