loganjacobs
patreon
The OP MC 8 Chapter 2
🕑 Added 2021-07-29 20:22:59 +0000 UTC“This is so fucking cool,” I breathed as I investigated the necklaces.
They were each as large as my palm, so I carefully tossed the severed head to the floor of the High Priest’s office and put a necklace in each hand. The gemstones in the center looked like dark voids filled with swirling blue-purple-red stars, and I could have stared into them for hours. A silver oval encircled the stones, and each pendant was hung from a heavy hook onto a thick chain strong enough to support the weight of the jewelry.
They were beautiful, and I longed to use their magic with a fiery passion.
“I’ll be right back,” I quipped as I handed one necklace to Zenda, and her shocked expression was priceless.
I crossed the distance to the doors and slipped out of the portal, but the way was blocked by the scribes and some lingering survivors, so I didn’t make it very far. Then I pushed my way through the crowd of people until I found a pocket of empty space near Zenda’s desk, and I scrunched up my face in concentration as I willed myself back to the other necklace.
Nothing happened.
“The fuck?” I grumbled before I made my way back through the watchful eyes of the crowd.
They were supposed to work.
Confused murmurs echoed behind me as I returned to the High Priest and the First Daughter, but I merely shrugged. The doors closed shut behind me once more, and I reached to take the necklace out of Zeydon’s hands.
“It didn’t work,” I said. “Is there some sort of trick to activating the magic?”
“Yes,” Zeydon confirmed with a nod, and he folded his hands in front of his long blue robes. “I will teach you how to perform the spell, but it will take some practice.”
“Perfect.” I grinned as I made a new save point in preparation to learn right then and there. “I pick things up rather quickly.”
Zeydon proceeded to show me the complex series of hand movements that activated the magic of the amulet, but I didn’t attempt it again just yet. I wanted to make sure I got every detail correct so I could get one hundred percent completion.
“Father,” Zenda interjected as a concerned frown creased her perfectly shaped eyebrows. “You cannot seriously mean to give the Amulets of Zyne to this strange man.”
“Silence,” the High Priest commanded with a stern glare in his daughter’s direction, and the bald-headed beauty stiffened at his tone. “It is not your place to question.”
“Yes, Father,” Zenda sighed, and her dejected gaze fell to the floor.
“You can only travel from one necklace to another,” the High Priest explained as turned back to me, and he pointed to the set. “But the range and power is unlimited.”
“Fair enough.” I grinned. “I see lots of experimentation in my future.”
“It could be deadly,” Zeydon warned, and he narrowed his sky blue eyes. “One can become stuck in the inbetween. You must concentrate completely on your destination, and you have to feel it with all your senses in order for the spell to work. It does grow easier with time and practice, though.”
“Time and practice are my two strengths,” I informed him with a cocky grin. “What else can you tell me?”
“I will fetch the journal of First High Priest Zyne.” The High Priest moved to his desk and began to open drawers as he searched for the notebook. “Ah, here it is.”
Zeydon pressed the ancient journal into my hands, and I whistled appreciatively as I cracked open the dried pages. The script was foreign to me, and I arched an eyebrow questioningly at Zenda.
“Can you read this?” I asked.
“Of course,” the First Daughter said with a tilt of her bald head. “We also have several books on our language which can teach you to translate it yourself.”
“Show me.” I grinned. “Tell me all the secrets about your people and the islands they occupy. I’m excited to learn all about it.”
“At your command.” Zenda’s eyes twinkled, and I could tell she enjoyed the thought of teaching me about her land.
I would enjoy teaching her all about me and my world, too.
“High Priest Zeydon,” I said as I reached out my hand to shake his. “It’s been a real pleasure. Thanks for the use of the library, I won’t let a single bit of knowledge go to waste.”
“While you are free to come and go as you please,” the High Priest countered as he accepted my grasp. “All the tomes must remain in the Athenaeum.”
“Alright,” I allowed. “What about notes? Can I take my own papers home with me?”
“If you wish.” Zeydon nodded. “Zenda, will you give him a tour of the library before he leaves?”
“Yes, Father.” The First Daughter bowed her head, and then she moved to the door.
I followed behind her, but I flashed the High Priest a grateful smile over my shoulder before we disappeared through the portal. The crowd had dispersed slightly, but there were still some eavesdroppers hanging around, until Zenda quickly shooed them with a reprimanding look.
