Dao Divinity 2 Chapter 21 (Patreon)

The next two days went by quickly as the village banded together to get ready for winter. The villagers had adopted Dar’s approach to use coal to hollow out the boat, which had sped it up considerably. And food storages had been filled to the point that more was available for everybody in their day-to-day meals. Morale across the village was increasing; they actually stood a chance at making it through the winter.

Dar had focused on helping with the houses and heaters. They’d stopped using lumber for the palisade and had started piling them up for use in the houses. When there was downtime, Dar would work on forming more heaters while simultaneously carving further into the back of the cave.

Dar tried to add homey elements into the cave; ones he thought the girls might like. He hoped to surprise them with the space once he got closer to finishing.

Smiling at the thought, Dar worked to focus back on his task at hand. He was in the process of running his hands across the finished exterior of the boat, burning the top layer of the wood with his heat dao and sealing it for use in the river.

They had spent quite a bit of time adding enchantments to the boat and he worked with Mika and Cherry to design a mounted motor on the boat.

“Are you sure we can’t use it today?” Russ asked, clear excitement showing on his face.

“Positive. Mika and I need to test it before we put others into it. Either of us can haul it back if there’s a problem.” Dar answered the gnoll as Russ slung his bow over his shoulder and went off to hunt.

The boat had already been moved closer to the river for the final preparations, so they didn’t have far to go. Mika walked up next to him, looking it over.

“This is an amazing boat.” Mika’s eyes lit up as she spotted the motor at the back she’d worked with Dar to build. Pride shone in her eyes, although Dar also caught a bit of unease. They hadn’t tested it out yet.

“With your help, that should get us around nicely. I just wanted to test it with someone who could handle themselves in the river if something went wrong.”

Mika beamed with extra pride, standing a bit taller.

Dar smiled, studying the motor once more before they put it in the water. The way they’d designed it, the motor used her dao of waves to propel the boat forward. He was pretty proud of it, if he was honest. He wasn’t exactly an engineer, but a had enough of an understanding with basic mechanics to get it setup.

Cherry had built the gear system, under his guidance, that connected to the big wheel at the helm that turned the motor. The more he worked to figure out enchantments, the more endless the possibilities felt.

He walked up, feeling the smooth exterior. Cherry had helped with the final touches. She’d helped add a deck of branches separating the main area from a small storage area below. Dar couldn’t fit comfortably in the lower area, but some of the smaller villagers could if they crouched.

“Alright, let’s get it in the water and test this thing out!” Dar cheered, lifting the back of the boat while Mika guided the front into the water. As the front glided into the water, she jumped up, getting her front up on the rail.

“I’m up.” Mika called as she threw her spear on deck and slung herself over the edge.

The boat as a whole floated high in the water with only their weight in it. As Dar jumped onto the back of the boat, the watching villagers cheered them on. He realized how important that moment was for the village. There was so much hope and potential that came with now having a boat.

Pulling back on the lever, the enchanted motor kicked on and the boat lurched forward.

“Woah!” Mika grabbed onto the railing as it shot forward.

Grinning, Dar spun the wheel, turning it downstream as the boat shot forward.

“It’s so fast!” Mika cried, holding onto the railing and putting her face into the wind, a giant smile spreading across her face.

“We aren’t even at top speed.” Dar teased, grinning as he pulled the lever fully, kicking the boat into high gear. It was enough to pull the front of the boat out of the water as the motor pulled the back end lower, and they raced down the river far faster than any river boat they’d seen previously.

Mika stepped up to the front of the boat, taking in the full view of the water around them. Spreading her arms wide, she looked up at the sky; the wind whisking her hair and clothes back. Dar had never seen her so free.

After a few moments, she looked back at him. “Dar, we could get to the ocean in a day trip. Amelia could pull all the salt we need.”

Dar gave her a smile. But he had other thoughts. They could easily check on Bellhaven using the boat and its speed, but he didn’t want to voice that yet. “This is pretty incredible. How long do you think it would take to get up to Kindrake?”

She shook her head in amazement. “At least half the time of usual, maybe a quarter. So, two to four days by boat.”

“That would open a lot of options for trade with a more reasonable city.”

Mika looked back at him seriously. “But with any luck, Bellhaven will be more reasonable here shortly. The prince will fix things, I’m sure.”

“I hope so, Mika.” He did his best to hide his doubt in his tone, but Dar had a bad feeling in his gut.

They continued downriver for a clip in silence before Dar pulled Mika over. “Do you want to take the wheel?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t want to wreck this.” She didn’t fight it though, as Dar slowed down the motor and shifted her in front of the wheel.

