[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.”

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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.

“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.

“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.