by Logan Jacobs
“You really are incredible, Great One,” Mahini said as the crowd dispersed around us. “How is it that you know everything about everyone?”
“I told you before, I’m a god,” I laughed as I created another save point. I’d finally gotten through the crowd and solved all their problems, and I didn’t want to go through it all again if I messed up something moving forward.
“Does that mean you can read our minds?” she asked as she tilted her head. “Or are we truly so easy to read?”
“It’s not reading minds, exactly, but I can quickly learn whatever I need to know about a person just by looking at them.” It was the easiest way I could explain my powers without actually explaining my powers. “It’s all part of being a god.”
“You truly are on a higher plane than the rest of us,” the desert goddess said in an awed tone.
“I apologize for the interruption, O Great One.” A small yet excited voice cut through the air. “Elrin has sent me to fetch you.”
“Oh, is it dinner time already?” I blinked and looked down at the young boy standing before me. He couldn’t have been more than eight, and from the way he was bouncing on his feet, he was clearly very eager to have been given the task of fetching the God of Time.
He gave me a boyish grin when I finally gave him my attention, and he pointed at one of the larger houses just beyond the town center. “That’s Elrin’s house, there.”
“I’ll head on over, then. Mahini, are you okay to leave me for a bit?” Even though I’d repeated parts of this day a few hundred times, it still felt like I had only just left the inn with Mahini. It was disappointing that it was already time to part ways, but I knew we’d be spending a lot more time together in the future.
“Yes, I’m fine, and I hope you enjoy your meal, Great One,” Mahini said as she gave me a formal bow. The pain of her loss was nowhere to be seen. “We shall speak more tomorrow if you would like.”
“I would definitely like,” I replied with a quick nod. Even with the ability to turn back time, there didn’t seem to be enough of it when it came to a pretty girl. “Want to meet at Jaxtom’s first thing in the morning?”
“I will be there.” She smiled.
It was impossible not to stare at her tight ass as she sauntered away from me. I wondered what kind of skin covered those swaying hips, and the young boy had to clear his throat twice before I managed to tear my eyes away.
“Lead the way, pipsqueak,” I teased as I ruffled his hair at the cheeky little grin he gave me.
He gave me another boyish grin and trotted off in the direction of the leader’s house. I glanced back over my shoulder after Mahini, but she had already disappeared, so I took off after the kid.
Elrin’s house was made of the same kind of wood that the inn was made of, probably from the firs that decorated the mountain a stone’s throw away. It was easily the largest house in the town, but it wasn’t adorned with any kind of fancy banners or bannisters that would tell everyone in a mile-radius that the person who lived there had money coming out the ears. It was humble, if large, and was probably a safehouse when the town was attacked by kobolds and vagabonds.
The inside was not at all what I had been expecting. The leader of a town like this should have had extravagant paintings all around and statues worth more than life itself. But the whole place seemed strangely empty, as if it had been looted by raiders in days past. There was no way the fighting could have gotten this far, so the lack of adornment was just unsettling.
That didn’t mean that it was actually void of decoration. There was a vibrant red rug underfoot that was lined with gold thread, and fragrant flowers sat all around the entryway in very simple vases of varying sizes. Thick red curtains framed each window with gold tassels holding them back to let the fading sunlight in. The air was filled with the scent of roasted meat of some kind and of the outdoors even though none of the windows were open.
The boy led me to a long dining room that could have seated about half of the town’s population, now that it had been diminished by raids. Elrin probably hosted meals every once in a while to keep the town’s morale up or just because he felt like it.
The man himself was sitting alone at the far end of the table, and he rose to his feet when I entered with the boy. “There you are, Great One--sorry, I mean, Sebastian. You did well, Dalwin. Marnie has your supper waiting for you.”
The boy bowed to the two of us before scampering back out of the room.
Elrin beckoned me closer and gestured at the chair to his right, and I looked around the room as I made my way to his side.
