Building Harem Town 3, page 14
Penelope dipped one slender blue finger in the container of water, and when she removed the digit, she slowly trailed it across the harpy’s forehead. Then the naiad continued down Celeste’s cheek to her jawline, and the harpy let her eyes flutter shut as Penelope ended her slow trail at the slope of her neck.
The entire process looked surprisingly erotic from my view, and I tried to remain as neutral as possible about this.
“That feels nice,” Celeste murmured in a husky tone. “I wasn’t expecting anything to happen, but the water is just the right temperature to soothe my skin.”
“Let me keep helping you,” Penelope cooed.
The blue woman dipped her whole hand in the water this time, and she ran her palm across the harpy’s milky chest right beneath her slim collarbones. The water dripped down over the redhead’s perfectly round breasts, and her nipples immediately perked up under her thin, priestess robe.
Neutrality was becoming difficult.
“Goodness, that feels wonderful,” Celeste whispered, and she slowly lowered her body back down to the ground as she clutched the blanket to her dampened chest. “I think I might lie down and rest again for a bit.”
Penelope smiled sweetly and helped tuck a blanket over the red-feathered harpy, and her eyelashes floated gently downward.
“That seemed to help,” Aleia murmured under her breath. “She enjoyed your touch, sister.”
I cleared my throat to keep my mind on track.
“I want to talk to the gnomes about the towers,” I told the priestesses, and the pair stood up as quietly as possible so they could head to the fire. “We might even be able to start chopping down trees today since we have the saw, and we can even use the godly axe.”
“Those tools seem big for the gnomes,” Aleia said with doubt.
“Did you say something about us?” Balabar asked in a sharp voice as the women approached.
“I don’t know if Nicola has mentioned this to you yet,” I said to my gnomish followers, “but we have another big project coming up. We’re going to build guard towers to help protect the convent even further. How are you at working with lumber?”
“I told one of you girls about our log house, right?” Wilfrim asked. “Well, that certainly took a lot of sawing.”
“Have you seen the holy saw?” Elowise chuckled. “It’s bigger than you are, Wilfrim.”
“I do very well despite my size, Wife,” the old man said in a dry voice. “I would thank you not to laugh at my height. Besides, you’re even shorter than I am by a whole half an inch.”
“Wilfrim!” Elowise laughed. “That’s not polite.”
“You two are so cute,” Penelope said as her eyes misted over. “I imagine it’s all those years of marriage.”
“Don’t be silly, sweetheart,” the old gnomish woman laughed mischievously. “There’s plenty of real trouble between Wilfrim and me.”
“Yeah, right,” the naiad giggled and playfully rolled her eyes. “You seem very happy.”
“So, uh, back to these towers, Jack,” Balabar said in a gruff voice. “How many do you want us to build?”
“Four, so there’s one at each corner of the convent,” I explained. “They’ll be small, wooden towers with stairs leading up to them, and I want the platforms to be at least twelve-feet high.”
“I enjoy a good challenge,” the gnomish man said with a nod as he patted the legs of his tidy tan pants. “We are happy to work on your behalf, Jack.”
“It’s really for my priestesses, of course,” I responded. “Everything is to keep them safe. And if you ever need to defend yourselves behind our walls, you are always welcome as my followers.”
“Thank you, Jack,” Elowise told me. “We are lucky to have your protection, and these ferocious women, too.”
“No one’s ever called me ferocious before, but I like it,” Penelope giggled.
“Aleia’s the most ferocious,” Nicola said as she poked the fairy on the arm.
“I think you are, sister,” Aleia laughed. “I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong end of that sword of yours.”
The priestesses all giggled for a moment, and while I was tempted to let them have a relaxing day, I knew Celeste was right. The priestesses could be in some danger after rescuing the harpy, especially if she was a particularly rare hue, and it was time to get moving.
“So, when do you want to get started on these towers?” Wilfrim asked as he jumped up on his little legs and dusted off his hands.
“What about… now?” I suggested.
