Gula POV
When full sunlight hit me again, it brought me out of my musing to take in the top of the bowl's edge we now stood on. With nothing left to do, our guide moved us down the path directly ahead. After a few seconds of treading stone steps, the captain who accompanied me onto the black disk moved to my right.
"If it's not an inconvenience to answer," The captain whose name I had already forgotten, asked. "Why did you focus on that statue? Even the Thousand Screams Toad didn't get any attention from you when you looked it over."
A huff from the black and purple splotched frojan ahead of us drew everyone's gaze.
"Why wouldn't an orc be interested in Garren? Especially the moment when he released the yurids to live north of the fairy lands? Are humans so incapable of understanding such simple feelings?"
Now, how does one strangle a frog?
As the entourage of human sailors came to a stop, I took in our guides' form. Their mouth was a bit wide, so perhaps the hooking of my left arm below the jaw would do. It would be hard getting around the slippery backside, but I think sheer perseverance would see me through.
"Yurids…. Above the fairy lands?" The captain said, sounding breathless. "You mean the beastmen?"
Those amber eyes took in the men's shock for only a moment before the frojan's tongue lapped their lips.
"Was that not known?" Our guide asked innocently enough.
"No," I said between gritted teeth.
"Well, this day is an eventful one for us all." They pronounced with a turn back along the path like they hadn't just dropped a world-changing revelation on everyone. Even Baloo was a little taken aback, his own amber eyes looking at me for confirmation.
"A long story for the trip home." I offered before following our guide.
All the beauty of this beach city's palms and pools no longer penetrated past the churn in my gut. Feet moved along sandy stone stairs, and sun beat down on a face no longer caring about its burn. Even as we came back to the beach near the fork where the human's boat lay, I only just pulled myself into the present when the captain came up to me with his men.
"Since we're in safe waters, I figure we should finish the exchange." The man offered. His bitten lip said there was more he wanted to say. After a second of internal wrangling, the question finally came out.
"Did Garren's statue have a note?" He asked with harried brown eyes and sweat glistening below his red bandanna.
"It had a stone etching of one." I offered back with a stiff chin.
When it became clear that was all I was going to offer, the captain coughed.
"I have a feeling my backers will want a meeting for these events. Would you be able to stay at Crab's Pinch for a few more days?"
Meeting the backers sounded dangerous. And time-saving. I used a spirit connection to convey the offer to the Thousand Screams Toad.
'I will oversee the exchange and guarantee the safety of all involved.' The mountain boomed in my head. 'Know Gula is an honored guest in these waters and even the attempt at harm to her person will incur swift insanity for now and after this meeting.'
The captain's wince said he got the same message.
"It sounds like as good a place as any." I agreed with a forced smile.
He nodded before turning back to his boat.
"Farewell." Our frojan guide called from their spot by the stairs. "The great protector extends his guest rights for another week. Gula and her ship will be allowed their unlimited time, as agreed. So do try and finish your offloading quickly, humans."
I turned to see their amber eyes fixed on me, totally ignoring the human group despite the last sentence. I nodded and turned back towards the beach with Baloo moving on my left. It was only sheer practice that kept my mind clear as we came up to the waters edge. As Baloo's shadow obscured the midday sun, I took a deep breath and reattached myself to his underside.
The usual drop in my stomach came and went as we flew skyward. When the sea rushed up, I closed my eyes. Water covered skin, mixing with the electric sensation of the Screaming Toads' spirit connection. I let the sea pushing on me take away the worries, the pain, and the future. For a time, I fancied myself a fish and moved through salty water until I wasn't.
The instant I felt air on my head, I stuck out my right hand and groped for the ladder while the other cleared my eyes. The world went from black to wood with waves below it, with the needed ladder just an inch to the left of the cloying hand. Hoisting myself onto it was easy for me, and a tricky bit for Baloo, who came up behind.
Some shimmying saw me move over the railing and onto the wooden floors I had called home for so long. The men looked at me with relief and fear, even as some moved forward to inspect my person.
"Resume the offloading, then take us back to Crab's Pinch," I yelled over the waves as Baloo hoisted himself on deck to my right.
A stampede preceded the frojan's magic pulling the water off me. The instant I was dry, I moved left, picked up my waiting sword, and went further ahead to the captain's door near the back. A chorus of moving feet mixed with yells as the men started resuming what should have been finished yesterday.
As I came up to the walkway leading to my quarters, the idea that I, as a smuggler, wouldn't want the crew talking presented itself. An act I wouldn't bother with if not for the presence of the spirit connection covering everything. I made an immediate turn over the right railing and looked over the now working crew.
"Say nothing while in the beast's territory. Its spirit connection may be fine enough to deduce speech." I yelled again, stopping the men in their tracks. "Make sure those below deck know this as well."
With that, we all resumed our labors. The instant the double doors were within reach, I threw them open and closed them as harshly. I dared not move for a second, even the notion of having the wrong thought seemed to invite some vision of the Thousand Screams Toad discovering Eli's true nature. It wouldn't, of course, but nerves could only hold out for so long.
I placed the sword on the bed of red blankets on the left and moved to the desk near the back windows. There I sat for what felt like an hour or two, going over every second of what had just occurred this morning. When Geoff poked in through the doors, I almost jumped in place.
