Goddess King: A Fantasy Harem Adventure

by Noah Layton

  James tried to hold frame in front of the girls, but the sound of the door at the end of the corridor crashing open threw him completely off.

  Escaping was the only thing that mattered now.

  ‘They’re coming,’ he said loudly, taking up his axe and rushing to the window. ‘We have to get the fuck out of here now.’

  ‘She’s crazy!’ Elena shouted back. ‘How are we supposed to keep control of her?.’

  James brought up his axe and struck the glass, smashing another pane completely.

  ‘I don’t care. I’m your master and I’m saying get us back to that building.’

  ‘I can’t carry two of you!’

  ‘Looks like we’re just gonna have to fall carefully, then.’

  James moved to the cat-goddess, taking her in his arms. She was weary, but much she seemed enraptured by him in a kind of trance. Holding her steady in his arms, he clung to Elena.

  ‘As you command,’ she said, evidently biting her tongue.

  The three of them grouped together, hugging messily, even begrudgingly.

  But it was this or die.

  Just as Elena leapt from the ledge, bursting out into the night, the office door flew open. Bullets started flying straight at them, ricocheting off the walls and smashing more glass, some even cutting through the air and flying out into the night to land somewhere in the darkness of the city.

  For the second time that night James found himself flying through the air, but this time with another girl in tow.

  ‘Let… Go of me!’

  The cat-goddess’s fought hard against the grip of Elena and James, even a hundred yards up in the air, as she spoke her first coherent words.

  ‘You’re not going anywhere!’ James yelled, fighting to keep a hold of her.

  ‘Just let her go!’ Elena shouted, her wings struggling to bring them back down to the first building as she strained herself.

  ‘Are you kidding me? She’ll die!’

  ‘No, she won’t.’

  James was caught in confusion at the implications of her words, and with the slightest relaxation in his grip the cat-goddess broke free.

  ‘No!’

  She leaped from the two of them, leveraging their bodyweight against them as her silhouette hurtled through the night, the city lights behind her making her look like something out of a fairy-tale.

  But Elena was right.

  The new goddess had calculated her jump perfectly, landing upon the rooftop with a bend of her legs and pouncing forward. The drop was still steep, requiring her to roll into the fall, but as James and Elena touched down on the roof they found her to be unharmed.

  ‘You’re… You’re all right,’ James panted in disbelief, even though there were plenty of other things that he didn’t have to believe in right now.

  Bang.

  A bullet struck the rooftop nearby. Whatever grief the girls had between them that James was still unaware of could wait; all three of them sprinted for the edge of the roof.

  James and Elena took a winged drop to the alleyway below while the cat goddess leaped down, pouncing from ledge to ledge before landing deftly on the concrete beside them.

  ***

  James wasn’t exactly familiar with the back alleys of the city, even those near his apartment, but when desperation hits and adrenaline speaks a person’s mind will do almost anything to get them out of a situation, and this was no different. With his increased speed, and Elena’s half-naked form in tow, they scrambled through alleys and down side passages between buildings until they finally reached his apartment.

  He had to think fast about how to get his new goddess to follow him, but to James’s surprise she followed him with total dedication – just like a cat would.

  It was a miracle that he didn’t run into anybody from his building in the process, and scrambling back into the apartment felt almost surreal; there was no part of him that expected any part of the past hour to have succeeded, especially considering the goddess they had decided to save seemed insistent against being saved.

  But the moment they arrived back at the apartment, the cat girl turned against the both of them.

  That had been five minutes ago.

  ‘So what the hell do we do now?’ James asked.

  ‘This is indeed problematic…’ Elena replied, crossing her arms and looking towards the ceiling with James.

  Atop his kitchen cabinets they could just about make out the occasionally shuffling shadow of his new cat-goddess. Her twitching ears peeked out over the top of the cupboards, indicating that she was in fact watching them, but the moment the bright green pools that surrounded her irises appeared, watching and careful, she retreated back into a safer spot.

  ‘Seriously, how the hell are we supposed to get her down from there?’

  ‘We must communicate with her in some way.’

  ‘How did you know she would land on her feet?’

  ‘She’s a cat-goddess. That is one of your expressions about cats, no?’

  ‘You’ve got me there. Well she doesn’t seem up for talking… A cat dimension,’ James mused, drumming his fingers against his chin. ‘So you loved sugar because of the taste… Do other goddesses not need to eat either?’

  ‘Like I said, none of them do. But we all have preferences over taste.’

  ‘I wonder… Could it really be that simple?’

  James crossed to the refrigerator, hearing her scramble about on top of the cabinets as he moved into her territory. There was no cream lurking in there and even if it was it would have gone mouldy a while back.

  But there was still half a carton of milk that hadn’t quite yet expired.

  A minute later it was pooled in a dessert bowl on the border where his kitchen turned into his living room, just a few feet from he and Elena.

  ‘Do you really think this will work?’ Elena asked.

  ‘Unless you’ve got any better ideas.’

  ‘Unfortunately not.’

  ‘Well this is the best that I’ve got.’

