I reset back to my save point with a wave of my will, and I suddenly stood in front of the sign announcing the border once more.
Chime.
“Ri-Guy,” I said as I grabbed the man by the arm. “There’s giant sandworms ahead. We need to be extra careful.”
“Giant… Sand… Worms, sir?” Riondale’s eyes widened wider and wider with each word. “What exactly do you mean? How do we kill it?”
“I’m still working that one out,” I admitted. “But I’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“Sir?” Riondale’s face clouded with confusion. “What do you mean, you don’t know how to kill it? B-B-But you know everything!”
“Just wait until next time,” I promised. “Everything will make sense then. In the meantime, snap out of it and help me figure out how to kill this thing. I’m counting on you, Ri-Guy. Don’t let me down.”
“Yes, sir.” Riondale composed himself instantly, and he snapped a crisp salute. “Whatever you need of me.”
“I need you to form the men around the caravan,” I instructed.
“Weapons out. Tell them what they’re up against. A massive worm with razor-sharp teeth sticking out of a maw big enough to swallow three men whole.”
“How come no one’s ever mentioned them before?” Riondale questioned. “You’d think they would have warned us.”
“I don’t know.” I frowned.
That was a harder question to answer, but it had probably been a while since anyone traveled this far south and lived to tell the tale, so maybe they were a recent development. In any case, I would get to the bottom of it.
After I figured out how to kill them.
We walked through the desert landscape with weapons drawn and eyes peeled, but I didn’t have to wait very long before I felt the rumble beneath the ground. The sand shook and danced in the air as the worm burrowed through the depths, but then it launched out with a ferocious roar. The soldiers rushed forward to chop and slash at its hide, but they attempted to stay clear of its thrashing maw.
Then the giant sandworm twisted, and it snapped up a soldier in its teeth before biting him in half. The bleeding legs twitched for a
moment before they fell over, but it had happened so fast the man hadn’t even had the chance to scream.
Fuck.
The attacks on the beast’s sides didn’t seem to be going anywhere, either, and I kicked Goliath in the flank to urge him onward into battle. I unhooked one of my panabas from the strap that held it to my waist, and I twirled it sideways until I got a comfortable grip.
Then I swung out at the sandworm as Goliath charged past its snapping jaw, and I heard a thud as my blade skidded across the creature’s hide. It had armored skin, and the lack of arrows protruding from it indicated nothing could penetrate it.
How were we supposed to kill it?
As I veered back around to come at the worm again, the beast chomped down on two more soldiers, and the rest of the men were running for their lives. I charged forward and swiped at the creature’s side, but I was mainly just trying to get its attention.
The sandworm continued to chase after the fleeing men, and I cursed under my breath as my many attempts went unnoticed. This
wasn’t working, and I was losing soldiers by the second. I had to reset, but what was I going to tell Riondale?
Chime.
The border of Sorreyal stood before me, and I took a deep, calming breath before I signaled for my general. Once Riondale rode up alongside me, I gave him a tight-lipped smile.
“We have a tough battle ahead of us today,” I said in my calmest voice. “We’ll be up against a beast like I’ve never seen before, and I’m not sure how to kill it yet.”
“What kind of beast?” The general swallowed hard, but he met my gaze calmly.
“A giant sandworm with jaws big enough to swallow a man whole,” I explained. “It’s skin seems to be impenetrable, and anyone who gets too close is bound to be eaten.”
“I see, sir,” the younger man said in a solemn tone, but his eyes turned to the path ahead as though in search of the creature.
“We’ll just have to fight smarter, not harder.”
“What else do we have that could pierce through an armored hide?” I asked.
“Spears, harpoons could be fashioned…” Riondale shook his head. “Nothing stronger than crossbow bolts or maybe your guns.”
I could try the guns I’d claimed from the would-be Pirate King, and I nodded thoughtfully as I also considered the spells I could try against the sandworm. I wasn’t defenseless by any means, but it would require some thought and preparation.
“Have everyone sharpen their weapons before we continue on a single step,” I instructed briskly. “Gather the sharpest blades and the most deadly weapons to the forefront of the procession. We have to protect the carriage at all costs.”
