Chapter Nine
I explained my plan to get the jump on the wanna-be assassins, and my crew were quick to agree to the tasks I laid out for them. Jaxtom, Riondale, Corvis, and Kylor all climbed into trees around the wagon with bows and arrows while Niconor, Jeron, Bron, and Mahini hid beneath a canvas in the back with their swords at the ready.
Celeste, Adelina, Caelia, and Sarah joined Eva and Elissa inside our large tent, and my two women kept their eyes peeled on the entrance flap.
Once we were all in place, I threw on a dark, hooded cloak, and I took a seat by the campfire.
I wanted to look harmless, but I wasn’t sure how well I could pull that off given how much my muscles had grown since I’d been summoned to this world. My shoulders still bulged beneath the fabric of the cloak, and it had to be obvious I was a man. Still, I had faith the wanna-be assassins would arrive soon and take the bait.
Then I could teach them exactly who they were messing with.
It seemed like I waited an eternity before I heard a sound like twigs snapping beneath feet in the underbrush behind me. I didn’t move a muscle, but I kept my ears locked in the direction of the noise. I heard some branches move, and I held my breath.
Beneath the cloak, I gripped my two daggers in my fists, and I waited patiently for my enemies to come within my reach. It felt like hours passed before I heard another noise, but this time it came from much closer, so I knew the assassins would be there soon.
I could barely make out the shadowy shapes of the men who had climbed into the trees, but I could see Jaxtom’s white sleeveless shirt glimmering in the moonlight. I just hoped it didn’t alert our attackers to their presences since I wanted our counterattack to be a surprise.
Only assholes snuck up on people in the middle of the night and killed innocents.
This time I was right in the open, so they would have to get through me to get to any of my followers. I wasn’t about to let my people die on my watch. Not when I had the power to turn the tables.
A sudden blur of motion caught my attention, and I turned to see a figure dressed in all black dart out of the darkness of the underbrush. They were headed in the direction of the tents, and I waited for one more heart-pounding moment before I jumped to my feet.
The black clothed figure skidded to a halt a few paces away from the large tent where the women were hidden from view, and they turned to face me slowly.
I wanted to demand answers to a million questions, but I didn’t want them to get any closer to my women or my followers, so I lunged forward and brandished my daggers.
The masked man dodged my attack and spun around behind me, but I swiveled just in time to bring my blades up to block the dagger aimed for my shoulder. With my other hand, I brought my second weapon up into my enemy’s ribs, and I twisted to ensure maximum damage done.
I stared into the dark-brown eyes of the masked figure as life slowly faded from them, and my enemy crumpled to the dirt when I withdrew my blade.
“Bash!” Elissa’s voice called out from inside the tent. “The wagon!”
My head snapped to the cart where I saw multiple figures dressed in black crawling over the surface. Arrows zipped through the air from the trees, but if the murmured voices and pointed fingers were any indication, the men in black had discovered my men’s locations. Two of the ninja-like dudes quickly crossed the distance to the trees, and they dodged arrows like they could slow time.
If I’d been a regular archduke, then perhaps these assholes would be able to accomplish their goals easily, but unfortunately for them, I was the God of Time, and they weren’t going to get away with murder on my watch.
I scanned the scene to get a quick tally of my enemies, and I counted ten total black figures swarming over the wagon, not including the two attempting to climb the trees. I gritted my teeth before I stomped my foot to activate the fleetness ability of my griffon feather boots, and the feeling of my daggers digging into the flesh of one of the ninja-like assholes was extremely satisfying.
I yanked my blades free before I darted over to the next guy, but he was already scurrying up the trunk. I glanced up into the tree just in time to see Kylor take aim, and then his projectile landed with a thud in our enemy’s face. The assassin fell backward to the ground, and he landed with a sickening crunch.
Well, that took care of that asshole.
“For Bash!” Mahini yelled as she and the rest of my people in the wagon burst from cover and charged toward our enemies.
“For Bastianville!” Niconor shouted, and he parried a dagger with his sword.
Jeron and Bron were right behind the two, and I wasn’t about to be outdone by my townspeople, so I rushed forward with a bloodthirsty grin.
I met my first opponent about five yards away from where the wagon was parked, and the man tried to kick my feet out from beneath me. I hopped over his leg, landed in a squat, and then jabbed my dagger out at his thigh. My blade grazed the flesh, and blood poured from the wound, but the masked man remained on his feet.
Then he came at me with some karate type moves, and I resisted the urge to spam respawns until I mastered his way of fighting. It wasn’t worth keeping them alive long enough to learn from them, anyway.
We danced around each other for a few more moments, and I jabbed out at him with my daggers at every opportunity. I managed to land a couple more blows to his extremities, but it didn’t slow him down much, so I decided to go for a different strategy.
