Monster Girl Islands 13 Chapter 4 (Sex Scene)

My mind raced as I thought about what was in store for me when I finally got to the kitchen. The two beautiful cooks, Baratu and Hali, had both sent word for me to come and join them for a little bit of “dessert.”

Now, I wasn’t exactly the master at picking up on signals, but I was almost certain they weren’t asking me to come all the way over here for a slice of apple pie.

I moved through the hallways of the palace like a giddy schoolboy on the last day of classes, until I eventually found myself at the door of the kitchen. I skidded to a halt before the thatched door, took a deep breath to compose myself, and then knocked softly.

A few seconds later, I heard footsteps, and the thatched door was slowly pulled open to reveal the beautiful, sea green eyes of Hali.

“You got our message!” the redhead dragonkin woman declared. “We were starting to think you weren’t going to come.”

I was very tempted to respond with a suggestive joke, but I wanted to make sure my hunch was right first.

“With you two involved, there was no way I wasn’t gonna come.” I winked suggestively.

Hali stepped to the side, and I sauntered into the kitchen area.

It had been awhile since I’d been in this part of the palace, and I noted just how much it had changed. Iron pots and utensils still hung from all around the ceiling, accompanied by hand-carved wooden spoons and the occasional stone mortar and pestle or bowl. A large, island-like slab of stone sat at the very center of the room, and it was the spot in which so much of Hali’s lovely food was prepared.

Over on the far side of the kitchen was a massive wood-burning stove that had been carved into the wall of the palace itself and roared with smouldering, red-hot coals. There were shelves all along the kitchen, and each one was packed to the brim with stone and seaglass jars filled with spices, liquids, and the occasional preservative.

“No wonder you guys make such great stuff back here.” I whistled as I looked around the room. “It looks like Guy Fieri himself helped you put this together.”

“Most of this was Baratu’s idea,” Hali admitted. “She’s the mastermind behind this rearrangement.”

“What can I say?” Baratu smirked as she entered the room. “The secret to any good meal starts with order and organization.”

The rhino-woman was as radiant as ever, with her long blonde hair tied up into a high ponytail atop her head. Baratu wore the same skimpy leather outfit as the rest of her people, though she had the distinction of a zebra-print apron that wrapped around the front of her body and hugged each and every one of her curves. The tight apron pushed Baratu’s busty chest up into a giant line of cleavage, and it was hard to even talk to the woman without letting my eyes drift down to sneak a peek.

“Order and organization?” I mused. “I’d hardly call stuffing seafood into wild boar ‘orderly.’ In fact, I’m not even sure there are chefs back on my home world who would have dared to try something so bold.”

“Sometimes chaos stems from order, Draco Rex.” Baratu winked. “You have to know the rules first before you can play around with them.”

“It’s true,” Hali admitted with a sigh. “I know the two of us got off to a rocky start, but I’m truly starting to come around to all of her strange ideas.”

“And I love having Hali around because she keeps me from going too far off the beaten path.” The blonde Cero woman wrapped her arm around Hali and grinned. “Now that we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t do!”

“I’ll say,” I agreed. “That was one of the best freaking meals I think I’ve ever had, and I can’t wait to find out what you’ve made for dessert.”

Instantly, Hali and Baratu’s smiles faded into sly grins.

“It’s something very sweet,” Baratu promised.

“Is it, now?” I played along. “Would it happen to be something I’ve had before?”

“Yes and no,” Hali admitted. “You’ve had one… half of the dessert before.”

“How does that work?” I continued to act ignorant. “Like did you mix together coconut and chocolate pudding or something?”

“Not quite,” Baratu teased as she untied the back of her apron. “Let me show you what I’ve got in mind.”

As the zebra-print piece of fabric fell away from her body, I discovered Baratu was wearing absolutely nothing underneath. Her massive gray breasts jiggled happily as they fell down against her chest, and they bounced from the impact. The things must have been fucking D-cups at least, and they were both plump and wide, with a dark gray circular nipple on each one. Her gray nubs were both erect and at the ready, and I couldn’t wait to get each one between my teeth. Between her legs, Baratu had a perfectly smooth mound, and her labia were already swollen with arousal and dripping wet.