“Sounds like a plan!” the small man agreed, and before I knew it, my followers were off to gather their tools.
Chapter 9
The gnomes followed the priestesses to the garden, and everyone saw the new ladders for the first time.
“My, you do have a lot of holy ladders now,” Elowise admired, and her little eyes gleamed at the sight. “It will certainly be useful when we don’t all have to share.”
“How would you like to keep one of them and bring it back to your camp?” I asked.
“Don’t joke around with us, Jack,” Wilfrim chuckled. “I’m always tempted when I hear about getting a new tool. A godly one would be…”
“I’m serious,” I assured the gnome. “I’d love to give you a gift as my new devoted followers.”
“Oh, my,” Elowise tittered. “That is mighty kind of you!”
“Thank you, Jack,” Balabar said as he looked up at the sky. “Family, shall we pray?”
“There’s no need for that,” I told the gnomish man. “Just enjoy your new ladder.”
“I’ll pray in my head, then,” Balabar insisted, and he bowed his head and closed his eyes.
“We only have one saw, Jack,” Nicola mused as she walked over to the crosscut saw. “We could use some other godly ways to cut down trees.”
“Could someone use the modern axe?” Aleia asked.
“Sure, that might be easier for you gnomes,” I suggested. “Given that you might be too short to use the saw, like you were talking about earlier.”
“Are you teasing us?” Elowise tittered. “Jack, you’re funny.”
“Our lord is so wonderful,” Penelope said with a wide smile. “He’s so kind to all his followers.”
“So, we’re going to need to carry the trees back to the convent?” Balabar asked as his lips turned downward. “That sounds difficult.”
“You can cut them into boards first,” I explained. “That will make them a lot more portable.”
“And don’t forget about Aleia,” Nissa reminded her husband. “If she can carry those rocks, she can carry anything.”
“Do we have an overall plan?” Wilfrim asked. “Th-That is, I’m sure you do, Jack, but I was just hoping you might be willing to share it with us, your humble servants.”
“You don’t have to be so formal,” I chuckled. “But, yes, I have a plan. First, you’re going to cut down all the trees you need today. Use saws, axes, whatever you need to do it. Then, probably tomorrow, you can split the wood into boards. I hate to work with green wood. But it’s our only option right now, so we have to make it work.”
“We can easily do that with a wedge.” The old man nodded and looked pleased with himself. “Green wood won’t be an issue. We can replace boards if they begin to warp.”
“Great,” I said. “I also think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the new tools I have for you tomorrow.”
I’d already decided I wanted a battery-operated chainsaw, and if one was good, then three more would be even better. I was eager to test my ability to get multiples of a tool at the same time, and all the more fun to do it with power tools.
I wished I had a means of recharging the batteries, and I wondered if I’d ever gain the ability to instill holy energy into objects. The idea made me chuckle to myself a bit, but since I didn’t seem to be an all-powerful sort of god just yet, I figured we could at least get what use we could out of the chainsaws for now. Then we could store them safely in the cellars below the convent to keep them from getting damaged.
It was too bad we didn’t have the chainsaws today, but I knew the women were more than capable of serving as my lumberjacks, and the gnomes were always happy little workers.
They were already discussing who would be in charge of which step of the process today, but since Balabar and Nissa were bickering more than discussing, I decided to step in.
“Anyway,” I gently interrupted, “aside from the woodworking, you’re also going to need to fire more limestone and make cement for the posts. And then you’ll put in the posts, and build the frame with the joists, install the planks--”
“That’s a lot of steps,” Penelope giggled.
“And I haven’t even gotten to the parapet yet,” I chuckled. “Yes, it’s going to be a big job. But with the seven of you working on it, it should go relatively quickly, and it’s nothing you can’t handle. We’ll build one tower first, just to make sure it’s going to serve our needs well, and then we can move on to the other three.”
“Welp, let’s head into the woods, then,” Wilfrim announced. “Balabar, do you want to run home and get more axes from our camp?”
