Fledgling Demigod Ch. 08

["He's telling the truth, Galen,"] Rebecca said, genuinely surprised.

Galen nodded slightly. "What's your name, soldier?" he asked.

"Sergeant Cyril Blackburn, my lord," the man answered.

"Sergeant no more, Cyril," Galen said. "Thank you for your honesty. You know the punishment for treason?"

"Aye, my lord," Cyril said regretfully.

"Though I'm not without mercy," Galen said. The man in the cell didn't move a muscle or otherwise react. "You'll not go to the crocs, Cyril." The man's eyes widened. "However, I cannot overturn the judgment you've brought upon yourself."

"I... understand, my lord," the man said.

"What if I were to give you the opportunity to live?" Galen asked.

"My lord?" Cyril asked.

"Do you want to live, Cyril?" Galen asked. "If you were to succeed and live, could you live with yourself for what you've done?"

"I'm not sure, my lord," Cyril replied. "Though if there's a possibility I'd like to try."

"Very well, then," Galen said. "Altus."

"Yes, my lord?" Altus replied.

"Get him a room upstairs," Galen ordered. "Make sure he's well-fed and in relative comfort. Is he any good with a blade?"

"He's as good as any man can be," Altus answered.

"Good," Galen said. "Make sure he's guarded twenty-four seven. He's under house arrest when he's not in the courtyard training with practice swords." He looked back at Cyril. "In one month, there'll be a trial by combat. If you win, you go free provided you leave the emperor's lands and don't come back. If you lose, you die. Agreed?" Cyril nodded somberly.

"Are you sure this is wise, my lord?" Lucinda asked. "This could come back and bite you in the ass."

Galen thought about it for a moment. ["Rebecca?"] he asked his goddess.

["He seems honorable enough,"] she replied. ["He'd rather die in combat than with a rope around his neck. He sees it as his way of regaining his honor."]

["There's that word again,"] Galen mentally spat. Then, out loud he said, "I'm sure. I trust Cyril to be somewhat honorable even though he participated in something so dishonorable."

Lucinda snorted. "Never thought you would be one to cater to morality," she said.

"Yeah, well," he said. "Maybe I'm getting used to your culture."

Galen turned as he walked away and Cyril said, "Thank you, my lord." Galen gave the man a lazy two-fingered wave over his right shoulder without looking back.

They made their way back to the castle in relative silence. Galen's mind was churning and Rebecca interrupted his thoughts before they could spiral down into a pit of grief. ["Remember what I said about Lucinda this morning?"] she asked and a mental image of the writ of marriage to Lucinda entered his mind.

["I haven't forgotten,"] he replied. ["Are you saying I should propose to her tonight?"]

["Why not?"] Rebecca asked. ["She loves you and I know you have strong feelings for her. In her arms, you'll heal quickly."]

["But what if I don't want to heal quickly?"] he asked.

She sighed again. ["Far be it from me to ask you to forget about them, Galen,"] she said in a comforting tone. ["But you can't grieve forever. You're going to have to move on. I'm not going to push you into Lucinda's arms, but you know as well as I do that it will be good for you. And just because you heal doesn't mean you'll forget about them. Miranda and Matilda will always be a part of your life. Elle as well. And who knows? Maybe one day someone can get the intricacies of that portal worked out and you can go back home. But this world needs you now. Whether they know it or not the people of Terra have been waiting for you to show up and save them."]

Galen sighed audibly as they entered the courtyard of the castle grounds. "Are you alright, my lord?" Lucinda asked.

He looked at her and smiled. She was in her full armor but he could still see her eyes and they looked at him curiously. "I believe I will be, Lucy," he said. "Would you have dinner with me tonight?"

"As you will, my lord," she said.

"No," he countered. "I don't want you to take this invitation as an order. I want it to be a request that you are fully able to deny if you wish."

She thought it over for a few minutes and as they entered the castle proper she took her helm off. "My lord, I-"

"I swear by all that is holy, woman, if you don't start addressing me as Galen, Priscilla won't be the only woman in this castle with a red backside," he said with authority but there was mischief in his eyes.

Her face flushed slightly and she squeaked as his hand dropped and patted her gently on her armored butt. She flushed darker and gave him an embarrassed smile. "I would love to dine with you tonight, er, Galen," she said.

