by Logan Jacobs
Mahini’s sharp gaze followed mine, and she chuckled under her breath.
“There’s always room for more,” the desert goddess purred softly in my ear so that only I could hear her.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise at how forward she was being. Mahini wasn’t usually one to be so direct, but I could tell she liked Evangeline and wanted her to stay with our group.
“You really think so?” I swallowed down the sudden moisture that had risen to my mouth.
“I like her.” Mahini shrugged, and a teasing look danced in her blue eyes. “And Elissa does, too.”
“What are we talking about?” Elissa interjected with a giggle. Her emerald eyes flicked to Eva’s face, and then back to mine with a questioning look.
“Yep.” I nodded, and I resisted the urge to laugh.
“Oh.” My wife grinned, and she batted her eyelashes at me playfully. “Does she get to come with us on our next adventure?”
“Who, me?” Eva asked as she finally heard what we were talking about.
“Yes, you,” Elissa giggled, and she took the other girl’s hand in hers. “Bash was just telling us you get to come with us all on our next adventure.”
“Well, I have just sworn to follow him until the end of time,” Eva pointed out with a broad smile that lit up her whole face with happiness. She practically glowed, and her smoky-gray eyes twinkled and reflected the light from the gas lamps hung from the rafters.
“Welcome aboard Team Bash,” I said, and I lifted my mug for a toast. “To the Bastians!”
“To the Bastians!” everyone repeated as they copied my motion and lifted their own drinks.
I emptied my mug in one long gulp, and then I slammed the cup down on the table before anyone else finished. I let out a loud belch, and a couple of people snorted so hard, beer came out their noses.
We continued to drink late into the night, and then we all made our way back to the west wing. The tavern owner insisted he would send the bill to the palace, so our drunken shenanigans hadn’t cost us a single coin. The palace hallways were empty except for the guards who stood at the entrance to our wing, and I bade them goodnight with a tip of an invisible hat as I passed by.
I crashed onto my big bed in a drunken heap, and I barely registered the two women climbing onto the mattress beside me. Mahini and Elissa took their normal positions on each side of my torso, and we tangled our legs together into a giant pretzel.
We fell asleep in blissful contentment, but I had a brief longing for Eva to also be there. Soon enough, I would win over the duke’s daughter completely, but I wanted it to be her choice.
The next morning dawned bright and early, and the light burning around the edges of the curtains illuminated the room enough for me to see around. My skull didn’t ache as much as I’d thought it would, but my mouth was dry and parched. I spotted a jug of water and a few cups sitting on a small table on the side of the room, so I gently untangled myself from the two beauties beside me, and I crossed the distance to the life-preserving fluid.
I drank heavily, and I gulped down the water until I was completely satisfied. Then I got dressed, grabbed my griffon feathers, stuffed them into my pocket, and went in search of some sort of hangover cure.
“Good morning, Great One,” Riondale greeted as soon as I entered the main living space of the west wing.
“Morning,” I sighed, and I wondered how the lieutenant seemed so chipper when he also had the same amount to drink the night before.
“You sound like you need my grandmother’s recipe for a headache,” the young man observed in a cheerful voice. “Here, let me pour you a cupful.”
“It would be lovely if it works,” I replied as I took a seat at the table beside him.
The lieutenant poured a green-colored beverage from a pitcher into a cup, and then he slid the drink across the table to me.
“Don’t inhale, just drink,” he cautioned with a twinkle in his eyes.
I gulped down the bubbly beverage, and I resisted the urge to gag, but then I emptied the cup dutifully before I set it down once more. The dull throb in my head abated, though, and I sighed in relief as the pain subsided.
“You’ll have to teach me your recipe,” I told the lieutenant with a grateful smile. “That wasn’t delicious, but it has already made me feel better.”
“It works fast,” Riondale agreed with a nod. “I was feeling pretty heavy myself, and I’m usually an early riser.”
“I have been too since coming to this world,” I said, and for a moment I was nostalgic for sleeping in with my blackout curtains pulled tightly shut, but I’d trade that for two beautiful women and a world at my feet any day. “Maybe I’ll take a nap later, catch up on some sleep.”
“Do you have a busy day planned?” Riondale asked in a curious tone. “Anything I can help you with?”
“I need to go into the city,” I mused as I furrowed my eyebrows. “I need to find an enchanter’s shop to repair some of my gear.”
“I’m sure you will find what you are looking for.” Riondale shrugged. “I’m not familiar with enchanted gear, so I wouldn’t be able to help with that, but I can make sure your unenchanted items are in good condition.”
“I appreciate that, but it’s not necessary,” I assured the young man. “I like to take care of my own things, it’s a point of pride with me.”
“Very well,” Riondale replied as he inclined his head. “I can respect that. I’m the same way, to be honest.”
“Great minds think alike,” I quipped, and then I clapped the man on the shoulder as I pushed myself up from my chair. “I’ll head into town to see what I can find before the ladies wake up. If I’m not back when they do, will you let them know where I’ve gone?”
“Of course, Great One,” Riondale confirmed immediately, and he gave me a broad smile and saluted. “I will make sure they lack for nothing during our stay at the palace.”
