WIEDERGEBURT Act VII: Chapter 32

Waking up to sunlight streaming through the window, a weight on my chest, and a sticky sensation was a good way to wake up. I stretched as much as I could with a woman sleeping on my chest. A few satisfying pops echoed from my back. Then I looked down.

Tora was fast asleep on my chest. She had shifted last night and was now lying directly on top of me. The sticky sensation came from my dick being trapped between her thighs. She was grinding herself against me, her juices flowing down my cock.

“Now this is… interesting,” I mumbled. “I wonder if I should wake her up or just late nature run its course?”

“Haaa… haaaa… mmmm… oooh…”

Tora was moaning in her sleep as she humped me. Was she having a pleasant dream, I wondered? Perhaps she was dreaming of the amazing sex we just had the night before?

I placed my hands on her butt cheeks, planning to help her—and me—get off, but I guess my actions were too much for her. Tora gasped as she woke up. She placed her hands on my chest and pushed herself into a sitting position. Now straddling my thighs, I could look down and stare at my cock as it caressed her crotch.

“Wha… what the fuck? Where… huh?”

“You seem confused,” I said. “Is everything okay?”

“Ah?” Tora froze at the sound of my voice, and I frowned when she looked down at me like she was staring at a monster. “AAAH!!!!”

I covered my hand with my mouth as the woman shrieked, tried to stand up, tripped, and then spilled to the floor. The sound of her head cracking against the ground muffled my laughter. Sitting up in bed, I looked down as Tora laid on her back, her feet still hanging off the bed.

“Ouch…” Tora moaned in pain—until her eyes caught mine. Then she covered her hands with her face. “Don’t look at me! Don’t fucking look at me!”

“It’s kinda hard not to look at you right now,” I admitted, not bothering to look away. “Also, you realize I can see everything right now, right?”

“Huh? EEEEEK!”

Tora looked down at herself upon hearing my words, realized she was completely naked and that, yes, I could see her vagina and boobs just fine, and then panicked. Her surprised squeak was oddly endearing, though the way she yanked the covers off me was less so.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Out! Get the fuck out! Get out right fucking now!” Tora screamed.

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “We just had sex, and you’re gonna kick me out? You realize we’re basically married now, don’t you? Are you really gonna kick your husband out of your bed?”

“That’s—look! Just get the fuck out! I need some time to fucking process this shit, and you’re not making that any fucking easier!”

She was on a roll this morning. I couldn’t remember hearing Tora ever swear this much.

“All right. All right.” I raised my hands in surrender and climbed out of the bed. “I’ll leave.”

“Eeek! Put some fucking clothes on!”

I rolled my eyes, grabbed my clothes, and pulled my pants up my hips before heading for the door. Just as I placed my hand on the handle, I stopped and looked back.

“I’m sure breakfast will be ready soon if it’s not already. You might want to take a shower and get dressed.”

“Yeah. Right. Um. Yes, you’re right. Thanks,” Tora said, looking away from me. Her cheeks were flushed a deep shade of scarlet.

Shaking my head at this woman and her odd behavior, I left her bedroom and made my way to my own bedroom. Nobody was there. I didn’t think there would be. Judging the time merely by how high the sun had risen, it was late morning. The others were probably already working.

I took a quick shower, got dressed in some new clothes, and wandered into the kitchen. Chloe was there. I hadn’t seen her the other day because I’d gone to bed with Tora early, but I was not surprised to see her now.

“Good morning,” I said as I sat down at the table. There was already a plate with several bagels, sausage links, eggs, and a bowl of porridge with some fruits and nuts in it.

“Good morning, Master Eryk,” Chloe returned my greeting. “You are up late today. Was that Lady Tora I heard screaming?”

“It was,” I confirmed, taking my first bite of breakfast. I think my mouth nearly orgasmed as the robust flavor of the sausage filled my mouth. Whatever spices Chloe used to cook her food was amazing.

“I take it she was shocked to find you in her bed this morning?” I raised an eyebrow, but Chloe just shrugged daintily. “Mistress Kari told me about it.”

“Ah.” I nodded as I took another bite of my food. Breakfast this morning tasted more delicious than usual. Was it because having sex with Tora made me so hungry? “Yeah, she woke up this morning and freaked out. Not sure why.”

“Tora is a very pure and innocent woman despite her use of foul language,” Chloe said. “I’m sure the thought of knowing she had sex with a man is causing her all kinds of emotional issues.”

“Yeah. I got that much,” I said dryly.

