by Eden Redd
“You shear them and sell their wool,” Kavan said more as a statement.
Lorta nodded. “Onka sold some good eggs to me. Bolids require a little more attention than most livestock. These six keep me busy part of the day and don’t give me much more time for the harpies and taurs.”
“It’s why we wanted you to see her farm. With our help, you can have some livestock doing most of the work and earning you some coin,” Onka added.
Lorta reached down and grabbed Kavan’s hand. “There’s more to see.”
Kavan was gently pulled along by the tall, solid troll. They walked toward the barn as the bolids stood around awkwardly. Onka followed behind, her gaze firmly on Kavan’s shoulders.
The trio reached the barn and stepped in. Kavan looked around, seeing many beds along the wall and food basins on the other side. The feeding basins were filled with all sorts of half-eaten vegetables. A fireplace filled the back wall. By it were two, older and tired looking women with light brown fur and small, pointed horns. They had large, naked breasts. They turned to Lorta, Kavan, and Onka, moving on cloven feet. They made no attempt to cover up. They gave weak smiles as they bowed their heads.
“Meet my two taurs, Nella and Bassie. I’ve had them for a long time, but, as you can see, they are getting older. Their milk is prized in town, but they only produce every few days now,” Lorta said.
“That is where you come in,” Onka grinned.
Lorta nodded. “The town needs more taur milk. Hynrik has no interest in livestock. Since you're new here and have a barn, we thought it would be beneficial for everyone if you took on a taur or two of your own. The bolids don’t give me enough time to take on more taurs and tend to the harpies. If we partner up, we can provide more products to the town instead of importing it from Loduss.”
Kavan looked around and tried to wrap his brain around the concept of owning humanoid livestock. It clashed with his sensibilities from earth about how animals were farmed to provide goods, and to have humanoid creatures was odd to say the least.
“I have many questions, but first, how would we partner up?” Kavan asked.
Lorta and Onka smiled.
“If you take on a few taurs of your own, I can have Bassie and Nella retire and enjoy their old age. You would be the sole producer of taur milk for Moonvale and I would be the sole producer of bolid fur and harpy eggs. To solidify our partnership, I will supply you with any bolid fur and harpy eggs you need, as long as you supply any taur milk I need.
“We must also agree not to take on certain livestock, to keep it fair. You can have as many taurs as you want, but no harpies or bolids and I will do the same. I understand it may appear lopsided with me having two kinds of livestock, but that is double goods for you compared to my requests for taur milk,” Lorta laid out.
Onka nodded. “And I can supply you with taur eggs to grow and help you to train them.”
Kavan scratched at the back of his scaled head. “It sounds like it will be beneficial to us and the town, but how much care goes into having these kinds of livestock?”
Lorta nodded. “Taurs are the most self-sufficient. They can milk themselves and prepare it for you, if you have everything available for them. They can be very mellow, as long as they are fed and occasionally groomed.”
“Are they always naked?” Kavan asked and glanced at the heavy breasted cow women.
Lorta gave a simple nod. “It depends on their personality. They are simple creatures and you can clothe them, but over time, they will destroy anything they wear. It is up to the farmer how they want their livestock to look and act.”
The troll turned her attention to the two taurs and smiled. “But these ladies like to be naked and who am I to tell them no.”
“You’ll learn quickly their personalities and moods,” Onka grinned. “The happier they are, the more they produce, but don’t let them walk all over you. If you don’t come from a stance of power, they may wander off or leave.”
“Onka is right. The more they love you, the more they will give and want to stay. You could chain them, but it will affect their mood. They are not smart enough to last long on their own in the wild.”
Onka nodded. “When any livestock emerge from their vat, they will imprint on the first person they see. The new vats in my shop will set off a low, deep sound, to let you know they will be emerging soon.
“Once they see you, they will want to stay and serve. We can get into the details of hatching livestock eggs, after your barn is fixed up and ready to receive them.”
