Chapter Four
I was elated with Akina’s choice, but I wasn’t done with her for the night. I still had a save point to take advantage of, after all, so I reset with a wave of my willpower.
Chime.
I stood staring at Akina’s nude beauty once more, and this time, I launched myself at the bed with gusto. I claimed every part of her body with my mouth, and then I took her as my own once more.
Her orgasms grew stronger and stronger with each reset, but I was far from done with her.
Chime.
I fucked her sideways from behind until her back arched, and she drove her hips backward to meet each of my thrusts as she cried out in bliss.
Chime.
I taught her how to sixty-nine, and we both came in a glorious fountain of juices.
Chime.
I experimented with different tactics, and I pulled her hair roughly until a guttural growl escaped her lips. She must have liked it because it made her come harder than ever before.
Chime.
Chime.
Chime.
Each time I reset, I managed to give her an even more powerful orgasm, and they grew closer and closer together with each reset. By the time I was satisfied with the results, Akina laid in a puddle of her own love juices with her mouth hanging agape and her eyes staring off into infinity.
She was too out of it to even speak, and she didn’t make the same request to join me in Bastianville like the last time, so I curled up behind her and pulled her against me before I fell into a peaceful slumber.
It was just before dawn when I awoke, if the pale-purple light leaking in from the hole in the ceiling was any indication. Akina slept peacefully against my chest, and I was hesitant to move for fear of waking her up. I stared at her beautiful sleeping face for a while, but then my bladder called out for release.
I slipped carefully out from underneath the sexy sleeping desert dweller, and I replaced my chest with a pillow as smoothly as I could. Akina didn’t wake, so I stepped out of her tent to relieve myself. Her eyes were open when I re-entered the tent, however, and she yawned before she flashed me a broad smile.
“How did you sleep?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“Perfectly,” I breathed. “I actually don’t remember the last time I slept that good.”
“Good.” Akina grinned, but then she patted the bed beside her. “Now, come back over here and keep me warm.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I growled playfully.
“Bash…” Akina asked as I laid beside her, but then she fell silent once more.
“Yes?” I pressed in a curious tone, even though I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say already.
Just another part of being the God of Time.
“Do you think I can… return to Bastianville with you?” Akina rolled over so she could face me, and she bit her lower lip nervously. “I don’t want to be away from you ever again.”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” I squeezed her tightly. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”
“I was afraid you would say no,” Akina admitted with a sheepish smile. “So I told myself I would be satisfied with spending one night with you. But now…”
“There’s no way I could refuse you since I feel the same way about you,” I explained. “I never want to be apart if we can help it.”
A smile as radiant as the dawn over the sand dunes spread over Akina’s face, and she leaned forward and seized my lips in a passionate kiss.
We cuddled until the daylight burned through the tent opening, and the heat of the desert day began to set in. Then we got dressed and joined the others for breakfast, and Zenda showed me the food they’d set aside for the two of us.
“Did you have a good night?” Eva asked in a teasing voice.
“Yes…” Akina blushed, but she nodded.
“Akina has decided to return to Bastianville with us,” I informed my ladies. “She’s officially become a member of our little tribe.”
“We’d hoped so,” Caelia said, and she flashed the desert dweller a warm smile. “Welcome to the family, Akina.”
“That’s wonderful news!” Zenda gushed as she squeezed the desert beauty’s hand. “I can’t believe it took you so long to make the decision.”
“It wasn’t an easy choice,” Akina pointed out.
“Oh, we understand,” Eva assured her. “We just like to give each other a hard time every once in a while.”
“I can take some teasing,” Akina said, and a smile stretched her thin lips. “Thank you for welcoming me.”
“So much for leaving at dawn,” Caelia giggled as she flashed me a sly look. “Although, we were all up late celebrating, so I’m glad we weren’t rushed to leave.”
“Yeah, I’ll need to talk to the chiefs with us before we can head out,” I said. “I don’t want the tribes to feel like I’m abandoning them after I just established my power here.”
“What are you going to do?” Eva asked as a frown creased her brow.
“I haven’t decided just yet,” I admitted. “But I’ll come up with something. I always do.”
