Chapter X Pt.2

Artes could feel his stomach knot up at the sight of his wife. An intense rage filled him, and the urge to kill was the strongest that it's ever been since his days as a Blood Lord.

Looking at the handmaiden with murderous eyes, Artes grabs her by the throat and lifts her into the air. "Where are they?" he asks.

"I-- I don't know, my lord. Please." She begged. " They- They must have jumped out."

Artes threw the girl to the ground and mounted Tyr. "Scour the woods to Vizima! Anyone you meet is to be captured and brought back to the manor. But most importantly, you find my fucking child and sister!" Artes roared, and the brigade sped of towards Vizima.

Vernossiel looked to Toruviel. "I will follow. You carry out his orders. Make sure that every captive is treated with care. You don't want to make a mistake of offending his family."

"I can handle the search. Toruviel should go back to White Orchard." Iroveth stepped up. "Be sure that Lord Lessa's sentence is carried out regarding the families of the molesters."

"Then we have our assignments. " Vernossiel ended the conversation then sped off in chase of Artes.

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On the road to White Orchid, Vesemir road hard to catch up to the Bruxa and the Lessa family. Nissa was still holding the babe for dear life under the bush. She thought everything was over when she suddenly heard the hooves of a horse hitting the road.

What frightened her the most was the sound of the horse coming to a stop. Tears drenched her face as she thought her life was over. Vesemir plunged his hand into the bush and dragged the girl out.

Nissa was so terrified she couldn't even produce a scream.

"Nissa!" Vesemir barked, snapping her from her paralysis.

"V-Vesemir. You're alive."

"So are you. Come, we have to get to White Orchid." Vesemir lifted her onto the horse with baby Lessa. Taking his seat behind them, Vesemir cracked his horse into a full gallop. Not on the road, but through the forest.

And like that, Artes passed his daughter on his way to Vizima, and Baby Lessa missed her father on the way to White Orchid.

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Vizima, Temeria.

Artes was walking around his destroyed manor and looking over the bodies of the dead vampires.

"Bring that scum to me! And find out what happened here!"

"Yes, Lord," Vernossiel replied.

"And find me that fucking Witcher!" Artes shouted.

When Vernossiel stepped outside, she took a deep breath and pulled the bound Bruxa into the Lessa manor.

Hehehehe! The beaten vampire laughed all the way to Artes. But his laughs stopped the moment Artes blinked his hand into the vampire's chest to grasp his heart. In the moment of shock and imminent death, Artes dived into the Vampire's mind and watched everything from the moment the vampires started their attack to his daughter being cut from Lydia's womb.

Artes ripped out the heart of the beast and set it ablaze in his palm. "Valdi…" he muttered.

At this moment, Artes' Codex was sending multiple notifications, but he ignored them all. Leaving his house, he led Vernossiel to the House of the Queen of Night Brothel in the Trading Quarter of Vizima. Kicking in the door, Artes proceeded to blink his way through a slaughter. He killed bruxa whores as they bounced on cock and cradle ball sacks in their mouths.

Artes' rage gave him a dramatic increase in power. So much so that he massacred the vampiric whores in that brothel like a specter along with the cocks that fueled their business. When Artes arrived at the Queen of Night's bedroom, he downed a couple of decoctions to refill his energy and blew the door down with the Aard Sign.

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The Queen of Night lay beaten and bloodied as an in raged Artes Lessa towered over her.

"Valdi, his experiments, and who he associates with. Go." Artes said in a deadly tone.

The Queen of Night, like most vampires, were cowards when faced with death. "Valdi is an elder. Very old. And very eccentric. High borns, like us, are hard to create with the bite, and it takes a long time for the lesser species to evolve. Valdi believed that women could conceive highborn vampires. He decided to curse humans in their most vulnerable state. The man succeeded, but the mother's always died before the child was fully developed. Your wife was being given his newest serum as a supplement."

"So my child is a half breed?" Artes asked.

