“Met a man on the way to Vinrar, you say?” he asked as he studied the vials curiously.
“He was quite drunk seeming.” Asta nodded.
“His armor,” Ramir said in a strange tone, “did it have a dragon on it?”
“How did you know that?” My eyes narrowed on the old man.
“You met Jarec,” he sighed.
“You know that man?” Kas gasped. “Why didn’t you tell us about him before?”
“I didn’t think he had anything to do with this,” Ramir explained. “He was banished long ago.”
“He said he tried to fulfill the prophecy before I did,” I told him.
“I wouldn’t doubt that.” The old man nodded sadly. “Jarec was on the council, and Odin held him in very high regard before the incident. He tried to convince Odin to talk some sense into the people of Asgard, but the citizens were out for blood, and Odin refused. He banished the dragons instead, and Jarec tried to stop him.”
“That’s what he said, too.” Kas frowned. “It’s so sad Odin would do that, especially to someone he was close with.”
“Being a ruler is no easy task,” Ramir said, and he reached out and touched Kas’ arm gently. “And the Allfather sees all. He had his reasons.”
“I still don’t think it’s right,” Kas muttered.
“It’s not.” Ramir smiled sympathetically. “But many things aren’t. Did Jarec say anything else to you?”
“Not much.” I shook my head. “I told him I would come back for him.”
“I hope you’re able to,” Ramir sighed. “He doesn’t deserve such a fate.”
“Do you know about the three wells he spoke of?” I asked.
“Of course.” The old man smiled. “You do, too. You’ve already seen one of them, after all.”
“I have?” My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
“Well, you met Nidhug, right?” Ramir asked.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Then I presume you met him at his well in Niflheim,” the old man said.
“There was a well there.” My eyes widened as realization dawned on me. “So, we already know where one is.”
“Yes,” Ramir agreed. “The tale goes that Yggdrasil's roots extended into three of the nine realms where the wells were. One led to Niflheim, and the well Hvergelmir, where Nidhug resides. You’ve been to that one.”
“Right.” Kas nodded eagerly.
“Another led to Jotunheim, and the well Mimisbrunnr,” he continued.
“That’s the well Odin sacrificed his eye to,” Kas said. “It’s the well of knowledge.”
“Right, my dear.” Ramir smiled at his daughter. “And the last root led to Asgard and Urdarbrunnr, the well of the fates.”
“There’s a well right here in Asgard?” I asked.
“Technically, it’s at the base of the tree of life,” Ramir said with a wave of his hand, “but it can be accessed from here, so yes, we’ll say it’s here.”
“I thought you said the roots led to different realms.” Asta frowned.
“They do,” Ramir agreed. “But the wells are technically under Yggdrasil. However, they can be accessed through these realms, and that will be the easiest way for you to get to them.”
“So, we need to go to Jotunheim,” I said.
“And find the well that’s here,” Kas added.
“And find Nidhug’s well again.” Asta bit her lip. “That’s a lot of searching.”
“Maybe not so much,” Ramir said. “I know how to get to the well here in Asgard.”
“You do?” Kas’ eyes widened as she leaned toward her father.
“How did we not know about this before?” I asked.
“It’s hidden below the castle,” he replied. “You’ll have to go below the dungeon to get to it.”
“That means we’ll have to sneak into the castle again,” Asta sighed and wrung her hands. “We do a lot of sneaking, don’t we?”
“I think that comes with the territory.” Ramir winked at the elf girl.
“You would think Odin would want to fix this,” Kas muttered and crossed her arms. “It’s partially his fault anyway.”
“Fault is in the eye of the beholder, my darling,” Ramir told his daughter. “Fate is unavoidable.”
Kas pursed her lips, but she nodded her understanding. If Odin hadn’t made that decision, then we wouldn’t be where we were right now, and I rather liked where we were at. I had two beautiful women soul bonded with me, three tiny dragons that loved me, and the tools I needed to keep all dragons from being enslaved ever again. Things were beginning to look up.
