Zephyr stepped out with his horde into the Ruborian desert, holding up the map Jewel had been kind enough to jot down to all of her raiders hideouts. Clearing them out would go a long way to stabilizing the regen, and he wanted to squeeze as much out of the desert as he possibly could.
"Be sure to pack plenty of water for you and your minions, especially the blues. You know how cranky they get when their webbed hands and feet get dry."
"Rose, darling, you helped me pack before I even left the tower. We will be fine."
"Sorry, precious. I just worry, is all."
"No need to apologize. Love you."
"Love you too." Zephyr then ventured into the great desert, with his merry band of minions marching in tow behind him. The march was long and dangerous, but at least most of the sandworms were taken care of. His ongoing extermination campaign was paying off, despite what Malaka had said about it. After an hour or so marching through the sands, he spotted what looked like a valley in a mountainside. It was well fortified, with guards posted on watchtowers. Zephyr looked over their setup, seeing that subtly was not going to be an option.
"They look ready for a siege! I don't see how you're getting in there without a bombe catapult, sire."
"You might be right, Gnarl. But I'm going to take a quick look around to see if a path up the mountain exists. Just in case, have the minions set some up and roll them out here." Zephyr sent his minions forth in search of some way up the mountain. After seven minutes of looking, they found just such a path. Scaling the mountain was difficult, but just when they started to make progress, something unexpected happened. A massive raider force came from over the duns and started to attack the raiders stationed in the hideout.
"It seems that there might be a raider civil war we can exploit master."
"Indeed it doses Gnarl, let's join in the fun. Maybe I can take a prisoner and find out more about it." Zephyr led his force down the mountain and waited for the invading raiders to breach the wall before attacking. He surprise attacked the attackers, completely blind sighting them. This did not make the raiders guarding the base his friends, however, and when he was done humbling the attackers, he moved onto take the base. After the smoke had cleared, Zephyr stood triumphant, and he managed even to take some of both raider factions alive. The attackers were more heavily armored than the defenders. The defenders seemed to be more equipped for assassination than direct combat.
"I take it there is a disagreement on who runs your little operation, am I right?"
"Indeed, outlander, these sneaky cowards think that a merchant would make a better ruler than our war lady Dorada!"
"PA! That savage dose does not know the first thing abought leading a guild of thieves! Triad Prince Amir, on the other hand, knows our place is in the shadows!" The minions had to keep the two groups from killing one another until Zephyr at last shot a fireball between the two groups.
"You two are going to head back to your leaders, and you are going to tell them that the one who defeated Kahn and Jewel will meet them at the oasis outside of Worms Rest village in two days. They can bring as many warriors as they like, but that all I want is to talk, understood?" The two groups of raiders looked at Zephyr in horror. They clearly had no idea who they were messing with until now.
"W-We will do as you ask, oh mighty one!"
"Yes, and thank you for your mercy!"
"Thank you, now get the hell out of here." The two groups of men then ran for their lives, much to Zephyr's amusement.
"Gnarl, I want a minion garrison in this valley and a waypoint gate set up in it at once. And let us prepare a warm welcome for our dinner guests and be ready for any eventuality.
...
Two days had passed, and soon enough, Zephyr's forces spotted two approaching forces approaching the oasis fort. One was a menacing army of heavily armed raiders. The raider horde was lead by a woman with the same kind of gigantism as Kahn himself. She was even in similar armor, but instead of a flail, she was armed with a massive two-handed mace. The other looked much more like a king's escort. A siege tower that was converted into a gold and jewel-encrusted mobile pleasure tower, pulled by two elephants and surrounded by archers and cavalry, on the balcony of the moble tower was a man dressed in only the finest silks and jewelry. Zephyr stood on the wall overlooking the gate when they approached it. The flail of Kahn and Jewel's crown hung above the gate on chains.
"I take it that you two are the remaining leaders of Jewel's little bandit kingdom?" The she-giant grunted as she took one step forward.
"I served my uncle Kahn, not that sniveling little brat he lusted over! My name is Dorada! And I am the sole leader of the Ruborian raiders!"
"I think the sun has backed the brain of the poor girl. She can't even see or remember her rival! I am triad prince Amir, and I have a much stronger claim to that title than she does."
"Then why not come down here and fight for your crown, oh prince?" The giantess taunted as she shook her fist at the well-dressed man.
"That has never been our way. We are not barbarians. We are thieves! If I want something, I take it without anyone ever knowing it was gone in the first place!" The two yelled at one another, using very harsh language. Untile Zephyr had enough of their nonsense.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I have summoned you two here to see if either of you had any redeeming qualities that might make you worthy to serve me. So far, all I have seen is a silly little girl with a club and a bedazzled windbag. If you don't wish to die this day, you better start doing a better job selling yourselves." The two stared at Zephyr for a few moments, then Dorada started to laugh so hard it looked like it hurt, while Amir looked like he was genuinely thinking it over.