"Yes." the Queen of Night replied. "But not just any Vampire. It is a vampire of the Tdet Tribe. You asked who Valdi associates with, no one. He was born beyond the Blue Mountains. But Tdet's are known for their power. Even their nobles can rival our Unseen Elders of the Gharasham Tribe."

Artes looked to Vernossiel and sighed. The next moment he appeared behind her and snapped her neck.

The Queen of the Night shrieked in fear.

It had to be done. Artes was once a vampire. His daughter's species mattered not to him. But it would cause problems if it was known.

"I liked her." Artes proclaimed. "Give me something worth your life."

The Queen of the Night threw her finger up. "Oh, oh, Valdi has a room! One room, he treated his patients there, it's the building next door. That witcher of yours chased him off in bad shape. I'm sure his things are still there."

A few moments later, the Queen of the Night showed Artes to Valdi's room and lost her life. Artes had no time to waste and placed everything in the room in the inventory. Thankfully, the space of his inventory had increased during his level up.

After stripping The Queen of the Night Brothel of its valuables, Artes burned the place to the ground. He then went to the Palace and issued a warrant for Valdi the Vampire and Vesemir the Witcher.

---

White Orchard, Temeria

Vesemir, Nissa, and Baby Lessa were being escorted to the Governer's Manor by Iroveth. They were found in the forest, and Vesemir thought it wise to reveal their identities when it was known that Iroveth worked for Artes.

However, as the group entered the manor, Vesemir was put in shackles and taken to the dungeon, charged with the murder of Lady Lydia Lessa.

When Nissa tried to protest, she was put at ease when Princess Adda arrived and told her that Artes would return and sort everything out.

Nissa was then led to a clean room, and Princess Adda stayed with them as the babe was looked after, and Nissa cleaned herself.

When Adda looked at the Ashen-haired babe, she thought its developed features were because of Artes and paid no mind to its advanced development.

Artes didn't return until the next moon. The moment he walked through the gate of the governor's manor, He issued a kill order for the maidservant Brida. He then rushed through the manor and barged into the room to find Adda and Nissa sleeping together with his newborn daughter between them.

Artes breathed, and a cold calm washed over him. ' She's safe, but Nissa is still a threat.'

Artes had lost Lydia and was in complete protection mode to protect the life of his only daughter. His daughter looked up at him with big purple eyes. She watched her father as he woke her aunt and quietly led her from the room.

Little did Artes know, his daughter comprehended everything she saw. For after Nissa left the room, it was the last time Baby Lessa had ever seen her aunt again.

Artes now sat by the fire and cradle his daughter in his arms. He quietly whispered to her and repeated that she was now safe. He promised her the best life and unfaltering protection. He even laughed about the irony of his first child becoming a vampire when he had finally become human again.

With everyone except Valdi captured or killed, Artes' daughter's identity was now a well-guarded secret.

"I don't believe Valdi was alone. I will scourge our land of vampires until he is handed over. This is the only way to get justice for you and your mother, Lilith Nyx Lessa."

Lilith giggled at her name, and Artes took that as a sign of acceptance.

"Tomorrow, we gather the army to march on Ellander. When it is taken, you will be Princess Lilith Nyx Lessa, Daughter of Artes Lessa, Prince of Ellander. Then we will start a purge that will be talked about for 10,000 years into the future." Artes continued to speak to his daughter.

----

As Artes told his daughter, he assembled his army at Dawn. The death of his wife and Vernossiel was blamed on the vampires. For vengeance, he burned down their den and slew every beast he crossed. He promised the Soci'teal a purge of vampires that plagued the world, and they chanted for blood atonement.

But first, Artes proclaimed that he had to take Ellander. Though White Orchard sat on the eastern part of the Pontar River, to take Ellander was to take North Eastern Temeria. This gave birth to many more possibilities than Artes could imagine. But most importantly, it was a position of relevance in Temeria.

