Feral Empires: First Spark

by Stephen L. Hadley

If he’d had time to stop and think about Jenn’s instructions, Liam might have found the whole thing awkward. Instead, he found himself lying back, on dry land with only his legs in the water. Jenn knelt between them, running her fingers playfully up and down his shaft. There was no denying it felt good, though it lacked a certain edge he’d felt when she’d grasped him the first time.

  Of course, that only made it all the more exquisite when Jenn’s lips closed around the head of his cock. Liam barely had time to gasp. The hot, wet interior of her mouth was like nothing he’d ever dreamed of. His eyes fluttered shut and he groaned, overcome by the rapturous sensation. And, just when he believed it couldn’t possibly get any better, she began to move.

  Something was building within him, something powerful and wholly primal. Something that was a part of him, and yet also alien. The tight seal of Jenn’s lips was drawing it from him, and the delightful caress of her tongue against the underside of his shaft stoked the feeling further.

  Then, without any warning at all, it overpowered him.

  Liam groaned, back arching as his body shuddered violently. He felt himself erupt, cock throbbing as he spilled himself into Jenn’s mouth. And, for a brief, timeless instant, that twitching shaft comprised the whole of him. His mind and body were adrift in a sea of warm, blissful oblivion.

  As the feeling slowly faded away, Liam struggled to prop himself upright. He was panting and his heart was pounding, though he couldn’t recall when either of those had started.

  Jenn continued to kneel opposite him, though her face was slightly contorted and she was currently gulping down handfuls of water. Despite this, her eyes were bright and the corner of her mouth was twisted up in an unmistakable smirk.

  “So?” she asked. “How was it?”

  Liam exhaled a long, shaky breath as he struggled to find the words.

  “Damn,” he said, finally. “That was—I mean… damn!”

  Jenn laughed, taking a final sip of water and wiping her mouth. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. And, so you know, that was what I had planned to teach you. One part, at least.”

  “There’s more?” Liam couldn’t remember ever being so excited to learn something. A thought occurred to him then and he frowned. “Wait. So, did you… eat it?”

  “Eat it?” Jenn laughed harder, with the playfully mocking laughter that seemed to go on forever. “Uh, no. I drank it.”

  “Is that… safe?”

  She shrugged. “Didn’t seem to hurt the ones I saw. Wasn’t expecting there to be that much, though. Or for it to be warm. I mean, it seems obvious now that I think about it, but….”

  Sitting up, Liam pulled her close and kissed her deeply. The notion of where her lips had just been crossed his mind briefly, only to be discarded a moment later as he lost himself to her embrace. When at last they drew back, Jenn was positively beaming.

  “Thank you,” he murmured.

  She giggled and promptly reddened. Burying her face against his shoulder, Jenn suddenly leaned and sent them both splashing down into the water. When Liam emerged, sputtering and blinking away water, he found the girl still clinging to him.

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “Ready for your next lesson?”

  Chapter Four

  It was nearly dark by the time Liam stumbled back up the hill toward the hut. Jenn had lingered behind, insisting that she just needed to wash up again and would join him presently. Truthfully, he didn’t mind a few minutes to himself. The woman had opened his eyes to things he couldn’t have imagined and he was grateful for the chance to collect himself before facing Scott. The last thing he wanted to do was stumble into the hut wearing a drunken grin that would give him away.

  The man had demanded he treat Jenn with respect, after all. And even though her enthusiasm assured Liam he had done precisely that, he still had no desire to explain himself. Or, as he justified it to himself, at least not until Scott was feeling better.

  Unfortunately, Scott looked to be feeling better. The man still lay in the same spot as before, but he’d propped himself up on his elbows and was sipping from the canteen as Liam entered. The last of the setting sun illuminated his face through the hole in the hut’s wall that Liam had accidentally made after waking. His eyes were narrow and he waited until Liam had seated himself before ceasing to drink.

  “So,” he said. “You two have a good talk?”

  Liam sighed. The man knew. Somehow, he always seemed to know.

  “We did,” he replied, meeting Scott’s gaze. “And we decided we’re going to destroy the Institute.”

