Wild Wastes: Southern Storm
Author: Randi Darren
Date: 2018-06-04T22:00:00+00:00

Contents

Dedication

Title Page

Copyright

Chp. 1

Chp. 2

Chp. 3

Chp. 4

Chp. 5

Chp. 6

Chp. 7

Chp. 8

Chp. 9

Chp. 10

Chp. 11

Chp. 12

Chp. 13

Chp. 14

Chp. 15

Chp. 16

Chp. 17

Chp. 18

Chp. 19

Chp. 20

Chp. 21

Chp. 22

Chp. 23

Chp. 24

Chp. 25

Chp. 26

Chp. 27

Chp. 28

Chp. 29

Chp. 30

Chp. 31

Chp. 32

Chp. 33

Chp. 34

Chp. 35

Chp. 36

Chp. 37

Epilogue

Authors Note

Special Thanks:

The one and only Miss N.

Tom Shutt, I miss your humor and willingness to deal with my insanity with a smile.

Thanks to my Readers(In no order):

Michael Haglund

Roland Jackson

Alexander Hodge

Arthur Cuelho

Christopher Kuntz

Jeff Ford

Raymond Jeffries

Wild Wastes

Southern Storm

-Slave Harem Series-

By Randi Darren

Copyright © 2018 Randi Darren

Cover design © 2018 Randi Darren

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by an electronic or mechanical means - except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews - without written permission from its publisher.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © 2018 Randi Darren

All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Vince managed, barely, to not drum his fingers against the table.

In fact, he personally would have viewed his decorum during this ordeal as a magnificent success.

He hadn’t killed, maimed, hospitalized, injured, or even hurt anyone since he’d arrived a month ago.

Though he was sorely tempted to.

The amount of stupidity on display between these two men was amazing.

“—ing this whole mess. The number of atrocities your men have committed are beyond count,” said the ambassador for the kingdom of Portland.

“As if you could talk, you buffoon! Your soldiers captured a number of citizens and turned them into comfort women!” screamed the man who represented Washington.

Vince’s hand clenched suddenly, and he stood up. His chair squeaked, slid out from behind him and then toppled over, clattering to the floor.

“This is going nowhere,” he said darkly. “I’ve sat here for more days than I can count right now and listened to you idiots scream at each other.

“This isn’t a meeting or a peace talk. It’s just you two looking for an excuse to yell.

“I’m done. I don’t think five more days here is going to fix this, so I’m leaving.

“Figure it the fuck out yourselves.”

Both men now seemed panicked, looking to Vince as if he were about to remove their heads from their necks.

Which he had considered doing many times, but so far had not done.

“Wait… please,” said the Portland man.

“Yes, I’m sure we can find a better way to discuss this,” said the Washingtonian.

“Don’t care. Fuck off,” Vince said as he turned on his heel. He snatched his weapon up from the guard at the door and left the conference room.

“Is that really wise?” Mouth asked, keeping pace with him on his left side. “I would almost think it might not be good for us to leave.”

Vince snorted at that, glancing to the Dryad. Her dark green eyes were locked on him, her brown curls cut short, just below the line of her jaw.

It’d been years since he’d first met her, and if anything, she’d only grown in her appeal as time had gone on.

Her hourglass figure and full curves never failed to draw every man’s eye.

“They’ve been at war for nearly six years now. As if it would change with this.

“Until they either kill each other or get tired of bleeding their countries dry, this’ll continue.”

Mouth pursed her lips at that, then shrugged her shoulders.

“You’re more than likely right, husband. It still doesn’t seem wise though.”

Moving quickly to his tent, Vince didn’t bother with anyone or anything.

He’d come to play the part of mediator at their request. With only a small number of his closest people, and his personal guard.

Which he’d done right after a meeting with his vassals that had been held in Denver this year.

And before that, we were on a damn royal tour.

When I get back, I’m going to have Elysia tell everyone to fuck off and die. I’ve been away too long.

As soon as he got closer to his tent, a young High Elf with a ledger smiled at him. She immediately moved over to him with a pencil in hand.

She was the most recent replacement for Felicity.

The Dark Elf woman had despaired two years ago, after Vince continued to reject her from joining his personal harem as a wife.

Fes had tried to increase the number of wives, including Felicity, he’d had since marrying Yaris, but to no actual success.

Amongst his personal wives, only Blue, Green, and Mouth had been inducted successfully.

They had more or less already been so to begin with, however.

He simply didn’t want to increase his numbers anymore. It felt like too much of a chore.

Not that he had any real motivation to have more either, though.

Really, it was just that he already had far too many Dryads to please each month, let alone wives.

There were now so many Dryads that he had to take three days out of every month to simply bed each and every Dryad in his grove.

Of course, they’d all given him a number of children as well. He was literally drowning in children now.

The vast majority of them being Dryad girls. Though apparently each and every Dryad had at least one human child.

Meliae said it was to form the Dryad council that kept all the Dryad affairs in order.

Of course, nothing stopped Berenga from continuing to try to gain him new wives. She brought in new women of talent and skill that she found useful.

Constantly.

Felicity had accepted his denial gracefully, but stated she couldn’t work around him any longer. She now worked tirelessly for him from the Wooden Heart duchy.

The last report he’d gotten from Mila was that the Dark Elf remained single, dedicated to her work, and was quite happy.

“No news,” Vince said to the young Elf. “Though I think we might be done. I tire of this, and I want to go home.”

“Of course, sire,” said the woman, writing something into her ledger. “I’d like to say thank you for this opportunity, by the way. I know I’ll be cycled out to another duty once we return, and you’ll have a new assistant, but I appreciated the opportunity greatly.”

“Uh huh. Glad to have had you,” Vince said, dismissing her.

Elysia had gotten it in her head to keep rotating women through till he found one he kept, or asked to keep on.

Stepping through the tent flap, Vince moved to his camp chair and fell into it.

Leila was sitting in a lazy position nearby. Floating in midair on a disc of air, reading a book she had propped up in her lap.

Her large purple eyes moved from the book to him, and she gave him a warm smile. She reached up and ran a small hand through her long dirty-blond hair.

Despite being a Gnome, she was unmistakably a woman.

Sam, the Fae, slept loudly in the canopy of his bed. Sprawled out as if in a drunken stupor.

Looking like a giant Fairy, she remained unchanged otherwise all these years.

Looking around, he didn’t see Ramona or Red immediately.

Maybe they’re hunting? They don’t tend to do well when we’ve settled for a while.

A pair of bright red eyes came to life from his bed. He could see her outline and her form even though she was in shadow.

“Bringer is back already?” Red asked, stretching her back and hips out like an animal would. “Red hadn’t expected you so soon. Feed Red? Red wouldn’t mind another meal.”

Watching the way her lithe body moved, Vince couldn’t help but want to do far more than just feed her his seed.

“Red, we said we w-would keep it to two feedings a day, remember? We’re so close to lessening the curse,” Leila said.

“Red understands, yes. But Red loves being fed, and it makes Bringer feel better. Mouth doesn’t mind either, do you?”

“Of course not, Red. I’ve always enjoyed servicing him for you to get your meals,” the Dryad said, sitting down lightly in his lap.

He’d been on the road for so long with Red, Mouth, Leila, and Ramona that he wondered what it’d be like to be home with everyone else.

“See? Red should feed and—”

“No,” Leila said, holding up a finger. “Don’t you want to break your curse?

“Yes…” Red said, her tone morose. “Red does. Red just… really enjoys her meals.”

“We talked about that. Don’t you want more than that?”

“Red does.”

“Then we have to control everything.”

Red sighed and flopped down on Vince’s bed. Her tail swished wildly above her rear end.

She was pouting.

Mouth leaned her head in close to him and kissed his ear.

“She’s acting spoiled because you haven’t walked her in a while,” said the Dryad. “Take her out for a few days. Hike, hunt, camp.

“Let the diplomats cool their heads while you take a jaunt. Leila and I will remain here and keep everything together for now.”

Vince nodded his head slowly.

“Not a terrible idea. It’d be nice to get out and about.”

“Besides, it’s about time for Ramona to be in heat. I’m sure she’ll make an attempt on your life, and then you can smash her down and have your way with her,” Mouth whispered in his ear before nibbling on his earlobe. “Then again, you could just stay here with me. We could retire to the bed and I’ll show you how much I love you all day. Stay here and play with me? I’ll never say no to your attention.

“I love you, desperately so, husband.”

“You get almost all my attention, you silly thing,” Vince said, grinning and running a hand along Mouth’s side.

It was true, too. When his other wives were busy or tied up in whatever they were doing, they all sent Mouth in their place.

She’d become their surrogate emotions for him. Which meant that more often than not, Mouth spent more time with Vince than anyone else did.

The only time she hadn’t was when she’d given birth to twins—one Dryad, one human.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want more. You spoil me wonderfully, but I’m afraid I’m an ever-empty well. You need to fill me up constantly,” Mouth said, then sighed dramatically. “Go. Take your pets for their walk. Just spare a thought for me when you get back.”

Maybe I can catch Ramona today after all.

He turned his thoughts to pinning the Dragonnewt and having her.

At some point in the past—and he couldn’t even remember how it had started anymore—Ramona had tried to sexually assault him. Only to end up being the one on the bottom when she couldn’t overpower him.

Meliae had explained it to him later on when he’d asked; Dragonnewts were more Dragon than human. She’d gone through a mating phase—during which she could have lain a clutch of eggs if she’d chosen—and sought out a mate.

That entailed killing and eating an unworthy male or being dominated and going through a nesting phase.

Once a month since then, she’d tried to kill and eat him. Almost always when he was out in the wild with Red.

Every time so far had ended with Ramona being conquered and then mounted.

Usually while Red watched.

Smiling at Mouth, Vince gave her a tender kiss.

“Thank you. Meliae was right to wife you so long ago. You’re exactly what I need at my side.”

Mouth blushed furiously, smiling at him.

***

“Are you sure about this?” Ramona yelled over the sound of the wind.

“Positive. It’s supposed to be right there,” Vince said, pointing down to the ground beneath them.

“If you weren’t so damn heavy, we could fly further each day,” Ramona groused, peering at the ground as her heavy wings beat at the air. “I can’t see anything.”

“Let’s check out the clearing we saw earlier then. We can hook up with Red and see if she found anything,” Vince offered.

Ramona grunted, then turned to one side and banked hard.

Her tail tightened around Vince’s middle, the leather harness that went around his shoulders to her belt creaking.

She does this just to piss me off.

Gritting his teeth, Vince battled internally against the sense that his stomach was about to punch its way out of his mouth as Ramona dove toward the ground.

Her wings snapped out and flapped hard as they neared the earth.

Vince felt her tail uncurl moments before she detached his harness.

After falling ten feet, Vince hit the grass and rolled forward. He tumbled twice, then came up standing and started to brush himself off.

He and Ramona had worked out how to land long ago. It wasn’t even a thought anymore.

It was just how they did it.

Reaching up, he buckled the loose harness straps into the joints in his armor they belonged to.

Admiring the draconic woman’s form as she landed, he couldn’t help but smile.

She turned her head to one side and watched him.

Bright blue eyes and short silver hair gave her a unique look. Tiny blue scales lined her cheekbones, and brows faded up towards her horns and elongated ears.

They practically shimmered in the morning light.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing, just admiring the view,” Vince said immediately.

Ramona gave him a feral grin before it slowly faltered.

“I’m not in my egg-phase,” she said, reaching up to touch one of her horns.

“And? I’m pretty sure we don’t need to wait for that, you know.”

“You’ve said before you don’t want any more wives,” Ramona said, her wings closing and collapsing to her back. “You were complaining about Fes pushing more on you.”

He had indeed confided in Ramona about that, he realized now that he thought about it.

Then his brain caught up to what he’d been saying.

Did he want to turn Ramona into one of his wives? He’d been dragging his feet for years now… What was different with Ramona?

You’re already sleeping with her, and you spend most of your time with her and the others when on road trips. At this point, it’s more a title than anything, isn’t it?

Am I just being stubborn? Is there no reason not to take more wives?

It isn’t such a chore, after all.

“Maybe I’m tired of only getting to share a bed with you after you try to murder me.

“Actually, if we were officially married—or mated, as you tend to call it—would you stop trying to murder me?”

She grinned at him, turning to face him fully.

“No. I’d try harder, if anything,” she said. Her fingers flexed as if she were contemplating leaping at him.

Vince rolled his eyes, recognizing her joke for what it was. Ramona was a strange woman, but at least he understood her now.

“Uh huh. So yes, you would. Well, how about—”

“Bringer!” Red called, running into view at a full sprint. “You said you were looking for something.

“Was it metal? Rusty? Red thinks she found it if it is.”

That got his attention completely.

“You did? Show me,” Vince said, turning toward Red.

“Red thinks so. Come, will show you. Bringer can play with Ramona later,” Red said. “She reeks of desire, and you do too.”

Vince looked to Ramona as Red turned around and started back the way she came.

He shrugged at the Dragonnewt with a grin.

“She’s not wrong. But you? I’m surprised.”

Ramona grinned at him, displaying her teeth.

“You clearly never asked her prior to this point, then. It shouldn’t be a surprise.

“Ask her about the Gnome sometime.”

Vince looked back to Red rather than respond.

He didn’t want to ask about Leila. Honestly, he already knew. It was hard not to know. She was almost as obvious as Felicity had been.

The difference was Leila never put herself in a position where Vince could deny her.

That and he was actually interested in her a bit. Felicity didn’t hold any attraction for him.

Weaving through trees and rotten logs, Red led them to what looked like had once been a trail.

A paved walkway, in fact, judging by the broken stones here and there. They had the look of paved concrete. Except it seemed as if the walkway had been broken up on purpose, rather than through time.

Well, definitely feels like someone wanted to make it harder to find this place. Seems kind of extreme, though.

Red abruptly stopped and then bent down. With a grunt of effort, she flung something aside.

With a clang, a rusty door settled into place against what looked like a cement foundation.

It was a near-identical entrance to the one out in Groom lake.

It’d taken him five years, but he’d finally gotten a chance to check out the circle on the map from Groom lake.

A facility where his father had been brought from another plane and met by his mother.

This was another site similar to that, Vince believed.

And this place was likely where they’d vanished as well. Either on their way here, here itself, or on the way back.

“Red smells no life,” said the Beastkin, sniffing the entry. “It does not smell like a tomb either.”

Vince leaned forward and peered down into the shaft. If it was like the last one, this would go all the way down to another level.

Ramona stepped beyond him and vanished into the opening before he could even argue about it.

There was an audible thump as Ramona hit the bottom of the shaft.

“It’s clear down here,” she said while coughing, her voice echoing. “But it seems like no one has been here in a number of years.”

Vince nodded his head at that. He’d have been surprised if anyone had been here, really. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that, if they could have, his parents would have returned to him.

“Red will go next,” Red said. “Red is coming!” she shouted down the shaft.

Then she jumped down it and vanished.

Grumbling about normality, Vince grabbed the top rungs of the ladder and started to climb down.

There was the thump of Red hitting the bottom, and then he could hear the two women moving about, but they said nothing more.

Reaching the bottom floor, Vince immediately had a strong sensation of déjà vu.

It looked like a mirror of the previous facility.

Moving through the archway he knew would be there, Vince didn’t stop.

Lights began turning on as he walked—bright white lights that seemed odd.

“Magic lights?” Ramona said.

“No. Red has seen this before. It’s not magic. Machines.”

Vince kept moving, marching straight towards where he knew the portal machine would be.

He was hoping to find an open portal. One he could use to find more clues to locating his parents.

The heavy vault door that locked off the portal console was open.

Stepping into the experimentation area, Vince found the portal machine turned off. There were no footprints in the dust, and everything looked as if it had been untouched for years.

Moving over to the portal console, Vince activated it, then looked expectantly to where the portal would open.

A blue oval came to life, and Vince looked out into a world of green grass. Green grass and trees.

And nothing that could tell him about where it went.

“Red memorized the controls previously; these are the same,” Red said, waving a hand at the controls.

“Memorized?” Vince asked, looking at her.

“Yes. Red memorized the last portal setting as well, where we saw the man, and woman that was like Red.”

“Really?” Vince asked doubtfully.

“Yes, watch.”

Red immediately started adjusting knobs and switches before Vince could do anything or stop her.

The portal in front of them swapped away from what it’d been set to and became something else entirely.

Looking through it, Vince saw the same room from last time.

Where the man had sat, he was no longer.

Though a woman was there. In fact, it was the same woman he’d seen last time.

The Beastkin.

She had similar ears to Red, though more canine like in their shape. Her tail was considerably more like a wolf’s as well.

She had darker blond hair, with one blue eye and one brown. She wasn’t bad looking, but Vince would only call her cute.

She was dressed in very casual clothes that Vince couldn’t place.

“Ooooi. Hi there,” the woman said, waving a hand at them. “Do you speak English?

“English?”

Vince opened his mouth, then closed it again.

“Red thinks she should close the portal. The woman looks like a tamed animal. A house cat,” Red said.

“I’m not a house cat, I’m a wolf,” the woman said. “My name’s Andrea.”

She stamped her foot in a child-like way, then stuck her head through the portal and peered around the room.

“Annooo… Felix said I should have someone here just in case you opened the gate again,” Andrea said.

Then she looked at Vince and stared at him.

“You look a lot like Felix.” She wrinkled her nose and sniffed twice. “You smell like him, too.”

“Andrea, come in,” said a voice from nowhere. “There was a power fluctuation. Did the portal open again? Are there people?”

“Hi dear!” Andrea said excitedly into a strange, slim metal box she had pulled out of a pocket. “Yup! They opened the gate and they’re staring at me.”

“Wait, they can see you right now?”

“Yes. I wanted to say hi. I thought if I did, they wouldn’t close it again.

“They look interesting. Though one of them looks a lot like you. A lot,” Andrea said.

“Really? Huh. Uhm… what do they want?”

“I don’t know! Let me ask,” Andrea said. Then she looked to them and smiled. “What do you want?”

Vince had no idea how to respond. Or even what to do.

“Andrea, I swear to god… Did you put me on speaker phone?”

“Yes?” said the Beastkin, looking embarrassed.

“Ok… I’ll just… why don’t… ok. Hello, my name is Felix. Would you be interested in having a chat? I’d like to discuss an opportunity with you.”

Vince looked at Red, then Ramona.

“I’ll stay here,” Ramona said, tapping the console. “Make sure it remains open.”

“Red will go with you. Red wants to spar with the house cat, if possible.”

Vince turned to the Beastkin named Andrea.

“My name is Vince, and I’d be willing.”

Andrea clapped her hands together happily.

“I’ll make pancakes!”

Chapter 2

Vince hadn’t even gotten through the portal when what sounded like an explosion came through the little box Andrea held.

“What the… shit,” said Felix. “Andrea, Vince, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to cut this one short. I have to deal with something.

“Andrea, give him the pack?

“Vince, I truly look forward to meeting you in the future. Please don’t be a stranger!”

There was a beep, and then a strange, unceasing tone.

Andrea looked at the box and then poked it with a finger.

She seemed rather disappointed.

“I wanted to make pancakes…” she murmured.

Moving out of view, she continued talking.

“Felix said to give you the pack. It’s something he put together just in case you ever came back through the portal.”

“He planned for this?” Vince asked, curious and cautious at the same time.

“Yes. He wanted you to open the portal so he could try to work out a trade deal with you. Felix is very interested in other planes,” Andrea said. “Uuun. It’s a bit heavy.”

“Give it to Red, house cat,” Red said, stepping up to the portal.

“I’m not a house cat!” Andrea said, coming back into view. “If we had time, I’d give you a lesson in hand-to-hand combat you, you, you… feral cat!”

Red grinned at the other Beastkin, showing her fangs.

“Red is indeed feral. Red likes you, house cat. We should be friends.”

Andrea made a face at the other Beastkin, then smiled.

“Sure! You seem like an angrier Felicia. Here,” Andrea said, holding out a large backpack.

Vince had never seen the like of it. The fabric alone looked alien to him.

“Okie dokie,” Andrea said, waving a hand at them. “I hope we can talk more. It’d be fun to have more friends. Until next time then.”

Ramona gave the Beastkin a tight smile and flicked a finger against a switch.

The portal shut down immediately and winked out of existence.

“That was different,” Vince said. “And entirely unexpected.”

“Red doesn’t mind the house cat. Red thinks it’ll be fun to play with her,” Red said. She carried the pack over to Ramona and Vince, then set it down on the ground beside them.

Vince bent down and pulled at the zipper.

Inside was what looked to him like a large metal disc with a note attached to it.

Taking the note, Vince began to read it aloud.

“Dear portal traveler,

“The disc enclosed in this package will open a conduit to my world, and my location.

“I welcome you in the spirit of cooperation and adventure. Should you decide to visit, or wish to speak with me, simply put the disc down somewhere safe and press the button on the top.

“A portal will activate; no additional power is required. To close the portal, merely press the button again.

“I look forward to seeing you soon, Felix,” Vince said, then folded the note up.

“This… Felix… seems intent to have you visit,” Ramona said, her tone indicating overtones of the same paranoia Vince felt.

“Red saw no lie in the house cat’s words.”

Red reached further into the pack and pulled out a strange crinkling bag.

“What is this?” she said, turning it over in her hands.

“It says… pancake mix,” Vince said. “Huh.”

***

“We never finished our conversation,” Ramona said from her side of the fire.

“Which conversation was that?” Vince asked.

He was still inspecting the bag that had been sent over. The craftsmanship and material were so strange to him. It was perfect, yet seemed flimsy at the same time.

He had the vague impression that this was cheaply mass produced. A simple-blade-to-a-blacksmith sort of thing.

“Taking wives,” Ramona said simply.

That got Vince’s attention.

Looking around, he couldn’t see Red, nor could he feel her.

“She’s hunting. I asked if she wouldn’t mind not returning until tomorrow morning.

“She agreed, if I promised to help her get one of her meals tomorrow, so…” Ramona said, as if it were nothing at all.

“I see.” Vince set the bag down, turning his full attention to the Dragonnewt. “And what did you wish to discuss further?”

“You. Not taking wives. Us. Me,” Ramona said, her voice slowly sounding more confused with every word.

“Let’s start with the top then. Not taking wives,” Vince said.

Thinking on the subject, he wanted to answer her honestly. Then again, he could barely be honest with himself about it.

“I’m afraid,” Vince said after a time. “I’m afraid that if I do exactly what Fes wants, I’ll have so many wives that I won’t see the same woman in the same month.

“It’s already bad enough with the Dryads. Some I see once or twice in the span of months. Some even less.

“And… I don’t like that. I don’t like it at all. The idea of taking enough wives to have the same problem… upsets me.”

“Oh. That makes sense. I could definitely see that being… yeah. I get it,” Ramona said, frowning. “And you told Fes this?”

Vince smiled at the memory and shrugged his shoulders.

“She took it in typical Fes fashion. ‘Double up on some nights. You’ll see more of them that way.’”

“Yeah. I could see her saying that. Then again, she’s not human. Nor am I. It’s a solution that could work for a number of us.

“I personally want to tear your head off and eat your heart. Or be mounted by you without a fight.

“They share an equal importance to me,” Ramona said, her tail swishing about behind her violently. “Just the very thought of your life’s blood rushing down my throat excites me.”

“Why is that?” Vince asked suddenly. “Do all Dragonnewts want to kill men?”

“Ah… no,” Ramona said, sobering quickly. “Not exactly.”

“What exactly, then? I don’t understand it really. You’re the first and only Dragonnewt I’ve met.”

“We only want to kill and eat potential mates,” Ramona said, as straightforward as a punch to the face. “We mate with only one after the battle has been decided and both accept, or someone dies.”

“Ah,” Vince said lamely. “And you chose me?”

“No. My Dragon did. It chose you the moment you put me on the ground and nearly choked me out as if I were nothing to you.

“My Dragon wants to take everything from you and leave you as a husk, unless you can tame her.”

Vince was mildly shocked at that, and yet he wasn’t either. There were a multitude of Wasters with similar behaviors.

It simply came down to keeping the species alive. Survival of the fittest.

“Got it. And you’ve been keeping this to yourself because I didn’t want any more wives,” Vince said.

Ramona nodded her head, her silver hair shifting around her horns.

“It was obvious when you refused Felicity that you meant it.

“Even Leila won’t put herself in a position where you can tell her no. She’d rather be your friend and pine for you than risk being turned away.”

Vince could only nod his head. He was well aware of Leila and what she wanted.

“And that brings us back to now,” Ramona said, leaning forward over her knees.

Her wings spread out behind her for a moment, then settled back down quickly.

She’s very nervous.

“Let me turn this around. What do you want, Ramona? If you had to name it, what do you want?” Vince asked.

Her hands clenched into one another suddenly, then opened. Her arms went limp and hung at her sides.

“My Dragon wants to fight you, and mate. Me… I want to make love to you and call you husband.

“I hate this. I feel like I’m at war with myself,” Ramona said.

Do I want her as a wife, though? She’s followed me for a while now… We’ve gone through some ugly things together.

Fes would tell me to do it. Already has, in fact.

“How about… you come over here, and we share my bedroll tonight. In the morning, we’ll talk more about this and see where we go with it.

“To answer your question though, I think I can handle another wife.”

Ramona lifted her head, peering at him.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yeah. I am. Though if possible, could you tell your Dragon to knock it off for once? I’d like to enjoy your charms without having to practically knock you out for them.”

Ramona grinned at him. “I can do that.”

Before he could respond, she had pumped her wings, closed the distance over the fire, and slammed into him.

Her face was pressed to his, her lips hungrily kissing him as her fingers immediately set to work at his armor.

Happy to not be in a life-or-death struggle for once with Ramona, Vince reached up and grabbed her horns.

She froze up when he did so. It was one of the few places he could get a good grip on her that got her to stop.

It’d taken a while for him to figure it out, but it worked every time.

“Stop… lay down. Let me love you,” Vince said, twisting her head to one side.

Ramona went with the motion, her head being pulled to one side, and lay down on her back on his bedroll.

“Vince… I’m not—” Ramona said.

Not saying a word, Vince laid a hand over her mouth, his other still holding tight to a horn.

Waiting several seconds to make sure she got the point, Vince removed his hand from her mouth and horn, then started slowly undoing the hooks and latches to her leather armor.

Getting them unfastened, he began to peel her armor off her, enjoying himself as he did so.

Everything with Ramona was always violent. Rushed.

Forced.

Pushing the leather off her shoulders, he managed to bare her torso, her modest bust visible.

Running his hands over her chest, he caressed her. Explored her.

He let his fingers run the length of her ribs and sides, the curve of her breasts.

Ramona was taking short, shallow breaths. Little hiccupping things that made her body quiver.

Moving ever lower, his hands reached the hem of her trousers and then hooked into them.

With a careful pull, he began to worry the fabric down from her hips.

The whisper of it traveling down her skin and scales was audible.

Getting her pants down to her ankles, he stopped, leaving them there.

Reaching up, he spread her knees apart, his fingers lightly trailing along her inner thighs.

Moaning, Ramona’s tail curled up on itself into a coil at her side.

She doesn’t know what to do with herself.

Using his left hand, Vince unbuckled his belt and kicked his pants and boots off.

His right hand kept to Ramona. Gliding over her skin and scales, his fingertips kept inexorably coming closer to her privates with every pass.

They always came back away from her, rather than dive in. He’d never had the chance to truly explore and tease her. To simply enjoy being with her.

It had really always turned into a fight to the death that involved sexing her into submission.

Using just a fingertip, Vince stroked her slickened entrance.

“Eeeeeeen… don’t tease me,” Ramona said, her hands clenching into his bedroll.

Smiling, Vince couldn’t help himself. It was all very much unlike Ramona.

His Dragonnewt warrior who routinely killed for the sake of killing.

“What if I want to tease you?” Vince said, lowering his head down into her thighs.

“Vince, Vince, no, please, no—Auhhh.” Ramona’s thighs closed on his shoulders as his tongue worked slowly along her slit.

Her flesh was a mix of skin and scales all over. One couldn’t actually determine what was what without getting close.

Even down here, it was the same.

His tongue slid in between her lips, then up to the hood of her clit.

Human flesh.

“Auuuuhnnn, Vince… please no,” Ramona begged, her hands coming to rest on his head and shoulders.

Encouraged, Vince wormed his tongue over the hood. Working the tip into the fold itself.

“Haaaa, please, please, Vince. Hnnnnn.”

Chuckling to himself, Vince eased himself up from Ramona’s thighs.

Crawling up her body, he placed his forearms against her sides. Leaning his head down to kiss her lightly, he pressed his knees to her hips.

Ramona’s hands came up and pressed into his back, her tail instantly springing free and wrapping around his waist.

She moaned against his mouth, pulling him closer to herself, deepening the kiss immediately.

Shifting himself around, he managed to get his tip set to her entrance.

Having noticed it herself, Ramona moaned deeply, her hands pressing harder to his back.

Vince eased himself forward, entering her, his girth spreading out the walls of her channel.

Ramona pulled her head back from his, turning her head to one side and panting heavily.

Settling up to the hilt, Vince paused and reoriented himself. He got under her hips a bit more and his arms moved to get better leverage over her.

Dipping his head down, he nuzzled the side of her face and kissed her cheekbone, right atop a pronounced line of blue scales.

Ramona melted underneath him. Her knees fell to each side, giving him a wide and easy entry.

Pulling himself back, Vince began to slowly rock to and fro atop her. Running his length through her wet insides.

Making soft chirruping whines beneath him each time he entered her, Ramona seemed lost in her pleasure.

The change was night and day from her normal behavior. So much so that Vince couldn’t deny he was rather excited to be able to simply make love to her.

Leaning into her, he nudged her chin to the side, then kissed her roughly when she turned her head with the motion towards him.

Moaning into his mouth again, Ramona ground her hips into him each time he pushed into her.

Her body began to quiver when his speed and strength picked up, driving himself deep into her as he felt his climax coming on.

Then he was there.

Pushing at her roughly, as if to split her in half with his shaft, he worked to put his seed as deep in her as possible.

Ramona lifted herself up a bit, her hips welcoming him as her fingers clung to his shoulders.

Her moans were loud against his mouth, desperate almost.

Thrusting into her as his aching shaft emptied out, he practically crushed her into his bedroll.

Several more pulses while holding her tightly, and he was spent.

Sighing through his nose, Vince finally broke the kiss and rested his forehead to hers. Her horns tangled in his hair.

“Nnnn… Vince. That was so nice. So much better than when you beat me and take me,” Ramona said, her tail tightening around his hips. “Like that from now on. If my Dragon takes control, just knock me out and make love to me after I wake up.”

Vince chuckled at that, then reached up to take hold of one of her horns.

He tilted her head to one side, making her take in deep breath. Then he casually kissed her neck, and bit it hard enough to cause a mark.

Letting go of her bruised flesh, he gave her horn a little tug.

“I dunno, maybe I enjoy dominating your Dragon, too. After all, you’re both a woman and a Dragon, aren’t you?” he said, tugging her horn again.

“I love you,” Ramona said suddenly.

Vince wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It was unexpected.

Especially for Ramona.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what to say or do. My Dragon is being very… strange… right now.”

“I’d say the simplest answer right now is the best, then. We go to sleep, and we’ll see where we go in the morning with it,” Vince said, kissing her cheek.

“Oh, and when you get Red’s meal tomorrow, I’m going to hold on to your horns the entire time.”

***

Ramona had mostly returned to her normal blunt, acidic, and combative personality by the morning.

Though there were times he could tell a difference in her.

She was noticeably tender to him. Even going so far as to nuzzle him on occasion.

Lingering in the position as her lips nibbled at him in random spots.

He’d have to ask Fes about it, but from what he could tell from his own analysis… her Dragon seemed suitably tamed by him, so combat wasn’t the first go to anymore.

“Red isn’t happy,” said Red, catching Vince in the middle of his thoughts.

Ramona was out scouting their path back to the hosted talks. It was time for them to head back and hear what the two parties wanted to do.

“And what aren’t you happy about?” Vince asked, looking at her.

“Red… Red wants things Red can’t have. To break Red’s curse,” she said, glaring at him.

“Alright. Can I help in any way?”

“No. Leila is working on it. Has been working on it. She told Red she’s close to being able to loosen it.

“When Red’s curse is broken, Red will take what Red wants.”

“And what is it that Red wants?”

“What Ramona got last night,” Red said defiantly. She rose up to her full height, trying to act like a predator confronting another.

“You will not resist Red the same way you did Felicity. You will accept Red,” she demanded.

Vince watched the “feral” Beastkin for a moment before nodding his head.

“Alright, Red. You break your curse, and I’ll do that. You just tell me when and where, alright?”

Red’s face took on a shocked look, then a confused one.

She sank down to a crouching position, her claws roughing up the grass.

“Red doesn’t understand. Red didn’t think you would just accept it,” she said, glancing up at him while clawing the ground.

“Ramona and I had a good talk. I think I have a better idea of what I want out of everything. I just need to have a talk with Fes later.

“Otherwise, yeah, I understand, Red. Now how about you come over here, and I’ll give you a good scritch-scratch and ear rub?”

Red bounced over to him immediately, smashing her hip into his side and rubbing her cheek against his stomach.

“Give Red attention. Red deserves it.”

Chapter 3

Vince sighed and sat down at the table.

“Don’t be so upset,” Mouth said, patting his thigh as she sat down next to him. “I imagine this’ll be over and we can head home after today.”

“Think so?” Vince asked, looking to the Dryad.

“I do. Personally, I think this whole thing was a farce propped up by the command of the emperor. Or one of his lackeys.

“So far, he hasn’t intervened despite the length of the war. The moment he does decide to get involved, it won’t end well for anyone.

“As long as they abide by his decree, they can continue to struggle with one another.”

Vince thought on that and slowly nodded his head.

“You’re probably right. But is it rea—”

The door opened and both diplomats walked into the room, one after the other.

“Good morning, Lord Vince. We appreciate your return, and apologize for… for our behavior,” said one of them.

“Yes, we sincerely apologize,” said the other.

“Uh huh. I’m here because I promised the emperor I would be. Unless you have any new ground to cover, I’m going to leave and head home.

“My letter to the emperor will be very simple. You both failed to achieve anything and seemed more interested in verbally sparring than getting anything done,” Vince said in a scathing tone.

Both men looked at each other, then back to Vince.

“Unless you have something new to discuss?” Vince asked, forcing the discussion to what he believed was the inevitable end.

“That is…”

“We don’t—”

“Great, then I bid you goodbye. I’ll send my letter to the emperor, and I’ll be on my way,” Vince said, standing up even before the other men had a chance to sit down.

Not waiting, Vince left immediately.

He placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply twice.

His honor guard of Ogres snapped to attention. Their Orc counterparts and “light” version of their troop type set about breaking down the camp rapidly.

“Vince,” Mouth hissed at him, catching up. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“I met every agreement I made to the emperor. I promised him I’d do my best, but that when my patience ran out, I’d be done. He accepted that,” Vince said. “Beyond this point, I’d be more likely to believe they’re stalling for the sake of it.”

Mouth bobbed her head back and forth as she thought on that.

Then her eyes snapped to Ramona and locked on her.

The Dragonnewt was waiting around, doing nothing. Vince’s pack and belongings clutched against her chest.

“Oooh?” Mouth said curiously.

Shit. She’s about as empathic as a Dryad could be.

“Huh. Well, I’m glad that worked out. Will you be taking in Leila and Red soon?

“And should I send a letter to Felicity?” Mouth asked, seemingly jumping on one tiny thing and running away with it.

“Now, I don’t think—”

“Goodness. I can’t tell from here, but I think she’s going to need to nest soon.

“It’s rather potent,” Mouth said, waving a hand back and forth in front of her nose.

“What is?”

“The scent coming off her. It’s similar to what some Wasters put out when they’re getting ready to give birth.

“I knew your seed was potent, Vince, but a Dragonnewt?

“Congratulations, by the way.”

Vince sighed and pressed a hand to his brow.

That’s all I need. More children. More and more children.

I’ve more children myself than the rest of Yosemite, I swear.

Before Vince realized it, Mouth had gone straight to Ramona and patted her on the shoulder.

Ramona’s face went a deep, dark red color, her head dipping down closer to Mouth.

They were talking in such a low voice he couldn’t make anything out.

But he already knew what it was.

Child planning. And which Dryad would be assigned to take care of Ramona.

It was the same every time one of his wives got pregnant.

The Dryads were masterful midwives and nannies.

Berest, Keith, Vince the Second, and Mila were all about five years old now. Most of them were running around on their own, away from their mothers view.

A number of Dryads had taken on the roles of nurse maids and second mothers to the kids. Following them around at a distance or close, depending on the need.

And then there’s all the Dryad children.

Vince shook his head rather than think about it.

Turning to the Ogre lieutenant who worked for Kitch, Vince nodded at the big guy.

“I want to be gone as soon as possible. Did you contact our rides?”

“Yes sir,” the Ogre said grimly, then smiled at Vince. “Sent Sam to notify Kitch as well. She’ll want to know.”

“Smart man,” Vince said.

“Happy Kitch, happy Snorg,” said Snorg, Kitch’s husband.

Vince could only smile and shake his head.

“You two are too damn sweet on one another. Thanks, Snorg.”

Vince didn’t have much to do except wait.

Then Red appeared, holding Ramona by the arm.

“Red wants her meal before we leave.”

Ramona looked at Vince, then down at her feet.

Well, that’s one way to pass the time.

***

The Gryphons banked hard and came in low to the designated landing field for the heavy cavalry.

The number of ridable mounts was increasing with every hatching, but still nowhere near enough to outfit the entire group.

It was more than enough for Vince and his inner circle to travel safely to distant locations, though.

No sooner had the Gryphon stopped and waddled over than Vince saw a number of people waiting for him to one side.

“Looks like I won’t be seeing you tonight,” Mouth said, pressing herself up against his back.

“More than likely not,” Vince said with a chuckle.

“I’ll speak to the grove mother about Ramona later. No need to trouble yourself,” Mouth said.

Vince nodded his head and then pulled on the reins to his personal Gryphon.

It was a midget compared to the others of its kind. But it fit Vince’s need perfectly.

It pulled up short and stopped in the grass with just the barest of bumps.

Dismounting there, Vince turned and held his hand out to Mouth.

Taking the hand, she got down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, dear. Now go say hi to everyone. They haven’t seen you in quite a while,” she said. “Not everyone is as fortunate as I am.”

Vince didn’t argue, turning to walk towards where everyone was waiting for him.

He immediately spotted Fes at the front.

In his mind’s eye, she’d always be the wild, green-skinned, dark-haired and dark-eyed warrior from his memory.

She’d changed little in the years since he’d met her, though it was obvious to him she was aging.

Life in the Wastes was hard, and it had a tendency to shorten lives.

Standing in front of her, Berest, his daughter, looked like a lighter-skinned version of her mother.

And immediately to Fes’s left was Yaris.

The queen of Yosemite, his wife, whom he had only begun to understand two years ago.

Built very much like a High Elf, Yaris had dark-blond hair with red streaks and bright blue eyes.

She held their son, Falaein the Second, at her side.

Vince had felt odd naming the boy for his father-in-law, but had simply gone with it. It was easier to appease his queen than fight with her over something that wouldn’t harm their son.

Petra the ant soldier stood nearby. She hadn’t donned her armor in a while and had let her hair grow out. The bright blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her crystal-blue eyes watched him like a hawk.

Vince the Second, his son with Petra, was sitting next to Keith and Mila, his children with Meliae.

The busty Dryad was, as ever, pregnant with what looked like twins again. She stood beside Petra, who had a protective arm around the smaller woman.

She’d also grown her pale-white hair out, her eyes the normal Dryad green and always inviting him to do terrible things to her.

I wonder where Thera, Eva, Elysia, Daphne, Karya, Blue, Green, and the younger children are.

Those were the rest of his wives, and they typically all remained together. It was a bit strange to not see the others.

“The Fes greets her husband,” Berenga said, stepping up to Vince and hugging him tightly.

Fes and Yaris had fought for a full year on almost every single thing, before something had been resolved between them.

No one would tell Vince what it was, but he was glad for peace it had brought.

Though in situations like this, he could feel the tension between the two of them grow for a time.

Giving Fes a kiss, he hugged her tightly.

Berest plastered herself to his leg.

“Missed you, Dada,” said the Orc girl.

“Missed you too, sprout,” Vince said, hugging her.

Berest hugged him back and then stepped away.

Fes gave him a shove toward Yaris as soon as their daughter had moved.

After bowing her head to him, Yaris gave him a bright smile.

“My king, I greet you gladly,” she said, then wrapped one arm around him and hugged him, pressing her head in close and giving him a quick kiss.

“Dada,” Falaein the Second said, wrapping his arms around Vince’s neck.

“Hey buddy.”

“Dada hold.”

“Ok, Dada will hold you. But I have to say hi to everyone, ok?”

“No, Dada hold.”

Everyone chuckled at that, and before he could do anything, all the kids piled on him, hugging him from every angle.

Then one of them broke into sobbing tears, and the rest followed.

Getting down on his knees, Vince pulled his kids into his arms and held on to them.

“Sorry. Dada was working, but he’s home now.”

Meliae and Petra watched with smiles.

“The rest of the kids are all at home with the other half of your harem,” Meliae said, her voice playful as always. “You terrible, terrible brute of a man, you. Giving so many of us children and fleeing all the time.”

Vince grimaced at that but couldn’t argue with it. He hoped that soon he could settle things down and let others do the work.

Lately, he was missing being a simple Ranger more than ever.

Take a mission here, stay at home for a while. See the kids. Take another mission a year later, maybe some courier work.

Nothing big. Nothing hard.

“This one greets her master and husband happily,” Petra said, smiling at him.

“Hello dear,” Vince said, looking at the ant soldier.

Settling in on the grass right there, he decided he wasn’t going to leave this spot till his children had stopped crying their eyes out.

***

“No. No, I’m not,” Vince said firmly, looking at Elysia, Thera, and Eva in turn.

The three Elven women stared back at him as if he were the stupidest man in the world.

They were all elves, yet they ranged the entire spectrum as far as features went. From the High-Elven, blond, blue-eyed Elysia to the dark-eyed and dark-haired Thera, and finally the brown-haired, brown-eyed Eva.

The very picture of elves.

Pregnant elves, though. Each one was pregnant with her second child with Vince.

“Yes, you are, my liege,” Elysia said. “You need to do this, whether you want to or not. Duke Heint has requested your help personally. I agree with him,” Elysia said.

Yaris, Meliae, Fes, and Petra sat on his side of the table, but were all nodding.

“I haven’t been home more than a day, and you want me to head south,” Vince said. He’d used to dream of traveling constantly, and now he just wanted to sit in his home and play father.

“Yes, Master,” Eva said, reaching across the table and touching his hands. “We do. And we understand. We want you home, too. But… this is for Yosemite. For our children.”

Vince sighed and hung his head.

“My lord, it really is for the best,” Thera said. “Blue and Green already went south with Karya and Daphne. They’re doing what they can, but they need you.”

“Ok…” Vince said finally. “Ok. I just… I want to step down as the head of Yosemite. Or delegate out more of these responsibilities. I want to be home. I want to see our kids grow up, and not be traveling all the time.”

“I know, Sweetling,” Meliae said, snuggling up to his side. “We really do feel the same and we’re working on it.”

“Tell me what’s going on, then. Give me the full rundown,” Vince said.

“Of course. First, we’ve heard from the north and east in the Wastes. More villages, towns, and cities are pledging allegiance to Yosemite.

“It’s likely you’ll need to raise another duke or duchess for the Minnesota and Texas areas,” Elysia said, flipping open her ledger.

“Alright… do we have any candidates?”

“Not really. Though the area in Minnesota is much colder and has a rather good-sized population of Dwarves,” Meliae added.

“Ok, what about Desk—”

“He said no, in advance,” Fes said, interrupting him. “He wants to remain the head blacksmith, that’s it.”

“Would we consider someone from Verix?” Yaris asked.

Fes nodded her head once sharply.

“Yes, that’s a good idea. There’s also a very large contingent of Snow Elves deeper in Canada,” Elysia said slowly. “Though, do you have any family members we could entrust it to?”

Yaris sighed, touching her lip with a fingertip.

“I have a number of cousins, but let me think on it,” she said, then turned to Vince. “Would you be alright with it, my king?”

Vince nodded his head. He felt the same way Fes did.

Yaris had proved herself to be one of his wives, even if she and Fes didn’t see eye to eye all the time.

“Think on who you’d think would work, and get back to Elysia,” Vince said.

“Of course, my king. Thank you. But… what do you think, sisters?” Yaris said, looking to the other women. “You’re also the wives of Vince. Is there anyone in your families who would fit?”

Everyone seemed deep in thought.

“Send my cousin to Texas,” Fes suddenly said. “It has a good-sized Orc population. We can use it as a recruiting pool and to hold the boundary with the Tri-lliance.”

Yaris tapped the table rapidly.

“Yes, yes, send him. That’ll work perfectly,” she said, smiling at Fes, who smiled back at her.

Such a strange friendship there.

“Now… the reason we need to send you to the south, though, my liege,” Elysia said, jotting down a note in her ledger. “We believe the Tri-lliance is pushing in deeper and deeper raids.

“We keep getting reports of Lizardman packs moving around past our borders.”

“Are they substantiated… or is this like those reports we were getting from the northern villages about a pack of Yetis eating their livestock?” Vince asked.

“Substantiated,” Thera said, then shook her head. “In a sad way, I’m afraid. We came across a traveling caravan that was on their way from the empire to Yosemite from the far south.

“They had been ambushed, my lord. One of our own patrols found them. A survivor said it was a pack of Lizardmen that attacked them, despite waving the Yosemite banner.”

That drove a spike of anger through Vince’s head.

The banner of Yosemite was respected across the west coast to the east coast as a neutral flag.

It didn’t matter where they went—they were welcomed and desired to visit.

Selling Dwarven merchandise and other items, Yosemite was a guest everywhere.

“On top of that, Master,” Eva quickly added. “They didn’t take anything. They just killed everyone and fled.”

Vince raised his eyebrows at that. Not taking anything really just made it obvious.

To the point of stupidity.

But then again, the Lizardmen are shock troops at best. They’re not out there to think through strategy or tactics.

“Blue and Green are heading to the south and east. Daphne and Karya to the southwest. Kitch went with them,” Fes said. “I’m going to join them.”

“Oh?” Vince asked. Berenga didn’t often leave the city anymore. Her role as the spiritual leader, Fes, was quite well known and many sought her out for advice.

“Yes, husband. I wish to go out one more time before I retire my blade. My arms grow weaker by the year, and I fear I’ll not be able to hold my title by combat soon,” Fes said, giving him a wide, tusk-showing grin. “Soon I’ll only be Berenga, wife to Vince. And I’ll be happy.”

“This one will join Blue and Green,” Petra said. “This one is… aging… quickly. The life of a soldier ant is not long.”

Looking at Petra closely, Vince couldn’t deny she did look as if she’d aged ten years in two. She had been a young woman when they’d met, and now she was much closer to looking forty in human years.

“Do not fret for this one,” Petra said, smiling at him. “This one has led a very good life, and has provided two children for her husband. It is more than any soldier ant could ask for.”

Vince frowned at that. He didn’t like all this talk about aging and dying and stepping down.

“We spoke of this, husband,” Fes said, touching his forearm. “My second and I are mortal. We’ll pass from this world while you remain young. It’s why I push for so many talented women who will be able to live with you for all time.”

Vince didn’t say anything, but he laid his left hand atop Fes’s.

In truth, he hated this kind of talk, but he couldn’t deny it either.

He hadn’t aged a day since he’d become the grove for the Dryads.

With so many trees now inside him, it was unlikely he’d ever die of old age.

And yet I cannot even begin to fathom a life without those two.

Chapter 4

Vince peered down over the side of his Gryphon.

It was an entire army down there.

From one side of the plain to the other, it was filled with soldiers of the Tri-lliance.

Banners that represented what Vince assumed were cities and locations dotted the groups as they milled around.

They were all well on their side of the border that had developed between Yosemite and the Tri-lliance, but to Vince, this was clearly a precursor to an invasion.

His patrols and scouts had somehow been turned away from here.

Not to mention the entire army looked rather lazy and not very disciplined right now.

“I sense a great deal of magic being used to shield this place, husband,” Mouth said, her arms locked tight around his waist.

“I was wondering if that was the case. There’s no way our Ratkin would have missed something like this.

“The stink of the latrines alone would have drawn them in,” Vince said.

“Yes. You’re probably right,” Ramona said loudly. She was flying along beside them.

To be able to hear each other at all took a great deal of closeness and volume.

Red hung from Vince’s harness below Ramona. She looked none too happy, as if she were going to murder everyone when they landed.

“Red despises this,” she shouted over the wind. She angrily gripped Ramona’s tail—out of anger or fear for her life, Vince wasn’t sure. “Red wants to land!”

“Soon, Red. We needed to do this. Nothing was adding up. This, though—this makes sense now. They’re preparing to invade us.

“And that looks like a whole lot of magic,” Vince said, pointing down to an entirely separate camp off to one side.

Even from this distance, Vince could practically feel the magic radiating out of there.

“That’s where we’ll send the Ratkin to wreak havoc,” he said, eying the place.

The Ratkin had proved to be excellent infiltrators and saboteurs.

Of all the races in Yosemite, the Ratkin had been elevated to a near-universally adored status.

They were scouts, garbage men, soldiers, janitors, saboteurs, and all loyal to Vince.

To the death. Beyond all else, even.

What Vince found the most intriguing part of them, though, was that after their population had stabilized, they’d immediately fallen into smaller family units. Much like all the other species.

Many buildings of Yosemite had entire neighborhoods of Ratkin added to the rooftops.

Most seemed to consider themselves fortunate if they could convince a population of Ratkin to take up that space.

“Yes, that’d be a good weak point to hit,” Ramona shouted back. “The more of them you can kill, the better.

“They have many more mages than we do.”

Vince nodded his head glumly.

His Elven population had increased greatly, but they bred slowly when not forced to do so.

The fact that Elysia, Eva, and Thera had all produced two children each for him so quickly was apparently a touch mythical to the Elves.

It wasn’t that Elves didn’t want progeny; it just wasn’t their natural inclination to breed as prolifically as humans.

“Let’s see if that Snow Elf tribe is willing to send us a contingent of mages.

“We’ll also need to put the word out that we’re hiring mercenaries again,” Vince said.

“Yes, dear. Should we reach out to that big population of Orcs and offer them increased bonuses for recruitment?” Mouth asked.

“Not a bad idea. When we get to the outpost, find whoever Elysia sent over and get them on that,” Vince said, agreeing with her. “Let’s also get word to Duke Gerard that it’s time for him to flex his muscles.”

Pulling on the reins for the Gryphon, Vince banked it to the side and they started back for the outpost.

“Red is glad to go home. Red hates how cold it is up here,” said the Beastkin, snuggling up in her thick coat. “Red hates flying.”

“I enjoy the excuse,” Mouth said, snuggling up firmly to Vince’s back and pressing herself to him.

Red didn’t reply.

Nor did Ramona.

***

As soon as Vince got Mouth down from the Gryphon, he immediately turned and set off for the outpost.

There was a lot to do and little time to do it.

His entire country was about to be the victim of a surprise invasion. If they could get more defenders into the line, it’d slow the enemy down a bit.

He doubted they could stop them here, but if they could just hold them longer and take more of their troops, it’d help in the long run.

A Wood Elf he didn’t know came hustling out of the building towards him.

“My lord, my name i—”

“No time,” Vince said, interrupting the beautiful Elf. “I’m sorry. We can make introductions later, but I need you now. Desperately.”

The Wood Elf blushed furiously and opened her ledger slowly.

“I live to serve you,” she said, raising her chin.

“I need a message to be sent to general Petra as fast as possible. Take this as the message: Tri-lliance invasion imminent. Ready the army, send it south. Full engagement, magical focus. Share this.

“Got that?”

The Wood Elf nodded her head quickly, her eyes wide and terrified.

“Next,” Vince said, going into the main building. “A letter to Elysia. The following message: Contact Snow Elves. Need magical combat forces. Broker whatever deal needs to be done. Share this.”

“I… I got it. What else?” said the very young Wood Elf.

Looking at her now, Vince felt she looked oddly familiar, but only a hair over eighteen.

“The next one goes to Duke Gerard: Duke Gerard. The time has come to showcase your grand army in the defense of Yosemite. I need your assistance against the Tri-lliance in the south. Please move with utmost haste to assist,” Vince said, sitting down in a chair.

“Understood. Next?” asked the Elf.

Leila stepped into the building, her large eyes immediately locking on to him.

“I hear there’s a magic problem,” she said. It wasn’t even a question.

Vince stared at her for a second, admiring her.

As if realizing he was staring, Leila turned a deep, dark red, but she didn’t look away.

Leaning forward slowly, Vince smiled at her.

“Come here,” he said softly, crooking a finger at her.

Leila was one of the few women around him who didn’t prod, poke, or henpeck him.

Well, Ramona doesn’t anymore. She’s more like a puppy lately.

“Vince?” Leila asked, her approach slowing.

She came to a dead stop just outside of arms’ reach.

“I want to talk later. About Red. About you.

“Alright? Set some time aside specifically for that. Alone,” Vince said.

“O-o-ok. I can do that. Was there… anything in particular you wanted to talk about?” she asked.

“You. And those lovely eyes of yours. Other than that, consider it a surprise,” Vince said, leaning back and turning his attention back to the Elf.

Leila nodded. She moved to get seated in a chair next to Vince.

Only to have him reach out and snatch her off her feet, then plunk her down in his lap.

Before she could struggle, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and locked her into place.

“Next. I need a letter to Duke Heint,” Vince said, as if he wasn’t holding a struggling Gnome in his lap.

“V-Vince, stop,” Leila complained, her small hands fighting with his vice-like arm.

“It needs to read: Duke Heint. Tri-lliance army in the south along the border. Moving to reinforce with all possible forces. Duke Gerard has been summoned.”

Finishing what she was writing, the Wood Elf looked from Vince to Leila and back. “I have it recorded,” she said.

“Vince. Let me go,” Leila said, leaning her head down and moving to bite his forearm.

“Better not, or I’ll put my other hand up your robe and we’ll find out if you’re more than a handful,” Vince threatened, pressing his hand to her knee.

Leila froze, her teeth pressed to his skin. As she released him, he could feel the wetness her saliva left behind.

Lifting her head up, Leila slowly sank into Vince’s lap, her hands resting on his knees.

“Is that everything?” the Wood Elf asked. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes looking everywhere but at him.

“Send a note to the Duchess of Wooden Heart, with a copy of every other missive. There isn’t much she can do, but it’s good to keep her informed.

“Can you think of anything else I need to do?”

“No. But if I do, I’ll take care of it,” said the Elf, nodding her head.

“And your name is?”

“Ah… my name is Brianne. I’m… Eva’s younger sister. You bought me… in the auction when I was just a child.”

“I thought I recognized you,” Vince said, leaning back in his chair and holding Leila close. “Your family was the single luckiest thing I ever came across. Yours, Thera’s, and Elysia’s. Without the Elves, Yosemite wouldn’t be what it is.”

Brianne smiled prettily and ducked her head.

“We treasure the trust given to us as your custodians and family,” Brianne said, dipping her head further to him.

“Well, it’s earned. Alright, go take care of that for me, Brianne. As quick as you can. Quick like a bunny.”

Brianne snapped her ledger closed and scurried away, leaving him alone with Leila.

“C-could you release me now?” Leila asked, the back of her head resting on his collarbone.

“No. I like holding you. You’re a comforting weight. That and you’re so damn soft,” Vince said, prodding her hip with a fingertip.

“S-stop. Stop it. You’re not supposed to do this. You’ve haven’t done things like this in years,” Leila hissed, her right hand grabbing his wrist.

“You’re right, of course. But then I somehow turned Ramona into my wife, and Red demanded that I not turn her away when you fix her,” Vince said, resting the hand she was holding directly on her waist.

“I’m working on it,” Leila said. “I think I have a fair idea of what the curse is. I should be able to lessen it, if not break it. Soon.

“Her meals are… potent. They’ve already weakened the curse all on their own,” Leila said as Vince’s fingers began to move down her side to her hip.

Leila’s hand slowly loosened on his wrist but didn’t move away.

Leaning his head down, Vince kissed Leila’s pale throat lightly, causing her entire body to convulse.

“Vince, this isn’t fair,” Leila said as her head turned away from him. Her entire neck was now open to him.

“What isn’t?” he said, dragging his teeth against her soft skin.

“This. You know what I want. I’m not subtle.

“I don’t want to be the next Felicity, though,” Leila said, her voice becoming breathy.

“Felicity was different. I was never actually interested in her,” Vince said, closing his mouth on her neck and biting down. Not firm enough to mark her, but close.

“Mmmmmnnngh, Vince… please… don’t do this to me,” Leila said, her hand clamping down on his wrist. “Don’t… don’t get my hopes up. You’re not one to tease and flirt like this. Except with me.

“You enjoy playing with me.”

Snorting at that, Vince released her neck and then kissed her jaw.

“You’re right. I’m not one to normally flirt and tease, except when I decide on what I want.

“And I want a Gnome Warlock,” Vince said. Then he relaxed his arm around her shoulder and released her.

If she wanted to get up, she easily could.

“Now, we do have work to do, but I wanted to at least make my intentions known to you,” Vince said.

Leila let out a shuddering sigh, then pressed her back into his chest and wiggled around in his lap.

Once she was better situated, she reached up and pulled his arm around her shoulders.

“Fine. Treat me well, Vince of Yosemite, or I’ll curse your t-testicles so they fall off,” Leila muttered. “Now, I imagine you need me to work on whatever this magic problem is?”

“I do, and of course I’ll treat you well, Leila,” Vince said, leaning in to lightly sniff at her hair and ear. “You know, before we get into this magical conversation, technically you’re still my lunch.

“Do you think you’ll fit naked on a platter?”

Leila’s breath caught for a second.

“V-Vince…” she said, her voice strangled.

“Just a thought. Now… about that magical veil they have.”

***

Sam buzzed in low and landed on Vince’s shoulder with a soft pat.

“Vince,” she said, wrapping an arm around his head.

As large as she was, she looked like the biggest Fairy anyone had ever seen.

She claimed she was a Fae and Vince had no way to prove or disprove that, but she did seem to slowly be getting bigger.

Much unlike a Fairy.

“Hello Sam,” Vince said, reaching up to lay his hand on her legs, holding her in place on his shoulder.

Stable now, she let go of his head and brought a satchel specially made for her around, pulling out its contents.

“Dispatch from Elysia. They got your messages,” Sam said, holding it out for him.

“Give me the abbreviated version?”

“They’re on their way. Fes didn’t get your message as she had already left. Petra got it, though.

“She’s modifying her plans accordingly. All the Ratkin on scouting duty are charging their way here and should be the first to arrive.

“Other than that, not much.”

Vince nodded and tucked the missive into his clothes. He’d read it later.

Sam made it a habit to read the messages she was carrying, if only to give him the more salient points.

He’d been relying on her for a while now.

“Good work, Sam,” Vince said, then started to dump his entire surplus of magic into her.

Sam twitched and slumped to the side, her body draping over his head.

Walking along the perimeter facing the south, Vince continued to fill her up.

There wasn’t anything he could see from here. Though logically, he knew he probably should be able to see at least signs of the enemy army.

It took twenty minutes, but his grove was slowly starting to close off his ability to push out mana.

Closing up the outpouring, Vince continued to watch the south.

Sam always ended up a little drunk after he filled her.

Even after all these years, though, he wasn’t where he’d been power-wise with the original trees. But he was getting close.

Too bad I’m drowning in Dryads now. Though the biggest problem is going to be coming in twenty years.

When all those Dryads we sent over to Mila’s grove have their own children, and then those come to my grove.

Shuddering at the very idea of having hundreds of Dryad wives, Vince finally turned back towards the outpost main building.

“Damnit Vince,” Sam mumbled, pushing against his head to sit upright. “Warn me before you do that.”

“Why? It’s fun to do it this way. You’re a funny drunk.”

“I hate you,” Sam said, her voice slurring as she swayed around on his shoulder. “Hate you so much. You’re the reason I keep getting bigger, you know. Every time you fill me up like that.”

“Oh? If I keep doing it, will you eventually get to be human size?” Vince asked, stepping into the building and closing the door behind him.

“’Ventually,” Sam said, one of her arms resting atop his head as if she couldn’t sit upright. “Why… gonna make me big and wife me?”

“Maybe. Could be fun. I don’t have a Fae wife yet. You could be the representative for all Fairy-type creatures.”

Sam slumped against his head.

“You’re a cad,” she said against his hair. “You have enough wives.”

“I am indeed a cad. Hold still, going to sit down,” Vince said, holding tighter to her legs.

Once he got down into the chair, he released her and pulled out the missive.

Reading it over quickly, he made a copy and set it to one side.

Brianne will want one of these for her notes. Can’t be a very good assistant if she isn’t aware of things.

“Felicity won’t take you, you know,” Sam said suddenly.

“Good. I don’t want her as a wife anyways. She can do better than me.

“Besides, as a cad, I already have a Dark Elf,” Vince said.

Sam giggled at that, patting his head roughly.

Then she slid forward and fell off his shoulder, landing in his lap.

Sprawling out, she rolled onto her back, her wings folding up around her.

“Gonna nap now. You can have me whenever you want, but you have to wait till I’m bigger to bed me. You’ll break me otherwise,” Sam murmured, her eyes sliding closed.

“Drunken fool,” Vince said with a grin. Leaning over to a nearby chair, he grabbed his coat that was hanging off it.

Draping it and Sam over his lap, he went back to his paperwork.

He needed to get his written orders together for now, until Petra could take over.

I’m no general. Petra needs to take all this and get it put together.

Though… this is probably a good time to figure out who would take her place, in case two fronts develop.

Just like Fes having a second and Elysia having a second, Petra really needs one as well.

The door opened and Vince looked up.

Yaris walked through the doorway and closed it behind herself.

Surprised and not quite sure what to say, Vince stared at her.

“Hello, my king. I decided I would join you. Your other wives suggested it, and I felt they were correct,” Yaris said, pulling off her own coat. There was a slight uptick in her tone at “other wives” that Vince didn’t miss.

“You really don’t need to say it like that,” Vince said, watching his queen shrug out of her coat.

Yaris paused with one arm out and then nodded at him.

“You’re right, husband. Much as you were right about calling them concubines.

“I suppose… I suppose I’m just…” Yarris paused, looking around. The building was empty.

She pulled her coat off the rest of the way, then draped it over a chair.

“I suppose… I’m afraid. I don’t want to be just another wife to you. I want to be your queen,” she said with a fragile smile.

Vince blinked once, then smiled at her.

“You are my queen. And there is only one. You don’t need to treat the others as enemies, though.

“I thought you were over that.”

“Yes dear,” Yaris said, looking down to the ground. She kicked at something, looking the part of a scolded child. “And yes, I am over it. I guess I was feeling petty.”

“Cheer up, my queen,” Vince said with a grin. “We have eternity to figure it all out. Although it’s a political marriage, I do find myself falling ever more in love with you.”

Yaris lifted her head, watching him.

“Really?” she asked.

“Quite so. Now, how about you come over here and fill me in on what’s going on at home, and I’ll give you the rundown here.”

“That’d be… good. I also have a note from Petra,” Yaris said, reaching into a pocket. “She sent it after Sam had already left.”

Yaris handed it over to him and took a seat.

Flipping the note over, Vince cracked it open and read it.

Petra wanted him to go on a deep strike into the enemy support camp.

And do anything he could.

Well. I’m good at wrecking things.

Chapter 5

Flitting through the evening shadows, Vince kept himself low to the ground.

They were deep into Tri-lliance territory—well behind their entire army at this point—and had worked through the enemy’s defensive screens.

Ramona had ruled out entry by air. If the enemy had a Dragon, they’d have to deal with it in the air. Which was something no one wanted.

The border was far enough away that it had been safe to scout, but not directly over the enemy encampment itself.

“Red smells the Dragons,” said the Beastkin at his side. “That way. Two of them.”

Following Red’s pointed finger, he could see several tents that were larger than the others.

Ramona and Leila were bunched up behind Vince and Red. The warlock looked particularly unsure.

“Two?” Ramona asked.

“Red smells two. Male and female,” Red said, nodding. “Hear them, too. Mating.”

“Leila, you think if I charge you up, you could pull the souls out of two Dragons?” Vince asked.

If he could drop two Dragons before the war even started, it’d be in his best interest to do so.

Leila frowned, her hands pressing together as she thought on it.

“M-maybe. Most definitely one. The second one… fifty-fifty,” said the warlock.

“And if I charged you up and gave you time to really build the spell? Like, say… thirty minutes while we take care of their supplies?”

Leila let out a pent-up breath and shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe? Seventy-thirty if I build it up afterward. Dragons are tough. There’s a reason most people avoid them,” she said.

Vince nodded and looked to the tents.

“If I powered you up, left you here with Ramona, and let you build it up, would that work?”

“Yes. It’d work. I take it Ramona would be my exit before anyone could act?” Leila asked.

“That’d be the plan. I’d really rather this go down with you taking both of their lives in such a way that no one even notices, and us getting out unseen.”

Ramona snorted at that and reached up to one of her horns. “You’re not asking for much.”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you could do it,” Vince said. Then he wrapped an arm around Leila and pulled her into his lap.

Before she could argue, he opened himself up to his grove and dumped everything into the Gnome as fast as possible.

As fast as possible.

She can handle it. Sam can’t. Or the Elves.

Leila went limp against him, her eyes wide and unseeing. Occasionally twitching.

“Red thinks you do that just to torture her.”

“Maybe a little,” Vince admitted.

“Red knows it is so. If it was not, you’d do more than just hold her.”

Ramona thought on that, then nodded. “I agree with Red.”

Having opened it to maximum flow, Vince emptied his entire grove reserve in little under five minutes.

As quick as it’d started, the grove cut him off.

“Ramona, she’s yours. Get her set up for a quick take-off. Keep low, head out east, then loop back north. Meet up at the outpost,” Vince said, holding out the dazed and confused Leila.

“No,” Ramona said, crossing her arms over her chest. “We’ll wait till she comes out of it; then you can tell her goodbye properly.”

Vince growled but pulled Leila back into his lap and waited.

“Red agrees with Ramona. You must do things correctly,” Red said, nodding.

Red and Ramona looked at each other, then smiled in sync and looked back to Vince.

Grumbling, Vince said nothing to them and watched Leila closely for signs of her coming to.

Her large, purple, glittering eyes were glassy. Slowly, though, he could see the pupils incrementally start to contract back to normal.

Vince wasn’t sure how much time actually passed, but it felt like it took longer for Leila to “wake up” than it had to fill her up.

And when she did start to move—and blink, and not be a rock—she was still clearly out of it.

“Vince,” she said, blinking several times.

“I’m right here,” he said, peering into her eyes.

Her hands came up, grabbed him by the sides of the head, and pulled him down. She kissed him firmly and roughly.

Several seconds passed before she released him, melting back into his lap.

“I did it,” she said, staring through him.

“Yeah, you did it,” Vince said, trying hard to pretend that hadn’t just happened. “I’m going to hand you off to Ramona now so you can start preparing your soul stealer spell for those Dragons, ok?”

“Ok, Vince,” Leila said dreamily.

Handing the Gnome off to Ramona, Vince looked to the Dragonnewt.

“Give me—” Vince paused to look up at the moon, directly overhead. It’d set before sunrise. “Moon-set. Then hit them with the spell. Got it?”

“Yes,” Ramona said, cradling the woozy Leila.

Vince turned on his heel and slunk off in the direction of the supply depot.

“Red thinks you’re being cruel to Leila.”

“I told her I’d take her as my wife when the time was right,” Vince said, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

“Oh. Oh, that is… Red… Red understands. Good.”

“It happened right after my discussion with you, when I said I’d take you as a wife.”

Red smashed her hip into him and rubbed her head fiercely under his chin.

She was actually purring loudly. Her hands dug into him, practically pulling him down to the grass.

“Red, stop. We don’t have time right now,” Vince said, holding her hands with his own.

“Red is happy.”

“I’m glad. But we have a mission, ok?”

“Red is very happy,” said the Beastkin, ignoring him. Her face turned to the side and she started to rub it into his neck.

“Red, please. We need to get moving.”

“Red is so very happy though.”

“I’m glad, but we need to go. I’ll give you a super-good scritch-scratch and a meal if you get moving now.”

“Red understands.”

Freeing him, Red set off at a distance-eating lope. Her tail swished behind her wildly as she went.

For a member of a cat species, she really didn’t look like one.

Far more like a fox.

She didn’t stop until they reached the massive depot that’d been brought up for this army.

Massive was the only word that came to mind for Vince. Even that didn’t quite feel accurate. This was more than enough supplies to last a very long time. Even for a force of the size brought up by the Tri-lliance.

“I don’t even know how we can go about this,” Vince muttered, looking out across the layout.

Red shook her head, clearly annoyed.

“Red wishes for Ratkin. They are very good at this.”

“Yeah… but we don’t have that luxury. Let’s just see if we can’t make this look like an accident.

“Fire ruins supplies nicely. Take a look and see if they have anything that’d go up quick and nasty. With any luck, it’ll spread all on its own.”

“Kerosene?” Red asked, indicating deeper into the supply yard.

“They have oil? They actually put an oil dump in their supply dump?”

Red nodded her head. “Red can smell it. Hard to miss.”

“That’d work… lead on.”

A minute later and Vince was standing in front of a low mountain of casks.

“This is just stupid,” he murmured, looking at the stack. “Arrogance, or a fool of a supply master. I’m not sure which. I’ll take whatever grace has given me, though.

“Now, how do we go about lighting it so it looks like it could be accidental?”

Looking around, Vince couldn’t see anything that could start a fire.

In fact, now that he was looking, everything around the casks was a flame retardant.

Brick, stone, ore, rock, soil, weapons, metal.

Everything around it was fairly unlikely to burn.

It still didn’t make any sense, but it didn’t seem as insane anymore.

“Whatever, it’ll have to do. We’ll just have to hope the flame jumps,” Vince muttered, shaking his head. “Still don’t have an ignition source though.”

Looking over to Red, he found her dragging what looked like a guard by the ankle with one hand. In her other hand was a burning torch.

“Silly guard was walking around with this. Was blinded by his own light, didn’t see Red until she was on him.

“Red clubbed him in the back of the head. Maybe it’ll look like an accident.

“Doesn’t matter. Red is tired of this and wants to be fed and scratched. Time to run,” Red said, then flung the torch into the kerosene mountain.

The obscene amount of strength she put into the throw made the torch flicker and whine as it spun through the air.

With a dull crack, the barrel it hit split open and the liquid began spilling out rapidly all over.

Kerosene had an unmistakable smell, and it was overwhelming now.

Vince looked to Red, who gave him a bright, feral smile—right at the same time as everything started to catch fire, giving her a glowing orange silhouette.

“Run!” Red said to him, her smile growing wider.

Vince turned and sprinted back out the way they’d come.

Behind them, the entire mound of kerosene was going up in a blaze, the likes of which Vince doubted he’d ever see again.

The light it put out only grew brighter and brighter, everything around them becoming visible as if it were day.

Red laughed the entire time they ran.

Vince suddenly detoured to one side, heading back towards the tent with the Dragons.

If we can wait there, and Leila gets this done right… we might be able to raid the tent for anything of use.

Letters, maps, orders—any of that would be helpful to Petra, I bet.

Vince was willing to take anything he could put his hands to.

Red had steered herself back to his side, looking at him curiously.

“I want to see if the Dragons have anything in their tent we can use.”

Red bobbed her head, then looked back at the fire with a huge grin on her face.

Vince took one look back.

The fire was gigantic now. He could even feel the heat radiating out from this distance.

Holy shit.

***

Cuddled up next to a tree stump, Vince watched the tent.

For the life of him, he couldn’t tell if Leila had already acted or not.

Everyone around was rushing towards the fire to help how they could. But no one disturbed the Dragon tent.

In fact, every single person made a deliberately wide path around it.

Avoiding it outright. As if they wanted nothing to do with it on any level.

“This is weird,” Red said, eying the tent. “They treat it with fear. Red doesn’t understand.”

“Not every leader leads through loyalty and love. Some do it with fear and hate.

“The way they won’t even come to the tent to tell them the entire supply depot is on fire makes me wonder if they often kill the messenger,” Vince said.

Getting up, Vince jogged over to the tent. Slipping around the side of it, he eased up to the entrance and peered inside.

It was filled with furniture. Expensive furniture.

Slumped together on the bed was a man atop a woman. Both were nude, and both looked very dead.

At least Vince thought so, considering that the man was bleeding from the mouth as if he had thrown up blood all over the face of the woman.

Moving inside the tent, Vince flicked the flaps shut and immediately went to the closest desk.

He began tearing through it, grabbing and reading anything and everything he could find.

Then realized he’d have no way of sorting out what was good and what was bad without spending way too much time here.

Picking up as much as he could, he began stuffing it into his armor and clothes.

Wasn’t I just complaining that I’d rather take a courier job? Well, here we go.

Opening the desk drawers, he didn’t find anything else.

