by Eric Vall
The dryad sisters were a little disappointed, but nothing could keep them down for long.
“It’s okay, Lord Evan,” Polina purred as she and her sisters were saying goodnight, “you can just make it up to us when we get back to Hatra. Then you can have all six of us in your bed and take turns fucking each of us!”
“Seven!” Marina corrected with a sly grin. “Do not forget about the Crimson Dragon, sister.”
Seven women in one bed, huh? I definitely liked the sound of that.
For now, though, we went our separate ways, and we got some well-deserved sleep on nice mattresses for the first time in over a week.
The next morning, I woke to Laika gently shaking my shoulder.
“Wake up, my lord,” the wolf Demi-Human whispered in my ear.
“’M up,” I muttered and blinked my eyes open groggily, only to come face to face with Laika’s ample breasts. “Oh, I’m really up now.”
The wolf had removed her armor last night and slept only in a tight fitting, V-necked blouse, and her nipples were nearly popping out through the gap.
“Good morning, Lord Evan.” Laika fought valiantly to suppress a smirk, but her gray eyes still darted to my crotch, where I knew I was sporting some impressive morning wood.
“Good morning, Laika of the Royal Guard,” I teased, but then my eyes flickered over her shoulder, and I realized the sky was still dark outside the window. “Wait, is it morning?”
“It is just before dawn,” the wolf murmured as she pulled away, and I sighed when she started to tug on her armor.
“Why are we up so early?” I whispered when I noticed Ravi and Alyona still asleep on the other side of the bed.
“You said we needed to speak to Houses Oel and Jubatus as soon as possible,” Laika said and strapped on her vambraces. “Given Jai’s reaction last night, I assumed we would be doing this without his knowledge.”
“You assumed correctly,” I snorted and extracted myself from the warm sheets.
“Hence the dawn wake up call.” Laika smirked and tugged her leather boots on her feet before she slipped her Blue Tree gorget over her head. “But what is the plan from here, my lord?”
“Hmm,” I frowned in contemplation while I started to get dressed, too. “Well, let’s wake the others up first. Since infiltrating the other Houses’ territories is going to be a stealth mission, I think we’re going to have to split up, as much as I hate to do it. But we’re going to be smart about this, so I want everyone’s input so we can consider all angles.”
“Yes, my lord.” Laika nodded curtly and moved to wake Ravi and Alyona, and I quickly summoned a silver messenger dragon to send to the dryads and Nike.
Five minutes later, we all sat around a roughly yet expertly hewn wooden table in my room, and everyone was struggling to suppress yawns and keep their eyes open. The dryad sisters were even dozing in their chairs as they leaned against one another, and every time one nodded off, another would be jostled and blink awake groggily.
“Here,” I snickered, “this should help.”
I waved my hand over the group, and a fine film of glitter floated through the air and coated everyone in a kaleidoscope of color. A moment later, the party all sat up a little straighter, and the haze of sleep faded from their expressions.
“Thank you, brother,” Nike chuckled and ran a hand through his black hair.
“I need everyone awake, alert, and firing on all cylinders while we hash out this plan,” I said as I looked around the table. “Is everyone good?”
Polina raised her hand.
“Yes, Polina?”
“Does ‘firing on all cylinders’ mean horny?” the dryad questioned with an innocent tilt of her head. “Because I kind of just woke up like that this morning, but watching you use your pretty healing power just made it worse.”
“Much worse,” Marina sighed, and Trina bit her lip and nodded in agreement.
“Focus, ladies,” I instructed sternly, but my cock did throb in my pants. I was going to have to find a minute alone with the dryads soon, because they were driving me crazy.
“Yes, Lord Evan,” the dryads chimed in unison, “sorry, Lord Evan.”
“Okay, so here’s our mission,” I began. “The Houses of Tikal have devolved into a gangland cold war, and they’re all too stubborn to concede defeat. So, we’re going to help them see the error of their ways, hopefully before one of the Houses kills their captives.”
