Chapter 110 Pt.2:

Anton only had one drink, as did Verona and Kal. Not only was the concoction extremely potent but the girls were adamant not to cause any harm to a child they might be carrying. Anton had no idea if they were pregnant yet, not for lack of trying, but he agreed with them. They left the others to drink or return to their duties. Luna didn't want to leave their side, suddenly not so interested in receiving pats from strangers, and rested in the crook of Anton's arm.

When they stepped outside, the lingering fiery touch of the alcohol still swimming in his mouth, he was greeted with an almost deserted scene. Almost every Beastkin and Seocurian had left, hopefully properly directed to their new homes, leaving a few isolated groups. One nearby the Main Hall caught his attention, not that it was difficult not to notice them. Rasha, the three-meter giant blue Minotaur was speaking with Cetina intently while she had her horse’s packs, sword and shield resting near her feet. Eider, Irso and Ulyaa were speaking with an Atros guard, so too was Loretta and her two children. Kristof hung near the peripheries of the group, constantly checking the Main Hall for movement, probably for Marion.

"Is Marion still inside?" Kristof almost ran towards them, quite quickly for his size and mass. Up close he was much more intimidating, but his large physique was hampered by the concern drenching his face and the way his fingers picked nervously at one another. He didn't seem overly concerned but every moment without her was a strain on his mind.

"She-"

"I'm here." A voice came from behind. Marion stepped around them, her tail following her behind like a snake through the air, to reach Kristof’s side. "Why are you looking like that? I haven't been gone long."

"I know...I can't help but get worried. You know, us being in a human city."

Marion kissed Kristof's cheek. "My daughter stays it's safe so I am going to trust her. And Anton."

Anton gave a curt nod. He wanted at least an amicable relationship with Marion. Despite what Kal said, when Marion first questioned their relationship, she wanted a good relationship with her mother more than almost anything. If Anton and Marion had a bad relationship it would only hurt Kal.

"Have you been waiting here the whole time?" Marion teased Kristof and flicked his hair. "I can't imagine you did. Though you may have come back for the food."

"I wanted to stay but they dragged me away. They showed me to our house, it's pretty good actually, and it has a big strong bed and a rack where we can hang our clothes. Not that we have much…"

"And then you came back here for me?"

Kristof shyly nodded. Marion chuckled and kissed him again. "You are too cute sometimes."

Marion turned to Kal, her playfulness disappeared and was replaced by a crawling nervousness. "I...Uh. I suppose I'd better find out where I'll be living in this city. Will...Will I see you again?"

"I'll see you tonight for dinner." Kal smiled, trying her best to placate Marion. "You'll love it. Lots of food, drink and people to talk and laugh with. And everyone will be coming. Even someone like me."

"...Okay. This feels really weird. To just walk away knowing I'll see you again...But I'll see you at dinner."

Kal lunged forward and hugged Marion tight. Marion wasn't prepared and her body went rigid. Slowly Marion brought her hand up and gently stroked Kal's head.

"I missed you." Kal whimpered into Marion's shoulder. "So much. You don’t know how much I did. Every day I wanted to see you again."

"Me too, Kal. Me too. I didn't want you to go either..."

"Atros is my home now." Kal gently broke the hold. "And I want it to be yours as well."

"I'll try Kal." Marion kissed her forehead. "I really will. Now, a big lump and I need to find our new home, then I think we'll have a wander about this city. Get to know where we are and how to get around Atros easily. Find all the little backroads."

"Thank you, mother." Kal kissed Marion on the cheek.

Marion took Kristof's hand. "Anton. Verona. We'll do our best to make this work."

"I know you’ll succeed." Anton smiled. "I know you will."

Marion and Kristof nodded and began walking to the east. When they were out of earshot Verona pulled on his sleeve.

"Do you think they're going to explore Atros or the bedroom?" Verona smirked. "Because I know which one I think she wants."

"Definitely the second one."

"Right? Those Minotaur's-"

Kal clamped both of their mouths shut. "Please don't talk about my mother having sex. It's...It just feels..."

Anton scratched Kal's ear, she manoeuvred her head into his hand. "And I'm sure that's exactly what Marion felt when she found out we have sex."

"Don't forget about me," Verona smirked and reached for Kal's tail. "I bet that only made things worse."

Kal sighed and held Anton's hand. It felt incredibly good to hold her hand and not through a glove. "Probably pretty bad. I hope that she likes it here."

"She'll love it." Verona laughed. "Once she settles in."

"Please..." Kal groaned.

Anton laughed as Kal shook her head. "Come on. We'd better see everyone else before we go."

"Is it me or are all the Minotaurs big?" Verona asked calmly. "I mean, look at the size of her."

Verona nodded at Rasha, but Anton knew what she was talking about. Rasha stood still, occasionally glancing towards them, with one arm underneath her breasts and the other holding her chin. Out of all the large women in Atros; Verona, Loretta, Marion and Ulyaa, she was clearly the biggest. Cetina craned her neck up to look the three-meter tall Minotaur and appeared to not be looking down, though it appeared to be very forced.

"I guess it's in their blood." Anton mused. "If they're meant to be related to cattle then that would make sense..."

Kal sighed. "My husband and sister wife spend their time staring at other people's breasts."

"You don't have anything to worry about there," Verona said nonchalantly.

"Have you checked everyone in Atros?"

Verona shrugged. "Just with my eyes. And you are fine."

"Very fine." Anton squeezed Kal's waist. She dramatically rolled her eyes but a smile crept up her face. "Let's go talk to them rather than just watch."

