Tribe Master 4: A Fantasy Harem Adventure Page 7

  The elf at the ship’s helm continued to shout orders, and I was beginning to wonder who the hell was in charge of this whole operation.

  After we successfully commanded the ship into the estuary, though, I reminded myself that even if I was the master, we needed Archie’s expertise to keep the operation running at all.

  With the estuary turning into a straight shot for at least another mile and the ship’s hull completely intact, Archie had proved himself to be the right man for the job.

  We continued east for some time before the river steadily tapered south, just as Elera had said. We were well beyond the main river of Agraria now and into what felt like our own private section.

  As I looked around at the quiet jungle, possibilities appeared everywhere. Ever since Alorion and I had extended the boundary of the land, even by the mere amount of ten yards beyond what I had been given when I first became master of the Arakin Tribe, the thought of expanding our reach into the unclaimed wilds was becoming more attractive.

  I wondered how far a tribe’s reach could be extended. Power was fleeting; it was difficult enough to take hold of, and even more difficult to keep a hold on it.

  But the land of Agraria was ripe for the taking, and god knew it needed someone to bring this civilisation forward.

  ‘Another mile south,’ Elera said. ‘I’ve found the perfect spot for us to dock the ship.’

  ‘Somewhere secluded?’ I asked.

  ‘Somewhere very hidden,’ Elera answered excitedly, ‘and its very close to the land, too, only a short distance away.’

  We continued for a few hundred yards, slowing the ship at Elera’s command, until she pointed to the spot in question.

  ‘Right there.’

  I wasn’t keeping my hopes up considering Elera’s perception of things were occasionally a little eccentric and naïve, but she was right; this spot was perfect.

  While the estuary proceeded ahead for a few hundred yards and tapered off east again up ahead, on our right there was a large, deep pool measuring thirty yards in diameter, narrowly connected to the river. Its place was hidden by the low-hanging branches and shrubbery of trees that hung over the entrance, making it hardly noticeable to any passing ships.

  ‘This will work nicely,’ Captain Archie agreed. ‘Let’s bring her around then detach my boat and pull it to shore. If she remains attached at the bow she may drift around and into the river and garner unwanted attention.’

  Parallel parking and three-point turns in a car were one thing, but fighting the current and commanding the wind in our favour with pinpoint precision to hide The Bastion was an ordeal.

  We had to be mindful of a laundry list of variables, not least the possibility that the ship might become caught on a rock beneath the waters, or that the sails would be destroyed by the branches.

  After half an hour of careful guiding and yelling at each other, The Bastion was hidden comfortably in the miniature bay among the trees, latched to the trunk of a large nearby tree with several ropes.

  Captain Archie and I dragged his smaller boat up to the shoreline enough so that it would not drift away, and the four of us looked upon our work.

  ‘Well, that could’ve gone worse,’ Lara remarked, folding her arms and nodding up at the ship. ‘Not bad for a day’s work.’

  ‘Almost,’ I said. ‘Now we just need to get back and make sure that Alorion’s okay.’ I turned to Elera. ‘Think you know the way back from here?’

  ‘Definitely. I would know the direction to our cave from anywhere.’

  Elera’s ability to sense the location of bodies of water was uncanny, and that cave had been her hideaway more than any of ours considering the abundance of water that flowed through it.

  My nymph led our group through the forest at a quick pace for miles until the entrance to our hidden cave came into view, and from there we headed just a few hundred yards further to the land.

  Once inside from the southern entrance, I laid eyes on the horses in the pasture being tended to by Santana. They had made it back fine, which meant Alorion was fine too.

  I asked Lara and Elera to give Captain Archie a quick tour of the land, but he had other ideas.

  ‘Even if I am a member of your tribe now, I would prefer to keep some level of independence,’ he said. ‘I prefer life on the water. I will sleep at the ship if you do not mind.’

  ‘Can I trust you not to sail away with it? You know I’ll kill you dead if you do, right?’

