Locum Tenens 18

~~~ Chapter Notes ~~~

Rilla had a close call and Loki did his best to help restore her peace-of-mind.

~~~ Furgrim's Kingdom ~~~

Rilla woke me up with a blowjob - and wouldn't let me up until she'd gotten me to nut in her - riding me slowly as she continuously told me how much she loved me, Kira, and the girls.

I finally got Kira to talk to her. The two of them sent mental messages back and forth for a bit and then Rilla came over and squeezed my shoulders and kissed my cheek.

"Better?" I asked.

"My sister-wife told me to get my shit together and keep my eyes open for more attacks. She said to quit focusing on past failures and future worries. She told me to make sure I get you safely back home so we can fuck the hell out of you together."

"I can live with that ...," I told her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, squeezed her pert derrière, and kissed her lips.

We ate, topped off the fluids, packed up our shit, and hit the road.

We got back to the palace around mid-morning. I updated Furgrim on how things went with the goblins and then showed him the bodies of the assassins (or whatever they were). He said that they'd had some people taken along his northeast border but that they'd never had something like this happen in the middle of his kingdom. He worried that Zuun was trying to test me - possibly because I was the All-Father's champion. He warned me to keep an eye out for Zuun's chosen warrior.

We bid Furgrim a fond farewell and portaled back to the dragon's cave. We got her caught up on our adventures (minus the sex) and showed her the bodies of the assassins. The great mother suggested that I continue to practice the skill that I had started using at Furgrim's palace - to look through the eyes of my spirit-bird at the same time I looked through my normal ones. She believed that - despite my enhanced stealth capabilities - that I would not be able to detect Zuun's champion until he was already on me. She stated that she believed that my spy-bird would be able to see him.

The dragon matron agreed with Furgrim that the appearance of the assassins - on the path that Rilla and I had taken already - and would likely follow in order to return - seemed to indicate that I was being hunted.

We had chatted for several minutes when she sniffed the air and then told me to go hunting for something for her to eat. She said that she'd keep Rilla with her to chat. She told Rilla to sit next to her chest and lie back and relax.

My auburn-headed wife finally looked at peace - for the first time since the attack at the pit. I nodded my thanks to the dragon and headed towards the mouth of the cave. She called after me to practice using the spy-bird as I walked. She told me that venison sounded really good. She suggested that she sensed some to the east.

I brought the spy-bird out as a finch - flying five feet off of the ground in front of me. I really had to focus to keep from tripping on stuff on the ground while I was trying to see through the bird's eyes as well. I walked for probably a half-mile before I realized that it would be easier to find the deer if I was flying higher. I switched the finch to a raven and flew a couple hundred feet in the air - searching down through the trees - looking for deer that had bedded down until dusk.

I'd traveled another half-mile before I caught a glimpse of something moving behind me - and it wasn't a deer. It was an invisible foe. I turned back to look with my human eyes and couldn't see them. My spirit-bird's eyes could make them out, however, and they were definitely stalking me.

It occurred to me that the dragon had sensed the other warrior and had figured out how to keep Rilla out of harm's way - leaving me to fight this guy (or girl) one-on-one.

I decided to pretend like I didn't know he/she was there - and continued to act as if I were just hunting the dragon's dinner - all while trying to find the perfect spot to face my foe.

I finally arrived at a meadow that would leave little to hide behind. My logic was that I was a toe-to-toe fighter - and this guy/gal was stealth, using cover, and backstabbing. If I got them into the open, we should be more evenly matched.

I moved to the center, turned, and faced where I knew they were. I watched through the spirit-bird's eyes as they stood, watching me. Finally, they appeared to my human eyes.

"Well met," the wire-thin man said.

His voice was nasally and whiny-sounding. He was shirtless - wearing only pants that ended at his calves. His feet were bare as well. His skin had a gray hue to it. There was little about the man that I cared for - his appearance, his attitude, his voice, ...

I guess me - not responding - must have pissed him off. He scowled, threw two throwing knives at me, and vanished. The spirit-bird couldn't see him - which meant that he had teleported. I teleported closer to where he had stood. I couldn't quite reach the spot - which meant that my teleportation range was less than his - but I got close. I immediately spun to see where he appeared.

He showed up at a point that would have been on my left. He threw two more knives as he reappeared - but I was no longer where he'd aimed. He found me quickly, corrected, and threw two more knives. He immediately disappeared again.

My cool-down timer was still counting towards reset - so I couldn't teleport again. I waited to see where he showed up this time. He appeared two feet from where he had just been - looking back to where he thought I would show up. He shifted to his left when he saw me waiting - obviously trying to figure out if I had saved my teleport - or if I was on cooldown. I didn't wave my hands at him or anything but sent a spear of magical damage at his chest.

The sneering assassin with grey skin disappeared. Immediately, I felt a sharp pain in my back - spearing through my heart - and erupting from my chest. The blade retracted and he jumped away to watch me die. I healed the damage and sent it his way. He shrieked in pain, pulled out some talisman, and rubbed it between his fingers, chanting. The wound sealed shut - leaving a scar on his bare chest.

He disappeared again and I shifted forward and left. He reappeared, spotted me, disappeared, and stabbed me in the back again - leaving his blade inside this time. He reappeared in front of me and studied me. I needed the blade gone in order to heal. I could heal it where it was - sealing it within - but it was tainted or cursed or something - so I needed it out. I couldn't reach it. It was just beyond my grasp. The longer I struggled, the wider he grinned.

"Having troubles, friend?" he sneered.

I looked through the eyes of the raven, high above, seeing the assassin standing there - watching me.

I suddenly remembered that I had been able to get the bird to manipulate and move the pen. Leaving my human form as it was, I swooped down to my back, locked my beak around the handle of the blade, pressed my clawed feet against my back, and wrenched the tainted dagger from between my shoulder blades.

As soon as it was free, I healed the injury and sent his attack back at him.

He hissed and writhed and grabbed for his talisman again. I sent a slashing wound through his wrist - causing him to drop the healing charm. I sent the raven to grab it from where it had fallen.

The bird swooped in, grasped the talisman, and headed my way. He threw a knife through its body - turning it to smoke - but the talisman landed on the ground a few feet in front of me. I pulled a cloth from my storage, grabbed it up, and stored it away.

He screamed at me.

I began walking towards him - with fire in my eyes.

I pulled the necrotic blade from my storage and stabbed myself in the neck. I healed the damage and transferred it to him. He clawed at his neck as the curse began to eat his flesh.

I stabbed the blade into my chest - piercing my heart. I pulled the tainted blade free, stored it away, and sent the damage to him - restoring my flesh and making it whole again.

"You fucking ..."

He never gave voice to whatever he was going to say. He died on his feet. The curse continued to eat away his flesh. I pulled a tattered blanket from my storage, wrapped him in it, and stored him away.

I took out my waterskin and took a long hard pull on it - the water was cold and clear. I stored it away, called the raven back, and went hunting for a snack for the venerable mother.

I found a small herd several minutes later, took down a stag that was past his prime, field dressed him, and threw him across my shoulders. I raced back for the cave.

The dragon complained when she saw the carcass. She told me that I'd thrown away some of the tastiest parts. I laughingly told her that I didn't think that gastrointestinal organs were anything close to delicacies. She asked me to remove the antlers. I placed the body in her open mouth and she chewed up her treat and swallowed it down.

"Thank you, child," she said.

"Thanks for keeping my wife out of my hair while I dealt with Zuun's assassin," I told her.

"What?!" Rilla gasped.

The dragon simply chuckled as I related the story to my wife.

We sat, visiting with the mother dragon, until Kira interrupted to say that they were going to use her portal-stone to return to the capitol. We said goodbye to the Great Mother and held hands to travel as well.

