The familiar tingling sensation washed over me as the new save point was set into place, and I flexed my fists as I eyed my approaching opponent.
The challenger was naked to the waist, and his long goatee was the only visible hair on his body. His chest and arms were covered in tattoos, and a silver bar ran through his nostrils. He wore loose-fitting breeches tucked into knee-high leather boots, and both items were splashed with mud. It appeared he wasn’t a man who was afraid to get dirty, but I was ready to put him in the ground.
I tucked away all my observations as I backed away to create some space, but the gathered people quickly created a large open area for us to fight in.
“Bash his head in, Bash!” Eva cheered from the sidelines. “Teach him some manners!”
Caelia and Sarosh flanked the blonde, but their expressions showed more signs of distress than Evangeline’s. Risthan and the other Arajians hovered behind the women, and the horrified looks on the pacifists’ faces showed their distaste for the violence to come.
I flashed my wife a confident smile, and I shot her a wink as well.
There was no reason for any of them to be worried, not with me in charge.
The behemoth drew within the open circle, and we both began to pace as we assessed the other. His eyes were dark as he narrowed them at me, but there was a twinkle of excitement in his gaze. The muscles of his shoulders rippled as he crunched his knuckles into his palms, but he waited patiently for me to make a move.
“Suddenly lose your nerve?” I taunted as I bounced on the balls of my feet and shook out the stiffness in my arms.
“Waiting to see if you’re one of these cowards,” the pirate growled, but the corners of his lips lifted into a devious, twisted smile. “You in a hurry to die, boy?”
“I’m the God of Time.” I smirked. “I’ve died more times than you’ve killed.”
Curious murmurs swept through the crowd after my words, and I glanced around at the wide eyes of the Arajians surrounding me. I could practically smell the fear radiating from them, and I imagined how easy it would be to completely dominate their entire civilization. They were ripe for pillaging, but they’d be fortified against anything by the time I was done with the island.
“Bullshit,” the pirate spat, but then he charged forward with fists swinging.
He was faster than I had anticipated, and I barely ducked away from his first hit, but I wasn’t quick enough to avoid the uppercut right behind it. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, that was for damn sure. My head flung backward as my teeth rattled, and the crowd gasped in surprise.
I’d managed to maintain my balance by shifting my feet instinctively, but I lost the upper-hand as I scurried out of reach.
While the disappointment of the audience was a thorn in my side, I knew I would have a perfect run through eventually, so I wasn’t worried about losing face during this attempt. My main goal was to memorize the behemoth’s fighting patterns so I could predict his every move.
The pirate flung his head back to release a loud belly laugh, but I took the opportunity to dart in and pummel his bare chest with my gauntlet-covered fists. The air expelled from his lungs in a loud whoosh, and he keeled forward to clutch his stomach.
Then I slammed my knuckles against his ribs, and the steel finger aspect of my gauntlets kicked in, which made my punches hit as hard as a sledgehammer. My opponent jerked away from the attacks, but I’d done enough for the moment.
I got three punches in before I scurried back out of reach once more, and I circled the giant man quietly as he regained his breath. Bruises were already beginning to bloom along his sides from the steel bar punches to his ribs he’d endured, but he wasn’t out of the fight just yet.
The pirate growled as he charged toward me, and I grinned as I stood motionless before his attack.
He was pissed the fuck off, and that would make him stupid.
“You spindly goat fucking cheap shot son of a bitch,” the pirate asshole muttered as he swung his fists blindly at my head.
His aim was so bad that not a single punch landed, and even if it had, I was still in my full armor. He even tried to get me with a haymaker, but I just side-stepped, slammed him in the jaw, and then ducked beneath his counter-attack.
The pirate swiveled as the impact to his face sent him reeling, but he had a balled-up fist ready to slam into my nose upon his return.
Except I saw it coming from a mile away and managed to swivel away from the blow, but I used my momentum to twist his arm behind him into a submission hold.
My enemy thrashed and attempted to head-butt me in the nose with the back of his skull, but I kept my grip on his arm and yanked it upward. The cry of pain he released was so loud it hurt my ears, and I sent a fist flying toward his Adam’s apple instinctively just to shut him up.
