I made a new save point as the bedroom door closed behind us, but I barely had time to smile at my gorgeous blonde wife before she was in my arms. Her body slid up against mine like a missing puzzle piece finally finding its home, and I wrapped my arms around her lower back.
“Allow me.” Evangeline had me pressed up against the closed door in my next breath, and a devilish grin twisted her full lips.
“Of course.” My back rubbed against the wooden surface, but I ignored everything except the goddess in my arms.
The blonde babe was ravenous as she claimed my mouth with her own, and her tongue sought out mine like a lifeline. I surrendered to the kiss, and her fiery passion set my blood on fire.
“I want you,” she breathed as she fluttered her eyelashes.
“You have me,” I murmured, and I nibbled on her jawline as my hands explored the curves of her body. “But you’re wearing way too much clothing.”
“My apologies,” she giggled, and she stepped back to seductively peel off her dress.
My cock stiffened in my pants as I watched her slide the outfit off her shoulders to reveal her pale-skinned breasts, but then she wiggled the dress down her hips until it fell to the floor in a pile.
I took a moment to appreciate the splendor displayed before me, and my eyes trailed over the creamy flesh of her abdomen to the line of fuzz decorating her mound. I licked my lips hungrily as I imagined burying my face between her thighs, but I forced myself to drag my gaze back up to my wife’s beautiful face. The duke’s daughter’s hair was beginning to grow out, and the jagged tendrils framed her face in a blonde halo. Her soft, full lips were still moist from our kiss, and they were parted slightly as though inviting me in for another taste. Everything about her screamed classy and sexy, and my entire body responded to the sight.
“Like what you see?” Eva’s smoky-gray eyes were languid, and she cocked one hip to the side.
“How do you get hotter every time I look at you?” I shook my head in awe. “I could look at you all day long.”
“I hope you plan on doing more than just looking,” Eva teased.
“But now you’re the one with too much clothing on.”
“My bad,” I chuckled as I began to pull off my clothes, but the blonde goddess helped me with eager hands.
Finally, I stood completely naked with my clothes heaped in a pile at my feet, but then Eva began to sink to her knees in front of me.
“Oh, shit,” I gasped as her warm breaths blew on my groin.
“I love all your odd words,” Eva giggled before she took the head of my cock between her lips, and she gazed up at me as she slowly took my full length into her mouth.
“Fuuuuck, Eva…” I groaned and leaned my head back against the door.
Her smoky-gray eyes watered as the head of my dick rubbed against the back of her throat, but still she maintained eye contact until her back spasmed from her gag reflex. The resulting sensation was incredible, and I moaned with delight. She slid back up at a tantalizingly slow pace, and then she finished by twirling her tongue around my head like she was devouring a lollipop.
“You’re so big,” Eva sighed while she rubbed her juicy lips around the head of my cock.
“You handle it so well,” I complimented.
Eva’s eyes twinkled, and she resumed her motions with even more enthusiasm. The blonde bombshell was obviously pushing herself to take my full length deep in her throat for longer and longer, but I wasn’t complaining. The tightness and friction felt amazing, and the warm wetness didn’t hurt, either. The duke’s daughter continued to bob up and down on my cock, and she gazed up at me with total adoration.
“You’re about to make me come already,” I warned, but this only seemed to urge her on even more.
“Mmm,” Eva moaned around my girth, and her cheeks bulged as she rolled her tongue around my shaft. Then she came up for air with a wet pop, and she grinned up at me. “You taste so good!”
The duke’s daughter returned to my cock, but she added her hands to the mix, and the pressure of her fists caused stars to erupt in my vision. I took a deep, steadying breath to prevent my load from bursting forth from my balls that very instant, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to last much longer if she kept it up.
“I want to taste you, too,” I said.
“Soon,” Eva said, and she waved a dismissive hand before she returned to my cock.
“At least let me lay down before I get light-headed from your magic mouth,” I laughed.