“I wouldn’t worry about her. She will get over her problems sooner or later. Just give her some time,” Chloe said as she set another plate on the table and filled it with breakfast.

I wondered who she was making breakfast for, but then Tora wandered into the kitchen, her cheeks red as she refused to look at me. She sat down and quietly ate her breakfast. Her actions both amused and bothered me, but I decided to pretend nothing was wrong. This caused her more distress, or so I assumed when she kept looking at me from the corner of her eyes.

“What are your plans for today, Master Eryk?” Chloe asked as came over again and set a fresh cup of caffa on the table. I was about to say something when she leaned over, pressed her lips to my cheek, and moved back to begin preparing more caffa.

“Uh…” I eyed Tora as she glared at Chloe like she might kill the woman. “I’m having a meeting with Medusa, Menes, and Hilda today. They have several reports for me regarding the current state of Vahn. It’s mostly just routine stuff.”

“I understand. In that case, Master Eryk, would you mind if I asked you on a date today?” Chloe said with a vibrant smile.

“Er. Yeah, sure. I don’t see why not.”

“Thank you.”

Hmmm. Chloe was acting a little different today than she had before. Either something good happened the other day that I wasn’t aware of, or there was something else going on. In any case, I saw no harm in indulging Chloe, and I knew my wives already approved of her joining. Since it looked like I would be taking her on a date later today, I ate a bit faster so I could get to the meeting early.

I studiously ignored the audible grinding of Tora’s teeth.

***

“We’ve recently discovered several slaving camps. Our forces are in the process of freeing the slaves from captivity, but it’s a slow going process. They are spread across the Northern Plains and well-defended. I’d like your permission to request aid from the Valkyries and Lightning Giants.”

“You have my permission.”

“Thank you, Eryk.”

“This queen would like to be a part of those missions to rescue slaves.”

“Oh? You would like to be part of our rescue operations, Medusa?”

“Yes. This queen does not have much to do these days, and she has decided it would be a good idea to explore more of the world, expand her horizons.”

“I understand how you feel. In that case, I will include you in our next operation.”

“This queen thanks you.”

While this meeting was technically to inform me of everything happening within the city (I was still the ruler of Vahn, even if it was just a nominal title), it felt a lot more like a conversation between Medusa and Hilda. They were doing all the talking.

I could not figure out their relationship. There seemed to be an odd tension surrounding the two powerful women, but they both spoke to each other courteously. It felt like they were sizing each other up.

I looked at the only other person in the room, the former emperor of the Endless Desert, Menes. He was sitting with his hands folded and simply letting the conversation wash over him. I wondered if he was as bored as me.

Medusa and Hilda were certainly imposing figures.

Hilda was a blonde beauty with sharp blue eyes and a lithe, graceful figure that was currently adorned in the fashion more common to the Northern Plains than her home of Nevaria. She wore tight shorts and a black shirt, though both were covered with a knee-length duster that featured a popped collar. Despite not having the perfect hourglass figure of her daughter, she possessed the majestic and domineering charisma that made her seem peerless, like a heroine from an epic.

Medusa was different, but no less beautiful. Her dark skin, seductively narrowed brown eyes, and sensuous snake tail made her exotic. I once heard of people called snake charmers. They were women who charmed snakes by dancing. Well, Medusa had the best of both worlds. Her outfit was a lot more threadbare than Hilda, consisting of just a small top and a sarong like her daughter, but it was adorned with beautiful bits of gold and silver jewelry.

To think they were both my mothers-in-laws.

“Lord Menes, do you have anything to report?” I asked, wanting to hurry this meeting along.

Startled out of his revere, Menes tilted his head, then nodded once.

“I do have something to report.” He furrowed his brow. “Nothing is happening within the city thanks to the Valkyries and their barrier, but there has been some strange activity in the mountains to the south.”

“You sent a scouting force already?” I asked.

“We did, and they came back with nothing to report, but…”

“You still feel uneasy?”

“In that case, send some patrols over there every so often just to make sure nothing is happening. If you find anything, feel free to deal with it how you see fit. Also, don’t hesitate to use the Valkyries if you think our regular Spiritualists won’t be enough.”

“I’ll do as you say, Lord Eryk.”

I grimaced at the title—not because someone was calling me that, but because it felt weird to be called “Lord Eryk” by someone who used to be a ruler among men. No matter what position of power was thrust upon me, I just wasn’t the type to care for it. I’d have gladly given up this position if I thought I could.

“Do you two have anything else to add?” I asked the two women.

“I do not,” Hilda replied with a regal smile.

“This queen has nothing to add either,” Medusa added.

