Chapter Eight
The fires in Carleone were all extinguished by the time the sun rose the next morning, and I was enjoying a sparse breakfast in the tavern with Carlisle, Caelia, and Eva by my side. I was tired after working to save the town all night long, but it was worth it to know my holding was taken care of.
“It is such a shame how much rebuilding will need to be done,” the mayor lamented as he stretched his arms. “Carleone has a steep path ahead of her.”
“I’ll be there every step of the way,” I promised, but I frowned as a thought came to me. “The whole town was awfully flammable. There has to be something we can do about that.”
“What does Your Grace have in mind?” Carlisle arched one eyebrow.
“For starters,” I said as I scratched the stubble on my jaw. “The roofs were made of straw and grasses, and that’s just begging for a fire. Back… where I come from, people used shingles, but I doubt you have access to anything like that.”
“Shingles?” Carlisle frowned. “I have heard of people using hardwood timber or clay tiles for roofing purposes, but we don’t have access to that kind of wood, nor are there deposits of clay anywhere near here. Carleone isn’t a wealthy town, either.”
“Wyndvale is known for its hearty hardwood timber,” Eva reminded me in a thoughtful tone.
“I have heard stories of their wood,” the leader of Carleone agreed with a nod. “It would be nice to get my hands on some.”
“Ivywood also trades in timber,” I pointed out. “Why haven’t you traded with them recently?”
“We usually do,” Carlisle explained. “But we will need a lot of wood to rebuild Carleone. I’m not sure there is enough gold in the coffers to supply all the town needs.”
“I’ll get you everything you need to make Carleone thrive again,” I offered. “I’ve been meaning to go see how my other towns are doing, anyway.”
“I’ve never been to the north,” Caelia informed me with a wistful twinkle in her eyes. “May I accompany you on this journey, Bash?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” I grinned from ear to ear.
The shopkeeper flashed me a broad smile, but then her face quickly returned to its usual demure expression.
“Of course, you already know I’ll be by your side,” Eva interjected with a devilish smirk. “There’s no getting rid of me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I assured my wife.
“You must rest some, Your Grace,” Carlisle urged as his tired eyes filled with concern. “You worked all through the night, and even gods must need sleep sometimes?”
“You’re right about that,” I chuckled, and I ran a hand through my sooty hair. “A bath would help, too.”
“I’m afraid the tavern does not have the capacity for plumbing,” the mayor informed me with an apologetic smile. “And Nelly’s inn is no more.”
“I understand,” I sighed.
“However,” Carlisle added as he tapped a finger against his chin. “My home was untouched by the fire, and while it is not a castle or an inn, I have hot water available if Your Grace would be satisfied with using my lodgings?”
“That would be awesome,” I answered immediately. “I’ll take what I can get.”
After breakfast, Carlisle showed us the way to his house. It was a two-story structure with gabled windows, and I eyed it appreciatively. The paint could use some refreshing, but the soft yellow reminded me of spring flowers. The windows had some stains on them from smoke drifting across the town, but overall, the house looked cozy and cute.
I remembered how the leader of Carleone had opened his home to the unemployed and homeless when the town fell on hard times, and I wondered if he still had guests.
Either way, I was going to get a hot bath, so I wasn’t complaining.
Caelia and Eva followed behind Carlisle and me as we stepped up onto the porch, but I had to blink to refocus my vision so I could see clearly in the darkness of the interior. The mayor had been away from home helping his people all night, so I hadn’t expected to walk into a party, but the lack of welcome party was obvious.
“This way,” the mayor instructed as he led the way deeper inside his home.
The three of us followed him up a flight of stairs and down a hallway, but then he opened the last door on the right to reveal a quaint bathroom. I wouldn’t have been able to stretch out in the copper tub, but I was pleasantly surprised the mayor hadn’t used his position of power to have a more lavish lifestyle.
“Thanks, Carlisle,” I said with a grateful smile.
“Please,” the leader said as he dipped his head. “It’s Uncle Carl to you. If you’re going to be married to my dear Lissy, then you’re going to be family.”
