Page 22 of Barbarian Daddies

Kai is about to pull out, but I clench myself tightly around him and Maur, growling like a feral cat. “I’m not done with you either,” I reply. “Don’t leave me.”

The words are enough; their huge cocks grow again while deep inside me.

Tomorrow may not be guaranteed, but tonight out here in these woods, they are mine and I am theirs. Deep down, I already know the truth of my condition. I am theirs for life. I just need to admit to myself and simply let go.

8

Cynthia

Once we reach the mountain, there’s a change in the atmosphere. The air feels colder, filling my lungs with subtle stinging sensations. I haven’t felt this way in years, having gotten used to the dry heat of the Sun River Plateau. The sky above is a pale orange, tufts of yellow clouds stretching across. The forest is almost black in color, with pines and blackwood trees rising proudly around us.

Each trunk is at least ten feet wide in diameter, with thick crowns that reach for the heavens while casting dark shadows everywhere around us. The ground is hard and rocky. More than once, my calf-skin boots aren’t enough to keep me from slipping and almost falling, but Kai and Maur are always there, ready to catch me.

Technically speaking, it’s not really that cold up here. I’d compare it to a mild day of spring in Seattle. But I’ve lived in high heat for three years, and my human body has trouble adjusting to sudden changes of climate and temperature—the mountains are splendiferous, though. I’ve seen so many different animals on the way up here, fascinating creatures with long horns and hooves that like chewing on tree bark and pepper shrubs. Giant bear-like beasts with bright red coats, long, slim tails and fangs that could tear me apart in the blink of an eye. Rabbit-like fluffers in shades of pink and orange hopping across the stones before they spot us coming and disappear into the purple bushes.

A naturalist of Earth would have a field day exploring just this side of the mountain.

We hear other animals growling and chirping through the wilderness around us, though most of them keep their distance. We’ve managed to sneak past two Sky Tribe outposts, and there will likely be a couple more before we reach the Crimson Sea’s shoreline.

“It will get more dangerous as we get closer,” Kai warns as we stop under an ancient pine to rest for a while.

Dahlen rummages through his satchel and takes out a few pieces of bread and dried fruits which he distributes evenly around the group, making sure each of us has something to eat—just enough until we camp for the night. That’s when one of the fighters will hunt something, most likely a deer, and the others will help him prepare it for a roast on the campfire. This part of the mountain is secluded enough to allow us that much, but there is always the risk of drones flying above us even then. We’ve been careful so far, so all we have to do is stick to our precautions and keep our ears open.

“I could be more useful,” Dahlen says.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Well, if Kai and Maur agree, I could carry a weapon other than this stupid short sword, and I could protect you myself,” he says. “We wouldn’t need two other fighters.”

The Hadana clan members exchange amused glances, but no one says a word. He’s suggested this before, and Kai and Maur have repeatedly shut him down at every turn. At this point, his persistence is futile, a sign of desperation, proof he just wants to prove himself to someone. But that could get us all killed, so I am obliged to speak up.

I start with a soft and reassuring smile. “Dahlen, think about it this way. You are the last true Hadana blood-bearer in your clan should something happen to Kai and Maur. You have a lot already weighing on your shoulders. The best thing you can do right now is follow their orders, stay by my side, and keep out of trouble. That way, we all go in, we all do our jobs, we get the information we need, and then we all go home. We won’t have to bury anyone else—not along the way, and certainly not in the cemetery, either.”

“But I could do so much more.”

Kai is about to say something, likely something harsh, but I beat him to it. “You’re already doing so much by looking after us,” I say. “Just because you’re not required to fight doesn’t mean your role is not essential. It absolutely is.”

“Face it, kid, you’re too young and volatile to fight alongside us,” Maur replies. “It’s not a bad thing. It doesn’t speak to your character, either. It’s just a fact. You’ll outgrow this phase, just like we did when we were your age. Know your place, and you’ll be fine. We’ll all be better off.”

“Okay, so once we infiltrate the city,” I say, once again digressing to keep Dahlen’s ego from getting crushed for the umpteenth time, “Dahlen and two guards will take me straight to the research lab.”

“That is correct,” Kai says, then takes a stick and starts drawing a rudimentary schematic of Sapphire City into a patch of dirt between us. “It will be here, closer to the center of the city. Maur and I will lead two other parties around through here and here. I’m looking for Selina’s HQ, and Maur is looking for weapons armories and grunt barracks. We need to know where they are so we know exactly which spots to hit when we do lay siege to the city.”

“To minimize civilian damage,” I reply.

“Exactly. It’s the only way we’ll get some local support,” he sighs deeply. “We’ll use this particular mission for me to plant a few notes in neighborhoods where our spies have already picked up on rumors of discontent. We need to appeal to the disgruntled folks first.”

Dahlen frowns slightly. “What if they’re cowards? What if they’re just running their mouths, but when push comes to shove, they won’t have the courage to rise up against the Sky Tribe? What if they grab their house knives and whatever else they can find and come for our throats?”

I give Kai and Maur a curious look. Their cousin raises a fair question.

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take,” Kai ultimately says. “But my intention isn’t to get the civilians to fight with us against their current governors. My intention is to get them to stay inside, to seal their doors and windows shut and stay put while we take the city. The fewer who intervene, the easier it will be for our fighters to identify the hostiles.”

“Hardly anyone in Sapphire City wants to fight,” Maur adds. “They’re tired. We’ve been at it for years, and there are so few women left and still at risk of getting sick. We’re exhausted, Dahlen. Whoever wins this war, it’ll likely be the result of inertia, not necessarily strategy.”

I nod once. “I’m dying to see that research lab. If it has functional equipment, it could get me closer to a solution. And if I succeed in that endeavor, it won’t be inertia nor strategy that wins the war. It’ll be an effectively communicated public relations campaign,” I tell them. “Once the word is out that we’re working on a real cure for the plague, I’m certain civilians from all over Sunna will travel and help us keep Sapphire City.”

It could just be wishful thinking, but I’ve heard enough stories from our tribe’s scouts to form a clear picture in my head. And the truth is, they’re all tired. They’re worn out. They just want to live, to form bonds, to build families and have children. To get their lives back. To enjoy this existence and end the bloodshed. The only ones still itching for fight and dominance are the Sky Tribe. Unfortunately, they outnumber the Fire Tribe in both manpower and firepower.

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