I was in the middle of a dense forest on a dirt road; it wasn’t the most conventional path, but it was the safest. Even though I felt more at ease, we were running low on supplies for the journey.
“Master, Chizze is hungry,” said Chizze.
“Ester, the beast woman, is right. We need to get some purified water and some food,” replied Karla.
Wow, it’s rare for Karla and Chizze to agree. I guess I should listen to them. We headed to a nearby stream; the water didn’t look very clear, but I know how to purify it.
Meanwhile, Chizze, with Karla's sacred connection, was searching the forest for any animal to hunt for food.
Raiza and I were creating a homemade water purifier, since neither of us are water mages, and we'll have to purify the water manually.
The process is a bit lengthy, but it involves gathering various types of soil substrate, placing them in a specific order inside a bamboo trunk since it resembles a tube, and filtering the dirty water through it, which would then come out clean.
It took us some time, but we managed to fill the barrel we bought in Nessy, and with the approval of the Dryad, who made sure the water was drinkable, we now have purified water for our journey.
...
Meanwhile, Chizze, still connected to Karla, roamed the forest, but couldn’t find a prey large enough to satisfy her hunger; there were only small animals, until she spotted a wild boar. Chizze gathered her strength in her legs and jumped with all her energy to kill the boar.
“Get ready to be Chizze's meal!” she shouted as she prepared her claws, but she was interrupted by a large wall of air that bounced her own attack back at her.
“Ouch, that hurt! What is this, a boar that uses magic?” Chizze was confused, but behind that boar stood a small girl with green skin, red hair, and long, furry ears, holding two lanterns, one in each hand.
“Who are you, and why are you attacking me and my pet?” the girl said to Chizze.
The beast woman was very angry and still wanted to attack the girl, but Karla stopped her from a distance, as Chizze was still under Karla’s will.
So, Chizze returned to where Karla was and carried her back in her arms so Karla could speak to the girl. The girl remained on guard, as the beast woman who attacked her had brought an ally.
Karla broke the connection with Chizze, who still looked angry.
“Hello, little girl, my name is Karla, and the beast woman beside me is Chizze. Sorry for attacking you; we and other companions are on a journey to the capital and passed through this forest. We were hungry and looking for an animal to hunt and eat, which is why we attacked your boar, and we want to apologize for that.”
The girl seemed to understand the explanation but wasn’t satisfied with being attacked without having done anything first.
“In this forest, there are no animals as big as my pet; only small animals live here. The larger animals and monsters won’t enter this forest because it’s orc territory.”
“So we’ve arrived in orc territory. Could you tell us how to get to the orc village so we can buy some food there?” Karla asked.
The girl raised her hand, showing three fingers. “I could do that, but it won’t be free; the cost is three coins. It doesn’t matter if they’re gold, silver, or copper, but they have to be three coins.”
Karla searched her pocket and took out a copper coin, a gold coin, and a silver coin, handing them to the little girl, who looked at them with a cheerful expression and said:
“Nice to meet you, my name is Gera, and I’m a Dziwozona. I’ll be your guide today.”
image [https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/080/916/115/large/duval-saul-tertrtrewett.jpg?1728904123]
...
...
...
Raiza and I had just finished purifying the water when we saw Karla and Chizze arrive at our makeshift camp with a green-skinned girl riding a giant boar.
“Mr. Ester, Miss Raiza, we found someone who will take us to the orc village; we just need to follow Gera,” said Karla.
“Hello, I’m Gera, a 3-year-old Dziwozona. It will be a pleasure to work with you.”
So, a Dziwozona... I had heard about them before.
They’re a rare species that reach adulthood at the age of 5 and live as long as a human, but they develop much faster since they usually live in very harsh environments, and the young ones that don’t learn to survive on their own often perish. I guess that’s why she has that boar as a pet; it must have helped her survive.
“Nice to meet you, Gera. Please, help us reach the orc village,” said Karla. Gera agreed to guide us with a smile on her face. We were all okay with this arrangement, except for Chizze, who seemed very angry about Gera’s presence.
According to what Karla told me, our beast woman tried to attack Gera’s boar, and Gera used a technique that reflected her own attack back at her. I think I understand: healing her wounded body is easy, but her wounded pride is another story...
Gera led us to a spot where the trees were very dense, and we had to leave the carriage behind, proceeding only with the horses and our essential belongings, leaving everything else in the carriage.
