I looked to see everyone was at least partly ready and proceeded off the soft dirt to the rocky black terrain. The flicker of the torchlight provided me with enough vision but I knew I might have issues later.
“Kyle, grab a torch, stay behind me by at least a dozen feet. These golems can lunge quickly. Your job is to simply hold two torches so I have extra light. If it ends up that you keep getting in the way or I have to run to save you we will change it up. Hurry up, I see one coming.”
There was a challenging roar and the golem shook the ground with its slow jog. I turned and drew him onto the soft ground. It followed but stopped a few steps into the dirt. That was as far as it was willing to let me lead it. I charged with all my speed and shoved Smasha's ruby tip into its chest. The armor shell popped open and the first golem of the night died.
“Hey anyone know if these things have a sex, or are there simply stages of evolution? Oh and are the eyes worth anything?” I asked finally remembering about the darn eyes. I tended to focus on the loot of our kills, but not the actual coffers in my treasury.
Krix got to the answer before any others could chime in. “Correct there is no he or she to these. They start as a bulb, which requires heat and darkness. Then they hatch and eat cooling lava in its earliest solidified form. There are bacteria that fuel the creature's growth. As they grow by eating they reach a maximum height or adulthood. The tallest recording is over twelve feet tall. Once they achieve this point they start to grow the bulbs in random places on their body, that then drop from them. The population is controlled in two ways, farming like you see now. But the largest cause of death is the bulbs being placed too far from the heat of the lava. Those are the ones that die quickly and never develop into much. Voles love the bulbs that are closest to hatching, so that is why they are only found by the lava. Of course when you have an overpopulation from lack of hunting like we do now they go further and further south into the old lake that is filling. After this hunting trip, it will only take a few weeks for the densely populated areas to push into here bringing the numbers right back up. In all my studies I have never heard of any population of lava golems dying off besides when the volcano goes dormant. Then there is zero lava and no bacteria causing an area extinction.
“The eyes are nothing fancy, simply a red lens with golem goo behind it. It may hold some value but I am not sure where or how.” Krix said while he unsuccessfully tried to find an eye lens.
Helpful, it at least did not make me feel bad for killing the dozen I had so far from the last two days. Or the thousands I had planned. While he had explained all that to me the salvage team was breaking apart the golem. I saw them drag the parts over to a section for processing and the fire mages went to work. It was like we had started a small assembly line, a very morbid one.
I waved Kyle to follow me for light and pulled another two golems. I took them down easily after bringing them into the dirt. I was feeling good and excited, the men were shaking off their overworked gloom while the griffins slept. Seemed fair.
The night progressed in the rinse and repeat fashion. I would find a golem or two and occasionally three. I dragged them to the soft soil that they found so uncomfortable and then murdered them easily. They never lunged with speed outside the black rocky terrain. They always did a slow horizontal swing, and it was pathetic.
By hour two, or what I figured was that much time I had run out of room to keep killing on the dirt. My arms were a bit fatigued and I knew it was a good time to call a break. I told everyone to take five.
“We got what sixty or so killed tonight, and we are backed up by what forty. How you recommend we proceed from here?” I asked Nate.
“We break for the evening and go to bed. Rise early and focus on processing these. Hire more help for sure, we have plenty of room to increase our manpower. The fire mages are keeping up on the torches, vials, and wooden casks of golem blood goo. Our bottleneck is the lava rocks. There is only one pot turning the shells into lava rocks and that is a pain for us. It is supposed to be a long process though, no one chain kills these things. So with that said, let that part take months. It will be worth the effort and keep some people here busy. We pile the dead north and south of here inside the barrier that has been stripped of the goo and hearts. As long as we keep the space where you kill them cleared we can keep going with no issues.” Nate said.
I thought about it and agreed. “So the changes for tomorrow is more people for moving the excess shells. Fresh kills get drained and then hearts removed. After that, we pile the parts. Seems efficient. How many torches did they bring that were ready for hearts?” I asked.
