by Logan Jacobs
And I’d make sure I’d be the one to teach him a lesson.
“Do you think it’s just the king at the top?” I asked Mira. “I mean, as dumb as these guys are, they seem to have some kind of system going on, with commanders and troops who report to the king.”
“You are right,” she mused and bumped her shoulder into me. “But they’re nothing compared to us. Even if they have some basic organization, they’ve proven themselves to be idiots. Once we have enough numbers to fight them, they do not stand a chance.”
“We have to be ready.” I nodded. “I’m not sure how many more islands are populated, or how many people they have, but we have to build up an army. And any army made of angry women out for revenge on a bunch of sick dudes is going to win.”
“That’s because women are the superior sex.” Mira grinned playfully.
“Please.” I rolled my eyes. “You still need to screw me to have a baby, Ms. Superior Sex.”
“There is no one I would rather screw, Draco Rex,” Mira chuckled.
The warrior leaned over and laid her head against my shoulder, and we sat on the platform, warmed by the roaring fire, and stared up at the stars that blanketed the night sky above us. I couldn’t see everything through the branches of the trees, but the stars I did see shone and sparkled with the most brilliant light.
I’d started to form my own constellations in the blanket of stars I could spot at night. The night sky here was completely different from the one back on Earth, but I liked that. I got to be the pioneer of constellations and decide what they looked like and what to name them.
I’d already named one after all of my kids. There was a bright star that shone every night, high above, and seemed to twinkle more than the rest. It was surrounded by a perfect circle of ten dimmer, smaller stars, but the ten stars twinkled equally and almost always in sync.
That was the constellation for me, my children, and the children yet to come.
I sat there and stared at the stars, and I wondered just how I should go about this war. At this point, there was no doubt in my mind that it was, in fact, a war. The massive battle on the beach the week before, and the arrival of the orc ship, had proven that. The orc population had to be massive, but they were spread out among the different islands as they tried to conquer them all. And this world didn’t have cell phones or the internet, so they were out of contact with their home base.
The beginnings of a plan had started to form in my head over the last day or so. If I went to each island and helped defeat the orcs there, I could build my own army. And by the time I freed the last island and saved the women from the orcs, I was sure I’d have an army that would rival the orcs’ in size. Plus, I already knew the women I’d found were more skilled than the bumbling, idiotic orc soldiers.
The only question I was left with was whether or not I should build our base on the dragonkin women’s island. It was the first place I’d landed, and because of that, I loved it, but this journey had already shown me other islands might have more necessary supplies on them. It was completely possible there was another island where I could build a massive base more safely. Maybe an island with more advanced building equipment, or more flat land so we could build more easily.
I knew I wouldn’t have the answer until I’d explored at least a few more islands, but the thoughts ran circles around my mind as I stared up at the bright white stars.
One thing was for sure, though: there was a lot of exploring left to do, and a lot of women to save.
The next several days were focused on finding what each woman’s strengths were on the ship. I wanted to concentrate everyone into a few different groups. Some would watch the seas, some would man the sails up top, some would be on the bottom, and we would rotate shifts. A ship like the orc vessel needed to be watched and manned at all times, not just during the day. Automatic steering and navigation weren’t exactly technologies that existed in this world.
As I’d suspected, Jemma and Ainsley were the best climbers in the group. The two women were swift in the trees, but the ladders on the poles attached to the sails helped them to climb even more quickly, and I watched as they leapt and scurried from one end of the sail to the other like spider monkeys.
Two days before we hoped to leave, everyone had learned all of the skills they needed to, and they learned them well.
I stood on the deck of the boat, with the hot sun overhead, as I watched Ainsley and Jemma unfurl the jib and main sail.
This was one of the final tests to decide which women would be in charge of the sails up top, and which women would stay on the deck. I knew, of course, that climbing up the sails and working them while the ship was beached was vastly different than doing so on the open ocean, with waves that would crash up against us and rock the ship, but there was no way to try and replicate that at the moment.
Ainsley was on top, five feet above Jemma, as she let loose the two smaller sails. The blonde quickly grabbed the rope, pulled it taut, and tied the sails off. Jemma swiftly followed suit with the jib, while Ainsley climbed down, and once the jib was taut and filled with air, Ainsley leapt down from her perch and helped Jemma work the main sail.
“Time!” Jemma cried out excitedly when they were both finished, and her chartreuse eyes looked at me as she waited for my verdict.
“Two minutes and forty seven seconds.” I grinned at my two women. “Who’s next?”
“I don’t know if any of us can beat that!” Theora exclaimed with a broad smile. “The two of you did such a fantastic job.”
“Thank you.” Ainsley, ever the picture of grace, nodded at Theora as she and Jemma climbed down. “That was quite fun.”
“Well, it looks like you and Jemma are going to be on the main sail whenever you’re not sleeping.” I grinned and grabbed the strawberry blonde around the waist so I could plant a kiss on her soft head.
“Really?” Jemma clapped her hands in excitement. “That’s such a big job!”
“And there’s no one we’d trust more with it,” Theora replied. “What will the rest of us do, Ben?”