Cetina saw them approach and nodded towards them. Rasha smiled as she gave a small wave.

"Anton," Rasha began, immediately followed by a covered cough. "Kal, Verona. I didn't think I'd get a chance to talk to you right away. Or, at all. I’m just one Beast-kin. You all seem rather busy."

"We are." Anton smiled back. "But we can always make time to make sure everyone's settling in well. How are you finding Atros so far? Have they shown you to a house yet?"

"I'm very impressed with this city." Rasha looked around, nodding at everything. "It's...I don't know how to describe what I'm feeling. To be able to just walk where ever I want..." A tear came to her eye, one quickly wiped away. "I can't...Thank you, for saving us. For bringing us here."

"It was our pleasure."

"And your house?" Kal asked. "Do you know where that is?"

"Did they make it big enough?" Verona asked.

"I didn't think of that." Anton frowned as he held his chin. "You're really the only person taller than a human. And I don't think I mention that to Bertram once we reached dry land. If it's not big enough I am terribly sorry."

Rasha shook her head and hands, her whole body shook. "No, No. It's fine. Really. My horn hit the top of the door when I walked in, and I had to get down a bit, but it's really nice. The bed's big enough. And...I really won't be spending that much time in there, apart from sleeping."

"If you say so." Anton looked back at the Main Hall. "When I see Zac again I'll let him know-"

"It's really fine." Rasha cut him off. "Besides, I'm near people I know and that I can talk to." She nodded to the other Beastkin still speaking with the guard. "I don't really want to let go of that."

"So long as you are fine with it. So, and I don't mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

Rasha nodded to the other Beastkin. "They left and I didn't want to just stand about in front of my house. I found Cetina waiting here so I started speaking with her. Since...Since she will actually speak with me."

Cetina chuckled. "More me listening than speaking."

Rasha's long ears flicked back. "I was just a little too excited I suppose. This place isn't a dream..."

"What did Rasha want with you?" Verona asked.

"Rasha heard that you asked me to be a trainer and she wanted to know more about it."

"I...” Anton had a thought in his head. “Since you'll be a trainer, Cetina, what weapon do you think Rasha should use?"

Cetina perked up and straightened her back. She looked Rasha over, something that caused the blue Minotaur to frown slightly, before biting on her lower lip.

"Well, I don't think a sword, like mine, is going to be much use. Rasha is incredibly strong and she could easily break or bend it on her first swing."

"Not to mention she would look a little ridiculous," Anton said. Rasha cocked her head and frowned. "Instead of a sword, it would look more like a little dagger."

"Oh.” Rasha laughed. “That would look a little strange...I think. Would it?"

"So a larger weapon then. Maybe a spear, like Verona's..." Cetina's eye lit up. "Maybe something like a halberd. That would probably be a good choice."

"I don't know what that is." Rasha looked almost apologetic.

Cetina looked to them but Verona and Kal shook their heads.

Anton raised his hand. "It's like a spear but it also has a large blade as well as the point with a hooked point on the other side. Is that right?"

Cetina nodded, she appeared happy with his response. "Yes. That's it. A few of the soldiers in Thessos used them. They're really good. They have the benefits of a spear and axe combined. But...It does mean that, in order to use them, you can't use a shield. Both hands are needed to wield it."

Anton pulled a worried face. "Which would mean that if anyone got too close, basically underneath you, you wouldn't be able to defend yourself. Since even you will need both hands to wield such a weapon effectively. Well, maybe you could have a dagger or short sword but you’d have to drop your halberd to use it."

"So what does that mean? That I can't fight?"

Anton shook his head. "Not at all. But you won't be going into battle on your own. There'll always be someone near you for support."

"Someone like me, I suppose." Cetina glanced at her sword and shield. "Keep them away from you while you deal out the big attacks. I think that could work. A large halberd would probably be the best choice for Rasha. And, as Anton said, a short sword for defence since you won’t have a shield."

"I don't think Jonathan has anything like that," Kal said softly. "And with everyone new needing a new weapon, not to mention the...project thing you have him working on, I don't think he'll have enough time to make something that big."

"True..." Anton held his chin. Rasha looked rather disappointed, that she wouldn't be able to fight properly. "For now, would you be comfortable using a spear?"

"I was just using a big stick before."

"But you were just swinging that around." Verona shrugged. "Using a spear is a bit different to that."

"That's why they're all going to get training." Anton ruffled Verona's hair. "When I first met you, you had been practising how to twirl a spear around your arm. Remember?"

Verona's face reddened. "Yeah. Yeah. I spent a lot longer practising that than I should have." She laughed again but she was clearly still embarrassed, a hard pinch on his waist told him so.

"So how does that sound Rasha?"

"I like it. I know I'll need a lot of practice, so I don't hit anyone by mistake." Rasha looked at Cetina then to the ground. "But I'll do my best."

"With people like Jeff and Cetina teaching you, you'll be an expert in no time."

"You're just saying that." Cetina's lips curled up into a sweet smile. Verona nudged his side but he ignored it.

"However I don't think there will be any training today." Anton looked around the near-empty plaza. Beyond the boundary, he could see many small groups of Seocurians and Beastkin wandering about with Atros guards running between them. "Seems like it will take a little while for things to settle down anyway...Oh. There is going to be something tomorrow morning."

"What's that?" Cetina asked.

"Goblins." Verona held a smile, the seething hatred seeped through the mask. "We're going to take out the nest where the ones that attacked us came from. It's a small mountain that we passed on the way here."

"That one?" Rasha pointed to Mount Aspire, the snow-capped mountain that nearly loomed over Atros.

