by Eric Vall
The phoenix walked to the dresser in the corner and pulled out her neatly folded red robes. She began to slide the night dress off her shoulders before she caught my eye and gave me a pointed look.
“Alright, sorry,” I snickered as I turned away to give her some privacy.
I’d see her naked body beneath me soon enough. Plus, this anticipation was just making me want her more and more, and I knew that when we finally landed in bed together, it was going to be fucking amazing, and I’d fill her womb with all the seed I’d been saving up.
A moment later, I heard fabric fall to the floor and the slight rustle of Ravi’s robes as she dressed herself.
“All done!” she said.
I turned to look at her, and she spun in a circle, which caused her robes to billow out around her.
“Nice,” I commented with a smile. “You look beautiful, as usual.”
The phoenix blushed, but then her eyes went wide.
“Wait!” Ravi nearly yelled as she stopped and turned toward her dresser. A small hairbrush sat on the top, and as she quickly ran it through her hair, a few stray orange feathers spilled onto the floor at her feet.
“You good?” I laughed.
“Yes, now I’m ready,” she said as she skipped back to my side, and then we left her room hand in hand.
It took us about fifteen minutes to reach the library from the airship, and by the time we arrived, the others were already seated at a table waiting for us.
“Morning,” I greeted as Ravi and I sat down next to Alyona.
A chorus of ‘good morning’ was repeated from everyone before Alyona stood next to me.
“My father replied to me early this morning,” she began. “His letter says he will do what he can to keep the peace, but we must hurry with the reconstruction. No more delays. We have to finish the city by the end of the year so we can begin to travel.”
“Okay, so we have a little over four months to finish everything,” Ruslan said from the opposite end of the table. “That should be perfect. That gives us a little room to work with.”
“I’ll talk to Raisa and Azra later today about the new deadline,” I spoke up, “and I’ll talk to Valerra again and let her know as well.”
“Why would Valerra need to know?” Ruslan questioned with a frown. “I thought she hated everyone in the city, besides you of course.”
He cast me a wink at that and smirked.
“I asked her to watch over the city while I’m gone,” I explained. “I don’t want anyone to take advantage of Hatra while I’m away.”
“That’s smart,” Laika responded from the other side of Alyona, and her gray eyes were bright with alertness. “Valerra already has a terrifying reputation. I mean, she’s so fearsome, travelers don’t even risk crossing through her canyons. If word spreads that she’s a guardian of Hatra, no one will want to interfere.”
“That’s why I wanted her, but she’s still undecided,” I said with a nod. “I’m sure I can convince her, though.”
“If anyone can persuade her, it’s you Evan,” Julia chimed in from Ruslan’s side. “Valerra is very powerful, but she’s also very stubborn and prideful. She won’t help unless its her own decision. We can’t force her.”
“You’re telling me,” I sighed. “She nearly let me die in the desert before she helped us.”
Ravi nodded in agreement. “But it was incredible when she joined the fight! Hatra wouldn’t have to worry about a thing with Valerra as a guardian.”
“I’ll talk to her soon,” I assured the table. “I told her I’d give her time to think about it, and I want to honor that.”
Everyone nodded.
“What else do you want to figure out before we leave, Evan?” Alyona asked.
I thought about this for a second and drummed my fingers against the tabletop.
“We need more people,” I decided eventually. “If we can get more people, especially builders or anyone who can help with reconstruction, we could cut down our time immensely.”
“How are we supposed to get more citizens?” Ruslan asked with a frown. “Most of the world is still unaware Hatra is under reconstruction.”
I smirked. “I’ve been thinking about that, and I have a few ideas.”
Chapter 4
“So, what kind of ideas are you thinking about?” Ruslan asked as he leaned back in his chair.
“We need to spread the word about Hatra,” I replied. “Most of Rahma doesn’t even know Hatra is under reconstruction, so I was thinking we could send small groups out to different nearby cities to help spread the word. We’ll need more workers once the city is complete, so maybe we can entice new citizens by offering work at good pay.”
The others nodded thoughtfully.
“We could offer housing as well,” Alyona suggested. “It could help take care of the growing homeless population caused by demon attacks.”
“That’s a good idea,” I agreed with a nod. “We have more than enough houses. We can offer them free housing if they move here and have a skill set that can be used to help the economy of the city.”
“How will we pay these new workers?” Laika asked with a furrowed brow. “The workers we have now work for free to restore the city, but once we’re finished and we have travelers pass through, we’ll need money.”
“What if we revive the old trade routes?” Ravi offered from beside me. “I mean, you helped my people because you wanted the maps of the desert from us, so you might as well use them. If I can get in contact with my tribe, I can ask if they would be willing to help restore the trade routes along the desert. Maybe even set up hubs at popular oases to allow people to travel the desert regularly again.”
“That would be great, Ravi, thanks.” I smiled. “We can also start to sell some of our left over weapons Natalya made to any traders. Her weapons are incredible, so I’m sure we could sell some for a decent price.”
