Wild Wastes Omnibus

by Randi Darren

  Okay, so there’s a problem and they’re being cautious.

  “One of you can explain that statement to me.” Vince lifted a finger and waved it between the three of them.

  Elysia looked pained and wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  Eva sighed and pressed a hand to her brow. “Master, Petra and Fes fight. Every day.”

  Thera closed her eyes and bowed her head. “It’s true, Lord. The only discontent is in your own home.”

  Vince grunted and looked to one side. “Got it. I’ll take care of it.”

  The problem here was that Fes was acting within her rights as Fes to dictate Petra’s actions to a certain degree. Petra, having not actually been beaten, or beaten Fes, didn’t respect the situation. Her chain of command was fuzzy.

  Fes, on the other hand, needed a strong hand guiding her in the same way. While her issue wasn’t one of chain of command, it was of leadership through trial of arms.

  It wasn’t his way, but if he wanted to keep Fes happy, and in turn Petra, this was his answer.

  “Thera,” Vince said, turning his head to the Dark Elf.

  The Dark Elf’s shoulders straightened, her head snapping up.

  “Get the Dryads. I’d like to meet them in the training field behind the manor.

  “Elysia, could you please fetch Petra and Fes?

  “Eva, I need training weapons for anything that could come up.

  “I’ll meet you out behind the house. Promise.”

  The Elves regarded him suspiciously. There’d been times where he’d tried to send them off on errands so he could be alone. At once, they decided without speaking that the requests were legitimate and moved off to their appointed tasks.

  Vince was annoyed. He’d known there was a problem but had deliberately ignored it. Ignored it to the point that his Elven council had to tell him that it was no longer a private problem.

  Heading back to the manor, he went through it to the back to the fenced-in private back yard. It wasn’t something he’d asked for, and no one told him who’d done it, but he was suddenly grateful for whoever had requested it.

  In the center of what once was an empty field of grass and trees was now a cleared circle of dirt with a wooden lip encircling it. Walking to the center of that, Vince started going through warmup stretches.

  He was sure he didn’t need to, never had, but he always felt better in doing it.

  As he worked his waist muscles into what he hoped was a more limber state, the Dryads and Thera walked over to him.

  “Ah, good. Meliae, can we talk for a minute?” He smiled at the Dryad in question and motioned at her as he walked to one edge of the ring.

  Meliae grinned at him and bounced her way over to him. “What can I do for you, Sweetling?”

  Vince decided to dive right in. “I get the impression you’re rather good at fertility and sex magic. Is that you personally, or you as a Dryad?”

  Meliae blushed deeply at that and nodded at him. “In general, Dryads have an affinity. Mine is… yes, it’s fertility and sex. Daphne is better at direct intervention with flora. Combat, you could say. Karya is very in tune with the land and animals. People.”

  “Good. Can you keep me… er… can you make it so I can perform repeatedly? One after the other? Three times, preferably.”

  “Easily. Any of us could do that,” purred the Dryad, her eyes starting to green over. Her hands gripped her staff and wrung it back and forth.

  “Good, hang on to that until later.” Vince had to hurry it along since Fes, Petra, and Elysia were arriving. Right behind them was Eva with an armful of practice weapons.

  Vince worked to school his face into neutrality. Once he’d done that, he moved to intercept Fes and Petra.

  Both of them watched his approach warily. Gesturing to Eva, he indicated the grass at the edge of the ring. “Right there is great, Eva. Thank you. Elysia, Thera, thank you as well for getting this put together so quickly.”

  The Elves nodded their heads, smiles flashing and disappearing quickly.

  Vince turned to face Fes, then Petra, giving them both a hard look.

  “New rules. I’m tired of the bickering and the infighting. That ends today.

  “Title of Fes is only able to be challenged for once every thirty days. Current Fes dictates a date within three days of the challenge. Thirty days counts from the initial challenge date.

  “Winner is Fes and will be respected and regarded as Fes. I’ll personally fight the Fes three days after each challenge to maintain proper etiquette.