The pale blue-skinned woman sashayed her hips as she led me down the corridor, but I’d already gone on a tour with her father in a previous run through, so I was more concerned about watching her than I was in the stacks.
Zenda’s sapphire eyes widened when she caught me checking her out, but a light pink hue tinged her cheeks, and I grinned with delight.
“You’re pretty cute, you know that,” I informed her.
“Great One!” Zenda gasped at my audacity, and her eyes turned cold as they considered me, so I decided to reset back to my save point to not offend her.
Chime.
I learned the magic movements once more, and Zeydon remarked upon my remarkable talent.
“You’re a natural!” the High Priest exclaimed as I flowed from one motion to another.
“Father,” Zenda interjected as a concerned frown creased her perfectly shaped eyebrows. “You cannot seriously mean to give the Amulets of Zyne to this strange man.”
“Silence,” the High Priest commanded with a stern glare in his daughter’s direction. “It is not your place to question.”
“Damn,” I chuckled when I heard the exchange for a second time, but this merely earned me a glare from the First Daughter, and I realized I’d already fucked up again.
Chime.
I learned the magic movements before I listened in silence as Zeydon corrected his daughter, and then the two of us went on our little tour of the book stacks. I managed to avoid getting caught staring, and time continued onward without incident.
Zenda showed me where the books on history, language, and science were located first, but after some prompting, the First Daughter showed me to the section on dragons. I practically drooled when I saw the enormous selection of knowledge before me, and I wondered why no one else seemed to be interested in the topic.
“Have you read anything about dragons?” I asked in a curious tone as we exited the area and moved on to another.
“Oh, yes,” Zenda breathed, and her sapphire eyes glowed with excitement. “Both fiction and nonfiction tales. I cannot get enough.”
“You know I killed one, right?” I chuckled. “Of course, I wouldn’t have had to if he’d just kept his fire to himself.”
“Him?” Zenda’s gemstone eyes narrowed.
“Smiguel,” I explained. “He was the daddy dragon.”
“I didn’t realize dragons had genders,” Zenda mused.
I shrugged. “He sounded like a guy in my head.”
“You talked to him?” Zenda’s eyes became open circles. “You truly are a god!”
“Oh, so that’s what convinces you in the end, huh?” I laughed as I raked a hand through my hair. “Not the god killing or all knowing stuff, but talking to a dragon?”
“It is the most impressive feat you have mentioned yet,” Zenda smirked.
“I also talked to griffons,” I said as I flashed her a mischievous smile.
“They are real?” Zenda clasped her hands together, and her bottom lip quivered.
“Real as you and me.” I couldn’t help the shit-eating grin spread across my face. Her enjoyment was priceless and adorable.
“Bash?” a familiar voice said from behind me.
I turned to see Sarosh stepping out from between two bookshelves, and her arms were laden with leather bound volumes.
“Hey, Sarosh,” I said.
“What are you doing here?” the silver-haired former priestess of the Purge asked.
“Sarosh, please allow me to introduce you to the First Daughter of High Priest Zeydon, and my assistant while I explore the library, Zenda.”
“It is lovely to meet you, esteemed daughter of Zeydon,” Sarosh said as she bowed her head.
“As it is you,” Zenda replied as she mirrored the priestess’s motion.
“I was hoping I’d run into you again,” I said as I flashed her a wide smile. “I killed your master, but I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
“My help?” Sarosh’s eyelashes fluttered with surprise as she processed my words, and then her mouth dropped open. “My master is… dead?”
“Sir Sebastian delivered his head to my father,” Zenda informed the older woman. “The God of the Purge is dead.”
The Zaborian historian’s words caused my chest to puff out in pride, and the smile I gave Sarosh grew even wider.
“It’s true,” I said. “You’re free.”
“I… I…” Sarosh’s gray eyes flicked from me to Zenda a couple of times before her gaze rested on my face. “What am I to do with myself now?”
“What do you mean?” I frowned. “You can do whatever you want. You no longer have to live under his shadow.”
“I have spent years of my life dedicated to him in one way or another.” Sarosh shook her head. “After you showed me the error of my ways, I spent the following months searching for ways to thwart him, and I finally found it! There is a talisman--”
“You told me about it before,” I cut her off with a wave of my hand. “I used it to defeat him. You did good, Sarosh. You have nothing to worry about now.”