“We’ll need to talk to her about that,” Ruslan said, and he frowned as his fox ears twitched. “It wouldn’t be right to sell her weapons and not give her any of the profit.”
“Of course she’ll get a percentage of what we can sell,” I nodded, “but I’m sure she understands we need help right now. Besides, once the economy here is better, and we have a steady stream of income, she’ll be able to take all the profits for her own.”
“What about taxes?” Laika asked.
“We can hold off on those until we have more money coming in,” I said after a moment. “We’re doing a good job right now, and no one is working for money yet. Once we become more known, and we have travelers and traders coming through regularly, we can start doing taxes on buildings and homes, but for now, it wouldn’t be fair since everyone is basically working for free and they couldn’t afford taxes if we implemented them now.”
“What if people think it’s all a trick?” Ruslan questioned and leaned forward in his chair. “When an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is. What if people are afraid this is an elaborate set up?”
“Speaking to the citizens of Hatra should assuage any fears,” Laika replied. “They can give first hand testimony on how true our offers are.”
“If people are still hesitant,” Julia added from Ruslan’s side, “we can perhaps tell them of our dragonsblood trees. If the demon attacks are getting worse, it could be a comfort to know our city has a plan in place to deter the miasma. As for the actual demon attacks, I think it would be safe to say Hatra is protected from harm by two dragons, so that should be enough to sway the minds of those who are unsure.”
“That might work,” I mused as I rubbed my chin. “We can even use the fear people have right now to our advantage. We can use the small groups to promote Hatra in a way that makes people feel safe and secure, and then we can lure them in with the houses and jobs. It should work.”
“What if we get more people than we anticipate?” Alyona asked, and she toyed with one of her black forelocks. “We have a finite number of available houses, and so
me of them are already assigned to the members of the Blue Tree Guild. We should clear more area to build more homes.”
Silence stretched between us for a moment before I came up with an idea.
“Okay, so we start clearing the outskirts,” I suggested. “I can help with the clearing of the areas, and once that is done, we can fix up the old smithy in the section where I found the Itsumade. Once the smithy is up and running again, we can start building more homes without having to travel back and forth between the outskirts and the inner city. Then we can build dozens of houses there. That should be plenty for now, and we can continue to spread out into the outer lying portion of Hatra as we grow. We’ll have to remember to redirect the aqueducts, though, so we can have fresh water for the sewage system.”
“If we are to begin the repairs to the outer city, we need to ensure it’s safe before we send any other civilians there,” Julia replied with a furrowed brow. “We don’t need another death to occur before we have new comers. That could scare them off.”
“That’s a good point,” I agreed as I looked to my mother. “Adyin’s death was a preventable accident. I’ll go with Nike and a small team of guild members, and we should be able to handle anything that’s hiding in the ruins.”
“Be careful out there, Evan,” Julia warned and cast me a worried look. “There could be worse things than the Itsumade lurking around.”
“He’ll be fine,” Ruslan answered for me with a grin. “Evan is strong, he gets that from his father.”
“Hush, you.” Julia fondly slapped her fan on Ruslan’s chest before she turned back to me. “I’m just worried about what could be hiding in the shadows, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured her with a smirk. “There isn’t much out there that can harm a dragon.”
“See, he’ll be fine!” Ruslan winked at me, but I could see the slight worry behind his green eyes.
“I’ll make sure I’m careful, okay?” I promised my parents with slight amusement, and they both nodded and shared a small smile.
It was strange but also kind of nice to have parents that care about me so much. I was a grown adult, but they still worried about me like I was a child.
“We also need to focus on the mines,” I said as we turned back to the matter at hand. “Natalya is running out of materials, since we used the last of the scrap metal to create the weapons and armor for the echidna attack. We need to reopen the mines so we can start searching for the orichalcum again.”
“I can go and ensure the Asuran village and mine are safe to reopen,” Laika piped up from next to Alyona.
“I can go too,” Ravi offered with a bright smile. “I’ve heard you burned the harpies when they attacked the first time, so I could be of help if they attack again.”
“Okay, sure,” I agreed, “but take a few more guild members with you, just to be safe. And if you can, try and leave today. If nothing happens, we can do a trial run for a week or two. If we’re still in the clear after the trial period, we can open them permanently.”
“Understood,” Laika said with a nod.
“Do you think Anton would be okay being stationed at the Asuran village?” I asked the wolf Demi-Human. “He has fire magic, which would be useful like Ravi said, and I want to leave a group of people there again to start mining.”
“I’ll make sure he comes with us,” Laika replied with a smirk. “I’ll let him know he has a new job to do.”
The wolf pressed a hand to her gorget and was quiet for a few seconds while she communicated with Anton. Then she pulled her hand away and nodded.
“He is ready whenever we need him,” she confirmed.
“Tell him thanks,” I replied and turned to the others. “I think that’s all we needed to discuss then, right?” I looked around the table, and no one replied. “Okay then. Maybe we can have a meeting later with everyone so we can get more ideas, but until then, I think we’re done. Ravi, once you get ahold of your tribe, find Laika, and the two of you can go to the mine. I’m going to talk to Afra and check on the farms.”