“Deal,” I chuckled.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” my wife’s adopted uncle said, and he slid past us toward the stairs.
“Care to have two ladies sponge you off?” Eva asked as she exchanged a sly smile with Caelia.
“I’m awful dirty,” I teased before I grabbed both their hands and pulled them into the bathroom with me.
We spent the next hour or so playing in the suds, and I had the two women competing in a wet shirt contest before I was fully cleaned. They worked together to scrub every single inch of my body, but then the two pairs of petite fists wrapped around my shaft and balls.
The combination of their fingers’ pressure and the slippery soap sent me into a blissful state, and I sighed as I leaned my head back against the rim of the tub. My bent knees protruded out of the warm liquid, but I didn’t care. Hell, I didn’t even notice after a few moments of the pleasurable stroking and squeezing going on between my legs.
“I’m about to come,” I gasped out as I struggled to maintain the last bit of will power I had over my balls.
Then I exploded all over both of their faces, and the two women giggled in delight as they swiped tendrils of my cream from their cheeks with slender fingers. I watched with a satisfied smile stretching my lips while they proceeded to lick their digits clean, and then I finished up my bath.
Fuck, it was good to be a god.
After I was cleaned and changed into some fresh clothes Carlisle had provided me with, I started planning my trip to my other holdings. I’d earned the towns when I’d garnered the title of Archduke, but I hadn’t been able to inspect them thoroughly for improvements and needs yet since I’d been busy hunting down the Duke of Edinburg. It was far past the time for me to tour my holdings in style, and tightening the trade routes between the four towns would help the local economy even more.
I traveled to Wyndvale first since it was the furthest away from Bastianville, and I wasn’t likely to go through the windy little mountain town for any other purpose any time soon. Caelia had never been to the northern parts of Sorreyal before, and while I was tempted to take her on an extended adventure around the realm just to see her eyes light up, I knew I needed to take care of business first.
Eva told the shopkeeper all about Wyndvale while we rode down the dirt path, and Caelia listened attentively with wide eyes. The duke’s daughter had traveled with me for a while now, so she’d seen her fair share of Sorreyal, and she seemed eager to share her experiences with the newest member of our family.
“Oh, it’s cute!” Caelia gushed as she spotted the walls of Wyndvale.
“I told you,” Eva giggled.
I merely shook my head in amusement before I clicked my tongue to urge Goliath forward, and the two women’s horses followed in my mount’s wake. The sentries atop the wall signaled for us to halt, and I waved back in a friendly manner.
“I am Sir Sebastian, the Archduke and God of Time,” I explained in a loud voice.
A moment later, the wooden gates creaked open, and two armored guards ushered us inside the tiny little mountain village. We rode our horses away from the walls toward the inn, but the leader of Wyndvale trotted down the stairs of the tavern ahead of us before we made it to Chaz’s guest house.
“Adorno!” I greeted with a broad grin.
“Your Grace!” The leader of Wyndvale’s face lit up instantly, and he rushed forward to clasp my hand in his. “What a surprise, and an honor, to see you again!”
“You’re just the man I came to see,” I replied with a twinkle in my eyes. “Mind if we have a chat over dinner?”
“It would be my pleasure to host you at my home,” Adorno said as he inclined his head, but the grin never slid from his face.
“Perfect.” I shook his hand again, and then we waved goodbye as we trotted toward Chaz’s inn.
We didn’t have to go very far, since the only sleeping establishment in the small town was located directly across the dirt street from the tavern Adorno had exited, and a few moments later, Chaz Worthy was leading us to our room. He took us to the same room we’d stayed in during our previous visit, and then he flashed us a broad smile before he disappeared down the stairs once more.
After we washed off the road dust and changed into clean clothes, the three of us headed across town to the mayor’s house for dinner, and the windows were so brightly illuminated we could see the road in front of the building. The door was flung open, and I could see the shapes of people moving about the interior.
I led my women up the steps to the entrance, but before I could knock on the open door, we were spotted by a rotund woman in a blue dress.
“Your Grace, I presume?” The older woman raised one eyebrow as she considered my women and me. “We’ve been expecting you, sir. Please, follow me to the sitting room.”
