A Dragon's Tale Ch. 31

It worked.

The leather was still floppy because it was just a test piece and didn't have a hardening enchantment. However, it stuck fast to his forearm, having been summoned to exactly the point he desired.

A wide grin split his face as Alana, Beth, Taloni, Rachel, and Selene all clapped.

"How hard does it stick?" Beth asked.

"Try to pull it off." He replied.

The blonde walked up, grabbed the leather, and gave it a good hard tug. It shifted slightly, but stayed attached to his arm. The slender blonde wasn't exactly the strongest member of the crew though. His other wives tried, but had much the same result. Finally, Serif nudged Raklan forward. The hulking crewman gave it a hard yank with one hand and it shifted quite a bit, but didn't come off. Then Raklan grabbed it with both hands and put some muscle into it and the piece came off in his hands.

"Heh." He smiled holding the piece up.

Ethan shrugged, and then summoned it again. It leapt out of Raklan's loose grip and onto his arm again where he locked it onto his arm.

"I'd say it works." He said. "Raklan had to use a fair bit of force and I can always just return it."

"Let me try." Serif said, who didn't look nearly as strong as Raklan.

"Be my guest."

The slender crewman grabbed it with one hand and jerked hard; it shifted, but stayed attached. Then he grabbed with two hands and put some muscle into it, which did the trick.

"So a strong man could pull a plate off, but he'd need to get a good two-handed grip." Ethan observed.

"Yes, but he probably won't be able to get a good grip most of the time." Rachel said with a smile. "And like you said, you can always summon the armor piece if it does come off."

"Yup." Ethan summoned it back to his arm, stuck it, and then deactivated the sticking enchantment so the piece fell to the wooden decking, then summoned it to his arm again. "Damn, that's pretty cool." He said grinning ear-to-ear.

"So now that we know it works, I suppose the next step is to enchant the other practice leather pieces with sticking and hardening enchantments so we can make sure you can move in them." Alana said. "You won't be able to summon them, but this way we'll know that the armor will fit properly when we start on the dragon leather."

"Agreed." He nodded. "I'd rather get the whole thing made in regular leather and get everything sorted before we cut into the dragon leather."

"Well, I'll get enchanting." The wood elf said, then turned to his other wives. "You ladies up for donating regular mana to help speed things along."

"Yes." They all chorused as one.

"You know, it'll be pretty cool riding into battle with armor that was enchanted with mana from all my wives." Ethan observed. "It'll be kind of like you're all there protecting me."

"Smooth." Selene said at the rapturous looks on his wives' faces.

"I try." He winked.

"Everyone donating mana will make it go a lot faster." Alana said, still grinning ear-to-ear. "It took me a few days to do the shafts for your hammer and spear, but with all of you helping with mana, it'll go a lot faster."

"And meditating to regenerate mana." Taloni piped up. "We can all do that and your armor should be done in no time master."

"Oh, your right!" Alana exclaimed. "Plus, the hardening and sticking enchantments we'll need for the mock-up take far less mana than a summoning enchantment. We should be able to finish the mock-up in just a day or two."

"That works, because I'll need to start enchanting the hard points on my body for the sticking enchantment." Ethan mused. "It'll take me a while, so I'm not quite ready for the real thing yet anyway."

"You know, we only need to mock-up the major large pieces, and only half of them to start." Rachel mused. "We can just mirror image the ones for the other side of his body."

"Perfect!" Ethan rubbed his hands together. "Thank you so much, O' wise redhead."

Everyone except Selene laughed; she looked confused.

"Inside joke; remind to explain some time." Ethan explained.

"Oh."

"Actually." Alana looked at the sky, which had plenty of daylight left in it. "If we all hustle really hard, I bet we could get half the large pieces done before bed; especially if you're willing to stay up a bit."

"Are you willing to do that?" Ethan asked.

"To protect you, yes sir!"

"Absolutely Dominus."

"I'd love to master."

"If it'll help keep you safe, nothing would make me happier my lord."

He sighed. "You're all the most wonderful women in the world, you know that."

They mobbed him in a group hug, then separated to begin their work.

"They all seem to adore you." Selene observed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty lucky."

"No, no one isthat lucky." Selene shook her head. "There must be something else going on here; some reason they all adore you so much, and you them."

