When she finished she stood up with a strange look on her face before she walked her happy ass over to me.

“A lot of interesting things that I am sorting through but I can share what I already organized as most important for both of us. Just kneel down so I can touch your dumb face.” I think Ika unconsciously put her arms under her breast as a way of defiance.

Something I noticed Faith and Nora doing since I watched them. Not something our people bothered with as that was a quick way to have your hands tangle up when someone came for your throat.

Kneeling, I watched as she grabbed my hands and I tried to control my urge to lean into her chest. It was really, really hard to ignore her scent this close up.

Oh.. my.. Goddess..

My lust bottoms out like morning chill on a hot summer month. I shot to my feet and rushed towards my gear, throwing back on my pants.

“Go pack up. We need to get underground immediately.” I left off as I rushed into the room and searched through the girls clothes. Finding the square boxes that were giving off their location.

I crushed the boxes and threw the girls clothes at them. I stood with my hand stroking my beard as I watched them dress but most importantly because I was confused by the influx of memories. Maybe, I don’t have an ounce of all what Ika took in but a lot of this doesn’t make sense.

Like, the words don’t accurate translate over into my mothers tongue but I wasn’t so stupid that I couldn’t guess context of things. I didn’t care about the other things the girls had because the humans didn’t have anybody strong enough to compete with me. But they had weapons that could ruin my day and I didn’t want to die until I took down eighty percent of their population.

Good news, it was almost perfect to know these humans had governments. Even if they were splintered due to some great event and portals that deposit weird creatures here.

I tapped my chin as the women went to boxing up the food stuff. I watched with half-interested but what I was truly thinking about was how to blend in to perfectly infiltrate these human strongholds. Maybe it's time for a change of hairstyle…

“We are finished packing.” Nora pulled me out of my thoughts and I couldn’t help but notice how cooperative they were.

Surely as one of the leaders of her teams, she knew that they would most likely bomb us before trying to talk. I already took out several teams and left a damn trophy.

Holy hell, I have lost my mind!

“Follow me.”

I spun around and rushed into the hall only to find that half the damn clan was waiting. I shot a glance at Ika and she glanced away. Mm, I am definitely going to have to talk to her about our teamwork. I doubt she was getting the meaning of solitude.

“James, what’s going on?” The old hag stepped out of nowhere to question me.

I had this one moment where I thought about just killing them all but the rationale side of me understood that I wouldn’t be able to get through half. Some of them smelled like they awakened their bloodline. Like they had the animal side close at hand.

From the way, a few of them gripped their weapons. I could honestly say they weren’t on my side of any conflict. Real reason I definitely wouldn’t want to support them in any fashion.

“Nothing of import. I just got a location for a new hunting ground and about to move closer. If you want to share then we can talk.” I rested my palm on my axe blade, pushing it out a bit to make it easier to pull loose.

The old hag definitely got her news from Ika because she didn’t even hide the look she sent Ika.

“Okay, how big of a hunting ground is it and what are we hunting?”

I felt rage well up in but like before it was a calm kind of rage. Something that kept my blood pressure in a nice even sync without giving away the thoughts surfacing to my head.

“That’s a good question for the hunters coming. Pick them out and I can inform them while we are heading there. If you have some other purpose for ambushing me like this then you might as well stop beating the dead fish.”

The old hag took a step back as I felt myself growing and shrinking all at the same time. Her little warrioress unsheathed their weapon and I couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at my lips.

“You know, I really didn’t want to take over command for the clan. It’s not a worthwhile endeavor. Too much stress and no immediate rewards but now. I think you have overstepped your boundaries in relation to me. So accept my challenge, ole leader of the exiles.” I found my voice booming by the ending of it.

Oh, how pissed I felt. To constantly be pestered and then ambushed like this. Aye, people forgot their places.

The old hag face might not have changed but her body language sure did. There was a visible tremor in her hands as she thought of how to de escalate this situation. So I gave her one, a way out.

“Name me as Chief and I won’t have breakfast with your entrails. Loyally serve me and I won’t put your head on a wall for all the other little ambitious women.”

A slow murmur swept through the women. Ah, how nice it is to have the luxury to talk back to your chief but I understood it. They have been oppressed by stronger counterparts since the age old. Women had to go through so much more to be qualified as a hunter versus their counterparts.

I didn’t all that much care about their mini revolution in a new world.

Two rather big red heads step forward.

