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Shale enjoyed Ilea's rapt and devoted attentions, though his mind was already reaching out to the Amber Forge. Giving commands and guiding its power was already becoming second nature, near habitual. Golems swiftly moved through its halls and chambers to transfer materials to the facilities where they would be shaped. By dawn, the product of Shale's recent innovation would be ready.

But, the stage had to be set. He began humming softly and absently as he crafted golems without moving, golems that could accomplish his will overnight. The taint in this land was the biggest difficulty in ruling it. So, he had to manage that issue while attending to the... discipline issues of the local population that had been under its sway.

Rewards and punishments were both traditional methods of instilling obedience and gaining loyalty. But, there were ways of punishing that simply had not been used before. Indeed there were ways that were slow and patient enough to terrify the most long-lived of species.

In the Forge, needles of silver taller than a grown man but thin as hair were forged. Golems with four legs and long tails tipped with great drills appeared in the basement of the castle and made their way outside before disappearing into the darkness. By morning, the wilds would host ten new wells. But these wells would never be used for water. Pierced into the ground at the bottom of each well through a basin of glass would be a spelled silver needle, so deep that only an inch could be seen. Walls of stone would surround these wells and roofs would cover them. In that darkness, the needles would begin their work. Gradually, droplets of darkness deeper than night would gather at the tip to run down that inch of needle to pool in the glass basin. The taint of Goh was being drawn from the land like poison from a wound. But, this was only part of Shale's plan.

This taint was nothing so simple as 'evil'. It was tainted divinity. Leaving it in so pure a form and collected so nicely was an invitation for others to take it. Of course, this is why he made ten wells instead of one great well. Furthermore, each well was guarded by a range of golems that monitored each other, the area, the well, and the contents of the well. If anything changed more than a certain allowed amount, not only would an alarm be raised and intruders attacked, the needles would disintegrate violently. This would force all of the remaining gathered taint back into the ground through the shattered remnants of the basins. The most any raider would get would be the contents of one basin. And that would prove an expensive gain.

The taint would be pure but not completely. Fully refining something like that would take more than a mere needle in the ground. Shale had a method in mind to fuse it with amber and gold from the Forge, turning it into a dark tear-like gem that could be consumed. Those who earned punishment would be made to swallow it. The tiny amount of taint inside would react with what their bodies already contained. They would crave it beyond all else in the world. The amber, meanwhile, would fuse with their blood and the gold with their bones. One such punishment would cause immense pain and an eternal addiction. Two would cause total lack of sensation in the body and turn the addiction to madness. Three... three would turn the person into a living golem without the ability to move unless commanded and raise the addiction to a song of suffering that would have far surpassed any living races ability to survive it. Of course, with a living golem body, death would no longer be within reach. Those who earned such punishment would never know that freedom, unless they were given mercy in destruction.

As for rewards for the loyal... That idea would take less time to prepare but more time to implement. The first thing he needed would be to set goals ahead of his people. The second would be to give them knowledge of the reward that he offered to those who contributed toward the completion of his goals.

His grip on Ilea tightened slightly. For the first time, he felt excitement without fear. This... dominating this place... would be fun.

Shale's skin tingled pleasantly as Ilea shifted. It would take a lot to break his concentration under normal circumstances, but this was a bit different. Ilea was very, very high on his list of priorities. Every change in behavior, every moment of growth, was fully worthy of his attention.

And her needs were also worthy of his devoted efforts.

He could sense her sudden need and uncertainty, her fear and growing panic. As her choice of position roused his passions, and he answered her lips with a strong welcoming kiss of his own, his hands took a more bold role in ensuring that she knew his possessive streak was as far from waning as could be imagined.

However, while he knew that Ilea was disturbed and panic stricken by something, he had a deep sense of comfort and security that kept him steady and his movements sure. He had nearly lost her, not once but several times. Yet, here they were. No enemy had remained standing. No threat had lingered for long in their path. Yet, he was unsure if this feeling was overconfidence. So, he didn't trust it. He would enjoy it while it lasted, but... a great part of their previous successes had depended on his paranoia. That was an advantage that he was loath to surrender to a moment's peace.

