Chapter Nine
I made a new save point as the Zaborian historian slid into bed beside me, and I looked forward to making love to her over and over again until I’d had my fill of filling her. Her light-blue skin turned a deeper shade of blue in the shadows of the dark room, and it filled me with an urge to see her completely naked.
“Take off your clothes,” I instructed in a husky voice full of desire. “I want to explore your flesh all over.”
“Yes, Bash,” Zenda breathed as she slipped out of her turquoise robes. “You next.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I chuckled as I shrugged my tunic over my shoulders and off my head, and then I squirmed out of my pants before I tossed them off the bed. “I ain’t scared of being naked.”
“Are you scared of receiving pleasure?” Zenda teased as she pushed me onto my back with firm fingertips.
“No…” I laid back slowly so I could feel the pressure of her fingers for as long as possible, but then I settled in against the pillows and contented myself with watching her move across the bed.
“I’m going to light some candles,” Zenda said as she crossed the mattress to the end table, and I watched her shadowy form as it was silhouetted in front of the fireplace.
The room was bathed in a soft orange glow a few moments later, and I watched with growing desire as the naked historian moved about the room. Her movements were fluid and graceful, and then she bent over and exposed the flesh of her crevice as she stared at me over her shoulder.
“Is your intention to tease me?” I smirked. “I’m a patient god.”
“Unless your loved ones are in danger,” Zenda said as she flashed me a smirk over her shoulder.
“Good point.” I arched an eyebrow. “But no one’s in danger right now. It’s just you and me. Naked as can be.”
“You’ll be a poet before you know it,” Zenda purred as she stood back up.
Then she crawled up from the bottom of the bed but paused just above my rigid member, and my mouth watered as I took in her perky breasts, dark, hardening nipples, and the lithe curves of her abdomen and hips.
Fuck, she was sexy.
“What do you want me to do?” Zenda flashed me an innocent smile, but then it turned mischievous as it flicked south to my groin. “Anything in particular you have in mind?”
“Why don’t you show me what you’ve learned during your time in Sorreyal,” I said in a teasing tone. “What skills have you picked up since we first met?”
“I’m not sure you can handle it,” Zenda countered with a wink that set my skin on fire with desire.
“Prove it.” I grinned.
Zenda slowly lowered herself inch by inch with her mouth slightly open, and my cock twitched upward when I felt her warm breath against my skin. I longed to be inside her in some way, and I craved the wet warmth I knew was coming. Then she flicked her tongue quickly against the head of my cock, and a groan of need escaped my lips.
“Fuck, Z,” I moaned.
“Are you sure you want me to keep going?” Zenda’s voice was husky and full of barely-controlled desire.
“Don’t stop,” I panted.
She lowered her mouth once more, and this time she grasped my shaft in one hand as she flicked the length of her tongue across my tip. I groaned and lifted my hips toward the sensation, but the blue-skinned goddess used her other hand to push me back into the mattress.
I tried to lay as still as possible while she teased me into submission, but everything in me was screaming to grab her by the hair and shove myself into her throat. I wanted to see what she would do without direction, though, so I kept a tight grip on my self-control.
I could always reset and fuck her as hard as I wanted to next time.
Being the God of Time was fucking awesome.
Zenda opened her mouth even wider, and she slid her slippery tongue down the length of my shaft. She moved up and down my cock until her fists were coated in saliva, and then she used the spit as lubrication to stroke me firmly up and down. My cock twitched each time she reached my tip, and I had only one thought in my mind.
More.
When I thought I could bear the foreplay no longer, Zenda took as much as she could of my shaft into her throat, and she bobbed up and down while I was several inches inside her mouth.
“Fuck, that feels good,” I said, and I couldn’t resist the urge to tangle my fingers in her curly green hair.
If she grew out her tendrils, they would surely form long waves across her shoulders like ocean waves slapping against a sandy shore. She reminded me of stories about mermaids, and it was like she was a fantasy come to life.
