TRC - Lord of the Glass Desert Ch. 24

"I didn't think it was that funny," Kal smirked. "I'm not sure I want the last thing I see in this world to be my own gigantic cock. You know, on second thought..."

"No, no. It wasn't that. I just got this image in my head of you trying to have sex with her big body and..." the mermaid's explanation devolved into another fit of giggles.

"Okay, that is kind of funny," he agreed.

"You don't need to worry about that," said Emru, finally looking up at him. "During the mating season, I have a hard time not singing, and male whales sometimes approach me. I'll admit I tried it, and it was satisfying in a way but not very pleasurable. I vastly prefer sex with this body and have no desire to do it again."

"I'm not sure why but that's a little bit of a relief. It helps to know that you want me. Not me specifically, but human men."

"Why?"

"Because if you regularly had sex with your non-magic counterparts, it would be a lot harder to see you as a monster girl."

"And what about this?" Hali asked, tapping the arm still wrapped around Emru's avatar. "Is this helping too?"

"It actually is," the mage replied. "What I did earlier may have been for show, but it got me here long before I expected, so I'm trying to use that."

"If you were so scared of her, how are you even able to do this?"

"I'm not scared of her, Hali, and I never was. The creature I met in the past was cruel and saw humans as food. She saw me as a father for her future children, who would later become food. The very idea of sex with something like that disgusted me so much I wanted to vomit. That happened months ago, and the memory still turns my stomach."

"And seeing me slumped and sagging the same way brought back those bad memories," said Emru.

"Exactly, but looking like a dead human didn't help. A good way to put it is that my heart understands you and the sandworm are not the same kind of creatures and have very different personalities. However, my mind can't easily dismiss the similarities between the two of you and drags me back to those feelings of disgust. If I had met you first, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation."

"They're about done loading the first longboat," Kashka sent over the bond.

Kal looked over to see the Scarlet bitch off in the distance. They had traveled much further than he expected. "We should be getting back. They're almost ready for you again."

As the whale beneath began her gradual turn, Hali stared up at Kal, her expression thoughtful.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"Do you think it would help to add a third?"

"How do you mean? A third what?"

"A third person. Naivoo and I have played around with Emru several times, as have a few of the other crew. What if there was a third that both of you could make love to at once without actually touching each other?"

Kal looked down at the avatar as he thought back to working with Yalli. He believed that sex and the resulting orgasms played a crucial role in helping her overcome her past at the hands of slavers. His situation was nowhere as severe as the armadillo's experiences, and he didn't see any reason why the same technique might not work.

"I'm willing to try if Emru is. Are you offering to be the third?"

Hali's face fell. "No. As much as I want to, I think Naivoo would be better. She can match your size with her tentacles and copy whatever you do directly over to Emru."

"Hearing that, I guess I can't assume you just wanted another turn with me," Kal chuckled.

"I do, I really do. Say the word, and you can have me right here, right now. But I want to help Emru have a baby, so I'll wait my turn."

"Since Kal agreed to your idea, I'm tempted to say it's okay," said the whale's avatar, "but I don't think I could take watching you two make love."

"Is that your way of saying you are okay with a third?" Kal asked.

Emru nodded, "I am. I said I'd swim to the ends of the earth to have a child that wasn't conceived in mindless lust. This feels like very little to ask of me.

"Now, we just need to clear things with Naivoo, but I can guarantee she will be happy to help," he said while releasing the whale's avatar and stepping back.

A cute whine escaped Emru's lips as he let her go, but she stayed in place despite a strong urge to chase after him. Her eyes flicked downward, and she frowned with disappointment. He wasn't even slightly aroused.

"Give it time, and we'll get this done right," he said, noticing her glance. "Kashka and I are going to explore the town a little since this is our first time in Azumbaho, and we may or may not be coming back to the ship tonight. I'll make sure Naivoo is willing to help before we leave, then we can set up a time for the three of us to get together when I get back."

"Thank you," she replied before looking back toward The Scarlet Bitch.

Emru swam a little faster on the return trip, and soon they would pull around to the port side of the ship and begin unloading the second longboat. In the rigging, they could make out Ratt carrying the pulley to the opposite yardarm with Kashka in tow. It wouldn't move again until they loaded the boats tomorrow night.

As they came around the ship's stern, Kal only glanced at the sprawling city in front of him before his eyes were drawn to the loop of rope Roka dangled off the side of The Bitch.

Hali sidled up to Kal. "Grab my ass," she whispered. "This can be how you thank me for my idea."

