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The OPMC 10 Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2021-12-03 15:04:48 +0000 UTC“C-C-Come… I-In,” came Mahini’s broken response.
The desert goddess lay on her side with her back to the door, and her face was buried in the pillows. The nameless baby dragon peered at her from his perch, and then he turned to give me a slow blink as if to say, “what’s the racket?”
I was sitting on the bed beside my wife’s hunched over form a moment later, and I rubbed her back gently. I couldn’t imagine what could upset her so dramatically, and I had to admit I wasn’t prepared to comfort the strongest woman I’d ever known.
Then Mahini turned and launched into my arms, and her whole body shook as she released more shoulder wracking sobs. I’d never seen her in such a state before, and her pregnancy had seemed easy up to this point, but I was determined to help in any way I could.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I squeezed her in my arms.
Mahini merely sobbed even harder, and she buried her face in the crook of my neck. Her jet black hair smelled of lavender, so I didn’t think she’d been throwing up, but I still had no idea what had caused the crying fit.
I glanced around the room as much as I could with the woman huddled in my lap, but there were no clues within my vantage point. I felt like a detective trying to pick up on every detail when the witness wouldn’t talk, but it looked like I would just have to be patient.
Mahini cried onto my armor for several moments longer, but it couldn’t have felt very comfortable, so I gently pried her off me and began to strip off my gear. Once I was in my normal clothes, I stretched out on the bed beside her, and the desert goddess immediately snuggled tightly against me.
“It’s alright,” I murmured softly in her ear as I stroked her straight black hair with my free hand, but my other arm wrapped around her neck and across her breasts to keep her held warmly against my chest.
“I-I-I’m sorry, Bash,” Mahini wailed, and her entire body shook as my tears overpowered her.
“You have done nothing wrong,” I assured her. “Just breathe.”
Mahini took a staggered inhale, but it sounded much calmer on the way out. I took deep, calming breaths myself, and I felt the desert goddess begin to mimic the pattern as my rib cage expanded and contracted against her back. Slowly, the sobs calmed until Mahini was merely sniffling, and I pressed a warm kiss against the back of her neck.
“You don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready,” I said. “But I am here to help however I can.”
“You… You are so s-sweet,” Mahini gasped around renewed tears.
“There, there,” I chuckled as I resumed my caresses against the side of her head.
I lost track of how long we laid like that, but after a while, I realized the desert goddess had drifted off to sleep. I didn’t want her to wake up to me being gone just in case that would upset her all over again, so I did my best to maneuver the blanket out from underneath us. Then I settled in to take a nap with my exhausted pregnant wife.
Maybe the performance of military skill had reminded her of the new limitations placed on her body by her unborn child?
Was it normal for a woman to cry this much?
The only way I’d know for sure what upset her was to hear it from her lips, but I didn’t want to rush her before she was ready. I sighed away my frustration and urge to fix the problem, and I forced myself to close my eyes.
It was dark outside when Mahini stirred me away, and I stretched as best I could without letting go of her.
“How are you feeling?” I asked. I could just barely see the gleam of starlight in her ice blue eyes, but they were still beaded with moisture. “Want some more cuddles?”
“The nap was wonderful, Bash,” Mahini said in a soft voice. “I apologize for being so… unintelligible.”
“Your entire body is changing, my love,” I said in my gentlest tone. “It’s not your fault.”
Mahini snuggled closer against me, but her breath was calm and even. The nap had done wonders for her, and I exhaled with relief. The worst seemed to be over, so I didn’t think it was a health problem.
“I never thought it possible to love something as much as I love this child,” Mahini murmured, and I could feel her hand rubbing against the rounded circle on her belly. “I would do anything…”
“I feel the same way,” I said as I thought about our future baby.
“I… Nevermind,” Mahini sighed.
“Wait, what is it?” I squeezed her and tried to reach a ticklish spot, but she didn’t budge. “Come on, Mahini, you can tell me anything.”
“I hate to waste wishes by saying them out loud,” Mahini said.
