Magic girls of multivers.., p.1
Magic Girls of Multiverse Inn 2, page 1
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Chapter 1
“Pliers and ratchets?” I asked.
“Yes,” Kaz replied as she tucked a long strand of black hair behind her ear.
“Clothes and blankets?” I checked.
“They’re on the bottom,” Prinna replied. “I thought they would be better there.”
“Good thinking.” I smiled at the white-blonde witch.
“We also have the colored pencils, the sketching pads, and these things…” Kaz spoke in that almost-French accent that turned me on so much, and she held up a small wooden box with a craft blade inside. “What did you call them?”
“It’s called an X-acto knife,” I said helpfully. “Or just a hobby knife.”
“Such a peculiar thing,” Kaz hummed as she tucked four of the hobby knife kits into the top of my rucksack. “It would not be good for stabbing someone.”
“It’s not a weapon,” I chuckled. “Remember? It’s a tool.”
“Yes, yes.” Kaz smiled. “I know.”
“Remember how well those things sold in Ryvem?” I asked.
Kaz’s violet eyes lit up with the memory. “We made so much money.”
“Yeah, we did,” I laughed.
Three days ago we’d made another journey back to Ryvem with a whole host of other supplies for the people to explore. The arts and crafts items had flown off our collapsible booth like hotcakes, and during the last few days we’d made another big trip to the local arts supply store for more.
The buyers of the Snupplemuck District had bought up almost everything we’d brought, and the clothes had sold as well as they had on our first trip to the realm that held the Whispering Woods. We’d returned with another hefty pile of gold tucked away in my rucksack, and I’d been really grateful the magical bag somehow never seemed to fill up or become much heavier than a full gallon of milk.
Gold was fucking heavy when you piled it all together in a huge stack, but my rucksack made transporting it easier than I could have hoped for.
Now, our gold solars were safely tucked away in a medium-sized safe I’d bought at a nearby sporting goods store. It was intended to store guns, but it kept our growing fortune just as secure.
We’d also commissioned a second collapsible booth from the old wood carver while we were in Ryvem, and she assured us it would be ready in a week. It would effectively double our sales, and it would give off the impression that business was good. A good reputation had quickly become something I desired to attain in the other realms that made up the Grymm. Showing up with a full shop of goods to sell would tell any potential customers that we had a history of quality goods.
After all, people didn’t make money and improve business by selling shit or being a shady merchant.
“What was the final count, Kaz?” Prinna asked as she jammed one last sequined dress into the rucksack for good measure. “Did we make more in Ryvem or in Amirma?”
“Amirma,” Kaz answered with a bright grin. “The glass jars of soil brought in as much gold as we made in Ryvem by themselves.”
“I almost feel bad for accepting such a hefty price for something that’s so cheap here,” I said with a mock frown. After a short pause for comedic effect, I grinned and shook my head. “On second thought, I don’t feel bad at all.”
“You shouldn’t,” Prinna laughed. “The people of Amirma are lucky to have a venturer like you with the ability to provide them with fertile soil. They have plenty of gold to throw around.”
“And throw it around, they did.” I smirked. “That one guy nearly gave me a black eye trying to buy those apples.”
My women laughed at the memory. The people of Amirma had endured starvation and desolation after the Consumption. They were desperate for food that wasn’t rotting, and anything that could provide a bit of self-sustainability. We had plans to return with more soil, seeds, and simple gardening tools, but for today, we were trying a new door.
Which meant entering a whole new realm I’d never seen before.
“Are we ready?” I asked.
“All I need are my shoes,” Kaz said, and she perched on the edge of the bed in our new room.
We’d decided to move into one of the rooms on the third floor when we’d discovered they were nearly twice the size of the rooms on the second floor of my creepy inn.
I scoffed lightly at the way my life had changed in less than two weeks.
It somehow felt like ages ago that I’d arrived here in this little suburban town in Oregon and first laid eyes on this massive and haunted-looking inn. I still didn’t know why Professor Wersnop had left the inn to me, but I would never stop being grateful.
The strange inheritance that I’d first thought was some kind of scam had turned into the wildest and coolest fucking thing to ever happen to a guy like me. And that would have been true if it had just been a fairly normal inn, but The Multiverse Inn was anything but normal.
Through its fourth-floor bedrooms, I’d traveled to three completely different realms that were potentially millions of lightyears away from Earth. I’d met two gorgeously sexy and magical women who’d both joined me on my adventures, and I was well on my way to being the fastest self-made billionaire in the world.
Holy shit, how had I gotten so fucking lucky?
I smirked as I thought about the cosmic karma points I must have built up in a previous life to earn something as wild as this place.
“I love those,” Prinna giggled as she inspected Kaz’s ass-kicking boots.
“Me, too!” Kaz squealed, and she struck a pose. “They make me feel very powerful.”
“Thank you for all the clothing, Sam,” Prinna said for the thousandth time.
I looked up and down the willowy, white-blonde woman’s figure and outfit, and I couldn’t imagine not lavishing her with all the clothes she could ever dream of having. Nothing would have made me happier than to buy Prinna and Kaz enough clothes that they never had to wear the same outfit twice for the rest of our lives.
