“Come on, Katie!” I watched as Georgia extended a hand to help Katie push through a pair of crates she was currently pinned behind.

She was struggling and weak from being locked in the dungeon for so long. If the clock had not already been ticking against us, I might have delayed this trip by several days. We didn’t have any time to waste.

“I can’t!” Katie yelped and then grunted as she struggled to move her body. “I’m stuck!” Terror swallowed her facial features. She began to breathe rapidly.

I gently moved Georgia aside. “Here, let me try to help you,” I whispered to Katie. I didn’t want to injure her any further than she already was.

“Grab my hand and pull,” I instructed Katie, who was panting with dread. I made sure I had a solid grip on her before proceeding.

“My leg, it’s stinging and burning with pain!” she cried. She was wincing in visible pain that didn’t look exaggerated.

“It’s okay,” I reassured her and gave her a sympathetic glance. “Just try your best.”

“I’m afraid to look at it.” She winced, grimacing under the pain.

“On the count of three, all right?” I gave her a few seconds to collect herself and prepare for another burst of pain.

She took a deep breath and vigorously sighed. “Okay. I think I’m ready.” She was motivated to become unstuck from her trap. We needed to get out of here, pronto.

“One . . . two . . . three!” I pulled Katie with all my might, and her feeble little arms nearly popped out of socket.

I didn’t want to inflict more damage to her already injured body, so I eased up slightly. When I looked back down, I noticed that she was still wedged in there, but she was getting loose.

“Come on, Katie,” I breathed out in a convincing tone. “When I pull, try your best to push yourself up.” I did my best to motivate her.

“Okay,” she said weakly and sniffed. She began to whimper softly.

We tried again. “One . . . two . . . three!”

This time, the plan to release her worked and her body came flying out from between the boxes. I instinctively caught her as the momentum shoved her into my arms.

“There we go.” I laughed, teasing her as I helped her climb off me, but she limped, and Georgia shouted.

“Hey, she’s really hurt!” I glanced up at Georgia, who pointed with dismay and fright, directly at Katie’s leg.

“Oh, shit!” Katie wailed and collapsed onto the floor of the spacecraft.

Her leg was oozing blood with a deep-set gash coming right from the shin. She clutched the wound and her hands immediately tinged with fresh crimson blood. I was horrified. I didn’t know where to find the medical kit now that we’d crashed. There was rubble everywhere.

“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay . . .” I trailed off as I repeated the same chant over and over again to the girls, even though I was having a difficult time convincing myself of that fact. “We can get through this.”

I scooped Katie up and cradled her tiny elvish thread of a body. “Go that way,” I directed and pointed to Georgia to file ahead to the exit doors of the ship.

Georgia jumped down the several inches to the island ground below us. She was safely on the ground.

I sat at the edge, still holding onto Katie. “We are going to jump. Just hold on tight to my arms and trust me.”

“Okay.” Katie nodded weakly as she continued to bleed. She was at my mercy now.

When I got to the ground, I glanced around at our surroundings. “I don’t recognize this island, but I know it can’t be far from the main capitol city where the crown prince lives.”

Katie kept clinging to me. She was unable to walk so I would have to carry her for now.

“So, what do we do now?” Georgia asked with wild, scared eyes.

I heaved a sigh and glanced around while wiping the sweat off my brow. These girls depended on me to be their rescue hero.

“Now, we need to find a way to stop the bleeding on Katie’s leg,” I said. I gently placed Katie on the ground and looked at Georgia. “I’m going back into the ship to find some sheets or towels.”

I jumped back inside and began frantically searching the supplies until I found a bag with rags used mainly for wiping down the ship’s cabin quarters. I knew they would be my only option. They would work to help stop Katie’s bleeding in this situation.

“Here, wrap these around her leg.” I threw the rags to Georgia, who caught them one-handed and began setting to work on Georgia’s wound immediately. I admired her skill, precision, and hastiness in a time of need.

Once she was wrapped up, we glanced around to assess our surroundings. “I think that Katie will be okay if we can keep her wound clean and dry. It has already stopped bleeding.” I pointed to her leg and the bandages were no longer soaking through. She might need antibiotic ointment for the wounds, but we would have to wait until we arrived in Dolaria.

I wiped the sweat off my brow and ran a hand up and down my braid, a trademark action I normally took to when I had nervous trepidation over a bleak looking situation. It was my way of self-soothing and trying to calm down to rationalize my thought processes.

“Look, over there!” Georgia cried out and pointed off to the distance, away from the pines in the dense forest surrounding us. “Toward the water,” she said when my eyes didn’t follow the location she was scoping out.

“A village!” Katie shouted, visualizing the area before I had time to react. She sounded pitifully hopeful.

Finally, I saw the camp and recognized instantly that it probably belonged to other Dolarian natives. I allowed my shoulders to ease up with slight relaxation.

“Well, this is a good sign,” I told the girls. “Maybe they can help us.”