“Maybe.” Eva sucked my cock between her lips as a playful expression twinkled in her eyes, but after a few strokes, she popped off once more.
“Now,” I growled as I tugged her to her feet, but then I bent down and threw her over my shoulder.
“I wasn’t done yet!” Eva squealed with delight as I carried her to the bed, and I tossed her onto the mattress hard enough to make her bounce across the surface.
I chased after her with a ferocious growl of desire, and I tackled her around the waist before I pinned her underneath me. Eva squirmed and squealed, but she didn’t put up a real fight, and our lips met an instant later.
My cock throbbed against her soft thighs as our kiss grew more passionate, but before I could spread her legs and claim her completely, she sat up and winked. Then she bent over and wrapped her juicy lips around my tip yet again.
“Fuck, Eva, you really do want to make me cum,” I laughed.
“Mmhmm,” she moaned around my cock.
“Well, then I’m going to make you come twice as much,” I said, and I grabbed her by the hips to lift her ass onto my face.
“Bash!” Eva squealed as her bottom rose into the air, but she gasped when my tongue drove into her already dripping wet center of pleasure.
My face was sandwiched between creamy white thighs, and the aroma of her honeypot enticed me even more. I wrapped my arms around her hips to press her slit even closer to my lips, and I wagged my head from side to side with my tongue stiffened. Eva’s hips twitched, and she let out a guttural moan with my cock deep in her throat, but the sound awakened a ravenous hunger in me I wasn’t expecting.
I licked and sucked on her pussy lips like it was the last meal I’d ever enjoy, and her sweet juices ran freely down my chin. I inhaled her aroma, nibbled on her thighs, and buried my tongue as deep as it could go inside her tunnel.
“Ahhh, Bash!” Eva gripped my saliva-slick cock in both hands as she arched her back. “That… Feels… So… Good!”
“Come for me, baby,” I whispered, and I blew a warm breath across her inner thighs, which elicited a shiver of pleasure. “Let me
taste you.”
Then I went for her clit, and I slurped the swollen node between my lips and sucked until she squealed. I massaged, flicked, and twirled her pleasure switch with my tongue, but I backed off every time she came close to the edge, and Eva began to whimper for relief.
“Please,” she begged. “Please, Bash…”
“You want to come for me?” I asked.
“Mmhmm,” Eva moaned, but then she slid her mouth around the head of my cock once more as her hips began to convulse.
Each spasm caused her mouth to bob up and down my shaft, and the combination of her climaxing all over my face and her warm tongue against my cock drove me wild.
“I’m going to explode,” I growled, but Eva only stroked and sucked on my cock even faster.
The duke’s daughter let out a guttural sound as another orgasm sent all her muscles into spasms, and I licked up the juices flowing from her dripping entrance. My balls tingled and tightened, but I couldn’t hold back anymore, so I released my grip on my self-control.
Stars erupted in my vision as my blood turned to fire, and my cock pulsed as it shot out spray after spray of my thick white sperm into my wife’s throat.
“Mmm,” Eva moaned as she began to swallow my seed, and the sound sent shivers down my spine.
I pumped my hips and emptied my balls into her hungry mouth, but I never relented my assault on her swollen slit. Eva ground her mound against my mouth as her pussy walls pulsated around my tongue, and I struggled to hold her firmly in place as another orgasm shook her to the core.
“Fuck,” she sighed when she finally let my cock fall from her mouth, and she rolled off me onto her back. “You are so amazing!”
“Me?” I laughed. “You just sucked my brains out of my cock.”
“Hardly,” Eva giggled and propped herself up on an elbow, but I could tell by the look in her smoky-gray eyes that she was far from done with me.
I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
My shaft twitched at the thought of being inside my alluring wife, and the motion caught Eva’s attention. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips as a hungry look entered her eyes, and her obvious
desire made my cock surge to life. My wife’s hands were wrapped around my girth an instant later, and she milked my dick until I stood at full mast.
