by Xander Jade
Nana, the kitsune, was a mind mage, illusion her specialty. She was a petite 5’5” woman with small brown fox ears and two brown tails with white spots sticking out of her backside. The kitsune had small breasts and a round ass.
Yenis was a harpy. The woman was around 6’ tall and had a lithe body. Most of her body was covered in gray feathers and she had gray wings on her back.
All of them had great attitudes even though the last couple of years had been rough on them.
Sherie and Tianna both had daughters. Tianna’s daughter Emoli was over a hundred years old and Rosira, Sherie’s daughter, was almost fifty.
Lilyann found Tianna at the stove, cooking breakfast. She came up and slapped the drow on her ass. Tianna smiled and wiggled it at her. Both giggled and said good morning to each other. Lilyann got a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.
Tianna placed eggs and ham onto a plate before setting it in front of her friend. “I just cooked the last of the eggs and ham, dear.” The drow smiled sadly and went back to the stove.
“How are we on money, Tianna?”
Tianna was the one who took care of their finances. She looked over her shoulder and shrugged. “We’re okay, the assholes took more for taxes this month.”
Lilyann ate some eggs before responding, “Give it to me straight, Tianna.”
She sighed. “If this keeps up then I’m not sure how we will make it. Nana and Yenis have already decided to leave.”
Lilyann knew this was coming. She ate in silence for a few moments. The drow sat down and ate across from her, both in their own worlds.
“What are your plans?”
Tianna looked over and replied, “I don’t know, Lily. I’ve thought about it over and over, but can’t come up with a solution. It might be time to separate, Sherie suggested it as well.”
Lilyann gasped, “She did?”
“Yes, hon. Matter of fact, I believe when Nana and Yenis leave then she and Rosira will as well.”
The beastkin sighed and closed her eyes. She thought about a solution to the problem while eating the last remnants of her meal. Nothing she came up with was right for them. But then a thought came to her and she smiled. “Tianna, when are they planning on leaving?”
“A couple of days or so. Why?”
Lilyann put down her fork and answered in a low voice, “Because I may have an answer to our problem.”
Tianna immediately looked up. “What is it?”
Lilyann had it in her mind that he would be okay with what she was about to say to her longtime friend. “I know of a place that we can work for room and board. They have a farm and a home that can room all four of us.”
The drow asked warily, “Where? And don’t say we need to join a family already established with multiple wives.”
She smiled at her. “No. Not an established family, but I will not say another word. It will ruin the surprise.”
Tianna looked at her like she was nuts. “You know I don’t like surprises.”
Lilyann giggled and replied, “I’m well aware of that fact, but be patient, will you?”
Her friend grunted. “Where is said farm?”
“It’s out of town, about ten miles from here.”
“How the hell do you know where this farm is that far out?”
Lilyann smirked and said, “Celina and I came upon it while rummaging in the forest.”
Tianna shook her head and thought it wasn’t a good idea, but they didn’t have any other prospects.
“Fine, but Emoli is in Strongfair with her friend Nikki. She’s due back tomorrow. You can show us this… farm then.”
Lily nodded and smiled, “You will love it there, Tianna.”
The drow grunted but didn’t say anything else. They left for work afterwards.
~~~~~~
The next morning William and I were up early, we had lots of work to do. After gathering the eggs and milk, I checked on the garden to see if it needed anything. It was really coming along. I had the boy start watering it and needed to somehow get water for irrigation to my crops. I had to add that to the list. I didn’t know how often it rained there.
I also needed to work out how to make cream, butter, and cheese from the milk before it spoiled. I wondered if one of the books on the shelves had instructions for creating those products.
Either that or take the milk to town and sell, but that would be a wasted trip in my mind. Maybe it was wrong of me to get four dairy cows. I sighed and told myself that others would be joining up.
We started measuring out the trees to finish the trusses. Cutting the trees up that were already down, we had the Jutlands help move them and get them into place. Time went by and before we knew it, the sun was at its peak. Huh, lunch time then. I got William’s attention.
