by Aaron Crash
Gatha nodded at the idea of Glagga the Blade ruling the Blood Steppes.
Jennybelle looked disgusted. “My fucking sister. I’ll do some asking around.”
Lillee placed a hand on the swamp woman’s knee. “Can we please watch our language around the baby?”
Tori nodded. “Yes, I’ve been saying that for days now. You all curse too much!”
Ribby laughed savagely. “Like that’s going to fucking happen.”
Lillee flashed the mermaid a stern look, and Ribby held up her hands—her arms were a bit scaled. “Right, Lil. We’ll try. We’re sorry.”
Ziziva didn’t seem to mind the bad language. “Just a little baby. Just a little wee. My little Gertie doesn’t know words, and she only listens to me.”
Ymir looked down on his new wife and baby with love in his eyes.
He turned and looked into Della’s eyes. His own eyes were brown. “We’ve killed the dragon. The Midnight Guild is truly gone. And this demon on another continent is not a problem yet. Until I run out of xoca beans, I won’t give King Shapta another thought. Then, we all might have to go down there and remove him from this world.”
The barbarian’s brown eyes turned blue with the thought of such a battle.
Chapter Forty-Six
FIVE MONTHS LATER, Ymir sat at his second-floor table in the Librarium, admiring Brodor Bootblack’s work. The new archway leading outside to the Flow Courtyard had been crafted in the shape of a dragon, a reminder of his battle with Unger.
Ymir had to smile. He’d become a dragon, full of odd magic, powered by Animus—strange that different worlds had different magic. Could Ymir take the dragon shape again? He wasn’t sure. It would take a great deal of dusza, and not simply his own—he’d have to use the Gather Breath to draw it from his wives. It was something to consider, and he’d talk with Della about it over the summer.
He’d be working hard the summer between his judician and dominist years. He’d learned the names of the people who killed the Aegel Akkridor, and he was finding references to them in various books. Why was the death of the Vempor Aegel Akkridor such a mystery? He thought it had something to do with Unger, but he wasn’t sure. It was just one of the mysteries he’d be studying.
Ymir had kept up with his studies over the past five months, took his Third Exam and Fourth Exam, and passed them easily. He’d given the Examiner the answers they wanted, though he now knew the truth—it had been a northern clansman who killed the vempor. Now there was a name, Fionn Ymaol, that was lost to history. No one mentioned him anywhere.
Information on the eighth and last Akkiric Ring was also a mystery. It was as if it never existed.
Professor Albatross and her White Rose Society were looking—they had contacts at all of Thera’s universities and even had people at the Khambatta University on Khambatta Island, in the Praachi Archipelago across the Weeping Sea. So far, no one had found anything. They had neither the seed nor the coin to grow the last of the magic rings.
Ymir would keep looking. It was one of the reasons why he was at the Librarium on what was his first day of the summer holiday. Instead of fighting orcs or dragons, he was going to spend his summer reading, running his business, and resting. The Wilmur Swordwrite quote came back to him: To forge tomorrow in the hours of this day is to become the master of life.
To think, he was pondering the words of poets and playwrights as much as he was the Sacred Mysteries of the Ax.
Ymir should’ve been sleeping that morning, given the fact he’d been at a graduation party the night before at the Unicorn’s Uht. The party was probably still going on. He’d been with Brodor and Gharam again, and Ymir teased them that they’d missed out on the battle of a lifetime.
Brodor blushed and said something about his Inconvenience.
Gharam was less shy and boasted about fucking his wives all night long because the Glow Rain had given him an insatiable lust.
Ymir couldn’t help but think about his time with the Princept on that wild night. Since then, they hadn’t touched at all. Not even a single handshake.
Ymir could only admire her resolve. Or maybe the Princept wasn’t so strong after all, since she had her numerous fairy lovers to keep her busy. Ziziva kept him updated on the Fayee now. She was honestly surprised at the change of heart in her mother. Queen Deedee knew that the Princept, Ymir, and his harem knew all the Fayee secrets, and didn’t seem to mind.
