HHS/Mana Devourer - Book 1 Epilogue

Baron Samell Toth was rather peculiar as Malari lords went. His fief was filled with serfs that respected him. His grand castle atop the hill was more akin to a point of pride amongst his workers than it was any source of resentment or anger.

They all liked him… 

Lisa, however, was beginning to learn why. Working under the baron’s steward and chief aide, it was her job to know.

Well, in actuality, it wasn’t her job to know. Lisa was meant to know exceedingly little, and carry out her duties without question or concern. She’d deliver the gifts to the workers, schedule the private meetings between these merry villagers and the generous baron, and ferry them around once they got to the castle.

Then, at some point, her superior would take over. And every now and then… a visiting group would return one villager short.

Lisa wasn’t supposed to realise that. She wasn’t a part of the process after they’d all arrived, after all. She’d had no knowledge of what occurred in those strange meetings between peasant and baron that transpired maybe a few times a year at most, and, as much as those meetings might trouble her, play on her mind, she persisted in her duties with a muted aplomb. 

That was until she was forced to clean up the remains of a half-eaten villager.

Lisa had made all kinds of assumptions initially. She’d thought that Baron Toth might be a cannibal, or even a vampire, but none of those descriptions seemed to fit him at all. She’d met Baron Toth. He looked completely human. Didn’t seem to suffer any of the afflictions or effects that were rumoured to coincide with vampirism.

No, unless the myths were completely off-base, there was no chance that Baron Toth was a vampire…

But something was eating those peasants. There was a reason that he brought them into his fold, that he kept them happy, kept them feeling secure in his castle and welcome in roaming his halls…

Lisa didn’t discover why until it was too late. 

***

“I’ve sent one of the serving girls to provide sustenance for the creature,” Steward Marley said.

Baron Toth didn’t turn. He continued to look out upon his gardens. To stare down at the plants. “Was she particularly slow? Lazy? Sluggish?”

“A useful hire, my lord, but quite replaceable.” 

Toth looked back. His steward’s head was bowed.

Baron Toth tutted. “I don’t like it.”

“Well, my lord, you needn’t know the ins and outs of the creature’s feeding habits. I assure you, I am more than willing to carry out the task without direction.”

“You already are carrying it out without direction,” Lord Toth snarled. He returned his gaze to the window. “The only reason I insist on supervising you is so you don’t try to feed children to the damn monster.”

“Children are far easier to placate around cuddly creatures,” Marley started once more, as if he were only just having this thought now.

Toth rubbed the bridge of his nose. He sighed.

“We both know it’d be far easier to feed the creature whelps that know no better. Every person that reacts poorly is another meal wasted.”

It didn’t matter how much sense he made. It was true that they’d found the creature they’d purchased would only eat intelligent creatures, seeming to prefer bipedals, and it was true that it only seemed interested in live, oblivious prey. Once it’d smelled fear on an individual, it lost interest in eating it. It’d kill, but not eat.

Toth slammed his hand against the window. “I say we just put the thing down and be done with it. It’s not worth so many lives, unmissed or not.”

Marley stared at Baron Toth. He could see Marley’s look through the reflection. He almost seemed to think the baron was throwing a tantrum. 

He’d served Toth’s father before him. A powerful man who was purported to be solid and uncompromising. Toth thought he must look rather pathetic by comparison. Still, he felt strongly about this. He wished they’d never purchased the vile thing from that demon in the first place.

“My lord, you know what is at stake here,” Marley started, forever the voice of cold, inhuman, disgusting reason. “You may find this situation repulsive, and trust me, I’m not a large fan of it myself, but we did not have the money in our coffers to buy one of Elasar’s more valuable creations. Other houses might be struggling to grow theirs. They might be having less trouble for all we know. It’s hard to say at this point. However, giving up isn’t an option. To allow the other lords of Malari to raise such fierce beasts while ours withers and dies would be to abdicate here and now. You’ve seen what it can do already.”

The baron stared at Marley, gave him an evil glance. For a second, he thought some of his father might shine through, but he knew he lacked the conviction for that. He could only produce spite and petulence and no other solutions at all.

And it was true. The creature hadn’t seemed all so impressive during its demonstration, looking more cuddly and plush than fierce and deadly, and perhaps that was the only reason Toth, one of the poorest barons with the least in liquid currency, had been able to pick it up. 

But then, Elasar had assured him that this one would grow well, and it was true. The monster had evolved twice already in the span of weeks. First it’d been the claws and the ability to teleport, then its ability to regenerate and dissolve. A castle guard put a sword in the creature in self-defence, and the weapon melted inside of the monster. It seemed to turn its skin harder for a time, even.

And Marley seemed convinced it had yet more evolutions to undergo. That it would become a monster able to rival most any of the other houses’ purchases, as well as capable of dispatching any D Grade creature, and perhaps even many C Grades. 

Toth sighed. He understood the necessity of this. He hated it, but he understood it. The moment these weapons began to go on sale, began being bought up en masse by the elite of Malari, the need to keep up with the arms race and grow his new creature, his immense investment was far beyond the human cost. Killing a few now wouldn’t just consolidate his power… it’d potentially save hundreds of lives in days to come.

“There is one other matter, my lord.”

Wonderful. As if wrestling with the current matter wasn’t already more than enough.

“Speak.”

“The Ring of Control you were gifted along with your purchase… it appears to be somewhat defective. Our court enchanter has theorised that a ‘master ring’ of sorts might be interfering with the connection. At times it is… difficult to get the creature to properly respond to its commands.”

“You’re serious?” Baron Toth blinked, feeling as if he’d just found out a limb didn’t work. He glanced down at the emerald-gemed ring glinting on Marley’s finger. “Well, can a new one be crafted?”

“Elasar himself might be able to,” Steward Marley said, “but it’d be beyond any magician I know of to try and emulate. That ring was forged alongside the creature as it was created. It holds an essence of the monster within.”

“And you’re telling me that it’s possible it’s controlled by another ring?” Toth asked, his face pale.

“It’s possible that they all are,” Marley admitted, his voice uncharacteristically low. “We can only theorise, and attempt more to strengthen the current ring’s hold without damaging it any further. If this tool were to break…”

He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Baron Toth knew. 

If that tool were to break entirely, if it were to become defective and cease to hold the monster back…

There wouldn’t be anything they could do to stop it. It would escape almost immediately. Kill who it wanted. Feast upon what it liked. Devour men and women alike as they slumbered soundly in their beds…

Damn demon… just who and what had he invited into his home?

A/N: Apologies for the delay! I've been wrapping and editing book 1 as well as had a few pressing personal things crop up over the last couple of weeks, but I should be pretty solidly back at it now! I'm also happy to announce that I'm contracted with Aethon for three books of Mana Devourer, so expect plenty more content over the next few months!

Thanks so much for reading, I appreciate all of you immensely, and I couldn't have done this without you guys! Official book finisher! That feels REALLY nice to say, so here's to the next one!