Chapter 41

The sky was clear and brilliant, washed in a light that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Roads stretched out before me in every direction, each one a promise, each one a choice. Ahead rose a great castle - not a fortress meant for war, but a monument to imagination. Silver-peaked towers curved and leaned with impossible grace, sweeping walkways arched between them, and stained glass and gilded gates caught the light and fractured it into color.

Serah and I stood together, watching the horizon rewrite itself. Deserts bled into forests, forests climbed into mountains, mountains flattened into plains that froze into glittering glaciers, all of it flowing as if the world were breathing. A gentle breeze stirred the grass and wildflowers around us. Long ribbons streamed overhead, always drifting forward, never back. There was no sun, yet shadows fell where they should, giving the world weight and shape.

I smiled at the dragon beside me and squeezed her claw. She rippled and shifted, then flowed - wings folding in on themselves, massive limbs slimming and reshaping, her long, elegant muzzle retreating until, in a heartbeat, Serah stood before me in her human form. Naked. Proud. Radiant.

She was beautiful in a way that made my breath catch. Her body was balanced and sure of itself - full breasts that sat naturally on her chest, her waist drawing in before flaring into generous, inviting hips. Her skin was pale and flawless, her nipples a soft pink that stood out clearly against it. Between her thighs, a neat patch of deep crimson curls - matching the hair that framed her face - nestled against her sex, lush and unmistakably hers. She met my gaze with amber eyes that burned with warmth and certainty.

She laughed and threw her arms around me, kissing me hard. I held her, lifted her, spun her once as she laughed again, the sound bright and musical. “You did it,” she breathed, pressing her forehead to mine. Her breath was quick, her heart hammering against my chest.

Her eyes dropped, and her fingers brushed the scar there with reverent care. The mark where her fire had burned me traced a graceful, swirling shape over my skin, almost like a heart.

“The Scars of Serathiel,” I murmured. “They’re beautiful.”

My hand slid under her chin, lifting her face, and I kissed her. She answered eagerly, her tongue shy at first, then bolder as our mouths opened and met fully. My hands found her waist, caressing the smooth skin there, thumbs tracing the curve where her hips flared. Her hands explored my chest, my shoulders, my back, relearning me.

I caught her lower lip between my teeth as my hands moved to her ass, kneading the firm flesh before sliding up her spine. She fumbled at my belt, impatient, and when it resisted she growled softly and yanked - leather snapping as it came free.

I kissed her again, deeper this time, and brought my hands to her breasts. They filled my palms perfectly, heavy and warm, her nipples brushing my skin as I leaned down to take one into my mouth. I sucked and teased, my fingers pinching and rolling the other nipple, my tongue circling until her breath hitched and she moaned.

Her hands tangled in my hair, holding me there as I lavished attention on her, switching sides, licking and biting, tasting her as her sounds grew louder and less controlled. Her nails traced down my back, sharp enough to make me shiver.

When I finally lifted my head, I kissed her again, our tongues sliding together as we sank to the ground. The grass and flowers cradled us, soft clay beneath, warm and yielding.

I kissed down her throat, over her breasts, lingering there before trailing lower. My mouth traced her stomach, my teeth grazing her hips, my tongue mapping the inside of her thighs. I made a point of ing close to her sex - close enough that she gasped - before pulling away again, teasing, drawing it out.

She couldn’t take it. Her hands grabbed my hair and pulled me where she needed me. I flicked her clit with my tongue and she cried out, sharp and breathless. I licked her slowly, savoring her taste, then focused on that sensitive nub, sucking, flicking, circling until her moans turned ragged and ****.

When she came, she arched her back and screamed, her thighs trembling as she soaked my mouth. I didn’t stop until she was shaking and breathless. Before her climax had fully ended, she hauled me up to kiss me fiercely.

She rolled me onto my back and climbed over me, her body sliding down until her heat brushed my hardness. The soft curls between her legs tickled my stomach as she rocked against me, grinding through the last of her climax. She broke the kiss, reached back, guided me into her, and lowered herself slowly.

She was tight and hot, her body opening only a few inches as she slid down me, then lifting again, teasing, slick heat trailing along my length. We kissed as she lowered herself again, deeper this time, moaning as she took more of me. She rose and fell, slow and deliberate, until our hips finally met and she shuddered with another small, helpless climax.

She sat up, burying me fully, her cry sharp as she **** just a little more of me into her. She lifted her hips and brought them back down, testing her tightness against my length. Then she began riding me in earnest.

Her movements were smooth and graceful, stuttering only when I brushed somewhere especially sensitive that made her gasp and moan. I held her hips, watching her breasts sway hypnotically, watching her face twist with pleasure.

Now certain that she had acclimated to my length and girth, I thrust my hips up to meet her. She screamed, her body shaking as she came hard. I didn’t stop. I drove into her until she was begging, until she threw her head back and gasped, “Inside.”

That was all it took. I came hard, spilling my seed deep into into her, my body jerking as the world narrowed to heat and sensation. The feel of it set her off again - she screamed, wild and unrestrained, limbs flailing and twitching before collapsing onto me as her body finally went slack.

I kissed her forehead, smoothed her damp hair, held her as her breathing slowly steadied. She smiled at me, soft and shy. “Thank you,” she whispered.

