***I self-edit and admit editing isn't my greatest skill. I apologize in advance for anything I missed. ***

CHAPTER 27: The road less traveled

* * *

Kendra started feathering her airship's sails to reduce speed as she neared the crowded airspace of the wood elven capital city of Nalatia. Everything in her wanted to turn around, but she needed to warn Ethan -- and more importantly Taloni -- that Lord Delmar almost certainly knew that they were in the city. He would probably make a move by the end of the day and it was already past well past noon. That left the dragon huntress precious little time to find a berth, dock, find the Argo, and warn the crew of the impending danger.

She took a deep breath as she remembered the other thing that she needed to do while she was here. While everything in her was united in its desire to save the Fey teen, she was at war with herself on the other thing. She knew she needed to apologize to Ethan, but everything in her was telling her to run; run far away and never see him again, never talk of him again, and maybe never think of him again if she could manage it.

But she couldn't.

Taloni's life might be on the line if Lord Delmar attacked, and she simply couldn't risk that; it didn't matter how little she wanted to see the dragon.

* * *

Ethan felt his mind wanting to freeze as his body wanted to run. He was pretty sure that he was on a mountaintop with an angel and God Himself, after unknowingly telling God that He was both unjust and didn't care. No, it was worse; he'd called God a 'colossal asshole'. He was surprised that he wasn't being struck by a lightning bolt where he stood.

The grizzled man -- Illuminar -- laughed. It was a deep 'from-the-belly' sort of laugh that almost made Ethan want to laugh too.

"Ethan, I'm not in the habit of striking a man with lightning because he respectfully tells me his opinion, especially since I asked."

"That's good." He said tentatively, still rooted to the spot.

"Gabriella, offer our guest some tea." Illuminar instructed, then turned back to Ethan and spoke in a friendly, conversational tone. "So, you don't like the way I run the universe."

He didn't know how to answer. It felt like saying anything would be akin to blasphemy.

The grizzled man looked amused. "Ethan, I am big enough to take your opinion, and I already know what it is anyway. However, it's easier for you to have a conversation if you speak aloud. Now, speak." His voice suddenly had a ringing authority that Ethan didn't feel right ignoring.

"No, I don't like the way you -- I mean, thee? Thou? -- I mean, yeah, I don't think some of the things that you do... or maybe allow? Anyway don't think they're quite... quite right." He grimaced and waited for the lightning bolt.

Illuminar chuckled again, though Ethan didn't feel like he was being laughed at. "Join the club. Membership currently stands at nearly every sentient being who ever has lived, is living, or will live."

"Nearly?"

He nodded, and he had a mischievous grin on His face and a twinkle in His eye. "A precious few accept that -- being all-knowing -- I do actually know best." He then nodded his head towards Ethan's side and gently chided. "Don't be rude; dear Gabriella has been offering you tea for some time now. Please take it and have a seat."

"Oh, sorry." He hadn't noticed her and took the offered cup. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled.

The tea seemed to be at the perfect temperature; hot, but just shy of being too hot. He sat down on the grass, took a sip, and nearly moaned out loud. "Damn that's good." He breathed, then looked at Illuminar in alarm. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to say 'damn', I meant... uh..."

"You meant to say exactly what you said." Illuminar corrected. "I don't prefer coarse language, but neither do I unleash plagues for it."

"Oh good." He replied, very glad that was the case, and also that he also wasn't being struck down for his opinion that the world wasn't being run well.

"Ethan, should a toddler instruct his parents on how to run a home?" Illuminar asked.

"Of course not."

"Why not?"

"Because a toddler isn't mature enough, old enough, or wise enough." Ethan replied.

"Then perhaps consider that the knowledge and wisdom gap between you and I is far greater than between a toddler and his parents. When you're all-knowing and all-wise, then perhaps I'll take your advice on how to run the universe." Illuminar chided gently and with a smile. It almost didn't sound like a rebuke, it was more like He was simply teaching a lesson.

"Yes sir." He averted his eyes slightly, deciding not to mention all the terrible things which were happening in the world that He could prevent, but didn't.

"Yet remember this; I will not let injustice stand." Illuminar said with a powerful conviction in His voice, seemingly answering his thoughts. "Whether in this life or the next, no injustice will go unpunished and no integrity will go unrewarded. Every righteous deed will be rewarded and every wicked deed will be punished. None shall escape this judgement, for I show no partiality."

Ethan grimaced, thinking of all the things he'd done that could easily put him on the wrong side of that judgement.

"Look at me Ethan." Illuminar said with a kind voice. Surprisingly, He didn't look angry but rather consoling and tender. "I require men to aim for perfection, but have near infinite grace when they try and fall short. If you aim for the bullseye and miss, you'll usually still hit the target somewhere. Not as perfectly as either of us would prefer, but you likely will."

"I try to."

"And that is what sets the righteous apart from the wicked." He replied kindly. "The righteous strive to hit the bullseye and trust my grace when they fall short; the wicked don't even try. Those who acknowledge me and practice righteousness will receive a great reward and rejoice; but those who practice unrepentant wickedness will be repaid in full for their wicked deeds."

"But what if they start trying?"

Illuminar's smile became even warmer. "I will show mercy to all who turn from their wickedness and acknowledge Me, requiring nothing else except repentance, even from the worst man who ever lived. But..." His smile turned to distaste. "...but those who practice unrepentant wickedness will be repaid in full."

"I'm okay with that." Ethan nodded.

"Whether you are or not, that is how it will be... so it's good you happy with it." Illuminar smiled and took a sip of His tea. "But you didn't come here to discuss how I dispense justice. Do you know why you're here?"

"Uh, the King asked me to come?"

"Try again." Illuminar shook His head calmly, as if He was a teacher in a classroom and Ethan had merely answered a question incorrectly.

"Hmm." As far as he knew, that's why he was there. What there another reason?

"Yes, there is." Illuminar said, apparently answering his thoughts.

He thought about it for several seconds before answering again. "Because you wanted me here?"

"Correct." Illuminar nodded. "Your tea is getting cold."

Ethan took a sip; it was easily the best tea he'd ever had -- no exceptions -- and he didn't usually like tea.

"You are my chosen instrument Ethan." Illuminar said. "I have decided that you will correct a situation in this world that has gone on for quite long enough; a situation you aren't even aware of yet. I've heard the prayers of those troubled by it, and have decided that you will correct it."

"Don't I get a say in this?" He replied feeling a little irked.

"Of course you do." Illuminar nodded. "I won't force you to do anything; I don't force anyone to do anything. But given who you are, the situation you find yourself in, and who is around you; you will end up correcting this situation by your own free choice."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "How can I make a 'free choice' to do something if you already know what I'm going to choose?"

"If you gave Alana the choice between living in a stainless steel shed or a house grown from trees like the houses in Nalatia, which would she choose?"

"The tree house of course."

Illuminar grinned mischievously as He took another sip of His tea. "How can she make a 'free choice' if you already know what she's going to choose?"

Ethan opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. "Oh."

Hmm.

"But... Hmm." Ethan frowned. "How can I make a choice if you already chose me? Isn't you choosing me overriding my ability to choose?"

"Ethan, would you prefer that your wives love you because they were forced, or because they chose to?"

"Obviously because they chose."

"I am the same." Illuminar took another sip of His tea. "It would take more time than we have to fully explain how it works, but know this: I am absolutely sovereign over everyone and everything in the universe with no exceptions. Yet in my sovereignty, I have chosen to give you free will. I could make anyone in the universe do anything I wished with less effort than you use to blink... but then their love would be meaningless. Therefore, I don't override free will. Ever."

"That makes sense and I'm glad." Ethan replied. "But doesn't that mean some people won't choose you?"

"Actually, it means that many people won't choose me." He acknowledged. "But a robot that's programmed to say 'I love you' means nothing compared to a child who chooses to say 'I love you'. I'm not after robots. Fortunately -- being all-knowing and all-wise -- I know how to guide events without violating anyone's free will. Trust me on that..."

He leaned for forward. "...or don't; it's your choice."

He winked.

Ethan chuckled.

"But, why choose me?" Ethan asked after a moment. He wasn't especially... well, anything. He didn't have any special qualifications, he wasn't incredibly smart; he wasn't even as good or noble as he'd like to be, and his dragon side made things worse. He really wasn't special at all.

"I didn't choose you because you are special Ethan." Illuminar replied. "I chose you because you aren't special. I chose you -- a flawed man -- to accomplish my purposes so that no one -- especially you yourself -- could say you did it by your own strength. That's how I work. I choose the weak to defeat the strong, the simple to outsmart the wise, and the lowly to humble the proud."

Illuminar leaned forward. "Do you know what that means?"

Ethan shook his head.

"It means I can use anyone." He smiled. "There are 14,728 men in the universe who I could've sent into that dragon's body instead of you. 14,728 men who could've done what you've done, and who could do what you will do. Most of them are stronger, smarter, or more noble than you are. Some of them even devotedly follow me and would recognize me here, for I am known on every world... yet I didn't choose them."

"Why?"

"Because of your free choice; because you asked." Illuminar replied kindly and with a wide smile. "You asked for a fresh start and the perfect woman for you just before your human body died. And foreseeing this, while you and Alana were both still in your mother's wombs, I knit you together to be perfect for each other. And because I knew Alana that was lonely and wanted sisters, I made six other women who would be the perfect sisters for her, and each other, and also the perfect wives for you. I made all of you -- I carefully designed each and every single one of you -- to fit perfectly together. Each one adding another essential and crucial piece to the whole."

"Wow." Ethan breathed, suddenly realizing how incredible that was. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around it.

"So the next time you feel like complaining about your life or wishing that I did things differently, realize that there are precisely 14,728 other men who could've been in your shoes, but aren't... and then consider showing some gratitude." It was a mild rebuke and came across as kind and gentle; it was firm, but not harsh.

"I will, thank you." Ethan nodded, still trying to process what he'd just heard.

"You're welcome." The grizzled man that was Illuminar nodded, then He took another sip of his tea.

That's when something He'd said jumped out at Ethan. "Wait, did you say six other women? As in, seven total?"

Illuminar smiled.

* * *

Selene laid on the bed in the monastery's visitor's dormitory, staring up at the ceiling and trying to decide what her next move should be. The way she saw it, she had only two options if she wanted to get home. First, find the ruined temple which led back to Smithbond's base. That idea was extremely unappealing because it was tantamount to walking back into slavery.

Her second option was to somehow find Ethan Ejder and then somehow convince him to re-open the portal to Earth that he'd used. Without modern communications equipment, she thought that was a pipe dream at best. Plus she'd pointed a gun at him on Earth, so she wasn't sure that he'd cooperate even if she could find him.

However, an unrelated third option was to stay in the Ten Kingdoms and build a life here. She'd miss her folks terribly -- even her overbearing mother -- but that looked like the most viable option. It might be her only option if she couldn't find Ethan or the ruined temple. The question was, what kind of life could she build here? Hailey had made it sound like women had some rights here, but not many. Her investigative skills might be useful to the local constabulary, but she doubted they would accept a woman into their ranks.

She grimaced.

There was always the world's oldest profession, but she would've impaled herself on her sword before she turned to that. She didn't have any skills that might be useful in this world though. Hmm. She'd done a short stint of waitressing in college and some subtle flirting had gotten excellent tips -- her incredibly beauty did have advantages -- so maybe that was an option?

But where?

She rolled onto her side and her mind drifted to the inn where she'd stayed. Perhaps there? She wasn't fond of the owner, but she could handle him. Plus his daughter was nice. That of course made her think about Brother Kalen's warning about the girl.

How could an innocent girl like Sarah pose a threat to someone's soul?

She thought about it for a few minutes before remembering that it used to be common practice to burn 'witches' at the stake on Earth because they are 'consorting with the devil'. Plus bloodletting had once been a common practice. Maybe it was just superstition? Sarah was a bit odd, and perhaps that's what gave rise to their fears?

As she thought about it, waitressing at the inn might be her best bet for now.

She smiled wryly.

She had a master's degree in criminal justice, a lifetime of martial arts skills, had been approached by countless professional modeling agencies throughout college, and had succeeded in becoming an FBI agent. Now she was hoping to score a job as a waitress.

