Monster Girl Islands

by Logan Jacobs

  “Sela, I don’t know what has you so hesitant,” I spoke softly, “but there is no need for it, at least not as far as I am concerned. You can say what you need to say to me.”

  She let out an enormous sigh and walked over to open the curtains and let some afternoon light into the room. When she did, it immediately lit up the green of her eyes and scales in such a magical way that it took my breath away. She was wearing a pale pink wrap, and it tied behind her neck and dipped into a deep vee in the front, which put her ample cleavage on display. Her gray-blue sea colored hair was twisted and braided into a bun of some sort on top of her head, and it left her long and elegant neck exposed. She stood there and stared out the window for a moment while I sat up in bed and looked at her.

  I wanted to prod her into talking to me, but I knew it would be best to just give her some time.

  So, I reached out and pulled the robe to me and got it on my injured arm fine, but failed repeatedly as I tried to get it on my right arm without being able to use my left hand. It reminded me of my two-year-old nephew when he tried to put his own coat on all while insisting he was a big boy. It was not going well, to say the least.

  Just as I was exhausted with the effort, Sela came over and held the robe up for me to slide my arm into. With her so close, I could see her superficial injuries from the raid the other night had healed quite a bit. I could barely even see a white scar on the arch of her cheekbone.

  Before I even thought about it, I reached out to touch her cheek, but she immediately jumped back like I’d slapped her and stared at me with her eyes opened.

  “Sela, I am so sorry,” I blurted, “I overstepped. I shouldn’t have touched you without permission. I was just concerned.”

  She sighed again, and her body relaxed as she sat on the side of the bed.

  “It is me who owes you an apology,” she stated. “I am still a bit shaken from the battle, and your touch startled me.”

  “That is completely understandable, Sela.”

  “I was not finished,” she countered. “I haven’t been fair nor kind to you. I didn’t trust you and did not make it a secret. I spoke harshly about you to the queen and anyone who would listen. I was angry with Mira and Talise for befriending you and blindly trusting you. I felt they had endangered the entire island, and I caused quite a bit of discord over it. I was wrong.”

  She hardly took a breath as she blurted this all out to me, like she would lose her nerve or ability to talk if she didn’t just let it all out at once. Now, she sat at the end of my bed as she panted and looked anywhere but at me.

  “Sela, I understand why you did those things,” I comforted the distraught woman. “You were protecting your village and its people. I would have done the same thing.”

  “You don’t understand, Ben,” she groaned. “During the walk to the village from where we found you, I am the reason you fell so many times. I intentionally tripped you.”

  “Well, that’s, um, less understandable, but still not horrible,” I chuckled.

  “I also added ganjika to the nectar Mira shared with you that night,” Sela continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I was hoping it would convince you to tell the truth as to why you were here. Instead, it just endeared you more to Mira and Talise.”

  “Seriously?” I asked. “What is it with you women and drugging my drinks?”

  She responded with a dumbfounded look. Apparently, she didn’t know this was becoming a habit.

  “Never mind, go on,” I mumbled.

  “The first night you were supposed to sleep in the palace,” she whispered and averted her eyes, “I snuck into your room and planned on doing what was required to get you to talk. I was prepared for anything, but you never showed up. So, I tried to sneak out of the window, and that is when the raiders caught me.”

  Oh fuck me, I didn’t even know what to say to that. I could only imagine what she was prepared to do in defense of her village and people. The thought frightened me more than the damn beasts did.

  “Then, there you were,” she said as her jaw clenched, “rescuing me from those animals and fighting on our behalf. You saved everyone, and I had to admit to myself that I was wrong. So terribly wrong.”

  She took a deep, shuddering breath, so I reached out to take her hand, and this time she let me touch her.

  “Sela--” I started, but she cut me off.

  “I apologized to the queen and tried to resign as a warrior,” Sela stated with steel in her eyes, “but she won’t have it. I failed, and she won’t let me quit. I don’t … don’t deserve to wear the uniform.”

