Chapter 99: [v2] Chapter Eighteen – In which the third day arrives, and Ark must make a decision on what to do with Rushk

[v2] Chapter Eighteen – In which the third day arrives, and Ark must make a decision on what to do with Rushk

“Are you hungry?”

“I could eat a whole many-horns by myself right now.”

“Hmm, think Melon has any in stock?”

“A whole many-horns!?”

“Well, at least a juicy leg or two. You had a big day yesterday, moving into your own cave-hole.”

“What was hard about moving into this cave-hole, Dad? There was already a bed and straw in here, I only had to bring my instruments and a few other things! M-maybe more than a few other things…”

I was having fun teasing Figurine a bit. I was a horrible person for using her as a distraction to take my mind off of what happened last night. For the record, I didn’t prompt Rushk to run away. Oh, I understood there was a chance of it happening. When I was the monster, after dragging her back to the fire-pit outside Goblinhome, I could feel her repulsion at the idea of being bound to me. The Monster didn’t care, seeing her only as a viable seed-bed for his children, but I did. I wanted to give her every chance to not have to surrender an important part of herself or two... I had taken those from Stella, and I was determined to never have to do so again. It had nothing to do with my human way. I just felt it was something any living, intelligent being has the right to. The right to refuse. The rights both Stella and I were denied by the powers that be.

Figurine and I left her cave-hole and headed over to Melon’s Kitchen. By chance the chef was in, and while she didn’t have a whole many-horns currently in stock, she did have a nice juicy leg for Figurine to snack on.

I myself got to enjoy a deer-meat hamburger. Yes, with ketchup.

Goblins have extremely sensitive noses. It only took two sniffs from Melon to know what we had both been up to last night. But unlike any of my other daughters, only Melon’s belly currently had anything growing from my big-seed within it. Melon had sat down next to Figurine and bumped her shoulder with a knowing grin.

“Was it fun for you, too?”

Figurine was a little embarrassed to answer, but she did in the affirmative.

“I’d get a cave-hole of my own, but then I’d miss out on all the fun and food I can enjoy with Hubby and Pear.”

After scarfing down her deer leg, Figurine laid back onto the ground and click-clacked her castanets to the song from my past life I modified for her to enjoy.

“I just want to be lazy today.” She said, a little blood still smeared around her mouth.

“Yeah, today’s a good day to be lazy. But a little fun being lazy with Hubby is also good.”

They both seemed to be in agreement on that sentiment. I downed my deer-meat hamburger and wondered what drama I was going to have to deal with today. Figurine decided to stay behind together with Melon to have a little (adult) girl’s talk about things, so I did the respectful thing and made myself scarce, heading for the breeding room to wash up a little.

Not before receiving an invitation from Melon to drop by tonight if I wasn’t… busy.

When I arrived, I found the bath was rather full of goblins. Jewel, Lily and Toy were there, along with all the pairs—Orchid and Lilac, Game and Fun, and Ruby and Jade—and a certain small goblin who recently came into the world.

“Is this a private party, or can I join too?”

I was practically yoinked into the bath before I could even tug my loincloth off!

Well, rape wasn’t on the menu at the moment. I was spared that for now. But everyone wanted something from me. It had been a few days and all my daughters, as well as Jewel, had earned a decent amount of standing and it was burning the proverbial hole in their pocket. Jewel wanted some remodeling done in her cave-hole. A basement of all things! Lily and the girls wanted me to spend some time with Primrose and get an idea of what kind of Grand Weapon to make for her. Primrose already had a cute little Bone-charm doll she was gnawing on that I had managed to trade a good time with Ivory to make.

Game and Fun said they had completed the first revision of their card game and needed someone to help test it. So, promises were extracted to do so when possible. Ruby and Jade wanted me to teach them some new magic spells. Ruby has an incredible affinity for fire magic, and Jade has the same for wind magic. I’m sure I can find something new to teach them.

As for Toy…

“Husband. I finished making them last night.”

“Already?”

“We’ll need to make the final adjustments when we bring them there.”

We’re finally getting modernized! Hell to the yeah!!

