by Noah Layton
There were still plenty of patches of ore glittering in the firelight, but they were all of different varieties, not just the bluestone that I desperately needed.
There was a small patch of the stuff a few yards up on a nearby jutting rock face, reachable by a shoulder-high ledge beneath.
I ushered the twins over and gave Oden my torch, then clambered up onto the ledge. I retrieved my pick axe and aimed my shot, then brought the head of my pick against the patch of bluestone.
19%
I was surprised at how fast the percentage had increased. This wasn’t as tough as the other ores that I had come across, but that was likely what made it so useful for crafting ornaments and statues.
With a few more hits it maxed out and fell from the cavern wall. I picked up the chunk of ore and presented it to the twins.
‘You two know what this is?’ I said, holding it up in the firelight after jumping back down.
‘Bluestone,’ Aden said.
‘Right. Now, I’ve just retrieved a unit, which means we need 122 more if we’re going to establish this deal properly. This-’ I held up the bluestone – ‘is our number one priority right now. We need as much of it as we can find. The moment we hit that number we can go home for the day.’
Aden handed me the torch without even saying a word. He and his brother took off, holding their torches high as they began to scour the mine walls.
No wonder they were a taskmaster’s dream.
So, the three of us got to work.
In the dark and with your mind focused, time collapses entirely. I was wired to one thing, and one thing only, and that was the sight of that blue shimmering stones in the light of my torch.
The work stretched out, but there was a quiet satisfaction in the stress of it as we ticked off more units of bluestone, bit by bit, moving towards our final count.
As we continued to add to the pile, the number of pockets became more and more scarce. We had to travel further into the cavern, but as I moved my torch further along I realized that Werger had hardly scratched the surface of this place.
The mine moved much deeper.
Other ores glistened in the fire, and while I wanted to start extracting them, the bluestone was the priority.
Hours of mining and searching followed, but with a final pocket that Aden discovered beneath a small crevice in the rock, our task was completed.
***
The next few days passed in peace and quiet as we went about our regular motions, harvesting the land and catching up on sleep.
The latter went for everybody but me. Sleep was a struggle no matter how tired my body felt – my mind felt like it was on fire all the time.
When it came down to it, I had taken on a tribe all by myself and won. The problem was that that tribe, the one that I had slaughtered, were only a tribe by technicality. They were small in numbers, no more than the bandits that I had blown up during the second night that I had spent in Agraria.
This new tribe to the west that we were now dealing with could now afford to drop over 18,000GP on a decorative resource, the kind of amount of gold that would change the life of my tribe.
On the last night before the deal was due to take place I called a meeting with the primary members of my tribe that I intended to involve in the operations; Alorion, my wives, Cass, Aden and Oden.
The plan had been bubbling in my head for days and now was the time to draw everything together.
‘Okay,’ I said, standing at the head of the table in the Map room as the blue tablet lit up the faces of the nine of us. ‘As you all know, the deal with the foreign tribe is taking place tomorrow. This is make-or-break time for us, and after a lot of thought… I have decided that we’re going to try and make it go ahead. Now, I know a lot of you have some concerns about this, primarily with regards to our safety, but I’ve come up with a few ways that I think this will work.
‘Tomorrow, I and a number of you will head to our newly-claimed land and collect the bluestone. It’s in a secure place, so all we have to do is load it into the carts pulled by the horses. From there, we will head west to the meeting place with the foreign tribe, which where things get risky.
‘Firstly, the most important aspect of the meeting is that we present ourselves as a formidable force. I don’t want to put anyone at risk, but the more of us that are there to give a sense of threat, the better. Secondly, I’ve thought of a way to increase our level of safety. It just might be stupid, but if we play it confidently it could work. We’re going to pretend to be there on behalf of Werger.’
Ariadne’s face fell from curious to stern.
‘You… What?’
‘We pretend to be part of his tribe, sent there on his behalf. That’s plan number one.’
‘And what’s plan number two?’ Lara asked.
‘We tell him that we killed him – or I killed him – and see what happens.’
Santana, ever the negotiator, rapidly shook her head and held up her hands.
‘I know that we need to hedge our bets a tad here, but do you have any idea how many things could go wrong with those plans? What if this other tribe master doesn’t believe you that you’re there on behalf of him? What if he discussed with Werger to meet with him and only him, rather than some emissary or second-in-command? And the second plan? That’s a coin-flip if I ever heard one.’
‘I know. Originally those were the two best plans that came into my mind, but after thinking about it for so long I’ve realized that they’re not the best plans. They’re the only plans. There isn’t another approach that exists.’
‘I say we just say it to his face,’ Lara replied. ‘We greet this man, whoever he is, and we make it known upfront that we were responsible for the slaughter of the Gaalus Tribe and that we have claimed their resources.’
