Everyone was exhausted from the battle, but we still managed to work together to clean up the aftermath. Bodies were piled into mass graves, and the castle was cleaned out up to the second floor.
We would conquer the rest of the mess another day, but I wanted to claim the throne room for myself.
The rest of my army’s caravan pulled into the peninsula, and we began to unload our remaining supplies. Krakair the massive asshole had vast stores available to replenish what we’d used, so we could hole up in his encampment for a while if we needed to.
I sent a runner to the Chunga Oasis with news of our victory, but it would take them several days to arrive to report to the chiefs.
Everyone who wasn’t capable of fighting or didn’t want to had remained behind in the oasis, and Aranini had stayed to tend to them. I would send a caravan for Aranini to follow behind the messenger, but for the moment, all I cared about was finding something to drink.
“Anything else you need from me, Ri-Guy?” I asked my general as we wrapped up our conversation about prisoners and body counts.
“Just permission to let the men relax, sir,” Riondale replied.
Mahini, Zenda, and Eva strolled through the courtyard toward me a moment later, and I finished my discussion with Riondale before I opened my arms to all three of them.
“We did it!” I squeezed them tightly. “The Kotar Desert is free from tyranny once more.”
“Wonderful,” Mahini breathed. “My mother will be relieved.”
“She’s sure to return to Bastianville with us now,” Eva added.
“And what of the sorcerer who brought the sandworms?”
Zenda asked in a curious tone. “How did you kill him?”
“I didn’t come across any sorcerers other than the warlord.” I frowned. “He used magic against me, but I don’t think he’s the one who brought the monsters to the desert. We’ll have to keep our eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble.”
“You think the sorcerer escaped?” Zenda’s eyes widened.
“I don’t think he was here to begin with,” I explained, but then I shrugged. “Who knows if he even exists? It could be gossip and nothing more.”
Nameless swooped out of the sky with a very dragon-sounding screech, and I stepped back away from the three women just in time
to catch his weight on my back and shoulders.
“How’s it going, buddy?” I scratched under the dragon’s chin, and he leaned into my fingers.
Mmmrrrrr.
“Is that so?” I grinned.
“Is he speaking to you?” Zenda rushed to my side and grinned at Nameless.
“Just more of the purring sounds,” I said. “But I can feel his happiness.”
Mahini, Zenda, and Eva all gave Nameless some scratches and pets, and the dragon basked under their attention for several moments, but then he leapt from my shoulders and into the sky once more.
“I’m ready for a drink,” I said as we watched the dragon take flight. “Where’s the beer when you need it?”
“I’m not sure about beer,” Zenda laughed. “But we have the Kotarian drink, alkhumuro.”
“I’ve heard the warlord had multiple barrels of it in his storerooms,” Eva informed me. “Enough to get the entire army drunk.”
“Now, that sounds like a plan.” I wrapped my arms around Eva and Mahini’s shoulders, and I led the way to the castle entrance.
People were going in and out about the business of body and filth removal, but the entryway already smelled much better. The throne room was being swept when we entered the chamber, but several tables had been erected along the walls. The chiefs and leaders of the tribes following me all looked up when we arrived, and I pumped my fist in the air to the sound of resounding cheers.
Mikino and Akina approached me with rare smiles on their faces, and Rystuni struggled to keep pace with them. He was like the annoying little brother of the Kanuaki Tribe, and I couldn’t help having a soft spot for the young man.
“You have accomplished all you said you would,” Akina said without preamble. “I suppose you aren’t as bad as I first thought.”
“Glad to hear it,” I chuckled. “I’d hate to have a talented warrior like yourself on my bad side.”
“You good god,” Mikino said in his halting fashion, but the man clapped me on the shoulder. “Follow you to next battle, too.”
“I’ll let you know if there’s ever a need for your fiery sword,” I replied. “For now, let’s just savor the moment.”
The barrels of alkhumuro were wheeled out of the storeroom and into the audience chamber, and everyone applauded the alcohol’s arrival. The ambiance of the room was happy, but ready to get drunk, and I couldn’t argue with that.
