Should Have Let Me Die

Chapter 172: The Start Of The 'Vacation'

"Oh, you are such a little bugger!" I said as I covered Kyla in kisses.

She was giggling and pulling my ears because of my lack of hair, and when I pulled free, she looked like a kitten who had just had her stomach tickled. Little arms and legs sticking up with fingers and toes curled like she was trying to extend claws. I kept telling Kyra she was going to grow up to be a cat.

Mom came over and grabbed her hissing daughter from my hands smiling, and I turned back to Xelios in her radiant visage. Five girls, making a total of eight to one ratio of girls to Kenos, poor guy, but then the girls would all be more attached to the moms, so I would get more time with him, but...eight girls, really? 

"How do you feel? You look beautiful, and your colors have toned down, do you still want me to paint the tank rainbow, hehe?" I asked laughing as I hugged her gently.

"I feel good, in about a year we should have our girls, and very funny, I think we should do it just to make you eat your words! I am excited about this trip but go see the others now, there is much to talk about, but, Hyde. Thank you, for everything you have done so far, and not just in this world," Xelios said, giving me a kiss before pulling away. 

"A year?"

"It normally takes about eight years for a Butterfly Folk to have a child, don't worry you have lots of time," Xelios just before joining Alex and Kadence. 

I looked around and spotted Kalita, and she was already with her mother and father, but Kara was also there. From what I could see, they were all getting along, but then Kalita saw me and waved me over. On my way over, I stopped and hugged both Elsie, and Nika, then kissed the newest addition to the family, Thenli, and Wendy before finally making it over to Kalita's side.

"So, the man of the times is here! You are quite the busy guy and not a slacker on your duties. I can see my daughter and husband have been in very good hands, even finding him a more than capable wife as I have been told," Attila said, smiling at Kara, who in turn, smiled back.

"Oh? So you are still married or are getting married, or something along those lines...I'm lost, what's going on here?"

They all started to laugh at me like they had the greatest inside joke and I was the only one that didn't know it, comedians. When they finally settled down, Attila was the one that spoke.

"I will be stepping down as Queen, and you will appoint a new ruler. After almost five hundred years, I would like a break and this place doesn't need a reminder of that time. Please choose a new person to rule here."

"Woah, hold on, don't ask me to pick the person, I have other people that are good at that kind of thing! Where is my whip-cracking wife when you need her, hehe?"

"I'm right behind you, Dear!" Alex said in a whip-crack voice right beside my ear, making a shout and jumping forward.

"Holy shit woman! You're going to give me a heart attack!"

"That will be the least of your worries if I pull a whip out!"

"We can go hash this out, right now, I know a tavern down the street that I didn't break that will give us a room. Then, we can carry on this discussion, with you over my knee!"

"Hyde! My parents are standing right here!" Kalita yells at me.

"Sorry, where were we?"

I had stopped tickling Alex, but I still had my arms wrapped around her, and she leaned back into my chest. 

"A person to lead the people of Ratiha?" Attila said, a bit annoyed.

"What if we leave this guy in charge? I said reaching into my pocket and pulling out a squirming Julius.

"Unhand me, giant!" Julius squeaked. "I don't want to be king! I need a break!"

I held the squirming bat up to my face and stared at him until he stopped.

"I didn't ask you, I was asking them."

"You want to leave a bat in charge?" Markeye asked in disbelief.

"Well in this bats defense, he was a noble before this, and he has been helping me the last couple of days, so I think he would be a good fit for the job. Don't let his small stature fool you, Julius will make a good King. Plus, he is the only one that already has my King Magic. That alone is good enough for me, he will do things the way I would want them, and the people will get over his appearance. In time he will evolve and turn back into something, whatever his wishes lean towards, so no point getting worked up about his species, hehe."

"Julius is the best choice, and the other nobles will help him. Thank you for sorting that out," Attila said, giving me a bow and then going to join Markeye and Kara.

I took Kalita into my arms with Alex, then turned back to the rest of the patiently waiting women. I noticed that there were more than just my wives, Breth, and Buddy was here with their wives, well Buddy's wife, Moshi, the Pig-kin that I had found in Lamsota. Others had suitcases and pull behind carts packed with more.

"Just how many people are coming along? Did you guys leave anyone back at Dreams?"

"We aren't the only ones that deserve a vacation, all of these people have been slaving for you, it's time to pay the vacation!" Kadence said, coming up to me and giving me a kiss.

Well, I suppose they were right, as usual, but this would be fun! I had no idea of the place we were going to, but it was a resort. Resorts were fun, right? I looked out over my small crowd of people, and then at all my smiling wives. 

Somehow, I had a feeling that I was going to be very busy this trip. 

We all said our goodbye and left the city with a convoy of horse-drawn wagons. There were eight wagons in total, and the last two were mostly packed with our luggage. I wondered if there was anything left in our house after watching everything get packed away. 

The girls had made a couple rules for me while we were on these trips, and I was itching already about them. I wasn't allowed to help, I was supposed to relax, but that meant watching everyone else do things...while I watched. More than once I had wives make me go sit back down when I tried to seek in with the helpers and carry some things for them.

Next, I wasn't allowed to use magic, unless for a life-threatening situation. For now, this was fine, but when we reached the shore and docks, I would have it back. I wasn't even allowed to dress myself using magic, and I had really got used to it! No, instead the girls packed me new clothes and told me I would act like a normal husband, but normal as they saw fit.

I couldn't argue, I had asked so much out of every one of these people, so giving in to their whims and wishes was the least I could do. I needed a break, but with everything going on and what needed to be done, I found it hard to break away from the job. Thankfully I had my wife's to help keep me from falling apart at the seams.

When we were finally packed and everyone was loaded up I got in the first wagon, and I was joined by Nika, Elsie, Tamika, and Dalmia. My twins were wearing yellow and silver short dresses, and their wings tucked under them as they sat propped up. We had brought extra cushions and padding for them so they could sit more comfortably with their wings. 

These four were the ones that I had been able to spend the least amount of time with, and I wanted to change that. There would be lots of time on the trip, but I wanted to get started as soon as possible. Not like we could do a lot in here, but we did have a table, so I decided that we would play some cards to pass the time. 

"What do you girls know about the Tri-Islands? Anyone ever heard of the resort there? I honestly haven't heard anything about the place other than you need an invitation."

I wanted to know more about the people, and the kind of place we were heading towards. I passed out cards, waiting to see if any of them had any clue. it was Nika that spoke up after I had passed out all the cards for Go Fish.

"There is a volcano that runs to the open sea with a large beach below it, separating the volcano from the sea. The three races of Giants, Dwarfs, and Tinkers all run the resort which is carved into the volcano's side. As for the rest of the island, I don't know, I have only heard what the other women have been talking about, but it is supposed to be really nice. Do you have two?"

"No, go fish. Well, the place sounds interesting, and I'm interested in meeting the different races. I wonder what relation Titania is to the crown or whatever power that be?"

"Titania? Her parents are the head of the council. Leana and Grayson Therock are the ones that invited us all to come and visit! She told me about it earlier!" Dalmia in her yellow dress said, leaning forward, and nearly spilling out of her dress.

She was still getting used to her human form, but I didn't mind catching them if they popped out!