“The earth mages on Malvia have been creating a collection for years.” Nate took off his apron and gloves. “It was a big reason some moved here in the first place. To make the special torches that could handle the golem hearts. We have a few hundred ready, and they can make more with the pines we drop. It takes aura to mold them, then some of the goo applied to where the heart goes to protect the wood. That should not be a supply problem, it again goes to the lava stones, which are a want for us in Fernlan anyway, and we only need a few to heat the bathhouse and some of the larger buildings. When winter strikes if these bodies are processed into small stones we can keep some alive that would have died from the cold by heating homes. We got a few months before the snows fall, and food will be an issue before the cold. For here at least.”
I made the call out to the men that we were done for the night. Tomorrow we could sleep in and resume the slaughter after the first meal. I mentioned to find extra help if they could and that I was willing to pay a fair wage. Then I told them of the new method we were going to try to avoid the pileup in my killing area. It went over well and the griffins rose from their slumber to take us down.
I returned to my room and dropped off Smasha, I did leave my armor on though. I grabbed Pipi and we made our way to the bathhouse. She told me she had reserved a separate noble room, and that when she told the griffins of my intent they guarded the building. I could relax and enjoy my time. On our way in one of the new griffins said he hoped it was a boy.
I chuckled as did Pipi at this. Then she got serious for a moment. Unlike my other wives, she wanted things to stabilize before she had another child. The struggles she had with Vern during the war and starvation after still haunted her. She did say I could cum where ever I wanted though as long as there was a cleaning cloth nearby. Or in this case water. I was washed down, massaged, my face shaved, and my hair cut. It was very refreshing to have no itchy beard. The smooth nape of the back my neck alleviate that annoyance I had when hair overgrew there.
Pipi was looking much better than the first time I had seen her naked. Her boobs swelled, her hips were widened and I no longer saw her ribs.
To me was smoking hot, while I found the others beautiful and charming in their own ways, Pipi had them beat in sheer looks. Her sharp features, gorgeous smile, and those hazel eyes. The woman was a ten and she knew it but was still a humble person. I knew she could not run a city or manage politics, but that was okay. I also knew with time she would learn as much as the others and help ease the burden of managing so much. I also enjoyed her company. It took us over an hour to get to sex simply because I did not want to stop talking.
My desire to have her naked body won out and we fucked like champions. We took it slow at the start and it lasted for a long while. When I was about to cum she reminded me not inside. Then she told me anywhere meant her face if I wanted and she would even tell me how she loved it there. She titled her head back and closed her eyes in anticipation. I do not know why that turned me on so much but it did. I stroked my cock to completion and spurted for her face. My load was thick and went over her closed eyes, some up her nose, in her hair and a string hung from her ear. After the fact, I giggled, like a teenage boy.
I got a friendly slap on my abs for that. I handed her a wet rag which she blindly grab
bed and freed her eyes of my sperm. I figured we were done until she grinned and gulped my softening cock into her mouth for a final sensational cleaning. I was thoroughly satisfied and felt that after sex tiredness so we headed for bed. Griffins escorted us to the manor and we made it safely.
When we got to bed Bella was already curled up and asleep. I got naked and slid in behind her making her my little spoon. Pipi took out a nighty from her bag that made me want her again. I had to stop glancing at her over my shoulder so I could actually get some sleep. I felt Pipi snuggle in behind me and I drifted off.
CHAPTER 14
I had the same recurring nightmare of endless pain, this time I forced myself to wake easily. It was getting better and I was happy about that. I saw Pipi and Bella drinking tea together in the lounger. Pipi was recounting the tale of my sperm all over her face. Bella cupped a hand over her mouth in reaction and they both giggled. Pipi noticed I was no longer sleeping and pointed to a plate at the end table.
“Dear husband I want to have your babies! No face cum for me please, even if I am pregnant...” Bella said.