Then again, the fairy queen had broken the rules herself when she admitted that she was Ziziva’s mother right in front of Professor Lola. The professor, though, was glad to be alive, and so she didn’t say a word when Queen Deedee referred to Gertie as her granddaughter. That fairy queen, the mistress of the Undergem Guild, loved Gertie with a fierceness that would’ve made Ymir’s Grandmother Rabbit proud.
Ymir sat back and sipped his kaif. So much had happened. His heart was so full. He never thought having a child in his life would make him feel so hopeful. It was like a bonfire on the coldest night of winter.
Speaking of which, a sweet perfume swept over him as Ziziva came buzzing up. She landed on the table with their daughter clutched to her chest. “Up so early, Ymirry dearie? You came into the Zoo so late. We were wondering where you were this morning of mornings. This summer morning so fine.”
Ymir gently touched his little wife’s soft hair with a finger. “I couldn’t sleep. Now, more than ever, I want to finish the rings. I want to make sure I have the power to protect you, our family, this school—”
Baby Gertie interrupted him with a squawk.
He opened his palm, and Ziziva set the baby down into his hands.
Gertie had grown two inches—only another two inches until she’d be able to turn into her Verum self. She’d still be a baby, but she’d be big enough for her father to cuddle properly. For now, he liked to hold her on his hand and tickle her chest and head with the lightest of touches.
Ziziva held his thumb and watched. “Yes, Ymirry, yes, I know. You and your rings, which I suppose...are good. But Lillee and Tori worry. Jennybelle too. We all worry, we do.”
“I don’t.” Ribby came walking up in a dress that barely covered her. She sat down and gave him a nasty look.
“What’s that look for?” he asked with a grin.
Now that she wasn’t exiled to her lighthouse, Ribby had found a bit of her old salt. “I wake up wet, wanting my man, but is he there? No, so I go to Lillee, who is as horny as a dankle dolphin, and she starts kissing me, which gets Gatha interested. So we’re all ready for a bitribib, but I want some rooboo.”
Rooboo was an Aquaterreb word for uht. Rooboo and roony, the genitals of a man and a woman, respectively.
Ribby’s frown deepened. “Is there a rooboo anywhere in the Zoo? No. So I have to come all the way over here to get you. And Ziziva here is going to try to get me to work with her this morning. She thinks she can teach me customer service, but that’s a fucking waste of time.”
Ziziva laughed. “Giggle more and rhyme more and you’ll get it more, Ribby, Ribby, Ribrib.”
“I know I used to hate it, but I love it when you call me that.” The mermaid lost her sass and smiled at the fairy. They had such deep affection for each other. They had similar journeyss, and both of them had come so close to losing everything.
“And I love you, you silly fish girl.” Ziziva scooped up their baby. “You go back to your horny wives, Ymirry, and I’ll go work the store with my little baby. She’s a good girl and doesn’t make a peep when the customers are there, and we’ll need to hire some help, but that’s business talk we can talk about some other time. As for the sexy-sex, I won’t be interested until little Gertie can take her Verum Self, and then we can find someone else to watch her, and then we can do all the dirty things we’ve done before.”
That was the truth—as the mother of a little wogglebaby, Ziziva had no interest in lovemaking.
Ziziva covered Gertie’s eyes when Ribby shoved Ymir back from the table—he always forgot how strong
she was. The mermaid then straddled him, kissing him, and playing with his hair. “So, are we going to go back to the Zoo, or are we going to fuck right here?”
Five months with Ribby around, and she could still surprise him.
The fairy giggled. “Oh, that won’t do, you’ll get in trouble, best go to the Zoo!”
Tori came running up the steps, red-faced. “Ymir, Ribby, I think, maybe, I don’t know, maybe you, me, and Ribby could go back to the Zoo? The mermaid just touched my hand, but I felt something. You know, my special something?” She lowered her voice. “My Inconvenience.”
Ymir looked into the mermaid’s eyes. Ribby shrugged. “On the way over here, I gave her dusza a little caress. Not much connection between the Aquaterreb and the Morbuskor. Maybe they don’t get their Inconveniences so much because they’re not around us sweet, hot, and horny merfolk.”
“Gosh, Ribby,” Tori said, a little bewildered. “If you do have that power over me, you best not abuse it. I’m fine not being sex crazy all the time. Unlike the rest of you ladies.”