“You know we will support whatever you choose one hundred percent,” Caelia said.
“One of the millions of reasons why I love you all.” I winked and blew the shopkeeper a kiss.
Then I munched on some of my breakfast as I thought about my options. I couldn’t leave the Kotar Desert unprotected, but now they had the alliance to lean on in my absence. If they could work together, then no threat would be too strong for them to face, yet I still worried that the alliance would fall apart the moment I left the south.
I needed someone I trusted to stay nearby and keep an eye on things for me, but who?
There were several options to choose from since I wasn’t short on loyal followers, but not all of them would make a good match for the desert dwellers. I needed someone the tribes would trust, and that limited the field a little.
“What’s on your mind?” Akina asked in a curious tone after she’d cleaned her bowl. She handed the empty dish off to Zenda, brushed her hands off on her pants, and took the spot beside me. “You look deep in thought.”
“I just want to do what is best for the desert dwellers,” I explained. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m abandoning them by returning to my home.”
“You’ve spent a long time helping the people of Kotar,” Akina pointed out. “Everyone will understand that you have other responsibilities to attend to. Just be honest and straightforward with the chiefs, and they will accept your words.”
“I hope so.” I smiled, but it felt more forced than I wanted it to.
“The crown of the Archduke must be heavy,” Eva said in a knowing tone.
“You always have our support,” Caelia said.
“And whatever help we can give you,” Zenda added.
“Thanks.” My smile was less forced the second time around.
I was one lucky god.
I had six amazing women to share my bed with, a beautiful daughter with more children on the way, an army of loyal followers, and more money than I could spend in a single lifetime.
I was determined to do the right thing with the luck I’d been given.
“Summon the chiefs to my tent in an hour,” I instructed with a curt nod. “I’ll address all their concerns before we prepare to leave.”
“Yes, Bash,” Akina said. “I will let them know right away.”
The desert dweller smiled before she left the firepit to do as I asked, and I exchanged a knowing glance with the other girls.
“She’s got spirit,” Caelia remarked in a pleased tone. “She’ll make a good addition.”
“Mahini will be overjoyed to have more of her people in Bastianville,” Eva added. “Akina will be a boon when we all start having our babies as well.”
“I know she will,” I said. “She’s amazing, and I’m obviously smitten.”
“It’s safe to say the feeling is mutual,” Zenda observed. “But only a madwoman would deny the charisma of the God of Time.”
“It has yet to happen,” I chuckled.
“And probably never will,” Eva noted with a smirk.
“Just as long as we all still get to spend time together,” Caelia said. “Then I’m happy for you both.”
“I’ll always make time for my girls,” I promised. “You have my word.”
“The word of a god is a powerful gift,” Zenda pointed out. “It means a lot to us.”
“It should.” I smirked. “Now, I have a meeting to prepare for. Wish me luck.”
“As if you need it,” Eva laughed. “Go. Take care of business. We will make our own arrangements in preparation for departure.”
“Get Jorgen and Corvis to come to my tent as well,” I instructed. “They should hear what I have to say, too.”
“Done,” Caelia said with a quick nod. Then the shopkeeper disappeared between the tents that dotted the landscape in search of my two commanding officers.
As I made my way to the tent I shared with the three women it felt like it had been forever since I’d been there. After all the time I’d spent in the catacombs, and then spending the night with Akina, my tent was a welcome sight. I glanced over my belongings quickly as I waited for the chiefs to arrive, and Nameless squawked from outside the flap a moment later.
The little dragon had been spending more and more of his time aloft, but he still came down to visit me every morning to demand his breakfast. I fetched him some chunks of meat from the barrel in the corner, and I sat down to watch him enjoy his meal.
Delicious.
I wasn’t sure how much the little dragon knew, but his vocabulary seemed to be growing with every passing day. His iridescent scales gleamed in the light of the sun streaming in through the tent opening, and he munched happily on the meat as I watched.
I’d hatched his egg when chasing after the means to make dragonscale armor, and an accidental drop in magma had led to his hatching secret being revealed. Once I’d figured it out, he’d imprinted on me immediately after escaping the remnants of his shell.
