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The OP MC 5 Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2021-02-08 17:28:15 +0000 UTCI squeezed Caelia into a tight hug, and I held onto her until her shaking began to subside. Then I set her down on her feet so I could get a good look at her face. Her five feet and three inches meant she barely came up to my chest, and I had to hook a finger under her chin to lift her pretty face up. Her brown eyes twinkled and brimmed with emotion, but her thick lips were pulled up into a smile. The general store owner was beautiful, that much was for sure, but her timidity had always kept her at arms length.
Maybe now I could get to know her a little better?
The thought excited me in ways I wasn’t expecting, but I wasn’t prepared to do anything about it right at that moment, so I contented myself with memorizing the smiling expression on Caelia’s face. I locked it in my memory bank for further analyzation later, and I took a deep breath before I spoke.
“Thank you, Caelia,” I said in a soft voice. “That was a wonderful way to say hello.”
Caelia merely blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground.
Oh, well. I’d get her to come out of her shell eventually, and the hug was a great start.
I turned to the rest of the townspeople who crowded around the open gates of Bastianville, and I raised my voice so everyone could hear.
“I am beyond grateful for the love you’ve all shown me,” I said with a wide grin. “But I could really use a hot bath.”
“Yes, of course, Great One,” Elrin said in a hurried tone, and he ushered the townspeople back inside the walls. “We will have a feast to celebrate your return, and you can tell us all about your most recent adventure. Until then, we shall all allow you to return home.”
“I’d like to walk around town with you at some point today, Elrin,” I told the leader of my small town. “We can discuss what’s been going on in Bastianville during my absence.”
“I think you’ll be very pleased to hear of the work we’ve been doing,” Elrin replied with an incline of his head. “Until then, Great One.”
“Until then.” I nodded, and then I turned my attention to my three travelling companions. “You girls ready to go home?”
“I’m going to stay with my father for a moment longer,” my wife said, and she hooked her arm through Elrin’s elbow. “I will catch up to you later.”
“Sounds good.” I planted a quick kiss on her cheek before I turned and arched an eyebrow at the other two ladies.
“Let’s do it.” Eva nodded.
“Home at last,” Mahini sighed.
The crowd had already started to disperse, so we were able to drive the wagon inside the walls of Bastianville without running anyone over. My gaze swept over the town as I took in the familiar sights, sounds, and smells. It was good to be home. That’s when Riondale appeared silently by my side as if by magic, and I jumped a little when I noticed him.
“Ri-guy,” I laughed. “I didn’t see you there. How are you?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt any of your greetings,” the young lieutenant said, “but I came to offer a hand with your horses.”
“Perfect.” I grinned at my second in command, and then I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial tone. “There are a lot of valuable items inside the wagon, so please take the cart behind my house and park it there, and post a guard on it at all times for me.”
I pulled the wagon to a halt before I climbed down from the seat, and I gripped the young man’s forearm in mine.
“Yes, sir,” Riondale replied with a quick salute, and then he trotted over to Goliath’s head. The lieutenant took the warhorse by the bridle, and he led the vehicle away from the gates.
I swallowed down the anxious feeling that rose in my stomach as the wagon rolled out of my eyesight, but I trusted Riondale with my life, so I knew our treasure was in good hands.
“What have you returned with, Great One?” Elrin asked as we walked as a group toward my house.
“It’s a surprise.” I grinned, and then I shot a warning look at the three ladies. “And you girls don’t tell him either, okay?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Elissa giggled.
“I hadn’t even thought to say anything,” Eva assured me.
“My lips are sealed.” Mahini nodded curtly.
“Why so much secrecy, Great One?” The mayor of Bastianville shook his head. “Do you not trust me?”
“Oh, I do.” I grinned. “It’s just going to be so much more fun to reveal it to all the elders at once. I can’t wait to see your face.”
“Me, either.” Elissa gave her father a toothy grin, but this merely compounded his air of confusion.
Elrin escorted us to the house I’d claimed as my own, and then he and Elissa waved before they continued on into town. Mahini, Eva and I made our way up the steps to our house, and I sighed happily as I pushed open the door. It smelled a little stale inside, and the interior was dark with the late afternoon light beginning to fade. We took a few moments to light some candles and gas lamps, and then Mahini built a fire in the fireplace.
I would look around at the changes to my home that had been made during my absence later, but I had more pressing concerns at the moment.
“Oh, it feels so good to be home!” I laughed. “I call the first bath.”
“I won’t argue with you.” Mahini sniffed me and then made a face.
“Oh, hush,” I chuckled, and I tweaked her nose.
The desert goddess scrunched up her nose, but a smile tugged on her lips.
