Chapter Thirteen
We packed up all of our camping gear onto the horses, and then our now medium-sized group went back to the road. It brought me great relief when I turned away from Vallenwood, and Sarosh fell into step beside me, and I was walking since I’d let Thom ride Goliath. Riondale and Jorgen had also given up their steeds to the wounded soldiers, and Elissa and Eva doubled up on Star’s back so one of the widows could ride the duke’s daughter’s horse, and I flashed them all a proud smile as we hit the trail once more.
It was going to be a long day of traveling, but we were up for it, especially since we’d only gone a couple of hours the day before. The timing was perfect, though, since we’d picked up the extra people. The longer they were with us, the further they were from killing themselves in the name of the God of the Purge. I was anxious to convince them to live, but I knew it would take some time. I knew from working at a dead-end call center job that dark thoughts had a deathly grip on the psyche once they were fully accepted, and it could be difficult to make them see the light again.
I’d seen it happen a lot in my co-workers.
It was a task I was up for, but I was grateful to have some wonderful people in my company to help.
The road was wide and well-travelled, so we made excellent progress. The evergreen trees reached for the crystal-blue sky, and a light breeze raked through my hair. It was perfect weather for riding, and I couldn’t have been happier with how the day was turning out.
A few hours later, some of Sarosh’s followers began to flag behind us, and I trotted back to them to see what was going on.
“Just hard to move my old bones,” Zeb wheezed.
“We will catch up, I promise,” Cristal insisted as she took the old man’s arm in hers. “I wanted to stay with Zeb to make sure he was okay.”
“We can take a short lunch break,” I decided, and I signaled to Riondale that we were stopping.
Once we had a small fire burning, rations passed out, and had all taken a seat to eat, I thought over the best way to proceed. No matter how nice the weather was, it would be slow going if we didn’t all have horses. My followers were in better shape than Sarosh’s, but I wasn’t sure they’d all be willing to walk.
“Bash,” Elissa said in a thoughtful tone, and she pulled me from my thoughts. “Why don’t we let the oldest people in our group ride the horses? We might be able to travel faster that way.”
“Really, all of Sarosh’s followers could ride while we walk,” Mahini added.
“We could at least take turns,” Eva pointed out. “Switch out every couple of miles or so.”
“Your people are too generous,” Sarosh said as she inclined her head. “We are used to walking, but I fear we cannot keep pace with your animals.”
“It would be the most efficient way,” I said with furrowed eyebrows. “If you care not to ride yourself, at least let the people following you have some relief.”
“Very well,” the priestess sighed. “Again, thank you for your generosity.”
“You are most welcome, Sarosh,” I replied with a flourish of my hand, and I thought I spotted the hint of a smile in her bottomless gray eyes, but it was hard to tell since her lips didn’t move at all.
We finished eating, and then we all got back on the road again. There was a little bit more color in Sarosh’s followers’ faces, and they smiled easily at me as I walked past them. They were all mounted on the horses of my companions, and they were obviously grateful to be off their feet.
Riondale and Jorgen walked in front of the group while the rest of the men took up positions on each flank, which left the tail end for me and the women. Then the twenty-six of us headed down the road yet again.
“Little do they know,” Elissa murmured conspiratorially to Eva, “riding horses hurts your butt! I’m grateful for the chance to walk for a while.”
“It will be a nice change of pace,” the duke’s daughter replied with a smile. “Plus, look how happy it made them!”
“It will be nice to see them reject death,” Mahini said to me in a soft voice as we walked behind the horses. “Do you really think you can save them, Great One?”
“Yep.” I grinned. “All they need is a little dose of hope, and I’ve got that in buckets.”
“You certainly speak strangely sometimes,” the desert goddess laughed.
Goliath nickered and swung his head around like he was looking for me, and Sarosh fumbled with his reins like she had no idea what she was doing. Riondale crossed the distance to her in a flash, and he grasped the leather straps beneath the horse’s neck.
“A stallion like Goliath needs a firm hand,” the lieutenant said. “I can walk with him like this if you want, though.”
“That would be helpful,” the priestess replied. “I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
“Not at all?” I trotted over to the priestess, and I took Goliath’s reins from the lieutenant.
“I come from a very poor family, believe it or not,” the elven-like older woman informed me. “Horses are expensive, and my father always wanted one but could never afford it.”
“That’s unfortunate,” I said with a frown. “You must have had a really tough life.”