  ‘I would expect nothing less. And besides, if you are this benevolent in improving my image, what use would it be to betray you?’

  ‘At least you’re honest.’

  I shook hands with him and he took off back to the ship. I trusted Archie for the most part. He may have been a drunk, but he was an honest drunk.

  Time would tell whether that was a mistake.

  In the meantime, I took off to find Alorion, knowing that he was around here somewhere. I found him by the northern lookout post, his feet up and a book in his lap.

  ‘Slow poke,’ he grinned at me. ‘I jest, but it is a delight to see you, Jack.’

  ‘You too, man.’

  ‘What happened out there that demanded such a hasty departure?’

  I told Alorion the entire story from finding Talia to killing the goons to making our escape.

  ‘Quite the adventure,’ Alorion laughed. ‘And what happened to this stowaway?’

  ‘She took off at a riverside trading post.’

  ‘Just like that?’

  ‘Just like that.’

  ‘A pity. It is always useful to add members to our tribe.’

  ‘True, but once we get out there and free some slaves we can move forward on that front.’

  ‘It is a risky endeavour.’

  ‘You’re telling me. That group we ran into were just acquiring one individual they considered to be valuable.’

  ‘I know little of the slave trade, other than it is very prosperous. To speak frankly, to call someone a citizen, as you do, takes work. We live together, we work together, we eat together. We have happy lives, and you have provided that for the members of this tribe.

  ‘But slaves, Jack? You have seen for yourself with the fox-people. Their owners can treat them with the least possible care, with the least possible food. They are like livestock to their owners. As long as they are kept alive, their treatment as a living being is secondary. It reduces the costs to the tribe, especially when one has many slaves, as some tribes do.’

  I took a deep breath and looked out at the quiet forest.

  ‘As your advisor, may I ask you something?’ Alorion continued.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘What features have you seen in the leaders of this land? The ones you have met, I mean.’

  I considered the point for a moment.

  ‘In Werger… Brutality, ferocity… Being a complete sociopath. In Artrix, a stoic face and a mind to consider the movements of his enemies. And the wood-elf tribe mater… Anger, ferocity and savagery.’

  ‘Two of those died at your hand,’ Artrix replied. ‘But still, one cannot ascend to such a position without displaying a mix of all of those things. All leaders are murderers. They defend their lands, but they must kill others sooner or later. They care for their people, but must also be content with laying waste to others. That happened at the wood-elf land, did it not?’

  ‘Yeah, but that was more Zagor’s doing, not mine, and I didn’t know that he was going to be unleashed.’

  ‘But it was also Artrix’s plan, was it not?’

  I paused. He was right.

  ‘Yeah… He was going to kill all of them.’

  ‘Three tribe masters you have met so far, and they all displayed great ferocity. As have you, but the time will come when you need to go further. You must be prepared for when that time comes. Difficult decisions always lie ahead, no matter how powerful you become. Even a king who would rule this entire land will face rebellion from the tribes under his law, even when he
is benevolent and kind. There are always those that seek independence.

  ‘And what does a king who faces such a challenge do? Allow them their independence, and all of the others who would also want it? Or crush it quickly to preserve order and to prevent a full-blown rebellion?’

  Alorion and I shared a long look.

  ‘I think that ends the philosophy lesson for today,’ he smiled.

  ‘No, you’re right,’ I laughed. ‘You’re always right. I hate that.’

  ‘Guilty.’

  I let my mind rest for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest. Moments of calm outside of my bedroom were rare.

  And of course it was interrupted, but by one of my own thoughts.

  ‘The fox-people,’ I said, sitting suddenly and looking over to the closest lookout post where one resided. ‘They were placed into slavery after Ariadne’s tribe was overrun. Ariadne was caught by Cobb, but they’ll have seen the inner workings of the slave trade.’

  ‘I thought you were not going to discuss it with them after the death of their kin.’

  ‘I know,’ I said, standing and looking down to the forest just outside the northern gate before us. It was where we had built a small cemetery to house the first of my fallen tribe members. ‘But if it means freeing more innocent people from what they had to endure, then I’m sure they’d be willing to help.’

