The wind ruffled the leaves hanging from the branch-like arms of the tree-man, and the shivering sound echoed from all around as the gust swept through the jungle.
I stared at the cocono tree for a long moment, and I scanned over his moss-covered branches, the knotted facial expression, and the wisdom obvious in his hazel eyes before I made a new save point.
“So, you’re a tree, huh?” I asked in the most nonchalant tone I could muster.
The tree stared at me in silence, and then with slow, careful movements, the cocono tree shrugged his branch shoulders.
“We are all what we are,” the tree said.
“Fair enough,” I chuckled, but I still couldn’t believe I was talking to a tree, so it was hard to think of appropriate questions to ask the cocono. “How long have you been in this oasis?”
“You are asking how many rings my trunk has?” The tree actually laughed. “I do not even know your name.”
“You can call me Bash,” I said since I wasn’t sure if the tree-man would understand my full list of titles and names. “What’s your name?”
“The wind calls me names your human lips could not pronounce,” the tree-man explained. “The villagers call me Aang.”
“Well, Aang, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, and I dropped into a respectful bow.
A part of me was still in disbelief that I was having a conversation with a tree-man, but after fighting off the Vex and the Mirago, I knew anything was possible in this medieval fantasy world.
Hell, I’d killed and tamed dragons and forged armor out of their remains. I’d hunted down treasonous dukes, persuaded kings, and traveled across the Eastern Ocean to the islands beyond.
Talking to a tree should be no big deal.
“It is a joy to meet you, as well.” The tree-man made a movement like he was inclining his head. “Bash of the human world.”
“So, now will you tell me how old you are?” I smirked. “I am just curious about the history of this place.”
“I have grown four hundred rings around my trunk,” Aang explained. “I am young for my kind.”
“Four hundred years old? Wow.” I shook my head in awe. “I’ve only lived a fraction of that, but I’ve lived several lifetimes simultaneously, so I can sort of relate.”
“How can a human relate to a cocono?” Aang shivered, and the leaves on his arm-like branches shook. “I have seen your kind come and go from this oasis, and yet the cocono remain.”
“What kind of people have come through this oasis?” I asked in a curious voice, and I settled into a comfortable position on a nearby log.
“Oh, lots of desert dweller types,” the old tree-man said, and a branch reached up to scratch his chin-like groove in the face of the trunk. “They come for a break from the sun, and they stay for the water source.”
“I wonder what else your ancient eyes have seen,” I mused, and the wind filtered through the jungle leaves to flap my hair. It was an amazing feeling to sit and discuss life with something so incredible, and realize it had been here, a well-known secret, for hundreds of years. “How many have come to talk to you?”
“I have talked to kings and beggars both,” Aang said in a thoughtful tone, and his eyes turned slightly to the side as he gazed
at nothing. “Even men who call themselves gods have graced my forest with their presence.”
“Any of them mention the God of Time?” I chuckled, but I didn’t really expect an actual answer from the tree.
“The God of Time is coming to the desert,” Aang said, and he made a movement that reminded me of a nod. “Or so says the man calling himself the God of the Plague.”
“The what now?” My interest was officially piqued.
I’d fought and killed the God of the Purge, but the man had said something about Earth in a German accent on his dying breath.
It made me wonder if there were other people from my home world here in this medieval fantasy realm, but he’d died before I could get any more answers out of him.
Maybe I had another lead?
“Do you always have problems with listening?” Aang gave me a worried look.
“You said the God of the Plague, but I’ve never heard of him before.” I let out a slow exhale as I reminded myself to stay calm and be patient. “What can you tell me about this supposed God of the Plague?”
“Why, he looked like a regular human to my eyes,” the old tree-man admitted, but then his hazel eyes scanned me up and down.
“Much like you do.”
“I am more than a mere human,” I said in my most god-like voice. “I come from a land called Earth, and I was brought here to return hope to the realm. That’s exactly what I plan on doing, and these asshole wannabe gods keep getting in my way. So, tell me, what was he like? Where did he come from? Where did he go?”
“I can only give one answer at a time,” Aang reprimanded softly.
“I’m sorry.” I took a deep, steadying breath. “What was this God of the Plague like?”