His throat crushed beneath my steel-fingered fist, and the pirate doubled-over from the pain. He fell to his hands and knees in the dirt, and he spat a mouthful of blood into the dust beneath him.
I wasn’t about to let him regain control of the situation, so I jumped on his back and wrapped my arm around his broken esophagus. He collapsed onto his stomach beneath the weight and pressure I applied, so I rolled him over and straddled his chest. The pirate sent a vain jab at my jaw, but it swung wide, and I punished the attempt by slamming my fists into his face repeatedly.
The crowd cheered me on, and I saw red for a moment as I lost myself in the motions of my fists.
The pacifists were enjoying the spectacle despite the violence, and I wanted to put on a good show, but the giant man was no longer moving, so I paused my onslaught to check his pulse.
He was dead.
Well, fuck.
That was a little anticlimactic, and it definitely didn’t feel like one hundred percent completion. I knew I could do a better job, so I reset to my save point with a wave of my will.
Chime.
The bell rang in my ears like the ones they rang at boxing matches, and I hopped on the balls of my feet as my hands instinctively lifted to protect my face. The giant circled around me with a casual air, but I knew he was easy to get worked up.
“Suddenly lose your nerve?” I taunted again as I bounced on the balls of my feet and shook out the stiffness in my arms.
“Waiting to see if you’re one of these cowards,” the pirate growled for the second time, and he gave me that devious, twisted smile again. “You in a hurry to die, boy?”
“Why don’t you come find out?” My grin widened as I held my ground.
The pirate growled as he charged toward me with fists flying in a two-armed whirlwind, but I was ready for his impulsive attack. I stepped to the side at the last possible moment, and the pirate was left swiping at empty air.
I didn’t expect him to come at me from behind an instant later, though, and we both fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs. The asshole bit down on my neck where my armor left a gap in my pretzeled position, and I roared in pain and disgust as his teeth clamped onto my skin.
Fuck all that.
Chime.
The bell dinged, and I bounced on the balls of my feet. I was done playing with this asshole.
He was going to regret ever challenging a god.
I danced around every attack thrown my way, and I toyed with the pirate until I learned all of his triggers. Then I played him like a fiddle to get just the reactions I wanted.
“The king will find out about this,” the pirate growled.
“Idinavisth?” I grinned. “He’s a friend of mine.”
“Nah,” the man chuckled. “The pirate king. He’ll wipe out this entire island when word gets back that there’s an upshot here fucking with our shit.”
His words didn’t intimidate me, but they did give me an idea. This man had information about my larger enemy, the pirate king, that could be useful later. I could use this opportunity to glean some knowledge from the asshole challenging me, and then he’d take his message back to his boss.
I couldn’t wait until I got to see this so-called pirate king for myself.
Chime.
I managed to bust one of the behemoth’s yellowed teeth loose before he sprayed me in the face with a mouthful of blood and temporarily blinded me.
Chime.
“Does this king have a name?” I asked.
“Only to his crew,” the pirate snickered. “He could be anyone for all you know.”
Chime.
“Where is your ship located?”
“You think I’m gonna tell you something like that?” The pirate let out a big belly laugh, but I silenced him with a fist to his throat, and the sound gurgled as blood pooled over his lips.
Chime.
I got better and better at avoiding his dirty fighting tactics, but I still held back my full strength as I interrogated him. When I was confident in my ability to completely humiliate my opponent, I reset for a final time with a wave of my willpower. By this point, I knew a lot more about this bare-chested barrel of a man, and I knew I could get inside his head to fuck with him.
Chime.
“This is your last chance to back out before I wipe your face through the dirt,” I said in a calm voice.
“How about you hang a white flag now before I make your mother cry?” the behemoth countered with that sick smile.
I said nothing as I waited for him to attack. He always attacked first, but the initial attack was the easiest to dodge. The pirate didn’t enjoy looking like a fool, so he grew more and more reckless the more I humiliated him. I knew exactly what buttons to push and when, so I waited for the right moment.
Then he lunged forward.
I sidestepped, countered with a blow to his lower back, and quickly swiveled out of his reach.
My opponent shook his head and glared in my direction, but he’d lost the energy of his forward momentum, and he had to regroup.
That instant was all I needed, though, and I dashed forward at lightning speed to slam my gauntlet-covered fist against his jaw. His head snapped to the side like the flick of a whip, and his entire body spun in a fast circular motion until he was facing me once more.
