Six months of freezing cold settled over Pale River. Doc went with the tribes to the various mining sites, letting him, Rosa, and Sequoia mark out the dimensions so the dwarves would know the limit of the mines.
When the clans from Tsarrus arrived, Doc brought each of the leaders to the tribal elders to encourage friendship. Both sides pledged to honor Luck’s wishes— the pipe and drinks were shared between the two races, further cementing a peace that hadn’t been known in thousands of years. Each clan got its own site to mine, along with the quantity of ore they should pull out, and secondary and tertiary mining sites. The percentages they would get from their work would make every miner wealthier than most people from their homelands.
The tribes set up for spring, with their elementals helping prepare fields for planting and harvesting before the next snow. The dwarves brought with them the smithing that the tribes lacked, bringing prosperity to each side as both flourished in their new friendship.
No troubles came to his family, Deep Gulch, or any of his businesses. Fiala and Sonya told them about everything through the dryads to Rosa every night, and she responded with what Doc and his wives responded with. It helped ease the pain of the distance between them. Rosa let Doc know that Sonya was upset that he wouldn’t make it back for their child’s birth, but that she also understood why. Doc promised to send Rosa to act as his proxy when the time came; it was the best he could do, and even that tore at his heart.
David informed Doc that the new Voice for Invention had finally found him. Nickla Tellsall was a bright, young, half-dwarven man focused on harnessing soul stones as a catalyst for better-prolonged energy, using turbines to build greater energy. David and Nickla were sure that, in a few years, they would revolutionize energy, helping reduce the use of soul stones and further weakening the church in ways they wouldn’t expect.
When the year turned to the next, hints of the church moving were seen by woodfolk. The church was sending a head inquisitor, six inquisitors, and a full battalion of templars to find Doc; they’d pulled from Emerita and Kanata to field the hunting group. According to David, the government in Kanata had been resistant until the Pontiffica told them that they would feel his wrath if they stymied the expedition. A full battalion wouldn’t reach them before spring had come, and he was sure that leaving would only bring ruin to the tribes, as the church would vent their anger on people they saw as lessers.
Doc brought the clans and tribes of the area together, having Rosa and Sequoia go farther afield to make sure the church group was left without easy targets on their way. If no tribe was near them, they would have to subsist on their own supplies instead of stealing from the elves. It also meant he wasn’t leaving— he would stay and face the church’s wrath.
His wives had been unsure about his decision, but they all understood, which is how he ended up with Ayla and Sophia both carrying his children. They took his earlier offer and, when they left Pale River, would head back to Furden to be with their wives. It was a week later when Lia approached him with a request of her own, though not for her. Ayla and Sophia agreed, and Rosa told them about Fiala’s and Sonya’s agreements, so he gave Citrine that which she hoped for: to carry a child of the Voice. He could never deny his wives when they all agreed on something; they gave him too much for him to not give back.
When the snow began to melt and the weather became warmer than freezing, everyone prepared for the coming fight. Doc had tried to avoid bloodshed for two years, but his wishes were not granted by the Church of Apoc. They brought fire and ruin against him, his loved ones, and those he called his allies. He might not be a violent man, but he wasn’t a coward, either.
~*~*~
Shuddering as the aftershocks of orgasm tingled through his nerves, Doc exhaled roughly. He swallowed as he tried to catch his breath, lifting his head just far enough to see all three of his wives smiling up at him. Rosa giggled from above his head, as she’d just climbed off his face. “Well, today can’t get any better,” Doc chuckled.
Ayla and Sophia kissed his thighs before sliding up to hold his sides. They both feared what today would bring, but they had faith in him, their allies, and Luck. Lia kissed his waning flesh, then stood up, stretching her lithe body and smiling down at him. That smirk grew when she saw his spent cock twitch as if it was going to rise again.
“No, it won’t get better, but we can still make today a good day for Mother,” Lia said. “Are you sure about your plan, Doc?”
“Am I sure? No, but I think it’s for the best.”
“Their supply line was disrupted weeks ago,” Sequoia added from behind Rosa. “The templars don’t even know it, but they will die out here. Their goods have already been scattered to the tribes farther from the source of their supplies. This way, they aren’t targeted for retaliation.”
“The closer tribes are ready to move in behind them if you call,” Rosa said. “Everything hinges on your word, Voice.”