What Toy had been working on was something I desperately wanted to see in Goblinhome for a while now.

Toilets.

They’re wooden, but now I won’t have to squat over a precarious pit and pray I don’t slip and fall in! Well, the seats don’t lift, but as I’m the only man, that’s not an issue. I don’t mind sitting to pee. I’m also going to have to connect some kind of pipe upstairs so that my orc war-brides can also take advantage of one of humankind’s greatest inventions and that all sewage flows down where it’s supposed to.

“Primmy~ Do you want to play splishy-splashy with daddy?”

A happy squeal from Primrose was the answer to that.

“Dadee! Spwash spwash!”

God, all my babies are cuties!

With Primrose on my lap, I made little whirlpools with my finger that she eagerly slapped out of existence. Not quite the goblin game of strike, meant to teach a goblin how to attack things, but fun is fun. It happened to be Button’s favorite game, after all.

Seeing as how Game and Fun were here, I was able to determine that it was early in the morning. I was a bit tired, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I also noticed that Lily and Toy seemed to be a bit… closer. I hoped that it was a good thing. I don’t know how clan dynamics work, or if it’s anything like how the orcs handle their order.

I accept that my girls will one day be my wives if they wish to be, so all I want now is peace.

“Dadee~ Baibees!”

“Baibees?”

Primrose grabbed my hand and giggled, right before chomping on it.

Oh. Biteys. Right, well… help yourself, I guess?

The moment Prim’s teeth broke the skin on my hand, every single goblin’s eyes fixated on me.

“What?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Husband… are you… or have you… changed into a goblin…?” Lily asked me, her voice a little shakey.

“Not since that one time. Why?”

“Your blood… has the same scent you did at that time.”

“It does?”

With the exception of Game, Fun, and Primrose, everyone nodded.

“Maybe… it’s something left over from then, like my eyes?”

With the exception of Primrose, everyone began to squirm.

“What’s going on?”

“We… feel it.” Toy said. “A strong urge… to…”

Oh my god. Just the scent of my blood was riling up their desire to do the deed.

“Maybe I should head out first…”

It’s wishful thinking on my part that I was going to get out unscathed. The bath was dyed a little red as I was attacked by my wives. Jewel, being the strongest goblin currently bathing, managed to secure my lap and helped herself to that, while the rest of my wives and daughters sunk their sharp teeth into my shoulders and arms.

I honestly thought that I might actually die.

Instead, after getting a taste of my blood, they all fell away from me like zombies, acting like Truffle does after a hefty dose of color-spin-think powder. Jewel hadn’t bitten me anywhere; she was just after some sexual release. Primrose was standing on the bench next to me, her teeth still puncturing my hand, a tiny little slimy tongue licking while she squealed happily.

“Not going to bite?” I asked Jewel, impatiently expecting it.

“It’s the Blood Fury. Thanks to it, I can suppress my urge to bite. Doesn’t help at all with wanting to feel your seed-stick inside of me, though.”

“You know, among all the Bloodmaw, your appearance stirs my seed-stick the most. Even more since you had your Blood Fury.”

“Is that why you don’t stop by my cave-hole nearly enough anymore? You used to come as often as you could to waste big-seed with me. Now, not so much.”

“I’m trying to fix that. Lately it’s been one thing after another taking up all my time, and I feel like I’m not giving any of you the attention you deserve from me.”

“Is it the addition of the strong ones making you feel this way?”

“That too, but there’s so much to do around here lately…”

“Then I will help you with that.”

“You?”

“Yes, me. There is no goblin as clever as I am among the Bloodmaw! That is why my cave-hole is the most magnificent, as are my strong-ones. Unlike Stella who only complains until you lower your head and give in to her demands, I have gained everything through my own efforts. Or have you already forgotten when you first came to Goblinhome who used to help hunt for your meat each day or who would listen to your crazy talk and still help you? Who stood before the Great Protector so that you could be allowed to use magic for the sake of all our strong-ones? Who generously gave you a topaz stone? Who—”

My only free hand shot up out of the water and covered Jewel’s mouth. A dangerous thing to do, but I couldn’t take being beaten over the head with the truth right now.

