Laugh of Destruction (Book 3 of the Death Incarnate Saga)

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  Breakfast began as it did each morning, with all of them eating together as a family. With hot food hitting stomachs, the sleepy quality shed off the children and they started re-asking what today was all about. Cage gladly told how Christmas originally started back on Earth and how religion corrupted the original celebration and adapted to it. They found the history lesson as fascinating as the first time. What they all liked was the idea of gift giving and family togetherness above all else.

  With winter also came the freeze of the waterfall and because of it the constant lack of rushing water allowed sounds to be clearer. With his new senses he could hear a pair of voices talking. “careful, these steps look slick… I warned you!” the feminine voice laughed after the male hit something awkwardly and cursed.

  “Dad, when can we open our presents?” Rena asked as she finished her last bite of buttered toast.

  He propped his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together and gave his daughter a wistful stare before smiling. “In a little bit. You just had a birthday two weeks ago, be a little more patient, Kiddo. Right now I need you and your brother to go outside and get something for me.”

  All four of his family at the table gave him a perplexed look. Sean asked “What is it, Dad? Tell us so we won’t wander out in the snow.”

  “You’ll know when you see it. Just cross the bridge. It’s all part of today’s surprise.” He said with care.

  “Is working us to death part of the tradition?” Sean asked.

  “No, I just wanted you up almost all night so I can get a few things done without you and your sister spoiling all the fun.”

  “Mothers, do you know what dad’s up to?” Sean asked.

  Both women shook their heads, but Brooke said “Your dad hasn’t told us everything either. He sent us to bed while he stayed up all night. Cage Love, what is it you need the children to go get? I can go so they do not freeze.”

  “Nope, I need yours and Meeka’s help for a little while longer. Kids, go get your boots on and get to it.” Cage got up and gestured for Meeka and Brooke to follow him to his study.

  “Come, Sean Brother.” Rena said and went over by the front door to slip her feet into her soft leather boots. Sean joined her.

  Rena opened the door to get blasted in the face by the biting chill and pressed forward. She had to leap and forge her way through the snow that reached her knees. Sean shut the front door to keep the heat in and followed his sister. When they were alone outside he heard her say “Does Dad find it amusing to make us do these stupid things? Why can’t it be so much simpler and why does he want a tree within our own home? We live in one!”

  “Rena, don’t say I was the one who told you, but Daku told me that Dad told him why he wanted to do this. We know Dad never had a family, just like me, but he wants to do something special. In a way, I don’t like all this odd work either, but I find it exciting… the suspense of the unknown I mean.”

  Rena tucked a loose strand of her hair behind an ear before saying “You do realize Dad just heard us, don’t you?”

  Sean stopped and smacked the heel of his hand to his forehead. He hadn’t yet gotten used to his dad’s more powerful hearing. “Damn… Sorry Daku, didn’t mean to get you in trouble.” He said, knowing both would hear him.

  They didn’t want to spend all morning in the snow so they trudged ahead and managed to cross the bridge over frozen water. They passed Megdline’s vacant house and looked all over for whatever their dad sent them to retrieve. “Nothing’s here…” Rena trailed off.

  “Hello, Children!” came a booming male voice.

  “Cillian Grandfather! Tiffa Grandmother!” Rena exclaimed in a shriek. “What? How?”

  Cillian and Tiffa stood at the stairs wearing heavy winter clothes, each having a large pack over their shoulder. Both were smiling and laughed when either child stared in utter shock at them. It was overly obvious that their arrival wasn’t expected in the least. “Don’t just stand there. Give your grandmother a hug!” Tiffa crooned as she knelt and dropped her pack.

  Beyond words, the children rushed over and embraced her warmly. Cillian also got some affection as he hefted both children together and twirled them around.

  “What are you doing here?” Sean finally asked as he and his sister were sat down.

  “Isn’t it obvious? We’re here for this Christmas party Cage has planned for today.” Cillian chuckled.

  “But…” Rena shook her head, trying to find the right words. “How did you get here? When did you get here?”

