My Cats Take Me To The Next World - Book 1 by D.A. Sanford - HTML preview

Chapter 1: The Old World

I love reading.

My favorite type of book is the genera where the main character usually dies young in an accident and gets sent to a fantasy world of monsters and magic where he wins battles while forming loving harems with talented women, all extremely beautiful, of course. They overcome terrible odds to win in the end. In the fantasy worlds, there are all types of humanoids.

Why is it always teenagers or young adults! What about us, the seniors of the world. Worn out and lonely. Don't you think we deserve another chance?

I guess I should introduce myself. I am Justin Martin, age seventy-three, six foot four inches, green eyes, hair that used to be a brownish red now totally gray, and almost three hundred pounds, I once was fit and trim but now age has caught up with me.

The back room of my lake cottage is where I mostly reside. There are the normal rooms that any house has but my room is the bedroom and living room is kinda like a studio apartment.

This cottage used to be a home with a wife and son but now it's just four walls with the roof.

You see, I lost my wife, Rae, two weeks short of our fiftieth wedding anniversary a little over two years ago due to strokes during COVID and my son died only eighteen months after that from cancer. My reality sucks. Per their wish’s, they died at home. The experience with both deaths resulted in my PTSD.

The only thing that distracts me is my modest wood working shop in my basement. With plenty of time on my hands, I make wooden boxes and chests. Most of the time I let the wood tell me what it wants to be. I made their cremains box’s and mine also for when my time comes.

Other than the easy listening music channel this house is quiet. At times too quiet. So quiet that my thoughts keep on playing the same scenes over and over. Guilt, sadness, anger and above all loneliness then fills my mind

This lake cottage is very quiet. The only sounds that I really hear is when my two cats get into mischief. The male, Chip, is a large orange tomcat with green eyes. He is very insecure due to the fact that he lost his best bud, my son. Chip must check on me all the time to make sure that I am still here and he talks to me all the time. That can get on my nerves because he is very needy and I get very cranky.

He has many habits. For instance, he seems to know what time I should get up, not when I want to, and will continually meow until I get up. The thing with that is it is almost the same time each day in the predawn.

4

When I go to the kitchen, he feels that he must lead the way. He walks in front of me but it looks like a ship in World War two. He will zig-zag up the hall as he escorts me to and from the kitchen. He'll wait at the bathroom door while I take my shower. He waits until I come out and then he leads me back to my room.

He sits in my lap at times. He is warm so I like it on a cold day. Most of the times he will go to sleep but sometimes he will start to look up at the ceiling behind me. I'll look up and see nothing.

"What are you looking at?"

I ask him but after a while he will go back to sleep. Like he would answer me. Cats can't talk.

His sister, Missy, all black, slender with gold eyes and sees herself as the alpha female.

Smaller than Chip, she bosses him around. She will push her head under his head to force him out of the food bowl that he is eating out of because that must be the better bowl. Missy will seek him out and the two will sleep on my bed together. At least she has a warm body to sleep next to on those chilly nights. I miss that with my wife.

Whenever she sees me, she rolls on to her back for belly rubs. Sometimes Missy, when I get ready to go to bed, will come in, flop over on the bed for her belly rubs. I will jokingly say to her

“You need to grow taller and look humanoid.” then I laugh saying, “but you have not grown an inch.”

Now I got ready for bed, Missy got her belly rubs, I laid down on the bed and then I drifted off to sleep. This turned out to be my last day. Even if I knew it was my last day, I wouldn’t have cared. I'm tired and fantasy worlds are just that fantasy.

Boy I was wrong, in a big way. Old men avenged!

Justin Martin and Missy Old world 5

Chapter 2 The New World.

Justin Martin New world Missy Chip

I woke up the next morning and felt something was off. It was chilly in my room but I felt a warm body next to mine. It felt bigger than my cats and nicer. Without looking, it feels like I slept like I have never done before, feeling completely refreshed. Chip did not get me up in his usual manner. I opened up my eyes.

Instead of the usual time it takes for my eyes to focus, the second I opened them, they were as clear as clear can be. I was in a very large bed and facing me was a beautiful female with black shoulder length hair but she had feline ears. Her head was on my arm and her golden eyes were opened as if she was watching me sleep.

“Good morning, Master.” she said with a smile. “You told me I had to get bigger.”

6

My first thought was that I had to be sleeping and this is the most realistic dream I have ever had. Looking around this room, I saw that it wasn't my room. It did not even have the same smell. This room is quite larger than my small back room is. It was like one you would see in those picture books on the ultra-rich and their mansions The morning rays of the sun were penetrating the room since the drapes of the window were partially blown opened by the cool morning breeze. It was modestly decorated but more clutter than decorations. The clutter was clothes, wooden boxes, rolled scrolls and weapons.

Weapons?

Strange, I have had realistic dreams before. After a while something makes me realized they were dreams. I then would wake up. That's what this has to be. I need to wake up, my morning pills are waiting in the kitchen. The cats should have been after me to feed them by now.

I heard a knock on the door and a not quite six-foot muscular built orange feline humanoid comes in to the room carrying a breakfast tray with eggs, bacon, toast and hot dark beverage on it. He was dressed as a butler would dress. I looked at him and then looked back to her.

“No, no, no, no, NO!” were the first words I spoke, then asked.

“What the hell is going on here? Who the heck are you two? And where in the hell am I?"

The butler, in a very formal manner, set the tray down on the stand, bowed and said,

"I am Chip your combat butler. The vixen in bed with you is Missy. We saw that you were suffering in your previous life. You kept on reading those novels about being young again and living in a fantasy world. You see, you died in your sleep last night in the old world but were given a chance to live as a young man in that world of magic and swords that you dreamed about. We were sent along with you, by the Watcher, to help as your familiars. The Watcher said that you would need us."

“Watcher?” I questioned, “I’m dreaming. I know that is what this has to be!”

I thought I knew how to prove to myself that this is a dream. I grabbed the knife off the breakfast tray and proceeded to cut my finger. Being a dream, I won't feel the pain,

"DAMN THAT HURT! AND I'M BLEEDING! You mean to tell me that I'm young again and I get a do over?"

Missy, as she, while licking the wound clean, answered me saying,

"It is not a do over, it’s a new life. You have been given this manor house, wealth, and servants including my subordinate useless brother. You have what you wanted. Your age is twenty three again, you’re now an adventurer. and have been given a really good back story for this new life. You will remember your previous life but you will also have your new life's past memories. The only thing you lack now is your harem.”

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“Well," she proudly proclaims, “I'm here to state that, based on what you had told me in our previous life, I'm your first wife in the harem."

Chip formally scolds her, "There you go again sister, trying to boss people around. It is up to master Justin to determine who is going to be the first female in his harem."

Missy stuck out her claws in a threatening manner and hissed at him.

Still having trouble wrapping my head around my new reality, I start to accept that what they're saying may be true. I realize that I have to get up, get dressed and explore my new surroundings. In my dreams I've been able to touch things but there are certain basics to the human brain.

One half is logic and the other half of the brain is artistic. Dreams, being on the artistic side, when you open a book, in a dream, it very rarely is understandable. Normally just a jumble of letters and symbols. I need to find a book or anything written, so I got up not even caring my state of undress.

Without a conscious thought, I found myself walking towards the room that served as a library. One of the shelves contained a modest number of leather-bound books. I pulled one off the shelf, and opening it. Much to my consternation, my new situation was confirmed. I could read the words written upon the pages.

Those pages felt strange. They had a rougher texture than the paper that was in the books I used to read. There was an old dusty smell that was more associated with the unread tomes in an old college library. Still not believing what I see, I put that book back on the shelf and pull another one. It has the same feel and smell that the first book had. Opening that one, I found that it was a history of the world that I was in and I could read it.

The wall prevented me from falling as I slid down to the floor. I could feel the chill of the flooring on my still naked butt.

"I guess this is real."

Chip said "Yes, it is."

"Now Master Justin, we should get you dressed. Being that this is your first day of your new life and should be considered your birthday, there is no excuse to wander around the manor in your birthday suit. Think of the servants.”

Missy looking at me with hungry eyes said, “I don’t mind at all!”

I was finally dressed in the clothes that Chip is laid out for me. The pants and shirt seemed semi-normal, a little more formal than I would have used to wear but usable in my opinion.

They were type clothes that my mom would yell at us kids, "change out of your good clothes before you go out to play." Looking at Chip with a semi-irritated look, he read my look and replied,

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"They are your work attire."

Missy, now also fully dressed in an almost skintight black dress that accentuates the curves of that new body ending mid-thigh with a slit from the hem to the upper thigh. It barely covered, shall I say, her assets.

Slightly playing with the hem she asks "Do you like what you see?"

"I do like what I see but it's going to take a while for me to get used to it."

She looks a little confused at what I said. Chip looked at Missy with a disapproval. He told his sister,

“You should be dressed in your chamber maid’s uniform, not what you’re wearing!”

She just told him, “The Watcher told me that this would please the master.”

“Who is this Watcher that you both have mentioned?” I asked.

Missy replied, “The Watcher is the ethereal that has chosen to watch over you in this new life.

The Watcher will only talk to us. It gives us information as to the way to best serve you and keep you safe. In this life you will be going on adventures and getting into trouble. We are here to see that you remain grounded and safe. We, but mainly me, will also offer guidance when it comes to your harem.”

“So basically, you both are my guardians. Do I get a say in this?” feeling a little perturbed.

“You get the final say. We are only to advise and protect you." Chip replied.

Now that I have somewhat accepted the facts of my new existence here, the first thing is that I think I need is to familiarize myself with my surroundings. I start to wander the manor. It, to me, should be called a mansion compared to my modest lake cottage. To say it is not over kill is like saying that the Grand Canyon is just a ditch. This place is living large. I’m having a hard time believing this is mine.

Aside from my personal quarters, which consists of a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom that appears to be able to handle quite a few people at one time. it resembles a Japanese bath house.

The manor has a dining hall that I would guess would easily hold sixty to seventy people comfortably. The kitchen belongs in a 5-star hotel. There is a formal gathering room, and a ton of rooms for guests to stay over. Each with a luxurious bathroom that has sunken large tubs and equally large showers.

As I walk around in what should be an unfamiliar house since I just woke to this new life, I have that feeling of Deja Vu. I know where I am. I know what room is where it is. I am not wandering lost.

9

This must be my programmed new past memories. Since that is what it seems, the outdoor exercise area should be this way.

I go down the hallway to a back door and there it was, my exercise area. Large enough to fit quite a few football fields side by side. There was a running track, on one side a large open dirt area for combat practice. At the far end is a target range. It is set up for archery practice.

There is an out building that contains changing rooms, showers and armory.

I see in the combat area, a figure doing what I could only describe as a master dance.

Chip was doing his morning sword exercises. He displayed the fluid movements of someone that was born with that sword in his hand and had a lifetime of experience. There was no wasted motion. Every step, every sword position, every thought showed that this was a grand master.

I watched him for a while and say to myself,

“What I wouldn’t give to have that skill.” Suddenly I heard a voice,

“Grand Master Skill Set. Select all or this page only?”

I look around and find no one. It did not look like it even was heard by Chip because he continued his dance. Taking a chance, it’s a fantasy world, I said “explain please.”

The voice tells me that I can copy and paste the skill sets of the person I am observing in its entirety or only a certain part. By select all, you copy all of the subject’s skills. If you select this page only, you just get the partial skill you are observing. Then you need to copy and paste.

After paste is done you will have what you selected. Either selection is almost instantaneous.”

“What the hell, select all. Copy and paste. enter”

I threw in "enter" because it all sounded like a computer program. That AI girl’s voice was on all the computers, TV’s and such in the old world but it had a familiar sound to it. I almost immediately felt an unnerving buzz in by body.

“Complete” said the voice after seconds, and the buzzing stopped.

As soon as it stopped, I knew those movements and had the muscle memory of both the dance of the swords but also various martial arts, especially feline instinct martial arts. In other words, everything Chip could do, I now could do. I get a sword off the rack, walk out to the dance and join Chip.

He is amazed then says "Care for a match, of course, for now, no physical contact?"

I take my stance and the match is on. As you would expect when two perfectly matched competitors meet it only can result is a stalemate. After a few minutes, Chip throws his sword 10

away and starts hand to hand. I do the same. After a strong match of various methods of the arts, we both stop. Again, a stalemate. Both Chip and I have big smiles.

“Now I have a little less to worry about” says Chip.

“What do you mean a little?”

“We need to work on your recklessness”

“Why?”

“You put yourself in jeopardy based on a feeling that you knew something.”

I guess he was right.

Just as we finished, I was tackled by a feline from behind. Based on the impact of firm but ample breasts on my back, I guessed.

“That has to be Missy.”

“Yup! I saw it all. You were wonderful beating my brother in everything he threw at you.”

“Beat?” Chip replied, “It was a draw” and he started to come up to Missy.

She took it as a challenge and started to have a go at him. Unlike the old world, he did not feel intimidated. This set her off and she started to go at him. After they “tussled” for a while.

When I saw it was accelerating into a full brawl, I thought maybe I could use the old cure, I yelled at them, “Stop it right now or else I’ll clippie claws!” Yes, I did say “Clippie”

It was like someone hit pause on a movie, this action stopped and they both had a horror look on them that told me they remembered. Both got up, bowed towards me and said that they were sorry.

“You need to say it to each other”

They now grudgingly said “sorry” out of the sides of their mouths. I figure that I will need to get out the clippers and have it on a necklace, just in case I need to follow through.

After that, it was a smooth couple of days. Exercising, no chair here will trap my butt, eating and such. Just getting used to my new life and my new routines. I was enjoying myself. The only thing I still had trouble with was Missy climbing into my bed each night.

Nothing has happened, so far, but, just like me, she doesn’t wear anything to bed either. O

natural. I feel it is only a matter of time or a matter of her taking things into her own hands, so to speak. I still have that small black cat that wanted belly rubs in my mind. This version is looking for more than belly rubs. I’m now hearing her soft purr as she grinds into my back.

There is only so much of this I can take.

11

It was about a week after I arrived that I was told, by Chip, that a local wanted to hire me for a job he urgently needed done.

The Manor

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Chapter 3: The Mage

I'm sitting in my office when the visitor was shown in by my butler. It seems that I know him.

He is a local merchant, John Bagley. He owns the general store in the village of Beall. Not wealthy, but was well off by local standards. He was married and had both a son and daughter. The son was helping him with the store while the wife and daughter were visiting relatives in the next town.

John was desperate. He had just gotten word that the caravan his wife and daughter were returning on was attacked. It appeared that they were just robbers but they also took the women with them to be sold off as slaves.

This was heard by a man who was wounded and played dead. He said that all were fitted with slave collars just in case of magical abilities of the women. I had the knowledge that come to me of how those collars worked but also how to defeat them. It seems that I had encountered them in the past and found the secret of removing them.

Mr. Bagley offered everything he had to rescue his wife and daughter. All that he owned, money, store, house and possessions is being given as reward for getting them back. He had it in writing and handed the paper to me. It was a hastily written document. Signed and dated, all official.

I looked at it then said “I’ll take the job but on my conditions.” then I ripped up his paper. “I will take the job with the promise of reasonable expenses also I have exclusive rights to the salvage and spoils.”

I reached out my hand and Chip gave me our standard letter of agreement stating with what I just said.

“You must agree to this in writing. There are other conditions. You must never tell anyone about my conditions with the exception of the salvage and spoils. You will agree to speak up if there are any questions as to my rights to them.” Mr. Bagley is stunned but agrees, then signs.

“We will start right now. Please give my butler the location of the incident and any other information you have that will help us.” John immediately says that the survivor said that the gang acted like one of Everett Ratten’s mob.

Everett Ratten is this countries’ criminal boss. He runs a collection of smaller local gangs. He is an Orc about 6 foot 6 inches in height. He really is bad on his hygiene, brags that the only baths he has is when he gets caught in the rain.

He’s smart enough to run the big operation but leans more on numbers rather than talent.

Generally, he is trouble but Justin knows him and how to deal with his type. Goad him into anger then he will throw more expendables than talent. His leaning on numbers beats numbers in battle is a weakness I can and will exploit it. Never gets the idea of skilled people.

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Everett Ratten

That’s all I needed to hear. “Chip get that information."

"Missy, we have a quest, get the packs ready and include a week’s rations for each of us. It will be you, Chip and myself. We leave within the hour.”