Kavan’s mind spun as he took it all in. The difference and similarities to earth were a little off-putting, but it made sense for this world, to some degree.
I don’t know how I feel about having naked taur women on my farm, but the extra gold would go a long way.
Kavan was about to agree to their partnership when muffled screeches came from the other barn. They grew higher in pitch, causing the two taurs in the barn with them to shrink back into a corner.
Lorta turned to the barn entrance with a fury in her eyes.
“Damn crawlers!” the tall troll woman said before marching to the barn doors.
Kavan and Onka followed. They watched as the troll grabbed a beaten-up pitchfork by the barn door and made her way outside.
The three of them rushed next door to the second barn. Lorta grabbed the handle and pulled the barn door open. She held her pitchfork at the ready as she charged in.
Kavan pulled his spear from its sheath. He kept the spear short, ready for close quarter combat. Onka stayed by his side as they followed the troll.
Feathers and screeches filled the barn. A dozen harpies in loose robes were squawking and flying to the rafters above. Feathered wings flapped from their backs. Claws and scaled feet either hovered for some or clamped down on the high rafters from others. All of them were in a panic, many of them pointing down.
Hay and roosts filled the barn floor. Large eggs laid in some of the prepared, nest-like roosts. The eggs were the size of large fists and some of them laid in clusters.
The chaos inside was deafening as the harpies jumped, flew and hopped in a panic. Kavan noted their human-like faces. Feathers flowed along their long hair and covered their wings. They all had different colored feathers and hair. Most appeared short, only slightly taller than Onka.
The manic shouting and squawking grew as something crawled at the back of the barn. A crawler the size of a large cat snaked along on spider-like legs. It’s round, teeth filled mouth dripped saliva as it approached a small cluster of eggs.
Lorta growled before she charged like a bull. Pitchfork up, she launched it with the power of a cannon.
The pitchfork crossed the distance in a blink and slammed into the worm-like creature. The crawler made an inhuman screech as it was impaled against the barn wall. Its body shuddered and writhed as it tried to break free. Foul blood dripped from the thing before it went limp and hung.
“Foul crawlers! Trying to steal my eggs,” Lorta nearly spat.
Kavan’s gaze fell to the side, a much larger crawler darting out. Its mouth was wide, ready to clamp on Lorta’s leg. The dragonkin lifted his half-spear in a blink and threw it. The mithril tip glowed in the barn light for barely a moment before the end stabbed into the side of the charging crawler. The creature’s legs were off the floor as its entire body was impaled against the barn wall.
Squawks of relief filled the upper part of the barn before harpies flew down to their eggs.
Lorta turned to Kavan as he walked toward her. The troll’s eyes were wide for a moment, staring at the strong dragonkin as he approached. When he stepped past her to the spear, Lorta looked away, a sliver of pink touching her blue cheeks.
Onka saw the shy moment with interested eyes.
Kavan moved to his spear, took hold and pulled it from the wall. With a boot, he pushed off the dead crawler carcass and let it fall to the floor. The spear spun in his hand before attaching it to the sheath along his back.
>
Kavan turned to Lorta and Onka, a strange look in the troll’s eyes and a brightness in the goblin’s eyes.
“Lorta, are you okay?” Kavan asked.
The troll nodded. “I’m fine. It is just nice to have someone else to help, even if it was just to kill a pair of crawlers.”
“Do you work this farm by yourself?”
Lorta nodded. “It’s a lot of work for one person. Crawlers sometimes try to get into the barns to steal eggs or take a bite of anything living.”
Kavan smiled. “I do need to learn a few more things about farming. I’ll be happy to help sometimes, if you want it?”
Lorta’s eyes shimmered a little in the light before she blinked and her face took on a neutral expression.
“We can help each other. It’s what neighbors do. I can inspect your farm and see what we need to do to get you ready, if you decide to take on some livestock.”
“I would like that,” Kavan smiled.
