Husband of the Goblin Tribe

Chapter Fourteen – In which Ark is informed he is now allowed to use magic in a limited capacity to make a room for his daughter.

Ark had gone without eating and drinking for three full days if not counting the small pittance of purple berries he had shared with Berry. His body felt like it was on the verge of starvation, and dealing with that insanely powerful being had stressed him out immensely the rest of the way. Though his eyes opened into darkness, he could tell the body that was lying next to him belonged to Prima. Why was she there? Ark didn’t have the energy to make sense of it yet, but also felt no need to move away.

Prima wasn’t his enemy.

Ark knew this by the very merit that he was still alive. She was also eventually going to be one of the many mothers of his future goblin children. Ark couldn’t afford nor wanted to hate Prima over a problem he was the one to cause in the first place. So, he draped an arm around her body and pressed his body against hers. If he was going to die again, it was nice that he wouldn't be alone this time.

While gritting his teeth as his stomach rumbled in protest over a lack of nutrition, Jewel had convenient timing when it came to visiting Husband in the breeding cavern. She knew Prima was lying next to him, and in fact had been patiently waiting for her to collapse after having stayed awake on vigil for days until the Great Protector had come and gone.

“Husband?”

It took effort, but Ark could still speak.

“Jewel. Are you and the other goblins okay?”

“That Jewel question! Husband not eat fire meat in many days. Want Jewel bring fire meat for Husband eat?”

“Is there any point to feeding a dead man?” Ark asked, not knowing what came of the matter after he said his piece to the immeasurably powerful being.

“Husband listen Jewel. Great Protector let Husband dig wall with magic stone. Husband not use magic without Jewel see. Have topaz stone also.”

“...” Ark exhaled. “I’m… not going to be killed?”

“No. Husband still want die?”

“Not anymore if I'm allowed to dig the wall in Berry’s cave-hole with magic. But, I might really die if I don’t get something to eat and drink soon.”

“Husband not die before come back. Jewel bring fire meat, stream water.”

“Thanks, Jewel.”

Jewel departed from the cavern, returning first to her room to grab her bow and arrows and an extra waterskin. Husband no longer wanted to die, and that was the best news to happen in the last couple of days. She was elated that the Great Protector didn’t kill Husband, and that he would probably be willing to waste seed again with Jewel after he ate. Her fuckhole had felt itchy and she wanted to spend time with him again simply because he was Husband. Her curiosity about how he would use magic with the topaz stone might have been third on her list of reasons for wanting to make sure he lived.

Lily had passed by the breeding cave as well in time to see Jewel running out of it. Peeking in, she saw Husband lying down next to Prima. That was something she wanted to do very much herself, and she felt a bit jealous seeing Ark holding Prima the way he would any goblin after giving them big seed..

“Husband?”

“Lily?”

“Lily lay with you?”

“Yeah.”

Lily got down onto the ground and pressed her runt body against Ark.

“Prima…”.

“I know.” Ark answered without letting Lily explain. “Jewel told me, and I figured out the rest already.”

“Saw Jewel leave.”

“She offered to bring me something to eat.”

“Lily also want Husband eat. Not worry Berry. Last two days Lily hunt rabbits for Berry and Diana eat.”

Ark rolled over and gave Lily as much of a crushing hug as he could with his diminished strength.

“Thank you, Lily.”

“Husband… give big seed goblin tribe again?”

“Once I get some food and water in me, I’ll get back to giving seed again.”

“Not say big seed or cursed little seed.”

“Keep it a secret, okay? But I can’t give anything but big seed.”

“Husband trick Prima and rest of goblins?”

“Yep.”

Lily giggled.

“Lily not tell. Keep Prima trick. Great Protector listen goblins. Goblins talk about Husband care.”

“Now, now. I know Prima was just doing what that thing probably commanded her to. I wasn’t really angry at her for saying no to my using magic. But I’m a stubborn person, Lily. Humans care for their children, and I’m no different, even if the children you all give birth to will be goblins. I can’t help being human any more than you all can help being goblins. Isn’t the whole point of me being here to help bring many more goblins into the world? Shouldn’t they all have a chance to be strong and healthy?”

“Husband really want make goblin tribe strong?”

“Can’t call myself a good Husband or father if I don’t want my kids to be better than I am.”

“Lily also thinks that. Want strong ones never be runt. Be big strong ones like Diana.”

“I’m sure they will be. But even if they turn out to be runts, then they just have to be clever instead. It might even be better if they are.”

“Still rather have big strong ones.” Lily said stubbornly.

“Well, if you don’t have big strong ones this time, I’m sure there will be more chances.”

“Husband keep give Lily big seed until have big strong ones?”

“I’ll give you all the seed that can fit inside your body.”

“Mm… Lily like idea.” She growl-cooed pleasantly.

“Lily isn’t the only one who likes that idea.” Ark said as he kissed the top of her slightly less matted hair.

Ark continued resting in the cavern while Lily filled him in on most of the goings-on he had missed over the last three days in goblin-home, and how she, Jewel, Berry, Tree-chopper, Bone-taker, and Mushroom-picker were all prepared to leave if he had died because of Prima. As far as goblin friendships went, which historically weren’t very far at all, the six of them had become pretty friendly now.

That surprised Ark considerably.

“I will pick Bone-taker and Mushroom-picker next.”

“Want Lily tell both clean body?”

“That would be nice, but you don’t have to do it right now.”

Lily, like the other goblins who have been able to meet with him, simply enjoyed spending time being next to their Husband. Jewel had returned with food for him and herself along with some fresh torchlight. The meat was yet another burnt leg of something, but Ark didn’t give a shit what it was. He went at it like a goblin, for lack of a better description, and his healthy appetite was respected by both Jewel and Lily.