“We debated on life for hours,” the tree-man informed me. “He withers the green growth of life beneath his decaying fingers, and I took offense to that.”
“Did he hurt you?” I frowned.
Aang lifted a branch-like limb up for my inspection, and I saw a pile of fungus growing on what appeared to be his leg.
“What is that?” I asked.
“Tree rot,” Aang sighed. “It is contagious, so I have stayed away from my fellow coconos.”
“There’s more of you?” I arched a curious eyebrow.
“I thought we were talking about the God of the Plague,” Aang chuckled.
“Whatever you feel like talking about is fine with me.” I raked a hand through my hair as I flashed the cocono tree a smirk. “I’m just eager to hear your stories and get to know you better. It’s not every day one gets a chance to discuss life with a tree.”
“Very well,” the cocono tree said with another nod-like movement. “The God of the Plague stopped by the oasis, but I managed to convince him to stay away from the village in exchange for a handshake. I’m afraid it was my last.”
I scratched my chin as I thought this over, but it seemed like the news was dire. The tree-man had been infected by some kind of disease, and it would spread to the other cocono trees if he went near them at all.
I needed to do something to help him, but I wasn’t sure what I would even be able to do. I had healing waters from Arajah, but
would they work on a tree? Also, I didn’t know if I wanted to give away such a boon if I could find another solution.
I knew I had to find this man calling himself a god.
Then I would have more than one question answered before I killed him.
I’d learned a lot already, but I didn’t feel like I’d made the strongest first impression on Aang, so I decided to reset to my save point and come at the conversation from another angle.
Chime.
The ringing in my ears subsided, and I stared into the hazel eyes of the ancient cocono tree once more. This time I would make a strong impression, and I would leave him convinced of my godliness.
“Hello, ancient one,” I greeted as I took my seat on the log. “My name is Sir Sebastian, and I’m the Archduke of Sorreyal, but they also call me many other names. Dragon Slayer, Dragon Tamer, and Red Hands the Pirates’ Bane, but my favorite name is the God of Time.”
“Why have you come to this forest, Sir Sebastian the God of Time?” Aang settled into a seated position himself, and he considered me with a shrewd expression.
“To discuss life and the universe with you, Master Aang,” I said.
“How does one such as yourself come to know my name already?” The ancient tree-man crossed his branch-like arms.
“I was told your name,” I said vaguely, and I flapped a dismissive hand. “Never mind that, I am curious about you. You’ve lived over four hundred years in this oasis, and yet the people living here are pacifists. How have they survived in such a world that way?”
“The trees work together to protect the people,” Aang explained. “We saw your men arrive, but you had eyes only for the chief, so we let you pass. If you had ill intent, we would have picked up on it and stopped you.”
“Stopped us how?” I shook my head in disbelief.
“The road is only allowed by the trees themselves,” Aang said in a vague tone. “Without our permission, the way to the village is blocked.”
Well, that answered the question about how the villagers hadn’t been annihilated by more violent tribes already. Whenever the
Casamoni tribe wasn’t around to protect them, the trees would literally block the path.
“There’s that many cocono trees here?” I raised my eyebrows.
“We have multitudes.” Aang made a nod-like movement.
“Are you happy here in the oasis?” I asked out of sudden curiosity. “Protecting the villagers?”
“I have seen many saplings planted and grown tall in the sunlight,” Aang said in his vague way. “The squirrels and other animals bury the nuts near my roots, and I keep an eye on them as they sprout into the next generation. Many have fallen to axes and swords, but many more rise up to replace their numbers. We are safe here, but I know that will not last forever. Someday, men will come with fire and numbers we cannot best. That will be the day you see the last cocono tree fall.”
“Sounds ominous,” I said. “But I’ll do my best to stop the threats against you.”
“What do you know of the threats we face?” The cocono tree shook his massive head. “You are one man.”
“I am so much more than one man,” I said. “I have faced armies alone, I have killed gods and freed realms. I seek the best for
all of mankind, and sometimes that means killing a few assholes. I help the underdog, the overworked, the underpaid, and the under protected. I will help the Brumuex tribe and anyone else who allies themselves with me.”
“Are you a father?” the tree-man suddenly asked me.