We arrived at the courtyard shortly after the others. I shook Sveth's hand and kissed his girlfriend's knuckles. The two headed off for the kitchens to report in to Mila. Hatch rolled onto her back to do a little sunbathing while the rest of us headed for the receiving hall to update Kira's father and brother on our trips.

The king finished with the petitioners and we headed for the private meeting room. Rilla and I listened in as Kira shared her information. Once she was done, the king looked at me. I motioned for Rilla to tell the story. She blushed and Kira's dad chuckled and told her to go ahead.

I thought her retelling of the difficulty in making our way over the mountain peaks was far too brief - and lacked the moments of harrowing near-missteps. Kira told me that I was being overly dramatic.

Rilla told them about me fidgeting impatiently as we waited to meet with Furgrim. She told them about me listening in on his conversation with his advisors, and then about me seeing the advisor communicating with the cook.

I thought that her story of how things went in the dining room painted me as taking too many unnecessary risks and I started to object but Kira warned me that it was probably my version that was the skewed one. I decided to pick my battles - and not die on this particular hill.

Rilla told about traveling to the front, fighting across the heights, and destroying the goblins and hobs. She skipped over our battle-sex but I think Kira's lusty looks at me filled in the missing pieces for her father.

Rilla's story about fighting the assassins, however, was grim and graphic. She got teary-eyed and Kira hugged her, congratulated her on putting her fears down, and helping get me safely back to the cave.

She left the story about Zuun's assassin to me. The king called for the mage and I brought out the three bodies of the assassins - followed by the talisman (still wrapped in cloth) - as well as the body of the champion - which immediately started decaying again when I pulled it out of storage.

The mage took no tissue samples or anything. He looked over the scars that they had cut onto their bodies, wrote a few things down on a piece of paper, and then informed me that I should probably burn the corpses well away from the city. I stored everything and he cast a spell to purify the table of any lingering issues.

Finally finished with our reports, we asked the king about the status with Valeri's husband. He informed us that the guards had found the man at a tavern. The man had already spent a goodly amount of her coins - but they caught him before he'd started spending it on more than just strong drink.

The king informed us that - though he understood the venom in our judgements - that killing the man was little short of murder. Kira, Rilla, and I informed him that we were happy to take the blame for his death.

Kira's dad begged her not to kill him over a matter that was little more than a marital dispute. I got a little pissed off at that point and asked him about Valeri's rights. He informed me that she was simply out, divorced, on her own - with whatever her husband gave her. He remarked that her treatment wasn't that different than most others. I told him that it was bullshit and that - if he didn't release the man to us - I'd just go down to the dungeons and kill him there. I warned him that I had enough experience healing poisons that I could make it slow and painful and look like he'd died naturally. I also offered to just take his head and be done with it.

While the king and I were arguing, Rilla caught my elbow and held it. I stopped to look at her. She whispered and asked me to send a mental message to the mother dragon, asking her if she would hear the case and make a decision between the two.

The dragon responded that she was willing to do it. I informed the king about my request and her response. He nodded and said that he liked this course of action better.

He had guards bring the husband up. Zima went to find Valeri. When everyone had been assembled, I portaled us from the receiving hall to the cave.

We arrived with Valeri, her husband, two guards, Kira, and me. The dragon studied our group and then had me return Kira and the guards back to the king's hall. We waited about ten minutes and she called us back again. We returned to find Valeri's husband dead on the floor of the cave - with no signs of what killed him.

"I was questioning the two of them when his heart stopped working," the dragon reported. "Inform the king that I was not able to pass judgement because he died naturally before I'd learned enough to make a decision."

I asked Valeri if she was alright. She just said that it had happened so fast that she couldn't believe that it was over.

I returned everyone to the king's presence. We told him what happened. He said that he would write out a writ of judgement that the shop would remain Valeri's until her death and then would pass back to the husband's family. Whatever monies were held at that time would become theirs as well.

Valeri said she was happy at the palace and that she was done with the shop.

The king gave her the money that was left and wrote out orders for the shop to be returned to the dead man's parents - along with the body.

Valeri hugged and kissed us and then went back to her room in the palace workers' quarters.

As Kira's father slipped away, her brother asked us if we had a moment to talk. We said 'yes' and he ushered us into an empty side-room.

"I want to see if you'd be interested in switching quarters," he said.

Kira grinned and asked, "Things getting serious with Dora?"

He shook his head, grinning, and said, "We're still taking it slow but ..."

"Are you keeping the orphans where they are now, or are we moving them with us?" she asked him.

"I'd thought to leave them where they are. I would move to the room you're in - Dad's old room - and Dora would take the guest room."

"You mean that's where you'll say she sleeps. We all know where she sleeps."

"Hush," he said, grinning. "I've become accustomed to having the little ones around ..."

"... and those will be your quarters when you're king," she said firmly.

"I ... uh ... actually hadn't even considered that," he said - his face turning serious.

Kira looked at me and Rilla.

"I'm good with whatever," I said. "You, I, and Rilla need a room. It'd be nice to have a room for Monika or Nella to use."

I looked at my girls.

"We can share a room," Zima said easily. "She farts a lot but I'm used to it."

"I do not!" Hanna gasped.

Zima giggled and hugged her.

"My quarters has a large bedroom and four rooms for attendants or servants," he said.

"Plenty for everyone," I said, nodding.

"It's towards the back of the palace," he reminded us.

"It's not that far - and I think I'd like to try the rear for a change."

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Kira and Rilla started laughing. Kiro facepalmed and I blushed. I looked over to see Hanna blushing and Zima laughing.

"You're grounded, young lady," I told Hanna.

"I don't even know what being grounded means," she said, with tears in her eyes.

"He's just embarrassed that you've been listening to the chatter on the street again," Rilla told her, hugging her shoulder. "Ignore the brute."

We headed to our rooms to find servants waiting to start helping us pack. Mila was standing at the back of the group with a huge smile on her face.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" I asked, accusingly.

"It's nice to see you too, not-husband," she said, laughing. "The sooner I get you settled in, the sooner I can negotiate for my free night."

"Free night?" I asked, looking at my wives.

"We need to talk," Kira said, completely unflustered.

We took an hour's break for dinner but - by bedtime - Kiro was moved into the king's old apartments and we were in the back - with the king still nestled snuggly in the rooms to the middle. He shook his head and smiled as he watched servants bustling back and forth but he didn't say anything.

I saw Mila with her head stuck together with Rilla and Kira and went to find out what they were clucking about. They shushed it up before I got close enough to hear much but I thought I picked out Valeri's name.

I liked the woman. I still thought of her as my official welcome wagon to this world. She was almost old enough to be my mother - and I already had Nella and Monika for whenever I wanted a mature woman with full breasts and a thick bush to explore.

We got everything settled and Mila and the servants disappeared. I wasn't too surprised, however, when she showed up just before bedtime.

We had just returned from visiting with the orphans - where Hanna had pulled out her notes and told the girls the story of our battle with the hill giants. They were already chomping at the bit to hear the rest of her chronicles of our adventures.

I opened the door to our rooms and the girls came tromping in - Kira, Rilla, Zima, Hanna, ... and Mila. She grinned, groped my crotch, gave me a peck on the lips, and headed straight for the bedroom. I chuckled as I closed the door. I didn't bother locking it. The guards were still at their posts.

I followed the girls to Zima's room. Hanna had asked to sleep with her tonight - until we got used to the new layout. They both grinned up at me. I told myself that I needed to talk to Valeri about having some flannel pajamas made for my daughters.

I bent down, kissed both of my daughters on the forehead, and told them how much I loved them. I blew out the lantern and eased the door shut.

