Book 2 C 34 Negotiations

Both groups look on in disbelief at the sight before them. The girl that jumped me and is now kissing me is 5'8” tall, light brown, wavy hair, just past her shoulders in length, pretty features, small facial features, delicate looking even, her eyes are closed as her lips cover mine, her tongue hungrily invading my mouth. She is wearing a swat uniform and bullet proof vest, with steel toed work boots.

I gently pull away form her, “Dan...Danielle? Is that you?” I ask in confusion.

“Of course it is me you silly goose. When they said on the Radio, Scott Smith was coming, I knew it had to be you and those eyes told me everything! There is only one Scott Smith from Kopeke!” she smiles, her eyes flashing a brilliant blue, happiness is seen within.

“Scott who is this woman?” Cindy demands, her voice is menacing.

“Yes Scott who am I? And who are they?”, Danielle smiles mischievously liking her lips.

“Ok first, these are my wives, Julie, Cindy, Aerleras and Ki'Diera”, I say quickly stepping back, away from Danielle's clutches and point to each one in turn as I name them.

“And this is Danielle, .......a friend.”, I say, looking towards Danielle.

“A friend? That was more than a friendly kiss!”, Julie says now displeased.

“Wives? All of them? Scott really now......”, Danielle says in disbelief.

“It is a long story.......”, I sigh

“One we would like to hear”, All five women seem to say at once, then the Wives and Danielle look at each other, it seems they are sizing each other up.

“If possible, that will have to wait for later please, we need to resolve the Dwarven issue first ok?”, I cringe and try to change the subject.

“We will hold you to that Scott, be sure of that!” Cindy says snarling.

“Oh I can not wait to hear how the dense Scott Smith got himself four wives after chasing off all his female admirers all these years!” Danielle laughs amused.

“Yes, on to the subject at hand, I am William Thompson, I represent the people here and this is my staff. Roland Fairbanks, Ethan Harmon, Gary Tillman, Raymond Briar, Cynthia Crabtree, Holly Tillman and you already know Danielle Snow.”, The man says introducing himself and his staff, He is 5'10", very skinny wearing a simple blue T-shirt and casual gray pants and wearing glasses, his hair is messy like he has gone many nights without sleep, dirty blonde color, he is unshaven with a weeks of growth at least. The rings under his eyes reveal his lack of sleep and his eyes are amber, his demeanor is one of caution. Each of is staff nods as their names are called and Danielle smiles and waves.

“Wait, Snow? Do you know a Leonard Snow?”, Cindy asks quickly.

“Yes, he is my father! You know him? Is he alive? Is he doing ok? Oh my god!”, Danielle blurts out in quick order.

“Yes he is alive and doing very well, in fact he is the lead Doctor of our community.”, Julie says smiling to Danielle, who now bursts into happy tears at the news, the others of her group surround her and give her hugs.

“That is great news, others made it too!”

“We have hope, everything will get better now!”

“Good for you Danielle, you always worried so much about him”

They all say congratulating her, I felt happiness for her too, then it hits me oh crap his daughter? Oh shit, oh shit...........

Scott? There something you want to tell us?

Why bother waiting just access his memories.

As one, all four girls go into my memories and in a second, retrieve my time with Danielle. We met two years ago here at the Inn when I came to visit, she was working here, divorced and on her own, lonely like me, we talked and I invited her on my hike. We had a good time and slept under the stars that night and one thing led to another and we slept together. Neither of us was looking for long term relationship at the time, she just having divorced and me just having left the Marines.

The following year I visited again and saw her, and once again we went hiking, this time spending the entire weekend together out in the open, enjoying each others company and bodies, but it never went beyond that, tho I felt she wanted more, but did not ask or try. We parted and I was planning on returning this summer, hopefully with Julie this time, having all but forgotten about Danielle, but then the event happened. To me, Danielle was a friend, one who was lonely like me and needed companionship every so often. She told me that she did not just sleep around before I left the last time and she would be waiting for my next visit. It was a hint, now that I think about it, much like Julie's, the ones I never got or understood.

So that is how it is huh?

Yups, he got her too

Another wife?

My Warrior I feel this is too much

Listen my loves, I have no intention of making her a wife, she was, no, is a friend, that is all, now if we can keep this from Doc Snow I would be greatly happy! All of this is in the past I swear!

Sigh I see that Tiger, we forgive you.

Yes it is in the past I can feel you have no emotional attachment to her.

I see, in that case she can be your concubine then...

Ki'Diera????

What??

Really????

Princess what are you saying? I would never do such a thing.

My Warrior, having a concubine is normal, when we get to the point of our pregnancies, you will have to relieve your stress somehow.

Princess I will manage, I will not take concubines. This is not up for discussion.