“In that case, let’s call this meeting adjourned for now,” I said.

Our meeting hall was really just a decently-sized building with several rooms: One for large meetings, three for smaller meetings, and a reception hall where people who needed something could come to request aid. It functioned sort of like a sect. There were a number of people writing requests in the reception hall when I left the informal meeting room, but all of that would be handled by other people. As the person at the top, my only job was receiving the most important reports and attending meetings.

I looked at the sun and judged the time. It was around noon. That meant I needed to meet with Chloe.

Because of my position as the leader of Vahn, pretty much everyone I passed knew who I was and made way for me. I didn’t particular enjoy the special treatment. The reverent gazes also made me uncomfortable. I think after this war was all over and people were able to get their lives back on track, I would take my wives and disappear from the public eye.

“Whoa! Who is THAT?!”

“Don’t know, but she’s smoking hot.”

“Damn. She could give Lady Kari and Fay a run for their money.”

“Meh. I prefer Siv over those two.”

“Didn’t know your strike zone went that low.”

I twitched when the comments on my wives reached my ears and turned around, prepared to give the man who’d made that “strike zone” comment a piece of my mind.

I couldn’t get a single word out.

Chloe was standing at our meeting spot, in front of a new fountain with a depiction of Medusa and Hilda standing majestically together. I didn’t know who made that thing. It was nice, but I felt odd seeing both my mother in laws standing together like a pair of lovers. However, most of my attention was taken up by the woman standing before them.

She looked different than I was used to.

Very different.

Her platinum blonde hair had been let down instead of tied into a bun, falling about her face and body like threads of silvery gold silk. They framed her delicate and beautiful face. Chloe was a woman who possessed the face of a classical beauty: full lips, high cheekbones, a small nose, narrow jaw, wide-set eyes, and small chin. She possessed the perfect hourglass figure of Kari, but she also somehow retained muscles like Fay. I remember seeing shirt ride up her stomach once during our spars, and she had tight abs that matched my second wife’s.

Right now, though, she was wearing a simple white dress that went down to her equally simple sandals. Somehow, the plain outfit made her outstanding beauty all the more apparent.

“Chloe,” I greeted, walking over to the woman.

Chloe’s face lit up. “Eryk. Thank you for agreeing to my selfish request.”

Eryk? Not Master Eryk? I almost raised an eyebrow at the change, but instead smiled and shook my head.

“It was no trouble. After everything you do for me, taking you out on a date was the least I could do.”

Coming to my left, Chloe hooked her arms in mine. “I should hope that you’re not agreeing to this date simply because you think you owe me.”

“Of course not,” I said.

“Good.”

It had been a very long time since I’d been on a date with anyone. Come to think of it, the last time I had been on a date was before I was sent hurtling to Gudeverdenen, so… about ten years ago, I guess. So much time had passed that I couldn’t remember what exactly one did on a date.

Fortunately, Chloe seemed to have some ideas of her own. She dragged me from shop to shop, stall to stall, checking out all of the different products being sold. Sometimes she would have me buy her a snack. Other times she would put on a show of changing into various outfits. One of the clothing shops actually kicked us out because Chloe distracted the customers (and the employee manning the shop) when she decided she needed my opinion on her underwear.

“This is a lot of fun,” Chloe said as we sat at a small street cafe. “I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Never?”

“Not even once.”

“You seem to have an awfully good idea of what people do on dates.”

“That’s because I asked Kari about them when I went to get your wives’ permission.”

“Ahhh.”

We were sitting at a round table meant for two. The street before us was bustling, and the two of us enjoyed watching the various different people as they passed by. There was a lot more variety here than in Asgard—beastfolk, humans, Lamia, Dweorg, and the occasional Guddomelig decked in Valkyrie armor. This city had grown so much in such a short time.

Chloe was taking a sip from our drink, a large glass with two twisty straws that the waitress had kindly bent into the shape of a heart on Chloe’s request. The straws were made of a flexible Demon Beast hide. Most everything was made from Demon Beasts. It was a bit strange to sort of realize the symbiotic relationship humans and Demon Beasts had after all this time, but there you go. They ate us and we used them for parts in our various creations.

“So, we’ve gone shopping, tried out some stalls, walked around town, and played a few games,” I said, checking things off on my fingers. “Is there anything else you’d like to do?”

Pausing during her sip, Chloe looked at me with her wide eyes before, draining the rest of our drink, she leaned back and smiled brightly, for once looking like a young maiden instead of servant or battle-hardened warrior.

