by Logan Jacobs
Theora lowered her thick black lashes, and a light blush crawled to her cheeks. Then she drew her bottom lip into her mouth and looked up at me as she waited for my response.
For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I was too caught up in the daydream of what it would be like to be inside the strong, determined woman with the beautiful black hair.
“Whenever you want.” I nodded quickly. “You say the word, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
I winked at the brunette as her eyes gazed at the muscles in my torso, and then she stepped forward and kissed my cheek softly.
“You are a very good man, Ben,” she whispered into my ear. Her hot breath tickled the hair that lined the outer rim of my earlobe, and a shiver of anticipation slipped up and down my spine. The image of Theora, round with pregnancy, with even fuller breasts and a plump ass, was enough to send me over the edge.
I could not wait until we landed on the other island, and I could get her all to myself. If a baby was what she wanted, I’d give it to her, no matter how long it took.
I’d give all of them beautiful babies.
Mira and I grabbed some grilled fish and vegetables and ate lunch alongside the rest of the deer women. When the sun started to hang low in the sky, and its rays just started to grow pink, I rose and gave Ainsley a signal with a nod of my head.
“Sisters, is everyone ready?” she asked.
The deer women all nodded their heads and affirmed aloud. Some were breathless with excitement, some a bit nervous, and others more silent as they steeled themselves for the journey. But there was not a doubt in my mind that they were all happy to go along, even if it hadn’t always been what they wanted.
Nima and Thornen carried Netta out of the medicine tent, on a makeshift cot that had two thin logs on each side, like a hospital transport from World War I. They stood on either end of the bed and grabbed a log in each hand, so the cot was stretched between them, with Netta’s comatose figure lying prone on top.
Our hike through the forest was a little slower than usual as the deer women said goodbye to the island. They touched trees and kissed the leaves of bushes as they passed, and the women murmured prayers to their Goddess, Nira, and thanked the island for its kindness over the generations of deer people who had inhabited the land.
It was as if the island itself had a pulse to them and was a real, live person they were saying goodbye to.
Mira and I watched in both awe and surprise the entire journey, but the deer women never let up. They swept their fingers along the bark of the trees and picked up small handfuls of dirt, then let it sift through their fingers.
When we made it to the soft golden sand of the beach, Ainsley knelt down where the sand met the dirt. The deer women all followed suit, and Mira and I stepped back to observe quietly and give them all this one last moment with their homeland for the foreseeable future.
“Goddess Nira,” Ainsley prayed aloud, while the others were silent. “My sisters and I thank you for allowing us to use this land and profit from its many gifts. You have allowed us to survive and prosper in this land, and you are the reason our people have survived this far. We thank you and pray you look over the dead we have buried here, the loved ones we lost to the invaders, and the ones who died of natural causes before that. Blessings to you, my Goddess.”
“Blessings to you,” the rest of the women repeated.
They remained in that position for a moment, then touched their foreheads to the earth before they rose and turned to Mira and me.
“We are ready now,” Jemma said with a happy smile. “How are we to do this?”
I explained the plan Mira and I had formed earlier that morning. The tide was high now, a good five feet up the side of the ship, and would hopefully be enough to help carry us out to shore, with the right amount of pushing.
So, forty of the deer women remained on the beach as the rest of us climbed aboard the ship. Ainsley and Jemma climbed up the mast of the main sail, while Theora and Sarayah climbed up the mast of the secondary sail. Mira and I positioned ourselves behind the wheel, ready to steer and call out orders, while the rest of the village remained on the deck, prepared to help in any way they could.
I wet the tip of my right index finger on my tongue and held it up to feel for the wind direction. It wasn’t quite as strong of a gust as I would have liked, but I was sure it would be enough to push us from the sand and out into the ocean. Lucky for us, the wind was coming directly off the island and would hit our sails nearly straight on, which would be a massive help as we pushed off the beach.
“Is everyone ready?” I yelled out.
I received affirmations from the women below the ship, and then I looked to the four who manned the sails.
Each one gave me a firm nod.
“Alright, on my signal, push as hard as you can!” I instructed. “You guys have to let the sails loose at the exact same time.”
I waited a moment as the breeze picked up slightly, glanced behind me at the clear, open ocean, and then gripped the wheel with both hands.
“One, two, three!”
On “three” the wind blew forward with immense force, just as the four women snapped open the sails. The ones below heaved with all their might, and the wood creaked and protested as the ship started to drag backward through the sand and float a little more in the high tide.
But it was moving.
“It is working!” Mira yelled. “Keep going!”
I worked to keep the ship as straight as I possibly could and pointed straight into the wind as the boat was shoved backward, foot by foot. Meanwhile, Ainsley, Jemma, Theora, and Sarayah held tight to the ropes of the sails to make sure nothing snapped and ruined our plan.
And then, after about thirty more seconds of intense pushing, steering, and hoping, I felt the ship free itself from the sand completely. The dragging pressure suddenly disappeared, and we floated a few feet upward as the wind pushed us out onto the open ocean.