She always waits just to my right side when we have a client. The watcher told her where to stand but it was a past memory that told me she would be there. That program again. She nods, then leaves the room. In less than that hour, the horses were saddled, bags tied down and an arsenal of weapons on our bodies, no fire arms in this world. Much the pity. We climbed on to the horses, we were off.

The attack was to the west of Beall about six or eight miles away from the village. We headed north east. That is where I knew Everett’s local safe house was. The gang would be heading there by the roundabout route. It was going to take them a day or two to get there because they would want to make sure they were not followed, also the women walking factored into the time. That was their usual course.

Habits are good but when you are a criminal, habits can be a problem. They were cautious but they relied on the fact that they had numbers on their side. Everett made sure that all his gangs had approximately twenty-five to thirty members. That way the prime members had expendables to wear down any opponent.

14

Their biggest problem is that they now have to deal with a three perfectly trained team of rescuers. Training and knowing that each member is not expendable is the key to success.

Each member is an integral part of the attack force.

The worst situation is being in a defense situation. What we do is put the enemy in that defensive position. Planning is important but knowing that your team members have each other’s backs makes numbers null in void. That is my team. Luck does not play into this.

Every action is planned beforehand including contingencies.

I knew that it should be around dusk or early night time when they would be at their safe haven. Most likely night because they were forcing hostages to walk those miles. I plan to launch the rescue attack just after the gang reaches the safe house and settles down. They will be tired; most will be either drinking or asleep.

The hostages will be in a locked down room in an out building so I do not worry about them.

Chained, collared and locked down, the gang will not be that worried. They will post minimal guards. We have planned the situation and practiced the actions before. I do like the idea of a night time ambush.

The safe house is approximately ten miles from the attack scene and around five miles north east from the manor. Our horses will be able to make it there in a few hours. Slower than a horse at a full gallop but it will allow us to sneak up to the location. This pace will still give us plenty of time for scouting the lay of the land. I really expect the operation to be done before midnight. This gives us time to finish setting up the ambush.

Why take a week’s worth of food for the three of us you ask? Not knowing exactly how many women there are and knowing that they will not have been fed, they will be tired, hungry and scared. Not the group you want to be marching through the countryside in the dark. Food and rest, knowing they are safe, is what is needed. The morning light and breakfast makes a journey shorter.

As I said, we got to the location of the safe house just before dusk. The area is woodland as you would expect for a hide out. It could have been a farm at one time but was abandoned for a long time before the gang discovered it. Now over grown, the small crop field shows signs of tree saplings growing. The house appears to be a one story, maybe two if the attic space is open.

There is an outhouse around fifteen feet from what is the back of the house. The intimation that other structure was a barn is questionable. It very well could have been a large chicken coop. For all appearances it may have been a good farm at one time. Whether it fell on hard times, family tragedy, no one will ever know but now it has fallen into the wrong hands and only will produce woe instead of produce. A sad thing.

That small pen should be where the women will be caged. There appears to be just two maybe three people that are here guarding the place. One of those should be the guard for the night watch. It will be Missy that attacks that guard, then will defend the hostages. She is more than just eye candy that I may be tasting really soon, 15

Missy is a cat fighter. Meaning, when she fights, she is a mean, nasty berserker. Merciless, unless they surrender, which is not likely. Depending on the crime, we take no prisoners. Too much trouble. Try to kill us, so sad, too bad we will kill you and may not even bury you. The wolves need to eat.

Chip will take one side of the building and I will position myself among the saplings in the field. Once the hostages are locked up and an hour has passed. Missy takes her place. The guard then will take his forever dirt nap. She will try to keep the women quiet by sneaking up before her kill and telling them to be quiet.

Once she has done what she needs to do she will screech like a wildcat when ready to fight.

That is our signal. Both Chip and I will converge on the house.

Anyone that comes out is dead, both of us can do the dance of the swords. We will then rush the house and the martial art demonstration begins. When the outside is clear. Missy joins us in the main event.

It was just at nightfall when the party guests arrived. There was only twenty gang members escorting their prisoners. That makes me cautious. There should be more so I caution both Chip and Missy to plan on extra guests. There was no indication that they lost any members at the hold up.

As expected, they lock up the women but we hear the talk of taking a few inside for fun but they needed to eat and have a drink before they chose. That eliminates the option of waiting until they sleep. We set the plan in motion just as soon as the gang enters the building.

We reach our positions. Missy was able to get to the women and tells them to keep quiet, hopefully they listen but their guard sees her and tries to yell out to the house but can’t. It’s hard to yell when your throat has been ripped open by two sets of razor sharp claws.

Naturally seeing the mess, some of the women scream at the sight and some cheer. Missy gives the signal, I’ll tell you this, it’s a sound that you don’t want to hear unarmed. This causes the gang to come out of the house. I said to myself

“Well, I guess the dance is open air tonight”

The gang is now outside, Chip and I get into the dance of the swords. I will say that for my first new world fight, I was astonished that the initial fear that I felt disappeared when I started.

It just seemed natural. Chip and I were playing slice and dice with our swords. I don't know about Chip but I really felt no real difference between flesh or bone. Must be the swords strength, maybe not.

We were making short work of the gang when I was in a position of seeing Missy. There was a group of five that were trying to gang up on her. Missy screamed then slipped into berserker mode. It was a fascinating yet frightful sight. Claws, teeth and blood, the blood is theirs not hers.

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She was a blur, she looked like that cartoon Tasmanian Devil. A tornado with teeth and claws popping out of the funnel. There were not any body parts falling to the ground. All that you could see was them disappearing into a red mist resulting in just a red puddle left on the ground while the tornado winds itself through the enemy.

As I watched I thought that's fantastic, I heard “Berserker skill Select all or” I did not let the voice finish.” Current page, copy and paste, ENTER!” I again felt the momentary buzz and then I had that skill..

Much to Chips dismay, seeing that there were only a few left and those had to be the leaders, I threw down the swords and went into berserk mode. I suddenly had claws and teeth like her, I became a blur. Now I was creating the red mist.

I had almost as big a thrill as I did with the birth of my son in the old world but this was a primal feeling of satisfaction. I didn’t stop until Chip yelled at me about clipping my claws.

Both Missy and I stopped dead, pardon the pun. We shifted back to normal. My normal teeth and hands were back.

Looking around at the scene, it was like a celestial blender was used on the gang. There was not a solid body left especially the ones that fell to the claws of the two of us. Those ones were just a red puddle. I say claws because I don’t remember if I bit anyone throats off. Chip looked at the both of us. Shaking his head,

“Her, I expected this but you. Throwing your swords away during the battle almost caused me to have a heart attack. If you value our lives, please warn me first. you left it out of the play book.”

I say, “Spur of the moment. I’ll try to write you a memo before the next time.” Missy giggles.

With the lecture over and the dust so to speak settling, the women caught our attention. There was absolutely no noise coming from them. I went over to the cage and asked,

“Is everyone all right?”

“You aren’t going to kill us? Please don’t hurt us. We want to go home!”

Missy tells them that we are here to free them, not hurt them.

“Is there a Mrs. Bagley and daughter here?” I ask the women.

"Here we are”

“Your husband John contracted me this morning to rescue you. Are you okay?”

“Yes, just totally confused.”

“That will be cleared up by the morning."

17

"Who here can cook?” A few of the women step forward and say they can cook.

“Good. See Missy over there and have her give you the supplies we have but first let me remove those collars.”

“No don’t. They told us that if they were taken off by someone other than the buyer, we would die.”

“Don’t worry, I know how to remove them safely”

So, I remove the collar from the first brave person. When the others see that it came off, they lined up.

About half way through the process, there stood before me a goblin woman. She was four foot eight inches tall, green skin, with brown eyes. Her hair was white and mid back in length.

I immediately felt an attraction.

Missy had come over and stood by her, looking at me. She spoke softly to me "the Watcher told me about this one.” The Watcher again, frustrating.

I released the collar and that woman thanked me. Once free, she deliberately walked over to the mess that once were her tormentors and proceeded to incinerate each and every remains to ash and then washed away the ash.

She is a very talented mage that was knocked out at the opening of the caravan attack. When she woke up, she felt no magic in her. It was a strange feeling. It triggered memories of her village. She was so powerful that the other goblins felt threatened and drove her out.

When she was collared, she was picked on by the slavers because of her race. When they got to the house, she was told that she was going to become their toy. Used for their satisfaction with no say in it.

I had removed all the collars and sat just reflecting on the work we had just done. I told the group that they would eat, stay the night to rest then go back to Beall.

The goblin watched him, waiting for him to assert his power as the victor over them. He only showed mercy to all including a lone goblin.

In the morning after everyone was fed, we started back to the village. The goblin, because of her small stature, started to fall behind as she did under captivity. Instead of prodding or kicking her, I came back to her.

18

Beez

I was, like Chip and Missy, leading the horses back instead of riding. Both felines had picked up the young ones and put them on the horses to spare them the walk. I came back to her, picked her up and placed her on my horse.

“Can’t have a beautiful lady get tired out.”

"Why do you insult me by saying that I’m a beautiful lady. To you humans I’m just an animal, a goblin.”

“Don’t you dare lump me in with those idiots. I call them as I see them and I see a beautiful young lady. Matter of fact a very talented beautiful young lady. I would even go as far as to say that you would make a wonderful addition to my team, Interested?”

She didn’t know what to say. Did she find the one that would truly accept her for who she is?

She dared not to hope.

“Missy” I called.

Missy let another woman take hold of the horse and came back to me asking,

“What would you like?” while cuddling up to my arm. She was starting to really wear me down.

“Would you mind keeping this lady company? I need to look at the condition of the others to see if we need a break.”

Missy said sure. I went forward and talked with others.

She asked the goblin her name. The green lady with the white hair answered,

“Beez, my name is Beez.”

“That’s a nice name. Why, if I may ask, were you traveling in the caravan?”

19

Beez told her story to Missy. When Beez was done with her story, she asked Missy,

“Is that guy for real or is that just bull he was spouting?”

"Oh, he’s the real deal alright. That is just who he is. Let me now tell you a story. You see there is this entity called The Watcher……”

By the time Missy was done including the fact that the Watcher told her that Beez was a perfect fit for the team and especially for Justin’s wellbeing. Beez was baffled. He called her beautiful. Missy says he does not lie about his feelings, she started to feel something she never felt before. She felt she was welcomed for who she was and not scorned because of what she was. That strange feeling was causing her to feel warm all over and embarrassed for those feelings.

When they got back to Beall, the families were reunited, the dead of the caravan mourned and people that were moving on waiting for the next caravan, Beez walked up to me and asked,

“Sir," I interrupt and tell her to please call me Justin.

"Justin, was that a true offer of joining your team?”

“If you’re asking if you can join, I’m saying welcome.”

Beez teared up "I really don’t have anywhere I can call home."

“Well, Beez, may I say, welcome home."

I was on my horse so I picked her up and placed her on my lap. To make her feel welcome, it was princess style.

“We’ll have Missy show you to your room when we get home. It seems that you have no baggage”

"Missy, when we get to the manor, Beez will need a permanent room, new clothes and such."

Missy retorts, "That was done and is in her room before we even left."

"Let me guess, the Watcher?"

"You got it!"

I shook my head

Then the four of us rode home from town. It really was a profitable trip and the spoils were delightful.

20

Chapter 4 The Mage’s Find

Everett was not pleased when he heard of the massacre of his minions. Yes, they were not the brightest and there were more than enough people to replace them. The thing that got him mad was the loss of his merchandise i.e. those slaves and the safe house. He wanted his people to find the culprits and dispose of them.

In the old world, Saturday evening used to be special for my wife and I, up until the last six years of her life, we would retire to our room and make love. I say right here that a lot of men don’t like dining at the Y but I really loved my slice of pie. It was a vital part of our love making.

When my wife started to go downhill that was not happening due to discomfort and darn right pain in all her joints. So, I have not had a Saturday night in the last eight years but I remember what it felt like and I was feeling something like that now but it is an hour or two after mid night in the new world.

I was dreaming that my wife and I were having sex. It felt good. I assumed that this was going to be a wet dream. Not wanting to wake up, I kept my eyes shut. Wait, that moaning is not my wife’s voice and the bed is bouncing like I was in a bounce house.

I opened my eyes and found a beautiful black haired totally naked feline humanoid riding me like she was in a rodeo. I almost expected to see her raise one arm high, holding a cowboy hat yelling “Yee Ha”

“Missy! What the hell is going on here?” I could barely get out

“I'm doing something very important. You can just wait until I’m finished! We’ll talk in a few.”

I put my hands behind my head leaned back on the pillows and watched her ride the pony.

Her hands were working on her pleasure button, Missy was really into it and I could see that she was getting close. Her pussy, pun intended, felt tight and very good so I was close to bursting myself. “Don’t you dare come before me!” she demanded as her dam broke.

I felt the contractions and watched her shiver as her eyes rolled up. Her tail was fully up, puffed and ridged. Hearing her in climax, hearing her guttural sounds, I said I was coming to which she said inside,

"Do it inside. Fill me up with your seed." I could not hold any more and filled her.

After the effects calmed down, she laid down on top of me while we were still coupled. She propped herself up on her elbows on my chest, put her hands on her cheeks then asked,

“Now what was so urgent that you tried to interrupt me?”

“I was going to ask you what was up?”

She casually said, “You were up, or at least the lower part was up. I couldn’t resist any more.

You are definitely going to initiate Bebe into your harem. I was told that I needed to become your first before her.”

21

“Bebe, who is Bebe?”

Missy stated in a manner that showed an “ah duh” moment was coming at me.

“Beez the goblin of course! She will be you second, probably before the end of the day.”

I was dumb struck with the answer. I found Beez very attractive and had to admit the thought was on my mind but she had only been living in the manor for just under a week.

“She watches you in that manner you know.”

“So why did you have to be before Beez?”

Missy told me it was the Watcher that told her about Bebe. How she would be a very important part of the harem and the team. So, she has to be initiated.

“The Watcher?”

“Yup, but I needed to be your first!”

She trotted out leaving me with the memory of her pert ass swinging as she left purring and tail swaying.

“Damned Watcher, again. It has to be a running gag of some sort.” I thought but Beez came into my mind.

“Twice in one day, it can be done." I went back to sleep.

Training is the morning routine for us. Now Beez is joining in to learn our ways. I watch as she sneaks peeks at me. I look back and she looks away so I take the initiative and go over to the area she is working in.

“Morning Bebe, is it alright if I call you that?”

"Missy has talked to you about me hasn’t she! Yes, it’s alright by me.”

I ask her, “What direction are you trying to take with your training?”

I wanted to see if she had a definite goal or just here to ogle me. Beez explained that on the march back to town I ended up having her ride while I walked. It bothered her so she was trying to improve her endurance.

“What is your skill set?”

I saw what she could do on the bodies of the gang when she was released from the collar. I wanted to know if the two elements of magic we saw was all of her skills or were there more. I pointed to the six archery targets at the outermost point of the training grounds.

22

“Show me what you can do to those targets. If you can use different methods of destroying the target. One target, one method.”

Bebe said that it was alright with her. “What distance?”

“Why don’t you use close on one and on the next your most effective distance away from that target.”

Chip and Missy heard what I was asking Bebe to show me so they came over to watch. Bebe looked a little nervous but I explained that each member needs to know each other’s capabilities and limitations. I also said that I don’t use the word weakness because we all have limitations. It’s how we are. Bebe seemed to calm down and stepped up to the firing line.

“This will be the closest and most destructive then the furthest and still be effective. We will need more targets than what we have to show you all my skills. I can do variations of both fire and water."

She told me with a pride. That showed me that she was realizing that I care. She wanted to impress me.

I told Chip to see to it. He turned towards the manor, raised his hand and instantly someone appeared. The servant is told to get more targets but asks Bebe,

“Will twenty more be sufficient? “

“That will do” was her reply.

I thought this will be interesting. Bebe starts going through all the portions of her skills. It turns out that she has the affinity for fire, water and earth. Three out of the four elements are extremely rare.

She was able to, with each do a constant stream like a flame thrower, a water jet cutter, and a very powerful sand blaster. She could shoot balls, bullets and bombs in each of the elements.

She was effective at a goodly distance. By the time she was destroying the last of the twenty-six targets, she looked very tired but asked for more targets.