Shale did not want to feel the way he had back then... ever again. The very memory of that feeling as he had let her go... made his fingers twitch and his muscles tighten and tremble. It was with only with effort that he refocused his senses on the present, raising one hand to twine his fingers deeply in Ilea's hair so he could deepen their embrace.

Shale's breath still shuddered from exertion as he drank in every detail of Ilea's face and form as she spoke. Their union had marked a critical change. They were, at last, no longer Master and Servant. The bond remained, of course, but this before him was Ilea's own feelings being expressed freely.

A part of him was overjoyed to have come so far. But, he was not oblivious to her lingering fears and worries. After all, while a slave may fear their master's death, it takes a true partner to hope for one's safe return. At last, Ilea knew what it was to be... in a sense, an owner. She now had something precious and dear to her.

Shale pulled Ilea down to rest atop him running his fingers through her hair over and over as their bodies began to recover.

"I will use them. I will use a few of my own as well. The people of this land have yet to see me. My introduction to them will need a certain flare. Besides, it would be silly of me to waste time dealing with every small rebellious moment using my own power. The people here... they need to know that even if I am not here, they cannot escape either my orders or the punishment for treason."

In order to keep this land under control, he would use fear and selfishness. Those who supplied him with what he wanted would have their loyalty acknowledged in a very tangible way. Those who did not cause problems would largely be left alone. Those who did cause problems, whether for the noted loyal ones or the Baron himself, would be punished in a truly inconceivable manner.

Shale listened to Ilea's breathing as he held her in that soft quiet. There was nothing he could do for her fears without forcefully taking them away through the bond. But, that would stifle her growth. It would be both foolish and cowardly. But, he did consider it. After all, it was... rather painful to see her afraid.

Then, at length, she spoke her feelings and revealed her reality. To have nothing but your own life and for that to be almost impossible to lose... was something that Shale couldn't understand. He had always had goals, targets, plans. While he was mortal and would die at some point, he had never been overly concerned about it. After all, death was simply the end of all present concerns.

At least it used to be.

Now, he had his Lady Necromancer... his own most important person. The thought of being separated from her was agonizing the first time. Now, it was far worse. Now, he didn't simply have to fear that she would die and leave him alone. He had to be concerned about what would happen to her in the event of his death.

That memory of pain, of needing to save her, flowed through him like glacial sludge, sickening and bitterly cold. His fingers wandered over her body, tracing each place where he had seen a wound on her with feather-light caresses. He had no words for this moment, no answer to Ilea's feelings and fears. He would be cautious. He would be ruthless. But, so long as he lived, he would be as much hers as she was his.

A soft determination sparked to life in him. He would grow in power. Perhaps, he could find a way to make himself... more difficult to kill, if not immortal. Then again, being immortally wed to his Ilea didn't seem like a bad idea at all. He channeled a tiny bit of his magic into the sheet, causing it to develop a faint pattern of swirling lines that glittered like crystallized blood. The enchantment made the sheet warm, warm enough to ensure comfort. Furthermore, it enveloped both of them in a private envelope of his magic.
Shale's arms could only hold so much of Ilea at once. His magic, though, could hold every bit of her at once.

Shale understood what Ilea said and he answered with a soft smile. But he also knew that Goh had tried to kill her without attacking the bond first. If he had believed that she could be killed permanently without Shale's permission, then there was probably at least one way. Besides, as strong as the bond was, this was a magical link and its power was limited. It could be overpowered or cut. Though, that would require immense power and control, still the possibility remained.

But, it was true that Shale himself was the weakest link between the two of them. He had to be cautious as he was the best way for any of Ilea's enemies to strike at her. Preparedness and contingency plans would likely dominate the future.

"I know, my precious Lady." Shale whispered.

Commands were already given and the Forge was producing a number of golems of various types to aid in securing the region. Among them were many small bird types as well as snakes and worms. The region's own dismal wildlife would be apt camouflage for such agents. But, their strength and speed were on another level. Once released, they would be able to gain dominance over the whole of Darkness Abounds. Any oddity would be reported. Any attack would be harassed. And rebellion... would be met with absolutely merciless force.

And... finally, though it would take a great deal of time and effort, Shale would make a golem avatar for himself. With it, he could rule this region 'in person' without leaving the safety of the Amber Forge. But, in this moment... he had a precious lady to comfort and reassure.

