Unspeakable Secrets The Alchemist Series (A Dark Medieval Progression Fantasy)

Chapter 83 Spawning Chambers

Deep beneath Connor and Adelia's feet, in the very bowels of the skree hive beneath Magna'dur, Erik walked with matron Kithrax through the winding passages of the spawning chambers.

His boots sank slightly into the fleshy, pulsing floor and Erik bitterly thought that he ought to be used to it by now. But, everything about the skree hive continued to turn his stomach.

"We make good use of your ritual, Sorcerer. Our numbers swell like never before," Matron Kithrax said with a wave of her humanoid hand at the countless rows of quivering, palpitating eggs that glistened with slime surrounding them.

"You've done well. It won't be much longer now," Erik said as he watched a scythe-like arm break through one of the eggs from inside, worsening the cloying stench that pervaded the air as thick green and yellow liquid spilled out with a smell like rotting pus.

"Our numbers are enough. We should strike now," Matron Kithrax hissed.

Erik fixed her with a glare as the mantilisk continued to free itself from its egg. He allowed a measure of his power to flow through him. His eyes blazed like burning coals and she flinched back reflexively.

"You wish to attack? To what end?" Erik snapped, "To dash yourselves against the dwarves for the millionth time and throw away the advantages I'm helping you build? I grow to pity your goddess for having such witless followers!"

"You dare!" Matron Kithrax fumed.

Erik silenced her with a wave of his hand as the fleshy floor burned in a small circle beneath him. The hive quivered as though in pain, but Erik wanted only to be rid of them all. He ached to annihilate his so-called allies on the spot.

She seemed to sense it because the massive matron all but cowered from him, even as her yellow eyes glared at him with that ceaseless alien hatred they always did.

But, he restrained himself and drew his power back once more. He tried to take in a calming breath but the putrid stench only made him shiver with revulsion.

"I ask only for you and the other matrons to exercise patience," Erik said evenly, "Have I not fulfilled every promise I've made? Were you not just boasting of the growth of your forces thanks to my ritual? It won't be much longer before your ranks swell to such numbers that you will lack the resources to sustain them. That is when you shall wash over Magna'dur in an unrelenting tide. Even now, I have agents within the city working to prepare for your coming.

"You can either do what you've always done and bash yourselves against the dwarves until their streets run thick with the blood of your children and you find yourselves no closer to being rid of them. Or, you can muster your patience and follow the plans I've made and watch as the mighty dwarven defenses break right before you overrun them.

"They will have no choice but to seal the city and retreat deeper within. Cut off from trade and allies, there will be nobody to come to their aid. They will stand alone against your endless swarm and it will only be a matter of time until you devour them down to the last.

"Trust in me, and our first strike will shatter their spine and bring Magna'dur to its knees. And there they will struggle like a wounded animal as you tear off chunks of their flesh. They cannot hold against our combined forces.

"The time to end your long war is nearly upon you. Do you truly wish to throw away this chance? And, be sure that if you do, you will lose my aid. You're not indispensable to me, and if you won't work with me then you're of no use to me and I'll fall back on other plans. I'm prepared for every possible contingency, I assure you."

The idea of losing the ritual that had allowed the matrons to fill the spawning chamber with eggs seemed to get through to the matron where reason did not.