“That’s a familiar sight,” Rykard hummed.

  It was a day and a half of travel ter and the party did, albeit in daylight, look at a quite simir situation as they had when arriving at the north-western temple. It was the total opposite side of the Hexagon but both here and there the opulent temple had been reduced to a half-colpsed ruin. Around it was an encampment of the perpetrators, building up a new center of local culture.

  Which meant the same strategy was also likely to work here.

  Not feeling like summoning a messenger again, Rykard decided to get everyone’s attention another way. “Come here,” Rykard told Hey.

  The succubus gave him a suspecting once-over. Her gaze lingered shortly on the shortstack sitting on his left shoulder. “Why?”

  “Because I told you to,” Rykard responded pinly and waved demandingly with his off hand. Keeping her distance, Hey crossed her arms under her gigantic tits. ‘If she’s not going to oblige of her own volition…’

  Rykard took three confident strides up to her. The defiant gre she gave him was repced with pure surprise. Arm slung around her wide hips, he lifted her up. The series of adorably panicked noises she let out was quickly silenced, when she came to a rest on his shoulder.

  The sheer size of her ass meant she was not just on his shoulder, but practically his entire upper arm. Her thigh got squished by the angled lower half. She held his hand for stability, violently blushing as she did so. Her tail wrapped around his midriff for additional security. “What the hells are you doing?!” she protested.

  “Carrying you. You don’t enjoy the view?” Rykard asked.

  “That is not… urgh.” The succubus took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Eyes darting between their intertwined hands and his smug grin, she wiggled her feet and tried her best to suppress an adorable smile. “You are insufferable,” she compined, but ran her hand through his bck hair. “At least you know to hold me above you, I suppose.”

  “And I can drop you whenever I please,” Rykard told her ft-out. “Quite the symbolic mirror of our entire retionship, isn’t it?”

  Since Hey had realized that he was allowing her to assume the dominant role in specific situations, their game had continued without a single difference. If anything, Hey had gotten more brazen and Rykard, over the course of yesterday, had, every now and again, pushed back in subtle and not so subtle ways.

  Whenever he did, she could not help but smile.

  “You are the worst,” the devil on his shoulder almost sang with joy.

  “He’s the best!” the angel on his other shoulder excimed. The shortstack had a much easier time staying seated on his shoulder, her plush ass finding a comfortable wide surface in the form of his muscles. Rykard had to lean a bit. Unlike Helenn, Hey had notable weight. As a succubus, she could have alleviated that, her magical flight was just as seamless a hover as that of the cherub. That she chose not to had reasons Rykard could only guess about.

  He did not care, she was not nearly heavy enough to strain his impressive stamina. Ivan walked slightly ahead of them, clearing the path of what small obstacles remained.

  Walking with an angel and a demon on his shoulders was far from stealthy, especially since Hey’s skin was as bright as a beacon under the sunlight. They were spotted from a rge distance away and a crowd formed in response. Once they were in shouting range, the presumed leader of the enemy camp, a middle aged man of a simir, but not quite as scarred variety as Ivan, greeted them with the charming words: “Who the fuck are you bringing us, Ivan?”

  “The reason we’re here, Roman!” Ivan shouted back, then stopped to let Rykard take the lead.

  “I am king Rykard of New Eden, ruler of this Hexagon,” he announced himself to the crowd. “With me are my haremettes Helenn and Hey.”

  The two gorgeous creatures had, of course, been noticed. The gathered men were drooling. Most of them because of Hey, a few because of Helenn. By Rykard’s request, this was entirely because of their physical appearances. The demonette suppressed her aura. That she was the more casual target for ogling was likely because many men did not appreciate shortstacks properly. As the traditionally attractive succubus that she was, she just naturally garnered more of the attention.

  “I see many of you know the proper response to the female form,” Rykard raised his voice. “Desire. Women like these should be desired. They should be wanted and, believe me, these two give you plenty of reason to desire them beyond their looks. However, they are MINE!”

  The possessive word traveled through the crowd with visible force. Like wheat under a gust of wind, the crowd bent backwards for a moment. When they recovered, everyone’s gaze snapped to him.

  “I am sovereign of these nds, all I need for this to be true is your acknowledgement,” he told them. “You are part of a great game, the greatest of games. The gods wish to create a new world and they have endowed ten people with the privilege to summon Hexagonal cuts of nd to fill out the tiles that you now see stretch along the horizon. I am one of them. I am the reason you are here.”

  Stunned silence as everyone hung on his lips, waiting for him to continue his expnation.