“Let’s go eat, bud.”
He nodded and we had some ham sandwiches. Today I really had a hankering for mayo and mustard, hell, even ketchup. “William, do they have mayo here or mustard? Ketchup?”
He immediately asked, “What are they?”
Huh. That answers that. “They are condiments. You can spread them on bread for sandwiches, eat them on food.”
“What’s a condiment?”
I replied with a smile, “It adds flavor to the food.”
The boy nodded and said, “Like dressing for a salad?”
“Sort of, but what I asked for are used on lots of foods and they aren’t difficult to make.”
I thought to test out with some of the ingredients I already had. Ketchup and Mayo for sure, even barbecue sauce since I already had the ingredients when the ketchup was made. Mustard would have to wait because I didn’t have the main ingredients. Hmm. Just thinking about it, my mind knew the surrounding towns would go ape shit for those products. I smiled. I’d start tonight. I had some extra jars. It would be a great way to make some coin until I could start in metallurgy. Maybe I could make a deal with a blacksmith with orders of knives and daggers. No, they would get suspicious.
I did count the pile that I took from Espa’s gang. It was a pretty good haul, thirty gold and fifty silver. I had put the coins back in my pouch and then placed it back in its hidden spot within my closet. I had loosened a board in there and it kept my money concealed in between the walls.
I turned to William, “Are you done eating?”
He nodded and we cleaned up before heading back outside.
We continued to cut down trees, then shaped them to fit, and placed them into their assigned spots. We got the trusses done at the end of the day and went inside after cleaning up our work area.
William went back to his letters while I made some stew. While it was cooking, I prepared the ingredients for mayo and ketchup. Since I had taken a culinary class back on earth, I remembered a recipe for those two condiments. When the stew was done, we ate and afterwards, I went back to cooking. It didn’t take long before I had created my own ketchup and mayo. Taking a sample, it tasted like home. I smiled and let them set for some time. When it cooled down, I let William have a taste of the ketchup.
His eyes lit up and he said, “Wow. That’s good.”
I laughed and nodded. Grabbing a few jars, I poured the condiments into them and set them in the cold room. I then thought about delivery, it would need to be in a cold box of some sort. I would think about that tomorrow.
~~~~~~
Lilyann had woken up with Celina in her bed. It was a big day and the two beastkin were nervous but excited. They got up and dressed before walking into the kitchen where Tianna and Emoli sat at the table. Another female was there as well. They smiled when they saw them.
Tianna was the first to speak. “Good morning, ladies.”
Emoli looked almost identical to her mother, except that she was a few inches taller. She spoke up after her mom, “Lily and Celina, I would like you to meet my good friend Nikki.”
Both of the beastkin looked over and nodded to her. Tianna had told them about Emoli’s friend a while back. The drow advised th
at she was a nephilim. If they didn’t know this already, then they could think she was a human just by looking at her. Nikki didn’t have her armor or her wings out, though the bastard sword on her back and the dagger on her belt let everyone know that she was still dangerous. Nikki was almost the same height as Emoli with small breasts and an athletic body. Her blonde hair and emerald green eyes set her apart from everyone around.
Tianna brought the group’s attention back to her. “So, ladies, it was surprising, but you know that the others left yesterday to find other means to survive. I thought it would be at least a couple of days, but they decided to go ahead and make the change. Lilyann, I told Emoli and Nikki about the discussion we had. The three of us are still skeptical about this.”
Emoli spoke, “Yes, mom told us that you know of a farm outside of town. She also said that it wasn’t tied to a family. How is that possible?”
All three at the table watched the two beastkin. Celina and Lilyann glanced at each other and smiled before Celina spoke, “Does it matter if it’s that way or not?”
Tianna narrowed her crimson eyes at Celina. “Why is it so hard for you to come clean and tell us what’s so special about this place?”
Lilyann shrugged. “It’s time to take a trip, ladies. You in or out?”
