Psychological warfare, both satisfying and fun! I thought with a small laugh.
“Oh gods, Liam’s doing it again,” snickered Kassandra, poking me in the cheek gently with one finger before ruffling my hair.
“What? It is funny,” I shot back, turning to wiggle my eyebrows at her.
“Still don’t want to see what you decided to turn into for that one. It’s freaky enough watching you fight at times, Liam. And I say that with all the love in my heart for you.”
“It’s not that bad,” I countered, rubbing the tip of her button nose with mine as Kassandra’s scaled length gave my waist a squeeze. We’d turned in for the night and were now bedding down in the familiar confines of our tent while the quiet bustle of the soldiers on watch moved back and forth outside as they settled in for their second night since we’d started down out of the pass.
“It is kind of disturbing,” Shayla said gently as she settled in at my side, her wings fluttering gently before I felt the soft brush of her antennae stroking my cheek and neck. “But it is also very reassuring, since we all know that it’s to protect us.”
“Well, I’m glad that I don’t have performance anxiety when it comes to my Shape-Shifting,” I chuckled, turning to give Shayla a kiss as Kassandra snuggled into the shoulder of the arm she’d captured. “I'd do anything to protect you girls.”
“And that’s why no one mentioned it until now,” Rieka said as she stripped out of her tight shirt with a contented sigh, revealing the light gray sports-bra I’d given her. “Never question that we appreciate and love your devotion to ensuring we are taken care of, Liam.”
“Exactly!” Jane added, my mousy scholar making the bedding shift as she bounced just above my head. “It’s terrifying and fascinating when you go all ‘ineffable horror,’ but you’re our ineffable horror!”
The mouse kin woman had embraced the spot cuddling with my head over the last few weeks, and the girls had been happy to allow her that spot. Apparently, it was one of the warmest spots—according to Jane—and it fit her smaller body perfectly. Though she did occasionally end up draped on my chest to sleep on top of me instead.
“I’m honestly surprised it’s worked more than once,” I said as Rieka finished peeling her top off and letting her full breasts bounce free.
The faint lines on her pale skin from where the elastic had dug in made an interesting contrast to the full softness of her breasts as she hefted and massaged them with a contented sigh while I watched.
“I’m not,” Rieka said, stepping over to take the spot draped over my chest with a contented sigh, her tail whipping back and forth behind her. “If the legends are enough to keep them from establishing long-term camps in these mountains outside of raiding season, then it must be really deeply seated.”
“Which makes one wonder how such stories came to be,” Shayla added on, the plush moth woman snuggling a bit closer. “It’s worked on the last three camps we’ve run into on this.”
“Fair, and I also worry about that too. If something like these ‘Yash’Tani’ actually exist on this side of the mountains, then I don’t know if I want to confirm their existence,” I said, giving the girls in my arms a reassuring squeeze while leaning forward to kiss the tip of one of Rieka’s ears.
“If there were, then I’m sure Valda’s people would have heard about it. They’ve lived in these mountains for generations and the fact that they don’t have stories about the creatures reassures me,” Jane said and I felt her slim fingers running through my hair. “Now rest, Liam. You’ve worked hard today and we have to be up and moving at first light. If we are lucky, we won’t run into any more raiding groups.”
“Eh, I doubt that kind of luck will stick,” sighed Kassandra, and I couldn’t really argue with her there.
Rather than continue to discuss it, I settled in to sleep for the night. Valda had given our group the night off from watch rotation, since we’d had it the previous night. It was kind of odd to not be sharing bunk space with the lizard-folk woman, but she had her own tent with the soldiers from her clan.
Means we could get up to some mischief, I thought as sleep slowly began to bubble up around me. No. It wouldn’t bother me, but it’d wear the girls out, and we need to be in top form for tomorrow.
The last thing I thought about though was more of an idle wonder if Valda also felt odd to be sleeping alone after spending the last few weeks bunking with me and my girls.
<><><>
Another two days passed, with a fourth skirmish with raiders, as we worked through the pass before we were clear and down into the foothills.
Given that we were basically ‘behind enemy lines’ at this point, Valda—with Rieka’s support—had ordered that we were not to take any prisoners. It was a grim order to give, but our force was limited in size and there was no way to return captives to the fort.