We drank the rest of the night away, and we ate more than a little of the food in the warlord’s pantry. I never wanted the night to end, and I reset multiple times to enjoy it all over again. The desert dwellers sang folk songs and danced their stomping patterns across the floor, but I mingled with everyone to make sure they were having a good time. Chief Kuaki smiled from ear to ear as he watched his people dance and drink, and the other leaders of the tribes looked just as content.
Morning brought an end to our revelry, and we all went to sleep until mid-day. Some soldiers and warriors had used restraint in their drinking, so they were left to watch over the hungover sleepers, but even I took a shift guarding the entrance to the peninsula.
Fortunately, I wasn’t nearly as hungover as some of my warriors, and I chalked it up to my resets allowing me to drink like crazy on some run throughs while sipping my beverages slowly on others.
It was good to be a god.
Once I was rested from our partying, I began to organize the caravan for Aranini. My mother-in-law was still in the Chunga Oasis, and I wanted to get the midwife within my arm’s reach so I could take her to Bastianville, but that would only take a simple blip thanks to the Amulet of Zyne.
I yawned and stretched my arms up, but the movement awakened the ladies sleeping beside me, and a short while later, we were all enjoying a meal around a table in the throne room.
“I’m ready to go home,” Mahini said as she rubbed her growing belly. “I miss Lissy and Caelia.”
“I’m eager to get back to my library,” Zenda agreed.
“I just want to check on the progress of the castle,” Eva said.
“As soon as Aranini arrives, we’ll all go home together.” I grinned. “I can blip back and forth between the desert and Bastianville now, so I can wrap things up here later.”
“I hope my mother doesn’t argue any further,” Mahini sighed.
“She can be stubborn.”
“She gave us her word,” I reminded my wife. “Besides, she wouldn’t let you have that baby without her by your side. Not now that you’re finally reunited.”
“I know.” Mahini’s lips tugged into a small smile.
Just then, Riondale marched through the room and saluted me, so I set down my silverware and flashed him a welcoming smile.
“Care to eat with us, Ri-Guy?” I asked.
“No, thank you, sir,” the general said. “I was coming to inform you that I’ll be sending a relief team to the catacombs’ entrance at the oasis.”
“Good idea.” I nodded. “Make sure the previous guards get checked over for any signs of illness before they rejoin the rest of the army. Even after burning everything, we can never be too careful.”
“Catacombs?” Serini strolled into the room and bounced into a seat beside her cousin. “What catacombs?”
“I discovered them outside the village killed off by disease,” I explained. “There’s warnings about death and plague carved into the walls, but I couldn’t get the door open.”
“Hmmm.” The Kimaku warrior woman filled her plate with food as she frowned thoughtfully. “Nini, isn’t that the catacombs from the legend of the gods? The portal one?”
Portal?
“What do you mean?” I asked as my heart skipped a beat.
“It’s a children’s tale,” Mahini explained, and she waved her hand dismissively. “I used to tell it to Serini to get her to go to sleep, but she often fought against her weariness to listen until the end.”
“What do the tales say about a catacomb with plague warnings?” I took a huge bite of flatbread covered in melted butter.
“Anything inside worth checking out?”
“According to legend,” my wife said, “the catacombs contain a portal to another world, the world of the gods, and they can be summoned into Kotar with a ritual.”
“What happens when they get here?” I arched an eyebrow as I thought about myself and the God of the Purge, but then the mysterious disease flashed through my thoughts.
Maybe something deadly had already been released from the catacombs, or maybe another person from Earth like me and the God of the Purge had arrived.
I had to find out if there were others like me.
The Kotar Desert still hid too many mysteries for me to ignore.
“The story says that once there was a god who was summoned to our world,” Mahini continued. “According to the ancient scriptures, the summoner of a god will be rewarded endlessly. Some
say it has happened before, and new tribes were created and destroyed with a snap of the god’s fingers. Humans were their puppets, and time was meaningless. They’re all just stories, though.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Some think I’m just a story. It’s still worth checking out.”
“Be careful,” Zenda warned. “Places like that are often booby-trapped in the Zaborial Isles, and I can’t imagine the Kotar Desert being much different in that regard.”
“I’ll just have to stick around until I figure it out.” I grinned.
