by Noah Layton
‘Firstly, I shall admit that the explosives were my doing. As I have mentioned, I have no interest in what goes on beyond my land’s borders, unless it impedes upon the lives of my people. The wood-elves have committed too many crimes against my people for me to stand by. You told me that you would do anything for your tribe, and I am very much the same. I have no regrets in making that decision.’
‘And I don’t judge you for it. Would you like the bombs back?’
‘No. Keep them.’
‘Are you sure? I know how much they’re worth.’
‘I am very sure. Do what you will with them. Now that the threat of the wood-elves has been vanquished, I have no further desire for destruction.’
‘And what about Zagor?’
A sharp gust of wind suddenly rushed by, rustling the blades of grass around our feet viciously.
‘Gods are strange things,’ Artrix said. ‘They demand belief without proof of existence. Faith, above all else. But the demi-gods… I have known of their existence for a long time. They command considerable power, and they are very real.’
‘And what about Zagor? What will he do?’
‘Disappear to another cave, and continue to demand sacrifices… I hope. Perhaps he will remain above-land, and make the tribes of Agraria his slaves. I cannot say. We must simply wait and see.’ He paused for a moment. ‘The season is changing,’ Artrix said. ‘Colder weather seems close. We must be prepared. Now, before you depart, I have some further gifts for you.’
‘I don’t need anything from you,’ I said. ‘Your alliance is more than enough. The safety that it brings is very valuable to my tribe.’
‘That is a part of the gift I am giving you.’
Artrix offered a hand, which I shook.
A trading window opened, and he began to place items into it.
Sun-elf Tribal Flag x20
‘Place these at the entrances to your lands,’ he said. ‘It will tell any outsiders that you are in alliance with the sun-elves. We may be a solitary people, but our name is still known and respected. Any confident outsiders shall think twice before attempting to attack your tribe.’
‘That’ll take a weight off my mind,’ I remarked. I pressed the accept button, but Artrix didn’t. ‘Is… Is that everything?’
‘Not quite. Mariana tells me that you have a fondness for magic, no?’
I went to respond but hesitated.
I heard from more than a couple of people that magic was frowned upon by some in Agraria.
But Artrix knew simply from the look on my face.
‘I do, but only for defensive purposes.’
‘It is fine,’ he smiled. ‘I am not the judgmental kind.’
He placed two further items into the trade window.
Power Stone x1
Spell: Shock
‘I hope that this is of some use to you.’
‘I think that it will be,’ I said, trying to quell the excitement in my voice.
I pressed accept again, and Artrix did the same.
The trade window vanished, but the handshake continued as we nodded to each other.
‘Master Jack.’
‘Master Artrix.’
After bidding farewell to the sun-elves, a small escort of guards was tasked to escort us through the forest until we reached Grayholde. From there we scouted the tree line before heading back into the forest, making a straight shot back to our land.
I commanded the horse and the wagon – a small gift from Artrix on top of the power stone that I had already received – while my wives sat in the back.
‘I am very used to travelling in carts,’ Lara said. ‘But considering our newfound wealth there must be a more comfortable way to travel. I feel like a pouch of fish being taken to market.’
‘You’re going to look like one after all of the fish I catch for dinner tonight,’ Elera said. ‘Just wait till I make it back to the river at the cave…’
‘I literally escaped death last night,’ Santana said, snuggling up against a blanket from her inventory, which she was using as a cushion. ‘Right now I am just happy to see the sky again.’
‘Are you feeling okay?’ Lara asked, running a hand through her hair. ‘I know that may be a stupid question considering what you went through.’
‘I am well,’ Santana nodded resiliently. ‘I have told myself that it was just another moment in which I did not die.’
‘That makes you feel better?’
‘It has happened to us all many times before. Bandit attacks, the mother-wolf, enemy tribes… This only seems scarier because of how large it was. But death can happen at any time.’
‘My…’ Lara smiled at her. ‘You are a stronger woman than I.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ she smiled.
I smiled back over my shoulder from the front seat, whipping the reigns on the horse lightly to prompt them on towards the forest.
‘You have been quiet, husband,’ Elera said, leaning over to the front seat and running a blue hand over my leg. ‘Is everything well with you?’
She was right, I had been quiet. I had tried to join in on the conversation, to celebrate our latest success of forming an alliance with a nearby tribe and ensuring our safety, but all I could think about was what I had seen by Mariana’s side.
‘There’s something I need to tell you,’ I said, looking at the girls, then at the surrounding area to ensure that we weren’t being watched.
The moment we were clear into the forest, I told the girls everything that I had seen in the underground vault.
‘You, husband?’ Elera said, crawling through from the back of the wagon to the front seat and gaping at me with her bright eyes. ‘You?’
‘You were featured in a prophecy created by the Oracle?’ Lara asked. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah, I’m sure,’ I laughed. ‘And way to make me feel unworthy… Not that I’m not enjoying all this attention, that is.’
Lara was sat just behind me by Santana, who had promptly woken from her dozing against her blanket.
‘This is very strange,’ Lara said.