So, he pulled her down into a soft and lingering kiss and opened his mind to hers. Not everything was revealed, but all of his recent orders and preparations. The scale of control that he intended and the use for the taint, the design for a type of symbiotic golem that was meant to interface with undead and augment their abilities while covering for their weaknesses, his incomplete thoughts for half-living golem towers that might suppress the evils of the people who lived close enough to them, an enormous amount of information was there to be seen. He was planning to dominate this area so thoroughly that every movement of air, magic, fluid, or solid would be detected and assessed. And, at the center of this net of defenses would be an avatar golem body to act as decoy.

He was planning to take no chances, with his life or hers.

Shale was as pleased by Ilea's shock as he was by her willing devotion. Indeed, if the mark could be reciprocated, he might have considered that very reply. He could not imagine a future without her. Well, he couldn't imagine a future without her that didn't involve him shattering the world and slaying a few gods... but that should go without saying. Perhaps he could do something more permanent about his own mortality... but that would have to wait for a better time.

They did need to rest and some time was devoted to that necessity, but only after a soothing bath in which Shale indulged himself in caring for Ilea before allowing her to care for him as she wished. They both needed to avoid additional exertion. The morning would come all too soon.

---
Skip to morning, pre-dawn
---

With their bodies rested and refreshed it was time to begin the trip to the village. Most of the time, Shale preferred efficiency and speed. When he moved, he moved decisively. But this trip, he would take his time and ride their on his golem mount with a potent golem escort as visible security to deter the simple and arrogant and as a show of force to keep the timid cowed. The first batch of his smaller golems were ready for testing in the field as well. Their... unique aspects would prove useful for providing motivation to the reluctant. Even at a relaxed pace, the ride would not be long.

((Transition to Village at your ready.))

Shale watched and listened... then he suddenly snickered. It was a completely out of character thing for him to do but it burst forth in all its relieved brevity nonetheless. It was just so very much like her to miss something so obvious. When the snickering stopped, Shale spoke in a quiet voice.

"They don't know me yet. Why would they target a stranger when you are right there in front of them? More than that, they don't know the relationship between us. Why would they target me to get to you?" The enemy's ignorance had been their best armor this time. It would not help them forever. In fact, it would probably be useless within the week. "I need to prioritize countermeasures to more modern weapons... and uses for them. You need to heal, my golems need to be... upgraded."

He lay his head down on the pillow and stared at the ceiling for a moment. The urge to exterminate the village was still strong, but he controlled it. The people were not all his enemies, not yet. The ones who were, well... he'd find out who they were and deal with them... spectacularly. His hand found Ilea's and rested there. In that silence, many orders were issued to the Forge and the golems working there. Work would never end, not for Baron Shale.

Shale's fingers began to draw random shapes on Ilea's skin as his mind worked on the upgrades and alterations at the Forge. Still, he did hear what his lady said and answered with a small smile.

"That was a bit of an overreaction. Some of them survived. I don't have a full tally at present but, more than a few and less than a lot."

The greatest sense of disappointment that he felt about that incident's aftermath was centered around the successful flight of the assassins. While Ilea's undead had been aimlessly attacking, for the most part, the enemy had managed to make a sound getaway. They had managed to get away from the pursuit of Shale's golems too, somehow.

He would need to have golems meant for pursuit and live capture as well. He simply hadn't had enough time. Things were moving so fast and his enemies were well entrenched. He would have to...

Suddenly a wave of pain ripped and seared its way through his body from his toes all the way up to his scalp. Violent and sudden, the thing caught him unprepared. His muscles locked rigidly and his spine arched as a pained hiss escaped the grimace that was all that remained of his earlier smile. The pain didn't last long but its implications were far more unpleasant and would last far longer.

Shale knew that Ilea was distressed by his sudden convulsion. He caught his breath and gave hurried orders to the forge for the making of messenger golems and scout golems. The situation had just become very delicate.

"King Lareth is dead." He said. "Enemies have made their move."

There were two possibilities. Either it was an assassination and an attempt at a political coup, or it was an assault and the kingdom was at war. A baron of a little desired territory would not be of much use in matters of political intrigue, especially while not firmly established. But, war would demand much from every noble, especially without a king on the throne.