Chapter Two
I was going to be a father.
Again.
I expected nothing less after filling them both full of my seed over and over again on a near-daily basis. Elissa and Mahini were my first two women, and we’d been on many adventures together, but the journey of parenthood was going to be new to us all.
With two of my women now pregnant, my thoughts began to race, and I realized I needed to enlarge my house even further to accommodate my swiftly growing family. I would need to have my army trained and ready to protect my empire at a moment’s notice, and delegating leadership roles would increase in value once I was a father.
Caelia should move out of the upstairs apartment above her shop and into my home where she belonged. That way, the duke’s daughter and the merchant would be able to help with the babies, and we would be one big happy family.
There was so much to do.
But first, I wanted to enjoy the moment.
“Mahini,” I breathed as I took her hands in mine. “You’re going to be a mother.”
“Oh, Bash!” Mahini’s face lit up in a rare radiant smile, and tears sprang into her ice-blue eyes. “This is unbelievable! Elissa and I carrying your offspring at the same time? It will be a joy.”
It wasn’t the reaction I’d expected from the stoic warrior woman, but I was pleased she was so happy about the news. My grin stretched from ear to ear, and I pulled the obsidian-haired beauty into a tight embrace. I held her for a long, blissful moment, but then I felt her back spasm.
I released the gagging Mahini from my arms, and she immediately began to empty the remaining contents of her stomach onto the grass in front of our house.
“We have a lot to do before the babies come,” Elissa said as if she could read my thoughts, and my first wife placed a comforting hand on her lower belly. “We want to give them the best possible start to their lives, after all.”
“At least we’re home now,” Evangeline pointed out. “Having two women with pregnancy sickness while traveling would really put a damper on things.”
“Please tell me this part ends soon,” Mahini managed to gasp out as she finished puking. “I’m not sure I can take several moons of this.”
“I still have the sickness each morning,” Elissa confessed with a sympathetic smile. “But you’ll start to get used to it at least.”
“Every woman is different,” Caelia offered, and she shrugged her petite shoulders before she took my place beside Elissa on the swinging porch bench. “This could be the only time you feel sick.”
“Or you’ll be sick all of the time,” Eva teased with a devilish smirk, and she joined the other ladies on the swing.
“Silence.” Mahini shot the duke’s daughter a deadly glare, but then her expression softened. “Oh, Bash, I hope I’m not sick more than once a day. Can you imagine how hard it will be to train if I’m not feeling well?”
“Hush,” I chuckled. “You’re a strong independent woman. You’ve got this.”
“And I’ve got you,” the desert goddess replied, and she snuggled up against my chest again. “Everything will be just fine as long as I am with you.”
“Forever,” I promised as I rubbed her back with loving strokes, and I flashed my other lovers a broad smile over her shoulder. “What a way to start a day!”
The rest of my day went smoothly, and no more crazy events stirred the pot of the serene little mountain town. Word of my upcoming children’s births spread through the citizens like wildfire, and the next thing we knew, gifts were being piled upon our porch on a daily basis.
Mahini was sick all throughout the day, and even into the night. There seemed to be no reprieve for the desert goddess, and I spent every night comforting her as she hurled. She took it like a champ, though, and still managed to work with the new recruits to my army every morning at sunrise despite her condition.
I settled into a new routine as I got comfortable with being back in Bastianville, and by the end of each day, I felt even more godly than I had before. I was the king of the world as far as the people of my humble village were concerned, and whatever I said immediately became the law of the land.
I started each day by touring the recent remodeling done on my house. In addition to the new rooms, roof, and hot water, I planned on adding an armory and a workshop for all my crafting needs, so the first thing completed were the foundations for the rooms. Then I went through my personal possessions like a goblin hoarding gold, but I had a lot of gear, weapons, treasure, and other things just categorized as loot.
Such as a dragon’s egg.
I’d stolen it from the nest of the great winged beast Smiguel, but it had remained motionless and undamaged ever since. I’d tucked it away in a secret spot in my house, so only my lovers and I knew where it was, but I didn’t know what to do with it yet since there was a lot of conflicting information in video games and movies.
Put it in a hot forge or no?
It would be awesome to have a pet dragon running around, but I had no idea how domesticated they could be. I needed more knowledge before I could make a decision about the egg, but I didn’t even know where to start acquiring it.