The deer woman tossed her shiny brown hair behind her, and her green eyes glistened with excitement as she waited for my answer. Her light olive skin had a golden glow in the sun, and it made her look almost angelic.
“Mira?” I looked for the warrior, who strode up to my side at her name. “What do you think?”
“I think Theora and Sarayah would do well on the second sail,” the warrior said. “Nima has made much progress in strength training, so she would be worthy to steer the ship if you and I cannot.”
“Great.” I nodded.
After another hour, we’d sorted out all of the women into groups based on where their strengths lay. We made sure everyone had at least one spare rotation so the women could all get enough sleep during the few days we would be on the water. It had only taken Mira and I about a day and a half to get to the deer women’s island from our home island, but the raft we’d traveled on had been much smaller and easier to maneuver. I figured it would only take us two days total with the larger vessel, but I still wanted to be prepared. If things didn’t go completely to plan, it wouldn’t do us much good to have an exhausted crew trying to sail the ship back home.
The last two days were spent making preparations. We took down the tents in the village and rolled up the vine bridges to load onto the ship. I wanted to take any materials we might possibly need, so we also gathered more clay and lumber.
On the last day, we went out on a final hunting and gathering mission. I took Jemma, Sarayah, and Nima to hunt, while Mira and Ainsley gathered fruits and vegetables.
“I am going to miss this place,” Nima sighed as we walked softly through the forest in search of tarrels. “But I do hope we can heal my sister when we make it back to your island, Ben.”
The red headed woman gripped her bow just a little harder and stared into the forest. The huge trees cast shadows along the golden ground and made the dead, wet leaves shine in
the slivers of sunlight.
Netta, Nima’s sister, had been in a coma since before the final orc battle. She’d been attacked during our missions to get rid of the oil barrels, and the only way her body had been able to heal herself was to put her into a deep sleep. Thornen, the village healer, had feared Netta would die, but the beautiful deer woman was stronger than that. She’d defied all odds and continued to breathe, though she hadn’t woken up. I’d never encountered a coma in this world before, but I knew from Talise that the water dragons had healing powers that could treat any wound. A wound of the brain was just as bad as a wound of the body, and I was sure one dose of George’s magic would wake Netta up.
“There’s a woman on the dragonkin island,” I told Nima. “Her name is Talise. She knows more about healing and magic than anyone I have ever met. I’ve seen her do some miraculous things I would have never thought possible. I am sure she will know how to heal your sister.”
Nima nodded and laced her fingers through mine, but her green eyes still refused to meet my gaze. I paused, and the redhead stopped next to me. Behind us, Jemma and Sarayah also stopped, but the two women looked away to give Nima and me a private moment.
“I am afraid even that won’t be enough,” Nima finally sighed. “I love the women of this village, and I am sure I will love the dragonkin women, too, but Netta is my sister. When the orcs first came, she helped me hide away from them. We were just children, but if it weren’t for Netta, I would be dead right now, or a prisoner of the orcs. When she was attacked, I did nothing to save her. I was not able to help her the way she helped me, and now I am afraid I will never get the chance. I heard Thornen telling Kella she had never seen a dead sleep last more than a moon cycle. In seven days time, it will have been one moon cycle since Netta was attacked.”
“I see,” I murmured.
Tears pricked Nima’s eyes, and she bit her full lips as she wiped them away angrily. I could tell she was a woman who hated to let others see her cry.
“I am sorry, Ben,” she whispered. “You are doing so much to help her, and I am complaining to you. You must think I am terrible.”
“Not in the least.” I shook my head. “I think you’re normal. And I promise you, we will find a way to heal your sister.”
Nima looked up at me, and I could see complete trust in her large green eyes. Then she nodded and leaned forward to wrap herself in my arms. I let her stay there for as long as she wanted, and when she pulled away, we continued on our hunt without another word.
I could see a small spring in her step now, though. She was lighter than she had been before, and I was so damn glad I was able to help her feel like that.
A few hours later, we all returned to what was left of the deer women’s village. We’d packed most of the tents onto the orc ship and left the main platforms and a few fires for our last night, since Ainsley wanted to have one more feast before we left, as a send off to the island she wasn’t sure she’d ever see again.
So, we all gathered on the main platform around a roaring fire and enjoyed the food as Sarayah and Theora tapped out rhythmic songs on their drums to entertain us.
“Sisters,” Ainsley said as she stood up. “I would like to say a few words.”
Instantly, all the eyes of the village were glued to Ainsley, their President, as she spoke.
“Tonight is momentous.” Ainsley grinned. “Tomorrow, we will do something that no deer people have ever done. We will board a ship and sail across the bright sea to another land, filled with other people. Our people are not normally adventurous ones, but we are starting a new tradition. A new kind of deer people will be born on this island!”
Everyone raised their glasses and cheered as Ainsley smiled and touched her stomach.
Our child would be the first of her people to be born on a different island. He or she would be part deer, part dragonkin, and part human.
I was about to create an entirely new world. Tomorrow, we would sail toward the dragonkins’ island. And after that?
I had no idea what the future would bring.