“Shit. Alright. I guess time’s up,” Vince said to no one.

“People coming—quick, under,” Red whispered urgently, holding up the base of the tent from the outside.

It looked like it’d be high enough for him to roll out, but not much more.

Pressing his arms in tight, Vince tucked himself in and went sideways out under the tent wall.

Red let it snap into place and then they both fell still and silent. Listening.

“My lord and lady. We… we had an accident,” said a voice.

“I’m truly sorry. Please forgive me for not reporting this earlier. I didn’t wish to trouble you while… while you were… while you were busy. And not without an answer or a solution to the problem.”

There was a pause now. As if the soldier was waiting for a response that he feared and also expected.

“My lord? My lady?” asked the soldier, his tone changing. “Are you awake?”

“Ah… I’ll… trouble you in the morning. They can’t hear me…” the soldier said, and Vince heard the sound of boots trudging through the grass.

Looking off toward where the blaze had been going on, Vince frowned. The entire conflagration had been put out as if it had never been.

Then he shook his head in a sudden realization.

Magic. We’ll need the Ratkin for a proper sabotage of their supplies. Let’s hope they get here soon.

Vince checked his surroundings and Red, then snuck away into the night.

***

Yaris was sorting through all the paperwork Vince had brought in. Reading through each one and then setting them into piles on the desk in front of her.

“The vast majority of these are simple reports on Yosemite, the roads, and what the patrols have encountered so far,” she said, sniffing delicately. “And a few strange notes from what seems like another female dragon to a male. Though the wording seems to hint towards an affair, rather than a couple.”

Vince sighed and rubbed his hands across his face.

“In other words, I brought you a whole lot of junk mail,” he said.

“Yes dear, you did. But that’s alright. It’s intelligence they no longer have. Though it gives us nothing, it denies them a resource they had up until last night,” Yaris said, giving him a smile. “So while it isn’t a critical success, it’s still a success.”

“Thanks for that. Have we heard anything from the Ratkin?”

“Nothing yet. I imagine they’re moving with all due haste. They’re not exactly suited for large migrations, you realize.”

Vince got up and went for the door. “Going for a walk.”

Yaris made a humming noise as she continued to sort through all the paperwork he’d brought.

Stepping outside, Vince immediately turned towards the border and walked in that direction.

Sam fluttered over to him and landed on his shoulder.

“There’s movement out there,” she said.

“There is?”

“Yes. We can’t see what it is yet, but there’s movement.

“Leila and Ramona went up to take a look a little bit ago. I imagine they’ll be back soon.”

“Great. With any luck, they’re leaving now that those two Dragons are ghosted.”

Sam shrugged her shoulders, one arm wrapping around Vince’s head.

Reaching up, he grabbed her by the thighs and immediately started to empty magic into her. Though he did it much slower this time.

There was no telling what was going on, but he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to charge her up if he had it.

“You do it on purpose,” Sam said, her voice a little breathless. “Trying to make me bigger.”

“I sure am. Problem with that?”

“None, actually. Just… just give a girl a warning.”

“No fun in that.”

Sam slumped over onto Vince’s head, her breathing becoming deep and slow.

“At least you’re not flooding me this time. I can almost keep my head above water.”

Vince rolled his vision from one side of the border to the other.

He couldn’t see a thing. Everything looked the same as far as he could tell.

Ramona landed with a thump, Leila peering at him from over the Dragonnewt’s shoulder.

“They’re coming! The entire army is heading this way. They left everything behind and they’re already across the border. They’ll be here swiftly. We need to pull back as quickly as possible and reorganize. There’s nothing we can do here,” Ramona said.

Vince felt his stomach fall out from underneath him and his skin prickle with a cold sweat.

“Damn.” Vince pressed a hand to his temple, as if he could somehow knock the memory loose and pretend it had never happened.

“Alright. Let’s get everyone moving. I’ll get Yaris and Mouth onto the Gryphon. Red, you stay with Ramona and Leila and get the message spread on your way out.

“Sam, I need you to get to Petra and tell her what’s going on. She’ll need to know so she can plan accordingly.”

Sam blasted off from his shoulder without a word and vanished from sight.

Shaking his head, Vince went about his business to help pack everything up as quickly as they could.

War was coming to Yosemite.

May the heavens above give us guidance and protection in these times. And if they can’t… then the hell with them.

Chapter 6

The entire affair was a constant rolling retreat. From one end of the Yosemite border to the other, all the outposts, forts, and defenses were abandoned outright.

It’d taken a number of days, and Ramona had gone up several times each day to check the enemy position, but Vince and everyone else had remained just ahead of the enemy.

All the soldiers of Yosemite had long since pulled out.

Every single one of them was under standing orders to fall back and regroup with the main army under Petra.

Vince, Red, Ramona, Leila, Mouth, and Yaris had all rolled into the camp not more than a minute ago.

All around them was the standard camp deployment Vince had seen a few times before, when Yosemite’s armies had gone on the march.

So far, no one had noticed him. Vince looked like any other of the soldiers running into camp.

It didn’t hurt that Vince had stolen a helmet and pulled it down over his head.

Anonymity at its finest.

Vince was rather pleased with himself. When he’d tried to do the same in Yosemite, he’d been approached almost immediately by a guard to get checked.

Helmets and cloaks that covered one’s face simply weren’t allowed in the city.

Moving through soldiers who were preparing tents and depots, Vince had to admire his people.

This fallback point was the last defensive line for Vegas. A tall stone wall had been built firm and solid. A second border, as they’d called it at the time.

The bet had been that the Tri-lliance would eventually come calling. This was a much easier point to defend, being so much closer to Vegas.

Vince made a mental note to thank Elysia for her paranoid preparations.

The number of troops holding here should be enough to at least grind the enemy to a halt and force them into an unfavorable position.

On top of that, the regular army should be here by tomorrow. Those numbers would make it so the enemy couldn’t simply try to steamroll them with might.

Or so Vince thought. He wasn’t the planner here. Petra was. Petra and Thera, amusingly enough.

“Red has found Petra—this way. And Bringer is not half as clever as he thinks he is. All know Red and Leila, all know you are always nearby.

“The helmet just makes Bringer seem silly,” Red said, moving ahead at a light jog.

Vince pulled the helmet off his head wordlessly and tossed it towards an equipment pile.

Red wasn’t wrong, of course. He really had been silly about the whole thing. It wasn’t as if people didn’t know his companions.

It isn’t as if Red, Ramona, and Leila aren’t recognizable by more or less everyone.

Red passed through the guards around Petra’s command tent with only a glance.

Vince followed behind, stepping inside.

Petra stood alone over a table, looking over a map with wooden tokens on it.

Her antennae twitched and then swung towards Vince. A second later, her head turned to face him.

“This one greets her husband but must send him away immediately.

“This one has received several missives. Duke Gerard engaged a second Tri-lliance army on his way south,” Petra said.

She looked back to the table, fished around in a stack of papers, and pulled one out.

Moving over to Vince, she held it out to him.

“These are the exact details he sent. It seems it’s the same size as the army we face down here.

“This one worries the duke will not be able to hold out by himself. Being your general, this one asks you to go assist, as your talents are unique,” Petra said with a small smile.

“In addition, the queen of the Snow Elves is willing to meet and discuss becoming a duchy. She has requested to speak with you personally.

“This one believes she will insert herself as another wife into your harem. As your general, this one is instructing her husband to bed her immediately and impregnate her,” Petra said, prodding him in the chest with a finger. “Yosemite needs their magic.

“At the same time, the Orc warlord of Texas has decided they will meet you as well. This one believes that will be much easier, and they will only ask for you to make them warchief of an army.”

Vince took all that in.

It made sense, of course. Both what their potential allies wanted and what Petra wanted of him.

“A second army?” Vince asked, looking at the note from Duke Gerard.

“Yes. This one suspects it is equal to the one we face here.

“You should also consider rewarding the duke of Denver for his swift thinking in placing his forces in front of that enemy army.

“His losses were probably not light, all for the sake of stopping them there. Otherwise, it’s likely their target was Yosemite itself,” Petra said.

“Well… suppose that definitely shows Gerard is trustworthy. He could have easily let them pass and retreated back to Denver,” Vince mused, holding the note but not reading it.

“This one agrees. Go, husband. A general’s meeting will occur shortly, and you need to take your Gryphon and go.”

Petra leaned in close to him and kissed him tenderly, her hand coming up to touch his face.

“Be safe. This one… I do not wish to bury you. My life will be short as it is—the idea of living it without you is… terrifying.”

***

Vince looked down over the side of his mount.

Below, he could see a large tent in the middle of a field, several miles north of the location of the previous battle.

Gerard and the enemy general were staring across it at each other. The only bodies left on the field were those chopped to bits and mangled forms of Undead that hadn’t survived.

The enemy dead was of course missing—more than likely fresh troops for Gerard.

Around the tent below, in three directions, were three different small camps.

Even at a glance, Vince could identify each one. One had the colors of Yosemite, with the banner of the duke of Denver.

Another the Snow Elves in the north.

The last was the Orcs of Texas.

Vince chuckled to himself and pulled to the side. The Gryphon responded to the command and dove towards the ground at a steep incline.

Mouth shrieked behind him, pressing herself up tightly to Vince’s back.

Before they could crash into the ground, the Gryphon pulled itself out of the dive with powerful flaps of its physics-damning wings.

Landing gently with only a bare hint of a bump, Vince grinned. Stroking the Gryphon on the head, he leaned over it.

“I’ll give you a rabbit for that later. That was well done,” Vince said, soothing into where he believed its ear was.

“You’re an ass, dear,” Mouth said, thumping him on the back with her fist. “I’m not going to give you the normal treatment tonight. You can earn it back or do without.”

“Sorry, my pretty Dryad. I’m sure I can earn it back,” Vince said. Getting off his mount, he held his arms open to Mouth. “Come. I’ll give you a backrub later and you can tell me how you’d like to be shamed tonight.”

“Truly?” Mouth asked, peering down at him. She folded her arms under her breasts, forcing them up and further into view.

Even though Vince slept with Mouth several times a week, and at least provided a meal through her to Red once a day, he still couldn’t resist her charms. His skin prickled and he could feel his body immediately responding to her temptations.

“Truly. Come. Let me wrap my arms around you and steal a kiss or two before the others arrive.”

Mouth smiled at him, then lightly hopped off the mount and into Vince’s arms.

“As to being shamed,” Mouth said, holding to Vince and pressing her face to his neck. “Maybe make me watch if you have to bring the Snow Elf into the harem? It’s been a while since you made me do that with the others.”

Ramona landed with a soft thump next to them. She eyed Vince with an eyebrow raised.

“I’m going to tear your head off tonight and stuff it up your ass,” she growled out.

Leila disconnected herself from the harness that had strapped her to Ramona’s back, then landed on a disc of air.

Yaris had remained with Petra since she didn’t have much to add here.

Oh? Is the Dragon actually jealous? Maybe… maybe that reptilian little monster is feeling a touch hoard-like?

Kissing Mouth once, Vince patted her on the shoulder and went over to Ramona.

She stood up straight to her full height as he came close. She lifted her chin, looking down at him. Her eyes glittered in a way he recognized.

It was the same way she eyed him when she was just about to attack him and try to kill him before they went into rough sex.

Reaching up, he grabbed her gently by a horn and guided her head down. He did it with no strength, giving her the opportunity to resist.

And yet she did not.

Using both hands, he began to lightly caress the skin at the base of her horns.

“Be calm, my Dragoness. You are their equal in every way. There’s no reason to be this way,” Vince said soothingly.

Ramona frowned at him, her slitted eyes focusing on him.

“Truly. You’re their equal. Equal to Berenga, Yaris, Meliae, everyone. If you want to spar and have a romp afterward, I’m all for it. But don’t go into it with anger. There’s no need for jealousy,” Vince crooned, his thumbs pressing to the base of her horns as his fingers stroked her skin.

Ramona’s mouth twitched and then she nodded her head, lowering it further to him.

“Will you rub my horns more? Tonight as well? That feels really good,” she said.

“Of course I will, my Dragoness. You needed only ask. Now. I’m sure we’ll have our guests arriving soon. Do you feel a bit better now?”

“Yes… dear. I do. I’m sorry, my Dragon is possessive,” Ramona said, her hands coming out to rest on his hips. “And I would like to spar later, then make love.”

“Of course. Let’s see what the Snow Elf wants to do, and then maybe we can do that and make Mouth watch. I’ll let you tie her up and everything.”

“Ok,” Ramona said, unmoving as he continued to rub her horns.

“Red sees the old one coming. As well as an Elf and an Orc from different directions,” said the Beastkin.

“Y-yes. The Elf is a mage as well. She is… very powerful. More so than Elysia is, if you haven’t charged her for a while,” Leila added.

“Oh? That’s good news. We need more mages. If they’re powerful on top of that, that’s better,” Vince said, still working Ramona’s horns and the area around them.

“Nnnnnnn,” Ramona moaned, her wings shuddering on her back.

“That’s it for now, my Dragoness. We can continue later,” Vince said, patting her on the brow.

Turning to face the direction the duke would be approaching from, Vince straightened his armor and clothes.

Even though he’d been wearing it for years, he still wasn’t used to the brigandine armor. He missed his leathers.

Deciding to give the duke some added respect, Vince started to walk towards Gerard.

The older man looked much better than he had when they’d first met in Vegas.

Denver had done wonders for the Necromancer.

He still looked ancient, but no longer did he look brittle.

Around the older man, several Orcs, two Elf mages, and a group of Dryads rounded out his honor guard. It was a formidable force and could adapt to anything that happened

As he saw Vince heading his way, the grin that spread over Gerard’s face was unmistakable.

Meeting the older man halfway between, Vince held out his hand to the duke.

“Well met, Duke Gerard,” he said.

“And you as well, my lord Vince. I have to say, I was quite pleased to hear from the general that you were on your way up here,” the older man said in his raspy voice.

“There was no way I could leave you up here by yourself, Duke. Walk with me. I know I saw you a month ago, but how are you? Anything new?” Vince said, turning back towards the meeting point.

“Not really. I did manage to convince those two Necromancers to swear into my service. I’d like to put one in Yosemite itself. I think they could be useful, and would help to change opinion of my kind,” Gerard said.

Vince nodded at that. Having a Necromancer on site could indeed be useful. He’d spoken with Leila at length at what a Necromancer could do without converting someone to the Undead.

The list had been long.

“I think that’d be agreeable. I’ll speak with Elysia after this and we can get moving on that.”

Gerard nodded slowly.

“I take it the general told you about the Snow Elves?”

“Yes. Sounds like I’ll be picking up another wife.”

“She’s young and attractive at least. I do miss the joys of the flesh. My old bones just wouldn’t take it though, I’m afraid,” Gerard said a bit wistfully.

Vince couldn’t help but agree. The idea of not being able to have sex sounded… depressing.

As they neared the meeting ground, Vince could see a singular Elf and an Orc.

The Elf interested him.

She was as short as Eva, though her hair was white and her skin almost as pale.

Her eyes were dark, though. Dark to the point of looking black in color.

She had the strange ethereal beauty that almost all Elves had. Slightly alien features with high cheekbones.

She wore furs and leathers, and looked quite a bit more feral than his “house” Elves.

Next to her was a young Orc. He was broad. Very broad. Looking much like the rest of his species, but bigger. With black hair and standard green skin.

Dressed in a steel breastplate and chain mail, he looked much more like a human foot soldier.

Smart enough to adapt to the times, at least. Most Orcs won’t wear armor unless you tell them to.

Vince came to a stop in front of the two Wasters.

“I’m Vince. Lord of Yosemite. This is Duke Gerard of Denver. I’ve come to negotiate bringing your people into Yosemite and helping to secure all the surrounding territories and populations around you,” Vince said.

“Ha!” the Orc said loudly, banging a fist to his chest. “I like you! Straight to it. No politics, nothing stupid.”

Duke Gerard chuckled, leaning on his staff.

“It’s one of the best qualities of my lord. He only measures people by what they can do—nothing about who or what they are,” said the old man. “Necromancer or otherwise.”

The Orc grinned at that, his bright tusks visible.

“I, Berten, greet the lord of Yosemite,” said the Orc.

“Berten?” Vince asked, curious now.

“Yes, Berten. I’m the warchief of what you humans call Texas. I have a large tribe. My Fes has arranged six wives for me, and I have slain all challengers,” said Berten proudly. “Have you heard of me?”

Vince grinned, wondering if things would be even easier than he thought.

“I might have. Would you happen to be from an Orc tribe in the west? Left maybe… five or six years ago?”

Berten frowned.

“Yes. I did,” he said, his attitude changing rapidly. “I… was not old or experienced enough to challenge for my family’s tribe.”

It really is. Maybe Berenga will give me a present for this one.

“Then I bring you greetings from your sister, Berenga—my Fes—your mother Berest, and your grandfather Bermeen.

“Oh, and a niece you haven’t met yet. Berest, my daughter,” Vince said, then held out a hand to the Orc. “Brother in law.”

Berten stared at Vince unblinkingly, then started laughing. “I have a niece? You made Berenga Fes of Yosemite?”

Berten charged forward and snapped up Vince in a very manly and big hug.

Lifting Vince off the ground, Berten swung him back and forth as if he were a child.

“That is the best news I’ve ever heard! What about the rest of my tribe?” Berten said, putting Vince down. He laid his big hands on Vince’s shoulders, leaning in close.

He looked eager.

Homesick.

“I took care of those two idiots personally, if that’s what you’re asking, and took the entire gathering to Yosemite. All of them,” Vince said.

Berten leaned his head back and barked a laugh from the bottom of his soul, it looked like.

“Oh, this is too rich. Where is Berenga? And my niece, you said you named her for mother? Wait till my own children meet their aunt and cousin.” Berten said, his mind clearly wandering in his rambling speech.

“She’s with my general in the south, fighting a Tri-lliance army. Berest is with your mother back in Yosemite.

“I take it you’re willing to swear to me as the duke of Texas then, and—”

“Of course!” Berten shouted, interrupting Vince. “That’s not even a question anymore. How could I not serve my brother? It’s like serving my own tribe! Ah, such a good day. I’ll head back and get my people moving.”

Berten turned and nodded his head to Gerard. “We’ll be coming in from your south to support you, Duke.”

Laughing once more, Berten slapped his hand on Vince’s shoulder and strutted away. Looking even larger than he had previously.

The Snow Elf sighed with a strange smile.

“I imagine he’ll be the first to take any order you give him and complete it,” said the Elf. Her voice was in the higher range, but still clearly Elven. “Finding out his brother-in-law is the lord of Yosemite and his sister the Fes? His own honor was just greatly expanded upon. It wouldn’t be a dishonor to anyone for him to serve you.”

Vince looked to the Elf. She seemed odd to him. Somewhere between Thera and Elysia, but simply more… well… cold.

“I, on the other hand, have my own requirements to serve you. I would discuss them with you in private, however. I’ll be inside. And bring the Dryads,” the Elf said, pointing to the tent, then walked into it without another word.

“Red doesn’t like her,” Red said, snorting. “She reeks of confidence. Yaris is a better Elf queen. She listens to people and will change her mind.”

“Suppose we’ll find out,” Vince said. “Excuse me.”

Walking into the tent behind the Elf, Vince wasn’t sure what to expect.

Chapter 7

Vince looked around and found the tent to be rather simple. Several tables, chairs, a desk, and a bookshelf.

The ground was short-cut grass and little else.

“I wanted to discuss your wives, your children, and your expectations of both,” said the Elf. She’d already gone ahead and sat herself down at the table after removing her fur jacket.

Vince came over to her and sat down next to her, rather than across from her. He’d take whatever he could to put her off her game, since it seemed she had an agenda and a method for this meeting.

“Alright. We can start there if you like,” Vince said.

Behind him, Gerard’s Dryad guards and Mouth entered, then fanned out around the tent.

The guards had all been trained in martial combat and were not any less than their soldier counterparts. Whether they looked like sex objects or not, they were lethal.

“Your wives—what requirements do you have of them?”

“They all have jobs and duties specific to them. They all reside with me at Yosemite. That’s about it,” Vince said.

The Elf tilted her head to the side, watching him.

“That’s it? No requirements on how many children they provide for you? How often they frequent your bed?” she asked.

“No. Not at all. And before we go further, could you perhaps give me your name? I’d hate to address you as you,” Vince replied evenly.

“Caroline,” said the Elf with a smile. “So… no real requirements at all. What of your dukes and duchesses?”

“There’s an entire packet of information for that an—”

Mouth laid a packet down in front of Caroline with a smile.

“Here you are,” said the Dryad.

Vince smiled up at Mouth. “Thanks. Well, Caroline, it’s fairly simple. The requirements of my vassals are quite different than those of my wives, because my wives aren’t vassals. They’re equals.”

“Hmm,” Caroline mused. Reaching out, she opened the packet and flipped through several pages. “Quite extensive.”

“Elysia, my High Elf wife, put it together. It’s quite well thought out.”

“Yes. I heard you had several Elven wives.”

Caroline let the packet close and turned her eyes back to him.

“Four. A Royal Elf, a High Elf, a Wood Elf, and a Night Elf.”

“Quite the collection. Trying to get a wife from every sub-species of Elf? You’re only missing Snow Elves, Desert Elves, and Winged Elves.

“Though I haven’t seen either of the other two in my lifetime, my grandmother had stories of them. Supposedly they lived in the southern lands, but that was many years ago.”

Vince smiled at her offer of personal information. It was a starting point, he felt.

“I’d love to hear those stories sometime. What we know of the Wastes seems very limited. If your clan has been in the area for a while, it might have extensive knowledge.”

“Another time,” Caroline said with a flick of her elegant fingers. “So… your children. What are your succession plans? I imagine the Royal Elf is… very concerned with that. Supposedly, they usually were.”

“Ah, that’s a bit complicated. My children with Yaris are indeed classified as royal, but they’re not in line for succession. At least, not directly. They have the same chance as all of my children to lead.

“The simplest way of explaining this is to think of a council. Each wife has a family seat at the council, and were I to fall, die, or become infirm, that council would activate.

“If the children of my wives are old enough, they would form and elect a leader amongst themselves. That person would govern Yosemite but would need to work with the council. If they’re not old enough, their mothers would act as regents,” Vince said. Meliae had explained the whole thing to him one night. It had sounded complicated, but at least reasonable.

“In other words, any of your children could end up as the ruler of Yosemite. What’s to stop any one of them from just taking control?” Caroline asked.

“The Dryads,” Vince said, indicating the women around him. “They’re all my… every Dryad of my grove is my grove wife. They’ve all provided me with children. Some human, most Dryad.

“If the ruler doesn’t listen to the council, or the council doesn’t work with the ruler, the Dryads will step in and… solve the issue.”

“These as well?” Caroline asked, indicating the Dryad guards.

“I’ve given Lord Vince six children,” said the guard Caroline had pointed at. “I’m on the lower side of the average, but… I have problems letting the others care for my children for me.

“It’s difficult to be sent out on missions.”

The Dryad smiled sheepishly, looking to Vince and then away again.

“And you?” Caroline said, pointing to a rather broad-shouldered Dryad.

“Thirteen Dryads, one human,” she said. “We all bear an obligation to have as many Dryads as possible for our husband.”

Caroline shook her head.

“In other words, the entire ruling element of Yosemite is your children.”

“Yes. The Dryads are the protectors of the virtue of Yosemite, the council its will and the ruler its direction.

“Working together, they’ll be fine. I figure I can retire in a decade or two and slip away to a quiet mansion and enjoy life,” Vince said.

“I see,” Caroline said, looking up to Mouth. “And you? How many?”

“Two,” Mouth said with a small smile. “I am one of Vince’s wives, not a grove wife. I spend much of my time with him. It’s much harder to remain at his side when I’m pregnant.”

Caroline sighed and began to drum her fingernails along the table. She was clearly thinking on the entire situation.

“It would seem being your wife would be far more beneficial than a duchess. Clearly, I cannot be the duchess and your wife at the same time. Nor would any children I have be in the council if I were only a duchess. My people wouldn’t have the best voice possible,” Caroline said aloud.

Vince wasn’t sure if she wanted him to respond, so he merely waited.

“I suppose that answers it, then. I’ll become one of your Elven wives and join the collection. I’ll also bear you children, though I think I cannot handle more than three.

“As to my queendom, I’ll pass that mantle of leadership to my sister,” Caroline said decisively. “Alright. Would you Dryads please assist me in making sure I’m as fertile as possible with your magic?

“I’m afraid our dear lord Vince is going to need to put his seed in me momentarily, and I really need to get a child as quickly as possible.

“The sooner they can catch up to their brothers and sisters, the better.”

Caroline stood up and started to pull off her clothes, unfastening furred bits as if it were an everyday occurrence to undress in front of a man she didn’t know.

The Dryads all looked to Mouth, who looked to Vince.

“Before I agree, you do realize I’ll need your word first as Queen to accept me as your ruler.

“Then to pledge your army to my cause and accept my charter. The laws of Yosemite—then I can take you as my wife.”

“Yes, that’s all fine,” Caroline said, unhooking a strip of fabric that was wound around her breasts. “My sister will abide by what I tell her to do.”

Vince stood up and took several steps away from Caroline.

“Alright. Go ahead, Mouth, do what you can to get her… ready to receive… as it were. I’ll tell Gerard to make plans to take in the Snow Elves’ mages.”

Vince moved quickly over to the tent flap.

He found himself face to face with Red, staring into her glowing eyes.

“Ah, hey Red,” Vince said. Then, surprisingly, he leaned forward and kissed her.

Before she could react, he pulled away and reached up above her head to scratch her ears.

“Could you do me a favor, Red? Please tell Gerard the Elves will be joining us. It was exactly like Elysia said. She wishes to be a wife before she’ll commit the Elves to join us.”

Red blinked, her eyes glowing brighter. Then she slowly nodded her head.

“Red will do this… Bringer is mean,” Red said, wrinkling her nose at him. “Red wants to eat you. Do not tempt Red with kisses. Red would end her own life before she hurt you.”

“Thanks, Red,” Vince said, then went back into the tent.

Caroline had lain out on the grass, nude. Several Dryad’s were kneeling beside her, their hands on her abdominal area.

“Ah, welcome back, my noble husband,” Caroline said. “The one called Mouth said she would attend to you and make you ready for me. Apparently it’s her job?”

Mouth appeared beside him, her fingers deftly peeling him out of his armor.

She’d gotten very good at it.

As frequently as she did it, how could she not?

Giving him a warm smile, Mouth popped the latch on his armor and pushed it off his torso.

“You’re into this,” Vince whispered as softly as he could to Mouth.

“Yes,” she said, her eyes glowing when she looked up at him fully. They were like small suns. “So are the others.”

Glancing over to the other Dryads as Mouth stripped him, he saw their eyes were indeed glowing.

Glowing and watching him.

Caroline was lying flat on her back, staring at Vince being undressed. Her eyes had the look of a kid getting a present or a treat.

Looking down at himself, Vince realized he was already completely undressed.

Mouth really is efficient at that.

Settling down on her knees in front of him, Mouth gently cradled his manhood in her hands.

“At least you’re an attractive man with a good body, my noble husband,” Caroline said. “I do hope in time we can grow to love one another. A loveless marriage seems so sad.”

“Yaris said the same thing,” Vince said. Reaching down with his right hand, he wrapped his fingers into Mouth’s hair.

He knew she enjoyed the feeling of his hand on her head.

“And?” Caroline asked, watching Mouth intently. “Could you turn her a bit? I’d like to watch. I’ve never done it before and could use this as a lesson for later.”

Snickering, and knowing Mouth was getting more and more turned on by being used like this, Vince moved to the side. Mouth was now in full view of Caroline.

Vince’s erect self was an inch from Mouth’s mouth.

“Yaris and I are certainly far beyond a loveless marriage. Or at least, I think so. She can be hard to read at times.”

The Dryads circled up around Caroline kept their hands pressed to her. He imagined they were channeling their energies into her womb.

Mouth took him into her mouth. Her lips slid over him as she guided him as deeply as possible, swallowing at his tip.

“Oh, did she put it in her throat?” Caroline asked.

Vince nodded, not quite able to respond.

Mouth was very talented, and her tongue, lips, and suction were perfect.

It was exactly what he wanted in every way.

And she knew it.

She wasted no time, her hands stroking and fondling his jewels as her head bobbed back and forth slowly.

Working him from hilt to tip, she made sure to push him down deep. The walls of her throat contracted gently as she swallowed at his flesh, as if she could eat him.

The soft sounds of her suckling at him as she pulled him back and the chirping moans she made as she did so were the only sounds in the tent otherwise.

“Goodness, she really seems to enjoy that,” Caroline said.

Mouth moaned in the affirmative, her glowing eyes gazing up at Vince as she blew him.

Then, with a sudden and audible pop, she released his tip from her lips.

“If I do any more, he’ll finish. Time for you to receive our husband, Caroline,” Mouth said.

Opening her arms to him and moving into a spread-eagle pose, she smiled up at Vince.

“Come and claim your newest wife, noble husband,” Caroline said.

Getting an eyeful of the Snow Elf, he realized she was much bustier than the other Elves.

Grinning, he moved over to Caroline and got down atop her.

The Dryads shifted around, some of them even laying down, but none removed their hands from the Elf.

Setting his hands just under Caroline’s armpits, Vince looked down to guide himself into her.

Only to find Mouth’s hand closing around his shaft and angling him downward.

This is different…

Moving his hips forward, he felt his saliva-coated tip penetrate Caroline.

Checking her face, he watched as he entered her fully. Her eyes became lidded and she gave him a coy smile.

Vince only stopped when his hilt was pressed hard to her entry. Taking a second, he readjusted his positioning and began to draw away, sliding free of her tight channel.

Thrusting forward again, he could feel her squeezing her womanhood around him, her thighs tightening against his own.

Being sure to take his time, Vince slowly fell into a strong and sure pace. Pumping himself fully but methodically into Caroline’s depths.

Ducking his head in, unable to resist himself, he put his mouth to her very pale neck.

“Noble husband, ah… no… I don’t—ahhh,” Caroline mewled as Vince’s teeth sank into her skin.

Biting firmly, he put some of his weight into her now as he thrust down.

“No, Vince… not so much. It’ll be obvious,” Caroline complained, her hands resting on his hip and jaw. She didn’t push his head away, though.

Sucking firmly on her tender skin, he made sure to mark her.

Made sure to take just an extra second to bite a tiny bit harder, to truly make sure he left an impression. Feeling like he’d succeeded, he pulled back from her neck.

Then kissed her savagely as he thrust into her repeatedly, his girth forcing her slick and tender walls apart.

Caroline whimpered into his mouth, her lips parting and her tongue sliding out.

Meeting her tongue briefly with his own, Vince pulled back and laid his forehead to hers.

“You wished to be my wife—then receive everything I have to give you as my wife, Caroline,” Vince said with a grin, peering into her dark eyes.

Her cheeks were flushed, and slowly a small smile blossomed on her face.

Her rapid breathing stuttered each time he drove his length home into her.

“Consider me—receiving happily,” Caroline said, her sentence broken by a hard thrust of Vince’s hips.

Pushing his head down into the other side of her neck, Vince immediately bit into her skin.

“No, you already—did the other side,” Caroline whined, tilting her head away from Vince, exposing her entire neck to him anyway.

Encouraged, he began to leave a trail of bite marks along her neck up to her jaw. Bruising her flesh.

All the while furiously working himself in and out of her.

Reaching down through the knot of Dryad arms, he grabbed ahold of Caroline’s hips and pushed down right as he started to climax.

Releasing her neck finally, Vince ground himself into her, as if to drown her womb in his seed.

Thrusting with each spurt, Vince shuddered.

And when he finally came down from his climax, he rested his head on Caroline’s jaw.

“Are you always this vigorous?” she asked, resting her hands on his back.

“When you’re more firmly in the rotation, this would only be the warmup,” Mouth said from somewhere from behind him. “We Dryads tend to… ah, make it so he can go a few times. He likes it.”

“Truly?” Caroline asked.

“Oh yes,” Mouth said. “He seems to prefer the Elves for multiple rounds though. They tend to go… limp… after the third go. I think he enjoys wearing them out.

“We Dryads always happily take everything after that, and before. Or during.

“Fes just complains and pushes him away.”

“You’re rambling,” Vince complained. Pulling out of Caroline, he eased himself back from the Elf and sat himself down.

Closing his eyes, he simply enjoyed the release he’d gotten.

“Can I clean you up, grove-husband?” one of the Dryads asked. “I’m done channeling my energy into her.”

“Knock yourself out,” Vince said, not opening his eyes.

One of his grove-wives shifted over between his legs and set to work cleaning his shaft with her tongue and lips.

“Damn, I should have asked,” Mouth complained.

Vince shook his head and reached down to get the Dryad to start blowing him in earnest.

She happily did so.

Broken nymphs. And how I love them all.

***

Orc warriors were arrayed out along the front line. They were armed and armored in a hodgepodge of everything and anything.

Berten had apparently made sure his people had adapted to the usage of gear in the same way he had.

Along the flanks were the Undead Skeleton and Zombie foot soldiers. They were able and willing to press indefinitely at the flanks without ever giving in.

The Undead medium troopers held the rank behind the Orcs. They carried spears and could cast basic spells—a type of soldier that cost more magic to create.

Gerard has been busy.

Vince looked to the side and watched as hundreds and hundreds of Snow Elves began filtering into the ranks. To fill in the formations. Lining up in the back row behind everyone else.

“Noble husband,” Caroline said, getting his attention.

Vince looked over to find the Snow Elf watching him. Her neck looked as if it’d been mauled. Teeth marks and bruises were visible even at a distance.

“This is my sister, Madeline, the queen of the Snow Elves and your newest duchess.”

Standing next to Caroline was a woman who looked identical to her. Just an inch or two shorter, and clearly younger.

Falling to a knee, the younger woman bowed her head deeply to Vince.

“Lord Vince, I pledge the Snow Elf clan to Yosemite and willingly accept the title of Duchess as your vassal,” she said.

“Then rise and be so accepted,” Vince said.

“Duchess,” Duke Gerard said with a smile, bowing his head to the younger woman.

“Duke,” said the Snow Elf, her eyes moving from the duke to Vince and then Berten, who stood beside Vince.

“Duchess,” Berten said with a wide grin. “You’re as pretty as a snowdrop flower. If I didn’t have so many wives, I’d try to marry one of your kind.”

The queen blinked, then grinned back at him. “I thank the duke for his compliment.”

Looking around himself, Vince wondered about the future.

He’d just taken on two more vassals and expanded Yosemite significantly in size.

And let’s not forget another wife.

Chapter 8

A Fairy nearly slammed into Vince’s chest at full speed, only barely managing to stop inches away.

Then it simply clung to his chest, small, delicate wings going limp on its back.

Quickly putting his hands to the Fairy, Vince held on to it. Trying to see if he could recognize it.

“Ris?” Vince asked suddenly.

“Yes, Master. It is Ris,” said the Fairy, clearly out of breath. “I found you. You must return to Yosemite. Quickly. Immediately.”

“What? I just got here and started to put things in order. Why do I need to go to Yosemite?”

“Dragon attack. Three Dragons have attacked Yosemite. Meliae has asked you to come help. She thinks only you’re capable of defeating them,” Ris said, sprawled out in Vince’s hands.

“Dragons? Actual Dragons?” Vince asked, unable to wrap his head around that statement.

“We fought them off with minimal casualties two days ago. The ballistas and mage towers.

“Meliae thought they would come back. Sent Ris to find you. I found you.”

Vince smiled down at the Fairy.

“That you did. I’m going to hand you over to the Duchess of the Snow Elves to care for you, and then I’m going to head back to Yosemite immediately, alright?”

Ris nodded a bit, then closed its eyes and curled up into a fetal position.

Moving over to Madeline, Vince carefully deposited the slumbering Fairy in the duchess’ cupped hands.

“I will care for the Fairy with the utmost attention,” Madeline said heavily. “I had no idea even the Fairies had chosen Yosemite.”

Vince shrugged at that, then looked to Gerard.

“The field is yours, Duke. I leave it to you,” Vince said.

Gerard gave him an ancient smile and nodded his head a fraction.

“I believe with my peers, we can hold this field easily,” said the Necromancer.

Vince looked to Berten and nodded his head. “Duke.”

“Brother,” said the Orc, grinning at him. “Tell mom I said hi, and I’ll be by soon enough.”

Unable to help himself, Vince grinned back. “I will.”

Moving over to Ramona, he reached down to her belt buckle and started working at the fastenings that made up her flight harness.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her hands raised to keep them out of the way.

“You’re going to fly me. Mouth and Caroline are riding the Gryphon with Leila,” Vince explained, tugging on a strap of her harness.

“I don’t understand. I could just as easily fly Leila and Caroline,” Ramona said. Her hands moved to him and began to unhook his own harness from his armor.

“If the Dragons are there, I need to be able to have them retreat while we engage,” Vince said under his breath.

Ramona froze, then nodded her head once. Her eyes were clear and determined.

Taking on a Dragon in the sky didn’t seem like a bright idea, but the other choice was to ground himself and hope the Dragon didn’t try strafing him.

Vince would rather take his chances strapped in with Ramona.

“I understand,” she said, her mouth a thin line.

Sighing mentally, Vince wondered if he’d ever finish resolving a problem.

He could solve anything he took on. The problem was there was only one of him.

And a whole lot of problems.

***

“What exactly did you have in mind if the Dragons attack us?” Ramona shouted.

“No idea. Probably try to fly in close enough that I can take a swing at their wings. Think you can manage that?” Vince asked.

“Possibly. But I think that’d just put us in range for it to fight back. Are you that determined to fight it in the air?”

“Not particularly. I just can’t imagine a situation where we make it across the plains surrounding Yosemite without being spotted by a Dragon on foot, or in the air.

“The air seems the best option because there’s more room to move in. And we can run distraction so the others can get into Yosemite safely.”

“Vince, I don’t disagree with your logic, but this seems rather more like a suicide mission than anything.”

“Not wrong there. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the Dragons will just let us pass?

“Our choices are limited.”

“If they see us, they’ll attack,” Ramona said, her voice quite clear and firm on that point.

The Gryphon with Mouth, Leila, and Caroline on it was keeping much lower to the ground. Trying to remain unseen.

“Meliae wouldn’t have asked for me to come if she didn’t think I was needed.

“There’s no way she isn’t aware of the risk of me coming here,” Vince said.

“No, she would never endanger you unless she needed to. She would sooner kill herself,” Ramona agreed. “But three Dragons is… that’s a lot of Dragons.

“There’s more than enough Dragons to cause serious problems for the entirety of the world, but they’re a fractured race. They fight amongst themselves as often as outside.

“For three to be here means they pulled a large amount of security out of their southern lands.”

“Not including the two Leila killed,” Vince said.

“Yes… not including those two. They really did send a large amount of their military might to achieve their goals here.

“Last I heard, they hadn’t finished subjugating the south. This’ll set them back a long while. Dragons aren’t prolific breeders.”

Off to the side, there was a trumpeting below. It was a sound Vince had never heard before.

“Ah… one saw us…” Ramona said. “They’ll come for me, rather than the Gryphon. Dragonnewts and Dragons… don’t get along well.

“Not unless we’re related.”

Vince sighed and started to reach for his saber.

He’d only really get one shot at this.

“Remember me if I don’t come back. Please do so fondly,” Ramona said.

Looking up, he saw Ramona looking down at him. Smiling.

Then they dove down toward the earth and she pulled the emergency release rod. Sending Vince tumbling as Ramona pulled up and banked away from him.

The emergency release rod landed in front of him, sticking into the ground.

Looking toward the sky, he saw only one Dragon and Ramona. They were flying around each other in a strange spiral, going ever higher with each second.

“Vince!” Red shouted at him. “What are you doing? Where is Ram—”

Glancing at Red, he saw she was looking up to the same spot he’d been.

Ramona and the Dragon were now spiraling back down, flailing viciously at one another.

“Bringer. We must go. Red wants to go now. Ramona is doing this for you,” Red said, shoving his shoulder.

Vince nodded a bit, then got up to his feet. Setting off at a sprint, he kept looking back at Ramona in the air.

They were much lower now, so he could actually see what they were doing.

Ramona was dodging both tail and talons, her punches and kicks landing on whatever got close enough to her.

But without solid ground, the weight of her blows was not as strong as it could be.

That’s why she said fifty-fifty on taking out a Dragon in its natural form.

Then Ramona got a solid boot in the Dragon’s eye.

Only to have the Dragon’s maw snap shut on her leg.

Vince could hear her shriek in pain. She got in close and drove her arm into its eye.

Letting go of the Dragonnewt, the Dragon flinched away from Ramona.

Batting her wings furiously, Ramona took off racing to the west. The two other Dragons had taken to the sky now but hadn’t given chase, each one situated on the other side of the city from Vince and the others.

Rapidly, Ramona and the Dragon became specks in the distance, then nothing.

Vince watched as long as he could, but even he had a limit to his vision.

By the time he’d reached the gates of Yosemite, he couldn’t even remember where the dot she’d been had vanished from the sky.

“In, Vince, in,” Red said, shoving at him again. “Red demands you get inside.”

Stumbling through the gate, and more than a bit lost at what had just happened, Vince looked down at his hand.

He’d wondered why it felt so heavy.

Apparently, he’d picked up the emergency release rod when he’d gotten up.

“Sweetling?” asked Meliae, coming up close to him. “What just happened?”

“Ramona led the Dragon off that would have attacked me. She was wounded,” Vince said, letting his hand drop back to his side and looking to the Dryad. “I have no idea if she’s still alive.”

“I’ll send out Fairies,” Meliae said. “The Dragons ignore them, and they can scout for her. If they can find her, they will.”

“Ok. Now… what did you need me here for? I’m not exactly equipped to fight Dragons,” Vince said.

“No one else here is either, though. You’re the strongest warrior we have. I was hoping you could goad them into a test of might? Or at least one of them. If we could even kill one, the other two would be that much harder-pressed to pen us in,” Meliae said. She sounded lost, searching for answers herself.

Vince shook his head slowly.

It wasn’t as if he disagreed with her—just that it was such a flimsy thing.

Then again, their options were rather limited. No one else could come to assist Yosemite that wasn’t already engaged elsewhere.

“The pride of a Dragon is certainly a known thing. Let’s hope they’re prideful enough to accept. Otherwise… I’m not sure what I can do here.”

Meliae looked down at the ground, clearly distraught. He imagined she was putting the guilt of Ramona’s unknown condition on herself.

“Did you meet Caroline?” Vince asked.

“Yes. She’s pregnant. Mouth and the others did well. I think she’ll fit in alright… but she has some hard edges I’ll need to break off,” Meliae said, her hands locked in one another.

“If anyone can bring her around, it’s you. I can’t imagine Yaris being as tolerable as she is if not for your intervention.”

“Thanks… Eva is here, by the way. You should see her. It’s been a bit.”

Reaching out with his free hand, he tapped Meliae’s chin upward.

“Cheer up. We can’t blame ourselves for the actions of our enemies. You did what you felt was best for Yosemite, as I expect of you.”

Meliae nodded a bit, her eyes looking a touch watery.

Such a soft-hearted thing.

“Come, my eternally pregnant grove-mistress. Tell me about our current children, since you seem to enjoy being so… full,” Vince said, tapping her swollen belly.

“How else are we supposed to create Dryad leaders for the other cities? I must do it myself. It’s why I always have twins or triplets,” Meliae said, glowering at him. “It’s not as if I truly do enjoy being eternally pregnant.”

“Uh huh. And it doesn’t have to do anything with the fact that you like looking like that? Possessed, used, seeded?” Vince asked. He wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Or levity. But Meliae needed a change in subject as much as he did.

“Maybe a little,” she admitted, her cheeks turning red. “Maybe a lot. I wonder what I’d look like with sextuplets.”

***

Vince stood outside of Yosemite with Leila, Caroline, and Red.

The challenge had been issued on a magically enhanced shout.

Two of the Dragons ignored the call to battle completely. The third had come closer to the city and then gone still in the fields to the south of Yosemite.

Which meant that whatever Dragon had chased Ramona had come back.

Vince watched the Dragon.

The Dragon watched Vince.

“Red does not like this. It stinks of deceit.”

“It d-does,” Leila said, sitting on the grass.

Vince shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not like we have a better idea. Other than… launch me at whatever Dragon comes close enough, Leila.”

“That’s just stupid. I might as well launch you out of a catapult for all the good it’ll do.”

“That… does sound rather stupid,” Vince admitted. “But I don’t exactly have any other ideas.”

Leila sighed audibly, then stood up and patted him on the hip.

“If you die before you can even turn me into a widow, I will have one of the Necromancers resurrect you so I can pull your soul out and put it into a toilet.”

“You can do that?”

“Yes. Yes I can. Are you serious though? Shooting you at the Dragon?”

“Yeah… but that means my Snow Elf wife over there needs to play catcher and make sure I don’t hit the ground,” Vince said, indicating Caroline with a nod of his head.

“I can do that,” she said in response. “It’ll not be a problem.”

“I guess… I launch you like a rotten watermelon at the Dragon… and you… what… hit it with your sword?” Leila asked.

“That’s the gist of it. Preferably clip one of those wings off. Ramona wasn’t exactly flightworthy with even a moderate injury to her wings.”

“Red sees another Dragon coming. It’s going to strafe us,” Red said loudly.

Everyone looked to the west. The Dragon that had been out that way was indeed rapidly approaching their location.

“No time like the present, Leila. You get me within a foot of that Dragon and I’ll make sure you’re made a wife the first chance I get and that Meliae, Mouth, Daphne, Karya, Blue, or Green is your personal Dryad tender,” Vince said, pulling his saber out of its sheath.

“Hmph. Who says I need one?” Leila made a looping gesture with one hand, singing a quiet song under her breath.

“You ready, Caroline?”

“As much as I can be… This is… a very idiotic plan. An idiot’s plan.”

“Yeah… it is,” Vince said with a nod.

The Dragon was getting closer and closer now. It’d be passing over them in the next ten seconds. Probably trying to bathe them in fire.

“Soon as I’m back to the ground, everyone make for the gates. Red, get Leila.”

“Red understands.”

Vince waited, holding tightly to his saber.

Then Leila slapped him on the ass. “Off you go!”

Quite literally, Vince suddenly shot off like a rocket.

Impressively, Leila had somehow set some type of course correction for him, and he sped unerringly for the target.

Except the Dragon tried to move, putting itself straight in Vince’s path.

Instead of passing over it or to the side, Vince crashed into it. His head bounced off its shoulder as he spun over the top of it.

His saber had thankfully found a place to call home in its shoulder and was now wedged firmly into the Dragon’s back.

Hanging on for dear life and stuck in the spikes that lined its spine, Vince wasn’t going anywhere.

The Dragon roared and spun lazily to one side to send Vince flying off.

He held tight in place, though. Well and truly stuck on its back.

Vince watched as the ground passed by above—or below—his head.

Shit.

Flapping and shrieking angrily, the Dragon headed off to the south. Spinning and jerking from side to side, trying to shake Vince off.

I wonder what it’d be like to have a Dragon as a mount. I don’t think Heint would ever let me put a saddle on him, though.

One of Vince’s eyes was suddenly bathed in bright red.

Blinking a few times, he managed to clear his view only to have it lost again.

His head suddenly hurt. A lot.

Oh. I think… I think I banged my head on the dragon. Didn’t I?

Trying to lift his hand and check his head.

It didn’t want to move.

Vince ended up looking at his hand in confusion.

And remembered all over again that he was currently stuck to the back of a Dragon he’d just skewered.

Ok, yeah. Hit my head. Things are… not good. And that clicking noise just won’t stop.

Wait… what’s clicking?

Looking around, Vince saw nothing that could make that noise. Only to remember, yet again, he was stuck to the back of a Dragon.

Except the Dragon was rapidly tumbling out of the sky now. Its wings beat every now and then, but not with any of the power they’d had previously.

“This is going to hurt, isn’t it?” Vince said to no one as the ground kept getting closer and closer.

Then the Dragon hit the turf. Grass and dirt exploded in every direction with the impact.

Vince was knocked free of the Dragon, his shoulder making a deep popping noise as he was launched into the air.

Tumbling and rolling along the ground similar to the Dragon, Vince bounced along.

Coming to a sudden stop, mostly because of the tree he’d hit, Vince groaned and flopped to one side.

His whole body hurt, he was pretty sure he had a fairly severe concussion, and he had no idea where he was.

His view had devolved into a mass of red and black shifting shadows and hazy images during the flight.

Even now, it hadn’t gone away.

Getting to his feet, he only felt anger. Anger and rage.

Fueled by a desire to kill and eat the Dragon outright for what the Tri-lliance had done.

To pop open its damn chest and—

Getting to his feet with a growl, Vince found the Dragon not far from himself. It was sprawled out in the dirt, breathing heavily.

Its scales suddenly vanished, the Dragon shrinking down into a human shape.

At the same time, the sword that had been buried in the beast popped free and fell to the ground.

Staring at the naked and bleeding man on the ground, Vince looked around.

Finding a good-sized stone, Vince picked it up and walked over to the Dragon.

“Gonna kill you. Kill you and eat you,” Vince said, standing above the Dragon.

“You shouldn’t…” Vince said, getting down on his knees next to the Dragon.

“Have fucked…” Lifting the stone up, he brought it down hard on the back of the Dragon’s head. There was a wet pop, and the Dragon jolted from head to toe.

“With my…” Pulling the stone up above his head again, he slammed it down into the skull of the fallen Dragon. A crackling sound was audible as the stone disappeared partway into the head.

“Gods-damned city!” Vince cried, smashing the stone down into the Dragon’s head a third time.

Losing his grip on the rock since it had pretty much disappeared into the shattered head of the Dragon, Vince took a breath and shouted unintelligibly.

Then he fumbled around for his sword. Getting a hold of it, he was in for a rude surprise when the dead Dragon Man reverted back into a dead Dragon.

Vince was suddenly atop its scaled back.

Not hesitating, Vince took his saber in a double-hand grip and ran it home in between two rows of scales.

Reaching in, Vince grabbed hold of one scale and popped it to one side. Wrenching his blade into the gap, Vince cut a giant gash into the Dragon’s flesh.

Then he practically went shoulders deep in the creature.

With a cry of victory a minute later, Vince popped back out of the hole with a giant chunk of quivering red meat.

Sitting down on the dead Dragon’s shoulder, Vince began to eat the semi-pulsing heart.

His red-and-black world of anger and fury began to dim. Along with his senses.

And cares.

Taking big mouthfuls of the heart with every bite, he chewed mechanically.

Surprisingly to him—especially since he hadn’t noticed—a group of what looked like Dryad women appeared around him.

None of them were familiar to him.

Staring at them one at a time, Vince continued to eat the heart, daring them to interrupt him.

The number of Dryads continued to increase as he ate.

Finishing off the gigantic chunk, Vince felt sickeningly full. To the point that he might vomit.

One Dryad in particular stood several feet in front of the others.

She was pretty, with brown hair and green eyes. A very standard Dryad look.

Looking to that one, Vince held up his hands and shook his head a bit at her. “What? Never seen someone eat lunch?

“You know which way Yosemite is?”

The Dryad blinked and watched him curiously.

She turned to another Dryad and said something in a language he didn’t understand.

They spoke for several seconds before the first one looked back to him.

“Far to the north. You’re in the Tri-lliance territory. This is the Santa Rosa grove,” she said.

“North. Got it,” Vince said.

Vince stood up, then promptly passed out, falling flat on his face.

Chapter 9

“You will bring Vince to Red! Now!”

Vince came awake, the shout piercing straight through his head.

Opening his eyes, Vince squinted through what felt like morning sunlight.

He was laid out on something comfortable, but he had no idea where he was.

Looking around, he realized it seemed to be the inside of a small hut.

“Bring Vince to Red! Now!”

Sitting up, Vince ran his hands over himself in a self-check.

Everything was exactly as it should be, though he wasn’t in his armor anymore.

“No, Red will not listen. You will bring Vince here now! Red will start killing otherwise.”

Sighing, Vince pressed his hands to his temples.

She means it, too.

“Red!” Vince called out loudly. “Relax, I just woke up. If they wanted to hurt or harm me, they could have already.”

“Vince!?” Red shouted.

There was a grunt, followed by the sounds of feet.

Then the door to the hut exploded off its hinges. Red flew through it at full speed and landed on him before it even hit the ground.

Pressing him to the ground in the same moment, she looked into his face for a second.

Then her head slammed down into his chest, her hands digging into his shoulders tightly.

“Bringer. Vince. Red was very worried. Very worried,” she said, her feet bunching up beneath herself on his thighs.

Reaching around the Cursed Undead Beastkin heart-eating monster, he held her and gently patted her on the back.

“I was pretty worried, too. Killed the Dragon, though, and lived to tell the tale.”

“Red found the Dragon. Red approves,” said the Beastkin.

“How long has it been since I flew off, as it were?”

“A day. Red chased all day and all night to find you. Red is very tired and hungry.”

Such a dedicated little monster.

“I’ll feed you in a little bit, then again later. Alright? You did very good, Red.”

Vince gently stroked Red’s back and scratched at her ears.

Looking down at her a with a bit more attention, he found her clothes looked as if she’d been dancing with a saw.

They were not much more than scraps of cloth hanging off her.

“Red is tired,” she said, then yawned. “Red wants to sleep.”

“Go ahead and sleep then. I’ll stay right here. Need to talk to my hosts after all as well. They did help me out when they had no reason to do so,” Vince said.

“Dryads. Dryads just want a man. Vince already has Dryads. No need for them,” Red said, then shifted around on top of him.

Her snoring started up immediately after she stopped moving.

Sitting up slowly, Vince managed to maneuver Red’s head into his lap, and continued to scratch her ears.

“Hello, the outside, could someone come in here to discuss… everything… with me? I’m afraid I can’t move,” Vince said at a reasonable volume.

A woman’s head appeared in the doorway.

Vince immediately recognized her as the woman he’d spoken to the previous day.

“She is… calm now?” she asked.

“Red? Yes. She’s asleep,” Vince said, continuing to rub the sleeping Red’s ears.

“We are a very warlike Dryad grove, but even we could not hold her back once you spoke,” the Dryad said. “No one was harmed; she just… threw us aside.”

“Red is special,” Vince said. “My name’s Vince, if you didn’t catch that from Red’s shouting. What’s your name?”

“I am simply grove-mother to everyone. We have no names here,” said the Dryad, stepping into the door. “You may call me Betty, if you must name me.”

“Betty? Betty it is. As soon as my companion wakes up, I’ll be leaving. I appreciate you taking me in and giving me shelter. If you’re ever in the neighborhood of Yosemite, look me up and I’ll repay my debt to you,” Vince said.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Though… I may simply call upon that debt now. We’ve been here a very long time, and the Tri-lliance has left us alone. It would take too many resources to capture or cull us. Resources they weren’t willing to call up previously,” Betty said. “Could we ask for sanctuary of Yosemite?”

“So long as you’re willing to join the Wooden-Heart grove, yes. That’s where all outside Dryads join into first.”

Betty nodded her head, then shook it once.

“We’re our own grove. Could it not be possible to allow us to set up somewhere else and merely be an enclave? We could agree to utilize whatever men you chose for us, if that would help matters,” Betty said.

“How… many of you are there?” Vince asked, suddenly suspicious.

“Several hundred.”

That’s a lot of Dryads. Alright… let’s… bring them back with us, I suppose, and see what we can do.

“And you’re willing to uproot your grove and carry it north?”

“We all have our seeds. We… prepared last night. We assumed that you’d wish to leave, as we do. Based on the fact that you killed a Tri-lliance Dragon, we assumed you might be from Yosemite.

“We thought we’d go there.

“Then ask for sanctuary from it’s ruler. We have heard tale that he’s a friend to Dryads, and has his own Dryad grove.”

Vince didn’t immediately respond, not quite sure what to say.

“Is this untrue? Is he not a friend of Dryads?” Betty asked, looking unsure all of a sudden.

“Ah… yes. I’m a friend of the Dryads.”

“Good. So you know of his Dryad grove?”

“Betty,” Vince said, wondering if she didn’t know who he was. He hadn’t really introduced himself other than simply Vince, so it was very possible. “My name is Vince. Vince, the lord of Yosemite.”

Betty nodded her head slowly, then stopped. She was staring at him, her green eyes wide.

“You are the lord of Yosemite? Not a warrior he sent to dispatch the Dragon?”

“I am indeed the lord of Yosemite, who has a personal Dryad grove of women who all share my seed.

“And I think I could take you in as a secondary grove… but let’s—”

Betty fell to her knees, then bowed low to him, pressing her forehead to the ground.

“Take us in, Lord Yosemite. We won’t survive the Tri-lliance out here much longer. Their army is near and would use us for their own purposes if they could.”

Vince grimaced at the response.

“Right. You said their army is nearby?”

“Yes, my Lord. They are to the north of us.”

“Ah… alright. We’ll… head out tonight. Get everyone packed up and ready. Seems like we’ll be playing hide-and-seek, to a degree.”

***

Betty kept her Dryads back from Vince. None came close to him if they could help it. Only Betty remained in his company.

Throughout the day, he watched Dryads come and go to speak with Betty, but they all avoided meeting his eyes. And they all stayed as far away from him as possible.

Even now as they watched the enemy encampment, only Betty was nearby.

“Betty, why do your Dryads avoid me?” Vince asked, deciding to get straight to the heart of the matter.

The Dryad leader was staring down the hill toward the Tri-lliance army. They were waiting for the moon to set before trying to slip through.

“They have not been with a man for almost a year now. Your… display… the other day ignited fires in them. They remain away from you because they cannot control themselves for long.”

“Sorry. Wasn’t my intention. Though… how old are you, Betty? If you witnessed the same, that must mean you’re—”

“I’m a raging torrent of lust and desire. I would take your seed by force if not for your companion,” Betty said, her eyes sliding to him.

They were a brilliant and glowing green. “That was the original plan. Take you with us and replant our grove with you as the center. I would have sent an offering to Yosemite in exchange for you.”

“Ah… well… you have amazing control then.”

“No. She would kill me, that’s all,” Betty said, then turned her face back to the enemy encampment.

Ok. They’re all rather emotionless. It’s… strange and disconcerting.

Will need to ask Meliae or Mouth about it.

They’re very much not Dryads, yet they are.

“Red would kill you, yes. If this was a year ago, Red wouldn’t kill you, but would bargain with you for her meals,” Red admitted. “Red is… trying to not be Red.”

“Moonset should be shortly,” Betty said, then got up to walk away. “We will prepare.”

No sooner had Betty left than Red crawled into Vince’s lap and pressed her face to his neck, her hands against his chest.

She’d been extremely close and affectionate since finding him.

Oddly so.

“You alright, Red? You’re acting more like Meliae or Ram… Ramona,” Vince said.

His mouth had turned to ash at the Dragonnewt’s name. He’d tried not to think about her. About the fact that she hadn’t returned, but the Dragon who’d chased her off had.

He feared for her, but he could do nothing for her.

“Red realized Vince is very important,” Red said against his neck.

“I imagine so, since you feed from me,” Vince said with a chuckle, reaching down to scratch the base of her tail.

Her near nakedness through her shredded clothing had a marked effect on him that he was trying to pretend didn’t exist.

“Red can feed off hearts and blood if she needs to. Leila and Red experimented. Bringer doesn’t need to feed Red all the time anymore. Red just… Red just… enjoys… Vince’s life essence.”

Vince felt a soft and wet sensation on his neck. It felt like Red’s tongue and lips.

“Red wants to drink and eat from Vince all the time. But Red… wants to mate and lay with Vince even more. Red wants it desperately.

“There was an ache in Red’s stomach when Vince was carried off. It hurt. Red felt anger and regret. Anger that Red had not mated with Vince, and regret too.”

Unsure how to respond, Vince continued to scratch at Red’s tail.

“Red will mate with you. Red will not eat you. Red wants to do this thing in a bed. Leila will have to wait her turn,” Red said.

Feeling a brief flash of pain on his neck, Vince winced.

“Kinda hurt there, Red.”

“Red is sorry.”

“What’d you do?”

“Sucked too hard on Vince’s flesh. Red has been practicing under Mouth’s direction on vegetables.”

“Did… you just mark me?” Vince asked, amused.

“Red marked you. Dryads will learn their place or Red will kill and eat them.”

Soft footfalls coming their way got Red to scoot off Vince’s lap, but she stayed close to his side.

“We’re ready. Shall we get going?” Betty asked.

“Might as well. You keep your girls on the far side; I’ll take the interior.”

“My Dryads are warriors. We can fight.”

“And if they did, the enemy would think they were under attack.

“One person, though? A thief or an intruder.

“Go, keep to the plan.”

Betty grunted, then left.

The sound of Dryads moving through the brush was audible. Though it sounded a lot like the shifting of trees and branches in the wind.

“Red could kill most of them… but Red is not confident in killing them all. Red should mark Vince more.

“That will keep them away.”

“Later. Let’s get moving. Any questions?”

“Red will kill guards and move north to guide Dryads. Vince kills guards and moves east to draw away pursuit.

“Simple.”

“Right. See you back home then. It’s a straight shot from here.”

Vince slunk away through the bushes and took up the line of attack he’d built out in his head earlier.

It was pitch black out, but he could see reasonably well.

Now that he thought about it, he felt like he was bursting with energy. He could even see better than he had previously.

Need to eat more Dragon.

Vince got thirty feet before he found a guard.

His saber had been irreparably damaged by the Dragon’s scales, forcing Vince to simply ditch it.

Leaving him with only his hunting knife that’d somehow stayed attached to his person.

The Dryads had no bladed weapons to spare him, either.

“Who—” started a male voice.

Vince came up out of a bush with a right hook. His fist grazed along the man’s unprotected jaw, snapping it to one side.

Crumpling to the ground, the guard became a puddle of useless armor and weapons.

Landing atop the man like a wolf, Vince jammed the hunting knife into his throat and swung it one way, then the other. Practically decapitating the man.

Yanking the sword free from the man’s belt, Vince got to running again.

Everything is just… falling apart.

Vince was alone with his thoughts for the first time in… ever. Sprinting through the woods, he heard shouts from behind him.

They’d found the body already, surprisingly.

An army to the south, an army to the east, and then this force to the southwest that hasn’t even done anything yet.

And I’m running around in every direction trying to put out fires. Need to focus on one problem and solve it.

Suddenly, another soldier came into view up ahead.

Vince turned towards the silhouette and charged headlong at it.

Turning sideways as he passed, Vince swung for all he was worth at the soldier’s neck.

Passing through it as if it were jelly, Vince almost stumbled with the leftover force.

The trees whipped by as he got back into a good running form.

We’ll go south. That’s the main thrust of the army, and the biggest problem. Gerard and the other two can handle the east.

And with one Dragon down, Yosemite should be able to hold out more effectively, and maybe even engage them.

South. South where Fes and Petra are. That’s where I need to be.

That’s where I should be.

Not running in the woods. I shouldn’t have even gone back to Yosemite, honestly. I could have tackled that later.

The shouting and yelling from behind him was now carrying up along the east side of him.

Turning to the right, Vince began angling himself deeper into the enemy camp.

Lashing out with his sword as he passed by the next soldier, Vince let go of the blade when it caught in the trooper’s ribs.

Good enough. That should get them after me. Now it’s just a midnight run.

Setting a distance-eating pace, Vince ran on, making sure to attack any guard that came up in front of him.

***

Vince was watching the area surrounding Yosemite.

The Dragons had been waiting last time for people to enter the area before they attacked.

There hadn’t really been a way to spot them until it was practically too late.

“Red doesn’t smell them… but that doesn’t mean they aren’t here,” Red said, shaking her head.

“Yeah… me neither,” Vince said, staring out at the field.

“And there’s two more Dragons?” Betty asked.

“There was. But that was before I killed the third one. Maybe they buggered off after that,” Vince said.

“We’d never seen a Dragon before. They don’t normally send them out of the south,” Betty said.

“So I hear,” Vince murmured. “I guess we just walk out there and see if they’re there…”

Red grunted, then sprinted out from cover straight into the middle of the field.

“Red will confirm this! Keep Vince safe! Do not try to take his seed or Red will kill you!” shouted the Beastkin over her shoulder.

Betty eyed Vince hungrily, then looked back to Red.

“If she dies, I’m going to mount you,” Betty said.

“Uh huh… my other Dryads or wives might have something to say about that.”

Betty sighed, her hand tightening around her staff.

“You reek of life and earth. Power and magic,” she said.

“So I’m told. Did I mention I’m a grove?”

“You… are?”

“Yes. It’s why I think my Dryads would have a complaint to lodge with you if you tried anything. But again, you’re welcome to try.”

Vince was doing his best to distract himself from the fact that Red was trying to be Dragon bait.

If something happened to her… he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Other than kill every single Dragon he could.

Except for Heint.

Red stood up straight in the middle of the field. Her tail swished behind her as her head and ears swiveled in different directions.

Nothing happened.

Red lifted her arms above her head and let out a shout.

Several minutes passed before Red turned back towards where Vince was, shrugged her shoulders and lifted her hands.

“I suppose that’s our answer,” Betty said.

Standing up, the Dryad trooped into the field, heading for Red.

Not having another plan, Vince stood up and followed along behind her.

There really wasn’t much they could do.

Moving at a measured pace, Vince caught up to Red and kept moving for the gate.

Quite a few soldiers had spotted them from the walls, and he imagined there were runners heading for the mansion to fetch Meliae and anyone else they felt would be useful.

Pausing at the main gate, Vince smiled to the Dryads and lifted a hand for a second.

“If I could have your attention… Everyone, please remain here for a moment while we start working to process your citizenship as a second grove. We’ll obviously need to relocate you as quickly as possible for the health of your grove,” Vince said.

There was some grumbling in the Dryad ranks.

Not that Vince could blame them. He wouldn’t want to remain out here either at the foot of a wall.

Red sank low and her eyes glowed brightly.

All complaints and noise fell off swiftly at her display.

Nodding at the Dryads, Red stood up and then turned to enter the gate.

“Others should learn that Vince is Red’s, and they should listen,” Red said.

Smirking to himself, Vince kept his mouth shut. It wouldn’t do to poke at her newfound determination and pride right now.

“Sweetling!” said Meliae, wrapping her arms around him and pressing in close.

“We were all so scared,” she said, smothering his face in kisses. “You were so far away we couldn’t even tell if you were ok. The connection to the grove was dim.”

Elysia, Caroline, Mouth, Leila, and Eva were all watching. Each one clearly looked relieved.

“Where are the Dragons? We didn’t see them,” Vince asked. Mouth had joined Meliae and was now smothering him in affection as well.

“My Liege, you’ll be happy to know my sisters and I drove them off with some well-worked magic,” Elysia said, pointing at Eva and Caroline.

“Ah, I should have figured you’d drag her in as soon as possible,” Vince said, his grin interrupted by Meliae kissing him aggressively.

“Of course, Master,” Eva said. “We’ve already been discussing who to adopt in from the Snow tribe as well.

“And the Dragons are indeed gone. We… haven’t heard or seen Ramona, though.”

Vince checked a sigh and frowned, looking to the side.

The mood all around him was dour.

If she hadn’t returned, and the Dragons were gone, the likelihood of her coming back was lessened considerably.

“I’m heading south,” Vince said suddenly. “I need to get back to the front. Solve things.

“And there’s a rather large number of Dryads outside. They want to form their own grove. They’re rather martial. I told them we’d allow it, and they offered for us to pick their central male.”

Meliae raised her eyebrows and peeked around him toward the gate.

“I see…” she said in a strange, neutral tone.

Chapter 10

Vince sighed as he wandered back into the southern camp.

He’d only been gone a short while, but it felt as if it’d been years.

Where the camp and walls had been fresh and maintained before, they looked rather worn and lived in now.

Not to mention the fact that there were many people with bandages moving around.

If they’re not bothering to treat small things, that means the Dryads and Magicians are hard-pressed.

Red and Leila were the only ones with him now.

Mouth had stayed with Meliae to work through the massive numbers of Dryads outside Yosemite.

The sooner they could get everyone behind the safety of the walls, the better everyone would feel.

“Our little group gets smaller and smaller,” Leila said, floating along beside Vince. “I didn’t… expect it to be like this.”

“I don’t think anyone did,” Vince said. Up ahead was Petra’s command structure, a squat stone-topped building that had replaced her tent. A good bit of the construction had turned the thing into a dugout rather than above ground.

Stopping suddenly, Vince looked around himself. Nearby, a log had been dragged next to the remains of what looked like a campfire in front of several tents.

Moving over to the log, Vince sat himself down. Laying his hands on his knees, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Are you alright?” Leila asked, cutting her spell off and dropping down onto the log next to him.

She laid a delicate hand on his back, leaning into his side.

“I’m… tired. I’m not cut out to be a leader like this. I’m just a Ranger,” Vince said, staring into the cold fire. “It’s why I take so many of the political missions Elysia throws at me. I get to travel. Explore. Adventure. Just… do what I want.”

Sighing, Vince shook his head. He looked around and saw Red standing some ways away.

He imagined she was keeping people away, having somehow inferred that he needed a minute to himself.

“Except it takes me away from my wives and my children. So I want to return and spend time with them, only to get forced into things the king, emperor, lord—whatever I am—of Yosemite has to do.

“And then I immediately go looking for a mission to escape it. I repeat the cycle. Endlessly.”

“Yes… it’s something everyone close to you has noticed. We’re just not… sure how to solve it,” Leila said, her hand moving up and down Vince’s back.

“What if I… what if I stepped down?” Vince asked, voicing the strange selfish thought that’d been echoing through his mind for years.

“Stepped down?” Leila asked, her fingers gliding over his shoulder blades. “As in, no longer the formal ruler of Yosemite?”

“Yeah… where I just give control to someone else.”

“Who would you give it to?”

“I don’t know. Yaris, maybe? She seems like a very valid pick now. She’d hold the Elves in thrall, have a royal personage, and be able to move amongst all the groups.”

“Possible. I don’t think she has enough public support yet, though. It might be possible later.”

Vince blinked, then nodded once.

Leila was right. Give it another year and Yaris probably could take over without too much concern.

“Would you accept a suggestion from me?” Leila asked.

Smiling, Vince turned his head to look down into his Warlock’s upturned face.

Leaning down, he kissed her tenderly, then rested his forehead against hers.

“Of course. Though I do plan on stealing you away tonight into my bed, so if that’s your suggestion, I’m way ahead of you,” he said.

“V-Vince,” Leila said, smiling at him. “Stop it. And how could you steal me if I was already in your bed waiting for you?

“No, my suggestion is simpler.”

Leila used her free hand and pushed Vince’s head back a little.

“Hard to talk when you’re so close. You make me feel dizzy,” Leila said, apologizing. “My suggestion. Why not step up, instead of down?

“Rather than giving it away, why not assign a reagent and remove yourself from non-direction-changing needs?”

“Up?” Vince asked, having not thought of it that way.

“Yes. Give the reigns to Yaris, step up and out. Leave it to her and enjoy your retirement.”

Thinking on that, Vince couldn’t deny it sounded rather nice. Yaris had a knack for keeping everyone in a neutral and supportive space.

“Maybe go on a special trip with your favorite Warlock for some private time for a week or two?” Leila added.

Chuckling, Vince moved in on her again and kissed her, his right arm snaking around her waist and pulling her close.

Leila made a single noise of complaint but kissed him back eagerly. Then she gently thumped his shoulder with her palm, pulling back.

“Stop. Not in public. I’m not like your Dryads. It makes me feel awkward,” Leila said, turning her face away from him. “Now go talk to your general.”

Vince released her, then got up with a sigh.

“Yes, you’re right of course. I guess I’m just… complaining.”

“You are, but everyone has their complaints. It really just comes down to what you do with them,” Leila said, immediately moving back onto a disc of air.

Vince gave Red a pat on the hip as he passed her, then stepped down into the alley that led into Petra’s dugout.

Stepping past the guards and into the building, he looked around.

Much like everything Petra controlled, everything was clean, laid out, and planned. A region map on the wall, a table with another smaller map of what was immediately around them, and a cabinet—that was all the furniture here.

Petra stood in front of the table, one hand on her chin and her other arm across her abdomen.

Her antennae flicked towards Vince.

Grinning, he walked straight towards the ant soldier.

Petra’s head turned to face him and then she scurried forward, catching him up in a crushing hug between her two human arms and two ant legs.

“This one greets her husband and master with great joy. There were reports of Dragons flying high over us, and we thought they were on their way to Yosemite or to the east where you were,” Petra said, trying to crush Vince into her chest.

“They were. Three Dragons, in fact. I killed one, and the other two were driven off,” Vince said, letting Petra manhandle him. She was one of the few people that could do so. “Ramona… fought one off for a time. She fled with the Dragon in pursuit. No one has seen her since.”

Petra nodded her head slowly, holding tightly to Vince.

“She performed her duty. This one can only hope she meets her end in a similar way.

“Now, why are you here?”

Petra set him down, then lowered herself to get to eye level with him.

Unsurprising. Petra would view it as the end goal for any soldier.

“This feels like where I should be. Where the worst of it is. The Eastern army has been stalled out, last I heard, and is falling into skirmishes only,” Vince explained.

“This one is glad you are here, as Yaris will be when she realizes. Although, that is the extent of the good news.”

