by Jake Daniel
“This morning, Logan sir.”
“But I just spoke to Fap’zak about this building only about an hour ago.”
“Yes, Logan sir. Our clan is extremely efficient.”
I laughed as I set the stack of lumber down next to the nearly completed frame of the market. “Yeah, I’d say so. I could use a few of you around my lodge. Maybe I’d be able to get those damn blinds done.”
“Lodge, Logan sir? You mean your manor?”
“Nevermind uh... sorry, I don’t think we have officially met.”
“Fapplejack, Logan sir.”
“Fapplejack?”
“Yes, Fapplejack. Named after my great grandfather Fapplesack.”
“Very well, Fapplejack, descendant of Fapplesack. I’m glad you’re here.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder and he beamed proudly. A few seconds later, the goblin that lent his coins to Gwen arrived with a goofy grin on his face.
I noticed the tan leather bag secured to his hip. “I see Gwen gave you your coins back.”
“And that’s not all, if you know what I mean...”
His eyes went wide as if he was afraid I was going to get mad at his obvious joke. Instead, I made him sit with it for a bit and urged him to go on. “Oh? I’m not sure what you mean. Please, tell me more.”
He spoke and then thought better of it, giving me a smile instead. “Oh, nothing. I didn’t mean... I mean... never mind.”
I chuckled as I moved through their build site. Once I ensured they had everything they needed, I joined Gwen and all of her sisters by the lake.
All of them were laughing and splashing each other playfully underneath the waterfall. All of them were completely naked and drawing several longing stares from those on the shoreline.
I’d have been lying if I said life wasn’t just about perfect as I watched the sisters as they took turns washing each other underneath the falls.
I spent the rest of the day helping the others around the manor and even started on a small addition to the house. Well, small may be subjective. Adding twenty rooms to the manor seemed like an enormous project to me, but everyone else seemed to think it wasn’t a big deal. When finished, it was going to be nearly triple the size it was when I arrived.
Gwen and I checked on Dahlia around mid-morning and she was still peacefully asleep. As we stood in the doorway, I whispered to Gwen. “She hasn’t slept like this since she arrived. Do you think she’s okay?”
Gwen shook her head slowly. “I’m not sure. She’s been getting weaker by the day.”
“I’ve noticed that as well, I mean besides the small burst of energy she had this morning. Do me a favor and monitor her, and I’ll do the same. If she gets any worse, let me know immediately.”
I closed the door behind us as we left and rejoined the others. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, a yell rose from outside.
Gwen and I exchanged confused looks and rushed out the front door. I’d not expected what I saw next.
Chapter Twenty-One
Master Teng stood at the top of the waterfall all alone. He held his arms to the sky and was yelling to everyone below.
“Oh damn, he’s snapped.” I furrowed my brow and looked at the cliffs surrounding the falls. I tried, unsuccessfully, to find a path up. “How the hell did he even get up there?”
Gwen chuckled and shook her head. “Who knows, he is a Saint rank cultivator though. Maybe he floated up there.”
“Floated? He’s a little big for that, don’t you think?”
“You’re from a land where humans are the only walking and talking beings, yet you question a centaur’s ability to float?” Gwen replied, a playful smirk rising to her face.
“Point taken.”
Teng pointed a hand toward me and called out. “Logan West, come, see what I’ve discovered!” The large centaur could not hide the excitement in his deep voice.
I stepped to the edge of the lake and held my hands to my hips. “Sure, how did you get up there? It may take me a few minutes to climb up that rock wall.”
“Oh, there’s no need for that.” He turned his palm to the sky with his index finger still outstretched to me. He closed his eyes and curled the finger back toward his body.
I felt a strange force rise deep within me. I adjusted my feet to brace myself, but it was no use. I could only watch as my feet dragged across the ground and neared the edge of the lake.
