The Great Forest: Laya: Dark Sculptor Novel 04 Read online

  What was the point of ambitions and success, if there was no one to share that joy with?

  Chapter Two

  It was later that afternoon. Saria and Karana had sat with me at lunch, and were both very affectionate, probably because they were both back with the elves right now. Psychology was hardly an advanced science on this world, but they were doing some kind of group session with them in voices so low I wouldn’t have heard it even if I was among them. It also told me that Saria was getting along well with Sianna, or she wouldn’t have been so openly affectionate in front of her.

  My plan for Regina also happened, which we both enjoyed immensely before getting back on the road.

  Regina was on my right, and Sianna on my left as we made our way along the road east under the hot early afternoon sun. The rain had cleared hours earlier, but the road was still a little muddy, but not too bad for the horses. Sianna like Regina, they were the two mates who preferred dresses, while Karana and Saria couldn’t be pried out of their robes or armor.

  Still, they couldn’t exactly wear dresses while astride horses, and both looked very fetching in riding clothes. Brown leather breaches, boots, and leather vests over blouses. I liked them in dresses too, but the more form fitting riding clothes definitely had its appeal.

  I smiled over at Sianna, who looked back at me with a smile that barely reached her eyes. Her true smiles, where those sea foam eyes of her sparkled, were rare, but today she seemed a little withdrawn. She was usually chattier, and I greatly enjoyed listening to her sweet honey-toned voice which so well matched the delicate beauty of her face. It was pleasant to my ears, and a little higher pitched than Regina’s dulcet tones which were equally as pleasing.

  “Everything alright?”

  Sianna smiled a little wider, “Fine, James. I was just thinking about this morning’s lesson. There’s so much to learn, and the more I do learn it the more I learn how much I don’t know, you know?”

  Her tone was a little off, I had a feeling she was brooding about something else, one of those subjects she still hadn’t shared. Yet… she was also telling the truth, and I didn’t want to push her, we were mates and I was fairly sure I loved her at that point, but we’d only known each other for ten days. So, I let it pass, as I usually did when I sensed something she didn’t want to share.

  I smirked, “Yes, I do. I felt that way when I first started medical school, and when Karana teaches me about magical concepts relating to the elements and the world.”

  In a lot of ways simple magic was easier for me than a mage. I didn’t have to learn the mage tongue, only the concepts and truths to hold in my mind and apply, to generate an effect. My own flesh sculptor magic intuitively transformed those intentions and concepts into an organically DNA sequenced spell. So, to cast it, all I needed to do was pass a simple desire to my ring for a certain spells effect, and it would focus the magic to a pre-made and fully repeatable spell and instantly cast it. Which meant I could outcast any mage by speed, as long as I had a pre-made spell prepared in my ring or other lifeform to fit the circumstances.

  But… it was very limited, and I couldn’t change a spell on the fly to fit the situation, only use what I had prepared for situations I could envision ahead of time. So, while I was faster in basic magic, a true mage would be far more flexible and powerful.

  Advanced mage spells were another matter entirely, and something I couldn’t compete in at all. They used several concepts and a string of intentions as the mage spoke the words to a spell, to have several complicated things come together into one complex whole. I couldn’t do that at all, my spells were limited to what concepts I could hold in my mind at once. In a limited fashion I could, kind of like a programmed macro, I could cast three spells in quick succession with three thoughts to dig a hole, fill it with water, and heat it for a bath. But… a mage could do all three things in one spell. It was a small difference with simple magic, and hardly mattered when making a bath, but it was a huge limitation that put advanced magic completely out of my reach.

  Which was fine, because I was a flesh sculptor, not a mage.

  The other part of a mage that made advanced magic beyond me was their ability to see magic flows, and even control them. Often in a more complicated spells the disparate magical threads wouldn’t mesh perfectly, and it took their ability to see and affect magical flows directly to somewhat subconsciously tweak the spell form even as it was forming together. It was one more thing that made it impossible for me, I couldn’t see magical flows, much less influence them.