Speaking of the rest of the ladies, Jennybelle Josen, Lillee Nehenna, and Gatha the Dragonslayer all came up the steps to crowd around his table. They’d grown restless and hadn’t wanted to wait for the mermaid to return with their man.
Ymir’s eyes drank in the faces of the six women—the swamp woman with her flashing blue eyes, sweet Lillee who was learning to live without her essess, Tori and her freckles and smiles, Gatha’s fierce love, Ribby’s long body and loyalty, and lastly, little Ziziva with her tiny little baby at her tiny little breast.
His life was so very rich—the path the Axman had cut for him wasn’t easy, but there were such wonderful fruits filling the trees.
Gatha growled, “Ymir, you are wanted. We need to go back to the Zoo and fuck.”
“Yes!” Tori said desperately.
Lillee’s green eyes brightened. “Tori is in her Inconvenience. I love it when that happens! It’s going to be wonderful this morning.”
Ribby’s grin was evil. “I just might be able to make that happen every morning.”
Tori scowled. “You better not, Rib. You better not. I have work to do.”
Jennybelle shook her head. “All these crazy bitches in your life, Ymir. I don’t hardly know how you handle it.”
“He handles it plenty, Jenny, Jenny! Gotta get to the store! Gotta sell some more!” Ziziva flew up on her wings and gave them all kisses in seconds, with little Gertie squealing at how fun it was to have a fairy for a mother, and in a flash of sweet-smelling gold dust, Ziziva flew over the railing, down to the first floor, and then out the exit.
Lillee watched her go as a bloom rose on her chest. Her nipples hardened. “I can’t wait until Ziziva can join us. I find her so sexy.”
Jenny winced. “Not sure me and that fairy are ever going to see eye to eye.”
Gatha came up from behind the swamp woman and grabbed her big tits. “Ziziva sacrificed herself to save my books. She is a fucking warrior, and once her little baby is grown, we’re going to have such fun with her. All of us will, I think.”
Jennybelle turned and kissed the she-orc. Jenny smiled as she broke the kiss. The swamp woman kept her voice low. “I think it’s Della Pennez you want more. I love that you licked her in the Scrollery. What a naughty Princept we have!”
“I want Della!” Lillee said, a bit loudly.
Tori grabbed Lillee’s hand. “Me too, and though she’s not at her desk right now, we should keep our voices down. Once we get to the Zoo, though, we can be as loud as we want. So, I think we should be going.” Tori had her legs squeezed together.
“The Princept?” Ribby swallowed and kissed Ymir. When she spoke, her voice was choked with lust. “Oh, to think of us with her. Of us getting naughty with the Princept.” She stood and yanked Ymir from the chair. “Yes! We need to get to the Zoo now!”
Ymir knew all of his women lusted after Della, and he knew the Princept thought of them when she was being sucked on by some horny fairy. While Ymir was looking forward to the time that Ziziva could join them in what Ribby called their bitribib, even better would be to include the Honored Princept. She wanted it. They wanted it. It was bound to happen.
Ymir knew that Sarina Sia, their ghostly friend, was slowly seducing the Princept, and it wouldn’t be long before all seven women would be sharing their love with Ymir.
Octovato, the poet and mathematician, wrote that eight wives was the perfect number, but Ymir thought seven would be just fine. Including him, their family would have eight members, which would match the eight Akkiric Rings.
It felt right. It felt perfect.
Ymir let Ribby pull him away from his table, the pile of books, the kaif. He wasn’t worried about anyone taking off with the books—they were just some dry histories, but his kaif would get cold. The head librarian, Maezelith Bealheam, or one of her assistants, like Drippy, might complain about him.
Well, let them complain. Poor Drippy. That girl was always sick and wiping her nose.
Even Gatha didn’t care at that moment.
Ymir left with his wives, all of them chattering, laughing, holding hands, and walking with their hips rubbing together. He knew they made quite the impression on the few people who were awake, but he didn’t care.
They couldn’t get to the Zoo fast enough, and they didn’t leave Ymir’s bedroom for a long, long time.