Nameless finished his meal, squawked at me again, and then disappeared out through the tent opening once more.
“So much for conversation,” I muttered to myself in an amused tone.
I couldn’t wait until I could have full conversations with the little dragon, but I was a patient god, and I wasn’t entirely eager to have him at his full size just yet. There was still much I had to teach him, and he was growing so fast, it felt like I was running out of time.
Were there more dragon eggs out there?
Nameless was very different from the only other dragon I’d seen in person. Smiguel the fire-breather had definitely been fully grown when I’d vanquished him, since he’d been the size of a house and dwarfed every building he roosted on. In contrast, Nameless was the size of an English Bulldog, but he was quickly reaching German shepherd size. Smiguel could breathe fire from his snout, while Nameless had a lightning attack that had proven incredibly useful during my fight against the legendary Hydra. I wouldn’t trade my little dragon for the big one, that was for sure, but soon I wouldn’t have a choice.
A short while later, the three chiefs approached my tent, and Jorgen and Corvis were only a short distance behind them. The shaggy-haired horse master stood out in strong contrast to his clean-shaven fellow hunter, and neither of them wore the turban and scarf we’d adopted for our trek across the sands. The three chiefs were all in full regalia garb, and the colors of their turbans and robes marked them from their brothers.
The Kanuakian black and white stood out between the blue of the Casamoni and the brown of the Kimaku Tribe. Chief Kuaki wore a simple black turban with white veil. He was the leader of the fire mages, and his warriors had earned a lot of glory in the Battle of the Monsters. Chief Ata of the Casamoni stood to his left in a blue turban and scarf over black robes. The nomads would finally have a home in the new territory, but I knew they would forever be protective of their Brumuex brothers. Chief Takini of my wife’s tribe was unveiled, and his long brown beard was braided into many sections like octopus tentacles.
“Thank you for coming here today,” I said as I gestured to the circle of pillows the women and I had arranged around the fire pit. “Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”
I spoke in the language I’d created out of a blend of the many tribal dialects, so I wasn’t sure how much of what I said would be understood, but in the past it had been enough to communicate war plans.
“What is the meaning of this?” Chief Ata frowned as he pulled back his scarf to reveal a scarred face. “We must prepare for our departure. We’ve wasted much daylight already.”
“My people as well,” I agreed, and I inclined my head toward the pillows. “Please.”
“Very well,” the leader of the Casamoni Tribe huffed, but then he lowered himself into a cross-legged position on the pillow behind him.
The others followed suit, and Jorgen and Corvis saluted as they took their places. I waited until everyone was seated before I cleared my throat, and then I got straight to the point.
“There is still a threat to the Kotar Desert,” I said. “And it may already be threatening the safety of my home.”
“You’re leaving,” Chief Takini said, and his brow creased into a frown as he pulled on his braided beard.
I glanced around the firepit to gauge the others’ reactions, and I saw frowns all around. No one looked pleased at the thought of me leaving, but it was time to leave the Kotar Desert and go on to bigger things.
God things.
“There’s another god out there,” I explained. “The God of the Plague. I believe he is responsible for the deaths of the villagers in the oasis we just left. He also infected one of the cocono trees in the Brumuex oasis.”
“The God of the Plague?” Chief Ata frowned even deeper, and he glanced from side to side at his fellow chiefs. “Do you believe these words?”
“The Great One has led us to victory more than once,” Chief Kuaki pointed out in a calm tone. The large fire mage hadn’t seen me fight personally, but his closest people had, and I knew he respected me. “It is time for us to take up his sword of justice. The alliance stands whether or not the God of Time is in the Kotar Desert.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “Plus, you won’t be alone completely.”
“Where will this other god strike next?” Chief Takini asked. “How do we combat it?”
“There are a lot of questions remaining,” I allowed in a vague tone. “But I promise you, I will hunt him down and remove this threat. The Kotar Desert will be safe from the God of the Plague, but this isn’t the only realm I’m responsible for. I have my home territory to protect, and I have to put them first right now.”