  “Sela, you are being entirely too hard on yourself,” I told her. “You did what you thought you had to do to protect your village and people. Nobody can fault you for that. I would have done the same thing.”

  “Really?” she asked as she looked at me with a frown.

  “Really,” I confirmed. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for all of you.”

  She gave me a tentative smile and then surprisingly hugged me.

  I was getting good at this comforting women shit. In only took getting lost on a deserted island to get there, but I was killing it.

  “Now,” I said with a smile, “no more talk of leaving your duties and all that nonsense. We are in this together. I have lots of ideas on how to bolster our fortifications and make it damn hard for those bastards to attack us so easily next time, and I’m going to need your help to accomplish these things.”

  “Yes, Mira has told me about the bones and marrows…”

  “Bows and arrows,” I corrected while I fought off a laugh, “and those are going to be a game changer. It may take a few more days before we can get out there, due to my shoulder, but I am healing fast.”

  “That reminds me,” the warrior replied, “I am supposed to help you through some stretches and see if you need my assistance in getting ready for the ceremony.”

  “The mysterious ceremony, huh?” I teased. “Care to give me a hint as to what this is all about?”

  “The queen has for--” she started

  “Forbidden you to tell me anything,” I sighed. “You women and your secrets. Fine then, let’s get on with it.”

  Sela chuckled at my response, and I realized it was the first time I’d heard her laugh. Not surprisingly, it was a melody of its own, but much deeper than any of the other women’s. It was the kind of laugh that made me think of being tangled up in bed sheets and skin touching skin. Her laugh oozed sex, and I was enamoured to my core.

  “I had an injury similar to yours a few cycles ago,” Sela informed me as she studied my shoulder. “It healed well, but the muscles and tendons can get tight and lose their strength if you don’t start using them again as soon as possible.”

  “I understand,” I said with a nod. “What should I do to prevent that?”

  “I am going to help you with some exercises and stretches to get it loosened up,” she smiled, “we will also add some massage therapy to help you with the healing process. We can’t do a whole lot until the sutures are removed, but we can get a bit of a head start.”

  For the next several minutes, Sela showed me a series of stretches, and I did my best to repeat them. The soreness and pain were there, but nothing sharp or unbearable. She seemed pleased at my progress, and it made a question come to my mind.

  “Sela, you are really good at this. Why are you not a healer?”

  She laughed that damn laugh again before she answered me.

  “You are too attentive for your own good, Ben,” she gently chided. “I was a healer back when there were still men to act as our warriors. When they were all lost to war, I took it upon myself to pick up the spear to defend my people. I still help Talise when I can, though, so I don’t lose my abilities.”

  “That makes a lot of sense,” I mused. “I imagine a lot of you had to stop doing what you loved and were trained to do just so you could fight. I hope to make things easier for you.”

  There was a long silence as she finish
ed up massaging the muscles in my neck and down my back and shoulder blade. Then she moved to my front and looked me in the face long enough to make me uncomfortable before she spoke.

  “I am glad you are here, Ben,” she finally said. “Now, let’s get you dressed for the ceremony.”

  She picked up a stack of clothes that had been sitting on the nearby table and laid them out on the bed. They consisted of a platinum pair of breeches and a long vest to match, and that was it.

  All I could think about was how much I was going to look like Aladdin, and I had to fight from bursting out into song. My relationship with Sela was already tumultuous, I didn’t need her thinking I was totally bonkers.

  I untied the robe and glanced hesitantly at Sela. She apparently had no plans at all to turn her head or leave, so I just dropped the robe where I was and picked up the pants like I got naked in front of beautiful women every single day. I managed to get those on by myself, but the drawstring was proving a little difficult to maneuver.

  Sela calmly walked forward and helped me with the tie without me having to ask. She seemed to be taking her time, though, and more than once let her fingers roam and touch my abdomen. Then she picked up the vest and helped me get into that, and again she wasn’t afraid of letting her hands wander.

