Chapter One
“How does that feel, Great One?” Mahini asked after she’d ran her tongue up the shaft of my cock.
My life as the God of Time just kept getting better and better.
“Amazing,” I groaned, and I gave her an encouraging smile. “Keep going.”
So far, my honeymoon had been going well, but I’d realized both of my women were inexperienced with the oral arts, so I’d decided to use some of our honeymoon time to teach them how to give a world-class blowjob.
The beautiful desert goddess laid between my legs propped up on her elbows, and her piercing blue eyes analyzed my rock-hard dick like she was looking for weaknesses. Then she dipped her head, and she swirled her tongue around the tip.
“Yesss,” I moaned as my hips instinctively bucked up toward the sensation of her lips brushing against me.
“I want to try,” Elissa giggled, and then the tiny redhead squeezed in beside Mahini.
“The more the merrier,” I quipped as I spread my legs even wider to accommodate both of my girls.
Elissa mimicked Mahini’s movement, and I hissed with pleasure as she took the head of my dick in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around the tip, and then she went lower until her nose was pressed into the skin of my stomach, and her eyes welled up with the strenuous effort. The tiny goddess’ freckled face was flushed, but she didn’t stop for air.
“Oh, fuck, yes,” I murmured as she slowly slid her mouth up and down along my entire shaft.
After several minutes, my wife pulled away with a wet plop, and a long string of saliva dangled from her lips to the tip of my throbbing cock.
“How was that?” she asked in an earnest voice.
“Magical,” I said with a grin. “You can keep going if you like.”
“It’s my turn now,” Mahini insisted, and she worked even harder to fit my dick inside her mouth. Her cheeks bulged with the effort, but the image of my cock straining against the skin of her face was hot as fuck. She took my shaft into her throat as far as she could go, and she gagged as the tip rubbed against her tonsils.
“I’m sorry, Great One,” she murmured after she pulled back, and her gaze flicked to my face to judge my reaction.
“You’re doing great,” I assured her. “I like it when you try your best to take me so deep.”
“Oh?” Elissa’s emerald eyes twinkled with delight at the hint on how to please me. “I can do that.”
My beautiful red-haired wife sucked on my slippery member until her eyes bulged again, and she looked up at me with watery eyes and a hopeful expression on her face.
“Yes, just… like… that…” I gasped in short, panting breaths. It was all I could do not to come right then and there, but I wanted them to learn as much as possible during this lesson.
My two women couldn’t reset to try again, after all, since they weren’t gods like me.
And it was pretty awesome to be a god.
I’d been working at a call center, and I’d taken a nap at my desk when I suddenly woke up in a strange place with a bald asshole trying to stab me in the heart with a dagger. After I was killed by him and all his goons, I’d discovered my ability to save my progress and reset back to my start point whenever I wanted to. The power to stop time and the endless number of attempts allowed me to cruise through this world like a god, so that’s exactly what I did.
We’d spent the last few days having as much sex as three humans possibly could, and the two ladies had learned a lot during that period. They were starting to come out of their shells, and I loved watching them become more and more experimental as we tried different things.
I was a patient teacher, though, since I had all the time in the world to enjoy their progress.
They continued their ministrations, took turns, and checked in to see how I responded to their motions. They were such great women, and I wanted to reward them for all their hard work, so after a little while longer, I decided to switch things up.
“Alright, Mahini, I want you to see how long you can keep my entire cock in your mouth,” I instructed with a grin. “And, Elissa, I want you to come and sit on my face.”
“Sit on your face?” The beautiful redhead tilted her head to the side in confusion. “How will you breathe?”
“I’ll breathe in your sweet aroma,” I replied, and I beckoned her toward me with a curled finger. “Come on, you’ll like it, I promise.”
Elissa followed my command, and she straddled my face with her pale, freckled thighs. I slowly brushed my lips against the inside of her leg to tease her, and I was rewarded with a shudder of pleasure from the tiny goddess.