"Why Miss Dawson, are you saying an average, unimpressive guy like me couldn't get four beautiful, lovely, sweet, kind, and caring women on charm alone?"

She raised her eyebrow.

"Fair point." He replied. "It must have something to do with the bonding." He shrugged. "I'll think about that later; right now I've got a ton of enchanting on myself to do."

For some reason -- he wasn't sure why -- but he got the impression that Selene would be thinking about it much more than he would.

* * *

"Here you go." Sarah said as she set the roast mutton and biscuits in front of the man with the pegged leg. Since they had almost no visitors, she'd prepared some food that could feed their only guest without wasting leftovers.

"Thank you kindly." He said and tucked in with gusto. "It's good." He said after the first bite. Well, actually in the middle of chewing the bite.

"Thank you." Sarah beamed.

"Go ahead and ask." He said as she hesitated.

"Ask what?"

"About the leg; everyone does."

"Did you lose it to orcs?"

He nodded his head. "Yup, a couple of them little ones -- goblins -- took a bite outta' me leg, but my buddies helped me get away from the bigger ones: orcs. The doc had to amputate so I didn't lose it to gangrene."

"I'm sorry." She said as her face fell. She couldn't imagine what it must've been like to go through that.

"Me too, but there's nothing fer it now."

"You think the dragon can help?"

"I hope so, elsewise we ain't got much hope."

"I hope for your sake he comes soon then." She said. "I'll say a prayer to Illuminar that he does."

The man made a thoughtful sound. "You pray? With your condition?"

She nodded. "I am a precious daughter of Illuminar, and He loves me very much." She recited, remembering Gabriella's words. "Besides, it's not the well who need a doctor, but the sick."

"Been reading the book of Light I see."

"Something like that." She replied not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to admit that she couldn't read.

He nodded and went back to his food.

Sarah retreated to the kitchen, then into her room. She sat down on the bed and looked up. "Dear Illuminar -- blessed be you -- please help the dragon to come here soon so he can help our guest. And please make me good."

She looked around to room, missing Selene. She had really liked having the other woman here and was half tempted to ask Illuminar to help her come back quickly, but felt like that might be selfish. She lay back on the bed, her mind drifting to the dragon, and Selene, and Rindrin her betrothed. He really was a good man, just...

Her mind drifted to her often imagined fantasy that the dragon would visit and fall in love with her, and being a prophet of Illuminar, be able to get rid of her problem. Then he would marry her and...

And...

She thought about Alana and Beth, and couldn't imagine what she could possibly have that they didn't. She really couldn't see any reason why the dragon fall might in love with her, not when he already had such wonderful wives.

* * *

Rachel stifled a yawn as she started walking towards her hammock on the lower decks out of habit, only stopping when Alana called her name.

"Rachel, where are you go... go..." The wood elf yawned. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, right." She smiled and turned to follow the brunette into the captain's cabin, where Ethan, Beth, and Taloni were already flopped on the bed. Outside the large window which covered the entire rear of the captain's cabin, night had well and fully fallen. Everyone else in the room was flopped down on the bed and either yawning or looking like they were dozing.

"Well, we did it." Alana announced as she too flopped onto the bed.

"I'll start working with Serif to make sure we can get all the pieces we need out of the dragon hide." Rachel offered.

Ethan raised his hand and gave her a thumbs up, but didn't respond. He looked wiped; utterly exhausted. He had spent a fair bit of time training after he had finished enchanting himself for the sticking enchantment, which accounted for his exhaustion.

"I never realized enchanting was so exhausting." He said after a minute. "I've only got about half the spots done today."

"Yeah, it can take a lot out of you." Alana agreed as she lay with her knees hanging off the bed. "Though sparring with Raklan afterwards probably didn't help."

He grunted in agreement.

Rachel smiled.

They were all laying haphazardly in various positions indicating just how tired they were, but also how close they were. It seemed like everyone was touching everyone else and it looked so natural; like they had been born doing this. The only trouble was, she wasn't sure where she fit in.

"Okay beautiful, spill." Ethan said without opening his eyes or turning his head.

"Who do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"Fair point, you're all beautiful." He said. "But I meant the one wife who's standing slightly awkwardly by the bed and feeling somewhat unsure."

