Chapter Six

The day had been very peaceful like everyday but today was something different. The air was thicker but sweet like candy or a sugary tea. It's been another six months since I've met my Star and her whole village. So a full year with them and it feels like they are my family. Especially for Ira and Saf hanging around me like I was their real dad. I showed them how to feed the wyverns and even let them bond with a baby Giga I got from an egg. They taught her alot of tricks and feed her well. The Giga was more like a puppy but when someone got to close to her girls. The Giga would crawl a bit, except for their mother and me. The Giga behaved since the girls trusted me.

Todat like I said was different but weather wise was the same. Sun was up high and the heat was ok, I had a task to do with Star for the next few days. I was packing for a five day trip but it wasn't for a picnic. The Orkish when they get married have this ritual. Both mates spend three nights together with no weapons on a small island. Then if we survive we stay on the opposite sides of the island for two more nights. I don't really know why they do this but it's what they've been doing for a 1000 years or so. I think they do it to see if the couple are meant to be together or something. Anyways, I got what I was allowed to bring into my pack and we left for the island.

This island was back north off the coast of where that thief stole that fish. Now an abandoned fishing spot it was quiet. Star's father dropped us off on the island then left us to be alone. Star and I walked along the shore for a bit then we came across the old living spot they used to use. I studied the spot for a bit then noticed small tracks all around. I looked up to the last couple to be here went up and made a living spot in the trees. "Should we got up there since it might be safer than the ground?" I asked Star and she agreed, "I noticed the tracks like you just did, there might be compies.?"

We went up into the tree house like hut and stayed the next few hours making it better. I was making a small dinner when I felt Star's hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and we saw a bunch of birds flying over head. I saw that the birds were near something floating on the water. "Ah that giant turtle, I've heard about it but I've never seen one till now." Star said to me as we watched the beast float on by. I smiled then I poured a drink into two cups and handed one to Star. "Did you pack that tea you love for this trip?" Star asked me and I laughed, "Yes I did, we don't have to drink plain water do we?"

I asked her and she smirked, "You always dance around the normal with your strange mind. Thats why I love you Jacob." She said kissing me on my forehead then she walked to the bed. I went right to her and she grabbed me tight. We kissed and fooled around for hours till the sun came up the next day. I slept most of the day and listened to the waves crash near the shore. When I woke up a couple hours later I saw that Star was on the beach over looking the water. I climbed down from the hut and went to see what was wrong.

I had seen she was thinking about her departed husband that passed away years ago. I sat down with her and I asked her, "Can you tell me more about him, I'd like to hear what kind of Orkish man he was?" She whipped her face then she stared at me, "You really want to hear about my late Herb?" She asked me and I nodded yes so she would tell me about him. "Well lets see, he was kind but stern, but for the most part he was dependable. He was much like you, helped everyone he could and even tamed a few animals like you. The one thing different about than you was he loved to fight."

"We were long life friends first and as we grew up we fell in love and got married. We didn't have our girls till settled in that last village, we wanted to make sure they'd grew up in a peaceful place." She told me and I kept my eyes right on Star. "Herb sounds like a really good person, more like how the old me was. I use to fight alot when I was younger, I had something bad happen to me that made me calm down. Anyways, what made you want to marry him?" I asked Star and she looked happy for a moment. "He was a Dependable Ork, he was always there for me and the village."

"Even when they hunted down a pack of Raptors he made sure everyone was safe first." I heard her stop as she began to cry a bit, Then she whipped her eyes again. "He gave his life with two other to let the party escape the slaughter." I grabbed her and held her tight, "He knows how much you loved him, I can feel it so I'm sure he knows." I said to her to calm her down, she turned to me and blushed at me like a school girl on her first date. "I love you too, but I'm always worried he might be alive out there but I know he's not." She said to me and I sighed a bit.

"I want to celebrate his life when we get back home, I know he would appreciate that. I know the girls would love to hear about their father." I said to her and she agreed, so we thought up ideas to have a party. As the sun began to set we went into the trees and watched it go down for the second time. We laid together in a handmade hamock for bed this time. We slept the whole night with nothing happening. We even stayed in the hamock most of the day. We wanted to be together till the days when we had to spend them away from eachother.