“Is it safe to return to the castle so soon?” Asta asked. “We were just there not too long ago.”
“Good point,” I agreed. “We can get the other vials filled first.
“We should probably wait to fill the one in Niflheim,” Kas suggested. “We have to return the vials to Nidhug anyway, right?”
“Right.” I nodded. “It appears we’re going to Jotunheim, then.”
“That will give us more time to train Blar with the portal making,” Kas said, and her violet eyes sparkled with excitement.
“We might be able to portal right to the well under the castle,” Asta added.
“We’ll have to find it, though.” I frowned.
“We can enchant a map,” Kas said as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
“Good idea, daughter.” Ramir snapped his fingers. “I can help. We’ll enchant it to show you where the wells are.”
“That would be very helpful,” I told him.
“I do what I can.” The old man smiled at me.
“We don’t need any more tailfeathers, do we?” I smirked.
“Not this time,” he chuckled.
Ramir led us back to his study, and he took the map Kas had and laid it on the table. Then the old man looked at the map she’d previously enchanted to show us where the portals were in the countryside.
“This shouldn’t be too difficult,” he commented. “The map is already enchanted to show hidden things. We’ll simply add to the enchantment.”
“How do we do that?” Asta asked as she leaned forward with wide, curious eyes.
“I’m glad you asked, dear,” Ramir said. “Because I could use your help.”
“Mine?” Asta grinned from ear-to-ear.
“We are looking for wells,” he explained. “Some of your rain casting to bring water to the spell would make it that much stronger.”
“Of course,” Asta agreed. “Just tell me what to do.”
“Come over here,” Ramir instructed.
The old man pulled out a compass and placed it on the map, and then he grabbed Kas’ hand and held out his other hand to Asta. The elf girl took his hand, and the one Kas offered her as well, so they formed a triangle around the map.
Blar landed on my right shoulder in order to get a better view, and Inger landed on my left one a second later. Then there was a strange scratching sensation on my leg, and I looked down to see Uffe climbing his way up me to try and get a view as well.
I shook my head and leaned down to grab the small red dragon, and I held him in my arms as Blar and Inger settled onto my shoulders. I could feel their tails drape down my back, and the coolness of their scales felt good against the exposed skin on my neck.
Kas and Ramir began reciting something they’d clearly practiced before, and the compass on the table stood up on its own and started to move across the map. After a moment of that, Ramir nodded to Asta, and the nature sorceress cast rain over the map. The water dissolved as soon as it hit the paper and stained it with new markings where it should have been wet.
The map changed from the countryside to a new place, to Asgard, to another new place. I wasn’t sure if this would help Blar travel to these places, but it couldn’t hurt. If he was able to envision where we were headed, it would definitely help.
Finally, Kas and Ramir’s whispering stopped, and the compass laid itself back down again.
“All done,” the old sorcerer said.
“Thank you, Ramir,” I told him with a smile. “I really appreciate it. All of you.”
“Of course.” Kas grinned.
“I was happy to help.” Asta’s yellow eyes crinkled as she smiled sweetly.
“How do we use it?” I asked.
“Kas, would you care to demonstrate?” Ramir gestured to the parchment with a flourish.
“Sure.” The strawberry-blonde stepped up to the map, held out her hand, closed her eyes, and muttered something to herself. Then she slid her hand across the paper, and it changed to a different place altogether.
“Wow,” Asta breathed. “Impressive.”
“This is Jotunheim,” Kas explained. “We’ll just need to speak where we’re going, then wipe our hand across the map to change it. As you can see, the well is over here.”
I looked on the map and saw the well in the far corner. It appeared to be nestled in the mountains somewhere, and I wondered how easy it would be to find even with the map. The realms we were traveling to were quite large, so I’d have to work with Blar to try and get his traveling abilities even more precise. The amulet had helped a lot, and he was a quick study, so I had no doubt he would be able to pick it up easily.