“What are you going to do with it now?” I asked with one arched eyebrow.
“You’re about to find out.” Eva’s lips twitched into a mischievous grin as she rose up onto her hands and knees.
Then she threw her leg over my waist and straddled me backward, and her tight ass cheeks jiggled as she rubbed her cum-slick pussy onto the head of my cock. I tossed a couple of spanks against her cheeks, and my wife gasped.
I could get down with some reverse cowgirl.
“Ride me like you stole me from the stables,” I instructed in a husky voice.
“My stallion,” Eva purred as she began to bounce up and down, but she twisted her hips each time she reached my groin so her pussy walls massaged my shaft with each stroke. “I will ride you all day long.”
I was on round two, so I was prepared to go for as long as she wanted. I leaned back and let her get to work on my cock, and I
hovered the palms of my hands over her ass so I could feel the jiggling without affecting her rhythm.
“Oooh, Bash!” Eva’s pussy lips spread around my girth as she paused at my tip, and she rocked her hips back and forth to rub the head of my cock against her clit. Her thighs quivered, and she had to plant her hands on my knees to keep herself held aloft. “You’re so hard…”
“Thanks to you,” I growled, and I grabbed her by the hips to slam her onto my cock until I was buried to the hilt. Then I ground my hips upward to rub the head of my dick against her cervix, and the walls of her tunnel shivered around my shaft.
“Yesss!” Eva arched her back and rolled her hips around in a circular motion to prolong the sensation.
“Fuck me, babe,” I urged. “Fuck me hard.”
Eva bounced up and down like a champion equestrian racing toward the finish line, and I let her take the reins for a while. Her muscles bunched and contracted as she attempted to resist the orgasm seizing control of her body, but I drove her hips downward until she surrendered to the sensations. Her legs twitched as her toes curled, and her pussy pulsated like an oiled fist around my cock.
“Oh, Bash, please…” Eva whimpered.
“What do you want?” I grunted as I thrust my hips upward to grind inside her.
“It’s too much!” the duke’s daughter gasped, and she gazed over her shoulder at me with an expression of pain and pleasure mixed in equal measure.
“I want you to climax again,” I said with a devilish grin.
“I-I-I--” Eva squeaked with each thrust.
“One more time,” I growled, and I pulled myself upright to wrap my arms around her.
Then I covered her entrance with one hand while I gripped her breast with the other, and I rubbed her clit while simultaneously grinding inside her. Eva leaned her head back onto my shoulder, and her mouth hung open in a silent moan. A sheen of sweat dappled her chest, and the curves of her abdomen were just beginning to hint at the life growing inside her.
Eva was mine.
Body, mind, and soul.
Our DNA had combined to create a new life, and soon a mini version of us would be running around Bastianville. The thought filled
my heart with warmth, and my love for the duke’s daughter momentarily overwhelmed me.
“Oooh!” Eva’s body began to shake, and I was pulled out of my thoughts.
My cock twitched as her pussy tightened around me, and I held her tightly in my arms as I pumped in and out of her slippery tunnel. Her shivers of pleasure only drove me on even more, but I kept a tight grip on my self-control this time.
I softened my thrusts as her climax slowly subsided, and I cradled her in my arms as she regained her composure. Then I pressed her forward until she was laying on her stomach, but I slid inside her again as soon as she was in position again. Her ass cheeks pressed up against my groin, and her tight pussy gripped my cock like it would never let me go.
My forearms bore the brunt of my weight as I rolled my hips around in a circle so I could feel the textured walls of her pussy against my member, but she was so tight at that angle I knew I wouldn’t last much longer.
“Fill me up, husband,” Eva moaned into the blankets.
“As you wish, my love,” I breathed against her ear, and goosebumps erupted across the skin of her shoulders. “You’re going to be bursting with my seed when I’m done with you.”