“I agree with him. He should have been Chief to begin with. Ignoring the grief he, we all, are going through. Nobody really respects women, no matter the tribe or how friendly they are. It’s best for us to follow someone who..”

I heard a familiar loud rumbling and it only took me two seconds to place it. The memories. Growling, I rushed past the fools and down the stairs. I didn’t need to glance back to hear people following.

The ground rock as a loud noise stung my ears. It felt like a soft wave rocking a big gally. It didn’t stop me at all from racing down the stairs and towards the basement. I felt kind of selfish leaving my trophies but the second noise was closer and to make it worse. I am pretty sure I felt the building start to groan.

I threw myself into the tunnel just as the next sound was the building, itself. Crawling to my feet, I hustle down at an expedient effort. Feeling the tremors that let me know heavy blocks were falling.

The minute I made it to the first cavern, the rest stumbled in with dirt covering them. I glance further back to see three trophies running along and two more right behind them with tear stains. Fascinating war strat. I had to give them bloody props. So much bloody props that they remember my fucking name.

Stolen novel; please report.

I took a deep breath and turned to the girls. Almost pissing myself seeing the green eyes glowing in the dark.

“All here, yeah?” I boomed over the silences.

It took them not even five seconds to confirm who was missing or not. Depressingly so, they all were ready to move. All ready to follow me. I had to lead all of these? Women and children? I guess this would be someone's bloody dream come true. A fucking rollercoaster of good shanks before waking up to give out some bullshit direction.

Yet, I felt like my world was free falling and ain’t no way to reach safety. Ain’t nobody to put a net at the bottom to catch me like those fishes in the deeps.

Ah, I was bloody fucking piss. Piss at myself for walking into a trap. I could bloody well turn it down and go my own way. Ain’t nobody can catch me in these tunnels but I didn’t want to just leave them. Guess I still had some stupid in me, afterall.

Fuck, my good soul!

“Listen… I made these tunnels go out for a few yards. However, I need you fellows to know the ground rules. A. Don’t communicate with your prey. Everything is prey until determined otherwise. B. Don’t leave prey alive. Live prey is prey that can come back to kill you. C. Don’t hunt outside of five. I don’t want nobody out there alone.”

I took a step and sighed. Infrastructure, yeah..

“We are going to need food. We are going to need clothes and weapons. I can probably find some good deposits but I think these humans took everything nearby. Plus the metals seemed to be weak. Probably have to utilize the creatures out here to supply our weapons. Secondly, we need a command structure. Not everybody can come to me with ideas or problems. I’ll talk more about that later but let's find out where we're going to sleep.”

I turned around and began heading towards the tunnel that led to the jungle.

Not even twenty minutes into the journey, the little traitorous lass came trampling over. I took a deep breathe, no several and I still felt the pining for revenge. I just wanted to mark her. Mark her in a way she remember that she shouldn’t be fucking with me again.

“James… I’m sorry but I thought..”

“We can talk about this later.” My voice sounded even more unfamiliar to me than it probably did to her.

I bite my lip before deciding not to broach anything here. There will be a great time to understand something later.

***

One of the things I always hated about leaders was how they could just tell fools what to do and the shit got done. No complaints, no worries. Yet, here I was with two other lasses moving dirt to make an underground city. Same bloody shit I said I wouldn’t do. Same bloody shit I didn’t want to happen.

I wiped the sweat off my brow and got back into work. Well work in my own cave. It had to be impressive. It has to say the big chief man stays here. I turned as I heard not so quiet footsteps. I know they are trying their best but they are as loud as carriages over rocky ground.

“What?

“We caught these four trying to check over the grounds.” Gwyenfa said with a smirk as she threw the man down.

I ran a hand through my shorten hair and then trimmed my beard. I looked over the three men and one lass. Another blonde but she wasn’t well equipped. Sighing, I step towards one of the bigger mens and crouched down.

To be honest, I was wondering how his dumbass got taken down by a little wee lass but it's best not to add salt on a man's wound.

“You lads look a bit lost. Why don’t you tell me if you want to live or die?” I asked while pulling out a blade.

I doubt they could see as well as we could but there was enough lightning from a nearby torch that they should be able to make out a clean blade.

Of course, one guy had his eyes swollen so it's a hard decision.

However, I think the leader of the gang, a slender fool, was keyed up enough to know what to expect. Or at least, he was listening. Hard decision to know.