  Sianna had gone back to brooding about whatever was really bothering her, and it was worse that day somehow, she was usually better at hiding it. The last six afternoons she’d made an effort to get to know me better, while I got to know her better, outside of what very personal issues she had that still remained hidden.

  Still, I wouldn’t push her, or smother her, and everyone had a bad day at times. She was riding into the unknown with a mate and three sister-wives she hardly knew at all, which was a lot worse than the rest of us, who simply had to fit one new mate into our lives and family, which we were already mostly comfortable with.

  At least, that’s what I believed, I wouldn’t really know until she opened up and told me. Regardless, it seemed like she was fitting in rather well given everything, and I cared about her very much, if not as I’d already said, loved her already. She was breathtaking, and as smart as my other mates, and would grow to be as powerful over time.

  She asked, “What’s on your mind?”

  I smiled, “I’m a bit scattered today, thinking about everything, but right now I was considering what a lucky man I man I am to have you.”

  I didn’t bother saying why, she already knew why I felt that way. Her beauty, her strength and determination, how intelligent and sweet she was, her ambition to change the world for the better, and even her self-mocking sense of humor, though I feared that last part was deeply rooted in the resentment somehow, but I could’ve been wrong.

  She blushed and turned away from my admiring gaze to stare thoughtfully down the road.

  Regina giggled, “Get used to it, I swear half his thoughts are about how he’s going to spoil us, and the other half of his time he is spoiling us.”

  Sianna laughed lightly, “It’s disconcerting, but I like it.”

  “Disconcerting?”

  Sianna shrugged, “Not in a bad way, it just continual takes me off guard. I’ve never met a man like you before, plenty who were taken by my beauty like you are, but that’s all they saw. This is better, just… far more complicated. I hope you never stop, even if…” she sighed and trailed off.

  Then she said, “Shallow men are predictable, and easily manipulated. I like this, I like it much better, but as I said it’s complicated. I feel… free to be myself in front of you, and talk to you about my ambitions, which is scary, I’m not used to being so open with a man. I’m also not in control with you, but at the same time I don’t seem to mind.”

  “Not in control?”

  Regina smirked, “She means she can’t manipulate you with a flutter of her eyelashes and a swish in her walk.”

  Sianna blushed furiously, and said, “Exactly, and I don’t want to. I don’t need to, you’ll give me anything I desire that’s in your power, and you see me as a person, not an ornament for your arm and just another warm body to sheath yourself in. It puts me off balance, because I’ve never had that before. When you look at me, I feel beautiful and admired, not… leered at like a jewel or something you own. You make me feel both vulnerable and invincible. It will just take me a while to get used to not playing games to get my own way, it was how I was raised. You’ve busted me for trying it twice, and both times I didn’t really mean it, it was like a… reflex.”

  Her voice had gotten rather passionate at the end of her little speech. Then she got back to staring up the road, a shadow of her earlier brooding already setting in. I wished she’d just get whatever it was off her chest, but she obv
iously still feared rejection for some reason, maybe simply out of habit?

  It was also true what she’d said, I knew she liked the way I treated her, but I could tell it also took her out of her comfort zone at the same time. I didn’t imagine any woman would want to be treated as less and objectified, but it was something she was used to and already knew how to deal with.

  I reached out and squeezed her hand, not sure what to say. It just was, and I didn’t think that made me all that great, I just appreciated who she was as a whole, and she was a whole complicated person with needs and desires past me, past family. It just… was. I almost felt sorry for other men in this world, who did see women as mere assets and trophies, objects to be owned, because they were missing out.

  Of course, there were men like that in my old world too, it was just the ratio of them was much lower.

  Regina changed the subject after a long pause, “Do you think we’ll see trouble today?”

