Chapter 16
Cheering from the town split the air and caused several birds to shriek in alarm and burst from the trees. The sight of the flock over the battlefield reminded me that the crows and vultures would soon pick the bodies clean of their flesh.
Maybe I could convince Elrin to bury each man in his own grave. They may have been trying to kill me and destroy the town, but they were only following the orders of a prideful man-child. Most of them had fought bravely, and many of them had killed me at least once during my million attempts at the battle. They deserved to be honored in some way.
“Ahhh, the sweet smell of victory,” I sighed as I inhaled the blood in the air, and then I made my way over to the Loser Lord’s discarded shield, picked it up, and focused on it to reveal the stats.
Durability – 63%
Weight – 7lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – Minor Magic Deflection
Magical Ability – None
“Ooooh!” I didn’t need an explanation of the magical aspect for this shield. “No more acid melting bullshit for me!”
I gripped the shield in my left hand and ducked behind it. The whole thing could easily cover my front from any threats, and if I had Mahini fighting with me, I could probably keep her protected as well.
It was a pity that I had killed all the shaman goblins in the mine. I wanted to test out the magic deflection to see how it worked.
The shield would make a fine addition to my defense once I figured out how to remove the family crest on its face, and I set it aside to peek at Lucian’s sword.
Durability – 87%
Weight – 4.8lbs
Quality – Excellent
Magical Aspect – None
Magical Ability – None
The sword was much heavier than my feather sword, for obvious reasons, but its quality was superior, and I had to imagine the durability could be returned to one-hundred-percent. I couldn’t bring myself to replace the feather blade entirely, but having a back up sword wasn’t such a terrible idea. I put it aside and reminded myself to have Jax take a look at it.
As I turned to inspect the armor still covering Lucian’s headless body, I kicked the helmet he had tossed aside earlier. I picked it up and tapped on it just to see how it stood up against the helmet I already wore.
Durability – 81%
Weight – 3.6lbs
Quality – Excellent
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 5
I should have known the quality would be excellent, especially since the wings on the side made it look like something the Greek Gods would have worn. The armor tier was the highest I had seen yet, and I still hadn’t figured out what that number meant. I assumed it was linked to durability and quality, but all I could do was guess at this point.
“What else do we have to work with,” I muttered to myself as I approached the fallen lord.
The majority of his armor was almost identical to my own except that his had taken durability hits whereas mine was still almost perfect. The few blows I had let hit me took only a small percentage from the overall durability. Nothing a quick fix wouldn’t put right.
Even if the armor wasn’t good enough for me, I knew that one of the men in town would benefit from a fine set. I had a feeling Jax might decide to just smelt the whole thing down and reforge it just so nobody wore armor made by another man, but at least that would get rid of the Bullard family crest, and nobody would ever know that it had once belonged to a Loser Lord.
The gauntlets, however, were better than mine, and I wasted no time in removing them from Lucian’s corpse.
Durability – 92%
Weight – 5.2lbs
Quality – Excellent
Magical Aspect – Iron Fist
Armor Tier – 5
I immediately yanked my own gauntlets off and shoved my hands into the new ones. They were heavier, but when I curled my fingers into fists, I felt like I could punch through a wall. Since I didn’t have one nearby to test that theory, I turned and punched my new kite shield as hard as I could.
The metal let out a low thud and crumbled around my fist like it was made of aluminum foil.
“Holy shit, this is awesome!” I grinned, but it faltered as I tried to lift my hands again. It was like they were encased in cement. “What the hell?”
No matter how much I strained, my gloved hands weren’t lifting from the mangled shield. Only after I removed my hands was I able to pick the gauntlets up. I tapped them to bring the stats up again, and the Iron Fist aspect was a little faded.
“Must be a one-time thing,” I muttered. “Or maybe there’s some kind of cooldown.”
It would have been so much more badass if I could just punch people in the face and Hulk-smash them. But then again, that wouldn’t have been as much fun. Less taunting and mocking them for their pitiful skills and just more face punching.
Still, an ability that gives me superhuman punching strength would come in handy in a tight spot, even if there was a cooldown for it.
I picked up the mangled shield, tapped it once more, and saw its durability had dropped to thirty-two percent. It looked like it was pretty much useless now, and I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to fix a damaged shield, but I had a way to cheat the system and repair it instantly.
Chime.
I collected my new weapons and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. The sky was bright blue without a cloud in sight, and the sun shone brightly down on the grisly scene of destruction.
A day that began like this was bound to continue being just as amazing.
Cotinus was grazing off in the distance, and I noticed him when he shifted and the armor he wore glinted in the sunlight. His tail flicked now and again to swat at the flies gathering in earnest around the dead bodies, and I was loath to disturb him. How often did a warhorse get to just stand in a field and chill like a normal horse? I could imagine he trained just as hard as his master and was kept under tight control.
