The Mook Maker

I found my way to the secluded beach.  

 

Or at least, my personal ‘Displacer’ - one I didn’t even name yet - found it for me, and brought me there, through the shifting spatial rift they used for nearly instantaneous travel through the ever shifting void.

 

It was all but an eye blink. 

 

I didn’t know, relative to my previous position, where the place was, but it couldn’t be that remote, considering that the pervasive sensation I had from being in the proximity to the mysterious sunken place, possibly with the magical scroll buried in the sea, didn’t go away. 

 

It still lingered, suggesting we were still relatively close. I had, however, no idea how far the sensation, a ‘signal’ of sorts, could reach, so my assumption about distance was relatively moot. 

 

The fishing village wasn’t in sight, that much I could confirm, with small cliffs and rocky outcroppings blocking the view from two directions, while the rest was either the wide sea on the one side, and the wall of the verdant overgrowth of the other. 

 

This would be for the best, I presumed, as I didn’t know how I should behave in front of the humans in some form of ceremonial role to represent the invisible, supposedly celestial dragoness. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to. Ari was a local, one that likely saw the ritual. The man the ‘Lady’ assigned to us was, presumably, even schooled in it. 

 

I, in the meantime, enjoyed the privacy while I planned my next step. 

 

The beach, equally rocky as it was sandy, wasn’t as picturesque as one would imagine - again, this wasn’t exactly the tropical paradise - but it was out of sight, much better than standing in the middle of a dirt road.

 

I wasn’t exactly alone there either. 

 

The reason behind the nearly toxic shades of green among the unexpected, budding natural barrier, made itself known very quickly. There were a few ‘Corruptors’ - my little lizard girl followers - were already there, and the wild, untamed greenery was certainly their doing. 

 

They worked fast - I’d even say too fast, if it wasn’t to my benefit - , and were quite enthusiastic about my visit to their personal seaside grove. 

 

“For Master! Master! Master!” 

 

They flocked to me, their girlish voices raised, eager to socialise a little, and show off their work. Their outfits resembling one of the Hawaiian dancers, with grass skirts and flowers, were relatively thematic to the beach, even if this wasn’t remotely equatorial weather. 

At least I didn’t have to worry about getting them clothes if they preferred purely organic outfits. There was still a shortage, even though we had looted the human army’s stores. 

 

“Master!” 

 

My little reptilian monster girls were quite cute, I couldn’t deny. 

 

Soon, I was surrounded by the couple of them, all striving for attention, while the ‘Displacer’ hung closer. I caressed a few of them, their scales soft and pleasant to touch, while their feather-like ‘hair’ was tickly and surprisingly fluffy. It seems a few of them were brought here, in the wake of the ‘Mutators’ fly-by. 

 

Which meant, their conversion of the local flora was far too rapid. It was worrying. Their work was too fast after all.

 

The ‘Displacer’ cat girl crawled into my lap, almost as it was her way of saying it was her turn to receive the attention, not her ‘Corruptor’ cousins, but aside of the soft hug, I didn’t pay much attention to her, as I was preoccupied with the other things. 

 

Namely, how far the horde had spread from our original location. 

 

How many of you are there?” 

 

“For Master?” 

 

Only six of them, besides one dispatched to accompany me. The ‘Corruptors’ - one which wasn't exactly expected to be there - were quite interested in staying. A few new species of plants were here, the seaside, which interested them. I did not have the heart to tell them that we weren’t supposed to settle down here, merely executing the ‘Lady’ plan to gain the worshipers she needed. 

 

We were originally supposed to just deliver a ‘blessing’ as the ‘Lady’ dragon put it, not to turn the entire segment of the coast into nightmare fairy Neverland. 

