The New World
Copyright© 2024 by Dark Apostle
Chapter 55: Transitions
Fan Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 55: Transitions - The story follows James Smith, a man who dies and finds himself in a surreal afterlife courtroom, where his life is judged as "zero sum"—neither good nor evil, just utterly average. Dissatisfied with being consigned to eternal mediocrity, he manipulates the cosmic bureaucracy into granting him a second chance in a new world, where he is reincarnated as a child with his memories intact and perks... - edited by my lovely Steven.
Caution: This Fan Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Ma/ft Mult Coercion NonConsensual Reluctant Slavery Lesbian BiSexual Heterosexual Fan Fiction Farming High Fantasy Rags To Riches Restart Alternate History DoOver Extra Sensory Perception Body Swap Furry Magic Incest Mother Sister Politics Royalty Violence
It was good to be back. No dragons, no armies, no death, destruction, or chaos.
James tightly hugged Iona and soundly kissed her. After several minutes, he gently released Iona, “I missed you too.”
“I was terrified that you would be killed. All of my dreams would have been crushed,” She confessed. “When I heard the men report that you had returned, my heart soared.
“I told you I would return. It was a little more than I expected, but here I am.”
“Can you tell me about it?” Iona asked.
“Of course, but if it would be alright, I would prefer to tell you and your father at the same time. I think I will be telling the story many times, more than I like.”
She put her hand on his arm, “Lead on, I am sure Daddy will want to see you.”
He moved her hand from his elbow to his hand and interlaced their fingers. Iona reacted by leaning her head against his shoulder.
Then she stood up and started into the castle, pulling James behind her. She walked directly to the throne room and announced, “Look who has returned.”
Her declaration caused a stir as James’s presence registered on the people waiting to talk to Lord Mallow. Mallow stood and pronounced, “The meetings are canceled for the day. Please exit the castle.”
Mallow came over to James and held out his hand in greeting. James held up his hand, still holding Iona’s hand. Mallow laughed and shook his finger in front of her face. “He is not going anywhere. At least not until I have the story of his adventure.”
“He wanted to tell us both at the same time,” she acknowledged.
“Come have a seat and I will pour you some wine. You will join us for lunch,” he said.
Once settled, James started, “Sir Kay and I stayed on schedule and we reached the capital without difficulty. After meeting with Mage Linwood, the head of the kingdom’s Mage Council, I was assigned to work with battlemage Aaron. We spent time discussing the tactical position of the army and what intelligence was known about the eastern army.
The greatest unknown was whether there was a dragon supporting the eastern attack. We could not ignore the possibility that they had recruited a dragon, but it complicated our planning. Defense against a normal army would be insufficient against a dragon.”
“A dragon? I thought they were just legends,” Iona exclaimed.
“Hush, child. Let him finish, or we will be here all day. He did not say that there was a dragon, just actionable intelligence that there might be one. This is important for you to understand. You cannot simply reject information because it doesn’t fit your expectations. A ruler must be aware of the limits of facts and be willing to weigh any information when developing a plan,” her father admonished.
“Quite true, Lord Mallow. We had information from Kael that there was a dragon. But would it be at landing? No one knew. But if we ignored the fact of a dragon and carried on as normal, the army could have been decimated. It was different for me, before I had a single opponent and knew the way to victory. Now, there were so many constraints imposed by geography, King Destinea, available resources, and, as always, time.
We spent the lull before the attack by splitting the army’s supplies into many smaller depots, crafting new weapons of my design, and preparing the men.
Then at dawn the attack came. The first wave was thousands of men and two battlemages. The men were bottlenecked by the bridge, which limited how many could exit at once. We were victorious, with almost no casualties on our side and hundreds dead on theirs.
Then the dragon arrived. It concentrated on me, and after a struggle, I was able to drive the creature off. We tended to the wounded and helped clear the dead. Then the dragon returned and attacked the fortifications and any unprotected troops. I fought it and eventually wounded it. Once that happened, the dragon dived into the river and disappeared. When I left the capital a week later, it had not been detected. I believe that the injury made it realize that it could die, and so it fled. But we do not know.”
“It sounds like you were lucky to survive,” Mallow said.
“Yes, for a moment during the battle, I felt the face of death on me.”
“I am so glad you survived,” Iona said, clutching his arm.
“Once the dragon fled, the battle was over. The surviving eastern army had withdrawn and we held the field. Eventually, I returned to the capital and spent time in the castle. I had a guide who showed me the highlights of the city. Then I was presented to the king, who thanked me for my service and knighted me.
I am assigned to Castletown as part of the Royal Army with the charge of protecting the province as needed. I intend to settle down and execute my king’s commands.”
Iona started to cry; the tension from his reappearance proved too much for her. After a couple minutes, she turned to James, “This is the answer to my prayers.”
“The king knighted you? Excellent,” Mallow congratulated him.