  “To start this correctly, I’ll now fight each one of you.”

  Vince walked over to the pile of training weapons and picked up a wooden saber, then walked to the center of the ring.

  “You may determine your order. Please be swift.”

  Before anyone could argue, Meliae leaped into the ring and lifted her staff, pointing it at him.

  Vince grinned at the spunky Dryad. Holding out his training saber, he waited.

  Faster than he expected, her staff thrust out at his head.

  Taking a single step to the side, he couldn’t help but laugh.

  All that plant food!

  “Meliae! My chipper little Dryad wife, I’m surprised. That was well done. Are you ready, though?”

  Her eyes were greening over again, her lips fighting a smile. “Give it to me, Sweetling. Hard and fast.”

  Acting counter to her request, her staff spun out low towards the back of his feet. It was even faster than her thrust.

  In the middle of his chest, he could feel the burning ache again. That strange sensation he’d felt back in the river. This time, he couldn’t claim it was exhaustion. This was different.

  It was coming all throughout him now, though. A little weaker than the feeling in his chest, but there.

  Begging to be used. To be forced to do his bidding. Be given direction and made to do so.

  Shaking off that feeling, he focused on Meliae.

  Vince dodged back and then launched forward, his training sword whipping around with as much speed as he could put into it.

  The flat of the blade slapped into the front of Meliae’s shoulders and sent her tumbling into the dirt.

  The busty Dryad lay on her back, breathing heavily. “Ow…”

  Walking over, Vince offered her a hand up and a lopsided smile. “Much improved since previously, my little warrior Dryad.”

  She gave him a goofy grin and got to her feet. Walking off to the side, she slumped into the grass.

  “Next.”

  Daphne and Karya looked like they would enter the ring.

  Vince pointed at them with his sword. “This is reserved for those who share my bed. Watching doesn’t count.”

  Moving his sword laterally, he pointed it at Fes and Petra. “Next.”

  Fes entered the ring while Petra dug through the training weapons. Fes had already retrieved a training sword that looked akin to her near great sword.

  “Husband, are you sure? If I win, I can’t look at you the same way.”

  Vince tilted his head to one side and regarded her.

  He wasn’t the same man he’d been when he defeated her the first time. Sure, he wasn’t what a human could reasonably do even then. After everything that had happened now, though… he wasn’t sure where he rated anymore. The passive power the Dryads’ trees gave him was immense.

  Vince had the feeling he could pull deeply on them as well if he wanted. That the ache begging to be used would push him well beyond limits a human body could support.

  “Come, wife Berenga. Know your match and hearken back to our first meeting.”

  Fes wasted no time and slashed at him, her sword moving quick. Before she completed the attack, she’d changed her footwork to bring herself around for whatever he might do.

  She’d trained with Petra for quite a while, and he could see clearly how her form had improved. Previous to this, she’d been more of an experience fighter. Now she was a trained fighter that thoug
ht of the possibilities.

  She was incredibly dangerous.

  Vince slipped in close and blocked her attack outright. Stopping it dead in its tracks.

  Fes stared at him, not quite believing it. Vince took another step and slammed the hilt of his sword into her stomach.

  The only sound that came next was the sudden exhalation of breath as Fes had the wind knocked proverbially out of her.

  Crumpling to her knees, she dropped her blade, her head hanging.

  Vince waited patiently, giving her the minute she needed to get her breath back under control.

  Finally, she lifted her head, gazing up at him.

  Vince gave her a loving smile and leaned down to kiss her lips tenderly.

  “Much better, wife Berenga. You’ve improved. Are you well?” he asked gently.

  Fes nodded her head, and got to her feet.

  “So strong,” she said. There was a tiny change in her tone. One he hadn’t heard since they’d first bonded.

  Desperate admiration.

  “Have to be. I have such strong wives. They keep me on my toes. Off with you now, I need to tend to Petra now.”

  Fes picked up her blade and walked off towards Meliae. All three Dryads turned to the Orc and immediately bent to the task of fixing her.

