Wild Wastes 4 -Ch15- (Patreon)

Walking up to Flora’s grave Vince came to a stop next to it. Staring down at it and the bell there.

“Come on, Flora,” Vince whispered with a smile. “Ring the bell. Wake up and surprise everyone. Make Blue look like a priestess of unmitigated power and give these people some faith.”

Getting down on his knees he laid his hands to the grass.

Closing his eyes he reached into his grove.

All his trees were dormant except for the old Dryad tree, which was much like a newborn. Eagerly running amongst the dormant Dryad trees like a kid sprinting through a forest. Only for Blue’s tree to coral it briefly, make sure it’s fine, then send it off again.

Reaching down into the shallow grave, he found Flora there. The roots of her tree hadn’t moved away from her, though he did notice that her body had shifted. It was displaced and seemed to be much deeper in the grave than it had been.

He couldn’t sense anything wrong though, so assumed the only thing he could.

That everything was fine.

Pulling at his grove, he dumped a portion of the power from it into Flora’s body. Letting it soak into the soil, her tree, and her, all at the same time. He’d repeat the process for the other Dryads as well. Each of them getting a share of the power he held to help speed them along.

He’d continue to do this every chance he got till he left.

Because he knew Petra would send him out soon. He even suspected he knew where she’d send him, in fact.

Straight to the ant colony.

Standing up as he reached the end of the power transfer, Vince brushed his hands on his pants.

“You… visit her often for someone you barely knew.”

Turning his head he found Leandra behind him. Her hands were held in front of her, clutching her glowing seed pod. Behind her were several other young women who looked to be very close to her in age.

None of them looked like Leandra, but shared more with Flora. Each had a seed in their hands, though none glowed as brightly as Leandra’s.

Did… Flora give them what power I’d given to her? I bet she did.

Transfered it all to her daughters rather than hold onto it herself.

Blue practically materialized at his arm, having been quietly standing-by for him. Likely for this moment, in fact.

“Petra set this up?” Vince asked, looking to the beautiful Elven-Dryad. She was even now unbuttoning his armor and working at peeling down the front of it so she could get to his chest.

“Of course,” admitted the Dryad with a smile. “I need grove-wives to help me. Priestesses of Yosemite.

“Leandra is my first wife and extremely important. I need her. Desperately. I’ll be teaching and training her as fast as I can.

“Most especially in magic. She has a far greater aptitude in it than I do.

“Her sisters will be allowed to enter but… not yet. They can plant their seeds in you but it’ll be a while before they can take on Dryad duties. They’ll mostly help Leandra with ducal duties until then.”

Checking a sigh, Vince instead turned a smile on Leandra.

“Do forgive me for denying you yesterday. I… felt like I was stealing you right out of your cradle. I’ve been reprimanded,” he apologized.

“It’s… no, I understand. If you took me quickly and without concern I think I’d be nervous about it,” admitted Leandra as she stared at his chest. Blue had drawn a finger across the entry point and his skin was splitting open. “The fact that you didn’t want it, tried to force me to grow on my own… I appreciate it. I can trust my sisters, and eventually our children together, to a man like you.”

Leandra moved forward and gently pushed her seed pod into him. It slipped inside just as all the other’s had done.

Blue’s tree latched onto it and drew it into the mass of others. Into the grove.

Stumbling to one side Leandra had the look of a drunk. Then she collapsed to her hands and knees and began to shiver uncontrollably.

“It’s-so-much,” she got out between her teeth.

“Yes, I did tell you it would be this way. Lay down on the grass and just let it pass,” advised Blue, waving on the next Dryad with a bright energetic smile. “Come along, future priestess of Yosemite, Calia. It’s time to join the ranks.”

A young and perky looking Dryad bounced up to Vince and promptly popped her seed into his chest. Her hair was almost as black as Leandra’s but not quite. She also looked just a bit younger than the other, though her eyes had a very smiliar hazel like color.

Before he could register that she leaned up, kissed his cheek, then dove onto the grass.

Falling flat on her face and then laying there with her eyes closed.