Both Pipi and I had a laugh at this. I ate fast and looked for another plate. There was none.
“I worked with Strin, you actually need to do the sword on both shoulders thing to make him a Baron. I arranged that for tomorrow before dinner in the Earl's courtroom. After that, you will need to say you give him the manor and the responsibilities that go with it. That will make him the ruling noble of Malvia at your request. Strin has a firm grasp on what is happening and is working on increasing food production. Smelons should get here from Fernlan midday and I will ensure they get planted by some hired farmworkers. Hmm... What else, father sent word he is visiting today. Velia should be there to greet him. I would not be surprised if he comes here when he learns I am not at home. He did always thrill for combat and this would be right up his ally of what he considers fun. Oh, and the King, King Horus has sent a squire for you. One of his sons. A nice lad named Rodriq. Tall for his age, and well mannered. Fourteen I believe. Donnie has been updating him on how you operate out of the norm. I heard him regaling tales of combat that had the young man frightened. Boys and bragging about sticking their swords in things!” Bella said and then playfully slapped Pipi's thigh.
Bella asked for Pipi to help get me in my armor. It was filthy from last night and I should have washed it in the bathhouse. It was sticky and gross putting it on but I knew I was going back to the grind. The heat would work to lose anything that had clumped. Fully armored in my light kit, I grabbed Smasha and went to find my new squire.
The young man was outside doing sword drills with Donnie, his sword work was far more impressive than mine. Nate watched over them and pointed a few things out. I had them stop and introduced myself. Rodriq was the sixth surviving son of King Horus. He was tall for a fourteen year old at almost five foot five. I stood there and asked him about his back story and what he wanted from his time as my squire. The lad was into court, capital fashion, and politics. He was sharp and articulate yet he was timid and had no backbone. It could be his age, or that he was into men. I was completely okay with his disposition. I chose not to judge, same as I always had, I wanted people to be happy. Yet this was not going to work for me because I was no simple court noble. I was Earl Gryff, the insane guy who fought anything that moved. The noble that got into fights more than I ate meals some days, and I ate a lot. Rodriq never once mentioned wanting to be a warrior or hero. He would fit perfectly here as a squire for soon to be Baron Strin.
So I gave him the option. Be a court squire or a battle squire. He picked the court option and I told him he was to immediately report to earth mage Strin. I informed him of the situation here and that he would be the eyes and ears for his father and me. This was the newest conquest for King Horus, and what better way for him to be recognized in his father's eyes. It would look really good to help establish, and rule a new city. He took off running to go help Strin rebuild the court of Malvia, and good for him.
I still needed two things, runners, and combat healers. I told Donnie, and Nate to quit standing around and to meet me on the plateau. Bella frowned at me as she tried to catch my attention. I thought I heard something about his daughters will come next. That was the last thing I needed to worry about.
Since being on Vin I had more sex than ever before and it was all amazing... besides that Lyna incident, I was duped on that one. The rest were really incredible and... I had zoned out again. The griffin ordered me to hurry and get off his back.
The camp from last night was slowly waking up. It was a little early but people trickled in. I laid Smasha against a pile of downed pines and went to work moving bodies. I focused on the ones that were directly in my way of more killing. It took twenty minutes and I had a good sweat going in the early morning sun but I cleared enough space.
There were far more people up here than before, only my trusted men had weapons and eight griffins pulled overwatch today. We were taking fewer risks and more precautions. Nate told me simply knowing new nobility would be looking after the city would tamper down on distress. That once Strin was a Baron there would be someone to complain to and officially take orders from. Still, we were a bit on edge about a potential attempt on my life from all the new workers that moved golem body parts.
I had killed only a dozen when the sky went overcast. I did not slow my work, nor did anyone else. It was still bright enough out that we could see fine. Then the rain started coming down. It started with a trickle and turned into a mild downpour. It affected the collection of the goo from the golems. I called a break until some tents were set up to create a rain-free zone to remove the hearts and goo. The mages decided this was a good idea too and went down to the city to get tents for their workspaces also.