“You should hurry,” Eva urged. “I’m sure the elders will have much to discuss with you.”
“That’s true enough.” I frowned. “I do worry about leaving Bastianville so much, but so far everything seems to be just fine.”
“I’m sure you’ll get a full report as soon as you get cleaned up,” Mahini said.
“Alright, alright,” I said, and I held up my hands in surrender. “Bath first, then anything else, apparently.”
“We merely have your best interest in mind, Bash,” Eva said with an amused twinkle in her gray eyes.
I trotted up the stairs to the bathroom, and a short while later, I was soaking in the sudsy hot water. It took me a while to wash away the road grime, and even longer for my stiff muscles to relax beneath the heat, but soon I was clean and relaxed. I put on clean clothes, racked my hands through my hair, and then returned to the living room in search of my girls.
Elissa had joined Eva and Mahini on the couch, and the three girls had their heads together as they giggled to themselves. They didn’t look up when I entered the room, but they were whispering too quietly for me to hear what they were saying.
I leaned forward and tried to overhear, but Mahini’s ice blue gaze met mine, and she silenced the other two with a finger over her lips.
“Whatcha talking about?” I asked with an innocent smile.
“It’s a surprise, husband,” Elissa said, and she flashed me one of her brilliant, knee-weakening smiles. “Don’t worry yourself about it.”
“I’m not worried,” I said. “Just curious.”
“All things will be revealed in time, Great One,” Eva assured me.
“As long as you keep your nose out of things that do not concern you,” Mahini warned with a teasing glint in her blue eyes.
“I have a feeling it does concern me, though,” I pointed out with pursed lips, and I narrowed my eyes at them playfully. “You three are acting kind of suspicious, after all.”
“What?” Elissa blinked her eyes at me like an angel who could never do anything wrong. “Don’t you trust us, husband?”
“Of course I do,” I laughed. “I’m mostly just giving you girls a hard time. I trust you, and I know you wouldn’t keep something secret if it wasn’t important.”
A knock sounded on the door, and all four of us turned to look like we could see through the portal. I motioned for them to stay seated, and then I crossed the room to the front door before I pulled it open.
“Hello, Great One,” Torya greeted with a wide smile. “I was sent to fetch you for a meeting of the Elder Counsel.”
“Perfect timing.” I grinned. “Let me just say goodbye to the girls, and then the two of us can walk over to Elrin’s house together.”
“That sounds delightful,” the innkeeper said, and she followed me back inside to the living room. She eyed the rug in the foyer, and then she scanned the fresh flowers, recently cleaned curtains, and the reupholstered couch. “Your house is coming along quite nicely.”
“Thank you.” I inclined my head politely before I turned to the three women sitting on the couch. “I’ve been summoned to a meeting. I’ll be back soon.”
“We figured as much,” Mahini said.
“Have fun,” Elissa chirped.
“I will miss you,” Eva added.
“Have fun with your secret while I’m gone,” I chuckled. “I don’t want to accidentally overhear anything when I come home.”
Then I waved over my shoulder as Torya and I headed out the front door. The innkeeper and I made our way down the steps to the dirt road, and then we travelled the short distance to where Elrin’s house stood near the center of town. Torya pushed open the door like she lived there, and she led me inside to the dining room where the rest of the Elder Counsel waited.
Elrin stood at the head of the long formal dining table, Jaxtom looked casual as ever in a chair to the mayor’s right, and Theodora and Caelia sat across from the blacksmith. Torya quickly took a seat beside Jaxtom, and then the Elder Counsel was complete.
“Howdy, everyone,” I greeted in a friendly tone.
“How’s it goin’, Bash?” Jax growled in his gruff baritone, and he crossed his muscular arms across his chest.
“You’ve been sorely missed,” Theodora confessed with a relieved smile.
“Hello again,” Caelia murmured as a blush crept up her neck.
“Please, have a seat, Sebastian,” Elrin insisted as he gestured to the chair opposite him.
“Don’t mind if I do,” I quipped as I got comfortable, and when I was ready I glanced around the room with a cooly arched brow. “So, what’s on the table today?”
“There is nothing on the table,” Elrin replied with a confused frown. “We are not eating a meal during this meeting.”
“It’s a figure of speech.” I shrugged. “I just mean what are we talking about?”
“Your territory, of course,” the Mayor of Bastianville explained. “There has been a lot of progress made since you were last here. Although, I had hoped to have a lot more to report, but you returned sooner than we anticipated.”
“It didn’t take me long to handle the problem.” I smirked. “Plus, I missed my home.”
“Oh, it’s so lovely to hear you speak of Bastianville in such a way,” Torya gushed as her cheeks reddened. “You could have chosen any town in Sorreyal, and you chose our humble little village. It is truly an honor, Great One.”