“No more than most.” Sarosh waved her hand dismissively. “Maybe worse than the life of a god, but most likely no more so than any of your followers. Well, except for the duke’s daughter, that is.”
“I can hear you,” Eva observed as she joined me by Goliath’s side. “I may have come from a privileged life, but at least I’m not going around trying to get people to kill themselves.”
“I meant no offense,” Sarosh said as she cocked her head, and her silver locks cascaded down her back from the motion. The movement of her hair was hypnotizing, and I had to shake my head to come back to reality.
“Meaning no offense is different than not offending anyone,” I pointed out. “But I’m sure Eva is willing to let it go.”
“Yes, Great One,” the duke’s daughter sighed.
We travelled for a couple of more hours as the sun cast shadows through the trees. The leaves left a dappled pattern on the ground, and the wind stirred the branches, but the temperature was still high as the giant celestial orb began to sink below the western horizon.
It was almost time to set up camp for the night when suddenly, another traveler approached on the road. They wore a dark, soot-stained cloak with the hood pulled over their face, so I couldn’t make out any characteristics, but the smell of smoke and ashes clung to their clothes, so I assumed they’d faced some kind of tragedy.
“Ahoy there,” I greeted. “Where are you coming from?”
“Hello, strangers,” the traveler said in a weary tone. “I come from Bronzeberg, up the road a ways.”
“What happened to your clothes?” I asked. “They’re all burned up.”
“There was a dragon,” the stranger sniffled and coughed. “It burned down my house… my store… everything.”
“That’s awful,” Bron said with a frown, and I knew he was thinking of his own store that had burned down in a fire with his children inside. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“The dragon was nearby?” I pressed as excitement coursed through my veins. Maybe this quest would be easier than I thought.
“It was when I left,” the man said, and he shook his head. “I’m not sure what’s left of Bronzeberg, but there’s nothing for me there anymore.”
“We have to help those people,” Eva interjected in an urgent tone. “Great One, we have to get to Bronzeberg right now!”
“And what about Sarosh and her followers?” I asked. “We can’t just leave them behind and go riding off into the darkness.”
“We could set up camp,” Riondale suggested. “Some of the men can stay behind to guard the civilians.”
“I’m going with you,” Sarosh said suddenly, and she lifted her chin with stubborn pride. “If some of your men stay behind, you would have plenty of horses.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” I frowned. “Do you even know how to protect yourself?”
“I merely want to witness your power for myself,” Sarosh insisted. “I have to be present in order to do that.”
“You’d be mad to go to Bronzeberg tonight,” the stranger coughed again, and his voice was hoarse, presumably from the smoke and soot he’d inhaled. “That would mean certain death.”
“Sir Sebastian is on a quest to defeat the dragon once and for all,” Eva informed the man, and her gray eyes glinted with pride. “He isn’t afraid, and neither am I.”
“You’ve all gone crazy,” the man grumbled. “I’m escaping, you can die if you want to.”
Then he shook his hooded head and continued down the road, so I shrugged and turned to my companions.
“Alright, people, listen up,” I began. “I’m going after the dragon. The rest of you will make camp in the best spot you can find nearby. Riondale is in charge, whatever he says goes.”
“Sir, are you sure that’s wise?” Riondale questioned with a worried look, and he gripped the hilt of his sword as he watched the stranger pass. “You might need some help against the dragon.”
“I need more help guarding Sarosh’s followers,” I pointed out, and the young lieutenant nodded reluctantly.
“Very well, sir.” Riondale motioned to a few of the other men, and they began to usher everyone off the road.
I made a new save point, though, just in case he ended up being right, and I needed to take the men along. It was always good to have options, after all.
“I’m going with you,” Mahini stated firmly, and there was no questioning the look of determination in her ice-blue eyes.
“Me, too,” Elissa added with a bright smile.
“Don’t even think about leaving me behind,” Eva said as she placed a hand on her hip.
“It looks like it’s me and the ladies tonight,” I laughed. “Get geared up for a fight. I want us to be prepared for anything.”
A short while later, the five of us were mounted on our horses and rode down the road at a brisk pace. The cool air of twilight descended upon us, and the stars began to peek out through the foliage as the light of day faded. The air was cooler than I was accustomed to, and at the speed we were going, the wind was blowing into my face.
The women never complained, though, and even Sarosh managed to stay atop her horse at full speed. I supposed her determination to watch me perform some serious magic encouraged her to adapt to the situation, but it was amusing to see the immediate difference in her riding ability.