Chapter Four
The next morning, the sun had just begun to creep over the horizon and blanket the world with its soft golden rays when I woke up on Ainsley’s bed. The strawberry blonde was still fast asleep, though. Over the last two weeks, I’d noticed she’d started to sleep more and more. Before her pregnancy, she was always the first to rise and the last to go to bed. Now, she went to bed with the first wave of tired deer women, and she woke up when the sun was in the sky and warming our bodies.
Other than her sleep pattern, though, the baby inside her hadn’t changed Ainsley one bit. She was still energized and athletic, ready to take on any challenge that came her way. Sometimes, it made me nervous when I saw her swing from the mast of the ship or climb a tall tree, but I knew the deer woman would never do anything to put our child in jeopardy. She knew her body’s limits and would never push herself past them.
As had become my custom whenever I woke by Ainsley’s side, I bent down to kiss her stomach lightly. It was still taut and slim, with no sign of the baby growing within. The deer women’s pregnancies now seemed so slow in comparison to Nerissa’s, or Talise’s. At first, I’d been so shocked by the speed with which my children had been born, and then grown. Now, though, it seemed so normal for a woman to have a noticeable bump a few weeks into her pregnancy.
I looked at Ainsley one last time as she slumbered peacefully before I rolled off the mattress and stood up on the platform we now shared with all the other deer women. I slipped past their sleeping figures and headed toward the ladder on the main tree, and per usual, Mira rose silently and followed me down, ready to help with any of the day’s needs, no questions asked.
We followed the now familiar path from the base of the village to the far beach where the orc camp and ship were. The deserted camp was still an eerie place, especially now that we had torn apart most of the buildings to use for our own supplies. It looked like an old, abandoned town in a Western movie, and I could just imagine Clint Eastwood clicking his spurs as he marched through town and stared down every dark corner with his wicked blue eyes.
“Tonight we sail home.” Mira grinned as she rushed past the orc camp toward the massive ship. Now that we’d all spent so much time on it, the vessel looked less intimidating. It seemed more like a ship meant for exploration and adventure, rather than conquering innocent civilizations.
We’d made it our own, and I just knew the massive ship would take Mira, me, and anyone else who wanted to join us on the most amazing journeys.
“The tide should be high enough.” I nodded as I eyed the crystal blue ocean, which had crept up under the boat over the last few days. It ebbed and flowed daily, but as the moon became fuller, the high tide was higher and helped to loosen the ship from the beach. The bottom was still buried in grains of sand, but the earth had loosened up underneath it. With the right amount of manpower to give it a good shove, and an even higher tide, we should be able to get off the beach and out into the open ocean with almost no problems.
“It will come when the sun is ready to set,” Mira pointed out. “Should we leave then?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Let’s make sure the ship is ready, and then we’ll get back to the village and prepare the women.”
Mira and I checked every inch of the orc ship. We made sure the lumber was secured in the back rooms, below the deck, so it wouldn’t roll around while we rode the waves. Then we checked on the supplies we’d loaded in the days before. There were stores of dried meat and fish, as well as fruits and vegetables from the garden. Jemma and Theora had even caught some of the squirts, the octopus looking creatures with the secretions that sped up the healing process. The animals were trapped in a few clay pots that had been filled with salt water and small fish for food. We’d bring them back to the dragonkin island, where Talise could store them and use their discharge whenever she needed to.
Once we knew our supplies were all ready, we climbed u
p the masts and checked over the sails. I ran my fingers along the rough fabric and tried to place it. The cloth was coarser than the tree bark material the deer women used, but softer than what the dragonkin women wore. Its texture reminded me of wool, so I assumed it might be spun from some sort of animal fur.
Which made me even more curious about just what these orcs had on their island. Not only the animals they possessed to shear for clothing, but the equipment they used to spin the fur into material.
There were no holes or rips, so I put down the material and hopped off the mast.
“The ship is in perfect order.” I grinned at Mira.
“Then it’s time for an adventure, Draco Rex,” she chuckled.
“Let’s grab the rafts and put them ashore, then we can head back,” I informed her.
We took the last two life rafts from their perch on the side of the ship and dragged them onto the beach for the women to use after they pushed the ship off the shore. We’d anchor it not too far from the beach, once the water was deep enough, and they’d row out to us. It was the only way we’d have enough power to get the vessel unstuck from the sand where it was beached. The orcs might have the technology to make an incredible ship, but when it came to actually sailing it correctly, they were all dumber than dirt.
When we returned, the village was so alive with excitement it was nearly tangible. The deer women had already risen and were gathered to eat lunch when Mira and I returned.
“Ben! Ben!” Jemma waved at me as I approached the group. “Is everything ready for later today? I am so excited to sail to your island and see where you are from!”
“I’m glad,” I chuckled. “Everything’s all set. In a few days’ time, you all will officially step foot on another land.”
“The first of our people to be adventurers.” Theora grinned up at me, and her bright emerald eyes flashed in excitement. “Time cannot move swiftly enough. I pray on this other island I will be able to help our people grow in number, just as Ainsley is doing now.”