“You’re very welcome.” I inclined my head, but then I flashed her a flirtatious wink that sent her into a fit of giggles.
“As I was saying.” Elrin cleared his throat, and the leader shot me a pointed look. “Bastianville is doing very well. The population has risen to over one hundred, and several more shopkeepers have started business here.”
“That’s awesome!” I grinned. “My following has definitely grown.”
“That doesn’t include the people who live in your new holdings,” Elrin pointed out. “Carleone and Ivywood both belong to you now, or so I hear.”
“That’s true.” I nodded. “The Duke of Bullard conceded them in a letter before I left on my last quest.”
“I am pleased the transition of power will be smooth,” the leader replied with a sage nod. “Historically speaking, moving boundary lines often caused conflict.”
“We’re all dyin’ to hear about yer quest, Bash,” Jax said in a surprisingly excited voice.
“All in due time,” I laughed. “But I want to hear more about what’s been happening while I was gone. Any attacks?”
“None,” Jax assured me.
“The archery towers are working great,” Elrin added. “We managed to scare off a small group of goblins that roved too close to the walls.”
“We ran into goblins as well.” I frowned. “I wonder if they were the same ones. We’ll need to send out groups of warriors to comb the area around town to make sure there are no more pesky creatures hiding nearby.”
“After the way you handled the goblins in the mine, a few more shouldn’t be any trouble for you, Great One.” Theodora shrugged, and she subtly scrutinized me from across the table.
“I might have killed the only ones in the area.” I kept her gaze in mine until she looked down. “I combed the woods afterward and didn’t find any sign of them.”
“We trust your judgement, of course,” Torya said in a rush, and she shot the herbalist a scathing glare. “We will do whatever you ask of us.”
“Yes, of course.” Elrin nodded. “If you wish to form together a group of men to hunt down any remaining goblins, then we can make it happen.”
“We will get to that later,” I said, and I scratched at the scraggly growth of hair on my chin. “I’d like to hear more about what’s going on with Bastianville. Besides chasing away the goblins, what else has occurred?”
“Like I said, several more shopkeepers have settled into town.” Elrin brightened as we returned to a positive topic. “I’d like you to meet all the new owners who have joined our community.”
“They’re…” Caelia said, and then she fell silent again.
“They’re what?” I pressed, and I gave her an encouraging smile.
“The new shop owners,” the dark-skinned beauty murmured in a quiet voice. Her eyes fell to the table, and she wrung her hands together anxiously. “They are asking to have a meeting with you themselves. They’re always asking me about you.”
“I would be happy to meet with them,” I assured the shy shop keeper. “And I’d love to come see how your store is doing, too.”
“Oh, you don’t have to trouble yourself,” Caelia replied, and when she finally met my gaze, her soft brown eyes seemed to melt as I peered into the depths of her being.
“It would be my pleasure,” I insisted, and I was rewarded with an even deeper blush to her already red cheeks. Then I released her from my gaze, and I turned to the other people seated at the tables. “I want to make a full tour of the entire town. I’d like to see everything with my own eyes.”
“Are ye gonna tell him about the messengers?” Jaxtom asked Elrin with an arched eyebrow, and the town leader squirmed beneath the blacksmith’s scrutiny.
“I was getting to that,” Elrin muttered.
“What messengers?” I asked, and I locked the Mayor of Bastianville in my gaze.
“Couriers from Carleone and Ivywood seeking your aid,” Elrin explained with a deflated expression. “I didn’t want to bother you with it on your first night home.”
“What do they need?” I frowned. I hadn’t thought about my new holdings making demands of me. I would have to get organized fast or I could get overwhelmed.
“Mostly they want an armed presence in town.” Elrin steepled his fingers against his chin. “They fear the transition period where power is shifted over to you.”
“The Duke of Bullard will not fight me,” I assured him. “And the Duke of Arginold is no longer an issue.”
“The people will not understand the finer workings of politics.” Elrin shook his head solemnly.
“So, I need an army.” I furrowed my brow in thought. “How many men will each town need?”
I would have to pay for equipment and training, but the most important part would be finding the volunteers. I could send out letters to my two new holdings to ask them to step forward to protect their own town, but I would make sure they were well prepared to do so.
“Well,” Elrin said, “Carleone has a population of forty-five while Ivywood only has twenty-seven people, so you should consider that when dividing your forces.”
“I’ll consider that.” I nodded. “What else can you tell me?”
“Carleone is very much so like Bastianville was when you first came here.” Elrin’s forehead creased with worry. “The mine is failing, and while they sent a large number of miners and their families to Bastianville, they are still struggling.”