“Thank you.” I dipped my head, and then we followed her down a narrow hallway to the first room on the left-hand side of the corridor.
Inside were several couches and armchairs, as well as bookshelves and a fireplace. It was cozy, but not overly decorated with intricate artwork or artifacts. A warm ambiance filled the space, and a floral aroma greeted my nose.
“This is lovely,” I said as I took a position on one of the couches, and my two women sat down on either side of me. “When can we expect Adorno?”
“Currently,” the older man greeted with a warm smile as he entered the sitting room. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Grace. I was checking in on dinner’s progress when you arrived.”
“No worries at all, my friend,” I said and gestured around us. “Your house is nice.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.” The pride in Adorno’s eyes was obvious. “You should have seen the state of it when I inherited it.”
“It belonged to your father?” I raised an eyebrow.
“No, it belongs to the town,” the mayor of Wyndvale explained. “The previous mayor hardly maintained it at all, and it was in dire need of updates when I got the position. I’ve remodeled nearly every single room.”
“That’s a lot of work,” Eva observed in an appreciative tone. “Bash is renovating our home in Bastianville, and without the crew of volunteers helping, I’m not sure we’d ever be able to finish everything on our own.”
“Yes, and while I did not want to use the town’s coffers to fund the projects,” the leader of the small village said, “I did want to aid the town with the task, so it is all made with local timber.”
“Speaking of your timber,” I said. “That’s actually one of the reasons we’re here.”
“Oh?” Adorno’s excitement was obvious by the twinkle in his eyes and the sudden lift of his chin. “Your Grace wishes to purchase some Wyndvale wood?”
“And a lot of it,” I confirmed with a nod.
“Carleone nearly burnt down,” Eva explained. “We’re trying to supply them with enough building materials to redo a quarter of the town, and we immediately thought of you.”
“How delightful,” the mayor said in an awed tone. “When you made your previous purchase, the loggers bragged about it every single day for weeks.”
“I wonder how they would react to having a permanent trade route between here and my other holdings?” I flashed the mayor my most charming smile. “Bastianville has a few new shops now, and your people might find some products to their liking. Maybe enough to make it worth waiting for a regular trade caravan?”
“That sounds fantastic!” Adorno cackled. “Thank you, Your Grace. You have given Wyndvale so much.”
“It’s really all just part of being a god,” I countered.
“Well, while we are sharing updates,” Adorno said, but a hesitant expression crossed his face. “No, never mind. I’ll wait for dinner.”
“If that is what you wish,” I said with a polite incline of my head, but then I fixed him with a hard look. “Just so long as you’re not keeping things from me, Adorno.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Your Grace,” the mayor hurriedly replied. “I merely wish to make a theatrical announcement, and it is best to wait until we can also toast.”
“See, surprises are different altogether,” I chuckled. “I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say.”
“Dinner should be ready momentarily,” the leader of Wyndvale assured me, and he craned his neck around to peer down the hallway. “Yes, I’ve just been alerted. Our meal is served.”
The three of us followed the mayor down the corridor into his formal dining room, but the space had the same warm and cozy ambiance as the sitting room had. Rich red curtains covered the windows, and the hue matched the table runner spanning the length of the darkly stained wood table.
I inspected the piece of furniture closely, since I could already tell it had been made from the famous Wyndvale wood, and I wondered how many uses I could get out of the expensive timber. The table’s curved legs were carved into claws, and a rich mahogany sheen to the surface. It had recently been buffed until it glowed, and I wondered if my arrival prompted it.
It wasn’t every day a god showed up for dinner, after all.
I pulled out the chairs for Eva and Caelia, and the general store owner let her fingers linger on mine when they met for a brief moment, so I flashed her an adoring smile before I took my own seat opposite the mayor. Situated between the two beauties made me feel like a real god among mere mortals, and I cleared my throat to get Adorno’s attention.
“What are we toasting with?” I arched one eyebrow questioningly.
“My finest wine, of course, Your Grace,” the mayor chuckled.