‘Perhaps slaughter is not the right word to use,’ Elera suggested. ‘What about… We are now in control of these resources. That makes it sound like we are trying to be friendly, rather issuing a sense of threat. The show of force must only come from the sight of us, not the words.’
I considered there suggestions.
‘I think we play it by ear. If this tribe master asks about our identities, I’ll decide between the two based on how the situation feels. If he doesn’t say anything, we keep our mouths shut and go our separate ways from them once the exchange has been made. How does that sound?’
Everyone nodded, and there were no disagreements.
‘Everyone who is coming along will be armored and armed with weapons. They’re not to be used unless things start going wild, which is our last resort. If anybody here doesn’t want to come with me, they need to speak up. There’s no shame in it, I just need to know now.’
Nobody showed a hand to drop out.
‘Santana,’ I said, turning to her. ‘I need you to stay here and keep things moving while we’re away. You’re the most knowledgeable when it comes to how things run around here. We shouldn’t be gone more than half the day if we get in and out of there fast.’
My strawberry-blonde wife gulped quietly, holding her face steady, then nodded her head.
‘Of course. If that’s what needs to happen.’
I nodded back to her. I knew that she wanted to come with us, but I couldn’t help but keep a watchful eye over her, even if she was becoming stronger, both in her personality and in her fighting skills.
‘Okay,’ I continued. ‘We head out at sunrise tomorrow.’
With the meeting over everybody went back to their duties for the day.
I headed over to the totem’s structure and brought up the menu inside, running my finger through the available schematics that could be constructed.
I and my wives were all equipped with sufficient weapons, but Cass and her brothers were in need of something with a little more brunt force. I had no doubt that the twins would be able to crush skulls with their bare hands, and Cass was probably acrobatic enough to jump through the air and strangle somebody with her smal
l but strong thighs, but this was also about appearance.
Which also meant that armor would need to be created.
And I knew just how to do that.
I headed to the storage structure and took the stacks of clothes that I had acquired from the guardhouse and the closet in the treehouse. After filling my inventory I returned to the armory and began the process of deconstructing all of the items until I had several stacks of tough, durable leather on hand.
From there I scrolled through to the armor construction and began creating equipment for all of us.
There was enough available for breastplates and armguards for the entire team. They were tight-fitting and could be worn comfortably over their clothes.
In no time it was collected and distributed, and the day was pushing onwards.
***
Night was beginning to fall on the eve of the dangerous day that awaited tomorrow.
I traversed my land, checking on my citizens. The watch towers were all manned; Tormus and Eri had gone to bed, their fields of crops quiet save for the rustling of leaves against each other in the light breeze of the evening; Cass and her brothers had turned in for the night, ready for a day of rest before tomorrow. Ariadne was over on the northern watchtower chatting with Alorion, Lara to the east, and from the confines of my treehouse I could hear water splashing lightly from where Elera was indulging in the bathtub – I still had to afford her the opportunity to map out the rivers of Agraria when she had the chance, but she had more than paid her way in her assistance at the new land, as well as catching the delicious fish from the river in the cave.
Of all my citizens, there was only one that I could not account for. Santana was nowhere to be seen.
I checked the stables and found both Arabelle and our new smaller horse present, but her own steed, Myranthia, was missing.
The last time she had headed out late, we were in the process of being stalked by the mother wolf. When I had found her in the forest she had been on her back with her fingers between her legs, touching herself to the thought of me.
It had been one of the most incredible, risky experiences of my life.
And I had little doubt where she was now.
I equipped my sword and scabbard, checked my power stones, stashed a few torches in my inventory, and crossed the land to the southern watchtower.
One of the fox-people was seated in the post, reading a book as I emerged quietly to the point.
‘How are things looking tonight?’
‘Oh-’ The fox-person, a man in his early-twenties – although likely in his fifties considering what Lola had told me about the ageing process of their kind – sat up sharply and set his book aside. ‘Everything is looking fine, Jack.’
‘Calm yourself,’ I smiled, ‘Don’t worry about reading. It’s a good pastime, and the forest’s quiet tonight. Hey, come to think of it, why don’t you take a break for a little while?’
‘Are… Are you sure?’
‘Definitely. Go take a nap, have some food, rest your head. I’ll cover this point.’
‘Thank you very much, Jack.’
The fox-man took off down the steps and back to the house that he shared with his kin.
I waited till he had gone out of sight, then crossed to the edge of the watchtower that looked out over the land. I hopped over the ledge and dropped down to the top of the perimeter fence, then lowered myself and jumped into the low shrubbery that grew among the forest beyond the border of the land.
There was just enough sunlight left for me to see through the trees, but visibility was starting to become poor.
I headed in a straight line, moving south through the trees towards the spot where I had first made love to Santana.
I saw a flutter of movement just thirty yards past that very same point, and I spied Myranthia as she chewed on some leaves close to the ground.
Reaching the horse, I patted her neck and looked around for my wife, tracing her to a rustling up ahead.