“There is one more place I would like to know, if you don’t mind,” she said.

***

“Aaaaah! I can’t believe how I acted this morning! But damn it! I was fucking disoriented! Fucking nightmare! What the fuck?!”

Tora was sitting on the couch in the parlor instead of her bedroom. She didn’t want to be there because it reminded her of what happened this morning. She wasn’t wearing shoes. Her bare feet were resting on the couch as she hugged her knees to her chest, lamenting what happened this morning.

She couldn’t wrap her mind around what she had seen in her dreams the night before. It had all felt so fucking real. The scent of burnt flesh, the taste of blood in her mouth, and the horrific vision of Asgard burning as it was consumed by black flames. It was frightening, disorienting, and when she’d woken up that morning and discovered Eryk in her bed, she’d freaked out because of the dichotomy of her situation.

She didn’t understand.

She was supposed to be dead.

So why wasn’t she?

“What’s got you freaking out?” a voice hissed behind her.

“Gya!!” Tora shrieked, leapt to her feet, and whirled around. She blinked when she found a frowning Lin standing behind her. “Don’t fucking sneak up on me like that!”

Lin crossed her arms. “What are you talking about. This princess did not sneak up on you. You were just so caught up in your own fantasies that you didn’t hear this princess come over.”

Tora felt her face heat up. “I was not fantasizing!”

“Then what were you doing?”

Tora’s first response was to tell this woman it was none of her fucking business, but she paused and looked down at the runes proudly displayed on Lin’s chest… and then her gaze was invariably drawn to the runes now on her chest. They were the exact same runes.

“I had… a nightmare,” Tora said at last.

“Ahhh.” Lin nodded like she understood everything. “You had sex with Darling and drank some of his blood last night, didn’t you?”

Tora almost—almost—blushed at the snake woman’s casual mentioning of her sexcapades with Eryk, but she managed to avoid embarrassing herself. She would not let Lin of all people embarrass her.

“I don’t know if I took any of his blood, but we did have sex,” she said with a shrug.

“No, you did take his blood. You wouldn’t have had that nightmare otherwise.” Lin slithered over to the couch, sat down, and patted the spot beside her. “It seems Darling forgot to tell you about this, so that means it is up to this princess to tell you what’s going on. Come. Sit.”

Tora hesitated for a moment, but then she sighed and sat down beside the Lamia, who was treating her a little different than before—a little nicer. Perhaps it was because she was now technically Eryk’s wife? Was that how this worked? Tora didn’t know since she’d never even thought about marriage before meeting Eryk.

Whatever the case was, Tora listened attentively as Lin told her that what she experienced last night was not, in fact, a nightmare, but the memories of herself from a future that no longer existed. The fact that Lin was the one telling her this and not Eryk himself pissed her right the fuck off.

She was going to give Eryk a big fucking earful when he got back from his date with Chloe.

***

The place where Chloe had decided to take me was a bell tower. We sat with our legs dangling over the side, in one of the archways up at the very top, the massive bell to our backs.

Our day had been one full of exploration, and I had seen an entirely new side to Chloe, a side that was vibrant and full of life. Something had changed in her. I just didn’t know what.

Evening was beginning to fall. The colorful sky was painted in hues of purple, orange, and a pink that gradiated into red. It caused the mountain in the very center of Vahn to look like it was on fire.

“This is a lovely view,” Chloe said.

I glanced at the woman beside me, watching as her hair caught a breeze and waved around her like silk streamers. A few stray bangs tried to fly in front of her face. She caught them with a hand, tucked them behind her ear, and turned to me with a curious tilt of her head.

I didn’t look away.

“It is a lovely view,” I agreed.

“I was talking about the city,” she giggled.

“I’m sure the city is lovely too,” I added.

Chloe laughed, and it was such a beautiful sound that I found myself wanting to hear more of it. I also realized that I had never heard her laugh before. This was the first time. Today had been a day of firsts for me—at least in regards to this woman.

“This city… reminds me of my hometown,” Chloe said, looking back at the cityscape. Her eyes grew soft and distant.

“You weren’t born in Asgard?” I asked.

She shook her head. “The city I grew up in was much smaller than Asgard. It was probably around this size, I’d say. Maybe a bit bigger. I was born shortly after the Great War ended. The God Race and the Sekbeists had reached a tentative stalemate due to both sides losing their strongest Spiritualists. It was relatively peaceful around the time of my birth. I lived with my mother, father, and older brother. I was a very happy child, I think. It’s been so long I can’t quite remember.”