  “Um, ho-how do I look?” I stumbled.

  “Very regal, Ben,” she replied in a husky voice. “There is some mint and a brush on the table over there for your teeth. Your hair has grown out quite a bit since that morning on the beach, but I like it longer. It has curls.”

  I reached up to touch my hair and noticed it really had gotten a lot longer. I’d kept it cut super short ever since I enlisted ten years ago, but I could feel my boyhood auburn curls bounce back against the palm of my hand and had to grin. I couldn’t believe I’d been on the island for so long.

  “Time is getting away from me here,” I chuckled, “I guess I have lost track of it all.”

  Sela gave me a warm smile and continued fussing over my hair. When she was done, I brushed my teeth and chewed the mint, and I was careful not to get any stuck in my teeth this time. Soon, all the primping was done, and I was ready to go to this mysterious ceremony.

  “I would be honored to be your escort to the ceremony, if you will have me, Ben,” Sela whispered as she looked down at her feet.

  I held my good arm out for her to take, and she gently laid her arm on mine and held my wrist. It was an unusual move, one I didn’t quite understand, and the puzzlement must have shown in my face.

  “Like this,” she explained, “neither of us will have to untangle our arms in case we are attacked and need to defend. It is customary amongst all warriors.”

  “That makes a lot of sense,” I said with a nod. “Thank you. Shall we?”

  She nodded her head, and we left my room and followed the noise of the crowd to the courtyard of the palace. We passed by a few women who openly stared and whispered, but that was something I was getting used to by now. I was confident there wasn’t anything stuck in my teeth, and it reminded me a lot of the hallways in high school, but it still made me smile.

  Before long, we made it to one of the curtained doorways that led to the courtyard. I could see a dais had been set up just beyond the curtains, and a table and straw thatched chairs were atop the raised platform. The sun was close to setting, and several torches had been lit on the terrace. I could smell all kinds of different foods and flowers in the air and hear the excitement in the voices from all over. I had a feeling this was the first celebration they’d thrown in a very long time, and I found myself very happy to be involved, even if I didn’t know what the hell was going on.

  “This is where I leave you, Ben,” Sela began, “the queen will join you here in just a few moments.” Then she smiled and disappeared through the curtains.

  I stood there for a little while not knowing what to do. The foyer was pretty much empty, and I didn’t even have people staring at me to worry about. Just when I didn’t think I could stand there any more, I heard my name being called.

  I looked up to see the queen enter the room, and my jaw hit my chest.

  She was gorgeous, as usual, but there was something exceptional about her tonight. She wore a sapphire blue wrap, and it was tied at one shoulder and left the other one bare. It was adorned with small pearls along the neckline and dragged the floor behind her. Her silver hair was mostly down, and just the front was pulled back into intricate braids woven into her crown. The thing that made her most beautiful, though, was the smile on her face when she saw me. I could tell she was genuinely happy with my presence, and that made her even more amazing.

  “Your Majesty,” I said as I bowed my head, “you look even more beautiful than I could ever have imagined.”

  Her twinkling laughter lit up my whole world, and I found myself willing to do anything to hear that sound again.

  “Thank you, Ben,” Nerissa said with a beatific smile. “You look quite handsome yourself. You also seem to be mending well. I am so glad to see that.”

  “I am, indeed, my Queen. I owe it all to your team of healers for taking extra good care of me.”

  “They are incredibly good at what they do,” she replied.

  I was hoping to flirt with her a little more and maybe get a hint of what was about to happen, but she cut me off before I could even get started.

  “Tonight is about a lot of things, Ben,” she began. “We are here to celebrate our victory, most definitely, but we are also here to celebrate you and what that means to our village.”

  I started to say thank you and that it wasn’t necessary and that I was honored and all of that good mannered shit you are supposed to say, but the queen stopped me from talking again.