Books, Mailing List, and Reviews
IF YOU LOVED BARBARIAN Dragonslayer and would like to stay in the loop about the latest book releases, promotional deals, and upcoming book giveaways be sure to subscribe to the Shadow Alley Press mailing list: Shadow Alley Press Mailing List. Sign up now and get a free copy of our bestselling anthology, Viridian Gate Online: Side Quests! Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time. You can also connect with us on our Facebook Fan Page: Shadow Alley Press.
You can find even more books and awesome recommendations over on our Facebook Group Page, Fantasy Nation! Home to the best Epic, Urban, and LitRPG Fantasy around!
Word-of-mouth and book reviews are crazy helpful for the success of any writer—or, in our case, Publishing Company. If you really enjoyed reading about Ymir and his crew, please consider leaving a short, honest review—just a couple of lines about your overall reading experience. You can click the link to leave a review at Amazon, and thank you in advance: Barbarian Dragonslayer.
Looking for more Aaron Crash, and need it right this minute? Check out: Boss Build: Monster Girls 1—Or keep reading to take a sneak peek.
ROY BOSS, THE CEO OF VentureForge Industries, just woke up in a different galaxy.
He’s lost his company and his body, and the man who murdered him might still be alive. The good news is he’s on Plymouth, an almost mythical world where monsters are designed and printed for Roy’s game worlds. First order of the day: print himself a superpowered body and get back what’s his.
But everything isn’t as it seems. The research lab he arrived in is deserted except for a few dead security guards, and the streets outside are filled with thousands of robot dogs programmed for one single purpose: kill Roy Boss.
Fortunately, Roy has an entire catalog of savior-class monster girls he can print up to help him clean house, each with their own powers, transformations, and fetishes. Hit Print for justice, for satisfaction, and for the love of the game.
From Aaron Crash, bestselling author of Barbarian Outcast and the American Dragon series, comes a brand-new world that will leave you turning pages late into the night.
Chapter One
FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE he was murdered, Roy Boss walked through the halls of VentureForge’s headquarters. Not only was he the CEO of VentureForge, but he’d also helped design the space station orbiting Paizo IV.
That afternoon, the afternoon of his second death, he was on the twentieth floor on his way to the executive conference room. The reinforced windows gave him a nice view of Paizo’s main continent, a brilliant green
against the blue ocean. It was a good location for his HQ, the Paizins were nice, and the Paizo Stargate could take you anywhere in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Roy was dressed in slacks, a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his good leather walking shoes. While he could’ve used the personnel movers on the space station, Roy preferred to walk. His pace was brisk, and he had a rundown of the latest stats from the new gaming world he was opening, Dungeon Core III, still in production, near the Gygax Stargate.
It was the first working day back from the holiday break, January 3, 3115. Though humans had spread out across the galaxy, they still tracked time using the Terran calendar and celebrated the Terran holidays.
Roy felt like a schoolboy playing hooky. His board of directors had fifteen other projects and reports they would rather he be working on. He was past arguing with them, and Ennis Tolliver in particular. They had their agenda, and it didn’t include dungeons.
As for Roy? Given his personal history, the games were everything. All he wanted was to make the monsters for his gaming worlds bigger and more spectacular. Joyce Halcyon, his main contact with the mysterious monster manufacturers of Plymouth, said her people were working on a new generation of creatures that could do literally anything, from breathing fire to casting energy spells.
“Just take my money already,” he’d told her.
Roy wasn’t worried about Tolliver, the chief financial officer, but he was concerned about Joyce. He hadn’t heard from her in almost two weeks. It wasn’t unusual for Plymouth to play things close to the chest, but they usually didn’t do it for so long. They were his most important supplier. They’d even saved his life.
Roy was no stranger to death. He’d died the night he opened his first gaming world, Dungeon Core I, on Arneson III, a planet near the Arneson Gate. He’d been at the launch party, a glass of Panacea champagne in hand, when his vision blurred, and the first pains started. He’d tried to walk it off. The Dungeon Core world had been an amazing achievement. The tourists spent hours going through his real-life dungeons with their swords and spells fueled by technology. Lots of scrapes and bruises—the tourists liked it if there was some true danger there—but no serious injuries and not fatalities.