Stormforge (Rise To Omniscience Book 5) Read online

  His body was shrouded by violet, black-tinged flames, the aura of menace practically oozing off him. His golden eyes, the most notable feature, seemed to glow from within the nimbus of dread, like twin pools of liquid fire.

  Though the air was completely still and the room was deathly silent, Le’vine imagined she could feel the ground shaking. The sheer force of this man’s presence increased the density of the very air around her, pressing in on all sides and threatening to bow her shoulders, forcing her to flatten herself on the ground before this all-powerful being.

  What kind of monster has Katherine sent? she thought, feeling sweat beading her brow as the man stepped fully into the room.

  Her body froze as those golden eyes swept over her guards, coming to rest squarely on her. At that moment, Le’vine knew. She knew that no matter what she and her guards did, they would stand no chance of winning, not even if they all attacked at once, using their most powerful skills. He was just that strong.

  She could feel her body begin trembling as the man approached, his steps slow and echoing through the open room. His footfalls landed far harder than they should have, sending small cracks radiating from his passing.

  This isn’t just any old monster, Le’vine thought, as the man came to a halt not ten feet from the dais upon where she sat.

  This had to be the supermage she’d heard about. The one who’d won the Skyflare tournament and killed the Queen of the West. She personally had not been able to attend and had sent someone in her place. She’d heard all about this man, Morgan, and how brutal he’d been during the tournament. Since then, he’d likely only grown stronger.

  She wasn’t really sure what he was going to do now that he was here, but she braced herself for the worst as he looked up and met her eyes. However, what happened next was the very last thing she’d expected. The violet flames vanished, along with the sheer terror and heaviness of his presence, leaving a very dirty youth in its place.

  “Finally!” he said, sounding more exasperated than anything else. “It took me forever to find this place!”

  17

  Silence greeted his declaration, likely an aftereffect of his Aura Flare. He’d debated using it at first but decided that it would probably be better to avoid any fighting. So, a preemptive strike at their psyches would assure that no bloodshed was necessary and that this talk could start off as best as it possibly could at this point.

  As he’d suspected, the room was filled with the most powerful collection of supers and mages this kingdom had to offer. And, privately, he admitted to himself that this was quite an impressive show of force. Unlike the late Queen of the West, this one was powerful, the strongest in the room – not counting him, of course – and exuded a sense of calm, even in the face of his overwhelming might.

  “My name is Morgan, and by now I’m sure you’ve guessed what I am. You may be afraid of my intentions here today, but I can assure you that I haven’t come here to start a war,” Morgan said, his voice echoing in the silence of the open room.

  “You sure have a funny way of showing it,” the Queen replied, her eyes cold.

  Her voice was lighter than he’d expected, something which seemed to be a common trait among those in the East. She was fairly short and petite, standing at under five and a half feet. Her skin was pale, and her hair was so blonde that it seemed almost to be white. Her eyes were a dark brown, in contrast to almost everyone he’d met in the East, who tended to have light blue or green eyes.

  Still, it was the intensity of her core that stood out to him the most, not her physical appearance. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was close to rank 49 and the next tier of power. In addition, he could feel the beginnings of an advancement to the Evolved stage in her ability. It was early, but he was confident she’d make it there eventually.

  Though it was hard to place people’s ages, especially in a world where those of immense power maintained their youth, Le’vine didn’t appear much older than Katherine. In fact, if he were to guess, she was probably the same age.

  “This could easily have been avoided had you simply agreed to meet with me,” Morgan replied evenly. “Instead, you chose to turn me away, not to mention insulting me by keeping my Queen’s royal seal.”

  Le’vine raised her chin, looking down at him imperiously.

  “So, you break into my castle, kill my guards, and cause who knows how much property damage in the process? The Queen of the North sure knows how to send a message.”

  “I didn’t kill any of your guards,” Morgan replied. “Just injured them.”

  For the first time since he’d arrived, he saw something other than anger in the Queen’s eyes. He saw surprise. She covered it quickly, replacing it with the same cold stare as before.

  “How kind of you. Now that you’ve told me that no one is dead, should I simply forgive you and move on?”

  Morgan had to fight hard to keep his temper under control. If there was one thing he did not enjoy feeling, it was anger. Keeping a cool and level head in everything he did was something he’d always prided himself on. Ever since regaining emotion, it was something he’d been struggling with, and that only served to annoy him even further whenever it came up.

  “What I’m saying,” Morgan replied, “is that had you simply allowed me in, instead of throwing one barrier after the next in my path, all of this trouble could have been avoided.”

  The Queen seemed to be unmoved, though by this point, Morgan couldn’t care less. All he needed was their aid, not their friendship. If he could secure that, then he was perfectly fine with the entire East Kingdom hating him. He was already hated by one kingdom and on bad terms with another, so what was one more? Perhaps by the end of all of this, he’d have made enemies of the entire world.

  “Since you are here now,” Le’vine said, “why don’t you say your piece? There must be a reason Katherine would send her pet supermage all the way out here in the midst of a war. So, give me her message, I’ll respond, and then you can be on your way, having served as a good lapdog.”