It’d sparked a bit of a debate between some of the other student-mages and Rieka, but the plain fact of it was that we couldn’t risk any of the raiders escaping to warn our target of our approach. The rudimentary nature of communication amongst their forces had been a huge help so far, with the smaller raiding groups trickling in as they felt like it to push on this front until enough came together that they thought they had a chance against the fort.
That was not to say that we had very many captives, since our enemies were far more likely to fight to the death than risk capture. But we had enough that it was an issue that came up, especially since we tried to take a few prisoners to question for intelligence as we moved.
‘This is just the reality and brutality of war’ was something that we all repeated more than once in the quiet times between fights and at night. More than one of the girls struggled with it, and they weren’t even the ones who had to do the deed. Thankfully, several of Valda’s veteran soldiers handled it with the grim determination of someone who knew the cost of failure.
Right now, I had Jane on my lap as we sat next to the small campfire that was in front of our tent while the scarf of stars spanned the sky overhead.
Our fire pit was shared with several other tents holding the other students from Juneau, and it was late enough that the only sounds I heard right now besides Jane’s sniffles was the crackle of the small fire that warmed us and the occasional rustle of the sentries stirring.
Silently, I smoothed Jane’s messy hair and her large mouse ears with one hand while the other rubbed her back as the small woman huddled in closer on my lap. A nightmare had woken her, and since Jane had claimed the spot on my chest that night, I’d woken as well.
She’d asked me to sit with her a bit until she calmed down, and so we’d come out to sit under the stars to let the others sleep. Rieka had gotten caught by Kassandra and turned into the dwarf lamia’s personal heater, while Shayla had happily rolled into the warm spot I’d left behind when I got up.
“It’s just…” Jane mumbled, her voice trailing off into indistinct sounds that were muffled by her face pressed into my bare chest.
“I know, hon,” I murmured gently, rubbing her back with my other hand as I rocked her gently on my lap.
I could understand Jane’s issues all too well. The memories of my first time in this world hadn’t faded, something that I blamed my increased mental facilities for.
I was such an idiot back then, I thought wryly as I continued to gently rub Jane’s head and hum soothingly to the distressed mouse girl. Coming into this world and thinking that it was just like one of those isekai anime I’d watched. I got lucky with those kobolds…
The memory still chafed at me. How I’d reacted to the first time having to kill something that could talk. I’d panicked, thrown up, and gotten stabbed—multiple times even—but I’d gotten through it.
Even had a bit of a repeat with the bandits, I thought while remembering when we’d shown up for a mission that Kassandra and Rieka’d had to help some farmers, only to find them being held hostage by a group of bandits that had been hired to try and kidnap my princess.
The girls really felt that one, but I was a bit more numb to it at that point. I blew out a slow sigh, not wanting Jane to misunderstand that it might be aimed at her. But now…
I remembered the argument days before when it had first come up that we had to execute prisoners rather than turn them loose or imprison them.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
It’d been a rather vociferous argument between an entitled young nobleman and Valda before Rieka had stepped in to stomp it down. From the look the young wolf kin had shot Rieka, I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be the last she’d hear about this.
Jane shifted on my lap and I felt her long tail give my left arm a squeeze. It’d been wrapped around my arm since I’d picked the smaller woman up, clinging to me like a fuzzy-headed snake as she worked through the nightmare she’d woken from. I hadn’t asked what the source of the nightmare was. The flat fact was that we were dealing with what amounted to a war here, if Jane needed the comfort then I’d be there, without hesitation. It was just my theory that it was linked to the whole situation with the captives.
But it doesn’t bother you, does it? And does that make you a monster, Liam Cosgrave? I asked myself grimly, staring into the circle of stones that shielded the fire from the wind. You are their ineffable horror, right?
I’d said before that I’d do anything for my girls, and that was one-hundred percent true. I hadn’t spoken up during the argument, but the idea of just ending the raiders hadn’t bothered me at all. If Valda had asked one of my girls to do it, I’d have ended the captives without hesitation before the girls could even get close to them, just to protect my girls.
Does that make it better? Or are you still a monster for not feeling? I asked myself. The concern that I felt for Jane as the smaller woman trembled in my lap and the love that I felt for her and the other three.