"No." Verona chuckled nervously. "You don't want any that come out of there."

Cetina and Rasha looked at one another. Both were lost.

"We'll tell you another time," Anton said. "But would you be interested in joining? There shouldn't be much to do but it'll be good practice. And having you two join will really help us out in the long run."

"I don't see how but I'll come." Cetina looked at her sword and shield. "I've got to earn my stay somehow."

"I'll definitely come." Rasha frowned as a hoof ground on the cobblestone ground. "But I don't even have that stick anymore. Or any armour. All I really have are these clothes." Rasha pulled on the rough fabric. Anton heard some of the fibres break and fray. "Surely I need something like Cetina has."

"Maybe you could wear her chest piece over your leg?" Verona suggested.

Rasha raised her leg, with equally impressive musculature as her arms, and then to Cetina. "It...It might actually fit."

"This is mine." Cetina thumped her armour. "Get your own."

Rasha laughed. "But, I do need something, Anton. I can't go into battle like this. That whole thing with the Goblins and that cloth, I got lucky there."

"One of the first places we're going is Jonathan's smithy. He does all the metalworking and gave Verona's very first piece of armour."

"It really helped. In more ways than one." Verona pulled on his hand. "That's something we need to get done as well. I'm sure everyone's back’s will appreciate it."

Again Cetina and Rasha looked at each other confused.

"After everything else is done." Anton kissed her head. "But luxuries like that need to wait until we've defeated the Goblins."

"Right. Just don't forget it. I'd like to walk around in just normal clothes once in a while."

"What are you two talking about?" Cetina tilted her head.

"Don't...Don’t worry about it." Kal smiled. "It'll make sense when it's done."

"But, as I was saying before, we'll see Jonathan and see what he has to say. We might just have to fit you with a wooden shield and spear to start with. Making a piece of armour that’ll fit you properly will take some time."

"I understand." Rasha folded her arms underneath her breasts. "Soon I might know what it's like to own stuff, other than this."

"Everyone who's going on this outing will be meeting here just after dawn. If that's the case then we'll see you there. Cetina, have they shown you to your house yet?"

"Not yet, Anton. They said they didn't know if Kal still lived in it and it'd be rude to just put my stuff there."

"I've already taken everything out." Kal ran a hand along the edge of her ear. "Except the bed. So I don't know what they're talking about. Maybe they just wanted to be sure, I don't know."

"Well, that's good. But they didn't tell or show me where. I've taken everything off my horse but it's quite heavy. I thought I'd wait until you were done so I'd know for sure."

"I think Anton still wants to talk with Irso, Loretta and everyone else so we could be a while." Kal looked at Anton with a stern smile. "But I know he won't take that long. I know that we'd all like to return to our house and maybe spend a little bit of time there."

"We'll be as quick as we can." Anton gently kissed her on the lips. "But, Cetina, it might be best if you move underneath the Main Hall's veranda, just to keep the sun off you."

"Okay. Just don't keep me waiting too long." Cetina began picking up her goods.

"Kristof and Marion live basically across the street from my house." Rasha tapped a hoof on the stone ground. "So I'll head there now. At least I'll have someone to talk to. I'm looking forward to dinner. Make sure that they don't give me any meat. Otherwise, I’ll be down for days."

Rasha chuckled before she walked to the east, giving one final wave as she disappeared from sight.

"Cetina?" Anton began. Cetina, with both packs over one shoulder and had just finished picking up her weapons, stopped and looked up. "Do you have any spare clothes? I've only ever seen you in what you've currently got on."

"I have two spares of this." Cetina stood upright a day shuffled the weight. "Other than that, no."

"They stand out so easily in the wilderness," Kal said. "When...When we first met you I could see you before the bandits."

"I...Can see what you're saying. But I still like these clothes. They remind me of better times."

"If you do join us in leaving Atros I think you'll need something less conspicuous."

"Less what?" Cetina scrunched her brow.

"Less obvious. But for now, it's fine. With so many new people, in ratty clothes, it's going to take a while before we can get spares."

"Oh. I understand." Cetina turned to the Main Hall. "I'll just be over there. Please don't take too long."

Cetina grunted as she trudged to the Main Hall.

"Let's see what the second group wants."

Both girls chuckled once as they followed him. Ulyaa, the arachnid Beastkin, was the first to notice them approach. Her two rear spider legs twitched as she turned around. Could she feel vibrations through the ground? Elder and Irso looked as well, followed by Loretta and her children. The Atros guard, who looked more than a little exasperated and exhausted by a protracted conversation, took the opportunity to flee.

"Hey, Anton." Eider laughed. Ulyaa gave a small wave while Irso looked on blankly. It would be some time before she opened up, if ever.

"It seems one of our guards just took the opportunity to flee." Anton smiled as Eider and Ulyaa looked back to find the guard gone. "I know it's only been a little while but is everything okay? Are you settling in alright?"

Eider nodded. "Ulyaa and I have just been shown our new house."

"It looks very good." Ulyaa's fingers gripped together. "Far better than the cells we used to have. But...ugh..."

"We wanted to clear our heads a little." Eider continued, lightly bumping Ulyaa's shoulder. "So we decided to go for a bit of a walk. Normally we couldn't do that so it's all a bit weird. I keep thinking we’ll be yelled and beaten at any moment."

Ulyaa glibly nodded. "When we came back here we saw one of your guards that wasn't busy. We wanted to know more about this place and he seemed like a good place to start since you were busy and we won't always be able to speak with you."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Anton looked at Irso.