I stood up from the table, and the others followed suit.
“I’ll come with you, Evan,” Alyona said as she stood next to me. “I wanted to ask Afra if there is anything I can do to help. I haven’t found any useful spells, but I’m hoping I can help out with something. I’ve been feeling useless since the fight with the echidnas.”
“Of course,” I nodded, “and I’m sure Afra would love some more help.”
We left as a group before Laika and Ravi broke off from us to return to the airship. Then Alyona, my parents, and I walked together until my parents turned toward the temporary palace.
“We’ll see you later, Evan,” Julia called as they left.
Alyona and I waved to them as we continued onward, and the city was quiet as we walked. The sun had risen a bit more, and the warmth from its rays was a welcome difference from the chilly morning air.
I reached out to grab Alyona’s hand as we walked.
“How are you feeling?” I asked to break the silence. “It’s only been a few days since the attack, and I don’t want you to over exert yourself.”
“I’m fine, I promise.” The princess waved off my concern with her free hand. “My magic is already back at full strength. I’ll be fine in case they need me for anything right away.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” I replied but looked at her suspiciously. “Just let me know if you begin to feel differently.”
“I will,” she promised with a beautiful smile.
“Good,” I said, and we continued along the wall of the city as we walked toward the farms.
“I’m sorry for telling Ravi about our engagement,” Alyona murmured a moment later. “I should have let you explain everything to her.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Alyona,” I assured the princess as I looked at her in surprise. “I should have told her when we met, but I wasn’t thinking about it. Then it just never came up, but don’t feel bad. She understands, and she’s fine with it.”
Alyona squeezed my hand. “I’m glad. I like her, and I can see she cares about you.”
“I care about her, too.” I smiled and looked down at my future wife. “I care about all of you.”
“I know.” She stood up on her toes and kissed me. “That’s why we all love you, follow you, and would do anything you asked.”
I smirked as the princess pulled away from me. I definitely liked the sound of all that.
Fifteen minutes later, we finally reached the farms, and we scanned the area for Afra.
“I see her!” Alyona exclaimed and pointed to a small field.
Afra’s blue hair jumped out against the brown and green backdrop around her. She stood next to two giant horses that towered over her small frame, and each horse wore a giant yolk around its neck. A long till was in front of her, and she held a pair of leather straps that she attached to the machine. Then she attached the straps to the yolks on the horses.
Alyona and I jogged toward the teenager before she could finish and begin her current job.
“Afra!” I called out, and she jumped slightly.
The fox Demi-Human spun and looked around, and her eyes were wide with surprise and confusion until she saw us. Then she smiled and waved, but was sure to keep a firm grip on the leather straps in her hands.
“Hello, Princess and Lord Evan,” Afra greeted with a bow. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“I was wondering how everything is going?” I asked as Alyona and I stopped in front of her.
“Its great!” The fox grinned. “The dryad sisters are incredible! We already have sprouts a few feet tall! At this rate, we should be able to harvest the food in a few more weeks.”
“That’s good. We’re hoping to get some new citizens here within the next few months.”
Afra hummed and chewed the inside of her cheek.
“We will need to continue with the expansion of the farms immed
iately if we get too many people,” she said quietly, almost to herself.
“I’ll make sure we get more help here,” I promised. “I know we plan to expand the farms further, but with everything else going on, we seemed to push it toward the bottom of the list. Sorry about that.”
“There is no need to apologize, Lord Evan, I just want to ensure I am doing a good job,” Afra replied gratefully.
“Of course you are,” I reassured the young fox.
“If there is anything you can think of for me to do, don’t hesitate to ask,” Alyona piped up with a smile. “I’ve been looking for a new way to help out around the city.”
“I will take all the help I can get, Milady,” Afra admitted and let out a deep breath. “I was fine with myself and the dryad sisters, but after the fields were destroyed, it’s been hard. I usually alternate between the fields I tend to day to day, but with the little sprouts, I have to check nearly all of the fields everyday. For the more fragile plants, like carrots, I check them twice each day to ensure the soil is still loose and there are no weeds or anything to disrupt their growth.”
“I’m sorry, I wish there was more we could do to help,” I said with a sympathetic wince.
“That’s alright,” the fox replied in a tired voice, but she still cast me a smile, “I’ll manage just fine. Once the plants have begun to form, I’ll be fine. Baby plants are very fragile, though, and I don’t want them to die before they have the chance to mature. I just wish there were more hours in the day.”
“What is it you’d like for me to do?” Alyona asked and took a step forward. “I can help in any way you need me to.”
“If you could help get water, that would be a big help,” Afra said sheepishly, and her ears twitched as she ducked her head.
Alyona nodded. “How do you normally water the fields?”
“The aqueducts come out here, but they don’t reach the fields,” Afra explained with a grimace. “So, we had Natalya design us a different kind of water trough that has holes in the bottom. We use our cattle or horses to pull the trough across the fields. Are you good with animals? You’ll need to guide them across the fields to ensure everything gets water.”