“Hmm.” I scratched my chin. “Sounds like I’ll have to go visit them again soon.”
“I’m sure that would ease some of their concerns,” Elrin replied, but then he exchanged a look with the other members of the Elder Counsel. “There was… one more thing we wanted to discuss with you, Great One.”
“Shoot.” I grinned. “I’m all ears.”
Elrin shook his head in confusion, Jax chuckled quietly, Theodora smirked, and Torya giggled while Caelia remained ghostly silent.
“Nevermind,” I chuckled. “Go on. What did you want to talk about?”
Elrin looked to Jaxtom, who nodded in encouragement, and then the leader cleared his throat. “We’d like to build a church to honor and worship you.”
“A-A church?” I blinked at my wife’s father in surprise.
“Yes, Great One,” Elrin said in a patient tone, and he smiled across the table at me in a very fatherly fashion. “A building erected in your honor where people can congregate to worship your greatness. Many have requested it, and the entire counsel is unanimous.”
“He’s right,” Jax growled.
“Sure is,” Theodora added.
“We all agreed.” Torya’s light brown eyes twinkled with emotion.
Caelia nodded enthusiastically.
“Well, alright, then.” I raked a hand through my hair, and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “If that’s what you want to do…”
“It is,” Jax insisted with a firm nod. “Don’t be arguin’ with us about it, ye hear?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I flashed my friend a grateful smile. Then a thought crossed my mind, and I inhaled sharply. “Say, Elrin, how hard would it be to build a castle?”
“Building anything with stone requires skilled masons,” the town leader explained with furrowed eyebrows. “I’m not sure there are any in town, but I’ll ask around.”
“I appreciate it.” I grinned. “Maybe I can send out messengers looking for some.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Elrin replied in a thoughtful tone. “We could let the shopkeepers post any employment opportunities in their stores as well. It could bring more people to our community.”
I could tell he was starting to get excited about the idea, so I let him ponder it out loud for a few more moments before I cut him off.
“So, does that cover everything we needed to discuss?” I asked, and I shot the occupants of the dining room table a questioning look.
“That was everything on the agenda,” Elrin assured me. “I apologize for keeping you occupied for so long, I’m sure you are ready to relax.”
“There was something I wanted to discuss with you all first,” I said in a vague tone, and I waggled my eyebrows at the members of the Elder Counsel. “Namely, what I brought back from my travels.”
“I noticed yer wagon was well guarded,” Jax observed shrewdly. “Somethin’ important, I reckon.”
“You’re right about that,” I chuckled. “Now, I only tell you all this because I trust you. You are the first people in town who helped me, and you welcomed me like family, so I feel the least I can do to repay your hospitality is to make sure you never have to worry about anything ever again.”
“You’re already doing a fine job, Great One,” Theodora insisted, but I saw a glint of curiosity in her hazel eyes.
“I could always do more,” I pointed out with a shake of my head. “And that’s why I want to invest in Bastianville first and foremost. The other holdings will reap the rewards of my protection, but this is my home.”
“I’m not sure what ye mean,” Jax said with a confused frown. “How are ye gonna invest in Bastianville?”
“I brought back a shit ton of treasure,” I informed them in a conspiratorial tone. “The entire wagon is full of gold coins, gems, and other items. I’d like to spend it on Bastianville first, since this will be my headquarters.”
“G-G-Great One,” Elrin stammered out as his eyes widened. “You should keep that wealth for yourself! There is no reason to give it away!”
“I’m not,” I laughed. “I’d like to pay for services and goods, stimulate the economy, and spread my wealth around so it continues to generate on its own. My wealth is measured by the strength of my holdings more than by the amount of money in my bank.”
“Some of your words confuse me,” Elrin admitted. “But I think I understand what you’re trying to say. You want all of Bastianville to prosper, not just one man.”
“Yes!” I grinned.
“It is a different method of leadership than I am familiar with.” Elrin frowned. “It will take some getting used to.”
“Well, get used to it because there’s a new Robin Hood in town,” I laughed, and I looked around with delight at all the confused faces around me.
We concluded our meeting shortly after that, and I trotted back home with a smile on my face. Bastianville was getting better and better with each passing day, and eventually it would be a thriving city like Bullard or even Vallenwood. Until that time, I would continue to take care of each and every citizen who followed me.
The girls were already in bed when I arrived home, so I slipped in between them and fell asleep quickly. I wanted to get a good look at the changes made to town once it was daylight, and I was eager to visit all the new shops. I tossed and turned a few times as my excitement slowly settled down into peaceful bliss, but I awoke early the next day ready to take on the world.