"They've taken everything we had to give, Ma'am. All the copper and silver has been counted as well." He said with a nervous smile.
"Take us back to Crab's Pinch, as quickly as possible," I answered.
The grim look on those leathery wrinkles matched my own feelings.
For the rest of the day, I sat in the chair, staring at wood. Trying to process what I was feeling. Yes, I had seen the very face of the bastard himself. And….Again, the gaping maw in my chest didn't give any clues as to how to feel about that.
Discovering the beastmen were a sibling species, now that wasn't so unclear. The diseases they were famed for would have to be countered when I visited, maybe with an extra healing patch. Going to see them was a decision apparently already made, and I couldn't find any will to disagree.
Hours went by as the sun died, forcing us to make another stop at one of an untold number of nameless islands dotting the coast. Morning came as it always did, and we were soon off with a wind in the sails and fish fillets in our bellies. Eventually, we arrived at the spot Geoff said was Crab's Pinch. A brief look along the shore only revealed sandy beach filled with palm trees and tall grass. How or why it got its name was probably due to a map I had no interest in seeing. It was scenic with waves held a serenity the north didn't.
Two days of idle fishing, swimming, and foraging for fruits followed. Unlike the swamps, the plants here had fight in them, but it was still a good time all around. Especially for the little girls. The orphaned orcs were happy just to have full bellies and beds. A treat like this was unimaginable in their lives just months ago. The grown men didn't seem any less enthused about the stay, from what I could tell. The lax restrictions on alcohol and lack of real work, with pay, seemed to agree with them. If this whole operation wasn't a sham funded by infinite magic wonders, I might be a little irritated at such excess.
On the third morning, after a sizzling plate of freshly caught fish with onions was devoured, I sat in the chair. That statue, the man it depicted, the note, and…. Everything. It all swam through my head without a moment's pause as I stared at the ceiling. Then the ever-present spirit connection wobbled, appearing and disappearing in waves along my skin. I sat upright, breath trapped mid-inhale.
'They're here.' The mountain boomed.
'They?' I asked the unseen speaker with a raised eyebrow.
'Two. Fairy. Male. Human. Female. As far as I can tell.'
'Will we be meeting physically?'
'No. I will be conveying their words across ocean waves. The words of which are a proposition for future trade.'
'What are they?' I asked, leaning on my desk in anticipation.
'Greetings, Captain Gula. This venture has taken a dangerous and potentially extremely profitable turn.' A woman's voice sounded off in my head
I jerked back. It wasn't perfectly feminine, a bit rough at certain places, but in a way that only added to its authenticity.
'For all our kinds,' Another voice cut in.
This time it was more high-pitched, closer to a song than one belonging to a woman. That it was actually the toad saying it sent a quiver of unease up my spine. I had no way of knowing their actual voices, yet the inflections and tone seemed too genuine for an act.
'Can I assume the latter is the fairy?' I asked in the spirit connection.
'Yes,' The almost singing voice responded.
'This meeting was set up on your man's request.' I continued. 'But before we start anything else, there is the obvious thing that we need to discuss. Has everyone found out about the beastmen's true nature?'
'No,' The woman's voice answered firmly. 'And he is my man. People who deal with orcs are already tight about information, and the captain has made good assurances on such revelation remaining firmly locked away.'
'I suppose it's out of my control either way. So, where does that leave us?'
'With a potentially lucrative proposition. I was informed that you are now free to roam the Thousand Screams Toad's territory.'
….
'Are you?' She asked again, sounding uncertain this time.
Apparently, our intermediary wouldn't move beyond their current role.
'Every beach and wave, if I understand correctly.' I offered, taking any silence from the toad as consent.
'And if….'
'The back-end included?' The fairy cut in.
I blinked at the desk, taking a second to acknowledge how rude that was before rewarding them for it.
'What's that?'
'It is near the eastern section of our domain. Several large rivers drain out into our current host's territory. There hasn't been a history of warm welcomes in the region.'
'Unless he has an objection to that specific section, I'm going to say I can.'
Another open invitation to participate was ignored. I didn't let that stop me from fielding questions of my own.
'But there is a wrinkle. My continued guest rights are founded on an arrangement being forged. We may not have a guaranteed passage on these waters depending on how that turns out.'
'Oh?' The woman asked. 'And what would a King Beast ask for?'
I bit my lower lip while an idle right index finger circled a knot in the desk's wood. Anything to do with Eli was something best avoided as much as possible.
'This is a part of the conversation where it's best if we keep some distance from each other. It goes without saying valuables like-'
The phrase 'magical resources' was only just beaten out by the realization that it possibly implied me being associated with a mage. I scraped the two words off my tongue and revised the sentence.
'Ores, food, and such are in demand. In quantities I'm not yet sure I can gather.'
'Well, then, it appears we will be forging this new opportunity together. The short of it is this; Food is scarce. The beastmen have a lot of it, but their diseases make the food unsafe. My fairy friends have a heating and sealing method to deal with that, not to mention their general immunity to most of the nasty coughs the beastmen give.
