by Logan Jacobs
I crossed the room as she turned her back toward me, and I tightened the straps that ran up her spine until the dress clung to her porcelain curves like it had been painted on.
I spun her around in my arms until her breasts were pressed against my chest, and then I seized her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss. She tasted like bubblegum, and I knew I was quickly getting addicted to her sweet flavors.
“You are my secret weapon,” I murmured against her slightly parted lips.
Elissa giggled. “I like the sound of that.”
“You look lovely,” I said as I pushed her an arm’s length away and gave her a scrutinizing look. “Now, no time to waste. Let’s go see your Uncle Carl.”
Elissa practically pranced from the room and out of the inn to the main street of Carleone. Her fiery red hair waved behind her like a flag, and the look in her shining emerald eyes melted my heart. Mahini watched my wife dance ahead of us with a wry smirk on her face, but she kept a hand on the hilt of her sword just in case.
I caught the townspeople staring at the trio of us, and I wondered what we looked like from their eyes. I never thought of myself as particularly handsome, but here I had two of the most beautiful women I’d ever met by my sides, and it certainly did a lot to enhance my image.
I made a mental note to introduce myself to all the people of Carleone once I’d finished my conversation with the mayor. I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when I reset and had all his citizen’s names memorized and problems solved seemingly instantaneously.
That had to be one of the best parts of my powers, being able to enjoy the awestruck expressions on everyone’s faces when I kicked ass and took names. No one had spotted our skirmish with the kobolds, so I’d have to rely on my charisma and memory to get the town of Carleone on my side.
It was a challenge I was totally up for.
By the time we reached the tavern, excitement bloomed inside my stomach and set my blood on fire, and I could hardly wait to walk in with Elissa and Mahini at my side.
“Uncle Carlisle!” my fiery red-haired wife exclaimed as soon as we entered the tavern, and she rushed over to the mayor’s table and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.
Carlisle blinked stupidly over her shoulder at Mahini and me, but then it was like a light bulb went off in his dome, and his eyes widened. He returned my wife’s embrace and then pushed her away to get a good look at her.
“Can it be?” The Mayor of Carleone shook his head in disbelief. “Little Lissy?”
“I’m all grown up now!” Elissa chirped, and then she turned to beckon me forward. “I even got married to a god!”
“A what!” Carlisle turned to give me a wide-eyed, incredulous look. “Did you say… a god?”
“Yes, Uncle Carl.” Elissa nodded with utter seriousness. “Sebastian saved our town, and then he rescued me from having to marry the duke’s son. He’s my hero, and I love him so much.”
She gave me a heart eyed expression and clasped my hand warmly in hers.
I returned the squeeze, gave her a loving smile, and then turned to give the mayor a small bow.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mayor Carlisle,” I greeted.
“Stop with the mayor nonsense,” Carlisle snickered. “Call me Uncle Carl, and that’s final.”
Bingo. My secret weapon had worked perfectly.
“Yes, sir, Uncle Carl,” I laughed. I signaled to the barkeep to bring four mugs to the mayor’s table, and then I pulled out chairs for my women. Mahini sat on my right while Elissa sat to my left, and I positioned myself across from Carlisle.
When the barkeep brought over our beers, I slid one across the table to the mayor and gestured for him to drink up.
Time to loosen those lips.
“Tell me everything,” Carlisle urged Elissa. “You said your new husband saved Addington?”
“His name is Sebastian, and he is the God of Time,” Elissa announced in a proud tone. “We renamed Addington to Bastianville to honor his heroic deeds. He wants to help your town as well.”
“Carleone is beyond anyone’s help,” Carlisle lamented. “Even a god, I’m afraid.”
“Nonsense,” Elissa dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Nothing is beyond Bash’s power. He’s amazing, Uncle Carl, trust me.”
Carlisle looked from Elissa’s earnest face to my neutral one a few times, and I could see the doubt in his eyes, but then his shoulders sagged as he sighed.