I flipped my dagger over and caught it by the blade before I tossed it end over end toward my enemy, and the weapon buried in the masked figure’s right shoulder. Then I whipped my feather sword free from its scabbard, flicked his dagger from his grasp, and slid my blade into his abdomen. I twisted the hilt of my sword, and blood gushed from the wound to splash onto the forest floor.
He was done for, so I grabbed my dagger that protruded from his shoulder with my left hand, and I wrenched both of my blades free as I spun around in one swift motion. My opponent collapsed to the ground without a sound, and my eyes lifted to find a new enemy to kill.
My goal was to kill all of the would-be assassins on my first attempt without anyone getting injured, but I wouldn’t give up even if I had to go through a million lifetimes to make sure I accomplished what I wanted.
I watched as Mahini drove her sword through an assassin’s midsection while the others held off attacks from several more enemies, so I quickly crossed the distance to them, and I slammed my dagger into the back of Jeron’s opponent.
“Thanks, Bash.” The woodsman flashed me a grateful smile as his target crumpled to the ground.
“Any time.” I grinned, and then I yanked my blade free from the masked figure’s back.
“Bash!” Mahini’s voice called out. “Behind you!”
I turned just in time to block the dagger aimed at my back, and I glared into the masked man’s eyes as I pushed him away from me with a kick. I had my feather sword in my right hand and one of my daggers in my left, so I lunged forward with an overhand sweep of my blades, but my opponent blocked both on the edge of his weapon.
I pressed forward, and his blade inched toward his throat. I stared into his dark eyes as I grimaced with the effort it took, but with each passing moment, the silver edge grew steadily closer to his neck. With a final growl of determination, I pushed his own weapon into his flesh, and fear filled his eyes in his last moments.
“Thanks for the heads up,” I called to the desert goddess as I let my enemy fall to the ground, and then I looked for another asshole to kill. I found my next target in my next breath, and I was already on the move.
My next opponent saw me coming, though, and the fucker dodged my first strike before he attempted to jump onto my back. I dropped into a squat, and the masked man rolled over my shoulders to the ground in front of me, so I charged forward and barreled into him.
We both hit the dirt hard, which gave my enemy the perfect opportunity to straddle me. All the wind was expelled from my lungs, so it took me a moment to react to the dagger whizzing past my peripheral vision.
Who were these masked dagger-wielding assholes?
And a better question, who the fuck had sent them?
I didn’t have time to think things over, though, since I had one of the assholes on top of me trying to kill me, so I maneuvered my hand around until I managed to free my dagger from beneath his legs, and then I angled my blade toward my enemy’s side. I slid it between his ribs, and a pained gasp escaped his lips.
The slice to his side caused the masked man to jump back and release me, so I jumped to my feet, twirled my feather sword around in my grasp, and charged toward him again. I knocked his dagger out of the way with the longer blade in my right hand, and then I buried my dagger into his neck with my left fist.
His eyes widened in shock as a gurgled cry came from his mouth, and a fountain of blood sprayed from the gaping hole in his neck the instant I removed my blade.
Another one bites the dust.
I grimaced at my own cheesy line before I turned back to the battle at the wagon. Arrows littered the ground between the trees and the cart, and bodies were scattered everywhere. They were all wearing the black outfit and cowl, though, so I knew they were all bad guys with one glance.
“A little help?” Bron and Jeron were back-to-back with enemies coming at them from both sides, and the ninja-like assholes appeared to have the upper hand, since the two townspeople sweated profusely as they parried the daggers coming at them from all angles.
I darted across the distance between us, kicked the legs out from under the man attacking Bron, and then drove my blades into the masked man’s torso the second he hit the ground. Bron swiveled, and with Jeron’s help, they pushed back the other would-be assassin.
Then, like a nightmare playing out in slow motion, I watched in horror as the masked man kicked Jeron square in the chest, and the woodsman flew backward. He landed with a loud “oof” and didn’t move, so I rushed to his side to check on him. Blood dribbled from the corner of his lips, and he sputtered as he tried to catch his breath, so I knew there was some serious damage done to his lungs as well as possibly some broken ribs.
I shook my head in dismay as I took in his injured state, and then I decided to reset back to my save point. I’d much rather go through multiple attempts than to have a single member of my entourage get hurt.
Chime.
I was back in the moment before I started the fire at the newly formed campsite, and all my followers were safe and sound. The flames licked at the kindling in an ominous way, but I supposed that was because I knew what was coming.
I’d have to work harder to keep all my followers safe, and determination swelled in my chest.
My entourage had said it best earlier. I was a god, but they weren’t, so I needed to take their weaknesses into account before I threw them in harm’s way. Jeron had been training with Riondale and the rest of the militia, but he was far from ready to face off against the ninja-like assholes who were coming that night.
“What’s wrong, Bash?” Elissa asked as a line of concern creased her eyebrows. “You look upset…”
“Some bad people are going to attack us tonight,” I informed everyone in a solemn tone. “They intend on killing all of us before the sun rises tomorrow, and I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Who are they?” Mahini frowned, and her hand instinctively hovered over her sword’s hilt. Ever on guard, her ice-blue eyes were cold as they scrutinized the underbrush.