“Just to confirm,” Ravi interjected as she raised her hand, “the jaguars of House Onca have the daughter of the Lord of House Oel?”
“Yes,” I nodded, “her name is Aaliyah, and she is a lion Demi-Human.”
“And the lions of House Oel have Lord Chaz of House Jubatus, who are cheetahs?”
“Correct,” I said, “and the cheetahs of House Jubatus kidnapped Raed and Jamir, Jai’s jaguar advisors.”
Ravi frowned as she went over this in her head, and Polina sighed dramatically as she collapsed against the table.
“This is all too hard for me to follow,” the dryad pouted. “Can’t you just make them listen to you, Lord Evan? You should change into your sexy black dragon body. Jai and his jaguars listened to you when you roared at them for attacking Ravi.”
I raised my eyebrows and looked to Alyona, but she giggled and shook her head.
“What about diplomacy, Lord Evan?” she reminded me.
“Yeah, yeah,” I sighed, “I remember. I’ll try my best to be diplomatic, but I make no promises if they won’t listen to reason.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way.” My future wife smiled at me.
“Well, who are you going to talk to first?” Nike asked as he sat forward with bright silver eyes.
I rubbed my hand over my jaw and contemplated this for a moment. Jai had made it clear House Onca wasn’t going to budge very easily, and I could tell the jaguar’s hatred ran deep. So, I had to wonder how Houses Oel and Jubatus were weathering this civil war.
House Oel could potentially be the most problematic. They had once been the ruling House of Tikal until they were overthrown. I would imagine they most likely harbored a deep resentment toward the other two houses because of this, so they could be staunchly against any talks of compromise unless they were reinstated into power. And I wasn’t about to do that. It sounded like House Oel had gotten greedy over power in the past, and now that they were knocked down a few pegs, I wasn’t about to help them back up just for them to defy me as their king later.
So, that left just one option.
“House Jubatus,” I announced, “I’ll start there.”
“If I may ask, my lord,” Laika spoke up with a curious look, “why that House?”
“Because they were once an oppressed people,” I explained, “and I’m sure they’re not eager to be oppressed once again. But I can guarantee that won’t happen. They are also strategically the weakest house at the moment. House Oel lost a daughter, and House Onca is without two advisors, but House Jubatus lacks a leader. I’m sure they’re probably scrambling in the power vacuum. I can help them restore balance.”
“If they agree to work and listen to you.” Laika grinned sharply, and her white fangs glinted in the light of the lantern in the center of the table.
“Exactly.” I winked.
“Will we all accompany you to House Jubatus?” Ravi asked.
“No,” I shook my head, “as much as I want to stick together, I think it’ll be counterproductive. I need to meet with House Jubatus secretly. If we all went, I worry that our movements would make the Houses nervous, and they’d retaliate preemptively by killing their captives.”
“So, we need a stealth strike team,” Nike remarked as he folded his hands under his chin.
“Yes,” I agreed, “and the others need to stay here to make sure Jai and his men don’t do anything stupid. I was thinking you’d be the man for the job, brother.”
Nike narrowed his silver eyes and pursed his lips. “I suppose, though I am not a fan
of the jaguar.”
“You don’t have to be his friend,” I snorted, “just don’t let him kill the lion girl, and don’t let him get killed either. I have a feeling this cold war could get real hot really quick, and at any moment, too.”
“Fine,” the Lord of Light conceded with a sigh, “I will stay behind and monitor House Onca.”
“I think Alyona should stay with you as well,” I added before I turned to the wolf Demi-Human, “which means you too, Laika.”
“Are you sure, my lord?” The wolf frowned.
“Yes,” I told her. “As much as I’d like you by my side, I don’t want to bring Alyona into the middle of hostile territory, especially since Tikal isn’t exactly a fan of the crown right now. So, since Jai’s already shown he won’t hurt her, she should stay here, and as the Royal Guard, you need to stay by her side.”
“I do not want you to go alone, my love,” Alyona said as her brow creased with worry.