  That gave the man pause. For a moment, he chewed his lip and studied Liam, then shrugged.

  “Well, I can’t fault you two for that. Hell, we might even succeed. Thanks to what you did, I should be up in another few days. I can track down the other militiamen in the area and contact my superiors to see if they’ll send another team this way. I know they’ve wanted to hit that place for years. Given how things are on the front, it might have to wait until next spring, but I’m sure that—”

  Liam shook his head. Scott fell silent at once, expression unreadable.

  “We can’t wait that long,” he explained. “The Institute still has some of Jenn’s friends. By next spring, they’ll be Hunters.”

  Scott remained silent for a time, appearing to weigh his words carefully. When at last he spoke, it was in a precise, guarded tone that Liam had come to loathe. It was the one he reserved for bad news when he knew the outcome truly mattered.

  “I know you want to help,” he said. “But just the two of you, or even the three of us… it’d just be throwing our lives away.”

  “We have to try!”

  Are you even listening?” Scott snapped. He grimaced, one hand going to his wound, and continued in a low growl. “There are hundreds of Occs inside that base! We wouldn’t even make it past the fence. No one could.”

  “I did once. So did Jenn.”

  Scott glared at him. “Breaking in is different than running away.”

  Anger, unexpected in its power if nothing else, burned hot at the center of Liam’s chest. He knew the words were a mistake even before he said them, but couldn’t stop them from spilling out. It was like falling from a tree and watching the ground rush up to greet him.

  “Isn’t that what you’re doing? Running away?”

  Scott looked stunned. His face went scarlet but, rather than explode, he simply dropped down onto his back and closed his eyes. His breathing was deep and deliberate.

  Liam closed his eyes, wishing he could take the words back. He hadn’t really meant them, of course. But nearly as bad as the regret was the ache it kindled in his gut. An ache that even his abilities couldn’t heal.

  “You’re probably right,” Scott said, at last.

  Liam looked up in surprise and found that the man’s eyes were still closed. His face had lost none of its redness, but there was no anger in his voice. Only weariness.

  “I told you I’ve been stationed here for six years,” Scott said. “And every day I’ve had to deal with the Institute and what it does. Children being experimented on, tortured, turned into Hunters. I’ve known all along and just watched it happen.”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “I watched and waited,” Scott continued, as if he hadn’t heard Liam’s interruption. “There were opportunities. I could have struck and maybe even saved a couple. But I waited so that, when the time came, I could level every brick, every single brick, of that fucking place.”

  “I know.” Liam sighed, looking everywhere but at the man. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

  Scott sighed as well, turning to look at him.

  “No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said. “Really, I don’t know anymore. We can’t attack the Institute directly, but perhaps there is more I could’ve done. More we could do. There are convoys, supplies, that sort of thing. Perhaps they’ll get desperate enough and make a mistake.”
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  He chuckled under his breath and gave Liam a tight-lipped smile.

  “Or we’ll die. But, hey, better to go out ballsy than from old age, right?”

  It was at that precise moment that Jenn chose to enter the tent. Her arms were loaded high with fruit that Liam had never seen before, which she deposited near the entrance. Straightening, she met Liam’s eyes briefly before turning her attention to Scott.

  “What was that about old balls?” she asked innocently.

  Scott studied her with his usual, perceptive stare. Liam couldn’t help doing the same. It occurred to him that the entire time he’d known her, Jenn had been completely naked. The only time he’d seen her clothed, he’d been shot through by several wooden stakes. Which, naturally, meant that time didn’t count.

  If he hadn’t known better, he might have mistaken her for some sort of forest nymph. Every inch of her from the neck down was covered by plant-matter. The majority of it looked to be long blades of grass, interwoven with such delicacy and precision that it was impossible to follow any one strand more than an inch or two. The rest of her outfit was composed of vines, ferns, and large leaves that Liam had never seen before. These shielded more vulnerable parts of her anatomy: her feet, hips, and breasts.

  Most impressive, however, was the cloak. Which, upon further inspection, he realized was not a cloak at all, but a multilayered mass of green vines that draped across her shoulders and swayed as if touched by an unseen wind.