We’d been riding for about an hour when I spotted another group of travelers. It looked like a family of five, with an infant strapped to the mother’s back, and two children holding each adult’s hand. They all wore grim expressions on their soot-stained faces, but they looked uninjured.
I pulled the horses to a halt, and the girls followed suit.
“Hello there,” I greeted. “Are you guys okay?”
“Far from it, friend,” the man in the group said in a solemn tone. “We’ve lost everything, and now we have to make the long trek to Vallenwood to start over.”
“Everything?” I asked with a concerned frown.
“Our farm was completely destroyed by a fire-breathing dragon,” the woman sobbed, and she cradled one of the children against her side. “The horrid beast swooped down from the sky and ate our cows.”
“Then he unleashed his hellfire on our farmhouse,” the father said.
“How far away is this farm?” I asked as my mouth watered with battle lust. I was getting closer. Soon, I would face against the dragon again, and this time I would leave with his head.
Smiguel was going down, and I was going to be the one to take him out.
“We’ve been walking for hours.” The father shook his head. “We tried to put out the flames, but it ate everything it touched instantly.”
“The beast is too far away,” Sarosh pointed out. “It would take us days to catch up to something that can fly over the trees.”
“You don’t know that,” Eva countered hotly. “Bash will find it.”
“And kill it,” Elissa added with a stubborn lift of her chin.
“If you say so,” Sarosh relented, and she flicked her silver hair over her shoulder.
“You’re after the dragon?” The father’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. “Are you mad?”
“Absolutely bonkers,” I laughed. “I’m on a quest to end the dragon’s reign of terror.”
“Well, the gods be with you, friend,” the mother said in a soft voice. “I hope you survive.”
“I will,” I assured her with a grin. “You guys make your way a little further ahead, I have some troops stationed further down the road who would be willing to share their campfire with you. Tell them Sir Sebastian sent you.”
“He’s a knight?” the small girl clinging to her mother’s skirt asked with bright shining green eyes.
“I suppose so,” the mother murmured, and she dropped into a curtsey. “Thank you, Sir Sebastian.”
“You’re very welcome,” I replied. Then I nodded to the father. “I’ll take care of the dragon, and maybe eventually you can return to your farm and rebuild.”
“My only concern right now is to get my family to safety,” the father said. “We are lucky to get out with our lives. But thank you for your hospitality, sir.”
We parted ways with the little family, and then we continued on down the road toward Bronzeberg and the dragon. My thoughts turned to the family who fled their burning farm, and an idea occurred to me.
If the dragon liked cows, maybe I could find a way to lure it to me.
It was pretty dark at this point, and Eva lit some torches she’d remembered to bring with us. We had to slow our pace so the horses could make their way in the shadows surrounding the torchlight, but we hadn’t been riding for very long when we came across a line of people.
There had to be at least fifty of them, and they walked in rows of two and three. They were all weary-faced and soot-stained, and I feared the worst for Bronzeberg.
I couldn’t stop and help them all, but I paused Goliath for a moment to nod at a few of them. I was even more determined to put the dragon down than ever before, and I clicked my tongue to signal to my steed to continue.
After a while, we came across the village, and smoke hung thickly in the air. Eva covered her mouth and nose with a delicate hand, while Elissa tied a scarf around her face. Mahini braved the dust and fumes with a stoic expression, but I pulled out a scarf and mimicked my wife’s action. Sarosh pulled the hood of her cloak in front of her face to screen out the smoke, but she coughed under her breath as we rode into town.
Bronzeberg was decimated, but there was no sign of Smiguel around anywhere. It was hard to see clearly through the dense haze, though, so the dragon could be lurking above the cloud cover, and I wouldn’t even know it.
It looked like there were only a couple of buildings still standing, and the rest were smoldering piles of burnt timber. The roofs were all collapsed, and there were giant lizard footprints in the mud. The beast had landed here, and it caused total destruction before it disappeared.
It looked like a population of at least two hundred could comfortably live in this village, but now only a couple of businesses and two homes remained. Fortunately, a lot of the people had managed to get away, if the number of travelers covered in soot were any indication.
I halted Goliath in front of the still standing business marked as an inn, and I patted his neck affectionately before I dismounted. There was another building nearby where flames were still burning, and I didn’t want the blaze to spread any further than it already had, so I went about dousing the fire with my ice spell.