  I shrugged, “Probably not, we’re still fairly close to Dulcier. I imagine tomorrow, or early the next day we’ll see trouble if there’s any to be found. If more bandits have set up it’s likely they’ll be right in the middle of Dulcier and Eastguard, or more toward the latter.”

  Sianna said, “You don’t seem worried.”

  I nodded, “I’m vigilant, and won’t let my guard down if something happens, that’s a good way to get dead, no matter how powerful you are. But, I’m mated to three mages, one being the most powerful warrior in Lelmalond, and Regina is formidable too if anyone gets close. No, I’m not overly worried about a few desperate bandits on the side of the road. They might even ignore us, given we’re travelling with twenty active scouts, and sixteen female elven warriors besides.”

  Not to mention I wasn’t weak myself anymore, not like I’d been on the first trip from Malburn to Eastguard.

  Regina asked, “Formidable?” in surprise.

  I smirked, “I seem to remember you saving me from a soldier’s sword by covering me with yourself, and then before that you took one down with pain.”

  Regina blushed, “I’m not a warrior, but you’re mine.”

  I nodded in easy agreement. She wasn’t a warrior, but she was fierce in her devotion as my wife, and never once hesitated to step between me and danger, just as I’d done for her. It wasn’t needed anymore, most likely I’d be protecting her for now on, but that didn’t change how strongly she felt about me, it was more than apparent in every look, word, and action she took. She always humbled me with how she saw me, loved me, and I returned that in full measure.

  Not that I hadn’t always felt a need to protect her, and I’d acted on that need many times in the past, I was just a whole lot more prepared and capable to do so successfully at that point in our lives.

  Sianna looked surprised, and strangely pleased by hearing that. Perhaps because she still didn’t quite believe me when I told her she could protect our family as I, as we, protected her. Technically, it was one of my duties as husband and head of house, realistically everyone had the right of self-defense, and while not the weakest in the family anymore, some of my mates had far more experience at it than I did. Which was fine, I was a healer, not a warrior, no more than Regina was.

  That didn’t mean I wouldn’t end anyone who threatened those I loved, without losing a wink of sleep over it. It was something that plagued me in the beginning from the societal programming from my world. But here, the only measure of justice was what I could claim for myself. The cities were a little better, they did have guards, but self-defense was far more accepted on this world.

  Regina said to her, “It made sense at the time, he didn’t have his ring yet, and he could heal me if I got hurt, but couldn’t heal himself. Not that I wouldn’t still do it.”

  Sianna nodded, “I’ve a lot to learn, but I do know the basic protections, and enough spells to be as deadly with fire as when I held that ability. I’ve learned a lot the last six mornings. I’d feel confident facing anyone but another mage. Karana told me I’d better avoid battle with another mage for at least fifty years.”

  Mages did have a lot of advantages over warriors, but I’d seen Saria take down a couple of mages by herself, of course she had telekinesis at the time and was a better warrior than most. She also would have died with them, if I hadn’t been there to heal her. For most men or women with a sword, they really wouldn’t have a chance against even a new mage without surprise and catching them with no protective spells on. Spells did take time to cast after all. Really, that was a mages biggest weakness, spellcasting time.

  We chatted on and off for the rest of the afternoon ride.

  Though, I never did manage to fully draw Sianna out of her funk that afternoon, I did manage to make her laugh a few times, and her eyes were mesmerizing when they sparkled for me.

  I wished they’d do so more often, maybe in time they would…

  Chapter Three

  “I love you, James, this is incredible. Why didn’t you do this before?” Karana asked in a sultry voice as she leaned into Regina.

  It was getting dark and we were in camp right outside our tents, on the other side of them from the fire. All my mates and I, taking a bath together. We’d actually been done cleaning up for a while.