“That’s what servants are for,” I countered with a wink. “You should relax and enjoy yourself, too. No telling when we will get beds as nice as this again.”
“They are certainly better than I am accustomed to,” Evangeline groaned as she walked into the room and stretched her arms over her head sleepily. “I slept like a dead person.”
“Good,” I laughed. “I’m glad you got your rest.”
“Where are you off to?” the duke’s daughter asked, and I noticed she was already dressed for the day.
She wore a soft purple dress with a scoop neck that accentuated the fine lines of her throat. Her pale skin glowed in comparison to the dark hue of the outfit, and the color brought out the pink tinge of her lips and cheeks.
She truly was stunning in both a dress and armor.
“I was about to explore the city for a while,” I explained, and then I wiggled my eyebrows. “Care to come with me?”
“Absolutely,” she replied instantly. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Oh, that’s not the only way I’ll pleasure you,” I countered with a seductive wink.
“O-Oh?” Eva stammered, and her cheeks grew rosy-red.
“You’ll see.” I grinned and left it at that. Then I held out my elbow, and I jerked my chin toward the door. “Shall we?”
“We shall,” Eva giggled and took my offered elbow.
The two of us left the west wing of the palace, and we headed out into the streets of Vallenwood. Then we walked up and down the winding roads of the wagon wheel designed city until I spotted the enchanter’s shop.
The building was squat and sat between two much taller structures, and it looked like it had been squashed by a giant hand. A small painted sign swung from the awning and advertised enchanted weapons and armor. It didn’t look like anyone was inside, but it was still early, so I crossed the distance to the threshold, and then I knocked firmly on the door.
“Come in,” an elderly voice called out from inside.
I turned the handle, and I gestured for Evangeline to enter before me. She smiled an
d squeezed past me, but our bodies rubbed together for the briefest moment, and heat rose to her cheeks.
I liked making her blush. It was probably my new favorite hobby.
The voice who beckoned us inside belonged to an old man in a tattered blue robe. The hood of his cloak shadowed his face, but I saw lines of age etched across every inch of skin. He looked just as old and squat as the building he occupied, and he laboriously pushed himself to his feet as we entered.
He’d been sitting in one of three armchairs that faced the fireplace at the back of the room, and because the windows were dingy and covered in grime, the flames were the only source of light in the space.
“My name is Maximus, the enchanter. How can I be of service today?” the old man asked with a small bow.
“My name is Sir Sebastian, the God of Time, and I’m an enchanter myself,” I replied in a friendly tone. “I was wondering if I can use your workbench for a bit.”
“I’d be happy to repair something for you,” Maximus countered with furrowed eyebrows. “It is uncommon for people to ask to do the work themselves.”
“The item is very special to me,” I explained. “I’d prefer to work on it myself.”
“Very well, Sir Sebastian,” Maximus relented as he inclined his head to me.
“While he is working,” Eva interjected with a soft smile, “I’d love to hear about your work.”
“That is very kind of you,” the enchanter replied, and he settled into his chair once more.
Evangeline took one of the unoccupied chairs, and she leaned her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands.
“Please, tell me about how you first came to own this shop,” she prompted once the old man looked comfortable.
Since I was content that they were both occupied, I turned my attention to the workbench. I gathered together the tools and ingredients I’d used before to craft the griffon feather boots, and then I repeated the process I’d learned from Burnyolf, the enchanter in Castle Bullard.
It didn’t take me very long to grind one of the feathers into dust, and then I added it to the liquid and poured it over the designs on my boots. The solution glowed for a moment, and then it faded once more, but I knew they would light up when I activated the fleetness ability. Finally, I checked the stats to make sure I’d completed the process correctly.
Magical Item: Griffon Feather Boots
Weight : .01lbs
Durability: 100%
Magical Aspect: Fleetness
Weakness: -1% Durability with each use of fleetness
They were perfect, and I let out a little fist pump over my success. It had been easier than I’d expected to retrace the designs on the boots, but now the durability was back to one hundred percent, so I had a hundred more uses in my arsenal.
I only had one more feather left, but I could always go to the griffon’s nest to acquire more feathers and even some talons. I would need to do it soon since I used my boots so much, though, and I wanted to experiment with my other gear as well.
Would pieces of a dragon enchant things?
Excitement coursed through my veins as I thought about the possibilities that could unfold from defeating the dragon once and for all. I knew from my video game experience that dragon scales and bones were usually valuable, and armor crafted from the lizard’s body was always among the strongest tiers.
Now that I was satisfied with the condition of all of my gear, I cleared my throat to get Evangeline and Maximus’ attention.
“I’m all finished.” I pulled a gold coin out of my pocket and handed it to the enchanter. “Thank you for the use of your shop.”
“Any time, Sir Sebastian.” Maximus nodded. “Maybe next time you will have time to chat about where you learned your enchanting skills from.”
“I would like that,” I agreed with a friendly smile. “I’ll give you a hint, though, I learned in Castle Bullard.”
Maximus tossed back his head and let out a belly laugh. “How is old Burnyolf?”
“He’s good.” I grinned. “I’ll tell him you say hello.”
“Please, do.” Maximus nodded.
