The Fractured World, page 18
I grinned. “You said it yourself. I’m very stressed.”
“Then there is more we must do,” Casella said.
“Well, yeah. Like I’d be letting him get away with not making me cum,” Trez said.
“You know I’m not a guy who’d leave you hang—”
The two shoved me to the ground.
“Talk’s cheap,” Trez said. “I want results.”
“I would also like the same thing, if that’s not too much of a bother,” Casella said.
Bother? Never.
For a time, our worries were forgotten in place of hedonism. I gave them everything they wanted and in return they gave me what I needed.
In one moment, I was on my back with Trez riding on my lap and Casella losing herself to my mouth. In the next, she was trapped under me while my tongue danced wickedly with Trez’s.
Positions passed by and roles changed as our sweat-soaked flesh clashed. Moans echoed, pleasure surged, and bodies trembled in the height of the moment.
One round. Two. Three. Four. It wasn’t enough. We regressed into primal beasts who only sought each other. My entire world became concentrated on the two of them.
What a wonderful world it was.
I can’t tell you how many times we did it nor can I tell you how long it lasted. There’s only one thing I can say with the utmost certainty. It was a night that I would never be able to forget.
Unlike falling asleep.
The first I knew about my collapse was the jab of well-angled sunbeams poking me through my eyelids.
Light? Morning? What?
I jumped up from the floor and looked around. Casella and Trez weren’t anywhere in view.
Where are they? Are they okay?
Something monstrous flashed from my memories.
“Morning,” Faris said, knocking me out of my stupor.
I’d been so fixated on the others I’d glazed over her. She was huddled near the fire in a stack of insulating layers.
“Where are they?” I asked.
“They’re fine,” she said, nudging her head. “Check outside.”
I rushed into the blinding light of a clear morning. They weren’t around the cave, but I could sense them nearby. I charged through the forest and into the clearing overcast by the cliff’s shadow.
Casella squealed as she fell from above.
I yelled her name with all my strength.
She landed on her tush with a gentle pat. While rubbing her heinie better, she glanced at me. “Is something the matter, my Brandon?”
I blinked in the face of her coolness. “You were just falling?”
“And?”
I couldn’t even think about how to respond.
“Such a small fall is nothing to worry about,” Casella said as she stood and wiped the snow from her fur-covered behind.
“Yeah, seriously,” Trez agreed. “This one’s a lot tougher than she looks. And here I thought all your zerrin lasses were supposed to be pampered do-nothings.”
“Maybe once upon a time. No longer. I will not be a burden. I will be a mate my Brandon can be proud of.” Casella jammed a pair of makeshift knives into the wall and tried to drag herself to nirvana.
It worked for the first couple of feet before she was deposited back down with a snow-buffeting thud.
“I don’t think this is going to work,” Casella said. “This wall is too crumbly. It falls to pieces at a moment’s notice.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed that myself,” Trez said, rubbing a hand across the surface. “Even when I’m going up, I’m having to watch myself.”
“Perhaps it’s just this section? Elsewhere may be sturdier.”
“I guess it’s possible… not that I’m counting on it.”
“Then we’ll just need to find another solution, yes?”
I gawked at the two of them like the biggest fool in town. “You’ve been working on finding a way up?”
“Well, duh. Ain’t that obvious?” Trez said.
“Trez has already been to the top,” Casella told me. “She said it’s positively wondrous.”
“True that. Gorgeous, it is. All lush and green and warm as fuck. Only stayed for a pop and my clothes were all sticky.” She fanned herself using her top. “Faris would love it up there. You too.”
“Which is why we’re in no mood for giving up. We’re going to find a way up if it’s the last thing we do.”
I was transfixed by their positivity. Where I’d fallen, they’d excelled. Unlike me, they hadn’t lost their heads at the first hurdle.
“You two are amazing,” I muttered.
A blush and a smile warmed them both.
“Like I don’t already know that,” Trez said. “You’re so lucky to have me.”
“I’d like to concur, but I still feel like the luckiest zerrin there’s ever been,” Casella said before breaking out in giggles. “And I’m so glad you’re looking better today, my Brandon.”
“Forget looking. I’m feeling better,” I said. “I’m also feeling like a jackass for turning into such a pain the backside.”
“As long as you are back to the Brandon we all know and love.” Casella’s corresponding smile was powerful enough to lessen the burden on any who faced it.
Its all-loving embrace washed over me.
I’m the luckiest guy in the universe. What have I to mope about?
Just because I’ve failed in the past doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.
The trouble-making cliff stood before me, hiding away the land of idealized warmth we sought to make our own. Physically, it was as tall as ever. Despite that, it seemed smaller. It was no longer the intimidating beast which had once sapped my confidence. It was a boss waiting to be beat.
“So, we just need a way to get everyone up top?” I said.
“You have an idea?” Casella replied.
I closed my eyes shook my head. “Not yet but I’m sure I’ll think of something.” Inspiration replaced fear. I was a man with the power to surpass the expected. My defeat would not come at the hands of a wall. I would find a way to get us all to the tropical promise land.
