Empire Builder 1: Breed, Populate, Conquer

by Dante King

  After Melody had finished undressing, she walked over to the edge of the bath. He looked up at her, and his breath caught in his throat.

  “I’d forgotten how beautiful you are without any clothes on,” he said.

  Melody smiled coyly, and her sandy-colored tail swished behind her. She lifted a smooth and graceful leg to the rim of the barrel and paused a moment. Her pink pussy lips were on full display. Ben felt himself rapidly growing hard.

  Melody climbed into the bath beside him. Her thigh brushed his cock as she sat down. He couldn’t tell if it was by accident or not.

  As she too began washing herself down, he admired the way her round breasts floated in the water, so close he could touch them.

  Melody saw him looking and smiled. “Could you get my back for me?” She turned.

  He rubbed the cleansing oil into the skin of her back, dwelling on the places where he could feel tight muscles. Melody groaned as the tension eased out of her weary shoulders.

  His hands worked into the skin, cleansing and relaxing her. She giggled as he rubbed her lower back and the curve of her upper ass.

  Then, as if of one mind, their stomachs loudly growled.

  Melody sighed. “I suppose we’ll have to eat before we starve to death in here.”

  He laughed. “We’ll have to pick this up again later.”

  She had also found a couple of towels in the hut and left them beside the bath. Thankfully, they were clean. They dried off and dressed in their new clothes and prepared to eat.

  “How are you feeling after everything you went through today?” Melody asked, bringing the wooden chairs from where they were stashed by the side of the wall. “The ordeals you endured would have been trying even for an experienced apprentice, and this was your first day in a new world.”

  “I was lucky to have you as a guide,” Ben told Melody as they took seats across from each other at the table. “I feel …good, surprisingly. I’m not even that tired.”

  Melody smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. I’m not tired either.”

  Did he catch a gleam of mischief in her sparkling purple eyes? It was gone as soon as it appeared, and they both turned their attention to eating.

  The damp smell of the freshly scrubbed pine table mixed with the aroma of the tree roots. The roots had the smell of newly cut vegetables, though they were not vegetables Ben had ever tried before. They smelled more savory than what he was accustomed to.

  “Have you ever eaten these before?” he asked Melody.

  Judging by the intent look with which she was studying her portion, he assumed that was a “no.” She held the floppy substance in both hands, examining it as an entomologist might examine a never-before discovered species of beetle.

  Ben was inclined to do the same. But he was starving, so he had little choice. “Hell, staring at my food all night isn’t going to fill me up.” He brought the soft fleshy root up to his mouth and took a bite straight out of it.

  It was spongey. He had to rip at it with his teeth to tear a chunk of it off. It started to immediately soften and dissolve in his mouth though, and he was soon able to chew it up and swallow it.

  His tastebuds were flooded with sensation. The flavor was warm and salty, not unlike the flavor of barbecued chicken, but more natural. He smiled to himself. Everything really does taste like chicken.

  Melody watched his face closely as he chewed. He almost felt self-conscious as she studied him with the same intense look as she’d reserved a moment ago for the tree flesh.

  After he swallowed the morsel, he gave a contented sigh and took another bite. That seemed to be enough to convince Melody. With the sort of skeptical and unhappy look that a child gets when being fed vegetables for the first time, she bit off a morsel of the tree root and ate it.

  Her eyes widened with surprise, and she swallowed the mouthful faster than she meant to, almost choking slightly as it went down.

  “This plant meat is actually…not horrible,” she said with the utmost astonishment.

  Ben laughed at her. “You really should have a bit more confidence in those nymphs. They seem to be alright, really.”

  Melody didn’t even respond as she began munching down the tree flesh with abandon. He quickly followed suit. His stomach was aching by now, and the food brought welcome relief.

  The food left no mess. Although it tasted similar to meat, possibly better, if he was honest, it wasn’t juicy or sticky, so they didn’t have to clean up afterwards. Nothing but crumbs remained, and Ben didn’t waste any time dabbing them up with his fingertip.

  When they were done, Melody put her apron back on and helped him carry the barrel of water outside, where they tipped the water out onto the grass. Then they came back in and sat at the table again.

  They both sat across from each other, deeply satisfied, as the torch light flickered on their faces.

  The room they were in was plain and bare, but looked much homier now that it was clean and warmly lit. The women had evidently been very busy while he and Vinata had been away harvesting the food for dinner.

  “My mana is regenerating,” he announced after a short silence.

  Melody’s eyebrows raised. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. I can’t put my finger on exactly how full it is, but it has to be nearly half.”

  Melody let out a low gasp. “Nearly half? You are far more powerful than I expected.”

  “Do you think there’s some reason why I’ve learned how to regenerate mana so quickly?”

  “I’m not sure.” Melody shrugged. “Perhaps this area is helping you to recover your strength at a faster rate. I don’t know exactly what this place is, but it was important to your former empire.”

  “Maybe it is,” he said. “We will have to tell the nymphs who I am before long. My power will make it too obvious.”

  “I think you’re right,” Melody said.

  “Is it dangerous to tell them?” he asked.

