Building Harem Town 8, page 23
“Uh…” I mumbled and craned my neck to admire the view.
“Well, we’ve already seen how some of our powers can mix,” Nicola chuckled. “I suppose we can just try out different combinations.”
“Some of them might not merge well.” I nodded and brought my attention away from my naiad’s ass. “But we can definitely make some awesome weapons here. We’re about to unlock a whole new level of warrior queens.”
“I want to try with Aleia,” Penelope said. “She’s only just realized her powers, and I’m dying to see what else she can do with them!”
“Let’s do it,” I agreed. “I want you both to focus on your powers as you stand side by side, and the rest of you take a few steps back.”
The fairy and the naiad joined hands as the others watched, and I didn’t really know what to expect. I had no idea what water powers and alchemy could do when combined, but I was excited to find out.
Penelope muttered quietly to herself as she raised her hands into the air, and Aleia scowled adorably as she focused. Then blue light erupted from Penelope’s palms just as gold danced around Aleia’s. For several seconds, the two forces built up until I had to squint to look at them, but then the two colors shot out onto the ground.
And they created a slab of golden material.
“What is it?” Aleia asked as I crouched down, and I was surprised to find the shining metal was freezing cold.
“It’s… golden ice,” I said slowly. “Holy shit.”
“That’s amazing!” Nieva said. “Think of all the things you could build with that!”
I stomped down on the slab to find that it didn’t break under my godly strength. Not even a second kick caused any kind of crack.
“It’s so strong,” Celeste gasped.
“You could make a bridge!” Nicola said as she hurried forward. “Maybe you could build one over the ocean!”
“I don’t know,” I said with a frown. “This stuff is clearly strong as all hell, but that wouldn’t stop sea monsters from reaching up to grab people. I’ve seen the size of those things, and I have no doubts that they could clear any bridges we built.”
“We could make it reeeally high!” Aleia said. “They can’t reach us if we’re basically in the clouds!”
“Why don’t you get some practice, then,” I chuckled. “Try and make a slope down from the wolves’ cave.”
The two women hurried over to the nearby hillside, and I looked between the three other priestesses.
Nicola’s gift was so specific to animals that I wasn’t sure how to mix it with the other two. I had already seen it work so well with Penelope, though, so I knew it was possible to cross with others.
“Celeste and Nieva,” I said. “What do you think about creating some kind of firestorm?”
The winged women grinned at each other, and they shot into the air as they circled around slowly.
“This is going to be amazing,” Nicola said as we stared up at them.
Nieva tilted her head back as she moved her palms slowly upward, and Celeste flew around as she transformed into her battle bird form.
She had mastered the switch now, and I was so proud of how hard she had worked to perfect it. Her pale skin was replaced with fiery feathers, and she shot an intense ball of flames from her talons.
The dragon queen waved her hands as the fire soared over the sky, and the flames suddenly turned into an orange cloud. Droplets of burning fire rained down from it, and I grabbed Nicola to pull her out of the way.
The tiny spots of fire crashed into the valley and hissed as blades of grass were burned to a crisp.
It was one hell of a weapon.
“Fuck,” I said as I held onto Nicola’s waist. “Imagine that over our enemies’ heads!”
“A whole storm full of it!” Nicola cried as she jumped up and down. “Together you could brew the deadliest, stormiest weapon imaginable!”
“Keep practicing,” I called. “But make sure you don’t hurt anyone underneath!”
The two flying women soared over to an empty corner of the valley and continued to create an even bigger burning cloud. It was like watching a floating fire, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the burning mass as it rained down onto the ground.
“That is going to fuck up a lot of evil bastards,” Nicola said. “This is amazing. I wonder if my powers will work with anyone else’s…”
I looked around the women and tried to work out all the other possible pairings. We didn’t have long before night fell, and I wanted our weapons to be perfected before the end of the day.
“You’ll be able to spread messages quickly,” I said. “When you combine powers with Penelope, you can spread word down the rivers even faster than the hodges. That’ll help keep things organized during battle.”
Another thought suddenly occurred to me, but I was aware of how insane it might sound. But I had seen Nicola win over creatures that nobody else would dare to go near. We had a whole pack of wolves in our army because of her, and I knew she was capable of incredible things.
“I have an idea,” I said slowly. “There is a way we could use your powers with Penelope’s to do something incredible.”
“What is it?” Nicola asked.
“Your abilities are so strong now,” I said. “There’s a whole ocean full of sea monsters–”
“Jack,” Nicola cut in. “I know what you’re about to say, and I can’t tame one of those things! They’re huge, violent, evil things!”
“Just like Layla the bear,” I pointed out. “The wolves were terrifying beasts until you learned their true natures, too.”
Nicola stared up at me with a raised eyebrow, and I stroked her golden cheek gently.
“Listen,” I murmured. “I’m not asking you to turn every animal under the sea into our soldiers, but imagine if you could speak with even one or two of them…”
“You really think I could?” Nicola asked and bit her lip. “They’re… sea monsters!”
“I know you can do it,” I said firmly. “You are my priestess, and a fiercely powerful woman. Every moment, you get stronger. And even a couple of the huge bastards switching to our side could overturn the god’s whole plan. This could help us win, Nicola.”