“We will fight in your stead,” Chief Kuaki swore. “The alliance will be honored. The Kotar Desert will see peace.”
I sat on a pillow, and right on cue, Eva, Zenda, and Caelia brought out the chalices and bottles of wine. The women poured everyone a serving of the beverage, and I lifted my glass to signal for a toast.
“To the alliance!” I said, and everyone echoed my words. “May it forever bring peace to the south.”
“To the God of Time,” Chief Kuaki said as he lifted his glass again, and the others muttered an echo of his words as they all sipped their drinks.
“To the future,” Jorgen said, and everyone chuckled as they repeated the words.
“Thank you, Jorgen,” I said after we’d all toasted the future. “That reminds me, I have made a decision.”
“Sir?” Jorgen tilted his head.
I cleared my throat until all eyes were on me once more, and then I gestured to the hunter across the firepit from me.
“I hereby name Jorgen as the new Duke of Kotar,” I announced. “He will remain in the peninsula fortress and give out commands in my name.”
“And the name of your king?” Chief Ata questioned.
“I’ll alert him to Jorgen’s position,” I said. “And explain that the alliance works in harmony with the crown and myself. We all want the same thing. Peace.”
“This could be a way for your kingdom to seize power in Kotar.” Chief Takini crossed his arms over his chest.
“This is a way to support you while I’m busy,” I said simply with a shrug of one shoulder. “Whether or not you accept his legitimacy is your choice. One way ends in peace. The other…? I don’t want to fight my friends.”
“Understood,” Chief Ata grunted. “But what if we need you urgently and your man cannot contact you?”
I racked my brain for an answer, but the chief had a point.
“If I may say something,” Zenda interjected in an apologetic tone. “I may have a way around the limitations of your fast travel amulets, but I need to get back to my library in Bastianville to do more research before I will know for certain.”
“That’s awesome.” My eyebrows rose in surprise. “Does that satisfy you, Chief Ata?”
“If you can do it,” the chief muttered.
“Those are my terms,” I continued. “It’s a way for me to continue to help you through the beginning of the alliance.”
“The Casamoni Tribe agrees to your terms,” Chief Ata said after a long silence.
I glanced at the others, and they nodded their heads.
“The Kimaku Tribe accepts your terms,” Chief Takini said.
“As does the Kanuaki Tribe,” Chief Kuaki added.
“Good.” I grinned.
“Sir?” Jorgen asked in Sorreyalian as he swallowed hard. “I don’t mean to question your plan, but are you sure about me becoming a duke? I’m not a noble or anything like that.”
“I’m sure,” I said without hesitation. “Out of all the northerners following me, you know the Kotar Desert better than anyone except me now.”
“What does your duke say?” Chief Ata asked.
“He says he accepts his new role,” I said, and Jorgen smirked.
The meeting was dismissed a short while later, and I set about to write a letter to King Frederick. I wanted to let him know about all the things that had happened since I’d left the north, and to warn him about the dangers of the God of the Plague.
I also wrote a letter to Riondale at the peninsula to instruct him to meet the army on the trek north, and I explained to the general that Jorgen would be taking over control of the fortress.
I sent my most trusted scout, Trava, to Vallenwood in the north, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt my letter would make it directly to King Fred’s hands. Then I sent another scout with the message for Riondale to the peninsula, and I expected a much faster return on that message.
“What will King Fred think about this new god?” Eva asked as we watched the scout ride off across the sands.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” I said. “For now, let’s focus on getting everyone home safely.”
“Yes, Bash, of course.” Eva rubbed her growing belly. “We’re all ready to be home again.”
“I can blip you back tonight if you want?” I offered in a comforting tone. “There is a long road ahead of us.”
“I will remain with the army,” Eva insisted.
“She’s a stubborn one, Bash,” Caelia warned in a playful voice. “But I wouldn’t mind to, what do you call it? Blip? I need to check on my store.”
“What about you, Zenda?” I asked. “The map is done. Do you want to fast travel back to Bastianville in order to work on producing copies faster?”
“I will remain with the army,” Zenda said. “I would like to get to know our newest sister better.”