I opened the door of my bedroom - which - the day before had been Kiro's bedroom - expecting to hear all manner of debauchery in progress. Instead, it was deathly quiet - the kind of quiet that fills you with dread. The lanterns had been blown out. Only the night vision that came with the skills I had picked up from Kira allowed me to even make out what was happening in the room.

Three women lay in the bed, side by side, with the covers pulled up to their necks. They were all grinning from ear-to-ear. Mila was in the middle. Kira was on her right. Rilla was on her left.

I walked to the foot of the bed and stopped, waiting to hear ... something. They were obviously planning something - and obviously completely in agreement on whatever it was - and I could only hope that I came through it with all of my parts still intact and functional.

"Why do I have the feeling that I should be afraid for my life?" I finally asked.

The three grinning women giggled.

"I prayed to the All-Father," Kira informed me.

"Actually," Rilla said, "we all did."

"Together," Mila amended.

"We asked him to allow you to breed us," Kira began.

"We told him that Mila would carry all three babies," Rilla added.

"He gave me a blessing to make it possible," Mila finished.

"At once?!" I asked. "All at the same time?"

All three women nodded - and (if possible) their grins got wider.

"You'll start with Mila," the princess announced.

"Rilla will go next," the cook told me.

The archer finished with, "Once you've added our child to Mila's womb, Kira will accept your seed and your child with her will join the first two."

Mila licked her lips and looked me up and down.

"I'm ready, not-husband," she purred.

Kira pulled the cover back. All three women were gloriously naked. Kira and Rilla were my athletic supermodel wives. Mila was my voluptuous mistress with the dirty mouth. She might not be a goddess but - if she combined all of her charms together - she could probably tempt the most pious priest to stray from the faith - at least for one glorious hour.

Kira and Rilla reached down, grabbed Mila behind her knees, and pulled her legs up. Ankles held high - and her rabid beaver already foaming at the mouth - the lusty cook moaned as my two wives grasped her fat tits in their hand and pulled the nipple to their mouths. She wrapped her hands around their heads and pulled them tighter against her tits.

"Suck me, lick me, make my pussy wetter and wetter for your cheating husband. I'm going to drain his balls and he's going to put a baby inside of me. The dragon mother said that I'd be the one to carry your husband's first son."

She took her hand from Kira's head, slid it down her tummy, into her thick untamed bush, and used her fingers to spread her labia apart - showing me how wet she was inside.

"Come, champion of the gods, give me your seed ... Create life in my womb. I will be the mother of your heir. I will train him to honor your commands and follow in your footsteps. Like you, he will be a champion of the commoners. He will be as handsome as his father and every mother will hope and pray that he chooses their little girl as his bond-mate. Come to me, my heart, my love ... Let me do for you what the others cannot ... Let me give you a boy-child."

I couldn't get over the erotic scene in front of me. My wives were presenting Mila to me - inviting me to breed her.

"Come, husband," Kira said. "Breed the shameless whore. She's been driving me crazy - begging me to let you fuck her. Plow her filthy twat and leave her a ruined mess - so full of your seed that it spills out of her worthless cunt and runs down the crack of her ass."

I glanced at Rilla who nibbled her bottom lip and nodded.

I stripped off my clothes, climbed onto the bed, and crawled towards the offering they were presenting me. I stood above her - on my hands and knees - the tops of my thighs shoving against her legs - ready to enter her holy place. Rilla reached down and guided me in.

"Fuck her, husband," she ordered. "Take what she offers and let yourself go. She adores you. She is giving herself to you - and to our family - accept her gift, sate your lusts with her body and then fill her up with your seed. Sanctify her body and make her womb a receptacle for your holy sperm - a place of nurturing for your growing children."

The tip was at her entrance. All I had to do was push. I'd been inside of Mila before. I was already looking forward to the way her pussy muscles worked over my cock.

It wasn't at all what I expected. From the very moment I tried to push within, there was a resistance unlike I had ever felt before. This felt like more than just a physical thing. In fact, since I already knew what penetrating Mila felt like, I knew this was something new.

I could tell that I was headed in the right direction - it was just that there was way more resistance than ever before. It was like trying to swim through gelatin - or maybe more accurately - like trying to shove your penis through Play-Doh.

Mila must have been feeling it as well. I wasn't actually inside of her yet - and yet she was squirming, moaning, and trembling like I was. On my end of things, it was like what it always felt like to fuck Rilla (tight every time) - only doubled or tripled. It felt like warm velvet - like a cozy towel right from the dryer - but there was far more force required than normal to get inside of her.

From the way Mila was reacting, my wives knew something was up. They had started to play with her tits and suck her nipples but now they were just watching her - slack-jawed. They were still holding her legs open wide - thankfully - because it was all I could do to hold myself up while gripping Mila's hips - to push deeper and deeper inside of her.

"Merciful Father!" Mila gasped. "Push! Push, Loki! I'm so close already and I want you fully seated within me before I explode. Ugh ...!"

The harder I pushed, the more resistance I seemed to hit. I paused to take a breath and Mila bellowed for me to keep pushing. The deeper I got, the harder my heart raced, the more Mila's channel writhed and gripped me. My mind was about to explode from the intensity of the waves of stimulation that pulsed and pounded as I struggled to push deeper and deeper.

The moment my ball-sack brushed against Mila's taint, she cried out like she had been mortally wounded. Her body began convulsing. She alternately praised and cursed her god. Suddenly, her eyes shone with golden light. Her pussy began milking my cock like some kind of milking machine and I was helpless to resist. The intensity built and my mind felt like a spike was being driven through the middle.

My balls erupted - although the feeling was more like they were just sucked dry - instantly. I groaned as a sudden sense of exhaustion hit me.

That spike in my brain turned into lava and - somehow - I watched as Mila's egg traveled from her ovary, down her fallopian tube, and entered her womb. The next thing I watched was the pool of seed that I had pumped into her. It moved like a single unit - a living being. As it entered her uterus, it went from being thousands of individual swimmers to being a single one. It shrank and condensed. One sperm - one powerful, huge sperm - targeted Mila's egg - and launched itself forward faster than before. I watched the sperm collide with - and then penetrate the egg. It created a connection - an opening - and then began to shove inside - feeding the egg, causing it to glow with golden light - with a strength and vitality - with destiny.

Suddenly, Mila's hands were gripping my face. She pulled my lips to hers. Her legs wrapped around me. Her heels dug into my ass. She held me like she would never let me go. One hand went behind my head, holding my lips to hers. The other arm went around my neck. She was ravenous. I didn't resist her. I let myself go. I melted and she soaked me in - like butter into hot, steamy bread.

When I came back to myself, my head was cradled between Mila's breasts - my cheek pressed against her sweaty flesh. I was looking into Rilla's face.

"How was it?" she asked, laughing.

She leaned forward and kissed my lips.

"I'm not sure I've ever seen anything so beautiful," she said.

"Yeah, well," I answered. "I have a feeling - if you and Kira are serious about this - that I'm about to go through it two more times - and you're going to know exactly how it feels."

A strong hand squeezed my butt and I turned to see my princess grinning at me.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine.

"Are you a father now, husband?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, without a shred of doubt.

Deep inside of Mila's womb, I could sense my child - my son. The embryo had started going through the changes that needed to occur. It had attached itself to the uterine wall. It was low. I wondered if it had taken the lower position so that it could support and protect its siblings - his sisters.

Mila ran her fingers through my hair and I looked at her. She grinned - her smile full of adoration. She kissed me tenderly.

"I feel him," she said softly. "He's going to be strong."

"Yes," I said, nodding.

She kissed me again.

"If you're ready," Mila said. "We should probably continue. I have a feeling I'm going to be very tired by the time we get done. I'm already feeling a little sapped."