“Yes, sir.” Riondale saluted, and his horse veered away from mine a moment later. Then the young general trotted backward down the parade of carriages and out of my line of sight.
“The spice is strong with that one,” I muttered to myself since no one else would understand my Dune joke.
I gathered my guns from where I’d stored them, but I didn’t have a lot of bullets left, and I didn’t know how to make more yet.
The ancient-looking pistols were a prized possession of mine, and I handled them lovingly as I tucked them into my belt, shoved the bag
of bullets into my pocket, and remounted Goliath to ride back to the front of the procession.
This time, no one was surprised when the giant sandworm leapt from the dune, and the beast was quickly surrounded by soldiers wielding long spears. Even though the tips didn’t pierce the thick armored hide, they caused the worm to flinch and twist around in every direction, and when the worm spun, the soldiers on the other side rushed forward to jab their weapons into the creature’s side.
The battle continued like this for some time, but no progress was being made, so I rode into range and aimed my pistols carefully.
I guessed where the creature’s eyes were located, and I squeezed the trigger firmly to release the bullet. The projectile shot through the air with a loud bang, and my hand jerked from the recoil.
The bullet embedded itself in the beast’s eye, and the pained screech it released hurt my ears. The giant sandworm snapped out at the closest soldier, and it bit the head off one man in a single bite.
We’d managed to piss it off, but I still hadn’t figured out how to kill it for good. If I didn’t get this right, then more and more lives would be lost.
Fuck.
Chime.
I shot the beast in both eyes, but it was almost unstoppable once it was mad. A few men were crushed beneath its bulk as it rolled around in search of its attackers, so I reset again.
Chime.
Every single time I reset, soldiers still died, and I was starting to get annoyed. This stupid beast would not undo me. I would beat this thing one way or another, but I was done sacrificing the lives of my people.
Chime.
I commanded the procession to stay where they were, and I continued forward to face the beast alone. Everything was quiet for a long moment as I marched Goliath slowly down the road, but then the now familiar rumbling sound shook the ground once more.
I had my guns and my panabas both at the ready when the creature appeared, and I shot out its eyes as soon as I caught sight of its wriggling worm-like body. Without anyone else to attack, the sandworm snapped its massive jaws in my direction, and an instant later, I was sliding down a slippery, ridged surface. Then I slammed
into a phlegmy cartilage, and I swallowed hard as I realized I was inside the worm.
A putrid stench assaulted my nostrils, and a deep rumbling sound shook every inch of flesh around me. It was creepy as fuck, and I started to gasp for oxygen.
I had to do something before I suffocated.
Or worse.
My panabas were in my hands an instant later, and I spun the blades in a large, wide arch without much hope, but then the metal sliced through the worm’s internal flesh. I saw a glimmer of daylight, and hope surged through me once more.
It was vulnerable from the inside.
Then I hacked and slashed until I managed to completely cut myself free from the creature’s insides. I wasn’t sure if the cartilage-thing was the entrance to the stomach, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
The death cries of the beast were so high-pitched that my ears rang, but I continued on until I stood outside the creature and gasped large breaths of fresh air. I rested my hands on my knees for a long
moment, and when I looked up, Riondale was approaching with his sword drawn.
“Are you okay, sir?” the general asked with a pale face. “I saw it eat you, and I feared the worst.”
“I’m fine,” I gasped. “Just need a moment to catch my breath.”
Riondale came even closer, and he craned his head inside the gaping hole I’d left with my panabas. I started toward him to protect him before I realized the sandworm was dead. Green ichor oozed from the wound in its neck, but it laid motionless in the sand.
“You killed it, sir!” Riondale whooped. “How did you know it was vulnerable from the inside?”
“I didn’t,” I chuckled. “I just got eaten.”
“Oh.” The disappointment in his voice was reason enough for me to reset back to my save point.
Besides, I could do a better job now that I knew the sandworm’s weakness.
Chime.
“Ri-Guy,” I hailed the general over to the sign at the border of Sorreyal. “I have to tell you something.”