As it was, we’d gone on a full-day shopping spree yesterday after a visit to Big John so I could spoil both of them with as many clothing and shoes options as they could ever want. The cash-for-gold guy had been thrilled by the stacks of gold coins I’d had for him, and I’d left with more cash than could fit inside my wallet or even my pockets. Then we’d taken a lengthy tour through the Macy’s that was just down the road from Big John’s, including the intimates department. They’d both been a bit confused about the intense push-up bras on display, and I couldn’t fault them for choosing something a bit less extreme. I preferred to enjoy their sexy forms in the unpadded lace and cotton bras the saleslady had helped us pick anyway.
It had been a fun opportunity to test if Prinna’s magic worked on Earth, too, and she’d discovered the saleslady was more interested in making a good sale than providing my ladies with items that truly suited their needs. After a few pointed looks from the white-blonde witch, I’d politely shut down the woman’s attempts at upselling us on things neither Kaz nor Prinna wanted or needed, and we’d learned that Prinna’s magic did indeed work on Earth.
At the moment, Kaz was wearing a pair of metallic purple leggings that hugged her short legs deliciously. She’d paired the statement pants with a crisp white blouse that she’d only done up the top three buttons of, so it flowed open just above her navel like a dramatic cloak. She’d twisted her long wavy hair into some kind of elaborate braid down her back, and finished the outfit with the leather boots I’d bought her.
Prinna looked a little less rock ‘n’ roll, and a little more modern-day pagan witch. She wore a jade-green dress that had an elaborate network of twisted straps at the top. They crisscrossed over her delicate shoulders and across the top half of her back. It cinched close around her slender waist before falling in a wide circle to just above her ankles. There was a slit up to her right knee that exposed a tantalizing display of tan skin when she walked, and she’d thrown an oversized cotton cardigan in a warm shade of brown on top for warmth. Her white-blonde hair was sleek and straight as usual, and it hung at a sharp angle just above her shoulders.
They both looked ready to hit the runway, and I smiled as I noticed the hazy line of plum eyeshadow on Kaz’s eyelids.
“What?” Kaz asked with hesitation, and she reached up to smooth her hair. “Do I look alright?”
“You’re trying out the makeup,” I observed.
“Yes.” Kaz blushed deeply. “Does it look good?”
“It’s beautiful,” I assured her. “Just enough.”
“I like the purple very much,” Prinna said. “I haven’t tried the face paint yet.”
“Makeup,” I chuckled.
“Yes.” Prinna smiled. “It does look like fun, but I want to play with it more before I wear it anywhere.”
“It turned out to be quite tricky,” Kaz said emphatically. “I was surprised how difficult it was to make my eyes match!”
“I’ve heard it can be hard.” I grinned. “But I think you did a great job. It’ s pretty but subtle.”
“Thank you,” Kaz said, and she dipped in a playful little curtsy.
“Earth has so many fun things to explore,” Prinna said. “The clothes, the makeup. I’ve never known there to be so many options.”
“Wait until you hear about hair dye,” I laughed. “It’ll blow your mind.”
“Blow it where?” Prinna gasped, and her hazel eyes went wide with concern.
“It’s just an expression,” I assured her with a smile. “It means you’ll be amazed.”
“I am more confused as to why anyone would want to kill their hair,” Kaz said with a puzzled expression.
“What?” I asked in a flat tone, and then I realized the confusion. “Oh, no! Hair dye, it’s like color, or paint.”
“Oooooh!” Kaz breathed and laughed. “Yes, that makes much more sense.”
“Okay,” I said, and I picked up my rucksack. “Are we ready?”
“I would like one more moment, please,” Prinna said, and she hurried into the ensuite bathroom of our new room.
Kaz and I waited patiently while Prinna had her moment, and I took the time to go through my mental checklist again.
It felt like every time I checked something off the list, three more things were added.
Now that I’d made sure my bank account was all up to date with my new address and everything with the local branch, we were set to really start spending some money.
I’d ordered a top-of-the-line refrigerator and range for the kitchen. They were due to be delivered tomorrow. I’d also started looking into what kind of car I wanted to buy. The rental was nice and all, but I couldn’t rent it forever, and I wanted something that was really mine.
I’d also compiled a short list of contractors and tradesmen for all the work we needed to have done in the inn. There were more than a few options in this region of the country, and I was struggling to decide who to call first.
But before I could swirl into a tornado of decision fatigue, Prinna came back out of the bathroom. I couldn’t help but notice the slight shimmer of gold eyeshadow she now wore, or the way her eyelashes looked longer and darker than before.
I smirked knowingly at the beautiful witch, and she blushed under her tan.
“Does it look okay?” Prinna asked in a soft-spoken voice.
“It looks beautiful,” I assured her. “That color really suits you.”
