by Logan Jacobs
“Two plates?” she asked, and her cheeks flushed slightly from embarrassment.
“Hell, three plates,” I snickered. “The way I see it, you’re eating for three.”
“Thank you, Ben,” Sela murmured and kissed my cheek. “You’re the best.”
“Now who’s sappy?” I teased, but I danced out the door before the warrior could find something to chuck at me. Then I laughed all the way down to the kitchens.
“Ben, this fruit is wondrous!” Hali exclaimed as she threw herself into my arms.
“You’re welcome,” I chuckled and hugged the cook against me. “Make sure to send some to Sela, alright? Several servings, in fact.”
“Already done,” Hali laughed as she pulled away and grinned up at me. “I just sent one of the younger girls up with three full plates of fruit, bread, eggs, and other things a mother needs. Now, come! It’s your turn to eat.”
The cook pulled me to the table, and just as she’d promised, she’d made a jam out of the brightly colored fruit, and she served it to me with a few pieces of fresh, warm coconut bread.
The fizzy taste of the fresh fruit was nothing compared to the way it was as a jam. The sweetness had been diluted a bit, and the spread was almost sour, but like a piece of sour candy and not a lemon. It had this lovely texture to it, and the fizz was more akin to the carbonation in soda instead of Pop Rocks now.
In short, it was heaven on a piece of bread.
Sex and wonderful food. I was almost crazy to leave this island. I knew there were other men who probably wouldn’t have, but I was fueled by my desire to save the other islands from those orcs. I just kept seeing that first attack, when the orc had fondled Talise like a doll instead of a living being.
The thought that the orcs would do that to other women on different islands lit a fire under me big enough to take out all of Florida.
“Everyone is ready to help build this boat, Ben,” Nerissa announced as she glided into the kitchen with our son on her hip. He was still half asleep, as he usually was in the morning, since he was much more of a night owl.
“Good.” I grinned. “I’m thankful the women are open to it.”
“We trust you completely,” Nerissa told me seriously. “We want you to have all the help you need.”
She bent down and pressed a kiss to my lips, and I drank in the soft smell of coconut soap as she murmured in my ear.
“After all, you are the Dragon King,” she whispered. “And the Dragon King does no wrong.”
A shiver raced down my spine, and I found myself mesmerized by the sway of Nerissa’s hips as she went to say good morning to Hali.
Gods, what a woman. I sure as hell was coming back, and when I did get back, I was going to put another baby, or three, in her.
I quickly finished my breakfast, and then went in search of Talise, since we needed the ganjika tar to put my final vision together. I’d thought about it, and I realized this was the best way to glue the wood together. It would be like a double insurance against those awful worms, or any other creature that might try to attack the raft from below.
“Ben!” Talise exclaimed when I finally found her near the beach. She was just off to the side and working over a patch of dirt.
“What are you doing?” I asked her as I took a quick glance around.
She’d created two containers out of some large rocks she must have found and then carved up with the help of a dragon tooth. The first was a small bowl, and the second reminded me of a cookie tin, with a flat bottom, a two-inch side, and a separate, flat piece over the top. There was also a pile of ganjika leaves and some kindling beside the healer.
But the main thing I noticed was Talise had dug a hole in the dirt, and now she stood over it with a proud smile.
“For the burning,” she told me. “Let me show you.”
The healer picked up the bowl and placed it in the middle of the hole, and then she began to pack dirt around it until it was buried in the ground, with only the top sticking out.
I wandered over and picked up the little container she’d made to find there was a small hole carved in both the lid and the bottom.
“This rock gets very hot when under a fire,” Talise explained as she indicated the container in my hands. “We use it for cooking, but I think it will work for this purpose as well.”
The healer quickly showed me how to pile the leaves in the container, and then placed the lid on it before she put it directly on top of the buried bowl.
“I see what you’re doing.” I picked up the kindling and started to pile it over the container full of ganjika leaves.
The healer was brilliant. She’d just made a makeshift system similar to a distillery. The leaves inside the container on top would partially burn, and that would create the tar, which would then drip out into the bottom bowl.
“Yes!” Talise exclaimed when I caught on to her plan.
We quickly finished our creation, and then lit a large fire over the rocks.
“We’ll let that burn until the fire is out, yeah?” I asked her.
“And when it is done, you will have tar.” The healer nodded. “I will make three more of these, and I will let you know when it’s ready.”
“You’re an angel,” I replied with a smile.
“I don’t know what that is,” Talise chuckled and sent me a wink, “but you’re welcome.”
By early afternoon, Talise had made enough tar to cover the entirety of the raft I wanted to make, and then some. I didn’t plan on making the raft too large, but there needed to be enough space for both Mira and me, and a few others depending on what the other islands looked like.
As Talise tended to the tar, though, I finalized the raft, and Nerissa hadn’t been joking when she said everyone was ready to help build it. With the exception of Careen, who was too pregnant, and Sela, who was still with the young babies, the entire village gathered down on the beach and awaited my orders.
I decided the best way to make the raft would be to set up an assembly of sorts, the way we’d done when we made the bows and arrows. So, I separated the women into three groups.