Then Mahini bobbed down on my dick so deep, I could feel my tip rub against the back of her throat, and I groaned as my hands shot to her jet-black hair. I tangled my fingers in her obsidian tendrils while Elissa lowered her dripping wet crevice onto my mouth.
I was in total heaven. I had a sweet, delicious pussy hovered over my face, and Mahini’s luscious lips wrapped around my dick. What more could a god ask for?
I lapped up Elissa’s pussy juices with the same energy that Mahini displayed on my cock. The desert goddess sucked like a champion, and I could hear the wet sounds as she bobbed up and down on my shaft. Then I rolled my tongue over the red-haired beauty’s pleasure node, and she gasped out in surprise.
“Oh… My… God…” Elissa moaned as she arched her back.
“I’m just getting started,” I murmured into her crevice, and I chuckled as another shudder of pleasure shot through her body and drove her wet folds even further onto my face.
Then Mahini wrapped her hands around my slippery shaft and rubbed my throbbing member in her tight fist.
“Fuck!” I shuddered as goosebumps erupted along my skin, but I just put all that energy into licking Elissa’s tight little pussy.
“That feels so good!” The redhead began to thrash, and she was practically grinding herself against my face as she held onto the headboard with both hands.
“I want to taste your seed, Great One,” Mahini begged in a voice full of need from her position between my legs. “Pour it into my mouth, please.”
“Oh, fuck, Mahini,” I grunted as I held back the urge to cum in her mouth right then and there.
She was getting good at giving head, and I couldn’t wait to see what she learned next.
“I want to taste your seed, too!” Elissa panted as she swayed her hips back and forth to drive my movements into all the right spots. She was shaking with orgasmic bliss, and I knew she was right on the edge, so I wrapped my arms around the back of her legs to hold her down, and then I went wild on her pussy with my tongue.
“Ooooh!” The beautiful redhead practically screamed with delight as she came in an eruption of sweet juices and twitching muscles.
Suddenly, Mahini stopped her sucking motions on my shaft, but before I could even wonder what she would do next, her tight, hot tunnel wrapped around the head of my dick. The desert goddess lowered herself down my shaft, inch by tantalizing inch, until she’d taken my entire length. Her wet tunnel gripped me like a vise, and I could feel the muscles in her tight little tunnel contract.
They were both so turned on, it was hard for me not to cum, but fortunately, I’d gotten lots of practice lately. So, I simply took a deep, steadying breath and enjoyed the sensations of both women on top of me.
“Oh, Great One!” Mahini moaned as she lifted herself up my shaft and then slowly lowered back down again. “I can feel you stretching me open.”
“I want to be deep inside you,” I said from around Elissa’s legs. “Take it all, Mahini, I know you can do it.”
The desert goddess began to bob up and down on my cock, slowly at first, but then she began to pick up the pace. Elissa ground her wet pussy lips against my face in the same rhythm, and soon I was lost in our lovemaking. Then I could feel my need for release rise to heights I couldn’t ignore, and I remembered my women’s request with my last functioning brain cell.
“You want to taste my seed?” I asked as I bucked my hips to match Mahini’s movements.
“I do!” Elissa gasped.
“Yess,” Mahini moaned.
So, I gently maneuvered myself out from beneath them, and I motioned for them to kneel in front of me.
“Open up,” I directed with a growl of desire. “Show me your tongues.”
They both obeyed immediately, and their eagerness only furthered my desire to come, so I released my mental walls and let the pleasure course through me. Thick ropes of white cum shot out of my dick with lightning-quick speed, and I managed to get the majority of it into the waiting mouths of my two gorgeous women.
“Mmm,” Mahini murmured as they licked up the white tendrils eagerly.
“That tastes so good,” Elissa observed as she scooped up a dollop of my seed and licked it off her finger. “Thank you, Bash.”
“Yes, thank you, Great One,” Mahini added as her face flushed a soft pink hue.
“No, no, thank you,” I chuckled. “That was fucking amazing.”
“I still think I like it better when your seed is buried deep inside my womb,” Elissa mused in a thoughtful voice. “It feels warm and comforting.”