“You sure do know how to spoil a god,” I laughed. “Thank you for a wonderful night, Adorno.”
“It is the least I could do for you, Your Grace,” the mayor insisted.
Then the dinner spread was brought out, and the servants removed the lids to reveal juicy steaks, roasted vegetables, and baked potatoes. The aromas instantly made my stomach growl, and I licked my lips.
“Please, enjoy,” Adorno urged as he gestured to the delicious meal before us.
I did exactly that, and I enjoyed every single morsel. By the time my plate was clean, I had loosened my pants slightly, and I leaned back in my chair with a contented sigh.
“What a great meal,” I complimented.
“The best is yet to come,” the mayor countered with a wink.
Before I could question him, another servant woman entered with a tray holding a bottle of wine and four glasses. She placed the entire thing on the surface of the table, and then she popped the cork on the bottle. A moment later, we all had our glasses of the fruity fermented beverage, and I inhaled the heady aroma like I was an expert wine taster. I’d learned a thing or two about the process of turning grapes into wine a while back, but this was the first chance I’d had to use any of my knowledge.
“It has a good color.” I swished the wine around in the glass, and I gazed at it with a scrutinizing eye.
“The body is the best part,” Adorno informed me, and he sipped his own wine delicately. “I’ve been looking forward to sharing this with you. I knew one day you would return, and so you have.”
“Maybe you can also predict the future,” I teased.
“This wine is delicious,” Caelia spoke up, and the timid shopkeeper gave the mayor a rare smile. “Thank you, Mayor Adorno.”
“Yes, this has all been lovely,” Eva added as she reached over to squeeze my hand. “I am very glad we are back in Wyndvale. Your village is so quaint and peaceful.”
“It wasn’t the day you first arrived,” the mayor reminded us, and he sighed as he raked a hand through his beard. “Fortunately, after rumors spread that the God of Time was watching out for our town, we haven’t encountered any other issues.”
“Happy to help,” I said. “Those assholes were hired by the late Duke of Arginold, so it was really pathetic for them to be killing his people.”
“We are all happy he is no longer our lord,” Adorno agreed. “Although, that brings me to the surprise.”
“Oh?” I perked up at his words, and I leaned my elbows on the table as I steepled my fingers together.
“The people of Wyndvale were upset when they heard about the appointment of a new duke to the Arginold Hold.” Adorno flashed me a sly smile. “So, we gathered together a petition and requested the king give Wyndvale to Your Grace instead.”
“That’s awesome!” My eyebrows rose.
While I wasn’t sure how the Duchess Jaketta would respond to losing one of her holdings to me, I had seniority over her, and it was a decision made by the king who’d recently put her into a position of power. There was little chance there would be any repercussions for the switch, other than my empire gaining in power and strength.
“Going along with requesting you as our lord and liege,” Adorno continued, “you are entitled to fealties from the town, and we have our first payment prepared already.”
“You want to give me money?” I laughed again. “This is the best dinner party ever, Adorno.”
“I am pleased Your Grace is satisfied,” Adorno chuckled. “The entire town was unanimous about repaying you in some way for saving us from those heartless mercenaries.”
“No one had better even think about hurting Wyndvale now,” I pointed out. “I’ll have a section of my army stationed here, just in case.”
“That would lift the spirits and relieve the fears of many residents,” Adorno said, and his smiling eyes filled with gratitude.
We finished our dinners, and then my women and I returned to the inn. Chaz had lit candles in our room and in the stairwell landing, so it was easy enough to find our way to bed, and the next thing I knew, I was snoring.
The next day, we spent some time visiting with the locals, and I made a point to get to know the residents of Wyndvale better than I had during my previous visits. Now that it was my responsibility, I wanted to make sure every inhabitant had the chance to thrive.
The three of us hit the road the following day, and we camped out along the road on our way to Ivywood, but we didn’t make a stop in Carleone even though the partially burnt town was on the way. I’d arranged for the timber to be dropped off by loggers from Wyndvale, and many of the men had already agreed to help Carlisle with the rebuilding process, but it would take them several days to get their wagons full of hewn logs down the road. Carleone would probably still have plenty of work for me to do after I visited Ivywood, so our three horses trotted past the town toward the little woodland village on the other side.