“Holy fuck,” I gulped as I looked over the Cero woman. “This is better than anything I could have imagined.”

“It gets better,” Hali promised.

The red-haired dragonkin leaned over, grabbed a handful of Baratu’s right breast, and lifted it to her mouth, and my cock throbbed to attention as Hali sucked on Baratu’s right nipple and tweaked her left nipple with her free hand.

All the while, Baratu ran her hands through Hali’s hair, and the blonde let out a soft moan of excitement. Then the rhino-woman grabbed Hali’s red locks, gave them a hard yank, and lifted her head up so it was even with her own. Baratu pressed her lips against Hali’s, and the two women began to make out passionately.

“Y-You two really are getting along better,” I sputtered as I watched them kiss, and my dick felt like it was about to tear through my damn pants.

Soon, Hali pulled away from Baratu, turned to me, and beckoned with her finger for me to join in.

“Do you like what we’ve cooked up for you, Ben?” the redheaded cook purred. “Because I think this is a dish that can feed multiple people. If you wish to join us.”

Like I was gonna say “no.”

I ran over to the beautiful women, placed one hand on the back of Hali’s head, and pulled her in for a kiss. Our tongues explored each other’s mouths for several wonderful minutes, all while we both used our free hands to tease Baratu’s breasts.

Eventually, I leaned back, turned to Baratu, and began to kiss the rhino-woman, and as our tongues performed a dance of passion, I let my fingers slowly trail down her soft skin, down her adorable belly and toward her tender pussy. It took no effort whatsoever to slide my fingers into Baratu, and she let out a slight gasp as I entered her.

“Oh, Ben…” Baratu moaned as I started to finger her softly.

As I pleasured the rhino-woman, I felt Hali’s hands reach down and grab the bottom of my shirt. Hali tugged off my cream-colored top and tossed it to the side before she started to softly kiss my bare shoulders, and she kissed up my back to my neck, where she then allowed herself to nibble gently at my flesh.

I let out a groan of satisfaction to let her know she was doing a good job, and she intensified her rhythm against my flesh.

Soon, I felt Hali’s slender fingers drift down into my waistband, and she wrapped her hand firmly around my manhood. Hali continued to kiss my neck and back as she stroked me tenderly, and I felt my erection grow to a whole new level of hardness.

“Fuck, that feels good,” I moaned. “Keep doing that.”

“I’m going to do a lot more than this, Ben,” Hali whispered into my ear. “But you probably remember that from last time.”

“Right here?” I mused. “Right where you make our food?”

“We won’t be messy.” Baratu winked. “Besides… I want my first time with a man to be in the place I love more than anywhere else.”

I guess I couldn’t argue with that.

Hali let go of my cock for a brief moment as she grabbed my waistband and then proceeded to pull down my pants. As she did so, Baratu’s dark eyes wandered downward, and then they grew as wide as dinner plates.

Baratu bit her bottom lip and let out a soft whimper as she reached down and touched my erection. She let her soft, gray fingers drag along the length of my penis before she took hold of it firmly.

“Like what you see?” I growled. “Because I fucking love what I see.”

“I never would have thought I’d get this opportunity,” Baratu admitted. “Especially with someone so… So big.”

“Just wait until you see what he does with it,” Hali giggled, and then she gave my bare ass a slap.

Baratu and I started to kiss once more as the rhino-woman jerked me softly. It was fairly obvious she didn’t have much experience, but that was alright. There was a first time for everything, and I didn’t want to ruin Baratu’s first time by criticizing her technique.

As Baratu and I made out, Hali’s fingers explored my body thoroughly. The dragonkin cook cupped my ass, circled the small of my back, and massaged my shoulders softly before she reached around and began to rub my balls.

“Oh my god…” I gasped at her touch. “You guys are so fucking good at this.”

“Stop lying,” Baratu giggled. “I’ve only ever read about this sort of thing before… That’s why I had to beg Hali to do this with me. She’s already got the experience down, and there is much she can teach me.”

“Well, thank you for that.” I smiled at the blonde woman. “I promise it’ll be worth your while.”

“Are you ready for lesson number one?” Hali purred.