It was as if something held me tightly around the waist and was pulling me toward the waterfall. No matter what I did, it pulled me forward. The tips of my boots touched the edge of the water and my body lifted off the ground. “Oh, shit,” I said aloud as the sudden feeling of weightlessness took me completely off guard. I waved my arms wildly as I waited to drop into the water, which was now all that was below me.
Gwen giggled from the shoreline. “Focus! Let it take you!”
“Take me where?!” I called back, spinning in the air like I was a half deflated helium balloon.
Before she could reply, I flew upward toward the top of the waterfall. I closed my eyes and was immediately surrounded by glowing yellow light.
The centaur had a rope of spirit wrapped around my entire body like a lasso and was pulling me toward him. I’ll definitely need him to teach me this trick.
A few seconds later, he placed me gently on the ground next to him while staring out over the waterfall. I stood and joined his side. The view from up top was amazing.
My manor stood as the centerpiece of everything below with the huts, tavern and market only adding to the aesthetic. I adjusted my shirt and pants to make sure they had come with me from the ground. “Thanks for the ride.”
The centaur smiled. “I heard you talking to the satyr down below. Remember, there are a lot of things you have yet to discover about Aurilon. I’ve been doing this for a long time and have unlocked many, let’s say, unique abilities.”
“That was truly amazing.” I paused and looked at my feet before shifting my focus back on him. “Can you teach me?”
The centaur let out a hearty laugh. “I admire your heart. Unfortunately, there are some things that even I can’t teach. Keep cultivating though, the stronger you build your core, the more likely it will be in the future.” He paused and straightened. “Now, the real reason I brought you up here. Please, come with me.”
I followed Teng along the river and he stopped at a rapidly churning eddy that had formed in the middle of the river about fifty feet from the edge of the falls.
He turned and held a hand out to me. “Now, please close your eyes. Focus and tell me what you see.”
I did as instructed and a brilliant pool of light appeared at my feet. I stared at it for several moments, becoming lost in its magnificent glow as it swirled and churned beneath me. I tried to remember what Gwen had told me about spirit throughout Aurilon, and then it came to me. “It’s a spirit well.”
The centaur stamped a foot, sending a splash of water up around us. “Exactly! It’s amazing. Some say that spirit wells appear in places of great hope. I’d say that here, at this manor, you’ve brought hope to many. My people have traced spirit wells throughout time, and I thought we’d mapped every one of them. I’ve only ever read about the unexpected appearance of spirit wells in ancient texts, and it hasn’t happened for hundreds of years.”
“Is there anything we can do to use it to its fullest?” I asked and bent close to the water.
“To its fullest?”
“Yes, so everyone here who wants to cultivate can use it.”
“Ah, yes. Well, we would need to build a temple. A temple can channel the spirit and helps one uncoil strands more effectively.” Teng replied. He walked across the river, the water barely came up to the bottom of the centaur’s chest. “I’m not sure where the best place to build one around here would be, but it has to be as close as possible to this well to be of maximum effectiveness.”
I closed my eyes and focused on the spirit near my feet. I bent toward the ground and spun severa
l strands around my fingers. “Consider it done. As soon as Fap’zak and his crew finish the market, I’ll send them up this way to work on the temple. I have a couple ideas of how we can build it directly over this river.”
I thought back to a house I’d seen as a kid, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, called Falling Water. They built the house right over a stream and waterfall, albeit a much smaller waterfall, but I felt if it’d be possible to emulate it, this would be the place to do it.
Master Teng nodded and lifted his hands out to his side. “Thank you. I will train you with all I know once we finish the temple.”
A faint glittering light filled his hands, and I knew he’d already returned to cultivating. I stepped to the edge of the waterfall and looked down.
Ignoring the fact that I was fully clothed, I couldn’t resist. I pulled off my shirt and took several steps backwards. After a deep breath, I ran as fast as I could and dove as I reached the edge of the falls. I sunk deep down into the icy blue water and when I closed my eyes, I could see strands of spirit flowing everywhere around me like I was in the center of a meteor shower.
I exploded from the water and took in a huge breath of fresh air. Every sense in my body seemed heightened, and I felt optimistic that things were going to continue to go my way.
