Everyone began talking at once, but I scanned the room for the most urgent voices to respond to. It was a large room with vaulted ceilings lined by exposed wooden beams, and the walls held lamps on small shelves. A fire pit burned slowly in the center of the room, and a hole in the ceiling sucked the smoke out. My chair was situated at the opposite end from the door, and two tables sat parallel to either side of me.
Jaxtom stood up from his chair, but Torya was tugging on his elbow to get him to sit back down. Questions came at me from all sides, so it was hard to hear any one single voice. Elrin immediately opened his mouth to respond but shut it without saying anything, so I gave him a quizzical look as I lifted a regal hand to silence everyone else. The din of the room quieted, and everyone settled back into their chairs.
“Speak your mind, Elrin.” I inclined my head. “I’m eager to hear your opinion.”
My father-in-law hesitated for a moment more, and I steeled myself for a difficult request to fulfill. Mayor Elrin wouldn’t ask for
something lightly, but if he was happy, then everything else would go more smoothly.
“I would request your help in convincing Elissa to stay home,”
the older man finally said, and his shoulders slumped. “I worry about her safety while--”
“You can rest assured that Elissa decided to stay home herself,” I interjected in a calm voice, and I flashed the worried father a grin. “The baby is our highest priority.”
“Oh, good,” Elrin sighed, and relief swept across his face.
“Who will be accompanying you, then?”
Everyone in the room perked up at that, so I made sure to raise my voice for all to hear.
“Mahini, Eva, and Zenda will travel with me to the Kotar Desert,” I said. “But we will need an entourage this time. The desert is a harsh place, and I want to be prepared for anything.”
“We can definitely provide you with anything you could need,”
Torya spoke up, and she readjusted the shawl spread across her shoulders. “Bastianville’s coffers are full, and business is thriving.
Gathering up your supplies would be an honor, Great One.”
“Thanks, Torya,” I said as I dipped my head. “I’ll get you a list of everything we’ll be needing soon.”
There was silence for a moment, and I scanned over the room to gauge who to address next. The members of the Elder Council sat behind a long table, and Elrin was situated at the end closest to my chair. My father-in-law had a content smile on his face, and he shuffled some parchment in front of him. Beside the mayor, Jaxtom leaned back in his chair with a frown creasing his eyebrows into a solid line, but the blacksmith’s gaze wasn’t directed at me, and I followed his line of sight until it landed on Riondale.
Next to Jaxtom was his wife Torya, and she sipped on a cup of tea as she eyed her husband sideways. On the other side of the innkeeper, Theodora drummed impatiently on the table with one hand, and I could see the healer’s foot tapping underneath.
On the opposite side of the room sat my military leaders.
Riondale was the general of my main forces, but I also had the town guards, watchmen, and police forces with leaders present. Every man on the left side of the room sat with straight backs and faces, but Riondale fidgeted ever so slightly whenever his gaze landed on Jaxtom.
I needed to address the tension between my two best friends.
“What’s up, Ri-Guy?” I said as I indicated the general with my gaze.
“I await your command, Great One,” Riondale said, and he cleared his throat. “And permission to speak freely.”
“Granted,” I chuckled. “As always.”
“Sir, you are an amazing fighter with unparalleled skill, but a caravan of goods will attract a lot of attention from raiders.” Riondale lifted one eyebrow. “I would sleep better if I knew you had good men watching your back.”
“I agree,” Jax growled from across the room. “Been waitin’ for you to say the right thing, kid.”
Riondale’s lips twisted into a sideways smirk, but he didn’t respond to the banter. The young general was a proud man, so I wondered if that was the source of the tension.
Did Jaxtom cross the line by calling the proud young man a kid?
“I agree, Ri-Guy,” I said, but then I fixed Jaxtom with a hard stare. “Anyone else have any thoughts?”
“You’ll need more than a few men,” Jaxtom huffed. “You’ve got to take more than a handful with ya, but that’ll make ye move slow.