“Except what to dedicate myself to now that he is gone.” A wry smirk twisted Sarosh’s lips.
An idea struck me, and my grin returned.
It was perfect.
“They’re building a church to honor me back in Bastianville,” I said with a sly smile. “What if you were to return with me and become my first High Priestess?”
“You would honor me so?” Tears welled up in the older woman’s gray eyes. “After I argued against you for so long before seeing the light?”
“You saw what was really happening before it was too late,” I said in a comforting tone. “You’re alive, Sarosh, that’s all I ever wanted for you.”
“Very well.” Sarosh sniffed and gave me a decisive nod. “I accept.”
“Awesome.” I laughed out loud. “I can’t wait to tell the girls everything that’s happened. They’ll be thrilled to see you again. They certainly were last time.”
“During the dragon hunt?” Sarosh sounded confused.
“Sure,” I chuckled, but then I turned back to my Zaborian assistant. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”
“Thank you for the offer,” the blue-skinned beauty said with a shake of her head. “But I am scheduled to serve my father tonight. I must be in attendance shortly, actually, so I’m afraid our time is over for now.”
“I’ll come back tomorrow,” I promised as I flashed her a flirtatious wink. “I can’t wait to find all the answers I’ve been searching for.”
“If the knowledge still exists,” Zenda said with a proud glint in her sapphire eyes, “then it resides within the library. Enjoy your meal.”
“Farewell for now.” I bowed my head, and then Sarosh and I headed toward the entrance to the Grand Occulta Athenaeum.
The two of us made our way down the impossible long stairway into the city, and the former priestess of the Purge stuck close to my side as we wound our way through the maze-like streets to the inn where my women and I were staying. The sun was tilting toward the western horizon over the edge of the ocean as we walked, and the streets were cast in dancing shadows as Zaborians lit torches and lamps.
The Ocean’s Song’s interior was well lit with lamps and candles when we arrived, but my room was empty. I trotted back down the stairs and scanned the common room for my women, but I didn’t see them anywhere. The innkeep came out with a friendly smile, and I pointed upstairs with a questioning look. The elderly woman’s face lit up with understanding, and a comforting smile stretched her lips.
“Crowded Duck,” she said in a heavily accented voice, but that was all she needed to say.
“Oh, good,” I sighed with relief and moved immediately to the front door.
Sarosh hurried to catch up with me, but she didn’t question our next destination, and we arrived at the tavern a short while later. I spotted Eva and Caelia as soon as I entered the Crowded Duck, and I felt the tension immediately evaporate from my shoulders.
Fuck, I’d missed them.
Evangeline Bullard had on a smile that could light up a room when she saw me, and the duke’s daughter nudged Caelia before jerking her chin in my direction, but then she spotted Sarosh. Eva’s smoky gray eyes widened, and she leapt out of her chair. Then the short-haired blonde bombshell placed a quick kiss upon my cheek in greeting before she turned to the former priestess.
“Sarosh! What are you doing here?” my wife asked in a delighted voice. “I thought we’d seen the last of you! What a pleasant surprise!”
“It is nice to meet you at last, Sarosh.” Caelia said as she joined us, and I swept her into a tight embrace as I pressed my lips against hers.
“It is good to see you are well, Evangeline,” Sarosh said with a bow of her head. “And in a dress!”
“Some things change,” Eva chuckled. “Bash has a way of bringing out my feminine touch.”
“It is an honor to meet you,” Sarosh said as she repeated the bowing gesture to Caelia.
“This is Caelia,” I explained as I squeezed the dark-skinned beauty affectionately.
“You certainly have an ability to draw beautiful women to your side,” Sarosh noted.
“It must just be a god thing,” Eva informed her in a conspiratorial tone, and we all laughed.
“On to the important matter,” Caelia said as she flashed me a mock reprimanding expression. “Where have you been all day, Bash? We missed you.”
“You left us behind and went on an adventure, didn’t you?” Eva pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Let’s settle in at a table,” I suggested with a mischievous wink. “Then I’ll tell you all about it.”
The four of us moved to the table my two women had occupied when we’d arrived, and like magic, Zuana immediately appeared at my elbow with a friendly smile on her face.