“Men dressed all in black.” I worked the muscle in my jaw.
I needed to figure out who sent the assholes before I killed them all.
“What is your command, sir?” Riondale asked with a stoic expression on his face.
“While I know some of you have been training with the Bastianville militia,” I said as my eyes fell on Niconor, Jeron, and Bron. “There are many among us who have no fighting skills.”
Across the fire, I noticed Celeste’s face went ghostly white, and I had to shake off images of her dead on the ground before I turned back to the men. I wasn’t going to let that happen, so there was no point in thinking about it.
“I will guard them with my life,” Riondale swore in a solemn tone.
“I want everyone to hide in the trees,” I instructed in a hard voice that left no room for argument. “Our enemies will go to the tents and the wagon in search of their targets first, so I need all of you to basically disappear while I kill all of them.”
“How many are there?” Jax frowned as he crossed his muscular arms. “Even gods could use some help sometimes.”
“Over ten.” I shrugged. “I’ve handled five times that many on my own easily, so I’m more concerned with keeping everyone out of the way. That will be the most helpful thing you could do in this situation.”
“Bullshit.” Jax spat into the fire, and the saliva hissed as it evaporated in the heat of the flames. “I’m fightin’.”
“Sir,” Corvis interjected, and he flashed me a cautious smile when I looked his way. “If we work together, we can make short work of whoever is coming our way. Trust in us.”
“Alright,” I sighed. “But ranged weapons only. I don’t want anyone fighting them in close quarters except me.”
Jax flashed me an annoyed look, but he didn’t open his mouth to argue.
Riondale saluted, but the movement lacked its usual snap.
I shook my head in amusement at their reluctance to step back from a fight, but I was determined to kill all the assholes without anyone who followed me getting hurt.
“So, here’s what we’re going to do,” I said, and everyone leaned forward with eager ears. “Anyone good with a bow can fight from the trees, but your primary objective should be keeping the others safe. I will be the only one on the ground in the campsite when they arrive, and I’m sure they’ll think I’ll be an easy target.”
Mahini snorted. “They’d be fools to think that.”
“I hope they do.” I grinned. “That’ll give me the element of surprise.”
“Ooh, how devious,” Elissa giggled.
“Hey, they’re the ones trying to kill us.” I shrugged. “Gotta do what we gotta do to stay alive, babe.”
With the plan decided, we went about finding the best trees around the campsite to station my archers in. I’d have Riondale, Corvis, Jax, and Mahini at my back while Kylor, Bron, Niconor and Jeron would be guarding the civilians among us.
Celeste still looked terrified, but Adelina wrapped a reassuring arm around the teen’s shoulders, so I knew she was in good hands. Sarah and Caelia spent some time practicing climbing up and down the trees, and soon their arms were covered in scratches from the evergreen branches.
Everyone dressed in dark clothes paired with hooded cloaks, and I made sure they were all armed just in case, but I knew this time I was going to stop all the would-be assassins before they reached any of my people. Despite their reluctance to stay out of the fight, everyone exhibited wonderful teamwork as we prepared for the attack, and while we wouldn’t get much sleep that night, we’d be closer as a group by the time the sun came up the next day.
When it grew closer to the time of the attack, everyone scurried up their chosen trees, and my archers hauled their bows and quivers full of arrows up the branches of the evergreens. We’d cut away some of the limbs in an effort to create vantage points, but everyone was still completely out of sight, so I was satisfied.
I sat alone at the dying fire with my daggers in my hand while my heart pounded in my chest. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, but my bloodlust hadn’t calmed since the last attempt, and I focused on that feeling as I waited.
A twig snapped behind me and alerted me to the presence of another person, but I held my breath and stayed where I was. I wanted them to think I was sleeping until they got close enough for me to go super Saiyan on their masked asses.
I could feel the presence of multiple people coming toward the campsite from behind me, and it was almost more than I could take, but I worked the muscle in my jaw as I stayed frozen in place.
Suddenly, I heard an arrow zip through the air from the direction of the tree to my right, followed by a thud and a gasp, and I cursed under my breath. I tossed back my cloak as I stood and faced my enemies, and the group of masked men blinked in surprise at my sudden movement.
I grinned. That was satisfying.
Then my grin turned into a bloodthirsty grimace, and I dashed toward the closest figure as I repositioned my daggers in my fists. I punched him with my weapon gripped in my hand, and I heard his jaw crunch beneath my knuckles. His head flew backward, and I took the opportunity to slash my left hand’s blade across his Adam’s apple.
Blood sprayed out and struck me in the face, and I spat it out as the man fell to the ground. Two more men rushed to fill his place, and a moment later, I was surrounded by the masked men. Arrows filled the air around me, so I ducked, and one man took a projectile to the neck.