  “Can we explain inside?” Cillian said while trying to blow hot breath in his cold hands. “We were just dropped off not too long ago. We’ve been riding all morning and are chilled to the bone.”

  The children finally understood what was happening and got more excited now that their grandparents arrived. They animatedly used the fresh path to lead the grandparents over the bridge. They listened to the older couple marvel over their tree house and how large it is.

  At the front door Rena giggled while opening it to say “Mothers, we need some help!”

  “Coming!” came Brooke’s and Meeka’s unison answer in the other room.

  “MOTHER! FATHER!” Meeka exclaimed as she came to an abrupt stop with a dumbfounded Brooke at her side while Cillian and Tiffa sat down their packs and smiled broadly. Then Meeka saw it was really them and rushed into their embrace while crying happily. She held them for a long time before she felt how cold they were. She drew back to say “Would you like a hot bath? Your both really cold.”

  “A hot bath? Don’t trouble yourselves.” Cillian said.

  Brooke came over and said “It isn’t troubling. We always have hot water ready. Come up and let us bathe together. We are all curious as to why you are here and want to speak in detail.”

  “That will be wonderful, Brooke.” Tiffa accepted the offer as her body shook. “But what do you man together?”

  “You, Me, Cillian, Meeka, Sean, Cage all enjoying a hot bath in the same tub.” She turned around when the pair were dumbfounded. “Daku, would you like to join as well?”

  The griffin lifted his head and yawned. “I suppose it would feel good.”

  Cage stepped out of the kitchen to say “It would be a good experience. It is different than I planned, but a nice hot soak will feel good and offer a nice place to talk. It’ll only be us today. I’m glad you all came, sorry I couldn’t talk yesterday. I couldn’t find a moment alone since they were all nearby and I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Besides, the food needs a while to cook and a soak will take up much of the time.”

  “They got here yesterday and you didn’t tell me?” Meeka said indignantly. “Why didn’t you tell me they would be coming? I thought you said they were busy?”

  “We were.” Cillian said as he took off his wet boots alongside Tiffa. “We were busy preparing to come for a visit here with our daughters and grandchildren. He wanted our arrival to be a surprise and that first look on your face was all worth it… Cage you’ve a wonderful house. Much better than the trees we stayed in. I never got to go inside a mage’s home, but it is nice though I prefer the one I made with my own hands.”

  “Enough talk, where is this hot bath you promised?” Tiffa interrupted.

  “Kids, show them to our bathroom and get it started. I’ll be up in a minute.”

  “Yes, Dad.” Rena said and took her grandmother’s cold hand to lead the way first with Daku rising and stretching like a cat with his hind end up and the arms straight with his beak parting to greatly yawn.

  As Sean passed he felt Daku’s tail smack his backside and knew why he did that, for speaking about a private conversation so close to home where it was clear his dad heard the conversation.

  Upstairs, Cillian and Tiffa jumped when the fireplace rekindled per Meeka’s command. It unsettled them, but not nearly as much as when everyone began to undress. Rena was the fastest and ran into the bathroom to start the hot water bath. When Meeka turned around her new u
nabashed spirit made her say “You aren’t planning to bathe in your clothes are you?”

  “Do you bathe together often?” Tiffa asked reluctantly, watching Daku walk through a door where running water could be heard.

  “Usually it’s just me, Brooke and Cage enjoying each other, but when some of our sisters come to visit we usually share company. Don’t be insecure of your body and its beauty. Cage taught me that and Brooke proved his words true. No matter how much cloth we wear, we’re always naked. Enjoy it.”

  “You’ve certainly changed since leaving us.” Tiffa commented. “Love, let us not insult our guests.” She then began to shed her layers and lay them on the plush bed. Cillian followed with a grim setting in his mouth.

  “We all change, Mother. Besides, I finally feel I found where I belong. It is actually freeing to be naked all the time. The Utala have taught me that their way is less deceptive and honorable to be as we were born. I know you taught me about the gods wanting us to show only ourselves to those meant to share our bed, but being naked makes us truly show who we are.” Brooke nodded and took her hand lovingly.