Petra turned to the larger map on the wall and held up a hand.

“There is word of other armies,” Petra said.

“Yeah, there’s another force here,” Vince said, then pointed to the area he’d encountered the army in the far southwest. “Not as big as this force, though almost as large. It seems it’s a reserve force.”

Petra sighed, then picked up a green pin from the side and put it into the map.

“That means there are six armies from the Tri-lliance operating,” she said.

Vince was floored at the news. Looking at the map, he quickly picked out the six green pins.

Two were here in Yosemite’s territory.

There was the third that Vince knew of in the southwest that seemed more of a reserve force.

There was another pin in the west that looked as if it were diving in towards the emperor himself.

In the east, past the Mississippi river, there were two more pins heading into the heart of the eastern kingdoms.

“Holy shit,” Vince said, his heart lurching in his chest. “It’s an invasion.”

“A storm from the south,” Petra said, touching the map. “We… are hard-pressed to maintain our lands. Should the emperor fail, that army will turn on us, as will that third army.

“Should the east fall, the same.

“All we can hope for, pray for, and what this one wishes for, is that everyone will hold their own long enough for one to win.

“Even if they provided no help to the others, it would be enough pressure that they’d have to redistribute forces.”

Vince fought against the despair he felt. This was the Tri-lliance making a play for everything in North America.

Everything.

And he could only solve one problem at a time.

“As this one said, she is… so happy to see you. Because it is a very dark time for all of us,” Petra said, laying her head down on Vince’s shoulder. “This one will do all she can to save our lands, but she is sure of defeat unless everyone can hold.

“Or we somehow gain another ally.”

Vince laid his cheek to the side of Petra’s head, staring at the map.

A southern storm. The Tri-lliance is making their play to bring everyone into the fold.

It isn’t just Yosemite they’re after.

***

Leila poked at Red’s middle with a fingertip.

“It changed,” said the Warlock, looking up.

“Red changed?”

“No, your curse. It changed. What’d you do differently?” Leila asked, walking along the table.

Red was flat on her back on top of a dining table.

They’d retreated to the building Petra had designated as Vince’s. Especially since it had been buried into the ground and reinforced several times.

The Dragons had frightened Petra more than she’d admit. She seemed to be reverting to wanting to dig out an ant colony.

Leila paused near Red’s head.

“Red… Red has been fed directly by Vince… repeatedly. Red’s meal isn’t being retrieved by someone else.”

“Oh? That’s interesting. I wonder if there was some dilution in the power of Vince’s seed after passing from one woman to another,” Leila mused. Squatting down, she laid her hand to Red’s brow. With her other hand, she poked at the space above Red’s throat.

“Red isn’t sure, but… is the change… good?”

“Yes, actually. This makes much more sense. Your curse is… easier to read at the moment. I can’t tell you why you have the curse, of course, but I can tell you it’s centered on emotion. Jealousy and anger,” Leila said.

Leaning over Red’s face, she pulled gently at Red’s lower eyelid and peered into her eye.

“Hm. Alright. Well, I think Vince should continue to feed you by hand. Maybe in a week we can try having him feed you a bit of blood instead and see how your curse reacts.”

“Can you… can you weaken it tonight?” Red asked.

“Indeed. In fact…” Leila looked over her shoulder and smiled at Vince, her large eyes glittering. “Could you come over and ever so gently fill me up? I want to see if I can’t fracture some of this off her.”

Vince stood out of his chair and joined the two women.

“Sure, I can do that.”

Laying a hand on Leila’s shoulder, he opened up his flow and started to channel it to her.

“Perfect, leave it like that. I won’t need all of it,” Leila said.

Turning back to Red, the Warlock laid her hands on each side of Red’s face and smiled at her.

“Be strong, this’ll hurt like last time.”

Red nodded and pressed her arms to her stomach.

Vince didn’t see anything change, other than Red becoming as stiff as a board.

Her eyes closed tight and she started to breathe in short gasps.

Several minutes passed before Leila let go of her.

“And there we are. Much less than previously. How do you feel?”

Red opened her eyes and stared up at Leila.

“Red… I… don’t know,” said the Beastkin. “More memories are there… I can feel them… but Red doesn’t know if she wants them.”

Red stopped talking and sat up slowly. Giving her head a violent shake, she then pressed her hands to her temple.

Her way of speaking is shifting. Maybe it isn’t a good idea to break her curse?

“Yes, we did talk about that. That if we break the curse it’d be likely that you’d remember who you were,” Leila said, laying a comforting hand on Red’s back.

“Yes, I remember. Red does. I… Red.” Closing her eyes tightly, Red looked pained.

“Red isn’t sure she wants to go any further. Red begins to worry that she wasn’t a good person in her previous life.

“Red will sleep outside tonight… Red… I… need some time.”

Red got off the table and slunk away, vanishing out the door and disappearing into the night.

Leila sighed and turned around to look at Vince.

“I think her curse is magical rebound. Whiplash.

“I think she cursed someone she loved, or wanted to love, and it backfired after it failed.

“Her current personality is… formed and fabricated from her time wandering the Wastes and with you.”

Vince couldn’t help but agree with her assessment. Red had more than likely come from a Beastkin tribe, which more often than not were rather primal.

Moving toward his bed, Vince dropped into it with a thud, then flopped onto his back.

“All things considered, I’m not sure she needs to worry too much about her curse. With everything I saw today in the command building, I worry we might not have much time.

“If everything goes their way, this could be all over in as little as six months,” Vince said, staring up at the top of his canopied bed.

Vince felt a pair of hands working at his belt buckle. Looking down, he saw Leila pulling the tongue of his belt out of the loop and working his fly open.

“Don’t stare,” she said, catching his eyes with her own. She was lying down on her disc of air, floating just above his hips. “This’ll be hard enough for me as it is.”

Not quite sure what to say to that, Vince laid his head back down.

He felt Leila’s hands pull down his pants, then let them drop from his knees to the floor.

“O-oh. It’s bigger than Mouth said,” Leila said.

Fingers curled around his shaft, which was rapidly hardening at where his thoughts were going and the clear path of Leila’s action.

“I ever tell you that Gnome women have problems with non-Gnome men?” Leila asked, the warm caress of her breath sliding over his cock and lower abdomen.

“Once, but you didn’t explain it.”

“We’re not… built… for it. Not really. We can get there, but… it’s not quick. You’ll need to let me take charge for the first month. At the very least. And when you do take charge, you need to get me warmed up. Every time. A lot,” Leila said.

Vince felt a soft, wet sensation along the rim of his tip.

“I can do that,” he said immediately.

His tip was pulled to one side, and he immediately felt Leila take the first few inches into her mouth.

“Mmhmm,” she moaned around his girth, her lips moving back till he slipped out. “I figured you wouldn’t mind. I promise… it’ll be worth it.”

Laying his hands behind his head, Vince got comfortable.

Leila’s mouth came back and took him deeper this time, moving more than halfway before she slid him back out. This time she didn’t let him fall free of her lips, and she bobbed forward again once she reached the tip.

Slowly, she fell into a gentle and exploring rhythm. Her head slid back and forth, taking more of him into her mouth each time.

A minute in and she hit his hilt. It felt like his tip was lodged in her throat, stretching it out.

Glancing down, Vince saw Leila’s mouth, wide and stretched around his member. Her huge eyes watched him. Glittering and purple.

Unable to tear his eyes away from her lovely face, he watched her continue to blow him from hilt to tip with each motion.

Impressively, she didn’t seem to have a problem with his size, her throat contracting around him easily each time.

Taking a hold of the base of his length with a hand, she pulled him out of her mouth and then crawled off her disc to settle her hips down above his own.

“Mouth has been helping me,” she said, her cheeks a bright red. “I have no experience, so… she… she’s been instructing me.

“She also helped me break my hymen so tonight wouldn’t hurt.”

“And what did that cost you?” Vince asked, curious.

He could feel Leila’s thighs against his stiff and wet member. Reaching down, she pulled her robe over her head and tossed it to one side.

She looked exactly as he remembered her. Mature, ripe, womanly.

Just small.

“Never you mind,” Leila said, and reached between her thighs.

Leaning forward, she pressed her left hand to his chest and angled her hips.

She managed to fit the head against her entry and then began to move her hips downward.

Leila had a face full of concentration and a touch of pain.

She was entirely invested into fitting him into her body, her eyes looking through his chest as she moved.

Shuddering, Leila’s face turned a deep red as her eyes drifted up towards his.

“Hurts a little… but feels good,” she said, smiling at him. Leaning into him, she drew up towards him and then moved back down, taking more of his length into her depths.

Leila’s eyes closed and she arched her back as she squirmed down along him.

“Really good,” she murmured.

Laying his right hand atop hers, Vince began to feed a slow stream of magic into her.

Leila gasped, her eyes sliding open, and she gave him a smile.

“That’ll make this easier… a little more?” Leila asked, her tone warm.

Vince opened up the flow a bit more, watching her eyes. They tended to react quickly.

In seconds, they started to dilate with pleasure and magical drunkenness. If that wasn’t obvious enough, Leila started to grind her hips deeper and deeper onto him. Like it didn’t bother her at all anymore.

In three serious thrusts, she’d taken him all the way to the hilt inside of her.

She felt incredibly tight. Tight to the point that Vince had to wonder if she might burst internally.

“Nnnnnmmmm, it doesn’t hurt at all anymore. It feels so good. My skin is tingly and it feels like my innards are on fire,” Leila murmured. “No more than that, though. I feel so drunk already.”

Leila started to pant between her teeth as she rolled her hips back and forth against him.

Each and every time, she slid him out to her entry only to spear him home into herself fully.

Grunting and groaning, Leila rode him violently, her body bucking against him.

Reaching up with his left hand, Vince fondled her breasts. His fingers toyed with her nipples lightly.

Leila groaned and pushed her chest out into his hand, then started to quiver violently.

She dropped down onto his hilt and ground her hips into him. Moaning, he could feel her slick and tight walls flexing and convulsing all over him.

As quickly as her climax came over her, Leila slumped down onto his chest, taking in gulping breaths.

“Roll me over and finish me, Vince,” she got out between gasps. “Just keep the flow going to keep me gooey.”

Vince pulled out of her and slid his left arm around her shoulders. In a smooth motion, he carried her up to the center of the bed and laid her on her back.

He laid his right hand into hers, the flow of magic still going.

“Don’t break me,” Leila said, her dilated and huge eyes staring up at him. She gave him a full smile as her legs and hips spread fully apart for him. “But take me a little rough.”

Vince grinned and then re-entered her in one stroke.

Leila moaned, her free hand resting behind his neck.

“Just a smidgen more magic? I wanna feel you load me up in two different ways at the same time,” Leila asked. “Fill my little body with your seed.”

She gets dirty when she’s like this? That’s fantastic.

Moving his hips carefully, Vince thrust back and forth. Plying Leila with magic and his shaft at the same time.

Leila’s eyes were hooded as she watched him from below. Her lips parted and she moaned loudly each and every time he pushed into her.

“Yes, yes. Vince… give me everything. Just like your Dryads. Wear me out and fill me up,” Leila muttered.

Unable to help himself, Vince climaxed quickly. Pushing down on Leila, he buried his tip deep into her womb, as if he wanted to get it into her middle.

“Mmmmnnnn,” Leila groaned, her eyes closed, as she lifted her hips into him and pulled at him with her ankles.

He could feel that she was coming again.

Cranking the magic flow up to maximum, he drowned her as he filled her.

Leila moaned deeply, her eyes rolling back into her head, and she fell limp under him. Thrusting into her a few more times, Vince finished as she lay twitching there in the throes of a magical climax.

Settling down atop her as she continued to constrict and shudder around his length, he held on to her.

A minute later and the magical flow shut off on its own, and Leila finally fell out of her orgasm.

Rolling to one side and pulling free of Leila’s quivering channel, Vince lay down next to her.

Leila moaned softly, then moved into the crook of his arm, resting her face on his chest.

“So good,” she mumbled, then dropped straight off into sleep.

Chapter 11

Vince woke up slowly. His eyes felt heavy and his body warm and loose.

Forcing his eyelids upward, he found Leila’s face an inch from his own. She was sleeping, her hair slightly tangled and her lips parted.

Carefully, he slid his arm out from under her head.

Moving no more than an inch, he was surprised when her large eyes snapped open and her purple irises focused on him.

They were vacant for a second or two, before her brain woke up.

“V-Vince,” she said. Her eyes flicked down as she pressed her hands to him, her fingers curling slightly.

“Morning, Leila,” Vince said, laying his head back down and smiling at her. Lazily, he curled his arm around her shoulders.

“I-I don’t… that is… uhm… morning,” said the soul-stealing Warlock demurely. Her eyes finally came back to his.

A full blush had suffused her cheeks, and she looked embarrassed and excited.

“Can I speak with Fes when we get back about being a wife?” Leila asked.

“Strange morning-after talk, but yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Vince reached over and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear. “How ya feeling? You made it seem like Gnomes tend to rip and shatter when they get involved with other races. Then you went all crazy on me.”

Leila chuckled nervously, her face turning a deep and dark red.

“Yes. Normally that’s true… uhm, I’m alright. Everything… down there… feels incredibly sore. But not painful.

“The magic flow really helped.”

“Glad to hear it. Too sore to go again right now?” Vince said, leaning in toward her. Carefully, he rolled her onto her back, his right hand slipping down to her hip.

“Ahhhh, yes. I think you really would rip me. But… uhm… tonight… if you can? I’d like to try it again.”

Leila had put both her hands to his shoulders as if to stop him from going any further.

“As you like, but I doubt it. Yaris will know I’m here by now and if I don’t miss my guess, she’ll drag me into bed.”

“She’s very concerned about being in your bed,” Leila said seriously.

“That she is. I get the impression it has to do with a talk she had with Berenga.

“Anyways,” Vince said, then kissed Leila once. “Time to start the day. I should probably—”

There was a riotous explosion, followed by several more.

Everything trembled and shook.

Rolling out of bed, Vince snatched up his belongings and got into them as quickly as he could. Even as all the sound around him was explosions and violence.

“What’s going on!?” Leila shouted over the din.

“I don’t know; it sounds like bombs going off but I don’t know how that’s possible!”

Vince slammed his feet home into his boots, threw on his saber and flew out the entry.

Practically running over Red in the process.

“Vince! The world is ending!” Red said, coming in close to him.

“I don’t think it’s—”A particularly loud and close boom shook Alex’s teeth in his head. Dirt sprayed in every direction, spattering off everyone nearby.

“Let’s find Petra and get out of here! Go grab Leila!” Vince shouted at Red, suddenly agreeing about the end of the world.

Wails, screams, and yells surrounded him as everything began to shake and detonate.

Moving at a quick run, Vince beelined it for Petra’s command building.

And stopped when he got within sight of it.

The whole thing was a fiery inferno. There’d be nothing in there alive.

Vince was spun to one side and found himself staring up into Petra’s face.

“This one must order her husband to flee!” Petra said, getting in close to him. “They’re using artillery! We have no defense against this. The entire army is going to pull back and begin digging trenches. Everyone must fall back to the Vegas defensive line!

“They’ll follow this up with a very strong push. This one must go order her forces back.”

Vince nodded quickly.

The Vegas line was only a line on paper. It marked a long stretch of land that ran along the border, a flat expanse of no-man’s fields with little to nothing in the way of features.

She gave him a bright smile and darted in to kiss him quickly.

Petra then shoved Yaris into Vince’s arms.

“This one loves you, Master. Husband. Go, this one will track you down later,” she said and dashed away, shouting orders at her people as she went.

Yaris’s eyes were wide, her hands clenching to Vince.

“Husband, I’m—I’m not sure what to do,” she squeaked. Then she buried her face into his shoulder as an artillery shell went off nearby, spraying dirt all over them.

She’s not made for the front lines. My poor Yaris.

Vince scooped her up and threw her over a shoulder. She’d only slow him down if he tried to let her make her own way.

“Sorry dear, but hang on,” Vince said. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Red holding a scantily clad Leila, who was struggling in her grasp.

“The Gryphon!” Vince said to Red, who nodded her head immediately.

Setting off at a run, Vince angled for where he’d tethered his Gryphon. The quickest way out would be by the air now.

A shell went off not far away, the shockwave and fire forcing Vince down a small alley between pitched tents. His choices had been to move or get flame washed.

Keeping himself low, Vince kept moving, trying to stay in line with his destination.

Bursting out the other side of the alley, he spun on his heel and went sprinting as fast as he could.

Dodging around soldiers who were packing, running, or dying, Vince couldn’t keep a thought straight in his head.

From the very moment the Tri-lliance had invaded to now, it felt like everything had been a never-ending failure.

Nothing was going his way at all.

Only when he got involved did things go right, and then only when he could impact things directly.

Turning the corner around a large supply tent, Vince finally saw the landing field he’d hitched his Gryphon to.

Except it wasn’t there.

The leash was there, but it looked as if it’d been snapped clean off.

“Damnit,” Vince muttered.

It must have snapped the line when the explosions started. We never trained it for such loud noises. It probably spooked and bolted.

More than likely winging its way back to Yosemite.

“Red thinks we should take horses and go!” shouted the Beastkin.

Nodding at that, Vince turned and started back into the camp. They needed to get to the far side where the horses were picketed. If they could get two, they’d be able to get out much quicker.

It’d only been a few minutes since the explosions started, but the camp was already a ghost town.

No soldiers remained that weren’t wounded to the point of immobility or simply dead.

Vince came to a stop, looking through the peaked tent tops.

“I don’t think we can get there,” Vince said.

“Why?” Yaris asked from his shoulder.

“Because I think that’s—” Vince paused as he saw Tri-lliance soldiers picking their way through the campsite. “Because they’re already here, and it’s why the shells stopped falling.”

Turning, Vince started running towards the Vegas line.

“Red, I want you out ahead leading us along!” Vince shouted to the Beastkin. “Try to keep us out of the grouping of our own soldiers. I’d prefer to break contact with the enemy over keeping with our own soldiery.”

“Red understands!”

Moving past him and ranging out ahead, Red loped along, Leila clutched to her shoulder.

The Gnome was hanging on to Red for dear life, her panicked face and eyes locked on Vince as she went by.

“This is madness,” Yaris said. “How are we supposed to stand up to this? Where did they even find those things?”

“Doesn’t matter. Maybe they robbed the emperor, maybe they found them in the south, maybe they made them. Regardless, they have them.

“But they clearly didn’t want to use them unless they had to. I suppose in the end, we forced their hand.”

“I take cold comfort in that, dear,” Yaris said.

“As do I. But that does mean it’s more likely the emperor won’t have to face these. Which means he’s more likely to hold out against their army or win.

“And if that happens, it’ll hopefully lessen our own problems.”

“Unless he makes an accord with them separately,” Yaris said. “It’s… it’s what I would do if I were in a stalemate.”

Vince felt his mind shriek at the idea of it.

But she wasn’t wrong. It was the smart play. A white peace for the time being in the hopes that you can prepare to counter-attack or withstand them next time.

Personally, Vince thought it a losing proposition, but if the alternative was a long, drawn-out war, it might be the only option.

“How far away is this… Vegas line?”

“A ways, why?” Vince asked.

“I think you’ll need to put me down at some point. I’ll do my best to keep up, but I don’t think carrying me like this is good for either of us,” Yaris said. “Besides… I might be pregnant again, and I don’t think bouncing around on your shoulder would be good.”

Great.

“I think we should head for Yosemite and leave the fight to Petra. We need to send the Dwarves to help her. She said she needed trenches, didn’t she?” Yaris asked.

“Yeah. You’re right. We’ll do that. Maybe we can see what else we can do there,” Vince said.

He really didn’t feel like he had much in the way of options open to him right now.

***

Weary, foot-sore, and incredibly tired, Vince stared at the gates of Yosemite.

For the second time in a month, he was returning in abject failure.

“Sweetling, you look terrible. What’s going on?” Meliae asked, having been waiting just outside the gate for him. “You brought Yaris home as well?”

“The south is completely overrun. We’re falling back to the Vegas line to start digging trenches. We need to send any of the Dwarves that are willing to go and can be spared. It’s going to be an extensive amount of digging, I think,” Vince said, coming to a stop in front of Meliae.

Red, Leila, and Yaris trooped by, all three of them looking like they wanted to collapse into a bed and sleep.

“I… goodness. Alright. I’ll have it taken care of. Is it… is it that bad?” Meliae asked, worming into Vince’s arms and looking up at him.

“I might be understating it. I get the impression we suffered a good number of casualties with little to nothing to show for it,” Vince murmured.

Holding tightly to Meliae, Vince didn’t know what to say or do.

He was a long way from being a Ranger now. It felt like everything was falling apart, and it was all his fault.

“I’m sure Petra can handle it. We just need to help her however we can, Sweetling,” Meliae said, nodding her head once. “Though the news from the east is much better.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“They’ve not only held their own but started to turn the enemy forces back entirely. Losses are light, nothing that can’t be absorbed,” Meliae said. “Gerard estimates that if it continues in this way, they’ll be able to either rout the enemy fully or destroy them in a few months.”

Vince smiled bitterly at that.

“That is indeed good news, but I’m not even sure we’ll last that long.”

“Why? I don’t—”

“They were using ancient war tech. Artillery. Weapons similar to catapults but able to fire very long distances. They could turn Yosemite into a smoking crater without ever getting near, and only attack once they were sure we couldn’t resist.”

Meliae sucked in a slow breath and then sighed.

“Meliae,” Vince said, getting her attention. “If I wanted to pack up our grove—our family, our children—and flee, could we?”

Meliae’s face turned pensive and upset.

“Yes… we could, but… my mother could not…” Meliae said slowly. “And obviously we couldn’t take many people with us. We couldn’t sustain much more than the Dryads and our family. The Elf sisters may not… may not come with us at that point. Their family is simply too large now.”

Vince blew out a breath and closed his eyes.

There really wasn’t much that could be done one way or the other. Everything was coming down to fighting it out and either winning or losing.

“The Dragons never came back… but… neither did Ramona,” Meliae said. “I’m sorry. It’s very possible she’s still alive out there, just unable to return.”

Vince could hear the disbelief in Meliae’s words. Most everyone was operating under the idea that Ramona had probably perished in her fight with the Dragon.

They were holding to hope as desperately as possible, but with each day it was harder to keep.

“Oh no, is that the army?” Meliae asked, peering past Vince’s shoulder.

Turning his head, Vince looked to a distant group of people hurrying toward Yosemite.

“I don’t know. They’re flying the banner of Yosemite, but they don’t… look like Petra’s people,” Vince said.

“It’s Berenga’s?” Meliae asked aloud.

“Berenga?” Vince repeated.

Releasing the Dryad, he stepped to the side, staring out across the field.

Moving rapidly, the soldiers were leading, pushing, and hauling a wagon. Everyone seemed desperate to get it to Yosemite, as if they were being chased by the hounds of hell.

“No…” Meliae whispered.

“Meliae? What’s wrong?” Vince asked her as she moved away from him.

The Dryad turned and waddled back into Yosemite, calling out for Mouth. She ignored him completely, focused on whatever she was doing.

“Meliae!?” Vince called after her again.

Focusing back on the wagon that was being moved at an incredible speed, given that it was being pushed and pulled by hand, Vince felt an unknown sense of worry and fear.

Something panicked her. Something upset and panicked her greatly.

What could it be? What am I missing?

Dryads began pouring out of the gate beside him, lining up along the road. It was every single Dryad in his grove, now that he looked.

“Vince,” Mouth said, coming to stand beside him. She caught his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together with everyone. We can make it work. Ok?”

Now Vince felt like something had truly gone wrong.

“What is it?” he asked, his mouth going dry.

“We don’t know yet… Green is with them, but… the message she sent was very… garbled and not good,” Mouth said, her lips pressing into a firm line after she stopped talking.

“Green? But she was with—” Vince’s head whipped back around to the wagon and he started walking towards it.

In short order, he began to jog and then run.

Please be ok. Please let them be ok.

Vince felt his heart hammer in his chest as his fear ran away with him.

Green had been on deployment with Blue, Daphne, Karya, and Berenga. They’d been working on the western end of the lines and keeping the enemy from flanking.

Vince was getting close now. He could see there were people in the wagon. People with blood-stained bandages. Clearly the wounded.

Passing by a soldier, Vince didn’t stop.

“Lord—” a second guard said, trying to get his sovereign’s attention as he raced by.

Two guards moved out of the way as Vince came to a sliding halt next to the racing wagon. Climbing up the rear board, he peered in to see what was going on and why they were moving so fast.

Karya’s glassy-eyed stare was the first thing he saw. She’d been literally split in half at the waist, her entrails spread out on the floor of the wagon. Her lower half was fetched up next to her.

Laid out beside her was Daphne, with a hole in her chest that looked as if something had smashed through the front of her body. Her chest was simply gone, and he could see her spine.

Both were dead and gone.

Green was being held by Blue, and they were seated against the side board.

Green was missing her legs, and her face looked as if it’d been doused in acid. Her eyes were simply gone, as was her nose. She was shivering uncontrollably against Blue.

He only knew it was her because her Dryad Elven figure was unmistakable.

“Grove-husband,” Blue croaked out. Her shoulders and upper chest looked burned, and her armor looked like it had been burned onto her very skin.

But she didn’t look like her life was in danger.

Green’s head swung one way and then the other, as if seeking him out.

“Husband?” she asked. It sounded odd, and her lips didn’t quite move.

“I’m here, Green,” Vince said, scooting around the side of the wagon to get to her.

“It’s so good to hear your voice, love.

“You need to… listen to… listen to the grove-mistress. Dig out our seeds and plant us. Ok? You have to… you have… to—” Green’s head bobbed slowly. Her shivering stopped, and she slumped to one side, unmoving, against Blue.

Sobbing quietly, Blue laid her cheek to Green’s head, holding on to the other Dryad.

Vince swallowed past the lump in his throat. Looking around in the wagon, he finally saw what he was looking for.

Fes was in the wagon, her back pressed into the corner.

Her face was contorted in pain and she looked very pale for her race, all things considered.

Vince gently touched Blue on the shoulder and kissed her cheek before scooting around to Berenga’s side.

One dark-black eye slid open at his approach, and Vince felt his heart unclench.

She was alive.

Coming up along next to her, Vince wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

“Fes, it’s so good to see you. What happened? Daphne, Karya, and Green… they’re all dead. What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Berenga said. Her voice sounded incredibly hollow to him. “The world just… exploded… around us. Then the Tri-lliance soldiers were everywhere.”

A soldier had gotten closer to Vince and leaned over as they raced along to Yosemite.

“We think they somehow set up a magical bomb next to the command tent. It was the only location that was hit,” said the soldier. “Full of acid, fire, and a lot of metal. It was big. Real big.”

Vince nodded a bit, laying his forehead to Fes’s cheek.

“I’m afraid… I won’t be your Fes anymore, though,” Berenga said, her eyes closing.

“What? I don’t understand.”

Berenga’s right arm moved, and she held it up.

Or what was left of it. There was nothing below the elbow except charred and shattered flesh.

Then he looked down, only to find her left leg missing below the knee.

“I’m a broken warrior. Fit only to mother and breed now. I must relinquish my title of Fes.

“I’m so sorry, husband. I’ve failed you and gotten some of our wives killed,” Berenga said in a hiccupping voice. “Daph and Karrie didn’t even have a chance. They just… were there, and then they weren’t.”

Then she began to sob uncontrollably.

Chapter 12

Vince stared down at the three open graves. They were in the grove out behind his house. Right in the middle of where new Dryads too young to join his grove planted their trees. That included the trees of his daughters, who were just barely beginning to understand themselves.

Daphne, Karya, and Green had all been placed in them. He’d dug the graves personally and laid them to rest.

Meliae had convinced him to bury them naked—naked and uncovered. Without coffins or shrouds.

Sighing, Vince crouched down in front of Karya’s resting place.

The lively and willful young woman who’d never given him peace was gone.

In her place was a corpse that looked like it had died in pain. Pain and confusion.

Feeling his emotions threatening to overrun him, he turned his face away from the dead woman. A woman he’d ended up caring for deeply. Who’d told him the things he hadn’t wanted to hear when everyone else had spared him his feelings.

Her wife Daphne lay in the grave next to her. They’d set out together to start a grove and love one another, and had ended up in Vince’s.

Daphne had been the most martial of them, quick to fight and smile. Where Karya had been flighty, Daphne had been a stalwart rock.

Then there was Green in the far grave, one Vince didn’t want to look into.

She’d held on to life long enough to hear him, relay a message, and then pass on in Blue’s arms.

The quiet and timid Green who’d enjoyed hiding in his room to ambush him without being caught by the other wives. And yet who’d loved being caught even more.

“Sweetling, I promise, this is the best thing for them. It’s very, very likely they’ll come back to you,” Meliae said, squeezing his shoulder. “We Dryads are hearty creatures, especially when we have such a strong grove to pull upon.”

“Even though their seed was in me? And not in the earth?” Vince asked, his voice subdued.

“Especially since it was in you,” Mouth interjected, leaning over and hugging his and Meliae’s hands tightly to herself. “Let the grove-mistress call the seeds forth from you and then cover them in the earth with their bodies.”

Vince gave a sharp nod and lifted his hunting knife from his belt. With a practiced slash, he opened the same spot on his body the Dryads used to put their seeds into him.

As was always the case, little to no blood flowed from the gash at all.

Meliae reached around Mouth with her other hand and pressed it to the open wound.

A shifting sensation ran throughout Vince’s body. As quickly as it had come, though, it was over, and he now felt a strange sense of loss.

As if something were missing.

“Ah, they’re very well nurtured. Shriveled, but brimming with power,” Meliae said.

Pulling her hand from his wound, she opened her palm.

Sitting in the middle of her hand were three bloody lumps.

“Those are…” Vince paused; he couldn’t quite ask it.

“These are their seeds,” Mouth said, pulling on Vince’s hand and putting it under Meliae’s. “Take them and plant them into their flesh. Preferably their chests.”

Meliae dropped the seeds into his hand, then ran her hand along the wound in his chest, sealing it without a single blemish.

Both Dryads released Vince and took a step back.

Fighting back another rush of emotions, Vince didn’t dare look into Karya’s grave.

Only then did he realize the Dryads of his grove had circled around him. They were all holding Dryad children as well.

No small number of them were already five years old. All stared at him. He didn’t doubt for a minute they quite understood what was going on, and part of him wanted to tell them to leave.

“They must learn of this part of life early,” Mouth said, her voice soft. “It is better this way, that death is honored instead of feared. We’ll have to send them away at some point to make their own groves.”

Clutching the seeds tightly, Vince turned to Karya’s grave. Careful to not land on her, he slid down into it.

“How will I know which one is hers?” Vince asked, trying not to look at her.

“Touch them. They are their seeds, of course. They know you as you know them,” Meliae said.

Vince thought that sounded rather cryptic, but he placed a finger on a seed.

And instantly knew it was Green. The seed quivered at his touch and seemed as if it wanted to hide and yet remain seen at the same time.

Smiling sadly, Vince moved his finger to the next seed.

It was Daphne. It met him immediately, demanding to know what was wrong and if she could help.

Finally, Vince touched the last seed.

Warm, bubbling mirth came up from nowhere. Teasing laughter and a playful wink that promised mischief.

Karya.

Taking the seed in hand, Vince squatted down over her body.

Bracing himself for the task, he reached into her chest from below and pushed her seed deep into the decomposing body.

Standing up quickly, Vince practically leapt out of the grave.

As quickly as he could, he moved into Daphne’s grave and then Green’s, repeating the process. Putting their seeds deep into their dead bodies.

Shuddering from head to toe, Vince stood with his back to the graves. His head hung low.

“You said they’ll come back. How sure are you of that?” Vince asked.

“I…” Meliae paused, then sighed deeply. “I want to believe it. It can happen in this way. Not often, but… it has happened before. The seed literally sprouts into the body and revives it. The problem is the time it takes.”

“The time?” Vince asked.

“For those it… it worked on, it took years. But it varies for each Dryad. For some, it’s only a year—others, a decade.

“Mother said there was one Dryad she knew who claimed she’d been reborn in such a way, but it took a hundred years.”

Vince nodded a little.

Even if it takes two hundred, I’d like to believe that maybe they’ll live in the future.

“We’ll cover them with earth,” Mouth said, touching his forearm gently. “Go clean up, and care for Berenga. We’re not sure how long she’ll…”

Feeling his teeth snap shut, Vince choked down the words that wanted to be shouted.

Fes was dying, and the Dryads couldn’t stop it. Something lived in her.

In her very blood itself. Something vile and magic-borne. Leila had looked at it and had been unable to deduce what it was.

No matter how much magic they used—Dryad, Elven, or otherwise—it just soaked it up and became stronger. Like a living poison.

Taking a deep breath, Vince left the grove and headed for the back door to his home.

Ramona is missing, and it’s looking like she won’t be coming back.

Petra hasn’t reported in, and I’m starting to get worried.

Daphne, Karya, and Green are dead.

Blue is wounded.

And Fes is… Fes is dying, and I can’t do a thing.

A Fairy fluttered near the door to his home, waiting for him.

“I… I have a report,” the Fairy said, clearly unsure how to proceed.

“Let me have it then,” Vince said, expecting worse news to come. Everything else was going wrong, after all.

“The southern army has begun digging trench-works. Their safety is much greater now,” said the Fairy.

“Ah, good,” Vince said, feeling his heart unclench just a bit. It was good news for once. “Petra got them situated then?”

“The general… the general is missing,” said the Fairy. “She was last seen carrying wounded from the front. Thera has taken command for the time being.”

Vince pressed a hand to his eyes, not responding. He opened the door to his house and went inside.

Falling over something right inside the doorway, Vince crashed down to one knee.

Growling, he turned to smash whatever had tripped him.

Sitting there was the extremely well-made backpack the Beastkin named Andrea had given him.

“Damnit Red, I told you to put it somewhere safe, not in the—”

Vince stopped mid-sentence.

New allies. New allies with old-world technology? New allies with technology!

Vince snatched the backpack up and ran off to a room he’d set aside for his trophies.

He moved quickly, pulling the metal disc from the bag as he went.

“What is that?” asked the Fairy. Apparently it’d followed him.

“Hopefully an answer. Tell everyone I’m going into this to find allies. No one is to follow me, but they can wait here if they want,” Vince said.

Setting the disc down, Vince pressed the button and stood up.

A glowing blue oval popped into existence, and a room that looked like a study appeared on the other side of the portal.

After looking around his trophy room, Vince snatched up an older saber he’d used before the one he’d broken in the dragon.

Belting it to his waist, he stepped through the portal.

He was alone.

He moved to the only door in the room, flung it open and then moved into the next room.

“Who are you?” asked a feminine voice. “And why did—oh.”

Turning to face the voice, Vince found a Beastkin that looked identical to Andrea. Just with darker hair.

She was dressed strangely, in dark clothes, and was holding what looked like a gun.

“You really do look a lot like Felix,” she said. “Here, put this on so we know what side you’re on.”

Pulling off some kind of padded vest, the Beastkin then tossed it to Vince.

“What side I’m on?” Vince asked, pulling the vest on but not quite understanding how it cinched.

“We’re currently fighting a defensive battle,” said the Beastkin, coming over to fix the vest for him. “I’m Adriana. Andrea is my sister; you met her. One of me is stationed here to defend this room. In case you happened to walk out, just like that.”

“A battle?” Vince asked. Adriana gave the vest a thump and pointed toward the door.

“The government decided it didn’t want to play nice. They sent in infiltrators. Not all the hallways are safe and we’re working in teams to clear them. Felix is in the command center.

“Go out the door, down the hall, and take the elevator to the fiftieth floor. After that, you’ll have to ask for directions for the safest route.”

Adriana pulled a handgun from her side, racked the slide and handed it to him handle first.

“Extended thirty-round magazine. Shoot anyone not wearing that vest, or the Legion symbol,” she said, pointing to a patch on her arm.

Vince took the gun and then looked to the door.

“Can this Felix heal people?” Vince asked.

“Heal people? Yes. He has machines that can fix anything,” Adriana said.

“Great,” Vince said, a grin suddenly spreading on his face.

Violence? I can do violence. And if I do it well enough, perhaps I’ll get that machine.

Moving the pistol to his left hand, Vince drew his saber and left the room.

A minute later, he stepped out of the elevator onto the floor Adriana had indicated.

The sounds of fighting and gunfire were loud. Loud to the point of deafening.

Ten feet away, a man in green and brown colors was firing a rifle down a hall.

No patch, no black vest.

Vince walked up and stabbed the man through the chest without a thought, then moved into the hallway.

Several more men were spread out in front of him behind cover.

With a flick of his wrist, Vince buried his blade in the throat of one on the right.

Lifting his left hand, he fired twice in quick succession into the heads of two others.

Pulling his blade free, Vince slashed it across his body at the unprotected rear of another man.

The splash of blood and the feel of killing his enemies was satisfying.

Satisfying on a level he couldn’t even put words to. Outside of a lucky strike on a Dragon, he’d been resorting to running around.

Running away.

Moving down the hallway as quickly as he could, Vince found what the men had been firing at.

A woman standing behind a semi-translucent dome of magic.

She looked familiar, but Vince couldn’t place it. She was dark haired and rather pretty.

Though not as pretty as his Dryad wives.

“Felix?” asked the woman, clearly confused.

“Vince,” said Vince.

His head whipped to one side at the sound of gunfire nearby.

Feeling the need for combat, Vince moved toward the sweet siren song of battle.

“Where’d you come from, Vince? I’m Lily,” said the woman, coming up beside him.

“Through a portal. Adriana gave me a gun. I’m going to use it.”

Stepping into a large room, Vince saw two sides facing one another down, and a scrum of people fighting weapon to weapon on the far side.

A woman wearing a helmet stood nearby, her hand outstretched in front of herself.

To Vince, it looked like she was literally stopping bullets from reaching her and those around her. Far fewer rounds were firing in this direction, though; apparently the enemy was aware of the futility of the act.

Bracing himself, Vince turned and sprinted toward the enemy group directly in front of the woman. Hoping to use her ability to his advantage.

Bullets whizzed around him like angry bees.

Except he didn’t care.

Nor did he care when several clearly hit him in the chest. He felt the pain of the strike, but none of the burning he associated with gunshot wounds.

Leaping over the impromptu enemy barricade, Vince began to lay about himself with his saber.

Flicking the tip around, he skewed a man in the neck, then ripped it out to gut another man close beside him.

Vince lifted his left hand and began to fire down the line of enemies in front of him.

Marching forward as he went, he fired once into each person’s head.

When the slide locked backward, he dropped the gun and lunged forward with his blade.

It went through the back of a woman’s torso and exited just below her navel.

Reaching down, he yanked the pistol from the holster and lifted it to fire into the person next to her.

Only to find the gun wasn’t chambered.

Letting go of his sword, Vince took a step back, racked the slide, and began to empty the magazine.

With each and every shot, another bullet passed through someone’s head.

When the gun clanged with the chamber open, Vince flung it aside.

Ripping his blade out of the dying woman, twisting it as he did, he paused only to stomp on her throat.

Then he picked up the rifle she’d been using and continued his death march.

Holding it slung low, he squeezed off small bursts of rounds down the line. He wasn’t as accurate like this, but it didn’t matter.

The rounds were heavy and seemed to pass right through the soldiers. Vince was rapidly closing in on his original goal—the press of men and women fighting hand to hand.

A woman in glowing armor with a black patch on her shoulder passed by him as she dueled with another person in similar armor. She wielded a brightly glowing sword with ease of long use.

Dropping his rifle, Vince snapped his wrist into a thrust of his blade into the enemy of the swords-woman.

His blade snapped in half as it passed into the man’s gut, leaving Vince with only a hilt.

Grabbing the glowing weapon out of the man’s hand as he fell to his knees, Vince began to slam the pommel down repeatedly into the foe’s helmeted temple.

On the third impact, there was a crunching noise and the man went limp to the ground.

Hefting the weapon, Vince gave it an experimental swing at a nearby enemy, then grinned when it passed through the person’s forearm and sent it flying in one direction.

Wading into the middle of the brawl, Vince stabbed at anyone close to him that looked like a foe.

He was aiming for the back of the fight, hoping to find somewhere he wouldn’t have to distinguish friend from foe.

Where he could just let loose.

Chopping through the spine of a woman who held a club, Vince stomped forward.

A roaring sound came from behind him that only spurred Vince on. It made his body flush with excitement, and the sides of his vision tinged bright red.

Don’t let it out completely. Use it, though. Use it up.

As quick as a finger snap, Vince launched a series of slashes at those around him, stabbing out at the ones who tried to fall back.

Bodies fell around him as he worked himself into a frenzy. The blade in his hand was amazing and seemed to know no resistance. It cut through everyone and everything that stood in his path.

Suddenly, Vince found himself staring at a man in what looked like very shiny pajamas.

“Stop right there,” said the man, standing in a strange and silly pose with his hands on his hips. “You—”

Flashing forward, Vince put his blade through the man’s chest and twisted it viciously.

The man curled up around the wound as Vince yanked the sword out. Then he whipped it around and lopped off the man’s head.

Kicking the headless corpse out of his way, Vince continued on.

Across from him, several men and women lifted rifles and pointed them in his direction.

Vince snarled at them, lifting his arms.

Do it then!

Roaring his defiance, Vince pushed on his magic as if he were about to let into his rage.

But he held on to his ability to think. Just barely.

A wave of life magic exploded out from him and knocked everyone around him flat.

Leaping across the distance in a sprint, he began to brutally stab at everyone he could reach before they could stand up.

By the time he’d managed to work his way out of that group and into the next, people had rolled over onto their stomachs with their hands behind their heads.

It made it all the easier for him to smash his blade into their backs and insides.

“Stop,” said a woman who appeared in front of him.

She looked of Asian descent to him, and was dressed in form-fitting clothes. On her shoulder was the patch for those Adriana had labeled as allies.

“Why?” Vince growled out, shoving his blade into a woman who lay on the ground in front of him.

“They’re surrendering,” said the woman, coming closer, putting herself between Vince and his next target.

“So? Enemies die. No need to accept their surrender,” Vince said, pointing at the man on the ground. “Move so I can keep going.”

“No. Felix asked me to request that you stop, so I am asking you to stop. Please do so, as I do not wish to fight with you,” said the woman.

Hefting the blade he’d acquired, Vince started to weigh his options of fighting this unarmed woman.

“I am Miu. Felix asked that you stop. He wishes to convey his thanks for your assistance,” Miu said.

Assistance? Assistance!

Feeling his rage immediately boil away with the memory of getting help, Vince nodded at Miu.

“Fine. I need a sheath for this,” he said, holding up the blade. “I claim it as a trophy.”

“I have no doubt we can arrange that. Would you be willing to come with me to meet Felix?” Miu asked.

Vince looked behind himself, back toward where this Felix probably was.

A mass of men and women in black vests and patches were watching him. Many of them were armed with rifles and pistols.

“Lead on,” Vince said, looking back to Miu.

Chapter 13

Vince sat in the indicated chair and looked around the room.

It reminded him of his father’s study. Bookcases full of tomes, several pictures, a writing desk, a sofa, a table with chairs.

Put all together, it made Vince feel comfortable to a small degree.

Nostalgic.

It radiated a lived-in feel. One that had a lot to do with simply being here and working out of it.

“Good afternoon,” said a male voice from behind him.

Turning in his seat, Vince looked back toward the door.

A man stood with the door closing behind him. He was a bit older than Vince, but it didn’t seem as if by many years.

He had brown hair and blue eyes.

And he looked extremely familiar. Eerily so.

So much so that Vince stared at him for several seconds before it registered. It was like looking in a hazy mirror. A distorted reflection.

This man looked a lot like himself.

It’s rather uncanny how much we look alike, actually.

The man was a hair shorter than Vince, he’d bet, and a bit narrower in the shoulders.

Though not woefully so. Vince would have put the man at an average build and figure.

“Hm. We really do look alike, just like they kept saying,” the man said, scratching at his jaw. “It’s uncanny.”

“I thought the same when I saw you,” Vince said.

Walking over to the chair next to Vince, the man sat down and held out his hand.

“I’m Felix,” he said.

“Vince,” Vince said, shaking Felix’s hand firmly.

“First off, thank you for your assistance back there. I can’t tell you how much it helped. I have no doubt your actions saved the lives of many of my people,” Felix said.

“Mm. I wanted to blow off some steam. I haven’t been able to fight my own foes as directly as I’d wish.

“The Beastkin at the portal gave me the gun and told me anyone without a patch or the black vest was an enemy. Seemed straightforward enough.”

“Adriana. Yeah, I could see her doing that.” Felix nodded slightly with a strange grin. “She tends to view things fairly differently.”

“Forgive me for getting straight to the point, but honestly, I came here for help. From anyone I could find,” Vince said, leaning forward in his chair. “I was hoping I could get my hands on some technology. Technology that could help me and my people.”

Felix folded his hands into one another and didn’t immediately respond.

“What kind of tech did you need?” he asked after a few seconds.

“First and foremost, medical. One of my wives is… dying. Others are attempting to heal her, but… they can’t. It’s too much for their magic. She’s slowly dying.

“They said it’s in her blood and they can’t seem to stop it, no matter how much magic they use,” Vince said.

Simple words and a straightforward explanation of his needs—he didn’t want any misunderstanding about his request.

“That’s not a problem at all. Consider it done,” Felix said. Reaching over the desk, he pressed a button on a box. “Andrea?”

“Yes?” came a voice from the box.

“I need Mr. White, a healing pod, and some people to carry it through the portal. Take a portable energy source as well. Tell Mr. White he’s on detached duty as a special favor for me,” Felix said.

“Okay! Oh, there’s three more guests that just came through the portal.

“They’re on their way over to you with Prime, Adriana Prime, Kit, and Lily.”

“More guests?” Felix asked curiously, letting go of the button. “Were you expecting more people?”

“No. I left orders to not follow me, to be honest,” Vince said.

Both Vince and Felix looked to the door as it suddenly opened. Seven women trooped in and stood staring at the two of them.

Vince knew three of them, of course. Mouth, Felicity, and Red.

Two of the other four were the twin Beastkin with different hair colors, Andrea and Adriana.

Which left the other two as Kit and Lily, whom Vince recognized after a moment.

One had been the woman behind the magical shield in the hall, and the other had been holding the line in the battle.

“They look like brothers,” the twins said at the same time.

“I don’t have a brother,” Vince and Felix said, also at the same time.

Red bounded forward and leaned over Felix, audibly sniffing him.

Then she turned and cuddled in close to Vince, nuzzling him while smelling him loudly.

“Red thinks they smell like each other,” Red said, then scooted around behind Vince and laid her hands on his shoulders.

“Ok, before this gets any weirder,” Felix said. “My father died quite young, and as far as I know, I have no siblings. The end.”

Vince nodded. “My father vanished when I was in my twenties, but I have no siblings that I know of.”

“On top of that, we’re from different planes of existence,” Felix added, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“Well, that doesn’t seem to matter,” Vince said with a shake of his head. “Apparently my father wasn’t from my… plane of existence… as you called it. The portals were an experiment, I think. They found my father with one.”

Felix frowned at that.

“You said… they found him?” interrupted the woman who had cast the magical shield.

She was attractive in a way, but not at all compared to his Dryads.

“Yes. They opened a portal and brought him through, I believe. And you are?” Vince asked.

“Oh, ah, Lily,” said the woman, bowing her head a bit toward Vince.

Ah, she did introduce herself, didn’t she?

“That makes you Kit,” Vince said, looking to the other woman.

She was pretty, though looked rather malnourished from how thin she was.

Her figure looked more akin to Green’s.

“Yes, I am,” she said.

“This is Red,” Vince said, pointing at the Beastkin behind him. “That’s Mouth, and Felicity,” he continued, pointing at each woman.

“The portals were an experiment on your world?” asked Lily.

“Yes. They ruined my world in doing it. Much of what used to be the United States is a mess of other races all battling for supremacy.”

“The United States? What’s that?” Kit asked.

“A country. It was a country many years ago,” Vince said.

Felix raised a hand and started to rub his chin as if in thought. “Oh?”

“Felix?” asked Andrea.

“Hm?”

“Mr. White, the pod, and the guards will be ready in about ten minutes. They’re getting it all packed up now.”

“Great,” Felix said, not looking at anyone or anything in particular.

Then his eyes flicked to Vince.

“Would you be willing to make a trade with me?” he asked.

“Depends on what you want,” Vince said uneasily.

“Gold. As much as I can get my hands on. It’ll help me and my people immensely. What do you need?” Felix asked.

“Weapons,” Vince immediately replied. “I’m fighting a war against those with weapons I cannot match. They have guns, artillery, and bombs. I have… very few of those for my country.”

“Your country?” Andrea asked.

“Yes. Yosemite. It’s my—our—country.”

“Ooooh! I wanna visit!” Andrea said, looking at her twin.

“I do, too!” said the second one.

They both turned and looked at Red. “Feral friend, will you give us a tour?”

Red looked at the two Beastkin as she continued to hold Vince.

“If Bringer says it’s ok, then Red will do so,” Red said.

“Hm? That’s fine, go now if you like,” Vince said, not really worried about that right now. He desperately wanted to get back to talking about weapons and gold.

“Yay!” the twins said.

Red let go of Vince and started to walk away.

“Bringer, why is there a picture of your father?” Red asked suddenly.

Vince frowned, shaken from his deep need to talk about weapons, and looked to Red.

She was pointing at a bookshelf with a picture in a frame.

“Huh?”

“Red remembers Bringer’s father. This is him,” Red said. She moved forward, grabbed the picture and brought it over to him.

“See?” she said.

Looking down at the picture, Vince was floored.

It really was his father, but significantly younger.

Except he was standing next to a teenager version of Felix.

“I don’t understand,” Vince said, looking up to the other man.

Felix looked equally shocked, gently taking the picture from Vince.

“This is my uncle. Miles, Miles Campbell,” Felix said, looking from the picture to Vince.

“This is your father?”

Vince nodded his head.

“Mother only called him Campbell. On the deed in the house, though, it says Miles Campbell,” Vince said.

Felix set the picture down on his desk and then smiled at Vince.

He suddenly looked genuinely happy.

Vince didn’t even need to use his gift to see surface thoughts to know it was real.

“Well, I suppose I have another surprise for you, then. My dad and your dad were twins,” Felix said. “Genetically, we’re probably closer to half-brothers than cousins, I guess.

“Well isn’t that a coincidence. Especially considering there’re some concerns with time if one thinks about it.

“Doesn’t quite match up,” Felix said as he looked up towards the ceiling.

“Though I’m betting it isn’t as much a coincidence as I would originally think,” Felix said. Shaking his head, he looked back to Vince with a smile. “Let’s talk about what you need, and what I need, and let’s figure out how we can help one another, little brother.”

Vince felt a strange fluttering in his stomach and nodded his head slowly.

Little brother?

“Ah, I’m afraid my lord is apt in the ways of war, but he has me and my sisters for the needs of the kingdom. I’ll be happy to work through Yosemite’s needs with whoever your representative is,” Felicity said.

“That’s me,” Lily said, her eyes still moving between Vince and Felix for a second before looking to Felicity.

***

“Name’s Steve,” said the man in strange, bulky green-and-brown-colored clothes. He had short-cropped brown hair and blue eyes. Which meant he looked like most people to Vince. “Steve Middleton.”

“Julia Crawfird,” said the lanky woman. Noting her black hair and green eyes, Vince dismissed her as well.

Few compared in his eyes to his Dryads anymore.

“Vince… Vince Campbell… apparently,” Vince said.

He watched as a group of people in black clothes and helmets worked on what looked like an old tech toaster.

“Heard you’re the boss’s little brother,” Julia said.

“Something… like that. This’ll work?” Vince said, pointing at the toaster.

“It’ll work. We haven’t seen anything it can’t fix. Sucks up power like a motherfucker though,” Julia said.

Vince nodded slowly.

“Put your trust in Mr. White. He’s our lab genius. The one who puts all our gear together and upgrades it,” Steve said. “Felicia is her own sort of genius, but more on the cutting-edge side of things.”

Glancing at Mr. White, Vince weighed him critically.

He was older. Pudgy around the middle. Bald from hairline to crown, with only the sides of his hair left.

He wore thin, circular glasses, but carried a confidence that didn’t match his outward appearance.

As if feeling eyes on him, the man looked up and saw Vince staring at him.

The older man gave him a soothing smile, then went back to the small black box he was tapping at.

“Feels like the boss really pulled the stops out,” Steve said, his gaze focused over Vince’s shoulder.

Following Steve’s gaze, Vince watched as crate after crate of weapons and ammo were brought through.

“Fat lot it does us against those fanatics,” Julia said. “Just bounces off.”

“Fanatics?” Vince asked curiously.

“Religious zealots. Their prayers are stronger than our conventional weapons and magic. Doesn’t do a thing,” Steve said.

“Oh?” Vince asked, suddenly feeling as if he weren’t a beggar without a copper to his name. “Excuse me a minute.”

Vince walked over to the corner where Mouth and Meliae were chatting.

“Excuse me, dears. Did we settle Betty in yet?” Vince asked.

“No, Sweetling, why?” Meliae asked, smiling at him. She immediately moved closer. Her hand trailed down from his shoulder to his stomach. “We’re still having problems figuring out how to get them into our hierarchy.”

“You told me why that was a problem earlier, but I can’t remember it. What was it again?”

“They’re priestesses of the earth,” Mouth said, moving in close to him as well. She put her hand on the opposite of Meliae’s and began to lightly fondle his chest the same way Meliae was.

“So, because Dryads use nature magic, and they use a religious version of it, it isn’t compatible?”

“Not so much incompatible as our own magic doesn’t mesh as well it should with theirs,” Meliae said, her hand dipping down into his waistband.

“Get Betty up and moving. I want her and all her Dryads going through the portal.

“They’re reporting to Felix for a while for Yosemite. Get it done quick and I’ll take both of you to bed tonight, and make you watch each other with me.”

Mouth and Meliae looked at each other, then went off to get it taken care of.

Vince paused before he moved on to the next part of his plan as Fes came into the room.

She was being assisted by two Dryads, and she looked incredibly weak.

Giving him a thin smile as she went by, Berenga let herself be eased into the strange pod without a word.

It’s as if she’s too weak to care anymore.

Mr. White tapped something on his screen and the lid closed over Fes, beeped once, and then went still.

“Hmph. Not too bad. Not much we can do to regrow the arm and the leg, but I’m sure I can cook up something that’ll work.

“She’ll be done in a few minutes,” Mr. White said, pushing his glasses up further on his nose.

Turning his gaze on Vince, he gave him that same soothing smile from earlier. “Now, I’m going to go work on getting that armory up and running. If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Campbell.”

Tucking the box under his arm, he strode out of the room, still full of confidence that conflicted with Vince’s personal view.

That’s… it? Alright… I guess… I wait.

Moving to the Adriana who’d been left on this side of the portal, Vince smiled at her.

“Hello brother-in-law!” she said brightly at him with a smile.

“I love all my nephews and nieces! We have many, many Others out there right now holding and cuddling them,” she said, pointing out the window. “I can’t wait to have one of my own.”

Following her finger, Vince looked through the window into his personal grove.

He saw a very large number of Andreas and Adrianas holding all his children.

“I… yes… alright,” Vince said, making a mental note to ask about that later. “Your people mentioned fanatics and spirit magic?”

“Spirit magic? Oh, oh! Yes. We have a hard time cracking through their spells. Normal magic doesn’t seem to work as well against it.”

Vince grinned. He finally had something to offer in return.

“I have three hundred priestesses who are martial in nature and looking for a home. Their leader is named Betty, and they’re about to go through the portal.

“Please give my regards to your husband,” Vince said with a wide grin.

Adriana cocked her head to one side, then lifted her radio to her mouth and started relaying what Vince had just said to someone else.

Leaving her to her business, Vince walked over to the pod Fes had been loaded into.

A slim and lovely arm wrapped around his middle, followed by Mouth pressing up into his side. “All done! The grove-mistress is finishing the details right now.”

“Good show,” Vince said, smiling down at Mouth.

“Do you think… this’ll work?” Mouth asked, looking at the pod.

“I hope so. If it does, I’ll be leaving tomorrow to fulfill my side of the bargain. But I can’t see how it would benefit him to have gone through with all this only for it to fail.”

“And you’re sure about the gold?”

“Of course. It’s a black Dragon. It’s what they do. Its why I’m going to take some people with me to get it done. I’m fairly confident about battling a Dragon, but I’m not going to be stupid about it,” Vince said.

For all the guns, ammo, and the pod, he’d made a deal with Felix.

Gold.

Half a Dragon’s hoard of gold. And Vince just happened to know where one was. It’d settled on top of a fort in what used to be Kentucky.

It razed and terrorized everything that came close, picked over anything it could for gold, and took it back.

It’d been there as long as the Wastes had been, as far as Vince knew.

“I don’t like it,” Mouth said.

“You just don’t like it because I’m taking Blue with me instead of you. And you know very well why, as well. You’re not… fit… for something like this. It’s likely to be a combat mission,” Vince said gently, leaning his head down to hers.

“I know… still don’t like it.”

“It’ll be fine. I’m taking Red, Blue, Caroline, and those two Felix sent over, as well as another I haven’t met yet. He said her name was Eva, and that she could act as his envoy.”

A distinct hissing noise came from the pod.

Everyone in the room from Yosemite stopped what they were doing and looked to it.

Everyone who called themselves Legionnaires seemed uninterested. As if it were an everyday occurrence.

Vince dismissed them from his mind and focused entirely on the technology Felix had said would help him.

Help his Fes.

Then the lid popped open and eased to one side. Fes lay there inside it, her eyes open and clear.

She looked around the room, then back to Vince.

“I think it worked?” she asked, almost uncertain.

Mouth released Vince and moved over to Berenga.

She gently laid a hand on the Orc’s shoulder. Then she began to trail her hands across Berenga’s front and down toward her stomach.

“You are… perfectly fine,” Mouth said, standing up with a bright smile. “Nothing remains of whatever was wrong with your blood.”

Berenga grinned at that, looking to Vince.

“We must invite your brother over for a family meal soon,” she said seriously.

The memory of Duke Berten suddenly clicked into place into Vince’s brain.

He hadn’t even told Fes about it yet, and this seemed like a good time to share good news.

“Speaking of brothers,” Vince said slowly. “Berten sends his greetings to you and your mother. He said he’d come by with your nephews and nieces once he finishes up in the east.

“He’s the duke of Texas now.”

Berenga took in a slow breath, then began to laugh. As suddenly as she’d started laughing, though, she stopped.

In fact, now that Vince was paying attention, everyone was staring back toward the room he’d moved the portal to.

What they’d dubbed the armory.

Giant walking machines carrying huge rifles and swords began moving through the portal.

They went through hunched over, pressed in tight, then stood upright after exiting.

It took Vince a moment, but he realized it was armor. Humans wearing armor.

Grinning, Vince suddenly felt like his people had more than a fighting chance.

Then actual artillery pieces started to come through with the giant armored soldiers, towed along by chains.

At the site of the weaponry, that strange fluttering feeling he’d felt earlier passed through Vince’s chest.

He had a chance not just to defend, but to return fire.

Brother, my Brother.

I’ll not forget this. Ever.

Chapter 14

Vince looked down at the map laid out in front of him.

Red, Blue, and Caroline stood around him, all looking at the map as well.

Gerard had been busy.

Slowly and inexorably, they’d been side-stepping and flanking one another all the way south.

Both armies had come to a final stopping point in New Mexico. Neither side wanted to go any further south and risk being able to forage for supplies, or their supply train.

That or the enemy realized they were just leading more of Yosemite’s forces back to the main engagement. Considering that Gerard had a third again as many as the enemy forces, someone must have figured out that wouldn’t be the best move.

Now they seemed content to keep the duke of Denver nailed down here.

“…stuck here ever since,” Gerard complained.

The old man was seated along the side of the map. He looked as ancient as ever, but he still had that strange energy and life force around him.

War really did seem to energize him.

“Yes, but we’re holding our own and whittling them down,” Berten said, flicking a negligent hand at the map. “They lose more every day, and we gain their losses as our own. I only wish they would attack so we could claim more of them.”

Gerard grinned at that with a shrug of his shoulders. “I won’t deny I do wish they’d come out and test your warriors, Duke, and your magicians, Duchess. It was rather entertaining to watch last time.”

Duchess Madeline chuckled darkly and Berten nodded.

It would seem Gerard, Berten, and Madeline have forged a battle bond.

Good.

“You’ve all done well. Impressively so. I’ve brought armaments from a new ally,” Vince said. Turning to the side, he looked to the entrance. “Julia, Steve, Eva, would you please come in and introduce yourselves?”

Julia, Steve, and a young woman Vince had only met the day of departure walked in.

Her name was Eva, and apparently she was more or less the adopted daughter of Felix. She looked fairly mundane to Vince, though she wasn’t a bad-looking young woman.

It’s the dark-brown hair and brown eyes. Looks like so many humans.

Vince had immediately sworn to protect her once he realized Felix valued her as if she were truly his daughter.

“…blade of the Legion,” Julia said, indicating herself. “This is Steve, my goodie-goodie counterpart.

“And that’s Eva Campbell. Envoy to Felix Campbell.”

“Felix Campbell?” Gerard asked curiously.

“Ah…” Vince said, then gave up as he considered what to say. They’d find out eventually.

Not to mention it felt good to say it.

“He’s my older brother. Half-brother,” Vince clarified. “Our new ally.”

Berten grinned wide and marched up to Eva, then abruptly hugged the smaller woman with a crushing embrace.

“I name you niece, then!” said the Orc, guffawing loudly and slapping her on the back.

“Yes, ah, alright,” Eva said, looking to Vince for help, her arms unable to close around the big Orc.

Vince gave her a shrug.

“Berten is Fes’s brother,” he explained.

Eva blinked twice, then shook her head with a grin.

“Uncle Berten, then—stop it, you big dope. You’ll crush me,” Eva complained, balling a fist and smacking Berten on a shoulder.

Chortling, Berten released her.

“It is good to know I have more family,” said the Orc with a grin, displaying his tusks. “Do you know how to use a sword yet?”

“Yes, some of my father’s people have been training me.”

“Good! We’ll spar later. Ha, this is good,” Berten said. Standing next to Eva, he looked to Vince, clearly intending to stand next to her instead of returning to his seat.

“I’ve brought my brother’s weapons of war,” Vince said, looking back at the map. “Consider them akin to cavalry. They’re going to hit tomorrow morning at full speed. I don’t think the enemy will be able to recover.”

Vince moved several tokens from the side to indicate the positioning of the giant mechanical suits of armor Steve had called Wardens.

“They’re that strong?” Madeline asked.

“Stronger,” Vince said, shaking his head. “My brother comes from a place much further along on a technological level. They’re not as adept with magic and religious magic, but they have found their own way of doing things.”

Gerard grinned and levered himself up.

“Then I welcome the brother of my lord’s help and look forward to raising our enemy to fight our battles,” the old man said. Looking around the room, the duke had a strange look on his face. “You know. I thought I’d be content to sit in Denver and rule my duchy. I find that this has been the single most interesting experience in my years so far. I fear I might get bored going back to Denver after this.”

“Come down and visit,” Berten said immediately. “I know a few Orc women who would be interested in a Necromancer. They might turn your hips to dust, though.”

Gerard blew out a breath at that and then nodded once.

“Maybe I will at that. Those Dryads keep telling me they could fix some problems with my health so I can find a wife from my citizens.

“Apparently they’re concerned about me not having an heir.”

“To be fair, I’m concerned for it as well,” Vince said. “You’re a good duke; I’d hate for you to not pass your wisdom and title on.”

“Ah… Unc—that is, Vince,” Eva said, getting his attention.

Looking to the young woman, Vince waited, staring at her.

Her cheeks turning a faint red, Eva opened her mouth once and then closed it.

“She wants to ask you a question, and call you Uncle,” Blue whispered into his ear, masking the move by kissing his cheek.

“I’m going to go outside, dear,” Blue said much more loudly. “Don’t be too long. It’d be good for you to view the troops.”

Vince nodded, watching Blue leave before turning his attention back to Eva.

“What is it, Niece?” he said deliberately. “Speak plainly.”

Eva grinned widely at him. “Yes, Uncle. Sorry. Ah, I was wondering if you would spar with Uncle Berten and me? I watched the video of you fighting and it looked… it looked impressive.”

Berten stood up straighter, grabbing Eva by the shoulder and taking a step forward.

“Yes! Come, we should all spar. It’ll be good exercise.”

***

Looking to the enemy encampment, Vince really wasn’t sure what to expect.

It was a pile and cluster of wooden barricades, stone walls, and magical constructs.

It looked like a hodgepodge of various defensive structures representing different cultures. No two were alike, and some were clearly much worse off than others.

“They don’t fight as a unit,” Caroline said. “They only wish they were as unified as Yosemite.”

“Red agrees. They lack what we have,” said the Beastkin. “We could tear out their throats if they decided to fight.”

Vince turned his head and looked to Blue at his side as the other two continued to chat.

“They seem oddly friendly,” he said to the Dryad.

Blue looked up at him in that neutral way of hers. Then she slipped an arm around his waist.

“They’re well suited to one another’s personalities. Red is trying to be much more like Caroline, and Caroline wants to be like a wild beast set loose upon you,” she said. “And I just wish for your company and attention.”

Smiling at her, Vince leaned in and kissed her.

“You have it, my silly Dryad,” he said.

Blue was direct but fairly close-mouthed. For her to express her wishes was something new.

Maybe Karya, Daphne, and Green dying affected her more than I realized.

“Then that’s all I need. Other than your attention tonight. Be sure to bring along Caroline? I could use a good shaming,” Blue said, her eyes starting to flicker with color, one blue and one green.

Goodness, she really has changed.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Though I think this will keep us occupied for most of the day, wouldn’t you agree?” Vince said, nodding at the enemy army.

“I’m sure I won’t take that long. And now that you feed Red directly, I find myself without the role we Dryads normally play for her.

“Truth be told though, Red became quite a good kisser after a while.”

Shaking his head with a grin at the sudden change in Blue, Vince put his attention back to the battlefield.

The Wardens would move as soon as the Snow Elves started up their bombardment.

Armed and armored Orcs marched out to the field, then locked their shields together in front of them.

Vince could see the long, lithe forms of the Snow Elves interspersed throughout their ranks.

Reaching up through the gaps in the shields, long spears of ice began to form.

“It… almost looks like they’re constructing it from the air itself,” Eva said as she walked up beside Vince.

“We remove the heat from the air. It’s easier to work with fire than to try and freeze the water in the air directly,” Caroline offered.

Makes sense. That’s all freezing is anyways, a lack of heat.

“One wonders what you could do to the body if you tried to cool an opponent’s blood,” Eva said quietly.

“Bad things,” Red said, then nodded.

The ice spears suddenly shot out from the lines and began raining down upon the enemy defenses.

There was no response, no movement. Tri-lliance soldiers died when the projectiles slipped through, but there wasn’t a single thing done to meet Yosemite’s forces in the field.

“Gerard said this was the usual outcome. Madeline’s people would stay in the field and fire until dry, then retreat. Only to repeat it the next day,” Vince said.

“It seems… sacrificial,” Blue said. She leaned into his side, her personality veering wildly today from what Vince had come to expect from her. “As if they know they’re taking losses, but don’t care.”

“I think they’re stalling. Trying to keep the army here. If this army were to turn west and link up with the other forces, that front would be much easier to deal with,” Vince said.

Blue nodded, then laid her head to Vince’s chest.

“I do wish for this to be over. I think I’d enjoy just a quiet life in your bed until the end of time,” Blue said. “I don’t want to see anyone else lost.”

“Yes… I can certainly understand and agree to that.”

A blur of movement and motion took Vince’s attention away to the southern line of the defenses.

Wardens were moving at full speed, their weapons leveled in front of them. Then they opened up as they apparently got within firing range.

Blue balls of what looked like fire spat out. Lancing across the field, they began detonating against anything they hit. Splattering their targets and everything nearby in bluish flames that seemed to stick.

“It’s plasma condensed from nothing more than oxygen,” Eva said. “Felicia is a bit of a mad genius. She made the first; White made it economical.”

“Does that mean it doesn’t run out of ammo?” Vince asked.

“Somewhat. It’ll end up needing to recharge after a while. But it does that on its own. If they want to speed it up, a couple solar panels can be deployed by the pilot. Takes an hour or so to fully charge even without the panels, though. Not much, really.”

“I don’t understand how Felix can casually send so many of these here to help me then. These seem heaven sent,” Vince said.

“They’re older models we use for base defense. We have newer models but none of them are nearby that we could get our hands on quick enough.

“Dad was operating under the idea that you needed things immediately.”

So he stripped his own defenses to provide me with a weapon to safeguard my home.

Vince shook his head, not having truly realized what Felix had done.

The Wardens had stopped advancing and were just firing en masse into the defenders.

As if realizing they couldn’t sit behind their defenses and sit this one out, enemy magicians started to throw spells at the Wardens.

Blue semi-circles appeared in front of the machines when magic came close to them.

“It’s a pity they have to use those,” Steve said, having joined Eva. “We might need them later.”

“They’re limited?” Caroline asked. “They feel like simple magic shells.”

“We only have two or three magicians in Legion. Those shields require a good bit of work to create and charge,” Eva said. “Magic seems much more common here, but I don’t think you could power those up.”

“Of course we could,” Caroline disagreed. “It’s as simple as using the restroom. Open one’s magic and let it flow. My noble husband does it just to drain off excess magic.”

Eva’s head spun to Vince with upturned eyebrows.

“I’m not a mage. I just have a lot of inherent magic. I do bleed it into my wives, though. Elves and Gnomes apparently live longer the more magic you put in them.

“My elven wives are more or less immortal now.”

Pity Leila couldn’t come with us. She promised what she was tinkering with would be a worthwhile project when she was done, though.

“You’re sure you could charge those shields up?” Steve asked Caroline.

“Indeed. We could.”

Steve nodded at that and then pulled a black, bulky square out of his belt.

“This is ENV-02. Local interrupt on procedure. Do not toss shields on empty. Save for reuse,” Steve said into the box.

“ENV-01, understood. Saving shields on empty,” came back a voice from the box.

“Those seem rather handy,” Vince said. He’d watched similar devices be used a number of times now, and the envy was getting to him.

“Hm? Oh. I’m sure Felix already brought over an entire crate of walky-talkies, and probably a signal tower to set up in Yosemite,” Steve said, waggling the device back and forth. “He’s quick on stuff like that.”

“I’m sure Dad took care of it,” Eva said. “He was complaining there wasn’t a satellite here on Campbell. Otherwise, I bet he’d already have simply handed out phones.”

“Campbell?” Vince asked.

“Ah, Dad’s codename for this world is Campbell,” Eva said.

“It would seem your brother is rather sentimental,” Blue whispered for Vince alone. “And you seem quite happy about it all.”

Unable to stop himself, Vince grinned and looked at Blue.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked.

“To me, yes. But I’ve spent more time with you than anyone other than Mouth or Meliae. Your wives look to her when they don’t understand you or want to ask you something. Then to me.

“It was a great benefit for me to have trained so diligently in martial combat, as it gave me a great amount of time at your side, no?” Blue said earnestly.

“I’ve become something of your fourth wife, behind Mouth, Meliae, and Fes,” Blue continued. “But yes. It’s obvious to me. You seem quite chipper about it. Happy, even.”

“I am. I really am, actually. I love you all, and you do so much for me… but—” Vince paused, thinking on it. He hadn’t really put too much thought into it, but he knew she wasn’t wrong. “But it feels like I’m not alone. I have a living blood relative.

“One that seemingly bent over backward to help me. That emptied out his own garrison to assist me in the defense of my territory.

“Simply because he found out we were related.”

Taking in a breath, Vince looked across to the enemy defenses.

They were shattered things. Burning, flaming, masses of defenses that no longer served a purpose other than to act as grave markers, in a way.

Even the stone defenses were on fire. Enemy troops were starting to simply flee in every direction, even as the Wardens continued to fire.

A long note from a trumpet sounded, and the Orc line began to stomp forward.

Apparently, it’s been decided that this is the end of this minor campaign over here.

Gerard wants this done now.

Not that I blame him. If we repeated this tomorrow, the Wardens’ shock value wouldn’t be as high or as useful.

“I think I understand,” Blue said with a genuine smile for him. Her fingers stroked Vince’s forearm, then gently patted him. “I’m glad for you, and happy it has given you support. I only wish for you to be happy, my love.”

“Well. You do such a good job all by yourself,” Vince said with a bit of heat to his voice. Leaning down into the Dryad, he started to nip at her ear and neck. “I can’t imagine where I’d be without you.”

Blue made a happy little noise and then took a deep, shuddering breath.

Vince couldn’t take it any further, of course. Or he’d literally strip Blue and take her right there in some wild victory sex in front of everyone.

In front of his niece and his guests.

He didn’t doubt Blue would be willing and would probably enjoy it, but these people might not understand Dryads, or might have different cultural norms.

Vince sighed and released the willing Dryad with a massive amount of control.

Realizing this was well and truly over as a battle, he set off for the command tent where his vassals were.