The big problem is getting the food from the fairy domain to human tables. The only route currently available is a favored hunting ground for your kind living out west with a huge body of rivers that make securing the region very difficult. That's before considering the Mist pirates once you get out onto the proper ocean. Traversing the King Beasts' territory completely circumvents those issues. When you consider the savings in travel times alone for our ships-'
A long, deafening intake of air from the spirit connection filled my ears.
'That's strange, I don't remember extending such rights to your command.' The toad boomed in my head, finally involving himself in the conversation proper.
Silence reigned for several seconds. Feeling an impasse had been reached, I decided to help the unseen woman.
'Do I have to personally charter the ships? I only have this one and if we want to move any serious amount of product, we're going to need a fleet.'
'Already fancying an armada beneath your thumb? My, your ambition grows faster than any weed.' He responded, some inkling of amusement coming through the booming voice.
My eyebrows furrowed for only a second before I pacified my face.
'Are you sending this conversation to them?'
'No.'
'It's not what I want. It's what we can do to convince the mage to sweat and toil for this project. You told me that magical resources are scarce in this region. That's the best arrow for convincing them already made brittle. A trade route that would provide unlimited coin for all time at essentially no cost is the bait we need.'
'For all time, or until they're hanged for helping two different children of Garren. Your mage may have a stomach for working with green women, but hiding the nature of the beastmen may prove too strong for her stomach.'
Her?
The distraction was discarded as quickly as it materialized. This time, it was my tongue being squeezed between molars. There was truth too strong in his assertion to deny.
'A good point,' I pushed back, 'But perhaps I should ask my fellow conspirators about it.'
When he didn't respond, I took it as me now talking to the unseen pair even as my eyes only saw wooden desk.
'I feel we're sprinting past the entire 'beastmen are the spawn of Garren' part. Does that have any complications on your end?'
'As we've said,' The woman offered. 'We have such information well smothered.'
'I mean….Is there any…. What I'm asking is, would there be any kind of extra punishment for keeping this information hidden?'
'The beastmen themselves shouldn't be a big issue. Working with orcs is enough reason to fit us with a noose, I doubt any judge would need more than that.'
Something about her casual tone with the beastmen and sharpness with orcs pricked me. But more than that, she seemed confident in her knowledge of the subject. I had mostly gotten by on rumors and stories of my people's history as none of the humans' libraries would have ever welcomed me.
'What do you know about all of Garren's history?' I asked with hopefully none of the bitterness born from asking another species for the history of my own.
'All that is known in the greatest library in existence, as little as it is. The books say Garren's released various species over the millennia, which started shortly after we, the elves, and the dwarves fled the Lost Lands from the demons.'
A slight grumble came from the fairy. After a pregnant moment of silence, the woman continued.
'Almost all of them died immediately, a few lingered on for a generation or two before snuffing out, then you lot came. Until that time, this revealing of new wonders at random locations was treated more as a curiosity than anything else.
When he released a species that could effortlessly grow in magical power from our own blood, things got less playful. After we realized purging you lot wasn't going to happen, at least not to any satisfactory extent, great effort was made to find him. Of course, it's hard to maintain anything for thousands of years, so…. Most people seem to be hoping he takes a wrong step on the stairs one day and ends this madness for us.'
The words were acid as they worked through my ears. Considering where I was, I could only shove it all down and ignore it.
'I have to admit that seems rather….light on details.'
'Very much so. But his appearances also mean there aren't any laws to jail us with.'
A small snort came through the spirit connection.
'All these centuries of my clan working outside the law, and I'll be the first to make an entirely new crime. That's an achievement I don't think my mother ever wanted for me, but it's mine all the same.'
A moment passed with nothing for me to say.
'Right.' She said, seemingly realizing her idling had come through the connection. 'No, there isn't any crime worse than helping your kind, as far as law and society go. The most dangerous part of the beastmen being revealed is the attention on this region that would follow. Academics, the Front, and hordes of associations would come sniffing.'
'And if they should come, what kind of operation would they find?'
'A fairy one,' The previously silent partner said, butting in after sitting back for so long. 'We have many a ship more than able to make the run. Hopefully, moving several tons of freight a week each.'
The idea was a good one. Faeries, being a people separate from humans and their green daughters, probably couldn't be stopped and inspected so easily by human officials. Which would also hide any traces of my fingers on the goods.
'Again,' The mountain boomed in my head. 'A we is discussed where only a she was promised.'
It was an informative detour, but it seems we were now back to the original problem.
'This 'we' is the best way to keep any prying eyes off this exchange. And, of course, the only people capable of making this happen.' The singing voice cut in, clearly irritated.
Silence reigned for a long moment.
'AHH!'
It was the faerie's voice. However painful, it lasted only a second, followed by harried breathing the mountain of a toad deemed worthy of transmitting. Perhaps if the fairy had been present for a physical viewing of their intermediary, he would have never sulked in such a manner to begin with.
An awkward silence filled my head for another second before the fairy coughed.
'My apologies, Thousand Screams Toad.' He groaned, any resentment or bite thoroughly washed away.
'Tell me, fairy, how well do you know the waters you speak of?'
'It's poison. The northern bit of that mushroom forest spewing death covers the rivers between us. But we have a solution for their clouds-'
The sudden silence made it clear that something had interrupted them.