I said nothing as Chloe spoke, instead imagining a younger Chloe as she ran away from her parents and older brother, causing mischief wherever she went. It was surprisingly easy to do.

“But that peace didn’t last long,” Chloe blew out a breath. “My village was attacked when I was just a child. Three Sekbeist Lords stormed our town with their armies. They captured those who couldn’t resist and killed those who did. My parents were among those who were killed. It was after the battle, we were about to be separated, and they tried to keep me with them… but they were cut down without a hint of mercy.”

I was beginning to get a clearer picture here. Anyone would have been able to figure out where she was going with this if they thought her words through and combined it with what we had just experienced not long ago.

“Rache was the one who killed your parents, wasn’t he?” I said.

Chloe smiled. “You are very smart. I only gave you a few hints, but you were able to immediately figure out where I was going with this.” She raised her left leg, set her sandal-clad foot on the wall, and rested her arms against it. “Yes. Rache killed my family. But before he could kill me, Lady Fray and her Valkyries rushed in like a storm. The other two Sekbeist Lords were killed, but Rache managed to escape with many of the God Race in his custody. I… suppose they were sacrificed to create more Sekbeist Slaves.”

That was a likely assumption, but I didn’t say anything because I thought it might upset her.

“All the people Lady Fray saved were taken with her to Asgard. I was too young to enroll in the Hall of Heroes at the time, so I ended up being adopted by a modestly wealthy family. They were good people, but I could never connect with them. I didn’t want to.”

“You couldn’t bring yourself to because you felt like you were betraying your parents,” I said with a nod.

“Yes.” Chloe sighed before continuing her story. “We were no longer at war with the Sekbeists, but that didn’t mean there weren’t still skirmishes. What happened to be was not a singular event. In the grand scheme of things, my tragic story was just one of many, but while others tried to forget and move on, I could never forget. I vowed to one day get revenge, and so I signed up for the Hall of Heroes as soon as I was able, earned some of the highest marks in their history, and went on to join the Valkyries. They were an all woman division, and their leader was my savior, so I thought they would be the best choice.”

Chloe was telling me a lot of about her past that I had never known before. So much about this woman had remained a mystery until now. I blamed that on myself since I never bothered to ask, but I also didn’t believe she would be as forthcoming about her background as she is now.

“What happened after that?” I asked.

“I worked my way up the ranks and eventually became Lady Fray’s second in command. She recognized me as the little girl she saved centuries ago and took a personal interest in me. Part of the reason I’m as strong as I am now is because she personally trained me.” Chloe let her leg fall back onto the balcony. She straightened and placed her hands in her lap as she turned her head to look at me. “Lady Fray offered me the chance to get my revenge, and in return I vowed to serve her until my revenge was complete.”

“And now it is, right?” I said.

“That’s correct. I killed Rache during our last mission. My revenge is complete now, so I’m no longer obligated to serve Lady Fray,” Chloe said.

“And what do you plan to do now?” I asked. “I’m assuming that’s the reason you brought me out here, right?”

“I love how perceptive you are,” Chloe said with a smile. “My original plan after achieving my revenge was to continue serving Lady Fray. I owe her much, and I think of her as a doting older sister. That changed after I met you.”

I was not stupid enough not to realize where this was going, but I still didn’t say anything because I knew Chloe wanted to lay it all out there.

“Eryk, I would like to serve you from this moment on… but I don’t want to just swear my fealty to you,” Chloe began. “I love you. I have from the moment we met. Don’t ask me how, and don’t ask me why. I couldn’t explain it even if you ordered me to. What I do know is that you are the person I want to share my life with—you and your wives—that is, if you’ll have me.”

There were many things I could have said to her, but I felt all of them would have fallen short of what she was telling me now. Only a fool used words when no words were needed.

I shifted, bringing my feet underneath me and standing up, though only for as long as it took me to kneel in front of Chloe. Her cheek was soft and smooth as I reached out to caress it. She leaned into my touch. My mouth only felt a little dry as I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. Our kiss was soft, gentle. I didn’t think passion was what we needed right now. After several seconds passed, I threaded my fingers through her incredible hair and pressed our foreheads together.

I stared into her light blue eyes.

“That is my answer,” I said.

Chloe smiled. Then she leaned in for another kiss.

Yet before she could, the loud flapping of wings drew our attention to Siv as she flew in from above. She was dressed in silver armor. I thought it odd since I didn’t think we were heading for battle.

“Eryk, I’ve been looking for you,” Siv said.

“Siv? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“We just received news from Lady Fray,” Siv said. “The isolated training chambers have been completed.”