  They watched the goddess slink along the cabinets, her head finally peaking out from the left side for longer than she had done before.

  ‘Don’t make any sudden movements,’ James said, as Elena froze up next to him. ‘We don’t wanna scare her off.’

  They waited for thirty seconds, a minute, as she continued to peak down… When, finally, she moved forwards and began to crawl down the wall – literally. She may as well have had suction cups on her limbs like some cartoon thief, because she was moving down the wall effortlessly until she reached the floor.

  Her eyes sharply flitting between the two of them and the bowl of milk. She crawled steadily towards the bowl at their feet before lowering her head and sliding her tongue out from between her lips to test the milk.

  Could it really be this easy? James thought. We’ve got her trust… But how the hell do we get her to talk?

  She lapped at the milk tentatively at first before becoming steadily more enthusiastic. She eventually slurped and drank violently at it, before bringing her hands forward and tipping the bowl back, emptying it into her mouth entirely down to the last drop.

  James and Elena shared a look as their new companion set the bowl down and fell onto her back, taking a deep, human sigh of relief and pleasure.

  ‘Are we supposed to tickle her belly, or something?’ James asked, thinking about how stupid the words sounded until another a voice joined the mix. ‘I’m just cautious that she might stab me to death with that sword of hers…’

  ‘I’m not into that.’

  The voice was sultry with the hint of an accent that James would consider to be European, although it was much more playful than Elena’s. Suddenly the cat-goddess leapt up onto two feet and gave her head a quick shake, smiling at James.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ she said. ‘I get a little cranky when I haven’t had anything to eat.’

  ‘I… That’s okay,’ James said, not knowing how to begin.

  ‘I’ve been
trapped in that damned dimension for years with nothing but a freaking jungle gym… Oh lord, another!’ The cat-goddess leaped forward to Elena, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace as if nothing had happened. ‘After I was trapped I thought I’d never see another one of my kind, but here we are…. And you are?’

  She returned her view to James.

  One minute she’s clinging to me, the next… I hope she isn’t as bad as Elena…

  ‘I’m…’

  ‘He’s James Torrance,’ Elena cut over him, ‘first of his name, holder of the souls of the Goddess Masters, and the one responsible for your release.’

  The cat goddess’s eyes went suddenly wide. She took a low curtsy, bowing her head as far as her neck would allow, before leaping forward once again and giving James a tight hug. She was barely covered, but she had about as much shame as Elena did considering her attire.

  Looks like all goddesses are cool with walking around in their underwear, James thought. Not that I’m complaining.

  ‘Arifa of the Eastern Wilds,’ she announced. ‘I hail from the cat dimension, and am responsible for correspondence and agreements between my world and the consortium of goddesses upon your world. As the new goddess master I am obliged to serve you.’

  ‘Right…’ James nodded, still getting used to the idea of being served. ‘We’ve got way more to explain to you than I can even figure out right now, but-’

  ‘There’s only one thing that needs to be figured out right now,’ she interrupted, ‘Ascevious. Let’s find that bastard and put him in his fucking grave.’

  ‘She’s got a hell of a mouth on her,’ James smiled, ‘Wait… Arifa… what year do you think it is?’

  ‘Why, 1942, of course.’ She slinked past James and into the apartment, moving lightly on two feet across the back of the couch before dropping down. ‘The décor has certainly changed considerably in the last few years, I’ll say. I didn’t realise how quickly fashions moved on your world…’

  ‘Uhh…’ James started. ‘Arifa, I’ve got some bad news for you.’

  ***

  ‘James released me, and then we released you.’

  ‘And Alerian’s dead?’

  ‘Yes. And it’s only a matter of time before Ascevious unleashes his creatures and minions upon the world. We can’t let that happen.’

  ‘But there are only three of us!’

  ‘I know that,’ James said. ‘Trust me, I’m blissfully aware of that fact. But we’re the only ones who can do anything about it. The more goddesses we unlock from their cages, the better chance we have at stopping him.’

  Arifa nodded, her ears twitching a little as she snuggled into the corner of the couch, looking cosier than anything James had ever seen.

  ‘When we formed the consortium we swore to do anything to protect this world that we were using as our in-between trading post. It is our duty… But I must sleep.’

  ‘We tell you that the world could end at the hands of some enslaving asshole and you wanna go to sleep?’

  James had been apprehensive this far, but all of a sudden an anger within him twitched and broke free.

  ‘Yes… Master,’ Arifa said politely. ‘I do not require food to remain alive, but without the pleasures of milk and cream I become… Well, exactly what you just saw. Without our heads in the right place we cannot hope to defeat a fly, never mind one of the most powerful entities in your world. The hour is late, and I suggest we all get some rest.’

  ‘It may be a good idea,’ Elena suggested. ‘We have had a long few days, and you have taken on considerable power. You should rest your physical form. We all should.’

  James clenched his teeth, nodding. ‘Yeah… Yeah you’re probably right. You girls get into bed, I’m gonna go out.’