“Not especially,” the younger gnome grumbled. “But I suppose I can, Father. Children, come with me.”
“Okay!” Lorifer said in her squeaky little voice. The tiny red-haired girl really was adorable.
The three older gnome children followed Balabar out toward the road, and Aleia picked up the crosscut saw.
“You can all take turns with that,” I suggested. “The modern axe, too, and whatever Balabar brings back.”
“We can meet them out in the woods,” Elowise suggested. “Nissa, are you going to stay here with Roza?”
“I feel like working today,” the blonde gnome answered as she put her hands on her hips and looked down at Roza. “But I can’t really swing an axe with a baby on my chest. Penelope--”
“The answer is already yes!” The naiad clapped her pale-blue hands together. “I’d love to hold Roza.”
“Then you can watch over Celeste, too,” I suggested. “I don’t like the thought of her being here all by herself while the rest of you are out in the forest.”
“You can even keep Thunder,” Nicola offered. “He’ll help protect you.”
“Well, I’m ready to get started,” Wilfrim said and cleared his throat impatiently. “Does everyone want to go?”
“Just one thing,” I cut in. “Did you see the gloves I got you, Nicola and Aleia? There’s only one pair, but you can trade off, and they’ll help protect your hands while you work. And as for the rest of you, I wish I had something a little smaller.”
“My hands are already rough,” Wilfrim chuckled. “That’s the life of a gnome, always working.”
Nissa handed the baby to Penelope, and she, Nicola, Aleia, Wilfrim, and Elowise began their hike out into the forest.
Penelope walked over to check on Celeste, but the harpy was still sleeping, so the naiad sat down on her own blanket and put Roza down on the ground. The blue woman was as bubbly and smiley as ever while she chased the crawling baby all over the living quarters, and I was as happy as I always was when I saw my pregnant priestess with a little one.
“What type of wood do we need?” Nicola asked and brought me back to my group of workers.
“Oak would be good,” I answered. “Some type of nice hardwood.”
“I know you probably think we can’t fell trees very well, but we’re quick in the woods,” Wilfrim bragged.
“I’ve seen you be very quick,” Nicola responded. “When we fought the trolls, and when we built the wall. I would never think less of you because you’re small.”
“That’s kind of you, dear,” Elowise cooed. “Now, let me see that big axe.”
“This big one?” Nicola asked with surprise. “O-Of course, Elowise, but please don’t hurt yourself.”
“I’m fine,” the old woman chuckled. “How much harder can it be than wielding a sword?”
“It’s as long as your body,” the brunette protested.
“So’s my sword,” the old woman said in a dry voice.
“You can always give it a try,” I told Elowise, “but at any sign of trouble, you’re putting that axe down.”
“Oh, so that’s what it’s like to receive orders from a god,” the old gnome giggled girlishly. “I kind of like it.”
“Yes, it can be quite a lot fun,” Nicola snickered as Aleia’s cheeks turned bright pink.
“Hmm…” Wilfrim said with a smirk on his face. “You women.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Elowise asked as she poked her husband in the side.
“Oh, nothing at all…” the old man said as he rolled his eyes playfully.
“Elowise, I’m sure you know how to cut down a tree because your family built their own log houses, right?” I asked the gray-haired woman.
“Of course,” the old gnome scoffed. “Although, it’s been many years. I didn’t build much after I had my son, and we were pretty well-settled after that.”
“I can teach her,” Nicola chimed in. The brunette’s eyes brightened with excitement as she looked at Elowise. “First, you’re going to want to cut a notch into the side of the tree you want to fell. Then, you’re going to cut a notch a little higher on the opposite side of the trunk and keep chopping until the tree starts to fall, and then… run out of the way!”
“Of course, dear, I remember now,” Elowise said as she patted the brunette on her lower back. “I’m more than capable of that. Well, should we get started?”
The old woman walked over to a huge oak, lifted the modern axe over her shoulder with two hands, and chopped into the trunk with a surprisingly strong stroke.