Baratu bit her lip as she looked down at my throbbing erection. At the same time, I started to rotate my thumb around her clitoris, and the rhino-woman went wild.

“Ohhhh, Ben!” she gasped as I pleasured her. “If you keep doing that, I might--”

“Ohhhhhh, no,” Hali declared. “Not yet.”

The green-scaled dragonkin woman let go of my cock and then stomped over beside Baratu. She had already taken off all of her clothes, and I now basked in the glory of two sexy, naked women.

Hali pressed her voluptuous breasts together with her arms as she shot me a sly grin, and then she fell down onto her knees. The dragonkin cook’s already-large breasts were now swollen with milk, and they just about spilled over around the sides of her slender figure. Her pregnant belly was nearly the size of a basketball at this point, and for a brief moment I wondered if that was going to affect our lovemaking.

Even if that was the case, I was the Draco Rex, so I bet I could find a creative solution.

My cock sprang to attention as I anticipated what was about to happen, and the sudden movement just about took out the cook’s eye. The redhead kissed the head of my dick playfully before she took the base firmly in her hands and motioned for Baratu to join her.

“Y-You want me to put that in my mouth?” the blonde Cero woman gasped. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”

“Sure you are,” Hali encouraged. “You just need a little bit of instruction… You helped me, so this is the least I can do for you.”

Baratu’s eyes darted back and forth across the room as she let out a nervous chuckle, but then she pulled herself away from my fingers and got down onto her knees. The second she was down there, Hali pointed my cock in the direction of the Cero cook.

“Like this?” Baratu asked innocently.

The blonde woman opened her mouth wide before she leaned forward and wrapped her lips around the head of my penis. Baratu then proceeded to bob forward in short, sporadic motions as Hali started to stroke me in unison.

“Oh, wow,” I groaned as I leaned my head back. “Your mouth is so fucking wet.”

“You have to go further down, my dear,” Hali explained. “Here… Let me help you.”

Hali reached over with her free hand, grabbed onto Baratu’s ponytail, and then pushed the rhino-woman down further onto my erection. Baratu let out a surprised gasp as my dick slid deeper into her throat, and her muscles spasmed around me like a fleshy vise.

My balls tightened up instantly, and I just about blew my load right then and there.

“Wow,” I gasped. “Your throat is tight.”

“I bet it can get even tighter,” Hali warned, and then she gave Baratu’s head another shove.

Baratu let out a moan as she was pushed all the way down onto my cock, and I felt myself bottom out against the back of her throat. Hali then guided the Cero woman slowly back off my erection, let go of her hair, and smiled.

“I-I can’t believe I took that whole thing,” Baratu gasped, and a string of drool hung down from her swollen, plush lips.

“Now, the secret is you have to keep going,” Hali explained. “Observe.”

Hali quickly turned back to my cock, grabbed it firmly, and then slid her lips around the head. In an instant, the redhead had swallowed me all the way down to my fucking base, and my legs just about buckled from the sheer pleasure that washed over me.

“Jesus fuck!” I hissed as I reached back and grabbed onto the table to brace myself. “Warn a guy before you do that.”

Hali just looked up at me with her green eyes, winked, and pulled herself up off my erection. She then went down on me again and pulled off, and she repeated the motion in a slow, rhythmic pattern.

The warm coil in my stomach started to build, and I wasn’t sure just how long I was going to last with these two. Then, right before the coil could snap, Hali pulled off my dick with a wet pop.

“Now, you try,” Hali offered Baratu.

The blonde Cero woman placed her mouth around my cock, pushed herself down about halfway, and then took a deep breath. Baratu went the rest of the way onto me, and I let out a gasp as my entire lower half quivered. The rhino-woman bobbed up and down on my erection as she deepthroated me, and the vibration of her moans traveled up my shaft like mini earthquakes.

At the same time, Hali let her tongue flop from her mouth. The redheaded woman then placed it up against my balls, circled them both with her tongue, and sent me into a fit of ecstasy.

“I-I think I’m almost there,” I warned the beautiful women on my cock.

