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

if you do lie to me,” he glared at the younger knight, “I’m sure Melody will be able to uncover the lie.”

Melody heard her name and came to stand beside Ben. Nipper padded over as well. He gave the younger knight a loud sniff and turned away uninterested. Ben assumed the rattle he could hear afterward came from the statue’s joints trembling with fear. So much the better. Ben calmly scratched the great cat’s ears while observing the two knights.

Sir Gallant the Elder cleared his throat, or at least made a sound resembling that action. “We were indeed your archenemy once, my lord, uh, Ben, your highness.”

Ben didn’t see a point in correcting him just now. He simply looked and waited for the knight to continue.

“To tell the truth, we gave ourselves that name. Perhaps that was overly grandiose, considering that you defeated us in a matter of moments, unarmed.” The large knight hung his head, and the younger one shuffled beside him.

“Perhaps I should do so again, as recompense for the greeting you gave us,” Ben pondered out loud, still surprised at his formal tone.

The younger knight scuttled behind his elder’s great rusted greaves.

“I pray you, Lord Ben, be not hasty to anger,” the elder knight entreated. “If I may, you have forgotten much in your absence. After defeating us, you forgave us entirely for the affront we had shown in riding to attack you.”

“Entirely?” Ben asked. “Without any sort of punishment? That doesn’t really sound like me.” He was enjoying watching these two squirm after everything they’d put him through that morning.

“Not entirely, my lord.” The elder knight sounded very subdued. “It was you who split us into two spirit parts.”

“Oh?” Ben was curious about how he would have achieved such a feat. It sounded like the sort of skill that might be useful to learn again.

“You used the services of a dark sorceress, mistress of the arts of death and the underworld.”

Ben smiled to himself. He wondered if the sorceress they had mentioned might still be alive. If she was a master of death, there was a good chance. He would have to find her eventually.

Then the knight’s voice shuddered. “Using the powers of this aforementioned sorceress, you took a part of our soul and put it into this suit of armor you see before you.” The knight gestured with a plate glove at his own body.

“The other part, the more irrational one, you placed into yon small statue.” The knight swept his foot back and kicked the homunculus cowering behind his feet. “Our body was consumed in the process.”

“And why would I trust the two of you now?” he asked. “Do you expect me to believe that my forgiveness was enough to make you loyal to me over all these centuries? After you tried to have me killed in the dungeon this very morning?”

Sir Gallant the Elder held up his hands in supplication. “I beg you, Lord Ben, overlook the folly of my younger companion. I assure you, we had no idea it was you who was returning. My companion has been, shall we say, somewhat restless these last few centuries. The opportunity for entertainment was too much for him to pass up.”

Ben could understand that. He had been fortunate enough to remain unconscious during his own eons-long sojourn. If he’d been awake that whole time, he might have gone mad. There was one other thing unexplained, however.

“What about the mural above the door?” Ben asked.

Sir Gallant the Elder took a step back.

“You expect me to believe you were faithfully awaiting my return?” Ben said. “It looks to me like you were happy to see the end of me, and were defacing my memory in my absence.”

Nipper evidently picked up on the feeling in Ben’s voice and growled as he saw Sir Gallant the Younger making his escape behind the stone furniture.

“I assure you, sire, it was not meant in earnest. If it would appease you, I will have my companion restore the mural to its former condition.”

“I would very much like to see the mural restored,” Ben insisted. “You made my face look hideous. That will hardly inspire respect.”

“Quite so my lord,” the elder knight agreed. He relaxed his stance somewhat.

The younger knight also emerged from behind the stone table. Nipper took this as his cue to give chase.

“And what was your role here in my absence?” Ben asked. “You control this entire dungeon?”

“Only this first section of the Northern Dungeon, sire.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “There’s more than one section? There must be a lot left for us to explore, then.” He hoped that might mean more treasure and loot to be discovered too, as well as a chance to grow in power and practice his abilities.

Ben heard a growl and a snap behind him, as Nipper finally caught up with Sir Gallant the Younger and began chewing on him like a toy, ignoring the howls of protest coming from the tiny statue.

Ben’s stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten since the night before. There were no more roots left from what they’d harvested either.

“I don’t suppose you have any food here?” he asked.

The large knight spread his hands apologetically. “I’m afraid not.” He pointed a glove at his own torso. “We haven’t needed to eat for a long time now.”

“I see,” Ben sighed. “Well, now that Vinata is safe, I think we should be getting back to our camp.”

He looked at Melody, who nodded eagerly. No doubt she was hungry too after all the fighting they’d done.

Then a worrying thought occurred to Ben. “The monsters we killed won’t have all respawned in this time, Sir Gallant?”

The knight inclined his head. Perhaps he didn’t understand the word respawned. He appeared to understand the question however. “My younger companion and I control this section of the dungeon, sire. We can assure you and your followers safe passage back to the ground.”

“We would be most grateful to you for that,” Ben agreed.

“Before you return, my lord,