I dried off and grabbed a set of dry clothes. I checked on Dahlia. Cress and Shah had kept a watch over her and agreed to help run potions to her from Chloe. It was late afternoon, and she was still asleep.
Cress greeted me as I reached the door. “She’s not looking good.”
“Thank you for monitoring her. I think it may be time we find her a stronger healer.” I opened the door slowly and peered inside.
Dahlia had lost almost all color from her skin and was nearly bone white. I bent down and kissed her forehead. Her skin was cold to my touch. She stirred and moaned quietly. I pulled the covers up over her and exited the room quietly.
I hurried over to the tavern and found Chloe washing a few mugs in preparation of the evening’s visitors. “Hey Chloe. Have you seen Gwen?”
“Hey Darlin’, last I saw her, she and Wofferd were leaving to pick up a few extra barrels of wine. Supposedly, Dunway received a new shipment only yesterday. I have some contacts left there who said they’d hold some back for me.”
My heart sank. I knew she’d be fine, but I hated not being able to protect her should she need it. Although, I knew no matter what I’d say she’d keep doing things the way she always did, poacher threat or not. “Chloe, I’m worried about Dahlia. Ever since you gave her some of your... well, ever since you helped to revive her, I thought she was on her way to making a full recovery. Now, I’m not so sure. Would you be willing to come with me and look?”
“Of course, anything for you.” She smiled and pushed her humongous breasts in my face. “I’m sure she’ll be fine, but if there is anything I can do to ensure that she is, and make you happy, I’ll do it.” She ran a hand along the front of my pants, stirring my length from its slumber.
I reached down and held her hand over my girth for a few seconds before releasing. “Thank you, Chloe. I will make it worth your while.”
She giggled and bit her lip. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
We exited the tavern together and hurried up to my room in the manor. Dahlia laid motionless in the bed, beads of perspiration forming on her forehead.
The colorful petals that once flowed gracefully from her hips had lost all of their color. Chloe pulled off her shirt revealing her glorious breasts and tried to feed Dahlia once again, but this time it didn’t work.
Dahlia’s head lolled to the side and her breaths came out more labored. “Dahlia, I’ve got Chloe here. Try to drink, it will make you feel better, I promise.”
The only response I received was a small moan and her breathing became weaker. She opened her eyes slowly and met mine.
I gave her a small smile and brushed her cheek with the side of my hand. She returned a weak smile and lifted her arm up toward my face with extreme difficulty.
She held her slender hand against the side of my head and brushed a piece of my now longer than usual hair behind my ear. She pulled me down closer to her face and as I reached her lips, she kissed me weakly for several seconds before dropping her hand back down to her side.
Something drew her attention to the window, and she shifted slowly to face it. The afternoon sun’s rays peeked through the curtains while the sounds of the goblins and lizard folk building were the only thing I could hear.
I watched with intrigue as Dahlia sat slowly and gripped both sides of my face. Chloe stepped back and looked at me with wide-eyes.
Dahlia struggled to speak and finally pulled me close. Barely a whisper escaped. I leaned closer, bringing her into an embrace with her mouth near my ear. I listened intently as she took a slow, deep breath and spoke. “Logan...you’re...in danger...”
“Danger? What do you mean?” I held her close and waited for her response.
“They’re here.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Dahlia fell back to the bed, motionless. I grabbed her arms and shook her gently. “Dahlia, who’s here? What do you mean?”
She didn’t respond, instead a scream from outside told me everything that I needed to know. I rushed out of the room with Chloe close behind.
I called out to the two lizard women as I hurried toward the stairs. “Cress, Shah, don’t let anyone in here you don’t know.”
I ran to the cellar and grabbed two knives and my 30-30. I hurried back upstairs and burst through the front door and scanned the area. Fap’zak met me at the entrance with a hammer firmly in his grasp. “Logan, sir. They found us.”
“Who found us?”