“If you say so, dear Lissy,” the mayor replied, “then I’m inclined to believe you. You’ve always had your mother’s spirit… It’s hard to deny you anything.”
Elissa’s emerald green eyes welled with emotion, but no tears spilled out onto her cheeks. Then she clasped Carlisle’s hand in hers and gave him a wordless smile.
“Have no fear,” I said in my most godly voice, “I will help your town before the day is done.”
“What can you do?” Carlisle shook his head as his doubt once again overpowered him. “Can you make a mine run free after a drought?”
“I cannot,” I said, but then I gave him a smirk. “But I can redirect your unemployed miners to a fresher mine in need of workers.”
“I heard the mine in Adding--er, sorry, Bastianville, was overrun by goblins.”
“Was.” I shrugged. “Nothing me and my warrior maiden couldn’t handle.”
I inclined my head toward Mahini as I spoke, and the desert goddess blushed but remained silent. She was always more stoic and tight lipped when in public, and being in a new town had heightened that trait in her.
“You cleared out all the goblins with just the two of you?” Carl’s mouth gaped open in shock. “Unbelievable! You truly must be a god…”
“Please,” I continued, “tell me how I can help Carleone.”
“Well, it’s been a right mess…” Carlisle took a long swig of his beer and emptied his mug. “I’ve given up my salary and stopped working the mines myself. I wanted to save the ore for men who needed it more than I did, but things have just continued to get even worse.”
“How so?” I pressed.
“With so many people out of work, the homeless crisis in Carleone has gotten out of hand. I’ve opened up my home to those without, but now it feels more like a hostel than the house I built ten years ago.”
“Well, like I said, the goblins are gone, and the population of Bastianville has really taken a hit with all the kobold raids and the mine being shut down.” I raised an eyebrow and gave Carlisle a pointed look. “Maybe we could come to some sort of agreement that aids both of our towns.”
“Is ol’ Elrin dead, then?” Carlisle eyed me subtly, but I was aware of his every movement.
“Far from it,” Elissa assured him with a happy grin. “In fact, he’s been able to let go of some of the responsibilities of leadership to the new counsel, and I think the extra down time will be good for his health.”
“I can’t argue that one,” the Mayor of Carleone agreed. “My health has taken a fall ever since I opened my house to the less fortunate. Can’t get a minute of peace to myself, everybody always wants something from me.”
“I’d like to relieve you of some of your burden,” I offered with a grin. “Send your homeless and unemployed to Bastianville. They’ll be able to work in the mines, and I can send a portion of our earnings here to pay you for the workers.”
“That’s all I’d need to do?” Carlisle blinked at me like this was the best news he’d heard in months. “Just… send them away?”
“Well, if you could spare some mules, carts, and more pickaxes, we’d appreciate it. The goblins made a mess of all the supplies inside the mine, so we’re basically starting over from scratch.”
“I doubt that,” Carlisle argued. “Even a halfway dug mine is far from starting from scratch. Last time I visited, back when Elrin was thinking of founding Addington, ol’ Elrin showed me some rich veins of copper ore in that mountain. I bet it could be worked for generations without pause.”
“That sounds doable.” Carlisle nodded, and a glimmer of hope bloomed in his eyes. “My house will be mine again…”
I resisted the urge to pump my fist in victory. Plenty of time for that later.
“Business is done, right?” Elissa asked as she bounced up and down in her chair. “Will you show us around Carleone now, Uncle Carl?”
“Of course, Lissy,” the mayor replied with a bright smile.
It was amazing how the expression transformed his face. Gone was the surly guy who’d grumbled at me during every attempt, and he was replaced by a middle-aged man with a full life of joy ahead of him. It was quite the sight to see, and I was glad to say I’d played a part in making it happen.
We drank one more round of beers while Elissa caught Carlisle up on everything that had happened in her town since he’d last heard from her father, and then the four of us exited the tavern to walk down the main street of Carleone.