  “I know what you are going to say, and yes, you do deserve it,” she laughed, “but I have to say this so we can make an entrance. There will be an announcement later you may not understand, but I will explain it to you fully later on tonight. Please understand it is our custom and our tradition. I ask you as part of our village to just go along with the moment, all the while knowing I will explain it all in detail very soon.

  I stared at her for a moment and wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into. She just gave me a pleading look, and it was one I certainly couldn’t deny, at least not on this woman.

  “Of course, Nerissa,” I assured her. “You can count on me to do as you ask.”

  She placed one of her hands on each side of my face and brought me down to meet her lips. She kissed me softly, but soundly, and managed to stir up all the blood in my system. Then she pulled away and took my arm just like Sela had earlier.

  “Let’s get this started,” she said as a smile lit up her face.

  We walked through the curtain and took the steps up to the dais. The crowd of village women scattered throughout the courtyard greeted us with a deafening roar, and it took several minutes for the noise to die down. The table on the stage was adorned with all sorts of flowers, beeswax candles, and an assortment of fruits and coconuts. There were two of the straw chairs in the middle that sat a little higher than the other four on the platform. To one side, a healing Isla and Sela stood in front of the chairs, on the other side, Talise and Mira, and they all cheered and smiled along with the rest of the women at our appearance.

  Soon, the queen held her hand up for the noise to quiet down.

  “May Olukun make your currents swift,” Nerissa said.

  “May Oshun bless the tides that be,” the village replied.

  “There is much to be said tonight, much to celebrate, but let us feast and drink first!” Nerissa announced to another uproar of applause.

  I pulled out the queen’s chair, and she sat and directed me to follow suit. After I took my seat, the four women at the table did, and then the rest of the village sat spread out before us in the courtyard of the palace. Some of them were at the tables set up for the occasion, and some of them chose to sit on blankets scattered here and there. There was a lot of b
ack and forth between the tables and the blankets, and I figured it wasn’t a status thing, just a way of life for them. They all seemed to mingle back and forth between the tables and the blankets, happy and without prejudice.

  “You look very good tonight, Ben,” said Talise, who was seated to my right. “Careen and Sela both report you are healing very well.”

  “They have certainly done their part to help” I blushed a bit when I thought about my bath from earlier in the day.

  “They have been known to go above and beyond the call of duty,” Mira laughed.

  I swore this woman knew everything that went on around here.

  Both Mira and Talise looked too gorgeous for words to describe all dressed up in their shiny wraps with their hair curled and braided. Even Mira had managed to get some curls in her short bob, and I was dying to touch them. She looked so feminine and soft, I couldn’t help but hope she wanted to sleep by my side again tonight. Talise and her curves were screaming to be curled up against me, too, and I definitely hadn’t forgotten her little ass shake from the other night. At that moment, all the blood was once again pooled in my dick, and my pants weren’t so comfortable and loose anymore.

  Soon, platters of food started to arrive. Among the trays of fish and fruit, I was surprised to see ones with roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes and eggplant, along with baskets of a flat fry bread delivered behind the trays.

  I turned to look at Talise in surprise.

  “The vegetables are the last of our crops,” she said as she read my face, “except for what we saved to use as seedlings. They were dying and rotting, so we thought it would be best to enjoy what we could. The bread is made from coconut flour as your recommended. It was a slow process to get enough dried and ground, but the women worked diligently and were able to come through. We look forward to your ideas on how to make the process more efficient.”

  I was strangely proud at this moment. These women had taken the information I’d given them and ran with it. I didn’t have to stand over them and direct them in exactly how to do it. I knew Talise was to be credited for that, she was a brilliant woman, and I felt a bit of the weight I was carrying ease off some. If I could simply tell them what to do and they could take over, it would free up a lot of my time to move on to other projects that needed handling. I’d been thinking a lot about building some kind of boat. It would come in handy for better fishing and possibly exploring the other islands. If these women were so eager and willing to do the work, there was no telling what we could accomplish.