Life had sure taken some surprising turns.

* * *

"Seven!" Ethan felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head as Illuminar watched him in amusement. "But I feel like I barely have time for three!"

"Are you questioning my judgement or being ungrateful?" He replied with an amused smile.

"Uh... no?"

"It will be an adjustment, but you'll grow used to it and eventually love it." He assured him. "Besides, you'll need all of them to accomplish my purposes, and to rectify the situation that I brought you here to rectify."

Ethan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wasn't sure how he felt about seven wives. His dragon side was roaring in jubilation and he got the distinct impression that the dragon would've wanted ten times that number; minimum. But he himself... Not so much. He loved his wives and wouldn't trade them for the world. He would also gladly add Rachel to their number, but beyond that... He couldn't think of anyone else he'd want to marry.

"That will change." Illuminar said, taking another sip of His tea.

"And, you're sure this is a good idea?" He asked. "I mean, seven wives?"

Illuminar laughed good-naturedly as he shook his head. "Mortals have such short memories."

"Guilty as charged." He admitted, remembering how they had just covered Him being all knowing. He just found it so hard to believe that Illuminar could be that good to him, especially after all the things he'd done wrong. It just didn't seem possible for Him to be so... so forgiving.

"Tell me Ethan, what was your impression of me when you first arrived on Mount Ianis?"

"I though you seemed like the kind of person who would wade through a river of piranhas to help your friends, but you would also be a fearsome foe."

He nodded. "If you acknowledge me and keep my commandments, you will be counted among my friends. Even the worst man alive -- the most depraved soul ever to walk the land -- need only acknowledge me, repent, and turn from his wickedness; then he too will become my friend."

"That sounds so easy."

"Conceptually, yes. But in practice..." He shook his head. "Don't expect an easy life. A good life? Yes. But not an easy one."

"But why?" He asked. "If you care so much for your friends, then why is life so hard?"

"Consider a forge Ethan." Illuminar replied. "Men are like a piece of steel with many impurities, and I am like a smith who must remove those impurities so the finished blade will pass the test when it's used. To remove those impurities, I heat the steel up and repeatedly hammer it and fold it, slowly exposing the impurities to the fire so they can be burned away. So it is with men. To remove the impurities -- the wickedness -- in man's heart, I must apply heat and pressure to refine him; just as a smith does to steel. You might not enjoy the process, but without it, those impurities will weaken the final blade and it will break when tested instead of springing back true. Considering the judgement that awaits those who 'break' when tested and turn to wickedness, the forge is the better path. Not easier, but better."

"Hell isn't like a forge though." Ethan replied tentatively, not sure if he was being blasphemous or not.

Illuminar's face darkened; the first time it had done so. "And have you noticed that not a single man, woman, or child on this planet even knows of the concept?"

He cocked his head to one side.

Huh.

"It was also nearly unknown for hundreds of years on Earth before it became the dominant view. However, I do not decree eternal judgements for non-eternal crimes, no matter how severe. I will punish all injustice, for it would be unjust for me not to. I will repay each man according to his deeds -- whether good or bad -- with no partiality. A man who practices wickedness in life has much to fear unless he repents before he dies, for my judgement is great and terrible towards those who practice terrible wickedness..."

Illuminar's eyes blazed and Ethan was left in no doubt that what He was saying was the absolute truth. He actually felt himself start to tremble with the sheer force of the power behind Illuminar's words. His gaze was so great and terrible that the worst man alive might be scared straight if he saw it. Somehow, Ethan guessed that everything he'd heard about fire and brimstone fell far short of the great and terrible truth...

...but.

But then Illuminar's expression softened to be among the kindest and most caring expressions he'd ever seen. There was a deep pool of love, affection, and caring behind them; like the most loving father to his most precious child. There was a warmth and comfort there that seemed too good to be true. It was the promise of a gentle embrace; one in which he didn't think it was possible to feel unloved.

Illuminar smiled slightly as He continued. "...yet even the longest, harshest sentence can be served, and even the most wicked soul who ever lived can repent if the forge is hot enough, the hammer hard enough, and the smith strong enough. My favorite thing is destroying my enemies by making them into my friends... and they need only acknowledge me, repent, and turn from their wickedness to become my friends."

"Even after death?" Ethan breathed.

He couldn't imagine anything that would be worth risking the great and terrible wrath that Illuminar would unleash on the wicked. He got the distinct impression that he wasn't even capable of truly understanding the severity; the sheer magnitude of the punishment. Frankly, maybe the Hitlers, Stalins, and terrorists of the world deserved it. But if even men like that could repent after death... If they could be fully, truly, and properly punished, but then afterwards repent...

Hmm.

Unfortunately, Illuminar didn't answer his question. "Regrettably, our conversation must conclude here. You are needed elsewhere and would be late if we tarried much longer in conversation, no matter how enjoyable it is."

Illuminar smiled, and Ethan got the impression that the grizzled man had truly enjoyed the conversation. He wasn't sure why, but he distinctly felt like He had. The conversation had certainly given Ethan a lot to think about.

An awful lot.

Illuminar finished His tea and then set the cup down on the grass. "Sadly, it wouldn't be good for you if we met like this again. So as much as I'd like to, unfortunately we won't."

"Okay." Ethan also swallowed the last of his tea and then stood up.

"You must know two things before you leave." Illuminar said. "First, trust your dragon instincts when you bed your wives; they won't lead you wrong."

"Are you sure?"

Illuminar raised His eyebrow and appeared to be highly amused.

"Right; you're all knowing, I have a short memory." Ethan shook his head at himself, to which Illuminar chuckled before continuing.

"You will find this hard, but trust your dragon instincts in bed, especially when it comes to your fifth and sixth wives. Dragons are highly intuitive creatures, and they learn almost everything about the deep desires and needs of a woman through bonding. Your dragon side knows things about your wives and their sexual needs -- not just wants, not just desires, but also their needs -- that you aren't aware of. Therefore, trust your dragon instincts in bed, especially when it makes you uncomfortable."

Ethan's mind immediately went back to that morning. He'd known that Beth had wanted him to aggressively take her and simply pound into her until she was a puddle of incoherent pleasure. She had wanted him to use her body with no regard to how much she enjoyed it because she would enjoy that. He hadn't done it because it had made him quite uncomfortable, just as Illuminar had said.

There was no denying that Beth would've thoroughly enjoyed it though.

He could even see how she might've needed it.

Hmm.

"You see it." Illuminar nodded approvingly. "Your wives' needs must come before your wants and what makes you comfortable; that is your duty as their husband. Again, this especially applies to your fifth and sixth wives. They will both need your dragon side much more than your human side in bed, at least initially."

"Okay."

"Second, tell your adorable Fey wife that her question -- the one that she wanted you to ask me for her, but was too nervous to request it -- tell her that her question will be answered if she and Rachel walk around the docks after dinner this evening."

"Okay, what was her quest--" Ethan started to say, but then he blinked and he was alone. Both Illuminar and Gabriella had completely disappeared, along with the fire, tea, teacups, the stones that surrounded the fire pit, and even the fire itself.

"Wow." He thought, then remembered the instruction regarding Taloni. Smiling, he turned his thoughts towards his Fey wife, thinking she would especially enjoy the fact that Illuminar had called her 'adorable'. He couldn't agree more.

* * *

Rachel trailed several feet behind the exuberant Taloni as they walked through the Nalatia docks. The Fey girl seemed very happy about something, and had been ever since the redhead had agreed to accompany her for a stroll around the docks after dinner. For some reason, she had been singled out. She wasn't sure why, but didn't really mind; the Fey was wonderful company and a change of scenery had seemed like a good idea.

Give the beautiful sunset on the horizon, the change of scenery was indeed ideal.

The docks were much like the rest of the city: made almost entirely out of trees or wooden structures attached to trees. They had docking berths of all sizes to accommodate almost any size airship, from ones the size of Kendra's to the massive cargo airships which carried goods all throughout the Ten Kingdoms.

The sun was getting low as they slowly wound their way towards the private dock where Ethan was supposed to land when he returned from his meeting with Illuminar. She couldn't believe that she'd just thought that sentence.

"Taloni, how did Ethan's meeting go?" She asked.

"Um, I don't know." The Fey replied absentmindedly as she looked at a variety of necklaces being sold by a street vendor. There was an abundance of them around the docks peddling their wares to travelers. The Fey had started looking at them, and so their amble had turned into window shopping; not that the redhead minded.

"He didn't tell you how it went?"

She shook her head absentmindedly. "No, he said he wanted to wait until he got back so you could hear."

Rachel stared for a moment. "What?"

The Fey teen turned towards her with a kind but amused smile. "You really have no idea how much he likes you and values your input, do you?"

Rachel shook her head mutely.

"It's so cute to see you two together." Taloni giggled. "I can't wait until you both stop lying to yourselves and just get married."

The redhead moved her mouth wordlessly for a few moments while the honey-blonde teen went back to browsing, clearly oblivious to the emotional turmoil she'd stirred up. She was like that. The sweetest girl you'd ever meet who could say something absolutely true out of the blue with such love that you couldn't even be upset at her for it.

"Oh this one is pretty!" She exclaimed as her hands touched an attractive lilac colored necklace that perfectly matched the shade of her dress. It was shaped like a lilac flower too, and was indeed quite pretty.

"Try it on." Rachel urged.

She did and did a little hop and spin once it was around her slender neck. The necklace was long and fell to between her breasts, adding a little bit of whimsicalness to her outfit.

"It looks good on you." The redhead nodded approvingly.

"Do you think master will like it?"

"I think he likes you, and that necklace is very you."

Taloni beamed.

Then her face fell. "I don't have any money though."

"I do." Rachel reached down and pulled out enough coins for the necklace from her coin pouch. It didn't hold much right now because it was rarely wise to carry around large sums. The coins technically belonged to the Argo not her, but she was pretty sure Ethan wouldn't mind. If he'd seen the Fey's smile, he most assuredly would've folded like a house of cards. Taloni nearly skipped down the street after the redhead had paid, a new bounce in her step as she admired her necklace.

That brought a smile to Rachel's face as well.

They walked for a few more minutes, the redhead following the little ball of sunshine without really paying attention to where they were going. Like most large cities, the area around the docks was a great place to pick up knick-knacks for yourself. Though in this case, the honey-blonde teen had probably selected the necklace as much for Ethan's benefit as for her own.

That was the moment that Rachel stopped lying to herself and realized that she was also wearing something as much for Ethan's benefit as her own; the red dress. She'd put it on to catch his eye, no matter how much she told herself that wasn't the case at the time. And partly because of his reaction, she had no desire to wear anything else.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she nearly walked into Taloni, who had stopped.

"What is it?" The redhead asked.

The Fey teen turned to her, smiling even wider if that was possible. "Kendra."

She nodded to a small, nearby airship whose pilot was lashing it to the docking bollards. The pilot of the airship was unmistakably Kendra. Her attractively tanned skin, jet black hair, and smooth, almost catlike grace was unforgettable.

Rachel grimaced.

"Come on." The Fey's wings fluttered in excitement as she took off towards the dragon huntress like a child might when you told him that he could pick out anything from a candy store.

"Taloni, wait." Rachel called, heading after her.

The Fey didn't even look back as she nearly skipped through the crowd, ducking and weaving around the throng of wood elves with surprising agility. Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled as she followed in her wake, trying not to disturb too many people as she did so.

"Kendra!" Taloni called when she was closer.

The dragon huntress spun towards her, eyes alert and wary like a serpent ready to strike... then the raven-haired woman laid eyes on Taloni and did something that Rachel almost couldn't believe.

Kendra smiled.

A real, true, genuine smile.

All the tension drained out of the woman's body and she looked relieved as she grinned. It was a strange expression to see on Kendra's face, and certainly not one Rachel had expected to see there. It looked like something had changed in the other woman. She couldn't tell what, but there was something slightly different about her.

It was subtle, but there.

Taloni launched herself into the air when she reached the end of the nearest pier, and her wings were a blur as she flew the last twenty feet of open air to land on the other woman's canoe-sized airship. The Fey landed so close that her arms wrapped the dragon huntress in a huge hug as her feet touched the ground.

Kendra looked content.

Almost happy.