Both of them kept going, and I felt myself creeping closer and closer to the end of the line. My balls felt like they’d been stretched over a freaking tanning rack, and Baratu’s throat was like a Chinese finger trap around my erection.

The Cero woman finally let my cock fall from her lips, and Hali wasted no time in picking up where she had left off.

Hali gobbled up my dick with her tight, wet mouth, and I knew the end was near.

I gripped the dragonkin cook’s crimson locks tightly as I tensed up and prepared to unload my seed into her. Suddenly, I felt the warm coil in my stomach snap, so I pressed Hali as far down onto me as she could go.

“Cumming,” I gasped out, and the cook’s throat gripped me like a velvet vise as I let loose a freaking geyser of my love into her mouth.

Stars swirled around my vision as my entire lower half went numb, and my cock pulsated with the intensity of a goddamn firehose as I came.

Hali’s eyes went wide as she took my spraying seed in her mouth, but her surprise quickly turned to arousal as she let out a moan and continued to suck me dry. She bobbed up and down on my erection until each and every drop had been drained out of my manhood, and then she let me slide out from her.

The redhead swallowed my love in a single gulp, licked her lips, and then smiled.

“Oh no!” Baratu gasped. “We wasted it…”

“Speak for yourself,” Hali moaned. “I’d gladly do that again.”

“But… But…” the blonde Cero woman sighed. “I wanted it inside of me…”

“Don’t worry about that,” I promised Baratu as I took her cheek in my hand and lifted her eyes up to mine. “There’s plenty more where that came from. And you’re going to help me get it out.”

Baratu’s dark eyes glistened with anticipation at my words, and the two women wasted no time getting back to work.

In a single motion, Hali turned Baratu back toward her, spread apart the Cero woman’s legs, and then leaned over and buried her face in her pussy.

“Oh!” Baratu groaned as Hali ate her out. “Oh, gods!”

As she was pleasured by the dragonkin cook, Baratu reached over and grasped my semi-erect dick in her hands. The Cero woman ran her soft, warm tongue along the edges of my cock slowly as she rubbed my balls with her right hand, and it didn’t take long for my semi-erection to grow back into a full one.

The second I was hard again, Baratu began to jerk me off, and the three of us continued to pleasure each other passionately for a few more minutes before I decided to take charge of the situation.

“Get up onto the table,” I ordered Baratu. “I want to fill you up.”

Baratu’s mouth fell agape, but she wasted no time in pulling away from Hali, jumping to her feet, and then setting her ass down atop the stone table.

I leaned over and gave Baratu’s left nipple a suck as I ran my hand up her inner thigh. Her entire body quivered at my touch, and I knew she must have been sopping wet by now.

“Oh, Ben…” she groaned when I circled her nipple with my tongue.

Suddenly, I stood up, spread apart Baratu’s legs, and then stopped when I heard her gasp.

“It’s okay,” I reassured the rhino woman. “I know this is your first time, but I’ll be gentle.”

“Remember what we talked about,” Hali giggled. “Just sit back, relax, and try to take it all in.”

“I-I just…” Baratu moaned as she bit her lip. “I don’t know if I can take it all. Especially not for the first time with a real man.”

“Just relax,” I promised the blonde woman as I ran my hand lovingly along her chest. “I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt you.”

I pressed the head of my penis up against Baratu’s warm, wet tunnel, and then I slowly pushed in a few inches.

“Oh, Gods!” Baratu gasped. “I feel like you’re splitting me in half.”

“It’s alright, my friend,” Hali reassured the rhino-woman. “It gets better. A lot better.”

“I’m going to push a little deeper, okay?” I warned Baratu, who responded with a whimper and a nod.

The woman’s pussy was a fucking slip-n-slide, and its tight walls spasmed around my erection as I pushed into her as deep as I could. The head of my cock bottomed out against her cervix, and Baratu opened her mouth to scream as she took me all in.

“How is that even possible?” Baratu gasped as she whipped back her head. “How are you so deep in me?”

“You’re so tight,” I whispered before I began to kiss the Cero woman’s neck. “And wet. And fucking beautiful. And now? I’m going to give you what you deserve.”

“A-A baby?” Baratu managed to sputter. “I-I want you to fill my womb with your seed, Draco Rex.”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I confirmed. “I’m going to go a little faster now, okay?”