"I don't have a problem. I just wanted to make sure they are safe, safe in this human city."

Still grouchy as ever.

Irso picked at her teeth, dislodging a piece of gristle. Anton doubted there would be many willing to pick a fight with a Drakeling like her. Not only were her many teeth razor sharp but so too were the claws on her hands. Kal and Eider also had claws instead of fingernails, Ulyaa upper half was completely human by comparison, but they were only sharp at the points. Irso's had a ridge running down the middle of her claws that looked equally as sharp. Perhaps Avery's misgivings about some Beastkin using certain weapons was not entirely unfounded.

"With you here, Irso, no one is going to approach. For better or worse."

Irso frowned as she pondered his words. Quickly she gave and shrugged in defeat.

"I won't see them hurt." She mumbled.

"What did he tell you anyway?" Verona asked. "Only good stuff about us, right?"

"That was the problem," Irso said. "It started off with asking about this city but then it quickly drifted off."

Eider nodded furiously. "Well, it was hard not to keep going. What they said about you is incredible."

"A little too incredible," Irso mumbled.

Eider poked her arm, Irso looked at the point and glared at Eider who simply ignored it. "In a way, yes. Atros had almost fallen to the Goblins. Everyone was fighting right here and then bang!" Eider's hood widened as she threw her hands into the air. "Lightning struck hundreds of them and they scattered. Then they found you, someone they'd never seen before wearing strange clothes and no memory. Is that really true?"

"That's..." Anton looked at Verona. "Basically true."

"Wow." Eider giggled, very strange coming from her. "That's just...unbelievable. And from there you ended up saving us..."

"Do you not remember anything from before?" Ulyaa asked.

"Not much. A few little fragments but really nothing." Anton laughed, trying his best to hold a smile. "I'm just thankful that I could understand them when I woke up. But...I couldn't read their writing for some time."

"That's really strange," Ulyaa said softly. "But I'm glad that you did. He made it sound like Atros wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"You flatter me, Ulyaa." Kal, very gently, pushed on Anton's hand. "Those sort of stories, of our small adventures, we can easily discuss it over dinner tonight."

"Oh...Oh, right." Ulyaa perked up and smiled warmly. "That'll be great."

"Food and stories." Eider breathed a sigh of relief. "And we don't have to do it in hushed whispers either. This will be great. Will there be meat?" Irso grunted.

"Yes. There should be. It might be salted but I'm not sure there will be some."

"Is it going to be dried and hard?" Seamus asked. "We've only...ever...had...fish...before…"

Once everyone's attention was on him, Seamus floundered a little. He, Loretta and Lili had been patiently standing and waiting for their turn to speak. Anton had kept an eye on Seamus who, despite his earlier assertion, was glancing often at Eider's and Irso's rears. If Anton was honest they weren't bad rears, especially Eider's.

"Probably not," Verona replied, smiling wildly to lighten his mood. "But it's what we had a lot on our travels. Especially when Kal couldn't find anything to hunt."

"Which wasn't often," Anton added. "She's extremely good."

"You kept us going during that trek," Loretta added.

Kal fought back a rising flush but it was pointless. She gave in and allowed it to cover her face, her tail began to swish through the air more quickly and her ears pulled up slightly. "Thanks."

"We'll make sure that you get some fresh meat." Verona patted Seamus's head. "You can count on us."

Seamus nodded as he looked up, his eyes fixed on Verona's chest that even with her armour on did little to hide her curves. He snapped his head away when he saw Anton looking him dead in the eyes.

Loretta rubbed Seamus’s head as she and Lili sighed at his obvious ogling. "I was actually here to see where that person that I might be interested in meeting is."

"But you've only just arrived." Anton scratched his head. "Isn't it a little soon to be worrying about that?"

Loretta shrugged. "No time like the present, at least that's what my father used to say. Why wait? I'm not getting any younger. I’m older than everyone here."

"Who is she talking about?" Verona asked.

"Since I know that Jonathan doesn't have much free time with his work, and doesn't really get the chance to socialize, I thought I'd introduce him to Loretta and see how things go."

"Which one is Jonathan?" Irso asked. She looked to the Main Hall. Cetina had her eye closed and appeared to be dozing. "I saw a few people head into there. Was he the bald one with you or the big man with the barrel under his arm?"

"Neither. The bald man is Jeff, in command of our military, and the big hairy man built a bit like a bear, is Zac. He's in charge of construction and mining."

Irso nodded slowly. He wasn't entirely sure but she almost appeared happy that they weren't Jonathan. Anton put it to one side.

"I don't know if you saw him go in but Jonathan is the one with the two children."

"Oh yes. Just after you three went inside." Loretta giggled as she licked her lips. "He seemed like quite the hunk of meat. Kids seemed really nice as well."

"And children aren't a problem?" Anton asked.

"No. I didn't have a problem when you first asked and I don't now. Why should it?"

"I just wanted to make sure. Sometimes...Anyway, his children can use some of the magic that I can. Fire and lightning, to be exact."

"Right." Loretta looked at her children and brought them close. "So you two be nice to them. Understood?"

Both nodded, Anton felt that they would have anyway.

"Oh." Verona tugged on his sleeve again. "Speaking of our blacksmith."

Johnathan emerged with his children in tow. He stopped when he saw Cetina sitting and resting against the wall. She looked up at him, the change in light had also alerted her, gave a small wave and nod before returning to her dozing. Jonathan was perplexed by her behaviour, truth be told so was Anton. It must have just been the nerves of being somewhere new. Jonathan pulled a face before continuing forward.