"The All-Father said he would bolster your system," Kira said worriedly.

"I feel his blessing," Mila told her, "but there is ... I'm not sure how to describe it. Obviously, I didn't know I was pregnant with Nala as soon as it happened. There is something weightier going on. It's more than a physical feeling. I know I'll be fine ..."

"You just want more naps ...," Kira teased.

"Fuck you ...," Mila shot back.

The princess' face grew serious. Her hand moved from my ass to her cousin's.

"I guess I kind of will - before the night is over ...," Kira told her.

She leaned forward and kissed Mila on the lips. It wasn't sexual. It was a kiss of appreciation as she realized what she was putting her cousin through.

"Don't look like that, Kira," the cook told her. "I haven't changed my mind. If anything, I want it more. I think it would sap your strength as well - carrying his child. I told you that I'd take your gilded cage."

"I love you so much," Kira told her, pressing her forehead to Mila's.

"You'd better, you prissy bitch," Mila teased quietly.

"You're just a ...," Kira began - but she cut it off.

She closed her mouth - then opened it again.

"Thank you, Mila," she said.

"I love you too, my princess," Mila told her. "Can we continue now? I'm not ready to let go of your husband but he's got two more of you to breed ... and I could use a nap."

Kira grinned, gave her another peck on the lips, and leaned back.

"Trade places with Rilla and we'll spread her wide and support her while my husband puts another baby in you."

~~~

Pushing inside of Rilla was the same as it had been with Mila. Her normal tightness was even tighter - but her insides seemed even softer. The velvety resistance that I'd experienced with Mila was the same. It seemed a bit easier this time - probably because I knew what to expect. Rilla, however, writhed beneath me like I was torturing her.

"Fuck, husband! You're splitting me in two! Gods! Merciful Father, send me strength! You promised! You promised!"

When we were finally fully joined, she wrapped me up like Mila had. She looked into my eyes and the golden glow began.

"It's starting, husband," she whispered. "Husband. I love you, my gentle, vicious, powerful husband. You are my strength, you are my heart, you are my protector, you are my champion."

She looked over at Kira, thrust a hand out, and grabbed hers.

"You shared your husband with me," she said, tears in her golden eyes.

She turned to Mila and grabbed her hand.

"I'm about to take you up on your offer, sweet sister," Rilla whispered.

Mila nodded and said, "I am ready, my princess."

Rilla squeezed her fingers, adoringly, and it began.

As her egg made its way to her womb, her vagina - enhanced by the All-Father - began draining the seed from my body. Once again, the pool of jizz seemed to move like a living being. It moved to the mouth of her womb and - as it passed within - it coalesced and condensed - and became a single sperm. It targeted the egg, raced towards it, met it, pushed within, and ... life ... glowing with strength.

In that moment, I felt the ability that the dragon mother had given me come alive in my mind. I turned and looked at Mila.

"My son is low in your womb," I told her. "I think he plans to support his sisters."

She nodded.

"I'm going to put Rilla's daughter above him - to one side - and Kira's daughter to the other."

"I'm ready," she said.

I leaned sideways and kissed her as she caressed my cheek.

I teleported the growing embryo from Rilla's womb into Mila's. I gave it a little nudge and it moved to the side of her uterus and attached itself to her.

"It's done," she said quietly.

I nodded.

Rilla was sobbing now. She pulled Mila's face to hers, kissing her lips again and again.

"I felt her ...," Rilla said. "At the last moment, I tried to stop it - to keep her inside of me."

"I'll protect her," Mila said, crying as well. "You protect her father while I watch over your little one."

"Thank you," Rilla whispered. "I can't thank you enough ..."

"I love you, sweet girl. I love your husband and your sister-wife. Let me show you how much - by letting me be the one to worry about your daughter until it's time for me to place her in your arms."

Rilla kissed her again and again.

We let her grieve.

When she had recovered, she traded places with Kira.

~~~

As I crawled on top of Kira, Mila pinched her stiff nipple.

"You gonna get weepy on me, princess?" she asked.

"Keep flapping those lips and you'll find them buried in my twat where they can do some good ...," Kira shot back.

Mila giggled, leaned over, and kissed her cheek.

"Hang on, cousin," the cook told her. "Your husband's about to blow your mind."

"Thank you for doing this," Kira told her. "I love you so much."

"Remember that when my back aches from carrying your brat and I want a massage."

Mila looked up at me.

"What is it you say? Time to fuck some shit up ..."

Rilla snickered.

The two pulled Kira's thighs apart a little more. The princess hugged their heads against hers and smiled up at me.

Kira refused to writhe or moan. She didn't call out for the All-Father to strengthen her. She didn't cry. She stared into my eyes and simply opened herself up to me - to my physical intrusion, to the seed I poured into her, to my will pushing within her womb to tear the growing embryo from her body and placing it into the womb of her cousin - beside its sister and above their brother.

When it was done, she cupped my face in her hands and looked into my eyes.

"From the moment I saw you fucking Dora, I knew that I belonged to you, my champion," she said. "I was never a strong believer. I never saw the All-Father's hand in the world around me. I was disgusted with how the gods ignored the plight of so many. You were different. I knew that I had to make you mine. I knew I was already yours. I'm in love with your heart more than the rest of you. The All-Father found a way to free me from my gilded cage and I'm thankful to him not just for my husband and my champion - but for my freedom. I see his hand now - as I look back - preparing me - guiding me. I'm humbled that he's chosen me to be at your side. I'm thankful for the sister that he's given me. I love the kind, wise, older women that he's drawn to you. I'm thankful for their help and for the lusty adoration I see in their eyes. I revel in hearing their screams of ecstasy as my husband does for them what no other man has done. I adore Mila beyond words for the way she has agreed to be a servant not just of the All-Father - but for you - and for me - and for my beautiful sister. I have never felt more like royalty than I do right now."

I leaned down and gave her a tender kiss - just barely touching our lips together. She caressed my cheek and stared into my eyes.

"I didn't know I needed a princess until I met you - but I definitely needed you."

Her eyes began to mist - and then she shrieked. Her head jerked towards Mila's - who was grinning evilly - with my wife's nipple squeezed between her thumb and forefinger.

Kira began to laugh. She threw her arms around Rilla and Mila and pulled them into a hug. Rilla and Mila pulled me down. The four of us made out together for quite a while. I don't know that I ever imagined that such a thing was possible - but it was sexy as fuck - and I've never felt more loved.