'They're arguing.' My host mused, sounding somewhat intrigued. 'Too quickly for me to bother. The woman….This is personal for her.'
Nearly a full five minutes went by before the fairy's pitched tunes came through the spirit connection.
'We have the means of safely moving through the spore clouds using magic enchantments.'
A rumbling mountain went through my skull with the toad's hum of interest.
'Proven ones?'
'Both in reports and my own lungs.' The fairy responded, a tone of respect front and center.
'And how is the orc going to move these to her ship?'
Feeling like I had been out of the conversation long enough, I coughed audibly, making the first sound from a throat my ears had heard in what felt like ages.
'My ship is already identified as bearing orcs. More than that, the quantity of cargo we're talking about here involves too many people for this ship alone.'
'Even if we could get around its known green associations,' The woman put in, sounding like her vocal chords had been well used even as she spoke through her mind. 'I still need a viable explanation for this new supply of food. A newly discovered route of direct trade between us and the faeries would be the best source.'
Which layer of deception was I in? There were three Gulas in the world, with me currently playing a smuggler. Not the one married to the mage and trying to start a new life together, the one out for money. Right. Feeling myself get back on track, I quickly threw together the rebuttal.
'And how does this benefit me?' I demanded with hopefully just the right mix of curiosity and irritation.
'A portion of the goods moved on our ships, compensated in equivalent coin. We can even arrange an hour's diversion on the trips for any purchases you might want to make. I'm sure that frozen blight will have some interest in one of the south's produce or some such,' The woman put in with a tone that was trying to be friendly.
I nodded to the empty air.
'There will need to be an exact accounting of cargo moved. Would you allow inspection at the loading port in the fairy lands?'
'I'm afraid that would draw too much attention.' A singing voice responded. 'It's going to be hard enough just getting trustworthy crews who know what not to see or think. An entire dock showing such discretion? That's not happening.'
'Even more so for mine,' The woman put in.
Idly strumming my fingers on the wooden desk, an idea finally came to me.
'We could have some frojan on the ships. Spending a few days taking count before getting off when the humans show up. That way, if they are spotted, people will make less harmful assumptions.'
'The Thousand Screams Toad and his people would be more than welcome to take a bunk. I just hope you've established enough trust between each other.' The unseen woman put in sweetly.
'No, they would be my crew.'
'He's loaning you some of his people?' The fairy asked in his flute-like voice, curiosity still plain to hear.
'No. They are my people and have my full trust in taking the count.'
'Captain Reiner seemed to think this was your first visit to the city of frogmen.' The fairy mused 'How long have the locals been with you, if you don't mind answering?'
Apparently, the mountainous toad had intervened enough in the conversation and was content to let me flounder in this explanation. Slowly releasing an impatient breath, I organized my thoughts for several seconds.
'That was my first time. These frojan have been with me for many years and don't follow our host.'
I allowed a second of silence to pass for any further questions. When none came, I continued.
'The exact amounts will have to be brought up later once we've come to an agreement. If there aren't any objections, that seems like a good place to end things.'
'I do have one question.' The woman put in. 'You've talked about exposure on our end, but what about yours? Is there anything that might cause problems from this….arrangement?'
A smile forced itself on me despite the lack of viewers.
'Nothing that would draw attention if it goes through. And I've been reliably informed that working with us is a crime so horrific even other spawn of Garren don't merit such disdain.'
'Good. Unless my lovely companion has any objections, I will end it here. Do you have anything to add?' The woman offered with some anger coming through at the end.
'No.' The singing voice stated firmly.
I gave empty air one final nod before leaning back, letting the rising sun behind me register for the first time. A minute passed with nothing said between anyone, so I took the conversation to be over.
Getting out of the chair took some work as my legs weren't ready to be used so suddenly. When I got to the double doors, I took a deep breath as I readied myself to crush everyone's joy. Throwing them open, a greying sky greeted me over the deck, while I saw a few human and green figures on the right, swimming in the ocean. More were content to lounge around the ship, clutching bottles of worrying size.
"The good times are over!" I yelled from the doorway. Despite not being at the railing ahead, a good dozen heads still turned my way. "Get us underway immediately."
Seeing a few of the men running around, I was content to allow the second-in-command, Geoff, to see to any smaller details. Retreating to my room, I idled in my chair as the recent conversation joined the other thoughts keeping me distracted. After ten minutes, I felt the ship tug forward to a chorus of shouting. Voices that didn't seem too slurred.
The next day, when the sun was at its peak and lunch was on the verge of being served, I was seeing to the usual routine of staring at the ceiling when the buzz on my skin finally pulled back in one swift motion. It took a second to comprehend register that the sensation I was growing horrifically accustomed to was gone, but that was all it took before adrenaline shot through my veins. Shooting out of the chair with a rustle of brown pants and a white shirt, I ran across the room and through the double doors.
Looking out over the deck, the men were likewise looking relieved.
"Get Baloo," I announced to those ambling about. A small orc on the left sped past the bigger men towards the entrance to the lower deck opposite my cabin entrance.
Moving back to sit at the desk, it was a few minutes before my friend of both real and fake lives waddled in. The big frog man stood in a blue robe, his lighter green belly exposed, though his amber eyes held excitement.