Good for your Sweetheart

Yes, I am fairly sure Aerleras will still be ok before we are a that point right Aerleras?

Umm, yes, I will be.........

My loves, can we really change the subject here and get these talks going please?

All four fall silent.

“Is everything ok Scott? Your head keep darting back and forth to those women, as if you are talking.”, Danielle observes.

“Sorry, it is an ability we have, we can talk to one another with our minds.” I sigh to her. The wives smile to her. Big toothy grins each.

“I see, well then lets begin shall we?”, William says slightly confused.

“First, let me ask how many people do you have?” I ask them.

“Almost 2000 people total.”, says William.

“And all have been initiated by the system?”, I ask in disbelief.

“If by initiated, you mean upgraded by the new world, yes.” William says, “we have been calling it upgrading, since everyone who was upgraded got stronger, faster and healthier than before and all reverted back to their teen years in looks and age.”

“Upgrade or initiated does not matter, what matters now is you have almost 2000 people.” I say getting excited at the thought.

“To think 2000 people survived in one place, that is amazing news!”, Julie says clapping in happiness.

“Yes we had more but lately, the Dwarves you say? Have been raiding us and we lost some good folks” Says Ethan.

“Yes we have no way of repelling their arrows, they can shoot thru walls, even steel shields and bullet proof vests.” says Cynthia.

“Did it not occur to you all, they could have wiped you out at any times?”, I ask them all.

“We know that, but they didn't, and we held our ground,” Says Roland proudly. He was the one who kept shooting, I recognize the voice.

“Didn't you think to negotiate with them after seeing they were not advancing?”, I ask in disbelief.

“Scott you have to understand when that Saturday hit, we lost a lot of family and friends on that days. It was total chaos and we barely made it to the campus in one piece." Says William sadly.

“Hey wait that one has a tail, do you see that?” Cries Roland quickly raising his rifle, Julie throw her area barrier back up and steps in front of Ki'Diera protectively.

The others take a defensive stances and raise their guns too.

Cindy's Fire Aura goes off and Aerleras grabs her Dagger to the ready, while Ki'Diera arms herself too, her body begins to glow.

I sigh, then teleport and take the weapons from each of the 8 people gathered in quick succession. One last teleport, I stand before the group and drop the weapons to the ground in front of me. ”Look if we wanted you dead you would be so already got it?”, I say to them looking at their shocked and disbelieving faces.

“How....how did you do that Scott?”, Danielle asks, fear in her voice.

“Are you taking us hostage?”, asks William composing himself.

“Sigh, no I am just making sure no accidents happen ok?”, I say to them.

"Let me re-introduce everyone please”, I say to them,” This here the one with the blue hair and tail, is Ki'Diera, First Princess of the Ny'Har'en tribe, an NPC race and my wife. This here with the golden hair is Aerleras, also first princess and of the Elven Forest tribe and my wife, also an NPC race. This here with the red hair is Julie and the brown hair is Cindy, both Human and also my wives.” I conclude.

“NPC races? You mean that message over month ago that said they were spawning are them?” Asks William looking at Ki'Diera and Aerleras in wonder. Danielle is now showing a keen interest in the four girls.

“Yes as are the Dwarves, they too, are a NPC race like them. They are not monsters, had you tried to negotiate with them they may even have turned out to be friends or allies and helped you. But you treated them as monsters and now they are retaliating against you.”, I say to them.

“What were we supposed to do Scott? Our people were dying left and right. Then they showed up and we thought more monsters were coming.”, Danielle says her voice is shaky.

“I know, we were in the same boat as you, even more so as not even half as many made it in our town, we lost so many and nearly despaired beyond hope.”, I say to her understanding, “But then we met the Ny'Har'en, and later the Elves. We are sill working on our difference and have formed a community of Human survivors from the area with the Ny'Har'en and now the Elves.”

“How did you join as one? There had to be a lot of mistrust.”, Asks William trying to understand.

“I married Scott to join our people and he became the King.”, Says Ki'Diera proudly.

“As did I” says Aerleras, ”and now we prosper and join hands as one people”.

“King? You established a monarchy?” asks William in disbelief again.

“HAHA! So that is how the infamous bachelor Scott got married?”, Danielle bursts out laughing, but then she stops,” hmm so how did you wind up with two Human wives over there.” she now asks her eyes narrow on Cindy and Julie. “two gorgeous ones at that.”. She murmurs lightly.

“We were married before the Ny'Har'en and the Elves showed up,” Julie defends.

“Yes but now that all four of us are pregnant, we are all equals”, Ki'Diera once again blurts out innocently and proudly.

“Pregnant???” All eight almost say at the same time, in disbelief and wonder. “Even the non Human ones?” William asks not fully understanding.