My princess insisted that none of us were moving from where we were that night. The girls pulled the covers over us and we all snuggled together to fall asleep.

~~~ Six Months Later ~~~

Mila's stomach was already huge. Normally, by that time, the mother would just be starting to show. The cook's figure was already being distorted by the three babies growing inside of her. She couldn't have been happier, however,

I visited the kitchens every chance I got. In Mila's realm, I was treated like a god - and I'm embarrassed to admit that this fact may have contributed to how often I showed up.

Mila sat on a throne, wielding a wooden spoon, overseeing the work that she normally would have been toiling over beside her attendants. The large, heavy, hardwood armchair was padded with feather-soft cushions that cradled her body.

Sometimes, I tried to stop by when I knew she would be headed upstairs. Those times, I would pick her up like a new bride and carry her to our rooms. She and Nala lived with us now - although Nala spent most of her time in her other cousin's rooms - taking her lessons alongside of Alia, Lia, and the other orphans.

When the five of us were off on our next mission, Mila was attended by Monika and Nella - in addition to a few servants. Valeri had taken to visiting often. I not only sketched out pajamas for my two daughters - but I told her how to adjust it so that Mila could have comfortable bedclothes as well. The lusty cook loved them so much that she often wore a pair of the pants under whatever else she had on.

Between Monika, Nella, my wives, and my baby mommy, the match-making got serious a month or two after I had thought I'd heard Valeri's name being brought up. I had worried that they were trying to fix her up with me but - as it turns out - they were finding a bed-warmer for Kira's father.

Mila, of course, was immediately the chairperson of the fix-up-the-king-with-a-woman team.

Based on what I learned later, my MILF lovers quickly began training the seamstress to be every widower's wet-dream. Meanwhile, Kira and Mila took advantage of every opportunity to whisper in the king's ear about how hot they thought Valeri was, how she gushed about the king's good looks, and how she pined for the love of a good man. They told him about not only how her former husband had been greedy with the coins - he'd been a horrible lover. They filled his ears with stories about how she was a firestorm of lust - waiting to be unleashed by a man who showed her kindness and affection.

All of this, of course, led to a night where the match-makers manufactured the perfect opportunity to get the king and Valeri alone in the gardens. The seamstress, apparently, had blown the monarch away with her oral skills. This quickly turned into a second opportunity and - once again - Valeri blew the man's mind with her ability (trained, of course, by my talented lovers) to take his whole measure down her throat. As she took his seed once again, she apparently also captured his heart.

The garden dates began to occur on a regular basis and all of my lovers made sure that Valeri was well-equipped, well-trained, and well-informed. The poor king didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of avoiding the predetermined outcome.

Content not to need children, Valeri readily agreed to permit the king's mage to make her infertile. That night, she moved into his bedroom. Neither had ever been happier in their lives. Valeri would never again have a ring - but she was happy with her king - and he was delighted with his adoring attendant.

~~~ Three Months Later ~~~

The midwife informed my daughters that the only way they would be permitted in the room for the birth was if they served as her assistants. The birthing room became the classroom as Zima and Hanna pestered the woman with question after question.

For her part, the midwife later told me that she was so delighted with the insights that the girls already had that she felt compelled to tutor them and improve their skills.

In the months and years that followed, if we weren't off on some adventure, you could probably find one or both of my girls attending the midwife - helping bring another little one into our sometimes-cruel world.

As Zima and Hanna rushed to do the midwife's bidding, I grinned at their devoted hard work. I loved my girls fiercely. They had watched their stepmothers and me step boldly between the hopeless and the harm and they emulated us - not looking for praise - but chasing after that same feeling of satisfaction that I felt each time I made a difference.

Tasks completed, they flanked the midwife - ready to act - their eyes wide as they awaited the arrival of their three siblings. Not for the first time, I wished I had a camera - although Mila probably wouldn't have wanted me to take a picture of her feet being held up by my two wives.

Rilla and Kira's free hands were gripped in Mila's as she alternately praised and cursed the All-Father. Her prayer to him - just before the first head appeared - sounded more like a ransom letter.

My chuckle died in my throat as her birth canal spread wider and I caught sight of my first biological child. The auburn hair told me that it was Rilla's girl. We had chosen the name Kyla - kind of a combination of her mother's, her stepmother's, and her birthmother's names.

The midwife ordered Zima to take the baby in her arms. Next, she guided Hanna in cutting the umbilical cord - no easy feat. They handed the messy baby to me. I took her, gave her my blessing, and handed her off to an attendant to be cleaned up.

The next head was already appearing.

Linae had Kira's mother's name. I had never met the queen but I loved both of her children dearly. I was more than happy with the choice.

As with their other sister, Zima held the tiny baby in her arms as Hanna cut the cord away. The midwife praised their careful attention to detail and waved for Zima to hand my second daughter to me - my son was waiting at the threshold for their attentions.

I told my daughter that I loved her and handed her to the attendant. I turned just in time to see Lorkim's head pop out.

My son's name was mostly mine - with letters stolen - once again - from the three women who had worked together to see him brought into the world. Whether he was ever actually a prince in this kingdom or not, he would be a prince in our household. My wives, my mistress, and my girls had all made sure of that.

Zima, Hanna, and the midwife got him separated from his birthmother and then handed him to me. I had this whole picture of the Lion King in my head as I took him. His eyes opened and he looked at me. The midwife gasped and called out a quick prayer to the All-Father.

I took my son's tiny arm in my hand and rubbed my thumb over his little grasping fist.

"Already ready to fuck some shit up, huh?" I asked him.

It almost looked like he nodded. I couldn't help but grin. Zima and Hanna peered over my shoulder at him.

I handed him off to the attendant and motioned for the girls to pay attention to their new tutor. The midwife grinned as they quickly got back to business. They followed her instructions to help Mila with the post-birthing process. I moved to stand beside Kira. I put my arm around my princess and looked down into a pair of tired eyes.

"Are they beautiful, my lord?" Mila asked.

"Six arms and three eyes each," I teased her. "They're perfect."

Her lips formed into a tired grin - just before her eyes closed.

Kira and Rilla gave me kisses and then left me so they could go hold their children. I stayed by Mila's side, holding her hand.

Hanna came over and took my other hand. I looked over to see Zima holding Lorkim. She was studying his sleeping face.

"You did good, beautiful," I told the 10-year-old.

If Kira's calculations were correct, Hanna would turn 11 in two weeks. Zima's birthday was shortly after that. My wives were planning a birthday party that would make any soccer-mom from my old world super envious.

I glanced back down at Mila to see her looking at the two of us.

"Lift her up here, not-husband," the cook ordered.

I picked up my daughter and tried to lay her gently in the arms of the woman who had just birthed three children that weren't technically triplets.

"Take away this pain and I can hold her easily enough," Mila told me.

"Shit! Sorry!" I gasped.

I laid my hand on her forehead and pulled the aches and pains away - and healed a strained muscle or two - as well as a small tear in her birth canal.

Mila hugged Hanna and kissed her face.

"Thank you, little one," she said. "You were such a good helper. I knew I'd be fine as I watched you and your sister assisting the midwife."

Hanna kissed Mila's cheeks and said, "Thank you for carrying my siblings. I know Daddy has told you - but Zima and I love you too and appreciate all you've done for our family."

"You are such a sweetie," Mila told her. "You must promise me that you won't spoil Lorkim."

"No promises," Hanna said, grinning broadly.

Mila giggled and squeezed her.

"Are you ready to hold him?" Hanna asked her.

"Yes, please," Mila said.

The 10-year-old and I helped the cook sit up. Zima stood carefully and brought my son over, placing him in his mother's arms.

"He looks a little too much like Dad and not enough like you," the 14-year-old told Mila, smirking slightly.