I stepped back to let him recuperate, and the crowd was deathly silent as I watched his eyes refocus. He would go for my legs next, but I’d mastered the art of dodging his grasping arms. A moment later, his muscles tensed ever so slightly, but I’d seen the signal more than once, and I knew what was coming.
Sure enough, the behemoth charged forward with a loud growl of rage, and he aimed low.
I hopped over his reaching arms, and I kicked him in the back of the head as I launched myself several feet away. I landed in a roll, but the impact still rattled my bones. Fortunately, my kick had knocked my opponent into the dirt, and he was spitting out mud when I came to my feet.
“Had enough?” I asked. “You don’t look so good.”
“You’re gonna die!” the pirate snarled.
“Doubt it.” I grinned.
His roar of violent fury nearly blew my hair back, and I resisted the urge to laugh in triumph. Then he charged again, but his attack was sloppy, and I dodged it easily.
I followed through with the momentum he’d given to me, and I chopped at the back of his neck with the side of my stiffened hand, which sent him sprawling into the dirt once more.
It took him longer to get up this time, but I waited patiently for the angry mud-covered scowl to lift to my face before I let out the amused laugh I’d been holding back.
“You’re a mess, kid,” I teased.
“Your face will be a mess when I’m done with you,” he gurgled, but it was difficult to hear him with his mouth full of dirt.
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, but when I spoke, it was to the crowd and not to him.
“This is what the pirates sent to terrorize you?” I pointed to my opponent as he struggled to his feet. “This piece of shit excuse for a man? How could anyone be scared of something so fucking pathetic?”
There was no answer to my questions, but I could see the doubt they cast in the eyes of the audience. I turned as I swept my gaze over the faces of the watching Arajians, but I kept my senses alert to the behemoth’s movements.
Everyone stared at me in silence, but there was respect and awe in their eyes.
“Watch out!” someone suddenly shouted, and a loud gasp alerted me to the oncoming attack.
I ducked just in time to avoid the wide swing of a heavy fist, but I swiveled as I squatted down, and I threw a steel-fingered punch to the pirate’s nuts. He wasn’t wearing anything more than leather breeches over his family jewels, so the crunching sound was incredibly satisfying. My opponent doubled over as all the air escaped his lips in a loud scream, and I jumped back to avoid going down with him.
He didn’t get back up.
A long silence followed as everyone waited to see if the behemoth would rise, but after a few moments, I went to check his pulse. The pirate was unconscious, but he was still alive. He’d be able to tell the tale of his downfall to his master, and then the pirates would flock to me like a herd to the slaughter.
“It’s over!” I announced, and a surprisingly loud cheer erupted through the gathered Arajians.
The people swarmed toward me, and I even saw a couple of silver-haired people sending kicks in the direction of the pirate’s ribs. There was hope for these folks after all, but they needed someone to inspire them to defend themselves.
It was a challenge fit for a god, and I was just the god for the job.
“Our hero!”
“Victory!”
The cheers continued to escalate until the voices of the people joined into a loud thrum that vibrated my bones, but then they hoisted me to their shoulders and paraded me around the market square. The circuit was completed when they deposited me upon the picnic table at the center of the market once more, and I could see the craving for a speech in the intensity of their metallic-hued eyes.
“Hear me once more!” I shouted as I lifted my arms to the sky. “I am Sir Sebastian, the Archduke of Sorreyal, the Slayer of Dragons, Red Hands, the Bane of Pirates, and the God of Time! I have traveled across the Eastern Ocean in search of ancient knowledge, and I will not rest until the islands of the east are free lands once again!”
This time, my words were met with uproariously enthusiastic cheering and applause. The Arajians were crazy about me now, and I grinned as I absorbed their adoration.
“Will you defeat the pirates?” a faceless voice in the crowd asked when the cheering had died down a little.
“I will.” I nodded as I scanned over the faces in search of the speaker. “Will you stand beside me to protect Arajah?”
Scared gasps echoed my question, and the original speaker did not respond.
“I am one person, and I will eventually leave these shores to return home.” I continued to scan the crowd as I looked for any signs of the fire required to fight. “I can defeat the pirates this time, but what of the next band that gathers in strength and thinks themselves above everyone else? You are far from aid and without allies, so who would you turn to?”