  Morgan bristled inwardly at the insinuation but managed to maintain his outwardly calm demeanor. He had to continuously remind himself that he was the master of his body and mind, and not the other way around. He was in control, and no one, not even his pesky emotions, could get in the way.

  “As you already know, there is a war currently raging in the North. What you probably don’t know, seeing as you’ve never responded, is that one of the Pinnacle Kings, beasts powerful enough to wipe out entire kingdoms, is the one at its head.”

  “I’m sorry, Pinnacle King?” Le’vine asked, interrupting him. “I’ve never heard such a term used before.”

  In her tone, Morgan could sense skepticism and outright disbelief. It wasn’t that she wasn’t open to hearing what he had to say, only that she simply didn’t believe him, which could prove to be a problem.

  “Most people don’t know about them,” Morgan replied. “The Pinnacle Kings are beasts. Think of them as the supermage version of a Pinnacle beast, with heightened intelligence, power, and the ability to wipe out millions in a matter of weeks. The Pinnacle Kings were first created by the one who oversaw this world, to maintain balance.

  “There are five in total, and only one has risen so far. With him, he has brought ruin upon the North Kingdom. Only two cities remain standing, and he’s turned the millions of dead against us, raising them up with his power and turning them to his cause. While you may believe this is only a problem for the North, he will come for you eventually, perhaps even right after us.

  “He brings with him the chill of winter, a cold so intense that even I can feel it. It’s not only humans that he can turn to his cause, either. Beasts of all types are flocking to his cause, joining him as he rampages over the remains of our Kingdom. I came here to ask for your help in defeating them. We can’t do it alone, and if you wait until they come to you, it will already be too late.

  “Powerful as your military may be, you’ll be facing at
least twice the force we are, and who knows how powerful he’ll become by then. The longer the delay, the stronger he becomes. Time is short, and I still have to travel to the other kingdoms to make my case in person. So, would you please consider joining us?

  “We don’t need to be friends when this is all over. You can hate me and the entire North for all I care, but for now, this isn’t an issue of politics. This is an issue of humanity surviving to see another day.”

  Morgan lapsed into silence then, hoping that his speech would have some impact. He had no idea if what he’d said was right as he’d never been good with words. Throw him in a fight, and he could deliver, stick him in a room full of people who wanted to talk, and he’d start pulling his hair out. All he could do was hope that they would believe him and perhaps consider joining their cause.

  What he’d said was true. All of the Five Kingdoms were at risk now, and the longer they waited to act, the less likely they were to succeed. Le’vine had a thoughtful expression on her face, though he couldn’t quite tell what was going on behind her eyes. So, he waited in silence, hoping for a favorable outcome.

  ***

  Despite what Morgan may have thought, Le’vine was somewhat aware of what was happening in the North. She’d received troubling reports from the border over the past few months. People were vanishing into thin air and the weather was changing, growing unseasonably cold and earlier than expected. They hadn’t seen so much as a hint of movement near the borders either, though security had been increased as rumors of war had spread.

  She had indeed received several letters from the Queen of the North, though she’d chosen to ignore them. The North Kingdom had simply been too loud over the last couple of years for her liking — first starting a war with the Central Kingdom, then dealing with a civil war of their own. They’d lost several of their nobility, their economy was in the gutter, and they’d engaged in combat with the West.

  Le’vine didn’t know the whole story there, but when she’d begun receiving letters from Katherine, she’d decided that she’d wanted nothing to do with them. The North was nothing but trouble, a way for her Kingdom, whose economy and overall prosperity were at an all-time high, to lose.

  Though what this supermage said was extremely far-fetched and sounded ridiculous, Le’vine was inclined to believe him. Why else would Katherine send a supermage, a figure so legendary that she only knew of one other in all the Five Kingdoms, to deliver a simple message? They must be in dire straits indeed if she were willing to go so far.

  However, this also set off alarm bells in the Queen’s head. If this monster Pinnacle Beast was ravaging the North, collecting corpses and adding them to his army, then wouldn’t they be better off on their own? Morgan had put it in such a way to make it sound like the North had a lot to offer, but if only two of their cities remained standing, then they were nearly extinct.

  It was hard to stay calm in his presence as well, even though the feeling of dread had receded. She’d been fighting to keep her tone aloof and even angry throughout, though she inwardly cringed every time she spoke out loud, afraid that he would hear the fear and uncertainty in her voice. Still, she was the ruler of a kingdom, and thus, must maintain her poise at all times, especially before her guards.

  “If what you’re saying is true,” Le’vine finally said, “then wouldn’t we be better off simply allying ourselves with the other four Kingdoms? The North is pretty much gone, so why should we travel all the way there, endangering ourselves in unfamiliar terrain, when we can simply meet him on our terms?”

  Morgan shook his head.

  “You don’t seem to grasp the depth of the Pinnacle King’s power, so allow me to paint you a picture. Imagine this: You leave your palace one day to go for a stroll in the grounds, but instead of seeing sunny skies and a warm breeze, you see a mass of storm clouds in the distance. At first, you don’t think much of it, supposing that it’s likely a rainstorm.