Gerard, Berten, and Madeline were all watching together. Each one of them with a smile plastered on their face.

As one, they realized he was coming toward them, and bowed their heads deferentially to him.

“It would seem your brother is not one to be trifled with,” Madeline said. “If this is only what he offered for now, I would hate to see what he could provide us with more time.”

“Funny you mention that,” Vince said. “Part of the reason I came out east is that I’m working to assist my brother with his own needs.”

“Oh?” Gerard asked.

“Indeed. I must travel east, to what used to be Kentucky. There’s a black dragon and half a hoard there with my brother’s name on it. I plan on taking that hoard. Every coin,” Vince said. “I need five of your best Elven magicians, five of your smartest and most adaptable warriors, and ten Undead that can take orders and still think on their own a bit. I’ll take them east with me, along with five of the Wardens.

“The rest will all go with you to assist in the western theater with Duke Heint.”

“The Wardens will be coming with us? You only need that few?” Madeline asked.

“Yes, I’ll be fine with five, I believe. That and the other theater will need them much more after you finish up cleaning up here.

“But there are Wardens already in the south as well. They were sent there with all the artillery, ammo, and firearms from my brother.”

Berten started to laugh loudly at that, and clapped his hands together once.

“This is only part of your brother’s gift? Ha! This is splendid. We’ll need to drink with him when this is all over.

“I cannot wait to watch the Tri-lliance flee back toward the south.

“And then we’ll chase them. Run them down.

“Drive our enemy before us and listen to the wails of their loved ones as we conquer them. To lash them to a wheel and have them broken,” Berten said, making a fist.

Conquering the Tri-lliance homeland? That’s definitely on the to-do list, isn’t it?

Much like Verix. We can’t let them remain after this. We need to make sure they can never do this again.

That they can’t rise again and attack us.

I hope Petra is alive and well.

I’ll need her mind and strategies if we’re going to try and take all that territory. I’m just not smart enough for that kind of thing.

Chapter 15

Vince finished up the letter he was writing and rolled it up.

Sam was sitting on the table in front of him.

Reaching over, he laid his hand on her legs and began to channel into her.

He kept the speed of transfer low and slow, though. He needed her clear headed right now, as the letter she was going to deliver was important.

On top of that, he was going to give her the contents verbally.

“Must you? Every time I see you, you fill me up to the point that you have nothing left,” Sam said.

“I do. You said you wanted to be big enough to receive me in bed, remember? Need to get you to at least Leila’s size,” Vince said. “And apparently the way to grow a Fae is to stuff her full of magic.

“Be thankful I don’t make all the Elves take a turn on you.”

Sam blinked at that. Apparently she hadn’t considered the fact that he could easily force her to become much larger immediately if he wished it.

“Now, for the spoken part of the report. Just in case you have questions, since they might have them,” Vince said, giving Sam’s legs a gentle squeeze to get her attention.

Turning her bright eyes on him, she nodded once.

“I’m ready.”

“Gerard, Berten, and Madeline are all heading down to the western theater. The enemy forces here were killed, captured, or routed to the last.

“The Elves interrogated those that lived, and Gerard ripped information from the dead. Everything is exactly as we expected.

“The only difference is their timeline is longer than we thought. They can hold out for much longer, as there are more armies in the south.”

“The south. How far south?” Sam asked.

“South-America south. The Tri-lliance holds everything from the bottom tip down there all the way to here.”

“Ok. And the armies in the east?”

“The king in the east is indeed fighting two armies. Last report they had here was that the first army was hung up on Nashville. The second was somewhere in New York, chasing an army of the East up there.”

“I see,” Sam said, then shook her head. “How much does our victory here buy us?”

“Not that much. They were a strike force designed to pin up Yosemite with the aid of those dragons. It’ll help us to strengthen the other theater, but it doesn’t change anything.

“It’ll come down to Felix’s weapons down there, honestly.”

“Mmm. Alright. Anything else?” Sam asked, laying her hands on top of Vince’s.

“I can’t really think of anything pertinent to add to that,” Vince said, thinking deeply on the battle.

“Did you include what you were going to do next?” Sam prompted.

“Ah, yes. I did. Heading deeper east, of course. With Berten and Madeline as my vassals, I plan on incorporating the land around here into Yosemite. I’ll have them all understand what’s coming later.

“Elysia will have to send emissaries out this way to get them all wrapped up, but that shouldn’t be too bad.”

Sam nodded at that.

Looking at the Fae, Vince focused on her.

She was indeed growing bigger every time he saw her.

“You really are getting considerably bigger, now that I look. You can’t even sit on my shoulder anymore, can you?”

“Not… really. My butt’s too big,” Sam said. She looked like she was fighting a pout.

Vince could feel he was reaching the end of his mana flow. Turning it to full for a second, he dumped an ocean of magic into her.

For five seconds, she was paralyzed as he packed her with magic.

Then it was over, and she slumped onto his arm.

“Damnit, Vince,” she said, shaking her head.

“Sorry, I wanted to see something. Could you stand up on the table for me?” Vince asked.

“Ugh. My head is swimming,” Sam said, slowly getting to her feet.

As she stood there on the table, Vince was surprised. She was only half a foot shy of Leila’s height now.

“I’m a bit surprised,” Vince said, eying her critically.

“I am too,” Sam said, looking down at herself. “I knew we Fae would keep growing, but this is… unexpected. Finding clothes has been a hassle.

“Meliae and Mouth have been kind enough to help me with that.”

“Huh,” Vince said. Leaning in, he set his hands to her sides.

Her hips and torso were indeed growing. She wasn’t far off from a very tiny Gnome.

“Stop it,” Sam said, patting at Vince’s hands. “I bruise easily, and you manhandle me often enough that I look like I’ve been in fights all day.”

“Sorry, I’ll… try to be more gentle with you,” Vince said, letting her go.

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that. Now, anything else? Otherwise I’ll head out.”

Grinning with a strange change of mood, Vince looked at her torso.

“Just a thought, but you could always go without clothes? Most Fairies are nude anyways, aren’t they? No one would think anything about it.”

Sam raised her eyebrows at him, a smirk on her face.

“You just want to see me nude already, don’t you? Terrible man. Wait till I’m right sized. No reason to ruin the surprise.

“Besides, you have a Dryad waiting for you under that,” Sam said, indicating Vince’s writing desk. “Go sit down over there and you’ll get taken care of. You can just fantasize about me until I’m big enough.”

Glancing over there, Vince had a hard time seeing into the gloom. There was only a single light in his tent right now, and it was here at the table.

None of the lovely furniture he was enjoying would be coming with him either. It was all scavenged from the enemy encampment.

His night sight was ruined at the moment.

“When did you get so mouthy?” Vince asked, still grinning at her.

He’d grown rather fond of banter. Elysia was the best at it though.

“The very second I realized you wanted to turn me into a wife. To make me bigger, just because you wanted more of me.

“I have power over you. Power you gave me from that desire.

“Now, give me a kiss and send me on my way,” Sam said.

She turned her head sideways and pointed to her cheek.

Snickering to himself, Vince did as instructed.

“Good. I’m off. I’ll return with missives as soon as I can,” Sam said. She took Vince’s letter, slipped it into her carrying case, and shot away.

Looking over to the writing desk, Vince tilted his head to one side.

When did Blue slip in? Maybe Red got hungry and decided she didn’t want it manually tonight?

An elegant hand peeked out from the darkness of the desk. Two shining dots appeared behind the hand, one Blue, one Green.

The finger made a crooking motion, then patted the chair in front of the desk.

As if it had never been there, the arm slid back into the darkness.

Fun.

Grinning, Vince got up and went over to the desk. He sat down, exactly as he’d been instructed to do, and got comfortable.

He felt Blue pull the chair under the desk, his ankles brushing her slim waist.

Carefully, the Dryad positioned him exactly as she wanted him. Moving his ankles behind the legs of the chair, adjusting his hips until they were positioned forward and he was right in the middle of the opening.

She even lowered the chair as far as it would go, putting Vince in a strange position.

He wasn’t going to argue, though. He imagined this was all for her to work in comfort.

She’s being rather meticulous tonight.

Blue moved around under the desk, the sound of cloth rustling audible.

He felt her hands over his crotch. Her fingers delicately unfastened his trousers and began to work them down over his knees and calves.

His underwear went immediately after that, leaving only his member standing at full attention. Probably right in front of Blue’s face.

Closing his eyes, Vince couldn’t help but feel a bit excited.

He knew he was on campaign. And that people had died today. But he couldn’t help but look forward to Blue’s ministrations.

She wasn’t as good as Mouth at this, but she was still good nonetheless.

Fingers gently curled around his shaft and began to slowly move up and down.

Vince shivered and relaxed into his chair, enjoying the tenderness in the contact. It wasn’t hungry or deliberate—it was intimate.

Rolling her hand smoothly, Blue stroked his length from head to hilt. Her thumb and forefinger circled his tip as she got to the top.

Letting out a slow breath, Vince couldn’t deny how badly he wanted this.

Needed it.

I mean, you were making a pass at Sam. Clearly Blue worked you up earlier.

Blue’s other hand began to work, easing his knees apart further. Then she cupped his jewels and began to carefully squeeze and fondle them.

Expertly, she rolled his balls in her hand, giving just enough pressure to put him on edge, but never enough to hurt him.

Letting out a soft sigh of pleasure involuntarily, Vince chuckled.

“Damn that feels nice, Blue. Really nice,” he said.

As if to show this wasn’t the end of her work, Blue’s wet lips touched the tip of his very hard member.

Warm and wet, her tongue slithered over his head.

A soft, hungry-sounding moan floated up from under the desk, making Vince’s skin prickle.

Damn, she’s so into it.

Full, soft lips slipped around his tip and began to gently work back and forth. Her tongue squirmed and rolled all over his tip, pushing straight up into it as if to get inside him from there.

With each pass of her mouth, she took more of him past her lips. Her speed didn’t change though.

It was controlled.

In short order, she was rolling her neck fluidly, his entire manhood filling her mouth and throat as she went.

Constant eager moans sounded out from under the desk as she practically ate him. So deep did she push him, he could actually feel her swallowing his entire head.

She slurped loudly at him as she pulled her head back, and Vince wasn’t sure if he could hold out any longer.

The sounds and noises coming from under the desk were as mentally exciting as the physical nature of her work.

He wanted to release. Desperately so. He wanted to see what Blue would do then.

Reaching down under the desk with one hand, he curled his fingers into her hair.

Her only response was to speed up a little bit. Her left hand held to his knee, her right hand smoothly massaging his jewels.

“I’m about to pop—I want to watch you take it,” Vince said. There was an affirmative moan, and Blue’s mouth started to suck harder on him.

Getting his feet under him, Vince pushed, easing himself back out from under the desk.

Except it wasn’t Blue.

Red’s brightly glowing eyes came into view. Her furry ears popped up from under the desk as she bobbed her head furiously over him.Her full lips were tight to his girth as she moaned loudly around him.

Hungrily so.

Blazing red eyes stared up at him, her beautiful face eagerly taking him into her throat.

Surprised, shocked, and more than past turned on, Vince came roughly.

Red slammed him down her throat, to the point where he couldn’t see any part of himself.

Her tongue slithered out, rolling all along the top of his balls and the base of his hilt.

With every spurt of his seed, Red swallowed audibly. Moaning all the while, as if it were all she wanted.

All she needed.

A gulping sound that made Vince never want to stop.

Her right hand pulled and caressed his nuts, as if she were milking him like a dairy cow.

Each and every pulse made Red’s eyes flash, glowing as if they were lit from inside.

Shuddering, Vince kept coming. Unable to turn his eyes away from her devoted and hungry gaze.

His shaft flared over and over, only for Red to take his seed and devour it all.

His hand flexed in her hair, holding her there tightly.

With a final shot and Red’s immediate gulping moan, Vince started to relax.

Quivering, he let his hands fall to his side and felt boneless.

Red didn’t pull away, though. She continued to suckle at him, her head bobbing ever so slightly as she did so.

Finally, she drew back, sucking all the while. His overstimulated self shuddered when she passed the tip.

Catching him at the midpoint of his length with a hand, Red inspected him seriously. Making a ring of her thumb and forefinger, she stroked him from hilt to tip twice. Then used her tongue to lap once at his head.

Red looked up to him and smiled, her fangs visible.

“Red is very pleased with her meal. It was the singular most delicious thing yet. Thank you, Bringer. Red will eat twice a day like this going forward,” she said. Her hand hadn’t gone idle though, and she continued to slowly stroke him.

“Blue and Mouth have been teaching Red what to do. Red thinks she did very well.

“Did Red do well, Vince?” she asked. It was out of character for her, but she looked like she wanted compliments all of a sudden.

Reaching up, Vince began to scratch her ears gently.

“It was amazing, Red. Simply amazing. I genuinely look forward to you doing that tomorrow morning.”

Looking to the desk, Vince saw Blue crawling out from underneath.

Her eyes were extremely bright. Practically beaming.

“My turn, husband,” Blue said, her voice tight. “There will be no arguments.”

Damn. That must have shamed her a lot.

Been a while since one of them forced it on me though. A month at least.

“Sure. And when we’re done, Red can see what she can get out of you for dessert,” Vince said with a smirk.

“Red likes this idea,” said the Beastkin, her hand still working him over. Then she leaned over and gave him a leisurely lick. “Get to work.”

***

“You have a wife named Eva, Uncle?” Eva asked.

“I do indeed. She’s a Wood Elf. Very kind woman, though she’s a bit of a sneak thief,” Vince said as they rode along the road to the east.

“A Wood Elf,” she said. “We have all the same races on my world, but their population density seems much less there than here.

“A lot more interspecies breeding at home as well.”

“That was the problem here, from my understanding. Entire city-sized populations of non-human races appeared and immediately fanned out in every direction. A good portion of the middle of this country wasn’t very populated to begin with.”

“Ah… in other words, it was split in two and overrun,” Eva summed up.

“Pretty much. It was also right as a human war was getting out of hand on another continent. Much of the army wasn’t even here.

“Everything was lost. Quickly.”

“Hm. Our own world had a similar incident. Other races simply appearing. But it doesn’t seem if as many did. Now it’s mostly a shared type of existence.”

“Feels odd to hear you say that. The races here enslave one another. It’s every race for itself,” Vince said.

“That’s because you all reinforce that belief by not caring for one another, Uncle.”

Vince snorted at that.

“Your father tell you you’re a goodie-goodie?”

“Often.”

“He’s not wrong. You’re a goodie-goodie. A meddler. You’re the type of person that inspires stories, then gets killed when her morals come into conflict with someone without them.”

“Like you?” she asked archly.

“I have few morals for those not in my ‘clan,’ so to speak. It’s a good thing you’re my niece. I’d pull the eyes out of any creature who looked at you crossly and eat them.”

“Eat them…?” she asked, her voice squeaking.

“Well. Depends on the race. Orc is pretty tough. Elf can be rather tender. Dragon is a lot stringier than you would think. That or it’s just their hearts?”

Eva shook her head, her face turning a pale green.

“That’s almost as bad as power sausage.”

“Sausage? No. You just pull off a limb and throw it over a fire. Roast it for a bit and eat. That or dry it, but that takes longer.”

“Maybe it’s worse than power sausage.”

“You really—”

“ENV-03, contact,” came a voice on Steve’s radio.

Pulling his radio up, Steve clicked the button on the side.

“This is ENV-02, report.”

“Fortification surrounded by enemies ahead. Looks like a siege.”

“Copy, hold,” Steve said, then looked to Vince.

“Probably one of the king’s forts. We’ll just go around it. We can ignore it and let them have it out with each other,” Vince said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Wait, Steve,” Eva said, before Steve could relay the orders. “Uncle, this is what I was talking about.

“Why not move to assist them? To help them? We could easily attack them and help out.”

“With what we have? Are you kidding? It doesn’t even matter if there’s only a hundred or so of them; it puts us at risk.

“No, there’s no reason to help them,” Vince said, shaking his head.

“Uncle, I think we have to help them. It’d be good for us, too. Wouldn’t it be nice to have them owe us a favor? They could help escort us further into human territory.

“Weren’t you just saying the other day it bothered you to do so? To move without knowing the situation?”

Vince frowned, chewing at his lip.

Caroline cleared her throat.

“Noble husband, I agree with your niece. I think this would be a good opportunity. In the past, my clan found that simply having a chat with our neighbors to the east was enough to prevent bloodletting,” said the Snow Elf.

Sighing, Vince pressed a hand to his forehead.

“You’re all a bunch of soft-headed fools who will get us killed.

“We have no reason to do this. None. They’re not our people, they have no allegiance to us, and we—”

“Can help them,” Eva said, interrupting him. “What if it were reversed? What if it were one of your wives and her men holed up, and the emperor’s men were there?”

Vince clenched his hands and lowered his head.

What if it were, indeed? What if it were Petra, displaced from her people and holed up for safety?

“Fine,” Vince said, sighing. “Fine. Let’s… intervene. I’m no general, though. What do you recommend, Steve?”

The man smiled at Vince.

“Oh, nothing too complicated,” Steve said. “A firing line of Wardens getting everyone together and firing at them till they attack us. Then we just run away firing backward.

“I may be a goodie-goodie, but that doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”

Chapter 16

Steve had the Wardens commit to a firing line while the rest of Vince’s small band stayed holed up out of sight.

Pitched off to one side, they had a clear view of everything going on around the fortification.

It was clearly a check point that led into the Wastes. It’d be a stopping point for Rangers, merchants, and travelers alike.

The walls were high, defended, and reinforced.

This gave the impression it had been built for this very situation.

Tri-lliance soldiers were all around it. Siege towers, ladders, catapults, ballistas, and other machines Vince couldn’t identify were all arrayed in a haphazard fashion.

“They’re broken,” Steve said, surveying the scene. “It would seem that fort has some defenses of their own. I was wondering about all this… really. If they’ve been here since the get go, this place has been under siege for quite a while.”

Vince could only nod at that. He didn’t have a head for grand battle strategy.

“A mage, maybe? The East was always more lenient with things that weren’t ‘pure,’ whether humanoid or human,” Vince said.

Blue laid a hand behind Vince’s waist and slid in closer next to him.

“My mother was from the East. Dryads can be kept as household spirits since they’re more or less eternal. It’s a mark of distinction.”

“Uh huh. And do the Dryads get a say in it?” Vince asked.

“Yes… and no. The contract they sign stays for many generations, locking them in. But they do receive a number of benefits,” Blue explained.

“They’re about to engage,” Steve said.

“How can you tell?” Red asked. “They have stood there unmoving for a while.”

“Timer,” Steve said, holding up his wrist. A numbered display ticked down on what looked like a watch.

It had only two seconds left.

When it hit zero, the Wardens opened fire on the enemy soldiers.

The bright plasma bursts were gone—replaced with what looked like normal ammunition, except there was no ignition.

“Hardened magnetized rods. Felicia made cannisters we just dump dirt, water, or whatever we can into. It converts it into those and spews them out. Works with the weapon since it’s primarily a rail-gun. The plasma cannon is secondary.

“Great for soft targets,” Steve explained. “Just not so efficient, since to reload you have to put more material in.”

Lizardmen, Tri-lliance soldiers, and everything on the front line seemed to crumple or fall in on themselves.

To Vince it looked like they were dropping dead instantly.

It must have only been ten seconds of uninterrupted fire, but it felt like it went on forever.

Then the Wardens’ rifles went silent. They were all removing big, boxy cannisters from their rifles and replacing them with new ones.

“Huh, they’re not even moving? That’ll give Julia another salvo entirely,” Steve said.

“Guns aren’t as prevalent here. They’re coveted and treasured. Making them is almost a lost art, and the resources it takes are… outrageous,” Vince said. “The emperor is only the emperor because his family found an armory and had enough money to buy mercenaries.”

Steve let out a slow breath.

“This world is in turmoil. After seeing Yosemite, I can definitely understand why everyone there guards the city so ferociously.

“Legion will happily be your ally in this.”

“Red does not know what Legion is,” Red said.

The Wardens were already opening up again, their second set of cannisters draining as they simply held their triggers down.

“Legion. It’s… Felix’s company. Outfit. Business. We’re Legionnaires in the Legion,” Steve said.

“Red thinks she understands,” said the Beastkin.

Turning as one as their rifles stopped firing, the Wardens began to move backward.

Each weapon had a light that went from red to blue near the trigger.

“The color denotes the trigger selector. They’re all moving to plasma blasts for now, since the enemy will come away from the wall,” Steve said.

Vince looked back to the Tri-lliance soldiers.

Apparently, the Wardens backing up gave them courage. As if they’d emptied their weapons and were preparing to retreat.

Lizardmen began to strike themselves with their spears, then set off at a furious pace for the Wardens.

Tri-lliance regulars weren’t as quick to follow. They arranged themselves into skirmish lines and began to move forward, their shields up in front of themselves.

Grabbing the hilt of his weapon, Vince wanted to charge in and fight his enemies.

“This isn’t your time or place,” Blue said, wrapping her hand around his. “Let them do their job. You told me once that you suffered for that very problem.”

Glancing down at his mangled left hand, Vince couldn’t help but agree with her. He had indeed suffered for not letting people do their jobs.

Looking back to the Wardens, he watched as they all fired at the same time.

A line of bright-blue balls of plasma whipped across the field.

Vince could see the effect directly this time.

The Lizardmen that were hit simply disintegrated from the waist up. Those next to them ended up losing whatever parts of their body the plasma splashed over.

Moving backward at a steady pace, the Wardens continued to simply pour fire into the ranks of their enemies.

“This is a slaughter,” Blue said.

“Let’s hope it’s over soon. It takes a bit to recharge those cannons if we overuse them,” Steve said.

***

Vince skewered a wounded Lizardman. Twisting his blade as he pulled it out, he looked to the glowing-edged weapon.

Magnificent.

He’d never need to sharpen it, and the spine of the blade was soft enough it could absorb even the mightiest of chops.

Glancing down to the Lizardman to make sure it was dead now, he nodded.

Moving to the next one a few feet away, he stabbed it through the heart and again twisted the blade as he pulled it out.

“Is this really necessary?” Eva asked.

“Very. They’d not surrender if you gave them the chance, and they’d try to kill you if you gave them medical assistance,” Vince explained even as he stabbed a Lizardman who was gasping for breath on the ground. “They’re the mindless shock troops of the Tri-lliance. There’s no middle ground for them.

“Which is why your goodie-goodie over there is dealing with the human soldiers.”

Eva’s eyes flicked over to where Steve was handling the surrendered Tri-lliance human soldiers, then back to Vince.

“And you really think not approaching the garrison yet is the best idea? It seems a little unfriendly,” Eva said.

“This world is not yours. It is one of violence, anger, and fear. Very little of it is soft or nice anymore. I will give them the courtesy of time to decide how they’d like to respond, before I force them to,” Vince said. Then he stabbed another Lizardman and ripped the blade free. “Besides, I’m running out of these.”

A Lizardman was lifting its hands to Vince, pleading for its life.

Moving in closer to the vile creature, he hesitated.

Abnormal. What’s going on here…

“Now, see? He wants to surrender,” Eva said. Moving over to the Lizardman, she got too close for Vince’s comfort.

He grabbed her by a shoulder and shoved her violently backward.

Just in time—as the tail of the Lizardman slashed through the air where Eva had been.

“Stupid fool,” Vince cursed, then lunged forward with his blade. The tip slipped easily into the Lizardman’s chest and through his lungs.

Turning the blade viciously as he extricated it, Vince looked back to Eva.

She lay flat on the ground, leaning back on her arms.

Her eyes were wide with fear.

“Are you that stupid? Did you not hear a word I said?” he asked in a growl.

“I’m-I’m-I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Uncle,” Eva stammered.

“You scared me. I’m not mad at you. Just… scared,” Vince grumbled. Lifting his sword, he pointed it at Blue. “Maybe you should talk to the Dryads about what they have to prepare for before they set off into the Wastes. This is not a land of milk and honey.

“This is a land of fire and swords.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Eva said, her voice soft. She lowered her chin, apparently not wanting to meet his eyes.

Sighing, Vince squatted down next to her and tentatively patted her on the head.

“I’m sorry. You really did scare me. I wish this world had your sensibility for goodness, but it doesn’t. At least, not yet.

“Maybe someday we’ll get there, but right now it’s a long way off.”

Whatever was going on in her head seemed it had to do with more than what had just happened here.

Lifting his eyes above Eva’s head, he managed to get Blue’s attention.

Waving her over discreetly, he indicated Eva.

“It’ll be alright,” he said, getting to his feet. Stepping to the side, he let Blue handle her. Then he headed for the garrison’s gate.

Might as well get this over with. I’m just putting it off. They’ve had more than enough time to figure out what they want to do.

Besides, this is a chance to get a free pass through the East.

Sliding the blade into the sheath made specifically for it, Vince had to wonder if this was a good or bad idea.

Crossing the wooded path and out into the field before the keep, he approached the gate with his hands raised.

“Ho’ the gate!” he called.

It only took a second for a head to rise up between the stone crenellations.

An older gentleman with short white hair and a handlebar mustache, he looked weathered but not ancient.

“Ho’ there. I’m not sure if I should call you friend or foe.”

“My name is Vince, the lord and master of Yosemite. I’ve had peaceful relations with your people for years now, and I believe we’ve had fair trade throughout.

“I came to see if we could determine the origin point of an army that headed into Yosemite.”

The man hadn’t relaxed in the least after hearing who Vince was.

If anything, he looked even more alert.

His head vanished for a moment, and Vince began to wonder if he was going to have to run for cover.

“My apologies, Lord Vince. We had no idea it was you in the field. We would have welcomed you in immediately had we known!” the man called. “A moment and we’ll have the gate opened, and bring you in forthwith before the enemy returns.”

Looking back the way he’d come, Vince plotted the course the Wardens had taken.

Ah. They don’t know the rest of the Lizardmen aren’t coming back.

“They won’t,” Vince said, looking back to the other man. “The Tri-lliance, that is. We killed them.

“Your siege isn’t just broken but destroyed.”

The man at the wall didn’t respond, just stared at Vince uncomprehendingly.

“You destroyed them?” he finally asked.

“To a man. Though we did take some prisoners and would be delighted to hand them over to you for interrogation.

“We won’t be able to carry them with us on our departure.”

“I… yes. Yes! We could do that. Of course we could,” the man said. “Will you be leaving soon?”

“As soon as you take the prisoners, honestly. We planned on heading south.”

“Ah! Yes. That makes sense. I’ll provide you with some documentation of what occurred here, and a report if you don’t mind.”

“A report?”

“For the king! He’s south of here in the siege of Nashville.”

“Oh,” Vince said.

Well, that’ll get me an audience with the one man who could probably let me wander all over his kingdom without a concern in the world.

“I don’t mind taking those items at all. I was a Ranger before this,” Vince said with a grin.

“I thought I recognized you. I think you turned over dispatch bags up north of here a few times.”

“That I did. Now, about that paperwork,” Vince said with a smile, letting his hands fall to his sides.

“Yes, yes, of course. My name is Fred and this is my fort, held in defense of my King Richard,” the man said and then vanished from view.

“Alright,” Vince said, turning back towards the tree line

He made a hand gesture for everyone to remain where they were.

There was no sense in revealing more of what he had with him, if he didn’t have to.

Waiting as patiently as he could, Vince could hear the ratchet and clank of gears and pulleys. The creaks and groans of things being pulled out of the way of the gate.

Looking at it closely, Vince had the impression it’d received quite a bit of attention from the Tri-lliance.

It was pitted, scarred, and in some places cracked.

Might not even open. They could be trapped in there until they manage to knock it down from inside.

“Ah, Lord Vince?” called Fred from the other side of the door.

“Yes, I’m here,” Vince replied, wondering if his thoughts had just become reality.

“I’m afraid we’re unable to get this blasted door open. My engineers tell me it’ll be at least a day,” said Fred, his voice sounding rather discouraged.

“Hm. That’s quite a problem. I’m afraid I wanted to be away as quickly as possible,” Vince said, trying to keep his tone light but disappointed.

Just tell me you’ll give me those forms anyways, and I’ll be on my way. I didn’t want to stay here long anyways.“I’ll have the papers dropped over the side of the wall for you. If… if that’s ok?” Fred asked.

“That’s not a problem at all. I’ll be on my way as soon as I retrieve them. I’ll be sure to give my kind thanks for your assistance to the king for granting me such an easy way to gain an audience with him,” Vince said.

And he meant it, too. A letter from a garrison commander along with a report about their disposition would go a long way to getting him front and center with the king.

***

Vince, Blue, and Steve passed by countless guards, all dressed in the brown-and-green armor of the eastern kingdom.

Ahead of them, a liveried man seemed more the part of a steward or butler than anything.

He was leading them straight to the king, after Vince had presented his credentials.

“What’s the name of the kingdom?” Steve asked as they walked down the street.

“Can’t remember. I always just called it the eastern kingdom,” Vince said with a shrug. “Elysia usually handles it.”

“You’re… not very good at this lord thing, are you,” Steve said. It wasn’t really a question.

“No, I’m not. It’s why Elysia handles a lot of it. Her and Yaris.”

“Vince is much more skilled as a fighter, lover, and father. His talent lies in binding people together,” Blue interjected.

“His brother is the opposite,” Steve said. “Uh… dunno about the lover thing. Andrea, Adriana, and Lily don’t seem to be upset?”

“Enough chatter,” Vince said. A large stone building had come into view ahead of them.

Almost always the biggest building. Or the most defensible one, for some of us.

I wonder which one Richard will be.

They were escorted along at a sedate pace. There was no hurry, and no one in the camp seemed bothered by the presence of strangers.

Petra would have smashed this whole place into shape in a day.

The sudden thought of Petra was immediately followed by Ramona. And then Karya, Daphne, and Green.

Wincing with a small shake of his head, Vince glanced to Blue.

She seemed strong and stoic. The burns that had covered her had healed perfectly, and she seemed as if nothing were wrong.

Vince knew better, though. Her personality had shifted rather drastically after Green died.

As if she had to live for both of them.

“His Highness King Richard waits for you inside,” said the steward, opening a door that led into the large stone building.

Keeping his pace steady and unconcerned, Vince walked into what could very well be a trap.

It took single look around himself after he’d crossed the threshold to realize he wasn’t going to have a problem here.

Richard had two guards with him.

That was it.

There was no one else in the room at all.

Dressed in fine clothes in the coloring of his kingdom, the king looked rather simple compared to the emperor in the west. He clearly had spent some money on his attire, but not an obscene amount.

He was an older man in his fifties. Dark-brown hair with gray at this temples and in his chin-strap beard.

His eyes were dark and narrow, but his face wasn’t unkind.

The room itself mirrored its owner.

It was a simple room, dressed well, but without superfluous objects.

The primary decoration was a table in the center with a map on it, then several chairs, bookcases, a larger table that was probably for meals, and little else.

It’s his war room.

The man who coud only be Richard stood at the table, his head coming up from looking at the map.

“Ah, Lord Vince,” he said. Walking over to Vince, he held his hand out. “I’m Richard. Please, call me Rich if you don’t mind.”

Taking the other man’s hand in his own, Vince gave him a firm handshake.

“Just call me Vince. No title needed. It was only gained because no one else wanted it,” Vince said honestly.

Richard snorted at that and released Vince’s hand.

“I’m sure there were many who wanted it.

“Now, from what I was able to read from the report and the commission sent over, you broke the siege at Fort Clarksville, killed the enemy to a man, and then proceeded here,” Richard said. “That cover it?”

“Mostly. The goal was left out though. I’d like to discover how two armies magically appeared to attack Yosemite,” Vince said.

“Ah,” Richard said, his face giving away nothing. “I suppose that answers a few questions I had.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. That Yosemite isn’t behind this, for one,” Richard said in a deadpan voice.

Chapter 17

“Well, I can certainly promise you that,” Vince said. “Two armies and three dragons have come to Yosemite.”

“Hm. Two armies and a single dragon, for us. Is that the extent of the armies in the land?”

“One more to the southwest of Yosemite that seems to be a reserve. The last intelligence we got out of some captured soldiers was that the emperor himself has an army to deal with as well, however.

“This is a consolidated push, then. They want the whole of the land,” Vince said with a slow shake of his head.

“Hmph, a pity for them,” Richard said, then held his hand out to the map. “Best we can tell, they arrived off the coast of Florida and marched north. A second army landed a week later near New York.

“The first sacked Nashville, then hunkered down once we arrived. They seem content to let us siege them.

“I imagine they’re hoping that second army they landed will arrive and assist them. A real pity they won’t be leaving New York anytime soon.

“They’re being plagued by constant skirmishes and small-scale battles that are keeping them more or less pinned down.

“My general reports that they can hold them there for at least six more months. More than enough time to starve them out of Nashville.”

Vince nodded at that and looked at the map.

“I have no eye for strategy. I can tell you a third army must have landed somewhere in the gulf,” Vince said, indicating the area. “Then moved up to the northwest to attack Yosemite. The rest all came up through old Mexico.”

“Huh,” Richard said, stroking his chin with a hand. “Well, you’re welcome to explore the coast to the east, or the south, for their boats. We’ve seen sign of them, but never when they’re at anchor.

“I’ll give you a writ that can attest to permission and a seal. All I ask is that you return it before you depart for Yosemite. I’d rather not destroy all the other seals to simply have them remade because you forgot to hand it back,” Richard said with a grin.

Vince chuckled at that and nodded.

“So where’d the dragon end up?” Vince asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

The mere mention of a Dragon made him want to go fight it.

They were the reason a Tri-lliance existed, after all.

On top of that, he’d watched Ramona vanish into the horizon as a Dragon chased her. Trying to kill or eat her.

Vince had a score to settle and already had one Dragon heart to his name.

He wouldn’t mind the opportunity for another on his way to kill the Black Dragon.

“Right here in Nashville,” Richard said, pointing at the city.

Oh? I wonder if I could slip in and kill it. I bet I could.

Wouldn’t take me longer than a night. Would certainly help the war effort, right?

One less Dragon for the Tri-lliance. With losses like that, they’d have to start pulling back, wouldn’t they?

Vince’s mind chewed on those thoughts. With a reasonable justification for simply waltzing into the city and murdering the Dragon, it was becoming more and more a plan.

“You have the look of a man with a plan,” Richard said. “Care to help a fellow king out?”

Vince looked from the map to Richard.

“I could. And I suppose I do have a plan. Though I’d have to ask, what would I gain from this? You’ll forgive me, Richard; we’ve had very friendly relations, but we’re not allies, nor are we the same country.”

“Ha, fair. If you can present me with a plan that’d give me Nashville in a month, I’ll send you every slave I hold in my domain.

“You do tend to buy them whenever the guild puts up an auction, I hear,” Richard said. “It’d be a good chance to sweep the field and simply run the guild out. Since I’d have an army in place to crush them.”

“And take their money,” Vince added.

“And take their money,” Richard agreed with a smile.

“I can do it. A month sounds about right as well… We have an accord?”

“We do, and I do know your reputation for what happened to the last country who crawfished on a deal. You’ll have no problems from me.”

I bet he was already planning on doing it. This just gives him a better legal reason.

Fine, whatever. More citizens for Yosemite. We’ll do the normal interview to process those we want in Yosemite proper—the rest to wherever they wish.

“What do you need from me?” Richard asked.

“The local Ratkin population is it, really,” Vince said. “There’s always at least one. I need the biggest one in the area.”

***

It’d been a quick trip, an hour, to find the local warren.

A Ratkin dressed in cast-off linens stood hunched over in front of Vince.

He’d bet on this specimen hitting average height if it stood upright.

Though it was a strange red color, which was definitely new.

Getting down on his knees to put himself much closer to the Ratkin’s height, Vince held out his hand in front of himself.

In dealing with his own Ratkin citizens, he’d learned quickly that all they truly wanted was to be treated as equals.

“Greetings, Warren-Master. I am Vince, Lord of Yosemite. I come to you as one who needs a favor.”

The warren-master’s eyes jumped to Vince’s, then to his hand.

Reaching out slowly, the Ratkin placed its tiny paw inside Vince’s.

“I am Ven,” the Ratkin said.

Shaking it gently, Vince smiled and released it.

“Greetings then, Ven. Would you deal with me?”

“Unsure how I can help the mighty lord of Yosemite.”

“It’s rather simple. I need what your people specialize in. Getting in and out of situations they shouldn’t be able to.

“I would like you to poison, ruin, and destroy the entire food and water cache in Nashville.

“Using whatever means at your disposal. The Ratkin in Yosemite seem to take pleasure in shitting in my enemies’ food,” Vince said with a grin.

“Mmm. Something we could do, yes.

“I’ve heard that you treat your Ratkin as citizens,” Ven said, eying Vince warily.

“That I do. My realm is quickly learning of the superiority of the Ratkin. I have an entire battalion of Beastkin who act as transports for them and they fight in battle together as brothers.”

“I want to move my warren to Yosemite. All of them. If you—”

“Done. Would you like to live in Yosemite, or a different city? Vegas has a rather large opening for a Ratkin population. The warren-master for Yosemite was considering moving a branch of her family over, but hasn’t decided yet.”

Ven blinked at that. He got down on all four paws and then stood up again. Then he ran his hands over his whiskers, smoothing them back.

“You would have me be Warren-Master for a city? For Vegas?” Ven asked.

“I would, yes. Duke Heint put in a special transfer request for Ratkin. He doesn’t have as many as a city his size should, really.”

“What do Ratkin do in your cities that he would need a transfer for?” Ven asked, suddenly suspicious.

“Night patrol, police duty, military scouts, janitorial duties, anything a normal citizen would do. Though the primary function is the janitorial duty.

“Everyone leaves out what they don’t need or want on the curbs in boxes. The Ratkin move in and collect it all, keep what they want, burn or destroy the rest, and replace the boxes.”

“We get to keep anything we want from the boxes?” Ven asked.

“Yes. Though my understanding is after a while, everything ends up being tossed out, as the Ratkin of course have everything a citizen would need.”

“In other words… citizens. True equals, with a specialized task only for Ratkin.”

“Right. Most neighborhoods try to coax Ratkin populations to the tops of their buildings. Ratkins tend to build neighborhoods on the tops of buildings in Yosemite.

“Buildings with Ratkins living on them tend to be rather clean, without bugs and other undesirables,” Vince said with a grin.

He knew first hand that Ratkin ate rats, mice, and any bugs they could catch.

“I will do what you’ve asked. You just want us to… go into the city and ruin all their food?”

“Yep, ruin it all. Leave nothing behind. Eat it, piss on it, shit in it, have sex in it, leave a corpse in it. Do whatever you need to do to make it inedible.”

“And we can live in Vegas for this?”

“Yep. Just head on down to Vegas, announce yourself as the new Ratkin population by request of Duke Heint, and they’ll let you right in. Guarantee it.”

Ven straightened himself a bit and nodded his head.

“Then… I hope to see you in Vegas sometime, my lord,” Ven said.

“I’ll make it a point to drop by, Warren-Master Ven of Vegas,” Vince said, and held out his hand to the Ratkin. “For now, I’ll bid you goodbye.”

***

Vince slipped in between the guards as they crossed paths on their patrol.

Moving quickly and quietly, he kept to himself for now.

Killing a soldier further in wouldn’t be as problematic as killing those on guard duty.

A missing soldier in the middle of Nashville would be much harder for anyone to realize was missing.

Someone on patrol who was supposed to be in a certain position would be missed rather quickly.

Pressing himself against a building, Vince looked towards the capital building. Any self-respecting Dragon would make themselves the center. They couldn’t seem to resist it.

It was a wonder to Vince that Heint had so quickly attached himself to Yosemite as a duke rather than fighting for the position of King.

Vince paused and sank low to the ground.

Up ahead, the capital building was practically surrounded by soldiers and bristling with weaponry.

The Dragon hides away and surrounds itself with little peons.

Lizardmen and humans alike. What a curious thing.

Vince looked up the street in front of him and then down the other side.

A wide avenue ran straight up to the steps that led to the capital building.

The capital itself was a squared-off-looking building and seemed mostly intact.

There were clear modifications to it, however. It looked like it’d been bulked up significantly, with a large tower rising up out of its center.

Wanna bet the Dragon is at the top there? I’d be if I were the Dragon. Easy escape, easy entry.

We’ll need to go in that way, I think. It’d be unexpected and prevent him or her from getting away.

The better question is… how do we get in easily?

Vince choked up for a moment as a memory of Petra scaling the walls with him came to mind.

“Red thinks we could simply go up this wall,” said Red. “If we keep it moving from rooftop to rooftop, we should get much closer.”

A little surprised at her appearance, Vince raised an eyebrow.

“Red was bored. The Ratkin were eager to ruin the lives of the Tri-lliance. Apparently they were treated like rodents and killed out of hand,” Red said, and shrugged her shoulders. “Red would rather be with her Vince.”

“Your Vince, huh?”

“Yes. You are Red’s. You are the possession of many women, but you are also Red’s.” The Beastkin ended her statement with a nod.

“Can’t argue that, I suppose. Up you go first, then. I’ll follow you,” Vince said, pointing up the side of the building.

Red looked up the wall. Jumping, she caught hold of a separation in the bricks and began to clamber up.

Vince took a moment to appreciate her form in what looked like one of Blue’s leather armor sets.

Fills it out pretty well.

Crushing that thought ruthlessly, Vince started to follow her up.

“Did you check out Red’s ass? Blue said Red should wear clothes more like hers,” Red asked from above. “Red thinks it’s odd but… Red is willing to do it if it makes you look at her more.”

A pair of glowing red eyes peered down at him from above.

“Ah, yeah. You do look good in it,” Vince said, struggling to climb as agilely as Red.

“Red is happy then. It gives Red a… warm feeling in her privates to know you look at her like that,” said the Beastkin as she clambered over the side and onto the top of the roof. She spoke as if she were out for a lovely spring walk instead of climbing a building.

“I… Red… does not want Leila to break the curse anymore. I can feel my memories. They’re there. Lurking beneath the surface.

“I can feel them. I don’t like it. I don’t like… who I was,” Red said, her voice changing drastically. As if she were someone else entirely.

“I… Red. Red is who Red is. Who she was before is gone now. In speaking with Leila, Red is now convinced it would be best to curse herself again so she loses her memories. Red likes being Red.”

Slinging himself over the top of the ceiling, Vince flopped onto the rooftop.

“I like Red myself,” Vince said.

The Beastkin gave him a smile and then they were off again, heading for the capital building.

Moving quickly, they were able to close the distance, and soon came to the bottom of the stairs and hill that led up to the capital.

There were no buildings directly around it. It was a defensive perimeter that would make it difficult to slip in without being seen.

“Red will distract them to the far side and immediately escape after that. Vince will go during that period,” Red said.

“Alright, see you back at the base. Check in with Caroline when you get there,” Vince said.

“Red understands. She is the ranking wife.”

Getting down on hands and knees, Red seemed to coil up and then leap off the edge of the building.

Red vanished into the dark. Vince lost sight of her rather quickly as she charged off.

Vince slipped over the edge of the building with a lot less grace than Red demonstrated.

Getting as low as he could against the building, wedging himself between a stairwell and a shrub, Vince watched.

Two guards passed a third as they crossed on their route. The number of people on alert was rather high.

A sharp scream cut through the night, followed by a shout and the single shot of a gun.

They’re armed with actual firearms?

Suddenly, all the guards who were on walking patrol bolted from their positions toward the sound.

Those who were in fixed positions remained where they were. Though quite a number of them seemed to forget they were actually on duty and stared over their shoulders towards the disturbance.

A number of gunshots went off, followed by a loud, piercing shriek. It was cut off abruptly, as if silenced with a switch.

Seeing this as his chance, Vince slunk out from his cover, moving across the street and up the steps, passing within a foot of a guard.

Pushing in close to a darkened alcove of the capital building itself, Vince hunkered down.

If we wait for the situation to calm down a bit, they’ll all face outward again. Then we can start our climb.

Keeping still and silent, the minutes ticked by.

After what felt like maybe half an hour, the guards who were on a moving patrol came back and resumed their routes.

They didn’t seem smug or at ease. Which meant Red had gotten away and left nothing behind other than a corpse or two.

To make sure everyone was focused with what was outside of their perimeter, Vince waited a bit longer.

Convinced he could climb without being spotted, he turned around and started to move up the wall.

It took him longer this time, as he climbed slowly, hunting down a spot each time that felt secure before moving to it.

When he reached the top without a problem—other than a significant amount of his time wasted—Vince let out a breath. He looked out across the top of the building. There were no doors, no windows, and no one was up here.

Now just the tower, and the Dragon itself.

Climbing the tower proved much easier, as it was constructed out of bricks and seemed to have shifted a bit in its lifetime. The bricks weren’t as tightly pressed together as they could have been, giving Vince a number of finger and toe holds.

Reaching a balcony at the top, Vince peeked up over the edge.

Finding no one there, he crawled up and over.

The door connected to it was wide open. Peering inside the room, he could see a bed, and someone sleeping in it.

Gently as he could, Vince let his mental sense slide over the occupant’s mind.

What he got back was strange dreams, foreign thoughts, and nothing human.

Let’s hope it’s the Dragon.

Moving into the room, Vince gave it a cursory glance.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary or of interest to him.

Easing up next to the bedded-down Dragon, Vince gave it a once-over.

It was a very pretty young woman with a slim figure.

Clenching his teeth over the billowing anger at how much destruction these Dragons had caused for Yosemite, Vince cocked his arm back.

Building up an inferno of the rage, the anger, the fear.

The hate.

Vince could feel the red haze of his fury descending over him in a slow process.

It gave the room the pulsing red sheen he always saw, but none of the out-of-control madness he’d come to expect. Instead, he held a cold and murderous feeling tightly in his chest.

Putting his entire body into the punch, his fist smashed down into the woman’s forehead.

There was a resounding pop and the front of her skull sunk in.

A rattling snore was audible now. Wet and raspy, it shook her body.

Alright, let’s get her out onto the rooftop and carve her heart out. Killing her in here would be bad.

Not enough room for a Dragon corpse.

Grabbing the woman by a shoulder, Vince dragged her out of her bed to the balcony.

With a careless shove, he dropped her body over the edge, then followed her over the railing.

Landing atop her abdomen, he heard something break inside her.

He pulled out his hunting knife and deftly peeled her clothes off. Taking her nightgown to clean his knife off with later, Vince laid the blade on her lovely throat.

Then slit it open from ear to ear. With a second slash, he disconnected her head from her neck and took five steps back as quick as he could.

Her head wobbled to the side and stopped with its face turned away.

Seconds ticked by and Vince worried he’d gotten the wrong target.

Wiping his blade off on the fabric he’d stolen from her, Vince waited quietly.

Magic can take a while to break, even when unpowered. Leila told us that. Let’s give it—

The corpse began to rapidly expand and change. In no time at all, the headless dead body of a massive red dragon lay in front of him.

Clambering atop the chest, Vince drew his sword.

Time to crack open the ribs and get my prize.

Chapter 18

Vince sat bolt upright.

He was in his tent. Laying in his cot. Everything seemed exactly as it should be.

He couldn’t remember getting back to the camp, however.

The last memory he had was escaping Nashville. But only after eating as much as humanly possible of the Dragon heart.

He’d left the corpse on top of the building and the remainder of the heart right there.

Everything after that had gotten hazy. Nothing had felt quite real as he’d struggled to get back to camp.

“Except I apparently made it,” Vince said, looking down at himself. He was naked and clean. “And I’m whole and I must have cleaned myself up?”

“No, I cleaned you up, noble husband,” Caroline said. She was sprawled out next to him in his bed, rubbing at her eyes with her hands. “And good morning. Do you feel better now?”

“I… yes. I do. You cleaned me up? What happened?”

“Much like something out of a bad joke, you stumbled home drunk just before morning. You were covered in blood.

“You proceeded to fill me with enough magic that I think my hair started to smoke. After that, you threw me into the bed—though you did make sure I was willing, which was endearing in its awkwardness—and had your way with me. Then you passed out on top of me.

“Leaving me to clean up myself, yourself, and our bed,” Caroline said.

Sighing, she let her arms fall back into the bed.

“You’re a handful,” she said with a small smile for him.

“Sorry… apparently Dragon hearts affect me like alcohol would. Which is strange, since I haven’t been drunk in… years.”

“I didn’t mind the attention, though I had no idea you were so fascinated with my ears,” Caroline said. “I’m going to see if I can’t get back to sleep.”

Rolling over on her side, Caroline waved a hand at him. “I did what I could with your armor, dear. It should be drying in the sun right now on the east side of the tent.”

Vince closed his eyes and then ran his hands back and forth over his face.

Did I actually do that?

Getting out of the bed, Vince flipped the covers back over Caroline.

He gathered a set of clothes from his pack in the corner and dressed quickly and quietly.

The other two cots in the tent were suspiciously lumpy. He wasn’t sure if Blue and Red were asleep or not.

Getting out of the tent, he found the sun just barely cresting the distant eastern horizon.

Blue and Red were both awake, not more than twenty feet away, having a quiet conversation between themselves.

As one, they noticed he was awake.

“Good morning, darling,” Blue said with a smile. “I’m glad to see the effects were temporary. Though I do have to admit I’m just a touch jealous you were so quick to go after Caroline.”

Vince didn’t respond immediately and looked to Red instead.

“Red would have said yes. Though Red wouldn’t have been as loud as Caroline.”

Smiling, and deciding he’d rather talk to the king.

“Ven strode in very early this morning. He said their operation was a success. They’re on the road to Vegas now,” Blue said, following him. “Is there anything you need at the moment?”

“Probably a bit of dignity. I don’t think I’ve lost control like that in a long time,” Vince muttered.

“I wouldn’t be too concerned. Your brother’s troops are more than likely used to your antics by this point. It’s not as if I’m any quieter,” Blue said with a bright smile.

Donning his armor with some help from Blue, Vince made quick work of his need-to-do items.

The walk back into Richard’s camp was different than last time.

Most wore strange looks that Vince couldn’t quite identify. When he swept their minds out of curiosity, he found most of them had hardened their thoughts.

Seems more and more people are figuring out about the mind reading. I still owe Seville for that.

I wonder where he went.

In no time at all, Vince was entering the same building from the other day.

Walking into the same room he’d met Richard in last time.

Vince found nothing out of place. Not a single thing was different. Everything was exactly the same.

Though Richard looked quite different this time.

He was sitting at his table with a rather smug smile on his face.

He leapt out of his chair as soon as Vince entered, however, holding out his hand.

“Vince. Ah, it’s a good day today,” said the king of the East.

“Oh? And why do you say that?” Vince asked, shaking the man’s hand.

“My spies said there was a rather large disturbance this morning,” Richard said, releasing Vince’s hand. He moved over to the table and sat down, indicating the seat across from himself.

“Do tell.”

Vince sat down with a smile, wondering what Richard’s people would have seen.

“Apparently, the entire food storage was inundated with what appears to be Ratkin feces and urine. There were even corpses of small animals and the like.”

Richard was smiling as he spoke, his hands folded in his lap.

Anyone could tell at a glance that the king was practically quivering with energy and excitement.

“No one was the wiser until they went to pull out some things for the day’s needs. With the store being under such heavy guard, much to protect it from their own soldiers than anything else, they were quite surprised.

“But that wasn’t the biggest surprise this morning.”

Vince only nodded, smiling, waiting. He wouldn’t offer anything right now.

Richard seemed quite happy to relay what he knew to Vince. Even though he clearly knew it was all Vince’s doing.

“The biggest thing,” Richard said, leaning forward in his chair, “was that damned Dragon bitch found dead atop the capital. Her heart carved out atop her corpse.”

“That does sound like it’d be quite a disturbance. And probably a blow to morale on both accounts.”

“You have no idea. No idea! Though, I do wonder how you managed to kill a Dragon. They’re not exactly easy to slay.”

“I bashed her head in, then cut it off. I waited for a bit, then ate her heart,” Vince said without a hint of any emotion. “Well, most of it. In the end, it was too much for one meal.”

Richard stared at Vince without a word. Shock was evident in his eyes and demeanor, but his face was devoid of any emotion at all.

“You killed her.”

“Yes.”

“Then ate her heart.”

“Most of it.”

Richard leaned back in his chair, his fingers tight within one another. His eyes slid off Vince and moved to the far corners of the building.

As if it were nothing but a casual glance, Richard’s eyes moved back to Vince.

“If you don’t mind… may I ask you a question?” Richard asked suddenly.

“Of course. Is it about the men with crossbows in the walls? If so, yes, I’m aware of them. They don’t concern me that much,” Vince said.

He wasn’t sure if that was going to be the thrust of the question, but he’d rather point out that he was aware of it now.

It never hurt to push an opponent over an edge at the right moment.

In truth, Vince really wasn’t worried about them either. He was confident in his speed, and the shield he’d borrowed from Steve.

He said all he had to do was put a trickle of magic in it, and it’d activate as a bubble around himself.

“I don’t blame you for it either,” Vince continued. “I’d have done the same thing.”

Richard clicked his tongue and shifted to the other side in his chair.

“The last report I got from Fred was that the fort was surrounded by somewhere between four-hundred to six-hundred troops.”

“It was something like four-fifty, but yeah. Around that,” Vince conceded.

“The report mentioned you eliminated the opposing force to a man.”

“Yes, though we did capture a number of them. We left them with Fred, even though he couldn’t open the gate. I wonder what he did with them,” Vince said, the idle thought tripping him up.

“How many people are in your force?” Richard asked.

“Enough to destroy theirs,” Vince said, evading the question. “Now. I believe that according to our deal, I’ve met my end of the bargain. Their food is poisoned, their water is tainted, and their general is dead.

“If they’re not gone in a month, you’re not applying enough pressure.”

Richard didn’t respond immediately. He sat there with his chin in his hand, watching Vince.

Undoubtedly, he was weighing his options.

To Vince’s mind, there were only three possibilities to choose from.

One, agree to Vince’s request and free the slaves in one unilateral ruling. Telling them all to head west at their best possible speed into the lands of Yosemite.

Two, attempt to bicker or argue with Vince, knowing full well that time to do so was limited. This would undoubtedly also anger a man who had just murdered a Dragon and eaten its heart.

Three, deny the agreement and bring down whatever wrath Vince decided to throw.

Waiting quietly, Vince smiled at Richard without a worry in the world.

If he had to repeat what he’d done in Verix, so be it. He’d rather not, especially now, but he would.

Even if he had to wait till the war ended to do so.

“I’ll honor our agreement, of course. I’ll send out a general proclamation in a week or so. It’ll give me time to get my police and city defenders into position to raid the guilds,” Richard said, being direct about his intentions.

“Certainly. I’d do the same. Merely direct the freed slaves to travel into Yosemite. My vassals should be along the Mississippi river by then,” Vince said, dismissing the whole situation. “They should be able to direct all the freed slaves accordingly.”

“The river?” Richard asked, his voice going up in volume.

“Indeed. Yosemite now holds the entire space from the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the Mississippi river,” Vince said, his smile growing wider. “We’ve already defeated one army of the Tri-lliance. After we clear the second, we’ll be reinforcing our border, just as we’ve done in the south and the west.”

I imagine you’re rather nervous now. You thought you had some of the Wastes still as a barrier, didn’t you?

And now it’s gone. Now I’ve formally claimed the land up to the river. To your face, no less.

I’ve displayed power, wealth, and the ability to crush everything before me.

The only reason the Tri-lliance did as well as they did was that theirs was a surprise attack.

“I imagine our amount of trade with the east will go up exponentially now that I’ve tamed the Wastes. Or the vast majority of it,” Vince said. “Ah, I do believe it’s my time to depart, however. I’d like to go find those boats. I have some… revenge… to return to our mutual enemies.

“If you wouldn’t mind providing me with your promised seal, I’ll be on my way. I do promise to kill any Tri-lliance soldiers as I go as well.”

Vince stood, folding his hands behind his back. He didn’t want Richard to think he was trying to intimidate him.

But it really was time he got a leg on. The longer he was out here wandering around in the east, the more he’d worry about everyone back west.

“Of course, of course,” Richard said, getting to his feet. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a metallic circle as big as a tea saucer and held it out to Vince.

“Merely display this anywhere you go and you’ll have free passage. Again, just be sure to drop it back off with myself, please. It’s a pain to have them made all over again.”

***

“Why is it wherever we go, it feels like we end up staring at something we have to attack?” Julia said.

She was in her Warden suit. Vince was beginning to wonder if those soldiers lived in them. For as rarely as he saw them without, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they slept in them.

“Because most of this world is fortified,” Vince said.

They were staring across an open plain. At the center of it was the Dragon’s roost.

There wasn’t a tree, road, or building as far as the eye could see in any direction around that one building.

Amongst the roost were the remains of a rather large fortified building. Of course, it now only looked like a ruin, but Vince got the impression it had been built with defense in mind.

In the middle of that massive sprawling nest, the Dragon apparently lived and slept.

Which was immediately obvious to everyone.

Laying in its home was the Dragon. Sleeping in the middle of the day, without a care or a worry in the world.

In plain view of anyone walking by, and with disdain for the world as a whole.

It seemed a touch bigger than the other Dragons he’d seen, but it didn’t look any different than them.

Except the coloring.

Dark black scales ran the length of its large body. The previous ones he’d tangled with had all been red in color.

Now that he thought about it, all reports of Dragons, save this one, had always been red in color.

Briefly, he wondered if it was a different sub-species of dragon.

Like Elves. Maybe the black Dragons are a bit more hostile? Less? More solitary?

Could be Dragons all over Europe.

Maybe that’s why we never heard back from boats or planes that went that way to see how the rest of the world fared.

Other than the monsters in the deep.

“What’s the plan?” Steve asked, looking to Vince.

Caroline sighed while Blue looked at the ground, studiously admiring her booted feet.

Red looked annoyed and angry at the same time.

“I take it by the looks of your people, you have a plan they don’t like,” Julia said, her helmet swinging between them all.

“Red would agree with that statement,” said the Beastkin, her tail lashing back and forth behind her.

“It’s actually rather simple. I go out there, challenge it to a fight, and kill it.

“Then I eat its heart, probably get really drunk, and we get the gold,” Vince said. “Now, did you get me all those shields?”

“Yes,” Steve said, and held out a small bag. “Here’s all the shields from the Wardens. Caroline was able to charge them up just like you figured.”

Caroline shrugged her shoulders at that, her arms folded across her chest. “If my idiot noble husband is going to widow me, the least I can do is give him every chance to prevent that fate.”

Vince took the bag and began pulling out all the handheld oval objects.

They look like brass knuckles to a degree.

“Just like the other item I gave you, feed it a trick of magic and boom—instant shield. These are all one directional though. So you’ll need to point it at the danger,” Steve explained.

“Alright, that all makes sense. I suppose there’s no time like the present. I might as well go challenge the damn thing and see where it takes us,” Vince said with a grim smile. “The rest of you should get behind cover and the like. I’d rather not have it go after you to distract me.”

Blue and Red got in front of him. Each collected a hug and a kiss. They didn’t say anything, and they didn’t seem as if they wanted to.

He couldn’t blame Blue. He imagined she was still dealing with her own demons over the deaths of the Dryads she was very close to. More so than any other Dryad.

Vince was surprised by Caroline, though.

She lingered. Her eyes moving over his face.

“Vince,” she said. “We haven’t had much time together. I don’t… care for you. Yet. Though I feel like it’d be easy for us to get to that point.”

Sighing, she stepped in closer and laid her hand to his jaw.

“I guess what I’m saying is don’t get yourself killed. I’d like to see where this all goes,” Caroline said, brushing her thumb along his cheek bone. “Besides, it was rather cute how enamored with my ears you were.”

Leaning in, she pressed a kiss to his lips. After several seconds, she broke the kiss and gave him a smile.

“Be sure to kill the Dragon, noble husband,” Caroline said. “I’d very much enjoy not explaining your death to Yaris.

“A Royal Elf isn’t one any Elf would ever wish to disappoint.”

Even Caroline defers to her. I really do need to ask her for more info on that sometime.

Rolling his shoulders, Vince marched out into the field.

Pulling his blade free from his sheath, he clutched one of the shields in his left hand.

With his heartbeat starting to speed up, Vince tried to keep his breathing even and normal.

Red splotches started to crawl up the sides of his vision. A soft ringing noise drowned out everything else.

Lifting his right arm above his head, Vince sucked in a deep breath.

“DRAGON!” he shouted. “COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME, YOU BIG-ASS LIZARD!”

Lifting its head from its nest, the Dragon focused on Vince.

A black-scaled cowl rose up around the neck of the beast. Circling the back of its head as if it were a crown. Horns that hadn’t been originally visible glistened darkly.

It took in a huge, gasping breath, one that seemed impossibly long.

Then it let loose a bellow that shook Vince from head to asshole.

Ah shit… it’s not like the other Dragons at all. It’s quite a bit stronger, isn’t it?

Bigger too. More than likely faster.

I suppose that’ll just make its heart taste all the sweeter.

Won’t it?

Chapter 19

Moving forward at a casual pace, Vince kept his glowing-edged sword level at his side.

He had no idea how fast or strong this Dragon would be. He had a fair guess, but he wasn’t going to bet on it.

Getting up on all fours, the big Dragon hunched its shoulders and roared again at Vince.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU DAMNED PIGEON! I HEARD THAT ONE ALREADY!” Vince shouted back at it. “GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME ALREADY!”

The Dragon paused at that. Its wings fluttered behind it and laid back down along its spine.

Marching inexorably toward the Dragon, Vince kept his breathing calm. His heart and head were pounding though.

His vision was nearly red and his temples throbbing with each beat of his heart.

Channeling and circling the magic in his grove, Vince began to gather it in his chest. Ready for whatever use he might have of it.

Coming down from its perch, the Dragon almost seemed cautious. Cautious and unsure of the Human heading straight for it.

Reaching the ground, the Dragon began to circle out around Vince.

Watching it with his head, Vince kept marching for its nest.

He’d not be distracted.

Whatever it was doing was clearly an attempt to draw him toward something—or away from something.

Which means I just keep marching forward.

“You just keep going that way, you overgrown chicken!” Vince said loudly, feeling like it was close enough he didn’t have to shout anymore. “After I’m done taking a shit in your nest, maybe I’ll see if I can find anything interesting!”

The Dragon practically turned ninety degrees at that, heading straight for Vince.

That got its attention.

Turning his body to face the Dragon, Vince stopped, placed his feet, and moved his blade out in front of himself.

It wasn’t a saber. The glowing edge worked well enough that the lack of a slashing curve wouldn’t deter him.

This would really just change the normal angle of his attacks a bit.

Slowing down at the sight of Vince centering on it, the Dragon came to a full stop thirty feet from him.

“You can come over here, or I can go over there, Lizard. Which do you prefer?” Vince asked.

“I’ll kill you,” growled the Dragon.

“Well get on with it then, Lizard. Waiting for ya right here. Unless you’re a coward? I’ll give you ten seconds before I start heading for your nest again.”

The Dragon lifted its head up on its sinuous neck.

Taking in a strong breath, its chest began to expand.

Vince fed a tiny trickle of mana into the shield in his hand and waited.

Leaning its head down, the Dragon breathed an ocean of fire all over Vince.

Unimaginable heat spread out around him. Over and around the shield.

Then the fire bath ended and Vince released the shield, letting it fall idle again. Channeling his magic into the device, he began to refill it.

As the heat waves, fire, and smoke of burnt grass cleared, Vince could see the Dragon.

It looked pleased with itself, as if it had just cooked Vince alive.

“That all ya got, Lizard?” Vince asked. “I mean, I think you scorched my hair. Probably fried the mites and creepy crawlies in my clothes, but that’s about it.

“You done? That makes it my turn, doesn’t it?”

Whipping its head back, the Dragon clearly prepared another breath of fire.

Vince activated the shield again.

The wave of fire lasted much longer this time, and Vince started to feel like a roasted chicken due to the heat alone.

Yet that wasn’t enough to actually cause him any undue harm.

When the fire died away, Vince tucked the shield into the small pouch and took out another one. He wasn’t sure how much was left in it and he didn’t have time to try and recharge it.

“All out of gas now?” Vince asked, taking several steps forward through the burning grass.

Surprise was clearly written in the Dragon’s eyes.

It lifted up a clawed arm and slashed at Vince as he came closer.

Dancing to one side while flicking his blade out, Vince dodged the massive attack entirely.

With a loud crack, a Dragon’s talon went tumbling and bouncing away.

Taking several steps away from Vince, the Dragon looked at its missing claw.

“Just now realize you’re outmatched, Lizard? Come here then, so I can beat you to death,” Vince said, marching onward.

The Dragon hopped backward with a pump of its wings. Getting at least thirty feet between itself and Vince.

“Pfah, whatever. Run away, chicken.”

Vince started to walk backward towards the nest. The Dragon could fight him, or Vince could get to the nest.

One or the other.

“I am no chicken!” roared the Dragon at him.

“Uh huh, says the giant flying chicken that just flapped away. Bgok, bgok.”

Panting with what felt like rage to Vince, the Dragon charged at him.

Rolling forward and low, Vince brought his sword over his head.

He heard a long series of cracking, popping noises as he went. Bits and pieces of things falling all around him until the Dragon cleared him.

Standing up immediately, Vince looked to the ground.

Shattered and broken white teardrop-shaped tiles littered the ground.

Turning to face him after it passed, the Dragon looked down at itself and froze.

The underpart of its belly was full of white scales instead of the black everywhere else.

Except the scales weren’t immaculate anymore.

A long line of broken scales ran from the midpoint of its chest all the way down to its tail.

“Come on back here, Lizard. I’ll give you another tickle. That was just a warm up,” Vince said, walking toward the Dragon again, since it was standing in the same path as the nest.

Lowering itself close to the ground, the Dragon began to slowly back away from Vince. Nearly at the same pace Vince was advancing.

“That all you got? Sooner or later you’re going to have to let me into your nest or fight me again,” Vince said.

The Dragon shifted its weight around, then took in a huge gasping breath again.

Perfect timing, Lizard. All I needed was an opening.

Lunging forward, Vince drove his sword right up into the Dragon’s gut.

Plunging into Dragon flesh, the blade only stopped when it hit the cross guard.

Shrieking and blowing out a breath of fire into the sky, the Dragon squirmed off the blade and stumbled backward.

The wound was probably more painful than life threatening, unfortunately.

I think I missed everything in there.

Unbelievable.

Screwed up the entry point at the last second.

“Sorry about that—come on back here, Lizard. I’ll make the next one quick and take your head off if you let me.

“If you don’t let me make it quick, I’m going to beat you to an inch of your life, pull your beating heart out of your chest, and eat it while you watch.

“Then I’m going to fuck a Dryad on your cooling corpse. And when it’s all said and done, I’m going to take a shit in your opened chest, putting your heart right back where it belongs,” Vince said, the anger he was tightly holding on to threatening to run away from him.

He wanted to kill every Dragon he met. Every single one.

Kill them and eat their hearts.

The Dragon was moving away from him quickly, one clawed hand pressed to the wound in its belly.

“You, what are you?” it asked, its rumbling voice grating on Vince’s ears.

“I’m a human. One who is going to eat your heart raw.”

Tripping over its own trail, the Dragon crashed down to its stomach.

Flashing forward, Vince was on it in a second.

Before he could land the strike, the Dragon’s head moved to one side.

Lashing out with a kick at it as it passed, he felt a satisfying thump.

The Dragon’s head twisted over on itself with the impact of the strike.

Clearly dazed, the Dragon’s eyes were partially dilated and looked lost.

Leaping at its head, Vince managed to catch it around the bottom part of its jaw.

Placing the edge of his blade on its throat, he drew back his shoulder.

“Wait!” said the Dragon under Vince. It thrashed to one side, forcing Vince to hold on instead of sawing through its neck. “Wait!”

“Lie still already, Lizard,” Vince said as he clenched his left hand into its jaw for stability.

“I’ll swear on my Dragon’s Word to you in service! Wait, wait!” the Dragon said, pleading now.

“Don’t want a Dragon, I just want your heart, and your gold,” Vince said, getting a stable grip on the thrashing monster now.

“I have no gold! They took it!” the Dragon said quickly.

Pausing just before he whipped his sword through the Dragon’s flesh, Vince stilled.

“Swear to tell me the truth on your Dragon’s Word, and that you’ll no longer resist me,” Vince said.

“I swear it. On my Dragon’s Word. To tell you the truth and stop resisting you,” the Dragon said, not even hesitating. “Now could you get off me?”

The same sensation that had washed over him when he’d dealt with Heint happened again.

“No. Because I haven’t decided if you’re living through this,” Vince said. Wedging the tip of his blade under a scale, he leaned on the hilt until the Lizard groaned. “Who took your gold?”

“Lizardmen, Humans, and some Elves. They had two Red Dragons with them. I killed one, but the female managed to drive me off. The male damaged my wing. Its why I fought you on the ground. It isn’t fully healed yet,” the Dragon said.

“The Tri-lliance? Were they all wearing uniforms? Different ones than the humans nearby?” Vince asked.

He wasn’t sure if they were all wearing the same uniform, and he wasn’t going to bet on it.

“Yes! They attacked me. I killed many, and one of their Dragons. They took my gold after chasing me off. I was resting to heal so I could chase them down and take it back.

“It’s my gold! Mine!” the Dragon said in a loud voice.

“No, it’s my gold now,” Vince said. “I came for it, and I’m going to get it. Now, be a good Dragon and die for me.”

“Wait, no! I can be an ally to you! A good one!”

“Don’t need an ally.”

“A soldier than. I’m well versed in combat and—”

“Don’t need that either. I have lots of those. Need to eat Dragon hearts.”

“I’ll-I’ll be your damned pet, alright? Your mount, even! I’ll give myself over to you completely. Everything.

“Just… let me live. They took my pride and my gold. I can’t die without it,” the Dragon said, pain and fear evident in its voice.

“Why is gold so important to you? The other Dragons don’t seem to value it the same way you do.” Vince asked.

The red haze in his head was starting to fade. His thoughts were starting to track down the curious answers the Dragon was giving.

“I’m a black. They’re just reds. I need no clan. They have to hunt in packs. And even then, they lack,” said the black Dragon in a condescending tone.

“I’ve killed four of their number now. And eaten two,” Vince said. “And perhaps a black Dragon now as well.”

“Perhaps? Only perhaps? I could be of service. Enough of a service that you could release me on your death? I’d serve you your entire life.”

Hah. A pet black Dragon as long as I live.

Actually, that could be rather useful. Very useful.

“Fine. Swear to be my pet. My mount. That you’ll give your everything to me. That you’ll not betray me on any level.

“On your Dragon’s Word, until I die,” Vince said, putting both hands on the hilt of his sword.

He was prepared to drive the sword home the moment the Dragon declined his request.

“I swear to all of that on my Dragon’s Word. I swear it. I swear it,” the Dragon said. “I swear it.”

Surprised, Vince sat there.

So desperate it repeated itself in triplicate. Or is that some sort of formal binding?

“Fine. I accept your servitude,” Vince said, pulling his sword out of the Dragon’s neck.

Getting off its upside-down jaw, Vince sheathed his blade.

“Alright. Now. Which way did they come from, and did you figure out which way they went?” Vince asked.

Rolling its head over, the Dragon eyed Vince warily. Then it slowly got down on its belly, clearly favoring the wound Vince had given it.

It watched him sullenly.

“From the east, and they left to the northeast. They’re easy enough to follow by scent. Providing they don’t split off into smaller groups,” the Dragon said.

Vince nodded at that, then looked back to the brushes he’d come from.

Lifting a hand, he waved in that direction and then gestured towards himself.

Inviting his people over.

“You call your retainers?” the Dragon asked.

“A few wives, my brother’s soldiers, and some of my own soldiers. Nothing out of the ordinary,” Vince said.

“Wives? Plural?”

“Yes. I have… I don’t remember. Something over ten wives, and fifty or so bound concubine Dryads.”

“So many wives… what are you that would gain you so many? Are they all human?”

“The lord and master of Yosemite. And no, they’re not. I have five Elves now, three Dryads, a Gnome, Beastkin, a Dragonnewt, Orc, and a soldier ant.”

“A Dragonnewt?” asked the Dragon, a note of awe and shock in its voice.

“Yes. I subdued her Dragoness as well as her Human side,” Vince said, not quite enjoying talking about Ramona while she was still missing.

Looking back over his shoulder, Vince saw everyone heading his way.

“You said you had many Dryads as well. That is equally abnormal. Are you the center of their grove?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking.”

“In what manner?”

“You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?”

“It would be best if I learned these things now. Your life may be short, but I’ll not shirk my duty.”

Vince snorted at that and then grinned, looking the Dragon dead in the eye.

“I’m their grove. All of their seeds are in me. My Gnome warlock of a wife told me, and my Dryad grove-mistress confirmed it—it’s unlikely I’ll die. Ever.

“Unless I die to violence. They’re fairly certain I won’t even age.”

The Dragon didn’t respond. In fact, Vince couldn’t even hear it breathing.

“Congratulations. You’re bound for as long as you live, Dragon. Because it’s likely you’ll die of old age before I do.

“Do you have a name, by the way? Or should I keep calling you Dragon and Lizard.”

Letting out a shuddering breath, the Dragon sighed, closing its eyes.

“You swindled me.”

“I did. But your alternative was to be lunch. I think you picked the better choice of the two.