“You’re right. Everything you said is correct.”

I sighed, letting my hand slip away from her mouth, catching itself on one of her breasts on the way down. Damn, Jewel does have like perfectly proportional supermodel tits.

“I will come and talk with you later. If you think you can come up with something to help me, then I will graciously accept your proposal.”

Jewel reached out and gripped my shoulders with her hands.

“Great. But do you think you are going somewhere right now?”

Ah. That’s right. I’m pinned down by one of the original three most powerful hunters of the tribe and also by my newest and cutest daughter who is still biting and licking my hand. I’m not going anywhere until they are ready to let me go…

~~ A little while later… ~~

She may have gotten cleverer after going through a Blood Fury, but she also became equal parts greedier as well. Not that I dislike a romp together with Jewel. Aside from being double-teamed by Berry and Lily, Jewel is the one who can easily remind me that my balls remain in my sack only because she hasn’t found a better use for them that benefits her. Yet.

I went outside to get some sun, as well as to face the music. I have no idea what happened to Rushk after I got angry. I’m not that comic book hero who changes when he’s angry, by the way. I was genuinely pissed off that I had to be disturbed from my peaceful daddy-daughter move-in sleepover night with Figurine. Legit, that’s why.

I said it already, didn’t I? The Monster could draw out some kind of hidden font of magical strength locked away deep inside me. I still couldn’t do it right, but I bluffed it pretty well.

I can now manifest three whole Runes at once without need for a focus orb!

I’m proud of myself. I’ve been working hard to not be a useless piece of shit all the time. I should also apologize to Magpie. She was just doing exactly what she had been taught to do. As part of the newly re-established sneaky clan, it is her job to seek out and best deal with any potential threats to Goblinhome, both inside and out.

Prima… well…

Fuck it, pass.

Outside of Goblinhome, three of my four orc War-brides were all sitting on logs around the fire-pit, cooking something that I imagine was lunch by now. Unless they take a late breakfast. I’ve only had dinner with them, so I don’t know their dietary schedule yet.

“War Chief!” Orga Lush immediately called out to me.

“Come. Sit with us. We have… to talk.”

Grotte had moved over and patted a space on the same log she was sitting on. I obliged and sat down next to her.

“Grotte, Krushka, Orga Lush. I hope you are all well today.”

“Grotte fine. Have problem need War Chief handle.”

“Rushk, right?”

Everyone slowly bobbed their heads once.

“Is she alive?” I dared to ask.

“She’s confined to her cave.” Orga Lush explained. “War Chief… if there is to be a punishment, let this one be dealt it in her place.”

“No. It’s not about a punishment, Orga Lush… It’s something else entirely. You all saw me that night, when I had the form of that green-skinned goblin?”

They had.

“There’s… a good chance that when I mate with Rushk, she will no longer be a full orc.”

“What do you mean, War Chief?”

“The… vested interest the Great Protector has may lie in… an effect I can produce which can turn a human into a goblin through mating. It probably wants to know if I can do the same to an orc. I know it sounds crazy, but it has happened.”

“War Chief mate with Krushka and Grotte. Not turn into anything goblin. Still same orc.”

“I don’t know what the requirement is exactly for it to happen, but I think Rushk may somehow meet it. I… had hoped that she would not only be spared the possibility of it happening to her, but that she might also be able to choose who she wished to have her first mating experience with. I cannot imagine that a human like me is someone she finds to be an ideal partner, let alone one who might… change her entire reality.”

Krushka snorted furiously hard.

“Rushk may be young, but not whelp for many seasons! She know what means to be war-bride. Know what mean to try refuse first mating! This not way to be orc! So what if change? Still orc inside!”

“Krushka, our War Chief is new to our ways, as we are to his. He has been kind and generous to us so far, and he may have felt that letting her escape was the kindest thing he could do for her.”

Orga Lush tried to calm down Krushka as best she could.

“War Chief… today third day. You go to Rushk and mate with her?” Grotte asked.

I sighed heavily.