“That’s my favorite, too,” Mahini sighed, and her piercing blue eyes eyed my spent member hungrily.
“You want more?” I asked with one raised eyebrow, and my cock twitched back to life.
Both women nodded excitedly, which made my cock harden even more.
“So be it,” I growled with desire, and I grabbed Mahini first. I put her in doggy style position, and then I gripped my slippery cock with one hand while I squeezed her luscious ass cheek with the other. Her wet pussy dripped juices onto the blanket, and I could see the muscles twitching as she arched her back.
I could tell she was ready for a good pounding, so that’s exactly what I gave her. I slid my cock in between her moist, pink folds, and then I pulled back to thrust hard.
“Oh!” Mahini squeaked as my cock buried deep inside her tight tunnel.
“You like that?” I asked as I pulled out and prepared to slam into her again.
“Yes, Great One,” the desert goddess moaned, and she arched her back to drive my cock even deeper inside her moist entrance. She met me thrust for thrust, and the sound of her ass slapping against me filled the room.
Elissa watched with rapt fascination, and I could see the longing in her emerald eyes.
“You’re next, little one,” I informed her while I fucked Mahini from behind.
Elissa nodded and licked her lips, but she was too distracted by my motions to reply.
I could feel my desire grow higher and higher until I couldn’t take any more waiting, and besides, Mahini was practically begging me to come inside her, so I released the hold on my self-control. I erupted as I grabbed her ass between clenched fists, and I knew I would leave a mark where my hand was. I didn’t think the desert goddess would mind, though, since she liked it a little rough, anyway.
I sprayed pint after pint of my load into Mahini’s waiting tunnel, but I knew there was still plenty more where that came from. I ran my fingers down her spine as I came back to reality and slipped out of her soaked pussy, but then I felt a cool, wet sensation near my crotch.
I looked down and saw Elissa lick the cum from my spent member with half-closed eyes. She was entranced, and the sensation of her tongue tickling against my skin sent shivers up my spine. My cock twitched back to life once more, and I hauled my wife up and laid her on her back.
Then I grabbed her legs and propped them up on my shoulders before I slid my cum slick cock between her pink lips.
“Oooh,” Elissa moaned as she took in my full length. “Fill me up, Bash.”
I didn’t hesitate to do as she asked, and I gave her the same treatment I’d given Mahini until I burst with yet another load deep inside her tunnel. I saw stars as I emptied my balls into her eager entrance, and then I collapsed in an exhausted heap after I’d filled up Elissa’s womb with my seed.
“You girls are going to wear me out one of these days,” I informed the two sexy ass ladies laying on the bed with me.
“Not likely.” Mahini smirked. “You seem more than capable of keeping us both occupied.”
“Sometimes, I think about what our little family will be like,” Elissa mused in a thoughtful tone. “I wonder if we made a baby just now. That would be nice, wouldn’t it, Bash?”
“Sure would,” I replied with a grin, and my automatic response surprised me a little.
I’d never thought about having kids before, but in this world, I was the God of Time, so why shouldn’t I have a gaggle of children running about with my DNA? I didn’t think I would ever return to my world, and even if I could, I wouldn’t want to. There was no one waiting for me back there, and here I had the two most gorgeous women I’d ever laid my eyes on begging for my cum.
What more could a god ask for?
I sighed with contented bliss and stared up at the canopy over our massive king-sized bed. We’d been staying in the duke’s castle for a couple of days, but I still wasn’t eager to leave the comfort of the bed. The servants brought us food and took away the dirty dishes, and the bathroom came equipped with running hot water. It was our honeymoon, and I’d spent most of it in bed making sweet, sweet love with my women, but that was the way it should be.
Still, there were some other things I wanted to accomplish before we went back to Bastianville. I needed to repair the enchantment on my wand, I wanted to learn as many trades and skills as I could before we left, and I hoped I could convince some of the masters and craftsmen to migrate to my little town, as well.