However, three minutes passed and no sound. So I grabbed one of the guys and slit his throat and let him flounder on the floor. The other three didn’t say a word and just stared in silence. I guess they were tough shits, yeah.

So I began cutting into the next fellow to let out some of my frustration. Yet, when all said and done, I was still not feeling content. When one was left, I stopped and considered. I didn’t have to torture people for info anymore.

“Go get Ika.”

I wiped my blade off on one of the dead ones before standing up. I went back to work on creating something from one of the memories Ika gave me. Adding these little crystals that I found in a beast that glows during the dark. It was dimly lightening but that looked perfect to me.

Finishing the second floor, I heard loud and light footsteps. I felt this very annoyed feeling. I still hadn’t fixed the Ika problem. Given her a reminder that she needed. However, I just didn’t feel motivated.

Listening to twenty-four grown women problems and the seven young lads problems. It’s quite taxing and the worst of it is that Cadi, the chief’s woman, is about as obnoxious as a three legged bunny. Always hopping about with this or that idea but I didn’t want to hear that shit.

“You called for me, Chief?”

I turned around to see her dress a lot more seductive. It wasn’t something I was used to seeing but I could understand she was picking up bad habits from these memories. A lot of attitude issues as well.

“Sample these two please.”

I pulled out a small fabric someone provided me a few days ago and wiped the sweat from my face. Well, the blood also.

Ika crouched down and grabbed the two guys' heads, Her palms glowed a fierce red. Five seconds later, she released them and smiled at me. I think power was going to her head but I remember her old man was smart. Ambitious smart. He didn’t like being number three and was always looking for a way to climb up.

I would have expected that from his son but it could be said to be a disposition passed down to his daughter that’s expected. They always had a rare gift. A very valuable gift, even more so than mine and the Chief. We were just better warriors with gifts that augment our natural gifts.

“New hunting location but you might want to solve this one yourself.” Ika had this weird glow in her eyes as she walked over and I stopped her just three paces away.

“You can take your trophies away if you want them. Also grabbed your extra benefits, yeah.” I said to the Gywnefa and her little huntress team.

I expected some kind of odd look from Gywnefa but she grabbed the big man and left the shrimp. A spear went through the shrimp and then I pulled their bodies underground. Burying them several feet lower than my basement floor. Then I turned to walk up a staircase to the office with a smirk on my face.

It was going to feel good getting a little vengeance on this ambitious lass.

Leaning against the stone desk, I motion for her to begin. Aye, Ika had that moment where fear escaped her control. She could feel the need to exact punishment. She walked with confidence between my legs and placed her hands upon my temple.

I instantly lost my urge to punish her and felt happy about this latest intel. It seems that they didn’t have the full capacity that Nora showed. No, they only had a few jets with a few weeks left of fuels. But the best of all, I knew where they had their supply of crystals used for their new project.

However, I felt like it was trapped and probably should have watched them a bit. Taking down these humans might be harder than I thought but possible. The second best thing is the military outpost which these guys came from. It seems they were at war with two races they called Elves and Orcs.

Orcs only respected strength and the Elves were just retaliating due to the humans killing some of their own often.

I came out of the memories and looked Ika in the eye. I really didn’t want to punish her now but the urge would come back. She was this very frustrating lass and I knew she was doing this all on purpose.

That little lass, Faith, probably had all these bad ideas in her little head. And Ika picked up all of them.

‘If we fuck him willingly, he won’t kill us willingly. You only have to play on his nature and we all see how much of an animal he is. He won’t grow tired of you anytime soon.’

I rubbed my nose as the slight pain went away then turned my full attention to Ika, who had this look as if she was awaiting her judgement.

“You have two choices..” Before I even put down my verdict, the lass was pulling at the hem of her shirt.

Lifting it above her head, breaking the eye contact so that I had an excuse to look down at her freckled breast. There was no desire in her, just a need to get out of trouble. The shirt slipped past her head and got stuck on her elbow but her eyes didn’t leave mine.

I had this one instance inside of me to turn her down and finished up my business. I really wanted to go kill something. Even risk my life a little but I knew that if I did that, then she would win some small battle. If I do what she expects, she will win some small battles.

Clever people are the worst to have at your back. I put my hands on her waist and turned her around as I swagger around. Putting her up against the desk, I allowed my hands to run up her side. Eased around and groped the undersides of her breast.

“Is this really what you want, huh?”