by Logan Jacobs
“What’s she doing?” the blonde asked before she took a long drink of
the honey colored beverage.
“I told her to pick out the vegetables for dinner,” I said, and I took a
long drink of my own pint.
“You think it’ll turn out any good?” Kas whispered with a smile.
“I heard that!” Asta yelled from where she was bent over the vegetable
garden, and Kas’ eyes widened before she burst out laughing.
“I think I can make just about anything taste good,” I chuckled. “But
I’m sure she’ll do a great job.”
“So,” Kas said, and she looked down with a slight blush to her cheeks.
“Do you remember what Asta and I were doing?”
“What you were doing?” I repeated in confusion.
“Yeah,” she said, and she bit her lip. “Like… why were we naked?”
“I’d like to know as well,” Asta said, and she shyly walked up and
handed me a basket of fresh vegetables.
“Oh,” I said as realization dawned on me. “I don’t remember much,
but I think you were dancing.”
“Dancing?” Kas asked with a raised eyebrow.
Whatever answer she was expecting, I didn’t think it was that.
“That’s what I recall.” I shrugged. “You two were kind of twirling
around and laughing. I just remember that, then I remember grabbing you and
running to the portal.”
“So, we weren’t doing anything… else?” Asta asked, and her face
turned red in the firelight as she looked at Kas then quickly down to the
ground.
“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “That was all.”
“It kind of makes me mad you weren’t naked,” Kas chuckled after an
awkward silent moment.
“Rath should have been also!” Asta blurted out with a laugh.
“Why do we have to be the naked ones?” Kas giggled.
“You two look much better naked than I do,” I told them with a smile,
then I took another pull from my pint glass.
“That’s not even true.” Kas rolled her violet eyes.
“You’re very beautiful naked,” Asta agreed with a nod.
“Thanks,” I chuckled, and I blushed slightly before I avoided their
gazes by taking another drink from my pint glass.
The girls chatted then, and I cooked while Blar and Inger played in the
courtyard and Uffe laid by my feet, tired from his eating excursion.
Asta had gathered some zucchini, sweet peppers, onions, and broccoli,
which would make quite a nice assembly paired with the rice, so I sautéed them over the fire with a bit of mead and spices, then I checked on the rice.
By the time everything was done, I turned to Kas and Asta to tell them the
food was ready, but they were quiet as they looked out into the courtyard
where all three dragons now played.
The twins were trying to gang up on Blar as the larger blue dragon
darted back and forth between them and bumped them with his chest or tail.
Blar’s tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted from running, and I had to
smile as I watched them all together.
Then my eyes narrowed as Uffe used his tail to fling rocks at Blar. The
rocks moved with far too much power for what his tail should have been able
to manage, though, and when he stomped his front little leg and more rocks
came up around him and hovered in the air for a second, I realized he was
able to wield earth magic.
I’d never seen Blar do anything like that before, but I remembered then
Kas had said something about twin dragons having special powers. I couldn’t
quite recall what it was, but I figured this had to have something to do with it.
So, I kept a close eye on Inger to see if she showed any signs of having
special abilities. At first I didn’t see anything, but then when Blar ran toward
her, instead of dodging and rolling to the side like she’d been doing, she
flung herself up into the air and hovered for a second. I knew then she was
able to wield air. Blar was larger than she was, and older, too, and yet he’d barely been able to fly at that point, but she lifted off the ground as if it was
the easiest thing in the world. It almost took me a second to realize it was out
of the ordinary because the action seemed so natural for her.
“Did you see what they’re doing?” Kas turned around and whispered
to me.
“They’re wielding the elements,” I said with awe as I continued to
watch the little dragons.
“It took me a while to see what Inger could do,” Asta said. “But I see
now that it’s definitely air.”
“The book I read said twin dragons can wield complementary
elements,” Kas said with a wide grin. “I didn’t think it’d be when they were
this small, though.”
“It is quite impressive,” I agreed. I thought about the training they
would need then and wondered if I’d be able to provide them with everything
they needed. I could easily teach them how to dodge and use their bodies to
their advantage, but there were some things I wasn’t sure I could teach them.
I thought about their ability for flight and how I had no idea how to fly
let alone fight while in the air. How could I teach them something I couldn’t
even do myself?
I continued to watch the little dragons play as I thought about what I would need to do to get them the training they needed. They were still so
small, but it was better to learn to fight while young than to try and train
someone older with difficult techniques. The twins would need to work on
their skills just like I had Blar do, and all three of them could benefit from
more extensive training.