We eventually fell back asleep till the next day. I got up to see a note in Orkish left on the bed. It was the first day that we were to be apart from eachother. I debated on leaving or staying in this spot till later. The note that I know had in my hand said, "Jacob, you should stay there so I can find you when these leave in three days." It then was marked with a star, I rolled the note and I put it in my pocket. I got up and went down to the ground. I wasn't wearing shoes when I touched the ground to find I was stepping in slime. "Ah thats gross, what the hell is this?"

I looked up to see an egg eater had been here and it took an egg from something big. I picked up a shell of a egg to see what type of egg it was. I looked even more worried when I reconised what the egg came from. I then looked over to see something big coming towards me. I jumped into the water to wash up the egg goo off my feet when the creature stopped right next to me. It was a giant Titano, large and red stone colored it bent it's next right down at me. I lowered my head when it saw the remains of the egg. "I'm not the one who did this, I think an egg eater did this to you."

I said to the Titano, it seem to understand me and let out a loud cry that scared me to my core. When I listened to it cry out I saw an egg eater run down the coast. The Titano saw it too and headed right for it. I pulled out my hand gun and I shot it killing it for the Titano. The big creature stopped and saw me walk away going back to my tree hut. It looked back at the now dead egg eater and it seemed to smirk at it. The Titano then came back by me and stopped at the hut. "I'm sorry that happened to you, I know what that feels like. You can sit here for a bit to rest if you want to."

I said to the Titano as I built up a fire, it flopped down and listned to me talk to myself. "Just two days out here away from my dear Star and I'll be offically married to her. I wonder what everyone's going to say about this mixed family." I said poking at the fire as the Titano looked at me. "You can understand me a bit can't you?" I asked it and it nodded at me, "Ah, are you Male?" I asked it and it nodded again. "Well, you don't really understand this but I'm human. My soon to be wife or mate is not, she's an Orkish woman. Green skin like the leaves and much taller than me."

"We fell in love with each other after spending time getting to know eachothers people." I said to the Titano, it shaked his head and understood me a bit. He then looked out to where another Titano creature was waiting for the one in front of me. I smiled, "you should go back to her so that she understands what happened. You shouldn't leave her out no matter how heart breaking it is." I told my new friend. The beast got up after ten minutes of laying near me then left. I was left alone once again for the next day and half.

The only thing I did was pull out my drawing pad and I drew the scene of the ocean infront of me. I did this for the rest of my time alone till I heard foot steps behind me. Star came from the brush and calmly walked right up to me. I was sitting on the ground with my drawing pad in my hand. She looked at my art work and was amazed that I drew this in a couple days. "You can put that up in our home when we get back." She said to me offering her hand to me. "I was thinking on giving this to your parents my sweet Star." I said back to her looking over her shoulder to see her father coming through the trees.

"You both made it, I trust you followed the rules of this trial?" He asked us and I replied, "Yes sir, we even spent our time on opposet sides of this island as requested." Star gave me a look though to say or ask me something. "Oh, I did have a run in with a Titano on our first night apart." I said to Island and he gave me a funny look then asked me. "Why did that creature come around here?" I smiled when I replied, "an egg eater stole its egg and crushed the egg." Island looked at Star then he asked me, "how did you get it to leave you alone?" I told him, "I asked it to because I wasn't the thief."

He seem to laugh a bit but dropped the conversation as we headed to the boat. From there we went home so we could rest from the last two nights. As we got home I saw that Brad was teaching the Orkish children how to take care of the baby wyverns. I stayed back as Brad taught with Star and a couple of the other parents watching with us. "Here if you scratch their heads softly and then give them one of three treats they will start to listen to you. Don't over feed them otherwise they will get greedy and force more out of you." Brad said pulling up a new baby Ice Wyvern that came from Blizzard and Frost.

I felt funny like a proud grandpa or something when I saw the new baby. Brad looked up to see all of us watching him and he smiled. "Now kids go run off and finish your chores for the day." Brad told the kids and they all ran off. Brad was holding the Baby Wyvern as he handed me it. "Ah you look just like your parents, hope you'll become someones friend in the future?" I said to it and it blew cold air into my face as it wagged its tail like a dog. I set it down and it flew off to Blizzard who was watching me. I saw Frost was also and he seem to look more proud of his little one than anyone else.

