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Vaid Empire: Conquest is a massive fantasy series that aims to mix erotica with the quality of a published novel. New chapters and artwork are released every month for free, with the completely optional possibility to receive early access on the official Vaid Empire Website. The Series focuses heavily on worldbuilding, , and characters.
The world of Ayphieal is shattered and chaotic, with kingdoms and tribes of six distinctive races vying for territory amongst themselves. It is only when a young human warrior finally pushes back against the chaos that the world begins to shift towards order.
***
34th of Senin, 13 AVE.
Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.
Vixin released a breath as she hesitated, standing before the double doors of The Chamber of Deliverance. She turned, beginning to pace up and down the corridor.
In the very heart of The Grand Pyramid, the hallway had been decorated only with the banners of House Vaid. The walls of white stone brick appeared as though they could be found anywhere within the massive fortress until one reached the doors. She slowed to a stop, reaching out to caress the cold white steel.
Turning her head a final time, she saw the corridor leading away in two directions at either side; two options to simply walk away. Instead, she eyed the imprint of a hand to the right of the door, engraved into white steel. She placed her hand into the imprint, her senses tingling just beneath her awareness. It seemed to detect her blood, causing the double doors to slowly slide open. The God Emperor’s daughter had returned.
A chill ran down her back as she stepped inside. The doors resealed behind her, allowing the darkness of the steel chamber to claim her. She ignited a small flame in her outstretched palm, the small light flickering over her nervous skin. Never had she entered alone, only permitted into the sacred chamber when accompanied by her father. The sight of the massive crescent moon decorating the metal floor sent memories flooding through her. Every hour of meditation, every painful lesson from her father, she found it unpleasant to return.
“I…seek The Creator,” she announced to the empty room as her voice echoed. After all, what could she say?
Silence lingered as she waited in darkness. Though tempted to flee, knowing she was breaking her father’s orders, she simply straightened up and did her best to conceal her fear. She wouldn’t fail now.
“Can you hear me?” she asked the darkness before a troubling thought entered her mind. “Do you even exist, Dorian?”
A weak chuckle echoed throughout the room. “Ah…I exist. Your father hasn’t…lost himself entirely to madness…quite yet…”
Feeling her fear reignite, she watched as a cloaked figure materialized within the shadows of the chamber. A translucent being, he began to walk towards her with soundless steps.
“My granddaughter…finally seeks me out. Very well…allow me to have a closer look at you…” The ghostly figure stood before her, studying her with eyes of sorrow as silver as her own. He reached up to touch her cheeks, her skin unable to feel his fingers. “So beautiful…of that I can take comfort…at least…”
“What are you?” Vixin asked as she attempted to keep the fear from her voice. Only the comforting sense of their familial connection allowed her to endure the encounter. Before her was supposedly The Creator, the very architect of her world.
“I…am what you shall one day become…child. A forgotten soul…” His ancient voice sounded as though it would crumble to dust. “I’m certain…you have many questions…”
A nervous chuckle escaped her. “More than a few, yes, though I’ve only ordered the guards away from the door for a short time.”
“Hmm? Oh…I wouldn’t concern yourself, child. Your father…shall already learn of your entrance here. His eyes…peer everywhere…always watching,” Dorian said, his faded form beginning to slowly circle her. “Did you not sense…the Truthseeker that followed you here?”
“Truthseeker? I passed dozens of beings on my way here. Surely father hasn’t ordered them to…” She allowed a blush of embarrassment, realizing she had fallen too deeply into a feeling of security. Even here, in the largest fortress ever constructed, she was never entirely safe from the schemes of others. “How did you know?”
“Your father’s spies…aren’t the only beings to watch over you…child. I observe when I’m able to…yet my strength continues to dwindle. You’re one…of the few interests left to me…” he explained with a hint of sorrow. “I know…you’ve come to speak of this…Salduin fellow…”
Surprise widened her eyes, yet she fought to maintain her calm control. As unnerving as it was to hear proof that a God watched over her, she savored the faint tingling of their familial bond. The only Vaid in Domani, she had spent more than a few nights longing for the return of her father’s protective presence. “That’s…correct. If you’ve watched us speak, I surely don’t need to tell you why I’d like to help him.”