  “Why would it be dangerous?”

  “Isn’t it possible that they could be spies for the Xurian Realm?” He knew almost nothing about the political intrigues of this world. But he figured it didn’t hurt to be cautious, especially around strangers.

  Melody shook her head. “I have never heard of a nymph serving the Realm. They have been downtrodden by the Usurper for centuries. They long for your return. If any were to work for the Usurper, that would be a deep betrayal indeed.”

  “I see.” The knowledge left Ben feeling somewhat more reassured. “In that case, I can tell them tomorrow when we have more time.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Melody nodded.

  In the stillness, Ben heard the hoot of an owl outside—or whatever this world’s equivalent of an owl was. There was hardly another sound, which was unusual for him, having come from a big city.

  “So, how did you find talking to Vinata?” Melody asked. He could see faint lines of worry on her face as she asked, as though she were nervous about his response.

  Could this be jealousy? Melody hadn’t known him for very long, but she had been the one to bring him to this world, and their union had apparently produced a child, or at least a monster egg. After all she’d been through for him, he didn’t want her to be concerned that he would abandon her for the nearest good looking monster woman.

  Doing his best to sound unconcerned, he allowed his face to look slightly startled, as though it were an unexpected turn of conversation. “Oh, Vinata. She seems nice, and very capable. You know, I’m glad we rescued the nymphs; they may end up being helpful around here while we wait for their people to find them.”

  Melody beamed. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.”

  He started. That wasn’t the response he’d been expecting to hear. “What makes you glad about it?”

  “You have shown such compassion to these women. The Forgotten Ruler was always known as a champion of the monster races, but what you did for these women today shows more than mere compassion. I saw how you looked at tho
se women after you rescued them.”

  If by looked she meant ogled, well, he couldn’t help admitting he had found all three women very attractive. He was only a man after all.

  “Aren’t you concerned?” he asked, still a bit confused.

  “Concerned about what?” Melody chuckled and twirled her hair around one finger. It was almost like she was deliberately pretending to be more innocent than he knew she was.

  This was abnormal. “We had a child together, Melody. Aren’t you concerned about me falling for other women?”

  “But what would be the problem with that?” Melody asked.

  Geez, this is some kinky shit, if I’m understanding her correctly.

  “You’d be ok with me being with another woman?” Ben asked.

  If he hadn’t known better, he would have said Melody was from Europe after all and not some foreign world.

  “If the other women are suitable mates for the Forgotten Ruler, I may be able to grow accustomed to such an arrangement.” She nodded and looked away, as if considering the idea and finding herself more pleased with it by the moment. “After all, it would be quite a thing for one woman to believe she was enough to keep the Forgotten Ruler himself satisfied.”

  Women? Plural?

  The image of a dark ruler with several women leaning on his arms came back to Ben from the vision he had seen in the ancient crystal ball. And the words of Vinata, who had shyly expressed a wish to become one of the Forgotten Ruler’s wives.

  Ben shook his head. This day had been weird enough, he didn’t need to make it any stranger just now. One day at a time, he told himself.

  “And why are you glad that I showed compassion to the nymphs today?” He steered the conversation back toward a topic that might be a bit easier for his overwhelmed mind to understand.

  “It is one thing for a man to become a powerful ruler.” Melody clasped her hands together on the table, looking thoughtful. “You showed that you have what it takes to become powerful today. You had the courage to fight in battle, and the ruthlessness to deal out justice to wicked men.”

  She stared wistfully at the table as she recounted this.

  Then she raised her chin and looked straight into his eyes. “But not every man can become a kind and wise ruler as well. You showed today that you would not hesitate to save innocents from danger, and destroy those who oppose your will.”

  Her eyes blazed with fervor as she spoke.

  “It was just as well that you left to gather food this evening. I would not have wanted to cause a scene around the other nymphs.”

  “Come again?” This seemed like a hard left turn in the conversation.

  “Not just yet.” Melody smiled mischievously again.

  Ben felt his cheeks redden at the unexpected innuendo. “Why did you say that you would have caused a scene?”

  “Seeing how you slaughtered those mountain ogres with such brutality and strength, then how you treated the nymphs with such care,” Melody broke off, her lips parted. She drew a heavy breath and continued. “It made me quite, ahem, wet. I didn’t know if I could have maintained my composure for much longer.”

  Ben laughed, as much amused as he was embarrassed and confused by this reaction.

  Melody also laughed, evidently able to see the funny side of it all. Then she smiled warmly at him. “I think you will make a great father, Benjamin. If you raise our child with the same courage and kindness you have shown today, he or she will be very fortunate indeed.”

  He kept forgetting he was apparently a dad.

  “Where’s the egg?” He remembered leaving it in the rucksack up on the hill. Melody had said she would retrieve it.

  “The egg is sitting safely in our bedroom.” Melody pointed to the other room.

  “I want to see it again,” he said. It was still hard to believe that the thing contained their child. He wondered if it would show any signs of change by now.

  They both got up and walked to the bedroom. A large bed stood in the middle of the room, its back to one wall. Aside from that, the room was almost entirely bare.