"So what secrets did the statue impart?" His booming voice asked. After the mountain tried to split my skull, it felt like a gentle spring caress on mental ears.
"None, besides those that stupid black frojan spit out."
"She's quite fortunate that being cute can make up for so many failings." He agreed with a nod of his huge head.
My head lifted upward as eyes shut.
"Is something wrong?" black void asked, sounding genuinely worried.
"No," I answered, the tickle of a laugh coming up my throat. Considering the recent mood, I could only appreciate the emotional detour. Something that continued for a second before I turned back down and looked at Baloo.
"But we still have the issue of how exactly he figured out we have healing crafts."
Those amber disks widened.
"When did that come up?"
Oh, yeah. The entire conversation happened inside my skull.
I retold the back and forth he had witnessed and after only a few minutes, he nodded at the conclusion.
"Well, it's no mystery of how he knew about the healing crafts. The lads keep them on, every day and night. Even suck in some outside mana to keep them going."
My bottom lip was bit with enough force to keep the harsh words down. Despite our difference in species, he could tell what my mood was.
"Hey, they do it all the time. Even when we passed through the first time, nothing came of it then. And Eli did promise that would be one of the benefits." The big frogman finished with a shrug.
The anger was still present, but the lack of a good foundation left it blunted. That didn't keep it from seeping into my voice.
"I don't remember Eli allowing their use up to the point where they endanger the mission."
Baloo licked his lips in a way I knew suggested irritation in his kind.
"If they were so dangerous to constantly use, then we should have specified not to use them consistently like Eli promised we could."
Yeah, he was definitely leaving his healing enchantment on.
"At least try to keep the mana usage to a low level. We can't afford to have some mage wondering why all the….They're blue, right?" I asked with a strum of fingers on the desk.
"The mana specks? Yes, they are."
"We can't have some passing mage wondering why all the blue mana specks are getting constantly sucked into our ship, especially if we pull into port," I said, leaning back into my chair.
"That is….More reasonable." Baloo agreed. We knew each other well enough to feel the conversation was over, leaving him to retreat with a slight bow. When the double doors shut behind him, I let loose a long breath.
Well, now it was just a matter of deciding whether to ask Eli. After I had just reprimanded the priests for loading up his back. The worst part is, he wouldn't say no. At least, I don't think he would.
Did it have to be Eli? Salamede was a healing mage after all and we had boards and rope at hand.
….
No. We were connected through marriage, but....She also wouldn't refuse this because it was so important to me. Yes, but…. But…..
I couldn't throw my womanhood at her.
It was a crude calculation, yet no less truthful for it. I had no delusions of being an equal member to the other two mages in this relationship. The one thing I had to offer was interest in my body, and Eli was the only partner with such an interest. If I wanted to get this done, I was just going to have to offer as much of what lay between my legs as would satisfy him. Mouth too. As much of both as I could handle giving him for as many weeks or months-
A tingle ran up my spine.
I looked down at the white shirt, noticing my breasts swaying with a heavy breath.
Excuse me?!
Rebellious flesh offered no excuses.
Thinking back over all these months, it was becoming too clear that there was a deeper split going on inside me than the one involving some casual sayings about god. All my life, there was what I wanted and the wants of my body, the latter of which almost entirely involved food. Both in such perfect unison, any difference between them was simply inconceivable.
Ever since I met Eli, there was what I wanted and what my body wanted on two separate tracks that now diverged at certain spots. Why now? This was just something to get what was needed and to show him some appreciation. Yeah, as uncomfortable as it was to put myself on display for him like one of those women at the human brothels, a snack for him to sample at his greatest pleasure-
The hair on the back of my neck stood up in excitement.
Stop it!
I stared directly ahead, trying to find a vessel to pour this storm of confusion into. Fortunately, I remembered how angry mother was going to be when I finally contacted her. A feeling of dread welled up from my gut. Well, at least this was a straightforward emotion.
Retrieving the radio from below the floorboards near my chair, I brought the wooden block, copper rod on top, and metal mesh on the bottom to my lips. With a controlled sigh, I pushed the button on the side.
"Hey, mom. We-"
"Why did you FUCKING leave with no explanation? Not a single check-in for days. Do you know how close I was to fucking-…. to-"
The words dissolved into a stream of profanities too varied and colorful to make sense of. Her nearly shrill voice gradually eased into mere irritation at the end when odd growls were all that came through the radio.
"I saw a statue of Garren."
Even her breathing stopped for a second before a snort came through the metal mesh.
"You certainly know how to start a story. If…. Fine. Just tell me." She spat out, trying not to sound too interested.
And I did. I could recall all of it, down to the smells of the city and leaves of every palm tree therein. The words on the Bastard's note were recited without any hesitation. Even on my deathbed, I doubt I could allow them to ever fade. The only omitted bits were the internal wrangling. When it ended at the Baloo conversation and me remembering to call her, a snort filled my right ear.
"At least you remembered poor old mother at some point."
"I remembered you from the first. I would love to hear exactly how you would have contacted the airship without letting that big frog know when he's got every inch of you in a spirit connection."
"Pff!" Mother snorted. "Just let me be bitter in peace."