Get ready, you big rocky bastard. You’ve messed with the wrong guy.
If it means protecting my girls, there’s nothing I won’t do.
Nothing I can’t do.
Something bubbled up in the back of my mind. A certain idea that brought a grin to my lips.
Oh, it’s amazing what a clear head and the right inspiration can do.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. I was about to overcome gravity itself. And the ingredients I needed were right at my fingertips.
Chapter 21
A rhythmic bang echoed through the forest.
I stood back and wiped the sweat from my brow as another tree fell with an anti-climactic thud.
That should be enough.
Gathering wood was the easiest part of this whole process. Molding it into my envisioned shape was when things got complicated. Still, I had a big advantage on my side called super strength. I didn’t need to be a whittling expert when I could muscle my way to success. It was the only reason I could play lumberjack when all I had were stone tools.
“That’s a lot of wood,” Trez said as she plodded over.
“I’ll need at least this much,” I said. “How about you? Found what I asked for?”
She slid around her rucksack and opened it up, revealing a bounty of tendrils. “Here you are. All the leaves you could ever need.”
“Hmm, gather some more just to be safe.”
Her cocky smirk vanished. “How many of these do you need?”
“As many as we can get,” I said, taking her and the bag to our cave.
Casella and Faris were watching our camp. Well, it was more that Faris was resting while Casella played lookout. Her face lit up when she saw me.
“You return,” Casella said.
I pecked her lips. “That I do.”
“Are things progressing?” Faris asked from her prime position in front of the fire.
“We’re getting there. I’ve got all the wood we need and Trez just finished collecting the most important piece of the puzzle.” I dropped the bag that was overflowing with leaves.
The girls stared at the rucksack.
“This is your plan?” Faris said.
“Don’t judge before you’ve seen the final product,” I said.
“Whatever will that be?” Casella asked.
“A fair question. We’re going to be utilizing the pulley method, one as old as time itself. Or at least whenever somebody first came up with the idea.” Physics, I could handle. History, not so much. “And for that we’re going to need rope.”
Casella took a leaf and curled it out until she had reached her full arm span. There was still leaf to spare. “They are long, my Brandon, but I don’t see how they will help. The cliff is so much taller than they are.” Ten foot of plucked tendril couldn’t compare to a hundred foot of immutable stone.
“That’s only if they’re separate. These leaves are a bit like us. Together, they’re strong. There’s nothing they can’t do.”
Casella was completely enchanted my explanation.
The others looked less convinced.
“I’m serious,” I said. “These leaves might look like nothing but they’re the key to our escape. Haven’t you heard of strength in numbers?”
“Not when discussing leaves, I ain’t,” Trez said.
“It’ll work. Trust me. What we need to do is combine these leaves together. Twist them, fold them, anything to make them one. If we use enough, we’ll be able to create a giant natural rope.” I attempted a demonstration. My fingers fumbled and didn’t do anything useful. At most, I ripped the goods. That was what I got for overloading strength and leaving my dexterity stat to wither.
“I know I’m supposed to be all supportive and stuff… but are you having a breakdown?” Trez said.
I grunted as I tried to force the tendrils to conform to my will over and over again.
The most I produced was a crumpled zigzag.
“You require something like this, yes?” Casella said as she deftly wrapped the tendrils together.
“Yes! Just like that!” I cheered.
She giggled. “I thought it seemed ever so similar to plaiting hair. I did good, yes?”
“You did amazingly,” I said, rewarding her with a kiss.
“Oi, don’t forget who brought them,” Trez said.
“Look who’s getting jealous again,” I teased.
Trez waved it away. “What can I say? I’m selfish. I see something nice and I want it too.”
I gave her what she asked for. “There’s another waiting if you bring some more.”
“Suddenly, I’m feeling all motivated,” Trez said.
“Me too,” Casella said as she started weaving. Her hands performed the job immaculately.
I grinned. Who knew we had a master craftswoman on our team? At this rate, we’d be done in a flash.
There was only one person excluded.
Faris stared at Casella. You didn’t need to be a mind reader to tell that she wanted to be involved. She was sick of being a liability.
And I didn’t like seeing her unhappy.
“Hey, Faris,” I said. “Ever weaved before?”
Faris jerked. “No,” she mumbled.
“Think it’s too late to learn?”
“I… suppose not.”
I grinned. “Hey, Casella. Think you could teach Faris how to do that?”
Casella’s star-colored eyes twinkled. “Me? Teach Faris?” Glee lit up her features. “I would love to!” Before needing an invitation, she shuffled right over and invaded Faris’s personal space. “Please allow me to assist. I promise to make you the best braider on this side of the universe.”
“You don’t need to go that far,” a flushed Faris muttered.
“I insist! Here. Allow me to show you.” Casella’s fingers took to dancing with expert precision.
Faris stared, totally transfixed. Determination lit up her once downcast eyes.