“It is not our way,” a steel-haired older woman said, and given how slowly the Arajians aged, I figured she had to be over a hundred years old at least. Her eyes were lined with wrinkles, and her hair was wispy around her face, but she kept it pulled into a tightly curled bun on the apex of her head.
“Your way led to enslavement, and worse,” I pointed out. “What more can you lose?”
“Our honor!” a young man with obsidian locks cried out as he stepped forward. His copper gaze was fiery and passionate, and I smirked despite myself.
This was what I wanted to see.
“What is honor?” I asked.
“The most important thing,” the kid retorted as though from automatic memory.
“Yeah, but what exactly is it?” I pressed. “Can you show me?”
“Honor cannot be seen.” The boy shook his head, and his dark black tendrils danced across his rosy-cheeked face. “But it is obvious to all when one has lost it.”
Murmurs of agreement swept through the people standing behind the young man, and I chuckled as I lifted my gaze to the ones nearby. They avoided my eyes, and their cheeks began to color.
“Is there honor in standing up to me in debate?” I asked.
The kid scrunched up his face in thought. “I suppose so.”
“You have the right kind of spirit needed to protect Arajah,” I said. “It’s a shame you are so bound by honor that you will not step forward to defend your homeland.”
“I would do anything for Arajah!” The boy’s bottom lip trembled, but he stomped his foot as he spoke, so I knew he meant it with all his heart.
I paused as the fierce little guy stood toe to toe with me and met my gaze with steely resolve.
“Even fight?” I asked after a long silence, and the kid inhaled sharply.
“I-I…” He faltered and opened his mouth only to snap it shut again.
I nodded and clamped a hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t buckle beneath the pressure of my palm. I pushed him ahead of me as I returned to the center of the crowd, and the murmurs silenced as we both climbed onto the picnic table again.
“What does honor do for the people of Arajah?” I asked the group at large. “How many of you have lost family and friends to the pirates invading your shores? Does honor dictate you just stand by while your people are raped and your homes pillaged?”
“They protect us from worse,” a voice argued.
“There isn’t much out there that’s worse than losing a loved one,” I said. “These pirates have no rules governing their behavior. No mercy, no compassion. They would sooner kill you as walk around you if you’re in their way.”
“So, you admit to being scared of the pirates?” someone asked.
“Nope,” I laughed. “Not scared. Just aware of the challenges and alert to the dangers. I’m not going to stand by and let them hurt anyone close to me, and anyone who can’t say the same are the true cowards here. These are your family members, people you’ve known your whole lives. I know every single one of you have been affected by the sacrifices in some way. It’s time to take your lives back, your futures back, and regain hope for all of Arajah!”
Cheers echoed my words, and the naysayers were drowned out by the cacophony of agreement. The people may be pacifists, but they had spirit.
I just hoped it would be enough to defend them against future raids after my time in the Eastern Ocean was complete.
I hopped down from the table and made a new save point since I was satisfied with my time spent in the market square, but I was pleasantly surprised when Sarosh leapt up to take my place. The silver-haired priestess cleared her throat and lifted her arms out to either side, and then she began to give a sermon in my name.
Sarosh told of our initial encounters, and her automatic skepticism of me, but then she told of how she began to believe, and she finished with the tale of the dragon, Smiguel’s, death.
I drifted in and out of the crowd as my priestess preached my glory, but everyone’s attention remained on the makeshift stage.
“Others have witnessed these miracles!” Sarosh exclaimed with a flourish of her hands toward the rest of the Arajians traveling with me.
My two women stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the pale-skinned, metallic-haired people surrounding them, but they held their heads up with pride gleaming in their eyes.
One by one, my companions spoke up about events they’d witnessed first-hand, but the former slaves made the biggest impression. A few people even recognized the aged Alaster, and Torin named several local merchants.
Then my women stepped to the top of the picnic table to share their experiences by my side, and an awed hush fell over the densely-packed market square. The reverent silence was broken when the behemoth lumbered to his feet after his long nap, and he shoved his way bodily through the crowd without a word. He made sure to flash me a glare before he dipped out of sight, though, so I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last I saw of him.
