All of the cultists whipped around to face me, and the dragon-masked man on the dais turned his head in my direction. Everyone froze, and we stood staring at each other for a long moment before the man on the dais pointed at me.
“Kill him,” the cold voice said.
The cultists withdrew their red-streaked daggers and charged toward me as one, but I was ready for them. I back-pedaled to give myself more room, but the cultists were quickly covering the distance between us.
“Is that any way to treat a guest?” I asked in a loud voice. “You didn’t even offer me tea!”
I knew Jaxtom and Mahini would protect Zenda and Kent, so I wasn’t worried about my companions. Plus, I could always reset to my save point and come straight to the underground temple if anything went wrong.
I blocked the downward swipe of a dagger with the edge of my blade as a cultist charged toward me, and I shoved my other blade through his gut, but I was soon moving in a blur to defend myself against the entire cult at once. I wasn’t sure exactly how many
people I was up against, but I’d killed armies single-handedly before, so I knew I could do it again.
The chamber was hot, and sweat poured down my face. I blinked back the droplets rolling down my brow, but my movements began to flow into a dance, so I barely needed to see at all. I could sense the cultists’ attacks, and my weapons rose as if they had a mind of their own. I blocked, jabbed, and sliced my way through the crowd, and the sounds of their screams echoed off the stone walls.
Lord Caldera silently watched the fight from his dais, but I was getting closer and closer to him with each cultist I killed.
Then a ball of flames shot across the room and slammed into my chest.
I was knocked off my feet, and I hit the ground hard as the heat radiated across my entire body. Fortunately, I had fire-resistant armor, so the majority of the damage was deflected.
“Chs,” I said until my hand was icy, and then I applied the chill to the hottest spots of my armor to speed up the fire-resistant buff.
Between the enchantments on my gear and my magic Band-Aid, I was back on my feet an instant later, but I was already
surrounded by cultists once more. The lizard-like masks created a circle around me, and I grinned as I realized their mistake.
No one could trap the God of Time.
I stomped my foot to activate the fleetness ability of my griffon feather boots, and I twirled my panabas in a figure eight as I dashed around in a circle. I mowed through the cultists surrounding me in a spray of blood and gore, but then I had to hop over their corpses to reach the masked figures behind them.
Lord Caldera watched the deaths of his followers without comment, and I wondered if he would do anything to interfere.
“Bash!” Mahini shouted from the entrance of the tunnel.
I skidded to a halt and whipped my head around to see a bunch of cultists pressing my companions back into the tunnel.
Mahini had her sword and shield, and she swiped at the hooded figures attempting to box her in, but then the cultists blocked my view.
“Son of a bitch,” I cursed, and I ran across the room to help.
Once I crossed the distance to the cultists surrounding my companions, I saw Mahini locked in a tug of war with one of the masked men. They each held a strap of her pack, and the desert
goddess struggled to keep a hold of the leather. The cultist gave a hard tug, and Mahini lost her grip entirely, but then the dragon egg flew out of the bag to bounce across the rock floor.
“The lost dragon egg!” Lord Caldera shouted from the dais.
Everyone gasped and stared at the egg as it slowly stopped moving, but then the cultists all lunged toward the dragon egg at once. Mahini and Jaxtom also rushed to grab our egg, and the blacksmith shoved cultists out of his way like a bouncer clearing a hostile crowd.
I ran forward as fast as I could, but Jaxtom scooped up the egg, so I let out a breath of relief. Then the blacksmith made eye contact with me from across the chamber and nodded pointedly, and I suddenly realized his intentions.
“Jax, no!” I shouted just as the egg was launched from his arms.
The dragon egg flew end over end, but it wobbled and wiggled while in motion, so it took a curved path. I’d never played sports in high school, but there I was trying to catch something like a football. I shuffled from side to side in an effort to get in the perfect position, and I kept my eyes locked on the iridescent shell. Then a cultist
suddenly slammed into me from behind, and we both tumbled to the stone floor. I jabbed my fist into his jaw as we fell, and his head whipped to the side so fast his mask was on crooked, but then I heard a wet plopping sound.
