by Noah Layton
‘You will?’
‘I have to. I don’t push my people around, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let myself be pushed around by other tribes. If we lie down and take it they’ll walk all over us. Being powerful is about having conviction.’
‘Indeed, master. May I also say that your female companions seem to be very, uhh… Taken with you.’
‘I like to think so. Things have moved really fast with both Ariadne and Lara, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I…’
I glanced over at Alorion, whose eyes were open expectantly as he listened.
‘What is it?’ He asked.
‘We can talk about this, can’t we?’ I said. ‘You know, you and me. Man to man.’
‘Of course, master. I am your advisor, after all.’
‘No, I mean on a level. I know you’re my second in command and all, but we’re both guys and we can speak about women, right?’
‘I’m not sure how that’s different to what you just said.’
‘We’re friends. We can talk like friends.’
‘Oh…! Of course. I like to think that I’ve made a few observations on the behaviours of other beings. That I can recall, at least…’
‘Right,’ I smiled. ‘Well… I really like both of them. I told Ariadne that I loved her at Ichabod’s Cove. If I did that back in my world after knowing a girl for just a few days she would disappear.’
‘They are important to you, no?’
‘Definitely.’
‘And you enjoy their company?’
‘Of course. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing either of them.’
‘Then that is love.’
‘Really? So it makes sense to you?’
‘Me?’ Alorion said, frowning and pausing. ‘My kind mate after a complex dancing ritual shortly after meeting. As a result I am not very seasoned in understanding the nature of love, but from my observations… You enjoy a person’s company, and you want to be with them all the time out of choice, and you never want anything bad to happen to them… That is love to me.’
I dwelled on his words for a moment. For decades I had been surrounded by a saturated world of songs and movies whining about the topic, but it was rare to stop and pick the idea apart.
Things worked differently in Agraria when it came to relationships, that was for sure – not that I was complaining.
When it came to Ariadne and Lara, though-
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘I do love them. I love having them around.’
‘Then there is the answer you seek,’ Alorion smiled.
‘I’m still getting used to the idea of saying that about two different women, though, and not getting my ass kicked in the process. The only way a guy could do that in my world is if he’s a billionaire or he’s paying for it… Or he’s really, really persuasive. Here I am with two of the sexiest girls I’ve ever met, and they’re both calling me master… A lot of guys would kill for that kind of life.’
‘There is nothing wrong with loving more than one woman,’ Alorion said. ‘At least, that’s what my observations would tell me. Besides, considering the danger that you endure on a day to day basis, I think that you perhaps deserve such a reward.’
‘Maybe you’re right,’ I laughed. ‘I’ve gotten more new scars in the last week than I’ve received in my entire life. The love might be in abundance here, but so are the things trying to kill me.’
‘Indeed, master. Of course, the love could be in even more abundance considering the… Latest developments upon our land.’
I pulled my eyes away from the path ahead to look at Alorion again. He was pulling the same look as before, but there was a strange grin on his face.’
‘… If you’re suggesting an orgy you can go to hell.’
‘A what, master?’
‘Where everybody gets together and… Has fun.’
‘Has fun… Oh. OH! Oh, by the gods, no, master. What a disgusting thought. Such activities are reserved for a tribe master and his women behind closed doors. I am talking about the arrival of this new young lady in our tribe.’
‘What, Santana? Not this again…’
‘She has taken a considerable liking to you, master.’
‘How do you know that?’
‘I have seen the way that she looks at you. Only briefly, but all the same.’
‘Listen,’ I said firmly, ‘she’s a 21 year-old girl who’s lived on a farm her entire life with a cleric for a father. He’s a healer and as religious as can be, and she follows the same beliefs. We went to their house. I saw how much faith they have in the gods of Agraria. A man is the last thing on her mind.’
‘But you are no ordinary man. You fell from the sky.’
‘I was summoned by your ex-boss.’
‘Technically the same thing. She is very interested in you.’
‘She’s interested in looking after animals and riding horses. That’s all. Besides, even if she did ever like me, her father would murder me while I slept if he ever found out. He’s a valuable addition to the tribe and I don’t exactly need that happening. Right now I just need to focus on defences and gold.’
Shortly after we arrived at the trading post which was bustling as ever. After a few days of regular trips, the bull-headed crop merchant seemed to have reached an understanding with us – we talked as little as possible, reached a deal quickly over the corn and tomatoes, and left each other with a nod.
With the cart lightened and a total of just under 600GP in my inventory, I checked the items on our list.
A bath tub, stone, and meat. The stone we purchased from a supplier for 350GP, a high mark-up compared to Ichabod’s Cove, but not as bad when I considered the shorter travelling distance.
Despite the need for hygiene and the trading post selling a large variety of different wares, a bathtub was the last thing that I expected somebody to be selling. It was a specialist item, something that most people in this place would only ever buy once – but I had a feeling about who might be able to supply one.
‘Master Jake!’
Cobb was sitting in a chair outside of his large tent, smoking a cigar in the shade of a veranda. He had ditched his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, moisture beading on his scaled goblin skin.