Ivywood beckoned me.
It took us another day of travel to reach the woodland town, but we were greeted with cheers and chants of my name. Even though it had been a while since I’d visited, the people remembered me. I heard mentions of the great white horse the Great One of Legend rode, and everything made sense. I was a legend to the people of Sorreyal, and I wondered how exaggerated the rumors about my exploits had gotten from the truth.
Hacket, the leader of the small town, approached me with a broad smile, and he clasped my hand warmly in greeting.
“Your Grace,” the man gushed. “What brings you to Ivywood?”
“Checking in on one of my favorite holdings, of course,” I replied. “How are you, Hacket?”
“Never better,” the leader assured me with a wide smile. “Ivywood hasn’t had a bandit attack since your arrival.”
“Good.” I returned his expression of joy. “I still plan on stationing a few troops of trained soldiers here to protect the town, just in case.”
“That would be very much so appreciated.” Hacket’s eyebrows rose. “When we sent the request, we expected only a few men to return the call. Our defenses certainly need bolstering. Most of our trained guards were either injured or killed in recent months.”
“I know,” I said with a solemn, tight-lipped smile. “I aim to change all that. Things are going to be different around here with me around.”
“They already are,” Hacket assured me. “Would you care to tour some of the recent improvements we’ve been making?”
“I would love to,” I said. “But first I must care for my horses.”
“Allow me to have someone do that for you,” Hacket insisted.
“Alright,” I chuckled.
A few moments later, the leader of Ivywood was leading us around town and pointing out the new houses and businesses added to the town. The most impressive change I could see was to the roofs, and I eyed the new tiles appreciatively.
“How did you get the stones for the roof?” I asked. “Carleone just had a massive fire, but it spread across the thatched roofs, so I’ve been trying to come up with a better solution.”
“We recently discovered a clay deposit outside of town,” Hacket informed me. “It has definitely been advantageous. I would be happy to trade some of the clay with our sister towns.”
“Speaking of sister towns,” I interjected. “How has your relationship with Lake Balerno been ever since Ivywood became one of my holdings?”
The lakeside town hadn’t been included in my new towns after becoming the Archduke, but they’d been protective over the little woodland town of Ivywood, so I wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings between the two mayors.
“Oh, fine,” Hacket assured me. “The mayor there has a high opinion of Your Grace after you broke the curse on the lake.”
“True.” I smirked. “That’s still good to hear, though.”
Hacket agreed to exchange some of his clay tiles with Carleone, and then he showed me how happy everyone in town was. It was nice to see so many smiling faces, and knowing they were all my followers made my chest puff out in pride.
“What next, husband?” Eva asked as she slipped her hand into mine.
We were walking back to the Ivywood Inn where we were spending the night, and Caelia kept pace on my other side. We’d parted ways with Hacket, but I was sure we would see the leader of the small woodland town before we left the next day.
“Dinner and sleep?” I suggested, but then I flashed her a sly smile. “Or did you have something better in mind?”
“We had a few ideas,” Caelia giggled, and she looked up at me from beneath dark eyelashes. “Are you feeling curious?”
“Beyond curious,” I confirmed with an emphatic nod.
The three of us hurried our pace as we trotted up to our room, and we spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other’s bodies. Caelia was still a little shy, but she was slowly getting more adventurous in bed, and for that I was grateful. I fell asleep in a state of bliss with both beauties beside me, but I was eager to get home to Bastianville when the sun peeked its first rays over the eastern horizon.
I still needed to go to Carleone to help them with their new clay roof tiles, but that wouldn’t take very long, and it was on the way back home to Bastianville, anyway. It was a good thing I hadn’t wasted my time by stopping in the burnt town before I arrived in Ivywood, since this way I was arriving with the solution to their roofing problem, but after the soot-stained village was in better shape, I could go back to my home base. Then my family would be reunited once more, and an image of my pregnant wives beginning to show flashed through my mind. Being a father was going to be a whole new adventure, and while I wasn’t sure I was ready, I’d heard no one ever was.