“Motherfucker!” My heart froze.
I was on my feet an instant later, and I turned around just in time to see the shiny dragon egg floating in the glowing magma.
“No!” Zenda wailed.
Mahini said nothing, but I could hear the unmistakable sound of her arrows thudding angrily into cultists.
“I’m sorry, Bash!” Jaxtom punched a cultist who stood between us and tossed him to the side.
“It’s okay,” I sighed, but I turned to watch the egg sink into the pool of molten rock.
Except it wasn’t sinking.
The egg floated on the surface of the magma pool, and fissures along the outside were beginning to glow. The lines etched across the egg’s surface until they created a web of orange that covered the entire shell, but then the glow intensified until it was too bright to look at directly.
“What’s happening?” Zenda asked as she appeared at my side.
“It’s… hatching,” I guessed.
There were still a few cultists remaining in the chamber, but everyone had ceased their struggles to watch the egg in awe. My companions gathered around me, but I kept my gaze locked on the glowing dragon egg. Then a cracking sound echoed throughout the chamber, and everyone gasped.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Lord Caldera stepping down from the dais, and I tensed. I was torn between finishing the task of eliminating the cult and not missing a moment of what was happening to the egg, but the cult leader didn’t attack. The dragon skull mask faced the pool of magma, and the orange glow cast on the bone made his head look like it was on fire, but he seemed just as entranced by the hatching as everyone else in the chamber.
Another cracking sound brought my attention back to the egg, and I watched as the shell began to crumble from the top. A hole appeared, and then a pointy metallic-hued snout pushed through.
The nose disappeared, but it was replaced by tiny claws that tore at the shell to widen the opening.
I held my breath, but my feet carried me closer to the pool of magma of their own volition. I watched with rapt fascination as more pieces of the shell fell away, and I was only a couple of feet away when the tiny dragon’s head popped out.
The eyes locked on me instantly, and they were dark voids speckled with glittering lights. They reminded me of a galaxy full of stars, all contained within the dragon’s optical orbs.
Without taking its gaze away from me, the baby dragon continued to climb to the top of its shell. It was covered in glittering, iridescent scales, but it was hard to tell what color they were as they reflected the red-orange glow of the magma pool. It was maybe two feet long if its whip-like tail was included, but the tip of the appendage was adorned with spikes like a stegosaurus.
Then it unfurled its leathery wings, but they looked sticky and damp. The entire dragon was around the size of a chihuahua, but it doubled in size with its wings fully extended.
The baby dragon let out a squeaky roar and flapped its wings until it rose into the air to fly toward me, but the next thing I knew, the shiny creature was flopping into my arms.
The scales were smooth, but the edges were sharp, so I was glad I had my gauntlets to protect my fingers as I maneuvered the creature into a reasonable position. Its wings were gangly and awkward, but it would grow more accustomed to them with time. Its claws dug into my armor, and small indentations in the steel marked its movements along my arm. Then the dragon peered up at me with the most curious expression in its star-like eyes, and it nuzzled its head under my chin affectionately.
“Aww,” I murmured, and I petted its head.
“Dragon Tamer!” Lord Caldera shouted, and the rest of the cultists echoed his words like a chant.
“Dragon Tamer!” the cultists chanted over and over again as they lowered themselves to their knees. They fanned their arms over their heads at me like I was an emperor, and I looked around the chamber at the dragon worshippers groveling before me.
As I scanned the room, I saw our guide peeking out from behind the archway into the tunnel, but he seemed unharmed.
“Looks like you’ve gained a new title,” Mahini observed. The desert goddess still had an arrow notched to her bow, and she eyed the cultists warily.
“And a few new followers,” Zenda added.
“What now?” Jax grunted.
“Now, I’ll do it again,” I said. “But better.”
“What do you mean?” Zenda frowned.
“You’ll see,” I chuckled.
Then I reset to my save point with a wave of my willpower, and the entire day was undone in an instant.
Chime.