“Mister Bash from Sorreyal,” the Zaborian tavern keeper greeted. “Are you feeling the hunger pain?”
“I could eat,” I chuckled. “And I’d love some zuzu if you have it.”
“Right away.” Zuana smiled even wider before her gaze turned to Sarosh. “And for you, mistress?”
“Just some juice, please,” the former priestess replied with a tilt of her head.
Zuana nodded before she departed once more, and I turned to give the women around me a teasing smile.
“Should I tell the story backward or forward?” I asked.
“Start at the part where you snuck out of bed and left us behind,” Eva suggested with a stern look.
“I was short on time or I would have left a note,” I assured her. “But I was chasing after a god, so it was too dangerous for the two of you.”
“You’ve never said anything was too dangerous before,” Eva pointed out. “What was so different about this opponent?”
“He got inside my head the first time I tried to kill him,” I sighed. “Made me do things I didn’t want to do. I wasn’t about to let him do that to the two of you.”
“So, you snuck out to go hunt down a god,” Caelia said. “You knew where he would be?”
“First, I had to get to the magical protection talisman before him,” I said as I continued my tale. “He was trying to eliminate the chance of anyone standing against him, but I was faster. I beat him to the crypt of the First High Priest, and I got past all the traps to claim the talisman for myself.”
I pulled the heavy chain out from under my shirt and showed it to the women, and all three of them oohed and aahed over my trophy.
“What happened next?” Sarosh prompted as she leaned her elbows on the table and cradled her chin in her hands.
“Once I had the talisman,” I continued, “I was immune to his mind control effect, so I confronted him directly. I stabbed him with my panabas, but then I made sure he was finished by cutting off his head. I figured the High Priest would want proof of my accomplishment anyway.”
“Smart thinking,” Eva complimented with an approving nod.
I continued to describe the rest of my adventure, but I left out the part where the God of the Purge revealed he was also from Earth. I needed more time to think things over before I shared that tidbit with my women and allies, but it wasn’t because I didn’t trust them. In the past, whenever I’d attempted to explain how I’d gotten to Sorreyal, all I’d received in return was glassy eyed looks of confusion.
“Thanks,” I chuckled. “I have my moments.”
“I imagine the High Priest was very pleased to hear of your success,” Caelia said. “There were rumors about a line of people parading through town, but we weren’t sure what it was about. That was you, wasn’t it, Bash?”
“Sure was,” I laughed. “I wondered if anyone noticed us going through town. I saved close to two hundred people from the traps in the crypt today, and they all followed me up to the library to give witness.”
“You’ll have a church erected in your honor in the Zaborial Isles before we leave,” Eva teased.
“Speaking of churches,” I said as I flashed Sarosh a wide grin. “The priestess here decided to come back to Bastianville to work for me in our church.”
“That’s wonderful news!” Eva clapped her hands in excitement. “The others will be thrilled to add you to our citizens.”
“I am excited to see the famous Bastianville for myself,” Sarosh replied with a sideways smirk. “It has become the talk of Sorreyal, and even here in the isles, people whisper Bash’s name.”
“I met a few Zaborians in Vallenwood during the summit of nobility,” I explained. “I’m sure they thought I was odd at the time, but now I bet they’re happy I’m around.”
“You saved many,” Caelia agreed. “The world is a better place with you here.”
“Oh!” I laughed out loud as I realized I’d completely spaced out on the best part of my story. “I forgot to tell you about my reward!”
I pulled out the pair of amulets and showed them to the women, and their eyes reflected the sparkling starscape held within the void stones.
“They’re beautiful!” Caelia breathed with an awed expression on her beautiful face. “He just gave them to you?”
“Among other things,” I confirmed. “With these, I’ll be able to magically travel from one necklace to the other. Once we get back to Bastianville, I’ll leave one in our house, and that way I can come home whenever I want.”
“Oh, Bash!” Eva cooed. “There will be no chance of you missing the birth of your children that way!”
“My thoughts exactly,” I agreed, but then my eyes twinkled with excitement as my voice took on an eager tone. “Who wants to watch me try them out?”
Three pairs of hands shot into the air, and I laughed again.
I was the luckiest man in the world.