Well, I was going to give him a much-deserved holiday, and once we cleared up the bodies, I would build him a nice enclosure where he could feast on all the grass around here.
I whistled to Cotinus. His head shot up, and he let out a whinny as he came galloping toward me. He had to leap over bodies now and again, but he eventually reached my side, and I patted him when he came to a stop in front of me.
“We’re gonna take all this crap off of you and get you a nice hot bath,” I informed the horse as I grabbed the reins and led him to his new home. “It might be a while before a field is sectioned off for you, but I’ll make sure to bring you out to run around every day.”
I didn’t know the first thing about taking care of horses, but I knew that the farmer Gerulf would be able to give me some pointers. He might even have a stable that I could keep Cotinus in until I got Elrin to let me build one near my house.
“And maybe a few ladies you could flirt with, too,” I added to the horse.
The townspeople managed to shift the gate blocking the entrance to the town and were pouring across the land bridge to meet me. Most of them were chanting my title, but a few were shouting over one another and asking questions that I couldn’t distinguish beyond the hum of conversation. Shock and awe were prevalent on every face, but it wasn’t the terrified sort that the swordsmen had shown in the end.
These were my people, and they were proud that I was a part of their community. They had nothing to fear so long as I protected them.
“You were amazing, Great One!” several people called as I drew nearer.
“You’ve saved us again!” a woman shouted.
“Sebastian is the greatest in all the land!” Dalwin’s squeaky voice rose above the noise. “Nobody stands a chance against him!”
The crowd cheered with agreement, and the sudden swell of noise caused Cotinus to jerk his head up and take several paces back. His nostrils flared, and his eyes were wide with terror. He snorted like a bull about to charge, and he pawed at the ground several times.
“Easy, buddy,” I soothed as I patted his muscular neck. “They’re all just really happy, and I’m sure they’ll give you lots of treats for helping me out.”
Whether the horse understood my words or my soothing tone, he calmed down after a few moments. He pranced as I led him back toward the crowd, and I wondered if he was nervous or showing off.
I chose to believe it was the latter.
“This is Cotinus,” I announced to everyone, and nobody thought the name was strange as I had. “He’s my new buddy, and I want everyone to treat him well.”
It was clear that the townspeople were much more experienced with horses than I was. A few came forward at a time to greet the animal, and their movements were slow and careful. Cotinus sniffed each person like a dog might, and let nearly everyone touch him so long as they didn’t crowd around him.
He let out a deeply contented sigh, and I knew he was happy with the attention. I left him in the excellent care of some townspeople and headed to the gates.
“You were incredible out there, Great One,” Will said with a grin as he shook my hand. “First the goblins, and now this. Addington will never face troubles again with you here.”
“Don’t let your guard down just because I’m around,” I chuckled. “I expect to see you training with a sword as well as a pick.”
“You don’t think a pick could be a powerful weapon, Great One?” Will shot right back with another grin.
“If so, I’d best get my hands on one and start my own training,” I said with a grin.
We both laughed, and he clapped me on the shoulder as he headed off into the field of my destruction.
“Sebastian!” Elissa’s clear voice rang out among the praise raining down on me.
I straightened up a bit and spotted her fiery red hair flowing behind her as she rushed through the crowd. The people parted to let her pass, and my young bride threw herself into my waiting arms.
“Hello there, darling,” I cooed at her as I wrapped her up in a hug. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
Instead of an answer, that fiery woman stepped back, hooked her fingers into the top of my breastplate, and yanked me down to her eye level for a heated kiss. She moaned into my mouth as her tongue slid against my own, and her hands cupped my face as my arm slipped around her slim waist.
“I knew you could do it,” she breathed as she pulled away, and her green eyes smoldered with passion. “You are the most amazing man I have ever met.”
“He certainly is,” Mahini’s melodic voice agreed. The desert woman stood an arm’s length away with a proud smile on her face. “I believe it is my turn to greet our returning hero, Elissa.”
The redhead giggled and withdrew from my arms, and Mahini slipped into her place like the last piece of a puzzle finishing the picture. Both of my women fit so well in my arms, and I knew I would do everything in my power to make sure they never left my side.
“I was worried about you,” Mahini whispered as she pressed herself against my armored chest. “I knew you could kill them all, of course, but…”
She bit her lip and looked down, and I knew the thoughts racing through her mind.
“I am invincible, Mahini,” I said as I lifted her chin. I smiled as her eyes wavered, as if holding onto that fear was somehow going to protect me. “You will never lose me.”
“Nor will you lose me,” she replied, and then she pulled me down for a long kiss.