He smiled. "My quarters or yours?" he asked. "Or the dining hall, if you're uncomfortable with the private setting."

"Does it matter?" she asked. Then, thinking about it said, "My room is a bit small compared to yours."

"Nevertheless I want you to feel comfortable," he said. Then, with a sobered expression, he said, "I took advantage of you yesterday. I'm very sorry for that and don't want you to think I'm going to try to again."

She looked down in contemplation before answering. "My room, then, if it pleases you, my l-... er... Galen."

"I'll have the staff informed," he said, and stopping, he took her gauntleted hand and kissed it. "I look forward to it," he said with a smile.

She blushed again, though she had a pleased smile on her face. "I'll go make preparations," she said and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek. Her posture was reserved and her movements uncertain, but it didn't deter her from letting him know how she felt about the act. "Thank you," she said and walked away.

"No," he said to her retreating back. "Thank you." When she had disappeared around the corner his face turned down into a slight frown. ["Are you sure about this, Rebecca?"] he asked his goddess. When he didn't get an answer he took a deep breath and let it out in a long, relaxing sigh. He took a step in the direction of the great hall but paused mid-step when heard a slight shuffling behind him.

Turning, he saw Priscilla approaching. Her purple hair was loose and flowing behind her slightly as she walked. Her breasts bounced slightly within the confinement of her scales with every step. The torchlight dancing across her scales gave the illusion of shimmering lights dancing across her body. Galen was momentarily transfixed by her beauty. However, his awe of her melted away like hot wax from a candle when he met her eyes. She had a scowl on her face he recognized.

"Ugh!" she scoffed when she caught him admiring her body. "Stupid human."

Galen sighed as he rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Priscilla?" he asked. "Or did you just come here to scold me for simply existing?"

Her scowl deepened and Galen got the sense that she was being forced to be here right this moment. She huffed and rolled her eyes before speaking. "Matron encouraged me to try and bond with you," she said curtly. "She insisted I invite you to join me for an evening walk."

"And what do you want to do?" Galen asked.

"I'd rather eat a pile of horse shit with a topping of curdled piss," she spat.

"And there you have your answer," Galen said as he turned to go, "descriptive though it was."

"However, mother insisted I make the effort," she said to his back and he paused.

Turning back and giving her a scowl of his own, he said, "Be your own woman, Priscilla. Or, dragon. Whatever. What makes you think I want to spend time with you if you're just going to scowl and insult me the whole time? Hmm? If you don't want to be here, I sure as hell don't want you here."

"But I'm your vassal, now," she spat. "I have to be here."

"Then I'll release you from your vassalage and you can go fly a kite for all I care!" he said, his voice rising in anger.

"My honor would not allow me to go back on my word," she hissed.

"Oh, honor this! Honor that!" he yelled. "To you, honor is nothing more than a show of pride! And as my grandmother used to say, pride comes before a fall."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said through gritted teeth. Her fists were balled up so tight the scales on the back of her hands started to turn black.

"It means you prance around here strutting like a puffed-up peacock," he said. "You walk around as if you own the place, but you forget who put you in your place in the great hall this morning, and that one day your pride is going to get you into more trouble than you can handle. Hell, if I was anyone from this world it might have done just that this morning!"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you threatening me, Lord Galen?" she spat.

He rolled his eyes. "Typical bratty teenager who can't see more than two inches from the front of her nose," he said as he reached up with his index finger and placed it just inches from her face. "No, stupid dragon. I'm giving you a warning. If you can't see it for what it is then that's your problem." Then sighing, he took a deep breath and said, "Look. You're an insanely beautiful woman. Any man would count himself lucky to even look at you, let alone lay with you to rejuvenate your species. But your attitude makes me think of a pile of sludge covered in bat shit when I look at your face. I'll help you renew your species, Priscilla. But not until you get your head out of your ass."

She gaped at him as he turned on his heel and strode away. "AUUGHHHH!!" she screamed in frustration as she stomped her foot. The castle shook and dust came fluttering down from the ceiling from the strength of it. Just before he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, Priscilla said, "I also have a report!" Galen stopped and turned to her with his arms crossed over his chest. Rather than say anything he just stood there. When she didn't respond he just raised a questioning eyebrow at her and cocked his head slightly. Priscilla growled slightly before speaking. "Lillian sends word."