“Yes Scott's little swimmers are quite...” I quickly cover Ki'Diera's mouth to stop her there.

“Yes all four of my wives are pregnant and is not relevant to this subject “, I say quickly trying to change the topic.

“Oh, I have got to hear the details later!”, muses a Danielle with a gleeful smile.

“Yes indeed, we have a lot to talk about,” muses a Cindy with an equally big grin looking to Danielle.

I cringe, but continue the discussion,” so right now the Dwarves are willing to settle the matter and sue for peace between the two races.”

“What do they want?”, asks William re-composing himself after receiving one shock after another.

“I do not know yet, we are here to stop you all from shooting at them on sight, then meet up with them soon, to talk about that.” I say to him.

“Very well we can stop hostilities. I will accompany you to meet their leader.” William says to me.

“I am going too!”, says Danielle quickly stepping up and grabbing my arm, linking me with her, smiling, much to the dissatisfaction of my four wives.

Shaking his head at Danielle's actions, “Alright, the rest of you spread the word that the hostilities are to cease and the Dwarves are not hostile. Make sure everyone understands what is at stake here”. William says with a grim expression.

The rest nod and head back to the building and we all turn to leave to head for the meeting area with the Dwarves. It takes us over 30 minutes of walking to get there, on the way William hits me with many questions about our situation, the Elves and the Ny'Har'en.

I tell him about the keep, the upgrades, the safe zones, the professions, all of it. The farms now growing and the fruits and vegetables the Elves produce and their racial trait issue. As we arrive he is in total wonder and awe at our accomplishments so far.

“So you have these Builders you hired and they do all the work to upgrade your defenses?”, he asks.

“For the most part yes, but we still have to furnish manpower and create the professions to defend the place and safe zones.” I say to him.

“Incredible, just incredible, had we known about this, we too could have had something like this going.” William says.

“Instead of starting from scratch, you could just join us, we have the room and housing, plus we have power and defenses already established and a decent treasury too, our Upgrades are almost done there.”, I say to him.

“You would take in 2000 strangers?”, William asks in disbelief.

“Well there is a catch, before we give entry, all have to answer a questionnaire.” I say to him.

“And what is the purpose of that questionnaire?” William asks.

“To seek out and eliminate trouble makers that would cause harm to the community”, I say to him bluntly.

“I see and what happens to the trouble makers?” he then asks

“We banish them on sight from the safe zone. No questions asked after that.” I say to him,

“How can you be so sure they are trouble makers, before they cause problems?”, William asks.

But before I can answer, Ki'Diera growls to Danielle,” will you stop it already, Scott has four wives and adding you as a fifth is not an option ok?”

“What? How......I did not say anything!” Danielle now says confused and defensively.

“This whole time you have been thinking about your past with Scott, how you missed your chance and now wonder how he can please the four of us, and yes to answer your questions he does quite well to please all of us at the same time, and no he does not treat us any different from the others and yes we all love him dearly and no a fifth wife at this time is not needed. And for the all that is dear, quit going over and over your little love session from last year......it is making me angry.” Ki'Diera bursts out, Cindy , Julie and Aerleras are all nodding in agreement to everything Ki'Diera says.

I cringe once more and sigh, "well I guess that answers that, we can read your minds and see what it is your are thinking, that allows us to spot trouble makers in advanced.”.

“You have go to be shitting me,” Williams now says in shock,” this whole time you were reading our minds?”

“Yeah, I had to be sure I could trust you before making this deal with the Dwarves and offer you a place with us. You genuinely care for the people and only lead since no one else stepped up, and question yourself everyday if you have made the right choices. I know the feeling and can sympathize with you there.” I say to him understanding him.

Danielle is blushing hard right now and has taken a step away from me under the gaze of the four wives.

We see the Dwarven King is already waiting, 20 of his warriors are with him, his guards it seems. We approach him and stop about 10 feet away.

“(Greetings mighty Dwarven King).”, I say to him.

“(Greetings King Scott Smith, you are early).”, he says back to me.

“(Yes it went quicker than I thought it would, the Humans here did indeed mistaken you for the monsters around and wish to make peace with you.)”, I say to him.

“(Very well, we are a forgiving people, we lost more cleansing out the creatures to make this place safe than against the Humans by far, but there must be a sacrifice for the loss of life and the blood shed, let their leader step forward and receive punishment and we will accept the sacrifice and greet the Humans with peace)”, Says the Dwarven King.

“No...no way”, Julie says shaking her head.

“What? What did he say?”, William says seeing Julie's expression.

“They want the leader of the Humans who fought against them, to take responsibility for the blood spilled and be executed, then the rest will have peace”, I say to him with a grim expression.

__________________________________________________________________________