I followed my wife inside the tent, and we took a moment to light a few lanterns around the space, but once she was fully illuminated, I drank in the sight of the desert goddess.
Mahini slowly peeled off her flowing burgundy robes, and she revealed the strappy leather armor she wore underneath. The leather was sloped to fit around the curve of her belly, and the thought of my thriving child warmed my heart, but then she began to remove her final coverings in a teasing strip dance.
My cock was already throbbing to be released, but first I shrugged off my vest and pulled my shirt over my head. By the time I was bare to the waist, Mahini had crossed the distance between us, and she pressed her nude form against me.
My hands were on her instantly, and I felt the curve along her side as I trailed my fingers further south. Her hips had flared to accommodate the growth of our child, and I found her new curves highly appealing. Her muscles tensed beneath my roving fingertips, and I could feel the definition still present in my wife’s toned body. I had little concern about the health of her pregnancy, and I was confident in the mother she’d become.
“I want to taste you,” I breathed against her neck, but then I trailed kisses along her jawline until I reached her lips, and I kissed her passionately as I pushed her back toward the bedrolls. “All of you.”
Then I helped her lay back among the pillows and blankets we’d spread out in our best attempt at a bed, and the desert goddess looked up at me beneath her hooded eyes.
“You can have me however you like,” she said, and she slipped into her native tongue as she spoke. “You found my mother, and you promised to unite the tribes against the warlord. I owe you my gratitude, husband.”
I was glad I could understand her now, and I imagined how many times it would come in handy to have a secret language no one else in Sorreyal could speak.
“I want to worship you, my goddess,” I said as I slipped out of my pants and stood before her.
“But I want to please you,” Mahini argued, and a playful pout tugged at her lips.
“My turn first.” My cock twitched in response to the expression on her face, and I shook my head.
Then I crawled toward her, and I grabbed her by the hips before I tugged her into a better position. Mahini gasped and giggled, but she didn’t protest as I shoved her legs back and devoured her pussy.
I licked her from top to bottom until she was panting and wiggling closer against me, and then I slid a single digit into her moist tunnel.
“Oh, Basssh!” Mahini moaned and lifted her hips to give me better access. “Keep going!”
“You want me to stop?” I asked in a teasing voice.
“Don’t… Stop!” Mahini panted with her mouth hanging open, but her eyes pleaded with me.
“Good girl,” I said, and I pushed my fingers deeper inside her while simultaneously sucking her clit between my lips.
The combination was too much for the desert goddess, and she erupted in a geyser of juices as her muscles pulsated around my fingers. I held on for dear life as her hips continued to twitch, but I didn’t pause my attack on her lower lips until her movements calmed down slightly.
“Did you like that?” I purred against her entrance. “Hmmm?”
“Mmhmm,” Mahini whimpered, and she pushed sweat soaked obsidian locks out of her face. “You make me feel fire in my blood.”
“I love you,” I chuckled, and I rose to my knees between her thighs. “I’m going to fuck you now, and you’re going to come all over my dick.”
“I want to feel you inside me,” Mahini agreed, but then she reached down to grab my hips and pull me closer to her. “Now.”
“As my lady wishes,” I said, and I gripped my cock tightly as I rubbed it against her slippery tunnel. Once I felt the dip, I thrust forward hard, and my entire length was suddenly buried deep in her pulsating well of pleasure.
We laid there frozen like that for a long, blissful moment, but then I pulled out to begin fucking her with slow, loving strokes. I built up the tension bit by bit, and Mahini’s breaths grew more shallow as the pressure rose.
Then I withdrew, paused, and slammed into her as hard as I could.
“Oh!” Mahini gasped in a guttural tone. “Yes!”
I held her legs up to either side of me in a V shape, and her pussy was laid out before me as I feasted on her with my eyes. All of
her curves moved with the motion of my cock, and her breasts were flushed a rosy hue. Sweat dappled on her forehead, and her eyebrows were drawn together in an expression of pure bliss.