“Besides, I’m just starting to get the hang of the desert, and there’s still so much more we need to do.”
“Kotar will never be the same,” Mahini said.
“I don’t care what you do as long as I get to go home soon,”
Eva said, and the duke’s daughter flashed me a weary smile. “I miss our bed.”
The noble born woman was more accustomed to downy pillows and soft mattresses than she was a bedroll in a tent, but she’d been a good sport during our long journey, so she deserved a luxurious slumber soon.
“We’ll get you home as quickly as we can,” I said in a comforting voice. “In the meantime, how are you feeling? Any morning sickness still?”
“I feel fine.” Eva grinned. “My belly feels firm and full, but I haven’t felt any movements yet.”
“Don’t be in such a hurry,” Mahini laughed. “My child kicks my bladder night and day, and it isn’t pleasant.”
A short time later, Aranini and a large caravan of Trahana, Kimaku, and Gupuana tribespeople arrived. I greeted the procession at the head of the peninsula, and I didn’t waste any time in getting to my mother-in-law.
“Ready to fulfill your end of our bargain?” I asked after I’d given her a hug.
“I’ve said my goodbyes,” Aranini confirmed. “But once the babies are big and strong, I will come back to visit my tribe.”
“It’ll be easy peasy,” I said. “I can always bring you back just as fast as we’re going to get to Bastianville.”
“The trip will take months.” Aranini sounded confused, and she tilted her head to the side.
“Not when you have a god on your side,” I laughed and held out my Amulet of Zyne.
We gathered in the courtyard that evening, and the last rays of the sun died on the horizon as everyone held hands. Nameless landed on my shoulders as though he could sense my intentions, and I even grabbed a hold of Goliath.
Then I blipped back to Bastianville with my women, my mother-in-law, and my animals in tow. I left the Kotar Desert in Riondale’s capable hands for the moment, but I would return soon enough.
There was still some sunlight shining on the distant horizon when we arrived, but the air held signs of spring. Bastianville was still bustling, and we appeared in the middle of the street near the town square.
I glanced around in search of my women since the other half of the Amulet of Zyne was around one of their necks, and I turned to see Caelia across the street. I wondered if bringing so many travelers affected the landing, but then I pushed the thought out of my mind as I rushed toward the shopkeeper.
Then I scooped my lover up into my arms and spun her around in a circle. Caelia laughed, and her chocolate curls spun around her face, but I set her down after a moment to let her catch her breath.
“You surprised me!” Caelia giggled, and she stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss against my cheek. “I’m glad you’re home!”
“Where’s Lissy?” I asked.
“Home,” the merchant explained.
“Bash,” Eva said from behind me. “Come check on the castle with me?”
“I’ll see you soon,” Caelia said, and she squeezed my hands warmly before she released me. “I’ll tell Lissy you’re back, and we’ll get a special dinner prepared.”
“I can’t wait.” I grinned.
Mahini introduced her mother to Caelia, and the women all headed in the direction of our home, but my heart was warmed by the smiles on their faces. Everyone was happy to be home, and I was eager to get updates on what had happened in my absence. It seemed Eva was eager for something, too, and she grabbed my hand to pull me down the trail toward the castle at an urgent pace.
“Okay, okay,” I laughed. “What’s the hurry?”
“I want you to fuck me in the castle,” Eva said over her shoulder as she flashed me a wink. “It’s been too long since you were inside me.”
We arrived at the construction site a moment later, and the second story towered over our heads. The roof was being built, and the doors and windows were in the process of being installed, but it looked like a lot of progress had been made. I waved to the head engineer and Builders’ Guild’s master, but we didn’t stop to talk to him.
We had other priorities.
Eva’s ass bounced up the stairs in front of me, and my cock hardened in my pants as my excitement built. I wanted to feel her soft flesh against the palms of my hands, and I spanked her sharply to urge her onward faster.
“Oh!” Eva gasped, and she flashed me a sly smile over her shoulder. “Patience, husband!”
“Not one of my virtues,” I countered, and I trotted even faster up the steps. “I want to feel your skin in my hands. Now.”
Eva giggled as she began to pull her clothes away from her form, and she tossed pieces onto the floor as I chased her down the
second-floor hallway.