“I-I am,” I said, but I quickly regained my composure and gave him a curt nod. “My daughter is named Sorena, but I have a few more on the way soon.”
“A beautiful name for a human child,” Aang said with an approving nod of his massive head. “Then you understand the pain.”
“The pain?” I arched an eyebrow in a questioning manner.
“The pain you feel when you watch them grow up and wander off through the forest on their own.” Aang shook his head, and the leaves on his branches rustled. “I have seen many young grow up only to perish on the ends of swords, but if you can end the violence against us, then I am inclined to give you my ear.”
“That’s a start, at least.” I grinned. “There’s a sorcerer who’s been sending monsters out to grab people, but I don’t know where he’s taking them. My companions and I are hunting him down. Do you know anything about his whereabouts?”
“I have heard of these monsters attacking outside the oasis,”
the ancient tree-man said. “They will not venture into the jungle for they know the trees will spit them right back out.”
“So, the oasis is a safe haven from the monsters?” That set my nerves a little at ease, but there was still no telling how much farther we had to travel before we’d find the sorcerer’s lair.
“The Brumuex Oasis is a safe haven for all who enter here,”
Aang confirmed. “As long as they mean no harm, no harm shall find them.”
“Sounds peaceful,” I said. “But I know you’ve seen your fair share of death and decay.”
“Do you mean what you say, God of Time?” Aang narrowed his very human-like hazel eyes and gave me a serious look. “You will help the people of the oasis?”
“And any others who follow me,” I said with a nod. “I am trying to bring peace to the Kotar Desert, but I can’t do it without every tribe participating.”
“Then I will give you some advice to put you in our debt,” the ancient tree-like man said in a decisive tone.
“Oh, yeah?” I chuckled. “What kind of advice are you going to give me?”
“You are a father, but your sapling is still young, I can hear it in your voice when you speak of them. There is no exhaustion or resentment. That will change.” Aang’s eyes twinkled with sudden mischief. “Soon, you will learn what young saplings can manage once they’re mobile.”
“I’ve heard of the toddler years before,” I laughed. “How bad can they be?”
“When it gets bad,” Aang continued without acknowledging me. “Remember they need three things: plenty of sunlight, lots of fresh water, and good soil to dig into.”
“I suppose that could be translated to human babies somehow.” I grinned. “Thank you for the advice, ancient one, and I will be sure to remember it always. I am indeed in your debt.”
“Then repay your favor by protecting my people from the monster attacks,” the old tree-man insisted. “Follow through on your word to bring peace to Kotar.”
“I swear it.” I lifted my chin as I spoke to emphasize my words.
I spoke with the tree-man some more, but I didn’t glean any new information from him. He didn’t know much about the sorcerer or this new God of the Plague, but my brain was already connecting the puzzle pieces. The catacombs where the carvings of death, decay, and plague were near the village eradicated by disease, but that would mean another god had been summoned to the world.
I wasn’t alone after all.
Was this God of the Plague also from Earth?
There was only one way to find out.
My thoughts were heavy and dark as I made my way back to the village, but I had only just barely reached the outskirts when a mass of chocolate curls lunged at me from the shadows behind a house.
Caelia flung herself into my arms without hesitation, and as soon as I realized who it was, I spun her around like a ballet dancer.
“What are you doing out here?” I laughed.
“Looking for you, of course,” Caelia said, and she giggled as I planted her back on the ground. “I… I missed you…”
Her words and tone stirred an instant reaction in me, and I wrapped my arms around her lower back as I pulled her chest
against mine. Then I pulled off my helmet with one hand, and I leaned down to plant my lips on hers. Caelia opened her mouth to give me full access to explore her depths, so that’s exactly what I did.
We kissed in the shadows on the edge of town for a long moment, but then I pulled her back into the jungle with a grin. I’d walked past a temptingly cool pool of water in a glen not too far from the village, so I led Caelia back to the edge of the water with careful steps.
The sunlight was quickly fading, but I could still see every inch of her flesh as she slowly removed every article of clothing she wore.
Once she stood fully naked in front of me, I quickly removed my armor and the clothes beneath them. Then we stepped into the pool of water a moment later, and I held her hand as our feet slipped over the algae-covered stones beneath the water.