“Chs!” I muttered as I walked around pouring snow and ice onto the embers.
“You can summon winter?” Sarosh gasped.
I took it she’d never encountered a real wizard before, and it made me even more curious about who this master of hers actually was.
“I can do many things,” I replied with a wave of my hand. I stayed focused on my task until all the nearby coals were doused, and the steam emitted from the ice melting cleansed some of the smoke from the air.
“Thank you, Great One,” Mahini said with a grateful sigh.
Suddenly, I saw a few people moving around in the burned wreckage. I hadn’t been able to notice them before since the smoke had been so dense, but it looked like they were digging through the remains of homes. It was hard to see in the darkness, but the remaining fires on the edge of town illuminated Bronzeberg like a torch. The shadowy figures had to be townspeople, though, and I would need to talk to them to figure out my next move.
I took a deep breath before I gathered up the girls. We huddled together like we were a sports team planning our next play, and the eager expressions on their faces told me they were just as ready as I was to end the plague of the dragon.
“Let’s split up,” I said to the four women in my company. “We need to interview whoever is still in town. Find out why the dragon came here, which way it went after it left, and if anyone heard it talk.”
“It can talk?” Sarosh asked with wide gray eyes.
“It sure can,” I confirmed. “Many great beasts exist in this world, and it takes a true god to confront them.”
“We shall see.” Sarosh flashed me a sideways, thin-lipped smile.
I could tell Sarosh was starting to like me, but she was reluctant to admit it, even to herself. The older woman was mysterious in some ways, but an open book in others. She looked younger than her years, and was wiser than she had cause to be, and I wanted to learn more about her.
First things first, though, I needed to take care of this dragon situation, so I turned my attention back to the matter at hand.
“Elissa and Eva,” I said as I nodded to the two smaller women, “go talk to those people digging through the wreckage.”
“Yes, Great One,” Evangeline replied with a tilt of her head. Her gray eyes were resolute, and I knew she would serve me faithfully.
“I feel so bad for the poor people who lived here,” Elissa murmured, and her emerald eyes filled with emotion. “It will feel good to offer them my condolences.”
“Good.” I nodded, and then I turned my gaze to Mahini and Sarosh. “You two should see if there are any cows nearby we can buy. Take the horses if you need to scout out a local farm or something.”
“I will make sure it is done,” Mahini assured me with a curt nod, and her blue eyes pierced into Sarosh until the silver-haired priestess also nodded.
“I will be happy to help, of course,” Sarosh said quickly beneath the heated gaze of the desert goddess.
“Thank you,” I said, and I flashed the four women a charming smile. “I’ll see if the innkeeper is still around, and maybe there are some beds available for us tonight.”
“That would be lovely,” Elissa moaned, and she rubbed on her shoulder with a weary smile. “It is already past my bedtime.”
“I’m worried the people will leave town tonight.” I frowned. “If we don’t talk to them now, we might never get a chance to.”
“I understand,” my wife replied with a smile dancing in her emerald eyes. “It will just make me appreciate the bed even more.”
“That’s the spirit,” I chirped as I pecked her on the cheek, but then Mahini cleared her throat, and I chuckled as I placed a kiss on her face as well. “Thanks, everyone, for helping me.”
“My pleasure,” Mahini purred.
“Of course,” Eva said.
“I love helping the people,” Elissa added.
“It will be worth it to witness a true miracle,” Sarosh insisted.
“Meet back here in an hour, alright?” I grinned, and once everyone nodded, we went our separate ways. I dipped inside the inn, and I looked around the dimly lit interior.
There was no fire burning in the grate, and only a few candles were placed sparsely around the living space. A low bar filled the left wall, and a bald man with a downcast expression stood behind it.
“Hello, there,” I greeted. “I’m sorry to hear about the attack on the town.”
“A stroke of luck seemed to spare my inn the worst of the damage, but I’m afraid Bronzeberg is done for,” the man sighed. “It had such a bright future, too. The mine was thriving… Anyway, what can I do for you?”
“I’m tracking the dragon who attacked your town,” I informed him in a casual tone, “and I’d like to rent a few rooms if you have them available.”
“Y-Y-You’re tracking it?” The man looked amazed and frightened at the same time, and he stared at me with wide eyes and a slack jaw.
“Someone has to.” I shrugged. “About those rooms?”
“You’re crazy, you know that?” the man pressed. “Who in their right mind would go chasing after a fire breathing dragon?”
