Chapter Eight
The man fell backward out of his chair, and I went after him.
The other patrons of the gambling house all gasped and shouted out various expletives.
“Guards!” the dealer shouted.
Shit.
I didn’t want to get arrested, so I reset to my last save point right before I’d punched my accuser in the face.
Chime.
“Let’s take this outside,” I said instead of using my fists right off the bat.
“Fine.” The humongous man gulped down the last dregs of his drink, and then he pushed himself out of his chair.
I led the way, since I wanted everyone in the establishment to see me as a fierce and powerful deity, and a crowd of people followed behind us.
I smelled the lake as soon as I stepped outside, but it was a welcome relief from the clamoring of odors inside the gambling house. A line of people poured out of the gambling house and formed a circle on the dock streets of Kilwick. The giant of a man followed me out with his fists clenched at his sides, and he seemed even taller once I stood in front of him. His head towered over mine, which made me have to look up to make eye contact, and the resemblance to a kid standing up to his father made me laugh.
“Something funny?” he growled.
“You’ll see soon,” I snickered. Then I made a new save point as I shook out the tension in my arms and neck.
No matter how big or tough this guy was, I’d figure out a way to knock him on his ass and teach him a lesson about accusing gods.
“You ready for a fucking ass beating, kid?” the titan of a man asked as he cracked the knuckles on his fists into his palms.
“Oooh!” someone from the crowd jeered at his barb.
“Are you gonna spank me?” I taunted with a cocky smile.
His right hook came out of nowhere and smacked me straight in the face. Stars danced in my vision, and I struggled to stay on my feet, so all I could do was swing blindly in his direction.
“Bash!” Elissa cried out in anguish. “Watch out!”
The titan easily dodged my hit, and he stepped forward to slam his fist into my abdomen. Pain spiraled through my body, nausea overwhelmed me, and I almost lost my delicious dinner in the process. I bent over and clasped my knees as I took a few deep steadying breaths.
“Had enough?” the titan asked with an arched eyebrow.
Mahini had wrapped her arms around Elissa’s shoulders, and the warrior woman gave me a confused glance that spoke volumes. I was not acting like the invincible god she knew and loved.
At that point, I’d learned enough to avoid the first two blows, so I reset to my save point.
Chime.
“You ready for a fucking ass beating, kid?” the titan of a man asked as he cracked the knuckles on his fists into his palms.
“Do you kiss your mom with that mouth?” I snorted.
“When you live on the water as much as I do, you don’t give a fuck about the opinion of landlubbers.” The titan let out a mirthless laugh that was almost as intimidating as his hulking form.
Since I hadn’t taunted him, he started differently this time, and we squared up and circled each other like two cats stalking their prey. I kept my eyes locked onto his face, and I watched for the slightest sign of movement. Then his right shoulder bunched, and I knew he was coming at me.
He lunged with the force of a freight train, and his punch hit just as hard as I remembered from my first attempt, even though I managed to block it. My first return punch didn’t land, and then the titan threw out a wild haymaker aimed at my jaw. I didn’t manage to dodge it, but I angled my chin enough in the last instant so I avoided the star show.
I stumbled backward, and it took me a second to catch my balance, but then I rebounded and ran straight toward the titan’s torso with my shoulder down. I slammed into his chest, but it felt like running into a brick wall at full speed.
My attack didn’t even budge him.
I groaned as I fell back, and I grimaced as I felt how sore my muscles were already.
The titan was on me as fast as lightning, and he knocked me onto my ass with one swift kick at my ankles.
I hit the ground hard, and pain reverberated through all of my bones. My back took the brunt of the punishment, and I winced when I tried to roll to my side to get up. Before I could regain my footing, though, the titan jumped onto me and straddled me across the hips.
The next thing I knew, there was a storm of fists raining fiery fury down upon my face, chest, and stomach.
I spotted my two women watching in abject horror from the sidelines while the brute beat the shit out of me, but before I could reset to my save point, my vision grew black.
Chime.
The bastard had fucking killed me in hand to hand combat. What a dick.
“You ready for a fucking ass beating, kid?” the titan of a man asked as he cracked the knuckles on his fists into his palms.
“Not today,” I laughed.