“This will be the bedroom,” she said, and she pushed open the door to the room at the very end of the corridor. “Well, your room.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I peered around at the stone walls and large window.
There wasn’t any furniture in the room, and the chandelier wasn’t lit, so it was difficult to see into the shadows of the corners, but that just meant we had all the privacy we could want.
“Each of us girls have our own rooms, and we share a nursery.” Eva shrugged. “We can spend the night with you whenever you want, though.”
Eva was already naked to the waist, and I quickly crossed the distance to her before I wrapped my arms around her from behind.
We peered out the window while she rested her head on my shoulder, and I tweaked her nipples teasingly until the nubs were hard and erect.
Then the blonde bombshell swiveled around, popped into a squat, and began to pull at the bindings of my pants. I helped her unfasten my britches with nimble, urgent fingers, and my cock surged free to wave in the air like a flag of desire.
Eva grinned before she began to rub her lips gently against the head of my cock, but then her tongue flicked out to graze across my tip.
“Fuck,” I hissed with desire, and I buried my hands in her jagged blonde locks.
“Mmm,” my wife agreed, but then she slid her lips around my girth and lowered them until her nose was pressed into my abdomen.
“Oh, holy fuck, Eva,” I gasped as her throat clenched around my cock. The textures of the back of her mouth were amazing, and the hot wetness surrounding me was driving me crazy. “Don’t stop!”
My wife bobbed up and down ever so slightly to create a wet, gripping friction on my cock, and needles of pleasure pricked along every inch of my flesh. Finally, she plopped off with a gasp, and tendrils of saliva dangled between her lips and my cock.
“You okay?” I asked in a concerned voice as she blinked moisture from her eyes.
“That was fun.” Eva gave me a devilish grin.
“You’re driving me wild,” I growled, and I moaned with pleasure when her mouth returned to my shaft.
I let my wife suck and lick my dick for several moments before I couldn’t stand it any longer, but then I grabbed her under her arms and yanked her to her feet. Eva gasped as I spun her around and jerked her pants off her hips, but I was pressing the head of my cock against her juicy lower lips an instant later.
Eva planted her hands against the pane of the window, and her breasts pressed up against the glass as she arched her ass toward me. Her eyes were full of lust as she peered at me over her shoulder, and she pulled her bottom lip between her pearly-white teeth.
“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” I growled as I thrust my cock as deep inside her as it would go.
“I-I-I am?” Eva stuttered as I slammed into her over and over again.
“Your beautiful eyes, fantastic tits, curvy ass,” I said breathlessly as I fucked her hard and fast. “I love everything…
About… You…”
“Take me in every room of the castle?” Eva requested in the most tender voice.
“Anything you want,” I instantly agreed.
We separated briefly to run into another room, but I was inside her as soon as we found another shadowy second-floor corner to fuck in. I bent her over tables, held her up against the wall while I ate her out, let her ride me in reverse cowgirl, and spanked her ass as I fucked her doggy style.
The two of us christened every finished room of the castle, but there were a couple of instances where we had to quickly hide from workers in the middle of construction. They were mostly doing the finishing touches, so they didn’t seem to mind us running around in the rooms they were finished with.
The castle was a beautiful place to make love to my beautiful wife in, and it was the perfect way to end the long quest to free the Kotar Desert from assholes. I respawned over and over again to make the moment last as long as possible, and I lost track of how many times I filled Eva with my seed.
Finally, we were lying beneath the open ceiling on the third floor staring up at the stars, and I’d made a pallet out of our discarded clothes. The workers had all gone home for the day, and we were whispering sweet nothings about our future together.
“Bash!” Zenda and Caelia’s voices rang out in unison from far below us.
I sat bolt upright at the sounds of distress, and I quickly began to pull on my clothes. Eva copied me, and a moment later, we were trotting down the steps to meet the two ladies.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as my eyebrows knitted together in concern.
“Elissa’s baby is coming!” Caelia gasped for air, and she held a supportive hand against her ribcage. “She’s going into labor!”
My heart nearly thudded out of my chest, and all the blood drained from my face.
I was about to become a father.
The God of Time was about to become the God of Parenthood.
End of Book 10