We left behind our elven reinforcements, advancing with our original group and made our way through the forest, on an old unkempt path shielded by tall trees and bushes. All the while, my mind couldn’t stop reeling.

I needed to sleep. I really needed to get some rest and clear my mind. After all the action, the impostor syndrome kicked in.

I didn’t know who I was. Getting a new job usually entailed a few months of getting used to it.

And now, wasn’t I supposed to be on a flight from Wyoming to NYC, then to Dubai?

And I was camping with the elves.

Was I Arthamium or Connor?

I honestly felt like I had a superhero inside me, someone capable of incredible feats, but somehow not me. And one hundred percent me.

Even Lariel wanted to get closer. And Alynna. I wanted to be fair to both. Wouldn’t Alynna get extremely jealous if I slept with Lariel? Those were the usual responses I’d expect from women. Even if they claimed they had zero jealousy and that they were into the poly stuff, I’d think they’d have different reactions once shit hit the fan.

The evening came, with the sun a ball of gold sinking over the horizon, when Nidar handed me my tent, along with ropes and stakes, and I got to work.

It helped me take a deep breath and think, for an instant, that I was just another explorer. Maybe a LARPer getting too much into his character. I’d chosen a more isolated spot to think, but I could see Zyra and Nidar pitch their respective tents. They did it quickly, as it was a day-to-day thing for them.

I had the chance to appreciate the quality and complexity of what we were given. The tent was box-shaped and low-roofed. It looked more like what I saw in Roman era reenactments and historical films.

I tried to hasten my work, but I still had to figure out where everything was supposed to be fitted. An IKEA instruction printout would’ve come in handy.

That’s when gentle steps trampled on the ground behind me.

“Care if we help?” Lariel and Alynna appeared next to my corner, looking stunning in the mid-evening light. They still wore most of their clothes but had removed their weapons from their belts and carried some of their equipment with them.

I didn’t need to be prideful. I needed a few extra hands to get this thing up.

“By all means,” I said.

Lariel and Alynna both took out their hammers and began nailing the stakes to the ground, helping with the knots and lifting up the leather panels.

And I thought I was handy.

They made me hold the ropes tight while they nailed the stakes precisely to the ground. We opened up the cover and prepared the next set of stakes.

It took us less than ten minutes. After we were done, I felt the pride of another small accomplishment.

“Beautiful!” Alynna said, hands on her wide hips and looking at my pitched tent. “Now you two wait here. I’ve got something we need.”

She walked over to her travel bag, removing two voluminous items: a roll-up mattress and a thick folkish-looking blanket.

I looked at her wide-eyed. Had she decided to sleep with me tonight? I was secretly hoping Lariel would.

“Alynna,” I said, looking at her. “What plans do you exactly have for tonight?”

She winked an eye and stuck out her tongue. “To sleep with you, of course.”

“Sleep?”

“Just sleep, no sex,” she clarified, lifting a finger. “Unless, well, maybe… But no! I am a proud Arcanian and will preserve my virginity intact to present it to you as a husband.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

I was speechless. I had to regain my composure, clear my throat, and talk.

“Listen, Alynna, I don’t care about virginity. I don’t want to make you feel bad, though. I’d try to accommodate. But understand that it’s not my priority. That doesn’t mean you’re better or worse. As long as we care about each other.”

“I do care,” she explained, already poking her head out from my tent. “In my culture, it’s a matter of honor when a woman presents her first blood to the community. That’s been my dream since I learned how babies are made, and I’ll stick by it.”

I gritted my teeth. Did they take it that seriously? That was completely outdated in my book.

“But... you know, Alynna. It’s... hard for a guy to control himself sometimes. And the same for a girl.”

“I don’t care,” she said, undoing her ponytail. A long thread of black hair fell upon her back. It even reached her buttocks. It looked fantastic. Images of her in various... predicaments... flashed through my mind. “I just want to sleep with you tonight, and I’ll do it. Lariel can be our chaperone. She can sleep with us.”

“Of course I will,” Lariel said, pulling out her boots.

“And you can be in between us,” Alynna said, holding her blanket close. “If you’d have us. The night is cold. If we’re together, we’d be extra cozy.”