As I watched Inger lift off the ground again, I realized she reminded
me of a bird. Most of the birds around my house were sweet little song birds
who made their homes in my trees, so I didn’t often see them fight with each
other, but I knew there were larger, more territorial birds in Asgard. I’d have
to go ask some of the hunters if they knew which birds were the most prone
to fights. They would probably be the only group in town that would have
any idea since I didn’t think most people paid much attention to the birds
around them.
“Alright,” I called out as I dished up small bowls for the dragons and
large bowls for the girls and me. “Time for dinner.”
The dragons stopped mid play and ran over to me to sit by my feet and
wait for their food.
“You’re going to feed them?” Kas chuckled. “I thought for sure you’d
tell them they didn’t need dinner.”
“Nah,” I laughed. “I don’t know exactly how much they ate, but they
still managed to get us out of there, so I’d say they earned their dinner.”
“Speaking of getting us out of there,” Kas said as she took the bowl I
handed to her.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“I think we should put extra protection spells on ourselves before we
go through any portals from now on,” the blonde sorceress said.
“I agree.” I nodded. “Do you think a spell could have protected us
against the Vanir, though?”
The Vanir Gods were supposed to be the most powerful sorcerers in all
the worlds, and even though Kas was quite powerful herself, I wasn’t sure a
spell from a single sorceress would be enough to counteract such a wide cast
spell created by gods.
“I’m honestly not sure,” Kas said with a shake of her head. “They’re
extremely powerful. But I know it could help protect us anywhere else we
land. Vanaheim is a special place it seems, so I’m going to say we should try
to avoid it at all costs from now on. Just in case.”
“I agree.” Asta nodded. “It was scary arriving back home naked and in
the dark.”
“Then we’ll make sure to cast extra protection spells,” I assured the
two women. Even if the spells wouldn’t protect us from the Vanir, Kas was right, they would definitely help protect us from anything else we
encountered. Of course, she’d put protection spells on our armor, but more
couldn’t possibly be a bad thing, especially one that could prevent other
spells from affecting us.
“I’ll do some research tomorrow,” Kas promised.
“Thanks,” I told her with a smile, then I looked at her and Asta. Both
of them still looked slightly disheveled from their dancing earlier. Kas’ hair
was in a messy mane of curls, and Asta’s face had a little dirt smudge on one
cheek. “I am sorry you all were so scared.”
“It’s not your fault,” Asta murmured.
“Yeah,” Kas agreed. “You got us out of there. Thank you.”
“Yes,” the elf girl added, and her yellow eyes were full of gratitude.
“You saved us.”
“It was nothing.” I shrugged.
“You are too humble,” Asta argued with a shake of her head. “I’ve
never had anyone save me so many times and provide for me like you do.”
“I have to agree.” Kas smiled softly. “Rath is definitely not like any of
the other men I’ve known.”
“You have known other men intimately?” Asta asked curiously, and
Kas’ eyes widened at the personal question.
“Well… no,” Kas admitted, and her cheeks blushed bright red. “But
I’ve been asked to court before.”
“I figured that,” Asta said, and she looked Kas up and down. “You’re
very beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Kas murmured, then her voice got a little louder. “But
Rath is always so kind and protective, that’s why I knew I could trust him to
bond with.”
“You are happy you did this?” the elf girl inquired.
“Definitely,” Kas agreed with a nod.
“I see,” Asta mused before she took a bite of her food, and we all grew
quiet as we ate.
The little dragons were done before we even started, and they all
curled up in a little mess of tails and scales next to the fire pit. With the twins,
it was hard to see where one began and the other ended, and I could only see
bits and pieces of Blar’s blue body since it was covered with red limbs from
the other two little dragons. I thought it was quite endearing how much they
loved each other already, though.
I finished my meal, then decided I wanted another mead, so I stood up
and stretched, but when I went to ask the girls if they wanted more to drink, I
realized Kas had sunk down by the fire, and her eyes were closed.
“She’s sleeping,” Asta informed me.
“I see that,” I whispered with a smile, and I held up my pint glass. “I’m
going to get myself another, would you like one?”
“Yes please,” the elf girl replied, and she eagerly handed me her cup.
I went into the house and filled the glasses, and when I came back
outside, Asta was on the log near where I sat so Kas had the other side of the
fire all to herself.
I handed the elf girl her mead, and she took a long drink then looked
out into the fire. The flames cast an orange glow on her white hair, and her
yellow eyes danced with the movement of the fire. I knew she’d been
embarrassed earlier, but there was no reason for her to feel shame. I’d seen
her naked body before, and it was nothing short of exquisite.