In the meantime, Hacket met us at the gates the next day with a small crowd of well-wishers, and I shook the leader of Ivywood’s hand one more time. The older man leaned on his cane, but his eyes twinkled with renewed vigor, and a smile stretched his wrinkled lips.
“There is one more thing to discuss before you leave us, Great One,” Hacket said, and he tapped the end of his cane into the dirt. “You are due your fealties.”
“Oh, yeah,” I chuckled.
I was still getting used to the idea of earning money just by being the Archduke, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The money would be spent on my territory in Sorreyal, though, so every holding would benefit from paying the taxes.
Then I accepted the heavy bag of coins from Willum, one of the guardsmen who’d been wounded during the last bandit attack, and I shook hands with as many people as I could before I mounted Goliath. The three of us rode back to Carleone, but I had wagons of clay coming soon. I’d brought enough pre-formed tiles strapped on my horse’s rump to give Carlisle an example of how they were made, but the more I looked at them, the more I was convinced I could make something similar with my earth magic.
I’d learned all sorts of spells and incantations during the summit of nobility in Vallenwood, but I had yet to have an opportunity to use a lot of what I knew. The stronger I became, the less threats stepped up to face me, and I almost missed the countless tiny challenges I was faced with when I first arrived in Sorreyal.
We arrived in Carleone a little over a day later, and we received the same welcome party we’d gotten from the other towns. Carlisle met us near the entrance of town, and I greeted him with a broad smile.
“Uncle Carl, my dear friend,” I said. “I have solved all our problems.”
“I would expect nothing less from Your Greatness,” the mayor replied as he returned my joyful expression. “Please, tell me all about it.”
We walked into town and hitched the horses outside the tavern so I could pull our clay shingles from Goliath’s rump, and then I proceeded to explain to Carlisle how they were made.
“Dur,” I murmured as I gestured to the ground. The earth began to shift beneath my feet, and then my hands were full of damp dirt. I used my magic and my fists to form the muddy ball into a tile, but it only took a moment for it to harden. “Now, obviously you won’t be able to make these tiles magically like I can, but the ones coming from Ivywood look just like this.”
“I think they will work!” The mayor of Carleone let his excitement show in his voice, and his pitch was higher than normal. “All we have to do is layer them over each other?”
“Yep.” I grinned. “If they’re layered correctly, then there shouldn’t be any leaks.”
“Even thatching wasn’t entirely foolproof,” Carlisle informed me. “This is truly amazing, Your Grace. Thank you!”
After the quick demonstration, I began to spit out some roof tiles ahead of the wagons bringing the bulk clay by using my earth magic. I’d learned how to control the dirt beneath my feet, send mud bullets out of my hands, and build an earthen shield, so this was something fun and different.
Jon and Lydia had been put to work in my absence, and the couple watched me make the clay tiles closely so they could aid in the creation process later. The couple was working hard to repent for their crime, but I hoped Carlisle kept a close eye on them from here on out.
“Before you go, Your Grace,” Carlisle said the day I planned on heading back to Bastianville. “I have some fealties to pay you.”
“Keep it for yourself for right now,” I instructed. “Carleone will need the money during the rebuilding process.”
“Very well, Your Grace.” Carlisle’s face lit up, and his happy expression was worth every coin he’d intended to give me.
I was on my way back to Bastianville a few days later, and I felt much better about the state of my small empire after the tour I’d gone on. I was looking forward to seeing my pregnant wives, and to check on the progress being made in my house and the town in general.
Things were just getting better in my corner of Sorreyal.
We were greeted by the best damn welcome crew this side of Vallenwood, and my two pregnant wives were among the first faces I spotted at the gates. The sentries had alerted the entire town to my arrival, and over a hundred people stood between me and the town. The happy, excited faces were a welcome sight, and I swung my leg over Goliath’s mane to hit the ground running.
Elissa and Mahini were in my arms in the next instant, and I rained kisses all over their foreheads as they squeezed their arms around me. Then the two women pulled away from me to greet Eva and Caelia, and I sighed happily.
