Building harem town, p.4
Building Harem Town, page 4
“I typically use a spear, although I’m currently without one,” Penelope explained. “As a water spirit, fish sometimes jump right into my hands, though it isn’t guaranteed.”
“A spear should be easy enough to make,” I said to the naiad. “We can do that a little later. In the meantime, can I accompany you to the creek?”
“I would like nothing more, my lord.” The blue woman bowed her head and clasped her hands together as if she were praying. “Shall we go now?”
“The sooner the better,” I said in an enthusiastic voice. “Nicola, will you be okay here on your own?”
“Yes, of course,” the brunette replied with a puzzled expression on her face. “I am fine being alone, and Aleia will be back soon with the firewood.”
“Well, then, let’s go, Penelope,” I said, and the naiad turned to walk through the gate.
Once I was away from the altar, my gaze automatically shifted to Penelope’s point of view. It seemed like my sight was immediately determined by which woman I was closest to, but when I experimented a little, I figured out I could still see through Nicola’s eyes as she sat in the garden and Aleia’s in the woods.
As Penelope walked, I briefly scrolled through my mental interface, but it didn’t seem like anything had changed from the day before.
And there wasn’t a “logout” button.
“I think it’s this way, my master,” the naiad said as she led me down a slight hill into a thick patch of trees, and after walking a couple yards through the woods, we reached the banks of a medium-sized stream. “Oh, I’m so happy we found it!”
Through Penelope’s eyes, I could see that clear, fresh water flowed across a rocky bed, and schools of small, silvery fish swam in little pools. I wondered if anything larger lived there since the tiny fish wouldn’t provide much sustenance, but the sight was beautiful, nonetheless.
Then I saw something else.
A gauzy piece of white fabric drifted to the ground, and I quickly realized it was part of Penelope’s dress. From what I could tell from her point of view, the naiad climbed down into the water, laid down, and began to splash herself.
Her eyes suddenly shifted to her blue body, and I immediately realized I could see her entirely naked.
Chapter 3
Holy shit.
I couldn’t help but stare for a minute at Penelope’s smooth blue breasts as they bobbed up and down in the flowing water, but then I realized I had the ability to turn off my vision altogether. I didn’t want to violate the naiad’s privacy, though I was pretty sure she knew she was visible.
It was odd not to have a physical reaction to a woman’s naked body, but my mind definitely started to go to dirty places.
“Ahem, Penelope?” I cleared my throat as I stared into blackness. “You… you know I can see you, right?”
“What is it, my lord?” the naiad asked with surprise in her voice. “Is something wrong? I thought I’d told you I would be bathing in the stream.”
“Uhhh, yeah, I guess you did,” I responded. “I just didn’t know you’d be…”
“I don’t understand,” Penelope said in a confused voice. “This is the way of the naiad. We commune with the water like this as much as we can.”
“Okay, sure,” I said in as calm a voice as I could muster. “You commune with the stream, I get it. But, um, I think I’m going to go see what Nicola and Aleia are doing while you hang out in there. We can talk more about fishing later.”
“Yes, my master,” the naiad responded over the sounds of the rushing stream. “I am so overjoyed to be in the water again. If it is acceptable to you, I would perhaps like to spend an hour or two in this manner.”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” I told her. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“Goodbye, my lord,” Penelope sighed, and she definitely seemed to be enjoying her bath.
It didn’t appear the naiad was the slightest bit ashamed of her body, and I was touched by her innocence. I thought even more about being able to visit the women in a physical form, and I wondered if that would ever be possible.
I switched my view back to the altar and saw Aleia had returned to the garden. She’d already rebuilt the fire with the tinder and kindling she’d collected, but I knew what we really needed were larger pieces of wood than we currently had the ability to acquire. Unless we got lucky and found a fallen tree in the forest.
We really needed some tools.