I loved the subtle difference in taste of the two women. Elissa was like fresh honey from a bouquet of flowers while Mahini was tart cherries at the top of an ice cream sundae. Both made my mind spin with desire, and I loved how accepting they were of the other in my life. Back home women could be so possessive of their men, and if a guy so much as looked at another woman, he’d be sleeping in the doghouse.
“I am the luckiest man in the world,” I said as Mahini pulled away again.
“I do not think luck has anything to do with it,” Mahini replied.
Her eyes danced with some kind of hidden meaning, and before I could ask what it meant, I was being yanked around by a strong hand, and there was only one person with a grip like that.
“You are quite the blessin’ on this little town, Great One,” Jax growled as he spun me around. “Oh, sorry, Mahini. Didn’t see ya there.”
The desert woman nodded and stepped back to give us room, but I could feel her at my shoulder as intensely as I could feel the sun overhead.
“Yer shield could use a cleaning,” the blacksmith pointed out. He slipped the shield off my arm as I held it out to him, and he clicked his tongue. “This is that scrawny lord’s shield! Where is the one I gave you?”
“Right over there,” I said as I pointed to the field. “It’s next to the scrawny lord. It’s a little banged up from the fight.”
The great blacksmith stared at me for a long moment before he just shook his head and muttered something under his breath that sounded like “My poor shield.”
“I’ll clean it up and fix it as good as new, alright?” I promised the man, but he just gave me a pouty look.
“It is still so hard to believe that you walk among us, Sebastian,” Elrin said as he approached from the right. “One week ago, I was in a pit of despair and ready to give all of this up.”
He fell silent for a moment as several people passed us and offered congratulations. Every hand that gripped mine filled me with a sense of accomplishment I had never felt before, and my cheeks were sore from smiling so much.
I made such a huge impact on these people, and I had never felt like more of a god than in that moment.
“You have met every threat this town has been faced with head-on,” the town leader continued. His expression was relaxed, and his eyes sparked with all the plans he had for the future of his town. “There has never been another man like you, and I will be spending the rest of my life making up even a fraction of what is owed to you.”
“So marrying your daughter was only a small token?” I joked.
“You honor me by joining my family,” Elrin laughed. “Even that I must make up for.”
“We both got what we wanted there, Elrin,” I said as I clapped him on the shoulder. “You can rest easy knowing your daughter is safe with me, and I got to marry a beautiful, fiery young woman.”
“That fire may burn you some day, Great One,” Elrin laughed.
“I can hear you two, you know!” Elissa chided from beside Mahini. Her kissable lips were turned down in a frown, but her eyes sparkled with happiness. “You wouldn’t like it if I started spreading gossip about you!”
Laughter filled the air and seemed to relieve any of the leftover tension that the battle had packed into the air.
It really was over this time. No goblins or kobolds to take care of, no army hovering outside the gates, nobody trying to take Elissa or Mahini away from me.
I could finally relax.
“I need to get out of this armor,” I said. “It’s hot in here, and it could use a good shine.”
“I’ll send it to your shop later,” Mahini said to Jax. “There’s no rush to get everything done now.”
“I also need to see to Cotinus,” I mentioned as the desert woman stepped up to my side again. Her leathery scent was distracting, but my new buddy needed my attention, too. “He could use a cleaning. And a better name, but I have to think of a really good one first.”
“I’ll bathe him, Great One!” a strapping young lad said as he appeared from the gates. “It would be my pleasure to help you.”
He looked to be about fourteen or so, and his tanned arms were almost as big as mine. His smile hadn’t lost its boyish charm yet, and I wagered it would only be a year before he was attracting the ladies like flies to honey.
“This is Janus, my apprentice,” Jax interjected, and he frowned at the boy, but I could see the pride in his eyes. “Finally healed up and started bein’ useful yesterday mornin’.”
“You were hurt in the raid,” I said. I remembered Mahini telling me about the boy and it explained why I hadn’t seen him around before today. “I’m glad that you’ve recovered.”
“I have a stable the horse can be kept in for the time being,” Elrin chimed in. “I will have Dalwin set up a stall for him at once.”
“Then I leave him in your capable hands, Janus,” I said to the apprentice. “See to it that he is comfortable.”
“Of course, Great One.” Janus bowed deeply before heading over to Cotinus and leading him into town. “He’s lost a shoe on the front, Master Jax.”
“All that runnin’ around out there, I’m not surprised,” the blacksmith grumbled. “We’ll give him a good shooein’ after he’s had a rest.”
“Let me know when you do it,” I insisted as I realized I could acquire a new skill. “I’ve never seen a horse get shoes before.”
