Gemini nodded as if to confirm my theory. She smiled and said, “I’ve been to Maswe more than a few times. I would consider the planet and more importantly, Beargor the Bearish, a training dungeon. Which rolls into the next part of this equation. And while it will look bad on the surface, again, you need to trust me. Inquisitors are a massive war machine wrapped into a complex nation, built on top of a mega corporation, and finished with a guild ran dictatorship.
“My dealings within the Inquisitors have -”
“Are we going to an Inquisitor planet?” I said with a grimace.
She gave a terse incline of yes with her head. “Look, yes and no. The Inquisitors have a base there. It’s nothing special, and almost always empty of actual Inquisitors. Are there smaller affiliated guilds living inside, and actual cities on the world that are highly regulated and protected? You better believe it. Will we encounter problems? I doubt it. If you want conflict I can get you onto a thousand planets that are hotbeds of violence because of great drops.
“Maswe is a place where people live and grow, and yes, at times fight. Honestly, it's the kind of place you should have made as your base. Too late now to move Riza Stronghold. There is security in building your base on a non-combat planet. Not to mention, you’re in with the system admins which help make it a great place. And you have the babies now…”
Her hazel eyes lingered. Her partially bitten lip said she was done talking. Being the kind of man I am, I took the initiative.
“How about we?” I rotated around to her side of the bar. My hands scooped her butt up and set her on the counter. Those tricky belts I normally struggle with unclasped with ease. “Have a first for the both of us.”
“The baby locking or fucking with the gliders on?” Gemini asked with her chin tucked.
Her hazel eyes locked to mine and she bounced her butt off the counter to shimmy her pants down. I undid my pants with a few slower maneuvers. She lowered my chin, reaching up to kiss me. Our lips locked in a tender embrace.
I was expecting animalistic sex, the kind where clothes went flying, and hair became a soiled mess. She was telling me she wanted something more sincere. I was on guard because I’d already learned one lesson from the gaming universe about sex with new aliens. Yet, the kissing became passionate and my pants hit the floor.
Our kissing stopped and Gemini hunted through a few drawers until she found a clean rag. She wet it in the sink before cleaning my cock off. Okay, that was different but understandable. I was in need of a shower.
Her lips locked around my soft cock. I was unsure what to expect and quickly learned a blowjob from a celestial was amazing. They have to tuck their heads back to keep from stabbing you with their horn. So the whole time she pleasured my shaft she stared up at me. I watched her kneeling before me, a lustful twinkle in her eye.
Gemini removed my cock with a plop sound and a giggle. The playful kiss of my dick was momentary before she fit me back into her mouth. My ass was grabbed, her head tilted back, and she grew my cock until it was engorged.
“That is amazing,” I said, and it was. I stepped back to shed my leather top, removing my robes, while she finagled hers. She was so small and petite. When her tits popped out they were huge on her frame. I tilted my head sideways in confusion. They were real, just so big on the tiny woman. Yummy.
I stared down at her in delight. When I was plopped back into her mouth I knew she was talented with her tongue. Her right hand clasped onto my girthy shaft, combining the effect. The grin on my face said enough for her to keep going. A few minutes later and we both wanted more.
Her bunny hop up to the counter had me spread her legs with my arms. I slid into her tiny vagina and got stuck. She blushed and said, “I’m two feet shorter than you and haven’t had sex in a long time. I can self heal -”
I thrust deep and hard, her vagina tearing without warning. My huge cock plunged into her until I hilted myself. She bit her lip, groaned from the pain, healed herself, and then moaned from the pleasure. By the creator her little pussy was tight.
She latched onto my hips by locking her thighs tightly around me. Our heated kisses returned while we shifted our hips until we synced with each other. Her lips parted to moan out while I kissed her neck. My thrusts were rougher and she loved it, I tried to plunge deeper with each pump.