Smirking, the mage reached behind the mermaid and ran his hands over the smooth skin of her backside. She gasped quietly as he gripped her asscheek and pulled up, exposing her rear entrance. Hali put a hand on his shoulder to steady herself and tilted her hips back as she felt one of his fingers brush across the skin between her ass and sex. The woman shivered as the finger dipped into the slickness of her pussy, then bit her lip to keep from moaning as it moved up to the wrinkled skin around her pucker.

Casting him a sidelong glance, Hali asked, "Promise to go further next time we get together? I haven't had a man back there." She pressed back, then her eyes popped open as Kal's finger slipped inside to the first knuckle.

"Did I put you in a mood this morning?" Kashka asked over the bond.

"Maybe," he replied while slowly pushing the rest of his finger past the tight ring of muscle as Hali stifled a moan.

"As much as you're enjoying this, I can hardly believe I'm your first back here," he said, sliding the finger in and out.

"I said, 'man.' Do you think I managed to escape Naivoo's obsession with putting her tentacles in women's asses."

"Good point," Kal chuckled as he finally let his finger slip free of her bottom.

Hali shivered and walked over to Emru's side, then looked back over her shoulder. "Don't take too long with the rest of the crew. I want my next turn as soon as possible," she said before diving into the water.

"I'm calling us even for letting you do that!" Emru shouted when the mermaid surfaced a moment later to grab the loop of rope. The avatar started when Kal lightly gripped her shoulders and pulled them upward.

"You'll need to practice your posture until it becomes second nature to stand properly," said the mage. Your body went more and more limp as you watched me finger Hali."

"It was a little distracting," she said heatedly, "and I wanted to be in her place."

"Hmm. Naivoo get to you too?"

Emru blushed and nodded, then realized her head was too far forward and lifted it upright. "This is hard."

"I understand, but think of the long-term benefits of being able to approach any man, even if it's with only a small chance of success, instead of waiting years for a lucky passenger on The Scarlet Bitch the next time you want a daughter."

Hali swam up to Emru's front with the loop of rope. The whale's avatar looked at it and sighed, "Back to work, I suppose. That means I need to go back in. Thank you for spending some time with me."

Kal bowed his head, "You are very welcome. Remember to work on your posture until the next time we meet. Most people return hugs when being hugged. You just sort of stood there while I held you. Also, watch the crew. I'm sure you've seen what the crew does when they talk to one another Instead of only watching, try doing some of those movements. Just... don't overdo it. Exaggerated movements in a conversation can make what you say seem sarcastic or insulting."

"Don't look like I'm dead, move the arms and hands while talking but don't flail, and do the leg thing if I'm not standing on something."

"Sounds about right. You don't have to do that specific pose. Just don't let them look limp," he said, holding out his hand.

Looking up at him questioningly, she took the offered hand, then smiled as he floated an arm-length off her back. She rose up to meet him while copying how he held his legs together. Kal glided over to her side, took her arm in his, then escorted her over to where the tendril on her back dipped into the water before it vanished into the corner of the whale's mouth.

She looked down at his feet. "I didn't ask before, but how are you doing that?"

"It's just a little spell I know that lets me float around. Being a magic-user is handy sometimes. Goodbye, Emru. I'm looking forward to the next time we talk."

"Maybe more than talk?" she asked, letting go of his arm and dropping waist-deep into the water.

"Maybe. But no guarantees."

"I'll take a 'maybe,'" she replied as her larger body's mouth opened. Emru paused in thought for a moment, then gave him a little wave before disappearing beneath the waves.

------

Kal and Kashka sat in the back of the second longboat with the mage's feet braced against the bench of the two rowers in front of them. After weeks of only seeing clothing on the human women and ranking sailors like Tavorah, Roka, and Ratt, it felt odd to see the rest of the crew dressed.

The rowers knew the mage was doing something because of the lit runes on his bracers. The featherfall rune lightened the boat beneath them, while the strength and stamina runes kept him from tiring or injuring himself as he used the flight rune to push the vessel. The longboat skimmed across the water nearly as fast as the women could row and maintained speed as the women lifted and repositioned the oars.

Before Azrin's attack, Kal had wanted to see and experience Ikuno's homeland. Now that he had the chance, he was in a hurry.

"I think you're back in most of the crew's good graces after that little display with Emru. Half of them were watching you two over the rail," Kashka told the mage as they made their way to the docks.

"I hope they understand I haven't promised Emru anything."