“I figured ya might,” Jax replied as he shook his head. “You’ll both get a long rest, and I’ll fix his feet up in the morning, alright?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said with a grin.
Jax and his apprentice headed off with Cotinus and my new shield while Elrin bowed to me and headed for the field of bodies.
“I should probably help them clean up for once,” I muttered to myself.
“Absolutely not!” a gentleman named Gwydion said in an affronted tone. He was passing by us but came to a halt to defend his point. “You have already done so much for us, Great One. It is the least we can do to clean up after you.”
“I don’t want you to think I’m lazy, though,” I fretted.
“No one thinks that, Great One,” Gwydion laughed. “A lazy man could not have defeated all of those soldiers as easily as you did.”
“If you insist, then I accept your generosity,” I said with a bow. “My sword is out there somewhere, so if someone could retrieve it, that would be great. You’ll know right away which one it is-- the one that weighs as light as a feather.”
“I will tell the men, Great One,” Gwydion said with a nod.
“Oh, and would you tell Elrin that I wish for the men to be buried separately?” I asked as the man started to leave. “They may have served a fool, but they still deserve a proper burial.”
Gwydion’s eyes went wide at my request, but he didn’t argue. “Of course, Great One.”
“What’s the point of that?” a withering voice scoffed. It was Stryker, the tavern owner, and it didn’t surprise me when he glared at me. “They’re all dead, and nobody will mourn them.”
“Sebastian honors them with a burial,” Mahini defended me. “And even cowards are mourned by those who love them.”
My heart swelled at the fire in the desert woman’s words. I had been worried my request was a little strange, all things considered, but her approval cleared all of that doubt away.
“Let’s get you home, Sebastian,” Mahini purred as she hooked her arm around mine. “We need to get you out of that armor.”
I let the woman lead me away, but I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder at Stryker. The darkness in his eyes was troubling, and although I hadn’t seen much of him since my very first day, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t quite as happy that I was staying in town as everyone else.
The fact that he stood there and watched as Mahini dragged me out of sight only served to amplify my discomfort.
I’d have to take care of him later. One couldn’t be at odds with his bartender.
There were few people still within the town walls, and they all stopped to praise my feats on the battlefield. By the time we reached the street leading to our house everything was quiet and nobody interrupted us.
“Hey, wait, where’s Elissa?” I asked Mahini when I noticed the redhead was missing.
“I asked her to give us a little bit of time alone,” the desert woman responded, and her eyes flashed when they met mine. “Do you wish it were her leading you away?”
“No,” I chuckled. “I just didn’t notice her slip away, is all. I’ve been wanting some alone time with you, too.”
The response seemed to satisfy the raven-haired woman, and she pulled me into the house as soon as the door was opened. She wasted no time in unfastening the various buckles and straps that held the armor to my body, and she set each piece by the door with care.
“There was an old crone who once lived in my hometown,” she began after getting both of my metal sleeves off. “She liked to tell stories of the world she had traveled, and I would always visit her every day to make sure she was well taken care of.”
“That was nice of you,” I said when there was a brief pause. I wasn’t sure where this had come from, nor where it was going, but she had my full attention.
“A few days before that man showed up, the old crone told me that I would one day meet the mightiest warrior in all the land,” Mahini continued as she slipped the breastplate off. “She said I would be given one chance to be his forever.”
“Did you think it was that same asshole guy?” I asked as bile rose in my throat. I still couldn’t get over what he had done to Mahini.
“No,” she laughed, “I never thought it was him.”
“Then why mention the crone?” I asked.
There was a long silence as she started working on the clasps of my thigh armor, and it wasn’t until they were both removed that she lifted her eyes to mine.
Those piercing blue eyes were filled with conviction and desire.
“I thought it might be you, Sebastian,” she whispered. “I did not want you to fight this battle yourself, but I knew it was the only way I could be certain you were the one.”
Her eyes fell again, and she got to work with the buckles on my shins.
“When we made the Pledge of the Phoenix, I thought that was the one chance the old crone mentioned.” The metal armor clinked softly as Mahini placed it beside the rest. “But I realized that in the Pledge, I was only truly offering my soul to you, and there is more that I must offer.”
Her blue eyes wavered as she looked at me again. I liked what she was saying, but it didn’t sound like it was something she was giving up willingly. It almost sounded more like it was expected of her, and I didn’t want that to hang between us.
“What if I am not who you think I am?” I questioned. “What if you offer yourself to me and I am not the mightiest warrior in all the land?”
There was no doubt that I was, of course, but I had to hear her answer.