The desert ain’t a good vacation spot.”
“I’m aware,” I chuckled. “I am going on this adventure with my eyes wide open. I know the risks, but the reward will be worth it.
Mahini wants to reunite with her mother before the birth of our child, and I have made a promise to my wife that I intend to keep. I will do whatever it takes to get her there safely.”
“Smart thinkin’,” Jax agreed, and he seemed to be appeased for the moment.
I still wasn’t sure what the big deal was, but I had unlimited chances to figure it out. First, I wanted to make sure every other detail was covered, so I would know what to expect on further run throughs. The tension between Riondale and Jaxtom seemed to spread throughout the room, and both tables sat in stiff silence.
At least everyone wasn’t talking at once anymore.
“I will bring two platoons with me,” I announced, and I nodded to Riondale. “I want hand-picked men. The best of the best. They will be receiving further training under my guidance, so only choose men who won’t waste the opportunity.”
“Jorgen and Corvis both lead men who match that description, sir,” Riondale responded. “I’ll alert them to begin their preparations to
leave.”
“Good.” I nodded curtly. “They have a few days, but less than a week. It will take some time to gather up everything else we will need.”
“You’ll need transportation for supplies,” Elrin pointed out. “I am more than happy to cover such a task.”
“Perfect.” I rubbed my hands together. “Work with Torya and Riondale to see how much room we will need for supplies and men, but I’ll need a carriage just for the women.”
“I assumed as much,” Elrin said as he inclined his head. “It already played into my early calculations.”
“Good man.” I grinned. “Any other questions?”
I glanced around the room with one arched eyebrow, but I didn’t see anyone else eager to share. The tension had abated, so I could handle the rest of my business without it hanging over my head, but I still intended to reset and fix it before it happened.
“Now,” I said. “On to my questions. Theodora, would you be willing to come with us?”
The apothecary’s eyes widened with surprise, and she didn’t respond immediately, but I gave her a moment to think it over. It was
a dangerous trip, and while I could guarantee her safety, it was still a choice she’d have to make for herself.
“What about the women bearing children here in Bastianville?”
Theodora shook her head. “I feel my talents are needed in two places at once. It is a difficult decision.”
“I understand,” I said in a reassuring tone. “I also feel torn between home and adventure.”
“What shall we do?” The apothecary met my gaze calmly, but I saw her concern.
“We need to hire more healthcare people,” I said. “We need a midwife. Not that I don’t trust your skills, Dora, but someone specialized in child birthing would know how to handle those situations better.”
“I agree with you,” Theodora said. “We need more than one midwife with how fast Bastianville is growing. Zeb can handle a lot of patients on his own, but he isn’t the youngest apprentice. I’d be leaving the town in his hands.”
“We can send out an announcement to recruit midwives and doctors,” I said. “I need you close by Mahini right now, though, since she is the one going into dangerous territory.”
“Alright.” Theodora nodded. “I’ll go with you on your quest.”
“I can always bring you back to Bastianville in a blip,” I added.
“I can travel through space now, so I’m never as far away as you think.”
It was both a promise and a reminder that I wasn’t going to be completely absent. Whoever wore the other side of the Amulet of Zyne would be my anchor to my home base, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t walk around town and handle issues before heading back to the quest.
Fast traveling was fucking awesome.
I was eager to get more chances to use the Amulets of Zyne, but it was pretty pointless to do so within the confines of my own territory. I’d traveled to Ivywood, Carleone, and Wyndvale more than once, but I enjoyed the day’s ride too much to blip.
Now, I would be going to the other side of the known world.
The edge of the map of Sorreyal.
“What does the rest of the panel say?” I asked as I turned my gaze to the other men sitting beside General Riondale.
“I believe we have things firmly under control here,” Strauss said, and the head of my police force dipped his head. “If it is as you
say, would you still be present for the weekly court sessions?”
“Unless something else needs to be given priority.” I shrugged.
“I can’t make any promises on that front, but I will do my best.”