"Probably not, but I think they see it as you making an honest effort, and that's enough."

As they approached the docks, Kal backed off the power to the flight rune. Roka took the first longboat to shore and spoke with a man accompanied by four spear-wielding guards as the other crew unloaded the boat. The bovine stomped to the end of the pier and bellowed. "Kal! What the hell did you do to piss these people off!"

Confused, Kal stood up. "This is my first time in Azumbaho! I have yet to set foot on their soil! What could I have possibly done?!" he shouted back.

"I don't know, but these men are here to escort you to someone in the lord's court!" she called out. "Unless you know of another male magic-user that has stowed away on our ship."

"How would they know you were a mage?" Kashka asked.

"The Lord may have a diviner as counsel. It's not uncommon. The Fazalan king had several from what I heard."

"His vizirs were diviners?"

"Not all of them, but I'm certain a few were."

"That explains a few contracts Bozun turned down," she said as the boat pulled up next to the Pier.

Kal and Kashka stood and hopped on top of the pile of goods tied down in the center of the boat before carefully jumping to the pier.

"You're becoming more trouble than you're worth, mage," Roka muttered as they walked by.

"Don't be mad at me, Roka. I have no idea what they want or what this is all about."

As they approached the messenger flanked by guards, the man bowed low to Kal and said in heavily accented Common, "Welcome to Kuji. I assure you, you have done nothing wrong. The honorable Lord's counselor, Miyaki, wishes to merely speak with you." His eyes flicked to Kashka, "Your concubine must stay here."

Kal and Kashka exchanged a look. "It's better than being called your slave," said the cat.

"My companion is my bodyguard, not my concubine. If she is unwelcome, then please give the Lord's consul my sincerest apologies for not seeing her."

"The cat is his bodyguard, and she doesn't mess around," said Roka from behind Kal, speaking in the Azuum tongue. "She nearly killed one of our crew when we mistook him for a slaver."

"I was told she was his concubine," the man replied.

"They are lovers as well."

"He does not fear her turning on him?"

"They're together because they want to be. Not because he's forcing her to be with him. If she's unhappy, she can just leave. At least that's what she's told us, and during our journey, we've had no reason to doubt her. Regardless, if you don't take her as well, he won't go with you. That much I can tell you for certain." said Roka. A few of the other crew who spoke the language nodded their heads in agreement while continuing to unload the longboats.

Kal and Kashka feigned ignorance of what the messenger and bovine were saying. Kashka couldn't understand them, but Kal relayed everything he heard through the translation spell to her across the bond.

The man's eyes flicked between Kal and Kashka for several seconds before finally waving them both forward.

"Thank you," the mage said to Roka before following their escort.

"Wait, Kal. Before you run off, help the girls out, would you?" Roka called out as they walked away.

Kal trotted back as the crew of The Scarlet Bitch jumped onto the pier and formed a line. The bovine woman grunted loudly when one of them raised a side of her shirt like they had in Calfera. The woman quickly pulled her shirt back down, hiding the exposed breast. It appeared the Azuum people were not quite as tolerant as Calferans. As Kal went down the line casting the strength spell, the crew jumped into the boats and began chucking crates and even barrels to those still on the pier.

"Definitely going to miss having you around," said Roka as she moved his arm to the side. "The girls are doing the work this time, not me." Bending down, she kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Listen, watch, be careful with your words, and don't let your pride get you into trouble. You don't know the culture or customs of Azumbaho, and you don't want to make a mistake that lands you in jail."

He smiled, "Do you think a jail could hold me?"

"That's the pride I was talking about, Kal. Leave it belowdecks until you get back to the ship."

Realizing what he had just done, the mage nodded before returning to Kashka and their escort.

"Was there a problem?" the man asked Kal when he rejoined them.

"She was just giving me some pointers to not make a fool of myself in a new land."

"Counselor Miyaki entertains guests from many far-off lands. I'm sure she would be forgiving of any accidental insults."

"Better to watch my tongue and not find out."

Kal stopped where the wood of the pier gave way to the dirt of Kuji's roads. His next step would be onto the soil of Ikuno's homeland.

"Sir, Counselor Miyaki should not be kept--" his words cut off abruptly as Kashka held a hand up in front of his mouth.

The mage looked up at Kashka and flashed her a sad smile. "I've been traveling for almost two years to get here." He looked around at the guards escorting them, "This was not how I imagined this moment."

Taking a deep breath, Kal stepped off the pier.