After a short walk, we could see the orc village; it was surrounded by a wall of logs with sharpened tips, and at the entrance stood an orc woman on guard. She was nearly 3 meters tall, with dark green skin, long ears, a muscular build, and a large chest.
A beautiful woman, but one who would surely kill me if I made her angry. Gera spoke with the orc guard to let us pass, saying that we were travelers who had run out of supplies and were looking to trade.
...
Inside the village, they lived a very tribal life. They didn’t have much technology, and everything they used seemed to be made by them, from their clothing to their weapons, but something caught my attention...
“Gera, tell me, why are there only women and a few children here?” I asked.
“Well, it’s simple... the men usually go to the battlefields from a young age, which is why the orcs have a symbiotic relationship with the military of Dredprism. The orcs form their own battalion and go to fight alongside humans against the Demon King’s army, and they occasionally return to their villages for a vacation, but the men prefer the battlefield. The women don’t have much interest in war; they are usually more into hunting and caring for the family. Even though an orc woman is strong enough to live alone, they literally don’t need men, which is why orc villages are mostly made up of women.”
I understand... so that’s the way of life for a race that loves fighting against stronger opponents. But Gera interrupted my thoughts:
“Although, if I were you, I’d be careful. It’s true they don’t need men, but they like sex, and when there are no orc males around, they often seek males of other species. However, some are not strong enough to handle all the love an orc woman can offer and may end up with a few broken bones.”
After hearing those words, I felt a chill down my spine and could sense the gazes of many orc women directed at me. Whatever happens, I must not let my guard down in this place.
Gera took us to her leader, an orc woman almost 3 meters tall, with dark green skin, black hair tied in a braid, long ears, wearing clothes that highlighted her sensual body... although, strangely, she had a very soft face. I’d even dare to say she had a flirtatious look, although I didn’t feel she was very interested in me...
image [https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/080/916/114/large/duval-saul-3424343243.jpg?1728904118]
The orc leader spoke: “Gera, who are these people?” “They’re travelers who ran out of supplies, and I found them while they were hunting. They’re on their way to the capital, so they’re just passing through,” Gera responded.
The orc leader observed us, and I noticed her gaze lingered on me; it felt like her eyes were like daggers.
“I am Youyo, the leader of the orcs. You are welcome to stay here and trade as long as you like, just don’t cause any trouble, and be careful with the man in your group. I’m married to a good man, so I’m not interested in boys like him, but my fellow villagers might think differently than I do.”
Raiza spoke to Youyo: “Orc leader, don’t worry about Ester. Even in the worst-case scenario, he’ll be fine. He’s a priest with top-level healing magic.”
The orc leader looked at me with a smile on her face...
“Little priest, follow me. I’ll need your help.” I have a feeling that whatever she asks me to do, I’m not going to like it.
“Gera, take our guests to the guest house and show them the village’s specialty.” After that exchange, I had no choice but to follow the leader in silence.
...
The leader led me to her house; she guided me straight to her room. I was already bracing myself for what Gera had told me... but inside the room, there was an elf lying down with a bit of a fever. I asked the orc leader who this woman was.
“She’s my sister, her name is Yoko. As you can see, she’s a half-elf. We share the same mother. She used to be a woman with a taste for men of other species... my sister’s father was an elf, and my father was a human. So both sisters are actually half-orcs, but in me, my mother’s genes were stronger, while in her, her father’s genes were stronger.”
Now that I look at her up close, this elf is very large for an elf; elves are not usually bigger than the average person. Raiza is an exception, but she’s a High Elf. However, the elf in front of me is even larger than Raiza.
I approached the elf Yoko, who was lying there with a high fever. With my healing magic, I was able to heal the damage to her body while I tried to analyze the cause of the problem...
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“I think I know what’s wrong with her; she has a stomach infection. I can cure her symptoms, but I’ll need to prepare some medicine for her to fully recover, and then we can ask her what she’s been consuming to end up in this state.”
Youyo looked at me with a satisfied expression, “Wow, you’re quite capable; I’m even starting to think you’re a bit cute, but I love my husband very much. Let me know when you have the medicine ready.”
I left the leader’s house and went in search of the dryad to help me with the ingredients for the medicine.
The leader told me that my companions were in a hut that they usually use to accommodate outsiders. When I arrived at the hut, I noticed something... even though she called it a hut, it looked like quite a decent house. From the outside, it wasn’t very pretty, but inside, it was well divided into a living room, a kitchen, and a bedroom with a mattress big enough for 10 people to sleep on.
