A Dragon's Tale Ch. 54

"You're sure?"

She nodded. "Just be careful."

"I will." He promised again, then looked at his second wife. "Beth?"

"I agree." She nodded, still slowly gyrating her hips around his cock.

"I agree too master."

"Perhaps we could do something about the color of your armor?" Rachel suggested. "Making it able to change color would help a lot." She paused. "Actually, it would've helped many times before."

"I can do that." Alana said. "It's a very low-mana-cost enchantment if I keep it to two colors, so I should be able to do all of his armor before he leaves tomorrow. How about a dark blue-grey color to help hide at night?"

"That should work." Kendra interjected. "The Aldmiri use a color matching that description for simple night-time aerial camouflage."

"Sounds good." Ethan nodded.

"Then it's a good idea my lord."

"I agree Drago."

No one spoke for several seconds, though Beth made a few soft sighs as she kept moving. He was still rock-hard and would've been far more involved and active at any other time. However, his concern for Sarah was somewhat distracting. Now they had a plan though.

"Are you okay?" He asked Alana.

She didn't answer immediately and she didn't look perfectly peaceful. However, she didn't look worried, or anxious, or nervous, or anything like that. Perhaps some weakened version of those, but it wasn't strong enough to qualify.

Alana took a deep breath. "I'm taking a leap of faith. I know you love me, I know you love her, and when you two get married--"

"Not when." He corrected. "She's betrothed, remember."

She looked at him for a long moment. "Andwhen -- not 'if', butwhen -- you two get married, I don't think she'd try to come between us and I trust you enough to not let her if it happens unintentionally."

"I love you Alana, and I promise that she won't come between us."

"I love you too Ethan." She smiled, then looked at Beth with a wink. "Now, would you please hurry so I can have my seat back?"

"Okay." The blonde teen smiled, then her smile became sly. "But I would really love tocum between you two."

"Done." Ethan wrapped an arm around Beth and rolled as he sat up, half tackling Alana with Beth in his arms so the blonde ended up on top of Alana with Ethan still inside of her, sandwiching his second wife in between them. The wood elf yelped slightly in surprise, then began to kiss the blonde's neck and run her hands along her side while Ethan started making her wish come true.

* * *

"Ellis?" Sarah gently shook his shoulder trying to revive the unconscious guardsman. "Ellis, come on."

"Do we have any smelling salts?" Amy asked from beside her as the two women knelt by the side of the road.

Sarah was doing everything in her power not to look at the bodies nearby or think about what had just happened. It was just like the other times, only she didn't usually kill anyone and this time she had. She wasn't sure what to think about that. Those men had certainly been evil and they might've killed them; they almost certainly would've raped them. She wasn't sorry that they were dead, but she wished she could change her role in their deaths.

"Sarah?" Amy said, obviously trying to get her attention in a gentle way.

"Sorry." She shook her head and looked around. "Maybe among some of the supplies?"

"I'll look." Amy started to get up but Sarah put a hand on her arm.

"Let me." She didn't add that it would give her something to do besides think about what had just happened.

She rummaged around in the saddlebags for several minutes before she found what she was looking for. The entire time she was trying not to see the dead bodies out of the corner of her eye. Once she'd found the smelling salts, she returned to the unconscious man, unstoppered the bottle, and then waved it under his nose.

Ellis groaned.

He squeezed his eyes shut and put his hand on his head as he made a few moaning and groaning sounds.

"What happened?" He asked after a few seconds.

"We were attacked." Amy replied. "A mage threw you into a tree."

The man started trying to get up almost instantly, but he was clearly still woozy and lost his balance while still lying down.

"We're safe now." Sarah said quickly so he didn't hurt himself.

"Oh thank Illuminar -- blessed be He."

"Blessed be He." Sarah and Amy echoed.

"Give me a few minutes to heal myself." He groaned again and relaxed on the ground, looking like he could use a long nap.

Several minutes later he opened his eyes and sat up, blinking and slowly shaking his head.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked.

He nodded. "Lord Delmar insists that his castle guards be able to heal themselves and others; I'll live." He winced. "This headache though."

"How can we help?" Sarah asked.

Ellis looked around at the slightly mangled bodies, then at Sarah.

She nodded but didn't meet his eye.

