HPDBC [v2] Chapter Eleven – In which Ark pays a consummatory visit to Grotte, then has a bonding moment with Nova in the bath afterwards.
[v2] Chapter Eleven – In which Ark pays a consummatory visit to Grotte, then has a bonding moment with Nova in the bath afterwards.
[v2] Chapter Eleven – In which Ark pays a consummatory visit to Grotte, then has a bonding moment with Nova in the bath afterwards.
AnnouncementThis chapter will end the opening arc of volume 2. Next up will be the Goblin Guild arc, as well as feature a much requested recap chapter and deeper insight into all the residents of Goblinhome, how they are related and perhaps a peak at their stats!
“And that makes the last one. Is everything to your liking?”
Orga Lush peered inside her new residence on the second floor of Goblinhome, just past the Goblin’s Guild room which I had made that couldn’t be circumvented. It wasn’t a big deal for any of the Orcs, however. Not when they saw what they were getting a part of the war-bride package.
“It’s far more than I expected. Are you truly sure you want to accept an old orc such as myself as one of your wives? I might not be able to bear you any children...”
“I’m sure. And you can serve a much more beneficial purpose to the tribe. I’d like to know if along with taming, you have experience in animal husbandry?”
“You want to raise Shadow Wolves?”
“Among other things. Even if it’s not possible, my children are smart and I’m sure one of them would benefit from learning what you might be willing to teach. If not Shadow Wolves, perhaps we can set the foundation for livestock farming.”
“If you have a child more suitable than the skeleton who has an interest, I’ll be happy to share my experience with them.”
“I appreciate that, Orga Lush.”
She patted me on the shoulder with a hand much bigger than my own.
“Is your preference Rushk or Grotte?”
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to be coy. Krushka is a bit older and has been a war-bride a number of times already. She’s older than the other two, but I’m still twice her age. I’m sure you prefer them young and... energetic.”
“I thought orcs never lost their libidos?”
“We don’t. But most men prefer a blooming flower over a wilting one.”
I scoffed.
“Say that to the Old One. She’s the most lascivious of all the goblins in this hellhole, once she gets going...”
Orga Lush let out a belting laugh.
“Well, should you be interested in mating with either of us old ladies, we most certainly won’t turn you away.”
“My only concern in mating with any of you ladies is that you try to make it a point of not crushing my pelvis.”
“What orc female worth her wiles would dare promise such a boring time to the War Chief?”
I received a few slaps on my back while she snort-laughed, having to plant my feet firmly so that I didn’t accidentally get sent flying. I had a feeling I was being toyed with by this granny of an orc. But that’s okay. I’d rather everyone be happy and satisfied with things as they are than harbor any discontent. Words of wisdom from my old man in my previous life... happy wife, happy life.
I should break down the whole war-bride package here so that it’s easier to understand what the expectations of the orcs were in regard to their capture and assimilation into the tribe.
War-brides are essentially trophy wives. They’ll remain my wives until such a point as I am killed by someone stronger than me. At the moment, they see me as holding the highest rank possible at the moment—Goblin War Chief. The fact that I’m the only male here isn’t important at all.
War-brides are also to be given appropriate living spaces and resources for the duration of their time fulfilling their role and managing the family while their Husbands are laboring or are at war. Husbands are expected to meet all needs that increase proportionate to the growth of their family.
Should the Husband of a war-bride die while in debt, if sales of all his assets are not enough to cover said debt, the war-bride will be considered a final asset that will clear whatever balance remains and not pursue further repayment from any remaining living relatives.
In each full season counted from the beginning of the spring planting, a war-bride may refuse mating with her husband three times before any reason why may be demanded. An additional time is added for each child the war-bride bears for her husband while they remain together.
War-brides are tasked with handling all household affairs not related to labor or war. This includes preparing all meals for their husband, mending clothes, managing all upkeep of their residence (making sure their cave/yurt/tent is kept tidy and any holes in the latter two are patched against the elements), and raising the children they have borne.
War-brides are not responsible for raising the children from any other brides or war-brides who came before them. They are, however, entitled to do so with any children borne from a bride or war-brides who come after them.
An Orc may have only one official bride, but also only as many war-brides as he can sustain according to his available resources. In matters of the rank of obeyance within the household pertaining to brides and war-brides, the bride’s authority is considered to be the highest, followed then by the war-brides in order of acquisition. Should an orc male have no bride but one or more war-brides, and a war-bride find it agreeable to become his bride, the two must go before a chieftain or warchief and a shaman to have her position made official.