“I think we should go shopping today,” Elissa announced like she’d read my mind. “While making love is fun, I think I need a change of scenery.”
“My thoughts exactly.” I grinned. “What did you have in mind?”
“If it’s okay with you,” she began in a cautious tone, “I’d like to get some more furnishings for our house back in Bastianville. The men should be done with the repairs by now, right?”
“Oh, for sure.” I nodded.
It was hard to believe I’d only been in this world for less than a month since I’d accomplished more than any one man should conceivably be able to do in that amount of time. It felt like a million lifetimes had passed since I’d been summoned by the evil sorcerer Raijin Thornheart, but I’d managed to kill countless kobolds, goblins, bandits, and marauders as well as helped out several small towns with their troubles in the process. I’d also defeated the duke’s son, Lucian, who I’d dubbed “Loser Lord,” and his army.
Now that the duke knew of his son’s death, and with Bastianville firmly under my protection and control, I was free to go back to what I considered my home.
It was time to get back to building my empire.
I was sure the people of Bastianville missed their god, and I was eager to get back to them as well. To the people of this world, I was an unbeatable deity, and that was exactly the way I liked it, but the greatest reward I could receive would be the happy expressions on my people’s faces when I returned.
“I also need to find a grindstone to sharpen my blade,” Mahini said, and I was pulled out of my thoughts.
“We can do that, too,” I said as I flashed her a charming smile. “I’m sure my weapons could use some attention, too.”
So, we decided to take a break from our lovemaking to visit the town outside the castle. It didn’t take us long to pull on some casual, comfortable clothes, and then the three of us headed out of the stone building and into the bustling streets of Bullard.
On our first trip to the town, we’d made pottery in a local shop, so our first stop was to retrieve our fired glassware from the potter’s kiln. We stepped inside the hot store, and I scanned the packed shelves full of hand-thrown dishes. There were gas lamps along the yellow painted walls, and a low counter with a few barstools sat in the center of the room. Art tools and paints covered the surface, and the bright colors of the store were in strong contrast to the gray stone of the town outside.
“Hello, there!” I said in a friendly tone as I hailed the store owner with a wave.
“Oh, I’ve been expecting you three!” The store owner, Trace, grinned when she saw us, and she ushered us in. “Your cups came out really well!”
She seemed to be in a remarkably good mood, and her previous gruffness had vanished. I was surprised she’d remembered us at all, but I supposed we did stick out from the crowd. It wasn’t every day one man was accompanied by two beauties like Elissa and Mahini.
“Thank you so much for teaching us how to make them,” I replied with a friendly smile. “How much do we owe you for baking them?”
“We call it firing the clay,” Trace informed me with a wry smile as she made her way to the back of the shop toward the kiln. “If you want to sound like a professional, that is.”
“Of course, we do!” Elissa giggled.
Mahini remained silent, but she shot a curious glance around the shop as we waited for our cups. I watched to see what would catch her eye, and I noticed her piercing blue gaze analyzing a goblet up on a shelf. It was painted a similar blue as her eyes, and the white outline of swords lined the outside.
So, when Trace returned with our cups, I grabbed the goblet and added it to our stack. I counted out some copper coins and passed them over to the store owner, and then we waved goodbye and headed out to our next destination.
The cups would go nicely in our recently renovated home back in Bastianville, but I was excited to see what else my women wanted to buy. We had the gold for it, so we might as well use it while we could. No one made me purchase anything in our humble little town, so I’d probably end up distributing whatever I had left to the citizens.
I was anxious to get back to Bastianville, but in the meantime, I knew the three of us could find some interesting things to do for our honeymoon.
While it was technically mine and Elissa’s honeymoon, Mahini felt like my wife, too, so I wanted to make sure she was pleased with our mini vacation. That meant our next stop should be the blacksmith since I knew the desert goddess would be pleased with the smell of metal and leather.
I still needed to visit the enchanter to repair my wand, and I wanted to see what other skills I could learn while in town, but I decided the blacksmith would be our next stop.