“Very well.” Strauss rubbed his brown handlebar mustache.
The larger man had adjusted to his new role as a leader like a rubber glove stretching over fingers, so I wasn’t worried about any crime occurring once word of my absence had spread around town.
“Theon?” I asked as I moved my gaze to the thin whip of a man who led the town guards.
“Sir, you may come and go as you please.” Theon smiled thinly, and his blond eyebrows knitted together. “You have made our jobs easier just by being here, but I agree with my comrades. We can handle things in your absence. For a while.”
Garin, the leader of the wall watchmen, was the last to speak.
He seemed to sense the direction of my questioning, and he met my gaze head-on. The older man had lived in Bastianville for months, but he’d quickly adapted to life in the growing town. He’d been one of the first men to volunteer for watch duty, and he continued to keep shifts alongside his men on top of his leadership duties.
“My advice is to choose the very best horses to take on the trek.” Garin inclined his head and crossed his arms over his burly chest. “The desert can be hard on a beast, so you’ll want steeds who can take a beating.”
“That’s a good point.” I nodded. “The tack we take should be in perfect condition, too.”
“Allow me to handle this for you,” Garin requested.
“Sounds good to me.” I clapped my hands together as I scanned over the quiet room once more. “Anyone else?”
I was met with head shakes and silence, so I wrapped up the court session.
But I didn’t feel like it had been perfect, and I reset to my save point with a wave of my willpower.
Chime.
“I’m leaving on another quest,” I announced without preamble.
Once again, everyone began to talk at once, but I held up my hand to silence the ruckus. When I had all eyes on me, I cleared my throat and looked to Elrin.
“Elissa is staying home by her own choice,” I explained. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, thank you,” Elrin said, and his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. “I was going to ask for your help with that.”
“I know,” I chuckled, but then I turned to Jaxtom. Time to face the problem head-on. “And you keep calling Riondale ‘kid’, but I think it’s starting to get on his nerves.”
I glanced at Riondale to find the young general shifting uneasily in his seat, but that only confirmed my suspicions. The young man didn’t enjoy being talked down to by someone who was technically his equal.
“What?” Jax snorted. “Me and Ri-Guy are good buds.”
“Riondale?” I arched an eyebrow.
“Well, sir,” the brown-haired man muttered while carefully folding his hands on the surface of the table. “Jaxtom and I go way back, it’s true, but I may forever be a child in his eyes.”
“That ain’t true,” the blacksmith interjected, and I had a feeling he was finally realizing the harm his simple comments had done. “I respect you, Ri.”
“As do I you.” Riondale cleared his throat, but the tension in his shoulders eased a little bit.
“Now, then.” I clapped my hands together. “We all understand each other. Let’s be friends and move on with the proceedings.”
“Yes, sir.” Riondale nodded curtly.
“Aye,” Jax agreed.
I let the air settle for a moment while I scanned over the room, but then my gaze landed on Theodora.
“Dora, I’d like it if you came with me on this quest.” I inclined my head to the apothecary. “I know you feel torn between your duties to the town and my pregnant wives, but Mahini will be in the position with the most danger. I would rest easier knowing you are with us, but if need be, I can bring you back to town at a moment’s notice. In the meantime, we’ll send out calls for more midwives for Bastianville.”
“I-I-I,” Theodora stammered as her eyes widened. “I accept.
How could I not?”
“Good.” I grinned. “With that settled, there just remains the carriages, supplies, horses, and the platoons led by Jorgen and Corvis.”
Shocked silence followed my words, and I resisted the urge to chuckle knowingly. Better to keep the overbearing god things in
check, but that was mostly just because I loved the surprise factor when an approachable guy knew how to solve every problem.
“Elrin, you should organize the carriages for everyone and the supplies,” I said, and my father-in-law nodded. “Garin, will you pick out horses capable of surviving a trek through the desert?”
“Yes, sir,” the leader of the watchers answered me without hesitation, but his eyes were the size of saucers.