“I don’t know… do the orcs have a taboo about… forcing someone to mate against their will?”

Both Grotte and Krushka snorted as they swung their heads at me.

“Quiet, you two!” Orga Lush growled, stamping the ground hard enough that I could feel it shake. Then she looked at me with tired eyes. “This is why we have so many rules for the handling of war-brides. Orc males… to them, the first mating… is usually the worst and most brutal for us. Imagine, if you will… you have a husband, and have had his whelps. Suddenly there is war, and your husband has died. Maybe he wasn’t the strongest, but he was a good husband. Now you have been claimed by the one victorious over him. The fate of your children now entirely in the hands of another who has no ties to them. Maybe he will take interest in your son, teach him well. Or more likely, send your son away or have him killed right in front of you. Your daughters? They will be kept for a while, at least until an opportunity to sell them or gift them to a more powerful orc presents itself, maybe never seeing them again. That is what it is to be an orc war-bride. The reason we can refuse mating three times in a full season, is so that we do not butcher our Husbands to death in the most painful of ways when they no longer can move after mating. It’s a very tempting thing to do when there is no room to refuse, day after day, season after season...”

Right. Of course male orcs would have that kind of mindset! Loot and plunder, why would I possibly think it could be otherwise?

“Grotte, Krushka… please tell me you don’t feel that way about me.”

“No. Grotte not feel that way about War Chief. Not feel forced when mating first time. War Chief spend time make Grotte feel good first. Not come harass everyday for mating. Find things for Grotte to hammer. Good food, good bath, now have soft straw bed for sleeping in big cave alone. So much better Husband than think get with orc. Krushka feel same as Grotte?”

Krushka snorted.

“Think maybe want War Chief come mate more with Krushka. Not refuse mating that make Krushka whole body shake like tree in storm. But feel same as Grotte. Think Rushk not understand how lucky not have bad Husband for first time mate with, first time be war-bride to.”

“What should I do?” I asked, plainly, not caring if I appeared weak.

“Were Rushk to change into a goblin of some manner as you say has chance of happening, will you discard her, or treat her worse than you would if she remained a full orc should it occur?”

“Absolutely not. I will take responsibility for whatever comes of it.”

“Then you have your answer, War Chief. She never had any right to refuse the first mating with you. She has repaid your compassion with defiance. Even if you see no fault in it, this is something that she is not foolish enough to understand can be given leniency a second time for.”

Grotte put a huge hand on my shoulder.

“Orc females strong. First mating way of life for us. Also teach us many things about self. Teach Rushk how be strong, think before make more mistakes. Grotte, Krushka, and Orga stand behind War Chief.”

I stood up, prepared to go visit Rushk, instead I was pressed right back down onto the log by Grotte next to me.

“War Chief eat first. Food make body strong. Need strong body for what come.”

I had already eaten, but seeing how the mood was a bit tenuous, I stayed and was given a decently cooked piece of meat. It reminded me of the early days of my capture when Prima, Jewel, and Lily would eat in the morning with me. Promising them that if I had a supply of fire-meat and water, I could give them big-seed without limit.

Half a year has both gone by so fast and yet felt terribly long. Was this what Figurine meant when she said it felt like forever for her to go from a strong-one to one old enough to have her own cave-hole?

I wasn’t being very talkative, but how could I be when I was contemplating if there was a merciful way to rape a new orc wife who risked her life to escape that very fate? Was there a way I could make it… be less traumatic an experience for her? I know I’m insane because how could that be? How the goblins and orc view such things as just part of life… and how that same thing is such a big deal to a human…

“Am I meant to become a monster after all?” I tilted my head back and groaned at the sky.

“Only monster your kosh

!” Krushka said with a snort.

That was followed by a second snort and a bit of a bu~hi~ kind of laugh from Grotte.

Even Orga Lush was unable to restrain her laughter.

When I was able to leave that breakfast or lunch gathering with my orc war-brides, instead of immediately heading up to see Rushk, I made a detour and entered Lumi’s chapel.