Lorta stared at him for a long moment before turning away and walking toward the barn doors.
“Stay here. I’ll be back,” the troll said and left the barn.
Onka stepped to Kavan with a wide, toothy smile.
“What?” Kavan said.
“Nothing,” the goblin grinned.
Kavan raised a boney eye ridge. Unable to keep looking at Onka’s unnerving gaze and smile, he turned his attention back to Lorta’s pitchfork. The tool looked like it had seen better days. The shaft was chipped and a little cracked. The metal looked dull, with some rust on it.
It might help our partnership if I craft or buy her a new pitchfork.
Kavan blinked before turning his attention to all the harpies looking at him. They were silent as graves, staring with unblinking eyes. Many, if not all of them, squatted. Oval eyes drank him in, not one of them making a sound.
“Is it always like this with livestock?” Kavan asked Onka but looked at the harpies.
The goblin nodded. “You get used to it.”
Kavan nodded when Lorta came back into the barn with a large, oversized sack over each shoulder. She stepped along with ease, reaching the dragonkin and goblin and plopping the sacks between her and them. Blue hands took hold of the tops and opened each sack in turn.
Kavan looked down to see feathers filling one sack and curled fur filling another.
“A token of our budding partnership and my thanks for stopping the crawler,” Lorta said with a small smile.
“Thank you,” the dragonkin said genuinely.
“I don’t know what kind of bed you have now, but mixing harpy feathers and bolid fur will make it comfortable and warm,” Lorta said with an awkward edge.
Kavan’s brow lifted as he noticed the troll’s sudden shyness. “I will put these gifts to good use. Again, thank you. I look forward to us working together.”
Lorta weaved a little on her feet, as if she didn’t know what to do with herself.
Onka came to the rescue, “Kavan, how about we get these sacks to your farm. I’m sure Lorta has much to do.”
Kavan nodded. Lorta closed the top of the sacks and tied the leather strap tight. The dragonkin lifted one, feeling how light it was. He easily put one sack on one shoulder and the other sack on the other shoulder. The oversized sacks prevented him from seeing to either side of him, except facing forward.
“I’ll lead the way back,” Onka said to Kavan before turning to Lorta. “Thank you for showing Kavan your farm. I’m sure the three of us can make Moonvale richer from our partnership.”
Lorta nodded and smiled.
Onka started walking, “Come along, Kavan,”
The dragonkin smiled as he followed the goblin out of the barn.
A short time later, the pair were walking along a dirt path around the southern town wall and heading toward Kavan’s farm.
Kavan stared at the goblin as she walked ahead of him. Nagging questions filled his mind as he realized they hadn’t spoken to each other about last night. The intimate hours they spent caused Kavan’s heart to warm at the thought of the goblin. Just as he opened his mouth to speak to Onka, she started talking without looking back.
“I think Lorta finds you attractive,” the goblin said as her hips swayed from side to side.
“Is that what that was?” Kavan teased.
Onka looked over her shoulder as she walked, “Playing dumb may work with others, but it won’t work with me.”
“I was never playing dumb, especially with us,” Kavan smirked.
Onka slowed, turned around and walked backwards as she spoke, “Last night was wonderful, but I’m not looking to settle down. When it comes to romance in Moonvale, I don’t believe anyone is ready to settle down. I can sense the spark from many in and around town. I would warn you about incoming gifts, but I think you’ll be fine with it.”
“What makes you say that?” Kavan said coyly.
The goblin smiled and winked. “The way you were last night, I doubt one partner could fulfill your desires. That’s fine, I think many others feel the same.”
Onka turned around and continued to walk, her voice drifting over her shoulder, “And if you need some help with taming someone’s fire, I could be persuaded to help you.”
The implication was plain as day and Kavan found himself nodding to what she said. He hefted up the two sacks as they walked, wondering how things would play out between the residents of Moonvale and himself.