Zenda bobbed up and down on my shaft with more and more saliva dripping down to my balls, and I could soon feel the slobber soaking into the sheets beneath me, but I didn’t care about a wet spot while she continued her ministrations.
“Do you like that?” the historian asked as she came up for air.
“Fuck, yes,” I assured her immediately. “What you’re doing is amazing. Don’t stop.”
“Are you sure?” She winked at me as she hovered her mouth over my cock, so I simply nodded in agreement, and she giggled. “Alright.”
She sucked my dick for a while longer while alternating between sucking and stroking with saliva-soaked hands, and I could feel my balls tightening with my growing need for release.
I was about to blow.
I couldn’t let that happen before I was ready for it, though, so I grabbed her under the armpits and pulled her on top of me, and I kept a tight grip on my self-control until she was moving up my chest one knee at a time.
“Bash, what are you doing?” Zenda giggled. “I was supposed to be pleasuring you.”
“I want to taste you,” I said as I guided her into a position above my head. “That will bring me pleasure.”
“Alright.” Zenda straddled my face with her thighs, and she glanced down at me with lust hooded eyes before she blocked my view with her fuzzy mound. “If you insist.”
I planted soft kisses against the flesh of her inner thighs, and I circled closer and closer to her dripping wet crevice. Her juices were already starting to coat my beard, and I hadn’t even touched her center yet.
This was going to be easy.
Then I attacked her gushing pussy with gusto. I licked and sucked on her clit until she was grinding her pussy down against my face, and it was several moments before I took a breath. I brought her to orgasm once, then twice, and finally a third time, but I wasn’t done with her just yet.
I grabbed her around the hips, and I tossed her onto her back before I repositioned myself between her knees once more. Then I lowered my head at a tantalizingly slow pace until I hovered directly over her mound.
“Don’t stop,” Zenda begged while she bit her bottom lip.
“Never,” I promised.
I resumed my licking and sucking, but this time, I slid a single digit inside her well of pleasure. I could feel the muscles of her pussy tighten around my finger, and I thrust it gently in and out while I continued to lick her clit.
This combination sent Zenda into convulsions of bliss, and she thrashed her head from side to side as the tension continued to build. I built the pressure up bit by bit until I was confident I could send her over the edge, and then I pressed my finger deep inside her while I sucked her node of pleasure into my mouth.
“Basssssh!” Zenda moaned as the orgasm overpowered her.
“Don’t fight it,” I murmured against her thighs before I flicked her crevice with my tongue. “Let it come.”
“It’s… coming!” Zenda gasped out.
Her whole body shook as her climax reached its peak, but I wasn’t about to let it end before I said it could, so I went to work lapping up her honey-sweet juices as they flowed out of her entrance like a waterfall.
“Oh, Bash,” the Zaborian groaned. “I can’t take much more.”
“You can, and you will,” I said in a firm voice. “Take it, Zenda.”
I thrust my finger in and out of her tunnel while I lapped my tongue against her clit, and her thighs tightened around my face until I was worried about drawing a breath. She climaxed over and over again, and her muscles tightened and relaxed repeatedly as the orgasms overtook her.
“Oh, yes… Yes, yes,” Zenda chanted the word over and over again as every muscle in her body clenched tightly.
Then everything relaxed, and Zenda collapsed against the bedding beneath her. I chuckled as I gently stroked my thumb across her swollen clit, but I wasn’t done with her yet. I knew how to leave her in an unconscious puddle, after all, so why not take advantage of that knowledge.
“Are you going to fuck me now?” Zenda asked from beneath lust-hooded eyes as I came up to my knees.
“You’re picking up on my lingo,” I said in an approving tone. “Soon, you’ll fit right in with the modern world.”
“There’s no way to get back there, right?” Zenda’s scholarly voice came out instantly at the mention of Earth.
“No,” I said. “I was just joking. This world is my home now. Besides, why would I leave when I have everything I could ever need or want here at my fingertips?”
“I understand.” Zenda smiled seductively. “But I asked you a question. Are you going to fuck me now?”