Time melded as we entwined. The kissing, closeness, and caring hands brought me to the edge ten minutes later. She leaned back rubbing her smooth stomach, magic shot into her belly, creating a see through image.
So… I stopped in shock at seeing my cock fully inside her. I saw the tip of my penis pressed tight to a cervix. Her vagina walls enveloped my shaft with pleasurable pulses.
“Fill me, put your cum deep into me,” Gemini said, raising a finger of mine to suck on.
I was enthralled when I shot my load into her uterus. The white seed gushed from my balls and erupted out of my cock, pooling inside her. There were gouts of thick cum filling her. Her free hand glided to a spot that shined.
“Is that?” I asked trying to understand what was happening.
“An egg, yes, I am picking the strongest… done. Now watch,” Gemini said. The egg blossomed in size causing my softening penis to shift. I pulled out, fixated on the transition happening inside her. The egg and her interior bits converted as they grew.
The magic at work boggled my mind. A moment later, our baby was about the size you saw on a sonogram. My jaw was almost on the floor with my cum that dripped out of her.
“Wow, never have done that before,” Gemini exclaimed, a slight tear in her eye. I wiped the droplet away while regaining the ability to think. “It only goes to the start of the second trimester.”
“That was amazing, the sex was great sure… but so… Umm. Kinda wish you let me do that like a dozen times before you put a bun in the oven,” I said to a delightful giggling.
“I can't make my skin see through just anytime, it's a pregnancy spell. Sorry, you got a rare glimpse into a rare event. The orb is beyond expensive and it took me thousands of years to afford.”
“Ah, got it. Shower?” I asked, rubbing her tiny bulge. The door cracked open revealing a small hand waving and two sets of eyes. I was fairly certain the others were listening in. “Hello, Harmony, and Kata. Care to wash the battle scent off with some fun. I can go another round!”
“Ravage me!” Harmony said, shedding her robe.
Kata grinned before saying, “Five hours of fun here we come! I call hot tub anal!”
I walked over to the expansive shower area with a chuckle, tossing my glider on the floor of the shower. The time between planets was going to be an adventure of its own.
CHAPTER 5
Shower time led to a trip into the hot tub, and finally a foray on the biggest bed. When the sexcapades were over, we showered again, geared for the next mission, and headed for the captain’s bridge.
When we arrived I noticed Zoey wink at me while chatting with Shala and Barq. Beside them was the little mushroom woman with the weird petaled hair. She turned to me, scampering back while I rudely forced her to move so I could kiss Zoey’s cheek.
“I’m Gryff. Sorry, I tend to get battle lust,” I said to the prisoner. Well, maybe it was an opportune contractor. Eh, it mattered little. I turned to Zoey. “Why is she here?”
“Well, she is the most powerful of the bunch, is willing to stand up to you, and I like her. This is Penny. Penny, this big man is Gryff. If you will excuse me I’m going to get Groz,” Zoey said, heading for a door that opened with an entourage of dvaren officers and adjuncts.
“Gather around!” I ordered and we assembled at the table. I noticed the scouting duo were absent. “Someone fetch my scouts.”
Axle ran out from behind Groz to locate Jason and Dibs. We waited a few minutes to find them happily chatting on their way in. The cheerful banter silenced when all eyes settled on them.
Gemini cleared her throat, gazed around the table to
ensure she had everyone's attention, and said, “I got a map drawn up of the dungeon. Beargor the Bearish is going to be tougher than the Scorpion Queen, maybe.
“There is the possibility we trigger the hard rotation or it is stuck on that setting. I’ve done the hard mode, just makes the levels better and the boss has more stuns. Any questions yet?”
“How about typical weather, terrain types, native issues, roaming bosses, and other stuff I should worry about,” Dib said in his professional tone.
Gemini smirked approvingly and said, “Excellent. Rain is frequent. This is in a loosely populated forest. The forest has been mostly cleared but there are still sections where the trees break formations. We can chop them down, but they return at reset, and only foolish generals do it. No roaming bosses to be expected. Something worth noting.