"Bless you, little one," Mila replied, grinning. "I love you two so much. I couldn't ask for better big sisters for my little man."

~~~ King and Queen ~~~

Five years after I arrived in this world, Kira's father did something that he had never done before - he called for a royal family meeting.

We met over dinner - in one of the dining rooms that were reserved for when we were entertaining visiting heads of state. I'd been to at least three of those dinners - when Sven, Brant, and Furgrim came for an official visit to form an alliance with King Korl.

Mila was invited this time - not that it mattered - she was in charge of any dinners in this stately, well-appointed room. When the food started coming out, I was pretty sure that we were eating better than the visiting kings had.

King Korl (and his mistress, concubine, lover, ...) invited his two children as well as their families. Lia and Alia had just turned 11. The pair were serving as attendants to Lady Dora. Valeri sat on Korl's right and Kiro sat on his left. Dora sat beside Kiro.

My family - or rather Kira's - took most of the rest of the seats. We had been told to bring everyone - so I had my two wives, my mistress (and baby-mama), and our children: Zima, Hanna, Nala, Kyla, Linae, and Lorkim. I had not officially adopted Nala - but only because (when I asked her) she had squished my cheeks in her little hands and informed me that she already considered me her father and she didn't need some stupid piece of paper. Nella and Monika were also there - also at the request of the king.

We ate from the impressive buffet that Mila and her crew had laid out for us. No servants or attendants were there. It was like a potluck at a family reunion on my old world - except there wasn't any of that questionable cole slaw, no crockpot of mystery meat, and the deviled eggs weren't nasty, oily, and runny.

I had grand intentions, as I looked over the spread, of trying one of everything. I barely finished my first plate. I worried about the leftovers going bad but - when we had all eaten our fill - Mila stuck her head out of the door and a team of cooks and assistants bustled in to make it all disappear. My lusty mistress said that everything was being moved to tables in the receiving hall for the palace staff to enjoy. Anything still left would disappear when the guards spread the word that there were free eats at the palace for anybody who got there before it was gone.

I felt badly that there probably wouldn't be much left for that many people but Mila whispered that the king had tasked her with making plenty of extras. He wanted the word spread that a big announcement was coming and the quickest way to do that was to invite hungry people in and to have the servers chatter about it while they were dishing out the free food.

Once the food was gone - and the door was closed once again - the king stood. He took his mug in his hand, held it up, and said, "A toast - to King Kiro - may he rule justly, kindly, and for many years - with Queen Dora by his side."

We all sat, stunned, with our cups in our hands. He downed his drink, laughed cheerfully, and sat down.

"I'm ... I'm ... and ... Dora ...?!" Kiro stammered.

"I'm proud of you, my boy," his father said. "It's time for me to step back."

Kira's father then looked at Dora.

"Loki once told me that he thought you'd make a fabulous queen," he said. "I've watched you for five years. He was absolutely correct. I have also realized that my son has found the love of a good woman and I can't think of anybody that I'd rather see standing beside him, helping him be even greater than I know he will be."

With tears in her eyes, Dora slid her chair back, stood, walked to the king's side, and hugged him. She kissed his face again and again.

"Stand up, daughter," he said, finally.

She obeyed.

"Kiro, did you do as I asked?" he inquired.

Kiro reached into a pocket and retrieved two ring boxes. He handed them to his father.

Korl opened one - it was a big diamond. He showed it to Dora, closed the lid, and handed it back to Kiro.

"That ring was his mother's," the king told her. "I'll let your soon-to-be-fiancée handle that one."

He opened the other. It was a massive ruby surrounded by smaller diamonds. He closed the lid and handed it to Dora.

"Kindly present that to the woman on my right and ask her if she wouldn't mind being your mother-in-law."

Dora barely got safely out of the way as Valeri leapt out of her chair and tackled Korl. His chair fell backwards and we all got to our feet to see if he was alright. Kiro and Dora were laughing.

Korl was unable to make a sound. Valeri's lips were mashed against his so hard that I thought his skull might crack under the pressure.

Since Dora was still standing, Kiro pulled her onto his lap and whispered into her ear.

"Yes!" Dora exclaimed. "Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times!"

She was crying again. I had a smile a mile wide on my face. They were so perfect for each other.

Dora spotted me, jumped up, ran over, kissed me square on the lips, and then returned to her soon-to-be-husband. She kissed him again and again.

Kira looked over at me and said, "We'll do a girls' night for Dora. You plan a guys' outing for Dad and Kiro."

"I don't need to go," the king said, as Valeri helped him back into his chair. "Take Kiro and go kill another demon bear or something. I'll watch the kids."

Kira laughed and said, "You mean Hanna, Nala, Lia, and Alia will watch the kids while you nap."

"You wound me ...," he said with a grin.

"What about Zima?" I asked.

"She's 19," my wife informed me. "She'll be with the women."

My oldest adopted daughter pumped her fist in the air.

"I'm not sure I like this plan anymore ...," I said.

"If I can't stay with Mom then I'm coming with you," Zima threatened.

"Fuck ...," I complained. "Kiro nearly killed us both last time ..."

"It won't be that bad this time ...," Kiro promised, smirking.

I looked Zima in the eyes, sighed heavily, and said, "You can go with your mothers."

"I love you Daddy ...," she said, batting her eyelashes at me.

"You're never dating ...," I shot back.

"Mom ...," Zima complained.

"Ignore him," Kira and Rilla said - at the same time.

I huffed in annoyance and crossed my arms over my chest. Hanna came over and crawled onto my lap. She was fifteen. I realized that - if I still lived where I grew up - my little tactician would be taking driving lessons ...

The following day, the king publicly announced that he would be stepping down. Kiro announced that he would marry Dora on the day of the coronation. A massive feast was planned.

Two days before the big event, I took Kiro, Kira, Rilla, Zima, Hanna, and Nala hunting. Dora asked to go along as well and I worried how we would take care of her but Hatch (through Hanna) informed us that our future queen would be completely safe riding on her back.

Hatch was now half the size of her mother. She could probably carry all of us on her back without any problems. Up to that point, however, only Rilla and the girls had been allowed to do so. Dora knelt before the dragon and thanked her. Hanna laughed and reported to Dora that Hatch told her to get up and act like a queen.

Zima and Hanna had been given more gifts by the Great Mother. They now had the speed, agility, and dodge skills that their mothers and I had - in addition to the limited teleportation ability. Hatch had been working on her magic and decided to give it a try - since we'd be slowed down by Kiro and Nala.

I tried to get Nala to ride with Dora but she'd been spending too much time with Zima and Hanna and she was determined that she was going to be a huntress as well. Rilla was training her with the bow and the sling. Nala was also an excellent trapper. When we had taken her with us, she regularly provided the fresh meat for our meals.

Nala had also taken after her mother. She could turn a brace of hares and some wild vegetables into a stew that you'd never find, sitting around any other campfire. Her coup de grâce, however, was that - after listening to me go on and on about s'mores - she had combined her foraging skills with her culinary skills and ... well ... we were still working out the finer details but we were close ...

Kiro and Nala stood in front of Hatch as she made her first attempt at giving them a "dragon's blessing". Her eyes glowed with golden light. It was taking way longer than when her mom did it and I almost laughed as Kiro tried to focus on not fidgeting while he waited. Nala was doing her Zen thing - totally at peace in the world. Finally, their bodies began to glow and we waited for Hatch to finish.

"I feel ... bouncy," Nala said.

She jumped into the air and it was like batting an air-filled balloon around with your hand. She rose slowly, hovered for a moment, and then floated back down again. Kiro tried it and landed on his head. Dora fell to the ground, laughing. She ran over to kiss it and make it better, though, when he complained that he'd been hurt. He was lying, of course, and tackled her to the ground to tickle her.

Hatch told the two to separate and then she had Kiro and Nala stand in front of her once more so that she could try it again. They ended up with dragon breath the second time and Kiro tried to keep that ability - but Hatch had a terrified look on her face. She told us to never mention that mistake to her mother.

As she worked on attempt number three, I wondered how we were supposed to keep the failure a secret. Every time I was around the dragon, she knew what I'd done, what I was thinking, and what would happen in the future.

The third attempt was a general success. They couldn't teleport but they got the other buffs - so we decided to go with it. Kira laughingly told Dora that Kiro's "quickies" were going to be even quicker than before. Her mouth fell open. Rilla told her that it wasn't true, though, and then she blushed.

Our plan for the day was to bring back enough protein so that the cooks could feed a couple thousand people. Hatch had scouted out a couple packs of wild hogs, a herd of deer, and some water fowl. We weren't really equipped for retrieving kills on the water so I was hoping that we'd get everything we needed with the first two stops.

We spent the rest of the morning chasing down the hogs. Kiro tangled with a boar that fucked him up pretty good. It was another Kodak moment that just wasn't going to happen. I got him patched back up and Dora let out a sigh of relief. She had borrowed a bow and had taken down a couple of younger males - so she was feeling pretty tickled.

We dressed the kills and stored them away to carry home. Nala stripped some fresh side from one of the carcasses and we strung it on green poles and roasted it over the campfire. It was pretty good. She made some pan bread to go along with it and it turned out well, of course, as well.

After lunch, we ran across the rolling grass-covered hills until we came to the herds of deer that Hatch had picked out. The deer were more of a challenge because they spooked easier. We ended up pairing off with partners to hunt them. One would hide and the other would spook the animals in their direction - with each taking turns.

It worked well enough to let us finish collecting the rest of the meat that we needed and we packed everything up to portal back to the palace.

We handed over the animals to the cooks - who were digging coal-filled pits for the hogs - and setting up spits for the venison.

