by Logan Jacobs
“Don’t worry,” I said and gave her a tight hug. “Sela has a big bark, but no bite. She won’t hurt us.”
Mira and I marched over to the ladder and climbed down into one of the rowboats. We released it from the ship, and each of us grabbed a pair of oars to row us ashore.
Chapter Seven
Mira and I rowed close enough to the shore that we could finally see Sela in detail.
“Ben!” Sela shouted, and I could see her eyes grow wide. The warrior’s gray-blue hair waved in the wind, and her pale skin seemed to glow under the beautiful sun.
“Hi!” I called back as we rowed into the shallows. “I’ve been trying to get your attention this entire time. It’s us on that orc ship.”
“You have an orc ship?” Sela asked, and her blue-eyed gaze darted to the large vessel behind me. “Why? What happened? How did you get it?”
Her questions came at us rapid fire, and both Mira and I laughed.
“Let’s get all the women ashore, and then we’ll explain everything, I promise,” I told her.
Mira and I pulled the rowboat onto the soft sand, and Sela started to climb down from the wall just as a familiar voice spoke in my head again.
Welcome home, dear ones, George greeted.
Mira and I turned to each other and grinned. We were finally back with our bonded dragons, and nothing could have been better.
“It’s good to be back,” I responded out loud and echoed the words through our link. “Get everyone down to the beach, would you? There’s some people I want you guys to meet.”
Of course, George replied.
His soft voice was instantly soothing to me, and I couldn’t wait to see my dear friend face to face once more. I wanted to nuzzle his snout and feel his dragon hum echo through the island.
“Now that I am down on the sand, how about an answer to my question?” Sela asked as she approached Mira and me. “Where in the gods' names did you find that ship?”
“We did not just find it,” Mira responded with a cheeky smirk. “We won it in battle. The orcs army tried to defeat us, but there was no chance they would win with Ben in command.”
Sela turned her attention to me and gave me a single nod, which I knew was the equivalent of a tight hug for the stoic blue haired warrior. Then she turned her gaze back to the ship, where some of the deer women had climbed onto the second rowboat and started to head to the shore.
“How are the kids?” I asked.
“Wonderful.” Sela grinned. “Our twins are nearly ready to walk, and Marella and Arrick are growing as fast as Oshun’s weeds. Careen had her baby half a moon cycle ago. A little girl. Her name is Oshuna, after the deity.”
“I love it,” I laughed, and my heart swelled in my chest.
I couldn’t wait to meet the newest member of my family.
“Those women look strange,” Sela observed as she tilted her head and watched the deer women row ashore. “I am not sure what I expected of people from another island, though. Are they kind?”
“The kindest,” Mira replied. “I was not sure about them when we first met, as they have a much different way of doing things, but once Ben and I got to know these women, I realized how much they have to teach us. Their island is beautiful, Sela. It’s full of tall trees with thick trunks and leaping creatures called tarrels that have the juiciest, most delicious meat you will ever taste.”
“It sounds interesting.” Sela shrugged. “But I much prefer to keep my feet planted firmly on my homeland.”
The rowboat ran ashore just then, and Jemma leapt out of it and dashed straight toward Sela.
“I am so excited to meet you!” The auburn haired deer woman grinned as she skidded to a stop by my side. “Ben has told us so much of you and your people already, I feel as if I know you.”
Without warning, Jemma threw herself straight into Sela’s arms, and she wrapped the warrior in what I was sure was the tightest hug she’d ever endured.
Sela’s blue eyes went as wide as coconuts, and she glanced from me to Jemma for a brief moment before she shrugged out of the embrace.
“I am Sela,” the warrior said as she sidestepped away from Jemma.
The deer woman, though, wasn’t the least bit fazed, and she just grinned at the dragonkin woman.
“I am Jemma,” the auburn-haired beauty replied before she gestured to the woman behind her. “And these are my sisters, Brenna, Sarayah, Theora, and Thornen.”
Sela nodded, but she stared at the other deer women uncomfortably, like she was worried they might also try to have some form of physical contact with her.
Two of the other deer women who had rowed ashore took the rowboats back to the ship to help unload the rest of the women. At the same time, the massive gate around our village started to creak open. As soon as there was the smallest sliver of space, a curly brown head slipped through the crack and dashed toward me with an excited scream.
“Daddy!” Marella screeched as she barrelled across the sand, and not too far behind her was her little brother, whose legs were still too short to outpace his sister.
“Hey, kiddo!” I grinned.
My daughter jumped up into my arms, and I caught her up in a tight hug. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me hard.
My two kids were even bigger than before. I’d left behind two children who were barely more than toddlers, but I was now faced with big kids. Marella looked like a ten year old human child, and Arrick looked seven.
I bent down and kissed the top of my son’s forehead.
“You got huge!” I laughed.
“I’m a man now.” Arrick nodded seriously.
“Not quite yet,” I chuckled.
“You found the women with the long, long, long legs,” Marella giggled as she wriggled down from my grip and turned to face Jemma. My daughter gave the auburn-haired deer woman a long look and took in every single inch of her.
“Hi.” Jemma smiled.