I allowed myself a small smile at the victory.
"Gula…. You seem pretty sure that this deal is going through."
"Of course it will," I said, eyebrows furrowing at the ridiculous suggestion.
"But is this what's best for the big plan? Getting involved in all these groups is a dangerous proposition."
I leaned forward onto the desk.
"They're our people. I have to at least see them once."
"Our people? Beastmen aren't orcs or working for Eli."
"Our as in orcs. And of course they are. We're their older sisters. I've been helping us, we green women, but…. They are our people. Our younger siblings." I said, trying to figure out why she wasn't getting it.
Silence came through the miracle box for a few seconds until it crackled to life again.
"That is not wrong. That doesn't mean most will think it's right. Maybe in a few years, when we're all sitting on golden thrones, you can make that decision. But for now…. Dear, I don't think you've reasoned yourself into accepting this trade deal."
Reason? Why should I waste time on a long discussion for the obvious conclusion?
….
I slowed down, forcing clenched teeth to loosen. No, I didn't rationally think this through. A deadly thing on the battlefield. When millions of lives were on the table, cold calculation was the only thing allowed. Simple as that.
My heart felt like it was tearing out of its cage.
Why did I care so much? I've never even met them. Humans certainly wouldn't care. Orcs? They didn't know they were dealing with their fellow Garren spawn, so they wouldn't.
But I knew.
"We'll just have to see what Eli says. Make sure to tell him about all this and how he's badly needed on the ship the day we get back." I offered the lifeless box. "Finished."
"Still the same silly little girl. Finished."
I stared at the box, eyebrows furrowed. Mother summoning my toddler years wasn't a duel I could win, so the only thing to do was place the radio back in its hole.
Lunch came and went, as did dinner. The rest of the trip was spent in a mental rut. Mother was correct about not reasoning myself into accepting the trade deal. That did surprisingly little to keep me from continuing to hold that position. Seeing another people from our collective father, a fact confirmed by my own eyes, maybe even lay the foundation for us coming together as one people in the future, was just too intoxicating a proposition.
All the waking hours were spent trying to justify the action I was going to take, much like building a house, roof first. I could only hope my arguments would not be as unsteady when I presented them to Eli. Too soon, southern heat left and the north's cold kiss was served alongside a morning stew.
Crasden was given a wide berth on our return. The eviction was coming down, but it had yet to arrive. Something I was particularly grateful for, considering what very well could be this ship's last voyage here and all I wanted to do on it.
When we dropped anchor, I sat back in the desk chair and looked out the back window panes. Grey sky over soft waves greeted me, along with a rocky shore to the left. Any anxiety over previous events instead latched onto what came next.
Mostly focused on how I was going to give 'it' to Eli. At least, in a way that was different from the usual manner. This was a big ask I was foisting on his neck, and compensation needed something extra.
A void sat where any suggestions would be.
Perhaps that oil Salamede used? The one smelling of spice. A quick mental perusal of our remaining cargo said the ingredients weren't present.
What about personal boundaries?
Surely, there had to be some limits as to what Eli could….Take. Time in taverns had given my ears talk of several practices men enjoyed. Some were too far for my tastes. Maybe I should just explain how I don't want anything to do with the butt and let him do what he wants with the rest.
No. This was also a matter of dignity. I couldn't just let him run wild, using me like a tool of pleasure without any other consideration.
My breath caught as a tingle ran up my spine.
Lips puckered as I looked to the ceiling, thin patience finally snapping.
Fine! You can just whore both of us out to him!
Looking back out over the sea, I leaned back into the chair with a sigh of resignation. Perhaps this was for the best. If I wasn't using my brain to think, maybe Eli wouldn't be using his when I asked such a ridiculous thing of him.
In hopeful preparation for such an outcome, I instructed Geoff to make sure no one came by this night as the quad mage would be visiting. Sharn was likewise visiting some friends in the Underground, given that this might be our last time staying here, given recent events and the coming order for our expulsion. The only thing left to do was strip and let any remaining orange in the sky flee before the stars. Lying on the bed with my bare bits pointed towards the windows was rather bracing in the northern air. If it had been proper winter, Eli would be coming in with his gift wrapped in a red blanket.
Then, for the first time, I pondered the possibility that Eli might be genuinely angry at me for this request. Yet more work after he's done so much for me already. My stomach clenched at the thought. I was demanding too much from him already. Of course someone would be angry when another burden is placed on them. And what was his reward? Some scarred-up woman whose offering was subpar to most others.
Sweat threatened to bead at my forehead as I turned to the spot on the floor where the radio was hidden. All the logic in the world hadn't moved me off this deal with the King Beast, yet the mere thought of upsetting the only man who had ever shown me love seemed poised to finally dislodge the position.
I couldn't say exactly how long I lay there pondering over whether I should radio mother to cancel the meeting, naked as the day of my birth and sweating as the two sides battled. It must have been a while, though, because a sudden knock on a lower-left window pane announced Eli's arrival.
A tired sigh was my first reaction. Forgetting to open the window for him was an ill omen for the meeting, one I rushed across the room to correct. It took three steps for me to realize that I hadn't lit a candle either. So, this room being slightly illuminated by faint stars was probably pitch black to a human's eyes.