Nikki shrugged and answered, “Doesn’t matter to me, I live in Strongfair. If Emoli needs a place to sleep then she can stay with me.”
Emoli smiled at her friend. “Thanks, sweetheart.” They kissed each other and got up when Tianna did.
She sighed and said, “I will follow you on this, but if it’s a shit idea then I will bolt.”
Celina responded with a smirk, “I guarantee it will not be a shitty idea. Let’s go.”
The girls left the horses in the corral at home and walked through the forest.
~~~~~~
I was up early and cooked breakfast before making more condiments. When I had enough ketchup then I started making barbecue sauce. Regular and spicy. Measuring out the paprika, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, vinegar, Cayenne pepper, and brown sugar, I got to work. It took some time to get the right ratio, but I figured it out and they tasted fantastic. We could even make the sauce with honey as well. Hmm… something to think on. I moved the sauces and condiments to jars and stored them in the cold room. I then went outside to gather all the eggs and had William milk the cows before we met back in the barn for our next project.
“Since we finished the trusses, let’s start on the smokehouse. And a side project I thought about last night.”
He nodded and we got to it. I had him make the measurements on the boards that I laid out. We cut them to length and I also measured out the dimensions of my idea. We lined up the concrete blocks in a square three-tiers high, then built the wooden walls and door. We sealed the wood with clay and blocks with mortar. I would need to pick up some clay and fire bricks in town to finish up.
At that point we took a break and ate some jerky and cheese. I tested William with questions over our project and he answered them correctly. I smiled because he was paying attention after all.
When the break was over, I put together my creation. A cold box. Actually, two cold boxes. It took some time to get the boards connected before we were done, but they looked decent.
I grabbed my rune book and etched the runes for strength, sealant, and durability on the smokehouse. I then went over to the boxes and looked inside at the storage area. I decided that one would hold six of the gallon jugs and the other, eggs or anything that needed to be kept cold. Well, they would, when I enchanted them. Grabbing clay, I molded it onto the wood, sealing them and then left the two icebox wannabes out in the sun for the next few hours.
When I thought it was time, I went over and checked the boxes to make sure they were dry. I etched the same runes on the wooden carriers that I did for the smokehouse but added a cold effect. I had to sit down and eat to replenish my strength after activating them. Opening the lids, I checked the inside and it was cooling my hand. Awesome!
I looked over at William and showed him what they did, and he was amazed by the effect of the rune. I was too and we cleaned up our area of tools and leftover materials. I then had a thought and glanced over at William, “Let’s go hunting.”
He smiled, “I’ll grab the bow and your dagger. Can I use the knife?”
“The one that’s enchanted?”
He nodded and I said, “Yes, but be careful. I’ll see if there is a sheath for it in the barn.”
The boy hurried back to the cabin while I checked the closet in the barn for a sheath. There were a couple and one was attached to a belt that the knife would fit in, so I grabbed it. Walking out, William was ready to go. He handed me my sheathed dagger and bow; the quiver was on the ground. I handed him the belt and he attached it to his waist. I grabbed the quiver and we set out for the woods. I thought about the only hunting weapon we had and decided to get a few more.
“I’ll head to town tomorrow and purchase a few more bows and quivers, it seems that we’ll need them.”
He nodded and we silently made our way through the forest to hunt down some fresh meat. We saw a few rabbits. I had the boy shoot to get used to the bow. He missed a couple but got another two, not bad for his first time. I was looking for a stag or a boar, though we would need a couple of spears for the latter. The two of us kept inching along and finally found a few stags. I took the bow from William and waited for my shot. It didn’t take long, and I let my arrow loose. My target went down, and the others ran away. I slowly walked over to the downed stag to make sure it was dead.
William came up beside me, “Good shot.”
“Thank you. I’ll carry it on my shoulders, you carry the bow and quiver.”
He nodded and did as I asked. We strolled back to our cabin, smiling broadly.
Chapter 9
Lilyann and her group were tracking through the forest, Emoli and Nikki talking up a storm and saying how boring it was, Tianna quietly scanning for any dangers lurking.