“Akina,” I chuckled. “It will be hard for her to leave her home, so I’m not going to rush her at all.”
“She’ll come around,” Caelia promised. “We all had to make some adjustments in order to live happily together, but it’s worth the effort.”
That evening, Caelia and I clasped hands as I performed the fast travel ritual that would take me across the world to the other half of the amulet I wore around my neck. Blue wisps of magic circled us, and then we completely disappeared. When I opened my eyes, we stood in the middle of Bastianville directly in front of Caelia’s general store.
“Well, isn’t that convenient?” I chuckled. “Meet back at the house later?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Caelia stood up on her tiptoes to press a kiss against my cheek.
I glanced around in search of Mahini or Elissa, and I spotted the red-haired mother of my firstborn walking through the door of Caelia’s shop. The two women embraced, and then Caelia disappeared inside the store. I quickly crossed the distance to my wife, and she didn’t spot me until I was right on her.
“Bash!” Elissa squealed with delight as she threw herself into my arms.
“Lissy!” I laughed out loud as I spun my tiny goddess around in a circle.
Elissa wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck, and the beautiful redhead peppered my face with excited kisses. It was several moments before she released my head from her grasp, and we both laughed as my feet instinctively turned toward our home. We’d recently moved into our newly-built castle, and I hadn’t had much time to enjoy the new environment just yet, so I was eager to get home.
“Where are you going?” Elissa giggled. “I haven’t finished my shopping.”
“I want to spend time with my entire family,” I explained.
“Mahini is still in training, and Sorena is with the night nurse.” Elissa repositioned herself in my arms. “The house is empty.”
“I have news to share, and I want everyone together for it.” I frowned as I glanced up and down the street. “Where is Mahini training at? I’ll fetch her while you grab Sorena.”
“I take it Caelia already knows whatever you’re going to tell us?” Elissa asked.
“Yes, I told the others in the desert.” I gently placed her on her feet. “Meet me back at the castle in a few minutes, and you’ll find out everything then.”
“Yes, Bash,” Elissa said, and I was surprised at how quickly she adopted a serious tone.
A short while later, Mahini, Elissa, Sorena, and I were seated in the sitting room of the castle, and the two women fussed over the baby while I waited for the servants to clear the teacups.
“What happened, Bash?” Mahini asked in an urgent voice. “What’s going on?”
“I’m bringing the army back to Bastianville,” I explained. “I need to make sure the town is safe. There is a new threat on the horizon.”
“What is it this time?” Elissa asked. “Another dragon?”
“Nothing that cool,” I chuckled. “This is another god. Someone like me.”
“Like the God of the Purge,” Mahini stated, and she pressed her lips into a thin white line. “I don’t like the sound of this so far.”
“This one calls himself the God of the Plague,” I said. “Don’t worry, I won’t let him anywhere near our family.”
“We believe you, Bash,” Elissa assured me.
“You need to find him before he finds you,” Mahini said, and a hand went to her swollen belly. She was getting closer to childbirth with every passing day, and that was another reason I needed to come back home. “Don’t let him find us.”
“I won’t,” I swore, but then I remembered the rest of the news I wanted to share. “Oh, yeah, Akina is also coming home with me.”
“Really?” Mahini’s voice was full of excitement.
“Yep.” I grinned.
“How wonderful,” Elissa breathed. “You know we could use all the help we can get now that so many of us are pregnant.”
“Plus, someone to watch your back while we are at home with the children,” Mahini added.
“So we are all cool with Akina living in the castle with us?” My grin grew even wider.
“We will prepare a room for her,” Elissa offered with a nod.
“I can’t wait until we can discuss everything that has happened with her,” Mahini said.
I blipped back to the desert the next morning after I made sure to get in lots of cuddles with my daughter, Sorena.
When I arrived back in the Kotar Desert, my camp was just beginning to rouse, and I gave out the command to pack up and head out. We’d spent a week camped out in front of the oasis where the catacombs laid, and now it was time to go home.
The camp bustled with activity a moment later, and everyone leapt to follow my orders.
It was a couple of hours after dawn when my caravan began to pull away.
We were on our way home.
Bastianville awaited.