Wrapping his arms around her, he supported her as she turned the wheel. “Give it a turn and get a feel for what it’s like. The turning is a bit delayed, so just turn and hold for a second to see it.”

Mika focused on steering the ship while Dar was a little more distracted, with her wet rear pressing into him.

“You’re doing great. Now, how about we speed up?” Dar shifted the lever, and the front of the boat picked up.

“Wahoo!” Mika let out a shout as the wind picked up and sent her hair into Dar’s chest. “This is crazy.” She shouted over the wind, holding the wheel steady. “Is this what it feels like to fly?”

Dar chuckled, shouting into the wind. “It’s probably as close as we’ll get anytime soon.” 

Mika turned the boat, followed a curve in the river. It forced Dar to hold on to the railing while catching Mika with his body and holding her to the wheel. He made a mental note that they probably needed to get a chair for future trips.

Keeping an eye on the west bank for any ettercaps as they approached the area, Dar saw no signs of them or their spider friends. The forest seemed quiet.

Mika must have seen where he was looking. “Even if they were out there, it would be hard to catch us.”

“Not what I’m worried about. I’m just looking to see if our friends the other day would have seen them.”

“Ah.” Mika made a noise of understanding and focused back on driving the boat.

“Why don’t we slow down a little?” Dar suggested.

Mika pulled back the lever most of the way, and the boat settled back down on the water, no longer plowing through the current.

“What do you need?” She asked, clearly eager to keep driving quickly.

Dar felt a little guilty for denying her the thrill, but it was hard to talk with the wind whipping in their ears. “I wanted to just talk. With you hunting fish every day, I haven’t had as much of a chance to talk to you as the other girls.”

She blushed a darker blue than the rest of her skin. “Ah.”

“How are you doing with everything? The village, being part of our little group?”

“The village is nice. There’s something satisfying in bringing back the big net of fish and seeing everyone’s smiles as it goes towards the dinner pots.”

Dar nodded. “Like you earned those smiles. They are all in a small way celebrating your catch.”

“Yes, and it helps that you praise me too.” She tilted her head back to look into his eyes. “That’s my favorite part, if I’m honest.”

“Then I’ll have to do it more.” Dar kissed her forehead.

“Dar…” Mika paused for a moment before she seemed to summon up the courage for what she was going to say. Straightening herself for a moment, she made eye contact and asked, “Do you like me?” She managed to hold his attention a moment further before she looked down, focusing on the steering wheel.

Dar worked to keep his surprise off his face. He knew they hadn’t progressed that far, but he thought she knew that he was attracted to her.

“Mika, you are lovely. After our flight from Bellhaven, I was still adjusting to the idea of a family that included Sasha and Cherry, but I’ve been attracted to you from the beginning.”

Mika nodded, looking away, clearly thinking she was about to get turned down.

Wrapping his arms around her, Dar squeezed her in reassurance. “Hey now. None of that. I do like you; we just haven’t had time together. So, why don’t we make time today? Let’s cruise the river, stop and you can catch some fish, and then we’ll do a grilled fish lunch on the river bank.”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up as she finally looked back up at him. Even if he hadn’t meant it, he wouldn’t want to wipe that look off her face. Putting his hands on either side of his face, Dar leaned down to be nearly forehead to forehead.

“Really. I’d like to give this a shot. And as a bonus, we can see just how far we can get down the river in this boat.”

Mika gave him a wicked grin before her arm shot out, pushing the lever to its fastest setting and letting out a gleeful laugh as the nose of the boat rose up out of the water.

“You said before you grew up in a seaside town. Where was that?” Dar asked.

Mika tilted her head in thought. “It wasn’t Kindrake. Off the coast, southeast from Bellhaven, there are a collection of islands. Mahaklan is what they call their islands.” Dar noticed she didn’t refer to it as her islands, but he didn’t comment on it.

“Nice islands?”

“Warmer than here; you barely notice the seasons change besides when the rain storms come.”

“And that was where you first found yourself with humans?”

She nodded. “They treated me like a god, well, they did. Then that tribe was murdered by another. And then that tribe was murdered.”

“Sounds bloody.” Dar couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have all of Hearthway killed.

“Still is, I bet. That’s why I left, uhh...” She paused to think. “...maybe a hundred years ago or so. I just jumped into the ocean and swam until I wound up on the shore east of Bellhaven.”

“That bad?”

Mika nodded. “It was a very tribal area, much less developed than Kindrake. Most of the tribes were peaceful, but there was always a large war between two tribes every few years. The winner would absorb much of the other tribe, but most would scatter.”