The first group I had tar over the entirety of the two rowboats I was using as pontoons. Now that the whole thing would be submerged in water, I wanted to make sure the worms couldn’t get to the wood. Plus, I wanted to make it impossible for water to get in and take us all down.
The second group of women went to work on building the actual platform. I showed them how to cut up the wood from the trees into long, flat boards, and then glue the boards together with the ganjika tar Talise had made for us. The stuff stank like hell, and was as sticky as any gorilla glue I’d ever come across, but it dried quickly, and even George had trouble trying to tear it apart. That was just the kind of thing I needed for this raft.
The third group went with me, and we started to work on the rudder and sail.
Unfortunately, I was once again faced with the challenge of my primitive work situation. Most rudders back home were metal and made with high tech tools that could create smooth, quick pieces.
On the island, however, I had to make do with a flat rudder that would allow me to turn, but it would be a bit difficult.
First, we cut a piece of wood about three feet long and a foot wide, and then attached it to a second, cylindrical piece of wood that would serve as a handle. When the raft was finished, I planned to cut a hole into the side where I would insert the handle, and then add a circular ring of wood around the part of the handle that was inside of the boat, so it didn’t fall out. The flat rudder would catch the water and force a long, but steady, turn, and anytime I didn’t want to use it, I’d slip it out of the water, and we could sail freely.
The biggest challenge, though, was the mast I needed to build, or rather, the sail. The mast itself was made with the help of three other women, who carved the column out of wood, and then carved a notch where I showed them to put a second column of wood perpendicular to the first, so it would make a cross. We then r
epeated the process about five feet lower, so the sail would be attached on both the bottom and top. Then I planned to pound it into a small hole in the platform and glue it to the base of the raft with the ganjika tar so it wouldn’t come out.
But I needed a sail.
“Nerissa, do you have any huge pieces of fabric I could use?” I asked the queen, who was enraptured by the building.
“Yes, but why?” she wondered as she turned to me with a confused frown.
“Look.” I pointed to the mast, which was laid out on the shiny, golden sand. “See the gap between the cross sections? If I put a huge piece of fabric there, it will catch the wind and help us sail across the water, so I don’t have to row all the time.”
Nerissa’s eyes went wide at my explanation, and I could tell the thought excited her.
“Ben, that is brilliant!” she gasped before she turned toward the palace. “I have just the thing for you. I will be back shortly.”
Ten minutes later, Nerissa returned carrying a roll of uncut cloth made from the fibers of leaves.
It was perfect.
“You are Oshun sent,” I told the queen and planted a wet kiss on her lips. Then I took the cloth from her and grinned.
Now, we were cooking.
I used my sword to cut a section just big enough for the sail, and then I set about lashing it to the mast. At the top, I tied it off with tight anchor bend knots in six different places, so it would come loose. On the bottom, though, I only tied it in three places, using slipknots, so I could easily roll it up when I didn’t want to use it.
By the time the sun was arching toward the horizon, the last thing to do was attach some pegs along the mast so I could climb it, and then it was ready to go up in the center of the raft.
It took seven of us--Darya, Zarya, Mira, myself, and three other warriors--to lift the mast and carry it over to the raft while the rest of the women turned it on its side. Talise and Hali quickly piled about a half an inch of tar in the center, and then they added more tar around the base of the mast while the seven of us pounded it into place.
And then it was done.
We all stepped back to admire the creation, and the looks on the women’s faces were priceless.
“I had no idea such things could exist!” Talise breathed in awe as she stared at the raft. “Ben, this is brilliant.”
“This is pretty old stuff, where I come from,” I said as I stretched my neck. “Hopefully, one day, I can show you all how to make something a little more modern, but for now, this will work. At least you’re not anchored to the island anymore. Those orc fuckers were the only ones who could travel, but they have another thing coming now.”
“Oshun certainly knew what he was doing when he made you,” Zarya purred as she laid a kiss on my cheek.
God, the warrior just oozed sex. Even her quick kiss turned me on, and I couldn’t wait to get back from this adventure so I could spend a few nights with her.
The village admired my raft for a little while longer before we all went back home for some good food and celebration. I loved the camaraderie of a building day. Pride was heavy in the air, and everyone shared the same excited, sentimental feeling.
I kind of understood why the Amish had barn raising parties.
Hali and her assistant cooks had prepared us a feast of grilled fish and vegetables for when we returned, and everyone ate and talked happily. Mira and I sat next to each other, but I could tell we were both decidedly quieter as we thought of the journey ahead.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked her hesitantly, since I wasn’t sure if her silence meant she was rethinking her decision to leave the island.
I couldn’t blame her, of course. Back home, traveling was normal. It was like a rite of passage for most people to leave their hometown and have some sort of an adventure. It wasn’t always great, but it sure as hell was better than nothing.
Here, though, it was different. Nobody left. They didn’t even travel into the jungle unless they planned to die. Hell, Jonas’ return was a novelty.