Just the memory of her bare flesh made my pants grow tighter, so I
turned toward the fire as well and took a long swig of mead to clear my
thoughts. It had already been a long day, I’d let her rest.
“Rath,” the elf woman whispered, and I turned to see her bite her lip
and look down.
“Yeah?” I asked, and I was concerned by her tone of voice.
“I want to bond with you,” she announced without warning, and she
looked at me with yellow, determined eyes.
Chapter 20
“Oh,” I said, and I was unsure of how to respond.
“You do not want to bond with me,” Asta murmured, and I could see
the horror come over her face as she thought she’d just embarrassed herself.
“No, no,” I assured her quickly, and I put my hand on her cheek.
“That’s not it at all.”
“Then what is it?” the elf girl asked, and she looked up at me with sad
yellow eyes.
“It’s just…” I started but then trailed off as I thought. “It’s just that it’s
a big decision. I don’t want you to have any doubts.”
“I am sure this is what I want,” the white-haired elf insisted.
“Why do you want to bond with me?” I questioned in an attempt to see
if she’d thought it through.
“You are good to me,” she whispered, and she looked down then back
up at me through her bright white eyelashes. “You protect me and care for
me… and… you respect me. There is something special about you, Rath. It’s
not just your great magic, it’s your soul and your destiny. I want to be a part
of it. I want to be with you forever.”
“Forever is a long time,” I told her with a smile.
“I know, but Kas is so happy she bonded with you,” Asta explained,
and her words grew quicker as she got more excited. “If I bonded with you,
too, then my powers could grow stronger, and I could be more helpful to the
group.”
“You’re plenty helpful,” I argued. “I don’t want you to bond with me
just because you think it will make you more powerful. There’s a lot more to
it than that.”
“The pleasure,” Asta said, and her pink mouth parted slightly.
“I’m sorry?” I didn’t think I’d heard her correctly.
“The pleasure would be great, would it not?” she asked.
“Well, yes,” I said with a slight blush.
“You are a good, honorable male,” Asta told me, and she stared at me
with her bright yellow eyes. “I want to be with you.”
“I want to be with you, too,” I said with a small smile, and I brushed
my thumb across her cheekbone.
“And… children…” she whispered.
“Yes,” I whispered back. “I would want you to bear me many strong
sons and daughters. If we can make them.”
“Then bond with me, Rath,” she pleaded. “I want to have what you and
Kas have, and I want to grow our family of dragons and sorceresses and
warriors. Let us make a great and magical clan that will make both our races proud.”
“I understand,” I told her. “And I would be honored to bond with you,
but I still want to make sure it’s exactly what you want.”
“But--” Asta began, but I put my finger over her mouth to qu
iet her.
“I’m not saying no,” I chuckled softly. “I’m just saying to take the day
tomorrow to fully think it through. Maybe ask Kas some questions about it.
You had a traumatic experience today, and I want to make sure you’re not
being hasty with your decision.”
“I understand,” the elf girl said after a slight pause, then she smiled at
me. “Again, you impress me with the respect you give to me. It is because of
this, the way you take care of me and care for me, that I wish to be with you.
I will consider this course of action and let you know tomorrow.”
“That’s all I ask,” I replied, then I leaned forward and slanted my lips
against hers.
Asta sighed into me, and I reached around to place my hands on her
back while my tongue overtook her mouth. I could feel her body was
exhausted, though, so I kissed her softly before I pulled back to look into her
yellow eyes.
“Let’s go to bed,” I whispered.
“Mmm, okay,” she said, and her eyes were nearly closed already.
I left Asta by the fire and went into the house to grab the blankets and
pillows that we’d set up inside so all three of us could sleep together. When I
got back outside, the elf girl was already asleep, so I made the bed near the
fire before I carefully carried Kas over to it, followed by Asta, then finally the
dragons. The twins barely cracked an eye as I picked them up, but Blar rolled
over and yawned at me before he smacked his lips together and fell back
asleep.
I smiled at his adorable antics then set them all down at the foot of the
makeshift bed, near the girls’ feet.
I sat by the fire then and finished my pint of mead as I thought about
Asta’s offer to bond with me. She was beautiful and strong, and she’d proven
herself a dedicated member of our little group, but I wanted to make sure she
made the decision that was best for her. She was an elf, and I was Aesir,
which I was sure would complicate things to begin with, but she hadn’t
known me very long, either. I reminded myself Kas hadn’t known me long
before we bonded, but with everything that had happened today, I wanted to
make absolutely sure Asta knew what she was getting herself into. There was
no reversal spell for soul bonding.
I smiled at the sleeping forms of the dragons and the girls, then I
downed the rest of my mead and crawled into bed with them.