I spent the rest of the day interviewing the people of Custanov, and my companions did a lot of the heavy lifting, so I was left with the task of kissing babies and blessing houses. I toured the entire city, and I didn’t relent in my parade through the streets until the sun began to sink below the western horizon.
We returned to the palace tired and happy, and our path was unobstructed by gates or guards as we headed toward the east wing. A troop of servants scattered before us as we strode into the main hall, but we ignored them as we made our way to our apartments.
But, by the time I reached the sitting room in the eastern part of the palace, a runner had arrived beckoning me to the king.
I decided to go alone to show a modicum of respect for the leader of Arajah, but I was more than capable of handling anything the cowardly king could throw my way. I walked with my head held high as I navigated the corridors of the palace, and I hadn’t bothered changing out of my dusty armor that I’d spent the entire day in.
The God of Time didn’t need the decorations of office to announce his power, after all.
King Idinavisth was waiting for me in the throne room, and he rose from his chair atop the dais with a dramatic flourish of his robes.
“I hear there was a commotion in the market today,” he began without preamble. “Were you present at this disturbance of the peace?”
I’d thought he would ask about why I didn’t come to see him before we left the palace this morning, but once again, the king was a coward through and through.
“I caused it.” I grinned. “It’s about time someone shook things up around here, and I managed to draw a pirate out of hiding. You have an enemy upon your shores, hidden under your very nose in Custanov.”
“I am aware.” King Idinavisth inclined his head. “What compelled you to cause such a disturbance?”
“It’s like I said, to shake things up,” I repeated in a slow, patronizing voice. “Your people stand by with sealed lips as you sell their loved ones into slavery just to buy yourself and this precious island secret a little bit more time.”
The king of Arajah was silent for a moment as he considered my words, and he stepped down the tiers of the dais until he was standing beside me.
“And what would you have them do instead?” King Idinavisth asked. “Fling themselves at the pirates? Hundreds, if not more, would die. The pirates would take everything from us, our duty-bound secret included.”
“You have to give up this pacifism everyone clings to,” I urged. “It’s killing your people.”
“Our souls are more important than our shells,” the king said in a vague tone, and I had a feeling the phrase stemmed from a local adage.
“Was that all you wanted to talk to me about?” I asked as I returned to the topic of my summons to the throne room. “The commotion in the market?”
“Yes,” the king replied. “Are you surprised I have an interest in the behavior of my people? I am their liege, it is my responsibility to know as much as possible about the land I rule.”
“That’s all well and good if you were doing anything to actually defend it besides hiding away in your palace,” I pointed out in a hard voice. “You’ve been dubbed the Coward King, you know.”
“This I had not been informed of,” King Idinavisth sighed as his eyebrows knitted together.
“If that’s all you wanted,” I said as I turned to leave, “I am tired and dirty. I need a bath and sleep before I can debate with you.”
“Very well,” the king said to my departing back. “We shall speak some more tomorrow.”
“Yep.” I waved my hand over my head as I exited the throne room.
My patience for the pacifist king was waning, but it was nothing a hot bath with my beautiful babes couldn’t fix. As if they could read my mind, the water was already running in the small pool in our room when I finally strode into the bed chamber we’d claimed. Eva and Caelia wore nothing but shirts as they moved about the room getting clean clothes and towels ready, and my mouth watered at the mere sight of them.
Caelia’s milk chocolate thighs looked like they would melt in my mouth, and the cool creamy hue of Evangeline’s legs would chill the fire in my blood like ice cream on the Fourth of July.
I was one lucky god.
The next morning dawned bright and early, and I blinked into the pre-dawn glow as I tried to figure out what had woken me up.
“Sir?” Torin’s voice said, and it was obvious it wasn’t the first time he’d said the same thing.
“I’m up,” I groaned as I pushed myself up on my elbows. “What’s going on?”
“The king has left the palace,” the young Arajian man informed me in a conspiratorial tone. “He’s touring Custanov and has vowed to spend the entire day in the city.”
“Son of a bitch is copying me,” I snorted in amusement. “Go. Follow his every move and report back to me what he does. You can blend in with the crowd better than any of us from Sorreyal can.”
“Yes, sir.” Torin nodded curtly, but then he was gone like a whisper of wind.