“I love you,” I growled as I buried my cock in as deep as it would go and held it there. “You’re so fucking sexy.”
“I want you to fuck me hard, Bash,” my wife requested in the common tongue of Sorreyal, but her accent was still thick and seductive.
“Deal,” I said eagerly, and I slid out of her so she could reposition herself.
Mahini moved onto her hands and knees, and she wiggled her voluptuous ass in my direction as she flashed me a needy look.
“Hurry,” she urged. “I miss feeling you inside me.”
“Just wait,” I growled as I gripped her ass cheek in one hand and pressed my cock against her juicy entrance with the other.
“You’ll be eating your words soon enough.”
I thrust inside her roughly, and she arched her back to let me reach even deeper inside her moist tunnel. I gripped her ass cheeks in both hands, and I held them spread apart while I stroked in and out of her taut entrance. Her tan skin glistened with sweat, and her
ass rippled with each thrust as I slammed into her over and over again.
“Bash! Bash! Bash!” Mahini gasped out my name louder and louder with each stroke.
“Come on my cock, my wife,” I growled.
“Ooohh,” Mahini moaned as she ground her hips back into me, and her tunnel pulsated around my shaft. Goosebumps erupted across her neck and back, and she held herself frozen in place for a long moment.
When her climax subsided, I began to stroke her with slow, deep thrusts, but I quickly brought the tension back up to an unbearable peak. Mahini orgasmed over and over again, but I continued to experiment with different ways to pleasure her. She was more sensitive than usual, and I was sure the pregnancy hormones were the cause.
It was like making love to a whole new woman.
Then I rolled her onto her side, and I laid beside her while I entered her from behind. I supported the weight of her muscular leg as I lifted it to her shoulder, and I was surprised by how flexible she still was despite her growing belly. I slid my other arm beneath her,
and I reached around until I could hook my pointer finger on her node of pleasure. That made Mahini wild with desire, and she bucked her hips up and down as her breaths came in ragged pants.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Mahini moaned, and her head thrashed from side to side as yet another orgasm overpowered her. “Just like that!”
I arched my back to drive my hips even further against her, and my tip rubbed against the entrance to her cervix. I stayed there and rolled in a small circle, and Mahini’s tunnel clenched against my shaft.
I made her climax a few more times, but then my balls began to tingle with the need for release, and I was eager to have her dripping with my seed. I planted kisses against her shoulders and the back of her neck, and I slid her over ever so slightly so I could kneel behind her. I straddled her bottom leg while I hooked her other knee up over my own, and then I slid back inside her with a happy sigh.
“Fuck, yes,” I growled.
The change in position allowed me to press against her in all new angles, and we both shivered with delight as I slid slowly in and
out for a few moments. I reached forward to grasp her breast in one hand, and I used it as leverage to fuck her with rapid thrusts.
I increased my pace more and more until the tension in my balls burst, and I saw stars in my vision as my seed exploded into Mahini’s waiting tunnel.
“Yesss,” my wife gasped, and she pressed herself against me as spasms passed through her muscles.
We stayed frozen in blissful silence for a long moment, but I finally took a deep breath and let my cum-slick cock slide out of her dripping pussy lips. The white tendrils of my creamy seed trailed down her tanned thighs, and Mahini reached down to roll her fingers through the gooey mess.
“You always turn me into a puddle,” the desert goddess said with a devilish grin. “What a mess…”
“You’re sexy as fuck,” I informed her, and I shook my head in awe as I soaked in the sight of her full of my seed. In more than one way.
“Come lay down,” she said, and she patted the bedroll behind her.
I did as she bade, and I wrapped her into my arms as she wiggled her ass against me. I caressed her with soft, trailing fingertips, and when I passed over her belly, I felt a little kick in response.
My hand jerked backward instinctively, but then I reached forward with less hesitation, and I pressed a firm hand against Mahini’s stomach. A firm, steady pressure met mine, and I grinned against my wife’s neck.
“I can feel the baby moving,” I said.
“I can feel it, too,” Mahini chuckled. “He likes getting attention from his father.”