Then I went around the room and addressed each person’s concerns head-on. They responded with stunned amazement and instant agreement, and I felt like I’d mastered the process of ruling a territory. I was doing pretty good so far, if the safety and prosperity of my holdings was any indication.
At the end of the court session, I decided to let time continue, and I called for a halt to all proceedings. It had taken several hours to go through the entire process, so my stomach was ready for me to head home.
We all shuffled out together, and Elrin had a load of parchment in his arms as we walked side by side. I flashed my father-in-law a final smile before we went our separate ways, but then I turned my feet in the direction of my house.
Soon, I’d be living in a castle.
As I had the thought, my feet detoured to the construction site to check in with the progress on my castle. It was a fine, late winter afternoon to be walking through Bastianville, and I waved at the townsfolk as I passed.
Everyone was familiar with the friendly neighborhood god.
I heard the construction before I saw it, and a pleased smile stretched across my face. It wouldn’t be much longer before my family and I could move into the bigger living space, but the builders were racing against Elissa’s pregnancy, which was steadily progressing.
Esher waved when he saw me, and I headed in his direction.
In the background, teams of men hauled giant cut trees toward the construction zone. I had to dip below the lifted lumber in order to reach my head engineer, but a moment later, we were clasping forearms.
“How does the Great One fare these days?” Esher asked.
“Well enough.” I grinned. “I’m leaving on a new quest in a couple of days.”
“Never stop moving, do you?” Esher chuckled. “You’ll be surprised by the progress we’ll make while you’re gone, I can promise you that.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” I said, and I turned to watch the workers carry the humongous timber up to the top of the walls.
Pulleys and ropes were used to lift the logs into place, but then the beams were secured, and a second level of floors could be built on top of it. “Looks like you’ve already been busy.”
“Aye,” Esher agreed. “No rest for the wicked.”
“Or the head engineer?” I lifted an eyebrow, and the older man laughed.
“The first floor will be weather worthy in a few weeks,” he informed me. “Your family could move in then.”
“That’s wonderful news.” I clapped the man on the shoulder.
“Keep up the good work.”
I made a circuit of the construction, and I toured the halls of the first floor while the workers placed beams over my head. My throne room would be big enough to fit two more tables in lengthwise, so I could have the heads of the different guilds join my court sessions in the future.
First, I had to choose heads of the guilds, but that was a problem for another day. For the moment, I had nothing on my plate, and I wanted to enjoy it.
The kitchens were massive, and I was reminded of the staff I’d have to hire in order to operate the larger household. There were servant quarters, and a sitting room, but the main attraction was the master bedroom. I’d have a hot bath right off the bedroom, and I stood in the center of the space while I watched the workers.
They waved down at me, and I saluted before I left the construction site to finish the short trek home.
I was greeted by all my women with joyful smiles, and it felt good to walk through the front door of the house that was suddenly small in my eyes. I kissed them all on their cheeks and juicy lips, and then we had a small dinner feast. Elissa helped clear off the table while Mahini moved to massage my shoulders, and Caelia put away the leftover food. Then Eva and Zenda moved into the study to read, but they took cups of steaming hot tea with them.
It was peaceful and quiet, and it was the kind of night I would miss the most while on the road sleeping on a pad, but at least we wouldn’t be separated for long.
I could always blip back home for a night of relief and relaxation.
The next morning dawned bright, and it was warmer than I expected. I went through my normal routine, and then I went to the only inn in town to check with Torya on the progress of our trip supplies. The roads were clear, but we’d just had a big market day, so the shops were sure to be slow for a bit. Everyone had already spent all their money, but it wouldn’t last for long.
I made quick time to the inn, and a few moments later, I was stomping residual snow from my new dragon scale boots as I climbed the steps. Torya was behind the counter, and she greeted me with a wide smile.
“Why, Bash, how lovely to see you!” the innkeeper said. “To what do I owe the honor?”