  Turning to Petra, he pointed the blade at her. “Come, Petra.”

  “Master.” Petra entered the ring, angling her spear at him. She made no move to engage him.

  “Playing hard to get, Petra?”

  “Master is well aware this one would do anything he asked. But if she can defeat Master, she will be Fes.”

  Vince couldn’t argue the fault in logic.

  Petra relied on her whole being when fighting. Having lived on a war front her whole life, that counted for a lot.

  Leaning forward, Vince then darted in. His left hand grabbed the spear and yanked with all everything he had as he swung around with his blade.

  Petra released the spear and leapt to one side.

  His sword stroke passed through the empty air.

  Vince chased after her, catching her only a second after she landed. Swinging his blade up in an underhanded blow, he caught her under the armpit.

  The strike was so strong that the heavy ant soldier was surprisingly knocked flat on her side.

  The sharp crack of the blade breaking in half was audible over everything. Vince looked at the split blade with a frown.

  Falling into a neutral stance, Vince laid his blade on his shoulder. “Good adaptation.”

  Petra was on her side. Three of her legs twitched as she righted herself, getting up to her feet.

  The ant soldier stared at him, her antennae twitching slowly. “Master,” Petra whispered, and then moved to the edge of the ring.

  Having finished with Fes, the Dryads leapt into action on Petra.

  “Good. Now that that’s settled, I recognize Berenga as my Fes. Do any challenge her?”

  Petra looked at the Orc, and Fes looked at the ant soldier.

  “This one does.” Petra turned and looked to him as she said it.

  “Great, the Elf sisters will act as referee since they’re a neutral party. Once the Dryads clear you for action, you two may begin.”

  Vince walked over to the Dryads and sat down next to them, motioning to the Elves. “I appreciate your assistance.”

  Elysia, Eva, and Thera couldn’t hide the way they looked at him. Awe, fear, and a bit of what looked like adoration.

  “My liege.”

  “Lord.”

  “Master.”

  The Dryads collectively shooed Petra onward, having found nothing wrong with her. She was rather tough, after all.

  Petra and Fes went to the center of the ring as the Elves fanned out around the two of them. “Winner is the first to score what would be classified as a fatal attack. No targeting the head,” Vince called, and then turned to Meliae.

  “You alright?”

  The Dryad nodded her head and gave him a bright smile. “It went as I expected, but I surprised you.”

  “That you did. Have you been practicing?”

  Meliae pointed at Karya and Daphne. “They’re far more martial than I am. I’m sure they’ll be better able to fend you off.”

  The other two Dryads didn’t respond to that, but he could see the green of their eyes threatening to overtake the pupils.

  Vince ignored the implied requirement of them being part of his bedroom routine and turned to watch Petra and Fes.

  They squared off slowly, each wielding a sword.

  “Who do you think will win?” Karya asked him.

  “I’m not sure. Nor do I think it matters. Half of the problem was my own fault for not asserting dominance. Berenga needs it from a cultural perspective. Petra from a societal and class perspective.”

  “I just need it. I like it when you break me,” Meliae mewled, pressing into his arm.

  “You like being forced, not broken. Though one does usually dictate the other.”

  Meliae made happy sounds of agreement and then released his arm, patting his shoulder.

  “After that power display of yours, I don’t think Fes will want to wrestle for a while,” Meliae said as her eyes turned back to the fight. “You didn’t even pull on our trees. I’m sure you felt it, calling out to you.”

  Vince knew exactly what she was talking about in regards to the trees.

  As if on command, the feeling returned, though much subtler now.

  Carefully, he “pulled” on it with his thoughts and then let go.

  All three Dryads shimmered a faint green hue for a second and faded.

  Meliae, Daphne, and Karya had given him their full attention.

  “Ah, I see. What did you mean about the wrestle thing, though?”

  Meliae cocked her head to one side. “Berenga is a playful Orc. She willingly took on the role of your Fes, but she got rid of a good portion of the ritual of it.