“He, huh?” I snorted. “What makes you so sure it’s a boy?”
Mahini shrugged with one shoulder and snuggled even closer against me, but I couldn’t help imagining a strong warrior bred boy growing up beneath my tutelage. He’d be an unstoppable force with Mahini and I as his parents, but a girl would be just as exceptional.
I sat up and scooted down until my head was resting upon Mahini’s belly, and I began to whisper sweet nothings to my unborn child. I spoke in the Kimaku language, and Mahini’s giggles of approval were like music to my ears.
“You’re going to be born so strong and fast,” I said in a low, loving voice. “Good looking and charming. Your life is going to be magic, kid, I promise you that right now. Daddy will make sure you have everything you need.”
I continued to mutter sweet nothings to mother and child, but a breeze rustled the edges of the tent, and I noticed goosebumps rising on Mahini’s flesh. I sat up to pull the blankets up over my beautiful wife, but just as I did, Zenda and Eva bounced into the tent.
“--see how he laughed at your face?” Eva was asking in the middle of a fit of laughter.
“He was amazed,” Zenda said, and her face was bright with excitement.
It seemed the two women had been enjoying their time at the tail-end of the feast, and I wondered what they’d gotten up to in my absence. The two women suddenly spotted us, and they laughed even more.
“I want to know the joke,” I said as I arched an inquisitive eyebrow.
“The musicians!” Eva gasped out.
“They couldn’t understand us at all,” Zenda wheezed as she struggled to catch her breath. “Oh, Bash, you should… have… seen it!”
“Looks like the two of you had fun while we were gone,” Eva teased, and she cocked her hip to one side as she crossed her arms. “Is there room for us now?”
“Of course,” Mahini laughed, and the naked beauty scooted over without letting the covers fall away from her nude form.
“Climb in,” I said, but I didn’t bother to hide my own nakedness, and the two women eyed me hungrily. “I might even still have some energy.”
“That is good news,” Zenda said, and she eagerly began to strip off her robes.
A few hours later, I was falling asleep in a tangled pile of limbs and hair. The hues of skin were like a beautiful rainbow, and the soft sounds of their breathing was a relaxing background noise for sleeping. I sighed with contentment, and I shut my eyes as the happiest man in the world.
The next morning dawned late and groggy, and I was feeling a little hungover from the hallucinogenic herbs I’d smoked the night
before. I pulled on a pair of pants and stumbled to the water basin, but I found the container empty, so I summoned some rain with my fingertips.
The water spell tingled as the droplets flowed into the basin, but I cut off the spell once I had enough liquid to splash my face with.
I felt much better afterward, and I raked my wet hands through my hair.
I had a lot to do.
The thought popped into my head unbidden, but then a list of things ran through my mind. I needed a map of the Kotar Desert so I could plot out my troop movements accurately, but I also needed to learn more about the warlord and the tribes supporting him.
I also needed to learn more about the people already present in the oasis and apply my knowledge to gain their faith. I wouldn’t rest until the entire world viewed me as their one and only god, but I had a feeling the desert dwellers would be a hard sell.
After I got dressed in clothes and my armor, I whistled for Nameless, and the little dragon left his travel perch to land on my back. He could no longer fit on my shoulders alone, but he still
managed to hold on well enough, so I let him continue to ride me like a parrot.
A big parrot.
The dragon was growing steadily, and it wouldn’t be long before he’d be too big for me to hold at all, but still we hadn’t exchanged more than fleeting feelings and images. I reminded myself to be patient with the little guy, and we left the tent to emerge into a sunlight-streamed forest.
The light dappled the ground like falling leaves, but everywhere was green. Vines and ivy climbed over every surface, and even some of the tents were already being eaten up by the oasis jungle.
I headed to Chief Takini’s tent, and I ducked inside with Nameless in tow. It would be the first time the tribespeople got a close look at the dragon, but I had a feeling they wouldn’t mind me showing him off a little.
