Chapter 33 Clockwork.

Chapter 33: 33 Clockwork.

"Like clockwork lately," I confirmed.

Her eyes lit up. "I shall provide more combat support!"

With a flourish, she produced a war hammer bigger than she was. The thing was covered in glowing runes and looked like it could demolish buildings.

"Where were you hiding that?" I asked, genuinely baffled.

She winked. "A lady has her secrets, Master."

From the couch, Elsa yawned dramatically. "I suppose I must supervise again. For morale purposes. Not participating, naturally."

"Naturally," I said dryly. "Shall I carry Her Highness to the battlefield?"

"Obviously," she replied, already raising her arms. "Up."

I scooped her up. To my surprise, Ayra dropped to all fours and bounded ahead, moving with shocking speed.

"Canid locomotion," Elsa explained, noting my expression. "Rather undignified, if you ask me, but her kind can move with remarkable efficiency."

I blinked in wonder. "Is she carrying that war hammer in her fucking teeth?"

When we got to the field, Ayra rose to stand again, gripping her hammer confidently.

I deposited Elsa on a viewing stump a safe distance away from where the action would take place, then took position beside our newest party member.

"Stay sharp," I advised her, tempted to give her a friendly pat on the back but decided not to introduce any new variable to our dynamic just before a fight. "These portals spit out everything from animated armor to hairy behemoths."

Ayra nodded, looking more serious than I’d seen her so far.

Her stance widened, and her eyes narrowed, and suddenly she looked like someone who could actually wield that ridiculous hammer of hers.

The air shimmered, and the pre-portal distortion started to affect the air in front of us.

The portal opened slowly, with purple energy crackling as it expanded wider and wider.

A roar emerged before we could see the source.

Then a massive green hand gripped the portal’s edge, followed by a head that had clearly been beaten with the ugly stick.

The creature that emerged stood eight feet tall, with tusks like a wild boar and muscles that had their own muscles.

It wore armor that looked like it was cobbled together from a scrap heap, topped with a crown made of bones and jagged metal.

"An Orc King," Ayra identified instantly. "Upper tier orc fighter. They’re resistant to blunt trauma but still vulnerable to piercing. Watch the tusks—it contains a mild toxin that causes disorientation."

I blinked at her instant analysis, then nodded my head in approval. "You distract, I’ll flank?"

She nodded, already going on the move. The Orc King spotted her first and charged.

Ayra herself waited until the last second, then dodged with gymnastic talent, connecting her hammer with its knee mid-spin.

The impact was a deafening crunch. The orc stumbled but stayed upright, spinning quickly.

It swung a club at her, barely missing Ayra as she rolled away.

I circled behind and levied my own attack. My blade bit deep into the monster’s massive thigh.

Purple blood sprayed as the creature howled, then spun fast enough to make my eyes widen and glutes clench. Its backhand caught me square and sent me airborne.

I hit the ground hard, skidding several feet. "That sucked," I groaned.

"Grey!" That squeal was Elsa, but it was Ayra who was suddenly there, hands glowing blue as she pressed them to my chest.

The pain vanished like magic—because it literally was magic, probably.

"Thanks," I wheezed as I got up.

"I have blessed you with holy restoration," she reported, already turning back to the fight. "More healing will be available post-battle if needed, Master!"

We figured out a pattern that started working for us soon enough.

I darted in for surgical strikes while Ayra alternated between distraction duty and combat medic.

From her stump, Elsa watched with growing agitation, fingers drumming an impatient beat.

After several minutes, the Orc King was leaking from multiple wounds and moving slowly. We had it cornered against a tree.

"One more good hit," I panted, raising my sword for the finale.

But to my surprise, the green giant let out a defiant roar as its adrenaline surged and looked like it was preparing for round two.

A blonde blur shot past me. Elsa, moving faster than I knew she even could, launched herself at the orc with hands crackling with blue energy.

"Oh, no you don’t! Die, foul creature!" she cried, slamming her palms into its chest.

The explosion sent the Orc King through the tree. It lay smoking, and there was a massive hole where its heart used to be.

Elsa landed gracefully and dusted her hands off on her platemail bikini bottoms. "There," she announced as she turned to me expectantly, ready for my praise. "Problem solved."

I stared at her. "That was pretty badass. I didn’t know you could do that."

She preened visibly. "I told you I was powerful. I simply choose my moments with great care."

"Magnificent, Princess!" Ayra exclaimed, clapping enthusiastically. "Such devastating magic! It’s not every day you actually contribute! We must remember to praise her more later, Master!"

The blue victory window appeared:

[ VICTORY! XP Gained! ]

Not quite there, but getting closer. Elsa stepped toward me, eyes still full of expectation. "Aren’t you going to carry me home? I’ve expended precious energy on your behalf, and I didn’t even get any XP for it since you did most of the damage."

"Of course," I said as I lifted her up. She immediately snuggled against my chest and shot Ayra a look that clearly said "mine."

Back home, we cleaned up and ate dinner. Exhaustion was settling in. After dishes, I announced bedtime.

"I shall accompany you," Elsa declared as she took my hand. "Magical exertion justifies a proper rest."

I didn’t argue, letting her lead me upstairs. She changed into one of my shirts, then climbed into bed and patted the space beside her.

A soft knock interrupted us. I opened the door to find Ayra in borrowed pajamas from Elsa that were slightly too small, clutching a pillow and looking vulnerable.

"Since we’re fated mates," she said softly, "shouldn’t I learn to share sleeping arrangements? I promise to be unobtrusive."

From the bed, Elsa made a sound like an irritable teakettle. "The bed is insufficient for three!"

Ayra’s ears drooped sadly.

I thought carefully about this. There were a lot of reasons why I should probably de-escalate the bed sharing situation.

First of all, Elsa wanted to take things slower, and I did respect that, and now I was worried that her friend’s presence was putting pressure on her to escalate our relationship before she was ready.

I also hoped that I might be able to fix her a bit more before we did anything more than we already had.

As for sharing the bed with her and Ayra, that just sounded like an awful idea that was going to end in drama unlike anything I’d ever seen in all my days.

Ayra was trying to encroach in her own selfish way, Elsa was trying to possess me all to herself, and I was caught in the middle.

The sensible thing to do was to send Elsa away, and Ayra, and say that for the time being, it was best for everyone if we separated our sleeping arrangements.

I cleared my throat. "The bed’s plenty big," I heard myself say, defying my own thought processes entirely. "Room for everyone."

Well, it’s the thought that counts.

Ayra’s face brightened immediately, at least.

She bounded past me onto the bed, claiming the opposite side from Elsa, who looked ready to do crime on her dog-eared friend.

I climbed into the middle. Both women immediately attached themselves to me.

Elsa draped possessively across my chest while Ayra curled against my side, pressing her insane, soft, pornographic curves into me. Grey 2: The Penis was so hard I could have probably clubbed that Orc King to death with it.

"Goodnight, Master," Ayra whispered, tail thumping contentedly.

"Goodnight, my champion," Elsa murmured, pressing closer and kissing my neck.

"Goodnight," I replied, facing the ceiling.

As they drifted off, I couldn’t help wondering what fresh madness tomorrow would bring with it—and what would happen when Juniper, the mysterious third member of their original party, eventually showed up. Something told me my bed was going to need an expansion.