“That’s enough”

She needed to stop or she would have dropped.

“I have more I can do. I can still do more.” but she looked exhausted.

She has the talent and the drive; she just needs to work with the others.

“Beez”

23

The use of her real name made her jump to attention. It was like when a parent used your full proper name. She thought she was in trouble because I stopped her.

“I wanted to see your skills but also, we needed to see your determination. With what you have just shown us, there is no doubt that we desperately need your talent on our team," as extend my hand.

It was a matter of only a few seconds for it to register with her that she was not in trouble, rather she was welcomed into the group.

“Does this mean I won’t have to leave? I finally have a permanent home where I am fully and truly welcome?”

It was Missy that ran over to her and hugged Bebe saying “You are one of us.”

Beez took my hand then proceeded to hug me tightly. “Thank you, thank you, I’m finally home,” as she burst into tears.

I could feel her long suffering aura change into a brighter feeling.

“Okay, let’s all eat breakfast. After that we’ll take a ride. Missy, we need packs for four now and rations for at least three days. See to it, after breakfast and our meeting of course.”

As usual, before an adventure or quest, I hold a team briefing. That way we are all on the same page.

“There are old ruins a day’s ride from here that I want to explore. It belonged to a powerful mage. Until now I did not feel that we would be equipped to handle all the situations there.

People have tried and most have disappeared. Now, due to those disappearances, no one goes near the ruins.

The mage is buried there somewhere on the grounds because he was very possessive of his things. So, there may still be traps that need to be dealt with.”

“Walking or riding?” Chip asks.

“Riding”

“Thank the gods” Missy states “I don’t mind the walk but you have a tendency to get into more trouble that way. Anything you see or hear, you’re like a dog that is distracted by a squirrel. Off you go. At least on horses, we can keep up with you “

This way of talking is strange to Beez. Her race doesn’t question the leader let alone in the manner that Missy just did.

“Why are you talking like that to the master?” Beez questions Missy.

24

Before Missy could reply, I speak up. “I want each team member to state their opinion and feelings up front. I don’t tolerate outright disrespect but it is better to voice the questions now rather that have doubts that would affect the team in battle. Mirth is also acceptable”

I turn to Missy “I’m like a dog after a squirrel?”

“Yup”

“Well, you better pack some biscuits for me.” We laugh and get ready.

Beez was a natural. With just a few instructions on handling a horse. She walked up to the horse, it was slightly smaller than the other horses. She patted it then mumbled to it for a minute. Then, with a step the stable master provided, Beez climbed on the horses back, like she had been riding for a long time, then rode out of the stable to our amazement.

“What did you do?”

“Master, all I did was talk to the horse, it told me it would help me. We have an understanding.”

Horse whisperer. I shrug then say

“Okay then, let’s go”

It was a relatively uneventful ride, only stopping to rest the horses and get lunch. Fortunately for me no squirrels. We camped for the night close but a healthy distance to the ruins. It would be only a ten minute walk in the morning. Need to be fresh when exploring for the mage’s hoard, if there is one. This way we can spend the day exploring then decide if more time is needed or a return trip at a later date.

Around the fire after the camp is set up, we talk about what the next day looks like. “First thing, Chip I need you to scout the area for any snares and traps that are still functional.”

Beez pipes up “I do have the ability to detect magical signatures. Any trap the mage set that are magical, I should be able to detect and hopefully deactivate.”

“Another talent we really needed! That's great Beez” I reach out and rub her back. Her face turned a darker shade of green. Is this what I think it means? Maybe just maybe. I wouldn’t mind a bit.

Old world experience. My wife was eighteen and I was twenty when we got married. We were both virgins. We, in the entire time, never had any other partners. I would have fantasies that I would have a harem on that imaginary world, even though the loss would still hurt but the loneliness of having no one to intimately talk to would not be there.

By intimately I don’t mean exclusively sexual, I mean being able to embrace and just feel there are still intimate loved ones very close to you can share themselves with you physically 25

and mentally. I did not have that in the old world. Now I have to let go of the monogamous background I had. Missy and Beez? I feel that I like the idea. Yes, I can like it a lot.

I go into my tent and settle down for the night. Shortly after I turn out the light, someone gently sneaks into my tent. I think it should be Missy based on her pattern over the time we’ve been in the new world but I also must be on alert.

I look and see a small green figure. Beez’s timid voice asks

“Can we talk a little in private?” Game on.

I tell her “Sure come on in. What did you want to talk about?”

“I’ve been always unwelcomed and even abused everywhere I have been. I grew up figuring everyone hated, period. Then I met you. I realized that I was acting just like everyone else, I hated, I was just as bigoted as the people I met. Master, I feel safe for the first time in my life.”

“I feel wanted and I feel loved. The love from and for my team mates but master, no Justin, I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I need you in my life because you are my sunshine in what was a dark world. You are my lifeline. I want to offer myself to you. Please make me yours.”

“Beez, you are remarkable. One of the top mages I have met”

I sit up.

“One of the most likable people I could have met.”

I stand up.

“I have liked what I have seen. You are a beautiful woman”

I walk to her and embrace her.

“I love you also. I accept you as mine.”

“Then mate me and mark me as yours in the fashion of my people. Scar me by biting me on the shoulder during our mating.”

I know of that practice.

The next morning, we emerge from my tent. I’m tired, very busy night. Bebe is proudly showing her mark. Missy has a funny look to her. On one side she looks a little sad. Like I did something wrong but on the other side she looked happy for Beez. She now knew that the harem was started.

“What’s wrong Missy?”

26

“Well, now I have to share you. How I feel is that I'm sad that I will not have you exclusively, but I have a real sister now. Sister, just know I’m the first and now you’re the second in line.

We will need to work out a schedule.”

Schedule, I think, I may not be getting too much sleep for a while.

“That schedule needs to have breaks in it so I can sleep through the night.”

“Sleep is vastly over rated!” Missy says waving her hand over her shoulder as she leads Beez away to get a recap.

“This doesn’t look good for you” Chip states while holding back a laugh. He adds

“You said it plenty of times in the old world, be careful of what you ask for. You might just get it.” Then he did laugh.

“Fuck it, their all conspiring against me. You hear that, Watcher! Let’s get to the ruins.”

A short walk to the ruins gave me time to think and laugh.

“This is going to be fun and I’m not talking about these damn ruins. The ruins may be a bust but so far I have two pair in my hand."

Both women are giggling with me and at me.

“Enough, time to get serious. There may be traps up there.”

Missy can’t contain herself

“Yah, but it’s certain that there are traps back here!”

Missy, Beez and now Chip break down laughing.

“Ha, Ha, have your fun at my expense”

“Poor master Justin” Chip retorts and sprints ahead “I’ll scout around and have a basic report in a few”

The path that led us to the ruins was well on the way to being reclaimed by the surrounding woods. Some trees looked dead, while others lingered in various stages of the slow process of dying.

Only the faint patterns cast by crumbling stone walls that ran off into the forest showed that once, long ago the area had been clear and well maintained. The size of the trees that broke through these traces of that past made me guess that neglect had started at least seventy-five years ago or more.

27

I recalled the stereotypical scenes used in most zombie apocalypse video games. Broken windows, rotten timbers, even the slant of shadows that all seemed designed to draw the word ‘spooky’ to mind, like a dare not to feel unsettled. It made clear that the word ruins described such places, they’re ruined.

We get to the site and find Chip is waiting.

“The site is old and a lot of what would be traps have since either gone off or have corroded to the point of being inert.”

Beez answers, “Don’t let the appearance fool you. They may be a trick. Let me do a scan for signatures. Chip would you tell me if the areas I point out are where you found traps?”

Much to our surprise, half of what appeared to be dead traps are really traps themselves.

“Behind that one is a mutate trap,” Pointing to another Beez says that there was a bottomless hole. “Step on it and you will fall for eternity. As long as we are aware of where the active ones that I can't set off, I suggest that we mark and map them. If we decide that we need to come back, we can remove the markers. That will protect our claim to this site. We need to post the site alerting to hidden active traps. If we are done, we should post the map so others can explore the ruins."

“Good points” I said, “let’s do it.” It took a few hours but she was able to find the active traps, deactivate some. The ones that she could not, we mark them.

Inside the main house, as you would expect there wasn’t much of a house left other than walls. The ground floors were barely solid but the ones above were unsafe for any weight heavier that a mouse. The roof was for the most part gone. I knew that we would not be more than today.

I did not tell anyone but the main reason for this adventure was to see how we functioned as a team with the addition of our new mage who, fortunately for me, is the new member of now what is a fledgling harem. It is easy to see that we were needing just such a person.

Unfortunately, my mind flashed the Watcher. I shook my head as if I could shake that thought out my ear and lose it.

There were no hidden spaces that we could find but when Beez scanned for signatures, she got a hit in the cellar.

“There is a room down there that has a conceal and preservation spell on which I should be able to break.” Beez reports.

So, we go down and she points to the area. She recites an incantation. Sure enough, a door appears. It opened, still like it was new. Inside was the mage’s work space. There were books of all sorts that will make a fine addition to the manor library.

“Will take all these. Missy, the inter-dimensional bag please.” She puts it on the bench.

28

“Put every book into the bag. Beez, look at the other things here. If you feel they are useful, put them in. This trip is turning out to be a good one.”

By the time we were through almost everything was in the bag. The only thing left were the chair and desk.

When we emerged from the cellar, Beez suddenly looked in terrible distress.

Going over to her “What’s wrong?”

“Over there” and she points to a small area at the side where there is overgrowth of thorn bushes. “Something is buried there. It’s crying out to me. It is begging me to please save it.

Master, we need to dig it up. Breaking the cellar spell woke it up, but it thought it was a trap going off. When we came out, it felt my presence.”

“It? Is it something living?”

“Yes and no. It is not alive in the sense that we understand but it is aware and now is crying out to me. It senses my magic. Please, we need to dig it up.” She runs over to the site and starts digging with her hands.

I stop her, bringing her back to her senses. No, I did not use the classic slap, I just held her.

“Calm down and think. You can use earth magic so use it. Don’t dig with those delicate hands.

They’ll get rough and that will hurt. Displace the dirt with your magic. It can sense your magic; it will know you are coming for it. Just beware, this could be a trap.”

She understood. “I’ll use the earth magic to make dirt blocks. When I get close to it, I’ll really know if it is a trap, but it’s not. I know it’s not.”

"Do what you can.” Missy shouts “I’ll back you up sister.”

She gets down to around the five foot level and encounters a large wooden box. Each of us knew what it was. This is the old mage’s grave and that is his coffin. Beez opens the lid before I could caution her. There lay the bones of the mage in his now deteriorated burial clothing.

Clutched in his bony hand is his staff. Surprisingly it is the only thing that is not deteriorated.

“This is what was crying out.” as she grips the staff.

“Watch for signs that he may be a Lech” I caution her.

“He’s dead” as she pulls on the staff.

His bony hand would not let go. It’s like he still is saying mine, mine, mine, you can’t have it.

That startles us and we go into alert mode. Beez pulls a second and a third time. Still the hand won’t let go. She does the only thing she could think of.

29

“Water cutter” she shouts as she points to the wrist. Instantly the bones of the wrist were cut and the finger bones dropped off.

“There, you stingy bugger, it’s mine now” and sticks out her tongue at the skeleton.

I help her out of the grave and we cover it back up. Beez is glowing, I mean she is really glowing. A white light is encompassing her whole body and the staff.

“Beez!” I shout as I make a grab for her. Chip steps in front of me to stop me from touching her.

“The Watcher is controlling this situation. It will not harm your new wife. This will make sure that she can protect you so no harm comes to you."

This frustrates me to no end. This is all I get from the both of them so I yell “Why won’t the Watcher show itself to me?!”

“In the Watcher’s own time” Beez replies. There is a calmness in and on her like she has had an epiphany from a god.

“All in good time” Missy tells me “But know this, it is for your own development that the Watcher stays hidden from you. Please bear with it. You will realize why in the end.”

Beez, now over that white light tells me “I have been transformed. This staff is now contented.

It did not like the greedy mage. It wants only to do good. The Watcher has given me the power of that mage and this staff. All their secrets are mine now. I have full control over the seven aspects of magic.”

“Seven, there is only four. The four elements” I tell her like I was a magic teacher.

“That is what this world thinks but besides the fire, water, earth and wind elements there are also light, dark and time magic.”

“Light and dark I can semi understand based on what I read in my old life but time?”

“I now understand the aspect of time magic.” Beez says “Time is fluid even though it seems linear. All we normally understand and experience is today, here and now. Go a second after midnight, today doesn’t change. Only this today becomes yesterday and the expected tomorrow becomes today. We never leave today. I now can, so to speak. With the time element I can contact the tomorrow me for advice on a course's direction. I contact the yesterday me and correct our today’s mistakes."

" All of you must remember this. Tomorrow me may contact the today me to tell me don’t do that, do this. That will be a prevention. Today me may contact the tomorrow me to get a report on an outcome of an action, positive or negative. This way we are prevented from being killed. That is the Watcher’s gift to me.”

30

Almost sulking “I guess I now have two watchers, lucky me.” I cross my arms and give a harrumph.

“You are wrong on that count. There are now four watchers.” as she looks at Chip and Missy.

Chip nods as Missy giggles.

“I’m never going to get alone time, am I?”

“Nope” they say in unison.

“Let’s get out of here and back to camp. I have a head ache, If that’s okay with all you watchers!”

“That’s okay” Chip tells me “It gives these two an excuse to, quote, rub your head, unquote.”

The two giggle “That’s a good idea” they both tell me.

I lost, but there again, I will win. Go headache.

We break camp the next day and let’s just say I don’t have a headache anymore but I am tired. Thank you for the horses.

31

Chapter 5 The Healer and the Sick Village As he kicks the dead body down the stairs, Everett yells at the guard at the bottom of the stairs

“Get that piece of shit out of here. He made a mess of my office. Now get me someone that has some brains in their puny skull." Continuing the rant "That bastard had the nerve to come to me and say that he could not find the person who stole my slaves. Tell whoever you find that I want a list of so-called criminals that are not in my gang. One of them might be the culprit. Oh, also get someone up here to clean up this mess. He got his blood all over the place.”

He throws a chunk of meat down the stairs at the body. The guard knows it is the piece is the missing chunk of the dead man’s throat.

It’s been a very tiring couple of weeks since the ascension of Beez into the harem but most importantly to status of the all-knowing mage and time keeper. She has now gone through most of the books brought back from the ruins.

She tells me that some of the books need to be locked away with a prevention spell that would destroy the tomes or the person if someone unauthorized tries to steal them. Some are good knowledge that would not harm if it were to be found. But the remainder are only good as fire starters if it wasn’t for fire magic. Worthless ideas that went down the wrong path to utter humiliation.

I have not been sleeping as long as I should. It’s a proven fact, so the old world television commercial stated, that sleep deprivation leads to other illness. Believe me, it is an interesting, most enjoyable situation, but those women are wearing me out. I need to add endurance training to my routine. I would but I’m tired. It is a harem master's responsibility that I must endure but I think I will have Beez contact her tomorrow self to see if I die again from being drained. They even tag teamed me.

Missy didn’t even have to say she was tagging out, get in there Bebe. The second one is done the other goes in. It's the seconds and attempts at thirds that will be the death of me.

They need a hobby but not me, I'm not a hobby. Considering the first time with Missy maybe I'm the hobby horse. At the end of each night’s romp, I’m shooting dust.

I managed to find the strength to do my morning workout, the one on the field not the girl’s workout, when Chip told me there was a representative from a village that needed desperate help.

“He’s in the waiting room outside your office."

"Tell that person that I’ll be there after I clean up."

“Just be prepared. I think that you will be surprised with this one.”

32

It took me a short while to wash up and get dressed in my “normal” clothes. I need to see if there is such a thing as blue jeans here, if not that will be my new financial investment. These clothes look lame to me. Oh, also tee shirts. If this world had name brands or big bands, we could have those printed on the tee shirts. I need to remind myself to discuss this with Chip.

I sat down at my desk. This time I decided to have my two wives also stand behind me. First impressions are important. Chip escorts the man in and stands this side of the closed door.

This man has the appearance of death on a cracker. The handkerchief in his hand and constantly dabbing his nose. He reminds me of those, in the old world, that depended on those face masks all the time, even when they were driving alone in their car. He also had a light cough that sounded almost forced but unconsciously.

