Wild Wastes 4 -CH5- (Patreon)

Looking out ahead Vince couldn’t hold back his excitement. They were what was likely a minute away from landfall. The sun had risen not long ago and they’d have the whole day to run about.

The vehicle Ryker had provided them had come with a number of smaller and just as strange looking boats that would be used to take things to and from the shore. This was the moment the journey across the ocean had been for.

Standing in the back of one such boat with his group, Vince was quite eager.

They had forty-eight hours once they landed of guaranteed protection.

That would be the perfect time to scout the immediate area, choose a location, and begin building their fortification. A place to defend, hold, retreat to, and launch missions from.

Given that they actually had a very large ship that could be utilized in shallow and deep water, Vince was betting on Petra wanting a coastal location. One that they could build into a harbor, then begin using.

And all the little boats can be used to scout the coastline and shores. I’m sure she’s already planning this all out. She won’t need me for that.

“Twenty seconds!” called the Legion pilot who was controlling the boat.

Feeling his blood pumping harder and faster, Vince was eager. Almost too eager.

“Red wants to run. Run and sprint and jump,” hissed the cursed-one next to him.

“I’m looking forward to having hard ground beneath me as well,” murmured Blue. She’d done as well as a Dryad could do on water. It wasn’t a place Dryads were supposed to be, though.

“Yes, this’ll be enjoyable for all you poor land-bound eeeee!” squeaked Sam as Vince snatched her out of the air. Holding her up to his side with a hand under her bottom and across her legs, he wasn’t going to let her go.

He was enjoying teasing the nearly Gnome sized Fae.

“I’m-not-big-enough-yet,” she growled then gently thumped a fist against his shoulder. “Now let me go, Vince. I need to scout for you. You can be your awful self later and I’ll even let you kiss my cheek if you’re a good boy.”

Snorting, Vince acted against his wishes, and released the Fae.

Who darted in and kissed his brow, then slapped him on the back of the head. Flying away like a shot she vanished out ahead of them.

“Red likes Sam. She’s funny,” chuckled Red from his side. “Sam bully’s you. Red wants to do the same.”

“Liar, we both know Red wants a scritch-scratch and then mating,” argued Vince. He reached down to start really digging his fingers into Red’s rear end. Right above where he tail intersected with her body.

The sudden smash of her hips into his side in response to his touch was all the confirmation he needed. She was rubbing hard up against him now while looking up at him with eyes that glowed like flaming coals.

“Disembark!” called the pilot.

Vince grabbed Red around the hips, looked to the shore that was nearby, and then threw her mightily. He figured she wouldn’t want to get wet but wasn’t going to ask him to help her either.

Red made a single surprised yowl like noise before twisting herself over. Coiling herself up for a split second, then spreading her body out. Her entire self ready to land on all fours.

“Carry me and I’ll make it worth your while later, grove-husband,” asked Blue in a sweet and warm voice as she moved right up to Vince. She held her hands up at her side, her iron-shod staff slung through straps on her pack.

Considering she was his only Dryad wife with him, there was no sense in not doting on her. There’d be no-one else to be jealous of it.

Picking her up, and getting a handful of her rear end, Vince hopped off the side of the strange boat. A number of the Orc Heavies disembarked at the same time. All moving to the shore with him.

Petra, Leila, Elizabeth, and Zathira would be in the next wave. This wave was all scouts and some landing forces.

Trudging through the water as it broke across him, Vince was glad that he’d pulled his boots off and stuck them in his pack. Walking in wet-boots would be terrible.

He imagined the Orcs wouldn’t be having a fun time with that in the near future, but they had their own orders from Petra. She was his general after all.

Reaching the shore Vince went to where Red was giving him a sulky glare. Though she was quite clearly keeping out of the water. Her bare feet and hands were dug into the dry sand.

