Building harem town 5, p.20
Building Harem Town 5, page 20
My followers held their weapons up, too, but they didn’t need to attack because a bunch of orcs got there first. They grabbed their friend’s arms and roughly pulled his weapon from him with scowls and grunts.
“They have babies inside,” Lurk snarled. “We cannot attack them. They are like our women.”
“Your women?” Nicola asked as she kept her eyes on the agitated orc. “Where are they?”
“They’re in one of the underground chambers,” Lurk sighed. “There are many of them with babies as it is the season for new offspring. We cannot keep them safe for much longer if the forest continues to be barren and evil. And we don’t like Luke looking at them when he comes around to talk to us. He can’t… appreciate the glory of an orc woman.”
His furious tone made me realize Luke had actually ripped on these guys’ women, and I couldn’t help scoffing. Not that I imagined an orc woman to be anything like my priestesses, but to each their own, and these guys seemed like decent beings who cared for their families well.
I could respect the hell out of that.
“Tell him we can offer protection for their women,” I said eagerly. “They could even borrow Layla for guard duty until they give birth.”
“We can help you,” Celeste said. “I mean, we do have a three-headed bear and an entire army of gnomes and elves. We all look out for each other.”
“We’re a family,” Penelope agreed. “That’s what we do, protect one another. We helped to save the elven town with Jack’s guidance, and we would do the same with your caves and babies.”
“We love babies,” Aleia added with an adorably determined nod.
“All babies,” Nicola agreed a little more enthusiastically than I expected.
“I still don’t trust them,” a very toothy orc snarled.
He leered at Nicola as he spoke and kept his grip firm on his sword.
“We’ve just met them,” another said in agreement. “This Jack sounds too good to be true. I reckon they’re just taking advantage of us ‘cause they know how much we’re struggling with Luke.”
“But they’ve got the bear,” someone else said. “And he did all that stuff with the wings and sprites and stuff.”
Then an argument began to break out within the cavern, and deep voices echoed throughout the chamber.
“Jack?” Grez said out of the corner of his mouth. “What do we do?”
“Just stay calm,” I said. “It’s understandable that they won’t agree right away. After all, it makes them seem kind of stupid to have followed Luke in the first place. They’re probably feeling a bit on edge.”
“Remember how vicious they can be,” Wilfrim mumbled. “This could get ugly.”
There was the faintest sound of footsteps coming from the tunnel, and I shifted my God Vision ever so slightly to see what I could only assume was a female orc.
“Woah,” the elves both muttered under their breaths.
She was just as big as the males, but her hair was longer and fuller as it fell over her shoulders. She had a very raggedy brown top that sat over her round belly, and a pair of scruffy shorts to match. Her eyes were narrow as she stepped into the cavern, and she kept one hand on her very pregnant stomach.
To be honest, she was kind of cute in a rugged way, and I decided once again that Luke was a fucking prick. This pregnant orc looked like a hell of a woman who probably had very sore feet right now, and the immature god should have been doing a better job watching over his flock.
I just wanted to tell her to sit down and eat something delicious and nutritious.
“Rola!” Lurk said as he hurried over to her. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright? The baby?”
“We’re fine,” Rola replied, and her voice was much softer than I had expected. “I had a feeling there was something going on up here. I felt a presence.”
“Rola’s very in tune with that sort of thing.” Lurk nodded. “She could sense Luke before he even made himself known to us.”
“You must be sensing Jack!” Aleia gasped. “He’s our god, and we’ve come to try and explain how much better he would treat you. We know you’ve been having horrible issues with Luke.”
“Jack,” Rola said softly. “Yes. He’s an old god, isn’t he?”
“That’s right,” Penelope said excitedly. “He led us here from our convent to speak to the people of the forest. He wants to help!”
“Hmm.” The female orc nodded. “I can feel a great power here. Much, much more intensely than whenever Luke is near. And yet… it’s somehow a gentle presence, despite how powerful it is.”
“That’s our Jack,” Penelope sighed with obvious adoration.
I couldn’t help feeling slightly smug at the orc woman’s comment, but I was a little shocked at how gentle and wise this woman seemed to be. Her male counterparts were so rough and lumbering, she was almost like a different species, and I was struck once again with the need to make her rest and take care of herself.
Lurk was clearly the father of Rola’s kid as he kept a gentle hand on her belly. A few of the orcs were still arguing amongst themselves, and I figured we should maybe give them some time to discuss things alone.
“I know Jack would make you all feel safe,” Penelope said. “He holds such power, but he is kind with it to those who follow him. We’ve been with him for a long time now, and he has done nothing but protect us and bring us joy.”
“We know how important our little ones are,” Aleia added as she rubbed her cute but completely flat belly. “We promise he would do so much more for you than Luke ever would. All Luke cares about is power and fear. There is nothing worth following there.”
The cavern was quiet for a moment, and some of the orcs looked incredibly tired.
“Will you leave us to think?” Lurk asked. “I am not happy with our current god, but we cannot simply leave his leadership without agreement amongst the whole group, and we must discuss all this thoroughly before Luke returns to badger us some more.”