“What brings you to me today?” I even don’t care about his name. He creeps me out by acting like I will give him some disease.

“Our village is sick. Our healer has gone out and has not come back. We are worried that something has happened to her. Maybe she has even died. What’s going to happen to us?

We have been left to die. We need you to find our healer and bring her back. We need her.

We are willing to pay your fee. Anything you require because, we’re sick you know.”

I’m choking back the laughter and also the bile.

“To do this job, I require that you cover expenses plus an extra 200% of that amount for my fee. We will need a signed contract to those conditions with a forfeiture clause that states that if you do not pay, I will own title to your entire town.”

I laid it on as thick as he did, but I was totally aware of what I was saying. As I was dictating the terms, Missy was putting them on our form contract. I hold out my hand. Chip takes the document from Missy then hands it to me.

“All you need to do is sign and date this.”

I hand him a sharp knife,

“I will need a drop of blood on that contract. My mage wife” pointing to Beez “can read the blood and prove that you signed, as representative of your village and of your own free will. If that is acceptable, please sign. If you need, my mage will draw that blood.”

“I'm sick you know, so please have her be gentle, I’ll sign. Anything to get our healer back.”

He signed, Beez got the blood.

"Chip get the village location and the direction 'their healer' went. As soon as this clown wakes up. He seems to have passed out at the sight of his own blood. He’s sick you know. We’ll leave in the morning. Missy, please have this office cleaned while we are out. We don’t want to catch anything he may or may not have.”

Missy laughs. “It will be done. What will it be like to own that town?”

33

“If the rest of the town is like him, it will be an open field because I’ll burn it to the ground. I wouldn’t help them if it wasn’t for the fact that someone is missing."

The next morning, we set out. Our individual packs are ready but this time we are using a pack horse since we do not know how long it’s going to take to find the missing healer. Beez casually asks me what was my expense rate.

The currency, in this world, is in coin form by the tens, copper being the lowest. Ten coppers make a silver, ten silvers make a small gold then there is a large gold and finally a royal coin.

“Beez, the average person makes maybe a silver and three coppers a week if they are in a town situation. A farm community may work on the borrow against harvest system. Like a barter system. Normally I base it the person doing the asking.”

“When I was on the quest to recover the wife and daughter of that store owner, which is when we got you, he offered everything. All his money, his store, his house with all the belongings.

You see he offered everything to get them back. That was why I set the rate at expenses and the right to spoils and salvage. You were the price I received. The store owner never got even the expense report. Just a heartfelt letter saying paid in full. I got the best end of that deal”

I leaned over and gave her a kiss.

She was bubbly. She turned to Missy and said “I have him all to myself tonight, I have to work off that expense he is owed.”

I’m looking dumb founded as I hear Missy.

“You go for it, girl, but I got dibs on him tomorrow night."

We camped for the night in a pleasant clearing. It takes two days on horse to reach their village from the manor. I ask myself how did that so sick man make such a harrowing journey just to see me? Should have sent a messenger. Oh, I forgot, the village is sick.

After a solo mission last night, tired again, we reached the village midafternoon. We were right, everyone looked like they thought they were on deaths door. We’re not staying here for any longer than it takes to gather the final information.

“Missy, Beez, check out the healer’s home. See if there are any clues as to a region that she would gather medicinal herbs. Chip and I will try to find someone that is well enough to answer a few questions. I want out of here no longer than an hour.”

“I sense that the healer's house is that one over there” Beez said. “With the powers I have now I may only need a quarter of that.”

“Good. Find us and we’ll get the hell out of here.”

34

It actually was less time. They found the healers journal with the herbs, locations and recipe formulas.

I did not find any one that could give me any more information. Most of the town was sitting outside the undertakers waiting for their turn. The undertaker was sick also.

We left South towards the mountains. That is where we should find Christine Shaw, healer in herbs and healing magic. All I know is that if she is alive, we will find her.

The area I think she is in is near those mountains. That looks as if it would take us at least a week to get there on horseback. Someone walking it would take considerably longer since they did said that they thought that the horse she had might be sick.

She must have told those people that she would be gone for at least a month. With her notes we found out that those medicinal herbs couldn’t be bought. They only grew in a certain section a lower valley in that range. Yup, I’m burning that town. I must sterilize with fire.

Camping that night, we heard a very loud voice.

“Attention in the camp, okay to come in? I have no hostile intention.”

Past new life once more kicked in.

“Drako, is that you?”

"Yes, it is.”

“Then come on in, you old fire fart!”

As he enters the camp fire light, Drako, appears to be humanoid, red wings with horns otherwise mostly human. He is rather large but that is not his true form, you see he is a full dragon that can transform into a semi human shape. That full dragon form is awesome, imposing and downright frightening.

“I was flying over on my way home when I thought I smelt something familiar although a kinda funky smell.”

“Drako, I'd like you to meet my wives, Missy the felid and Beez the goblin mage. This is Chip, my team mate. Team, meet Drako an old friend that I met over the years on adventures. He has pulled my fat out of the fire many times. By the way, kinda funky smell? I washed myself!”

“Why haven't you come over to my place. It’s been a long while and you know that Sorra loves to hear your tales of adventure. Dashing tales of the hero rescuing people in distress, saving maidens and such.”

The mention of Sorra brings warm thoughts to my mind. A very healthy dragon newt she is a few years younger but very attractive.

35

No get those thoughts out of your head. She’s still a child in dragon years. I say to myself.

"So, what brings you out this far?” Drako inquires.

“We are trying to find a healer that has gone missing from a village. They want her back. They are all...sick.”

“I think I know that village. Bad feelings come when I get near it. Feelings that I need to burn it away.” Drako adds. We laugh because we have the same feeling,

“You guessed right. That’s the village”

The night was getting late so Drako decided to leave. As he said he was flying home and it wouldn’t take him long to get there. It made no sense to offer him to stay the night, but I did anyways but he declined.

We parted with a promise that I would visit very soon. I was told that I need to bring my team with me, for the tales of course. I wouldn’t leave without them but it made me wonder why he emphasized it.

I dismissed the thought and went to bed, with my two ladies. It seems that Missy's dibs were canceled by mutual agreement. Why wasn't I involved with that decision?

Chip looked at me, “I do miss those quiet nights back at the manor. My room is at the far end away from any nocturnal noise.” Then he went into his tent. Sure enough, the noise returned.

The next few days went smoothly and then we were at the valley. Off in the distance we could see a woman just lying down on the grass looking at the sky and singing to herself. She is alive. Her healthy horse grazed near her.

I yelled from that distance “Christine Shaw, is that you?”

The woman shot up and was ready to run for her horse. She was a five foot nine human with long reddish brown hair tied in twin braided tails. Why were the women in this world so gorgeous?

Christine Shaw

36

“What do you want?”

“I was hired by your village to find you. They were worried that you might be dead.”

“NO! Those shit head hypochondriacs think they are sick and need their medicine or they’ll die. They are worried about only themselves, CRAP! Why do you think I am out so far? This is for my health, my mental health. I go on these little vacations just to get away from them."

" When I’m away, I have a crazy wish.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“I wish someone would burn the place down. Fire purifies you know.”

We laugh again. It seems like everyone feels the same way. She yells and screams obscenities stomps the ground then tells us to come on over.

“Are you four healthy?”

“Yes, we are, why you asking?”

“You looking for a good healer for your team? I think I need a change in scenery.”

I look at my team,

“Do we need a healer?”

They give me that look, so I reply.

“You’re hired”

“Good, let me get my things. We can discuss the terms on the way back. I only hope now that it isn’t burnt down because I really need to tell them where they can shove their village.”

Beez says “I think we have a lively one here.”

Missy smiles that smile which only means, the Watcher, but Justin tries not to see it. Beez just nods to Missy.

We started on our way back to the village. I got to know Christine and her story. They had paid for her to get the training when she showed the aptitude for healing. She was originally from that village. It seems that the sick migrated there.

The deal was that she would be their healer. She would get the use of a central house and a modest living wage. She had to stay there for three years but at the end of that time they came up with an altered version that increased the servitude time. Then they attached back rent for the house.

37

"They give me permission so I could go looking for my materials but I have to be back within two days, they always added because they were sick. I stayed but this time I decided that I was going to leave. I came here to get up the courage to just leave. I think that they will try something because they sent you to find me."

“You are with us now. There is nothing you need to fear.” I assured her.

We were sitting at the night camp when I started the conversation.

“I ask you to tell us about what your able to do? Is it just herbal?”

"Besides the herbal, I can use high heal magic but only once a day on one person. The village does not know that, but I can cause just about everything to regenerate. Short of a severed head or a killing heart wound. I can cause your body to regenerate that body part.”

This caused all of us to be dumb struck. “Damned Watcher again” I thought. We scored big again.

By the time we got back to the village, much to everyone’s surprise it was gone, completely burned to the ground.

“We had to do it.” The last villager said as he was leaving the town. “It was cursed, the town was cursed we had to burn it to cure everyone.” He just kept muttering that as he left.

“Damn, they burned my house also. I could replace everything with the exception of my journal. I’ll really will regret that loss. It represents years of research.” She was almost in tears.

I reached in my bag and pulled out a book that I almost forgot I had.

“Is this what you are talking about?”

She grabbed it from me and hugged it like a lost child.

“How, how?”

Beez uttered those words,

“The Watcher.”

I told her that we searched her home to find out where she could have gone. We kept the journal just in case you were not there and we had to look elsewhere”

"Thank you, Let’s get out of here”

“Yea, let’s go home and get you some new things”

38

Missy reached into her inter-dimensional bag and pulled out a change of clothes for Christine.

They were the exact size for this almost six foot woman and she had boots that also were exact size.

She said "The rest of what she needs is in her room at the manor."

I tried not to think about it.

39

Chapter 6: Abigail and The Amazon Everett is starting to lose it. The last person he sent out to get the information never came back. He was last seen crossing the border to the next country and showed no signs of stopping there. “What the fuck! Do I have to go myself. If that’s what it takes, there will be more heads rolling that just the people who stole my slaves.”

We've been back at the manor for a week. Having a healer is just like insurance, good to have but you hope that you never need it.

In my old world, mid-November, there was a heavy rain and then a micro burst. I came home around nine in the evening. The micro burst hit, causing a large ash tree to come through my roof, down to the attic floor. It cost twenty seven thousand dollars to fix it. Thanks to insurance, I only had to pay the first five hundred dollars.

Having Christine as a healer is just the same when we need one, we have the top of the line.

The only thing is that now the three women are plotting something. I feel another member is in the near horizon. All I will have to go on is trust the Watcher. If I see the glow like what happened with Beez I’m running.

I just give up. The light thing will happen, the women giggle, I’m doomed. I did wish for a harem.

The hinting now started, the looks and whispers. We are back on the training field for our morning routine. Beez is now keeping up with us for the most part. She is now being trained in hand to hand with Chip as the instructor.

Unfortunately, accidents do happen. Beez in trying to take Chip down moved and twisted her ankle. Christine ran to her, knocked Chip out of the way and cast high heal on Beez. Almost instantaneously the white glow was on Beez’s ankle, in the blink of an eye she was healed.

Christine turns angry, “Can’t you be more careful?!" Looking at Chip.

Beez tells her “Chris, calm down. It was my mistake. I did not compensate for footing conditions. I need to learn this and I really feel that you do too.”

I go over to the scene. “First, calm down everyone. Christine”

“I prefer that you call me Chris”

“Okay Christine"

But I have a habit of reverting back to the full name,

"We get into dangerous situations and sometimes there will be injuries. This training is to ensure that they die, not us. Training must be in actual force. If we don't, you may cave in actual combat. Beez can use powerful magic but what if she gets in a situation that a magic canceler is used. She needs to protect herself."

40

"Chip did you use excessive force?”

“No, I was using normal force since she is just learning. It will be weeks before she will be able to use above normal force so I will continue using normal force.”

“Good answer”

“Beez, did you feel he used excessive force?”

“No, it was my error. My foot caught in the dirt and my body continued twisting. It was bad foot work.”

“Christine, I know that you are now, in a very short time, protective of my wives, I like that in you, I really like that, but you need to observe closely to what is happening not just to who. I saw her foot stick. We’ll have the field serviced but, in actual combat, you can't have and most likely won’t have perfect conditions."

"I encourage everyone to voice their opinion but when you yelled at Chip you showed that in, what could be a crisis, you could jeopardize a mission. On the battle field, anger can be useful, just watch, and watch out. When Missy gets angry at the enemy, they disappear becoming mist. When one team member gets angry at another team member, it could cost our lives.”

"I want you to take hand to hand with Chip. Beez is right, there will be times that you need to defend yourself. This will give you a greater understanding of the team. Now we are not mad at you. Just take the advice and show up to train tomorrow morning. Okay?”

I give her a gentle pat on the back and felt a little tingle. What was that? I think I’m in trouble.

That night there is a knock on my door. My two don’t knock they come in when they feel in the mood with the exception of a called night. They still walk in.

“Come in.”

The door opens and it is Christine. She is decked out in what could be described as covering as much as shear drapes on a summer window. They don’t cover anything, boy they don't.

"Justin, I just want to apologize to you for my actions this morning. Thinking about what you said, I was wrong. I came to ask, are you going to throw me out? Please don’t, I beg you.

With that village burnt, I have nowhere to go.”

“Please don’t tell me that is why you’re wearing that outfit because I’m not throwing you out.

As long as you learn, I have no problem.”

“Missy and Bebe told me to wear this. They did assure me that either way, you would not throw me out."

41

I can’t believe what I’m going to tell her,

“Christine, If I think your intentions are what you feel you need to do, you don’t need to. Don’t degrade both of us by thinking sex is the answer. I’m going to tell you to go back to your room for tonight. I am not available, as much as I want to, I will not. Please go back to your room.”

“Aw come on, do her!” I hear through the crack of the now slightly open door.

“Missy, you go back to your room. You’re also cut off tonight.”

“See I told you”

“Beez, you’re cut off also. Both of you for putting her up to this.”

“Spoil sport.” as the two walk away. Christine wants to say something but hesitates.

“Christine, that hesitation is why you got stuck in sick town. We will talk in the morning. Good night. Please close the door”

Tomorrow is going to be interesting.

During the night I heard a whisper in my ear telling me,

“Chris was the third. You need to accept her.”

"I recognize your voice, Missy."

“No this is the Watcher.”

I roll over, look directly into her eyes and yell,

"OUT CAT, OUT”

Morning came after a restless sleep. Thinking how we are going to resolve this. As per my routine, I got up, washed and dressed. I headed out to the training grounds. Chip was already there doing his warm ups.

As usual we are the first out so I have a talk with Chip. I tell him what I have in mind. I believe that the two wives will get the intention and join. Very shortly Beez arrives and I fill her in on the plan. She agrees to join in but admits that she won’t be up to our levels, yet. Of course, she would not be at our levels. Neither would I if I hadn’t used my power of copy.

We start the dance of the swords as Chris along with Missy come out of the mansion. Chip and I start a side by side dance. We were going through all the movements slowly at first. To my surprise, Beez pulls out two long daggers. With her size they could be like a sword to her.

She has seen Chip and I do this almost every day, at least once or twice. She aligned herself on the other side of Chip and is able to keep up with our slower movements but with a twist.

42

We are using one sword and counter balancing the sword with our other arm. Beez did not have the weight of a sword so her other arm was doing countering movements. Even I was impressed and thought I might try to learn that style.

“Dance of the daggers” the mind voice said “select all or current page.” I like what I see but decide only to use current page at this time. “Current page, copy and paste enter” The buzz hit me and then the understanding. As I was using the sword, I said, “Beez after the routine is finished, I want to have you show me that dance, you willing to teach me?”

She smiles “Yes”

We continue while starting to speed up. At the agreed point we drop our weapons and proceed to go through the martial arts dance. Missy gets the message and joins in but, just to be coy, the imitation watcher steps in front of me and copies my movements as if to counter.

Beez steps in front of Chip and does the same. Christine is watching intently.

When we reach the end of the dance. We take a break. Beez does the unexpected and throws a curve ball at Chip. She walks over to him, gives him a hug and says to him that she was sorry for being so clumsy. She releases Chip with a promise that she will be more aware of her footing. Then walks away to sit with Chris and Missy. They again appear to be conspiring.

