Tex then turned his attention to the hill overlooking the beach; most of the fighting was still confined there.

  When he appeared at the top of the slope with Kdar Tol’s head silhouetted in the moonlight, confusion pulsed through the Skrillings’ ranks.

  But the Skrillings commanders somehow managed to rally their troops. They redoubled their attack. Instead of “Kdar Tol,” their rallying cry was Volgoth, vengeance.

  The hill was already running with streams of blood, and the men were slipping on gore. Most of the bodies belonged to Skrillings, but many were Aramantha. Even a few female archers were among the fallen.

  “Fine!” Tex thundered. “You want death. You’ll have it! Here, let your leader watch you die!” He planted the spear in the sand, so that Kdar Tol’s head overlooked the bloody slope.

  Someone handed Tex a club, and he raged onto the battlefield.

  His body ached horribly, and his limbs were heavy. He would probably need a few days’ rest before being able to use his magic again.

  But the club felt good in his hands, and it was almost easier to fight without magic because it came to him automatically.

  The Aramantha men all pulled through, too—even Golin. He must have decided it was in his interest to stay and fight. There was nothing half-assed about his effort; he was all in, swinging a club and dagger, right in the thick of battle.

  As for Brodin, the young bruiser fought tirelessly, and he was constantly shouting his encouragement to the others, keeping up morale.

  Steelfarr didn’t last much longer on the battlefield. He’d persisted in fighting despite his injury, and before long he was carried off to the medical hut with a horrible wound in his leg.

  He was babbling insensibly as the women carried him away, insisting that he could still fight.

  The women tried to soothe him with reassurances that no one doubted his bravery, which was certainly true.

  But no one fought harder than Yarolk. He threw himself into battle like a man with nothing to lose. Tex saw him fighting three Skrillings, defying death.

  His spear broke off in one of them. Then he jabbed the broken end into the eye socket of another. Yarolk’s own eyes were strangely serene, his countenance exalted.

  Heartened by these sights, Tex kept pushing himself to fight harder. But his main battle was against his own fatigue.

  To make things worse, the Skrilling leaders were clever enough to know that Tex was worn out. They gathered their four strongest soldiers and ganged up against Tex.

  He took the first one out quickly, breaking his jaw with the club. But a blow to the back of the head sent Tex stumbling forward, directly into an elbow.

  He crashed onto the ground, landing on a severed arm and sliding a little ways down the bloody slope.

  He heard Utu scream. This made him feel even worse, because he just knew she was going to try to help him. That terrified him. He’d specifically told the girls to avoid all close-range fighting.

  Get yourself together! He told himself as the Skrillings gathered around him.

  Tex groped the wet ground. He’d dropped his club, but his hand found a spear that was lying on the ground.

  He kicked one Skrilling in the knee, taking him down. Then he grabbed the spear and drove it through another’s neck.

  Strangely, something rolled down the hill and bumped his hand. The club!

  Tex thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but he swore the club put itself into his hand, as if it had a will of its own.

  He swung it at one of the leader’s shins; to his surprise, the Skrillng’s leg snapped, and he tumbled to the ground.

  Tex struggled to get up, and he swore the club gave him a hand! It helped pull him back to his feet. Then he turned on the remaining Skrillings, swinging.

  Again, the club seemed to have a life of its own. Though it was considerably hefty, it felt like a feather. And it never missed. Every time it struck, it smashed with such force that one blow was enough to lay a Skrilling flat on the ground.

  Tex suspected some god—or, more likely, nymph—was secretly helping him out. He’d soon laid flat five of his six assailants.

  But the last one, a scarred commander with a sneering grin, backed away and grabbed Utu, who was standing nearby. He yelled a command, ordering his soldiers to attack Tex.

  Fully fifteen of them left their fighting and charged towards Tex.

  As they crowded him, he yelled, “Utu! Someone help Utu!”

  As the Skrilling soldiers surrounded him, he cast one last glance at Utu.

  The Skrilling commander had squeezed her wrist, making her drop the spear. Then he almost knocked her out with a back-handed blow, but he put his arm around her waist to keep her standing.