“Is that what you want?” I countered with a lift of one eyebrow.
Zenda nodded, and my cock lurched toward her warm crevice in response to the need in her sapphire eyes.
“As you wish, my love,” I murmured, and I flicked my tongue out to moisten my suddenly dry lips.
Then I gripped my cock tightly in my fist, and I rubbed the tip against the entrance to her pussy. We both groaned with delight at the sensation, so I paused to let it linger before I pressed the head of my dick between her lower lips. I went one inch, then two, but then I withdrew and paused once more.
Zenda wiggled her hips and moaned as her fingernails dug into the flesh of my shoulders, and her sapphire eyes were full of desire when they met mine.
“Fuck me, Bash,” Zenda whimpered. “Please?”
“Pretty please with a cherry on top?” I couldn’t help teasing her a little more.
“Whatever that means, yes!” Zenda giggled, but she didn’t stop grinding her hips upward to meet the head of my cock.
I did as she asked and pushed my cock all the way into her wet pussy until it met her cervix, and then I paused yet again.
Zenda moaned as she wiggled her hips and wrapped her legs around me, and the motion caused some delightful sensations against my member. I was thoroughly enjoying myself, and I didn’t want to let the moment fade, so I stroked into her again until I went as deep as I could go.
“Want more?” I asked as I paused again.
“I want you to go fast,” Zenda pleaded. “I want to feel you filling me up.”
“Alright,” I chuckled, and I pulled back out to thrust inside her once more.
We moaned in unison as our bodies moved as one, and I could feel my balls tighten with the need for release, so I repositioned her on her hands and knees. I massaged her ass cheeks with my hands as I spread her open, and her glistening well of pleasure reflected the candlelight.
I fucked her doggy-style for a while, and Zenda arched her back to drive her hips harder against me. I grabbed as much of her short curly green hair as I could, and I held her head upright as I fucked her hard.
“Oh, oh, oh!” Zenda gasped with each thrust. “That. Feels. So. Good.”
I did as she had requested and went fast, and the sounds of our thighs slapping against each other soon filled the air. It was like music to my ears, so I timed my thrusts to match her motions to make the sounds louder.
“You like that?” I grunted as I kept a tight grip on my self-control. There was no way I was going to burst before I was ready to. Not this time.
“I love it,” Zenda moaned. “Keep going.”
I moved my hand from her hair to her throat, and I cradled her gently in my hand as I held her face upright. The curve of her lithe back drew my attention, and I stared in rapt fascination at the sweat beading against her skin.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” I murmured as I continued to fuck her as fast as she wanted me to.
“Let me ride you,” Zenda requested in a voice muffled by my grip on her throat.
“Okay,” I said, and I reluctantly pulled out of her warm center to lay on my back.
Zenda moved around until she was straddling my hips, and she took my slippery member in her hands before she guided it back inside her. Then she lowered herself slowly, one tantalizing inch at a time, and we groaned in unison as we became one body once more. She ground her hips in a circular motion, and I could feel her pussy walls spasm around my shaft, so I grabbed her hips to encourage the motion.
Then I reached up with one hand to grasp her throat, and her sapphire eyes widened as she leaned into my touch, so I held her there as I bucked my hips upward at a rapid pace.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!” Zenda panted out the words in a guttural voice. “Just like that.”
I didn’t want to squeeze her throat too tightly, though, so I made sure to keep a tight grip on my self-control while I gripped her neck with one hand. The other hand remained on her hips to guide her into a fast back-and-forth motion.
“Fill me with your seed, Bash,” Zenda requested. “I want to carry your child like the others.”
“You want a baby?” I asked in disbelief. “What about your studies?”
“I can research this world while I care for your child,” Zenda panted. “Please? Give me a baby.”
“Oh, fuck,” I groaned as my balls cried out for release. “That’s hot as hell, babe.”
“Do it,” Zenda said in a commanding tone. “Do it now. Give. Me. A. Child.”