And promptly passed out there, her eyes rolling up into her head and then growing still.

“Next,” Blue murmured encouragingly, waving on the next Dryad.

Leandra managed to stay conscious, though she trembled like a piece of trash stuck on a tree branch in a high wind. Like she was holding onto the ground just to stay where she was.

Several more Dryads came, planted their seed into him, each giving him a kiss on the cheek, then laid down on the ground. Each and every one passed out right then and there, even as Leandra fought for her own consciousness.

“You-didn’t-say-it’d-be-like-this,” hissed Leandra, her fingers dug into the ground and her back arched. “Want-sex! Really-bad! Need-grove-husband-seed!”

The beautiful Dryad pushed her forehead to the grass and then let out a low and guttural moan. One that sounded a lot like when he really got into Mouth.

It straightened Vince’s spine and made him want to pin Blue to the grass.

“It’ll go away in a few minutes. We all feel it when we join,” offered Blue in a helpful way. She’d gone over and was now kneeling next to the other Dryad, one hand patting her back. “Quite a few just pass out. You’re rather strong mentally to stay awake.

“I almost passed out myself but I joined when it wasn’t… as large a grove. There’s a great many trees in our grove now.”

“Seed,” whimpered Leandra who began to thump her forehead repeatedly against the grass. “Need-seed.”

“Later. You need some time to adjust before that. I’ve had to cure a few Dryads of being a Seed Zombie. We’ve learned how to cope with our overly-strong grove. I’ll not let you turn into on,” soothed Blue, stroking her back.

Leandra let out another shaft-stiffening moan and continued to gently thud her head into the grass.

Seed Zombie? Hm.

Mouth mentioned that once. I thought she was just teasing.

I’ll have to really be more careful with my poor Dryads.

“I want to know more in the future Blue,” requested Vince. “Dryads are… my everything. I need to know everything that happens with them.”

“If you want, dear, that’s fine,” promised Blue, still tending to Leandra. “All a Seed Zombie was, was a Dryad who just wanted sex. They didn’t do anything else other than try to bed you.

“I’m sure you remember a few aggressive Dryads who only took no from you as an answer. No one else could convince them otherwise.”

“Oh. Oh! Ha… Francine was a lot of fun. I miss her,” reflected Vince.

Francine had given him a multitude of children and had literally chased him down any time he was alone to bed him.

He’d been flattered by the attention.

I miss everyone.

***

Standing beside Leandra Vince was staring out at the population of the city.

There’d been an ugly and terrible realization from them as they figured out that they were no longer being led by the baron. That they were in fact under the rule of a Dryad backed by what they had termed a “warlord”.

Nor did it help when they were told that the majority of the soldiers who marched out, would never be coming back. That by and large they’d been cut down to nearly a man.

Those who had friends and family amongst the ranks were grief-striken and understandably so. Vince of course allowed them their anguish.

Regardless of how they treated others, they still had family. Those who cared for them.

Even a villain would have a family of course.

What did help the citizens though was that Petra and her people were spread throughout the city. Mr. White junior had mass produced language books for everyone.

Apparently they could make books on demand like that through some type of gizmo Felix had made. Vince of course didn’t care so long as they could have everyone speaking the lingua franca of this part of the world.

Ha. Lingua franca… I wonder if they still speak french in france.

Sounds like it’s a real different world up there, too.

Not for the first time he realized that his father had spoken in a way that didn’t fit this world at all. With anecdotes and sayings that didn’t really fit the area.

Lingua franca was a very good example of that.

“— to restore a fair and balanced lifestyle to you, the people. The Duchy of Galicia, under the kingdom of Yosemite, shall not entertain either side of this futile and pointless civil war!” declared Leandra. “They’ve spent long enough bleeding our people and resources dry. They murdered our noble and esteemed mother whom had lived here her whole life.

“We don’t even need to discuss the legend surrounding our poor tree either. Everyone knows the fate that befell her for standing up to this bloody race to the end.”

Leandra held a hand out toward the old and drooping tree that wasn’t far off.