On my next attempt, I managed to avoid his first few rounds of punches, but he caught me with a wild haymaker on the temple that sent me spinning.
Chime.
I could already feel the progression in my movements and form as I squared up against the titan of a man. Even the few attempts I’d made had already improved my boxing skills, so I knew I’d be able to kick this guy’s ass into next week with just a few more tries.
“You ready for a fucking ass beating, kid?” the titan of a man asked once more.
I was seriously starting to wish I never had to hear those words again. Titan, as I’d taken to calling him, waited with his stupidly arched eyebrow for my response, but I just muttered something under my breath and squared up once more.
I managed to hold my own for a little while longer, but I still couldn’t land a single hit on the massive man’s body. Even though he was built like a ton of bricks, he moved like a cat, and his fists hit like lead. I knew he was deadly even weaponless, so I focused on memorizing his movements.
He knocked me onto my ass again, but I reset before he could straddle me.
Chime.
“You ready for a fucking ass beating, kid?” the titan of a man asked again.
“Are you?” I matched his haughty expression with my own and then lifted my fists to signal I was ready to fight.
“I’m going to be the one doing the ass kicking tonight,” he grunted as he threw his usual wild haymaker toward my head.
I ducked below his arm and danced out of his reach, but I made sure to keep my eyes on him.
The titan lunged at me, but I stepped to the side to avoid getting knocked onto my ass. He twisted in the last moment and sent a kick toward my ankles, but I’d been expecting that so I managed to hop over it with very little effort.
“Where the fuck did you learn to dance?” he asked as frustration bloomed across his ugly face.
“Your mom,” I laughed and hopped from side to side on the balls of my feet. I was feeling better about my fighting ability at that point, and I was starting to see how I could win this.
The titan was big, but his strikes required a lot of energy. He was twice my size, if not more, but I would be lighter on my feet for longer. All I had to do was avoid his steel pipe fists long enough for him to begin to tire out. Then I’d have the upper hand.
Suddenly, the titan’s foot sprang out of seemingly nowhere and kicked my legs out from underneath me. I slammed into the ground ass first and groaned.
Chime.
I wasn’t about to let him get on top of me again, not if I could help it anyway.
“You ready for a fucking ass beating, kid?” the titan of a man asked.
“Are you ready to come up with a new saying yet?” I grumbled as I squared up. I’d already run through my gamut of personal comebacks, and I’d started to grow tired of the same old intro line.
“What?” The titan looked at me like I was a crazy man.
“Never mind.” I smirked. “Let’s fight.”
I tried too many times to keep track of, but with each attempt I got a bit better at avoiding the heavy hitting blows from the big man. It was on my fiftieth attempt, or around there, when I landed my first punch. I wanted to win the fight like a total badass, though, so I reset again to learn some more.
Chime.
Chime.
Chime.
Punch after punch rained down on me, but after a while I started to be able to see them coming. The muscles in the man’s shoulders bunched before he threw out a hit, so I got pretty good at dodging his fists. His kicks were random and sporadic, but he leaned back slightly before lifting his leg, so I’d started to get better at avoiding his feet as well. He grew more and more frustrated the more I managed to duck him, and as he grew enraged, his attacks grew wilder until I couldn’t dance around them anymore.
Chime.
Chime.
Chime.
By the hundredth attempt, I could dodge every hit, and I managed to land a few in some key areas on the titan’s massive body. I began to experiment with my aim, and I soon found enough pressure points to get the upper hand.
Then I landed a punch straight to the titan’s throat, and the gurgling sound he made reminded me of a flushing toilet, and I made the mistake of giving in to the laughter bubbling up in my own throat.
The retaliatory punch came out of nowhere and knocked me out instantly.
Chime.
Okay, lesson learned. Do not laugh at a big guy who is choking.
“You ready for a fucking ass beating, kid?” the titan of a man asked as he cracked the knuckles on his fists into his palms.
“You’re going to regret ever thinking I’m capable of cheating,” I promised the giant towering over me. I lifted my fists into the ready position and planted my feet hips width apart with my right foot slightly back.
The humongous man pushed his long hair back behind his ears, and he mirrored my stance.
“Let’s dance,” I said, and then I spun forward and elbowed him in the throat.