I kept a steady pace for a few thrusts, but I built up the intensity and force bit by bit until I was slamming my cock into her entrance. Eva let out a high-pitched squeak with each motion, and I could tell she was getting close again.
“Let’s go together,” I murmured, and I nibbled on her earlobe as I ground my dick deep inside her.
“I’m… Going… To…” Eva bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes.
“Do it,” I commanded.
“Bash!” Eva practically screamed as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
My aggressive tone seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, and she spasmed from head to toe like she was having a seizure. The resulting sensations against my cock were phenomenal, and I lost myself in the flood of pleasure. My balls twitched, and I came like a fire hydrant erupting into a suburban street. Then my seed burst deep inside Eva’s tunnel, and she
wiggled her hips against me as my orgasm lengthened and strengthened hers.
We became one entity in a flash of total bliss.
One being.
All love.
I closed my eyes as I collapsed against my wife, but then I wrapped her up in my arms and rolled onto my side without letting my cum-slick member slide out of her entrance.
“Fuck, I love you,” I breathed as my chest heaved with the effort it took to draw in oxygen.
“And I love you, Bash,” Eva sighed, and she trailed kisses along my forearms. “I’m so glad you can come back home whenever you want.”
“You’ll never have to wait long for my cock again,” I chuckled.
“You should probably get back to your mission soon, though,”
Eva said in a reluctant tone. “I can’t keep you here forever.”
“I can cuddle for a few hours first,” I said.
Eva scooted her butt even closer against me, and I tightened my hold on her. I nuzzled my nose into the nape of her neck, and I let out a contented sigh before I drifted off to sleep.
I returned back to Northwatch a few hours later, but I made sure to give Elissa, Caelia, and Eva passionate goodbye kisses before I dematerialized in front of them. Knowing they were only a spell away set my heart at ease, but I missed them the moment they faded from my sight. Zenda and Mahini were eagerly awaiting my return when I blipped back to the north, but Jaxtom was napping the day away.
I couldn’t blame him.
Waiting on a god to fuck all his women wasn’t the most entertaining of pastimes, but I knew he didn’t mind.
I’d make sure to get him home to his own wife soon, though.
“What is our next task?” Mahini asked with her hands on her hips. The desert goddess was always focused on the mission, but I was working on getting her to loosen up every once in a while.
I made a new save point before I announced my plans just in case I wanted to change my mind later.
“I think we should hang out in Northwatch for a few days,” I suggested. “I’d like to explore the town and get to know the people.”
“That sounds lovely,” Zenda said.
“What about the mission?” Mahini frowned.
“It’ll still be there.” I shrugged. “We have all the time in the world, remember?”
“Alright,” the desert goddess allowed with obvious reluctance.
“But I want to see if they have an armory in town. I’ve noticed the Reachers’ armor is all fine quality.”
“I’d like to discuss the construction of the walls with the Builders’ Guild,” Zenda added in an excited tone. “I’ve never seen anything like Northwatch’s ice walls before, and it would make a fine addition to my research paper.”
“Yer not gonna go to a forge without me!” Jaxtom grunted as he rose from the couch where he’d been napping.
“We wouldn’t dream of it,” I chuckled.
The four of us dressed warmly and threw on our fur-lined cloaks, but the sun was actually breaking through the dense gray clouds when we emerged from the castle. We all peered curiously at the frozen bridge as we crossed over the translucent surface, but I noticed some cracks and fissures running along the underside.
It would need to be repaired soon.
“The Northern Reaches is such an interesting place!” Zenda’s sapphire eyes were bright with excitement as she gazed around. “I
could spend a lifetime learning about this city alone.”
“The way the different territories of the Northern Reaches are allied but independent reminds me of Ancient Greece,” I mused, but my companions just blinked at me in confusion. “It’s an Earth thing.
The Greeks lived in city-states that were each basically kingdoms unto themselves, but there were alliances and wars amongst the various territories.”