Caelia’s chocolate eyes danced over my torso and shoulders, and I realized from the heat in her gaze that my muscles had filled out in definition. My torso was covered in rippling waves of abs, and my pecs were firm. I had the body of a god, but it had taken a lot of work to get it this way. I’d learned countless skills and fighting styles over the course of the last year, and there was still so much to learn.
“Like what you see?” I teased with a devilish grin.
“I love what I see,” Caelia confirmed, and her lips parted as she nodded her agreement.
I crossed the distance to her and met her lips with mine, and time seemed to cease to hold any meaning. I could feel the light fading slowly around us, but it still surprised me when I saw how dark it was when the kiss finally ended.
“Come here,” I said as I lowered myself into the water until it came up to my chest, and I pulled Caelia down onto my lap.
It was nice to speak in the common tongue of Sorreyal again, if only for a short moment, and it was easy to forget how similar it was to English from Earth, but there were a few vocabulary differences and idioms I had to explain to my women.
Caelia’s crevice was warm against my groin as she settled onto my lap, and I groaned with desire as her breasts floated on the top of the water between us. They’d gotten considerably bigger since the last time I’d spent some one-on-one time with them, and I lifted first one nipple and then the other to my mouth.
“They’re bigger, no?” Caelia asked as though she could read my mind. “I think it’s a sign of pregnancy.”
“That’s fantastic.” I grinned and squeezed her around the waist until her breasts were pressed up against me, and the movement caused the water to slap against us in rough waves. “I can’t wait to see what other ways your body changes and grows.”
“You won’t think I’m fat and ugly?” Caelia gave me the cutest puppy-dog face I’d ever seen.
“Never,” I swore, and I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her again. “You’ll always be the beautiful woman I fell in love with.”
“Oh, Bash, I love you so much!” Caelia squeezed her arms around me as her chocolate eyes danced with joy. “I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby!”
“All my dreams are coming true,” I said, and I cupped her cheeks in my hands to bring her lips to mine once more.
I couldn’t get enough of the chocolate goddess, and she tasted sweeter than the milkiest chocolate bar. I devoured her lips and tongue like Bruce Bogtrotter eating cake in Matilda, and we were both gasping for air by the time I’d had my fill.
“B-Bash!” Caelia giggled. “Hungry, are we?”
“I want you,” I breathed, but then I pulled her ass cheeks closer against me so she could feel my throbbing member pressed up
against her. “You have me so hard, Caels.”
“I want you, too,” Caelia said, and her eyes half-closed as they filled with desire, but then she lifted her hips ever so slightly until my hard cock was rubbing against her entrance. “May I?”
“You may,” I chuckled, but I made sure to help support her weight as she maneuvered herself onto my tip.
Then the dark-skinned beauty tossed back her head, held onto my shoulders, and slid slowly down my shaft until I was buried inside her to the hilt.
“Fuck…” I groaned with pleasure as her warmth encased me, and I pulled her hips tightly against me as I ground my tip against the entrance to her womb. “You feel so good, Caelia…”
“You still feel so big to me,” Caelia whimpered as she slowly lifted upward, but then she slid back down with a tantalizingly slow movement. “You fill me up, Bash!”
“I’m about to fill you with my seed if you don’t stop,” I growled, but then I lifted her up as I stood to my feet, and Caelia automatically wrapped her ankles around my lower back.
I carried the dark-skinned goddess over to a mossy bank, and I laid her down on her back without ever letting my cock slide out of
her. Then I gripped her around the waist with both hands as I drove my dick in and out of her with rapid thrusts, and Caelia let out little gasps with each motion.
“Yes, yes, yes,” the merchant panted as her chest heaved up and down with each labored breath. “Just like that. Don’t… Stop!”
I continued my rhythm in perfect sync to her noises, but then Caelia’s pussy spasmed around my shaft like an oiled fist pulsating, and I groaned as I leaned into the sensation. Her orgasm came over her in waves, and she tossed her head from side to side as her eyes rolled back into her head.
“Fuck, that’s hot,” I breathed when she finally began to breathe normally again. “You’re amazing, Caels.”
“You’re the one who gives me so much pleasure,” the shopkeeper laughed. “I blame you completely.”
