Chapter 20 Dealing with surprises

Upon returning to the farm, I tracked down Mother Ruth. “Excuse me, can you come outside for a bit, there’s something you need to see, and you Kids stay INSIDE, no peeking, I’m serious!” Mom and Dad looked at me, but seeing how serious I was, decided to keep vigil on the kids, to ensure they wouldn’t peek. “Sure Mark, anything you need,…within reason at least.” She giggled at her statement, and I groaned. Once we got outside, and to a point where the kids wouldn’t be able to see, I removed the creature’s corpse. “I have no idea what this is, but it was controlling the Wolves. Got a nifty trinket that lets me talk to the wolves out of it, no telling if it works on anything else, but still, not a bad find. This guy was keeping the Alpha female and her pups hostage, while making the wolves attack people. I let the Mother and the Pups alone, and told them to find a new den, but I have all the rest. This thing though, I don’t know exactly what to make of it, aside from trouble.” Ruth was serious in her expression. “Trouble is right, but just how much is the question. How long will this last in your storage?”

My answer was immediate. “It won’t rot at all, it’s still as warm as it was when I stored it. Can’t store living things, aside from some plants, but any corpse just stops aging in there.” She nodded once. “Store it again, and I’ll send word first thing in the morning. Hopefully they can send an expert from the capitol, if not,…well you can guess, this is too important to leave to chance.” I sighed, and stored the thing away. “Any idea what that is?” She shook her head. “Maybe, but I don’t want to assume anything, and even if I get the name right, I don’t know anything aside from the fact they come from far away. So it being here, as you said, means trouble.” I humfed in disappointment. “I suppose it’s all we can do for now. Guess I should go to Bed, should probably do some patrols or something, see if I can spot anything else unusual.” She grasped my shoulder with a tight squeeze. “Good idea, but focus on your family for now, and making it GROW, especially with the Princess, if you can. She was never supposed to be able to have a child, if you really have a perk that can get around that, use it tonight, for her sake.”

I was absolutely stunned. This was huge news, and even more reason why Alian was clearly meant to be mine. She adored children, but she was supposed to be infertile. I knew what I needed to do, just as much as Ruth did. “Thanks Mom, that’s good advice, and I’ll take it.” We returned inside, and Dad asked a question. “Was it really all that bad?” Ruth just nodded grimly. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if you had thrown up, if you went to have a look. Not worth what could have happened letting the kids see it. Besides that, it’s a confidential security matter. Mark was right not to let anyone else see it. There’s four people total who know what he showed me, myself, and the three who took it down, and that’s two more than needed, but at least we’re all family, and under the guild control, so we’re safe from any cover up reprisals that might have otherwise come down. Best not even ask anymore.” Dad was shocked at Ruth’s statement, but accepted it as fact. I decided on a whim to analyze Mom, and though most of it I ignored, I noted under status anomalies, that the Pregnant state was showing. “MOM! YOU’RE PREGNANT!” I couldn’t help but shout. Everyone was startled at my outburst, but soon enough, the meaning reached her, and she gasped. “Are you sure? How can you tell?” She asked excitedly. “I just used my Analyze skill, and Pregnancy is considered a Status Anomaly, like being poisoned. I guess it makes sense, but still it’s weird to be there. I didn’t think it would actually work, but this means I can tell the instant any of you girls gets pregnant.” Gasps all around, and happy voices from everyone, even the children. Another baby on the way makes everyone happy. Dad was stunned still, having just realized he had two babies on the way at one time. Then a grin looking like the cat that got the cream crossed his face.