Both Missy and Beez tell Christine that they were sorry for putting her in an awkward situation.

She replied “It’s not like I was forced. I can tell he is a decent person especially when it would have been easy for him to take me last night but he didn’t. Instead, he sent me away gently. I want to talk to him later about last night."

Missy stopped short of saying anything when she noticed I was right there.

“The watcher came to visit later last night but turned out to be an impostor, Missy”

She shrugs her shoulders as her head goes down taking so I’m busted look.

“I tried to voice my feelings” with her poor me, pet me, eyes staring at me. I didn’t buy it.

I turned to Christine

“Christine, if I had let you in my bed last night, both of us would not be able to look each other in the eye this morning. You were worried about being thrown out. I could tell by the tone of your voice. You were truly scared of that possibility. These two goaded you into coming to me room and dressing you up like that.”

I look at the both of them

“I’m dismayed that those two, who I thought knew me, would think so little of me as to think I was on the animal level”

43

I used my cave man voice “Um, pussy, mine, here.”

"That’s not me and I thought they knew it.”

They both said their sorry. I patted their heads in an I understand silent gesture then continued

“Missy actually stole a ride just after Beez came here, I was timid and she wanted to, no, I’m sorry Missy, the Watcher wanted her to be first.”

“That’s right. I didn’t steal it I was instructed to.”

“That aside, Beez, you entered my tent and told me that you loved me. There was truth in your words that you told me and I accepted you”

“Yes, you did” as she put her hand on my claim scar on her shoulder.

“Missy the very next night demanded that I also claim her the same way.”

“Christine, I know you did not mean it to sound that way but my take was please don’t throw me out, here take my body and use it as rent. Can I stay?”

She now hung her head down and said. “It felt like it”

I got up and sat by her, put my arm on her shoulder and pulled her close. “I really like you but please never, I say never, degrade yourself like that again. The fierce woman that yelled at Chip is what you are. You need to think about what I have told you.”

“Now when you can come to me and I hear it in your voice also see it in your countenance that you have an affection for me and you are truly willing, I would gladly accept you. But let’s not do anything until you are really sure.”

I look at the other two “I expect better of you two from now on”

“Yes Master” and they meant it.

I got up.

“Beez, show me the dagger dance of yours.”

The remainder of the exercise period went well. Beez showed me what she was doing and explained why she did each counter move with the other dagger. She does this by holding the right hand dagger blade up and the left hand blade down. Stab up and plunge down. Christine was with Chip as he started showing her the basics. Missy was just doing her running and random attack on the poles. Although it looked like she was enjoying the “scratching posts”

44

After a while I said "Enough, let’s clean up and get breakfast. Then we have a meeting.

Something has come to my attention that needs our help.”

Washed, changed and fed we all met in the office. Looking around I commented,

“Even one more and we’ll need a bigger room to meet in.”

Chip tells me “We have plenty of larger rooms. A few that could easily hold twenty.”

I cringed “I hope we don’t get that big. We'll start to look like Everett’s gang. Get that set up as soon as possible. Maps, inventory lists and anything that we will need to have to plan. If we have one that has a side room that can hold a few sofas for casual meetings would be even better”

He nods as if nothing more need be said.

"The thing I wanted to discuss is that a forest that is around a five day ride from here has become infested with feral goblins. In deference to my lovely wife, feral goblins are those ones that have no leader, just want to fight, rape and appear to be dumber than a red brick”

“Aren’t all male goblins like that?” Beez comments with a chuckle.

Christine adds “Aren’t all males like that?” Now the three women are outright laughing.

“We are straying from the subject at hand and by the way you two”

looking in the direction of Missy and Beez.

“You both have gone feral on me plenty of nights.”

“That’s different” they say in unison.

“Back to the subject. There has been a marked rise in destruction and kidnapping of females in that area. This will be a good exercise for our team. Beez, no going berserker on them just to get payback on your previous treatment by your tribe. We need your head in the game. The rest of you” I give Beez a kiss, “this is my wife and your team mate. She does not have the dangling male equipment that the male goblins have. Kill only green dingles.” Now we all laugh.

"Beez, I have been meaning to ask. What happened to your staff? You haven't been carrying it of late." She has the biggest smile. A smile that tells me that she feels something good has happened.

Beez thinks about that night at the manor. It was shortly after her rescuing the staff from the grave of the old mage. She was reading one the mage’s books. The staff has been helping her understand the writings. This was the way she was able to tell Justin which needed to be kept under lock and key, which could be public and the rest, as she said, could be used to light a fire.

45

On that night. the staff started to talk. She knew, by its tone, that it had something it wanted to talk about. She felt that it weighed heavy on it.

Beez said "It seems that something is bothering you. If it would help, I'll listen."

"I do not know how you will respond but I know that you are the one I have waited for. You are truly the one I was meant to be with. My perfect owner"

She did not know what to say.

To hear that she, an outcast goblin mage, was the one the staff had been longing to be with made her warm. Now she was special to both the staff and to Justin. Beez could not see her life getting any better. The staff told her about the different owners, some good and some bad but the last one was greedy to the bone.

Beez said "That mage wouldn't let go even after death."

"The Watcher gave you my powers" the staff told her, “But what the Watcher did not mention was that I am the key that fully opens them. I chose not to open the time skill for all my previous owners. The damage they could have caused could have destroyed this world. The Watcher showed me your soul. I knew then I could unlock that last skill."

It continued "I want you to be my last owner."

.

"Your last owner? You are eternal. How can I be your last owner?"

"I want to merge with you. I want to become one with you. If we do that, I will be linked with your life. When you die, I will die with you. I never want another person to have me after you.

Please let us merge? You will have access to all my experiences, I will become just those instinctive thoughts you will have. With those, you will be the greatest mage ever."

Beez only concern, "Will this change me in the way that it will affect my feelings and relationship with Justin? If it will, I will not agree to the merge."

"Nothing will affect those feelings. They are too strong even for me. That is part of the reason I know you are my one."

"Then I agree to us merging. How do we do this?"

"Just hold me and clear your mind. The words are in you. When you feel them, I'll know when you feel them. At that moment we both do the chant. Once done we will become one."

Beez relaxes, clears her mind. Not knowing how long she was in that state, she saw the words of the chant. She read them and at the same time as the staff said them. When the last word was done. A golden light enveloped the both of them. She felt warm, enlightened, enriched with a feeling of peace. the staff was gone physically. What seemed like an idle thought was the staff giving a relaxed sigh and thanked her. Beez was truly one with the staff 46

and it was correct. Her feelings for Justin were the same but now she also felt love for herself.

She thought.

"Thank you, staff, I can feel that you are happy."

"I am"

Beez came back from those thoughts and answered Justin,

"The staff and I have merged. It did not want to be stolen and back with evil. It asked if it could merge with me. It said that it would take on my life span. The staff said that I was its perfect owner. It never wants anyone else, so when I die it will perish with me, never to exist again.

This way I do not have to carry it to weal our power. Especially with the time affinity, I now can use it without needing the staff in my hand. The staff and I are one."

"As long as you are comfortable with it, so am I. I'm truly happy for you."

I continue. "Chip we are riding again with three ride able pack horses, just in case we need it.

See that Christine is comfortable with a new horse."

The horse she rode on when we found her was old so we put it out to pasture to live the rest of its life in comfort.

"Missy plan on a month of essential food and supplies. We should be able to hunt for meat.”

Missy reminds me of her inter dimensional bag but better to be over cautious than too complacent.

“Christine, we need enough medical supplies to cover us. There may be no time to brew up potions.”

“I will do that”

“Good, Chip, she will need an inter dimensional bag for her stuff. If we do not have another bag like Missy’s get one today. We leave at sunrise”

"We have extras" Chip affirms.

One thing about Chip is that he has access to an information network that outsiders don't have access to. He dresses like a butler, acts like a butler and talks like a butler. For that reason, when he goes into Beall to buy things that I request, he is invited into the circle of gossiping servants of other nobles.

He sometimes shares what he hears with me that is pertinent information to the team. That is how I heard of the goblin rampage. I wonder what he shares with the other servants. I hope it is not about the harem’s night maneuvers. Don't want to know.

47

A week on the trail felt good. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Ride a little then walk the horses. Eat trail campfire food, eliminate a few feral goblins. Ordinary stuff. Adventuring is better than sitting at home alone. I’m happy. Out with friends, two with benefits. I’m doing, just not existing. I have been on other adventures since coming here but now it's different. In the old world after my family was gone, I could have traveled but what’s the sense without pleasant company no one to share memories. Now I have company, to share, and share we did.

During the week we met a new feline humanoid, Abigail, Abigail is tiger striped, two tone brown with green eyes. She is an athletic hunter with what I would call street smarts. She is almost hyper which makes her a good fighter but best in gorilla fighting, snipe and run.

Abigail found us setting up camp for the night. She asked to stay the night with us, safety in numbers. We said it was okay. Missy and Beez, already in contact with the Watcher, look at each other and shake their heads as if to say she’s not a candidate for the harem.

The Watcher is absolutely quiet. It seems that Abigail has no interest in a human. Very uninterested in Justin but her eyes are following Chip like he was catnip. Even to the point of ignoring the two humans. She also is looking at Missy with almost angry eyes, challenging eyes.

Abigail

Missy had enough. She accepts the challenge and goes nose to nose.

“What the hell is your problem bitch!” Missy yells with attitude. “We let you into our camp. We fed you and what do you do? You ignore my husband”

Now Abigail looks puzzled “What? Is Chip not your mate?”

48

Missy suddenly breaks into a full blown belly laugh. I swear I thought that she was going to pee herself she was laughing so hard.

“You can have that one, Justin is my mate and Bebe’s also. Soon Chris” as she looks at Justin and winks.

“That poor excuse for a cat is my brother and Justin’s butler.

"Now why were you ignoring our husband?”

Shocked is the best word to describe Abigail. For the first time in a very long time, she is dumbfounded.

“I’m not into humans, sorry” she gets out, “I wanted to stake a claim on this handsome feline, if his owner will allow it.”

"That’s up to him” putting myself into the commotion “Chip is not a bonded servant; he really is a close old friend. It’s a long story that does not need to be told but he is my butler, my defender, my team mate and most important, he is my friend. So as is said, whatever he decides is fine with me."

"If he is agreeable, I would like to join up with your team. I have been a loner for too long. I have realized for a while now that solo life is not what it is cracked up to be."

Abigail tells us. Having been alone for those couple of years in the old world, I can feel that she really means what she says. Being alone sucks.

"The only thing I will demand is that you do not disrespect anyone in my team. I mean anyone, that includes future additions to the team or my harem. If you accept those terms we will see if you fit into the team. As of now you must leave your racist views at the door. We deal with anyone that needs our help, any race. Those attitudes don’t belong here and could prove a detriment in combat. Do we have an understanding?” I extend my hand to her.

She looks at Chip. She can tell that he is in full agreement with me.

” Okay, I was rude, I’m sorry” she took my hand.

I feel that she took it to heart. Chip’s demeanor brightened, could it be our boy is interested.

Is that ice melting? What an interesting trip this is turning out to be.

Since that first encounter, Abigail has mended fences to the point that the self-appointed nickname giver is now calling her Abby. My girls are not calling her sister. I don’t think that they will. Maybe Missy since Chip is her brother but that relationship has not blossomed, Yet.

We continued on to the infested forest.

The closer we got the more trouble we found. Also, a group of thieves. This far out? We can only assume that by the low quality, they died quicker than expected, they had to be Everett’s.

Normally I’d say it's good to whittle down your opponent’s resources but Everett is into cheap 49

labor so it does not matter. At least we now have their horses. I tied a string of three to the pack horse. This way we could rest our horses by switching them out. We let the rest of them run free.

I also insisted that Abigail rode. She protested that she felt better running but I told her that, if necessary, we had to break into a run and she would be left behind. She could have kept up because we weren't doing more than a trot but I don't want to lose her. I'm selfish. I watch Chip and I see the concern in his body language every time she breaks for the woods to run.

for our sake she needs to ride.

We also started running into the feral goblins. I will say now that Abigail is turning out to be a great asset. Her stalking and scouting is second only to Chip. Of course, I have my own predisposed favorites. She will be an asset.

This trip is proving fruitful. We snagged Abigail but the next one is a gem. Her name is Hilda.

An Amazon, who is a skilled warrior. Excels in all around combat. Seven foot two inches goddess, green hair short as not to interfere in combat tan skinned with red eyes. We found her in a fight with an extremely large hoard of goblins. She was swinging her sword but it really appeared that she was about to be overwhelmed.

“Mind if we join the party?"

As we came to her aid not waiting for an answer. With the now seven of us we made short work of the remainder. This is more than an infestation. Something or someone is behind this.

I get a nagging feeling in my gut no actually the pain at the exit of the digestive track. Everett, but how?

Hilda

Resting we introduced our selves. She told us that her name is Hilda 50

“We came to eradicate these hoards because of the trouble they are causing.”

Something hit me like a ton of bricks, women are being abducted could that be the objective of Everett? Let’s think about that for now. I need time to think.

After quite a few battles with the feral goblins, the encounters have trickled down to a point that we are returning to the mansion.

Hilda was fierce in battle but now she seems almost shy. Leave it to my girls, unlike when Abigail joined the group, the three take Hilda off to the side to talk.

“What type of man is Justin?” Hilda asks the three.

Missy, being the first “The thing you should know is that Bebe and I are his wives. The plan is for Chris to become the third tonight.”

Christine adds

”I went to him weeks back begging him to not cast me out because I messed up during a training exercise. I went to him to exchange sex for the permission to stay. That did not work.

He refused my advances even though I was all but nude. He taught me to have a greater respect for myself.”

“He told me that if I came to him honestly and stated my desires with no strings attached, he would accept me. I now realize that I will not be able to live without him in my life. Just like these two I now find that I love him and need to share my life with his. Tonight is that night. By morning I will be his third wife, I will then have that contact with the Watcher. Justin will be accepting more wives in the future. We won’t know until an entity named the Watcher chooses the next. We three are connected to Justin because of the Watcher."

“Now as for you,” Missy clearly states “The Watcher has told both Beez and me that you will be his fourth bride. Our job is to love him, comfort him in his times of sadness and defend him by fighting beside him.”

Hilda ponders what she just heard. She looks at the three. A feline, a goblin and a human.

She thinks that he may be the one she is looking for. All her life she only was looked at for fighting in battles. As far as relations she only encountered sex driven men that would have cast her aside the moment they were finished. Could she really find happiness?

“I look at the three of you and see three different races with one thought, Justin. Would he accept someone like me? An overgrown fighting machine?”

“What are you talking about” Beez questioned "I, no we can tell that he has been taken by your beauty. Your fighting skills are secondary. They are important but not his top priority. He can tell when beauty is skin deep or when it is a beauty of heart. You have both.”

51

Missy states, “Sit with him, just talk to him. Be honest with him and watch him. You will almost immediately have the answer you need. When you find the answer come talk with us but we will already tell by how you look after. Just remember be honest, the Watcher is now watching over you. After you decide we’ll tell you more especially why the watcher’s endorsement is the most important thing that can happen to you. The Watcher only wants what will make him happy and keep him safe.”

“Now go over to him and talk but remember not too late, Chris has called for a solo tonight.”

It’s night, time to go to bed, so I go into my tent. I do a quick field wash, dry myself off then climb between my blanket and my cushion. The tent flap opens and there standing in the tent is a fully clothed Christine.

“It seems like you have finally made up your mind. So, I am willing to hear what you have to say.”

“The last time we were like this I was trying to bargain sex for lodging. I did not have any other feelings except the terror of being thrown out. For that I beg your forgiveness. I come to you now fully dressed for a purpose.”

“And what would that be?”

“I have watched you for the few weeks I have been here and realize that my feelings for you have blossomed. Justin, I love you. I would like to become your third wife if you will have me.

No strings attached, no false feelings. I hope that you will let me be with you. Your future is a shining star, so full of life and light. I want, no, need desperately to be a part of that sunshine.

Will you accept me?”

I get up and embraced her “I always hoped this would be the outcome. Yes, you shall be my third wife."

She tells me “Then take me and claim me like you did with Bebe. No ring on a finger is needed. Her mark is her pride. I want that pride also.” she starts to undress. Another night to remember.