“Hi, my name is Sir Sebastian, the God of Time.” I grinned and stuck out my hand to shake his. “I’m on a quest to kill the dragon.”
“A g-g-god?” The man shook his head as if to dispel the hallucination who stood before him.
“What’s your name?” I asked in a calm voice, and I kept my expression friendly.
“I am Gurgi, the owner of this fine establishment.” The innkeeper swept into a low bow, and his bald forehead almost smashed into the bar top.
“Nice to meet you, Gurgi,” I said, and I resisted the urge to laugh at the ridiculous name. He did seem to gurgle a lot, though, so maybe it was fitting.
“It is an honor, Sir Sebastian, the God of Time.” Gurgi shook his head again, and he blinked at me stupidly for a long moment. “What can I do for you?”
“Rooms?” I reminded him with an encouraging smile. “I need three if possible.”
“Yes, yes, of course, I have no guests at the moment, so you can have your pick of any rooms.” Gurgi wrung his hands and nodded his head.
“Thanks,” I said, and I stopped the eye roll that threatened to break free.
“You are most welcome, S-Sir S-Sebastian,” Gurgi stammered.
I went and inspected the rooms, and then I unloaded the small saddlebags from the backs of our horses. Since I had Goliath with me, that meant I had all of my gear and weapons, so I was ready for pretty much anything.
I had a miniature army to myself, but half of them were not technically following me out of loyalty. I would have them convinced soon enough, though, since Sarosh seemed intent on making a decision once I killed the dragon.
A short while later, I met back up with the girls outside the inn. Mahini and Sarosh pulled a cow between their horses as they meandered up the road, but Eva and Elissa were already waiting.
“Who wants to go first?” I asked.
“I will,” Mahini offered. “We had to ride about half a mile east of here before we found a farm with cows still. We encountered several homesteads where the livestock was picked off by the dragon, and the locals are all terrified of the beast coming back to finish them off. They think once the animals are gone that humans will be next.”
“At least we still have one cow left to use as bait,” I pointed out. “The dragon problem will be over soon enough thanks to you two.”
“Thank you, Great One,” Sarosh sighed, and she swayed back and forth in her saddle. “No one told me it is so exhausting to ride a horse.”
“I should have warned you about that,” I laughed as I helped her dismount before she could fall off. “But you’ll get used to it. We all did. You should have seen Elissa in the beginning.”
“Hey!” my wife argued. “I haven’t complained in a really long time.”
“Days,” Mahini added with a wry smile. “Hours, even.”
“Oh, shush,” the red-haired goddess shot back, and she stuck out her tongue at the mercenary. “You never complain about anything, so I don’t think it's fair for you to judge.”
“I’m not judging,” Mahini countered. “Just teasing.”
“Ladies,” I interjected with furrowed eyebrows. “Can we continue?”
“Sorry, Bash,” Elissa murmured.
“My apologies, Great One,” Mahini said with a bow of her head that sent her obsidian locks across her face.
“My turn?” Eva giggled.
“Sure.” I smiled, and I swept my hand through the air to gesture for her to go on.
“According to the people Lissy and I spoke to,” she started in the clipped tone of a soldier giving a report, “the dragon attacked the livestock first.”
“That matches the stories of the people we ran into on the road,” I said.
Eva nodded. “Once it had its fill, it attacked the village, and it seemed intent only on destruction.”
“Leaving only the cowards behind?” I arched an eyebrow as I thought this over. It sort of made sense. Smiguel had a giant ego, and I’d wounded his pride. It would be logical for him to react more violently toward anyone who got close. Still, it sucked that the people who’d stood against the beast were the ones most heavily affected by the dragon’s wrath.
“I suppose so,” the duke’s daughter said.
“Everyone was just looking for any little pieces of their old lives,” Elissa observed in a sympathetic tone. “I saw one person pulling out the broken pieces of a crib. It was so sad, Bash. I hope we can help them.”
Evangeline’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she swiveled on her feet and took off running.
“Uhhh…” I blinked after the duke’s daughter.
“What was that about?” Mahini asked with a worried frown.
“Should I go after her?” Elissa questioned at the same time.
“No, no, I’ll go.” I held up my hands to stop their arguments. “The three of you worked hard today. You deserve a rest, and it’s very late. Go to the inn and pick out a room.”