“I’m sure I could handle a few prissy kitties,” I smirked, “but you don’t have to worry. I won’t be going alone.”
Then I turned to the dryads and Ravi, and the sisters gasped.
“You want us to come with you, Lord Evan?” Polina grinned and bounced in her seat.
“I promised you three an adventure, didn’t I?” I questioned with a wink. “Besides, as you pointed out, there’s so much nature here, so I think your powers might really come in handy.”
The dryads squealed and clapped their hands in excitement, but I quickly shushed them.
“Stealth mission, remember?” I reminded them.
The sisters slapped their hands over their mouths and nodded silently, but they still squirmed and wiggled in their seats.
“You want me to come too, Lord Evan?” Ravi asked, and she tried to be more composed than the dryads, but her sapphire blue eyes were bright with excitement, and she couldn’t quite suppress her smile.
“Yes,” I smiled, “we worked together against the golems, so I think we can take on a few feline Demi-Humans. Besides that, though, I think you might be able to get through to the other Houses, like you did with Jai. It’ll be good to have someone vouch for me.”
“I will always vouch for you, my Lord,” Ravi grinned shyly, and her pale cheeks flushed a sweet pink, “and I’d be happy to accompany you. I’ll get to see more of Tikal this way!”
“Do not get distracted by the scenery, though,” Laika warned with a stern look, “these people are not our friends, and they will do you harm if you don’t keep your guard up. Remember our training, and stick with Lord Evan.”
“Yes, Guild Leader.” Ravi nodded seriously.
“Did you join the Blue Tree Guild without me noticing?” I asked the phoenix with a cocked eyebrow.
“Well, no, not officially,” she blushed again, “but Laika was kind enough to train me when I asked, and the other guild members were also very nice. They kind of reminded me of one big family, like my tribe. They made me feel … welcome.”
“The Blue Tree Guild will always be open to you, Princess Ravi,” Laika promised, and her gray eyes were warm as she regarded the phoenix. “We look after our own.”
Ravi flashed the wolf Demi-Human a grateful smile, and something in my chest preened to see my women care for each other. When I finally had children with all of them, we really would be like one big happy family.
But that was something to think about at another time. For now, I needed to focus on House Jubatus.
“Alright,” I announced as I looked around the table, “we all have our orders. Does anyone have any questions?”
The dryads raised their hands in unison.
“Yes, ladies?”
“Oh, we don’t have a question.” Polina smiled.
“Yeah, you just look really sexy when you’re giving orders and planning missions, Lord Evan,” Marina sighed and fluttered her emerald eyes at me.
“Actually, I have a question,” Trina admitted.
“Yes?”
“Do you give orders like this in bed?” Trina asked, and her expression grew lustful.
Laika sighed and facepalmed, Ravi blushed, Alyona giggled, and Nike shook his head.
Well, the dryads had a one track mind, I’d give them that.
“Tell you what,” I murmured as I leaned across the table and stared intensely at the sisters, “if you help me get Tikal in order as fast as we can, I’ll let you find out before we get back to Hatra.”
The dryads’ jade eyes went wide, and then they shot up simultaneously from the table.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Polina gasped as she and her sisters stared at the door.
“Yeah, come on, slowpokes!” Trina added.
“We have a city to save!” Marina giggled.
I chuckled, stood up from the table, and looked at the rest of my group. “You heard the ladies. Let’s get a move on.”
Everyone nodded, and then I gave Alyona and Laika quick kisses before Ravi, the dryads, and I slipped out of my room and into the hallway.
The sun still hadn’t risen yet, and House Onca’s palace was quiet in the pre-dawn gloom. A cool breeze blew in through the open windows as we silently made our way to the entrance, and an earthy, calming fragrance permeated the air, probably from the vines, flowers, and various plant life that crawled across the walls and through the windows. The palace itself was still pretty dark, with only a few torches lit along the walls here and there, but I had no problems making my way down the long halls with my dragon eyesight.