If my men weren’t careful, they’d hit me with their arrows, but if that happened, I’d just reset back to my save point and try again.
While I didn’t want to spend the rest of eternity reliving this single battle over and over again, I would do it as many times as it took to get it perfect. I wanted one-hundred percent completion of this video-game-like fantasy world, after all.
I jumped up from my squat, stomped my foot to activate the fleetness ability of my griffon feather boots, and then ran toward the two masked men directly in front of me at full speed. I jumped at the last possible instant, and I opened my arms wide with my daggers angled downward. I landed with a blade in each man’s chest, and all three of us fell to the ground.
I was on my feet an instant later, though, and I wrenched my daggers free before I spun my leg out at the next guy. He hopped over my foot, landed in a squat, and then lunged toward me with a malicious look in his dark eyes.
I scrambled backward to gain some distance, but I stumbled over the dead body behind me, so I raised my feet as I fell over. The masked man ran into my feet, and I launched him into the air over my head. He landed in a roll and scurried into a standing position, but then an arrow shot across the distance and dove into his eyeball.
“Great shot!” I wasn’t sure who shot the arrow, but I laughed out loud as the masked man’s body crumpled to the ground like it was made of Play-Doh, and then I turned to find someone else to kill.
Five men moved to swarm around me, and I grinned.
This was going to be fun.
“Come on.” I beckoned to my enemies with the fingers of one hand while maintaining my hold on my dagger. “Get closer. I dare ya.”
A confused expression flashed across their eyes, but then the look was replaced with murderous intent once more.
Once they were all crowded around me, I stomped my foot again, and I ran in a tight circle as I slashed out at them with my daggers. It was like a buzz saw tearing into their flesh, and I was sprayed with a fountain of their blood as my blades found major arteries. Then I slowed just enough to make sure I was landing fatal hits. I struck a jugular, spun to stab an eyeball, and swiveled back around just in time to bury both my daggers in a third man’s chest.
That caused me to skid to a halt, though, and I stood there catching my breath for a moment as the life faded from my enemies’ eyes. I yanked my daggers free from his chest, and my gaze flicked from side to side in search of another target.
I was drenched in my enemies’ blood, but I didn’t see any more dark-clothed figures standing around the campsite.
Had I killed them all?
I scanned the bodies scattered about the campsite, and I quickly discovered several of them were porcupined with arrows. My team had killed their fair share of the would-be assassins, but I was just glad they were all dead without anyone getting hurt.
Just to be certain, I went around to every ninja-like asshole and slit their throats since I didn’t want any of them getting a second wind and sneaking up on me when my back was turned. I made a new save point since I’d taken out all of my enemies, and then I signaled for everyone to come down from the trees.
Kylor, Corvis, Bron, and Jeron immediately began to strip the small daggers off the corpses, and then the four men started to pull the bodies away from the campsite. There was still blood everywhere, but it was nice to see how efficiently they worked to clean up the battle.
Then the ladies started to climb down from the trees, and a scream pierced the air.
“W-W-What happened to you?” Celeste wailed as tears sprang into her eyes at the sight of me.
“What’s wrong?” I frowned. “I’m fine. I’m not even injured. Why did you scream?”
“Bash…” Elissa hurried forward and flashed me a warning look. “You’re covered in blood from head to toe.”
“Oh.” I blinked, and then I looked down at myself with a grimace. My wife was right. My entire person was soaked in my enemies’ blood, and I probably looked like I was about to die or something. “I’m sorry. Let me go clean up.”
I trotted over to the wagon while all the women surrounded Celeste in an effort to comfort her, and I shook my head as I searched for a water canteen among the supplies in the back of the cart. I needed to be a little bit more careful about things with a teenager among my entourage, but Celeste seemed so mature for her age it was easy to forget she was still a young girl.
If I was going to be a dad someday, I needed to be able to handle a teenage girl without scaring the daylights out of her.
When I returned to the rest of my entourage in clean clothes, everyone stood and blinked at me for several long moments without saying anything.
“What?” I asked as I glanced around at my companions’ awed expressions. “Did I miss a spot?”
“You… You killed them all…” Caelia’s face paled, and she shook her head like she was dispelling a dream. “So fast…”
“I knew ye were powerful.” Jax frowned. “But I had no idea ye were that fast.”
I grinned as understanding dawned on me. They were basking in my glory, not terrified of me.
“Bash is the God of Time,” my wife pointed out, but her emerald eyes filled with desire when they landed on me. “What else did you expect?”
“I expected enemies of that skill level to be a challenge,” Jeron said, and the woodsman’s eyes were wide as he gazed at me. “But you sliced through them like warm butter.”
“I have to give credit where it’s due,” I laughed. “Jax makes some fine daggers.”
“It was more than my blades,” the blacksmith countered. “And you know it.”