"Guilty as charged." She admitted.

"Come here." He tiredly as he beckoned her with his hand.

She smiled and crawled onto the bed with him. There really wasn't a lot of room though, and she ended up climbing over Alana and laying right next to the wood elf's head.

"I'm just not sure where I fit." The redhead admitted once Ethan put an arm around her.

"Right here with us." Taloni said, moving a bit and flopping her upper torso over Rachel's legs in an undeniably affectionate way. "You fit right here with us perfectly."

"Aww, thank you."

"She's right." Beth said, and then flopped one of her arms so it also was touching the redhead.

"Agree one hundred percent." Alana added, then scooched up so her head was touching the newest wife's stomach.

Rachel was surprisingly comfortable as her eyes got slightly moist at their response. She was surrounded by Ethan and his other wives, and they were all making her feel so welcome.

She sighed happily.

"Marrying you was the best decision I ever made my lord."

"Hear, hear." He said.

They all laid like that for several minutes before Ethan made a thoughtful sound.

"Mmm?" Alana stirred slightly like she'd just woken up from a miniature nap.

"What are you thinking?" Beth asked him sleepily.

"Actually, I was thinking about Kendra." He replied.

"You were master?" The Fey popped her head up.

"Yeah. I just got to thinking about the insane amount of loneliness I felt from her when we bonded. I was wondering if something like this would help her with that."

"I think it would master, and I'm glad you see it that way."

"Yeah." He nodded and then yawned. "Anyway, we should sleep. Big day tomorrow."

"Yup, we should arrive at Nalatia around noon tomorrow." Taloni said after she finished a mirroring yawn.

"Someone's probably going to get more docking practice." Ethan said, patting the Fey on the arm.

"I could definitely use some 'docking practice' master." She said, then blushed.

"That would require moving." He pointed out.

No one moved.

"Okay, 'docking practice' for everyone in the morning then." He announced.

They all sighed.

"Okay then, we should probably all get into some semblance of order to sleep." He said after a minute.

Again, no one moved.

Rachel smiled as her eyelids fluttered closed seemingly of their own accord. She figured she'd rest her eyes for a few minutes and then move so they could all lay like civilized people on the bed, instead of a tangled mess of very tired spouses. That was her last thought before she drifted off to sleep, touching all the people she loved most in the world.

* * *

Kendra laid down on her little airship and looked up at the night sky, which was filled with stars. It was a great view, and one she'd taken comfort in on many a lonely night.

Not this one though.

Her mind kept dragging itself back to breakfast the previous day when she'd sat around the breakfast fire with Ethan and company. It was the nicest breakfast that she could remember having since... since... maybe ever? Certainly since her parents had died. She had loved it; truly loved it. For some reason, that gaping hole of loneliness in her heart hadn't seemed so deep during those precious few hours.

She felt a smile creep unbidden onto her face as she remembered them.

Ethan had even said that she was welcome to visit his ship any time. No one had ever done that for her before. Well, no one who knew who she was. It had happened while she was undercover, but usually it was men who were only trying to get her into their bed.

Ethan wasn't trying to do that, yet he still offered.

She smiled.

She still didn't like the dragon himself of course because, dragon; but the wives and Selene were good company. She still hated that she was bonded to him, but maybe she could just avoid him. The ship was decently sized and it seemed likely that she could stay mostly out of his way. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe she could stay on the Argo for a few days once she'd returned from Arcanum.

She smiled at that thought.

* * *

Rachel drifted back to consciousness, vaguely aware that she wasn't in the same position as when she'd fallen asleep. She could feel someone's naked skin touching her and naked arms wrapped around her. Somehow she knew it was Alana. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew it in her bones. Her own arms were wrapped around the wood elf, but she didn't feel any scales touching her. She sighed, supposing that she couldn't have Ethan all to herself. The other wives wanted him just as much as she did, and it wouldn't be right to deprive them.

Besides, Alana was there.

The redhead allowed herself to doze for a minute before she realized that the 'blanket' that was covering her didn't feel like cloth. She peeked and smiled as she saw that it was Ethan's wing. He was laying with another wife in his arms; Taloni perhaps, and beyond that was probably Beth. He was facing his two youngest wives, but still had his wings around herself and Alana.

