I tapped my heels on Bob’s flank and he walked closer to the crest of the hill. The hand shaped lake spread out below me, and I scanned my eyes over the beaches. There were three triceratops in the same spot I’d seen them yesterday, a smaller group of parasaurs bathing in the finger next to the three-horns, and a group of large Komodo dragon looking dinos lounging on the sand on the far side of the lake. I had never seen this later species of dino, and I opened my Eye-Q so that I could identify them. Unfortunately, they were too far away, and I didn’t really feel like riding down there to get a closer look. I’d probably have to come back for more water and clay later today anyway, so I figured I could catch them at that time.
Since my Eye-Q was open, I tabbed through my attributes.
Strength: 4
Stamina: 3
Movement: 3
Special Skilclass="underline" TAME -- Level 2.
“Alright!” I whispered out loud when I saw that my Stamina had gone up to a 3. I wished the Eye-Q would have told me exactly when it happened, but I reasoned that it probably occurred when I was sleeping and recovering from the day’s activities.
I set my eyes on the Level 2 of my Tame skill. The smallest trike of the trio down below was about two or three times the bulk of Bob, and Bob was fucking huge. I didn’t know if weight or aggression had anything to do with taming the dinos, but it made a lot of sense to factor it in. I wasn’t going to try one of the triceratops until I got my skill up to a 3, so I was going to have to level it up by taming more parasaurs.
But that could wait until I came back here with Sheela again. I told the blonde woman I’d only be gone for a few minutes, so I needed to get back before she got worried.
I turned Bob away from the lake and tore down the side of the hill. As I felt his legs pump and his back sway beneath me, I wondered if I’d ever get bored with this feeling of power. I was in complete control of the beast, and he changed his speed, direction, and gait as soon as I thought that he should.
Sheela did look a bit relieved when I returned, and I realized that I’d forgotten to bring a spear with me. As soon as Trel made the saddle for Bob, I’d have to make sure I kept one or two on him at all times. Maybe we’d also keep a bow and some arrows.
Trel, Galmine, and Kacerie were standing together at the mouth of our propped up gate, and they turned toward me when I stopped Bob a few feet from our wall.
“Good morning, Victor!” Galmine called out as she raised her hand toward me.
“Good morning, ladies,” I said.
“We await your instructions,” the gray-skinned woman said happily. “I have breakfast cooking. What else should we do? More water pots with the clay?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Please teach Kacerie and Trel what you are doing, and then work on converting the sinew to cordage. We are also going to need more plant cordage so either Sheela or I will have to get you more later today.”
“I can get some,” Trel said, and I actually blinked in amazement.
“You’d be okay to gather ferns?” I asked her.
“Well, I wouldn’t be ‘okay’ with it, since it is beneath my elevated position as your lover-queen of our tribe, but being queen means that I have to take upon myself jobs that my serfs cannot do by themselves.”
“But Trel, I am also Victor’s lover. Does that mean I am a queen as well?” Galmine asked.
“Hmmm,” Trel said as she studied the stone-woman. “I suppose so, but don’t let the title interfere with your duties.”
“I won’t,” Galmine said.
“Wait,” Kacerie said. “Does this mean I have to sleep with Victor if I want any sort of social standing in our tribe?”
“No,” I said at the same time as Trel said “Yes.”
“No!” I said again as the spider-woman shook her head and frowned at me. “Kacerie, I’m not expecting you to sleep with me. I just need you to help Galmine with the pots, and then I want you to help us with the cordage. You are really good at weaving, and your talents help us out a bunch.”
“It’s boring though,” the pink-haired woman said. “I don’t really think I should be doing this kind of activity. Can you take me out on one of your dinosaurs for a ride? I’ll gather ferns with you.”
“We’ll figure out the fern gathering later,” I said to the three of them. “Trel’s going to help me with something real quick and then work with you on the clay.”
“What about breakfast?” Galmine asked.
“Bring it out to me while I work,” I said as I gestured for Trel to climb up on Bob. “I don’t have time for a break.”
“Yes, Victor,” the gray-skinned woman said, and she turned back toward the hut with Kacerie.
“What do you need from me?” Trel asked after she had climbed up beside me and given me a soft kiss.
“I need you to tell me how far out to build the wall,” I said as I gestured to the clearing. “Then I’ll have Bob and Hope start digging the trench.”
“Easy enough. Send him more that way.” She pointed away from the wall, and I walked Bob a few dozen paces toward the redwoods.
“Here,” she said. “This is a hundred feet out. It will give us a circle diameter of around two hundred and seventy-five feet and we will encompass the large tree within the new walls. I’ll eventually build part of our fort up there.”
“Got it,” I replied as I ordered Bob to start digging his front hands into the soft grass. He was a much stronger digger than Hope, and he soon had a small trench made.
“Can you control both of them at the same time?” Trel asked.
“Hummm,” I said as I commanded Bob to keep digging. I thought about Hope coming out to help us, and the smaller parasaur ducked under our door and jogged toward Bob. When she reached us, I thought about her digging a trench starting from Bob’s tail and going counterclockwise to Bob’s clockwise direction. She let out a happy toot and then went to work.
“Damn,” I said. “This is going to go really quick. We’ll probably finish the trench today.”
“Does it require a lot of work for them to follow your orders?” Trel asked. “How does your ability function?”
“I just kind of imagine them doing what I want them to do, and they do it.”
“Can you do something else besides supervising them?” she asked as her mouth twisted into a slight smile.
“Depends on what you had in mind,” I asked with a chuckle.
“To ensure that I am pregnant, you should inseminate me again today.”
“I’d love to, but let’s get everyone tasked with a job. I can try to cut down some trees or gather some ferns while our dinos dig the hole, but you also need to help with the clay jugs, figure out if we can make a tub, build a saddle for Bob, and then help with the cordage.”
“Ahh, Victor,” Trel sighed. “All work and no play for you. Perhaps I should explain to you that performing your mating duties on me is a job that is not to be taken lightly?”
“I know it is important,” I said, even though I suspected there was no way Trel could get pregnant from me. “Let’s do it again tonight after we get the whole ‘survival’ stuff figured out.”
“Very well,” Trel sighed as she slid off Bob’s back. “I will perform the tasks you need me to. When shall I fit the platform building in with all these other tasks?”
“Ugh,” I said as I wiped my palm over my face. “I forgot about those. We’ll really need them if we get attacked. Damn, I wish we had ten more people right now.”
“Then we would need more huts. I actually think I should build another so that you and I can have our own private space.”
“That’s really low on the list.” I slid off Bob and then walked across the clearing with her toward the fort.