It was a strange expression to see on the woman's face, but a good one. Not having wings nor Taloni's excitement, Rachel took the long way around. It was another minute before she arrived, and they were still hugging when she did.

Rachel cleared her throat.

Kendra reacted long before the sound was done, disentangling herself from the Fey teen in a flash and putting herself between Taloni and the noise. It was an undeniably protective move and the raven-haired woman only relaxed once she'd recognized Rachel.

"Sneak attacks aren't my thing." The redhead said wryly.

For some reason, Kendra averted her eyes before responding somewhat formally. "Hello Rachel."

"Hi." She replied.

"It's good to see you again." Taloni beamed to the dragon huntress.

Kendra nodded. "I'm glad to see you too. Um..."

Again, she averted her eyes for a moment, seemingly in shame or embarrassment, before she almost smiled as she looked at the Fey girl. "So this might sound strange, but I had a dream the other day and I met Gabriella."

"You did?" The redhead and the honey-blonde said at the same time.

Kendra nodded. "And she had a message for you Taloni, she said it was an answer to a question you hadn't asked yet."

The Fey teen's jaw dropped as she whispered almost fearfully. "What's the answer?"

"She said the answer to your questions was quote: 'a most emphatic yes'."

Rachel didn't think she'd ever seen the Fey girl so happy. Her smile was wider than the dock and brighter than the sun as she squealed and threw her arms around Kendra. "Thank you so much!"

"Um, you're welcome." The dragon huntress replied awkwardly. Rachel had thought the Fey had been happy before, but right now she was almost glowing in delight.

"So what have you been up to?" Taloni asked when their hug ended.

"I was confirming your story."

"And?" Rachel asked.

Kendra bit her lip. It was an uncharacteristically human thing to do and Rachel found herself a bit surprised. The dragon huntress looked almost nervous.

"I..." Kendra took a deep breath. "I believe..." She closed her eyes and seemed to be summoning her courage. "Can I talk to Ethan?"

"Why?" Taloni asked with a sly smile forming her face.

"I need..." Kendra took another deep breath. "I need to... to apologize."

The dragon huntress hung her head as she said this and her shoulders slumped too. She wouldn't meet either of their eyes and was determinedly examining the floor of her airship.

"I'm sure master will forgive you." Taloni said brightly.

"I hope so." Kendra whispered quietly. She looked up at Rachel, her eyes full of an unspoken question.

"I tried to kill him too, and he forgave me." Rachel offered.

"That was different and we both know it." Kendra pursed her lips. "You were forced; I wasn't."

"He's a good man who's also made mistakes." Rachel countered. "He may not forgive you all at once, but I think he will."

Kendra breathed a sigh of relief. "Where is he?"

"Actually, we're going to meet him soon." Taloni replied.

"If you leave your weapons here, you can come with us." Rachel offered. The dragon huntress seemed sincere, but she didn't want to take any chances. Not with someone as deadly as Kendra.

"That's fair." Kendra reached to unbuckle her sword belt, then hesitated. "Lord Delmar knows that Ethan is here."

The color drained from Taloni's face.

"You're sure?" The redhead asked, a chill going up her spine at the mention of her father.

Kendra nodded.

Rachel tapped her foot on the dock for several seconds while considering. Kendra seemed sincere and Lord Delmar was extremely dangerous. It made sense that he might know they were here, given that their visit hadn't exactly been clandestine. IF Kendra was telling the truth about wanting to apologize, and IF her father did know that Ethan was here, then asking her to be unarmed was a bad move.

A very bad move.

"Keep the sword." Rachel finally said. "But if you make one single offensive move, I'll blast you off the city platforms and into next week. Understand?"

"Again, that's fair." Kendra conceded.

"Okay, after you." Rachel stepped back and indicated that Kendra should go first; there was no way she was going to turn her back to the dragon huntress.

* * *

Ethan stepped off the airship and onto the Nalatia docks, glad the trip was finally over. The sun had just set and the beautiful reds, oranges, and purples of sunset were giving way to the dark blues of twilight. The dock was lit by torches set at regular intervals, and the flickering light complemented his pensive mood nicely. Illuminar had given him much to think on, which would've been easier if not for the present company.

"You dishonor your ancestors by not revealing what Illuminar told you!" Plesius repeated for the ten millionth time. The high priest of Illuminar was really starting to get on his nerves.

"No, they would be proud that I stood my ground and didn't cave to peer pressure." He retorted, then decided to twist the metaphorical knife a bit. "They would certainly be more proud of me than your ancestors would be of you if they knew you'd forgotten to say 'blessed be He' after saying Illuminar's name."

The wood elven priest looked like you could boil an egg on his forehead. Ethan laughed, which seemed to aggravate him even more. Finally, the elf turned on his heel and stalked off, muttering under his breath.

"I would've thought a high priest of Illuminar would be more mature." He thought aloud.

"Maturity is not conferred through robes or titles, honored dragon." Delabor said as the corners of his mouth twitched up.

"Good point." Ethan nodded.

"I shall guide you back to your airship, if you are ready to depart." The herald said.

"Um, hang on a second." He said, and then thought to Taloni. *How close are you and Rachel?*

*Not far master, and we're bringing someone with us.* His Fey wife replied with sunshine in her tone.

*Who?*

*I'd rather it was a surprise master, if that's okay with you.*

*That's fine; see you soon honey.* He shrugged, which of course she couldn't see, and then turned to Delabor. "Actually, two of my wives will be here in a bit, and I was going to walk back with them."

"Very good honored dragon. I shall call upon you in the morning to give you an audience with the king concerning your encounter with Illuminar -- blessed be He." Delabor bowed again, then turned and walked towards the king's palace.

The private dock they'd berthed in was a bit off the beaten path and surrounded on all sides by trees. There was only one walkway onto this dock, which was about a dozen yards away and curved out of sight maybe 20 yards from him. After the curve, it was a decent length walk before you reached the city again.

Apparently, honor dictated that travel to Mount Inais required an airship that had been set apart just for the purpose. To quote his elven hosts: 'could an airship devoted to such a purpose share a dock with common airships?' He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He supposed it made a little sense, and at least it wasn't as harmful as some of their other traditions.

He leaned up against the railing and waited for his wives.

A while later, Taloni came nearly skipping around the corner with Rachel and... he narrowed his eyes, trying to decide if Kendra would be friend or foe this time. Taloni was leading the procession with Rachel bringing up the rear and the dragon huntress in between. The redhead was watching Kendra like a hawk while the Fey seemed joyous and absolutely carefree.

The dragon huntress herself seemed uncharacteristically subdued. She wasn't the same alert, wary predator that she had been the last time they'd met. Now she seemed... smaller. She was still about as tall as Rachel, but her slightly slumped posture and the way she avoided his eyes was very different; almost cowed.

Taloni ran up to him and they shared a wonderful kiss. She loved so freely and so fully that she held nothing back, and it was always a delight to kiss her. Sadly, he couldn't be that unreserved in response this time; he kept one eye open and on Kendra.

"Welcome back master." She said when their kiss broke.

"With a welcome like that, I might need to go away more often." He said with a wink.

Taloni opened her mouth, went slightly red, then closed it and thought to him. *I would be happy to give you another welcome when we get back to the Argo master.*

*Looking forward to it.* He grinned back, then turned his attention to the dragon huntress. "Kendra, what brings you here?" He tried to keep his voice even instead of cool.

Of all the words he might use to describe Kendra -- some of which were only four letters -- 'timid' was about the last one that would've ever occurred to him.

Until now.

She could barely look at him. She had almost flinched when he had addressed her. "I... I um..." She ran her hands through her jet-black hair, and the way it fell afterwards partially obscured her face from view. He didn't think that was an accident.

She still didn't meet his eye.

"You... what?" He prompted, though it came out a bit less gently than he'd intended.

"Please be kind Master, this is really hard for her." Taloni asked gently, then the Fey went to Kendra's side, took her hand, and gave it a gentle, comforting squeeze. "Go on, it's okay."

Kendra seemed to take strength from the gesture, took a deep breath, and then spoke in a determined yet trepidacious tone. "I'm sorry Ethan. I'm sorry I attacked you all those times, I'm sorry I tried to kill you, I'm sorry for all the harm I've caused to you and your wonderful wives."

Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but it seemed that once Kendra started, she was having a hard time stopping. "I didn't know. I didn't know what you were like, how many people you've helped. I... I only had Lord Delmar's story and I didn't..." She took a deep breath. "I didn't confirm it. I just believed his story because I've always hated dragons."

She touched her necklace, which was made of dragon's teeth, and she looked like she was tearing up slightly. "I always have hated them, ever since..." She shook her head. "It's not important. I'm sorry Ethan, I'm so, so sorry. Will you... I mean, maybe not now, but one day could you... could you possibly forgive me?"

Her tone was still resolute, but her voice cracked. She shook slightly and other than an occasional glance, she still wouldn't meet his eye.

Ethan took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

He hadn't been expecting that.

Not in a million years.

He wasn't an expert in body language, but he didn't think the dragon huntress was faking it. She seemed utterly sincere and that made a world of difference. Kendra was admitting that she'd made a mistake. A grievous mistake, but a mistake. He'd certainly made enough of those since arriving in the Ten Kingdoms and other people had forgiven him. How could he not do the same for her?

Plus, she had saved Taloni's life.

"Kendra, I still don't trust you." He finally said calmly, now finding it easy to keep his tone kind. "I probably won't ever trust you, nor turn my back on you for fear of feeling a knife."

The dragon huntresses' breath hitched and she seemed to deflate even more. "I... I understand."

"But..." He continued.

She glanced up at him, a bit of hope in her eyes.

"If you really are sincere, then yes I forgive you. I won't pretend that I'm not still mad at you, and I won't pretend that everything is peachy-keen between us. But I won't hold it against you; or at least, I'll try not to. I do forgive you Kendra."

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"You're welcome." He replied, which was followed by an awkward silence which persisted for several seconds.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Ethan, Taloni, Rachel, and Kendra all turned to see a very large man slowly clapping. He was surrounded by half a dozen other armed men and a woman who were following him as he walked closer. The other men paled in comparison to their leader though.

He was at least six and a half feet tall and was built like a champion body builder. His robes were regal, elegant, and looked like they cost a year's wages. Covering his chest was a stylized black dragon on a red background. His hair was short and jet black, and his eyes betrayed no trace of warmth or hint of compassion; they were as cold as death itself.

Ethan shivered when he saw him.

The first and only time he'd seen this man was at his wedding to Beth, when he'd crashed the reception. Like last time, he felt a powerful sense of dread at merely seeing him. There was something predatory about his walk and gaze. He moved with a fluidity that was both graceful and terrifying; he looked like he could pounce at any moment. It was like watching an apex predator sizing up potential prey as the man looked around at them.

Ethan felt the scales on the back of his neck stand up slightly. There was something truly and deeply wrong with this man.

"Father." Rachel breathed, both disbelief and venom in her tone.

Ethan understood her response perfectly.

It was Lord Delmar.

* * *

Selene mostly listened at the dinner table with the monks. They had all been very respectful of her, which was a nice change of pace. Only a few of them had stared at her, and not for very long. On the rare occasion that one glanced at her 'assets', he looked away quickly and remorsefully, and not because she'd caught him either. They all seemed like good men. It was unusual for her to be noticed for her beauty and yet not treated like mere eye candy.

It was nice.

The dinner room was large, but sparsely decorated. The table was long and a dozen monks were in attendance. There was easily room for double that many people though, plus another table that wasn't being used. She assumed that the additional places were for travelers because she didn't think the monastery had that many monks.

"Sister Selene, how came you to these lands?" Brother Kalen asked during a lull of conversation.

"Sister?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Are we not all children of Illuminar?" Brother Kalen replied. "Does that not make us all brothers and sisters in one sense?"

"Fair point." She conceded, though she definitely didn't believe in Illuminar. "To answer your question, I was waylaid by bandits who kidnapped me and killed my companions. They carried me off unconscious and now I'm afraid I don't know where I am."

"You are near the hamlet of Marsdale in Ivernia; Lord Farbrottan's land." One of the other monks volunteered.

"I see." Selene nodded. "Sadly those names mean very little to me."

"From where do you hail sister?" Another monk asked. "Perhaps we could send word to your husband."