I left Eva and Elissa to snore in the king sized bed, but Mahini was already awake and fully dressed in the kitchen, and the desert goddess quickly cooked me some breakfast.
“You need to keep your strength up,” Mahini insisted in an oddly maternal tone. “Even here in Bastianville, danger could always lurk around any corner.”
“It’s okay to relax every once in a while, you know,” I teased. “There’s guards and walls and archers. You’re safe. Plus, you’re with me. Have I ever let anything happen to you?”
“No.” Mahini frowned thoughtfully. “You’ve always predicted any attack that could have led to even the slightest injury.”
“That’s because I love you,” I explained. “Your safety means the world to me, so I wouldn’t tell you to relax if I didn’t think it was safe.”
“That makes sense.” Mahini flashed me a radiant smile. “Thank you, Bash.”
“Any time.” I grinned. “Oh, hey, do you want to walk around town with me today? We could check out all the new shops and spend some of our money.”
“I will follow you anywhere, Great One.” Mahini bowed her head. “You honor me with your love.”
“Should we wait for the other two to wake up?” I stole a glance toward the stairs. “I’d hate for them to wake up and wonder where we went.”
“Bastianville, while growing, is still a small town.” Mahini smirked. “Besides, you’ll attract a crowd everywhere we go, so it will be easy to find us.”
“You have a point.” My grin returned, and I returned my focus to the rest of my breakfast.
I finished eating and washed my dishes, and then the two of us headed toward the front door.
“Where should we go first?” Mahini asked after we trotted down the steps to the dirt road in front of our house.
“The first thing we should do is get some help bringing all the treasure inside.” I walked toward the back of the house where I knew the wagon would be waiting.
Mahini hurried to keep pace with me, but she didn’t comment.
I was greeted by a weary eyed Riondale who sat upon the bench with a thick cloak bundled around his shoulders. He had dark bags under his brown eyes, and his short brown hair was tousled.
“Have you been keeping watch this whole time?” I asked as my eyes widened in surprise.
“I wanted to guarantee the safety of your items personally,” the young lieutenant replied with a proudly lifted chin.
“I am grateful.” I shook my head in awe. “I would have trusted any of the men who followed me from Bullard, though, so maybe you could call on a few of them now?”
“What do you require of us, sir?” Riondale asked, and he seemed to perk up a little at the potential of a task to complete.
“Go get Jorgen and Corvis,” I instructed. “We’re going to move the contents of the wagon inside the house.”
“No need to get yourself all sweaty,” the young lieutenant said. “Why don’t you let us handle it and you go about the rest of your day?”
If it had been anyone else offering to be left alone with my money, I would have been suspicious, but Riondale had proven his trustworthiness already, and he would have more to gain by remaining in my favor.
“Alright.” I nodded. “I’ll wait here until you get back with the other two men, though. I don’t want to leave the wagon unguarded for even a second.”
Riondale’s eyes were full of curiosity, but he merely saluted before turning toward the street, and he was gone a moment later.
Mahini and I moved to the back of the wagon, and I lifted the thick heavy tarp covering the horde of wealth. A few gold coins shifted and rolled toward me, but I caught them in my hand and slid them in my pocket for safe keeping.
“Go ahead and grab enough to spend some in every shop,” I instructed the desert goddess. “I want to make the business owners giddy.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to save your wealth?” Mahini frowned. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
“I have plenty to both save and spend.” I shrugged. “What good is wealth if it’s just sitting in a treasure room. It’s not like it’s collecting interest or anything.”
“I do not understand.” The line between her eyebrows deepened. “I’m sure a lot of people would be very interested in your gold.”
“Where I come from, there are banks that protect people’s money, but it’s a complicated system, and there’s no point in explaining it to you.” I smirked. “For now, just have faith in me. I know what I’m doing.”
“I will always have faith in you, Great One,” Mahini said with earnest blue eyes. “You are my one and only god, after all.”
A short while later, Riondale showed back up with Jorgen and Corvis in tow. I supervised the three men as they took turns guarding or carrying, and I made sure they walked as quietly as possible through my house where the two ladies still slept upstairs. I had them make a pile of loot in the living room since I didn’t have a treasury of my own yet, but once they got into a good flow, Mahini and I headed out on our tour of Bastianville.
Then I made a new save point before we got started just in case I made a mistake during a conversation or something went wrong.
We started with the outer edges of town, and I noticed several new farms had been started near Gerulf’s. While the earth was still brown and nothing was growing yet, it looked like the next harvest would be a bountiful one, if the rows upon rows of planted seeds were any indication. The sound of bleating livestock, crowing roosters, and chirping birds filled the air, too, and the comforting noises stood out in strong contrast to the silence of the past.