Thankfully, there were some more awesome items in my stash, like the last griffon feather I’d won from the massive beast shortly after defeating Lucian’s mini army, but some of the things needed repair after my recent trek through the desert. I’d won every fight without a scratch, but there was general wear and tear on some pieces. I’d practically lived in the armor for weeks, so it was expected.
At least I’d managed to snag a new set of armor during my mission to capture the Duke of Edinburg, and I picked up the breastplate before I placed my pointer finger against the metal.
Durability – 75%
Weight – 5lbs
Quality – Legendary
Magical Aspect – 10% Fire Resistance
Armor Tier – 10
Part of my special abilities as the God of Time was the power to view the stats on any item I pressed with my pointer finger, so I went through all my gear and checked each piece, and I had to admit I owned some pretty cool stuff.
There was the curved dagger I’d claimed from the wannabe-Voldemort-goth sorcerer Raijin, the feather sword I’d taken from the goblin leader, the obsidian bow I’d won from the Duke of Bullard’s treasury, and the lance gifted to me by King Frederick. I also had a few staves, wands, and other magical items. Of course, I couldn’t forget my griffon feather boots since the fleet footwear granted me superhuman speed at the stomp of a foot.
Magical Item - Griffon Feather Boots
Durability - 63%
Weight - .01lbs
Magical Aspect - Fleetness
Weakness - -1% Durability with each use of fleetness.
The griffon feather boots were getting close to needing a recharge, but I only had one last feather remaining to do so with, and I wanted to make it count. I could do a lot with sixty-three speedster settings left, though, so it wasn’t in need of urgent repair.
I thought about everything I’d accomplished with these items, and I had to admit, they’d served me well, but it was getting close to the time for some new gear. I itched to learn a new weapon, and having the opportunity to stretch the limits of my ability again. The feather sword in particular drew my attention, and I picked it up to analyze it more closely.
Durability - 73%
Weight - 0.2lbs
Quality - High
Magical Aspect - Feathering
Magical Ability - None
The dings and dents along the edge were due to me occasionally using it as an axe while camping, and I grimaced when I saw the durability. The blade had been harder and harder to keep in good condition the more I used it, so I wondered if it would eventually break altogether. It was definitely time for an upgrade, but I was sure I wouldn’t have to look very far.
Soon, I’d have an awesome set of dragon scale armor, but first I’d have to talk to Jaxtom, Bastianville’s blacksmith and one of my best friends, about what he’d learned on his quest. I’d sent my friend on a mission to find someone who knew how to forge the pieces we’d acquired from the crimson firebreather, but I’d been so busy with my women, I hadn’t had a chance to catch up with him yet.
Even in the proceeding days after my marriage to Evangeline, there never seemed to be time to discuss the sensitive topic. I didn’t want just anyone to know about my plans, but Bastianville’s population had been increasing at such a rate, it became impossible to keep up with the comings and goings of people in town. I bided my time, and in the end, I declared a meeting of the Elder Council in an effort to find out what my friend had learned.
It was shortly after my morning training session with my new troops and the daily tour of my house when I crossed the distance to the leader of Bastianville’s house where the council meetings were normally held. I’d created the panel of respected citizens to aid Elrin Addington, Elissa’s father, in the management of the town, and so far it was working exactly as intended.
“Greetings, Great One,” Elrin said as he opened the door, and he beckoned me inside his home with a broad smile stretched across his face. “Everyone else has already gathered in the dining room waiting for your arrival.”
“Sorry if I’m late,” I chuckled as I followed my father-in-law down the corridor to the formal dining chamber.
“Oh, not at all,” Elrin quickly assured me. “We merely wished to prevent you from having to wait on any one of us.”
“That’s thoughtful of you,” I commented, but then we arrived at the dining room, and I encompassed the entire room in my wide grin. “Hello, everyone.”
“Howdy, Bash,” Jax grunted from his usual chair where he had his legs kicked up on the table as the front legs of his chair hovered above the ground. “How’s yer honeymoon?”
“Fun.” I grinned even wider. “I’ve been keeping pretty busy lately. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get everyone together.”
“Them girls are runnin’ ye ragged,'' Jax chortled, and he scratched the stubble on his jaw. “Lucky bastard.”
“The workers remodeling your house attest to this fact as well,” Torya informed me with an amused smirk. “Their envious tales float into my ears every evening when I’m serving them dinner at the inn.”
“I can only imagine,” I chuckled. “It’s good to see you, Torya.”