The wind shifted slightly, blowing hair into her face. She shifted it away, tucking it behind her ear before continuing. “No real progress was ever made. The most powerful tribe would keep acquiring more until they spread themselves too thin, and then another tribe would break them and start taking their land.”

Dar let out a soft whistle. “The ancients participated?”

“Oh yes. They were often the main actors. That violent society and then you throw in something like a male demon that came from a predator? Aggressive is an understatement. I remember this one that used to be a shark, he did terrible things.” She shuddered.

“There had to be good moments.” He tried to push her into happier thoughts.

A sad smile spread across her face. “There were. Lovers, tribes I particularly got along with.”

“Kids?” Dar probed.

“Never. Not yet, at least.” She looked over her shoulder as she hurriedly corrected herself. “Not that I’m against it! But after seeing that cycle a few times, I didn’t want to subject a kid to that.”

Dar nodded his head. “I understand. You need stability before you want a kid.” Changing the subject, Dar prodded a bit further, wanting to understand more about where Mika came from. “What about Bellhaven? You’ve been in the area for a hundred years?”

She nodded, pushing the boat a little faster. “Yep. It’s been getting harsher and harsher towards ancients.”

“And Amelia? How long have you two known each other?” Based on how they interacted, Dar had a feeling there was a longer history than just the journey to Hearthway.

Mika gave him a curious look, but she answered him. “Ames and I were both drawn to the ocean. I liked to immerse myself in the waves, and she would often go out there to pull salt for sale. That’s how we met, at the water.”

“That’s all? You two seem awfully close.”

Mika blushed. “I helped her sell the salt and offered some protection. Ames has a habit of getting herself into trouble.”

Dar laughed. He was not surprised at all by that. “With men or other things?”

“Merchants have taken advantage of her salt more than once. I mean, when she can just make something as valuable as salt by the pound out of the ocean, she hadn’t really had to worry about money before.”

“Ah. She told me about some of them calling it ‘monster salt’” Dar remembered the story.

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. She practically gave it away more times than I can count. But she could just go make another basket full with a quick trip to the ocean.” Mika rolled her eyes. “Girl has zero business sense.”

“So you helped her with that?”

“Sort of. I was the muscle mostly. More recently, we worked with Henry for his help selling the salt, and I eventually swore an oath to help him in a greater capacity. I didn’t know that he’d abuse the oath to the extent that he did. That he’d do… what he did...” Her voice cracked slightly before she hardened her face. It broke Dar’s heart to watch. Wrapping his arms around her tighter, he whispered into her ear, “That’s all over though.”

She dipped her head slightly in a nod. “I still can’t thank you enough for that. Neither of us saw the trap Henry was laying until it was too late. He started with small oaths and built them up over time. I…”

“Shh.” Dar shushed her and just held her close, reminding her that the threat was gone and she was safe.

“Thanks.” Mika’s voice came out soft as a breeze, and she stopped supporting herself, letting Dar bear her weight.

Dar smiled at the trust that showed. “So, how about we see just how fast this thing can go and then take a break for lunch? I’d like to see if we can’t get down to check out Bellhaven.”

Mika jumped back to attention and slammed the throttle forward with a shout of excitement.

***

Mika came out of the water with two large fish wiggling on the end of her spear. “See? Easy.”

“I don’t think many people, or even ancients, could chase down fish in water like that. I’m happy to be on your good side. I don’t need you coming at me with that spear.” Dar said with a wink.

He took a moment to appreciate her. Mika had an toned athletic frame and often wore what wasn’t much more than a bikini showing it off. Her hair was a little wavy and cut just below her chin. The girl would have fit right in with a surfer crowd. 

She struck a pose, thrusting the spear point into the shoreline, the fish slung over her shoulder. “I am pretty badass. Nice you finally noticed it.” But her bravado quickly melted away into a shy smile as she walked towards him.

They had stopped on the east bank, and Dar had gathered some dry wood that he blasted with heat until a fire sprang to life while Mika had gone fishing..

“That’s a pretty useful lesser dao.” Mika said, wrapping a thin cloth over her hips before sitting down on the sand.

Dar had tried, but there wasn’t any granite beneath them that he could pull on to make better seating. “Yes, it is. I hope to push it into something closer to a flame. Sasha has mastered the combustion dao, which is what I want next. I’m hoping that and one more that’s similar might push me towards a greater dao related to fire.”

“Nice! But I won’t be much help there. Sorry.” Mika gutted the two fish and stabbed them through a sharp stick.

Dar sighed. “Please don’t be sorry. It’s just a goal, anyway. Who knows if I’ll find what I need to get there for a long time.”