“Name?”

“Taylor. My… my human name is Taylor.”

“Taylor, how long will it take you to recover from your injuries?”

“For my wing, it’ll be a while. I’m honestly not quite sure.

“But it’ll heal eventually. For the wound you gave me, several hours, no more than that.”

“Anything I can do to speed that wing up? I’d rather mount you and be quit of this place. This entire situation.

“Healing magic, perhaps?”

“No. There is nothing you can do to speed it up. Magic of that nature simply doesn’t work on Dragons.

“I heal much quicker than a Dragonnewt would. But it does take time.”

Ramona didn’t mention that her wing would have healed eventually in time.

Then again, that might have taken years, and no one could really say they had years to heal a wound like that.

“Red wants to know why you haven’t killed it,” Red asked, coming up beside him.

Her tail lazily curled around his waist as she tipped her head into his chest.

“Because the Dragon, whose name is Taylor, is my pet now. He swore to be my pet, my mount, and devote his entire self to me, until I die. On their Dragon’s Word,” Vince said.

“That seemed more impressive in the end than tearing out his heart and eating it.”

“Red disagrees. Hearts taste good. Elf hearts are the tastiest,” Red said.

Her head turned, tracking Caroline, who came up on the other side of Vince.

“Charming,” Caroline said, eying Red in return.

“Red would never eat the Elves of Yosemite. Elves of Verix were who Red ate.”

“I remember the night we bound Red to you,” Blue said.

Her tone fell with the last word, and Vince couldn’t help but think of Karya and Green.

“Anyways. Taylor here has sworn to me.

“The problem, though, is that the Tri-lliance already came through, took the gold, and departed with it.”

“Hm. That’s certainly a problem. We have any idea what they want to do with it?” Steve asked, walking up to the Dragon and peering at it.

“No. Other than gold is quite valuable to the Tri-lliance as well, it would seem. They lost a Dragon taking it.”

“If it were me,” Steve said. “I’d be looking to load it up onto a boat as quickly as possible and get it back to the home country. Army and war be damned. If I could send back chests upon chests of gold and still complete my duty, I’d mark that one down as ‘exceptional’ on the year-end metrics.”

Vince frowned in thought and then nodded his head.

“Yeah. That makes sense. Take the gold, send it back home, get back to the war. That gold would pay for itself instantly and become the means to fund yet another war, I imagine.”

Taylor grunted, pulling away from Steve when he got too close.

“Do not touch me, human. And you should know this now, Vince of Yosemite,” Taylor said.

In a rapid shifting of flesh and bone, the Dragon vanished. It became a young woman now standing in front of him.

She had black hair, black eyes, and straight black horns that came out from her hairline and swept backward.

Wearing not a stitch of clothing, she was naked as the day she was born.

She had scales all over her body in the same places Ramona did, though they were all black.

Vince gave her the once-over without intending to do so.

Her frame had no fat on it whatsoever. Her hips and chest were wider than Caroline’s, but not by a terribly large amount.

Other than those two aspects, she was very similar to an Elf in her looks and build.

Slim, sharp, and pretty, with that strange exotic grace to her.

“I am Taylor. Know me, since it seems I am bound to you for a long time,” said the woman, with a snarl on her pretty face.

Chapter 20

Vince looked at the fork in the road.

To his eyes, it was clear both paths had been taken. At the same time, even.

A large amount of boot prints and wagon wheels were visible in the dirt and grass. Weeks after the army had gone through.

“Red cannot smell anything recent,” said the Beastkin, sniffing near the ground. She was on all fours, moving around between both paths.

“Nor do I,” Taylor said, her large scaled head floating over the same space Red was working.

A matter of seconds later, Taylor reverted to her human body. “In either form. It seems as if they passed by a very long time ago.”

The left fork led further east and deeper into the East’s capital, Baltimore.

To the right, Vince didn’t know. From what he could tell, it veered sharply southeast.

“What do you want to do?” Steve asked, looking to Vince.

“I’m not really sure. Realistically… I want to go down both paths, but we’re already so few in number,” Vince said. Running his hand back and forth over his chin, he thought on what he wanted to do.

“Easy. Take me, the Dragon, Eva, and Red,” Julia said. “Send Steve and the rest in the other direction. Our suit radios go pretty far. They’re fairly upgraded. We also carry portable beacons that can increase the range significantly.

“If we get out of range, we arrange a meetup and go from there.

“Leave the Orcs, Elves, and Undead here as a base camp with a single Warden and a signal booster. They can act as a relay.”

Vince raised his eyebrows at that.

It was a solid idea that gave them the ability to pursue both paths. As well as establish a back-track that could work.

At least for a while. It isn’t a perfect plan, but… it covers as much as we could hope for.

“I’m not so sure about this,” Blue said, her face a neutral mask.

He could hear the dislike in her voice though. It was obvious. And not unexpected.

His Dryads tended to react negatively to any plan that separated them from Vince.

“To be honest, neither am I,” Vince admitted. “But it’s the best plan we’ve got, and I think it limits the problems we’d have as much as possible.”

Looking to the naked Taylor, Vince had a sudden thought.

“Alright, that’s what we’ll do. Split into your groups and do what you need to do.

“Taylor, get into your Dragon form. You’re playing mount for me, Julia, and Red.”

Taylor snorted at that, but then got down on her hands and knees and transformed back into her large, black Dragon form.

Her head swung around and glared at him with large yellow eyes.

“As you will it,” she said in her gravelly voice.

***

Riding a black Dragon had pushed them on quickly. So quickly, in fact, that they would have wound up negating the entire plan in the first night. The only thing that kept them in contact with the base camp was Julia thinking ahead.

She’d hidden signal boosters along the road, creating a relay chain all the way back to the base camp.

Standing up, Julia stretched backward in her Warden suit.

“Ah. That’s the last of my boosters,” she said, unslinging her rifle from her shoulder holster.

“Well, the tracks lead right into Washington,” Vince said, repeatedly bending his knees and legs as he moved around, trying to stretch everything out.

He’d never ridden a Dragon before. And with how wide Taylor was, it was like learning to ride all over again.

Taylor stood to one side, waving her arms around inside a rather large coat that came down to her knees.

Vince had forced it on her and told her she needed to wear it when she was in human form.

Apparently, Taylor spent the vast majority of her time as a dragon—very little as a human.

Her understanding of human culture was less than even Red’s had been.

“Yeah, that helps. Still. This is a bit of a fucking shit-show,” Julia said, walking over to him. “You want to go into Washington today?”

“Probably should. Won’t take us more than a few minutes to get there. On top of that, it really does seem like their entire army waltzed right in. I’m mildly concerned about what we’ll find in there, to be frank about it,” Vince said.

“Why is that?” Taylor asked, letting her arms fall to her sides.

“Because the simplest way to break a country is to attack its population,” Vince said. “And so far, we haven’t seen hide nor hair of the army Richard said was up here. Which means they were crushed before they visited you, or they’re actually down the other path. With the other half of this army.”

“They haven’t seen or heard anything at all though,” Julia said. “They’ve seen just the same thing we have.”

“Yeah, and that’s more than a little concerning,” Vince said, shaking his head. “If Richard’s army really was destroyed, that means the Tri-lliance has been running around in the east all by themselves without a care in the world.

“Burning, pillaging, robbing, and raping their way to victory.”

Julia turned her helmeted head to face towards Washington.

“You got a point there. If Felix told me to take a city, I’d do everything I could to turn the citizens against resisting.

“That and ruin anything and everything that could help support my enemies.”

“And that’s what’s probably going on,” Vince said.

Standing upright, he put his feet straight toward the city and started to walk that way.

Everyone fell in around him, moving cautiously. There was no telling what would be in stock for them at the end of the road, let alone on the road itself.

They hadn’t even reached the true outskirts of Washington when the state of the city became clear.

Skeletons dangled from the trees, signs, and awnings. Hanged and left to rot.

Looking down the street, Vince could see the bodies swinging back and forth.

“Why hang them all like this?” Eva asked.

“Threat,” Vince said simply. “These are more than likely people who opposed them in one way or another. Or maybe even tried to get some of the bodies down.

“You hang anyone and everyone for anything, and suddenly, no one does anything at all.”

“This is insane,” Eva said.

“Not really,” Julia said, her heavy feet clanking. “Your uncle is exactly right. This is what would happen. This is what did happen in Skipper city. After the city blew up, it became much more like this with tribal gang warlords.”

“This is what we can see. Now think of all the harm and damage done to the population that is undoubtedly hiding in the buildings, watching us,” Vince said, gesturing at a nearby squat two-story office.

He’d noticed the citizens a while ago. They were all holed up. Peering out from broken windows and shattered walls.

“It’s just so—”

“Effective,” Vince said, interrupting Eva. “Extremely effective. So effective that we’re going to have to go deeper into the city to find someone to ask where the army went. Because if these people think we might be opposing the Tri-lliance army, they won’t even risk talking to us.”

The small band trooped onward. There was little to see and less to do as they went.

Far up ahead, Vince could see a collection of thrown-together buildings. From here they looked quite a bit like some of the Waster communities he’d seen in the deep Wastes years ago.

Where every type of person could end up living together for protection. From each other and the outside.

Those places bred brutality and thoughtless violence as one would breed rats. People were bought and sold in hourly chunks—as food, entertainment, or otherwise.

The strong rule here, and everyone below them is a resource or a soldier.

Except those places are gone in the lands of Yosemite. They were wiped out to the last everywhere that Yosemite holds sway.

Those spots are long gone, and where they once stood are communities. With guard patrols, markets, and leaders who work for their people.

Or Vince would show up again to raze it all.

“What is this place?” Eva asked.

“Somewhere we can get the information we need at the cheapest price,” Vince said. “Don’t talk to anyone and don’t leave the group. Just… stay silent.”

“What? Why?” Eva asked.

“Listen to your uncle,” Julia said. “Felix would tell you the same thing, just in more fancy words.”

“Red will watch the girl, Bringer,” said the Beastkin. “Come here, girl.”

“I’m probably older than you are,” Eva said grumpily. “You look like you’re still in college.”

“And yet Red has killed hundreds. Red has eaten the hearts of her enemies. Red has been with Vince when we destroyed gatherings just like this. Red understands this place. Have you done any of this? Or do you speak from a weak and shallow heart that hasn’t seen the worst of the world?”

Vince glanced over his shoulder to see the dark shadow that’d drawn over Eva’s face.

She’s seen some evil but refuses to see the truth of the world. I’ll not be the one to ruin it for her.

“Leave it be, Red. Not everyone has been forced into the darkness, and we shouldn’t be the ones to do so for my niece,” Vince said, looking toward the ramshackle mess ahead of them.

“Red understands. Red will still watch over the girl.”

Before they’d even made it to the first couple wooden huts, several people had gone running much deeper into the wooden warren of people and debris.

“That’d be the welcoming committee,” Julia said under her breath. “I’m going to have nightmares for a while after this.”

“Done it before?” Vince asked.

“Lived it. Felix dug me out and saved me.”

“Mm. We’ll make it quick. Info, then gone.”

Vince pulled his sword free of the sheath and let it hang loosely in his hand as he walked. There would be no mistaking his intention here.

Nor did he want them to. The more they understood what he wanted, the better.

Stopping at an intersection, Vince pointed his blade at a scantily clad woman that could only be a prostitute working her corner.

“Which way to your boss?” Vince said.

Clicking her tongue, the woman pointed down the left-handed branch.

“You sure? I’ll come back and part your head from your shoulders if you’re wrong,” Vince said, putting some heat into his words.

“Yea, he’s waiting for you anyways,” said the woman. She flicked a hand over her shoulder and moved into a nearby hovel.

Taking the indicated path, Vince kept his head on a swivel.

“You just trusted her? I thought you said they were all terrible people here?” Eva asked.

It sounded to him like she wanted to argue.

“Her boss does indeed know we’re here. If she’s aware of that, it means everyone already knows he wants to see us. Whether to trap, ambush, or talk, I don’t know yet.

“But at least we’ll find him, or her, sooner rather than later,” Vince said. “I’m grateful I don’t have to go chasing him all around this shit hole.”

“Red does not wish to do that again anytime soon.”

Vince could only agree.

At the end of a muddy, chewed-up path, Vince saw a platform made out of rough-hewn wood.

Sitting on a throne surrounded by guards in Waste-type armor was a small-bodied man wearing a black hood.

Everything about him was concealed by the hood, other than a pair of blue-colored eyes.

“And who are you?!” he shouted.

Not bothering to answer, Vince walked up onto the platform from the dirt.

“Stop there!”

Coming to a stop, Vince looked to the guards and then the man on the throne.

“I am Dean. What do you want from me in my domain? “

“I’m looking for the army that came through here,” Vince said.

“Oh? Why’s that, and why does it even concern me?” asked Dean.

“Only in that they came through here. That’s all. I only want them and their leader, and I’ll be passing through your land quite easily after that.”

“Hmph. They went east, or so I heard,” Dean said, losing interest, and seemingly not wanting to start a fight with Vince. “Their general was arguing with another man about it, but I did overhear that much of their conversation.”

“Catch any reason they’d head for the coast?” Vince asked.

“No. And it doesn’t concern me. If that’s all?” Dean said. “I have a number of things I’d rather be doing. Like falling dick-first into my harem.”

Vince smiled tightly at that and nodded his head at the man. Stepping back down the platform without turning his back to the guards, Vince made his way to his people.

“Red is ready to go. There is a small path we can use to get out,” Red said.

“Good. Let’s get out of here then. I’d rather not be here any longer than I have to,” Vince said.

Dean got up from his throne and headed toward a stone building off to one side.

His guards followed him while watching Vince and his people warily the entire time.

“That’s it?” Eva asked.

“That’s it. We got the information we wanted. And I’m glad for it. We can just head to the east end of Washington and look for major roads. We’ll be able to pick up their trail as if it never broke.”

“But what about the city? The people? We’re not going to help them?” Eva asked.

“No. Why should we? They’re not part of my country. They’re not my people. If I kill this warlord, another will simply replace him.

“It serves no purpose.”

“But what about all the civilians? They’re living in terrible conditions.”

Screams and shrieks rang out. Vince glanced over to see Dean had entered the building he’d been heading for.

Apparently his harem isn’t all willing.

“That they are, and they’re still not our problem. They’re Richard’s problem when he gets a chance to come back up here.

“I imagine it’ll be a number of years before he can resettle this area, and a great deal of work chasing off bandits and would-be pretenders.”

“We can’t just leave it like this,” Eva said, her voice rising in pitch.

“Yes, we can and will. Do I have to tie you up and throw you over Julia’s shoulder before you do something stupid?”

“No,” Eva said, folding her arms across her stomach. “I won’t do anything stupid. I learned that lesson already. I just… I just can’t imagine leaving it like this.

“We’re here. We could kill him, and the people could have a chance at a better life.”

“Would they? Would they really? Who’s to say? Another warlord or clan leader could step up who’s six times as brutal. He could have every single woman in the city in his harem, instead of just the ones he wanted.

“I’m not saying that slimeball of a man is any good, but I can guarantee you there is almost no chance this city would recover without a strong hand remaining behind.”

Eva nodded and hung her head, looking the part of the scolded child quite well.

“I know you think I’m naive… and I probably still am, despite everything that’s happened.

“I just can’t fathom how we could let a man like that live. I’m sorry, Uncle.”

Sighing, Vince pressed a hand to his brow.

Then he looked to Taylor.

She was watching him with bored, dark, glittering eyes.

“Taylor?” Vince asked.

“Yes?”

“Do you eat humans?”

“I try not to. A lot of density in their bones, very little meat. The flavor is a lot like pig, though.

“Elves are best. Their bones are much more brittle.”

“Red agrees. Elves are very tasty.”

Mom did make a killer Elf steak. Can’t really eat that anymore now. Kinda glad I managed to get it cleared out of the meat storage before anyone noticed it.

Vince glanced guiltily at Caroline, who seemed mildly horrified at the conversation.

“If I asked you to transform into your black Dragon shape, to chew Dean until he was dead and spit him out, could you do it without getting hurt?” Vince asked.

“Easily. Their weapons won’t even break a scale,” Taylor said, unbuttoning Vince’s cloak. “Don’t eat him? Just chew him up a lot?”

“Yeah. Chew him up till he’s dead,” Vince said. Reaching out, he offered to take the coat from Taylor as she pulled her arms free.

Taylor handed the garment to Vince and violently shook out her hair.

“This’ll be good. I needed a stretch,” she said.

Unable to help himself, he let his eyes follow the line of scales that trailed down from her shoulders, along her sides, over her waist, and into her pubic area.

His eyes snapped up to hers as she turned her head to face him again.

“I’ll give them the warning that we’ll return to check on their progress in the future. And anyone who acts outside of Richard’s laws will get chewed up and spat out,” Vince said, folding the coat over his arm.

“Alright. What do you want me to do about his guards?” Taylor asked. She reached up and started to stroke her horns in a strange manner.

It wasn’t the same way Ramona did it—this seemed almost sexual.

“Kill them if they resist. Let them go if they don’t.”

Taylor nodded and took several steps away from them.

Immediately, she began transforming into the large black Dragon she was.

Shuffling toward the stone building, she was on the guards before they knew what to do.

Most of them turned and ran away as fast as they could.

Two stood their ground, stepping in and swinging their weapons at Taylor. When they bounced harmless off her armored hide, she turned her head and regarded them with bright yellow eyes.

Then she squished them flat with her clawed hands. Their guts shooting out of their twisted and flattened stomachs.

Lifting a single finger, she hooked the tip of her talon into the corner of the building and jerked backward.

Stone and wood shattered loudly and shot out in every direction.

Dean stood there, staring at where the door had once been. He was half clothed.

Held in his grasp was an Elf Vince immediately recognized.

She looked much worse for wear, and as if she were drugged out of her mind, but he knew her.

It was Seville’s companion.

What the hell is she doing here? All the way on the other side of the continent?

“Taylor, I need the Elf girl alive!” Vince said loudly.

The giant black Dragon roared and her head snapped down, narrowly missing the Elf.

The Dragon’s mouth closed around the screaming Dean, his screech cut short as her jaws clamped shut.

Lifting her head up, she started to visibly chew Dean even as he screamed again. The sharp crackle and pop of bones was audible.

“Ungh, tash afuu” Taylor said, one of Dean’s severed arms falling out of her mouth as she spoke.

Chewing for several more seconds, she turned her head to one side.

With a hawking noise, the Dragon flicked her head and spat up what was left of Dean onto the ground.

He was a mish-mash of broken bones, chewed flesh, and blood.

And very, very dead.

“Tasted like dirt and mud,” Taylor grumbled.

By the hells below, she’s terrifying.

Chapter 21

Red moved in quickly and grabbed the Elf girl. She looked extremely unsteady on her feet. To the point that Vince had to wonder if she could even walk.

“Throw her over your shoulder, Red. We’ll question her once we get out of here,” Vince said.

Sighing, he turned towards the street they’d come down. He didn’t for a moment believe this would actually change or help anything.

But he’d told Eva he’d do it.

“Listen and heed my words!” Vince called out loudly. “Dean is dead. I will return in the future to see if another has come to take control over this community!

“If they rule well and benevolently, I’ll do nothing!

“Should they be ruling with an iron hand and violence, the Dragon will be my answer!”

Turning on his heel, Vince moved to the eastern path they’d identified earlier.

“Good work, Taylor,” Vince said as they moved.

“Mmm. He really did taste absolutely foul. Need to rinse my mouth out,” complained the Dragon.

“Sorry about that. When we stop to interrogate the Elf, you could always change to your human form and take care of that,” Vince offered up.

“I’ll do that. Easier to wash my mouth out in that form.”

Quickly as they could, they scurried down the road that led out of the rough-and-tumble community. Eva stayed close to Vince, and Caroline kept herself between Red and Taylor.

Julia had taken the rear-guard position.

When they reached the edge of Washington, they found a plain of grass and trees in front of them.

“This’ll do,” Vince said. “Go ahead and drop the Elf. I’ll have to see what I can do with her. Get yourself put together as best as you’re able for a rest.”

Red dropped the Elf to the ground and then looked over her shoulder.

“The sick Elf threw up on Red. Red can smell a source of water. Going to go wash and clean up,” said the Beastkin.

“I’ll go with you,” Taylor said, still in her Dragon form.

The two of them vanished off to the south.

“I think I’ll just… watch,” Caroline said, dropping down into the grass and lying on her side.

Julia kept her head moving, looking in every direction, her rifle tucked in her shoulder.

Eva sat down next to Caroline. She hadn’t said a word since they’d left Washington.

The Snow Elf leaned over and started speaking to Eva quietly while watching Vince. Her eyes told him this was a private conversation.

Leaning down over the Elf, Vince took a good look at her.

Minus the cuts, bruises, and clear abuse, she was exactly as he remembered her.

Her blond hair was hacked short and one of her pupils was blown wide open.

Slipping into her mind, he found her emotions a jumble—high highs and very low lows.

He’d seen the like in the past. Almost always drug addicts or those experiencing a high.

“Where’s Seville?” Vince asked her.

“Seville?” responded the Elf, her eyes trying to focus on Vince.

“Left. Left me. Gave me as a present. I would have slowed him down.” The Elf paused and then giggled insanely. “I was sick. Took a club to the head. Things don’t feel right anymore.

“No healer in the army. Seville tried.”

“The army? What army?”

“Our army. No healer. They all went to Nashville.”

Wait. What?

“Seville is part of the Tri-lliance army?”

“Why is your face blue?” asked the Elf.

Her eyes fluttered in a strange way, then rolled up into her head.

Unsure of what to do, Vince tried to experimentally push some of his magic into her with the intent to heal.

All he managed to do was fill up her reservoir, her fit continuing unabated.

Then she suddenly relaxed and stopped moving.

Her chest no longer rose and fell.

Laying his head to her chest, he heard the faint trembling of her heart but no actual beating.

“You any good at healing magic, Caroline?” Vince asked, lifting his head up.

“Not at all. Few in the Snow tribe have that talent.”

Vince sighed and eyed the dying Elf.

“I think I got spoiled with Mouth,” Vince muttered. “I need to find a Dryad that is martially inclined and has the ability to heal.

“I take it this Seville is someone you know?” Caroline asked.

“Yes… I hadn’t thought of him as an enemy, to be perfectly honest. Just a strange neutral figure in my way.

“It would seem I was wrong, though. He appears to be working with and for the Tri-lliance. That explains a few things, I suppose.”

“It does?” Eva asked, lifting her head up. She’d been staring at the now very dead Elf.

“The attack wasn’t just against my own kingdom. It was against everyone. If Seville was involved, it means this was a long-standing campaign that was planned out.

“It means they really are an enemy of all, and will need to be brought to task if we ever have a hope of living in peace.”

Caroline nodded at that.

“What’s the plan then, noble husband?”

“East. Pick up the trail of the army, follow them, see what they’re up to. So far, they’re on a march of destruction and little else.

“With any luck we’ll get word from the southern half of our group tonight, see if they encountered a similar situation.”

“Makes sense. Well, worst-case scenario, I can help you work out your frustrations tonight, as I’ve done every night.

“Then we pack up in the morning,” Caroline said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Eva looked from Vince to Caroline, then back to Vince. Her face was bright red.

Huh? Is my brother’s that much of a buttoned-up world?

I wonder if those Dryads are going to cause a ruckus. I did send something like three hundred of them. All without a man.

Whatever, good luck brother. I have my own Dryad harem to worry over.

***

Vince squatted down next to Julia as she fiddled with something on her wrist.

“Any luck?” he asked after a second.

“Some. The relay is working, but it sounds like the other half of our group found the majority of the enemy army.

“They’re more or less doing the same thing down there that we’re seeing up here.

“Richard is woefully underinformed about the situation.”

“That he is—and once again, not our problem. We had trade relations, but nothing more than that.

“Besides, I’m sure he’s aware of it by this point. There’s no way refugees haven’t been moving towards Nashville.”

Julia nodded, then dismissed the small display she was fiddling with.

“That’s really everything I got out of it. I think we’re on the edge of the distance available, and the south probably as well.

“Your world has no satellites or towers. Makes communication very difficult,” Julia complained.

Vince shrugged at that.

“It isn’t something we’ve had to worry about, since we never knew any different.”

“Well, last I saw before we headed out, Felix was prepping an entire ‘new world’ package. This isn’t the first time we’ve stepped onto a location that was starting from scratch.

“If you’re not a super power within the next five years, I’ll eat my own goddamn legs,” Julia said, standing up. “Honestly, this whole thing is very surprising.”

“Which part? My world?” Vince asked.

“No, Felix. With people outside of his inner circle, he’s fairly mercenary. Brutal, even.

“When you showed up the way you did, it was like he was propelled into a different state of mind.”

Vince thought on that for a moment, then gave his head a shake.

“When you have no family and suddenly find that you do, it changes things.

“Wives, lovers, children—they’re all important. Very important. But… blood is blood,” Vince said, not sure he was expressing it very well.

“So I’ve noticed.” Julia put a hand on her hip and lifted her rifle to her shoulder. “I’m going to hit the sack. And hey… when this is all over, would you and Felix consider leaving some of Legion on this world? It’s… kinda a weird place, and I like it.

“It makes sense here.”

“The violence? The fighting?”

“Yeah. Every day is a struggle and every day is exactly what you expect.

“Anyways, goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Vince said absently. Going back to his bedroll, he thought on what Julia had said.

Having some of Felix’s people here wasn’t a bad idea. In the same breath, Vince wouldn’t mind having some of his people on Felix’s world either.

There was a lot to gain there in the way of technology and resources.

Moving deeper into the building they’d camped out in, Vince turned into the small room he’d picked out for himself.

Sitting down on his bedroll, Vince started to work at the fastenings on his armor.

“Red would like to talk.”

Looking up to the doorway, Vince somehow managed to contain a sigh.

Unhitching a buckle on his armor, he nodded across the way.

“Grab a seat then. We can talk while I get ready for bed.”

Red sat down across from him, then pulled her knees up in front of herself and wrapped her arms around them.

She watched him with her glowing eyes across the tops of her leather-clad knees.

It was a uniquely vulnerable look for her.

Mildly unnerved, Vince continued to work at removing his brigandine but kept his eyes fastened to her.

“What’s up, Red?”

“Red wants your advice, because it involves you directly,” she mumbled, her nose and mouth pressed to her legs. Only her eyes were visible now.

“I’ll be happy to give it. You need only ask.”

Pulling a clasp, Vince shrugged out of his armor with some effort. He normally pulled it completely apart, but he was getting some seriously strange feelings coming from Red. Giving her his full attention was rapidly becoming paramount.

“Memories. I’m… Red is… having many memories of the past. I now know that I was not a good person. That who Red was before Red… was quite… bad.”

“You mentioned that before,” Vince said, hoping to keep her talking.

Crossing his legs underneath him, he put his forearms on his knees and leaned toward her.

“I was the daughter of the chief. One of them, at least. My older sister was married off. She was destined to be the next leader of our people.

“I wanted to be that. I wanted it all for myself. Someone who practiced magic told me they could help me, and I agreed,” Red said. She closed her eyes, her arms tightening around her legs.

Vince said nothing. He wasn’t sure what to say.

“I don’t know what happened after that. I don’t remember yet. And I don’t want to.

“Red doesn’t want to, that is. Red is Red. Red is happy being Red. Whatever happened previously no longer matters and doesn’t concern Red.

“But… I… Red… fears we killed our entire people. I… and Red… would know what Bringer thinks of this?”

“That you’re two different people. It’s obvious there’s a clear distinction between who you were and who you are now,” Vince said. “You even seem to fight with yourself on how to address your own being. Which seems to be firming up more and more with who you were before and who you are now.

“As to my thoughts on what you did previous to this… I would say… whatever you did, you already paid that price.

“You’re Undead, Red. You’re cursed. You were living in the woods eating other beings for their life essence.

“That seems like a pretty solid punishment in my books.”

Red’s eyes slowly opened. They were a dull, glowing, coal-like color right now.

“I thought you would answer like that. As both Red and I. Who I was before this would never approve of Red. But I is not Red. Red is Red.”

Vince grinned. The conversation was getting a little crazy, but nothing out of the ordinary for his heart-eating monster woman.

“You smile at Red. You accept Red for what Red is.”

“Of course.”

“Even though Red wants to eat your flesh?”

“Of course.”

“Red can never have children.”

“I have a lot of those already. If it isn’t an issue for you, it isn’t an issue for me.”

“Red wants to mate tonight.”

“I’d really prefer your first time be in a bed, but I’m more than willing to use the bedroll if you like,” Vince said.

Red’s eyes became partially lidded, the glow of her irises intensifying.

“You would mate with Red?”

“Yep.”

“You will be gentle with Red. Red has no memories of being with a man,” said the Beastkin.

Getting up from her seated position, Red shimmied out of her pants with a fluid grace.

Then she slid out of her tight-fighting chest piece and dropped it to one side as well.

She stood before him, naked and pale.

“Red will undress you,” she said, moving to him quickly.

Her fingers hooked into his tunic and pulled it over his head forcefully. The sound of a seam popping as she jerked it clear was loud in his ears.

Standing up before she could claw his pants off, Vince held up a hand as he worked his way free.

“I only have two pairs with me—just give me a second.”

“No. Red has waited many years. Red will mate with you, claim your seed, and lie with you.

“Red was already promised wife status by Fes years ago.”

Stepping in with her left foot, she put her toes in the crotch of his pants and underwear, then brought her foot down.

Her other hand came in and immediately wrapped itself around his semi-erect shaft.

“This is Red’s tonight. Red already told Caroline she doesn’t need to perform her duty,” Red said, giving him a firm squeeze.

“Red fed from you twice today. You will not put it in Red’s mouth, or Red might try to feed again.”

With a gentle push, Red moved Vince backward a step, then laid herself down on his bedroll.

“Red… invites Vince to have Red,” said the Beastkin, opening her arms to him and spreading her knees wide.

Looking down at the well-endowed and pale-skinned beauty, Vince suddenly found himself reliving all the desire he felt for her.

It was impossible to not feel that way after feeding her over the years in the way he had.

Smiling at him, Red’s eyes started to glow more brightly.

“Come. Make Red yours,” she said, opening her hands and closing them a few times.

Lowering himself into her embrace, Vince kissed her aggressively. He pushed his tongue into her mouth as his knees pressed to the sides of her hips.

Red’s arms clasped him around the shoulders, her tongue swimming around his.

Breaking the kiss only to kiss her again, Vince was practically mauling her mouth now.

Turning her head to the side, Red let out a panting breath.

“Red is dizzy. Very dizzy. Red’s head feels like it has a weight in it,” she said, her fingers tightening on Vince’s back.

Chuckling, Vince bent his head to her throat and bit down into her white skin.

“Ahhh,” Red squeaked out, her shoulder threatening to come up.

Sinking his teeth in firmly, Vince did his best to mark her. To bruise her flesh.

Red hissed between her teeth, her hips raising up to grind into his lap, pressing his shaft against her nethers.

Letting go of her neck, Vince began to trail kisses down her neck and shoulder.

With his left hand, he cupped her right breast and began to fondle it, his thumb brushing over her nipple.

At the same time, he got his mouth around her left nipple, dragging his tongue over it.

“Nnnnn. Red needs Vince to mate with her. Red’s body is on fire with hunger.

“Red can’t keep her eyes open.”

She’s incredibly sensitive, isn’t she?

Giving her nipple a single brush of his teeth, which got a groan out of Red, he moved back up.

Red immediately pressed her mouth to his, her tongue slithering between his teeth.

Kissing her back, Vince managed to guide his tip to her entrance by only positioning his hips.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled back far enough to look at her.

Her eyes were heavy, glowing brightly like living fire. Her cheeks were flushed and her ears twitched wildly atop her head.

Pushing forward slowly, he began to enter her.

Red’s mouth tightened into a line and she pulled her knees up high, widening her hips.

Feeling the tight slickness of her insides gathering around his length, Vince continued until he couldn’t put any more into her.

Red was panting now, her half-closed eyes fixed to his face.

She released his shoulders and pressed her hands to his face, stroking his jaw and cheeks.

“Red feels very good. Bringer is making Red desperately hungry, but not for a meal,” Red said in a throaty whisper. “Mate with Red.”

Releasing her breast, Vince put both of his hands on either side of her waist and pulled his hips back.

Once he reached the tip, he re-entered her, moving at a sedate pace.

“Yes. Red feels Vince inside Red.”

Red never closed her eyes. She stared at him with actual hunger and longing. Her fingers smoothed his sideburns down, stroking his jaw and cheeks.

Carefully, Vince picked up speed and force, rocking back and forth atop the enchanting and needy Beastkin.

Moaning with every entry, Red writhed her hips, bouncing herself down against him as he pushed into her.

Her hands suddenly locked down around the back of his neck, her eyes shutting tightly.

He could feel her insides twisting and writhing around his member.

Realizing she was climaxing, Vince decided to see if he could throw her over the edge completely.

Pressing his lips to hers, he kissed her roughly.

At the same time, he pushed down on her sides, pinning her to his bedroll, and started to thrust into her faster and harder.

Red started to make hiccuping moans each time his tip settled into the back of her. The hilt of his manhood lodged in her lips.

Shivering as he thrust wildly into her, Red squirmed into him as if to push his length through her entirely.

Finding his climax rapidly approaching, Vince gave up on any semblance of control and just hammered away at her.

His hips slammed into her thighs as his need overran his thoughts.

Then he hit the end, and each time he thrust into her, he paused long enough to pump his seed.

Vince kissed her the entire time he emptied himself into her. Her squeezing and quivering walls tightened around him.

With a final thrust and the last of his seed shooting free, Vince sighed and turned his head to the side.

Then he slumped down into Red, pressing his face into her neck.

Panting, Red wrapped her arms and legs around him, as if wanting nothing more than to wear him like clothing.

“Red’s hunger is gone now. Red feels very sated. And very full,” she said, her teeth closing around his earlobe and nibbling at it.

“Red wants to do this again in a few minutes. Red will try from atop, like what you let Mouth and Meliae do sometimes.

“Red will clean you up first for a snack, though.”

Ah… should be a fun night.

Chapter 22

It’d taken only an hour to find the trail of the Tri-lliance army. And after that, only several hours to find their camp on the coast of what looked like a bay.

Except after that, it’d been almost impossible to get anywhere past the perimeter.

The number of guards and patrols spoke to obscene paranoia.

In the end, they’d been forced to cross to the other side of the bay just to be able to see what they were doing.

Vince was now snuggled up with Caroline inside a bush. They were both staring at what the Tri-lliance army was doing on the other side of the bay.

“Is it just me or does that look like the foundation for a dock, noble husband?” Caroline said after several minutes.

“That’s what it looks like to me,” Vince said. “Which doesn’t really make sense. I know they landed here in boats and that they’ve been spotted here and there around the coast, but why make a port?”

“I had a lot of gold,” Taylor said. She was just on the other side of the brush, squatting low in her human form and jacket. She tended to stay nearby to Vince more often than not. “Gold is very heavy for you humans. If they put it in chests, trying to ferry it on a smaller boat might take a while.

“Could the port be to load the gold directly onto a bigger boat?”

That could be it, couldn’t it? If I were them, and I needed to load a lot of gold onto a boat, building a dock wouldn’t be that far outside of possible.

In fact, it might make the most sense, especially if it’d take more than one boat.

That or one boat with a lot of others running guard duty?

Actually, that’s still the better question. How did they even manage to get a boat here? I just can’t figure how they managed it.

Any boat or person in the water is fair game for the creatures of the deep.

“Do you go in the water, Taylor?” Vince asked.

“No. Monsters in the water. They will attack anything that isn’t them,” she said immediately. “I am not so foolish as to contest the masters of the water.”

“Then how did they do it?” Vince muttered, staring out at the dock.

It looked like it was nearing completion. They were sinking stones down into the bay for what was probably the final section of the pier.

“I truly don’t know, noble husband, but here comes a boat,” Caroline said, pointing towards where the water flowed out to sea.

Sure enough, a very large vessel came floating their way.

Except it had no sails and seemed propelled by what sounded like a very large machine deep inside it.

Looking like a mishmash of technology from different eras and periods, one couldn’t call it anything other than ugly.

And it rode very high in the water, as if empty of everything except a crew.

“That could fit a very large number of people, or a lot of gold,” Vince said. “Care to bet that’s one of the transports they used to get their people here?”

“Yes, but where are the rest?” Caroline mused. “That’s not enough for the entire army.”

“I don’t rightly know. But if I had to guess… probably trying to keep an exit strategy available for the army Richard is engaged with, and the second half of the army across the bay.

“They can afford to send one transport up this way, but more than that would jeopardize their ability to retreat,” Vince mused.

“Sounds like a sound strategy.” The Elf shook her head in annoyance. “Damn them all. It’s not as if they don’t have enough land of their own. Why must they try to take ours?”

“Red Dragons,” Taylor said simply.

“Red Dragons?” Vince asked, glancing back at the woman.

“Red Dragons want space and land. They’re far more social than the rest of our kind,” Taylor said.

“And blacks?”

“Blacks want gold and a mate, much closer to blues. I unfortunately did not find another Dragon who could battle me and win my favor, though,” Taylor said, an unimpressed look to her face. “Though gold came aplenty to me. I chose that building because it had much gold in it.”

“Your roost, you mean?”

“Yes. The humans who inhabited it when I came through the portal seemed quite determined to defend it. There were men with those things you call guns all over.

“They were quite upset at me,” she said with a dark chuckle.

“It had gold already inside? Wait, you were alive when the portals opened?”

“Yes. As to the gold, yes, it was in bars to be exact. There were quite a few of them. It was impressive.

“They were stacked on wooden pallets. It was quite lovely and easy for me to snuggle down into.

“Then I added quite a bit more to the pile. Mostly in things I could pack up and carry off neatly.

“I needed only hunt down other Dragons and take their hoards, truly. Most of the time I followed would-be suitors back to their lairs,” Taylor said wistfully.

“Oh? I didn’t realize you were so defensive over your hoard,” Vince said, watching as the boat pulled up to the dock.

“It’s part and parcel to a black’s health and needs,” Taylor said simply.

“Oh? Well then, I promise I’ll put all my gold into a building and have you live there,” Vince said, looking down the river to see if there were any other boats coming this way. Seeing nothing, he turned his attention back to the port. “You can keep custody of it better than anyone else, I imagine.”

“You would do that?” Taylor asked. She sounded interested and alert. Far more than her dreary and toneless demeanor up to now.

Vince focused on a man on the pier he recognized.

Seville. So you really are working for the Tri-lliance. You scummy bastard. I’ll have your head.

Though now I wonder how deep the other king—

Vince’s thought was cut off as a grip of iron closed around his ankle and jerked him out of the bush.

Then he was flipped over on his back and found himself staring up into Taylor’s face from a few inches away.

“You would have all your gold put in a building for me? For me to roost in?” Taylor asked, her eyes sharp and dangerous.

“Ah, yes. I see no reason not to. I already have a vault deep underground where I put it all, but I can easily move it.

“I think having it above ground as your home might be the better option,” Vince said seriously, confused at her sudden shift in mood. “I can’t think of anyone who would mess with a Dragon in the middle of a very fortified city full of warriors and mages.”

Taylor tilted her head to one side, her hair tumbling down over Vince’s face.

“I agree. Few would attempt it, except for the foolish or stupid.

“Then, will you do it? Build me a nest and fill it with your gold?” she asked in a strange tone. “I will nest there if you do that. Will you swear it on my Dragon’s Word with me?”

She’d willingly become a personal guard to my gold depository? I can’t really see anything wrong with this deal.

Building her a roost seems rather simple as well, since the last one was just a crumbled heap of rock.

Lots to gain, nothing to lose.

“Yes, I will swear it as I said it. I swear it on your Dragon’s Word that I’ll build you a nest and fill it with my gold.”

Taylor nodded once. “I swear it on my Dragon’s Word to roost in the nest you build and fill for me.”

There was a finality to the words. Just like every other time he’d sworn on a Dragon’s Word.

“I await you building me a nest then,” Taylor said, then gave him one of her rare smiles.

Grabbing him by his waist band, she lifted him bodily from the ground and slid him back into the bush.

Taylor’s human form could easily meet Ramona’s level of muscle power.

Caroline eyed Vince with a raised eyebrow as he reappeared.

“Welcome back. All done proposing to the Dragon?” she asked.

“If that’s what you want to call it, yeah,” Vince said sarcastically, then rolled over to look back out at the boat.

Right at the same moment his eyes fell on it, he saw pulsing stones all along the waterline.

“I see you noticed them,” said Caroline. “I’m thinking that’s what’s keeping them from becoming fish food.

“So it seems. You know what this means, right?” Vince asked.

“I really don’t,” Caroline said. “All the options and possibilities I can think of seem impossible to me right now. We don’t have the numbers to take the army, the port, or the boat when it docks. We just don’t have the manpower.”

“Agreed, which is why we won’t be doing any of that,” Vince said. “No, we’ll do some testing tonight to see just what those rocks do.

“Bays like this only hold deep creatures of the fish kind. They’ll take a nasty bite out of you if you stick around, but by and far, it’s not as dangerous as the open ocean.”

“I take it you’ll be betting your body on that, noble husband?”

“No. No need,” he said. “I’m going to throw a squirrel or some small critter at the boat.

“If it survives, then I know the rocks work in an area around the boat. If it doesn’t, we change the plan.”

“A squirrel,” Caroline said in a flat voice.

“Yeah. They’re everywhere. Just hurl it and see what happens. Easy peasy.”

***

It took two squirrels and a raccoon to get proper test results.

The two squirrels actually hit the boat and vanished under the water.

Only the raccoon landed in the water next to the boat.

It paddled away with no problem and escaped the bay entirely.

Which meant the rocks worked exactly as Vince suspected.

It took three days after that for the dock to be finished and all the gold loaded aboard the boat.

Vince, Red, and Caroline were hunkered down low on a log raft that looked like a jumble of wood more than anything.

They were camped out in the shallows of the entrance to the bay, lying in wait for the Tri-lliance.

Eva, Julia, and Taylor were further away, to be the distraction force. Their goal was to get all eyes on them so the raft team could get in close to the boat and hang on.

“Red doesn’t like this. The water is at a strange temperature,” said the Beastkin. She was sitting next to Vince on their improvised raft, the water sloshing up through the timbers.

“I’m changing the temperature to discourage those little biting monsters,” Caroline said. “They don’t like the water as warm as I’m making it.”

“Oh. Then Red thanks you,” Red said with a feral grin.

“Of course. You know, your ears are quite lovely. Have you considered trimming the fur around them differently?” Caroline asked her.

“No. Red isn’t very good with that stuff. Mouth and Meliae help Red sometimes. Will you help Red, too?”

“I’d be delighted. And yes, the Dryads are very good at primping and things of that nature.

“Though Yaris seems quite skilled at it as well.”

“Yaris is ok. Red doesn’t mind her.”

Vince eased out from behind the rock to look upstream.

The boat—much, much lower on the waterline now—was coming their way. It was only a minute away, perhaps.

Float on by, friends. We’ll just hitch a ride. No need to trouble yourselves.

A deafening roar from behind him and a bright orange light got Vince’s attention.

Turning to look, he saw Taylor standing at the edge of the shore, a bright breath of flame scorching the sky above her.

She let loose another trumpeting call and seemed to make herself ready. As if to pounce on the very boat when it came close enough.

That’ll definitely get their attention. And then some. I imagine not a single person will be looking to the water around them with her acting like that.

“Alright, let’s get ready. They’ll be on us in a second. Get under the raft and paddle like crazy when we go.”

“You said that twice already, noble husband. Are you a bit nervous?” Caroline asked, sliding off the raft and into the water.

“I’d be a fool not to be.” Vince got down into the water and took hold of the wood.

All around them the water was clear.

Vince also felt a strange pulsing sensation in his chest as he entered the water.

“Can you feel that?” Red asked. “It makes Red want to swim away.”

“Yes. I think we all can,” Caroline said. “Though that does explain a few things, I suppose.”

The boat began to glide past their hiding place, and Taylor let loose another massive burst of flame that seemed to go on for quite a while.

Not a soul looked to the side.

And no one noticed as Vince’s log raft slid up next to their hull.

Nor did anyone realize they had hitchhikers as Red, Caroline, and Vince worked their way up from the absolute waterline of the boat.

They kept out of sight and to the rear of the boat, just above the propeller and rudder.

Caroline went to one side with two ropes and iron anchors while Vince went to the other.

In the span of three minutes, two guide ropes had been drilled into the boat. They would provide everyone with something to put their feet on, and the other rope to lean into.

It would be anything but comfortable, but it wouldn’t sap their strength like staying in the water would.

“The rope is cutting into Red’s ass,” the Beastkin complained.

Caroline nodded and sighed, settling into the rope in the same way as Red.

“It’s going to be a long wait for nightfall. And you’re sure you want to do this at night?”

“Yes,” Vince said, settling into the same position as the other two women. “This is uncomfortable, and it’s going to painful in ways I don’t want to consider, but it’s our best option.”

“Our best option is just going up there and killing them all,” Red groused. “Red would rather bathe in their blood.”

Not replying, Vince sank into his thoughts, waiting for the sun to set.

Hours later, and with the absolute dead of night, they climbed upward.

Vince was the first one over the top. The rear of the boat had a housing where the pilot steered. Otherwise, the boat was a flat surface devoid of anything other than railings and things Vince couldn’t begin to identify.

He was no sailor and never would be.

“Caroline, take the pilot. Torture him, tell him a bedtime story, do whatever you need to get him to tell you how to steer the boat.

“Red and I are going to clear the deck and below of enemies,” Vince said.

“As you like,” Caroline said, and slipped away toward her task.

“Red, clear the deck. Quietly as you can. Bodies can go over the edge just as easily as someone without a throat,” Vince said.

“Red will handle it,” said the Cursed One.

Leaving with a flash of red eyes, she stalked off after her prey.

Vince entered a stairwell that led down below decks.

A helpful sign pointed him toward the sleeping compartments and infirmary.

Vince ghosted through the cramped corridors with his hunting knife in hand.

His sword would draw attention and felt almost too big here.

A man in a uniform stumbled out of a side passage. Only to fall back into it as Vince neatly sliced through his throat in a single swipe.

Following the man in, Vince realized it was a bathroom.

Pushing the dying man head first into the toilet, Vince smashed him in the back of the head with his pommel.

Immediately, the man went limp and moved no more.

Sliding his feet out of the way, Vince closed the door on the dying man and looked back into the hall.

He’d cleared every room he’d passed up to this point. No one was behind him that he knew of.

Up ahead was a bulkhead and a closed door with countless enemies behind it.

Taking a slow, steadying breath, Vince clutched his blade a little tighter.

If we can get in quietly and quickly, we can start slitting throats before they wake up. And when they do wake up, they won’t know what’s going on.

Utilize the stealth and surprise to the best of your ability.

Make them pay.

Moving up to the door, Vince spun the wheel to one side and unlocked it.

Stepping past the doorway, he closed it behind himself, plunging the entire compartment back into darkness.

To Vince, it wasn’t complete dark. It was just light enough to see what he needed.

So long as the number of Elves or Wasters in here is low, this should… work.

Moving over to the first bunk, Vince stared down into the sleeping face of a woman.

She’s kind of pretty.

Clamping his left hand over her mouth, he slipped his blade into her throat as her blue eyes snapped open.

Sawing quickly through her windpipe, he hit her spine and pulled the blade free.

Pulling up on her blanket, Vince stuffed it into her windpipe to collect some of the blood. That and the help soften the sound of the air whistling through her throat.

After several seconds, she stopped struggling and Vince moved on to the next person.

If he did it just right, it’d be a long night.

A long, bloody night filled with dying eyes staring at him as he took their lives.

Vince checked a sigh and shook his head instead.

At least they can’t escape from here. I’ve got them right where I want them.

Chapter 23

Vince climbed the stairwell and made it to the deck just as the sun started to crest the horizon.

Giving himself a physical shake to ward off exhaustion, he made his way to the pilot house.

Caroline stood behind a wheel at the center of the room, watching out past the front of the boat, her hands holding to the wheel as she moved it minutely from one side to the other.

Her eyes moved over to him, then back to the wheel, and then snapped to him.

“What in the high hells? Are you ok?” she asked, her voice going straight to a panicked tone.

“Huh?” Vince asked. He looked down at himself and realized he was literally dripping with blood.

It appeared as if he’d been bathing in blood from head to toe.

“I’m fine. This is all theirs. I got something like… eighty percent of them before I fucked up,” Vince said. “Two of the crew had been fucking and sleeping in the same bed. I didn’t realize it till I’d already practically decapitated one, and then a woman’s head popped up from under the cover.

“After that it was a bloody mess—I killed everyone I found as fast as I could.”

“I see,” Caroline said, her eyes scanning over him anyways. “I told Red to check on you and then get some sleep if she could.

“Apparently when she popped in, you were doing fine. She’s sleeping up near the front of the boat. Wake her up and go get some rest. Clean up.”

“Maybe. Weren’t we supposed to rendezvous with the others right at sunrise? We a bit late for that, or did they not show?”

“I had to alter the plan a bit, I’m afraid. I skirted around another boat just like ours in the early hours and we lost some time. We’ll be pulling up to the location shortly for them to board.

“After that, though, what do we do? You didn’t really share what else you had in your head after this.”

“I… really don’t know. Most of my entire plan was just… get the gold. I hadn’t really considered anything after that,” Vince admitted.

Sighing, Caroline nodded her head.

“I figured. I already charted out a course to pick up the other half of our team. The base station team can head back to the west on their own.

“Though we’ll end up pissing Richard off without returning that symbol of his.”

“Honestly, that’s the least of his problems. Did you ever wonder how we caught up with that army? They were quite a bit ahead of us,” Vince said.

“Hm? Wasn’t that all from the pier being built?”

“I went and took a look around for a bit.

“They swung north first, raided the capital of the east and took their treasury,” Vince said. “There’s nothing in the entire ship, other than the sleeping compartment.

“No engine room at all to speak of. The means it’s a magical device moving this ship, as far as I can tell.”

Vince took in a breath and let it out.

“The ship is just one giant hold, filled to bursting with gold. In bars, coins, iconography, dining ware—anything and everything they could grab that was gold. Nothing else is down there.

“It’s stacked from bottom to top with bricks, treasures melted into heaps, and gold coins fused into partial blocks.

“The hold of this ship… is an unimaginable wealth of gold.

“Half for me… half for my brother,” Vince said with a smirk. “Surprise, big brother.

“For now, though, I think I need some sleep.”

Lying down in the pilot house, he curled up and dropped off quickly.

He’d only managed to sleep for several hours before they woke him to help oversee getting the rest of the team on board.

Staring down at the Warden they were hauling up with ropes and a wench, Vince had a mild sense of unease at being motionless on the coast.

It was a perfect time to get attacked.

Like getting a drink at a watering hole.

What lies in wait for us?

“Vince,” Taylor said loudly from the front of the boat. “Other ships are visible. What do you want to do?”

“They’re visible?” Vince asked, looking up.

Blue, Steve, and Eva were already on board. We could always pull in the Warden pilots and blow up the suits, couldn’t we?

The Warden suits were simply too heavy to go any way other than one at a time, and there wasn’t going to be enough time, he imagined, to get them all on board if those ships were close.

Moving quickly, Vince came up next to the Dragon. Following the direction of her head, he stared out toward the south.

He could see the enemy ships. However, they were little more than tiny specks at the edge of his vision.

Thank the heavens.

“That’s an incredible pair of eyes you have, Taylor. They’re little more than dots to me,” Vince said. “I thought they were a lot closer than that.”

Sighing, he shook his head.

“Honestly, it was only a matter of time before we were going to have to deal with them. I’m eternally grateful it’ll be after we have all the Wardens on board, though.”

“Why’s that, boss?” Steve asked, stepping up next to Vince.

“Because they’re going to act like defensive turrets. They’re going to line the front of the boat—”

“Bow,” Steve interjected.

“Front of the boat, and shoot at the waterline where all those lovely stones have been embedded. It won’t take them long to figure out they can’t stick around without risking their ability to remain in the area,” Vince said.

“It’s ruthless; I like it,” Julia said. “You’ve got a great way of thinking.”

“I just go for the kill. Either we blow the rocks up off the hull, or it puts holes in the hull and they get to sink. Works either way,” Vince said, then turned back toward the pilot house.

Opening the door, he stepped in to find Blue and Caroline in the middle of a conversation.

That stopped the moment he entered the room.

“Ships on the far, far horizon. We’re going to end up having company. I want the Wardens at the front shooting at their waterline. Either to sink them or blow up those lovely rocks of theirs.

“I need you to steer a course around them on the far side, giving them a chance to avoid us if they choose.” Vince paused. “Any questions about that?”

“None, noble husband. Do you think we’ll be engaging them today?” Caroline asked.

“Maybe. I really can’t say. If they’ve spotted us, it’s quite likely. If they haven’t, probably tomorrow.

“If we can manage it just right, we might be able to slip past them in the night.”

“That seems unlikely, darling,” Blue said with a sardonic smile. “Considering how well they planned this entire incident, I imagine they have people watching both north and south.

“Then it becomes a question of how they communicated with each other.”

“Mm… good point. It’s unlikely we’ll deceive them in any way. I guess it’s going to come down to the Wardens acting as a repelling force.”

“Let’s hope that’ll be enough. With all this gold, we’re not going anywhere very quickly once we make landfall,” Caroline said.

Ah… yeah. That’s a good point. They could just follow us till then.

Really… didn’t think this one out. That’s always been a bit of a problem in the end.

“Guess we’ll just… see what we can do until then,” Vince said, knowing he wasn’t being very helpful.

Standing next to Caroline, he did his best to make himself useful as the enemy vessels grew ever closer.

Apparently whatever means of communication they’d used had failed quite early. The Tri-lliance navy formed up into a wedge and faced Vince’s boat head on.

They also remained stationary, even as Caroline piloted their course around them. They rotated to keep themselves oriented correctly on Vince, but didn’t change their actual positions.

“Get that one in the lead,” Vince said aloud. “No sense in waiting for them to make the first move.”

“Target is designation Tango Two,” Julia said through her suit mic.

Vince was only able to hear it because it came through the device on Steve’s wrist.

“That reminds me,” Vince said, getting Steve’s attention. “Did you relay what was going on to the base camp after you picked up Julia’s message?”

“Yeah, we did. They’re already heading back west. Their stated mission is to head straight back to Yosemite,” Steve said.

He lifted his hand and flipped through something in front of him that only he could see.

He had a strange monocle-looking headband around his brow.

When Vince asked about it, he’d simply told him it gave him a virtual display of the area.

Normally it’d have map notations and relevant markers, but there was no satellite feed here.

Since they were on the ocean, though, Steve argued it didn’t need any notations. It was all flat anyways, other than the coastline.

Really need to see if Felix wouldn’t mind putting those satellite things into place for us. I can only imagine what we could do with just a fraction of their technology.

“Engaging,” Julia’s voice crackled over Steve’s radio.

Turning his focus to the front of the ship, Vince watched as all the Wardens began spewing out hot blue balls of plasma.

Each round arced gracefully over the water. All sputtering and crackling as they went.

Then they crashed into the hull of the nearest enemy ship.

It shuddered under the attacks, actually being forced aside to a degree in the water.

But the hull remained intact.

The protection stones did not.

With a peculiar pinging noise, they shattered and sent out bursts of magic in every direction.

Looking to the crew that had been loading weapons on the deck, Vince watched them for a reaction.

Which was immediate and violent. They all ran toward the back of the ship, seemingly screaming orders at one another.

Rapidly, the boat began to steer away from Vince’s.

“Keep hitting them,” Vince said, leaning over Steve’s wrist. “Show no mercy.”

“Affirmative,” Julia responded. A second later, the Wardens began to continuously fire on the other ship, aiming every shot toward the protective constructs.

The other ships began to turn away from Vince’s. They were all turning inward towards land and moving as far away as possible.

“Keep firing at anything in range,” Julia said through the comm channel. “Fire at will.”

Picking their own targets, the Wardens kept putting rounds down toward the Tri-lliance ships.

“This won’t stop them,” Caroline said softly. “I don’t doubt for a second they’ll just follow us.”

“I know,” Vince said. “The best we can hope for is to keep them back. As far back as possible.”

Slowly, they sailed beyond the Tri-lliance navy and kept moving south.

***

Days later, having never let up on the forward momentum on their ship, they were off the shore of Texas.

Except they were very much out of supplies, and the Tri-lliance navy—or at least half of them—had kept pace with them the entire time.

They doggedly pursued Vince, keeping a set distance constant, regardless of the speed at which he traveled.

“Suppose we’ll be making that beached landing, then defending it,” Vince muttered.

Up ahead of them was a beach with a small river that went a little upstream.

The plan was to crash the ship into it rather than trying to set anchor and ferry the gold off.

“This is so stupid,” Caroline said, shaking her head. Her hands flexed on the wheel as she aimed the bow at their landing destination.

“I don’t deny it, but I don’t have a better idea. Do you? Does anyone?” Vince asked aloud.

Head shakes all around.

“I think it’s the best we can do. If it really comes down to it… I can make myself rather powerful for a short period of time,” Eva said.

“How powerful?” Vince asked, curious.

“Powerful enough that I might be able to fight you to a standstill, Uncle. Probably not win, but… a standstill, certainly,” Eva said.

Raising his eyebrows at that, Vince grinned.

“We’ll have to spar again sometime then, when you can do that. Last time it lasted only a single pass and you gave up.”

“That’s because you’re just too strong. Are you even human?” Eva complained. “And I can’t use that power whenever I like. It has to be a life-or-death situation.”

“Red thinks we might be in one of those,” said the Beastkin. “If we don’t die in the crash.”

She had wedged herself up against the wall of the pilothouse.

Apparently the idea of crashing the boat was more than terrifying to her.

“Well, you have your own mission,” Vince said. Setting his feet apart, he pressed his hands to the console in front of him.

“Red knows. Red will run very fast. Faster than anyone could ever know. Red will find a garrison and bring it back,” she said.

“I believe in you, Red,” Blue said. Moving over next to the Beastkin, the Dryad snuggled up beside her and then braced herself in the same fashion.

“This really is stupid,” Julia muttered.

The grinding crunch of the hull of the ship hitting sand made Vince’s teeth rattle.

Everything stopped suddenly, and Vince ended up smashing into the console.

There was a sharp crack and part of the metal housing buckled at the force of the impact.

Tipping sideways, the boat creaked ominously as it shifted to a resting position on the sand.

After a few seconds, everything became calm and still.

Lifting his head up, Vince gave himself a once-over and found everything as it should be.

“Injury check?” he asked aloud.

“I think I broke my arm,” Caroline said, holding it against her stomach.

Vince glanced at her and immediately agreed. It looked as if it’d need to be set.

“Anyone else?”

“Steve’s unconscious,” Julia said, leaning over the other man. “Looks like he cracked his head on something. His vitals are fine, just out.”

“Right,” Vince said. “Red, you ready to go?”

“Yes. Red is leaving now,” the Beastkin said, already halfway to the door. “Rely on Red. Red will not fail.”

“Julia, you’re in charge. Get the Wardens lined up on deck and on point.

“If the Tri-lliance decides to come take a peek, I want them tapped,” Vince said. “The rest of us, let’s start seeing what we’re working with. We need to get a ramp fashioned down to the sand and see about how to unload the gold.

“And let’s see if there’s any of those protection rocks left intact as well. I’d like to take them back for Elysia to look at.”

Grumbling, Vince stumbled his way across the slanted deck and down toward the lip.

Peering over the edge, he could see the sand below.

Taking a breath, he leaped over the edge and landed with a thump in the soft ground.

Taylor landed beside him a second later.

Standing up, she eyed the hull behind them.

“Feel like punching a hole through it? Otherwise I can get my—”

Taylor flipped her jacket at him and transformed instantly.

Her large horned head came down in front of him, gold eyes locked on him.

“Just punch a hole in it?” she asked in her gravelly voice.

“Yeah. If possible, try to make it so we can use it to start hauling the gold out.”

“Half of which is yours. For my nest you’ll build,” Taylor confirmed.

“Yep.”

Nodding her head, Taylor turned to the hull and then lifted up her right claw.

Sinking her claws into the metal, she pushed through with a bit of delicacy.

Far more than he was expecting of her.

“Ah, there is gold on the other side,” she said.

Pulling her fingers out, she used a talon to peel the metal down into a bent and misshapen ramp.

But it was far better than nothing.

Inside, gold ingots were stacked atop one another.

Several of them slipped free and hit the ramp, sliding down towards Vince.

Picking one up, Vince looked it over curiously.

It was heavy. Far heavier than he would have thought.

Flinging it back into the hold, Vince looked for anything useful he could grab.

“Fort Knox,” Vince said, reading the side of a wooden crate.

“Those are the wooden boxes that were in my old nest,” Taylor said. “Though this… this looks like much more gold than I had in my hoard.”

“Hm, alright. Let’s take a look at what we have going on behind us. We’ll need to find a staging area to put all your nest gold,” Vince said, waving at the beach behind him. “With any luck we’ll find a flat patch of dirt or some clay. I don’t really want to put all that heavy gold directly on sand.”

“Yes, that makes sense,” Taylor said.

Standing up on her hind legs, she stretched her neck upward.

“I can see a suitable location. There is also a stand of trees nearby.”

“Any rock, or anything like that?”

“No. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any below the surface. I am not an earth dragon, though,” Taylor said, settling back down to all fours.

“And what is a black Dragon’s specialty?”

“Killing.”

Nodding at that, Vince walked further away from the beach.

Behind him, he could hear the whump and thump of Warden rifles.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw balls of plasma fizzling through the air out into the ocean.

“Seems like they decided they want to come take a look at what we’re up to,” Vince said.

Chapter 24

Vince dropped the large and bloody carcass of the boar onto the dirt.

“Today and tomorrow’s meal, I suppose,” he said, rolling his shoulders.

It’d been a while since he’d had to hunt down his own food. He’d been living off rations and the fruits of other people’s labor. He’d forgotten how much he missed simply doing what he wanted for himself without a worry.

Blue sighed with her hands on her hips.

“Darling, if you don’t mind, would you mind butchering it for me?

“You’re better at it than I am,” she said, giving him a wide smile.

Vince looked down at the boar and pulled out his hunting knife.

He didn’t respond to compliments very well. Never had.

Never would.

Squatting down, he started to work on the body.

“Anything else out there you’ve seen?” Blue asked.

“Not a thing,” Vince said.

“It’s been a week and a half—shouldn’t we be expecting something by now?” Blue asked.

Vince paused in his knife work and let out a shaky breath.

She could have died. She’s never gone so long without a meal.

Not really sure what to expect.

“I’m sure she’s fine, darling,” Blue said, leaning over his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. “You said she told you she can feed on hearts, right?

“She can survive in the wild without assistance. There’s no need to worry for her.”

Vince nodded once, unsure if he could respond.

Ramona is missing, Petra is missing, and now Red is missing.

Shuddering mentally from thinking about the Dryads, Vince went back to work at gutting their dinner.

“Vince, I think that’s a Centaur.”

Looking up, Vince began to scan the horizon before his eyes locked on what indeed looked like a Centaur.

“Yup,” Vince said, then went back to the pig. “He’s letting us see him as a courtesy. If he comes over, he wants to chat.

“If he talks first, he wants something.”

“He’s running over here,” Blue said after a second.

“What?”

Vince held his hunting knife tightly and stood up, getting into a defensive stance.

The Centaur was practically sprinting towards them.

It didn’t mean anything good.

Gods damn Clydesdale Centaur.

Feeling rather naked without his blade, Vince didn’t think he could get over to it and back before the very large male Centaur made it over to him.

It was a bare-skinned centaur with black fur and hair, and a big two-handed club over his shoulder.

Standing there, Vince didn’t have much he could do.

Then the Centaur was on him, coming to a sliding stop in front of him and Blue.

They eyed each other for a second, Vince warily watching the Centaur’s weapon.

“Ho there. I wish to—”

From behind Vince came a gigantic stomp that literally shook the ground.

The Centaur’s entire face clouded in fear and his legs actually began to quiver.

Glancing over himself, Vince found the bottom of Taylor’s big, black Dragon head two feet above him.

Reaching up with his left hand, he began to gently stroke Taylor’s jaw.

“What can I do for you, Centaur?” Vince asked, continuing to pet Taylor.

This is my pet. Say what you want so long as you value your life.

“I… I wish to… wish to treat with you. My name is Chet and I’m the chief of my people,” said the Centaur.

“Vince, of Yosemite,” Vince said.

Chet blinked several times, then lightly pranced in place.

“You said your name is Vince?”

“Indeed.”

“Of Yosemite.”

“Yes.”

“Are you… the Vince? Lord of Yosemite.”

“Yes, I am.”

Vince continued to stroke Taylor the entire time. He could feel the tension in her as she loomed over him.

Chet bent his front legs and then bowed at the waist to Vince.

“Lord Vince, I wish to offer my services however I may,” Chet said.

“Fine. I accept. I need your craftsmen and your soldiers,” Vince said.

Getting up to all fours with a clop, Chet nodded his head vigorously.

“Of course, Lord Vince. Of course. Though, I—”

“Yes, I’m sure you have a price. I know I would. What’s yours?”

“My tribe isn’t from this area. We’re from an area to the east of the duchy of Denver. We were nomadic to a degree and wandered.

“But we were driven out by another tribe. I would ask you to intercede and send them away.

“Those are our homelands, and I want them returned to us.”

“Were you part of Yosemite? Did the envoys find you and bring you in? And how long ago did you get chased out?”

“No. We were just outside the boundaries that were set at the time. And we’ve been gone a single set of seasons,” Chet said.

Vince frowned, looking down and to one side.

He didn’t like the idea of chasing people out of a land that was arguably theirs for the sake of another.

Especially if the only difference between the two was that one had the luck to meet him when he was in need of a favor.

Except that’s the way it is. I really do need their help.

And they get to reap the benefits.

“Fine. I’ll work out something with them on the side and you’ll get your homeland back.

“I need wagons and people to pull them. Other than that, I need soldiers to defend as we get everything in those crates loaded over,” Vince said, pointing at the rows upon rows of crated gold stacked up.

It’d taken a bit longer to repair the crates and get everything covered and contained, but it would help in the long run, he assumed.

If only to keep prying eyes off the contents.

“Defend?” Chet asked.

Vince smiled grimly.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed the boats in the harbor. There used to be three times as many of them.

“I imagine they went to go pick up some troops to ferry back here. Sooner than I’d like, I think we’ll have company.

“Sure you want to make this deal in the end, Chet?”

Chet was staring out toward the water.

“Wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to back out. It’s not going to be pretty, I think,” Vince said.

Chet’s black eyes moved back to Vince.

“I accept, on behalf of my people. We look forward to being formally part of Yosemite.”

Vince gave Taylor’s jaw a firm pat and smiled at Chet.

“Great. Let’s see how fast we can get back to Yosemite.”

***

Standing atop the pilot house of the beached ship, Vince looked out to the east.

It’d only been a few days since Chet had showed up, and they’d made remarkable progress.

But they weren’t done.

They weren’t done, and the Tri-lliance boats had returned and were gathering for a landing en masse.

Everything was coming down to this, and Vince wasn’t really sure five hundred Centaur warriors would be enough to turn the tide.

From what he could see of the boats, they’d loaded up a good portion of an army in the east.

He couldn’t get a firm count, but he was betting on them at least outnumbering his forces two or three to one.

Flattering, considering they only saw the Wardens shooting at them previously.

They thought they’d need that much just to take on the Wardens.

“Julia, Steve, I need you and the Wardens to cover a side practically by yourselves.

“Is that doable?” Vince asked, turning his head to the side and looking at the two of them.

“Should be doable,” Julia said. It’ll be a bit of a press, but… honestly, I can’t think of anything they could do to actually break our armor open. Even in a straight-up knockdown fight, they’d be more likely to drag us to the ground by virtue of body weight than actually hurt us.

“Especially since we prepped the entire southern beach as a death funnel.

“Never would have thought you pouring magic into a rock would make a land mine.”

“Neither did I,” Vince said. “I was looking at those rocks on the hull of the boat and tried dumping my magic into a stone.

“It exploded when I dropped it.”

Stones filled with his magic became rather touchy and would detonate violently as soon as they made contact with something.

Vince had been spending his days and nights endlessly filling an entire field with explosive rocks.

All for the sake of trying to funnel enemies into the Warden’s sights.

Assuming the Tri-lliance followed what they’d done up to this point, which was dividing their own forces and hitting from two sides.

Which of course they had done, gratifying Vince for once.

Plans like this had a habit of failing for him. Ending up in a lot of wasted time and little else.

“Taylor and I will act as a flanking force for the east. With any luck we can pressure them rather heavily.”

“Providing they didn’t bring any artillery or heavy weapons,” Steve interjected.

“I’m betting they didn’t, but yeah, it’s a risk.”

“Why not?” Julia asked.

“Not enough time,” Vince said simply. “They probably grabbed whatever forces were nearby, supplied enough for movement, and wouldn’t impact what was going on in the east.

“This is entirely what they could scrape up quickly.

“I bet half of those troops are support functions.”

“What… like… clerks?”

“Farriers, fletcher, blacksmith, cooks. The like,” Vince clarified. “They weren’t expecting the Centaurs. Just us and the Wardens.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense, I guess,” Steve said.

Nodding at that, Vince watched as huge and hollow chunks of ice were magicked into existence and troops began boarding the ice-shaped landing craft.

“Well, that explains that. Kinda creative of them,” Vince said. “Best of luck to you. Don’t die. I’d hate to explain that to my brother.”

“Eh, just cut my head off and bring it with you. He’ll take care of the rest,” Julia said. “Not the first time I’ve died. Or the tenth.”

Raising his eyebrows at that, Vince turned to Julia.

“He can only raise those who are slaves or employees to him and have signed contracts before dying.

“Doesn’t work any other way,” Julia immediately explained.

Having his hopes dashed just as quickly, Vince turned and dropped down from the pilot house.

“Way to go, idiot,” Steve muttered quietly. Vince heard it, of course, with his exceptional hearing.

“I didn’t think about it. I’m sorry. Forgive me?” Julia asked.

“We’ll see. After this we need to go on a vacation. Wanna go where we went on our honeymoon?” Steve asked her.

“That’d be nice. We could—”

Vince ignored the conversation and jumped off the boat to the sand below.

Didn’t realize they were married. Cute.

They don’t act like a married couple.

I don’t think I’ve even heard them having sex.

Strange.

Taylor was waiting for him, floating upside down on her back in the water in her human form.

Naked as the day she was born.

“Are you all done?” she asked.

“Yeah. Enjoying yourself?”

“Yes. I am. It is not often I get to simply… float… in the water. I couldn’t leave my roost for very long, you realize. And there weren’t many large bodies of water nearby.

“Let alone salt water. I seem to float quite well in it.”

Taylor shifted over, got her feet down, and walked over to him.

“Fair. Alright, you ready? Plan is the same.”

“Yes. Though I still think it would be better if you’d let me do this alone.”

“Don’t make me beat you nearly to death again,” Vince said.

Taylor grinned at that, flashing bright white teeth at him.

“I wouldn’t mind fighting again. It was… terrifying, and enjoyable.”

“You sound like Ramona,” Vince said, walking down the beach toward their starting position.

“She is your Dragonnewt? Not entirely unexpected behavior of her kind. She is of course a Dragon’s offspring, and has a Dragon of her own. Just not in the same way,” Taylor said.

Vince didn’t respond. He didn’t want to think about Ramona, and had brought her up without thinking.

And before he could stop himself, his mind fast-tracked to Petra.

Then the Dryads.

***

“They look formidable,” Taylor said, her black-horned head facing the Centaurs.

“I’ve only ever dealt with them one on one in combat. Unsure how they’ll do in an army setting,” Vince replied. “Might make the perfect cavalry unit, obviously, but I have no other thoughts.

“Petra… Petra would know more.”

“You speak her name, and Ramona’s, bitterly. Why?”

“They’re missing.”

“Ah. You fear them among the dead. Yes, that is logical.”

Sighing, Vince pulled his blade from its sheath.

Twice in one day.

Maybe it’s because we’re almost home.

Almost home… and we fear news.

Or confirmation.

“It’s time, nest-mate,” Taylor said, her wings flapping once and then lying flat on her back.

“Nest-mate, hm?” Vince asked, giving his blade an idle swish and flick.

The enemy line had begun closing in on the Centaur warriors.

Vince had wanted to hit them before they closed. Make their army split in fear of being flanked by another force entirely.

“Are we not? We are bound together in a cause,” Taylor said, her scaled body flexing.

“I’ve been called worse.”

Taylor took in a deep breath, then raced forward straight into the enemy ranks in front of them.

Moving at a light trot, Vince followed along behind her.

She would wreck a path and start flinging herself around. He couldn’t imagine any force that would want to stand against a black Dragon spoiling for a fight.

Then she was on them like a mountainside coming down. She spilled over them, breathing fire as she went.

Her claws, head, and tail all swung wildly as she bit, clawed, and swiped her way through them.

Keeping himself at the pace he’d set, Vince felt his temples start to pound. His vision was starting to bleed over into red. The rage began to boil up from the depths of his soul.