Jewel also handed over a waterskin with fresh water taken from the stream where she had hunted earlier in the day. Jewel knew Lily had been hunting rabbits for Berry, so she only bothered to hunt for enough to eat for herself and Husband.

Lily was salivating a little at the large piece of fire meat, and even though he was ravenous, Ark offered her some, causing her to feel some reluctance in taking any of the food he needed to eat. Ark only needed to slap his leg a couple of times though and Lily gave in easily. Climbing onto his lap, she ate the fire meat with him, but did try and hold herself back. She had eaten a whole rabbit earlier, after all.

Jewel was munching on her usual bloody fare, also enjoying the company while she ate with Husband and Lily. Even Prima too, though she was sound asleep.

“Husband. How make magic from topaz stone?” Jewel asked as blood dripped down her chin while she chewed on the bloody section she held.

“Uh, magic is like a special force. A feeling you push through your body and into the stone, then it becomes a power that obeys the will of the person. I guess that's the easiest way to explain it, though it might not make much sense to you without knowing more about mana.”

Jewel tossed the topaz stone in front of Ark and pulled her knife out.

“Show Jewel. Want see stone magic. Know Husband not hurt Berry or Diana, but…”

“I understand. Please sit behind me and put the knife at my neck the right way, ready to slice across my throat if what I do isn’t exactly what I tell you I will do.”

Jewel sat behind Ark and put the knife against his jugular properly while Ark passed the piece of fire meat to Lily for her to hold. He took the topaz stone in one hand while his other reached out and placed itself over the dirt space on the ground in front of him.

“I will cause the dirt to gather and rise up into a small pillar.” he said, as he used the topaz stone as a land focus, channeling mana through his body, letting it be attuned from the stone, causing the dirt under his open hand to gather and compact itself in short pulses as it rose about two feet in height from the ground.

Both Lily and Jewel were fairly impressed with what they were seeing. None of the goblins used magic, and only the Old One held onto the magic powder which summoned the Great Protector.

“Now I will make the topaz shed the same amount of light as a torch for a short while.”

Ark circulated the mana in his body once more, directing it into the stone to create a lucent shine that resulted in the topaz appearing more orange than brown from within. It began to glow and emit a dull orange light once he opened his fist. He then took it with his other hand and placed it on top of the pillar.

“There we go.” he said, and reached for the fire meat he had Lily hold, pulling the piece of fire meat back to his mouth so he could take another large bite of it, noting that a suspiciously large chunk of it had gone missing in the few seconds it took for him to use magic.

“When I dig the wall, it won’t be anything impressive. It'll also take a while to do because the topaz stone is low quality as far as being used as a focus orb, but, I can get a hell of a lot more work done in no time by using magic instead of banging against the wall with only a sharp rock.”

Jewel pulled the knife away from his neck carefully.

“Husband, use topaz, how long take make cave-hole this big?” Lily asked Ark out of curiosity.

“Uh… Maybe seven days if that’s the only thing I have to do? That’s assuming I don’t suffer mana exhaustion.”

“What that?”

“Mana exhaustion? It’s when Husband would get tired from using too much magic. I’ll end up falling asleep for a little while until my mana… uh, magic comes back.”

Lily and Jewel heard from the old one that the Great Protector made Husband’s cave-hole in only a single moment. Right now they didn’t fear Arks magic being all that dangerous in comparison, especially if he could get tired from using it.

Ark finished eating as much of the fire meat as he could, letting Lily finish the rest. Ark laid down to let his stomach digest the much needed food, and Lily laid comfortably on top of him. Jewel also laid down next to Ark, and like that, the three of them spent some enjoyable time together once more. Not a single one getting ravaged by Ark. Much as both wished they would.

~~** Interlude | Prima **~~

Prima had woken up to find she wasn’t alone next to Ark. Lily was resting on top of him, one of his hands wrapped around her body as she drooled onto his chest, and Jewel was sleeping right beside him holding on tightly to his other arm, which was also being drooled on. Next to them was a small pillar of dirt which rose from the ground and she saw a dim orange light being emitted from the stone which rested on top of it.

Prima was frustrated.

She was frustrated because the Great Protector said she was right. She was right to do what she did in following the Great Protector’s instructions, yet no one was punished and no one was said to be at fault. Instead, the Great Protector told her to speak with him again. And she would. She was going to, in fact, right after she woke up, but these two stupid goblins were here as well right now, which made it difficult for her.

Signs of eating were all over the place, and Prima was also a very hungry goblin right now.

She decided to go hunt something immediately and come back later to speak with Ark. But first she sat up and felt her stomach. Her belly had gotten bigger. It was a small but firm bump, proof that she had strong ones growing inside of her. She hadn’t spent the last two days noticing it all that much, but she did now, and the offensive word Ark called her echoed in her head.

Monster.

Prima wasn’t a monster.

Prima was a goblin.

She sat up, only to find that Husband’s hand which she had just seen wrapped around Lily, was now grasping her wrist. His eyes were open and his head turned slightly to look at her, but he didn’t open his mouth to speak a word. He gave it a small squeeze, and then let it go. She didn’t know what to think at that moment. She didn’t know what the look in his eyes was now, and she hated that she just didn’t know what to do or feel about him.

She wanted to throw Lily off of him and claim his seed-stick right there. Maybe hit him a few more times just for being stupid, but she didn’t have the energy to take her frustrations out on him presently. She got to her feet and just walked out of the room taking her spear with her which had been left at the entrance to the breeding cavern.

Maybe her head would think better after she had eaten something fresh and bloody…