He choked out the noise that had made me laugh before, and he keeled over in pain as both hands leapt to his throat. The titan leaned backward with the tell for a kick, so I leapt backward just in time to avoid his boot as it narrowly missed my knees.
Then I lunged forward, grabbed a hold of his leg, and yanked it upward in one fluid movement.
The giant fell to the docks like a ton of bricks, and the planks wobbled as waves swept away from the boards. Cheering erupted as the crowd went wild. Then they all scrambled back away from me several feet, and several people dashed back into the gambling house.
I thought for a moment the docks might give out beneath the weight of the people after the titan’s fall, but the rope strapped boards stayed together.
“Yes!” Elissa cheered from the sidelines, and Mahini nodded her approval.
I didn’t take time to enjoy my audience, though, and like I’d seen on wrestling shows, I jumped into the air and landed with my elbow straight on the titan’s sternum.
The air was knocked out of his lungs in one big gush, and his knees shot up as his head raised with a grimace.
I swiveled my body around in a lightning quick movement and sent the heel of my boot toward his face. My foot landed on his nose with a sickening crunch, and blood gushed out from his nostrils and mouth.
The fight had only taken a few seconds, so I stood up on fresh legs, looked down at the man, and analyzed the damage I’d caused. The giant was breathing heavily, but he didn’t move to get up. Blood covered his crumpled face, and it looked like his nose was broken since it was angled to the side in an unnatural way.
“Amazing!” Elissa clapped her hands as her face lit up with joy. “Bash is invincible!”
“He did take out an entire army single handedly,” Mahini reminded my wife with obvious pride in her blue eyes. “I wouldn’t expect any less from the Great One.”
“The fight was over before it even started,” someone from the crowd murmured as we all migrated back inside.
“I heard the two women call him a god,” someone else said.
“I believe it,” another voice said. “Took out Big Ben in three hits, that’s something only a god could do…”
I was pleased with the results of the fight, since the crowd was utterly convinced of my awesomeness, so I made a new save point. The tingling sensation went from my toes all the way up to the tip of my hair, and then it faded away with a comforting warmth.
The people gave me a wide berth as we made our way back to the card tables. Elissa grasped my arm and strutted by my side, and she had every reason to. She was married to a god, after all. Mahini walked by my other side with her chin lifted proudly, and she scanned the crowd in search of anyone who might threaten us. Finding none, she turned to give me a pleased smile that curled the corners of her soft lips upward.
“Everyone fears your power, Great One,” she observed as she noticed people skirting around the three of us.
“I’d rather them be awe-inspired than afraid, but Kilwick is a large city, so tonight I’d like to focus on our needs.” I grinned. “Let’s go make some more money.”
“Yes, Great One.” Mahini nodded her approval of my decision. “I enjoy watching you win at the cards.”
“I enjoy you watching me…” I growled into her ear. “In that sexy ass outfit. Mmmmm.”
Mahini blushed and tucked her jet-black hair behind her ears in a self-conscious gesture. “Great One… There are so many people around to stare at us. It makes me… tingly.”
“Tingly is good,” I whispered into her ear, and I was rewarded with goosebumps blooming on her neck and shoulders.
“Can we play a different game?” Elissa asked as she eyed the casino-like room.
“Sure.” I glanced around and picked another game at random. “Let’s start there.”
The three of us made our way to our chosen table, and we took all the available empty seats around the dealer. It was a different game, but it didn’t take me more than a dozen attempts to learn it and predict the outcomes. No one contested my winnings, but I made sure to lose a small amount every once in a while to keep things calm.
The titan returned to the gambling house a short while later. His face was splotched with bruises, and his broken nose was swollen, but he waved to us in a friendly fashion before taking a seat at a different game.
I supposed kicking his ass was enough to teach him a little respect. Good.
I played several different games over the course of the next few hours, but by the time I’d mastered everything in the house, I was definitely a rich man. I had more gold coins than I knew what to do with, and I looked helplessly at Elissa and Mahini while scooping them up into a pile.
“I gave my coin pouch to Hal,” I reminded them. “So, I don’t have anything to carry our winnings in.”
“I’ll go talk to one of the wenches,” Elissa suggested. “They’re bound to have something we can use.”
“Take a gold coin for a tip,” I insisted as I pressed the circle of money into her palm.