I made a new save point so I could reload to that moment, and then I followed the mayor out into his town.
The sun was beginning to set, but the well-lit street was bustling with activity. Even though people shouted their wares, and some waved fresh cooked food up in the air, there was still a feeling of melancholy in the atmosphere. The heat of day was ebbing, and a coolness settled onto my skin as we walked. It was peaceful, but gloomy, and I was more motivated than ever to lift the mood of the town.
“Annette, come here!” Carlisle called to a woman who sighed dramatically when she heard her name called. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“I don’t have time for this, Carl,” Annette grumbled.
“It will just take a moment,” the mayor insisted.
The older woman had graying hair pulled back into a loose bun, and she wore a modest gray dress and a stained yellow apron. She shook her head at the mayor’s request, but she still made her way over to us.
“This is Sebastian, the God of Time,” Carlisle said in a formal voice as he gestured to me. “He’s married my adopted niece, Lissy, here.”
Elissa gave the woman a curtsey and a smile, but Annette was blind to my wife’s greeting since her eyes were locked onto me.
“God of Time, you say,” she murmured in an almost hypnotized voice. Then she threw herself at my feet and began to sob. “Please, sir, please bring him back to me! He was my heart, but now he is gone.”
“Who is gone?” I asked as I placed a hand below her armpit to pull her to a stand.
“My cat, Henry!” Annette wailed with a new fountain of tears bursting out from her eyes. “I found him dead this morning! You’re the God of Time, so you can turn back time and save him? Please, sir, he meant the world to me.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot cheat death,” I lied. The truth was I could, but only for myself. “I see another cat in your future, though, one sweeter and more loving than Henry ever was.”
“Nothing could replace my Henry!” Annette wailed, and she turned away from me as her shoulders shook with emotion. “I suppose fixing my pain is beyond the ability of a god…”
“I will heal your heart, Annette,” I promised, and I meant it.
Just as soon as I figured out how.
“I have nothing left to lose by waiting,” she sighed.
It took everything in me not to reset to my last save point, but I reminded myself I would fix her problem later when I reset for the final go around in Carleone, and then everyone would only think of me as a great and awe-inspiring deity.
Still, I made a mental note to figure out how to help the distraught woman. I couldn’t magically make her cat come back to life any more than I could snap my fingers and make a new kitten appear, but in a town this size I was certain I’d find something to lift Annette’s spirits.
The next person we ran into was an elderly looking man Carlisle introduced to me as Kodi. He was leading a horse down the street, and the mare had a limp in her hind leg. It was obvious he was upset, and I had to assume it was about his steed being lame.
“Kodi, is it?” I asked. “What’s wrong with your horse?”
“She threw a shoe in the corral,” the old man explained as he patted the mare’s neck affectionately. “Poor girl hasn’t been walking the same ever since.”
“Are you on your way to the blacksmith?” I asked.
“I was on my way to beg him to help me,” Kodi replied. “I don’t have the money to pay him, though, or any weapons to trade. I know he’s always looking for extra steel, but I already bartered my last sword to pay for my pickaxe.”
I nodded as I thought over how I could help his situation. I had extra weapons I could give him to trade, and I was sure the small kind gesture would have rippling waves of positivity that went throughout the whole town. Once I’d settled on a plan for my final reset, we continued on with our tour of the town.
Our next stop was the general store, and a tall, buff man with a deep brown beard stood behind the counter.
“Evening, Bruce,” Carlisle greeted. “I’d like to introduce you to our guest of honor, Sebastian, the God of Time himself.”
“The God of Time?” Bruce whistled low and eyed me appreciatively. “Does that mean you can go back in time?”
“Sort of.” I shrugged and remained vague. “Why?”
“Well, I’d love to go back in time and see who stole from my shop last night,” the general store owner explained. “My most valuable piece of jewelry was stolen, but nothing else was touched. The fact that they only took the ring means it had to be a local. I don’t suppose you’ll send out a search party, huh, Carl?”