  Scott eyed the tentacles passively, his raised brows the only exception.

  “That’s a neat trick,” he said. “Isn’t that how you…”He clicked his tongue and gestured at his bandaged stomach.

  Jenn blushed slightly and nodded, hastening to seat herself at Liam’s side.

  “So, how long were you listening?” Scott asked. As Jenn perked up in surprise, he laughed. “God, you two are too easy. I’ll take that as a yes. So?”

  Fidgeting, Jenn glanced at Liam before answering.

  “I heard most of it,” she admitted. “So you’ll help us?”

  Scott grumbled and gestured at the pile of food, waiting until Liam had tossed him one of the fruits to speak.

  “As I was telling this pup, it’s a damned suicide mission to attack the Institute directly. We’re better off attacking their supply convoys. Without you there, they’ll have to import most of their food. I know they steal some from nearby settlements, but I suspect most of it is imported from other facilities.”

  Jenn glanced sharply at Liam, eyes burning with the unspoken accusation. He shook his head quickly.

  “How did you know I grew their food?” she asked.

  Scott dismissed the question with a wave of his hand as he bit into the fruit. “They don’t have external gardens or enough water for real hydroponics. You control plants. It just makes sense.”

  Jenn scowled, but did not press the point. Instead, she leaned against Liam’s side and rested her head on his shoulder as she stared Scott down.

  “Fine,” she said. “But what good will attacking convoys do? Even if we starve them out, that doesn’t save the ones inside.”

  “It might,” Scott said. “I know the two of you were treated… poorly, but the Institute’s subjects are incredibly valuable to them. If the Occs in charge realize that someone is targeting them effectively, they’ll have to start transporting them to other facilities—safer ones. If we can target those convoys as well…” He trailed off, then shrugged. “It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s a better one than trying to attack the Institute directly. At the very least it’ll buy us time.”

  “Scott has been watching the Institute for years,” Liam volunteered, glancing down at Jenn who continued to press against him. “He’ll know the terrain and the routes they’ll take. Plus, there are supplies, weapons—”

  “—hidden in key locations,” Scott finished for him, glaring. “That I’d prefer to keep hidden, son.”

  If Jenn objected to being kept in the dark, she certainly didn’t show it. Rather than join in the looks of annoyance being shot back and forth, she smiled. Lifting a hand, she watched as one of the vines protecting her back curled upward and nuzzled her wrist and palm with a distinctly animal-like quality.

  “That’s okay,” she said. “I don’t need weapons.”

  Liam watched in amazement as the vine writhed and thickened. Long, wicked-looking thorns sprouted from the last foot or so, angling and straining against their bases until they had fashioned a deadly bludgeon. A crude, living weapon that continued caressing Jenn’s hand like an affectionate pet.

  He hadn’t even realized he was staring until Scott cleared his throat. Though it was difficult to be sure in the fading light, the man’s face looked distinctly pale.

  “Yes, well,” he said, shifting cautiously onto his back and closing his eyes. “That’s good. And thank you for the food. That’s talent of yours is going to come in handy once I track down my men. I should probably get some sleep though. Another few days and I’ll be healed enough to travel.”

  The abrupt end to the conversation caught Liam off guard and he turned to Jenn, hoping to find validation. Instead, he found the girl staring at him, eyes wide and practically glowing with eagerness.

  “Come with me,” she mouthed, giving a tiny jerk of her head. Silent as a whisper, she slipped from the hut, leaving Liam to follow, far less elegantly.

  By the time he emerged from the hut’s narrow entrance, Jenn was already darting up the hill. Her footfalls were utterly silent, as if the various plants and roots were deliberately cushioning her steps. Which, he realized as he trotted after her, was entirely possible.

  As they neared the top of the hill, leaving the hut perhaps fifty yards behind, Jenn paused. She glanced up at a few of the trees overhead, nodded to herself, and then stretched out her arms. Immediately, the cloak of vines warding her back came to life, dozens of limber, green tendrils racing along her outstretched limbs and up into the sturdiest of the low-hanging branches. There they coiled, intertwining and tying themselves into inscrutable knots. By the time Liam reached Jenn’s side, the last of the vines were in place, hanging thickly between the two trees, and the girl was carefully climbing atop them.