There was a new town stable situated near both the eastern gate and the farmlands, which was convenient for the merchants, traders, and travellers coming through town. I could hear Goliath’s unique nicker among the sounds of the other horses, and it comforted me to know he had a nice place to live now.
Mahini and I ducked inside the shadowy interior of the stable, and I looked around to find someone working there, but I was surprised to see Dalwin with a pitchfork chucking hay over a dividing wall into a horse’s stall.
“Dalwin, you work here?” I asked as I crossed the distance between us.
“Yes, sir, part time.” Dalwin gave me one of his irresistible boyish grins. “I wanted to be comfortable around big warhorses so I can be an adventurer like you someday. Can’t go far without a horse, after all!”
“Very true,” I chuckled. “Well, I’m glad there’s someone I can trust running things around here.”
“I don’t run it.” Dalwin shook his head. “Hal does.”
I remembered Hal from my journey toward Castle Bullard, when he tried to steal a ring to make ends meet, and I was glad he’d found a more prosperous way of making a living. The stables looked clean, warm, and well maintained. I was happy to leave my horse there, and Goliath seemed just as content with the place.
“See you later!” I waved to Dalwin before Mahini and I headed into what I would call downtown Bastianville.
The shops lined either side of the street, and I could tell from the widened, well worn state of the road that traffic had increased significantly. In addition to the wood framed storefronts with their colorful streamers and enticing window displays, there were also several vendor tents erected on either end of the short street.
Travelling merchants had set up business near the other storefronts, and the bustle of traffic increased as we approached the busiest part of town. The vibrant colors of the fabric their stalls and booths were made out of were woven in intricate and exotic looking patterns. They must have travelled a long way to reach Bastianville, and I was pleased to see we were attracting people from far away places.
Word of my awesomeness must have spread to all the corners of the kingdom.
I jerked my chin toward the closest tent, and Mahini nodded silently.
I could hear the vendors calling out their wares with heavily accented voices, and it made me wonder where they were from. I’d never heard anyone from Sorreyal talking with that kind of dialect, and I’d travelled as far as the palace at the heart of the kingdom.
Delicious aromas assaulted my nostrils with irresistible temptations, and my mouth watered as we approached the stall.
“Two coppers, one kayso diya!” the vendor shouted as he deftly flipped the food he grilled over simmering coals. “Great deal! Buy now!”
“I’ll try them,” I offered, and I pulled one of the gold coins from my pocket. “Do you have change?”
“I am not a wizard!” The vendor shook his head vehemently and pushed my hand away.
I didn’t fully understand what he meant, but I gave Mahini a confused shrug, and the desert goddess’s shoulders shook with a silent laugh.
“He means he cannot change your money with magic,” she explained as she pulled out a small bag of coins and fished out four copper ones. She presented these to the vendor, who nodded his thanks, and the next thing I knew, a hot tortilla-like pocket thing was shoved into my hands.
“Hot pocket!” I laughed. “I thought I’d never have anything like that again!”
“Kayso diyas are a delicacy where I’m from,” Mahini admitted, and her eyes lit up with delight as she sank her teeth into the crunchy hot shell. “Mmm, it’s soo good!”
I dug in myself, and I almost melted when the gooey cheese hit my taste buds. “Holy shit, they’re amazing!”
“Great One, you’ve returned!” a familiar sounding voice called out from behind me.
I swiveled to see Zed, the old man who used to follow Sarosh, the crazed zealot, around Sorreyal. I’d ran into him on my way to Arginold, and he had mentioned being en route to Bastianville, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to see him there. Still, it was good to see a familiar face, so I gave the old man a wide smile.
“Glad you made it to Bastianville in one piece,” I said around a mouthful of food, but then I swallowed it down, wiped my palms on my pants, and shook his hand. “What do you think of our little town?”
“It is peaceful,” Zed sighed. “I think I will stay for a while. I have some knowledge of herbalism I have been exchanging with the local healer woman.”
“Theodora.” I nodded. “She’s very skilled.”
“I think I will stay and help her in her shop for a while.” Zed gave me a weary smile. “Too much travelling is hard on an old man’s bones.”
“I understand.” I clapped him on the shoulder and flashed him a big smile. “I’m glad you’re staying. Welcome to Bastianville.”
Just then, more aromas wafted down the lane toward my nostrils, and I inhaled greedily. It smelled like freshly baked pastries, if the sweet, fruity smell was any indication.
“What is that delicious smell?” I growled as I turned my gaze toward the businesses along the street.
“That would be the bakery,” Zed supplied with a chuckle. “Just opened their doors a few days ago I hear.”
“That has to be our next stop,” I informed Mahini in a serious tone.