"That's Queen Lillian to you," he corrected. "What did she say?"

"Queen Lillian said her troops will be ready by tomorrow evening," she spat. "Though she wants to know why you don't want them armored and armed for the battle."

"And what did you tell her?" Galen asked.

"I haven't returned correspondence yet," she retorted. "I didn't want to further upset my liege by assuming-" she sneered the word liege before being cut off by Galen.

"I gave you orders to take command of the army at Redd," he said, coldly. "That means all correspondence as well. If you are incapable of carrying out my orders which you already are aware of, I can find someone to replace you and give you a task more suited to your abilities. Maybe, mucking the stalls in the stables?"

Her mouth dropped open again in disbelief before her face contorted in rage again. "I will do as you command, my lord," she said through gritted teeth before turning and storming off.

["Fortunately for her, you'd never utter such a command,"] Rebecca said with a chuckle.

"I'm actually considering it," he said aloud. He didn't care who overheard him talking to himself again. "She needs to be brought down a peg or two."

["You've already brought her down multiple pegs,"] his goddess replied. ["She's fascinated with you. She just doesn't know how to transition from her spoiled brat attitude to convey her interest."]

That pulled Galen up short. ["In other words, she doesn't know how to be nice,"] he said silently as he resumed walking.

["Bingo,"] she said. ["All she's known from a young age is how to be rude and condescending to anyone she meets. Well, except for Dru'skila. She doesn't know how to interact with anyone other than her kind. This is completely new territory for her as all she's known is that every other race is beneath her."]

["Okay, so she doesn't know how to be nice to anybody but those of her race. But she's interested, you say?"] Galen asked.

["Oh, she's more than interested,"] she replied. ["She was positively dripping with desire when you threatened to make her scoop up horse shit."]

Galen blinked again. ["Are you trying to tell me she wants to be dominated?"]

["In her mind, the only way she can stop acting the way she's acting is if someone forces her to,"] she said. ["She still doesn't think you can, though she really, REALLY wants you to. She thinks that once you see her in dragon form you're going to run for the hills in fright, much less dominate her in that form."]

["So, you're saying I have to dominate her to make her stop being a bitch?"] Galen asked.

["No. I'm saying that's what she thinks she needs to stop being a bitch,"] Rebecca clarified. ["You do what you want to do. Dominate her or not, it's your choice."]

Entering the antechamber to his quarters he sat down in the chair at his desk and thought about what he'd just been told. Priscilla was definitely the bitchy princess type and maybe dominating her would help to change her attitude. However, what's to say her attitude changes but only around him? What if he had to leave on a campaign or something and she just reverted to her bitchy self to everyone he cared about while he was gone? No, dominating her, no matter how fun it would be for him, wasn't the answer to changing her attitude.

["I think you're on the right track,"] Rebecca said. ["Though, maybe you could still dominate her at times? She seems to respond to that. Sexually, I mean."]

"What!?" he exclaimed out loud, standing up.

["Uh, she was dripping with desire, remember?"] Rebecca said with a giggle. ["If she were wearing clothing it would have been soaked through. And don't even get me started on how wet she was when you threw her over your shoulder this morning and spanked her ass."]

["How the hell does that work?"] he asked.

["Secrets best kept to find out on your own later, dear"] she said with a mischievous chuckle.

["Speaking of secrets,"] he said and sat back down. ["Have you thought of a new name for yourself?"]

["I'm beginning to wonder who's reading whose mind,"] she said and sighed. ["I have. Though I'm not sure how well it works."]

["Let's hear it,"] Galen said.

["Promise me you won't laugh,"] she asked. Was that a bit of self-consciousness in her tone?

["I make no such promises,"] he said. ["But if I do laugh, consider it a laugh of revelation."]

["What do you mean?"] she asked, confused.

["If I do laugh at your name it will most likely be because it will fit perfectly and I'll be left wondering why I didn't think of it myself,"] he said with a smile.

She suddenly appeared to him as naked Lucinda again and blood immediately surged to his groin. She smiled sweetly down at him before bending over slightly and kissing him softly on the lips. Galen could see her small breasts sway back and forth as she moved and his dick hardened to uncomfortable proportions. "I chose Devi," she said when she pulled back and stood before him once again.