My family was together once more.
“What have you two been up to?” I asked as I swung my arm around my two pregnant wives and walked toward the rest of the townspeople.
“The church in your honor has finally been completed,” Elissa informed me as she bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped her hands. “Oh, Bash, it’s so pretty! It’s going to be the perfect place for the people to gather and worship you.”
“That’s good news,” I chuckled.
“How is my store?” Caelia asked with an amused twinkle in her eyes.
“Mahini handled that,” Elissa explained as she flipped her hand dismissively. “She decided she’d be the best at preventing theft.”
“I pity any fool who attempted to get past my vigilant gaze,” the desert goddess said with heat in her icy eyes.
“That brings me much comfort,” Caelia said. “Thank you for helping me.”
“You’re family, Caels,” Elissa pointed out. “We have to watch each other’s backs, in life and on the battlefield. You know I would crush anything that tried to hurt you or your store.”
“Just as I would do anything to protect the babe in your belly,” Caelia countered, and her thick lips stretched into a wide smile.
“And I would kill a motherfucker for looking at any of you or my children wrong,” I promised with vehemence.
The four women giggled, and then we greeted the rest of the townsfolk. I went to check out the new church, and I had to admit, the building was quaint and adorable. It could hold roughly fifty people on the benches that lined the interior, and I wondered who would lead the sermons honoring me.
Maybe I would get to pick?
Several days passed peacefully while I focused on improving my tiny empire, and both my pregnant wives slowly began to show signs of their pregnancies. Elissa’s petite torso bulged slightly around her gut, but Mahini’s breasts had nearly doubled in size. I wasn’t about to complain, but I definitely made sure to spend some quality time with them before I had to compete with an infant for time with the soft chest pillows.
I settled into my routine once more, and I was impressed with how much the skills of my recruits had advanced in my absence. They were almost ready to disperse to my other holdings, but then I would go through the process of finding new volunteers all over again. I wanted a strong force that could take out any obstacles or enemies, but so far, I was off to a good start.
Riondale snapped a crisp salute every morning after I’d eaten breakfast, and then we ran several drills with our new soldiers. Jax and Miller worked tirelessly to provide enough armor and weapons for every man, and Abrin enchanted everything with minor spells to boost the gear’s power.
Elrin and the rest of the Elder Council handled every issue Bastianville encountered, from disputes between residents to weather problems, and they were all well-respected by the community.
Bastianville, and the rest of my empire, were thriving beneath my supervision.
My day ended in Stryker’s tavern with a round of drinks, but Elissa and Mahini drank a non-alcoholic apple cider instead of the beer the rest of us enjoyed. The five of us would eat dinner in the establishment sometimes, but more often than not, one of them had made a fine dinner for us all to enjoy in the comfort of our home.
I spent every night in a tangled pile of limbs and hair, and it brought me immense joy to wake up to their beautiful sleeping faces every morning. The four women in my bed were the most gorgeous girls I’d seen since being summoned into Sorreyal, and I was grateful for their presences in my life. My impending fatherhood loomed ever closer with each day that passed, but I knew we still had several months before the babies would be born.
It was a day like any other when a rider raced through the gates into town, and the out of breath Niconor rode straight up to me where I was working on the yard of my house.
“Sir Bash!” The young man slid from his horse’s back completely out of breath, and he rushed over to clasp my forearm firmly. “I have word of the library you seek!”
My heart immediately began to thud heavily in my chest, and my palms began to sweat as excitement coursed through my veins.
I was going to find the Grand Occulta Athenaeum.
And then at long last, I would be able to learn how to smith dragon armor.
“Nic, you’re totally my favorite person right now.” I clapped the man on the shoulder. “Come inside and tell me all about it.”
The two of us jogged up the steps of my house, and Mahini instantly poked her head out of the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” the desert goddess asked.
“Niconor has news for us,” I informed her with a shit-eating grin. “Get the others. We should all hear this.”
A few moments later, the six of us were in the living room, but Niconor was jittery and couldn’t sit still. The young miner had joined my entourage after the tournament I’d held, and he’d proven himself to be a loyal follower in the process. He lived with his father, Willihard, who also worked in the mines, and I counted the two men among my most-trusted friends.