“How else are they going to come true if you don’t tell a god?” I nibbled on her ear, and I felt her cheeks pull into a smile against my face.
Mahini let out a deep exhale, and then she spun around until she was facing me. I felt a bump from the direction of her stomach, and my eyes widened when I realized the baby had just kicked me. The desert goddess’s pregnancy was further along than I thought, and I licked my suddenly dry lips.
“I was upset because of how much I miss my family,” Mahini confessed.
“That’s totally understandable,” I said, and I kissed her softly on the forehead.
“Seeing all the families gathered together for the Mid-Winter Market, it made me think about how my family doesn’t even know I’m pregnant.” Mahini breathed evenly against my throat, but I could hear the pain in her voice. “It’s especially hard to think about not having my mother by my side. This is a woman's work, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.”
“I can imagine having your mom with you would be helpful,” I agreed. “Let’s do it.”
“Do what?” Mahini pulled back to give me a quizzical look, but I could barely see her face in the growing darkness.
“Let’s go find your mom,” I said.
“You’re serious.” Mahini studied my face for a long moment. “Are you seriously volunteering to hunt across the Kotar Dessert for one woman?”
“I’ve accomplished more challenging things before,” I pointed out. “Besides, family is my first priority, and if you need your mom, then I’ll make it happen.”
“I’m going with you,” Mahini said in a firm tone.
“Absolutely,” I said. “I’ll need someone familiar with the area, after all.”
“T-Thank you, husband.” Mahini buried her face in my chest, and more sobs shook her shoulders, but these were tears of joy. Her fingers dug into the flesh of my back through my shirt, and I didn’t think she’d ever let go, but she finally relaxed after a long moment.
I nuzzled my face against her head until she lifted her chin, and then I claimed her lips in a sweet, loving kiss. The embrace grew warm as her body responded to me instinctively, and the next thing I knew, we were pulling each other’s clothes off.
Going back to the embrace of her arms felt like returning home, and I couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. We made love slowly and softly, but her gasps of pleasure filled my ears. Afterward, we lay curled in bed with the blankets tangled around our legs, and I stroked her hair absently with one hand while our fingers were intertwined with the other.
We fell into a peaceful sleep, but I wondered briefly if the others would join us soon. Everyone was in the bed with us when I woke up, though, so I took a few moments to give each and every one of them some attention.
It was a hard job being a god, but someone had to do it.
We all worked together to cook breakfast, and my women and I fell into a dance around the kitchen as we swerved in and around each other. The sound of their laughter merged with the chirps from the nameless baby dragon, and my heart was full. Once we were all seated at the table with our plates piled high, I squeezed Mahini’s hand and cleared my throat.
“It looks like I’ll be headed out on another quest,” I said, and all the women’s eyes snapped up to meet my gaze. “Mahini needs her mother by her side when the baby is born, so I plan on finding her.”
There was silence around the breakfast table, and Mahini stiffened as a worried look creased her brow, but then Eva shrugged.
“It’s not like you’re ever really that far away now that you can travel across any distance straight into our arms,” the duke’s daughter pointed out. “The Amulets of Zyne almost give you the ability to be in two places at once, and none of us have to wait very long for some time with you.”
“So, I’m doing a decent job as a husband?” I chuckled.
“The best job,” Caelia said with an adamant nod.
“Obviously, Mahini is going with you,” Elissa said, and she leaned back to place her hands around her growing belly. “But I’m afraid I don’t have the stamina she does. My feet are starting to swell, and I’m enjoying sitting down for the first time in my life!”
We all laughed at her words since she was the most energetic among us, but pregnancy had a way of changing more than the woman’s body. I wondered what my wives would be like after our babies were born, and I was eager to get to know the new side to them that motherhood would bring out.
“May I also accompany you on this quest?” Zenda asked in a soft voice, but her sapphire eyes struggled to meet mine. “I don’t have any children on the way, or a shop to keep in order… Plus, I would love to study the desert landscape, discover flora and fauna never committed to a page…”
The historian continued to list out reasons why she should be allowed to go with us, so I exchanged a sideways glance with Mahini to gauge her reaction, and she jerked her chin toward the shy Zaborian in encouragement.