Like the foyer, the dining room was decked out in red and gold. The curtains framing the windows were also drawn back, and the gold trimming the big-ass rug running the length of the table seemed to sparkle when it caught the light filling the room. Only three places were set at the far end by Elrin, and the dishware was crude at best. I had higher quality stuff in my apartment back home, and I used paper plates.
“I apologize for the dishes, Great One. We are under a lot of stress these days. Please, have a seat. Elissa will join us in a moment.” Elrin rolled his eyes as he sat back down. “She does love to make a dramatic entrance.”
“A beautiful woman always should,” I commented as I took my own seat,
“Oh?” his arched eyebrow warned me I was toeing the line.
“Well…” I gave him a wide smile. “Doesn’t she want to make a good impression on a guest of such high standing. I am a god after all.”
“Ahh, yes, I suppose you are correct, Great One.” Elrin grinned.
I took a deep breath and created a new save point as we sat waiting for Elissa. If the initial conversation with Mahini was anything to go by, I was going to need a few attempts at the conversation between the mayor and his super-hot daughter.
“I’m surprised your home is so… sparse,” I admitted as I looked around the dining hall. The only decorations were the rug and the curtains, and only the table and chairs for furniture. “I was expecting statues and fancy trimmed hedges and stuff.”
“Yes, well.” Elrin sighed deeply and scratched at his beard. “There are still expenses when running a town of this size, and with the mine no longer functioning…”
“Kobolds are in the mine, too?” I asked.
Elrin shook his head. “Goblins. The kobolds are just a minor inconvenience by comparison.”
“Uhhh… Minor?” I asked. “There were twenty of them.”
“Yes,” he sighed. “We have many hardships here, Sebastian.”
Now I knew why the town wasn’t doing so great.
The doors opened before I could reply, and standing there was the little goddess Elissa. She had changed out of the simple yellow dress she had been wearing earlier and now wore a deep emerald number that really accentuated her fiery hair. The color matched her eyes as if someone had taken an eyedropper to them and used a fill bucket on the fabric. The dress itself was elegant but form-fitting, and it left no room for the imagination as to what laid beneath.
It was still so easy to fantasize.
Elissa crossed the room with a deliberate sway to her hips, like she was on the catwalk in some kind of fashion show. She definitely had the looks to fit right in, and her height might have been an issue for some guys, but I definitely wouldn’t mind tucking her under my arm.
My thoughts must have been scrolling across my face like a marquee because Elissa let out a giggle and gave me a seductive little grin.
“Good evening, Sebastian,” Elissa greeted with a perfect curtsey. “I hope I am dressed to your liking.”
I caught the stiffening of Elrin’s expression from the corner of my eye and made sure my smile was my friendly one rather than my flirty one. “It is a lovely dress, and it suits you perfectly.”
It was a nice tame response, and even though Elissa’s smile dropped a little bit, Elrin’s wrinkles smoothed out a bit.
I thought about restarting the conversation, but then I figured that
I’d just keep rolling with this and see how it went.
“Bring in the first course!” Elrin barked out as soon as Elissa had taken her seat.
He clapped his hands, and three men appeared from a side door I hadn’t noticed before. I wondered if servants were part of the expenses of running a town or if that was just one luxury he couldn’t afford to go without. The aroma of food beneath the covered trays hit my nose before the men had even reached the table. It was roasted garlic that I could almost taste, and my stomach gave an appreciative growl. This would be my first meal since breakfast back in my own world, and that had felt like a million years ago at this point.
The three men made a big show of presenting the meal in synchronicity. The guy serving me slid the bowl down with flair, and even tied my napkin around my neck for me. The scent of garlic intensified as a creamy soup was displayed beneath the lid.
I had no idea how many courses there were, but if they smelled as delicious as this first one, I couldn’t wait for the rest.