It's all rather straightforward. Orga Lush had actually expected that I’d cram them all into just one of the bigger cave-holes in Goblinhome. I simply figured that it would be better to give separate rooms to them so that there wasn’t any trouble due to lack of personal space.
“Pity I’m not ten seasons younger. I’m sure I could have given you two or three pretty good whelps! Goh-ho-ho!!”
“There’s no telling what might happen in the future. As it usually goes around here, if there’s more space needed to accommodate for children, I can always make the room bigger or just make another one entirely.”
Orga Lush put her thick orc arm around my neck and jabbed me in the belly with a finger from her other hand.
“I recommend learning the ropes on how to please an orc from Grotte first. She’s coming into her prime years for childbearing and has had a rather traditional upbringing for an orc. Doing so will make handling Rushk much easier, since she is inexperienced. Krushka may be a bit cold towards you at first, but that will change if she sees that you are well established and not easily killed. I’ve known a few humans and from what I understand, the value you perceive a female to have diminishes with the number of times they have become war-brides to other males.”
Grotte... eh? She’s kind of tomboyish from what I’ve seen, but I can’t say that I don’t appreciate that kind of thing in a woman. Also, I’m quite happy to know that orcs like to wear tops. At this point, I’m ready for bras to trend throughout Goblinhome.
I left Orga Lush’s company and made my way to Grotte’s residence. She was currently swinging a hammer in the middle of her room, since there wasn’t much inside it yet that could be wrecked.
“Hello, Grotte.”
“Warchief! Grotte like room. Much bigger than think she get becoming war-bride. Not even have to stay with other war-brides!”
“As long as you’re happy with the arrangements.”
“Warchief come ask Grotte make meal? Or want something hammered?”
“Neither of those. I actually came for an entirely different reason.”
“Grotte listen.”
“Are you... really okay with this whole thing?”
“What? That Warchief both goblin and human? Grotte not care. War-bride once already. Warchief already show have more give Grotte than last Husband. Warchief think Grotte not want give Warchief whelps?”
“Ah... maybe?”
She snorted cutely.
“Grotte give whelps. But want to only once each full season.”
She’s willing to, but only one child a year?
“Uh... mind if I ask how many children orcs tend to have when they give birth?”
“One, two maybe? Whelps grow big in belly. Not much room have more than two.”
I nodded.
“Alright. I’ll do my best to not ask more from you than that.”
“That not mean only mate once a season. Grotte like mating all seasons.”
“That makes two of us.” I replied with some humor.
“Want mate now?”
“Uh...”
“Orga Lush send you here, yes? Want learn how mate with Orc?”
“You knew?”
“Grotte smart enough know best choice learn how.”
“That’s a relief. I kind of felt awkward just asking you to help me with that right away.”
“Not need feel that way. Warchief already agree take Grotte as war-bride. Can ask for mating when want. What Grotte want most is stay busy. Hammering what Grotte do best.”
“I’m... not quite sure yet as to what needs hammering around here, but you’re free to explore if you’d like to find something to hammer at your leisure.”
“Good. Like have big cave stay in, but not want be inside all day.”
That was a perfectly understandable sentiment.
“When Warchief plan bring food for Grotte cook? See fire-pit outside, can make tasty food.”Visitt for the latest updates
“Is that so? I’m pretty sure we have some food stored away in one of the caves on the bottom floor. I’ll see what I can drum up for you and the others.”
“MMH. When war-bride cook for husband, important he come and eat. Orc way build strong bonds while eat together.”
“So long as the food is cooked, you won’t find me missing from the dinner table.”
Grotte let out a long series of snorts which I hoped was her way of laughing.
“Hope Warchief have big appetite.”
Grotte began to undress. Of the four orcs, she has the smallest breasts. Breasts that still trumped the largest and fattest among my goblin wives, which belonged to Pear. She also came with some decorations...
Her breasts had been tattooed, and there were metal hoops pierced through her fat brown nipples. Yes, I couldn’t help but stare at them for a moment.
“Like what see?”
“Is... it normal for an orc to have...” I circled my finger in the direction of her breasts. “all that?”
“Yes. Female orcs taught to express feeling of what important to them with art on mams.”
“Mams?”
“You were making... strong-ones?”
“Not purposefully. I don’t think gob has a word for it, but we were finding compatibility with each other.”
“And were you?”
“Compatible enough. Anyway, I appreciate you rescuing me back there. It was quite lucky that you were passing by at the right moment.”