 

“You are…” 

 

I stopped. When I thought of it, they were right to come here. We couldn’t just leave. Not without either recovering the buried artefact hidden beneath the waves, or, alternatively, confirmation that the strange, pulsating energy I felt wasn’t what I took it for. Until then… 

 

“I guess we need to double down.” I said, thinking aloud: “We would have to create an outpost here, with at least temporary residence until the scroll is retrieved.”

 

Until I find a reliable way to lift the treasure from the bottom of the ocean, the fishing village would have to have us. 

 

“For Master!” They replied cheerfully, very much intended to spread their magical influence around. 

I had to wonder what they meant by eggs though. 

 

“Are you going to lay eggs?” I asked, confused, as it was something entirely new to me. Despite the several off-hand mentions Mai had made regarding it there was no reason to assume they would do so regularly. After all, they didn’t mention it until…

 

“For Master!” They chirped in unison. 

 

“Mai would?” I checked, unsure if I even understood them, but it seemed to be the case. 

 

I recalled her behaviour. 

 

“For Master.” The little one answered in unison, their minds touching mine, all trying to communicate at once.

 

They were scouting it here. For all the strangeness, being surrounded by the anthropomorphic lizards, which were not in fact true reptiles, but the odd cross between them and mammals, with the memories of the life of Earth colliding with my present-day situation, I was suddenly feeling protective, there are going to be my bride’s eggs, as weird as it sounded. 

 

My girls need to be safe. 

 

Though we knew next to nothing about the area, and nothing about the dangers it held. 

 

“Unless you explicitly need the sea and beach for them, don’t.” I decided, “It’s not safe around there. Make a nest deep within our territory. They need to be protected, and we could do it there..” 

 

Mai had her own garden, albeit with the permanent ‘Mutator’ tenants and their arcane tree. They could certainly get along. 

 

“Kirke and her girls would help you with it, I am certain. Failing that, you could use the fortress. It would be reasonably secure, too.” 

 

“For Master!” They agreed, without objection, even if at least a few of them would stay here either way, to play with the new species of plants, to subsequently transplant them elsewhere.  

 

True, as far as I knew, the valley didn’t have rice. Wheat, or millet, or barley, I think. Corn, even, even if it went against the geography I know from Earth. 

 

“For Master!” The ‘Corruptors’ have their own idea about the origin of species 

 

Just let them tinker. We needed diving equipment, even if only primitive ones. 

 

Speaking of which, if we were going to stay, at least with the small contingent, we should scout the place, as our experience with the locale was this a single fishing and farming settlement tucked on the coast, seemingly isolated from the rest of the world, or at least the rest of the country. 

 

But was it? 

 

Our presence here was, at least originally, a side job, done on request from the dragoness on matters originally unrelated to the whole artefact hunt. While I was there, the city was at Arke’s tender mercies after my plan to bolster relations failed spectacularly, and most of my ‘Fleshspeakers’ were occupied putting down the rebellion. 

 

Everything was getting out of our hands. 

 

Was this village even part of the same province, or were we trespassing on someone else's turf, with its own local lord and his militia?

 

I didn’t know. If humans had a large maritime port, would it be nearby? 

 

Or was this location selected because it was so remote, and insignificant, that neither conquerors nor treasure seekers would bother to even note its existence?  

 

We desperately needed a geography lesson. Both mundane, and the special, supernatural one, allowing a systematic retrieval of the magical artefacts.

 

How many places like this were scattered around the land, with their own hidden treasures which would stay undetected until I got within a certain radius from the magical Scroll’s final resting place? 

 

Irked by the lack of answers, I tried once again to call the ‘Lady’, hoping her priests could draw. A city could spare a piece of paper, this time an ordinary one, not imbued with any special powers. 

 

“Lady?” 

 

No answer, except for the weak, pained moan, drowning among the endless sea of whispers I was getting used to perceiving as the permanent background noise at the back of my brain.  

 

I tried to focus.

 

No joy, only I could sense was exhaustion, one which wasn’t mine, but hers. This time, however, I didn't need a miracle. A simple conversation would suffice. Anything that wouldn’t require us to enact the brute force approach. 