"Brigands?" He asked.

She nodded again.

"They made it sound like they were going to..." Amy trailed off as she looked at the other woman present. "Sarah saved us."

"I have a small trenching shovel." He said after a moment. "A shallow grave is the best I can do, but they should be buried."

"I'll help." Sarah said, then swallowed hard. "You shouldn't have to clean up after what I did, especially in your condition."

Ellis stood up.

He didn't look like he was in perfect health, but he didn't waver on his feet either. "After the trials that I had to pass to qualify for Lord Delmar's castle guard, this is nothing."

"I should still help." Sarah said quietly.

"If you wish miss." He nodded.

It took longer than she thought it would to accomplish the task. Ellis picked a spot with soft earth just off the road and after some debate had allowed Sarah to start digging. She was no stranger to using a shovel and did reasonably well while Ellis dragged the bodies over. Sarah did her best not to look at them. Ellis took the shovel from her and started digging when that was done; he was very fast.

It wasn't long before the hole was large enough and Sarah insisted on helping him put the bodies in it. Since she was wearing a self-cleaning dress, she also insisted on helping him put the earth back into the hole. She was muddy and sweaty when they were done, but she felt like she needed to do this. Amy helped however she could, but there wasn't much she could do.

Ellis stowed the shovel and returned to the mounded earth. He glanced at the ladies and then began to recite the core words of a funeral service. "A man's spirit comes from Illuminar and to Illuminar it returns; blessed be He."

"Blessed be He." Amy and Sarah echoed, the latter trying to keep her eyes dry. Not for the men who had died, but for what she had done.

She sniffled slightly.

Ellis continued. "As Illuminar formed man out of the earth, so we return these men to the earth. May Illuminar have mercy on their souls."

"Amen." Sarah and Amy said. If they had been burying good men, they would've said: 'May Illuminar welcome them into His rest' instead of asking for mercy on their souls. These weren't good men. Despite that, Sarah couldn't help but blink to keep the liquid in her eyes from spilling onto her cheeks.

Ellis looked at Sarah. "You are a good woman miss."

Sarah looked at him. "What?"

"Those tears are either for these wicked men or for regret at your actions." He replied. "Either speaks well of you. You insisted on helping to bury them, plus your friends and superiors at the castle think the world of you. You are a good woman miss"

"I let it out." Sarah admitted quietly, not wanting to mislead him by not saying anything. "I could've kept it in longer, but I chose not to. I let it out."

She felt her throat get tight.

It was only the second time she'd intentionally let her demon out, the other time being to protect her father not long before meeting Ethan. She didn't know how to feel about that. She had intentionally allowed a demon to manifest.

"You did it to save Amy, miss." Ellis replied after a moment. "I won't say that it was right, but I understand."

"I had more control this time." Sarah said after a few moments as she looked at the graves. "Or maybe I should say that I was less out of control. I think that's because I chose to let it out, but I was able to stop it from... Well, it could've been worse."

She swallowed, the tightness of her throat making it a bit harder.

"That changes nothing that I said." Ellis replied. "I am truly sorry for my part in you leaving Karnas." He hesitated. "I do believe that castle is poorer for your leaving it."

Sarah smiled slightly at his kind words. "Really?"

He nodded. "I jumped to a conclusion about you as I wager many others have. It is their loss. You are a good woman, miss."

"Thank you." Despite the events of the afternoon, her heart was a little lighter as they got back underway. For nearly her entire life, people had shrunk away from her when they learned about her demon. Now, she was meeting people who didn't, people who saw her demon as a problem she struggled with and not something that defined her.

She smiled as she thought about Ethan and about how he had been the first person to point out that her problem didn't need to define her. Despite the dark events earlier that afternoon, she felt better about her problem than she had in a good long while.

* * *

"Thanks, but what is it?" Ethan asked as he held the three-foot wide disc of what looked like dragon steel. Luminar Kossel had just given Ethan the gift that he had promised in his letter some time ago, right after he and his wives had emerged from the captain's cabin. It was very late afternoon bleeding into the early evening and Anthiel was starting dinner behind him.

The gift was a fairly flat ring of dragon steel with a three-foot void in the middle. It was only an eighth of an inch thick and the rim around the three-foot opening was only two inches wide. Ethan, all his wives, and Selene were all looking at it.