‘What I find strange is how you’ve all heard of this Oracle-person. I didn’t know she was that big of a deal.’
‘She is a very big deal,’ Elera said, looking to Lara and Santana. ‘Is she not?’
‘She is,’ Santana confirmed. ‘I spent most of my life on a farm, and even I know who she is.’
‘You had books to read from,’ my nymph replied. ‘I grew up in a forest. My companions used to tell tales of her all the time. They were my favourite…’
‘How come?’ I asked.
‘Because she commanded the ears of all, especially men. As a nymph such stories were of particular interest to me. That was our job. She was respected and feared; all beings came to seek answers from her about the future, but tribe masters sought her council most of all.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Lara said. ‘They all wished to know the futures of their tribes. They wanted to see what their work would become. And they wanted to know of their enemies’ next moves.’
‘Anything to get an edge on the competition,’ I sighed. ‘I’ll bet she got pretty rich, huh? With that many wealthy, powerful people looking for her, she could probably charge whatever amount of gold she wanted.’
‘That is what the books say,’ Santana added, as we all looked to her for advice like she was an oracle herself and listened intently. ‘She was handed gold and jewels and riches of all kinds by all who came to see her – enough that she had guards surrounding her and a peaceful life.
‘Then, one day, the most powerful tribe master in the land took an audience with her. He offered her a palace, chambers filled with gold, and servants to cater to her every need. In return he asked that she become the teller of the future for him and him alone. The Oracle accepted the offer, and for years she served him, advising and guiding him.
‘But as the tribe master became more and more de
pendent on the Oracle, so did his ambition begin to wane. He would spend days, sometimes weeks, listening to her tell details of what was to come. He became paranoid, withdrawn, until eventually his fear of the future consumed him completely.
‘Driven mad by the prospect of every new moment, the Oracle told him his final prophecy; that he would douse himself in brandy and wine, and light a flame over his head. And as the prophecy was so told, so did the tribe master do as she said.’
We were all captivated by the story, sitting in silence as Santana finished.
‘Has anybody ever told you that you should take a job as a bard?’
‘I cannot sing,’ Santana laughed.
‘But you can tell a story,’ Lara said. ‘You should have heard some of the taurem shit that came out of the mouths of some of the bards I heard at Ichabod’s Cove.’
‘They could not sing?’ Elera asked.
‘Oh, they could sing beautifully, it was just the same three stories about dragons, beautiful maidens and brave warriors. It’s not just about singing. You have to be able to tell a story, too.’
‘I do not think a bard would be a suitable career choice for me,’ Santana smiled. ‘It might be a morale-builder for us to welcome one into the tribe, though. What do you think, Jack?’
‘A bard?’ I exclaimed. ‘Like a musician?’
‘Oh, yes!’ Elera said excitedly from my side. ‘I love music. We used to make our own in the forests.’
‘The only image I have in my head is some guy following me around with a lute playing songs.’
‘That is essentially what a bard is,’ Lara said. ‘It would be a nice form of entertainment during our quieter days upon the land, and with Tormus and Eri soon to become parents, having an entertainer around wouldn’t be the worst idea.’
‘That’s true,’ I remarked. ‘Maybe it’s something we can look into, if we happen to run into one. I’ll bet that’s a going to be pretty tough to do, though, right?’
‘Why is that?’
‘Because in this world you have to do everything you can to survive. Most of my time is dedicated to making sure that we’re safe. I can’t imagine many people having enough time to learn to play the lute, much less to play it well.’
‘You are not afraid of making too much noise, are you, master?’ Elera asked.
‘Oh, no,’ I replied firmly. ‘From now on, noise is the last thing I’m worried about. People have stumbled on us, and in return we destroyed an entire tribe. Let them come.’
***
‘Husband!’
I wrapped my arms around Ariadne as she practically jumped on me, wrapping her legs around me and showering me with kisses in the process.
I almost fell on my ass but felt the relief of her weight a moment later when she hurried to the rest of my wives, Santana in particular, and pulled them close.
We were back at the tree, stretching our legs in the early evening after the journey home.
‘I suppose that you missed us?’ Elera said.
‘I am so glad to see that you are all alive,’ she said, beaming at us all. ‘Everything has been running well here. We have had no troubles.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ I replied.
‘Well,’ Ariadne continued, ‘I would have been lost without Alorion.’
‘I appreciate the kind words,’ my imp said, approaching us. ‘I had to rearrange the lookout schedule in your absence, Jack, but other than that the crops are moving along beautifully.’
‘Great,’ I said, looking about at my land. ‘Everything’s just great...’
I gave my wives a little time to relax after what they had endured and set off on my rounds with Alorion at my side, getting back to normality after the insanity that had flowed relentlessly over the last few days. Everything was well – the land was quiet, crops were growing, our horses grazed, Morok had refrained from causing trouble in his shack, and thanks to the funds from the bluestone trade the place was starting to feel a lot more like a home to my people.
By the time I had spoken to everyone and returned to my treehouse, I realized just how hungry I was.
Thankfully we had plenty of taurem meat and fish available.