“Of course,” Elowise said. “Do you know where the gnome fortress is?”
“We do.” Lurk nodded. “We do not engage with others in the forest usually, but we will know where to find you if we choose to accept Jack.”
“I know you’ll make the right choice,” Penelope said. “For your future, and for your little ones. They deserve a god who cares.”
“Nice addition,” I said with a light chuckle. “Okay, let’s not overstay our welcome. Say your goodbyes and get out of here before the idiot himself shows up.”
“Goodbye.” Aleia smiled. “I hope you enjoy the cakes.”
The rest of my followers gave quick waves and nods before they started to hurry back out into the dim tunnels, but Penelope paused to squeeze the pregnant orc’s arm. Then she smiled sweetly at her rounded belly, and her eyes actually welled with happy tears.
“Congratulations,” the naiad whispered.
“Goodbye,” Rola said softly as Penelope left. “Thank you for coming.”
She sounded so sincere that I decided to check my devotional map, just on the off-chance that she might be close to being swayed. I pulled it up on my interface and was shocked at what I saw.
The orcs were already all showing up on the screen. Half were the pale yellow of not quite believing, and the other half were already a vibrant orange. That meant half of them were close to being true followers of mine.
I felt a rush of pride as my women hurried along the caves. They had done so well with my guidance, and as they made their way through the tunnel system, I wished I could hear Luke’s reaction when he realized his followers were questioning him.
He would be really fucking angry, especially when he found out it was all my doing.
The priestesses sighed as they stepped back into the sunny morning air, and I was suddenly confident that we would soon have a whole new army behind us.
And lots of little orc babies to look after.
Chapter 14
“How do you think that went?” Elowise asked as the group began to walk toward the creek.
“I think it went great,” I said. “There was no way we were going to get them all on board right there and then. We did as much as we could without pressuring them too much.”
“That orc woman seemed to be keen,” Nicola said. “She was much more, uh, human-like than they were?”
“Orcs are a strange group.” Elowise nodded. “Some of them are very wise, so hopefully she manages to sway the others.”
“Well,” Penelope sighed. “That was slightly stressful, I would love to have a little dip in the water before we return? Oh! We could find that waterfall you mentioned, Jack!”
“I think you all earned it,” I chuckled. “What do you think? A quick swim before we go back to the fortress?”
The group all echoed their enthusiasm, and Penelope pouted slightly.
“My lord,” she whispered. “I was rather hoping that it would just be me and my sisters with you.”
“Sorry,” I said gently. “They deserve a little treat as well, but I promise my complete attention will be on you beauties.”
“I have an idea!” Grez said. “One of the gnomes was telling me about a whole series of waterfalls nearby, apparently they’re just over the creek.”
“How far?” I asked. “I don’t want to travel too far when we already know the location of one.”
“He told me that this water still has…” He glanced around and then lowered his voice. “Magic.”
“Really?” I asked. “How come?”
“The gnomes said Luke knows very little about the forest.” Grez shrugged. “There is still some magic left here, and they said it makes the water gloriously clear and warm.”
“That sounds great!” Aleia said. “The creek is narrow enough to jump over right here.”
“Okay,” I chuckled. “Let’s go and find these magic waterfalls.”
The winged women flew over the creek, and the elves helped the gnomes jump across much to Balabar’s annoyance.
“I could have made that,” he grumbled as Grez half-threw him across.
Nicola helped Penelope get over safely, and then Grez stood with his head tilted as he muttered directions to himself.
“Right.” He nodded. “It was this way!”
The yellow-haired elf strode away from the creek and confidently made his way west of the fortress.
“How sure are you that this is the way?” Nia asked as she looked up at the sky.
“Very sure!” The elf smiled. “And if it’s wrong, then at least we got to see some more of the forest!”
Grez led the group for a few minutes, and he kept glancing up at the sky as if the sun was somehow helping him with his bearings.
Nicola raised an eyebrow as she watched him, and I wondered how long it would be until she made a snide remark about his sense of direction.
The brunette had just opened her mouth when there was a sudden sound of running water. It got louder as the group hurried forward, but there still seemed to be only dense woodland surrounding them.
“I can hear it!” Grez said excitedly. “It must be right around here somewhere.”
The yellow-haired elf used his blade to cut through a large bush, and then he laughed and cheered.
The rest of the group followed him as he disappeared, and there were several gasps as they took in the sight behind the bush.
As soon as they stepped past the thick twigs, they were standing in a large clearing at the edge of a large, clear lake. The water was so clean that I could see right down to the rocky bottom, and the only life in there was some fish and plants.
But the most amazing thing about the water was the seven waterfalls that lined the edge of a grassy-topped hill. It was like the hill made a half-circle around the water, and the waterfalls of varying sizes flowed into the lake which continued on and became the river.
“It’s beautiful,” Penelope gasped. “Oh, my goodness!”
Everyone hurried over to the edge of the water and stared out at the tumbling waves. The group all slipped their boots off, and they rolled up their pant legs.