“Yes,” Mira answered with a broad smile and immediately assuaged my fears. “I am just dreaming of what it might be like. And what about the people we might meet on these other islands? You have brought us great innovation, Ben, and I wonder if they might do the same. Maybe they will have flying horses!”
The way she said it was so excited, like a little kid on Christmas, and I just had to laugh. I was so used to the sarcastic, stoic warrior, and her enthusiasm was a happy change.
“Where I come from, that’s a myth,” I laughed, “but they might have other technology, sure. What I really want is to find that island where those pirate assholes come from. I bet they’ve got some pretty cool stuff.”
Mira’s eyes narrowed as she thought about her mortal enemies, and I just knew she was dreaming of what it would be like to destroy every last one of them.
“What are you two talking about?” Talise asked as she swaggered up.
Her lids were heavy, though, and there was a sloppy, slow smile on the healer’s face. That was when I noticed the cup of bright pink liquid in her hand.
“Talise, are you drunk?” I asked as I forced back a laugh. This was quite a sight to see. The healer was always so put together.
Mira found it even more entertaining than I did, and she slapped a hand to her pretty mouth before she burst out into laughter that would usually send Talise into a lecture.
Talise, though, was way too drunk to notice.
“I have had some of this wonderful drink, yes,” Talise replied with a decisive nod. Her words were slurred, though, and she swayed on her feet as she spoke.
“Oh, yeah, you’re definitely drunk!” I didn’t bother to hide my laughter this time.
“I resent that statement, my king,” Talise fired back as she tried to put her hands on her hips.
But the moment the words were out of her mouth, she twisted around and fell into my lap in a tangled heap.
Her scent immediately consumed me. The light coconut soap had mixed in with the sweet smell of alcohol. I wrapped my arms around her waist to keep her from standing up, partially so I could keep drinking in her scent, and partially because I was afraid she’d crash into something else and break her nose if she wasn’t careful.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” I murmured into her ear.
“I’m fine,” the healer argued, but she nuzzled into my neck and dragged her tongue under my jaw.
“So drunk,” Mira snickered, and her golden eyes were full of mirth. “I’m totally teasing her about this in the morning.”
“Stop giggling and help me get her to bed,” I tried to order, but it came out more as a huff of laughter.
Mira shrugged, swiped the rest of Talise’s drink, and downed it all in one go as I shifted the healer from my lap to my arms.
“If you order it, I’ll go to bed, my king, even if I’m not sleepy,” Talise sighed, but she’d already wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my throat, so I didn’t think she was really bothered.
I carried her into the palace and to her room, where Marella was already fast asleep in her little bed with her dragon.
I gently laid Talise down on the mattress, and she instantly flopped back and yanked the blanket over her. Then a look of happy contentment crossed her face, and I reveled in that expression.
“Lay with me,” Talise begged and tugged on the sleeve of my shirt, but I didn’t plan on resisting.
“As you wish,” I whispered as I laid back down and cradled her against me so I could stroke her hair.
Talise pushed herself as close to me as possible, like she wanted to just melt into my side and become one with me.
“I am very glad you came here to our island,” she muttered against my chest, and the softness of her voice reverberated against my ribcage in a thrilling massage.
“Me too,” I murmured.
No sooner were the words out of my mouth then Talise’s breaths evened out an
d became the deep, heavy ones that always accompanied sleep.
I tried to stave off my own slumber for as long as possible so I could listen to the symphony of both Talise’s and Marella’s breaths as they dreamt, but I wasn’t very successful, and I soon fell asleep, too.
The next day was the last before Mira and I embarked on our journey, and I decided to spend it making sure my village was as safe and re-enforced as possible. I patched up a few holes in our fence early in the morning, I lashed new bamboo sticks onto it in places I thought were weak, and I made sure there were extra bows and arrows at the top, so no one would ever be without a weapon.
Next, I checked on the hut I had started to lovingly refer to as the armory. I made about fifty new arrows and sharpened every single sword and knife in the place. If those orc fuckers tried to mess with my women, they’d be stabbed with a very nasty wake up call.
After that, I checked every single hut in the village and made sure it could withstand a storm, just in case one decided to pop up. Then I gathered Darya, Zarya, and Mira so we could go out and hunt down one last boar before it was time for me to leave.
I knew I’d be back, and I knew I wouldn’t be gone for years and years, but there was something in me that just needed to make sure I’d done everything in my power before I could leave. Love had awakened some sort of primal instinct in me that I guessed wasn’t unlike the hunter-gatherer mentality.
Stock up on food, have a good shelter, and stay away from your enemies.
I needed to get these things done for my women, for my family, or I couldn’t leave this island with a good conscience.
“I see tracks here,” Darya announced and drew me from my thoughts.
We were on the outskirts of the jungle, with swords in hand, as we worked to track down our prey.
“Lead the way.” I grinned at the warrior.
I probably didn’t need to be so worried about killing one last boar before I left, since I had complete faith in Darya’s and Zarya’s hunting skills, but I also needed to occupy my mind. The sun would go down soon, and I wouldn’t be able to hunt or build. I’d be forced to sit and wonder about what was to come, and I wanted to put that off for as long as possible.