  I had largely left the fox-people to themselves since bringing them to my tribe. That was the way they preferred it; they contributed and worked as part of the collective of our wider group, but for the most part preferred to keep to themselves.

  Their de-facto leader was a male in his thirties called Ash, if he could even be called a leader; he was the one who had put himself forward to speak whenever we had previously met. He was reluctant to be in charge, but so are most people in times of need.

  He was situated at the eastern lookout post, and after arriving and sitting down in the wicker chair next to him, I got straight to the issue at hand.

  ‘The slavers?’ He repeated, chewing one of many leaves that were stacked in his hand. ‘Why would you want to know about them?’

  ‘Because I’m thinking about paying a visit to some of them.’

  ‘You…’ Ash choked, gulping down a leaf and gawking up at me. ‘You’re thinking about buying slaves?’

  ‘No, no. We’re going to free them. That’s my intention, anyway.’

  Ash nodded and paused, rubbing a leaf nervously between his fingers.

  ‘I apologise if it brings up bad memories for you,’ I continued. ‘I can’t imagine what it was like to have to endure that, and to see your people put through it. I’m not going to pretend that I know what it feels like, either. But we can help free others who have been put into captivity and bring them into this tribe. We can give them a better life.’

  He finally nodded at me.

  ‘When our tribe was overrun many of our kind were killed. We numbered in the forties, but by the end there were just six of us, seven if you were to count Ariadne. We ran, as any would, but just as we crawled out of one hole, we ended up falling into the depths of others.

  ‘A group of warriors stumbled upon us and took us captive. They shackled us and sold us to a slaver cheaply. Just to get us out of their hands, that was what they said. From there we marched further west until we arrived at… The Market.’

  ‘I’m guessing this wasn’t the kind of market that sells seeds and livestock.’

  ‘Not exactly,’ Ash gulped deeply. ‘We were blindfolded for much of our time there. I don’t know where it was or what direction we took to get there, but I remember some things. Hard stone floors, bidding, stretches of silence, numbers called out in many different voices… Then we changed hands. We were moved as possessions to the land of Werger, the man you killed. He posted the high bid for us.

  ‘You know the rest of the story. He put us to work in the mine beneath his land, searching for precious ores until our hands bled and our backs were on the verge of breaking. Sometimes I thought that he had had people there before us…’

  ‘Why do you think that?’

  ‘There were a few boarded-up sections down there. Probably just shafts where his guards had been digging before we arrived. I asked once, and was told it was none of my business. But considering how he kept us… I wouldn’t be surprised if he had dumped the bodies of his previous slaves down there. We never saw any sign of others. He fed us just enough to keep us alive… Not enough for Tiran, though.’

  He paused as a tear rolled down his cheek. He lowered his head solemnly.

  ‘I’m sorry for reminding you of this.’

  ‘You didn’t. I can’t forget. Forgetting would disgrace my fallen kin, not just Tiran, but all of my tribe. And I will not forget what you did for us.’

  ‘It was pure chance that it happened to be your tribe that I found down there. But whether it was you or anybody else doesn’t matter. It wasn’t who you were, it was the simple fact of how you were being kept. I don’t stand for slavery. It’s the one thing I won’t tolerate.’

  ‘Are you a vengeful man?’

  ‘Yes,’ I replied without hesitation. ‘I can’t just let wrongdoings be carried out against me or my people and let them slide. I have let men go in the past – goblins too, now. But my temper is starting to run short.’

  Ash smiled at me warmly.

  ‘Then you will be happy to hear me tell you that I believe that, after going through it myself and seeing it done to my kin, every slave should be freed, and every slaver have his throat cut.’

  He offered a hand for me to shake, and I damn well took it.

  ***

  After completing my work for the day I turned in to bed with the girls and got some much-needed rest. I planned to awake early to improve livestock numbers and defences at the Rourke Homestead, then to cross over to the new land to investigate the mine further, but the world had different plans in mind for me, both good and bad.