“How much farther, ladies?” Emoli complained.
“Almost there, it should be right over the next hill and we’ll be able to see the farm,” Cellina replied.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the group came up on the outskirts of a farm and the feline beastkin halted their progress.
“Why are we stopping?” Tianna asked while scanning the area. She saw a cabin, barn, and what looked to be construction. A new house? The drow saw the garden as well.
“Just making sure someone is home,” Lilyann advised.
The group waited and waited before Nikki sighed, “Nobody is home. Where are they?”
Emoli agreed with her friend. Lilyann ignored them. “We will wait for a few more minutes before making our way over.”
They waited for another five minutes before Tianna got up and looked over at the beastkin ladies. “Time is up.”
They nodded and started walking towards the farm, but movement came from the east and they stopped to look over in that direction. Two males came from the forest, a young beastkin no more than a teenager was walking with a bow and quiver next to a grown male with no shirt on, carrying a stag on his shoulders.
Tianna whispered, “Holy shit!”
Nikki and Emoli went wide-eyed while Lilyann and Celina smiled.
Tianna got herself together first. “Who is that? And where are his women?”
“Yeah, man candy like that should have at least five hanging around,” Nikki agreed with the older drow.
Lilyann replied smugly, “He doesn’t have any.”
The new ladies gasped out, “WHAT?!”
Celina nodded. “Yeah, that’s Dominic. He told us that he doesn’t need anyone to take care of him. Looking at his kill and the work he is doing to this farm, I would have to agree with him.”
Although, since the man had got himself captured, he needed to get some help.
They all nodded and watched him start cleaning their kills. Emoli whistled, “Damn,
Mom. That is one good looking man.”
Tianna chortled. “Yeah, hon. He is. I’m not sure I can move right now, if I do then a lot of fluid will be running down my leg.”
The rest giggled, Nikki nodded. “My thong is soaked as well, Tianna.”
Emoli smirked at her mom, “I’ll have to agree with both of you. My undies are wet.”
“We’ll wait until he’s finished dressing the animals before moving. We don’t want to spook him,” Celina suggested, ogling the handsome man.
They all nodded and waited for Dominic to finish. When it was time, Lilyann spoke as she started to move.
“Let’s go, ladies.”
They followed after her, but Tianna asked with concern, “Are you certain that we’re welcome? We don’t exactly look like the typical women that he probably hangs around.”
Lilyann and Celina didn’t answer, just kept walking.
~~~~~~
We unloaded our kills onto the porch of the cabin. I walked inside to grab the rope as he put the bow and quiver away. There was a tree nearby, so I strung up the deer and cleaned it. The boy was curious, so I showed him my process. I had him clean the rabbits and we skinned them as well for the pelts. I didn’t know what people there bought yet, but had numerous inside the cabin to sell if permitted. I put the meat into butcher paper to store in the cold room. I was going to use the rabbit for stew that night.
“You think they’ll be back?”
I didn’t know who he was referring to, “Who?”
“Lily and Celina.”
Shrugging, I answered, “Not sure. They have jobs, so who knows?”
The ladies hadn’t been around in some time, over two weeks. I looked over his work and smiled. “Good job, buddy. Let’s clean up and go inside, you need to continue your letters.”
He groaned but complied. The boy washed up and started lighting the cookstove while I went outside to clean up. I was in the middle of washing the blood off when I heard a voice call out, “Hello, neighbor.”
I knew that voice and looked up to see Lily, Celina and three other women, all gorgeous, staring at me. Finishing up, I dried myself off and started walking over. Two of the newcomers had dark black skin, almost obsidian in color, with white hair and crimson eyes. The other was a blonde with emerald green eyes. My mind immediately spat out, drow and nephilim. I knew from the games that I used to play that drow was another name for dark elf. A nephilim was a hybrid, the offspring of a fallen angel and a human. Huh. I wonder if there are any angels around. I wouldn’t mind meeting one of them.