We stepped out of our new, partially refurbished bedroom, and we headed up the stairs to the fourth floor. Nearly every free minute we’d been inside the inn over the last several days that we hadn’t been sleeping or fucking, we’d spent cleaning. Finally, there wasn’t a single cobweb left in sight, and the floors were all swept and mopped. Kaz had even taken the time to scrub all the baseboards while Prinna and I had focused on taking down all the window hangings. Our washer and dryer set had been delivered two days ago, and we hadn’t stopped running loads since.
It was shocking how much shit there was to clean, and I added hiring a cleaning maid to my list of things to do when it came time to open the inn for business. There was no way my women and I would have the time to keep the place clean while also running the business and portaling between the realms.
A venturer could only juggle so much.
I added the maid detail to my mental list as I flipped through the various keys in my hand.
We passed the doors to Kohvra, Ryvem, and Amirma, and we stopped in front of our door of choice. It was the last of the first four doors, and it was the first door not constructed of wood.
It was a brassy kind of metal, and there were a few small spots of green corrosion at the hinges. The brass-colored key was easy to locate in my hand, and the bow of it looked like a gear with about two dozen thick teeth around the edge.
I released a deep breath of anticipation as I slid the key into the lock. “Everybody ready?”
“Mmmhmm,” Kaz hummed, and Prinna nodded.
I turned the key, and the door opened with a slight creaking sound.
We stepped into the room, and I was unsurprised to find fairly similar furniture inside as what the previous three rooms held. There was a queen-sized bed with charcoal-gray sheets and blankets, a heavy wooden trunk with thick metal edging sat at the foot of the bed, and there was a wide dresser with heavy brass handles across from it. The floor was covered in a thick wool rug in a deep shade of maroon, and what looked like an oil-lantern sat on a pedestal-style table in the corner.
The door closed behind us with a resounding click, and we hesitated for a long moment as if we could feel the shift through space.
I willed myself to notice something, anything, about the way the room felt, the strength of gravity, or the motion of the planet through space, but I couldn’t feel anything other than the solid floor under my feet.
“Do you think there is a map?” Kaz asked after a moment.
“Let’s find out,” I murmured. “You two check the dresser, I’ll check the trunk.”
Kaz and Prinna stepped over to the dresser, and they each took a side to inspect all six of the drawers. I knelt down in front of the trunk, and I lifted the heavy lid.
A small puff of dust wafted up into my face, and I felt my nose react violently from the irritant.
“Aah–” I sucked in a sharp breath as I felt my sinuses react, and I stifled a massive sneeze in the elbow of my leather jacket.
“Keep the puurgles at bay,” Prinna said in an offhanded way as she pulled open another drawer.
“Keep the what?” I asked with confusion and an arched eyebrow.
“Hmm?” Prinna hummed in response.
She turned over her shoulder to look at me, and the expression on her face reminded me of one of my former downstairs neighbors. He was an older fellow and often forgot I didn’t speak a lick of Spanish, and every time he’d say something I couldn’t understand he would look at me like that for a second before he realized his mistake.
Prinna didn’t seem to even realize she’d said something that basically equated to a foreign language to me, and Kaz was looking at her with confusion, too.
“What’s a puurgle?” Kaz asked.
“Is that…” Prinna murmured nervously, and she glanced between the two of us. “Is that not a common saying to you?”
“No,” I laughed lightly. “It’s something you say after someone sneezes I guess?”
“Yes,” Prinna said simply. “The puurgles crawl into your nasal passages and tickle them with tiny feathers, and…”
Prinna’s voice trailed off, and I figured my face looked as incredulous as Kaz’s.
“We usually say ‘bless you’ on Earth,” I explained with a smile. “Or some people say gesundheit. That’s German, I think. It’s sort of a wish for good health to the person.”
“I do not believe there was such a phrase in Kohvra,” Kaz said in a thoughtful tone.
“Hmm,” Prinna grunted with interest. “Odd. It is a form of standard manners in Amirma. People would even wish me to keep the puurgles at bay despite their hatred of me or anyone else with magic. To withhold such manners was seen as an unreasonable lack of decorum.”
“Yeah, it’s a fairly common part of manners here, too,” I said, and I turned back to look inside the trunk now that the dust had cleared.
“Curious,” Kaz murmured. “I am familiar with the pleases and thank yous, of course, and well wishes from illness… but sneezes are seen as a small pleasure to be enjoyed, not an illness to be wished away.”
“I do like a good sneeze…” I mumbled in a dry tone as I stared into the trunk.
There was a small stack of clear glass jars that were about half-filled with strange, jagged rocks that were a shiny silver color.
“What the fuck?” I muttered as I picked up one of the jars.
I gave the little container a shake, and the rocks inside jangled around with a sharp metallic sound.
“There is no map in here,” Kaz said with a sigh.
“What did you find?” Prinna asked.
“I’m not sure…” I held up the jar for the witch and Enchanted woman to see, and they both shook their heads with confusion. “We can look into that later.”
I put the glass jar back down and inspected the next object in the trunk.
There was a folded-up piece of paper, and before I even opened it, I knew it would be a map. The other maps were no larger than the nine-by-twelve-inch sketch pads we’d bought at the art supply store, but this one opened up to be at least two feet by three feet.