He could taste it. Taste their deaths.

Taste his release.

He finally caught up a full minute later to where Taylor had exploded through.

Not hesitating, he dove into the channel she’d made. Using his sword like a cleaver more than anything, Vince hacked and chopped at everyone around him.

He activated the Warden shield and then let go of himself.

There wasn’t anyone nearby who was an ally. Everyone who stood here could die.

Every single one of them was a target, and Vince had nothing to hold him back.

Blood flew all around him as Vince worked himself into a killing frenzy, for the most part letting his control.

He kept only a small fraction of it, so he wouldn’t risk himself.

But that was it.

Roaring, letting loose with bursts of undirected magic, and flinging his sword around wildly, Vince was a killing machine.

It was stupid.

Wading into an army as a single person.

But Vince had the utmost confidence in himself.

He also had confidence in Taylor getting him out when it was time to go.

Lashing out with his blade, the soldier screamed as the tip speared through her armor and skewered her heart.

Yanking it free and slashing to the side in the same movement, he decapitated the man next to her.

Even as those two died, Vince launched himself at the third in line. Then the fourth.

Time flowed on and he knew only blood and battle.

There wasn’t a coherent thought in his head.

At least until Taylor showed up, grabbed him in one clawed hand, and carried him off like a dog with a prize.

He wasn’t sure when the most recent shield had failed, but he’d forgotten to activate another one.

Or is there none left?

“We need to pull back; they’re regrouping,” Taylor said as she exploded out of their ranks. “You’re already isolated. But if you follow them backward, even I won’t be able to get in there to get you back out.”

Vince felt the life go out of him a heartbeat later, and he slumped in her claw. He laid his head against her thumb and closed his eyes.

“Ok. Did we win?”

“No. We very nearly lost. The only saving grace is your Dryad wife is actually a decently skilled magician and kept throwing up barriers in whatever hole was created.”

“Losses?”

“Maybe forty dead Centaurs, thrice as many wounded.

“At least, that’s what they told me when I stopped by to help plug a hole,” Taylor said.

They were bounding across the fields toward the Centaur line.

Corpses littered the field. Human, Elf, Lizardman, and Centaur alike.

Bits of wood and vegetation were entangled in some of the more deeply corpse-filled areas.

“Julia and Steve?”

“Held, but they did lose a Warden somehow. I think it got mobbed and thrown into the field of explosive stones.

“Pilot lived, armor is a wreck.”

“Great,” Vince muttered, then closed his eyes and just let Taylor carry him.

“Don’t sleep. You’ll need to talk to your people when we get there.

“If you sleep now, you might not wake up.”

“Just resting. And why do you think I won’t wake up?”

“You were fighting in there for hours. I’m surprised you’re not unconscious. I checked on you often, but you were… you were fine.”

Vince didn’t bother to rise to the strange tone she used.

She wasn’t exactly wrong, though. He felt drop-dead tired.

Weary in his very bones.

“Fine, just… yeah, I’m fine. Ok,” Vince said.

Lifting his head up, Vince forced himself to keep his eyes open.

Taylor leapt into the air and cleared the Centaur front line.

“I bet it’d be fun to fly on your back,” Vince said. “Gryphons are fun, but I bet you’re faster. More maneuverable.”

“You’ve ridden a gryphon?” she asked after they’d landed.

“Have my own mount. Just couldn’t use it for this mission. Wouldn’t have worked without a lot more of them.

“They’re so few and far between that they’re reserved for my heavy troops to dispatch as needed.

“It’s how they get around from battle to battle to provide the best assistance.

“They’re normally garrisoned in Yosemite though.”

Taylor’s head turned this way and that, as if she was looking for something.

“Ah, there they are,” she said.

Shifting around, she started off toward a group of people standing around together.

Vince recognized Caroline, Eva, Blue, Steve, and Julia. They were all clearly deep in a debate.

“I have him here,” Taylor said, holding Vince out like some sort of bizarre prize. “He has numerous wounds, but none of them are actively bleeding. They seem to have clotted for now.”

Blue came over and laid her hands to the sides of Vince’s face.

“He’s very spent. Let’s just put him to sleep for now; we can talk to him in the morning,” the Dryad said.

“Are you sure?” Caroline asked.

“Yes. He needs to recover,” Blue said. Her eyes focused in on him, and Vince quietly slipped away into a dreamless sleep.

Slumping over into Taylor’s hand, Vince knew nothing more.

Chapter 25

Vince opened his eyes. He was staring up at a faint orange sky.

“You wake.”

Turning his head, Vince found Taylor sitting next to him, dressed in his coat.

“I… vaguely remember Blue standing in front of me. Did she put me to sleep?” Vince asked.

Sitting upright, he pressed a hand to his temple.

“Yes. She did. You were wounded, exhausted, and not worth anything.

“Fear not, nest-mate. I watched over you. All is well,” Taylor said.

“And you’re not tired?”

“No. I’m a black Dragon. I can go many days without sleep and not have a concern.”

Closing his eyes, Vince twisted his neck one way and then the other, getting solid pops out of his joints.

“Then I thank you for watching over me.”

“Of course, nest-mate. Do you wish to know what’s going on?”

“I would, please, yes.”

Vince slowly got to his feet and twisted his back around, stretching.

“Everyone has fled. The gold was packed up, the wounded carted, and the magical artifacts taken.

“They’re all on their way to Yosemite,” Taylor said.

She stood and began to unbutton the coat.

“You, I, and the Elf are all that remains as a rear guard,” she continued. “We’re meant to slow the enemy down and keep them from simply rushing ahead.”

Pulling the jacket free, Taylor stood naked to the brisk morning air.

“I see. Where’s Caroline?” Vince asked. Pushing his hips forward he shoved his hands into his back and leaned backward.

“Getting ready not far away. She managed to get a set of very heavy armor made, and a saddle for me,” Taylor said.

She put her hands on her hips, standing for all the world to see, unperturbed.

Unable to help himself, Vince gave her a quick once-over.

The way her scales lined and moved with the contours of her body was the same as Ramona. Though the scales were pitch black and seemingly more in number.

“You look at me with desire and curiosity,” Taylor said, her unflinching gaze on him. “Fear or disgust does not seem to be any part of your treatment of me.”

“Fear and disgust? Never. You’re a beautiful woman, Taylor. You’re not a bad-looking Dragon either.

“I take it humans in general don’t respond well to you?”

“Not generally. They seem perturbed that I eat them.”

“To be fair, that is rather strange, but… I’ve dined on more or less every race out there. Elves were the most exotic. Really great flavor, too.

“Orcs were the worst. A lot like eating gristle or a worn leather boot,” Vince said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“It’s their skin,” Taylor said, wrinkling her nose. “It’s too tough and makes it a chore. If you can peel the skin off, it’s better, but not by much.”

“Huh. Mom never tried it that way. She ended up smoking it more often than not, and loading it with spices,” Vince said. “No chance to try that anymore, though.

“I’m afraid my tablefare has become much more mundane.”

“That just means we’ll have to go hunting by ourselves outside of your realm sometime.

“There’s quite a bit of free-range Waster to enjoy,” Taylor said with a decisive nod of her head.

“Hah, a hunting trip, huh? Red wouldn’t mind so long as we gave her the hearts, I guess,” Vince said. “Alright. So they’re just expecting us to delay and stall. We can do that.”

“Yes. They also left you a Warden suit to wear. Apparently you suffered a number of wounds in your one-man war.

“They’d prefer you didn’t repeat it.”

“A Warden? For me to use? That’s different. And kind of exciting,” Vince said. “Where is it?”

“Over there with the Elf,” Taylor said, pointing with one hand.

Following the line of her arm, he saw Caroline shimmying into a large and flat breastplate.

Next to her was an empty Warden suit, its rifle holstered and locked into its shoulder.

As if sensing eyes on her, Caroline looked up.

She gave him a warm smile and waved a hand at him.

“Noble husband, could you come over here and give me a hand? I can’t quite seem to fit.”

Smirking, Vince started walking over to her.

“I’d be delighted to lay my hands on you, Caroline.”

Caroline gave him a strange look, then smiled back at him.

“Then by all means, come on over and do so.”

***

Flexing his hands, Vince looked from one to the other.

He couldn’t quite get over the fact that everything felt like it should, except that he was wearing the Warden suit.

Small blue symbols and other bits of information were cluttered on the inside of the helmet.

Vince ignored all of it. He was sure it meant something to the other pilots, but to him it was just nonsense.

Reaching to the shoulder, Vince pulled the rifle free from its locked position with a soft click.

Dropping the barrel into his other hand, he lifted it up to his shoulder.

A small reticule popped up in the center of his vision.

Moving the rifle a bit to the left and then to the right, he watched as the indicator moved.

How do they switch from one weapon type to the other?
Flipping the rifle over to look at the side, he inspected the trigger guard.

There, right where his thumb could reach it, was a small switch.

Flicking it, Vince was surprised when a chipper voice announced, “Plasma selected!”

Moving the switch back to the original position, he heard the voice again.

“Flechette rounds selected!”

Ok. They said the flechette rounds were limited and I’d have to stuff material into the cannister to get more.

Which means I can refill it, but I’ll need a few minutes to myself.

The plasma recharges on its own, but it requires time.

Plasma then, unless we have no choice.

“I feel strange,” Caroline said from his side.

Looking up, he saw the extremely heavily armored Caroline sitting astride Taylor’s broad back.

“You did just mate, and now you’re going into battle,” Taylor said. “You did it backward.

“Fight, then fuck.”

“No, not that. I mean… sitting here in plate mail on top of a Dragon, waiting for an army to show up.

“To kill as many as I can.”

Vince couldn’t help but nod. It did sound a bit strange.

“I’m no warrior, noble husband. I was a queen. Then I became a wife and consort.

“And now a Dragon-riding combat magician,” Caroline said, her voice taking a strange edge to it. “And I’m pregnant all the while. This is insane.”

Enemy troops began filling the roadway in front of them at the bend.

“Time for panicking is over,” Taylor said. “Now is the time to fight and kill.”

Coiling up under herself like a giant cat, Taylor got low to the ground.

“Hang on, Elf,” she said.

Then she pounced, flying down the road at incredible speed.

Caroline’s shriek trailed along behind them as the two rode off toward the enemy.

Trying to nestle the rifle more securely in his shoulder, Vince started forward.

He regretted never having been formally trained in firearms. His father had offered several times, but Vince had never truly enjoyed the feeling of a gun.

His first and only love was a sword.

Taylor plowed through the enemy ranks as Caroline dropped massive chunks of ice and fire down on the enemy as they went.

Vince pulled the trigger once. The bright-blue ball of plasma screeched across the distance and exploded into the front ranks of the Tri-lliance.

He hadn’t expected it to go so far. He’d only wanted to get a feel for the weapon.

Which he was glad to have done, since there had been no recoil at all to compensate for.

Either it simply had none or the Warden had absorbed it all.

Shrugging his shoulders, Vince lined up the rifle and began to slowly pull the trigger as he worked the sight down the front line.

Realizing the Dragon wasn’t coming back their way, the Tri-lliance soldiers turned back toward Vince.

It was mostly humans, but there was no shortage of Lizardmen either.

A red X appeared in the bottom left of his view.

“Plasma depleted! Charging. Another round will be ready in twenty-three seconds,” said the chipper voice.

Is that the voice of that Beastkin? Andrea?

Standing upright, Vince started to backpedal away.

Even in a Warden, he didn’t want to repeat what he’d done the other day. He’d had Taylor to rely on getting him out if he got cornered or trapped.

This time, he didn’t. Taylor was aiming for the back line and the support column for this group.

As was always the case, an army marched on its stomach.

No food, no march.

The red X in the corner vanished.

Vince sighted the weapon on a clump of enemies and pulled the trigger.

Blood, body parts, and scorching heat exploded outward from the point of impact.

And still, the Tri-lliance soldiers marched on.

“Plasma depleted! Charging. Another round will be ready in fifty-three seconds,” said the chipper voice.

Shit. Guess this is a slow roll backward. Not much else we can do.

Not even bothering with the pretense, he turned his back on the soldiers and started jogging down the road.

Ten minutes later, the annoying bright and chipper voice sounded again.

“Plasma has reached maximum capacity! Yay!”

“Holy shit, it really is her, isn’t it? Why the hell would they make her the audio alerts?” Vince asked no one.

Turning around, he surveyed the road he’d come down.

Distantly, he could see the dirt cloud hanging above where the army was probably coming on.

We’re lucky and unlucky at the same time.

Lucky we can send the gold in carts on a road.

Unlucky because the enemy can probably move faster than carts full of gold.

Especially on a road.

Sighing, Vince made himself as comfortable as he could and waited.

At least running in the Warden feels like nothing. It does most of the work for me.

A black blur of violence started toward him down the road.

Seconds later, Vince realized it was Taylor heading his way.

Caroline was still perched on her back, but she no longer looked like a doll strapped to a dog.

She was leaning forward, bracing herself against the movements of the Dragon but also moving with her.

Rather than against her.

In a rather frighteningly small amount of time, Taylor was in front of him.

“They have three reds. I’ll peel two off and take them. I need you to take the third,” Taylor said.

“Got it,” Vince said. Reaching behind himself with the rifle, he blindly hunted for the hard attach point he’d seen Julia use.

With a thump, the rifle locked into place.

Reaching down to his side, he pulled out a shield and unsheathed his sword.

Taylor’s large eyes went to the blade. She backed up a single step, and Vince wondered if it was an unconscious fear on her part.

Given how much damage he’d done to her with it, he wouldn’t be surprised if it really was at this point.

“I take it your wings aren’t fully healed yet?” Vince asked.

“What? Oh, no. They’re not. Dragons don’t fight in the air, though, unless we can’t avoid it.

“Since fire doesn’t work, it comes down to diving at one another. The victor can die just as easily as the loser in that kind of fight.

“Foolish,” Taylor said with a shake of her head. “If we don’t meet after this, assume I’ll make my way to back to Yosemite.”

“Understood,” Vince said.

Three red Dragons came into view, racing headlong towards them.

Lifting his sword above himself, Vince walked to one side, away from Taylor.

“I challenge the strongest of you three to a fight to the death. The weaker two can battle the black,” Vince said, pointing at Taylor. “Come and meet my blade if you’re brave enough!”

The Dragon in the middle trumpeted some type of roar and peeled away from the other two, heading straight for Vince.

“Oh good. You’re not a coward! I’ll thank you for the gift of your heart now, since when I’m eating it, you’ll no longer be in this world!” Vince shouted, getting into a defensive stance.

Taylor chuckled grimly and then loped off toward the east. Away from everything.

The Dragon heading Vince’s way seemed to be underestimating him.

There was no slowing down, no deep inhalation for a breath of fire, nor even an ounce of caution.

To Vince, it seemed the big red idiot wanted to try and run him over.

Flashing back to a similar tactic by Taylor in his mind, Vince readied himself.

Closer and closer came the Dragon

Red scales and flashing claws mirrored a move of Taylor’s, and Vince was ready.

Diving forward, he angled his blade upward this time.

Clattering scales pinged and bounced off his Warden armor. Then bright red blood splattered all over him, coating his view in a screen of dark crimson.

Behind him, wet splatters and the thud of what sounded like meat hitting the ground came through the external microphones.

Coming up out of his crouching dive, Vince spun to face the dragon.

Only to find it completely eviscerated. From sternum to asshole, the thing was gutted.

Squirming around on the ground, the Dragon looked like a landed fish.

Its claws feebly scooped at its guts, trying to somehow push them back into its body.

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of making you suffer unduly,” Vince said.

Walking quickly over to the downed Dragon, Vince lifted the blade over his head.

“Your heart will be a meal I’ll savor,” he said, then brought his blade down.

With a wet thunk, the Dragon’s head separated from its neck.

Moving closer to the Dragon, Vince carved open its chest. With two slashes, he pulled out a massive chunk of its still-pumping heart.

Moving back to the road, Vince stabbed his blade into the dirt. With his free hand, he unclasped the very advanced Warden helmet and slung it over the hilt of his blade.

Both hands now free, he set about devouring the heart.

Risky. Risky to be doing this knowing an army is coming.

But in the same breath, I don’t have to engage them. I can just keep hitting and running away.

In a little under five minutes, he’d eaten all he could of the heart and tossed the remains of his lunch to one side.

Glancing down at his arms, he saw that he was covered up to his elbows in blood.

I’m sure my face doesn’t look any prettier. I’m probably a right mess.

Taking the helmet from his sword, he fixed it into a position made for it on the rear of his belt.

Kinda sucks to not wear the helmet, but better that than get the interior smeared with Dragon blood.

Plucking his blade out of the earth, Vince gave it a flick and sheathed it with a smooth motion. Grateful again for the blade, and that he didn’t have to clean it at all, he reminded himself to thank his brother again.

Distantly, he could see the Tri-lliance army marching his way.

“Too late to save your Dragon,” Vince said with a snicker.

Reaching behind himself, he unhitched the rifle and gave it a quick once-over.

Disengaging the safety, he pulled it up into his shoulder and waited.

“Delay and hold. Delay and hold. That’s all I have to do. Don’t give in to the rage,” Vince said to himself.

Curiously to him, though, the Tri-lliance soldiers had stopped.

They stood about in the middle of the road in ranks. Unsure what was going on, Vince lifted his muzzle up an inch and pulled the trigger.

A ball of plasma sizzled across the distance and landed in the middle ranks of the Tri-lliance army.

Adjusting his aim, Vince pulled the trigger again. Shifting the weapon to the left an inch, he pulled the trigger once more.

Two more balls of scorching-hot plasma whipped through the air.

Detonating on impact, they tore holes in the formation wherever they hit.

“Stupid bastards, stand there and let me kill you all then,” Vince muttered.

Pulling the rifle to the right, Vince kept pulling the trigger.

Plasma detonations continued to go off as the Tri-lliance soldiers milled about pointlessly.

Taking losses and doing nothing.

Finally, the rifle went dry.

Standing there, Vince waited. As far as he was aware, he’d get another round almost every sixty seconds, give or take a few.

Slowly, the Tri-lliance army began to march back the way it had come.

“The fuck?” Vince said. Stalking forward, he kept the rifle ready.

Occasionally, he tried pulling the trigger as he went. Without the helmet, he couldn’t tell when the next round was available.

Another plasma round ejected from the end of the barrel, zipping forward and bursting amongst the retreating ranks of soldiers.

What had started as an orderly retreat was rapidly becoming a full speed rout.

Soldiers were dropping their weapons and packs, scrambling to get ahead of their fellow troopers and countrymen.

The hell is going on?

Moving the switch to the flechette position, Vince began to play the rifle back and forth, pulling the trigger in short, sharp pulls.

Bursts of flechette rounds peppered through the ranks.

Soldiers of every race in the Tri-lliance dropped as the hardened steel projectiles pierced their medieval armor.

Finally, the rifle went dry and Vince came to a stop. He was standing only a few feet from where the enemy had been when he’d first started firing on them.

He had no desire to chase them any further. Or at least, his paranoia wouldn’t let him.

“Whatever,” Vince said, shaking his head.

Turning around, he headed back to the Dragon corpse.

He’d set up and wait for them here.

If I’m lucky, I can eat more of that heart.

Strange… I didn’t get drunk this time, did I?

Chapter 26

Vince waited in the road. The rifle hitched in the shoulder slot.

The enemy hadn’t left, nor had they come forward again. As far as he could tell, they were waiting for something.

“Vince?” asked a voice from behind him.

Turning around rapidly, Vince unhooked the rifle and had it leveled in a heartbeat.

Red stood there, dressed in leather armor.

She looked paler than usual, and a bit leaner, but otherwise healthy and hale.

“Red, you’re back. Did you find—”

The Beastkin came forward and laid her hands to his Warden armor.

“Bringer! Red is so very happy to see you. Most especially because she hungers very badly for you,” Red said, smiling up at him. She patted his armor enthusiastically.

“Come, come away and feed Red immediately. Let the Orcs keep these Tri-lliance busy.”

“Orcs?” Vince asked.

“Yes, Red did not make it to Vegas or Yosemite. The lines have changed, and there are Tri-lliance commandos wandering around throughout Yosemite.

“Red made it to Berten’s people, however. Red told them their lord, and brother to Berten, needed their help.

“They assembled and came immediately.”

Red grabbed him by the wrist and jerked him towards a clump of brush.

“Come, Bringer. Let Red feed from you. Red will make it very enjoyable for both.

“Leave the armor for the Orcs. They might need it more than you.”

***

Looking at the empty trench works south of Vegas, Vince wasn’t quite sure what had happened here.

There were signs of extreme violence, craters, and broken bits of what could only be equipment.

But there was no sign of his army.

Nor that this had occurred recently.

Vince had swung this way mostly to check in and see how things were going.

“Someone said they saw you wandering around out here, Lord.”

Turning to face the voice, Vince couldn’t help but smile.

“Thera. You’re looking lovely,” he said.

Then his eyes moved down and he saw a definite swell in her belly. “And looking more pregnant.”

“It does indeed seem I’m showing much faster this time around. And more so.

“I begin to wonder if I’m having twins now. The Dryad did warn me she thought it might be possible.”

Walking over to the Dark Elf, Vince wrapped her up in a tight hug.

“I’m glad to see you’re safe,” he said, crushing her in his embrace.

“Likewise. Why are you up this way, though? Are… are you here to pay your respects?”

“Respects?” Vince asked.

Leaning back, he eyed Thera curiously.

“I wanted to see what was going on at the front. Though it seems it isn’t even where it used to be.”

“Ah… n-no. It’s much further south now,” Thera said, her face turning pale. “The artillery, Wardens, and our second army from the east turned the tides.

“We’ve pushed them all the way back to the original border for now.

“There’s still another army in the southwest that hasn’t done anything. Nor have we heard from the armies in the west.

“And most distressing—apparently the enemy army in the east defeated Richard. He’s now a government in hiding, working to retake his country from the shadows.”

Raising his eyebrows at that, Vince was a bit confused.

He must have underestimated the Tri-lliance and gotten his teeth kicked in.

“And what did you mean by respects? Did we erect a monument here for the fallen?” Vince asked.

Thera licked her lips. She clearly looked unsettled.

Unsettled and unhappy.

“You don’t know then,” Thera said. It was more a statement than question.

“Know what?”

“Petra died,” Thera said, her face twisting up in clear misery. “We found her. She’d been cornered in a small crevice between hills not far from our original line.”

Vince felt his heart fall out of his chest as his stomach flipped over on itself.

“She was… she was surrounded with what looked like thirty or forty dead enemy soldiers.

“From what we could tell, she killed them all… then died of her wounds,” Thera said. “She left a note for you. No one has read it yet. It was sent to Yosemite along with all her possessions.

“Her body was interred in a mausoleum where we found her. It’s become somewhat of a pilgrimage for the soldiers to visit her grave.

“Pay their respects.”

Vince nodded his head woodenly, his mouth dry.

Daphne, Karya, Green, Petra, and Ramona.

“I think I’d like that. Could you… could you take Red and myself there?” Vince asked.

“Of course, Husband. I visit her often by myself. She taught me so much that I can never repay.

“I’d like to name our daughter after her,” Thera said, a hand going to her stomach.

“A daughter? It’s a girl?”

“Yes. And we’re naming her Petra,” Thera said, her voice firm.

“I have no problems with that at all, and I think it’s a good idea,” Vince agreed.

“Come, I have horses. We can be there quickly in a day or two if we put them through their paces,” Thera said.

It really did only take a day or so to get there.

Even with that amount of time to think about it, Vince didn’t feel prepared as he walked down a very well-trod road.

“When news spread about her fall, the Dwarves rushed out here. As did a great many Orcs,” Thera said, walking along beside him.

“She spent a good deal of her time in the Dwarven mines and tunnels,” Vince said. “She said it reminded her of home.

“For the Orcs… they loved her because she treated them as valued soldiers. Not fodder or cast-off forces, but soldiers she could count on.”

Vince shook his head. The trail they were walking down seemed open, not something that would be a problem to get out of.

Especially since Petra could practically scale any surface with a bit of work.

Soldiers and citizens were walking the path in the opposite direction. Apparently having accomplished what they’d set out to do.

Slowly, the mounds on each side of the path became high walls, and Vince could see a depression up ahead.

“We think she tried to scale her way up and out. They were right on her though,” Thera said. She lifted a hand and pointed to one side of the walls.

A black scorch mark that looked like the strike of a fireball was obvious.

They ran her down like a pack of dogs.

“We also found numerous arrows along the path and in the walls.

“They were quickly collected and turned into relics before we could stop it,” Thera said.

“That’s fine,” Vince said. Everywhere he looked were signs of violence.

Torn-up dirt and grass.

Obvious blood stains.

“Red sees much combat here. How many did Petra take with her?”

“Something just shy of forty. I don’t know the exact number. I’ve… I’ve been trying to distance myself from it just a bit,” Thera said.

The path in front of them fell away.

A green field lay in the middle with a small pond to one side.

The sides of this place were chewed up. As if something had been madly trying to climb its way out.

And getting shot at the entire time.

You… you damn bastards. I’ll kill every single Tri-lliance I find.

Every—single—one.

Vince had to suck in a deep breath as the red curtains began to swing into place over his vision.

In the middle of the field, a silvered statue sat on a large stone plinth.

Without getting any closer, Vince already knew the statue was Petra.

It was an almost exact replica. Even from this distance, it looked like a silver version of her in life.

A number of people stood around the statue.

Some had clearly left items on the plinth; others merely stared at the statue of Petra.

One and all took notice of Vince coming, and immediately left.

Soon there were only Vince, Red, and Thera moving toward the monument.

“Red will wait back where the road meets the basin,” said the Beastkin.

“I’ll join you, Red,” Thera said.

Vince barely managed a smile and looked over his shoulder at the two women.

“Thank you,” he said simply.

Coming to stand in front of the statue, he stared into Petra’s face.

“It really does look just like you,” he said to no one. “I half expect you to smile, declare that ‘This one has missed you’ and show me too much affection and embarrass yourself.”

Looking down to the plinth, he saw an inscription there.

“Here lies the first general of Yosemite, Petra. Without her guidance, dedication, and example of heroism, our nation would not exist.

“Stalwart general, beloved mother, dedicated wife, and deeply missed friend.

“Survived by a nation,” Vince said in a shuddering voice.

Nodding his head, he sobbed once.

“It’s all well and good, but that doesn’t make me miss you any less, you stupid hard-headed idiot.

“I mean… really? I know you were worried about what you could still do, and your age and mortality… but I would have liked more time with you.

“Any time at all, really, would have been better than this.

“But in the end, you went out the way you wanted. In battle, in a war, defending your homeland and eliminating the enemy.

“I suppose there’s something to be said for that. But why? Why you, too?

“We’ve already lost so many.”

Sniffling, Vince wiped at his eyes and nose with his hands.

Realizing the futility of it, he let his arms fall to his sides.

Then he collapsed forward and laid his head against Petra’s abdomen.

And began sobbing loudly.

***

Several days later, Vince and Red walked into Yosemite without anyone else with them.

Much in his usual fashion, he did it without fanfare, warning, or notice. He just showed up at the gate and waved his hands at the gate guards.

Who of course immediately knew who he was. Seconds after that, a fleet-footed Beastkin messenger from Kitch’s division was off in a flash.

A minute after he’d set foot on the familiar streets of his home, Snorg showed up.

The big Ogre gave Vince a toothy grin and settled in behind him, along with several other Heavies in full armament and their equally heavy-armed but smaller Orc “light” unit.

“Morning, Snorg,” Vince said.

“Morning,” said the Ogre. Then the big man’s face turned into a frown inside his helmet. “Sorry about Petra. She was a good woman.”

Vince swallowed and nodded his head.

“That she was. I’m heading home right now. I don’t think you’ll be on guard duty long,” Vince said.

Snorg shrugged his shoulders.

“Doing job. Happy Kitch, happy life.”

Moving through the streets, Vince didn’t manage to gain any sort of anonymity.

Snorg and company might as well have been a flag that Vince had returned.

Streets magically cleared around him, citizens moving to the sides to watch him go.

A few began wishing him well and offering him condolences. Then more did. And more.

Until everyone was wishing him well and sorry for his loss as he walked amongst them.

Some even cried as they cast their apologies toward him for Petra’s death.

Unable to deal with this amount of emotion so soon after the outpouring at the monument, Vince tucked his chin into his armor and hurried along.

It wasn’t until he slipped past the guards at the gates to his home that he felt like he could lift his eyes.

Only to find Berenga and Meliae waiting for him.

“Welcome home, husband,” Berenga said with a grin. Her missing arm and leg had been replaced with what looked like metallic versions of them. “Your brother apparently took it as an insult for me to move around with a cane and gave me these.”

Berenga looked to her arm and leg, then back to Vince with a wider grin. “I like him very much. He’s a good brother.”

Smiling, and feeling very indebted to Felix, Vince hugged Berenga tightly.

“I missed you, Fes.”

“Not Fes anymore, remember? I stepped down. Yaris has taken up the mantle now. Especially after Petra fell.”

Vince hugged Berenga tighter for a second at the mention of Petra.

Then he released her and took two steps back to look at the ever-pregnant Meliae.

The very, very pregnant Meliae.

As if sensing his eyes on her midsection, she pressed her hands to her flowing dress under her belly and stood sideways.

“Knocking me up with triplets. Such a bad, horrible husband,” Meliae said with a smile for him. Her eyes started to turn a faint glowing green.

“You’re horrible,” Vince said with a snicker. “Triplets this time? You trying to push out more children than we have Dryads?”

“I have to keep up. We talked about this. I need to provide leaders for every possible location. Our children will be the grove-mothers,” Meliae said, then gave him a very heated kiss.

Patting him on the cheek, she smiled up at him sadly.

“I asked… everyone else to leave you be for now,” she said. “We figured you’d like some time to yourself before we move forward again.”

“Hm, a day maybe? No rest for the wicked. We have too much to do, and too little time.

“Like killing every single living Tri-lliance member I can.”

“Mm, you were right,” Meliae said, stroking Vince’s cheek tenderly.

“What else do you expect from our husband? He will make them all pay for those they’ve taken from us,” Berenga said, closing her metallic fist in front of her with a clank. “Did you not hear them out there?”

“I did,” Meliae said, her eyes holding Vince’s. “They were consoling him. For we’ve suffered losses just as the common citizens.

“We are all bound together in our losses, and stronger for it. But if we fall to hatred, we are no better,” Meliae said with a soft sigh. “I’m not saying do not kill them, as I myself would go out of my way to kill them.

“But if given the chance for mercy, I think we both know what Petra would tell you to do.

“Whether a surrendering soldier or a citizen who isn’t involved, Petra was always the immaculate warrior and soldier, was she not?”

Vince nodded, Meliae’s hand acting like some type of calming magical instrument on him.

“Good. Now. I’d like nothing more than to—”

A loud roar sounded from the walls.

It was immediately picked up by a number of other roars, and Yosemite went into a flurry of activity.

All around the manse and walls, soldiers went about their duty as the citizens all went home.

More than likely to arm themselves.

Everyone in Yosemite had served in the military or the reserves. It had been deemed that mandatory service in either branch was a requirement.

“East,” Berenga said.

Turning in that direction, Vince saw it.

Them, really.

One large black Dragon and two red. They were on the furthest edge of the city’s range, waiting.

“Apparently her wings healed up enough that she can fly,” Vince said.

“She? You know her?” Berenga asked.

“She’s my… pet… of sorts now. I beat her down with the intent of stealing her gold, except it had already been stolen,” Vince murmured.

Elysia came scurrying out of the house, her ledger tucked under one arm.

“Ah, good timing, my pretty little Elf,” Vince said, moving in front of Elysia.

“Ah? Vince?” Elysia asked, her cheeks coloring immediately as he invaded her space.

“Do you still know your military signals?” he asked.

“Of course, husband.”

“Sound the all clear. That’s my Dragon up there. Though I don’t know what’s going on with the two red ones, yet.”

Elysia stared at him for a second more. Then she went back into the mansion.

“She’s going to do it from the roof,” Berenga said, apparently in response to the strange look Vince chased Elysia with.

“Ah. Alright.

“In other news, I need to get a vault built that will double as a roost. Apparently for multiple Dragons,” Vince said, peering up at the three in the air.

“I can take care of that, Sweetling,” Meliae said. “I needed to go see the Dwarves anyways.”

Vince nodded and then looked out to the open green field behind his home.

It was the only place for the Dragons to land easily right now.

“I’ll go with you, Mel,” Berenga said. “The master smiths wanted to look at my arm again today if possible.

“Come on, Red. I want to talk to you a bit as well. You left me that interesting note, after all.”

Red nodded quickly, moving out of Vince’s shadow and to Berenga.

Vince left immediately, since they had their own chores to do.

Moving at a quick trot, he made it to the green grass at about the same time he heard a high-pitched whining sound.

It lasted several seconds and then fell away.

Standing there in the field, Vince had a moment of thoughtless futility as he realized he didn’t have a good way to signal Taylor.

“Let’s hope that eyesight of hers really is as good as I think it is,” Vince said.

Pulling his hunting knife out, he immediately angled it with the sun and tried to bounce the rays back toward Taylor.

It only took him three passes of moving his blade around to realize she’d spotted him.

The massive roar she let out, immediately followed by darting forward to his location, was a dead giveaway.

With massive beats of her wings, she cut through the distance as if it were nothing at all.

Transforming into her human form as she hit the ground, she smiled at him.

“Nest-mate, I’m glad to see you. We saw what was left of the third Dragon you took on,” Taylor said, unperturbed by her nakedness as usual.

“Got it in the first pass. Heart didn’t seem as strong as the others, though,” Vince said.

“Yes, we noticed you’d eaten it. There wasn’t much left,” Taylor said.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Vince looked to the two red Dragons who were just now landing.

They immediately swapped into human forms.

Looking similar to Taylor, they had horns and scales in all the same places.

One was almost six feet, however, and the other was five-foot-six, he’d wager.

Both were far more endowed than Taylor, and a bit prettier as well.

Brown hair bordering on a red hue reached their bare shoulders. They each had a pair of green eyes watching him closely.

They shared many of the same features and looked almost like sisters.

“They are not sisters,” Taylor said, as if reading his thoughts. “Though they are from the same brood, so they share many similarities.”

Taylor walked over to the shorter one and wrapped a hand around one of her horns.

“This one is my second for now; I’ve named her Shelly.”

Shelly bowed her head deeply to Vince.

“Nest-mate,” she said.

Moving to the second woman, Taylor repeated the gesture, grabbing her by the horn.

“And this one I have named Leanne. My third for the time being. They’ll need to earn their place as I add more to my wing,” Taylor said.

Leanne bowed her head further than Shelly had.

“I await you, nest-mate,” Leanne said.

“Taylor… I don’t quite understand,” Vince admitted.

“Ah. They’re very young. Very, very young. But they have talent and potential. I told them they could join my wing, and give me their Word in all things, or I could carve their hearts out and bring them back to you as a meal offering from your nest-mate,” Taylor said.

She reached out and grabbed both women by a horn, pulling them forward several steps.

Then she pushed on them, forcing them both to their knees in front of Vince.

“Now, as I told you, this is Vince. He is my nest-mate, and therefore yours.

“If you do not please him, or me, I will pull your heart out and serve it to him with a smile.

“Do you both understand?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

Taylor nodded and then forced their heads back to look up to Vince as she held their horns.

“Now, I will decorate your horns accordingly tonight for our ranking in this wing. Do either of you have any questions for your nest-mate or me?”

“No,” said Leanne.

“Yes,” said Shelly.

Taylor looked to Vince askance.

“Go ahead,” Vince said, smiling at the three of them. He wasn’t quite sure how to take this situation, but if the bottom line was he had two more Dragons serving him, he’d take it.

“Do you truly eat the hearts of Dragons?” Shelly asked.

“I do. I’ve eaten three now.”

“And… and you defeated our mistress in single combat?” Shelly asked.

“I did. Taylor is very strong. The strongest being I’ve ever fought. But I took everything from her in the end.”

Taylor nodded with a smile at that, which seemed odd to him.

“And you’re building her a nest with all your gold? For her?” Shelly asked, her questions still coming.

“I am.”

Shelly nodded, then prostrated herself low on the ground to Vince.

“I look forward to serving you personally, nest-mate,” she said.

“I leave for a short period of time and you end up creating a Dragon harem?” came an angry drawl from the back porch of the house.

Vince’s head snapped around, and he found Ramona standing there with her hands on her hips.

Alive and well.

Chapter 27

“Ramona!” Vince said loudly. Moving away from the Dragons, he got to her quickly, snatching her up in a tight hug.

Ramona’s wings fluttered around her as her taloned hands dug into his shoulders.

Vince kissed her soundly, holding her tight to himself. When he finally let her go, her cheeks were a deep red.

“Ah… dear,” Ramona said, looking embarrassed.

Reaching up above her head, he immediately started to rub her horns, massaging the area around them.

“My dear Dragoness, I missed you,” Vince said. “I worried. I feared the worst.”

Ramona trembled at his attention, her wings quivering as she lowered her head to him.

“I needed to nest. It took a bit longer than I expected, but… I nested and brought them back with me. I had two.

“Mouth took them and is caring for them personally. I’m very… happy,” Ramona said, her chin resting on Vince’s shoulder now. “My Dragon is extremely happy, though she’s a bit annoyed you brought three Dragons home with you.”

“Oh? I think it’ll all be fine. Your Dragon should know where we stand since you… I mean… are they eggs?” Vince asked.

“Yes… two eggs. And yes… my Dragon is very calm and happy. Just a touch annoyed, but nothing terrible. Nothing one of your horn massages can’t fix.”

“Good. Come, let’s go introduce you to them. Then you can show me our eggs, and I’ll give you that horn rub you just mentioned.

“How’s that sound?”

“It sounds wonderful,” Ramona said, practically purring. “You know just what my Dragon wants.”

Releasing the Dragonnewt, Vince took her by the hand and brought her over to Taylor.

“Taylor, this is Ramona, my Dragonnewt.

“Ramona, this is Taylor, my black Dragon,” Vince said by way of introduction. “Behind her is Shelly, and Leanne. They are part of her wing.”

Ramona walked over to Taylor and made an almost uncomfortable amount of eye-contact with her.

Then she grinned and lowered her head, putting her horns forward.

Taylor did the same, and the two women smashed their heads together. The sound of their horns cracking together made Vince wince.

Taylor immediately grinned at Ramona, putting her hands to the other woman’s shoulders.

“You’re an amazing specimen of Dragonnewt. Your mother was a green?” she asked.

“She was! How’d you know? Everyone always thinks she was a blue because of my coloring,” Ramona said, clasping Taylor in the same fashion.

“You’re too strong to be a blue. I’ve met a few blacks who wouldn’t be your equal,” Taylor said, giving Ramona a real once-over. “Your nesting was very successful as well? Your smell is lovely, as if it went perfectly.”

“Very well. Though… your own nest?” Ramona asked in a strange tone.

“One has been promised to me by our nest-mate,” Taylor said, indicating Vince with her head. “He will fill it with his gold and I shall guard it accordingly.”

Ramona blinked at that and then laughed, her smile growing wider.

“You would willingly take the possibility of Dragonnewts as your own?” Ramona asked.

“Of course. The strength of them will match even the strongest of Dragons. I’d be pleased if you would take them on as a secondary brood-mother?

“It would be invaluable to have a Dragonnewt around them.”

“I’m flattered! Of course I will be. And the reds?”

Taylor glanced over her shoulder at the other two women.

“When they earn it. They must grow stronger first. We were going to do some horn decorations tonight, if you’d like to join us.

“For now, how about you show me around? And let me see your eggs? I’m very excited to be here.

“We blacks don’t get chances to socialize without our inner nature ruining it.”

“Of course! Vince, dear? I’ll see you later tonight, maybe. Taylor and I are going to go out now.

“And I’ll introduce her to everyone as well.”

“Oh, alright then,” Vince said.

He wasn’t quite sure why Ramona had bonded so quickly to Taylor like this, but he wasn’t about to complain.

“I’ll go see about the gold, and then maybe pay Felix a visit,” Vince said, looking at the mansion.

Ramona waved a hand at him, then escorted the three Dragons.

“Actually, before you go or do anything, I’d love an explanation,” Elysia said. She tapped Vince lightly with her ledger. “That and I’d enjoy your company. I feel as if I haven’t seen you in forever.

“Come on, I had something privately made and taken up to my room. I only invited Mouth, as I know she’s as close to you as anyone now.”

Vince didn’t hesitate, just nodded.

A few quiet minutes alone with Elysia and Mouth sounded grand.

Maybe we’ll get a moment to process all this. I feel raw and torn open on the inside.

As if reading his thoughts, the Elf gave him a gentle pat on his arm and then offered him hers.

No sooner had he taken it than she began leading him through their home.

Multiple Dryads were moved around, each with eyes for him, but every single one only offered him a warm smile and a wave as she went about her chores.

“They’re all quite lively now that you’re home. I think they’re all a bit nervous when their grove isn’t around,” Elysia said, her voice soft. “Not that I can blame them. I feel a certain cold fear in my heart when you’re not home.

“Especially after everything… everything that’s happened.”

Opening the door to her room, Elysia pulled Vince through.

Mouth sat at a table with a teacup in front of her.

In fact, it was an entire tea service that looked like it had only been brought in moments ago.

Mouth was idly stirring her drink, looking rather bored after clearly having put together multiple sandwiches.

When her eyes fell on Elysia and Vince, her entire face lit up.

“Oh! I’m so glad you managed to bring him, dear,” Mouth said.

“Go ahead and take a seat. Let Mouth serve you while I get the information,” Elysia said to Vince and gestured to the table. “I’ll start with the gold you sent back and the Centaurs, too.

“Mouth, sweetie, make sure he gets at least one in him?”

Vince was pulled down into a chair by Mouth after Elysia practically shoved him in her direction.

“You two are awfully close,” Vince said, looking from one to the other.

“Of course we are. Considering how often you bed myself, Mouth, and Meliae at the same time, we often find ourselves sharing a bed when you’re occupied,” Elysia said as she read through her ledger.

Then she frowned and looked up from her work.

“That doesn’t bother you, does it? You make us go down on each other so often we all just assumed you were ok with us keeping one another company.”

Vince froze at that. Exploring his feelings quickly, he realized that no, he didn’t mind it at all.

He really did often make two of those three go at each other while he took the third.

It was the logical conclusion to having sex regularly with another person for years.

Vince shrugged when he felt himself starting to get turned on about tumbling all three of them at the same time. Preferably tonight.

In fact… let’s make it more fun.

“No, it doesn’t bother me that you three are doing that. Though you should probably start bringing Blue in. I plan on using her in our bedroom antics,” Vince said, picking up the teacup Mouth put in front of him.

Mouth smiled at him and then scooted closer. Her right hand slipped down between his legs as her left hand picked up a sandwich.

“That’s wonderful news. I can use her as a surrogate wife for a bit and let a pregnancy develop. I know just which child I want next, too.

“I’ve been really going through every baby we’ve made together. I’m really, really looking into what I can see of them. Their latent talent and abilities.

“This one I’m very confident about, though. He’s going to be amazing. A son after your own heart.

“We made him a couple years ago when we were alone in Kansas,” Mouth said excitedly.

As she pushed the sandwich into his face, Vince had no choice but to bite and chew.

He knew Mouth wouldn’t relent if she got it in her head he needed to eat.

“You do realize how crazy that sounds?” Vince asked as carefully as he could around a mouthful of food. “And how do you know he’ll be that?”

“Every Dryad has their own strengths, you know that very well,” Elysia said, laying her ledger down in front of Vince. “Mouth is… very different from most Dryads. As you already knew as well.

“Meliae picked her specifically for her gifts. Not the least of which is being able to see some of what a child has the potential to become in the future.

“The fact that she’s gorgeous is secondary.”

Placing a finger to something written in her book, Elysia cleared her throat.

“Deskil has his goldsmiths working on the gold right now. They made a mold out of one of the ingots and are melting everything down into the same purity, then pouring it into the molds.

“Rather than waiting to determine how much there is in the end, I had the bricks all sorted out, split in half, and shipped accordingly.”

Vince closed his mouth. She’d answered his question before he’d even been given a chance to ask it.

“Felix has sent his warmest regards and asked for you to visit at your earliest convenience, or to let him know when he can come visit again,” she finished. “For our own gold, I have had it all delivered to the vault. Though I understand you now wish to have a second vault made above ground. For the black Dragon to roost in.”

“Yeah. She said she’d guard it, treating it like her nest. She also recruited two other Dragons as well.

“That’ll help free up all those guards we had posted at the vault.”

“‘Like her nest’? Or is it her nest, my liege?” Elysia asked. “Because those are two different statements. I’m no lore master on Dragons, but if it is her nest, then it’s very likely you propositioned her as a mate would.”

Elysia watched him neutrally, a delicate blond eyebrow quirking at him.

Shit. That’s a pretty good qualification. Though in hindsight, it does kinda make sense given how she phrased it.

More so when I think about Ramona and how she took what Taylor told her.

Hm.

Well, we’ll handle it as it comes. No use crying over it now.

Before Vince could respond, though, Mouth made a shooing motion with her hand. Neatly dismissing the entire conversation.

She then reached up and tilted Vince’s face towards her.

“Even if Dragons are joining our marriage, I’ll welcome them. Berenga will cheer with glee if you actually managed to successfully woo the black. The reds are just a bonus,” she said, pushing another sandwich up to Vince’s mouth. “Now eat up. Whether it’s with my group and me or someone else, you’re more than likely getting a workout tonight in bed, and you look a bit on the lean side right now.”

“Actually, I have a more important topic to discuss,” Elysia said. “The state of affairs within our family itself.”

Vince felt his heart lurch.

He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to discuss anything about their family right now.

“First… is… well… here. Petra… wrote this and sealed it with… we’re not sure with what. But no one wanted to break the seal,” Elysia said as she pulled out a slim piece of paper.

It was browned as if it’d been left in the sun and elements for several days.

Taking the paper from Elysia, Vince held it in his hands.

Mustering up just barely enough bravery, he looked over the seal.

It was a gummy mass of what looked like blood. The indentation seemed as if fingers had pressed it shut and fallen unmoving atop it afterward.

Delicately as he could, Vince opened the seal and unfolded the creaking letter.

The words weren’t the normal smooth and flowing letters he expected from Petra.

They were jagged, crabbed things. And most alarmingly, they were clearly written in blood.

Dear Master,

This one has failed in her duty to find and return to you. Please forgive her.

That is, forgive me.

I tried to escape.

Desperately so.

They blew me off the walls every time I did.

I did all in my power to return to you. To see you again.

My hands are tired. I can’t keep writing.

I’m tired.

Please care for our children.

I was so lucky to meet you. To have children with you. To live as long as I did with you. I was very old for a soldier ant.

My hands hurt. It hurts to write.

Everything hurts.

I’m scared.

I love you, Vince.

Don’t hide from the world.

Move forward.

I wish we had more time.

I wish I co

There was a single line of red that scrawled across the paper from there, as if her strength had failed her mid-sentence.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Vince set the paper down on the table in front of him.

“Damnit, Petra,” Vince said with a sob. “Damn the Tri-lliance.”

Mouth was reading the note on the table, but didn’t touch it.

Elysia watched Vince, her mouth a tight line.

“It brings me no joy to bring up the next point either, my love. And forgive me for it, but I must,” said the Elf.

“I know… its who you are, and what you are. You’re the one who tells me the ugly truth. You and Mouth, my truth-sayers,” Vince said, his voice sounding very wooden to his own ears.

“The public views our family as lacking spiritual leadership now.

“Berenga has publicly stepped down as your Fes. She’d been planning to do it, but not for another year or two. I believe she was trying to groom a replacement.

“With everything that happened, it’s made a rather… unfortunate situation for us.”

Vince could only nod.

It made sense.

A number of his wives had been killed. Both his general and his warrior were no longer able to fill their roles.

Thera was stepping into her role as general quickly and well, as far as Vince could tell.

But she’d need a few successes before people would rally behind her. The Tri-lliance would need to be more than just shoved back to the border.

That was just the reality of how people acted. Unless one could prove themselves, they weren’t going to be trusted.

As for his warrior… with Petra dead and Berenga disfigured, there was a large gaping hole.

“And before you ask, yes, I’m sure Ramona could fill that role well, but she isn’t… emotionally… balanced enough to do it correctly. She’s at war with herself more often than not. It hasn’t been as bad lately, but still,” Mouth said. “Unfortunately, your Dragons are too new to be considered valid either.”

Vince rubbed a hand along his jaw and then let out a slow breath.

“Alright. I think… I think I want to go lie down in my room and think. I’m spent and I can’t… can’t even… I can’t honestly deal with this right now. I can’t.

“So please… just give me some time,” Vince said, then got up and left. “At least today.”

***

The door creaked open, causing Vince to look up from his desk.

Yaris stood there in the doorway, dressed in light house clothing.

Closing the door behind her, the Royal Elf took in a quick breath, as if to prepare herself.

“I know you said you wished for time to yourself. Everyone respected that, but I needed to speak with you.

“Desperately so, husband,” Yaris said.

Vince opened his mouth to ask her to leave anyway, then closed it.

Petra would tell me to soldier on. To not be a complainer.

To not hide.

“Then please, sit. If it’s that urgent, I’d be a fool to not hear what you have to say,” Vince said with a small smile. “I’m just wallowing in self-pity for a day, honestly.

“I planned on returning back to public life tomorrow.”

“Oh? That’s good. I’m proud of you, husband. It isn’t easy to move so quickly back into public view after such… such losses,” Yaris said.

Moving over to his desk, Yaris sat down lightly in a chair beside it, facing Vince directly.

“I feel their loss keenly,” Yaris said, her eyes dropping to the ground. “They all… welcomed me. Warmly. Willingly.

“Despite my attitude and not understanding the situation, they took me in. As an equal.

“And I can’t—can’t quite get my mind around the fact that they’re gone. But we don’t have another choice.”

Vince was glad to hear her words. Yaris was hard to read at the best of times, but she’d warmed up considerably over time.

“I know our marriage wasn’t one of love, or even mutual care, but they worked hard to make it that way. For me, at least.

“And I won’t lie, I do care for you. Deeply. In a way I didn’t expect I would.

“And to that end, I have a plan to help bring stability to our family, and in the view of the public,” Yaris said.

“Oh? I’d be curious to hear your plan. Because honestly, I don’t have a single idea on how to take care of it.”

“That’s… that’s because it isn’t yours to take care of. It’s the Fes’s duty to take care of this job,” Yaris said, meeting his eyes squarely now.

“Pretty sure Berenga isn’t going to be able to solve this issue,” Vince said with a lopsided grin.

“And that’s the problem right there. But… I’m going to take care of it. I promise. This’ll all be fixed tomorrow.

“I just need you to… to do what I ask you to do, and everything will be fine.

“And before you ask—no, no one will be harmed in any way, shape, or form. This’ll solve everything, and in a positive way.”

“But you’re unwilling to tell me about it?”

“Yes… because, because it needs to be this way. Otherwise it dismisses the entire need and reason for it.”

“But you wanted to tell me about the fact that you can’t tell me?” Vince asked, mildly amused.

Yaris grimaced at him, her hands clutching one another in her lap.

“I care about you. I don’t want you to think I don’t. I can’t tell you the details, but I can tell you I will solve this.

“For you, for our family, for Yosemite. It’ll be solved. I swear it.”

“Alright. I’ll leave it in your hands then, my Elven Queen,” Vince said, leaning back in his chair.

“Ah… since I’m here… how would you feel about me spending the night? I think I could use some gentle attention,” Yaris said, her cheeks turning a deep red.

Laughing, Vince shook his head with a grin.

“Yeah. I could as well. Care to join me in the bed itself, Yaris, my wife?” Vince asked.

Chapter 28

Vince stepped through the portal and looked around.

Last time he’d stepped into what was clearly a secured area for the implicit purpose of receiving travelers.

This time, though, he walked through and found it very different.

The entire area around the portal was more like a massive receiving hall, complete with bar, dining tables, and private areas.

If he didn’t know better, he’d swear it was a hotel.

This really has become a bit of a transport hub for the two worlds, hasn’t it?

Standing to the sides of the portal were a number of different people.

Vince was immediately greeted by an Andrea and two of her different-colored twins, who stepped out from the rest of the other people.

“Oh! It’s Vince! Hi!” Andrea chirped happily at him, bouncing over to his side.

Yep, same voice that was in the suit. I bet that gets old fast for the pilots.

Or tiring, at least.

“You were never formally introduced! This is my twin sister, Adriana,” Andrea said, gesturing to the other woman.

The seemingly combat-oriented sister nodded at Vince.

Then she pulled her pistol off her belt, along with the holster, and handed it over to him.

“Here, this is the same one you used last time. I cleaned it and had Felix modify it a bit,” she said. “You won’t need to ever perform maintenance on it again.

“And I had these made as well.”

Reaching around behind herself, the Beastkin unhitched a belt attachment with four magazines in it that clearly matched the pistol.

“Just… stuff anything you can into the magazines and it’ll convert into the appropriate ammo.

“I tend to use dirt,” she said. “Works just like the Warden gear.”

Flattered at the gift and feeling a bit strange about it, Vince hesitated.

“Please take it?” Andrea asked, looking at him with big eyes. “As our brother-in-law, we want you to be safe. You’ve already done so much for us.”

Vince grimaced at that and took a firm hold of the magazines in their belt, and the gun.

“I haven’t done anything at all to deserve something like this.

“All I did was send over some gold and some of my people. I can’t see anything that your own forces couldn’t accomplish, given time.”

“You have no idea what you’ve done for us,” said a voice at the door.

Looking up, Vince found himself looking at the woman who’d previously been identified as Lily.

“Those ‘people’ you sent over gave us more breathing room than we’ve had for the last year.

“And the gold? People who have been dead for years are up and moving around again at a fraction of what the cost would have been,” Lily said. “And you think you don’t warrant a simple pistol? I think you’re in for a rude awakening once Felix gets some time to repay you.”

Vince affixed the extra magazine attachment onto his belt and the pistol into place.

Letting it fall into a natural position, he looked at it to make sure it fit.

Then he gave the flap a tug, opening it.

With a quick pull of his fingers, he drew the weapon smoothly and sighted it at a blank wall to one side where no one was.

Dad always said treat it like it’s a death laser and anything we point it at will die.

Letting the muzzle drop, Vince pulled it in close for an inspection and gave it a once-over.

He felt an ease with the weapon. One that only came from taking a life with a weapon, in his experience.

It really did seem like the exact same pistol as last time.

Holstering it again, Vince bowed his head to the twins.

“Then I accept in the grace it was given,” he said, and stood upright. “I was told Felix wanted to see me?”

“You have no idea,” Lily said with a grin. “Come on, let me give you a quick tour. He’s a bit busy right now. We’re in the heart of Legion city so it’ll be a good chance to show you around.

“And off.”

Show me off?

Vince mentally shrugged, then nodded his head to the Beastkin women.

“Thank you for your greeting,” he said.

All three Beastkin smiled at him, then glomped on him with a group hug.

“Of course!” they said in unison. “You’re family!”

Disentangling himself from the trio, Vince managed to catch up with Lily as she walked out of the receiving area and into another room entirely.

“Do forgive them,” she said after closing the door behind them. “We’ve had a tough year, and recently—obviously due to you—we’ve had an amazing turnaround.

“They’re all very excited. Everyone is.”

Vince was standing in front of a building, looking down a wide boulevard.

All around him, people of every race, species, and creed walked around as if nothing were the matter.

Very strange-looking cars drove along the streets, and everything was neat and orderly.

“It looks like the ruins,” Vince said aloud.

At the same time, he felt like his senses were screaming at all the danger around him.

He could sense the imminent danger of weapons drawn on him. From multiple positions, no less.

“Well, I imagine to some degree it would. Your ruins are simply our current day,” Lily said, gesturing around herself. “This is Legion city. Heart of our operations in Wal. The buildings were built specifically to house and shelter the portal.

“Where it came out previously was main headquarters.”

“Security issue,” Vince said, watching what looked like something his father had described as a helicopter fly overhead.

“Yes, that’s what Felicia said. She felt it was a danger to both your side of the portal and ours. So it was moved here.”

“Hence the guards and the security equipment,” Vince said, pointing a finger to the disguised machine-gun turrets. “And the shooters as well.”

Vince pointed at the hidden and built-in sniper nests at the corners of the buildings nearby.

Lily looked at him strangely, then up to what he’d pointed out.

“You saw all that?” she asked.

“Sensed it, really,” Vince said, then stepped to one side after he heard a commotion from inside the building they’d just left.

Taylor?

The door flung open and the handle banged against the wall.

“Vince!” said the black Dragon, in her human form. She was wearing much more normal house clothes now, instead of the leather jacket he’d given her.

Behind her came Shelly and Leanne, both dressed in a similar fashion.

“Taylor. What’s up?” Vince asked. Glancing through the open doorway, he saw a number of security guards angrily heading their way.

“Sorry about that. They’re with me, but they’re Dragons and don’t have normal manners,” he said by way of apology.

Taylor snorted, folding her arms in front of her stomach.

“You tried to leave without me. As the male of a wing, you’re required to have one of us with you at all times. Regardless of where you are.

“Or at least Ramona,” Taylor said with a strange look on her face. “She isn’t part of the wing, but you should simply consider her so. She’ll agree eventually.”

Lily looked concerned and confused.

“Dragons?” she asked.

“Yes, these three women are Dragons. Taylor is a black, Leanne and Shelly are reds,” Vince said. “Now, you three are welcome to join me, but you must be on your best behavior. This is a strange place, alright?”

All three women nodded at that.

Everyone turned to look at Lily.

“Shall we continue?” Vince asked.

Lily’s mouth hung open for a few seconds before she shrugged her shoulders.

“Why not? We’ll just walk to the HQ building,” she said, lifting a hand to point to a large tower a block or two in the distance.

“Huh. That’s not exactly close,” Vince said, falling in behind her as she started walking.

She was also wearing heels, he noticed.

“I assume you were already at the receiving area?” he asked.

“Ah… no. Andrea notified me the moment you walked through. I used a personal means of travel to arrive as quickly as possible,” Lily admitted. “We set up a remote notification for when you’d show up. You’re a bit of a VIP.”

“All should know our male,” Taylor said. “He can fight anything and win.”

“I have no doubt of that. I personally witnessed him tear through our enemies as if they didn’t exist.

“Now, come, let’s walk and talk, and I can show you around.”

Lily kept them busy for an hour, even taking them to a brief lunch before walking them into the HQ.

She handed them over to a number of Andreas, who promptly led them to another room with a rather large door.

Stepping through the door, Vince saw Felix and Eva sitting at a table together.

Both of them looked to him and smiled.

Genuine smiles.

Warm smiles.

Smiles that made Vince feel welcomed.

Taylor came in with him while the two reds remained in the room previous.

“Brother,” Felix said, getting to his feet. He immediately crossed over to Vince and much to his surprise, hugged him. “It’s so good to see you. I was just talking to Eva about your trip. I’d not been able to really sit down and hear the tale until now.

“Would you and your companion join us?”

Vince awkwardly hugged the smaller man in return, unsure of what to do or say.

“Yes, we will. This is Taylor, my black Dragon,” Vince said.

“Hello,” Taylor said.

“She’s the black Dragon he fought and proposed to,” Eva said.

Taylor smiled wide at that and nodded her head.

“He defeated me in martial combat as my Dragon. It was very… impressive,” she said, with a hint of heat to her voice.

“Come, sit, sit,” Felix said, gesturing to the chairs and releasing Vince.

“First, let me just say thank you. Those Dryads you sent to assist us—me—were exactly what we needed.

“Exactly what we needed when we didn’t even know we needed it. Their spells and belief cut through the enemy as if they were nothing.

“And the fact that they’re all able to fight, heal, and use magic makes them beyond useful. It only took them a day to adjust and adapt to firearms and body armor.”

Huh. Glad they worked out that well. I got the impression Meliae wasn’t very happy to have them around.

This works for everyone.

“At least, it worked out after that day-long orgy. I had no idea Dryads were actual Nymphs,” Felix said with a strange tone of voice.

“Did they settle on one man? My understanding is a grove calms down considerably once they’ve settled on one man.”

“They did and you’re right. They calmed right down after that.

“Amusingly enough, Eva’s brother. Evan,” Felix said with a smirk. “He’s, uh… been indisposed ever since.

“Though I’ll gladly trade him for the Dryads and consider myself light years ahead.”

“Evan won’t complain. I managed to get him to pick up the phone. He sounded exhausted, but… happy,” Eva said.

Standing up, Eva clapped her hands together. “Alright Taylor, you come with me and we’ll leave them to chat without us.”

Taylor frowned, looking at the younger woman.

“It’s alright, we won’t go far,” Eva said. “I promise.”

Putting a hand to Taylor’s back, Eva led the other woman from the room.

Felix looked to Vince once the door closed.

“So… you came through for me with flying colors, Vince.

“Your Dryads are the perfect accompaniment to my own forces, and the amount of gold you sent over is… astounding. I’m also told it isn’t completely done yet, and that more is being sent.

“On top of that, since it’s from a different… plane… it’s worth a lot more to me than regular gold. Even if it’s the same thing.”

“Huh. Does that mean you want to exchange gold for gold then?” Vince asked. “As for me, I’d say the same. Your Wardens and artillery managed to change the battlefield for me.

“We pushed everyone back from the front and retook what we’d lost.”

Felix paused for a second, then chuckled.

“It seems we both gave the other what he needed, then.

“And yeah, I’d be willing to pay extra gold to get more of your gold in exchange for it.”

“Alright, we could do that. I’ll just need to get someone to work on it.”

“I’ll talk to Felicity. She’s… an amazing woman,” Felix said with an odd tone to his voice.

“Yes, she is. Is she working out well as an envoy?”

“Very much so. Now, enough about business. I hear I have a massive number of nephews and nieces,” Felix said, leaning forward. “When can I come meet them? I’ve gone to your world once or twice, but I haven’t managed to stay long enough for them to all be brought together.

“I admit, I’m rather excited to have family.”

“Whenever you want to drop by,” Vince said with a grin. “And yeah… there’s… a lot.

“But I’m sure they’d all be happy to meet their uncle.”

***

Stepping back into his home, Vince felt like something had changed.

Taylor, Shelly, and Leanne had all left before him and returned on their own.

“There’s no Dryads,” Vince said, looking around.

Normally there were Dryads serving in his household or tending the children, at all times.

Both were suspiciously absent.

“Bringer,” Red said, coming down the hallway. “Yaris asked me to take you to the amphitheater.”

“The town square?”

“Yes. Come with Red,” she said.

“What’s wrong?” Vince asked, noting her odd behavior.

“Nothing. Red lost. Red was… surprised.”

“You lost? Lost what?”

“Bringer will see.”

All day long, Vince had felt like he was being led around.

Might as well let it continue.

When they made it to the main streets of Yosemite, it was curiously empty.

The only sign of life was almost as strange as the fact that he saw nothing else.

The largest park in the city was full of children of all ages.

There were a couple of adults and older citizens, but otherwise, it was all children.

It wasn’t until they made it to the amphitheater that he found the rest of the population. It was as if everyone who wasn’t a minor was there.

Vince felt like it didn’t bode well for him, if that were the case. Especially since it was packed.

There wasn’t a seat or standing space left, and even the streets and buildings surrounding were filled.

“That’s… a very big crowd,” Vince said.

“Yes. Red doesn’t know if she could do this,” Red said, eying all the people.

“Do what?”

Red didn’t respond. She just kept moving.

Getting down towards the ground level, Vince found Yaris standing on the stage facing the population of Yosemite.

She was dressed in a simple white dress and had a spectacular black eye and swollen lip.

Behind her were all Vince’s wives and those he was close to.

“Red gave her the black eye,” Red said proudly.

Before he could ask about that, Yaris noticed him and immediately came over.

“Ah, good timing, husband,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “It’s now my time to solve this.

“Mouth, Meliae, and Blue are all here to assist if you need it. Now. Just do what I say.”

Pulling him to the center stage, she lifted her other hand above her head.

“Yosemite!” she called. “I am your queen, Yaris. Wife to Vince.

“You all know that recently, we lost our Fes.

“I have fought, and beaten, every member of my marriage.”

Surprised at that, Vince looked back toward the rear of the stage.

Taylor looked sullen, and even Ramona seemed angry.

When he caught her eyes, she gave him a small smile and shrugged her shoulders.

She did beat them. Huh. I should spar with her sometime.

As he turned back to Yaris, he saw Berenga watching him.

She gave him a wide, tusk-showing grin when he saw her. Her eyes were excited.

Excited and pleased with what Yaris was apparently doing.

“I am now claiming the right of Fes, and will take my title, as is my right, in front of you all!” Yaris shouted at the crowd.

Pulling her dress up over her head, the Royal Elf stood naked in front of them.

Bruises and fresh cuts marked her body.

Turning around, she reached down for Vince’s belt buckle.

“You need to mount me as your Fes, Vince,” Yaris said softly. “You need to take me as if I were Berenga. As if I were an Orc.”

“You’re kidding, right? In front of everyone? And you do realize I was actually really rough with Berenga, right? She preferred it,” Vince said as she quickly unfastened his pants.

“Yes… I know. I prefer what we had last night, but this is for the good of all.

“I will bear it, trust in me. Treat me as if I were Berenga. Be rough, be dominant, be what you must. Just… make love to me again later on in a gentler fashion? Tonight?” she asked as she pushed his pants down to his ankles.

Vince felt a slight fluttering in his body and immediately recognized Dryad magic hard at work.

They were making sure he could perform, whether he was up to the task or not.

Guess we’ll never find out… though this is kind of intense.

Vince looked around and saw all eyes on him and Yaris.

Who was now on hands and knees in front of him, her pert and perfect rear end pitched upwards for him to enter her easily.

“I claim the right of Fes!” Yaris called.

Treat you like an Orc woman, huh? As you like.

Getting down behind her, Vince put his knees directly into the backs of hers, trapping her legs against the ground.

Yaris groaned softly. Soft enough that he doubted anyone heard it but him, but she didn’t flinch or shift away from him.

Reaching forward, Vince took a handful of Yaris’s hair and pushed her face down into the stones.

With his other hand, he grabbed hold of her side and pulled her backward.

Forced into an awkward angle, Yaris accepted it without a word.

Fitting the tip of his member to her slit, he entered her fully in one motion, all the way to his hilt.

Yaris grunted at the suddenness of it but made no other move or noise.

With Berenga, when it had come to her title of Fes, it had been rough, fast, and to the point.

It was copulation to attempt a pregnancy, and little else.

Unlike everyone else, they’d never been able to have another child, despite all the Dryads’ attempts.

Getting a better hold on Yaris’s fine hair, Vince pulled on her, grinding himself against her entry.

With his other hand, he pushed her away, only to pull her back into his lap.

His fully erect girth shoved her tight entry wide open as he filled her again.

“Nnn,” Yaris moaned softly. Vince couldn’t tell if it was out of pleasure or pain, but he knew she needed no sympathy during this.

Pushing her away again only to pull her back, Vince mounted her in front of thousands of eyes.

After a minute of pounding her into the stones, he released her tangled, knotted hair and took hold of her hips with both hands.

Getting back to her hands and knees, Yaris raised her head up and looked to the crowd.

At the same time, Vince began to pummel her rear end with his lap, spearing his length through her from hilt to head with violent thrusts.

Yaris couldn’t hold herself quiet at the rough impacts and grunted each time, her breath coming out in puffs.

She kept herself upright on hands and knees though, receiving him.

Pulling at her hips harder and faster as he got closer to his climax, he could actually hear the sound of Yaris’s bottom clapping against his lap.

Leaning forward, he grabbed her by the shoulder and neck, and forced her down to the stones again.

Pushing himself up higher, he wedged her bottom against his lap and shoved hard into her, cumming.

Moving with his needs, Yaris took this sudden change in a smooth and liquid motion.

Feeling his seed spilling out into her depths with each thrust, Vince ground down into her. Onto her.

Trying to put his genetic material as deep as possible into her and bending her to his will at the same time.

Finally, with a last spurt, he settled back down into Yaris’s knees. Pinning her to the ground again.

With a deep breath, he released her shoulder and hair, grabbing hold of her hips again.

Slowly, and with a lot less force, he continued to have her even as she got back to her hands and knees.

She deliberately made eye contact with the crowd once more as she knelt there.

Thirty seconds of simply enjoying Yaris after he’d finished, and Vince felt spent.

With that, the spectacle of a Fes claiming her title was done.

It was part ritualistic, if his memory served, and he needed to make sure he fulfilled that.

Bending over Yaris one more time, he crooked her head to one side and kissed her heavily.

Then he finally got off her and helped her to her feet.

Her right cheek was oozing fresh blood from what looked like a burn on her skin from being rubbed on the tiles.

“I am Fes,” Yaris called, holding her hand above her naked self. “Would anyone dare challenge me?”

The crowd was silent at that.

“As Fes, I now name Berenga as Fes, and will challenge anyone and everyone in her name. Let any who dispute this come before me now, so I may take their head and end their stupidity,” Yaris said with finality, her left hand pointing backward toward Berenga while her right hand pointed to the spot in front of herself.

Looking backward at Berenga, Vince saw a very surprised looking Orc woman.

Apparently she didn’t share that part of her plan with Berenga.

Or… Fes, I suppose.

Those dark black eyes flicked to Vince, unsure.

In response, Vince grinned at her, then gave his attention back to Yaris.

Wrapping an arm around her hips, he escorted the lithe Elven woman from the stage, picking up her dress as he went.

Chapter 29

Vince held open the door to his room.

Yaris gave him a small, warm smile and walked through.

Following behind her, he closed the door.

Almost at the same time the door clicked shut, Yaris collapsed to her knees.

Kneeling there on the ground, she hung her head.

“Are you always that rough with Berenga? I felt like you were going to break me,” Yaris said, her voice soft and worn.

“She prefers it that way. Ramona did for a long while as well,” Vince said. “I’m sorry. You told me to do as you requested, and I did so.”

Moving in next to her, he gently scooped her up and carried her over to a table surrounded by chairs.

“Everything hurts. From all the fights and the sex,” Yaris said, her eyes closed.

“I’m surprised you were able to beat Taylor.”

He seated Yaris as gently as he could and began to look her over.

“My preparations were for Ramona. Surprisingly, they were mostly valid for Taylor as well. They had similar ways of fighting—tail, tooth, and talon—but simply different means of employment,” Yaris said, sinking into the chair.

“When do I get to fight with you?” Vince asked with a grin.

Leaning in close, he gently ran a finger over a shallow gash along her ribs.

“Ssss, hurts,” Yaris complained, moving away from him a bit. “And you’d win. There is no question in that, though I’ll happily spar with you in a week or three.

“When I’m not a walking bruise.”

“Mm. Everything looks fairly simple to take care of. I can probably flood you with magic and let you handle it from there.

“Think you have enough control right now to be able to direct it?” Vince asked.

“I do believe so,” she said. “Just keep the flow low. I’m a bit light headed.”

Pressing his hand to her rib cage, Vince began to slowly pour his power into her.

“Mm, that feels good,” Yaris said. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Now, care to fill me in on the rest of what was going on there?

“I mean, I get it for the most part, but I’d love to hear it from you and know it all for certain.”

“Ah… well, it all came from a story the Elf wives told me,” Yaris said. The cuts, abrasions, and bruises all over her were slowly starting to seal up, heal over, and lose their discoloration.

“Apparently you held a challenge night where everyone fought one another. Then you fought the winner.”

Vince nodded. He remembered it, of course.

“Then you bedded everyone in front of everyone. Apparently, that satisfied the cultural rituals behind being Fes, and Berenga was quite happy with it.

“Supposedly, that’s where… where Petra and Berenga formed their friendship.”

Barely holding himself together at the mention of Petra’s name, Vince continued to pour the magic energy into Yaris.

“Makes sense. So you thought it would be good to recreate it?” Vince asked.

“Yes, but on a much larger scale. I challenged everyone you shared a bed with. Everyone,” Yaris said. “I defeated them all. Then had you take me in front of the city.

“None could claim me as anything other than Fes at that point.”

“Then you immediately passed it to Berenga.”

“Yes, because to everyone, she will always be Fes. Even if she is old, decrepit, and on her deathbed. Many would call her Fes.

“Therefore, I made it so she would be. I’m effectively her second now,” Yaris said, nodding her head a little. “If anyone dares to challenge me, I’ll kill the first several to make a point of it.

“This shall be the end of the problem, and our family will be stable.”

Shaking his head, Vince couldn’t help but be impressed.

“I stepped up.

“Just as a Fes would,” Yaris said, her voice growing fainter as the vast majority of her wounds finished healing. “I made my choice and shoved everyone else out of the way. I forced everyone in line, with no questions about who was in charge.

“Just as a Fes would.”

Yaris’s chin started to droop down toward her chest, her breathing becoming deeper.

“I was Fes for a few seconds… I can wait,” Yaris mumbled. “Berenga is Fes. I’ll be her second. Support her.”

The last words were a bare whisper as Yaris clearly ran out of energy.

Before she could tip over out of her chair, Vince picked her up again. Holding her as carefully as possible, he carried her over to his bed and slipped her under the covers.