  The priestess looked down and said “Let us enjoy the hot water. Standing here in the nude has made my nipples hard, and not in the fun way.”

  Meeka laughed and pinched her firm ass teasingly. “Come, My Love, mine are pearling too.” They then left the mildly chilly room and entered the rapidly heating bath.

  “Not in yet?” Cage said as he entered his bedroom to find Cillian and Tiffa standing in their small clothes. He held out a hand and grinned. “Better hurry or I’m liable to burn them off.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” Tiffa replied, crossing her arms beneath her ample bosom covered in a bra-like piece of cloth meant to keep breasts from bouncing too much while riding a horse or running.

  “Challenge accepted.” With a simple wave of a hand, her top, panties and Cillian’s drawers immolated into ash. The pair looked down at themselves in utter denial. He snapped his fingers, opened the balcony door with a thought and blew the ash outside. “Now get your asses in the tub before you catch a cold.”

  Tiffa’s blue eyes narrowed before she squeaked and covered her breasts and flower while Cillian chuckled. “Tiffa, why did you take the bait of a mage? You should know better.” He took her hand from covering her flower and led the way before she could start a tirade that would have surely been disastrous.

  “What is a privy doing in a room for bathing?” Tiffa asked suddenly in the amazing room.

  “Dad likes to call it a one stop shop. Personally I would rather use it inside than walk out and relieve myself.” Sean said as he floated in the tub.

  “But the air is not foul.” She continued.

  “All waste gets ‘flushed,’ as Cage calls it, and gets sent below the house. And when you have a bowel movement you take this little thing and press this button.” The device made a slight hiss as a puff of mist was released and a fragrant smell of mint and orange saturated the air. Rena hastily pulled her grandmother ahead. “Come in.”

  “Oh! Ah!” came Tiffa and Cillian’s groans as the remarkable hot water stung at first, but the heat seeped in and removed all traces of cold by the time Cage came in and shut the door. Cage then stepped down into the recess where the shower spewed the steamy hot water which everyone enjoyed. Between Tiffa’s legs sat Rena who began to curl up into a ball with her head using Tiffa’s breasts as a pillow. “Um, Brooke? Is it normal for children to be so close?”

  “Yes, you are also a female. She is a loving child. If she was putting her head like that on Cillian, it would not be allowed. When she was a baby, we would bond and sleep like that many a nights. Rena is quite fond of large breasts.”

  Tiffa smiled at the little girl snuggling even closer and felt her maternal instincts accept the pure intentions of the girl. “Then it is good the three of us are so well endowed.”

  “Quite.” Brooke said warmly and watched Daku turn over and let his wings spread comfortably and most of his body remained submerged. Already the griffin was snoring with a parted beak. The warm water lulled him to sleep, and by the looks of it, Rena wasn’t far behind.

  Meeka scooted over on the filling ledge and wrapped an arm around Brooke. Cage sat beside the priestess while Sean was beside him. The other four sat across, directly beneath the stream of water. “Mother, how did you get here?”

  “It was actually Cage’s idea.” Tiffa admitted, appearing to be more relaxed, but not forgetting what happened earlier. “Your father and I left Kote three days ago for Miot where we then hired a boat to take us here. The men thought us crazy, but took our coin anyway… likely thinking we were fools. Yesterday afternoon we stopped outside those frightening columns and waited for one of those odd looking boats came out and we transferred to be brought into the island. Elder Metak and the others were kind enough to hide us and let us rest the night with them in their home. Cage wanted us to surprise you for this tradition from his world. We really didn’t care, just wanting to come for a visit and see all of you.”

  “Well I’m so glad you came, Mother. I missed you ever so much.”

  While the women conversed Cillian asked “Cage, what happened to your ears?”

  “I did it with magic to hear better. This close I can hear everyone’s heart beating in their chest. How do they look?” He asked and turned his head to show his ear more clearly.

  “Odd is all I can say.” Cillian answered truthfully.

  “I like them.” Brooke said and touched them with wet fingers.

  “So, Cillian, how are things on the mainland? Any new news since the attack?”