  The last thing Tex glimpsed before the Skrillings attacked him, the grinning commander raised a stone dagger and plunged it towards Utu’s chest.

  Chapter sixty-eight

  TEX FOUGHT WITH rage, almost losing his senses. To have one of his girls die at the end of the battle, after he’d already won the war … It made him see red.

  He swung his club, taking some comfort in the sound of bones breaking, barely even feeling it when a cold stone dagger plunged into his side.

  By this time, the Skrillings were outnumbered. A portion of them had finally deserted, running down the beach towards their boats.

  Broden, Neesha, Zila, and Bmimi came to Tex’s help, and soon, all who’d attacked him were laid flat.

  “Utu!” Tex bellowed, glancing around at the corpses strewn on the field.

  There was only some sporadic fighting here and there. Down on the water, Skrillings attempted to leave in two boats. The Aramantha pursued them, hurling spears and shooting arrows.

  Utu was nowhere in sight.

  Neesha came to Tex’s side, speaking soothingly. “She’s fine. Don’t worry.”

  Tex felt her hands on his shoulders, and it calmed him. He looked at the elf’s blue eyes. “Where is she?”

  “She’s in the healing hut. She’s injured, but it’s not serious.”

  “It was Yarolk,” Bmimi said. “He saved Utu. She would surely have died without him; I couldn’t have reached her in time.

  “But Yarolk, he was there. He thrust himself between the Skrilling and Utu, stabbing it in the neck and punching its face.

  “But that Skrilling seemed to have the strength of the Underworld behind it. Its blade came down again and again. Yarolk … isn’t going to make it.”

  Tex raised his eyebrows. “He’s still alive?”

  Broden shook his head. “He won’t be for long. They’ve just carried him off to the healing hut, but I daresay he’ll be dead before they get there.” He sighed. “It’s too bad; I wanted to tell him …”

  Broden clenched his fist. “Come, maybe we can reach him in time!”

  They rushed up to the top of the hill, and found Yarolk lying in the grass with several women surrounding him, including Miss Weevol.

  Yarolk’s body was a bloody mess, riddled with horrible gashes. But his face was serene. His eyes were shut, and his chest heaved slowly.

  Weevol looked up. “Lord Tex!” She put her hand on Yarolk’s shoulder. “He told us to lay him down here. He said he knows it’s his time to die.”

  Yarolk’s eyes opened, and he gazed around blindly. “L-lord Tex?”

  “Yes, Yarolk! I’m here.”

  The women moved away as Tex and Broden crouched on either side of Yarolk. His eyes seemed to come into focus, and the light of recognition shone inside them as he looked at Tex, and then Broden.

  He laid his head back. A frown creased his forehead. “I have paid for my wrongdoings.”

  “No,” Tex said. “You saved Utu’s life; you’re a hero. I have forgiven your wrongdoings a thousand times over, Yarolk. I thank you.”

  “That’s right,” Broden said, squeezing Yarolk’s hand. “Rest easy, my friend. You have restored honor to your name. Your heroic deed will be remembered for generations to come.”

  A peaceful look returned to Yarolk’s face, and he breathed his last breath.

  Chapter sixty-nine

  THE SUN SHONE on the fields outside of Fimm, and a pleasant breeze stirred the grass.

  The smell of various foods floated in the air, wafting from fires where women cooked their tribal dishes.

  Three women plucked a waltzing tune on their lutes. Couples danced in an open area. On one side of this “dance floor,” women stood in groups, casting glances towards the other side, where the men stood.

  Tex watched with satisfaction. Everything was back on track, more or less.

  The chiefs had been sorted out. Golin still had the Houlo tribe, and Broden headed the former Alok women. But now Steelfarr had become chief of the Weevol tribe.

  There was a huge groundswell of goodwill and celebration following the defeat of Kdar Tol. Even Golin hailed Tex as a hero and treated him with deep respect.