I shook my head in awe at his stealthiness, and I made a mental note of the asset before I shook my ladies awake. Once they were yawning and stretching, I explained what the king was doing, and the news caused amused giggles. It was obvious to all of us that the king was jealous of me, but it would only help Arajah if he started acting like a real leader.
I was tempted to start my own parade and see how many people the king’s procession drew when there was a god in town, but I didn’t want to poke the bear too much too fast. There was no telling what the king’s true motivations were, but I had a feeling they centered around him and him alone.
“What are you going to do?” Caelia asked, and the worry in her voice drew me out of my thoughts.
“There’s not much to do.” I shrugged. “The king is making a fool of himself, and who am I to stop him? The people know who I am and why I’m here now, so we just need the word to spread across the entire island. Soon, people will be abandoning the pacifist lifestyle and taking up arms to defend their homes.”
“With you leading them, they will be sure to succeed,” Eva said with her gray eyes full of devotion.
“So, we’re going after the pirates now?” Caelia asked.
“First, I want to help with the city defenses,” I explained. “Once I know the pirates can’t retaliate against the islanders after I leave, then it’s going to be pirate hunting season. No ducks included.”
“I don’t understand.” Caelia shook her head. “But I know you will win. You always do.”
“That’s because I’m the God of Winning.” I smirked. “Now, who wants to see the God of Sex before we have to socialize?”
The girls giggled, but they quickly peeled off their pajamas for me, and I was buried in a pillow of sexiness a moment later.
We spent the rest of the morning being lazy, but by mid-day we were ready to stretch our legs again, so we returned to the streets of Custanov to see the king’s parade wind its way back toward the palace.
I spotted a ladder leading up to the terrace over a small restaurant, and I helped my women climb up ahead of me. The view of their taut behinds was fantastic as we found a good place to sit and watch the show, but I made sure we couldn’t be easily spotted from the streets so I didn’t distract from the king’s procession.
We heard the clink of horse hooves on cobblestones before we saw them, but the colorful banners and flags came into view a moment later. It was like the world series of parades, and the team of servants, horsemen, and guards in wooden armor stretched out of sight down the street.
The king came into view a short while later, and he waved one hand like the royals I’d seen on TV back home. His robes were multi-colored in hues of green, and they rippled around him as the wagon he rode zipped down the cobblestone road.
“Where is the God of Time?”
“Your Majesty, is the God of Time with you?”
“Will you stand against the pirates?”
The people on the street below us peppered the king with questions, and I could see the irritation on his face as plain as day, but he quickly schooled his expression and flashed the onlookers a patient smile. Then he was gone, and the procession filed down the road toward the palace.
“Wasn’t he supposed to spend the entire day in the city?” Eva asked with a coolly arched eyebrow.
“Yep,” I chuckled. “I guess he got tired.”
Caelia and Eva shook their heads in obvious amusement, but my thoughts turned to the future of Arajah.
Should I supplant the king with someone stronger and more capable of leading the people through a possible war with the pirates?
My thoughts were racing with possible ways to increase the defenses of the island as we made our way back up to the palace, and I found myself zoning out as the rest of my companions discussed the various trades and produce unique to the area. Sarosh and Risthan were more friendly to each other, but there was still some tension present in every word they exchanged. While I was glad to see the progress, I was hesitant to leave the two unsupervised for long, so I sat in the sitting room between them as they debated the best guild in the city.
“Isn’t that right, Bash?” Sarosh asked me suddenly, and I shook my head to clear my daydreams.
“What is it?” I gave the priestess a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I was zoning out.”
“I’m not sure what zoning out means,” Sarosh said, “but I was just telling Risthan that Sorreyal takes metal straight out of the ground.”
“There’s no mining in Arajah?” I tilted my head.
“None.” Risthan shook his head. “The ground of the island is sacred. We wouldn’t dare to break the surface to leech the value beneath for our own gain.”
“No wonder everything is made out of wood,” I observed.
“And that timber can only be harvested once the tree has fallen by natural means,” Sarosh explained. “That’s another reason it is so rare and valuable. Timber hunting is a career of its own in Arajah.”
“Interesting.” I scratched the stubble of my jaw. “Sounds like they could use some trade industry.”