Elissa cradled the package containing our new pottery to her chest like a loving mother holding a baby, and the image made my blood stir in an unfamiliar way.
Was I turned on by the thought of making babies? This world had certainly changed me, but I was sure it was for the better.
I shook my head in awe at myself, but I would need to revisit that idea later to see how I felt about it.
We took a right out of the pottery shop and headed toward the blacksmith. The streets of Bullard were busy, but not nearly as much as the first day we’d arrived. I was starting to get accustomed to navigating the streets, too, especially after I’d dashed through them at superhuman speeds.
I grinned down at my griffon feather boots I’d enchanted a few days ago as we walked to the blacksmith, but then I realized we didn’t have any of our weapons or armor with us to repair.
“Hey, Mahini,” I said as I halted in the middle of the busy street. “What are you planning to repair?”
“My sword needs to be sharpened,” the desert goddess reminded me, “but I’d like to get a dent out of my chest piece, too.”
“I want to add some decoration to my armor,” Elissa added in an eager voice. “I want to make it more colorful.”
“That will just make you easier to spot by your enemies,” Mahini pointed out with furrowed eyebrows.
“I want it to be pretty, though,” Elissa pouted.
“Anything is pretty when it’s on you,” I explained in a loving voice. “You could make a burlap sack look sexy.”
“Aww, Bash, you’re too sweet,” the red-haired beauty sighed with hearts in her emerald eyes.
“Alright, so you two wait here for me, and I’ll be back in a jiff,” I said before I stomped my foot to activate the fleetness ability of my boots.
“What’s a jiff?” Elissa asked, but I had already started to dash through the streets.
I ran quick as lightning back to the castle, dashed up the stairs to our room, and had my arms full of weapons and gear a moment later. Then I stomped my foot again, and I took off in a blur of motion to bring my load back to my beautiful women.
I skidded to a halt right in front of them, and I grinned triumphantly as I handed them their gear.
“That’s a jiff,” I explained as I caught my breath.
“Oh, so really fast,” Elissa giggled.
“I would have retrieved our items, Great One,” Mahini said with a small frown. “You shouldn’t have to run errands for me.”
“It was my pleasure, my love.” I winked at the desert goddess.
Mahini sighed, but she helped me carry some of my armor to the blacksmith’s shop, and the sound of a hammer striking an anvil rang out through the crowded streets as we drew closer.
Mahini’s piercing blue eyes lit up with excitement as we drew near, and I chuckled at her enthusiasm for metalworking. The desert goddess always seemed the most comfortable by the heat of a forge, and I mirrored her expression of eagerness as I thought about what else I could learn.
I’d picked up quite a few skills during my time in this world, but the one I was most proud of was my blacksmithing ability. It had taken me many attempts to master the art of working metal, but I’d surprised Bastianville’s blacksmith with my skill, so it was worth every redo.
I’d also learned how to log timber, tan hides, enchant armor, and cast spells during our travels. Then I’d moved on to other skills like butchering, baking, and candlestick making, and I’d turned myself into a nursery rhyme character in the process.
We stepped inside the blacksmith’s shop, and I took a quick look around. The shop smelled like coals, hot metal, and sweat, but the odor was inviting to warriors like us. The forge was set up in the center of the room but toward the back of the building, and the embers inside glowed a bright red. A workbench was situated against the far-left wall, and numerous blades lined the partition to my right.
“Hello!” I greeted the older man who was bent over the anvil.
He turned around and gave me a quick scrutinizing glance before he nodded curtly. “What can I do for you?”
“My name is Sebastian, and this is Elissa and Mahini,” I said as I gestured to my women. We are staying in the duke’s castle, and we’d like to use your shop to repair some of our items. We’ve been traveling a lot, and they’ve taken on some wear.”
“Uh… I would be happy to repair your gear,” the blacksmith countered with a confused look. “No need for nobles to break a sweat.”
“I’m more of a blacksmith than a noble,” I told him with a sly smile. “I’d like to repair my own gear, but I’d be happy to pay you for the use of your shop.”