"Thank you, but I'm not married." She replied with a sigh.

"Truly?" The monk sitting at the head of the table asked. "Did your father die before a man could acquire you?

"Acquire me?" She asked confused.

"Yes." He nodded as he tore off a piece of bread and began to butter it. "I imagine the bride price for a woman of your beauty would've been quite high; perhaps no one could afford it?"

Oddly, he didn't seem to be making at a pass at her with that comment on her beauty. He appeared to be making conversion by simply asking a question. Of course Selene had heard of the concept of a bride price before and utterly detested the idea. Why should a man pay money to a woman's father in order to marry her? Shouldn't that be the woman's decision?

"Where I come from, a woman choses her own husband." Selene said, trying hard to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She had to remind herself that this was a more primitive land, and thus had more primitive and distasteful customs.

"Fascinating." Brother Kalen said with genuine interest. "I've heard that women can chose their own husbands in the barbarian territories outside of the Ten Kingdoms. Do you hail from there? If so, I would love to learn of their culture." Again, he wasn't being derogatory with his comments about 'barbarian lands'; he seemed genuinely interested and curious.

"No, I'm not from the barbarian lands." She sighed.

"From up north then? I've heard that a few of the nomadic peoples up there let women chose their husbands." The head monk asked and then took a bite of his buttered bread.

Selene shook her head. "My country is called Georgia; have you heard of it?" She knew they hadn't, but figured that would help deflect.

There was a general murmur of negative responses and shaking of heads.

"Oh to live outside of Lord Farbrottan's lands." Brother Kalen said with a wistful smile and under his breath, though more loudly that he'd probably intended.

"Brother Kalen." The head monk said with a note of sharpness, then shook his head slightly at the large monk.

"I take it this Lord Farbrottan isn't the kindest of lords?" Selene pressed.

No one replied.

No one moved.

Suddenly, they all seemed slightly uncomfortable and stiff in their seats. Several of them exchanged knowing looks and a bit of a gloom descended on the previously cheerful table. It seemed like no one wanted to answer the question and many of them ducked her gaze.

"Lord Farbrottan is a... unique lord." The head monk finally replied delicately. "Some think him too strict, some think..." He paused. "...anyway, few would criticize him openly, so that says something." He finished diplomatically.

Selene suppressed a smile at their response; they might as well have all shouted 'yes' in unison.

"To where will you travel m'lady?" The head monk asked, clearly changing the topic.

"Home if I can find it." She replied. "After spending the night here, perhaps back to the outpost to see if I could work as a waitress at the inn to gain some coin."

All the monks looked appalled and shook their heads, some of them vigorously.

"I would not recommend that." The head monk said. "At least, not at that inn. There is someone there who... Well, let's just say she's not welcome in any temple of Illuminar."

"You're talking about Sarah, the innkeeper's daughter?" Selene asked.

Brother Kalen hesitated, then nodded.

"What's wrong with her? Why are you all scared of her?"

"She's--" He started to reply, but was cut off.

"Brother Kalen." The head monk said sharply. "We do not speak of such things."

"Of course, I misspoke." He nodded respectfully at the head monk, who then seemed to relax a bit.

Selene frowned.

Curious.

* * *

Ethan growled low in his throat as he stepped in front of Taloni to shield her from Lord Delmar. He bumped shoulders with Kendra, who'd just done the same thing.

"You may not trust me, but trust that I would never let anything happen to Taloni." Kendra whispered.

He nodded; he did trust her on that.

Silently, he called his weapons to his hand, knowing that they would take quite some time to arrive. Kendra had a sword and Rachel had her magic; he hoped that would be enough for now.

"Kendra the Dragon Huntress; you disappoint me." Lord Delmar said conversationally, like he wasn't surrounded by armed men and hadn't been hunting Ethan since he'd arrive months ago. "I went to much trouble to track you down and now you consort with my enemies. Lady Ekthros was especially put out."

The woman who'd been following the Lord Delmar stepped up to his side and looked at Kendra with disdain. "We shall have to come up with a truly devious punishment for you."

The woman was tall, just over six feet and looked to be in her late forties, though he guessed she looked quite young for her actual age. She was wearing a simple but elegant dress that was cut to make her look somewhat menacing. Her face had sharp, angular features and there was nary a laugh or smile line to be seen. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which was rare in the Ten Kingdoms.

The woman looked at the Argo's resident teen mage and nodded. "Rachel."

"Lady Ekthros." She nodded back stiffly. It didn't look like they were enemies, but they certainly weren't friends.

*Ethan, what's wrong?* Alana's voice rang out in his head.

*Yes, are you okay?* Beth added.

*Lord Delmar is here.* He replied grimly.

Instantly, his bonds with the both of them were filled with dread. He didn't blame them. Lord Delmar and a half dozen soldiers were blocking the only exit from the docking pier. They could try to escape in the airship, but they would be attacked long before he could get it free from the dock. He and Taloni could fly away to escape, but he couldn't leave Rachel behind. Oddly, he didn't feel right about leaving Kendra behind either; not after her apology and Lady Ekthros' threat.

"You have led my men on a merry chase all around the Ten Kingdoms." Lord Delmar said to Ethan. "Surrender now."

"No dice." He shook his head, willing his weapons to approach faster, not that it made a difference.

"Then we shall do this the hard way." And with that, Lord Delmar turned on his heel and started walking away, issuing a final command to the men as he left. "You know what to do."

As one, they all drew their swords and started slowly advancing.

*Alana, Beth.* He thought to all his wives. *If we don't make it out of this, wait for Taloni and then take the Argo and go directly to Gralden; to Lord Borden. He'll keep you safe.* He said, hoping that Lord Borden's dislike of him and of multiple wives wouldn't overpower his daughter's ability to get him to protect Alana, his unborn child, and Taloni.

"Ethan, don't... don't even think that.* Alana's tone was filled with dread. *We're coming to you.*

*No, there isn't time and I won't put either of you in danger.* He said. *If something happens to me, stay on the Argo, wait for Taloni, and then go directly to Gralden as soon she arrives.*

*Ethan, I...* Beth started.

*I love you; all of you.* He thought to them, then added. *Taloni, stay behind us and don't try to fight. If it looks like things are going badly, fly back to the Argo.*

*Yes master.* She said with heartbreak in her voice. He knew that she would listen to him, but he didn't even want to think about what it would do to her emotionally if he died.

"You ready for this?" He said to Rachel and the dragon huntress, who both nodded.

Kendra drew her sword.

Rachel balled up her fists and scowled. "I wish it was the middle of the day; there's precious little heat available right now."

"Then try to keep them off us with those air-ram things." Ethan replied.

"I'll try. But Ethan; Lady Ekthros is an arch mage."

"Oh Fuck." He breathed.

* * *

Rachel steeled her mind and prepared for the fight of her life. The men advancing on them were doing so cautiously and with great skill. They were obviously trained fighters -- and probably trained killers -- the likes of which Ethan hadn't fought before.

Behind them, the bigger threat loomed: Lady Ekthros.

She was one of her father's top advisors and he was rarely see without her by his side. From long experience, Rachel knew that the woman was devious and cunning as well as shrewd and crafty. The teen mage had learned a lot from Lady Ekthros, but was under no illusions that the woman would show mercy. The older woman had her hands raised, ready to use spells but wasn't doing so now. Rachel got the impression that she was being a sort of deterrent; as long as Rachel didn't use magic, she might not.

At least, she hoped.

The redhead's willpower might be a match for the arch mage, but her mana pool wasn't even in the same league.

The half dozen men were close enough now that they could skewer them with a lunge. Ethan started slowly backing away, she assumed to buy time for his weapons to arrive, as Kendra tried to cover him. It was strange to see Ethan and the dragon huntress shoulder to shoulder, united in their desire to protect Taloni, if not each other. War truly did make for strange bedfellows. She moved herself behind them both. Her magic was powerful, but she had no way to block a sword strike.

"Where are the town guards when you need them?" Ethan muttered.

"It's Lord Delmar." Kendra replied. "He will have made sure there's none in the area, and they'd just get slaughtered if they did come."

Rachel took stock.

The dock they were standing on was about twenty feet wide. Their aggressors had fanned out to make sure their quarry couldn't get past them and also to try and encircle them. Ethan and Kendra had spread out to prevent that as best they could. He wasn't armed with anything other than fang and claw yet, but she knew his weapons must be getting close. Kendra looked like a serpent ready to strike.

Without warning, the dragon huntress took a measured leap forward and lunged with her sword, aiming for the right-most man. He stepped back to avoid her thrust and aimed a counterblow at her head. She brought her arm up and his sword bounced harmlessly off her enchanted vambraces, and then her own sword removed a large portion of that man's sword arm.

One down, five to go.

Kendra leapt back to avoid two additional sword blows from his compatriots. As she did so, she made a strange flicking motion with her hand and another man went down as a knife embedded itself in his neck.

Two down, four to go.

The other men raised their blades to be more defensive, and Rachel highly doubted that either of those tricks would work again.

"You had those up your sleeve when you came onto the Argo." Ethan said accusingly.

"Sue me." She retorted.

Ethan smiled. "How about I cover you instead." He raised his hand and his spear landed in it.

Instantly they went on the attack.

Ethan thrust out with his spear, but his intended victim forced the spearpoint out of the way with a deft parry, set his sword on the shaft and began to charge toward him. Ethan yanked the spear back, reacting faster than Rachel had ever seen him do. Obviously his enchanting to improve his reflexes was helping, and it was a good thing too.

Even after reacting that fast, the other man was clearly the better fighter.

Ethan nearly lost an arm on the defense and only barely escaped with a shallow cut. In response, the dragon twisted his spear around, putting the man's sword on the outside and bringing the tip down towards his shoulder at the same time. The man leapt backwards while another man leapt forward, taking advantage of the dragon's spearpoint being out of position. Ethan pulled his spear cut, jerking it back as fast as possible to block, but he wasn't quite fast enough. He winced as the other man's sword sliced open shallow cut on his leg. The only reason he hadn't lost the leg completely was because he'd reacted incredibly quickly.

Thank Illuminar he'd been improving his reflexes.

He be dead twice now if he hadn't.

Kendra had also failed to land a blow, and her opponent narrowly danced out of reach of Kendra's blade. As one, the men retreated a few steps and then fanned out to encircle them again, forcing the defenders to spread apart to prevent themselves from being flanked.

Rachel would've loved to help with some spells, but she got the distinct feeling that Lady Ekthros might join the fight as soon as she did. The redhead was more than a match for the arch mage in willpower, but simply couldn't compete in terms of sheer mana. She'd learned her lesson well when fighting Gonorran and wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

The men had fanned out enough that Ethan and Kendra were now almost back-to-back. Ironically, only minutes before Ethan had said he'd never trust her enough to turn his back to her. Ethan growled, and the teen mage recognized the subtle change in body language as his dragon side became more prominent.

Great; that's just what they needed.

It was becoming obvious that if she didn't do something, they would be flanked and killed. There was nothing for it but to get involved and hope that the arch mage didn't respond. Rachel raised her hand and shot a focus air-ram at the two who were on either side of her allies. They started to be thrown back, but were almost instantly stopped by a canceling air-ram from the opposite direction.

Lady Ekthros.

The other woman grinned wickedly at Rachel, as if daring her to try again. She didn't take the bait. There was literally no point in trying to outlast an arch mage because they could access almost unlimited mana directly from the Ether. Frankly, her father's advisor could probably take all of them without working up a sweat, and maybe the men attacking them too if they suddenly changed sides for some strange reason.

Why was she mostly watching?

Rachel turned her attention back to the fight and saw the combatants sizing each other up warily. There was a tense few seconds, then Rachel felt the air shift moments before an air-ram formed. She did her best to counter it, but wasn't entirely successful. Ethan and Kendra were both pushed forward towards the men, though not blasted forward as they would've been without Rachel's intervention.

That's when Rachel realized her mistake.

She had felt the first one forming, but not he second. Behind her, she felt a 'whoosh' of air. Spinning on the spot, she turned just in time to see Taloni being blasted backwards. The Fey flew through the air, impacted the mast of the airship, and fell to the deck unmoving and probably unconscious, but clearly alive and breathing.