I made a new save point as I entered the dwelling, and I paused to get a good look around. The chief was sitting in a throne of pillows behind a small fire billowing with smoke, and the gray tendrils rose through a small opening in the tent roof.
“Greetings,” I said in the Kimaku language. “I have some questions for you, if you don’t mind.”
“What is this thing you bring?” Chief Takini jerked his chin toward Nameless.
“This is my pet dragon,” I said, but there was no word for dragon in the language of the tribes, so I had to say it in the common tongue of Sorreyal. “He is called Nameless.”
“It is bad luck to not be named,” the chief said, and he scratched his chin thoughtfully. “But the God of Time has plenty of luck.”
“I guess that’s true.” I smirked. “Don’t worry about him. I need your help. You want to end the tyranny of this warlord asshole, right?”
“The terror in the desert affects us all,” the chief agreed.
“I’m the man for the job,” I declared, and I puffed out my chest.
“I can kill him, but first I have some questions, and we’ll all have to work together.”
“Who is we?” Chief Takini frowned. “All of the Kimaku people?”
“All the tribes,” I explained. “Kimaku, Trahana, and the others.
We’ll all have to work together to end the warlord’s presence in
Kotar.”
“No,” Chief Takini huffed. “That is same blasphemy the warlord spouts. I will not change Kimaku ways.”
“I’m not asking anyone to change,” I argued. Yet, anyway. “I just want warriors from every tribe to join together for one big fight.
We could end this now, we just need help.”
“Even all the tribes together would not be strong enough to defeat the three,” Chief Takini said, and his voice was full of hopelessness. “We must find new regions where the warlord will not reach. Give him most of Kotar. We can take what is left.”
“And live a life on the run? Live in fear?” I shook my head.
“That is not the Kimaku way.”
“What do you know of Kimaku, foreign god?” Chief Takini scowled.
“I know you are warriors,” I said in a calm voice, and I ignored his disrespect. This was my wife’s chief, after all, and he deserved some patience. “A Kimaku never backs down from a fight.”
“Kimaku people know how to survive in the harsh desert,” the chief countered. “We know when a battle is going to be lost.”
“But you didn’t have a god on your side before,” I pointed out.
“You at least owe me the chance to try. All I’m asking for is a chance and some information.”
“I will give you what you ask,” the chief allowed in a cautious tone. “But do not count on Kimaku for help. Each warrior will decide for themselves.”
“Deal.” I nodded, and I reached out my hand for him to shake.
“But I still have my doubts,” the chief added as he took my hand.
I was tempted to reset to my save point, but I would wait, gather information, and then amaze the chief with my knowledge.
That would have him rethinking his doubts. Then I’d move on to the other tribes, and one by one, I’d build an army of desert warriors.
The warlord asshole plaguing these lands would have to think twice before attacking any of us.
Excitement pumped through my veins, but I settled into a comfortable position among the pillows by the chief’s side, and I waited for him to get me a drink before I continued my questioning.
“Do you have any maps of the desert?” I asked.
“Maps?” The chief frowned.
“Paper with drawings on it to represent spots in the area,” I explained. “But I take it the answer is no.”
“Paper is not common in Kotar,” Chief Takini said. “Letters are a rarity and treated as prized possessions.”
“I found your safe back in the village,” I said. “That’s how we knew where you were. You might want to find a better hiding spot in the future.”
“There is no future in that village,” Chief Takini said with a mournful sigh. “My entire life was spent there, but things are changing in Kotar.”
“Change isn’t always a bad thing,” I said in a comforting voice.
“It brought me here, after all. I can change the desert around so that everyone thrives, and peace will reign supreme.”
“You speak big words for someone who looks like one man,”
the chief said in a cautious tone. “You brought the dead to life and know every man, woman, and child by name. Your reputation precedes you everywhere you go, but perhaps Kotar is too big for even a god to conquer.”
“I won’t know till I have a map,” I said. “Have your smartest trackers meet with my historian, Zenda, and we’ll start creating
copies for everyone to have. You’ll be surprised what advantages a map can give you.”