“Good idea,” she replied, and then she disappeared into the crowd.
“Are you playing another round, sir?” the dealer asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Sure.” I nodded, and then I threw a small stack of gold onto the winning spot.
By the time Elissa returned, I’d won two more rounds and earned an even heftier stack of gold back for my trouble. I’d learned to banter with the other patrons to encourage them to boost their bets, and therefore my winnings.
Then I took the flour sack from Elissa’s hands, and the three of us began to scoop up all my hard-earned gold into the bag.
“We should tread carefully on the way back to the inn,” Mahini warned she shot a suspicious glance at the people enjoying the gambling house around us. “Many thieves will be looking for an easy payout tonight, and everyone knows that you won a substantial amount of coin.”
“They should know better than to mess with a god,” I pointed out with a smirk. “Word of my fight with the big guy should have travelled enough to guarantee our safety, but if not, I will take care of any trouble we may run into. Have no fear, my love.”
The warrior woman bonded to me with both blood and oath nodded solemnly, but the suspicion never left her piercing blue eyes as we waved goodbye to the other players and dipped out of the gambling house.
The cool lake air was refreshing after spending so long in the smoky room, and I inhaled gratefully as I tossed my heavy sack of gold over my shoulder.
“What do you think, ladies?” I asked with a grin. “Should we find a nice tavern to have a drink before bed?”
“Great One, we should get your winnings back to the safety of the inn,” Mahini insisted with furrowed eyebrows.
“When will you learn, Mahini?” I chided gently. “I am the God of Time, and I foresee no trouble in the near future.”
“Very well,” she sighed.
“I think a drink sounds lovely,” Elissa breathed, and she rubbed her bare arms against the chill of the damp air. “I’ve heard of a place that serves warm apple cider, we should see if we can find it.”
“Sounds like an adventure,” I replied, and I took her hand in mine. “Let’s do it.”
Then my two incredibly hot women and I made our way through the dock city in search of a nightcap. I knew we could have had a drink in the gambling house, but I’d grown tired of the smoke and noise, and I wanted something a little more peaceful and quiet so that I could flirt with my women and relax a bit.
It didn’t take us long to find the tavern Elissa referenced, and then we found a shadowy table in the corner. The wench came by to ask us what we wanted, and she returned surprisingly quickly with three mugs of steaming hot apple cider.
The warm beverage took the chill out of my skin, and it warmed my belly pleasantly. I found myself yawning before I’d finished the first mug, though, and I didn’t want to fall asleep in the tavern, so I asked the girls to watch the bag of gold while I went and got some water.
The bartender’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at my request, but he returned a moment later with a mug full of water.
“Not drinking tonight?” he asked as he wiped his dirty rag across the bar top.
“Oh, I’ve had enough already,” I replied in a casual tone. Then a thought struck me. In video games, the bartenders were usually the source of interesting side quests, and I wondered if this world would be any different. “Say, heard anything noteworthy around town lately?”
“Oh, not much,” the bartender returned. “Just people grateful for the clean lake. Unlike folks up in Balerno, we aren’t cursed, so we’re all really thankful for the water we have.”
My ears perked up at the word ‘curse.’ “Balerno, you say? Where’s that at?”
“Lake Balerno is a couple days from here,” the bartender replied. “On the other side of Ivywood.”
“Sounds like they’re in need of some help,” I said thoughtfully.
“More like they’re in need of a miracle,” the bartender chuffed.
“Interesting.” I rubbed my chin as I thought it over. I’d have to look at the map to be sure, but I thought Lake Balerno was close to our original route, so it wouldn’t be like we were going out of our way. Plus, I’d get a good chance to earn some new followers
The girls and I finished our drinks and paid up, and then we headed back to the inn.
Once we were alone inside the room with the door locked behind us, I grabbed my bag of money and turned to my two gorgeous women.
“Take off your clothes,” I commanded.
They obeyed immediately, and I could tell by the way the candlelight shined against the wetness of their thighs that they were both beyond ready for me. I had an idea forming, though, so I left them standing there naked in the flickering flame of the candles.
“What would you like us to do, Bash?” Elissa asked in a husky voice filled with desire.
“Just wait,” I chuckled.