“What if I’m not done fucking you yet?” I chuckled.
“You can go again later,” Zenda pointed out, and she ground her hips in a circular motion to encourage me. “Please, Bash.”
“When you put it like that…” I murmured, and I closed my eyes to allow my body to do what it had been wanting to do for a while now.
I reached down between Zenda’s legs as I did so, and I felt around for her node of pleasure with the pad of my thumb. She gasped when I found it, so I rubbed it in a circular motion while she ground her hips down against me. I could feel her cervix against my tip, the walls of her pussy around my shaft, and the wetness of her love juices dripping down my balls, and it all pushed me closer and closer to nirvana.
Then my lover tensed, and every muscle in her body froze as her eyes widened in pleasure. Her pupils dilated, and she shivered as an orgasm shook her entire body. It was more than I could withstand, and I released my tenuous grasp on my self-control as she writhed on top of me.
We came as one in a fireworks display of sensations, and my sperm exploded deep inside her like a rocket reaching for space.
“Bashhhhh!” Zenda’s nails dug into the flesh of my chest as she lost herself in the sensations, but I didn’t even register the pain. I was just as lost in the moment as she was, and it felt like my member was an out of control fire hose as it spewed load after load into her waiting tunnel.
We collapsed into a sweaty pile as we struggled to catch our breaths, and I kissed the top of Zenda’s curly green head. Her breathing evened out, and she slid off my cock to lay in the crook of my arm.
I looked down at my slick, cum-covered cock, and I grinned.
“Well, I missed you, too,” I chuckled. “But I wasn’t expecting any of this. What brought you to my room tonight?”
“You were being so sweet to Sorena,” Zenda admitted with a sheepish grin as she leaned up to peer into my eyes. “It made me imagine what our child would look like, and once I did, I couldn’t rest without another chance to make it a possibility.”
“It seems like I’m virile,” I said. “So, there’s a good chance you’re already pregnant, but this time, we will make sure of it.”
“Good.” Zenda grinned even wider. “Now, let’s go again.”
“How about we restart?” I suggested with a mischievous twinkle in my eyes.
“Restart?” Zenda tilted her head to the side in confusion.
Chime.
Zenda walked across the bedroom once more, and her turquoise robes hung loosely around her shoulders like she’d thrown them on hastily.
“Come here, sexy.” I jumped out of bed and grabbed her around the waist before I hoisted her onto my shoulder. I felt like a conquering barbarian warlord as I carried her to the bed, and then I tossed her onto the mattress. She bounced on the bedsheets with a giggle, and she began to unfasten the ties keeping her clothes on.
We fucked on every inch of my bedroom, and then some, and I made sure to fill her with my sperm again and again.
Chime.
Chime.
Chime.
I fucked her over and over again until I left her in an incoherent puddle, half-woman and half-sperm, and then I curled up beside her to pass out myself. If only the times I’d finished inside her during previous run throughs counted, she would surely be pregnant by now, but I made sure to fill her with my seed the last time just as I had the first.
Zenda was already gone when I awoke next, and I wondered briefly where she could have gone when I heard the sound of laughter outside my bedroom window.
I pulled on a shirt as I crossed the room to the glass, and I peered out at the bustling market that had been set up outside the castle. I saw people from multiple different towns exchanging goods, and the laughter of my people was like music to my ears.
Mahini and the other women had arranged for the other holdings to host a market day here in Bastianville, and it seemed to be a hit so far from where I was standing.
Then I spotted a group of men huddled together in the road, and I leaned forward to get a better look. It was the three mayors of my other holdings, and they wore packs on their shoulders like they were preparing to leave.
Now that the party was over, and the God of Time had been surprised, it must be time to get back to business as usual, although I had hoped they would stay a little while longer. I couldn’t blame them, though, for wanting to get back to their own towns.
I’d just have to hurry so I could say goodbye.