~~~

The next day, Kiro and I left early in the morning and headed for the dragon mother's cave. I had asked her about something for Kiro and I to hunt for his big day/night and she had offered up a different option.

She said that she had a mission that she needed to undertake and that she was willing to let us come with her. She said that she normally would not invite humans to come along but was willing to make an exception because - in the first part, Kira's family had made a favorable impression on her and - for the second part, the Great Mother was worried that she might need my help.

All I was able to share with Kiro was that we were going on a mission with the dragon. She didn't share any other details until we showed up. I knew that people reacted reverently to the dragon - and her hatchling - but I'd gotten pretty casual about the level of familiarity that we had with them.

When I told Kiro that the dragon had invited us to tag along - which pretty much guaranteed that we'd be riding on her back - it was like walking an 8-year-old into a room filled with candy. He was willing to agree to just about any restrictions the dragon might offer - just for the chance to ride a dragon. Dora had been grateful to ride on the hatchling's back but this was the real deal.

We arrived at the dragon's cave and she immediately swore us to secrecy. I thought that might dampen Kiro's excitement but it only fanned the flames. Something so rare that a dragon made you promise not to tell? He was beside himself.

As it turned out, the dragon mother had gotten reports that an old male dragon had gone senile and was causing havoc. There was some kind of dragon council or some other kind of group that governed them and she had been asked to go check the situation out.

As we soared through the air, she spoke into our minds and explained what she expected to happen. That was when we learned the true details of our adventure.

She told us that male dragons were usually agile fighters - tending to be leaner and quicker than the females. Females, however, were usually larger and more docile - but also tended to have stronger magic. Males fought with tooth and claw; females fought with magic.

She said that, normally, females had little to fear from the males. Her concern, however, was the state of his mind. She had been warned that he went through periods where he thought everyone was out to get him. During those times, he would kill anything that came near. The dragon mother was worried that - if she had to battle him during one of his fits - he would be even stronger than normal - and would probably fight to the death - rather than seeing reason and submitting.

As we flew, I told her that I was worried about where we were going to place Kiro. I'd been smashed to pulp enough times by the dragon that I was pretty sure I could come back from just about anything. I wasn't so sure that I could resurrect Kiro fast enough if something bad happened. The dragon mother said that she planned to tuck him away in a safe spot before we faced the other dragon. I would be lying flat against her back, intervening only if she required (and asked for) my help.

With humans, I was able to heal from a distance - or throw damage through the air. Dragons, having a much higher magical threshold, would be immune to such things. I would need to be touching her in order to heal her.

Personally, I didn't see how she was going to need me. Her skills dwarfed mine on every level. However, she had asked and I wasn't about to deny her. She had given much to me and my family. Anything that she asked for, that was within my ability to grant, I would gladly do.

Finally, we came to the cave. Things looked bad. Not only were there dead warriors scattered around the mouth of the cave, but there were little kids - in white robes - holding flowers. All of these lay on the ground, slowly rotting.

As soon as we arrived, the dragon deposited Kiro on the side of the mountain where the cave was. She told him to find a place to hide and watch. Before we'd even gotten close, the male dragon was roaring and cursing and screaming threats. I pressed my body against the dragon mother's back and closed my eyes.

The male came stalking out, spewing threats at the female. She pointed to the ground and asked him to explain himself. He told stories of how all of them had come to kill him. She asked about the innocents and he claimed they were deceivers - hiding poisons within the blooms. He claimed that he'd been taken in at first but then the poisons had begun to cause his flesh to be eaten away. He had killed them in self-defense.

She asked him to show her the wounds - where his flesh had been destroyed - but he said that they had healed. She asked him how long ago the battles had taken place if the bodies hadn't baked in the sun and begun to decay even faster.

Suddenly, he flew at her - mouth open and claws spread - raging that she was a deceiver as well - sent to kill him by the council. He raged about how they were mindless followers with no stomachs for war. Little of what he said made sense to me but it seemed the longer and longer that he spoke, the more the dragon mother became convinced that she had no choice but to remove him.

The male leapt at her and she ducked under his attack. His rear leg and tail scraped across her back as he flew over her and unseated me. I healed myself and teleported back to my spot. She turned to face him but he had spotted me. He changed his approach.

He would attack her but try to do it in such a way that - when she responded - it would put me in a position where he could strike at me. I tried to comprehend how he could be so deranged and unstable with his theories of conspiracy but - at the same time - be so tactical in his fighting abilities. I began to understand why the dragon mother had wanted me to tag along.

As we danced with the psychotic male, I confirmed with my partner that she only wanted me along for defense - and that I was not supposed to be sending damage at the dragon. She was very clear that this was a dragon-vs-dragon scenario and that I was not to be involved. She informed me that she wasn't planning on having me heal her unless it was imperative. She just wanted to make sure she had her bases covered.

As we battled, the male seemed to get more and more focused on striking at me rather than the female dragon. She noticed this as well and admitted that she was regretting bringing me into it. I considered portalling away but that would leave Kiro stranded. My teleports were too short to do any real good.

Shit went sideways when Kiro tried to reposition to see better and dislodged a boulder. As it tumbled down the mountainside, the male dragon spotted Kira's brother. His mind was warped but he quickly figured out that the only humans alive in the area had come with the female that he was fighting. He headed for Kiro immediately.

I threw myself from the dragon mother's back and went into freefall. I teleported as close to Kiro as I could get. He was diving behind rocks as the dragon slashed at him, trying to cut him to ribbons. The dragon mother landed on the male's back and dug her teeth into the back of his neck. He twisted and tried to get at her for a moment and then gave that up as a lost cause and went back to trying to kill Kiro.

My teleport timer hit its cooldown and I jumped to Kiro - just as the male swiped at him with his claw - knocking us into the air. We rocketed into the air and I poured on the healing - trying to catch that moment when we splattered against the side of the mountain.

I had Kiro wrapped up in my arms. We hit a moment later and the air was blasted from my lungs as I felt a rocky shard stab through my back into my lungs. I rolled forward - to get the rock pulled out, landed on Kiro, and then rolled to my back - pulling him on top of me. I was still healing on autopilot - trying to keep both of us alive.

The fight was close but not getting closer and I chanced a look - to see the male reaching over his head and back to try to claw at the female - who still had him in a head-lock with her jaws. She used her hind legs to rake his ribs and he screamed.

He shoved backwards and they tumbled from the side of the mountain. With her heavier weight, she ended up on the bottom. When they landed, she was momentarily winded and he was suddenly free again. He looked at Kiro and me - and I knew beyond any doubt that he would ignore her so that he could end us. We were exposed. The place we had landed offered no cover - nowhere for us to hide.