------

Artes was watched as the army prepared to travel. Adda held Lilith in her arms, dressed in her travel clothes, Tan trousers, and a thin long-sleeve olive green blouse.

"What of Keira and the prisoners," Adda asked.

"Handled. Vesemir is banished from my lands. To kill him is to create problems with the Witcher schools. Besides, witchers don't tell tales of their failures. The governor is to be executed with Commander Ludwig and his family for treason against the crown."

"Will you accuse my Grandmother, Sonica of Sodden?" Adda asked.

"No. I will blame everything entirely on Redenia. When I liberate Ellander and take control after the death of Prince Hereward. Everyone will see it as an act of goodwill -- a Temerian fighting against invaders. If someone moves to unseat me, then I'll handle it accordingly." Artes replied.

"Playing the hero."

"Precisely. As for Keira. She can simmer until the conquest is over. When she is weak, she will swear an oath by magic or die." said Artes

Adda smiled happily and leaned into Artes. "My father will have no choice but to allow our love once you take Ellander as your own."

Artes just hummed. He knew Adda felt calmer with Lydia's death. Though she accepted it, Adda truly wasn't the sharing type. Artes, on the other hand, silently mourned his wife. She was a woman he acquired by taking over Artes Lessa's body, but she was attracted to his soul.

It was his personality and skill that made Lydia his wife. His appearance and history had merely opened the door. After the bond developed and Artes got to know Lydia. She became more than a love interest of his predecessor and steadily cemented herself in his heart.

Artes would be lying if he said that Lydia's death wasn't weighing on him. At the same time, Lilith watched and heard everything, silently taking in her father and his ways. Learning to be a daughter in a family of conquerors.

-----

During the journey to Ellander City, Artes read over Valdi's notes and was forced to admit the man's genius. Valdi had cooked the production of highborn vampires down to a repeatable method.

Looking up from the notes, Artes eyes Adda, more specifically, her belly with potential twins. In this world, power was everything. To have children was a great weakness.

Based on Valdi's notes, the growth of half-breeds is exponential. Just looking at his daughter, Artes could tell she was growing rapidly. Hybrids in his old world matured fully after seven years, with bodies aged from eighteen to twenty-two years old before remaining the same for the duration of their immortal lives.

That's what Artes wanted. He wanted his children to mature and eliminate the weakness they posed.

He suddenly shook his head and vanquished such thoughts. He couldn't possibly do to Adda what Valdi did to Lydia.

Instead, Artes put his mind into his Codex and went directly to the Quest tab. Though he had notifications to look over and possible ability points, Artes main concern was the only quest attached to his plans for Ellander.

-Lvl 40 Prince of Ellander-

White Orchard is under your control, and your enemies have fallen to your sword. Now you set your eyes on the Principality of Ellander, ruled by Hereward, Prince of Ellander.

The Prince is no pushover. Ellander is infested with Redenians, and the growing force of the Order of the White Rose is a force of its own. Become the Prince of Ellander in one week and purge all three forces from your land.

*Quest Alert*

-You have crossed over into Ellander with an Army. Establish a base camp by nightfall.

Artes' eyes snapped open and shouted, "Halt!"

The convey echoed his orders and came to a stop. Adda looked over at him with a questioning look. Artes said nothing as he stepped out of the Carriage.

"Lord, what is wrong?" Irovethh asked.

" The war starts now. Tell Isengram to come to find me. The Scoi'tael units will stand by far away from the main army. You have until nightfall to make a secure camp."

"Lord, where will you --"

"Follow the smoke. Now go." Artes ordered.

As Iroveth led the units away. Artes opened the world map to find the closest town.

" Commander Finnan!" Artes called out.

"Yes, Lord." the young commander answered.

"You will take the army and ride hard to Moen. You will take the Town ruled by Count Faltwick with overwhelming force. You know the rules of victory. When I arrive, I want the town to be mine. Take this if you must blow the gates down." Artes then handed him the same bomb that brought down the walls of Ansel's Fort.