“I have only known you a short while, Sebastian, but I have seen you take out a kobold horde, clear out a mine full of goblins, and defeat an army of highly trained soldiers, and almost all of that was on your own.” By now she was finished removing all of my armor, and she stood as straight as one of her arrows and her eyes flashed with a challenge. “Nobody could know the things that you do, about me or anyone else. You are the mightiest warrior. The mightiest man. You are a god walking amongst us, and I cannot go another day knowing that I am not truly yours and you are not truly mine.”
“Well, alright, then,” I said.
I created a new save point as Mahini pressed herself against me and lifted her lips to mine. The taste of tart cherries filled my mouth as I deepened the kiss, and the desert beauty moaned as she started dragging me down the hall to the bedroom.
Passion flooded my veins as we stumbled into the room, and Mahini started to tug at the sweaty underclothes sticking to my body. Her nails were shorter than Elissa’s, but when she dug them gently along my back, I groaned with desire.
The kiss was broken as Mahini yanked my shirt over my head, and as soon as the padded thing flopped to the floor, I attached myself to the caramel skin of the desert woman’s neck. She let out a throaty gasp and ran her fingers along my back again, and I growled against her throat and started tugging at the laces that held her leather-and-plate armor closed.
“Why are there so many strings?” I complained as my fumbling made the knots worse.
“So that enemies can’t strip me naked in battle,” Mahini laughed as she lifted her hands to join mine.
I let her dexterous fingers handle all of the annoying strings and went back to work lavishing her neck with gentle nips. As soon as the leather top dropped to the floor, I quickly yanked the undershirt over her head to join the armor pile. I ran my fingers along the taut muscles of her abdomen, and when I stepped back to admire all the rest of her body, Mahini brought her arms up to cover herself up.
“There’s no need to be shy, Mahini,” I murmured to her as I gently grasped her wrists. “I want to admire that desert goddess body of yours.”
Mahini took a deep breath before letting me pull her arms away from her body. Her eyes slid shut, and she turned her head as I gazed at the beauty I had just revealed.
Every inch of caramel skin was hiding sleek muscle, and there wasn’t a single tan line in sight. Her breasts were the perfect size, and the light brown nipples were already hard and waiting for me. There was still so much hidden from me beneath the leather pants she wore, but I was happy to take my time and enjoy what laid before me.
I had been waiting for this since the moment Mahini stepped out onto the field to face the kobolds. I loved her from the moment she gave her life to defend me and the town, and I intended to enjoy every last second with this amazing woman.
I released her wrists and ran my hands along the desert woman’s sides. Her hands were tough from years of swordplay, but the skin on her body was soft and supple, and Mahini shuddered as my fingers traced faint circles on her lower ribs.
“That feels so good,” she moaned.
“It’s about to feel so much better,” I promised.
I gently cupped both of her breasts and brought my mouth to hers as she let out a gasp. Then I slid my tongue against hers and moved it in time with my fingers tracing around her nipples. The desert woman shuddered in my arms, and her fingers gripped my biceps as though I was the only thing keeping her from becoming a puddle at my feet.
“Let’s take this to the bed,” I murmured to her as I gently pushed her backward.
“Yes, Sebastian,” she breathed as she obeyed me.
She didn’t break away from my caress until the last possible second, and as soon as she was settled onto the bed, she locked her eyes with mine, and then she shimmied out of her leather pants. Her cheeks and chest flushed as she removed her boots, and when she laid naked before me, she swallowed hard but didn’t break our eye contact.
I made a new save point so I could enjoy this moment forever.
“You are beautiful,” I breathed as I dragged my eyes along her body. “Every inch of you. Gorgeous.”
“Even the scars?” she asked as her fingers brushed across her left thigh.
“Didn’t even notice,” I admitted. “They are part of you, and you are beautiful. I love every part of you.”
Mahini was even more of a goddess than I had ever imagined. Her legs were long and slender, but the toned muscles of her thighs and calves told me she could run circles around me in a race. The scars she was worried about were four thin slices on the outer part of her thigh, probably from an incident with a beast faced with the Golden Swords. The skin was a shade lighter than the rest of her, but it didn’t detract from her beauty in the slightest.
“Proof that my warrior woman is just as much of a badass as I am,” I murmured as I traced my fingers over the marks.
Her eyes sparkled as I unbuckled my belt and pants. Then I kicked off my boots, kicked off my socks, and climbed into the bed on top of Mahini.
She ran her fingers along my chest as I hovered above her, and her pupils dilated with desire.
“I am yours, Sebastian,” she murmured.
“And I am yours,” I pledged as I brought my lips to hers.
Her hands wound through my hair and caressed my back as we kissed, and when I pulled away to suckle on her neck, Mahini let out a sigh of deep contentment. Her breathing hitched as I traced a line down her throat and collarbone to the swell of her right breast.
“Oh, please,” she begged as her fingers tangled into my hair.