This role reversal was already going better than I ever could have hoped. I smiled and dragged myself away from the heart-warming sight so I could get started on the meat of the project.
There were two main ingredients I needed to complete my pulley device. One was the pulley itself. The other was a lift. Neither needed to be a work of art. The most important thing was that they did their job.
My first focus was the pulley itself. If I couldn’t make one, there was no reason to waste my time making an entire platform.
And here I thought Keith had prepared me for anything.
What an oversight, never teaching me how to make a lift out of wood.
It was time to freestyle things with help from my good friend common sense.
I found the thickest branch I could, peeled off the bark, and hacked it down to a cylinder. Then I took a rock and started grinding. This was the most important part. It had to be smooth if we didn’t want any problems. I wasn’t going to do anything that put the girls in danger.
It was yet another task made easier by being Casella’s mate. Even then it was a tiring pain in the ass. I seemed to be at it for age, doing nothing but grinding away the impurities. Not that I cared about how tedious it was when the end result was escape from our predicament.
The ends result wasn’t perfect, but it was the best an amateur craftsman like me could do.
“So, what is it?” Trez asked.
I bounced out of my skin. “When did you get here?”
“Ages ago. You were totally absorbed in your handymanning. It was kinda cute.”
My cheeks grew hotter. “You could have said.”
“And interrupt your private time? No thank you.” She flopped herself on my back and draped her arms down my shoulders. “Still ain’t answered my question, lover.”
“It’s a pulley,” I said. “You loop a rope around and use it to pull things up.”
Her expression lit up. “Oh! Now I see what you’re going for.”
Which meant earlier she was just blindly following me.
No pressure.
“Genius, am I right?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I gotta give you some marks. I never thought of it. Never heard of it before though.”
“You lot are too used to your space age technology. I bet you have lifts using anti-gravity.”
“Obviously.”
Wow, I was actually right. And that sounds kind of awesome.
No, not awesome. I’m supposed to be stanning the wonders of simpler technology.
I shook away my sci-fi fantasies. “Anti-gravity can’t save us now. What we need is an anchor point.” I glanced up at the looming giant awaiting our challenge. “You’ve been up there. How’s the tree situation?”
“There’s plenty. It’s pretty much a jungle,” Trez said.
“We need a big sturdy tree close to the edge. One with its branches encroaching would be ideal.”
She dropped a fresh bag of tendrils at my side and stretched her limbs. “Don’t worry, I can take a hint. You toy around with your wood. I’ll go get stuff done.”
“Wait, before you go.” I hopped up and gave her a kiss. “As promised.”
She grinned before licking her lips. “I wonder what I’ll get for this discovery.”
“If it helps us escape, anything you want.”
Trez shuddered and nibbled her outstretched finger. “I’ll hold you to that, lover. Let’s just say your tongue should be ready for a long one.”
“Get me out of this snow and you can have it all night.”
She pretty much jumped for joy before setting off. Her nimble body shot up the cliff and made scaling its face look as simple as walking or talking.
If it truly were, I wouldn’t have needed to waste time leveling up my crafting.
While she explored, I got started on the main body of the lift. It was time to make good use of all those trees I’d collected.
I hadn’t chosen willy-nilly. I’d aimed for trees of a similar width. After I was done hacking off their branches and cutting them down, they became a pile of near identical logs.
My next job involved cutting notches into the logs. They would help hold the foundations together. This thing breaking was not an option.
Once I was feeling good, I forced them together into a frame.
“Not bad,” I whispered to myself.
“It does look kinda fancy,” Trez said, making me jump again.
“Would you stop doing that?” I said.
“Pff. You’re the one who keeps being distracted. Ain’t you supposed to have super perception or something?”
“That’s saved for threats. Not mates.”
She snorted. “Alright, I get it. Now what’s this gonna end up looking like?”
“Help me and I’ll show you.”
Together we tied the framework’s corners together using leaf rope. Once it was pulled tight, it would take a lot more than a bit of fidgeting to make everything crumble.
From there, we slid in the extra logs. They slotted together like sardines before I tied them to the foundations. It created a firm base pretty much identical to a log raft.
“Hey, not too shabby,” Trez said.
I stepped on and jumped up and down.
“Whoa! You trying to break it?!” she said.
“Partially,” I said without stopping. “If it breaks from this, it’s not good enough to carry anyone else.”
“I guess you’ve got a point…”
There was no reason to be concerned. The base remained intact.
“Good job,” Trez said, patting my back.
“It’s not quite finished,” I said. “There’s still work to be done.”
“Well, ain’t you working yourself to the bone.”
“This is nothing. I’d walk over hot coals if it meant getting you all to safely.”
She grinned. “Don’t forget, I can run away at any moment if need be.”
I wrapped an arm around her hips. “Not if I do this.”
“Hey!” Trez giggled as she squirmed around in my arms.
Her lithe frame couldn’t beat my strength. The most she could do was wiggle and grind the stiff point of her nipples into my chest.
I swallowed a throaty growl. “I’ll let you go when you promise to behave.”