Kent’s dog sled team raced toward Mount Pacay in front of me, so I had to urge my canines into a sprint to catch up to him. I signaled for him to stop, and the guide flashed me a look full of confusion as he applied his brakes and commanded his dogs to halt.
Then Mahini and Jaxtom’s sled slid to a stop beside me, and I gave my companions a wide grin.
“Change of plans,” I said. “We don’t need to reach the summit after all.”
“What do you mean?” Kent frowned. “You came all this way to visit Mount Pacay.”
“We’re still going to the mountain,” I said. “But we aren’t going to the top. Follow me.”
Without any further explanation, I clicked my tongue to signal my dogs forward once more, and my companions had no choice but to follow along behind me. I didn’t hear any complaints when I continued to follow the cultists’ melted tracks toward the base of the mountain, but the trip to the tunnel entrance still took the majority of the day. When the archway came into view, we parked the dog sleds and erected our campsite to give the dogs some shelter from the cold weather.
Then I slid the dragon egg into Mahini’s pack, and I handed it to her before I laid a hand on Kent’s shoulder and gave him an apologetic smile.
“You should stay here,” I suggested to our guide. “It’s going to be dangerous.”
“Alright,” Kent agreed without hesitation, and he reached down to stroke one of his dogs behind the ears. “I’ll wait until sunrise before I return to Northwatch.”
“We’ll be back before then,” I assured him.
“We’re going inside there?” Jax arched an eyebrow as he eyed the tunnel entrance.
“Everything we need is inside,” I confirmed.
“How did you even know this was here?” Zenda shook her head in awe.
“Bash knows everything,” Mahini said with a proud gleam in her icy-blue eyes.
“You know me,” I chuckled.
I summoned my flame spell as soon as we entered the darkness of the tunnel, and I led my companions further into the mountain.
“Watch your step,” I warned when we reached the stairs coated with ice.
I melted some of the ice covering the steps, and I went slowly to give my companions time to navigate the stairs. My warrior wife was pregnant, and I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks with her safety. I predicted the turns and twists of the downward spiraling tunnel, and I paused outside the entrance to the magma chamber.
The chanting voices of the cultists created an eerie background noise, and my companions gave me questioning glances.
“Lord Caldera and his followers are inside,” I said. “But they won’t be a problem.”
“I’ll be by your side.” Mahini had her bow in hand instantly.
“We won’t even have to fight,” I said, and a devilish grin spread across my face. “They’re all going to kneel before me.”
I gestured for the desert goddess to hand me her pack, and she frowned with confusion as she handed over her bag. Then I pulled out the dragon egg and handed the empty sack back to her.
“Do you feel the heat?” I asked, and they all nodded. “That’s the answer to all our problems.”
I winked at my companions, and then I led the way into the chamber. I moved quietly and swiftly around the backs of the gathered cultists, and I hunched down so I wouldn’t be visible from the dais. My companions mirrored my movements, and soon we were crouched beside the pool of magma as the chanting droned on in the background.
Then I tossed the dragon egg into the pool of magma, and my companions’ eyes widened with sudden understanding.
Once more, the egg floated on the surface of the molten lava, and the fissures started to glow into the web of orange-red light. The cultists still hadn’t noticed our presence, and their chants became more trance-like the longer they continued.
Maybe it was the source of their brainwashing?
The hatching continued the same as before, but it was just as mesmerizing and magical to witness as the first time. This time, I glanced at my companions to gauge their reactions since I’d already watched it once, and I was pleased by the fascinated expressions on their faces. Zenda inhaled sharply and clutched my arm, and the glowing egg was reflected in her sapphire depths. Jaxtom looked close to tears, but the desert goddess rested one hand on her swelling abdomen as though she was reminded of her own growing egg.
The baby dragon emerged, and I rose to my feet to gaze into its eyes again since I was pretty sure that was how it had bonded with me the first time. The star-like orbs peered at me as though it recognized me, and my breath caught in my throat. Then I held out my arms as it unfurled its sticky wings, and it let out an adorable little roar as it flapped through the air toward me.
