Rhia laughed as she watched Persia soar through the air like a bird released from its cage, which wasn’t too far off the mark, actually. During the last half of her pregnancy and the week since the birth of the twins, Persia was pretty much cooped up in the house. Now that they’d brought the girls to be doted on by Drake and his people, including his very pregnant mate, Bellata, she had a chance to spread her wings and soar the skies of their new world.

Coming to a hover, herself, Rhia took a moment to look around. John had created a paradise where once there was nothing. Blue skies overhead broken up by large fluffy clouds, green fields and forests as far as the eye could see in one direction, an ocean spreading off into the distance in another, and below, the log cabins built by the newest residents. Most of the wildlife they’d seen so far was small, rapidly evolving for life in a low gravity environment. Rhia was actually surprised John had let life evolve on its own here. She imagined he’d have created dragons or dinosaurs, because that’s the kind of guy he was, but apparently his love of all things crazy didn’t cloud his judgement. He created this world as a new home for their Junaian friends, and he wished to make that world as hospitable for them as he could.

Unfortunately, he’d done too good of a job for the warrior village. They frequently complained about not having anything worth hunting, and even though they were most grateful for the chance the Kamiki would have denied them, they didn’t want to get soft. As a compromise, John allowed a few of his “battlemaids,” as he liked to call them, to occasionally “raid” the village, and he also allowed the Junaians to return the favor at the residence. At least he had until the girls were born. After that he promised to smite anyone that woke the girls up with their wargames. Beyond that, he allowed the mock fights because those that volunteered for it genuinely enjoyed it, and it was good practice in the extremely unlikely event that another invasion force arrived. John’s other stipulation was that only practice weapons could be used. There were only thirty maids in his employ, and there were only a hundred Junaians. Any loss of people by accident would be heavily felt by either side.

Not that the Junaians weren’t rapidly attempting to remedy that problem. It seemed like half the women here were already pregnant. Rhia wasn’t sure if couples had formed during the trip or if they’d waited until they made landfall, since there weren’t any children on the ship when it arrived, but they were certainly doing their best to make up for lost time. Landing near a large tree near the village, Rhia watched Persia swoop and soar in the sky as she reflected on a conversation they’d had with Bellata and Drake earlier.

*

“I’m sorry, say that again?”

Drake sighed as Bellata looked on in amusement. “I said, we have six women here who request mating privileges with John.”

“Okay, that’s what I thought you said, I just wanted to make sure,” said Rhia, nodding. From a biological standpoint, it made perfect sense to her, since there was only so much genetic material to go around in a small community like this. Too much inbreeding could lead to genetic deformities and hurt the new colony’s chances for survival longer than a couple generations.

If the decision was just up to her, she would’ve given her approval without hesitation for that reason alone, plus she knew John would love the idea of a harem of catgirl concubines. However, there were seven other women to think about as well. She was confident that Su and Hannah would happily welcome new girls to the bedroom. She was also reasonably sure that Persia would have no problem with it either, since it involved the survival of her own people here. Aura was a mystery. Rhia knew she was hopelessly in love with John for everything he’d done for her people, but she wasn’t sure if that love extended towards allowing him to increase the population with half human half Junaian babies. Glancing over at the woman, she confirmed that there was a conflicted look on her face. The three human women, on the other hand, were the ones that puzzled Rhia the most when considering the issue.

Lily would doubtless do anything that John asked. Somewhere along the way, she’d fallen head over heels for him. It was clear she was eager to progress their relationship, but she also seemed to be quite inexperienced. While Aura had virtually thrown herself at John (and Rhia was still impressed at his level of self-control around her, because she wasn’t even sure she could’ve held back that long), Lily’s displays of affection still bordered on chaste. It wouldn’t have surprised Rhia at all if Lily turned out to be a virgin. It would’ve been easy enough to pick the answer from her mind, but Rhia was trying not to do that as much lately. Life with John had reminded her that humans were more than just a species to be watched like a science experiment. As for Linda and Shu… they were the big question marks, weren’t they? They were open to the idea of John taking Aura and Lily, but they had given him a bit of grief when they learned that he’d slept his way through the maids.