Ethan opened his mouth to roar, but with Rachel distracted Lady Ekthros also blasted him backwards. He flapped his wings once to slow himself, but that left Kendra momentarily all alone squaring off against four men, who all attacked at once.

Rachel turned Lady Ekthros' tactic back at her, shooting an air-ram at the arch mage and then a split second later doing the same at two of the men attacking Kendra. They went flying until Lady Ekthros blocked the attack aimed at her and halted the other men's movement whilst simultaneously firing another air-ram at Rachel. She blocked it easily and stood ready for another. Meanwhile, Kendra had managed to turn her disadvantage and wound one of the attackers. Not badly, but there was a small line of blood coming from his torso.

Rachel took a moment to consider the situation, and that's when she saw something on the horizon.

Black wings.

They were in the distance, just barely visible in the darkening twilight sky. Only it wasn't just black wings; it was black wings attached to a black dragon; a black dragon that was flying towards them.

Oh shit.

The black dragon was flying low, just above the treetops. This was the black dragon. The one her father had been working with for some time. The powerful black dragon that was probably closer to Kyrupto's power than Havorleth.

That's when she remembered.

After the fight with Kyrupto, when she'd had those two dreams, Gabriella had said that on the day where she say her father and black wings on the same day, she would know the time for her choice had come. Her heart fluttered slightly, then she felt a glimmer of trepidation that had nothing to do with the powerful creature that was now bearing down on them.

They are arrayed against four elite soldiers, an arch mage, and a Drago-level dragon.

They were screwed.

Ethan extended his hammer and bolt of lighting shot out, stunning one of the men momentarily, but that's all Ethan needed. He threw his spear, which buried itself in the other man's heart before lurching backwards into his waiting hand.

Three down, three to go.

Kendra managed to fend off two of them, while Rachel aimed a powerful air-ram at the third one's leg, knocking it out from under him. Barely had he hit the deck before one of Kendra's throwing daggers buried itself in his side.

Four down, two to go...

...but a Drago incoming.

Ethan and Kendra glanced at each other and grinned, then -- apparently ignorant of the approaching danger -- attacked as one. The other two men were instantly on the defensive as Ethan's longer spear and Kendra great skill drove them back. Lady Ekthros seemed mildly amused, and not at all concerned that two-thirds of her men were dead.

The arch mage started moving her hands in front of herself as if she was caressing a small orb. Moments later, a sickly green light began to form where the center of the orb would be. Rachel prepared to blast either of her friends out of the way of the kill spell, but Lady Ekthros looked pointedly at the unconscious Taloni, then released the spell towards the unconscious Fey teen.

Ethan noticed.

He must've figured out where the spell was headed because he hesitated for a moment, then a resigned but resolute look appeared on his face as he spread his wing to block the slow-moving spell from hitting his unconscious wife.

The kill spell.

Rachel reacted without thinking.

She summoned all her willpower and focused on blasting one of the two remaining enemy soldeirs into the orb's path. She felt Lady Ekthros create a counter-ram, but focused all her willpower on making hers prevail. Rachel didn't have near the mana, but she had the willpower. Her own air-ram overpowered Lady Ekthros' and the man was flung sideways towards the slow-moving kill spell's path.

It was almost enough.

The kill spell barely grazed the man before it impacted Ethan's wing. The man staggered and looked woozy, but remained standing.

Ethan fell like a ton of bricks as the spell hit him.

* * *

Alana had been pacing the deck furiously for the last few minutes as the battle raged far away. She wanted to be there; to help. She knew her bow could make a huge difference, but Ethan had been right. Even running, it would take too long to get there.

Then she felt it.

She and Beth looked at each other, identical looks of dread on their faces as they felt the same thing over their bond.

"No." Beth breathed, her eyes filling with tears.

"Ethan." Alana covered her mouth as all the emotions from her husband almost disappeared. They suddenly went from vibrant and powerful to almost non-existent. Her husband wasn't dead, but he was near to death.

Alana sank to her knees, putting her hand protectively over her womb, their child. Then she prayed. She prayed to Illuminar like she'd never prayed before.

* * *

Rachel watched in disbelief as Ethan fell.

It couldn't be.

Not Ethan.

Kendra had taken advantage of the one man's staggering and thrown her last throwing knife into him, and then engaged the final man. However, Rachel was only peripherally aware of that. Her eyes were focused on Ethan.

A ripper spell.

He'd been hit with a ripper spell. They were the ultimate deadly spell because they could instantly rip all the deep mana from a person's body, killing them instantly. She rushed up to him and put her hands on him to feel his mana, hoping against hope that he was still alive. It took several seconds but she did located a tiny bit of deep mana in him. The spell must've weaken slightly when it grazed the soldier, allowing him to survive and he was still barely alive...

For now.

With so little deep mana, he wasn't going to last very long. Minutes perhaps.

He needed deep mana.

Now.

Taloni would assuredly offer hers, but she was unconscious. Rachel didn't know if she would wake up in time. Ethan was so weak because he had so little deep mana. He needed some right now if he was going to survive the hour. Taloni couldn't, Kendra probably wouldn't even if she wasn't fighting for her life, and Alana and Beth were too far away. That left only one option:

Her.

She checked her own deep mana to discover that there was still a sliver of Ethan's deep mana left inside of her. It was a tiny amount, barely a drop. In fact, even with what she'd done to preserve it, it would probably be gone by the morning. Yet she needed to give Ethan deep mana now.

Like, right now.

If she did this, they would bond; she would become another one of his wives. If she didn't do it, he would die. She had a choice. She could choose not to bond with him... but she really didn't have a choice because she couldn't let him die; she just couldn't. Gabriella's words came back to her. The angel had said that she would have a choice, but really wouldn't have a choice. Rachel almost smiled as she realized she'd gotten exactly what she asked for.

She had a choice, but she really didn't have a choice.

She let a smile creep onto her face as she put her hands on Ethan to give her some of her deep mana. It somehow seemed fitting. Ethan had given her his deep mana to save her from the ripper spell in her father's will-breaker ring. She would give him some of hers to save him from a woman working under her father's orders. It had a kind of poetry to it; symmetry.

Plus, she would've been lying to herself if she'd said that she didn't want to bond with him. As odd as it was, she was incredibly grateful for what she was about to do.

Rachel smiled as -- at long last -- she started pushing her deep mana into Ethan.

* * *

Kendra took a step back and chanced a glance behind her. Ethan, Taloni, and Rachel were all down for the count; only she remained. She turned her attention to the swordsman in front of her and more importantly the arch mage behind him. The soldier was good -- great even -- but not quite at her level. The arch mage however...

Behind both of them, Kendra saw a black figure approaching through the air. There was no mistaking the silhouette: It was a dragon.

A black dragon.

It landed on the walkway behind Lady Ekthros and started walking towards them. Kendra shuddered as she recognized the telltale signs of an immensely powerful dragon. There was something in the walk, something in the swagger and posture that gave it away. She watching an apex predator sizing up potential prey as the black dragon strode closer. This was a powerful dragon; one who'd enchanted himself to be more than a match for any creature around, including herself.

Lady Ekthros seemed amused as the dragon approached and the soldier reengaged Kendra. Tiring of the fight and having more powerful opponents to deal with, Kendra gave a feint. The man blocked and their blades bit into each other's and they started winding in the bind. The soldier tried to defend, but was completely unprepared for her augmented strength and she struck true. He cried out in pain and then fell to the ground. Kendra lifted her blade in a defensive posture, but tried not to make it threatening.

One does not simply threaten a Drago or an arch mage; not if you could help it.

Damn.

Here she was sticking her neck out for Ethan when all she'd planned to do was apologize. Her plan had been to take off and never see any of them again. Well, except for Taloni. Now, she was the only one standing between them and their sworn enemies.

Life wasn't looking up.

The only bright side was she'd been contracted to bring them the dragon in, and the man had specified that she'd be paid extra if he was alive. It had seemed odd to Kendra at the time because previously Ethan had been wanted dead. However, maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it meant that they wouldn't just kill Ethan and those in his company.

"Drop your sword." Lady Ekthros commanded.

Kendra hesitated.

"Lose the sword or lose the arm holding it." The woman repeated as the dragon drew level with her.

Her sword clattered to the ground and she raised her hands. "Fine, just keep that thing away from me." she nodded at the black dragon.

Lady Ekthros cocked her head to one side. "Even after apologizing to one and aiding him in battle, you still detest dragons?"

"Until the day I die." Kendra said both honestly and vehemently.

The other woman raised her eyebrow as she glanced skeptically at Ethan's unconscious form.

"The enemy of my enemy..." The dragon huntress offered. "I won't kill him, but that doesn't mean I don't hate him for being a dragon."

"You seemed quite friendly with his Fey wife."

"Yeah, well; she isn't him."

"Then I have the perfect punishment in mind for you." Lady Ekthros smiled wickedly, then cocked her head to one side. "And now have a reason to let the Fey live."

Kendra was about to ask what the reason was, but the black dragon started forward. He was fast; easily as fast as Kyrupto. She had just enough time to see a black blur approaching her head before the word faded to black.

* * *

Alana forced her hands to her sides to keep from chewing her fingernails completely off. She paced the Argo's weather deck furiously, alternating between starting towards the gangplank to find Ethan and the quarterdeck to find the Argo's pilot.

"What do we do?" Beth said, looking every bit as frantic as the wood elf felt.

The chocolate-haired elf checked her bond with Ethan, pleased to see that he was still alive. He was weak -- very weak -- but alive and much better than he'd been a few minutes ago when he'd nearly...

She swallowed hard.

"I don't know." She admitted, then thought to everyone. *Taloni? Taloni can you hear me?*

No answer.

She obviously wasn't bonded to the Fey girl and so obviously couldn't tell anything about her. She couldn't sense emotions or even tell if she was conscious; much less if she was on her way back to the Argo.

"She must be coming, right?" Beth asked wringing her hands. "I mean, Ethan told her to come and she'd never disobey him, right?"

"I hope..." The wood elf faltered, not sure what she hoped.

Ethan had told her to take Beth and leave when Taloni reached the Argo. But what if she didn't reach the Argo? What if something had happened to her? The last thing Alana wanted to do was leave the others behind, but what if Lord Delmar's men were coming for her and -- more importantly -- the baby.

She put a protective hand over her womb.

But to leave Ethan and Taloni behind, not to mention Rachel...

"We can't leave yet." She finally said.

Beth looked both relieved and scared. "What do we do?"

"Wait and see if--" She took a deep breath as she corrected herself. "--I mean when Taloni comes back. This should be a wives' council decision."

Beth nodded, looking fearful. "I can't lose them; any of them." She whispered.

Alana walked up to the blonde and wrapped her in a hug, feeling the same not knowing what to say.

* * *

Selene woke up to the sound of distant singing. It took a moment for her to get her bearings and remember that she wasn't even on Earth anymore. She groaned as she put her hand over her eyes to block out the early morning light streaming in through the windows. The sun hadn't risen yet, but it was a cloudy day and a somber grey tone colored the sky.

She sat up, feeling a slight crick in her neck as she did so and her side ached slightly from the sword and its belt. She was loathe to take it off, even here where she felt fairly safe. She yawned, stretched, and then stood up. The monks had offered her breakfast the previous night and she was planning to take them up on it. However, she needed to decide what to do after that.

She couldn't stay there forever, and she needed to either find Ethan or find the portal if she was ever going to get home. The portal back to Smithbond's base seemed much easier to find, little though she liked it. If she could earn enough money, she could probably hire an airship to sweep the region. Regardless of what she did though, she'd need money.

She sighed.

It was time to see if she could get a job as a waitress.

She walked outside to stretch her legs, noting that there was a bird watching the entrance like a hawk. The moment she appeared, the bird seemed to lock its eyes onto her and stare.

Hmm.

* * *

Taloni felt like her head had been used as a drum at an all-night dance. She screwed her eyes tightly shut and tried to go back to sleep, but her brain wasn't cooperating. She could feel master nearby, but oddly she wasn't touching him. Maybe it was Beth's turn to snuggle...

Her eyes snapped open as she realized she wasn't laying on the Argo's comfortable bed. Instantly her eyes complained loudly and she closed them again. She examined her body magically and used some mana to heal the rather large bruise that had formed on her head.

