Chapter 6: Negotiations

"No, matriarch, please, don’t bow to me, stand up, please!" I ran to lift Manaia. I didn’t want to feel like I was just like the royalty I hated so much. "It’s our way of showing gratitude. It’s not a bad thing for us, please accept this reverence." "Even if it’s not bad for you, it makes me feel bad. I’m not some kind of noble; I even hate royalty, so please, you really don’t need to do it. What I did for you wasn’t that much. If anything, it was the girls who rescued me and you who cared for me. I should be the one thanking you." I stood up and began to bow, but Manaia ran toward me to stop me from doing so. "I understand... I understand... please, don’t bow. You are the savior of our village; because of you, we are alive. Our gratitude is as vast as the ocean; accepting your reverence would be an insult to the entire village." "Haha, let’s both just avoid bowing. Besides, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak to me so formally. I’m just a normal person at the end of the day." "I understand, sir... I mean, young hero." "Just call me Jax, or Cole, I like both names. You don’t need to be so tense... I don’t bite, you know, unless you ask me to." "..." Manaia’s face went completely red. Those cute cheeks looked like two apples; I really wanted to take a bite out of them. "Ja... Jax... I promise to try if that’s how you want me to address you, but in return you call me Manaia." "Of course, Manaia! That’s a beautiful name, does it have a meaning?" "My mom gave it to me because when I was born a shooting star passed over the village. It means ’shooting star’ in our ancestral language... ummm..." Manaia cleared her throat, her eyes serious and filled with a firmness I hadn’t seen before. Her gaze scanned the hut, as if searching for the right words, making small noises in her throat. "I appreciate your... kindness, Jax Cole," she said in a quiet voice, though a slight blush still colored her cheeks. "But this is serious. I don’t know what we would do without you. The goblins fled, yes, but they always come back. And there are other threats on this island. You are the only one who has managed to protect us here. Right now, this island is almost certain death for us. A month ago..." Manaia fell silent, beginning to cry. "A month ago things started to go wrong. The crops began to dry up for no reason. No matter how much we tried to save the vegetables and grains, it was useless. It seemed as if the Sun God had gotten angry with us, destroying everything. But that wasn’t the worst part; a group of monsters came to our village and kidnapped many children. All the men in the village gathered to go look for them, because without them we would all die, but a month has already passed and we haven’t heard any news from them... Sniff... Sniff..." The tears began to fall more and more. I couldn’t help but walk closer and hug her. I pulled her to my chest while stroking her head, trying to comfort her. When I arrived, I saw the sad state of the village, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. Without a single man, they will eventually die out, and with no way to defend themselves from the monsters, they won’t last even a few months... But even though I want to help them, I still want to get my revenge. What should I do? She took a step closer, her eyes fixed on mine, tears still falling down her cheeks as the filtered sunlight made her look even more beautiful. In her eyes, there was a mixture of fear, determination, and a plea I couldn’t ignore. "Jax, I beg you, as the leader of the White Tail Deer Tribe, will you protect my people? Will you stay with us? If you stay with us... we will thank you eternally." Her words and her gaze hinted at some delicious things, so a slow, shameless smile spread across my lips. "Protecting the village... I could certainly do that, though I still have things I need to resolve... But... honorable leader..." I paused, my gaze intentionally lowering to her breasts, then returning to her eyes. "...What would leader Manaia be willing to offer in exchange for me staying? What can you offer me in exchange for forgetting those important matters I have pending? And how unlimited would that ’gratitude’ be?" Her face showed an expression [of surprise], then a spark of mischief crossed her eyes. She understood my intentions perfectly. Manaia exhaled slowly, her chest rising and falling, temptingly. She moved even closer, her warm breath brushing against my face, her eyes burning with a mix of defiance and a desire she no longer tried to hide. "Whatever you ask, Jax... Anything." My smile widened, victorious. I leaned toward her, my voice barely a conspiring whisper. "Then... lift your skirt, Manaia. And show me your vagina." Her eyes widened, surprised by how direct my request was. She bit her lip slightly as I sat on the bed I had been lying on. I wanted to get comfortable for the show. The rustic cloth slid upward, revealing her caramel-colored thighs first. Manaia continued to lift her skirt until her panties were completely exposed. Her panties were black and had an obvious wet spot just below her lips... "Is this good, Jax...?" Biting her lips, she asked me with a look of embarrassment. That look really made me hard as steel, seeing her expressions. "Of course not! Don’t you want me to protect your village?" With a heavy sigh of resignation, she used two fingers to pull her panties to the side, revealing her beautiful vaginal lips, decorated with some beautiful and incredibly sexy light brown hair that adorned the entrance to paradise as if they were flowers decorating a home’s entrance. Just at that moment, the soft murmur of voices grew louder. "Teacher Manaia! Good morning, Teacher Manaia!" Manaia jumped as if she had been bitten by a viper. Her skirt fell from her hands, quickly covering what moments earlier was about to be exposed. Her eyes widened, fixing on the hut’s entrance where the figures of three little girls, the apprentices, peeked their heads in, curious and smiling, their eyes wide at the surprise of seeing their leader jump like that. I couldn’t help it. A deep and thunderous laugh erupted from my chest, echoing in the small hut. It wasn’t a mocking laugh, but one of pure amusement at the situation and Manaia’s extreme reaction.