“Just checking in,” I replied as I took a seat at the counter.
The busty innkeeper instinctively poured me a cup of tea to warm my hands, and she leaned on the bar until her cleavage protruded partially from her peasant top.
“Things are going quite nicely, if I do say so myself,” she said.
“I learned of your upcoming trip the night I placed my order for the
kitchen. My merchant said it would take a day or two, but they’ll have everything you need back here as quickly as possible. The water is being stored in wooden barrels, but they aren’t a long-term solution.
Bumps and jarred carriages can spring leaks in the barrels if you aren’t careful.”
“I’d hate to just pour water out into the desert,” I agreed. “I’m glad to see you have everything under control.”
“You can count on me, Great One.” Torya smiled brightly.
“You’re like family at this point, and the girls will all be having your little ones soon. We need to work together now more than ever before.”
“True enough,” I chuckled.
I finished my tea and chatted with the innkeeper until it was gone, but then I returned to the streets of Bastianville.
The next day, I went to the military area of town to check in on the platoons scheduled to travel with us into the Kotar Desert. I found Riondale leading men through drills, and I recognized a few of the faces among the trainees. There was Jorgen, Corvis, and Niconor in the front row, and the three men were dripping sweat from their brows as they moved through the motions.
Riondale spotted my arrival and handed over command of training to another soldier, but then the young general crossed the distance to me.
“How’s everything going, Ri-Guy?” I asked in a friendly tone.
“Doing well, sir,” the young man said as we clasped forearms.
“The men are in good shape.”
“Is everything ready for our departure?” I watched the drills for a moment before I turned my gaze back to the general. “Think they’ll be good to go tomorrow or the day after?”
“Whenever you’re ready, sir,” Riondale confirmed.
The men halted their movements, and they all crowded around to greet me. I shook hands and clapped men on the shoulders, but I hugged my former traveling companions, Corvis and Jorgen. The horse master and the hunter had come with me from Castle Bullard back during my dragon slaying adventure, and they’d been among the first people to swear loyalty to me. They’d dubbed themselves Bastians, and the term had spread like wildfire, but I held a special place in my heart for the men who swore first.
“I am eager to get some hunting time in with you,” Jorgen said once the crowd dispersed. “It’s been too long since I held a bow in
my hand.”
“That’s a real shame,” I agreed. “Does the army take up too much of your time?”
“Once Rion promoted us, it was nothing but work,” Corvis interjected, but he wore a good-natured smile.
“Better than playing in horse shit.” Riondale elbowed his friends and comrades. “Or chasing deer tail.”
“That remains a matter of opinion,” Jorgen argued.
We all laughed and turned toward the barracks. Then we walked together to the entrance, and we caught up some more along the way. It would be good to have men I was familiar with among the many new soldiers’ faces, and it sounded like they were just as eager as I was for the open road.
Then I noticed that Niconor had hung back, and I slowed my pace to match his. The younger miner flashed me a sideways smile, and I bumped my shoulder against his.
“As my official Household Guard, you should come with us to get to know the family better,” I said. “You’re familiar with Elissa and Caelia already, but you’ll also be protecting Zenda, Eva, and Mahini.”
“Forgive me, sir,” Nic said in a hesitant tone. “But wouldn’t I be of more service to you here in Bastianville? With you gone, your family staying behind will need extra protection.”
“You know what,” I chuckled. “I like that you spoke your mind. If that’s where you think you would make the biggest difference, then I’m inclined to agree with you. There will be plenty of time to get to know the whole family in the future.”
“Thank you, Great One,” Nic said, and he shook my hand firmly. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“You never have,” I said.
Then I entered the barracks with the men, and we shared a few drinks before I returned home. The preparations for my journey were nearing completion, and then we would head out of town on a grand adventure.
Before I could leave town, I needed to make sure the guilds were set up with different department leaders, but I’d had to send out runners with a job ad in order to get enough applicants. It didn’t take very long for the contestants to parade into town, and the inn was brimming with people jostling to be chosen for a lofty position within our new guilds.