“So, Jack said he was going to have us make a bow,” Nicola said to her companion. “I, for one, cannot stand these conditions much longer. If I have to travel down the road to trade for more food, I will do so. I think it’s slightly ridiculous that--”
“Hey, Nicola and Aleia,” I cut in. I still felt awkward speaking through their minds, but I didn’t have a choice. “I don’t think we’re going to get much of anywhere if we don’t have any wood. We need tools to make weapons so we can hunt, and although I know I talked about a bow, when we went to the stream, it occurred to me that spearing fish might be the easiest way to start collecting some real food, and a spear isn’t too difficult to make. If we create a stone hand axe, it should be easy enough to cut down a sapling and sharpen it. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself, because we’re going to need a flint stone in the correct axe-head shape.”
I thought I should have looked for a large piece of flint when I was at the stream with Penelope, but I’d been just a little bit distracted.
“Yes, my lord, I understand your intentions,” Aleia responded, and I wasn’t sure if she was fully devoted to me yet, but I loved it when she called me her lord. “I think I can identify the proper stones we need to create our axe. Flint is commonly found in riverbeds, correct? Did Penelope find a stream?”
“Yes, she did, and that’s where she is--” I began.
“I know how to use a spear,” Nicola interrupted in an imperious voice. “I have hunted with one many times. Perhaps I should take the lead on this task.”
“I’m sure we can all work together, Nicola,” Aleia gently chastised the other priestess. “There’s a lot to be done, and it will be easier with many hands. Why don’t you come to the creek with me so we can find the proper rock?”
“Yes, that sounds like a good plan,” I told the women in the deepest, god-like voice I could manage. “I’ll just… let you three have some privacy. If you head out of the garden gate and turn right, the land begins to slope down, and then if you walk more through the trees, you’ll find the creek.”
“Of course, my lord.” Aleia nodded her head. “We will be back soon with the flint we need.”
“Nicola, can you help find a hard, round rock?” I questioned, since I wanted to appease the brunette by giving her a task.
“Yes, we need a hammerstone to create the axe, correct?” Nicola asked as she furrowed her brow in thought.
“That’s right, you got it,” I replied. I was impressed by the amount of knowledge the women already had, and I started to think it would be easier than I’d realized to get some solid work going on around the convent.
The women walked out of my line of vision, and I thought about what else I wanted them to accomplish quickly. There was the bow, of course, but while I was concerned about hunting, I knew there could also be threats from predatory animals, or whatever “creatures” Penelope had mentioned. I imagined ogres, trolls, or god forbid, a dragon. The horrific possibilities seemed endless, and the thought of something happening to one of the women I was trying to protect was devastating.
So, the women definitely needed some weapons as quickly as possible. I thought a sling might be a fun thing to have them make, and I wondered about Aleia’s Crafting special skill and how much she already knew. We were going to need a lot of cordage, which I thought would be simple enough to have the women make, but it was hard to imagine teaching someone how to tie knots without having fingers to show them.
There were a lot of cool things about being a god, like the mental interface and the different views, and the women’s worship of me, of course, but it would have been nice to have my body on the ground so I could help them with some of this work.
And if they worshipped my body the same way they worshipped a voice inside their heads, the possibilities were endless.
I sighed with slight frustration. It would be a long day, but hopefully we’d be productive. I looked forward to Nicola having a chance to hunt and actually getting some meat into her belly. I could tell she wanted to take charge of something. It occurred to me we could easily make three spears at once for all the women, and I thought they’d be simple enough for all the women to work on regardless of their crafting abilities.
Nicola, Aleia, and Penelope soon returned from the creek, and I cheered internally when I saw the human and the fairy had managed to procure the rocks I’d suggested. The blue naiad was dressed again in her ancient-looking garments, and they were so damp it appeared she’d just been in a wet t-shirt contest, and I had to remind myself I was trying not to invade her privacy. She just seemed so naive, and I wanted to make sure if anything sexual was on her terms.