“Yes!” Baratu gasped. “Anything you want, Draco Rex.”

I placed my hands on both sides of Baratu’s waist, slid my cock out of her about halfway, and then began a slow, rhythmic thrust. The rhino-woman turned to jelly in my arms, and I had to lean in and wrap my arm around her back to keep her from falling over.

“Do you like that?” I growled at the beautiful woman as her breasts bounced in time with my thrusts.

“Oh, Gods!” Baratu moaned. “Right there!”

Meanwhile, I felt Hali’s slender fingers rub up against my ass.

“You get up here, too,” I growled as I looked back over my shoulder. “I’m not done with you yet.”

Hali’s thin lips twisted into a smile, and the voluptuous dragonkin woman strutted around to the table. She hoisted herself up beside Baratu and then began to gently pleasure herself as she watched us making love.

Baratu’s body tensed up as her velvet tunnel spasmed around my erection. She was super tight and super wet, and I already knew she was going to suck every single drop of my seed into her fertile womb.

But first, I had some unfinished business to attend to.

I pulled myself out of Baratu, slid over to Hali, and then spread her legs. Before she could even react, I pushed my cock into her, and we both let out deep, guttural groans.

Hali wrapped her legs up around my waist and pulled me deeper inside of her pussy, and I just about lost it right there. The redhead’s tight tunnel was soft and rigid, and I could feel her cervix against the head of my penis as I bottomed out inside of her.

I kissed Hali passionately as I ground my hips against her in a slow, rhythmic fashion. I made sure my pelvis pressed against her clit, and soon the woman let out a series of soft, almost-silent moans. I could feel the firm, tight skin of her pregnant belly as it pressed against my stomach, and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to fill her womb once more.

“Ben?” she whimpered, and her green eyes were glassy with pleasure. “I-I think I’m almost there.”

“Really?” I growled. “Then I guess I need to kick it into another gear.”

I leaned over and started to suck on Hali’s neck as I increased the pace of my thrusts. I went at the dragonkin woman’s pussy like a fucking jackhammer, and her moans suddenly grew closer together and more intense by the second.

“Oh, gods!” Hali declared as her full breasts bounced violently with each thrust. “I think I’m going to-- Ohhhhhhhh!”

Hali’s velvet tunnel turned to fucking stone around my cock, and I couldn’t escape its grasp even if I wanted to.

So, I shoved myself as deeply into the woman as I possibly could go and prepared for the big finish. My balls jumped up into my body as they tightened, and then something seemed to snap in my abdomen. I got tunnel vision as my head began to spin with sheer ecstasy, and I unloaded a gallon of my warm seed into Hali’s womb. My dick throbbed as it filled Hali with my love, and soon the sounds of our pleasure faded into nothing but soft whimpers and pants.

“I told you I wasn’t done with you.” I winked at the redhead, and then I turned back to Baratu. “And then there was one.”

“Please fill me with your seed, Ben,” Baratu begged as she spread her legs wide. “I want you to do that to me.”

“I’ll do you one better,” I growled, and then I made a circular motion with my finger. “Stand up and turn around.”

Baratu seemed hesitant at first, but then she obeyed my command. The blonde Cero woman slid off the table, flipped over so her thick, curvy ass was on display, and then bent over the side.

I didn’t even have to do anything to get my erection back this time.

Baratu’s ass was thick and round, and just the thought of it bouncing around on my cock was enough to bring me back to full mast. The woman’s pussy was so wet her juices were oozing down her leg, and I couldn’t wait to be inside of her once more.

I moved over to the Cero woman, slapped her ass hard, and then pressed the head of my cum-slick cock against her pussy lips.

“Y-You’re already hard again?” Baratu gasped. “How?”

“The thought of making love to you is enough,” I promised. “Always.”

With that, I pushed myself into Baratu. From this angle, I was able to get even deeper into her warm, velvet tunnel, and I tensed up when I felt my pelvis touch her rear. Her pussy spasmed around me, and I couldn’t help but let out a soft moan as my cock throbbed inside of her.