“Well, I don’t know what to say.” I raked my hand through my hair in a self-conscious gesture. “I just did what I had to do.”
“And looked damn good doing it,” Eva added with a wink.
“You are so powerful,” Caelia breathed, and her dark eyes were unfocused.
“You’ve done it again,” Mahini chuckled as she took in the store owner’s reaction. “But that’s not surprising.”
“Who sent those men after you, Great One?” Bellona asked in a worried voice. “Will they send more?”
“It’s possible more attacks will come.” I nodded. “But as you can see, I am more than capable of keeping you all perfectly safe.”
“Could this be the work of another duke?” Riondale frowned. “Maybe someone who knows you’re responsible for Arginold’s death?”
“The Duke of Edinburg was plotting with Arginold against the king,” I pointed out. “He could be the person responsible for tonight’s attack. I will have to see for myself once we reach Vallenwood.”
“That’s true,” Eva said in a thoughtful tone. “With every noble present, it will be easy enough to figure out who is working against us.”
“That’s the plan.” I grinned. “Think you all can help me with that?”
“I would do anything for you, Great One,” the duke’s daughter insisted.
“As would I.” Mahini nodded curtly.
“I would love to do my part,” Caelia murmured in a quiet voice, but the words rang loudly in my ears like she’d yelled them.
“Your time will come soon enough.” I stared deep into her milk-chocolate eyes until she blushed and looked away.
“Wasn’t there another god tryin’ to kill ya a while back?” Jax asked as he scratched his jaw thoughtfully. “God of Dyin’ or somethin’ like that?”
“The God of the Purge is still at large, yes.” I nodded. “I don’t think this is something he would do, though. He tended to use more psychological warfare than physical personal attacks.”
“I wonder what happened to Sarosh sometimes,” Sarah mused. Her husband wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, and she flashed him a sweet smile.
“Me, too.” I smiled as my thoughts turned to the silver-haired priestess of the Purge. I hoped she was alive and well, but I’d released her from my following the last time I’d been in Vallenwood. Her life was in her own hands now.
“We should get some sleep,” Riondale pointed out with a tired sigh. “The faster we reach the walls of Bullard, the better.”
“I’ll keep the first watch,” I suggested, but everyone immediately shot down my offer.
“Nonsense,” Bellona admonished.
“Won’t hear of it,” Jax growled.
“You just fought off all those men!” Adelina protested.
“Alright, alright,” I laughed and held up my hands in surrender. “I’ll get some rest, but I want to be woken up at the first sign of anything weird going on.”
“You’re always able to predict anything before it happens,” Corvis reminded me with a smirk. “If there was going to be any more danger, you’d know it before us anyway.”
“True,” I chuckled before I quickly bade everyone goodnight and made my way to my tent.
We got back on the road early the next day, and the next few days of travel were completely uneventful. We passed through a couple of small villages that laid outside of Castle Bullard, but we didn’t stop. I still waved at the townspeople as we rode through, and they cheered like we were a grand parade.
The sun was almost to the mid-day point a few days after the assassin attack when I spotted the white-washed walls of Castle Bullard, and I let out a breath of relief and pulled our procession to a halt.
“Bullard is up ahead,” I informed my companions with a broad grin. “We’ll all get baths and soft beds tonight.”
“We are definitely in need of a few hot baths,” Bellona agreed, and she sniffed Riondale with a sour expression.
The young lieutenant flashed her a hot glare, but then his expression softened.
“You’re smelling pretty ripe yourself, seamstress,” Riondale teased back. “We better hurry. I’m not sure how much longer I will last.”
“Funny.” I shook my head in amusement, and then my gaze returned to the walls of the castle town.
It had multiple towers and turrets along the walls, and everything was lit up like a Christmas tree. The road widened and led up to the drawbridge, and the huge wooden plank was close to fifty-feet long and twenty-feet wide, so I knew we could all ride side by side across the barrier.
Eva rode her horse up beside mine, and her eyes welled up with emotion as she looked upon her hometown.
“I didn’t think I would be back for a long time,” she admitted in a soft voice. “I wonder if my father is expecting us…”
“He’ll have gotten the king’s summons as well,” I pointed out. “Maybe we can travel together for a time so you can catch up with him.”
“That’s not necessary.” The duke’s daughter flashed me a grin. “I’d rather have our privacy.”
“Good point,” I laughed, and a self-conscious heat rose to my neck as I pictured Eva’s father listening to her moans of pleasure through the thin tent walls.
Yeah, there was no way that was going to happen.
We rode across the drawbridge with my flag waving over our heads, and the guards at the entrance to the castle town signaled for us to stop. I clicked my heels against Goliath’s flanks to nudge him to the front of the caravan, and I gave the guard a friendly smile as he approached me.
“Hello, there,” I greeted. “I am Sir Sebastian, Archduke of Bastianville, and I am on my way to the castle. Why do you stop me?”