“Chief, Chief!” an urgent voice called out before a young boy rushed into the chief’s dwelling. “More tribes have arrived! There’s hundreds!”
Chief Takini rose to his feet, but the frown still tightened his eyebrows. He’d been given much to think about, and no time to process, but I was confident he’d do the right thing.
It was life or death for his people, and it was his job to protect them.
I followed the chief and the boy out of the tent-like structure, and we walked between the dwellings toward the entrance to the oasis. There were camels loaded with supplies, and wagons hauled by donkeys and mules, but the people stumbled forward in droves.
They were covered in dust and sand, and their eyes showed their exhaustion.
Warriors of the Kimaku tribe rushed forward with water containers to help them, and the new arrivals melted into the group of tribespeople gathered in the oasis. The chief of the new arrivals
pressed through the crowd, and his stately turban distinguished him from the other people.
The two chiefs quickly crossed the distance to one another, and the new arrival began to speak in the Kimaku dialect.
“Thank you for your hospitality, wise chief,” the new arrival said.
Chief Takini said something similar-sounding in a different tongue, and I realized he was speaking in the new arrivals’
language.
Great, more stuff to learn.
I rubbed my hands together eagerly as I listened closely to their exchange. I learned the new tribe was named the Gupuana Tribe, and their people were known for their grains. They baked breads of all kinds, and several people began to unwrap offerings to give to the chief.
Chief Takini muttered to someone nearby, and soon women began to gather up the food and haul it away. Then the chief of the Kimaku tribe turned to me, and he introduced me in the Gupuana dialect.
“This is God of Time, Bash,” the chief said in short clipped words.
“It is good to meet you, God of Time,” the newcomer said in perfect Kimaku.
“You, too,” I said, and I reached out a hand to shake his. “What was your name?”
“I am Chief Rafiti.” The man bowed, and I worried for a moment that his turban might fall off.
“As he said, I am Bash,” I said, and I gave the newcomer a welcoming smile. “I’d love to learn more about your people.”
“You speak Kimaku well for one with such pale skin,” the new chief said bluntly. “Where did you learn it?”
“Ah,” I chuckled. “I married a Kimaku warrior woman named Mahini.”
“Women will always teach us new things,” the chief of the Gupuana tribe said, and he clapped me on the shoulder. “I have three wives myself.”
“I’ve got five,” I laughed. “It makes my life so much sweeter smelling.”
“I’ll agree,” Chief Rafiti said.
I could tell I was going to like this tanned desert chief, and I flashed him a broad grin, but then I reset to my save point with a wave of my will.
Chime.
I was back outside the chief’s dwelling, and I ducked inside once more. It was easier for me to adjust to the dim lighting and smoky interior this time, but I didn’t have a second to waste.
“Chief Rafiti and his people are on their way,” I announced without preamble. “We should seek his help in defeating the warlord once and for all.”
Chief Takini blinked up at me in surprise for a long moment, but then he clapped his hands, and a small boy appeared at his elbow.
“Find out if people are coming,” the chief muttered, but not so quietly that I couldn’t hear.
“They’re coming,” I insisted. “And they’re going to give you a bunch of bread.”
“Rafiti is known for his loaves,” Takini sighed, and he gestured to the empty pillows beside him. “Come wait with me.”
I sat down, and I bullshitted with Chief Takini until the runner appeared confirming the arrival of the Gupuana tribe. It wasn’t until we greeted the newcomers, and I introduced myself in the tongue of the new arrivals, that the chiefs began to speak about the reason they’d gathered in the oasis.
“The Chunga Oasis has always been a place of peace,” Chief Rafiti said with a solemn nod. “It is not lightly we come to the oasis.”
“I respect your people’s journey,” Chief Takini replied. “It is a harsh world, and there is little rest from the sand.”
“More are coming,” Chief Rafiti informed us. “My tail-end watchers spotted them crossing the dunes.”