Dolarians were not a hostile species, but they liked to tease. I didn’t know what we were in store for, but at least I knew it wouldn’t come to battle.

“How are we going to get Katie there? She can’t walk,” Georgia reminded me. She stared down at Katie as if she were a crutch or a burden.

“I can carry her,” I assured them both.

I slung Katie onto my back as we gathered our supplies to carry with us. “Come on, follow me,” I instructed Georgia as we began trudging through the trees to come out the other side by the water. With each step I took, I hoped that we would be met with hospitality. We needed the Dolarians now more than ever.

* * *

Essentially a half-hour later, we approached the village and watched as outsiders as various Dalarian natives skirted around, hopping, jumping, and swimming.

Most of them were playing more than working. The three of us were in rough shape. We were tired, dirty, and out of breath. We needed assistance, and quickly.

“What if we find Chad here?” Katie squinted up at Georgia and me with optimistic blue eyes.

“We won’t.” I shook my head. “He’s at the capital.”

“Should we approach these . . . creature things?” Katie’s expression was wary, and she spoke with a flare of repulsion as she observed the Dolarian race scampering about in their blissful natural habitat.

“They are harmless, really.” Georgia cut in for me and waved her hand dismissively. She acted as if she were an old pro around them, which I found utterly adorable.

“They took Chad though.” Katie peered at her quizzically. She wasn’t quite understanding the situation. She had a lot to catch up on.

“Yes, but I can negotiate with them,” I assured her. “They are always willing to work with me because we have trade needs that neither of us can afford to live without.”

At that same moment, a cluster of Dolarians approached us. They were cocking their heads and flicking their whiskers with peaceful curiosity.

“Humans?” The gang leader addressed me but pointed to Georgia and Katie. They already knew who I was.

“You speak English?” I was surprised, yet grateful. I was worried about the language barrier.

“Formal training,” the one wearing a red cap on his head stated with an air of pride.

“Yes, we are stranded here. Our ship crashed,” I recounted shamefully. I needed these guys on my side.

The Dolarian clicked his tongue. “We are so sorry to hear about your unfortunate incident.”

“We are trying to get to the capital,” Georgia chimed in with an air of assertiveness. “Can you help us?”

The creature cast his eyes to the sea a few strides away in the distance. “These waters are aggressive,” he stated regretfully, as if it was an impossible challenge and a ridiculous question to even ask.

“Ugh,” Katie groaned. I had to bite my tongue before I told her to shut up and not say anything stupid in front of these little water rats. I had to just pray she wouldn’t screw things up for us.

Any wrong move, and we might be met with misfortune. The Dolarian species were docile in nature, but we still had to keep our guard up with them.

“My name is Abadon.” The Dolarian greeted us and waved a small webbed hand. He seemed friendly and approachable, which I took to be a good sign.

“I am Kylin, Crown Prince of Mixis.” I nodded to him. “These are my guests, Georgia and Katie.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Georgia smiled graciously at the little creature as if she absolutely adored him.

“You may have to get Prince Jarren to send a fleet to pick you up,” Abadon stated firmly.

“I was afraid of that.” I blew out a frustrated puff of air and cast a glance at the darkening sky. Nightfall would approach soon.

“Her leg is wounded.” Georgia pointed to the afflicted Katie sitting in the damp dirt beside us.

Abadon looked down at her with sorrowful regret. “Oh, dear, that is quite an injury.” He shook his head and made a sour face.

“She might not be up for travel,” I stated, implying that we would need a place to sleep for the night. It was a subtle request that I hoped he would be able to read.

“Anything at all you could do to help us,” Georgia added in a smooth and charming voice. “We would be eternally grateful.”

She certainly was charming. She would make an excellent queen to stand by my side.

“Hmm.” Abadon’s eyes narrowed as he studied us with slight trepidation. “I may have a hut you can sleep in for the night.”

“Thank you.” Georgia jumped up and down and clapped her hands together. “You are so merciful.” I breathed a sigh of relief. For now, we would be safe.

I exchanged a private glance with her. I knew what she was doing here. She was trying to get in their good graces so that they would trust us and feel obliged to either send help or be the rescue leaders themselves.

Way to go, Georgia. She knew exactly what she was doing. She had skill when it came to communicating with others. I didn’t know what I had done to deserve her, but I knew I could never let her go now.

* * *

That night, Georgia and I were in our own private tent that the villagers had provided for us. We tucked Katie into her own tent a few yards from ours.

We would try our best to keep an eye on her through the night, but it worked well for us that she was virtually immobilized due to her injury.

After some miraculous and charming efforts from Georgia, we were able to get an extra canister of water and some medical supplies for Katie’s leg from Abadon. She would be on the road to recovery in no time.

We lay beside each other on the mounds of straw, hay, and sticks that the Dolarians had given us to sleep on. It wasn’t exactly the best bed, but at least it wasn’t the cold, hard ground outside while being exposed to the elements.

“It might be scratchy and itchy, but at least I’m with you,” I joked as lay on my side and gazed longingly into Georgia’s beautiful eyes.