I sent magic to my portal-stone and changed my home-location to where we were sitting. Just before the male dragon's mouth opened and the rows and rows of pointy teeth became painfully clear, I portaled back to my last return-point.

~~~ Western Border of Brant's Kingdom ~~~

It took me a few moments to figure out where we were. I recognized the terrain, of course, as one of the adventures that I had gone on with my wives and my daughters - but I struggled to figure out which one. I tried to think of the last time I had used the portal-stone.

We were in a valley and - though there was still plenty of daylight left - we were deep enough in the mountains that the shadows were already thick.

I heard a hill giant roar and everything became crystal-clear. At Brant's request, we had gone on a reconnaissance mission to see if the giants had reorganized or if they had split back into their little tribes. Thankfully, they seemed to be reverting back to their old ways.

Unfortunately for Kiro and me, one of the giants had been out hunting and my portal-location happened to be way too close to his quarry. Suddenly, the massive saber-toothed cat that he'd been stalking was more interested in dinner than in evading his tracker. The tracker, for his part, decided that he could bag the cat whenever he wanted. He was now after me instead. I had seen the recognition on his face. He'd been at the battle. He remembered me. He was pissed.

{"How's tricks?"} I asked the dragon, hoping we could portal back.

{"Holding my own so far. Where are you?"}

{"Hill giants. Interrupted one of their hunters. Gonna be busy for a minute or two."}

{"Good luck."}

{"You too."}

Once again, my biggest challenge was keeping Kiro alive. He had his short sword with him and that was it.

"Stab me repeatedly in the heart and the neck," I whispered.

"Are you fucking serious?" he asked.

"I'll keep watch and send the damage at them," I told him. "Give me something to throw. Try to hit the heart. It'll take a half-dozen to kill the giant. I have no clue on the cat."

"You're insane ..."

"Do it," I told him.

I heard the steel slide free. He grunted as he thrust. I grunted as his sword entered my back. I looked down to see the bloody point emerge from my chest.

"Pull it free and do it again," I told him. "Same spot. You did ..."

He stabbed me again.

"Gotta wait until I heal it though," I said.

"What ..? Shit!"

"Try again," I suggested.

He pulled the blade free. This time, instead of talking, I healed myself. He slid the blade in again. The only thing I could think was that it was a damned good thing that my healing didn't leave scar tissue because - from as many times as I had stabbed myself - or convinced somebody else to stab me - I'd have a hell of a lot of scar tissue built up.

The cat was closer. I sent the stab-wound his/her way. His. Balls swinging between his rear legs. I kind of felt sorry that he wouldn't get to unload them again. Wrong place; wrong time.

The cat screeched and I was jarred out of my revelry. I healed Kiro's next strike and sent it at the cat as well. It took four wounds to the heart to take the cat down.

The giant was closing in. Not only did he have a hard-on for me because he recognized me - but now I'd taken his kill. He was coming in hot and Kiro wasn't stabbing me fast enough ...

"Faster ...," I yelled.

Stab. Project. Stab. Project. Stab. Project.

Eight. It took eight stab-wounds to drop the giant. He landed on his face not a foot from where I sat. Kiro pulled his blade free.

"We're good," I told him - just in case he decided to go again.

"My fucking arms hurt," he said, laughing.

"I'm gonna store the cat," I told him. "See if there's anything we want off of the giant."

"We could have him stuffed ...," Kiro said, grinning.

"Mount the head over the fireplace?" I asked. "Not sure Dora will think it enhances the ambiance."

"Probably not," he agreed, laughing.

He found a necklace that we couldn't easily identify, a coin pouch with some crude oversized coins in it, and a pair of size-27 moccasins.

"What the fuck are you gonna do with those?" I asked him.

"Not sure yet," he said. "I'm betting Valeri can repurpose the leather though."

"Probably," I agreed. "We good?"

"Yeah, where we heading now?"

"Let me check ..."

{"You have plans for dinner later?"} I asked the dragon.

{"I'm available now, if you're free,"} she answered, chuckling into my mind.

{"It's a date. Heading your way."}

"Portalling back to the dragon," I warned Kiro.

~~~ Dragon Battlefield ~~~

I held out my hand, he took it with a smile. We were still shaking hands when we returned to the dragon mother.

She was bleeding from several serious-looking wounds but she seemed happy.

"You need me to heal you?" I asked.

"I'm good, I think," she said. "Most of the bleeding has stopped now."

I looked around, trying to figure out how much of the blood that I was standing in was hers. If she said she was better now, she must've been pretty fucked up. The male was definitely fucked up. His head was no longer attached to the rest of his body. He was missing part of his tail and his right forearm (foreleg?) as well.

She saw me looking him over.

"Sorry you had to see that," she said.

"I am and I'm not," I told her. "I totally respect that you self-govern and that means sometimes shit like this is required. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thank you," she said.

Kiro bowed his head to her.

"I thank you for the chance to better understand your kind. This whole thing has reminded me that I'm about to step into a very important position where lots of people depend on me to make the best decision possible - sometimes with not enough information to be sure that I'm choosing correctly."

The dragon looked at him for a moment.

"I worried that it was unwise to bring you along but - hearing your words - and seeing that your true thoughts match them - I'm glad that you were here."

Kiro gave her a kingly bow.

"I must dispose of the body," the dragon informed us, "and then I'll be ready to head home."

The cremation of the male dragon's corpse was something to behold. Her flames alone were barely able to touch him. She had to pour magic into the flames before she was actually able to begin rendering the body into ash. Even with her magically-enhanced flames, it still took over a half-hour for her to finish the work.

We flew home with the dragon and then Kiro and I ran back to the capitol city. It was dark by the time we returned to the palace.

We raided the kitchens for a snack and headed to his apartments. The girls were spending the night in mine. We started a fire in the fireplace, ate our pilfered goodies, drank some mead, and talked about our adventures.

We both fell asleep in the heavily cushioned chairs we'd been sitting in.

~~~

The next day, standing before the massive crowd, Kira's brother knelt before his father. Kira's dad took the crown from his head and placed it on Kiro's. Kiro stood, hugged his dad, and then hugged the woman who would be his step-mother in a few days (after a quiet family-only ceremony).

The new king turned and - in front of a crowd of thousands - took Dora's hands in his.

"Today," he said loudly, "I become your husband. You make me better - like you have so many others. You make me more - once again - as you have for others. You are helpful, giving, and kind to all. I don't remember my life before you. My life began when I found you and I can't imagine being king without having you at my side to guide and help me."

Tears streamed down Dora's face as Kiro placed the ring on her finger.

"You are my true love, my true prince, and my true king," Dora said. "Since our first moment together, you have always treated me like a queen - whether we were alone - or surrounded by others. I will proudly stand at your side until the end of our days and - if the All-Seeing Father allows it - I will gladly and joyfully carry your children."

Dora placed the ring on his finger and then they kissed.

I thought back to that moment when the mage had given me the Mark of the Crown. I decided that it was time for a little payback.

"Hip, hip, ...," I yelled.

The crowd answered, "Hurray!".

I repeated it twice more and they answered each time.

Dora blew me a kiss. Kiro gave me a wink.

Mila swatted me hard on the ass and yelled, "Let's eat!"

~~~ Closing ~~~

These are the annals of Loki, champion of the All-Father, rescuer of the ransomed, defender of the innocent, protector of the oppressed, and the champion to all who have lost hope.

These words are the true and complete record of his arrival in our world and of the genesis of his crusade to make his new home a place of hope for every individual. Written here, by my hand. Signed, Hanna, chief chronicler, biographer, and historian of the realm.

~~~ The End ~~~

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this story series, please favorite it or leave a comment. Doing either of those will send others my way - and that helps me more than you know. If you find a plot mistake or grammatical goof, please email me the details and I'll get it fixed.

As always, I would like to express my undying gratitude to Monagamous_Now for looking over my stuff, figuring out where I've lost my way, and getting me pointed back in the right direction. MN, you rock!