I worked the muscle in my jaw as I considered the remaining space in the oasis. The haven of green wouldn’t be able to support that many people for long, but if I could rile them up to fight, then we could leave for the warlord’s stronghold soon.
I had to give a speech.
Tonight.
“Let’s have a feast,” I said. “To welcome the newcomers into the fold. To honor our agreement of peace.”
“Yes,” Chief Takini agreed. “We can all contribute.”
“I need to say some things to everyone,” I added. “I’ll wait until we’ve all eaten, but then I want everyone to gather in the oasis.”
“As you say,” Chief Rafiti allowed. “I do not know you well, but you are a chief of your people, so I will do as you ask.”
“All I’m asking is that you listen,” I said.
The chiefs both seemed appeased at this, so I turned my focus to planning what I would say to all the gathered tribespeople. It would be tough to communicate to all the newcomers, so I set about learning their languages as quickly as possible.
I made a new save point before I got started, and I spammed respawns as I worked my way through the crowd of refugees pouring into the oasis. There were more than enough teachers and mentors to guide me through the new dialects, and it only took me a few dozen respawns to learn what I needed to know.
I’d given tons of speeches before, and they all had the same intentions. I wanted people to believe in me, in my power, and in my ability to conquer whatever assholes stood before me. I had the experience to back up my words, though, so all I needed to do was tell them stories of my exploits so far.
The feast that night paled in comparison to the one thrown in my honor after I’d risen Mahini from the dead, but it featured plenty of roasted meats and spicy vegetables. The herbal variety alone surprised me, and it reminded me to check on the condition of the oasis’ resources.
After everyone had eaten their fill, I found an empty water barrel to stand on its end, and I climbed on top with the help of Riondale. The general stood at my feet, and the rest of my people fanned out behind me to represent our tribe.
“Greetings!” I said in Kimaku, then Trahana, Gupuana, and the other tribes’ languages one after another until I had the attention of everyone in the oasis.
The forest floor was packed with bodies as everyone gathered around to hear what I had to say, and muttered questions echoed through the air in every dialect. Many readjusted their turbans and headdresses, and others fussed with their robes, but some removed their veils. That was a good sign, but it wasn’t widespread.
This was going to be a challenge, but I was up for it.
“My name is Bash, and I come from a world called Earth.” I pointed at the sky with an authoritative air, and many people gasped
in awe. “I have come here to return hope to all the land.”
Then I began to speak in a mixture of all the tribes’ languages, and in the process I started to develop a kind of common tongue that they could all understand. I spoke slowly, and I looked for recognition in the eyes of my audience before I continued.
“I have married a Kimaku woman of the Kotar Desert,” I announced, and I pointed to Mahini behind me. “We will soon have a child of both our bloods.”
Excited murmurs rushed through the audience, and several people jostled for a better position. I lifted my voice even louder, and I spoke over the heads of the people standing closest so I could reach out to the ones standing in the back.
“Therefore, what happens in the Kotar Desert is important to me.” I paused after every few words for dramatic effect, and to ensure the translations were understood by everyone.
“Who are you to care?” a voice from the audience to my left asked.
“I am the God of Time,” I declared in my most godly voice. “I care about what I want to care about, and you are lucky to be able to say I care about you.”
“About me?” a scoff from an unknown face.
“About all of you!” I shouted. “I care about all the people of Kotar, and you should, too. You are warriors, masters of your crafts, and experts at survival. How could you let some bully push you around?”
“What are we supposed to do about it?” another voice asked from in front of me. “They have the Lamarian, Truchi, and Gamma tribes on their side. All known for being brutal to their enemies.”
“Then we need to be more brutal,” I declared, and I slashed a fist through the air. “Cut them where it hurts. I’ve done it before.”
“Tell us!” a voice requested.
“I will tell you who I am,” I said, but I paused to scan over the faces staring up at me. There was curiosity, and more than a little doubt, but mostly there was fear. It broke my heart to see such strong people broken down by a tyrant, and I knew I had to fix it. “I am called Dragon Slayer because I destroyed the giant fire-breather named Smiguel. I am called Dragon Tamer because the hatchling Nameless obeys my commands. I have many names. Many stories.