The lack of respect for the mayor in Bruce’s voice was blatant, and I wondered if there was any point in trying to fix the store owner’s opinion of his leader. I’d already decided to find this missing ring someone had stolen, though, since he sounded convinced it was someone from Carleone who’d taken it.
“You know I can’t do that,” Carl said in a cajoling voice. “You can file a complaint with my assistant, and I will forward it to the town guardsmen. They will keep an eye out for your missing ring.”
“My stolen ring, you mean,” Bruce corrected in a hiss, and he narrowed his eyes at the mayor.
“I will find it,” I announced.
“Really?” Bruce blinked at me a few times, and then a grin split his bearded face. “That’s wonderful news. How exactly are you going to do it, though?”
“I have my ways.” I grinned back at the store owner since his smile was infectious.
I got a description of the stolen ring, and I promised I’d bring it straight back to Bruce when I found it. Then the four of us headed back out to the main street.
Our next stop was to meet a family of five who were seated by the side of the street with a box laid out on the pavement in front of them. The father was a balding, rotund man named Gene Hill, and his three daughters were so similar in appearance I would have assumed they were triplets had they not proudly told me who was the oldest and the youngest. Cara, Sara, and Jara were adorable, but not nearly as cute as the contents of the box.
“Kittens!” Elissa giggled.
I did a little happy dance as I realized one of my problems was already solved. A kitten would be perfect for Annette, so I made a mental note of the family’s location, and then we continued onward.
We were almost to the end of the street when a man on a horse trotted past and almost knocked into me.
“Watch where you’re going!” I shouted as I swiveled to get a good look at who I’d almost barreled into. The light of a nearby torch flickered off a piece of silver jewelry on one of his fingers, and I inhaled sharply.
It could be the stolen ring.
“Stop that man!” I called out as I pointed to the guy on the horse.
Carlisle looked from me to the horse rider, and then he gestured for the people on the street to obey. “Do as he says! Stop Hal!”
&nb
sp; The man named Hal almost collided with a bunch of people who’d rushed into the street to surround him. Once he’d pulled his horse to a stop and was looking around trying to figure out why the townspeople had circled his horse, I strode through the crowd with my head held high.
“Show me the ring on your finger,” I commanded in my god voice. “Now!”
The man the mayor had called Hal jumped at the sharpness of my voice, and he swallowed hard as he slowly removed the ring from his finger. His hands were shaking as he dropped the circlet into my palm, and I barely had to glance at it to see it was the ring stolen from the general store.
“Where did you get this?” I questioned in a hard tone.
“I-I…” Hal sighed and hung his head. “I stole it. I was just on my way out of town to sell it. Please, sir, it is of little importance, and I need to feed my family.”
“How much will you sell it for?” I pulled out a bag of coins from my side pouch and rattled them pointedly.
“Y-You wish to b-buy it?” he stammered in shock.
“I wish to give you money to feed your family,” I explained, and I tossed him the bag of copper coins I’d brought with me.
“Thank you, sir, thank you so much!” Hal gushed as he clasped the small leather bag in his fist like it was full of pure diamonds.
“Stop stealing to make ends meet,” I commanded him with furrowed eyebrows. “If you need work, you will find it mining in Bastianville to the west.”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir,” Hal said, and he saluted me.
I returned to Carlisle, Elissa, and Mahini with the ring clutched in my hands.
“How did you know that man had Bruce’s ring?” Carlisle asked in a breathy voice.
I chuckled to myself. “I’m a god, Uncle Carl, remember?”
“A god is calling me uncle…” Carl shook his head in awe. “What have I done to deserve this blessing?”
“You’re doing plenty to earn my blessing,” I assured Mayor Carlisle. “Now, let’s continue meeting the rest of your people.”
I used a few resets back to my save point so I could meet the rest of the populace of Carleone, and I tucked away everyone’s names for later. Then I reset to the moment where we’d left the tavern, and I started over for the final run through.