The next morning two wives and an Amazon are anxiously looking at the tent door. When we emerge. They run over like school girls. They look at her shoulder and then drag her away for all the glorious details of the night. I swear, again with the glow around her, just like Beez had.

Looking at them makes my heart feel a little warmer. I love them all, including Hilda. She probably will be at my door soon, I hope she will be. My life is good, tiring but good.

When we’re on an adventure or quest, I’m going to need a bigger tent. I need to have Chip get a large on that holds at least twelve. For the room, only for the room. Nothing more. Five people need elbow room.

We manage to take out the remainder of the goblin infestation but are unable to find any trace of those women taken. Not even bones that would suggest that they were eaten. Everett!

52

Chapter 7: A Tea Party in the New World

Something has been bothering me since we returned from the goblin infestation. Where were those abducted women? There is no trace of them. No bodies, no bones, nothing. That is what is bothering me. Goblin males abuse, torture, sexually assault and kill their female captives. Normally you would see either whole bodies or at least remnants, like gnawed on bones. we found absolutely nothing. Not a trace of them.

One name keeps popping into my mind. Everett.

Everett deals mostly in slaves that he has had abducted. Mostly female due to the special needs of his clients. I need to call a team meeting to see what the others think. I don't want to jump to conclusions. I still remember a wise old man from the old world saying,

"It's only paranoia till you're proven right."

I feel it's not paranoia.

In the lounge that is off the war room,

"I must say Chip that you have done a wonderful job on this room. Restful but semi formal.

That painting needs to go"

"Ask your wife, you guess which one. She insisted that it was going to be in here."

Looking at the painting you see a seductively posed nude figure. She is stretched out on what used to be called a fainting couch. One that has a long backless part where your legs go with only a small portion of back that a fainted person can rest their back and head. The nude is …

."Missy, what is up with this?"

"Hopefully you" she smirks "The other two paintings are almost finished."

"Nope, it comes down and the others won't be hung here."

"Oh, so we can hang them in your rooms?"

"That's not why I called this meeting"

"I want to hear what the teams take on the goblin mission?"

"My take" Christine says "We came, we killed." The others expressed the same.

"What caused the infestation? That's my first question. The second is Where are the abducted women?"

Silence. All had that look of 'can you read my mind' so I voiced my feelings.

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"I feel that the answer to both is just one name, Everett. Here is what I think has happened.

Let's suppose that someone got those goblins stirred up into frenzy as a distraction to get more slaves."

The room was still silent but only for a moment.

"I was worried that I was the only one" Abigail told us, "I had some encounters with slavers in the past. They never turned out good, for them at least. They were a rag tag outfit that only could have been Everett's low lives."

I add, "Beez has firsthand experience with being abducted."

I ask Beez "As our resident, and might I add beautiful expert, what do male goblins do with their captured females?"

She winks at me, "I'll show you later just how a beautiful expert shows her appreciation. I call solo dibs."

Missy, without missing a beat "I'll pencil you in."

"Can we get back on the subject. Wait, pencil her in? I will meet with the harem on that subject later. so Beez, sorry, please continue, about the male goblins!"

"Okay. Male goblins, when it comes to female hostages, are merciless. Rape, sodomy, cutting, mutilating and eventually killing those females. It is also not uncommon for them to eat them. In extremely rare instances, a small number of captured women would be taken back to their base for breeding stock but not when they are on a frenzy rampage. "

"Abigail, while you were out scouting did you come across any signs that this is what took place?"

She answers "No"

Hilda also confirms that she never has seen any signs like that in this out break but,

"I have, in past travels, come across the, shall I say, the remnants of their captives. Not a sight that you will forget."

"Did they appear to try to hide any or all of the evidence?"

"No. The pile showed that they never were concerned with that."

"Logic dictates that, if there is no trace of the females, the goblins did not take them so it had to be someone else. Chip, I'm going to need a few things from Beall's general store. No hurry for you to get back so I'll let you hang around. Talk to your fellow servants. In other words, tap into the gossip hot line. We need anything concerning female slaves. Where and who sold them to who. Any information you can get even if it doesn't make sense. The rest of you, I want you to think about anything that you may have heard or seen that, now after this talk, 54

seems to be suspicious. Again, think about it. We'll meet again when Chip gets back from my errand."

Chip has returned with the new tent that I had wanted. He had to wait while the store contacted the local who made tents. Chip instructed that it needed to be of excellent quality, large enough, including ability to walk standing and he needed it today. He said he told them that he did not care about the cost which made the wheels of progress turn very quickly. He spent his leisure time talking to the people that came in and out of the store. With certain off hand questions to the right people, he found some very disturbing rumors.

The team could see that he was not sure, not of the information, but of how we would take it.

So, to start it off he told us of his day. The four, yes, they have been, gently, talking to Hilda, are delighted with Chip's description of the tent.

Then he says "While I was waiting, I heard some very troubling gossip that needs to be investigated before we go off. I ask you women to please contain yourselves. The long and short of this is that there is a fat disgusting noble in the area that has a not so secret fetish.

He is a sadist."

Gasps are heard but we all keep quiet as Chip continues

"He buys female slaves regularly from Everett's stock. It seems that at first, he would just torment by ordering them to do degrading things, by having them wear barely nothing so he can tear what little they had on off. After a week or so he starts the sexual assaults that include severe bondage with suspension while he has his way with them."

I am getting angry but the women are already in their minds sharpening their knives. Still, he continues.

"Once new batches arrive the older batch of slaves are moved to their next stage. The cellar.

That is where he does his final debauchery. According to what was said, no one comes out of there" he hesitates "alive."

Seeing how it is turning everyone's stomachs I stop him there. "Son of a bitch doesn't deserve to take another breath if this is true but how do we confirm this information. It may just be vengeful gossip rather than fact."

Abigail speaks up "I'm going to go over there after dark today, do some window peeking and listening."

"I'm warning you Abigail, don't you do anything in reaction to what you see. I care about you as a team member, but also as a friend. Don't take any action but come back here as quickly as possible."

She agrees. She then takes off but not before a further caution from Chip.

When she returns

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"I wish that you did not make me promise!"

Abigail remarked. She looked like she was a combination of total of almost feral primal anger, disgust and horror all at the same time.

"It is far worse than you can imagine. It's a butcher shop with that fat bastard as the butcher. I could tell that he was in the cellar. The mansion is completely stone construction but you could hear the tortured screams of agony coming from the cellar. Upstairs the females were totally naked, bruised beyond belief."

She was going to continue but, like I did with Chip, I stopped her. did not need to hear anything further as Chip went over to her and hugged her tightly to comfort her. "I'm going to have nightmares over this!" was the last thing she said then burst into hysterical crying.

I thought that I was totally angry but my women were seething with absolute righteous vindictiveness. I could tell that they were out for blood but they did not want him dead quickly.

They wanted to exact more than a quick death. That would be too merciful. How did that law go "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"

They were going to prove it.

Beez, through the anger and tears, "That more than likely would have been my fate. Justin, Chip and Missy, THANK YOU!" Then she broke down in my arms.

Once they calmed down somewhat, I spoke,

"I need to tell you a tale I was once told by a very old lonely man. He spoke of a colony that was governed by a tyrannical king who was on an island on the other side of the ocean. The king was greedy and he taxed the colonists heavily. A ship sailed into the harbor with goods that could not be produced in the colony. The colonists were informed that the tax had been doubled to a point that they had had enough. That night they dressed in a local enemy's clothing and raided the ships throwing the goods into the harbor ruining the product. The costumes that they wore were to throw the king's men off on a wrong trail."

The team, with the exception of Chip and Missy, look at me thinking he has lost it.

Disregarding their apparent thoughts, I issue my orders and it becomes clear to them what the story meant.

"I want all of you to put on clothes that are what Everett's gangs wear. We will need bandanna masks; we are going to liberate those women. You need to subdue that fat ass but do not, I repeat do not kill him. I have a special surprise for him that you will love. Christine your healing skills will be extremely needed tonight. Be ready. Let’s get moving."

I have never seen such a motley crew, including myself as what was on horseback riding into the night. Chip had a large wagon that he was driving. We needed it to bring out the survivors.

If I had encountered a group dressed like we are, I would have, without a doubt, thought of Everett Ratten.

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We tied the horses a very short distance from the bastard’s mansion. The sounds immediately assaulted our ears. I would have never believed that the human voice could sound like that, God help him, I may kill him myself. There was a smell of decay permeating the air. A body dump had to be somewhere on the property.

We broke in by destroying the front door. Grabbing hold of the closest servant we demanded that person to show us to the cellar. What we saw was exactly what Abigail said would cause nightmares. There in the middle of blood, skin and amputated body parts stood the fat fuck still holding his knife while cutting a finger off a hand that had only that finger left.

In a coal fire station by him he had irons heating and had cauterized the stubs. In other areas of the cellar were women strapped down in various states of dismemberment. There were a few, possibly the oldest owned that were dead. Mainly eviscerated. He just stood there and had the nerve to say

"How dare you interrupt me." as he was being very violently subdued by my ladies.

Christine steps up after getting her kicks. I mean literally kicks. I don't feel a bit sorry for him.

She tells her sisters to strap him down to a vacant table to be near the other women.

She tells me that she cannot do anything for the few that are dead but she said

"Stand back and see what the Watcher gave me!"

Uttering those words that I heard many a time in the old world anime shows. She yelled

"AREA HIGH HEAL"

As soon as she said that, the white light covered all the enslaved women both here and we could hear the gasps coming from the other floors.

I watched as all the injuries were healed. I watched that hand of stubs as it regenerates back to new perfect fingers. All the women were physically back. but mentally.

"Unstrap them" she tells her sisters.

"Justin, please go up and see to the servants. Your wives will be up there momentarily."

I trust my wives, so I go up. I do need to secure the servants. It's per our emergency plan.

Missy now talks with the freed women, "We will be up on the main floor. If you want to say your good byes to this disgusting imitation of a man, His tools are right here. For those of you that just want out of here come with us to the main floor."

The worst mental cases seem to have no thoughts, so my women help those ones up to the main floor.

57

There were four of the slaves that stayed in the room. In the space of a few seconds, we again here screams that a human should not be able to voice. There was one difference, this voice was male. The four women come up.

"He's still alive down there but he won't be the same. He'll need to squat to pee."

One woman drops a familiar chunk of meat.

"The hot irons stopped the bleeding."

I now have all the servants in one room as women are being loaded onto the wagon. Our faces are covered. I start yelling at those servants.

"You are just as guilty as your boss. You let this guy get too crazy. He has come under the eyes of the government. Everett cannot have the attention. If you want to live, you have only five minutes to get out of here. You can use that time to try to get your things or you can run now. The only reason you are being allowed to live is this one reason, Everett Ratten is being generous. You only have to do one thing. You need to spread the word that you don't fuck with Everett and live. At the end of the five minutes, we have the order to get rid of all evidence. That means we burn this place down with that fat fuck in it. If we spot you outside, you are fair game. Get lost NOW."

All you see is the sight of assholes and elbows as they are disappearing into the night. My team drop our masks and tell the rescued women that we were here to save them. They thought that we were Everett's gang They still are not sure but they stay put because most of the team are women.

I now go into the cellar only to find that the idiot is still arrogant. Demanding that the healer heal him and turn him loose. I have cracked myself. In my whole life, I have never wanted to torture anyone as much as I do right now. As calmly as I could, I take the dead out of the cellar a safe distance from the mansion. After I removed the last one outside, I respectfully cover them.

I made one last visit to the cellar. "You will be happy to know that I and my people will not kill you." I then leave.

On the main floor I drop my torch into the large puddle of lamp oil that I had poured on the floor Then leave the mansion as it goes up in flames and the fire quickly consumes it. For a short time, you could hear screams that ended when the mansion's wooden interior structure collapsed into the cellar.

In the morning, all those women were in the manor, being fed and bathed. After getting their names and where they were from, they settled into a peaceful long awaited sleep. Most were able to be reunited with their families but there were four from the cellar that never recovered their sanity.

My harem, bless them, adopted them as their guardians.

58

Those women live here at the manor and will do so for as long as they live. Safe and well looked after. We will never let them be in harm’s way again. They now have the Watcher looking after them. That was the unanimous voice of the harem.

Word got out that, surveying the aftermath of the fire, the authorities found the latest bodies neatly outside. They found a body dump with a lot more there. When they combed through the ashes of the fire, they found the burnt body of the mansion owner in the basement. The official ruling was that the owner was the murderer of the women but had a sudden feeling of remorse. He put his latest victims neatly outside. He then set the main floor on fire, went down into the basement where he took his own life hoping that the fire would completely cremate his remains.

The real story was told to the authorities by a servant that worked in the mansion. They were told of the torture of the women. That Everett Ratten was upset that he was being connected to the sadist so he sent a gang to repossess the slaves and they burnt down the mansion with him in it.

Everett is now losing his customers. They are telling him that they received his warning and burning down that mansion was too much. They no longer are willing to take the risk of him coming for them. They told him that since they were involved, they would not and could not go to the authorities. Most of those have since gone on extended vacations on their estates in neighboring countries. They would stay there until they received word that Everett was gone to meet his maker. The stream of words he used are still echoing in his office.

59

Chapter 8: Summoned by a Dragon

Both Abigail and Hilda were amenable to staying here at the manor. It looks like Abigail has sunk the hooks in Chip and is reeling him in.

Hilda on the other hand is shy but I’m sure the three wives are gently steering her so that her real feelings come out. I know that she will be a great harem member but I think of when the dam bursts on her emotions I’m going to have to have Chris on call to mend my injuries. I’ll enjoy every minute but I accept everything about her.

I love each wife equally for themselves because they each have their own unique qualities, unique personalities. Even if they were to ask who’s my favorite, I would have to answer all because they are.

Chip came to me the other day looking for advice. He said that he had feelings for Abigail.

That he would like to have her for a mate but needed to consult with me to get my permission.

I looked at him strangely.

“Why do you think you need my permission?”

"I’m your servant" he states it as if I had title to him,

“Chip, I have said before to others, and yes, when you have been in hearing distance. You are my friend first and foremost. You don’t have to seek permission but if that's what you need you have my blessing. You both can stay or if you want to move on, I’ll miss you but I will not stop you.

Chip seemed pleased “I, no we wish to stay with you. I stay because we also share both worlds. Also, there’s Missy and the Watcher."

“Why don’t the two of you go into town and purchase a large bed for the two of you. There are larger vacant rooms that you will need to move into. Want a thrill? Tell Abigail that I want her to pick the room. On second thought I’m going to tell her myself.”

Missy is always prowling around somewhere near me.

“Missy” I yell. “Would you get Abigail for me.”

I hear a loud “Okay”

While waiting

“I need an answer to something. Are you okay with me asking a question about something from the old world?"

"I’m okay, ask away”

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“In the old world you would stay with me when I felt all alone with my sad thoughts of what was taken away from me. Staying with me made me feel less alone. I ask one thing of you, back in there you used to sit on my lap but sometimes you would look up at the ceiling behind me. What were you seeing?”

Chip quickly answered, “The Watcher was giving me instructions.”

“What instructions?”

“To keep on talking to you and sometimes act up”

“That incessant meowing was irritating sometimes!”

“The Watcher said that it would get your blood flowing”

Missy enters the room with Abigail in tow.

“Abigail, I have an order for you.”

Chip grimaces as I say to Abigail,

“Chip’s room is too small. I need you to find him a suitable room that will comfortably hold a large bed and belongings for at least two people. Oh, by the way, I have told him to go to Beall and buy a suitable bed for that room.”

“Thank you” she says. “Chip would have picked out a utilitarian style bed. I’ll choose a room then we will pick one out.”

“Abigail, buy a comfortable but sturdy bed. It’s on me. A celebratory gift. I’m sure that the harem will have others.”

Missy is bouncing with joy.

“The harem will most certainly will have gifts. After all she is now my sister in law.”

She hugs her brother then whisks her sister in law away to find them a suitable room.

Later that day it was announced that Chip and Abigail are now mates. They will stay on at their current jobs. Missy was actually happy for Chip and greeted Abigail as her sister but as an in law. She was not part of the harem. Harem was special family, not in the same was as Chip is to Missy. The pair were blood bond family but the harem bond is a self-chosen bond.

Special.

Hilda came to me to talk. She was talking to me more and more. It seems that she is warming up to me. I have already, so all I can do is wait on her. I’m quite sure that if I asked my wives, they would all mention the Watcher., so I don’t ask. I’ll wait. Hilda trains along with us but she has a different style. It looks good I may just copy it some other time.