“Guess what Ryal told me,” Aleia said.
“What?” Nicola asked.
The fairy responded by diving headfirst into the water, and then she soared back up with a huge, adorable grin. Her skirt and top looked perfectly dry, and I was once again amazed at the craftsmanship of the elven clothes.
“That’s amazing!” I chuckled. “Although, I do like watching when your clothes get all soaked and see-through.”
The women giggled and began to wade into the water with their waterproof outfits.
The water was shallow enough to walk in for a few steps, and then the women began to swim out into the open lake toward the waterfalls. I enjoyed watching them as they moved through the clear water, and I laughed as Penelope floated on her back.
“It feels so warm,” Celeste said as she floated on her back. “Very cooling on the wings.”
“I didn’t know your wings could float,” Nicola grinned. “That’s brilliant.”
“Watch this!” Celeste said, and she spread her wings out and began using them to propel her through the water. She looked like a beautiful, feathered sea creature, and I chuckled as I admired her long, ivory legs as they moved elegantly.
The priestesses laughed and began to splash each other with the crystal clear water.
“Is there anything nicer on a warm day?” Penelope sighed as she ran her hands through her blonde hair. “Oh, I feel like I could stay here forever.”
The gnomes sat at the edge of the land with their feet dangling into the lake, and the elves waded in the shallow end and splashed their faces. They all looked fully content, and Wilfrim hummed to himself as he basked in the sun.
The bright rays of sunshine hit the clearing perfectly, and I watched my followers take a moment to close their eyes and enjoy the stunning weather. It looked like a scene from a painting, and I tried to remember if I had ever seen anything like it in my old life.
Then a thought came to me.
I had.
In fact, I was sure there was a spot on my school trip when I was a kid where we had all stopped to admire waterfalls. But I tried to put that thought out of my mind, since I had more important things to focus on than my crazy Earth idea.
Because it was crazy. I was sure of it.
I snapped back to the present and took in the stunning scene as my women floated and swam.
“Let’s go and see the waterfalls!” Penelope said. “How about the big one on the right? I bet it’s so soothing to stand underneath that!”
“Race you!” Nicola yelled at once, and she began to swim toward the tumbling water.
The priestesses tore through the lake, and I wasn’t surprised that Penelope was the fastest without question. Her cerulean limbs cut through the water with so much grace that it was mesmerizing to look at. Then she stopped next to the cascading waterfall and smiled as she looked up at the hilltop.
“Nice swimming,” I chuckled. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re amazing at it. Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Jack,” Penelope giggled. “You’re making me blush.”
When the other women had all caught up, they bobbed underneath the falling water and closed their eyes as it crashed onto their heads. They reached out their hands and let the clear water cascade down their arms. Even in a world of fantasy creatures and curses, there was still something magical about a waterfall.
“It’s so warm!” Aleia sighed with a smile. “But still really refreshing at the same time. I suppose that’s the magic?”
She looked down and giggled as a swarm of tiny silver fish rushed past her toes.
“This forest is stunning,” Penelope decided. “Oh, Jack, I can’t wait until you can free it from Luke’s hold. I hate to think of the poor creatures that live here in terror.”
“Me, too,” I replied. “But for now, don’t worry about any of that. Enjoy your dip in the water, and I’ll enjoy the view.”
“Look,” Nicola said as she squinted at the waterfall. “I think there’s a little cave behind there!”
“Let’s go in!” Celeste said.
“What if there’s orcs inside?” Aleia asked. “Or something worse?”
“I doubt it,” Penelope said. “But why don’t we have a quick peek just to make sure?”
The naiad closed her eyes and dove under the water and through the tumbling waterfall. I joined her as she swam, and she crashed back to the surface at the other side. When Penelope opened her eyes, she gasped.
She was floating in a large cave, with two ledges on either side. There was a glistening lilac stone that shone out from the walls, and it was as if the whole place was made of some kind of crystal from inside the hill. I stared up at the high ceiling and wondered how many people knew this little hideaway existed.
Back in my old life, people would have paid thousands to see a place like that, and we had it all to ourselves.
The cavern was self-contained and didn’t have tunnels going anywhere, which made it the perfect little quiet spot for some alone time with my women.
“Sisters!” Penelope called. “Come on! It’s beautiful through here!”
“It really is,” I agreed.
The other women crashed up from the water and gasped as they took in the beauty of the cave.
“Wow,” Celeste breathed. “Look at the walls! What kind of stone is that?”
“I’m not sure,” Aleia said. “But it’s so pretty! Can we get some of it back at the convent?”
“I’ll do my best,” I chuckled. “I’m sure the elves at the quarry will know what it is.”
“Oooh!” Penelope cooed. “Yes, we could have the nursery room all lined with it! So the babies can enjoy the sparkles!”
“You’re adorable,” I said. “And our baby can have whatever kind of room your heart desires.”
As I watched my women smile and admire the view, I decided I would come and reward them for their bravery and hard work over the past couple of days. The journey through the forest was long, and they hadn’t complained once about the trek or dangers.