 

Now, ironically enough, an absence of one voice from the infinite cacophony was more distressing than the presence of the endless hum of the vast host of minds joined as one. 

 

“Answer me, you damn dragon!” I said aloud. 

 

“For Master!” The nameless ‘Displacer’ still clinging to me meowed, agreeing with the sentiment. She and her sisters weren’t particularly fond of the dragoness. 

 

A query about the safeguards, places about artefacts, and relative distances between the scattered samples. I didn’t ask for much. Considering how annoyingly pervasive our supposedly telepathic, or perhaps spiritual, link otherwise was, the ‘Lady’ wasn’t able to answer, and whatever Tama and the rest, along with Ari, apparently didn’t provide the results instantaneously. 

 

I suspected the ‘Lady’ wouldn't be happy if she found out how much ‘improvements’ - as ‘Corruptors’ put it - we would make to the land by the grace of staying, and letting my little scaly friends run amok. 

 

Curses. 

 

I considered recalling them, but before I spoke the word, or even finished the thought, the new swirling portal had torn the air before me, and Tama accompanied by Miwah stepped through, with Sora closing the swirling rift of eldritch power behind them. 

 

Report, then. Tama had a different idea. 

 

“Should I be jealous, Master? You, with my cousins there, alone, on the beach.” The vixen said in her familiar sultry tone. I was certain we weren’t ‘alone’ - there were a half-a-dozen ‘Corruptors’ and I was certain a ‘Mutator’ was circling nearby as well. 

 

Tama walked closer, with her trademark seductive sway, her multiple fluffy tail swishing hypnotically behind her. 

 

When she leaned in for the kiss, one which I granted, she scratched and nuzzled the ‘Displacer’ kitty on my lap, not as jealous as she claimed to be. Sometimes I had to wonder what this was about, but Tama was Tama. 

 

“Were we going to share a bed with her, Master?” The silvery vixen asked. 

 

“For Master!” The little ‘Displacer’, however, agreed. She and Sora exchanged meaningful glances and thought it was appropriate‌. 

 

I was tempted, but I had worries other than flirting. Namely, securing this place so we could rest for the day.  Then maybe flirt in safety.

 

“Any luck with the humans?” 

 

“Oh. They are a little more cooperative than usual, Master.” Tama purred, “Didn’t have to burn any of them. Or eat their livers.” 

 

Maybe it was not a good idea to leave Tama with the humans. 

 

“Ari is still talking to them, Master. Narita stayed behind to convince them, though healing their ills, and Kuma and Ekaterina were watching over. Seems they are slightly more popular.” Miwah added, and also came closer, to share her affection as well. A lamellar carapace of the armour robbed me of the softness of her assuring embrace, but I welcomed it nevertheless.

 

I think I liked Miwah’s approach more. 

 

“And Kirke?” 

 

“Representing the blessing, Master. She could boost the plants Narita could harvest,” she said, taking a position on my side. 

 

It made sense. 

 

“We will make sure the humans are properly subjugated, Master.” 

 

I wasn’t entirely sure about subjugation. The idea for Narita to provide healing was brilliant though - or horrible, considering the side effects - but as the mysterious power beneath the sea continued to beat, I was more and more driven to get the dragoness back to consciousness.

 

We were running out of options, and being reasonable didn’t always help. 

 

If the humans could withstand the aftereffects of the life-energy transference, they would maybe appreciate the fact they could be healthier, while we could determine how many humans could be immune to the degree Ari was, if any of them could. 

 

Yet, disappointment we wouldn’t, and couldn’t, give the ‘Lady’ the boost so she could repay us with the intel we needed was very palpable. I was getting impatient. If only I could push the time a little forward. 

 

“Ah…” I said, disappointed, “No result then. Make sure she doesn’t cause unnecessary pain. We need to convince them, not kill them.” 