“Sebastian is the God of Time,” Mahini informed him in a warning tone. “If he says he wants to use your forge, it would be wise for you to let him.”
“Easy,” I murmured to my loyal warrior woman, and I motioned for her to stand down.
Mahini nodded, and she released the tension she held in her shoulders.
“God of Time?” the blacksmith asked as his eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Call me Bash,” I said with my most charming voice, and I stuck out my hand to shake his.
“A-Alright.” The blacksmith wiped his black-streaked hands on the leather apron stretched across his broad torso. “You can use my shop. My name’s Yorn if you need any help.”
“Thank you, Yorn,” I replied. “I think we can take care of it ourselves, but we will call for you if we need anything.”
“Good.” The blacksmith nodded again. “Grindstone is out back, help yourself to anything you need. I’ll send the bill up to the castle.”
“Perfect.” I grinned.
I took Elissa to the workbench, and I started to show her how she could add cuts of leather to the design of her armor while Mahini watched over my shoulder. We cut tiny flower shapes out of the leather and stitched them onto the strap that ran across her breasts.
Then I worked on my own weapons and armor until everything was in mint condition. Jaxtom had reworked the armor I’d pulled off Lucian’s dead body, and the Bullard family crest had been removed, so I had a high-quality suit of plate metal armor as well as a sword and three daggers.
I decided to check the stats on my armor before I started my repairs.
Part of my ability was being able to see the stats on weapons, armor, and magical items in this world. All I had to do was press my pointer finger to it, and lines of text hovered in the air above it. Apparently, I was the only one who could do this or even see the words when I activated the stats, so I assumed it was another aspect of my godhood.
I put all my pieces into a pile and then pulled them out one by one. The greaves, thigh pieces, and both the upper and forearm parts were identical, and each piece had the same stats.
Durability – 90%
Weight – 2.2lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 3
I put the items needing to be repaired into their own pile, and then I moved on to the other pieces.
The shoulder guards were fairly close to the other pieces of armor in weight.
Durability – 100%
Weight – 2.4lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 3
My gauntlets were pretty awesome, but I checked their stats anyway.
Durability – 89%
Weight – 5.2lbs
Quality – Excellent
Magical Aspect – Iron Fist
Armor Tier – 5
They definitely needed some work done on them, so I added them to the repair pile. Next, I checked my breastplate, but I didn’t expect any surprises there.
Durability – 100%
Weight – 5lbs
Quality – Excellent
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 6
My shield had barely been used during our journey, and I considered smelting it down so I could turn it into something else, since I could summon a magical shield now, too. I checked the stats on it, anyway, just to be certain.
Durability – 100%
Weight – 7lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – Minor Magic Deflection
Armor Tier – 6
It was a good shield, but I already had multiple ways to deflect magic, so I didn’t feel like the magical aspect added to its usefulness. Still, I’d need to try out some different fighting techniques to see if it suited me before I decided to part with it.
In the end, very little of my armor needed to be repaired, so I separated the pieces I planned to work on, and then I moved on to my weapons. I had Lucian’s sword, my feather sword I’d taken from the goblins, the sorcerer’s curved dagger, and the two daggers Jaxtom made for me as a wedding gift.
My feather sword wasn’t in bad shape, but I hadn’t repaired it since I’d left Bastianville.
Durability - 63%
Weight - 0.2lbs
Quality - High
Magical Aspect - Feathering
Magical Ability - None
The sorcerer’s dagger was better off but still needed some work done on it.
Durability - 84%
Weight - 0.9lbs
Quality - High
Magical Aspect - None
Magical Ability - None
The sword I’d picked up from the duke’s son, Lucian, after I’d killed him had only been used once on our journey when Elissa killed a kobold with it, so it was almost in perfect condition.
Durability – 97%
Weight – 4.8lbs
Quality – Excellent
Magical Aspect – None
Magical Ability – None
Then I checked Elissa’s mace to see how it stood compared to our other weapons.