“Yes, yes, we’ve all missed you while you entertain your new bride,” Theodora, the town apothecary, said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Let’s move on to more pressing business. Like the rise in the number of construction accidents I have been seeing.”
“That is to be expected with growth,” Elrin comforted the healer. “But I agree. We should get down to business.”
While they were talking, I crossed the room to where Caelia sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap, and I bent down to place a tender kiss upon her thick, juicy lips. The room fell silent, and I glanced over my shoulder to see the rest of the Elder Council exchanging looks.
“What?” I asked with a coolly arched eyebrow.
“It’s about time,” Jax growled.
“My thoughts exactly,” Torya chirped.
“You’re the god here,” Theodora pointed out. “You tell us what.”
“Damn straight,” I chuckled as I took the seat beside my newest woman, and everyone else quickly mimicked my action.
“On to the current state of affairs.” Elrin cleared his throat as he took the chair at the head of the table. “We have a new tradesman in town. Master Abrin is an enchanter from Vallenwood who heard your call for recruits. He wishes to aid in our efforts, so he relocated his shop to Bastianville.”
“We have an enchanter in town?” My mouth fell open as I looked to Elrin for confirmation, and my father-in-law nodded. “That’s fucking awesome. I have some gear I’d like to repair, but I wasn’t sure how it would work since they have magical stats-- er, properties.”
My luck continued to mount. With an enchanter in town, I had access to magical enchantments I could place on weapons or armor without traveling across Sorreyal to the nearest castle town.
“Aye.” Jax nodded with one eyebrow raised at a jaunty angle. “Certain gear needs to be worked on by an enchanter while others can go straight on the workbench. It gets tricky when ye start puttin’ spells on everything.”
“We should invite him to dinner,” Caelia suggested in a quiet voice. “Welcome him to town in a formal fashion.”
“Excellent idea,” I complimented with a nod. “What else is going on around town?”
“There have been some requests for an audience with you from the townsfolk,” Elrin informed me. “People wish to bring their concerns and comments directly to the God of Time it seems, but they are willing to be patient. We have formed a queue if you feel so inclined.”
“Another good suggestion.” I dipped my head to my father-in-law.
“I’m already getting low on supplies,” Theodora complained. “I’ve taken on one apprentice already. By the way, thank you for sending Zeb my way. He’s been a tremendous help.”
The old man the healer referred to had been one of the followers of the crazy zealot, Sarosh, but he’d relocated to Bastianville after I’d convinced the silver-haired priestess of the Purge to reject her cause.
“How can I help with your supply chain?” I asked as a compassionate smile stretched my lips. “I can’t make plants magically appear, or things grow where they aren’t supposed to, but there must be something I can do.”
“Add it to your list on the next trade caravan?” Theodora shrugged.
“We can pay someone to go in search of the ingredients you need,” I declared with a curt nod. “Make it a job, and I’m sure someone will bite. We also need to update the medical center. With more people moving to town, we need to be prepared for mass sicknesses.”
“That is a wise decision, Great One.” Theodora inclined her head.
“What about you, Jax?” I asked as excitement coursed through my veins. “What findings can you report from your recent mission?”
“We should, er, discuss it later,” the blacksmith said, and his eyes shifted anxiously across my face.
“Alright,” I sighed, but I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what I heard when the time did come. Then I scanned the faces staring back at me from around the table. “Anyone else have something to discuss?”
We talked about a few pressing issues concerning the town, but then we adjourned the meeting. I made the decision to have the gathering daily, and I added it to my routine.
In the afternoons, I graced the tavern with my presence, and I listened to the woes of the townspeople while I drank. It was a great way to balance out the tediousness of hearing tale after tale about how the weather wasn’t ideal, the pigs weren’t the biggest they could be, or how their children wouldn’t cease squabbling. I always found ways to solve all their problems, but it was usually simpler than it first seemed.
For anyone concerned with the weather, I showed them how to design irrigation systems to occupy themselves while they waited for the season to change. Once I realized the network of channels resembled wires on a computer, it was a simple enough matter for me to puzzle it together.
I had the pig farmer make a deal with Stryker to take his compost heap full of leftovers in exchange for a smidgeon of bacon, and I put the fear of the God of Time into the fighting children. They were easy enough to scare straight, and I got a kick out of watching their attitudes shift instantaneously.
I always finished the day by having an early dinner with my lovers and wives, and even though Mahini had been combating pregnancy sickness every moment of every day, the desert goddess helped the others prepare a wonderful dish for us to share.