 

“Yes, Master.” Miwah said in acknowledgement 

 

There was no telling how this even worked - would ‘Lady’ wake up today, tomorrow, in a week? Were the rituals Ari was likely organising right now even working? They could do something. We had experienced it with the pyre in the aftermath of the siege, but we were not any wiser about what it really did. 

 

“Tama?” 

 

“Yes, Master?” She hummed,

 

“Bring Helmy and all the riders they made, and send them …” I paused, …”south, following the road. Find if there is any other settlement.” 

 

North was, if I remember, the direction we came from, even if the teleport made it quite confusing.

 

“Yes, Master.” Vixen said, “Are we going to … relax on the beach in the meantime?” 

 

An embrace of fluff was, despite the warm day, very pleasant, but I didn’t let myself be swayed to anything more than a few gentle touches and a little closeness. I still have issues to sort out, and tasks to plan out. 

 

“No, Tama. I am sorry.” I said. “We would relax back in the fortress later.”  

 

“Yes, Master.” 

 

I would have to get my information elsewhere. The other human, the advisor to the Viceroy, came to mind, reasonably educated. It was time to make a visit once I made sure we won’t be attacked here, near the sea. We couldn’t let this place be, not while the artefact is present. 

 

“Sora?” 

 

The cat-girl, or rather panther-girl, considering the recent development, came closer, and leaned forward, getting a little affectionate. Cute, too. Her eyes flashed. 

 

“I suppose you know what is to the north?” 

 

“Yes, Master.” She meowed, “Partially. We knew the villages were abandoned past the battlefield we visited. It is our hunting ground now.”

 

Maybe it is where they were snatching all the animals they caught after our part of the valley was stripped of any prey. There were thousands of stomachs to feed, and there would be more. I felt like seagulls foresaw their approaching doom, as the wildlife went suddenly silent soon after we arrived there. If only the noisome pests could be silenced first.

 

Another reason to stick to the coast. The sea held an ample source of food. 

 

Still, I didn’t like the fact this village was somehow missed while the others fled. It warranted investigation. 

 

“Could you look through them?” I asked, “Just a quick look, teleport around to find if any of them have inhabitants. Or barriers, for what matter. We need to find if there are any priests of the other dragons than the Lady's” 

 

They were the fastest to spot the barrier, as it was a no-go zone for their teleport. 

 

“A detailed look would be done by flyers after,” 

 

The idea of my feline going splat against the ground made me shiver. 

 

“Hmm, there could be something we had ignored.” The larger feline pondered, “I will, Master.” 

 

“Do not engage if you find any.” I managed to add, but Sora proved to be as impulsive as she always was. She glanced at the distance briefly, and then answered affirmatively with the usual “Yes, Master.” before she opened a portal for herself, disappearing into it without a delay. 

 

I could only hope she would be reasonable. 

 

The little version of her, however, stayed behind for personal attention. It was a strange quirk of her, always leaving her little kin to keep me company. 

 

Briefly I wondered why it wasn’t the arcane fruit ‘evolved Warpstalkers’ with their panther-like elegance, compared to the small bluish ‘Displacer’ that got the ‘adjutant duty’, but I couldn’t complain. 

 

I was stretching their power to the limit. There was always a ‘Warpstalker’ or ‘Displacer’ to give their less mobile cousins a lift. 

 

The smaller feline did not protest against her exclusion from the adventure, and meowed. She wanted to stay. 

 

Fair enough, I thought. There was something adorable about the small, rank-and-file version of ‘Displacers’.

 

Where was my bat-girl, or possibly the moth ones? Kirke was busy, but she had her kin around - at least a few could be spared for reconnaissance. A ‘Mutator’ was around there, somewhere. 

 

Almost as an answer, the shadow had passed overhead, and the ‘Fleshspeaker’ - or rather ‘Overseer’ since she was darker and bigger - landed on one of the many rocks scattered around the beach. 