Durability - 53%
Weight - 3.9lbs
Quality - Low
Magical Aspect - None
Magical Ability - None
My wife’s mace was in bad need of repair, but I was unfamiliar with the weapon, and I would need some guidance before I’d mastered the spiked club. So, I made a new save point before I hailed Yorn and showed it to him.
“Can you teach me how to repair it?” I asked as I held up the ancient-looking mace in both hands. “I don’t want it to fall apart on her the next time she uses it.”
“The little one uses the mace?” Yorn’s eyebrows shot up, and his gaze flicked to Elissa.
“Yes,” my wife answered for me with a proud grin. “Just call me Skullcrusher.”
“I’ll remember that,” Yorn chuckled. “I don’t come across many Skullcrushers these days, but anywho, back to your question. It’ll be easy enough to repair, just need to sharpen the spikes and replace the leather grip.”
Yorn took the mace over to his workbench, and he pulled out a small knife to cut away at the frayed leather on the handle. Once the grip was removed, he worked another strip around the metal and sealed it with what looked like glue. Once I felt like I’d seen enough, though, I reset back to my save point to do it myself.
Chime.
It took me three attempts to get the leather to stay on correctly, and Yorn eyed my handiwork with keen eyes.
“You’re a talented smith,” the older man observed in an appreciative voice. “Where did you learn?”
“Bash already knew how to smith,” Elissa interjected.
“It’s true.” Mahini graced us all with one of her melodic laughs. “I was surprised at how well he made a sword, but he swears he never laid a hand to metal before.”
I grinned while my girls bragged about me, but when Yorn sent me a questioning glance, I merely shrugged.
After the mace handle had been replaced, I checked the stats again.
Durability - 80%
Weight - 3.9lbs
Quality - Low
Magical Aspect - None
Magical Ability - None
The durability had jumped up almost thirty points, but I figured I could get it to one hundred percent by sharpening it. I wanted to finish my armor first, though, so I went piece by piece and analyzed my gear for any signs of weakness. I banged out a couple of dents, replaced the leather straps, and cleaned them with an oiled rag, and eventually, they all shone like they were brand new.
Then I moved all our weapons outside, and Mahini and I took turns on the grindstone. Once everything was nice and sharp, I checked to make sure all the durability stats were at one hundred, and they were, so I gathered everything back up. We finished up, and then we said goodbye to Yorn before we headed out into the streets of Bullard once more.
The cobblestone streets were busier than they had been before we entered the blacksmith’s shop. People rushed to and fro everywhere I looked, and most wore simple clothes in modest colors, but every once in a while I spotted a richly dressed noble. Our outfits were dingy in comparison, so I decided our next stop should be a seamstress.
While we were there getting fitted for new outfits, I purchased some fabrics to send back to Bellona in Bastianville. I couldn’t wait to see what the talented seamstress came up with, but it would have to wait until we made our way back home.
I made a new save point before we reached our next destination, which was the enchanter’s shop. Despite it being a warm day, there was a fire burning beneath the mantle, and the older man sat in a chair facing the flames. A workbench sat in the center of the room, and several shelves lined the far wall. From where I was standing in the doorway, I could see several wands, staves, and other magical items. I’d been here before to create my griffon feather boots, but I’d been too obsessed with my task to look around much.
The enchanter stood when we entered, and he gave us a small bow. He wore hooded blue robes that framed his wrinkled face, and his eyebrows were like gnarly white caterpillars, but his eyes twinkled with an inner youth.
“How can I be of service today?” he asked as he folded his hands inside his baggy blue robes.
“My name is Bash,” I began. “I have some magical items I would like to repair.”
Even though I’d met him once before when I’d pretended to be Kane’s apprentice, it didn’t look like the old man had recognized me, and for a second I felt bad about my ruse, but I was happy with the outcome. I had my griffon feather boots, and my treasured feathers remained a secret. While I’d learned enough enchanting to create my magical boots, there was still so much more I wanted to learn about the trade.
