Ravish Me, Oh Great Wizard King!!!

His long windswept hair was the color of bronzed oil. His eyes were amber lights. He had a long lean wolfish face with canines that would expose wickedly if he were to grin. It was a good thing he did not grin very often or he would really scare people to death.

He had tough sinewy muscles on his shoulders and arms that looked as if they could rip a man's throat out as an afterthought. On his chest was a leather armor that the dwarves had to custom fashion from bogbull leather because there was nothing they had that would fit a 6'8" bogwarg.

Around his neck was a leather strap carrying the Princess' Emissary Travel Pass. The emblem shouted out the power of the Glockomancer Queen, adding another layer of depth to the draw that his powers alone commanded.

"Wow you look scary Theo." Erick snorted looking up at the towering bogwarg. "Why don't you grow another few inches and take up the full seven feet, you troglodyte."

Theo threw back his head in a sanguine manner. "Patience Your Royal Highness. I'm not completely full-grown yet. I have another two years left of my warg growth spurt."

Erick coughed. "Ummm. Yeah. Let's see how big you get from this point."

Mira laughed. At 6'2" Erick was no slouch but even he was taken aback by how tall Theo was.

She looked around the room.

Daran was already present and was playing with Felix. The boy had gotten so big so fast that he was starting to run around on strong canine legs. His hair had started to grow out in odd black tufts everywhere and he had the strange werewolf look that would frighten anyone who was not his mother or his group of daily nursemaids.

Of course, his uncle Theo thought he was growing up to be absolutely handsome.

Mira had asked Theo if black hair ran in the family. Theo had shaken his head and explained that very young babies had black down all over their bodies. This black down would eventually be replaced by the tough chestnut bronze color fur which came in closer to puberty.

Next to arrive was Alfric and Pearla. She came to the young boy and scooped him up in her arms.

"Come on little Prince. It's just about time for your nap."

"No no no. No nap." Felix babbled in his deep gruffy baby voice. He could now say a few small words and quite often used them to his advantage.

"We have to go now. Come kiss your mother and let's go take that nap."

"No. Meemaa. No nap."

Mira reached out and took him from Nonna Pearla. "Go take a nap and when you wake up, you'll get a treat from Nonna." She kissed the boy who clung to her neck in desperation.

"Meemaa. Meemaa."

"Come on now. Are you a big boy or are you a baby?"

"Feeix big boy," he babbled.

"Yes. Felix is a big handsome boy. Felix needs to go take a nap so Felix can grow big like Uncle Theo."

Felix turned to look at his uncle. Reaching out, he demanded a hug.

"Unko Teeoo!"

Theo took him from Mira's arms. "We are strong wargs."

Theo looked at the tiny child in his arms. "Yes. That's right. Strong wargs need to take naps and drink milk. Eat lots of food so you can grow up to be a big strong warg like me. Understand?"

Felix nodded. His amber eyes stared at his uncle with admiration. Theo was so tall that Felix could look down on everyone in the room. It was a definite Aha! moment for him.

Theo was about to hand Felix back to Nonna Pearla when The Cat walked into the room.

To say all the air got sucked out of the room was to put it lightly. Even Felix's eyes popped out of his head, and he was not yet one-year-old.

For the man who was holding Felix, it was as if he had frozen on the spot, unable to take his eyes off the lustrous majestic cat.

The lioness was a long-legged feline with a golden blonde body that was indicative of the ultimate elite of their pride. The lack of any long mane on her head did not detract from her feminine beauty.  After all, manes were masculine symbols of the pantheran male lions.

Nobody would ever doubt this was a feline of ultimate feminine power. Her limbs were statuesque and lithe and at 6'2", she was as tall as Erick although not as muscular as he was.

She had upturned slanted eyes the color of bottle green glass, with deep black vertical pupils. Her face was a stunning half-human half-feline countenance that was at once beautiful in its savagery and at the same time, sexually haunting.

On her body was armor that was made from the skins of various animals that lived on the savanna. The grip of a wicked looking sword peeked out from behind her right shoulder and at her left side was a very fierce looking whip.

The feline's claws were long and painted a carmine red. Strapped to her wrists were various projectile weapons glinting darkly like deadly jewelry and around her neck was the Princess' Emissary Travel Pass in all its powerful glory.

"My apologies, Your Highnesses and everyone in the room. I got waylaid by a bunch of thugs and had to fight them to get here."

"Who attacked you and where were you attacked?" Alfric asked.

"Warriors from the Diamond station were waiting for me. As soon as I walked off the train I was immediately ambushed." She bared her fangs. "My apologies for leaving behind a bloody mess for your men to clean."

Alfric narrowed his eyes. "The dwarves who work in Diamond Junction know better than to attack an Advisor to the Queen. It has to be a group from elsewhere."

"They were not dwarves that I killed." Jana clicked her claws against each other.

Daran pounded a fist into his palm. "Who would dare to invade dwarven railroads and attack a Queen's Advisor???"

"I was jumped by a dozen gorillas in black bodysuits with orange stripes on their shoulders."

"The Primate Warriors of Andalusia. What in hell are they doing in Diamond?" Erick's gravelly voice rang out.

Mira gasped. "Who are they?"

Erick sighed. "They are the great apes that have been magiked and turned into war machines. We haven't seen any in quite some time as the Ashryan mages are ethically bound not to use humanoid beasts and magikally change them into killers. I thought they would be a thing of the past, but it seems they have been resurrected for nefarious means."

"The methodology has been lost for quite some time now. It would take very powerful wizardry to create that many magically enhanced beasts." Alfric shook his head.

Erick narrowed his eyes. "Just because a person can do something does not mean he should."

"Are they similar to hybrid humans?" Mira asked.

Jana shook her head. "They are not half humans like Theo and I are. They are full apes that have been magically enhanced to become war machines."

"Who would do something like that???" Mira clenched her fists.

Erick scowled. "Some very bad mages. It looks like they are trying to stop us from even starting this mission. Taking out even one of us weakens us considerably. I now wonder if they have anything to do with the kidnapping of King Leo and Queen Kalara."

He glanced at Jana appreciatively. "The fact that this lady took out a dozen of their best warriors is indicative of this team's strength. There are many of them and few of us. We have to be better than they are in all aspects."

"Wait." Mira held up a hand. "Why do they know we are leaving today? Is there a spy in this place?"

Alfric shook his head. "The walls have ears in most places. Here, there are none. However, both my men and Erick's elite troops have been canvassing the area for months, sniffing out magik signatures no matter how faint."

He shook his head. "They know we are onto their trail, of course. Why would we not be continuously searching for the King of Diamond and his Royal Parents?"

"Can you tell me more about this group of 'bad mages'?" Mira turned to Alfric. "Who are they and where do they come from?"

Daran held up a hand. "Your Majesty, if I may. They are known as the Mage Elites headed by a high level mage by the name of Alastaire Mocchus. They were originally from Topaz but have established footholds in almost every kingdom in Ashrya. In fact, one of their largest strongholds is within Jade itself."

Erick gripped the hilt of his sword with intensity. "It was the Mage Elites that turned my brother Alastaire Rashak against me. Royal Father has been trying to root them out of the city but like weeds, they keep coming back. We stomp them out in one spot and they pop out in another spot."

Alfric rubbed his face wearily. "They are a faction of renegade mages who are trying to find a way back to Azure and establish a stronghold there."

They will do everything within their power to regain their footing in Azure."

"Wait, you said they are trying to find a way back to Azure? Were they previously there?" Mira's eyes sparkled with alarm.

Alfric took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Of course, Your Majesty. We all were."