  ‘Master?’ Arifa said over her shoulder. ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘I’m just gonna get some food for us. Milk and candy,’ he smiled.

  He would, but that wasn’t the main reason that he was leaving. His calm tone had been forced. The girls had done nothing to anger him, but the same energy he had felt in the offices, chasing down Arifa, running through the streets… That same energy was bursting up inside of him relentlessly.

  The fire within was burning up again.

  ‘If somebody knocks, don’t open it,’ James said lastly. ‘Go for the window.’

  Grabbing his keys and his wallet, James hurried out, locking the door behind him and hurrying up the stairs to the roof. He bounded out through the fire escape, the cold air doing nothing once again to stop the heat within him from simmering down.

  He panted against the air, his breath escaping him in huge clouds rather than traditional wisps that everybody was used to in winter. His fingers twitched and his shoulders shook, but not with the frost that would begin to settle itself down on the city in the next few hours.

  No, this was something else.

  Run.

  Was that his own thought or somebody else’s? A single, primal word. An instruction. But he couldn’t form a coherent thought.

  He did as he was told.

  His building was seven stories, and the only form of protection from dropping off the edge and into oblivion was a three-foot high brick wall with no ledge on the other side, much like the one that he and Elena had flown from just a few hours ago.

  He thought back to the moment on the roof with Elena and the fear that had been coursing through his veins, even with the promise of the smoking hot winged-goddess that was getting him semi-safely to the other side.

  Now, though, he had no wings. There was no way for him to command the air.

  But the fear had gone completely.

  As he sprinted faster and faster across the rooftop, blood pumping like an engine under the hood of his mind, an instinctive feeling of fear tried to force its way in, but it was quickly cut down by whatever he was pushing him on.

  Ten yards.

  Five yards.

  One yard.

  Ledge.

  And…

  A greedy, animalistic inhale of air rushed into his lungs, and a smile spread over his face, eyes focused and desirous.

  Another two story’s worth of height was put between himself and his building. Hundreds of feet in the air, and hurtling forwards fast.

  ‘Holy shit…’

  There was no fear, only an exhilaration and a sensation of genuine life striking him hard in the face.

  The building neighbouring his own was separated by a small side-street with trees lining the sidewalks. A twenty-yard gap at the least from ledge to ledge.

  At the halfway point, as his jump began to quickly reach its peak, he felt another flicker of fear attempt to surface, but in a second he was fast approaching the next rooftop. James descended and landed safely, bending his knees messily and stumbling as he landed on the gravelled surface.

  He turned and stared back at his building from across the street, slapping himself in the face a few times to make sure that he could feel it, to make sure that he was in fact still alive. Increased strength from his abilities meant the hit struck him hard, but increased durability meant he hardly felt it.

  If it were somebody else’s face they would probably have been knocked out.

  Scanning the exterior of the building he found the window to his apartment. A warm light emitted from the glass and beneath the bottom of the roman blinds he could see shuffling on his bed as one or both of his goddesses settled into his bed.

  They were safe, these two women that he hardly knew, and there was something comforting in his mind to be said for that, but regardless of how loyal they claimed to be and how unfeasibly hot they both were, his mind was focused upon himself, or whatever force within was pressing him onwards to… Wherever.

  How the hell did I make that jump?

  But the logic of it didn’t matter to him right now. Goddesses and Goddess Masters, interdimensional monsters and the powers that were growing within him… All he wanted to do was run.

  Move.
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  He had never been good at long jump as a kid. He had the legs for it, but had always chickened out at the last second when the time to leap finally came. James didn’t know what he was so afraid of, but no matter how many times he tried there was always a final moment of hesitation.

  Not that that could even compare to what he was doing right now, becoming a part of the elevated bright lights of the city as the night life began to awaken. But as he dashed towards the edge of this new rooftop, he had the same feeling again, the same feeling that he had had the first time he had jumped just seconds ago.

  James ignored it… Or something within him did.

  He hurtled through the air again, looking down with power and exhilaration on the cars moving by in the streets and the drunken friends stumbling from bar to bar. Another rooftop, higher now. He didn’t feel out of breath or worn in the slightest.

  He didn’t move atop the city – it moved beneath him, the world spinning at his command as he commanded its motions, landing and running and jumping as if he were playing leapfrog in a jungle gym.

  Jesus… How far have I gone?

  Now he was way uptown, ignoring inhibitions that told him to stop and get his bearings. From the streets he wouldn’t know where he was, but up here it was even worse. His surroundings had turned into a maze of construction-block buildings that were entirely indistinguishable from each other.

  But there was no sense in stopping now. James felt more filled with ferocious power than he had in his entire life.

  Then came the biggest jump yet – thirty yards with a drop as big as that of the one earlier that he had flown across with Elena and back with her and Arifa.

  That had been just hours ago when he had been terrified about falling to his death even with the help of his winged goddess.

  Now he was planning on clearing that kind of gap on his own, and no fear in the slightest was present in his mind.

  He measured it in seconds and set off at a jog, breaking into a sprint, hitting the ledge and taking it without hesitation.