A week had passed since the spatial gateway within the heart of the Deep Earth Oasis had first been torn open, transforming the subterranean palace from a secluded royal residence into the absolute epicenter of Alaric's burgeoning, shadowy empire. The ancient, fiery arrays of the Snake-People now hummed in perfect, subjugated harmony with the cold, calculating Void Magic of their new master.
Alaric sat behind the massive, sprawling oak desk in his private study, a room he had claimed from the palace's grand library. The desk was littered with the logistical reports of the Jade Serpent Guild, the economic ledgers of the Gilded Lotus, and the architectural blueprints for the new, impenetrable magical defenses being erected by Professor Lilliana. His empire was solidifying. The North and the West were securely fastened beneath his heel, their most powerful, beautiful women completely broken and repurposed as the foundations of his throne.