I placed light kisses on her flesh, and when I reached the nipple again, I flicked it with my tongue. She let out the most adorable squeak that turned into a throaty moan of pleasure as I took the nipple into my mouth. Her back arched beneath me, and her fingers pulled me as close as possible.
“Yessss,” she hissed out.
I gave attention to her other breast with my hand, and my fingers mimicked the swirling of my tongue over the hard nipple. She whimpered when I removed my mouth, and she sighed in pleasure when I brought it back to her left nipple.
I lavished her breasts with my mouth until she was squirming beneath me, and then I began to trail kisses along her firm abdomen. When I reached her belly button, she tensed beneath me.
“What are you--” she began to ask, and her eyes were filled with desire and wonder.
“I’m going to pleasure you with my tongue and lips, Mahini,” I informed her as I brought my right hand to rest on her thigh. “Just relax. You will enjoy this, I promise.”
Her trust in me shone in her eyes, and she obediently opened her legs as I wedged myself between her thighs.
I focused on the downy curls at the junction of her legs, but I could feel her gaze burning into me from above as she watched my every move. My fingers caressed her outer thigh before carefully shifting inward. As she took a shuddering breath, I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the soft curls protecting her womanhood.
Her legs widened further, and I got my first peek of the pink lips that had never been touched before by another man.
Mahini shuddered as I ran my tongue along her slit, and she let out a gasp as I focused my attention on the little nub above her entrance.
“Oh my--” she moaned.
“See? It feels good, doesn’t it?” I smiled against her skin and dragged my fingers to join my tongue, and when I slipped one finger inside her, Mahini let out a long moan.
“Oh yes,” she gasped.
I slowly curled my finger as I thrust into her, and within moments, she was meeting my every movement with her rocking hips. A second finger joined, and she was writhing on the bed beneath me.
“Sebastian,” she moaned as I licked her clit. “This feels so...I can’t...”
“Yes, you can,” I murmured encouragingly. “Almost there.”
Mahini rocked in time to my fingers, and when I suckled on her nub again, she growled and dug her fingers into my hair. She pulled me closer, her breathing grew more ragged, and her orgasm washed over her like a wave. She shuddered beneath me as she rode the high and flopped limp when it was all over.
I gave her a long kiss as I removed my fingers from inside her, and she sighed against my mouth.
“That was amazing, Sebastian,” she breathed.
“It only gets better,” I promised as I licked her sweet juices from my fingers.
It took only a few moments for her to get her breath back, and by then I was suffering from some serious aching in my groin. My erection was pressing insistently against Mahini’s thigh, and it was all I could do to keep from driving it home.
“I am not afraid,” Mahini insisted as she rubbed her thigh against my erection. She clearly knew what she was doing to me because she grinned like a cat. “I want this, Sebastian.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
I brought my lips down onto hers once more, and she slid her tongue against mine as I shifted into a better position. Her fingers tangled into my hair, and when I pressed against her entrance, she took a sharp breath in through her nose. She didn’t push me away and the quiver that rippled down her body was one of anticipation.
“I am ready,” she assured me.
I rolled my hips against hers and felt her inner muscles clench against me in the tightest grip I had ever experienced. The desert woman let out a little whimper of pain, but it quickly turned into a deep moan as I rolled my hips a few more times.
“Oh, yes,” she breathed as she met my thrusts with her hips.
It didn’t take long for me to reach that wonderful cliff, and I growled against Mahini’s throat as I teetered on the edge. I wanted her to fall with me, and when I found a sensitive spot just beneath her left ear, I felt her grip on me tighten further.
“Climax with me,” I growled. “I’m going to fill you up with my cum.”
“Pleassseeee,” she gasped as her entire body tensed around my cock.
We both soared over the edge at the same time, and I released my seed deep inside her.
My arms lost all feeling, and I slumped down on top of my amazing desert goddess.
“No, don’t move,” Mahini said when I tried to shift. She held me tight in her arms and nuzzled the top of my head. “I want to enjoy this moment for as long as possible.”
My brain was fuzzy, and I probably dozed off while I recovered from our love-making. Mahini didn’t protest or shove me away, and I was aware of her gently running her fingers through my hair.
“That was incredible,” I mumbled against her skin.
“Yes, it was,” she agreed.
A long silence hung around us as my brain regained command of all the blood in my body. Mahini seemed happy to just lie there without saying a word.
“Mahini, what is marriage like in your culture?” I asked after a few minutes.
“There are no grand ceremonies like what you and Elissa had,” she answered, “but our elders sometimes join two people if they wish to remain together forever.”
“Sort of like our Pledge?” I questioned.