Sexual? I was clearly getting ahead of myself.
“Aleia, Nicola, great job getting the rocks I asked for,” I praised the two women. “Penelope, did you happen to notice what kind of fish there were in the stream?”
“Yes, my lord,” the beautiful naiad replied, and a smile flashed across her face as she squeezed water out of her thick, golden locks. “I saw trout that would be more than suitable for a meal.”
“That’s great, Penelope!” I encouraged the naiad as I tried not to stare at the erect, navy-blue nipples poking through the gauze that covered her perfect cantaloupe-sized breasts. “So, let’s get started making tools. I decided each of you should have a spear, for hunting, fishing, and defense.”
“Hmm, I should have thought of that myself,” Nicola sighed.
“You’ve had a lot on your mind,” I said. “I’m here to help.”
“Yes,” she agreed with a slight smile. “I am looking forward to leading the search for more food once the spears are complete.”
“That would be great, Nicola,” I said, and I tried to sound as kind as possible. “We could definitely use your expertise.”
“Yes, well, thank you,” the chestnut-haired woman whispered, but I could tell by her faint blush she was pleased by the compliment.
“So, does anyone know how to make a hand axe?” I asked.
“I haven’t before, but I have watched it done before, and I believe I have an understanding of the general principles,” Aleia replied, but the other two women shook their heads.
“Alright, then you can all take turns working on it so you learn a new skill,” I told them.
“Yes, my lord, that is a good idea,” Penelope murmured.
Aleia hefted a piece of grayish stone about a foot in diameter in her hands as I scanned our surroundings for a large, flat rock we could use as a workspace, and I spotted one in an empty corner of the garden opposite the apple tree.
“Aleia, why don’t you put the flint down on that rock in the corner?” I suggested. I wished I had a way to gesture to the place I was looking at, but the strawberry-blonde fairy easily spotted it, and I supposed that was her high level of perception at work.
Aleia walked over to the rock and set the flint down, and then she smiled.
“That was a fun challenge, Jack,” the fairy said with her lips turned up into a smile. “I am glad I was able to accomplish it for you.”
“I found a suitable hammerstone, as you requested,” Nicola informed me as she held a round, brown rock up into the air, and then she walked over to where Aleia was standing.
Penelope soon followed until all three women stood in a circle around the stone with the flint on it.
“Okay, so if you strike the hammerstone against the flint, large pieces should start to flake off,” I explained. “It’s going to be a somewhat subjective process, as you’re going to have to examine the stone and keep figuring out how you best can shape it. It’s hard work, so I think taking turns is going to be the best option.”
“Yes, my lord,” the naiad said with a determined expression in her wide blue eyes. “Let’s all sit down around the flint, and we can begin our work. Aleia, do you want to start? Try to hit it so it forms a wedge shape.”
“You’re going to want to leave some space for a handle, as well,” I told the women. “It’s hard to chop wood without a grip on your tool. Make a wedge shape on one end, like Penelope suggested, but leave a longer piece of stone coming off the bottom so you can hold it.”
“I understand, and I’m happy to begin the work,” the fairy confirmed, and she picked up the hammerstone and started to chip away at the flint. Her motions were tentative at first, but I watched as she grew more and more confident as the rock flaked off in big sections. Finally, she gestured down at the flint and grinned. “I think I’ve figured out what I’m doing, as I’m starting to see a natural cutting edge. Do you see it, my lord?”
“I do!” I could see a rough triangular shape beginning to emerge alongside a short stone handle, and I was impressed by the strawberry-blonde’s progress since she was getting the hang of it very quickly. “You’re doing fantastic. Does anyone else want to give Aleia a break? I’m sure this is hard on your hands, Aleia.”
“Oh, no, I’m fine,” the fairy said as she blushed and looked down. “But I’d love to allow someone else to try so they can learn the process as well.”
