Gemini had snuck up close to my right side and said, “It wasn’t a parrot, they can’t talk. Gryff, I’m spooked and even more confident in my decision to be at your side. It's conflicting, I know. You were a foot in front of me, I’m your security detail so I know how far you were. Then poof…” She burst her hands apart in a dramatic fashion. “You were gone.”
“Yeah, sorry, don’t control that bit. But hey, see this smile, I can't seem to get it off my face,” I said happily pointing to my cheek.
Groz scoffed with a grumble. “Boss, this Gorilla is a fine vessel. The troops will need days at the least to move operations onto it.”
“And they will do it, I will help. We can do one of the dungeons after this ark loads up,” I said, pulling Nicole and Gemini in for a kiss. “This is how we get home Groz, if that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is.”
“The work will be daunting. We still would need some sort of back and forth fast flyers to ward off attacks. Gryff… I understand there are things at play I do not comprehend, but Harmony brought up a good point on the way over here,” Nicole said and I twisted my face in confusion.
“I did? Which one?” Harmony asked.
Gemini snickered and said, “The faster than others.”
“Oh right, a fast attack carrier can outfly ninety five percent of the ships that can kill it. This… This will mean we need more pilots. I bet a bunch of those elvath can help, but still. Even fully staffed there will be battleships, cruisers, other bruiser carriers, and boarding parties all capable of catching us,” Harmony said with a shrug. “Just know if you take this into battle, you’ll end up in a longer fight than with a quicker ship. Not that you can’t finish a fight.”
I gazed over the planet Manip while she said this. I found the lack of natural environments hideous. There was so much drab stone and no beauty. Nicole saw I was about to zone out and pulled on my arm.
“We will make it work. We have to. We never intended for Stronghold Riza to be a forever home. This… Gorilla will be a fitting ride to bring to Vin. If there wasn’t an actual sacrifice I’d so change the name,” I grumbled.
“Gemini and I will need the spare funds,” Nicole said, pointing at the launching spots on the top deck.
“So no slaves?” I asked.
“Not this trip,” Gemini admitted. “Of the three dungeons you mentioned. Harpies of Wealo is the best bet to take on first. This time, how about you stay in the back until the actual boss submission?”
“Hey! Not my fault Dib was a deep plant. But I understand. I will take precautions going forward. I think…” I said, trailing the sentence.
Nicole kissed my cheek and said, “I’m proud of you Gryff. I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished here.”
“Feels like I’ve done so little,” I muttered.
“Cheer up hero. When you freed those dvaren, you sent shockwaves through the establishment. That triggered huge ripples into the massive machine known as the master universe. Right now it looks like Justicars may be swapped from number two to three in a few months,” Gemini said proudly.
“Oh… yeah. Well, there is war, blood, and savagery. Not that I expected anything less than this. Enough talk of this place. We should learn more about this ship. Harmony, tell me a bit about the Gorilla please,” I said walking by rows of empty ballista balconies.
Huge rings were anchored to the deck for the siege engines to be tied down to. Between them tracked rails for fighter launching points were staggered between. Behind that were more tie down points. There were thousands of the metal rings scattered across the deck to secure gear.
In the central point of the ship there were no mighty masts to catch the wind. The top deck was flat and open for preparing. The vastness of the ship really made you feel small. Up above I was certain there was a parrot watching my tiny dot walk across the monstrous deck. Getting this beast ready was going to take a whole lot of work. Work that Riza Stronghold would be determined to do if it meant going home. Even I would help transition us off of Thur by doing my part.
Harmony pulled me from my thoughts by explaining the details of the ship as we walked. The top deck was for battle, and when not in battle it was opened up to allow sunlight along with fresh air below. She had to indicate the areas where the decking opened, I was surprised I missed them before.
I noticed a fenced track and a quick lesson on the design informed me there was a walking trail up here. A designated lane for the residents to enjoy the top deck and sunshine even if the coverings were peeled back.