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Then I remember something. Each one of us has developed their own skills and trained hard to master that skill. I had the ability to procure others skills but after the elation of having the skill set I desired, no let’s be truthful, I envied, it felt like I was a thief. A thief of their effort, their dedication to that skill and I just cheapened them by using copy. I promised myself that I would cherish everyone's skill not covet them. In the end I did not want to use Copy and Paste anymore.

I decide that I want to spar with Beez. I need to practice the dance of the daggers. We both grab the blunt wooden daggers we kept in the area's weapons locker. Beez faced me. I count

“three, two, one” and the dance was on We were both so involved with the dance that we did not notice that the others had stopped and were watching the two of us. Hilda especially.

She tells Missy that she feels that she should learn that style.

“It could come in handy in an enclosed area where swords can’t be used.”

“Just ask Bebe, she will be glad to teach you.”

The next day Beez is showing Hilda the basics of the dagger dance. Two beautiful ladies, I love them both, are so different in their size that it is almost laughable unless you know them.

Courage and generosity are being shown. The courage that it takes for someone as impressively talented as Hilda is to ask for help and generosity that Beez has to teach someone else their knowledge. I have a greater satisfaction knowing that I have such talent on my side.

The two of them go on to be a joined offensive terror force that none survive to tell the tale.

The enemy just seem to disintegrate into chunks of body parts. Those that see it will use it to scare their children into being good or the high low twin terrors will get you. By the way, that is an awful way to traumatize your kid. Scarred for life. Please don't do it.

After the training session was over. We started towards the manor for breakfast. Beez catches up with me, takes my hand, then slows down to let the others go ahead. She definitely wants something.

“Master, do you like Hilda?”

“I really like her, no, I know I love her for her like I love you for you.”

"Good! Hilda is shy, I don’t think she has the nerve to make the important move. She needs you to take control. In her situation. I feel it may be that she is waiting on someone to dominate her. Being so powerful, she needs to feel vulnerable to be able to show affection."

Beez continues "I talked to her, she said she has never found someone that she had these feeling for that she has for you. You are, in her opinion, an excellent all around combat leader.

One she can follow knowing that your people come first.”

“So, what’s the action I need to do?” I ask.

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“You need to pull her aside. I do mean pull her! She needs to be confronted with an order like question. A question that gives her a choice of which commands she would like to follow knowing she does not have a third option of not to follow either of the two."

“Like what” I ask.

Beez looks at me with an exasperated look.

“Men! Totally clueless! You need to confront her in a command voice and tell her how you feel. Tell her that you want her in the harem. Then give her the order to either be knocking at your door being ready for night bed maneuvers. or not show and just be part of the team like Chip and Abigail. If what I feel will happen, happens, dominate her in the bed then tell her you are claiming her like you claimed both Chris and I were. Then mark your claim."

Thinking about it, Beez is right. I feel that it is the proper action. I get cleaned up and after I notice Hilda is almost done with her breakfast., I abruptly stand and my chair goes sailing back.

I look at Hilda and command her to stand. I remember those drill instructor movies and use that voice. My three and Abigail are watching the situation eagerly. The only thing they are missing is the popcorn as they sit forward on the edge of their chairs.

Hilda is stunned.

“I SAID STAND UP! DO YOU HEAR ME?!”

Again, from those movies. She immediately stands. I march over to her and look up into her eyes that show she has no idea what the hell is going on. In almost a growl I say

“Listen to me. I love you and I want you in my harem. You are to be in my room by nine pm tonight ready for our joining. I will claim you and then mark you as mine. Talk to Beez as to what that means. If you are a no show then I will have your answer. You will still be on the team but just as team member, like Chip and Abigail. Now answer me now, HOW DO YOU

FEEL ABOUT ME?”

“I love you” she says meekly

“I can’t hear youuuuu!”

“I LOVE YOU” she shouts.

“GOOD! You have your orders, choose one.” I pivot then march away thinking that I shouldn't have this grin but tonight should be good. Meanwhile I start to hear the high school girl’s voices coming out.

Promptly at nine pm there as a knock at the door. “Enter” and the door opens. There coming through the door which she had to duck slightly to get through, was Hilda. She was dressed in 63

a thin night gown. I feel Missy and the other two had a hand in this. She did not say a word, just stood there.

“Have you come to a decision?” knowing that if she was here, she wanted to be with me. “I want you to tell me why I should accept you.”

“You are brave, smart and caring. In this short time, I have seen you do marvelous things, generous things and I have found myself falling in love for the first time in my life. You have shown that you care for the person regardless of race. I love you and want to be in the harem.

Please claim me and give me your mark. Please be my master.”

By the time she got out those words, I already had my arm round her neck and was pulling her down for a kiss. The night was more than I expected. She did want to be vulnerable in her night life. She wanted to have times where she was being told what to do rather than in that combat mode all the time. Hilda found she could relax and just be a woman rather than that warrior. She was very happy and very relaxed by the end of the evening.

Needless to say, those three were at the door in the morning as Hilda kind of drifted out of my room. She had a glow, and they giggled like teenagers. “Welcome sister. We now need to talk about the harem and the Watcher."

Shortly after that, I came out of my room to find Chip there waiting with a smirk on his face.

“Not you too!”

“Noooo, that’s not my business. I’m here because we received a letter from Drako saying that you and your harem are urgently needed at his estate as soon as convenient,”

“Does he say what’s the matter?”

“No just that it is urgent.”

"I guess we need to meet in the war room. Have everyone meet there in a half an hour, I need something to eat. I’m drained”

“I did not need to know that” Chip remarks.

I clap his arm, smile then went to get breakfast.

With the addition of Abigail and my now forth wife Hilda, I’m glad to have a room just for our planning and meetings. The office can now be just for meeting with clients.

“Now that we are all here, we’re traveling. My friend Drako has sent me a message saying that I need to go to him. He stated it was urgent. He said that I was to bring my harem. Of course, Chip and Abigail are welcome to come unless you would like to spend some weeks alone.”

My women snicker and Abigail is embarrassed. “No, we'll come with you but for once we may make some noise ourselves.” Chip looked like he had a plan.

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“To continue. There is a decent road leading to his estate so this time the women can ride in the carriage. Our provisions will be in the wagon. This will save us from the saddles if you know what I mean. Chip, you have the wagon, I'll take the carriage."

Abigail speaks up, "I'll be on the wagon"

Chip tells her "I will make sure that we have the buck board padding."

"Don't want to hurt her butt" after a short pause, Missy finishes with "while on the wagon."

"I have also procured a very large tent that has a well-padded floor mat. It’s big enough for the five of us plus room for expansion, if the occasion arises. Chip you can have my other one unless you feel we need to bring more tents.”

Abigail answers before Chip can “Your other one is big enough.” Everyone enjoys his reaction.

“A week up and a week back. I don’t know what is wrong so I cannot say how long we will be there. Is everyone on board?”

Missy raised her hand. “Your tent. Do mean to say all of us will be in the same tent?”

“Any objections to my tent plan?”

I hear almost a simultaneous "No sir!”

“We leave in the morning”

Surprisingly it is Hilda that says “Why can’t we leave this afternoon?”

“Great idea” the rest of the harem kicks in.

“No, we have things to do today.”

“Just spoil the fun, killjoy.”

It's morning and my girls are already debating how far we were going to travel before we set up camp for the night. Their general condenses is that we go no farther than we can go by noon.

The poor horses. Their pulling a wagon and a carriage. They needed the rest. Horses need the rest? I need the rest! Those women are awfully concerned for the horses all of a sudden, yea right! All they are thinking about is the tent. Right now, I get the feeling that I will regret the purchase but maybe I won't.

Despite the wishes of my harem, we stopped for lunch then continued on. For the most part the day's travel was pleasant. There was one incident. It was midafternoon when we all 65

sensed that there was something lurking in the woods. Abigail jumps off the wagon seat and disappears into the woods. As fast as she disappeared, she came back.

"There is a pack of wolves stalking us. Around twenty more or less. We're going to be attacked very soon."

The pack tactics are predictable. The leader with a few of the pack will appear before the potential victims. Stopping the victim’s movement. The rest of the pack will then come out from behind and encircle the prey. This pack is no different. I figure that this will be good practice. We will be able to take care of them.

"Let's let it happen. This will be a substitute for our missed mornings exercise."

It was almost a minute later that the leader and his escorts jump into our path. Then we hear growling all around us.

"It's show time!” I yell. then we jump into action.

The leader was chopped up mid howl. Then their numbers started to drop. Some wolves chose the smallest of us as their target. They must have thought that they could take the small one then cut and run. Wrong, before they could make their move, Hilda ran over to Beez. It was the first live combat appearance of the high low twin terrors.

Unfortunately, for the wolves, that easy prey just became the ultimate butchering team. You could almost swear that you could see a wolf skinned, eviscerated, dissected and if they had the butcher paper you would find the cuts of meat neatly wrapped, on display for the customer to take home for supper. The only thing we saw was the blur from two sets of blades. It reminded me of a blender from the old world.

Those wolves seemed to be chopped up and down without a cut or nick on my wives’ skin, let alone a single hair touched, on either Hilda or Beez. They were working in a synchronous perfect harmony. Practice makes the difference. They alone took out half of the pack. Not a single wolf got away.

When it was all done, all the rest of us could was to stare at the two, then, we could not help it, we started to clap. Both looked embarrassed but had enough presence to take a bow. We came over and there were plenty of hugs.

"I am so lucky to have this new talent show up in our team."

Christine interrupts "Not luck" I think, don't please don't but she did, "the Watcher knows what is best for us. Then sends us who we need."

Leaving the mess, scavengers will clean up the remains, we set off. That whole fight happened so fast that the horses did not get a chance to run. We set off, despite the pleas from four 'tired' wives that we need a night’s rest.

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"We need to put a great distance between the mess and us so we will still travel. The tent will wait for a few more hours."

Even though they know that I am right, they still groan as they get into the carriage.

Much to their discomfort, we traveled another three hours until we found a nice spot to camp.

An open meadow that afforded a clear parameter but also a clean stream abutting it. We set up and our mage was able to rearrange some of the river stones to form a decent size pool with her earth magic. Then with fire magic she heated the rocks and water to a pleasant temperature. Our own spa.

"Now" Beez says "You two men go hunt supper. Make sure you are gone for an hour."

"Why an hour?" was asked.

"Because we are a mixed crowd of women. If it was just the harem and Justin, we would not think anything of a mixed bath. With Chip and Abagail here, we need to be discrete. Go hunt now" and all the women chase us off.

No sooner have Chip and I disappeared from their sight, clothes went flying and five naked females collectively sighed as they settled into the warm water and soaked their weary bones.

The talk was about the day, the fight and the anticipated night time activities.

Missy tells her sister in law "Abby, we are not going to be a quiet bunch tonight. Some of us are very loud" she hesitates then adds "sleepers, if you get what I mean."

Abby replies "I won't be bothered, I'm a screamer." They all laugh then trade night time tales.

We came back with a few rabbits and some birds. The women were sparkling and smelled wonderful. Smiles all around. We were ordered to go to the pool and clean up. It seems that we could not peek at them but they had no concern for our privacy. Both Chip and I gave a mock argument but we did not really care if they saw us naked. It's a guy thing.

Fed, relaxed and still somewhat light out, almost as if it was planned, the women say that tomorrow was going to be a long day and we need the rest. Abigail goes to her tent and mine go to our tent.

We both get up to follow our wives when Chip tells me "Good luck"

I say "Same to you"

With that we are prepared for the long night's battle. I can't say that Chip will have an easier time but the way my ravenous pack looks as I enter the tent of my impending vanquish, I think of that Roman coliseum saying

"We who are about to die salute you" Let the battle begin.

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Next morning, we both emerge from both tents. Both of us look like we have been through hell and lived but not by much.

I turn to Chip "At least you only had one to contend with."

"I don't know about that. She was moving so fast that I thought there were multiple Abby's."

We try to laugh but the women file out of both tents. With both a relaxed look and mischief in their eyes

Abigail says "there were multiples of me."

My women add "It didn't tire us out but we noticed that Chris might need to use high heal on you because it seemed that you were shooting powder towards the end, right before you passed out."

Now all the women are laughing outright.

"Chip let's break camp and go without breakfast." I tell him.

"Oh no you don't. We need food!" they reply.

We ate packed up and continued on. I don't know about Chip but I am really considering stopping at noon. It would be nice sleeping under the stars knowing that the harem is safely tucked in the big tent. I'll guard it from outside.

Chip's earlier words when it was just two wives,

"Be careful of what you ask for, you might just get it."

I really need to do something about my stamina. Maybe Christine can really help.

The rest of the trip was relatively quiet with the exception of what seemed endless night skirmishes. Honestly, I really need to get some rest. We are getting close to Drako's territory and I don't know what is the urgency.

It turns out to be ironic that what he wants is…….

-

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Chapter 9: Sorra’s Destiny

It started several months ago when Drako returned to his estate. He takes his humanoid form then announces

“I’m home.”

“Father, how was your trip?” his daughter Sorra asks.

Drako Leader of the Clan of the Dragon Sorra of the Clan of the Dragon Sorra is the apple of his eyes. She so resembles her late mother now that she has grown to the age her mother was when the two of them fell in love. He misses his wife a little more now that their daughter has grown to be so much like her with the exception that her mother was human.

“It was mostly routine and somewhat boring with one exception. Guess who I ran into on the way home?”

“I would take a wild guess and say Justin?”

"Justin it was. He is on a mission going to look for a lost healer. They were camping for the night. I saw them and stopped for a quick visit. Since home was close by air I came home.”

Sorra was ready near to flying out the door,

“Where is he? Just point in the direction. I have to see him. I need to ask him something.”

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“You can’t go right now. I insist that you stay here.”

“Why should I?” It was a sort of demand rather than a question.

“Because he was bedding down for the night.”

“So” she interrupted.

“Please let me finish.” he told his daughter.

Her father knew before tonight that Sorra has been enamored with Justin ever since her father brought Justin home one day years back. Sorra is a beautiful eighteen year old dragon newt. She has fair skin with red hair that comes down to her retractable wings. Sorra loved his tales and trained to become one of his team, also his wife.

“If I may continue, as I said he was bedding down for the night with his two wives. So, you do not want to rush in to chat.”

She is stunned.

“Two wives?”

“Yes, he has two wives. A felid and a goblin both very attractive, both deeply in love and so is he. You can tell just by looking at them.”

Sorra is surprised at that and deep down she is a little panicky.

“What if he has a limit on the number of wife’s he is willing to take.” The gears in her mind are grinding.

"Father, I have to get down there now. The question I have to ask him is would he have me for his wife. Now I really need to ask that question before he reaches his limit of wives.”

“He is on a mission to find that healer. The team is still days away from the first area to search. They will look for a week and then move to the next location. They will continue until they find the healer hopefully alive or they find a body. Then they have weeks until they return to his manor."

"You need to convince me that you are in love with him, not just infatuated, not desperate about missing your opportunity. Think of how you will convince me to let you go because of love, not just intrigued with his adventure tales. I insist that you take two weeks before we talk reasonably about this matter. The last thing I must insist on is that, if I agree with you, he must agree to make you one of his wives and consummate that before you leave with him."

"You are aware of our tradition. The Matriarch of our clan must confirm the consummation by watching the act. Your mate can also have a representative witness. Being a rudimentary harem, the first wife most likely will be the one. The Matriarch and your mate’s representative will leave the room once they are satisfied that the act has been completed."

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"The Matriarch will come out and announce her certification or declare no marriage due to failure to consummate. The harem witness will have their own form of declaration. Once you have been declared mates you will no longer be able to say you are a member of the Clan of the Dragons. You will be declared a member of your mate’s clan. In this case the Clan of Martin. Are you willing to do as I ask and accept the ceremony rituals?”

She hates that he is right. What is Justin to her real or just infatuation, and does he have those feelings for her

“I accept your conditions.”

“Good. When you can convince me, I will send a letter to his manor asking him to come here with his harem to meet with us. I will only tell him that it is urgent. He will come here straight away when he reads that it is urgent. I will also alert the Matriarch. I will send them the same day as I give my consent. Time wise this meeting will not happen for at least two months. Are you still okay with that?”

“Yes" she replies.