The dryads and Ravi stuck close behind me, and I was actually surprised and a little proud at how quiet the sisters were. Their delicate faces were creased with concentration as we tiptoed toward the palace’s entryway, and they moved with a practiced ease that reminded me once again they were Blue Tree Guild adventurers.
Despite how quiet we were all being, I still expected to run into a stray jaguar Demi-Human or two, but surprisingly, we encountered no one, not even Jai. Within ten minutes, we were darting down the palace steps, and we slipped into the streets of Tikal without any issue.
“Okay,” I hissed when we were about a block or two away from the palace, “let’s stop here for a second.”
“What’s wrong, Lord Evan?” Ravi whispered as we hunkered down in an alleyway.
“I just need to get my bearings,” I explained and craned my neck back to look up. The sky back the way we’d just come from was starting to turn lilac and pale lavender, and I knew dawn was approaching. “We need to make our way south, but I’m not entirely sure where House Jubatus’ ancestral seat will be.”
“It’ll probably be the biggest building on the plains, right?” Polina suggested with a tilt of her head.
“Probably,” I agreed, “but this city is fucking huge. It could take us the whole day to find House Jubatus’ headquarters, and by then Jai will notice we’re missing. We’re up against a ticking clock here.”
“I can help, Lord Evan,” Ravi said as she pursed her lips in determination.
“How?” I asked.
“I can fly above the city--”
“No,” I cut her off with a shake of my head, “not happening.”
“You didn’t even hear me out.” The phoenix frowned.
“I don’t need to,” I said. “The last time I let you fly off alone, you were attacked by a dozen archers. I’m not going to let that happen again.”
“It won’t,” Ravi argued. “Before, I wasn’t expecting anyone, but I know to be careful now. Besides, it’s still early, and I bet there aren’t very many people awake yet. I can change into my phoenix form and fly over the city, but stay high enough out of range that no archers can reach me if they are awake. Then I can find House Jubatus and report back.”
“I have wings too,” I pointed out, even if I knew my idea wouldn’t work, “I could do the same thing, and then you wouldn’t be in danger.”
“But you aren’t exactly inconspicuous, my lord. Your dragon body flying over the city would definit
ely draw some attention. I’m small, and quick, so even if people do notice me, I’ll be gone before they realize what I am.”
“I don’t know,” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
“Please, Lord Evan,” Ravi begged as she reached out and placed her hand on my cheek, “let me do this. Let me prove that I’m not useless.”
“I don’t think you’re useless,” I argued with a frown.
“I know,” the phoenix averted her blue eyes, “but sometimes I do. That’s why I asked Laika to train me. I don’t want to be a burden and have to rely on you to save me all the time, even if you are very handsome when you’re being a hero.”
“Very handsome,” the dryads agreed in unison.
“Plus,” Ravi went on before I could say a word, “one day, I will be the leader of my tribe. I’ll need to make hard decisions and do whatever it takes to keep my people safe. So, let me start here. Let me help you accomplish your mission of saving Tikal.”
I pursed my lips as I considered her words, and then I narrowed my eyes at the phoenix.
“You’ve been talking to Alyona too, haven’t you?” I accused. “That sounds like the kind of speech a princess would make.”
“I am a princess,” Ravi giggled, “but yes, Alyona has helped me become a little more … eloquent.”
“I knew it,” I chuckled, “all of you are conspiring against me.”
“No, we’re conspiring to be women you would be proud to love,” Ravi corrected with a smile.
“And gods damn it, you’re succeeding,” I growled before I leaned forward and pulled the phoenix into a passionate kiss.
“Does this mean you’ll let me go?” Ravi murmured against my lips when I pulled away.
“Fine,” I relented with a sigh, but then I pointed a finger at the phoenix. “Stay high enough to be safe, and do not, I repeat, do not touch down for anything. You’ll have fifteen minutes to scope out the southern half of the city and report back. If you don’t return in that time, then stealth be damned. I’ll take Tikal by fiery storm to find you if I need to.”