“Here, roll over,” I instructed, and I slid out of her with a little reluctance, but then she repositioned herself and wiggled her ass temptingly in the air, so I surged toward her dripping wet entrance with enthusiasm.
“This moss is so soft on my knees,” Caelia observed in a pleased tone, but I cut off her words by thrusting my cock deep
inside her dripping tunnel once more. “Basssh!”
“Shh,” I chuckled. “We don’t want to traumatize the trees.”
“What?” Caelia laughed in confusion.
“Never mind,” I said as I gripped her ass cheeks in both hands to spread apart her crevice. My girth stretched the skin around her opening, and the sight was delicious to my horny eyes. “Just take my dick like a good girl.”
“Yes, sir,” Caelia purred, and she flashed me a devilish smile over her shoulder before she began to drive her hips backward against me.
I let Caelia control the pace this time, and she insisted on fucking me hard and fast. Her ass cheeks rippled each time they smacked against my thighs, but she kept perfect rhythm as she bounced up and down on my cock. The sight of my dick sliding in and out of her wet tunnel was sexier than fuck, and I lost myself in all the sensations coursing through me.
Then another orgasm rocked her to her core, and Caelia froze her backward movements as her entire body shivered. I drove my cock deep inside her and wiggled my hips, and sweat dappled down her spine. I was hyper-focused on the droplets as they slid down the
curve of her back to her hips, and I licked my lips as I suddenly started salivating.
“Fuck, Caelia, I love making you orgasm,” I said with an awed shake of my head. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
“You make me feel incredible, Bash,” Caelia sighed, and she wiggled her hips temptingly. “So I want to return the favor.”
“Oh, you make me feel good, too,” I assured her, and I spanked her jiggly ass cheeks. “I’m about to show you.”
“I want to taste you,” Caelia said, and she kneeled down in the water in front of me before she took my slippery cock into her mouth.
Caelia proceeded to show me exactly how much she’d learned about the oral arts, and I groaned with delight as my tip brushed against the back of her throat. I tangled my fingers in her chocolate curls, and I guided her movements faster and faster until I felt my balls begin to tingle.
The familiar sensation signaled my desire was reaching a peak, but Caelia didn’t slow down for a second. In fact, she dipped up and down faster and faster until I had to close my eyes.
Then my body shivered and spasmed as my load rocketed out of me, while Caelia merely leaned back and let my seed spray all
over her face and chest. White tendrils dangled down her chin, off a nipple, and inched toward her belly button, and I groaned at the sight.
“You’re amazing,” I breathed.
“No, you are,” Caelia giggled, but then she dove into the pool of water with a splash.
I dove in after her, and we both played and splashed in the water for the rest of the evening. It was several hours later when we eventually air dried and got dressed, but I’d enjoyed every second I’d spent with the chocolate-haired beauty. We’d spent some time practicing the common language I’d created for the desert dwellers, and I was impressed with the level of fluency she already showed.
“If I’m going to be a god’s companion, I need to learn to keep up,” Caelia laughed.
We returned to the village long after sunset, but the other two women were already sleeping in our tent. The two of us crawled onto the sleeping rolls beside them, and I fell asleep in a big pile of beauty, but I was eager to continue the hunt for the sorcerer the next day, so I woke up at first light.
I checked on Nameless first thing in the morning, and I made a new save point for the day as I watched him eat his raw meat breakfast.
Hunt?
The voice suggested a question, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the little dragon’s enthusiasm for killing the Vex. I wanted the creepy-ass monsters dead, too, but first we had to find them.
“Today we go back to hunting,” I promised.
Nameless squawked and jumped onto my shoulders, and I was a little sad when I realized he was already too big to fit comfortably. Soon, he would be big enough for me to ride him, though, and I was eager to see if he would eventually let me do so.
I said my goodbyes to the Casamoni and Brumuex tribes, and I reminded them of our deal. Once the sorcerer problem had been taken care of, they would meet me to sign the peace treaty with the other willing tribes. The two chiefs agreed to the arrangement, and they sent a few runners with my caravan to carry messages back to the oasis.
Then I led the parade out of the village, but I couldn’t help glancing around the jungle in the hopes of seeing another cocono
tree before I left the oasis. Talking to an Ent-like creature had been incredible, but now I knew where they lived, so I could always come back in the future.