  Cillian looked at Cage closely while saying “In Kote, all is as it has been for many years. Little was interrupted thankfully and other than a few brief conversations with King Tate or one of the advisors by magic. It is less disconcerting speaking to a floating ball thanks to you frequently calling us. My people are doing well thus far in the season. Oh… and some of the men came home when the work in Miot started drying up. The town’s coffers haven’t been so fat since my father was first mayor. Some of the money has also went to help the families who lost someone. Three of the four were the only man of the family. We take care of our own.” Cillian stated with pride while drawing the other conversation between the women to a close.

  “In Miot, recently have most of the Vlaran troops the king sent to keep order returned to wherever they came from. Jormon returned power back to the duke when he was well enough to take up the mantle again over the city. The king’s mage then went back to Vin’re when he was sure his services weren’t needed anymore. Many of the slum homes were ultimately destroyed and rebuilt because it was not only cheaper, but it eliminated riffraff from starting another power struggle in the black markets. But the best report of all is that all reported and suspected opium dealings have ground to a halt. Poppy fields were easily located and razed, culprits were caught and order mostly restored.”

  “Mostly?” Cage had to ask.

  “Yes. New home guard members were selected after most were found to have had a hand in the drug trade. But the worst problems resulted from the addicts starting riots, robbing or doing worse crimes. Some even died trying to hide their supply by ingestion before thorough sweeps were at their door. For two weeks the city was tense with withdraw. Fighting and murder were common after you took care of business.” Cillian sighed. “But when I spoke with the duke before we paid to be on our way here, he said the city is stabilizing and returning to as it was before the corruption. It’ll still take years to fully recover after all that happened.”

  “What of the duchess?” Cage inquired.

  “The duke pulled the hanging lever himself.” Cillian spoke softly, figuring Cage’s new ears could have heard it. When he got a nod, he knew the message was delivered.

  Tiffa blinked rapidly and asked “Cage, are your ears different?”

  He chuckled and told him what he had done and what it now accomplished. While he did, Brooke teased the se
nsitive tips lovingly and from her speeding heart, he could tell she was restraining from doing oh so much more. Tiffa found it greatly fascinating and wished she could have ears to hear a heartbeat, but learned she would find the most mundane tasks doubly tiring. She admitted her livelihood wouldn’t allow her to be weakened in the slightest.

  “Oh, almost forgot.” Brooke said with some joy. “Would the two of you like to try the Jacuzzi?”

  “What’s a Jacuzzi?” Tiffa asked.

  Brooke reached over and stopped the shower now that the water level was high enough. She then laid a hand on a third lever beside the hot and cold water nodes. She smiled wryly and pointed to say “See those coin size holes?” Tiffa moved to see beneath the surface while being careful to not jostle the slumbering granddaughter between her breasts. “Air bubbles and water pour through all the holes around us and there are three levels.”

  When she didn’t explain, Tiffa asked “And they are?”

  “Glad you asked.” Brooke grinned. “They are: Relaxing, Pummeling and Who Needs a Man.”

  When the beautiful older healer got the pun she almost cackled. Then she just had to ask “So you put… you know?”

  Brooke grinned and nodded. “Meeka is the one who showed me actually. It isn’t as good as a real lance, but it will still make you sing. Tonight in your own tub, you can try it… If you’re staying that is.”

  Tiffa blushed brightly at the scandalous idea while Cillian merely gave his beloved a raised eyebrow of ideas before she replied “The woman name Quitte said she will sail us whenever we are ready to leave. Cillian and I planned on just a week here. I’ve just taken on a new healer apprentice who is watching Sassy for us and is capable of dealing with a few things.”

  Brooke turned on the bubbling jets to a moderate flow and both Cillian and Tiffa jumped till they got comfortable. Both Rena and Daku though didn’t wake, but the griffin did move to a more comfortable placement. The two quickly groaned as the bubbles beat against their bodies and groaned in utter enjoyment. Meeka though was too excited to allow them to get too comfortable. “A new apprentice, Mother?”