"Jonathan!" Anton yelled. The blacksmith turned towards him with a slightly confused face. "I need to talk to you."

Jonathan jogged over. The Beastkin girls only then started to appreciate how strong he was. Not that anyone who swung a hammer all day wouldn't look like that.

"Is something wrong, Anton?"

"Not exactly. I'd like to introduce you to Loretta and her children, Seamus and Lili."

Jonathan smiled at Loretta and held out his hand. It took a moment for Loretta to understand the intention but she quickly shook it. Anton saw the strain in Jonathan's face to keep his eyes focused up, especially when she was bouncing up and down. If Anton looked or at least was caught looking, his sides would be black with bruises.

"H-Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you, Loretta. These are my children, Shawn and Jocelyn."

He gently pushed them forward, Loretta mirrored his action. They awkwardly shook hands before they started talking rapidly amongst themselves. There was no hesitation at all.

Jonathan smiled at the sight. "There are not that many children that mine can actually speak with."

"Are they being bullied?"

"No. With their work as apprentice smiths, I am the head smith of Atros, they do not have a lot of time or the same...interests. They are usually just with me…"

Jonathan trailed off as he looked down. Anton looked at Verona and Kal both of whom shook their heads. None of them knew of this issue, one which clearly took its toll on Jonathan.

I doubt it's just that. Verona said that after gaining her power almost no one wanted to speak with her. After seeing them fight the Goblins, and knowing beforehand that they had the same powers that I have, can you really blame them for being a bit scared? At least Seamus and Lili aren't.

Anton clapped his hands, bringing Jonathan out of his stupor. "On the subject of the smithy, as you can see Loretta isn't some weak waif that's going to break the first time she lifts something. A lifetime of working as a fishermen will do that. That also means she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty from time to time."

"Someone's got to gut the fish." Loretta shrugged as she laughed. "And it was usually me."

Jonathan smiled as well.

"Since that's the case, I was thinking that she could work in the smithy with you, bring her children along to help as well. What do you think?"

"Yeah." Jonathan coughed awkwardly. "Yes. I would be delighted to have you working with me."

"Great. Where..." Loretta looked at the trails of smoke rising from the buildings. "Where is this smithy of yours? I can't see the smoke trail leading to it."

Anton cut in before Jonathan could speak. "Why don't you show her where you work? I'm sure Loretta would like a tour of the city."

"Since we're going to live here that would be great." Loretta slipped in close and wrapped her arm around his, pushing his into her considerable breasts. "I'm sure you know your way around this place."

This confidence...Where was it when you were in Jaka being beaten by your husband? Was it that you were afraid of leaving, for your children, or striking back despite being so strong? I guess I'll never know because I'm not a father.

He glanced at Verona and Kal.

I pray to all the gods that I never turn into someone like that.

"Of course." Jonathan smiled, Anton guessed he knew what was happening. "I would love to show you, and your children, around."

"Thanks." Loretta gave Anton a tiny wink. "I suppose I'll see you at this dinner of yours."

Jonathan gave him a nod before walking with Loretta towards the smithy. Their children looked at one another, their faces blank before they shrugged and jogged after their parents.

"Do you think that will work out?" Verona asked. "I mean, they really don't know much about each other."

"They, at least for now, look happy." Kal shrugged. "I didn't exactly think I was going to fall in love with a human when I first met him."

Anton chuckled. "But I knew you were both cute the moment I laid eyes on you..."

If I keep going down this path I could end up in trouble.

"So we'll just wait and see what happens. Who knows, it might turn out really good."

Kal slinked her face close to his. "You were going to say something else. Weren't you?"

"Nope," Anton said adamantly, turning his head away from Kal. "I've got no idea what you're talking about."

Kal pulled a face as she wiggled a finger just outside his ear. The tip of her claw brushed and tickled his against his skin. Anton twisted his head away but Kal didn't relent. Anton turned and pulled on her arm, catching her off balance, and brought her in for a hug. Kal pouted but accepted it, Verona chuckled and shook her head.

"I suppose that we should get going too," Eider said. Anton had almost forgotten their presence. "Though...I'm not really sure what we should do now."

"Aren't you going to finish your walk around Atros?" Verona moved a hand behind Anton's back, moved underneath his clothes and pinched hard. "I know we'd probably like one too but we've got a lot to get done today."

"It's not really..." Eider looked at Ulyaa, both held a troubled face. "I... I think we might just head back. We don't want to get lost on our first day here and there's not much for us to do anyway."

"You said that we wouldn't be given any work until tomorrow, right?" Ulyaa asked.

Anton nodded. "Yes. Right now everything's a bit of a mess and it'll take some time to figure out where you'll be best at. There's no point in putting you somewhere that isn't compatible."

"Well." Irso raised her arm and stretched it over her head. "I worked in a forge in Seocuria. And it sounds like you've got one here..."

"When someone asks you, either what you're good at or to go somewhere that isn't the smithy, tell them that and I told you to. That should be enough."

"Thanks."

"I don't know what I'm really good at." Eider shrugged. "So we'll just have to see what happens."

"It shouldn't be anything too difficult." Anton smiled and tried to placate Eider and Ulyaa, with some success. "By the way, tomorrow we will be gathering here at dawn to deal with the Goblins, so they can't threaten us again. If any of you are up for it just turn up and we'll give you weapons and armour. You shouldn't be doing much but I think it'll be a good step towards getting everyone in this city to really bond and work together. Are you interested?"