My companions were drinking wine with Gera.
Apparently, this village doesn't have a market; they have a communal reserve of different products that they share among the inhabitants. They sold us some of their reserves, and among them, they had a special wine made in this forest, using a strange fruit that looks like a grape but is greenish in color. They let it ferment in barrels made from trees that only grow in this forest, giving it a unique flavor.
They told us that in the capital, this wine is quite expensive, but here they sold us a few bottles at a very low price, and my companions wasted no time in starting to drink.
Before the dryad got drunk, I asked her for the plants to make the medicine for the leader’s sister.
“Do you want more ingredients, my handsome Ester? Don’t worry, the dryad from the south is at your service,” I think she was a bit drunk, but she was still able to help me.
Once I had the ingredients, I left my companions to enjoy their evening in peace. I went to the kitchen and prepared the medicine as a light, somewhat thick soup; I made a whole pot, as I didn’t know how much medicine that huge elf would consume, and it’s better to have leftovers than to run out.
I stepped out of the hut and felt the gazes of the orc women, but I think they knew I was treating the leader’s sister, as they didn’t stop me from moving around the village.
Once I reached the leader’s house, I went straight to the elf's room but saw something I shouldn't have.
Her skin was very white and pink, and her green eyes looked at me intensely when I entered her room. My patient had woken up and had undressed with the intention of drying the sweat from her body.
I turned halfway, looking at the wall, and said, “Sorry for entering without knocking. I’m Ester, a priest specialized in healing magic. Your sister ordered me to treat your stomach infection. I recently cured the symptoms of your illness, but your treatment isn’t over yet, so I came to prepare this soup with medicinal herbs. I thought you’d still be asleep and was coming to give you the medicine.”
I was very nervous, but then I heard the elf's voice, “It’s rare to see a human who isn’t my brother-in-law in this house. Did Youyo send you to heal me?… I understand, heal me.” I turned around and saw Yoko covered only with the bed sheet.
I was somewhat nervous; the beauty of the elves and the strength of the orcs were practically naked in front of me, and I had to give her the medicine. Since she was already awake, I thought she could eat by herself.
“Alright, priest, give me the medicine.” Yoko opened her mouth; I think she wanted me to feed her the medicinal soup myself. I looked at her mouth… her teeth were sharp like orc fangs, and her tongue was somewhat long. I didn’t think I had this fetish, but I felt she looked very cute with her mouth open.
I tried to calm my heart and gave the medicinal soup to the elf. She seemed to enjoy the medicine; I tasted it, and it had a pretty strong flavor. The half-elf must have been very hungry to consume half a pot of soup so quickly. I guess she had been unconscious for a long time and woke up hungry.
“I think you’re full now. I’ll keep the rest of the soup in the kitchen and will have to ask you about your eating habits to know what made you sick,” Yoko listened to me in silence. I went to the kitchen, left the soup, and put a piece of paper with the words “Yoko’s medicine” to avoid the leader mistakenly eating the soup.
Once I entered the room, I went to Yoko’s bed, which was covered with sheets, and without realizing it, she grabbed me with her hands and pulled me into her bed.
“You know, priest, I think you’re cute… and after you treated my body, I feel like I have plenty of energy.” I felt the grip of the half-elf; she was strong, and her nails weren’t long but were sharp. Those same nails pierced my skin.
Yoko was looking at me with the eyes of a hunter in front of her little prey and gave me the most violent kiss I’ve ever had. Chizze was very wild with my body the last time we had sex, but this woman is different; she’s more aggressive. I think I could use my magic to paralyze her, but I’m afraid of hurting her too much and getting into trouble with the leader.
The elf, after kissing me, had some of my blood on her lips. “Wow, priest, your body is healing where I bit you. You’re a toy that can’t be broken… interesting” …
This is going to hurt… I find the elf physically appealing, but being treated like a piece of meat is not something I enjoy… getting to that point with Chizze took time and trust, but she just wants to violate me…
Suddenly, I hear light footsteps approaching us; I think the half-elf didn’t notice, but I did…
“What do you think you’re doing, you fool?” I saw how the elf flew back from a kick; that was Youyo.
“I came back to see how your treatment was going and I see you feel much better to want to devour the man who healed you.”