I knew I had to wait for them to get the chain functioning again before I could keep the slaughter going. The delay allowed the extra personnel to catch up on the backup and get the shells piled off to the side. Nate told me they were ready for more when I called up Joey and Kyle. It was taking me a tad longer to pull them and I needed to kill more in a shorter amount of time. I sent Joey and Kyle into the rocky terrain to pull the beasts to the dirt that was quickly turning to mud.
I had a feeling the golems would hate the mud more than the dirt and I was right. The second they stepped in the mud they acted as if they were hurt. The substance coated on their clubbed feet had to be immediately removed. Some even backed up, sat on the start of the black dried lava and swatted the mud off. It was as if I had ceased to exist and the killing had never been easier.
I increased my runners by adding Donnie and Marcus. They joined the other two in collecting rocks and luring golems our way. Every half hour or so the bodies would back up and there would be no more mud to use. So we helped the process along for a few minutes and then went back to killing. We did this in the rain for hours and hours.
I had swung Smasha so many times my arms were numb and my count number was long since forgotten. I propped the massive club against the rocky outcrop and went to work. I blended in with the other people moving parts and became another drone in the effort to clear space. The moment I would move a pile of shelled body parts more would be placed there. I spent another hour on the back end of our production chain until Nate found me.
“We are caught up, it is two hours until dinner meal. We can keep going or break early. We started at one per every two minutes until you added more people to run them to us. We are processing about one a minute right now. We should have killed around nine hundred today, but when you figure in the breaks from pile up and the hour you spent back here I would guess over seven hundred. Donnie told me... how about we let him tell you,” Nate said and Donnie was waved over from chatting with a fire mage. “Donnie tell Gryff how far you had to go to bring the last ones in.”
“Of course, so Gryff, we had to go hunting for them toward the end there. The
y got thickest as we got closer to the lava, I even saw a few burst golem sacks with an entry hole that fit the description of a vole. Then I saw a few of the small rodents. They were really fast and blended in with the terrain, I recommend traps for them. We can trap them with golem sacks, they are everywhere close to the lava.
“Can we stop for the day, I am exhausted? Mina should have arrived here in Malvia, she wrote she was trying to make her way to Lady Bella. She is a handmaiden of hers and got left behind at the sudden departure when you got hurt. I am excited to see her.” Donnie said.
I thought about his trap idea and dismissed it. It would only work if the voles stayed in one place and the golems did not return. I agreed with his taking a break.
“I bet you are Donnie, well I get to make you look good then... For today at least.” I cupped my hands around my mouth so my voice would carry over the light rain. “Donnie here has a lovely lady he needs to see. He has convinced me to break early. Between everyone's hard work today, and his lustful excitement I could do nothing short of saying the workday is over! Make your way to the griffin area and return for the day.”
This got some cheers and a few pats on Donnie's back. The reality was my aura was exhausted. I even left Smasha up here, because no one could steal it with the griffins around and if they did they would have to take it to the Horde or brave the wild lands with it. I was almost certain it was safe. I stopped Nate before he could take off to go down into Malvia.
“Nate tonight I need some vine nets built or bought, we will catch the voles that way. Unless you can think of another way?” I said as I scratched my head in thought.
“Traps will take too long to make, set, maintain, and catch too few. We cannot adjust the ground to help with a pit trap. I doubt we could poison their food source. I guess a fishnet works the best. Chase the smart ones onto it and lift it up. Then stab the ones that think they are hidden well enough. It may go easier than you think. These voles are used to hiding from dumb golems and maybe bird predators. Not crafty humans. There were some ladies looking for work that no longer clean noble houses, I could hire them to make some nets. We can always come up with a different plan if this one does not work tomorrow.” Nate said.
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