“Yes, sir?” the young man asked, and he furrowed his eyebrows with concern as he crossed the distance to me.
I proceeded to tell him everything I’d learned so far, and I watched with amusement as his eyes widened more and more with each tidbit of information. Then the young general swiped the back of a hand across his forehead, and he turned to scan the horizon for any signs of the beast.
“As long as you know what you’re doing,” he allowed after a long moment of silence. “I will follow you to my death.”
“Not today,” I laughed. “Today, we kill a giant sandworm.”
“Looking forward to it, sir,” Riondale countered.
I clapped him on the shoulder, and then we set about preparing for our plan of attack. I would have the men surround the creature to control its direction, and then I’d plant myself within perfect eating distance. Hopefully, it ate me whole, and I wasn’t left missing a foot or something. Worst-case scenario, I could always reset, so I had no fear as I waited for the sandworm to appear.
The men obeyed my every word, and they directed the creature perfectly. I stood directly in front of its path, and I held my
breath as it opened its fang-lined maw. Then, at the last possible moment, I jumped upward and into the sandworm’s mouth.
This time, I was prepared for the stench, and the gooey insides pulsated with the worm’s every movement. I set about cutting my way through the pink flesh, and a few moments later, I was pushing out into the fresh air once more. The soldiers leapt forward and slashed even further at the opening I’d created, and the worm let out high-pitched death cries as it thrashed around in agony. I was covered in slippery goo, and I flicked some of the moisture and gore from my blades before I strapped them back onto my waist.
The beast was dead.
I was satisfied with this run through, so I let time continue onward.
Then I went to a water barrel and cleaned myself off, and once I was refreshed, I remounted Goliath to lead the procession past the giant sandworm’s motionless corpse.
Mahini, Eva, and Zenda were full of questions when I eventually returned to the carriage, and I laughed as I held up my hands in surrender to the force of their interrogation.
“It’s alright now,” I assured them. “We just ran into a giant sandworm.”
“What did it look like?” Zenda asked.
“I can’t believe you didn’t ask for my help,” Mahini complained.
“I’m grateful I didn’t have to see its insides,” Eva added with a shudder. “I would have hurled.”
“It was better for everyone that you three stay here away from danger,” I said. “It took me a minute to master the battle, and I’m glad you were safe.”
“Next time,” Mahini said in a no-nonsense voice, “you will tell me when there is danger.”
“Of course,” I promised.
We traveled for two more days without another worm sighting, but then we encountered three in one day. I took the lead and leapt inside the creatures’ mouths with each battle, and I enjoyed the soldiers’ awed whispers after each fight. We also started to harvest the large, triangular teeth that lined the sandworms’ mouths, and they reminded me of shark teeth.
Each night, we guarded our camp closely, and I made sure the watch shifts were rotated regularly. I even took a couple stints at
patrolling the perimeter myself, and I got to know the soldiers more and more in the process.
The Kotar Desert was an unforgiving landscape, but I was proud of how quickly my people had adapted to the environment.
Everyone wore the long, flowy robes common to the people in the southernmost territory of Sorreyal, but the people of Edinburg were familiar with the harsher conditions, so it was wise to follow their example.
The days began to blur together as the landscape became nothing but sand in every direction, and I made a new save point each morning. I regularly had to reset back to the beginning of the day in order to prepare the men for an upcoming sandworm attack, but the sightings grew fewer the further we went into the desert.
It was like they were guarding the border of the realm.
It made me wonder once more about why the king and the Duke of Edinburg hadn’t mentioned the sandworms during their warnings about the south. Were they a new thing? Did someone bring them here? Were they being controlled somehow?
I shook my head to clear the swirling thoughts, and I refocused on directing Goliath down the road. Fortunately, the way was marked
every one hundred yards by large signs pointing toward the south.
I’d never found a map of the Kotar Desert, so we were going in blind, but I was determined to find Mahini’s mother. The desert goddess was the only one familiar with the area, so I began to check in with her several times a day. We would pause the caravan so the warrior woman could get out of the carriage and peer around at the landscape, but she always shook her head in the negative.