“Thank the gods, if you left now and joined with him, you would disgrace yourself and I would have no choice, by our laws, to disown you. You would be an outcast for your life. No dragon or dragon newt would help you. I love you too much to see my daughter an outcast. Please do not give in to the temptation and go to him now. I will hear you in two weeks.”

Sorra tells him

“You do not have to worry. As much as I really want to go, I will not because I respect you and know you enough to know that you only have my best interests in mind. I’m going to bed now and will start to prepare my answer by asking myself your questions. I love you dad.”

She turns and goes to her room.

It was a hard fought battle with herself but after the two weeks Sorra comes to her father.

Drako simply asks his daughter

“Have you come to convince me about Justin and his harem. Are you willing to join yourself to his harem? To share his life with other women”

“Yes”

“Why”

She takes a deep breath with a true quiver in her voice,

“I love him and will accept his harem if they will accept me. I cannot see my life as complete without Justin in it. I want to marry him. I want you to approve, but if you do not, I will leave to 71

join him even if I get disowned even knowing how much it will hurt you. I’m sorry father if that hurts you.”

He stops her right there

"Daughter, if you had compromised on the feelings that I already knew you to have for him, I would have been greatly disappointed. I had heard the determination in your voice but when I heard that you even would become an outcast for him, I knew that your love is true. I am so proud of you. You are a true lady. No longer my little girl. You have my approval and I will send letters to both Justin and the Matriarch.”

With tears in her eyes

“Daddy, I’m still am and will always be your little girl.”

She throws herself at him, kissed both of her father’s cheeks and cries for a long while. They are tears of joy and tears due to fatherly love.

Fast forward to today, I am here with my harem and team in answer to my friend’s urgent letter. I am sitting across from Drako. He has asked that he be able to talk alone, with the exception of Chip because he knows Chip’s position. The women are being entertained by his daughter.

“Drako, what is this matter that you need my help with? You didn’t have any details so I am wondering what is so urgent?”

In another end of the castle, the women are with Sorra. They are having tea and light snacks.

Missy, Beez, Christine, Hilda and Abigail are there. It starts out as idle polite chatting until Sorra coughs loudly to get their attention. She remembers that her father told her that a felid and a goblin were Justin’s wives.

"Missy, Beez, because you are Justin’s wives”

She is stopped by Missy “You are correct in that the two of us are Justin’s wives but now I need to say that Christine and Hilda are also his wives.”

Sorra is taken back “Then maybe I’m too late”

Missy knows what Sorra wants to say

“You want to become a wife of our husband don’t you. We have already discussed this. We have it, on good authority, that you will be a perfect fit. We wives love Justin for what he is. He means the world to us and he feels the same about all of us. We also consider each of us as sisters. We are going to accept you as a sister after he takes you and marks your as his.”

” What, what, how did you know what we were going to discuss? What is on a good authority?”

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Missy answers “I’ll stop you right here. That information is only known by the four of us. You will not be brought in on that until you become one of us. You have to agree on that. One other thing, you will not be allowed to tell anyone outside of the harem what we tell you especially Justin. Can you abide with that.? If not, we’re done here.”

“I will abide with that. I want to be his wife and your sister.”

Sorra turns her attention to Abigail but Abigail picks up on it.

“Oh no, I’m not part of that party. I’m the mate of Missy’s brother Chip. Chip also has not told me about the authority other than the fact the it only concerns Justin’s well being.”

Missy pipes up gleeful “I’m going to be an auntie soon. That’s another thing, we wives cannot conceive just yet and you won’t. Be assured you will eventually but not for the foreseeable future”

Sorra is just at a loss.

“What are you saying” Justin is astonished at what he just heard his friend Drako say.

“I said that I would like you to take my daughter, Sorra, as your wife. She is in love with you, has been for a few years. She is now eighteen, so she can marry. She has shown to me that it is true love. I like your character. I would feel at ease knowing that my daughter will be cared for. Per our Clan of the Dragon tradition, she will come with a considerable dowry. Will you accept my daughter?”

“I have seen her as a cute young girl and then as an attractive woman. I need to discuss it with my wives. If I get their approval, I will accept Sorra as my wife.” We shake hands and Chip says that he is witness to the agreement.

Before we can get up, almost on queue, Missy pokes her head into the room and only gives me a thumbs up. Then closes the door.

I turn to Drako “I guess we have their answer, father.”

Drako cringes, “Don’t ever call me that again, it’s creepy”

We have a good laugh and meet up with the women. As we are around the table enjoying a good meal,

Sorra stands up. “Justin I want to marry you and join your harem. Will you have me?”

I stand and walk over to her, look her in the eyes and hold her hands. “I would be happy to have you as a wife but isn’t the proposal supposed to be made by the groom?”

Turning to the harem “I ask you Missy, Beez, Christine and Hilda what do you say?”

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Missy has always been the spokesman for the harem. She stands and comes over to us. She takes Sorra’s left hand from me leaving me holding the right hand.

Missy says “We, the wives of Justin’s harem, accept you Sorra and look forward to you becoming a sister.”

With that said, everyone claps and congratulates us. Drako now stands and announces that the Matriarch should be here three days from now to officiate. He turns to Justin

“She will certify the consummation of the marriage. It seems that Missy is your first. Will she be your observer?”

“What are you talking about?”

"The act of first coupling must be observed by the Matriarch so the marriage can be certified.”

"Oookay someone has to watch? I good with that. The trip here, all the wives were there in my tent. Things happened very frequently, only two is doable but Missy, you cannot jump in”

“Why not?" she says sarcastically”

I answer “Maybe on the second or third night but not that night.”

"I'll take that as a dibs"

The three days pass quickly and right on time the Matriarch arrives but she says that it will be tomorrow for the joining. She wants to talk with the harem, then me. Today, she needs to be satisfied as to our sincerity because I’m a human. I hope prejudice isn’t going to interfere. It doesn’t. She is comfortable with the harem and me being a human. The thing she had to see is the dynamics as a whole. She wanted to see if it is a good situation for Sorra.

The Matriarch finally is satisfied so she announces,

“The marriage will take place tomorrow at two in the afternoon followed by a feast. At four in the afternoon the four of us will retire to the room especially prepared for the consummation.

When we are satisfied, we two witnesses will leave and wait by the door while you get dressed. Then you will be presented as mates.”

Missy had informed the Matriarch earlier and now informs the gathering that the harem has the claiming ritual, the shoulder bite. The four current wives show their shoulder bite marks.

Missy explains that this was started with Beez and the next night Missy got hers. The other two got theirs during the first time.

She says “Sorra and the Matriarch have heard and both agree to the harem claiming mark.

When Sorra is certified as her mate by the Clan of the Dragon she will be told to show the harem the mark. She will then become our sister for life.”

In what seems an instant, today is the day and two pm arrives before we know it.

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At the hall door Missy announces to the gathering “As our harem sister’s mouth, I announce the arrival of Justin Martin, our husband, the groom of Sorra. and the chief of the Clan of Martin." She opens the door and I step into the hall. The door is closed behind me.

Drako then says “As father of the bride I announce the arrival of Sorra of the Clan of the Dragon. The future mate of Justin Martin.” He opens the door and Sorra enters the hall.

Now Drako announces “All stand as the Matriarch of the Clan of the Dragon enters the hall”

Everyone is standing when he opens the door. Everyone bows as she enters the hall.

I was dressed in the finery that Drako’s tailors made for me. It is an amazing fact that they could make me what could be only described as a tuxedo but with small artificial wings embroidered on the back. Feels weird but seeing Sorra in what resembles fancy battle armor but made of bright sky blue leather with a jeweled sword at her side. The Matriarch is dressed in a sky blue ceremonial robe befitting royalty.

She now speaks “I have interviewed all that are concerned and have found that they are true to their feelings. Both Justin Martin, his harem and his clan will accept Sorra as an equal member of the harem and of their clan. To use their term of acceptance, Sorra will be their life’s sister.”

The Matriarch turns to Justin.

“Justin, will you ask Sorra your question”

“Sorra will you, this day become my wife and sister to the other wives?”

Sorra answers “Yes”

The Matriarch turns to Sorra.

“Sorra, will you ask your question.”

“Justin, will you accept me as your mate and be my master?”

“Yes”

“Now,” the matriarch states to the gathering, “Let us now have a feast to comfort this prospective mating couple.”

The crowd gives a cheer as the banquet begins.

I know that we should not be eating our fill before the second part of the ceremony. Much to my chagrin, I look at the plates that are presented to Sorra and I. There is very little on the plates as opposed to the others. Sorra is just picking at the small portions. I ask her about it.

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She answers me.

“We are not supposed to eat all of this small portion. Everyone is fed now. After we have been certified, we will have a private dinner back in the room that we mate in. Then spend the rest of the night there.”

“Sounds delightful. I really look forward to seconds.”

Joking I add “food of course.”

She had a confused look but I will clear that up later tonight.

The time comes. The Matriarch rises from her seat

“Missy of the Clan of Martin, will you be witness, along with me, of the consummation of this couple?”

She rises “Yes I will represent the harem wives in the Clan of Martin on this matter.”

I find it funny how Missy, that casual fun loving berserker felid, is acting so formal. I hope she is remembering to breathe.

“Are the two of you, Justin and Sorra, ready to have your marriage certified?”

We rise and both say yes.

The Matriarch and Missy turn to lead us to a room off the dining hall. It has been prepared with minimal furnishings. There are two plush but regal looking chairs side by side. The chairs are facing a large mattress like cushion on the floor. On one wall is a door and on the opposite wall is a similar door. We are instructed to go through those doors. Sorra to the right and I to the left.

The door opens up to what is a small dressing room. There hanging on a hook is a blue robe and a wicker basket on the small shelf. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what I have to do. There is a sliding panel that shows servant can access the room.

I place all my clothes in the basket, put on the robe and reenter the room. Sorra reentered soon after I did. We were instructed on the solemn ceremony but also instructions that we need to just enjoy ourselves. We did.

After a long time both the Matriarch and Missy reenter the hall. Missy can’t help herself. She is using her hand to fan herself.

The Matriarch leans over to Missy

“You are very blessed with that man.”

“We have a lot of fun”

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They both have a smile. Shortly after we are dressed in very similar outfits. I have the jeweled scabbard and Sorra had just the sword. Now we emerge from the room.

In her most formal voice, the Matriarch announces,

“I hereby certify that now they are mated. Sorra is now to be called by her new clan’s name Sorra Martin.”

She looks at Sorra. Sorra looks at me, taking that jeweled sword off her belt, she kneels down and presents me with the sword, raised it in both hands like an offering to a god.

“Please use this sword to protect both me and the Clan Martin.”

I take the sword and put it in the scabbard. Then Sorra stands back up.

Now Missy talks,

“Sisters of the Martin Clan come forward and show your claim marks to Sorra Martin.”

The three come forward, Missy joins the line with her sisters and they all expose their shoulders revealing their bite scar. Missy returns to the front.

“Sorra Martin, show the harem that you have been claimed by our master, Justin.”

Sorra exposes her shoulder showing the new bite mark. Missy applies a dressing on the raw mark then turns to the wives.

“Sisters, come greet our new sister.”

Here come the teen girls again.

The last statement is by the Matriarch.

"Now by the mating of Justin and Sorra Martin, there is now a deep bond between the Clan of the Dragon and the Clan of Martin. Be assured both clans, there is now a bond that can never be broken. We of the Clan of the Dragon now welcome our new clan brothers and clan sisters. Welcome Clan of Martin.”

Again, cheers go out to both clans.

Missy whispers to Sorra

"Tomorrow we will have that talk we mention the other day. Your questions will be answered.

Remember that you a sworn to secrecy. Justin knows we share that secret and will try to get you to spill the beans. We have an answer for him. Your will remember it any time he tries to find out."

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Now Drako stands

“Sorra, my daughter and now of the Clan of Martin comes to that clan with her dowry of twenty large golds and all the personal possessions she has. For those who do not know the dowry is not really for Justin. It is so Sorra has money and does not become a financial burden to her clan. I know Justin that you don’t need it but it must go with her. With that may we welcome Justin and Sorra of the Clan of Martin”

There is a cheer.

My women gather around. There are hugs and kisses from and to every one in the now Martin Clan.

I say “I kind of like the sound of that. Are we now the Clan of Martin?”

“You bet your ass we are” the now five women say in unison. I guess that is that.

“I do think that the way you four were claimed by me was a lot easier. No wait the three of you. Missy took hers in a sneak attack.” to which the felid answers

“But it seemed like a good way to wake you up since part of you was already up! Sorra, we will talk later."

The party eventually winds down so both Sorra and I return to the room for the night with no need for observers this time. There was a small supper left in the room for us with drink and flowers. It was a wonderful night.

After a few more days it was time to return to the mansion. First though there is the tent. Will I get any sleep? Who knows.

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Chapter 10: Missy Meeting

The morning after the wedding. As soon as she emerged from the wedding night room, Sorra was being ushered into a room. After they entered, Missy locked the door.

“Just in case Justin tries to come in.”

In the room was the rest of the harem. This being a harem meeting, Abigail is not included.

The will be discussing harem secrets.

“You know why you are here. First of all, spill it. How was the night? I know having the watched session was too formal but afterwords. What did you think of our man?”

"It was overwhelming. I don’t think I have yet to come down from the high of last night. He has some endurance.”

“On the way home, we share a single tent. When that boy gets going there is almost no chance to escape but now, we will find out if he can keep five at one time occupied." Grins were on each face.

“That aside I will explain what he meant about my first time”

Beez groans “I have heard this tale three times so far. Can I be excused?”

“No, everyone needs to be here but I will acquiesce and tell Sorra about it later, it was a sneak attack on the morning wood. Each one of us are to protect Justin and try to keep him happy. You see Justin, Chip and myself are from another world.”

Sorra looks confused.

Missy continues. “Justin was married to one woman for 50 years. In a short space of time his wife died then after that his son died. He was 73 in that world and alone. When he visited his sister, he mentioned casually that he was thinking about getting a pair of house cats. Chip and I were chosen by him but the Watcher guided him to us. You see we were just small ordinary cats. We grew until we were around two years old. One night he went to bed, that night, that old Justin died.”

The Watcher transferred him to this world and we were brought along as his familiars to help him here. We were made humanoid. One night I crept into his room”

Beez “Stop right there. You said that you were going to tell that story later to Sorra. Now you are trying to slip it in.”

“Well, that is kinda the way it happened. I just slipped it in.”

“Please go on”

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“Each one of you were shown to me by the Watcher along with the information about each one of you. You were chosen to enter the harem. The biggest reason is to give him the comfort he missed in the old world.”

Sorra asks, “You have mentioned the Watcher many times. What is the Watcher?”

"That entity has chosen to watch over him. To see to his comfort and protection. The Watcher guides people into his life for that reason. For a tough man, Justin can be prone to shall we say old memories. He does not show it to us but the Watcher sees him when he is alone and sad. That is when one or all of us will come to him and engage him in some activity."

"Now that you’re a sister you will find out who the Watcher is and why it must be kept a secret from Justin. If he tries to get it out of you need to just tell him 'The Watcher will let you know when the time is right.' He has heard that so many times from us that he no longer asks us.

You being new he will try. When he hears the same answer, he will know to give up. The Watcher will be talking to you. I know it is a lot to hear at one time and hard to believe but now the Watcher will talk to you. It will be completely clear to you.”

At that moment an intense white light envelopes Sorra as it had with the other three. That lasted but a minute or so and then faded.

Sorra looks confused “How long was I gone? How many days?”

“Not to upset you but you were in the light for only a little more than a minute.”

“No, I was with the Watcher for what seemed like a few days!”

“Yup, that’s the way it felt for all of us."

Missy finishes by asking Sorra,

“Now do you understand why Justin can’t know who the Watcher is and why it is referred to only as the Watcher?”

Sorra just nodded. It truly was overwhelming. The revelation that they were really chosen by a higher power for a purpose. To make Justin happy. Missy was right when she told her before approving her for the harem, they won’t get pregnant until the Watcher reveals itself.

"By the way, what did the Watcher mean when I was told that I now have been granted sonic speed and dive accuracy?"

Beez tells Missy,

"Next time I run the first meeting. This is the last time that we have to sit through the cowgirl story"

Missy just smiles. She did not hear anything. She is lost in the memory of her wild ride that morning,

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