Rachel smiled as she looked at the wood elf, whose back was snuggled up against her husband and her arms were around the redhead. Something felt so perfect with her there. The redhead readjusted slightly to be more comfortable -- and closer to her -- and felt their naked skin rub together. It was a wonderful feeling, but of course she wasn't getting turned on by it.

That would just be weird...

Right?

It would be incredibly strange to be turned on by your naked best friend snuggling with you. Besides, Rachel wasn't interested in women that way at all. She zero interest; none whatsoever. She readjusted her hips, feeling a slight itch in them that must be coming from... uh... from not having sex with Ethan the previous night? Yes, that must be it. It certainly couldn't be because Alana's soft thigh kept gently brushing her mound as they both breathed.

That wasn't it at all...

Was it?

Alana adjusted herself in her sleep, and somehow her cheek ended up between Rachel's breasts.

The redhead froze.

The lovely wood elf breathed deeply in her sleep and the exhale made warm breath pass over Rachel's nipple. It almost instantly firmed up, sticking out of her chest like it was reaching for her best friend's lips. Rachel caught her breath and suppressed a sigh.

It felt good.

Really good...

...too good.

Alana continued slowly breathing in her sleep, obviously unaware of what the simple act of breathing was doing to the redhead. There was a slow, steady stream of air passing over her nipple now. Cooler when she inhaled, warmer when she exhaled. Her nipples had long since become hard.

Rachel lay like this for several minutes, trying to ignore the tantalizing sensations the wood elf was unknowingly inflicting on her body. It almost felt like torture; they were strong enough to stimulate her, but not nearly strong enough to give her any real satisfaction.

In the back of her mind, she remembered what Alana had previously told her about kissing Ethan's other wives onboth sets of lips; upper and lower. The moment the idea occurred to her, she felt a slight burst of arousal and became aware that her slit felt moist. She reached down to discover that she was wrong. It wasn't moist; it was actually, legitimately wet.

She blushed.

It must be because Ethan's wing was touching her...

Right?

There was no other explanation, was there? It certainly couldn't be because the lovely, beautiful, and kind Alana was snuggled up against her and seemingly perfectly content. No, no that couldn't be it...

Could it?

* * *

Alana was dreaming that she and Rachel were holding each other in bed with Ethan. It was wonderful to be held by the redhead and she completely relaxed into her best friend. It took a while for her to realize that she was slowly waking up, and the dream world was perfectly synchronized with the real world.

She could help but smile.

As she did so, she realized that her cheeks were pressed into a part of Rachel that had rather a lot of cushion. Being quite slender and toned, the redhead didn't have many of those except... Her eyes fluttered open and she was greeted by the sight of a very cold -- or possibly aroused -- nipple. She blushed and moved her head away, finding the marvelous blue eyes of her newest co-wife as she did so.

"Morning." She yawned.

"Morning." Rachel replied. She looked perfectly and incandescently happy, but there was a sensual hunger in her eyes too; not blazing on the surface, but simmering in the background.

Alana started stretching, only realizing after she started that stretching like that it would allow the redhead to see her naked for the first time. She had a hint of nerves about that, but it was too late to stop now without being obvious.

Rachel averted her eyes anyway.

"I don't mind if you see me." Alana mouth ran ahead of her brain when she had finished stretching. "You're going to anyway and you're my best friend; I really don't mind."

Rachel looked down at her face, but appeared to be determinedly keeping her eyes there.

Alana raised her eyebrow and again, her mouth started speaking before her brain had the sense to stop it. "You might as well look now so it's not awkward later."

Rachel seemed to freeze.

The wood elf sighed, then arched her back to put herself on display for the teen mage. The redhead looked down, apparently not able to stop herself as she slowly took the wood elf's obdy. Rachel's pretty blue eyes slowly traveled down her body and then back up to meet the wood elf's rich hazel eyes.

"You're beautiful." Rachel whispered hoarsely.

She blushed. "Thank you; so are you."

Without thinking about it, she leaned in for a hug, which the redhead accepted mutely. The wood elf felt like her heart was glowing at her best friend's praise, and she very much wanted to--

A shadow passed over the bed, which was strange because they were in the Argo's captain's cabin. She glance down and it looked to be the shadow of another airship. She assumed they were getting close to the Nalatia docks.