Nameless flew excitedly overhead, but he didn’t try to get out of sight, so I sent out a mental command to go ahead a little. The dragon chirped happily as he swooped through the air, and I chuckled at his enthusiasm.
He really loved killing and eating the Vex.
It was midafternoon on the third day after leaving the oasis when the scouts reported signs of a village up ahead. We were traversing around an outcropping of rock that led into some red stone mountains, but there had been no signs of life for days.
According to the scout, the desert dwellers nearby lived in cliff dwellings on the side of the mountain, and we were less than a day’s ride from their location.
I made a new save point before we approached the cliffside village, and I rode at the head of the procession when the first dwellings came into view. They were built into the side of the cliff, and they reminded me of ancient structures found in Central-America. The Native Americans also lived in similar dwellings, and I found myself staring around in fascination.
We were halted shortly after the cliff dwellings came into view, and a veiled man approached with his hand raised in greeting. I dismounted and gave him a friendly smile as I approached, after I made sure to take off my helmet first, and I made a new save point before I said anything.
“Greetings, strangers,” the man said in a dialect I only had a little difficulty understanding. It sounded very similar to the tongue of the nearby Brumuex and Casamoni tribes. “What brings you to the village of the Giboni tribe?”
“Greetings,” I said as closely as I could to the way he had, but then I switched into the common tongue I’d created to see if he would understand me just as easily. “My name is Sir Sebastian, the God of Time, and my people and I are hunting monsters through your lands. We have no ill will and no intention of staying for long.”
“You are welcome here if you come in peace,” the man said with an incline of his head. “I am Tashiki.”
“Are you the chief?” I asked.
“No, but I can take you to him,” Tashiki said, but then his eyes took in the size of my caravan. “Well, some of you.”
“Understood,” I chuckled, and I turned to give orders to the rest of my people.
Jorgen and Corvis saluted before they set about striking camp for the night, and the ladies joined me as we followed Tashiki back to the cliffside dwellings.
Tashiki nodded to the other villagers as we passed through the town, but we walked in silence as he led us up the carved stone steps tracing a path across the front of the cliff.
“What’s living here like?” I asked in a curious voice. “Do you have a specific trade?”
“We are glassblowers,” Tashiki explained. “We send merchants out to other tribal territories to sell our wares and exchange it for food and clothing.”
“How many warriors do you have?” I asked.
“That would be a question for the chief to answer,” Tashiki smoothly replied, but then he gestured for us to enter a wide-mouthed cave opening on the side of the mountain. “Chief Tombu is inside.”
“Thanks,” I said, and I flashed our guide a wide smile. “I appreciate all your help.”
“It is part of my role as a village elder,” the older man explained. “The chief awaits.”
I entered the dimly-lit cave-like dwelling, and my eyes took a few moments to adjust to the lack of light. There were cushions scattered across the stone floor, and on the far end, a wide, fat man sat cross-legged on the floor. He stood when we entered, and I realized he was so short he barely came up to my chest.
“Greetings, Chief Tombu,” I said and respectfully nodded my head. “I am Sir Sebastian, the God of Time. I seek temporary shelter during my travels, but that is not the only reason for my visit to your village.”
“Greetings, stranger,” Chief Tombu said, and he dipped his double chins in the closest approximation of a bow that he could muster around his bulk. “What else brings you to the Giboni tribe’s lands?”
I proceeded to explain about the sorcerer and our hunt, the trials and tribulations of the other tribes, and my offer for peace if everyone agreed to follow me. The chief seemed less than convinced, so I decided I’d just have to spam respawns until I’d learned enough about his people to impress him with my knowledge.
I knew a thing or two about glassblowing myself, but I wasn’t sure how to segue into a demonstration of my skills. I knew the moment would arrive, though, so I decided to go with the flow for now. I could always reset to my save point later if things went sideways.
We spent the night getting to know each other better, but Chief Tombu had just as many questions for me as I had for him.
“How many men are in your army?” The chief seemed very intent on talking battle strategy, but he hadn’t given me the impression they were a violent tribe.
“How many warriors do you have?” I countered.
“Smart man.” The chief laughed and slapped me on the shoulder.