“Pirates have been our main economy in recent years,” Risthan said. “It would be wise to replace that demand with an alternative, or the island would fall into poverty.”
I shrugged. “It’s as simple as setting up trade agreements with the Zaborial Isles and Sorreyal. Once I get my fast travel spell up and working, I’ll be able to zip over here and back home whenever needed. It’s going to be so fucking awesome.”
“That will be incredible,” Sarosh agreed.
“You hold vast power,” Risthan said as he studied me. “Do you really think it is enough to defeat the pirate king? His reputation precedes him, and the whispers in the streets are ominous.”
“Gossip, and nothing more,” I said with a dismissive flap of my hand. “At least the rumors about me are true. Nothing I can’t handle.”
The two Arajians were silent for a while after that, and I returned to my thoughts. Getting the pacifists to reject the only lifestyle they’d ever known would be my main challenge, but it would be necessary to ensure they weren’t cast beneath another tyrannical boot heel the second I returned to Bastianville. I could travel around the world in the blink of an eye, but I had to get home first to establish the home base.
Eagerness to see my pregnant women and experiment with my new ability surged through me, but I breathed in and out slowly until I’d calmed my center once more.
It was late in the evening when we finally retired to our separate bed chambers, but my ladies were waiting for me in the massive bed. I crawled between them, and I stroked their backs absently as I drifted off into sleep.
A noise at the entrance to our room woke me up a few hours later, and I inhaled sharply as a dark figure slipped through the door toward the bed. I was on my feet an instant later, and I launched myself toward the shadow person without a second thought.
“Bash!” Sarosh squealed as we slammed into the floor.
“What’s going on?” A light flared as Eva lit a candle, and I glanced up to see her with a throwing star in one hand and burning candle in the other.
“Bash?” Caelia’s voice was full of worry, and she pulled the cover up to her neck in a defensive gesture.
“Sarosh?” I asked as I pulled away.
“Yes, it is me.” The dark figure threw back their hood to reveal the long silver tendrils of my priestess, and I exhaled in relief.
“What are you doing here?” I shook my head. “I could have killed you.”
“It was too urgent to wait till dawn,” Sarosh said, and the cold tone in her voice turned my blood to ice.
“Tell me everything,” I insisted.
Eva moved about the room lighting lanterns and candles, and a moment later the bed chamber was illuminated in a warm glow. Sarosh removed her cloak, but I saw her shoulders shake as she draped it over a nearby chair.
“The king summoned me after you went to bed,” she informed me. “He asked me to spy on you, Bash.”
“I knew it.” I gritted my teeth. “I’m going to go let him know exactly where he can shove his spies.”
“Bash, no!” Sarosh held up both hands to stop me as I strode toward the door. “You must not let him know I told you.”
“What sort of game are you playing at, Sarosh?” I crossed my arms. “You didn’t agree to spy on me, did you?”
“Of course not!” The hurt in her voice stung me. “I just think it would be wise to keep all our cards close to our chests for the moment.”
“I can’t let this go ignored,” I said, and I pushed past Sarosh to the door.
Before I could even place my hand on the knob, however, a loud boom suddenly echoed through the air, and the walls of the palace shook so violently the chandeliers jingled together.
“What the fuck?” I said.
The three women rushed to the windows and pulled back the curtains, but beyond them was a sight I was not prepared for. Bursts of flames exploded in the distance, and the fire illuminated the horizon where the silhouette of several ships was made visible in the sudden blasts of light.
Pirates.
“Who’s ready to defend an island full of pacifists from a horde of dumb assholes?” I laughed as I went to put on my gear.
“Let’s do this,” Eva said with a decisive nod.
“I’ll do my best,” Caelia agreed.
“We must evacuate the villages!” Sarosh’s voice trembled with fear. “Oh, Bash, I brought this on my own people!”
I grabbed the priestess by the shoulders, and I gently shook some sense into her.
“That’s enough of that nonsense.” I frowned. “You are the First Priestess of the Bastian faith. You have a duty to remain calm under pressure, and I expect you to be out there shepherding people to safety for as long as possible. Can you do that?”
Sarosh swallowed hard, and I watched the fear in her gray eyes turn to determination.
“Yes, Bash.”
“Good.” I grinned from ear to ear. “Now, let’s go kill some fucking pirates.”