But she wasn’t spread out on a blanket in a secluded clearing with her fingers teasing the spot between her legs.
She was stifling cries. She was hunched over with her hand clasped over her mouth as she tried to hold them back.
‘Santana… Are you okay?’
Santana spun around, her flowing red hair moving in a perfect swing. She held up her herb knife, a dull blade but still sharp enough to wound. A fierce, fiery look dwelled in her eyes, and as she recognised me it didn’t immediately vanish.
She glared at me for several long seconds as I stared back at her, and slowly she lowered the knife. Its presence was replaced by a sharper, glistening moisture in her eyes, but she quickly shook her head of it and looked away from me.
‘What are you doing out here?’ I asked, lighting a torch. ‘It’s after dark. I know there are no legendary beasts lurking around out here anymore but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any smaller ones that could do some damage.’
‘I just… Came to have some time alone for once. Some peace and quiet. Our land is broad, but our population is growing. It is nice to enjoy the quiet.’
‘Come on, you can’t seriously expect me to believe that. What is it?’
‘It does not matter.’
‘Yes, it does. Otherwise you wouldn’t be out here.’
Santana exhaled deeply and stood, turning to face me.
‘I am fine with looking after the land. That does not bother me. I am good at it. It is just… The prospect of you going out there and getting yourself killed.’
‘Everything is going to be fine.’
‘I cannot have you die on me, husband!’ She cried out. ‘You are the most important thing in the world to me. What I feel for you I have not felt for any man before, nor any other being. And I cannot stand the thought that you will not return from this journey of yours tomorrow…’
Her eyes were filled with tears that gleamed in the torchlight that I held in my hand.
I kneeled to the ground and stamped the end of the torch into the dirt, trying to find the right words to put her mind at ease.
‘Listen,’ I said, not knowing where I was going with it exactly. ‘You… You’re right. But this is something that I have to do.’
‘I know…’ She said quietly. ‘And that’s the worst part. I have talked about this with Ariadne, and with Lara and Elera too… This is who you are. This is the job of a tribe master.’ She made towards me, running a hand through her reddened hair and crossing her arms beneath her breasts. ‘And it pains me more than you know to think that there is a chance that I will never lie by your side again…’
She took a few breaths and calmed herself.
‘You know this is my job, don’t you? This is who I am. This is what I have to do.’
‘I know,’ she breathed, heading up to me and placing her hands on my chest. She snuggled up to me and kissed me lightly on the lips before burying herself in my neck. ‘And that is why I love you.’
‘I love you too.’ I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me, feeling the warmth of her body against me. ‘Trust me. Everything’s going to be fine.’
***
The next day dawned too quickly.
It was the first time in a long time that I had woken with a sickening sense of dread in my stomach. Even with the comfort of my wives by my sides, my mind was immediately unsettled as I looked up through the canopy overhead.
It may have been the soft touch of my wives’ skin against my body that first greeted my senses each morning, but that was always followed closely by the sight of the green leaves and the branches overhead that protected my home from the elements.
This land was my home, and this treehouse in its centre was the life force of it all.
I didn’t have to do this. I could leave the bluestone and walk away. I could stop my wives, my companions, my entire tribe, from being put at risk.
But I had already made my decision. I knew that it was selfish, and I would put my own life befor
e the others, but the day had arrived, and I had come too far to let an opportunity of this caliber slip by.
Early that morning we grouped together and once again went over the final details of our plan. The collection of the bluestone and the journey south from my new tribal land was clear and straightforward, assuming that we could find the clear in question – the problem revolved around what happened when we came face to face with the foreign tribe.
I knew nothing. Just a time and a place.
From that point on, I would have to hold my nerve and play it by ear.
For all I knew, one wrong move could be a death sentence.
We stocked the armor in the carts and brought the horses around, adding any items and additional provisions that we would need.
It was sunrise, and our caravan was ready to move out and along the north-western trail to our new land.
‘Take care of things,’ I said to Santana, wrapping my arms around her. ‘You’re a good leader. You know how to keep things moving.’
‘I will not need to be a good leader,’ she replied, having shed too many tears to give anymore. ‘You are more than enough, and you will be back before the end of day.’
‘I’m counting on it,’ I smiled. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too.’
With the land safe, we began our journey to collect the bluestone.
‘Any guesses on the nature of this tribe?’ Lara said, looking around at us all as our caravan made its way through the forest.
‘There are only two factors that matter, are there not?’ Ariadne purred.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, hostile and not hostile. They are the only two options that count in a situation such as this.’
‘I know, but surely the thought must have crossed your minds about what race or creed they belong to. Goblins, maybe?’
‘Werger would have probably mentioned it to Morok if that were the case,’ I said. ‘He could help foster relations.’
‘Perhaps. Goblins are fickle beings, though. I would not assume that they would be building a statue.’