After a half hour’s walk we’d only traversed to halfway down the ship; that really drove it home for me, the ship was just this massive. Inga complained of his legs being sore so we shifted down a random stairwell. After going down three flights of stairs we went to the main city floor. This was where the city would go. It was a space that soared thirty feet high with minimal light bursting through coverings. I had to admit it was eerily dark down here. Gemini cast a magical orb into the space to illuminate the dwelling.
Dwellings was a bit of a stretch, the reality was there were frame structures, and little else. No doors or windows were built giving each hovel a half done feeling in appearance. There were orderly rows with general stores breaking the monotony. A few large residences were much deeper inside the ship, but for here, it was all maximum housing on the port and starboard edges. The strip down the middle was meant to be for parks if I had to guess. I was confident moving the dirt and grass into this ship wouldn’t be fun.
At least the designers left the middle bare for the sunlight to shine down if the top was uncovered. Sure it was a blank canvas, but creating what you need was part of the allure. I was certain there would be a sunlight spell. Harmony confirmed exactly that when I asked. A carrier of this size was common, the needs provided for by the master universe if enough silver was applied.
The tour gave me a sense of hope along with a longing for home. When it was finished I knew one thing was certain. I was ready to get to Thur and start filling this mighty warship up.
CHAPTER 13
A steady rain pounded our position. The kind you wished would just turn to snow but was stuck barely above freezing. I smiled as I removed my jacket inside the bridge; the sour weather couldn’t dampen our joyful spirit.
For the last ten days we grew in size. Our numbers swelled as the word around the universe rang out that the Prox Harbinger was taking home his kind. At first I thought it was just Warg doing a good job of finding Prox citizens, but no, this was something else. The latest arrivals were random beings from planets unaffiliated with Warg or the Inquisitors.
Even Barry showed up with his harem. I never expected to see the human in an elv body again. He was incredibly scared of me and only Nicole was able to soothe him. I tried to be friendly and nice but the guy was really terrified. The moment his harem and mine synced up the ladies were inseparable. While it was good to see him, and to tell the others we were going home, it was strange. I just… probably should have seen this coming. They did integrate smoothly and helped us get ready to depart.
Gorilla was too big to fit in our parade grounds, so we moored the ship via tethers in the air. Its bulky frame was so big it blotted the sun. Meaning we rushed to transition from Riza Stronghold to our blimp in the shade. The loading was tedious and felt never ending. Yet, all the extra hands that arrived nonstop seemed to make things go smoothly.
Not everything was rainbows and happy reunions. A lot of folks wanted to stay behind, and in doing so we were abandoning them to leave for Prox.
This left me in a bind and honestly, I couldn’t blame them. While my family had fun times with Kata and Harmony, they were never themselves family. Before a tearful goodbye, Harmony gave up the atmospheric orb, Gemini was able to operate the portals herself. My pilot left my life with my naga guard the next day. That was just the beginning of the exodus.
When our departure date neared Barq and Shala left for Yariw. Some
thing about going to visit his family on a peaceful planet. They’d saved enough coins to live quietly for a long time and wished us the best in our future adventures. When the rest of the locals bailed, I understood. Desmond hadn’t even been adventuring with us. Garataur and Frooska were best friends, inseparable and devoted to becoming master crafters again. They were grateful for the opportunity to grow with us and King Ptera took them in.
While I was sad to see them go. There was one shining star. Zoey. She had become the best mother I could have ever imagined. She was sweet, loving, and devoted to our twins. I bred her with a spell from Gemini as soon as we could. That woman glowed with happiness. Letting go of that staff had changed her immensely and I couldn’t have been prouder.
So, almost eight months after my arrival into the master universe, we were ready to enter the next phase. The Gorilla was fully loaded and not even halfway full. King Ptera assured me that Riza Stronghold would continue as a city. He also mentioned that all arrivals wanting to go home with us would be waiting there for a pickup spot. Even as Gemini said we were ready to depart, a new blimp from Remi arrived. The passengers ran to get onto the Gorilla before we left.
“Take us to the dungeon Gem,” I said once the last of the new arrivals boarded.