“Even that is more formal than the joining of my people,” she replied. “A man and woman are tied together by their children more than a ceremony or a ritual.”
“So for you and I to be properly married...”
“We are already married, Sebastian,” Mahini assured me. “Our love-making just now binds us together, body and soul, forever. Our Pledge was only the beginning.”
“And you don’t mind that I’m also married to Elissa?” I asked as I lifted my head to look at her.
“Of course not.” The desert goddess shook her head. “Is it so strange that we might share you between us?”
“Where I’m from, yes,” I told her. “I couldn’t give you up to make Elissa happy, and I don’t want to give her up for you.”
“You do not have to,” the raven-haired beauty promised as she pulled me in for a kiss. “You may have all that you want and more.”
Chime.
“You are beautiful, Mahini,” I breathed as I relished in her naked form yet again.
“Even the scars?” she asked as her fingers brushed across her left thigh.
“Even the scars,” I replied as I leaned down and traced them gently with my tongue.
Her deep moan seemed to vibrate through my chest and caused my cock to twitch with excitement.
I quickly undressed and climbed onto the bed with my intoxicating warrior woman. I just hovered above her and stared, and her breathing seemed to pick up with every second of silence.
“Wh-What are you--” she stammered.
“Building the anticipation,” I said with a grin. “I like the way your glittering blue-eyes light up with excitement over what we’re about to do.”
The caramel skin from her cheeks to her chest darkened with her blush, and her piercing blue eyes shot away from me.
“How is it that you are so fierce on the battlefield and yet so shy in the bedroom?” I teased as I caressed her cheek. “If you were to turn that ferocity on me, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“I wouldn’t know what to do…” Mahini admitted as she flicked her gaze back to me.
“Then I’ll just have to teach you,” I murmured before pressing my lips to hers.
Mahini was a fast and eager learner. Her interest in her own pleasure was almost as insatiable as her interest in mine.
“How do you… do that?” she gasped as I curled my fingers inside her to reach that special spot that made her twitch.
“Every woman has a sensitive spot inside her,” I murmured as I gently nipped her neck. “You just have to find it.”
She shifted beneath me until my fingers pressed against that spot even more, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her questions stopped at that point because she could no longer breathe properly.
Chime.
“I want you to ride me, Mahini,” I ordered as I rolled on my back beside her.
“Ride?” the desert warrior questioned.
“Ride,” I repeated.
Mahini seemed a little hesitant at first, but when this new position reached deeper inside her tunnel, the desert woman quickly changed her mind. She rode me with the expertise of a natural horsewoman, and she held onto her climax so long she almost drew me over the edge first.
“I filled you up, Mahini,” I whispered into her ear after I’d sprayed my cum deep inside of her over and over. “Are you fertile right now.”
“I’m not sure, Great One,” she purred. “It felt wonderful, though. Your seed is warm and thick inside of me. My entire body feels relaxed and whole.”
“Do you want my baby?” I asked.
“Yessss…” she whispered. “I would be honored to bear your children. Nothing would make me happier.”
“Good to know,” I said.
Chime.
When she was given the opportunity to play around a little, Mahini took great pleasure in learning my body. She especially loved the way my breathing hitched when she wrapped her skilled hands around my cock for the first time.
“So men can feel this way, too,” she murmured with wonder.
I let her stroke me for a few minutes before it was too much to handle, and I all but pounced on her so that I could finish deep inside her velvety pussy.
Chime
Several lifetimes seemed to pass as Mahini and I tumbled on the bed over and over. I respawned over a dozen times to enjoy taking her for the first time again, even though I knew I would get to spend as many days and nights making love to her as I wanted. It would get better each time, as Mahini would learn more of what she enjoyed and what I enjoyed, but I took greedy pleasure in her inexperience as it was one of the only fields she seemed to have no knowledge in.
Finally, I came to understand her body and desires well enough to give her over a dozen climaxes throughout the night. She loved doggie style the most, but she also loved riding me reverse-cowgirl and good old fashioned missionary because she could kiss me while I slid deep inside of her.
It felt like weeks of love making had gone by since my battle with Lucian, but finally I allowed time to continue, and we laid together in a heap of arms, legs, and slick juices. I’d cummed four times inside of Mahini, and she let out a soft gasp of pleasure when a bit of it dribbled out of her and pooled on our bed.
Then Elissa came bursting into the room, and I felt my heart jump up in my chest as the golden light of the morning poured in from our dining room.
My first instinct was to apologize for sleeping with Mahini, and I had already opened my mouth before I remembered the rules of this world were different from my own. There was no reason for me to be ashamed of what I had just done, and from the desire that filled Elissa’s green eyes, I knew the last thing on her mind was some form of punishment.
“You’ve had him all morning, Mahini!” Elissa teased.