“May it be my turn next?” Nicola asked. “I found the hammerstone, after all…”
“Of course, my sister.” Aleia handed the brunette the round rock, and Nicola began to flake off more of the flint as she followed the approximate shape of the fairy’s design. She carefully examined the rock she was working on to look for its natural fractures, and I was impressed by her technique, as well.
After several minutes of working, Nicola looked up with a smile.
“I think I’ve made a lot of progress, but Penelope hasn’t had a chance yet,” the brunette said to me and the other priestesses. “I’m not growing tired, but I think it’s important for us all to learn these skills.”
“I’ll try,” the cerulean naiad giggled. “I’ve never had much of a chance to work on things that come from the earth since my affinity is water, but I will give it my best attempt.”
Penelope took the round rock from Nicola, and she began to cautiously work on the flint. She flaked off smaller chips at first, but I saw her smile as she saw the tool continue to take shape.
“Be sure to save the flakes,” I told the women. “We can eventually use them for other kinds of tools.”
“Yes, my lord,” the naiad said with a nod, and she gathered up the pieces that had been chipped off the flint into a neat pile at the side of the flat stone.
After just a few more minutes, I thought the tool would be suitable for cutting down the saplings we would need to create the women’s spears. I wondered if anything would pop up on my display now that we’d completed a task, but nothing happened. I supposed the real test of the interface would occur once the women had actually collected and cooked their five proteins.
“I think you’re done!” I told the priestesses. “We need to head into the forest now to find the wood we need, but I was wondering if you needed to take a break first and eat.”
“I think if I eat another apple, I’m going to be ill,” Penelope laughed. “And I’m sure my sisters feel the same way. Perhaps we should skip our midday meal and look for the wood, and maybe I’ll be able to fish before dinner.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed. I didn’t want the women to get too exhausted, but the fruit wasn’t providing them anything in the way of protein, anyway.
All three women stood up and stretched, and Aleia picked up their new tool. I could tell she was proud of their work from the pleased expression on her face, and I hoped the more the women accomplished with my help, the more devout they’d become.
“What exactly are we going to do in the woods, my lord?” Penelope asked me.
“It should be easy enough for you to use the axe to cut down thinner limbs for spears,” I told the naiad. “I’ll explain the technique better when we’re actually in the forest.”
“And what kind of trees are we looking for, exactly?” Aleia asked.
“Well, we’re going to want to find three small trees to make the spears,” I explained. “Ideally they will be smooth, without any branches coming off them.”
“Yes, that sounds right.” Nicola nodded decisively, and I decided to appeal to her leadership instincts.
“Nicola, why don’t you lead the way?” I suggested. “Maybe you can help to find the exact right trees.”
“Thank you, Jack, I would like to do that,” the brunette said as she smiled.
It appeared I was starting to take the right approach with the beautiful human, and that made me happy.
The women began to walk out of the garden, and when I couldn’t see them anymore, I switched to Nicola’s view since she was leading the pack. I wished my god powers came with the ability to read the women’s minds, because I wanted to know exactly what they thought about me.
I watched as Nicola led the other two women about a hundred feet into the woods, and I heard Aleia sigh with satisfaction. I assumed it was because she was in her natural habitat, and I also felt glad to be back in the woods again. Sunlight streamed in beams through the trees, and the sound of the women’s feet crunching over pine needles and sticks was soothing to me. I admired multicolored fungi growing on tree bark, and I even saw a buck with huge antlers at a distance. The birds chirped their little songs from above us, and I felt the slight anxiety I’d had since I’d kinda started to realize this wasn’t a dream subside a bit.
The forest had always been one of the places I felt most at home, and I’d also spent many hours watching videos online about how to make prehistoric tools and structures. I supposed it was a lucky coincidence, unless that was one of the reasons I’d been selected to be this god. In any case, I didn’t think simple spears would be too difficult for the women to make, and it would get them started on the art of woodworking, although I wondered how much Aleia had already done.