It took some time to calm the kids enough to get them to sleep, but eventually we managed it. Then all the girls and I went off to bed, Theresa’s sisters still watching over the danger spots for us, I had the luxury of my whole family being in my bed at once, with two exceptions, but to my surprised delight, Marina had finished the tub, and installed it in the room already. Wripple and Spashta were both there, smiling fit to burst at being indoors for the first time ever. “Welcome home Mark!” They both called out. I immediately toggled pregnancy on, and stripped out of my clothes, to Alian’s stunned surprise. “Hope you don’t mind Alian, but these two have been waiting for a while now. I need to tend to them tonight, before anything else can delay their first daughters.” She smiled, kissed me, and then approached the Undine girls. “It’s very nice to make your acquaintance, I’m your newest Sister Wife, Third Pincess Alian. I look forward to helping with your little ones, as much as I’m able anyway.” They both smiled at her, and reached their arms up for a hug, which she gave them, a tad embarrassed. “Welcome home Alian, and Well Met. Perhaps you could join us in the tub at some point. I think you’d enjoy it, our power is amplified in such a small body of water.” Alian smiled, and kissed each one on the cheek in greeting. “Perhaps I shall, I like water after all.”

I tended to my Undine wives, and instantly it was obvious to everyone that the pregnancy had taken root, as there is a visible glow from their womb region. I then came out of the water, and everyone was nude, Alian a little nervous as she awkwardly sat on the bed with towels underneath her. “What are the towels for?” The girls giggled at her. “The first time causes bleeding, it’s nothing serious, and Mark will make it hurt as little as possible, he’s quite good at that. I hardly even felt it when it was my turn.” Veronica stated proudly. “OH!” She knew about the bleeding, but the simple precaution of a Towel or two to catch the mess was a novel idea. My perks worked on Alian the same as on anyone else, once I had implanted her with my seed, I analyzed her at once, and she was already shown as Pregnant. “It worked, my Certain Pregnancy perk bypassed your infertility trait. In fact, that trait seems to have been forcibly removed by my perk. You Pregnant Alian.”

Her hands flew to her mouth in shock. “If,…if you’re lying.” I placed my finger on her lips. “I would never be that cruel to one of my wives. Will you wear this ring as proof that we are wed, never to part till death forces us?” So saying I took her gold ring out of my storage. “Yes!” She wrapped her bonded arms around my neck and kissed me again and again. I almost forgot to toggle pregnancy off. “Mark, are you going to let us all have children tonight?” Marie asked. I shook my head. “No, the Princess needs an heir, and the Undines will have their children grown very quickly. We can wait a little longer for more babies I think. That’s Rose, Wripple, and Spashta, and now Alian expecting all at once, then both my Moms are expecting, that’s a minimum of Six babies coming.” Grace piped up. “What do you mean a minimum of six?” I shook my head at the social ignorance of this world. “Anyone of you could have twins, triplets, or even more, there’s no telling. I’ve seen proof of Dectuplets, that’s ten babies born from one time.” Stunned eyes all around, even Wripple and Spashta seemed a little pensive now. “Mind you, I’m not sure how non humans work precisely. Undines are pure water spirit, no flesh, then Marina, and Alian aren’t standard Human, anymore than Rose is, so things might be different in that regard, but for human anything goes.” I was grateful that magical healers existed, or I’d be more worried about my girls being pregnant.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The next morning, after breakfast was finished, I was made aware that someone had come. As it turned out, it was a construction crew which Ruth had arranged to begin building the Glass facility. Once I had gotten them setup on the location I had selected, near the other Hot Buildings as I had taken to calling them, I then went into my study, and drafted out everything I wanted for the Pool House. I even found a solution for the inline water heater in one of the Books that Alian had me bring. Once everything was properly designed, including a method for Wripple and Spashta to enter the pool themselves, I then told Harmony exactly how many glazed bricks I wanted, in the shapes and sizes I needed them. Including the method of making special water proof mortar and grout to secure everything. Marina started making the Pipes I’d need, as well as pump pieces. She also suggested a marchant to acquire the more exotic materials I needed for the heater.

I had also designed an indoor plumbing system, and an enamel toilet. Making the Schematics for the eventual bathroom, and including my Parent’s house on the water, and sewer grid I was designing. Kicking myself for a fool, I realized once I had my own system setup, I’d have to build one for each of my towns. With that realization, I sketched out new schematics for the town’s water, and sewer system, including a new water wheel to run the pump to provide the water for the system. I calculated the piping needed to make the public lines, as well as installing a public bath house, and laundry service building. Men’s bath on one side of the laundry, Women’s on the other. I had done that thinking of the old world’s reasoning, then realized it would be the reverse. Instead of women hiding from peeping toms, it would be men hiding from peeping Tanya. I laughed at that.