Dorian appeared to ponder. “It’s a difficult thing…to pull away long enough to observe. Still…I was there atop that hill…at your side upon the graves of his fallen family…”
“That was an intimate moment between the two of us,” Vixin replied, using irritation to mask her embarrassment. Just what else had this ancient being witnessed her do?
“I apologize…yet you are all that remains within my reach. Your family is far from here…and I’ve grown too weak to view them,” Dorian explained with regret. “Would you allow an old man…the small comfort of your presence?”
Vixin bit her lip, thinking to all the previous nights she had practiced making love to her slaves. Had he been at her side then? “I suppose it couldn’t hurt, so long as you make your presence known.”
Dorian shook his head. “I can do…very little to interact outside this chamber. The power required…to create this world…has severely damaged me…child.”
“Then perhaps I’ll visit again, if my father shall already learn that I’ve disobeyed him,” Vixin offered. “So long as you avoid watching my more…intimate moments and assist me with Salduin.”
“Ah…of course. It’s no wonder your father…has selected this man as your mate. I’ve sensed him myself…” Dorian briefly closed his eyes in concentration. “A wise choice…”
“Oh? What do you know of The God Emperor’s breeding project?”
“God Emperor…” Dorian frowned. “At least…I shall agree with him on this matter. Surely…he has made mention of the workings…of conception, yes?”
Vixin nodded with a slight grin. “A piece of the mother’s soul combines with a piece of the father’s to form a new being. There are few who understand the process better.”
“Of course…” he chuckled. “Yet…some souls combine more naturally…than others. He desired to pair you…with a man he deemed worthy…and chose this fellow over his other advisors. The child you seek to sire with Salduin shall hold great potential…as your souls are more compatible than most…”
“How curious,” Vixin said, remembering the tiny tingling sensation she occasionally felt when close to Salduin. It had been faint enough to discard, yet the thought of carrying his child naturally sent a warm sensation of desire to her loins whenever the possibility fell into her mind. She craved more detail, hoping to understand all she could as The Goddess of Fertility. “Father said we’d discuss such things upon his return.”
“Then there’s no harm…in speaking upon it further…” Dorian chuckled as he came to a stop before her. Though much of his expression remained shrouded by the darkness of his hood, she could clearly sense a hint of sadness beginning to pool within him as he continued. “You know…I waited a millennium before I found your grandmother. A simple…ordinary human, yet the essence of her soul…was more compatible with my own than I had ever encountered. The potential of our child was…enthralling…perfect…something I couldn’t ignore. After her execution…I had hoped Dominax would use his extraordinary powers to protect himself…to live in peace…and yet…”
Vixin watched him search fruitlessly for his next words, sensing the deep sorrow threatening to overtake him. For a moment she was tempted to reach out, only to realize her arms would pass through his translucent form.
“I fear…I’ve lost him. Your father insists upon this path…seeking power and control. He shall not find peace until his death…yet perhaps…you may yet escape his fate…”
“Escape?” she asked, baffled. “What could I possibly hope to escape from?”
“Power…child. This life you live…the path your father has lured you upon…shall hold sorrow and unending conflict. You’ll find…no peace beneath a crown…for power is a delicate thing.”
Vixin straightened proudly, thinking of her time upon the throne. The tedium of residing over conflicts, the worry she felt each time she made a decision, such things prevented her from ever truly easing her mind. Even still, she couldn’t deny the excitement of it all. “So you say, yet we seek to forge an endless peace for all beings beneath The Empire.”
“Ah…his Eternal Peace. When this conquest is over…when he sits atop a throne overlooking the entirety of Magnius…he’ll find that swords turn to daggers…and battle cries turn to conspiratorial whispers…”
Vixin chuckled. “Of course, Dorian. Such is the nature of living beings. We shall never truly rest, no, yet the struggle to maintain order shall keep us strong and our senses sharp. Isn’t that life worth more than one of inert peace?”
“You sound…more like your father every year…” Dorian attempted to smile, yet the thought brought him no joy. “It shall never end. Your father’s throne…shall bring no shortage of betrayal…loss…and pain…to your family. It shall consume their lives…and I’d see you escape such a fate. Breed with this Salduin…forge your own family…and flee from here. Raise your children in peace…a simple life far from the struggles…of the throne. Simply…run, Vixin. Run and never look back.”