He looked up at her. His face was flushed with desire and his eyes were burning with intensity. "I like it," he said in a hoarse whisper. Then, clearing his throat, he said, "I mean, it's a beautiful name."

She grinned down at him and shimmered. She was now wearing a beautiful flowing green night gown reminiscent of his home world. It was held together by a single button on her chest that accentuated her breasts. It opened up exposing the rippling muscles of her abs before closing just above her pubic area. It tapered at her waist before falling down around her hips like a cascading waterfall.

"It simply means Goddess," she informed him. "You knew that. Are you feeling okay?" she asked playfully as he placed a hand to his forehead. "You had the perfect opportunity to give me shit about it but you didn't."

He reached out and placed his hands on her hips. Pulling her close, he kissed her belly just above her navel. "I was otherwise occupied," he said in a husky whisper as he trailed little kisses down her stomach, only stopping where the fabric of her nightgown prevented him from going further.

She moaned softly as her hips pressed into him for a brief moment. She placed a hand on top of his head and gripped his hair as she pulled back. She tilted his head up to look at her. "I am your goddess," she chastised, and the tone of her voice seemed to be at odds with her words.

"I don't care," he said and reached for her hips again but she pulled away from him.

"You will," she said and disappeared. ["Because if we slept together now it wouldn't be me,"] she said in his head. ["Don't get me wrong. I may be a goddess, but I'm also a woman. A woman with desires no less than any other woman in the universe. But we both know we'll regret it if it's not me."]

Galen sat back in his chair and sighed. She was right, of course. Also, how could he face Lucinda tonight if he slept with her earlier in his room all while she was oblivious to it? No, he'd have to wait to pleasure his goddess when she had a body of her own. "So," he said, trying with everything in his power to get her, no, Lucinda's, beautifully naked body out of his mind. "I assume you're from Earth as well as I am? I heard you mention that movie from back home earlier."

She reappeared in front of him in her guard uniform minus the helm. "I am," she said.

"From the same time as me?" he asked, surprised.

"The last thing I remember was watching Casablanca," she said. "I think it was in a theater. I don't remember much after that. I don't even know why I was ascended to goddess-hood."

"So, Casablanca released in nineteen forty-three, I think," he said. "So you're from that era? Then how do you know about the sparkly vampire movie?"

"When I ascended I had a flash forward of pretty much everything after Casablanca flood my brain in an instant," she explained. "I have no idea why or even how I'm able to retain all that information but there it is," she said as she tapped her right temple. "All stored up there for whatever reason. Almost the instant it stopped I was assigned to you."

"How did that work?" he asked. "Somebody hand you a file with all my information?"

"Not exactly," she said. "I came back into awareness and after the flash, you flooded my brain. I know everything about you down to the most intimate details." She blushed slightly.

"Everything?" he asked.

"Everything," she reiterated slowly.

"Damn," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "Some of this stuff I really didn't need to know but I guess the powers-that-be decided to literally throw me into the cesspool of your depravity."

"Hey now," he said, sounding slightly offended. "I'm not that bad."

She scoffed. "Men of my era literally had no knowledge of what a P-spot is, much less that pleasure could be derived from massaging it." She shot him a pointed expression. His eyes went wide then he blushed to his roots. "Yeah. I didn't need to know that about you, but someone decided I did, I guess."

"Fuck," he said. "Talk about putting a man on the spot."

"The P-spot?" she asked, giggling.

He rolled his eyes but continued to blush. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Make fun of your only follower who didn't even know he was your follower until you told him."

She kissed him on the cheek. "The point is, I didn't ask for you and you didn't ask for me, but for what it's worth I'm glad we're stuck together."

After a brief pause he asked, "Did you mean what you said about me going back home?"

"I did," she said. "Though I'm afraid if you do, you won't be able to stay."

"Why not?" he asked through worried eyes.

"Because your earthly body died and was consumed by the cosmos," she said. "You could probably go home but if you stayed too long this body wouldn't be able to survive."

"What about bringing Elle here?" he asked. "Would she be able to come here?"

"I'm not sure, Galen," she said. "It's possible, probable even, but I can't say with any certainty it would work exactly like yours did. She might wake up a completely different person with a different consciousness or she might not. The complexities of portal travel are relatively new to Terra."