 

Finally!

 

I freed myself from the soft embrace with my wolf, and my fox, and my kitten, to come closer. 

 

The bat-girl jumped down, spreading their wide wings. It was quite impressive they could take off from the ground, considering that their ‘evolution’ blessed them with the even larger wingspans. 

 

They were quite enormous, even if not as large as Arke’s, and didn’t take anything from the exotic charms their breed held. 

 

Even if the skinny, fleshy outfits they crafted for themselves distressed a part of me still. It even moved, suggesting that the ‘Fleshspeaker’ did control their outfits. 

 

I headed to greet my not-so-little chiropteran, but paused, reminding myself of the practicality. Although I still touched her gently on her face, caressing her fur and hair. 

 

My flying fox bat. 

 

“For Master?” she muttered, liking it, but I needed her to be more than just my winged beauty. 

 

She would be an overseer for the coast, literally and figuratively, considering how they were called. But first, she needed a name. And her own company - a flock of ‘Fleshspeakers’ that wouldn’t take away from all my busy little and not-so-little bats managing the madness of the provincial city. They would hopefully manage to make a drone of something aquatic, sending it down there. 

 

“I’ll name you …” 

 

Is there a messenger themed name? Perhaps then I would memorise it. 

 

“...Rye.” 

 

Maybe I would come to regret excessive use of this feature. 

 

The system, as much as unreliable as it normally was, number wise, reacted almost enthusiastically to the input, and the notification invaded my view soon after. This time, however, it resonated with the mystic energy underwater. 

 

A rush of energy, feedback, more enticing than ever before. 

 

The power wanted to be used. Wanted to be combined. 

 

I bobbed my head, trying to shoo away the feeling, the urge. 

 

The Unit Named! Rye, Named Overseer. Skill “Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.17” gained.

 

The message came, and with it, a brief burst of the familiar red fog, from which a new life has been born, with eight more ‘Fleshspeakers’ has been brought to this world. It would be worthwhile to find out why they always came from that fog. It was an aspect of my power I had no explanation for, but finding out was the very reason why I needed that artefact.

 

“For Master.” They squeaked in unison to announce themselves and tried to wrap their wings around themselves to hop a little closer, but Rye - a freshly named one - blocked their way as she shielded me with hers in an almost possessive way. 

 

Tama behind me giggled. 

 

The rest, ordinary ‘Fleshspeakers’ did not argue, but the crowd of them was rather awkward as they needed to wrap their wings tightly around their bodies to accommodate, only to get closer to me. . 

 

“Girls. Girls.” I said and looked at my named chiropteran companion. 

 

“For Master?” She looked at me questioningly, awaiting the instruction, clearly preferring to stay close. 

 

“Yes, Rye. I place you in charge of the coast, to talk with humans, and so on.” I said, “However, first, try to catch some aquatic animals, which you could send underwater to check the source of that energy. You feel it too, don’t you?” 

 

Miwah certainly could. 

 

“For Master!” They confirmed.

 

It would be easier this way. This way, they should be able to stay away from danger, sending the enthralled animals forth to test the ground before we have anyone to dive to recover the item. Or, alternatively, to confirm it was not worth recovering. 

 

I could sense her mind, filled with the ideas, some stranger than others, like wiring the brain of the fisher, skilled in navigating the rough water and the rising tides, into another creatures , 

 

“No. Explore it with your puppeteer's animals.” I added and empathised: “Avoid puppeteering additional humans if possible.”

 

“For Master?” They asked, all in unison, making me confused why they were so interested in catching a human - each wanted their own personal zombified servant. It would not bore well for the natives. 

 

“Just don’t. If you need them, transfer ones the others had already zombified in the city, rather than harming the inhabitants of the village.” I offered, “Do not convert more unless it is absolutely necessary.” 

 

If they stun and control the human that had already attacked them, it would be better than just killing him or her. The ‘Fleshspeakers’ answered immediately, in unison. 