We went out to the alley behind the tavern to get away from the prying eyes of the other customers in the establishment, and then I handed one of the necklaces to Evangeline. I took several steps back away from the blonde bombshell before I performed the motions to activate the magic of the amulets.
It felt like every atom in my body ripped apart at once, and I sensed my cells separating as they flew across the short distance in the blink of an eye, but the next thing I knew, I was standing in front of the women with a wind-blown expression on my face.
“Whoa!” I gasped. “That was fucking cool!”
“It looks like fun,” Eva observed. “The other amulet got really warm at first, but not hot enough to burn me.”
“The exchange of power must be enormous,” Sarosh commented. “I can only imagine what my former master would have done with an ability like that.”
“Lucky for us.” I smirked. “Your former master was never meant to have this power.”
“So, you have discovered the secret you sought after,” Caelia murmured with a flutter of her eyelashes. “What is next for the God of Time?”
“I’m still in need of some other answers,” I pointed out. An image of Zenda’s blue eyes swept through my mind’s eye, but I mentally batted the image away and flashed the ladies a charming smile. “We will stay in Nanau for a while longer while I familiarize myself with the library, so we might as well enjoy ourselves.”
“What did you have in mind?” Eva purred.
“I definitely need to see those bikinis soon,” I said with a playful smack at my wife’s bottom. “You two have been wearing way too much clothing lately.”
“You’ve also been gone for the entire day!” Caelia gave me a mock pouty face. “We were eager to go swimming today.”
“We’ll go tomorrow after I visit the library,” I suggested, and this seemed to pacify her.
“I can show them around a little while we wait for you,” Sarosh volunteered with a serene smile, and the former priestess of the purge tucked her loose silver strands behind her slightly pointed ears.
“That sounds lovely,” Caelia breathed, and her chocolate eyes were filled with gratitude for the older woman. “We stayed in the tavern all day because it was the only place besides the baths we were familiar with.”
“It got very boring,” Eva added. “Thank you, Sarosh. Where are you staying?”
“I have a room at a place not far from here,” the older woman replied. “I would be happy to move my accommodation to the same establishment since we are to be travelling together, if that is something you desire?”
“Yes!” Caelia and Eva said in unison as their eyes filled with excitement.
“I’m so glad I invited you to be the first priestess of the Bastianville church,” I told Sarosh with a broad smile. “It will be nice to travel with you again.”
“It’s wonderful!” Eva agreed.
“We’ve been needing a church leader,” Caelia said, and the three women embraced briefly, but the sight warmed my heart.
“Thank you so much for the kind words,” Sarosh murmured, and a pink hue flashed across her cheek bones.
Was the serene-faced priestess embarrassed?
“Let’s call it an early night,” I suggested. “We’ll want to spend as much time as possible at the beach, so I want to get to the library shortly after sunrise.”
We parted ways with Sarosh for the evening, and then the three of us traversed the winding streets back to the Ocean Song Inn. The common room was empty when we entered, but a few moments later, the three of us were in our bed chamber. The clothes began to come off almost immediately, and we quickly snuggled up in the large bed together.
I’d had a busy day, so I was asleep the instant my head hit the pillow, but I woke up a couple of times in the night whenever the ladies stirred. They seemed restless, and I wondered if it was because of their boredom from the day before.
I’d have to make it up to them by taking them on a fun adventure before we left the island.
I dreamed of Zenda, and her deep, sapphire gaze was the first thing I thought of when I finally opened my eyes in the morning. I was eager to return to the library to get to know her better, as well as learn the secrets of dragon smithing and all about dragon’s eggs, but I wasn’t about to leave without saying goodbye again. I roused the two beauties at my sides, and we exchanged loving kisses before the three of us climbed out of the bed.
“You’re going to be late for your quest through the books,” Evangeline teased as I scooped her into my arms before she could get dressed.
“They can wait long enough for me to enjoy the feeling of my naked wife pressed up against me,” I said with a mischievous grin.
“What about me?” Caelia asked as she cast me a mock pout, so I opened my arms for the naked dark-skinned goddess. Her breasts pressed up against my torso beside Evangeline’s, and both girls giggled as they wiggled in my grasp.
“How’s that?” I laughed, but then I pecked them both on the nose before I released them.
“Perfect,” Eva breathed.
“Now, go!” Caelia giggled.