After Ramir helped the girls enchant the map, it was time for us to head back home for the evening. It was already dark out, and the streets were mostly dark except for the market, which was open late. There were lanterns up to light the way as we passed through, and I could smell the food and mead the vendors were selling. It made my mouth water, and the first thing I was going to do when we got home was pour myself a cup of mead to quench the thirst that had overcome me.
We had a lot to celebrate, after all. We hadn’t fulfilled the prophecy yet, but we were one step closer, and that felt like a win.
By the time we arrived back home a few hours later, everyone was quiet and seemed tired, so I started a fire and gathered some vegetables and meat to make our dinner.
Blar yawned and stretched before laying down by my feet so he was close to the flames. Inger joined him a moment later, and Uffe curled up on the other side of me.
Kas and Asta took their usual seats across the fire, and once I had dinner on the flames, I went inside and got us each a pint of mead.
“Cheers,” I told them as I handed them the glasses.
“Cheers.” Kas smiled and clinked her glass to mine.
“Yes, cheers.” Asta grinned and did the same.
I took a long pull of my mead and savored the warmth of it inside my belly before setting it on the ground next to me.
Blar walked over and curiously sniffed at the glass.
“Blar,” I chastised playfully, and the little dragon looked away as if he hadn’t been about to take a drink.
“Perhaps when you’re larger,” Asta encouraged.
“Can dragons have mead?” Kas’ eyebrows pulled together with confusion.
“I don’t know,” I chuckled. “But even if they can, I think they should be more than a month old before they do.”
“That seems fair,” Asta giggled.
Blar glared at me, spun around, and laid back down next to Inger.
I smiled at his attitude before I picked up my glass and took another swig. It wasn’t much longer until dinner was ready, and then I dished up everyone’s plates.
I set the dragons’ plates on the ground in front of them, and they eagerly lined up to eat.
Everyone was quiet as they enjoyed their food, and I relished in the small sounds of their eating. I always felt that was the best way to tell if food was good. A flavorful meal typically caused everyone to be quiet while they ate since they wanted to enjoy the food, so talking was put on the back burner. However, if the meal wasn’t very good, then the conversation would usually continue.
Judging by everyone’s silence, I figured the meal was quite tasty.
I smiled to myself as I finished eating, and I took another drink of my mead. It was about time for a refill, so I headed inside to fill up my glass.
While I was in there, I noticed the room was quite messy, so I took the opportunity to tidy up some. I put all our armor neatly in the corner, and then I lit the fire and filled up the tub so I could throw our garments in to soak and get clean.
I also put away the cookware and straightened up the bed. I hadn’t realized how messy things had gotten, but we’d been busy the past few days, so it made sense the room would get neglected. Besides, we spent a lot of time outside, so it wasn’t usually an issue.
The door creaked open behind me, and I turned around to see Kas standing in the doorway.
“Hey,” the strawberry-blonde said. “What are you doing in here?”
“I came to get mead, but then I started to tidy up,” I chuckled. “I’m sorry. I’ll come back out right now.”
“No, that’s okay.” Kas bit her lip and looked back outside before turning back to me. “Asta and the dragons are asleep.”
“All of them?” I asked.
“Yeah.” The sorceress nodded. “Asta laid down by the fire, and Blar and Inger curled up next to her. Uffe is on the other side nestled up by your boots.”
I smiled at the thought of the little dragon sleeping by my shoes. He was so independent compared to Blar and Inger. The two of them had been virtually inseparable since Inger and Uffe had hatched, which was ironic, too, considering Inger and Uffe were literal twins. The two of them couldn’t be more opposite.
Blar and Inger were quite similar, though, and they got along well. I wouldn’t be surprised if they grew to love each other one day.
I thought about how interesting their children would look, and if they would even be able to breed at all. Could dragons of different subspecies breed? They clearly weren’t the same type of dragon, but Aesir could produce offspring with other subspecies, so maybe dragons could, too.