“I see armed men approaching my city,” the guard responded as his eyes swept over my companions. “Archduke of Bastianville, you say?”
“How dare you question my lord,” Eva hissed as she trotted her horse up beside mine. “I am Evangeline Bullard, daughter of the Duke of Bullard, and the mistress of the man you are currently insulting. You may know him as the God of Time. Move out of our way.”
“Yes, my lady,” the guard gasped, and he scurried backward with his head hung low. “My apologies, my lady. I’ll send a runner to the castle to alert them of your arrival.”
“Well, that was easy.” I smirked. “Now, let’s go see your dad.”
“Let’s do it.” The duke’s daughter flashed me a cheeky grin before she clicked her tongue to her mare, and she rode forward with her chin lifted proudly.
Evangeline was always so humble around me, it was easy to forget she’d been raised as a noble, but it came in handy sometimes when I wanted to skirt past formalities and get straight to the good stuff. I’d have to show her just how much I appreciated her presence later, but for the moment my goal was to sink into a hot bath as soon as possible.
This time, I approached Castle Bullard as an Archduke, so I rode straight up to the castle courtyard. A small army of stable hands rushed out to meet us, and they quickly grabbed the reins of all of our horses.
I made a new save point just in case I did something wrong, and then I signaled for my companions to dismount.
Riondale was all smiles as he hopped down from the wagon’s bench, but he turned to help Bellona down before he approached me.
“It’s a little strange to be back as your follower,” the young lieutenant said with a wry smile.
“I bet.” I grinned. “Just make sure you take some time to visit your grandmother while we’re in town.”
“I will.” Riondale nodded. “I’m sure she’d love to meet you, as well.”
“I’d like that.” I jerked my chin toward the castle entrance. “Look, someone’s coming.”
A servant dressed in the Duke of Bullard’s colors appeared as the doors pulled open, and he had short-clipped blond hair that matched his goatee. The man bowed stiffly to me with his hands locked to his sides.
“Your Grace, we were not expecting you to visit us,” the servant said in a cautious tone. “Please forgive our tardiness in preparing rooms for you and your people.”
“No worries.” I grinned. “You can take me to the duke first.”
“Unfortunately, His Grace is not here,” the servant informed me. “He is on his way to the summit of nobility in Vallenwood.”
I should have figured Duke Bullard would have already left town, but I’d hoped to catch him before he departed. It didn’t seem like his servants would have any objection to us staying in the castle that night, but I didn’t want anyone to think I didn’t know something already, so I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
“A servant is about to come tell us the duke has already left for Vallenwood,” I informed my companions.
“Oh, no.” Eva’s face fell into a disappointed pout. “We must have just missed him.”
“You’ll see him in Vallenwood,” Elissa pointed out with a sympathetic smile.
“She’s right,” Caelia murmured in a soft voice. “And you’ll be on the arm of the God of Time with a retinue of servants behind you. You’ll be sure to make quite the lasting impression on your father.”
“Thank you,” Eva sighed, and her expression softened into a sweet smile. “You are too kind. I do miss my father, but I know I will see him soon enough.”
“I feel fortunate to have my father so close to me,” Elissa mused.
“You are both lucky to have such loving fathers in your lives,” Mahini said, and a pained look briefly flashed across her ice-blue eyes. The desert goddess had a hard life so far, but all that had changed when she bonded with me. Whatever pain was in her past could remain there since I was more interested in her present and future.
The servant led us inside the wide double doors of the castle, and he marched straight to the same wing of the castle we’d stayed in previously. Then Eva cleared her throat, and she paused in the middle of the hallway with a hand on one hip.
“Excuse me,” she said to the servant in a loud voice. “The green room is for common visitors. I believe the purple room is more fitting for the God of Time.”
“Yes, my lady,” the servant replied, and he hurriedly switched directions. Then we took a different route than we had during our first visit to the castle, and we followed the servant down a long corridor to a part of the castle I’d never seen before.
I chuckled to myself as the servant ushered us inside a large living space. Lushly upholstered velvet couches were situated in a u-shape around a large stone fireplace. A table covered in fancy crystal bottles held dark-brown liquids, and I wondered if it was something stronger than ale like scotch or whiskey.
There was only one way to find out.
I felt a little guilty about making myself at home in the duke’s castle while he was gone, but I knew I’d have gotten the same sort of treatment if he’d been here anyway. I might as well live it up while I could, although with our final destination being the king’s palace, I could get used to living luxuriously for a while.
Eventually, I’d have my own castle in Bastianville, but first I had to get some masons to move to my town.
“Please alert us if you have any needs,” the servant said with another stiff bow, and then he left us alone in the lavish purple wing of the castle.
My companions looked around with curious expressions, but Jax hesitated near the doorway. The burly blacksmith crossed his arms and eyed the soft couches skeptically, and he looked more awkward than a teen on his way to pick up his prom date.