“Thank you for the refreshments, Sir Bash,” Niconor said as he placed his cup on an end table. “I rode hard to get back as swiftly as I could.”
“Were you in some kind of danger?” I asked.
“No, sir,” Niconor quickly assured me. “I was merely eager to give you the information I’d acquired.”
“I am anxious to hear it,” I replied.
“You’re not the only one,” Eva reminded me, and her gray eyes remained locked on Niconor.
“We are all excited to find out the news,” Elissa agreed.
“So, out with it,” Mahini said as she folded her arms over her bulging chest.
“The Grand Occulta Athenaeum still exists,” Niconor informed us as his eyes lit up with excitement. “It is located far away across the Eastern Ocean, but Ako knew a priest of the Zaborial Isles who’d mentioned it before. I hunted down this priest, but he was still in Vallenwood from the summit.”
“Our friend Ako came through yet again,” I observed in a pleased tone. “I hope he’s settling into his new job well enough.”
“He seemed comfortable, sir,” Niconor reported with a nod. “He was happy to assist the God of Time again.”
“He’s a good man.” I mirrored Nic’s nod. “But please, continue your tale.”
“Yes, as I was saying.” Niconor cleared his throat as he refocused. “I hunted down one of the priests from the Zaborial Isles, and I asked him a lot of questions. He wasn’t very eager to speak to me at first, but then I mentioned I was your messenger, and he changed his tune.”
“I didn’t realize my name carried weight with the Zaborial priests.” My eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Your name has traveled across Sorreyal,” Niconor informed me, and his eyes twinkled. “And by extension, Bastianville is now famous as well.”
“Unlike these Zaborial Isles,” I chuckled. “They seem to be a secretive society.”
“They’re led by a mage called a High Priest,” Niconor continued to explain. “The Grand Occulta Athenaeum is a place where they study magic, so they are pretty selective about who they let in. I don’t think you’ll have any problems, though, Great One.”
“So, they’re led by someone like the pope?” I asked with a thoughtful frown.
“I’m not sure what that is,” Niconor countered as he cocked his head.
“Pretty much the same thing.” I shrugged. “So, we just have to travel to the Zaborial Isles, and we’ll find the library?”
“It seems so, Sir Bash,” Nic answered.
The High Priest of the Zaborial Isles sounded like just the man I needed to talk to next, and my excitement grew even stronger when I thought about all the magical questions I still had.
Was there a way to fast travel across the realm?
I had to know.
“It looks like we’re going on another adventure,” I declared as I turned my gaze to my women.
“I’ll be right there by your side,” Eva promised.
“I haven’t seen the Eastern Ocean since I was much younger,” Caelia informed me in a wistful tone.
“What about me?” Mahini’s ice-blue gaze scrutinized my face, and I saw the deeper question she wasn’t asking.
“I think you should stay here,” I began in a cautious tone. “Bastianville needs you, and with your pregnancy sickness coming so often…”
“I understand,” the desert goddess sighed, but she flashed me a small smile. “I will keep a watchful eye on our recruits and the rest of the town.”
“I think that would be for the best.” I nodded. “How are you feeling, Elissa?”
“I believe it would be wise for me to stay as well,” my red-haired wife allowed. “I’ll help with Caelia’s store, too.”
“I would very much so appreciate your efforts,” Caelia murmured, but her chocolate eyes danced with excitement.
The feeling was mutual, and I was already packing up what I would need in my mind. It would be a long journey, if I remembered the maps of Sorreyal correctly, but we could handle it.
With amazing women at my back, an army of followers, and a fantasy world at my feet, what could go wrong?
I flashed Eva and Caelia a broad smile. “Looks like we’re going on a quest!”
Eva, Caelia, and I left three days later, and the people of Bastianville joined my pregnant wives at the gate to wave us off. Goliath tossed his head and nickered like everyone had come out just for him, and I scratched my stallion’s neck affectionately as we headed away from the walls.
The God of Time was off on another adventure.