Judging by the first several seconds of performance, I'll probably end up having to compensate Eli for this rendezvous, forget the giant healing craft. Despite an already poor assessment, I opened the window for him before turning around to retrieve the candle and its stand from the desk. As nervous as I was, I still had the mental presence to get the two pieces together on the right side of the wooden top. A hearty smack of Eli landing on the floor behind me was barely acknowledged as I rummaged for the needed flint box. Another quick success, taking only a second.
Getting the candle lit was a two-strike affair, with the reward being a small speck of orange blossoming into a proper flame. I took a deep breath and prepared to turn when two very firm hands seized my hips. My breath caught, faint hope blooming in my chest like a warm buzz.
"Now, why would a good, upstanding woman like you be so undressed?" Eli whispered into my right ear, each word dripping in excitement.
Relief flooded my veins like a physical sensation, exemplified by a released breath. I turned around, his hands flying to my backside. His usual face covering was off to the left, revealing the handsome face, green eyes, and strong chin beneath. Bits of grey hair played around his eyebrows but it was those green eyes, my green, that captivated me. Not a speck of anger to be scrounged up, only a deep well of love.
I felt that his black pants, white shirt, and leather coat should be getting removed at this point, but his strong arms pulled me closer.
"Were you hurt during…. All of that?"
The concern in those jade pools sent a warm bloom through me, going up to my ears and down to my lower chest.
"It was amazing, Eli! Another people born of the Bastard. First, a man loves me, now this. I don't think the me of younger years could have conceived of me…. Me! Eli. I found a sibling race." I squeaked out, too happy to care about the presentation.
Some amusement came up into his gaze.
"I'll take that as you being fine." He said with a quick look down.
Right, there was a reason the chill was biting harder than usual.
I coughed to draw his gaze back to me.
"And mother told you of the toad's proposition? Of the healing craft." I asked, feeling anticipation of his next words cut through the warmth.
"I'll have to agree, considering he probably knows everything."
Knees weakened as my stomach clenched. Both in ways totally foreign to the current setting.
"What? No, he doesn't."
Eli's face went still before he turned right towards the bed. I only just kept up with his movements towards the bed. It took only a second before he fit me atop his right leg like an errant child, though his right hand's grip was still firmly on my hip while his left squeezed my thigh. Once we were settled, the quad mage took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes.
"Durka said the toad could discern mood."
"I can attest to that," I said, feeling uneasy.
"Can he discern words using the same technique? From the stretching of the lips and throat and such?"
My tongue lay limp as nothing in recollection provided an answer. Instead, I could only offer a hopeful counter.
"No one on the ship would have said anything about you or the base with the young ones around, too much of a risk. And I instructed the crew not to talk after we met with the toad. Under the guise of protecting smuggler secrets and such."
His head shake made my pulse quicken in a way distinct from what nudity would typically produce.
"Not this trip. The first one you took through his domain. I would imagine among the hundred-plus sailors, someone at some point probably talked about the base, me, and the big plan. Of course, the toad would have to be able to lip-read using a spirit connection for this to be a problem."
"Then why wait until the second trip? Why not take us then and there?"
"I can't say for sure," Eli admitted freely. "Getting involved with us isn't a leap taken lightly. Maybe indecision on the first round, combined with finding out too late, kept him from acting. Or maybe it wasn't the first trip at all. I don't know. The fact that he selected us out of the entire ocean, even with the healing crafts..... It makes me paranoid."
My stomach churned. Both from Eli's words and the realization that I couldn't go back, because even if it wasn't true, it would be too great a risk. He obviously noticed my feelings, because those hands drew me within inches of his chest.
"Hey, he probably doesn't know about the airships or their capabilities. If he tries anything in the hand-off, it will be his last mistake." He consoled.
It took a moment for him still wanting to do the trade to sink in.
"Why….Would we go through with it now?" I asked, confusion obscuring an undercurrent of joy.
"He's got a chance at eternal life," Eli said, raising his grey right eyebrow. "I don't think he's going to give it up that easily. A visit from him would create no end of problems for us."
Why was I thinking of the toad as a stationary object?
"Even if he does know," The quad mage continued. "Getting involved with us would threaten his infinite years. Shutting him up with a big healing trinket is the safest option. But before it gets to paying off blackmail, there's a good way to find out if he has the compromising material. I know spirit magic translates other languages. Would it also translate the mouthings of the language?"
"Language?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at the word. "Typically, that's something mothers say when they want you to watch using profanity around children. You seem to have the word mean something else."
"Language," Eli put in, matching my confused expression as he did so. "You know, the structure of sentences and how to convey meaning through words."
"Structure sentences? Don't we already know the intent?" I said, trying to convey how totally lost I was in the conversation as I did so.
"Are you telling me you've all just been spouting gibberish at each other and letting spirit magic do the rest?"
We stared uncomprehendingly at each other until he coughed.
"There's a…. Non-definitive way to find out," Eli offered with a smile. "Put on a little act. Audibly say you have news of the healing craft. If he responds or acts like he knows from the conversation that follows, we'll have our answer. Cell will be on you as jewelry to help-"
I shook my head strongly enough to send black hair over my vision.
"Bringing Cell along risks exposing him. No."