The five of us sat around the kitchen table as the sun inched toward the horizon outside the window, and I licked my lips as the delicious aromas greeted my nostrils. Caelia’s mouth twitched into a wry smile, and her eyes remained locked on mine as she lifted the lid to reveal a whole roasted turkey. On the side were mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh cranberries, and candied yams.
“Wow!” I gasped. “It looks just like--”
“Thanksgiving from your stories,” Elissa finished for me with a pleased grin. “We did it on purpose.”
“You did amazing.” I swept my gaze around the table at each of my women.
Caelia blushed and looked down at the table in a self-conscious manner, but Elissa lifted her chin and met my eyes with pride. The corners of Mahini’s lips were ticked upward in a smirk, and Eva’s smoky-gray eyes were full of delight.
Fuck, they were gorgeous.
As we ate our mock-thanksgiving meal, we discussed our plans for the future, and Eva bemoaned the fact she wasn’t with child yet.
“Now that we’re formally wed,” the duke’s daughter explained in a cheerful tone, “it won’t dishonor either of us to have a baby together. Besides, you’ve filled my womb so many times, it's bound to happen any day.”
“I can’t wait,” I chuckled, but a part of me couldn’t imagine having three pregnant women at once. The amount of hormones in the air could be fatal.
Mahini returned to the table after she’d excused herself to throw up, but she looked none the worse for wear despite being a little pale in the face.
“Babies,” the desert goddess huffed as she rolled her eyes. “They make me sick.”
We all laughed, but I rubbed my sickly pregnant lover’s back in a comforting manner once she returned to her seat by my side, and then a thought crossed my mind.
“Mahini,” I started. “How do your people react to pregnancy before marriage?”
“It is frowned upon.” Mahini’s eyebrows knitted together. “But we are bonded, Bash. We took the blood oath.”
“Sure,” I allowed. “But that’s different than being my wife, isn’t it? Is that something you’d want? I wouldn’t want you to feel like the only one who wasn’t formally recognized as my wife.”
“While it would please me to bind our hands together forever in the ways of my people,” Mahini said with a shake of her head, “I don’t want to cause any grief.”
“Nonsense,” I countered with a dismissive wave. “I want to make your wedding dreams come true, just like with Elissa and Eva. Do you want the whole town present? We can make it happen. You know how Torya and Bellona love having a reason to spruce up the joint.”
“No, no.” Mahini shook her head vigorously. “It is tradition with my people for the union of man and woman to be an intimate affair. Only the immediate family members are present.”
“That sounds very special,” Caelia observed. “I’d be happy to help in any way I can, but I also understand if you do not wish to include me.”
“You’re family,” Mahini assured the shopkeeper. “I’d love for you to add your feminine touch. I am sorely lacking in that department.”
“Oh, you’re more than enough of a woman for me,” I reminded her. “And once you get pregnancy boobs… Mmm…”
I lost myself in my imaginings for a moment, but when I came back to reality, the women were discussing the arrangements needed for Mahini’s wedding, and a shit-eating grin spread across my face.
“We will just need Bash at that point,” Elissa finished in a cheerful tone. The petite redhead had taken to cradling her tiny belly in her arms, and while she wasn’t even showing yet, I found it adorable.
“When will you need me?” I asked.
“Tonight,” Mahini said, but a hint of doubt entered her eyes. “If that is agreeable to you?”
“I’d marry you this instant if you wanted.” I smiled. “But I can wait a few more hours.”
“Thank you, Bash,” the desert goddess murmured, and a hint of a blush darkened her cheeks.
“Annnnd break!” I chanted, but I received only confused expressions in response, so I slowly pumped my fist in the air for dramatic effect. “Go team?”
The ladies burst into a fit of giggles, but it only took a few moments for me to join in their merriment. After the laughter ceased, we all worked together to clean up after the meal, and then we went our separate ways to prepare for the wedding.
Elissa went to request her father’s assistance with the officiating, while Caelia went to see if Bellona could make Mahini a dress in a hurry. Eva and Mahini scouted for the perfect location, and I was left to my own devices.
A few hours passed before I saw my women again, but then the desert goddess was dressed in a strapless cream number which perfectly accentuated her tanned skin. The hem rode above her knees in the front, but it hit her ankles in the back, and I wasn’t surprised to see her wearing her black leather boots underneath. A circlet of colorful flowers graced her head, and it was the most girly I’d seen her ever look. I was curious why she hadn’t chosen white, but I didn’t comment in case it would offend her before the wedding.