“I’m glad you didn’t get wet, Red,” Vince offered by way of explanation. “We don’t have your brush and I think you’re just beautiful with how trimmed and brushed you are lately. Please consider your husband just being selfish.”

There was a beat where Red was clearly contemplating his words. Then her eyes sparked even brighter still and a smile curled her lips.

“Red is indeed quite beautiful. She had many men pursue her while she traveled with Leila and Blue. Blue, Mouth, and Meliae have helped Red a great deal with Red’s looks. Red is now quite proud of how she looks,” said the Beastkin.

“As you should, my pretty kitty,” Vince murmured and set down Blue. He took a second to hold onto her shoulder just to make sure she was stable.

He knew she was quite a combat oriented Dryad, but he still felt protective of her. They’d invested deeply in one another after Green, Karya, and Daphne had died.

There was an ugly truth in him that he preferred Blue to everyone other than Meliae or Mouth in his grove. They’d spent nights making love to one another and crying over their losses together.

“Red… Red is a pretty kitty,” repeated Red with a nod of her head. “Yes. Okay, we should go! Let’s run! Red wants to Run with Vince and Blue! Run, run!”

Looking to Blue, Vince gave her a grin.

The graceful and beautiful Dryad was actually able to keep up with him in most physical endeavors. It was one of the reasons he was so glad to have her here.

“I’m quite ready,” Blue said with a grin as she reached out to gently rub at the base of Red’s ears. “Red, if I start to tire, will you help me out? I don’t want to look bad in front of our husband.”

Red nodded her head quickly, pushing her head into Blue’s hand. Then turned partly sideways and gently rubbed her hip up into Blue’s side.

“Red will protect Blue,” agreed Red. After several seconds she turn and started to move off. She’d moved into a bipedal jog and was already looking back at them. “Go! Go, go, go, let’s go!”

Sam zipped past them overhead in a corkscrew spiral and flew off in the direction they were now heading.

Grinning, Vince decided to leave his boots off. He wanted to feel this new land against his feet.

***

Sam came in and landed atop Vince’s shoulders. She was riding him as Berest often did, with her middle behind his head, hands in his hair, and her legs dangling down in front.

Leaning over him she kissed his temple once.

“Petra is already setting up on the peninsula,” reported the Fae. “She plans on create a fortress at the tip of it and created a guarded bay. Then slowly moving inward and taking the peninsula as Yosemite grows.

“They found a sign that apparently named the place Ria de Ferrol. Mr. White junior said that the name was spanish. He’s preparing skill-books for several languages he said.

“He’s not as confident as his dad, but he seems a bit more skilled? Just untested, but I think he’ll be fine.”

“Anything else?” Vince asked. They were currently overlooking a city laid out on the coast. It had a great number of people moving about the plains as well as going in and out of the city itself.

“Only that Petra asks that you don’t engage the locals as of yet. She’s concerned about alerting them to our presence. She’d prefer to send you out as an emissary first, rather than as a foreigner,” relayed Sam. “Anything for me to report back with?”

“Pretty sure we’ve found two cities, this one, which honestly she can probably see at night if she looks to the south-west. The other one we think might exist but we’re not sure. It’s named Lugo and is to the east. South-east from where we’re setting up,” Vince answered in a quiet voice. “We came across a dead caravan. A number of crates had ‘Lugo’ written on the side. Looked like import-export branding.

“Found a partial map on someone. Most of the names were in a different language but we did find one city on the map that was listed as Lugo. To the east of us. Would really appreciate it if you could come back with one of those language books for myself and Blue.”

And another tally mark for big brother.

I’ll catch up eventually.

Vince looked down to his pack with a smirk. He felt like he was always going to be indebted to Felix and then rifled around through his gear for several seconds to pull out the map.

He’d already read it over enough to know what part’s were useful to him. To Petra, it would be very useful he imagined.

“With my regards to the general,” he said and held the map up to Sam. “Now, can I fill you up?”