“Yes, good point there.” She chuckled as I listened to the sound of the fire crackling outside.

It illuminated Georgia’s already gorgeous red locks and made them glow within the containment of the tent walls.

“You have a way with these little furry friends,” I told her with admiration.

“You can catch more flies with honey,” she reminded me with a zesty wink. I couldn’t believe how lively she still was after the adventures and exhaustion of the day.

“They really seem to be taking a liking to you,” I humbly admitted.

“They are not so bad.” Georgia shrugged. “They are kind of cute, actually.” She giggled, and her laughter was so infectious that I began to chuckle along with her.

She stared at me seductively as the cock in my pants rose with desire. Georgia’s eyes were full of compassion and natural compelling beauty.

I felt so raw with emotions and alive when I was in her presence. She sizzled my senses and rocked me to my core, unearthing a depth of profound lust that I didn’t even know I harbored.

With a sexy and naughty grin that implied flirtatiousness, she slid my pants off and wrapped her lush, juicy red lips around the tip of my cock. I was instantly hit with a surge of thrilling ecstasy.

“Oh, yes,” I groaned and began to move back and forth, thrusting into her mouth. “This is amazing.” Her mouth work was exceptional.

I held onto the back of her head and pushed her into me as she swallowed me whole. She deep-throated me with passion and enthusiasm, gulping me down as I rode on top of her. She gripped my naked ass cheeks and squeezed my hips closer to her.

I trembled with desire as my cock throbbed in her mouth. She glanced up at me with a sultry stare as she pulled her mouth off me, making sure to use slow and deliberately soft movements up and down my shaft.

She took her tongue and licked me up and down and then pressed her lips to me once again, sucking with furious heat. Every time her gaze met mine, I shivered with delight.

The rise of orgasm formed in my belly and threatened to explode all over her. I knew I was close, within minutes, seconds, even, of spilling my hot seed into her mouth.

“I think I’m going to come,” I whispered, trying to maintain some sense of quiet so that neither Katie nor the Dolarians would hear us in our tent. It was hard to stay so silent in the throes of blissful desire.

Every shred and ounce of intense passion I had within myself exploded in that very second. It was as if fireworks could have skyrocked out of my fingertips. With a burst of climax, I groaned and came into her mouth, spilling my hot load down her throat.

My heat was warm and filled her as she happily slurped it up, gulping down every last drop. She licked her lips as if every last drop was delicious like wine.

“Wow.” I panted and collapsed on my back beside her. “You are amazing.” I was still trembling in the lustful aftermath.

“I love doing it.” She wiped her mouth and giggled. She knew she was naughty and she loved it.

“You can give me oral sex any time you want.” I laughed with amusement as I rubbed her back. I was only partially joking with her. I loved to go down on her too.

It wasn’t long before I succumbed to the relaxation of sleep. I could save my worries for the morning, because for now, I was going to stay wrapped up in Georgia’s arms. I was cozy nestled up against her naked skin. She was everything I ever dreamed of having, and more.

* * *

A few days later, Georgia and I were having breakfast with a few of the Dolarian villagers whom Georgia had befriended.

“Hello.”

I spun around to see Katie hobbling out of her tent. She was sheepishly grinning and looked immensely better than she had the previous days.

“You look better on your feet today,” Georgia mentioned with gusto. She gave Katie a friendly smile.

“I think I’m ready to roll now,” Katie joked with a feeble chuckle.

“Well, unfortunately, I’ve been trying to negotiate with Prince Jerren, but I’m not getting anywhere so far.” I hated to relay the news to the girls, but I knew it would have to be addressed sooner or later.

“They won’t send a transport?” Katie’s tone was borderline panicked and I was exhausted. The last thing I needed was her whining in my ear.

“He knows he has the upper hand and he’s using it against me.” I sighed and sat on a stump at the edge of the water. I was feeling defeated.

“We might be able to help you,” Abadon stated assertively. He nodded his head with prideful vigor.

“Really?” Georgia looked at him with surprise as she raised her eyebrows. “How?”

“We can try to fashion some type of water sled for you.” He gestured with his webbed hands.

Georgia squealed with delight and hugged Abadon close to her body. I knew if he were able to blush through his fur, he would be.

Dolarians normally did not like close contact with other species, but they really seemed to feel comfortable around Georgia.

“It’s nothing, really,” he said with pride and humbleness at the same time. He turned a shade of pink through his furry, whisker-clad cheeks.

“I can help you,” I stated nobly. “We need to make sure it’s solid and large enough to hold all three of us.”

“Yes, of course.” Abadon’s eyes flashed, meeting with mine. “Anything you need, we will help you get to the capital.”

I hoped his motivation for coming to our aid wasn’t going to be met with a debt I couldn’t repay, but for now, I had no choice but to trust my furry little neighbor to the north. I was grateful that they were so willing to get us on our way. I looked at Georgia, who nodded. We had work to do.