I slid myself out of her tunnel, pressed up against it once more, and repeated the motion. I continued on in a slow, soft rhythm until the warm coil in my abdomen started to tense up.

That was when Hali got in on the action again.

The redheaded cook got up onto the table, crawled over to Baratu’s head, and then laid out spread eagle in front of her.

“Now, it’s time for you to return the favor,” Hali growled as she grabbed a fistful of Baratu’s blonde hair.

Baratu buried her face into Hali’s pussy, and the sight of the Cero woman pleasuring Hali and lapping up my seed sent me into overdrive.

“Fuckkkkk.” I let out a deep groan as I increased the pace of my thrusts, and with that Baratu’s curvy ass started to jiggle intensely.

The whole room was now filled with the sounds of our pleasure, from our excited moans to the sound of Baratu’s tongue against Hali’s womanhood, to the sound of my balls slapping against the Cero woman in rhythmic fashion.

Soon, Baratu’s pussy started to tighten, and her body tensed up completely. She lifted her head away from Hali, leaned it backward, and let out an eardrum-shattering moan.

“Ben!” she nearly screamed. “I think I’m going to-- Ohhhhhhhh, Ben!”

Baratu’s womanhood squeezed me like a tube of toothpaste as gallon after gallon of her warm juices gushed out onto me. The sounds of her ecstasy grew louder by the second, and that was when I finally went over the edge of the cliff.

My whole fucking body went numb as I shoved myself into Baratu and unleashed a scream of pure primal passion. My cock pulsated as it began to paint the walls of Baratu’s womb, and for a brief second I wondered if the strength of my orgasm was going to fucking send her flying across the room.

I couldn’t feel my legs, but I sure as fuck could feel my dick. Baratu’s moans continued as her tight tunnel drained each and every drop of my love from my manhood, and seconds later I collapsed onto her body.

I kissed Baratu’s neck softly as I ran my fingers through my hair and continued to unload inside of her fertile womb.

“How much is there?” the Cero woman gasped.

“Enough to give you what you want,” I promised.

We laid there for a few more seconds before the feeling returned to my lower body, and I figured I was finally done. I slowly slid myself out of the woman, and a few dribbles of my cum oozed out onto her leg.

Damn. It was like Pompeii just fucking went off inside of her.

“That was amazing,” Hali panted. “Thank you, Baratu.”

“What are you thanking me for?” Baratu mused. “Ben did most of the hard work.”

“It was your idea, though!” Hali chuckled. “If you hadn’t asked me to show you how to pleasure the Draco Rex, we never would have been in this situation in the first place.”

“I think I’m the one who should be saying ‘thank you,’” I admitted. “I mean fuck… This was something I’m never going to forget. Ever.”

“I won’t forget it, either,” Baratu agreed as she flipped around and then laid back on the table. “Especially if this takes, and I become pregnant with your offspring.”

“It will work,” Hali confirmed as she touched her pregnant stomach. “Ben almost always gets a woman pregnant on his first try. Other than Mira, for some reason.”

“That’s because Mira and I haven’t wanted to get pregnant yet,” I explained as I sat down next to the beautiful women on the table. “She wants to wait until we’ve defeated the orcs, that way she can always be by my side during times of crisis.”

“She’s got some willpower,” Baratu noted. “Ever since I’ve met you, Ben, I’ve wanted to have your child. Even though I didn’t even know if a Cero woman could get pregnant… But once I saw Zikiu and Batari were fertile? I’ve thought of nothing else since then. I was just too nervous to ask.”

“Well, you did a damn good job,” I reassured the blonde woman as I held her in my arms. “You both did.”

I pulled the two women close to me as we laid there and tried to come down from our high.

“I hope they have horns,” Baratu finally broke the silence.

“Who?” Hali questioned.

“Our children,” the Cero woman giggled. “I hope the child the Draco Rex just put in me has horns. It wouldn’t truly be a Cero if it didn’t have horns.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “What if it’s got gray skin? Or those markings you guys have all over your bodies?”

“These are tattoos,” Baratu explained as she touched the white tribal markings on her arm. “They were given to us by Tembori after we were created. I doubt a Cero child will come out with a full set of tattoos.”