"Is that dragon steel?" Alana asked, her jaw dropping.

Luminar Kossel nodded. "It is."

"But that must be worth..." The wood elf stared at it.

"A lot." The luminar finished her sentence when she didn't.

"What does it do?" Beth asked.

"It doesn't do anything... without its counterpart."

"Counterpart?" Ethan and Beth asked at the same time.

"I'll get it." The luminar turned and went back to the other airship, only to return with another ring of dragon steel. This second ring was identically sized to the first one but was twice as thick. As the luminar got closer, he turned it so they could see the other side.

The other side had eight gemstones embedded in it, all equally spaced around the outside of the disc. The overall design looked rather familiar though, and it took him a moment to place where he'd seen--

"Oh!" Beth gasped as Alana and Rachel sucked in their breath.

"It's a portal." Alana said after a moment, then she looked at the two pieces. "A linked pair of portals." She looked at the one with the gemstones and then at Luminar Kossel. "I assume the primary one can only open a portal to its counterpart."

He nodded.

"Oh." Rachel lifted her head slightly. "These are for..." She smiled. "That's really thoughtful."

"I try." The luminar smiled.

"What are they for?" Taloni asked.

"Your parents." Luminar Kossel said to Ethan. "From what I've heard--" He glanced at Kendra. "--you have family on Earth that you would like to see again. These will allow that if you can get the receiving ring to them."

Ethan stared.

"You're kidding." He said after several breathless moments, trying to wrap his head around this. He could see his parents again?

Truly?

He had thought that he would never...

His jaw dropped. He could see his parents again? And maybe not just a quick visit, but actually see them again? He could spend a day with them and actually have a relationship with them? He'd thought he would never see them again, but now... He hadn't realized that he was smiling widely until his 'smile muscles' started protesting.

"You're serious?" He finally asked, looking at the portals again. They were large enough to easily crawl through but small enough not to take up much space.

"I am." Luminar Kossel replied. "The enchantments are prepared so that you will need to put a drop of deep mana into both rings. The enchantments are loose enough that anyone who is bonded to you should be able to activate them as well."

"Thank you; thank you so much." Ethan chuckled slightly, not quite believing what he was hearing but loving it anyway. He looked at his wives. "Does anyone want to meet...?" He trailed off as he realized that he had five wives. That certainly wasn't something his parents were expecting because he and Alana purposely hadn't mentioned his other wives when they'd visited.

"That will be... interesting." Alana frowned.

Rachel swallowed hard and pressed her lips together.

"Will they be okay with the fact that you have multiple wives Master?" Talon's wings fluttered a bit.

"Um, I hope so." He frowned. "They might not be okay with it initially, but once they get to know you all, I'm sure they will be..." He paused. "...I think..." He hesitated. "...I hope."

"I hope so too Dominus." Beth said. "I would love to meet them and see what they're like. I hope they like me."

"I'm sure they will." Ethan replied. "You know, once they get used to the fact that they have five daughters-in-law but only one son."

"Tell them that they will get more grandchildren." Luminar Kossel suggested. "My mother -- may Illuminar rest her soul -- would've overlooked almost any sin if it was prefaced with that."

"He's not wrong." Alana smiled as she looked at her fellow wives. "The smile on her face when she found out that I was pregnant was..." She paused, probably looking for the right word. "...well she looked as happy as most of us did when we married Ethan."

"Really?" Rachel asked.

Alana nodded. "She was very nice too. I think it'll be okay. I think."

"I can't meet them unless they come here Master." Taloni pointed out. "I fainted the moment I stepped through the portal, remember?"

"I do." He replied. "Honestly, it might be better if Alana and I can convince them to meet everyone here. They'll be so shocked by portals, magic, airships, and everything else that they won't be so shocked by all of you."

"I like that idea." Rachel said quietly.

Alana took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and the redhead looked less nervous afterwards. Ethan smiled; Alana was so incredibly good for Rachel and it was heartwarming to see.

"Drago, would it be okay if -- just occasionally -- I used the portal to visit Selene?" Kendra asked.

"It would be more than okay, and you can visit more than occasionally." He replied with a wide smile.