The heat made me miss the snowy town and the women who warmed my bed that I’d left in Bastianville, so I commanded a longer halt. We set up a nice camp, and the tents were all situated in a large circle. The soldiers’ structures ringed around mine and the military leaders’ pavilion. A bonfire was built in the center of the circle, and we pulled out wood we’d hauled all the way from Vallenwood in order to cook a hot meal for a change.
“The locals burn camel shit,” Mahini informed us, and her olive-colored nose wrinkled with disgust. “I always hated fire because of the stench. Until I left the desert and realized it was just what we burned that caused the smell.”
“I’ve heard of pilgrims burning cow patties,” I said. “I imagine they felt the same way about it. I’m surprised you weren’t accustomed to it after growing up around it.”
“There was not always a fire burning,” Mahini explained. “We would have to save the manure and dry it thoroughly, so it was a special treat to have the flames to protect us at night.”
“That sounds rough,” I said as I rubbed her back affectionately.
“No wonder you’re so tough.”
“I was one of the best warriors in my village,” Mahini said with a proud smile. “But my people are all fighters. We pride ourselves on our hunting skills, and there is never an empty stomach in my village.”
“Makes perfect sense.” I matched her smile, and I let my pride in my wife shine in my eyes. “I can’t wait to meet your people. I hope they approve of our match.”
“No matter what they say,” Mahini said in a solemn tone, “you are my husband.”
I kissed the beautiful desert goddess sweetly, but she wrapped her hands around the back of my neck and pulled me into an embrace full of passion. Then she released me just as quickly, and she winked before she turned toward the sleeping rolls.
“I was thinking about blipping back to B-ville tonight,” I said. “I might stay there for a day before returning to camp.”
“I will make sure everything is taken care of in your absence,”
Eva promised as she snuggled into the sleeping roll. “We will miss you, though.”
“Hurry back to us,” Zenda pleaded, and her sapphire eyes twinkled. “I need someone to listen to all the observations I have on the desert.”
“I look forward to hearing every detail,” I said. “And I trust you three completely. Keep an eye out for sandworms, but I’m sure Riondale will keep the camp well under control.”
I kissed all three of them on the forehead before I scooped up Nameless into my arms, and I blew out the flame of the lantern hanging from the tent poles. The little dragon scurried onto my shoulders, and I grabbed the pile of stuff I’d purchased in Kassar.
Then I performed the motions for the fast travel spell.
Blip.
The glowing blue aura surrounded me, and the scene around me shifted. I was suddenly standing inside my bedroom back in Bastianville, and Elissa smiled up at me from the bed.
And she was already naked.
“Well, hello there, lover,” the red-haired goddess purred. “Why are you wearing so many clothes?”
Nameless flew eagerly to his roost in the corner of the bedchamber, and I watched him settle in for the night before I began to slowly and teasingly strip off my clothes. Elissa watched me with lustful emerald eyes, and she licked her lips hungrily as I shimmied out of my pants. My wife’s desire had me hard instantly, and she scurried across the bed toward me with an eager gleam in her eyes.
“Can I lick it?” she asked as she flopped down onto her stomach on the edge of the bed. “Please?”
“How could I refuse an offer like that?” I chuckled.
Elissa grabbed a couple of pillows and shoved them underneath her to cushion her growing stomach, and then she wrapped both hands around my stiff cock. I throbbed in her grasp, and I held her gaze as she circled her lips around my mushroom tip.
“Fuck, babe,” I growled as desire filled my veins, and it was all I could do to hold myself back.
The tiny redhead giggled with my dick in her mouth, and I shivered as her teeth slid gently against my skin.
“Sorry,” she murmured as she came up for air.
“Nothing… to apologize… for,” I groaned as she returned to my cock.
My wife licked up and down my shaft with a warm, wet mouth, and then she swirled the tip of her tongue around the head until I pulsed toward her. A devilish grin spread across her face, but then she sucked in my entire length until I rubbed against the back of her throat.