If it were left up to a majority vote, she was sure it would pass and the women requesting time with her husband would be on him like a fur coat, but they generally tried for unanimity between the wives. If everyone agreed, no one could complain about a decision, but if even one of them didn’t feel right about it, they dropped the issue. Seven disappointed women were preferable to one angry one, as that would upset the order of the house. Of course, it wasn’t like they had written bylaws to follow. They just had unspoken rules.

Rhia realized that Drake was staring at her as she thought about it. “Sorry,” she said. “I’ll have to ask the others before I can give an answer. I’m ok with it, but I never decide anything without discussing it with my sisters.” Drake nodded in understanding.

“I’ve heard the humans have a saying. ‘Happy wife happy life.’ I know John would not agree unless the six of you agreed, so that’s why I chose to ask you directly.”

“Eight,” Rhia said with a smile.

“Eight?” Drake repeated in confusion, causing Bellata to sigh next to him.

“Is John as dense as my mate?” she asked Rhia.

“More so, at times,” Rhia laughed.

“What? What did I say?” Drake asked.

“Eight wives, dear mate,” said Bellata. “Miss Lily here turned bright red when you brought it up, indicating she has some feelings about this as well, and Aura, who was been shifting nervously the entire time.” She looked at Rhia. “I assume they’re considered wives already?”

“John is aware of their feelings, and he shares them. However, after the whirlwind events surrounding Persia, he is taking his time to get to know Aura and Lily better before allowing himself to enjoy their company on a more… intimate level. To the rest of us, however, they’re already family. They waited eight months for him just as eagerly as we did, and I think that’s earned them a place.”

Bellata looked over at Drake. “See? Eight.”

“I… I would not mind,” said Aura. “I know it would help our people, and, as Goddess Persia would say, I only wish to see him happy. I cannot imagine him being unhappy with women throwing themselves at him.”

Rhia laughed. “When you put it that way, no, I can’t see that upsetting him either. You have to realize, however, that John would never do anything he might think upsets us. Did you know one of his first worries when Persia started talking to you was about the rest of us? He was concerned that too many women would mean less time for the rest of us. He has a tendency to forget how long lived we are, and that we’ll have centuries or more together. If anything…” Her eyes flicked towards Lily, debating if she should go on, but then realized it was something they’d have to deal with eventually, so she may as well prepare for it now if she really wanted to be a part of this. “If anything, he should be focusing on his human brides. They will be the first to leave us, after all.”

Lily had remained silent up until this moment, mostly observing and coming to terms with the knowledge that she was in an alien settlement on the moon. It was one thing to know about it and be familiar with some of the people living here, but to actually be sitting in their home was something else indeed. Then she clued in to what Rhia was saying and gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“We know, Rhia. Linda, Shu, and I have actually discussed this. We don’t want to hog his time just because we’re going to be the first to die of old age with him. We’d rather let things happen naturally. We know he’s going to do his best to spread his attention equally among all of us, but we also know that sometimes things will happen that need his attention more. That’s why Linda waited until things had settled between the three of you and your children before her impatience got the best of her. She’s had baby fever for months now.”

“Our children, dear,” Persia said as she entered the log cabin followed by two Junaian females cooing at the twins in their arms. “I may have carried them, but they will be raised by all of us.”

Lily blushed but held firm. “I appreciate the thought, but I’m not ready to consider myself Mama Lily or whatever silly name he’d come up with. Aunt Lily, I can do though. Every little girl needs a cool aunt, doesn’t she?” She smiled brightly at the idea. Rhia and Persia exchanged looks, not even needing to say what they were thinking.

“Alright then. Aunt Lily-”

*

“Sister! You’re glowing!”

Rhia was jerked out of her thoughts when Persia swooped down to land in front of her.

“So are you,” said Rhia, observing the pink and gold aura surrounding her.

“Am I? I know I feel all tingly. Do you feel that?”

Pausing a second, Rhia realized that she felt it too. She looked at her arm and noticed the fine hairs standing on end. She looked back at Persia.

“John?”

“Has to be,” said Persia. “Let’s go see if Aura knows anything.” Rhia nodded and together with Persia set off for Drake’s house.

