Chapter 57. Death and life

You really need to stop dying.

Yeah I know, but at least this time I did it for a good reason.

The last time you died it was heroically throwing yourself at an enemy that couldn't do anything to you. Thus pointless.

I believe they were attacking my home. While they couldn't enter they could light the house on fire.

There was silence after that as I was once again floating in the void between the Leylines and my farm, the only difference was this time I could almost make out a form in the space above me. It was almost bathing in the torrent of power after if flowed out of me but before it reached the land. Yet no matter how much I tried to look I just couldn't make out any of the details.

Your deal. It was a good choice I'll at least give you that. The Livestock you will gain might be a bit problematic though. From what my sisters have said she's quick to anger and doesn't like Deed owners too much.

I already have a plan for her. I'm more interested in what you are. I had thought you were the land but I'm thinking otherwise now.

The form stopped its movement though I still couldn't make anything out.

I would like to show you, but I can't. Whoever made us didn't want our Deed owner to instantly gain our power. So I will continue to give it to you piece by piece.

That's more information than you've previously given me. Why the change of heart?

As I've said before. Your continued existence benefits me so I don't want you to leave. Nor do I want to to sell the Deed or your Livestock to another. Call it a small nugget of truth to keep you invested in the farms growth.

I felt the pull of something that I remembered from the last time I was resurrected.

Your Livestock love you dearly. Don't waste that.

I wouldn't. Not that whatever it was could hear me as my consciousness was rocketed towards the farm. I watched it all approach like I was falling from underground before the impact of the ground drove the air from my lungs.

Oh sweet oxygen. How it feels to actually breathe again.

I made it all of two seconds before a growl sounded from somewhere behind me.

[Master! There you are!]

This was followed by a thundering of footsteps courtesy of my Dragon and some quieter hoof falls from a Centaur trying desperately to keep up.

I had just enough time to prepare before I was taken off my feet by a Dragon's snout barreling into my chest.

[Master! Don't ever do that again!]

This was followed quickly by a Centaur crashing into my side.

"Stop dying Master." While Tarakona had sounded angry and a bit relieved, Zeldi was in tears as she buried her face in the gimp suit I was still wearing.

I placed my right hand on her head and scratched between her ears while my left went to Tarakona's nose. "I didn't really plan on dying you know. But I trusted you guys to bring me back."

"That doesn't mean you should keep doing it." Zeldi scolded pulling me in for a kiss.

[I concur. Being notified that you have been killed is not reassuring at all, even with the option to bring you back.]

The anger in her tone returned and I really doubted she was going to like it if I said our soon to be new Livestock is the reason for my last death.

"The first thing we're going to request Ventress to do is bring us the head of that jumping rainbow." Zeldi seemed to match Tarakona's tone. Her tears giving way to anger. "We can offer her as much of my milk as she can carry and one of Tarakona's eggs. That should be more than enough incentive to go kill it."

I winced and both girls noticed my action.

"Master what's wrong?" Zeldi asked pulling away from me enough that she could look at my whole face.

"What if I told you guys I didn't mind her killing me and think we should put all of this behind us?" I asked scratching the back of my neck nervously.

"I would think you've gone mad." Zeldi stated with Tarakona nodding.

I winced again. "Okay then. What if I said she was only killing me to protect you guys."

[She?]

Tarakona's question was mirrored by Zeldi's expression.

"Wait! She's a Livestock isn't she?" Zeldi cried out. "And she's coming here so you're trying to butter us up just enough ain't you?"

"Only if it's working." I replied.

Livestock Voras is now part of your farm.

Livestock not within the bounds of your farm. Retrieval initiated.

We all watched as a portion of the boundary rose up before stretching out in a direction. Ironically it went in the direction of the town but I was guessing the Underdark was a lot further away that that.

"Explain yourself Master!" Zeldi said stamping her front hoof down.

[Yes please do.]