“What’s up, Jax?” I asked as I crossed the distance between us. “You look a little odd.”
“I ain’t ever been inside a castle before,” the blacksmith grunted. “I think I’d rather sleep in a pile of hay than on a perfumed bed, though.”
“Try it,” I chuckled. “You may like it.”
“I ain’t about to get soft on ya,” he argued with a shake of his head.
“I’m not worried about that.” I smirked. “There’s nothing in Sorreyal that could soften you up, my friend.”
“As long as we both know it,” Jax grumbled, and then he moved to one of the sofas. The muscular blacksmith stretched out on the lounge chair, and he let out a contented sigh. “I don’t even need nowhere else to sleep. Give me my blanket, and I’m good.”
“I’m sure you’ll have a bed that puts that couch to shame,” I assured him, and then my gaze flicked to the rest of my entourage, who hesitated to make themselves comfortable in the lavish castle wing. “The same goes to the rest of you. You were lecturing me about acting more noble, but you’ll have to get used to being with a god, too.”
“I could get used to it.” Bellona placed her hands behind her head and leaned back into the cushions of a couch. “When’s dinner?”
I shook my head with amusement, and then I turned to find a servant to answer that question for me. It didn’t take me long to flag down one of the duke’s attendants, and I ordered dinner for all sixteen of us. Then I decided to explore the rooms in this part of the castle while I waited for the food.
The main living space wasn’t the only room decorated in the purple theme, and the color carried over into every area of the wing. I perused the spines of the books in the library for a while before I claimed a bedroom for myself and my women. I chose one with a large king-sized bed so we could all fit comfortably, and then delicious aromas wafted into my nostrils, so I knew dinner had arrived.
I hurried back down the corridor to join my companions in the fancy dining room complete with a crystal candelabra. There had to be hundreds of candles lit upon the delicate structure, and I didn’t envy the servant who had to light all the tiny flames.
Medieval times were rough for the peasants, but I wanted things to be different for my followers. I wanted everyone to prosper along with me.
Dinner was served with a flourish, and we all dug in eagerly. After every dish had been devoured, we all nursed glasses of a sharp-tasting wine. It was a perfect cap to the day, and I looked around the table at my companions with a pleased smile.
“Sir.” Riondale cleared his throat. “How much time do we have in Bullard?”
“I figured we’d leave tomorrow morning.” I shrugged. “We need to get to Vallenwood, and there’s no point in hanging out here since the duke left. Why do you ask?”
“Well.” The young lieutenant pushed the remnants of his food around his plate with his fork. “I was hoping we would have time for you to meet my grandmother. She is old, and she cannot leave her house.”
“I’d like to meet her, too,” Elissa interjected with a bright smile. “She sounds so sweet.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely,” Eva cooed. “I wouldn’t want to miss it.”
“I will go as well.” Mahini nodded, but she didn’t elaborate.
“Looks like we have a side quest.” I grinned. “How about right now, Ri-guy?”
“Are you serious?” Riondale’s mouth fell open. “Y-Yes, thank you, sir, please.”
“Lead the way,” I chuckled before I stood from the table. “The rest of you can get some much-needed R and R while we’re gone.”
“Sure ye don’t need backup?” Jax asked.
“I’m good.” I grinned. “Go back to your couch for a while. Or better yet, take a bath.”
“Hey, now,” the blacksmith growled. “I smell like flowers and rainbows.”
“Sure…” I shook my head in disbelief, and Jax tossed back his head before he let out one of his big belly laughs.
“Alright, ye lot have fun with the old lady.” Jax waved goodbye, and then he lumbered down the corridor.
The rest of my entourage seemed content to lounge around without argument, so I followed Riondale out of the purple wing to the entrance of the castle. Once we were headed into the city, the young lieutenant lit a torch from a road lamp, and then we took a dark side path that veered away from the main road.
I kept a hand on the hilt of my sword since the area seemed seedier than the other parts of town I was more familiar with, but I trusted Riondale’s guidance. I just hadn’t imagined his elderly grandmother living in such a rundown part of the city.
The young lieutenant stopped in front of a door covered in chipped gray paint, and he knocked softly before he pushed the portal open.
“Nana?” Riondale called out in a gentle tone as he stuck his head in the crack. “It’s Rion. I brought some friends with me.”
“Rion?” Suddenly, a hand reached out from inside the dwelling, and the older woman grabbed the young lieutenant by the scruff of his shirt before dragging him inside. “It is you!”
“Hi, Nana,” Riondale said, and then he beckoned for us to come in. “These are my friends.”
The young lieutenant was locked in a tight embrace, but the woman who held onto him was half his size. She could have passed for a dwarf, she was so short, and the mop of curly brown hair on her head didn’t help the image fade from my mind. Then her clouded gray eyes peered over her bent over grandson’s shoulder to notice us standing in her doorway.