I grinned mischievously. “Oh, we’re not done,” I said, feeling myself still hard inside her.

Her eyes widened as I rolled her onto her back, kissed her deeply, and started moving again. She moaned into my mouth and that was all the permission I needed to bring her to another round of orgasms until we were both too tired to go on.

* * *

A couple of hours later, we’d cleaned up and were ready to head home. It took a bit of focus, but I reshaped the land enough to coax a small pond of clear, cool water into being so we could wash the sweat, sex, and ash from our skin. I still hadn’t figured out how to conjure clothing, but Serah didn’t seem the least bit bothered by that fact.

I took her hand and opened myself to the Faith-scape. Mirri’s light was easy to find - a steady blue flecked with green - and I felt a quiet relief when I saw it still close to Lilae’s gold-and-blue glow. With a step, the world folded, and we emerged back home in the common room.

Mirri and Lilae were curled together in front of the fire, a book open between them. Mirri looked up first. She was on her feet in an instant, throwing her arms around Serah and hugging her fiercely, her small frame pressed tight against her - The goblin’s head fit neatly between the dragon’s breasts. Serah laughed softly and returned the embrace, wrapping the goblin healer in her arms without hesitation. A moment later, Lilae ed in, embracing both of them in her tiny hug.

Mirri pulled back and rounded on me. “What took you so long?” she demanded.

“Sorry,” I said. “We got…” I cleared my throat. “Distracted. Serah can explain. I need to go check on Ashlara - make sure she didn’t eat any of the kids. Or that they didn’t eat her.” I smiled, hoping it helped.

She gave me a look that was equal parts worry, relief, and something mischievous. “Put a shirt on before you leave,” she said, gesturing pointedly at the scar on my chest. “And when you get back, we’re going to talk about that.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied. I leaned down, wrapped her in a quick hug, and kissed the top of her head. She relaxed into me for a heartbeat before pushing me away.

“Go,” she said firmly. “Now. Those kids need you. And so does Ashie.”

* * *

I stepped back into camp to a chorus of startled gasps. The children shrank away instinctively. The young goblin boy buried his face against Ashlara’s side, clutching at her for protection. Torvek was on his feet in an instant, posture tight, muscles coiled and ready to spring. The elf girl attempted to hide behind the dwarf boy - an effort that would have been impressive if it weren’t so tragically ineffective.

I smiled and raised my hands slowly. “Hey. It’s just me,” I said gently.

“It took you long enough,” Torvek muttered.

“Sorry,” I replied. “Had to go see a man about a dragon. Or… something like that.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Never mind,” I said. “Any trouble while I was gone?”

Everyone but Torvek shook their heads. He looked away instead.

“Good,” I said, letting out a breath. I glanced at Ashlara. “Hey, Ashie - want to go hunting? Might be good to get out for a bit. Gives me some time to talk with these guys and figure out next steps.”

She hesitated as the goblin boy clutched her tighter, then gently pried him loose and stood. “Sure,” she said.

As she ed, I caught her by the waist and kissed her. She froze for half a second, then flushed a brilliant red as I let her go with a grin. She hurried out of camp without looking back.

Torvek shot me a glare sharp enough to cut stone. I ignored it for now.

I sat down on the ground, letting myself relax at last. “She’s pretty great, right?”

Everyone nodded. Everyone except Torvek. He just looked away angrily.

* * *

Aside from Torvek - the fifteen-year-old orc boy - we had Issa, a thirteen-year-old naga girl; Brinja, a twelve-year-old elf girl; Elarion, an eleven-year-old elf boy; Mak, a ten-year-old orc girl; Dur, a ten-year-old dwarf; and Tib, the brave nine-year-old goblin. A motley little band, held together by stubbornness and necessity, somehow surviving a month on the streets.

There had been two others once, taken by the guards early on. None of them knew what had become of those two.

I still believed the best first step was to see Nanders and try to find work. Being in town would let me check with the chirurgeon as well - see if anyone had advice, or resources, or even just a direction to point me in. But it wasn’t my decision alone. These kids had earned a voice. If they wanted to return to town, or search for family, or strike out somewhere else entirely, I would do my best to make it happen.

Torvek had family in Wolfsend. Elarion’s parents were merchants from a town called Caelwynne, and he was confident there were people there who would take him in. Dur mentioned an uncle in Northgate, though he wasn’t sure exactly where. The others shook their heads. No one waiting. No one to go back to.

Wolfsend would be easy enough for Torvek. I could ask around town about Dur’s uncle. I had no idea where Caelwynne lay, but we could find it. That still left four children with nowhere to go - and the problem of the guards remained. No one would be truly safe in town while they were still prowling the streets.

I laid out my plan for them: I’d head into town in the morning, look for work, ask after Dur’s uncle, and see what help I could find. I’d be back by sundown to check on them. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t let them down - not after so many others already had.

Ashlara returned about an hour later with a small deer slung over her shoulder. I dug up a few root vegetables and gathered herbs from nearby to season the meat. We roasted everything over the fire, and my stomach growled loud enough to make the kids laugh. Everyone ate until they were full - maybe the first real meal any of them had had in over a month. And while it wasn’t Mirri’s cooking, it did the job. One by one, they drifted off to sleep, bellies full, faces relaxed at last.