She groaned as the memories came back.

Once her head was healed, she opened her eyes a little more slowly and looked around. She was in a small cage with iron bars. The cage was about ten feet square and situated in a corner of a larger room that was about twenty feet square and made entirely of wood. There was a single steel-clad door set into one side which was ajar, and opened into what looked like some kind of laboratory, but she wasn't sure. Master, Rachel, and Kendra were in the cage with her. The dragon huntress had a nasty looking bruise on her forehead with some crusted blood on it, but otherwise looked okay. Her husband and the redhead were unconscious, but she couldn't see any wounds.

She put a hand on Ethan and had to stifle a gasp; his deep mana was nearly half gone. She resisted the impulse to give him half of hers, and remembered what Anthiel had said about piloting airships: thinking ahead was key.

She took a deep breath.

He wasn't in any danger, though he probably wouldn't wake up until he'd replenished more of it. She put a hand on Kendra, checking her health. Besides the bruise she was fine, so the Fey girl took a minute to heal it. It didn't take much mana, so she thought it was the least she could do.

Then she checked on Rachel. The redhead didn't look hurt, but someone had put a leather collar on her that looked much like Taloni's old slave collar. She guessed it was to prevent the teen mage from using magic, and gently touched her to see how she was doing.

"What in Illuminar's name..." She gasped as she discovered that Rachel's deep mana was also nearly half gone. It didn't take long for her to put two-and-two together and a wide smile to spread across her face as she looked at them.

"She's going to be a wonderful wife." The Fey mused and she gently touched Rachel flame-colored hair.

She smiled and tried to decide how best to proceed. She could give Ethan half her deep mana, but then she'd likely be out cold too. However, she was full on regular mana, and while it took a lot of effort to convert regular mana into deep mana at a rate faster than the body naturally did it, it was doable.

She thought for a minute, then decided to only give Ethan a little deep mana, then convert some of her regular mana into deep mana before giving him more. Then she could meditate to recover her normal mana, convert it to deep mana, and repeat the process. It would take longer than just giving him half of her deep mana, but given their situation she thought it was the smarter option.

At least, she hoped it was.

* * *

Beth had barely slept a wink all night and neither had her fellow wife.

The blonde was laying in the captain's cabin bed with Alana next to her just as they'd lain all night. They'd held each other for comfort, but it was a cold sort of comfort not knowing what had become of their love, fellow wife, and Rachel. They'd both barely dozed the whole night, and spent the rest of it either worrying or drenching the pillows in tears. Beth felt like her brain was working at half speed because of anxiety and lack of sleep, and Alana didn't look much better as they talked about how to help.

Only one thing had occurred to them that morning, and they'd been discussing it since they woke, but neither was sure how to go about it.

"I'm not sure he would even help." Beth said, her voice cracking slightly as she tried not to think too much about what could be happening to Ethan right now.

"He sent Ethan to talk to Illuminar, so why wouldn't he help?" Alana replied. Her voice was trembling, but firm. Her normally bright smile and cheery disposition was now grim but determined.

"But how would we even get an audience?"

"We have to try." Alana replied. "Correction: you have to try; they won't let me into the palace, remember."

Beth took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself. She had rarely been given the opportunity to talk with leaders who visited her father, much less done so alone. Her trepidation must've showed on her face because the wood elf looked sympathetic.

"You can do this Beth; I believe in you and Ethan needs you." The she said kindly.

"I wish I was more like you." Beth whispered. "You're fearless and I'm just..."

"Just a sweet, wonderful girl who doesn't know her own worth." Alana pulled her into a hug. "You know, I once heard a wise husband say that courage isn't the absence of fear; it's being scared or nervous and doing it anyway."

Beth nodded, remembering him saying that to encourage Taloni before she tried docking the Argo for the first time. "I'll try."

"And besides, I'm really not holding it together well at all." Alana sniffled.

The blonde nodded. "I feel like my heart is being yanked out of my chest and roasted over an open flame."

"We'll get through this." The wood elf said firmly. "I don't know how, but somehow, we'll get through this."

"How can you be so calm?" The blonde asked.

"Because I had a dream, and in the dream I was nursing my baby after she was born. Gabriella was there, and she told me to remember this dream when life got hard and dark days came, because it would help."

"These are certainly dark days." Beth trembled slightly. "Does it?"

The wood elf nodded slowly. "Yes, but she left before I could ask if Ethan would be there with me."

"Oh." Beth wrung her hands, feeling like there was an entire dance troupe doing a jig in her stomach. If she would've eaten breakfast, she'd be worried about losing it.

Knock! Knock!

"It's Anthiel; there's someone here to see Ethan." Came her voice from the other side of the captain's cabin door.

"Brave face." Alana gently prodded. "You can do this."

Beth nodded and stood up, painfully aware that she probably looked like she'd been awake all night crying, which wasn't far from the truth. She ran her fingers through her hair, and then stepped out onto the Argo's weather deck with Alana behind her.

Delabor the king's herald was waiting outside, standing near the gangplank. He bowed to Beth. "Blessed wife of the honored dragon, I have come to escort him to the palace for a meeting with the king as promised. Is he nearby?"

The two wives exchanged a look, then Beth turned to the herald. "Well, about that..."

* * *

A long walk saw Selene arriving at the little outpost that housed the inn. As she got closer, she saw there was a man outside the inn's stables hastily saddling a horse. It looked like his nose had been broken and someone had roughed him up good. He had the beginnings of a black eye forming and his face looked a little puffy; probably from being hit. His clothes were ripped in a few places and it looked like someone had thrown him around like a rag doll.

That was very impressive as the man was well over six feet, powerfully built, and was saddling a draft horse to carry him.

Law enforcement instincts kicking in, Selene headed in his direction. "Hey, are you okay?"

"That fuckin'..." He trailed off when he saw Selene, and she got a slightly creepy vibe from him. He seemed like the kind of fellow who'd try something sleazy. "I'd get out of here if I were you. You'll get broken in half."

And with that, he cinched up the saddle strap, jumped onto the horse and rode out of the stable like a bat out of hell.

He didn't look back.

"What the...?" She stared after him, more than a little confused at what could've spooked such a large man so thoroughly, and even more confused about who could've beaten him up. She shook her head and walked to the inn's door still thinking about it. She absent-mindedly pulled open the door and walked in, only to stop short.

There had been a brawl.

At least, that's what it looked like.

One of the tables had been flattened and the legs had spun away in all directions. It looked like something heavy had been thrown on top of the table and thus it had smashed it flat. One of the chairs appeared to have been crushed, and another was in pieces nearby. The iron fire poker was laying in the middle of the room and -- most impressively -- it appeared to have been bent in the middle.

Not a little bent either.

The iron fire poker might've made a good boomerang if it was flatter and lighter.

Sarah was picking up little bits of wood while her father was looking surly in the corner. He looked both disappointed and defeated, while his daughter -- who was maybe 5' 4" on a good day and thin -- was looking morose and seemed to be determinedly staring at the floor.

"What happened?" The ex-FBI agent asked.

"Um..." The girl wouldn't meet her eye.

"Two of them guests got into it, and ran off without paying for the damages." Her father grumbled rather too quickly.

"Ah." Selene nodded. She'd seen the one guest, but what about the other? Where had he gone? More importantly, why was the innkeeper concealing what had happened?

"You want a bed?" He asked, clearly changing the topic.

"Sort of." Selene replied hesitantly, not taking her eye off of the broken furniture. "Does this sort of thing happen often?"

"This was a one-time thing, it's always real peaceful in here." He replied hastily, giving Selene the exact opposite impression.

Hmm.

Curious.

"I was hoping I could get a job here, if you're hiring." Selene finally said. Her situation hadn't changed and now she had something to investigate; she'd be lying if she said that second part wasn't making her decision easier.

"Doing what?" He gave her body the once over.

"Not that." Selene replied firmly. "I was hoping to work here like Sarah. Maybe I could help with serving food, or cooking and cleaning, or making beds, or washing; whatever."

He looked at Selene for a few moments, then at Sarah, then back at her. "For how long?"

"A few days at least, maybe a few weeks." She replied.

"Good enough; I'll give you room and board for all that work you done just described."

"And a few coppers." Selene corrected. "I need the money."

"One copper per day, and you sleep in the barn."

"Three coppers and I sleep in the kitchen." Selene countered.

"Five coppers and you sleep with me."

She gave him an icy stare.

"Fine, one copper and you sleep in the kitchen."

"The kitchen and two coppers."

He looked at her appraisingly for a few moments. Worried he might turn her down, she decided to compromise slightly. "How about this; one copper per day for the first week and two coppers after I prove myself; but I'm sleeping inside."

He muttered and grumbled for a few moments but finally replied. "Agreed."

Selene stuck out her hand to shake and seal the deal.

"Well I ain't givin' you no breakfast until you work for it." He harrumphed. "Help Sarah clean this mess up."

"Will do." Selene replied.

"Oh, and no wearing that sword while you're working; I don't want you scaring the customers away." He added as he left the room.

Sarah -- who hadn't said a word during the whole exchange -- smiled faintly as some of the gloom left her expression. " It'll be wonderful having another girl around, and you're really nice."

"Thanks, I--" She started to reply, but the innkeeper stuck his head back in the room. "Sarah, get that poker over to the blacksmith to straighten it, and tell him I want to see him later about that business."

"Yes father." Sarah said instantly.

He left and the girl's face fell again.

"What wrong?" Selene asked.

"I know what the business is." She said quietly, then turned and started cleaning up. Selene wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a sniffle coming from the girl. She turned towards Selene and said without conviction. "It's actually a good thing and I'm grateful, it's just..." She shook her head mournfully and continued picking up the bits of wood.

The Brazilian beauty frowned as she started helping; what business between her father and the local blacksmith could have possibly made Sarah upset?

* * *

Ethan felt like he had the mother of all hangovers. Every inch of his body ached, his head was pounding, and his body refused to cooperate when he tried to remain unconscious. The waking world pulled him towards it like a ten ton jack; utterly inexorable and irresistible no matter how much he fought it. His whole body felt like he'd been put through the wringer.

Mostly, he felt exhausted.

He groaned, and was immediately hit by a soft, warm ball of energy wrapping her arms around him.

"Master, you're okay." A very relieved voice hit his ears.

"Not so loud." He groaned. His limbs felt like they had lead weights strapped to them. He felt like he hadn't slept in a week.

"Sorry master." She said quietly. "How do you feel?"

"God awful." He managed to get out. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure." She said. "The last thing I remember is being thrown by that Lady Ekthros person."

"Thrown?" He murmured, then the fight of the previous night came back and his eyes snapped open. The light assaulted his eyes with sharp spiking pains in the backs of his eyes. He closed them again. The events of the previous day rushed back to him and he suddenly felt rather alarmed.

*Alana, Beth, are you both okay?* He asked his wives.

*Ethan!* Then both thought at the same time, their relief so powerful it almost felt like a physical wave that washed over him. It was endearing and did his heart good.

*You're okay then?*

*We're both fine.* Alana replied. *How's Taloni? She wasn't answering.*

*I'm okay.* The Fey replied.

Again, his other wives' relief was almost palpable, though Alana was almost fearful as she asked a further question. *What about Rachel?*

*Rachel is okay.* Taloni replied. *She's exhausted, but unhurt.*

Beth was relieved, but Alana's relief was on a whole other level. Her relief was near equal to what it was upon finding out that he himself was okay. He couldn't help but smile a bit; his wood-elven wife was truly smitten with the beautiful redhead.

Now that everyone knew that everyone else was okay, he turned his thoughts to keeping it that way. *I assume you're already out of Nalatia, and hopefully halfway out of the wood elves kingdom?* He asked.

Silence.

*Girls, where are you?*

*Um, I'm on the Argo, which is still docked.* Alana admitted, then hastily added. *You said to wait for Taloni and she never came, so...*

He sighed, supposing that she was right but wishing they were safe nonetheless. He thought about it for a moment and realized that Lord Delmar had a great opportunity the previous night but hadn't taken it. Therefore, it seemed likely that since he hadn't already made a move on the Argo, he probably wouldn't.