Pulling the sheet up to her chin, he tucked Yaris in and snuck out of the room as quietly as possible.

Closing the door slowly, he managed to get it shut without much more noise than a single soft bump.

“She’s sleeping?”

Looking toward the voice, Vince found Fes standing beside him, staring at the door.

“Yes. She fell asleep just after closing up her own injuries. I put her in my bed,” Vince said.

Fes nodded, then shook her head in a strange way.

“I didn’t expect what she did,” Fes said.

“I don’t think anyone did. It’s no secret Yaris wishes to be the head wife. To be Fes.

“But… I don’t think she wants it at the sake of the stability of our family. From what she was saying, I think she feels that forcing you to be accepted as Fes brings us more stability and health.

“Even if she has to kill people and knock others over in your name, that is apparently her thought.”

Fes snorted and then grinned widely at that. Her tusks were visible, her arms folded across her chest.

“She’s a good second. She’ll make a fine Fes when she decides to take it for herself,” Berenga said.

“About that,” Vince said with a smile. Leaning against the wall, he shrugged his shoulders. “I think you’ll be Fes right up until you die of old age.

“Or so Yaris has decreed and told me just a minute ago.”

“Huh?” Fes asked.

“Until you’re old and gray, she plans to keep you as Fes.

“In her own words, ‘I can wait.’”

Fes blinked at that and looked back to the door.

“I think I underestimated her,” Fes said slowly.

“Think we all did. Come, Fes. Let’s go see what’s going on. I need to get a handle on where we’re at with the Tri-lliance,” Vince said. “Then annihilate them.”

***

Thera stood in front of the large, wall-covering map in the war room.

Elysia had refined it. To the point that it had to be redrawn due to the sheer amount of changes completed on it.

It spanned from one wall to the other.

Rather than recreate it again at another point in the future, they’d put a metal backing on the wall. All points of interest, locations, and details were put on the map with magnetic “pins” now.

And the map was full of them. Always being updated, changed, moved, altered.

It was a living representation of Yosemite now.

Vince frowned, looking at it.

It really didn’t make much sense to him.

He wasn’t a commander. Wasn’t a leader of men.

The battlefield or wandering the Wastes was where he belonged.

“I know what you’re not saying,” Thera said, turning to smile at him. “And we’ll cover it all in a way that will make sense. I promise.”

Vince shrugged in his chair.

“Sorry. Just not my area of expertise,” Vince said.

Thera came over to him and laid her hands on his shoulders.

Leaning down, she kissed him lightly and pressed her forehead to his.

“I know. And you do all that you can with the skills you have. I’ll be using them on this campaign.

“Putting you in harm’s way.

“Because I believe in you, and I need you.”

“Oh. Well, when you put it like that, I’m suddenly a lot less grouchy,” Vince said with a smirk.

He did feel better, too. Sitting in the back lines made him feel worthless.

“I figured. Now, sit there and be a good liege,” Thera said, tapping him on the brow.

The door opened behind them, and the bespectacled Mr. White walked in.

His self-confidence and small smile ever present.

“Greetings, Lord Vince,” he said, bowing his head.

Moving to a chair around the table placed in front of the map, he sat himself down and got comfortable.

Tapping something in his ear, he began to speak quietly with someone else.

He settled in rather quickly. His confidence is out of sorts with how he looks.

“Apparently, the Orcs love him for his ability to build, modify, and create weapons,” Thera whispered in his ear. “He has a number of Orc women all vying for his attention.”

Vince blinked at that, seemingly confused.

“I know. But apparently… the weapons and armor he can make out of nowhere, with little materials, are far beyond their needs for a warrior husband.

“A Fes who wrangles him in would become quite a strong Fes among the rank and file,” Thera said. “Doesn’t hurt that he works directly for the brother of their lord.”

Vince chuckled at that and nodded.

Orcs were adaptable, if nothing else. There was a reason they did so well in the Wastes in large numbers.

Moving away from him, Thera went back to the map and took her place at its side.

Several seconds after that, she suddenly felt like Petra to him. The way she held herself, looked around the room, and waited.

Opening behind him, the door heralded the arrival of more people.

In walked Elysia, Fes, Mouth, Meliae, Eva the Elf, Ramona, Taylor, and Julia.

“Welcome, one and all,” Thera said, her eyes flicking over everyone. “Please take a seat. We’ll begin immediately. Yaris is still sleeping.”

Everyone nodded at that, though Fes looked a bit uncomfortable.

“First, the bad news,” Thera said, moving to the right side of the map.

“The king of the East, Richard, is dead. His line was exterminated in the riots that occurred after,” Thera said, gesturing to a red triangle marker situated over Nashville.

Vince hadn’t expected that. Shaking his head, he leaned forward.

“We were just there. We wiped out their food source. I killed their Dragon personally. How did they manage to lose?” Vince asked.

“Someone got close to him a week ago and killed him in his sleep,” Thera said, her tone rather bland.

“He was assassinated? What?” Fes asked.

“So it would seem. Early reports say it was a man in his middle age, but no details other than that.”

“Seville,” Vince said with absolute conviction. “We saw him at the port, but he wasn’t on the boat after. Seville is running around in the east.

“He clearly was known to Richard, if he got close enough to kill him.”

“That answers one question but leaves us with no change whatsoever.” Thera pointed to a small red triangle to the northeast. “This is what’s left after a good portion of their soldiers showed up in Texas to chase Vince.”

Thera’s hand moved down to Texas and indicated another red triangle.

“The last report of this army is that they’re out of supplies, facing a very angry Orc horde, and will be eliminated within the next week if nothing changes.”

“Goodness,” Meliae said, her hands caressing her very large stomach. “It seems so… grim.”

“It is, and isn’t,” Thera said. Moving to the left side of the map, she indicated the emperor’s own problem. “Last report states the west is holding their own. We need not fear any type of problem from that direction quite yet.

“We’ll not assume it isn’t a problem, but we can staff it minimally for the time being.”

Thera now moved to the south of Vegas.

“We were able to drive the enemy out of their trenches and back past the original border boundary,” she said, indicating the red triangle at that position and the two blue circles just above it, along with a blue square.

“They suffered especially large casualties as the Wardens and artillery were used effectively and as a surprise.

“I do not think we’ll have such a one-sided victory again, now that they know we have them. But it was definitely a start.”

Setting her finger to one of the circles, Thera shifted it across the map to the eastern border along the Mississippi.

“As much as I dislike this, we have no choice. We need to send the army under Duke Gerard back east.

“His orders will be simple. First, attack and engage the army the Orcs have penned up, and stomp them out.

“It’ll give him a chance to stock up on Undead before he must redeploy to hold the border.

“There’s no telling what we’ll get from that direction—refugees, soldiers, or bandits.”

Thera paused as she pulled out several small blue Xs from a box nearby.

“We’ll be concentrating our efforts on the major roads into Yosemite territory,” she said, placing the Xs. “We’ll also be stepping up patrols of all the roads heading in and out. It’ll tie up more resources, but I cannot leave our eastern flank open for the Tri-lliance to dart in.”

Vince nodded.

So far everything did make sense, and it was a reasonable strategy she was suggesting.

“The biggest issue we’ll have is that we have two armies in the south to contend with,” Thera said, then indicated the two red triangles near Vegas.

“One we are already engaged with; the other is that force you found, Vince. They seem to be reinforcements that can go in either direction, but they’ve yet to move.

“I think the moment we begin to engage their primary army, this one will shift over to assist and flank us,” Thera said.

Moving the red triangle up, she placed it at what seemed to be the most likely position.

“I plan on using the Wardens to hold our right flank as we sweep down. Our left flank will move around their side and begin trying to roll them up onto themselves.

“Our artillery should be more than enough to keep them down and not watching as we make our move.

“I’d like to do this before they settle in and build another trenchworks. We lost too many taking the last one.”

Mr. White cleared his throat and leaned forward over the table.

“About that. I’ve commissioned several more healing beds, and they’re portable. They’ll be deployed to the front lines. We can triage those most needy and put them back to rights,” the man said, his ever-present smile growing wider. “I do believe they’ll arrive tomorrow.

“In addition, I’ve manufactured twenty or so armor dispensaries. They’re also portable, which means the product won’t be as good as I’d like it to be, but it’ll certainly be better than what they’re wearing now.

“Just like the Warden ammo cans—dump material into the hopper, get armor.”

Mr. White sniffed and then shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve also upgraded the armories I built. They’ll turn out rifles and pistols that utilize the same ammo between the two.

“I then modified the ammo converter to utilize only that ammo as its output.

“It’ll take time to make the change for the whole army, but we’ll definitely be more efficient within a month.

“As a security measure, I put in a lockout for anyone other than the one who binds the rifle.

“Binding the rifle simply requires a drop of blood into a small chamber in the handle.

“Won’t function at all without it, though it does mean rifles can’t leave Yosemite without being assigned.

“Bit of a risk, but I think it’s worth protecting our advantage.”

Mr. White nodded his head. “Ah, and that goes for all the dispensers as well. Until they return here and get fitted back into their home unit, they cannot be utilized by anyone other than the five personnel assigned to each item.”

Yes.

Yes, I can see why Orc women would want him now. The reward far outweighs the risk in his plans, but he did balance it as best as he could.

Damn me, I want him as my armorer for Yosemite.

Maybe Felix could loan him to me, or—

“I’ve also put in a request to Mr. Campbell that I be allowed to remain here.

“I didn’t think I’d enjoy this world at first, but I find it’s grown on me rapidly.

“The local population is rather unique and interesting, and the fact that it’s a bit of a medieval world has its own appeal,” Mr. White said with a grin.

Yes. Yes.

I’ll need to contact Felix immediately and plead with him to let me have Mr. White.

His output by himself is already worth crates of gold.

“Doesn’t hurt that you can’t seem to fight your way free of the Orc women that mob you every time you go outside,” Fes said with a toothy grin. “I approve of their choice, as well. You’ll be an immeasurable asset to any Fes lucky enough to catch your eye.”

“No, that doesn’t hurt. Not at all,” Mr. White replied, smiling right back at her. “I can’t deny I’m enjoying the attention. Though now it’s just… finding someone I enjoy being with.

“That I can spend my life with. Wouldn’t want to just… screw everything up right at the start. Need to really be sure that I care for her and she for me.

“Whoever that might be, Orc or otherwise.”

That comment made all the women in the room light up with smiles.

Thera quickly smoothed out her own grin, then cleared her throat and turned back to the map.

“We’ve had reports of several Dragons in the area, but they seem to be keeping their distance,” Thera said, looking to Taylor.

“My wing has told me the losses they’re taking are staggering. It isn’t the old ones out here.

“No, they sent the next generation. The young. To test their mettle and learn of war.

“They’ve lost many. Many that would have been an entire breeding generation.

“If they don’t have to engage, they won’t.

“It’s a shame I plan on hunting them,” Taylor said with finality. “They can join my wing and submit to Vince, or die and I’ll bring their hearts back for him.”

“And I’ll need their souls,” said a voice near the door.

Turning in his seat, Vince found Leila standing there.

She had dark circles under her eyes, though they were bright. Bright and shining.

“I need to be there to take the souls of the Dragons if they resist. I need every Dragon soul I can get my hands on,” Leila said.

“I don’t understand,” Vince said. “Why do you need their souls?”

“I’ve figured out how to weaponize them. And I can give you a demonstration,” Leila said, then took a deep breath and let it out. “But it’s very dark magic. Dark magic that doesn’t seem to dissipate anytime soon once cast.”

Red peered into the room over Leila’s head, her nose wrinkling.

“Red hates these meetings. Can we leave now, Leila? Red would like to nap and wait for Bringer to come home and feed her,” Red said. Then she waved at Mouth. “Do come over tonight, Mouth. Red invites you willingly so we can share Bringer.”

Mouth blushed prettily at Red and bobbed her head.

Leila elbowed Red in the stomach and looked to Vince.

“Come with me? I want to show you what I can do now,” she said.

Dark magic that can’t be undone, huh? Let’s see what she’s been working on.

“Sure, Leila. Come have a seat and we’ll go have a looksie after this meeting,” Vince said. Pulling out a chair next to him, he gave it a pat.

Leila blinked twice before she entered the room and moved over to the chair next to Vince.

Before she could sit down, he snatched her up and plopped her down in his lap, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Leila struggled for a second before going limp. She laid her head against Vince’s shoulder and closed her large eyes, snuggling up to him.

Red huffed, her tail swishing angrily behind her.

Finally, she came into the room and sat down in the chair Vince had pulled out.

Reaching over, he began to lightly scratch at Red’s ears.

“Be calm, Red. This is important.”

“Yes…” she murmured, pressing her head into his hand more firmly.

“Sorry Thera, please continue,” Vince said.

Grunting, the Dark Elf turned back to the map.

“Our goal is to keep them moving, unable to stop or rest. I want to push them all the way back to here,” she said, indicating the point where old Mexico was at its thinnest in the south, with water on both sides. “I want this ground. I want this as our border. Our very narrow and highly defensible border. We’ll de-militarize everything in front of it for miles and turn it into a fortress.”

Fes nodded her head, scratching at her shoulder with her robotic arm.

“Makes sense. I support this plan in its entirety. It’s something Petra would do.

“She’d be proud of you, Thera. She complimented you frequently to me,” Fes said.

Thera had a tight smile on her face, but she did nod her head once.

“Otherwise, I’d be interested to see what our local Warlock has in store for us,” Thera said. “Unless someone else has a concern or question?”

There was no response to her inquiry.

Everyone turned to Leila.

Who was now snoring loudly against Vince.

Chapter 30

Vince gently tapped on the door to Leila’s bedroom. He leaned in close to the wood, practically pressing his ear to the door.

Listening intently, he closed his eyes, trying to hear anything at all coming from the inside of her room.

As far as he could tell, she hadn’t left since he’d broken into her room the previous night.

The goal had been to get her put to bed, though he had taken the time to get her into a nightdress.

She hadn’t moved at all during the tricky operation of removing her clothes and getting her redressed. Such was the extent of her exhaustion.

He’d left her there, just like that, after tucking her in.

Vince had spent the rest of the day the same way he did with all his free time, whenever he managed to get some.

With his children.

Though most of yesterday he’d been with the oldest ones. The children he’d had with Petra, Karya, Daphne, and Green.

It’d been a strange bonding-in-grief situation for all of them.

He’d also found out that the Dryads were smothering those children in affection and care. To the point that there were always two or three Dryads around for each child.

It was unlikely the kids truly understood their mothers were not coming back yet. There was no telling when they would.

With a violent shake of his head, Vince broke his thoughts from that dark path.

Grumbling, he lifted his head and knocked again, though with a fraction more force this time.

“Nnnngh? Huh?” came a muffled voice from inside.

Taking a step back at the sound of Leila moving within, he rebalanced the tray on his arm.

“Good morning; it’s Vince. I have breakfast with me as well,” Vince said.

“Morning? How could it be? We were just… it’s morning!?” Leila asked in a squeaky voice from inside her room.

The sound of small feet pattering on the floorboard in a rapid cadence came toward the door.

It was jerked inward, revealing Leila standing in her red nightgown. Her large purple eyes were blazing with fury.

“Why was I asleep!? Why didn’t you wake me?” she cried.

“Because you passed out in my lap. That’s why.

“Now, are you going to invite me in so I can feed you breakfast? Though, I don’t dislike the view from here either,” Vince said, letting his eyes roll down Leila’s figure.

Leila looked down, then back up to Vince, her face turning the same color as her clothing.

“You dressed me?” she asked.

“I did. I was a complete gentleman, though I did steal a single kiss from sleeping beauty,” Vince said with a smirk. “Now, can I come in? Breakfast is getting cold. I might eat it myself.”

Vince hefted the tray full of sausage, bacon, hash browns, toast, and two skins of water.

Leila looked at him as she clearly thought it over. Before too long, though, she stepped aside and gestured into her room.

“Then by all means, come in,” Leila said. “Though we’re still going to talk about you letting me sleep when I had things to show you.”

“I saw quite a bit while I dressed you,” Vince said, walking into her room.

Leila sniffed and closed the door.

“Not as if you haven’t seen it before. Though I’m glad you’re still wanting it after having it,” Leila said.

“Of course. Did the soreness go away quicker last time, by the way?” Vince asked.

Moving to her table, he set down the tray and quickly divided the food in half.

“Mm. For our second time together, it definitely went much better than I predicted. The soreness didn’t last as long either, no.

“That’s quite a lot of bacon.”

“You looked pale. I made sure to load up on meat.

“Now, you can eat everything I’ve put there for you, or I can feed you,” Vince said, indicating her half of the mound of food. “I want to see your tummy bulging.

“And no talk about work, either. This is small talk time only.”

Leila slid into the chair and picked up a rather large sausage link, bringing it to her mouth.

Her large eyes flicked to him, and she gave him a smile.

“What about flirting?” she asked a second before she pressed her lips around the sausage. Then she tilted her head to one side, watching him.

Well, that’s different.

And fun.

An hour later and after a quick bath to wash the sweat off, Leila finally managed to get Vince to her workshop.

Looking around the small room, he felt mildly surprised. He’d been expecting something out of the books his mother used to read to him when he wanted a scary story.

Jars filled with souls, half-decomposed bodies, and maybe a soul construct floating around.

Instead it looked just like his own study, but with far more storage.

“Come, come,” Leila said, moving quickly over to a very obvious wall safe.

“I have something in here that I was experimenting with for a while. I managed to complete it a few days ago, but it needed a bit more testing,” Leila continued. “Now seems like a good time to show it off, and what I want to do.”

“Uh huh,” Vince said, coming over to stand next to Leila. Reaching down, he lightly began to draw his fingers back and forth along her shoulders as she fiddled with her safe.

“Stop it. You make me dizzy when you touch me like that,” Leila complained, her back shuddering.

“Really? That’s kinda neat,” Vince said with a smile, drawing idle patterns along her spine.

“You’re like a living drug that I can have sex with,” Leila said. “Now stop it. I need to focus. You can bother me again tonight if I’m not sore.”

Chuckling to himself, Vince stopped and took a step back to give her space. “As the Warlock commands.”

A few seconds later, the safe popped open to reveal three strange glowing cannisters.

“These are soul prisons,” Leila said, pulling one out. “This particular one is an air spirit I captured years ago. I’ve been fiddling with it for as long as I’ve had this idea.”

Standing upright, she walked over to a table and hopped up into the chair, placing the cannister in the center.

“Now, what this is,” Leila said, pointing at the chair across from herself, “is a construct of my own devising. I’m sure you’ve heard of them before?”

Vince nodded, sliding into the chair Leila had indicated.

“This is mine. It’s a utility construct. It feeds on the mana in the area and either turns it into heat or cold air,” she said, tapping the cannister with a finger. “It’ll last indefinitely and is entirely harmless.”

Leila then pressed her hand to the top of the magical cylinder, and it vanished.

“And now I’ve set it loose,” she said with a grin, “its goal is rather simple. Adjust the ambient temperature to what a thermometer would read as seventy-four or seventy-five degrees.”

A bright white presence of what looked like ethereal mist floated between them above the table.

“It’s drinking in some of the ambient mana right now. It doesn’t take much to survive on. Nothing we’d ever notice.

“This isn’t my first construct, but it’s my most advanced. An eternal construct hasn’t been an actual thing until this moment.”

Raising his eyebrows at that, Vince was a bit in awe. What she’d just told him was that left to its own devices, this little thing would outlast even the planet.

As long as it had mana to feed on.

“And I shared it with you,” Leila said with a sappy smile on her face. “Though now I have to turn this around in the opposite direction.”

Turning his gaze back to Leila, Vince waited.

“I took the souls of those two Dragons you wanted me to. I kept them. Put them in cannisters,” Leila said, her words slow and drawn out. “I’ve been experimenting with them, just like I was this.”

She gestured at the strange spirit.

“Except the Dragon souls feed on mana in a designated area. One will patrol an area devouring mana, with the release point being the center of the circle.

“Eventually, in thousands of years and long after it’s devoured enough to exist for all time, the area it’s in will die. It will be nothing more than a desert at best, even devoid of desert creatures.

“Mana is the very essence of life, after all. Without it, nothing can survive.”

Letting out a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, Vince only had one question he wanted to know the answer to.

“Would this Dragon construct also take mana from living things?” he asked.

Leila nodded slowly, her eyes unfocused on the middle distance between herself and the wall.

“Oh yes. It’ll violently attack any living thing it finds, kill it, and drain it of all mana.

“Bunnies, mice, birds, humans, other Dragons. Doesn’t matter,” Leila said. “Kill them, drain them, go back on patrol.”

“How large is the area it’d end up… end up killing off?”

“Large. Very large. Mostly because it needs to take in so much mana. Fifty miles each, maybe? It’s a rough guess—I don’t really know. But that’s what I’d estimate.”

“In other words, one of these could wipe out a city, the villages surrounding it, and everything in the area.

“Like a giant bomb,” Vince said.

“More or less. It’d be very bad on a city. The more mana available, the faster the death toll would rise. Like fire given oxygen.”

Leila gave herself a shake and then sighed, looking at Vince with a smile.

“It wasn’t my intent to make it when I set out. But I did. I have two of them.

“And any Dragon brought to me alive can have the same result. Which is why I’ll need to go with you when you head south.”

Leaning back in his chair, Vince started thinking on it.

“Mouth and Blue will be coming. They already told me they can keep the… the pregnancy in check until we’re ready,” Leila said, meeting Vince’s gaze dead on.

Ah. So soon? I didn’t think it’d happen that quickly.

Nodding his head again, Vince then shook it.

“Alright. Pack your things. We’ll be heading for the front later today.

“Thera plans to move out immediately.”

***

Taylor turned her large horned head one way and then the other. She was staring at Leila.

“You want me to go capture a red and bring it back for you,” she clarified.

“Yes,” Leila said with a nod. “I need its soul.”

“Hm. I will do this, Warlock. Though if it is a female red, I will offer for her to join my wing first, if I feel she might fit,” Taylor said with a snuff.

Ramona was looking over Taylor’s wings with a critical eye.

“You sure you can do this?” Ramona asked in a neutral tone. “Your wings look well enough, but they do not appear completely set.”

Taylor’s draconic face looked like it was sucking on a lemon.

“No. I’m not. Which is why I’ve asked you to accompany me. With you, I feel we can easily take on three Dragons, let alone a solo on a surveying flight.”

Ramona blinked twice at that, then lowered her head down and headbutted the Dragon.

Without another word, the Dragonnewt and the Dragon turned and took off into the sky.

Must be some sort of show of understanding or affection.

Vince scratched at his cheek, then looked at the audience around him.

Mouth, Blue, Caroline, Yaris, Leila, and Red were all nearby. Everyone else had been sent out on their own duties and chores.

For better or worse, this was his traveling strike team.

Still seems weird to see Mouth in leather armor though.

As if sensing his eyes on her, the busty Dryad met his gaze and gave him a fetching smile.

Then she gave him a tiny hand wave, practically vibrating in place with energy.

And if she wasn’t so excited to be here, I think I’d try to send her back anyways.

Actually, let’s make sure she’s as trained as we can be.

“Alright, Mouth. Let’s see what you can do with that stick of yours,” Vince said suddenly. “We might be waiting a while.”

“Huh?” Mouth said, her hand on her quarter stick, bringing it up in front of herself and bouncing the end of it off her forehead. “Ow.”

Shit. I think someone might have lied to me.

“That doesn’t count,” Mouth said with a pouty frown.

Then, in a strange twist of reality, she fell in a fairly defensive position, her staff held and angled correctly towards him.

That or Mouth is just Mouth.

Time passed quickly as everyone willing took a turn sparring with Vince.

Surprisingly, Yaris managed to score a hit on him with a wooden saber.

“I think I see them,” Leila said. Her eyes had never stopped scanning the sky above them.

Vince let his blade fall out of formation, and he turned away from a panting and out-of-breath Blue.

“It does appear that way,” Vince said, immediately catching sight of a large black Dragon heading their way.

With its jaw and claws holding on to a smaller red.

Ramona was a much smaller figure, flapping along beside the Dragons.

“Guess they worked well together,” Vince said.

“I would hope so,” Caroline replied. “Considering that the offspring of a Dragon is a Dragonnewt. Mother and daughter hunting pairs do quite well in the wild.”

“By the way,” Yaris said casually—far too casually. “Since it’s likely our big friend is going to land here in a minute or so.

“This seems like a good time to bring up the fact that Felicity put in for a permanent transfer to Felix’s Legion.”

She did what?

Vince frowned for a second, then shrugged.

“That’s fine. I wish her happiness and nothing but the best. Gods above know she deserves it, and I clearly wasn’t going to be the one to give it to her,” he said.

“Oh. Alright. Then you’ll be pleased to know I already approved the transfer,” Yaris said. “Her last day was yesterday. Though I did get a final transfer approval for Mr. White in the same day.”

Felicity was a monument to efficiency and keeping things in line. I’m not sure if Brother is getting the better deal, or if I am.

Taylor landed in front of them suddenly, with a crash and spray of dirt.

“Stop struggling, fool,” she growled around the neck of the other Dragon. “You’ll just make this worse.”

The red Dragon struggled for a second more, then fell limp onto the ground beneath Taylor.

Letting go of its neck, she stomped down with her back leg onto its shoulders.

“We caught this one on its way in,” Taylor said. “Not a female, so no use to the wing.”

“I can join a wing? I don’t mind! I’m more than happy to be an omega,” said the Dragon.

Taylor huffed at that and leaned into the other Dragon.

“Only room for one male in my wing,” Taylor growled.

Ramona dropped in and landed lightly next to the other two Dragons.

“From what we could gather on the way back, their orders are fairly simple.

“Observe, do not engage, report back. They’re being used as no-risk scouts,” Ramona said, then flashed Vince a feral grin. “Or at least, no risk until now.”

Vince unsheathed his blade and made his way over to the red Dragon’s chest.

His hatred for Dragons had mostly dissipated with Ramona’s return.

He wasn’t about to look down on a power boost, though.

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, man’s gotta eat.

“What? What are you doing?” the Dragon asked.

“I can interrogate him after,” Leila said, a purple rope coming to life between her hands.

Spinning out between her fingers, it grew longer and thicker with each passing second.

“After? After what?” the Dragon asked. “After what!?”

The red started to visibly thrash against Taylor’s crushing weight on its back.

This isn’t… right. Is it?

But this is war. And this is what we have to do to get them to leave us alone.

To get them to realize they can’t attack us.

Take from us.

Kill our people.

Leila’s glowing rope of soul-sucking evil flipped out of her hands.

It speared right through the Dragon’s chest. The Dragon fell limp to the ground, unmoving.

Then the rope became taut and Leila started pulling it back towards herself, hand over hand.

Then a squirming, writhing, miniature white Dragon popped free of the red’s body. It was wrapped up in the chains, being inexorably drawn to Leila.

“You can do it now,” she said between gritted teeth as she kept pulling the very obvious soul closer to herself.

Taking that as his cue, Vince slashed at the Dragon’s chest. Scales popped and sprayed out from the strike.

As he brought the sword back around the other way, a massive gaping wound appeared.

Sheathing his blade, Vince went shoulders deep into the cavity with his hunting knife.

Ten seconds later, he came back out with a massive chunk of pulsing Dragon heart.

Looking around at everyone, he realized they were staring at him.

Frowning, he took a bite from the bloody organ and then started to walk back to his tent.

He’d much rather eat in private. Not to mention he was certain it was going to get everywhere.

Always such a messy meal. Suppose I could go about it in a different way, but… who’s to say it wouldn’t lose some of its power?

Red trotted up beside him, her face pressed into what he presumed was a hunk of Dragon heart.

Lifting her head up, she gave him a bloody-toothed grin.

Her face was plastered with red blood. Going from her chin all the way to her eyes.

“Bringer was right! Dragon is very delicious,” she said, nodding her head. “Red is quite happy with it. Though Red still prefers eating from Vince.”

Lifting her pinky nail, she wedged it between two of her teeth and started working at something.

“It’s much easier to eat as well. Doesn’t get stuck between my teeth,” Red said. “Not that I’m complaining about a free meal.

“I never imagined it’d be so… rich.”

Red’s entire pitch and timbre had started to change. Going much higher and sounding far more feminine.

Then she gave herself a rough shake, a frown visible on her face.

“Red. Red is Red. Red is no more that woman,” she said, her voice dropping into its normal tone again.

And what happens when your memories finally return in full?

Chapter 31

“Red wants to know why we’re still waiting,” whined the Beastkin. “Why aren’t we going toward our foe and tearing out their throats? We should be fighting them.”

Red’s speech pattern had returned to normal, though the pitch of her voice had taken on that distinctively more feminine quality.

Permanently, it seemed.

To Vince, it seemed to fit her appearance more than previously.

He’d never tell her that, of course. It was obvious to everyone she wanted nothing to do with her previous self.

“Because we’re waiting for the signal, you silly thing,” Mouth said, idly scratching Red behind the ears. “Be patient. Just remember you can demand a meal from Vince as soon as the battle is over.

“Right?”

Red grunted and turned her head into Mouth’s hand, moving Mouth’s scratching fingers to where she wanted them.

“You’re right. Red thanks you, Mouth.”

When did she let Mouth start petting her? She didn’t used to like anyone touching her at all.

More so than Taylor, even.

Catching his inquisitive look, the Dryad gave him a wide, knowing smile. Tilting her head to one side, she watched him but said nothing.

Sighing, Vince looked back to the cliffs in front of them. They were impressively tall. Tall and foreboding, with enemies and guns at the top.

Personally, he agreed with Red. He’d rather be engaging already instead of waiting.

“Thera gave us our orders and was quite clear,” Caroline said from her place atop Taylor, wearing the same armor from her last ride on the Dragon. “There’s no reason for us to disobey simply for the sake of impatience.

“Even if I do agree it’s annoying.”

This time, Caroline had also brought along a large rifle. She’d belted it around her middle and through the saddle, so it couldn’t get away from her regardless of what Taylor was doing. Attached to it was a massive box magazine fed by another at her hip.

I wonder if that’s a Mr. White special. Might be. He tends to enjoy creating one-offs he can mass produce afterward.

Caroline looked rather strange to Vince’s eye.

An Elf.

Riding a Dragon.

In plate mail.

Wearing a rifle.

A strange mishmash of old world and new world, and something else entirely.

Taylor snorted at Caroline’s words. “Just send me, Ramona, and my rider in, and we can handle it by ourselves.

“Nothing would be left standing.”

Your rider? When did that happen? You haven’t even known each other for very long at all.

Vince felt like he was suddenly losing track of everyone’s personal relationships.

Not that it was a problem—but he felt he was slowly losing awareness of his family.

Caroline chortled and then patted the big black on the back with loud thumping strikes of her palm.

“We could very easily kill a good many of them and damage the artillery.

“Our orders are to capture them if possible. Destruction is only secondary,” said the Elf soothingly. “Which means we need help, since we’d be hard-pressed to preserve the guns, now wouldn’t we?”

Ramona shrugged, her wings stretching out behind her. “Either way, it’ll be good to be in a fight again. More so in a situation where we’re being utilized for our abilities.

“I’m quite pleased that Thera found a role for us as a group. I feared we’d be stuck to the back lines again.”

At Ramona’s mentioning of the group, Vince felt the immediate need for a mental attendance list.

For perhaps the twentieth time, he looked at each person around him and reviewed their general goals.

That and the simple fact that they were here.

Mouth and Blue for support.

Yaris and Leila for magical artillery.

Taylor, Ramona, and Caroline to break the enemy formation and keep Dragons out of the air.

Red and myself as clean-up and follow-through.

“Checking again? There’s really no need. We’re not going to simply vanish, you know,” Mouth asked. She’d managed to close in on him after he’d counted her. “Or are you still wondering about everyone else?”

“Uhm, a bit of both,” Vince admitted, turning his head back to the cliff face.

Far up above, he could faintly hear the gun crews getting ready to fire down on Thera’s army.

“You’re a very interesting man, Vincent Campbell. We all love you in our own ways, as well,” Mouth said, linking her arm in his. “However, we are not little dolls that run around worrying over you all day.

“And recently, with the death of some of our number, those bonds strengthened.”

Mouth pursed her lips as she considered what to say next.

“Many of us spend quite a bit of time apart from you. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am to spend all my time at your side.

“As an example, Caroline and Taylor found that when they worked together last time, they were fairly unstoppable. From what I hear, they practically slaughtered the enemy without even a concern.

“A Snow Elf can modify heat, which a Dragon’s fire would undoubtedly count as. Not to mention, they can fly as high as they like and she can keep herself perfectly warm. I hear it’s quite cold the higher you go.

“Though as far as Elves go, the Snow Elves are nowhere near as martial as the Wood or Dark variety of their kind.

“She relies on the Dragon to keep them safe.”

Vince nodded, laying his free hand over Mouth’s forearm. “In other words, they filled each other’s gaps and find it preferable to work together rather than alone.”

“Just so. Well, that and they seem to share a dislike for Yaris.

“As for Red and myself… well… after transferring her meals over to her for as many years as I did… it just kinda happened.

“It’s not a sexual relationship, mind you. She wants to cuddle if she’s mad at you, or if you’re with someone she isn’t particularly fond of,” Mouth said with a shrug. “Only me, Mel, Elysia, and Blue now play with each other when you’re not around.”

“Using the earlier example of Yaris, it does go both ways,” Mouth said. She could be quite the chatter box if no one stopped her or there wasn’t anything going on. “There are those who simply want nothing to do with one another.

“Caroline and Yaris will probably never see eye to eye, though they do have a healthy respect for one another. Yet the other Elves seem to prefer to be around Yaris.

“I personally think it’s because Yaris can’t seem to assert her Royal Elf influence over Caroline as well as she can everyone else. Then again—”

The sound of distant horns from the west cut Mouth short.

“Poo,” said the Dryad. Reaching over, she pulled Vince down by his collar and kissed him firmly. “Be safe. Don’t get hurt if you don’t have to. Blue has a decent ability to heal others, as does Yaris, but even still, there’s no point in testing the heavens.”

Patting him on the cheek once, Mouth moved off to join Blue, Yaris, and Leila.

A large clawed hand encircled him and then picked him up off the ground.

He was hoisted up in front of Taylor’s face, with Red in her other hand next to Vince.

“Are you two ready?” Taylor asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” Vince said with a smirk.

“Red hates flying. Red hates flying. Red hates flying,” muttered Red as some sort of mantra.

“I don’t think she’s ready,” Caroline said.

“She just really doesn’t like flying,” Ramona said. “Red, it’s ok, alright? This is just a very short trip. It’s not anything like the long trips we used to take, ok?”

“Short. Very short?” Red asked.

“Very, very short. Less than a minute,” Ramona said.

“Ok. Red can do that. Red still doesn’t like flying,” she mumbled.

A short, single note caught their attention.

“Time to go,” Taylor said, then leapt into the air.

“Red hates flying!” screeched the Beastkin as they took off into the air.

Vince was facing the wrong way, unfortunately. All he could see was the rest of the team loading up onto a disc made of air by Leila.

“Sorry about that,” Taylor said as she turned her wrist, orienting Vince on their attack point.

Laid out on top of the bluff were at least a hundred old-tech artillery pieces.

They were all pointing in the same direction and seemed completely focused on their task.

Aiming at the soldiers of Yosemite.

Unless they could break the Tri-lliance’s defensive line here, Thera would end up bogged down.

To follow through the plan of sweeping their flank, they had to start here with the artillery. Simply put, they had far too much range and accuracy to be left alone.

“Going to drop you on top of that first crew,” Taylor said. Her voice was loud, having to compete with the wind as it whipped by them and the sound of her wings popping through the air.

“Red is ready!” cried the Beastkin, seemingly eager to no longer be in the air, even if that meant falling.

Despite having flown for a considerable distance at full speed, they were already on the first gun-crew.

Taylor opened her claws as she pulled up into a steep climb.

Even as he fell through the air, Vince pulled his blade out.

Below him, six men were all fixated on their guns’ sights.

Slashing out with his blade at the loader next to him as he landed, Vince took the first kill. Turning, he charged the two other loaders, who were staring at him with astonished faces.

As he thrust out with his blade, it slipped easily through the leather jerkin the man was wearing.

The last loader fell on his ass, holding his hands up in front of himself.

Vince drew his handgun from the holster and fired a single shot. It went through the man’s hands and into his head, his body going limp.

Lifting the gun and turning to assess the threats, Vince found there were none.

Red was just standing up as he turned. Her hands were bloody, and the fallen forms of the gunner, surveyor, and NCO were piled up around her.

“Next gun,” she said, setting off at a sprint for the closest gun nearby.

The six men there had noticed what was going on at the first gun, however.

By the time Vince and Red arrived, they had drawn weapons and looked as if they were ready for combat.

Vince lifted his left hand and fired twelve rounds in rapid succession.

Each round struck roughly center mass. Two rounds per man.

Heart or lungs, either way.

Reaching the cannon, Vince looked at the soldiers. Four of the men were writhing on the ground—two had already gone still.

Walking up to each of the four men, Vince paused long enough to put a single shot into each of their heads.

Ejecting the magazine, he checked it.

Three? No thanks.

Flicking his finger through the lips of the magazine feed, he pushed the final rounds out.

Then he dropped down next to a man with blood pouring out of a head wound.

Holding the magazine to the fountain that seemed to surge with what Vince would guess were heartbeats, he waited.

It filled up quickly.

Not worrying about what it’d do to the gun, he jammed the magazine home.

She did say it’d maintain itself, after all.

He looked around and saw two more guns nearby.

Red was already at one, clawing through the six men as if they were nothing but tissue paper standing in her way.

“She’s got that,” Vince said, and turned toward the second gun.

A purple ball of soul-scorching flame dropped on both it and the men.

The shriek of metal expanding and a shell going off immediately drowned out the screams of the dying.

Looking back, Vince found Leila, Yaris, Blue, and Mouth watching him.

Leila was seated on the ground, her eyes closed tightly.

“How many more does that leave?” Yaris asked.

“Not sure. There weren’t that many up here. I don’t even know where Taylor and Ramona ended up either, considering there’s an obvious lack of cannons.

“Maybe we overestimated how many cannons they had up here,” Vince said, looking around.

There were no other artillery pieces nearby.

“No, Taylor surveyed the area personally,” Mouth said with a shake of her head. “If they’re not here, they moved them elsewhere. But it’s only been a day. Where could they have moved them to?”

“Dunno, but we’ll need to find them. Otherwise they’ll start ripping into our people. Any chance you can go nice and high up to take a look, Leila?”

“No. I’m spent. I over-cast on that spell, but one of them had a gun and was pointing it at you,” Leila said, her head hanging down.

“Doesn’t leave much of a choice for us then. If—”

Ramona landed with a whump in front of him.

“Vince! They must have spotted us when we spied out this area. The guns are all gone,” she said. “I already found where they went, too.”

“Huh? Alright. Where’s Taylor? She can ca—”

“She’s fighting a Dragon that came to see what was going on.

“We need to go, now,” Ramona said. “Like we used to, without the harness.”

Vince groaned and then sheathed his sword and holstered his sidearm.

Stepping in close to Ramona, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, then hopped and wrapped his legs around her waist.

“Let’s get it over wi—ieeaeaaa!” Vince got out as Ramona launched off from the ground.

Staring down over Ramona’s shoulder, he could see the magical support group watching him in return.

Ramona’s arms were tight around him, her fingers digging into him.

“They found a little hill that overlooks the middle of the field,” Ramona said, her mouth close to his ear. “We won’t be able to stay long, I think, before they start trying to run us down.

“Taylor is planning on doing a breath-of-fire run when she gets back.”

Hoping she’d make it back, as the alternative seemed rather grim, Vince could only nod his head.

Channeling the magic into his body to flood his veins, he could feel the rage starting up.

Controlling it and converting it to an asset was one of his best abilities. It gave him a near-limitless strength and energy.

Even if it did sap him to the point of passing out afterward and ignoring wounds.

Need to be quick. Quick and vicious. The more crews I kill, the more guns I knock out, the better off we are.

“Going in!” Ramona called as her wings folded slightly and she pitched them into a dive.

Vince growled at the situation, not liking it one bit, as red pulsing anger flashed over his vision.

“Now!” Ramona called, her wings flaring out.

Vince let go and tucked tightly into a ball.

Hitting the turf, he bounced several times, rolling across the grass, before he simply popped up and unholstered his pistol.

Sighting it at the closest enemies, he began to pull the trigger. Unable to keep as much control this time, he ended up pulling it several times per enemy. Going through his ammo much faster.

Not bothering to keep count of what he had, since it wouldn’t be enough anyway, Vince moved to the next closest crew.

Stepping over the writhing bodies of the dying crew, Vince released the magazine.

Snatching it as it left the handle, he slipped it into its place on his belt.

Pulling another magazine free, he slammed it home and lifted the barrel of the gun up again.

Before he got up on them, he began to squeeze the trigger. The pounding of his temples demanded he kill more of them.

More and more of them, until there were no Tri-lliance members left.

To drown them all in a sea of blood and turn their cities into pyramids of bones.

The slide at the top of the gun locked back as the last crewman dropped to the ground.

Turning immediately, Vince started to head straight to another cannon. Exchanging another magazine, he racked the slide.

The six gunners took off running, not bothering to fight him or to protect the cannon.

Frustrated and not really able to do anything about it, Vince glared angrily at the shells near the gun.

Focusing on the necklace Leila had made him as a channel, Vince tried to focus his magical energy into the shells.

And they detonated, bathing everything in shrapnel and fire.

Spinning in place, Vince began to rapidly target every shell he could lay his eyes on. Immediately, he focused magical energy into them.

Shells began to detonate almost the very moment he laid eyes on them.

Sprinting forward, Vince didn’t bother trying to engage the crews anymore. He focused his entire being on locating the shells and blowing everything up.

What felt like only a minute later, Ramona was there.

“We need to go, now!” she said.

In a fraction of a second, the red rage in Vince’s mind shut off. Grasping hold of Ramona just as he’d done earlier, he braced himself.

A powerful flap of her wings and they were airborne again.

Looking down to the landscape below, Vince could see smoking craters, fires, and people running around in every direction.

But many more guns were still manned. Manned and actively firing.

“We didn’t get them all,” Vince muttered.

“No, but we got a great many of them,” Ramona called back. “And Taylor is fine, before you start worrying.”

Vince blinked at that, realizing he had indeed started worrying about the fact that he couldn’t remember Taylor showing up.

Letting his mind blank out, Vince hung onto Ramona as they flew back to the rear echelon of Thera’s army.

Unable to tear his eyes away from the guns even as they faded into little more than specks, he watched them.

Watched them as they fired unceasingly.

Chapter 32

Ramona landed with a thud, the impact fairly gentle but still managing to break Vince’s tenuous hold on her.

Slipping free of her like an unrestrained sack of potatoes, he slid to the ground and landed on his ass.

“Ow,” Vince mumbled, not moving from the spot.

“Is he ok?” asked Thera from somewhere behind him.

Ramona appeared in front of him, her eyes peering into his face. Her lizard-like pupils focused in on him, rapidly shrinking in size and then expanding again.

“Yes, just tired. From what it looked like, he was finally channeling his magic like Leila and Yaris wanted him to,” Ramona said as she stood back up out of his view.

“He was what?” Thera asked.

“Using magic. To blow up shells. They just… started going off.

“Anyways, he’s fine. Just spent. I’m here to report in about the situation first and foremost,” Ramona said.

As if the comment snapped her back to her senses, Vince actually heard Thera straighten up.

“Please do so.”

“We took the cliffs. Captured nine or so pieces.

“There were no others up there. They’d all been moved to another location, which was determined to be behind the center of the line,” Ramona said.

Vince turned his head a bit to the side. Looking out across the field, far out and away, he could see the soldiers of Yosemite clashing directly with the Tri-lliance.

Without his superior eyesight, he doubted he’d have been able to see it.

The lines of battle have been drawn and acted on.

“…dropped Vince in and went to the other side of the encampment to work my way towards him.

“In doing so, I would estimate we eliminated sixty percent of the guns between the two of us.

“Though we were unable to accomplish our mission completely.”

“I’d say you completed it to the best of your ability, given that the conditions changed. When I told you to capture or put them out of action, that was based on the idea that they were all on the cliffs,” Thera said.

Her voice sounded amused to Vince. Amused but sincere.

I wonder what she thinks of picking up after Petra.

Petra.

Suddenly standing up instead of sitting there thinking of the soldier ant, Vince felt like his legs were made of rubber.

“Vince, what are you doing?” Ramona asked, appearing at his side.

“Needed to stand up,” he said, turning to face Thera.

Ramona stepped in close, her tail coming up to wrap around his middle as one of her arms slid around his shoulders.

With a gentle tug, she pulled him into her side.

“Hm. Well, good work. Take some time for yourselves.

“If this battle goes the way I expect, we’ll be heading south after this. There’s a rather large city I think they’ll make a break for. I think it’s either Arandas or Leon. One is a ruin, the other isn’t. I can’t remember right now which is which.

“We’ll be pushing our lead elements in that direction to try and turn them away from it, but otherwise, I think it’ll be a skirmish-and-flank set of maneuvers for a while,” Thera said.

Vince and Ramona stood unmoving.

“Perhaps you two best go sit down, or I’ll inform Mouth on her return of just how poorly you’re doing. Then you can be mothered to death before she beds you,” Thera said with a wide smile. “Unless you’d prefer that?”

“Going now,” Ramona said, dragging Vince off to the side. “Besides, we need to go see Taylor. I saw her on our way in.”

“You saw her?”

“Yeah. I can kinda understand why she didn’t come back now, too.

“Don’t bother to ask, I’ll not spoil it.”

Vince hadn’t even considered asking what it was.

Tired. I want to sleep.

Before it felt like he’d even finished that thought, they were standing in front of Taylor.

Kneeling in front of her was a young woman with red horns coming out of her head.

Vince couldn’t really focus on her face and couldn’t make out the details too well. She looked like she had blond hair and blue eyes, but that was as far as his mind could manage.

“Another for our wing,” Taylor said. “This one is Vivian. Now give your word to him, or we can pull your soul and heart out and you can be on your way to death.”

“I give myself entirely to you and your wing! On my Dragon’s Word!” the woman said loudly, immediately.

“Great, welcome. Don’t fuck up,” Vince said, feeling the strange tingling that Dragon oaths gave him. “Going to bed now. Bye.”

Turning his head, he pushed his forehead up to Ramona’s.

“Ramona, put me to bed.”

“Ah… of course.”

***

Thera sighed and scratched at her head in a very non-Petra-like way.

Maybe she’s finally getting more comfortable with herself not being Petra.

“They asked for you personally, Vince. I don’t like it, but I need you to do it. If we can secure Arandas, we can secure a second lifeline for ourselves and put a garrison in it.

“That’d close up any type of problem I’d have with leaving them behind us as we march onward,” she said.

“Yeah, I get it. I just don’t really like it,” Vince said with a shrug. Turning to face his team, he mentally sorted them out into those who would survive an ambush and those who wouldn’t

“Red, Taylor, Ramona, Yaris, Caroline, you’re all with me. Everyone else, just get some rest or go help the wounded if you feel like you want to contribute,” he said.

The team separated into two without much in the way of conversation. Those remaining left to go about whatever it was they had originally planned to do before Thera had called them in urgently.

“Can we fly in?” Taylor asked, coming to stand next to him.

“No. I don’t think they’d like that very much,” Vince said. Looking to Thera, he nodded. “Unless you have anything else to add, General, we’ll be setting off.”

“Nothing of any import,” Thera said with a smirk. “Just be careful. The main body of their army kept moving south, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have agents in the city.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve got a few of the shields on me,” Vince said, his hand moving to his belt. “See ya later then.”

Turning toward the road, Vince settled into a decent pace.

An hour later, they could see the city up ahead.

It looked very similar to Vegas. A wall around the city proper, with what looked like buildings squished in on top of much older ones.

Everything just had a thrown-together quality that Vince couldn’t shake no matter which way he looked at it.

“Strange city,” Taylor said. “It looks like Yosemite, if one were to look at it from a species point of view, but it isn’t.

“Or so it looked from the air.”

“We felt the same about Vegas when we first took control of it,” Vince admitted. “They’re going for most of the same goals we are, but they seem to have a problem with corruption.”

“It’s how far out they are,” Yaris said with a head shake. “The further they get from their seat of power, the worse it gets. I spoke with Duke Heint about it. I was curious about the Tri-lliance when I first joined you all.

“Apparently it’s the Dragons themselves. They have a tendency to want to create their own seats of power in the cities they run.”

Taylor snorted at that. “Stupid reds. Always pushing for more power.”

“Now if it were only something so much easier, like hoarding gold,” Vince said in a dry tone.

“Exactly! Gold is so much easier to rule over than people or other Dragons,” Taylor said enthusiastically.

Ramona sighed and pressed a hand to her temple.

“Why did you ask me and Taylor to join you on this? It’s a political mission. We could just as easily remain outside the walls.

“Red could stay with us, too.”

“Red would like that. Red will stay outside the walls with the Dragons and—”

“No. You’re all coming with me because I honestly need you three in case this goes sideways.”

“And us?” Caroline asked, indicating the Royal Elf next to her.

“You’re better diplomats than I am,” Vince said honestly.

“A favor couched in a compliment,” Yaris said dismissively.

“Very,” Caroline agreed.

Vince shrugged. At the same time, he looked up at the top of the wall and came to a stop.

“Ho, the gate. Are you going to let us in or should we just turn around and head back the other way?” Vince called.

Yaris sighed and covered her eyes with a hand. Caroline immediately looked to the ground in front of her.

“Red thinks you should let the Elves talk from here on out,” Red said.

Before Vince could respond, the gate made a loud, cracking noise and then began to swing inward.

“Ah, yes, Vince, Lord of Yosemite,” said an excitable Lizardman running up to him.

It was probably the thinnest and smallest Lizardman Vince had ever seen.

Different species, maybe?

“I am Hit. I’m on the council for Arandas. I’m afraid the local Dragon has been missing for a bit now, and the human councilor fled!” said the Lizardman.

“Uh, would she have been traveling north towards the battlefield?” Vince asked.

“Ah, yes! Her name is Vivian,” Hit said. “Did you perhaps encounter her?”

“If we did, it’s probable we killed her. We’ve killed a number of red Dragons. Anyways,” Vince said, trying to clear the subject quickly. He was no good at lying. “You asked for me, I’m here. What do you want?”

“To hold a feast in your honor, of course! I’ve also taken the liberty of finding the prettiest of the humans in the city and bringing them into the castle for you!

“Come, come. This way,” Hit said, practically hopping back toward the gate.

Vince wanted to sigh.

More than that, he wanted to leave and just go back to his tent.

“We’d be delighted to accept your offer,” Yaris said, moving after the Lizardman. “I’m Yaris, Queen of Yosemite.

“And this is one of my sisters, Caroline.”

Huh. Guess they formally took in Caroline. Unsurprising, since they took in Yaris, too.

Vince forced one foot in front of the other and followed the Elves and the Lizardman.

“Red thinks this is going to be stupid. Stupid and a bad idea,” Red muttered.

“Ha. Taylor agrees,” said the Dragon, staring at Red with a wide grin.

“You mock Red?”

“A little. Why?”

Red stared back at Taylor, then gave her a feral grin, her canines showing. “Red likes you. Dragons taste good, too.”

“So do Beastkin,” Taylor said back, smiling in return.

Then they both started laughing.

“I once wondered if I would have been better off as a full Dragon,” Ramona said softly at his side. “I no longer wonder about that.

“At all.

“And I’m quite happy to have a human’s soul.”

***

Sitting at a too-large table surrounded by women he had no need or wish for, Vince was the center of a feast he wanted no part in.

Caroline and Yaris had managed to corner Hit and were working him over for everything Thera needed. Both Elves had sacrificed Vince in a heartbeat so they could get Hit to themselves.

Red, Taylor, and Ramona were posted up throughout the hall, but were more or less remaining out of his immediate sight.

Leaning forward, Vince put his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his palms.

The most he’d done this evening was eat everything put in front of him.

One dish after another.

So far he hadn’t been poisoned, which was a plus.

The women around him nattered on about one thing or the other, and the men nearby attempted to tell him stories about whatever it was they did.

All in all, Vince was bored and didn’t bother to hide it.

“Ah, here you are, Lord. We made this special, just for you. It’s a delicacy down here in the south. Very expensive to make, and never more than a bowl or so,” said a waitress, setting down a soup bowl in between Vince’s elbows. “It’s best eaten hot, so I recommend trying it now before it cools at all.”

“Oh?” Vince said, looking down at the soup.

Eating is at least something to do.

Picking up his spoon, Vince was about to take a sip when he paused.

They finally going to try and poison me? I wonder if it’s something I’ve eaten before.

After all the poisons mom fed me, though, I can’t imagine there being a single one out there that’d work.

With a mental shrug, and almost too bored to care, Vince dipped his spoon in and immediately upended it into his mouth.

There was a slight tingle on his tongue that reminded him of his mother’s cooking.

A distinct taste he had almost forgotten.

Oh, so it’s poisoned after all. Huh.

Better roll with it for now. They’ll expect me to drop dead later tonight, I bet.

At least it tastes alright otherwise.

As gently as he could, Vince slipped a forced thought into Caroline and Yaris.

It was a simple one.

Poisoned food.

Both Elves froze for a second.

Yaris was the first to respond, gently dabbing a napkin to her lips and laying it down beside her plate, then turning fully in her chair towards Hit.

A beat later and Caroline nearly did the exact same thing.

Methodically, Vince worked his way to the bottom of the bowl and then let his spoon clank into it.

“Ah. That was delicious, but I feel as if I might have eaten too much tonight on the whole,” he said, standing up. “I do hope you’ll excuse me, but I think I’d like to go lay down and sleep some of this off. It’s a terrible misfortune to be a lightweight eater.”

Not bothering to wait for them to respond, Vince made his way to the nearest exit.

Taylor and Red fell in beside him, flanking him as he went. Ramona moved over to stand behind the two Elves, taking up that duty.

No sooner had they’d cleared the feast into an adjoining hallway than Red turned to look at him.

“Red wants to know what you’re doing. That was obvious and strange,” said the Beastkin.

“Really?” Vince asked.

“Yes. Even to me, who is unfamiliar with all the courtesies humans seem to enjoy, that felt odd.”

“Oh, that’s probably a good thing, then. Pretty sure that last course they dropped on me was poisoned,” Vince said after checking to make sure they were alone.

Turning on his heel, he marched off to the rear of the small keep. Their rooms had been put there for them to rest in, and he planned to keep his enemies guessing.

“Poison? Really?” Taylor asked.

“I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure. I suppose we’ll find out in the morning. They’ll either be surprised when I show up, or not,” Vince said idly.

“Vince, wait,” came a hiss from behind.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Caroline, Yaris, and Red chasing after him.

Huh?

Before they managed to reach him, several men and women came out of a suddenly opened door with weapons in hand.

The group of people, dressed in Tri-lliance colors, looked at Vince as he looked back at him.

They seemed as surprised to find him here as he did them.

What the hell?

Caroline stepped forward and then doused them all in a wave of fire. She’d laid it out at head level, the thick flames washing over faces and shoulders as it went.

Splashing through the doorway as well, it vanished into the area beyond it.

After the roaring inferno cleared, Red moved forward and stomped her booted foot down on a man’s head, cracking it open.

“Suppose that answers that question. Poison was more than likely used, but they used something quick and were hoping to catch you all as I died.

“Or so the thought goes,” Vince said as Red systematically killed the others in the hall.

Screams coming from the area the soldiers had come from made it clear there were more of them out there.

Red looked like she wanted to go and finish them off as well.

“Let’s find a wall that’s on the perimeter of the keep. We’ll smash it down and just get the hell out of here,” Vince said.

“This wall, then,” Yaris said, pointing at one at the end of the hallway. “It runs along the western side.”

“Great. After me, then,” Vince said.

Settling into a jog, then a run, and finally a sprint, Vince was on a crash course with said stone wall.

Wrapping himself up in his magic, forcing the rage to flare up from the pit of his soul, he imagined crashing straight through the wall.

Only did this with a door back in Vegas. That was something like three Dragon hearts ago though.

I wonder if this is a bad idea or a—

Tucking his shoulder at the last second, Vince tried to smash a doorway into the wall.

It wasn’t until he tripped over the rubble and went skidding through the debris and grass that he realized he’d succeeded.

Coughing, he fanned at his face as bits of stone, mortar, and dirt stuck to him.

“Goodness,” Yaris said, peering at him from the broken stone wall.

“Move it, Elf,” Taylor said, shoving the woman out of the way.

Bouncing through the hole, Taylor pulled her jacket off and flicked it off towards where Vince lay on the ground.

Immediately, she started to transform into her Dragon.

“Going to be a rough flight without a saddle,” Caroline said.

“Won’t work,” Ramona said, helping Yaris to her feet.

“What?” Taylor asked, sounding rather annoyed.

Vince managed to stop coughing and got to his feet, picking up Taylor’s jacket as he did so.

“She’s right, it won’t. You’ll just get ripped off her back.

“Taylor, you and Ramona get out of here and head back to Thera. Tell her what happened.

“Yaris, Caroline, and I will find another way out,” Vince said.

“That’s easier than you think,” Yaris said, pointing over his shoulder. “We’ll rush the gate over there. We can get out quicker than they’ll realize we’re escaping.”

“Perfect. We’ll do that. Go,” Vince said as he started moving to the gate.

Taylor and Ramona audibly took off behind him as he and the Elves made their own move.

Yaris passed him at a rapid sprint, her braided hair flapping out behind her as she went.

Turning sideways, she made a strange gesture with her hand and then lobbed what looked like a blue ball of fire ahead of herself.

Sailing through the air, it smashed into the door, coating it in blue flame.

Then it exploded. Bright blue and angry, the entire gate was enveloped in the cloud.

So powerful was the blast, it sent bits of body parts, stone, and wood in every direction.

Shielding his face, Vince looked away.

“Gods be damned, Yaris!” he cried.

Looking back at the city, he saw Ramona and Taylor rapidly heading towards the Yosemite encampment.

The bell tower in the town center flung open its doors as they passed it and a ballista bolt flew out.

Two more ballistas were revealed as the gate tower doors opened as well.

Damn. Of course Dragons would prepare a city for a Dragon attack.

Didn’t even think about it. We just assumed they didn’t have any because we didn’t see it.

Taylor dodged the first one by sheer luck.

Ramona pumped her wings hard and simply went skyward. As a Dragonnewt, she was much more agile than Taylor.

The second ballista fired and the bolt went high, sailing over Ramona’s shoulder.

The third went through her wing and Taylor dropped out of the air, crashing down back into Arandas.

Chapter 33

“Get out of here and back to Thera!” Vince called out as he spun around to face the location where Taylor had gone down. “And tell Leila I want a Dragon Soul Bomb!”

Sprinting down the side of the keep, Vince peeled off to the far side and moved down a small alley.

With any luck, more guards will head for the tower than where Taylor went down.

Right?

Vince ran at full speed, not caring a damn for anyone who might see him.

He had to get to Taylor and try to get her off somewhere safe as quickly as possible.

The sooner he could get there, the better.

Relying on his sense of direction perfected in the Wastes, Vince flew out of the alley and turned down a street.

As his boots pounded the stones, he did all he could to keep his mental orientation on Taylor.

Cornering a bend in the road at full speed, he blasted through a young woman and sent her sprawling to one side.

Not pausing for even a glance, Vince ran on.

He could now faintly hear the sounds of what sounded like fighting, lining up with where he felt Taylor should be.

The sudden ground-rumbling and bone-jarring roar made any concern he had about her immediately pointless.

Pulling his hand gun from its holster, he flipped the safety off with his thumb.

Practically skidding around another corner, Vince laid eyes on the crash site.

Taylor had smashed through one building and blasted into the front of another.

She was standing in her Dragon form in the middle of the road. On all sides of her, what looked like city guard were wielding spears and shields.

Leaning back, Taylor sucked in a deep breath and then let fire loose over several men.

At the same time, the other guards stabbed at her with their weapons.

While Vince didn’t think it likely they’d score a hit, he didn’t plan on risking it.

Raising up the pistol, Vince sighted the closest guard and fired twice. Moving to the next in line, he pulled the trigger twice more.

The cracks of the rounds felt like explosions in the small street with closely packed buildings.

Several guards turned to face him as he came down on them. Vince did his best to line them up quickly and fire, but he’d underestimated the reach of those spears.

One guard got close enough to jab out at him, the spear tip flashing.

Twisting to one side in a shallow dodge, Vince went around Taylor the other way instead.

Having turned her targets into nothing but char, Taylor was now starting to swing around to face more enemies at her side.

Finding two more on this side of Taylor, Vince quickly targeted them and put three rounds in each.

Making his way back around the other way to where Taylor was now facing, he arrived just in time to watch her spit out a chewed-up guard.

“That all of them?” Vince asked, his voice sounding rather hollow to his ears.

“Yes, but what are you doing here?” Taylor asked, her head swiveling around to stare at him.

“Questions later—shift into your human skin. We need to go,” Vince said, unwinding her jacket from his left arm.

“I don’t—”

“Shift now!” Vince shouted at her.

Taylor blinked and then immediately became her humanoid self.

Thrusting the jacket at her, Vince looked down both sides of the street.

Shrugging into the coat, Taylor slipped the buttons into place. Before he could even get her moving, she wobbled.

One hand came up to her brow as she reached out for the wall on her other side. Which was about five feet further than she thought it was.

Moving in under her grasping left arm, Vince pulled it across his shoulders.

“Time to go. They’re more than likely sealing the gates, so we need to hunker down for a bit and convince them we’re already gone,” Vince said.

Holstering his handgun, he glanced at her horns. Frowning, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.

They’d stand out no matter what. The scales were a bit easier to hide.

Pulling Taylor to the shattered entryway of the building she’d landed in, Vince looked around.

One of the interior walls of what looked like an apartment had been blown away.

Moving her inside, he sat her down in a chair and then quickly searched the adjoining rooms.

Upending a dresser in a bedroom, he found a shirt he could try to turn into a headwrap of some sort.

Snatching a large peasant cassock, he quickly pulled it down over his head.

Darting past Taylor, Vince went into the street and pressed the shirt into a large pool of blood. Picking it up, he gave it a quick once-over.

“That’ll do, I guess.”

Moving back to Taylor, he wrapped the bloody garment around her horns and pulled it tight.

The massive red splotch on it certainly made it look less questionable as headgear, more like a bandage.

Pulling Taylor up from the bed, he grabbed hold of her arm and dragged it around his shoulder again.

“I’m cold,” Taylor murmured.

“Not much we can do about that right now.

“Now tell me, how bad are you wounded? And are you bleeding, or—” Vince cut his own question short as he hustled her out of the building and back onto the road.

“In human form? It hurts. Like someone pulled off an arm. But it isn’t something that needs tending immediately.

“As to the severity. Looks like I won’t be flying for a while again.

“It’d just healed, too.”

“Uh huh, better than dead,” Vince said as they hobbled up to an intersection.

Would they think we’d head to the gate? Do we head deeper? Back to the keep, maybe?

Moving towards the keep, Vince kept Taylor going as quick as he could.

Faster than he expected, soldiers were running up to him.

Gritting his teeth, Vince turned his head partly into Taylor’s face and started to exaggerate a winded and wounded demeanor.

Pointing back the way he’d come, he tried to avoid making eye contact entirely.

“Dragon! Isa big black’un!” he squealed.

Not waiting to check him one way or another, the soldiers went off the way Vince had indicated.

Not tempting that one again.

Pulling Taylor by the elbow, Vince gave up on trying to get to the keep.

The slums were closest, and that would have to do for the time being.

A large tenement building was on their right—one that looked as if it hadn’t just seen better days, but better decades.

Trying the handle, Vince found it locked.

And in his attempt to check it, he’d literally sheared the rusty knob from its plate.

Putting his shoulder to the door, Vince gave it a small shove. With a sharp pop, the door jamb cracked and folded partly inward.

Pulling at Taylor, he shoved her inside.

Grabbing hold of the door, Vince pushed it back into place. Wedging the whole thing into the frame, he gave the corner a smack with his palm.

He took a step back and watched it, waiting.

Nothing fell, broke, or shifted.

It’ll do.

Spinning back to Taylor, he found her crumpled to the ground. She lay still on the shattered tiles, breathing shallowly.

“Fuck, were you lying to me, you overgrown Lizard?” Vince asked, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulders. “You more wounded than you said?”

“Not-a-Lizard,” she said between breaths.

“Uh huh. Lizards would have more sense,” Vince grumbled.

Making a quick sweep of the entry hall, he found stairs that went up as well as down.

“Up is a dead end, but so is down…” Vince said.

“Smells-like-shit,” Taylor grumbled.

“Shit?”

Vince tested the air.

He could smell it too, now that she’d mentioned it. He’d simply dismissed it as part of the squalor.

The ambiance.

“We’re pretty damn close to the wall. Maybe it’s a sealed culvert?”

“Culvert?”

“Drainage. Might have been a small river that they built on. If you just seal the culvert up, it’s not something a besieging army can use against you.

“I bet we could snap the bars or melt them, though,” Vince said.

“You’re-taking-me-into-a-sewer?”

“Yeah… I am.”

Shifting Taylor around on his shoulders, Vince took a deep breath and then let it out.

Then he took the stairs down into the basement to find a stream of piss and shit that’d been growing for the gods only knew how long.

Wandering down the stairs and into the darker recesses of the building, he found what he was looking for.

An entryway into the culvert. Long since disused, until some enterprising individual opened a wall and broke into it.

It didn’t take long to find the end of the road, so to speak.

Staring at the thick bars, he really didn’t know what to do next. The hole itself was large enough to crawl through, if the bars weren’t there.

Judging from the way the stones were set, Vince would bet the bars continued for several feet.

Both above and below the hole.

Reinforced in a silly way.

They weren’t just ordinary bars, either, but tempered and treated steel. Put here specifically to keep people in, or out.

“At-least-it’s-dry,” Taylor said from his shoulder.

Glancing down, Vince couldn’t help but appreciate her statement.

The culvert had long since gone dry as a drainage way. The stink had been from a much newer culvert that looked like it would be much less likely to get clogged.

This older sewer pipe seemed to have been cleaned with intention to repurpose.

Then forgotten.

“Yeah, real lucky. Trapped in a literal shit hole,” Vince muttered.

“No-shit-though,” Taylor gasped.

Can’t really argue that.

To one side of the grate was a small stone ledge, clear of debris and wide enough to set Taylor down on.

Pushing her up on it, he pulled the headwrap off her and flicked it to one side.

“So? How bad is it, you lying Lizard?”

Taylor’s eyes glinted as she gave him a feral smile.

“I’ll-show-you-Lizard-bastard. Broken-ribs. Hard-to-breathe.”

“How’d you manage to put out that breath of fire then?” Vince asked, turning back to the steel bars.

“Was-only-cracked-before-that.”

“Ah.”

Wrapping his knuckle against the bar, Vince frowned. Grabbing hold of a bar with both hands, he yanked on it with his full might.

Nothing moved.

Not a single stone even shifted.

Grunting, Vince let go and put his hands on his hips.

“Stuck?” Taylor asked.

“Very stuck. Then again… Dragons, right? Seems like everything in this damned place was built with the idea of defending against Dragons.”

“Reds-territorial.”

“So you’ve said.”

Scratching at his cheek, Vince pulled his blade from his sheath.

Pressing the glowing edge to the bar, he started to saw back and forth.

Ten seconds in, he pulled the blade back to inspect the work and see if he’d managed anything.

There was a small, shallow groove in the bar.

“Ha, alright. This’ll suck and take some time, but it works. I guess.”

“I could-probably-melt-them,” Taylor said.

“If you weren’t a bellows with a hole in it, maybe,” Vince said as he furiously sawed back and forth.

“I can-still-breathe-fire.”

“Yeah, and probably pierce a lung when that broken rib curves inward on you.

“Just… shut up, sit there, and be a pretty Dragon.”

Taylor fell silent after that, and Vince got into his work.

After what felt like an age, a single bar fell away with a clang at Vince’s boots.

“Shit. Only… seven more to go,” Vince said.

“Ok,” Taylor said.

“How ya doing over there?”

“Better. My ribs feel like they’re sticking together.

“Otherwise, just… sitting here being a pretty Dragon, I guess.”

Chuckling, Vince dragged his wrist across his brow.

“You’re not mad about that comment, are you?”

“No. Just… confused, really.”

“Uh huh. Anything you want to talk about?”

“Maybe. First though, take a step back and let me see if I can melt those?” Taylor said, getting herself to a partially seated position.

“Eh… fine. Whatever. Just stop if it feels like you’re going to break something. I could use a break,” Vince said. “I’m curious how you’re going to manage to breathe fire in your human form, though.”

“Oh. That’s… yes. That’s a good point,” Taylor said, staring at him. “I forgot.”

Vince looked at her, surprised, before he started laughing.

“You forgot?” he asked. “How and what did you forget? That you’re in your human skin right now?”

“Yes, well. Yes,” Taylor said, her nose wrinkling as she glared at him. “I forgot. I do not consider myself human. My thoughts are draconic.”

Nodding a bit, Vince couldn’t help but agree.

“But you’re such a lovely human,” Vince said with a sigh. “Alright. Let’s see about the rest of these bars.”

“Do you mean that?”

“What, the bars? Or the human thing?”

“The human thing.”

“Yeah, you’re an attractive human lady. I’ve complimented you before. Don’t go all blushing maiden on me,” Vince said, starting to saw at the next bar again.

“You have, but I took it as flattery. You actually mean it.”

Vince paused to blow out a breath and flick sweat off his nose.

“Yeah, I do. Going to work on this now,” Vince said, starting up again.

***

“It’s a woodsman’s cot,” Taylor said, peering at the small straw-thatched home amongst the trees.

“So it seems,” Vince said.

It’d taken them the better part of what felt like the morning and early afternoon to cut through all the bars.

The sword had been well on its descent when they’d stumbled out of the culvert and fled as quickly as possible.

Two hours of fleeing in a straight line away from the city and they’d stopped here just as the sun hit the horizon.

“And it even has a hand pump,” Vince said, pointing to the cast-iron device. “And as far as I can tell, no one’s there.”

“But there might be,” Taylor said.

“Don’t care right now even if there is.”

Putting action to his statement, Vince stumbled forward toward the water pump.

Yanking over the old wooden trough next to the pump when he got to it, Vince began to immediately work the handle.

Fearing the worst after having given it six pulls, he finally heard the sound of gurgling water.

As soon as the water started flowing, he immediately cupped it in his hands and splashed it onto his face.

“Fuck it,” Vince said, and started stripping out of his clothes.

There was no way he was going to get the stink out completely, but he could try.

Taylor walked past him and into the building, apparently wanting to make sure no one else was home.

Dismissing her as quickly as she went by, Vince focused his entire mind, body, and soul on getting rid of the filth from himself.

When he finally finished, full night had settled in and a chill had dropped over everything.

Picking up his sopping clothes and armor, Vince dragged it all inside and stopped.

Taylor had been busy.

She’d lit a fire in the hearth, cleaned up a space, and strung a line for him to hang his clothes. She’d even attempted what someone might possibly mistake for dinner.

“Ah… just put it on the line. I saw many of those human women doing such a thing with wet clothes when I would fly over,” Taylor said, pointing with one hand. She was seated at a table near the back wall. Seemingly content to wait there after having finished what she’d set out to do.

“Uh, right. Yes.”

Vince moved over and started to pin his clothes up.

“I found a pair of pants that might fit and a shirt that’s far too large, but they’ll do,” Taylor said. “They’re on your left. I also attempted to make you a human meal.

“I’m not foolish enough to think I did well, but it’s the best you’ll get unless you want to try yourself.”

“Better than I’d ever manage,” Vince said. “I tend to do the trail-ration type of thing.”

“I tend to eat things still alive. Though I did find some smoked meats. I’m sorry, but I devoured them all by myself.

“I needed the meal. Desperately so.”

“Don’t worry about it—because yes, you do need the meat more than I do. I imagine Dragons are living stomachs, to a degree. Since healing magic doesn’t work on you, there isn’t much else we can do, is there?”

“No. My ribs are quite well healed though. My wing will take much longer,” Taylor admitted. “The magic in them makes then harder to heal.”

Vince picked up the shirt and pants and put them on. Once he’d finished, he moved over to the food Taylor had mentioned.

It looked burnt and undercooked at the same time.

Shrugging, Vince sank in with the fork that was next to it and ate as quickly as he could. Doing his best not to taste it or think about it, he mechanically put it down.

“Vince. I want to talk about the wing.”

“What about it?”

“You do realize what it’s for, yes? We’ve never spoken about it. Up to now, I’ve just assumed you knew,” Taylor said.

“What it’s for? Yeah. I’m no babe in the woods. I may not have realized what it meant before you started bringing in young reds, but I’m not daft.

“You’re just making a Dragon version of my Dryad grove, yeah?”

“That’s… fairly accurate, yes.”

“And you want me to play breeding rooster and have you all laying eggs,” Vince said, dropping the fork into the empty bowl.

“Ah… yes. That would be accurate as well.”

“Why?” he asked simply, looking up and meeting her eyes.