 

“For Master!” They did not object to that. As much as unsettling their idea about sharing the toys was, I knew that whatever the other ‘Fleshspeakers’ did to the human they caught was irreversible, and taking the afflicted away would be for the best, even if it may cause some resentment. 

 

However, before I came to terms on how to justify it, even if those humans could be as good as dead, they had a better idea. 

 

“For Master!” They suggested enthusiastically. 

 

“Crabs?”

 

“For Master!” They agreed. 

 

“Crabs are fine.” I was allowed. Why they wanted to catch a crab was beyond me, suddenly, was beyond me, but I supposed it wouldn’t do any harm. 

 

“For Master!” 

 

I looked around. 

 

A lone ‘Purifier’ got on the beach, with a pleased grin, holding a half-scorched bird. Where, and when, she caught it, I did not know. When she got here? I had assumed that the ‘Displacers’ - as impatient as they were - already started teleporting the most bored members of the horde itching for action for the seaside hunting trips the very second I green-lighted our presence. 

 

It was escalating quickly.

 

Yet the ‘Fleshspeakers’ wanted a crab, and a human, and were particularly insistent on that, and … 

 

Considering they were the types which fashioned outfits from still living skin, I would rather not think about what to do with those.

 

“There would be Corruptors to help you and get hold of a Mutator too.” I decided, “We would need to establish a permanent presence here, either way. You could pick where your lair would be.” 

 

Or share - the little ‘Corruptors’ were already decided on having this beach for themselves. Maybe I should give it to Lily. She could get some trade exchange with the humans, after all. 

 

“For Master!” They responded all in unison. My winged girls agreed with their scaly cousins. 

 

The link buzzed with the ideas. I could sense it. A ‘Mutator’ flew above, finally showing up.

 

“Yes, they could help you catch some crabs.” I said, giving Rye a brief kiss before she and her ‘Fleshspeaker’ sisters left, taking off one by one. 

 

I watched them circling above, almost as they looked for the animals to catch, before they headed out somewhere along the coast. Everything was silent for a while, it was beginning. 

 

“Now…” I said, more for myself than for others, turning to Tama and Miwah. The little ‘Displacer’ immediately rushed to me. Now Rye and their bat cousins were not blocking her way, I would not get rid of her anytime soon. 

 

“Do we know where the…” I asked, pausing, then resigned to adding: “..,whatever the name of the advisor is. The sage?” 

 

“His name is Hyun-Ki, Master.” 

 

Awkward, however, I had far too many names to remember, with all the abuse to the mechanic I did. I was starting to confuse all of them, leaving no space for one's like the rarely cooperative natives. 

 

Maybe I needed a secretary. An assistant. Or maybe just never leave without Miwah on hand. 

 

“He still tries to complete the treaty you wanted him to write down, Master,” she said. 

Now, it was a question of how to fix the situation within the city, and the chaos that would reign even if the Viceroy never recovered. 

 

The original agreement was unsustainable.

 

This Hyun-Ki, on the other hand, was educated - which was supposedly rare around here - and familiar with the city and the surrounding lands. 

 

Perhaps the city would need a mayor. A human one. 

 

For all my poor memory regarding the names, and such, I did recall the conversation, and the Sage was, as far I could recall, entirely obsessed with finding the very same relic that we sought for at the moment. 

 

Not only could he give me a lesson in some of the intricacies of artefact hunting, he should be able to order up the city a little, allowing us to switch our attention elsewhere afterwards. Here, more precisely.

 

Briefly looking at the waves washing over the rocky beach, with the pulsing magical energy for what lies beneath, made me realise the thing. 

 

I knew exactly how to motivate the Sage. 

 

Feeling that I was getting a grasp of the entire situation, I scratched my personal ‘Displacer’ and ordered: 

 

“Excellent, take me to Scribe. Sage. I have a proposition for him.”