The desert goddess nodded curtly, and she thanked the vendor for our food again while I said goodbye to Zed. Then the two of us followed our noses to the bakery.
We passed by the rest of the vendor stalls, but I made a mental note to return later to try something from each one. If I ended up getting too full of baked goods, I would reset back to my save point and keep going.
Being a god had its perks, that was for sure.
Mahini and I stepped inside the warm interior of the bakery, and my nose was in absolute heaven. There was a huge woodfire oven covering the back wall, a large countertop workspace in the middle of the room, and then shelves full of baskets with various baked goods inside. Along the far wall, a staircase led to the upstairs, where I assumed the baker’s living quarters were.
A bald man in a long white apron covered in flour stood and watched us silently, and he didn’t return my friendly wave, so I made a new save point.
The last thing I wanted was one of the business owners to dislike me.
I perused the shelves for a moment, and I discussed with Mahini which items we should purchase, but then we made our way to the flour covered counter with a basket in each of our arms. The desert goddess held one with yeasty smelling dinner rolls while I carried a container full of pastries.
“We’d like to purchase these, if you don’t mind,” I said, and I kept the friendly smile plastered on my face.
“Five coppers each.” The baker narrowed his eyes at me. “If you can afford that.”
Whoa. What an asshole.
I shot the man a shrewd glance. He seemed harmless enough. He was about my height, on the skinny side, and seemed to be completely hairless. He had large brown eyes that seemed to absorb the light, and a sour expression on his face that spoke volumes.
Either he’d woken up on the wrong side of the bed or he didn’t like me, but I could change that easily enough. I’d done it so many times before I could do it in my sleep, so I reset back to my save point to try again.
Chime.
I spammed resets while I dug into the baker’s life, but overall he was pretty boring, and it didn’t seem like he had any secrets I could reveal to prove my power. I hunted down his children and his wife, and I questioned them as much as they would allow. Each time they gave me a little bit more information, so the story slowly grew into a complete image.
Mahini appeared confused during my attempts to uncover information about the baker, but all I told her each time was to be patient with me. She’d at least grown somewhat accustomed to my oddness, so she went along with me without complaint, but she wouldn’t remember anything except me wowing the baker in the end.
I learned everything there was to know about the baker and his family until I had his entire life memorized, and then I returned to the counter on a fresh run through.
“While it’s unfortunate you suffered so much,” I greeted the baker in a knowing tone, “I am grateful it led you to Bastianville in the end.”
“What do you know of my suffering, stranger?” the baker asked in a suspicious voice, and he narrowed his brown eyes and crossed his arms over his apron.
“Ah, but I am not a stranger,” I replied, and I flourished down into a low bow. “I am Sebastian, Archduke of Bastianville, and God of Time. I know all about you, Cornelius James Rodrick.”
“I-I have heard rumors of your powers,” Cornelius replied in a halting voice. His eyes flicked between me and Mahini like he was feeling threatened, so I stepped backward a few paces, and the desert goddess followed suit. “I have been expecting you.”
“You were always a smart one,” I laughed. “Like when you were cheating at your lessons as a child and your mom would never catch you.”
“You know all about me?” Cornelius raised a surprised eyebrow.
“I know what day you were married, the births of your children, when you moved, and where you’ve lived.” I shrugged. “Need I go on?”
“No, no.” The baker shook his head. “I believe you… As odd as it is, I feel as though I can trust you.”
“That’s because we’ve actually spent a great deal of time together,” I informed him in a mysterious voice. “You just don’t remember.”
“I…” The baker continued to shake his head like it hurt his brain to comprehend my power. Finally, the man swallowed hard, and he lifted his eyes to mine. “I am honored to finally meet you, Great One… Forgive my initial rudeness, I thought you a regular man at first.”
“I’m happy you’re here.” I grinned. “Bastianville has been in need of a good baker for some time now, but you aren’t going to make much of a life here being mean to customers.”
“Yes, I am sorry.” The man bowed his head and frowned. “My wife often tells me I have a sour disposition, and she’s asked me to be nicer.”
“You should take her advice,” I chuckled. “No harm done with me though. I’m glad you are here, and we welcome you with open arms.
“Thank you so much, Great One.” The baker grinned back at me, and some of the tension eased from his shoulders. He must have been having a really bad day until I showed up, and it made me feel good to lift his mood.
I chalked the interaction up to a success, and I knew some people couldn’t be won over with cheap parlor tricks, but that just made the challenge that much more satisfying to beat.
After the bakery, Mahini and I toured the rest of the shops in town, and we spent all the money we’d brought with us in her little coin bag. I purchased some wooden crates to store some of the treasure and gold in, and the desert goddess bought some leather for crafting into armor. We both purchased some candy from the sweet shop, too, and we were walking down the lane with our goods in hand when I spotted a row of houses in mid-construction.
