by Logan Jacobs
“I am also confused,” Eva admitted with a wry smile. “But that is not an unfamiliar sensation around the Great One.”
“Best to let it go,” Mahini suggested as a smile tugged on the corners of her lips.
“Let’s go see who wants to come to Vallenwood with us,” I said, and I held out my arms for two of them to grasp.
Eva and Elissa stepped forward and took hold of my elbows, and Mahini nodded in approval before she led the way out the front door and down the steps. The desert goddess was all business as we marched across the town to the square, and her shoulders tensed as we drew near.
“Great One…” Mahini murmured in a hesitant tone as she came to a halt.
My eyes leapt to the road ahead, and my mouth fell open when I saw the scene before me.
A thick crowd had gathered around the town square, and there was barely any daylight visible through the densely-packed bodies. I saw many familiar faces among the horde, but it did indeed look like half the town’s population was present and vying for a spot in my entourage.
“Bash…” Elissa gasped, and she shrunk away from the crowd. “There’s so many of them…”
“I’m not surprised.” Evangeline shrugged.
I shot her a questioning look, and the duke’s daughter shrugged again.
“Everyone who recently moved to Bastianville probably did so in the hopes of being able to follow you into battle or on some adventure.” Eva’s gray eyes swept over the crowd until they returned to my face. “You inspire hope in people, Great One. It’s irresistible.”
“Hey, it’s the Great One of Legend!” a voice from the town square called out, and the next thing I knew, I was surrounded by a press of townspeople.
“Pick me!”
“I will fight for you!”
“I would die for you, Great One!”
“Choose me, please!”
The voices grew more and more desperate with each moment of silence, and I frowned as I began to feel claustrophobic among the dense crowd surrounding me.
“Get back!” Mahini’s voice sliced through the air like a dagger’s edge, and the townspeople immediately leapt backward. “Give the Great One some space.”
I was well acquainted with large crowds gathering around me and reaching out to touch me, but the desperation was something new. This was going to be harder than I thought.
How was I supposed to pick only ten people out of this great number of volunteers?
“Excuse me,” I said, and I inched forward to the center of the town square. “Can someone get me a crate or something to stand on?”
“Get the Great One a box!” a voice growled, and then a flurry of activity swarmed around me.
A moment later, a crate was shoved beneath my feet, and I stepped up above the heads of the people crowding around me. I gestured for silence as I took a moment to scan over the expectant faces staring back at me, and I made a mental note of the people present who I recognized.
Riondale, Jorgen, and the rest of the men from Castle Bullard stood apart from the heart of the crowd, but their faces were hopeful nonetheless.
Stryker, Willihard, and Niconor waited beside each other, and they cast doubtful glances at the people around them.
Bron and Sarah stood beside the old man, Zed, and the former zealots nodded when my eyes fell on them.
Then I spotted Jaxtom standing with his arms crossed over his chest. The blacksmith met my gaze with a small nod, and then he turned to speak to someone standing behind him who I didn’t recognize.
I was surprised to see the blacksmith among the volunteers, but I had to admit it would be pretty cool to have him come along with me. The burly man would be a fish out of water in the palace, but that was insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Still, no matter who I chose, I would be rejecting a bunch of people, and I didn’t like the idea of causing any hard feelings among the townspeople.
“I think this is when you say something,” Elissa murmured by my feet as she tugged on my shirt, and I flashed the red-haired goddess a grateful smile when I looked down to meet her gaze.
“Sorry, lost in thought,” I whispered with a wry smile, and then I cleared my throat before I raised my voice loud enough to be heard by the entire gathering. “Thank you all for coming today, your desire to help me warms my heart. This is going to be a challenging mission, though, since the road to Vallenwood is long and full of dangers. I would only be able to bring the best of the best, the strongest of the strong. I have about ten spots to fill on my entourage, and as you can see, there are a few more than that here.”
“Take us all!” a voice suggested loudly.
“I would if I could.” I smirked. “It would take us a year to reach the palace, though, and I need to get there before the new moon.”
“What have you decided, Great One?” another person asked in an impatient tone.
I waved my hands to regain the silence and attention of the crowd, and then I paused to build up the suspense. I’d already decided a few moments before what the best way forward would be, but I always had more fun when my presentations were theatrical.
It was the little things in life that made it worth living.
“I have decided…” The crowd groaned as I fell silent again, and I once again gestured for quiet. “I have decided this is not a decision I can make.”
“Oh, come on!”
“Tell us already!”
“End the torment!”
I chuckled to myself as I waited for the people to fall silent once more. It took a moment, but when they noticed I wasn’t speaking, they began to nudge the others who still grumbled among them into submission. Once all eyes were again locked onto my face, I nodded my approval and continued.
“I am going to let fate and skill decide who will join my entourage.” I gave my people my most charming smile. “There will be a competition, a tournament if you will, to see who is the best of the best. The top twelve contenders will earn the right to travel with me to Vallenwood.”
I’d decided to up the number of winners, and I’d discovered the loophole to my decision and designed myself some awesome entertainment at the same time.