I pulled on a nice outfit with a white ruffled shirt and a black vest, and the pants were snug as I pulled them up my legs. I strapped my panabas around my waist, and I cast one last glance around my messy bedroom as flashes from the night before crossed my mind’s eye.
Then I trotted out of my room, down the stairs, and out of the castle. I quickly crossed the distance to the street where the three mayors stood, and I greeted them with a wide smile and an upraised hand.
“Leaving so soon?” I asked once I was within talking distance.
“We had hoped to see you,” Mayor Adorno of Wyndvale said. “But we didn’t want to disturb your slumber. You had a late night.”
“You can always disturb me,” I said. “Your towns, and the people who live there, are important to me. Just like all my people are.”
“You treat the entire world as your people,” Uncle Carl chuckled. “It’s one of the many things I admire about you.”
“What else do you admire?” I asked with a cocky grin. “I love to hear about how awesome I am.”
“Your confidence,” Hacket, the mayor of Ivywood, laughed, and he leaned on the crook of a staff to support his weight. “You always know how to draw out good energy with that all-knowing smile of yours.”
“I do what I can.” I shrugged, but there was mirth in my tone.
“What will come next for the God of Time?” Adorno asked in a curious voice. “More adventures around the bend?”
“Always,” I said. “I’m just not sure what the next adventure will be yet.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Carlisle said, and he patted me on the shoulder.
“I wish you all happy and safe travels,” I said. “Would you like me to send a team of men to guard your way?”
“No, we have our own people for that,” Carlisle said. “Your men have just returned from a long trek across the southern lands, so they have earned their downtime.”
“Besides,” said Adorno, “it is only a short trip back to our homes.”
“Through your territory, too,” Hacket pointed out. “So, there should be no dangers lying in wait for us.”
“You never know,” I said in a cautious tone. “There could be wolves or bears in the woods.”
“Well, we won’t wrestle with them ourselves,” Carlisle laughed. “That’s what our guards are there for.”
As if on cue, a group of men in leather armor approached and nodded to their leaders. The three men put their guards into formation, and then we all exchanged warm hugs before they mounted their horses and headed toward the Bastianville walls.
I stood in the road and watched them depart, and I had to admit, I was glad they’d met me in Bastianville. It saved me another trip to my other holdings to check on them, but I knew I’d see them again before too long.
“What are you doing out here, Bash?” Akina’s voice came from behind me.
“Saying goodbye to some friends.” I turned to flash the former desert dweller a broad smile. “They’re on their way back to their own towns now.”
“The mayors?” Akina tilted her head to the side as she peered over my shoulder at the road leading away from the center of town.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m glad I got the chance to check in with them. That was one hell of a surprise party.”
“Your people love you,” Akina noted with a nod, and her expression turned a little sheepish before she continued. “As do I.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I quickly crossed the distance between us to wrap my arms around her.
“I love you, too, Akina,” I breathed into her ear while I squeezed her into a warm embrace. “I’m so glad you chose to return to Bastianville with me.”
“It’s a beautiful town, from what I’ve seen so far.” Akina and I separated, and she glanced around at the stores and houses on either side of the street. “Care to give me a quick tour of the town?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Have I ever told you that it wasn’t always called Bastianville?”
“No, why did they change it?” Akina tilted her head to the side.
I proceeded to tell her the story about how I’d won Elissa’s hand in marriage by annihilating Lord Lucian’s fifty-man army single-handedly, and her eyes widened in surprise at all the appropriate moments.
“Tell me more,” she requested as we headed toward the main street running through Bastianville.
“How about the time I first met Mahini?” I asked with a smirk.
“Tell me again,” Akina said with a twinkle in her metallic eyes.
“I descended from the catacombs in the mountains to the west to find the town being assaulted by kobolds.” I smiled as my mind returned to that day. “Mahini came out to meet them all alone, and it seemed like she was determined to die on the point of a blade. I ended up stealing her sword from her to defeat the kobolds by myself while she watched.”
“I’ll bet that surprised her,” Akina chuckled. “I’d imagine I would be a little perturbed if some strange man stole my sword to save my life.”