“Alright, alright,” I chuckled as I held up my hands in the universal symbol of surrender, but then I turned to my pack to pull out some clean clothes.
The girls both went into the bathroom, and a moment later, I heard the water running. I longed to join them, but I reminded myself we’d have lots of time to splash in the waves later that day. Getting my wife and my fiancée into their bikinis was high on my priority list.
“I’m heading out!” I called through the bathroom door once I was ready to go.
“Have fun!” Eva’s voice responded.
“Hurry back!” Caelia added.
I trotted down the stairs to the common room, but then I spied a small buffet of breakfast foods, so I grabbed a pastry and shoved it in my mouth as I headed out the door. Fruit jam squirted over my tongue, and the sticky sweetness soon coated my fingers, but I licked them clean as I made my way to the library.
Bertram didn’t bother to stand in my way as I bypassed the front desk and made my way toward the stairs, but I let out a breath of relief once he was out of my line of sight. I took the steps two at a time, and a short while later, I approached the massive, curved wooden desk where the bald-headed beauty sat.
“Good morning, Sir Sebastian,” the First Daughter greeted in her melodic accented voice with a polite incline of her head. “Are you ready to find the knowledge you seek?”
“Good morning, Zenda. That’s the plan.” I grinned, but I made a new save point with a wave of my will before I said anything else. “Where should we start?”
“That depends on you, doesn’t it?” Zenda arched one of her lime green eyebrows. “What information are you looking for?”
“Take me to the section on spells,” I instructed with a crisp nod.
Zenda’s sapphire eyes widened, and she hesitated for a long moment.
“Do you have any books on magic?” I pressed in a curious tone.
“Of course.” Zenda flapped a dismissive hand. “Our volumes cover every topic you can think of. If the knowledge exists--”
“It lies within the library,” I finished for her with a shit-eating grin. “So, what are you waiting for?”
“The section you seek is restricted,” the First Daughter informed me with an apologetic smile.
“Your father granted me full access,” I reminded her. “And I don’t remember the part where he said you should question me.”
Zenda pursed her lips into a thin white line. “Very well.”
I could always reset back to my save point if I’d pushed her too far, but the Zaborian historian quickly schooled her expression back into one of unreadable neutrality, and I almost doubted what I’d seen only a moment before.
I followed the blue-skinned beauty down into the library proper, and then she wound her way through the aisles with me scurrying along behind her. Her sapphire eyes scanned the labels on the ends of the shelves, but they were written in her native language, and I couldn’t understand any of it.
“I’d like to learn Zaborian,” I said suddenly. “Do you think you could teach me?”
“If my father commands it,” Zenda replied without looking up from the path through the shelves.
“He will,” I said, and I believed it.
The High Priest of the Zaborial Isles had summoned me to the Grand Occulta Athenaeum to request my aid, but I’d shown up with the job already done, so he was definitely in my debt. The fast travel amulets went a long way toward paying me back, but it was only the tip of the iceberg of what I could glean from the library.
“Here it is,” Zenda said, and I was pulled out of my thoughts to see the Zaborian historian pointing to a section full of large leather bound volumes.
I scanned over the spines, but there was more than one foreign language being used, and I resisted the frustration welling in my stomach. I had a guide to help me translate the texts and all the time in the world at my disposal.
I could do this.
I picked the first book at random, and I pointed to the words scrawled across the front as I flashed Zenda a questioning glance.
“History of Occults,” she translated. “I can read it to you, if you wish, but it will take some time.”
“Time means nothing to me,” I said. “I would like that very much. Let’s start with this one, and next time we’ll move on to another one.”
Zenda inclined her head as she took the massive volume from my grasp, and I followed her to an alcove where two arm chairs were situated facing each other. The First Daughter took one seat, so I sat opposite her, and I couldn’t help the smile stretching across my face as I waited for her to begin reading.
The High Priest’s daughter’s gaze flicked to my face a few times while she read, and I felt her scanning me for any signs of dishonesty. While I’d proven myself to her father, it seemed I still had a ways to go before Zenda was an avid Bastian.
But I was up for the challenge.
I decided right then and there that I would win Zenda over, and she’d be obsessed with me before I left Nanau.