Who wants to hear them all?”
Cheers and applause echoed my words, but I heard a couple of boos mixed in. Not everyone was on board with what I was selling.
Yet. The God of Time would win in the end, even if I had to reset and do my speech a hundred times.
I proceeded to recount all of my adventures, and I even let them hear about behind the scenes of the heist in Arginold Hold. I told the tale of pirate kings, Zaborian priests, and magical amulets that let me defeat the God of the Purge. I told them about griffons, kobolds, and werewolves. Magic, and bandits.
I had to admit, it was a pretty awesome story.
By the time I’d caught up to the current quest, my captive audience was enthralled, and my women smirked with pride. Then one person started to clap, and a second joined in, but soon, the entire crowd was applauding my tales.
“Who will face the warlord at my back?” I asked.
“I will fight with you, Great One!” a veiled warrior in blue robes said as he raised his spear in the air, and soon, a chorus of volunteers began to cry out their agreements.
I flashed my women a pleased smile, and Mahini shook her head in awe.
“You’ve done it again,” my wife shouted over the noise of the crowd. “Raised an army from ashes!”
“Like a phoenix!” I laughed.
Eva and Zenda came forward with paper and quills, and they began to write down the names of people volunteering. There were some language barriers I had to help with, so I stayed close, but I lost track of how many people came up to swear loyalty to my cause.
By the end of the night, I had an army of tribespeople to add to my one hundred soldiers. A veritable fighting force geared for the desert. The warlord asshole terrorizing Kotar didn’t even know what was coming to bite him in the ass, but it would be my pleasure to inform him.
The God of Time had come to the south, and he wasn’t leaving until freedom rang.
The volunteers met the next morning to begin preparations for travel, and I scanned over the ragtag group of mixed tribesmen and women. An array of colors decorated their robes, and it seemed to distinguish the different tribes from each other. Kimaku wore muted tones like burgundy and beige, but Trahana wore sandy-brown robes, and others wore fabrics dyed in other hues.
A rainbow gathered before me and awaited my command, so I cleared my throat. Nameless chose that moment to land on my back, and he nearly knocked all the wind from my lungs in his clumsy landing.
“We leave tomorrow,” I announced. “Gather whatever supplies your people can afford, we leave behind the weakest among us in the oasis, so plan accordingly.”
“Yes, Great One,” everyone gathered echoed in unison, and I marveled at their ability to synchronize so swiftly.
Except they all spoke in different languages, so what I heard was a motley of dialects all squished together. The common tongue was beginning to form. In the meantime, they would struggle to communicate with the warriors beside them, so I made a mental note to come up with hand gestures everyone would understand.
Mahini said goodbye to her mother, and she promised to come back and get her once the war was over. Aranini expressed her doubts, but the midwife didn’t recant her promise to move to Bastianville if the warlord was defeated.
Riondale had our caravan packed up and ready to go early the next morning, and we all mounted horses to ride out of the forest. I
had to duck below a few branches, but then we emerged into the open sand of the desert. Zenda and Eva used the help of the tribespeople to sketch out a rough map of the realm, but the accuracy was all word of mouth, and therefore questionable, so we’d note things permanently once we observed them for ourselves.
In the meantime, there was a big, wide, unknown world opening up before me, and I was at the helm of the ship. I had an army at my back, and a warlord to kill.
This was going to be fun.
We traveled for a few days before the water supply began to dwindle, and I amazed the desert dwellers with my magical ability to produce water. I filled the barrels after the horses had their fill, and everyone refilled their personal containers.
Then we headed out into the desert toward the southeast. The last known whereabouts of the three tribes were along the coastline, so we headed toward the Eastern Ocean.
It was early in the morning after we’d set out on the seventh day when I heard a weird rattling sound. I glanced from side to side in search of the source, but then I saw what looked like a cobra approaching from off in the distance.
Except as soon as it focused in my vision, I saw it was actually part man.
What the fuck?