“It wasn’t luck. I was looking for you.”
“You were? Lumi isn’t mad at me for something else now, is she?”
“This has nothing to do with Lumi. I... have a request that you might not like.”
“Does this have to do with me... being the monster?”
“It’s related, but also not.”
I took a chest filling deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Alright. If you need to talk to me about something, what else is a father for? Shoot, kiddo.”
“I want to touch it.”
“...it?”
“It.” Nova answered firmly.
“Can I ask why you want to touch it?”
“It’s personal.”
“Is touching it all you are going to do?”
“Do you want me to swear an oath?”
“No. But it’s... kind of awkward.”
“I understand that. But I’m asking this as one civilized person to another.”
Nova saying that struck a strange chord with me.
“Alright. Please don’t let me regret this.”
I had already taken off my loincloth before entering the bath, so Nova now wading over to me had stood in front of me and had reached out to touch it.
Grasp it, really.
Rather than any kind of lust induced interest in it, there was more of a look of curiosity and longing present in her gaze.
At first, she just held a part of it in her somewhat small hand. But then, slowly, she had stroked it two or three times before stopping entirely.
“You look bothered by something, Nova.”
“I am.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Nova let out a small nasal sigh.
“I am bothered in the way that I felt when you were a goblin. All of us had a heightened sense of arousal due to some scent you kept emitting. I felt... the nature of my... gender.”
The last word was definitely spoken in the human tongue.
“I see. Are you bothered by the fact that you are a female goblin?”
“At times it does. I accept that it is what I am, but... I am more comfortable with this.”
Nova had lightly squeezed my seed-stick. Was she having some kind of gender dysphoria? I’m not really qualified to root through that kind of psychological situation.
“Nova... do you trust me?”
“As a human at least, yes.”
I picked up Nova and sat her on my lap. I pulled my thing up from between my legs and then pulled nova close to it so that while it was touching her bits, it was also covering them up entirely, and looked like my thing was jutting out from her.
“What are you doing?”
“Just take it in for a little while if you want.”
“You want me to pretend it is part of me?”
“I don’t know. I just figured maybe it was something along those lines?”
Nova stared at me for a moment and then stared down at our touching parts.
Her chest heaved a few times, and I was worried I had created an unintended anxiety.
Nova’s hands went below the water and took hold of it, touching it in all kinds of manners before closing her eyes and just stroking it slowly. That was all she did for a little while, her breathing steadily calming and nothing at all about it felt sexual in any way.
Nova’s body leaned forward, face pressing into my chest... where she had begun to cry.
I didn’t really know what to do for her, except put my arms around her and hug her as tight as I could, stroking her wet hair with my hand. Nova was a pretty messy crybaby right now with snot leaking all over my chest, but how could I think getting snot on me was remotely as concerning as her mental health?
“Father...”
“I’m here for you, Nova.”
“Don’t... say anything about this to anyone.”
“Of course not. I’m sure it took a lot of courage to bring this up to me as it is. I won’t betray your trust.”
“...you are a good father.”
“It means the world to me hearing you say that.”
“Can... I stay like this for just a little longer?”
“Sure. Take as long as you need.”
Eventually, Nova had composed herself and had pushed off of my chest, looking down one final time with a strange smile on her face before she slid off of me and left without saying anything further. I had never encountered a situation like this before, so I was really unsure of how to help her in any way other than what I just did.
My bath was a little less than rejuvenating, but both marriages and parenthood aren’t meant to be easy.
Vera had appeared out of nowhere and had joined me in the bath suddenly. She had come over to me and sat on my lap in a similar way.
“Done.”
“Done? You finished it?”
Vera smiled big and nodded her head.
“You’re the best, you know that?”
Vera put her hand over my heart.
“Know.”
“...looks like I can start moving ahead with my plans for our strong-ones.”
“Reward?”
“Mm, of course, what would you like?”
“Kiss.”
“Uh... kiss?”
“Talk. Lily.”
“Oh... um... can... you promise not to bite my tongue?”
“Promise!”
Vera just went ahead and opened her mouth wide as heck.
“No, Vera. Not like that. It’s... a subtle thing. Let me show you...”
I did my best to show Vera how to kiss like a human, and yes, there was a tiny accident where my tongue nicked the top of one of her bottom teeth, but the kiss she got to enjoy as a result was more than enough of a reward for her.
That, and a little bit of wasted seed that somehow managed to survive extraction by Grotte.
Looks like the final touches are lined up and the Goblin’s Guild will soon be open for business!