“It was nice to meet you,” Eva said as she squeezed the old man’s hands affectionately, and then she got up and stood by my side. “Until next time.”
We waved goodbye, and then we headed back out to the streets of Vallenwood. The city had fared well after the dragon’s attack, and there were already people fixing roofs and cleaning soot from walls. They would bounce back quickly, but it would all be for nothing if the dragon returned.
I frowned. Something had to be done about the dragon.
“What shall we do next, Great One?” Eva asked with a radiant smile as she tentatively took my hand in hers.
I squeezed her fingers and gave her a broad grin. “What would you like to do?”
“Have you eaten?” She cocked one eyebrow, and my stomach grumbled in response. Her laugh was like water in a desert, and I was a dehydrated man. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“Hey, I had other priorities.” I laughed.
It felt like I was back at prom, and I was trying to decide if I wanted to dance or not. I resisted the urge to laugh out loud at myself, and I swung our hands through the air like we were twelve years old and just had our first kiss.
Suddenly, a man with short-cropped brown hair wearing a velvet green tunic trimmed in gold ran up to us, and he bowed deeply when he came to a stop.
“Sir Sebastian, the Great One,” he said in a breathless voice. “King Frederick has summoned you to the throne room.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I returned the man’s bow. “I’ll go soon.”
“B-B-But the king has summoned you,” the man stammered, and he wrung his hands together anxiously.
“I heard you.” I kept my face expressionless and my voice neutral. “I’m the God of Time, and I go where I want when I want. I am anxious to talk to the king myself.”
He stared at me for a long moment in silence, and it looked like he was trying to regain his composure. Apparently, everyone just immediately obeyed the king, but I was about to change that. There was a god in town, and I wanted Vallenwood to know it.
“Very good, sir,” the man finally said in a clipped voice. “I will let the king know.”
Then he turned and went back the way he’d come, and Eva burst out laughing by my side.
“My father would have been furious if someone said that to him,” she explained between bursts of laughter. “That was excellent.”
“Oh, yeah?” I chucked. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Shall we go find some breakfast?”
“Oh, my, you were being serious?” Her eyes went as wide as saucers, and her jaw fell slack.
“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” I informed her with a flirty wink. “And I don’t forget the promises I’ve made.”
“I-I-I…” Eva seemed at a loss for words, so I merely took her hand again, and I led her back to the palace.
We made our way through the streets of Vallenwood, and the duke’s daughter sent me sidelong glances the entire trip and smiled shyly whenever I made eye contact with her. Her demure demeanor toward me was a major turn on, and I resisted the urge to pull her into a shadowy alcove for another stolen kiss.
I was hungry for more than Evangeline, though, so I hurried my pace to reach my breakfast faster.
The rest of the men were already up and lounging about the west wing when we finally arrived in our suite, and the food spread out over the dining room table was mostly untouched. I made myself a plate full of fried eggs, biscuits and gravy, salty potatoes, and sausages, and I dug in without a word.
When I’d finished, I leaned back with a contented sigh and rested my hands on the back of my head.
“Bash!” Elissa greeted happily as she bounced into the room. Her bright-yellow dress sashayed around her ankles with each rapid motion she made, and the light color accentuated the freckles along her neck and cheeks. “I’ve been looking for you.
The king summoned all of us to the throne room.”
“You, too, huh?” I asked with a sideways smile. “I had to eat breakfast first.”
“Oh, good,” Mahini said as she came in behind my wife. “I was worried you would miss it and go straight to the throne room.”
“No point talking to a king on an empty stomach,” I confirmed.
“The Great One told the messenger he’d come when he was ready,” Eva chuckled. “It was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
“You need to get out more,” Elissa countered with a flick of her fiery tendrils.
“Show me what I’ve been missing,” Eva shot back in a teasing voice.
“I’m ready now if you are,” I interjected as I glanced with amusement between the two women. “It would be best if we all went together, anyway.”
“Very well, Great One,” Eva replied with a tilt of her head, and the eyelashes above her smoky-gray eyes fluttered in a flirtatious manner. Her shyness seemed to dim when Mahini and Elissa were present, and I made a mental note of my women’s effect on the duke’s daughter.
“I am ready,” Mahini added with a curt nod. She was wearing a dress for a change, and the soft blue material matched the color of her eyes perfectly. The arms were billowy and loose, and they flowed with her every movement.
“Me, too,” Elissa confirmed, and she nodded enthusiastically. “The king seems really nice. I wonder what he wants from us.”
“Probably just a full report about yesterday’s dragon attack,” I assumed with a shrug. Then a thought struck me, and I called to Riondale who was lounging on a couch in the next room over. “Hey, Ri-man, you should come with us, too. You can tell the king about your experience with his men.”
“The king’s soldiers were capable,” Riondale said over the back of the couch in a thoughtful tone. “I’d be happy to give a report to the king, though.”
“Good, it’s settled.” I pushed up from my chair and brushed off my shirt. “Let’s go see the king.”
Our troops gathered together, and I took a quick headcount. There was a talented shield maiden, a fiery mace wielder, a stealthy escape artist, and a young lieutenant, so we were good to go.