  Many people called for Tex to take the throne of Darkoveld, since it no longer had a ruler. The thone belonged to Tex by right of conquest, they said.

  Everyone agreed Tex would restore a proper line of succession and bring back the Golden Age of Darkoveld.

  But Tex vehemently rejected this idea. He still had a long way to go before accomplishing his goal for the Aramantha, he said.

  However, he did intend to keep his eye on Darkoveld’s political situation, and he’d likely play a role in the next king’s coronation.

  Amidst all the goodwill, the chiefs agreed to limit the number of wives for themselves and their lieutenants, leaving lots of women available for the bachelors.

  Now, Tex was presiding over what was possibly the last dance. After that, all the women would likely have a mate.

  The dance was even more exciting because Lorelei had kicked it off.

  The nymph had reappeared from her forest just before the opening ceremony, glowing with sparkling light.

  Now, she stood at Tex’s side, no longer glowing with light, but still radiant. Tex glanced at her, his eyebrow raised.

  There was still one thing that troubled him.

  “Are you sure you didn’t help me out during the battle?” he said.

  Lorelei put her arms around Tex’s waist, resting her head on his chest. “I told you. I wanted to help, but I couldn’t.”

  “So, you didn’t put the club in my hand?”

  “No. I wish I could say it was me, but it wasn’t.” She lowered her voice.

  “It must have been some god. A bold move, but they do break the rules whenever they think they can get away with it.”

  Zila was standing nearby, stealing Tex’s attention. The Neanderthal girl had a knowing smirk on her face, and her nipples were erect.

  “What are you so happy about?” Tex said.

  She grinned. “You have date soon with Grendel and Bmimi.”

  Tex smiled. “Yes, I do.”

  “They very nervous,” Zila confided. “But they excited.”

  “Aw, that’s cute.” Tex glanced at the position of the sun in the sky. “I think it’s just about time I headed over there.”

  “Not yet!” Zila said. “I just talk with them. They not ready. Need more time.”

  “Okay. I’ll hang out a little more.”

  A moment later, something extraordinary happened.

  The music halted. Everyone looked at the lute players to see what had happened.

  A nymph had appeared beside them with a sparkling harp. She started plucking the harp, creating a beautiful, flowing dance tune.

  The lute players smiled at each other and started playing along with the music.

  Tex looked at Lorelei for an explanation.

  “Don’t look at me,” she said. “That girl’s a nereid, not a dryad. I’ve never seen her before. ”

  Shrieks of surprise drew their attention towards the food area.

  Tables had magically appeared, set with fancy teacups and plates. Nymphs carried tea and cake to the tables.

  Tex frowned at the nymphs for a moment. Then his eyes widened. “Holy shit … I’m sure those nymphs are from Shayla’s island!”

  He glanced around nervously. Was the goddess going to show up and cause trouble?

  Suddenly, a light shone near the tea tables. It grew as bright as a star before it waned, revealing a young, blonde woman with a luscious body.

  She wore a strip of thin satiny material around her middle, amply showing off her shapely legs.

  Tex swallowed. Shayla. He searched her face, trying to judge if she was still angry.

  However, she smiled broadly and raised her hands into the air.

  “Hi, everyone!” she announced. “I’m Shayla — the goddess!”

  Little white flower petals floated down from the sky like confetti, and the music started up again. Some people were scared at first, but the initial fear quickly gave way to mirth and excitement.

  Tex thanked Shayla for coming, and she invited him to have tea with her.

  “I want to apologize for my outburst,” she said. “I was in a bad headspace at the time. I was just … dealing with some personal issues, but I’m in a better place now.”

  Tex forced his mouth into a smile, which he hoped was convincing. “That’s great, Shayla!”

  “Besides,” she said, putting her hand on her belly. “We can’t be estranged when you have a son on the way.”

  Tex gaped at her. “Already? How do you know?”

  Shayla smiled. “Oh, I know. You will have a son, Lord Tex. And he will be a demi-god.”

  Tex took Shayla’s hand, genuinely extremely pleased. “That’s great news.”