I smiled at him and I left heading to the village to check on their progress. They had set up a good fishing spot and Star's brother was starting to come in when he saw me. Zer walked right up us then gave me a big hug. "Welcome to the family Jacob, I hope you'll be a great addition to this Village as well." He said to me and I laughed a bit, "Sure, I'm happy to be part of something big again." I replied and he wrapped his arm around me and we went to the Village's fire pit. We drank and ate good food for a while till the kids came around. We then switched and played games with everyone till the night came over head.

Star the whole time was right next to me as we began to settle down. The air got colder and we sat right next to dying fire as Zer went to his hut. "I hope this peace never ends, but for now I'll just soak it all in." I said to myself out loud, Star whispered to me. "We should get the kids to bed, they look really tired." I looked at the kids and I smiled, "Sure you want me to carry them to the hut?" I asked her and she nodded, so I got up and they let me carry them home. I walked them to the hut in the village and I layed them into their own beds. Star covered them and when we were about to leave I heard.

"Goodnight mother, Goodnight Father." Saf said and I froze in my tracks right next to the door way. My right eye had a tear rolling down when I realised what Saf said. Star was just a shocked as I was but she was smiling a bit. "Thats the first time she's called you that, I guess she does like you Jacob." Star said to me and I nodded agreeing with her then replied. "Are you ok with her calling me that or is it still to soon for something like that?" Star shook her head as she pulled me out of the room into the hall. "You're my mate now, and to be honest you're the only male they trust besides my father."

We went to bed after that and I slept soundly after spending those days in the wild. The bed was warm and the sweet scent of Star soothed my head when I started to dream. I felt Star lay her head on my chest and then I felt two sets of hands touch my leg and back. Star felt movement on the bed and saw that the kids were in the room. "Mother can we sleep in here tonight with you guys?" Ira asked pushing their request a bit harder. I didn't open my eyes but I did say, "I don't have a problem with it if they go to sleep Star." Star looked at her girls then she nodded and the girls curled up on either sides.

We all went back to sleep that night. When the sun came up hours later I felt my body still holding onto Star as the kids laid close to the two of us. I opened my eyes to see that Star was waking up too. She smiled at me as the kids jumped on us to get us up. "Mother, Jacob, can we have breakfest now, we are hungry?" Saf asked us and I smiled as I nodded yes. She looked excited and ran out the room to get dressed in new clothes. I got up and I went to make breakfest when I saw Island and his son Zer coming to the door. I opened the door before they knocked and saw they got spooked by me.

"Ah, you're up, mind if we ask you to come with us, we are going to the human village for some crop exchange." Island said to me and I looked at the kids who were now coming to the front of the hut. "Lets have morning meal first before we set out." I replied to Island and he agreed as he came in with Zer behind him. I quickly made a good breakfest perfect for a long hot day. With fruits and left over cold meats. We sat talking about the types of plants that Island and Zer wanted to get for the village farm. I didn't have long grass seeds or underground root plants just yet to help them.

All I had was small fruit plants and a couple of the harder to find mushrooms. The girls ate their food quick then headed outside to play and do chores for the day. Star who was next to me enjoying her meal slowly got a crazy idea in her head. "Why don't you take the kids with you to the human Village?" All three of men looked at her shocked, as she explained why She had that idea. "They've been wanting to go for sometime now but never get the chance to. I know they'll be safe with Jacob and Zer looking after them, I am worried but I can't stop them from exploring this island."

She looked at me and I just smiled back at her. "What beast should we take, we can't always take the Wyverns." Zer asked and I thought about my Rex's but they might not like how the other humans are. Island jabbed my side when he saw me in deep thought. "Son, what are you thinking about?" He asked me and I replied, "Why not use the Rex's, but I don't know how they would react to the other humans?" I looked at Stone who was hanging out on the border of the Orkish Village. He wasn't harming anything but he kept his eyes on everyone.