Elissa’s back twitched as she struggled to keep my length in her throat, and I buried my hands in her fiery red curls as my entire body shuddered with delight. The wet string that dangled from her lips when she plopped free was quickly scooped up and rubbed down my shaft, and I groaned as my hips moved toward the sensation of her fist.
“I missed you so much,” Elissa sighed, but she didn’t give me a chance to respond before she returned to her ministrations.
“Fuckk,” I hissed as I saw stars in my vision. “You’re such a good girl.”
“I am?” Elissa purred with delight against the head of my cock.
“My best redheaded wife,” I confirmed.
A shudder of pleasure swept through Elissa’s body, so I moved around to kneel behind her. Then I rubbed and caressed her back and ass until she was wiggling her cheeks with desire. I moved closer and closer to her crevice, and the red-haired goddess groaned with longing.
“Please fuck me, Bash,” my wife requested in an urgent tone.
“I want to feel you deep inside me.”
“As you wish,” I murmured, but then I grasped my saliva-slick cock in one hand as I spread her ass cheeks apart with the other.
Once her center of pleasure was exposed for my viewing pleasure, I bent forward and licked her from top to bottom. Elissa squealed and wiggled her hips, and I chuckled against her thigh before I leaned back again. Then I entered her in one smooth stroke, and our bodies joined together as one flesh for a brilliant, electrifying instance. Stars erupted in my vision once more, and I buried my cock as far as it would go in my wife’s welcoming pussy.
This was what a god deserved.
This was what a husband should come home to.
This was heaven.
I pulled back slowly, and I thrust forward with an urgent stroke an instant later. Elissa met my movements with equal force, and a high-pitched gasp escaped her lips each time we joined together.
The walls of her entrance pulsated around my shaft, and the warmth felt incredible.
My cock was right where it belonged.
“I love you,” I murmured in a husky voice as I nibbled on my wife’s shoulders. “You sexy piece of juicy ass.”
“I… Love… You… Bash,” Elissa gasped around my hard thrusts. “Fill me up! Fill me with your seed!”
“Are you my good girl?” I asked, and I grasped a handful of her fiery red locks in one hand while I gripped one of her tiny ass cheeks in the other. The result was a tighter feeling around my cock, and a deep, guttural moan tumbled from Elissa’s lips.
“I’m your good girl!” my wife cried out. “Harder!”
I obeyed eagerly, and I fucked the tiny goddess as hard as I could until we were both glistening with a layer of sweat. I slowed my pace, and I laid down beside her while lifting her thigh so I didn’t lose my position inside her.
Then I fucked her nice and slow with one leg held in the air, and I wiggled my other arm underneath her until I could reach her node of pleasure with the tip of my middle finger. I trailed kisses across her shoulder and neck as she leaned back against me, and we moaned in unison as we found the perfect rhythm.
“Ohhh, Bash,” Elissa whimpered. “Right there. Keep doing that.”
The sounds of her moans echoed in my ear as I followed her commands to the letter, and I sent her into orgasm after orgasm before we changed positions again.
This time, Elissa situated herself on all fours, and she wiggled her ass temptingly. Her crevice dripped with her juices, and I licked my lips before I slid inside her once more. The pregnant redhead bucked her hips back toward me, and I matched her momentum with each thrust.
Our skin slapped together loudly, and the sound of her crying my name fought to dominate my ears.
“Oh, Bash! Oh, Bash! Yes! Yesss!” Elissa shuddered as yet another orgasm rocked through her, and I buried my cock as deep as it would go in her pulsating tunnel.
The sensation was almost more than I could bear, but I wasn’t done with her just yet, so I rolled her over into missionary position. It was a little awkward to hold her close to me with her belly protruding, and there was even a moment where I felt the baby kick, but I pushed the thought out of my mind and refocused on my wife.
I kissed her neck and cheeks until I moved to capture her lips with mine, and I swallowed her moans as our hips ground together. I was getting close to my release, and I could feel my balls tingling with the growing need, but I controlled myself with an iron-fisted will.
“I love it when you’re close to me,” Elissa murmured as I let her catch her breath. Her red curls were stuck to her sweaty face, and I scooped them behind her ears as I smiled into her emerald-green eyes. “It feels like home.”