The chanting came to an abrupt halt as the dragon’s roar echoed through the chamber, and all the cultists turned around to face me just as the baby dragon landed in my arms.
Lord Caldera stared over the heads of his followers behind the creepy dragon skull mask, and I could sense the heat in his gaze from across the chamber.
“I am the Dragon Tamer!” I said in a loud, clear voice, and I held the baby dragon over my head. “Kneel before me!”
The iridescent scales caught the orange-red light of the magma and illuminated the stone ceiling in a spray of reflections, and it felt like I was holding a living disco ball over my head.
The cultists glanced up at the dais to see Lord Caldera’s reaction, and the masked man stood motionless for a long moment, but then he began to lower himself to his knees.
“Dragon Tamer,” the leader of the dragon worshipping cult intoned as he prostrated himself before me.
“Dragon Tamer,” the rest of the cultists echoed as they mirrored him.
The entire room full of hooded and masked dragon cultists bowed before me, and I grinned triumphantly as I brought my new baby dragon back into the cradle of my arms. The tiny flying lizard clicked his jaw in a purr-like noise, and it nuzzled its head against the crook of my elbow like a cat.
“Aww.” I stroked the back of its spiky head affectionately, and my heart warmed at the sheer cuteness I held in my arms.
“What are you going to name it?” Zenda asked.
“Not sure yet.” I shrugged.
“Is it a boy dragon?” Mahini asked.
I peered at the chihuahua-sized creature in my arms closely, and I rolled it over to look at its belly. The scales on its underside were metallic-hued, but I didn’t see any indicators of gender.
“May I?” Zenda asked as she gestured to the baby dragon, and I nodded.
The blue-skinned goddess gently grasped the dragon’s spiked tail, and the Zaborian historian massaged upward in the direction of the creature’s legs. A vent opened between its scales, and a weird-looking two-pronged extension popped out.
“What the fuck?” I laughed at the absurdity of what I was seeing. “How did you know how to do that?”
It looked slimy, wet, and unlike any penis I’d ever seen before, but I didn’t know much about dragon anatomy.
Yet.
“Every lizard-like animal has a cloaca,” Zenda said in her scholarly voice. “From the looks of it, this is a male dragon.”
“You’re amazing,” I said, and I pressed a quick kiss against my intelligent lover’s forehead.
Then I noticed Lord Caldera approaching through the rows of kneeling cultists, and I stiffened. The massive dragon skull mask was even larger up close, and large bony protrusions extended from the top like horns. The holes were large enough for me to see the terrified expression in the man’s eyes as he peered at the dragon in my arms, but then he bowed his head deep enough for me to see the back of his neck.
“The prophecy has been fulfilled,” Lord Caldera said in an ominous tone. “The Dragon Tamer has returned.”
“Take off your mask,” I commanded.
The leader of the dragon worshippers slowly lifted the dragon skull from his head, and he placed it gently on the floor between us.
When he rose to face me again, I was faced with a middle-aged Reacher with a full blond beard. His eyes were pale, and they reflected the orange-red glow of the magma pool. There was respect, and more than a little fear, in his gaze, but he stood calmly beneath my scrutinization.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Lord Caldera,” the man answered, and his eyebrows twitched.
“Your real name,” I pressed in a hard tone.
“Jorn Crisman,” the older man sighed, and his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“I am Sir Sebastian, and not only am I the Dragon Tamer, but I’m also the Archduke of Sorreyal, Slayer of the fire-breather Smiguel, Red Hands the Bane of Pirates, and the God of Time.” I lifted my chin at a proud angle. “Do you swear loyalty to me and only me?”
“Yes, Great One,” the cult leader said, and he lowered himself to his knees again. “I surrender my body, mind, and soul to you.”
“Then I will grant you mercy today,” I said, and I gestured for him to rise. “But anyone who betrays me will guarantee their own deaths.”
“Yes, Great One,” the cultists chanted in unison.
I made a new save point, and then I placed a hand on Jorn’s shoulder.