“It’s morning already?” the olive-skinned beauty muttered. “I lost track of time.”
“That’s how it is with Sebastian,” Elissa giggled. “Did he reward you with too many orgasms to count?”
“Uhhh… yes,” my lover whispered as her cheeks turned a bit red.
“I told you he would,” Elissa snorted. “Now, it’s only fair that I reward him, too.”
“Of course it is,” Mahini laughed, and then she gave me a lingering kiss. “I will get cleaned up and bring us some lunch.”
Her warmth faded from my side and out the door, but was quickly replaced by a fully clothed redhead with flashing green eyes.
“You were so brave to take care of Lucian,” Elissa said as she straddled my bare hips. “Let me show you just how much I appreciate you, Sebastian.”
Elissa yanked the dress over her head in a flash, and she wore nothing else underneath. She held my arms down when I tried to wrap them around her, and she glared deep into my eyes.
“You must be tired, Sebastian,” she murmured. “Lay back and let me take care of you.”
Even though I’d cummed four times through the night, my erection was already standing at attention, and my redheaded bride wasted no time in giving us what we both wanted. She was hot, wet, and ready for me, and we both let out a groan of pleasure when I slid inside of her.
Blazing green eyes locked onto mine as Elissa rolled her hips and took her pleasure from me as I sprawled out beneath her.
“You were so brave,” Elissa panted as her movements picked up speed. “So, so brave and handsome and wonderful. So amazing. You are a god. I can’t believe I am yours.”
Her grip on my wrists disappeared as she ran her fingers down my chest and straightened her back for a different angle.
“Yes. You are mine.” I gripped her rolling hips and met her next thrust.
“I love you, Sebastian,” my redhead purred as her orgasm tightened its grip on me.
“I love you, too,” I growled.
“You…” she gasped as her walls started to clench and squeeze my cock like a vise. “I know… you can last a long time, husband. But… just… this is for you. Release when you want to. My body aches to please you, and my womb desires to feel your god seed fill it. Just… Please… Feeling you fill me up will bring me release, so just enjoy yourself… in… my tunnel. Enjoy the motion of my hips. Enjoy… me… my husband… my… god. I love you so much.”
My redheaded wife’s words had just the effect she hoped for, and we both let out a groan as I climaxed with her, and then we both gasped as my seed pumped into her like an untamed firehose. I didn’t think I could possibly have any more cum left in my balls after filling up Mahini four times, but apparently Elissa knew just the right way to coax more sperm out of my balls, and she let out a delighted sigh after I’d finished pouring up into her.
Then we laid there together and basked in the warmth of our love.
Elissa was tracing lazy circles on my chest when Mahini returned with trays of freshly cut bread, bowls of tart berries, and her famous hearty stew. The aroma made my stomach growl appreciatively, and both of my women laughed as they made themselves comfortable on the bed.
While we ate, Mahini filled us in on how things were going in the town. I had no idea how she’d gotten the information so quickly, but the field was still a mess of bodies, but most of the armor had been removed and put into carts, and all of the weapons were being sorted so that I could search through them for my feather sword and my dagger.
“Elrin is quite pleased with himself,” the desert woman said as she burst a raspberry between her teeth. “He’s telling anyone who will listen that his best decision in life was accepting you into the town.”
“He used to say I was the best decision of his life,” Elissa pouted. “I’ll have to have some words with him.”
We all laughed.
“How is Cotinus settling in?” I asked.
“I made sure Dalwin gave him fresh straw for his bedding and the finest oats in his feed,” Elissa replied. “He was laying down when I left the stable to come here.”
There was a brief lull in the conversation as we each started on Mahini’s amazing stew.
“The Duke will not take this sitting down,” Mahini warned as she set her spoon down. “He may have only been a third son, but Lucian was still the Duke’s child, and he was expecting Lucian to be married and on his way back to the castle in a few days.”
“Do you think he’ll send an army to punish me for killing Lucian?” I asked.
It was surprising how little that frightened me. After an uncountable amount of dying and coming back to life, I no longer felt afraid of any kind of death threats that might come my way.
I was an invincible god, and no puny human could take me down.
“He might,” Elissa replied as she plucked at the blanket on the bed. “He has more sense than Lucian, but he won’t be happy that you slaughtered a section of his army.”
“Then we should pay him a visit,” I concluded. “Inform him of his son’s death and explain that this village is mine now. I should also tell him the mine is working and how much I’m going to expect in payment for each shipment of ore.”
The two women looked at me with wide eyes, and I merely grinned at them.
“Besides, every newlywed couple is supposed to go on a honeymoon. I can’t think of a better place to visit than the castle of a duke, can you?”
End of book 1