Surprisingly, Vince had noticed there was actually new growth on it this morning. Buds that could be new branches as well as a great deal more green in it than he remembered. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it and wanted to ask Blue about it later.

“We’ll not allow them to take from us any longer! They can all leave us to our own lives as we’ll leave them to theirs. We have no need of them any further,” stated Leandra with fire in her voice. “The laws have been posted at every gate and public place. If you cannot read them, speak to any guard or soldier you see. They know all the laws and will gladly speak with you about them.

“Beyond that, we’ll be a bulwark against the madness that’s going on in our homelands. This must end and we must —”

There was a sharp crack of a rifle going off, followed by the black shield of Zathira coalescing into view. She’d kept it up in front of Vince from the moment he’d gone into the public view.

If he had to guess she and Leila had already begun questioning the baron’s soul for information. They likely had found enough proof to suspect that there’d be an assassination attempt.

Leandra only flinched, then pointed forward to the back of the crowd.

Vince followed her arm and could see the man who’d fired the shot. A simple looking man in plainclothes that’d blend in anywhere in the city.

Save for the rather well cared for rifle in his hands.

“You see? They would attempt to kill us even as we promise you all freedom!” she cried, forcing the skittish populace that was about to flee, to look.

At the same moment that the crowd turned, a purple blob the size of a rock smashed into the man’s head. He fell to the ground and a ghostly-after image remained standing where he’d been.

A pink lasso landed around it that trailed all the way back to Leila.

“Bastard,” she hissed and then jerked, on the pink line that led to her hand.

Shrieking, the soul sped toward her along the line.

Using her right hand she pulled out two vials from a pouch. Her eyes flicked over both, put one back, and held out the other in front of herself.

The soul of the man was pulled into the vial which was stoppered by the pink magic that followed him in. Nodding her head, Leila stuck the vial into her bag.

After a second she pulled out the other vial and started moving to Vince.

“— let us be pushed around!” called Leandra. She’d been speaking the entire time. “We will build walls that were torn down by those distant lords who think us nothing more than a resource! We’ll build it up bigger than it was before and force them to acknowledge our presence even as we slaughter them!”

Holding up the vial in front of herself to Vince, Leila gave him a smile.

“We’ve pulled most of everything we needed from him. Not much left. We just gave it all to Petra,” explained Leila as Leandra continued. Zathira’s shield slowly boiled away, though it wasn’t actually being canceled.

Merely removed from visibility.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to know anyways and would just tell us to tell Petra,” continued the gnome with a wide grin. “What should we do with him?

“And by the way… did we have a three way with Petra last night or something? I remember swallowing some of you then… it’s all a blur. I didn’t expect to wake up between you two.”

“No, no three way. Petra just used you as a bit of a… err… you warmed me up for her, then took the rest of my attention after she was worn out. You uh… went for quite a while. Kinda like a Dryad,” admitted Vince.

It’d been impressive to say the least.

“That’d explain why I’ve had to change my underwear several times,” complained Leila who then shook her head. “Well, at least I’m only a little sore. Anyways, what do you want to do with him?”

Vince thought on that for a moment.

“Curse him into a boulder. Put it right at the entrance to the city,” he decided. “Call it the worry rock and invite everyone to unleash on it. Have anything they do to it be transferred to his soul. Tune it up so a four year old kicking the thing would be like an ogre punting him.”

“Oh, I like that. I’ll curse the boulder as well so that it grows in durability the more people unleash on it. Fun. Leandra will like that,” finished Leila, looking to the fiery Dryad.

She had both her arms up now and was yelling at the crowd.

Her eyes were greened over and glowing brightly. Apparently you could make a Dryad angry enough to the point that it set them off.

Neat.

Vince remained quietly at Leandra’s side for the rest of the rousing call to arms. He had no doubt most of it had been written with and for her by others.

Petra had brought people for every situation, including those who were skilled at flowery words. Those who could “fight with pens” as she’d called it.