  With a muffled giggle, Jenn dropped onto the hammock, swinging it side-to-side. Eyes filled with delight, she extended a hand in Liam’s direction.

  “Come on!” she said, waving him closer.

  Liam hesitated and cautiously grabbed ahold of the platform’s swaying side. He moved slowly, certain that the whole thing would tip over the moment he put his weight on it, but the bed of vines merely rocked in response. Encouraged, he hauled himself up with a grunt.

  The hammock shifted suddenly, tilting in the exact opposite direction he’d expected. Yelping, Liam tumbled forward and grabbed frantically for something—anything—to keep him from falling over the far end. Unfortunately, the handhold he managed to find was Jenn, herself. He landed on her heavily, one hand resting squarely on her breast.

  Of course, judging by the smoky-eyed expression she wore, that had been precisely the point.

  “Naughty boy,” she teased. “We’re going to have to work on your coordination.”

  Reluctantly, Liam lifted his hand away. Jenn started to protest, but he silenced her with a playful kiss that continued until he’d managed to stretch out beside her. As soon as he had, one of her hands reached out to touch his chest, then trailed downward.

  “You know what I want to do?” she whispered.

  Liam caught her wrist. Its thinness surprised him. Both during their fight and their not-quite-fighting at the creek, Jenn’s might had been almost overpowering. It was a sobering, somewhat surreal awakening to be reminded that, from a purely physical standpoint he was far stronger.

  “You want to get to sleep early?” he said, grinning.

  Jenn huffed loudly, smacking his chest with her unrestrained hand. Staring up at him, she made a face.

  �
��You want to curl up and look at the stars?” he suggested.

  Grumbling, Jenn yanked her wrist free and rolled over so her back was turned. Chuckling, Liam scooted closer and slipped an arm around her side. He knew what she wanted, of course. And, so embraced, with his hips pressed firmly against her backside, there was no chance Jenn didn’t know he wanted it too. Using his chin to adjust her long, black hair, he nuzzled the nape of her neck and delivered a single kiss.

  Jenn shivered once and her hand found the one he’d slid around her, intertwining their fingers.

  “You can’t even see the stars from here,” she pointed out.

  Liam chuckled softly, moving to kiss the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

  “Good point,” he murmured. “Can I have another guess?”

  “If you’re wrong again, I’ll make this thing drop you.”

  “Hmm. That sounds dangerous. I might roll all the way down the hill.”

  “Better choose carefully, then.”

  With a thoughtful noise, Liam guided his hand along Jenn’s stomach. She was still wearing her clothes of woven grass, but he ignored it. And, judging from the way the girl began to squirm as his fingers dipped below her waist, they did little to obscure the sensation of touch.

  As he reached the apex of her thighs, Liam cupped her gently. He could feel the heat of Jenn’s sex through the leaves and vines covering her. And, as he began to caress her, the surface of the plants grew unmistakably damp.

  “Wait,” Jenn said. As Liam quickly withdrew his hand, she cocked her head and smirked. “You’re fine. This is just my only set of clothes. I don’t want them to be all sticky tomorrow.”

  Liam watched in fascination as Jenn began to undress. It wasn’t fascination at the sight of her naked body, though that was undeniably exciting too, but rather at the cleverness with which she’d constructed her garments. They were every bit as alive as the cape-turned-hammock vines she wore. And each, at the slightest touch of Jenn’s finger, seemed to unfurl like a morning flower.

  The twisted leaves of her boots, each individual leg of her trousers, and even the sturdy, almost armored bits that concealed her breasts and hips all unwound themselves with ease. And yet, even once they’d come undone, the individual pieces managed to retain their original shape in some form. Jenn gathered them up, placing them against the edges of the hammock and using a few practiced hand gestures to mold them into makeshift walls. By the time she was done, the result resembled a tent far more than it did a hammock.