  The egg sat in the far corner of the room, on the hotel blanket he’d stuffed into his rucksack. The torchlight spilled into the room from the doorway, gleaming on one creamy smooth side of the egg. On the other side, moonlight streamed through the glass pane of the window. This hut was one of the few with intact glass windows.

  He bent to examine the egg once more. It was still the same as it had been this morning. He laid his right hand on one side, noting that the surface was warmer than he remembered.

  “When will it hatch?” he asked.

  “I cannot say.” Melody’s voice was hushed. “I have no experience of these matters.”

  She knelt beside him, her knee brushing against his. Her apron folded against her waist. She placed her hand on the other side of the egg. They gazed at it in silence for a short time.

  No other sound could be heard aside from the occasional hoot of an owl in the night. It was possibly the deepest quiet Ben had ever heard in his life.

  At length, Melody raised her face to look at him. The pale moonlight glinted on her moist eyes.

  She smiled, her cheeks getting dimples in them, and a tear ran down their surface. “I have dreamed of becoming a mother for a long time. I was not allowed to think of this dream in the Arcanarium, but they could never kill the mother’s love inside me.”

  Ben lifted a finger to her face and wiped her tear away. “I haven’t known you for very long, Melody, but I can see already what a good heart you have. I can’t wait to see you as a mother too.”

  Melody beamed that enchanting smile of hers again. Ben felt desire stir inside him, and he reached out a hand to pull her toward him. Swift and catlike though, she slipped away and got to her feet.

  “Let me just remove this.” She lifted the strings of the heavy apron she wore from around her neck and took the garment off. She flung the garment through the doorway behind them, and it perfectly landed across the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

  Ben got to his feet and walked over to stand in front of her. He was still wearing the farmer’s trousers and tunic Melody had found for him, and she still wore the close-fitting frock she had discovered.

  Melody looked up at him, her face serene. “It is good to have you with me in these wild lands, Benjamin.”

  He put his hands on her arms. “It’s good to have you as my guide.”

  “The journey through this forest on my way to your world was harrowing.” A cloud passed over Melody’s bright eyes.

  “Really? You seem like a very capable sorceress to me.”

  Melody looked vulnerable. Her doe eyes were wide as she recalled the trials she’d been through. “I was able to defend myself. But there were times when I was lonely and afraid.”

  “We have each other now.” He drew her close to him.

  Melody traced her fingers down his torso as she gazed at his chest. “I hadn’t expected an Earthling to be as strong as you are.”

  Ben felt a stirring in his loins as her fingers traced still lower.

  She looked up at his eyes, mischief sparkling in her own. “Though you are no true Earthling.”

  Melanie leaned toward him. He placed his hand on the side of her neck and brought her face toward his. Her full, parted lips sparkled in the moonlight.

  He felt Melody’s breath warm on his face. Her soft skin was covered in goosebumps, and he felt her quiver with nervousness.

  Their lips touched, and he felt an electric tingle shoot through him. He felt her body react the same way, as her body went rigid. Then she pressed herself against him, and they kissed passionately, and slowly.

  The scent of her fragrance filled his nostrils, mixed with the herbs they had both bathed in. It was a heady smell that filled his mind with images of freshly tilled earth and rain on the hot soil.

  Her probing tongue touched his lips, gently but firmly. As they explored each other’s mouths with their tongues, his tastebud
s exploded with sensation. Her mouth was savory and enticing.

  Her hot breath on his face came in rhythmic gasps, passionate and intense, not so urgent as the night before.

  The heat of her torso pressed against his own through the linen they both wore. He felt the pressure of her stomach against his. The pressure of her pelvis against his own was also noticeable, and he felt himself growing hard.

  This woman’s body was supple in his arms and was all his. The way in which she completely surrendered herself to him told him that she would do anything for him if he asked it of her. He held great power now, and he had a responsibility to use it wisely.

  But thoughts of power and conflict faded from his mind, as their lips communicated far more than words with one another.

  Ben drew back for breath. “Does this … does this feel different to you?” He broke off, unsure of how to explain what he was feeling.

  Melody furrowed her brow in confusion.

  “I mean, does it feel different to the way it was last night?” he asked.

  “In what way?” Melody asked.

  "It's just. . . it feels somehow deeper. Richer.” He paused, searching for an analogy. “It’s like the difference between takeout and eating at a five-star restaurant."

  "Takeout?" Melody looked puzzled. She’d clearly never heard the word before.

  "I mean, the quality is higher, you know? When I kiss you, it's not like I'm trying to get to a point, like fucking you. I'm just enjoying kissing you. As if I'm savoring it, not because I'm afraid it's going to end soon, but because I'm enjoying the moment."

  As he spoke, Melody’s eyes appeared to melt with softness. "Benjamin, that is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. You are the Forgotten Ruler, but I never expected him to be so. . . breathtaking.”

  Ben chuckled. “You’re not the only one finding this whole situation unexpected.”

  “Your power and your kindness are irresistible to me.” Melody’s eyes took on a hungry look. She smiled at him, drawing back her bright red lips and displaying a perfect row of white teeth.