Sophia squeezed him. “I detest that you’re going to be at the front of this, Doc… I know why and I even agree with it, but I still hate it. We’ll do our best to make sure you’re safe.”
“My rifle will be ready. While I don’t want to take a life, I will,” Ayla whispered. “They threaten our family, and I’ll not let them take you or our wives from us.”
Lia smiled proudly at the others as she began to dress. “I’ve never been prouder of our family than right now. People think heroes are born, that they don’t know what fear is. That’s wrong. Heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the cost to them. Courage isn’t a lack of fear, but an acceptance of it, while not letting it stop you from acting how you need to.”
Rosa and Sequoia stepped away so Rosa could slip into a sundress, but the much taller dryad stayed as naked as ever. “Mother will help us; Doc’s plan is ready to enact. The inquisitors might try to stop it, but Fira and the two of us will make sure it happens,” Rosa said, Sequoia nodding along.
Ayla and Sophia kissed Doc’s cheeks before they both got up, too. Doc sat up as he watched his wives ready themselves for what was likely going to be a day of bloodshed and sorrow. He was glad that Fiala and Sonya were far away, as at least two of his wives would be safe from this.
“I know what’s likely to come in the future…” Doc murmured. “I wanted to avoid it, but I laid plans for it just in case. After today, we’ll separate. Citrine will make sure you two make it back into Emerita and down to Furden.” He looked at Ayla and Sophia. “Sonya was understanding of Rosa filling in for me, so I hope you both will be, too.”
“Of course, Doc,” Sophia said.
“We understand, just like Sonya did. We may hope for it to be different, but we accept what must be, Doc,” Ayla smiled sadly.
“Rosa will be there for you both,” Doc said. “I doubt it’ll be safe for me to be back in Emerita in nine months. Lia, Rosa, and I will go downriver, then across the ocean to Tsarrus and Qin. I have no idea how long I might be away, but I’ll miss all of you so much. It tears at my heart that I’m not with them and our children. That’ll only get worse when you’re both there, too.”
Ayla and Sophia stopped dressing, kneeling beside him to hold him. Tears fell, and Lia joined them, then Rosa. In time, they separated. Doc was the last one to finish getting ready— he had his best gear on, his gun belt on his hip, and he carried his rifle in hand as he headed for the door. Hard roads must be walked, and he would continue to walk them.
When he came out of the home, he had to stop, as everyone was waiting for him. The dwarven clans were there, and the closest tribes had brought their warriors, shamans, and elementals. Silence filled the chill air as the moment crystallized for everyone present. No one had challenged the church in decades— they’d slaughtered everyone who openly believed in anyone other than Apoc. Today would make a statement. If they were victorious, it would embolden the clans and tribes around the world. Doc would be painting an even larger bullseye on himself and he knew that— he welcomed it— as it would hopefully keep his family safe.
“Clan and tribe together,” Doc said, his voice the only sound besides breathing. “Mother would be proud of you today. You have finally set aside your old grievances to embrace what should have been. Do not open a new one against humanity; most of humanity is no different than you. The zealots, the bigots, those are the ones you can have enmity for. Anybody from the church, as they truly believe in the Darkness, even if they don’t know it by that name. But don’t become them, either. The burden of being the one to offer a hand can be hard, but we must keep trying.”
Hope burned in the chests of the assembled warriors, and worry ebbed from the hearts of their watching spouses, children, and elderly. Everything about today had been discussed over the last week. No one expected it to go without problems; no clash with an enemy ever went without hitches.
“I’d love for today to be the only violent clash we’ll have to endure before change comes to the world,” Doc went on, a sad smile on his face. “Even I know that’s not possible, just as I continue to wish for it. Today will not be the last battle of light, but it is the first. Your children, grandchildren, and even their grandchildren will hear about today. My wives and the shamans will do their best to keep anyone injured alive, but even we cannot bring the dead back to life. For those that do fall, you will not be forgotten. My promise to you is that those who come later will know about your sacrifices today.”
In the distance, a horn blew, and Doc turned to face the direction it had come from. Everyone turned to look, waiting for the templars to march into view.
“Find your places and remember the plan. Today, the first strike against the church is made,” Doc said, going to his spot to begin the battle of Pale River.