After almost two hours of trotting, James Macdonald pointed to a huge group in an empty space on the left side of the main road, and as they were approaching, the disguised Orcs near the road waved at them. They all joined them near the big campfire where lunch was almost ready.
The day went by, and as they stopped for the night, Suijin returned with a group of Orcs from another scouting, carrying a bunch of fresh-caught deer and boars, making Okami frown. Suijin asked while putting the deer that the bear was carrying in his mouth over the pile of meat near the Orcs that were preparing dinner:
– “What? You want them to eat smoked meat for the entire voyage? Or would you prefer if they ate grass? Come on, lighten up, will you? There are plenty of deer and boars around, no need to be like that, we didn’t exterminate them all!”
Okami kept on frowning, and she went to the main road to check if everything was safe. Suijin shrugged and gave a huge deer thigh for his bear to eat while he went to the nearest campfire to check things out.
Night came, and Alex continued his drawings with Pearl near him, watching over his shoulder at the drawing of Anika and Wenammy who were seated on the ground in front of him, smiling and posing.
…
The days went by without any problems whatsoever. By the middle of the afternoon of the fourth day, the ‘City of Keldunes’ could be seen at a distance, and Alex approached Ghar and Gabriel Dawson, who were saying their goodbyes to James Macdonald and Bethany Mathews. Ghar faced him with a big smile and her sexy low voice said:
– “This is where we depart, Alex. Are you going to visit us someday?”
– “Of course, Ghar. I must be sure that your Clan stays peacefully on that Island, and I will do everything I can to make people realize that Orcs are not so bad as everyone thinks. Let me talk with Miss Olive, will you?”
Olive’s voice said:
– “I know what you are going to ask, Alex, and yes, I made up my mind, I am going with Ghar to make sure everything goes well with all these Orcs.”
– “I will miss you, Miss Olive.”
– “I know, my dear, I will miss you as well, but this is not a goodbye forever, it’s only a see you later. I will tell you how everything is going in a month or two.”
Alex gave a bitter smile and asked a smiling Gabriel Dawson:
– “What about you? Are you sure about this?”
Gabriel nodded while staring at Ghar, who was looking back at him with melted eyes:
– “Yes, I am sure. I don’t want to let her all alone with all those Orcs, and I also need to learn a few things about them, mostly how they are as a group, their rules, beliefs and quirks. They can also learn from me how to act around Humans, so that when the day comes that they can join the rest of the World, there’s not a huge bridge between them and us.”
After a lot of hugs and wishes of good luck, Ghar together with Gabriel Dawson, took Okami, Suijin, and the group of Orcs to a small road on the left, that would take them to a deserted beach where they would wait for the ships that Alex was going to get for them, to take them to the Island where they were going to live.
When James Macdonald identified his group at the gates of the City, the guards let them pass, and Alex went straight to the harbour, to his shipping company. As he was dismounting, an older Rabbit-king came from the main building with a raised eyebrow. He asked, a little doubtful:
– “Are you Mister Alex? I got a message requesting twenty big ships to transport a group to the Islands at East.”
– “Yes, it’s me. The ships are fully equipped and ready to set sail? Because we have a tight schedule and a restless group eager to reach the Islands.”
The old Rabbit-kind looked at the ones behind Alex and asked:
– “So many ships for just these people?”
– “No, they are waiting on that deserted beach before Keldunes. There is a Water Mage and an Earth Mage with them, taking care of creating a deep bay and a temporary harbour for the ships. The group that is going to travel is not to be disturbed by your crew during the voyage, and it would be better if you kept a secret about which Island you took them.”
The Rabbit-kind nodded while signalling him to enter the building:
– “Your message said to take them to the biggest Island, so that’s where we are going. As for the payment, half now and half upon delivery like your message said?”
Alex placed on the table of the office where they were a purse filled with coins that he emptied and the older Rabbit-kind counted them:
– “This is a big amount of money, but it’s half the amount for a two-day voyage for almost one hundred people, food and Armoured Boars. As for the other half, you will pay after we return, correct?”
– “Yes, with an extra for the secrecy. That group needs to be left in peace without any surprise visitors that might enrage them and die. They are settlers that are going to live on the biggest Island and, perhaps, colonize the nearest Islands as well, as time goes by. Maybe one day I will need more ships to deliver another group, but for now, it’s just them.”
The Rabbit-kind put the coins in the purse again, and he then faced Alex with a serious look:
– “I asked around at the Guild about you, to be sure we would get paid after the delivery was done, I hope you don’t feel offended. All the Adventurers told me that you are to be fully trusted, and I also got a message some time ago from my employer, Viscount Tom West, telling me that I should do everything that you asked.”