We read the rest of the day and only took breaks for water and food, but when I saw the sun sliding toward the western horizon through the windows, I reset back to my save point to do it all over again. During the next run through, I skipped the questions about the restricted section, and I led Zenda straight to the section on magic.
“This one is a history of the occult,” I said as I ran my finger across the spine of the first book Zenda had read before I picked up the one beside it. “So, let’s try this one.”
“I didn’t think you could read Zaborian,” Zenda confessed as she raised her green eyebrows.
“There’s a lot about me you do not know,” I countered with a wink.
I repeated the process over and over again until we’d covered multiple books, but I still wasn’t done yet. I wanted to learn everything available, and given the impressive inventory of the library, I still had quite a ways to go.
After the fiftieth or so day that I’d spent with Zenda reading to me, I realized I wanted to know everything about her, too.
I had a massive crush on the blue-skinned goddess, and her sapphire eyes hypnotized me.
Zenda caught me staring, and I looked down as I felt a flush on my cheeks, but she didn’t comment.
“I think that is enough for one day,” the historian said with a yawn. “We can resume our reading tomorrow.”
She’d said the same thing every time, so I’d been expecting it, but I was still hesitant to leave her side. Still, I had an evening on the beach to look forward to, so I bowed out with a promise to return the next day.
Caelia and Evangeline were already in their swimming suits when I returned to the inn, and I swallowed hard as my mouth watered at the sight of them. Caelia’s one piece was nothing more than a series of straps running at flattering angles across her body, and Eva’s outfit resembled a more typical bikini from Earth. I’d had the suits custom made after memories of models from my old world, and it was satisfying to stare at all their exposed flesh.
The two women strongly contrasted each other in appearance, and I took a moment to appreciate their differences. Eva was pale where Caelia was dark, and the duke’s daughter’s hair short while the shopkeeper’s was long and loose. Their eyes were shaped completely differently, but they both had the most adorable noses and juicy lips.
I was one lucky fucking god.
“You both look hot as hell,” I breathed with an awed shake of my head. “My shorts will seem dull in comparison.”
“A god like you could never be dull,” Evangeline promised me.
The two women pulled the loose fitting clothing common in the Zaborial Isles over their bathing suits, and they waited patiently for me to grab the shorts I’d gotten made to swim in. We fetched a few towels from the bathroom, and then we were ready to go.
We made our way to the docks to get on the small sailing vessel I’d used to go to Za Isle, and a short while later, we were surrounded by water. I paddled until we reached the wind currents, and then I unfurled the small sail. We circled around to the small village Captain Black-eye had pointed out upon our arrival in the Zaborial Isles, but the beach was completely deserted when we pushed the boat to shore.
“I packed a simple spread,” Caelia informed me as she began to pull items out of her pack. The shopkeeper spread a blanket across the white sand, and then she placed a wine skin, chunks of cheese and bread, and fresh fruit on top of the fabric.
“Awesome,” I said with a broad smile. “I didn’t get to eat very much today. The priests are vegetarian.”
“No meat at all?” Eva’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“None,” I confirmed. “At least none that I have seen.”
The two women pondered this for a moment, but then Evangeline’s face brightened, and her smoky gray gaze turned to the waves.
“Let’s get in the water!” my wife suggested.
Without waiting for us to agree, Eva peeled off her covering to reveal the barely there bikini. Then she ran toward the waves with wild abandon, and Caelia quickly followed after her. I hurried to change into my shorts, but I cast a quick glance around to check for locals before I stripped off all my clothes. I was dressed in record time, so I stomped into the water after my women.
We played in the chilled ocean waves for hours, and by the time we returned to the shore, the sun was inching toward the horizon, so we lit a couple of torches and stuck them into the sand around our small picnic blanket.
“I’m starving!” Eva growled.
“You’re sure there isn’t something you’d like to do first?” Caelia said as she nudged the blonde with her elbow. “We talked about this…”
The two women exchanged a long look, and curiosity raged within me like a storm, but I was a very patient man.
“Oh, yes!” Eva giggled, and her eyes locked onto my face as her cheeks burned red. “Will you fuck us both at once, Bash?”
My jaw nearly hit the floor since I wasn’t expecting something so kinky and forward from the duke’s daughter, but if they wanted a threesome, then I was more than happy to oblige.
Not only was I the God of Time, but I was the God of Pussy, too.
Fuck was it good to be me.