“You are my home,” I said, and I claimed her lips again.
We moved all around the mattress, and we explored every position possible in search of the most comfortable ones. Elissa’s growing belly made it a challenge, but I was always up for some experimentation. I had her stand up and hold onto the bed post, and I tugged her onto the edge of the mattress with her legs held up. The tiny goddess rode me with her pregnancy enhanced breasts
bouncing heavily, and then she turned around and ground her hips against me until my cock rubbed against her cervix.
I couldn’t hold back any longer, and I released my tension with a torrential spray of my seed.
“Ohhh!” Elissa shuddered, and my orgasm elicited another muscle-freezing climax out of her as well. She gripped my knees tightly as her ass twitched from side to side, and all I had the strength to do was gently stroke her thighs.
Then the gorgeous redhead peeled herself off me, and white tendrils spilled down her legs from her entrance. We chuckled when we noticed, but a moment later, we were cuddled up beneath the sheets. I inhaled her sweaty, post-sex aroma greedily, and I sighed in contentment.
It was good to be home.
“Where’s Caelia?” I asked before I fell asleep.
“She is spending the night at the store’s apartment,” Elissa explained. “She is worried about thieves.”
“The police force should be able to keep the average thieves away,” I said. “I should talk to the chief and have him increase patrols.”
“Tomorrow,” Elissa murmured sleepily. “You’re mine for now.”
“Yes, I am,” I agreed easily.
We fell asleep with our arms clasped tightly around each other, and Nameless squawked one final goodnight before I blew out the lantern’s flame. Tomorrow would come sooner than I wanted, but there was no reason I couldn’t linger in bed for a while. It was like having a day off from my quest, and after the fight with the sandworms, it was much needed.
The next morning, I slept late, and I snuggled with Elissa for a long time before I ever left the bed. I murmured sweet nothings to her belly, and I rubbed oil across her skin to prevent stretch marks.
Then we had a big breakfast together, and Caelia bounced into the house like a breath of fresh air.
“They caught the thief!” the shopkeeper announced with a victorious air. “He is officially in jail.”
“That’s good news,” I said, and the chocolate-haired goddess nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of me.
“Bash!” Caelia squealed as she launched herself into my arms.
“Are you alone, or did the other girls come with you?”
“Just me this time,” I said. “But I’ll bring them next time if you want.”
“I’ve missed you,” the merchant said as she peppered my face with kisses. “When did you get here?”
“Last night,” I chuckled. “I heard you stayed at the store.”
“Oh, yes,” Caelia laughed. “I’m glad you and Elissa got some time together. She’s been so mopey lately.”
“Have not.” Elissa crossed her arms and mockingly pouted, which didn’t help her argument much.
Mmmrrr.
The telepathic purr-like sound echoed through my head again, and I looked up to see Nameless flap his way into the kitchen. Then the tiny dragon flashed me a wide-toothed grin-like expression before he landed on his usual roosting spot.
“He just did it again,” I gasped. “He’s starting to communicate with me!”
“Nameless?” both girls asked in unison.
“Yep,” I laughed. “He… purrs… Or something like that, but it’s definitely him.”
Caelia clapped her hands, and Elissa giggled with delight, but Nameless chirped happily. It was good to be home, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
After breakfast, I went and spoke to the Elder Council, but everything seemed to be in good shape, so I was able to stroll around town. The girls were delighted over the items I’d bought at the bazaar, and they both dressed up in the flowing robes of the desert. The shapeless robes hid Elissa’s protruding belly, but I knew what delicious curves laid beneath the textiles.
“This way we can feel like we’re having an adventure, too!”
Elissa giggled as she twirled in a circle for my inspection. “At least it’s still cold here. I much prefer winter to the heat of summer.”
“I like spring and autumn,” Caelia said in a soft voice. “The seasons right at the edge where everything changes.”
“I like the whole year,” I said with a shrug. “As long as I get to spend it with you.”
“We love spending time with you, too, husband, but you must hurry back to Mahini!” Elissa urged, and she shoved me toward the door.