How else would you please a god other than by pitting your skills against the contenders?
Plus, no one could be upset at me if they were rejected if it was due to their own failure in a fair competition. It was a win-win situation for me, and I couldn’t be happier.
This was going to be so fucking awesome.
Chapter Six
I waited for a few moments for my words to sink in, and then the chorus of voices clamoring all at once hit me like a wave. It was difficult to pick out individual voices among the crowd, but I listened patiently to all the questions hurled at me.
“What do you mean?”
“What kind of competition?”
“I will win the tournament for you, Great One!”
“No, I will be the Great One’s champion!”
I shook my head in amusement before I motioned for silence once more.
“All will be revealed very soon,” I promised. “But first, we need to figure out who will be the judges.”
“You, Great One!” a voice answered loudly.
“I don’t know if that will be fair,” I argued. Plus, I didn’t want to be responsible for their failures. “What about Elrin?”
The crowd murmured noises of agreement, so I made a mental note to ask for the mayor’s assistance with my competition. The wheels were already spinning in my head, and I was getting excited about the potential for good, wholesome fun.
The mayor couldn’t be the only judge, though, so I scratched my beard while I thought of who else could perform the role. Half the Elder Council were present among the contenders, so that idea was out. Then my eyes landed on the three beautiful women who stood by my side. They’d be going with me and couldn’t compete.
I cleared my throat to get everyone’s attention, and once all eyes were on me, I
spoke in a loud voice for all to hear.
“Elrin, Elissa, Eva, and Mahini will be our judges,” I announced. “But trust me, with most of the events, a winner will make itself very clear.”
“What sort of competition is this?” Jaxtom hollered across the heads of the townspeople who covered the distance between me and him.
“It’s a surprise,” I replied with a shit-eating grin, and the blacksmith shook his head with a chuckle. Then I swept my gaze over the crowd of people, but the faces all seemed to blur together as one. It was difficult to pick out individuals among the dense press of bodies, but then I made eye contact with Caelia, and I inhaled sharply.
What was the beautiful general store owner doing among the volunteers? Did she really want to travel with me to Vallenwood?
It was a bold move for one so timid, and it sparked even more curiosity about her. She would really have to come out of her shell in order to hold her own against the other townspeople, but I suddenly hoped she would win a spot on my entourage, and a self-conscious blush crept up my neck. I shook off my thoughts with a quick breath, and I mentally reassured myself that the crowd of people gathered around me couldn’t read my mind.
“Alright, alright,” I shouted. “Give me a couple hours to prepare everything, and then we will meet back here at midday to begin the tournament.”
The people grumbled for a few moments, but the crowd began to slowly disperse and break off into smaller groups before going in different directions. I made a quick mental note of who was friends with who, but there were so many unfamiliar faces present it was difficult for me to keep track of the unknown ones. While I’d been traveling all over Sorreyal, Bastianville’s population had nearly doubled, and I no longer knew every resident by name and face.
The competition would be a perfect opportunity for me to get to know the new townspeople, too, and the thought made me grin as I hopped down from my crate.
My women eyed me expectantly, but they didn’t say anything, so I flashed them a charming smile.
“Want to help me set up the best damn field day event your world has ever seen?” I smirked.
“What is a field day?” Mahini frowned. “I thought you said it was going to be a competition. How is working fields competitive?”
“Where I come from, a field day is a series of events that test the player’s stamina, agility, endurance, strength, intelligence, and heart.” I wrapped my arms around all three of the girls’ shoulders, and I led them away from the town square to the outskirts of town as I talked. “The best of the best are pitted against each other in games or races, and only the strongest come out the other side.”
“Is it dangerous?” Eva’s gray eyes were bright with curiosity. “How many die?”
“I suppose the games from ancient Greece they were inspired by could get a little dangerous,” I mused, “but the ones I performed in weren’t deadly or anything. Unless you can die of embarrassment, anyway.”
“Great O--, Er, Bash!” a voice called from behind us, and I swiveled to see the knight, Sir Cristoff, trotting toward me. “Excuse my rudeness, but I couldn’t help overhearing you speak to your people.”
“Oh, you heard all that, huh?” I laughed. “Welcome to Bastianville.”
“Your people are passionate about you,” the knight observed. “I’ve never seen that kind of reaction to a leader before. It is almost cult-like.”
“Is that a good thing?” I arched an eyebrow as I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I am undecided,” Sir Cristoff admitted, but then he bowed his head. “You have an uncommon way about you I am unfamiliar with, but I would like to stay and observe the outcomes of your tournament, if this is alright with you.”
“Oh, that’s an awesome idea.” I grinned. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, Cris.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Sir Cristoff murmured, and then he bowed low before me. “I will depart shortly after the tournament is resolved.”
“That’s fine.” I shrugged. “Like I said, you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. I need to be leaving town within the next couple of days myself, though, so I understand your urgency to return from your mission.”