‘It’s Jack,’ I corrected. ‘How are you, Cobb?’
‘As reasonable as ever, despite this wretched heat. Yourself?’
‘I’m well, thanks for asking.’
‘I do hope that you didn’t take our tense conversations to heart on our previous meetings. It was a pleasure doing business with you. It’s rare that you meet a man that keeps his word in these parts.’
‘I’ve come to learn that over the past few days myself.’
‘Is that right?’
Cobb squinted in the sunlight before nodding and leaning his head back against his chair.
‘So…’
‘So what?’
‘Aren’t you going to try and sell me something? A few days ago you were the perfect salesman, now you can’t even stand up.’
‘You’ll forgive me for my lack of showmanship,’ he continued, picking up a fold-out fan from his lap and springing it loose expertly before wafting as much of a breeze into his face as smoke from his cigar. ‘The current climate doesn’t agree with me. In fact, my boys are in the process of packing up and getting out of here right now.’
‘It is pretty damn hot.’
‘There’s that… And the forest.’
‘What about the forest?’
‘The beasts, of course. Haven’t you heard?’
Alorion and I exchanged a look before returning to Cobb.
‘What beasts?’
‘A caravan was attacked last night on its way out of here. The Junkers. Poor little bastards didn’t stand a chance.’
‘Didn’t stand a chance?’ I repeated. ‘I thought they traded in weapons. Wouldn’t that make them the last ones that anyone or anything would want to attack?’
‘They may collect weapons but
that doesn’t mean they know how to use them. Even so, they had a few security guards with them. Didn’t make much of a difference though.’
Shit.
They had my gun.
‘What happened to their resources?’
Even in his subdued state, Cobb managed a smile.
‘Look at you,’ he laughed lightly, ‘a group of innocent traders are killed and the first thing on your mind is looting their bodies. Now that’s the sign of a tribe master that’s going places.’
‘That’s not the first thing on my mind,’ I said. ‘I traded something with them a few days ago. Something precious. Something I wouldn’t like to fall into the wrong hands.’
‘Is that so?’ Cobb said with intrigue. ‘Well, either way it doesn’t matter. By the time this thing was finished with them, whatever it was, everything had been ripped to tatters. Carts, resources, even the horses. Blood and limbs everywhere. Such a shame. There were a few things leftover which scavengers looted, but other than that it was all destroyed.’
‘What do you think it was?’
‘I have no idea. Something big, or a pack of something. Strange, though. Caravans don’t usually get attacked in these parts, especially by beasts. They know to stay away from the roads.’
‘Right… Anyway,’ I trailed off. ‘Let’s get down to business.’
‘Please yourself,’ Cobb said casually, waving his hand towards the door of the tent. ‘Bring whatever you want out here and I’ll cut you a deal.’
‘You’re not coming with me? What if I steal something?’
‘My boys are inside, and quite frankly I don’t care. I’m about to pass out…’
Alorion and I headed inside to find the tent in a different state of disarray to the last time we had seen it. Cobb’s men were packing objects away and organising the mess of wares into roughly organised piles.
‘He wasn’t kidding,’ I muttered.
‘It certainly seems that way,’ Alorion replied.
‘What do you think it was?’
‘It could have been one of the many beasts that I have spoken of before. They dwell in the depths of the forest.’
‘Santana mentioned something similar back at their homestead… You don’t really think…?’
‘It is possible, Jack. But it could just as easily have been part of the pack of wolves that attacked you at the Rourke Homestead. Three may have come to the house, but more could still exist. If they fear that some of their own have been killed they could become more aggressive.’
We moved through the tent, and among the stacks of junk we managed to find three bathtubs, two copper and one bronze, all battered and well-used but all a decent size.
After dragging them outside one by one, Cobb managed to turn his head in my direction to examine them.
‘60 gold pieces,’ he droned.
I was convinced that I would need to barter on the price, but it was music to my ears. I would never need to buy them again.
‘Deal.’
With the stone we had just enough space in the cart to manage all of the items and made it back to our land by late afternoon. Alorion and I chatted absently, but there was only one thing on my mind, and it wasn’t the construction of the house – not yet anyway.
After leading the cart of supplies to a patch of land for Jeremiah and Santana’s house and setting the horse free to roam the field, I met up with Lara and Ariadne. I relayed what Cobb had told me.
‘That’s not good at all,’ Lara said, biting her nails.
‘They took down an armed caravan. Weapons, guards… It was only a few miles from here.’
‘We should be safe,’ Ariadne said. ‘They attack at night, right? As long as everyone is protected within their homes they should be protected.’
‘At the homestead the wolves broke straight through a barred wooden door. I thought that the houses would be able to protect them but that might no longer be the case.’
‘They are carnivorous beasts, too,’ Lara said. ‘They probably turned this attack of theirs into a banquet, in which case they will be slumbering. I’m confident we’ll be safe tonight.’
‘In that case we’ll get to building defences tomorrow. Tonight we build Jeremiah and Santana’s house.’