“We’d love to have you join us on another quest,” I said, and I cut off the shy woman’s ramble with a warm smile. “For one reason only.”
“Oh?” A worried look shadowed Zenda’s face.
“Because we love you,” Mahini said easily.
“Exactly.” I grinned. “You’re sweet, helpful, and smarter than the lot of us. Of course we all love and cherish you. You’re a part of this family, you know.”
Zenda’s face turned several shades of purple, and if I hadn’t seen her blush before, I would have thought she was getting sick, but now the expression merely made me chuckle.
“They’re right,” Caelia said, and she squeezed the blushing Zaborian’s hand. “The story about how you found out Nameless was a boy? Sheer genius.”
“Our children are going to be unbelievably smarter with you just being in this house,” Elissa pointed out as her emerald eyes twinkled with emotion. The red-haired goddess had been prone to tearing up over every sentimental moment, and it warmed my heart that showering Zenda with love was one of them. “I’m so glad Bash found you and brought you home where you belong.”
“You said Nameless like that’s his actual name,” I interjected as the realization struck me. “Maybe that’s as good of a name as anything else?”
“It kind of fits him, hasn’t it?” Eva laughed. “Little Nameless the Dragon.”
“His name will be infamous,” I added.
“The name Nameless shall be named in all the histories,” Zenda said as she caught on to the joke.
“Nameless shall be known by name forever!” Mahini declared, and the warrior woman slammed her fist down on the table so hard that all the dishes rattled.
“To Nameless,” I said, and I gestured for the baby dragon.
Nameless fluttered his small, leathery wings, and he pushed off from the top of the counter where he usually roosted while we were in the kitchen. A moment later, he landed on my forearm, and he even remembered to retract his claws this time. We all lifted our drinks and toasted the baby dragon, and the table was full of smiles and laughter as the lizard-like eyes peered around at us all.
“To the quest!” Eva said after we’d all emptied and refilled our cups. “Off to the Kotar Desert, I assume?”
“Yes,” Mahini confirmed. “That is the last known whereabouts of my mother.”
“Who else should go?” Elissa asked, and she directed her question more to the other women than to me.
I didn’t mind. Happy wives, happy lives, and I had plenty of both.
“Theodora,” Eva said with a decisive nod. “If anything were to happen to Mahini, or Bash forbid, the baby, we would need her to be within easy access to the best healer we know.”
“Theodora is an apothecary,” Mahini said. “Not a medicine woman or midwife.”
“She’s the best we’ve got,” Caelia pointed out. “You can try to find someone to perform the role of midwife for everyone while you’re looking for your mother. Perhaps even your mother herself?”
“Oh!” Mahini’s eyes widened, and she shot me a questioning look.
“Hey, if she knows what she’s doing.” I shrugged. “I have a basic knowledge of all things, but I want all of you to feel comfortable, and I know husbands often aren’t the face you want to see at that moment.”
“I could never shut you away from the birth of your child,” Elissa said, and her gemstone eyes twinkled with moisture at the thought of her baby. “But I would prefer to have a midwife there, also.”
“I feel the same,” Eva said. “I would like to have someone trained and experienced to give me guidance.”
“My people give birth with the assistance of a medicine woman,” Mahini said in a thoughtful voice. “My mother told me stories of my birth, and how I was bathed in blood like a warrior. A bad omen for a girl.”
“It doesn’t matter if we have a boy or a girl,” I reassured my desert goddess. “If they want to be a warrior, we’ll give them every opportunity to learn.”
Mahini’s eyes also filled with emotion, and I held back the chuckle rising in my throat. It probably wasn’t a good idea to laugh at the multiple teary eyed pregnant women, but I couldn’t help being amused. The changes in their usual personalities were fascinating, and the changes in their bodies had a strong influence on mine. The delicious curves and full breasts…
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, but everyone was picking at their food and hadn’t noticed me daydreaming about their bodies.