I’ve said it before already, that I’m not religious. But even scientific theories get disproven and reworked from time to time. There’s no saying for sure if there are or are not gods. Rather than pray for my own wrongdoing… I wanted to pray for whatever mercy could be granted to Rushk.

“Father?”

I was greeted by Nova after I entered. There was no Lumi in sight anywhere within.

“Came to pray to the Creator?”

“Both. Your dad has to do something that he has reason to be ashamed of.”

“Want to talk about it with me?”

“It’s adult stuff, kiddo. But sure, you have a level head most of the time. Maybe hearing what you think about it might give me an idea how to proceed.”

I pulled down the covering over the crudely made statue of the Bloodmaw’s Creator and sat down next to Nova.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Rushk, the youngest of the orcs tried to escape instead of being forced to mate with me, and I hoped she would. Instead, she was captured by Magpie and Prima and almost killed. I pretty much have to suck it up and go force myself on her now.”

“And this upsets you?”

“It does. It’s different for goblins who want to mate and breed and feel their happiness is tied to how often they can make and bring strong-ones into the world. But that’s not the case for humans at all. Female orcs appear to think of it as an inevitability in their lives and have found ways to accept it happening to them. I… just want everyone to be happy. I know it’s foolish wishful thinking on my part, but that’s how it is for me. I’m a human, even if I can also turn into a goblin.”

“Father, I’m going to say something extremely rude. But I want you to know it’s coming from the right place.”

“Alright, hit me with it, kiddo.”

“Take her. She has already agreed to be your female, has she not? Your lack of confidence in doing so is only going to make things worse for her. You are also an idiot. Have you not seen the size of her plump milkies? Her large ass? Stiffen your stick and put some damn seed in her already so you can give her life some meaning!”

“There’s more to the meaning of life for a woman than just being barefoot and pregnant, you know?”

“She’s an ORC, father. She’s not a human, no matter how much you wish to see her as one! That is their way of life. Barely one step above a goblin in the minds of the other races, are they not?”

“Where… are you getting this from?”

“It doesn’t matter. You have that… ability, do you not? The scent which disturbs the mind of a woman, making her yearn for the embrace of a man? Use it on her. Let her be angry afterwards for a while. She will eventually come around. Women crave to be the partner of a strong man. It is there from the beginning of their lives… something that lay within them.”

“Oh, and does this apply to you?”

“Regrettably so. I wish it were not the case, but that is how it stands.”

“Nova.”

“Yes, father?”

“I’m okay if you want to take a wife instead of a husband.”

“Then make some damn strong-ones with that orc you’re complaining about. One with a heavy pair of milkies and an ass which can flatten my face when she sits upon it!”

“…”

“What?”

“Are you really a goblin?”

“Are you really a human?”

“…”

“Father… good men carry heavy burdens. They must, for those that are weak whom they are determined to protect, they must do so to become strong. Put it out of your mind that what you are doing is wrong. All children become adults in time, whether orc, goblin, or human. Some are simply meant to have that moment come earlier than others. And rarely does someone get to choose when that moment comes for them at all. Carve into her body the security she needs to know she can rely on you to bring to her. Then it will be fine.”

“Seriously, are you really a goblin?”

Nova grinned at me evilly.

“Best me with the sword even once, and perhaps I’ll tell you.”

“I’m a magician, Nova.”

“Then use a magical sword.”

Nova turned her head towards the door of the chapel.

“Lumi is coming. Unless you wish to hear her delve into a long liturgy about the Goddess, you should leave now.”

“Thanks, I owe you one.”

“Good luck, father. Remember, big milkies, large ass.”

“Just so you know… orcs have a thing down there that will make you cry.”

“…what?”

“Oh yeah, Krushka’s is about half the size of my own.”

“??!???!?”

“Thanks for the advice, kiddo. Big milkies, large ass, and a huuuuuuuuge—”

I gestured with my hand down below a motion any man would know with but a glance.

Cheeky kid!

I left the chapel, ruffling the hair of Lumi who was just outside the door when I exited. Taking the nearby route upwards, I made for Rushk’s room.

It was time to nut up or shut up.