Irso shrugged. "Don't know." She looked at Eider and Ulyaa. "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure." Eider scratched on the edges of her hood, focusing on a single line of scales. "The thought of fighting again isn't..."

"Rest on it and tell us in the morning." All three nodded to his words. "Now, we need to get going ourselves. Cetina still needs to be shown where she'll be sleeping. And it's not on the veranda of the Main Hall."

Cetina began picking up her gear upon hearing her name. She had, if Anton was being honest with himself, waited long enough.

Ulyaa looked and nodded. "We'll see you tonight then."

"Where are you three living?" Kal asked.

"Over on the east side," Irso spoke gruffly. "I'm next to these two and Rasha, Marion and Kristof are pretty much right next to us. I didn't think they would let us stay together like that."

"We'll come around when we're done with our things and see how you're doing."

As the three began to walk away Kal raised her hand. "Just wait a moment."

They looked oddly at one another as Kal quickly approached Ulyaa. Ulyaa's body pulled back but not fast enough for Kal to grab her in a hug. Irso watched with a silent judgment and Eider cocked her head.

Kal suppressed a sniffle. "I'm so happy that you three are free and safe. I’ve never forgotten the kindness you showed me."

Ulyaa relaxed and returned the hug. Kal gave her a little squeeze and moved to Eider. Eider whispered sometimes to Kal, both giggled, and gave her a harder hug. Kal turned to Irso but she smiled awkwardly. She wasn't ready to be touched by someone like Kal, even though they were friends. Irso coughed and held out her hand. Kal laughed as Irso's face lightly twitched at the sensation.

"Thanks for saving us." Irso smiled. "Just in case no Beastkin has said it yet. We'll see you tonight."

All three gave a polite nod before moving towards the east.

"Now." Anton began. "How is Cetina doing?"

---[]---

"Is this the place?" Cetina asked.

Anton's arms felt heavy. He carried both of Cetina's packs over his shoulders. It felt rude to make her carry everything to her new home after making her wait. Anton had offered to take them but he was expecting Verona or Kal to take one. Instead, they made him carry both. Apparently they had yet to forgive him for his words earlier.

"Yes, it is." Verona happily tapped her boots on the veranda outside of Kal's old house. "Kal spent the...huh, I guess it was only a few days really, but this was her home."

Anton bounced one of the packs resting over his back. "Cetina's one strong girl if she can carry both of these and her weapons at once."

"They're not that heavy," Cetina said. "It's more about how you carry them. You try to put all the weight straight down your body so you don’t have to try and fight the weight. That’s what I learned moving heavy crates in-"

Verona coughed loudly. "Excuse me, but I'm trying to give Cetina a brief explanation of the history of her new house."

Luna, nestled safely in Kal's arm, squeaked loudly. What she was trying to convey Anton had no idea, judging by her relaxed demeanour after Kal began scratching her head she simply wanted more attention.

"It'll be fine Verona. All of you, it'll be fine."

"Well..." Verona scratched her cheek as she opened the door. "There isn't exactly a lot in here. Umm, there's a desk, a chair and a bed. That's about it."

Cetina peered inside. "It's not bad. I wasn't expecting a palace. This looks a bit like some of the Inns that we stayed in Graterious."

"With a lot less strange smells," Anton added. Kal laughed and even Cetina let out a chuckle.

"I think we were going to move this into our house at first," Anton said. "But...Turns out that wasn't an issue. How was the bed anyway Kal?"

"It was pretty good, all things considered. A lot more comfy than our rucksacks."

Cetina entered the room, walked to the centre and spun around, checking the few features of the room. Anton gently placed the two packs against the wall.

"What do you think?"

"Considering what I'm used to, this is great. More importantly, I have a room to myself. That didn't happen very often."

"If you want to take a nap before dinner I suggest that you bar the door with the desk." Cetina raised a brow to his words, a hand rested on the hilt of a dagger. "Again, like I said to Kal, there shouldn't be a problem. But...There is a possibility that something could happen to a pretty girl like yourself, and if the door is barred it should be enough to dissuade them."

"At the very least it'll wake you up." Kal peered through the door. "It's not the quietest thing."

"Right...I think I might just go for a walk instead. I've got a lot to think about and sitting in a room really isn't going to help."

"Definitely take your sword with you." Anton picked up the blade. Despite looking like a normal steel sword it was considerably heavier than he expected. "No one is going to be stupid enough to try something with that hanging off your hip."

"Thanks." Cetina took the blade and attached it to her hip. "I do feel safer when it."

"Don't forget about her eye, Anton." Verona couldn't help the smirk creeping up her face. "That way she won't be almost running into things or grasping at thin air."

Cetina flushed as she held her face firm. Anton didn't want to say anything but Verona was right. Even taking the sword she reached out until her fingers touched the handle, with only one working eye she had no depth perception. And it was clearly getting on her nerves.

"I want to get a few things done first and then we'll sit down and get that sorted."

"R...Right. I can still fight even with one eye."

Anton shook his head. "Nope. We're going to get it done this afternoon. No excuses from any of us."

Cetina sighed in relief. "Okay. So, where do you three live?"

Anton exited the house and pointed across the street.

"Oh." Cetina looked along the street. "It's right there. And it appears to be the biggest house in Atros."

"It's actually two houses stuck together," Verona said as she closed the door. "I would have been happy with something the size of my old home."

"But it was only you and me then. It would be a bit more crowded with the three of us."

"Yeah...Now we've got lots of spare rooms. When you get that portal thing of yours working we need to buy some good stuff from Graterious."

"We'll get on that."

Cetina grumbled at the mention of Graterious. Many painful memories swirled through her head.