The tone was sharper than it should have been. Eli didn't seem to be offended by the refusal, instead staring at me as some internal struggle played out across his face before he sighed.
"We'll have Durka, Cell, the other airship here, and I accompany you from above. If the crew suddenly drops to the deck or there looks to be an attack, the toad will have to be sent to the next life. In as painful a manner as possible."
A long breath filled his chest before releasing slowly. The deflating air seemed to take the struggle in his mind with it.
"I guess we both need to remember the important part: He wants to live forever, and you are the only connection he has to that infinite future, even if he's aware of us. We'll go through with the exchange, you'll check out the beastmen, radio us back your findings, and depending on whether he can read your lips, a course of action will be decided."
"You could take that time off without suspicion?"
A huff escaped his lips.
"I've worked enough to take a month's vacation and have no one wonder why."
A stab of guilt hit me. I could only be thankful that the point of feeling this biting cold was now here.
"And would the healing mage consent to the exchange? Perhaps with the addition of some encouragement?" I asked as coyly as my meager skill would allow. Along with the question, I took his right hand with mine and fixed it firmly a few feet above. Chill fingers squeezed my right breast, their cold mixing with excitement across bare skin.
Eli's green eyes lit up hungrily. Then some hesitance welled up in those jade pools.
"I would. But how has this been for you? Are you…. I mean, you've just encountered Garren for the first…. Any orc. You're the first to see him in any form for who knows how long."
"Oh!" I said as my spine straightened from excitement. "The note had some bits in it I didn't really understand. Did mother tell you what it said?"
"She said there was a note from Garren. Did any of it cover how he did it?" He asked, excitement coming clear through.
I let my eyes roll and nose flare before taking a deep breath, feeling his hand leave my breast to grasp my right hip.
"The yurids share a common bi….ology to humans, but caution should be taken when in prolonged contact. Genetic flaws couldn't be scrubbed in time. Instead, I have used a web of tissue to periodically disperse healing magic to make up for the defects. This precludes them from using any magic. May God forgive these slack hands. You piece of shit."
I closed my eye for a second before turning back to Eli.
"The last bit was me."
That did little to douse the enthusiasm in Eli's eyes, which his lips matched by being sucked in. When he released them, Eli followed up with a low whistle.
"It really is genetic manipulation." He cooed, awe entirely unhidden.
"I'm sure if I knew what that meant, I'd be similarly impressed." I offered with a hint of annoyance that wouldn't quite stay down.
"Genes, the proper subject of this discussion, are the building blocks of life. They determine my skin to be white and yours green. Their…. They are what make flesh mend on its own and muscles work together."
"That does sound like an impressive thing to manipulate." I reluctantly agreed, only able to do so because the praise wasn't directly aimed at the manipulator.
"Impressive? Gula…. People have dedicated entire planetary constructs to achieving just that. Thousands of years among the stars and we've never once managed it. Every time we've tried the strand….The thing made up of genes and stores them for use, unravels. Before you kill him, I would like just a few minutes to talk about how exactly he's managed it. Even if it probably has something to do with healing constructs."
That last bit brought a smile to my face.
"Careful, you strong, sexy man. You may not survive my thanking if you ever get me such a gift."
My coy smile did nothing to keep him from snorting and shaking his head.
"Maybe that's what will save him in the end. I'll have to get him a shuttle off planet just to keep my life from ending by bed creaks. But aside from that, is there anything else going on?" He finished with an appreciative squeeze of my butt.
A list of personal issues came to mind. As I ordered them by importance, memory of one of our previous encounters presented itself. I felt lips curl in disdain without deciding to do so. Disgust at my own weakness made me pull back towards the other end of the bed.
"No. I'm not letting my emotional garbage get in the way." I announced with a firm sticking out of my chin. Eli only had his lips pursed in amusement as he took in every movement.
I laid on my back, thrusted my hips skyward, and used my left hand to push any pubes out of the way of my womanhood. The display sent that smirk down his throat with a gulp as he took in what was being offered.
"You're not getting cheated out of your release. Not this time or ever again."
Words failed me for a moment. Then I felt some inkling of what I wanted summon itself forth from my heart's depths.
"Eli, you are going to pour every drop of stress into me. And, God help me, if you skimp out or hold back on some misguided notion of my welfare, I will never forgive you. Now, use and abuse me until you're satisfied."
The quad mage got up from the bed, his green eyes feral and lips moist from licking.
"Abuse doesn't sound fun," Eli said as he took off the coat and tossed it on the desk. "But some might consider the amount I'm going to use you close enough."
Any patience for more words vanished as I felt my heart pound against its bone cage. As the quad mage pulled his white shirt above his head, some notion that I should be helping him undress came. Where? Each avenue brought a horrifying vision of him not wanting me to help him in such a way. It might even bring back memories of-
Bile rose in my throat.
Eli, thank God, was not so conflicted. I came out of horrid thoughts just in time to notice his nude self pushing my legs fully open. Those green eyes were starving, with no thought beyond what lay before him to be found. I felt part of my very being heal from his rough hands caressing me. The last thing that registered was some notion that this was supposed to be his reward before the world dissolved in a sea of warmth, kisses, and bed creaks.