“Yes!” I shouted and pumped my fist up into the air, and a cry of excitement rose from my ship’s crew at the exact same time. We waited as we floated far from the shore, so we didn’t risk accidentally getting caught in the sand once again.
“It worked!” Mira grinned from ear to ear as soon as we were far enough out, and the jade-haired warrior went over to grab the thick metal anchor and prepared to lob it over the side. “Raise the sails!”
As the sails were pulled upward, Mira heaved the anchor over the side of the ship and stopped our backward process so we could wait for the women on shore to row over to us.
“We’ve got ourselves a working ship, Mira!” I told her.
“Yes, my king.” She nodded, and her brilliant gold eyes sparkled as she smiled at me. “Soon, you will have an entire army to man it.”
“Damn straight,” I chuckled. “I’m going to be like Captain Sparrow, except much less of a drunk.”
“I am not sure who Captain Sparrow is, but if he is anything like you, I think I would like him,” she laughed.
“Sailing is fun!” Jemma yelled down from her perch atop the mast. “Being up here reminds me of the trees on our island. I don’t think this will be so bad!”
“Just remember, the trees at home don’t have waves below them to rock them,” I called up to her. “Make sure you hold on tight.”
“I shall hold this mast the way I hold you.” Jemma grinned back at me.
The rest of the village arrived a few minutes later, and we secured the row boats to the side of the ship before they climbed up the ladder. Everyone exchanged hugs and congratulations, and then they all turned to me for their orders.
“Alright, ladies, this is what we’ve been preparing for all week,” I told them. “Sailing on the open ocean. To your stations!”
Instantly, everyone scattered and went to their respective stations. The second shift went below deck to get some rest before it was their turn, while the other women got to work securing ropes and making sure the equipment was re
ady for the journey.
“Sails at the ready!” I yelled.
“Ready!” Ainsley hollered back.
“Ready!” Theora echoed.
“Number One, haul anchor!” I shouted.
“I will assume you are speaking to me,” Mira chuckled as she grabbed the thick metal chain and started to haul the anchor back onto the deck. The second it broke free from the sand below, the ship started to drift along the water as the sails came down.
“It’s a Star Trek reference,” I laughed. “Which you don’t know because you don’t have TV. It just means you’re my second in command.”
“I suppose I can be second if it is to you,” Mira joked as she lifted the anchor back onto the ship and dropped it to the wood of the deck.
For the second time that day, the sails were fully lowered, and they caught the wind at a perfect, forty degree angle. I turned the wheel just a little bit, and the ship started to sail onward, headed for the distant island we would all soon call home.
Sea water sprayed up and speckled the back of my neck with cool droplets, and they were welcome in the high heat of the warm, tropical sun. I watched as some fish flipped and twisted about in the distance, and bright birds soared overhead, let out squawks and trills, rolled over, and dove toward the brilliant blue water for food.
The wind blew through my hair, and I took a moment to tilt my head back and stare up at the crystal blue sky.
This was the definition of paradise.
There was a bit of a learning curve over the next few hours. I’d never been the captain of a vessel while I was in the Coast Guard, and we’d certainly never sailed one nearly as big as the orc ship, but I figured it out pretty quickly. It was all a matter of who I gave orders to, and when. Mira’s watchful eyes were helpful, and she pointed out a few loose ropes and knots that needed to be tighter whenever she spotted them.
About three hours into the journey, I gave the call to switch to the second shift. I could see the women on deck were exhausted, despite the week of rigorous training they had endured. It was nothing like actually sailing along the open ocean. That was infinitely more draining, especially since we now had the wind to contend with, which proved to be a bit unpredictable. We had to raise the sails a few times when the strength of the gusts became too much and blew the ship off course.
Ainsley, Jemma, Sarayah, and Theora gladly climbed down from the enormous masts and slunk down below deck, ready to drop onto a mattress and sleep for the next few hours.
Nima came onto the top deck, followed by the three deer women who would man the sails with her, including Brenna and Thornen.
“How is everything up here?” Nima asked, and the redhead smiled softly as she gazed over the edge of the boat and took in the rolling, beautiful ocean.
“A work in progress,” I told her. “Ready for your turn?”
“Absolutely.” The redhead nodded happily at me before she turned and swiftly climbed up the mast, where the sails were halfway unfurled. Then she instantly got busy as she tightened and adjusted knots and made sure everything was in order.
I watched her as she worked. Nima was a slight enigma to me, but I was attracted as hell to her soft, determined demeanor.
As I watched her turn to face the ocean, away from the main part of the mast, and bend down to tighten a rope, a part of the jib rigging snapped free. Thornen was below it, and the brunette screamed as the hook that had been lodged in the wood swung up and out, right toward Nima’s head.
“Nima, watch out!” I shouted in warning.
The redhead spun around, and her eyes widened when she saw the piece of metal that was headed straight for her head, but then she quickly reached one hand out and caught the rope. It had too much momentum to be stopped by her hand, though, and it took Nima with it as it swung back further. Her feet left the mast, but she hung on as it swung backward and forward.
I breathed a sigh of relief as she swung backward and forward on the rope, suspended in the air just below the cross of the mast, but perfectly safe and unharmed.