“Hello,” Marella responded slowly. “I’ve seen your family in my dreams.”
Jemma’s eyes widened, and she turned to me questioningly.
“Marella can see the future,” I explained.
The auburn-haired woman’s mouth dropped open so far it looked like her jaw might become unhinged.
“Are you some sort of goddess, child?” she gasped.
“No.” Marella shook her head.
“Some of our kind are blessed with the gift of seeing,” Mira explained. “Marella is one of those.”
“My goddess,” Jemma breathed.
“My king!” Nerissa cried out as she came through the gate.
I paused as I saw my queen come toward me. She was as radiant as ever, with her soft mahogany skin and full lips, and she wore a purple wrap dress that hugged her curves in all the right places.
“Nerissa,” I breathed.
Within seconds, we were in each other’s arms. She ran her hands up and down my back, over my shoulders, and along my sides, and it was like the woman needed to feel every inch of me to remind herself I was actually there.
“How was your journey?” she asked when we finally broke apart.
“Better than I could have ever expected.” I grinned. “There’s so much I have to tell you.”
“Sister!” Mira exclaimed from over my shoulder.
Nerissa touched a palm to my cheek and then swept around me to greet Mira.
Dear one, George said in my head.
The massive blue dragon cantered over the sand as he made his way toward me. His mate Nixie did the same, but the pink-scaled dragon headed straight for Mira. Their two dragon children, who were now almost fully grown, made a beeline straight for my kids’ sides.
“George.” I grinned and opened my arms wide.
The dragon barreled straight at me and head butted my stomach with his wet nose. I ran my hands along the bright blue scales of his back and relished in the feel of my dragon once again. As always, George’s dragon hum filled the air, and I closed my eyes as
I listened to the meditative sound. The first time I’d ever heard it, I was sure it was the signal for some sort of impending explosion, but now, it was the exact opposite. The days I’d spent without the dragon hum had been hard. It was like the sound itself was a piece of me, a vibration that every atom of my being needed to be near to recharge off, like a battery.
“What an interesting noise!” Theora exclaimed, and the black haired woman stepped up and examined George with intense curiosity. “I have never heard a creature make such a sound.”
“Trust me, this is no normal creature,” I chuckled.
Sela approached then, with our two daughters Lizzie and Amaria at her side. My two little girls had grown into toddlers while I was away, and they stumbled toward me with the grace of an elephant.
“They’ve gotten so big!” I exclaimed as I pulled them both into my arms and held on tight. The two girls smelled like dirt and soap, an odd combination that I was sure Sela was partly responsible for. I just knew the warrior would throw the girls into the bath every time they got the slightest bit dirty.
“They are troublemakers.” Sela grinned. “But I would not trade them for the world and all its gifts.”
“How are you doing, mama?” I asked the warrior.
“Just as well as I expected,” she replied, and she couldn’t stop smiling. “Mothering your children is the greatest reward.”
“Mama!” Lizzie exclaimed, and Amaria giggled.
“Can you say Dada?” I asked my daughters.
Lizzie just stared back at me with the confused, big eyes of a child who still doesn’t understand language.
“That’s alright,” I chuckled. “You’ll get there eventually.”
A small hand touched my bicep, and I turned to see Talise with a smile on her face. Her thick black hair was plaited into one long braid that fell over her right shoulder and down her side, with beautiful blue and pink seashells interlaced throughout it.
“It is so good to see you, Draco Rex,” the healer sighed. Then she launched herself into my arms, and I held onto her warm body as I basked in the comfort I felt.
“It’s even better to see you,” I chuckled, and I turned my nose and nuzzled her neck gently before I pulled back.
“You brought back guests.” Talise smiled as her eyes roved over the deer women.
The second transport of rowboats arrived then, and Ainsley stepped off cautiously into the sand. Behind her were Brenna and Nima, with the unconscious Netta between them.
“Talise, I need to speak with you about something,” I told her as I beckoned Brenna and Nima to come forward with Netta.
Talise’s eyes went wide as she saw the unconscious woman.
“Oh, my,” the healer breathed.
“Do you think there’s anything you and George could do to help her?” I asked.
Talise bit her pink bottom lip and twisted her hands together as she thought.
“Let me see what I can think of,” she replied.
I will try as well, dear friend, George spoke in my head.
“Thank you.” I nodded to both of them.
“Come, ladies, and I will show you to a room where you can lay her down,” Talise instructed before she led Jemma and Brenna away.
Ainsley came up next to me and watched Netta as the redhead was carted off to a more comfortable place.
“Guys, I would like you all to meet Ainsley,” I announced as I slung my arm over the strawberry blonde’s shoulders. “She is the leader of these beautiful women from the adjacent island.”
“Hi.” The blonde deer-woman looked shyly at the dragonkin women, and she peeked out at them from under her thick black lashes, with one hand over her stomach.
Almost everyone else in the village had joined us at that point, and Careen stepped up to greet Ainsley as Nerissa and Sela did.
“She is with child,” Nerissa observed, and the regal queen looked at Ainsley and waited for an answer.
“Yes.” Ainsley nodded. “Ben has blessed me. How did you know? My tummy isn’t showing yet.”