“Now, I have some questions for you.” I grinned.
I interrogated the cult leader about how he’d summoned Smiguel, and I learned the secrets of the cultists’ fire magic. As I suspected, the majority of their spells were just enchantments, and beneath their black cloaks they all wore gear enhanced by magma
buffs. Jorn had them experimenting with dragon bones for months, but they didn’t have access to scales or blood like I did, so I hoped my creations would be even stronger. I’d taken the enchanted items away from the cultists in Bastianville, and I was eager to investigate the enchantments more later, but I let the cultists who’d surrendered to me keep their possessions.
The people he’d kidnapped had been systematically brainwashed into becoming full members of the cult, but I was pleasantly surprised the mysterious Lord Caldera hadn’t actually been performing human sacrifices.
I reset to my save point once I got all the information I needed, and I instructed the cultists to return to Northwatch to beg Lord Burchard’s forgiveness.
Then I moved on to the next task on my to-do list, and my companions began to bring the materials for my dragon armor into the magma chamber. It took several trips to unload everything from the sleds and haul them down into the center of the mountain, but it would be worth it.
“Ye really think this is gonna work?” Jax asked as he hauled in his tools.
“I know it will.” My grin hadn’t left my face since the dragon had hatched.
“Kent seems to be in good spirits,” Mahini reported as she brought in another load of our supplies. “He said to tell you thanks for letting him stay with the dogs.”
“We’ll get him back to Northwatch soon,” I said. “But first, we get to make some armor!”
“It’s been a long time coming,” my wife agreed, and she deposited her armful of materials near the pool of magma. “You’ll have better gear than anyone else in the world.”
“That’s the goal.” I grinned.
The baby dragon chirped as though he agreed with me, and we both laughed.
“Has he said anything to you yet?” Zenda asked. “I remember you mentioning that Smiguel spoke to you telepathically.”
“Nothing yet.” I frowned as I thought it over. “Maybe he’s just too young.”
“It will be fascinating to study him as he grows,” Zenda said, and her sapphire eyes were bright with enthusiasm. “I could write books full of research on the topic.”
“I can’t wait to read your work,” I said.
I repositioned the baby dragon onto my shoulders, and the dog-sized lizard curled around my neck and watched everything I did with curious star-filled eyes.
“Ye ready?” Jaxtom asked once his temporary workstation was set up.
I made a new save point so I didn’t have to redo the conversation with the cult leader before starting on my armor experiments, and then I flashed the blacksmith a wide grin.
“I was born ready.” I grabbed one of the sacks full of dragon bones, and I dug inside for the largest one I could find.
Jaxtom and I worked tirelessly to create my new armor, but I had to reset a few times before we finished with the first piece. The blacksmith and I were both unfamiliar with the dragon materials, but I learned from each mistake I made, and I got closer and closer to perfect results each time.
We used the magma pool to heat the pieces I’d scavenged from Smiguel’s body, and then I used my water spells to douse the hot items and cool them down. The floor was soon covered in a
couple inches of liquid, and my griffon feather boots quickly became soaked through.
A short while later, I had a pair of dragon bone boots layered in a protective shell of the impenetrable scales, but I’d added spikes on the toes as a decorative detail, and I rubbed my hands together as I waited for them to cool down enough to touch. Finally, I was able to check the stats on my new footwear, and I pressed my pointer finger against the scaled surface.
Durability - 100%.
Weight - 3lbs.
Quality - Supreme.
Magical Aspect - Dragon’s Breath.
Magical Ability - Powerful heat radius with each step.
The baby dragon yawned as though he was getting bored with his source of entertainment, and I held up the boots for him to sniff.
His snout wiggled as he peered at the footwear made from the remains of his kin, but then he snuggled in against my neck and fell asleep.
I’d take that as approval.
I’d basically made a better version of the cultists’ footgear, but I was content for the moment, so I put the boots to the side and worked on the rest of the armor. Without the fleetness ability granted by the griffon feathers, I wasn’t sure if the boots were really worth exchanging with my current ones, but I knew how to create double-enchantments anyway.