The “getting to know you” portion of a meal like this was bound to be an exercise in mental acrobatics. I had a feeling I couldn’t go into too much detail about my own world since I doubted anyone would believe a word I would say. It was easy enough to keep things vague, and I could probably pull off selective-amnesia if I had to in other places, but I really just wanted to enjoy the promising meal in peace.
Thankfully, Elrin didn’t seem too interested in my past or how I was summoned into the catacombs.
“You easily destroyed the horde of kobolds, but I imagine you didn’t save us out of the goodness of your own heart,” the town leader said in a low voice.
Ouch, man. Did I really come across as a cutthroat?
“Daddy!” Elissa snapped. “Sebastian is the God of Time! He couldn’t possibly be such a selfish person!”
Well, well, well, somebody thought very highly of me, didn’t she?
“Your daughter is right, sir,” I agreed. “I can see actions speak louder than words with you, so I will just have to prove myself.”
I hid my grin behind my spoon as Elrin narrowed his eyes. I had him like a fish on a hook.
“And how will you do that?” he challenged.
“This town doesn’t seem like it’s in a good state.” I gestured to the windows. “I’ve seen more boarded up houses than I can count. Your town won’t survive another kobold raid. Or the goblins, if they decide to leave the mine.”
“That’s not quite true, Great One,” the mayor said as he set his spoon down and folded his hands in his lap.
“Oh? It isn’t? Don’t lie to me, mortal.” My eyes met the other man’s, and I held his gaze in silence for a moment.
The only sound was Elissa’s spoon dipping into her bowl now and again. Elrin seemed to have forgotten about his own meal, and I was too busy trying to stare him down to take another sip of mine. The young woman seemed to be enjoying our back and forth, if the smile on her face was anything to go by.
“You’re right,” Elrin finally sighed, and he seemed to collapse in on himself. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did, Addington would have been destroyed, and we all would have been killed. You saved all of us, and I am very grateful.”
Elissa put down her spoon and placed her hand over her father’s. The man squeezed her fingers, and he seemed to inflate a bit. Elissa turned to me with her seductive eyes and seemed to be urging me to say something.
“I can help, you know,” I said as I took another spoonful of the delicious soup. “I would need supplies, of course, but I’ve already got Mahini on my side, so it wouldn’t be too difficult to take out the goblins that are holding your mine hostage.”
“Whatever you need, Sebastian,” Elrin replied eagerly. “If you can save this town, I will be eternally grateful.”
I narrowed my eyes. That was far too easy. Where were the questions about what kinds of supplies I might need? Or the suspicion about how quickly I had gotten Mahini to join my quest? Elrin had agreed to my terms far too quickly.
I could do better than that.
Chime.
I respawned and got to enjoy Elissa’s entrance for a second time. The dress really clung to her every curve, and the fabric bunched just above her swaying hips. She was definitely reveling in the way I watched her, and I had to tear my eyes away before Elrin’s head exploded.
“The dress suits you, Elissa,” I said before she could even ask. “It really brings out your eyes.”
The young woman brightened under the compliment, but a vein started throbbing in Elrin’s temple.
“Bring in the first course!” Elrin barked and clapped his hands.
I was expecting the delicious scent of the garlicky soup this time and didn’t even react as it was placed smoothly in front of me.
Elrin and Elissa had their back and forth over where my morals laid, and when I called the man out on it as I had done before, he deflated and seemed to lose all of the fight he had left.
“I can help, of course,” I said in a lofty tone. I pretended to study my soup when his eyes flicked to me. “But I’m not sure you will like what I will ask for.”
“So you did only save us because you wanted something,” Elrin growled.
I held up my hands. “I went after the kobolds because I couldn’t bear to see a town, any town, go up in flames. That is the truth, and you can choose to believe me or not. I don’t care.”
I paused to devour a few spoonfuls of the soup and to let Elrin sit there and wonder what I might say next. It was all about building the anticipation.