“With the task of delivering the message completed, the only other thing I wanted to accomplish was to witness your greatness with my own eyes.” Sir Cristoff’s blue eyes were serious as he held my gaze. “I am looking forward to seeing what the results are.”
Was he accusing me of throwing the tournament before it even began? I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, so I kept my mouth shut until I had more evidence.
I knew I’d win Sir Cristoff over soon enough, though, so I brushed off my paranoid thoughts and gave the knight my most charming smile.
“Enjoy the entertainment.” I nodded my head toward the line of businesses down the street behind him. “Maybe grab yourself a snack from the candy store before the competition begins.”
“Very well.” Sir Cristoff inclined his head. “I will do just that, thank you. I bid you farewell, then, Bash. Until the next we meet.”
“It will be soon enough,” I replied, and I waved goodbye as the knight turned toward the stores of Bastianville. “Have fun!”
“What a strange man,” Mahini observed in a low voice. “He almost sounded suspicious of you, but he didn’t reveal enough for me to form a true opinion.”
“I thought the same thing,” I confessed, and I squeezed the desert goddess around the shoulders. “Great minds think alike, I guess. Don’t worry about the knight. He’ll have a blast watching the tournament and take stories of my wonderful leadership skills back to the king.”
“Why do you care what the king thinks?” Eva asked as we continued on our way to the outskirts of town. “You’re a god, doesn’t that make you more powerful than him?”
“There are a lot of people who live in Sorreyal,” I pointed out. “And I’ve only recently been summoned to this world. I haven’t had time to win over every single person yet, but the king has. He’s been a loveable monarch for years now from what I’ve seen, and everyone is really familiar with his leadership by now. Me, not so much, so it’s to my advantage to get on his good side until my power grows strong enough to take on the entire kingdom.”
“That makes sense.” The duke’s daughter frowned thoughtfully. “I suppose you have thought of everything, and I should probably just trust that you know what you’re doing.”
“That’s the idea,” I laughed, but then I jerked my chin toward the empty field in front of us. “What do you girls think? Is this a good spot for our tournament?”
The area I’d indicated laid on the edge of town near one of the gates, and it was roughly the size of a football field. It belonged to Gerulf, the farmer, but I was sure he wouldn’t mind us using it for the day.
“It depends,” Elissa said, and she strode forward to inspect the space with a sway of her hips. “What kind of competition is it, Bash?”
“Well, I was thinking we could do some fun stuff like three-legged races and egg-in-spoon races,” I said, and I tapped a finger against my chin as I thought out loud. “These people could use some fun after everything the town’s been through. But then I’d like to add in some more challenging events like horse riding obstacle courses or wrestling matches.”
“I understood some of those words,” my wife admitted with a flustered expression, but she shook her head to dispel her confusion, and she flashed me a brilliant smile. “If you think this spot will work, then I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Good.” I nodded, but then I looked to the other two for their approval.
“You will have to explain more,” Mahini said with a small shrug of her shoulders. “But I trust your judgement.”
“I agree,” Eva added with an incline of her head.
“Alright,” I chuckled. “Let’s go find Elrin, and then I’ll explain everything in detail to all of you. If you’re going to be the judges, then you need to understand the rules of the gam
es, right?”
“Right.” Mahini nodded.
“This is going to be fun!” Elissa giggled.
“Better than the circus!” Eva squealed.
“You girls are adorable,” I laughed. “You make everything fun just by being with me.”
“Having you adore me is my favorite part of life,” my wife informed me with a serious expression on her face, and I squeezed her against my side warmly.
“I’m more than happy to adore you for the rest of time, my love,” I replied.
The four of us made our way back through town to Elrin’s house in search of the mayor, and a short while later we were all sitting around his dining room table with scrawled on pieces of parchment littering the entire surface.
“One more time, Great One.” Elrin leaned his forehead into his hands with his elbows planted on the table, and he’d grown incredibly frustrated by the seemingly complex nature of the egg-in-spoon race. “What is the purpose of this game?”
“It tests agility,” I said for what felt like the millionth time, but I took a deep breath and reminded myself to be patient. “And grit. How far will someone go to make sure their egg does not fall?”
“Half of the town is competing,” Elrin pointed out. “How do we acquire that many spoons?”
“Everyone should bring their own,” Mahini suggested with a roll of her eyes. “Obviously. But they can only be standard spoons. No ladles or anything overly large.”
Elissa stifled a giggle, but Evangeline merely raised her eyebrows in silence.
“Fair enough,” Elrin sighed. “My apologies. I have never heard of this kind of tournament, and I feel like being a judge is a massive responsibility. I want to do my part, and I don’t want there to be any errors on my accord.”
“You’re doing fine, Elrin,” I reassured my wife’s father. “Learning things from another world is challenging, trust me.”
“You make it look easy,” the mayor chuckled, but I was pleased to see some of the tension ease from his shoulders.
But it was almost midday, and we still needed to set up the field.
“We need to gather some volunteers to help with the obstacle courses,” I reminded them. “Each of you go grab one person who isn’t competing and meet me on the outskirts of town in that field I showed you.”