“Don’t forget Nameless,” Caelia laughed as she crossed the distance to me with the little dragon cuddled up in her arms like a baby. The shopkeeper deposited the lizard-like creature into my hands, and she placed a fist on a cocked hip. “Now you’re ready to go.”
“I forgot something.” I smirked.
“What’s that?” Elissa arched an eyebrow.
“My kisses,” I said.
The two girls exchanged an amused smile before they sandwiched my cheeks between their two sets of lips. I chuckled as I stole a couple extra kisses before we pulled apart, and the chocolate-haired beauty was blushing.
“I’ll miss you,” Caelia said. “I can’t wait until you come home again.”
“It won’t be long,” I promised, and I waved the best I could with Nameless cradled in my arms.
Then I performed the motion for the fast travel spell with one hand, and the blue aura surrounded me once more.
Blip.
I stood in front of the tent where I’d said goodnight to my three traveling companions, and I pushed past the flap to find all of them crowded inside. Zenda and Eva sat behind Mahini, and the two short-haired women were braiding the desert goddess’ obsidian tendrils. A braid framed either side of her head, and she peered at me sideways while held frozen by the pairs of fingers locked in her hair.
“Bash!” Mahini gasped. “You’re back!”
“Glad to see you three found something constructive to occupy yourself with,” I teased, but then I let Nameless jump out of my arms to the ground.
We’d covered the floor of the tent in rugs purchased in Kassar, and it made the inside cozy and welcoming. Lanterns hung from the tent poles flickered as I let the entrance flap fall closed once more, and I plopped down on the pile of sleeping rolls beside my ladies.
“We’ve also been exploring some,” Eva informed me.
“Just within sight of the camp,” Zenda added.
“We’re getting close, Bash,” Mahini finished in an excited tone.
“I can feel it.”
“It’s been a long time since you were here,” I said. “I don’t want you to get disappointed, but I trust your instincts.”
“I won’t lead you astray, Bash,” Mahini promised. “I know my way from here. I know it in my gut. I can just follow my heart to my mom. Trust me.”
“I believe you.” I loved seeing her so confident and positive, so I flashed her a broad grin.
We all walked with the soldiers the next day, and Mahini grew more and more anxious as the sun crossed the sky. She wore the veil common in these parts across her face, but I could still see the tight-lipped expression behind the sheer fabric. The desert goddess constantly scanned the horizon, but I could see the doubt beginning to enter her ice-blue gaze.
I held her hand firmly and squeezed it every so often to reassure her of my presence, but I was certain she was lost in her memories from the look on her face.
We ended up traveling for three more days before we decided to take another longer break. Mahini was on edge, and she couldn’t seem to relax no matter what we tried. Her back ached, and her cravings grew strange. She wanted things like pickled mushrooms
from the bazaar and fresh raspberries from Bastianville. They were all things that were impossible to gather up, so I settled for comforting her during her cranky spells.
The pregnant warrior woman went on nightly walks around the perimeter of our camp, and I often accompanied her hand in hand. It had almost been a week since we’d entered the Kotar Desert, and she was ready to find her mom, so I just wanted to be a calm presence for her.
“Do you think we will succeed?” Mahini asked as we gazed up at the starlit sky. “Do you think we will find her?”
“I know we will,” I said in my most confident voice. “You’re with the God of Time, remember? I make sure things go the way I want. I make sure I always win. This time is no different. I want you to be happy, and making you happy means finding your mom.”
Mahini smiled and seemed encouraged by my words, but she didn’t speak again.
We continued traveling the next day, and we were all riding in the carriage when I heard a commotion outside. There were sounds of confusion, and I saw soldiers drawing their weapons.
Something was happening, and I intended to find out what.
I hopped out of the carriage and trotted alongside it until I spotted Goliath tied to the other side of the vehicle. Then I mounted my stallion and pulled the reins to the side until we were riding on the outside of the procession. Once the path was clear, I kicked him into a trot and rode to the front.
But the sight before my eyes made me stop in my tracks.
There were buildings on the horizon.
We’d reached a town of some kind.
Was it Mahini’s village?