I learned a lot about the cliff dwellers, and I gained a newfound respect for their way of living the more I learned about it. They had access to an underground spring through the network of caves in their mountain home, and they showed me how they turned simple grains into a variety of foods. Their glassblowing skills were phenomenal, and the trinkets and items they created would fetch a
pretty penny back in Sorreyal, so I made a large purchase for Caelia’s general store.
Then I reset to my save point with a wave of my will.
Chime.
I greeted Tashiki before he could even open his mouth, and the village elder gaped at me in awe when I called him by his name.
“Have we met before?” he asked.
“Not in this lifetime,” I said in a vague tone. “Now, I’d like an audience with Chief Tombu, and while I already know the way, you are welcome to join us.”
“Thank you, Great One,” Tashiki said.
Another follower in the books.
I proceeded to predict every word the chief said, and I soon had him fumbling over his words as he struggled to come up with an original sentence. I was the one to laugh and slap his shoulder this time, but we were both in high spirits by the time we parted ways.
“If you want to make peace in the desert,” Chief Tombu said as I stood to leave. “Then you have my full support. The time for tribal warfare is behind us.”
“I agree,” I said. “Everyone will profit from some peace.”
We continued our hunt the next morning, and I made a new save point to seal in the agreement between me and Chief Tombu, but then we set our sights on the open desert once more. Nameless stayed within view for the first half of the day, but he flitted in and out of the clouds as the day passed.
Our caravan encountered more tribes as we crossed over the desert terrain, and each group of people was vastly different from the ones I’d already met. The variety of cultures among the tribespeople was mind-boggling, and I wondered if there really was a way to bring them all together in peace.
We met up with a group of nomadic water mages who taught me a few whirlpool spells that would suck my opponents under the surface of the water. They were shy people, so I spent more than one night getting to know them, but it was worth it when the Upuka tribe agreed to meet up with the rest of the tribes to discuss peace terms. They wanted some land to call their own, but had been forced to roam the open desert for generations.
After the Upuka tribe, we approached a village of farmers, and I was surprised by the amount of greenery they’d managed to sprout out of the sandy earth. It turned out that they were earth mages who used magic to force plants to grow where they normally wouldn’t.
Zenda and I took some time out of each evening to trace what we’d learned onto our map, but there was still a wide section of the desert we’d yet to explore, and there was no way of knowing what lay beyond the boundaries of the Kotar Desert.
The Zaborian Historian was the only one of my women who wasn’t showing any signs of pregnancy, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t last long. Not when our late-night “study sessions” warmed up and with the amount of seed I had poured into her each time.
We partied with the people of the Noshono tribe, and the earth mages shared their ale brew. The hops were grown with magic, and the alcohol was so strong it burned my nose, but it certainly warmed my gut at the same time. I danced to the beat of the drum circle as the villagers twirled all around me, but then we all settled in to swap stories.
The Noshono people had heard of the Mirago and the Vex, although they also called them a version of “cursed,” and they added their versions of the legends to what I already knew about the creatures.
According to their tales, the Mirago could be trapped inside a mirror if they looked at their own reflections, but it was no easy feat.
Their tales also indicated the Vex, or cursed ones, had climbed out
of their version of hell, which they described as a nightmarish dimension full of ancient monsters.
Could such a place really exist?
Maybe the sorcerer really had found some way to breach the dimensions?
We all stumbled to bed in the late hours of the night, but it was a good end to a good day. I tumbled into bed after the women, and we were all snoring moments later. I made a new save point with my last coherent thought, and then I surrendered to the depths of sleep.
It was still dark out when a scream pierced the air and woke me up.
“Bash!” Jorgen’s voice quickly followed the scream, and I was on my feet an instant later.
I rushed to the entrance to our tent, and I had my panabas in one hand and a ball of flames in the other by the time the hunter crossed the distance to me.
“Monsters are attacking the village,” Jorgen explained. “They look like the ones you called lizjaga.”
“Fuck.” I frowned.
The lizjaga were something I’d been hoping we wouldn’t encounter, but it seemed as though our luck had run out. The creatures were part jaguar, part lizard, and part scorpion, so I could only imagine how terrifying they were in real life.
It was time to see them for myself.
But the God of Time could handle some freakish monsters easily enough.