"I'm off. I won't be leaving the city but I don't know when I'll come back. But..." Cetina rested a hand on her sword. "I won't go somewhere I'm not supposed to. Or that looks dangerous. I'll be fine."

Cetina gave a small wave and a smile before she was off, walking quickly towards the western wall.

Verona and Kal moved closer to Anton. They both looked at him with a small amount of worry.

"She'll be fine." Anton ruffled their heads and gave each a quick kiss. "Over the past few days she's been working and moving, not much time to think deeply on what's happened to her. At least she's going for walks and not back to drink."

"Or something worse," Kal mumbled. "There are far worse things out there than alcohol."

"Like that Purple Shade stuff they give to the Beastkin." Anton shook his head.

"How did the Seocurians work that out?" Verona asked. "Did they force some poor Beastkin just to try everything and see what happens?"

"Probably." Kal and Anton answered simultaneously.

Verona stuck out her tongue. "Gross. But...We should still keep an eye on her. She can't buy any here but that doesn't mean she won't do something potentially silly to get some."

"Not much we can do but keep an eye on her." Anton gave them another kiss. "Are we finally ready to go back to our house that we've spent...About two, maybe three days together in?"

Verona laughed. "It was needing a good dusting before you took Kal. I wonder how bad it is now."

"I just hope there aren't any squatters." Anton laughed but the girls turned cold as ice.

"If someone thinks they could sleep in our bed..." Verona growled as they approached the door. Kal said nothing but her face said enough. If someone was in there they wouldn't be alive in the next few seconds.

Anton took a deep breath as he opened the door. The interior was as empty as before. But something about it made him feel calm. This was their home, safe from any of the terrors of the outside. Anton looked at the floor. While it needed a decent clean the thin layer of dust had not been disturbed anywhere. They were the first people to enter in some time.

"That's good." Kal peered around Anton's shoulder. "I can't smell anyone either."

"I trust your instincts, Kal. Now, let's let Luna have a bit of a run around her new home."

Anton took Luna from Kal's arms. She went limp in Anton's hands before she was placed on the wooden floor. Her head darted about, she took several deep sniffs at the air, before turning around and looking up expectantly. Her short white tail began wagging as her doey eyes darted between them.

Sometimes I think you are a dog that just looks like a baby deer.

Anton knelt down as Luna approached him. "This is where you'll be living from now on."

He wasn't entirely sure why he was speaking to Luna like she was a child, he did not consider her practice, but she appeared to understand.

"Now, we live inside but you've got a whole space outside where you can run about and sleep. Do you want to see it?"

Luna squeaked, which Anton was sure was a yes. Anton stood up and walked along the corridor. He peered into the rooms as he passed. All were empty, just like they were when they left. Upon reaching the end he opened the door to their bedroom. Again, everything looked exactly the way they left it, even down to the folds in the fur blanket.

"Home at last," Anton remembered the very fun and exhausting nights, albeit few in number so far. "But you can wait for a bit longer."

Luna wanted to enter their room but Anton gave a sharp whistle and Luna came running after him. Verona and Kal laughed at how attentive Luna had become. Anton opened the door to the grassy patch of dirt they called a garden. For a second Luna was hesitant to take the first step, her front hoof pawed at the weedy grass. When she realized it was safe she leapt from the door and ran through the long grass, darting and weaving around the clumps of weeds. From the sounds she was making he knew she was having the time of her life.

"Should we just leave her here for now?" Kal asked.

"Yeah." Anton nodded at the white blob darting through the grass. "Better leave the door open just in case she wants to come back inside."

"But." Kal pulled on his hand. "Aren't we going to...you know?"

Verona squeezed his other. "Yeah. I thought that was the idea. Let Jonathan and Loretta have a good chat which gives us to time to be husband and wif...wives for the first time. In our house."

"You two." Anton pulled both into his chest, freeing his hands and sliding them underneath their clothes to reach their pert rumps. He squeezed very hard, his sinking deep into the soft flesh, eliciting unbelievably seductive moans and whimpers. "Are utterly insatiable."

"And whose fault is that?" Verona pulled him down for a kiss. Anton obliged her but didn't release his grip. When he finally parted from Verona, Kal was red-faced and patiently waiting her turn. When he was finished with Kal he loosened his grip only slightly.

"Some handsome and dashing man must have done that. Who could that be?"

Verona laughed while Kal smirked and rolled her eyes.

"But, as much as I would love to push you both down and bed you right now-"

"I can tell." Verona purred before looking up to Kal. Her arm rested along his crutch. "Men have such clear signs they are ready to go."

Kal laughed as Anton smiled. "But if I were it would be like Porswea all over again. We might as just call it a day now and say we'll see them tomorrow."

"Ehhh..."

"And we do have a lot to do."

"I understand." Verona's wild smile returned. "I just wondered-"

Anton squeezed their rears again. Verona yelped and tried to grab his hand while Kal gripped his arm tight.

"But don't think I've forgotten this. You two had better be ready for tonight."

"I'm looking forward to tonight," Kal whispered into his ear. "Our dear husband.”

Anton wanted to push them both down right now but he held himself back.

"In all seriousness though." Anton kissed Kal's forehead. "There is something we need to discuss. And that's what we do next."

"We can do that." Verona smiled. "But first could you release your hand. My left cheek is starting to go numb."

Anton released their backside and simply moved it to their waists. "Let's head to the garden and discuss it there. See how Luna's doing."