“The bear hides, if skinned, fetch decent coins for blankets, and the meat is great. Clearing a village will slow down the army if you want to fully loot. That in turn results in extra scouting because of the duration the army is in the field. Assuming the general finds the extra time worth the effort.”
She focused on me and I scrunched my face trying to understand her. “Is that a question? Give me your recommendation?”
“Thur would love the meat and bears are not common there. Crack out hearts for orbs and preserve bodies in chests. I would do orbs only, and move on quickly after the first village,” Gemini said, again focusing on me.
When I nodded in approval the others seemed to agree. Her finger tapped the maps she drew.
“Moving along to this map. Unlike other dungeons this one has no massive canyons or tunnels or appears like a dungeon at all. There will be a main city with four villages outside it. The main city walls will turn to rubble when the four villages are defeated. Expect entrenched defenses like scout towers, pikes to stop cavalry, counter ranged fire, and traps.
“This can be a flawless victory, but it probably will not be. Our army is well trained and very disciplined. And we have the single legendary revival staff. Normally casualties are light for a unit like this. With that said the traps are not static, the defenses are unique each time, and we are surprised sometimes. Part of why I like this dungeon.”
“And the chance of a second force arriving?” I asked, folding my arm.
Gemini sighed before replying with, “I’ve done this a hundred times. There are only a few times during the fight that a foe can hit you at your weakest. There were two occasions where unaffiliated armies arrived behind us. Both times they realized we weren’t vulnerable and moved on. This is my experience talking, so take it seriously, please.
“We’re overpowered for this dungeon by a high multiplier again. Most take a thousand into this scenario, so think on that. You come upon an army ten times your size… You bugger off. Then there is the fact we are not fighting a feudal war here over territory. The dungeon literally respawns. Unless we have some sworn enemies the fight is silly.
“A brawl leaves both sides with too many dead for little gain, the cost certainly outweighing the worth. Doesn’t mean it’s not possible, but you’d be surprised how often two big armies stare each other down and back off because the pyrrhic victory is simply not worth it.”
I tapped on the first village and said, “We drop here, or…” I pointed to the final boss city. “Or we drop here.”
“Feasible, but you’d have to get the boss to submit, and he won’t with his villages still alive,” Gemini said with indifference. “You could kill him, start killing lieutenants and probably get an orb down the line. You do that and you’ll end up with a common or a green at best. Trap him, put him to the screws and get a blue bearkin army.
“Plus the long road is going to level you more and showcase to your new recruits you’re capable of methodical murder without mayhem to earn your levels. Which if you want to get after the bigger bosses and the real prizes you need levels. Your healers need better orbs, your air shields need to be thicker, your fireballs do more damage, and the list keeps going. I think everyone at this table wants to see the army improve.”
The grunts, nods, and smiles around the table said more than words could have.
“Alright, it’s settled. We drop the vanguard along with the winged scouts from up high. They secure a landing zone while reconning the area. We land, get into formations, and then we start the dungeon. Questions?”
“Rearguard is rotating to vanguard for this one,” Groz said letting me know. The silence told me the meeting was concluded and the dvaren headed to prep the troops.
“Where do you want us, General?” Penny asked.
“Groz!” I shouted out and the stern dvaren headed back in. “I need the... added help, to be incorporated into the formations. Have a guard behind them.” His face soured. “I get it, but tell the troops it's better than sacrificing people with families.”
“I got four sisters. All single, and they’d love to meet some nice dwarves,” Penny said with a brimming smile.
This melted a bit of the gruff dvarens resolve. He left for the door with Penny in tow and said, “Aye lass, we dvaren like the ladies. General Gryff here has been struggling to find some dvaren females. Even if it's a simple lady to chat with, the troops love it. So, follow me. We’ll situate you and yer friends.”
∞∞∞
“Welcome to Maswe,” Gemini said, stepping down the back deck of the blimp.