Bastianville had made a name for itself, and it was paying off.
My women and I poured over countless profiles, but then we began to organize them into groups. Some were rejected entirely for lack of experience, or a general dislike of the people.
We were all only human, after all.
Others were argued over, and some were thrown in a nonchalant ‘maybe’ pile, but all were considered by the entire family.
Some were noble born, and others were merchant-class, but none who applied were beggars or peasants. I was looking for underdogs I could count on, but my women often bent my ear toward someone with more experience.
Then we interviewed everyone.
I set a save point prior to beginning the process, and I quickly decided it would take multiple run throughs to be able to get to know the candidates personally.
Chime.
A dreadlocked vendor from the eastern coast applied to be the head of the merchants’ guild, but he reeked like he hadn’t bathed in a month.
Chime.
A hunchbacked old man submitted his name to be considered for the head of the warriors’ guild, and I felt catfished by the sketch of him included in his application.
Chime.
A caravan entertainer wanted to be head of the mages’ guild, and I almost said yes just because of how awesome their performance was. The costumed and makeuped carny cartwheeled across the table before spraying an exploding array of cut ribbons.
The belief in their ‘magic’ and the enthusiasm on their face was contagious, but I couldn’t really be considering a clown as the Head Mage.
Could I?
Chime.
After I’d seen enough to last me several lifetimes, I made my final picks. For the Builders’ Guild, the obvious choice was my head engineer, Esher, and the women easily agreed with me because everyone appreciated the older man’s work ethic and friendliness.
A man by the name of Maralden Haldael had an impressive display of arms’ skills, and even Mahini’s eyebrows rose in surprise
at some of the feats he performed in the practice ring with us. He was chosen as the leader of the Warriors’ Guild.
I ended up picking a woman for the head of the Merchants’
Guild, but she was so damn charming despite her fifty-odd years.
Adra Hawknick had an eye for penny pinching, and she negotiated quite the bargain during the interview process alone. It was hard to argue with her talents and charm, so she was an easy choice for me.
The Mages’ Guild was the hardest position to fill, and there were limited applicants. The carnie was the most entertaining, but a few enchanters applied. I was looking for someone more like Kane from Castle Bullard, but not everyone was able to cast offensive spells. Finally, I found an older man with short gray hair beneath a felt hat who knew a thing or two about magic.
Phayn Celulmas walked into the interview room slowly, but he had a twinkle in his gray eyes when he met my gaze that showed his cognizance and intelligence.
“Nice to meet you,” I said in a clear voice. I was used to talking to old people on the phone back on Earth, but that was from a life when I called them WayBacks. Now, I was the God of Time, and even mages showed me respect. “I’m Bash.”
“A pleasure, Great One,” Phayn assured me as he took my hand, but the older man inclined his head in a semi-bow before he took his seat. “Where do we begin?”
“Straight to business?” I arched an eyebrow as I sat opposite of him.
“At your convenience, of course, Great One,” Phayn laughed.
“I am here at your pleasure.”
“This is a difficult decision to make,” I said, and I fixed him with a hard look. “What makes you more qualified than the others?”
“I am actually a mage.” Phayn shrugged.
I liked his casual confidence, but I would have to see it to believe it. I drummed my fingers on the table for a moment as we held each other’s gaze across the table, but then I dipped my head.
Phayn smirked as he held out the palm of his hand and conjured a ball of flame.
“I hear you already know that one,” the older man said.
“And many others,” I confirmed. “A fire wizard?”
“I am hard to box in,” Phayn allowed, and the flame disappeared as he snapped his palm closed. Then he wiggled his
fingers, and icicle shards shed from his digits. An instant later, the ice had melted into mud.
“I can see that.” I couldn’t help but smile.
If he’d shown me anything I didn’t already know, then I would just spam respawns until I learned it all, but it would be a waste of time. There was a chance Phayn Celulmas had more tricks up his sleeve than he would show me during our first meeting, but if he was in Bastianville permanently, then I had plenty of opportunities to delve into his mind in the future.