Commander Finnan was anxious, but he followed his orders and led the army to Moen.

Artes then returned to his carriage and told the driver to follow the Army to Moen.

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County of Moen, Ellander, Temeria. 1st POV

I sigh as we arrive at the battle of Moen. Smoke covered the sky, and the front gate and a large section of the wall surrounding the town were turned to rubble.

As I walked into the town, my men's bodies and those of Moen littered the earth. Men, women, and children were being gathered. The wealth of the town was being pillaged. But this time, I could not hear the screams of women being defiled.

I guess they learned their lessons. The less resentment from the conquered, the better. I soon arrived at the Count's manor and found the place sacked.

Within its walls, blood ruined the paint and decoration. The count had fought until his last man. As I entered his great hall, Commander Finnan was holding the decapitated head of Count Faltwick.

To his right, Faltwick's wife and son were in chains. I didn't care for them, so I grasped their heads and used Ard to crush them to death.

I was pleased to see the men used to the cruelty as none of them flinched.

"Commander Finnan." I said, "You took Moen, and now Moen is yours. You will be the new count. But for now, this will be our base camp in the war to liberate Ellander from Redenian control and the treasonous Prince Hereward."

Commander Finnan kneeled and praised me for my Kindness. Of course, I took the humble route, and then I promoted another commander.

After I dismissed everyone, I sat in the great hall and stared at the head of Faltwick. I laughed and thought how easy it was to slip back into my old ways. Just a few decisions and choices of powerful people, and now I have once again become a lord of war and blood.

My wife is dead, Raza is gone, I have a daughter, a lover, and children on the way. To top it all, I was trained to be a witcher, and now I'm on the road to kingship. All of this is happening because I wanted a life of stability and a family.

Odd how fate is always the complete opposite of your dreams in life. But then again, I can also blame the codex and my hunger for power. A way to level and be strong has come at such a steep cost.

Fuck it, I will give my children the nice life I wanted. I will make Raza proud. All I have to do is become King.

The next day was spent cleaning up the town and announcing my leadership. I gave the citizen back their wealth and freedom, as long as they obeyed. Moen had become the base camp I needed.

Midday, Isegrim arrived. We discussed the plan to sack the last three territories belonging to counts, and the final two belong to a Marquess and Marchioness before taking Ellander City.

So the week of blood tides began. I led one army, and Isengrim led another. Villages were taken peacefully, but of course, people fought and died. The larger and bloodier battles were when we took on the nobles.

I tried my best to spare who I could, but people were stubborn, and death was the only remedy, with most of Ellander sacked by night six.

I know sat of the back of Tyr, behind me was Count Finnan, Colonel Isengrim, Countess Briar, Count Sheldon, and Marquess Siegfried along with their armies. With the exception of Finnan and Isengrim, all of them are nobles who realized that I was in Ellander to win. With Adda as my woman and the King away, my take over was as legitimized as it got.

Across the battlefield in the City of Ellander, Prince Hereward had dug in with his army and the Order of the White Rose. The latter wanted my head for killing Faltwick and his men, while the former wanted to maintain power and feared his death.

I don't know what they were thinking, but those walls can't keep me out.

"A seven nation army couldn't hold me back." I sang in a melodious tone. "They're gonna rip it off. Taking their time right behind my back. And I'm talking to myself at night...Because I can't forget. Back and forth through my mind...Behind a cigarette."

As I sang, I could feel the glance as none of them knew the song I was sing.

'Isengrim, What's the status of the squads hunting the Redanians?' I ask telepathically.

'They have them nailed to the Pontar river,' Isengrim replied. 'A few neighbors of yours have fallen to the propaganda and decided to help extinguish Redenias presence in Temeria while you unseat the treasonous Prince of Ellander.'

'We will have this city by dawn. Tell you mages to cast the storm. We march now.' I finish.

A moment later, I could feel the convergence of magic as the group of elven mages begin their incantation to create the maelstrom of the century.