At least, he hoped he wouldn't.

*Okay, then Beth where are you?* He thought to all his wives.

*Um, I'm following Delabor to the palace.*

*Following? Oh right, I was supposed to meet the king this morning. It's morning right?*

*Yes.* Beth replied. *I was hoping he could help us find you. You don't know where you are, do you?*

*Haven't the foggiest, Taloni?*

*I don't know either master. The walls are made of wood, but that's about all I know and I don't think it'll help much. I hope the king can help find us.*

*What happened last night?* Alana asked.

He recounted the events as best as he could remember them. *I hope the king can help because if he can't I have no idea how we're going to get out of here.*

*Yes Dominus and I'll do my best, but I'm worried.*The nervous energy coming from his bond with the blonde teen was almost enough to make him jittery.

He almost chuckled. *Beth: you survived being kidnapped by bandits, the ensuing fight, being killed in an alley, you spent two weeks with an angel, destroyed a curse, faced down an actual demon, came back from the dead, then learned to Astral Project and poked a Drago in the eye. You can do this, you'll be fine."

*I did all that?* Beth breathed, her tone conveying disbelief.

*You did.* Taloni said encouragingly.

*And that's just the highlights; a lot more happened in between.* Alana added.

*Thank you.* The blonde replied, and Ethan could just imagine the sigh of relief and the cute way her nose crinkled when she did so.

It made him smile.

*Okay ladies, I'm going to have a look around here for a bit. Let me know if anything comes up.*

*Yes sir.*

*Yes Dominus.*

*Yes master.*

He opened his eyes, slowly this time. The room wasn't very bright, but it didn't feel great on his eyes anyway. He looked around, taking in the steel cage, the wooden room, and the laboratory beyond the door. Then his eyes found Kendra and Rachel.

Rachel...

As he looked at her, he realized that something had changed. Nothing about her was different -- except that someone had put a leather collar on her that looked much like Taloni's slave collar -- but it was almost like someone had put a soft focus lens on her. Something about her just seemed warmer, more inviting, more appealing. She was more attractive, more comforting, more... more something. It just felt good to be around her. In fact, it felt much like being around his other wives.

Hmm.

"How's Rachel?" He asked his Fey wife.

"She's low on deep mana master, and so are you. You were both barely above half. I gave you a bit of mine to help you wake up, and I was meditating to give you more."

He nodded, trying to make sense of what had happened the previous night. "Honey, that spell that looks like a small green orb? That's the kill spell right?"

"Yes Master, sometimes called a ripper spell because it rips a person's deep mana away, killing them instantly."

"And it if brushed someone else first, it might not kill the target?" He asked.

"Perhaps not master, why?"

"And both Rachel and I were only at half mana, so she probably gave me some, meaning we're probably bonded." He said putting two-and-two together.

"I think that's what happened too." The Fey broke into a wide smile as she glanced at Rachel. "She'll be a wonderful wife for you master, now that you've bonded."

"I'm not sure we have, but I could check." He paused, then reached down and -- after making sure that Rachel and Kendra were still out cold and he couldn't been seen from the other room -- let his cock and balls come out of their protective sheath. Sure enough, he now had a full half dozen testicles. He had the two original, plus four more; one each for Alana, Beth, Taloni, and now Rachel.

He now had four wives.

Four.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I hope she doesn't hate me for this." He murmured, looking at the redhead as he let his organs retract. "She told me not long ago that she'd never be okay with marrying me."

"But she must've known it would happen master." Taloni countered. "I assume the ripper spell hit you, and she must've saved you. She's a mage master; surely she knew this would bond you together."

"Good point." He admitted.

"I think she really loves you master."

"I hope so." He looked at the beautiful redhead who he'd come to rely on and trust so much. She was delightful company and he liked that she had chosen to bond to him. He would've liked to have been awake for it, but he was glad that she'd be in his life for the rest of their lives. She really was a wonderful woman and he resisted the urge to gently stroke her hair; he wasn't sure she'd want him to.

"I'm going to focus on collecting more regular mana, turning it into deep mana, and then giving you some master." Taloni said. "Once you're full, you can give some to her too. Then you two can talk about it."

Ethan looked at his Fey wife and felt a grin creep onto his face. "Has anyone ever told you that you're the sweetest thing ever?"

She beamed. "You and my fellow wives do all the time master."

"That's because it's true."

* * *

Beth had been in intimidating situations before, but for some reason this was still daunting. She was standing slightly frozen at the bottom step leading up to the enormous wood elven palace. The steps must've been enchanted to be more durable, for they had the most intricate, delicate carvings she'd ever seen. Everything about the place was incredibly elegant, and she wished that she was. She was painfully aware of her own appearance, and how it would be obvious that she'd been crying and had passed a miserable night.

"Come, wife of the honored dragon." Delabor said. "The King and queen await."

She nodded and followed him up the steps, marveling at everything. Once inside, it was even more impressive. Suddenly, she felt very underdressed. While the blue dress that Alana had enchanted for her was wonderful, fit her perfectly, and she'd been told it looked amazing on her, she wasn't sure it was appropriate for meeting a king. She didn't have a single gram of makeup on either.

She grimaced.

*You'll do fine.* Ethan's soothing voice came over their bond, and directly to her instead of to everyone. *You can do this.*

*I hope so.* She replied, feeling her nerves set in again. Her palms were starting to get a bit sweaty and she hoped she didn't let her knees start trembling. *Are you sure I'll be okay? He is a king.*

*I'm sure. It's not like facing a Drago, which you've done.*

*Okay.* She took a deep breath and continued to follow Delabor through ever more elaborate rooms and corridors.

As she approached what she assumed were the grand double doors to the throne room, the herald turned and led her through a smaller side door. They moved through a few short side halls which were no less ornate than the larger ones before finally stopping outside a small door.

Delabor opened the door, stepped back, and bowed. "The King and Queen will receive you in here, wife of the honored dragon."

"Thank you." She curtsied and entered.

The room was quite small compared to the ones outside and differently decorated. This one was less ornate and more a 'simple elegance' style; a less-is-more kind of thing. It looked more 'homey', and unless she was much mistaken, she guessed that the queen had influenced the style.

Speaking of, she was sitting at a small table with the king. The queen was the picture of feminine perfection and bore a striking resemblance to an older, blonde version of Alana. The king had dark hair and a confident, relaxed posture. Both seemed to regard her appearance with concern as she entered.

"Lady Beth, welcome." The queen said, rising and giving her a curtsey.

"Indeed, welcome." The king said, then gestured to an open chair. "You may take a seat."

"Thank you your majesty." Beth replied as she sat, hoping that was a reasonable response.

"Delabor sent word ahead that the honored dragon couldn't meet us, and sent you in his stead?" The queen said.

She took a deep breath before replying. "Yes, Ethan was attacked last night by Lord Delmar's men."

"That is a serious accusation, requiring serious proof." The King stated.

"Where are your other witnesses?" The queen asked.

"Other witnesses?"

"Of course." The king said. "The Book of Light requires every accusation to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses."

"Oh." Beth felt her shoulder slump slightly as she remembered that they wouldn't take an audience with Alana. "I don't have any other witnesses."

"Then you should not speak out against a Lord." The king said. "Were you not the wife of the honored dragon who is my guest, honor would dictate you receive a lashing for this."

He didn't sound threatening, or even convinced that such a lashing was proper. If anything, she thought she caught a note of skepticism in his voice when he mentioned what honor required.

"Regardless, you can tell us what you saw." The Queen said kindly.

"I didn't see it." Beth said, realizing how that sounded the instant the words had left her mouth. "Ethan told me about it after it happened."

"He told you? How?" The Queen looked skeptical.

"I know we haven't been bonded very long, but we can send our thoughts to each other. He somehow made it possible despite us not being married very long."

"He must truly be a prophet of Illuminar -- blessed be He." The King said. "None but one of His prophets could accomplish such a feat in so short a time."

"Could you help us find him?" She asked the monarchs.

"That we will do." The King replied. "Within the hour, every guard in Nalatia will be on the lookout for him and they will conduct extensive searches to find him. However it would disgrace Lord Delmar to even request that we search his holdings or vessels."

"Okay, thank you." Beth tried not to let the sinking feeling in her heart show on her face; they would never find him if they didn't search there. It seemed that her husband and his companions would have to free themselves.

There was no other help coming.

* * *

The moment that Kendra started to wake up, her entire body was instantly ready for action. The fight from the previous night rushed back to her and she had to resist the impulse to leap up. Often, a more subtle approach was better. She strained her other senses, especially her hearing to gather information about her surroundings.

Her strength enhancing vambraces had been removed but otherwise she seemed to be fine. The room was very quiet, except for a few people breathing nearby. Her nose and ears told her a dragon was about; they all had the same scent and breathing pattern. She could hear at least one other person breathing in long, slow, relaxing breaths.

Taloni perhaps?

Satisfied that she wasn't going to be impaled if she moved, she opened her eyes and sat up in one smooth motion.

"Holy shit!" Ethan exclaimed, clearly startled.

"Kendra!" Taloni said excitedly. "You're okay."

"I am."

"How long have you been awake?" Ethan asked.

"Long enough." She replied, keeping him guessing. He might not be an overt enemy, but he was still a dragon. She didn't trust them as far as she could throw them without her strength enhancing vambraces, which honestly wasn't far.

Taloni was sitting cross-legged and probably meditating to replenish her mana because she recognized the pose. Ethan was sitting against the bars, clearly exhausted and bored out of his skull. Rachel was still out cold on the ground, but didn't look hurt. She had a leather collar on, probably one enchanted to prevent her from using magic. Kendra readjusted so she was as far away from Ethan as possible, which unfortunately wasn't far. He said nothing in response, but did raised his eyebrow.

Kendra looked around the room, taking in the wooden walls, steel-clad door, and the laboratory beyond it. "What's the situation?"

"Pretty much what you see." He replied. "Beth tried talking to the king, but they won't search anything belonging to Lord Delmar without two or three witnesses confirming he or his men were the ones to kidnap us."

"The Book of Light." The dragon huntress nodded. "Every accusation confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses."

"Yeah, she mentioned that. It makes sense, but sucks right now."

"What are we going to do to escape?" Taloni asked fearfully.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Ethan replied, but Kendra didn't buy it. He looked at Taloni for a moment and the Fey girl nodded moments later. She was still fearful, but less so.

Bloody telepathy.

"What are you up to?" Kendra mouthed.

He gave her a suspicious look.

"I'm imprisoned with you genius." She retorted out loud. "It's not like I wanted this. If they would've shown up five minute later, I would've been halfway back to my ship."

"Oh." Taloni said looking a little deflated. "You weren't going to stick around for a little while?"

"Why would I spend more time with a dragon than I have to?" She replied, then at the Fey's sad look added. "Though, I could've maybe make time for... for a friend."

Taloni smiled.

She had a great smile. It lit up the room a little bit.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me what you're thinking, what do we do now?" Kendra finally asked.

"We wait until my mana is full, and then Rachel's." He replied. "She's sharp as a whip and together I'm sure the four of us can come up with something."

Kendra nodded, not mentioning that Lord Delmar was as meticulous as he was vindictive. It was highly unlikely that he'd left any loopholes or weaknesses to exploit.

* * *

After cleaning up the mess, Selene had spent most of the morning and afternoon learning about the inn and the work she'd be doing there. Sarah showed her around the kitchen, outbuildings, and the inn itself. It was a nice place overall, if a bit worn and past its prime. The girl had also shown her a bit about cooking over a fire and they'd talked about seasonings. The Brazilian woman would've sworn Sarah started to glow when they got on the topic.

"Do... do you want to see my garden?" Sarah asked after Selene's eyes had glazed slightly as the girl described the different plants she used for seasonings.

"Okay. I mean, if there's nothing else I should do."

"Nope." She said with a smile. "Mostly the afternoons are really quite unless we have a guest who wants to spend the day here. That used to happen all the time, but not much anymore." Her face fell and she looked almost guilty.

"Why doesn't it happen anymore?" She asked, her detective instincts kicking in.

"Um, I'd rather not say?" Sarah didn't met her eyes as she replied.

"So, you were going to show me your garden..." Selene prompted to save the girl some embarrassment, though she was still curious.