Upon entering, they noticed Lily was glowing as well, although silver instead of gold like theirs. Aura was talking to Drake and Bellata like nothing odd was happening, looking up only to smile at their entrance. Lily noticed, however, and squeaked when she saw them, then shuddered at the exact same time as Rhia and Persia. Their wide eyed looks and synchronized shudder didn’t go unnoticed by Aura.

“Ladies?”

“G-glowing…” whispered Lily as she stared at the other two.

Aura smiled brightly, standing up to take Persia’s hands. “I wish I could see it. You have nothing to fear. I have experienced this as well.”

“What’s happening?” asked Lily, clearly not reassured.

“A church has been consecrated in Our Lord’s name.”

Just then the sound of crying could be heard coming from the next room, where the girls were sleeping. Persia and Rhia instantly popped over to the room and had to immediately shield their eyes. The twins were glowing so brightly no one could look directly at them.

Daddy!

The thought hit Rhia and Persia like a wave as everyone else stumbled through the door.

“What’s going on? Are they alright?” asked Aura.

“They’re too bright to look at,” answered Rhia, realizing she probably looked odd to everyone but Persia and Lily as she shielded her eyes, not that she cared about that. “They’re crying for John in their thoughts.”

DADDY! The girls mentally cried out again, a blast of energy accompanying the cry. Rhia, Persia and Lily all flinched back as it prickled painfully on their skin.

“Shit! That was hot!” swore Lily. “You guys didn’t feel that?”

Aura and Drake shook their heads.

“No, but seeing your skin turn red like that I believe you,” said Drake, indicating Lily’s arms, which now looked sunburned. Persia and Rhia fared better, but it still tingled quite bit. Whatever that blast had been, it apparently had taken something out of the twins, as they were easier to see now. Without hesitation, both women leaned in and picked up a child. Persia held Aisha close to her chest as Rhia cradled Angela in her arms, both cooing and swaying, attempting to calm the girls down.

Mama, thought Aisha as she wrapped her hand around Persia’s thumb.

Mother, thought Angela as she grabbed a lock of Rhia’s golden hair.

Daddy, the twins thought, much more peacefully than earlier.

Before anyone could act, Persia, Rhia and the twins vanished in a shower of pink and gold sparks.

“Persia! Rhia! Someone call John!” Lily cried.

*

“Took you long enough,” a voice said.

I found myself standing in a field of purple grass, a pink sky above me spotted with blue clouds.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“Just a pocket dimension of accelerated time that I created,” came the reply. “Do not worry. Once our talk is concluded, everyone will be returned safe and sound.”

“Everyone?” I asked. “Who are you?”

“John!” came a cry from behind me, and I turned to see Rhia and Persia running towards me. “John! The girls! Where are they?”

“Fear not, Wisdom. Your daughter is safe.”

“Wis- what? Daughter? They’re twins! Where are they?” Rhia demanded of the voice. Persia hugged me tightly, shaking slightly as she tried to control her emotions.

“Listen, Booming Voice in the Sky, I’m not particularly fond of being yanked into strange pocket dimensions without my permission, and I’m even less fond of someone involving my family. So, could you start explaining, bring me my daughters, or at the very least send my family home while we talk or whatever it is you want to do?”

“Booming Voice in the…? Oh. Right. Okay. Sorry about that. Just a second.”

The three of us stared at each other in confusion, clearly not expecting that reaction.

“There. Is that better? I haven’t assumed this form since long before your world was created,” a much more feminine voice called out. Turning, I heard Rhia and Persia gasp beside me, and I’m fairly sure my heart stopped beating for a second. Standing before us in a flowing spaghetti strap dress that shifted colors as she moved was unquestionably the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

Her skin was black as night, with bright yellow hair that was swept over her right shoulder in a braid that reached her shapely hips. The deep cut of her dress made no attempt to hide the more than generous bust that I had difficulty looking away from. Golden eyes twinkled (actually twinkled!) as she looked down and gave us a genuinely heartfelt smile. I must stress that she looked down, because this vision of unearthly beauty was easily ten feet tall.

Regardless of her beguiling beauty, this was still a serious situation. My wives and I were dragged here without permission, and apparently my little girls were missing! This woman was responsible for that somehow, and I was going to get the answers I demanded!