  Elera took off to the hidden cave early on and Ariadne decided to tag along, leaving Santana and Lara by my sides. I drifted back to sleep, indulging in a dream of my wives fighting each other to pleasure me as much as they could.

  But I didn’t need dreams for that; I was living it.

  Men were more virile in the morning, and awaking to feel my cock throbbing with hardness only served to remind me of it; fortunately Santana and Lara were way ahead of me.

  I awoke to the sensation of their hands lightly running over shaft, Lara’s hand at the base and Santana’s closer to the head, both jerking me playfully.

  Santana’s strokes became longer and smoother as Lara’s slender fingers descended to my balls, toying with me teasingly.

  ‘Is there a better way to wake up than this?’ I said, wrapping my arms around Santana’s tight, pale body and Lara’s curves.

  ‘There is always a better way,’ Lara whispered, pushing the sheets back and sinking down the bed. She positioned herself between my muscular legs as Santana continued to tease me with her long, slow jerks.

  I turned to kiss Santana passionately, sliding a hand between her legs to find her pussy already soaked and waiting for me. She moaned at my touch.

  ‘Fuck…’ I groaned out, feeling Lara finally wrap her lips around my balls and lap at me wildly.

  Lara eyed me intensely as her tongue teased me. Her eyes drifted over to look at Santana as they pleasured me. Santana’s pulled away from me and moved towards Lara, her red hair framing her pretty face as she ran her teeth over my toned pecs and defined abs, drifting lower and lower…

  Lara shifted up to join her as both of them pressed their tongues to my shaft and licked me ferociously, staring up at me with wide, lustful eyes.

  I pushed myself up to sit against the headboard, running my hands into my wives’ soft hair. Indulging in the feeling of their mouths was heavenly, and it only got better when Lara propped herself up and ran my hard cock against her large breasts.

  I moaned out again, my abs tens
ing up.

  ‘I think he likes that,’ Lara giggled with Santana. She took one of her large, soft breasts in her hand, then the other, and proceeded to engulf my dick in between them.

  Santana watched intently, running her hand between her legs and tantalising herself as Lara pumped her huge mounds faster and faster on me. Her huge breasts felt unbelievable against me, but she wasn’t done with me yet.

  She bit her lip, glaring up at me with a smouldering look, slowing her pace suddenly but pushing her soft tits even harder against me in long, hard strokes.

  My head pressed back against the headboard as I closed my eyes, desperate to cover my wives in my seed but intent on holding on just a little longer.

  My wives returned to licking at me, soaking my cock with their mouths.

  ‘Do what you will with us, master,’ Santana moaned hotly.

  I couldn’t resist their temptations any longer. I moved from the bed as Santana fell onto her back before me. She gazed up at me intensely, opening her legs and exposing her pale, tight, toned body completely.

  I moved my throbbing cock between her legs, running my length against her.

  ‘Look how big he is,’ Lara said with deep impression, lying by Santana’s side and watching in anticipation. ‘We have made him so hard…’

  ‘And he has made me so wet…’

  I slid my cock down between Santana’s legs and pushed into her tight wetness. Her soaked walls tensed against my ridges as I thrust into her steadily, her eyes going wider the deeper I went, until I had filled her completely.

  ‘Oh, gods… Take me, master…’

  I commanded Santana, my strong body thrusting into her over and over until we had worked into a perfect rhythm.

  ‘Fuck, yes… Yes!’

  Santana’s hands ran up my forearms, gripping at my skin tightly as I fucked her harder and harder.

  I groaned like an animal, intent on controlling my body, but Santana suddenly pulled me into her as she gripped my forearms, holding me inside of her and grinding her tight pussy up against me.

  ‘Oh, fuck…’

  My whole body tensed as I came into Santana’s tight walls, pumping my hot seed into her as I came hard. I filled her so much that it was spilling out around the base of my shaft and dripping down her skin.