“Oh, thank the gods,” Sarosh gasped, and she turned to walk wearily toward the inn. It appeared she was more exhausted than she’d let on, and the older woman’s shoulders were slumped as she passed through the entrance.
“See you soon?” Mahini asked, and Elissa paused to listen to my response.
“Once Evangeline is okay,” I said, and I kissed them both on their foreheads. “Then I’ll come to bed.”
“Maybe you should make love to her,” Elissa mused. “That will make her feel better. I’m going to head to bed now.”
“I’m coming with you,” Mahini told her, and she blew me a kiss over her shoulder as the two beauties disappeared inside the inn.
Once they were gone, I turned and headed in the direction Evangeline had run off in. I didn’t make a new save point because I wanted the opportunity to reset back with the men if I needed to, but I was confident in my ability to handle anything that came my way. Once I was on the good side to the burned down buildings it was easy to see a far distance, and I spotted her jagged blonde hair as she slid between trees on the edge of town.
I stomped my foot to activate my griffon feather boots, and then I dashed forward through the charred remains of Bronzeberg after the duke’s daughter. I followed Eva beneath the tree cover, and the underbrush made it harder to tell which way she went. Then I spotted a flash of pale skin, and I skidded to a halt a few paces away from her.
“Oh, Great One, you surprised me!” Eva gasped as her eyes met mine. “What are you doing? Why did you follow me?”
“You were obviously upset, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I crossed the distance between us, and I wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “What happened, why did you run off?”
“I was thinking about what Elissa said,” the duke’s daughter explained with a sigh. “She cares so much about the people, and I’ve been so selfish…”
“What do you mean? You helped me find the missing girl, and you were very kind to the enchanter in Vallenwood.” I shook my head and gave her an earnest look. “You care about people, too, Evangeline.”
“I… I have to make myself be like that, and it seems to come so naturally for the rest of your followers. It’s like they’ve learned from you how to be selfless and giving.”
“I’m not all that selfless,” I informed her with a smirk. “I take what I want sometimes.”
“You’re always sacrificing your time to help others,” Eva insisted as she shook her head. “Just like here, in Bronzeberg. You could have just called it a day, but you used your powers to stop the fires.”
“Well, it was getting really close to the inn I wanted to sleep in,” I pointed out. “I might be a god, but sometimes I have the needs of a man.”
“Needs?” Eva blushed a bright crimson instantly, so I knew she understood my innuendo. Her gray eyes flicked across my face, and then shot downward to the ground.
“Yes, Evangeline, I have human needs while I am in this body,” I explained as my smile grew wider the harder she avoided eye contact.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” she stammered, and she licked her dry lips self-consciously.
“You don’t have to say anything but yes,” I assured her as I slid my hands around her lower back and pulled her breasts against my chest.
Eva’s eyelashes fluttered as her gray eyes filled with understanding. She bit her bottom lip and worked it between her teeth for a moment, but then she took a deep breath and looked up at me with her gaze full of longing.
“Yes,” she breathed.
I lowered my head and kissed her softly, and I moved my lips in the gentlest of motions until I felt her mouth open. Then I slowly explored the edges of her lips with my tongue, and I got her to reciprocate with her own. I moaned as desire flooded through me, and my hands lifted to the back of her head. I tangled my fingers in her short, jagged hair, and I tilted her neck backward so I could enter her even deeper.
“Mmm,” Eva moaned beneath my kiss, and I could tell she was ready to take the next step.
So, I moved my hands to the edges of her leather armor, and I pulled at the straps keeping it attached to her body.
“Bash, no,” Eva gasped, and she pushed my hands away.
“You want me to stop?” I asked as I calmed my ragged breathing. My cock was already pulsing inside my pants, but if the blonde wasn’t ready, I was by no means going to force her.
“I mean, yes, of course, but…” The duke’s daughter bit her bottom lip in the adorable torn manner she had sometimes. She seemed constantly on the fence about whether she wanted me or not, but I could tell her desire was beginning to overpower whatever restrained her. “I’m… a virgin.”
The revelation hit me like a ton of bricks because it should have been obvious. Her playful flirtatious manner when around others when it was “safe,” but her shyness when we were alone made complete sense. I’d experienced it before, and it was a lot of fun to initiate a woman for the first time, so I was excited to do it again.
Evangeline needed me to take my time and slowly open her up to the bonds of love, and I had all the time in the world.
This had to be my favorite part of being a god, after helping out the people of the realm, of course.