– “You got a message from the Viscount or his wife? Because he told me that she was the one in charge of the shipping in Bouria.”
– “That is true, and after that message, she indeed came and made a few changes around here, mainly about the size of our fleet and type of ships. Business is booming, as you can very well imagine, because the harbour always has one or two of our ships departing every day, with two arriving to deliver goods. We were once a small shipping company that Viscount Tom West bought at a low price because we were struggling to compete with the bigger companies, and now we are the biggest one. We even bought other smaller companies and increased our employers and ships, following his orders. I had a lot of trouble finding so many big ships for you, but luckily, a few ships arrived some days ago, coming from ‘The Republic of Beliersia’ and from the ‘Imamah of Sanstan’, and I immediately ordered my guys to hold the ships at bay and get them ready for a big transport. I will send a message in a few moments to tell the sailors to take the ships to that beach. Are you sure your Mages will be able to deep the waters near the beach and make a harbour? Because something like that…”
Alex got up from his chair and made a slight bow:
– “They are able to do that and much more. Take care of that message, because I don’t want the settlers to wait too long. I must go, a little Lamia girl is waiting for my return, I promised I would have lunch with her the next time I would be in Keldunes.”
The old Rabbit-kind opened the door for him, and as Alex was exiting the building, he heard him calling an employee to tell the ships to set sail.
Outside, James Macdonald was next to Bethany Mathews, with Anika helping a familiar Lamia girl to get into the driver’s seat of the carriage. Alex mounted his horse and went to her, with a big smile plastered on his face:
– “I can’t arrive without you finding out, can’t I, my cute Maryam?”
– “No, of courssse not, I told the guardsss to tell me the moment you arrive becaussse you owned me a lunch! And I am hungry!”
– “Very well, let’s go to the Guild, then. Where is your mother? Working?”
As Anika made the horses trot, Maryam Martin answered:
– “No, ssshe isss at the Guild waiting for you, eager to find out if the Noblesss of Beliersssia liked her new ssset!”
Alex nodded:
– “They went crazy over it! I sold everything for such a crazy amount that for sure is a sin! And you, how is School?”
The girl made a worried face:
– “Well, about that… You know I don’t have many friendsss, right? I mean, I do have sssome, but one in particular isss my bessst friend, he isss the Dog-kind that isss alwaysss with me. He isss moving to Beliersssia becaussse hisss father got accepted to a new job over there in a ssstrange building that makesss thingsss. I am a bit sssad becaussse of that.”
– “That’s a pity. What did your mother say?”
– “Well, she said that we could move as well if I wanted because she can do her work anywhere, but she had to talk with you about that. I guess she wants your opinion because of how much you have helped her until now.”
Alex nodded:
– “As a matter of fact, I was also thinking about you two during my voyage. I will return to Beliersia for good one of these days, and I was thinking about asking your mother if she wanted to come as well. I can take care of the moving of her shop and find a new and bigger shop for her in Beliersia, but I didn’t know if she would want to. Since you two were already talking about moving, I guess everything is more or less settled.”
Maryam Martin made a big smile:
– “No way! You will even help her with the move? I won’t be ssseparated from my bessst friend? That would be ssso cool!”
– “Let me talk with your mother first, and see what she thinks. Right now, I want to know everything you did while I was away.”
Maryam Martin happily told Alex her days since the last time they met, and Anika couldn’t hide a smile by hearing them talking. She felt her heart skipping a beat when she thought that maybe one day he would talk so passionately with their own daughter.
Inside the carriage, the Princess was trying to hear the conversation over the noise of the carriage wheels on the paved road, and her maid noticed what she was trying to do and remained silent, listening as well.
Behind the carriage, Wenammy was riding her horse next to Pearl Pearson, and she signalled with her head to the happy talking duo:
– “He will be such a great father one day, don’t you think?”
– “Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Seeing him so happy with that little Lamia melts my heart, and I am about to jump on him and kiss him to death, but I don’t want to interrupt them. He seems happy, and after the way he was so gloomy because of that attack, it’s nice to see him smiling so much.”
Wenammy made a kinky smile:
– “It would be even better if tonight we could catch him, right?”
– “Forget about that, Shinatobe won’t let us approach him. What would you say if we tempted Anika and Okami to join us? It would be a nice mess, right?”
Wenammy slowly nodded with dreamy eyes:
– “Yeah, for sure! We may need to put two or three mattresses on the floor for all of us, but it will be fun! I am not sure if we will be able to convince Anika, but she wasn’t bad last time, right?”
– “Well, she didn’t do much, she only let us use and abuse her, but she seemed to have a great time. Maybe we can persuade her to do a couple of things to us. I wouldn’t say no to a kinky massage made by her pretty tail.”