  Hmm, maybe my son can be the king of Darkoveld! Seems fitting for a demigod.

  Tex paused for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. “So … You didn’t, by any chance, give me a little hand on the battlefield, did you?”

  Shayla gave him a conspiratorial smirk. “No idea what you’re talking about,” she said with a wink.

  When Tex was on his second cup of tea, he saw Zila running towards him, tits bouncing wildly.

  “They ready! Everybody wait for you.”

  “Alright. Please excuse me, Shayla. I have … an appointment.”

  ***

  When Tex and Zila got to the door of the hut, the Neanderthal grabbed his arm.

  “Wait here one moment.”

  She went through the beaded doorway.

  “He’s here?” Tex heard a voice say.

  “Yes, he outside.”

  A blood-curdling scream pierced the air. It sounded like Grendel’s scream, Tex thought. A shriek, which was unmistakably Bmimi, immediately followed the scream.

  Then there was a great fluttering of movement, and lots of babbling and giggling.

  “For goodness’ sake, calm down,” Tex heard Neesha say. “Stop dancing around. You’re going to make yourselves into nervous wrecks.”

  “You look fine,” came Emi’s voice. “Stop fussing.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Grendel retorted.

  “Alright,” Tex said, growing impatient. “I’m coming in.”

  He heard Grendel and Bmimi gasp in horror as he passed through the beads.

  The two of them stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Emi and Neesha stood in front of them, making adjustments to their hair or rubbing specs of dust from their outfits.

  Utu and Zila stood out of the way, watching Tex’s face, eager to see his reaction.

  Emi and Neesha scurried aside, leaving Grendel and Bmimi marooned in the middle of the room.

  Tex slowly looked them up and down. His jaw dropped.

  They were dressed in thin strips of ribbon. The ribbon came together over their pert breasts, with a pretty bow in the middle.

  They were like two pretty little gifts wrapped up just for him.

  Thin strips of the ribbon crossed over their taut stomachs, and they also wore little g-string panties made from the same material.

  Bmimi’s outfit was pink, which made a delicious contrast against her brown skin. Grendel’s was blue.

  They also had ribbons in their hair, which was done up in unbraided pigtails.

  Oddly, they also had crude leather choking collars around their necks. A short leash hung from the collars.

  This item didn’t fit with the rest of the outfit, but Tex didn’t mind.

  “Wow,” he murmured, drinking in the sight of their bodies, pampered and prepared for him to devour. “That’s amazing.”

  Grendel stood with her hands clasped in front of her, pouting. Bmimi hugged herself, leaning her head forward in a funny position.

  “You … You like it?” Grendel said. “Um, Lorelei did it for us. She said you’d like it, but I feel silly.”

  The fur on Bmimi’s tail spiked out, and her ears crumpled, indicating her agreement with what Grendel had said.

  Tex kept raking his eyes over them. “She was right,” he breathed. “I fucking love it.”

  Bmimi’s ears went up slightly. She glanced at Tex. “Y-you do?”

  She and Grendel exchanged a glance, encouraged.

  “I don’t know why you’re surprised,” Utu said. “You two certainly liked it.”

  Grendel and Bmimi both looked down, embarrassed.

  “What do you mean?” Tex said, looking at Utu.

  The warrior woman grinned. “When they first tried those outfits on yesterday, they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other.”

  “Utu!” Grendel complained, her cheeks turning crimson.

  “It’s true,” Utu laughed. “They got all hot and ready, right in front of Lorelei. As soon as she left, they were rolling around on the bed together.”

  Tex smirked. “They were, were they?” He sauntered closer.

  “Yeah, they in bed long time,” Zila said. “Try to make cum, but I stop them. I tell them, you not allowed to make cum! Must wait for Tex!”

  Tex chuckled. “Did you really say that?”

  The Neanderthal nodded proudly. “Yup!”

  “It’s true,” Grendel said, pouting at the ground, inching closer to Bmimi.

  The cat girl’s ears went flat, and her face was stretched. She squeezed her legs together and her hips twitched, searching for the friction she so desperately needed.