‘And then we eat?’ Ariadne asked.
‘And then we definitely eat. Eri will have something planned for us too.’
‘Something planned?’ Lara asked. ‘What are you hiding?’
‘Maybe nothing,’ I smiled. ‘But we’ll see.’
Chapter Thirteen
We pulled out all the stops to get Jeremiah and Santana’s house built before sunset. Everyone contributed; even Alorion, despite his lack of strength, was able to supervise and check our supplies to ensure that we were moving as quickly as possible.
When the last stone was set into place and we all stood back to admire it, the father and daughter looked as if they were on the verge of tears. They shared a moment together while looking up at the structure, before Jeremiah turned to me and grabbed me by the hand.
‘My daughter was right. You were a blessing sent to us by the gods. This is a fine home.’
‘Don’t mention it,’ I said. ‘You’re a citizen on this land now. Every citizen needs a home.’
With everything else we had progressed steadily, but when it came to housing I had no interest in doing things slowly. For every citizen I wanted to skip past the wooden shacks and move straight to a permanent building that was sturdy and durable against whatever faced it – hopefully.
Once the buildings were established, they would never need to be upgraded. I wasn’t going to micro-manage my citizen’s work. They all knew their jobs, I just had to assign them. It was better to leave them to their work. Tormus and Eri could take point on harvesting while Jeremiah and Santana looked after our new collection of livestock.
‘I think we all deserve a decent meal after that,’ I said. ‘And a bath…’
We set aside an hour to bathe before dinner. While the idea of hopping into a bath with Ariadne and Lara was one that I could definitely agree to, it made sense to use fresh water and hop in individually for hygiene purposes considering how hot it had been over the last few days – not to mention the fact that the bath would only fit one person in the first place.
I set it down in the corner of our home in the tree. Any excess water that spilled would sink through the cracks in the floorboards, draining effectively.
In the light of the setting sun Jeremiah cooked a meal of boar – using cuts from the one we had killed in the forest – grilled tomatoes and corn, topped with the same seasoning that we had previously purchased.
‘You must sear it carefully,’ Jeremiah said as he worked, more to himself than to Ariadne, ‘and used the sides to test how well-done you want it. Allow the pan to do the work…’
He had been a farmer all his life, and that had obviously brought with it the knowledge of how to cook steaks to perfection. Every single one that came out was cooked exactly how everyone wanted it.
If that wasn’t enough, just as the last plate was served up, Santana appeared with a bucket of fresh milk, which we all served into our canteens.
‘My god, this is the life,’ I said, taking a bite from the boar and letting the juices rest in my mouth as I leaned back against the tree.
‘We could just live like this from now on, master,’ Ariadne said, ‘build defences, increase our supplies, make plenty of gold and enjoy our prosperity.’
‘That sounds like a perfect plan,’ I admitted. ‘We have everything we need now; a supply of food, water, safe shelter, the ability to build our gold stacks. Tomorrow we can get started on defences that will keep our land even safer.’
‘You keep using this word, our,’ Santana said. ‘I have noticed it on several occasions since we met. What do you mean by this?’
‘This is our land. We need to take care of it.’
‘But the land belongs to you, master.’
‘Just because I�
��m the tribe master doesn’t mean the place belongs to me. I’m running things and I make the decisions, but it’s important that we share in the prosperity together. Otherwise what’s the point to any of this? All of you should focus on what you do best. That will keep us all fed and clothed and, eventually, rich.’
‘Such a beautiful place… I am surprised that you are willing to share it so easily.’
‘Well, it’s important that we look after each other. If we don’t, we’re all dead.’
We finished our meals and I drummed my fingers against my chest as I leaned against the tree.
With a moment to relax, I realised for the first time that I hadn’t missed one thing that I had always had with me back on Earth – apart from being able to exhibit it to my citizens.’
‘God, I wish I could show you guys my phone,’ I muttered to myself. ‘Not that it would do anything out here.’
‘What is phone?’ Jeremiah asked.
‘They’re these… Things’ – I wanted to say devices, but that would be beyond confusing – ‘back in my world. Everybody has one. Almost everybody, anyway. People can use them to speak to anybody, no matter how far away they are. They have all of the information in the world on them, too, and they can do all kinds of other things. I told Alorion and Ariadne about them a few days ago.’
‘It sounds like magic,’ Santana said in a captivated tone, setting aside her plate. ‘What else is there in your world?’
‘Boxes where you can watch every kind of story you want. Giant metal creatures that can transport you to anywhere you want in the world in less than a day. Huge structures that are hundreds of yards tall.’
‘We have those too,’ Lara said. ‘The citadels still exist.’
‘The citadels?’
‘They are ruins left over from previous civilisations. They exist in far-off places that require a considerable amount of travelling to reach.’
‘The gigantic creatures, too,’ Eri said, ‘Although here we call them dragons.’
I hadn’t snorted juice since a buddy made me laugh during lunch when I was three feet tall, but at that moment milk nearly came flooding out of my nose.
I got a hold of myself and swallowed the milk down, setting my canteen aside.