“That would be amazing,” Nicola admitted. “It would be the biggest creature I’ve ever spoken to! But… I can try it if you want me to.”
“That’s my girl,” I said with a grin, and the priestess chuckled as I left a biting kiss on her lips.
“You’re extremely inspiring when you kiss like that,” the brunette purred.
“Only when I kiss like that?” I scoffed in mock-offense.
“No, always,” Nicola laughed. “Just look at our lovely little fairy… I’m so happy for Aleia, Jack. I know she was feeling left out with her developments, but she was lucky to have the best god in the world bring it out in her.”
Nicola leaned back into me as we watched the women practice, and I was blown away by how quickly they were perfecting their moves. Penelope and Aleia had sculpted something that was like a half-slide, half-ramp, and one of the wolves sniffed it cautiously.
“Come on!” Nicola called. “Try it out!”
The animal cocked its head as the brunette spoke, and it jumped onto the golden ice with a confused whimper. I couldn’t help laughing as the huge wolf skidded down the ramp at an alarming speed, and it landed in a pile of tangled limbs at the bottom.
“Oh, dear,” Penelope said as she helped the creature turn itself back upright. “That was very brave. Sorry, it’s a bit slippery!”
The disgruntled-looking wolf raced over to Nicola, and she cooed as it wrapped around her legs. I snorted with laughter as the huge beast flopped onto its back for belly rubs, and the brunette showered it with affection.
I knew it would be too risky and potentially impossible for a bridge to cross that entire stretch of ocean, but there were a million ideas spinning around my head of uses for the golden ice.
“Do you think you could build towers?” I asked. “We could set up shooting stations along the coast, and they could help protect the land from any attackers.”
“Yes!” Aleia cried. “That’s a wonderful idea!”
“I’m certain we can.” Penelope nodded. “Come on, Aleia, let’s try this out!”
The two women hurried over to a flat stretch of ground, and they started to build a structure that shot straight into the sky. Blocks of golden ice piled up and up to create something that resembled a castle turret. It leaned a bit far to the left, but it was a promising first attempt.
Nieva and Celeste had gradually built up their storm so much that a pleasant heat filled the valley. They began to perfect moving the fiery clouds at will, and I cheered as they worked out how to block the hot rain from falling.
“We can do it on command!” Nieva called excitedly. “That means we can move it over our own people without them getting hurt!”
“Incredible!” I yelled. “You’re all nailing this!”
Then I remembered the manic laughter that had spread over the storm from the magic lands, and I started to think about what Nicola’s powers could do.
If she combined hers with Nieva’s, maybe she could send a message out on the wind. Her enchanting call to animals could carry over miles and miles if Nieva created enough of a wind, and we could recruit beings that we hadn’t even met before. It had worked down at the river.
I was dreaming really fucking big now.
I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched my women work on their skills, and I didn’t feel any fear for the upcoming wars. We might be up against sea monsters, evil sorceresses, and wild storms, but our army was stronger than ever before. My women were creating weapons that nobody would be able to compete with, and I had witches and wizards cooking up magical spells to protect my fighters. Beings from all over the land were coming together to fight for what was right, and I couldn’t wait to lead them all to victory.
Then a distant clap of thunder sent adrenaline shooting through my veins.
Darkness was falling, and I was itching to see the sun again.
When the morning came, I would lead my people to war.
Chapter 14
We spent hours practicing the women’s new power sharing ability until the sky darkened completely. Penelope and Aleia could now build twisting bridges from great heights, and they had even worked out how to bend the slopes into staircase form. It was like having access to a ladder that could be placed anywhere.
Nieva and Celeste could move their storm around at will and choose when to turn the burning rain on. The orange clouds pulsed dangerously as they soared around the valley, and it was like the winged women had created the deadliest sprinkler system imaginable.
I knew we could pair up other partners, too, but I wanted them to have perfected these particular skills for battle. We could play around with other matches after this war was won. Nicola had already tried out her power with Penelope at the river, and she was happy examining the other’s skills as the night drew in.
“Amazing work!” I called. “I think we can call it a day with that. You’ve basically perfected these weapons!”
Celeste transformed back into her beautiful harpy form as she touched down on the ground beside me, and the orange cloud slowly drifted into mist as Nieva lowered her hands.
“Firestorms are exhausting,” the harpy said as she rubbed her eyes.
“But worth it.” Nieva grinned as she landed. “We’re going to melt some skulls with this!”
“I can’t wait to see that,” I chuckled as Penelope and Aleia hurried over to join us.
“Jack,” the naiad panted. “We worked out that I can destroy the golden ice whenever we need to!”
She spun back to face her latest staircase creation, and she furrowed her brow as she raised her hands up toward it. The sparkling metal suddenly began to melt as if someone had built a bonfire right below it, and the material evaporated away into tiny particles of golden dust. If we ever needed to make a quick getaway, our enemies wouldn’t be able to follow us. It was the perfect tool for war.
“Incredible,” I said. “You should all be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished today. I do have one more task before bed. Nicola and Nieva, I think you’ll be able to send a message out to all my people.”