“We’ll find a medicine woman with experience delivering babies,” I said. “If it happens to be Mahini’s mother, then all the better, but the priority will be the health and safety of the three of you.”
“Good point,” Mahini agreed. “The babies come first, and not just mine, but all three. Besides, finding my mother will not be an easy task.”
“We’ll handle it,” I promised, and I squeezed her hand again.
“Will Nameless be going with you?” Caelia asked.
“Of course,” I said, and I reached up to stroke his itchy spot beneath his chin. “He’ll need constant attention and protection while he’s little.”
“You will be heralded as the Dragon Tamer wherever you go,” Eva pointed out, but then her smoky gray eyes turned wistful. “I wish I could go with you. My father would enjoy hearing of our pregnancy from me personally, and I know he’d love to throw us a fancy dinner party.”
“Why can’t you come?” I raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t even showing yet. The baby should be fine.”
“You really think so?” Eva’s face brightened. “I’m still sick in the mornings, so I didn’t think you’d agree, but I’ll try not to dampen the mood during the journey.”
“I am too big and…” Mahini sighed, and her voice was pained. “And delicate, to ride a horse.”
“Will a carriage make it across the desert okay?” I frowned as I pictured the caravan we’d need. It would take some time to prepare everything.
“There are places that may be more challenging,” Mahini said. “But if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.”
“Good point.” I smirked. “We’ll take some soldiers as an honor guard as well. It could make a strong impression on any who would seek to oppose me.”
“An Archduke should ride in style,” Eva agreed. “I’ll handle all the arrangements.”
“I can help,” Caelia added. “I want to stay and tend to the store for now, but you can always come get me.”
“I’ll give you the amulet, then,” I told the curly-haired goddess. “Elissa and you can take turns.”
“We all love taking turns with you,” Elissa said, and she flashed me a flirty wink across the table.
“True words,” Mahini said in a lower voice, and I waggled my eyebrows at her until she blushed.
“When will you be leaving?” Caelia asked.
I glanced around the table at the three women accompanying me, but they merely blinked back at me. I’d settled into a routine the past few weeks, and I had things I was looking forward to, but once I handled all my affairs, I would be free to go adventuring.
“How about after the weekly court session?” I suggested. “That way, the entire town knows I’ll be leaving at once, and I can handle any last business.”
“Perfect.” Eva rubbed her hands together. “I’ll send a runner ahead of our destinations so our hosts can prepare for our arrival.”
“Tell your dad I said hi,” I said.
“Court is in two days,” Elissa noted. “Which doesn’t leave us a lot of time for preparations.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing,” I said, and I shot a pointed look at her growing belly. “Except making sure that baby has everything it needs. Make me a shopping list of things you can’t get in Bastianville, and I’ll bring it all back with us.”
“Ooooh, some clothing and bedding from distant lands would give their nursery some culture,” Elissa said, and her face brightened.
“A few tapestries to soften the noise of their cries,” Caelia suggested.
“Great ideas,” I said, and I committed the list to memory.
There was nothing I loved more than spoiling my women, and the upcoming babies gave me plenty of excuses to shower them with gifts. Thinking about raining presents reminded me of the baby showers women back on Earth threw whenever someone was going to have their first kid.
“We should have a party when we get back to celebrate the babies,” I suggested. “They call it a baby shower on Earth.”
“Do the babies come down from the clouds?” Zenda tilted her head to the side with a curious expression.
“It’s just a figure of speech,” I laughed. “It’s a big party where everyone gives gifts to the expecting mother.”
“That sounds lovely,” Elissa said. “It will give everyone a chance to meet Mahini’s mother, too.”
“If she wants to return with us,” Mahini allowed in a hesitant voice. “We don’t even know where she’s at.”
“Don’t worry about anything,” I said. “The God of Time is on the job, and the success rate is one hundred percent whenever I’m concerned.”
“You’re right,” Mahini sighed, and she gave me a grateful smile. “I believe in you, Bash.”