“Uh… hi. I’m John. Come here often?”

In hindsight, I should’ve expected the smacks to the back of the head, but when tits bigger than your head are leveled at you, such menial concerns like personal welfare and the fact that you’re flanked by your clearly distraught wives take a vacation. As I picked myself up from the ground, rubbing the knots that I was sure would form from the double wife whammy, I made another attempt to get the answers we wanted.

“Right. Let’s try that again. In order of importance. Where are my daughters? Who are you? Why are we here?”

The woman laughed, a pleasant sound that reminded me of a fall storm rolling in over the countryside. “You are adorable. I can see why so many love you. As I said before, your daughter is safe.”

“You keep saying ‘daughter,’ but there are two. Aisha and Angela. They’re twins,” said Persia, visibly upset.

The onyx beauty looked confused for a second, then her face lit up in understanding. “Ah. So that’s how you see her. I will address that in a moment. To get to your second question, I am Ephine.”

“You say that like I’m supposed to…,” I started, but drifted off as I saw the color drain from both Rhia and Persia’s faces. “Uh, ladies? Something I should know?”

Ephine giggled. “It is not surprising that you do not know who I am. For most, including your lovely brides, I am a myth or legend. In fact, the number of beings you call ‘gods’ who have ever met me in the flesh, so to speak, can be counted on one hand.” She held up two fingers.

“Okay… still doesn’t really answer the question though.”

“So forthright! Again, there is little wonder why so many love you. Let me use terms you are already familiar with to explain. You are a ‘god’ for Earth and, by extension, the rest of the Solar System, correct? Well, then I would be the goddess for what you call the Milky Way!” She spread her arms and twirled as the sky opened up to show the galaxy spinning slowly.

A galactic goddess? I thought.

“Yes!” she replied. “I like that! It has a nice ring to it. ‘Galactic Goddess,’” she smiled. “Ok, third question: why are you here? Since you finally decided to consecrate a holy structure in your name, I wanted to reach out to you directly because you fascinate me. You are so irregular I couldn’t help but notice. In such a short time you’ve begun to form a pantheon, driven away one of the more powerful ‘goddesses’ in the galaxy, and created a new world, all before ever establishing a shrine, or church, or whatever you call it on your world. That’s never been done before. At least not in this galaxy.”

“Uh,” was all I was able to get out before she continued.

“Not to mention your greatest creation yet!” With an exaggerated flourish, Ephine waved her arms to her side as gold and pink sparks popped and settled at the feet of a young woman. Hazel eyes flecked in gold met mine and I instantly knew who I was looking at. Golden cat ears, black and gold wings, tiger striped tail. She had Persia’s eyes, Rhia’s mannerisms, and my crooked smile. “Your daughter!”

The three of us just stared. The young woman stared back, confused at our lack of reaction.

“Mama? Mother? Daddy? It’s really us. Me. We’re both here.”

“Aisha?”

“Angela?”

I couldn’t say anything. I walked up to her, Ephine looking down on us with a maternal smile. Ignoring her, I took the girl’s face in my hands. I could see all three of us in her searching gaze, confirming what I already knew. Then I pulled her into a hug.

“Hi, baby.”

I felt Rhia and Persia join us. Not releasing her from the hug, I looked up at Ephine.

“How is this possible? What is going on?”

“Why don’t we get comfortable, and I’ll answer any questions you have.” Before I’d even realized it, we were all sitting comfortably on a couple of couches, a small table loaded down with snacks and tea between us. Rhia and Persia sandwiched our daughter on one couch while Ephine was sitting intimately close to me on the other, her arm draped over my shoulder. I could feel confusion coming from my wives, while Ephine only radiated amusement. I myself was conflicted on how I should feel. On the one hand her body felt amazing pressed up against me, on the other hand, my daughter was shifting her gaze between the two of us over here and the two women flanking her.

“Before we get started, were you responsible for the glowing we saw? The girls were so bright we could barely look at them, and Persia, Lily, and myself were glowing right before we were brought here. Aura said it had to do with the consecration of a church, but the timing was just too coincidental,” remarked Rhia.