I’d burn anyone who threatened them without hesitation. My only stake in this world is my girls, I decided, burying my fingers in Jane’s hair and rubbing the base of her rounded ears gently. My eyes traced the flames as they crept along a dried branch, the ripples of orange light dancing around the knots and twists in the wood.
I’d come a long way since I started here. That accident I’d had in the rainy mountains was likely the entire reason I’d survived my summoning, since I’d likely have crashed my truck if I’d been in motion when the first summoning hit. Ever since that first night, things had begun to change for the better.
Life isn’t perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it used to be, I thought with a small smile, giving Jane a gentle squeeze with the arm that wasn’t in her hair. I’ve got the love of four wonderful women, a solid line on work that pays well, and a comfortable home. Sure, the work is basically magical jewelry and the home is a literal cave in the mountains. It’s surprising how comfortable I can be without all the ‘modern amenities’ like flush toilets and electric lights when I have magic and have alternate options.
Thinking about my house brought me onto my most recent resolution: I’d be bringing my girls back to Earth one by one to visit my home and experience what life was like there.
There were going to be a few issues that we’d have to navigate carefully, as Kassandra’s tail was something that we wouldn’t be able to avoid at the moment. While Grant Power would allow Shayla, Jane, and Rieka to disguise themselves as humans, Kassandra’s serpentine body was going to be a whole different challenge to handle.
Should I tell the girls about my plans to give them something to think about besides dealing with this mission? I pondered, still rubbing small circles on Jane’s back with my left hand while the right stroked her hair gently. I just hope they aren’t upset that I’ve been hiding that ability for so long. No, my girls wouldn’t hold it against me, especially since they know that Earth is not the most welcoming place for things that stand out. And my girls definitely stand out.
I finally noticed that Jane’s trembling had stopped and she wasn’t crying anymore. Her breathing was the slow and steady rate of sleep, and she wasn’t clinging so tightly to me anymore. Though her tail was still firmly wrapped around my left arm.
Since no one else is up to watch it, I shouldn’t leave the fire going. I wasn't happy to find the embers still glowing when I came out earlier, I thought as I shifted my grip on Jane to support her better and rose to my feet.
A flex of Manipulate Element and the fire was snuffed out, soil flowing over the burning embers so they sunk out of sight.
That done, I headed back into the tent where my other three lovers still slept. As I snuggled into Shayla’s front with Jane still cradled to my chest, I let my mind wander over what it would be like to just relax and live my life for a while with these wonderful women when this border issue was all wrapped up.
Kass and Rieka made it obvious they want kids… I wonder when…
<><><>
“I am constantly amazed at how flexible your magic is, Liam,” Valda said as we marched over the uneven, wooded ground of the foothills.
We’d been making our way generally west towards the area where we believed the ruins to be located. The going was far slower now since we had to be careful to conceal our trail as we traveled. Especially now as we were out of the pass and the rolling veldt stretched away to the north.
I’d first thought that somehow we’d ended up near Kansas on Earth with how flat the land was, but since the girls were still with me, I was fairly certain that it was just a feature of Cortha.
The higher altitude of the foothills combined with how flat the land was ahead of us allowed me to spot several small camps of the raiders that were moving across the plains, especially when I sharpened my vision with Shape-Shifting to allow myself to get better details at a distance.
“And that is with a lower rank of Manipulate Element,” I answered Valda with a snort. “My Shape-Shifting is much further advanced, but it’s not quite as… emphatic of a comparison.”
“Unless someone threatens us,” Kassandra cut in with a wiggle of her eyebrows and a giggle. “Then Liam pulls out all the stops. And that’s not even considering his secret weapon.”
I gave Kassandra a meaningful look, but my saucy-snuggle-spagetti just shot me a cheeky wink and jiggled her tits my way.
“I hate that you know me well enough to know that works…” I mumbled, getting a chorus of laughter from all four of my girls as we moved through the dappled shadows of the trees.
“Why fix what isn’t broken?” Kassandra quipped. “Especially after you gave us those new support clothes. I still like how my corset makes the girls pop, but those sports-bra things are still more comfortable.”
“I won’t pry about your secrets, Liam. I appreciate everything that you’ve already shown me in the last several weeks,” Valda said, dragging the conversation back to what she’d been discussing earlier. “The fluidity and flexibility that you use when manipulating your element is artistry itself, and I have to wonder how much more powerful you’d get if you developed it more.”