If I’d learned one thing from reality TV, it was to never offend a bride on her wedding day.
“Mahini, you’re…” I shook my head in awe. “Radiant.”
“That pregnancy glow sure works fast,” Eva commented.
“You make a beautiful bride,” Caelia said.
“Oh, Mahini,” Elissa gushed as she threw her arms around the desert warrior. “I can’t believe we get to be sister-wives! A part of me always knew this day would come, but I had no idea you would look so dazzling in a wedding dress.”
“Enjoy it,” Mahini chuckled. “I will only ever have one mating ritual, after all.”
“Damn straight,” I chuckled, and I reached out my hand to my bride. “Where are we going?”
“My father is meeting us at the stream behind Jax’s forge,” Elissa informed me.
“Let’s not make him wait,” I said in an eager tone as I trotted down the steps of my house.
The five of us walked down the evening street of Bastianville, and I waved to the townsfolk as we passed. In our formal outfits, it probably resembled a parade, so I did the royal handwave thing to each person we crossed paths with. The envy in the eyes of every man was easy to see, but it was always paired with respect, so I let it slide.
One thing I knew for certain, I was one lucky god.
When we reached the blacksmith’s shop, we walked around the outside of the structure to the stream that ran behind the business. Smithing required easy access to water, so Jax had picked a good place to build his home. I waved to the muscular smith when we saw him in his yard, but the tall man merely smiled and waved back.
Elrin waited with his hands folded in front of him, and he smiled broadly when he noticed our approach. The auburn-haired leader was quickly becoming like a father figure to me, and with my own dad absent ever since my childhood, I was grateful for Elrin’s presence in my life. My lovers formed a semicircle around me, Mahini, and Elrin, and the three women joined hands to form a chain.
“I have spoken with Mahini about the customs of her people,” Elrin began in a cheerful tone. “I will do my best to follow the ritual as it was described to me.”
“I am grateful for your efforts,” Mahini replied.
“Yes, thank you for doing this, Elrin,” I added.
My wife’s father smiled and nodded, but then he cleared his throat as he switched into officiant mode.
“Sir Sebastian, Archduke of Bastianville, Dragon Slayer, and God of Time,” Elrin said as a smile full of fatherly pride graced his face. “Do you come before me of your own free will, of sound mind and body, and with a clear conscience?”
Mahini shot me a nervous glance as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and the sight of my stoic warrior woman so vulnerable made my heart swell with love.
“I do,” I said with a calm, serious nod.
The wind rustled the grass at our feet, and I saw Mahini shiver slightly in the breeze, but I resisted the urge to wrap her in my arms to warm her up. I would have plenty of time to make her hot later.
“Mahini, daughter of the desert, shield maiden of the Golden Sword, and sworn protector of Bastianville.” Elrin inclined his head to the desert goddess, and then he asked her the same question he had asked me.
The silence between the moment when the question was asked by the mayor, and when the obsidian-haired beauty’s answer stretched endlessly in my mind, but then Mahini’s eyes cut into my very soul as her lips formed the words.
“I do.”
The relief that swept through me was surprising, but I supposed weddings were nerve-wracking no matter how many I had.
“Sebastian,” my father-in-law said as he turned back to me. “Do you wish to claim this woman to be your mate, your partner, and your companion for as long as you both shall live, and then beyond into the Realm of the Spirit?”
“I do.” I nodded again.
“Mahini,” Elrin said with a smile for my bride. “Do you wish to accept this man’s claim on you as his mate, partner, and companion for as long as you both shall live, and then beyond into the Realm of the Spirit?”
“I do.” Mahini’s voice was full of vehement fire, and her ice-blue eyes welled with emotion when they met mine.
We held hands while Elrin and the other women all worked together to wrap a leather strap around our joined fists, and then the two of us held them aloft as everyone applauded our union.
Mahini’s lips were on mine in the next instant, and I surrendered to the heat of the kiss despite being in the presence of my father-in-law.
“I love you with all my heart, body, mind, and soul,” Mahini swore with intense blue eyes boring into my very being.
“You’re mine, Mahini,” I said in a breathless voice.
Just like that, I was a married man once more, and I cast a loving glance at my three wives and my lover.
Fuck, it was good to be a god.