  “As Mother told it, the Fes is frequently mounted from behind as a form of subjugation.

  “Berenga prefers to wrestle for dominance or mock fight with you for it. I’ve seen you let her win on occasion, and how she lets you win as well. If she didn’t want to, you’d have to kill her for it, probably.”

  “Interesting.” Vince thought on that for a bit. Maybe it’d be good to reinforce that one today.

  She was certainly different now than how she’d been when they’d first started off on this journey. The rigidity of her mind and actions had softened. She’d even become tender towards him.

  Loved him.

  And I love them.

  Vince sighed, a smile flickering over his face. Draping an arm around Meliae, he pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head.

  “Thanks for the hint. Love you.”

  Meliae froze up, her body becoming rigid in his embrace. Then she melted into him, nuzzling her head up under his jaw.

  On the sand, Fes and Petra were slow to engage each other. Small attacks and efficient parries were all that were exchanged.

  Slowly, it became the inexorable fight of wills he had somewhat expected. Fes and her indomitable spirit and Petra with her near tireless endurance.

  Wooden blades clacked back and forth as they attacked and defended, their footwork looking expertly done to Vince’s eye. Their movements clean and efficient.

  “They really are quite good,” he murmured.

  Then it was suddenly over. Fes’s blade was wedged into Petra’s side.

  Fes had welcomed a blow and diverted it. She had taken Petra’s blade high on her arm and let it graze over her shoulder as she brought around her own weapon into Petra.

  The Elves conferred for a moment and then Thera motioned to Fes.

  “Berenga is the winner by virtue of the fact that her attack would have slain her opponent. Petra’s would only have disabled her. This is our finding, Lord.”

  Vince clapped his hands. “Great. Fes, Petra, Meliae, Daphne, Karya, into the house. Thera,
Eva, Elysia, please tidy up here and then take whatever duty you see fit. I’ll be retiring for a while.”

  Standing up, Vince didn’t wait for replies or acknowledgments and made his way into the manor.

  Entering through the rear door, he started unstrapping his leather armor. He never left without it and felt naked if he wasn’t wearing it.

  Moving up the stairs, he peeled off his armor from his chest.

  A boot nudge and he’d entered his bedroom. Vince began piling his armor and clothes in a messy pile on the dresser.

  Standing nude, he turned and waited.

  One by one, the summoned women trooped into the bedroom. Including the Elves who weren’t invited.

  Once they’d all entered, he pointed to the door. “Shut it.”

  Petra lifted one long leg and closed the door with a click.

  Vince now pointed to the ground. “Clothes.” The demand was simple without any room to argue.

  A moment later, there were eight piles of fabric on the ground, and eight naked women.

  Vince didn’t bother to correct the Elves. Instead, he deliberately looked them over. Eying their chests, hips, and privates. Then met their eyes.

  They came willingly. Let’s give them a show behind the curtains. They can decide after.

  Deciding to move this along, Vince lifted his hand and gestured to the naked Orc woman and then indicated the bed wordlessly.

  Chapter 25

  Fes’s dark eyes followed the movement of his hand. There was no fear in her, no disagreement, or anger. A gentle sweep of her thoughts and he’d gotten his answer.

  Overwhelming acceptance, lust, desire, and a sense of wanting to know her place.

  She has more in common with Meliae than she’d ever admit. This isn’t all for them, of course; what man doesn’t fantasize about something like this?

  The Orc woman crawled onto the bed, facing the wall, and settled down on her forearms and knees.

  “Other way,” Vince said softly, moving to the side of the bed. He laid one hand to her hip and gave her a nudge.

  Fes blinked and then slowly turned around, facing the rest of the women. Her skin darkened in a flush as she tried in vain to meet their eyes.

  Vince leaned in and nipped her pointed ear with his teeth, then whispered for her alone.

  “You are my Fes. Tonight, you will be treated as Fes. I expect you to make eye contact with everyone. To stare into their eyes as they watch you being mounted. Do you understand?”