“Using a storm?” Nieva asked.
“Exactly.” I nodded. “I think if we use Nicola’s animal call, then we can send a message to all the creatures of the land. I’ve spoken to many of them, but Tobias is going to need all the backup he can get.”
“It worked with the river,” Nicola said. “I bet it can work with a storm, too!”
“We just need a bit of wind,” Nieva said.
The dragon queen threw her head back as she raised her arms up, and she slowly hovered off the ground as Nicola spoke to the sky.
“Creatures of the forest,” the brunette sang in her dreamy tone. “Jack calls upon you to help fight for our land! Those who are strong enough must help guard the eastern coast. You will find safety and shelter in the city of Mossgrove.”
She repeated this statement until there was a gust of wind that swirled around Nieva’s head, and a faint silver glow lit up the air as Nicola’s words echoed out.
The brunette’s calls started to carry on the silver wind, and her voice floated out of the valley and into the rustling trees of the deep forest. I could hear multiple echoes of her words being taken in different directions by the wind, and we stood and listened until her voice died out. It sounded like some sort of ghost was floating around with Nicola’s voice.
“The call is on its way around the land.” I grinned. “Every creature who can help will be on their way soon. It’s time for you all to rest.”
“I’m ready to fight now!” Aleia said as she punched the air. “Bring me to the enemy!”
“Me, too,” Celeste said. “That firestorm really riled me up! I can’t wait to bring the rain to that shithead of a god.”
“I like the enthusiasm,” I chuckled. “But I need you all well-rested and at full strength. Tomorrow morning is going to be like nothing we’ve ever faced before.”
“And Tobias won’t be fighting with us?” Nieva asked.
“Our people will be divided into two armies in order to take on both gods at once,” I said. “It will make it more difficult to not have my allied god by my side, but we’re more powerful than ever before.”
There was a deep howl from inside the caves around us, and the wolves began to emerge into the night as their thick tails swished behind them. They raced down into the valley and barked at us as they ran out into the night.
“It looks like they heard your call,” I said. “They’re all heading out east.”
“Good luck!” Nicola called. “We’ll see you on the battlefield!”
We walked back toward the Dragon Valley as the echo of the pack’s footsteps rang out into the dark sky. Then I heard the sound of flapping wings and looked up to see a whole herd of forest creatures on the move. Griffins flew gracefully past the cloud-covered moon, and they were joined by giant owls that I had never met before. A flock of the birds flew right above us, and I was able to see that they had black feathers with a blue tint. Their beaks were incredibly sharp, and their brown talons were curved enough to tear flesh.
“What are those?” I asked as the huge birds passed overhead.
“Western owls,” Nicola said. “They must have migrated here from the dark lands.”
“There are so many creatures fighting alongside us,” Aleia said sleepily. “All of them are willing to go to war in Jack’s name!”
“Proof that he is the best of all gods,” Penelope said. “All he had to do was ask! No bullying or threats. That’s why he is the greatest.”
I kissed the naiad’s head as we reached Nieva’s hut, and the forest sounded alive with footsteps and rustles. Nicola’s call sounded like it had woken up the entire land as growls and cries sounded out in the night.
“Get some rest,” I said gently. “I’ll see you before first light.”
“Will you be here when we wake up?” Aleia asked.
“Maybe not,” I admitted. “But I’ll send a dragon for you in plenty of time, okay? I love you all.”
The priestesses mumbled their goodnights as they piled inside, and I could tell they would be sound asleep the moment they laid down. I was hugely proud of how hard they had worked that day, and I knew I had some seriously impressive weapons from their skill sharing. Aleia’s gift had come at just the right time.
“Jack!” Tobias called, and I spun around to see he had appeared in physical form.
His face was lit up with a grin as he ran a hand through his red hair. I had a feeling he was just as hyped-up as I was for our upcoming battles.
“Hey!” I said. “My priestesses just went to bed. How’s it going?”
“Fucking amazing,” Tobias laughed. “I can’t get over how good the ships are. Aleia really outdid herself. These sea monster bastards aren’t going to understand what’s happening!”
“Neither will the God of Water,” I said. “We tried out the power sharing abilities, and we’ve cooked up some seriously cool attacks.”
“Oh, yeah?” Tobias chuckled. “What have you got?”
“A firestorm,” I said with a deadly grin. “It rains down flames on command. Not to mention the golden ice that Penelope and Aleia can build into staircases and bridges anywhere.”
“No way,” Tobias gasped. “Holy shit! That’s awesome!”
“One of the best rewards yet,” I agreed. “Nicola sent a message to all my creatures by combining her powers with Nieva, so we’ve got a whole stampede moving to your coastline.”
“I noticed that.” Tobias grinned. “These fuckers don’t stand a chance, Jack.”
We wandered over to one of the dying fires and sat down on a wooden log beside it. The air was filled with the sounds of wings, and I knew there were going to be hundreds of flying soldiers waiting for their turn to fight.
“Are they all going to fit in that cave system?” I chuckled.
“It’s huge.” Tobias nodded. “And it’s just until morning anyway. How are we going to make our first move? Should we launch our attacks at the same time?”