I lost track of how many times Jax and I created a piece with less than satisfying stats, and I reset to my save point over and over again until we got every item perfect. I would have to do some comparisons with my other gear once we got back to Bastianville, but in any case, it looked cool as fuck.
The gauntlet fingers were carved dragon teeth, and the scales flowed smoothly from the wrist guards to the vambraces, but the pauldrons had large spikes protruding from the shoulders. Spikes also ran down the spine like a dinosaur’s back, and the helmet was accentuated with two horns on either side. The magma had created a burning effect that made the dragon bone boots look dark-colored, but I imagined they would shine up nicely with a little elbow grease.
It was late in the night when we finally finished, and we were both sticky with sweat. I found Zenda and Mahini asleep against the chamber wall, but I watched them sleep for a moment as their chests
gently rose and fell with each breath. They were perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for better companions on this wild journey, but I was ready to get home now that our mission was complete.
I held the baby dragon in the crook of my arm as I shook them awake, and the lizard-like creature chirped loudly like he was trying to help me.
“What happened?” Mahini asked, and her eyes snapped open as her hands found her sword sitting on the floor beside her.
“It’s time to go,” I said. “Or at least, get to our sleeping pads.”
“You’re done?” Zenda yawned. “How did it turn out?”
“Awesome.” I grinned. “I’ll show you more in the morning. For now, let’s just get to bed.”
Jaxtom and I helped the two sleepy women up the tunnel steps to our tent, and Kent and the dogs were all sleeping peacefully when we entered the structure. I was dead tired, so I passed out the instant I was horizontal, but the baby dragon remained curled up in my arms all night long.
The next morning, I woke up to find Kent loading the sleds and harnessing the dog teams.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
“I am ready to be home,” Kent replied.
“Me, too,” I said, and I moved to help him load the sleds with the rest of our stuff.
Once we returned to Northwatch and relieved our guide of his duties, it would be a simple matter for me to fast travel my companions, dragon, and new armor back to Bastianville with the Amulets of Zyne. I was eager to be home, and I longed to settle in for the long winter with my wives and lovers by my side.
A short while later, the sleds were ready to go, and my companions and I got into our positions once more. It would take a while to get back to Northwatch, but now there were no dragon worshipping cultists to worry about. We made good time, but Kent insisted on leaving early each morning, so I could tell he was ready for his journey to be over.
The gates of Northwatch stood open when we arrived, and the people waved at us as we made our way through town. I wasn’t sure how the Reachers would respond to the sight of a baby dragon, so I hid my new buddy in the bottom of the sled next to Zenda, and I covered him up with a tarp.
Then Lord Burchard met us at the entrance to the ice fortress, and his wide smile told me everything I needed to know.
The cultists had followed through on their promises.
“You’ve done it!” the Lord of Northwatch said as he clapped me on the shoulder. “Just as you said you would. Consider me a believer in the God of Time.”
“I take it the so-called Lord Caldera returned to Northwatch?” I chuckled.
“Fell to his knees and begged the throne’s forgiveness,” Lord Burchard confirmed. “And it’s all thanks to you.”
“You can thank me with those trade routes we discussed,” I countered with a wink.
“Done!” The Lord of Northwatch clapped his hands together with an air of finality. “And anything else you wish.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I laughed. “But for now, I just want to go home.”
“You have a long journey ahead of you still, Great One,” the Reacher said.
“Nah,” I said, and I waved a dismissive hand. “Just a blip away.”
“A blip?” Lord Burchard frowned in confusion.
“Watch,” I said, but a devilish grin spread across my face.
My companions all grabbed onto our stuff, and I reached into the sled for the baby dragon. Lord Burchard gasped and stumbled backward a couple of paces at the sight of the lizard-like creature, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers.
“Is that…?” he asked.
“Yep.” I grinned even wider. “I’ll see you next time, Burchard.”