When the rope had finally killed off all of its momentum, Thornen pulled it up, and Nima landed back on the mast.
Quickly, she scampered down the ladder, in need of the solid floor of the deck, as I rushed down to meet her.
“Are you alright?” I demanded as I grabbed the red headed deer woman in a hug.
Her entire body shivered, even her little antlers, but she managed to nod into my chest.
“I am fine, Ben,” she breathed. “Just a little shaken, is all. I am not harmed.”
“Well, that was certainly an adventure.” I blew out a breath and stepped back to examine her hand. The skin on her palm was red, but she was right. The woman was unharmed. “Let me go check on that hook and fix it, so that doesn’t happen again.”
I climbed up the mast myself and maneuvered over to the left side, where the hook had been hammered into the wood.
It had pulled free and left a gaping hole, but the wood itself wasn’t rotten, which was a relief. The last thing I needed was a rotten mast while we were out in the middle of the ocean.
I pulled the rope to me, yanked the jib taut again, then secured the hook back to the wood with some extra rope and really, really tight knots. I absolutely did not want it to break free again and hurt anybody. Nima had been quick on her feet, but other women might not be so lucky.
When I was satisfied it was secure, I climbed down and returned to the steering wheel, which Mira had taken over in my absence.
“Thanks,” I told her as I moved to take back over my post.
“Uh-uh.” She shook her head and narrowed her gold eyes at me. “You need rest.”
“Mira, I’m fine,” I protested, even though I nearly drooled at the thought of sleep. Still, I was determined to stay awake for as long as possible. I was too scared that I would leave, and something drastic would go wrong.
“No,” the jade-haired warrior argued. “I am putting my foot down, my king. You are no good to anyone if you are half asleep at your post. In fact, I believe that would cause more problems.”
“You haven’t rested, though,” I pointed out to her.
“I do not have purple circles under my eyes.” She quirked a green eyebrow up at me and smirked.
“Fine,” I sighed and gave in. “But if anything happens, anything at all, you wake me up right away, even if I’m in the middle of a R.E.M. cycle, got it?”
“Absolutely.” She nodded seriously. “This R.E.M. cycle will not thwart me from waking you.”
“That’s … ahh, nevermind,” I snickered and then reluctantly went below deck.
Mira was right, though. I was just as exhausted as the crew of deer women, even though I wasn’t the one manning the sails and tying off ropes. The anxious energy I’d held the entire day as I tried to help the women get used to sailing on the actual ocean had finally caught up with me, and I needed to rest my eyes for just a little bit.
There were two private cabins below decks. We had set one up for the deer women to sleep in, with mattresses scattered over the floor, and the second was a captain’s cabin.
I peeked into the first one and saw the mattresses were all filled with sleeping figures. I was just about to turn and look in the other room when a soft voice whispered my name.
“Ben,” Jemma called out.
I turned back and squinted into the pitch black of the room.
Thanks to my dragon vision, I was able to pick out her auburn hair and chartreuse eyes in the dark room. She laid on a mattress in the upper right corner of the room and waved for me to come over.
Carefully, I stepped between mattresses and over sleeping forms as I made my way to her. Then I laid down and stretched out as the deer woman made room for me, and Jemma snuggled into my side and placed her mouth just below my ear, so we could talk quietly and not disturb anyone.
“How is your first day as captain?” she asked.
“Perfect,” I murmured. “How’s your first day as an oce
an adventurer?”
“Better than perfect,” she giggled. “I love being on this beautiful blue ocean, and I love being with you.”
Her dainty hand traced patterns over my chest, and I could feel the warmth of her fingertips through the soft material of my shirt.
“I think this journey is going to be smooth sailing,” I told her. “And it’s perfect practice for when I head out with the ship to explore the other islands.”
“How many are there?” she asked.
“A lot,” I replied. “I found a map in an orc rowboat a while ago. There are so many people who need my help.”
“I want to help them, too,” she whispered. “I want to defeat the invaders on every island possible, and travel with you as Mira does. Would you like that?”
“I would love that,” I told her, and I smiled into her soft, wavy auburn hair.
“Good,” she said.
Her voice had grown heavy with sleep, and after a few moments, her hand stopped drawing patterns on my chest, and her breathing evened out.
I stared up at the dark ceiling and imagined the adventures the three of us would have as I drifted off to sleep. I’d build up a crew of gorgeous women who would explore the world with me, and it would be amazing.
My dreams were filled with the other islands and what it would be like when I arrived on them. My daughter, Marella, had told me of the woman with long, long, long legs and lightning blue eyes, and she’d been absolutely right. I was almost certain Marella had seen Ainsley in her vision. I knew I didn’t have the power of foresight my daughter did, but I still dreamt of all sorts of different women, with beautiful curves and magnetic eyes that looked straight out of a fairytale.
I was just in the midst of discovering a totally new island with women who had eyes like tigers and long tails that grew out of their asses when a frantic voice woke me from my sleep.
“Ben! Ben, wake up!”
Slowly, my eyes opened to find I was not with the tiger women, but instead, in the lower level of the orc ship.