“Now that I’ve seen how desolate this place is, I know that I can turn things around,” I eventually continued. The man seemed to relax a bit as I spoke, but I could see he wasn’t letting his guard down completely. “But it won’t be an easy task. You obviously know this.”
“What is it you want?” Elrin barked, and clearly the tension was too much for him to bear.
I smiled and shifted my gaze from the leader to his beautiful daughter, and Elissa caught on to what I was asking for almost immediately. Her jaw dropped slightly, she let out a light gasp, and her freckles disappeared behind an adorable blush.
“Absolutely not!” Elrin roared as he shot to his feet and slammed his hands on the table. His unused fork went flying across the room and clattered to the floor. “You may be the God of Time, Sebastian, but you are asking too much!”
“Aww, but that would have been the perfect gift!” I said with a little pout. I got a laugh from Elissa, but her father’s face was redder than his daughter’s hair.
Yeah, I should have known that particular demand would have been met with the Tazmanian Devil in human form.
Chime.
I respawned once again, drank in Elissa’s elegant entrance, and drained the bowl of soup that was set before me in a matter of minutes. The reloads returned my stomach to its former state, but I could still remember the taste of garlic each time. All it did was whet my palate, and I really wanted to finish the first course at least once.
“I want to help your town,” I said as I put my spoon down, “but I need to know as much about the situation as possible.”
That one line opened up a whole dialogue about the town that was certainly enlightening, but was probably way too much information. Elrin began by telling me how the town came to be, and how he had convinced the Duke of Bullard to allow him to start a copper mine. Apparently the town had been here for a little over three years, and the mine was their biggest livelihood.
“We could probably deal with the goblins on our own if we weren’t also dealing with raids from every other creature known to man,” Elrin finished and placed his forehead in his hands. “The duke’s son, Lucian, will be here with an army in a few days to help us take care of the problem.”
“Oh, yes,” Elissa said in a withering tone as she rolled her eyes. “The problem.”
I looked back and forth between the leader and his daughter as they glared at one another. I had definitel
y missed something vital.
“What’s wrong?” I asked Elissa, and I reached my hand across the table to touch her smooth wrist. “Do you not want this guy to come and save the town?”
Elissa laughed, but it was ice-cold and made me jerk my hand away from her. Tears filled her eyes, but they never rolled down her porcelain cheeks. “Why don’t you tell him, father, what the duke’s son is asking for in exchange for his army?”
Elrin couldn’t look either one of us in the eye as he spoke. “I promised the duke’s son Elissa’s hand in marriage if he freed our mine from the goblins.”
The fiery redhead shot up from the table and stormed out of the room without even saying goodbye.
Holy shit. This just got even more complicated.
There were so many layers to saving this town. The goblins in the mine, the raids, and the failed economy. The duke’s son and his army could probably handle all three problems, but it came at the expense of Elissa’s happiness. How could Elrin be willing to sacrifice his own daughter for the sake of his town?
What if there was a way for him to have both? Elissa didn’t seem too happy with the duke’s son, but from every behavior I had seen so far, she didn’t seem to mind being next to me.
I could throw my name into the hat and give Elrin both the town and his daughter’s happiness.
Chime.
“I can help, you know,” I said after Elrin admitted to the state of things. “I require just a few small favors.”
“And what might they be?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. At least he hadn’t flat out said yes this time.
I leaned forward in my chair and lifted one finger. “Mahini, the mercenary, has decided to join me. We will need the best gear that Jaxtom can make for us. I have no money, and I’m not about to ask her to pony up any cash for a task that isn’t even hers.”
Elrin thought for a moment before nodding his head. “I can arrange that. What else?”
“Do you have any maps of this area? And one of the mine?” I bit back a sigh of relief when Elrin nodded. At least I would be able to get some sense of the tunnels unlike in the catacombs. “I need to see the maps and speak to any scouts you have sent to keep tabs on the goblins. I can’t come up with a defensible plan unless I know what I have to work with.”