Once the baby dragon was settled into his customary spot wrapped around my shoulders, I grabbed onto my companions’
hands, and we were surrounded with the glowing blue aura as I fast traveled back to Bastianville.
I blinked, and the next thing I knew, I was standing on the main street of Bastianville in front of Eva. The blonde bombshell cocked her hip to one side, and a smile twisted the corners of her lips up.
“It’s about time, husband,” Eva teased.
“Time is meaningless to me,” I countered.
I pressed a quick kiss against those juicy lips, and then I turned to look around at the town. Snow still covered everything, but the roads had been shoveled clear. People made their way up and
down the street all around us, but everyone slowed down to crane their necks in our direction. Soon, word of my return would be on everyone’s lips, and I’d have a line of petitioners outside my door.
Such was the life of a god.
“Let’s get you home,” Eva said, and her laughter warmed my heart.
Mahini and Zenda hugged the duke’s daughter, and then we said our goodnights to Jaxtom before the blacksmith trotted eagerly toward his home. He’d been away from his new bride the entire trip, so I was sure he was excited to return to Torya’s generous embrace.
Then my women and I made our way through town toward my house, but we didn’t get very far before the baby dragon stuck his head out of my fur-lined hood to chirp a greeting at Eva.
The duke’s daughter stopped in her tracks, and her smoky-gray eyes were wide as she gazed at the creature wrapped around my shoulders.
“Y-Y-You have a dragon!” Eva stuttered, but then she shook her head. “How is this even possible?”
“The egg,” I said. “It just needed magma to hatch.”
“Dragon’s breath would likely have also worked,” Zenda added.
“Amazing.” My blonde wife reached out her fingers for the baby dragon to sniff. “What’s its name?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” I shrugged. “I figured it should be a group decision.”
“You never cease to surprise me, husband,” Evangeline giggled as she started walking again, but her eyes flicked to the baby dragon constantly the rest of the way.
Caelia and Elissa were sitting on the couch when we entered the house, and their squeals of delight when they saw me made my heart grow two sizes bigger. My women cooed and baby-talked to the dragon for the rest of the night as we told them about our adventures in the north, but it wasn’t long before I started to yawn.
“Before you fall asleep in your chair,” Caelia chuckled. “Why don’t we go to bed?”
“I like the sound of that,” I said, and I herded everyone upstairs.
I fell asleep in a tangled pile of limbs and hair, but that was my favorite way to sleep. The baby dragon climbed onto the top of the
headboard and curled up into a ball, but I made a mental note to get him a proper roost soon. I slept better than I had in weeks, and the sun streamed in through the windows when I finally woke up. The little dragon chirped and stretched sleepily, but a moment later he flapped his wings and flew across the room to the windowsill.
Then I glanced around and found myself alone in the giant bed, and I couldn’t even hear any of my women’s voices downstairs.
“That’s weird,” I said, and I swung my legs over the side of the bed.
“Good morning!” Caelia said in a singsong voice as she suddenly burst into the room.
“How did you sleep, Bash?” Zenda followed behind her with a tray piled high with breakfast foods.
“Great.” I grinned. “I missed everyone when I woke up, though, and I was about to go looking for you.”
“Mahini, Elissa, and Eva are taking care of some things in town,” Caelia explained. “They wanted us to have the house to ourselves this morning.”
“Oh?” I chuckled as I instantly picked up on my fiancée’s innuendo.
“They…” Zenda blushed a dark purple hue. “They said it was mine and Caelia’s turn with you.”
“My wives always know best,” I said.
“Absolutely.” The blue-skinned goddess smiled sweetly in agreement, and she set the tray down on the side table.
“I was telling Zenda about the time on the beach,” Caelia said, and the two women exchanged a sideways glance before they burst into giggles.
“What?” I chuckled.
“She wants to try it, too,” Caelia said, and she nudged the Zaborian historian in the side.
“I want to experiment more,” my lover confirmed, and she wrapped her arm around Caelia’s waist. “With all three of us.”
I swallowed hard as my cock instantly surged to life.
Being the God of Time was fucking amazing.
End of Book 9