His final words sounded firmer than anything the old man had said thus far, making Vixin involuntarily shutter. Never before had anyone spoken such things to her, for the concept of a simple life away from court nearly seemed an alien concept. “An impossible notion…and one my father would never allow. Fleeing from his sight would nearly be as much of a struggle as remaining!”
“There are…ways…child. This world is my creation…and I know every inch of it. There are places beyond the eyes of The Empire…even should Dominax succeed in his conquest. I would not see you take my place…forced to watch your descendants…struggle beneath the weight of the throne…”
A scowl crossed her pretty features, harsher than she felt. Her thoughts fell upon her illegitimate sons, realizing she had never considered granting them the same peace Dorian now sought for her. She had placed them into positions of power. Domir had been granted to The Sages, and the second to a very wealthy household. They’d be forced to deal with the struggles such power brought, yet they’d enjoy untold luxury. Surely, that was for the best. “I recall something my father used to say when speaking of the population. ‘Their descendants shall live in prosperity and comfort, and they shall thank mine.’ We shall struggle, yet through that struggle we are rewarded. I’d see my descendants live in extravagant pleasure, rather than humble peace.”
Dorian’s figure faded further, merely a whisper of a man. “Then we…are at an impasse. Still…I ask only that you consider my words…”
Vixin nodded reluctantly. “I shall, yet my original problem remains. My potential descendants shall be irrelevant if Salduin remains unable to breed me.”
“Ah…of course.” Dorian nodded. “The man mourns eternally…”
“You’ve seen the state he’s in,” Vixin replied, her expression melting into worry. “I…want to help him. His seed is required for my own aims, though he’s a good man, even if a bit odd. He deserves to be freed of his pain if such a thing is possible.”
The Creator smiled, once more placing his hand upon her cheek. “This man is important to you?”
Unable to feel him, she nodded. “I shall not be his love, nor he mine, yet he’ll be the father of my child. He’ll do me a kindness and I’d see him repaid.”
The ghostly figure seemed to consider her words. “There is…perhaps…a way. I’m weakening…child…yet if this is truly your desire…return to the hill where his family is buried.”
“What must I do?” Apprehension flavored her tone.
“Merely place your hand…onto his head as he sleeps…and I shall do the rest…”
Vixin tilted her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Nor should you…yet I’ll do what I can…” His voice grew fainter, as if struggling to maintain his strength.
She reached out to grip his hands, only to pass through. She nodded with gratitude instead. “Thank you, Creator. Dorian. I…won’t forget this.”
“Merely remember my words…child. There is more to life…than power.”
She watched as his form slowly disappeared, sensing him fading back to wherever he stemmed from. No reply slipped from her lips as she stood in silence, her thoughts already falling to Salduin.
The Creator urged her to flee, yet she’d remain right where she was. After all, who could relinquish the life of an imperial princess?
35th of Senin, 13 AVE.
Kingdom of Vaidrin, Near Nitri.
“Time to go, Salduin.”
The large man turned his head to see a woman standing beside him, watching a small girl in the distance. A breeze carried across the desert stretching before them, sending white sand flowing gently over their feet.
“Jinilya…” The word was hardly a whisper as Salduin focused upon her, seeing her blonde hair flowing behind. She was dressed in the loincloth she always wore, a figure plucked from time to stand before him, matching a memory long faded. He felt no surprise at her presence, as if they had stood in this very spot for an eternity.
“It’s time, Salduin,” she repeated, continuing to watch the small figure playing in the sand.
“Can’t you stay? I’ve only just arrived.” Or had he?
She grabbed his forearms, turning her green eyes to meet his with a smile. “You’ve been here longer than you should. It’s time to go.”
“No, don’t go, Jin. Stay…”
“Not us.” She gestured for the small girl to return to her side. She obeyed, one moment playing in the sand, the next standing between them. A perfect combination of her parents, her dark hair was streaked with hints of blonde. “You, Salduin.”
“I can’t go.” He looked down to see his daughter, her face forcing him to remain calm. “Please, Jin.”