“Yeah, I saw something similar myself,” I added.

Ephine shook her head. “No. That was the energy flowing into all of you from your believers. Since it took you a few years to establish a church, there was a slow build up with no outlet, and it hit you all at once. That was the signal I’ve been waiting for to finally contact you. It was like lighting a flare in a blacked out room. So much energy I just had to say hi!” she smiled. “Now shall we proceed?”

We all nodded, and she rubbed her flawless hands together.

“So, where to begin?” she asked.

“I’ve found the beginning is usually the best place to start,” said Rhia, Persia nodding along.

“Well if you want to be boring about it, we can do that too. Alright, so, John, or is it Zekken?”

“You can call me John. Zekken is just my public persona.”

She smiled. “John it is then. So, John, you were a genetic accident. Every human on the planet today can be traced back to Gaia herself. That’s how everyone is capable of intelligent thought. Otherwise you’d all still be simians banging on rocks with leg bones. Somehow, enough of her essence collected through your family tree to eventually create a new ‘god.’”

“Wait, if this energy was passed down through my family, why was I the only one that lived through the Event?”

“Even I am not entirely confident how exactly it happened, I just know that one child in each generation received it from their parent. Once it was passed on, the giver was once again a normal human. If Inton hadn’t pulled his little stunt, you would’ve passed that on to one of your children and you would’ve died of old age, never the wiser of the potential you once had.”

“What children?” I scoffed. “My wife left me before we could have any.”

“It would’ve been your next wife. It’s actually a good thing that never happened. Your cousin would never have forgiven you for stealing his high school sweetheart.” I winced. Before the Event I only had one male cousin that had been dating the same girl since high school, and she was the adorable type of sexy. Last time I’d looked in on them, they were married and expecting their first child in New Jersey. Glad I didn’t take that away from them.

“Um, moving on,” I said.

She smiled at my unease. “Very well. So, your power and status is a genetic anomaly. However, you have done splendidly for someone who was never supposed to hold this position.”

“Can we skip to the part about how the twins are actually one person?” Rhia said in a rare display of impatience, gripping the young woman’s hand tightly.

“I’m getting to that, sweetheart. Please be calm,” Ephine said. “I just wanted to answer the question John didn’t know he had. ‘Why me’ would’ve come out of his mouth eventually. Before we get to your lovely daughter, however, let’s discuss you two. Much like John’s power was accidental, yours was too, although you came about it in the best possible way. By connecting on such a deeply personal way, all three of you opened yourselves fully to each other. While mistakes were made that night, the overall result is that in giving himself over to the both of you so completely, he created small windows for you to experience his divine power, as you call it.” Rhia shifted uncomfortably at the reminder of her lapse in judgement. “This has been done in the past by other ‘gods,’ but never by one so young and so untrained. Frankly, it’s a miracle neither one of you were incinerated by the power. Only your absolute devotion to John here saved you, and it was his desire to never be separated from you that helped solidify your hold on the power, allowing you to become ‘lesser goddesses,’ as your beautiful green friend described it. By the way, you should totally start making babies with her as soon as you can. She’s the last of her kind, you know. Not to mention how hot she is!”

“Uh, yeah, I’ll think about it,” I said, aware that she damn well knew I’d been thinking about it since Persia had healed her. “Speaking of making babies…” I prompted.

“Right. Your daughter, or daughters, however you see her. What you see before you is her true form. Persia may have carried her, but she is actually the daughter of all three of you.”

The girl in question gave a small wave. “Hi,” she said shyly.

“Oh!” Persia said suddenly. “What do we call you?”

The girl seemed to give it some thought, then said, “How about Anai? It’s the first two letters of each name you gave me.”

“It’s beautiful,” Persia said.

Anai beamed. “Okay. Just call me Anai Clan-Clan!” Then she burst out laughing as Rhia shot me a dirty look. Great. She got my sense of humor. That’s not going to bite me in the ass at all.

