Chapter 169: [Day 144] – “Home” (1/2)
∼ Day 144 ∼
With a little more than a week passing, I was happy to say that the other half of the journey across the lowlands had us all unmolested, even if we did manage to draw a lot of attention from various greenskins settlements. But that was to be expected as tens of thousands of monsters wouldn't exactly be able to pass by unnoticed anywhere.
We even made a brief stop by Ruela's clan where we held good on my word to share a feast with Frenn, the other chieftain. I had sent word ahead of our procession so that she would be able to be there before we arrived. With how many we were traveling, even though most of them were monsters with durable bodies and all, still slowed our travel speed by quite a bit.
After enjoying the one evening of camaraderie, discussing various business-related topics so that we could include Frenn some more, we had once again set off towards our goal; home.
And at last, after a calm but arduous journey, we had arrived. With the mountain range coming up on the horizon, I felt my itch to be home grow by each passing second. I turned to the two figures riding alongside the mastercraftsmen wearing the distinguished clothes of what I would say was the medieval equivalent of a supervisor's or an advisor.
One was a Grendor, short of stature, but round and plumb. The other was an exotic type of troll race that specialized in intelligence rather than brawn and reminded me more of a furry hobgoblin if nothing else.
”Irick, Rykas - We will be riding ahead, I trust you two to take charge the rest of the way, alright?” I asked them.
Initially startled upon being addressed, they both nodded emphatically once they regained their practiced and professional demeanor.
”Will honor, my lord!” They both intoned simultaneously.
They had both been recruited as both overseers and advisors, just in general to work as managers of the settlement that would hopefully help and teach Darkan how to properly administrate everything regarding the more intricate work that would be required of such a position. And although they were very new to being out in the real world and putting their learned skills to use, they were both incredibly gifted individuals from what I had seen after just briefly interacting with them during the journey.
Riding along with Mia and Bob in tow, I had instructed everybody to take it slow, including Maldrak and his daughter even though Melane was positively jumping in her seat to follow us and see what laid just beyond those might mountains looming in the distance.
With the steady gallop of our feline mounts, we closed the distance in no time, and when we passed the mountain range, I was met with the sight I had been longing for so long, and then some.
A lush ecosystem of wildlife that called this basin home was ever sprawling with life, the massive jungle and the gargantuan lake cradled in by the mountain range made for a beautiful sight. But what I was truly taken aback by, was the splotch in the distance that had grown significantly from what I remembered.
Like the first time I arrived, I couldn't really see anything from how far I was away from the coastline of the jungle to the lake, but the before nothing more than a dot settlement was now a visibly a place of buildings and inhabitants. It had grown at least ten, maybe even twenty-fold, and I couldn't wait to see what changes had occurred in my absence.
So I didn't.
My approach didn't go unnoticed either, as even though while I made my way down and through the outskirts of the jungle which blocked all view from the ground below, the beacon of power that was the source of my blood stirred within the hundreds of greenskins that had been soaking in its power ever since I came into leadership.
And when we finally stood before the sprawling settlement, the close to a thousand original greenskins stood gathered at the entrance with a gathering of curious individuals who looked on at the scene with unaware intrigue. I supposed that were the many laborers that Ruela and Frenn had gifted us, many of which had yet to even receive the Sanguine Plague.
I marveled at the rustic, but well-made and huge wooden constructions creating what I would even say was the framework of a small city. I had barely even made it off my mount when the swift embodiment of wind that was a particularly lithe and tall woman, almost knocked me off my feet as she threw herself at me.
She had literally thrown her arms around my head and locked her legs around my hips, and before I managed to get more than a glance of Lily's devious grin, she kissed me deeply. The fervor at which she did it had even me finding myself flustered, and when she finally gave me an opportunity to breathe, I chuckled awkwardly since I had not expected her to be so forward.
”Ahem - Missed you too?” I coughed to clear the air, looking into the face of charming danger that was Lily. ”You seem... rather pent up...”
”You have no idea,” She said a bit breathily. ”I haven't gotten a proper release in years, and then you leave me in a place filled with horny greenskins for almost two entire months. The nights filled with the sounds of moans - and I swear, whenever I walk down these damned roads, I can literally smell the sex on the air.”
Realization at that, I felt rather guilty. Although the relationship between me and Lily had practically been sealed in stoned, or blood rather, I decided to take it slow with her. Which meant essentially that I had to pursue her as a woman after I returned from my journey that took much longer than expected.