I let out a sigh. "Okay, okay. It's probably going to be best if she explains herself but from what little she said to me Voras was trying to protect you guys from me."

"You are the last person we will ever need protection from." Zeldi interrupted.

"But she didn't know that." I tried to defend Voras. She hadn't really given me a chance to pursue her that I was a good Deed owner so I don't know why I was defending her this much.

Well actually I did. Because in a twisted sort of way she had my girls best interest in mind. Her follow through needed work but if the rolls were reversed I'd have done the same. I mean she did literally bet her life on me being a horrible person and I believed that came from a genuine place of pain.

"Voras wanted me to sell both the Deed and all my Livestock to her so that she could set one of you guys up with the Deed. She said only a Livestock can properly understand how it feels trading their lives." I continued as both my girls looked at me.

"But she still killed you?" Zeldi asked.

The fact that she was hesitant ment she wasn't fully against Voras like she had been previously.

"We agreed it was the best way to test that I was a good Deed owner." I answered, only slightly moving around the question.

[How does your death prove anything?]

"It proves that the Livestock currently living on my farm will choose to bring me back over their own freedom." I looked between the two of them. "Something I have faith that they will do."

Zeldi grumbled slightly and began to pace around the area we were in. I'd been resurrected on the the opposite side of the property to our house but I was very happy to see grass was starting to poke through the ground. The reward for fertile ground was coming into effect already.

"So you died. We weren't sold. And you're back now." Zeldi said trying to vocalize everything.

I nodded to my little mare even though I knew it wasn't a question.

"So why is she now coming here?" Zeldi indicated towards the wispy boundary line that was currently acting like a fishing rod.

"Because we both bet our lives on if I was going to be resurrected by you guys. If I wasn't then she got the Deed and both of you, but if I was then she was to become my Livestock." I answered.

That got a few raised eyebrows. Or the equivalent in Dragon.

[And remind me why we want more Livestock?]

"Because more Livestock means faster growth for the farm." Zeldi answered for me. "And potentially more members for Masters harem. Tilty excluded of course." My little mare stomped her hoof in frustration.

"She doesn't have to become part of my harem." I offered as if that was the only problem. "She can just be part of the farm."

"Is she cute?" Zeldi turned around and gave me the look I knew all too well. This was a trap question.

"She doesn't compare to the both of you." I said diplomatically.

"So she is then." Zeldi nodded as if seeing right through me.

[I can't say I'm familiar with the whole harem part of all this, but I do agree that another Livestock that can produce more consistently than myself would be a good idea. But I disagree that we should take on another. Tilty is going to be a drain on our limited resources already.]

"It's more of if we can live with them. Tilty while I'm still figuring out what I want to do with her will not be part of Clovek's harem so we'll probably end up selling her at some point. If this Voras wants to stay then the best long term plan would be to make her part of the harem. Otherwise she's effectively just a farm hand." Zeldi gave as an answer.

"I'm not looking to give anyone an ultimatum as to if they stay." I said hoping I wasn't stepping on toes. "I don't want to tell anyone that they have to sleep with me or I'll sell them. That just seems scummy."

We were interrupted by the wispy boundary line pulling a black blob onto the farm close to the house. I knew it was Vorus but from this distance I couldn't make out any identifying parts.

"So if a Livestock on your farm wanted kids you'd let them have a husband if they weren't with you?" Zeldi caught me off guard with that at while I opened my mouth to reply nothing came out.

"Didn't think so."

[Now I understand sister Zeldi's point. She wishes to remove the option of jealousy by having everyone mated to you Master.]

"That would be a lot more believable if she didn't want them as much as I did." I said having found my voice. "But yes I see your point. Voras has mentioned she'd done this before so if it doesn't work out we can see about getting in touch with another Deed owner for her, but we do need to actually give her a chance."

Zeldi gave a nod and started heading towards where Voras landed. "She owes us a big apology for killing you first though Master, I will not accept anything until she has."