“We’ve been close ever since,” I said. “But everyone was grateful for me saving the town from the kobolds. They treated me like a king after that.”
“You deserve it,” Akina said, but then she paused in the street to glance around. “Which one is Caelia’s store?”
“Over here,” I said, and I led the way to the general store.
Caelia was behind the counter when we entered the store, and she quickly crossed the floor to give me a hug. Her chocolate-brown curls danced freely across her shoulders, and she wore a simple purple dress covered in a brown apron.
“What brings you here this morning?” Caelia asked as her brown eyes flicked between Akina and me. “Giving her an official tour of the town?”
“Yep, and you’re our first stop.” I grinned. “It’s not a proper tour of B-ville without a stop in the general store.”
“B-ville, huh?” Caelia giggled. “I like it.”
“You do have some strange words sometimes,” Akina said with an amused smile, but then her gaze swept over the shelves and counters. “Caelia, this place is full of everything. I’ve never seen such abundance. Is there anything you don’t have here?”
“Things sold at the other stores,” Caelia explained in a pleased tone. “I don’t want to create too much competition.”
“You’d kill the competition if you tried,” I said. “But we do want the other stores to succeed as well, so I’m glad you pick and choose what to sell.”
Akina cruised around the shelves for a while, and she picked out a few items to purchase. She bought some leather strips, a chunk of dried meat that tasted just like beef jerky from a gas station, and a new brown tunic. I put them on my account, and the bell hanging on the door rang as we left the store. The breeze caught our hair, and smells from the tavern wafted into our noses.
“Mmm,” Akina moaned. “Whatever that is, it smells delicious.”
“Let’s go check it out,” I said. “Smells like it’s coming from Stryker’s tavern.”
“Do you have a story about him, too?” Akina asked. “Stryker is the tavern’s owner?”
“Yes, and yes,” I chuckled. “We didn’t always see eye to eye. The God of the Purge convinced his wife to leave town with him, so he blamed any gods for his wife’s disloyalty. It turned out she was being mind-controlled, and I freed her from the restraints of her former master, so she returned home to her husband. He’s been loyal to me ever since I sat him down for a heart-to-heart, though, and I wouldn’t replace him with anyone else.”
We made our way to the tavern, and the smells grew even stronger with each step we took in that direction. It smelled like fresh baked bread mixed with spices, and my mouth watered at the delicious aroma.
The interior was dimly lit, and I blinked to adjust my eyes to the lower light. There were a few patrons seated at tables in the common room, and they all waved at us in greeting with friendly smiles.
I saw Theodora, the apothecary, sitting with some of her new apprentices, and Stryker moved between the tables with a pitcher to refill their mugs. Deena and her mother occupied another table, and Elrin and his errand boy, Dalwin, took up the last.
It was good to see so many familiar faces after the time I’d spent away from home, and it reminded me once more that Bastianville was more of a home to me than anywhere else I’d ever been before.
Being the God of Time came with a family of followers, and I couldn’t be happier with the people in my charge.
“How’s the God o’ Time doin’ today?” Stryker greeted in his usual gruff manner. “And who’s this beauty on your arm?”
“Stryker, I’d like to introduce you to Akina, my newest friend.” I gestured for Akina to step forward, and the former desert dweller stuck out her hand to shake the tavern owner’s. “She’s from the Kanuakian Tribe of the Kotar Desert, but she’s moved to Bastianville to be with me forever.”
“A wise choice,” Stryker said, and he bent his head to press his lips against Akina’s fingers. “And another beautiful woman for the God of Time’s family.”
“Thank you,” Akina murmured as a blush darkened her cheeks. “But I do not compare to the others’ beauty. They are like flowers, and I am a cactus.”
“You do yourself a disservice,” I said. “You’re beautiful, deadly, and sweet. A lethal combination for any man, even the God of Time.”