"I think If you bring Stone with us we'd be safe, no one will bother us with him around." Star said putting her hand on my chest to get me to look at her. I grabbed her hand and I smiled, "You're telling me that you'll come with now?" I asked her and she nodded. My body felt light after her telling me that so I whistled for Stone. He stepped over the Village walls and headed right to me, being careful with each step. Saf and Ira saw him closing in and walked back to see what was going on. "Mother why is Mr. Stone here, I thought he wasn't suppose to enter the Village?"

Ira asked Star and I grind a bit as I kneeled to them. "We are going to go on a little trip to the Human village and your mother wants me to take you with me." I said to them and they both jumped with excitement as Star added the other details of why Stone was here. She looked up at the big Rex and said out loud. "Mr. Stone will protect you till you return home on this trip. I'll be going to, but you'll be staying near the Rex." Star looked at her daughters when she told them that and they looked scared. "Stone you heard my Wife, you'll coming with to protect the kids."

I said to Stone and he bent his head down as to tell me he understood the assignment. Saf and Ira both looked at the Alpha Rex as he just stared at them for a moment. "So since we got that all settled we still need a way to carry the new crops seeds back home." Island said looking out to the heard of Trikes grazing in the field by the trees. I rubbed my face a bit then I remembered that I had a old pulling cart that my Trikes could pull. Two trikes could pull it and that would be two extra animals to protect us. "Lets go get my cart from my Wyvern farm, then we can head out for the village."

After I did all that and got my Trikes rigged up we seven headed to the Human village. I say seven because we had another Orkish person come with us. This person was the doctor or the Medicine woman for the Orkish people. Her name was Valley and she was mean to me but didn't show that side of her around Star. From what I understood she was a friend of Star and the god mother of the kids. Or what their version of a Godmother was. The kids rode up on Stone and I steered the Trikes with Star and the other in the cart with me.

I could feel the whole time that Valley was glaring at me. Till that was when Stone saw her get to close to me. He grawled a bit and she sat back down, I looked back when he did that to see Valley acting like nothing happened. Star wondered what happened too but saw I was smiling a little bit. "She's still having a hard time with you being part of our village still?" She asked me and I nodded, "Yes, I can feel her glaring at me. Even when I'm not looking at her, thats probably why he did that." I replied to Star and she seem to grin a bit. "She's going to learn to respect you like we all have but it might be longer for her to do."

We both laughed a bit then started to see the Human village of ArkCoven ahead. "Stone behave yourself in here, no running off and or starting fights with other riders." I said to him and he bellowed a bit to give me attitude. We crossed the front gates a bit when I had Island take over the reigns while I walked along the road. We slowed the pace a bit till we came right to the storage area where we could trade the seeds for different ones. I saw a couple people looking right at us but they weren't annoyed by our presents. They smiled at me and even loved the sight of the Orks being in the village now.

Then I saw Cyric coming right out of the storage area. He had a blueprint in in his hands, one that I made back when I was part of this village's leaders court. I was in charge of making plans and design blueprints that we might need to use when the time came. I saw which blueprint it was and I got worried. Star who was stepping down from the waggon saw my face. "Jacob, what are you worried about, why do you make that face when you saw that blue piece of paper.?" She asked me and I replied, "Thats a design for a large boat to travel this world. I'm worried because I know what he has planned for that."

I looked right at Star and she didn't understand what I was worried about. Then We heard Cyric cough as he said, "We are going to take a select few and travel the world trying to find other human survivors." Star's eyes got wide when he said that and I face palmed a bit saying back to him. "Those prints weren't complete and we don't have the resources to even build something on that scale." I motioned my hands to show how upset I was that he would suggest this again. He though didn't care about my warnings, he put the prints back in his hand bag and asked.

"What brings you guys here, I see you have a big Waggon with you this time?" I let Island take over as he showed Cyric the crops and seeds that we brought. After taking an hour to settle things I felt something was off. I turned my head to see that Ira and Saf were gone but I could still her their voices. I looked up at Stone and he was pointing towards the Tavern. I bumped Star to show her that the kids were gone and she yelled at Stone. "You were supposed to keep an eye on them Stone, You're their protector on this trip!" She got really angry and Stone coward like a scroned dog for a moment as I when to go get the kids.