“There was no king to rule over the entire realm?” Zenda tilted her head to the side. “Or a High Priest to guide the faith of the citizens?”
“The leaders of the Northern Reaches are more like warlords,”
Mahini pointed out. “They aren’t keen on trade or travel, but they will protect their own people, even if that means a brief alliance.”
“Aye,” Jax agreed. “But Bash will change all that. He’ll have them running weapons down to Sorreyal on a regular basis soon enough. Just watch.”
“Depends on how good their weapons are,” I teased. “That’s one of the reasons I want to tour the town. I’m strengthening our alliance with Lord Burchard, but I want to see exactly what I’ll be getting out of the deal.”
We’d entered a heavily crowded area of town, and the streets were full of short, broad-shouldered bearded men in thick furs. The people we passed looked at us with curiosity, but they seemed content to let us go about our business without interfering.
I scanned over the signs above the various shops and stores, and most of them had images carved or painted on them to signify what lay within. I saw advertisements for candies, cakes, and other sweets, but then the shape of an anvil caught my eye.
“I found the smithy,” I informed my companions, and I adjusted my trajectory toward the blacksmith’s workshop as they followed along behind me.
The sound of the hammer ringing against the anvil met my ears before the front of the shop came into sight, and all of us hurried our paces toward the noise. I turned the corner and finally got a good look at the smithy, but my jaw fell open when I saw who stood at the forge.
A woman with brunette hair pulled back at the nape of her neck had a concentrated frown creasing her eyebrows, and her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth as she pounded on the steel gripped by huge tongs.
“A woman!” Jax grunted and halted his steps. “I never…”
“It’s a big world, Jax,” I laughed, and I clapped the burly blacksmith on the shoulder. “You need to open your mind up a little bit.”
“Women can do anything men can do,” Mahini agreed, and she flashed the blacksmith a playful glare before she crossed the distance to the forge.
Jax muttered something incoherently under his breath before he followed after her, and Zenda and I exchanged an amused glance.
“Hi, there!” I said in a voice loud enough to be heard over the banging hammer.
The lady smith paused her hammering to glance up at us in surprise, and she dunked the hot steel into a barrel of water at her feet. She wore a long-sleeved red tunic cinched at the waist with a thick leather apron, and fur-lined boots covered her legs to the knees. Her eyes were dark gray, like hammered steel, and the irritation in them was clearly visible.
“What do you want?” she grunted.
“My name is Bash,” I said, and I ignored her less than friendly tone. “This is Jaxtom, Mahini, and Zenda. We’re from Sorreyal.”
“What’s Sorreyal?” The blacksmith squinted at us.
“The kingdom to the south of the Northern Reaches,” I explained. “I’m the Archduke there.”
“He’s also the God of Time,” Mahini added as she fixed the blacksmith with a pointed look. “And one of the finest smiths in the land.”
“You’re a god and a blacksmith?” the woman asked with obvious disbelief.
“And so much more,” I chuckled. “But Jax is a blacksmith, too.
A damn good one. We wanted to check out your craft to see how different it is from our methods down south. What’s your name?”
“I’m Fern.” The blacksmith wiped her hands on her apron before she offered it to shake. “Fern.”
We all shook hands and exchanged smiles, and then Fern showed us around her modest shop. It was about half the size of Jaxtom’s, and the majority of the free space was occupied by barrels of water. Without easy access to a stream, the blacksmith likely had
to haul the barrels a good distance, but they were necessary to the process.
Jaxtom analyzed her products with a shrewd eye, and they discussed the finer details of metal heating and shaping. Fern bragged about her methods and how they created a thinner, yet stronger steel. Some of her pieces appeared flimsy and ineffective, but she swore by their quality with such vehemence, I was inclined to believe her.
“There’s no way,” Jaxtom continued to argue. “It’s tiny. An arrow could pierce it.”
