Shadowkeep

Kane stood before his wall of water, looking relaxed with his hands clasped behind him, staring into the dim light beyond the glassy surface, to the navy captain who stood facing him. It was a disorienting sight; his stomach lurched as the captain heaved and rocked within the ship's hull, following its natural motions. Within the depths of Shadowkeep, the bowels of the mountain were still and silent.

It had been deathly so for weeks.

A shiver raced down his spine—a shiver of anticipation. The first feeling he'd enjoyed in weeks. The slaughter of his dragons had dragged a dark cloud over his mind. He'd reacted in kind, destroying rooms within his fortress, killing what few servants he had. He'd even raided his cells, looking for warm bodies to slaughter. What he'd found in his cells had only further infuriated him.

In the end, none of it had helped.

He'd thrown himself into the only thing that might. His latest plan—one he'd hatched months and months ago. Only now, he'd made improvements. In the wake of his latest failure, he'd sat for hours, night after night, constructing the plan to end all plans. Ensuring that there would be no failure—not this time.

The key, he realized was to implement a failsafe. Two parallel paths. If one failed, the other would ensure victory in its own way.

"All goes well?" he demanded, eyeing the captain before him.

"Yes, Sire—on schedule. Our calculations place us two days from Kastali Dun's shores." After weeks at sea, the captain's uniform was still immaculate. The Oshean fleet had been a good choice. The Oshean empire—loathe as he was to admit it—made an adequate ally.

"Good. And my—the bats?" He'd almost called them his children. They had felt a little like that. Especially after he'd handed them over, only to find how much he missed having them around. Visiting them in their cavern, watching them enjoy meals he provided.

"They are growing anxious, but, doing as well as can be expected. Their handlers tell me they will be ravenous once released."

"Yes, good. There will be plenty to gorge themselves on within the capital. Hundreds of thousands of warm bodies. Not to mention the Drengr..."

The navy captain chuckled, a dark, eager sound. "It will be a shock, to the Drengr king I think, to discover that such a creature exists."

He refrained from baring his teeth in the semblance of a smile. "Yes, we have the element of surprise on our side. Do we not, Captain?"

"We do, yes," the captain confirmed. "A few passing ships have spotted our approach. They have been eliminated. Thus far, no witnesses."

"Good. Good." Kane gave a brief nod. "I need this to go perfectly," he mused, thinking over all the moving pieces on his game board. There was still the matter of the troublesome seer. Assuming she didn't get wind of this, everything would proceed accordingly. If she did, however, everything would be at risk. Hence, his backup plan.

"You recall my detailed instructions?"

"Yes, Sire. The king is to be captured, not killed. No quarter will be given to those who surrender. No hostages. All soldiers, city guards, and Drengr are to be eliminated on sight."

"Excellent."

The less resistance, the better for the Oshean emperor to take control of the city. He didn't need a resistance building momentum once he took control of the kingdom. A fallen capital city would leave Dragonwall weaker than ever, allowing him to sweep in and offer redemption.

"And the woman?" he clarified, carefully watching the captain.

"The lady? We have passed her sketch about. No one will harm her."

"Good." He nodded. "If all goes well, she will come to me in the way that I have planned."

"What...what do you plan to do with her?" Curiosity marred the captain's features.

"That is not your concern."

The captain nodded. "Of course. Forgive me. If that is all, I will return to my duties, Sire."

"Good. I will check in when you reach the city." Kane waved a hand and the scene before him vanished.

He spun around, then hesitated, then stalked from the cavernous room. There was still much to accomplish in the next two days. While the Oshean navy would handle one aspect of the grand plan, he planned to oversee the other. This other piece was far, far more personal.

Once he reached his potions work room, he set to work. The concoction he'd been perfecting had taken a great deal of effort, and many test subjects. He opened his journal and glanced over the notes, adding a few more, smiling to himself, then gathering the ingredients he would need.