We spent the next few days packing up our personal belongings, but I wanted to hold off on doing any other preparations until I could alert the Elder Counsel of my impending absence. I didn’t want it to spread as a rumor through town, but there was only so much I could do to hide the news.
I went over my gear and cleaned my dragon armor, but everything was already in perfect condition. All the pieces of my new set had dual enchantments, and I could move swiftly and silently despite the heavy protection. I had to extend the straps on my traveling pack to fit around the spiked back and shoulder pieces, but I soon had everything organized and ready to go.
Then I made a travel bed and roost for Nameless, and I bought a cow to butcher for the first leg of the journey. I would purchase more raw meat in Bullard and the townships beyond, but I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to find fresh food for the baby dragon once we hit the desert. I’d just have to cross that bridge when I came to it, but there was a lot of traveling between Bastianville and the Kotar Desert.
I also made sure to stock the house’s pantry with things Elissa and Caelia liked to eat, and I gave both of them plenty of personal time over the course of the days before court.
Niconor began his post at our front door, and he screened any visitors that graced our steps before they were allowed to knock. No one was granted special access past the steel-faced guard, but we didn’t receive much company during his first shifts. Our usual deliveries were marked down, and the names of the delivery people noted, but not even the observant soldier picked up on our upcoming departure.
I’d decided to take him with me so I could get some time to train him personally, but I already trusted the man with the lives of my family. He wouldn’t let anything happen to any of my women, so it was tempting to leave him behind to watch over Elissa and Caelia.
Bastianville was protected by the entire army, though, and the Elder Counsel usually asked one of my women to stand in my place during meetings and court if I was absent, so they would already have plenty of protection.
Then the day of court arrived with a brightly lit clear sky, and I stretched my arms over my head from the midst of the bodies tangled in my giant bed. I was eager to proceed with our plans, and the idea of a new quest had me awake at first light. I’d wanted to visit the Kotar Desert ever since I’d found out that was where Mahini grew up, and to have her by my side as I did would be even better.
I got dressed in my formal attire quickly and quietly, but it was still several hours before court would be in session, so I went about my normal routine.
Nameless chirped his good morning, and the tiny dragon flew over my shoulder as I went downstairs. He was growing rapidly, so it would only be a matter of time before he was too big to ride around my neck like a scarf.
I fed the dragon and ate a quick breakfast, but then we were out the door to start our rounds. The air felt warmer than it had in weeks, and the snow melted around the edges of my porch. Spring would break through the icy ground in a few more weeks, and the harshness of winter would be replaced with unpredictable rain storms.
“It’s a good day to be a god,” I told Nameless as I booped his nose, and the iridescent dragon chirped and rustled his wings. “Let’s get this shit done.”
After Nameless and I finished making our circuit of Bastianville, we returned to the house to find all my women dressed for court. I usually wore whatever I’d put on that morning, but I could picture myself in a fur cape draped off my shoulders. Once my castle was completed, I would have a throne room to rival any of the lesser lords, but the palace in Vallenwood still stood without comparison.
“Looks like we’re ready to announce our trip,” I said as I observed the beautiful gowns each of my women wore. “I’m one lucky man.”
“You are the Archduke of Sorreyal,” Eva pointed out.
“The Bane of Pirates across the Eastern Ocean,” Zenda added.
“Dragon Slayer and Tamer,” Caelia chimed in.
“Plus, you’re the God of Time,” Mahini reminded me.
“You deserve everything your heart desires,” Elissa finished as she and Mahini crossed the distance to press kisses against both of my cheeks.
“And more,” the desert goddess murmured. “Thank you for… Well, for everything, Bash.”
“I would do anything for you,” I told her honestly. “Now, let’s go handle our business.”
The six of us and Nameless made our way across town to Elrin’s house since the mayor’s home was the only place big enough to seat everyone. A line of petitioners were already queued outside the door, but Riondale stood out front overseeing the crowd. People reached out to grasp at me, but they were mostly wanting to briefly touch their god, so I shook a few hands as I passed. I was their good luck charm, their blessing, and it eased many worries too trivial to bring before the entire court.
