A Tyrant, Sort Of

Sable observed the gray-and-orange scaled wyrm. She’d managed to not hurt it too badly before crushing its mind, but her [Dominate] skill required some roughing up, so neither had the creature gotten off scot-free.

[Mistress,] Ignisfang said, bowing his head and wiggling in supplication on the floor. [I thank you for sparing me. This one is not worthy of such mercy.]

Sable tilted her head, intrigued and caught off guard. Based on that sentence alone, this one sounded more lucid than Granite. To a sapient level, though? She didn’t think the bonus intelligence worked like that, but less primitive than Granite, perhaps.

And it spoke through telepathy. Granite could use his mouth to make words the normal way. Though, now that Sable thought about it, how? He was a big pile of rocks, human-shaped or not.

[I’m seeking subjects to aid me,] Sable said simply. Might as well make the situation clear up front. [You were the strongest that I could find. Your reward is that instead of death, you will serve me.]

[This one is honored, Great Tyrant,] the wyrm said, continuing to squirm on the ground in a way that gave Sable the distinct impression it was prostrating itself. [This worthless life is yours through the right of conquest. The way of all things. Again, this one does not deserve such generosity.]

Okay, definitely more intelligent than Granite. Surprisingly so. Did that mean the rock golem was especially stupid? Not, like, in a rude way, but simply the fact of the matter. Maybe Sable had misjudged the potency of her [Dominate] skill.

Though, she remained fairly certain that even if Ignisfang was better spoken than Granite, he surely wasn’t fully sapient. Complex tasks would be beyond him. He wouldn’t be learning arithmetic any time soon.

And ‘Great Tyrant’. Yes, Sable liked that. Aylin had given similar respect when they’d first met, but it had quickly faded. Having an underling willing to recognize her natural might was quite satisfying.

[I am a magnanimous terror,] Sable agreed. [But your life is not worthless.] She sniffed. [I would not lay claim to it otherwise.]

[This is wisdom,] Ignisfang groveled. [The Great Tyrant flatters this lowly wyrm.]

Okay. Granite was a pretty cool dude, and Aylin likable in her own right, but Sable might have a new favorite minion.

Not really, but the excessive groveling did do wonders for endearing her newest subject to her. She hoped he kept it up.

But back to practical matters.

[How do you handle flight?] she asked the scaled, limbless creature.

Ignisfang paused.

***

A [Brimstone Wyrm], much less one as powerful as Sable had subjugated, were far mightier-looking creatures than near anything else Sable had dealt with so far. Certainly more than a rock golem, or even the larger beetle-like orecrunchers. Twenty-five feet of thick scales, and a gaping maw lined with obsidian teeth, Ignisfang was a monster in the traditional sense. A beast that inspired terror.

So, naturally, he would make a great addition to Sable’s collection of minions.

Upon returning to Lake Plateglass, she set the creature down onto the grass. The trip had to have looked odd from whatever spectators had caught sight of them—a dragon with a wyrm in its grip, long body fluttering in the wind as Sable zipped by at ludicrous speeds.

Seeing them, Granitemaul tumbled upward, the pile of debris he’d disguised himself as taking shape into his typical form. In a short moment, the bulky, wide-shouldered rock man was fully assembled.

He eyed the wyrm apprehensively.

“Mistress?” he asked.

[Ignisfang is my newest subject,] Sable informed the golem, somewhat surprised he’d commented. Granite could be placid almost to a fault, happy to react only to direct stimuli. [He’ll be watching over the hoard, for now. I have another task for you.]

Granite continued to eye the wyrm, and the scaled beast did the same in return. Granite hadn’t minded Aylin, so the dislike Sable was picking up on seemed to stem from somewhere else. Maybe as simple as Granite’s post being taken? Though Sable would have figured watching over her hoard day and night would get tiring, and Granite—limited in intelligence as he was—would be more than happy for a new assignment.

Then again, he’d spent decades or centuries in the Ruins of Nefar, standing guard over a city nobody ever ventured. So long days with little happening was his standard.

Regardless, Sable had a task for him.

[Guard my hoard,] Sable told Ignisfang, making her command explicit—just to be sure. [But only insofar it doesn’t get you killed. If defeat is inevitable, retreat.] Though surrounded by a body of water, that could be difficult. Either way, she wanted that clarifier stated.

[As the Great Tyrant commands,] Ignisfang said, dipping his head.

Scooping Granite up by the armpits, Sable lugged the hefty rock golem in the air and took off for Aylin.

***

Sable couldn’t actually sense her minions in the same way she could her hoard, so finding her way to them took some coordination.

She’d arranged a simple system. First, Aylin hunted within a general large area, not straying too far from where Sable dropped her off. Secondly, to announce that Sable was seeking her, she made good use of her lungs: the earth-shattering roar that erupted from her could undoubtedly be heard for miles in each direction.

With that signal given, a short moment later, an arrow streaked into the air, trailing a long strip of cloth. Considering Sable had miles of territory to be watching, it wasn’t the most effective of indicators—but at the same time, Sable had legendary eyesight and awareness, a boon given to her by her draconic heritage.

Seeing the strip of cloth fly above the treetops, Sable banked and headed for her goblin minion, towing Granite along with her.

[Is that you?] Sable asked as she got within the general range.

[That’s me,] Aylin replied.

In short order, Sable descended onto the first of her minions, setting her rock golem luggage down gently in the grass. Aylin tilted her head at the event, hand resting on the hilt of her short sword, and sweat covering her face—she’d been hard at work with her hunting sessions.

[Granite will be your adventuring partner,] Sable told her. [See how much he helps with leveling. He’s stronger, so can work through monsters faster, but I need to know if you get a worthwhile amount of experience.] She turned her attention to Granite. As with Ignisfang, she made her orders explicit. [Aylin is in charge. Do as she says. Do your best to level, but keep yourselves safe.]

Aylin frowned as she considered the golem. “I figure it’ll be the same as down in the dungeon,” she said. “If he does all the work, I won’t get much experience myself.”

[In the dungeon, I did all the work. Experiment with sharing the effort.]

“Sure,” Aylin said, though she sounded somewhat disappointed. At a guess, she’d been enjoying solo hunts, testing herself against the monsters of the forest. With Granite here, those fights would become one-sided.

Sable would take them to harsher hunting grounds once they accustomed to fighting with each other—and once Sable improved her enhancement spells to the point she could ensure Aylin’s safety. For now, the low level forest monsters were an adequate starting point.

[I have my own hunts to return to. Do you need anything?]

“Not that I can think of,” Aylin said, her arms folded as she considered the golem. “Good luck.”

Sable sniffed. Luck? A dragon didn’t need luck. But she accepted the sentiment.

[You as well,] she replied, then took off. [And, again, don’t get yourselves killed. You would be annoying to replace.]