Everything seemed on track, and I checked with the construction crew about building the pool house frame, as well as the greenhouse over the mill pond. They were hesitant to accept the structure over the Mill pond, until Wripple and Spashta both called out loud enough to hear, that I was the only man they wanted, or needed, as they held our daughters over the edge of the water. The men looked at me in shock, and what women were there looked at the babies with jealous eyes. They agreed to build everything I had designed, and I agreed on the price, and gave them a note to acquire the payment at the guild. I told them I’d have a public works job in the near future when all my work was completed.

After all this, I went into town to locate the Merchant that was suggested to me. “Hello there, how can I help you?” Asked a rather pretty sales girl, except I noticed something a little odd. She was tall, and very thin, too tall for her chest to be nearly flat, and I was almost sorry for her, until I noticed the ears. My eyes nearly popped out of my head, she was an elf. “What’s got your tongue? Never seen an Elf before? Must be a local boy I expect. Name’s Fiora by the way, only just arrived myself. My uncle needed some help so I came out, now he doesn’t really need the help he says, so I’m stuck running the counter just cause I’ve got nothing to really do now. Enough about my troubles though, what can I do for you handsome?”

I blinked, then again, and slapped my face. “Not to be rude or anything, but am I correct in assuming you’re older than the fifteen years you appear to be?” She beamed at me. “Quite a bit, but I won’t say how much, UNLESS!” I grinned. “I don’t care about your actual age, just the older part. Also on the Unless you just mentioned, I’m amenable, providing my wives agree. I did kinda want an Elf Wife, but then again, that’s not why I’m here.” I placed my list on the counter. “Can you perhaps acquire these materials in the quantities needed, or more?” Studying the list for a moment, while taking quick glances at me, she eventually answered. “We’ve got JUST enough to cover this much, and it won’t be cheap. You want more though, for what?” I shook my head. “That’s a secret, UNLESS!” I teased back, and she smiled widely, then her face fell. “I’d really like that, but I’m infertile. Best Elven healers couldn’t fix me, and I expect that’s why my Uncle doesn’t want me helping. He thinks I might give my curse onto his own daughter, so no man would want them.” That took all the tease out of me, and I simply grabbed her left hand, and slipped the silver ring onto her finger. “God must have sent you to me, I have a perk, so if you want a child, just say when. You’re mine now, that ring is proof. My wives won’t even blink, just say you’re infertile when we get home, and they’ll just smile and welcome you home. You’ll have as many babies as you want to bear, and there’s a bunch of little angels to tend already, since I adopted half an Orphanage already, all the girls at least.”

The shock, and befuddlement on her face was palpable. She looked at the ring, then me, back at the ring, and tears started to leak from her eyes. “Fiora, what are you wasting time with now?!” Said a gruff male voice. I immediately didn’t like the man, but I needed to get my supplies. “My newest wife here, has just sold a good chunk of your stock to me, that’s what she’s doing, and I’ll be taking her home straight after our business is concluded. As you apparently don’t actually need her anyway. I’ve got plenty of work for her.” I placed a Platinum coin on the counter, and the greedy old fart, snapped it up, looked at the list, and grudgingly gave me back two gold coins change. “I’ll fetch this lot, Fiona, you fetch your stuff, sooner you’re out, the better I’ll feel.”

I was livid, but Fiona just darted off to fetch her things. She was back before the old man had everything assembled, only one pack on her shoulders. She smiled at me timidly, as she spoke. “Never felt welcome, so I never unpacked. Been living out of this pack since I got here.” I just pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re home now.” The old man scoffed. “Here’s your stuff, pleasure doing business with you.” His smile was as fake as fake could get. When the supplies simply vanished in front of his eyes, they bulged in surprise. I then swept Fiona into my arms, making her squeal in shock, turned, and left the place. I wanted her as far away from that jerk as possible.