She caressed his cheek, a sensation he hadn’t felt in decades. “You haven’t been alive since we were buried, my love. We’ve watched over you, little more than a living ghost imitating a man. Where’s the joy in what you’ve achieved these past years? Where’s your family? Where’s your”
He gripped her hand. “My family is here, Jin.”
She shook her head. “Your family is dead, my love. Beyond your reach.”
“No. You’re here.” He gripped harder. “I can feel you.”
“And when you wake, we’ll be dust and bone.” She smiled with sorrow. “Don’t let two old graves be the death of your future. We were here.” She touched his chest. “We are here, and we’ll remain, though there’s more to come.”
He felt his daughter’s hand reach up to touch his, causing him to groan in pain. “You’re only here because I failed you.”
“As did I, Sal. As did I.” She nodded. “But we’re safe now.”
Salduin watched as she nodded to a figure in the distance, an old man wrapped in a dark cloak. Silver eyes peered at him from afar, a specter among white sand.
“Nothing can harm us now,” she continued softly. “We’ve found peace. True peace, my love. When shall you?”
“How?” A whisper slipped from his throat.
“We hear you when you visit, Salduin. There’s a future waiting for you. A family upon the horizon. You’ve told us yourself. A princess, isn’t she?” Jinilya chuckled, granting him a kiss. “I see no clearer path than that.”
Salduin hesitated, gritting his teeth before allowing the very words he had feared to slip from his mouth. “And if I fail her child again? Our child?”
She caressed his cheek softly as a tear trickled down her own. “Then you’ll fail, yet you’ll have tried once more. Try, Salduin. Try for us. Go to this princess. Allow her to grant you a life that’s worthwhile. Love the child she grants you. Find a way to move beyond us, or I won’t forgive you nor myself.”
“Jin…please don’t. I…can’t let you fade.”
“Yet you must, if only a little.” She reached down to pick up their daughter. “We’re safe now, Salduin. It’s time to go.”
He moved to wrap them in his large arms, holding them close. “Tell me how. By The Creator…I don’t know how…”
“Merely close your eyes, my love.” She kissed him once more. “We’re safe, Salduin. Struggle no more. Mourn no more. Simply…live again.”
Allowing his eyes to shut, he squeezed his family harder. “You’re safe, Jin. You’re both safe…”
“Try your best, and we shall meet again in our proper time. Goodbye, Salduin…” Her voice grew fainter as she spoke.
Clenching his eyes, he waited, hearing nothing as even the sound of the sand faded away. He eased his muscles as a sigh slipped from his throat. When he opened his eyes, his arms were empty, and he allowed them to fall limply to his sides.
“Goodbye…Jin.”
His true eyes slowly opened as he awakened, staring at the orange sky as the sun began to emerge from the horizon. He turned his head to see Vixin kneeling beside him, her hand resting upon his forehead. She smiled with obvious apprehension, pulling back.
“Salduin?” Her voice came as a question, displaying more nervousness than he had ever witnessed from her.
He sat up, feeling the hexagonal grave markers at his side. “May I…go back?”
“I don’t know what I did, or if it was even by my hand.” She shook her head. “But I don’t believe so.”
He nodded after a moment, releasing a breath he had held inside for too long.
“Are they…gone?”
“No.” He placed his hand upon one of the graves. “Though they’re here now instead.”
“That’s…wonderful.” She moved closer to grant him a kiss. When he didn’t pull back, she felt her cheeks blush as they finally met.
Seeming to savor it, Salduin appeared to test himself before separating. “You’ve been very patient with me. I will not replace her.” He removed his hand from the grave. “Though if you grant me a child…I shall raise it as a father should. I’m…ready now, Vixin. As ready to move forward as I’ve ever been.”
Running her hands over his powerful chest, she closed her eyes as she pressed forth once more. Her renewed passion turned to worry as he stopped her.
“Not here. Never here. I’ll need some time to clear my head, but if you can grant me”
She cut his words off with a finger against his lips, smirking. “Oh Salduin, you underestimate me. What’s another month or two after waiting so long? Take your time to ensure you’re properly prepared. Upon the last night of Iahta, I’ll send for you.”
Salduin watched her stand, a delicate hand reaching down to him. He took a final glance at the graves, gently caressing one of the hexagonal stones. “If this is what you want…Jin…” he thought to himself before reaching up to accept Vixin’s hand.
ero