"You want us to work for you!? YOU!? You killed my uncle and his plaything. Why would I join you?"
"Because the only other option is death." She stopped laughing when he said that, and she looked like she was about to say something else before Amir cut her off.
"And how would you have us serve you?"
"Your armies would be incorporated into mine. You will be allowed to govern what you already control, and you will be given access to the vast resources of my dark domain. This is my ultimatum, serve me willingly as vassals or be enslaved as thralls." While Amir looked like he was carefully considering all his options, Dorada seemed to have made up her mind.
"I would rather die than ever bend my knee to an outlander!"
"Then I challenge you to a duel, you and me, right now. No armor, no weapons, I feel like being sporting with you." Everyone was shocked by what Zephyr just proposed. The giantess then laughed again, somehow even harder than before.
"This will be a short fight then! Come down here and face your death like a man!" Zephyr then willed his minions to strip him down to nothing but his loincloth as he moved down to face Dorada.
"HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND ZEPHYR!?"
"No, Rose, I'm just feeling nostalgic." When Zephyr took off his helmet, he could no longer hear Rose screaming at him not to do this. He then stepped out of the front gate. She was looming over him, a mountain of rippling muscle covered in nothing but tight rappings to cover her crotch and keep her breasts from flying everywhere.
"I hope you're ready to die, little ma-" She was cut off by Zephyr punching her in the gut so hard she doubled over. He then swung his elbow down to the back of her head, forcing Dorada to the ground. He kicked her over onto her back, but she grabbed his leg before he could stomp her throat, tossing Zephyr away from her while she got back up.
"Are dirty tricks the only way you can win fights? RUNT!" Dorada then charged at Zephyr, but he side-stepped her, slamming his fist into her hip, making her fall to the ground screaming in pain again.
"Right of might is good for taking a throne, but you will not keep it if you are not cunning enough, CUNT!" And just like he wanted, she went into a blind rage as Kahn did. Every punch and kick she threw would have been enough to shatter every bone in his body, if they landed. But Zephyr was good at keeping her just out of reach long enough to tire herself out. That is when he went on the offensive. Charging into her gut with his corruption spikes, goring her so severely that she collapsed onto the ground.
"I was not only the grand champion of the Arcadian arena because I was the strongest, but because I was cunning! Do you understand why you lost this fight, cow!"
"FUCK YOU!" She screamed as she grabbed Zephyr's head in both her hands and squeezed. Trying in her final moments to crush his skull in her bare hands, but he wasn't having it. He shoved his hands into Dorada'sgut wound and started pulling out her insides. She died screaming in agony, the look of absolute pain on her face for all the world to see. Minions quickly ruched down and put Zephyr's armor back on, the regenerative enchantments kicking in and restoring him to full strength.
"Now, what say you, Amir? Do you wish to fight me as well? Because I assure you, I won't be coming after you bare-handed!" Amir looked shocked and horrified by what he saw. But then he quickly regained his composure.
"I would like to discuss turms to my surrender if you would be so gracious?"
"Come inside, and we will talk." Zephyr walked inside the fort, followed quickly by Amir, who was accompanied by what looked like six concubines.
"Leave your whores in your little tower. We have much to discuss and don't need the distraction."
"Oh, they do not serve me in that way, my lord. They are bodyguards, trained to use both their sexuality and their guile as weapons." The women then pulled out their hidden weapons, even taking battle stances that Zephyr recognized from his arena days.
"Than I would ask what your turms for surrender are?"
"The city of Gilded Bay is the crown jewel of Ruboria, anyone who wants to say they rule this desert rules from there. I am already based in the city as a prominent merchant, but if I am to be your vassal, that is where I will serve you from."
"So you want to rule from the biggest throne in the land?"
"What is mine is yours, sire. But I will prove myself a worthy servant first. What do you know about the armor used by Kahn and Dorada?"
"That its hard as hell to get through, even with enchanted equipment."
"That is because their armor was made out of Ruborian black iron. Almost impossible to forge, but when it is done, it is said to be the middle ground between steel and Durium. But I have a feeling that your dwarven servants could not only work it into armor but make it into Black Durium."
"From what I know, such a metal has never existed before. But if I can make it happen, my black dragons will undoubtedly have more fitting armor."
"I will have our forge masters consult with yours. Then when you see fit, the Gilded Bay can be yours for the taking!"
"I look forward to getting you that nice new chair, Amir. Here is a list of the new laws your people are to follow from this point on. I will send minions to all of your holdings to reinforce them. Welcome to my dark domain, Amir. Betray me, and you will suffer a fate worse than even Dorada's death."
"Yes, sire~." The tired prince bowed, Zephyr did not totally trust him, but he would serve for now. Zephyr then returned to the tower, fully knowing that he was about to face a woman far more terrifying than Dorada ever could have been. He just hoped that Rose would not be too mad at him.