“Harpies?” Gemini asked and I nodded. “Yes darling.” She walked over to a brass tube, opened a cover and said, “The Gorilla is departing in ten minutes. In ten minutes all ramps will be brought aboard. At that time, crews remove our tethers.”
“I will take my leave, ladies, emperor,” Carolina said with a curtsy.
She was one of the two elvath who muscled up the courage to leave Barry, only to retreat back to him at the first sign of trouble. I was an understanding man, her choosing to survive when she was never supposed to fight was fine by me. She did honor Sara’s wishes though and stuck to Barry, a swollen belly had her waddling on the way out of the bridge.
I watched Mysti escort her off the bridge that contained me and my four wives. The bridge was empty, converted into a lounging room. My children were inside with bassinets, rocking chairs, and even a chilled ice chest for bottles. The clomping of dvaren boots outside the door told me the rotating guards were keeping my family safe.
There was a throat clear for attention from my lovely wife. Mysti’s blonde hair with white streaks was done in a lavish ponytail with twirling ribbons. Her huge milkers were propped up high in a thick dress with revealing bits. Her hazel eyes locked to mine and her saunter caused my pants to grow tighter. She was the embodiment of a curvy seductress with the perfectly caring soul.
Nicole kissed my earlobe lovingly while Mysti sat in my lap in the captain’s chair. Zoey brought over Saffron from a side cradle. A shoulder harness slipped off my wife and a plump breast flopped out with delicious jiggles. When I mouthed like a suckling babe I was given a snorting laugh. Saffron latched on and drank from her momma, inches from me.
“You ready for the reports, Gryff?” Nicole asked, taking the seat beside mine. I stroked my daughter’s fine hair as she ate off her mother’s bosom.
“Yes please.”
Nicole tapped a stack of paper against her leg before saying, “Well, let’s start with the fact that we’re isolated in this area. This section of the ship has its own sworn guards. The latest report from Groz was only vetted people were even allowed to approach our home section.
“We ensured the entirety of the elvath army passed an inspection. They have been our priority since they came from potential enemies. Honestly, while they harbor no ill will toward you or your family, they aren’t devoted to you in any way. At least they passed when they said they wouldn't try to harm you.
“The bad news is the humans, dvaren, orcs, ogres, and well, there are so many arriving randomly that haven’t been screened. Our best option is to segregate ourselves and prohibit who gets close to our family.”
“And our current totals?” Zoey asked while standing over our little ones.
“Twenty two thousand dvaren, three thousand elvath, a few hundred ogres, and less than a thousand orcs. Surprisingly, a few hundred recruits of varying species have stuck on. They’ve decided trailing an emperor to his home will prove benefital,” Nicole said with a terse nod as she read.
Mysti smiled while looking down on our daughter and replied, “Of course, those who faithfully serve us will be rewarded upon our return. Gryff put out that they would be granted land, that is not a common occurrence here.”
“Yeah, if we have one thing in excess of in the Prox universe, it’s space. So our numbers have bloomed, but nothing too crazy. Think about how many billions have been dragged here against their will, and we have thousands. At least we have enough space. I know we’re expecting more refugees and people wanting to go back to Prox, but how many will we need for the harpies?” I asked Gemini. Nicole rolled her eyes and held up a finger. “What?”
“We need to finish going over Gorilla.” She shook the stack of paper. “And then you can start relieving your man boner for battle,” Nicole said and my wives chuckled.
I loved the fact we were enjoying our time together. The move had been exciting and yet, still stressful. We needed to prepare four babies for a life aboard a blimp. All those months of nesting back in the castle were undone in ten short days.
I kissed Mysti’s cheek before looking over at Nicole. “Please, the ship details.”
“Water is generated with mana, the freezers are filled to the brim with fresh meat, and the kitchens are operational. The only thing we couldn’t fully dismantle and bring aboard was the shipyard. We can build siege engines, but not blimps. Which leads to our recent purchases. There are fourteen fighters and just four bombers. We are severely understaffed on pilots. We purchased the necessary levitation orbs but most of those went to the flight crew on the auxiliary bridge,” Nicole said with a sigh.