I walked with her through the growing troops trying to organize. We shifted to the side of the airship to watch for when the ramp stopped spilling soldiers out. I glanced up at my blimp, the familiar a point of pride.
My eyes left my magnificent ship to study my surroundings. I saw tall thick brown trees, the foliage green around the forest floor. The high canopy was thin, letting in the scattered sprinkling of sunshine through the cloudy day. A few birds chased each other. A quick shoulder glance each way told me this area was fairly sparse and an actual forest.
The forest floor was covered in something akin to pine needles, but crunchy. Stepping on the fallen vegetation resulted in loud snaps that was borderline giving me a headache. The sound repeated itself a lot because of our moving army. There were a whole lot of annoying snaps that released a woodsy aroma.
I saw the formations were gathering. The troops trampling dead leaves with clanking of armor as they marched. When the last formation left the ship, runners did a final sweep to ensure no one was going to fall when I despawned the blimp.
“The flags are ready to march,” Groz reported while approaching.
“Head to village one. Have back lines use their ballistae orbs. That -” I paused understanding he was going to object. Over the months I’d grown familiar with Groz’s emotional expressions and his tells. This one meant I was saying something dumb. “Out with it.”
“So… We got green siege engines. That was all we could find on short notice and within the budget. That means short range, smaller projectiles, and less lethality. The plus side is they drain almost no mana at this level,” he said and I raised a brow for him to get to the point. “They’d need to be in the front, not the back lines.”
“Groz, march the army to village one and sally it with ballistae until it is rubble. Those are your orders,” I said. I saw Axle waddling behind Groz as they left to move the troops.
“Clear!” A runner shouted, allowing me to despawn the blimp. Yup. No soul came crashing out thankfully.
“Gemini, thoughts on the plan?” I asked turning away from where the blimp was.
“Range in battle formations is paramount. A catapult or a bolt thrower at a green level will be deflected easily by a shield and appear dangerous when they are just another spell. The master universe had to have siege weapons in orbs, but…” Gemini let out a long whistle. “If you start building the real thing. Opponents' air shields falter and fail with little counter besides to have their own real siege engines.”
“I wouldn’t have seen that one coming,” Zoey said
with a lean on her staff. “My guess would have been that a master mage with a divine trebuchet would be deadlier.”
“At first I thought sure, but the fact is that they are not. So your blimp will not upgrade again for a while. There are less lavish versions that go cheaper, cheaper being relative, because they still cost more than a legendary healing staff. But if you get a second blimp to hold siege engines and auxiliary troops then you’d be able to fight with armies. Not talking about fodder mobs like these,” Gemini said gesturing in the direction of village one.
The army went into a loose formation to part the trees. The drum beats were soft and merely to keep the long army from spinning. While I watched our forces move I noticed some of the newbies in the formations. The sight of the troops on the go spurred me and my retinue forward.
While we walked at a brisk pace to get to the vanguard I started contemplating the logistics of siege engines. We had the shops building airships already. Swapping construction from blimps into siege engines hopefully wouldn’t be too extensive or time consuming.
There was lots of wood and ore near Stronghold Riza. Ammunition could be crafted out of the quarries. Ugh. Moving all that real catapult ammo would be a pain. As for crafting the engines, the big purchase would be binding agents like rope and glue. Not that I thought they were overly expensive but every bit of durca counted.
We had the -
A snap hit my ears.
“Yeah,” I said, coming out of my thoughts.
“Were you thinking of starting to make siege engines?” Gemini asked, the other girls smirking with her.
“Maybe,” I partially admitted.
She chuckled and reached into her bust. I was handed paper that I unfolded. I read over the reports, careful not to walk into a tree.
“These were in your morning overviews a week… no two weeks ago, I see you skim read,” Gemini said with a judging look.
Zoey snickered out a sly, “Three pregnant elvath tend to leave a man drained of mental function.”
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