“Any other questions?” Phayn raised an eyebrow as he settled back into his chair. His hands were returned to the sleeves of his baggy robes, but the twinkle never left his eyes.
I asked a few rudimentary questions, but my mind was already made up, so I didn’t dawdle over the particulars for very long. I was ready to get to the fun stuff, and that meant being able to finally leave on my quest.
“You’re hired,” I said, and I stood up to shake the older man’s hand. “You beat out the clown, if that tells you anything, but it was a close call.”
“Clown?” Phayn tilted his head in confusion.
“Never mind,” I chuckled.
I escorted Phayn out, and I flashed my women a thumbs-up to signal his acceptance. We gathered up all the remaining applications and disposed of the rejects. It would be handy to keep a record of some who came in second place just in case we were looking for people in the future, but once all the details were taken care of, we were able to turn our full attention to packing for the trip.
Mahini fussed over her armor for hours, and I found her in tears more than once. Her hormones were raging, but I knew it would pass eventually. Eva organized every detail of her luggage, and she managed to have less than half the containers as the others. Zenda’s bags were heavy with books, and she flashed me an apologetic smile as I helped her lug them downstairs.
I was taking the obvious choices with me. My new dragon scale armor, my panabas, and the Amulet of Zyne. I had learned a lot from our camping experiences in the Northern Reaches, though, and I made sure to add in clothing I thought would best fit the environment. In this case, it was the desert, so I would want several pieces of long-sleeved, light-colored clothing, and multiple waterskins. Plus, my longbow since I would likely need it for hunting.
We also purchased several large caravan-style tents that were shaped like a dome when erected. There was room for ten people inside each, so I made sure to get enough to cover everyone. It was a good thing I was a rich man, but a portion of it was paid for by the city coffers because the platoons were under the military budget.
Before I could leave, I had to make sure I had everything Nameless needed in order to travel with us. I made him a small roost to fit inside the tents, and I stocked up on deer meat by going on a quick hunting trip.
“Today’s the day,” I announced less than a week after the court session. “Everyone knows what to do.”
“I’ll miss you every second of every day.” Elissa stood on her tiptoes to kiss me, but I pulled her into my arms and swung her around like a doll. “Come back to me often.”
“As much as I can,” I promised.
“Keep an eye out for any good deals,” Caelia requested, and she slid into my arms like sun-warmed butter. “Bring me back some presents. If I like them too much, I won’t even resell them in the shop!”
“Deal,” I laughed as I squeezed her against me. “See you soon.”
The other women said their goodbyes to their sister-wives, and Nameless squawked a farewell before he fluttered onto my shoulder.
Then we headed out of the house to join the caravan of people gathering in the streets of Bastianville. A parade of carriages lined the road, and the soldiers were in formation behind it. Teams of horses were being led into harnesses, but I didn’t see Goliath anywhere.
My white stallion would surely want to join us on an adventure through the desert, so I mentioned something to Corvis as soon as I saw him.
“I’m on it, boss,” the horse master said before he trotted off with his armor clanging.
Once my stallion had been lashed into place at the head of the assembly, the other horses were all in place as well. Corvis and Jorgen were talking to Torya for a moment, but then they turned to the men standing at attention in the street. A few barked orders later, and a procession line formed to transport the supplies into the carriages.
There was enough space for the officers and a handful of other men to ride, five supply wagons, and the carriage for my women and I. The soldiers formed a protective ring around the procession, and they each wore thick, heavy packs on their backs.
This would be a true test of their strength and endurance.
I was eager to see who would rise to the challenge.
Townsfolk gathered in their doorways and on the porches of the shops to watch the spectacle, but it wasn’t much longer before everything was ready. I waved to the people watching, and then I climbed in after the three gorgeous women accompanying me on this adventure.
The God of Time was at it again, and the world had better be ready.