Then I dumped the bag of gold coins out onto the mattress and spread the money across the bed. It wasn’t quite the same as hundred-dollar bills, but I still enjoyed the sensation of making it rain.
“Come here,” I said as I curled my finger to beckon the two women forward. Mahini tried to cover her bareness with her arms, but I pulled her hands away and gave her an encouraging smile. “Remember how much I enjoy looking at you. Your body gives me incredible pleasure.”
“Yes, Great One,” she breathed in a low voice, and a flush crept up the tanned skin of her neck.
I took them each by the hand and led them to the bed, and then I pushed them back onto the pile of coins. The mattress wobbled, and the money danced across the fabric like glimmering shooting stars. I took some of the cool pieces of metal and rubbed them against the two women’s skin, which left goosebumps in my wake. Then I followed the path of the coins with my tongue until I’d caused both girls to shudder with pleasure.
It was just a tease, though, since I wanted to go slow and truly enjoy myself.
“This is lovely,” Elissa observed as she rolled around on the coin covered bed and sifted her fingers through the pile. “I never would have thought to do this.”
“It is rather strange,” Mahini pointed out as she wiggled her ass into a more comfortable position. “But enjoyable.”
“It's a must do after winning in my world,” I explained with a grin, and then I bounced the mattress to make the coins dance again.
The girls giggled as they rode the waves I’d created, and then I grabbed Elissa’s pale, freckled legs and pulled her gorgeous, naked body closer to me.
I knelt on the floor at the edge of the bed while I spread her legs open to reveal her moist entrance.
Elissa twitched as I breathed against her opening, and her legs instinctively parted even further.
Mahini watched in fascination, and she blushed but didn’t look away when I caught her eye.
“You’re next,” I said in a rumbling baritone into Elissa’s crevice.
Both women shuddered with delight at my words, and Mahini’s eyes lit up with longing.
Then I pooled some spit on my tongue and thrust it into Elissa’s wet tunnel, and I tongue fucked her until she was gasping for breath. Once she was on the verge of a massive orgasm, I flicked my tongue firmly against her clit, which made her legs shake violently against my head.
“Fuckkkkk…” Elissa moaned as her fingers shot to my hair. “Sooo… ohhh…”
I didn’t relent until her cries grew extremely loud, and then I sent her over the edge into a psychotic breakdown of a climax. She was thrashing and screaming my name as her nails dug into my scalp, but still I didn’t let up my tongue assault on her slippery pleasure node.
“Bash, oh, fuck, Bashhhh,” the red-haired beauty gasped as sweat dappled on her forehead and the orgasm rocked through her.
Mahini licked her lips as she watched me closely, and being observed caused an automatic reaction in my loins. My stiff cock pushed against the mattress as I wrapped my lips around Elissa’s opening and gently suckled to slowly bring her down from the orgasmic high.
Then I pulled back, and I grabbed the desert goddess and placed her stomach down on top of the red-haired beauty. Mahini’s tan ass was pushed up into the air, and her dripping entrance was resting against Elissa’s mound. Their two pussies right next to each other was hot as fuck, and I couldn’t resist the urge to lick them both from bottom to bottom.
Mahini moaned as my tongue split her lower lips, and I pushed inward to find her tunnel walls slick with apple-tasting love juices.
I wanted to be inside her, and since I was the God of Time, I had no reason to deny myself.
So, with the sound of coins clinking together creating a staccato background to my motions, I gripped my cock in my hand and aimed it for Mahini’s dripping entrance.
Her pussy clamped down on my dick like it was the first time all over again, and I hissed in pleasure as I buried my entire length inside her tight tunnel.
“Yess!” Mahini cried out with pleasure as I hit her womb entrance with my tip, and she arched her back to push me even deeper inside her.
I fucked her hard and fast, then switched my pace up to a slow, deep stroke. When I could feel my desire to explode begin to mount, I pulled out of Mahini and went lower until my tip was dipping into Elissa’s waiting pussy.
The redhead’s wet entrance pulled me in like a siren calling ships to the rocks, but I would have happily died for the millionth time just to be able to feel this sensation all over again.
I slid my fingers inside Mahini while I fucked Elissa’s slippery tunnel, and the two women moaned out my name in unison while they embraced each other as I fucked them back and forth.