“Might be able to do that after this mission,” I said with a shrug. “The issue is mostly with how the System I operate under works. Completing tasks for my summoners allows me to earn points I can exchange for my powers, and this mission is worth quite a bit beyond just making the front safer.”
Valda looked like she wanted to ask me another question, but sudden movement caught her eye and she snapped her gaze forward. Looking where she had, I spotted one of the three scouts that I’d come to recognize hurrying our way through the soldiers leading the way through the group.
As soon as the lithe female lizard-folk got to the range they could talk without shouting, Valda spoke.
“Report,” she ordered tersely.
“I believe we have confirmed the location we are looking for, Commander,” the woman said, saluting Valda with a fist to her chest. “I spotted smoke over a rise and moved up further to confirm. If it is not the location you are looking for, then the enemy has finally broken their long prohibition on building in the foothills.”
The scout's eyes darted towards me and I gave her a neutral smile. From the slight shiver that ran through the scaled woman, I guessed she’d been one of the few of Valda’s forces that had seen me in action in my cryptid form.
Valda grunted at that, gesturing for the woman to continue with one hand and drawing her attention back onto her commander.
“The area has several simple huts and tents around it, as well what appears to be a large-scale excavation that is digging up something,” the woman reported quickly, focusing back on Valda and ignoring me now. “I was able to catch sight of a cave of some sort in the middle of the excavation that looks as if it goes deeper into the mountain.”
“Numbers?” Valda asked when the scout stopped speaking.
“I counted at least a hundred of the enemy, but there were several groups leaving and returning to the camp over the plains. They’ve been moving enough that you can find the paths in the grass of the veldt at a distance if you know where to look.”
“How far off?”
“Less than an hour at this rate of travel,” the scout answered quickly and I blinked in surprise.
“Really? They are that close? And we haven’t caught sight of them yet?” I asked curiously.
“There is a ridge between us and them that is blocking the smoke trails,” the scout answered, her eyes darting towards me nervously.
“Spread word to the rearguard,” Valda said decisively. “We will proceed to that ridge you mentioned and use it to survey the enemy camp and plan our attack. Let everyone know to keep it down, the last thing we need now is to be spotted by their sentries when we are this close.”
“Want me to try and neutralize them?” I offered as the scout saluted again and trotted past Valda to pass the word along.
“No, Liam. I appreciate the offer though,” Valda said, offering me a small smile. “We need intel more, and I wouldn’t want to risk us being caught because a sentry didn’t report in. We can hit them in the twilight tonight if we can get enough information.”
“I’m not liking the difference in numbers,” Rieka murmured, nibbling on her bottom lip for a moment. “But it is inevitable, given we had to keep our group small.”
“That is where the student mages will come in,” Valda said with a confident nod. “Especially if we strike during twilight, when most will be near or at their tents and huts. My gut is telling me this is the right location, so we need to hit them hard and fast, then slip a force into these ruins to secure them so we can remove these weapons or at least confirm that they can’t get to the dangerous things Liam has been telling us about.”
“To be fair,” I interjected gently. “I cannot guarantee that they even had weapons like my people do. But the risk is high enough that we should take care of it.”
“Exactly,” Jane said with a sharp nod of her own that sent her large mouse ears flapping. “There are enough stories about the abilities of the ancient humans that we cannot take chances.”
Valda nodded, a determined frown on her face, before she turned to Rieka.
“Princess, we will likely need to divide the forces for the upcoming fight. How would you suggest we split them?”
While the two nominal commanders of the group talked, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. If this was anything like what we’d run into in the past, we’d be facing some dangerous traps and potentially grotesque monsters as well. I needed to focus and be ready for anything and everything to go wrong.
Bringing everyone home safely is my goal, I reminded myself, and took another deep breath.
Jane has a remarkably big heart for someone so smol.
-----
I have a ! Feel free to hop on and chat or ask questions.
website for links to my other work as well as updates on this one. It has links to all the other places to find this work too!
Amazon, I'll be editing and pulling down the files as time goes on, but I'll let folks know here ahead of time.
Patreon! Additional advance chapters will be available there as well as art and some future projects I'm working on.