“Is there anything else I can help with?” Mika asked.

Dar gave the question some honest thought. “I could use some live fish? Oh! Or fish eggs, if you find some.”

She blinked. “That’s not a problem at all. Fish this time of year are coming upstream to lay eggs, anyway. But what do you need eggs for?”

“I want to create a fish farm.” Dar stated. In full truth, he wanted to make two fish farms- one in his inner world and one near the village. But he hadn’t shared that with Mika yet.

“There’s an easier way to do that…” Mika tapped her lips, thinking. “Back in Mahaklan, they did this thing where they’d create a lake next to the river where it bends and then make a channel between the two. Fish swimming upstream to lay eggs would mistakenly go into the lake and lay their eggs. And then the channel could always be closed back off.”

Dar nodded. He hadn’t considered that, and it didn’t seem too difficult. It might be something that Glump could work on, given all the mud surrounding the river. It could be big for them the next spring if they could manage it. “How big does it need to be?”

Mika shrugged. “Not that big. But, the bigger you make it, the more it’ll provide. But you could also make really small ones and just catch the fish on their own.”

“Think when we get back, you could help Glump and I design this?”

“Of course!” She smiled.

“You are just filled with all sorts of knowledge. You should speak up more! This could really help us get sustainable meat next spring.”

Mika scratched the back of her head. “I just know a few things from living with people that Kindrake would call savages.”

“It’s a different way of living, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own benefits.” Dar grunted as he reached into the fire to poke the fish and see how warm they’d gotten. They still needed a little time. “It sounds like the Mahaklan people knew more about how to live off the land than Kindrake.”

Prompting her a bit further, Dar asked. “Anything else they did we should consider?”

But Mika shook her head. “Not that I can’t think of right now…” trailing off in thought. She shook her head one last time. “Nope. At least, for now that’s all.”

Mika paused again before she asked. “Where did that fruit you gave us come from? I don’t mean to pry, but, it seemed to come after you went into the forest? Did you find it there? I’ve never heard of or seen such a thing.”

Dar raised his eyebrow. “You could somewhat say I found it there. It involved the death of the spiders and ettercaps, which were in the forest.” Pausing, Dar considered how much he should tell her. But after their day together, he wanted to get closer to her, and they wouldn’t be able to do that without trust. He got the feeling that she’d close herself off if she sensed he didn’t trust her. Decision made, Dar continued.

“It’s all part of why I wanted the fish eggs, actually.” Dar started watching as Mika’s face twisted in confusion as she tried to guess what he was about to say.

Smiling, Dar launched into explaining his inner world and the dao tree. With each revelation, Mika’s eyes grew wider.

“So what happens if you… put me in that soil.”

Dar cringed, hating that it was her first question. But it had been Cherry’s too and he understood the concern. “I get a partially finished fruit of your dao, but I need more with the same dao to be able to get to a full fruit. While the devils seem to all be similar and there are large quantities of the same species, demons and spirits are more unique. So it’s difficult to progress using demons and spirits.” Dar paused, realizing by the look on Mika’s face that he was not doing a great job at soothing her worry.

Quickly pivoting, Dar added. “But more importantly, I would never do that to you, Mika. You mean much more to me than an opportunity to progress my dao.”

Mika nodded, a bit of her unease leaving her face. “That makes sense.”

“But, if you were to become my dao companion, I have another method to try to learn your daos that is much more fun.” Dar nudged her, wiggling his eyebrows until he saw her face light up in recognition.

She leaned forward as she whispered, “That does sound like a much better way for you to pick up a new dao.”

They stayed that way, faces close to each other, for a moment before Dar closed the distance. His lips met her eager ones, her tongue snaking out aggressively to explore him. Enjoying her soft mouth, Dar wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled her more tightly against him.

She shifted forward, moving herself into his lap to close any remaining distance. Dar nearly moaned. He’d been attracted to Mika, but kissing her had completely revved upped his feelings. There was a chemistry he couldn’t explain.

Dar went to reposition her on her back as the smell of burning hit his nostrils. Pausing, Dar looked over at the same time as Mika.

Mika jumped out of his lap. “The fish!” She ran over, working to remove them from the flames, and Dar worked to soothe the ache in his lap at her sudden departure.

“You could come back over here, and we could catch more after?” But even as he said it, Dar could see she was not going to be swayed.

“We shouldn’t be wasteful of the life they gave, Dar.” Mika pulled out a knife and started peeling back the burnt skin, removing any of the less edible areas. As her face focused on her task, Dar watched her, taking in the woman who had quickly worked deeper into his heart.