“Bash, Bash, Ohhhh…” was all I could hear as I focused in on the moment with an almost meditative state.
I wanted to absorb as much as possible.
It was close to morning by the time I finished giving them each a half a dozen organs, and I’d managed to pace myself so that I came twice deep inside of each of them. I hadn’t even needed to chime during the entire session, and I realized I was getting really good at pleasuring each of them during my first try. We finally fell asleep contentedly in a pile of limbs, tangled hair, and gold coins, and my last thoughts were of what the next day would bring us.
The next morning dawned bright and early, and the three of us squinted angrily at the sun as it shone through the window and interrupted our blissful sleep.
“Do we have to get up?” Elissa moaned as she snuggled up against my side.
“The journey must go on,” Mahini reminded her from my other side.
The red-haired beauty purred and rubbed my chest absently. “I’m so tired. You wore me out last night.”
“You can stay in bed while Mahini and I go shopping,” I suggested with a loving smile. “Get your rest, we will leave Port Kilwick after our midday meal.”
“Very well,” Elissa said, and she pushed herself up on her elbow to give me a quick kiss. “I like the sound of getting my rest.”
I climbed out of bed with the black-haired goddess on my tail, and once the two of us were dressed in our usual casual garb, I tacked a blanket over the window to block out the light.
Elissa moaned with pleasure and stretched out languidly across the bed. “Thank you, Bash. You are the sweetest husband.”
“Anything for you,” I replied, and I planted a soft kiss on her forehead before I left the room with Mahini at my side.
The two of us went out into the city in search of supplies for the General Store back in Bastianville. The sight of the empty shelves still weighed on me, and I was determined to see if fully stocked soon. By the time I got back to Bastianville, all the town’s worries would be gone, and it would be a place full of blissful citizens. Then I’d stretch my domain further until more and more towns began to follow my rule.
First, though, I had to go get straight with the Duke of Ballard.
Mahini and I went to several different shops until Caelia’s list was taken care of, and then we stopped at some fabric stores to purchase some items for Bellona. Lastly, I found an apothecary store to buy herbs and other things for Theodora, and once I was certain Bastianville’s store owners were going to be pleased with their goods, I arranged for shipment back to my small little town. It would be a while before I made it back to my name sake, so I didn’t want to carry the goods with me.
After our shopping was done, Mahini and I returned to the inn to wake up Elissa. She grumbled a little but didn’t complain when I removed the blanket from the window. Then I ordered us some lunch, and while we waited, we packed up our belongings into our saddlebags.
Our meal consisted of roasted duck with vegetables and buttery crescent rolls, and it reminded me of something French I’d seen on The French Chef with Julia Child as a kid. The food was savory, juicy, and delicious, and I made a mental note to expand my cooking abilities since I’d have so many interesting things to experiment on in this world.
Maybe someday I’d even figure out how to make a chocolate fountain.
We left the inn after our meal, and the horses and mule greeted us with excited whinnies when we reached the stables on the edge of town. I paid the stableboy and tipped him well, and then we mounted up and headed back out onto the open road.
I stopped after a few hours when we reached a crossroad to consult the map, and Mahini clucked to her mule to urge him alongside Goliath.
“Which way are we going, Great One?” the warrior woman asked as she looked curiously at the map.
“We’re taking the road to the right,” I informed her as I pointed in the direction of the fork I planned to take. “To Ivywood.”
“Very well, Great One,” Mahini said as she inclined her head, and the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. “Lead the way.”
“Thank you.” I grinned at the beautiful desert goddess and tapped my heels against Goliath’s side. I patted my horse’s neck as he moved forward, and I murmured to him under my breath. “Who’s a good boy?”
It took us the rest of the day to reach Ivywood, but we didn’t encounter any other travelers on the road. The sun was stretching toward the western horizon as the wooden walls of the town came into view. Fires roared to life beneath the barriers, and the sound of yelling and metal scraping against metal filled the air.
Then the fur clad men came into sight. There were at least fifteen of them, and they carried various weapons from bows and arrows to axes and everything in between.
Fuck.
It looked like I had to kick a bunch of marauding bandits’ asses before I could go to sleep that night.
Such was the life of a god.