Technically, we were on the auxiliary bridge. We only handled the jumps up here. The actual flying was done by a bridge about three hundred feet lower than us. The bottom bridge could control landing and takeoff easier than we could up here. Both areas were heavily secured but I wanted this section to be my housing.
Gemini held a hand up and said, “Fret not darling. When we finish the Harpies of Wealo we will have funds again. Albeit not as much as we need, unfortunately. May I go over the dungeon yet?”
“In a moment,” Nicole said, sorting the papers. “Finances are at zero. We bought a fourth legendary healing staff. One of the new arrivals had it as an heirloom. Technically, we put a deposit on it. They accepted since it was for the cause. So… we’re poor at the moment. Which hopefully we fix soon or we go home and it doesn't matter.” She placed another sheet to the front of the stack. “The housing has been first come first serve and we’ve actually had no complaints besides the fact that there were some arguments over the noble homes. Groz settled those quickly by appointing them based on levels.”
There was another page shift and her blue eyes locked to mine as she whipped her brown hair. She tapped her chin, contemplating what to say.
“The last report is the universal news. We… have really good news. Justicars are bleeding allies, and even some regulars are jumping ship. The lead between Justicars and Inquisitors has never been bigger in the last thousand years. The Inquisitors are becoming the dominant power in the universe, almost doubling the Justicars. There is bad news.
“Third place has fallen even further as the mid teen and high single digit guilds are really gunning for second now. As the Inquisitors grow everyone else is shrinking. The fighting has created an excess of bloodshed,” Nicole said sourly.
“Oh, well… I have information I was sworn to secrecy over. Just know it's going to be okay. This news that everyone is killing each other is great. What else do you have for me?” I asked and the girls frowned. I held up my hands around Mysti. “Look we’re all on the same team. If you’re curious enough, ask me the second we arrive in Prox. I trust you guys vehement
ly, but… if I was given a secret and asked to keep it, I will.”
Nicole removed her frown as she handed me a battle readiness report. The numbers were lighter than I thought. “What gives?” I asked.
“Simply put, there is an excess of hope. These numbers are low because a lot of soldiers are asking to go to inactive status… And I saved this for last for a reason. Gemini approved of the drawdown of active troops,” Nicole said and I grew flustered.
“Alright, you ready for your report, darling,” Gemini said and Mysti snickered. She knew I wasn’t big on nicknames but Gemini was determined. Mysti shifted off my lap. Saffron was asleep in her arms. She went to a rocking chair to get comfy. Gemini peeled open a tube. “One minute warning. Remove tethers, retrieve in gangplanks, and prepare for departure.”
“Wait? Are we not having a general briefing?” I asked with furled brows.
“Not for this one dear. The harpies live in tight caverns. So tight I wouldn't throw your spear very much. This is a three adventurer dungeon that -”
“What!? Okay, you lost me.” My outburst was met with stern mommy eyes and a finger over Mysti’s lips.
My grumbling was placated by Zoey who sat in my lap. “Blowjob?” she asked. “You seem stressed.”
“Wait, is this a coordinated attempt to get me to become sidetracked and miss my briefing… Because if it is, it's working,” I said, bucking Zoey off my thighs so I could slide my pants down. Briefing and a blowjob sounded awesome. “Please tell me about the tiny dungeon that is supposed to change the entire gaming… Oh, Zoey, I adore you.”
She was stroking my growing member while puckering her cheeks with a suck. I bound her dyed hair into a ball while she worked my cock. I could do this, my focus was on a smirking Gemini. Nicole went behind me to massage my shoulders. Okay, maybe I was waning on my ability to pay attention.
“I have no idea why the ultimate power here in the master universe wants you to make the boss in this dungeon submit. The only thing I can think of is the air abilities or something mysterious is at play. There are millions of better dungeons but maybe they’d never submit or something. Honestly I don’t know. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts for this dungeon,” Gemini said, a twinkle in her eye at watching me get pleasured.
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