“No, I’m not big enough yet,” replied Sam, taking the map from him with one hand. The other hand was moving her fingers through his hair. “Though you can certainly recharge me. I knew I was almost as tall as Leila but it was surprising to stand next to her earlier.”

Vince snorted at that and then laid a hand to Sam’s thigh and began dumping the power of his grove into her. Between her, Leila, and the so-far unmet Zathira, he’d have few he could empty his power-well into.

He didn’t force it all into Sam at once, however. She needed to be able to fly afterward.

“What do we do, Bringer?” asked Red, looking up at him. “If Petra wants us to be goodie goodies, then we can’t do much, can we?”

Vince frowned and chewed at his lip.

“Blue and I will go into town and start getting a feel for the situation,” answered Vince. “She and I can pass for human and just as a traveling husband and wife. I can get a feel for people with my gifts, but probably won’t be able to figure out their thoughts.”

“I can do some of the same, just not as well as Meliae or Mouth. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” agreed Blue, then she looked to Red. Reaching out she cupped the cursed-ones face in her hands. “Red, will you help Blue?”

Red smiled at the Dryad and then moved forward and began nuzzling her. Apparently the two of them were far more friendly than Vince had realized.

“Red will always help Blue. Blue has been a true friend to Red,” said the Beastkin.

“I need you to start looking for signs of Wasters,” asked Blue. “This is a human settlement from what we can see. I imagine Lugo is the same. This area had to have been affected just as everywhere else is. That means the Wasters are hiding in the country-side, have their own cities, or a different country all together.

“Will you meet up with us back here at midnight tonight? That way we can feed you and make sure all is well with both of us.”

Red’s smile grew even wider at the request and she nodded her head quickly.

“Yes, Red will do all of that for Blue. Red loves Blue as she would a friend,” crooned Red as she continued to nuzzle and rub against Blue. “Besides, Red loves to hunt. Red will hunt, stalk, chase, and discover the Wasters.”

“Good, thank you. I love you, too, Red,” Blue said, releasing Red. She had clearly, and deliberately, left the statement somewhat open.

Pausing only to steal a kiss from Vince and give him a smile, Red was then off in a blur. Sprinting off on all fours at full speed.

Moving far faster than Vince ever could run.

“She can cover a lot more ground than us,” Blue said to the unspoken question Vince did indeed have. “No reason to ask her to sit here and be miserable. She’d just complain about it when we picked her up later. This is better for everyone.

“Now, shall we go? Because I’m betting the grove will cut you off any moment.”

There was a slowing of power from the grove draining into Sam in the next several seconds, that led to it cutting him off completely.

“Because I’m the only Dryad near you for miles and miles and miles that’s part of your grove,” Blue answered his thought as he had it. “If you feel out to your grove, you’ll realize all the trees are there. All of them. Just somewhat dormant. They still generate the same power, but it’s like… they’re sleeping.”

Vince didn’t have to think very hard on that to know she was absolutely correct.

Taking her hand in his own, Vince released Sam, the Fae not moving away.

“When… I’m as big as you are, can I hide my wings with a coat and go into town with you?” asked Sam in a very peculiar tone. “Like… like what you’re doing… with Blue?”

“Of course. You’ll be a ridiculous big Fae at that point though. Is there such a thing as a half-breed Fae and Human?” Vince asked as Sam lifted off from his back.

“No, but I guess we’ll find out. If you’re a lucky man,” Sam said, then flew in toward him upside down. She put a peck of a kiss across his lips, pulled his ear, then zipped off into the sky.

“For someone we captured, threatened with torture, and then indoctrinated, she’s very happy to be with us,” Blue muttered, then she squeezed his hand. “Let’s go! Travelers from abroad, we came down from Fraconia and have been on the road for a while.”

“Uh, Franconia?” repeated Vince.