James reached into his purse and pulled out his badge. “See, it’s legal,” James joked.
“We will offer you an office at the castle and help from the city guard. Let me know what else you need to accomplish your assignment.”
“Thank you. But I need to get settled before I can plan for the long term.”
“I will be available whenever you need me.”
“We are going for a walk,” Iona announced.
Mallow laughed and just waved at them. Iona grabbed James’s hand and led him out of the room. “Let’s sit in the courtyard.”
For the next two hours, they talked about James’s trip and what Iona did during the day. James was amazed at how many critical duties were handled by her. Her father is grooming her as his successor. He’d viewed her as a trophy wife, but she would truly be an equal. He’d provide the muscle while she’d run the city.
In many ways, Mallow set her up to fail. If he could not find a suitable husband for her, Iona would be exiled to a new city where her talents could not be used. It was a recipe for an unhappy life. Pumping out kids and being prevented from using her brains.
With him in Castletown, she could achieve her goals—husband, children, and a career. ‘Christine is right. I need to decide what I want before I ruin other people’s lives.’
After lunch, James begged off. “It’s time for me to return to The Fenrir and let everyone know I survived.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Iona asked.
“That is my plan. But if things change, then I will notify you.”
After another tight hug, James set off on his horse, the pack mules trailing behind him. It was a short ride to the tavern where he tied the animals to the railing in the tavern’s courtyard. Walking into the tavern, he was immediately seen by Jan.
“James is here,” she shouted.
From every room, the staff poured out to greet him. Suki asked, “How long will you be staying?
Christine and Jan reached out to touch him, as if verifying he was real.
James raised his hands. “I will tell you all about this after the lunch crowd is gone. The short answer is that the King has assigned me to stay in Castletown.”
“Wonderful,” Jan said. “Do you need anything now?”
“I would love a cold beer and then some help unloading the mules,” he replied.
Jan pointed to Alice, Jacky, and Freya to unload the mules. As they left, James called out, “Don’t unload the trunk, I will do that one. And everything goes into my room.”
Christine handed him a beer, which he downed in one pull. “Thanks, this has been a strange trip, and all they had was wine. I missed a cold beer.”
Once everything was in the room, James carefully locked the door and opened the trunk. He wasn’t sure if Erica had everything gift-wrapped. ‘No need to spoil the surprise.’ To his delight, every item was wrapped in colorful paper and marked with a name. He took Iona’s and Anna’s gifts out before he repacked the trunk. The meeting will mean a lot more when he tells his story while passing out gifts.
More than food, he needed a shower and a nap. He pushed himself hard to reach home, turning down several opportunities to spend the night at welcoming villages or homes. The journey had been long and filled with serendipitous encounters that tested his resolve, yet the familiar sights of Castletown brought a profound sense of relief.
Later, now clean and dressed, he went downstairs to tell his story. The lunch crowd was gone and Jan had locked the door to give James privacy to talk. As he walked into the room, all of the eyes focused on the trunk he was effortlessly carrying.
He placed the trunk on the floor in front of the bar and stood to address everyone. These were his former slaves and now the heart and soul of the tavern. His training and new duties made it necessary for him to step back from day-to-day operation.
James smiled and joked, “I guess you are all wondering why I called you here today.”
After receiving a smattering of boos, he continued. “The short story is there was an invasion by the eastern armies, which was soundly defeated. Then a dragon appeared, and after several struggles, it was chased away. The King was pleased with my contribution and knighted me. I have been assigned as Castletown’s battlemage and will be permanently stationed here.”
The excited chatter soon morphed into shouts of congratulation and applause.
James held up his hand and the room quieted. “While I was in the capital, I asked people there for appropriate gifts. He bent down and opened the trunk. The girls oohed at the sight of the wrapped packages.
“Let’s see who’s on top ... Freya, here you go.” As Freya scampered up, he said, “Let’s wait and everyone can open theirs all at once.”
“Christine ... Jan ... Alice ... Suki ... Penelope ... Ciri. Okay, you can all open them now.”
Before anyone could move, Christine announced, “Be careful when opening. We can reuse the paper.”
Sounds of squeals soon arrived as the presents were revealed.
“Someone had snuck everyone’s measurements into my bag. With that subtle hint, I thought the latest fashions from the capital would be perfect presents,” James said.
Each girl came to him in a line, giving him a hug and a kiss. James then called for quiet again. “I can no longer be involved with The Fenrir. I will need to purchase a house, and will be traveling to learn the countryside. I intend to give the tavern to you all. I need to talk to Mallow to make sure I am following the law. Christine will continue to manage the place.
I know we have discussed this in the past, but now is the time to make the break.”
An excited murmur washed over him as the impact of his words sank in. They would be rich by local standards, and more importantly, in control of their destiny. As his offer sank in, the girls hugged each other in excitement. This gift made the clothes insignificant.