When I walked into the bar I saw my friends Viz and his crew guarding them from a angry looking raider. He was pointing a yelling at my kids, I put my hand on Viz's shoulder and he turned to yell but saw it was me. "Oh Jacob, it's you, this guy was going to hurt these two because they acidently knocked over his beer." Viz told me and my face felt hot and stiff as I let go of Viz and went right for the Raider. The girls stayed behind Viz as I stopped to see if Ira and Saf were ok. "Girls are you hurt at all?" I asked them in Orkish and Ira showed me a burn mark on her arm. "Was that from this guy?"

I asked her again in Orkish and she nodded. Viz knew from my eyes changing that this wasn't going to be good so he backed everyone up. "You hurt my Daughters?" I asked the man and he smiled a bit then started to say, "Yes what are you going to d..." I stepped right up to him with enough distance to hit him and I uppercuted him right in the face. He caught the ceiling for a moment then he fell to the ground hard. The guy looked up to see me standing over him, "You ever come near my girls again and this face will be the last one you will see, You feel me?" I said to him getting closer to his face as I crouched.

The man nodded and I watched him start to run away but got caught by Viz's Pocket as he reached the door. The guy fell again but this time he was out cold. I whipped my face to get my head cleared of the violence. I looked at the girls and I kneeled to them and they came running as they hugged me tight. "Please next time stay around us, you worried me and your mother." I said to them and they both apoligised. "We are sorry Father, we heard something coming from this building and the doors were open. We didn't know that this place was filled with mean humans." Ira said as everyone laughed a bit.

"Yes, and no, this is a place for the field workers to relax and drink adult drink away from kids. Not everyone is mean but not everyone is nice either, next time you go with an adult ok." I said to Ira and she nodded in agreement. Thats when Star came into the building to see that there was a man out cold on the ground. She looked over at us to see that Ira had a burn mark on her arm. "What happened and who did this to you Ira?" Star said in Orkish moving everyone out of the way. Ira looked at her mother and she replied, "We spilled that man's drink on accident and he burned me with a smelly thing."

"Then that man pulled us away right before Father came in to knock that man on the floor. He went to run but that Human Woman knocked him to the ground before he let the room." Star sighed a bit them she looked up at me. "I kind of lost my temper when I saw that burn mark, I'm sor.." Star shook her head no, "don't apoligize for that, I would of done that same thing." Star said to me and I smiled as I took a look at Ira's burn mark. "Ah thats a cigar burn, we can heal that with some Aloe or Cactus water. Pocket do you have any on you at all?" I asked Pocket and she pulled out what she had with her.

"Viz do you have a clean piece of cloth?" I asked Viz and he pulled one out of his pocket handed botht the cloth and the Aloe to me. I put the Aloe on the cloth and pressed it on Ira's wound. She flinched at first but stopped as it began to feel nice on her skin. Star started to look around when she noticed who these people around, who they were. "These humans were the ones with you when you Killed that Giga." She said and I nodded as I introduced them to her. Everyone greeted her and then she thanked them for helping her kids with the stupid man. Viz waved her off and smiled, "We knew who these kids were."

"Jacob when he would visit would tell us about them alot. We saw that they were in trouble and we just did the right thing." Viz said still smiling as his crew agreed with him with Nods. I was tieing off the cloth as everyone watched me. I looked right at Ira and she smiled at me, everyone around me that weren't use to orkish people didn't really get to see their large tusk like canine teeth. For me it was cool but for other humans they were disturbed by the teeth. Ira quickly stopped smiling when she saw everyone react to her teeth.

"Don't do that Ira, who cares what kind of teeth you have. I think they make you unique and different in a good sense." I said to her as Star told her to stand up, "You should be proud of your Ancestors Ira and smile for them." Ira seemed to be more embarssed as Saf the younger one tugged at me shirt. "Like this Father?" She asked me smiling at me with her teeth showing, I started to laugh as I patted her on the head. "Yes, like that Saf, now lets get back to your Grandfather and Uncle." I replied putting Saf on my back and carring her as we went out the door.

Everyone watching us noticed something about me, "He's grown from a loner into a family man in short time after meeting Star." Pocket said jabbing at Viz, he laughed, "Yes, a good woman can do that to a man. Though he's change her too, I bet before him she never let anyone get close to her daughters." Pocket looked annoyed but saw how happy we four looked smiling in the sun.