“The trees have told me many things. Mostly about the areas around here though. They don’t have many trees that connect in a line to other areas. Lots of bare spots,” Blue explained quickly, dragging him along toward the city. “Travelers come down from a war torn location called France though. Refugees. They speak a language that is different than here, but some also speak English. Or at least, a form of it.”

In no time at all they were on a road heading straight for the city.

Vince had already been surprised at the fact that there were no stone walls here. All they had was a very flimsy looking wooden one that he could probably climb over in only a few seconds.

He had no idea how they were expecting to survive an attack from the wilds or elsewhere with such meager defenses. Which really only left him with the answer that this was deep in the heart of another territory. That the coastline had been such long-forgotten concern of anything other than sea-creatures, that this was considered untouchable territory.

Doesn’t that mean it’ll be even easier for us? Not expecting us to land not at their door-step, but in their backyard. I can kick the door in and make off with the china before they even know we’re here.

“Wipe that evil grin off your face, Grove-husband,” warned Blue with a chuckle, adjusting the scarf that covered most of her head and face. Then she wrapped his arm up in hers she patted the back of his wrist with her fingers. “We’ll not destroy this country for no reason. For all we know, they’re an extremely warm and open government and we have no reason to be hostile to them.

“We might even get an ally out of this, you know? This could be beneficial to us and we won’t even have to pay anything at all in that case. And fix your headscarf. If I can see your face, anyone else can, too.”

Wandering up to the gate Vince reached up and tugged at his head-covering with one hand though he found there wasn’t even anyone there to hide from. There were no guards, no citizens, nothing. Whoever was in charge didn’t seem to care one whit about watching the entry point.

That felt incredibly strange to Vince. To the point that he could feel his paranoia ticking up by several degrees.

Slowly they began making their way into the city and that feeling actually began to grow worse. There were very few people out and about, and the ones Vince did see, were all rushing off.

Each and every one seemed to be heading toward what was likely the center of the city. Some were moving much quicker than others, but they all had a determined look to them.

More than a few had fear rolling off them in waves. Those that did looked like non-humans to Vince. Or more specifically, felt different than humans would.

They didn’t carry themselves in quite the same way or move in exactly the same way.

While not outwardly distinct, they didn’t quite fit in with humanity.

Hm. I wonder if this is like the emperor in the west, or the kingdom in the east. Are Wasters slaves, or just second class citizens.

If the numbers difference is just as bad here as it was at home, Wasters were outnumbered at the start. Did they have a chance to breed-up like they did back home?

Curious. Very curious.

Suddenly Vince saw where everyone was going to, as there was a very large crowd gathered up. A crowd surrounding what looked like a raised platform with several men atop it.

One on their knees in front of a headsman’s block.

It looked to be a Lion type Beastkin. One that’d been severely mistreated before their execution.

Vince wasn’t sure but he was likely as tall as the Beastkin, though the Lion was somewhat overweight. Given the amount of chain they’d laid over his shoulders and arms, it was likely that the prisoner was deceptively strong as well.

There was a litany of what was likely accusastions being yelled out by one of the men on the platform. He had the air of a puffed up political appointee there to make a point.

Swinging his arm to the side the man pointed at the Lion Beastkin who was clearly about to be executed. Most of everything he said still didn’t make a lick of sense to Vince.

It all ended with the man stating the name “Scott Hank” with a spiteful glare at the Lion and than spitting at him.

Given the way he’d said it, Vince assumed it was the name of the Beastkin. It also sounded very normal, which given the names he’d seen of cities, meant that this person was likely a foreigner.

One of the other men shoved the Lion down upon the block, another raised the axe, then brought it down.

The Beastkin had their head removed with a single chop and that was the end of the display.

A multitude of emotions were flooding through the area that Vince could feel.

Joy, anger, fear, hate, and a whole lot of paranoia.

Seems like we ended up dropping into something.

Again.

Though… that makes it easier if they’re not a kind government. Much easier.

In fact, I welcome them being as evil as possible.

That way I can kick it all over and take it for my own.