“You don’t know that,” I argued playfully. “There has never been a Cero child before, so for all we know they could come out fully tattooed, with multiple horns and swinging a spear-sword.”

“A kaware,” Baratu corrected. “If you are referring to our hand-to-hand combat weapons, we call those ‘kawares.’”

“Huh,” I scoffed. “You learn something new every day, I guess.”

The three of us laid there together for about thirty more minutes, and we simply cuddled and chatted about the potential futures we might have with our children and the adventures we would hopefully take them on. Finally, I sat up and headed for my clothes.

“Where are you going?” Hali demanded in a sad tone.

“I should probably get back out there,” I sighed. “The rest of my people are probably wondering where I am right about now.”

“I’m so glad I’m not royalty,” Hali chuckled. “It seems like way too much work.”

“Seriously,” Baratu agreed as she sat up and went for her apron. “Life is a lot simpler back here in the kitchen, making all sorts of crazy dishes and trying out new things.”

“Both food-wise and… otherwise.” Hali winked.

“Speaking of which,” I observed as I nodded to the table. “We should probably get somebody to sanitize that ASAP. Or at least before our next meal.”

“Don’t worry about it, Draco Rex,” the redheaded dragonkin woman reassured me. “You just go out there and address your people, and we’ll handle everything back here.”

I walked over and gave both of the cooks one last kiss before I tossed on my clothes and headed for the door. I wandered through the hallways of the dragonkin palace for a few minutes before I came back to the courtyard, where the entirety of the group was still waiting.

Ah, there is Benjamin! Bungal’s thespian voice declared as I stepped out into the courtyard. We were wondering if you had gotten lost in those corridors, my dear boy.

“I’m fine,” I reassured the fat brown dragon. “I just got sidetracked. How are things going out here?”

They loved our performance, Bungal explained. Your son is quite the thespian, I must say. When he reenacted the scene of you killing the alchemist? There was not a dry eye in the audience.

“Glad to hear that,” I chuckled as I looked out over my loyal subjects.

As I watched them chatting, laughing, and having an overall good time, my thoughts couldn’t help but drift into a dark place. Even with all our provisions of the wall, the various booby traps, the dragons, and the intense training I’d given all of my warriors, we had still been invaded multiple times.

Sure, we were always victorious against the invaders, but I wasn’t sure just how long that would last. If I really wanted my friends, lovers, and children to be truly safe, we needed to find a new home.

As much as it pained me to admit it, we weren’t safe as long as the orcs knew where we were.

What is on your mind, Benjamin? Bungal’s voice suddenly brought me back to reality.

“What?” I shook my head feverishly. “Oh… I’m just thinking about the future.”

You’re thinking about the island, aren’t you? the fat dragon guessed. You are thinking about the invaders, and how the council of dragons might help you find a new home.

“Get out of my head, Bungal,” I chuckled, though I was only partially kidding.

Well, my friend. Bungal cleared his throat. You are in luck.

“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow at the dragon.

Indeed. He nodded so hard his jowls bounced like bowls full of jelly. Remember how I told you I have insider knowledge about the council of dragons?

“Go on…” My heart raced in my chest as I thought about his words.

They are going to be meeting soon, Benjamin! Bungal proclaimed. Your prayers will finally be answered, my friend.

“Wait.” I shook my head. “What do you mean by ‘soon?’ Like… In the next month? The next week?”

In the coming days, I believe, the brown dragon confirmed. At least, they should be meeting in the next few days if they have retained their original schedule. Things sort of went south the second I left the council…

“Days?” I gasped. “You’re telling me the council of dragons is meeting in a few days? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

I wanted to wait until your wall was finished. Bungal frowned. I know how worried you were about keeping your friends and family safe, and I feared you would try to run off to find them before you had the proper precautions in place.

My heart swelled at Bungal’s thoughtfulness.

“Thank you, Bungal.” I smiled at the fat dragon. “You’re a good friend.”

As I looked back over the crowd at the feast, I tried to push the thoughts of orcs and dragons to the back of my mind, but the next step of our journey was about to begin.

A step that required us to go to a far away island and potentially face off against twenty-six deadly, pissed off dragons.