“Oh, company, oh, no,” the older woman gushed, and she hurried to make herself more presentable by smoothing down the wrinkles of the shapeless gray tunic she wore.
“I apologize for our unexpected visit,” I said, and I flashed her my most charming smile. “My name is Sir Sebastian, the Archduke of Bastianville, and the God of Time, but please, call me Bash.”
“Riondale has told me of the man he followed during his last visit,” the older woman said. “He said you insisted he called you by a nickname, but I thought it was a tall tale.”
“I would never lie to you, Nana,” Riondale insisted in a worried tone, and his grandmother fixed him with a stern look. “Well, not anymore. Children make mistakes, after all.”
“Just as long as you learned from your mistakes,” his grandmother huffed before she turned back to me with a brilliant smile. “Would you like a cup of tea? Who are these other people?”
“Forgive me, I forgot myself.” I gestured to the three women who stood patiently behind me. “This is my wife, Elissa, my blood bonded, Mahini, and Evangeline, the Duke of Bullard’s daughter.”
“You bring nobles here without a single word of warning,” the older woman admonished her grandson, and she swatted at his shoulder playfully. “Send me a courier next time, would you?”
“I will have to remember that request in the future,” I said. “Our unexpected visit is mainly my fault. We weren’t sure when we’d arrive in town.”
“I just asked him to come with me after dinner,” Riondale hurried to explain, and his grandmother gave him a shrewd look. The young lieutenant bowed his head respectfully to his elder, and pride flashed in her eyes for the briefest of moments.
We ended up staying for two cups of tea while we caught up Riondale’s grandmother on his adventures. There were several stories I told of the young lieutenant’s great leadership and sense of duty, but then Ri-guy’s face started to turn red, so I cut my tales of his epicness short.
The three women by my side listened to me hype up my right-hand man, and their eyes quickly filled with desire as they watched me interact with the sweet old grandmother. Elissa’s fingers twitched, Mahini licked her lips, and Eva straight up had fuck me eyes, and it was all I could do to ignore the need I saw written all over their faces.
Finally, I called an end to our visit, and I gave the impossibly short old woman a warm hug.
“Promise me you’ll keep him safe,” she requested as her clouded gray eyes landed on Riondale’s face.
“I swear it.” I nodded solemnly. “Nothing’s going to happen to any of your grandchildren while they are under my command.”
Riondale’s grandmother nodded in satisfaction, and then we said our final goodbyes before heading back toward the castle. Riondale once again led the way until we made it back to the main streets of town, and then we walked side by side.
“Your grandma is good people.” I grinned. “Thanks for bringing me to meet her.”
“I’m sure she can all but die happy now.” Riondale smirked. “I’m grateful as well, sir. More than words can say.”
“Anything for you, Ri-guy,” I chuckled, and then I clapped him on the shoulder. “How do you feel about being the general of my army?”
“I-I-I would be honored, sir,” he stammered out in wide-eyed amazement. “I couldn’t possibly…”
“You’re definitely one of my main choices,” I explained. “Just think it over, okay?”
“Yes, sir.” Riondale nodded.
We made our way back to the purple wing of the castle, and we split off from Riondale as me and my women headed toward the bedroom with the king-sized bed.
“Finally, we’re alone,” Elissa sighed.
“It feels like forever,” Eva added.
“We must avoid being greedy, ladies,” Mahini murmured with a sly smile. “We need to take turns pleasing the Great One…”
“I can get behind that.” I grinned. “I’m here for all of you. Do with me as you please.”
“Elissa needs a baby,” Eva announced in a decisive tone. “She’s been wanting one for so long already…”
“It’s true.” The tiny goddess shrugged her petite shoulders, and her eyes filled with longing as they trailed up my body to my face. “I love it when you fill me up with your warm god seed, too… That’s my favorite part, after all the climaxes, of course.”
“I’ll have you overflowing before the night is over,” I promised in an earnest tone, and I meant every word.
Mahini and Eva exchanged a knowing smile, and the two ladies clasped hands before they turned toward the bedroom door. They sauntered away with swaying hips, and it took me a moment to realize what was happening.
“Where are you going?” I asked the two departing backs.
“Enjoy your wife, Great One.” Mahini shot me a wink over her shoulder.
“We’ll see you in the morning,” Eva added, and she fluttered her fingers in farewell.
“Goodnight!” I called at the two beauties before they disappeared from sight, and the door clicked shut behind them.
“Well, I guess that’s decided.” My eyes instantly shot to my wife, and her emerald eyes twinkled brightly back at me. “Take your clothes off.”
“Your wish is my command,” Elissa replied as a shit-eating grin split across her face.
The tiny red-haired goddess was in for a night she wouldn’t soon forget, and my mouth watered at the thought of her being filled with my seed. If she wanted a baby, then who was I to tell her no?
I would give her what she wanted since there was no way I could resist that magnetic look in her eyes.
What else would a god do?