“Sister, it’s a misunderstanding… the priest, after healing me, I noticed he was looking at my body with lust, and, well… I thought he might want it too and just wanted to thank him.”
Youyo punched her in the face, “Idiot, the priest was trembling and you still have blood on your teeth. I’ve told you that humans are very delicate; you need to control yourself or you’ll kill him.”
Yoko was holding up very well against her sister’s blows, “It’s easy for you to say that; you have Brikrats to entertain you, but your older sister is still single and the men are at war… I need love too.”
The elf started crying, but in a very insincere way, although I heard something that caught my attention, “Miss Youyo, is your husband by any chance Lieutenant Brikrats?”
Yoko replied, “Do you know my brother-in-law, priest? This must be destiny.” Yoko approached me while talking and started groping my chest, but suddenly stopped, “What is this on your chest, priest?” The half-elf, without letting me respond, took off my shirt, revealing my scars.
Youyo and Yoko stared at my chest in amazement, “Priest, what happened to you to have a body full of scars?” I think they were referring to the large hole the false Carlo Dante made in me and the big cut Blodsai gave me. I think they were very astonished, as even Yoko stopped groping me.
I closed my shirt and said, “I’m a priest, but I’m also a warrior. My ultimate goal isn’t the capital of Dredprism; it’s the war zone in Amster.”
Yoko looked at me with a disappointed face…
“What the hell… why do all men want to go to Amster? What’s so good about that stupid war?”
I replied, “I was raised since childhood to help defeat the demon king. My companions and I share that goal. I’m not looking to prove my strength in battle; I’m very weak… I think I’m the weakest in my team, but I want to live in a world without a great war in the north of the continent.”
Yoko looked at me and said, “I’ve had enough for today… I’m very tired; we’ll continue talking tomorrow, priest. I’m going back to bed, please leave my room, I want to be alone.”
I think Yoko was somewhat annoyed, and I tried to leave the leader’s house.
“I’m sorry for all the fuss, priest; I hope you don’t hate Yoko. I know it doesn’t justify how she acted, but I ask you to listen to me; she had a fiancé, an orc we grew up with; he was like a brother to me, but he died in the war zone in Amster, and she’s been alone ever since. I think you’re the only boy she’s liked since her fiancé, and knowing you’re also going to the war zone probably didn’t sit well with her. I sincerely apologize for this.”
The leader lowered her head while apologizing. “I don’t hate Yoko; I admit I was a bit scared by how she stole that kiss from me… but she’s still my patient; I’ll return tomorrow to find out what made her sick in the first place.”
I said goodbye to the leader and headed to the hut where my group was. I could feel many gazes on my back, but I think the leader warned them not to harm me.
Once in the hut, I saw that all my companions were either very drunk or asleep. Raiza was arranging them on the big bed. “Wow, they had a fun night,” I said to Raiza in a friendly manner.
Raiza came closer to smell me. “Ester, from the orc pheromones on your clothes, I’d say you had fun too.” I blushed a little when I saw that Raiza noticed.
“It was my patient, the leader’s sister, a half-orc elf. I think she got a little too excited, but the leader stopped her before we did anything.”
Once Raiza finished arranging the rest of our companions, she said to me:
“Your romantic troubles don’t concern me, but I know you’re sleeping with Chizze while still loving Amelia. I’ve been in your head and I know your feelings, but I feel like you don’t even know them yourself. If you want to sleep with several girls, you have to think that Amelia might have already slept with several boys… Just as you want her to accept you in the future, you’ll also have to accept her, even though her case is special… she could also satisfy several women,” she said that last sentence with a big smile, and I know what she means… I think I had blocked that memory.
If you ask me if I still love Amelia, I’d say yes; if you ask me if I love Chizze, I’d say in a different way; and if you ask me if this is fair to Chizze…
…
The next day, I woke up next to Chizze. I had fallen asleep in a far corner of the big bed to avoid disturbing the other women, but Chizze moved closer to hug me, although I noticed something different… someone else was hugging me. I looked to the other side and saw an elf who wasn’t Raiza…
“Yoko, what are you doing in my bed…?” I tried to wake Yoko while attempting not to wake Chizze, but she just hugged me tighter, while Chizze also exerted her strength. I should have been happy in a situation like this, but I was afraid of what would happen when they woke up.
Just then, Kharla got up from the bed, looked at me with a cold gaze at the sight of me being hugged by two women, and then put on a devilish smile.