From his collection of spiders, he selected one of the prized blood spiders he'd found while hiding his Dragon Stones. He'd always known it would come in use. The web of a blood spider was stickier and more binding than any other spider's web in existence. Unlike most spider webs, there were magical properties within the spider itself, that allowed its weaving to bind in useful ways. It was that binding power that he sought now, incorporating it into his brew. This was the most important aspect.

He knew that killing Clare wouldn't be an option. Initially, he'd formulated a plan that might end in her death, but as he'd mulled it over, hour after hour, he'd realized it was the weak point, the hole. She would outsmart him, and no doubt find a way around his bargain. Hence, he would anticipate that. He would be the one doing the outsmarting this time.

Besides, there were other ways to eliminate her without killing her. More satisfying ways. Truly, this should have been his plan all along. Death offered too quick a solution. Suffering was better. After all the trouble she'd caused, the ruin of one plan after another, it was no less than she deserved.

In the end, it would be the Drengr king who paid the ultimate price.

He almost hated her more than he hated the king. Wasn't that something. Nevertheless, they would both suffer. This would ensure it.

Hours later, he found himself back in Shadowkeep's deepest depths.

His wall of water loomed before him. It was his most powerful tool, critical for conquering a kingdom. Not only a convenient mode of transport for those passing through, but for communication purposes, as he'd used it earlier, speaking with the Oshean navy's captain. The magical properties resided within its water, pouring from a pool beyond, over a giant lip to create a waterfall, and into a pool below. He regarded the glass vials he'd prepared, now sitting in a case. He needed several for what he'd planned. But...later.

For now, he left the case on the floor. He regarded the scene before him, a familiar landscape that stood on the other side of the kingdom. Yet, here it was before him as if no distance separated him. With a single vial of water in hand, he stepped through. A star speckled sky replaced the rocky ceiling, punctuated with white clouds that glowed. Moonlight illuminated his surroundings, glinting off the rocky formations jutting up from the land.

This would be his stage—the place to showcase his efforts.

He walked about, getting a feel for the place, moving about the rocky formations. Rocks tall enough to tower over him like giant walls. Some even formed corridors.

Dragonwall would fight its battle within the capital city. His would be right here. This place he'd carefully chosen, where it would all end. This was his failsafe. No matter what outcome the Oshean navy achieved, he would achieve one of his own.

He memorized the formations, made notes in his mind, then carried out a rehearsal of his plans right here, adjusting and readjusting the location until he was satisfied. The more intimately acquainted he was with the landscape, the easier and more foolproof it would be. There could be no mistakes.

For a time, he simply stared at the key to it all. How strange it was, that something so old had stood the test of time. Marked with glyphs, its magic remained intact. It was fitting. The thing that had inadvertently thwarted him would now offer the simplest solution to his problems.

At last, he turned away and opened the vial of water he carried, splashing it on a nearby rock face. In his mind's eye, he pictured the room that twinned to it, the deepest cavern within his fortress. It appeared. He gave his surroundings a final glance, knowing that when he was next here, everything would change, then he walked through and was swallowed up by the darkness beyond.  

⭐🌟 DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!🌟⭐

Happy Friday Bookdragons! 

It has been a long while since we've had a Kane POV. I went back and forth, arguing with myself. In the end, I decided that I could show him, without giving too much of his masterplan away. Just enough to create suspense, and get you all worried. 

Muhuhahaha.

It's a short chapter, so I promise I'll be posting another one this weekend, from Jeanine's POV.

In matters of housekeeping: I know I usually take a break 50% of the way through a book. Because Wattpad is paying me to post these chapters, there will be no break, as some of you may have noticed. I have weekly word count goals that I have to achieve in order to get paid. Thus, I've continued writing and posting. I believe, based on my estimations, that there will only be maybe 10 (possible a few less) chapters left in this book. I don't have them written yet, so I will have a better idea as I write. I anticipate this book being fully posted by September.

After that, I'm going to need a big break. Writing a 150K+ book is mentally taxing. I know a lot of you always request that I start posting the next book immediately, and I wish I could, but I'll need a break, a few months to collect myself and plan for book 6. 

Anyway, see you soon! 

-Mel