  “I have no care for the priests that you sughtered. I have killed some of them myself, because they threatened the angel I came here for.” Helenn let out a delightful little squeal when he squished her thigh. “Simirly, I killed those of your kin that decided to fall to banditry. I can continue to do so, if you wish to test my patience.”

  Rykard’s eyes traveled from one man to the next, drilling into them until they cast down their gaze. Over two dozen men, including the leader, all submitted that way.

  “But I have no need to do so,” the king remarked approvingly. “Instead, let me remind you of the good things in life. Desire. Do you desire to live in a kingdom that lets you forge your own destiny?” The question wasn’t met with a response. “Tell me!” Rykard raised his voice. “Do you desire to forge your own destiny?”

  “Yes.” One man answered.

  “Louder!” Rykard demanded.

  “YES!” the man shouted, and more of them joined in.

  “I offer you this kingdom! One where you do not get taxed out of your opportunities!” The crowd cheered. “One where your desires can be met, if you are capable enough to chase them!” More cheers. “And, if you are truly worthy enough, your greatest desires shall be realized!” Rykard made the succubus and the angel bounce on his shoulders. “Riches and harems, not just for kings and lords, but for all that have the might, the will, and the merit to gather them! A kingdom of lovely dies that you can make fall for you!”

  At that point, the entire crowd, and even Ivan, was shouting in agreement after every sentence. Rykard had them hooked.

  “I am here for your fealty! Bow to me today and we will forge on ahead together! I will appoint a lord of your nd from the locals. One of your own to govern you, not some distant theocracy!”

  Rykard had expected at least a little more pushback, but the men dropped to their knees almost as one. Not in words, but in acknowledging gestures and gazes, did they swear themselves to his cause. In that moment, Rykard finally felt the click in his head that gave him the certainty: this Hexagon was his. Enough of the local popution, the leadership, supported him to say that he had control of the nd.

  ‘Sometimes my genius almost frightens me,’ Rykard thought. “The new nds you border also belong to me. Did you send any raiding parties there?” he asked.

  “No, milord,” Roman answered swiftly. “We… were considering but…”

  Rykard raised his left hand as best he could, with Helenn sitting on his shoulder. “You did not do anything out of turn yet, and these must have been confusing days. I will not fault you for thoughts.”

  “Thank you, my king.”

  Humming, immensely pleased with himself, Rykard considered what to do next. The Hexagon was his, but there were still notable amounts of the locals that did not know about that fact. That was something the local lord could take care of though. The question was just who to appoint.

  There was Ivan, of course. He was the candidate that came to mind immediately. He was a military veteran and he had travelled with Rykard for a few days, so he did understand what his king wanted well enough.

  The only other candidate, really, was Melvin. The priest was a puritan, but he was also educated and knew about the local customs well enough. Unlike Ivan, he would know about matters of administration and he had enough respect of the locals to ensure stability.

  “Ivan,” Rykard turned suddenly to the veteran. “It’s been short, but you’ve done me a great service as a guide and such. For that, you are the only reasonable candidate for local lord. I hereby make you my primary vassal for this Hexagon. Anything this frame of the world contains is your nd, for you to govern in alignment with my principles and to divy up among local lords as you please… I do recommend you pull Melvin aside for some advice.”

  “Thank you, my liege,” Ivan bowed his head shortly. He did not seem surprised and why should he when the choice was so obvious. “I take it that you are truly finished here?”

  “I have gotten the divine confirmation, yes,” Rykard told him. “Now, I said you are all free to forge your own destiny, but make no mistake, I do need soldiers,” he turned to the locals, “I just won’t force you into it. Neither will I send you into nonsensical battlefields. I will have the necessary resources delivered to you to start a basic training regimen. Just remember the three basic requirements for even the least trained of my soldiers.”

  “No rapes, no pilging, no wanton destruction,” Ivan summarized.

  Rykard nodded strongly. “Wonderful, as long as we are clear on that… the central cathedral now belongs to you. I recommend you… clean it out thoroughly.”

  The military discipline on the veteran’s face twisted into a sour expression. Hey had revealed to all of them this or that about what the local clergy had done. A triple scrubbing of all surfaces was the minimum necessary. “I might just have a more practical house built,” Ivan suggested.

  “Do as you wish, it is your nd now,” Rykard rolled his shoulders. “Now, I will have to return to my estate. Once I have returned there, I will be capable of summoning the next Hexagon. If you, in the next couple of days, see one of the frames around you fill out, do not be armed. Also, maybe send a few people to patrol the border. You never know what could decide to migrate.”

  “I would appreciate a warning first,” Ivan requested.

  “I’ll consider it,” Rykard stated with a smirk, then turned around.

  It would be a long way home.