“Ben is very good at making babies.” Nerissa winked at me and swayed her hips just the tiniest bit.
Ainsley’s eyes went wide at the obvious display of sexual need, since the deer women weren’t quite as open about those kinds of things in the way the dragon women were. My first week on this island, the dragonkin women had all but fought over me and my cock. The deer women, not so much.
“I, um, yes,” Ainsley mumbled and bit her lip.
“Ben, meet your newest daughter.” Careen effortlessly shifted the conversation away from the awkward moment and walked forward to present me with a red, squealing bundle. Her light pink hair had grown out just a little, and the strands swept over her creamy, coffee colored neck as her burgundy scales shimmered in the light of the sun.
“Oh, wow,” I murmured.
I stared down at my second daughter with complete pride. She had pink scales, the same color as Nixie’s, and the brightest orange eyes I’d ever seen in my life. They were almost golden, but too saturated and red for that.
Oshuna looked up at me calmly, and I could have sworn I saw her actually smile.
“She’s perfect,” I told Careen, and my face hurt from grinning so hard. “You did such a good job.”
“A baby!” Jemma squealed. “May I see?”
Without waiting for an answer, as was her usual M.O., the auburn-haired deer woman sprinted forward and peered over the tiny bundle in my arms.
“She’s adorable!”
“Oh, you must be careful,” Careen warned kindly as Jemma took the baby from me. “She is still new to the world, and must be handled gently.”
“Oh, sorry, but I can’t remember the last time I saw a baby,” Jemma breathed as she looked down wondrously at Oshuna. “Ainsley, soon you will have one of your own. I wonder if he or she will have scales like this?”
Jemma’s question went unanswered as Careen took our daughter back, and Nerissa gazed over the crowd of deer women as the last transport arrived from the ship.
A murmur filled the crowd of deer women as they all stared openly at the serpent women. I could tell the newcomers were in awe of the muscular, scaled woman with their brightly colored skin and decorative dragon scales. They were also equally in awe of the four water dragons that had joined us on the beach, but that awe was mixed with fear as they watched the massive creatures.
“I am sure you all must be rather tired,” Nerissa said. “We will give you rooms in the castle, and you may go down to the bathing room to wash up. I have asked our cook, Hali, to prepare a magnificent feast for you tonight, to celebrate the arrival of our newest friends.”
“How did you know we were coming?” Jemma asked with a frown.
“Your daughter knew it was you and the long legged women and had her Auntie set up a feast just before you two came,” Nerissa chuckled. “The girl’s powers grow more and more every day.”
“Speaking of Hali, Ben and I have some food we think she’ll like,” Mira said with a smile. “I will go and get it.”
The jade-haired warrior set out for the orc ship again, and every single deer woman watched her go. Then they turned back to stare at me, and I guessed they waited for me to affirm Nerissa’s statements.
“It’s alright,” I told them. “You can all head up to the castle, and I’ll see you for dinner. You ladies are in for a real treat. Hali is a fantastic cook!”
On my signal, the deer women nodded and followed Talise and Careen back to the castle. I took up the rear of the crowd, and Nerissa dropped back to walk next to me.
“These women seem fearful,” she noted. “Have I done something to upset them?”
“Not at all,” I assured her, and I slipped my hand into hers and squeezed gently. “They’re just a bit more fearful of things than you guys are.”
“Fearful?” Nerissa quirked an eyebrow. “You mean they do not fight?”
“They do now.” I grinned. “But not before. They just have
a different way of going about their lives. Where you guys may attack, they’ll try to hide, if they can.”
“Interesting,” she mused. “I cannot imagine that. But, then again, I am sure they cannot imagine living life the way we do. This blending of cultures will be interesting to see.”
“Just be glad they eat meat now,” I laughed. “When Mira and I first met them, they were horrified at the idea of eating a dead animal.”
“I suppose the two of you knocked that fear right out of them?” Nerissa smirked and arched an eyebrow at me.
“You bet your ass we did,” I laughed. “Your sister was about to have a mental breakdown when she found that out.”
“There are two things my sister could not live without,” Nerissa chuckled. “You, and meat.”
The moment we arrived back at the castle, I slipped into the wash room behind my bedroom for the first real bath I’d had in ages. The deer women were with Mira as they settled into the back part of the castle. There were a few extra rooms that hadn’t been in use since long before the orcs invaded, and for now, that was where they would stay. Soon, though, I’d get to work with the new lumber we’d harvested from their island, and I would begin to build houses for them to live more comfortably.
The moment I saw my enormous bathtub, a groan of absolute pleasure rumbled through my chest. I’d spent the last few weeks bathing in creeks and streams, or sometimes in little wooden tubs with water heated over the fires in the village. But an actual bath, with warm water and real soap, was the closest thing to heaven I’d ever seen in my life.
I yanked off my white clothes, which were now ragged and dirty from our long journey on the ship, and then I jumped straight into the stone tub.
The water was silken and warm, and it smelled of sweet oils and coconut soap. I pulled my entire body under, head and all, and stayed like that for as long as my lungs would allow.
When I came back up, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called out as I walked through the water to the edge of the tub, where soap and shaving supplies had been laid out for me.