She grabbed a chair and placed it at a safe distance, then shouted, “Chizze, a woman wants to steal your master!”
Chizze woke up with an angry look and, seeing Yoko, tried to attack her, but Yoko grabbed her hand, stopping the blow.
“Hey, beast woman, don’t get upset; I’m not going to steal anything… I just wanted to borrow him.” I saw the look in her eyes; they were going to fight and I was in the middle. Both prepared their attacks, but then a wall of wind stopped their blows, sending them back at each other.
“Damn Gera, stop using that trick all the time,” Yoko said, since it was little Gera who prevented the fight.
“Yoko, they are our guests; don’t fight with them; you’ll damage the village’s image,” Gera said as the lanterns in her hands lit up every time she used her magic.
“Damn dwarf, this is the second time you’ve done this to Chizze; I’ll kill you.” The beast woman had bloodshot eyes…
I grabbed Chizze by the tail to keep her still and said, “Chizze, behave; don’t fight with our guide.” Chizze remained angry, but she has never disobeyed an order from me or Raiza, so she held back her anger.
Kharla was watching this whole spectacle while eating those strange green grapes from this forest. Sometimes I forget how dangerous this woman can be…
After all this regrettable spectacle, we were all gathered in the hut’s common room, and I asked…
“Yoko, why did you sneak into my bed? I was supposed to come see you early to find out what made you sick.”
Yoko, with a smile on her face, said to me, “If that’s the case, it’s my fault. I hunted a monster outside the forest and ate it without cooking it properly; it’s not a big deal. But yesterday you told me you’d be going to the war zone in Amster… I want to accompany you; I like you a lot and don’t want you to die in that place, so I’ll go with you even if it’s by force.”
I didn’t know what to say, but Chizze responded, “Do you want to be the master’s second wife? That seems fine to me; you’re strong, but Chizze needs to test your strength to see if you’re worthy of the master.”
Yoko looked into Chizze’s eyes and replied, “That sounds perfect to me, as I would like to test your first wife.”
I couldn't say a single word before those two idiots went to a fighting platform in the middle of the village for a public match. The leader was officiating the fight; I think it's something very cultural in this village…
“Alright, the rules are… the fight will last 3 minutes; whoever inflicts the most damage on their opponent in that time wins, and killing is prohibited. That said, begin.”
Chizze immediately attacked with her speed; since Yoko wasn’t very fast, she could only defend herself.
Yoko’s body began to fill with cuts that soaked her clothes in blood.
But the fighting area was very small, so Yoko calculated where Chizze would strike, and when Chizze got to that spot, Yoko delivered a blow to her head, leaving her seeing double long enough for Yoko to hit her again on the jaw.
However, Chizze kicked her in the head at the same time, knocking both of them to the ground.
Without wasting any time, I ran to the ring and healed Chizze first, as she had taken many hits to the head, and I was worried she might have a serious concussion.
Once I healed Chizze, I went to heal Yoko, who had a bunch of cuts on her body. In a deathmatch without rules, Chizze would have won, but Yoko was a better gladiator in a regulated setting, which made me worry about whether she would be okay in a real battlefield.
“Wow, that hit really hurt Chizze, half-breed,” said the beast woman. “You’re the strongest beast woman I’ve seen; if you wanted, you could have killed me.” replied the half-orc.
Yoko and Chizze were shaking hands while exchanging big smiles.
When did these two airheads become friends…?
After the fight and with the supplies ready for the journey, we left the orc village. Yoko had to say goodbye to her sister, and they looked very happy.
“Big sister, I know you’ve wanted to leave this village for a long time, and I’m sorry it had to be after what happened to…,” Yoko interrupted her, “I know you’re worried about me, and I haven’t forgotten that man… I think I’ll always love him, but I have to keep living, as a half-elf I will live a long time and I must seek happiness for myself.”
Both sisters hugged, and Youyo handed her sister a letter. “When you’re in the capital, give this letter to my husband. Recently, the village healer found out I’m pregnant, and I want my husband to hear it from me, so don’t tell him anything and just give him this letter.”
Yoko took the letter and tucked it into her pocket. “I promise, sister, I’ll come back someday to see my nephew.” The sisters said goodbye with a big hug, and along with the new member of the group, we continued our journey to the capital.
I pray to the great Goddess that the rest of the journey will be peaceful…
image [https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/080/916/110/large/duval-saul-43554353.jpg?1728904115]