The girl started smiling again and led her outside and towards the forest. They walked for only a few minutes when they came to a small clearing. At the center was a carefully constructed fence and cover for the top, both of which were framed with sticks and had what looked like bailing twine for a large screen. The twine had been so carefully wrapped that most animals wouldn't have been able to get in. Inside was a collection of small plants, a few of which Selene recognized as herb plants.

"Aren't they beautiful!" Sarah exclaimed as she pulled the cover off, slipped inside and lovingly caressed a few of the plants.

"They are."

Selene spent the next half an hour hearing more than she could ever hope to retain about the various herbs and their ideal uses in cooking. The ex-FBI agent couldn't help but have a grin on her face as she listened. In contrast to the girl's behavior in the inn, she seemed happier out here; freer. From an objective standpoint, Sarah was a rather plain, unassuming girl in terms of physical beauty. However the look on her face now was so happy that she looked radiant despite her otherwise plain appearance.

"How did you learn so much about cooking?" Selene asked when the girl paused to draw breath.

"Um, partially from my mom before she passed." Sarah replied. "Partially from experimenting at the inn. I can try a lot of different flavor combinations to see how people like them."

"I've never been much good at cooking." Selene admitted.

Sarah looked confused. "But if you aren't good at cooking, how will you ever make good meals for your future husband?"

"TV dinners and restaurants." The Brazilian woman shrugged.

"Huh?"

"Never mind." She shook her head. "That's why you learned to cook? So you could make meals for your future husband?"

"Of course." She nodded. "I really want to be a good wife."

"That's really great of you." Selene said, even more impressed by this delightful girl. "I'm not even sure I want to get married."

"But if you wanted to get married, you could have any man you want because you're so beautiful." Sarah said wistfully. She seemed jealous, but not in a bad way. "I wish I could get a great husband."

"You're a great girl Sarah, I'm sure you can."

The girl's shoulders slumped and she slowly shook her head. "A good husband maybe, but not a great one." A moment later she clapped her hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean that! I didn't mean that he won't be a good husband. I just meant that... I mean, he'll probably be... uh..."

Selene opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"Sarah!" Her father called from the inn, which was maybe a hundred yards away through the sparse woods.

"Coming father!" She called back, then looked at Selene sadly. "I have to go. Rindrin -- the blacksmith -- will be at the inn by now."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No. It's a good thing; it really it is." She replied without conviction as she looked at Selene sadly. "I promise that I'm not being ungrateful, but..." She looked towards the inn sadly, then put the cover back over her plants. "I have to go."

Selene found herself more intrigued than ever by what was going on with the girl as she followed her back towards the inn. There was something really strange going on with her, and the inn, and apparently the blacksmith too. Hell, the whole outpost seemed like something out of the Twilght Zone. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was determined to find out.

* * *

Rachel felt like her entire body was strapped with lead weights. Her arms, her legs, her head, even her chest felt like moving them would be akin to lifting a castle above her head. Even her eyelids felt like someone had hung anvils on them. She knew exactly why she felt this way, and her heart fluttered slightly.

She'd bonded to Ethan.

Effectively, she'd married him. While technically there hadn't been any vows, there was no denying how deep bonding went. For all intents and purposes, she was married. She -- the proud, independent, stubborn woman that she was -- had pledged herself to a man by sharing her soul with him. Well, deep mana; but they were almost the same thing. Rachel Delmar had done that.

Then she had to correct herself.

She wasn't 'Rachel Delmar' anymore. Rachel Delmar had ceased to exist when she'd bonded to Ethan.

She was Rachel Ejder now.

She couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought of her new name. She cast about in her mind for a trance of Ethan's emotions, but didn't feel anything. She wasn't surprised because they'd only been bonded a short time, though she didn't know how long.

Hmm.

How long had she been unconscious?

Where was she?

Slowly and with great difficulty, she opened one eye. She appeared to be in a jail cell composed of iron bars inside a larger wooden room. Ethan was staring at the ceiling while Taloni was sitting in a meditative pose slowly breathing in and out. Probably replenishing her mana. She could feel something around her neck, and guessed it was an enchanted collar to restrain her from using magic. A quick attempt to use magic confirmed that.

Rachel checked her mana and was shocked to discover that her deep mana was much fuller than it had been when she'd passed out the previous night. Even more oddly, a significant chunk of it appeared to be Ethan's deep mana, but it wasn't hard like it had previously been. It had mixed with hers so thoroughly that it was hard to tell where hers ended and his began.

"Hey, you're awake." Ethan's voice came softly; tenderly.

She groaned, wishing she had the energy to do more.

He leaned forward so he was by her face. He had a smile that was hard to place. There was definitely concern, but mostly he looked contented. He was gazing at her and looking contented.

She sighed.

"Thank you Rachel." He said softly. "I'd be dead now if it wasn't for you, and I know you had no interest in bonding to me."

She managed a half smile and mumbled. "I wouldn't say 'no' interest."

"Oh?"

She groaned and attempted to nod, but was too exhausted.

"Here, let me help." He said.

Moments later, she felt his hand touch her gently. Moments after that, she felt his deep mana begin to push into her and she didn't block it. It spread into her, suffusing with her own deep mana and mixing like two liquids poured into the same jar. Slowly, she started to feel better.

After a minute, she sat up and leaned on the iron bars; still exhausted but feeling better. "Thank you."

"You're..." He yawed, clearly more fatigued than he had been only minutes ago. "You're welcome."

"Hi Rachel." Taloni said; she looked quite tired.

"Hi." She gave the Fey a smile. "I take it you've been helping him with his deep mana, and he with mine?"

She nodded.

Rachel made a mental note to talk to the honey-blonde to see how she tolerated calling Ethan 'master'. She had a feeling that she would need some serious coping skills to deal with that kind of thing. The redhead looked around to see that Kendra was also in the cell with them. The dragon huntress had a look of mild disgust on her face.

"What?" Rachel asked, glad that the iron bars were so supportive, as her arms and back were slightly protesting the requirement to support her right now.

"You bonded with a dragon." She looked a little green around the gills and shuddered in revulsion.

"None taken." Ethan said frostily.

"I'm glad to hear that bothers you so much Kendra." A feminine voice said from the doorway.

All four of them turned to see Lady Ekthros standing there. She was wearing another dress which was also cut to make her look menacing, and the look on her face was one of glee. Well, perhaps not glee. It took a moment for Rachel to recognize the look, and she gulped when she did. It was the look that the older woman displayed when she had come up with a particularly devious way of getting revenge. Rachel had seen it many times, and it never boded well for her intended victims.

"Why glad?" Kendra asked conversationally.

"Because I've been asking myself what's a proper recompense for a betrayal like yours, and especially for someone who hates dragons so much."

It took Rachel a moment to put two-and-two together as far as what the incredibly devious Lady's plan might be. The thought that occurred to her made her internally groan.

No.

Not after she'd just bonded to Ethan. Lady Ekthros couldn't be thinking... could she?

"I've never met you before yesterday, how could I have betrayed you?" Kendra countered.

"You were contracted to hunt a dragon down on my orders. However, not only did you fail to bring in your prey, but you actually joined his cause."

Lady Ekthros took a step inside the room and Rachel took a deep breath. That woman had a way of finding someone's weak point and squeezing. Apparently, she'd found Kendra's. The redhead just hoped her revenge wasn't what she thought it might be.

"What do you mean by 'proper recompense'?" Ethan asked looking tired, no doubt because he'd just give her some of his mana.

The lady grinned wickedly, then addressed Kendra again. "You're a special case, and will become an example to anyone who would break a contract with Lord Delmar. I've thought of many fitting punishments, but none seemed right. I had planned to make you a dragon breeder, being forced to birth dragons for the next few decades."

Kendra shuddered.

Rachel also shuddered, knowing that would be a horrible fate for any woman, much less one who hated dragons so much. She thought of her own close call with Kyrupto and felt sorry for the dragon huntress.

"However, I don't think that's quite enough." Lady Ekthros walked further into the room, surveying the captives with disdain. "This dragon can't help what he is, and these pathetic women who've been caught by him are already a lost cause. But you aren't... or at least weren't."

She knelt down, far enough away that Ethan couldn't reach her if he lunged through the bars, but close enough for Rachel to see the glimmer of malevolence in her eyes. "So I thought of something different. Something you'll hate even more and is more fitting than what I had planned."

Kendra let out a subtle sigh of relief.

"Oh don't mistake me, you'll still be repeatedly raped and bred by dragons for the next several decades. I do need more dragon scale and skin after all. However, what I have in store for you will start now and be a bit more... personal. Your dalliances with this dragon have interrupted my plans. I must make an example out of you for Lord Delmar's sake. But this... this will be my own little triumph; a personal secret revenge just between us girls."

She finished with the air of a woman sharing a secret with a girlfriend, which somehow made it creepier.

Kendra didn't look impressed. "There's nothing you can do to me that's worse than what you've already described, and you have no leverage to make me do anything."

Rachel would've warned her that saying this was a mistake, but had a sinking feeling that the dragon huntress would find out momentarily.

"Oh, but I do have leverage. You let it slip how much you care about her." She glanced at Taloni. "If you comply, nothing bad will happen to the Fey girl; nothing bad at all. But if all of you don't submit to my plan, she'll take Kendra's place with the dragons... and the raping... and the breeding..."

Kendra looked visibly shaken.

Ethan leapt to his feet, swayed slightly and grabbed a bar for support, then growled at the woman. "Over my dead body."

"If need be." Lady Ekthros casually flicked her finger in his direction and he was blown backwards, hitting the rear of the cell and falling to the ground. He growled at her from the ground.

"The dragons won't be interested in Taloni." Rachel said weakly from the floor. "A Drago didn't want me because I was only half-bonded to Ethan."

Lady Ekthros laughed. "Dragos are proud creatures and demand only the very best and unsullied women; common dragons aren't so picky." The corner of her mouth twitched up slightly as she finished with absolute confidence. "Trust me."

Rachel almost growled at her too, realizing how she must've discovered that fact. But to do that to any woman, and especially to someone like Taloni...

She shook her head.

Not Taloni.

There was literally no one on earth who deserved a fate like that less than the wonderful Fey girl. Speaking of, she had shrunk back and was now hiding behind Ethan.

"You wouldn't." Kendra said after a moment.

"Rachel, tell her." Lady Ekthros said while smirking at the dragon huntress.

"She would." Rachel admitted after a moment. "She's ruthless and I wouldn't put it past her."

"What do you want then?" Kendra said, clearly trying to play it cool, but fooling no one. She looked almost as angry as Ethan, if that were possible.

"I want you to have a little reminder of what happens when you cross me." She smiled and looked at Ethan. "You'll play a part in this too, and together hopefully you'll make each other miserable for the rest of your lives."

Rachel closed her eyes, having figured out what she was planning. It wasn't right; it wasn't fair. She felt like her heart couldn't take this; not so soon after what happened between her and Ethan the previous night. And what Lady Ekthros' plan would assuredly do to Kendra herself... It just wasn't right. It was a whole other level of vengeance; a whole other level of evil. She was shocked, but somehow wasn't surprised.

"What in Saidow's Lair do you want?" Kendra spat.

Lady Ekthros knelt down, glanced at Ethan, and then grinned wickedly at Kendra. "Bond to the dragon."

TO BE CONTINUED...

***Rachel's finally in the fold! ^_^ I thought we would get here a few chapters ago, but her storyline dragged a bit since I mis-timed how long it would take. Sorry about that. About the side-story; it sounds like most people want it, but a majority don't want to slow down ADT for it. I'll back-burner it for now. BTW, I don't mind some reluctance, but I have zero interest in writing actual rape stories. None whatsoever. It will have some reluctance, but definitely no "non-consent". ***

Fun world-building fact: I didn't make up what Illuminar said about hell. If you do some research on "universal restoration vs hell", you'll find that the idea of eternal torment in hell didn't come until hundreds of years later. Irony right? ***

EDIT: I added a small section to the Illuminar conversation to make it clear that Illuminar does not violate free will. I didn't realize it would sound like he does, but he definitely doesn't.

STORY TAGS: dragon, magic, medieval, elf, teen, romance, virgin, harem, cuckquean