Ephine laughed. “To explain, that night, after Rhia’s little… well, you know, John here actually impregnated both of you.” Anai made the face any typical teen would at the thought of her parents having sex, but Ephine continued on anyway. “For a time, your connection actually exceeded human limitations and you coupled as pure energy. Or is it tripled, since there was three of you? Doesn’t matter. Anyway, your spirits became one, if you want to be poetic about it. As your souls or energies continued to combine and unify, the eggs fused into one, combining the genetic material from three distinct people. You may not realize it, but your daughter, while not quite self-aware in the womb, had the same link with Persia that you three share. She sensed Persia’s longing for Rhia to have a child as well, and essentially split herself in half to make her mother happy. Both of her mothers. This, I might add, is also something I’ve never heard of before. Divine children are so rare that they’re considered more myth than I am. Demies aren’t uncommon, as it’s more likely that a god or goddess would lay with a normal being, but since John created his own pantheon in you two, he had the singular opportunity to actually mate with goddesses as a god, and the result is the little angel before us.”

“But she’s only a week old,” I said. “Now she looks about 16.”

Ephine shrugged. “I figured it would be easier to explain everything if she was able to help you understand how she views everything. Don’t worry, when you return she’ll be back to her adorable week old double self.”

“So I really do have a daughter?” Rhia asked in awe, staring at Anai. The teen leaned into her as Persia’s eyes started tearing up.

“Yes, you do, Mother,” Anai said. “I have three parents, and many aunts, and I couldn’t be happier.”

“So how does it work?” I asked. “Splitting yourself into two people, I mean?”

“It’s weird,” she said. “Separately, I kind of feel like two different people with two different personalities, but I’m also aware that I’m two halves of a whole. You know when you cross your eyes and you get that weird double vision? It’s like that, but all over. Does that make sense?”

“Not really,” I laughed, “but it doesn’t have to. Know that however you choose to live, be it as one or as twins, we will still love you.”

“Mmm. Whatever man captures her heart is in for a hell of a life,” Ephine said, causing me to scowl.

“Any man that touches my little girl is in for a short life,” I grumbled. Ephine eyed me curiously, but I ignored it. “Alright, so we’ve covered why me, who you are, what’s happening with our daughter, and how my wives got their power. What about this pantheon you keep talking about? Like the Greek Pantheon?”

“Greek? Greek… ah! Zeus and that lot. Pleasant stories. So much debauchery. They don’t write ‘em like that anymore. Yes, kind of like that.”

“You called me ‘Wisdom’ earlier. Does that have anything to do with it?” asked Rhia.

Ephine nodded. “Yes. I have decided that you are to be the Goddess of Wisdom.”

“You decided? Shouldn’t something like that be our responsibility?” I asked.

“Nope. You see, you’re tied to your followers and that’s what fuels your power. While you created the opening for them, these girls draw their power from the galaxy, which falls under my purview. In the scale of all things divine, they technically outrank you. Even your daughter, who can draw from both sources, given her parentage. Yes, she’s going to be a strong one someday.”

Three amused expressions turned to look at me, but I shrugged. “Well, it’s not like the man ever has any real power in a marriage. This doesn’t really change anything.”

She laughed, then pulled me in tight next to her, my face half buried in her impressive side boob. So firm, yet pliant. “He is delightful! Can I keep him?”

“No!” yelled Rhia and Persia.

“Awww. Then can I borrow him occasionally?”

“We’ll think about it,” said Rhia, much to my surprise. “So why am I wisdom? I’ve made some pretty stupid mistakes in my life. Not very wise, if you ask me.”

“Ah, but are you going to make those same mistakes again?”

“Never,” said Rhia, looking me in the eye with conviction. I smiled, or at least tried to, since I was still smashed up against that magnificent breast. I could spend the rest of my life buried in it.

“Then you’re fine. Wisdom isn’t just intelligence, my dear. It’s also experience and good judgement. Two things you gain as you move through life. True wisdom comes from learning from your mistakes, as you have, and will continue to do so. I do not make my choices lightly.” As Rhia thought on her words, she turned to Persia. “You have led a long and difficult life, young one. Yet somehow you have come through the other side a kind and loving woman. You embraced those who shunned and insulted you, and even seek to arrange a marriage between your adorable husband here and an oracle of the very goddess whose rules forced you into that hard life. It is unfortunate what you had to do just to survive at times, yet your heart is still pure, and you only wish for everyone to feel the love you’ve found in your family. These traits move me, and I can’t help but see you as a… no, the Goddess of Compassion.” Persia nodded, stunned beyond words. Anai gripped her hand and looked at her proudly.