We had a drink and a bowl of the stew that tasted just as good as it had smelled from a distance. We paired it with the fresh baked bread Stryker had bought from the baker and washed it down with our ale. While we ate, the other patrons stopped by to talk to us, and I introduced them all to Akina. The former desert dweller was slowly becoming less shy as the day wore on, yet there was still a nervous tension to her shoulders.
Akina would learn to feel at home in Bastianville soon enough, but this was a good first step. I just hoped she didn’t miss her homeland too much as she settled into her new life.
After we ate, we continued our tour of the town. We stopped by a few people’s houses to say hello, and everyone gushed over the newest resident. We were walking down the street toward the edge of town when I was hailed by Niconor and his father, Willihard.
The two miners were covered in dirt and grime from their time in the mine, and it looked like they were heading to the tavern to take a lunch break.
“Great One,” Nic greeted with a grin. “I see you have yet another lady on your arm.”
“Save some for the rest of us,” Will teased, and the older man patted me on the shoulder affectionately.
“You’ll just have to up your game, old man,” I teased back.
“The God of Time can do as he pleases,” Akina said. “But there’s no other arm I’d rather be holding onto.”
“So say all the ladies,” Niconor laughed.
We chatted with the two miners for a short while, and I got an update on the state of the town’s copper mine. It seemed as though production levels had almost doubled from when I’d first arrived in town, and I added it to my list of accomplishments. Then we continued on to the edge of town, and I waved up at the men guarding the walls.
“Great One, how are ya?” a familiar voice asked from behind me, and I turned to see Miller, the blacksmith from Aramore who had relocated to Bastianville a while back.
It had been a while since I’d had time to catch up with him, so it was good to see his face among the crowd of people moving about the street.
“I’m doing well,” I said. “How are you, Miller?”
“Thriving, sir,” the blacksmith reported with a broad grin. “Moving to Bastianville was the smartest decision I’ve ever made.”
“It was a good idea,” I chuckled. “Whoever suggested it must be a god or something.”
“Or something,” the man laughed. “Jaxtom has taught me a lot. He’s one talented smith.”
“He sure is,” I agreed easily. “And a good man.”
“You certainly know how to pick ‘em,” the blacksmith said. “I’m glad to call myself one of your loyal followers.”
We chatted with the blacksmith for a while, but then we went our separate ways, and I showed Akina the land outside the walls.
“This is where you fought the kobolds?” the former desert dweller asked.
“Yep,” I confirmed. “Come on, I’ll show you where I fought off Lord Lucian, the major pain in the ass.”
I continued to share stories about my exploits in Bastianville as I showed her around, and by the time we’d circled back to the main street that ran from gate to gate, she was caught up on all of my adventures.
We went from shop to shop, and Akina made several purchases, which I put on my charge accounts. I didn’t know what kind of money the desert dwellers used, but it seemed like they’d just bartered for all of their goods. I didn’t want Akina to miss out on anything if she wanted it, and her arms were full by the time we were heading back to the castle.
We deposited her goods in her room, and then we met up with the other women in the sitting room. Sorena cooed in her mother’s arms, and Elissa smiled down at our daughter with a look of pride on her face. Mahini sat beside her with a pained look creasing her brow. Zenda greeted me with a soft kiss on the cheek, and Eva waggled her fingers.
“How is everyone today?” I asked. “Get enough sleep after that wild party?”
“It was nice to have the castle full of friends,” Elissa said with a wistful sigh. “I hope we can do it again sometime.”
“Maybe without the surprise portion,” I suggested and winked at my wife.
“Did you not enjoy it?” Mahini asked as she frowned.
“No, I did,” I said. “I just think I could help with the planning next time. We could always try to surprise someone else.”
“Deal,” Mahini said with a curt nod. “I enjoyed planning the event.”
“You did a great job,” I complimented.
“You really did,” Akina added. “I was more than a little surprised.”
A knock suddenly sounded on the door, and we all swiveled toward the direction of the sound. I crossed the distance to the portal and pulled it open to find a man in Vallenwood’s colors standing on the threshold.
This smelled like trouble.