  “But then, the first chill begins to settle over the city. A cold gust of wind blows throughout the kingdom, extremely unusual for the East at any time of year. You try to dismiss it once again, but then the temperature starts to drop. First ten degrees, then twenty. The closer the storm comes, the colder it gets, and before long, you find yourself shivering despite your high rank. Your breath starts to steam and small flurries begin drifting past.

  “The wind begins to pick up then, bringing the storm ever closer. Soon, it howls around you, powerful enough to rip trees from the ground and send entire wagons flying through the air. The people in the city are running for cover, panicking, your guards rushing about as they try to prepare for a storm they never saw coming.

  “Then, the sun vanishes, storm clouds blotting out the sky as the true force of the storm hits your city. Whipping snow and ice blinds everyone, making it hard to see even five feet in any direction. Recognizable buildings, landmarks, and other such details are now lost amid the howling winds and snow.”

  Le’vine shivered slightly, the picture the young man was painting already clear in her mind. Something like that would not only send her city into a panic, it could cost them thousands of gold in damages. Their city was not prepared for a scenario like that, but it seemed Morgan still wasn’t done, as he continued talking.

  “You make your way into the palace, have guards build fires, and do your best to keep warm. You’re sure this has to be a one-time thing and while the damage to the city will be great, it’s nothing that can’t be undone with a little time and effort. You’ve finally begun to calm down, perhaps ordering some warm drinks to settle everyone’s nerves, when the first screams begin.

  “Howls of pain, echoing through the storm and reaching you even through the thick walls of your castle. You immediately send a couple of guards out to investigate, sure that it couldn’t be too bad. However, when half an hour passes without their return, you begin to grow worried. So, you send guards out once more, and in greater force. They do not return either.

  “Now you really begin to sweat as the echoing screams grow louder and louder. You decide that it may be time to prepare for a serious attack, but by then, it’s too late. Your palace shakes as the doors are blown off their hinges, and through the whiteout of the storm, figures start to appear.

  “They look to be human at first, but soon you notice some strange details. Their bodies seem misshapen, large, and bulky. Their eyes are glowing a sickly red or blue. Soon, they enter your palace, and you realize the true horror of what you’re seeing. The remains of your uniforms cling to the bodies of monsters, hunched over and twisted in unnatural ways.

  “You try to fight them. Perhaps you succeed in holding out for a few minutes, however, with each of your fallen guards rising up to fight for the enemy, you soon find yourself driven back.”

  Le’vine could feel fear gripping her now, and not the type of fear she felt by being in Morgan’s presence. This was a different beast altogether. Morgan lowered his voice then, continuing in a near whisper.

  “You are the only one left now, fighting desperately for your life, but losing ground every minute. You’re beginning to flag as the numbers keep growing, and just when you think it’s all about to end, they freeze. You stand there, wondering if you may have earned a respite, when out of the storm comes a cold and mocking laugh.

  “You look up to see a beast walking into the remains of your palace. He stands over seven feet tall and appears to be an ape of some kind. However, he carries a blade of icy-steel across his back and has a glint of intelligence in his eyes. You wonder what will happen next, dreading the worst, then the beast will speak to you. He’ll tell you about the inevitability of death.

  “Desperation spurs you to action, and you rush in to down the monster. You hope that doing so will disperse his minions and that you might escape with your life. However, you soon discover that his power is on a whole new level. He has power you cannot hope to match. He drives you to your knees, stealing what little hope you had left. Then, right before he k
ills you, you see your family and most trusted advisors standing behind him, all watching your impending death with apathy and even glee. So, Queen of the East, does that sound like something you’d like to happen? Because it’s exactly what happened in almost every single one of our cities.”

  Le’vine had to swallow past the dry lump in her throat to answer. She couldn’t allow him to see how much the story had rattled her. She had no doubt he was telling the truth now. For someone who seemed more suited to combat than politics, she was sure he’d had to have experienced this firsthand to paint such a vivid picture. However, she could not allow him to sense her fear, otherwise he’d be far more persistent in his bid.

  “And I assume that this terrifying beast that will kill my Queen is this Pinnacle King of which you speak?”

  Le’vine’s eyes shot up, and a wide smile came to her lips as Hilda, the most powerful fighter the Kingdom had to offer, strode into the room, her eyes locked squarely on Morgan. Perhaps now she could finally set some terms and see what Morgan was really made of. After all, the East had certain customs when it came to making deals with others, and seeing as Hilda was here now, she may very well be able to take control of this situation.

  18

  Morgan turned at the sound of the familiar voice to see Hilda striding into the room. He hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings, focused as he was on conveying his story, and had missed her arrival. Of all the people he’d expected to show up, she was not one of them. She appeared much the same as the last time he’d seen her, though she’d grown a couple of inches and filled out a bit more. The biggest change was in her bearing and her power. Out of everyone here, she was easily the strongest. Judging by the feel of her core, as well the double set of red rings in her bright amber irises, she was at the Intermediate stage of her ability.