  I’d had an idea, which took modifying my digging spell and making a different one to increase the size of the tub, as well as adding seating. Then I’d filled it with water and heated it. I’d also created a new air jet spell and casted it a whole lot of times around the walls, and low and behold, I created the first air jet and hot tub spa in this world. There was enough room for all five of us and then some. Thanks to Karana we also had privacy from the thirty-six other elves around us, we could see and hear out, but they couldn’t see or hear us at all.

  Of course, I didn’t have the heat of the water as hot as a regular hot tub would be, not with Regina being pregnant. Still, it was warm enough to relax the muscles, and the bubbles helped with that as well.

  Regina sat across from me, and was being snuggled by my two elves, while Sianna was a perfect fit against my side. As usual, my honey-brown haired princess was quite affectionate with her touches and strokes, almost never stopping. She might have been holding back things from me that bothered her about her past, but physical intimacy wasn’t one of those things. In a way, she was already the most physically affectionate of my mates, and almost as insatiable as Regina was. They all loved to cuddle, and even occasional petting, but she took it a step farther with never ending caresses. She seemed to love to touch me, something I was quite happy to reciprocate, as my fingers explored her smooth, silky, supple, and nubile body.

  It hadn’t been my decision to sit next to Sianna, I think my mates worked that out, and I’d decided to just go with their schedule, if they were feeling the need for me they could figure it out amongst themselves. Regina loved me, and our mates. I decided to take her words to heart, as long as I never turned them away I could let them they worry about time spent together. I still worried about it a little, and that was okay, it would stop me from taking them for granted, but at the same time I was very confident in her ability to take on part of that burden. I trusted her not to let any of my mates get to the point they felt neglected.

  Point was, I was fairly sure it was going to be Sianna’s night for a little private time in the tent before the others joined us.

  I smiled at my ebony goddess and answered her question.

  “I just never thought of it, it’s something from my world. I’ll be putting one in the house, you can be sure of that.”

  Sianna giggled, “Good, I like the way the bubbles feel.”

  I had to admit, magic was pretty awesome at times.

  Saria said, “I hate to ask, but I need a favor.”

  I smiled, “Anything love.”

  She returned my smile, “The queen gave all sixteen of them elven swords and daggers which until now have been packed away on their horses. It seems King Hanson had built up quite a few of them in
his armory from the skirmishes with elves over the years. Almost half of them, seven, think it would help them move on if they could join the scouts, and do something more active.”

  I nodded, “So you want seven copies of elven armor? I can do that, they won’t have the added protections and healing of our family armor though.”

  Sianna frowned as she peered at me, “You know the secrets of elven armor?”

  I smiled, and squeezed her closer against me, “What do you think your ring is made of? Most of my inventions are made from it. So yes, I do.”

  She shook her head, “That’s… incredible. Human mages have been trying to copy it unsuccessfully for hundreds of years. My mother tried for a year or two a decade back.”

  Saria smirked, “He figured it out in an afternoon. I was impressed too, but only at the speed he did it in. They are a creation of an elven flesh sculptor of the past, so it makes sense he could do it. Still, even that would have taken years to manage without the specialized knowledge from his world.”

  Sianna’s wandering hand made it between my legs, and she stroked me slowly while looking up into my eyes. She looked so innocent that her sultry come fuck me look was especially effective.

  I took that to be our cue, and I scooped her up and headed for the tents. Sianna whispered a few strange words in my ear, and we were dry before we got inside the tent. That was handy.

  She kissed my neck as I set her down on our bedding, having fully adopted Saria’s trick for getting me to lose my mind in a fog of desire and lust.

  I moaned softly, and she whispered in my ear.

  “Just fuck me James, I’m so wet for you right now, I’ve been wet for you since I heard Regina’s cries of pleasure at lunch. Please, fuck me.”

  She’d come a long way from being a virgin just a week ago, and the way she said please in a sultry heated and breathy voice went straight to my libido, and she made my cock jump in her hand as she squeezed it firmly. I also knew she was manipulating me, easily, but it was the kind of manipulation I could get behind.