***
The sun slipped past the horizon as night’s cloak drifted over the world. Moonvale’s lanterns magically ignited with a spark and oil feeding into the wicks. The town took on an ethereal glow as doors closed and windows were shuttered. What few residents were outside quickly rushed to their homes and locked themselves in. A still silence filled the town of Moonvale before the sounds of two pairs of boots echoed along the cobblestone streets.
Kavan and Durzol walked, side by side. Kavan had his spear strapped to his back, while Durzol held a warhammer in his large hand. The two listened and surveyed the area as they walked, patrolling Moonvale streets.
“How are you adjusting to our town?” Durzol asked as he looked around.
“It’s growing on me every day,” Kavan said truthfully.
“It tends to do that. If you were here two years ago, you would have had more residents to meet and know. For a time, Moonvale was thriving. Now, we’re just trying to hold on to what we have.”
Kavan nodded. “I’m surprised there aren’t more residents here. Have there been that many attacks?”
Durzol shrugged. “It depends on who you talk to. One monster attack is more than enough for some to leave right away. The rest of us aren’t so timid. We’ve weathered storms and monsters for years. It’s part of Moonvale’s charm.”
“I’m surprised some of the residents haven’t come together, romantically,” Kavan mentioned.
“You’ll see why after a time here. To put it simply, everyone left has some sort of reason on why they aren’t together. I don’t want to give away too much of anyone’s personal business, but there are not a lot of happy people left in town.
“You know about Zellee and Hynrik. Healer Soki focuses on her healing arts and books. Nava spends more time in the sea than on land. No one knows exactly what Ammi wants. Tezzi lives here, but spends a lot of time leaving town to sell her discoveries in Loduss. Lorta took over her family’s farm after they decided to leave, not wanting to be in a town that couldn’t properly protect itself. Onka just doesn’t seem interested in anyone, no matter who pines for her.
“As for the guys in town, Rujin and Kazko love fighting each other. It’s more important to them than actually having a loving relationship with someone else. Oaks doesn’t seem interested in pursuing relationships. Glem is very simple. He has his work and his faith.”
“And you?” Kavan smirked.
Durzol grinned. “I haven’t found the right person yet. Plus, I look out for my father and Dura. We helped keep the peace, at least before you came alo
ng.”
The orc looked over to Kavan, “What about you, my mysterious friend? I’ve seen most of the women here in town eyeing you. It’s only a matter of time before they start trying to win you with a spark.”
It was Kavan’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know. I still have a lot to do to restore my farm and make enough coin to be stable. I doubt anyone is going to waste their time with a poor dragonkin.”
Durzol gave a gruff chuckle. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve been in this town since I was very young. We all know each other like family. They won’t waste too much time.”
The young orc hesitated before speaking again, “What deities do you follow?”
Kavan parted his lips, but no sound came out. He closed his mouth and pondered on the question.
Durzol’s voice filled the void, “We here of Moonvale are very open to all deities and religions. You don’t have to say who you worship, but you should know that not everyone follows the new dragon gods. We don’t talk about it out loud, especially around strangers, but since you are becoming one of us, you should know that you are free to worship who you wish.”
Kavan nodded. “I never gave it much thought before. When you spend your life trying to survive, it's hard to devote faith to any religion or deity.”
The blacksmith nodded. “If you ever have any questions when it comes to the different religions and deities, Priest Raine and Priestess Misty are well versed in the many religions. They would be more than willing to help you understand the different practices between them.”
“Thank you, Durzol. It is something I will have to investigate.”
A thought swirled into Kavan’s mind. “Speaking of the town, I was thinking of helping Lorta by crafting a new pitchfork for her. The one she has is a little worn out. I thought I’d help her out with a new one, but I don’t know too much about metal smithing.”
Durzol nodded. “Stop by my shop. I’ll show you everything you need to get started and craft it on your own. I’m sure Lorta will enjoy anything you craft for her.”
“I can’t thank you enough, for helping me and patrolling with me,” Kavan smiled.