They found Luna at the door, unsure if she could step into the house. Upon seeing them she perked up and tentatively stepped inside. Once all her limbs touched the wooden floor she raced towards them. Anton shooed her back out, which confused her for a moment before she realized they were following her. She danced around them as Anton sat against the wall, Verona on his right and Kal on his left side. Both rested their legs on his, unfortunately they were still covered by boots, while Kal coiled her tail in his lap.

"I think that even with how difficult it’s going to be to settle them, we should start freeing more Beastkin. And without paying for them too."

"Getting them back here is the problem." Kal smiled as Anton played with the fan ends to her tail. "But with that portal thing, if it works, it should be easy."

"Not as easy as just buying them," Verona said. "If we buy from multiple places it will take time for them to realise what's happening."

"We do still have those gems." Anton mused. "The rubies, emeralds, bentonite and tanzanite. Those last two are worth hundreds of gold coins each. And Beastkin don't usually cost what your mother cost, let alone Kristof or Rasha. Both approaches sound like a good idea. Getting back to the ship might be tricky..."

"Yeah." Verona stretched out her back as Luna approached her for a scratch. "That chasm's still there and the whole place is probably teeming with goblins now. It'll be tricky to get it back."

"Unless...Unless we head back to Qaiviel." Anton began. "Then head up through Bebbezzar and to the north-west of Seocuria. We might be a little less conspicuous there than we were in Danafra."

"Everyone gave us a good stare." Verona chuckled.

"But Bebbezzar is supposedly in a civil war." Kal frowned as she pursed her lips. "That doesn't sound like a safe place to travel. And Cetina said there was some nasty stuff happening near the border. Oh, wait." Kal winced slightly. "That was Eluria."

"What a bitch she turned out to be," Verona grumbled.

"True." Anton gave their legs a squeeze. "But I don't doubt her words, at least regarding that. She had nothing to gain by lying. And Adara confirmed it. If we do head that way we should definitely take Cetina with us. She knows the land better than us, and I'm sure she would like to go home. Thessos, I think it was called."

"If she goes there she might not want to come back," Verona said flatly.

"That's her choice to make. I don't think she's had much in the way of choice in her life so far." Verona slowly nodded. "And I'm not going to force her either way."

"Right..."

Kal shuffled closer. "Cetina and Duran made it sound like Bebbezzar had a lot of stuff that we might want. Building materials and weapons...If we find one of their larger cities and make a portal there we could buy everything we need. Though it’ll be difficult to get more people from there."

"And start to sell some of our goods. Our hoard of money won't last forever, especially when we have tens of thousands of people. It'll evaporate really fast then."

Kal held his shoulder as she tilted her head. "Why...Why didn't you bring this up at the council meeting? I'm sure they'd have something to add to this."

"Because..." Anton held their hands. "Because I didn't want to tell them, right after we've arrived, that we need to be going in a few days’ time. With the Demons and the growing Goblin attacks, we need to work and move even harder. And I'd like to get a lot of the groundwork done before my wives have to retire for the next three seasons, as you shouldn't be travelling with a swollen stomach."

"It's not a good idea," Verona said quietly, Kal agreed. "At least that's what Sybil and Sam have said about it. When our bellies start to swell then we need to take it easy. For both our sakes."

"How long before we start to notice it?" Kal asked. "I haven't exactly been able to ask anyone."

"A few months into pregnancy." Anton gently rubbed their stomachs underneath their clothes. "Right now it's the beginning of autumn, so it shouldn't be until the start of winter or so before you really start to notice any changes."

"Will I have a human or a Beastkin child?" Kal gently placed her other hand on the one rubbing her stomach. "I'm not sure how it works."

"It might be a quarter Beastkin. Or a full human. I've honestly got no idea. But I know they'll be beautiful." Anton turned to Verona. "They all will."

"Damn right it will." Verona laughed.

Anton smiled and pulled them close. Being a father had never been a priority, but now that it was happening, and two beautiful and lovely women would be carrying his children, he was becoming more excited. And nervous. Soon he would have the responsibility to raise at least two children. And that was different, far more personal, than what he had been doing so far. But between the three of them, they would succeed.

Verona and Kal felt his tension and rested their heads on his shoulder, holding him in return. They remained in their semi-tangled state for several minutes saying nothing and simply enjoying the warmth and contact of one another.

Finally, Anton gently pried them off him as Luna began to headbutt his foot.

"I'm sure they'll send someone in a minute." Anton gave them a quick kiss. "Or they think we've run off to bed."

"Then they probably won't even try until the morning." Verona chuckled as she picked up Luna.

Kal brushed the fragments of grass off her behind. "First to Jonathan's smithy then fix Cetina's eye. Right?"

"Yep. After that-" Anton's stomach growled, growled loud enough to silence everything. Verona and Kal burst into laughter, Anton joined them as he fought back a tiny flush. Pushing back the pangs of hunger could only work for so long. Now he noticed how hungry he actually was. Verona and Kal hadn't eaten anything too, neither had Luna.

"First we swing by somewhere with food. And milk for Luna." Anton scratched her head. "She's probably as famished as we are."

"And she's so small compared to us." Verona shook her head. "There must be nothing left inside of you."

"I can't wait to get some proper food." Kal smiled as she linked an arm to Anton. "I don't like the feeling of an empty stomach."

"Me neither." Verona took his other arm. "I can't think straight. So, it's your treat."

"Don't think I haven't forgotten about tonight," Anton smirked at both girls. "I'm not going to forget something like that so easily."

Verona laughed. "I guess that we're all going to need our strength then, won't we?"

Anton kissed them both and held them tight as they returned to their house.