“You can call me Burnyolf,” the enchanter replied. He seemed to be in a good mood, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the court wizard’s recent defeat at my hands. “I will gladly help you with any of your enchanted items.”
I pulled out my inferno wand and the staff of magic deflection, and I placed them on his workbench. I checked the stats to see where our start point was, and the inferno wand was right where I’d expected it to be.
Durability - 5%
Weight - .5 lbs
Quality - High
Magical Aspect - Fire
Magical Ability - 1x Inferno
It looked like the last five percent of durability remained because the wooden shaft of the wand was still in one piece, but other than that, it was pretty much useless.
Then I checked the stats on the magic deflection staff I’d gotten from the lake guardian when I’d broken the curse of Lake Balerno and killed a lich lord.
Durability - 95%
Weight - 1 lbs
Quality - High
Magical Aspect - Negate
Magical Ability - +5 Minor magic deflection
I still hadn’t used the staff in combat, but I imagined the magic deflection worked much the same as the enchantment on my shield. I wanted to experiment with it some more before I relied on it in a fight, though, so I’d have to find someone to spar with me.
Maybe I could teach one of the girls a magic spell or two, and then I could have them throw magic at me while I practiced deflecting it.
The enchanter eyed my two items closely, but he seemed impressed if his raised eyebrows were any indication.
“Where did you acquire such rare items?” he asked as he peered into the crystal on top of the staff. “I haven’t seen the likes of them in decades. Very ancient work, it will be hard to keep it maintained.”
“I found both items in a burial sanctum outside of Lake Balerno,” I explained. “We cleared the catacombs, and I found the wand in the process. The staff was given to me as a gift from the guardian of the lake as a reward for breaking the curse on the water.”
“It sounds like you have had quite the adventure,” Burnyolf replied, and the corners of his lips twitched up into a smile. “Have no fear, we will get them into tip-top shape.”
“Perfect.” I grinned, and then I watched closely while the enchanter mixed up some ingredients.
Burnyolf took a lump of hot coal out of his fireplace, added a small stone and some strange looking liquid, and then mixed them all together with a mortar and pestle. The resulting solution glowed a bright hot red, and he poured this mixture over top of the wand.
He repeated the process to the staff, but instead of coal, he used a mysterious root. Burnyolf didn’t explain any of his actions, so I started asking questions.
“Where can I find these ingredients?”
“I purchase them from a traveling vendor,” the enchanter murmured.
“Can I buy some of them from you?” I asked with a wiggle of my eyebrows. “Where else can I find it?”
“This is my last root.” He shook his head like he was shaking off a fly. “Now, please stop asking questions, I need to concentrate.”
I wondered if I could find these ingredients myself. I didn’t fully understand the enchanting process, but from what I’d gathered already, there was quite a bit of experimentation involved.
I still had two more griffon feathers, and all I had to do to get more was climb up to the hybrid creature’s nest, but I wanted to save those for a rainy day. I didn’t know what would be required to repair my boots, but I expected I’d have to use at least one of my remaining feathers.
Once all my magical items had gone through the enchantment process, I checked the stats and found them all perfect. Everything was cleaned, repaired, and ready for my next battle.
My women and I waved goodbye to Burnyolf after I paid him with a few copper coins, and then we headed back out into the streets of Bullard. The sun had started to set along the western horizon, and I could see the light flicker from the window of Kane’s tower in the distance.
My stomach grumbled, and Mahini’s piercing blue gaze shot to my face.
“You are hungry, Great One?” she asked in a concerned tone.
“Seems so,” I laughed.
“Me, too!” Elissa agreed, and she wrapped an arm around my elbow. “Let’s hurry back to the castle for dinner.”
“Let’s do it,” I replied with a shit-eating grin. The castle’s cooks were fantastic, and every meal was mouth-wateringly delicious, so I picked up the pace as we turned toward the castle gates.
Before we could reach the palace, though, a sudden, loud, animalistic screech echoed through the air, and chills ran down my spine.
It sounded like something I’d only ever heard in movies.
A dragon.