Reluctantly, in order to speak I was forced to pull myself out of the most comfortable pillow I’d ever felt. I tried not to let the regret show in my voice as I asked “so what does this mean? If they’re responsible for the galaxy at large, does this mean they’ll be required to travel around and give blessings and whatnot?”

Not bothering to hide the scowl at the distance I’d created between us, which was still negligible, she looked down at me. “Not at all. I shall make it known throughout the galaxy in my own way where prayers and offerings should be directed. They need do nothing more than what they already have been. They shall never want for power, but their influence is still tied to your growth, which is faster than you might believe. Word of you turning Kamiki back at your doorstep has begun to spread. Many among the stars wonder at the might of this Zekken who stood up to the most feared of goddesses.”

“Ah! That reminds me. She mentioned something about ‘Accords.’ Do you know anything about that?”

“For now all you need to know is that it’s a promise between deities not to willfully take over another’s territory. There are other aspects to it, and one day you’ll learn of them as you need to, but for now, that is the most basic of summaries. To fully explain it would take far too long, and I do not wish to keep you much longer. Time here is operating at an extremely accelerated state, but soon people will worry at your absence.” She paused for a second. “Oh dear, some already are. Your pink friend looks like she’s about to have a heart attack.”

“How long have we been here, real time?” asked Rhia.

“Only a few seconds have passed there. I can speed up the time here even more if I wish so even less time passes out there, but that takes a lot of power, and I only use that for emergencies and special occasions. Is there anything else you wish to know before I return everyone?”

I tried to think of anything else I should ask while we had this opportunity, but nothing else was coming to mind. I was still trying wrap my mind around everything. Suddenly, Rhia and Ephine were standing, their hands clasped between them. Did I miss something?

“And with that, an agreement is made!” Ephine was saying, a look of pure joy on her face.

“What the-” I began.

“I like this deal. Everyone wins!” Persia said excitedly. Anai had an uncomfortable expression on her face as she kept glancing between Ephine and me. Rhia looked at me, a broad smile on her face.

“Yes. It is agreed. Just try to leave him in one piece, please?” Ephine laughed, joining Rhia in looking at me, her tongue running along her teeth playfully.

“I make no promises,” she said. Rhia shook her head, then dropped the handshake and made her way over to me and gave me a kiss.

“Did you guys freeze time on me?”

“I’ll explain everything later. Just enjoy yourself.”

Persia followed her over and pulled me in for a kiss as well. Then she glanced back at Ephine. “I’m almost jealous of you, My Husband.” She gave me a wink, then danced over to where Rhia and Anai were standing. Anai gave me a luminescent smile and waved.

“Bye, Daddy! I love you!”

Still unsure what was happening, I waved back just before the three of them vanished in showers of pink and gold sparks. Turning my head, I was met with the hungry gaze of Ephine as she sauntered over to where I was sitting on the couch. Hiking up her dress, she swung a long dark leg over my lap, attempting to straddle me, but the height difference between us made that a difficult position to maintain on the couch.

“Well, that’s not going to work, is it?” she huffed, and instantly I was flat on my back on a bed that rivalled the one I had at home. “That’s much better,” she said as she settled herself down on my thighs.

“Um, not that I’m opposed to this, but what exactly did you guys talk about?”

She smiled at me and leaned forward, her magnificent tits pressing into my chest. “She said she’d fill you in later. Your only job is to fill me up now. Feel free to take your time. It’s a special occasion.” She winked as she brought her face to mine and gave me a kiss that I swear stopped the cosmos from spinning. Then she sat back up and pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders, allowing the fabric to slide down to her waist, finally revealing perfection I didn’t know existed. As my body moved of its own accord, all reasonable thought fled my mind. Her eyes glowing a myriad of colors, Ephine ran her fingers through my hair as I leaned in for a taste.

“Yeah, she can fill me in later,” I mumbled just before my lips were too busy to talk.