I led the way down the hallway to the large dining room where the other members of the Elder Counsel already waited for us, and I took my seat at the head of the table. Elrin, Jaxtom, Torya, and Theodora sat along one side of the long table, and my five women sat down in the remaining chairs on the other side.
A moment later, Riondale entered the room with a small group of people crowded behind him. The general had taken it as a personal responsibility to oversee the ins and outs of the petitioners during our court sessions even though, as a member of the Elder Counsel, his voice held just as much weight as the others’.
I was willing to bet he preferred to have something to do during the various requests for assistance.
“The Archduke of Sorreyal and liege of the Western Territory has taken his place of honor.” Riondale stamped a spear butt on the ground twice. “Court is now in session.”
Then the young general brought forward the first group of people, and they lined up in the hallway outside the dining room. The first three were visitors from other realms, so Riondale had smartly given them first visitation.
“I am Torg, from the Tremula Mountains area of the Northern Reaches.” A squat, round, and blond man introduced himself as he bowed before the counsel. “I come bearing gifts from my hometown in the name of Lord Gillian.”
“What gifts do you bring before the God of Time?” Eva asked in a loud, formal voice.
“Marble and moldavite, gemstones mined from the mountains nearby.” Torg turned to speak directly to my wife without any sign of offense. “My people carve the rock into beautiful figurines and useful items.”
“Thank you for your generosity,” I said, and I turned to Elissa. “Can you send a note for Torg to return to Lord Gillian? Express our gratitude, and offer a trade route between us.”
“Of course,” Elissa replied with a tilt of her head.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Torg said, and he bowed again before leaving the room.
There were two more men from other duchies. Zenda’s father, High Priest Zeydon from the Zaborial Isles and Lord Gwain of Mistvale Keep had both sent along some gifts with their representative. Zenda lit up at the chance to get news of her homeland, and she left to converse with the visitor at the end of their introduction.
After the foreign ambassadors completed their gift giving and favor requesting, Riondale began to allow the townsfolk of Bastianville and my other holdings to plead their cases. Some wanted simple favors, like the God of Time to visit their store, or to kiss their babies. I happily obliged the easy tasks, and the line moved along swiftly. Others flung accusations at neighbors or had spats with their spouses they needed my help to resolve, but I oversaw every case with an open mind.
I prided myself on providing fair judgement, but I often received shocked expressions over my rulings. Whenever I felt like I’d crossed a line or made the wrong call, I just reset to my save point and started the day all over again.
Then Riondale brought forward the criminals my new police force had taken into custody, but it would be up to the court to determine their ultimate fate. I didn’t enjoy this part as much as the rest, but it was all part of being a ruler.
The first man was chained on his hands and feet, and two soldiers marched along either side of him. The guards eyed the criminal closely, and they shoved him forward roughly.
“Nelson here was caught trying to rape a tavern wench,” Riondale announced after he referred to his notes.
Nelson was allowed to state his case, and witnesses were brought forward, but it was clear that the man was guilty.
“Cut off his dick,” I said, and I waved my hand dismissively.
Jaxtom snorted with amusement, but Elrin blanched at the harshness of my verdict. Torya and Theodora didn’t comment, but my women were nodding in agreement, so I let the ruling stand.
Nelson was dragged away as he continued to plead for his appendage, but becoming an eunuch wasn’t a death sentence. I was sure the man would learn a valuable lesson from the experience.
After the other petty criminals were brought before me, I decided it was time to add a little bit of joy to the atmosphere, but I made a new save point before continuing.
I cleared my throat and beckoned for Riondale to sit down, but once everyone’s attention was on me, my face split into an ear-to-ear grin.
“I’m leaving on another quest,” I announced without preamble.
I gave everyone a moment to process before I continued, but no matter how they responded, I was going to do what I wanted.
I was the God of Time, and when I wanted adventure, I found it.