“Why?” she parroted.

“Yeah, why? You don’t have to. It’s not something I asked for. Not something I demanded of you.

“So why?”

Taylor’s brows came down, her hands folding into one another in front of her stomach.

“Why…?” she asked again.

Vince moved over to her and sat down in the only other chair at the table.

“I mean, I did mean what I said earlier. You’re rather pretty. Dragon or not. But that doesn’t mean anything.”

Taylor’s mouth had become a flat, angry line now.

“Because you beat me, and my Dragon demands it of me,” she said finally.

“I’m not a Dragon though. I didn’t beat you to turn you into a brood-mare.

“I beat you to eat your heart and steal your gold, remember?”

Taylor nodded slowly at that.

“You’re not a Dragonnewt, so I won’t try to claim that you have anything in you other than a Dragon, but you do have more than just your draconic desires, don’t you?”

“Of course. I’m no mindless beast,” Taylor said, her tone becoming icy as her eyes came up to glare at him.

“Then what do you want? Do you want to have a nest and raise Dragonlings or Dragonnewts?”

“They’d be Dragons for the most part,” Taylor said, in an offhanded sort of way. “The Dryads assured me they could make sure the vast majority of your offspring are Dragons, not Dragonnewts. But we’d still have some Dragonnewts, I do not doubt, and I’d raise them as if they were Dragons anyways.

“We’ll need more Dragons, even if through breeding, for the defense of the roost.”

“I’m not sure I really like the id—”

“No, no,” Taylor said, interrupting him. “I didn’t want to mate with you for that reason. It’s just a secondary goal that’d happen because of the first.

“My Dragon wanted to mate with you. It also wanted to kill and eat you after trying to beat you to death.”

“Yeah, Ramona said something similar. I’m not a Dragon, though.

“I’m not into trying to beat you to death and then having my way with you as you work to kill me.

“That’s a lot of work and not so much fun,” Vince said with a shrug.

Taylor fell silent at that, her eyes falling back to the table in front of her.

“You think on that. As to the wing. I’m not averse to the idea… but I want you to be able to answer ‘why’ before anything goes further.

“I’ll sleep on the ground; you take the bed.”

***

Vince was startled awake. He was literally being shaken from his dreams with a rough hand.

Looking around blearily, he found Taylor hovering over him.

It was deep in the middle of the night. Sunrise was still hours away.

“Because I want to please you. That’s why. Because I want to please you, and I care about your happiness,” she said.

“Huh?” Vince asked, not quite sure he was up to speed.

“I want to mate with you, to please you. That’s why. Because you’re my mate. You beat me, and I chose you. Now I’ll be your Dragon and put together a wing for you. To please you.

“Because I want to please you, I want to mate with you and have you sire offspring on me.”

“Oh. I see.”

“And… because when you look at me, I feel warm and my head gets fuzzy,” Taylor said, her cheeks flushing. “So… we’re going to mate now. Because I want to.”

“Right,” Vince said, barely understanding.

Chapter 34

Taylor took in a sharp breath and opened her mouth. Then shut it quickly with a clack of her teeth.

“I don’t know what to do,” Taylor said suddenly.

“You don’t?” Vince asked, sitting up and resting on his elbows.

“No. When the portal pulled me through, I was young. My mother hadn’t spoken to me of such things yet.

“I mean, I know that your thing goes into me, but… that’s…” Taylor trailed off, her cheeks bright red.

“You mentioned that once before. Coming through the portal.”

“Yes, it was quite terrifying at the time. I was fully grown but not truly mature. We black Dragons stay with our mothers for a bit longer than most.

“When I went through, I wasn’t expecting to not be able to come back.”

“What was it like?” Vince asked, his entire train of thought derailed.

“What, the portal?”

“The world. What was it like when you came over?”

“A lot of fighting. There were portals everywhere. Some people were simply falling out as if the portals had opened up beneath them.

“And some portals were ripping huge chunks out of the ground. Trees. People. Anything nearby. It was a nightmare,” Taylor said, her fingers working at the buttons on her coat. “There was one truly frightening portal that looked like it opened to a world of nothing but fire.”

Vince wanted to ask more questions about it, but he couldn’t help but feel his curiosity fly away when she shrugged her jacket off.

He’d seen her naked often enough. It was different when he knew she wanted to have sex, though.

Her dark scales gave a sharp contrast to her pale skin.

“Do they displease you?” Taylor asked, her hands running down the scales along her sides. “You’re staring.”

“No, not at all. They’re just very different.”

“Ramona has them.”

“Yes, but you have more, and they’re so dark,” Vince said.

Reaching out, he gently trailed a finger along the scales on her left side.

They were as hard as her Dragon scales, just much smaller.

“Vince, I truly don’t… know what exactly to do.”

“And that’s ok. We’ll talk it out as we go, alright?”

“Alright. I… I think I want you to force me to submit, though. I know that isn’t normal for humans but… I want to fight a little.”

Vince grimaced as he started to pull off the borrowed pants and shirt.

“I mean, if that’s what we need to do to appease your draconic needs, I’m all for it.

“Is there anything you wanted me to do exactly? I’m not sure if there’s any particular itch you want me to scratch.”

Standing up, Vince smoothed out the blankets.

“No. Nothing comes to mind. I think I just want you to dominate me. To show me you’re the lead in the wing. To claim me,” Taylor said, her voice thoughtful.

He imagined this was a bit of a strange situation to her. If what she said was true about her age, she’d lived for a very long time without being romantically involved in any way.

She sounded emotionally stunted.

“You’re sure?” Vince asked, wanting to make sure this was her desire.

Taylor nodded, eying him. He could see the muscles in her body starting to tense as she prepared for the fight she knew was coming.

Vince reached out and grabbed her horns with both hands. Taking a firm grip, he turned his wrists, forcing her head backward.

She twisted mightily in his grasp, her shoulders and neck straining against his hold.

Her hands came up and pushed at his stomach and hips as she grunted with the effort.

Though she did manage to make him step backward, it did her no good. He just pulled her along by the horns.

Growling, Taylor worked to thrash herself free of his hands.

And went nowhere.

“Are you done?” Vince asked, pushing on her horns further, forcing her to face the ceiling.

“Why are you this strong?” Taylor grunted out as she balled her hands into fists and began pummeling his stomach.

Vince had expected something like that. Ramona had done the same thing once or twice, after all.

He’d reinforced his stomach before grabbing onto her horns, flexing his abs at the same time.

Twenty seconds into the beating, Taylor dropped her arms, panting.

“Are you done now, my Dragon? I’ve beaten you in your draconic form previously.

“In your human form, you stand less of a fighting chance,” Vince said in a neutral tone.

“I don’t—I didn’t even make you flinch, did I?” Taylor asked, her tension running out of her like a wineskin with a hole in it.

“Not at all. You said you wished to be dominated. Is that still your desire?” Vince asked, gazing down at her.

“I don’t know. I feel like my chest and my privates are on fire, though. I can’t catch my breath,” Taylor said, her body quivering slightly.

Ramona had a similar reaction when I did this, didn’t she? Might as well repeat the whole process then.

“Get on your knees,” Vince commanded.

Taylor hesitated. In response, Vince tapped a thumb against the horn it held.

Shivering, Taylor shifted around from her squatting position and got down on her knees.

“Put your hands between your legs.”

The black Dragon did as instructed.

“I want you to use your fingers to stroke yourself.”

“I’ve never—”

“Use your fingertips. Start playing with yourself. Feel around. Got it?”

“I… yes.”

Taylor’s hands started to move around beneath her. Vince couldn’t quite see what she was doing, but she was listening.

“Open your mouth,” Vince said.

Blinking up at him several times, Taylor opened her mouth.

“Wider.”

Letting out a shaking breath, she opened her mouth as wide a possible, showing off a pink tongue and bright white teeth.

“Still wish to be dominated?” Vince asked once again.

Taylor slowly nodded her head, her hands moving a bit more between her thighs.

Pulling on her horns, Vince brought her face towards his crotch. Pushing the tip of his member against her tongue he tapped her horns gently.

“Close your mouth and start sucking on me. Gently, though—not too hard.”

Taylor’s tongue squirmed under his head before slowly curling up around one side. Then she closed her mouth around him, her cheeks hollowing as she began to suck exactly as she’d been instructed.

“Good. Now use your tongue to stroke it while I move your head. Understand?”

“Mmhmm,” Taylor murmured around him. Her tongue began to roll around him from below and the sides.

Vince began to pull on her horns, moving himself deeper into her mouth.

Reaching what felt like a good point and not wanting to make her gag on the first go, he started pushing her head away.

“You still playing with yourself? Feel good?”

“Mmhmm,” mumbled the Dragon.

Taylor’s eyes were wide, staring up at him. Her cheeks were bright red and it was clear she’d lost herself in being subdued.

Being dominated as a Dragon or Dragonnewt was like being shamed as a Dryad, it seemed to Vince.

He started to work Taylor’s head back and forth, using her horns as handholds while applying pressure to her at the same time.

Forcing her to bend to his will.

She eagerly took him each time, using her mouth as best as she was able with no experience. To the point that he was slowly inching toward the back of her mouth.

It didn’t take long, in fact, before he was pushing his entire length past her lips. His hilt wedging against them.

His tip lodged in her throat at the end of every pull on her horns.

A wet, squishing noise was becoming more audible as he used her face for himself.

Taking a moment to glance down between her legs, Vince found Taylor fingering herself rather roughly now, and what looked like a wet spot was pooling beneath her.

“Alright my Dragon, time for you to lay yourself down for me and be claimed.

“Up in the bed you go,” Vince said, easing her head back from his length.

With a slurp, she let go of his tip and licked her lips, staring at up him with fully dilated eyes.

She’s even more drunk off this than Ramona was.

“Yes, nest-mate,” she said.

Getting shakily to her feet, Taylor managed to make it into the bed. She laid herself out in it and immediately spread her legs wide.

Her hands dove right back down into her privates as well, her fingers unceasingly slipping in and out.

“Oh? You like doing that to yourself now?” Vince asked, following her into the bed.

“I wish I’d tried it earlier,” Taylor said, her hips starting to grind into her own hands. “It feels really good.”

Chuckling, Vince got up onto the bed and eased himself between her legs.

“Need to move your hands,” Vince said.

Taylor nodded and then moved her hands away.

Using his right hand, he eased the tip into her very wet entry.

“I’m not sure how it works since you’re a Dragon, but the first time usually hurts for human women,” Vince warned.

“I’ll be fine. I’m not a human,” Taylor said, her voice breathy and heavy.

Leaning forward, he grabbed her wrists and brought them up behind her head. Then he shifted and brought his knees up against her hips. Having pinned her in place, he began to move forward.

Her warm and slick channel greeted him, pulling him ever onward.

Not stopping until he reached his hilt, Vince looked to Taylor’s face.

Her eyes were closed, and it was clear they were rolling back in her head.

Tucking his face into her neck, he began to bite at her skin as he started to rock back and forth against her.

Taylor started to moan loudly as he took her. With each thrust, she shuddered, her entire lower body grinding down into him.

“Mark me,” Taylor murmured, her head lolling to the side. Her knees came up at the same time and folded outward as far as they could go. “Mark me everywhere.”

Not needing a second request, Vince bit down hard into Taylor’s neck, causing her to gasp.

Feeling like he was coming quickly to his end, he worked himself harder against her. The sounds of her entry being pummeled were loud in his own ears as he sped up.

Taylor’s moans were loud, growling things, her body pliant and her movements needy.

Her tight depths gripped at him.

Pulling his head up from the trail of bite marks he’d been leaving, he suddenly kissed her. Kissed her hard.

At the same exact time, he reached his climax, his shaft expanding as he thrust his seed deep into her.

Taylor’s mouth opened and her tongue slithered to his, her legs locking down around his waist, pulling at him.

Pushing down against her, his tongue curling around hers, he continued to fill her with each pump.

Letting out a slow breath through his nose as it ended, Vince let his body relax into Taylor.

As if sensing the end, her legs tightened around him further, keeping him locked into place.

Breaking the kiss, Taylor pulled back an inch. Then she started nuzzling him, her lips kissing and tickling his cheek and jaw, then down along his ear and neck.

Closing his eyes, Vince did nothing to stop her.

As she nibbled and kissed at his skin, it almost felt like she was grooming him in a way.

Then she bodily shoved him onto his back, her lips and mouth traversing back and forth across his neck and shoulders. Her lips and tongue never lingered too long, but she covered every visible inch of him as she worked her way down.

Lying there, Vince enjoyed the attention, feeling quite spent.

A soft, chittering noise came from Taylor as she worked quietly.

When she isn’t lost in whatever Dragon thing this is, I’ll ask her about it.

In the morning.

***

When they reached the spot where Thera’s camp had been previously, they found only torn-up turf and signs of a rapid departure.

Bending down, Vince inspected a piece of shattered wood.

“Looks like an arrow,” he said, picking up a chunk. “Pretty sure of it.”

“And where did they go then?” Taylor said.

She’d acted no differently the morning afterward. Her personality nor demeanor changed not one whit.

“They had to retreat.”

Looking toward the voice, he found nothing there.

Stepping out of what seemed like thin air was Leila, followed by Red.

“Red knew you would come,” said the Beastkin.

She bounded over to Vince and plastered herself to him. Kissing him almost violently, she stopped only to smile at him.

“I’m very glad to see you, Vince,” she said, the light in her eyes flickering.

The glow vanished for a moment and clear light-brown eyes watched him.

Only for the red glow to come back in a fraction of a second.

Growling, Red stepped away from him and slunk over to Leila.

“Leila, it happened again,” Red complained.

“And it will continue to. You’ll need to make your choice soon,” Leila said softly, patting Red gently on the side.

Turning to face him, Leila smiled up at him.

“Red and I remained, as we assumed you’d make it out. I’ve brought the Dragon souls with me,” she said, patting the bag at her side. “Thera sent orders as well.”

“Oh? And what are they? Where is she and what happened?” Vince asked. He wasn’t about to let go of the subject of Red and whatever choice she needed to make, but he wanted to hear what Thera’s plans were first.

“Blow’em up,” Leila said simply. “She wants us to detonate all three souls and force the Tri-lliance to fall back.

“She recommends heavily populated cities, or cities with religious, economical, or infrastructure value.

“As to what happened, that second army that seemed to not know what to do with itself showed up.

“Last we heard of them, they were still in the northwest—then suddenly they were on top of us. They somehow came in from the east, and the army we’ve been chasing came in from the southwest.

“She pulled back and created a new line as she started to work at driving them back again.”

That’s… very Petra-like thinking right there. And not wrong either.

“Right. We’ll start with Arandas then. After, we move south,” Vince said. “Now, what’s going on with Red? All of a sudden there, she had brown eyes.”

“Yes… well,” Leila said, looking to the Beastkin.

Red was crouched low next to Taylor, speaking in soft tones with the Dragon.

“Her curse is probably going to break any day now. It’s likely she’ll get back whatever memories she still lacks, and she’ll be who she used to be.

“Or at least know entirely who she used to be.”

“And her choice, as you put it?”

“She could easily put a curse back on herself. I could do it, even, especially since she wants it.

“The only problem is that it comes at a cost.”

“Most curses do,” Vince said.

Taylor started laughing at something Red said, and nodded her head.

“This cost is rather problematic for her, given that it was already wildly outside expectations,” Leila said, grinning at him.

“Out with it then,” Vince said.

“Fine. Once more, your rather virile seed has shown its power.

“Red is pregnant. Much to the surprise of all. Most especially Mouth and Blue.”

“I thought that wasn’t possible,” Vince said after a moment of shocked silence.

“So we thought. I personally think it’s due to the vast weakening of the curse, and simply the act of having sex. You transfer a significant amount of energy into her, you know.

“Well, it’s done. I can re-curse her, but it’d possibly lose the pregnancy. I have no idea on what the odds are either.”

“Ok… why not just do it after the birth? Can you put the curse on hold? Bring Red back afterward?”

“She’d be whoever she is after she re-integrates herself by then. Maybe Red, maybe not. Maybe someone else entirely.

“To her, it’s like two different lives battling for dominance in her head. Both are her.”

Vince sighed and shook his head.

“Whatever she chooses, all we can do is support her. Now… how about we wander over back to Arandas and blow the place up,” Vince said.

“I figured you’d say that,” Leila said with a light snicker.

It sounded positively strange, considering they were talking about killing thousands.

It didn’t take long for them to find a point to set up at.

They were staring at the corner of the outer walls, one cannister of bound and magicked Dragon soul in hand.

“You certain? Once I do this, I can’t put it back. And there’s no guarantee others won’t try to imitate what I’ve done here,” Leila said.

“Can’t put the genie back in the bottle, eh?” Vince said with a smirk.

“No. I can’t. And once this activates, everyone in that city is as good as dead.

“Men, women, children—everyone,” Leila said, stressing the sentence.

“Yeah. I know. Except that this is war, and I cannot even begin to imagine what the Tri-lliance would do to our own cities given the chance.

“And so, I’ll be the evil one and strike at them before they can truly strike at me,” he said.

Leila shrugged and launched the spell she’d been building.

The cannister shot off like a shell fired from an artillery piece.

“It’s screaming. The soul,” Taylor said softly. “I can hear it.”

“Yes, well. It’s bound for all eternity to be hungry and feed from the landscape. Until it runs out of a food source and becomes nothing,” Leila said in an unconcerned tone.

“Red thinks you might need to reconnect with the living,” Red said.

“The living? Hmph.

“The Tri-lliance aren’t the living. I’ll not forgive them. Petra and Green were my friends. I spoke with them. Often,” Leila said in a bitter voice. “And they took them from me. I confided in them. Told them everything. They gave me advice.

“The best advice. The right advice. And they took them from me.”

Leila sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her fingers.

“So no, I’ll not care if I wipe them all off the face of the map. I’ll not care at all as their souls are devoured and turned into nothing.

“I’ll cheer, and look forward to detonating two more,” said the Warlock.

Red sighed and then hugged Leila around the shoulders.

“I think this isn’t healthy for you,” Red said, resting her cheek on top of Leila’s head. “And I’m here for you to talk to. Alright? Red is here.”

So strange. It really sounds like two people now.

Then the cannister hit the wall.

A giant, glowing Dragon appeared above the impact site.

There was a roar as it immediately began to drain the life and mana from everything nearby.

Then the screams started. They grew louder… and louder.

And louder.

Until it sounded like the entire city was screaming at the same time.

Chapter 35

Taylor turned away from the castle as the white, billowy Dragon roared, its voice hollow and echoing.

Moving over to Vince, she pulled his head down to the height of her shoulders.

Vince could practically feel her eyes boring into the top of his head.

Using her fingertips, she began to lightly touch his scalp. It was a strange thing, as if she were testing the skin there.

But only one particular spot.

Her face came in closer and he could feel her breath wash over his head and neck. The sound of her sniffing him reached his ears.

A second later, he could feel her lips and tongue nibbling at that same spot she’d been inspecting.

This again?

“Ah… I see,” Leila said. “It’s curious to see it done in human form though.”

“See what done?” Vince asked, not fighting Taylor.

“Scale grooming. That’s what she’s doing,” said the Warlock. “Dragons aren’t big on expressing emotions. They have a real hard time of it.

“About the only thing they’ll do to show tenderness or care is scale grooming. Where one Dragon inspects the other for damaged or broken scales. Then removes any they find so new ones can grow in more quickly.”

“I don’t have scales, Taylor,” Vince said.

“Quiet,” responded the Dragon, going back to her work.

“I’d say leave her to it,” Leila said. “I think watching a Dragon’s soul turned into a weapon may have shaken her a bit. If she seeks comfort in grooming you, that’s a small thing.”

“And how are you such a font of lore?” Vince asked.

“Books. Traveling. My master. Lots of things.

“Now, since that city is being turned into a graveyard, what do you want to do?”

“Plan our next attack, I suppose. We’ll need to find another city or two we can detonate those in.

“I’d really prefer if we could find a stretch of land to turn into a wasteland. A barrier the Tri-lliance couldn’t cross,” Vince said.

Taylor lifted his chin up as she worked down from the back of his head towards his forehead.

Her eyes were focused on his hairline, her fingers gently picking at his skin there.

“We’ll need to head further south then. My master once said there was only one way in and out of the Tri-lliance southern areas. If we can find it, that might work, no?” Leila asked.

“Suppose we will at that. I figure we sneak into the possible target and scope it out. See if it’s worth it, and if it’ll work to create a barrier.

“Then blow it up.”

“Red thinks this isn’t fighting or hunting, but doesn’t care either,” Red said. “If they hadn’t attacked Bringer, he wouldn’t have brought them death.”

Except the next city probably won’t even know we’re there if we do this right, will it?

Taylor leaned in close, her lips nibbling at his eyebrow, followed up by her tongue.

It slithered through his eyebrow, seemingly hunting down anything that might be wrong.

Such a strange life I lead.

***

Vince passed three silvers to the guard and then ushered Red and Leila past.

Silver had recently become a bit more usable since an economy had been developing in the Wastes.

Mostly due to Yosemite.

Vince had listened to the conversation the guard had with the previous traveler and figured out the right amount to bribe him with.

Wouldn’t do to bribe him with too much—then he’d be suspicious.

“We should get an inn,” Leila said, floating along beside Vince.

“Red would agree,” said the Beastkin. “I’d like to sleep in a bed, if I could. I smell terrible.”

Red shook her head fiercely, her eyes flickering before the red glow died away for several seconds.

“No. Red does not smell. Red is Red. Red smells like the world. Red does not smell. Red does…” Her voice trailed off as she seemed to battle with herself.

Slowly, the red glow came back to her eyes, but it was much diminished.

They just looked like a strange brown color now.

Guess we won’t have to hide her eyes very much.

“Leila…” Red said, her voice catching. “Red thinks she’s going to lose.”

“Yes… it seems as if your curse will break tonight or tomorrow night,” Leila agreed.

“Inn it is,” Vince said, making a choice. Not bothering to wait for a response from either woman, he turned toward a building with an inn sign attached to the front.

Poor Taylor. Can’t hide those horns, and she gets to sleep out in the wild by herself.

Then again, who wants to mess with a black Dragon?

Moving straight to the counter after he entered, Vince nodded at the innkeep.

A bald, middle-aged man with brown eyes and a weak chin.

“Silver a night for a room,” said the man. “You get two meals with it for one person. Extra meals cost a copper each per person.”

Vince pulled a Tri-lliance gold coin from his vest and set it down on the counter.

“I’ll pay for more as I need to. For now, show me my room and send me three of whatever it is you’re serving right now,” Vince said, setting his hand casually behind the sword at his hip.

The innkeep glanced down at the weapon, took the coin, and ducked his head to Vince.

“Course. This way,” said the man.

Leila and Red followed close behind the innkeeper while Vince trailed along further back.

There were several people in the attached common room that might be worth asking a few questions.

Lost in his thoughts, Vince was surprised when the door closed behind him and he was alone with Leila and Red.

“What do you want to do, Red?” Leila asked.

The Beastkin went and sat down on the bed, her hands pressed to her stomach.

“Red doesn’t know,” murmured the Beastkin. Her head lifted up and she looked to Vince. “What should I do, Bringer? Red wants to be Red, but Red likes the idea of children, too.”

“Can’t answer that for you,” Vince said honestly. “That’s something you have to decide. What I can tell you, though… is that I’ll support you no matter what choice you make.”

“You wouldn’t hate Red if she risked our child to remain Red?”

“No.”

“You wouldn’t hate Red if she wasn’t Red anymore?”

“I’m sure whoever you became would still have Red in there. Just in a different way.”

Red bit her lips, her eyes flaring brightly for a second as if she were battling something internally.

Her head turned to Leila.

“Red wants to be Red. Please help Red remain Red,” she said to the Warlock.

Leila sighed with a smile and looked to Vince.

“That means it’s up to you to find a suitable location for our party favor.

“Preferably something with life around it, so it can immediately feed. The more the better.

“Like a neighborhood or a school.”

She really does hate them.

“Got it. I’ll go do that while you handle this,” Vince said, turning toward the door. Taking a final glance over his shoulder, he smiled at Red. “See you later, Red.”

Nodding at him, she gave him a feral smile, showing her canines.

“Red will feed from you tonight. The renewed curse will surely need to be fed after it’s settled.

“After that, you could mount the Gnome if you like,” Red said definitively.

Opening the door quickly, Vince stepped out into the hallway. Closing it behind him with a click, he moved back toward the common room.

But as he wandered down, he decided not to bother with it right now.

He had to find a place to bury the cannister.

Stepping out onto the street, he was immediately struck again by its semblance to Vegas.

Pre-Yosemite Vegas, that was.

Opening his mind, Vince started to idly comb the thoughts of everyone nearby as he walked aimlessly down the street.

Most everyone was concerned with the war. In one way or another, it was the prevailing thought and the only subject on anyone’s mind.

Whether it was being drafted or buying food before prices went up.

For some, the biggest thought was just heading further south, since Yosemite’s army had been reported in the north—in the north and targeting everything that could assist the Tri-lliance.

Even going so far as to completely decimate the city of Arandas.

People didn’t speak of it on the street, but they’d all heard of it in the pubs.

In their cups.

Arandas had been wiped out, and a Cursed red Dragon now lived there, eating anyone who came close.

Support for the war in the north was rapidly drying up.

Then Vince found a mind sealed up.

Closed and shielded.

Locking on to the single mind in the thousands that were open, Vince homed in on it.

As he got closer, he saw the mind’s owner.

It was Seville.

He stood at the corner of a building in front of an alleyway. Talking with several other people in soft tones.

Seville? How’d you manage to get all the way down here? Last I saw, you were hundreds of miles away.

Turning away from Seville and moving into a small booth selling street wares, Vince did his best to act like he wasn’t anyone special.

He even went so far as to drop the shielding over his mind, just in case Seville was able to notice him in the same way.

Looking over small carved figures, Vince did his best to keep his focus on Seville without being obvious.

With a dismissive gesture, the small group disbanded and Seville walked into the building he’d been standing in front of.

Vince picked up a small figurine and handed over the asking price without haggling. Pocketing it without even seeing what it was he’d bought, he walked as nonchalantly as he could manage toward the door Seville had vanished into.

Trying the handle and finding it unlocked, Vince opened the door and stepped inside.

Only to find Seville sitting at a table.

When the door clicked shut, Vince had already drawn his pistol and pointed it at the man.

“Vince?” asked the older man, his hands half raised. “What in the blazes—”

“You have about five seconds to tell me why I shouldn’t pull the trigger. You’ll be my first Tri-lliance kill today,” Vince said, his finger stroking the trigger lightly.

He wouldn’t mind much if it accidentally discharged as he waited for the other man to talk.

“I’m not working for the Tri-lliance, to start with,” Seville said. “I work for a third party. A neutral party. We have no vested interest in who rules here.”

“Then why go to such lengths to break kingdoms? To go so far as to assassinate Richard?

“I don’t believe you.”

“Wait!” Seville cried as Vince started to pull the trigger. “Ok, yes, I did kill Richard. It’s the truth, though. My mission is just to destabilize the entire region.

“To bring the world to its knees. That’s it. We don’t care who is in charge.

“You destroying Arandas only helped us. I wouldn’t stop you from fighting the Tri-lliance to a standstill.”

“That makes even less sense. You sound like a terrible villain in one of my mother’s old books,” Vince said, shaking his head.

“But it’s the truth. My mission is to destabilize the world. That’s it.”

“Why, though?”

Seville took a slow breath, as if contemplating how to answer.

“You have the stink of Dragon magic on you. Multiple Dragon bonds,” Seville said. “If you swear on their Dragon Word that you’ll let me go today, I’ll answer you. On my own Dragon Word do I swear it.”

On his own? Does that mean he’s a Dragon, too? Why would it stink to him?

“Then I do swear on my Dragon’s Word,” Vince said, letting the pistol fall at his side. “If what you tell me is reasonable, answers my question, and isn’t a non-answer.”

Seville blinked once, then nodded his head. “Then it is so sworn.”

The familiar tingle of Dragon magic settled over Vince.

“Our goal is to expose the guardian of your world. Expose them—and kill them. If this world were to fall to absolute chaos, even more than it has previously, we have reason to believe they’d intervene.

“They have before. We’re sure they would again,” Seville said. “Now… can I go?”

Vince frowned at that. It made no sense.

“Where do you plan on going?”

“Home. Away from here. I won’t be returning.”

“Then go already.”

“May I reach into a pocket? What I need is there.”

Lifting the pistol, Vince nodded.

“Sure, just do it slowly.”

Seville reached into a pocket with one hand and produced a small, glowing piece of card stock.

It was about the size of a playing card, but covered in strange runes made of straight lines.

“And before I go, this city is a preparation stage. There’s a military site east of here. Everything sent to the ‘capital’ here really goes there. In fact, there’s another army forming up there even now to go lay waste to your precious people. They’ll be leaving in a few days or so.

“Consider it a parting gift for doing what I couldn’t,” Seville said with a smile.

Then he bent the card in two. A crackle of lightning formed from the card, and a second later, Seville was gone. His clothes, everything that had apparently been in his pockets, and a few fillings were all that was left of him.

Taking a breath, Vince lowered the weapon, staring at where Seville had been.

Just as suddenly, a black-haired man with blue eyes popped into existence next to where Seville had been sitting.

He was dressed strangely, almost similar to Felix, actually.

“Eh?” said the man.

Bending down, he rifled through the clothes and then looked over to Vince.

“Ho, what are you doing here then?” he asked. “Oh, it’s you.

“Of course it’s you. Why wouldn’t it be you?

“Because everything just has to work out that way. Doesn’t it?

“And, of course, he’ll know about this soon enough, too. Well shit.”

Vince felt every single instinct he had go up in arms. His skin prickled and it felt like his soul was screaming at him to fight or run.

He immediately raised the pistol and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

“Ah,” said the man, holding up a finger. “Sorry about that. Wasn’t quite my intention for that to happen to you, alright? I only wanted to know who you were and more about you.

“I forget there are some people who can feel it.”

Vince pulled the trigger twice more as he reached backward with his free hand for the doorknob.

“How about you just stop right there?” asked the man. Freezing in place as if it were a command, Vince couldn’t move.

“Explain what just happened,” the man commanded.

Holding his teeth shut so hard his jaw ached, Vince glared at the man.

Sighing, the man pressed a hand to his head.

“Ok, look. I don’t want to harm you. I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to know what happened here.

“I’ll owe you a favor, alright?” offered the man. “And here, let’s just… get rid of that for a second.”

Pointing a finger at Vince, the man made a clicking noise.

The rage, the desperate need to flee, and the fear all vanished in a second.

“There. That’ll last for ten minutes or so. Now, do we have a deal?”

“I don’t even know who you are. How could I know the value of a favor from you?” Vince asked.

The man blinked with a frown. Looking up at nothing above him, the man moved his head back and forth as if ping-ponging a thought around.

“That’s fair. I am… uh… let’s go with a god. I’m a god, and I have a fairly wide range of powers. After you finish up your little war with the Tri-lliance, I’ll visit again and you can collect on your favor then.

“That way you have some time to think on it.

“Now, do we have a deal? Offer is fading fast.”

What if I can get the others back? Karya, Daphne, Green, Petra?

“His name was Seville. He said his job was to destabilize this world.

“Their goal was to get what he called the guardian to show itself.

“Seville left after he bent a card in half,” Vince said, keeping everything as simple as possible.

“Seville? I don’t… I’ll have to check that later. As to the guardian, fat chance of that.

“He’s been long gone for a while and no one wanted to take on the mantle. Though it seems I’ve done a disservice to this world in not having one,” the man said with a sigh. “Alright, off with you.”

Without a noise, sound, or hint of anything, the man vanished, taking everything Seville had left behind with him.

Turning, Vince opened the door and left the building as quickly as he could.

No sooner had the door closed than he felt his instincts kick back in.

Setting off at a dead sprint, Vince ran down the street as fast as he could.

He didn’t know where he was going or why he needed to run, but he wanted to get away from the building as far and as fast as possible.

And away from whoever that man was who had claimed to be a god.

Vince knew the divine existed. He’d never prayed and had never been the religious type, but he knew they existed.

Though Vince had never expected to bump into one.

Run on, Ranger.

Chapter 36

Vince opened the door to their shared room and slipped inside.

He’d made it to the inn just as it was clear a curfew was being enacted.

Apparently the city was on a much higher alert than he’d originally thought.

That or they found out what I actually did do Arandas, rather than a rumor.

Red was curled up in a ball on the bed. Her face was pressed in tight against her knees, her arms wrapped around her shins.

She was shuddering uncontrollably as well.

“Welcome back,” Leila said from a chair next to the bed.

“She alright?” Vince asked, his voice coming out a bit more gruff than he expected.

“As well as could be expected for someone who just took on a full soul curse that would turn anyone into a soulless, undead, heart-eating monster.

“Otherwise, she’s fine,” Leila said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I imagine she’ll be Red by morning. Much like how she’s been up until a few months ago, really.”

“Good work then. As a Warlock, you’re rather impressive,” Vince said, coming over to stand next to Leila.

“Well, thank you. I do pride myself on my work. Though I didn’t expect to become the only Warlock of an entire country,” Leila said, peering up at him.

“I imagine you’ll probably have to start fending off people who want to become apprentices after this.

“Any plans for that?”

Leila sighed and folded her hands together. “I suppose. I’ll take a few who have potential and turn the rest out. The problem is that anyone I take in as an apprentice is going to have to swear a number of oaths.

“Can’t risk someone running around with the capability of doing what I’ve done, after all.”

“Yes… we’ve created a bit of an arms race, I imagine. Let’s hope you can develop a counter to it before someone else figures out what you’ve done.”

Leila blinked several times while staring up at him. Then she groaned and pressed her hands to her temples. “Yes. I suppose I really will have to figure out a counter, won’t I?

“Ah… I wonder… what if I created a giant inverted version of it? One that’s dormant until activation and—”

“Yeah, hold on to all that till we’re home. No sense thinking on it now.

“So, I think I have a pretty ideal location. Care to go on a midnight walk with me? Is she alright if we leave her alone like this?” Vince asked, hooking a thumb at Red.

“Yes… you’ll need to feed her as soon as she comes to her senses, but I don’t think that’ll happen till the small hours of the morning.

“Otherwise… let’s go for that walk.”

Sneaking out of the inn wasn’t very difficult.

Once they’d made it to the street, it was an entirely different matter though.

Soldiers patrolled constantly. Anyone seen outside was immediately challenged.

Vince and Leila peered out of a small street, watching a group of men get interrogated by a patrol.

“Their security seems to have ramped up considerably,” Leila said.

“Yes. I’m not quite sure what caused it.

“I mean, we can assume it was what we did in Arandas, but for all we know, it could be that Thera and the soldiers are just north of here.

“Could be anything,” Vince said.

Suddenly, the patrol leader lashed out with his blade, skewering the man in front of him.

In a rush, the soldiers fell on the other group and began to stab and chop at them.

Even as the other group begged for mercy and pleaded their innocence.

“G-g-goodness,” Leila murmured.

“Yeah. Been a while since I’ve seen Waste law in a city,” Vince said.

“Not since Yosemite,” Leila agreed.

The soldiers rifled the pockets of the cooling corpses, then marched off. Leaving the bodies where they fell.

“Alright, the park is up ahead,” Vince said. “Let’s go. If we get stopped, just follow my lead.”

“Your lead? You’ll probably just stab them once they get close enough.”

Ignoring her, because she wasn’t wrong, Vince stepped off the street and onto the boulevard. Keeping to the shadows along the wall and out of the moonlight, he crept along.

Not running across any other activity, Vince slipped through two pillars and entered a large park.

He’d explored it briefly just before sunset and found it rather secluded but full of plant life.

Trees, bushes, animals—a whole small reserve.

He’d seen guards there during the day, presumably to keep the garden clean and healthy.

Now though, there didn’t seem to be a single guard.

Which meant they were all pulled for the night patrols, or this was simply a cursory type of guard detail.

“I don’t feel any souls,” Leila said softly.

“Wait, you can do that?” Vince asked curiously, looking at her.

“Kind of… it’s more of a recent thing. After tinkering with Red for so long, it just became natural.

“Open her up, inspect her soul, see what’s changed and where it’s weak, shore it up. Close her back down.”

“You’ve been ‘tinkering’ on her soul?”

“Had to. It was degrading rather quickly. Her curse was falling apart faster than I could put it back together, and her soul was trying to knock it out of her at the same time.

“Her soul wouldn’t have been able to support itself if it had succeeded.

“So I was deliberately reinforcing the curse while shoring up her soul.”

“What… what exactly does that mean for her now?”

“It means Red is a living, breathing Beastkin. One who can survive entirely on normal means.

“One who will have an immortal life span, due to her curse, and will need feedings regularly from you, but not daily. Perhaps weekly.”

“And you did that.”

“Yes. I’m quite proud of my work recently,” Leila said, putting her hands on her hips.

“I am as well. You’re an amazing Warlock. And I appreciate you. Now, do you have the cannister?” Vince asked, kneeling down in the middle of the small grassy area he’d chosen previously.

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

Leila reached into the pouch next to her and pulled out the weapon of mass destruction.

Vince had already dug a small hole with his hands and was rapidly working on expanding it.

“Any idea how you’re going to make it so that thing goes off while we’re not here?” Vince asked.

“I’m drilling a very small hole in it. So small that just a tiny thread of energy will enter. Eventually, it’ll be enough that the soul simply grows too large and pops the housing open.

“Then it’s going to revert to its programing.”

“Hopefully long after we’re gone.”

“Well, yes. But I think it’ll take at least two days for it to hit that point.

“I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am.”

Vince nodded and flung a final handful of dirt into the nearby grass.

“That enough?” he asked, looking at the hole.

“Should be. Here, back up. I’ll handle it. I can always repair it if I think it’s about to go,” Leila said.

“Good idea.”

Getting to his feet, Vince idly brushed his hands across his thighs and looked around.

A quick movement to one side caught his attention.

Dashing forward, Vince launched himself into a bush.

Grasping hold of the shadow, he dragged it free of the twigs and leaves, pulling it out into the grass.

He heard the deep intake of a person preparing to scream. With a quick decision, he slammed his elbow down into what he assumed was their stomach.

A whoosh of breath washed over his face, telling him his blow had been accurate.

Grabbing the person by the front of their clothes, Vince dragged them back toward Leila.

“You catch them, Vince?” asked the Gnome, not looking up from her task.

“Whoever or whatever it is, yes. Didn’t get a chance to look at it yet,” Vince said, dropping the person down next to the hole.

Squatting down, he looked to his prisoner.

It was a young woman. Probably no older than fourteen. Brown hair, brown eyes, human looking.

She was dirty, grime covered, and looked as if she’d been living in the gardens.

Struggling for breath, her wide eyes stared at him, her hands pressed to her stomach.

Vince clicked his tongue. There wasn’t much he could do until she was able to talk again, as far as getting answers.

“Since all you can do is listen, I’ll make this simple and easy.

“I’m contemplating whether to kill you or let you live. You’ll need to be able to convince me why I shouldn’t crush your throat,” Vince said.

“A little melodramatic,” Leila said.

Laying the cannister down into the hole, she began to repack dirt around it.

“Maybe. But that’s the reality of the situation. I’m not sure I want to let someone run around knowing we were mucking about here,” Vince said.

“Hum. That’s a rather grim thought to consider. I’ll lay a trap on the cannister that if anyone tries to dig it up, it’ll simply detonate itself,” Leila said.

Finishing up with filling in the hole and moving the grass back over top of it, she laid her hands down over the disturbed soil.

“Homeless,” gasped the girl. “Food.”

Vince turned his head to one side, looking at her.

“You’re homeless, and you were looking for food here?” Vince asked.

The girl nodded her head.

“Brothers,” she wheezed out.

Sighing, Vince scratched at his jaw.

Would be easier to kill her.

If I just leave her alone, the Dragon will kill her anyway, won’t it?

“Look,” Vince said, coming to a decision.

“Please. They need me,” whispered the girl, managing to take soft, ragged breaths now.

Closing his eyes, Vince pressed a hand to his face.

If Eva were here, she’d have already scolded me into the ground.

“Fine. Go. Tell only those you want to survive, but don’t warn the military. They’ll just inspect it and try to figure it out, and set it off.

“Get your family and friends out of the city as fast as you can and get as far away as you can.”

“But… we’ve never left the city,” said the girl.

“Then die here. Stay or go, I care not.

“You ready?” Vince asked, turning to Leila.

“Yes, this should be good. Don’t touch this, girl, and don’t tell others about it. It’ll just break and kill everyone much earlier than it should. That’s all,” Leila said, getting back onto her floating disc of air.

The girl got to her feet when it was clear neither Vince or Leila was going to make a move.

Turning her back on the pair of them, the girl shambled off into the garden.

“Think she’ll listen?” Leila asked.

“Mm. Depends on if she’s the leader of her family. If she is, they might just leave in time.

“If not… well… not my problem.”

“Mm, fair enough. Now, are you sure about this? Once we leave, we can’t really come back. We’ll need to leave tomorrow morning and get as far away as we can.

“And once this gets activated, there’s no going back. The city will be wiped out, the lands around it will be wiped out—everything.”

“Yes… everything. Including the army assembling to the east,” Vince acknowledged.

“An army? What?”

“Apparently there’s an army to the east being assembled.

“Which, when you think about it, kinda makes sense. I’m sure they’re well aware of what’s going on in Yosemite.

“They have quite a massive population, from what we’ve heard. All they have to do is conscript more soldiers and send them forth.

“They can drown us in numbers, even if they’re just conscripts.”

Leila sighed heavily at that.

“And that’s why you want to create a demilitarized zone. You don’t think we can win.”

“No. We can’t win. We’ll lose eventually. It isn’t really a question.

“Their country is pretty much a one-party dictatorship. If they want to bury us in soldiers, they can.

“It’d put a strain on them, but it’s not as if they couldn’t weather it long enough to crush us.”

“Truly?” Leila asked.

“I can’t see the future, but… I can’t see us winning a protracted war where we aren’t holding them to a small area or preventing them from even getting at us.

“And last we heard… Thera was being pushed back by two armies. A third is now on the way.

“The idea that we can push them back and then hold them in a choke point, to keep them at a line in the sand, doesn’t seem possible.”

Leila looked away, her eyes falling to the grass around them.

“No. When you put it like that… it doesn’t really seem plausible, does it?”

“It doesn’t, no. We’re banking our entire strategy on this, because while I think Thera is incredibly qualified and a fantastic general and warrior, I don’t think we can survive this.”

“I can see why you’ve already decided on this course of action, then. Is there even a point in seeing if they’re willing to surrender after this city goes up?”

“Not really, no. But I do plan on sending a letter for their city leaders to meet me tomorrow.

“I figure they’ll say no, but I’ll still offer them a chance.”

The two fell silent and made their way back to the room.

Red was awake when they returned.

Leila confirmed everything was as expected right before Red assaulted Vince and fed from him.

***

Vince stood waiting in the middle of the field.

It was a very wide open and visible space.

If they needed to escape quickly, it wouldn’t be an issue. Taylor had been rigged with an impromptu saddle they could take hold of to get out quickly.

“You think they’ll actually come?” Taylor said, her wings rising up off her back and settling back down.

They weren’t completely healed, and there was the distinct possibility that using them would make the wound worse.

Causing them to take even longer to heal.

But as an emergency escape route, it wasn’t something they could just overlook.

“I do. I think they’ll want to see me, if only to get an idea of what’s going on and how I’m down here.

“Let alone launching a trap to see if they can capture or kill me.

“Though I think they’ll try to talk first,” Vince said.

Red growled and then snuggled up to Vince, laying her head down on his chest. Her tail slipped up his leg and tightened around it slowly.

“Red thinks this is stupid. You should take Red aside, feed her, bed her, and then go hunting with her and the Dragon,” said the Cursed One.

Looking up at him through her lashes, he couldn’t help but wonder at the brightness of her eyes.

They’d been red before, but now they glowed like molten iron.

“I like Red’s idea. Though I would like to mate with you as well after we finish hunting,” Taylor said, her head swinging around to face him. “This waiting is stupid.”

“Apparently not as stupid as we all thought,” Leila said, lifting a hand and pointing to the distance.

Two women and a man were heading their way. They were alone, and clearly unarmed.

“A red and a blue,” Taylor said. “The third is just a human. Maybe a wizard.”

“A wizard?” Vince asked. “I don’t think I’ve met a human wizard.”

“You have. You just wouldn’t have known it,” Leila said. “They blend in very well. Very, very well. They’re not even as a rare as Warlocks,” Leila said.

“Huh.”

“One of your brother’s women is a Sorceress. More or less a Wizard,” Leila said patiently. “Her gifts are a bit odd, but… definitely a magical being.”

Everyone fell silent as the trio got closer.

“The blue is pretty. Can I invite her to the wing? She might accept if you fight her and try to mount her,” Taylor said.

“Uh… I don’t think that’s the greatest idea,” Vince said.

“Hm. That’s fair. The red isn’t as pretty, but she’ll still do fine if she’s willing.

“I’ll offer them both to join my wing. They may join simply by my authority alone.”

“Why does it matter if they’re pretty?” Vince asked.

“Because if they’re not servicing you, they can service me. I want them pretty,” Taylor said in a haughty tone.

Oh. I didn’t realize. Makes sense though.

Kinda lines up with the Dryad hierarchy as well.

“You’re Vince?” asked one of the women. She had hair so dark it was almost a blue black, and bright-blue eyes. Her scales ran along her in the exact same patterns as Taylor’s.

Though her horns curled more.

The woman next to her looked much like every other red Dragon he’d met.

The third individual was a man wearing a mask who seemed more a statue, with how rigidly he held himself.

“I am. I have Leila my Warlock and Red my companion with me,” Vince said, indicating the two women.

“And this big beauty is Taylor, my black and leader of my wing. I beat her in single combat. She was in her Dragon form,” Vince said, reaching up to affectionately pat Taylor’s side. “And I was as you see me now.”

The blue’s eyebrows went up at that, her eyes flicking to black with an appraising glance.

“We’re not here to listen to your petty self,” said the red Dragon, slashing the air with her hand. “We’re here to accept your surrender so you might be executed.”

“Ah. I see. I take it you have no wish to discuss anything then? Your position is as you stated and that’s all there is to it?” Vince asked.

“I see no reason to bother talking to you about this. Surrender and accept your fate,” the red Dragon said, taking an aggressive step forward.

Vince’s hand flashed and his blade sliced through the air.

With a snick, the blade pressed to the red’s neck and paused there.

“I’ll take your rudeness merely as bluster and allow you to leave with your life,” Vince said. “I’ll return here in seven days. I think by then, you’ll want to talk to me.”

With a flick of his wrist, he turned the blade sideways and slapped it against her shoulder without any strength behind the tap.

“Now leave, before I change my mind,” Vince murmured, mentally going through every motion possible to kill her in under a second.

As if sensing his desire to kill her, both the man and the red backed up immediately.

The blue was looking between him and Taylor.

“Join my wing,” Taylor said suddenly. “Submit to me and I’ll make you my second, based on the strength I sense in you already.

“My wing will grow mighty. We have a Dryad grove to oversee hatchlings, as well as a Dragonnewt who is godmother to the brood.

“Our nest is the vault of Yosemite, where our nest-mate stores all his gold,” Taylor said, indicating Vince.

The blue was listening intently, the scales along her cheeks turning a darker blue as her cheeks flushed at the same time.

“Your second?” asked the woman.

“My second. You’d have to retain your position against the others, of course, as it is in any normal wing. They’re only reds, however. It shouldn’t be a concern.

“I would allow you to share in our male immediately though, as is your right as second.”

The blue tilted her head to one side.

“What are you doing, Alice? We need to leave!” hissed the red.

“You said there’s already a Dragonnewt? Dryads? And a nest?” Alice the blue Dragon asked.

“Yes. On my Dragon’s Word, those are all already available or promised to be available within the year,” Taylor said.

“Alice!” said the man.

“Leave, now, both of you,” Vince said, turning his blade to the two others. “Alice is considering an offer right now. If you speak again, I’ll kill you where you stand.”

“What’s the likelihood of a brood?” Alice asked.

“I’ve only been with our male once, and I’m already needing to nest,” Taylor said with a sigh. “Too many Dryads have already had their hands on me, and his seed is very strong.”

“I accept! On my Dragon’s Word, I pledge myself, for my life and loyalty, to your wing,” Alice said, taking several steps forward and transforming into a very large blue Dragon.

The second she finished her transformation, Taylor and Alice crashed their heads together with a deep thud sounding out.

“Take our male, head north. I will take the other two. He will fill you in and direct you,” Taylor said. “If you get the chance, let him claim you.”

Turning, she scooped up Leila and Red, then took off at a graceful bounce and flapped lazily away to the west.

Alice’s head turned toward him.

“Nest-mate, please forgive me for this, but we must away immediately,” Alice said.

Realizing what was coming, Vince lifted his arms and relaxed, making himself ready for the Dragon.

Alice’s claws came out and snatched him up around the middle. With a short hop, she was flying through the air, Vince pressed in close to her chest.

“I’m so excited!” said the blue. “I’m part of a wing with a black! And a male who can actually defeat a black and make her need to nest!”

Alice’s head turned toward him, and he got the distinct impression she was frowning.

“Though we must move quickly—another army is forming nearby,” Alice said.

“I know, and we don’t need to do anything. It’s already taken care of.

“Tomorrow, probably,” Vince said, patting Alice’s wrist.

Chapter 37

Vince held tightly to the cannister, pressing it to his chest. Staring over Alice’s side, he couldn’t see anything.

The cloud cover was thick today, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Especially since he was riding Alice fairly high up. They were attempting to stay out of sight to approach the next target city unnoticed.

They’d already tried to enter the town on foot. After dodging endless patrols from both the sky and ground, they’d gotten to the entry gate.

They’d been forced to give up after seeing the guards and their methods.

After spending six days attempting to find a way in that wasn’t a direct assault, they found nothing.

Every single person was being stopped, subjected to magical interrogation, and their possessions taken.

Apparently, the death of two cities was enough to scare them into full martial law.

Nothing was getting anywhere near the city, let alone inside it.

About the only thing that happened of interest during that week was how frequently Alice bedded Vince.

Today was their last day to act.

They were using Alice’s magical abilities to solve the problem in a direct way.

She’d shielded them from the ripping winds, giving him a chance to have a conversation with her that didn’t involve shouting.

“Are we close?” he asked.

“Yes. We’ll be over the city momentarily, nest-mate.”

“Great, bring us down. Soon as we get eyes on, I’m dropping this. You’ll need to get us the fuck out as quick as possible after that.”

“It’s really that dangerous?”

“It’ll kill everything in fifty miles given enough time. Then it’ll kill every living thing that comes into that area afterward.”

“And… you did this to Arandas? And Guerrero City? This is what happened there?

“Every team that was sent there never came back.”

“Yeah. They died.

“And I’ll do this as many times to as many cities as I have to. I’ll do whatever I need to do to protect Yosemite.

“If I have to turn this entire area into a graveyard, that’s what I’ll do.”

Alice banked steeply and rolled over. They started to slide through the clouds, the sound of the wind rippling past her wing audible.

“There’s a silver Dragon here,” Alice said, seconds after they popped out of the clouds.

“Never heard of a silver.”

“They’re rare. Even amongst the Tri-lliance. It’s a female.”

“You can tell?”

“Females are always bigger.”

Vince couldn’t see what she was talking about, but he didn’t doubt her.

“If I dropped the cannister, could you snatch the silver and drag it out of the blast zone? Get us back to the meeting point? Leila should already be there.

“I wouldn’t be averse to capturing a Dragon and making another bomb out of her.”

Alice made a strange clucking noise.

“Yes. She’s young. Probably just became an adult.

“I can overpower her and simply hold her with my magic and claws.

“That’s what you want me to do?” Alice asked.

“Yeah. I need more bombs. We’ll pull her soul out as soon as we land, and Leila can whip out her soul-stealing spell.

“I’ll toss the cannister after you grab her,” Vince said with a sigh. “Alright, let’s do it.”

Alice tucked in her wings and then fell out of the sky.

Heading toward the ground at maximum velocity, Vince could feel his body pulling at the makeshift saddle they’d put together.

Holding tightly to the cannister with one hand, he clutched the saddle with the other.

Alice turned slightly as she went.

Vince could finally see the silver Dragon. It looked much akin to Taylor, though silver and smaller.

She did mention it looked young.

“Throw it!” Alice called.

Vince tossed the cannister backward over his shoulder while Alice angled herself ahead of the silver as it flew lazily around.

The crack of Alice smashing into the silver was extremely loud. There was a whoosh and Alice started to beat her wings, pulling up and away from the city below them.

“Unhand me!” screeched the silver. “Unbind your magic immediately!”

“Hush, lest I tear out your throat. My nest-mate has demanded your capture, though I know he would just as easily tell me to kill you now,” Alice threatened.

Vince felt a sucking sensation inside his body.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw the soul of a red Dragon rising up over the city.

It was rapidly drawing in the lives of everything nearby.

Draining them from the world itself.

With a roar that shook his soul, the Dragon began the massacre.

“By Ferris, what have you done?” said the silver.

“Ending the war your people started, by ending your people,” Vince said, looking away from the city. “One city at a time.”

The city was already doomed; the citizens just didn’t know it yet.

Both Alice and the silver fell quiet as they retreated. There wasn’t much to be said, and apparently no one wanted to discuss what had just happened.

***

Clambering down from the saddle, Vince adjusted his sword belt.

Taking a quick glance at the area, he realized no one else was here yet.

We’re early or they’re late.

Or both.

Alice released the silver and gave it a shove, pushing it away from herself.

Marching straight to the silver, Vince expected it to attack.

When her head snapped forward, he dodged to the side and grabbed her horn.

With a vicious yank, he turned her head upside down and shoved it into the grass.

Her horns got stuck in the turf, her neck twisting over on itself. Pressing his left hand to the silver’s jaw, he ground her down hard into the dirt.

Struggling against his hold, the silver was clearly unsure of what to do with herself.

Gripping hold of a scale at her throat with his right hand, Vince snapped it off at the base.

Unsheathing his hunting knife, he slipped it up beneath the broken scale. Working the tip around, he started to dig it into the silver’s soft flesh.

“Stop! Stop, stop!” the silver said, becoming deathly still. “Please, stop. I don’t want to die.”

“Then swear yourself to my wing. Everything of you. Your life and loyalty.

“Or I’ll kill you, cut out your heart, eat it, and then turn your soul into a living bomb,” Vince said.

“I swear it. I swear myself to your wing. I swear my everything to your wing. On my Dragon’s Word, I am yours,” the silver said, her voice going up several octaves. “Yours and yours alone. Yours.”

Feeling the magic firm itself around her words said in triplicate, Vince nodded.

Sighing, Vince wondered how long he’d be waiting for Leila to show up and claim the soul.

Hopefully she showed before their guests, at least.

“Nest-mate, the emissaries come again,” Alice said.

Looking over, Vince saw two women and a man heading their way.

It was the human and the red Dragon from before. The third was someone he hadn’t met yet.

“Oh heavens,” Alice said.

“Release her,” said the unknown woman. “Immediately.”

Tilting his head to one side, Vince considered the woman.

She was middle aged, with iron-gray hair and bright-blue eyes that were almost white in color. White horns stuck straight back from her temples and curled up around her head, almost like a crown.

She also had an aura that made Vince’s instincts twitch and itch.

“Uh huh,” Vince said, not moving an inch. “And who are you?”

“I said release her,” said the woman.

The red Dragon and the human looked shocked and pained at the same time.

Vince wasn’t quite sure why, either.

“Heard you the first time. Say it again and I’ll turn her throat into a bloody ruin.

“Now, your name?”

The woman’s eyes flashed, her hands held tightly at her sides.

“I will remember this and—”

“Your name?” Vince asked, interrupting her.

“Know me. I am Ferris,” said the woman, standing up straight.

Vince could feel that the silver under him had frozen up the moment the woman appeared.

Her name only confirmed Vince’s suspicions.

This was the head of the Dragon religion of the Tri-lliance. The goddess herself, he imagined.

“And what do you want? You were not summoned. You have no champion. No priests here.

“The two with you were invited,” Vince said, gesturing to the red and the human.

Vince sat down on the silver’s jaw, his knife still stuck in her neck.

“How about you fuck off back to Tri-lliance territory. I’ll be along shortly as I turn all your cities into dust and ghosts,” Vince said. “You can rule over a tomb.”

Ferris shuddered, her face turning a dark red.

“You speak to me as if—”

“As if you were nothing to me. Did you not hear me? I know of the bindings to your kind.

“We’ve had a nice, long-documented accounting of your people in my homeland.

“Don’t get involved, they won’t get involved.

“So again, you were not summoned or invoked. You can leave.”

Ferris seemed to get control over herself, her hands smoothing out the dress she was wearing.

“I’m here to negotiate a stoppage to this war, Vince” said the goddess. “On their behalf.”

Ferris gestured to the two next to her.

“The war their people started? The war that cost me loved ones? The war that has bled my people all for the sake of wanting to take my land from me?

“That war?” Vince asked, his voice growing heated. “Is it that one you’re talking about?”

“Yes… that war,” Ferris said. “It was ill advised, and I cautioned them against it, but children will do as they will.

“I’m here to offer terms and negotiate an end to this for them.”

“On whose authority? If the war was ill advised and you cautioned them against it, why would they listen to you now, hm?

“I still think turning your land into one giant wasteland of graves seems the best solution.

“Three cities down, hundreds to go,” Vince hissed at her.

“Because they’ve now begged me to intercede. The deaths of so many have resonated deeply with my people.

“They want this to end. I feel an entire city dying right now, in fact.

“Clearly you’ve unleashed another of your monsters,” Ferris said softly, shaking her head. “The Tri-lliance don’t even know about this one, and yet they’ve already asked for me to solve this. Can’t you see they wish this to end?”

“Who’s to say my way doesn’t solve this permanently for me and mine?” Vince asked. He wanted this to end—needed it to end. But if he just went along with her, he was sure he’d get the short end of whatever deal was going to be proposed.

“I… I’ll give you my Dragon’s Word as part of the deal. I speak for the Tri-lliance at this time.

“I really do wish to discuss terms, and see this done and over with. Will you not be reasonable and see it done?

“I can be very flexible on terms.”

Vince stared at the goddess.

I wonder what she tastes like. Can I kill and eat a goddess?

What would happen… if I turned her entire country into a ruin, summoned her at her last temple, and struck her down?

Could I rip her heart out and eat it?

Eat it and have Alice on top of her corpse?

As if sensing his thoughts, Ferris took an actual step backward.

“I can promise you many things,” Ferris said, her hands folding together in front of herself. “Many things, all for the sake of ending this war.”

“Fine. Let us discuss it. I’ll tell you up front, I’m a greedy man.

“What do I get for ending this war your people started?” Vince asked, cutting straight to it.

Ferris blinked and opened her mouth as if to respond, but froze.

Sighing, she spread her hands out in front of herself.

“I offer you a hundred years of peace from the Tri-lliance. No act of aggression at any level shall be taken against Yosemite,” Ferris said.

“Let’s change that to any kingdom north of this point, on this continent,” Vince said. “Can’t have you attacking my neighbors and then applying non-aggressive pressure to me.”

“Fine, I can agree to that. You would of course swear the same, and make no move to colonize to the south.”

“From this point here. Anything south of this point is yours—north of it, I plan on taking to shore up my borders. I plan on turning everything around the dead-city areas into a demilitarized zone.

“I did it in such a way that there should be an entire line no one can cross without dying. Don’t test it.”

Ferris’s face scrunched up at that before she finally nodded her head.

“Alright. I can accede to that as well. It isn’t as if we could hold this territory past what you’ve done to the south anyways.”

Vince grinned at her, shrugging his shoulders. “I wouldn’t expect so.”

“We’d also offer restitution. A hundred pounds of gold.

“For that amount of gold, we’d expect you’d allow our soldiers to return home without being attacked.

“At that point we’d consider the matter closed,” Ferris said.

Frowning as he considered it from every angle, Vince only had one sticking point.

“No, I want more. I want you to send a young, pretty, female maiden Dragon of every type to me. Every color, every type, and every sub-race.

“They’ll join my wing and act as a show of good faith and hostages,” Vince said, an idea springing to mind in his head. “You’ll have two months to get them all put together and send them over to me.”

Ferris stared at him in shock, her face slack, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Do that and I’ll agree to everything else.

“Also, how do you plan on getting your soldiers home? I’ll not allow them to remain anywhere north of this point.”

Ferris shook her head slowly, as if not quite understanding his demand.

“We’ll pick them up by boat from the coastline to the west and be gone.

“You… you want me to send one of every… type?” Ferris asked.

“Yes. You can send the red next to you for the reds. I’ll take it as a down payment and an act of good faith,” Vince said, indicating the shocked red Dragon. “Other than that, I’m willing to accept the deal as it stands.”

“I… I can’t…” Ferris said.

“Or I can go back to destroying your cities and armies one at a time,” Vince said with a shrug.

Ferris clenched her hands into fists at her sides.

“Fine. Fine, I’ll do it, but you have to assist in moving the troops south and provide them with food if they lack,” Ferris said.

“I accept your deal as it’s struck then, and we can consider this done and done,” Vince said.

“I’ll give you my Dragon’s Word on it, just as soon as you release Elizabeth,” Ferris said, indicating the silver. “Her life would be my last request on this deal.”

Vince snorted and stood up from the silver. Walking away from her, he sheathed his hunting knife.

“Done then. Now swear it on your Dragon’s Word so I can go home already.”

Ferris watched as Elizabeth pulled her horns free of the dirt. After the silver had gotten herself into a seated position, Ferris gave her a warm smile.

“This’ll be done momentarily, and we can return home,” said the goddess. Then she looked back to Vince. “On my Dragon’s Word, and as head of the Tri-lliance in this negotiation, I swear to the pact we’ve made, by the intent of our deal.”

“I swear on my own Dragon’s Word for my wing and Yosemite to accept and abide by the pact we’ve made, by the intent of our deal. Now get off my land,” Vince said, flicking a hand at the goddess.

Turning to Alice, he scrambled up into the saddle.

“Let’s go. We need to find the others and get to Thera. War’s over,” Vince said.

“I’m sorry, Mother,” Elizabeth said. The silver’s head hung low. “I was scared.”

“What? What do you mean you were scared? What’d you do?” Ferris said, her voice sounding panicked.

“He was going to kill me before you arrived. I swore myself to his wing.”

“On what terms?” the goddess asked, her volume now rising.

“No terms. I’m sworn to him. Completely,” Elizabeth said. “Without limit.”

Alice didn’t bother to wait around, taking to the sky with two beats of her wings.

“You did what!?”

And… that’s… that.

Vince felt strange as Alice climbed higher and higher into the sky.

They were heading home victorious.

Yet Vince felt empty.

The body count he’d piled up was high after turning three cities into little more than tombs.

Very high.

The cost in lives for his people wasn’t small, either.

He’d lost family.

Family he’d had with him for years now, suddenly gone.

Never to be seen again.

Yosemite was victorious and had held its own.

And it felt like a loss.

***

Thera was slumped in a seat in front of her map. Her hands were stroking her belly, her eyes lost in the middle distance.

“That solves our problems with the Tri-lliance neatly enough,” she said.

“So it would seem,” Vince agreed.

They were alone in her tent. Everyone else had stepped out quietly to attend to whatever other duties they had with the war ending.

“Doesn’t solve our issues with the emperor. Or what’s left of the East,” Thera said, shaking her head. “We’ll need to consolidate the East as quickly as we can and bring it into the fold. Though I think after this, the emperor will simply declare war on us.”

“More than likely. I leave it to you. I don’t really care,” Vince said. “I just want to go home and enjoy time to myself. Maybe actually be a father instead of a figurehead. With this coming to a close, it kinda wraps up most of our problems.”

“You seem rather unconcerned with the emperor,” Thera said.

“I am. Between the Dragons, the artillery, Mr. White, and the Wardens, what can he do?

“No. He’s not really a problem anymore. A hindrance to be certain, but not a problem. It’ll be harder to consolidate and control his land than it will be to conquer him,” Vince said. “I’m… going to go visit Petra, I think.”

“Not a bad idea. After that… are we going home?”

“Yeah… just… want to see Petra again before we go. That’s all.

“Then it’s all over.” Vince reached out to the map and pushed the figurine for the Tri-lliance onto its side. “Game over.”

Epilogue

Sighing, Vince looked up at Petra’s statuesque face.

“And that’s how it ended. I mean… I guess… we won. Doesn’t feel like a victory, though.

“It kinda feels… like a loss,” Vince said, shaking his head. “You, Karya, Daphne, and Green weren’t worth it.

“And yet I know many of our citizens lost as much, or more. Maybe I’m being selfish.”

“You’re not,” said someone at his side. “I mean, at least no more selfish than anyone else.”

Looking to the side as he scrambled to his feet, Vince found himself standing next to the strange, godlike being he’d met previously.

“Hey there,” the man said with a wave and a smile.

Vince went to draw his pistol and stopped, his hand wrapped around the grip.

It wouldn’t do anything, would it?

Slowly, Vince managed to relax, letting his hands fall to his sides.

“What do you want?” Vince asked.

“I promised I’d come back when this was all over. I said I owed you a favor, remember?” the man said, looking at the statue of Petra.

There was a strange sadness in his eyes as he looked at her. An appreciation of the memorial, it seemed like.

“Just… how much of a favor can I get from you?” Vince asked.

He’d thought on this in the quiet moments at night.

When the dark had overtaken him but sleep hadn’t come.

On this favor.

This moment.

He knew what he wanted to ask, but he was afraid to do it.

“Yes, I can bring her back,” the man said, a sad smile spreading across his face. “If that’s what you’re asking without asking.”

“You can? Truly?” Vince asked. “Can you bring all four of them back?”

“I could. Though I see no reason to bother with the other three.

“It’s a bit more of a favor than you honestly deserve.

“Besides, their souls have returned to their bodies. Two will wake up many years from now, and some of their memories will be missing. But they’ll know you, your children, themselves. They won’t even realize the memories are missing.

“The third is already awake. I believe she is named Karya? Her soul was quite strong. And angry.

“She fed part of her memories, spirit, and maturity to come back as quickly as possible. All things that will heal with time, of course.

“She’s rather annoyed right now, being buried and all. She’s been waiting for a Dryad to come check the grave this week so she can get out.”

Vince let out a choked sob, his right hand pressing to his stomach.

“They’ll come back?” he asked, not quite believing it.

“Yes. As I said, they were all quite strong in spirit. The other two really will take a while, though. Don’t count on it anytime soon,” the man said with a casual flick of his hand. “A decade or two.”

“And… and Petra?”

Snorting, the man lifted a hand and pointed at the space next to Vince.

“She never left. She fought the collectors off at every corner. You’ve been haunted this entire time,” the man said. “You are the single most haunted location in this universe.”

Looking to where he was pointing, Vince felt his heart skip and fall over itself.

A glowing, ethereal Petra stood next to him. Hovering over him. Glaring at the other man.

Then her face tilted down toward Vince.

She looked confused and began to slowly move her head to one side.

Vince frowned, watching her move.

“He can see you right now—and relax, my collectors have been told to leave you alone,” the man said.

Petra glanced up at the man, then back to Vince. Then she broke out into a wide smile and moved in close to him.

Her eyes inches from his own.

Her mouth moved, but no sound came.

“He can’t hear you, though. That’s just not something that can change, not without me fixing a bunch of things. Sorry.

“Anyways, yes, I can bring her back. But… I wonder… would you hear me out on a suggestion?” the man said, turning away from the statue.

Tearing his gaze away from Petra and laying it on the other man, Vince nodded.

“Of course,” he said neutrally.

“Petra died for the cause. She’s been martyred. And quite well. This area is just… oozing… with faith magic and worship.

“Given time, and a temple, this could be the cornerstone of a religion for Yosemite.

“Let Petra lie. To remain dead.”

Vince opened his mouth to immediately reject the idea.

“Hold on—hear me out,” the man said quickly. “Let Petra remain dead. She only had maybe ten more years anyways. She would have died of old age.

“I can bring her back. Easily, since her soul never left. How about you let me put her into a new body? One that won’t age or decay. One that simply will remain exactly as you see it today.”

Frowning, Vince couldn’t help but want to immediately say yes.

The idea of Petra living forever appealed to him. Her demise due to old age had been bothering him.

“Can I see the body she’d inhabit first?” Vince asked.

“Of course, though you’ll find it looks just like Petra did. It’ll just be a human, instead,” the man said.

As he held his hand up in front of himself, a body simply appeared in between the man and Vince.

It did indeed look just like Petra. Everything was the same.

The only difference was she was human and not a soldier ant.

Though she didn’t seem as tall, which made her bust seem significantly larger.

Petra’s soul moved in close to the body, and she began to seemingly inspect it. Even going so far as to get up close and personal with her would-be privates.

“Heh, feel free to step into it for the time being,” the man said. “Give it a test drive, so to speak. Wouldn’t want you driving it off the lot without getting a feel for it.”

Petra looked to the man, then stepped into the body.

Her blue silhouette vanished, and the naked woman’s staring eyes blinked.

Before she immediately fell to her knees, her hands pressed to the grass.

“This one does not know how to walk,” Petra said. “These legs make no sense.”

Vince fell to his knees next to Petra, pulling her into his arms.

“Oh, Petra,” Vince said, pressing her face into his neck.

“I take it you’ll accept the deal?” the man said.

“Yes. I accept it.”

Nodding, the man pointed a finger at Petra and then sighed.

“Now if it were only that easy every time. That’s done, and my favor to you is paid.

“You get to skate free with a bit of deus ex machina,” the man said with a flourish of his hand.

Seemingly ignoring the man, Petra held to Vince tightly.

Her hands clutched at him, and she rubbed her face back and forth against his throat.

“So… I suppose that’s the end for now. You’ve sealed the Tri-lliance to the south, brought victory to your country, and your personal losses have magically gone away,” the man said. “Almost as if you lived a life from a story book.

“Though, I wonder… would you be willing to barter for another favor from me?”

“Another favor?” Vince asked, his gaze lifting from Petra to the man.

“Why yes, another favor. After all… your Fes won’t live forever. She’s rather mortal, no?” the man said with a smile. “What if the favor I wanted to barter would give her immortality?

“And depending on when my favor came, restore her to her prime. Her youth, that is.”

Vince swallowed, trying to stop himself from immediately agreeing.

“My deal is rather simple. At some point, I’ll need your help. It’ll be something you can accomplish, and well within your abilities.

“It’d come with some risk, of course, but what doesn’t?

“All for the low, low price of immortality for Berenga,” the man said.

Vince thought on it. Mentally chewed at the problem.

There really weren’t many options available to preserve Fes. To keep her with him.

Which left him with only one answer.

“I agree,” Vince said.

“Good, good, grand, grand,” the man said, nodding his head. He folded his arms across his chest and looked back to the statue. “I wonder if I could commission whoever did this to make one of her.

“Mine just… never seem to really capture her essence.”

“If… you don’t mind… what exactly are you?” Vince asked, holding tight to Petra.

She continued to rub herself all over him, her hands fondling and caressing all of him.

“Ah, yes. That’s rather tasteless of me, isn’t it?

“What am I?” the man said, looking thoughtful. Then a smile broke across his face, as if he found something funny.

Turning to face Vince, he touched his brow.

“We’ll paraphrase here a bit, but I can’t resist something as amusing as this. No matter how cringeworthy and groan inducing it is.

“Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m a man of wealth, and taste.

“I’ve been around for a long, long year, stole many a man’s soul and faith,” the man said, bowing to Vince at the hip. “Pleased to meet you. You can call me… Runner.

“Runner Norwood.”

Thank you, dear reader!

I’m hopeful you enjoyed reading Fostering Faust. Please consider leaving a review, commentary, or messages. Feedback is imperative to an author’s growth. That and positive reviews never hurt.

Feel free to drop me a line at: RandiDarren@gmail.com

Keep up to date—
Main Page: https://www.williamdarand.com (Yes, I really am)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RandiDarren

Blog: https://randidarren.blogspot.com/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WilliamDArand

Harem Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/haremlit/

Blaise Corvin- A close and dear friend of mine. He’s been there for me since I was nothing but a rookie with a single book to my name. He told me from the start that it was clear I had talent and had to keep writing. His background in European martial arts creates accurate and detail driven action segments as well as his world building.
https://www.amazon.com/Blaise-Corvin/e/B01LYK8VG5

John Van Stry- John was an author I read, and re-read, and re-read again, before I was an author. In a world of books written for everything except harems, I found that not only did I truly enjoy his writing, but his concepts as well.
In discovering he was an indie author, I realized that there was nothing separating me from being just like him. I attribute him as an influence in my own work.

He now has two pen names, and both are great.

https://www.amazon.com/John-Van-Stry/e/B004U7JY8I
Jan Stryvant-
https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Stryvant/e/B06ZY7L62L

Daniel Schinhofen- Daniel was another one of those early adopters of my work who encouraged and pushed me along. He’s almost as introverted as I am, so we get along famously. He recently released a new book, and by all accounts including mine, is a well written author with interesting storylines.

https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Schinhofen/e/B01LXQWPZA