“Should we bring them a blanket?” I asked.
“I threw some more wood on the fire,” Kas told me. “I think they’ll be alright.”
“Okay.” I nodded and gestured to her empty glass. “More mead?”
“Yes, please,” the strawberry-blonde said, and she passed me her cup.
I filled both our glasses and took a drink before I handed Kas’ glass back to her. The sweet ale was smooth as it went down, and I savored the taste as I watched Kas wander over to the bed and take a seat.
The moonlight shone in through the window and illuminated Kas beautifully. Her mane of curls was like a halo around her head, and her pale skin glowed with the starlight. Her soft pink lips wrapped around the edge of her glass to take a drink, and I couldn’t help but watch them as they did.
She was absolutely beautiful, and the sight of her was enough to make my stomach flutter with anticipation.
“You weren’t tired?” I asked her.
“Not really.” She smiled up at me. “It’s been a long day, but I can’t stop thinking about everything.”
“I know what you mean,” I told her, and I walked over to sit down next to her on the bed.
Kas looked up at me through her light eyelashes, and her violet eyes shimmered in the moonlight. I could see the desire in them, and I realized she wanted me just as bad as I wanted her.
And it was time for me to take her.
Chapter 9
I reached out and touched her cheek lightly, and Kas closed her eyes and leaned into my touch as she let out a low sigh.
“I love to feel your hands on me,” she whispered.
“I love to put my hands on you.” I smiled.
“Then do it.” Kas licked her lips and leaned toward me.
I placed my other hand on her arm and stroked up to her neck. Her skin was soft and smooth, and she shivered under my touch.
“Rath,” she gasped. “You make me feel so good.”
I pushed my hands into Kas’ hair, and I pulled her to me. Then I held her face an inch away from mine so I could feel her breaths on my lips. She
began to pant with desire, and I waited until she started to wiggle with anticipation before I slowly leaned down and placed my lips gently on hers.
Kas immediately sighed and collapsed into my arms. Her body pressed against mine, and I felt the warmth of her and the curves of her body.
My hands had a mind of their own as they traced her curves and made their way down to her arse. I grabbed a handful of it and pulled her closer to me.
“You’re so sexy,” I whispered into her ear.
Kas gasped as I nibbled on her ear and then worked my way down to her neck and collarbone. She undid my braid, and her hands snaked their way into my hair so she could hold my mouth against her skin.
She arched her back and thrust her chest up to me, so I kissed down to her full cleavage as I worked my hands up to the top of her tunic. I pulled on her tunic to reveal her ample breasts, and her small pink nipples were hard and waiting for me as her pale skin was lit up by the moonlight.
“Rath,” Kas moaned. “I need you.”
“Patience.” I kissed my way down to her breasts and cupped them in my hands before I pulled her nipples between my fingers and gave them a little squeeze.
Kas trembled beneath me as her body responded to my touch, and I savored her reaction and pinched them even harder. She moaned louder and arched her back with pleasure, and her curls bounced as she shook her head from side to side with impatience.
I could sense she wanted me to speed up, for me to be inside of her, but I wasn’t going to give in that easily. I wanted her to beg for me, to desire me in such a way that it was all she knew in that moment.
“Rath, please,” she panted. “I need you.”
“It’s so sexy when you say that,” I growled.
I laid Kas down on the bed then, and I continued to kiss her neck and chest as I slowly slid my hand up her thigh toward her sex. She writhed beneath me and tried to push her hips up to meet my hand, but I made sure to keep my pace slow as I teased her.
Then her legs fell open to give me access to her sweet womanhood, and I slowly crept my fingers up to her soaking wet lips.
She was slick with excitement as I stroked her, and her knees trembled with pleasure as she gripped my hair hard and clenched her teeth. Her breath was heavy, and I continued to stroke her slowly as I drove her to the edge and then pulled back again to extend her pleasure.
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