“I tell you the truth,” Fern said. “Do you have the courage to test it?”
All eyes turned to me, and I laughed out loud.
Leave it to the immortal in the group to put his life on the line.
“Alright,” I said, and I raked a hand through my shaggy brown hair. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“You could die,” Zenda said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Highly unlikely,” I chuckled.
Fern tilted her head to the side and listened to the exchange patiently, but her eyes gleamed with excitement when I nodded in
agreement. Then the blacksmith began to strap on the vambraces and pauldrons. Each piece felt as light as a feather, and it fit snugly against my body like a second skin.
“Bend, twist,” Fern instructed. “Feel the movement.”
“It’s very light.” I did as I was told, and I flashed her a sideways smirk. “What happens when I get struck? Or fall from my horse?”
“When have you ever fallen from your horse?” Jax chortled.
“Even with armor made out of feathers, you’d be fine. When’s the last time someone even landed a hit on you, anyway?”
“They don’t,” I said. “I still want to test out the armor, though.”
“One moment.” Fern nodded curtly, and she opened a cabinet to lug out a large wooden club. The blacksmith heaved the cudgel onto her shoulder, and she arched a questioning eyebrow. “Are you ready?”
“You’re going to hit me with that club, aren’t you?” I shook my head in awe at the situations I found myself in.
“Absolutely.” Fern grinned and swung without another word, and I wondered briefly who had hurt her.
The wooden club slammed into my chest, and the metal armor vibrated from the impact, but the majority of the hit was defused by
the numerous steel plates. There was no pain in my ribs or anywhere else, and I laughed out of sheer relief.
“How do you feel?” Fern asked, but her lips twitched into a knowing smile.
“I barely felt a thing!” I grinned. “You were right. This armor is incredible.”
“How do you do it?” Jax demanded as he crossed the distance to me, and the blacksmith lifted my arms to peer closely at the metal covering my chest. “There isn’t even a dent.”
“It’s a secret,” Fern said, and we all gave her a disappointed look. “I’m sorry, but it took me years to develop my method, and I’m not about to give it away for free.”
Challenge accepted.
Chime.
I led my companions into the city once more, but this time I took us directly to the blacksmith’s forge and introduced everyone to Fern yet again. This time, I was able to impress her with my knowledge of her craft, and she was astounded when I knew my way around her shop already.
“You’re really a god?” Fern asked, and a sliver of faith gleamed in her eyes.
“Really, really.” I grinned. “The only thing I can’t figure out is how you managed to make the steel so thin.”
Fern’s eyes lit up as she moved to the forge, but she hesitated for a moment.
“You won’t tell anyone, will you?” the blacksmith asked.
“Not a soul,” I promised.
The lady smith nodded, and she gestured for me to come closer.
“I’ve found a new way to draw out the steel,” she explained, and then she showed me with her hands.
I tried her method for myself, but she shook her head disapprovingly and pointed out several flaws in my technique. I frowned and tried again, but I ended up having to reset a few times before I mastered the blacksmith’s secret method. The day had gotten away from us while I spent hours with Fern, so I reset for a final time.
Chime.
I led my companions to the blacksmith, but during this run through, I was able to recreate her special method of heating the steel perfectly. Fern’s eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched me, and there wasn’t even a sliver of doubt in her gaze by the time I presented my sample.
“How is this even possible?” Fern shook her head in awe. “You must truly be a god.”
“Of course, I am,” I laughed. “I’d like to buy a custom set of armor from you to use as a template.”
“The armor you’re wearing is very high-quality,” Fern observed.
“Are you sure you’re ready for a replacement?”
“I want it to be designed for my women,” I explained. “Several of my wives are pregnant, and I would feel much better about their safety if they were wearing some of your practically indestructible steel.”
“Alright,” Fern agreed, but her steps were bouncy and energetic as she returned to her forge. “It will take me the rest of the day, at least.”
“We’ll be back.” I grinned and headed toward the entrance.