“Striker and his men, Logan, sir. What should we do?”
“Striker? How the hell did he find us?” I gripped my gun tighter and hurried up the stairs on our side of the wall toward the top.
As I peeked my head over, a gunshot rang out and a bullet whizzed past my head. I yelled down to Fap’zak. “Grab anything you can use as a weapon. Gather the other goblins and any others who can fight. Guard the palisade, don’t let anyone in!”
My brief look over the wall had told me everything I needed to know. Striker and his men had our new wagon and horses, although there was no sign of Gwen. I hurried back toward the manor and met up with Master Teng. “Gather the others, keep them safe. Send everyone who can fight, up to the front walls.”
The centaur nodded and galloped away, alerting the others. I started back toward the front wall and froze as I heard the voice of a man come from outside the palisade. “Game’s over. Give up all the monsters you’re harboring or we’ll come in and take them by force.”
I walked back up to the wall and stopped halfway up the stairs. “How do I know you won’t shoot me the second my head crests this wall?”
The man yelled out. “Stand down.”
I heard several men shift, and a quick glance over the wall confirmed that they had all lowered their weapons. I stayed cautious as I faced the men below. “Why would I give up anyone here? You don’t have a claim on any life you may find here.”
A large man with broad shoulders and long black shoulder-length hair stepped forward and laughed. He wore a gray, shabby oversized jacket with large buttons stretching down the front. “I beg to differ, Mr. West. I have direct orders from the King that any non-human life belongs to him, and as the King’s appointed hunter, that extends to me. So, I’ve got a claim on anyone I damn well please by royal decree.”
“Fuck your royal decree, and fuck you. You’re not entitled to shit. Why don’t you get the fuck off my property before I shoot you myself?!”
The large man laughed and held his arms out to his sides. “You hear that, boys. This brave soul believes he can kill Striker. What say you?”
The other men laughed and cheered the man on. I kept my eyes focused on him. “Striker? Hmm, I thought the King had found someone else that could actuall
y get the job by now.” I glanced down at the goblins and lizard folk as they rushed toward the palisade with bows and quivers jammed full of arrows. “Now, again, get the fuck off my property before I’m forced to kill you and all of your little friends.”
Striker laughed and walked over toward the wagon. “Yeah, you’re right. I fucked up. Didn’t I, boys?” They all looked at him curiously as he climbed atop the wagon and reached down. “Fucked up real bad, didn’t I? I should’ve never let this hot piece of ass escape when we got her sisters.” He pulled and brought Gwen upright in the wagon, her hands and feet bound and a cloth shoved in her mouth to gag her. Striker pulled the cloth out of her mouth and dragged his tongue across her tightly clenched mouth.
Gwen pulled her head back and brought it screaming forward, landing a direct hit on his forehead and drawing blood from a deep wound. “You sick son of a bitch. Get the fuck off of me! Logan, don’t listen to him! Don’t let him in!”
“Stupid bitch, you just don’t know when to shut up.” Striker reached back and slapped her solidly across the face. She let out a small yelp and her eyes teared up. She spoke and Striker shoved the cloth back into her mouth before slamming her onto the floor of the wagon.
“You’re a fucking dead man.” I called out and aimed my gun at his head. I didn’t care if I had to fight one hundred men, this piece of shit was about to die.
The man laughed as he wiped the trail of blood from his forehead. “You can thank your buddy, Wofferd. Led us right to you.” He reached back down to the wagon and sat the large man upright. He had a black eye and a trail of dried blood under his nostrils. It was obvious Wofferd had been seriously beaten.
Striker pushed Wofferd back down into the wagon and held his hands out to his sides. “So, what will it be, Logan West? You better hope you have good aim. If you shoot me though, you better be quick, because I’ve instructed my men to kill these two immediately. I can call them casualties of the hunt.” He paused and ran his hand down along Gwen’s back as she laid face down in the wagon and grabbed her ass. “On second thought, I may save her for myself. Satyrs always make the best fuck dolls.”