For the first time since they had learned about Selene's imminent departure, the raven-haired woman didn't seem like she wanted to cry. Granted she was good at hiding how she felt, but his bond with her always told the true story. She was still sad, but there was some joy mixed with her sadness to counterbalance it.

It was good to feel.

Kendra got the edge of a smile on her face and then she frowned as she looked at their guest. "And what do you get out of this? That much dragon steel would cost an absolute fortune, not to mention the cost of someone enchanting it for you."

"Ah Kendra, some things never change." The luminar chuckled. "The dragon steel I collected myself over many years, I simply pulled some from my stash. Elder Goman is both an archmage and the Ten Kingdom's foremost expert on portals, in addition to being an old friend. When I told him it was for your husband, he happily obliged."

"That doesn't answer what you get out of it." Kendra pointed out.

"I getalmost nothing out of it." Their guest replied.

"Almost nothing isn't nothing." Kendra pointed out.

"I'm hoping to get enough goodwill that you'll remember the favor that I called in from you." The luminar replied.

"Why do you want us to capture Lady Ekthros instead of killing her?" Ethan asked.

"That is my business." He replied calmly as if he was simply refusing to say what his bank account balance was to a total stranger.

"And why don't you capture her yourself?" Kendra asked.

"I had the chance long ago; couldn't bring myself to take it." Their guest replied. "Now, she is too well connected and me capturing her would cause problems with some... associates of mine."

"And it wouldn't cause problems if you were holding her?" Kendra asked, clearly skeptical.

"My dear Mrs. Ejder, let me worry about that." Kossel replied. "I cannot be the one to collect her and that is all you need to know."

Ethan raised his eyebrow

Luminar Kossel looked back at him and Ethan got the distinct impression that their guest wouldn't reveal his reasons even under direct torture. He had seldom seen someone so calmly determined before. He frowned, considering for several moments before deciding that nothing had really changed. He still owed the man big time for saving him from Kendra and for instigating his marriage to Alana, not to mention the portals he had just given to them.

"And you would just get goodwill?" Ethan finally asked as he looked at the portals that would allow him to see his parents at will.

"Just goodwill."

"That's a hell of a lot of effort to put in for just some goodwill." He pointed out.

"It is." Their guest acknowledged.

"He spent the last few hours helping to prep me for my mission to Earth." Selene said. "The only thing he asked in return was that I call Smithbond 'Clive' or 'Agent Humphry' once for him."

"You want them to know you're here?" Kendra asked.

"Given everything I've told Selene, they'll know someone from the original mission survived." The luminar replied. "My term of service ended years ago and they wouldn't trust me anymore anyway." He paused. "That's assuming they could find me and force me to come back."

"I suppose that would be hard to do to Balyeera." Ethan said, remembering the nickname their guest had earned while working with the Aldmiri. Apparently it was the name of Luminar's Angel of Death, which said a lot about the man who had earned the nickname.

Kossel looked at Serif. "Someone has been telling stories."

"My apologies if I was out of line." Serif said with a tone of deep respect, bordering on reverence.

Luminar Kossel was standing close enough to Serif that their guest could reach out and smack the crewman upside the head.

Which he did.

It reminded Ethan of how Serif often corrected Raklan, and it was a total NCIS-style 'Gibb's slap'.

"Discretion Serif, discretion; we will talk about this later." Luminar Kossel chided, then turned back to Ethan and his wives.

Everyone stared at him.

"What?" Kossel said with an amused smile. "Where do you think he learned it?"

* * *

Kendra wandered over to the Midnight Sun after dinner as the sky began to fade from daytime into twilight. Falkaan's ship was still docked with the Argo but the man and his pilot had declined to join them for dinner. There was a single lantern on the Midnight Sun's deck, though Kendra knew the dark elf didn't need it. It was likely for Damon, his pilot.

After dinner, Luminar Kossel had informed Serif and Raklan that they were going for a walk on the ground below to discuss discretion. Serif had merely nodded, but the burly crewman looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the sweet roll tin.

It had been amusing to watch.

Kendra smiled as she stepped on the Midnight Sun; it looked much like it always had and it was good that some things never change. The navy blue paint had faded and the deck wasn't as clean as the Argo's, but the ship was in good shape otherwise. Most of the ship looked like it had seen better days, but everything important looked strong and in perfect repair.