“Let’s go check that out,” I said as I jerked my chin toward the new street full of houses.
Mahini nodded curtly, and she stayed by my side as I changed direction.
“They work fast,” Mahini observed as she eyed a group of men pulling the framework up and nailing it together. “I wonder if the need for houses is really so urgent?”
“The population continues to grow,” I pointed out with a shrug. “It won’t be long before the town is pushing against the walls surrounding it.”
“Like in the big cities we’ve visited,” Mahini agreed.
We walked down the street to where it dead ended at the wall, and then we turned back and headed toward our own home. I was ready to put down the packages and items I carried, and I missed the two girls who had stayed in bed.
They couldn’t possibly still be sleeping, could they?
The sun had carved a path across the sky while Mahini and I had shopped, and it was close to mid-day. We’d bought some extra kayso diyas for the two girls who had remained at home, as well as more for me to eat as my lunch, and my stomach growled at the thought of the delicious food.
“Let’s get home,” I suggested. “I want to eat my lunch before it gets too cold.”
“Good idea.” Mahini nodded, and we both quickened our pace slightly. We were too overburdened with our purchases to run, but we walked swiftly the rest of the way.
Once we reached the porch, I quickly trotted up the steps and inside the open door. I almost barrelled into Jorgen who was on his way out, and I inhaled sharply as I jumped back.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” I apologized, and then I peeked into the living room where a pile of gold and treasure sat in the middle of the floor waiting for me. “Now, that’s a pretty sight.”
“We’re almost done, sir,” Jorgen informed me. “Just a few more trips left.”
“Oh, good,” Mahini sighed, and an expression of relief flashed across her normally stoic face.
“What’s that mean?” I asked as I tilted my head to the side and peered at her curiously.
“Nothing,” she said quickly, and she turned toward the stairs. “I’m taking my stuff upstairs.”
The desert goddess left the room without another word, and I shook my head in amusement. I had a feeling the secret the girls had been whispering about was going to be revealed tonight, and excitement coursed through my veins.
Anything important enough to keep secret from me had to be really good.
I emptied my arms onto the couch, and then I retrieved all the food and took it into the kitchen. I felt like a good husband as I made a tray full of the kayso diyas, the exotic fruit I’d bought from another vendor, and the sweet nectar juice I’d gotten from a third. It was a nice little lunch rich in delicacies from far away lands, and I grinned from ear to ear as I carried it up the stairs to the bedroom.
The three girls were all on the bed when I entered the room, and Elissa and Eva greeted me with sleepy smiles.
“Good morning, husband,” my wife murmured as she fluttered her eyelashes at me. “What do you have there?”
“Lunch,” I chuckled. “You both slept till almost mid-day.”
“I haven’t slept that well in weeks,” Eva admitted with a yawn. “It was much needed. Besides, I’ll need all my energy and strength later.”
“And why is that?” I arched one eyebrow as I tried to maintain a casual tone.
“Oh, no reason,” the duke’s daughter answered with a flippant wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
“If we don’t tell him soon, he very well may agree to go spend time with one of the townspeople or something,” Mahini whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “Perhaps we should inform him of our plans now.”
“I’m so ready to hear what you three have been whispering about.” I smirked.
“Okay,” Elissa giggled. “We can tell him.”
“You’re his first woman, Mahini,” Eva said. “You should be the one.”
“Let’s do it together,” the desert goddess replied with a soft smile. “I know he loves us all equally.”
“Out with it already!” I urged as my impatience got the best of me.
The three women exchanged a knowing glance before they turned to me with mischievous smiles and desire in their eyes.
“We’d like you to take all of us,” Elissa said.
“At the same time,” Eva added.
“And tell us how to please each other,” Mahini finished.
My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened to the size of saucers.
How in the fuck did I get so lucky?
“You… you want to have a foursome?” My knees buckled, and my cock instantly hardened against the restriction of my pants.
“Is that what it’s called?” Eva tilted her head to the side. “It would be all four of us.”
“That sounds like heaven,” I assured them with a shit-eating grin. “Let’s do it.”
“Yay!” Elissa squealed.
“That’s the answer we were waiting for,” Eva said.
“I’m excited and nervous,” Mahini confessed.
Thoughts of anything other than the three women before me fled my mind, and my breaths came in short pants already. I was about to be the luckiest man in the world. I had three sexy women who loved and worshiped me, and I could already tell that I was going to enjoy every minute of the night ahead.
“Ladies.” I grinned. “I hope you’re ready for a night you will always remember.”