“We’re off to see a mage about a wall.”
“Oh, you’ll be looking for the Builders’ Guild,” Fern said. “It’s a little ways west of here.”
“Thanks.” I waved goodbye, and then we ventured back out into the streets of Northwatch.
I followed Fern’s directions until I saw an imposing structure at the end of the cobblestone avenue. Marble towers sandwiched a terraced stone building, and decorative inscriptions were carved into its face. Images of men stacking bricks and hammering nails were a pretty good indication we’d found the right place, so I trotted up the white steps to the entrance. Inside was a long counter with several men with long gray beards shuffling papers across the surface, and I cleared my throat as I approached them.
“Hello,” I said with a friendly smile. “My name is Sir Sebastian, and I’m the Archduke of Sorreyal and the God of Time. I am curious about your guild, and I was hoping someone would show me around.”
“We don’t provide tours of the facilities,” one of the graybeards said without looking up from his papers.
“Not even for a god?” I pressed.
One of the old men peered up at me then, and he narrowed his eyes as he took in the panabas hanging at my sides.
“You would need initiation paperwork or direct permission granted by Lord Burchard,” the man said in a condescending tone. “I see you have neither.”
“Alright,” I chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”
Chime.
I stopped by Lord Burchard’s office before we left the ice fortress, and he quickly scribbled a note giving me permission to look around the Builders’ Guild.
“They’re way too protective over their space,” the lord said with a frown. “No wonder their ranks continue to dwindle. It’s the city that suffers the most in the end, but they’re such an old institution they think they’re above the law.”
“Thanks for the paperwork,” I said, and I tucked the parchment into my hip pouch. “I won’t need it next time.”
Then we ventured into the city once more, but we made sure to stop by the forge to place my order for a custom set of armor. I had Zenda pose for the measurements, but the size could easily be adjusted for each of my women. We entered the Builders’ Guild with
our heads held high, and I presented my note from Lord Burchard without preamble.
“Master Boyr will show you around,” one of the graybeards said before he pulled on a cord hanging against the back wall, and a loud tolling bell rang out through the building.
A few moments later, a man with bright green hair jaunted into the room, and his long black robes hung from his thin form. He was roughly the same age, and built as I was, but something in his eyes made me feel he was much older than he appeared.
“Mikel, these people would like a tour of the guild,” the graybeard who’d summoned the new arrival said.
“A pleasure to meet you, Master Boyr,” I said, and I flourished down into a bow. “My name is Bash.”
The builder looked at me with an amused expression, and he flapped his hand in the direction of the graybeards.
“Right away, sir.” Mikel gestured back the way he’d come.
“This way, Mister Bash.”
Mikel led us through the wide hallway where the ceiling vaulted several stories above our heads, but the roof was made of solid glass, so the sunlight streamed in through to illuminate the interior.
“What brings you to the Builders’ Guild?” Mikel asked as we walked.
We were all gawking at the impressive architecture, and I almost didn’t hear his question. Everywhere I looked was something ornately carved, polished to a bright shine, or covered in gemstones.
“We are curious about the construction of the ice fortress and the city walls,” I explained. “What spells do you use to maintain them?”
“The wall magic combines some of our most foundational spells,” Mikel said. “I’m only a fourth-year apprentice, so I am not allowed to assist with those projects, but we can visit the other builders and observe them.”
“Alright,” I said. “Lead the way.”
Mikel veered to the left, and he led the way down a dimly-lit hallway until we arrived at a flight of stairs. The air temperature dropped significantly as soon as we stepped downward, and I shivered despite my heavy cloak. Then the walls grew more frosty the further we went, and I realized we were in a tunnel.
“This will take us directly to the wall workshop,” Mikel informed me. “That is the dispatch point for the wall builders.”
“Cool,” I said, and I resisted the urge to chuckle at my own pun.