I blinked.

Honestly, none of that sounded too bad. My pants were becoming a prison anyway; that chainmail was quite uncomfortable and pinched the uncovered sides of my skin. I needed a nap, and who wouldn’t want one next to two gorgeous women?

“I’d be mad if I said no.” I walked over, taking off my boots and crawling in. “Lariel, come on in.”

And that being said... No sex, really? How was that possible? I already had a horn in between my legs from watching Alynna crawl deeper into the tent, her butt as shapely as a planet, followed by Lariel’s sweet ass.

The tent was spacious inside, designed for one to three people. I moved in, carrying my blanket and laying it down.

Alynna sat cross-legged, a hand on her chin, examining the space.

“How I wish we had some furniture,” she said contemplatively. “You elves don’t know how to decorate a tent.”

“You built this one,” Lariel exclaimed, taking off her chainmail corset and staying in her skimpy shift.

“What do you think, Connor?” Alynna asked. “What kind of furniture would you like?”

“You live in a yurt, don’t you?” I said. “To be honest, I’m not good at home decor, and for us, tents are just for sleeping out at night. With no furniture.”

“Of course we do. And they are… the best! Ultra comfortable and cozy. You can have furniture, even a stove in the center that you can also use as a chimney when it gets cold.”

I let out a sigh, placing my mattress in between theirs.

“I’d like to visit one day,” I said, stretching it out.

She took a deep breath.

“One day, perhaps. When things get better.”

It seemed like I touched a nerve. Right. Her people were now under the control of that madman.

Made me really want to do something about it.

She unfurled her blanket. It was white, embroidered in red with curious designs. She placed it gently on the ground, over my sleeping mat.

“Well, it’s been a long day. What are we waiting for?”

She reached for her dress, unbuttoned it, letting it drop off her shoulders, revealing a perfect naked body. Every muscle of her body was toned to perfection.

I couldn’t help but gaze admiringly.

“Not yet, lover boy,” she said, putting on a pair of loose-fitting pants that did wonders to highlight her wide hips, as well as a silk overshift with golden patterns. She let her hair flow loose. It was straight and as black as a starless night, reaching down to her butt.

And she was expecting no sex tonight?

Lariel removed her armor and kept a light beige shift that reached down to her mid-thigh. She pranced barefoot across the tent and huddled next to her.

“Come on. We saved you a spot.”

We huddled under Alynna’s warm blanket, their skin brushing against mine. Then I felt Lariel tapping on my hip. I turned around to find her closing her eyes and reaching in for a kiss.

I pressed my lips to hers.

“Not fair,” Alynna said, her hand clinging to my sleeve. “I need one.”

I turned to face her. She pulled sharply, getting me right in front of her face, and planted a deep kiss.

“Oh,” she said, pulling back, her brown eyes drifting down. “So that’s your weapon right there, isn’t it? I picked wisely.”

“I tell you, it’s huge,” Lariel said.

I had been blessed with an above-average piece—who was I to argue?

Alynna licked her lips. “I’ll have fun on my wedding night, won’t I?”

I cleared my throat. “If you’d like it before, who am I to deny it?”

She blushed. “We’ll see, my lover, we’ll see about that.”

I went to sleep and woke up in heaven. But the horniness was overpowering, biting at my groin and making me ache.

Alynna said she had to go out and do her morning stretches. She gave me a good morning kiss and left, her hips rocking seductively as she exited the tent.

I felt like I was about to explode, Lariel’s hand grasping me tightly from below.

She leaned in toward me, her warm breath on my neck as she planted a kiss. “Psst. I know you can’t wait. I’ll tell you a secret.” She spoke in my ear. “I can’t wait either.”

“Looks like we’re on the same page,” I said, letting out a sigh and moving over to crouch on top of Lariel. She looked up at me with adoring eyes, her golden hair spread across the sleeping mat. I went in for a morning kiss that grew deeper, my hands around her hips, gently lifting her dress.

Her cheeks reddened, her eyes dilated, and her lips parted.

My hand drifted under her shift, finding no underwear, just the smoothness of her skin and the fire inside me. I was aching to have her, and I would make her mine again that morning.