Stepping off the quickly erected platform Vince wasn’t surprised when the Ogres and Trolls of his personal guard stepped in around him. They formed a bracket with their lighter Orc comrades.

He needed to get out of sight and find Petra. This would be when she’d ask him to go out on his next mission.

Because as much as she likely wanted him to stay with her, or to go with him, he was an extremely valuable asset to her. His track record with mission success was near perfect with hardly a blemish.

“Den master!” called a voice.

Vince snapped his head around and found the speaker immediately.

Not far away was Gert the Woflman and Set the Ratkin.

Grinning Vince went straight over to them.

“Gert! Set! It’s good to see you two,” he said and meant it. He hadn’t realized the two of them were here with him. They’d gone on many an operation with him and he’d come to trust them implicitly.

“Packmaster,” rumbled Gert who then crossed his arms in front of himself. It was a salute any Waster could theoretically perform regardless of hands, claws, or otherwise.

Set, who was perched in his saddle on Gert, performed the same gesture.

To which Vince gladly returned it to them, then grabbed Gert by the forearm.

“I wish you two would have told me you were here. I would have dug you out sooner,” chided Vince, reaching up to offer a finger to Set after shaking the Woflman’s arm.

The Ratkin shook the finger as if it were a hand and nodded his head.

“Den master, we are just… pack. Gert, tell Den master. Yes?” asked Set, his small hands coming up to rub nervously at his whiskers and then run backward over his head.

Despite being dressed in leather armor, wielding a spear, and having a number of confirmed kills, the Ratkin always looked nervous to Vince.

“Set is right, Packmaster. Packmaster is… our Packmaster. We are just pack,” argued Gert.

“Hush, no more of that. Did Ris come, too?” he asked, looking up and around them. He couldn’t see the fairy.

“Yes, Set’s wife is here somewhere,” said the Wolfman with a wide grin.

A… Fairy and a Ratkin?

Wow.

Alright, well, so long as they’re happy.

“Gert’s wife is here too, Denmaster. You should go speak with her sometime. Tell her what I tell her. That he’s a hero who has done more than just serve at your side,” requested the Ratkin, looking like he was getting worked up.

To which the Wolfman only shook his head.

“I will. In fact, let’s get lunch. I’m sure Petra will send me off shortly. Probably to the red-wood ant colony, I’m guessing,” admitted Vince. “Though… I asked someone to find me the Ratkin in this city.

“Did that ever happen? Have you heard anything Set?”

“I… they were exterminated. All of them,” mumbled the Ratkin with a slow shake of his head. “As if they were vermin. We’ve sent a small group to find Ratkin in the wild. We will bring them here. Balance the city.”

“Good. All Yosemite cities need Ratkin and Dryads,” Vince assured them. “Now, let’s get going.”

Leading the two off, Vince was feeling pretty good about everything.

It felt like it used to when he’d first started Yosemite.

Much better leaving all the government stuff to Felix and the Elysia types. Much… much… better.

Curiously, Vince noted that Zathira was hovering in his periphery, but she was only trailing along. She wasn’t going to seemingly insert herself, but she didn’t want to get too far from him.

He imagined there was a sphere of magic around him at all times now.

I do miss my mages. They made it much easier to not worry about being shot. Need to find some.

“Master!” said Petra as she appeared above him. She was dangling off the side of a very surprised looking Ogre. “This one must ask you to leave immediately. The colony is under duress and this one wants to use it as a way to make an alliance.

“Take this, it’s what you retrieved from this one the day previous. Speak as our leader and emissary, present them with this jar.”

Skittering down from the Ogre she came up to his side and held a glass jar out to him. It was indeed the same one he’d used to milk her with.

“This one begs her master to bring the colony into our domain. Either through… either through slaughtering the queen and raising up a princess, or simply through diplomacy. This one must deeply beg her master to make sure it happens.

“Otherwise, the food supplies will become an issue and very quickly.”

“Of course, general Petra. You’re our guide in this and I respect, and follow your orders,” Vince murmured and bowed his head to her, taking the jar.

I guess I don’t get a moment after all.