Half an hour later, after my wives had had a little time to relax, the smell of frying taurem meat and fish had filled the land. It was mixed with a decadent combination of spices, with tomatoes and carrots frying on the side.
It was a hell of a sight to behold, seeing my four beautiful wives as they tended to the food, but while it cooked I had a little time to take care of something else.
‘What is that?’ Alorion asked, nodding to the bundle in my hands as we crossed to his lookout post at the north of your land. ‘A decoration for my home?’
‘Not exactly,’ I replied, unfolding one of the sun-elf flags as we headed up the steps to the platform.
‘Wait,’ he said, as I examined the gleaming orange sun threaded into the large, robust sheet of fabric. ‘Is that a tribal flag?’
‘Yep.’
‘It seems that you have a lot to tell me.’
‘Another time,’ I said. ‘All you have to know right now is that we have strong friends, and one less enemy tribe to deal with.’
‘Very good. As a sign of unity I would suggest that we place our own flag side by side with that of the sun-elves. It emphasises that we are allied and well-defended to any would-be attackers.’
‘That sounds like a damn good idea to me. Only problem is we don’t have a flag of our own yet.’
‘Master Marlo had one prior to your arrival, but it lacked creativity. I suggest that we design our own.’
‘Great. Once we’ve figured that out we can have copies of both made by a tailor and display them at all of our territories. Defenses are fine, and I plan to keep building them, but demonstrating our strength with symbols is another level of protection entirely.’
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Alorion smiled, looking out at the path into the forest. ‘So, are defenses the only thing on your mind?’
‘After what I’ve seen over the last few days, yes. But beyond that, it’s time to start building. The gold supplies from the bluestone trade have bought us financial safety and a better quality of life, but they won’t last forever. We need to start building up our trading routes between our territory, building livestock and crop routes, and start a proper mining system at the new land.’
‘We’ll need more people for such an operation,’ Alorion replied. ‘Aden and Oden are strong, but if we plan to move large quantities of goods we will certainly need to build our numbers.’
‘That’s something I’ve been thinking about,’ I said. ‘What you said before… The only way to build a tribe is to take over another tribe, use slaves, or free those that are enslaved. Taking over another tribe sounds easier said than done. We can’t buy allegiance, all we can do is form alliances. Slaves are completely out of the question. So…’
‘That leaves option number three.’
‘Yep. How do you feel about getting out there and freeing some slaves?’
‘I think that sounds like an excellent idea.’
We shared a smile.
‘It is good to have you back, Jack.’
‘It’s good to be back, Alorion. Now let’s eat.’
We descended the lookout post and set off across the land in the sunset. I watched the steam and smoke ascend from the cooking area beneath the tree while the rest of the tribe headed to the centre of the land, safe and sound at the close of another adventure.
Chapter Seventeen
‘Why is it that I was not gifted such a beautiful gown?’ Ariadne asked, spinning around in the green silk gown that she had borrowed from Elera.
‘You can have that one if you would like,’ Elera said, sipping from a glass of whiskey as she stretched out in the bath. ‘You know that I hate wearing clothes. Mmm… I must say that this whiskey is growing upon me.’
‘Green goes with the orange of the fur on your ears, too,’ Lara said fr
om the rug by the bed. ‘It is a win-win.’
Dinner and relaxing with the tribe had ended an hour ago, and now were relaxing in the low light of the treehouse at the end of our latest adventure.
‘How are your injuries, Jack?’ Elera asked from the bathtub. ‘I can clean them for you if you would like?’
‘They did a pretty good job back at their land,’ I replied from the bed, sipping a cup of whiskey.
‘That is not the only treatment that you need, though, master,’ Ariadne said, heading over to me as played with her silken gown.
‘You’ve gotten a little feistier since we parted at the sun-elf land, haven’t you?’ I said to Ariadne as she stood at the end of the bed with her hands on her hips, looking down on me.
‘Can you blame me? I am a fox-girl.’
‘Exactly. You’re supposed to be loyal, aren’t you?’ I said teasingly.
‘Only when I have been tamed,’ she chimed, undoing her robe and pushing it from her shoulders to reveal her toned, naked body. ‘And I haven’t been tamed for days.’
‘I’m sure I can do something about that.’
‘Can you? What with so many wounds…’
‘Believe me, I can handle it,’ I remarked. ‘But not here.’
‘Not here?’ She replied in confusion. ‘Then where?’
***
‘Oh, gods... Harder...!’
Elera moved her hips faster against my dick, taking all of my length as she sank her nails into my chest. Her blue lips fell open in a repressed moan until she screamed out, but somehow she kept going.
The hidden cave where the underground river spilled out of was a small paradise, not just because of its seclusion but because my wives and I could make as much noise as we wanted there without being overheard.
Now I was on my back in the sandy embankment by the mouth of the cave with Elera fucking my brains out as she rode my cock.
‘Just relax, master...’
The sight of my nymph’s tight blue body riding me had completely distracted me from anything going on in my peripheral vision - including Ariadne, who had moved to stand atop me as I laid back on the sand.
She sank down, lowering the teasing wetness between her legs onto my face.