A short while later, we climbed up another set of stairs and emerged into the sunlight. A stout circular building sat across the street from the tunnel entrance, and Mikel crossed the distance to the entrance as we followed along behind him.
Inside were three men in black robes, but they were all much older than Mikel. Their gray hair was pulled back into knots at the base of their necks, and wrinkles lined their faces. They glanced up when we entered, but they sneered when they saw Mikel.
Apparently, our guide didn’t have the best reputation within his guild.
“This is a guest of Lord Burchard’s who wishes to learn about the wall construction,” Mikel said. “Care to show him something?”
“I don’t remember signing up to work for Lord Burchard,” one of the old men grumbled.
“I’ll do it, Mikel,” a man sitting in the corner said, and he pushed himself slowly to his feet.
“Thank you, Elder.” Mikel bowed deeply.
“Let me help you.” I crossed the distance to the elderly builder mage, and I offered him my forearm as support.
“What a nice young man,” the elder mage chuckled as he accepted my arm. His grip was surprisingly strong, and he clamped his fist onto my arm like I was trying to escape. “This way.”
The old man led the way to the wall of ice, and he pointed out a couple of thin fissures running horizontally across the surface.
Then he placed his hands palm down on the surface, closed his eyes, and murmured a word of power.
“Moroz!” the elder said.
Frost bloomed out in every direction from his palms, and it filled in the crack in the wall until the surface was completely flush.
The ice continued to spread and grow until it created a large snowflake shape on the side of the wall, and the chill radiating from it caused my teeth to chatter.
“Damn.” I whistled appreciatively.
It was a useful spell to have around in the winter, but I wondered how effective it would be against the summer sun in Bastianville. There was only one way to find out, but in any case, I was sure to find uses for the new spell.
I’d learned what I’d come to know about, so I decided to reset back to my save point to regain the time we’d spent touring the town.
Chime.
I continued to explore Northwatch during my next few run throughs, and I met an enchanter named Dayman who specialized in ice buffs, but on my next attempt I focused on the mage’s guild. I met a man named Tristan there who’d recently joined the group of magic users, and he spent hours explaining to me the prejudice between weapon-wielders and magic users. The hatred had grown over generations, but the specialized forces worked efficiently together when they had to.
After I’d spent several lifetimes’ worth of days learning everything I could about the city and the people who resided there, I decided I deserved a day of rest and relaxation. Mahini and Jaxtom trained in the courtyard while Zenda walked around the ice fortress taking notes, but I opted for a long nap beside a roaring fireplace.
It was close to dusk when a servant knocked upon the entrance to the rooms we’d been provided with, and I yawned as I pulled it open.
“Lord Burchard requests your presence this evening,” the servant announced. “He is throwing a feast in your honor.”
“Well, then I should probably be there, huh?” I chuckled.
The servant inclined his head, but he didn’t respond.
I searched for my companions, and once we were all together again, we prepared ourselves for the feast with Lord Burchard. I wondered briefly what kind of diet they had in the north, but I had a feeling it would include a lot of root vegetables. Wearing our cleanest clothes, the four of us traversed the corridors of the ice fortress behind a servant, and a short while later, we arrived at a large dome-ceilinged dining room.
The room burst into a round of applause when we entered, and my eyes widened as I took in all the finely-dressed people staring at us. Everyone had pale-colored hair and light skin, but all the guys had beards that hung to their belts.
I made a new save point while the door was still closing behind us, and then I nodded to the herald that we were ready.
“Announcing the arrival of Sir Sebastian, Archduke of Sorreyal, Bane of Pirates, Dragon Slayer, and God of Time,” the herald called over the sound of the applause in a loud, clear voice. “And his
companions. Jaxtom of Bastianville, Archduchess Mahini of the Kotar Desert, and First Daughter Zenda of the Zaborial Isles.”
The curiosity and intrigue on the nobles’ faces made my lips twitch into a sideways smirk.
The God of Time was here to party.