Empire Builder 1: Breed, Populate, Conquer by Dante King (free e books to read online txt) 📕

form on her full lips. “But don’t you want to leave this bridge? I must salvage what I can from these bats, and then we can leave.”

She put her head down and began extricating some sticky black substance from the two bats that had fallen on the bridge. Their carcasses shriveled up as streams of the substance swirled up into her wand.

Melody was right—Ben did want to get off the bridge, but he was also curious about what on earth she was doing to the bats. He wanted to ask, but before he got a chance, his senses were overwhelmed by an intoxicating sense of courage. Everything he had absorbed from those bats was swirling about in his veins, threatening to blot out his vision.

Ben could vaguely remember being terrified of heights only a few minutes ago, but his newly acquired courage throbbed through his veins, obscuring any sense of fear. His head felt warm, his heart pounded, and his fingers prickled. He felt taller than before, and the gorge below didn’t seem so dreadfully deep. In fact, he felt like he could leap off the bridge and land gracefully and safely—no problem. Nothing scared him.

Driven by pure impulse, he leaped up onto the rope railing on one side of the bridge and began tight-rope walking his way to solid land. The rope sagged under his feet, causing the bridge to tilt precariously. But he forged ahead undeterred, even as he could sense his body listing toward the ravine. He felt Melody seize his left hand, and pull him back to the plank walkway.

“By the gods, Benjamin, what are you doing?” she demanded in a furious tone. “Are you trying to throw your life away? And the life of our child?”

Ben stopped, staggering upright, and took a deep breath. He tried to focus, pushing the raging energy inside him back down. Melody was right, he hadn’t been thinking. There was a fine line between courage and stupidity, and he’d crossed it just then. All because he’d taken too much foreign courage into his body. He would have to be very careful about how much emotion he drained in future.

Melody took his hand and guided him the last few yards to the end of the bridge. As he felt the last of the courage he’d absorbed still frothing inside him, he wondered if he could ever infuse others with the energy he sapped. What would happen if he were leading an army and pulled all of the courage from the enemy’s forces, infusing his soldiers with it? It was an intriguing idea, and a grin formed on his lips as he imagined leading a ten-thousand-man army, every last soldier charged up on stolen courage.

But that question would have to wait for another occasion. For now, it was important just to stay alive.

“Thanks, Melody,” he said as they reached solid ground. He felt such relief to have his feet firmly planted as the last of his drained courage dissipated that he was almost tempted to kiss the ground. But not wanting to risk a disturbed reaction from Melody, he decided against it.

Then the thought of what they’d done out on that bridge hit him. He let out another cry of triumph.

Melody raised her eyebrow, likely worried he was about to do something crazy again.

“That was awesome!” Ben exclaimed, wrapping her in an embrace.

After a moment of surprise, Melody returned his embrace, her warm body sinking into his with relief.

“I can’t believe I just had my first real battle in this world,” he said, breathlessly.

Melody chuckled.

“Well, not exactly a battle, I know,” Ben said. He imagined those could get a whole lot bigger and messier. “My first combat.”

Melody cocked her head to the side and knitted her brow in confusion. “You do not have combats like this in your world?”

He laughed. “Not really. At least where I come from, slaughtering your foes in broad daylight is frowned upon.”

“Well, this is something you will need to grow accustomed to.” Melody shook a strand of purple hair out of her face as she stepped back. “Although you may be the Forgotten Ruler, you will have to face many foes in order to regain your dominion.”

Ben wasn’t sure how he felt about that idea just yet, but the thought of using more spells in battle was definitely one he could grow accustomed to. He had just slain monsters using magic! Less than an hour ago, he couldn’t have imagined such a thing.

“I have a hell of a lot to thank you for, Melody,” he said, remembering how much she had brought him through already this morning.

Melody nodded at me, kindly.

“You’ve been a great guide for this Forgotten Ruler so far,” he said, looking deep into Melody’s purple eyes. “You’re here to guide me back to my place, especially when I stray in to doing something stupid like I did on the bridge.”

“I will always be here for you when you need me most, Benjamin.” Melody gazed earnestly at him, her bosom still heaving from the exertions of battle. “This is my purpose, and it is an honor to serve you.”

The way she emphasized “purpose” made him wonder why this was so important to her. Was there some reason she hadn’t told him of, that made her so dedicated to this cause?

“I hope you’re not only here to serve me, Melody. I mean, you’re more than just a guide to me.” He stroked her cheek with his hand. “If what you say is true, you and I are going to be parents together.”

With a warm smile, Melody touched his hand, then turned toward the overgrown gravel path that led into the forest. “Come, I have not finished guiding you for one day. We must make haste if we are to find shelter before the day grows too long.”

She was right. The sun was already rising into the sky, showing that it was approaching mid-morning. Ben didn’t know how far into that forest they would have to venture,