“Nice work, Wife,” Wilfrim praised. “I’ve always known how strong you are.”
“Right,” Elowise gasped as she wiped her hand on her long, patchwork skirts. “Now there’s nothing to do but keep going.”
The old gnome followed Nicola’s instructions until the stout tree crashed onto the forest floor, and everyone clapped for the small woman.
Balabar and the children had returned by now with their own small axes in hand, and I was impressed at the quality of their gnomish tools. They had small iron blades set into solid wood handles, and while they looked quite worn from years of hard work, they were holding up well.
The group began to cut down trees, and by mid-afternoon, four oaks rested on the ground. I could tell my followers were getting tired, though, so I decided to give them the rest of the day off.
“That’s your last tree, at least for today,” I told the gnomes and the priestesses as a fifth oak fell with a thundering crash. “Go ahead and stop.”
“That’s kind of you,” Aleia responded, though the strong little fairy didn’t look tired in the slightest.
“I wonder how Penelope’s doing,” Nissa said in a slightly fretful tone.
“Let me see…” I responded.
I zoomed in on the living quarters, and the naiad had apparently fallen asleep with Roza at her side. The maternal vision in front of me was more than adorable, and I drifted off for a moment imagining the cerulean woman with our own child nestled in safe beside her sleeping form.
“Are they alright?” Aleia asked after a few seconds.
“Oh, um, yeah,” I replied. “Penelope fell asleep, though.”
“Is she watching Roza?” Nissa sounded slightly alarmed.
“Roza’s asleep right next to her,” I reported. “They’re fine.”
“How’s Celeste?” Nicola questioned. “Does she look healthier?”
I focused on the harpy, and, to my surprise, she was sitting up and looking at Penelope and Roza with a bemused expression.
“She’s awake,” I told the brunette. “One of you should go look in on them, but I don’t want to wake Penelope if I don’t have to.”
“I think we should head out,” Wilfrim said as he scratched his head. “You have a lot going on right now, and we can have dinner back at the camp.”
“You need to talk to Penelope about her garden soon,” Aleia told Elowise. “It’s very special.”
When the naiad had watered seeds with blessed water from the stream, it had magically sped up their growth. It wasn’t quite time for any harvests, but I’d noticed a few budding berries in the mix recently, and the seemingly-miraculous occurrence made me feel a lot better about being able to sustain my women properly. Still, the blue priestess hadn’t had a chance to tell the gnomes about it yet.
“I’ll ask her tomorrow, dear,” Elowise said with a yawn. “Oh, my, it is early to be getting this tired.”
“Too much work with the holy axe, my love,” Wilfrim said as he came up behind the old woman and put an arm around her shoulders. “We’re not young gnomes anymore.”
“I’m not giving up on life yet,” the old woman responded in a merry tone. “See you in the morning, girls. Please tell Penelope we said good night, and I wanted to let you know I ground some of the healing herbs into powder and left it in a small bowl next to your fire. If Celeste gets too ill to speak again, you can mix it with some hot water for her.”
“Thank you, Elowise,” Aleia said with a smile. “That was so kind of you.”
“And let’s not forget to thank Jack,” Balabar reminded the rest of his family. “We shouldn’t leave the convent without praying at least once. My lord, do you wish for us to go to the altar?”
“Um… here is fine?” I replied.
“Go ahead, Balabar,” his mother said. “Lead us all in a blessing.”
“Yes, ahem,” the small man cleared his throat. “Thank you, our lord, for keeping us safe, and for sustaining us, and, um… uh….”
“And for your kindness, of course, my lord.” Nissa dusted off her hands on her skirt. “Thank you, Jack. Balabar, I’m very tired, so let’s go. I’ll snatch Roza back from Penelope, but I’ll try not to wake anyone.”
“Let’s go check on the sleepyhead and see what Celeste is doing,” Aleia said as she bounced up and down. “And then we can eat.”
“Speaking of eating, I’m going to check the snare,” Nicola said. “A rabbit would make for an easy meal.”
